One thing that we all have to keep in mind is that the wrestling business is very political. It isn’t about who is the best wrestler’s or talker. It has nothing to do with who the toughest is. I can remember one legend telling me that if the business was about real tough guys there would only be about five guys left in it and they wouldn’t draw you a nickel. Well we sure have gotten to the part where nobody can draw a nickel, but I don’t think the reason for that is because we only have tough guys in it. There are many cases where guys who could barely work have drawn money in our business. There have been many situations where guys who were basically candy asses have drawn money. I am ok with all of this we are entertainers. If we wanted to fight we would be in UFC.
My point is this, no matter what we think, no matter who it seems that should get a break on the Indy circuit, . this is a business that is basically controlled by the mood of a couple of people. On the top of the heap are Vincent Kennedy McMahon and Dixie Carter. If you want to count someone like Cary Silkin or Gabe Sapolsky they can be figured in too. In the case of Silkin and Sapolsky, who seem to be true talent scouts, they find pure talent that fits into their model and get the most out of them they possibly can. In the case of Dixie Carter, I think that many factors come into play at TNA. To name a few, WWE past history or whoever can get to her ear the quickest.
In McMahons case it’s about mood and or personal feelings and this guy is no talent scout. In the whole history of the WWWF, WWF, WWE the powers to be in the company (A McMahon) have never got it right. At least not the first time out. They left Buddy Rogers practically run the company into the ground while attempting to run Bruno Sammartino out of the wrestling business. Then they wake up and plead with Sammartino to come back and wrestle in the United States. If you look into between Sammartino title runs, they couldn’t find anyone to really take the company on its shoulders. The Backlund years are clear they made another mistake and they knew it. Instead of stepping up to the plate and admitting it, they did everything they could to camouflage the obvious problem with some of the greatest under cards you could have and special bonus performers to hide the fact that the main event wasn’t really a main event. Does it make sense that some of the bigger angles of the early eighties involved Snuka and Piper and The Iron Sheik and Sgt. Slaugher? One of the angles timing was perfect one of those situations like shooting fish in a barrel. In the other one you had a phenomenal athlete who was truly something special in Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka. The key factor here was in these two major angles the world title was nowhere to be seen.
In the case of the Hogan years, it took Sylvester Stallone putting Hulk in Rocky 3 for them to figure the whole thing out. If you go beyond that they bring in Steve Austin with some Mickey Mouse Lion Tamer gimmick and they get The Rock booed out of every building in America. They then rethink both of those presentations and create true superstars who then walk away from the company. It just always seems that when things work out for them they are by accident. They have been looking for the next big thing for so long now it’s almost a joke. In a world of this size they can’t find one guy with a personality that people will pay to come see? I find it almost funny that a company can make so many mistakes and still show a huge profit.
I heard today that some wrestlers are suing the WWE over the fact that wrestlers are considered independent contractors. I cannot believe that it took so long for this to happen. Why are wrestlers bringing a lawsuit? Where has the IRS been for all these years? If you know anything about how the independent contractor status works you would know that wrestlers do not qualify for that status. I don’t know how this has gone on for as long as it has but this could be the end of it.
I am sure there are plusses and minuses to both sides, but if every other employer needs to classify their employees the correct way then the WWE should have to do the same thing. Can anyone say retroactive penalties?
I finally want to talk about what appears is going to be a parting of the ways between WWE and Mick Foley. I think along with many that Mick was doing an excellent job as a broadcaster of Smackdown. I find it sickening that someone doing that job has to sit there and try to commentate while Vince McMahon is screaming into the announces headset. There is no reason for that type of conduct. I am sure all the announcers suffer the same consequences. Is this a way to run a company? I believe they once again by accident found the right spot for someone and now they are running him off. If Vince doesn’t like the way the job is being done why doesn’t he get back behind the microphone himself. He was a broadcaster for many years he should just do the announcing then it can be his way. If he doesn’t want to do the pick your team and stand behind the team he chooses.
This photo was taken at the New Haven Memorial Coliseum. It was my first big show on the left is the late Jay Youngblood, in the middle Bob Backlund and Mark Youngblood on the end. The Youngbloods were facing the Samoans that night and I got to work with them for the first time. It was so sad when Afa and I were getting ready to leave for overseas not to long after we got the call that Jay had passed on
This has been a piece of my mind
