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HEYMAN-NEW JACK, IMPACT PPVS, SUMMERSLAM, REACTION TO THE MOST DANGEROUS & NEEDLESS SPOT OF THE YEAR AND MORE

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Are Impact Wrestling PPVs live or taped now?

It depends on the timing of when the show takes place.  Some of the Impact+ shows are taped in advance.

There's been a rumor that Summerslam will be in NYC.  Anything to this?

I live in NYC and we are starting to open up in July, but I haven't heard anything about a WWE return to Madison Square Garden yet personally.  My hope is that they are back by 12/26 for the annual post-Christmas show.

Do you think Paul Heyman being so emotional during his tribute to New Jack was guilt over booking him to do balcony dives?

I think Heyman was legitimately emotional over Jack's passing, but Heyman didn't book the first balcony dive.  That was all Jack.  He wanted to do something to make sure everyone remembered The Gangstas even if they were losing.  That was all him and he did it for calculated reasons, including being able to ask for more money when the dives were now requested. So, no.

What do you think New Jack's legacy is?

The legacy is that he was a guy who pushed the envelope all the way with all the good and bad ramifications that came with it.  It will also be that he was one of the most charismatic promos ever.

I saw this clip on Twitter with an insane scene of a guy setting his crotch on fire and then being hit with a weedwacker.  What are your thoughts on this  - (NOTE FROM MIKE - NOT SAFE FOR WORK)

I would say my thoughts are that if being set on fire and then a weedwacker to the nether-regions doesn't stop the dude, you better run! 

In all seriousness, there was zero reason for this spot and based on how it all played out, there was also zero preparation for what would happen if it went wrong, which it obviously did.  This was scary as hell to see and should have never played out this way.   I have always defended talents who do death match stuff as being unique artists, but this was WAY too far over the line, especially in a small indoor venue so close to fans that he could literally be on flames and run past them twice.

I am told that the wrestler who went up in flames, literally, is hurt but OK, but seriously, this footage scares the hell out of me in the worst way possible.  How anyone devises this and someone involved doesn't say "Hey, Let's have fire extinguishers there" blows me away.  Even if you weren't trying for something to be THAT extreme, well, fire doesn't know how to work with you, something Mick Foley, Shadow WX, Terry Funk and others learned the hard way.

I am not sure who the promoter is but if this was a case of two wrestlers doing this spot without their knowledge, they should never be booked again.  If the promoter knew and didn't have the proper precautions taken in case of the worse happening (which pretty much almost happened here), then they need to seriously re-examine what their thought process here was. 

I have seen a lot of scary, dangerous stuff happen before my eyes but this would have been the most scary, dangerous moment for sure if I was in attendance.    There was zero upside to this in my opinion.  If someone was working Wrestlemania and getting a seven figure payday, this spot wouldn't be worth it and you know no one on this show was making anyone close to that.  If the point was to get attention, OK, well they have gotten it, but what do they do now? 

I can't see the venue or even local officials being happy about this, so one has to wonder what sort of negative fallout there will be.   I am happy no one died.  Beyond that, I don't see any positives, and this is from someone who has covered lots of CZW Tournament of Death shows.

 

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