TSN headlocks fans with no-go on HOF show
By Mr. Mal Occhio
Once again, Canada’s TSN (The Sports Network) appears to be working stiff with its loyal base of wrestling fans.
Already at the mercy of the channel’s frequent bumping of WWE’s RAW on Monday nights (such as this past week for the Scott Curling Tournament of Hearts) the network apparently has no plans to pick up this year’s much anticipated WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, which will broadcast south of the border on the USA Network on April 1 as part of the Wrestlemania XXII weekend at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
In order to see the festivities (which will include the inductions of Canadian legend Bret “The Hitman� Hart, the late Eddie Guerrero and Mene Gene Okerlund with more names to be announced) it looks as though fans will have to wait – not to mention cough up money – to buy the eventual DVD release.
“We have yet to confirm the program in our broadcast schedule,” said TSN Communications Officer Matthew Garrow in a statement released to SLAM Wrestling on Tuesday.
The Hall of Fame ceremony was shown (at least in part) on Spike TV in 2005, which was carried on several cable systems throughout Canada. However, since that time, the WWE has switched back to its former home USA – a network not currently offered legally anywhere in the Great White North.
TSN holds exclusive rights throughout the country regarding the broadcast of RAW, which will see further preemptions next fall when the network begins airing Monday Night Football. The WWE’s Smackdown show is seen Thursday’s on The Score (airing in the United States on the UPN Network). There is no word yet, however, as to whether or not the ceremony could be optioned to another network.