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PWINSIDER Q&A: HOW KURT ANGLE CAN WORK FOR TNA, CM PUNK, TNA RATINGS AND MORE

Answered on 10/12 for 10/13

At this point, the chance that TNA will ever become "competitive" with WWE overall from a ratings standpoint is extremely small. However, if TNA can properly capitalize on the signing of Kurt Angle as well as the other differentiating strengths of the company (Samoa Joe, Styles, Daniels, Christian, LAX, X division, an actual tag team division, etc.) do you think they could realistically become the second rated wrestling show? This would mean they are still behind Raw, but ahead of ECW and Smackdown.

During their run on SpikeTV, TNA has scored a 1.0 or 1.1 less than a dozen times and usually hovers around a .8. ECW regularly is around a 1.5.  That may not seem like a lot, but it is a sizeable chunk.  When TNA moves to their new timeslot in November, I expect their ratings will go up, but I don't see it immediately beating ECW.  If anything, I think it could turn out to be very close between the two shows. Again, a lot of it will have to do with the TNA product, and with all the recent changes, who know what form TNA will take in the coming weeks.

What ever happened to Gunner Scott aka Brent Albright?

Gunner was sent back down to Ohio Valley Wrestling this summer, as WWE officials didn't feel he was ready for the main brands, despite having some good matches while part of the Smackdown roster.  THIS JUST IN: At the time I am writing this, Gunner Scott has been given his release by WWE.

On the 9-13-01 (September 11th) edition of SmackDown!, did Kurt Angle win the WCW title from Booker T that night? I can't recall exactly what happened.

No, Booker wasn't even champion at that point.  Kurt Angle defeated Rhino in the final match of the 9/13 show.  Angle would win the WWF World Title from Steve Austin on September 23, 2001, so perhaps that is what you are thinking of.

How is TNA able to promote Angle coming to work for them? I'm sure like most WWE wrestlers, there is a 90 day no compete clause for him, and I don't think it's been 90 days yet. Even though if Angle were to not actually be present at any TNA event for 90 days, isn't this breach of contract?

Kurt Angle was given a full release from his WWE contract, free and clear, without any no-compete clauses. 

I never got to see CM Punk in ROH or TNA. Ever since he came to WWECW, I have loved watching him. I truthfully cannot remember in 20 years of watching wrestling where I saw a guy and said "he is the future". I think his mic skills, ring skills and charisma is an A plus, which is very rare. My question is, do you think WWE will take advantage of this and move him up to Raw one day or will be just squash Shannon Moore on ECW every week?

Like a lot of performers, there are those in WWE that see Punk as the future of wrestling, and others that don't believe he has the intangibles to make the transition into being a top tier superstar.  Personally, I think WWE would have to be insane not to notice how over Punk is with their audience already.  I see him rising up the ranks in ECW over the next year, and would not be surprised at all if they end up moving him to Raw. 

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