Television Report

PERSONAL THOUGHTS TO OPEN REPORT

It seems like about three months when we last saw WWF TOUGH ENOUGH. First we had the delay because of the MTV AWARDS and BYTE THIS! had LIVE matches instead. So we got our TOUGH ENOUGH FIX, well those of us that knew it was going to air on BYTE THIS!

Then the Terrorist action's caused the show to be pre-empted and postponed for another week. And we got to see the preview for last night's show about a zillion times. I was really looking forward to seeing this week's episode because of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin being on the show.

But let us all reflect on the reason why Tough Enough was postponed last week and have a moment of silence for the victims and families of the victims of the attack on September 11, 2001.


END THE SILENCE, ON WITH THE REPORT

This was the final regular episode of the Tough Enough series, and next week will be the SEASON FINALE! Are you looking forward to that? I certainly am. I don't want my favorites to lose the contest. In fact, I want a surprise ending and see the WWFE sign them all to contracts. That is what I think would be the best thing to do, personally. Give the TOP TWO a better deal, and the other 3 a chance to work in OVW or HWA with the chance to get a contract in the future.

This way, none of them are sucked up by any of the independent companies out there who are probably waiting to snatch them up and market them as "former Tough Enough Contestants". But that is what I would do. I would say, HERE are the two guys that get the CONTRACT with WWFE right now. But, don't worry the remaining three of you, because we have decided since you have done such a great job, we are going to send you to our developmental area to wrestle. And after a few months of doing that, we will re-evaluate you. And at that time we will decide if you are worth signing to a developmental contract or releasing outright.

They rehashed some of the past shows. Specifically with Chris and Josh getting on each others nerves.


TRAXX TRAINING

The group was doing suplexes in the ring, when they are taken aside and told this is the final week of the competition and they are all still being judged. Taylor mentioned everybody was excited about the contest ending next week. But Josh added that none of them actually know what they are going to be judged on.

Al Snow informed us he would be judging the group on many different things. Tori complimented Harvard Chris and said he stands out because of his size. Al also added that Harvard Chris has a good grasp of the intellectual side of wrestling.

Al mentioned Josh has a lot of heart, and Tori complimented his style in the ring and said it is very unique.

Al said Maven has a ton of charisma and a natural feel for wrestling. Jackie said Taylor is a lot like she was when she started, in determination. Big John piped in next and said Nidia has more feminine qualities, and that may help her (Maybe Big John agreed with my report of the BYTE THIS! action, when I mentioned Nidia looked good on the mat counting pinfalls).

Maven said the group constantly tries to make each other look good when they are in the ring together. Al mentioned they would be looking for "that X Factor" in the contestant's which would make fans want to watch them.


WORKING OUT IN THE GYM

The group was shown working out next. Al was asking Josh and Harvard Chris what they wanted to learn next, and Josh kept begging Al to teach them the moonsault. Al finally gave in and told them he would teach them the moonsault the next day.

Harvard Chris said Josh is small, and is looking for something to make him stick up from the group. Josh said he hoped the high spots would put him over the top.


BACK AT THE HOUSE

Everybody was hanging out in Josh's room, talking. They were waiting for Big John to show up at 2.


"STONE COLD" LIMO ARRIVES

A limo pulled up, and the door opened, and we saw leather boots. And Debra. And then "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin rang the doorbell, and the group heard it but a few said it was a clock and wasn't a doorbell, because they didn't have a doorbell.

Austin was getting impatient outside and asked Debra is they could be that busy. He knocked on the door a few times and yelled he wasn't going to wait all day.

Josh and Harvard Chris went out the back around the side, and saw it was Austin and greeted him.

"I don't appreciate you making me wait out here on the front porch." Austin said sarcastically to the two.

Chris said Austin was "cold" to them. Chris and Josh went to go through the front door and back in to the house, when Austin told them they should let his wife go through the door first (gotta love Southern Chivalry!).

Maven said it was unbelievable Steve Austin was sitting on the couch talking about wrestling with the group.


"SO YOU ARE SAYING THIS ISN'T WORK?"

Austin asked the group why they got in to this. Chris mentioned he would rather do this, then work.

Austin asked him, "You saying this ain't work?" Nidia made the remark that Austin had come to the house in character.


PERSONAL INTERJECTION

Nidia is going to have hell to pay with comments such as that, when she does get to the company, if she wins. Austin wasn't in character. Austin was being Steve Austin. He is that way in real life. He and a lot of the other wrestlers do not consider pro-wrestling to be a hobby, or to be something to be taken lightly. It is something they take very serious. If somebody considers it to be anything outside of work, they obviously do not take it serious. For Austin and Triple H and a lot of other WWFE performers, it is WORK. It might be a fun job, but it is still a job. They have a job to do, and do it every show.

Nidia suggesting Austin was in character was a total markish thing to say, but then again, she is the one that constantly acts like a mark around Jeff Hardy and did ask Al Snow if they were going to go backstage, when they were already backstage. So maybe Nidia was just being Nidia.


BACK TO AUSTIN

Austin told the group about when he decided to be a wrestler and he went to Memphis and saw an ad in the newspaper to be trained. He used his last bit of money to buy a sack of potato's and a bunch of cans of Tuna. He said once the tuna was all gone, he ate the potato's raw the rest of the time, until he had more money to buy food.

Austin was being very articulate and honest about how tough wrestling was, and how tough it was on him to break in. This is another reason why some of the wrestlers in the WWFE will not have too much respect for these kids. Austin had to live on potato's and tuna for months and months. Foley had to live in a house with six of seven other boys, and go trash can diving for mattresses to sleep on because they did not have enough money to buy new one's.

And here these kids are living in a house with a hot tub, and have a budget to buy great food. Times have really changed, these kids are being pampered and some of the boys might consider it to mean they haven't really paid their dues. They might be right, these kids haven't really had a tough time of it, that is compared to the stars who had to nearly starve to death before they made any money in this business.


DEBRA GIVES THE WOMEN A WAKE UP CALL

I do not agree with what Debra said, but she said it. Debra compared the women in the WWFE to "candles". She said they had to respect the men (I agree with that) because the men draw the money (I disagree partially with this).

Both Nidia and Taylor did not like what Debra said (neither did I, because it was factually incorrect in a certain extent, which I will explain in a minute). Both said they wanted to be more then "candles" and they felt women had more to offer to the WWFE then simply being "candles".

Austin told them not to do too many high spots, it wasn't about doing high spots, it was about telling a story and using psychology. Knowing where and when to do the right stuff.

Austin told them he had two leg braces and screws in his neck, but that he was going to wrestle as long as he could because he loved it that much.

Austin asked Josh if he liked to do the high flying, Josh said he did. Austin told him it wasn't only about doing as many high spots as you could, it was about making them make sense in a story (during the match).


I DISAGREE WITH DEBRA

Debra said the men drew the money. Well, Sable drew money. Chyna drew money. It is arguable that Stephanie McMahon draws money. It is also arguable that Lita draws a ton of money to the WWFE. And I could also say that Debra drew money for WWFE at one point also. Do they draw money as much as the men? Probably not.

But I'd also say no male wrestler has been as downloaded as the women. So they are both equal parts to the puzzle. With no women, WWF would be boring. With no men, WWF would be out of business. It is a mix of the two that keeps the company going forward at a decent pace and drawing fans to the shows.

Now, if the women did not wrestle would the WWF go out of business? NO. But the women can get in the squared circle and tell a story just as much as the men can, and to tell these girls that the only thing they can be is candles on a cake is incredibly narrow minded and blatantly ignorant. Debra might see herself as a candle on a cake, because she did not have any talent outside of looking good.

She was always a candle on a cake, she was a beauty pageant winner, and if that isn't a candle on a cake, I don't know what is. But she was never really a great female competitor, however; she did hold the WWFE women's title once or twice.


BACK AT TRAXX AGAIN

Al showed the group how do properly do a moonsault. They added an extra landing pad for their protection. Each of them was asked to do a moonsault. Josh tried and tried but couldn't get it correct.

Al called Josh missing the move a wake up call for him. Because he thought it was going to be his bread and butter and really easy. But it wasn't.

The rest of the group pulled off the move picture perfect. Josh still couldn't get it right.

Josh said psychologically it was tough for him, because of things he was doing to himself in his mind.

Harvard Chris told us if he doesn't win, he knows Maven will. Chris said he did not think Josh was mentally ready yet. Josh said he wanted to give 100 percent until the end.


BACK AT THE HOUSE

Big John told the group to bring boots and swimsuits with them tomorrow. They had visions of wrestling in the mud again (like Tazz made them do), and we saw a replay of that.


THE ROCK QUARRY

More unconditional training methods. Big John brought them to a Rock Quarry to do some cardiovascular work.

John made them swim the lake in a friendly competition. Josh was the first male to come back, then Maven, then Nidia, then Taylor, then Harvard Chris. Big John said Josh understands this is still a competition.

Harvard Chris was pissed off that he did not finish first, second, third, or even fourth. And probably upset he lost to two girls at the same time. Josh said Harvard Chris acts like a baby during any of the friendly competitions because he never wins. He was always acting like he was waiting for somebody to come over and console him for losing.


THE ROCK CLIMB

The next friendly competition was a rock climb, the fastest time was the winner.

Nidia went first and made it all the way up, then slid half way down, but she did not quit, and eventually made it to the top where Big John was waiting. She cut her knee's and got bruised, but impressed Big John.

Maven was next and could be called "Stone Walker" as his gimmick. He went up pretty fast.

Josh attempted it next and went slower then Maven, but pretty quick too. Taylor did okay and made it up eventually after falling a few times. Harvard Chris did not have that great of a time at this contest either. It took him nearly four minutes to make it to the top. Everybody else had made it up in under two minutes.

Big John said Harvard Chris being a former college football player for Harvard has underestimated the challenges this competition has offered. Chris of course was pissed again that he didn't do as well.

Josh told us that Maven slightly beat him in time, with both getting up in just under 25 seconds. He mentioned Chris took over three minutes. Chris admitted he did not look good in the challenges.


LOOK HE'S AN ASS KISSER!

Maven and Josh talked while they watched Harvard Chris talking to Big John. Both Maven and Josh said they would do anything to win the contest outside of kissing someone's ass. They claimed Chris was doing just that by kissing up to John.

Maven and Josh made fun of Harvard Chris as he was doing his smooching. Josh said it was good to see Chris struggle, and Maven added that Chris was starting to worry.

Chris told us that after doing bad in the competition's it was going to be a dog fight to the end.


BACK AT TRAXX

Ivory came in and asked if she could join the group. Ivory traded forearm spots with the group. Harvard Chris pointed out how Ivory was willing to take their shots as well, even though they had not been trained to give them as much as take them.

Ivory mentioned she would hate to have to be the one to choose the winner of the contest (making it clear they are all good). She pointed out how big Chris was, and how Josh has a lot of spunk, and that she would like to take Maven out for cocktails. Ivory was working with Nidia and Taylor next.

Ivory said both Nidia and Taylor were tough enough to make it. Ivory and Tori were talking to Nidia and Taylor with Ivory saying this was a great time to be a woman in the WWF (in contrast to what Debra Candle woman told them). Ivory said they could actually have matches the fans cared about, instead of just chanting for them to show their tits (okay she didn't say tits, but I decided that was a better word then boobs).

Nidia and Taylor both agreed with Ivory more then Debra Candle woman. So did I, because Debra is simply a candle. Ivory is half cake and half candle.

We saw the group doing some work with Ivory and taking bumps and giving bumps. Ivory left.


MOONSAULT ANYONE?

Al decided it was time to remove the protective mat and do the moonsault for real. Nidia was first and landed very well and knocked the breath out her. Taylor, Chris, and Maven did it picture perfect.

It was Josh TIME! The moment was here. Josh went up, and came down without even trying the move. He told Al he didn't know if he could do it. Al told Josh he could do it, and asked Josh if he trusted him. Al told Josh he wouldn't let him try it, if he didn't know he could do it. Al told Josh he could do it, and to go do it.

Josh went up, and landed a perfect moonsault! Al was excited. Al congratulated all of them for doing a moonsault because they did not know what a huge hurdle they had just leaped.

Big John commented that a few weeks ago they couldn't even fall correctly and now they were doing moonsaults. Al put over the fact that the group really did not understand how big of a deal it was to do that move.

Big John and Al commented on how it was going to be a really tough decision to make next week.


NEXT WEEK

We got a glimpse. The group will wrestle matches with the trainers, and Vince McMahon shows up ON THIS VERY SHOW!


THE CONTESTANT'S

Female: Bobby Jo, Nidia, Paulina, Taylor and Victoria.

Males: Chris Ni., Chris No., Darryl, Greg, Jason, Josh, Maven, and Shadrick.