Angle, Russo, Bret, Trish, Konnan Updates

News

The Sting/Abyss match at Genesis suffered from a botched finish. The call to DQ Sting was meant to come after he had thrown referee Rudy Charles into the barbed wire pit with Abyss. Instead, the DQ came after Sting had merely shoved the referee.

Further to earlier reports, the Angle/Joe match at Genesis was originally set to go for at least 25:00, possibly 30:00 if Angle felt it necessary. Instead, Angle called to go home early and the match finished some 10 minutes short. Angle had told Joe about a spot in which he would hit ten German suplexes in a row, yet he couldn’t pull off the third one, didn’t try a fourth and basically went straight to the finish after that. Backstage, the positive initial reaction to Angle has dwindled. As with what happened in ECW, the other wrestlers are getting increasingly tired of his constant suggestions, comments and critiques, particularly as he usually makes sure to refer to himself as the greatest wrestler of all time whilst putting them down. He also makes regular claims about how he will be running the company one day. Jeff Jarrett is still supporting Angle but his erratic behaviour is certainly doing him no favours with his co-workers.

The reaction to Vince Russo’s first few weeks back in TNA is pretty much as expected. Those who liked him still do, those who felt he was unsuitable for the job haven’t changed their minds. The X Division guys are said to feel particularly negative about him.

Scott Steiner is not expected to be back anytime soon.

Raven’s new ‘flock’ will be called Serotonin.

TNA was fined $225 for the fire that happened during the 8/13 PPV. OSHA conducted an investigation of the Universal Studios in response to the incident and found they lacked an adequate emergency action plan. Now TNA is required to use specific designated individuals to have portable fire extinguishers.

Konnan is going to get his hip replacement done after the December PPV.

Bret Hart’s autobiography will be published by Random House in Canada in the fall of 2007.

Trish Stratus’ reality TV show will be produced by CBS and started filming on 11/26. Stratus and the other celebrities involved, including Jack Osbourne, Erik Estrada, Jason Acuna and perhaps LaToya Jackson, will be working as police officers in Muncie, IN. They all had to take a fitness test on the first day that involved doing 25 push-ups, 30 sit-ups in a minute and running 1.5 miles in under 16:28, which is the same test the Muncie officiers have to pass. Jackson, in her fifties, was the only one who failed and might not be used. The celebrities will carry guns on duty, never answer emergency calls on their own, and be required to pass the same standards as other reserve officers. They will also need 40 hours of basic training in firearms and defensive tactics.

Credit: Wrestling Observer newsletter (click here for subscription information)