McMahon: TNA must change with times

This may be a little hard to believe, but Vince McMahon actually criticized TNA in a recent interview for what he called the company's "reprehensible" actions.

"My concern with TNA is not in terms of competition," the WWE owner told The Hollywood Reporter. "My concern with TNA is that they are TV-14, and we are PG. They have to change with the times. I think some of the things they do on television are reprehensible, but it is a TV-14 rating. That's the only bone I have to pick with them. Their TV ratings are a fraction of ours."

I really don't think any additional statement is needed regarding such an answer that stretches the boundaries of hypocrisy. The best part, however, came when the reporter queried Vince concerning a recent WWE Raw episode that involved a home invasion angle — when WWE champ Triple H busted into rival Randy Orton's house wielding a sledgehammer.

Check this out for a reply:

"What we try to do in situations like that is use things that you can't find around the house. You will never see us use a baseball bat. You don't find folding metal chairs around the house. We are very selective. You can go up to the line. It's storytelling; that's how our business thrives. If you have well-defined characters and put them in the right storyline against other characters, people care about their welfare."

OK. Let's get this straight. It's perfectly all right to break into someone's home and terrorize the family ... as long as you do it with an object not normally associated with a house. Like maybe a sledgehammer.

But don't dare come in swinging a baseball bat or a metal chair. Now that's crossing the line.

WWE, by the way, now carries a PG rating in order to draw a younger demographic. And that's fine, but don't go knocking your competition when you pushed the envelope over the edge for years, especially during the Attitude Era in the late '90s.

TNA owner and president Dixie Carter fired back at McMahon's comments later in the week and said she was glad that at least he was watching the TNA product.

"I think it's wonderful that Vince watches TNA Impact," she told the UK Sun. "And I agree with him that things such as the brutal beating of a 60-year-old man, a vicious home invasion and gratuitous man-on-woman violence can be seen as reprehensible — and that's just the last three Monday nights."

--"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night in Houston, has signed on for a role in "The Stranger." The movie begins shooting this summer in Vancouver.

Principal photography recently wrapped up on Austin's latest fill venture, "Damage," another action film. He also recently joined the cast of the Sylvester Stallone film "The Expendables" alongside Mickey Rourke, Jet Li and Jason Statham.

--Honky Tonk Man has backed off a statement he made earlier last week threatening 16-time world champ Ric Flair.

Honky (Wayne Farris) had posted on his blog that he was going to confront Flair at Wrestlemania because of comments the Nature Boy made about him several years ago in his book.

Honky, who will be at Mania to induct Koko B. Ware, now says he will attempt to resolve his disagreement with Flair behind closed doors.

"I will not disturb the Hall of Fame or Wrestlemania 25 in any way," Honky said Thursday on his Web site. "I have nothing but the utmost respect for the WWE and these two great events and would never do anything other than be humbled by being part of the big weekend."

--The final WWE Hall of Fame honoree, Howard Finkel, will be inducted by Mean Gene Okerlund.

--Kane (Glen Jacobs) cautioned younger wrestlers about the pitfalls of substance abuse in a recent interview with The (U.K.) Daily Star.

Kane voiced his concern in the wake of former WWE performer Andrew "Test" Martin's passing two weeks ago at the age of 33.

While he says the company's wellness policy is in place to prevent more tragic deaths, he urged younger wrestlers to still be careful and make healthy decisions.

"I hate to harp on about it, but it's something the young guys need to be aware of," Kane said. "WWE has taken a number of steps to be proactive, but all these things are tragic. I knew Andrew for years and years, since he was 24 or 25, so it's personal too when you see that happen."

On the other hand, Ken "Mr." Kennedy, in a recent interview with the U.K. Sun, said he believed WWE's drug-testing system was too rigorous.

"Testing is ridiculous. I swear it's far more rigorous than the NFL. It seems like every time we go to TV, there's a note on the door that says we're testing. Do it on a weekly basis and it tends to be a bit much. I'm probably going to get myself in trouble here."

Kennedy was suspended in 2007 for a violation of the wellness policy.

"I thought the suspension was (BS) to begin with," Kennedy said. "I feel I had a legitimate medical condition. Someone will say 'you're not supposed to go online to get.' I never went online once. Never. It was an actual guy who said he was a doctor who I got my stuff from."

--Line of the week comes from Chris Jericho. When asked by a TMZ interviewer if had better abdominal muscles than President Barack Obama, Jericho said he did but probably wouldn't have them for long.

"As of right now I have better abs but pretty soon he's gonna take 65 percent of my abs away from me and give them to somebody else," Jericho retorted.

--A special thank you to retiring Post and Courier publisher Larry Tarleton. It was Larry who green-lighted this column 20 years ago, and today it's the longest-running of its kind in the country. And it was Larry's vision, innovation and leadership that has continued to inspire us all.

--You can add my name to that long list of folks influenced by Bill Moore. Dr. Moore, who passed away last week at the age of 64, was a credit to this city and the College of Charleston where he served for nearly four decades.

I was a first-year College of Charleston student. Bill was a first-year College of Charleston professor. His political science class was a highlight of the day, and he wasn't above extending his accessibility to the local college hangout, where on more than one occasion we'd continue our discussion over a cold one (or two). He truly made higher institutional learning fun, but moreover leaves behind a community much richer for his presence.

Reach Mike Mooneyham at (843) 937-5517 or mooneyham@postandcourier.com. For wrestling updates during the week, call The Post and Courier Info Line at (843) 937-6000, ext. 3090.