#6

I love the term mark the reason I love the term it means to me to be fully immersed in a product.   There is no such thing as a smart mark.     There are internet marks but there is no way fans can be smart to a product that they are fans.   So smart marks do not existed.   It is an oxymoron.   The term smart mark does not make any sense.     It is sort of like a popcorn match on a card.  A popcorn match is what you think it is.   It is a throw a way match or a match where the fans get up and get popcorn.   I am not really sure those matches really existed either.   Maybe those are matches that would work elsewhere but not in “The big leagues”.   For example: I always thought the way the WWE’s presented their hardcore division the Hardcore Championship as a throw away.   I think if you look at that history there were a pretty good group of indviuals who held that championship.   Raven Perry Saturn even Kane is a former WWE Hardcore Champion.   So I do not mean any disrespect to anyone who held the title.   But it was defended on a playground!   I have thank the voice of ECW Joey Styles for reminding me of that fact.      The term mark is usually used for a shill.   For example: I often have been called a TNA mark.   Which I am I am a proud TNA mark.   But I still do not like that it is a derogatory term.   I think it should be celebrated.   Also performers should never just cater to the internet marks.   I am not saying they do not matter because there are many great internet marks out there.   I am just saying performers cannot let the wrestling newsletters dictate their performances.   Because usually what the internet wrestling newsletters enjoy are just a bunch of high spots and bumps.   There is no storytelling or any psychology to a bunch of high spots and bumps.   The casual wrestling fans tune out I tune out.   So what if a match does not get a 5 star rating from a newsletter.   The WWE gets that for the most part and that is one of the many reasons the company thrives.   A mark could be fans that you are trying to make money.    Hence the term money mark.   What is wrong with that?   That should be a good thing in my mind.   Because the more interested can be built on a program.   A program in professional wrestling is a feud or and I use an asterisk because I do not use this term but it is used constanly storyline.   But a money mark should be a good thing.   A money mark will pay their hard earned money to watch a pay-off.   A pay-off is the last match to end a program which is usually on a Pay-Per-View.   Or an event that is on an app or a network because the way fans are viewing content is changing.   Consumers can now have more of a choice to not have to pay $50 bucks for a pay-per-view.   They can pay $9.99 a month by buying The WWE Network.   Or by downloading The Fite app.   Which features all combat sports including: MMA professional wrestling and boxing.   In China pro wrestling is considered a combat sport.   Or they do what I did and download Anthem Sports and Entertainment’s Global Wrestling Network or GWN for $.7.99 a month.   Fans can still purchase a pay-per-view for $50.00 or they can get it by buying a package.   The point is the way fans consume content is changing.   A mark does not mean those fans are stupid.   That is what a lot people think of when they hear the term mark.   Scott Leavy said on his podcast The Raven Effect that he knew he could not have become Raven in the WWE because he knew he had to make the Raven gimmick connect with an audience on a smaller stage because no one was going to buy it on the main stage first.      Because if fans perceive you has something that is how people relate to you unless you leave and comeback as something else.      So Scott established himself as Raven in ECW.   Then he eventually goes back to the WWE as: Raven.   He went back to the WWE on his terms.   Which I think everyone needs to do if they want to be successful.   Scott also said performers should not feel they have to be in the WWE just because they feel they have to be there.   For example: Drew Galloway leaves the WWE and then goes to Impact Wrestling and establishes himself there then signs back with the WWE and goes to NXT.   Drew did that on his own terms.   Or Bobby Roode leaves Impact Wrestling in 2016 after he reformed Beer Money with The Cowboy James Storm but he was not happy in his postion so he leaves and signs with the WWE.   Bobby Roode goes to NXT and now he is successful on WWE’s brand Smackdown LIVE.   There were a lot of fans that were not satisfied with Jay Lethal’s work in Impact Wrestling so he leaves and goes to Ring Of Honor.   I made a comment that it does not matter who’s on the roster at any given time.   I think many people misunderstood what I meant.   I read many comments on social media where people were complaining that all of Impact Wrestling’s top stars were gone.   But the point I was trying to make I think if certain wrestlers were still in the same positions Impact would have a problem.    Because performers have to leave to re-establish themselves to a new audience a new product.   Professional wrestlers are products and when they leave a company they can go to a new company.   Or they can leave and comeback when they know more of what their gimmicks are and what their strengths are.     They can comeback better than they were earlier.   But that was not a knock on Jay Lethal or Frankie Kazarian they should have had better runs in Impact I do not disagree.   I think one of Kaz’s best matches was with Kurt Angle on Impact.   I never really knew how good Kaz is until he worked on Impact with Kurt Angle.   But they are both in better positons now.   Instant grandafaction would eventually kill the business because the best way to make a profit is to keep the audience coming back for more.   Jim Ross said something I like he said no booker that was any good never had talents that leave and go on to seemly greener pastures and what happens the spots opens up.   That gives another induvial a chance to connect with the audience.   Because I do not care how much of a draw performers are for a particular company eventually those performers just do not fit into a particular spot anymore.   So instead of thinking of it as a negative like so many on the internet do think of it as a postive.   When they leave and go on to greener pastures.   There are fans who debate on who will leave a company next.   I think that is such a waste of time.   It is great because what it means performers have more control over their runs with companies.   For example: one of the new Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Scott D’Amore looks at Bobby Roode now on WWE’s Smackdown LIVE and says I had a hand in that.   I think that the best way to view it.   But so many of the internet fans are focused on which one of their favorites did not get a push.   I think Bobby did pretty well during his Impact runs.   Examples:  Team Canada Beer Money and his single runs.      Steve Astuin on his podcast said I am not sure they really knew what to do with the guy meaning Impact Wrestling.     Steve has a right to his opinion but I am not sure what he is referring.   Bobby Roode is on a list of the longest raining Impact Global Champions in Impact history.   Chris Sabin and Alex Shelly could have better single runs in Impact.   Or as a tag team as: The Motor City Machine Guns.   I think they had pretty good runs but they could have had better runs.      Don Calis is also a new Vice President Of Impact Wrestling.   Impact has moved their headquarters to Toronto Ontario Canada.   Because Anthem Sports and Entertainment is a Canadian based company.       It is scary when things change especially in business.  I am a little apprehensive.   But I hoping for the best.   The same critics of Impact are still out there.   But Impact has made some great strides this year with the name changes from TNA to Impact GFW back to Impact again.    The reason the company changed GFW back to Impact they do not have the rights to the name GFW Jeff Jarrett does.   I am hoping that Jeff Jarrett comes back to Impact.   It is the company he founded.    When the mainstream thinks of TNA they usually do not think of Total Non-Stop Action.   But I really do not care about name of the company.   I think the brand of Impact Wrestling is more important than the name of the company.   I think the Impact brand was a great product this past year.     Just like the ECW brand that I am a mark.   I hate to see The Cowboy James Storm leave Impact after being with Impact since the beginging of the company.   But I wish him well whatever he does.    I love the guy!   I love The Cowboy’s gimmick.   James Storm is the only guy that could have made both Beer Money with Bobby Roode and The Cowboy gimmick successful!   The Cowboy James Storm had some matches in the WWE’s developmental territory NXT in 2015.   But The Cowboy decided to go back to Impact in January of the next year.     Now he is leaving and more are going to leave Impact when their contracts are up.   But I have faith in both new Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Scott D’Amore and Don Calis and in Jeremy Borash as well.   Jeremy has been with Impact from the beginging.   He does so much for the company that I and most do not realize.   Don Calis worked as The Jackal in the WWE.   Also as Cyrus in ECW but not as a part of ECW but he was working for TNN when ECW was on TNN.   Which he said is his best run in the business.     TNN is now Spike.   Bill O’reilly said about Disney buying Fox that Disney wants to be like a Netflix.   But Disney did not purchases Fox News or Fox Business.   That was something many thought was going too happened but thankful they did not.   Disney purchased 20^th Century Fox.   Which are Fox’s entertainment properties.   Such as: FX and FXX.   I think FX has had some of the best shows on television Sons Of Anarchy and Justified.   FXX shows every Simpsons Espiode ever.   Also Archer moved from FX to FXX.   So this maybe a great deal if Disney does not interfere in the content.   I love the program that Perry Saturn and Raven had in the WWE in 2001.   This was during the invasion angle which Raven said in an interview that the invasion angle was a crime against nature.   The sad thing about the invasion I think it could have worked.    But WWE did not want it to be successful in my opinion.     I remember getting behind Stephanie Mccmhon as the new owner of ECW.   Just because I love the ECW brand so much.   During the invasion angle the WWE had ECW wrestlers such as: Mike Awesome Tommy Dreamer and Raven.   Raven and Perry Saturn had a program where Perry falls in love with a mop.   Perry dumps his on screen girlfriend Terri Runnels for the mop he called mopy.   Terri joins Raven in the program against Perry Saturn.   My favorite match of the program took place during WWE’s Unforgiven pay-per-view in 2001.   I am probably the only person who enjoyed this program.   I enjoyed the match between William Regal Versus Raven during WWE’s Invasion pay-per-view in 2001.   The Invasion pay-per-view was one of WWE’s highest buy rate pay-per-views.   It was a pretty good pay-per-view.   The opening match was Edge and Christan Versus Lance Storm and Mike Awesome this was a tremendous match.   Lance Storm and Mike Awesome were a great tag team.   Mike Awesome was an impressive big man.   Christan really showed how great he was in this match.   Jerry Lawler said on his podcast Dinner with the King that the WWE has to have a place where they develop new talent.   Because finding new talent is the life blood of the WWE.    Which is NXT in Orlando Florida.   If I said anywhere in this project about the WWE retraining talent I should have used the term develop.   NXT is a successful brand where the WWE develops talent.   That is not a bad thing.   But I do not think every talent in the business that comes through NXT will make it.   But that does not mean any talent that is not successful in NXT is not good enough to be successful in the business overall.   I think anyone of that mindseat is part of a bigger problem.    I have faith in the new Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Don Calis and Scott D’Amore.   The WWE fuels the professional wrestling industry.   If other places such as: House Of Hardcore/HOH Ring Of Honor/ ROH and Impact Wrestling can be breeding grounds for the WWE I am fine with that.   But the talent needs to be developed Impact is a place to do that.   For example: Eli Drake has been an excellent Impact Global Champion since winning The Global Championship in a 20 man gauntlet back in Auguast at Destination X.   Alberto EL Parton will challenge Eli Drake for The Global Championship on the first Impact of 2018 on Thursday night January 4^th 2018.   He defeated Johnny Impact in a six man tag match to become the #1 contender to The Global Championship.   In what was an excellent six man tag.   Petey Williams had another excellent showing in this match.   Petey Williams and Eli Drake had a tremendous match for The Global Championship on Thursday’s edition of Impact On Pop on November 16^th 2017.    One of the reasons I enjoyed THQ’s WWE Smackdown series so much there were new moves that were added to each new game.     I was always interested in the new entrance music of the new wrestlers that were added to each new game.   Because I thought about the new entrance music that friends of mine could use for the wrestlers that they created in the game.   I may not agree with everything Vince Russo has done in the business of professional wrestling but this approach I think he has is an absolute must approach.   Vince Russo would take each induvial performer and see what their personalities were.   Just trying to find what makes the induvial performer tick.    Because each professional wrestler has their own unique personality.   No booker writer or booking committee can ever tell a performer in wrestling how to talk and act that is the goal of each induvial performer.   For example: The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.   No one could tell Dusty how to cut a promo because he had his own unique personality.   All that was done he magnified his own personality to a 1000 percent or to the most.   To give an odd example: conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh.   I remember seeing an interview with Rush on the Today show where an interviewer told Rush off the air he is both calm and polite.   She asks what happen to you when that light goes on?   His responds was he is the same guy.   I have a theory on what happens he magnifies his personality to the most.   Or turns his volume way up.   I know that is a bizarre example but I think it applies.       The King Jerry Lawler the same thing he used his own personality to connect with the audience.   Broken Matt Hardy or {Woken} in the WWE.    The main reason that connected it is his own creation.   The Impact Global Champion Eli Drake I think is another example.   Because he has a natural arrogance to him.   No one could tell Eli what to sound like.    The reason I am fond of the new executive Vice Presidents of Impact Wrestling Scott D’amore and Don Callis approach is they are letting talent keep their intellectual properties.   So when talents leave Impact Wrestling in this particular example they can take their gimmicks and personas or chracters with them.   This in my opinion is the best thing that could happen for the talent.   Because in most cases they created their gimmicks and personas.   I think more people will be more incline to work with Impact now.     The fans are the ones that will benefit the most from this approach.   An example: the WWE is the biggest platform to perform.     Because now talent will be able to introduce their products to new audiences.   There are a few questions in wrestling that need to be answered in order to understand this unique art form.   The first question: the fans want to believe in who you are?     The second question is connected to the first.   The fans want to believe in why talents are doing what they are doing?  The last question:  that needs to be answered: Can a fan describe to someone who is a casual fan or someone who is not who the talent is in a concise and understandable way.    That will peak their interest.    Talents must have a describable character that is easily understandable to a general audience.   I used the term character for that particular reason.       Once those questions are answered the talent can make that person believe everything about that particular talent.   But if none of these questions can be answered nothing will matter to a casual viewer.     For example: when Al Snow would go to dinner he would take the plastic head with him.   He would set up a table for himself and the plastic head!   Al would actually have a conversation with the plastic head.   Al Snow did this to protect what he sold the audience.      It is similar to when you see a movie when you watch a movie you want to buy into the movie.   For example: if you see a dent in a car and the dent is not there a second later you are immediately taken out of the world that the movie is trying to get you to buy.  Also what happens you do not enjoy that movie.   Or you do not enjoy it as much.   The same thing with professional wrestling fans want to believe in what talent is selling them.   That goes along with respecting the fans.   Even if a talent in wrestling is influenced by someone or something they still have to put their own personality to it.   Which makes it your own.   For example: A comedian who is successful maybe influenced by other comics and other things.   But they have to use their own life experiences in order to connect with the audience.   Another similar example: if you were going to produce a movie you would get everything you need to make that movie.   So at no point would the viewers be taken out of what you are selling them.   Whatever you are selling you do not want to take the audience out of what you are trying to sell them.   Once a talent forms a gimmick a persona or a character whatever it is.   They have to have something that a booker or promoter can sell whatever that product is.   The talent has to create their own product so that talent can form a partnership with the booker or promoter.   The booker gives them a platform now it is up to the performer to connect with an audience.     But that booker has to find something to exploit in that talent to make money.   I often read comments from fans that this particular talent sounds to make like another person.   Or this person performs too much like this person.   But that performer still must have some of their characteristics from their own induvial personality to make it their own.   By some of what I have read from fans I think they can get too caught up in this performer is too much of a copy of another performer.   But I think in doing that they are missing what makes that particular performer unique.   Every professional wrestler is in business for themselves.   A promoter gives every talent a platform to connect with the audience.   What talents do with that platform is up to them.   A promoter gives a talent an opportunity to sell themselves to the fans.   Matches on television are essentially commercials that talents use to sell themselves to try and connect with fans.    The products are the wrestlers.   The more a performer connects with the fans   the more that performer moves up the more money that partnership will make.     But eventually that run that any particular performer has will come to an end.   That does not mean that a talent is not good anymore that just means that particular run has ended.   The best part of this a performer can reinvent themselves.   A promoter can sell that performer again.   But now that talent is a new product.    Now a talent has more of idea of what their gimmick is and what their strengths are then they did in the past.   For example: The Undertaker has reinvent himself and has had about 10 competly different gimmicks throughout his career.   I am not sure on the exact number of times The Undertaker has reinvent himself that was just a guess on my part.   But The Undertaker has always remained relevant.   Al Snow once said if you just want to be in the WWE that just tells him that you just want to be famous.   He was not saying that was not a great goal.   But I got from listening to him it does not matter what platform you are performing it depends on how that platform is used.    Al made this statement clear to his students he said do not base your success on just being in the WWE.   This is what I got from what he said.   That the WWE is the largest platform to perform.    Which is also the biggest audience.   But think of the WWE being the best opportunity to sell your brand to the most amount fans.    For example: Al is able to make a living just based on the time he spent in the WWE.   The reason he is able to do this he was able to sell his brand on the largest platform he could perform.   In my opinion being able to perform and leave on your own terms is the biggest measure of success for any professional wrestler.   Because they have made themselves valuable enough where they can now sell their brand anywhere.   Professional wrestlers are essentially jigsaw pieces that a booker places in positions to create a certain picture.   Sometimes no matter how much a performer connects with fans they just do not fit into that particular picture.   But six months from now or a year any performer maybe the piece of the puzzle that a booker could potentially build the whole picture around.   It takes a lot of time and effort to develop a talent in professional wrestling.   I think one of the main reasons for that there are so many variables to consider.   Which makes professional wrestling the most unique form of entertainment but it is also extremely challenging.   For that reason fans need to be extremely patient.    For example:  I have read comments from fans that say if this does not happen soon for this particular talent they are not watching or supporting whatever the product.   I guess it is natural for fans to feel that way.   I have probably felt that way at certain times just being a fan.   But the product is not just instant gratification.   In my opinion the basics are: taking unique personalities and putting them in a situation where they can have a conflict.      It is not about giving two performers a script and requiring them to memorize it.   This is not acting.   The reason I think fans are attracted to professional wrestling in the first place the performers were allowed to be themselves.   For example: most of the promos done by Dusty Rhodes or Ric Flair I guarantee were done off the time of their heads for the first time on live television on Superstation TBS.    Or they were method actors in a certain way.     I am not really sure if that term applies here.   But there could be a method to it depending on what could have been their presentation.   Which needs to be taken into account.    Once the presentation is taken into account the product can be changed accordingly.  If a booker or promoter etc cannot establish or does not know what the presentation it is done.        Because what always needs to be done in professional wrestling performers are extenuating their strengths and hiding their weaknesses.   A second example: that comes to mind Jimmy Hart.   Those promos on Memphis television had to be done off the cuff live every week.   Both Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart were talents that people paid to see because of their own unique induvial personalities.   The word induvial is key in personalities.   Or there are two sides on one side you have a performer that the fans love and have a personal connection.   On the other side there is a talent that the fans think is a horrible human being that does not have any remediable characteristics where fans can feel sympathy or compassion toward.   Get both of them in a situation where they can have a conflict that is a way to draw money.   It is that simple.   It is no different than the carny circuit.   If any of this makes me a mark then I am a proud mark.   So when talents are not in a postion they want to be in leave.   Because they could be wasting both time and money there will always be someone who will be glad to take an opportunity.   It does not matter what postion or where a talent is placed that is a still opportunity.   Hopefully it will mater at a certain point but what the business of professional wrestling consist of are:  opportunities not guarantees there is a huge difference.   It all has to do with taking advantages at any given time when they come up.   Because getting a spot and keeping it in any wrestling company not just in the WWE is extremely rare.   Also if money is a professional wrestler biggest motivation Al Snow’s advice is do not get into the business because very few make millions of dollars.   Al said only get into the business if you have a need to do it like he did.   Shawn Micheals said you cannot do this job if you do not enjoy it and have a passion for it.    Eddie Trunk is someone who every hard rock or heavy metal musican or band should thank.   Because Eddie has been sharing and celebrating hard rock and metal for 36 years on radio etc.   Eddie Trunk is keeping the hard rock and metal scene alive for everyone.   I love many things that I consider to be hard rock and not metal.   I think the most important aspect to all of this fans need to be authentic in the music that they love.   I feel the same way about everything that fans love and support.   My favorite song from Queen is Bohemian Rhapsody.   I probably love the song because it reminds me of the movie Wayne’s World but it is still an excellent song.   In Canada: it is peace order and good government.   In the United States Of America: it is life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.   Pursuing happiness is a noble goal.   Pursing fun is not a noble goal.   The worst sin a human being can do is commit evill in God’s name.   Or in another way killing in the name of God is worst sin to commit in God’s name.   Killing in the name of God and committing suicide but that at least in my opinion are two different things.   Others may believe differently and that is okay.   But I do believe that there are many variables to consider.   I do believe that depression is real some do not.   I am not excusing suicide but at the same time I think acting as if depression does not exist really does no one any good.   I do believe and I count myself in this group of indviuals that have a level of sadness in them.   So my heart goes out to everyone struggling with depression.   It is a constant battle with one’s nature but it is a noble battle none the less.   It is not easy to maintain a level of happiness at any given moment that maybe one of the points of life.   I don’t know.   It is a very bad to go through life thinking that when horrible things happen in life that God is punishing you.   First of all it is not true.   Just think about all injustices that takes place in the world.   I will go along with this notion: that God maybe tries at certain points in life to get our attention but in my view God does that only for our good to draw us closer to him.   Not to hurt us.   Many biblical scholars say that the main reason the book of Job was written is to correct that thinking.   It is a narcissist way to go through life as well.   It is easy to get into that mindseat thinking differently is not.   I can understand why some would make the arugment that depression is not real because the majority of people do not care how you feel they only care how you act.   But I still think that it is a mistake.   I would hope that most people desire happiness.   I understand why some want to be perceived as victims because they get sympathy from people but I do not understand it.   I have never percved myself as a victim I tend to not think about myself very much believe it or not.