The Wrestling Observer has more on the Austin Starr suspension story. He was asked to come to the studio in Orlando on the 16th April to film some vignettes. This was the day between Lockdown and the TV tapings and, as he had a time-share for an expected day-off on what was his birthday weekend, he asked if they could do it the following day at the tapings instead. This irritated people as they were working on vignettes that were aimed at getting him over, with the writing team and Bob Backlund all coming in on their day off too. He did agree to come in and film them but by that point they had been scrapped and he had been suspended.
Meltzer notes the suspension ends on the 17th July, which is around the same time that his one-year contract ends. It has an option for two more years but TNA are negative about keeping him at the moment. He will be working his indie bookings, including ROH shows in Japan, and has been given permission to do a Dragon Gate tour as well, even though it means missing a TNA PPV date.
Also, morale among the crew remains low due to the company no longer paying for hotel rooms or transportation whilst in Orlando. Top-level workers can either afford it or have it in their contracts, yet bottom-level guys earning around $400 per TV appearance cannot. TNA argues that WWE do not pay for such things either, yet of course the WWE workers earn a lot more.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, April 30, 2007 (click here for subscription info)
