Samoa Joe Shoots On Scott Hall’s No-Show.
Oh Samoa Joe, you’re funny. So it’s time to explain the circumstances. Scott Hall, the dude who was meant to be the 3rd member of Samoa Joe’s team (with Nash) to take on Angle and his team, decided he had food poisoning and wouldn’t be attending. So TNA asked Joe before the main event match to provide damage limitation and announce Eric Young as the third man on their team.
Samoa Joe decided he hated that idea. He was SO annoyed by Hall’s no-show, he told everyone Hall had turned his backs on the wrestlers and the fans who paid for a ticket. Nash already looked like he didn’t want to be there before Joe made his entrance, but he was even more pissed off during and afterwards.
Joe didn’t just blast Hall, he blasted TNA management, the “superstars” who only came to TNA for the paycheck, the “old guys” (referring to Nash) who probably didn’t deserve a spot over the young TNA talent. Joe put the whole X-Division over, Motor City Machine Guns, Jay Lethal, basically anyone who wasn’t a former WWE superstar who was only there because WWE didn’t want them.
And that’s what Samoa Joe used to be, someone who told the truth and told it as it is. Like Heyman, Piper, or anyone who’s ever cut a true shoot promo, Samoa Joe used to be one of those guys .. until this happened.
During the shoot, Joe talked to Dixie, who seemed to be angry with Joe for taking far too much time (apparently ran five minutes longer than he should have), so he told her “fire me, I don’t care”, which was clear confirmation of Joe’s emotions getting the better of him; he really wanted to tell the fans what happened, even at the expense of his own career.
Following the PPV, Nash and Joe had a real-life heated backstage altercation which forced TNA to call a meeting the following day. It was said that if anyone was unhappy and wanted out of their contracts they could; only Senshi (Low-Ki) decided to leave. (No idea why, but it could have had something to do with the X-Division comment)
Samoa Joe apologized for his outburst during the meeting, and he remained employed with TNA Wrestling for many more years, however, his career never recovered. Samoa Joe was a monster before 2007, winning the World Championship from Kurt Angle at Lockdown, but after this incident, he was used as a high mid-carder until he left the company early this year.
Apparently Nash was more upset about this because he knew Hall had his problems with alcohol and drugs, and he felt it was disrespectful for Joe to kick his friend while he’s down. Joe cared more about the young TNA roster than the old WWF “Chico” guy who was simply too old to be relevant anymore. To Nash, Joe was being insensitive, and going into business for himself.
It was a perfect example of TNA using former superstars over the TNA originals. Samoa Joe, representing TNA and all the guys who had their first TV contract in TNA .. he was their voice (remind you of anyone? CM Punk) because they didn’t have a platform to speak up for themselves, and he spoke up for them at the expense of Hall, Nash, and TNA management. Was he right? Or was he wrong? You decide.
The Undertaker Cutting A Worked Shoot Promo
Back in 1998, The Attitude Era was in full swing, and creative was happily trundling on with the team of Vince McMahon and Vince Russo. The duo were really successful, as they turned WWF around from a struggling promotion, to beating WCW in the ratings war.
Russo loved his crash TV, and he loved controversy, so how do you take The Undertaker, a character which hadn’t changed much since he stepped through the doors a decade ago, and make him fresh to the audience? Humanize him for five minutes.
Have him go out there with a microphone, wearing regular clothing, making real points about his career which anyone could agree with, showing The Undertaker to be a regular human being like the rest of us, with goals, aspirations, and frustration anyone could relate to after many years of loyalty with no signs of promotion.
They wanted the fans to relate to The Undertaker on a personal level, and the fans responded by booing the hell out of Vince McMahon when he showed up. Again, this is not a shoot promo, it was a promo designed to sound real. The Undertaker’s always been an absolute professional.
Paul Heyman Delivering The Greatest Promo Ever
Thank You Paul! Thank You Paul!
If you have never seen ECW One Night Stand 2005, SHAME ON YOU! ECW One Night Stand 2005 is the best PPV of all time (imo), and not just because of the wrestling matches, but because the promos were incredibly exciting and real. If you’re a wrestling fan, find ECW One Night Stand 2005 right now! Seriously .. I’m not kidding.
I have no idea whether this promo was worked or not. I have a feeling that the Raw/Smackdown guys had an idea that Heyman was going to insult them, but judging by the reactions, the “Invaders” didn’t know how far he would go. Heyman leaves no prisoners in what I regard as the greatest promo ever. I have never seen raw emotion like this, before or after; Heyman came close to crying before he could get a word out.
Heyman was given one last chance to tribute his old company and show the world what ECW was truly about. Yes, the company went bankrupt, possibly because of Heyman’s accounting, but the mentality behind ECW still remains to this day. Whenever I see Heyman, I think of the day he “smoked a joint in the back with RVD“, then, as Austin put it later in the night, “ran you guys down like I never seen anyone been run down“. Even Stone Cold Steve Austin was blown away by Heyman’s promo, and no matter how many times I watch it, I will always appreciate it.
“This isn’t WCW, This isn’t Monday Night Raw, this isn’t Smackdown, hell, this isn’t even WWE .. this my friends .. is E — C — FUCKING — W!”
