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Odd news bit from the August 3rd Observer:

Wade's probably just being fed bad info, either deliberately being worked or just listening to the wrong people. Dave's a lot more clued into The Rock's mindset and he's not talked about any real life heat or friction with Cena.

21 times in 1998, which is a pretty decent number given (i) no matches in January, and (ii) no matches after 12/7. In fact, just one match until 3/2 and just one match after 11/16. 18 matches in between those two dates. 19 times in 1999. Just once in Feb, and was done in the first week of November due to the injury. Not a massive impact of SmackDown on that number as it only was just starting when he went out. I would be surprised if any "anchor" wrestler in the WWF had wrestled on TV 20 times in a year prior to 1998. That's setting aside stuff that aired on MSG/Spectrum/NESN/Z Channel, and just counting stuff like the syndication, USA Network, SNME and The Main Event. Doubt Shawn worked that much on TV in 1996, Nash in 1995, Shawn or Bret in 1997, Bret in 1993-94, Hogan in 1991, Warrior in 1990, Hogan in 1989, Savage in 1988, Hogan in 1984-88, etc. I think we could say Austin was there at the change. The change came earlier, Shawn had 21 matches in 1996 despite not wresting on TV after Survivor Series. The pace picked up due to the Monday Night Wars, as from July to November, Shawn was wrestling on Raw twice a month.

Yeah, it sounds strange, but maybe it wasn't so advanced that he needed daily care. Either that or he couldn't afford it.

Dave Meltzer has spoken to the coroner and he died of arteriosclerotic heart disease. He had donated his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute, but it was too badly decomposed to analyse. Same goes for his other organs, so we will never know whether they were enlarged or not. A time of death couldn't be established, but it sounds like he had been dead for a few days before being discovered. The only positive note is that it wasn't a drug death. So tragic to be left undiscovered for so long.

The gimmick sucked. It also didn't help that he largely worked with limited wrestlers that couldn't carry him. It would have been interesting to see what Bret or Shawn could have got out of him.

Hillbilly Jim, full details here: http://www.cagesideseats.com/2012/2/28/283...e-legends-house

They've got no business model. After the weekly PPV concept inevitably failed, the goal was always to build the company up to the point where it could go head to head with WWE on Monday nights. That was equally disastrous, which left them up shit creek without a paddle.

Another fireworks accident?

Also complicating the narrative is that Spike TV were pushing Dixie to bring Paul Heyman into TNA in 2010. Hogan and Bischoff have got the inside track, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone like Heyman would try to throw a spanner into the works.

It really makes sense on the Carters end too, as TNA are just bleeding money at this point with no hope of a turnaround.

Dixie's the Boss, Panda Energy are the owners but Spike does pay for a significant portion of the production cost & kicks in money for some of the higher priced talent like Sting & Hogan. I forget which but Meltzer or Alvarez or someone on the Observer site always puts forth the theory that Spike's support is at this point the only thing keeping the company afloat so that's why TNA puts so much effort into trying to get/maintain ratings instead of doing more to increase PPV buys, house show attendance, merch sales, etc... Who was the boss in WCW? Even though Dixie is the figurehead of the company, her real power has declined in the last couple of years. Her mother, Janice Carter, now controls the pursestrings of the company after Dixie overspent to compete head on with WWE and Spike TV now deals with Bischoff more than Dixie after they lost faith in her when she couldn't deliver the star power she promised in January 2011 (Nash and Booker returning to WWE instead of TNA). Russo taking his ball and going home is the latest example that she's lost her grip on power and the inmates are running the asylum.

Raven wasn't really given much of a shot in his last WWF run.

For better or worse, Russo is "her guy". Do you allow your closest ally to be kicked to the kerb when you've got snakes like Hogan, Bischoff and Prichard around? Russo being gone will weaken Dixie's hold on power within the promotion's hierarchy, so it's in her interests to keep him around.

Russo may not be gone. Dave is speculating that nothing has been said officially because Russo walked out and Dixie is trying to entice him back.

Not really, Vince was clearly supposed to be the babyface in that feud.

Mark Madden posted this on Twitter: It's worth noting that Bischoff has Spike TV's ear.

Luger was at the post SummerSlam TV tapings, but didn't feature heavily in them, mainly working dark matches. As they had a couple of weeks of TV in the can, his Superstars interview wasn't set to air until after he appeared on Nitro, so they pulled the segment from ever airing. Regarding the what if regarding Shawn, by Survivor Series '97 he was already heavily banged up with a serious pill problem and wouldn't have taken too kindly to being usurped once again as the top star in the promotion by Austin. It's hard to see him not flaking out in 1998 even if he didn't get his career threatening back injury in the casket match with The Undertaker.

I just listened to the body dysmorphia podcast today and think you both did a good job covering most of the bases. I would clarify that on the WWE's board of doctors there is a sports psychiatrist and a life skills consultant, so there are people that WWE performers could consult on such issues, but I doubt many use the former for fear of Vince McMahon getting wind of it. Also, one interesting tangent not touched upon is how some performers in the past were encouraged to get fatter (most notably Yokozuna before his weight got completely out of control, but also women like Bull Nakano and Aja Kong) to portray more of a monster in the ring. Also, lots of bulky guys (most notably Johnny Grunge and Umaga) took steroids and HGH due to peer pressure and to look more cut, not to mention all the reformed drug addicts who felt the need to keep taking roids to continue to have the right look for wrestling (most notably William Regal, but Eddy became much more muscular after kicking his serious recreational drugs, prescription pills and alcohol problems).

2004 was before the shit hit the fan with Eddy and later Benoit dying. The Von Erichs were grouped together as one induction.

I expect Dana is in contact with more than one reporter than just Dave. But otherwise he's right.

1995: Antonino Rocca & The Grand Wizard (2) 2004: Big John Studd & Junkyard Dog (2) 2007: "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig & The Sheik (2) 2008: "High Chief" Peter Maivia, Eddie Graham & Gordon Solie (3!) 2009: The Von Erichs (5 of them) 2010: Gorgeous George & Stu Hart (2) Still room for Savage this year, given that history, but I agree that he won't likely go in this year for some of the reasons already given. The rule only applies to modern day premature deaths.

Not going to happen. With Edge, The Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, Mil Mascaras, Yokozuna and Ron Simmons already confirmed, there probably will be only one more inductee this year and if it was Savage we would know about it already. Hearing Andrew Goldstein recall getting Vince's death stare when he suggested him for the HOF in 2006, not sure it's going to happen anytime soon.

John Cena and The Rock still sniping at each other on Twitter There's been more of the same over the last couple of days too.