Truth B Told 5.01.08: Injury Time-Out

Posted by Bayani Domingo on 05.01.2008

You work, you wrestle, you win, you get a title, you get hurt, you get replaced. Maybe it’s fate, maybe it’s a hip toss, who knows, but one way or another that belt has to find a waist doesn’t it?

For those of you who don't know Human Tornado has fallen victim to the "PWG Title Curse". He recently injured one of his knees at a show in the mid-west after he jumped over the top rope during his ring entrance. He follows a long line of PWG ex-Champions like Low Ki who had to drop his title after injuring his leg in Japan after only one successful title defense, Bryan Danielson who almost had his eyeball popped out in RoH prior to last year's BoLA '07, and El Generico who also suffered a back injury during his PWG title run. Not to be forgotten is that this all started when Joey Ryan caught a rare strain of West Hollywood Virus whereby he was inexplicably stricken with a slight limp to the right side, bright pink tights, and bleach blonde hair accompanied by horrible halatosis which smelled oddly of young boy's "special places". At least that's what Randle's Injury report said on Monday. PWG is stuck in quite a quamire now that they may be faced with crowning a new champion after this latest tragedy. Giggity Giggity.

The last time PWG had an injury like this was actually the one day title tournament at "Dia De Los Dangerous". Tornado managed to outlast Roderick Strong and Karl "Machine Gun" Anderson for the title. The question is whether they will run another impromptu tournament at DDT4 or will Tornado be healthy enough to miss only a few shows and retain his belt going into BoLA '09 in August. While I have seen some on the PWG message board suggest that perhaps Tornado could retain his title and refuse to defend it until he is healthy I think that would not only be a poor decision by PWG management but also go against many of the kayfabe storylines they have built up over the years. Quicksilver and Scorpio Sky were stripped of the tag titles after not being able to defend their belts a mere 24 hours after winning them from Arrogance. Super Dragon and Davey Richards were stripped of the title on the 3rd PWG show that Davey "No-Showed". Low Ki surrendered his title after his injury because he wasn't sure how long it would take to rehab. There is a long list of examples where if a PWG Champion was unable to defend their belt they were stripped of the title. I'd hate to see a situation now where just because the Champion is a "Heel" he is allowed to keep the belt because the company thinks they will retain some imagery "heat" by doing so. Then again, it seems like it would be a poor idea to simply hold another impromptu title tourney…UNLESS there was a good reason to have one and there were multiple challengers with legit claim to being "#1 Contender".

Remember that Chris Hero recently pinned Tornado in a mixed tag team match. Roderick Strong also pinned Hero at the last show and has legitimate stake to being a "contender", Necro Butcher had a match lined up with Tornado, and lets not forget Jay Briscoe and Austin Aries on hand at DDT4. You could probably set something up almost immediately to place the title around the waist of one of those men, or you could wait. Perhaps since Chris Hero is not set to wrestle they would consider holding off until they could figure a logical way to make him champion and thereby get a little more run out of THE hottest feud in wrestling at the moment. PWG is not short on potential title contenders, the only problem is that only one, Hero, seems really poised for a title win and his win would seem fairly flat and anti-climactic if it wasn't by virtue of a win over Tornado. So really we you have left is to either wait and award the title to the BoLA '08 winner, which would be a waste to have the title go unclaimed for another 4 months, or to possibly try and throw together another tournament to determine the champion. Perhaps there is another way if we look around to see what other companies do.

The WWE had a similar situation just a few months ago when Cena went down for the count. After his match with Mr. Kennedy. The WWE decided not to hold a tournament and merely have Cena drop the title and award it to Randy Orton in a way to get more "heel heat" on him. Did it work? Really it didn't, especially since he ended up losing it to Triple H for a few hours ten winning it right back. The WWE did utilize a battle royal a few times to grant titles as was the case when Kurt Angle won his last title on Smackdown and the Great Khali won his. I'm not a big fan of Battle Royals for titles as it seems like lazy booking to me. Edge having to drop his title only to be picked up by the Great Khalazy was just a slap in the face in my opinion. Usually when an injury happens during a match the worker ends up finishing the match of suffering through a championship match just to drop the title. In the WWE they work through a lot just to make the belt transition mean more…then gain they usually get their surgery paid for and a paycheck while rehabbing. Bottom line however is that you won't see a WWE champion getting hurt in a TNA ring or a CHIKARA show.

While I do believe "exclusivity" and the lack there of hurts the Indy world there is little that can be done about it. Companies don't make enough to simply sign their wrestlers to exclusivity deals and workers can't live off what they make in one company. The whole point of winning a title is to improve your rep and standing and hopefully secure more bookings so that it seems like becoming a champion almost always results in more opportunities to wrestle and thus injure yourself. So then we're back where we started. When I look at World Titles I really think there isn't a right way to replace the champion although there are definitely some wrong ones. But then again it is a totally different situation than other belts.

If you need to replace a US or IC title then you can simply make someone stumble through a match, use a run-in and voila. When PWG had to change tag titles they striped Davey/Super Dragon and simply handed it to The Dynasty, which in my opinion was so flat and uninspired that it seemed almost pointless. RoH gave jay the opportunity to choose a partner, this seems a little questionable but considering the kayfabe reason for Mark's injury, it makes sense because otherwise you punish the innocent for an unprovoked attack. The World title, in any company, really should be treated differently. I wish I had an answer that would work across the board, but to be honest it doesn't work that way. There are so many different options from simply awarding a title to someone, giving the title to the next scheduled challenger, holding a tournament, having a battle royal, maybe an e-bay auction, just a plethora of options. In PWG's case I hope they resist the urge to hold a one day tournament and string it out over a few shows. I think that would ensure that the actual tag tournament isn't overshadowed as well as ensures you can secure enough worthy talent for the tournament over the next month or so. Then again…maybe a tuxedo match battle royal. Or not. Let's go with not.

The Truth

You can't let the PWG belt go floating around with out an owner for too long. The ultimate prize and symbol of a company is their World title. While it may seem like a convenient bit of booking to wait and simply build up the title until the Battle of Los Angeles, I fear that the title will be an after thought by then. Without the prestige of those title matches then the shows will seem a bit lackluster. It's funny how you don't realize how important a belt is to your company until you lose it. Let's hope in the next few days we get an answer. C'mon message board.

Coming Up Short

I am perplexed with some people sticking up for Michael Hayes and saying that he shouldn't have been punished since Black people get to use the word all they want. Okay, 2 things about that; #1. White people INVENTED the muthafuckin' word…y'all got to use it to death for like a few hundred years. You got your turn already. You're acting like you NEVER got to use it. You did…you lost your turn, it's over. It's like when you pull that card out of "Community Chest" or you roll "Snake eyes". Deal with it…you don't get to use it anymore. Oh and #2. just because someone you know, or a friend of yours says that using the "N-word" doesn't offend them, it doesn't give you the right to think everyone is cool with it. It's like saying, "Yeah, well the two gay guys down the hall from me don't mind getting fucked in the ass….I don't know what YOUR problem is buddy". Doesn't really make it okay. The word isn't okay for anyone to use…in any situation. Even the ‘a' instead of the ‘er' is kinda dicey. Even so I'm going to let Black folk make the call on that one. Okay….Black folk get the tie breaker. Damn. Next thing you know people are going to want to start taking back "Slope" and "Chink". Yeah, and don't be thinkin' that substituting a "c" at the end is going to make shit okay neither. Word.

6 Degrees of…



Last week's winner didn't step up so I'll be deferring to the previous week's winner who actually picked a link last week just in case he won…Tenchi Masaki:

And if you can go fictional, then I can too. I pick...the Scotsman from Samurai Jack! That's right, I went there.

Yeah, I do remember that episode with his "Dainty wife". For those of you who aren't big Samurai Jack fans…well I don't know what to tell you. But maybe this week's 2nd week can sum it all up.



I'm UNEMPLOYED!! Sorry, maybe should have labeled that as a "spoiler". I hope "Robbie" has a good 401K. Well from one Scot to another…have at it.

Whatchu talkin' bout readers?

Hello-

I don't read much on 411, but your column caught my eye and I wanted to tell you how absolutely brilliant it was. You were so on point with everything you said. I'm half-pinoy and half-white myself; I'm another one of those guys who gets stuck with a really white name, as you can see in my signature. I did almost piss myself laughing when you said "Pancit Down Powerbomb", though. I don't watch wrestling that much anymore, but I've always been incredibly aware of the racial undertones at play in the industry. One example that I didn't see you mention that I feel a lot of people gloss over is several years back when Taka Michinoku and Funaki did the whole "poorly dubbed voice over" gimmick. It was that same comedy Asian angle that Jimmy Wang Yang gets stuck in. I also loved your comments about no one caring about the Asian American community's support in the election. I'm stuck in the heart of Indiana , so you can imagine how much people care about the Asian American sentiment around here. I'm always really encouraged when I see other Asian Americans who are passionate about the community in general. Anyways, great job, and I do hope you do similar columns in the future!

Josh Manlove

Yeah, sometimes I don't write columns for the masses, sometimes it's just something I want to get off my chest. I don't get to take a trip down "social commentary lane" too often, but its nice when I can every once in a while. So stay tuned since you never really know. Just lad to know someone else got something out of the column, makes it worth it. Well a little anyways. One day I'd love to see an Asian American champion as a serious wrestler. Till then we'll go ahead and claim Samoa Joe as a "Pacific Islander"…if you're Filipino that's about as close as we're gonna get.

Chris Brooks

Hey, please dont ax the contest between the asians and latinas. I love it and have all kinds of people who check on it every week that dont even watch wrestling. Your a star man. This week is not even close tho. The asain chick looks like a dude in drag and the latin chick is super hot.

Drag? Seriously? I'd still check every inch of that chick for an Adam's apple. The Latin/Asian battle WILL continue this week however until we have a decisive winner that is.

John Reid

B,

Coming from a mixed background I did find it somewhat exciting whenever a black or asian wrestler received a significant push. This is why I have to give TNA their props for how they have made their minority champions into household names, something the WWE can't do it seems. My female friends love to see Gail Kim fighting Awesome Kong in 4-star matches for the Knockouts title without any "bra-and-panties" sideshows going on. Also, it's great to see how Black Machismo got over imitating the gimmick of a white man, figure that one out. May sound racist, but it's true.

That said, I don't think Samoa Joe winning the title had anything to do with TNA wanting to bring in a large Samoan audience. He connects to the common fan as well as Booker T, who doesn't have to rely on any gimmicks to be over with the fans. This promotion realizes that your minority wrestlers don't have to act as goofs or stereotypes in order to get a push. Look at when LAX set the world on fire, they were just a group of pissed off Latinos looking to break through, and the fans ate it up. Why? It's because they were allowed to back it up in the ring.

As for the WWE, I do believe it's stupid that we have to bring this up in 2008. I mean if they were serious about this initiative (which I don't believe they are, it's just for window dressing) then they would give the black and asian superstars they have now an opportunity to stop being jobbers and win on their matches alone.

TNA pretty much lucks into a lot of their wrestlers of color as they get passed over by the "e" for not possessing what they think is a marketable character or talent. I also agree that Joe winning the belt had nothing to do with swaying the "Samoan buys", he is a talented and deserving wrestler who just happened to be Samoan. I think TNA understands a lot better how to showcase their wrestlers in a more palatable manner when it comes to using ethnic wrestlers. Not sure why everything else about their booking is retarded. As stupid as it is to bring up "race" in wrestling in 2008, I think the whole Michael Hayes incident proved just why it's still a valid point. If this is about "viewers" and not "equality" then yeah, this makes perfect sense to try and capture more market share, but if they are serious then they better do a little more to showcase the guys they have on the roster to their ability instead of just pushing one brutha at the expense of another. Right Kofi? BopBopBop.


6 Degrees Results

#2

Andrew Jones

Hello,

This one has everything a good 6DO needs Wang, Kim, Ki, Kong and some Eric Young.

1. Grace Park is an actress of Korean decent as is Current WWE Cowboy Jimmy Wang Yang.

2. Jimmy Wang wrestle in TNA as 1/3 of the flying Elvises and was involved in TNA's first match, defeating A.J. Styles, Jerry Lynn, and Low Ki in a six-man tag team match.

3. A.J. Styles lots the TNA Tag titles recently in a match featuring Eric Young.

4. Eric Young broke free of his contract with Robert Roode by defeating him at Slammiversary 2007 via an inside cradle, after Gail Kim took out Ms. Brooks.

5. Gail Kim lost the TNA Women's Championship to Awesome Kong on the main event of the January 10 episode of TNA Impact!

6. At Bound for Glory, Awesome Kong participated in a 10 Knockout Gauntlet to crown the first TNA Women's Champion.. She was eliminated by the combined effort of Gail Kim, O.D.B. and Angelina Love.

Park to Love in 6.

Thanks

Andrew

It was a damn good try, but a little wrestling/TNA heavy for my taste. Plus you forgot the vicious single beat down that Love got at the massive ham sized hands of Kong just a few weeks before that. Maybe a month. Hard to tell since Kong seems to beat more women than the entire state of Arkansas.

#1. TIE:

1) Angel Williams appears in the soon to be released (I assume straight to video) "Good Intentions" starring Jon Gries (aka Uncle Rico from "Napoleon Dynamite" or Lazlo from "Real Genius", depending on how old you are).
2) On "Lost" Jon Gries played Roger Linus, who was killed by his son Ben, whose life was saved by Jack Shepherd played by Mathew Fox.
3) Mathew Fox played the head of security in "Smokin' Aces" which also starred Ray Liotta as the head FBI agent.
4) Ray Liotta provided the voice for Tommy Vercetti in "GTA: Vice City " who teamed up with, and then was double crossed by Lance Vance, who was voiced by Philip Michael Thomas.
5) Philip Michael Thomas played Det. Ricardo Tubbs on "Miami Vice" whose boss Lt. Castillo was played by Edward James Olmos.
6) Edward James Olmos' character Captain Adama on "Battlestar Galactica" was shot by Boomer played by Grace Park.

Andy O'Connor

Tubbs. What more can you say about that then…Tubbs. Good play Andy. That earns you a tie for first along with…

#1. TIE:

Bayani,

Chuck Norris is not happy. And when Chuck Norris is not happy, Vince Russo books an entire PPV on a Pole. And then Chuck kicks the world so hard gravity ceases to be. Why B, why? Why must you make Chuck Norris angry? Don't you know we all suffer because of it? Me first, and then you. And then the world, and then us again, I don't know why.

Ok enough of all that nonsense. I need a distraction. Right, overload of hot women!

1) Before being a super-sexy killer cyborg, Grace Park worked on Canadian teen drama series "Edgemont" along with Kristin Kreuk.
2) Kreuk performed double-duty by while being on "Edgemont" by also starring in the WB's "Smallville" which had a guest starring appearance by Ashley Massaro.
3) Ashley famously engaged in a feud with the oh-so-hot Mickie James, over the attention and affections of another oh-so-hot WWE Diva.
4) That Diva? None other than Trish Stratus, who faced Mickie James for the Women's Title at Wrestlemania 22, during which the now infamous "Chick-Lick" happened
between the two.
5) Prior to this, Trish Stratus was involved in a 7-Woman Battle Royal for the Women's Championship on RAW in June 2003 against Jazz, Ivory, Victoria, Molly Holly, Jackie Moore, and its winner and debuting Diva, Gail Kim.
6) Gail Kim, during her feud over another Women's Title, the TNA Knockouts title, with Awesome Kong, was frequently aided, rescued by, and tagged with both my favorite Knockout, Velvet Sky (Talia Madison) and yours Angelina Love (Angel Williams).

I think I may have gotten hosed last week, but I'll cheer myself up with this 6-link, 14-woman sandwich effort. Mmmm sandwich. I'll leave the obligatory "hosed" joke to you.

Tenchi Masaki

Kristin Kruek, my secret weakness. You pander well Tenchi…almost…too well. No…no just well enough. Sorry bout that. Well I figure this week I'll let Andy take the wrestling link and Tenchi can take the non-wrestling link. Fair is fair.

Left Overs…

There's gonna be a bald Knockout soon. Or someone is going to be showing their vajayjay while getting out of their car in front of a Taco Bell while stuffing a Chalupa in their gullet. I'm not sure which one since "Britney Spears Make-over" is a bit vague.

MsChif is the newest SHIMMER Champion after beating SDR. Why hasn't MsChif and Low Ki ever teamed up? Eh…that's just a thor spot for me.

I wasn't watching RAW this week but reading the recap of how it ended, can anyone tell me if they were playing ‘Journey' right before Regal cut the match? "Don't stop….Believin'".

Balls Mahoney was recently granted his release by the WWE. In other news Santino was recently granted his release by Maria on her stomach.

Yeah I know Balls was fired, but it just sets up that joke better that way. Plus the image of Balls getting fired just sounds very painful. And leads me into a half dozen Lita jokes.

Jay Briscoe and Austin Aries better watch out because if they are holding the title when Mark Briscoe is all healed up it's only a matter of time before he finds himself a partner and tries to takes back what is his. Might I suggest to Mark….This Man.

Hardyz DVD out now!! It's a two disc DVD set but usually only one DVD is ever in the package.

Is Chris Hero wrestling a "NOAH-oriented style" in RoH now? So apparently he has full authority to no-sell everything, finish with a lariat whenever he wants, and pile two of every animal into his…*shuffles notes*…uh…nevermind.

If HHH is a "face" should he really be using the crossface? Eh, to me that's just beating a dead hooker. No…I meant ‘hooker'.

Bam Neely? That's really the name of Chavo's bodyguard? So who are they going to debut Santino's bodyguard as? Jay Bourque? **this joke better kill in Boston**

Shelton wrestled Kofi Kingston again and lost…again. A dark day for ECW indeed.

The Great Booty Debate 2008

Lana Lopez vs Leigh Nguyen this week as the Latinas pull in even with the Asians.

Random Asian Bitch Lookin' Good Pic of the Week



The sad thing is that 3 other Asian girls that have to walk around with no ass just to make up for this one.

Random Latina Bitch Lookin' Good Pic of the Week



No…I will NOT make a "wetback" joke here…

Daizee Haze in TNA? Slim chance.

The new SD commentary crew: The Suck and Sock connection.

Word has it Great Khali will be having surgery soon before his trip to India. The surgeon will be performing a scope to clear out any loose "talent" fragment floating around that was left from his time in Japan.

Pimpin' In High Places

A full week of "training", traveling, and forced night time activities makes for no time to watch wrestling, let alone read about any so…um…read some stuff on 411. There.

I am seriously spent this week. I stayed up till like 1:30 am on Weds trying to punch this up this week, which explains why it's so short, and I still have two full days of training left till I board a plan home Friday night. It'll be nice to return to LA after all the traveling. I was looking forward to gearing up for the DDT4 tournament but the whole card just did a 180 after so many injuries and Davey Richards probably not being 100% either. Well if nothing else it'll great to see some live wrestling again. Which just beat the hell out of dead wrestling. Seriously, those guys workrates are for shit. Guess it's time to break out the paypal and by my 3rd row tickets.

Till then, the Truth will set you free.

-B