Submitted by admin on Sat, 2005-10-22 08:00. ::
No, I'm not talking about "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, though I'm sure there are a number of wrestling fans out there that would agree that, at age 56, the 16-time world champion is way past his prime and really should hang up the tights.
This time the finger points to one Kevin Nash, the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion-turned member of the formidable threesome known in World Championship Wrestling as the New World Order.
It was just four months ago, in a conversation I had with him, that Nash was singing the joys of being a family man and how great it was to be away from wrestling.
"I'm a father and a husband, and I enjoy it," Nash said during a phone conversation while he waited on dinner at a restaurant in Florida. He had just returned from China, where he had just finished working on a new film called D.O.A. "I like spending time with my family. It's summertime, my son will be going back to school in August. I'm just going to enjoy the time with my family."
Then, the 45-year-old Nash made it pretty clear that the period in his life in which he sometimes spent as many as 300 days a year on the road and away from family was over.
"I'll always love wrestling, but it's just not my focal point," Nash said. "It's not that I don't think the product is any good. And it's not because I just don't want to wrestle. It's just that I would much rather spend the time with my family."
Nash also pointed out that his body has taken quite a pounding over the last 15 to 20 years in the ring, adding, "I'm definitely beat up, and I'm pretty sore."
On Sunday, Nash will be in the spotlight when he faces off with Jeff Jarrett in a quest to become the National Wrestling Alliance world heavyweight champion. The match will be the feature event when Total Nonstop Action presents its Bound for Glory pay-per-view.
Nash says he is returning to the ring to take care of some "unfinished" business with Jarrett-issues apparently hanging on from when he was last in TNA a year ago as part of the Kings of Wrestling with friend and partner Scott Hall.
It's not likely that Nash's return on Sunday will mark a lengthy return to wrestling. His body really cannot take the punishment. Even if he defeats Jarrett, the most fans can expect is a short-term reign by Nash. Then look for the belt to return to Jarrett, whose financial interest in the company seems to dictate that he gets the title whenever he wants it.
Bound for Glory, TNA's first pay-per-view since returning to national television on Spike TV, promises a lot of excitement, with feature matches that include A.J. Styles taking on Christopher Daniels for the X Division championship; Matt Bentley battling Chris Sabin and Petey Williams in a three-way match to decide the No. 1 contender for the X Division title; and Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong meeting in a four-way X-Division match.
In other matches, "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown takes on Lance Hoyt; The Diamonds In the Rough goes up against Sonny Siaki, Apolo and Shark Boy; Abyss, Rhino, Sabu and Jeff Hardy meet in a "Monster Ball 2" match; and Samoa Joe takes on Jushin "Thunder" Liger.
• Former WCW wrestler "Hardbody" Harrison has been indicted by a federal jury on charges he forced seven women into prostitution. The FBI announced on Tuesday that Harrison, whose real name is Harrison Norris Jr., was arrested after being charged in a nine-count indictment with false imprisonment and trafficking women for commercial sex acts, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The indictment comes after an investigation that started more than a year ago when Harrison, 39, was arrested in Smyrna, Ga., on three counts of false imprisonment. Police said Norris allegedly befriended women by bailing them out of jail and then took them to his home in Cartersville, Ga., where he made them work as prostitutes to pay off their debts.
• Jim Ross, who was "fired" from his job as lead announcer on "RAW" two weeks ago as part of a storyline, was said to be "hanging tough" after undergoing colon surgery this past Wednesday.
"Yesterday and today have been a little tough," Ross' wife, Jan, said in a statement posted online Wednesday at wwe.com. "But we are very happy with how the surgery went. He is in great hands and is being taken care of."
Ross had confirmed his medical condition through comments on wwe.com shortly after the storyline firing from his job as lead announcer on "RAW" happened.
"They found something massive in my intestines," Ross said. "They don't know what it is, but they will have to cut out part of my intestines." Ross is expected to remain hospitalized for three to five days following the surgery.
Ross has been a center of controversy since his storyline dismissal from WWE. The company has posted several of the more than 1,000 e-mails it has received from fans asking that Ross be reinstated.
The angle has also become part of the upcoming Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view, in which "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has agree to wrestle "RAW" announcer Jonathan Coachman to win back Ross' job. If Austin loses, he will be fired.
* Speaking of Taboo Tuesday, WWE has announced four other matches that will be part of the show. In a match for the WWE championship, John Cena will defend his title against Curt Angle and either Kane, Big Show or Shawn Michaels. Triple H will take on Ric Flair; Carlito will go up against Mick Foley; and fans will be given an opportunity to decide the stipulations in a "Fulfill Your Fantasy Diva Battle Royal" match.
Taboo Tuesday, the second-ever "RAW" interactive pay-per-view, will take place Nov. 1 at the ipayOne Center in San Diego, Calif. The show is unique in that fans get a chance to vote online to determine the stipulatons of some matches and the participants in others.
Last year, fans voted Shawn Michaels as the number one contender for the world heavyweight title against then-champion Triple H. The fan's votes also put Ric Flair inside a steel cage against Randy Orton and saw the WWE divas compete in a battle royal while dressed in school girl outfits.
* The next time you see the Hurricane, don't look for him to be so pleasant. The character took a surprise turn this past Monday that, unless you were attending the "RAW" show live, you would not have seen.
During a commercial break following a match that Hurricane lost, Rosey came out to assist his partner. As Rosey and three referees tried to help Hurricane to his feet, the "masked wonder" suddenly turned and decked Rosey. Hurricane then removed his mask, shoved it into Rosey's hand and left the ring.
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