So Teddy Long is back and he does it in style with a triple threat match for the World Heavy weight title. Not surprising as it was very clear Edge, Batista and the Undertaker where going to meet at Armageddon. Tonight Batista showed why he is probably the hottest property in the WWE today. It was another great match against Edge and is really selling the upcoming match in 2 weeks in Pittsburgh. He still needs some work on his promos as once again he came across flat in the prematch interview, lacking any real emotion to sell it. Despite this he really makes up for it in the ring. Even Edge looked good for his first major match back. It should be a great match at Armageddon as all 3 competitors are looking solid in the ring and have great history together.

It's good to see the WWE is keeping up wit the talent share between brands also. This provided some interesting matches and entertaining programs in their run up to Survivor Series. This is continuing and it help the regular broadcasts by keeping them fresh. I really feel this is serving as a preview fro the WWE combining all 3 brands again. This would be great as I have posted before on this subject as it allows for multiple combinations of matches and helps keep things interesting during times of mass injury or suspension. I would not be surprised if we see this unification start to unfold after Mania.

Labels: teddy long, undertaker, wwe smackdown

Posted by JSX at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you do not recall the wrestler above - it's the Bezerker, aka John Nord. He had a brief but memorable WWE run back in the late 80's - early 90's when he would march around the ring and bark. Click the link below for an article on Nord and his current life that was published on Phillyburbs.com

Click here for the article

Labels: bezerker, john nord

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

Batista’s World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line when he squares off against Edge this Friday night on SmackDown. And considering The Animal has never beaten the Rated-R Superstar any time they’ve battled over the gold, the stakes have seemingly never been higher.

Edge returned to SmackDown in controversial fashion last week, especially after revealing his “love connection” with General Manager Vickie Guerrero. But when Vickie granted the Rated-R Superstar a title opportunity for this week, her decision caught the ire of both The Animal and Undertaker, who displayed his disgust for the loving "partnership" by delivering a Tombstone to Guerrero during the “Cutting Edge” segment.

Before he steps into the ring to challenge Batista for the World Heavyweight Title, Edge will kick off SmackDown Friday night with an update on his lover. Will the Rated-R Superstar reveal any further details of the amorous relationship between himself and SmackDown’s General Manager? Does he show any remorse for not coming to the aid of the woman he loves last week?

Also on SmackDown, United States Champion MVP will team with ECW’s Big Daddy V to take on the team of Rey Mysterio & Kane. MVP defeated Rey last week on SmackDown, while at Tuesday’s ECW on Sci Fi, the Big Red Machine fell hard in an Extreme Rules defeat to The Dominating Force in WWE. Can Kane & the Master of the 619 overcome the odds together and find a way to win this Friday night?

As the partnership between SmackDown & ECW continues to be a monstrous success, ECW Champion CM Punk will once again see SmackDown action Friday night. Punk defeated Jamie Noble the last time he appeared on The CW Network, and he continues to impress with the ECW Title around his waist. Who will stand against him this week on SmackDown, and will they simply “Go To Sleep”?

As for Noble, the cruiserweight Superstar defeated Chuck Palumbo in what many consider to be a huge upset last week. This Friday, the two will square off again, and while Palumbo looks to bounce back from the loss, Noble hopes to prove that last week was no fluke. Who will have their hand raised when these two Superstars go one-on-one once more?

Find out the answers to these questions and more Friday night at 8/7 CT on The CW Network.

Labels: edge, vicki guerrero, wwe smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

Yes I said it, Randy Orton is not as bad as everyone is making him out to be. OK I'll admit his interaction with Jericho 2 weeks ago and this weeks dud with Rick Flair have been less than stellar promos, but it all has not been bad. Remember his last man standing match with Triple H was great. On top of that his program with John Cena in my opinion was a match made in heaven. Who would not want to see two of the biggest young stars of the WWE with some of the best egos/personalities go at it.

Less face it, this last program with Shawn Micheal's was not all it should have been. This feud was based on revenge for Orton supposedly trying to end HBK's career and all we got out of it was consecutive super kicks, whoopeee doooooo! If this feud was really based on revenge there should have been some type of first blood, no DQ or a least the old fashion steel cage grudge match. All we got out of it was a lame stip match last month. Sure Orton could have raised his game, but I saw this as really protecting HBK. Also this feud suffered from the developing Undertaker/Batista program, were they got to go at it in hell in the cell. To have two major stip matches on the same card is to risky, so Orton really didn't get a chance to be in a high profile match, thus not getting the major push he should deserve.

Plus if we want to criticize Orton for his out of ring presence, Let's not forget his counterpart on Smack Down. Yes people Batista could not get a room full of virgins excited at a hooker convention. His out of ring presence has given us such memorable moments as holding the belt up showing it to the Undertaker after Taker showed up in the ring and gave him his famous throat slash gesture. Or how about his failure to talk up challenging either Finaly or Mysterio when he was at ringside for their number one contender match, and so on and so on. But despite this dull demeanor out of the ring he gets huge pops ever time he comes out.

Give Orton time people, he still is young and is growing into a solid champ. It may not be his time now, but remember they criticized Triple H, Cena and Batista, but now all 3 of these men are huge fan favorites. I feel Orton would have been better served if they would have combined him with Umaga and take on DX in order to help save Vince from the antics of Triple H and HBK. That would have put him in a major program that would not have overshadowed Undertaker and Batista. Then they could have moved him onto his current entanglement with Jericho. Most importantly we need to be patient with him, yes move the belt off him now but do not take him out of the running yet. Mark my words, Orton will be a major player in the WWE for years to come.

Posted by JSX at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Yesterday morning Howard Stern interviewed TNA's Leticia Cline, and the bombshell stated that she has asked the company for her release, and spoke that she is interested in moving over to the WWE. I would guess she would take on the same role as she already has in TNA, which is that of backstage interviewer. For those that don't know of Cline, she is on the cover of Playboy's Sexy Girls Next Door issue, which hit news stands in late September of 2007.

Labels: leticia cline, playboy, tna

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

The UK's Power Slam magazine recently interviewed Rob Van Dam. Here is what RVD had to say regarding his relationship -- or non-relationship -- with Triple H:

Is it true you had problems with Triple H when you worked for WWE?

Problems? I had problems liking him. I had problems feeling compatible with him on any other level other than the fact that we're both wrestlers. He would be one of the last guys you would see sharing a car with me. If we weren't both wrestlers, I doubt I'd have anything in common with him.

There were a few occasions -- Unforgiven 2002 springs to mind -- when it seemed like the perfect time for you to defeat Triple H. After he attacked and beat you down on the September 16, 2002 Raw, you sought revenge in a singles bout at Unforgiven six days later. A win there would have been a tremendous boon for you. Meanwhile, a loss for HHH would have done his status no harm at all. As it turned out, HHH won by pinfall. It seemed like he cut you off.

Well, I don't disagree with you. And that's why I'm glad my career is caught on videotape and DVD, so the fans can watch what happened in my career and say it all for me, like you just did.

You've nothing further to add about HHH?

When you're watching RVD TV (his online TV show), don't look for HHH to be in Rob Van Dam's house.

Labels: Rob Van Dam, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

Above is the 2008 Royal Rumble poster. The event this year will take place in New York at Madison Square Garden on January 27th, 2008. This will be the 21st annual Rumble, the last one at MSG I actually attended back in 2000 when the Rock eliminated the Big Show to win the event for his one and only Rumble win.

Word is tickets for the event will go on sale in late December. You can bet that the event will sell out in minutes.

Labels: 2008 royal rumble, big show, madison square garden, rock

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with, yet, another jam packed blog entry. In this entry, Ross speaks on Bobby Lashley's return to the ring, Jericho's return to RAW last week and much more. Below are several highlights:

Jim Ross On Jessica Hatch Signing With WWE: I have no idea if or when eliminated diva Jessica Hatch will be signed by the WWE but I do hear she has the desire to be a WWE diva. I would suggest that she head to Louisville and learn to wrestle and to work on her verbal skills and then watch the negotiation process begin.

Jim Ross On Chris Jericho's Return To RAW: I was extremely pleased to see the return of Chris Jericho to Monday Night Raw. The build up and the final presentation was nicely done. The live crowd in Ft. Lauderdale, albeit some what laid back throughout the night at times seemed to come to life when Chris made his appearance. The introduction of any talent is crucial but not as crucial as the plan going forward on a weekly or regular basis. It looks like we may be heading for Jericho vs Orton at Armageddon if I had to make a guess. Jericho is a great addition to the locker room. Of course, being an “old schooler” I don’t believe in bringing any talents, rookies or veterans, into a locker room who are going to be disruptive of which Jericho is definitely not. Chris is a credit to the business.

Jim Ross On HBK's New DVD: I just got a copy of the new HBK DVD and I plan on watching as soon as time permits. I am anxious to see it especially since I was working in Shawn’s first territory back in the 80’s. From those insiders that have seen the DVD, I am told it is really well done.

Jim Ross On Matt Striker's Future: Matt Striker’s career, in my opinion, is as a manager and not as a wrestler even though Striker’s mat skills are just fine. It just seems to me that Striker can fill a much needed void as a wrestling manager and become a big time player with the chance to be around for a long time and to not leave the business with the physical ailments that often time plague some grapplers.

Jim Ross On Bobby Lashley's Return: I don’t know if Bobby Lashley will be back for the royal rumble or not as he is still rehabbing his surgically repaired torn labrum. I don’t expect to see Lashley before the first of the year based on how his rehab is progressing. It is a slow process to say the least. Wrestling at the rumble would be great for Lashley and the fans but mother nature and Lashley’s own pain threshold will have a lot to say about when Bobby returns. Lashley’s surgery was a major deal.

Here's the link to Jim's full blog

Labels: bobby lashely, chris jericho, jessica hatch, jim ross, matt striker

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

Thought it was time to bring back my catch phrase of why. Seriously, why ? Why have Mark Henry interrupt a good extreme match, yes an extreme rules match on ECW, can you believe it. Kane and big Daddy V have been giving some great matches and tonight was no exception until Henry comes in a ruins it. Thankfully he did not interrupt to much but did we really need him in the ring? Let 2 strong performers do their thing, we don't need some stiff like Henry getting involved because the WWE cannot find anything to do with sorry ass.

We also moved a step closer to Jessie and Festus becoming tag champs. They came very close tonight against Miz and Morrison and their time should be very soon. I think it would be great as they have a good angle with the change of Festus into a wrecking machine once the bell rings. Yes this gimmick will get old, but remember how fun Scotty 2 Hotty and Grand Master Sexy were when they first broke on the scene. We need some of this old fashion fun in wrestling once and awhile and Jessie and Festus are the right duo to bring it.

Also expect to see Elijah Burke and Shelton Benjamin going at it soon. They eluded to it somewhat tonight as they raised the question what will happen when both men go for the number one contender for the ECW championship. With both egos of these competitors together under one roof it's only a matter of time until they collide. This could be a big boost for both men's careers as they have not been doing much of late.

Posted by JSX at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well Raw gave us some unexpected surprises last night, and no I'm not talking up the dream team of Cody Rhodes, Hardcore Hollly, Super Crazy, and Jim Duggan. The first big surprise has the Triple H and Jeff Hardy match fro Armageddon. Over the last few months this duo has been working great with each other. It should be interesting to see where they take this, will they turn either of these men heel or will it be a one off type match returning them back to face Umaga and Snitsky. I can't see them turning either heel as both are huge crowd favorites. It still should be a great match and Gives Jeff Hardy a great chance to show what he is made of.

The other surprise was the non retirement of rick Flair. some expected the announcement of his retirement due to the location of Raw in Charlotte, his home time. Instead we now have a retirement vendetta on Flair. The next match he loses will be his last. I really don;t see this happening due to the magnitude of it all. Cam you imagine the man who would be chosen to defeat him. The pressure of defeating and ending the career of perhaps the biggest name in wrestling would be enormous. That individuals career would forever be defined by this and the criticism that would come from such a match would be ridiculous. If Flair retires it will be on his own terms. But at least now it gives a a good story line.

Posted by JSX at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

-- Following the result of last night's RAW, the following matches have been confirmed for the December 16th WWE Armageddon PPV:

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (c) vs. Chris Jericho

Singles Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H

Singles Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Ken Kennedy

Singles Match: Finlay vs. The Great Khali

WWE Women's Championship Match: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Mickie James

(WWE.com)

Labels: armageddon, wwe.com

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

The latest Ric Flair storyline may take him all the way to WrestleMania, where he finally may have to hang up the boots for good. Wrestling Observer Newsletter is stating that Flair recently signed a three-year deal, and that he will remain with the company full-time after he retires. Steve Austin is the man that came up with the idea for Flair to have to wrestle each and every match as a "win or retire" match. The report says that the storyline will end at Mania, possibly with Flair losing once and for all, or possibly with him winning and then announcing that the WM match will be his last. There is still no word if Flair will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year when they hold the event in Florida.

Labels: ric flair, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former in-ring star Sid Vicious is talking to the WWE according to an interview that Sid did on Live Audio Wrestling the other day. Vicious told the show that he is hoping for a WWE return, and that he is in talks with Vince McMahon about coming back. Right now Vicious said that they are "trying to work things out." He has had a couple of runs in the company, his biggest coming back when he headlined the most forgettable Wrestlemania, WM 13 in Chicago when he lost the WWE title to the Undertaker.

Vicious also was in the co-main event of WM 8 when he was a heel and went up against Hulk Hogan in a match that was billed as Hogans final match. He was to enter a high profile feud with the Ultimate Warrior, who was returning at that show, but instead bailed as it started and left the feud to the always memorable Papa Shango (Charles Wright, aka The Godfather). If Vicious were to actually come back, his role would have to be protected, as at 47 years old and with plenty of injuries, they have to be careful not to overuse him.

Labels: sid vicious, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

By Stephen Thompson of The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2007

CLEARWATER - Linda Bollea wants a share of two multimillion-dollar local properties she and her husband own as well as alimony, child support and attorney fees.

These are the details in a divorce petition she filed last week in Pinellas Circuit Court against famed wrestler Hulk Hogan after 24 years of marriage. The lawsuit says the marriage is "irretrievably broken."

The couple have one son who qualifies for child support – Nick Bollea, 17, who was arrested this month in connection with a wreck that left a passenger, John Graziano, with severe brain injuries. They also have a daughter.

Linda Bollea is seeking child support and a life insurance policy to cover child support in the event that Hogan dies, the petition states.

She wants wherever she decides to live to be Nick Bollea's primary residence, with Hogan allowed liberal visitation, the petition states. She also wants Hogan to pay for Nick Bollea's health insurance, the petition states.

Linda Bollea wants the couple's assets equitably distributed – including the family's $.7.2 million mansion on Willadel Drive, which has a gazebo, two boat davits, a pool, a fountain and three fireplaces. She also wants a share of a separate $2 million waterfront home, the petition states.

Neither property has a mortgage on it, the petition states.

The couple also have a condominium under construction in Las Vegas; Linda Bollea wants a share of that, too.

If the two cannot work out an arrangement, the properties should be ordered sold, with the money divided equally between the two, the petition states.

Linda Bollea also says she does not have enough money to pay a lawyer, though Hogan does.

Labels: divorce, hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

http://www.indecision2008.com/blog.jhtml?c=v&m=92381

News recently hit the mat that professional wrestler Ric Flair will be joining Chuck Norris and throwing the massive weight of his support behind Mike Huckabee in the Republican primaries.

This should come as no surprise to true fans who understand the close relationship that professional wrestling and politics have shared over the years. Some might even say that if politicians were just a little shinier, there'd be no difference at all.

Need proof? Take a look at some of the wrestling moves that have popped up in the WWE in just the past year...

The Kucinich Klutch: When your opponent is on the mat, put your full weight on his lower back and your arm under his chin. Pull his head back so that his ear is close to your mouth. Then proceed spouting a bunch of idealistic and unrealistic ideas that you came up while hiking to your favorite ashram.

The Suicide Obama: Hurl yourself around the ring with no apparent regard for your own safety or winning the wrestling match. Hope that the audience is sufficiently entertained that they boo the other wrestler out of the ring.

The Giuliani Kiss: Midway through a tag-team wrestling match, change sides and begin attacking your partner. This will throw everyone, including the fans, completely off guard and make it seem as though you're tough.

The King of the Hillary: After walking into the ring, immediately declare yourself the victor and refuse to acknowledge the existence of your competitor until he gets bored and leaves.

The Half Thompson: Fight your opponent with fifty percent of the energy and determination as you'll need to defeat him. You probably won't win the match, but then you probably won't have to defend the championship belt anytime soon either.

The McCandyCain Sucker: Treat the current wrestling champion to some oral sex (even if he cheated to win the belt from you) in full view of the fans. Then ask politely if it can now be your turn to be the champ.

The Stormin' Mormon: Pay the fans millions and millions of dollars to cheer for you. If that doesn't work, pay the ref.

The Dodd Shuffle: During a Battle Royale, stand quietly in one corner of the ring, shuffling your feet, until the match is over and everyone has gone home.

Labels: comedy central, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

With the ramping up of WrestleMania hitting stride in January with the Royal Rumble, there is already talk of the booking of the main event for No Way Out, which is the PPV in February that is the final tune-up for the big event. Wrestling Observer Newsletter has leaked that we will see the return of the elimination chamber for that event, and that it will lead to a wrestler getting a title shot at Mania.

The storyline will be the Rumble winner will pick his champion to challenge at Maina. Then at No Way Out, we'll see 6 guys go at it and the winner there will take on the challenger that was not selected in the other main event for Mania. Of course who those two challengers will be is still very much up in the air.

If you have listened to John Sefcik and I discuss the topics here or on our podcasts, we have talked about a pair of matches that could make up the mains at Maina that I think would be a decent draw. The first is the obvious one - Undertaker vs Edge. This would involve Edge as the Champion, and likely then Taker winning the Rumble for the second straight year to earn the shot at the belt.

The second main is tough to pinpoint, but I think they would have a great shot at a WM 21 rematch of HHH vs Batista. That would take some doing, but they have teased this twice in the last 6-8 months on TV. It more than likely would mean that HHH would have to be the RAW champion, then Batista would have to win the elimination chamber at No Way Out.

Right now as things stand I think the company is totally not sold on Randy Orton carrying the strap into Mania, and unless he gets things turned around, I feel they will move it before he gets to the big event.

Labels: main event for wrestlemania, no way out, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

Matt Hardy recently wrote about his health scare last week on his MySpace page. Here is the comments he left:

I AM STILL ALIVE

As most of you know, I experienced a ruptured appendix which released toxins that internally poisoned me on Tuesday. After being in excruciating pain for nearly 24 hours, I went under the knife late Tuesday night and had my appendix removed. For the last four days, I've been virtually bed-ridden in Tampa General Hospital. For those four days, I've been having my body intravenously pumped and flushed with powerful antibiotics to kill the infections within my abdomen caused by the toxins. It wasn't exactly the way I planned on spending Thanksgiving of 07--away from home, away from my family, and in torturous pain. But it was a good Thanksgiving nonetheless-because I'm very thankful I'm still alive. I've got alot left to do in this life, and I wanna thank God for continuing to give me that opportunity. I'll speak on all this in greater length later, but I need my sleep now... Thank you guys-for all your support and get well soon wishes, they mean alot...

Labels: matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

Looking forward to RAW tomorrow night, as we will move along some programs and get some started as we have a couple of weeks to go till the next PPV - Armageddon in Pittsburgh on 12/16. First, we will have the program of Chris Jericho and Randy Orton head into high gear, as they will likely announce the match for the PPV. Y2J won't win the belt unless a lot of things are set to change, but he and Orton should have a decent program, and maybe it will be enough to turn around what I think has been a lackluster title run so far for Orton.

Ric Flair will make his return, and what role he will play will have to be seen. I think that Flair right now is better off out of the ring as a mouthpiece for a wrestler or a group of wrestlers. I personally think that it would be a great fit if Flair came in with a great ovation, gave a great promo, and later in the night turned on the fans and became Orton's manager. Think about it - it would work, and would give Orton's character a whole new dimension.

We also have one announced match, a tag with HHH and Jeff Hardy (what an odd combo that is) against Umaga and Snitsky. Why this company is in love with mean Gene is beyond me, but get use to seeing him on TV quite a bit, as sources say that the company is ready for a Snitsky push. We'll also see the Kennedy vs Shawn Michaels feud start, and I would not doubt if we'll see them announce their match for the PPV.

Labels: hhh, kennedy, RAW y2j, snitsky

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, it's been a day of news, but not really about news in the ring. The big story is that Linda Hogan filed for divorce this past Tuesday from the Hulk. I an article you can read below from the AP, it appears that Hulk knew nothing about the papers being filed.

Yeah right.

Some reports are already stating that the whole divorce filing could be a huge stunt, done to get Hulk's name in the news for his upcoming American Gladitors show, and maybe back in the wrestling business somehow. I wouldn't put it past Hogan to do something like this, despite the fact it's just awful to use divorce as an angle.

Stay Tuned.

Labels: divorce, hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

No Mercy debuted at the top of this week's Billboard Recreational Sports DVD sales list. WWE on placed 3 titles on the list. The rest was dominated by UFC. Here is the top 10 titles.

1. WWE: No Mercy 2007
2. WWE: Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man
3. UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson
4. UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback
5. UFC: Ultimate Knockouts
6. Ultimate Fighter: Season 1
7. UFC 72: Victory
8. UFC Presents: The Ultimate Fighter 2
9. WWE: Unforgiven 2007
10. Pride Fighting Championships: Pride Fighting Legacy: Volume 5

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

Linda Hogan Files for Divorce From Hulk

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Linda Hogan has filed for divorce from her wrestler husband Hulk Hogan, a newspaper reported Friday.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, told the St. Petersburg Times that he had no idea his wife had filed for divorce. He was informed by a reporter that Pinellas County court records showed that the paperwork was submitted Tuesday.

"Thank you for the great information," he told the reporter.

Family spokesman Adam Handelsman referred calls to another spokesman, who did not immediately respond Friday night.

"My wife has been in California for about three weeks. ... Holy smokes," Bollea later told the newspaper. "Wow, you just knocked the bottom out of me."

The couple star in the VH1 reality TV series "Hogan Knows Best," with their two children. Recent episodes show the normally close couple attending marital counseling, but they eventually reconcile.

On Nov. 7, Hogan's son, 17-year-old Nick Bollea, was arrested on reckless-driving charges after a car crash. Clearwater police said Bollea crashed his 1998 Toyota Supra on Aug. 26 while street racing against a silver Dodge Viper driven by a friend. A report said Bollea was driving faster than 60 mph in a 40 mph zone.

Bollea's passenger, John Graziano, was not wearing a seat belt and was critically injured. Bollea, who was wearing a seat belt, was not seriously injured.

The Hogans moved to a $12 million bayfront estate on Miami Beach in 2006 so their children, Brooke and Nick, could pursue singing and acting careers. They had previously lived in Clearwater, near Tampa.

Labels: divorce, hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

I think I'm going to be sick after eating all these Thanksgiving leftovers after tonight. I do not need to see Edge and Vickie making out. I understand the angle of Edge most likely using Vickie romantically to get his title shot, but do we need to see the graphic details. Besides that it looks like there will be a 3 way run for the title come Armageddon. Granted Edge has his #1 contender match next Friday, but with the Undertaker tombstoning Vickie there is no doubt she will want revenge. This should put Batista, Edge and the Undertaker together for a title shot. This will be a great combination and will only further increase Batista's stock if he can hold his own with these 2 men. At the rate Batista is going he is pushing himself to the front for the main event a Wrestle Mania. I have been somewhat critical of him in the past and really did not think he had what it takes to be a big player in the WWE. But over the past 3 months he has really raised his game, the question is can he do it without the help of the Undertaker. We shall see in the coming months.

Don't be surprised if the Major Brothers end up as tag champs before the year closes. They put on another great showing tonight and they looked real good in the tag battle royal they had a few weeks back. They have been giving them plenty of shots at some top level talent and I feel the WWE has big plans for them. Not sure if they will be the ones to knock off Miz and Morrison or if they will end up beating one of the regular team on Smack Down, but at the rate they are being thrust into some decent matches, they should be crowned some time soon.

I'm also looking forward to the possible feud between MVP and Mysterio that looks to be starting. MVP is another individual who as raised his game since Wrestle Mania 23, and Mysterio is a great performer. There should be plenty of good matches between these 2, and given MVP's size, Mysterio should be able to really capitalize with his acrobatic moves. Don't be surprised if JBL gets involved somehow given his dislike of Mysterio for obvious reasons. Also JBL tonight had his ring bestowing ceremony for MVP, so he should be doing all it takes to prevent Mysterio from becoming US Champ.

With Mysterio moving on to a run at the US title, and Kane and big Daddy V still at one another, it looks like Finlay now gets the albatross of dealing with Mark Henry and Kahli. This is sad in my eyes as Finaly really gave some solid performances against Mysterio and deserves a better reward than this. They could at least have him get involved with Chuck Palumbo, since they really are trying to push Palumbo. With Finlay's great in the ring work ethic he could show Palumbo how to be a strong performer. I was not impressed when Palumbo came over from WCW with Sean O'Haire, and his legacy so far in the WWE was being the gay love interest of Billy Gunn. He could only benefit from working with a class act like Finaly, and Finlay deserves to work with with some talent, not to giant stiffs who have past their expiration date.

Posted by JSX at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

There has been plenty of talk as of late about Randy Orton and his title regin as WWE Champion. The talk has been about if Orton has been a good champion, or if he's lost his edge (no pun intended) since gaining the belt about two months ago. Well, I would have to say that based on Monday night, and what we saw at Survivor Series, the title regin has so far not lived up to what the company thought it would.

Orton was on a roll when chasing the belt, and he and John Cena were having a solid program before Cena went down with the injury that put him on the shelf of where he is now. Orton since has had his program with HHH at the PPV where he won the belt, then the program he just went through with Shawn Michaels.

Now we have the go-around with Chris Jericho, which should lead to the next PPV at Armageddon in Pittsburgh in a few weeks. The promo with Y2J on Monday night was not very good, and the reason why is because Orton didn't sell it one bit. Jericho was on, but the promo was not becuase Orton was basically a robot in the ring.

So for now, Orton's current run as champion has not been all that memorable. Does it have a chance? Sure. Will it go down as a bust? That's where I'd put my money on right now if I was a betting man.

Labels: hhh, randy orton, shawn michaels, y2j

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

In rather breaking news, TMZ.com is reporting that Hulk Hogan's wife Linda has filed for divorce. The document that we have linked up at the bottom of this was filed in court in Florida back on Tuesday. Surprise? Well, not really considering the issues that Nick with his accident has forced on this family, and there was even an episode of "Hogan Knows Best" with talk of issues between Linda and Hulk. We'll keep you updated on this story as we get more wind of it.

http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1124_hogans_wm.pdf

Labels: divorce, hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

ge did what he does best at Survivor Series: Shock the world. The bitter Rated-R Superstar returned and cost Undertaker the chance to regain the World Heavyweight Championship during an epic Hell in a Cell encounter, helping Batista retain the gold in the process. What does the Rated-R Superstar’s return signify for all of SmackDown, and why did the outspoken, aggressive former champion target Undertaker? In a WWE Mobile exclusive, Edge claimed he would say all he needed to say on Friday night. WWE.com has learned that the Rated-R Superstar will host The Cutting Edge on SmackDown, and his guest will be none other than the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista. Will Edge explain his actions at Survivor Series? What will Batista have to say about it? And will The Phenom be on hand to make a statement as well?

The United States Champion, MVP, will also be in Tampa, Fla., this Friday to be presented with a gift from the United Nations. SmackDown color commentator JBL will host the special ceremony to honor MVP, and the former U.S. and World Champion has never been short of his praise for the Ballin' Superstar. What will the gift to MVP be? What will JBL have to say to the Franchise Playa? And will MVP have anything to say about his former partner Matt Hardy's surgery earlier this week?

Hornswoggle will face another "tough love test" from Mr. McMahon this Friday on SmackDown, as the illegitimate son of the Chairman will face Mark Henry in one-on-one action. At Survivor Series, Hornswoggle escaped the clutches of The Great Khali with an unlikely assist from Finlay, and on Raw, the leprechaun was once again helped by the Irishman when he defeated Carlito. Will Hornswoggle find another four-leaf clover for victory Friday against the World's Strongest Man?

Find out the answers to these questions and more Friday night at 8/7 CT on The CW Network.

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

-- Here is the track listing for the "WWE Raw Greatest Hits" CD that is scheduled to be released on December 18:

1. The Time Is Now John Cena, Trademarc
2. I Won't Do What You Tell Me Jim Johnston
3. If You Smell Jim Johnston
4. The Game Motörhead
5. Sexy Boy Shawn Michaels
6. Rest In Peace Jim Johnston
7. No Chance In Hell Jim Johnston with Peter Bursuker
8. I Walk Alone Saliva
9. Line In The Sand Motörhead
10. Break The Walls Down Jim Johnston with Adam Morenoff 11.Wreck Jim Johnston
11. Time To Rock & Roll Jim Johnston with L'il Kim
12. (619) Jim Johnston with Chris Classic
13. Slow Chemical finger eleven
14. Are You Ready? Jim Johnston with Chris Warren
15. Paparazzi Jim Johnston
16. Turn Up The Trouble Jim Johnston with Ted Nigro

Labels: greatest hits, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

Below is a report from Pro Wrestling Indsider on last night's attempted comeback of former WWE Tag Champs - The Nasty Boys. Pretty funny stuff!

Former WWF and WCW World Tag Team champions The Nasty Boys, Jerry Saggs and Brian Knobbs worked their first WWE match in many years in a dark match at last night's Smackdown taping in Tampa, Florida that was said to have been an absolute disaster, leaving a ton of heat on the Nastys and possibly causing a ripple effect that nearly screwed up the live broadcast of ECW on the same taping.

From what I was told by several backstage, The Nastys treated the dark match like they were huge stars coming back. They took forever to even get in the ring because they spent so much time interacting with friends and family members sitting ringside. Brian Knobbs entered the ring with his back to the hard camera. Jerry Saggs then got in the ring "literally right next" to opponents Drew McIntye and Dave Taylor, "leaving them looking like idiots" according to one source.

Once the match started, The Nastys were said to have taken liberties in the ring with McIntyre. McIntyre, who is 21 and just started on the main roster a few weeks ago, tried to be respectful and take the abuse but finally starting dishing it back out by returning with stiff shots of his own. Even worse, Dave Taylor, a respected veteran, was treated in similar fashion by the Nastys.

One WWE performer called the dark match, "one of the all time worst things you could ever hope to see. It was abysmal."

Another source believed that the Nastys taking so long actually screwed up the flow of the taping. The Smackdown taping didn't end up until 9:54 PM, leaving the WWE crew only six minutes to rush and change over the set and ring for the live ECW on Sci Fi broadcast. I have not confirmed that with additional sources, but one person who was live in the building described the ring crew as being "frenzied to finish" after the end of the Smackdown aspect of the show.

Labels: dave taylor, drew mcintye, nasty boys, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

With the next WWE PPV just a few weeks away, there is already rumors flying about as to the matches we'll be seeing on Armageddon. In years past, we've used this PPV to have title matches that usually involve multiple contenders. I recall (2000) a Hell in the Cell with six guys a few years back when Kurt Angle was champion. Last year's show was rather forgettable, as the main event was a tag match with Batista and John Cena (both champions at the time) beating Finlay and King Booker. They also had a last ride match with Taker beating Mr.Kennedy.

2004 also saw a fatal four way as JBL beat Eddie Guerrero, Taker, and Booker T. 2003 saw Triple H beat Goldberg and Kane in a triple threat to win the World Heavyweight title. So we now sit at 2007, and there are two matches that are bound to happen that will be headlined as the main events of the card.

First, based on Monday night, we'll have Randy Orton defending the WWE title vs Chris Jericho. It appears that they want to put Y2J in the title picture asap, and this match will push the program between the two. There are still concerns about the reign of Orton, as while he may deserve to have the strap right now, there is no doubt that his title reign has been pretty forgettable. He's just not getting over as he was when he was chasing the belt, which is usually the case.

Then from all indications, we'll have a triple threat with Batista defending vs Undertaker and Edge. Right off the bat, there appears to be a storyline in the works where Edge wins the belt here, defends vs Batista at the Royal Rumble, Taker repeats as Rumble champ, and then at Mania you have Taker winning the belt back from Edge. Just a guess, but it does make sense.

Plus there are two other matches that could easily be on the card - Mr.Kennedy vs Shawn Michaels and a tag with a stip between Jeff Hardy and HHH vs Umaga and Snitsky.

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Matt Hardy is going to be out for between 1 and 3 months after undergoing an emergency appendectomy last night in Tampa, FL. Hardy did not wrestle at the Survivor Series event on Sunday, and while that appeared to be an injury angle, last night's surgery for sure was not. Below is the article as it appeared on WWE.com last night.

TAMPA, Fla. – SmackDown Superstar Matt Hardy underwent an emergency appendectomy at a Tampa area hospital tonight. Doctors expect the surgery to keep Hardy out of action anywhere from 1-3 months.

An appendectomy by definition is the removal of the appendix from the lower right area of the abdomen. Oftentimes, if the surgery is not performed immediately, severe consequences can follow.

Hardy’s emergency surgery comes less than a week after suffering a knee injury at the hands of his former partner, the United States Champion MVP. Did the attack by MVP help lead to the appendectomy that Hardy underwent tonight?

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tonight on ECW continues the trend of things to be thankful for during this time of the holiday season. Granted the matches may have not been the who's who of the WWE, but at least it was entertaining. Other than the return of Kevin Thorn, new and improved look and all, against Nunzio, most of the matches were decent given they were on the third brand of the WWE.

I would love to see Shelton Benjamin and Elijah Burke team up as both men need a little boost in their respective careers at this moment. Yes I know this would break up the Worlds Greatest Tag Team, but who are we kidding. Carlie Haas really has not done much and frankly I can do without him. Put Benjamin together with the Elijah Experience and we may see some momentum gained for their tag team. Burke's ego alone can carry both men and Benjamin can bring the athletics.

It looks like either Deuce and Domino or Jessie and Festus should be set to take the tag titles from Morrison and the Miz. Let's hurry this up and put an end to the ever so favorite gimmick of the WWE . They have done the rivals as tag champs so many times, 3 times this year alone, including just recently MVP and Matt Hardy, that it has no weight anymore. Plus we don't have to strain with the Miz and Morrison's lame commentary anymore. Guys you and Batista need to enroll in a promo class instructed by Chris Jericho and raise your out of ring presence just a bit. Hopefully this duo is broken up and they can concentrate on a program with CM Punk. This way we don't have to see Kenny embarrass himself anymore and he can continue his feud with Chuck Palumbo at local house shows near you.

Finally I'm thankful Kane is at least in some kind of meaningful matches. Granted it may only be Big Daddy V with no title involved, but at least its decent competition. Kane has been such a great performer over the years and its sad to see him get stuck against Khali and Mark Henry. These guys may be able to match his size, but the 2 combined don't match Kane's talent. Kane may not be as popular as he once was, but his still brings it each night. Look at Wrestle Mania against Khali. It was the first match and one no body cared about, but Kane made Kahli look good, or as good as anybody can with Kahli, and put on a decent match against some week competition. His slam of Khali even evoked memories of 20 years ago in Detriot when Hogan slammed Andre. Yes I know it does not resonate with the same significance, but it was still impressive.

Posted by JSX at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

Maxim magazine has posted a 7-page article on "The Last Days of Chris Benoit." The first portion of the article reads as follows:

It was an act of violence that shocked pro wrestling fans and critics alike, but what really caused one of the WWE’s greatest stars to explode? An investigation into the tragedy reveals as many questions about the industry as it does the crime. Here’s what the WWE doesn’t want you to know.

Here is the link for the article - read it and give me your thoughts!

http://www.maximonline.com/Thelastdaysofchrisbenoit/articles/9733.aspx

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

Kristal Marshall has released her first public statement since the WWE let her go a few weeks back. The following is from her website - http://www.kristal-marshall.net/ and talks about the angle she shot down of her joining up with Edge. It was not shortly after that she was let go:

This is way over due. First off the reason why I was released was because I did not want to do a morally degrading storyline that was already done, plain and simple.

Lita was in my opinion the greatest female wrestler of all time (next to Jazz). Lita revolutionized the world of wrestling. She showed that women could be strong, beautiful, and be a draw in the sexiest world of wrestling. She had little girls watching her wanting to become an athlete instead of a princess when they grew up. She was also one of the few women who wrestled men. With blood, sweat, tears and a broken neck later, she earned the respect of everyone in the wrestling business. So the WWE had the bright idea of turning her personal business into a public free for all. Sure that "storyline" transformed a well-loved babyface into a huge heel, but at whose expense? Look at how Trish retired…now look at how Lita retired. On the day of Lita's retirement, the fans didn't just boo her because she had heat; they booed her because despite all that she contributed to women's wrestling, all that they seemed to remember about her was the "slutty" vamp she played on TV.

I am nowhere as accomplished as she was, so imagine what that type of role would have done to me. I have seen a lot of people sell their souls to this business for whatever reason, but I stand strong to what I believe in. I feel like now that I am not in the WWE there is a lot of b.s. talk of me being a difficult person or having a huge ego, believe what you want that is not the case.

I just want to thank all of the fans that supported me through everything. I also want to thank some really cool people who genuinely saw potential in my talent, and who helped train me: Dave Finlay, Booker T, Queen Sharmell and their Pro Wrestling Academy. I will be re-launching my new myspace page shortly so watch out for that, there will be some very important news posted there very shortly.

- Kristal Marshall

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last night's Raw did a 3.5 cable rating. The show did hours of 3.5 and 3.6. For those wondering why that wasn't a 3.6, the first hour actually did a 3.48 and the second hour a 3.56. So, it ended up being a 3.52.

The 11/17 edition of AM Raw did a 0.6 cable rating.

Friday's edition of Smackdown ended up doing a 2.7 broadcast rating.

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lots of news and notes to get to for a Tuesday - so here we go!

* Chris Jericho is back (no duh) and his profile is back up on WWE.com. Here is the link: http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/chrisjericho/ The first order of business based on last night seems to be an immediate title program with Randy Orton, so I would not be stunned to see Y2J and Randy do battle at the upcoming PPV, Armageddon in Pittsbugh on 12/16.

* There is some rumbling backstage that Carlito may be on his way out of the WWE. There was a report in Wrestling Observer that Carlito recently gave the company his notice. If that's the case, it's being kept pretty hush, hush and of course we did see him in action last night against the fierce Hornswoggle.

* Speaking of which, I don't like the move to try and turn Finley in this saga with Mr.McMahon's little son. Bad move in my opinion. I know that they had talked time after time about turning Finley, but in the end, he is about as good a heel as anyone in the company. Let's hope they think this one through before they do something they will regret.

* Harry "DH" Smith will be back from his 30-day suspension at the 12/2 house show in Georgia. The son of the late Davey Boy Smith was suspended for steroids back on September 13th, but they allowed him to come to the main roster before he was made an example out of as one of the first two suspensions that they made public back on 11/1 along with the now released Chris Masters.

* ECW's main event for tonight is a 2-on-1 match with Matt Striker and Big Daddy V taking on Kane.

Labels: big daddy V, ecw, finley, kane, y2j

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

So the worst kept secret in wrestling history is finally reveled tonight and it looks like we are starting it with a bang. It looks like we are going to rush right in with the Ayatollah of RocknRolla against the Legend Killer. And in my opinion not bad at all. If any individual in sports entertainment has the charisma to be thrust into a title run it is Jericho. The evidence was seen tonight as he had the place rockin and pumped to the max. Let's not forget he was the fist undisputed champ, and in my opinion the best candidate for it. The WWE needs some fresh blood for the run up to Mania and Jericho provides it with the boost it needs. The WWE as been lacking a good talker out of the ring since the Rock, and Jericho definitely has the ability to fit the bill. He is part rock star, part wrestling superstar and is nonstop energy. Don't know if he will be able to main event at Mania, but should be able to keep the great wave of energy wrestling is going through right now up until the Rumble. If he is not the winner of it he will definitely be one of the main players. His addition just adds yet another superstar to a great roster of healthy talent.

We also saw tonight the beginning of a HBK and Kennedy feud as it seems Kennedy is also gunning for Orton. If they go into a program with these two I feel it should be great for Kennedy. I love this guy and see him as the cocky heel wrestling needs. What a great way to raise his profiles with a classy veteran like Michael's. You know these two will also be kept in the picture for the title and probably keep this going for the next two pay per views.

For some reason it looks like the want to push Snitsky with Umaga, Triple H and Jeff Hardy. We all know for months in the past they were really pushing the Snitsky promos on all the brands but never really did anything with him. So it looks like his time has come, but I'm not sure it will last more than a month. If they keep him in this program his talent will either rise to the top or be poorly exposed. To put it bluntly, its make or break time for Snitsky and my money is on break.

Posted by JSX at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

STAMFORD, Conn., November 19, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment® is proud to announce the formation of Florida Championship Wrestling, a new training center for future WWE Superstars. The official developmental territory is scheduled to be fully operational by December 2007.

“Florida Championship Wrestling will serve as a training ground for the WWE Superstars and Divas of the future,” said John Laurinaitis, Senior Vice President, Talent Relations. “FCW is building a top-notch facility in the heart of Tampa Bay that has the capacity to groom our vast crop of rising Superstars.”

FCW’s training facility is being expanded to 10,000 square feet, and will include a 300-seat arena. The rejuvenated training facility will also host a weekly show in front of a live audience to be broadcast for regional television. Currently, the facility operates with four rings in which it trains 35 contracted athletes. WWE plans to increase that number to more than 60 in the near future.

WWE has contracted with WWE Legend and former Superstar Steve Keirn to operate the territory. WWE trainer Tom Prichard will oversee all talent training.

FCW is located at 4535 S Dale Mabry Rd in South Tampa. More information is available at fcwwrestling.com.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE and USA Network issued the following press release today, hyping the three-hour Raw anniversary show on December 10th. Here is the press release:

Monday Night RAW(R) Anniversary Special
Monday, December 10th 8/7c on USA NETWORK
RAW #1 weekly basic cable entertainment series on cable since 1999
NEW YORK, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network and World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today a three-hour TV special that will celebrate fifteen years of the Monday night television ratings juggernaut WWE Monday Night RAW.

WWE Monday Night RAW has been a staple of cable television since its debut on USA Network in 1993 and has been the top rated weekly basic cable entertainment series since it went live in 1999. RAW is also the birthplace of such household names as The Rock®, Stone Cold Steve Austin(TM), Triple H®, John Cena®, Undertaker®, Shawn Michaels®, Mick Foley(TM), Trish Stratus and Stacy Keibler.

"It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since RAW redefined the television landscape," said Bonnie Hammer, president, USA Network and SCI FI Channel. "It's an incredible run for a one-of-a-kind entertainment franchise, and we're thrilled to celebrate with Vince, Linda and the entire WWE family."

"Monday Night RAW started as, and continues to be, the most unique television show in history," stated Vince McMahon, Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. "With its ever changing blend of athleticism, humor, action, drama, soap opera and rock concert content, Monday Night RAW continues with a variety show concept that appeals to a variety of demographics generation after generation. As proud members of the USA family, the WWE would like to invite all those who have enjoyed Monday Night RAW at one time or another these past 15 years to celebrate with us during our 15 year anniversary special live on USA December 10 at 8/7C."

A pop culture phenomenon, RAW has been a destination for actors, athletes and musicians not only to promote projects but to also enjoy ringside excitement as fans. Pamela Anderson, Mike Tyson, Shaquille O'Neal, Sylvester Stallone, Donald Trump, LeBron James, Kid Rock, Motley Crue, Toby Keith, Rob Reiner, Wade Boggs, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns and Kevin Federline have all appeared on RAW.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE), can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ECW is a trademark of WWE Libraries, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Magazine released the list of WWE PPVs for next year.

Royal Rumble
- January 27, 2008
- Madison Square Garden ~ New York City, NY

No Way Out
- February 17, 2008
- Thomas & Mack Center ~ Las Vegas, NV

WrestleMania XXIV
- March 30, 2008
- Citrus Bowl ~ Orlando, FL

Backlash
- April 27, 2008
- 1st Mariner Arena ~ Baltimore, MD

Judgment Day
- May 18, 2008
- Qwest Center ~ Omaha, NE

One Night Stand
- June 1, 2008
- San Diego Sports Arena ~ San Diego, CA

Vengeance
- June 29, 2008
- American Airlines Center ~ Dallas, TX

The Great American Bash
- July 20, 2008
- Nassau Coliseum ~ Uniondale, NY

SummerSlam
- August 17, 2008
- Conseco Fieldhouse ~ Indianapolis, IN

Unforgiven
- September 7, 2008
- Quicken Loans Arena ~ Cleveland, OH

No Mercy
- October 5, 2008
- Rose Garden ~ Portland, OR

Cyber Sunday
- October 26, 2008
- US Airways Center ~ Phoenix, AZ

Survivor Series
- November 23, 2008
- TD Banknorth Garden ~ Boston, MA

Armageddon
- December 21, 2008
- HSBC Arena ~ Buffalo, NY

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

http://www.polldaddy.com/s/CC26BA04CFE0DB5D/

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

Wrestling Observer is reporting that in tomorrow's USA Today, they will have a piece on wrestling that will not be all that positive:

USA Today will have a major story on the pro wrestling drug issue in tomorrow morning's paper. There isn't much to the story that will be new for most of you reading it, but it's another high-profile outlet covering it. Story is at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2007-11-18-drugs-wrestling-cover_N.htm

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

The latest WWE PPV offering is in the books, as Survivor Series wrapped up last night in Miami. For a complete review, listen to John and I on our Survivor Series postmatch report. We also break down the future title pictures for both the WWE title and the World Heavyweight Title as well as give our final grade for the event.

Here's a quick rundown and commentary on the event:

C.M. Punk defeats the Miz and John Morrison to keep the ECW Title - A strong opener, and you can tell that what took place last week with the tounge lashing by JBL to Miz and Morrison after the SmackDown/ECW taping must have made an impact, as they worked hard in this opener. The Miz has taken his in-ring skills to the next level, and he will be wearing the gold soon despite taking the pinfall loss here.

Women's Survivor Series 10-person match - They got this out of the way early, and for good reason. Mickie James is the star of this division along with Beth Phoenix, and after James got the fall on Melina, I would not be surprised to see them have a program with the two. Melina's slip up on the splits before the match was pretty funny.

Cade and Murdoch defeat Rhodes and Holly to keep the tag titles - Another solid undercard match, and all four men worked hard. They did not do much in advancing the program with Cade and Murdoch splitting up, and they got the win with Murdoch's finisher on Rhodes. We'll see if they go back to the split up angle tonight on RAW.

Survivor Series 10-man match - The prematch with Kane and Hardy remembering all the bad stuff HHH did to them was pretty funny. Hardy to me was the star of this match, as he took a solid beating, yet stood tall to get the pin. I was stunned they didn't just let HHH win on his own, but the fact the didn't was a good thing. Overall another good match.

Hornswoggle vs Great Khali - Not really a match, and for a gimmick thing this was okay for what it was. Finley came out to save Hornswoggle before he was crushed with the head squeeze. I guess this means we'll have Finley going face? If that's the case, they need to turn someone on SmackDown, becuase Finley is still a very good heel.

Randy Orton beats Shawn Michaels to retain the WWE Title - They did a lot of mat wrestling here with HBK trying to make Orton submit. Crowd really was not into all the holds and submission moves, but overall it made for an interesting match. Orton got the clean pin with the RKO, which I think was important here. If he is going to be taken seriously as the champ, he needed a clean win, and despite getting laid out with the superkick at the end, this was important for him to go over.

Batista pins the Undertaker to keep the World Heavyweight Title - As everyone knew, Edge made his return during this match, pretending to be a cameraman and then attacking Taker and laying him out with a TV camera, chair shot, and then using Batista to cover him. This was yet another solid back and forth as both men kicked out of each other's finishing moves, which came over well on TV. Overall a good match and a good card that should carry some momentum for tonight.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

Join Matt Loede and John Sefcik as they bring you the official Survivor Series PPV postmatch show. The pair discuss the card, as well as talk about each match in-depth, with news and rumors of what will happen next in the WWE. Click below and check out the show and give us your thoughts at mslprod@amertiech.net

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Join Matt Loede and John Sefcik as they bring you the official Survivor Series prematch show. The pair discuss the card, as well as talk about each match in-depth, with news and rumors of what will happen next with the WWE. Click below and check out the show and give us your thoughts at mslprod@amertiech.net

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

The road for a US Title match now has been cleared and MVP shows his true colors tonight. Somewhat of a shocker tonight tonight giving the belts to ECW's own John Morrison and the Miz. Not sure how long this will last with Morrison possibly in the doghouse due to his spat with JBL. Also both these gentleman are in the thick of the title chase and I have a funny feeling the Miz may walk away as ECW champion this weekend. Plus Smack Down has such a great roster of legitimate tag teams, expect this belt to be dropped in the weeks to come.

This clears the way for a title match at Armageddon between MVP and Matt Hardy and lets say its about time. This potential feud has gone on long enough and its time to put it to bed. Not sure which way they will go with the belt as they seem to want to push Matt Hardy. Now he has comes a long way since being Edges whipping boy , but I don't feel he can even be a second rate champion. sure he has some nice high flying moves, but he lacks the in ring flair of his brother Jeff. His presence is a little flat for me just like his entrance music. It tries to rock like the original Hardy theme but its just a lame attempt , much like a cover band trying to be as good as the originals they can only dream of being. As for MVP, he's come along way and really is impressing now. Last year at this time I must admit I hated him with a passion. His match at Wrestle Mani changed that quickly. To go into the ring in front of 80 thousand plus against one of the great technically wrestlers of all time and hold your own really impressed me. Plus He really is working his cocky attitude to his advantage. With this feeling of being the best there is on Smack Down he has the potential to be the heel everyone ants to see get his ass kicked, and that will work to his advantage.

Great to see Batista get ramped up tonight for his main event. He put an old fashion ass whipping on Mark Henry and looked like a man possessed and ready to kill the Undertaker Sunday. As I have said in the past this match is a huge turning point fro Batista. If he can go into the cell on Sunday and give a great performance, whether he wins or not, it will go a long way to establish him as one of the main player s of the WWE. while he still needs to work on his promos and out of the ring presence, Batista definitely has the tools as a great in ring presence. This is especially amazing since his only real competition in the past months has been the Great Kali. Not exactly the best man to improve your self on, so kudos to Batista fro taking his chance as champion and running full speed ahead with it.

Posted by JSX at 1:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

From PRO WRESTLING INSIDER:

So before Chris Jericho even debuts, I got my hands on the WWE magazine with him on the cover and interview inside. Some interesting notes from the short interview:

*Chris left in 2005 b/c he was burned out and needed to spend more time with his family.

*He and his wife had twin daughters in July 2006.

*The Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena one hour match from England, made Chris really love the business again.

*Jericho wants to work with John Cena, Shawn Michaels, HHH, The Undertaker (whom he's never had a one-on-one match with), Ken. Kennedy, and MVP.

*Jericho went to Lance Storm's wrestling school and started from scratch with his students in order to get back in ring shape.

*Jericho has been working with a personal trainer to get in good physical shape, something he has never done before.

*Jericho says he has a new finisher and some new moves to show off.

*Jericho says it took him 18 months to write his book. Mick Foley really helped him along the way with his book.

Labels: chris jericho, wwe magazine, y2j

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting some interesting news on the recently suspended Harry "DH" Smith, and the timing of the suspension:

"Several sources are saying that Harry "DH" Smith's last test -- which is the one he failed for -- took place on Thursday, September 13 when he was still in developmental. He tested positive for steroids. Smith was apparently the company's first test failure after the flock of suspensions that were announced two weeks earlier related to the Signature Pharmacy scandal.

Based on what is being said, it seems like WWE held off Smith's suspension until they were allowed to publicly announce drug failures on November 1. If they had suspended Smith when they initially got the test results -- which was sometime in September -- they couldn't announce it to the public due to their policy. Even if they wanted to, he would have been a largely unknown developmental wrestler at the time and his suspension would have gone unnoticed. It should be noted that WWE immediately released the suspended names to all of the media outlets they work with, and even some outlets they almost never work with such as the Pro Wrestling Torch. Basically, they wanted the story out immediately and they wanted the names to be known by as many people as possible.

Smith had been down in developmental for quite some time -- nearly a year and a half -- seemingly because they had no idea on how to use him. In what is probably a first, it's starting to look like the decision to finally call Smith up to the main roster was based on the knowledge of his test failure because they had a drug offender to reveal to the public for P.R. purposes. By not suspending him right away in September when they could have, his call-up and wait was to guarantee they had a name to publicly announce when the November 1 provision went into effect. The timing of the announcement of his suspension seems to indicate that the company was looking for names to announce to the public as soon as soon as November 1 hit as proof that their testing is legit. Smith just happened to be the first person caught.

On the other hand, Chris Masters' suspension appears to be more timely because he was off the road for all of September due to his suspension relating to the fallout from the Signature Pharmacy scandal and they don't test wrestlers when they're off the road.

Once again, WWE got the results from Smith's drug test in September. They didn't make the decision to bring him up and push him until a few weeks after they had gotten the test results. Smith was flown to the European tour at the last minute and they ended up debuting him the next Monday on 10/22. He beat Carlito in his debut match and teamed up with Jeff Hardy the next week, winning a tag match over Carlito & Kennedy. Internally, some people believe that his push on television was designed to show that they were willing to suspend a guy that was in the midst of a push and not just wrestlers at the bottom of the totem pole."

Labels: harry "DH" smith, wrestling observer

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE 24/7 currently has about 115,000 subscribers worldwide. The service generated $1.4 million during the last financial quarter -- up from $1.3 million.

Unforgiven 2007 featuring Cena vs. Orton did 210,000 buys worldwide -- 134,000 of which that were domestic. The numbers are way down from last year's figures, which were 307,000 worldwide buys and 187,000 domestic. Although, Unforgiven's numbers seems to be in line with what recent B-PPV shows have been getting as of late.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

Taped for tonight on Smackdown:

- World Champion Batista vs. Mark Henry in a No DQ match.

- Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Fit Finlay.

- WWE Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy & MVP vs. John Morrison & The Miz.

- Rey Mysterio vs. Ken Kennedy.

- Torrie Wilson & Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix & Victoria.

- The official weigh-in for the Great Khali vs. Hornswoggle match at Survivor Series.

- The Undertaker will also appear on the show.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

We have another official match for Sunday's Survivor Series, as Cody Rhodes and Bob Holly will take on Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade for the RAW Tag Straps. The match came about as the company used their website Thrusday to show a three-way that Rhodes and Holly won to earn the title shot. The premise of Rhodes and Holly is that they were opponents at first, but then fell in love and live happily ever after (okay, that's a joke), but then found respect for each other and now are a team. Holly is very good in this role, and as for Rhodes, he's still very green, so putting him with someone like Holly is only going to help him long term. With that said, I highly doubt that they will win the straps Sunday, that is unless they want to break up Cade and Murdoch like they have been teasing with Mickie having this gross-out cruch on Trevor. Of course I'll predict right now that James turns on Trevor and runs off with Cade before it's all said and done.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here is this week's Billboard Recreational Sports DVD sales list. Next to the WWE selections I write my thoughts on the DVD's or shows.

1. WWE: Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man (Have yet to see it, but from reading about it, it appers to be nothing more than a few DVD's of matches throughout his career. Interesting to me that his first WWE match was with Chavo Guerrero, and the pair have wrestled about 100+ times on TV since then in the five years Rey's been with the company)

2. UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson
3. UFC 72: Victory

4. WWE: Unforgiven 2007 (A lackluster event with Randy Orton beating John Cena via DQ in a match to forget, Batista finally ending the awful Great Khali regin winning a 3-way with Rey Mysterio, and the return of the Taker in a blah match with Mark Henry)

5. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
6. Ultimate Fighter: Season 1

7. WWE: SummerSlam 2007 (Cena beats Orton in a solid main, HHH beats Booker in a match many won't remember, and another bad Batista vs Kahli match ends in a DQ. A so-so event and actually below SummerSlam standards)

8. UFC Presents: The Ultimate Fighter 2

9. WWE: Wrestlemania 23 (Great event, will never forget the atmosphere with being right up on the ring area for a few matches {you can actually see me on TV more than once} and of course the card was jam packed with good stuff...a must buy, just because the Slickster made a cameo)

10. WWE: The Ladder Match (Another one I have yet to see, but knowing how good ladder matches have been over the years, I can say that this is likley a very good DVD)

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

For those of you that want to either TiVo RAW on Monday to see Chris Jericho make his debut, or if your more interested in Monday night Football and simply want to see him live, Pro Wrestling Torch is reporting the following about the time of his arrival:

"As many of you all know, the latest Save_Us video aired on Raw last night and practically outright said Chris Jericho was debuting next week. It said 6_DAYS, 23 HOURS, AND 33 MINUTES - which aired at 9:55 p.m., meaning he's scheduled to show up 27 minutes short of a full 24 hours from that moment, which would mean 9:28 p.m. next Monday night."

Meaning we'll probably start the show with a promo coming off of Survivor Series, have a match, and then it's on finally to Chris' return to the ring for what is sure to be a memorable promo.

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Chris Masters World Talk LIVE

Sent In By World Talk LIVE

Press Release

Chris "Masters" Mordetzky will be on World Talk LIVE! this Friday, November 16th, at 6 PM Eastern Standard Time for one of his first shoot interviews since his WWE release. The show is hosted by Brett Cohen, one of the most popular radio hosts on the web. In this one-on-one interview, Chris will discuss his time with WWE, his personal life, his upcoming appearances, and his future plans. World Talk LIVE! takes live calls on every show, and you can join World Talk LIVE! by calling (347)215-7778 during the program. The show is broadcast over the BlogTalkRadio network and can be streamed live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldtalklive

The show is archived on that page after the show has aired. If you have any questions for Chris, please e-mail them to the show's producer, Jim Caruso, at bbbutton@aol.com. Thank you!

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

I know I'm not raising a topic that hasn't been debated millions of times since they split the WWE into various brands but given the major improvement over the past weeks of the shows I think it's time to raise it again. Of course I'm speaking about merging the WWE back into one brand. In order to pump up Survivor Series there has been nonstop cross branding matches on all the programs. This has been great as the shows have not had many matches that were disappointing. Of course it understandable the WWE is going to book as many great matches as they can to pump up the buyer rates for the upcoming pay per view, but it shows what can be done when you are not handcuffed to only a certain pool of talent.

As we saw over these past few month how injuries depleted the rosters, this can be prevented with an unlimited pool of talent. I'm sure there are certain financial considerations that need to be given to the various brands, as Raw most likely commands the most. They can work around this by keeping only the top end of the talent on Raw, like keeping the Champion exclusive to Raw only. And since we are discussing championships we should also go back to a unified champion. This gets around to keeping the champ exclusive. If there is a need to keep both major championships they can designate the WWE title as a secondary championship. This way the WWE champ can appear on the other brands and keep the interest for both Smack Down and ECW.

Of course this leads us to the topic of ECW. As far as I'm concerned they should just scrap it all together as its own separate division. There is nothing extreme about it anymore and its no better than what Heat use to be. The ECW has a few good talented individuals but not enough to demand its own brand. Since they have made contractual obligations for this show they could re brand it like a Heat with maybe some established stars thrown in to keep it interesting.

This combination will only help to keep fan interest as it gives the writers more combinations to work with but also keeps the network package interesting due to more talent available on each show. By having strong network programs the WWE will help improve its product and create more buzz for its pay per views and helps satisfy fans. Currently there have been to many matches on net work that should be reserved for dark matches and house shows. This is insulting to fans who are willing to spend their time watching this programing. Yes I understand the WWE makes its money by saving the best matches for pay per views, but please give us something decent to watch on network TV, and no more Hacksaw Jim Duggen and Super Crazy tag matches.

Posted by JSX at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

There was a major backstage incident last night in Kansas following ECW on SciFi involving JBL and John Morrison. The incident, which is being reported on PWI Insider and Wrestling Observer, goes as follows according to the Observer:

"JBL ripped on Miz and John Morrison for their work doing color in the C.M. Punk vs. Jamie Noble match. He also got mad at them for their ring work in their tag matches last night on Smackdown with Matt Hardy & MVP. JBL said they both guys owed Punk, MVP and Hardy apologies for making them look bad. Miz apologized, but Morrison told JBL to mind his own business, but apologized to them. It was quickly broken up, likely saving Mr. Morrison's life."

Now based on this report, and what I have read on PWI, it sounds like two things -

1: JBL usually as a vet like to takes it on himself to say things that he shouldn't - This is not the first time it's happened, and it won't be the last. Vince McMahon has always been a big fan of JBL, so he always gives him the freedom to basically do and say what he wants. In this latest round, I am willing to bet that nothing is done to Layfield.

2: Morrison had better watch what he says and who he says it to - Knowing that JBL is regarded as he is in the locker room, Morrison had better watch out. He's already been suspended once, and while he has a lot of people on his side (he did have the ECW Title after all), he also will find his way out the door quickly if he messes with guys like JBL. Take the advice Morrison, take your piece of humble pie, say your sorry, and move on.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

- World Champion Batista vs. Undertaker - Hell In A Cell.
- WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels - If Michaels uses the superkick, he is disqualified. If Orton gets disqualified, he loses the title.
- Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio & Kane vs. Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Big Daddy V & Finlay in an elimination match.
- ECW Champion CM Punk vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison.
- Hornswoggle vs. Great Khali.
- Beth Phoenix, Layla, Jillian Hall, Melina & Victoria vs. Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Torrie Wilson & Maria.
- World Tag Team Champions Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. the winner of this Thursday's WWE.com "exclusive match".

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, the Chris Jericho WWE magazine cover has made the worst kept secret in wrestling history 100 percent official. Y2J is back. As far as why this thing has leaked, there are plenty of reasons, but the biggest has to be that the WWE felt that Chris would be making his return before this upcoming issue of the magazine would be released. The release date of that magazine is supposed to be Sunday, meaning that if you didn't know about the return, and were walking around the mall Sunday and saw the magazine, you'd probably do a double take.

My theory is that the company and Jerhico at some point had to decide to delay the return for some reason. It was no secret at No Mercy that early in the night when Vince McMahon was giving Randy Orton the title, that the crowd was chanting for Jerhico, and McMahon told them that they were not getting that tonight. They should have gotten him back on TV the following night, as the cover on this has been so totally blown, Monday is going to be almost a letdown at this point.

This totally reminds me of last summer, when the company for way too long planned the return of Shawn Michaels and HHH getting back together to reform DX. With the internet being what it is, and the sometimes bad job by the company at keeping things hush hush, they should just quit trying to build comebacks and big returns like that of DX and now Jerhico. Just get them back on TV, and if they are surprised, then let them be surprised. The wind is totally out of the sails on this one, and the WWE has no one to blame but themselves.

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

There has been some talk in the wrestling industry about the amount of tickets that are still remaining for WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, Florida. The presale for the company did well, as did the day of the public on-sale, but at the same time, they were hoping for a sellout, and right now that does not look to be the case. So why did the WWE's biggest event not sell out right away? Well, there are plenty of reasons - but the biggest could be the fact that the WWE is running a huge venue, outside, and with the companies current injury woes (John Cena being by far the biggest) and the creative direction, not selling this thing out on the first day is not a shock.

Let's put it this way though - they did move 44,000 tickets, which is quite a bit, and at the same time let's not forget that last year you didn't sell out Ford Field in Detroit on the first day, and yet by bell time the night of the event they got to the point to selling standing room only tickets for the show. So let's not panic, there's five months till the event, a lot can happen, and the company has had great success in the past with making big things happen for this show. One thing that is a legit concern is the weather, which with it being an outdoor venue, if it rains, the show could be the biggest disaster in the history of the business. For now, let's cross our fingers that does not happen.

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Was this the ECW tonight? I'm not so sure as there was hardly any ECW superstars on the show. Not that this was a bad thing. Other than CM Punk and KellyKelly no other member of ECW was in action tonight. Since Smack Down last Friday there has been a lot of cross branding to promote Survivor Series and let me say it needs to continue. The shows have been fun to watch with great matches filling almost the entire card. But lets save the branding debate for another post and get back to tonight's action.

In a tag match tonight between the Hardys and MVP/Kennedy there was a interesting ending. MVP actually prevented Kennedy from using a chair on Matt Hardy who was protecting his brother. Can they be turning MVP face as he showed concern for Kennedy's questionable throw to the floor of Jeff and his protection of Matt? I doubt they would kill the heat between both MVP and Matt as it would be a waste of time to keep both these men as a tag team. It still was an interesting twist throw in at the end of this match and it will be interesting to see if or how they will use this moment of kindness of MVP.

Tonight we also saw CM Punk get attacked once again after his match by both John Morrison and the Miz. They are really building this 3 way title match for Survivor Series up, especially giving the Miz some significant air time. It may be a long shot but I would not be surprised to see the Miz either win on Sunday or take the title in the next month. He had a good match against Punk at Cyber Sunday and they do need to groom someone fro the ECW title as I expect one or both Punk and Morrison to move on to another brand by Wrestle Mania. They already have seem to kill any momentum for Elijah Burke and Big Daddy V so it only seems logical they want to push the Miz. And to be honest I feel he is doing a great job. Maybe he needed to step down a level to develop himself and it is showing. We shall see

Posted by JSX at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments