Former TNA commentator was a guest on The Shoot Radio Show this past Sunday to talk about current events in wrestling and more. You can download or listen to the show at http://www.morelikeradio.org/the-shoot-march-23rd-2014/. The interview kicks in at the 14 minute mark.
Highlights of the interview are below:
On Jeff Jarrett’s new “project” and the execution of the viral campaign: “I think people are interested and he has kept pretty closely guarded. I think it’s goo that Jeff has expressed that he is looking at the fans perspective and what they want to see, he’s got his clues here and there, but then he’s been out there travelling, going around the country scouting talent. I think it’s cool that step-by-step, we’re learning a little more, now of course he’s announced his first real sizeable announcement. I’d be very anxious to see what he has to say the day after Wrestlemania 30.”
On whether Jeff Jarrett’s new project needs a TV deal straight away to make a big splash: “If you look at Jeff’s history, he found a way when he launched TNA Wrestling in terms of doing the weekly pay-per-views. With WWE doing the WWE Network the business has really changed, there might be some more availability in the pay-per-view market if you do it correctly. I think, in a fans perspective and just about anyone’s perspective, whether it’s necessary or not, TV obviously seems to be a very important part of the ball game. Just for perception, I think it would certainly help. If it is CMT, I think wrestling would be right at home there, especially if Toby Keith is involved. Jeff has found ways to work around having a traditional TV distribution deal in the past. With this, I think he’s biding his time, I don’t think he’s rushing anything here, I think he’s going to have all of his ducks in a row before he launches, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had TV all tied up.”
On Daniel Bryan possibly winning the WWE World Title at WrestleMania: “I’m cautiously optimistic, we will see, you can look at this one or two ways. You can look at it as WWE are geniuses and they took the fans for a ride and they knew what the end game was going to be all along and they’ve got the fans even that more passionate to get there, or it could be that the fans are really that passionate and really that powerful that they can change the WrestleMania main event, it might be a little of both, but I think it’s the latter, I think the reaction at the Royal Rumble had to surprise the WWE, people had one man they wanted to see in that Royal Rumble match and they didn’t get it. As a result, the fans voiced their opinion and now here we are, I think it’s a more intriguing set up to WrestleMania because of it, because the fans now feel empowered, the fans believe they played a big part in this. I think that’s pretty awesome and that’s the magic of professional wrestling. I don’t see how you can rob Daniel Bryan of that moment at WrestleMania, I think WrestleMania has got to end with thousands upon thousands of people chanting “YES” and Bryan holding up the title, how do you waste that opportunity, I just don’t see it happening.”
On TNA’s decision to use “cheap finishes” in World Championship matches: “On pay-per-view, in a World Championship match, people deserve a clean finish especially when you look at recent history. You went through an entire reig of Aces & Eights with Bully Ray as a World Championship, there you know you’re going to have interference, you know you’re going to have screwy finishes. Then AJ wins the title, but now you’ve got Dixie Carter hellbent on getting rid of AJ Styles, so you’re going to throw absolutely everything but the kitchen sink at AJ Styles to get the title off of him and on to Magnus. Now you’ve got this handpicked company champion doing Dixie’s bidding, so you know during that run it’s going to be squirrely, but I’m hoping that it’s going to play into the whole MVP storyline and getting back to pure wrestling that he will make Magnus put his money where his mouth is and defend the World Championship on a regular basis and do it the right way. If it plays off that way, then it makes MVP’s position and role that much more important because we’ve been through this for so long. Now, if it doesn’t and this continues, then yeah, I’d say at some point you’ve got to jump off that train, but we’ll see.”
Todd also discussed the launch of the WWE Network, CM Punk’s situation with the WWE, Ronda Rousey-WrestleMania reports and more. The interview is available at the link provided above.
