Yes, the Tweak and Tweet Connection - that's what they're calling us following that big "Furley Promo" on Impact. Actually, I think only one guy called us that, but I'm going to take it and run with it.  I sure hope I come out of Sacrifice OK, uninjured and still in possesion of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, if just to do more cool things with JB in the Founder's office, which sure looks like my office now.

I've been watching some of my old matches, trying to get that "eye of the tiger" back.  It's been so long since I had to put together multiple main event matches, that I need a little help. A fan gave me this video tape about 10 years ago, just a variety of stuff from the old ECW, to indy matches and Japan from 1994 and 95, and some early WWF (yes, I actually called it WWF, because that's what it was) stuff from 1996.  My son Hughie was actually shocked that his dad beat the Undertaker, having been under the assumption that his dad was a "stinky wrestler".  I certainly worked hard in those days, even on the indy shows, especially one in Vegas where Sabu and I wrestled all over the venerable Silver Nuggett casino, including a piledriver on a blackjack table that could have gotten us killed in a better casino, with all those gambling chips flying everywhere. My daughter looked at me at one point in that match and said, "is that why you walk so slow now, dad?"  So, I hope going back in time reliving the days when I gave it my all every night will have a positive effect on my performance Sunday.

Just a note about Playboy Buddy Rose, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know Buddy real well; I think I may have met him only twice in my career. .But I will always remember the first time I met him - backstage as a guest of Shane Douglas at a WWF show in the Nassau Colliseum.  I'm guessing this was around late 1990, early 1991, when Shane had gotten his first shot in WWF, after putting his Dynamic Dude days were behind him. Shane brought me into the dressing room, and some of the guys were polite, if somewhat unenthusiastic about the guy in the red flannel shirt. Until I met Buddy Rose, that is.  Buddy actually jumped up out of his chair, shaking my hand , talking about my matches he'd seen.  "These other guys don't know", Buddy said. "Because they're always in the gym.  But brother, I've seen your stuff. The elbow off the apron, the clothesline over the top...I don't know how you do it."  Then he walked me around the room, introducing me to guys I'd been watching for years, endorsing me, talking about how they should find a spot for me. He even went out of his way to talk me up to Chief Jay Strongbow, the long time WWF mainstay, and road agent for the night.

Sure, it may have taken another six years for me to get my foot in the door at WWF, but it sure wasn't for a lack of enthusiasm on the part of Playboy Buddy Rose. Just a few weeks ago, following a TNA house show in Louisiana, I made my way back to the hotel, and even though it was very late, headed to the hotel workout room, trying to build up a little endurance for my big match at Lockdown.  ESPN Wrestling Classics was on. That name is usually a little misleading; even as a huge wrestling fan in college, I found the AWA show to be a little plodding give or take a Hennig/Bockwinkle match here or there. On this night, however, the show lived up to its billing. It was the tremendous Rose-Summers/Rockers match, the one that really made Michaels and Janetty as a team, back when I saw Marty as the potential breakout singles guy.  I had seen the match way back when, but I was too young to really appreciate it. But so many years later, on an eliptical trainer in a hotel in New Orleans, I certainly could. I appreciated it , and I enjoyed it; constantly thinking to myself, "man that Buddy Rose moves good for such a horrible looking guy."

Hopefully, fans will be saying the same thing about me on Sunday night.