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TAKING A DEEP LOOK INTO TNA'S BARBED WIRE MASSACRE AND WHY IT'S TIME FOR WWE TO BRING BACK GOOD OLD JIM ROSS...IN A NEW ROLE

AFTER LAST NIGHT'S RAW, IT'S TIME TO CALL GOOD OLD JIM ROSS

With last night's Raw episode long storyline featuring the "firing" of Eric Bischoff (something that was no doubt in Vince McMahon's mind the moment he hired the former WCW Vice President, you can never get in enough humiliation of old enemies), the obvious question left is who will be the new General Manager of Raw?

While the predictable thing would be to slot Mick Foley or Shane McMahon into the role, World Wrestling Entertainment has someone out there under contract who's already loved by the fans, has a passion for the business, and a great way of getting characters and scenarios over verbally. When he was removed from his on camera role, the WWE fandom cried out because to them, he was as much a part of the Raw experience as any member of the McMahon family.

I hereby nominate Jim Ross for the role of General Manager of Raw. He's always loved John Wayne, so it's time for WWE to give him a chance to play sheriff. Ross is the perfect person to replace Eric Bischoff, as long as he's physically able to return to the road after his colon surgery. His role as the lead announcer of Raw is no longer available as he's since been replaced with the lone person fans wouldn't backlash against, Joey Styles, but why not give Ross a new role?

Sure, it would take some creative storytelling to explain why the McMahons would put Ross in a position of power after publicly humiliating him, but faster then you can say Stone Cold Stunner, a quick fix could be made to the situation. If not, it's not like WWE doesn't just drop storylines anyway. Just who the hell did break Edge's neck in 2003?

Jim Ross can bring a level of credibility to the role as well as a sense of normalcy to Raw viewers that very few other characters could. He can channel his old mentor Bill Watts in situations where he needs to get involved and issue executive statements and is smart enough regarding how to get characters over that he won't overshadow the wrestlers involved in the angles.

Ross' unique verbal skills will help to get over situations and the "he's too old to be hosting our show" mentality that pervades WWE management would no longer apply because Ross would only appear when needed, leaving Joey Styles to be the new voice of Raw. That said, Ross can still sit in on commentary from time to time to explain why a match was made or to help give a little bit of extra pep to a storyline that needs a little more juice to get over with the viewers.

To wrestling fans that watch Raw today, Jim Ross has and always will be the face of Raw. Who better to replace Eric Bischoff and put a new spin on the General Manager role?

I've even got a catchphrase to suggest for those dramatic moments: "Let's Hook 'Em Up!"

WWE management, make the call.

LOOKING INTO THE ART AND PASSION OF TNA'S BARBED WIRE MASSACRE

I have an admission to make. I enjoy Death Matches. I will always have a special place in my heart for these insane wayward souls who are willing to do destructive things to one another for the sake of the enjoyment of others. To some, this isn't professional wrestling. I can respect that opinion, but it's dead wrong. I will be the first to admit that I proudly love professional wrestling, especially when it is at it's best. I love watching the artform of two awesome workers countering each other on the mat. I love watching Lucha stars charging across the ring and sailing into their hapless opponents on the floor. I love great promos. Nothing makes me happier than watching Terry Funk or Homicide throwing chairs and tables around as ringside staffers run for their very lives. All of these different and unique things are all different aspects of this eccentric sport, but nothing beats a good bloody grudge match.

In the 1960s-1980s, Steel Cage matches were seen as the most dangerous bouts in the wrestling world by fans. They were brought out only when two competitors wanted to literally kill each other and the grudge had to be ended. There was something poetic about the violence and about the chance for good to finally topple evil. That's why they always drew so well. Over time, they, like everything else in wrestling, became a staple and were trotted out far too often. The birth of FMW and ECW soon brought out the bastard son of the steel cage match, the no ropes barbed wire match, and with it, the art of the Death Match.

The Death Match style is one that is overlooked or often misrepresented as the worst thing in wrestling. Whether its just the words of those who don't see it as part of the business, or those who just are turned away at the sight of barbed wire, it's never gotten its just due. Those same folks often forget that Mick Foley and Terry Funk, two beloved performers, have had their own legends made in part due to the Death Match. Hell, Randy Orton's thumbtack bump at Backlash helped seal the deal on his own stardom in WWE. In the right moment and time, with the right emotional attachment, the art of the Death Match can make a legend.

This Sunday on PPV, TNA will provide a platform for one legend Sabu, to show how truly extreme he can be. Sabu, for as awesome a performer as he has been over the years, has never truly had a national stage to leave that one amazing match behind. Fans of ECW, Internet downloaders and tape traders all know his greatest matches by heart, but this is a chance for the general public to see a taste of what made Sabu one of the most talked about performers of the early 1990s. He's not as fast or as young as he used to be, but according to TNA sources, he's determined to make it a special moment.

The Barbed Wire Massacre is also chance for another legend to be made in one of the most improved big man workers of 2005, Abyss. Abyss has been steadily picking up steam over the last year to the point that he's gone from a relative unknown wearing a variation of a Mankind mask to a legitimate force that's in well demand across the independent scene. In a generation of wrestlers that can do 10,000 flips, Abyss is a throwback to the great brawlers of the 1970s and 1980s, but is so unselfish in the ring that he's willing to take four bumps to get his opponent over when he could easily do the same with one big bump. This is his moment to make his legend.

TNA, which once presented themselves as the "family friendly" wrestling company in their press releases, will be bringing out the barbed wire boards, the barbed wire chairs, the barbed wire bars, and...well, you get the picture. TNA, sometimes excessive in its glitzy production, is laying out the gritty. They are going for the niche audience and presenting something that World Wrestling Entertainment would never dare do - and in doing so, they are going for the jugular, the edge, the darker side of the business. I say good for TNA for taking the chance.

Just the fact that this bout will be taking place proves how fast the climate of PPV television has changed in less than a decade. While Extreme Championship Wrestling was once seen so violent and out of control that they were forced to hand in scripts to shows ahead of time and censor shots of barbed wire (Taz vs. Tajiri, Heatwave '99) by In Demand, TNA is being given free reign to air not just a barbed wire match, but a no ropes barbed wire bout. In a world where UFC went from banned nationally to the hottest thing on Spike TV, barbed wire is really no different. It goes back to the old lure of the cage match, only now, the grudges and the violence are laden with insane amounts of testosterone.

I am not someone who wants to see blood, barbed wire, and broken glass in every wrestling show I attend, but when it comes time for a deep blood feud to come to a head, I am always willing to watch the barbed wire be unspooled and see what insanity lurks within the black hearts of these unique athletes.

For the first time since his departure from ECW, Sabu will be given full reign to go all out. Abyss will be looking to carve his own name into the hearts of hardcore wrestling fans around the world. TNA is looking to pioneer that they, not anyone else, were the first to present a live no ropes barbed wire match on PPV. It's going to be something special, something bloody, something different, something violent...and I can't wait.

All Pictures courtesy TNA.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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