When we put together WrestleReunion 1 for Tampa I had booked two girls, Krissy Vaine and Amber O’Neal, they called themselves Team Blondage. I felt that these girls could be a team reminiscent of the Glamour Girls. I am not suggesting that they could work like Judy Martin and Lei Lani Kai. We didn’t have any Jumping Bomb Angels for them to work against anyway. At WrestleReunion 1 they would get the chance to work with legends in women’s wrestling. The match lined up like this: Peggy Lee Leather, Sensational Sherri Martel, and Team Blondage managed by Joyce Grable vs. Bambi, Wendi Richter, Malia Hosaka and Jenny Taylor. I don’t know where Jenny disappeared to and it’s a shame. She was a real beauty that could work and would only continue to improve she should have gotten a WWE deal. I did get her a tryout through Tommy Dreamer one time. But the stars did not align for her on that day. I hope that the young girls in this match appreciated the opportunity to work with ladies like Wendi, Sherri and Joyce not to mention Bambi, Peggy and Malia work horses in the ring. Well for one reason or another Team Blondage broke up when Krissy signed with WWE. I felt bad for Amber because I really believed in the team. It’s easy to believe in Amber. She's total class act but for now the bright lights of Stamford, Ct. have not shined down upon her. I have been keeping up with Krissy via the internet and friends while she was in Deep South Wrestling. I heard on Tuesday night that a new blond diva did a run in. I knew in my mind that it was Krissy. It was reported that the finish didn’t go well or something like that. It made me wonder why take a young girl and put her into something with one of your least polished wrestlers? I have met Torrie Wilson. She is drop dead gorgeous. Most men would consider her a dream girl. Her personality only enhances her looks but she isn’t going to carry anyone to a good match in a squared circle. If I was booking this thing I would put a new girl in a position to have done something with Mickie James, Victoria or worst case scenario Melina. Why give a girl an up hill battle to fight? It is hard to believe that there is thought and common sense used in some of the decisions made for these TV programs.
If I think back through my career and the information that I have regarding the McMahon kids I would have thought Shane would have turned out to be an arrogant ass and Stephanie would have been the darling of the industry. I remember being told numerous stories of what a smart ass Shane was. I heard numerous stories of how sweet Stephanie was and how attractive she would be when she got older. Boy oh Boy the heat has sure been switched. Shane has turned into a great performer; he sure is a chip of the old block performing wise. He is married to a girl names Marissa that I have had the pleasure of meeting very briefly on a couple of occasions. She is quite lovely and I can sure understand Shane’s desire to be at home with his family. On the other hand Stephanie certainly did turn into a very beautiful woman but somehow the arrogance transferred to her. I know she is well educated but I don’t see her using that education to the companies benefit. The business has changed to a large extent and many facets of the business could benefit from a college degree. With that being said, entertaining people can be done without a college degree and has been for years. The ability to get a reaction from a crowd comes from within. These are things that we are born with. Sometimes you need help brining those things out. A good promoter can help stimulate that if they can see through the “green” in you. In Stephanie, I see growth being inhibited not nurtured. It is only the best of the best that can get around the restrictions and barriers that are presented to them. It seems to be a privilege of genetics and ancestry when you’re a McMahon to let power go to your head. It becomes an aphrodisiac and a drug in the McMahon family in many cases it is blended together like a deadly cocktail.
I do want to recognize the positive things that the McMahons does as well, I understand that they paid for the funeral of my friend Sherri Martel. I don’t believe that Vince or the WWE made this public knowledge but there were many ways that the news could have been released. There are many situations that have to come to light over the years that Vince has helped out individuals with. I am not sure that I am overly impressed with paying for a funeral. What could that cost 10,000-15,000 at most? We are talking about people with millions and millions of dollars. To them that is the equivalent of you or I handing someone twenty dollars. On the other hand, no one has to hand anyone twenty dollars without an obligation to do so. I am glad that Sherri’s family got the financial help that I know they needed badly.
In regards to this letter that WWE sent out offering to help the former talent that it employed with substance abuse problems. The sooner the individuals that need help reach out to get it the better off many lives will be. When the Benoit tragedy struck I felt that the WWE should hire a crisis management expert. It would have made total sense to take that approach. Who out there considers the WWE’s initial approach to all of the tragedy and scandal to be decisions laced with public relations brilliance? This letter going out is the first intelligent sign of crisis management I have seen from the WWE. In some ways maybe Vince is like an addict. It’s possible he has hit rock bottom and realizes a change is in order. They say people can’t change but there are times when people do change. If someone is to be believe that they have changed there is normally an event or situation that has triggered that change. If they can’t describe or explain that reasoning then the chances that they have changed are minimal at best. If all of the talent deaths and the death of Daniel Benoit can't change Vince McMahon he wont ever change. I know the whole wrestling world is waiting to see how this all plays out as I am.
I am not normally critical of ROH and there is a good reason for that. I don’t see many things to be critical of. They recently had some angle that was perceived to go over the line. It appears that it will be edited out of the PPV that will air of the event. Does that mean they won’t use it to sell more DVD’s? If I had to bet I would say that it will be used to sell DVD’s. I like the business model that ROH has put together. The booker for ROH is Gabe Sapolsky he is a Paul Heyman disciple. They are the number three Wrestling Company in the US. It is time to really step up your game and make intelligent decisions in your product presentation. It is a sensitive time in our business right now. Why is it that the individuals running these companies can’t stop doing things to put themselves on the radar? I would be laying low right now to see what the Congressional hearings bring. Why give a group of individuals who are going to make judgments on professional wrestling, with no real knowledge base, more reason to lay down anctions you're not going to like? They are to decide based on morality. You remember More Ality. right He married Kfabe and they ran off together never to be in a wrestling arena again.
In the picture for this article I am showing George South Sr on the left and “Gorgeous” Gary Royal on the right. If you are an old fan of Wrestling on TBS you remember George from his two segment match with Ric Flair who was the NWA World Champion at the time. As legend tells it, Flair was asked to go two segments on TV he but wasn’t pleased with this direction. If you look at it why would Flair need two segments vs. George South who was a great great worker but two segments?? Well Flair went out there and let George bounce him all over the place. It was a huge spotlight for George and one fantastic match to watch. Maybe someone will or has already posted the match on You Tube. If they do be sure to catch it. The other guy is someone I have talked about in the past and will continue to talk about in the future ... Gorgeous Gary Royal, former NWA Jr Heavyweight Champion and current computer software trainer. How about that? A former pro wrestler with twenty years or so on the road full time leaving the business and becoming a software trainer. Will wonders never cease? You ask why I posted this picture? Well there are two reasons. One is to give two guys credit that deserve it just for being so smooth in the ring and hard working. It is also to provide you some history of masked men. These two guys made up two very famous enhancement tag teams. They were those little green men "The Cruel Connection" that worked for Jim Crockett . They were also "The Gladiators". Remember them as the team called the West Coast Champions sent out on TBS one night to do a job for The Mulkey Bros? That victory ended up putting fan favorite jobber team The Mulkey's into the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament. The Mulkey t-shirts sold out the night of the tournament and the Mulkeys got a chance to headline their hometown of Anderson, SC against the Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton version of The Midnight Express and yes it was a sell out.
