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I was listening to Eric Bischoff on a recent edition of 83 weeks going over his time in TNA back in 2010 and Conrad brought up one of TNA’s signatures, the six-sided ring. He asked what was the thinking of switching to a traditional squared ring and Bischoff said it was stupid and it was just different for the sake of being different, not a way of generating revenue. It was a distraction that didn’t mean anything. The first time I saw TNA when I was a child in 2005, the six-sided ring was the first thing that got my attention and the X-Division added to that tremendously. What were your thoughts on the six-sided ring, did you like it, and did it bring a difference to TNA’s product? Was it bad that they replaced it with a traditional squared ring?
It wasn't bad that they replaced it but it did take away from what was TNA's identity at the time. As you noted, finding the ring for the first time allowed them to have something easily identifiable and showed that they were an immediate alternative to WWE. Anything that makes a company stand out against the industry leader can't be a bad thing. That said, a lot of wrestlers found that taking bumps in the traditional ring and that working in it was a lot easier and simpler than the six-sided ring, so they didn't mind the change. The fans live in the Impact Zone rejected it, but that was another completely different situation, and to be honest, those fans weren't paying to get into the tapings, so that had to mitigate their voice. I don't think the ring was a distraction except to those who didn't like it.
Is it true Impact had to send a producer out to lecture the fans who rejected the four sided ring?
Yes and no. It wasn't just the four sided ring but changes made during the Hulk Hogan regime:
I read somewhere that late comedian Patrice O'Neal worked for WWE? Is this true?
Yes, he was on the creative team for a short time. He was let go when he had a stand up gig and chose that over his WWE commitments. He once told the story on Opie & Anthony about Stephanie McMahon firing him over the phone and he shrugged at it, as comedians and writers do when its time to move onto the next gig, leading to Stephanie calling him back and firing him again on the phone, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation, which O'Neil found hilarious.
Who is Suicide?
I believe it is Caleb Konley under the hood.
Seriously, why did Cody Rhodes get that tattoo?
Seriously, because he wanted it.
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