LISA MARIE VARON (TARA) RELEASED FROM TNA WRESTLING

According to ProWrestling.net(read the article here) Lisa Marie Varon was released from her contract in TNA Wrestling. Varon is the latest in a list that includes, Matt Morgan, Crimson, Madison Rayne, and DOC.

TNA is trying to cut spending and is shrinking it's roster. The biggest problem is that TNA doesn't market itself well and that's why it's not more well-known.

Lisa Marie was one of my favorite wrestlers in TNA and I felt like her best run with them came when she first came there in 2010. I will miss her presence.

THE PROFESSOR

BILL COSBY IS BACK

Bill Cosby will star in his own concert comedy special in 30 years reports TV Equals (read the article here). The special will be called "Far From Finished" and will air on Comedy Central on November 12th.





I will definitely be tuning in on November 12th and can't wait to hear Cosby's views on current events.



THE PROFESSOR

MATT MORGAN RELEASED FROM TNA WRESTLING

Matt Morgan was released from his TNA contract according to PROWRESTLING.NET(You can read the article here). It was reported that he asked for his release as he wasn't used very often and the last time he was used was in a match against Sting leading up to Slammiversary where he lost a #1 contender's match.

It was reported that Matt and his wife are expecting a baby so maybe that influenced his decision to move on.

I'm a fan of Matt Morgan and always thought that TNA didn't know how to use the 7-Foot 330 Pound wrestler as he could have been a major player for TNA. I expressed this sentiment in may blogs on this site that you can read HERE, HERE, and HERE.

I hope he gets to go to WWE and have a great run there.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

MAN OF STEEL GROSSES 125 MILLION DOLLARS

"Man of Steel" grossed 125 million dollars since opening Thursday at midnight, according to EW.COM. (you can read the article here). It broke the record set by "Toy Story 3" for biggest opening for a June release.

We will see if "Man of Steel" can maintain it's dominance when "World War Z" comes out next week.

The Professor

IS SUPERMAN STILL RELEVANT?

HENRY CAVILL AS SUPERMAN


"Is Superman still cool?" That's the question that Chris Connelly posed to Henry Cavill in an interview on Nightline last week. I'll get to Cavill's answer later but that question got me thinking and over the last 60 years or so how Superman has lost his "cool' factor to the general public.





From 1950-1983, when George Reeves and Christopher Reeve portrayed the character the cool thing was that Superman had powers that everybody wanted like invulnerability, flight, and superspeed. Also as a country the United States felt as if we were the best country in the world especially after our victory in World War Two.



Now with more restive and charismatic heroes like Batman and Iron Man that do amazing things but have decidedly human traits, audiences think of Superman as a hero who represents an ideal that has long since faded. This is also due to a change in the way Americans see this country as the American dream is getting harder to attain because of crooked politicians and a slumping economy.

Even as a longtime Superman fan sometimes I find it hard to relate to him. There are days  I'd rather be rich and charismatic like Tony Stark than be the ultimate good guy like Clark Kent.

"Man of Steel" will attempt to update Superman for a new audience but there's only so much you can do. You won't see Superman have a drink like Wolverine or take a beautiful woman to bed like Tony Stark does. That's just not Superman. These are the traits that people love in these characters and what have elevated them above Superman.

"Man of Steel" will make millions of dollars because people will be curious about the changes that Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder have made to the character. A different suit, A slight change on his origin story, and emotional conflict will hopefully be enough to draw audiences in and keep them.

Back to the original question that started this article that Chris Connelly posed to Henry Cavill, "Is Superman still cool?" Cavill's response, "Superman's about doing good, what's not cool about that?"

I think the question is not whether Superman is cool. I think the question will be: Is Superman relevant? We'll find out how relevant he is after June 14th.

If you like this article let me know @SEMSCORPIO.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

RATINGS FOR IMAPCT SLIGHTLY INCREASE WITH RAMPAGE JACKSON APPEARANCE

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson


PROWRESTLING.NET reports that TNA's rating moved up slightly to 0.92 and they attracted 1.1 million viewers last Thursday. Even with the announcement of Rampage Jackson appearing on the show did not increase the rating by much. Due to competition by the NBA Playoffs, Impact didn't crack the top 100 in the 25-54 demographic.

Jackson was confronted by Kurt Angle on Impact last Thursday to set up a possible match down the road.  Jackson was received well by the crowd and he was seen as a star.

It may be a several months before Jackson actually steps into a ring to mix it up with any wrestlers. When he does it should be a big event.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor

RAMPAGE JACKSON SIGNS WITH BELLATOR AND TNA WRESTLING IN DEAL WITH SPIKE TV

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has signed a multi-year deal with SPIKE TV which includes a deal to work in Bellator MMA, TNA WRESTLING, and his own reality show according to TMZ.

While this is a big signing for SPIKE, BELLATOR, and TNA, the question remains if "Rampage" can still get it done inside the cage. He's coming off of three consecutive losses before he left the UFC. I'm sure he's looking forward to going to Bellator and proving that he still has what it takes. Hopefully, he won't get KO'd in the first round of the Bellator tournament like King Mo did back in January.

As for TNA, I would have to see how they use him before I make any judgments. Jackson will be appearing on TNA Programming on Thursday June 6th so we'll see if this media attention helps with a ratings increase and higher profile for TNA.

"Rampage" has a great personality and should fit right in with TNA Wrestling and Bellator.

If you like this article let me know @semscorpio.

Class Dismissed,
The Professor