RINGSIDE

The summer is nearly on its way to Montreal. Assignments are almost due and final exams are to take place. Students from across the university are anticipating the end of their school year. That’s right boys and girls, like the old song goes; “school’s out for summer.” Aside from all the beaches, festivals, nights out, working or whatever it is that you decide to do with your time, the summer season is also the time when wrestling’s hottest stars heat up in some of the biggest feuds of the year. That’s right, as you know; there is no off season for these fiery warriors. On June 10th, ECW’s third edition of One Night Stand will be hot and should not be missed. TNA’s Slammiversary will be held on June 17, celebrating five years since their inception. With Jeff Jarrett’s imminent return coming up, how long will it be before he’s gunning for the title once again? And on Aug. 26, things will heat up as WWE presents SummerSlam, rumoured to be headlined by the returning Rey Mysterio Jr. and Vince McMahon. Being that this is the last issue of the semester, I have decided to respond to some questions that have been asked to me by e-mail.

Who is the best wrestler of all-time?

Legends, Icons, Immortal ones. Those words are all heard too often in today’s landscape but many people have been asking me who I truly consider to be the “greatest of all-time”. From a wrestling perspective, I would have to go with Lou Thesz. He was innovative, the best technician of his time, and probably the biggest draw from 1938 through 1957. From the persona and marketing department, you cannot deny the Hulkster’s place in wrestling immortality. Hulk Hogan, while not the best in actual skill, was one of the most successful characters in the history of wrestling due to his grasp on marketing and his unique personality. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair has got to be up there as well, with his accolade of more world titles won than any other wrestler in history. Plus, he’s faced everybody from Buddy Rogers in ’79 to Carlito in 2007 and rarely has a sub-par match.

What is the latest on “King” Booker T?

The reason King Booker was written off Smackdown on Friday night by being tombstoned on a table by WWE World champion The Undertaker is that he’s been dealing with a knee issue for some time. He’s going to undergo surgery to repair the problems and is expected back by late June. WWE is reporting on their website that he’ll be out of action “indefinitely” due to the tombstone, which will be the storyline reason for his departure.

With SpikeTV and TNA’s agreement set to expire in September, what do you expect to see happen?

There are some interesting stories making the rounds regarding TNA’s negotiations with SpikeTV. I can confirm that there’s talk of expanding the Impact timeslot as well as doing additional programming on a weekly basis. The most likely scenario would be for TNA to re-sign with Spike and get a second hour of programming from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. every Thursday. SpikeTV is absolutely interested in doing more with TNA as it’s been the only show they’ve introduced since Ultimate Fighter debuted that has delivered consistently for the network. I can also confirm that there is interest in TNA from at least two other broadcast carriers, one of which is the syndicated MyNetworkTV, which carries the International Fight League and has been trying to find its own identity and niche since launching this past September. The other is said to be a major cable network that has never aired professional wrestling before. This is the news that everyone in TNA is looking for so I think that it is great that things are starting to pick up. I hope they stay on Spike TV but it is good that other networks are interested meaning TNA has a future. I would hope and believe that Spike and TNA’s relationship will indeed stay intact and the two hours will be coming soon. Whatever happens, I hope they do not go to MNTV, as it is not widely available in Canada.

Make sure to listen to the Main Event each and every Sunday Morning from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on www.CJLO.com or maineventradio.netfirms.com for all the latest on professional wrestling. By September, we should also be broadcasting on 1690AM. Enjoy your summer everyone!

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