Why Ortiz is in TNA, TNA attendance note, Gut Check update, South Africans continue to take wrestling too seriously, Interview with Goldberg, TNA PPV problems, Angle gets another DWI, Impact audience, and Questions on the Divas, Bryan in the Wyatt Family, Henry's de-push, music during run-ins, and an SMW DVD

Tito Ortiz is in TNA to hype his Bellator bout with Rampage Jackson set for November 2. I haven't heard anything about whether or not he'll be stepping into the ring for TNA. I hope Bellator is promoting TNA as well.

The building where TNA did their most recent Impact Wrestling tapings has 18 upper level sections and 18 mezzanine sections: TNA sold tickets in 7 of the upper level sections and 3 of the mezzanine sections. In other words, attendance wasn't very good.

OVW trainer Danny Davis will no longer be doing Gut Check in TNA, so it could very well be a dead concept. That concept had a lot of potential and they could have brought in and used a number of talented performers. But, like a lot of good things, it fell apart. I continue to worry about TNA's future.

A number of WWE stars, including Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio, visited a student who was injured when two other students put a Tombstone Piledriver on him.

Everything else from yesterday is after the break.

Goldberg talked about his new WWE DVD, football, and more. Teehee, they made a "Ryback is like Goldberg" joke. Ryback's not like Goldberg at all: Ryback has more matches under his belt and more experience at 31 than Goldberg had in his whole career.

Jim Ross talked about Tito Ortiz being in TNA and more. Not really much said.


DirecTV didn't air TNA's latest One Night Only PPV. That's ok: I doubt many people would have watched it anyway. Seriously, though; when it rains, it pours for TNA.

Case in point: Kurt Angle just got another DWI. I've always been a fan of Angle's work, and I think that everyone deserves at least a second chance, but there comes a time when enough is enough. I think that it looks really bad on TNA to keep him employed after all of these legal issues (as well as all of the Twitter outbursts). They at least need to have someone else drive him or something. How does this keep happening?

Update: Kurt Angle has announced that he's immediately entering rehab. That's great! Unfortunately, it leaves TNA in something of a bind as he's one of their biggest stars. It's really a shame. IS he too valuable to not cut loose after all of this (years of legal/substance/personal problems)? I'm sure his contract isn't cheap.

Update: Dixie Carter responded. Angle's physical and mental well-being should be concern #1, but, man, it's like TNA walked under a ladder while breaking a mirror on Friday the 13th. Let's look at some of TNA's employees: Both members of Team 3D are over 40 and there was talk of them going over to WWE last year. Chavo Guerrero is presumably only in TNA because WWE didn't use him like he wanted to be used, Garett Bischoff is there in large part because his dad works in TNA, Jay Bradley was released by WWE, Jeff Hardy has a history of drug problems and is primarily in TNA because they let him keep the rights to his music, Jessie Godderz is still primarily seen as a reality show star, Kazarian had a stint in WWE and it didn't work out, King Mo/Rampage Jackson/Tito Ortiz are MMA stars first, Knux is another WWE release as is Mr. Anderson, Sting's pretty much about to retire, Wes Brisco never made it out of FCW... *inhale* Mickie, Tessmacher, and Taryn were all released from WWE (Mickie and Taryn due to out-of-the-ring incidents), Gail left WWE because she was unhappy, ODB didn't make it out of WWE developmental, Hogan would surely be in WWE if they paid him to, Christy Hemme's yet another WWE alumna, and through in Taz and the two Hebners as more people who could have been/could be in WWE if WWE was willing to make them the right offer. Some of the people mentioned are really solid workers, and there are some other really good workers on the TNA roster, but it's hard to fight their reputation as the Arena Football League to WWE's NFL.

The 8/1 Impact got 1.25 million viewers. Destination X and the two shows that have followed have gotten more viewers than the shows of the month before that PPV, though almost 250,000 fewer people are watching than were for the night of Sabin's title win. There have been a couple of steps in the right direction since Prichard left, but MEM vs. Aces and Eights, MMA stars, and other non-wrestlers are still more important than Sabin. The TNA Champion vs. the X-Division Champion was in the middle of the show, whereas the MEM/Aces confrontation with the Tito reveal was in the main event slot.

As for my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Reality shows are about as "real" as anything you see in the world of pro wrestling, so I wouldn't put but so much faith in what you see there. As for WWE pushing the Divas division, apparently you've missed all the AJ/Kaitlyn segments these last few months, and the feuds/segments involving the Total Divas participants. They're being pushed better than some of the men!

2. That's not a bad idea, actually. I just think it might be best to keep the Wyatts and Bryan as separate acts to see if both can get over without the others. They've both got cool, unique things going on right now: I don't think they need to combined for the time being.

3. For those of you who are into C-O-N-SPIRACIES, maybe WWE pushed Henry so hard so that he would sign a new contract, and now that he's locked in for 3 years, they feel like they can put him back lower on the card. And The Shield attacked Henry to turn him face. I also suppose that Henry as a heel might have messed up their plans for Cena vs. Bryan. Where would Henry go as a heel after losing to Cena?

4. It cues the fans that a run-in is about to happen, so they know to look at the ramp (or the crowd in The Shield's case) and cheer/boo. And maybe wrestlers are so egotistical that they want their music played!

5. Can you have a SMW DVD without Jim Cornette? I don't know if he and WWE would be able to work anything out. Other than that, it could always happen down the line if WWE felt that there was enough demand for it. Maybe if the WWE Network gets going, they'll show some SMW stuff.

More wrestling tomorrow.