I want to touch on the subject of The Great Kahli. I haven’t heard anything negative about the guy. He is probably someone who is very appreciative of the job. I am sure they make him as comfortable as a guy of his size can be made while traveling. He is probably making a fair living. I am not sure what else he could do beside sporadic movie work. He is certainly a freak of nature. If the company plans on continuing to use him than I think they need to turn him babyface. He needs to be used as more of a specialty attraction. I might even consider working out something with a Japan office and shuttling him back and forth. He could be used more in a way like Andre the Giant was used. It’s just a fact that guys like this are not going to consistently help you. If they continue to use him in the role that he is in you are going to consistently discredit your baby faces. The heel run is over make the change.
One day a friend of mine named Annette Imperati contacted me about a guy from our town. She said he was a great kid who could really use a break and could I book him on some shows. At the time I was booking shows for Rob Russen’s IWA. We were running several shows in the Northeast. We had some shows in New Jersey and Maryland at the time. I had no idea who he was but Annette really wanted to help him. I felt obligated to Annette she had done several favors for me so I called her friend and booked him. We had used him in tag team matches against The Thunderfoot’s (Carolina’s Own David Isley and Gene Ligon). It went well enough and we all liked the guy. I do remember calling him for a future show and being told that he was already booked and couldn’t make it. I can vaguely remember him saying that he was busy working in the Philadelphia area a lot. I thought to myself I guess Tommy Dreamer is on his way. I don’t know anyone other than Tommy or I that has ever introduced themselves from Yonkers, NY that made it in pro wrestling to any significant level at all. It does my heart good every time I hear him announced. It is amazing to me how the green kid that we used that day made such progress so quickly.
There has been TNA buzz in regards Booker T and or Scott Hall coming in to TNA. At this point we know its pretty much a done deal. My only question is this, where is the budget being cut? Please keep in mind I am a Booker T fan. I was a fan of Harlem Heat. I can remember when Flair was booking WCW I ran into him and Arn Anderson one afternoon and as we were talking I mentioned I really like the Harlem Heat. They said yeah so do we but I could see a puzzled look in their face. The Harlem Heat seems so good why aren’t they getting over? I have no problem with TNA putting him on payroll and figuring him in. I would say the same about Scott Hall if his head is in the game. If anyone believes either of these guys change things around then they should fire themselves. If they have just increased payroll by making these NON IMPACT moves they should be charged with dereliction of duty, they may as well embezzle money for the IMPACT that the move is going to make. Please Dixie wake up, snap out of it. fix your company from the inside out. Please let me introduce you to a current employee of yours his name is Jim Cornette. That’s a hint please take it. If Vince McMahon found Booker T to be expendable how much can he help your company? The answer is not enough to increase your talent budget. Before you bring in new talent you must get rid of the old.
I was getting ready to work with Curt Henning before he was Mr. Perfect. He was going to wrestle the crafty veteran Dennis Stamp. I was given the finish by Curt it was going to be one punch. If anyone recalls Curt had knocked out Nick Bockwinkle with a roll of coins and now was beating people with one punch. Well he called me over and said Dennis wanted to change the finish and I asked why. Dennis explained that his career was on the downhill side and he was basically working an enhancement roll (doing jobs). All he had to look forward to most nights was losing matches. He pointed out that he would at least like to lose the matches as spectacularly as possible. It was a valid point, Curt agreed and we changed the finish to a cradle suplex. We were in Denver Auditorium that night. There are several more stories to come from the Gene Reed promoted Denver Auditorium for the AWA.
This week’s picture is from a boxing event sponsored by the Yonkers Police Athletic League. My father was the boxing coach. He asked me to have Afa “The Wild Samoan #1 and Rocky Johnson who brought his son alone Duane “Dewey” Johnson long before he was “The Rock”. In the middle is my cousin the late James Wieland little did he know he was in a picture with wrestling future biggest star and movie sensation
This has been a piece of my mind
If you would like to give feedback you can write to me at salcorrente929@hotmail.com
