EXCLUSIVE: Hey, Lacey…How Much?

*Vickie Guerrero is REALLY GOOD. She has schoolteacher heat. EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME! Who didn’t have some bitch-a-roonie-doonie of a grade-school teacher…with a voice that would shatter glass…screech that at the top of her lungs whenever the class was misbehaving? EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME!

Wrestling is Psychology 101, emphasis on the 101. It’s easier to get heat if you employ a context that provides everybody a reference point.

*Staying positive even LONGER, I hear WWE is going to mix the brands a lot more in the weeks and months to come. That’s an EXCELLENT idea on several levels: A) I think the brand split has run its course. B) I’m not sure WWE has enough true star power to dilute it over two separate shows. C) I’m not sure anyone knows where the SyFy channel is. I’ve not once watched Smackdown since it went to SyFy. That station just isn’t on my radar. To me, anyone on SyFy doesn’t exist. Maybe WWE has figured that out.

Now, to get negative: It looks like Nexus may be no more, or may be de-emphasized. BAD MOVE. But it was inevitable because of the way they rushed the Nexus storyline.

Those guys meant a lot, but then they got devalued too quick, and now, well…who else from Nexus means anything besides Wade Barrett? It seems like an awful waste of talent, giving all those other guys short shrift just to build Barrett and honestly, I’m not sure how much Barrett even means.

Jim Ross had great insight regarding Vickie Guerrero and Michael Cole on his latest blog. How do those characters draw money? That’s a good question. Heat on a TV show is one thing. Selling pay-per-views, tickets and merchandise is another.

I hear Michael Cole is doing dark matches as a heel ref. Not a bad idea. He could be good. Maybe the Miz’ personal ref. But Cole should remember: When that’s over, he probably can’t be an announcer again. Not a credible one, anyway.

While working for ECW, Tammy Sytch once asked the notoriously thrifty Paul Heyman for a raise. Tammy: "Paul, if you don’t pay me more, I’m going to have to try porn or prostitution." Heyman (without missing a beat): "Try prostitution. You can’t deny porn."

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM, Pittsburgh. Check out the Mark Madden page at WXDX.com. Contact Mark via wzmarkmadden@hotmail.com.

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