The Axeman Speaks, 9-27-07

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t, that’s OK. The fact is, when I write it, you read it, and that is the important thing.





Greetings, my friends. We have a few topics to cover today, so we will get started by talking about Gene Jackson's "Cheap Heat" column dated 9-19-07 over at http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/. Gene addresses several topics, but the one I want to focus on is the situation Ricky Morton has gotten himself into by not paying his child support. There are conflicting reports on the net about just how much he owes in back child support, but it is obvious that Morton has not paid it in years. Anyway, I was going to write a paragraph or two about Morton's stupidity, but Gene beat me to the punch. Shortly after Gene posted his column, a post was made on Hollywood's message board blasting me for blasting Gene for writing what he did about Morton. That's very strange, because I have said nothing about it until now. I wrote nothing about Gene's remarks or about Morton's legal woes until now. Jimmy removed the post (without me even asking, I might add). Now, however, I will comment on what Gene wrote: I agree with what he said 100%. I could not have said it better, so that's all i am gonna say about it.





On to BT's "Coach's Corner" column dated 9-24-07, where BT says, "Does anyone think that Vince does not have any responsibility in these deaths?? If I owned a company and I had that many people die, then I would start questioning myself a bit. But, this is Vince and he is Satan!!"


Geez, BT, don't you think that's a little strong? Yeah, Vince is a ruthless, power driven businessman. Yes, he seems at times not to have a heart or a conscience. No, he doesn't seem to really care about anyone or anything but himself. And yes, he often treats people like dirt. BUT... As rich, powerful, ruthless, heartless, and downright dirty as he may be, he ain't Satan. While lives have come unraveled in WWE, literally destroyed, and while Vince certainly has not helped in most of these situations in WWE, people make their own choices. So, while Vince is many things, and none of them good, Satan he ain't. A miserable, mean spirited person, maybe, but he ain't Satan. That's the way I see it....





If you were somewhat surprised to see Hardcore Holly back in the ring RAW Monday night, join the crowd. Nobody was more surprised than me. Wasn't it just about a month ago that we were reading about Holly having problems with numbness in his arm or something to that effect due to his surgery? Wasn't there some speculation that his wrestling career could be over? Then, surprise, he's back. Now, don't get me wrong here, I was glad, very glad to see him back. I enjoy watching him. I was just shocked to see him back so soon. In an article posted on WWE.com, Holly had this to say: "It got to the point where I had no feeling in half of my hand and no grip at all. I have atrophy in my hand, and there is a big difference in my right and left hands. I kid with my wife and tell her it is my ‘Skeletor’ hand. But that is because I put off the surgery. The doctor told me he had never seen a nerve pinched as bad as that. So, they moved the nerve. A couple of my fingers still don’t have much feeling, but the doctor said that it could take some time for that, maybe up to a year." Well... Welcome back, Mr. Holly!

There has been a lot of speculation as to why Randy Orton was not on RAW Monday night. Many have speculated that he was suspended. To all you Orton haters out there, that is not the case. He was gone from RAW because he is a newlywed. He got married a couple of days earlier, and, I am sure, was otherwise occupied.

The following was posted on Hollywood's message board today (Thursday) by "Doug in West Point: "I heard last night that Golden Triangle Wrestling in West Point had shut down. I'm sad that this has happened as I enjoyed going to the shows when I could. I would've like to have known what happened at the shows when I couldn't make it, but I never see results anywhere, so I think its good they finally just closed up shop." Well, lol, sorry to disappoint you, Doug, but as far as I know GTW is very much alive and well. I believe they have a show scheduled for this Saturday night in West Point. GTW owner & Promoter Dudley Williams is a man who is determined to make a go of it in West Point, and I understand he has had some decent shows and the crowd is slowly increasing. So... GTW is still around. Go find someone else to spread rumors about.

Speaking of the message board, someone calling himself James Ricco posted this example of stupidity: "Hey Axeman, why don't you update your column, or are you too busy doing your lame announcing at that idiot Mattox's wrestling show? Talk about two losers. Are you two gettin' ready to blow this Padgett guy's money trying to act like you know what you are doing? If you are reading this Padgett, be very careful. Ask yourself, how much money are they putting in and will they be there for you if this thing goes bust?" Well, moron, I am truly sorry that the high point of your week is reading my column. I guess I let you down this week, didn't I, by not posting soon enough to suit you. Let me say this... GET A LIFE! As far as Jason Mattox and the wrestling organization he is involved with, they have not even had their first show yet. That goes to show that you know NOTHING about what is going on in wrestling around here. As far as my loyalty goes, just who do you think you are to question my loyalty? That goes to show that you know nothing. Those who I have worked for, and those who are asking me to work for them, know there is no need to question my loyalty. Next time you post something, please do try to throw your brain in gear before you start typing.

I have gotten a lot of good feedback about my interview with The Studd, Scott Porteau. Part 5 is currently up. If you have not read it yet, hurry, because part 6 will be up in a few days. If you missed any of the previous parts, just email me and I will send them to you.

The next Axeman Speaks update will be up in about a week and a half. I will have a house full of company for several days, and will not update until then. I know this will break James Ricco's heart, but oh well....

That’s all for this week. If you have any comments, feedback, criticism, insults, compliments, or whatever, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading.


We are one column closer to the last one!


The Axeman has spoken.

Bob Magee Reflects on 9/11

This is a reprint, word for word, of a recent column by Bob Magee on Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets. It is used with permission.

AS I SEE IT
by Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

This past Tuesday made it six years since September 11, 2001. September 11, 2001...The kind of day that many Americans thought they were protected from, because of the two oceans that surround the 48 states of the continental United States of America.

September 11, 2001...The kind of day that many Americans thought happened in the Middle East...or Europe...or somewhere else.

September 11, 2001...The kind of day where America saw its most tragic event...and its most heroic sons and daughters.

Unknown to us all as we woke up and went to work, school, and to our daily activities... in the early hours of September 11, four commercial airliners departing from East Coast airports with full loads of fuel, were hijacked to be used as airborne weapons against the people and the economic structure of the United States.

At 8:46 am EDT, American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston crashed into the North Tower at the World Trade Center. Then, at 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston crashed into the South Tower at the World Trade Center.

42 minutes later, at 9:45 am EDT, American Flight 77 crashed into The Pentagon. In Manhattan just 30 minutes later, at 10:05 am EDT, The South Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed.

At 10:10 am EDT, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a wooded area in Shanksville, PA, after the heroic efforts of passengers who confronted hijackers who had intended to crash Flight 93 into the US Capitol or the White House.

Finally, at 10:28 am EDT, in Manhattan, The North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. 2,997 people (including 24 officially still listed as missing) were killed in those horrific two hours, consisting of 246 airline passengers (in Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia), 2,626 in Manhattan (including 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 23 New York City Police Department officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers) and 125 at the Pentagon.

In the single largest loss of life of first responders in United States history, 403 police officers and firefighters lost their lives attempting to save those trapped in the World Trade Center. Those first responders who died, as well as those who survived...saved the lives of thousands upon thousands of office worker, service workers, and just plain everyday New Yorkers in that building....in a moment of heroism that is without precedent in American history.

Then, there was the everyday heroism of New Yorkers who did whatever they could to help; regardless of race, religion, creed, or their status of life. They did whatever they could to help strangers who they had never seen before...and likely have not seen since that Day of Horror. In a society that often gives far too much respect to rank and privilege, Americans became just plain Americans for one day...and for some days to come...and did whatever they had to do to survive the deadliest attack on America in its history.

People responded, coming to Ground Zero, literally tearing away rubble with their bare hands. They overwhelmed Red Cross centers to give blood for those precious few who were pulled out from the rubble of the World Trade Center. They went to every possible police, fire, and EMS station to ask how they could help. They donated hundreds of millions of dollars to 9/11 related charities.

Sadly, there are first responders who have died as a result of the toxic substances, which included asbestos, lead, mercury, dioxin, PAHs, crystalline silica, lead, cadmium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Many of these substances are carcinogenic; while those that were not carcinogenic are known for causing kidney, heart, liver and nervous system deterioration. The State of New York and the Federal government have done little, if anything to compensate those first responders who came to Ground Zero to try and save lives.

So, on September 11, 2001, the United States of America was under attack.

Some of the names that you read about regularly on wrestling websites like mine had someone affected. Many more had loved ones who escaped through the grace of God, and the efforts of the heroic first responders. Given their proximity to Manhattan, a large number of the performers, office staff and others of the WWE had ties to New York City. All of those people were apparently and fortunately spared loss of life.

Even so, they and all of us experienced a deep wound to our hearts that endures to this day.

The only comparison for Americans that can be made to September 11, 2001, is to events such as Pearl Harbor, something I know of only through the fact that my father named me after a cousin of his...who is still buried with the USS Arizona, Robert Thomas Magee. My generation, and those born after it, had not actually experienced wartime or a moment reminiscent of it on a national scale until that crystal clear morning of September 11, 2001.

In those days back in 2001, many involved online and in wrestling itself offered their thoughts on how the events of September 11th have affected them. Here are excerpts of just a few of these comments back in 2001:

Dave Scherer, Daily Lariat, September 12th:
"...For all of the horrible things that occurred yesterday though, the events also put on display for the world something that makes Americans what they are, and that is the incredible heart of the American people. It's a character trait that should make us all proud of where we live. During the most horrific series of events this country has ever seen, the American people stood up to help their own. They went into crumbling buildings, knowingly risking their lives to help people in need. They offered their services to authorities. They stood in line at blood banks to make sure they could donate the liquid of life. People came to the aid of their brethren in their time of need, and that is exactly what being an American is all about... ...We were sent a wake up call yesterday. We were told that we need to appreciate what we have a little more than we have. When you see your loved ones, cherish them. Hug them. Kiss them. Realize how important they are to you and your life. When you get in your car and go to your job, realize how much you have. Don't take it for granted. We all have so much. We can't take it for granted because as yesterday showed, it can all be taken away in a moment."

Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer, September 12:
"...Yesterday was a day like no other, in all of our lives. It's a numbing feeling, knowing that our world has changed while watching a nightmare that few or us probably ever even considered was a possibility. To those of you who lost friends or family yesterday, my heart goes out to you... I hope everyone took a moment out yesterday to reflect and thank those who are closest to you for being close to you. There are so many people who are in our lives, loved ones, close friends, business relationships, that are there, day in and day out. Sometimes you take them for granted. We've all had our good times and our bad and are somehow linked together by a strange industry, that most of us no doubt spent very little time thinking about yesterday..."

Bill Goldberg, Goldbergbook.com:
"...I was watching something when -all of a sudden- the Special Report came on, showing that the first tower at the World Trade Center had been hit by an airplane, and was on fire. I then witnessed the second tower hit live on TV, like millions of others. I first thought it was fiction. I thought someone, somehow was playing a trick on television because it was, and still is, too surreal. I couldn't grasp what I was seeing. I continued to watch, just hoping and praying that it was a hoax. Sadly, it was true. I was riveted to the TV on Tuesday, and have been every day since. Even though I knew no one involved in the tragedy, a huge feeling of grief took over me. And whether you are directly effected or not, you still are directly affected ... we are all Americans. Watching the tragedy unfold on TV, I felt helpless. This guy who is revered by people around the world as being Superman-like ...but I didn't have the ability to get up and help; I had to watch it unfold like the rest of America. You can't even imagine what those people have been through. From the firefighters and policemen to the doctors, nurses and volunteers. This not only is a time of great grief, it also is a time of intrusion. But, when someone comes in our backyard and does something as horrendous as this, Americans seem to rally and combine for the common goal. Right now, Americans must come together as a whole, as one. Even though we want swift justice, everyone must understand that patience will overcome. These are times when every American must band together and show the world that, in our unity, we do possess, as the largest Super-Power on the planet, the ability to right the wrongs that have occurred. If there's anything I can do, I hope it becomes apparent. And soon...."

Those are thoughts from three well-known names from around wrestling.

The last story is from WrestleLine.com writer Alfonso Castillo, less known within wrestling than those above. But his is a very personal perspective on what happened on September 11, and the need for us all to treasure the simple pleasures we're given.

"...I spent Monday night as most of us did - watching WWE RAW on TNN. As I often do, I made the trip to Times Square to catch the show at WWE New York with my fiancée Dana. After dating for six years, the last had been a very trying one for us and we had been trying to work some of the kinks out of our relationship. We had a great night enjoying a fun show, getting pictures and autographs of Al Snow and the Tough Enough gang, and dining on some good food. I dropped off Dana late that night and as we said our good nights, Dana jokingly suggested we play hooky from work Tuesday and spend the day together. We both concluded that we'd be better off going to our respective jobs come Tuesday. For me it would mean heading out to Suffolk County to write about local primary elections.

For her it would mean researching financial documents at the Deutsche Bank building, located on Liberty Street in Manhattan, directly across the street from the World Trade Center....

...Shortly before 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. On the other side of the phone was Dana, but this wasn't the usual light and airy Dana I had come to know. Her tone was high, her speech fast and frenetic. "I'm just calling you because I don't want you to freak out," she told me, her voice trembling. "A plane just hit one of the Twin Towers, but I'm OK," she told me.

Her words seemed so ridiculous, I thought I might still be asleep and dreaming. I spun over quickly in my bed and reached for my neon green TV remote and clicked on the set.

The sight was just unreal. Fire shooting out of one of the massive Twin Towers as television anchormen and women scrambled to make sense out of what had just happened....

Within minutes of our conversation, I witnessed the second huge aircraft drive right through the massive adjacent tower. I tried calling Dana's job. No answer. I tried her cell phone. No answer.

I did quite the double take when the first tower collapsed. I thought the camera must be positioned in a way that one of the towers was obscured. I tried to rationalize what I had just seen a million different ways. There was no way one of the Twin Towers was simply not there anymore.

I tried reaching Dana again... and again... and again. Flash, redial, flash, redial, flash, redial at a frantic pace. Then it happened. With a huge cloud of smoke, the Twin Towers were no more.

I thought back to just days earlier when I enjoyed a salsa concert in the courtyard of the World Trade Center and was probably fixated more on the awesome skyscrapers than the stage. After living in New York for 24 years, the Twin Towers still took my breath away every time I was near them...

I remembered a few years earlier waiting on a long line to get through the fairly intense security to hop on an elevator en route to the top of the World Trade Center for the first time in my life. I remember pressing my nose up against the glass and marveling at the view. Somehow, some way, the Twin Towers, which had served as a security blanket for all of New York, if not the entire country, had vanished. And it wasn't even noon yet.

But before I could even process these thoughts, I thought about Dana. I thought about her walking away from the scene, but perhaps still being within blocks of the World Trade Center as gigantic pieces of rubble crashed to the ground. And I called and I called. And I panicked and feared the worst, all the while dealing with phone calls from her friends and family who also wondered about her whereabouts. It was one of the worst feelings I have ever experienced.

More than an hour passed before Dana finally called me from a payphone at Greenwich Village and told me she was safe. The sound of her voice on the phone gave me a sense of relief I have never before felt, and hope I will never be in a position to feel again... It would be several hours before Dana would finally get home. In total she consumed three bottles of water during her exhausting seven-hour hike in all over the borough of Manhattan and across the 59th Street Bridge, at the end of which she was finally able to get on a train....

This may be the first real crisis our generation has ever known, and I am taken aback by how everything else in life seems so irrelevant when contrasted against the televised images of a dark, winged silhouette colliding with one of our country's greatest symbols of freedom...."

Take time today to contemplate the events of six years ago... and send a special greeting to those you love.

http://www.pwbts.com/


There you have it, a very thought provoking and excellent column. My thanks to Bob Magee for allowing me to post it here.

- Axeman

The Axeman Speaks 9-16-07

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t, that’s OK. The fact is, when Axeman writes it, you read it (whether you agree with it or not), and that's what is important.



Greetings, wrestling fans! It has been an interesting week in wrestling. We have a lot of ground to cover. Let's start by talking about idiots. That's right, I said idiots... stupid, trouble making, shallow minded, egg sucking idiots, like the idiot who made this post on Hollywood's message board last week:


Name: freind
Country: USA
Date: Thu Sep 13 08:29:29 2007
Comment: AXEMAN IT'S NOT TONY WATTS FAULT THAT RPW WENT UNDER HE DID NOT STAND IN FRONT WITH A SIGN OR SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THEM IF ARE A MAN YOU WILL MEET ME WHERE YOU GO EAT ON SUNDAY AND THEN YOU CAN TELL WHY TONY HURT THEM FACE TO FACE JUST TELL ME TIME.



Hmmm... You want to meet me where I go eat on Sunday? No way that will ever happen, chump. I usually eat at home on Sundays, and I sure don't want your miserable ass in my house. Now, as far as RPW goes, I never said it was Tony Watts that caused RPW to go under. I never said it. If I said it, I challenge you to show me where I said it. I have never said that, written that, or posted anything saying it. So you can get your idiotic self up off your ass and go make trouble somewhere else. Whatever you tried to start did not work.



Then there's GQ Maxim, who tried to have a war of words with me on the board, but gave up in total frustration and became silent again. GQ, when will you ever learn? You will not win a war of words with me. You can't even spell. You are nothing but a big goof who runs his mouth too much, until it gets you into trouble, like it did in the dressing room at a local show several years ago. So you really ought to stick to peddling your magazines, and leave the message board to the grown ups.



There is also an individual (some have told me it's GQ, but I really don't know who it is) who posted a series of messages on the message board last week under the name "Axeman" and using my email address, attempting to start trouble between me and Gene Jackson. It didn't work, did it, shit head? You obviously do not have enough to do. I suggest you get a job. Those with idle minds get themselves into trouble.



Somebody else will no doubt make some more bogus posts on the board after reading this. It's always interesting to see what these idiots will post. Cannon calls them "Nuts of the Week." I call them idiots.



Speaking of idiots on the board, why are there people attacking Jason Mattox and the new group he is a part of in Batesville? So what if they are going to run in Batesville? So what if Kenny used to run shows there? Kenny has not had a show in Batesville in several months. Jason plans on running every week. Kenny never did run every week in Batesville. I think Batesville will draw. I do not think Kenny gives a rat's behind whether they run or not. Kenny is busy with very successful shows in Kosciusko and other towns.

OK, on to other things....

I was somewhat surprised at the comments one worker at another show made recently about the promotion Jimmy Blaylock is booking for over in Alabama. He said that he did not see how the promotion was going to last past Christmas. Well, I got news for ya, pal, Southeastern Championship Wrestling drew over 400 paying fans Saturday night. They are doing very well. I look for them to run for a long, long time, and I also think they will be getting bigger and bigger. I believe they will have TV soon, and I look for them to expand into Mississippi at some point in the foreseeable future. The sky is the limit for them, and as long as Jimmy is booking and calling the shots, they will be successful. Do not be surprised if SCW accomplishes what DCW tried and failed to accomplish a couple of years ago.

OK, it's time for YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week we focus on Mary Anne Huffman, of Lancaster, PA, who was in a golf pro shop comparing different kinds of golf balls. She was unhappy with the women's type she had been using. After browsing for several minutes, she was approached by one of the guys who works at the shop. He asked if he could help her. She looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with mens balls." When she realized that everyone in the store was staring at her, she also realized what she had said, and left very quickly to the sound of hysterical laughter. Yep, that was stupid. Gotta be careful what we say....

I just finished posting the WWE Unforgiven PPV match results on the news board. I wasn't even going to watch it, but I was invited over to a friend's house at the last minute to watch it, so I went. I almost wish I had not gone. This was, by far, the worst WWE show, PPV or other, that I have ever seen. There were three decent matches, but the rest of the show was pathetic. CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke was absolutely boring. MVP & Matt Hardy vs. Deuce & Domino was equally crappy. Triple H vs. Carlito was a little better, but it was nothing to write home about. Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix was a decent match, but the finish left much to be desired. Beth beat the crap out of Candice Michelle the entire match, then out of nowhere Candice manages to win with a crucifix pin? That's pretty lame. Batista vs. The Great Khali vs. Rey Mysterio was not a very good match. Khali simply cannot wrestle. All he has going for him is his size. Rey Mysterio had no business being in the match. He is too small to be credible in a match with Khali and Batista. I was glad to see Batista win the belt. Maybe now we will see less of Khali. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Paul London & Brian Kendrick was a good match. In fact, it was probably the best match on the card. Cena vs. Orton was a good match, too, until the finish. What a stupid, dumb. moronic, crappy, bullshit way to end the match! A DQ win for Cena?! For this people paid money? For this people shelled out over $100.00 for ring side seats in Memphis?! For this people spent over $40.00 to watch on PPV?! What a rip off. Undertaker vs. Mark Henry was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. Mark Henry can't wrestle. He is too big to do much of anything. He made Undertaker look very, very bad. It was a pathetic match. If this is the best WWE has to offer, Vince might as well shut it down. Was WWE Creative on vacation or on strike? Frankly, I resent WWE shoving this crap down people's throats. The PPV event was called "Unforgiven." WWE will be UNFORGIVEN by a lot of people for a long time to come for that load of crap. WWE did themselves no favors by airing that junk. It really sucked eggs. Is that really the best they had to offer? TNA, with all their flaws and faults, is looking better to me right now.

Speaking of WWE, they recently, in their infinite wisdom, released Sonny Siaki from his developmental contract. I said, when Siaki signed with WWE, that I was afraid he would be either buried in the talent roster or released without ever having had the chance to really show what he could do. That appears to be the case here. WWE's loss is TNA's or some organization's gain.

If there is anything noteworthy about Monday night's RAW broadcast, I will comment on it in a short column on Tuesday.

Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock was shopping in a store recently, but he could not find what he was looking for. So he asked one of the clerks, "Where could I find the Polish sausage?" The clerk looks at him and said, "Are you Polish?" Hollywood, clearly offended, says, "Well, yes I am. But let me ask you something. If I had asked for Italian sausage would you ask me if I was Italian?Or if I had asked for German bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German? Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish? Or if I had asked for a Taco would you ask if I was Mexican? Would you? Huh? Would you?" The clerk said, "Well, no!" Hollywood continued, "If I asked for some Irish whiskey, would you ask if I was Irish?" The clerk replied, "Well, I probably wouldn't!" With deep self-righteous indignation, Hollywood says, "Well then, why did you ask me if I'm Polish because I asked for Polish sausage?" The clerk replied, "Because, sir, you're in Home Depot."

That’s all for this week. If you have any comments, feedback, criticism, insults, compliments, or whatever, email me at axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for reading.

The Axeman has spoken.

Axeman Speaks 9-10-07

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Hollywood Jimmy Blaylock, the Webmaster, or anyone else connected with this site. They are mine, and mine alone. If you agree with me, OK, and if you don’t, that’s OK. The fact is, when I write it, you all read it, whether you agree with it or not, and that's what it's all about.

Greetings, Axeman fans! Lots to talk about this week, so We'll get right to it....

We will start this column off by talking about Chaotic Championship Wrestling (CCW). Yeah, that's right, Steve Creasy's on again, off again effort to promote wrestling shows. You may recall that, several months ago, Creasy made an announcement that CCW would be back in September. At that time I said I didn't think Creasy should bring CCW back, because he would just eventually pull the plug like he has in the past - several times. I also made the comment that Creasy would find it hard to build a fan base again, and that I would be surprised that he could find anyone to work for him, based on his actions in the past. Creasy responded by saying he was coming back in September, and he asked me to attend a show and give an honest critique of the show, which I agreed to do. Well, it is now September, and we have heard nothing from Steve Creasy about CCW. Has he decided to take my advice and not bring CCW back? If so, that's a good thing. I still think wrestling is better off without him. If he does intend to run, however, he needs to make some kind of announcement of what his plans are.

There is a new wrestling organization set to debut the first weekend in October. All Mississippi Wrestling (AMW) will start off with a show in Batesville, MS, on Saturday night, October 6, 2007. I will have more information as to who is on the card in the near future. I wish this group much success.

Let's talk about Golden Triangle Wrestling (GTW) down in West Point, MS. I recently read, in a post by BT at http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/, that a number of individuals have left GTW. The post reads, "I had removed Golden Triangle Wrestling from the Shows of The Weekend list, because I was not sure who was still working there. I heard rumors of who left and such, but I did get confirmation a few moments ago that Chris Styles, Shawn Reed, Anita Paige, Hunter Montgomery Jackson, Tony Dabbs, Josh Matthews, and Joey Lynn have all left the promotion. Still remaining are Justin Reed, Jake Prentiss, Chris Chaos, OMEGA, LSD, Lady Reb, Devon Raynes, and BB. They're bringing in Destiny, Bloodbath, Kaleb Kastle, and Vinnie the Blade. So, pretty much all their good workers are gone. Justin Reed is now the new booker for the promotion, taking over for Chris Styles." I talked with Joey Lynn briefly at the TFW show recently, and he told me that those who left GTW did so due to other bookings and commitments, but most, if not all, would eventually be back. So, there you have it, from the horse's mouth, they're only gone for a while.

Imagine my surprise and shock when I received a call about mid-morning on Saturday, telling me that Bill Dundee had died from a heart attack in Savannah, TN, Friday night. Well, I am happy to report that Bill Dundee is alive and well. In fact, I understand he wrestled on a card Saturday night... unless, of course, that was his ghost! LOL!

Quote of the week: "They cut to the back when 9 guys were brawling in the ring. We never came back to them, and nothing was ever mentioned about them again. Are we not supposed to care what happened to them? If not... mission accomplished, TNA, WE DON'T!!!!" -- Lance Storm @ StormWrestling.com, commenting on TNA Impact broadcast 8-30-07.

Another quote I found worthy of passing along: "I hope that the fans understand if they are strong and unite they can stop having bad talent shoved down their throat. If you demand something long enough even the WWE will be forced to listen to you." -- "The Big Cheese" Sal Corrente, Sept 4th 2007, @ http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/.

Speaking of Sal Corrente, several people have asked me what I think of the $10,000.00 "offer" he recently made in his column on BT's site (link is posted above).

For the record, Corrente said, "As a final note I would like to make one more appearance on Memphis Wrestling. I want to challenge Jerry Lawler, Corey Maclin and two other wrestlers who I will not name at this time to take a lie detector test. If they pass the lie detector test I will give them $10,000.00. I would have this all handled legally so they would be assured to get their money. I also want to define passing the test, they would have to answer all questions truthfully and the answers would have to support the statements that Jerry Lawler made under oath in court. In the case of the two unnamed wrestlers all they would have to do is to testify to Jerry Lawler’s intentions were that night. It’s very simple if no lies have been told. I would also make a very definite condition that Corey Maclin and Jerry Lawler would both have to take the test. If I am Corey Maclin I would think this could be the highest rated show for Memphis Wrestling in recent years. Just think about it Jerry Lawler being hooked up to a lie detector and asked questions. Now Corey please feel free to make all the smart ass comments and or try to turn this into angle. I am sure the City of Memphis and the wrestling world will look forward to your response."

Now, my first impression was that Corrente was truly shooting. I thought to myself, Lawler & Maclin have got to take Corrente up on this! If they don't, they will look guilty! If they don't take sal up on this offer they're crazy. Sal is absolutely putting his money where his mouth is! However, after giving it some thought, I have decided that Sal is just trying to get some extra mileage out of an incident that is now old news. Corrente is a master at getting publicity, and at milking angles for everything they are worth, and such is the case with Maclin & Lawler here. It is old news. Sal lost. Maclin & Lawler have not taken the bait, and if they have not done so by now, I think it's obvious they are not going to. It's over. Sal needs to let it be, but he will probably come up with another way to milk this angle for even more publicity.

For the record, I must say that Sal Corrente is a good writer. I enjoy reading his stuff.

It's time for another edition of YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID! This week, we are focusing on Mary Ann Baxter of Seattle, Washington, who walked into a hair salon with her husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?" Yeah, that was a stupid thing to ask, but it gave a lot of people a good laugh. Her red faced husband, by the way, didn't say anything. He obviously knew better....

On to the nick Hogan situation. It was reported on just about every site on the Internet that Nick may have been racing, and that he was possibly racing a silver Dodge Viper. Because Hulk Hogan owns a silver Dodge Viper, there was all kinds of speculation that Nick was really racing his dad when the wreck occurred. When the dust cleared, however, it turns out that the driver of the silver Viper was Danny Jacobs, a friend of Nick Hogan's passenger, John Graziano. It also appears, from all reports I have read, that they were not racing. John Graziano, at this time, is still hospitalized. If he does not make a full recovery, Hulk Hogan could be in for a very lengthy and expensive legal battle, because Nick is a minor, making the Hulkster liable for the actions of his son. I hope he has a very, very good insurance policy.

By the way, what has happened to GQ Maxim? He has been very quiet lately. Could it be that he has realized that he will never win a war of words with Axeman?

This week's humor was sent in by Lewis & Cynthia Crossley from Spring, Texas:

The Sweetness of Married Life

A couple had only been married for two weeks and the husband, although very
much in love, couldn't wait to go out on the town and party with his old
buddies. So, he said to his new wife, "Honey, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going, Coochy Coo?" asked the wife.

"I'm going to the bar, Pretty Face," he answered. "I'm going to have a beer."

The wife said, "You want a beer, my love?" She opened the door to the
refrigerator and showed him 25 different kinds of beer, brands from 12
different countries: Germany, Holland, Japan, Mexico, etc.

The husband didn't know what to do, and the only thing that he could think
of saying was, "Yes, Lollipop... but at the bar... you know...they have
frozen glasses..."

He didn't get to finish the sentence, because the wife interrupted him by
saying, "You want a frozen glass, Puppy Face?" She took a huge beer mug out
of the freezer, so frozen that she was getting chills just holding it.

The husband, looking a bit pale, said, "Yes, Tootsie Roll, but at the bar
they have those hors d'oeuvres that are really delicious... I won't be long.
I'll be right back. I promise. OK?"

"You want hors d'oeuvres, Poochie Pooh?" She opened the oven and took out 5
dishes of different hors d'oeuvres: chicken wings, pigs in blankets,
mushroom caps, and little quiches.

"But my sweet honey... at the bar.... you know there's swearing, dirty words
and all that..."

"You want dirty words, Cutie Pie? LISTEN UP, CHICKEN SHIT! SIT YOUR ASS DOWN,
SHUT THE HELL UP, DRINK YOUR BEER IN YOUR FROZEN MUG, AND EAT YOUR HORS
D'OEUVRES, BECAUSE YOUR MARRIED ASS AIN'T GOING TO A DAMNED BAR! THAT SHIT IS OVER, GOT IT, JACKASS?"

and...they lived happily ever after.

I was surprised to read on wrestleview.com and rasslinriot.com that Booker T, aka King Booker, quit WWE after being suspended for 60 days. I am not unhappy, however, that he is gone. I was just about sick to death of the King Booker angle, and just as tired on Queen Charmelle. Booker has business interests in Houston, Texas, and also has a couple of wrestling schools. Booker is using TNA talent at his shows in Texas, and it would not surprise me in the least to see him turn up in TNA at some point in the future, when he is out from under his WWE contract and the no-compete clause it is sure to contain.

Shooter Steve posted the following on the message board at hollywoodjimmy.com: "Oh and as for the AWA/SCW debate, it doesn't matter 'cause it will be dead and gone by Christmas. Another money mark without a clue who will lose his ass and get the hell out. Enjoy while you can boys." Well, Steve, all I can say is that I think you are WRONG! Hollywood is booking the show, and he has one of the most creative minds in professional wrestling, even if he is a low down, cheating scoundrel. The group drew 150 Friday night, and 200 Saturday night from what I have read. That is excellent, considering the organization has not been running but a few weeks. This group is going to go a long, long way, and it will only get bigger and better, as long as HJB is involved with it.

That's the way I see things this week.

We are one column closer to the last time The Axeman will speak. When will that be? When the time comes, you will be the first to know.

The Axeman has spoken.

The Axeman Speaks - Sept. 3, 2007

Greetings, wrestling fans! This column will be devoted primarily to WWE and their current shift into "damage control" mode.


Now, I am not condemning any WWE star or former WWE star. Let me make that clear up front. I am sure there are some stars whose names have been mentioned as being part of this situation who feel they are innocent. If that is the case, their innocence will become apparent eventually.


A number of suspensions and several firings have kept the various news boards on the net busy this past week or so. WWE has suspended a number of its stars for wellness policy violations.



Now, until very recently, I considered the WWE wellness policy to be somewhat of a joke. Lots of people did. I actually think some within the WWE organization felt the same way. Frankly, I think the only thing that finally gave the WWE wellness policy come credibility is the recent Congressional investigation started by Rep. Cliff Stearns of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee. WWE was forced into a position of having to do what their wellness policy says they will do. While I am not crazy about a Congressional investigation into wrestling, and I sure don't want any government regulation of wrestling, it did make WWE brass get off their asses and enforce their policy. My greatest fear is that it is too little, too late. Once a Congressional investigation of this nature is started, can any good come out of it? Will the U. S. Congress pass a bunch of asinine laws that will "govern" wrestling? I hope not. We'll see.



The Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee will hold hearings in the near future on steroid use in professional wrestling. This is the same Congressional panel that grilled Bud Selig, Paul Tagliabue and David Stern about performance enhancing drugs in sports two years ago.



On August 30, 2007, WWE issued the following statement: "Based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County, New York, D.A.’s office, WWE has today, under the penalty provisions of its wellness policy, issued suspension notices to 10 of its performers for violations. It has been WWE’s practice not to release the names of those who have been suspended, but notice has been sent to all WWE performers that names of anyone who is suspended under the Wellness Policy as of November 1 will be made public."



These suspensions are likely to be based on proof that WWE stars were using Signature Pharmacy or another Internet prescription type firm. Apparently, this violates WWE wellness policy rules in some way.



In an article by T.J. Quinn of the New York Daily News, the newspaper received a list of wrestlers who were clients of Signature Pharmacy. The names listed were: Randy Orton, Charlie Haas, Adam Copeland (Edge), Robert Huffman (King Booker), Shane Helms (Gregory Helms), Mike Bucci (Simon Dean), Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella), John Hennigan (John Morrison), Darren Matthews (William Regal), Ken Anderson (Mr. Kennedy), and Chavo Guerrero. Three other pro wrestlers employed by WWE, now deceased, were also on the list: Chris Benoit, Brian Adams (Crush), and Eddy Guerrero. It is not completely clear whether all of these wrestlers were the ones suspended by WWE. You can be sure, however, that some of them are on the list.



WWE was made aware of several of the names months ago by a Sports Illustrated investigation. They chose not to suspend the workers then because the time frame concerning their dealings with Signature dated back to before the WWE Wellness Policy was implemented. If this is so, some of the recent suspensions are, to say the least, on shaky ground. I suspect that, due to WWE feeling the heat from the government investigation, WWE felt it had to go ahead with suspensions. If the dealings with Signature occurred after February of '06, WWE had no choice but to suspend.



Since WWE made their announcement on August 30, additional names of WWE stars have been added to the list, including Sylvian Greiner (who was released several weeks ago), Edward Fatu (Umaga), Nick Dinsmore (Eugene), Shoichi Funaki, Dave Bautista (Batista) and Chris Mordetsky (Chris Masters). Mike Bucci and Nick Dinsmore have since been fired by WWE.



Umaga, Morrison, and Kennedy are apparently among those who have been suspended. This became apparent over the weekend during WWE events and tapings. The rest will become obvious within the next few days.



Another name added to the list is Kurt Angle, who is a former WWE star now employed by TNA. What action TNA will take, if any, remains to be seen, although I suspect no action will be taken. Angle's transgressions while in WWE will probably not be considered by TNA. I do not know of any wellness policy in TNA, although there is talk of them having one soon.



Stephanie McMahon and John Laurinaitis met with WWE workers at the Smackdown & ECW taping last week in Cincinnati, OH, to inform them of changes to the WWE Wellness Policy. Those changes are:



WWE will begin testing for marijuana. A positive result will not bring about a suspension, but all positives will be met with a fine of at least $1,000 per offense.



WWE will also start testing for anti-estrogen drugs, which can be taken to offset some of the effects of steroid and HGH use. A positive for any type of anti-estrogen will result in a suspension.



Any new hires by WWE will have to undergo and pass the WWE Wellness test before they are signed to a deal with the company.



Also at the meting at the Smackdown/ECW taping, Stephanie McMahon told all performers that 13 suspensions were handed out in regards to any wrestlers receiving substances from online pharmacies, while two had to do with drug screening failures. WWE has only publicly confirmed 11 suspensions, so either Stephanie told the wrestlers a wrong figure or there are more coming.



Stephanie also reportedly added that Vince McMahon was quote "looking forward to the Congressional hearings" on the sport and to testifying before Congress if called to do so. One source said Stephanie even joked about the matter saying Vince was thinking of going in wearing a clown wig and shoes to make a statement about the hearings. It seems to me that Vince should be taking things a lot more seriously than that.



Batista was overheard asking Stephanie in front of all the wrestlers what could be done legally about his name being involved in recent media reports (mainly Sports Illustrated). He said in front of the entire WWE crew that he had never received anything from the online pharmacy companies. Stephanie told him that was an issue he would have to discuss with personal attorneys. Batista made it clear that he was very upset at Sports Illustrated and other media outlets for reporting his name this week, claiming he had no connection.



At the end of the meeting, Triple H reportedly addressed all wrestlers with a speech saying that he knows many people probably feel they are in a horrible business and are questioning why they would still want to be involved. He "reminded" the wrestlers that they have a "dream job" where they get to make children happy and get to live out their dreams of being involved in a business they all grew up loving. Triple H reportedly said he was proud to be a pro wrestler and that the entire business, not just WWE, was under fire and that it was up to the boys to "stick together and work through it."



This scandal involving Signature has also involved two people (so far) in the NFL. New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Wade Wilson have both admitted to league officials that they received illegal performance enhancing drugs as part of an Internet drug scam. They were both reported to be customers of Signature Pharmacy. Harrison will be suspended for four games, and Wilson will be suspended for five games.



This entire "scandal" is growing bigger and bigger every day. This is already huge for pro wrestling, but I wonder how many other stars in other professional sports will be named before it's all over with. This could be the biggest scandal ever to hit professional sports.



It's not all bad, however. With all the suspensions that have been handed down, some of the under-card guys will get a chance to step up and show what they're made of. That's a good thing for those guys, who otherwise never would get a real push or a chance to showcase their abilities.



Now I am sure some of you have wondered, as I have, how many more WWE stars are using or have used performance enhancing drugs. Who knows... But I am sure there are more... There are a lot more... Sooner or later they, too, will get busted. The stars who have been suspended and/or fired this time are those who have been listed as customers of the on line pharmacy(ies) that has been under investigation, or who have flunked a WWE administered drug test.



In an incident apparently not related to WWE's wellness policy, WWE has released Shad Gaspard and Jayson Paul, better known as Cryme Tyme. The incident took place between Cryme Tyme and Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch at the RAW House Show in Terra Haute, IN yesterday. No additional details are available as of the time this column was sent to the webmaster. Well, there are two more opportunities for someone to step up in WWE.



That's the situation as I see it. I want to emphasize that I gathered information for this column from a number of different sources, and proper credit is given below.

It will be interesting to see how this story continues to unfold over the coming days and weeks.



Credits:
http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/
http://www.wrestleview.com/
http://www.pwinsider.com/
http://www.1wrestling.com/
http://www.wrestlingnewscenter.com/
http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/
http://www.wwe.com/
http://www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/


That's it for this week. One column closer to the last one.



The Axeman has spoken.