Seriously, it sounds like there are about 75 people in the stands, and not just during Decay’s entrance.
Counting just VIPs and those of us with lettered tickets*, the clicker guy at the gate said they had around 250. This wasn’t counting the ones who were in the stand-by line and those who came late.
I would say the bleachers were actually about 90% filled, with the “standing-room-only” people making up a lot of the ringside area.
*The lettered tickets are a funny concept. It guarantees you a spot in line and, most likely, a spot in the bleachers so that you aren’t standing the entire show. TNA has workers stashed at a few choice places within Universal pitching the free show, and these are the people who have the lettered tickets. So in order to guarantee a (halfway decent) spot in the arena, you have to either buy VIP, or get into Universal Studios beforehand.
You know. there were some posts from Paige recently first talking about how Del Rio was going to open his own restaurant. Then later a post about how there was an unexpected delay, but it will really be open soon. Kind of odd.
JR is reporting on his blog that Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg is probably going to happen at Survivor Series. I said it when this was being rumored for 'Mania and I’ll say it again; this is a bad idea. Their last match was awful and is among the worst main events in WrestleMania history. Goldberg is over 50 and hasn’t wrestled in 12 years. Lesnar gives no fucks these days, and is always either just phoning it in or legit trying to hurt people. I think this picture of Sheamus pretty much sums up my interest level in seeing that match happen.
In happier news, this Sunday is No Mercy, our next Smackdown PPV. Here are some predictions:
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Triple threat for the world championship, AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose. I’m gonna say AJ retains here. Cena’s going on hiatus after this show to tape season 2 of American Grit, and I can’t see him being the kind to take the belt and disappear for three months - he’ll likely beat AJ for the title eventually, but I’m betting on it being a singles match at 'Mania. Ambrose winning the belt back now just doesn’t feel right, so Bullet Club keeps the belt. This match would be an interesting time to finally pull the trigger on turning Cena heel, though - let’s say Cena almost has AJ beat, but Ambrose costs him the win, and then AJ turns it around and wins by pinning Ambrose. Cena helps Ambrose up after the match… then clobbers him, AAs him, and walks off, and Cena comes back in 2017 with a new attitude. It’s pretty unlikely that it’ll happen, but if there was ever a time to do it, now would be a good one.
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Title vs. career, Dolph Ziggler vs. the Miz. Dolph winning is the only option that makes sense - it’s the natural end of the storyline and Miz finally gets the comeuppance we’ve been wanting to see him get for months. Also, actually running Dolph out the door by having him lose this match after months of being buried, humiliated, and jobbed out would be a total dick move.
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The Usos vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno for the Smackdown tag titles. I love Slater and Rhyno, but the Usos are probably gonna win this match, as their new heel gimmick is probably the most original thing they’ve done in years. They might win it back later on, but I think they need to give Rhyno an out on the off-chance he actually wins his campaign for the MI legislature.
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Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss for the Smackdown women’s title. I’m gonna say Becky retains - she’s on fire right now, and Alexa’s evil pouty face wouldn’t go well with the championship.
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Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. The easy guess is that Randy wins, and Bray fucks off for a couple weeks before he suddenly picks a fight with… (throws a dart at the Smackdown roster) Chad Gable for no reason and then loses to him. They’ve been hinting that they might finally introduce Sister Abigail as a character, which might be an interesting way to have him win the match and shake up his character. (It had darn well be either Mariposa Martinez, or Vince McMahon in a hooded robe yelling “IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, WYATT!”)
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Carmella vs. Tits Bella. Carmella, because something something something AND YOU CAN’T! TEACH! THAT!
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Curt Hawkins vs. Apollo Crews. I think this is the pre-show match. Curt wins, because he’s re-debuting and you want the new guy to come in with a win.
I’m cautiously optimistic about this show - Backlash was a better PPV than Clash of Champions, so let’s see if Smackdown can make it 2-0. I won’t be watching it live, because I’ll be at work and I’m going to watch the replay of Sunday’s debate before I get around to this. I will, however, be going to a Smackdown house show in Portland the night before, and I’ll report on how that show goes afterward. (Doing a house show the night before a PPV seems like a bad idea to me, but I’m not a wrestling promoter.)
If Sister Abigail is an actual thing, I could envision her several ways:
[ul]
[li]She looks like a black & white picture, like these people.[/li][li]She looks like Dementiafrom Addams Family Values.[/li][li]She looks like Dementia from Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) or Big Bad Mama.[/li][li]She looks like Kristen Wiig from “Aw Nuts! My mom’s a Korean Water Ghost!”[/li][li]She looks like the scary girl from The Ring.[/li][li]Maybe a Charlize Theron knockoff.[/li][li]or Miss Atlanta Lively (Ron Garvin in drag)[/li][/ul]
Then I apologize for using foreign languages on the SDMB. 
Wouldn’t the reaction pretty much be, “Who-berg?”
Or…does Ziggler have any long-put-off surgery needs? The alternative I see to his winning is, he’s off for a week or two, then there’s a promo on Smackdown for a new masked wrestler “Zig Zag” (insert joke here). How long has it been since anybody has dusted off the old “face wrestler under a mask that nobody seems to be able to unmask” angle?
What has Daffney been up to lately?
And why does having Sister Abigail being Ron Garvin in drag make me want to think of a crazy angle - “she” claims to be Charlotte’s real mother? “Remember that date we had in 1987, Ric?” (Flair won a date with Precious in a match, but it turned out to be Ron Garvin in drag - and never mind that Charlotte was born in 1986)
The return of Goldberg is kinda wasted on something as relatively small as Survivor Series, right?
I mean, it’s pretty close to the release of the video game, and I know they’re teasing that a whole bunch, but I would think this is a 'Mania match at best. At worst it’s for the Rumble.
Does it make too much sense for him to appear at the Rumble, screw Lesnar out of winning, and then have a match a Mania?
Am I just saying this because as a WCW kid growing up I really want to see Goldberg wrestle and 'Mania is in Orlando?
I read somewhere that his contract is up in October or November and he hasn’t signed a new one yet.
May be another Ryback situation, where they want to drop his pay to jobber levels, considering that is how they’re basically using him, and he isn’t happy.
But honestly, I have no idea.
He’s been working some stand-up comedy shows and he did some coverage of the national conventions for news shows. Some reports that he might be looking for a backstage producer/agent role, but all those notes may be just going out to cast doubt as to the final end of the match.
I believe WWE has recently signed “Crazy” Mary Dobson to a contract, I’m not real familiar with her, but just by name alone I’ll mention it as a potential Sister Abigail choice.
Last I heard, TNA was still planning on taping episodes for the rest of the week to cover the rest of the year’s TV. Vanguard 1 is a plucky little drone, but I’m not sure how well it will fare in hurricane force winds (quick, someone throw Gregory Helms into the Lake of Reincarnation!)
The latest rumor (once again from JR) is that WWE will be buying the TNA name and tape library, but Corgan will be buying the company itself, including its roster and TV deal, and relaunching it under a new name.
If that works out, it sounds like a win-win; WWE can stop pretending 10 years of AJ Styles’ career didn’t happen and put a lot of the TNA refugees’ old matches on the Network, and Corgan can close the door on the bad blood from the Hogan/Bischoff/Russo years.
As long as Corgan doesn’t give it some stupid-assed name and turn it into some kind of quasi-Juggalo show.
The Danielsons are expecting.
Best wishes to them and I hope the child is born with a wild beard! 
Wow, I love this idea. You’re right that this is the ultimate win/win.
I knew that Corgan wanted to change the name and do a hard reset, but this deal allows the WWE to get what it wants, and allows Corgan to put in less of his own money to do what HE wants.
I very much doubt this. From what I’ve read and heard Corgan is an old-school guy that wants to make (Insert new name here) a classic return-to-form.
Check out this article and the one below it. He seems to really want to make this happen as a passion and business decision, as opposed to a weird-ass marketing gimmcik (like clown wrestling).
I’ve enjoyed the TNA product for the last few weeks both in person and watching on TV. I’m really pulling for this to work.
*BAHHWAANNNGGAAAAAHHHHHH
BAAANNNHHH*
Haven’t done the LU reviews in a while, as my spotlight has focused on CWC and Delete/Decay instead. All the feds are stepping up. This is getting reminiscent of the Monday Night Wars.
Ivelisse took on Mariposa Martinez, with brother Marty in her corner. At one point, Ivie kicked Marty in the face. Later, Mari hogtied Ivie and demanded that she apologize to Marty. Ivie refused, and Marty screamed “Tell me you love me!” Marty is hilariously disgusting. He needs to be more famous.
Solomon Crowe is now in LU as Ivelisse’s boyfriend. He appeared to her backstage after the match. He at least doesn’t look so much like a lesbian this time. Don’t know what his name will be. LU already has one notable NXT reject, Cage, who is now fucking awesome, and won the 2nd of the best 3-out-of-5 series with Texano. Maybe Sol can benefit from the mighty mojo that courses through LU. I guess next week will be a mixed tag with Sol and Ivie vs Marty and Mariposa. He refers to Ivie’s ex as “Son of Chaos.”
The main storyline for this season is that there’s about to be a war between gods and men, and the wrestlers are choosing sides. Catrina and the LAPD chief detective each have half a mysterious medallion, so I guess joining the two halves together creates a portal to the plane of the gods or something. Joey Ryan is an undercover cop who decides to side with the gods, but doesn’t really know what’s going on. He’s going to get killed off, I just know it.
Johnny Mundo and Dario Cueto had a really cool segment. Mundo came in pissed that Prince Puma would be getting a title shot vs Matanza instead of him. Cueto said fate chose Puma because of the wheel, and he’s a man of faith. Mundo replied “Well, these abs didn’t come from the gods. They’re all me, baby!” The camera then does a closeup of what looks to be the bottom side of a flesh-colored egg carton. Greek godlike motherfucker. Dario’s not impressed. He said Mundo needs to prove himself.
Some interesting camera shots here. Mundo is wearing sunglasses with crosses embedded in them. The Camera shows Dario’s reflection in the lens next to the crosses, like he’s the Roman Centurion about to jab a spear into the side of Jesus.
The subject moves on to Sexy Starr. Mundo wants a match for her Gift of the Gods belt, since she lost at Apocalyptico. (That’s probably the wrong title. Look, all these grandiose epic-named matches sound alike after a while.) Dario says “For once, I agree with you Johnny. Sexy Star should defend the Gift of the Gods title against the man who pinned her — Jack Evans!” Mundo frets and leaves. Evans’s angle is that he’s averse to women being in the ring. He wasn’t crazy about having to team up with Taya. He’ll probably have a lot of pussy heel moments with Sexy.
Too bad Sexy’s now retired from wrestling to take up boxing. She really fit in with the brutal lucha style and could take a licking. She and Taya are the toughest chicks in wrestling.
In the final match, Prince Puma took on Matanza. PP is Cesaro strong. He’s 190 lbs soaking wet but can lift and toss around 300 lb guys with no help, in addition to being able to pull off 630 splashes. Vampiro in the meantime doesn’t think PP has “bled from the heart” enough. He’s still too pure and needs more scars. Evetually, Mil Muertes does a run-in, and Cueto forbids the referee from calling off the match. An earlier vignette had shown Catrina instructing MM to destroy PP to get his death-defying powers back. Matanza benefits from Muertes’s interference and gets the win.
*BAHHWAANNNGGAAAAAHHHHHH
BAAANNNHHH*
Post-credits scene, so not sure if you might have missed it or just didn’t mention it, but Killshot received a mysterious letter saying “You left me for dead,” so expect Killshot’s past to catch up with him very soon.
Joey Ryan was the one who delivered the note, when Killshot asked who gave it to Joey, Joey replied with one of the best lines of the series “What do I look like, a detective?”
Also, the Rabbit tribe is apparently coming.
I don’t see this happening - however, I do see a version where all of the TNA contracts are terminated immediately, and the wrestlers are free to sign with anybody they want.
Besides - even if WWE did get the TNA tape library, what would they do with it? They own the Crockett/Turner WCW library, but I think only one episode of WCW Saturday Night (which ran for, what, 10 years?) has ever aired on WWE, and that was on the old On Demand service. What about all of the other libraries WWE supposedly owns, but only three or four episodes can be viewed?
Stupid Poop TV froze on me before the end of the Wolf Creek Cage match. I must know how it ended. Did anybody see it?
NWA Championship Wrestling, ECW Hardcore, WCCW, Smoky Mountain, WCW Monday Nitro, Mid-South and AWA are all available on the Network. Much more than 3-4 episodes of each are available.
The real money for the TNA library would be DVDs for AJ Styles and Sting. The profits would basically pay for the library.
True that.
Plus they’d own everything Hogan has ever done and bury it. 