Still, iMPACT! has nothing on WWE Raw. The guest host on January 4^th is the best is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be…Bret “The Hitman” Hart. This is will be an important episode of Monday Night Raw, because this will be the first appearance by Bret Hart on the show since the infamous Montreal screwjob. Hart has made rare public and WWE television appearances since Survivor Series 1997. He accepted a place on the WWE Hall of Fame a few years ago, but did no appear at WrestleMania the next night along with all the other hall of famers. The fact that Bret Hart has rarely appeared on television in the last few years makes January 4^th all the more special.

In addition, Bret Hart has reportedly signed a contract with the WWE that will last until after WrestleMania. Rumor has it, he will push the Hart Dynasty towards a match at WrestleMania against a team of Vince McMahon’s picking. That is why I will be tuning into WWE Raw on January 4th to watch Bret Hart start his road to WrestleMania.

Of course, TNA’s special three hour iMPACT! will repeat on that same week on Thursday. I feel that I can watch the entire show on Thursday anyway.

What show will you be watching? Choose an answer in the poll below or leave a comment.

This guest host gimmick is targeted towards attracting the casual wrestling fan. However, I am far from being the casual wrestling fan. It is obvious I am not a part of the targeted demographic of WWE Raw and so I am choosing not to watch. Until this guest host gimmick dies, I am going on a Raw strike. I will not review the show, but I will post the match results after the show airs. Sure, I will flip the channel to see what is going on with The Miz or Kofi Kingston. I know my curiosity will get the best of me. However, I cannot sit threw an entire show.

I tune into a wrestling show to watch wrestling. I don’t watch WWE Raw for celebrity. Today, the WWE has confirmed that Timbaland will be hosting WWE Raw next week. I can only imagine how terrible that episode will be.

Adding to the celebrity guest host gimmick, the WWE has other problems. Why do we need to see Hornswoggle every single week? Where is Jack Swagger? Did he drop off the face of the earth? When will D-Generation X finally come to an end?

Let’s face it. WWE Monday Night Raw is a hot mess.

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment below.

In 2007, Dixie Carter was asked by a  member of the US House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform if the image of the company concerned her. Her answer was yes and that TNA wreslters were held accountable for their bad behavior:

Q: Does image concern you?

A: Image concerns me tremendously. I mean, we are -we work very, very hard to be a different kind of wrestling company, to treat our wrestlers differently, to provide them a different lifestyle, to not put them on the road where they beat and batter their bodies so much that they have no option but to turn to pain medicine. It is a huge problem. And we treat them with respect, which they’ve never gotten before. But we also hold them accountable. And it is not a safe haven. These guys are on a very short leash as far as it being a family friendly show what they can do in the ring and the image and perception of how they are. If they get into any kind of an altercation — let’s just say boys having fun in a bar fight, it doesn’t matter — it may not be on our clock and they may work for a lot of other people, but it will not be tolerated in our company.’

After reading this interview yesterday, I fully expected Kurt Angle to drop his belt. So, I was shocked to see him retain his title. I kept thinking, “Why? Doesn’t Dixie Carter care about the image of TNA?”

Currently, the face of TNA is charged with possession of HGH, possession of a syringe, and alleged harassment in violation of a PFA. If there was ever a good time for TNA to strip the belt from Angle, last night was the perfect time. He could have lost the belt to Sting or Matt Morgan and taken some time off for his personal problems. Now, TNA will have to face bad press as this story gains traction. Every news story that pops up will include “TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle arrested…” Is this the image that Dixie Carter wants for her company?

Granted, Kurt Angle is innocent until proven guilty. There is much more to the Rhaka Khan/Kurt Angle story that we do not know about. Hopefully, more details will come out soon. His attorney has, also, said that the HGH possession charge is bogus, because Angle claims to have a prescription for the steroid. In his defense, I’m sure that Kurt Angle does have a prescription for HGH. However, he does have a history of abusing prescription medication. Especially, in this day and age where prescriptions can be acquired  from a doctor very easily. While he the charges of possession of HGH against him will eventually be dropped, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t abusing the drug. Dixie Carter and TNA should be very worried that Kurt Angle is using HGH.

As for what Dixie Carter said the US Committee on Oversight, it is sad that she isn’t living up to what she promised. Kurt Angle should have been held accountable for his actions. Instead, he was rewarded for his bad behavior. That isn’t to say that Dixie Cater doesn’t care about the image of TNA. She simply made a bad decision. I don’t understand the reasoning behind this decision, but I am sure that Dixie and creative are thinking of ways of finding a resolution to this matter. This week TNA begins tapings for their iMPACT! show. Let us hope that Kurt Angle is made to give up his title soon.

What did you think of Kurt Angle retaining his World Heavyweight Title? Do you think that Dixie Carter & TNA creative made the right decision in letting Angle keep the title? Do you think he will drop it soon and to whom? Let me know what you think of this whole situation and leave a comment below.

I’m not exactly on the boat with this guest host gimmick. It had its moments with Shaq and Ted DiBiase Sr., but that is only because I felt that they really added something to the show. They were contributing to the show. I really liked how Ted DiBiase created tension within Legacy. He was there to add something to Raw, instead of plugging a movie. I would prefer a commissioner or general manager role for Raw, instead of this guest host gimmick. However, I’m not going to trash it all together. I believe that the role of the guest host could be entertaining. I am looking forward to seeing SGT. Slaughter hosting Raw next week.

WWWE Raw needs to concentrate on the talent, rather than acquiring celebrity guest hosts. Smackdown has become a highly entertaining show due to the fact that talent like CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, and John Morrison are allowed to shine. If more of the younger talent on Raw were given the chance to shine, I think that it would become a better & more entertaining show.

Well, those are my thoughts about the Raw guest host gimmick.

What do you think about the WWE acquiring celebrities to guest host Raw? Leave a comment.