Gorilla Press Xtra: Mike Johnson Reacts To The Monday Night Wars
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Last week, we got a chance to talk to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com after The Monday Night Wars of January 4th. We’d like to thank Mike Johnson and the good folks of PWInsider.com for setting this up.
TGP: What show were you watching more (RAW, iMPACT!) As both shows aired live?
MJ: I watched the first hour of Impact, then watched Raw live. I had Impact airing in the corner via picture on picture. I do a weekly post-Raw audio in the PWInsider.com Elite subscription area, so I had to watch Raw live. I probably would have watched the Bret Hart segments and stuck with Impact otherwise.
TGP: iMPACT! Featured many surprises to the TNA roster, however many of these ‘surprises’ were things we already saw in the previous Monday Night War in which WCW lost. Is history bound to repeat itself, or do you see these old stars being phased out soon?
MJ: TNA threw a lot of things out there to make a lot of noise. The goal for that show was to make their mark and hopefully get a regular Monday slot. So, I don’t blame them. They needed major names to do that. The core TNA roster might have done the same number but I don’t think anyone would believe that not using Flair, etc. would have been in TNA’s best interest to attain their goal. That said, I think we’ll see some of the names find their niche and some will fade out, just like any other talent. It’s a blank slate right now.
TGP: One of the more surprising appearances on iMPACT! was of one Jeff Hardy. Apparently, he had a verbal contract to return to the WWE a la Lex Luger around this time 14 years ago. Is there any truth to these rumors?
MJ: No truth. Hardy wasn’t figured into any plans.
TGP: iMPACT! did a 1.5 when it aired on Monday Night (1.45 rounded up), easily the highest rating in company history. Is a permanent switch to Monday Nights inevitable? How long do you think it will be until we see that?
MJ: I think its inevitable unless a second special gets obliterated in the ratings. If I was TNA, I’d be looking to do monthly specials scheduled for the day after every WWE PPV to start and then go live weekly starting the day after Wrestlemania.
TGP: There was a segment on iMPACT between Jarrett and Hogan that didn’t go as planned because apparently Jarrett did not act as heelish as he was supposed to. Can you shed any more light as to what happenedhere?
MJ: Jarrett was told to be a babyface. I think they expected the fans to automatically side with Hogan because he’s Hulk. They neglected to think about the Impact Zone being populated by hardcore, die-hard fans, some of whom buy into the idea that Jarrett is the heart and soul of TNA. No one’s going to turn on him for Hogan on Hogan’s first day, especially when more die-hard fans are TNA fans in the first
place because they want an alternative – and Hogan represents WWE at its most powerful.
TGP: Is it possible Jarrett knew what he was doing the whole time? He’s been the forgotten man under the new Hogan regime despite the fact that he started TNA. Do you think perhaps he did not want to act as a heel in that situation on TNA’s biggest night?
MJ: No, he did what he was asked to do, but if you don’t think there was some level of satisfaction out of him over the situation, you weren’t paying attention. It was obvious they were changing the way he was booked the following week to lead the fans against him, though.
TGP: What did you think of Bret Hart’s return to RAW on January 4th? Did they give away too much too soon with the immediate reconciliation with HBK?
MJ: No, I think they want the focus to be Bret vs. Vince, especially since Shawn will be working with Undertaker at Wrestlemania. They knew the Shawn-Bret tease would be a major opening segment against TNA and booked accordingly. They can’t do Michaels vs. Bret as a match – there would be no payoff there due to Bret’s limitations, so it was actually smarter to get past it.
TGP: How do you see Bret being used going forward?
MJ: He’s going to feud with Vince obviously, but I really don’t know. I suspect they will do something with Steve Austin in March that will leave Hart with a permanent role, but I will be shocked if he ever does anything physical. People seem to overlook the fact that he had a major stroke. I don’t think he’ll chance anything for any payday.
TGP: What needs to happen for TNA to give the WWE legit competition?
MJ: Monday Night television, live and for SpikeTV to work as their partner
in all venues.
TGP: How smart would it be on The WWE’s part to run another commercial free edition of RAW the next time they go head to head with iMPACT?
MJ: That’s actually a genius idea. I wouldn’t be shocked to see it happen.
TGP: Who do you think won World War II (Monday Night Wars, WWE vs TNA?)
MJ: By the numbers, WWE did. I think the history will show that TNA won, just by surviving and making their mark when by all accounts, they could have been decimated.
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Tags: Gorilla Press Pro Wrestling Blog, Hulk Hogan TNA, January 4th, Mike Johnson PWInsider.com, Monday Night Wars, The Gorilla Press, TNA News, Wrestling News, WWE News, WWE vs. TNA
