Mark Madden Wants Austin Aries Fired

[Jack-Hammer]

Mark Madden has taken to the computer once again to rant & rave and to tell us all brainless we are, etc.

This time around, his latest target is Austin Aries and it surrounds an incident that took place on Impact Wrestling this past Thursday. Christy Hemme flubbed the announcing of Roode & Aries during their match. Aries eventually backs her into a corner, climbs on top of a turnbuckle and put his crotch in her face. Hemme herself took to Twitter later on and complained about what happened and, apparently, it's a legit complaint.

As a result, Madden believes that Aries should be fired at least suspended for a "significant period". Madden in his article labels the act as an example of "on-camera bullying and sexual harassment". In addressing Aries himself rather than just the incident, Madden said; "Aries should be terminated. He’s a nobody. A cult guy. If he left Impact, the rating would not drop one bit. Impact would not sell one less ticket".

So what do you think about all this? Does Madden have a point or, as we see so often, is he blowing hot air?

Before stating my opinion, I do find it a tad ironic that Madden has reacted this way. He's not exactly known for talking about the fairer sex with sensitivity, equality and decency. But I guess it's okay to merely talk about women as if they're ****s and pole dancers right?

That being said, I do think there should be some sort of punishment for Aries. If it'd been something that Hemme had simply laughed off and treated as though it was no big deal, then that'd been the end of it. If it was a work, then that's all fine and dandy. The problem, however, is that she isn't laughing it off and it wasn't a work. After all, just because a female wrestler dresses or acts in a provocative way doesn't mean that anything goes or "she was asking for it" or "she enjoyed it" or any of that other crap that men used to justify sexual harassment or even sexual assault doesn't mean that it's okay.

I do think that political correctness is taken to an absurd level at times. It seems as though you can't even state your own opinion these days on a subject if it's not something that's "accepted" by the clear majority. Or, you can't seem to tell a joke anymore without someone trying to twist it into some broader meaning or context. However, there's no justification for a lack of common sense. If Aries had merely read her the riot act for screwing up, that'd been just fine in my opinion. After all, it's not as though Hemme has the toughest job in the world. All she has to do is look hot, smile for the camera and tell the names of the wrestlers who are coming out to wrestle. But that's simply not what he did. What he did do would be considered some form of sexual harassment by the standards of any employer.

As to Madden's comments about Aries, such as him being a "nobody" and all that; damn near everybody's a "nobody" in Madden's eyes. I suppose the fact that people enjoy seeing Aries isn't supposed to count. But as far as Aries' star power goes and drawing ability and ticket sales and all that; Madden's probably right. If Aries was gone, frankly, it wouldn't damage TNA one bit as far as the numbers go. They'd be losing one of the best wrestlers on their roster, of course, but they wouldn't be taking any sort of loss when it comes to money that I can see. With the possible exception of Jeff Hardy at this point, this could be applied to probably the entire TNA roster.

Madden also starts in on Dixie Carter, again, and uses his favorite term for her - the "money mark". He comes right out and says that no action on her part merely confirms that she truly is nothing more than a mark. Frankly, I have to agree 100% with Madden on this. If there are no consequences to Aries' actions then she has no business running a business of any sort.

Should Austin Aries be fired?

Should Austin Aries be suspended?

Should Austin Aries be jobbed out for a while?

Should Austin Aries face no consequences?

MODERATORS NOTE:
The topic of this thread is about the situation between Austin Aries and Christy Hemme. Not whether you'd do it, allow it to be done to your wife or other comments that do not discuss the subject at hand. All posts that do not discuss the issues of this threads opening post will be dealt with as spam and you will infractions. So stick to the subject.

Thank you.

 

[pepentorresHHH]

I dont think he should be fired but he should have some sort of punishment..... Sexual harrasment is no joking matter in whatever business you choose, and Wrestling is no esception.

Maybe a heavy fine for a month off without ay or something cause if this is legit and Christy Hemme decided to sue she'd easily win, so Aries not only embarrased TNA but could have created a legal and financial and PR nightmare....

 

[JVel]

A suspension is definitely something I could see. That was a move that I could have seen Aries pull even if it were JB doing the intro, but it doesn't mean that TNA shouldn't at least suspend Aries to set clearer boundaries to the locker room and to save some face with the media.

Firing him might be a little extreme since he was trying to turn a botch into something, but it doesn't change that what he did wasn't very well thought out, did cross the line, and he should certainly receive a suspension and hefty fine. I doubt Aries had truly malicious intent.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I said this in the spam thread, as hard as it is to do I agree with Madden on some points.

Austin Aries shouldn't have stuck his crotch in her face. It is completely irrelevant whether she screwed up, especially when he had her redo the introductions and it is even more irrelevant that shes not all that good at ring announcing, he stood on the second turnbuckle and put his crotch in her face. If you get the chance to re-watch the clip she can audibly be heard saying, "okay seriously get off me."

I like Austin Aries the wrestler but a little fact for some who are unknowing, Austin Aries has been known as a bully, whiner, complainer and all around ******** backstage ever since I got into Ring of Honor and I'm certain he was probably the same before it too. He got fired from TNA the first time around for having a bad attitude, he got released by Jim Cornette from ROH for having a bad attitude, when he didn't get on Tough Enough does anyone remember what he did? He complained and said he was going to retire because he wasn't getting what he wanted.

I don't think he should be fired, suspended, fined, jobbed out or anything like that, they'll know better than anyone if they job him out he'll only end up requesting a release or complaining vehemently and winding people up. Just make him apologize for sticking his crotch in her face and leave it at that.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Jesus Flair ...

Austin Aries' crotch didn't touch her face, he didn't put his balls on her forehead, he didn't tea-bag her. Was his crotch awfully close? Yeah, sure. Other than that, no harm no foul.

Why are we acting like he stabbed he cunt punted her on live TV? Because it's sexist? Because it's inappropriate? Two weeks ago TNA had Joey Ryan do the exact same thing to the Knockouts during a match where he was the referee, multiple times, and no one said shit. He was in character, mind you. So was Austin Aries.

Madden's a total moron for wanting him fired. Pro wrestling in the late 90's was ran by sexist and borderline perverted things. Are we suddenly going to forget Shawn Michaels leaping in the air and shoving his crotch in Jim Ross' face? Or maybe DX urging a woman in the crowd to whip her breasts out? How many times has Chris Jericho mocked Stephanie McMahon for the size of her breasts? How many times has Vince McMahon ran sexist storylines involving him as well as other people? Remember Shawn Superkicking McMahon and then dry humping his face?

And hey, if you want something not during the Attitude Era, please recall Heidenreich raping Michael Cole on RAW.

For crying out loud, it was 4 seconds long, he didn't shove his dick in her mouth and she was trying not to laugh, you can hear her giggle and it was tame compared to all the truly sick shit we've seen in wrestling.

Here we are, wrestling fans, enjoying it when a human being crashes through flaming tables and bleeds like a pig, but a guy's crotch being 2 inches away from a woman's face is all of a sudden unacceptable.

We're a funky bunch.

 

[JUSTINMFNBEEMER]

God, everytime i read a madden article i just shake my head... how in the blue fuck did this man ever have a job in professional wrestling? he calls himself the brain of the brainless? how bout the stomach of the stomachless! that fat fuck knows more about nothing then anyone i have ever met! im not sure if hes just jealous, of other aries or hemme im not sure, i would probably say the latter....

fat fuck, get back to vaseline covered palms after watching a ric flair match....

 

[louchratis]

Madden's mostly right in this sense. Aries should definitely issue a public apology and be suspended. I think firing him is a bit harsh but doing so sends two messages. One is that TNA takes sexual harassment seriously. The other is that Dixie, not Hogan, runs the show and calls the shots. It's all moot though. Dixie won't do anything because she's a mark. She's actually the worst kind of mark, she's a Hogan mark.

 

[fenderjapan]

Like Mark or hate him, doesn't really matter...he's right. It was unacceptable behavior. She was not laughing, it was not a joke...she let out a nervous laugh, then pushed him away and told him "okay I got it".

The amount of comments about "shes had lots of balls in her face"..."she was naked in this magazine so she must not care"...its all perfect examples of the mentality that results in women being sexually abused.

 

[TheEraofAwesome]

This is the exact problem with the IWC and society in general. We live in such a politically correct society, that we've lost any value to what we can or can not do to entertain. Anytime something happens in any form of entertainment, someone has to try and ruin it for everyone claiming it being "offensive". This moment that happened on Impact was FAAAAR from offensive.

Like someone said above me, wrestlers are expected to put their bodies through tremendous amount of pain and suffering, but a teabag is soooo bad? What exactly was sooo bad about that moment? That Hemme had no sense of the character Aries was playing, so she complained about it on Twitter? Look, had this been behind the scenes, you'd have a way better case. Hell, some of the shit Orton has done baffles me as to why he was never punished.

Bottom line, this was damn tame. I've seen women, in this business and other businesses, had worse case scenarios that didn't have an outcry like this. This is just us being damn politically correct.

 

[klunderbunker]

Fired? Really?

Yeah it was bad, but fire him over this? That's a bit of a huge step. Aries did harass her and there's no excuse for it, but to fire him over something like that is too extreme. I mean this is the company that let a stoned guy go to the ring and have a 30 second match in the main event of a PPV and he didn't get fired. Aries should get punished for this, but maybe in the form of a fine or having to take some kind of sensitivity training or some jazz like that. Firing him would be way too much and jobbing him repeatedly would be bad for business overall.

 

[justinsayne]

I pretty much agree with Dragon Saga, next week make him go out to the middle of the ring & issue a public apology, though I'd also add a substantial fine to his punishment as well, & leave it at that.

 

[crazy_lou]

Jesus Flair ...

Austin Aries' crotch didn't touch her face, he didn't put his balls on her forehead, he didn't tea-bag her. Was his crotch awfully close? Yeah, sure. Other than that, no harm no foul.

This. This is probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard.

To justify Aries actions by saying that he was "in character" is asinine. If he had murdered someone "in character" would it be fine because he is a heel? What if he was caught stealing money during the show? should he be exonerated because he was "in character"? Aries actions were 100 % real, and they were offensive to Hemme. It's obvious she didnt agree to that stunt beforehand, because saying the wrong names was an accident. The man shoved his crotch in a female co workers face for literally no reason except to bully her. It was disgusting and tbh i should've expected as such from a punk like aries.

Good riddance I say. I wouldn't miss him or his boring tag team for a second. Sure hes a good wrestler, but if Brian Danielson, by all accounts a stand up guy can get fired for choking Justin Roberts with a tie, then Aries needs to go.

Wait- what am i talking about? That was WWE, we're talking about TNA, the company who didn't fire Jeff Hardy when he showed up high on Crystal meth to a paper view title defense, an then promptly spent his "rehab/down time" AKA paid vacation making coke fueled interviews with his skeezy brother burying CM Punk. Jeez, look at how TNA treated Scott Hall a few years back.

So, in answer to the question, yes, they should fire Austin Aries. But they won't because TNA is apparently a work place environment which is run with a lack of class and professionalism that hasn't been seen since the final days of WCW.

 

[jmt225]

First of all, we don't even know if this was completely a shoot or not. I really hope it's not and Madden is simply making a fool of himself like he always does.

If it was shoot though, then Aries most definitely deserves a hefty fine. Something like that should NOT be tolerated. Not on live TV, not at a house show in front of 100 people. As Hemme said on Twitter, it's unacceptable behavior.

With that said, you can't fire one of your most talented and pushed wrestlers over something like this, especially if it's his first time doing anything of the sort (which to our knowledge, it is). You punish them and put them in a position where you make sure he knows nothing like that better never happen again. Firing him though is a knee jerk reaction and not at all good for the company or for anyone involved, including Christy Hemme, who would get so much shit from the fans over this if Aries got fired.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

You do realize that Madden's writing is completely kayfabe, don't you?

So unless you go in for that, and this whole thread is the same, you people are idiots.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I think that the incident at least warrants that TNA fine Aries, and keep him away from a main event or title picture for a few months. Make him work his way back to the top, like WWE are doing with Randy Orton. Give Aries minor programs, or have him open shows, rather than main event. TNA should see if Aries wants to "work" his way back to the top, or will chuck his toys and leave. Doing this will either build him up eventually, or tear him down, but doing this puts the ball in Aries' court to learn a lesson, and then TNA don't have to fire him.

If he got fired, don't be surprised if he popped up in WWE. I could see him doing a program with someone like Daniel Bryan.

 

[MWRedskins]

well this is an easy answer to me. firstly, I have this love/hate relationship when it comes to Mark Madden. he had some funny lines while in WCW (like saying he was Canadian), but he also had some lines where I questioned why he did or said what he said (like calling DDP, DDMe). anyway with that said, I do NOT think Austin Aries should get fired. that's WAY too harsh. as for the other option of a lesser push, that's already happening, I mean, he was a world champion, then was pushed down to tag champion, to now just floating in the tag team division. anyways, no I wouldn't fire him. it's WAY too risky as if fired, WWE could think about hiring him. Aries has the in ring talent and mic skills to work well in WWE at least as a midcarder and he could put on some nice matches with Shield members, Bryan and Punk. i wouldn't fire him, i would fine him a good sum of money with a threat of suspension if this incident occurs again.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

First of all, I think what Aries did was inappropriate. However, pro wrestling heels are professional douche-bags. Usually, everyone involved in the show is in on it, and nobody is really supposed to get hurt or offended. But when things don't go according to plan, or sometimes just when the opportunity arises, heels improvise. Improvising while playing the role of a villain requires making split second decisions that are designed to make yourself look like an asshole, and there is always the risk of offending people or going too far. Daniel Bryan got fired for choking a guy with a tie. Jericho had to leave Brazil after kicking a flag. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart worked each other into a real life rivalry. Heels play with fire, and there's often no telling how far is too far until that line has been crossed. What Aries did wasn't nice, but it was clearly in-character, and it wasn't the most extreme or offensive thing I've ever seen someone do in pro-wrestling. He didn't actually sexually assault Christie Hemme, or attack her, or even touch her; he attempted to bully and humiliate her, which is behavior we have seen from heels towards announcers countless times in the past. Behavior designed to make the audience boo them. When Hemme made it clear that he was going to far, he backed off. If this was a part of a recurring pattern of sexual harassment or bullying, or if he had actually assaulted her, TNA should absolutely fire him. But I don't think it's reasonable that a man paid to play the role of a professional asshole should lose his job just for a moment of improv that made a fellow actor uncomfortable.

What should happen here is that Aries should apologize, and it should be made clear that such behavior won't be tolerated in the future. If TNA feels that a fine or a reprimand of some sort is justified, than that's reasonable as well. But he shouldn't lose his job over this. I understand that people are (rightly) sensitive about sexual harassment in the workplace, but to fire Aries for an isolated incident of crossing that fake/real line of bullying while in the process of playing a villain would be overkill.

 

[shattered dreams]

Do we actually know anything other than one tweet? No one needs to be fired or fined or any of that shit. People calling this sexual harassment need to think about what really happened. What should happen is for AA and Hemme to work this out behind the scenes and then maybe let her embarrass him next week and then just move on. Intent matters when it comes to shit like this. I'd be willing to bet all Hemme really cared about was the embarrassment part anyway. We really don't know much about what actually happened, the mix up might not have been entirely her fault yet she took the brunt of it. However, until there is more to the story, I find the idea that AA went so far over the line that a simple sorry would not suffice to be laughable.

Not everything is a political statement and as such it doesn't need to be treated that way. Sometimes not making mountains out of every molehill is just as important to a cause. Too often those that care about such things become distracted by the allure of a publicity opportunity and cease to do what is actually right in the name a supposed "greater good." I hate those people.

 

[fenderjapan]

This is the exact problem with the IWC and society in general. We live in such a politically correct society, that we've lost any value to what we can or can not do to entertain. Anytime something happens in any form of entertainment, someone has to try and ruin it for everyone claiming it being "offensive". This moment that happened on Impact was FAAAAR from offensive.

Like someone said above me, wrestlers are expected to put their bodies through tremendous amount of pain and suffering, but a teabag is soooo bad? What exactly was sooo bad about that moment? That Hemme had no sense of the character Aries was playing, so she complained about it on Twitter? Look, had this been behind the scenes, you'd have a way better case. Hell, some of the shit Orton has done baffles me as to why he was never punished.

Bottom line, this was damn tame. I've seen women, in this business and other businesses, had worse case scenarios that didn't have an outcry like this. This is just us being damn politically correct.

The issue is not regarding whether or not it was perceived as offensive by the AUDIENCE. The issue is whether or not Christy felt violated. If they had scripted this whole thing (I doubt it) then it would be a moot point (despite being a tasteless storyline). But if Christy didn't have any idea this was happening then I believe she has every right to feel like she was treated inappropriately.

 

[IT Factor]

Mark Madden is an idiot. He's just another irrelevant name from wrestling's past who tries to be relevant by taking aim at those who are useful and relevant. Was what Aries did to Hemme immature and boneheaded? Yes. However, this is the first time that Aries has ever done anything to get in trouble for. Other than this incident, he has done nothing to deserve punishment.

Heels are supposed to be arrogant and brash, which is why Aries did what he did. People tend to dismiss the obvious here; Hemme fucked up. Some might see calling people the wrong name as being ditzy and disrespectful. I'm sure that Aries was upset and rightfully so. What if TNA personnel started calling Christy Hemme other names than her own? It would be disrespectful and rude. People have overreacted and blown this whole incident outta proportion. Aries should have to apologize to Hemme and perhaps do so on television to make the point. Also, Hemme should be forced to be professional and call people by their correct ring names and if she cannot manage that, fire her ass. There are talented announcers out there who could all do their jobs better than Christy Hemme has. To be honest, the only reason she is even still announcing is because of her looks anyway. Aries is a former World Champion. Hemme is eye candy. Who do you think is more important to the company? And as for Madden calling Aries a nobody, that just shows how ignorant he truly is. If by nobody you mean a former heavyweight champion who is a great performer, then yes. Madden should stick to his Twitter followers and blogs and not analyze topics that are actually relevant to the here and now. I find it ironic that a former WCW guy is bitching about a talent doing something off script and something that is morally corrupt. WCW was known for its awful treatment of employees and women in particular. Ironic that Madden bitches about the same for TNA.

 

[tvcolosi]

I'll make a bold statement... What Aries did was worse than the Jay Briscoe tweet fiasco from earlier this week. While both are reprehensible we are still in America where you can have whatever opinion you want. Even if it fly's in the face of the last 50 years of progression. So as ignorant of an opinion he has, he is free to have it.

A-Double on the other hand bullied and harassed a female coworker... on WORLD WIDE TELEVISION... Now it is clear to me that it was probably meant as a joke that went to far. That though is not an excuse for the behavior. Terminated, no. Fined, yes. Suspended, maybe, no longer than a couple weeks. Public apology out of character, most defiantly.

 

[NightwingZen]

I agree with Madden on some points, surprised that he defended a female performer after so many rants on them. But anyway, Aries was a total jerk for doing that to Christy, and no "in character" excuse can justify that this guys a straight up arrogant pig. He should be fined, kept out of the main event, and publicly apologize to her for what he did. Roode was more professional than he was, I feel TNA should write an angle for Roode to screw Aries out of the main event for a couple of months until Aries can earn it back. If he leaves, oh well, another spot for somebody else. I think Aries is a good wrestler, but I lost any total respect for him. The guy seriously needs to check his ego, because he's not THAT good as he thinks he is.

 

[dman1373]

Mark Madden is an idiot. He's just another irrelevant name from wrestling's past who tries to be relevant by taking aim at those who are useful and relevant. Was what Aries did to Hemme immature and boneheaded? Yes. However, this is the first time that Aries has ever done anything to get in trouble for. Other than this incident, he has done nothing to deserve punishment.

Heels are supposed to be arrogant and brash, which is why Aries did what he did. People tend to dismiss the obvious here; Hemme fucked up. Some might see calling people the wrong name as being ditzy and disrespectful. I'm sure that Aries was upset and rightfully so. What if TNA personnel started calling Christy Hemme other names than her own? It would be disrespectful and rude. People have overreacted and blown this whole incident outta proportion. Aries should have to apologize to Hemme and perhaps do so on television to make the point. Also, Hemme should be forced to be professional and call people by their correct ring names and if she cannot manage that, fire her ass. There are talented announcers out there who could all do their jobs better than Christy Hemme has. To be honest, the only reason she is even still announcing is because of her looks anyway. Aries is a former World Champion. Hemme is eye candy. Who do you think is more important to the company? And as for Madden calling Aries a nobody, that just shows how ignorant he truly is. If by nobody you mean a former heavyweight champion who is a great performer, then yes. Madden should stick to his Twitter followers and blogs and not analyze topics that are actually relevant to the here and now. I find it ironic that a former WCW guy is bitching about a talent doing something off script and something that is morally corrupt. WCW was known for its awful treatment of employees and women in particular. Ironic that Madden bitches about the same for TNA.

This is exactly what i expected the typical tna mark to say. He gets mad when someone says anything bad about a top tna guy. He will deflect and say how everyone else besides that top tna guy is terrible, irrelevant, or not as good.

But to get back to the more important topic, austin aries did something terrible. I mean if this was worked out beforehand as a way to get a heel over and the announcer agreed to it then it would be fine, but it didn't look like it was worked out beforehand, and in no way got anyone over. He cornered someone and put his junk in her face without permission. In my book thats sexual harassment, and if you dont think it is, I want you to tell me what is sexual harassment in the wrestling world.

And right now its in christy hemme court on what she wants to do. And I think dixie should be behind christy in whatever she decides of austin fate.

 

[Jesus]

I think it's fair to say anyone who disagrees with what Madden said is probably still a virgin...so we get why you don't agree. Now I'm sure you would love a set of nuts in your face so go talk to daddy

 

[thebarber]

Madden has a very good point this time around. What Austin Aries did to Hemme was unprofessional and bullyish. If he did that in a nightclub, he would have been arrested, and beaten up too. Aries shouldnt lose his job over it, after all Hemme fucked up big time, Aries reaction was uncalled for but a 3-6 month suspension without pay is severe enough