Well we're here. We're on the doorstep of Hull, Coogan putting all that
gear in his back to the test in twenty eleven, Oh Boy, Hulkster
returning to the ring as part of a total NonStop Hogan here and the Lapsed
Fan Wrestling podcast It Bound for Glory twenty eleven. Boss, and you better
believe he's in jeans? What what did? Who? Now? Would you
say talk about getting back on track? Jesus literally get him at back on
a track. Only the second match we've seen in all of TNH because you
know, he wrestled on that March eighth, twenty ten Live Impact teaming with
Abyss against aj Styles and Rick Flair, and that was, you know,
extremely limited in terms of mobility because it was prior to him going all in
on the fusion surgery. He was still trying to lacer spine treatments and so
very limited in that regard. Here though, against Sting and what essentially they
ended up making a street fight so that you can, you know, addressing
street clothes and I'm not gonna do I'm not going to wrestle you, brother,
but I'll fight you dude. Time you get to say that, I
know what what is so funny? Like what box in his mind? Do
you think it checks to draw that distinction? Like if he said this was
a wrestling match and he just came out dressed like that and brawled, people
would be fine with it, I know, I know, especially because you
know, and I don't want to give too much weight till we kind of
dig into it. But they start off with a side headlock for Fox's sake,
right, right, you know, I mean they would do right exactly?
No DQ, you know, fine to say there's no DQ match,
Like, don't don't. I mean, I don't know what he thinks he
does in American wrestling that he can't do except for a leg drop, right,
you know. Besides that can't dude, no matter what you call the
match, right, So it's like, what the fuck? Like, what
do you? What do you? What can't you do? Pal? That
can't be a standard Whole Cogan wrestling match. So we've spent so many weeks
in TNH chronicling Whole Cogan's you know, chronic back issues throughout the run of
TNA, and you know, like I said, we've only really gotten one
glimpse of him attempting to do something resembling an actual match in TNA. What
were you what were your expectations? Do you expect this this first time you've
ever seen this match? I take it against absolutely absolutely. You expected to
be sort of like a cringe fest. And was it better than expected or
was it worse than expected? Given all that we have seen and discussed regarding
his back? I was really I was expecting the absolute shit worst, and
it was fine, you know, all things considered. Yeah, it wasn't
when weren't talking, you know, it's not it's not Hogan Stan Hansen,
Okay for sure, but it's um, it's it's totally passable. And and
again, you know, you know who gets credit for that, Sting.
Yes, let's talk about how it stings. I mean, he's still pouncing
around the ring like like he's put on earth to carry food. Dude.
I seriously, I never would have thought that we'd get to the day when
Sting is carrying people two matches, like carrying matches on his back and he's
doing an incredible job. He's not you know, he's he's not overselling.
He's not pulling a Shawn Michaels and and fucking bouncing all over the place till
it's a fucking goof fest. But he's doing such a great job at making
everything work and really doing the the thing that you don't really recognize unless you're
really looking for it, which these days I totally am is how is the
is really the? Um? What the hell? What do the magicians do?
You know? When you go see a magic show, they do a
trick. It's not a trick, trick, but they basically they're they're having
you look someplace else. And I can't think of the exact term. Yeah,
yeah, distracting. Yeah, it's direction, misdirection, thank you,
Yeah, misdirection because you're focused on Sting most of the time, and so
you don't really see unless you're looking at Hogan. How fucking It's like with
Flair and that Flair match with Sting, It's like Flair is hardly moving,
he's hardly pushing and hardly using any strength. It's all Sting and the same
thing here. Hogan's got a little more to it, surprisingly than Flair.
But um, it's it's totally it's totally passable for for two guys, you
know, you know, uh two AARP wrestlers. Oh totally, Yet Sting
I don't think at that point. But yeah, the sting, Sting,
I'll tell you stings, a fucking sting. Maybe the hero of the Tnah
journey. Oh yeah, I think I think we're really arriving at that.
It's he is. I don't under I still don't understand what it is that
that that Tenah did, that Tena rather did to bring out such great work
out of him that couldn't move forward when he went to other places, you
know, like when he went back to wand I know now in AW,
I guess he's fine, but I don't really watch it enough to really know.
But like when he did his w W W E stuff was deplorable.
Well it's because they don't let him cut promos, I mean, but even
as in ring stuff was deplorable. Um, you know, I don't remember
it being that bad. I thought it was pretty bad. Yeah, I'm
pretty sure I thought it was pretty bad. And here he's just like,
he's a magician. He's a fucking magician with what he does pretty amazing.
And I never would have thought that about about Sting. And that's what a
hero of a journey is. It's somebody that you don't expect to be the
person that most consistently delights you exactly all the cast of characters you consider on
the front end of it, you get excited about, right, And I've
never been this excited about Sting before ever. That's like the tragedy of Sting's
career. It's like he's just, for whatever reason, when he's put it
all together, the universe has conspired to make those moments lower profile than the
have been. You know, w drawn six hundred people, they're taping at
center stage. He's having these incredible matches with Vader, but no one gives
a fuck of Forrest is falling in the tree apart, a tree is falling.
Trees forest could be falling too. That's true, especially with Vader on
the on the command. You know, you see here TNA, But you
know, eight hundred people at a sound stage at Universal hardly any growth and
to of their you know, television viewing audience, playing to the same people
that saw him. But man, they're they're making you believe with those with
that audio that it's more than eight hundred people. Oh they're not. They're
doing quite the opposite. I've never heard a worst job of crowdsweetening than TNA
in this era, it's so pathetic. I mean, it's it's really like,
sit me down with a person who thought this was a good idea.
I sat there and I was like, you know, because because when when
you don't again, when you don't look at the details, you kind of
it kind of just goes over your head in a way. But I'm sitting
there, and especially because we have seen them in other buildings besides the zone
of impact, you're all of a sudden, I'm like, wait a minute,
We're in Florida and there is a loud crowd making noise, and then
I sort of looking in the background and nobody was moving. And even when
they do move, it doesn't match the fake audio. It does not,
of course, not no one. No one's that excited about TNA, So
I don't know even why they're good. This could be better than the alternative,
you know. Yeah, I mean, we've heard unsweetened impact his own
crowd noise, and it's not great. But it's interesting. When it's crowd
noise, you just check out because you can't believe what you're seeing. You
can't trust your ear in terms of like, yeah, you know, part
of the fun of watching wrestling is to see these guys and women figure out
how to get a rise out of a crowd. And when you can't trust
the course you're hearing, it takes a lot of the fun out of watching
pro wrestling, I feel like. And one thing too, It's like,
if you were guys were in a bigger arena, I would be more to
accept it because maybe there are people way up in the rafters who we can't
see that are cheering loudly. Yeah. Well, but when we see that,
when when we see the back wall of the building and we hear a
raucous cheer that sounds like it's coming from a cavernous arena, that like,
right, like voices are traveling across break we come on, we I know
the sound of studio wrestling. Okay, it's a very very clean, like
intimate sound. So don't don't don't, all right, duck fellas well.
By the time it's all said and done, Hulk Cogan is back in the
Red and Yellow and has broken it off with Bischoff and the whole heel,
the ill advised heel who has it started at the last bound for glory,
And in a lot of ways we end up here at bound for Glory twenty
eleven, where the whole you know, Hogan, Dixie Carter, Eric Bischoff,
Jeff Jarrett, although Jarrett becomes obviously involved in other storyline by the time
this culminates, uh angle, you know, where control of the company is
on the line, and man if we beat that drum, yes and beat
that dead horse over the weeks here on TNH but this really is the end
of that whole struggle that they don't really ever quite go back to. Like,
you know, Dixie Carter's ownership of TNA Wrestling is on the line,
thankfully, and it's calling and they're not going out with a with a whimper.
They God, they overdo it on the on the first impact after Bound
for Glory. In terms of time talking about it's like I'm listening, listen,
all right, I don't remember how it all ended, but I know
between between the opening segment okay, which lasted like a half hour and the
the the the the third segment that I watched, which was over an hour
in to the file, two matches happened. Oh dude, yeah, two
like ten minute matches happened. Besides that, it's all fucking talking. But
wait a minute I thought wrestling matters. Oh that's the thing. It's like
they start wrestling matters tagline at the exact opposite time that that's what they're doing.
It's whatever they can fucking do. They'll say anything to just get you
know, that WCW crowd that fucking left. Yeah, you know, and
never watch wrestling again. And I probably already said this, but what's ironic
is wrestling doesn't matter. No, that's kind of the fun of it,
right, Um, once it starts mattering, then it becomes a fucking chore
and you end up having blood feuds on Twitter and wanting to like roll up
on somebody. So here we are, Kenna. It was just for you.
Terry. Ogan's getting back in the ring and the hair is long.
The hair's longer than it should be in the back. It's so inappropriate.
I mean, dude, just like, especially you're gonna whip off the bandana'd
like, just you don't have to have this flowing maine like that. It
does not compensate for the baldness on top. No, it does not.
I mean, hull Hogan's growing hair as long as you would if you were
to construct a trump like comb over on the top of your head, except
he's not doing it. Rings the hair, He's keeping the bald you know,
so not doing that. Uh the fancy, the fancy shit you do
when you're trying to do the comb over. Hide the bald yet in the
yang? Yes, and no roller you know, dude, whore talking about
you and the yang dude? No, no, hide the ball, brother,
No hide the bald dude. All right, brother, the bald dude
is out in front. Brother. You know you know we no no,
no thugging and bugging bro. Bro. By that time we're done this week,
Hogan will be riding with those ape hangers off into the horizon on the
piece of Oh my god, I'm sure of it. No widening gliding dudes.
So I lot to dig into. But uh, you know, if
we're gonna talk about Hogan, we gotta dig into that fucking nutrition to start
with. I reckon and boss brother, what and what's more on brand than
our friends at Titan Nutrition who believe nutrition bring you total, NonStop Hogan all
these weeks, and uh, we're proud to have him as a sponsor.
Terry, I know, I know you're a certainly supporter of Titan Nutrition.
Well, brother. I would just want to say, dude, yes,
I have done Titan nutrition, brother, but i am not addicted to Titan
nutrition and I'm not currently on Titan Nutrition as of the last fifteen minutes.
Brother. Well, the same camp be said for so many members of the
Solar System, including Zach, who, since we last brought to you a
message from our kind sponsors at tight Nutrition, has joined up, is signed
up, as used the lapsed promo code, and has you know, closed
this virtuous circle we got going on in the podcast. We're smile upon us,
and we smile upon them, not only as hosts, but as a
Solar System. We know we can trust you to follow our lead in terms
of, you know, show your support by showing support for the brands that
say, you know what these guys are up to something. Are we branding?
What's the brand? Are brand? And the brand is tight Nutrition and
it's going so well. Brand Central Station. I think that's what we should
call the ad part of our podcast, Brand Central Station. You fucking piece
of shit, bitch. Let's fucking though, let's acknowledge the country in which
we're creating this podcast, and let's sell some fucking inventory. There is no
America. Without inventory, there is no America, and so we're going to
fill said inventory thanks to our friends. Just like uh in um, just
like fucking ned beat, he says, in uh uh um in h in
network, there are no nations, there are no peoples. There is only
the holistic money of Moneies or whatever the fuck it is. Oh great,
great finish their boss. Yeah, holistic money Moneies or whatever it is.
Oh I remember there is no nations, there are no people's right, that's
a great is a great speech. I used his monolon ones. Does it
qualify for under the cinemat? We're trying to I'm trying to make it happen,
are you really? Yeah? Absolutely, Although you know, Tom Atanasio
told me he's like, you know, because I because of the network gimmicks.
Last PNH, all we did was talking about it. All was network.
So he's kind of like, he doesn't that make it quality? He
says, I haven't met you make it qualify? All right? I was
like, all right, I mean, listen, it's one of my favorites.
I will love network to qualify, So we'll find a way. For
some films. No level of qualification can be enough for others. We'll take
just about anything exactly, and uh we'll even tight Nutrition um for those in
the solar system who are so inclined to get into that gym, rip that
iron, you know, make make the ladies turn their heads or the men
turn their heads, whatever the case may be, on on a beach coming
up this summer, whatever the case, making tight Nutrition is the lapsed fan
approved way damn right whipping it into shape. And in fact, it's going
so well with our friends at Touch Nutrition that we're celebrating the conclusion of year
two of our TNH coverage here in twenty eleven with the special sweepstakes. Our
friends at tight End are offering some free product to those who enroll in a
sweepstakes that involves you showing some love both to Tight Nutrition and your co chairman.
On Instagram. We don't spend a lot of time, especially compared to
our Twitter talking about our Instagram boss, with which at all you helm and
do a great job. There's some wonderful stuff on there which we had a
lot of fun chronicling our la trip at WrestleMania in a highly visual way.
Tell the people what they're missing if they're not, I mean, hey,
you know, you go to uh, you go to you got the WRO.
You get really the visual stuff of the lapse fan whatever it is,
whether it be us on the road, whether it be uh, you know,
kind of special promo videos for stuff, little little bits and pieces.
It's it's you know, not easy to curate, um, because it takes
a lot of work to make the easiest things look easy. Um. But
uh yeah, you guys you know, would go there always, especially unique
stuff that we kind of don't highlight. I try to keep it as different
from the Twitter as possible, right, right, So Instagram is more of
like a push of our creativity. Twitter is more like keeping you as engaged
as possible and letting you know exactly you have a direct line to the coachairs
and a way for us to rebroadcast praise that we deserve and get absolutely all
the fucking time, all the time. And here's a new way to offer
tribute to your color chairman. To celebrate our partnership with tight Nutrition, we
are giving away one of Titan's amazing products. It is in light and it
helps give you the mental boost you need to move your body and burn off
excess calories. A great tasting drink that increases your metabolic rate, helps keep
cravings away, and contains healthy fiber for gut health. There we go,
and Light comes in six amazing flavors that can be easily mixed and taken on
the go. So in order to win this great product, you want to
follow the Lapsed Fan on Instagram and you also want to follow tight Nutrition on
Instagram and then screencap the fact that you're following. We of course can confirm
on our end at least that you're following that fucking asked, but we need
to see a screen grab, confirm that you followed our friends at tight Nutrition
on Instagram as well, and email us proof of following those accounts at the
lapsed Fan at gmail dot com. So with the proof of following and with
the receipt of that email, and you'll be entered to win. The winner
will be announced the next time we're with you here on our TNH series.
And so you've got about a week and it's an exciting time to be involved
with TNH and with Tight Nutrition. Sure the partnership will give away one bottle
of their great tasting weight loss formulas. I said in Light, just enough
caffeine to substitute your cuff of a cup of coffee and light is also designed
to help you focus, lifting your mood and productivity. It does all this
while also helping to keep cravings away and improving digestion. So let's fucking go
and we look forward to sharing the winner. We're gonna pick them at random.
We're gonna I guess, I don't know, boss, We'll do it
like we used to the Hopper in the beginning. They're done, remember those
days. Oh god, We're like, nobody's going to give us fifty dollars
on Patreon, so it'll be a very small pool of people. Yeah,
okay, oh yeah, like fucking three years or three years for us to
get three amount of people that were willing to pay that. So for those
lacking the context as to why the Hopper operates the way it does these days,
that's the reason because we basically lost control of the show for thirty six
months. Yeah, it was rough when we priced it level. So that's
exciting, and we look forward to giving away some Titan product to folks that
you know, might be on the fence, might not people willing to take
the full plunge and make the full purchase quite yet with that lapsed promo code
over tight nutrition dot Net, but certainly are ready to um to give it
a free try, and that's what we're proud to bring you, so looking
forward to that. And we're also very excited here at TLF to welcome back
to the program a sponsor that we've worked closely within the past. And it
makes a lot of sense. I mean, boss, as we've said a
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right, and the damn fucking straight I mean, in what ways are
we about crotch. It's about it, It's about it's it's it's about insertion,
dynamic insertion in, dynamic insertion, about dynamic penetration, dynamic reality,
dynamic fiction, dynamic friction for that matter. And you know, and to
do that, to put it quite simply, you gotta keep that shit clean.
You gotta keep that shit trim. Yes, you gotta keep that shit
look in the way you want so that people will get their fucking face down
there. You need to keep it manscaped, damn right. Support for Total
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us know you've converted, not just the brand. What very excited to keep
getting South of the Border again and getting razors on nuts. We're about running
razors here at TLF, getting that razor's edge righting my fucking sack, a
perfect partnership. Welcome back to the table, man escaped. The momentum continues,
not a fucking joke, going on ten years of lapstone, Oh yeah,
and your fucking ears and other orifices. So, uh, if Hogan's
going to return to the ring, he's got to go on Howard Stern.
Right, Oh, you're damn right, he asked to I mean, the
hookster was not shy about stopping by. He was never shy about going in
there and subjecting himself to Howard's you know, perverted inquisitions. You know,
So did you you know the deal? And uh yeah, Hogan's, um,
really, exactly did you get it? Did you get it? Where
did you get you get it? Wow? You did? And then you
entered her? Oh my god, oh my god. Amazing On the marine
under the Cinemat that's available now on Patreon. Yes, you played clips of
John Cena doing one of those sort of tawdry interviews with Howard Stern and holy
shit, oh yeah, is it hilarious the way Stern describes Seena going in
on a larger law it's I can see it totally rolling with it and rolling
with a you know a little hefty sure peffer whatever, sure yep, yep
that was his previous fried to do it huh hilarious. Yeah, truly amazing.
As we're starting our marine journey over under the cinemat for those who are
at initiated, that's on our executive producer tier Patreon dot com, slash the
lapsed fan and know a lot of new ear ears on us as a result
of the teenage journey. So yes, we don't hesitate to remind that EP,
moat and EP you want the goods, that's where you want to be.
Yeah, we just did the marine too. Just just drop with t
Dba Junior amazing time in considering his position of the headlines these days. Oh
what a fucking what a romp? What a romp for that motherfucker. Truly
truly, Jesus, it's a whole other level at Patreon. It's it's you've
got a really mean business to join us over there, especially the moat tier
you mentioned. I mean, God, I mean you have to be such
a fucking king or queen to mean that much to us. But if you've
got the uh the risk appetite in the wallet, we'd love to see you
all the way up at the tip top tier. But that's reserved for very
special folks and very special considerations from your coach chairs. That's for people who
want to know what it was like, what it's like to watch wrestling with
my mom exactly wrestling Maria every Monday. For the MOTE tier members only recall
what it was like to sit in the living room carpet with normal adults in
the room making comments about how foolish this all is. Mama Sorrow is a
is a voice from that distant past. It's not so distant, not not
for remote members, Nope, Nope, it's it's like it's every Monday,
just like it used to be every Monday. I love it, thank you.
Just they just uh, let me see what what what was listened to
by the time this, uh, this one drops, they would have listened
to so random. It's so fucking random. John Cena versus Bobby Lashley from
The Great American Bash two thousand and seven, What the fuck? And if
you're wondering, No, we don't hesitate to allow MOTE members to suggest what
matches Mama Sara watch absolutely, I love it. Please DMUs any which way
you can? Oh yeah, within Patreon. Absolutely, Yeah, DM DMUs
within Patreon, if you're a mote member, let us know what you want
to see, because we'll get there eventually, no question, no question at
all. Yeah. I did that one because she's a fan of Bobby Lashley
from seeing him on like Good Morning America or some bullshit. How random is
that? So random? It's like, oh, how are you gonna be
able to watch a Bobby lash And I was like, well, she loves
John Cena too because he's from fucking West Newbury. Yeah, well I get
that one. Yeah, hometown ties my mind. But yeah, it's just
great value for your money. Of course, you could add free versions of
this podcast. You get the Deep Dive for the part two whatever. We
used to call it a day earlier than everybody else, so by the time
most folks here are part twos every week, all the patrons are fucking done.
They're waiting for more. They're waiting for Under the Cinemat to drop out
of Friday Baby, that's right. So Under the Cinemats available exclusively on Patreon
to the the eptier and above. We also, of course have our monthly
w W pay per view live calls. We watch modern WWE so you don't
have to coming up. Of course, backlash from Puerto Rico, your co
chairs, sit down and grin and Barrett baby, and give voice to what
it means to be lapsed and to watch this through lapsed colored glasses. Are
we going to see that youngster, Carlos Cologne? You know it surprised me
if you wouldn't be in the building. I'm not sure he'll be on the
show. I love that youngster. So many reasons to join us on Patreon
and shout outs coming your way for those who have taken the plane. So
pardon that divergence. We need to get to the Hulkster here as he sits
with Howard Stern just days before his return to the ring against staying at Bound
for Glory twenty eleven. Of course the show in Fili, Yes, they
taken on the road one more time. Um here in twenty eleven. Let's
hear all the Hulkster has to say. And boss, do you think the
first question out of Robin's mouth is concerning the fact that it might not all
be real? I would imagine, listen, I would be disappointed if she
didn't go there right for all these years? Do you think that that's a
worthwhile question. I think. I think in terms of the realm of the
Howard Stern Show, I believe she is the last editor of the Howard Stern
Show. Fucking go Hogan Stern Hulk. Yes, sir, you had spinal
fusion for nine hours. Yeah that's no joke. Yeah, no, twelve
hours, twelve hours. Recently, um goes back surgery number eighth. Brother,
You know, wrestling fake injuries are real injuries. It's a performance real
I've come to understand that wrestling is a performance. Yes, that is,
brother, demanding the body. Okay, it's cruel to the body like footballer
is because you get slammed, chairs pounded over your back. So so,
just because the ending is predetermined, and when Howard and I wrestle, everybody
knows that Howard's gonna beat me. Where so great that just because we know
who's gonna win, that doesn't mean what happens during the match is fake.
Because I've never had a match. I didn't get hurt. Wow, I'll
show you one picture. You got an iPhone and look how big your hands
are. How do you type on that thing? I don't think you can.
Can you actually type a text? So I can send you with thumbs
on. This was seven Now I'm not giving you the phone because you'll take
it from me. Let me say this was seven months ago. Oh my
god. See that thing in the corner. Yeah, that's a battery in
your back. Yeah, and I gotta get that taken out. The wires
go from the battery up the middle of my back to the field place today.
So let me ask you, then, why would you Did you run
out of money? I gotta figure out, like you made us divorce.
I had the divorce, I had the civil case where they sued me for
sixty million bucks. Why are you let's go into that. Why are you
wrestling again with Impact Wrestling? Brother? This has nothing to do with Vince
McMahon. No, no, no, he's got another company that's been around
for seven or eighty years. Has you ever called you and said, why
are you competing against me? What are you doing to me? Because he
strikes me as a guy who wants to own the world. In other words,
then calls in the past where you know there's been differences of opinion.
What's the difference of opinion? Your opinion is you should have more money and
you should have less. Well, that's the only thing we ever argued about
was about money. Yeah. But I mean a lot of people, including
people that work with Vince, think I should have stayed there. My whole
life started there and worked for Vince's dad in the late seventies, and I
should have ended my career there, But I kind of like did some other
stuff, work for Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff and I'm working for Dixie Carter
over there is your opinion of your own career. You are You are the
biggest of all time. In other words, you were the most famous.
You were the only wrestler ever appeared on the cover of Sports illig Yes,
sir, so you were the biggest wrestler of all times, Deny Hodge,
and you're probably appoint to Vince's You know what, I'm not complaining. I
made a lot of money with you and all of this, but you probably
don't treat me now with the respect I need, you know, the honest
truth to cut through all the crap. Late eighties or early nineties, when
all of a sudden the government focused on wrestling with the steroids, um,
that was something that kind of like pulled the whole business apart, right and
it was time for me to move and do something else. I went and
part enough with the Baywatch guys and did Thunder and Paradise for a couple of
years, and Ted Turner's group happened to be on the sound stage next to
me in Orlando, so I kind of like started talking with them. Never
was going to get back into wrestling again, but you know, they may
be an offer I couldn't refuse. So I worked for Ted and Eric Bischoff
for seven or eight years, but at the end of the day, it
just natch, really, you know, the way the government came after the
wrestling business, kind of like how they're coming after football and baseball and everything
else. It just wasn't a comfortable environment for anybody. So I kind of
just s went my own leg. You estimated that you've gone through hundreds of
millions of dollars of you and I made a lot of money in the business.
You made a ton of money in your business. Are you upset with
yourself that you didn't understand the value of that money and that you didn't understand
how to handle the money because you were spending out of control? Right?
I mean, it takes two to tango. You know, my wife and
I were before Ted Turner was going to retire from wrestling, right, and
you know, we were all set with a beautiful home, and then there
were some decisions made to build an yeah whatever. Yeah, and so you
know it's like I was one of these guys that always didn't want to spend
what I say, So I said, let me go back to work to
pay for this, that and the other. And it just steamrolled and instead
of retiring at thirty to thirty nine years old, I wrestled into my fifties.
A guy getting into wrestling, Now, would your first advice be,
you know what, take a business class, learn how to understand money and
understand finances. Right, well, I was set until you know, the
divorce happened, until the civil case happened. Well, all right, so
let's get back to this. You're doing an event. I'm not going to
wrestle for eight back surgeries. Brother, I made that cleared everyone done wrestling?
Yeah, I mean, you know, the back surgeries. I'm not
gonna put on this performance where it's a wrestling match. But I said,
if it's push toms of the show, I'll take the fifth up and fight
you, right, you know, so that's what it is. After the
main event or before the main event of the world title, Paul Cogan's going
to fight Sting for control of the company. Brother, I say, I
got it all right. Where's the outcome now? Yeah? Oh you're so
bad? Uh? Brother? What I have control over the outcomes of my
matches? I don't know. If you've read my contract, brother, and
you should know, Robin, that outcome includes whatever promos maybe cut subsequent to
my match, even after I've left the building that had that whatever, whatever
the outcome is, dude, I make an income, brother, Robin,
are you what are you? Wait a minute, Robin? Why did you
when you said whoa dude? Wait? Brother? Why are you behind that
class? Yeah? Why are you got a room here? We're out here
in the open, rob I understand you hear that perch. What's going on,
Robin? What's going on? Dude? What's in there? Why?
What you got in the in the booth? What do you got You're gonna
roll me up inside? Dude? What the fuck? Brother? What did
you just say? Robin? He's just going stream of consciousness instead of where
are you going? Where are you going? What? Terry just t this
is my stern Terry, just just relax. It's gonna be fine saying anything.
Why are you? First of all, dude, why are you too
men to relax? Brother? You know you're in you're in my studio.
Yeah, he's dude. You want me to feel what? Brother'll relax?
Feel feel like you have to worry a parent? Dude? Why would you?
I mean, you're acting like you know some of them. The government's
about to roll up here, and you know, try to whoa whoa whoa
whoa. Brother. Let's first, let's let's kind of dial it in,
dude, Right, let's dial the shit in. Brother. All right,
let's stop playing games. Brother, Let's stop playing Hide the Hide the Ball.
I'm so glad that's in the repertoire. Now. My new teenage was
worth it because I got it. Why you're talking? Government rolled up?
Brother? What's going on? Dude? Yeah, it's um it's what they
what they feed the kids in public school. Brother. I want to know,
Wait a minute, why do you I mean, I'm here and she's
asking me questions about dude. You understand, brother, I don't know what's
going on. You don't understand that I don't know what's going on, like,
if you know enough to know that you don't know what's going on?
You know what's going on? What? What do you now this this studio?
Brother? I was Are there any two way mirrors in here? Dude?
Brother? Where are the two way mirrors? Dude? Right? Let
me let me let me phrase it that way. Brother. I know they're
here, brother, I want to know where they are. Why are you
asking me if it's real, Robin? Why why do you keep harping on?
Can I are you recording me? Brother? Hey? Well, it
is a radio show, Terry. What hold on? That was way too
good? Are you recording me? Brother? Well, it is a radio
show, Terry? What? What? Like? What do people tell him?
This was a fucking padded room that no one could bust. I was
told I was having a Sittown conversation with Howard Stern. Dude. I don't
know what the fuck is going on? Where are you, dude? Where
you at? Brother? It's from in front of them, Where are you,
dude? Because I don't know where dude. I'm like looking around,
brother, I'm like, you know, where's Howard Stern? Dude? Where's
Robin? Brother? I'm trying to figure out what the fuck is going on,
and all of a sudden, I got ship just fucking land in front
of me, brother, and I'm like, well, where you know,
where is it? Dude? I guess getting back on track isn't so easy,
isn't what? He's got so much to say there? Um Well,
you know, first of all, he he talks very artfully around how much
money he made and how much money he lost? God does he not?
You know, It's like Stern asks him a pretty straightforward question about the state
of his finances and he's like, oh, I made a lot of money
in wrestling. It's like, it's not what I say. He spent a
lot all about my wife and it's history. Tango dude takes two to tango
brother. And of course there's oh god, the Graziano settlement, as we've
talked about. But one thing it's very interesting around October twenty eleven, when
Bound for Glory takes place, is this article hits the same Pete Times down
in Florida, part me the Tampa Times whenever it's called down in um down
in Florida. And I don't know, just you know, we've spent so
much time kind of just brushing by the fact that you know, or just
taking for granted the idea that hul Cogan really got hosed in the settlement with
the family of the young man you know that was paralyzed and rendered basically a
vegetable in the car accident while his son Nick was driving. And we know
there was a settlement. We know there was a cash settlement. We've talked
about it at length at TNH. It was a big part of the precursor
of Hogan arriving. I mean, he's doing interviews the day he does the
TENA press conference and he's on Larry King, and all they're asking him about
is this. So it's been woven into the fabric of TNH from the beginning,
and it's it's always sort of interesting that all you ever hear in terms
of a number is I got sued four sixty million dollars. And you remember
when we were reading the laser spine deposition, how much his attorney freaked out,
and he freaked out when the the attorney was kind of trying to edge
towards getting Hogan to name the settlement numbers, like should I say this?
He had no hesitation on any other question. He was ready with his Carny
answers in a fucking seven. But there's something they don't want to say about
this settlement number. And I wonder if it might be because it would puncture
the narrative that this settlement put hulkoke and flat on his back and justified all
of these cash grabs. I'd like you to read this article really for no
other reason that it came out. You know, the same exact time is
found for Glory, right, And I think shed some light on why Hogan
chooses to phrase it as I was sued for sixty million dollars, not that
I lost sixty million dollars. Oh. Debrah Graciano's sole job is to take
care for her son, John, who suffered severe brain damage when he was
injured in a car wrecked wrecked by Nick Balaya in two thousand and seven.
She feeds the former marine marine brother, bathes him, dresses him, takes
him to doctor's appointment. For that work, she makes just one thousand,
seven hundred and fifty dollars a month. Her only income paid from a settlement
reached between attorneys for John Graziano and Terry Balaya, the wealthy professional wrestler and
entertainer, known as Hulk Hogan, and well, you know, one would
have expected there would be sufficient there would have been a sufficient fund to provide
a caregiver or caregivers for John Graziano, says Edward Graziano's attorney, John Trevina.
Now missus Graziano is going to be devoting the remainder of her life to
the care of her son without any outside of hell. It's extremely sad,
it's tragic. Information about the financial settlement was revealed Friday in a newly filed
court document, a deposition of Debra Graziano taking taken for her ongoing divorce case
from her husband, Edward Graziano brother, would Hogan I need to give I
give credit to Evan for this one from a dark side of the ring.
Hogan must depose as opposed to Hogan must pose. That's right. In the
deposition, Deborah Graziano said she believes about one point five million dollars in the
settlement remains after payments to attorneys and the veterans hospital that cared for John after
the accident. Travina is not privy to the amount of the confidential settlement,
but based on the remaining funds, he estimated Friday that it could not have
topped five million dollars. You very much, Travina said. Experts he talked
to had valued a potential settlement at between twenty five and six and twenty five
and fifty million dollars. One of those experts have been Terry Hogan Blea himself.
I got suited for sixty million, dude. Brother. They came to
me, brother, they said, I'm taking sixty million dollars from your brother.
What am I supposed to say? Brother never actually came out of my
bank account or not his immaterial brother. They said that's what they what they
were going for, dude. They were coming for me, brother. So
in a lot of ways they inflicted the emotional damage of taking sixty million dollars
for me, brother, without actually I kind have done it. I could.
I could feel like I got sued right for sixty million dollars. Brother.
The question isn't did Hull Coogan lose sixty million dollars in the Grunziano settlement.
The question is did Hull code did I feel like he lost sixty How
did I feel? Dude? That's the question, brother, Who's feeling?
Who? Right? All right? How am I feeling, brother, What
am I feeling? Dude? Where am I? Brother? What? Zoom
out like six times and he's he's standing on like the edge of a of
a of a needle, and it's like he turns. It turns out he's
as big as like a little gnat and there's this like vast universe. The
more you zoom out that he's like a little speck in what the end like
animated like that MTV show A on flux used to be and then and then
and then there's a deep old what are you going for? Where are you
wolcovin ye of my needle? Can you give me a favorite? Boss?
Could you just say Sammy Gabara on that Sammy okay? Good Sammy guaver and
cheese and panado? So how would um this attorney describe the settlement in terms
of its amounting? It's appallingly low. I was stunned. You know.
It's a tempt at the value I had anticipated. Appallingly low. That's right,
brother, woo, what was that? That's a flight of fancy that
from mister Nanny and who I think we've come to a realization. It's taken
a while. We've been on this journey for months now. Yes, I
kind of think TNH is about maybe ten to twelve sounds. In fact,
I think every journey we've ever done here at the Lapsed Fan is about ten
to twelve. It always, it always breaks down to sound. Can I
ask you a favor? And can you just maybe do you know seven or
eight of them with a with a beat of silence between. What do you
consider the essence of TNH in terms of sound? That was one? If
you heard you? I heard You're fucking getting me still ringing in my ears?
From the transcript, reading from the deposition reading pooh good one you you
cackling like a school girl? Doesn't count. One does not count. It
does not count. Yeah, that's too similar to the first one. All
right, well, hey they are very different. There's yeah, nuances to
it, there are nuances. Let's train the AI absolutely or can I submit
one? Yes? Hangking, hanging king king, because if I have to
go around one more fucking minute in my life with a Dixie Carter ten a
theme song in my mind. And what's key. What's key is you don't
just picture a tron video exclusively of her walking around, because that's the extent
of the footage they have of her, but it's it's not just her walking
around, it's her walking gingerly down the stage while she has high heels on.
Do you know what I mean? I know exactly, like very careful
step because you're not supposed to walk on a surface like that with those kind
of shoes on one on one on one, one, one on one,
one one on one on one on one on them. And also that,
Yeah, that's true. Backup d ye, Yes, it's very true.
What about the sound whoa sounds like a dying pig? Like a man mort
cup oh waited? Wasn't there a two thousand and eight financial aff of David
according to this article or up stated is net worth that's a starting in a
In a two thousand and eight financial aff of David, Terry bala I said
his net worth was thirty two point four million dollars. It's just like kind
of not along when Starn started talking about how he made hundreds of millions of
dollars, I made it, just like no no holds barred. Why I
made it, dude? You know I made money, brother, I made
money. Dude, I don't have money. There's a distinction, brother,
what Who. In two thousand and seven, Terry and Linda Balaya, who
are now divorced, sold on Miami Beach house for seventeen million dollars. Property
records show Balatas seventeen thousand square foot bel air mansion is currently on the market
for eight point eight million dollars. It was originally listed at twenty five million
dollars. Trevina's estimated Friday that Terry Bala had at least twenty million dollars in
assets that could have been liquidated for the settlement to provide for John Graziano's future
care. Debra Graziano and Ballet's attorney could not be reached for comment Friday,
but attorney George Tragos, one of the attorneys who represented John Graziano's interests in
the civil suits, said Debra Graziano was satisfied with the settlement. Well,
you gotta be realistic, it's going to be collectable. You know, We've
collected every dime of the subtlement, Tragos said. It's also important to note
that a nearly eight million dollar bill to the Veterans Administration was negotiated down to
a lower amount and paid from the settlement. Now the Va will continue to
treat John for the rest of his life at no cost to him. Trago
said John Graziano suffered devastating head injuries and then two thousand and seven accident.
The driver of the speeding car was Nick Balaia, the youngest child of Terry
Balaya. Debor Graziano has been caring for her son since he was released from
the hospital in September two thousand and nine. In the deposition, she said
she's left with about thirty five dollars a week for herself after paying for health
and car insurance, her cell phone, groceries, living essentials, and her
monthly tithe at her church thirty five dollars a week thirty five dollars a week.
Jesus ed and Debora Graziano, who were married in Virginia in nineteen ninety
three, have two sons and a daughter who are who are all in their
twenties. Evidence of marital discord began appearing in court records in two thousand and
four, when Debora Graziano filed for the first of several restraining orders against her
husband. She alleged he hit her, stalked her, tried to sick the
family dog on her and threatened to kill her multiple times. In February two
thousand and nine, authorities arrested Edward Graziano after they said he offered twenty one
hundred dollars and a pizza shop gift card to an undercover deputy to kill Deborah.
In May, he was sentenced to ten years in prison after he pleaded
no contest to a charge of solicitation to commit murder. The conviction is being
appealed, Travina said. A final divorce hearing is scheduled for November seventh.
Debora fifty eight said she and John, who was now twenty six, and
her other son Michael, now live in a Dunedin house purchase for about three
hundred and forty five thousand dollars from settlement funds. She has no income other
than the money she receives to care for John. She limits herself to the
seventeen fifty a month one seven hundred and fifty dollars a month. The settlement
account earns an interest, so she will not have to touch the principle,
she said. In the deposition. Debra Graziano said she pays for John's clothes
and haircuts without reimbursement from the fund. She has no retirement fund or other
savings. She said. Her car, a two thousand dollars oldmobile two thousand,
two thousand to two thousand dollars, a two thousand oldmobile John bought for
her from his Iraq combat pay, is probably worth a couple of thousand dollars,
she said to me. It's worth more than Amy Ferrari on the street.
She said, my god, my god. Well, that's kind of
the state of affairs that I think that's the closest we're going to get to
definitive data on what it actually costs the hoaxter um, what happens? Seriously,
Jesus Christ. But you know that's it, Like that is what we
just heard with Stern. I think is so indicative of where Hulkoken ended up
totally. I mean, the guys there is the greatest wrestling legend of all
time, and eighty percent of the questions are about, like you you're kind
of hit up for money? Huh are you coming back because you need money?
What do you what? I mean you can't come? I mean,
what are you saying? What I walk with you? I got I'm good,
brother, I'm better than ever dude, better than ever. What do
you what? I'll be the judge of that. It's Bound for Glory twenty
eleven. What do you do? Philadelphia? Who are you? Brother?
The first thing we see on the pay per view is who are you?
The first? The first fucking thing we see. I mean, I don't
know about to see on a pay per view. I don't really care what
we see per se. But the first thing we hear is, this is
this fucking thing from from from Mike Tonay, ladies and gentlemen, Tonight's Bound
for Glory event. It emanates from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city that exemplifies
the blue coloraditude and the unparalleled work I think, as well as American pride.
We welcome you to the birthplace of America, and we welcome you a
Bound for Glory. So glad they do, you know, scene setting and
wrestling. I don't know what what do with that? I mean, Sez,
I appreciate the sentiment. But is TNA suddenly the the organization that appeals
to the blue collar worker apparently? I mean, who fucking cares about?
I mean, I mean, is it? I guess Philadelphia is just this
blue collar town, blue collar and elbow. Yeah, yeah, what are
the what are the uh? I mean, I mean it was as blue
collar as Boston is, wouldn't she? I mean, you know, given
the uh the real estate prices and shit like, I don't know. I
don't know if Philadelphia ranks in terms of that, but I was always the
impression that it was pretty expensive to live in in Philadelphia. So I don't
know how I feel about this blue collar state. Yeah, it depends what
part of Philly you mean, I guess, as as it depends what kind
of part of Boston you mean, right, I mean that's any it's any
fucking city Philly families. Uh yeah, yeah yeah, this John, this
John John, And you know, I think, um, I think it's
it's weird, like exactly who does he think he's a healing to you by
reading off that copy about blue collar this and that? I don't care.
I mean it's fine, but yeah no, I don't care either, But
it just like stood out to me as this weird out exactly, like what
are you what are you saying? I don't understand what you're what you're selling
here? The press that they're not in Orlando that they have to like over
guess I guess maybe that's it that they're just like, look at this,
we're out of We're out of Florida, We're up on the proper. Them
fucking Yankees are right, it's actually where the Phillies are. But it's fine.
That's a good point. So no, it's it's Hogan from back in
March of twenty ten and the red and yellow lace in the boots. That
footage they shot for finding Whole Cooke or whatever went. Oh seriously, so
they're you know, they're already trying to evoke like warm nostalgic feelings about a
Huole Cooke and who came into Bound for Glory having been a total fucking prick
and asshole lying to people about his retirement, caught on tape, manipulating their
emotions, and by the time we get to Bound for Glory, it's like
all anyone cares about his weather. Hulk's gonna tear his shirt. It's the
weirdest home. It's so odd. It's a building full of people that no
Hogan's wrestling, but have clearly not followed the storyline to get here, right,
there's a fair degree of indifference towards Sting and the Joker character. You
kind of sense from the crowd this this this, you know, essence of
like what is what is Sting doing? Like this? There? Yeah,
there, There certainly is a belief that when Push comes a show, we're
gonna see Hulkogan. That's what we want. Yes, well, and that's
fine. It just it's so at odds with what they did in I mean,
I didn't necessarily expect that. It's kind of funny that they're they're kind
of that that they did, because I'm like, I don't I didn't know
if that was going to be the outcome. Yeah, you know, it's
kind of a reminder of like what TENA actually was. It was a company
where as we've mentioned several times throughout the course of teenage, you could go
to a house show and all the baby faces and heels were switched up from
television because most of the people there are going to show up and cheer Jeff
Hardy like he's a number one baby face, no matter what kind of atrocities
he's committing on the Weekly Impact Show. Because you don't go to a TNA
show because you're a fan of their product. You go to TNA because there's
two or three wrestlers you've heard about. I mean, these guys hated that
the flair, hated it, angle hated the fact that they would go through
airports working for TNA, getting paid well and working full time, and people
coming up to them and ask them when they left the business, It's like,
what the fuck are you talking about. I'm on television, national television
every week. They tell me a million and a half people watch this fucking
thing. No, and they go to uh, you know, they go
to some small town somewhere and they draw like three hundred people. It's it's
it's it's such a wild duality, and I think here's something whole Hogan's going
to wrestle. It's like, I think part of that curbing if I'm wrong,
but I feel like part of that is because they're only we're doing,
for the most part, stuck in Orlando. Oh sure, yeah. I
mean that's it's a lot easier to spread awareness of your characters and storylines if
you're in a different city every week, and all those fans that come out
become acquainted with your storytelling, not just you know, your your pay per
V matches. And it's also a function of the fact that tena's live events
division was totally effort and distinct from the crew that put the television together and
worried about the TV in mind of the TV affairs, I mean, Jeff
Jarrett and Don West basically ran the arena business like it was a separate company
that t Anda was loaning wrestlers too, you know, and that ain't good.
We know that now. I mean, well, it just makes it
a totally separate business. You can't connect it to you can't. One doesn't
bleed into the other, one doesn't read and inform the other. It's like
it's it's not a It's hardly the flywheel that you hear about all the time
where everything kind of interoperates and improves everything else. And so yeah, they'd
go to these and they had such a poor promotional style. I mean you
used to hear so often reading the event reports back then that they barely even
promoted the show to the weekend of they were coming to a town near you.
They just didn't have like this boots on the ground marketing, mentality,
marketing muscle, or even like wherewithal and how to spend ahead of the event
to get people to actually know it's coming. And buy tickets as opposed to
this like last minute scram of like wait a minute, what what is this?
This wrestling like Kurt Angele's coming, like what the fuck? Just so
bizarre and I feel like that it comes across on bound for glory. But
the opening package has him lacing them up in red and yellow and takes us
all the way back to him being introduced in October twenty on nine at Madison
Square Garden with Dixie Carter in New York sting saying, you have been con
con conned. So everybody is fucking watching the show. Absolutely, we've all
been conned. Hull Hogan, you know, announcing that they won in court
from March of twenty eleven and Dixie crying, and then they show Bobby Rude,
who's going for the world title for the first time in his career against
Kurt Angle on this show, which I can't wait to get your thoughts on,
which that he's going for the world title or what's the out of the
match running up and down like aqueduct stairs, because they did this really like
sports and you know, sports focused Rock Brock SummerSlam two thousand and two style
promotion for this, you know, two titans that have earned it all and
I'm going to go for the gold and a real aff. And you know
they play audio of Sting putting Bobby rudover, so they're trying to interoperate the
Sting, Hogan and Rude angle matches together. We touched on that last time
on TNH. You talking about how together Sting, you and I Rude talking
this company can we can get this company back to where it belongs and uh
back on track. We're about to find out. We're about to find out.
I'll find I say no and if I lose, I still can't get
over how binding that is that he just said it and blurted it out.
And it's like, I'm well, honestly to the point where after I watched
that promo, I didn't even really think anything about it. And then then
you hear Tanay in the precept I'm gonna play it when we get there,
but like he talks about it like this is the most important match of all
time, and I'm like, it is. I didn't really feel that.
Yeah, they do, like this preamble before the entrances for Hogan Sting and
it's Tanay and Taz at the desk and man's das reaching for things to say.
It's like, oh God, he's he stumbles so much because he can't
get into it. He can't let himself express the stakes that he's being asked
to communicate around this match. Because the only steakes he's thinking about, when
is he going to eat after at the restaurant, look at a hotel,
the holy steaks. He's thinking about our Philly cheese. Yeah, you're damn
right, perfectly clear about that. Where do we go? Pats? Is
that it was? I think so they went to Pads in the Moon to
another one too, but you didn't go. You were gone by that point.
I missed that. Yeah, the rest of us went to another one.
I got definitely get my phill on Philly chee steaks that time. That
was great ship stuff. Huh. I was actually quite surprised how much I
loved it. Yeah, I know, it was so good. And he's
in Philly this year. I'm just saying, uh, yeah, I think
gonna get a fill on that. It'll get a breakfast cheese steak and get
a lunch cheese steak, going to get my phill phil And I'm not talking
about Brooks so just in case you weren't confused enough about the TNA wrestling Impact
Wrestling thing. What's this company called? We get to a pay per view
and sure enough, TENNA is back on the ring skirt, not Impact Wrestling.
Well, also they had the TENA Championship for fox sake. Well there's
that too, you know, like they haven't replaced the belt. If you
lets to mention that as you as I'll play in a little while, you
got fucking sting the night after saying TNA brand and Impact Wrestling in the same
fucking sentence, right, Yeah, because truly the show was renamed Impact Wrestling,
not the whole company, but you wouldn't know it because they redid everything
with not re a mention of TNA. We touched last week on how it
was sponsorship, but it is Impact Wrestling now, right, that's what it
is for real. Yes, Yeah, they never called themselves TNA anymore.
Yeah, they actually switched the whole name of the company like around twenty fifteen
if memory serves, where you didn't hear any any reference to TNA any longer,
and they remade the belt and everything. But but yeah, you heard
a little reference in that whole Cogan Howard Stern interview there to where Hogan kind
of tried to slip in a mention of Impact Wrestling. We'd have been mentioning
so at the course of tnh how demoralizing it was to people at TNA that
whole Cogan would get these opportunities to speak in the mainstream about what he's up
to these days, do all the other things he's involved in winning you're unwittingly
and he never mentioned TNA, never tried to point people to the fact that
he's back back active in a wrestling organization that you could check out every week
on Spike TV if you'd like to. And and now he mentions it Impact
Wrestling. He mentioned Dixie Carter, which means nothing to anybody. Now that
is Eric Bischoff's name, but he mentions Impact Wrestling, and Stern talks about
and how much do you think that hurts fucking the Eric bishof that he can
mention his name and nobody gives a ship what's work for? Eric Bishoff starts
like, Okay, what's that? What's that exactly? He barely right,
So I might know that though, because he probably watched it wonder years.
Yeah, that's true. I was being flippant. So he says, um,
Impact Wrestling, and then it hit me like that's it. He felt
like such a fucking idiot to say the initials t NA on a mainstream interview
because it sounds like you're saying tit's an ass. Oh good call, because
like the intel we got was that a big part of the Impact Wrestling rebrand,
which is Spike driven deal was it would help with with marketing and sponsorship,
and shortly after or they rename it Impact Wrestling and do the wrestling matters
and redress up the Impact Zone at all Blue they get the direct Auto insurance
sponsorship on the Apron and the water Wow. Yeah right. So you gotta
wonder if like sponsors are like, you know, we'd like to, but
it's called TNA. For God's sakes, like this, we can't. It
doesn't doesn't work for us. It'd be so distracting off whole Covin just blurted
out TNA, you know, in the middle of an interview. Yeah,
ta, dude, what you're in? You're in TNA. I'm into GENNA.
What I'm not wrestling there, don't get it twisted. I don't wrestle
wrestling. Doesn't matter brother wrestling. No, dude, I don't wrestle.
Brother. What I do is I watch the wrestling, Yeah, and I
walk around it yit, I walk around wrestling and I watch around wrestling.
Terry slogan is not wrestling matters, declining to wrestling matters. So it's right
not wrestling matters and right, na law, Like, am I going to
pretend I don't walk around? Do do? Do I mean? And it's
it's it's so funny, like bum baby from Hang I want to really hear
it. Let's go b DNA law baby, whoop bompa, give me your
own b b b boom boo wow wow wow no no man, now why
no wow waha wow whna wow wow waha wow wanna w now boom boom boom
boo boom. But no, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no no my bah blah blah blah b b boo. Whoa
whoa, whoa, whoa wo oh. It's like succession, Like they never
leave the room. It's like a forty five minute episode and they're just in
the same room negotiating right same things to each other. And that's the whole
show. And it's it's it works. Yeah, unfortunately, it just so
well to a pro wrestling team. Someone said on I think it was Patreon
a Twitter and apologies for not noting who it was. It's like TNA is
like a soap opera about running a wrestling company, right exactly, and that
TNA Law thing nails it, you know, recreating that the credit sequence from
La Law because it is is that it's like a it's like you're doing a
show about a law firm, right, because it's all about contracts and like
subterfuge and meeting Like it's about it's about the higher ups, about the exacts.
It's about you know, so Stower power plays. It's about meetings like
in hallways that break up the second someone who isn't supposed to know walks into
the room, right, tremendous. So, yeah, walking through doors,
it's about walking. It's about it's about walking talk meetings, you know,
disgusting, it's about stupid shit. So gave you a little flavor of the
beginning of the broadcast. We are not going to do the entire TENA Bound
for Glory pay per view. We did the first one. We felt like
that was enough in terms of sampling kind of like you know, the full
essence of TNA. But we're really dialed in at this point to the Hulk
Street Brother, and we're putting this thing in a new gear or killing off
a year in two episodes, and so we need to focus in on the
things that are Hulk Coogan or end up revolving around Hulk Cogan, as we'll
talk about. And so what that means is we got to fast forward through
the bound for Glory show and get to the point where our cameras are hidden.
Cameras backstage, Oh Boy, have been trained on a window behind which
Eric Bischoff and ten A referee Jackson James are in conversation. It's a long
time coming, Boss, Well, I need to let the people know.
Here we go. This is a night, man, We've been talking about
her a long time. This is the night. You're ready. I'm ready.
I'm sure. I'm sure. It's a big night, but I'm ready.
All right. Look something, I know you've been there, force,
You've been in the right place at the right time, the right calls and
been able to do it in a way that no one has figured this thing
out. And I appreciate it. We all appreciate it. But tonight it's
going to be a little bit different. Speak tonight. Two things have to
happen. Number One. Obviously, Hulk's gonna win. Okay, that's obvious.
Brother number two, and I even even really talked to Hulk about this.
But to me, we have to take a sting out permanently. I
want him going out on a stretcher and I don't ever want him coming back.
It's going to get ugly, but I need you to have my back.
Can you be there? I got your back then, Are you sure?
Because it's going to get ugly. I'm sure I got your cover.
All right. It's a big moment, man. You've grown up in this
business. You've been around it all your life. Tonight tonight's tonight. Tire
waiting a long time love love too, all right, let's get it though.
So I need you to be honest about me. Yeah. Were you
able to avoid all this time a spoiler as to who Jackson James really was
all this time? Yeah? I don't know what the fuck he was.
So what was your reaction when they reveal here a bound for glory? Many
people knew already from the newsletters and stuff that in fact referee Jackson James is
Eric Bischoff's son Garrett. My reaction was, how come no other employee of
Tanning knows what Garrett looks like, especially when they follow up with promos about
how Eric had him around the business his entire life. Going back to the
AWA studios when Bishof work there, Yeah, I was like, I was
literally like wait a minute. I was like, so part of me like
moments like oh, okay, okay. But then I was like, wait
a minute. He's been around. Bischoff's been around so many of these guys
in other companies. Nobody knows what Garrett Bischof looks like. I always kept
him locked up in the log cabin and Cody, I guess, yet somehow
had wrestling around him all the fucking time. So if you're wondering why we
planted that seed last time, like T and Agent spent so much time on
the Garrett Bischoff specific provisions of Eric Bischoff's February twenty eleven T and A contract,
this is why he's legging the groundwork too, you know, a glide
path for his son Garrett to get into the business. Wide glide, brother,
what's that wide glide dude, Garrett Bischoff. Okay, I mean there's
gonna be a lot to get into and a lot to touch on as it
regards to this youngster. And I am so so stupid not a fan,
Garrett Bischoff. I mean, look, I think the kid, the kid,
I appreciate a lot of shit, but the and and you know,
he's not the worst person when he speaks. Did We've definitely seen worse.
But I don't know, it's just it's so lame. The whole thing just
seems so stupid. It does. And like, would contrite be the right
word? Contrite maybe trite? Trite maybe trites the word I'm looking for.
Yeah, trite meaning you know, it's like it's it's it's overdone. It's
like it's not as important as like honestly, you know, you know,
the more of that came around, I'm like, oh, so what is
this. It's funny he mentioned you know, Awa and shit, Like I'm
like, okay, Verne and fucking Greg, that's what it feels like.
Except your dad wasn't a wrestler, right, That's always weird, Like nepotism,
not father to son, wrestler to wrestler, but like executive to wrestler.
That's a new one. I'm trying to think it. I mean,
I guess it is. I guess you can Shane in a way, but
it's just weird. I don't I just again, my first my first instant
was how am I supposed to believe that none of these people know what fucking
interesting point looks like? To me, it's almost like they spend all this
time having Jackson James, you know, hide who he is and do little
subtle things to benefit Bischoff and Hogan in key matches, and then the second
we find out about it, they turn a baby face, say they didn't
even capitalize and all the heat that that was supposed to have generated. Right,
he should be like such a heel now, you know, and if
he wrestles, fine, Like I'm not saying he's a state of referee,
but be a heel wrestler for a while, like take advantage of the fact
that you built this up all this time. But the second we come to
terms with it and want to rip the guys to road out in theory,
we're being asked to cheer for him, right, and he's it's just it's
I don't know, it's it's stupid. You can't introduce a character like this
and make him a baby face right out of the gate. I don't care.
I'm in times. He knocks Eric on his ass, and Eric took
you know, a lot of bumps for his son to get him started.
It's such a curious part of teenage because Garrett really didn't have a career outside
of Bischoff's short lived, you know, administrative run. I was gonna say,
I mean, like, what what what? What's the goal here?
Yeah? What's the goal? What's the end goal? I want to get
this? And you know he spent a year and a half or so.
I think it was training um and I think it was Rakishi squad and with
a Dudleys as well. I think to some degree. Wow, and uh.
You know, Bischoff has talked a lot his podcast about how he absolutely
wanted to have Garrett build up like a base and understanding in a general respect
for the business before he started, you know, introducing him to TNA and
when he first started coming around as Jackson James the referee. Of course they
weren't acknowledging he was a son on television, but equally so Bischoff, you
know, has talked about sort of insisting that Garrett not really interact with his
father at television and try his best to more, you know, blend himself
in as just another kid trying to make it in the business without you know,
beating people over the head with the fact that he's related to Eric by
associating it's not like no one knew it. However, they didn't want to
overdo that that message. I want him to learn how to you know,
interact with and talk to the elders and the company and things like that.
So it's been I think it's interesting to hear Eric talk about how he tried
to get Garrett in the business because it's it's a unique perspective as someone who
didn't wrestle but had a lot of power in wrestling and you know, understands
rustling, and it's like, but immediately instead of starting at the bottom and
like trying to wrestle, he's like involved with Hogan and he's involved with Flair.
Calmed down, can't you can't push this guy? You know in the
main event picture of the yes you can, Yes you can, and they're
gonna do it. He was okay, He wasn't a bad television performer,
so that helped a lot. It wasn't like we were you know, it
sounds this Eric Watts or something. No, no, no, not.
It wasn't that bad, but it still wasn't very good. That wasn't very
good. Is Mike Tinette going through his whole shocked routine at the desk when
they find out Garrett is well, Jackson is Garrett. I've got your back,
Dad, And he looks he looks so well, nothing about And honestly,
you know, I'm I'm kind of sick of Mike Tinette. Well,
he doesn't have good stuff to work with. He can be as great as
anybody else I have to see. He's just like I'm just like, you
know, there there's this part of and part of me it feels bad for
him. I mean a lot of me feels bad for him because I know
that a lot of it is not his fault. I know the majority of
it is not his fault. I know that he is stuck with with horse
shit and he's trying to make horse shit salad with it all, you know,
because it's just it's just a nightmare. It's just a fucking nightmare.
And I mean, how are you as a as a wrestling as as a
as basically the voice of the wrestling fan for you know, for this company,
which is you know, in a way, what your lead commentator really
should be is the voice of the fan, expressing things that you that in
a way they want you, you know, that they want you to be
thinking about, but that you should be thinking about anyway, you know,
as a fan watching this show, and it's like, I don't fucking care
the stuff that he's that he's making a big deal out. I don't care
about it. He's he's asked to make a big deal out of something that
doesn't register us, a big deal. Like sitting there like can you believe
it? He's glancing off, and all I'm thinking to myself is, dude,
you're a fucking idiot. He's making a face like the Grinch when he
goes it came without ribbons, it came without tags, like he pauses in
his wandering eyes with his mouth open as he's putting the pieces together because everything's
a big you know, I'm sitting here like, dude, you work for
the company seven you know, you know, a for a full time job,
meaning that you're not just here on television. Surely you've seen Garrett Bischoff
backstage. Again, it all comes down that that is the one thing I
cannot get out of it, get get over is the fact that nobody knows
what Garrett fucking Bishoff looks. Like, Yeah, it's not something that they
it's not a loose end they cared to tie up, but well they loose
and they fucking cared to consider. I don't think they could do anything about
it, like if you because again they're they're the only ones, like because
they didn't think through it and even have an explanation for it, like if
if they had an explanation for like well, here's the reason why nobody fucking
recognized him. And it's another example of what I think is a huge I
don't know where this comes from or why this is such a problem with TNA,
but they have these huge reveal moments backstage and pretapes. What's the fun
great are these big reveals Like can you imagine if Vince's higher power was revealed
in the fucking in an office through that through blind I mean when the reveal
in front of the audience is where you know, is where you know if
something matters or that's how, you know, if it worked exactly. Yeah,
I don't understand at all why they do so many impactful like twists,
Like a lot of the the Dixie coming back filing, the lawsuit and the
Thanksgiving stuff is all backstage. It's like, maybe there's a reason logistically they
did it that way, but maybe they're maybe maybe they're trying to transcend wrestling
and become the become like a fucking weekly entertainment program. Yeah, it sounds
like the people in power might have ambitions, wonder making television shows. I
wonder if they've got I wonder if they've got you know, they're interested in
scripted action hours. That's correct. Scripted action hours is a new term in
the lapsed lexicon thanks to the most recent under the cinemat and amazing, a
real term two used in the trade. Yeah. Yeah, I was in
variety, Variety, you know, newspaper and magazine Murder the fuck he is
legit shit. So today, obviously his mind is racing at the ramifications of
what we've just learned that in fact, referee Jackson James is Eric Bischof's son
Garrett, and what does that meant for all those key moments along the way
where Garrett did a little something to advantage Immortal, even though there are times
he didn't. But that's that's fine, even though he counted three when he
when it would have been in the Immortal's interest from to not count three during
the the Jeff Hardy Matt Morgan series. But it's all about as Tonay says,
it's all about power and control. That was all about power and glory.
So we do a package here before Hogan and Staying where just like in
the beginning of the show, they go back to the New York City press
conference and tell that story and why why do we need to see this all
again? It wanted to be like a three year story arc here, good
luck with that, which is not really but okay, Dixie screaming at Staying
all this optic language. Oh, I can't stand that one. I mean,
although she's not wrong, you know, she's not wrong because they you
know, he did use cryptic language. She did, yea, And it
was supposed to the Mafia coming back and it just don't you see my god,
and it just ended up being sting, you know, all these times
later with the go home line in this pre video package of sting, saying,
it told me a matter of time before the Hull Cogan that every person
wants to see before Hull Cogan's eyes opened and the real Hull Cogan shows up.
So a lot of real Hull Cogan stuff. But I kind of thought
they blew that off with that you know, go home show twist where Hogan
his heel. I kind of thought that they weren't trying to play up I
need the real Cogan ship, but they were. They still go for that,
They still pushed and they do it. And obviously again, you know,
I certainly was the one person apparently who was not like, oh,
this is a thing that's going to happen, because I wasn't anticipating it and
I wasn't looking for forward to it per se or like waiting for it to
happen, but the fans were. It really strikes me as especially it strikes
me, especially here watching the show back, how kind of goofy it was
to blow the retirement goodwill around Hogan in some you know right yep, because
Bound for Glory ends up being about nostalgia for whole Coogan anyway, Like why
confuse the emotions so much in the weeks leading up to it, right,
Wrestling is so bad about that, and even you know vinces don her times,
like with the Brett match and WrestleMania and him, it's like you've got
something. It's so this story is already told. You just need to permission
the audience to go there and then just shut the fuck up about it.
You've got a match, Just let us get there and just remind us it's
coming. Let the guys talk about why it's important. But you don't have
to add chapters. You don't have to add these sort of like sidebar developments
that involve extraneous characters and extraneous days. And maybe they do though maybe maybe
they just don't understand that, you know, maybe they like you know what,
they're not there yet. Clearly they're not there yet. I mean,
I know Russo breaks out in hives if he isn't scripting a swerve every week,
But keep him away from the programs. They can actually make money,
you know. The fate of the company is at stake. Is the immortal
whole Cooken in the Insane Icon, sting Prepare for War. It's the insane
icon. So we're looking forward to what I've always been waiting for the Insane
Icon. It's a great fucking nickname. They had so much good shit,
pal they just don't know what to fucking do with it, and they just
fucking drop. He's the icon. And now because he puts red paint in
the corner of his mouth, he's the insane icon because he laughs uncontrollably.
Today's ladies and gentlemen. For years, whole Cogan has gone to any length
to avoid facing sting one on one. Here, I do I have,
Yes, I do, I think I have that one here, hold on,
Ladies and gentlemen. For years, Paul Hogan has gone to any links
to avoid having to face staying one on one, even to the point of
announcing his retirement on Impact Wrestling. But after Staying defeated Rick Flair, he
is in line to have a fight with Hogan, a fight task for the
power and control of this organization. Played it simple or we set it early.
I mean the company that we worked for, and that all those Wrestless
Max stage, that locker room, all the production people, all of these
Thus of fancy in Philadelphias, mins of people watching at home for company Impact
Wrestling, tia that it's hanging in the balance right now, the power.
Will Hogan maintain that power? That's the question. Will Sting at that power?
Tas in terms of the big picture, have we had a match as
important as this in the entire history of this company when you think of what's
at stake here? No way, I mean, listen, We've seen over
the years, not just here in this company. The company is all over
the place, different stipulations. The company is on the line here. I
mean, hello, that's pretty huge. I mean, I think that's the
biggest stipulation could have in a match. Stakes could not get any higher,
they could get more flavorful. I mean, first of all, why isn't
this the main event? If this is the most important match of it now?
I know, I just am Mike. I don't understand. Number one,
Hogan has been ducking Sting for years. Yeah, ever since ninety eight
ninety nine. You mean when Sting beat him at Fall Brawl, He's he's
been ducking him in that they've ever worked in the same company. You mean,
you mean, what what do you mean with talk subsequent to Debbie Stubby
subsequently? Because why why does Sting? Okay, First of all, Hogan's
been if someone's ducking you. It means that you lost and you want to
try it again. Correct me if I'm wrong, But Sting's beaten Hogan every
fucking time, So fuck is he ducking him for? Right? What we're
trying to preserve? If anything, Given Hogan's track record of trying to get
his win back, stings ducking Hogan. Wow, there's an alternate reading of
the thing, like let's let's think about it here, pal and what it's
worth that bit you just played today, and Ta's clearly in a position of
having to kill time. I don't know what they is they are waiting for
him now? They just drone on, probably know what do we gotta kind
of cut five minutes off? Can't I can't do fifteen? They suck all
the life out of this match by the time they're done talking about like this
is huge, this is the biggest thing of all time, and they say
it with no base in their voice because they can't bring themselves to sell it
that hard. It's just such a stupid thing. Like, you know,
first of all, we shouldn't need to care about control of a company ever,
as wrestling fans ever, very it can be done well, but it
has a fun thing unless you have a fun thing, like like the Steve
Austin thing. You know, that was fun watching him control WWE for a
while when he had that what was it the how I don't remember how that
happened, How that he had control of the company in any nine for like
the month of May or whatever you know that was That was different. But
it was different though because it wasn't. You knew it wasn't gonna last forever.
You knew that it was just part of the story. Whereas this is
the story. As opposed to part of the story. They don't care about
this story that there's like nothing all you wanted. All you wanted was to
see Steve Austin beat Vince sick Man in any way possible. How can we
you know, how can we do this and that? And then and but
here it's like I don't give a shit about who runs the company, you
know, especially when no one seems to operate outside of that context, Like
what what is so valuable about controlling this company? If nobody can do anything
that isn't about who's controlling the company, Like like I also don't know what
what's so corrupt? Like what I mean I guess putting matches together, right,
they've fucking done pretty well, you know, like they it's not like
nWo type of shit, like they're when they go backstage, is they cut
heal promos in the ring, But so doesn't every boss for every fucking company,
right, you know, And then they go backstage and they make matches
that actually fans kind of want to say. And Hogan came in, as
we've documented in January twenty and ten, with the intention of getting you excited
about the idea that he's taking over the company, and in ten months that's
a huge negative. They're forced to spin it that way. But it's like,
do we really think that a show an impact wrestling brought to us by
Dixie Carter or an impact wrestling brought to us by Hulkogan and Erk Bishoff,
feels any different because it doesn't. I know, it does exact same show
with the exact same wrestlers in the exact same order, with the exact same
emphasis, and the exact same you know, distribution of match time and interview
time, and it's the same exact show. So like, you know,
they don't even bother to make the Hogan bishof shows feel different, you know
what I mean, It's just Hogan Bishof come out of the top and do
a you know, forty five minute monologue. So that's that the table set.
We're now finally do that, and they do that anyway whoever's running the
fucking company. So now staying in Dixie're going to talk for forty five minutes
instead, except Bishof and Hogan will do it anyway too. Table set.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Even when they're not in power, they get
as much TV time. I mean, the Bishof the Garret Shof Eric Bischof
thing is like fifty percent of the first impact after they lose power. You
know, it's so annoying. Why aren't they fired? Like, if Dixie
gets control of the company back, why isn't her first order of business to
fire these fucking people who pulled this one on her? You know, that's
why you can't have That's why control of the company is never a good thing,
because because the stuff that you would do that makes sense is stuff you
can't do because of contracts, and because essentially these are your stars, right,
yeah, you involve the top people in the program, you can't just
as well eliminate the top people after the climax of the thing. So here
it is, we're here Sting versus Hogan down for Glory twenty eleven. The
music hits, Christy Hemmy tells us this will be a matchup between two of
the biggest superstars in the history of professional wrostling, a couple of guys from
Venice Beach. No big deal. Yeah, right at that big raising video
while that TNA used to bring on the road with the H two logo up
there, that Hogan the H squared logo that he had Broiler started wearing.
And he's got an Impact Wrestling shirt T shirt on white cut off he I
mean, I mean, look at that. He's a fucking company guy.
What's wrong with him? Well, they yet, remember they were forced to
have Bishov act like he was down with and a huge supporter of the remake
because mcfoley left after a week. So Hogan shouldn't have a negative animis towards
that Impact Wrestling logo. If I guess you're to believe that a clumsy recovery
from that set of circumstances there, that's really one of the bigger black eyes.
I think when we look back on this thing, they're like they couldn't
even deliver that storyline that was supposed to transform the show, so fucking dumb.
So he's got a white Impact wrestling T shirt on with a sleeves cut
off. He comes out smiling and beating his chest like a total baby face.
Right, Oh, come on, you knew that was gonna happen.
Then, believable, the last from the guy. He was a conniving,
fucking snake. When push comes to shove, you know he's always gonna fucking
dude, this is this is the master correct one more time? Isn't?
Really? It absolutely is, especially come come the end of this match,
Holy shit, brother. I mean I went out there trying to, you
know, keep with the story, brother, but it's just these people.
You know, this whole supposed to Brother, What am I supposed to do?
Dude? Exactly? He's a victim of circumstances. What he is broller
beating his chest, red bandana on taped fists, the grassianos, dude,
the science sciences. Hogan is God. He's cupping the ear, pumping his
fist, and then another one. Another sign reads, why so nervous Hogan?
Brother? What that is not a funny sign to hold up in the
sky's face. Brother, Get that guy out, dude, Get him out
of the sot of impact. Brother, Fuck this guy, dude. I
am not continuing the show until you get him out out brother. This is
why we don't have anything. Hogan and jeans and red kneepads, red knee
pads over his jeans? Like, come on, do you? Why couldn't
you wear tights? Is he not wrestling? What's wrong with you? I
wonder if he's got a brace on. I don't think so, though,
No, because he rips his shirt off later he doesn't. Who cares?
Just fucking where like the red or where different? Where the kneepads under your
fucking jeans? Bro? Or something like that, Like it looks so stupid
to have red kneepads over his blue jeans, but seriously to put a finer
point on it. Someone holds a sign and helps face that says, why
so nervous? Hogan? Brother? You tell me, brother, why are
you so nervous? Dude? White? What about? Why would you make
that sign? Brother? What? What do you what are you getting at?
What are you gonna do? Why should I be nervous? Brother?
You're the one saying it, dude, You're the one question why I'm so
nervous? So why do you think think I'm nervous? Brother? Don't you
think that's a threat? Dude? Like, don't you know do you think
that you think that I'm gonna fucking freak out for some reason? Brother?
Because you gotta sign? Dude? Do you think Philadelphia Philadelphia Police Department?
Would you like to report a crime? Brother? So? Brother, yes,
I want to report a crime. At Where the fuck are we?
Brother? Where are we? Dude? We're at some fucking arena, Brother,
some fucking arena. Okay, there's a guy dude in the audience,
brother, who has a sign. Brother, and he's threatening me. Dude.
Oh what does it say? He's threatening me, He's turning me,
he's thurning me with bodily harm. Brother, he is talking. I'm like,
I don't know if I'm going to be able to get out of the
arena alive. Brother? What does it saying the sign? Is it a
threat? Does it say he's gonna kill it? Is it is a threat?
Dude? What does it say? It is? This is why so
nervous? Hogan? Brother? What hello? What police departments? Ergron balls
on as a child become immobilized by something that's become lodged in his throat.
Are you talking to bro? Has he been involved in a household accident or
a road racing accident? Is this a gronzy honor brother? This is his
officer grotzy on him? Correct? And I have a question for you,
sir, well, I have a question for you, dude, why so
nervous? The PD turns on him? Not funny, dude, Oh he's
getting fired up. Now you get ready to do something about this. So
he's posing and everything for the people here in Philly's making the mustache lips to
the music and uh, cut to Dixie cut what okay? So we had
Dixie and she I guess there's somebody sitting standing next to her who excuse Russ
like Hulk Hogan find out later on, and the guy kind of smacks her
in the face with his boa, and man, does she look pissed like
this, like little feather touches her face and she goes calm on to the
guy. I know, like, you know he's paying your you know,
he's paying for these people. So she loves being amongst her fans. All
right, yeah, right, Accidentally you touch her cheek with your sign or
whatever, and see how much he loves being next to you. As soon
as she smells another human's flesh, she wants to fucking kill them. But
she's got a deer in the headlight. Miss She is like stone faced.
When Hope makes his appearance, she does a great cell job of like this,
you know, the significance of the match and surge of courses behind her
as he always is. Usually he's in the corner watching, but in this
case he's right behind her. Look like a fun surge and surge fee.
I'll put this out there because I saw it in my research for the show.
It's tasty and I don't know what to make of it. A suggestion
that one push game to show Dixie gave Kevin Nash's release when he was supposed
to be involved in the main event. Mafia returned storyline in the beginning of
twenty eleven to go to w W and go to the Royal Rumble because he
threatened to tell a truth about her. Now, I don't know, but
that could be. I know in future, you know, interviews like the
the You shoot he did with Sean Oliver. He was very complimentary towards Dixie
years later and had a narry a negative word to say about her. What
do you know, keV? Well, hey, you know, I listen.
I don't want to talk out of school. Yeah, look, you
know, by guns, be bygones, you know. Fuck, but I
can tell you this. Yeah, caught her a few times in the back.
Yeah. Really that's where she like, oh yeah, um, you
fucking you know people, you know, the boys. It's disgusting, it's
sexy kind of to say that this woman, right, this this powerful,
proud, smart, capable woman running a wrestling company despite all odds or whatever
her interest And of course your first thing is, oh, she's got to
be sleeping with the boys, Like how I'm much? How much of must
pig can you be? I'm not. Look, look it's not about them.
She's She's the one. She's the fucking animal. You know, I've
fucking I've seen them all. She fucking she propositions, she says, hey,
you know what you know you talk about fucking uh you know, Harvey
Weinstein. But Jesus, does she know what she wants? keV? Yeah?
And what does she want? She wants it? Everywhere? I saw
a fucking h what is my my boy there? What's his name? Um,
I guess it's not your boy then? Uh, the fucking you know,
the short kid. What's his fucking name? Eric Young? Eric Young?
Yeah, shit, Eric Young. Fucking Dixie had little I fucking bent
over backwards, you know, just tied up like a fucking pretzel. And
she's sitting on his fucking face snatch, just fucking rubbing all over the fucking
place, and she's saying, eat it, eat it, and well,
well he's fucking eating her pussy. She's slapping his ass. What I'm telling
you this fucking because I'm telling you like she had him, you know,
she had him like in a fucking uh you know, like sunset flip type
thing. It's fucking crazy, all right, both fucking buck naked. She's
just fucking taking it. You know. It's fucking nuts. E y.
You know, hey, guys fighting for his fucking job. Uh, it's
fighting for oxygen to it sounds like I just love it. I just love
it. I love the intrigue there. I just love it. And Dixie's
will tell you. You know, Dixie's got a pussy. Well there goes
one mystery. That's what you can count on. TNH coverage for me.
You you want to know something too, Like fucking Surge. He's there,
he's fucking videotaping that shocks kind of figured. Yeah, occasionally gets involved.
It's fucking nuts. Yeah. Yeah. They call that surge pricing. That's
right, you know, and they you know, it's like when she's like
when she's on the verge of fucking coming. All right, she says,
and this is with another again, it's like this was a fucking e y,
all right, She's fucking getting eaten out by e Y. And then
she says, I want to our Surge, and man, fucking Surge drops
the fucking camera and just fucking unloads on her, just fucking explosion of seemen.
So unlike Eric who wasted perfectly good semen on Garrett, Surgeon knows exactly
how to put it to use. I mean, we're talking like a fucking
hose, you know, like a fucking fireman's hose worth a fucking come it
is, you know, of all the things, it is kind of funny
that Surge pisses come. I'll just say, it's like, you know,
it doesn't even need to fucking work it up. It's like just fucking holes
that ship and boom, here's the thing release. He's silent, the guys,
the guys a fucking you know, he's fucking stoic, like nobody's business,
just fucking stands there. No, there's no fucking you know, he's
not he's not convulsing. You know, he's not fucking you know, even
like screaming or making any noises. He just fucking stands there like a fucking
statue. And just oh, just needs to hear her say I need a
what does it? I need a power I need a fucking power surge.
Well, I guess I do know what he has on her then, So
yeah, all of that is a very long bro, that's just fucking e
y. You know, you got fucking double jay shit. Oh and we're
talking feces. So Hogan gets in and he jogs around a bit, doesn't
he He does got a show we can move. Wants you to know it's
the rope, slaps his shoulders to day highlights. Now we know the referee
is the son of Eric Bischoff, and Taz says, the fix is in.
I've been waiting for the fix since episode one. I mean it's been
it's not to burst anyone's bubble, but it's been fixed for a long time.
It's not coming. Yeah, actually yeah, Eric I's staying out in
his red coat with a yellow while Comania shirt on. He's got the pink
and purple frilly number robe on gives the woods so kind of old school,
uh like climic, you know, surfer sting. Yeah yeah, but those
brighter colors, and he's still got the Mechanics gloves with the red trim.
I mean he would wear those even when he just wears street clothes on impact,
Like he's got a T shirt and jeans on, but he's got those
fucking gloves. Don't ask me what that's supposed to be about. Maybe maybe
he's got maybe he's a germophobe. Maybe, Taz says the icon Sting Forever
we're playing head games with the Holster by rocking the Ullerenia T shirt. I
mean also not even like a Hulk Hogan version one. It's like stings so
weird with the shirts that he wears in TNA, because they're always really bag
he really loose, and it looks like he just fucking snagged them from concession
stands. Steve Boorden, I'm trying to hide, trying to hide the physique
that you know, will prevent Hogan from putting him over when push comes to
Chevy. That's a good point, So Dixie with a series of claps for
the Stinger. She's very happy to see him and willing to cheer him on
here as he fights for control of the company. Hogan standing on the bottom
rope talking trash down to Sting as he steps into the ring. Purple boots
on the Stinger as well. We notice and yeah, you know, looking
at him, the state of the man who's he's still kind of playing up
the joker thing in the face pain. He does look like a guy who
escaped confinement. He does. From a distance, he looks pretty horrifying.
Actually, I would say he definitely looks unconfined. Surge wholeheartedly clapping as well
for oh boy, Sting Rat looks pretty good from this angle. We'll get
to the summer details later of how they drew for the show on the road
in Philadelphia, but you know, they're only shooting like three quarters of the
building. But the hard camera looks good. It looks like a special event,
not just a typical impact, which is good. And the stage is
set. Boss, It's time for Hole Coogan to wrestle, well fight,
staying it bound for Glory twenty eleven. Here you got age, Tony says.
Both Hogan and Sting are dressed to fight, and that's exactly what this
is going to be. The bell sounds and Hogan starts his jogging again.
Immediately it goes yeah, it goes right for the jog and he mentioned boxing
flippantly in that Howard Stern interview. Hogan puts the dukes up and I swear
to God starts working the job. They are yes, he does. He's
ready. I've never seen Hogan try to box before. Never, never,
It's it's kind of uncomfortable Stings standing to fight. Yeah, I guess that's
the idea. Stings standing at a distance with Narya Warri that Hogan will reach
him. Hogan and puts up a hand like wait, and then waves on
for someone to come in from the back. And Rick Flare's music hits takes
no, not that one. It is. Flaire comes down. We cut
to Dixie. She's like, come on, and she gives he knows the
fixes in again a right exactly, man, Something's always fixed. Today's screams,
looks like an immortal curve ball. Oh Flaire comes out in a full
suit, ready to fight. I guess, throws gum at someone along the
ramp Hogan and they're laughing, and how you know he's I don't know.
This is something like brilliant thing like this is a big fucking dupe, right,
Like it took a lot of ingenuity. Just you remember, you remember
Sting beat him two weeks ago, right, you remember that? And the
whole notion was that, you know, because Flair suffered the injury in that
match, that he wouldn't be able to do what they envisioned for him in
this Hogan match, which is take a lot of the bumps and carry a
lot of the load in terms of like action. And he really still doesn't,
but he does play a role, comes down the ramp, all smiling,
He fucking takes some bumps. He does. Yeah, but I don't
think he I don't know. In my mind's eye, it was like there'd
be a point Hogan's laid out and like Sting and Flare basically do like a
ten minute match alone in terms of like how I originally conceptualized of how Flair's
role was being reported and how it was compromised by the shoulder injury. I
think he did a lot less, but she does a lot still. Um
he comes down the ramp. Dixie with her eyes closed for a second.
It's has a great scowl. I gotta give her credit for that. She
has a great scowl and a nervous a nervous boss or business owner in her
companies on the line after all, Tessa says, if anyone knows Sting,
it's Flair or his mom. He says, Dixie looks so panicked and nervous.
Yes, and now we wrestle. Now we fight. As Flare's music
comes down, they lock up and it's time for some musha husha. That's
how I that's how I fight. I do fight. I like to do
a collar and elbow tie up, and then I start off with a side
headlock. A better way to win a bar fight, right, that's right,
so sidehead luck on staning he's cranking ashah, this is a staying cranking
on the headlock. Hogan hugs the waist is Sting cranks. Hogan falls to
a knee and he gets up push off tackles. Sting goes down the Hookster
wins that one, yes, and then he poses. Oh my god,
he goes nuts, doesn't He goes fucking crazy and he hits the deck.
Hogan takes off the Bandanna, throws it its Sting and starts holking the fuck
up in Philly, and he's posing and all the power. It's basically WrestleMania
eighteen all over again, but just on a very smaller scale, and the
crowd, and the crowd fucking loves it. And then he fucking does a
cross shop. And the way Hogan's like bend permanently at the knees with his
crooked back, He's always like halfway to a crotch shop anyway, Yeah,
yeah, And he throws one, and Sting rips off the yellow shirt.
He's all pissed at Hogan's showing off like this. Hogan kicks the gut of
Sting and throws some right hands, and Sting is just bouncing brilliantly all over
the ring. For the hookster. He really is. I mean, it's
it's a it's really incredible. And it doesn't look it doesn't look phony,
no, not at all. It looks like what a boxer would do if
he took a shot where he's like out in his feet and he's trying to
find a place to hide, you know. So he's ping ponging him around
the ring as the Hulkster and throwing some chops and finally drops Sting and then
Hogan rakes the boot across the face, puts in a chin lock does the
Hulkster with his knee in between Sting's shoulder blades. Dixie a ball of nerves
seated at ringside. They actually shoot her through the guardrail as the cameraman gets
inspired. Sting comes up with the back, elbow and right hands to break
free. He hits the ropes, but Hogan cuts him down with a larry
at Hogan still in control, and then he crotched chops and that's one time
too many. He doesn't like he does well, he doesn't multiple like he's
fucking xpot. Yeah, he just loses his mind. It's like you hit
the joystick and no mercy. Yeah, yes, stop Terry. The first
time is kind of funny, but now it's like stop it. Yeah,
dude, no more. How I realized you think it's cool, you know,
right, and and you're not cool enough to get away with it.
At first, I was willing to like think, well, maybe he's doing
it almost ironically, like, you know, how funny is it that Hulkogan,
old man Hogan is doing this, But then he does it a second
time and it's like, no, Terry, we didn't actually pop because it
was cool. We pop because it was kind of and I'm weird, Yeah,
mocked yourself. So then he kicks Staying under the bottom rope, Um
pushes him with his foot under the bottom rope to the floor, sting wabbling
out there. He then rolls on the other side and Hogan clubs him across
the back, starts staying get your ass up, Staying, rakes the back
and stings sells it hitting the rockie first thing. Another thing I do.
I always rake the back when I'm in a fight. Absolutely, it rakes
the eyes as well, and a right hand drops sting. He takes a
nice bump for that. Tess says that, um, Hulk Coogan doesn't rush
into anything, um and I'm thinking yeah, because he can't. And Test
talks about how Hogan always has the amazing ability in terms of timing and when
he drills somebody. So they're trying to you know, build and aura around
how Hulk Cogan's controlling this match. And I have to say this about Hulk
Hogan. It goes even back to the Hollywood Hogan days in WW. As
limited as he was physically, especially as the years went by, and as
fake as his offense looked compared to everything else in WCW, it's it's still
there was still an integrity to a Hulk Hogan match totally. I mean,
it's not that he's doing anything spectacular, it's not that he's performing in it
kind of great feats, but he finds a way, no matter how unbelievable
his offense looks compared to others, he does just a little in between things
just well enough that you can buy that the guy he's hitting is really hurt
and is really taking a beating, even if Hogan can't do anything a white
belt and throw right hands, and I tell you it's the guy he's against,
Yes, the guy he does. He does kind of simple enough stuff
that no matter who he is against, can sell it really well. Interesting.
So here he is running the show here basically at this point, and
he throws sting to the floor and Flair springs into action, choking staying with
the coach, Chops rights and left in the corner right front of Dixie Carter,
and we get fucking these Kevin dunn Asque camera zooms whenever there's a chop.
Do you notice that? I didn't know interesting? It was very annoying,
like there's an earthquake or something in the building, like the voom voom
type of zooms in and out. Crad goes nuts with woos Is flair springs
in action attacking Sting. Hogan comes down, drops to a knee, and
low blows Sting. Hogan has to actually drop to a knee to be able
to punch someone in the nuts. And it's not like the ref is going
to do a damn thing to stop it. No, because it's Bishops kid.
They say no, and it's a fight. I think that. Yeah,
that fan that tapped Dixie's face earlier gets a dapt from Hogan to the
front row, I mean, dressed us like him. Real. There we
go. As Hogan takes over at rings side, he throws chops and rights
against the rail, He bites Sting's head. Flare passes something quickly to Hogan,
some kind of object we can't quite see, steel, rold steel.
It looks like a tampon to me. It's always rold steel, rold steel.
And Hogan just stabs him in the head, staying repeatedly with the object,
says something like, you tell him, next time he messes with me,
I'll knock his damn teeth out. I don't even know who he's talking
about, but he just blurts that line out, does the Holkster, Yeah
hard, rip to the rail and man to sting take that rail hard,
really making Hogan look like a fucking superman. And Hogan keeps stabbing away like
he's the Sheek and nothing and what about that a whole Cogan that's later in
life, like the Shek was in like nineteen seventy eight in Detroit. Just
gets in the ring, throws five or stabs someone in the head and it's
over in like eight minutes. Yeah, just like beating him with weapons and
shit, but what not even big weapons. Just like a psychotic Hogan.
They just starts stabbing people. I kind of can dig that. Yep.
Um again, Hogan's here just a little long in the back. He's overcompensating,
and it's it's alarming and it's um, yes, it doesn't put me
in a comfortable place, you know what, I mean to have him on
that old like have with long hair, just I don't know. It's very
uncomfortable. And the ring stings split open, but you can't really tell because
he's got red face paint on anyway. But then they take a yeah,
I know, different angle on it in the plasma is clear. Hogan drops
Sting with the right hand. It does a great little strut for Ric Flair
does the hookster and right hand blocked, Sting starts firing back the joker paint.
I have to say, Boss, I think it makes stings unfortunate hair
situation work for him when he's got the Joker gimmick. Yes, yes,
totally again, you know, every the joker thing, everything, everything worked
better. I was able to not notice all the things that I normally hate
about old man Sting. Yes, he's making it work for him that he
looks like that, and so that's in full Effecting unloads on Hogan and drops
him to the floor and gives him chase. Ric Flair scoll around trying to
counteract Stinging, and then Sting re enters and throws some right hands on Hulk
Cogan and a big shot drops the Hogster. You heard it here. First,
Hogan takes a bump in the bound for Glory ring. Does he does?
Is that hardware? Hold up? I'm here to tell you, yes,
it does. It does. Indeed, he rolls out to the floor.
Um. Sting goes after him, chases Flare right hand drops the nature
Boy and Flare it's reaching into his pants. So he's trying to basically like
reveal an object that Sting is supposed to take away from him, the cock
Brother. Yeah, it does create this weird moment where Flare's lang laying on
the floor fishing around and his slacks. Ah, so he does snatch it
from him. Flare tries to alert Hogan that Sting has the object that I
was going to pass to you, but Sting crowns Hogan with it to a
tepid response. I don't think the crowd is really really that into Sting beating
the shit out of whole Cogan. No, I don't think the crowd wants
to see. Yeah it's yeah, it's Hogan is so fucking weird, man,
It's not unlike anybody else. I mean, I mean, here's the
thing too. Out of curiosity, is there a possibility that a lot of
these fans are not TNA fans and just heard that Hogan and Staying were wrestlings.
I think it's I think that's more likely in TNA than any wrestling organization
that has ever existed, in terms of the possibility that someone bought a ticket
to see who you have on the card, but otherwise has no idea what
promotion is presenting the matches, which is so ironic because every storyline is about
the company. You watch their television and you assume the thing their fans care
the most about is the health and the story and the lore of the company
itself. Meanwhile, most of the people who are buying tickets have no idea
what TNA even is truly amazing, so um, I'm probably overstating it,
but that don't you think that was a thing missing in like nineteen eighty seven
leading up to wrestling You throughout why aren't they talking about branding initiative right exactly?
And we weren't sure who's who's in charge of the company, And they're
talking about the boardroom at the WrestleMania three press conference with Hogan and Andre you
know, why are not talking about um contracts? Why are they not talking
about struggle struggles for boardroom power and TV executives Absolutely the network right, Why
I wasn't the network ever mentioned in building up WrestleMania three. I just can't
imagine why they didn't do that. It's really a missed opportunity. But Sting's
doing well and the crowd doesn't really want to see it. And there's another
shot to the head and Hogan has chosed. Hogan has color and Philly and
he takes a big flat back bump here as well, nice clean flat back
by the Hulkster. Bloody Sting kicking away at Hulk Hogan rough rof rough roff
rough roff. Hogan's cornered Sting or splash scores on the Holster. Flare gets
up on the apron and Sting drops him. Hogan then turns his back to
Sting in the corner. I cannot below their eyes, brother, you must
have really been gimmicked up. Hogan turns his back on Sting. Another sting
or splash, this time to the back. Can sells. Of course the
lower back is yeah, especially damaged. He kind of he doesn't quite flat
back on this one. It kind of like rolls off to the side onto
the mat and then Sting is gonna hook the scorpion deathlock. Yeah, here
I got that. I got this last sequence here for you. Stay splashed
to the bag of Holgan, who goes into the corner. He had repaired
back of whole Cogan multiple surgeries, attempt at the scorpion. Oh my god,
step one, he's got the legs heart, He's gonna make the big
turn. He's gonna step over. He's closed. He's the imagine that,
Oh my god, on Hogan's body, but his back operations, the knee
replacements, he's come out with the red brie Son. You don't want to
say, oh my god. This whole moment they've been building for eighteen months,
I guess. And it comes down to the most interesting thing about it
is that Garrett Bischoff calls for the bell. Of course, what a strange
thing to be calling out at this crescendo moment, and the announcers react like
really, like this is the I mean, the moment that we're supposed to
go completely ecstatic over. Also, there have been no near falls, yes,
exactly, There's been no moment where Garrett Bischoff made a choice to not
count for staying this is the first time. It's very odd. Yeah,
it's it's again, it's just mismanaged. They just have a way of throwing
a monkey wrench into everything they do, and it's like so stupid. Like
the it's like they get something that's kind of hot and they like forced two,
two or three other agendas into it to put what is this guy doing
here and what does he have to do with any of this? Yeah,
it's not like how Hogan insinuated himself in every World Champion, you know,
in twenty and ten, like he had to have something to do with the
next guy to win the belt. It's like why, But it just seemed
like such an extraneous extra head on the monster. But yeah, he puts
a scorpion deathlock on he kind of sits down on it. He kind of
does that like over emphasized sit. You know, it looks like he's like,
oh oh god, it's so it's it's it's seven. Maybe the one
of the worst sharpshooters scorpion deathlocks I've ever seen. Yeah, you can't just
as well really wrap up Hulk in that hold with the state of his back.
But I was impressed he could even get this far in terms of there's
a bit of arch to the back of the Hulkster in the position he's in,
and he finally concedes and he's tapping. He taps like ten times before
Jackson James calls for the bell for what it's worth and uh, yeah,
that's it. Um. After that, referee hesitation to finish. Uh kind
of kind of flat, kind of a flat finish. You know, the
people are like, all right, that's well, I mean, because what
are you supposed to be again? There have been no no attempted pinfalls,
no, no attempts at a win. Yeah, fans are not the really
conditioned to, you know, act like you want them to in twenty eleven
if you haven't given them a couple of near falls at least, maybe that's
a sad state of affairs. But I think this is what happens. I
mean, you just don't do that. I mean any I think any match
needs that because because you know, yeah, part of the match, part
of the feel of a match is like not knowing if the guy you want
to win is going to win, you know, like you know, being
fearful or coming close to winning or whatever, you know, and so if
you don't have that, I mean, what the fuck. Yeah, But
the reverse psychology here is those moments would go to Hogan. You know,
It's like they want them moments where Hogan's going to win. That's what they
want, and they weren't willing to tease that. But I wonder if that's
part of the psychology. Like if Hogan gets a near fall and Sting kicks
out, people are gonna start booing Sting because they want it, hoping to
take it right there. But if he sits down on the scorpion, it
is over and there's like no time for this monumental moment to sink in whatsoever
they do. Cut to Dixie Carter, who does a great celebration at ringside.
She really really sells the significance of what has happened. But Flair immediately
pounds on Sting and we're moving on to another story. That's right. You
can hear the announcers having to amp up their excitement, not quite meeting the
moment, however, and then Eric Bischoff, Bully, Ray Gunner, Scott
Steiner from Immortal, they all come out with steel chairs and they get in
the ring and start slamming those chairs in the sting and now we have this
very weird cutaway where Abiss is just looking through the curtain but not coming out.
Never they never mentioned it again. They hardly even mentioned it on on
television afterwards. But it's the beginning of another baby face turn for Abiss here
because he's I guess, hesitant to participate in this beatdown and they're going off
on the Stinger. The unfortunate thing for t and A about that the angle
that they shot Abiss from his gives you like a very clear view of like
an almost empty upper deck. I know that they did such a great job
of hiding yep, but that's that everyone taking their shots on Sting. Taz
can't believe that Jackson James called for the bell, Bishop going to swing a
chair, and before he can hit Sting with it, Garrett grabs the chair
from his father. There's really not a pop, but he does it,
and then Bully grabs Garrett Bischoff and Eric Bischoff smacks his son in the back
with a steel chair. So just like that, Eric is now after congratulating
his son and you know, lavishing him with praise. Earlier in the broadcast
when they finally reveal the true nature of things. Bischof has already turned on
him. Hogan bleeding all over the place in the corners. This is all
going on. He is not participating in this post match beat down from Sting,
But oh my god, to us, it's probably because you can't right
right. I mean, I was thinking like he's just beat up and stuff.
He can't fucking do it. Tanaisan shocked at Bischoff just took out his
own son and sitting getting staying rather as getting ping ponged around all these heels,
everyone taking their shots. And when Sting hits the mat stomach first,
he looks up. Yea. He looks at Hogan in a bloody heap in
the corner, and he starts shouting to Hull Hope, help me, help
me, grabbing his legs, help me as they grab it Sting and he
yanked him back and then and then here I go, I got this.
I got this for you, I got this for you, ripping that shirt.
Hello, going to town help one stag. I can't believe this,
Hogan, take it out, Livers only calling faction staying unit itude. What
what's going on? Listens should be a big fuckers like training, this trying
time that the blind scarce sports on having sense going along, look shore cowering
in the corner. I give him this one. I cannot believe that,
can't believes. I think I think Hogan's election. Who can said, I'm
back. The real Hugan is back there. It is the real Hull Cogan
is back. Will the will the real Hull Cogan please stand up? Would
that'd be the guy with the immortal tattooed across the top of his back.
Oh my god, I mean save it too well about Hulk, but a
few wrestlers we've ever seen can get the reaction, and he does by just
looking at the crowd, craning your neck just slightly, and these people went
insane. Yeah, I would say that that is probably probably the equivalent of
Austin returning in Providence to beat up the Alliance. Interesting parallel the TNA version,
right, it is high as close to that as you could expect TENA
to get. I would say, as close, yeah, as close to
that as you can get in TNA. And when he rips that chart,
it is the whole thing. It is crowdship us. Yeah, it might
as well be fucking nineteen eighty five. What do they want? They want
Hulk Cogan to be able to do what hul Cogan does. Who's been saying
that for a fucking four months now, I know, I mean, yeah,
here's the proof, the second one. That's all they want is Hulk
Cogan to be Hulk Coogan, And sadly it's the one thing he really can't
give on a regular basis, something the last thing he wants to be.
It seems like, yeah, it's it's a moment for the man. It's
a moment. I would put it in his in his his career story as
a moment for sure. Yep. I'm probably the best, his best t
and a moment. Yeah, it just happened. I know it's coming.
I know where we've been. Nothing comes close. Yeah, because it's just,
um, it's just like this mass realization at all at once that like,
yeah, actually, you know, as much as we're sick of him
and he's been watered down and he talks forever and it's all this fucking smoke
and mirror storytelling with this guy, this is actually Hull Coke and standing before
us, sure, and they get that he permission. I've said too that
there are times where, um, where again he's been He's been rock solid,
rock fucking solid in terms of of of what he's said, what he's
selling. Yes, you know, like when he's selling somebody else, he's
actually really good at it. Agreed. Yep. He knows how to cut
the promo in the hull coke in voice to get over the next guy,
and not every great baby Face can do that. So that's actually a feather
in his cap. That's not just total mistakes. It's not just like everybody
can do that that becomes a superstar baby Face. But the guy he does
it one more time and they're up for it, and he rips the shirt
and that's a nuclear pop and insane. As you heard, they cleared the
ring out, they go face to face Sting and Hogan. They show Dixie
practically in tears at rings. She is glowing. She's like, I can
imagine the story she's telling herself in her head about how this is at an
actual moment, you know what I mean? Ye ye, all she's done
to try to build up this company, and all the people who told her
that she was out of her mind to pay the kind of dollars it takes
to get Sting and Hogan in that ring. And now what she's probably saying
to herself, we'll see about that. Yeah, I would be saying that
too. What the fuck comes next? Now? What the real Hulk Hogan
is back? Well, let's not get carried away. I don't know about
real real about Hulk Hogan to begin with, Sting says to Hogan, I
want Hulkamania. Sting points to Terry and does the ear cup like do you
want to see him do it? And Sting takes the ropes and Dixie is
crying and her clasped hands, and that's the moment. That's that's pretty Yeah,
they chant Hogan big time. Is Sting takes the ropes to get them
on their feet. Hogan extends the hands and extends his hand and he shakes
Stings and raises Sting's hand, and then Jackson James gets in the action and
raises Hogan's hand as well, and Dixie turns around and gives okay, okay,
let's take a moment here to think about it. Let's see that.
Let's take a moment here. You get Sting and Garrett raising Hulk Hogan's hand.
Hulk Hogan lost Hulk Hogan lost the match, or did he? But
Hulk Hogan's hand is the one being raised. Funny, yeah, because that's
Hull Cogan. That's Hull Hogan exactly. He sneaks in that visual of triumph
even when he loses every time, yep, every time, or at least
and even the fact where what happens after this stinging Garrett leave the ring and
Hulk Hogan's left there tremendous. It's been a real treat in TNH to realize
that that part of Hule Cogan didn't die, because oh yeah, when I
was thinking back on the teenage run, I was like, you know,
he kind of does fly the company flag and kind of just go out there
and try to get everybody else over. It's not like, you know,
he's trying to win the boat the whole time, but it's like, actually,
actually he is. He's actually never too far away from having a direct
televised involvement or behind the scenes obsession with that title and who's going to hold
it and who isn't. With that, we jumped to our main event,
Oh Boy Down for Glory twenty eleven. It's Kurt Angle defending against Bobby rude.
So we've talked a lot about how they built him up, how rude.
You know. We played some clips last week stepped into the foreground and
started talking tough to Holkogan, announcing his independence. And they did a big,
long series of videos with him talking to his kids, talking to his
wife, explaining how he's a family man, showing him training, explaining how
for thirteen years he's toiled in the business, trying to make it, made
TNA is home and grew with TNA. I believe in the in the video
it says they talk about thirteen years of sacrifice. Yes, and I think,
but Tenna isn't even thirteen years old. How can there be thirteen years
of sacrifice? In fact, from what I counted, that last May May
twenty eleven was the only the seventh sacrifice. I can't believe that you went
there because I wrote the exact same thing down. I mean, not word
for word, but I wrote, well, the pay per view hasn't even
been around that long, thirteen years of sacrifice. It's like, no,
man, it must be thinking of lockdown. They show him coming home with
the luggage and the kids and dogs rushing up to him and all that and
hugging his wife. And he's talking about two hundred and fifty days a year
in the road. I don't know about that. I know he traveled a
lot, but TENA is not on the road that much. I was not
saying, come on, man, I mean unless you count driving to and
from the fucking you know. Yeah, yeah, I guess that's true.
One match doesn't mean that's the extent of the travel. There's two and from
as well, but to and from fucking the or you know, Universal Studios.
Yeah, well he did. He was one of those guys actually went
in the road for TENA. So he was doing the how it shows a
few how it shows a week. Um, but this is when Kurt Angle
was rail thin due to the movie because he shooting Warrior. He said on
his podcast, that's why he was so thin at this point in time.
Uh huh sure. Um, whatever you say, pal, you keep telling
if if that's what it makes you sleep at night, go ahead, you
tell yourself that. And in the pre roll video for this match, you
know, they're showing all these amazing feats of athleticism from Kurt Angle and the
TENA and they include him moonsalting off the cage against Jeff Jarrett had been completely
missing. Jeff Jarrett. You imagine if in your highlight reel it showed you
backflipping off a fence and landing on your face for no fucking reason. What's
that? They have James Storm and there saying all the nights we rode the
roads and you were on the phone with your kids saying they missed their daddy.
This is what makes it all worth it. And they closed the video
with a Bobby chant and him looking into the camera. This is Cody this
year at WrestleMania. Better fucking believe the outcome is the same. Yeah,
you damn right, motherfucker's because this business knows how to build up somebody to
where they are. Nobody builds a sentimental favorite better than pro wrestling. Yes,
he understand it, and they know how to deliver it. But here's
the thing. When they get to the building, their Carney instincts kick in
and they can't have nice things. They can't have nice things. They have
to fuck with it, and we have to be fucked with his wrestling fans
because that's just the way they are, that's just the way it's meant to
be. So rude comes out in the Beer Money song with a T shirt.
He's from the country, He's from the city. The music goes front
Row will sign next World Champ like Tonay, since it's time to see if
Bobby Rood's thirteen years of dedication will pay off. If it is indeed Bobby
Rud's time, Kurt Ankle comes out. No stubble now, so that makes
his thinness less alarming, you know, but he had the stubble, looked
like he was found homeless on skid row four years after great television. Agreed,
But he's very Yeah, he's such a fucking do He looks so unhealthy.
He's dealing with a torn hamstring coming into its heavily taped showed injury.
It's it's fascinating because the degree to which perhaps Kurt has overplayed the injury is
the subject of dispute. He certainly was hurt coming in, but you ask
yourself, how can he physically walk if you have a fully torn hamstring as
he's described later, and perhaps because it wasn't, but he's he's hurt coming
in, no question, he's hurt coming in. That's important context in terms
of I'll believe it when I say it our story. Um, he's making
a stride to the ring referee Brian Hepner presiding hoists the TNA Heavyweight Championship up
in the air. Okay, can I can? I say too? By
the way, his his tron video says he is a fifteen time world champions
Okay. At this time, he had held four ww titles, one World
Heavyweight title, one WCW title, one IWGP title. So that's seven and
this was his fifth TNA title at the time. So I count twelve world
titles. What could that be missing? What? What? What? What
are we missing? Where are the three world titles? Very interesting? And
I'll tell you I thought about it, and I it disturbs me. Don't
say it that Perhaps they are considering his world championships in real wrestling, gold
medals that he won at the Olympics and at the World Championships. But then
again, that's only two. The only other kind of quote quote unquote world
title that I was able to kind of find out about Kurt Angel was m
is it is it PPW in Memphis? Yeah? When they have that's not
a world title, that's a Memphis title, right, it doesn't even call
it They don't even call it a world title. I mean that you should
count the interconnittal bell if you're going to count that, right, So that's
where I don't. I still again, even if you are going to count
his legit gold medals, which aren't really championships per se. Oh that's not
what anybody thinks and wrest pro wrestling, because they're they're medals. You know,
they're medals. I don't know where these championships come from. You know.
Again, even if they're even if he counts those two, there's still
a missing championship that I cannot account for. Very interesting. I knew that
to get you. Whenever they show like a stat like immediately, whenever it
just doesn't make I'm always on it. I'm like, give me, let
me, let me fucking get the same fucking vader to the same thing.
You counting weird titles that aren't like world titles. We come on, dude,
he's fucking weird, Like like, what do you what do you mean
world? You're not no man? The c WA title in Germany? Yeah,
so my mom the Mama Sorrow title too. Yeah, you counting matt
one pole in the moat tier. That's right. So it's made of ventime.
Bound for Glory twenty eleven. Bobby Rude versus carn Angle Bobby Chant at
the opening bell, they lock up Rude with the side headlock, blocks the
hip toss to the cross face. Bobby Rude is using the Crippla cross face
as a submission finisher at the time. That's very, very offensive as a
Canadian too, right, dude, Come on, man, I want to
reclaim the hold me too. Angle scrambles and gets to the ropes um important.
Remember they built the whole you know, Bound for Glory Series tournament around
Bobby Rude. Eventually we're racking up enough winds that he qualified for this title
shot. So this is a multi month story they put together here for this
guy. Tas calls out the quad injury of what calls it a quad injury
of Kurt Angle. So I guess here's my question. Why are you surprised
that doesn't go the way that everyone wants it to go. I know,
slight pull of the groin. Actually, Taz says if Bobby Kurt Angle's injury,
saying that it was training for this contest. That's one thing I do
know about Kurtenger. He does overtrain, Angle takes over with a kick almost
to the groin and then does a snapsuplex working him over task. Na,
what it's a nice nice snapsup please, it's Kurt angle for big fan.
I know. Doesn't getting better than that. And this allows Taz to say
things like clasp your palms together, yes, yes, that grip? Oh
oh, can I tell you here? He has this fucking uh you know
what do you call it? A waist lock? Does Kurt angle on?
Rude? And I want to tell you something. I'm going to play this
for you. But in this next clip that I'm going to play you,
Taz says grip four times, leading to Nay to say it twice. Okay,
listen, listen. It is credible. Right back there, you go
right back to that reverse gup ranch or reverse badhog whatever, and see that
under an over grip right there. That's a tremendous one too. We can
get a shot of Kurt's hands that type of grip three where all your power
is instead of clasping your fingers, you clash your palms together and squeeze your
thumbs together and that grip is tight. Or you back up to his feet
reels off the elbows to the side of the hand angle to break that grip.
Now it comes back the serious right and it goes to the close quick
not only duck the clothes life. It goes from behind, it catches rude,
it connects with soup plex one, still maintaining the grip. Sex fucking
hell. That's I mean, it was gripping commentary town guys, Let me
tell you six uses of the word grip in forty five seconds. So this
is the math here. Okay, the word grip in that clip was spoken
on an average of less than every eight seconds. Wow, that's a lot
of grippage, a lot of grip on fucking uh language. And Tad's going
absolutely overboard about how Kurt brings his elbows in when he does the germ grip,
and that even fucking emphasizes it at one point. Grip. Yeah,
did you know that Kurt brings his elbows closer to his body to bring more
explosiveness his hips? I did? Did you not not to stand? I
know? Totally, big fan. And then he angled climbs to the top
because you know what, the man, what does he tell himself when he
wakes up in the morning, if I don't do what I might as well
be dead sacrifice. That's correct, and it's a shame because no one told
him that it happened in May. So he clamps the ropes like he's gonna
do a moon salt. Bobby Rude runs the ropes, says the walk up
and toss his Kurt with a German Kurt basically sells it by moon salting on
his fucking head and shoulders. Oh, I'll tell you that was a horrifying
I was nervous totally because that looks rough. I mean fortunately like it looked
like he landed on the top of his head. But then they showed the
replay and you could tell he kind of he tilted his head slightly so that
it looked like he kind of landed more on his shoulder. But it was
still a close call. I wanted to think about something, Boss, I
wanted to think about how anxiety provoking it was just to take a body slam
at Renaissance rumble. Oh yeah, and can you imagine, with your back
to the ropes on the top, some guy runs up behind you German suplex
you and you have to back and land in the mat just blindly flip your
body and just crash into the canvas. No, I can't imagine. I
mean, you know, it kind of takes me back to the Olympics,
the last Summer Olympics, when when Simone Biles like she just suddenly couldn't do
it. You know, you have to have that that mentality that you can
just you know, you gotta kind of let go. But then if you
get in your head like that, I don't know how anyone can do that
as as a as a wrestler. You know, once you if you get
in your head over something, you're done. I mean, and to have
that bad wheel to not be able to push off of that's probably accounting for
it. I'm sure he didn't intend to fall on his shoulder. I'm sure
he intended to fall on his stomach flat. But yeah, like he does
normally. But oh man, it is just a death wish lunch for Angle,
it really is. I mean, yeah, at this point, just
bring a canon to ringside and shoot him out of it. Honestly, yes,
seriously, and motherfucker. And of course Angle just gets right back up
and starts slugging away a moment later, because it's not like we sell something
like that Rude rallies with Larry It's hits the buff blockbuster for two. Angle
then captures him of an overhead release suplex for two, then a DDT and
Bobby Rude sells the DDT we need by spiking himself directly up in the air
and that gets to angle slam. No. Actually, Rude lands on his
feet and spine busts Curt angle for two. Get it all sense to me?
Getting him undripleates radar, Angle climbs the top rope as Rude tries to
climb and tosses him with a billy to billy release superplex. That's good for
two for the champion. Rude then explodes into the crossface once again, locks
it on Tenais's arm seized, which is a good yes, and then tasas
cross face in deep deep deep angle deep. Fine, you want to go?
You want to go here, boss one. When curtis trapped in the
cross face, does he or does he not locate an ankle? I mean,
come on, okay, this is this whole, this whole moment,
this whole like I don't want to use the word sequence, but I'm gonna
use the word sequence of a mess. Cross face by rouge Angle. This
fucking guy clutches an ankle, rolls through Post's leg. Okay, then he
just emerges with his ankle. I'll tie it up. He just exactly,
he just fucking It's like he's birthed like fucking aphrodite, you know. And
of course what's key is he said rolls through. That's yes, that's we
say good wrestling because it and you know what, it doesn't stop there because
now Rude decides it is his turn to roll through and go back to the
cross face. It's christ taking to give me a heart attack this guy.
Because we're talking, we're talking, you know, we're talking about desire,
we're talking about work rate, we're talking about ring presence. Okay. Then,
as if we didn't roll enough an awareness, Angle rolls through again,
but goes for pin. Cradles cradles for pin. Okay, then kick out
both men up. Rude goes back to the cross Hale comes up swinging and
Rude snatches him in it again. Snatchism back to the crossface. Angle rolls
through again. Awkwards he backflips, yeah, to a vertical base. And
what do you know when you do that, when you backflip to your feet
with a guy having the crossface on you. Where do you end up?
Fucking hell? Perfect position for an angle slam eggs right, and you do
that and you get to business is about chaining together submissions and rolling through.
It's exactly it's about. It's about and it's about post, it's about it's
about torque, and it's about roll through. And that's exactly what angle does.
And it's good for two. And it goes back to the angle and
then Bobby Rude rolls forward again and kicks off and it catches a charging kren
angle with a big spinebuster and a fisherman's supplex from Bobby Rude. That's good
for two. And the sad thing about this whole thing is that the crowd
is pretty much dead. Yeah. I don't know. I feel like they're
with it. Well, I didn't feel like it to me. They weren't
reacting like you do like I've heard I've heard people react to sequences like this.
Did you listen with headphones in or your computer speakers? I listened headphones
in. Kay, Yeah, I did feel like on this show, this
broadcast in general, even the Hogan moments, there's still too much of a
distance from the crowd noise. Even when you can tell visually they're going nuts
and you can hear it, it just doesn't sound as loud on the TV
as it looks like it should sound. Sure, I hate that about wrestling
because I'm always trying to gauge whether people are getting excited about something, and
I can't, you know what I mean if if the audio levels aren't consistent.
Totally, I totally understand. I've had moments, you know, in
my life where I bought a new TV and for some reason, you know,
you know, TVs can emphasize sound differently. Yes, it's such a
fucking nightmare, it really is. I've become accustomed to processing what's working and
not in wrestling based on like how a TV presents sound to me, and
then when they switch it out. But what's missing here? Rely, it's
this really a cold show? Like what's going on here? Their dish mee
TV is optimized for wrestling crowd noise. Honestly, I know they really should.
They really should. So I don't know one cares, but that you
really should gets the one two off The Fisherman's suplex seemed like a very good
near fall and This is where let's go Angle, and let's go Bobby Chance
kind of start alternating. Angle picks the ankle again, roll forward cradle one
two and backup angle slam. No No. As he goes to angle slam,
Bobby counters with that luch best counter in the world does to the angle
slam. Angle then charges to try to close the distance, runs into a
back elbow from Bobby Root. Another blockbuster neckbreaker, and then he pulls Kern.
Angle does pulls Hebner in front of him, and when Hebner breaks free
and is distracted, Kern Angle kits Bobby Root squarely in the nuts. Of
course you do. You got to do that, and then he angle slams
him and you think that's it. One two not enough. No, Bobby
kicks out Angle with the German suplex. Root explodes out of another attempt with
a cross faces cranking cranking close up shot shows Angle's head not held tightly at
all, though it's moving around in those arms anyway. He gets to the
rope nice Angle that you know. It's cool because what they do is they
have Rude's forearm in the crossface blind Kurt Angle, so he's actually reaching around
as if in the dark. Yes, it's a it's a it's a good
moment, doesn't he doesn't touch the rope. His hand just ends up under
the rope, and they talk about breaking the plane and mark out over the
opportunity to use that phrase in a pro wrestling match. And finally, um,
you know, of course Tene chucks that up to Angle, knowing the
ring so well. Corner corner, hars, ship is reversed. Rude fires
out of the corner if you're hitting the buckle and is going to charge an
Angle. But Angle spears, I repeat, Kurt angle with the spear.
I mean, okay, where what the fuck aren't you ever seen Kurt angle
spear before? That's good for two and it's just insane. We're just keep
just doing it, pulling out all the ship. Well, why don't we
do one? Why don't I do one better? If I can't walk and
have a torn hammy, why don't I jump off the top rope and land
on my feet? Because that's exactly what Kurt Angle does here. He jumps,
he comes off the top, he lands on his feet, and Rude
immediately pulled him down into another cross face. And this feels like the finish.
He's correct, you're acting this fucking guy like, you know, like
he like he understands what pain is. He doesn't exactly cranking. He's cranking.
Then Angle rolls through back up angle slam, no go behind by Bobby
Rude, Fisherman suplex attempt No, Angle lands on his feet and scores within
another Olympic slam. Yes it's one, it's two, and it's three.
Mm oh god, what a weird count man. Yeah. Even Brian Heber
couldn't believe it was the finish because he held up between two and three.
He did. It was really awkward, like a ref would do if he
doesn't think it's the actual finish. Right. I don't know. Maybe it's
Hogan Nick Patrick subtriviewze here, but whatever it is, Kurt grabs the middle
rope and the refere he doesn't even see it for leverage. And further,
Bobby Rude's arm is clearly under the bottom rope and Brian Hebner doesn't stall as
well. Dude, brother, what I mean? I can only thank Brian
Hebner hesitated to slap three because it was so ludicrous that the match was ending
up this way. That is, I agree his brain couldn't possibly process this
being the finish. Yeah, Kurt Angele retains the Teenage World Heavyweight Championship,
defeating Bobby rud in the main event of Bound for Glory twenty eleven. Crowd's
like, okay, so much for caring. I know some reason Hebner doesn't
acts with his arms. I don't know what that was supposed to be about.
And the replay shows Rude's arm clearly under the rope. It hedn't blowing
the count. Rude just sits there, just like Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania this
year. Just a bitch, right exactly because you can say all you want
and we'll get to it about how the guy eventually win the title, and
let this be instructive about Cody Rhodes this year as well. It doesn't matter
a bus, it doesn't matter he didn't get it back anyway. It's the
beginning of a story now, No, it's it's a matter of when.
It's a matter about the timing all of it. You can't you can't fucking
sit there and act like it doesn't matter, as it absolutely does. You
see the wrestler as a loser for the first time in such ship stark way,
and that is it takes years to wear that off. And from then
on, that's all he is is a loser. And for the company to
pretend that they don't know that, for Trip lh to go in the press
conference after WrestleManias, you know, intent his fingers on the table and go
get story. Guess shut the fuck up, Trips. You know what the
thing did? You know? What the right thing to do was guess what?
Cody Rhodes is a loser? Done done in that you allowed yourself to
see him as potentially reaching a certain level and gaining a certain stature. And
now you're left to think, what the fuck did I ever see him at
that level? For? And now? And now what you can do.
The next thing you can do, and please do a bus is get him
an apartment with fucking Lex Luger. Thank you, that's what he is.
Thank you? All right, Bobby Rude, Lex Luger, Bobby Rude,
meet Lex Luger, and here's your other room. Inate Cody Rhodes, Yes,
accept it, breathe it in and then understand that this is where you
belong. Thank you, fuckers, idiots, losers From the Observer Nearly six
months back, TENA made the basic plans for the Bound for Glory pay per
view. Sting was going to beat Hulk Coogan to give Dixie Carter back control
of the company. Hogan was then going to turn face and become the old
Hulk Coogan and feud with Eric Bischoff. Bobby Rude was going to win the
Bound for Glory Series tournament to give him momentum and then beat Kern Angel to
win the TNA heavyweight title, and Velvet Sky was going to go on a
quest for the Knockouts title that she had never won and win it. Almost
everything happened his planned from the start. This is such a mean thing to
say, and I mean, I do mean it invies it does. Was
Velvet Sky ever a porn star? No, because she looks like a porn
star, know what you mean. She can tell she came from like the
thin eyebrows late nineties kind of like yeah, she she has like um,
she she kind of has the look of the Valets and XPW who who did
porn as well. And I don't mean to be derogatory and saying that she's
like a certain esthetic, a certain combination of like color of makeup and and
like her the way she has those those cleavage, those streaks and her tits,
like the whole thing, like they're there are a lot of it.
I'm like sitting there like I feel like she's a porn star. Yeah,
that that's kind of kind of what they were after. Maybe I don't know,
maybe when Russa was write and forget about it. I mean, every
every woman's a porn staring I know, right, everyone every woman is a
slut and a woman. You know, no woman had can actually be respectable,
not really, no, because you know, every woman uses sex to
get what they want, right, and every woman because because every woman who
ever said no yes to fucking Vince Russo was going to get theirs. That's
the that's the read. It's been out there for years. Build that case.
So, as Meltzer wrote, almost everything happened is planned from the start,
with one very notable exception. MM are you ready? Oh boy,
please tell me? Please please please please please please please. Hulk Hogan at
the last minute came in and decided against Rude winning the title TNH. The
original plan was for Rude to win the title and built to a Rude versus
James Storm program down the line. Instead, Curt Angle pin Rude in a
flat finish holding the ropes, and two days later Storm pinned the injured Angle
in a minute at the Impact tapings in Orlando to take the title. Well,
nothing was overt was done. They are still headed in the same direction.
So what okay is there? Please? I know that there's not going
to be, but is there any kind of explanation, like a journey kind
of furthering of this or what. It was noted regarding the decision making that
going with Angele over Rude was purely a Hogan call, and it was noted,
no matter what why, is in what position and what has said publicly
about Bruce Prichard, Vince Russou or even Dixie Carter, that the major decisions
are all Hogan and Eric Bischoff on this one. When Hogan made the call,
even the most almost nobody agreed with it. That key people didn't even
try to put up a fight. There was a lot of unhappiness among the
wrestlers because Rude was seen as an original with TNA, and it was felt
the TV had given him some momentum for a launch point of something different.
But even if he won, there would be nothing different, but a lot
of unhappiness was more based on it being done at the last minute and perhaps
the reasons or lack of reasons why, particularly because the word was that Hogan
said he felt Rude wasn't the right guy. Hogan had done a radio interview
a few days earlier outright saying Rude wasn't the guy. I'll give you a
guess what shot that was on? Boss, wasn't that was gonna be?
How excellent? Let's go instead of playing Bubba the love Sponge. Let's play
Bubba Love Sponge is translated in Hindi. It's a great athlete in the NJ
styles who was popular among the wrestlers because he's hard working, was given a
chance and nobody reacted or cared while pushing Jeff Hardy as a guy who has
it and also wrestling doesn't matter, dude. So thanks to the Observer,
he's got the exact quote from Hogan when he went on the Bubba Show ahead
of Bound for Glory and said, boys, and I'm sure he's working,
oh boy. Hogan was on Serious Radio before the pay per view and down
the idea of Bobby Rood is the top guy. Now, I'm not Bruno.
Brother, He's not ready, dude. He's not the next guy.
You know, they might think he is, or Dixie Carter might think he
is. The whole world might think he is. He's just not the next
guy. If I had to betting money anybody, and really be serious about
betting money anybody, I'd say Jeff Hardy is the next guy. Kept Terry
Jesus christ Man. This is much more than being a wrestler. This is
crossing barriers. You know, media's media barriers and entertainment barriers of all kind.
You're getting your character down verbally has ninety percent to do with getting over.
He was more positive on James Storm, saying, you know, I'd
go with James Storm all day long. You know, mainstream brother, cowboy
hat, beer drinking, Middle America, Nascar, Walmart, Country Western,
I mean, all day long. It's a no brainer. You know,
Bobby Rood's a tremendous athlete. I could you know I would change. I'd
built him from Venice Beach, California, or Omahana, Braska instead of Canada.
I love him to death. He said he thinks Rude would be a
great heel, but he'd choose Storm over Rude. Regarding aj Styles, he
said, they pushed him really hard and they thought it would get him over,
and you know, nobody responded to it, so I don't know.
At this point, Styles would go on to write frustration setting in when your
own guys bury the company that you have worked so hard for. Brother,
So it's going well, Brother, the decision was well received, and what
a fucking douche. Hogan puts his thumb on the scale. Well, brother,
you know I got my I got, I got, you know,
my thumb on the pulse, Brother, pulse of reality? Dude, where
we're going, brother, what we're doing? Who we are? I think
the new sting isn't tan that that James story. I guess Bobby Rude doesn't
remind Hull Cogan of a lega store. I think when I think Bobby Rude,
I think Walmart. When I think, what the fuck is this guy
talking about? Brother? You know, I think there's the thing, dude.
I think you know that Middle America? Brother? You know, where
are we going? Dude? Who's it about? Brother's the deal? You
know? I think, Brother? I think James story and the cowboy hat
beer drinking Middle America NASCAR Walmart, you know, And I look at Bobby
rude brother, and all I can think is Tim Horton's brother. All I
think about, dude when I see him, Dude, is is is Canada?
That's not money and Brother, I can't get behind Canada. No one
made more money in Canada than Hulkogan is a wrestler. I just can't get
behind Canada. Brother, Canada can get behind you. Isn't that funny what
Terry shows you at the building and ships on three months of storytelling. I'm
not digging creative, dude, but it's not your match, brother. I'm
just telling you, brother, I've been thinking about a long and hard dude.
You know, last couple of weeks. Man, I'm thinking about you
know, where are we going with his TNA brother? You know, kind
of what's the endgame? Dude? You know where are we headed? Brother?
Who's that guy? Dude? And I just don't know. I just
I'm not I don't think it's a right. I think, you know,
if we pull the trigger too soon on somebody, it can kill somebody.
Brother, he actually kills somebody's career if we don't do it at the exact
right moment. I just don't think it's his time. Brother. You pictured
him in the production meeting the day about glory. M oh everyone and everyone's
standing around the table sitting there. No one says shit, Alight, let's
go over to the finish of the main event. Brother, got like Mike
tay Mere staying, Dude, who's going over? We're gonna go with Sting
Terry. Yeah, that's that's been the plan. Mm hmmm hm. Well,
if the Hill goes over Brother in the semi main, Dude, then
we're gonna have a baby face go over in the main event. Brother,
and that's Curry Angle. Excuse me, well, Kurt Angle is a baby
faced dude. No, Brother, you gotta look at it from you know,
you can't just look at it from a wrestling level, Dude, that
kind of like that superficial wrestling level. You got to look at it as
a deeper you know, what's kind of a what's the actual story being told?
You know, because we're not really telling the story between Kurt Angle and
Bobby Rude over the TNA Championship. Brother, that's not the story we're telling.
The story we're telling, Brother, is if you look at it,
dude, we're telling the story about America versus Canada. Brother, Uh,
we are, Well, you got Bobby Rude, the Canadian brother against Kurt
Angle, American Olympian, and it just doesn't make sense, brother, to
have a non Olympic Canadian beat an Olympic American. Brother. I'm sick of
these non Olympic Canadians in this business. Where's Ben Johnson. I just don't
think that the fans are gonna buy it, brother, I'm not gonna buy
it, dude. Yeah, neither of the fucking neither is the public.
I don't buy it. Buy this pay per view anyway. I can't believe
this happened. So let's get into it. Vince Russo several years after this
all happened, and while Rude was, you know, in TNA, but
under a new regime, had Bobby Rude on his podcast and thank god,
Russo was going to get to the bottom of it all. Well. Interestingly,
he's in a pretty good position to do so because he's still involved in
the creative process. He has yet to be totally iced. That would happen
around the beginning of the year January, and he's clearly been demoted and subjugated
to Bruce Pritchard that has happened. I think that whole blow up has already
taken place, and took place in October. Maybe it was slightly after Bound
for Glory, but it's around this time. But Russo is still in a
position of, you know, writing the show and forwarding his own direction and
subject to veto by people above him, of course, and Richard was suddenly
just one more voice above him that could sort of xnay whatever he said and
redline everything. But it is interesting because Russo can frame up this discussion with
Bobby Rude years later as I was on your side, Brow and I think
he was because he wrote all the television that built this thing up, and
clearly there was there was a nod across the TNA organization to push Rude this
strongly and put him into this position and produce that video that got him over
so much and puts it a spotlight on him as a family man and all
that shit that people still talk about now. I want to apologize. This
is, yes, a four minute question from Vince Russo to Bobby Rude,
as he's want to do, but it also contains a lot of information.
In the preface to the question about where Vince Russo sat, where Matt Conway
the other teenade writers sat, and the build up to this thing and how
they observed slowly the whole plan change from Rude getting his coronation to Rude counting
the lights. It bound for Glory, Boss hit Russo, BFG wanted to
get us started bound for Glory. Two thousand and eleven. Okay, now,
Bobby, you know, myself and Matt Conway were doing the writing.
The story was written and the pieces were put in place. That October sixteenth,
two thousand and eleven, Bobby Roode is going to become the first time
the t and a world heavyweight champion. We interviewed the family for a reason
because Bobby was going to be a baby face. He was going to be
the baby face champion. Now keep in mind, this wasn't a decision that
was just made. This was a decision that was made months prior. The
pieces were put into place. We told the story everything that we wanted to
do. The night before. You know, me and Conway sit down with
Bobby and Bro. I think we're as excited as you are because this Bro,
Listen, when you're a writer, and even though Bro the belt,
you know, nobody wins it and nobody loses it, But when when it
finally finds its way to somebody that's so deserving and worked so hard, that
means a lot to the writer, because the writer knows it means a lot
to the performer. So I think Matt and I were just as excited as
you are. I mean, no question, it couldn't have happened to a
nicer guy. And we couldn't wait. We couldn't wait for it to happen,
you know. So, Bro, you know, we go into the
production meeting the day of Bound for Glory, and right before our very eyes,
you know, me and Matt are watching the changing of the finish,
and Matt and I are looking at each other like, You've got to be
effing kidding me, And you know, I'm I'm trying to I'm in bro,
but I mean I'm not. I'm just going to say this part of
it, Okay. When you have the right people, it's not too difficult
to convince Dixie Carter of something. So once it got to the level of
Dixie being convinced that this other way was better, at that point it becomes
a losing battle. So like at that point, there's nothing more you can
say. There's nothing more you can do now after all these months of planning,
now the finish is going to be changed. And you know what,
Bro, at that point, all I care about is my friend Bobby Rude,
who freaking earn this, you know, over years earn this with work
ethic and the way you carried yourself and being a company guy in you know.
So now I have to go, you know, we have to go,
and we have to tell Bobby. And like I, you know,
I hated it, Bro, I hated everything about it. I don't agree
with the decision this day. I feel you would have went on a different
path if it never went down. But listen, Bobby, I have to
ask you, as much of a prose pro as you are, I saw
that same set of circumstances Bobby happened to somebody else, and when that happened,
that incident put them on a Downwood spiral. Fact I saw it happen.
Now we come to you, we explain it to you. Bro.
Listen, there is a level of disappointment. I mean, there's no doubt
about that. But like, even at that point, Bobby, how were
you able to overcome that? And rise above that because, like I said,
Bro, as the writer, I'm pissed off that this isn't happening for
you. And no matter if you're not selling or not inside, you gotta
be extremely disappointed. How did you work your way through that? What was
the process? Hell of a question, huh, I'll say, But it's
all there. I mean, like, yeah, just the way he describes,
like sitting at the table and watching. Because you know, no one
smartened up ahead of time, except that people that are on board with this
plan. You're not going to tell people that might disagree until it's too late
that this is the plan. This is whole Cogan's m O, what always
has been. He shows up a bash at the beach and he's not happy
with the finish, but he doesn't say anything about it to anybody until there's
like three hours to go from a show, and then all of a sudden,
it's like, we got to do exactly what Hulk wants because we have
dude exactly correct. Hulk Cogan has this reputation because he's earned it, not
because the observer has whatever against him. No, he has this reputation because
he's always do playing these fucking games that's why I'm playing games Bowler. I'm
I'm simply trying to do what's best for business. Polarly, what a home
what a home Runner was to not coronate Bobby. What a difference it made
all positive? So what does Bobby respond? Let's hit russo b f G
two. It was funny. I mean I remember that time. I mean
remember I actually remember, like it was yesterday. Uh, like you said,
you said, I went down for dinner and I was sitting by myself
and you Matt came over and, uh, you know, just kind of
touch base with me and let me know that things were good. And um,
so I went to bed that night, waking up the next morning,
got some some text from from some family and some friends. UM, I
had a buddy of mine flying down the Philly to to watch. UM got
through the arena. I was feeling good, you know. So, like
you said, the production meeting, the agent's meeting, Uh, it starts
I think are probably around twelve and one. We got to report to the
building around twelve and one, so normally it gets out. Usually pay per
views are pretty simple, if I'm right, I mean it's pretty cut and
dry. You're in and out of there, and at an hour everybody's in
catering getting ready for the show. But that particular day was, you know,
about two o'clock in the afternoon, still nobody's out. Start walking up
and down the halls, go out to the ringside area, hanging out there.
Now it's like two thirty quarter to three, nobody's out of the meeting,
which is very unusual. So Frankie and AJ come over to me.
We started, you know, just shooting the breeze or whatever. They know
what's going to happen that night. So we're talking and I turned to AJ
and I said, it's three o'clock. You watch they're changing the finish.
Ten minutes later, deal Lebrown comes up to me and says, Bruce wants
to talk to you in his office. And I knew right then it was
done. It was finished. Awesome, you know, they changed it.
You know, honestly, I don't know if I was upset. I guess
that, you know, like you said, the World championship, the title,
the belt, it's it's it is what it is, you know.
I mean, it was my first time I've ever you know, it was
such a build, you know, it was a six month build really that
you put into it and we all put into it, and then for it
to change in three hours. M was pretty devastating. It was a shock
for sure. Um. And I don't know if if it was you that
was more pissed off or it was me, or if it was Kurt Angle
that was pissed off. Kurt was upset, you know, he didn't want
to do it, um, but I don't know. It was just it's
one of those things. It's just it's the way I am. It's just
okay, this is how you want to do it. Fine, I'm gonna
go out there and I'm gonna have a great match. And then if you
if you're telling me that a couple of weeks down the road, this is
what we're going to do in this direction that we're going to go into,
and I'll just take your word for it, because obviously, you know,
things change like that in this business. So I'm not going to take anything
for granted. But I'm gonna go out then I'm going to prove to you
that I should be the world champion, and you know, and and see
where this goes. Honestly, it was. It was. It was disappointing,
but when it was all said and done, that night, I went
down and ate dinner. And it wasn't like I was I was staying away
from anybody or pissed off in anybody in particular. It was just one of
those things that in this business, it's so unpredictable. You used nothing,
nothing is for sure. Sounds like a defeated man to me. Yep,
sounds like a guy who allowed himself to care. Loser. How about it,
loser. He's all about like mentioning, like catering and dinner. In
his story, he said, noticed that I went to dinner afterwards to tak
aren't most guys aren't most wrestlers about dinner. Ate dinner? Okay, what
does that do that? Right? Dinner? I ate dinner. I wasn't
planning on it. See that's a surefire way. I wasn't devastated. I
ate dinner. I usually skipped dinner. See, Bobby, I didn't assume
that, like if you were actually mad about the finish, you would fast
and go on a hunger strike essentially. But I mean if I did create,
If I did creative, I usually don't eat. What do you hear
there about us? I hear a guy who knows that his shot, that
his shot was blown. A guy who knows that you have one opportunity.
That's it, especially in the modern business, in the modern business where TV
is everything and you can't go to another city or another town too, you
know where they don't know what happened previously, because we know everything all the
time. The moment it happens, the moment you lose, you're done.
It's all about winning and losing, baby, it is you can present Hogan
is some sort of like outmoded figure because he's always so geared towards not losing
and that being the number one thing he's obsessed with. And you can tell
yourself a story about how the business is evolved to where you can be an
impact player and an important player without being so concerned about whether you get your
hand raised or not. But you're only a lying to yourself. That's right,
and you know it. And here's the thing, you know, who
knows more than anybody in this scenario that you only get one chance. The
people who made the decision to not put over Bobby Root at Bound for Glory.
That's Robby Rude knows that he knows that the people who are trying to
tell him that it's going to work out for the best for him. Knew
full well what they took away from him at Bound for Glory, knew the
harm it would do to his upside and to his You know that there is
no other opportunity. It's over it and you can hear that in the man's
voice. And he's too kind to really go in on it. But of
course he's a Canadian, you know, just a nice guy, you know,
just man. Guess what you were screened? Not an asshole boring,
not a pain of boring. That's not a pretty donas boring. You lose,
buddy, yourself lost, Go fuck yourself, eat shit and leave.
Megan's never said anything about this. I don't think he's ever been asked about
it. But um, well, we can't get Hulk Cogan. You know
who we go to, right, that's the proxy voice for the hulksterts Eric
Bischoff. Of course he is, you know, he is the voice of
Hulk Hogan. And on the eighty three Weeks podcast, Conrad read to Eric
the same Observer excerpt we read to you regarding Hogan putting the Kai bosh on
the finish. Then come on. Let's hit it. Bullshit, it's just
fucking melts, Eric, bfgo a lot to unpack here. I know you're
going to deny it, and it's real fit, so let's do it.
Good for him. I hate to disappoint you, but I can't even give
of any of that the credibility of a nano second of my thought or emotion.
This is ridiculous. So Hogan didn't change the finish. Oh, that
might have had an opinion, But Hogan not only did he not have the
authority or the influence, he had no interest in having the authority or the
influence. This is so opposite of reality. Now, could could he expressed
an opinion to Dixie or to somebody else? Maybe? But that's all I
can say. I just as tired as people are of hearing me go off
on David. I'm I'm just I'm more tired of it than they are.
You sure, all right? Eric? Whatever you say, buddy, Wow,
okay, Um, he didn't have that power. This is Eric's hole.
Like I didn't have that power. I didn't want that power. That's
the whole thing, right, I know. But he's putting it on Hogan.
No, it's because you didn't have it because you didn't want it doesn't
mean it didn't happen exactly. In fact, it probably mayn't. Actually he
didn't actually say didn't happen either. That's the thing about it. You know,
it's kind of like it's like Hogan with the sixty million dollars, right.
He never actually flat out denies that Hogan didn't do it. He just
says Hogan didn't have the you know, Hogan didn't have the power. He
didn't want me. It's like, right, exactly, he's saying Hogan wanted.
No, he never said that Hogan didn't do it. He said he
is. He's being a lawyer. He's you know, I thought, I
guess he hung out with Scott Hervey a lot more than Jason Hervey when it
all came right down to it. You know, he's like, well,
if Hogan didn't have the power on a piece of paper somewhere to determine who
won the Down for Glory main event, then him expressing to everybody that Rude
shouldn't win and changing everybody's mind who does have that authority isn't the same thing
as changing the finish right, Exactly, no difference. He didn't want that
power. He didn't have the party didn't want that power. I wouldn't want
the power either, when history reflects so poorly in my decision making, that's
for sure. Nobody wants that power. To take that power. When it
turns out great, I'll take the power if I can blame somebody else.
I'll have nothing to do with the power if it turns out badly. I
mean, what the fuck? Did you have an opinion? Look, okay,
that's the same thing, Oh, an opinion? You know, I
mean we all have opinion. Name one thing hul Coogan wanted to see happen
in TNA. That didn't. Name one thing that Hulkogan didn't want to see
happen in TNA. That did. He ran the company. He ran the
company. It was his little plate ground company. I mean we you know,
we we we had to answer to Spike. Okay, I'm sure Spike.
I mean there was a whole you know, I have to go to
the mat with Hull Coogan or whether Bobby Rude won the bound for Glory may
have entry. We had a whole. There was a whole hierarchy, a
whole system about where things stop. Addiction Parter I'm you know, the buck
stops where the buck stops. It doesn't didn't answer the question, and he
just does the whole I mean that cut it off, but he does the
whole meltzer thing again. It's like, dude, Like that's like a dog
whistle at this point, you know, a guy, wasn't there going to
like ten minutes about Dave and how he has a grudge against Hogan to like
dance around the idea that you can't quite deny that what was said is qualitatively
true, Like it's true in any way that anybody would give a fuck.
Like no one is thinking about like lawyers and like contracts and what exactly your
job duties are. No one fucking is thinking about that. When they say
that hull Cogan killed the finish of this match, they're thinking, did the
actions hull Cogan take set in motion a series of events that led to Bobby
Route taking the fall? And the answer is, yesh, So what's the
fucking problem here? I guess if someone else reported, it'd be fine,
you know, but right, I mean, what are you doing, Terry?
I mean, aren't you a little old for this? You know what
I mean? This is like a fifty year old at that at the club,
you know, like, what are you one? Like? What are
you talking about? What do you just play your role and and help this
company and just stay the fuck out of the decisions as to who's like actually
carrying the load? What's the problem? The problem is you almost made a
star who and you couldn't You didn't know what to do when you almost made
a star, you have a fucking panic attack. What I'm not saying Bobby
Rudy let the world on fire? Not gonna be saying he would have reversed
the company's fortune. Who's on fire? Dude? What are you saying?
Been a signal that when you guys hit on something and try hard, that
you can actually deliver on it. That the fans can expect that when you
tell them something's about to happen, or that they should get invested in somebody
and it's not going to be well. Now, that means he can only
actually be the guy if he totally turns on the fans and does a complete
one eighty who Bobby rude so Hey book? He said it? Rick Rud's
dead, broke, dude. I didn't want the power. I didn't have
the power. I didn't want it in the palm of your hand or you're
pointing with your index finger to the palm, dude, I'm I'm I'm looking
at it. Brother. And I said to myself, you know what,
you know, I had my opinion. Brother. You know, I understand
that people sometimes saying think that I have this power, like I can control
of the people. But dude, I don't play hide the ball, brot
or I dude, I don't play ying yang. Brother. I mean,
I'm pretty straight and narrow, Dude, I'm all out getting things back on
track. And you know, dude, I just brother, I said some
things, dude, and and and maybe people didn't like it. Brother,
I own up to that. You know that was my decision, dude that
I made that I have those opinions, brother, but you know I didn't
have that power. I didn't want that power. Brother, how many times
I can say it, I don't I don't want that power. Well,
you know, it's unfortunate Brude is too kind to name names. Russo I
cut that out of the clip, but he had a preamble about how he's
not going to name names here. Just didn't think it was worth it.
They're talking about Hulk again, of course, but we're not going to get
anybody that was involved in this to say that it was Hulkogan to change the
finish right beyond Dave and we can you know, everyone can have their fun
with, you know, picking that apart. No one involved that Wait a
minute, hit angle BFG Oh boy. Yes, I was expected to drop
the title of Bobby. They were doing all these vignettes with Bobby and his
family, you know, talking about how hard of a worker he was,
what a great family man he was, and it was all set up to
drop the title to him. And I don't know what happened. It wasn't
me. We're gonna be the first one to admit I did not ask to
keep the title. As a matter of fact, I was really injured.
I had a torn hamstring, not a pulled hamstring, porn. It was
almost torn all the way in half. My whole leg was black all the
way down to the heel of my what And I didn't even know if I
could wrestle at Bound for Glory and for them to say, hey, you're
gonna They didn't tell me until the day of the show at Bound for Glory
that I was going to retain the title, and I was a little pissed
off because I didn't want to carry the title any longer because of my injury.
I wanted to rest it up and heal up and come back in perfect
form. And unfortunately they decided against Bobby getting the title, which was kind
of a downer from the pay per view bound for Glory, especially us being
on last. It was a real flat finish. You know, he was
expected to win the title and he got it taken away from him. And
Hulk Hogan is the reason. Wow, there it is. He's lying,
brother. What look for me to even dignify that with a response is laughable.
He has a vindet against Ugant. Oh yeah, but Kurt Angle.
It's funny because Bischof's pod this is before that's from Angles podcast it does with
Paul Bromwell, available at ad Free shows a good show and uh it's before
Angel had done one. You can hear Bischoff on on his pod say like,
yeah, I don't know Bruce thought or Kurt thought in other words,
like I need to triangulate my story here because they may they may contradict me
one day. And it's happened, I you know, And I like Kurt,
and nobody was there, and I like these people exactly, and I
like Kurt Kurt. I respect Kurt. You know, Kurt is a great
you know, he's one of the great wrestlers of of of his generation.
He wasn't there, you know, he wasn't in the room he wrestled the
matt He wasn't a Bound for Glory. You know, he shows up to
do his do his match, and that's it. And yeah, we can
go back and forth on this forever. You know, there's always a he
said, she said, and you know it's driving me nuts. Right.
We can point fingers all day, you know, we can point fingers all
day. Meltzer wasn't there, Kurt Angle wasn't there. It was an empty
home. Well, fuck this. I got to get to the bottom of
this. Hello, brother, what a question for you, mister hul Coogan.
Did you who who changed the finish of Bound for Glory twenty eleven so
that Kurd Angle beat Bobby Rude? And if so, why what's going on?
Dude? Simple question? Can you answer it or no? I'll take
a non answer. I want to tell you right now, dude, I
don't know who you are It's not a simple question, dude. Yeah,
we're talking about a a layered question with a lot of you know, complexity.
Brother, I don't think so who are you talk what? Who are
you talking to them? Talking to you? At least I thought so what
I'm brother, I'm out here, Dude. Were you abound for Glory twenty
eleven? Uh? You know I can't confirms sting you were there? I
dude, you know what? You know? You could say that I was
there, Brother, Maybe I was Maybe I wasn't lost. Brother. I'm
gonna tell you something, Dude, I never I don't have the kind of
power to change finishes. Dude. You know there's a committee, there's a
hierarchy, brother, and and to be quite frank, I'm a little uncomfortable
with with your line of questioning. Dude. Now that hierarchy granted, did
you did you basically convince that hierarchy to have Bobby Rude lose the match?
And if so, what's the difference? No, Vince isn't a brother.
I wasn't working for Vince, Dude, I didn't convince no, excuse me,
um persuade. No, I didn't pur anybody. Brother. Did you
tell people that you didn't think about be rooted win the title A Bound for
Glory twenty eleven. No, Brother, what I said, dude was what
I said is that I don't know if Bobby Roode is ready. Brother,
there's a difference, Dude, I don't know. You don't know why it's
not ready. Brother, I have opinions, Dude, I had opinions.
Opinions have changed. I told you, Brother, what I said was at
the time, Brother, I wasn't sure if Bobby Rude was at the level
that he needed to be. Dude, But is that my decision to say,
no, you can't know, Brother, I didn't have power. You
can even go look at contracts, Dude, I was not given the authority
to Brother. You're gonna have to ask. You don't know had the authority
somebody else, Dude. Brother, I was there as a talent. I
was there, Brother as an occasional entering performer. Brother, when the when
the when the time was correct due to read on the proper thing, did
I wrestle I? Brother, I never wrestled, Dude. I never wrestled
TNA Brothers A couple of times against a bit with Abyss and Brother. I
was in a fight dude, big difference, brother, So you didn't never
wrestle. You didn't what I didn't see to persuade anybody in the in the
higher arty. Brother, I'm gonna tell you, dude, I never sought
to persuade brother. The things that I did, dude, were between me
and the company. Kurt Angles, says Huk Cogan. Did it, Kurt
Angle, says Hulks. The reason Bob lost, you know, and and
and you know, Kurt and I have had kind of a you know,
colle with me and Macho. You know, brother, we had a kind
of a love hate love hate relationship. Dude, I can't say exactly without
a shadow of a doubt, brother, what exactly happened with Kurt Angle.
So you're not you're not admitting that you said in motion the changing of the
finish to the bound for Glory twenty eleven made event. What thanks Terry for
Kurt Angele's part. You know, he said in that clip, you know,
I don't want the fucking when the belt for one retained the belt for
one reason because I didn't want to carry it anymore because I was hurt.
And then he goes on a radio show shortly after this and says he only
had a slight tear in his hamstring. This is shortly after a beout for
Glory, but the reason his leg looks open, So he's got different tears,
different realities, different desires. Um, But I don't know whatever,
I believe, what you want, I'll believe this. Bound for Glory twenty
eleven to twenty three thousand buys twenty ten to thirty nine thousand, so a
drop of forty one percent for the biggest show on the calendar year with Hule
Cogan wrestling this time as opposed to be just vaguely advertised for to the twenty
ten show. It's fine. So if I know Hogan, that means exit
stage right incoming Brother? What sold for the show, which took place at
the what was called the Laya Koras Center in Philadelphia at Temple University on the
campus of Temple The Lion Who, Brother? Who? Why? Who's lying?
Exactly? Who's lying? So they ended up with about four thousand in
the building, twenty five hundred paid, not a great attendance for a pay
per view, and a good amount of that four thousand, of course,
was papered. They did. I totally forgot about this till I was researching.
They did movie theaters. They cut a deal. Oh did they really
put taper theaters and it was just just about two thousand people. Can't imagine
who the fuck would show up to that. At the time, UFC was
doing pretty good business in movie theaters. I went to UM really, yep,
I went to a few UFC's in movie theaters. I went to UM
a Floyd Mayweather boxing match in a movie theater, and I loved it.
I love the experture. That was so great because you get a live crowd
atmosphere, but you can hear the commentary that. That's what was so huge
to me. Plus I could have popcorn, which, oh, sure,
my favorite thing in the world. Oh yeah, you so. But it
was just like you know what I mean, you had this like when you
go to a bar. It's just like you if you're a real US fan
and you really like to be able to engross yourself in the broadcast, it's
hard because you know, nobody wants to hear anything. They're just kind of
watching the big moments under the corner of their eye, and other than that,
they're having fun talk and yell and scream and drinking whatever. Eating,
but in the movie theater it's like everyone's there to really pay close fucking attention,
but they're still popping. Yeah, so I loved it. I even
went to one, which is an experimental thing. They never redid, a
UFC pay per view that was in movie theaters in three d oh weird.
I was like, it was so cool. You put the glasses on,
and like you saw this depth of the cage that you never obviously you never
could see on standard television, and you could see like the people sitting on
the other side of the fence in such a more high resolution way. It
almost though like you were watching two fighters in a video game, honestly,
like floating interest in front of you. But I love that. That was
cool. I used to love going to those things. And it wasn't that
much more expensive than buying the pay per view. I don't think it was.
I think it was probably cheaper if you don't include fully sure and uh
yeah, so uf was having a lot of success. The observers said around
this time that one of the fights, George Saint Peter Dan Hardy in twenty
ten, did between thirty and fifty thousand tickets bound regarded to two thousand across
the country, so not gonna not gonna last for long, but they tried.
That's right, apparently. I don't know if you remember talking about this,
but there was a tradition for years during the Attitude era of w w
F pay per views in movie theaters in Canada. No, I don't remember
that all the Canadians would go watch the pay per views in movie theaters from
what I remember here. But I always thought that would be so cool.
He imagine, like we were on and at the co if we could just
go to the lows oazing's been great. That would have been a lot of
fun, Like a real that would have been fucking great. And unlike the
restaurant at the bar, you don't have like you know, thirty percent of
the people are actually fans and the rest are people just trying to drive their
meals. You know. It's like, if you buy a movie theater ticket
to go watch, you're a fucking fan, so you're gonna be in my
friends. You know, there have to be people, all right, and
you're also not there. You're also not there, yeah, by accident or
anything like that. You know you're you're there. You're there for a reason.
Exactly, and it's appointment viewing as it should be, as life should
be, and totally just um, I just know there are people out there
who bought a movie theater ticket to watch Bound for Glory twenty eleven in a
movie theater, and we're the only person in the theater as they deserve to
be. Imagine the reality check that that is almost a start of a reality
check as the night was for one. Bobby Rude. That's right. I
don't know. We've weighed all the evidence, boss, and thanks to to
Conrad, a lot of people have had, you know, podcast forums tell
their story in Vince russo they're having Bobby rudon as well. I know where
I come out. Where do you come out? Did Hogan change to finish
or not? Oh? Absolutely, on fucking hell absolutely here, there's no
question. Thanks hl tnh tnh tnh that's right, total NonStop fucking Hogan.
And do you think he sticks around to architect? You know where this thing
goes from this disappointing moment for Cobby Rude, I would say, no,
where has he gone? As fast as fucking possible. I think he's gotta
he's gonna do his little thing. And then He's gonna get the fuck out
of Dodge should the impact coming off Bound for Glory. It was October twenty,
two thousand and eleven. It opened with Stings music and a Bound for
Glory recap video and Hogan and a T shirt and jeans and no shades and
no paint. Yeah, I know, completely killing the whole fucking joker gimmick.
Oh, totally. Sting is in a Hogan T shirt. Um yeah,
Garrett Um they talked about was in an Immortal Plants referee until Bound for
Glory when it took courage, as he displayed to stand up to his dad.
It's like you reveal it and then it's all moot right away. Uh,
Sting, it's the ring. Yeah, I got, I got a
couple. I get. I don't have the whole fucking thing here for him,
but I do have a couple of things because this first one. Um,
so Stingon claims and you've you've said it too, that it's been eighteen
months since Dixie Carter didn't have control of her company. Eighteen months ago,
I made a bout of myself to all the wrestlers in the back and all
you people that I would do two things two goals. Goal number one to
get this company back in the hands of its rightful owner, Dixie Carter.
Goal number two was for the real Hull Cogan to come home. Carter If
I'm wrong, but didn't the court decision happened in March. Yeah. I
think what he's saying is he started crowing about how there's a cancer and Hogan
and Bishop aren't your friend ends in March of twenty ten, But in the
March of twenty mm that's I guess. But I mean again, it wasn't
her company. It wasn't it wasn't not her company. Yeah. I think
what he's saying is, you know, not what he said was giving the
company back to Dixie Carter. Yeah, that's what he said. It's going
back to that scene where he you know what I mean, they grabbed her.
I know what he's saying. I'm saying he's I'm saying he spoke wrong.
That that happens in wrestling, that's for sure. I'm saying he said
is something stupid accelebratory mood though for staying as he's triumphed on behalf of Disie
Carter. I mean, you gotta be he wanted the real whole Coken to
come home. That was his another his other wish with the obnoxious fake crowd
noise in overdrive here, it's really bad talking about the whole coke and that
captured the heart of people all over the world for thirty years. Sting says,
the whole co transcends wrestling, the one that defines wrestling. I'm talking
about the amoral greatest of all time, whole Logan. Who hoof what there's
some some woman in the front row were in cocktail dresses here at the impact
zone, so you know what that means. Plenty of plants, plenty of
fake signs, blenty people who were paid to be there, pussy, I
admit. Sting says, I had to come out of my skin a bit,
step out of my comfort zone to get Whole Cogan to do this.
So the whole joker Sting thing wasn't him having a break from reality. It
was it was a great makes it so much better that way, right,
that's wrong my bound for glory, he says, it was all worth it,
and it came down at a defining moment where Whole Cogan was either coming
to continue to go down the road he was going down with Eric Bischoff,
or choose to do the right thing. I'm talking about doing the right thing
for wrestlers in the back. Oh God, wrestlers in the back is always
a phrase that means quality wrestling television. Yeah, no one cares about the
flag. No one cares about the guys in the bank. I don't care
about the boys in the back. My mom doesn't care about the boys in
And I don't care that you care about the boys in the back exactly,
And I don't care. I think it's a weirdness that you care about the
boys in the back. I think you're a puss exactly in your own business.
Bitch for wrestling fans like you should supported him for thirty years. And
in that defining moment, the real Hulk Cogan Stings says, the immortal one,
the greatest of all time, a true American came home. Hull Cogan,
please, Sting says, gracis with your presence. Okay, here he
comes, and here he is, Yes, here he comes. Here.
I got I got some, Hogan, Yeah, I got some. I
was actually hold on before I go though, I was curious. So,
like we've said before, that Stings great. Now do you think Stings great
because he's legitimately great in TNA, Or is it because everything else sucks so
bad that Sting sucks less. Yeah, it's that, and he sucks so
bad in promos earlier in his career that it's just a marvel he is able
to sort of carry a tune on the microphone like he is at this point.
Yeah, yeah, there's no reason he should be so much more improved
on the mic I know, like to me, that would like this should
have happened in nineteen ninety two. I bet it was all the Christianity shit.
You know, he starts hanging around with those megap preachers and science I
bet he's some of some of their Carnie wore off on him, and he
starts being able to, you know what I mean, emote like you know,
well, you know, Steve, what God would say here? You
know, God would say, you know, how can you become more human?
How can you become an organic? Guess creature? God intended you to
be My God intended you to make California Christianity. Because you know we're talking.
You know we're talking. We're not robots, but yet at the same
time we think we are robots. And you know what, two years ago
I thought I was a fish, but today I realized I'm flesh and blood,
organic human being and I have desires. Oh where's this going? You
know, as a human being, we are flawed and we are we are
allowed to have human sexual desires. Oh my god, Steve, do you
have sexual desires? I go home now because it's confessional over. I want
to tell you about my desire. New shirt, Go ahead, Terry is
a fucking thing A thank Oka says, Thank God, I don't have to.
I'm not fucking reciting this one, and I'm gonna play it for you.
Well, when you right, you're right, and you're wrong, you're
wrong, And I gotta admit for the last year I've been wrong, and
thank you guys. You know, I don't want to blame anybody but myself,
and I'm not gonna come out here with a WOESMI story. But I
had a couple of rough years, you know, and I got a little
insecure maybe, and I kind of started becoming a follower instead of a leader.
And I gotta give Eric bish Off his due. He helped me with
a lot of things, helped me get my life back together. So I
started following his lead, and when it came to the wrestling business, he
was making some real edgy decisions. And now that everything's cleared up, I
realize just how wrong Eric was. But I'm gonna go back to what I
said. It's not Eric's fault. I chose to follow instead of leading.
But now that I'm back, now that I'm the red and Yellow Holster from
the old Day's brother, there's only one person to thank for that. This
is the guy that put up with all my crap for over a year.
This is a guy who's the true leader in this ring. This is the
guy that went way above and beyond and took every single bullet that was shot
at him, and he stayed true to the fans. He stayed true to
Impact wrestling. And at the end of the day, when I wasn't bound
for glory and I was in the corner of that ring right over there,
and I saw what I had become. When I saw the pack of wools
known as a mortal tearing, the stigmer apart the only true real American icon,
the Stager. I have no idea. Yes, he is the only
true American eye, the Stinger. I saw exactly what was going down.
And thank god I saw the light because when Sting crawled to me and said,
Hogan, please help me, I heard the fans at Bound for Glory.
I saw as clear as I've ever seen it. I saw exactly what
I had become and who I was hanging out with. And I'm embarrassed to
say that's who I used to be. But now brother hul Cogan is back.
Yeah, And what's you're gonna do when Haul Hogan and the Stinger run
wild on you? What are you gonna do? Man? Thirty more years
anyway, I can't tell. I can't tell the maniacs and everybody in the
Impact zone how amazing this run has been here. And there's one guy to
thank, my brother, and that's you. I love you, I respect
you. You beat me in the center of the ring, and you are
the true life heart. I will never forget what you did for me to
thank you. Powerful stuff, absolutely, And the real Hull Cogan is back.
And he disappears after the show for like six months. What's the problem?
So it's fine, um, the real American Icon And then Sting looks
down like I'll humbly. He says that I know what the fuck? Man?
What the fuck? Well, it's Hogan's fault, not anybody else's that
he chose to follow instead of lead. And I think one thing that's been
very clear throughout all these weeks. If ten h bosses that Hogan did become
a follower, didn't he He did. And he's a born leader. That's
right, born leader, Hull Coogan in the bright, yellow and red.
He's not a board leader. Once again, Sting says, thirty more years
into the mic hoaxes, is Hogan still a managing partner. I don't know
when he got that uh that steak. It was a real thing, as
we discovered in the transcript, right, but I don't know when he had
it, when he lost it, If he lost it, I don't know.
I wasn't sure if that was part of the stipulations of the match,
that what he lost his managing partnership had to sell his stock Jack Roller.
I can tell maniacs by everybody in the Impact zone how amazing this run has
been. One man to think, I love you, all respect to you.
You beat me in the center of the ring, he says to Sting,
and you are the true icon. I will never forget what you did
for me. Thank you. Okay, his music hits, Hulk leaves and
now it's time to move on with impact. Sting fucking hell beside me ranging
out river struck down. Who God, she really have to do that?
Yes, Dixie's back. Oh she strides out with her arms swinging, terrified
to strip on the stage with her sky high chunky boots. N you imagine
it's like if one of her fucking like you know, needle needle sized heels,
fucking went into the rank raiding risk at all, even if you lose
and she didn't. I wonder why hell couldn't be in the ring for this.
He's supposed to be like the Big Thing, right, He's like,
I know, the Big the Big Reunion, knowledging, the hand off,
the Dixie. I what if there's trouble in Paradise, Brother Thing says,
this is the day Dixie gets her company back. But a dozen a race
would happened eighteen months ago. I tried to talk to you, show you
the light, the inner workings of how the wrestling business works. And there's
a lot of chess players out here, and you found out the hard way.
It's a tough business. Even though the company was lost. We got
it back. Now. You did the right thing. When I didn't have
any chance at all, I thought it was I was done with wrestling Dixie.
Oh yeah, here here, this is him that when he does this
fucking thing. When I thought that I was completely done with wrestling Dixie,
you you gave me a second chance. And and what's phenomenal about is you
gave me a home right here in TNA. You gave me a home right
here with this brand, Dixie. I love this place. I loved impactricks
place. Yes, this brand, TNA brand, this place, Impact Wrestling.
I love this place. So we're just gonna keep doing this. Then,
I love. I thought the end of the Hogan takeover storyline storyline could
bring all this to an end. I love its help they have one storyline.
I love it all. I'm my mom. I love wherever I am.
I love Oh hi, abyss as of you to contribute. Oh my
god, do you have no doubt? I'm goodbye Straw. Do you have
no doubt? I'm gonna tell you I've never had a doubt, no doubt.
Can we think back peak of TNA? Him would like the trunks with
the blood written down him like in DNA, looking like that. It just
got all. That's what's so galling to me. Don't you fucking do this?
I don't think that time is now straight up, strawberries are scribbled.
Strawberry. You are the motherfucking Christol, You're clone. You getting that ass?
Two fans have been tricked again, going on here the whole thing.
So keep bony blooney whistling fans. It's pain. Huh. Can you can
you handle the reality that is? Time for me to the flower? Total
NonStop attention, manstop aal attention. Absolutely, it's good times over here.
Oh yeah, boom boom oh I'm in pain. I could feel like um.
It's almost like the first bite is like the piece of newspaper that's on
fire in the house, and by the time it's over, the whole houses
and flames and it goes just like that ship. Probably do it, that's
right. Wipe my eyes now. One. Two? Why do these people
talk like this? Why? Why does he gonna fucking say stupid shit?
Why isn't three okay to say? Why do you have to know bress that
up? Why can't why? Why why can't you talk like a normal human
being? Is that too much to ask? I mean, my god,
threnoli idiot. All right? So then and then Sting says, uh,
you have to not let this happen again. Basically, okay, you have
to make sure the same mistake can't be made a second time. I'm thinking,
you do not want us to stick around, Steve, you do not
want us stick around. So Dixie has some messages here for the impact,
faithful. I don't know if you have that or if I need to try
to do what I do. Oh, come on, are you kidding me?
Man? If she speaks, I got it, because it's just too
fucking good. Here we go. The same mistake cannot be made a second
time. This is your second chance. Thank you, thank you sincerely.
And first of all, I have to apologize to you. You are right,
You're right all along, and I didn't listen to you, to all
the wrestlers in the back, and to all of you fans. I want
to say I'm sorry, and I assure you, no, I promise you,
I promise you I will not make that same mistake againstake. I promise
you. Because my place is not here in the ring. My place,
my role in this company is making sure it's going to be the best that
it can be. And like you Sting, I'm a fighter, and this
last year, if it's done anything to me, it has made me want
to fight harder than I've ever fought in my life to make this company the
most successful wrestling company in the world to do so. But to do so,
I'm going to have to spend a lot more time at headquarters focusing on
my role as president of this company once again. And what that means is
I need you. I need you to step in and help me run the
day to day wrestling operations of this company. To see listen, I will
give you all the authority to do whatever you need to and impact wrestling to
make it the best it can be, to turn this place around. But
I'm dealing with a lot of stuff right now, things I've got a way
through and figure out. And while I'm doing it, if you would please,
I know you have gone to bat for me so much since the day
you step foot in this company. You have not stopped fighting for me or
for this company, and we need you now more than ever to help us
turn this thing around. Are you willing to do it? Thanks? Sure?
Sure? Sure, sure yeah I'm willing to do that. Student,
I just want to say to you. I want to say, thanks God,
you for not giving up on me, for believing in me, were
giving me a nick a chance. Thanks Ollie Anderson for the student Guyscorpion by
true say did she talk? Should accompany one more time? Do it?
Shame company? Dixie Dixie carn Can we stop with this woman? Can we
stop saying her name on television? Please? She so second fucking over coming
for your company? Good time with tombshing? Do say and drive it right
to the ocean. Tie you're reckoning. It sounds so profound and it doesn't
mean anything. It's nothing at all. Thanks Ole Anderson for the Black Scorpion
voice. Again, this thing turned this thing around? I mean they're still
turning this thing around. It's October twenty eleven, folks. I mean it
might not be turned aroundable. It seems like they've been turning this thing around
since two thousand and four or thousand and two. Brother, this is just
such a trip. These fucking weirdos in their coded language and ship. Oh,
they're so stupid. Sting has gloves on the whole time. By the
way, he still has those gloves on. Hey, you know what,
he knew COVID was coming. So they hug and then Angle comes out and
he's all pissed off today, said Tonay. Shouts out that Sting is in
an authority role. Angle grabs the microL says, not only that's what's so
going to do. We have one superhero in this ring. We have two.
We have Sting and we have Dixie Carter, the woman that lied to
me, Angle says, made me look like a jackass and is the sole
reason I joined Immortal Or was this spot supposed to be for Robert Rude?
He says, cut to a Robert got a Rude, got screwed sign,
which is as planted as any garden you'll ever see. I know you're turn
You're running company at HQ, and now Sting is in charge of the Impact
Zone. Angle says, I'm going to do what I do best and let's
represent this company as world heavyweight champion. Whether you like it or not,
Dixie Carter, I am coming for you. I can see, I can
see exactly what's your future entails, and I am going to end your future
before it begins. I will feast. He leaves it at that I will
feast. I will feast on your dreams. I will feast on your desire,
and I will feast on your company. I do not know you got
no water is coming? You shatisfy my hunger. I can telling you that
I will satisfy my hunger. That guy, that guy not going to worry
about folks. He just is going to satisfy his hunger one way or another.
Oh oh, your hats off. You do of coming because you because
here's here's what happened is that I was like, I was like, okay,
you know, I said, this would be kind of funny if I
just put the thing back down while I'm laughing. But then I hear myself
laughing in that fucking voice, and I just just keeps me going. It's
like I can't start. It feeds off itself. Oh my god, it's
so stupid. Oh Dixie Carder, no fucking money, She's card He will
feasted on your thigh and your thigh so fu hard. Can do it?
You can do it? Pull the nose up on this thing, dialing in,
I have a rasingd on Dixie Carter shot. Oh god, all right,
brother, what's really wor right now? Oh? Yeah, colonel is
in the run. Oh yeahs of interesting things. He says. Not only
do we have one superhero in the ring, we have two. We have
Sting and we have Dixie Carter, the woman that lied to me, made
me look like a jackass and is the sole reason I joined Immortal Or was
this spot supposed to be for Robert Rude to cut to the planted Rude got
screwed sign? Like I said, I know you're running the company headquarters and
now Sting is in charge of the Impact Zone. I'm gonna do what I
do best and represent this company's world heavyweight champion, whether you like it or
not, Dixie Carter. Sting says, all you've been talking about is Bobby
Rude made him look like a hero. You know what I did to him
at for Glory in just thirty minutes, he says, I've been able like
a loser. That's what Kurt Angle says to Sting. That's right, I'm
the better man. And then beer Money song hits and Rude comes out with
a purpose this part of the Untucked button up Brigade. Oh I know,
are you kidding me? Kurtie says, you didn't take that victory Angle nods,
it's kind a funny. Angle here. He's kind of like angles,
you know, it is really funny. He's actually pretty good here. He's
like, yeah, thank you, thanks, Yeah. Screwed me for that
title, holding the ropes. For thirteen years of my life, I've given
everything for that one moment. All my dreams and goals rolled into one night,
and you, son of a bitch, you screwed me. Well,
you did it. Bound for Glory was absolutely please, But of course he
said bullshit. Maybe there's nothing I can do about it now. But they
start channing rematch, and Sting cuts him off and says, I saw what
happened, and I see this Rude got screwed sign. That's how you know
it's a plant, Dixie. I have your permission here right per a conversation,
to make a match, and she says, of course, So tonight
in this ring for that world title, Kurt Angle and Bobby Rude are going
to get in here tonight for the championship. They pop for that. Can
I say something though about Bobby Rude? Yes, shouldn't he shouldn't Rude take
some responsibility and admit that you know, it's not just I mean he's very
victimy here, Yeah, you screwed me. It's like, but you should
have known. Well, that's that's well you should you say they very purposely.
I think had Cody not do that after WrestleMania this year, right,
he never once said like, yeah, what what the fuck? Solo interfered
like that's bullshit, you know, like I did told you. He didn't
mention it once, And I think that's how they view. It's like,
you cannot have a baby face make excuses for his loss, even if they're
totally value not at all, like I mean, you should say you know,
he say, you know what, I should have figured you were going
to cheat to me, that's a little bit more, you know. Instead,
he's fucking playing victim here. And it's it's not a tick that because
I always wonder like, are they you know, are they trying to prevent
something that wouldn't happen anyway that people would have these notions about the baby face
if he were to complained about losing, because I feel like it's more natural,
it feels more real if the guy's fucking furious that it went down this
way and he was, well, no, he should be furious. Let
me. I mean, I want to say he should be furious that it
happened, because you know it would be bullshit, but he should also not
just like he's just pointing at Kurt Angle you screwed me. It's like,
man, you know, I mean, yeah, listen, he had a
part in it, no question, But so did you. You had a
part in it for not for for not preparing for the catchy with the angle
slam. Right next world Champ Chant breaks out, angle smiling really staying really.
I mean, also, it's not like it's not like he fucking kicked
out at any point or even you know, try to struggle free. He
was done so broesing, you know, Angle smiling really staying really, Dixie.
When you and I signed the contract, I had put a little tiny
stipulation in there. Yeah, I got I got some of this for you
here, dude. When you and I signed a contract for the main event
about for Glory, I had Hulkogan and Eric Bischoff put a little tiny stipulation
to contract. Hold on a second, Bobby, you're gonna like this.
It said that you, Bobby Rude, can only wrestle me once you know
what we did then, because you are a threat. You are the real
deal, and yes I screwed your ass, but yeah, but you know
what I did what I had to do to win there it is. I'm
all about that. I am all about that. Well, it is true.
That's like a thing and boxing and stuff. You get a contracts is
your only shot. Yep, you know, I think it's all great.
I love hes kind of like honesty about it and like, nope, you're
a threat. I'm fucking screwed you, man. Yeah, it doesn't put
Bobby Rude down. And here comes Storm, James Storm out in his hat
and ripped jeans and top two buttons on buttons, sipping beer because you know
this segment is a long let's get some more talking please, and he says,
you know how he what contract does the clause say? Okay, yeah,
you don't have a contract clause that says that saves your ass against me?
James Storm says, of course, as the partner and close friend of
Bobby Rude, an Angle backs up like I'm not wrestling you and Sworm I
listen again, I'm on I'm on Angles side here. Yeah for this,
Because he brings up a good point like you know what, where where is
a storm on the contenders list no where to be found. You know exactly,
Pound for glory. You screwed these fans, Impact and Bobby. And
without all that screwing you've been doing, you've been a pretty busy man.
But when you screwed Bobby Rude, James Storm says, you kind of screwed
the old cowboy. James Storm as well takes his glasses off and says,
we get a problem now, Kurt, I know a person at this little
party that could stop up at Sting and seeing we both wear sunglasses indoors,
James Storm says to Sting, that's really see, Bobby Rude can't get a
rematch, and these people want to see a world title match right here tonight,
and they pop for that. Angles says, hold on a second,
I think you need to stop drinking on the job, and of course,
James Storm quickly takes a chug of beer. At that point, he says,
there's ten guys in front of you who are challenging, right, that's
right. See Sting says, I think I'm really starting to like this new
position of mine. Kurt, He's not number one, he says, shut
up, as Kurt Kurt pipes up, he's not number one contender. Insta
cuts him off. Shut up. Tonight for the world title, you're going
to face James Storm and angles pissed and rude, grabs the mic and says,
I remember what my well, my partner says, sorry about your damn
luck. Doesn't quite worry the same with a Canadian accent. Now, so
we fast forward. Later in the show, we see Eric bish I mean
seriously, like like if I were one of the other contenders who've been working
my a off, be furious totally. Later on in the show, we
see Eric Bischoff with Immortalist muscle Walk in the Hotel can down stage and here
you go, Hey Hulk, sir, where you going? Pal? You
don't want to leave without saying goodbye to us, do you? Yeah?
No, guys, sit back, sit back, It's all right. Let's
give the man some room here. See, we don't want anything to go
down here. We wanted to go down to the ring tonight. I see,
we want to say goodbye our way. I've got something that I like
to share with you, just one last party meeting. So if you've got
any balls left after you've handed him over to sting handed one over to Dixie
and whatever's left of your manhood, why don't you bring it with you to
the ring? Just face me, one on one. Let me get something
off my chests. How about a hulkster? Yep for that. Let's go
guys. Let him think about it. Let's see if he's got any balls
left. See hockey later tonight. Where where was he going? Hogan are
leaving? Well, he's no longer, you know, he's no longer you
know, so longer his company. So he just leaves shut and why not?
Yeah? Yeah, so he says nothing. He just stands there like
a I know he does. He does just stand there, mute. I
wonder if he I wonder if he has a cause in his contracts, as
if he has more than a certain amount of lines, he has to get
paid a ton of money. Oh, it's a fun consideration. So yeah,
Fortunately for all of us. Bischoff comes out later to his music Hang
Hang Hang. At the time, he's working on a TV show with Jason
Hervey called Daddy's Home starring Scott Beyo, Oh God, regular comedy where Beyo
would play a former TV star who becomes a stay at home dad as part
of an agreement with his actress wife, who now goes back to full time
soap opera work. Sounds like great stuff. So Bischoff comes to the ring
with a scowl on his face, with his shirt tucked into those jeans that
everyone loved to then those true religion jeans with the faded front to them.
Get Bully and Steiner and Gunner, Today's eric Bishops, the whole Empire,
slip the whole fucking thing. More fucking talking. How can we how can
we still talk with a straight face about the immortal Empire. It's like three
guys, it's such a joke. It's such a joke, and they're all
fucking without Hulk Cogan or some kind of you know, main event force.
They're jokes, total yep. But I got I got this one on Hogan
does get involved again out yep. I'm gonna take care of that punk ass
kid of mine on my own time and in my own way. But right
now I love to address Paul Cogan. I tells you earlier, if you
hand any balls, you show up and face me in this way because I've
got something to say. Hulk Hogan, show us what you careful, what
you have because mightn't mean we nickname mamam not no madam not no, I'm
not no my dam not no my daa now o daana no he s my
momn him ma, my mamy, my ma sham, mam, mam,
mama, my mind right now and now o maam now madam not no my
dam not now he cant I'm not no my dam not no my dam not
now am h by f bout easy osios ch chechnam b ba now madam not
now my Da'm something to say, Bischoff, You got one chance to spit
it out right now. Yeah, I've got a lot to say. And
I hope you picked a lunch because it's gonna take me a while to get
all of this off my chest. Make sense. Foremost, how in that
hell can you explain turning your back by the guys that have been protecting your
ass for the last eighteen months? How dare you turn on immortal a lot
of And if that wasn't bad enough, you turned your back on me,
the guy that made Paul Cooker. Forget about this, Andre the giant how
Comania Back in the eighties and nineties, I got the man solely responsible for
Lincoln, who you think of you? Who you are today? If it
worked for me, you wouldn't be here. Thanks affect, Jack, But
the worst defect you could have committed was to get between me and my son.
How dare you get between a father and a son? How dare you
corrupt him? You know? I had him right where we needed him,
right where we wanted him. I had him becoming me, ready to do
whatever it took to get the job done, until you got into his head.
And instead of getting a job done, that punk kid turned his back
on me. How dare you? Will you know something, brother? In
the last couples, I've learned all about you, and I've learned a lot
about your son, Garrett Bischoff. And the one thing I've found out brother,
that Garrett is that Garrett is one hell of a man, a man
that you could never be, a man that you could never be. Erret
shop with the same. And this is what your ward holing you just love
it to the world? Who he said? Stand side in? What do
the fut ever holding? Play? Your feel just got a little bit more
little di is it over? This is you got standing talk you morning?
I'm backing up right And he backs right into Garrett. How do you pay
let's bishof sunnits, that's Garrett bishof sait. How dare you? How dare
you? Eric? Turn around here? Don't turn around? Oh god,
you got fucking to say to me? How you come up? You're all
slee ther face? What are you got to say to me? Who are
you going to say to me? Just get just dare me. I don't
ever want to see you getting my face again. You want to put the
shirt off in their tattoo. You don't have a right to wear that name.
Oh my god, you're up? Bish off? You are? How
you just look back to hell? Want to see you again? Right hand?
Dad goes bish off. He just drop his own father. Screw your
dad, screw you day. What do you think, boss? Compelling television?
M hmm, it's fine. He has a Bischof tattoo over his I
mean that's really what are you doing? Man? I mean honestly, I
mean what you get that much pride for your fucking family name? So bizarre?
So yeah, it ends with Garrett decking Eric, and we're after the
races with the he too. He sends the thumbs up to hog sting.
Oh why couldn't Garrettischef just get in the ring and actually help Hogan and staying
face off on the instead of just stand at the top of the ramp and
wait for them to defend for themselves. Today shouts he is his own man.
Thanks Today. Backstage, Storm on his way to the ring for the
match with Kurt Angle, and he frets to Bobby Rude that he wished he
had a little more time to prepare, and Rude gets pissed at that suggestion.
What did you say. You've been praying for this your entire life,
et cetera, et ceter I think they're playing on the India. That James
Storm had kind of like a Debbie Downer mentality, and you know, kind
of had like a sourpuss face. If he had to do something he didn't
want to do. On his way to the ring, he could tell if
he was gonna lose or something. The chefs talked a lot about that.
So Rube does a peptop and says, no doubt, you were more prepared
now than ever before to become world champion. I can pitch camplain all day
long about what happened to me, but that was then, and this is
now and right now is your time Main Events monsored by Five Hour Energy.
Boss feels like I'd be a good title for this episode of TNH. Could
use something. Here comes in James Storm in a beer Hunter T shirt and
Angle rises out of the ground Your Hunter in the style of the Deer Hunter
too. No no, no, no no, the slow bell ring JB
presiding sponsored by five Hour and Energy. That must be another company that wouldn't
come to the table if it was still called t NA. The no wait,
no hassle way to get a great morning. He weighed in this morning,
speaking in the mornings at two hundred and thirty eight pounds, The Tennessee
Cowboy, James Storm challenging Kurt Angle here in the afternoon. What's that?
What about this afternoon? We don't we don't weigh them? Then, Oh
well, I don't know. Hebner hoists the championship and it's the main of
end of the Impact Afterbound for Glory. Kurt Angle Defense against James Storm is
hastily arranged match. We touched on it earlier and talking about the drama about
taking the match away from Bobby Rude. Essentially, the long term plan was
for Route to win the title and feud with James Storm. They kind of
accelerated here and moved to pieces around. Hogan was talking positively about James Storm
in the same interview he kind of buried Bobby Rude. Of course, he
would later go on and say it was a work, et cetera, which
is what you say when it was to work, and they find a way
to get the strap on James Storm. So Hogan sort of indicated in that
way, though it turns out to be just a pit stop for Bobby Rude
finally getting the championship. But they don't, which I mean, I don't
understand. I mean, go ahead and I'll talk about him when we come
up to it. But there's not much to say it's like a ten second
match, because I know it is really really it's kind of pathetic. Yea.
Kurt had that bad wheel and was really cranky about retaining it down for
glory, as we just heard in the first place, so they kind of
assuaged his anguish by saying, don't worry, the next match you have will
just be a ten second thing. Anyway, bell sounds, They're both froze
it in their corners. There was a lock up angle goes crazy with Boots
in the corner and stomps him a bunch and it's conduct unbecoming for kurn Angle.
Tess says it's Brian. Hebner gets between them and kind of forces Angle
out of the corner, and while facing him off, Storm recovers, gets
to his feet, fires off the big superkick that he did, and covers
Kurt Angle in a flash. For the one, two three, James Storm
becomes the new TENA Heavyweight Champion. Your unimpact than okay, so much better
than just having Bobby Rude win the belt. So so Rude hits the rain
falls on him and then he comes up. Storm comes up blubbering with the
belt. He does a cool celebration, jumps into the crowd, has a
beer. Aj Styles and has come out and celebrate with him as well.
And that is pretty much that. As Tennay screams, Immortal no longer has
the world heavyweight title. Can you stop pretending immortals a thing? Just stop
immortals over? Jude's done, and then he gets a mic time just James
Storm says he's spend them with the company since day one. He's watched people
come and watched him go, but one thing's for dam sure. The cowboy
is now here to stay, you son of a bitches, And he says,
even though to me, I think that victory was a little bitter,
sweet Robert Rude, you're my best friend in the world and we are the
greatest tag team of all time or whatever they say. You deserve a chant
and that's that. It's a good show in terms of, you know,
it was interesting to watch. It was a newsworthy, eventful show, sure,
and it did a good rating. It hit two point two million viewers,
the all time audience record for Impact in terms of average over the course
of time that they were on the air. Yes, there's certainly been higher
rated hours they've done, but when you combine all the hours of one episode
and average it out, that is the highest. And last year is Bound
for Glory post show. The first Impact after Bound for Glory did a really
healthy rating as well. So they were able to people, Yeah, after
WrestleMania type thing exactly. People wanted to see what the fallout was, and
of course, inevitably every single year they failed to wag parlay I should say
they wait layed it all right, parlay that interest into kind of like more
extended rating success that actually, you know, to deliver something that kept people
beyond that the two weeks it starts dropping back to normal numbers and actually,
depressingly, the angle Storm match at the end was the low point of the
entire show in terms of breaking out the quarters. The show up and strong
one point three eight for Sting and Hogan and Sting and Dixie Carter. When
people want fucking Bishop, well they I think they wanted to see what the
flavor of of the TNA post bound for Glory, post Hogan wrestling, post
Dixie Carter winning the company back looked like. And it was the same things
they said, Fuck this, yeah over twenty seventh and Pact we moved to
now and starts up with Storm talking about how he's seen guys come and go
grab their money and try to get out of here, while guys like me
stayed loyal to this company and watch a grow because we knew one day it
was going to be our turn, and therefore he's going to offer Bobby Rude
the first crack at the World Championship. That's so nice, agreed, Friends
taking care of friends. Garrett bish Off later talking about how he grew up
his whole life, utilizing his father. What that's what I wanted to be?
If that's what you wanted to be, Pal, I don't know.
And I saw pick up that chairbound for glory to finish the stinger off,
I knew what I had to do. First of all, he says,
who wants to beat up their dad? Second of all, who wants to
hit an old man? Apparently you? Garrett? Huh? What do you
say, Garrett? Question? What do you want from daddy? Do you
want to take daddy to the extreme? What do you think of daddy's extrevity
shot? I'm watching you, Garrett, I'm watching you. That is not
where I expected that to go. Hey, Eric fishops out. It's always
great to see him, isn't it. Oh yeah, here do the fucking
idiot here. Let's just you know here it is. Here's this this mort
fair important family business to take care of, That's right, Sit on and
shut up? What dude, I've got some important family business to take care
of here. And I normally try to keep my personal life separate from my
business life, but unfortunately, my firstborn son has decided to make that way
more complicated than it needed to be. Some people keep your ros down here
right now, We're gonna have a little father's son chat talking about the birds.
Let's go, don't have all nights, don't have, don't have you
know, I don't like it when people are like, get your ass out
here, birless music. The father's son chat, the father who used a
steel chair on his son I found for glory, and the son who decked
his father right here on Inpact Wrestling last week. This is father's son chat
is going to be shared with the world. Awesome. That's the way Eric
FISHERLF walts it. His son's were luctant to get in the room. I'm
a busy man. I've got a lot going on here tonight, so I
want to make a couple of things really clear. Says you took it upon
yourself to embarrass me. It sounds like he's gonna take out the fucking national
television by punching me right between the freaking eyes. And I'm willing to forgive
that. Look at me when I'm talking to you, not these clowns.
All right. Your business is right here in front of you, Your future
is right here in front of you, all right, so pay close attention.
I raised you to follow in my footsteps. Hell, I conceived you
so that you could follow in my footsteps. I did not waste perfectly good
seamen perfectly on somebody that was gonna fail me when I needed you most for
the time you first follow me in to the a WA wrestling studios in Minneapolis
when you were four years old. Had I allowed you to learn the business
from the inside out. You learn more about this business by accident than most
people who are in it. And I gave you that opportunity. Don't even
try to interrupt me, you punk. I gave you that opportunity because I
knew someday, someday I could depend on you and you could do the right
thing. And you let me down. You embarrassed me, damn it.
You embarrassed the entire Bishop family for generations back. You drop the ball,
and I was pissed off as I am right now. And as much as
you know deep down inside, I could kick your ass and in front of
all of these people, do to you what you did to me, which
was embarrassed me. I'm not gonna do that quite yet. See, I'm
going to give you what I normally don't give anybody because you know I am
one ruthless son of a bitch. I don't want this to stop. Trying
to talk you something you want to say, say to everybody, say this
is not the way I want this to go down. I don't give a
damn what you want. This isn't about what you want, you selfish little
prick. This is about what I want. And I want to give you,
oh, maybe the next half hour forty five minutes to think about it,
because you're gonna do one or two things. You're either gonna come out
here at the end of the night tonight and apologize to me in front of
all of these people, in front of this worldwide television audience. You're either
going to apolishgize to me, or I'm hey, I'm gonna kick your ass.
You decide punk compelling television. How how how long do you think waiting
to tell us to his kid? Well, I'm sorry, what do you
your life? I said, how long do you think Bischof's been been waiting
to fucking say this to his kid in real life? I don't know.
It's like threatening to kick his ass and all that shit. I mean,
am I supposed to like care if there it gets along with the sun.
Apparently you are, or they think you are. But I mean it's this
is the sut I can't stand it. I don't because I don't care.
It's that simple. I don't give a shit about these two fucking morons.
I don't care about the Bishoffs, all right. I was kind of told
to care about my hand. I mean, I thought Bishoff was Clayton WWE
and good in WCW on television. But yeah, and I remember putting my
hand up and saying, yeah, get me get me involved in this guy's
like family's life. He's he's, he's, he's you know, he can't
be the main thing. He's gonna be the season, all right, not
not not every fucking week, let alone twice or three times in a week.
Yeah, there's some impacts. He comes out and you're like again,
he's he's coming out again. He's like the only person that can string together
a sentence in this company is up. What the deal is? I mean,
the last time I cared about Bischoff's family was one of his wife post
for Playboy. So here's Garrett standing tall and Rick Flair has got some things
to say to this little show. Here we go. You're ready for this?
Actually, it's yeah, seriously, and there's only one guy who can
do it, and that's mister money bags himself. It ain't mister Flair,
it's God. Yeah. You don't need to be sorry just to remember my
name. Okay, sir, do you know I have a real problem with
you right now? When I heard you were breaking this business. But I
was excited because this is a business that needs young men. I repeat men,
meaning man am I end disrespectful little punk like you? But mister Flair,
just listen to what I'm No, I don't need to listen to nothing.
I sawid that went down between you and your dad. I was right
there. You're not big enough, you're not mad enough. You don't have
the experience, you don't have the balls, you don't have anything that it
takes to be where your father's already been. What you gotta not just wrong?
This business now we're breaking it pumps out punks every day. Guys.
I couldn't walk on my shoes thirty years ago, amotch us. Now that's
where you're at my life? You got that, Yes, servant, please
just listen, No, no, no, I don't want to listen.
It's not your turn to talk. You tonight are gonna be out there alive
with your dad. And your dad has promised the world and me that he's
gonna kick your ass because you need that and it needs to be an in
front of the world, the whole impact world. We need to cheat you
guys. Respect. I'm sick of walking on his lock crooms with whitey cry
little babies just like you. Because there is sport for men, men a
blood and sweat and pay the price to be all round and to make sure
your got gonna do a soft don't be surprising it out tonight kicking your ass
too. So I feel about it. I'll slap you right now. No,
no, I'm not. I'm not. I'm not screwing on. They
got to slap it right now, mister Flair. Please, you better think
tonight real hard because you gotta deal with your dad. Then you gotta deal
with Rick Flair. You got it, got it? Sorry, we'll see
you later on tonight. I would really think about what's going on in your
life right now. Slap Flair fucking awesome. Just dresses him down. Many's
right, that's right, what he deserves. Please don't tell me you have
any more audio? Eric h oh, yeah, no I do. I
have the whole fut and main event programs. Go ahead, the whole the
whole fucking main event program here. I like this. So they have a
match and then they have this because this is more of a main event Bishop
versus Bishop God. So fucking awa, here we go. Settle down,
settle down. I gotta admit it's someone embarrassing to have your private life,
your relationship with your own son, and being played out in front of a
national and worldwide television audience. And don't But you know what, that's a
great thing about families is they can put things behind them and move on,
you know. And that's what I'm hoping we're gonna do right now. So
Garrett, come on down, let's let's hear what you have to say.
I'm sure you'll do the right thing. I know I erased you, right,
Come on down, Garrett. Give him a big hair and everybody,
he made him mistake we're all capable of. But he is a good kid,
he really is. I Garrett, a little while ago, I gave
you an ultimatum. I told you what she needed to do, and I've
given you some time to think about it, and before you apologize, I
you know, I just want to get something off my chest because before there's
an argument between family members, loved ones, there's always two sides to every
corn. So in front of everybody, I want to say that I forgive
you for what you do. I forgive you for getting caught up in the
emotion shit of it all. It's okay, it's all right. I understand
what it's like to be young and ye dumb and letting things you know,
get to you and cloud your judgment. So that's okay. So that just
go ahead, Garrett, and tell the world that you're sorry, look me
in the eye and apologize to me, and and everything. You'll go right
back to the way it used to be. I won't hold it against you.
Go ahead, Garretts, I said, go ahead. You are pushing
me to the point or I may not be able to forgive you you and
I'm not going to ask again. Now freaking apologize to me right out frond
of these people. What a bitch? Do as I say, brother,
dude, what damn it's apologize to me. We heard earlier the brick player
might get involved. I told you, davil Oh I told you it was
tough. Fuck. Why don't you treat him like and treating me? Get
your act together? No, I ain't gonna take it any Rick fl danity.
You didn't apologize your old man right now? Help me? I'm put
don't I gonna help him on the rating? You're a record, Rick Flare.
I'm telling you. I watch you to not only apologize, I watch
you and kiss my ass Cort walking away, forget that. I'm I'm talking
to you. I said, apologize. I'm not gonna score on you like
your dad. I'm gonna really missed you up. I apologize, I apologize,
I said, Poltizer, he takes fair. Damn cast. This is
tough to watch that shore is. I mean, it's in there work.
And garretton go off his head right now, the whole family dirtiest player in
the game. And Flare just shot Oh my god, the Garrett and Garrett's
father never bish off. Just watching them stuff. How do you watch all
stuff? How do you watch all his sound? To watch his show?
Maybe a disappointment. And ladies and gentlemen, you've got to join us next
week on a peck wrestling Ronny from the Treesy Shore special guest of Eric Young.
How about the World Championship match next week to teenage title be defended by
the new world champion, James Strong against his blot money Robert Green. That's
hilarious, kiss my ass fat so what I also love how they fucking here's
this this what should be a powerful segment as a father and you know,
basically like an unrelated uncle are being the shit out of the kid and they're
hyping up next week casually he's getting stomped to fucking death. Yeah, such
a bad start to this, Bishop Eric Garrett, bishof things, so awful,
so fucking boring, so long, I know, and also sorry,
I don't need three fucking segments. Yeah, he had to do something that
like has spark he has you had to do something that's like, okay,
that's why I care about this guy. Isn't said or done anything. And
yeah he turned you know, he turned his dada down for glory, but
he hasn't expressed himself. You know, it's like I don't know what I'm
responding to when I choot for this guy, Like what's what is? He
sucks man? So this is what's going to happen. And now that now
that whole teeny is trying to find his way off to the sidelines, Bischoff
is going to go into business himself to get his kid positioned. You know,
it's I don't want to just make the lazy criticism that because he's Bischoff's
kid, that you know, it's bullshit, because maybe the kid's good.
But I don't know, man, this is just like, who could possibly
care about this feud? It's like he's learning on the job. It's like
he's it's like he's playing pro wrestler and he's you know, when you play
a pro wrestler, you come up with an angle involving you know, the
people in your ne a circle, like your dad. And it's like,
I don't know final impact of this twenty eleven treatment because Hogan is gone.
Man. He's not around, yes for November or December or January February for
that matter, just like the pattern was twenty ten going into twenty eleven,
although that had a lot to do with the back surgeries and stuff and him
getting married. But he decided to re up on that particular plan because when
a bishop confronted him in the parking lot and then later he came out and
then Garrett beat up on Eric. That was the last time we saw Hogan
in twenty eleven. That's so crazy. They taped the tapings back on the
road and tape one last time for twenty eleven and making Georgia's that twenty eleven
experiment continues an expensive one. Kevin Kay of Spike TV set around this time
quote, it was a mutual decision. Dixie and Eric came in and pushed
forward. I always wanted to do it. It's great to have a home,
but you don't get the level of excitement as you do on the road.
It adds another level. We're continuing discussions. We haven't seen a ratings
bump, but you can't judge ratings week tweaks. Some weeks things happen like
competition, even though TENA holds up well against sports. As we can afford
to continue it or increase it, it's a financial decision. It adds a
lot of excitement and vibrancy to the show. Dixie said around this time too,
that we know that it would be important to take impact out and tour.
But when I talk about running this company like a business, I don't
put my head on the pillow every night without thinking about staying in business and
turning a profit and giving these great wrestlers and fans a company ten fifteen to
twenty years from now. We have to make good business decisions. Touring is
extremely expensive. It's extremely expensive to take a production like we have on the
road for television. We have to be smart about it. Yes we know
it's critical, Yes we know it's absolutely the next step in the evolution of
TNA for us to grow, we need to take Impact on the road.
And they didn't really do we have to or much don't really want to,
I know, so they save there was a twenty one hundred fans here and
make in Georgia not a bad crowd, and they kind of saved the big
switch over from James Storm to Bobby Root for this taping. Why that was
one thing. You knew that they were going to do big things when they
did an Impact on the road, probably a title change. I mean,
but why don't you fucking you know, wait for a pay per view on
the road And that just tells you all you need to know about how asked
backwards their view of pay per view was, I mean, with the exception
of Bound for glory, that which cracks me up, Like, you know,
pay per view was dead. All we care about his ratings and stuff.
They still peak for Bound for glory, hope, and wrestling is still
on bound for glory. But all the other pay per views they just did
not care. They did not care. They assumed no no matter how hard
they worked, they would be sacrificing putting impactful ratings things on the on the
free television to promote a pay per view that, no matter how hard they
hit it, not enough people would buy it for to make financial sense compared
to putting all that effort and focus into TV and keeping Spike happy. And
they're the key source of revenue paying for the show Jesus. So yeah,
it's it's a fucking disaster, because what makes good wrestling television building a pay
per view? Right, Great wrestling television isn't a version of a pay per
view, a fucking diet pay per view every two three weeks. It's not
that, it's it's tuning in to be along for the ride. It's like
any other television show that builds and builds to a season finale, and that's
what the pay per view is. I don't know whatever, I think.
I think the fucking verdict is in doing it right. Your pay per view
numbers are up even if you ignore it, although you're certainly not doing yourself
any favors. And if your pay per view numbers are down, you're failing.
Period. The fucking ratings aren't. If they have bright spots, they
have these sort of like aberrant big numbers that make you think, okay,
they actually have if they put the pieces together and just the right way,
they actually can start to show growth and then like two weeks later they're back
to what they were before. Hogan and bishof walking in the door even below
that. In some cases it's just not it's there's no way that's what you
expected to see when you committed to pay these two fucking two and a half
mill at whatever it is together all right. So they have a rude come
out talking about all the success and his cy James Storm. We were both
struggling at singles in the company, but when we came together, we were
an overnight success. Says, Let's steal the show, blow the roof off
the son of a bitch and of the match of our lives. So they
frame it up as Bobby Rude versus James Storm, best buddies going for the
championship, friendly competition. Later, Garrett Bischoff comes up, comes off and
says, I'm sorry I didn't do this years ago, and knocks Eric Bischoff
down with the right hand and staying backs him up doing that world title match.
Bobby Rude hits the ring to different music. That should be a tell
I know I no beer money music. He'll beer money music. And James
Storm comes out with the teenage World Heavyweight Championship and a beer pours a bit
down. A guy in the front rows throat Jeremy Borash with the announcements,
Brian Hebner presiding Storm versus Rude for the championship, beer money chant and they
slap hands, and he talks about all those years being close to secting every
move did Storm and Rude as partners, and now they get to use that
against each other, those insights. Tess says, good about that. What
about the closeness do you you established traveling and sharing gyms and cars, hotel
rooms all those years. I don't know what that has to do with winning
a championship, but that's fine. Seriously, what the fuck appling exchanges early,
Roots slams the knee, hits a body slam and Missus a knee drop,
and then James Storm hits a body slam and Missus knee drops a boss.
They're they're the same person, they're mirror images that they exactly, they
know exactly what each one needs to do, each one is going to do
to each other. Arm drags out of arm ringers, et cetera. They
exchange hard shops in the corner, but Rude pulls ahead, and then Rude
whiffs on a rolling next snap and Storm hits a high knee off the ropes
for two. Storm them with the multiple larids in the corner like these Roman
rains or something, and Root hits the corner and britochets off the buckle and
clothes lines down Storm. Rude climbs to the top rope, Storm cuts him
off. Storm goes up after him and superplexes him. They come up exchanging,
Storm pulls ahead, hits a high backdrop, Root cuts him off with
a blockbuster. For two has refers to his head as a bean, his
bean, the back of his beankind problem. Storm off the top of the
crossbo but Rude rolls through for two. James Storm cries the eye of the
Storm. That's spinning a razor's edge kind of move, but Rud drops down
hits a spinebuster for two, Storm of the clothesline. Both hit the floor.
Ref counts up to eight. We'll both get back in the ring.
Storm tries at draping DDT as Bobby Rude re enters, but Rude explodes into
the cross face and starts yanking. Rude hooks off James Storm's arm as he
reaches for the rope, Storm gets foot on instead. This I think it's
around this time. It's it's pretty funny where you got I got this one
clip? We get Rude in the cross face, and Rude is just screaming
over Today's commentary, yelling at Storm to tap. Yes, it's funny,
that's funny. That last one is the funniest one. Please please tap,
please taps you in the balcony. Wrestling twenty Seriously, that's exactly what I
was thinking. Oh he's he's yanking on it for sure. Um, they
chant this is wrestling. He purchased him up on the top. His Rude
tries a superplex, but Storm, but do they chant that wrestling now?
They've never got that one going, unfortunately, or Unpact Wrestling for that matter,
not until years and years later. That's really from the Gordbuster drops Rude
stomach first off the top rope and then drops a big elbow from uptop to
James Storm. That gets too Storm trying to set up the superkick. It's
cod he's spun around Fisherman suplex attempt. No, it's reversed into the referee
almost running. Definitely he's James Strom, but he holds up the last minute.
Rude then is a corner charge and hebner hits the floor and sells like
he twisted his knee big time. I do prefer this then a referee acting
like he's been shot in the head because someone taps him in the back.
But I agree, I agree he sell an injury. He's out there grabbing
his knee and agony at ringside. But by the way, did you notice
too, by the way, with this match, the fucking Mike's underneath the
ring. Holy shit, like everything that every bump felt like they fell a
hundred feet. It was thunder noticed. It was like I noticed. It
would be more intense than I've ever heard any TNA it was like a WrestleMania
ring. Really, it's like a boom everything. It was very impactful.
Well, Rude hit with a facebuster and hits the floor. And then this
is a big s a big cinematic moment. Here we go. He looks
over to the ring steps and he notices that that's where James Storm left his
left his glass giver beer. Indeed, it's symbolic, to say the least.
And they take the shot of the beer bottle and Storm look and Rude
looking at it from behind the steps. They frame it. They have a
moment of cinema here, indeed, and as Hebner rolls back into the ring,
selling his whole fucking thing like, oh, do I do it?
Should I do it? He's wrestling? Should I not? But he does
it. He grabs the beer bottle. Storm reaches through the ropes and Bobby
Rude turns heels smashing the beer bottle over his buddy's head. Gets in the
ring and despite the glass shards everywhere, Brian Hembert looks right past it.
Decay, what happened? All right, let's go for the PM to count
the one, two, three, Bobby Rude becomes the TENA World Heavyweight Champion,
pinning James Storm in the March third two November third at twenty eleven Impact.
What was that about. He's gonna turn heel. Now, Let's build
him for like a year to be the baby face world champ and then have
him lose, and then when he does win it he's a heel. Yeah.
I mean, I don't know. It was a good heel turn.
It was a good match, but I did appreciate him at afterwards. I
thought this was so funny. So he wins and before he even gets the
belt, he taps his fucking wrist so that Heavner will grab it and raise
his hand in victory. That was really funny. Yeah, it was really
funny. Part of me wonders if it'll play out. I'm sure it won't,
but if it will play out because Angle did everything he could to win,
you know, he cheated to win that. He's like, you know
what, fuck it, I'm gonna cheat to win. I did I need
this belt more than anything? Yeah? Yeah, it was. It was
good. It was it was a good Angle. It was um it just
it just didn't It's weird. It's like, you know, all right,
fine, he can be the champion, but he can't be this baby faced
guy that I lobbied against winning it band for glory like a bit I found
for glory. I mean, Jesus, what are you? What are you
asking here? I show did a really good rate of seventy zero million viewers
UM, which is kind of interesting how they're doing these great numbers and Hogan's
nowhere to be found, or at least he's not all the show. Lets
you maybe you think that you know, oh shit, maybe he isn't that
important, right, He doesn't make enough of a difference to justify they cost
out the door. But I'm sure it's all Spikes money, right despite what
we're read and fucking black and white Nerk Bischof's contract last week. So there
you have it, um and say what you will. The interest aside at
the beginning of the show, But just like last time, even though it's
the match they're building towards and it's clear as day that this is the thing
to watch. This episode of impact for the James Storm Bobby Root match does
a show low quarter hour rating, so they're just not holding the interest as
the hours dragged on. Oh I understand that not holding minds either. And
that'll pretty much be the case for the for the last two months of twenty
eleven because Hulk Cogan is not on any of the shows. Bobby Rood feuds
to aj Styles and defends against him. On pay per view, he defends
against m He continues to feud a bit with James Storm as well, and
just kind of goes off to, you know, be the defending champion.
He isn't much the same position honestly that Jeff Hardy was in the fall of
twenty and ten, you know, getting annointed champion, turning freshly heel and
going off and defending against a row of baby faces until the Hulkster can reinsinuate
himself into the ten is A and star making calls and as Bobby rootka exciting
stuff woist the title tazant Nay Express Shock. Can't believe Bobby went to this
level and got it done like this, and Mike Tenais's that's how you treat
a brother. Bullshit brother. What who