WWE Hall Of Famer JBL Comments On Tommy Dreamer's Departure From TNA Wrestling

It's been a week since Tommy Dreamer was shown the door from his position as head of creative in TNA, and it's not gotten better for him since, in large part due to allegations of inappropriate behavior surfacing in wake of his firing. Despite that, several have to Dreamer's defense, both as a person and as a booker, something he also received criticism for. On the latest "Something to Wrestle," WWE Hall of Famer also went to bat or Dreamer, indicating his firing was a tad unfair.

"Tommy's a good dude," JBL said. "I mean, everybody that's ever worked with Tommy...I don't know anybody that has anything bad to say about Tommy. Tommy's a good human being, he's just a good dude. He sticks up for people. He's a ballsy guy, he's got a backbone. He's willing to stand up for what he believes is right, which I admire greatly. The reason I went to TNA is because of Tommy. I reached out to Tommy, Tommy reached me and whatever happened...I liked Tommy. I liked his booking style, I liked everything about it."

JBL then went on to defend Dreamer's booking ability, and bookers in general, noting that the job is incredibly difficult given how many shows need to be booked during a year, and how a consistent run of good shows can be overshadowed by a few bad segments. As a result of that, JBL continues to have faith in Dreamer landing on his feet, and also believes that Road Dogg, who is rumored to replace Dreamer as head of creative in TNA, can fill his shoes successfully.

 "It's hard to do what these guys have done," JBL said. "And Tommy Dreamer is, in my opinion, a very good booker. And if its Road Dogg who ends up taking his place there, he's also a very good booker and will do an incredible job."

If you use any quotes in this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

It's a sad state of affairs when I see that JBL has something to say about Tommy Dreamer's situation and it turns out to be exactly what I thought it was. "Tommy's a good dude!" "Nobody has a bad thing to say about him!" "I like his booking!" "Booking is hard!" All of this stuff is what I figured JBL would say if he was asked about Dreamer, because it's basically everything everyone else has been saying about Dreamer since he got let go a week ago. And I'm over it, for several reasons. The first is that it sure seemed like Dreamer's firing was deserved; he was in charge of a creative direction that saw TNA drawing fewer fans at live events, disappointing ratings on AMC, with a critical reception that could best be described as "indifferent" and at worst "bad." There's really not a good defense of him as a booker that I can see. But that pales in comparison to the other stuff that's come out, such as referee Dan Perch saying Dreamer attempted to blackball him, or wrestlers Dani Jordyn and Kennedi Copeland accusing Dreamer of forcing them into inappropriate spots during past matches.

Obviously, those are touchy subjects and all, and there's been plenty of people to argue that's not the Tommy Dreamer that they know, and I am sure Dreamer will have his own story to tell about this (if he hasn't already) on "Busted Open Radio." I also know that this is the same guy that just a few years ago appeared on "Dark Side of the Ring" and acted like the accusations that Ric Flair sexually harassed/assaulted flight attendants on the Plane Ride from Hell, behavior that got him suspended from TNA and, in another world, could've cost Dreamer both of his jobs. Now he's being accused of more things, and the response from too many in the wrestling business has been to defend him, or ignore that stuff and focus on how good he is as a booker, something most people don't believe in anyway. You know what I'd like to see? I'd like to see most in the wrestling business take a long hard look at Tommy Dreamer the booker, and most importantly, Tommy Dreamer the man, and realize that hey, maybe this isn't a guy we shouldn't be propping up and defending so much. I get it; some people deserve the benefit of the doubt. Tommy Dreamer, in my eyes, isn't one of them.