We thought we would put up Lisa Marie Varon’s announcement on MySpace for the readers.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Retirement? Not even close….
Hey Gang!!!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog. I’m more into the daily updates. But the following is too long for an update.

It appears that I’m winding down at TNA. Unfortunately some organizations “leak” information to wrestling websites to put their spin on a situation, to make sure they come out in the best light. Not me. I’m gonna say it. I’m gonna put my name on it. And I’m going to stand behind it.

I came to TNA last year because I still had a lot of wrestling left in me. I was paid a fraction of what I thought I deserved. But I wanted to show I was still at the top of my game. Now my contract is up in May. I want a modest pay increase. They don’t want to pay me what I think is fair. I have no problem going my own way.

But about 12 hours after the conversation where we didn’t agree on pay, unnamed sources claim that I am hard to work with and that I don’t give my best effort. My only response is that TNA made an aggressive effort to re-sign me, among other things saying that they want to build the women’s division around me. And I think wrestling fans see, both on TV and at live events, that I always give 100%. I take pride in that. Smearing me on the way out the door is an act of second rate character.

I take pride in making my best effort to elevate my own wrestling and the entire TNA Women’s Division. If people were rubbed the wrong way in the process, I stand behind my work and my positive intentions.

In closing I will say this. In the few weeks that I have left in TNA, I will be the same wrestler that you have seen for the past ten years. After that, I haven’t decided if I will stay in wrestling, or finally make the jump to MMA. I do have a lot of irons in the fire. We’ll see where life takes me. But wherever that is, there’s gonna be competition, and I’m gonna give it my all.

Thanks For All Your Support!!!

Later Taters, Lisa Marie Varon : )

Congratulations to Beth Phoenix for becoming a 3-time Women’s Champion this Sunday at the WWE PPV Extreme Rules! Nice to see the Women’s Championship belt change hands in a match, versus a gameshow…

This match features Kelly Kelly’s debute on Smackdown and I gotta point this out- Michelle McCool worked with Kelly Kelly to get her over. I repeat, McCool got another Diva over. Hell froze over. And she sold Kelly Kelly’s moveset. Mind boggling.

Michelle McCool may be having a tough time getting over with the crowd, but she is working hard- with great physicality in the ring, and some great ideas to bring as much content to the Diva’s short time slot as she can. The T-shirts are great. Michelle and Layla, with Vickie Guerrero at the ringside- is a great Diva stable. Yup, I admit it, I like what McCool brings to the table.

Beth as a face on Smackdown is kinda creepy. I mean, the Glamazon can lift me over her head in a clean jerk and she’s got that plastic smile plastered over her features. What dork backstage insisted she had to smile like a stepford wife?

WWE Divas Jillian and Gail had a really good match on Superstars this week. Lillian spent most of the match throwing Gail around, until Gail moved out of the way of a spear and Jillian put her shoulder into the ringpost, giving Gail the opportunity she needed to finish Jillian with her signature move, “Eat Defeat.” You can hear the crowd calling out the three count at the end, which is great. Good to see the crowd enjoyed the match.

In the wake of the shock release of six-time champion WWE Diva Mickie James, there are a few rumours going around in regards to the reason for Mickie’s ‘future endevour.’

Rumours circulating cite sources that claim that Mickie James’ behaviour backstage led to her release from the company. PW Torch claims are that Mickie James’ had a bad attitude and would act like a ‘true diva.’ Another story circulating is that James was partying late into the night on the European tour and held up the tour buses on several occasions. The apparent sources reported feeling backstage is that with Mickie’s health scare (a sever infection in the knee that poisoned her blood and could have cost her leg) and several incidents that drew heat on her over the year, Mickie should have been keeping her head down.

Mickie James’ thank you twitter to her fans didn’t show any signs of a ‘true diva.’ “Awe… Thank you James Gang! I just want to say its been a beautiful journey… Wwe has been a childhood dream come true & I have loved every step… There is not a moment I would change for the world… It breaks my heart but the world doesn’t stop turning.. I’m grateful for all my friends, family, loved ones, and fans who have supported me along this wonderful ride. To all the guys and gals I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the ring with… We made some magic! History… Memories to last a lifetime… Thank you… I love you all with all my heart! Every chapter has its close… The next one Is only gonna get better… I promise you that! =) One truly never knows what tomorrow may hold… That’s why we embrace every moment… In love & joy! The James Gang Rides! Even stronger than before…. To Victory! Haha…. On ward & upward! Much Love…. Muah! JG4L…… MJ”

PW Torch’s story is equally called to account by John Canton’s emotional guest blog on diva-dirt, in which he paints an entirely different picture of Mickie James as a very down to earth and professional wrestler who carried ridiculous storylines with class and professionalism. ‘What about Piggy James? Dear God, what a stupid idea for an angle. Mickie’s not fat. Never was. Never has been. A woman that’s 5′2″ and weighs 125 pounds is not fat…The amazing thing is it worked because the performers were good. Michelle and Layla worked well in their roles… aside from having to hear Michelle sing! You think one of the less talented Divas could pull off what MJ did? I don’t. Mickie carried it with the way she makes her comebacks, her strong promos and the way she showed her emotions when the time was right for it. How many wrestlers do you think are good enough actors to cry when they have to?…In closing, I know Mickie will be fine. She’s one of the most positive people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I’m not really sure if she’ll ever come back to WWE, end up in TNA or never wrestle again. I don’t think even she knows right now. Personally, I hope she continues to wrestle somewhere just because she’s damn good at it. She loves it too. I know she does. She’s told me…For now her focus is on her country music career, which is where it should be. It’s not easy to get an album produced. She has one. She needs to put every ounce of energy into make that work.’ It’s a good article, check it out at Diva-dirt.

The best source for what happened is Mickie James herself, of course.

If you ask former WWE Diva Mickie James why she was released, her reply is that she isn’t aware of a specific reason. Mickie was interviewed recently by Mauro Ranallo on the Fight Show and said WWE gave her the line about it being a creative issue with roster changes prior to the Draft.

“Honestly, I know just as much about it as you know, I don’t know if it was just creatively or changing of the Divas division. I’m a professional at the end of the day and I’m not going to let this keep me down. I can never say I would never go back to WWE and I have nothing but good things to say from my time there.”

Mickie said her focus now will be on promoting her new “Strangers & Angels” album coming out May 18.

That doesn’t mean Mickie is done with wrestling, as she feels she worked hard to get to her position working for WWE. “I think pro wrestling is one of those things where it stays in your blood. I had that connection with the fans that very few people had. It’s hard to get that connection with the fans, especially as a woman, when there are so many women filtering in all the time. … To just walk away from the wrestling business totally is something I would have to really think about.” You can listen to Mickie’s interview at hardcoresportsradio.com.

TMZ is reporting that former WWE wrestler Chyna is allegedly under investigation for her role in a violent altercation in Los Angeles. No arrests have been made regarding the incident, and Chyna has yet to comment on the charges.

TMZ sources claim the accuser, Gabriela Targos, said that the situation became so intense that she felt her life was in danger. According to the TMZ report, the Los Angeles Police Department is looking into claims that on April 24, Joanie Laurer aka Chyna asked Targos to meet up at a motel. Upon Targos’ arrival, the wrestling pro and former ‘Surreal Life’ and ‘Celebrity Rehab’ star “immediately snapped and began attacking her for no reason.”

TMZ reports that Chyna, 39, allegedly punched Targos, beat her with a wire hanger, dragged her by her hair and threatened her life. The incident came to an end when Targos escaped the motel room, ran down the street and flagged down police officers.

Jim Ross blogged on the incident, saying, ‘Too bad to hear about Joanie ‘Chyna’ Lauer having some apparent legal problems in southern California. I don’t know the complete story regarding this matter but if, for some reason, Joanie needs help with any on going issues I would suggest that she reach out to WWE and ask for assistance. WWE helping their alumni is a wonderful thing and providing this care isn’t a inexpensive gesture. ‘

Lisa Marie Varon and TNA have failed to come to terms over a modest increase in wages and Lisa has given her fans her two week notice on MySpace. TNA has been adament about not increasing the wages for the Knockouts, who also happen to be their top draw. Awesome Kong left, Sarita and Wilde are rumoured to be planning on leaving as well. Our favorite energizer bunny, Christy Hemme, meanwhile has apparently had her wage increased to triple what her other- wrestling- padres are earning. What reason does Lisa Marie Varon really have to stick around?

TNA is not doing well in the ratings. This Monday’s TNA iMPACT! scored an 0.50 cable rating with 739,000 viewers.

This is not yet the end of the world for TNA. Every wrestling promotion has these dark days in which the promotion struggles to find the right story and right wrestler to connect with their audience and fill the seats. The story goes, ‘one day someone walks out and does something that gets over with the audience and the promotion’s owner hears the crowd cheer- or boo- and he realises they’ve found the next Big Thing.’ The angle, and the wrestlers involved, is worked to death. The promotion finds its stride, its identity, and its followers for a time. And the savvy owner is always looking for the next Big Thing after this Big Thing runs its course…and that’s how a wrestling company stays afloat. Sometimes every promotion has to be kissed by the angle of death in its darkest hours before it can find the next Big Thing. Sometimes the threat of impending doom is needed to force the promoter to take a reality check. Promoters with egos think they know what the fans want better than the fans themselves. TNA’s bound to get its reality check before the money runs out.

Unless the next Big Thing involves a girl wrestling.

TNA is apparently filled with egos fixated on ‘what ought to be’ over the reality of ‘what is.’ To paraphrase Eric Bischoff, if the audience isn’t connecting with the product, it’s because the audience are idiots. So what? PT Barnum would have been tap dancing in the back to discover he’s got a room full of suckers to hock his wares to. There are terrible ideas as to what TNA needs floating around in the back of this promotion, being pushed by people whose egos exceed their business savvy. The emperor has no clothes, and all messengers- even the paying messengers in the audience- are being shot.

Here’s what everyone but the management in TNA realise:

Fact: TNA management scurries to hire every future endeavoured WWE talent.

Fact: TNA promotes every geriatric, overexposed piece of WWE-kissed product they overpay to acquire over their own talent.

Assertion: TNA management thinks that the WWE product is better than their own product.

Quote: “Every battle is won before it is fought.” – Sun Tzu

Assertion: TNA cannot win head-to-head with a company that is bigger and better than they are. TNA management cannot even assert that they thought they had something better and were proven wrong. They knew they were outgunned going into the fight.

Conclusion: TNA lost this battle before they shifted to Monday nights.

Assertion: TNA has absolutely no logical reason to go head-to-head with a company that is bigger and better than they are at this time.

Conclusion: TNA management is absolutely delusional.

(We’re going someplace with this)

Fact: TNA top draw is consistently the Knockouts.

Fact: TNA management isn’t willing to pay for their women wrestlers.

Fact: TNA management believes that their labour budget should be used to hire outsourced WWE talent.

Conjecture: TNA management, being delusional, refuse to believe that people want to The Knockouts product- fit women who can wrestle and just happen to be sexy because they’re fit- over washed-out WWE talent.

Fact: TNA is using the Knockouts for sex appeal with the thinking that cleavage and tummy will get the target audience to tune in, and then the WWE talent can step in and hold the audience’s attention.

Fact: This strategy doesn’t work. The cable ratings plunge after the focus is off the Knockouts.

Conclusion: TNA is totally ruining The Knockouts division in their efforts to cram ex-WWE talent down the throats of their fans.

Okay, we can go on here. But, why bother?

We’re fans of female wrestling because of the total women wrestler package. Fit women are sexy, athletic women are sexy, but we’re fans because women wrestlers who can cut a promo are entertaining; women wrestlers who can wrestle are entertaining! The coolest women wrestlers project confidence, power and danger to the audience. That’s actually part of the fun. Forcing women to flaunt it in front of a crowd to get people to pay attention is exploitive, creepy and weak. Whatever happened to girl power? We’re fans of the total package and we want The Knockouts to be entertaining, sexy and we want them to kick butt!

The way TNA is using the Knockouts is a far cry from the Awesome Kong and Gail Kim feud back in 2008. The product has lost its way.

So, to wrap this up: Lisa, you’re talented, beautiful and sexy. You have a good mind for business, too. You came to TNA to wrestle in a good women’s division and that opportunity isn’t there anymore.

Why not start your own promotion?

You’re looking for a vehicle for a reality show? Hook up with Trish Stratus, Stacy Keibler, Lilian Garcia, and Mike Adamle and build your own division. Get talent like Cheerleader Melissa, Dark Angel, Hamada, Daffney, Taylor Wilde, and Amazing Kong on board. Go on an extended tour of North America, Mexico and Japan and produce the show on the road. Use a documentary/reality show style between matches and you’ll create a great product on a shoe string budget. Keep the roster small because you’ll have talent to use and showcase everywhere you go. You can feature different women wrestlers from different regions each episode, and build entire episodes AROUND women wrestlers like MsChif, Sara Del Ray, and LuFisto. Watch season 1 of ‘Lost’ and build back stories leading up to every match (one weekend show could unravel over several episodes). Have fun mixing kayfabe and straight shoots. Have fun being in control of the creative process for once. There are so many great stories deserving to be documented in women’s wrestling. This would be an amazing reality show.

The other option is for women wrestlers like yourself to always be stuck trying to prove yourself to washed-up, delusional chauvinists that you’re a top draw. If TNA management didn’t get it after years of the Knockouts getting top ratings, they’ll never get it. So, forget them. Take the bull by the horns yourself and your destiny into your own hands.

TNA managment is demonstrating a lack of business sense. We are writing about how TNA’s handling Bubba the Love Sponge comments regarding aid to Haiti have led to Awesome Kong asking for her release from TNA. It would seem that Hogan bringing in his long-time friend Bubba the Love Sponge to use his controversial style to generate controversy and publicity for TNA has backfired on the company. The experiment is over and Bubba should be sent packing down the road and we are blown away that TNA’s management hasn’t grasped this yet.

“I say (expletive) Haiti,” Bubba commented on his Twitter account. “Why do we have to take care of everybody (when) our country is in shambles?”

These remarks came out as the full scale of the disastrous earthquake that struck Haiti became known. While the world scrambled to get aid to Haitians to head off a historical disaster, Bubba thought it reasonable to express in Twitter how he believed many Americans felt about Haiti.

Bubba later made an apology, to try to head off a backlash, stating, “Sometimes you say things that you can’t take back. So I’m man enough now to say I’m sorry for those I offended.”

Then Bubba’s remarks took a swerve from the controversial right into the ‘say, what?’ territory. The disc jockey then claimed his statements on radio were misconstrued. Bubba maintained that efforts to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti were misguided and that the funds might be better spent in this country. Now, ready for this?

“Maybe this is actually a good thing,” Bubba the Love Sponge said live on his show. “Here’s the thing, we would all agree that Haiti is just in shambles, it’s just a horrible country, it’s just dirt, it’s poverty stricken, they need a cleansing, maybe a half a million Haitians that will end up not being around tomorrow … It’s a cleanse.”

Then Bubba tries to play the victim in this situation. “I shoot hard from the hip and Mrs. Carter (although I have tons of respect for her) has never had a guy that is as outrageous as I am. And what does my Haiti comments have to do with TNA wrestling? I didn’t say them on Dixie’s air … Some people can’t handle the truth.”

Bubba, did you just endorse an ethnic cleansing of the Haitian people right on your friggin’ radio station? And you think this isn’t TNA’s business?

We suggest you cancel any trips planned for Canada, Bubba. Canada actually treats remarks like that as a hate crime. ‘In Section 319 the Code punishes anyone who “advocates or promotes genocide” with genocide defined to require that acts be committed “with intent to destroy in whole or in part any identifiable group”. “Identifiable group” is defined as “any section of the public distinguished by skin color, racial group, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” Civil remedies are also available in Canada for discriminatory acts (Wikipedia).’ We thought it would be nice to point out the last line there for any Canadian-Haitians who find Bubba’s opinion less than reasonable. As Bubba’s show has reach into Canada, he’s not as immune from civil action for remarks that can be construed as a hate crime as he thinks he is.

Then Kong, who’s be driving hard all last week to raise funds for Haiti emergency relief in the wrestling community goes to confront Bubba backstage for his remarks and winds up beating the hell out of the shock jock. This looked so bad professionally for Kong and that lack of control must have been humbling and devastating for someone who had worked so hard to save the lives of Haitians victimized by the earthquake.

What’s amazing is that TNA has not fired Bubba for his remarks. Sure, he got grief from the company backstage leading to his whining that TNA is no longer fun, but essentially he got away with his twitter. His explanation for what he was thinking is completely unacceptable. We cannot fathom that anyone in TNA would accept that his remarks were on his show and therefore did not reflect badly on TNA.

By not responding to Bubba’s remarks, TNA has effectively endorsed that the humanitarian disaster in Haiti might be for the best because it will lead to a good ‘cleansing’ of the black nation of Haiti. Doesn’t TNA have any friggin’ lawyers watching out for them?

TNA president Dixie Carter has stated otherwise on TNA’s Web site. “The photos and video from Haiti are tragic. We want to help. We have to help. The money raised at The Impact Zone is just a start of TNA’s plan to help the country of Haiti.” Fine, Dixie, but your shock-jock backstage interviewer thinks that Haiti needs an ethnic cleansing. And the public face of your company completely supports Bubba.

Hulk Hogan goes on Bubba’s show and backs up his good buddy Bubba. Hulk states that Awesome Kong should have been fired on the spot for attempting to knock sense into Bubba. Next thing, Hogan is blaming Bischoff for getting Kong worked up and is essentially trying to create a wrestling angle out of the incident. Even Bubba is smart enough to steer clear of a wrestling angle with Kong. Hogan, we cannot even begin to explain just how badly you botched this one.

We have to say more on Awesome Kong, who posted a comment on Twitter explaining her reasoning for the way she handled Bubba.

“Kongfucious says: Sometimes you must feed someone a fist to make them eat their own words.”

Both Bubba and Kong were sent home from the tapings following the altercation. Kong faced no discipline for attacking Bubba and returned to the tapings the next day to tape a match for iMPACT. The TNA locker room is reportedly in support of Kong.

However, the altercation backstage is apparently the final straw for Kong being in TNA. The Wrestling Globe Newsletter’s Mike Aldren reported more on Kong. Mike Aldren quotes from a source, “Kong is really disappointed in the fact that this company that once had class has turned into a paranoid backstabbing contest because people in management are too worried about keeping their jobs to really voice their opinions or represent the talent appropriately. They sold all the talent that they were a team [before Hogan/Bischoff arrived]… but then moved forward without rewarding anyone, and benched half of the original roster on top of that.” Kong cited a lack of sleep, mostly from fundraising all weekend raising funds for the victims of the earthquake and was also dealing with the loss of her mentor, wrestling promoter Ed Chuman. Kong reportedly said she meant to talk to Bubba, but delirium took over and she ended up smacking Bubba. One of Kong’s friends also noted to us that she is furious with Bubba for ripping her on Howard Stern, and for attempting to make an angle out of the situation on his own radio show. She is now back at home pondering her future. She was originally booked for the upcoming European tour but won’t be making those dates any more. (Source: the Wrestling Globe newsletter)

We’ve been in absolute shock watching this story unfold over the last week. It’s going on six days now and TNA still hasn’t woken up to the very public stance they’ve taken in regards to Bubba the Love Sponge’s very public remarks regarding Haiti. Hulk Hogan is the face of TNA and Hogan was on Bubba’s show backing up his buddy Bubba who has now gone on record twice as being in support of letting the earthquake in Haiti ‘cleanse’ the populace of Haitians. TNA hasn’t done anything public yet to distance themselves from Bubba’s remarks and that’s the same as letting the remarks stick to the company.

TNA is courting Spike TV officials to consider giving the company a permanent Monday night time slot. The argument is that that the team that gained so many ratings for Turner Broadcasting ten years ago on Monday nights is together again on TNA and this time, they can win the Monday Night war. Eric Bischoff thinks that if Turner Broadcasting hadn’t cut him off at the knees ten years ago, he would have beat Vince McMahon. Maybe, but what Eric should have realized with ten years of experience is that broadcasting companies may want ratings, but deep down inside, even television producers have scruples (Maybe Tina Fey will pick up on this observation and use it for fodder on 30 Rock). The fight got too dirty for Turner Broadcasting and they backed out. Now, two weeks into January, TNA is showing the same scruples that lost WCW its backing on public television. TNA is at a place in their growth where they have to demonstrate an ability to act professionally on the big stage at all times…or TNA is simply going to disappear. If Dixie Carter cannot keep her talent from publically associating the company as- of all crazy things- being in favor of ethnic cleansing, does she seriously think Spike TV officials are going to gamble on TNA?

We didn’t get to see Angelina return on Monday’s live TNA Impact, but we’ll finally see Angelina back in the TNA fold tonight, after her being dismissed from the company due to a work Visa issue (We thought immigration would eventually see the light and give Angelina a ‘exceptional ability’ green card).

What has Lauren Williams, aka TNA knockout and pivot of The Beautiful People been doing since her unexpected termination? Apparently, hitting the gym and working out some junk in the trunk! Angelina is buff in this picture from Tuesday’s tapings that is circulating around the internet. Angelina is buff like she’s ready for the Miss Fitness competition, or ready to kick some booty.

One of the biggest draws for TNA on Monday was the TBF playing strip poker, with one segment bringing in 500,000 viewers who immediately bailed after the segment. So, TBP are a draw for TNA and you can expect the Knockout’s heel stable to continue to be featured in ridiculous ratings drawing segments that continue to poke fun at bra and panties matches, mud wrestling, or backstage segments designed to draw in young males. For all the work TNA Knockouts have done to differentiate themselves from WWE’s Divas and present women as competitive athletes and characters in wrestling, their top draw is TBP following the ’sex sells’ marketing plan over in WWE. TBP are a pivotal part of the Knockouts marketing strategy, as TNA can both feature everying that draws in young male WWE fans, while differentiating their Knockouts division from the WWE Divas. In marketing terms, TNA’s found a way to stradle two opposing market segments. We think that’s friggin’ brilliant and so we’re all for TNA to continue to push this angle! Thank you, Kevin Nash!

Kelly Kelly has a smoking smile

We thought it would be fun to post up a jigsaw puzzle of WWE Diva Kelly Kelly! Have fun with it and leave a comment about your best time to beat!

WWE started Summerslam on RAW with two title defences, including Mickey James defending against #1 Contender Gail Kim.

Gail Kim and Mickey James put on a great back and forth with each Diva at times mirroring each other’s moves. The end came when Gail went for a cross body on Mickey that Mickey rolled under. Gail landed hard on her jaw and was basically out of it. Mickey attempted to DDT a dazed Gail Kim only to have Gail counter the DDT on instinct. Mickey’s follow up with a lose spinning leg kick and an elbow toppled Gail backwards onto the mat. It took Mickey a moment to realise Gail wasn’t getting back up before Mickey covered Gail Kim for a three count.

After the match, Mickey helped Gail stand and when she still wasn’t responding, Mickey lifted Gail’s hand with her’s to the crowd.

It looks like Gail really was knocked senseless by the crossbody and we’re hoping she’s alright. Both Mickey and Gail were feeling each other out throughout this rushed 3:30 title defense and we think both girls could put on one hell of a program against each other.

While some people refer to Mickey’s ending elbow as the ELBOW of doom, we seriously think Mickey could have bowled Gail over with the FINGERPOKE of doom at the end. Great match, tough ending and a tough crowd still punch drunk from the return of DX and the beatdown by Legacy.

Good match, Divas, and we seriously hope Gail Kim’s allright.