[WWW] NWA TNA 11.8.03 Bill Banks column

http://www.nwatna.com/columns/bankshot/2003/11/08/bankshot.html

11.08.03 | The Bank Shot with Bill Banks 
What a roller coaster this past week was for me, personally. From the
excitement generated by Sting's return to TNA to the shocking news of
the passing of Mike Lockwood, aka Mad Mikey and Crash Holly, a quiet
weekend is definitely what I need.

But the weekend always goes too quick, and before you know it the next
show is upon us. This Wednesday, Sting once again returns to TNA, and
without a doubt the seats will be packed once more.

Before I go on – Happy Birthday Mom!!! Love ya!!

GOODBYE, MIKE….. 
It always hurts when someone you know passes on, and this past week
the wrestling world got the sad news that Mike Lockwood, better known
as Crash Holly and Mad Mikey, had left us.

I worked briefly with Lockwood in WWE, and had the opportunity to film
the Mad Mikey TNA vignettes with him a few months back when he joined
us. Always a goofball backstage, Lockwood's love in wrestling was
having fun with his character. He never gave anyone a hard time, and
would always make me laugh by pitching his idea to feud with the TNA
Dancers in a "Head Scissors Takedown" match.

As we head into the next week, I know there are many of Lockwood's
friends throughout the wrestling business that will be thinking about
him.

Although I wasn't a close friend of Mike's, I'm happy that I at least
had the opportunity to work with him again – albeit for a short time.

Goodbye, Mike……and thanks.

SEEING A BOYHOOD FAVORITE 
Not many fans get to see the backstage chaos that goes on before,
during and after our PPVs. It often gets so hectic that I've been
guilty of nearly running people over as I race to produce a live shot
or grab a prop from our trucks outside. The number of people that pack
into our backstage area often gives it the feel of a sardine can.

There was one person in attendance this past week, in particular, who
I saw talking to several of the wrestlers – someone whose identity I
couldn't quite put my finger on. Bald head and a white shirt – who was
it?

Then I got a better look – it was none other than the "Russian
Nightmare" Nikita Koloff.

When I first became a fan of wrestling, it was from watching the old
Crockett NWA on TBS every Saturday night. I'm sure many of you grew up
watching the same thing. One particular segment, featuring the Four
Horsemen piling out of a limo and attacking Dusty Rhodes, got me
hooked. But my favorite wrestler at the time was a monster named
Nikita Koloff--a Russian badass that ultimately turned "good" and
helped Dusty Rhodes in his war with the Horsemen.

Nikita hasn't challenged physically all that much since his wrestling
days. In fact, he still looks in great shape and could surely climb
back in the ring if he wanted to.

But as I understand it, Nikita has given his life to the Lord, which
is commendable. Regardless of my own religious views, it was a
pleasure to sit and listen to Nikita speak to several of our wrestlers
this past Wednesday during a "prayer meeting." He offered words of
advice about the Lord and prayed for some of the wrestlers' family
members as well. It was very inspiring.

In a nutshell – it was great to see someone who had given so much to
the business not only give back, but try to give back in a personal
way.

THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE? 
Shooting the "TNA Cam" footage for the Xplosion syndicated program, I
try to get as many creative shots as possible throughout the PPV. One
such shot was after the PPV went off the air, as I stuck the handheld
camera through the entrance curtain and filmed Jeff Jarrett, Don
Callis, The Redshirts and Abyss returning up the ramp.

Watching the shot back in the studio the following day, I gotta tell
you – this crew could easily be the most imposing alliance I have ever
seen in this sport.

First you have the power – TNA Management Consultant Don Callis, who
has single-handedly ruled TNA with an iron fist, not mention kicking
Roddy Piper, D'Lo Brown and Jerry Lynn to the curb.

Then there's the NWA Champion Jeff Jarrett – the top superstar in the
company, with a devious mind to boot.

And then you have the muscle – Abyss and the Redshirts. All near or
over seven feet tall, and all the biggest men in the company. I don't
care if you're AJ Styles, Sting or America's Most Wanted – you can't
beat those odds. If you want to take these three off their feet,
you're going to need a Mac Truck.

Believe me, the path of destruction that Jarrett and Callis are about
to unleash in TNA will be severe….and it's going to start this week.

THE HORROR….THE HORROR 
Prior to his match with Raven this past week, Jim Mitchell was as
focused and determined as I've ever seen him. No one expected him to
beat Raven going in, but he put up a hell of a fight and bled buckets.

In fact, while filming Mitchell post-match on the TNA Cam for
Xplosion, I had to take my eye off the camera several times to see if
what I was filming was really in front of me.

After several years of working in the wrestling business, you often
grow immune to the shocking effects of blood. Seeing someone bleed is
the nature of the beast. But what I filmed this past Wednesday, what I
captured on film of Jim Mitchell, was perhaps the most grotesque
bloodbath I have ever seen up close.

It was that disgusting – so much so that I refused to put it on
Xplosion this week. Remember how Mick Foley looked after his Hell In A
Cell match in 1998? Mitchell made that look like a GQ cover shoot.

As I followed Mitchell into the locker room, chain still connected to
his neck, he slumped down in a chair and was barely able to keep his
eyes open from the loss of blood. It literally looked like someone had
peeled his face off and tried to put it back on with scotch tape. It
took several minutes for him to clear his head before he had something
to say to Raven on camera, and as he spoke, he was gurgling blood and
spitting it all over the camera lens. I'm not making this up!

What WILL air on Xplosion is a much shorter and censored version of
the footage. If you had seen the unedited version, you would probably
be thanking me for not showing it.

It's a shame we already finished the Best of the Bloodiest Brawls DVD,
because this would have made excellent bonus footage for some of you
bloodlust sickos out there!

TRIPLE X REVISITED 
This week on Wednesday's TNA, the X Triple Chance Invitational
continues with two matches, newcomer Chad Collyer vs. Chris Sabin and
The Fallen Angel vs. Low Ki.

In particular, I'm looking forward to the Daniels/Ki match, for the
mere fact that this has the potential of being tremendous. Both guys
are hungry to have a standout match, and their style makes for
explosive offense from each.

The championship trio of Triple X may be no more, but the amazing
high-flying tactics they incorporated will certainly be there this
Wednesday. This one could steal the show…

THE TNA BOOKING AREA HAS ARRIVED 
If you're reading this column over the weekend, there's a good chance
you've already seen our newest addition to TNA.com – the TNA Booking
Area. It's not so much an area for fans, but rather a section that
will be used by various promoters across the country to book the TNA
superstars for their events.

The section will also include a monthly calendar so fans can see if
the stars of TNA will be in their area. It's a great deal all around –
for the promoters, superstars, fans and TNA itself.

That's it for this week! Thanks and be sure to tune in this Wednesday
to TNA on PPV!

Bill Banks
www.NwaTna.com