Monday, April 11, 2011

The Axeman Speaks 4/11/11 - Goodbye Elite Wrestling!

The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Wrestling News Center, 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. Either way, you're gonna read this, and that's what is important.

Greetings, wrestling fans! I've got some random stuff on my mind, so here it comes!

Most of you have probably read reports of Gail Kim being engaged to Food Network chef Robert Irvine. While it has not been "officially" announced, methinks it is true. However, many sites are reporting that Gail Kim is leaving WWE. I don't think so. WWE would be Ca-razee to let her get away. If the WWE powers that be have any sense, they will start using her right. Their loss would probably be TNA's gain! Of course, it is WWE we're talking about.

Was anyone besides me pissed off at having to watch Drew Carey get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? In the first place, he has made NO contribution to wrestling at all. Oh, I admit he did a little, and I mean little, segment for WWE years ago, but it was completely insignificant. Now he is in the HOF?! BULLSHIT! To make matters worse, WWE showed him being inducted instead of Sunny or Abdullah. I would have much rather seen Sunny inducted. She deserves to be there. Carey does not. There are those who say that the WWE Hall of Fame is a joke. Having Drew Carey in there adds credibility to that argument. As D Rock would say, BAD CALL!

Speaking of the WWE Hall of Fame, Superstar Billy Graham, who was inducted several years ago, wants out. He is pissed that Abdullah the Butcher was inducted. I really feel sorry for Graham. It appears to me that he is simply trying to generate controversy to keep himself somewhat in the spotlight. Frankly, he is just tarnishing whatever legacy he has left. He needs to shut up.

Does Abdullah deserve to be in the WWE Hall of Fame? He never did much, if anything, in WWE. However, several years ago WWE announced that they were expanding their HOF to include those outside WWE who made a significant contribution to wrestling. Since that is the case, I think Abby does deserve to be there. He is considered by many to be the father of hardcore wrestling. He and his fork have definitely made a significant contribution to the wrestling industry.

OK, enough about WWE.

TNA still sucks eggs. So much talent, so much potential, so little results, so little creativity. OK, enough about TNA.

Let's talk about the Elite Wrestling event this past Saturday night in Olive Branch, MS. I was not there. I am glad. From all I have heard and read, that entire show was the disaster of disasters. Of course, it was Izzy Rotten's show, and that should have raised a red flag to begin with. I fail to see how a show, held at a major high school, for the benefit of that school's athletic program, would draw so few paying fans. Was it the ticket price? Was it inadequate publicity? Did the student body & faculty just not give a crap? Probably a combination of all of the above. It's the wrong time of year to be doing a benefit for a high school athletic program. This time of year, all that's on anyone's mind is getting the year over with and getting out for the summer. The best time to do such a show is in the fall, just after school starts, when it is football season & school spirit is at full throttle. Timing - it is everything. The timing was not right. That being said, it does not excuse the fact that Izzy made a lot of promises and did not keep them. I think, in the beginning, Izzy's intentions were good. But good intentions do not get you very far. Izzy was ill-prepared financially, and in just about every other way, to promote a wrestling show. To give the workers and everyone else the shaft the way he did is inexcusable. Izzy says he is done with wrestling. Good. I hope he means it, for his sake as well as what is left of the wrestling business in the Mid-South.

That's all for now. Another column will be forthcoming when I have something else I want to talk about. If you have any feedback, send it to axemanchopchop@yahoo.com. All feedback, positive or negative, is welcome.

The Axeman has spoken.