Opinion

What’s forgivable and what isn’t?

Published

7 years ago

June 28, 2018

In recent weeks a few things have happened or been reported about involving the not so savory aspects of the business. There have been rumors about Hulk Hogan trying to work his way back into the good graces of the WWE, a WWE 24 special on the Hardys and the substance abuse problems that led them to essentially get fired from the company and kept them away until last year, the first comments from Enzo Amore since his firing a few months ago, the firing of Enzo’s former partner Big Cass, and lastly the morbid recognition by some on social media of Chris Benoit murdering his wife and son before he committed suicide. With each case outside the Hardys there was some support for the men in question along with a lot of continued disdain and dissent. Some people do want to see The Hulkster back, some people think both Enzo and Cass got bad raps in their respective cases, and some people think that Benoit should get recognition for his wrestling career despite the horrendous acts that he committed. Now as wrestling fans we put up with and excuse a good bit of not cool behavior at all levels of the business – no more than another section of the entertainment business, but enough that we can’t really throw stones from our respective glass house. So when something particularly bad goes down. what’s forgivable and what isn’t? Here’s what I think:

The Hardys

As you know the Hardys are back after years away and presumably overcoming their demons, Jeff’s recent DUI notwithstanding. Should they have gotten another shot given what’s happened in the business before with some guys recovering from substance abuse? Sure, as long as they can stay clean going forward. Matt and Jeff hurt themselves, hurt their families, and to a degree hurt their employer by forcing them to change plans to account for their problems. They didn’t, however, hurt the company’s bottom line, didn’t disrespect the customers, and didn’t cause any harm to anyone else. If Vince trusts them then it’s all good, and if they fall back into their old habits he can fire them again.

Enzo Amore

This one’s easy – don’t come back Enzo. From all reports out there he wasn’t honest with the company about being under investigation for sexual assault, and there have been numerous rumors and such about him not getting along with his coworkers. Not to mention he wasn’t much good in the ring as it was. Outside of selling some wigs and T-shirts, he was at the point of having no redeeming qualities. I don’t miss him and I think most of you guys don’t either. As far as him being vindicated by way of not being charged with a crime……sure dude, that totally makes you innocent.

Cass

Cass allegedly didn’t get along with anyone, was drinking too much, and went into business for himself a few weeks back for a segment on Smackdown. And like his former partner he wasn’t great in the ring so they’re really not losing much here. No brainer, really. Given how things ended for both he and Enzo it’s finally starting to make sense that they never got a run with the tag titles either in NXT or on the main roster. It really looks like HHH and some other folks in the back knew that they had a ticking time bomb with with both of them so the only move was to gets as much as you could out of them before the bottom fell out. I wouldn’t rule either of them out for returning one day but it’s clear that they were more trouble than they were worth in 2018.

Chris Benoit

This is simple. F@#! Chris Benoit. Chris was once one of my favorite wrestlers. When he won the World Title at WrestleMania XX I thought it was earned and when he and Eddie Guerrero embraced to end the show that was a truly touching moment. Who gives a crap now? Well some people apparently do based on a few tweets I saw. Saying that we ‘lost’ Chris around this time in 2007, like he died of cancer or something, is some super tone deaf stuff, ok? They’re not going to put his name back in the captions on the network and they’re not going to feature him on anyone else’s stuff be it match collections, DVDs, or whatever. Not sorry about it at all. If you want to see him so bad there his matches are still on the network. I’m ok with that because the other person or people he was working with deserve to have their work be fully visible so we can see how good they were. But he doesn’t deserve a damn thing and people pushing for his name to brought back because he was so good in the ring can have a supersize stadium full of seats.

Hulk Hogan

Last but not least we have the Hulkster. Hogan got banished from WWE programming because of his racist rant that got exposed without his permission (he in fact won a big lawsuit over it and all). He’s been trying to get his way back in now that some time has passed and, he hopes, that people aren’t thinking about it anymore. Of course when you try to get back in yourself and not just wait for Vince to call you, and it gets out that you’re making these overtures, then all the stuff you said is going to get run up the flagpole again and squash your chances. But never mind the stupidity of his methods, does he deserve another chance? After all he did ‘just’ say some stuff, right? And words, no matter how bad they are, aren’t the same as doing drugs, being awful to people at work, lying about being investigated for a criime, or actually killing some people. And to top it off, without your work 30 years ago the foundation for what we have today would not have been laid. So you should get that last lifetime achievement award style position to spread the gospel of wrestling and all things WWE, right?

In my opinion, NO. At a time when the diversity of the audience/customer base and on air talent is greater and/or more recognized than ever before, bringing back someone who was fired for demeaning some of the people who contribute to said diversity is tone deaf and insulting. It doesn’t fly on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, you name it. And forcing guys and gals like New Day, Naomi, Titus, Apollo, etc to pretend it’s no big deal and maybe even say nice stuff about him on camera is as insulting as it is trying to get us in the audience to enjoy hearing that dude talk again. I can watch and appreciate his work and what he brought to the game without him getting a cushy ambassador position and being put in front of my face again. And it’s not like he has much to say anyway; we’ve seen his pretend to put guys over as a way of getting himself over routine plenty of times already. The guy doesn’t add much with his perspective the way that a lot of other legends do. He’s still out there trying to big up himself 30 years later.

At the end of the day, if you play the risk/reward game with Hogan you’d find that you really aren’t gaining anything in return for what you’re jeopardizing. The people who are pushing the hardest for him are, from my estimation, people who already have network subscriptions and spend money on the product. You’re not getting any new viewers and you’ll piss off a bunch of current ones. You have a few that think he should be welcomed back versus a lot of people who will range from indifferent to frustrated to angry. Seriously what good does he do you right now? He can’t work a match and he isn’t going to sell anything by showing up (insert any joke you want about Hogan and selling in the ring here). He’s a founding father of the WWE; unfortunately that’s not just in the good ways but in the bad ways as well. Keeping him away, in my opinion, is what’s best for business.

So there you have it, who I think should be forgiven and who shouldn’t be. What do you think?

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1