Industry reaction to William Regal's suspension, TNA online show, Chris Benoit compared to Jeffrey Dahmer

Wednesday, MAY 21 - 11:35 A.M.

-I spoke with a number of people in the industry about the 60-day suspension of William Regal yesterday and most people shared two concerns. One, they were hoping that Regal didn't relapse. Two, they were worried that he won't get the type of push he was getting when the suspension came down.

No one I spoke with witnessed or heard reports of Regal struggling to maintain his sobriety. There are a number of people who are skeptical of the theory that he took an illegal supplement, mostly because so many athletes have used that excuse. "I don't think he was a street drug or a steroid guy," said one WWE source. "I'm just happy we have a strong program and that it's being taken seriously."

Of course, people remain skeptical that WWE would ever suspend top wrestlers such as Triple H, John Cena, Batista, and Undertaker if they were to test positive. Only time will tell, I suppose, but Jeff Hardy is arguably WWE's most popular performer at the time he was suspended. Maybe he's not a top guy in Vince's book, but the fact that he was suspended heading into WrestleMania says something.

Unfortunately, I'm not so confident that Regal's push will pick up where it left off when he returns. I spoke with a former WWE creative team member who said that Vince was never a fan of Regal's in-ring style and rejected pitches to push him in the past. However, Vince is a big fan of Regal's personality and, thus, the former creative team member assumed that Regal would be featured in some fashion.

The mood of the people I spoke with was much different regarding Regal than it was when Hardy was suspended. People were using words like "idiot" and "stupid" to describe Hardy's actions, whereas most people were simply concerned and disappointed for Regal.

-I got a kick out of the "TNA Spin Cycle" show that is currently airing on their website. There are definitely some campy moments, but it gave B.G. James, Shark Boy, and Frank Trigg a chance to show off their senses of humor in an unscripted manner. Shark delivered some funny lines while performing his Stone Cold routine. The segment is hosted by Jeremy Borash and also featured Rhaka Khan. You can check it out by clicking here.

-Today would have been Chris Benoit's 41st birthday. A local radio station noted that he shares a birthday with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It was sad to listen to the hosts debate whether they hated Benoit or Dahmer more. Wow. I guess that's just one conversation I never thought I'd hear.

Monday, MAY 19 - 3:22 P.M.

-It was a busy weekend for podcasts here on Dot Net. In case you missed it on Saturday, I posted a podcast on Friday night with more Dot Net Exclusive details regarding a conversation I had with Sean "X-Pac" Waltman regarding his stay in rehab and his openness toward returning to WWE in a behind the scenes role. You can listen by clicking here.

-I also posted an audio recap of the WWE Judgment Day pay-per-view last night after the show. You can listen to that podcast by clicking here.

-I don't understand WWE's approach to promoting Raw these days. As I type this, they have yet to announce a single match for tonight's show. Keep in mind that this is the same company that just gave away a Jeff Hardy vs. MVP match on Sunday's pay-per-view without advertising it first.

Do they think that finding out the results of the mostly predictable Judgment Day pay-per-view will be enticing enough to make casual viewers tune in tonight? What about the fans who read the results online at WWE.com? What incentive do they have to watch tonight?

Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to have something ready to advertise on Sunday night immediately after the pay-per-view concludes? I realize they're not on the same brand (like that matters anymore), but why didn't they save the Hardy vs. MVP match for tonight and advertise that immediately after the pay-per-view concluded? Surely, that would have given people something to talk about at the office water cooler this morning.

Rather, my guess is that most water cooler discussions went something like this:

Employee A: "Did you order the show last night?"

Employee B: "Nope. Did you?"

Employee A: "Nope."

Employee B: "What's on Raw tonight?"

Employee A: I don't know. They haven't said."

End of WWE Discussion.

Don't act like you're not impressed by my brilliant playwriting ability.

-I get a kick out of the way UFC is marketing Brock Lesnar as a humble guy who is trying to win over the hardcore MMA fans. Or maybe his handlers are trying to market him in this manner. Whatever the case, it's a mistake. Screw the hardcore MMA fans. UFC and/or Lesnar could learn a thing or two from WWE and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in this case.

The hardcore MMA fans are going to watch UFC whether Lesnar caters to them or not, just as WWE recognizes that hardcore wrestling fans are going to watch their product whether they cater to them or not. UFC and Lesnar should look at the big picture and focus on the mainstream fans.

Brock is a natural heel. He's cocky. He's a bully. He doesn't like the media. It's only a matter of time before the real Brock gets frustrated and shows his true colors anyway. Let the guy be himself. He's a natural heel. UFC has plenty of nice, humble fighters. Tito Ortiz is reportedly on his way out the door, so UFC needs a fighter who creates controversy and makes viewers want to pay to see him get his ass kicked, much like boxing has and WWE recently had with Mayweather.