…like Sliced Bread #2, only not as yummy!

With quite a lot going on in the wrestling world as we head towards the end of the year and into the annual “Wrestlemania Season”, you fine readers may well see a lot more of the “Mat Musings” concept. This is simply because there is a hell of a lot to talk about this time of year, specifically when it comes to World Wrestling Entertainment. Having said that, one of the topics in this article has absolutely nothing to do with the biggest company in all of the wrestling kingdom! With that said, on with the topics!

  • Scottish Wrestler to Appear on TNA Maximum iMPACT! Tour..

I have no clue how familiar many (or indeed any) of you are with the wrestling scene here in the UK. As it happens, it’s going through quite the boom period in regards to talent – which will be obvious to any of you who regularly tune into WWE or TNA television. The amount of British-born grappler’s currently making headlines in the major promotions is at an all-time high. This obviously bodes well for my local scene as the bigwigs at WWE and TNA seem to be on the lookout on this side of the water.

Recently, none other than Jeff Jarrett was flown in at the expense of TNA wrestling to hold a seminar with the young students of The “Scottish Pro Wrestling Academy” and the hard-working roster members of “Premier British Wrestling”. PBW has recently joined up with the “British Wrestling Council” (an institution put in place to improve the safety and working conditions for all those involved in the British wrestling scene, be they wrestler, manager, announcer, referee or ring crew) and this marks a clear statement of intent from TNA to sweep the shores of the UK for talent.

Adrian McCallum, who goes by the ring name “Lionheart”, was the man chosen by Jarrett at these training sessions to show the biggest amount of potential. Lionheart has long been a local favourite in Scotland, specifically Glasgow, and there is a fantastic buzz and excitement over him being given this opportunity. Having had the chance to see him wrestle a number of times, I can tell you that he reminds me of a younger AJ Styles and will no doubt thrive in front of a huge crowd at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow. Go get ’em buddy!

A special mention must be given to Ross Watson and his gang over at PBW too, for all the hard work they have put in removing the stigma and overall ‘cheapness’ of the British product. Their live shows are regularly jam-packed full of wrestling-hungry spectators and it wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say that nobody leaves a show feeling disappointed. This writer is in no way associated with PBW but feels that credit is due for all their efforts! It’s exciting to think, for somebody like me who is trying to break into the British wrestling scene, that someday I could perhaps be a part of all this. You just never know!

  • Vince McMahon Banking on Brock Lesnar..

When WWE announcers start mentioning something heavily on TV at the direct request of their boss, it’s a good indication that the company and its owner are fairly confident said thing will come to fruition. The undoubted largest company in professional wrestling have always been very careful when it comes to things like this. Mr. McMahon really does like to follow through on things and doesn’t often leave things to chance, with his wrestling promotion at least.

There is still a lot of talk regarding the possible appearance of UFC performer and ex-WWE superstar, Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania this coming spring. Personally, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it all. I find it very difficult to imagine that Dana White, the owner of UFC, would allow one of his contracted fighters to show up on a WWE show for any reason. WWE and UFC may be two different monsters but they are in the business of ratings and trying to secure a bigger audience than the other, on the face of it. On the flip side, Lesnar appearing at the most-watched wrestling show of the year could be seen as the perfect advert for UFC. The chance of grabbing some new viewers could be a clever move, with WWE receiving the “cool” rub of being associated with mixed martial arts. Perhaps there is something in it for both sides afterall.

From a purely personal standpoint, I would love to see Brock back in a WWE ring. The chances of him ever returning full-time are extremely slim, which I realise, but a one-off appearance would only heighten my anticipation for the event. By far one of my favourite superstars from the past decade, “The Next Big Thing” became a world class main event level wrestler very fast – learning off peers such as Kurt Angle and The Undertaker with superlative quickness. With his intimidating size and impressive agility, I’d be a liar if I said I wouldn’t “mark out with my mark out” if the master of the “F5” showed up with his game face on.

Yours truly can recall being mega-disappointed with the way the man’s wrestling career ended. Coming to a close in complete and utter insouciance, his match with fellow-leaver Goldberg was treated with disdain by those in attendance at Madison Square Garden. It was a sorry end for the man in whom Vince McMahon saw great things. It would be entirely fair to say that Lesnar would still be a huge star in the land of the WWE had he not decided to pursue an American Football career, tired of the long roads he had to travel with the industry.

The only thing for us fans to do, is play the waiting game. It’ll certainly be an interesting watch to see if WWE ramp up their interest in their former champion. Or perhaps they already know something the rest of us do not..

I’d love to hear YOUR opinion on the topics discussed here. Quite frankly, they’re as important as mine. Sometimes even more so! The banter and chatter amongst fans is truly what makes pro wrestling such an amazing form of entertainment. Almost everybody has something to say. I love that. You can leave a comment below or send a quickfire email my way – jamiekennedy@live.com I’ll be sure to respond to anything and everything. Quite frankly, I just love talking to people about the wild and wacky world of wrasslin’! TAKE IT HOME!

2 Comments

  1. I think that it's pretty smart that TNA is targeting the island, all negativity aside against whether TNA would actually utilize any talent in a good way. They are often criticized (and rightfully so) for relying on older grapplers, so this is refreshing news. Outside of Rob Terry (personal bias), Douglas Williams and London Calling both have brought new energy to the iMPACT product. The dirt sheets point towards a Dixie Carter tweet a while back that London Calling is to return in the near future.

    While I agree that if the WWE and UFC could come to an agreement about a Brock appearance, I can't see a positive outcome for the WWE other than a big one-off at WrestleMania. If Taker is healthy enough to compete, I can't fathom that the man could lose at Mania and end his streak to a guy who will be gone the next day. For Brock, losing to Taker wouldn't bode well for his image as a MMA fighter (even though we know the outcome is fixed). Furthermore, even if Dana White let him grapple, the risk of injury doesn't seem to add to incentive.

    I could see Brock in a special enforcer role in a match. I'm not sure if this would be in a Taker match or not. The problem for me, is I can't see a program at this time that warrants Lesnar's involvement. But hey… it's only December, so there is plenty of time for a build towards a storyline that would make sense. In a perfect world, Lesnar would be able to play off his previous tenure in the WWE by being involved with a matchup between the two guys he had significant HWT matches with. But with Angle being with TNA and the passing of Eddie Guerrero… who fits that description?


  2. I really reckon this may be more of a ploy on the companies part to shore up Britain as "TNA Country". As obviously popular as WWE are on this side, TNA would be pretty smart to flaunt the 'fan interaction' element. Saying that, Rich Flynn and myself can vouch that their fan interaction events (at least the one we attended anyway) are horrible!

    Since penning this article, I've been told that it's really touch and go whether or not 'Taker will be able to play a significant role on the Wrestlemania card whatsoever. This is clearly a blow, not only to any plans the promotion had for Lesnar, but also for the show as a whole. Presumably, the big man will feature in some form or another but with his delicate physical situation – it's looking doubtful that he'll take part in a long-winded match, similar to those of the past few years. Surely if Undertaker is unable to properly compete, Brock won't be a part of the action?


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