Time for another WWE PPV, and that means it's time for Matt Loede and John Sefcik to come at you with the One Night Stand Pre Match Show. The two talk about the big card taking place in San Diego, as well as some thoughts about the WWE's 4th PPV in two months. Click below to hear the One Night Stand Pre Match Show.

Labels: 2008 One Night Stand

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: www.f4wonline.com

Batista is expected to take a few months off soon, likely after One Night Stand. He is expected to be out until SummerSlam. At the moment, we don't have any details on his hiatus except that it's not Wellness-related. In light of this news, there's a good chance he'll being put out of action in his stretcher match with Shawn Michaels tomorrow night at One Night Stand.

Labels: 2008 summerslam, batista

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Quite like last year, WWE is keeping the draft very secretive, to the point that most all of the talent will find out if they're changing brands as soon as the audience does during the live show. With the exception of the long-rumored Umaga brand switch, little has leaked out on the draft. Back in 2002, WWE did a live draft for television and a secondary draft with the results posted on the company website. A number of mid-level and lower-level wrestlers had to log on to the WWE site late at night after the draft to find out about their futures.

Labels: wwe draft

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

In what could be the last of the Undertaker on Smack Down we saw a very special Cutting Edge segment to preview the upcoming TLC match at One Night Stand. Edge had one of his famous movie previews playing showing how he would remove the undertaker from Smack Down and the WWE before having his guest on. When the Tacker got to the ring the Guerrero Familia appeared with a casket to bury the Undertaker. This was only partially successful as once they got him in it the lights went out and he appeared in the ring with Edge. The rated R Superstar was able to escape but Tacker gave Edge an example of what will happen on Sunday by slamming one of the Edge Heads through a table. This was not a bad way to get things stated for Sunday in what is becoming a very old story line.

Batista made his intentions know that he wants a shot at the title after Sunday, but Vickie would not have him dictating who gets what on her show. So to punish him she made a match of Hawkins and Ryder against Batista and anyone who would tag with him. Well the big Show took up the offer and the two destroyed the Edge Heads very nicely. Baring the draft you have to see Batista getting another shot at the belt. The problem is it would be against the Undertaker who he has faced just recently. So I'm not so sure he will find himself in the mix. Also when will the Big Show finally find a decent program to be in involved with. I feel he will face Kane for the
ECW title, but they still have not decided if he will be a face or a heel, which is only hurting his chances of doing anything big

We had another Elijah Burke sighting tonight as he took on Matt Hardy. Of course Burke lost as he seems to do nowadays, but is he getting a push again or was this just a filler match. Remember when Burke was the future of ECW and the WWE. Well those days are long gone and he really needs to establish himself soon. You know your not making any fans when they keep you off ECW for Mike Knox matches.

Speaking of those who have fallen off the charts. We saw Shannon Moore up against Vladimir Kozlov and fall victim to the Russian's win streak. Is this the end of Moore and Jimmy Wang Yang. I really though those two would be tag champs by now as their matches were always fantastic. It's just another missed opportunity by the WWE to develop a tag division if they kill off these two. I really would hate for that to happen as I know there can be some exciting matches with them in the future and they can help to spice up the pay per view cards that fail to get 4-5 decent matches nowadays.

John Morrison took on Cm Punk in a match that should be on ECW. I know Morrison has the Smack Down tag belt but this was singles competition. If you want to make ECW a watchable brand then please keep the small amount of talent the show has on the show itself. Stop with the Miz and Morrison as tag champs and putting CM Punk on Smack Down every night. Yes the cross promoting of the brand is fine as it helps both rosters, but we need ECW's best on ECW alone.

In a nice fuller match MVP took out Jamie Noble in match put together due to Noble insulting MVP by saying he was unsure of himself. The other fill saw Finlay rematch Chuck Palumbo. The match itself was not to bad as they kept the comedy of Hornswoogle out of it and let these two brawl. Despite the decent showing by Palumbo he further lost credibility in my eyes with his stupid hat and attempt to be a Slash lookalike. Chuck give it up, you are not going over on this round in the WWE and most likely you never will.

The ladies did give me a surprise tonight as Michell McCool took on Maryse. I know McCool has been decent in the ring, but Maryse surprised me with her abilities. I really like the fact most of the Diva's are really improving their ring skill to show they are more than pretty faces. This only legitimizes the women's division and allows us to have decent matches with our eye candy.

Posted by JSX at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: www.Gerweck.net

A number of wrestlers have had it with Triple H, and many backstage are described as being on "pins and needles" when it comes to him.

His name has been mentioned as a possible move to Smackdown during the WWE Draft, and a number of wrestlers on the Raw roster would applaud the move. If Triple H is indeed moved to Smackdown, Undertaker would likely be moved over to Raw to take his place.

Labels: triple h, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

At the WWE stockholders meeting two weeks ago, one stockholder complained about the Edge & Vickie Guerrero storyline on SmackDown to Vince McMahon. The stockholder asked where WWE was going to draw the line on it. In what appears to be a hint to where it's going, McMahon said that it was a love and relationship story, but that it may not turn out like one in the end. McMahon then went on a tangent saying how in real life, everyone isn't all good or evil, but rather, shades of gray.

Labels: edge, smackdown, vicki guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Following was Posted One Year Ago Today on Let's Talk Wrestling:

The one hour ECW show on Tuesday night from London, Ontario was an entertaining effort, complete with a solid one-on-one no DQ match with CM Punk and Elijah Burke, as well as what looks to be the last time on TV we'll see RVD with his final WWE match coming up this weekend at the One Night Stand PPV. All along it looked as if that Rob's final match would pit him with Snitsky, but now the opponent will be Randy Orton in a stretcher match, which should make for a solid match considering the bout the two had on RAW Monday night.

The match of the night was Burke and Punk, as they went back and forth and their match was better than their PPV effort at Judgement Day last week. The end was a great visual with Marcus Cor Von giving the pounce to Punk through a table that was set up in a corner. The spot made Punk easy pickins for Burke, who pinned him for the win. Sunday will see a tables match with Burke, Cor Von and Matt Striker taking on Punk, Sandman and Tommy Dreamer.

Kevin Thorn beat Balls Mahoney rather easily, and to think at one point this was a program that the show pushed. Looks like Balls is now your resident jobber for guys like Snitsky and Thorn. It would not surprise me at all if he is shown the door sometime in the last six months of 2007. His act has not exactly been very impressive as of late, or he could just stay in the role of jobber like Sandman has for the last few months.

They did a verbal one-on-one with Vince McMahon and Bobby Lashley, doing a build for their ECW Title match on Sunday. Lashley is not ready for long interviews, let me just say that up front. As for Vinnie, he carried the verbal spar, letting Lashley get his shots in as each promised to give out some shots Sunday at the PPV. No doubt we need Lashley to win here and get the belt back to TV to be defended like it should be. ECW seems to have been in a holding pattern with Vinnie getting the belt.

They are pushing the newly announced "Stretcher Match" with RVD and Orton to be a possible end of Van Dam's career on the WWE website, which means they are going to have Orton win, and you'll see RVD going out taking a likely sick bump to lose the match. Then we'll have him go away, and possibly they can try and get something done to get him a new deal and back on the roster. At the same time, the win will continue the recent push of Orton, who is out of the doghouse after the hotel incident in Europe about a month and a half ago.

Labels: c.m. punk, Elijah Burke, sandman, tommy dreamer

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Preview:
Get the gold or go home!
May 30, 2008

The unbridled excitement on the road to One Night Stand is building to a fever pitch and it all could explode this week on SmackDown.

Last Week, General Manager Vickie Guerrero released yet another firestorm when she announced that at the Extreme pay-per-view, the vacant World Heavyweight Championship would finally be decided in a TLC Match between Undertaker and Edge. However, Guerrero quickly made it personal when she added the startling stipulation that if The Phenom loses, he must leave WWE forever. After Undertaker won a fierce match against Chavo Guerrero later that night - with Edge, Vickie, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, and Bam Neely in tow - how will “the family” react on the doorstep of the One Night Stand? With the World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance, rest assured that the Ultimate Opportunist and the “love of his life” will have something up their sleeve.

After Shawn Michaels’ controversial win at their last meeting at Backlash, the stage has been set for a brutal Stretcher Match between The Showstopper and Batista at One Night Stand. And, if last week’s VIP Lounge and subsequent match against Montel Vontavious Porter are any indication, HBK is going to be facing a truly irate Animal. After punishing the former United States Champion, MVP, in last week’s grueling match, who will Batista unleash his fury on two days before his pay-per-view moment-of-destiny with HBK? Will Shawn Michaels show up to personally send his own statement? Whatever happens, it is going to be one explosive Friday night.

Deuce & Domino looked to be getting back on track after winning the six-man tag along with their beautiful partner Maryse. The stunning Diva’s participation did not go unnoticed following their separation from Cherry just weeks ago. If the former tag champions can keep their momentum going, they could become a major threat to The Miz & John Morrison’s WWE Tag Team Titles.

Don’t miss all the action on Friday Night SmackDown 8/7 CT only on The CW Network.

Labels: 2008 One Night Stand, edge, undertaker, Vickie Guerrero

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

World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following press release in Canada today:

McMahon(TM) to Give Fans $1 Million Cash on Monday Night RAW(TM)

STAMFORD, CT, May 29 - Mr. McMahon, Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment(R), promised that Monday Night RAW would end with something extraordinary, and true to his word, it did. In a blockbuster announcement, the Chairman said he will give away $1 million of his personal fortune to show appreciation to the viewers of Monday Night RAW in North America, which includes the enthusiastic fans of RAW in Canada!

McMahon promised that the details of his million dollar cash giveaway would be revealed on RAW next week. One thing is guaranteed; over the weeks to come, the great fans of Monday Night RAW will not just walk away with the best action on television; but some will walk away richer thanks to McMahon.

"I think the fans deserve something epic, something that is truly monumental," said McMahon. "This is not a hoax. This is not a trick of some kind. This is from my own personal bank account. I'm going to give away cash money in the sum of $1 million."

That was not the only bombshell that McMahon dropped on the RAW audience. The Chairman also announced that a Draft will take place at the end of June, and that all performers from RAW, SmackDown(R) and ECW(TM) will be eligible. Every Superstar, Diva and announcer can be drafted to any brand, and the unpredictable nature of the Draft is sure to keep the respective locker rooms abuzz in the coming weeks. "I think our fans deserve new Superstars, hot new Divas, new rivalries," said McMahon in announcing the upcoming Draft.

For the latest news on Mr. McMahon's fan appreciation cash giveaway, keep checking www.wwe.com. Monday Night RAW on The Score Monday nights at 9:00 pm ET.

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry on his website, which is currently undergoing an overhaul. A few highlights from this entry:

- The $1M promotion that the WWE is going to start soon on Monday Night Raw is garnering a healthy amount of reaction from fans and Internet types. It appears to be similar to many ratings promotions that are done by TV networks, especially in May and November, and also by radio stations, to enhance viewership. Many critics are blasting the on air promotion before it even starts or before the details are known, but that isn’t unusual these days.

- It will be a big night in San Antonio on June 23 as the, apparent, Annual WWE Draft will be held during a 3 hour Monday Night Raw. I am interested in how the order of the draft will be determined and the process that will be utilized to make the selections. I read where the TV announcers are also eligible for the draft, which is perplexing. I can’t speak for the King, but I am personally not interested in leaving Monday Night Raw. I hope that I didn’t just jinx myself. Working regularly on another broadcast would feel strange at this stage of my game.

- Unless I miscounted, there are 7 bouts scheduled for One Night Stand this Sunday in San Diego on pay per view. All will have extreme rules to one degree or another, which makes for an interesting, albeit challenging, night. The good news is that we fans most likely will see clear cut winners and losers in each contest. This PPV is "Raw heavy" with 4 clearly defined Raw matches, plus the HBK-Batista match, which I assume Michael Cole and Mick Foley will call as they only have one Smackdown contest at this time as do ECW’s Mike Adamle and Tazz. From a broadcasting perspective, it looks as if The King will have to carry another multi-branded PPV.

- I hope I am never incarcerated or have any family members jailed, but if I do, I can assure you that I would become a letter writing fool and X-Nay…Phone-A.

Labels: jim ross, mick foley, mike adamle, wwe draft

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

“HSN Today”…a distinctly NEW morning show on HSN

-- The Lifestyle and Entertainment Network Retailer Introduces a Revolutionary Morning Show with “Style” and “Commerce” on June 2 --

(St. Petersburg, Florida, May 22, 2008) – With the explosion of lifestyle programming shows on TV, it’s not surprising that HSN, the 4th largest cable network and quintessential example of lifestyle entertainment and retail, is bringing its expertise to morning television with the debut of “HSN Today” on June 2.

Blending entertainment and commerce, “HSN Today” will showcase how-to demonstrations and tips by resident experts as well as a variety exclusive behind-the-scenes segments during which viewers can purchase products they see at any time.

With HSN’s cache as a full-service television network focused on style, beauty, food, home, and technology programming, the show is uniquely positioned to offer the perfect fusion of entertainment and commerce.

At the helm, HSN hosts Adam Freeman and Amy Morrison with frequent appearances by a plethora of resident experts from diverse backgrounds including DIY guy Bill Duggan (formerly of HGTV’s Curb Appeal), sports expert Maven Huffman (formerly a professional wrestler with WWE and the winner of the first season of “Tough Enough), geek girl Katie Linendoll (formerly of ESPN).

Right out of the gate, “HSN Today” will present regular segments such as “Connect the Dots”, how-to segments to simplify your home and life, “EAT!”, cooking segments with tips and recipes from top chefs and resident experts, “Make it Up”, fashion and beauty trend segments from magazine pages and the runway, and “Behind The Label” featuring in-depth interviews with designers on location at their design studios.

Leading the charge with a distinct eye for talent and unique content, Andy Sheldon, Senior Vice President of Television and Executive Creative Director and HSN Today Lead Director, is “pleased with the new programming, talent and graphics package in place” and feels this show will be a “runaway hit with viewers”.

Beginning on June 2nd, tune-in daily Monday through Friday from 6:00 am – 9:00 am ET to see what all the buzz is about and to check out the new HSN cast members.

Labels: maven

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE has announced that Rev Theory’s “Hell Yeah” will be the theme for the upcoming pay per view event One Night Stand!

“WWE said they wanted a track that jumps up and gets your attention,” said Rich, lead singer of Rev Theory. “‘Hell Yeah’ is a song that grabs you and doesn’t let go. We brought them the rock.”

“Hell Yeah,” a monster of a rock anthem, comes from Rev Theory’s upcoming Interscope Records debut, Light It Up, which hits stores June 10th.

One Night Stand will take place on Sunday, June 1st at 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT, and will be available on DISH Network, DIRECTV, and cable. Additionally, viewers can watch One Night Stand on a live webcast on WWE.com, which will be available for order on Tuesday, May 27th.

Labels: 2008 One Night Stand, rev theory

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

Let's just say that this has not been a good week to have the last name of Bollea, or in Pro Wrestling circles - Hogan. Yes, the man that defined the sport and took it to new heights in the 1980's has now taken real life to new lows, and all it appears in the name of money. Hulk (Terry) Hogan, along with wife (soon to be ex-wife) Linda and son Nick are in a whole heap of trouble these days, and all because they simply can't keep their mouths shut.

Just to bring you up to speed if you've missed all the drama, Nick Hogan is serving 8 months in prison for being at fault during a high speed accident that left his "best" friend John Graziano, a Marine, in a state where he will need constant medical care the rest of his life. Nick walked away from the accident without barely a scratch. The court proceedings that followed were highlighted by Hulk and Linda playing the role of hurt parents, giving love to the Graziano family and for John, even calling him a part of the family at one point. Turns out like a swerve in wrestling, it was all a ploy simply to try and reduce Nick's jail time.

This past week, with Nick now in jail for about 3 weeks, tapes have been released of phone conversations between Nick, his dad, and his mom. The tapes are some of the most stunning things that you could ever hear, complete with Hulk basically saying that the accident that caused Graziano his condition was due to the way he lived his life. "For some reason God laid some heavy sh*t on that kid. I don't know what he was into." Son Nick goes so far as to say that Graziano was "a negative person."

The tapes continue, with Nick and Hulk talking about a reality show that will highlight Nick once he gets out of jail and follows him around as he tries to rebuild his life. Yes, you can't pay for stuff this good. Hulk says the show could be called "The New Nick," while the pampered son talks about wanting to make sure that he is able to make "the most money" doing the show. Hulk also talks about former Wonder Years actor Jason Hervey and former President of WCW Eric Bishoff being involved with the show.

Of course media outlets are jumping on this story, and even national outlets like CNN are now doing nightly reports on the tapes in some of their shows. The Graziano family has come out blasting the Hogan family, as they should, and so far we've heard no damage control whatsoever from the Hogan family. What could they possibly say to save face at this point?

The reality (no pun intended) of the situation is that the Hogan family has been duping the general public for years. Their reality show on VH-1 was nothing but a scam, the "careers" of son Nick as a wannabe race car driver and daughter Brooke as a singer have been a joke, and about the only way Hulk can make money is by making in-ring appearances for the WWE. As for Linda? Forget it, she's a lost cause at this point who does nothing but spend money like a fish and care for a bunch of animals.

With ratings in the WWE for RAW Monday night reaching close to a 10 year low, if Vince McMahon, a master promoter in his right, wants to make ratings go through the roof, and Hulk Hogan save face at the same time, the two should do what they do best - pair up. Yes, Hulk should get together a teary speech with more than one "I'm sorry" involved, and do it on Monday Night RAW, in front of what would be a record audience.

Many have written the Hogan's off after the release of the tapes, but I wouldn't go that far. Hulk and company have bounced back before, and while nothing like this has really ever hit their lives, with some clever PR and using the platform that made him famous (wrestling), major damage control over the tapes can be done. Make no mistake as sad as it is, the jail tapes may be the best "real life" storyline wrestling has seen in a long time. It's just a shame that it's come at the expense of the future of a young man like John Graziano.

Labels: hulk hogan, john graziano, Nick hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider

Yes, it was Memorial Day but the 5/26 edition of Raw did just a 2.9 cable rating. The show did hours of 2.87 and 2.94. Only three quarter hours, including the overrun, broke a 3.0.

Other than Christmas, New Year's, Fourth Of July and an October 8, 2007 edtion of Raw which did a 2.8 rating against Monday Night Football AND a series-deciding Major League Baseball playoff game, the last time Raw did a number this bad was on 12/15/1997, so it's not like they can blame it just on the holiday. As I mentioned on my hotline on Tuesday, the company hoped that by giving away a million dollars they could get viewers who had left back. We will see if that works or not.

Labels: RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

In a night that featured preview matches for the upcoming five man Singapore Cane match at One Night Stand there were mixed reviews for the featured bouts. Some did a great job putting wrestlers whose styles compliment each in the ring, while others were fairly dull and did not add any flair to the upcoming pay per view. They kind of made tonight a tribute to all the current former ECW champs as they showed clips from the matches in which they won the belt. To prep us for One Night Stand we saw Tommy Dreamer and the Big Show, CM Punk versus Chavo and Kane in a Handicap match with Miz and Morrison.


The first match was very dull and the wrestling looked labored as we saw Dreamer and the Big Show go at it. There were no real highlights as these two just did not mesh. they tried to make it into a brawling type match but it really did not look very good. Thankfully they were able to end it with a choke slam by the Show for the pin. Luckily for both of these men there will be 3 other competitors Sunday so they can help hide the deficiencies of these two working together.

The next preview match was an oldie but goody as Chavo and Punk would face off again. This match was actually a good mixture of technical and athletic moves. I liked when they had their feud for the ECW title and tonight they put on another good match. It's to bad we have seen this already, as I feel these two would still have an excellent program together. We know Punk will leave for bigger things, but hopefully the WWE does not forget Chavo as I feel he would still be a good ECW champ or at least a contender for the US belt.

The final preview style match saw the Miz and Morrison take on Kane. This was supposed to be revenge for their previous run ins with the current champ. I was sitting there asking myself why during this match. Yes I know there is some type of connection based on the match from Judgment Day, but is there that much heat between the factions. This was another dull match that saw a DQ, then had all the members of the Cane match run into the ring. By the looks of things they are setting up a Kane and Big Show title match as they were the only two left in the ring. Plus they are still trying to establish the Big Show as a heel. It sort of failed after the Mayweather bout as the fans took to the Big Show. I would have to see them go this angle as the fans seem to like Kane and most likely would back him in a feud between the two.

In other happenings tonight we did not get our usual Kelly Kelly sighting, but we still were treated to Mike Knox. In another boring mismatch he took on Kofi Kingston and lost. The highlight of the match was an amazing move by Kingston as he ducked under the ropes in the corner and came back over the top onto Knox. Other tid bits from this match were Kingston's forearm busting Knox over the eye and Kingston getting attacked by Benjamin after the match followed up by Knox putting his finishing move to KO Kingston. I like what I'm seeing out of Kingston and really feel his upcoming program with Shelton Benjamin is a chance for him to shine.

Posted by JSX at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sources: www.f4wonline.com

According to one source, Rey Mysterio is tapped to return to the ring at the Raw brand house show on Saturday, June 14 in Salt Lake City. Right now he's only billed as making a special guest appearance.

Labels: rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

May 27th, 2008 – Los Angeles, CA – WWE champ Randy Orton debuted a new theme song, “Voices,” to shocked wrestling fans on Monday Night Raw on May 12th.

Written specifically for Orton, “Voices” is a brooding new track from Interscope artists Rev Theory. Amid chugging guitars and thundering drums, the song is an arena-ready anthem.

No strangers to WWE fans, Rev Theory also provided the theme to this year’s Wrestlemania, “Light it Up” and played at the event.

Rev Theory’s Interscope Records debut, Light It Up, is due in stores June 10th.

Labels: randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Preview:
And Then There Were Five
May 27, 2008

Last week’s ECW proved to be a whirlwind of announcements, upsets, and explosive interruptions.

At the top of the broadcast, ECW General Manager Armando Estrada announced a Singapore Cane Match for One Night Stand, pitting former ECW Champions John Morrison, CM Punk, Chavo Guerrero and Tommy Dreamer against each other. During a pay-per-view preview Tag Team Match involving the four Superstars, former ECW Champion Big Show suddenly smashed his way through the four Superstars and into One Night Stand. Will Big Show create more havoc in the Land of The Extreme leading up to Out Night Stand?

Colin Delaney earned his second victory, with the help of his tag team partner Kelly Kelly. But, his luck ran out at the bell when Estrada reemerged to give the newest ECW Superstar his second consecutive extreme beat down. Will Delaney have the inner strength to continue? How many of Estrada’s attacks will he have to endure?

WWE Tag Team Champion The Miz set out to show that even though he was not a former ECW Champion, he was still a force to be reckoned with when he defeated ECW Champion Kane by disqualification. What affect will this have on the Big Red Machine?

Find out on ECW on Sci.Fi, Tuesday at 10/9 CT.

Labels: ecw, john morrison, kelly kelly, the big show

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tonight's Raw was a Million Dollar night on many levels. First we saw the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase introduce his son to the roster then we were treated Mr. McMahon's big announcement. It was stated as not being a hoax so I guess we will see a million dollars given out each week on Raw. Not sure how this will happen or even if it's true, but that is what they eluded to tonight. If the WWE is trying to make more noise on the publicity front this is the way to go. No doubt this story will have some rumblings in entertainment circles and if they go through with it, it will attract allot of attention. As if this is not enough we also found out tonight there will be a draft in four weeks. So we should expect the usual roster shuffle which should be taking place on the shows soon.

In the other million dollar news Ted DiBiase interrupted the tag champs celebration by letting Holly and Rhodes know there time as champs was short. He then proceeded to bring out his son, Ted, and let them know he made a deal with Vince to make his son champ. The big question is who will the junior DiBiase team with? It looks like they will try to develop this program at least on Raw. It will pit two legend's sons in Rhodes and DiBiase so that should be an interesting story line. Using my prognostication power I predict it will be Lance Cade who will team with DiBiase. First he has previous credentials in the tag field. Second you can add the trouble with Trevor Murdoch plot to the mix, especially under the every man has his price tag line. Cade could be paid off to leave his former partner in order to full-fill the dreams of the DiBiase clan.

We did not see Triple H or Randy Orton in action tonight as they are saving their strength for their Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand. Instead we had a press conference setting in which both men were able to spout off on each other. There were some good exchanges focusing in on Orton not fulfilling his potential and Triple H being a backstabber in order to eliminate his rivals. I really enjoyed the chemistry of these two as they both played off each other very well. Triple H for once really looks good as champ and Orton always has been his best when he is the hunter. Their previous Last Man Standing match was fantastic as I expect this one to be. I really don't see them keeping these two together as the need to put Cena into the picture will take precedence over the summer. Finally Orton is coming into his own, too bad its been six months to late. Hopefully he is not forgotten and brought back into the title picture on Raw or Smack Down.

Would they please make up their mind with the whole HBK, Jericho, Batista love triangle. First we have HBK and Batista this Sunday at One Night Stand. But tonight we saw Jericho want another piece of HBK. The match was great as these two left nothing behind. But it ended in a count out with Jericho putting the Walls on HBK outside of the ring. He proceeded to inflict as much pain as possible and even went for a chair shot. But instead he extended a hand of friendship to HBK after he realized he has gone over the edge in hurting him. They so do not want to make either of these guys a heel so it just drags this story line out and it continues to bore. We know they give great matches, bite the bullet and put together a Intercontinental program for the two.

On the women's front we got our announcement for One Night Stand of Melina and Beth Phoenix. Beth was ring side for Melina's match against Jillian and was able to witness the new submission move that Melina may use in their I Quit Match. This may be the beginning of the end of Melina being a heel. I for one will be saddened as her nasty side is what makes the Diva she is. Losing that attitude may ruin her character and just make her another pretty face.

As we always need a tag match with a mix of singles competitors before each pay per view we had Cena and Jeff Hardy up against Umaga and JBL. It was the bad guys who won with a Clothes Line From Hell on Hardy as all the men took to the ring. Not much developed out of this one, but it was still a great match for the fans.

With William Regal being suspended it left Kennedy in limbo, so it looks like he will get involved with the Burchills. They had a bone to pick with Kennedy due to the fact he got their compatriot fired. This can be seen as Paul's big chance as if he can string some good matches together with Kennedy, there may be some bigger plans for him. Conversely this may be it for Kennedy. They really haven't pushed him much since he returned from injury last year. He still is loved by the crowd and may need a move back to Smack Down to get some meaningful matches. I still feel he has plenty of potential but leave him as a loud mouth heel. That's when he is at his best so don't mess with a good thing.

Posted by JSX at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

CLEARWATER (CBS4) ― The daughter of former wrestler Hulk Hogan has been involved in a car accident in Clearwater.

The Florida Highway Patrol says 20-year-old Brooke Bollea collided with another vehicle on the Bayside Bridge on Sunday, closing northbound lanes for hours. No one was injured in the crash.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was on the scene but the FHP report says he was not in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

FHP says the other driver, 19-year-old Ronald Gallmon, attempted to change lanes while speeding and lost control of his vehicle, colliding head-on with Brooke Bollea's Mercedes. The Mercedes had severe front-end damage and was towed from the scene. No charges have been filed.

Labels: brooke hogan, hulk hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider

WWE star Gregory Helms was served with a criminal summons ordering him to appear on 7/8 in court to answer charges of assault and battery. The charges were brought against the former WWE Cruiserweight champion by Dustin Narron, who was arrested on 5/6 following an altercation where he struck Helms at the N&N Sports Bar during an argument over who a pool table. Helms was not taken into custody.

According to local media reports earlier this month, Helms was in the midst of an argument with one of Narron's friends over a pool game when Narron "balled his fist" and struck the former WWE Cruiserweight champion. A scuffle did ensue but was quickly broken up. Narron was released after posting $500 bond. Lt. Keith Powell told the Raleigh News & Observer at the time that Helms was not arrested because he "did not strike back."

Labels: gregory helms

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Preview:Soldiering On
May 26, 2008


Just 24 hours after Judgment Day, four blockbuster matches were announced for One Night Stand, the one night where the WWE goes extreme. Half of those matches came from the biggest upset of Monday night, when Randy Orton & JBL defeated WWE Champion Triple H & John Cena in a tag team competition, earning the right to challenge the The Game and the Chain Gang Soldier to singles matches with extreme stipulations of the challengers’ choosing.

JBL assured that his match will be as vicious as the self-proclaimed “wrestling god” can make it, by demanding a First Blood Match. Orton, however, will compete against Triple H for the WWE Championship in the same type of match in which he won the title last October: a Last Man Standing Match. Knowing the bad blood that still boils between these four competitors, what type of pre-battle tactics can we expect in the next two weeks leading up to One Night Stand?

Flowing out of the ongoing rivalry between Santino Marella and Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, the cocky Italian Superstar ridiculed “Hot Rod” and his super-fan, Jimmy Kimmel’s Cousin Sal on Santino’s own version of Piper’s Pit. After Piper and Sal threw him from the ring, Marella challenged Cousin Sal to a match, which Piper promptly accepted on Sal’s behalf. When can we expect to see these two spicy Italians square off, and how might the kilted WWE Legend be involved in their confrontation?

Batista has a bone to pick with Shawn Michaels, and by defeating Chris Jericho on Raw last Monday, he earned the chance to take on The Showstopper at One Night Stand. The Animal is still angry about HBK faking a knee injury, but William Regal has assured that HBK and The Animal’s match will end with someone legitimately injured by making their contest a Stretcher Match. Shawn Michaels is a man who will do anything to win — how will he use the next two weeks to prepare for the raw power of The Animal?

Though much of the night’s talk was of One Night Stand on June 1, there was another shocking development Monday night. After being defeated by Mr. Kennedy in a Loser Gets Fired Match, William Regal has been relieved of his duties as General Manager of Raw. Regal has a successful wrestling career behind him, having been recently crowned King of the Ring, and even garnered praise from Mr. McMahon himself for his work as GM of Raw. Have we seen the last we see of this vicious British brawler? And who will step into his kingly shoes on the next Monday Night Raw?

For answers to these questions and more, tune in to Monday Night Raw at 9/8 CT on Memorial Day, only on USA Network!

Labels: RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE.com has a feature listing the 25 Most Annoying gimmicks of all time. They are:

25. Mideon
24. Heidenreich
23. Tiger Ali Singh
22. Mantaur
21. PMS
20. Battle Kat
19. Max Moon
18. Vinnie Vegas
17. "Playboy" Buddy Rose.
16. Aldo Montoya
"Some may argue that this gimmick was just incredible, but we say it just stunk."
15. "Wildman" Marc Mero
"The best thing about Mero's WWE stint was bringing in the blonde bombshell Sable, and even that got old quick."
14. The Spirit Squad
13. The Genius
12. "Real Man's Man" William Regal
11. Glacier
10. Jillian
9. Joel Gertner
8. Repo Man
7. Right to Censor
6. Bill Alphonso
5. Dungeon of Doom
4. Brother Love
3. The Shockmaster
"What annoyed us about The Shockmaster? We are actually more agitated that WCW didn't capitalize on the moment it had on that fateful day in 1993 when Shockmaster came crashing through the wall."
2. Paul Heyman
1. "Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former WWE wrestler Ahmed Johnson recently spoke in an interview on JG’s Radio Free Insanity at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com about the question of coming back to the WWE. Interesting response below:

"I feel like I owe Vince (McMahon). I owe him because of the way I left. I owe him because of the way he treated me. I owe the fans. I owe the fans to come back. Everybody wants to see me and the Taker lock up. I mean, they want to see who win out of that match. I'd like to see who would win out of that match. But with TNA, I don't know. Me and Jeff Jarrett weren't best friends. So I don't think I'll be going to TNA anytime soon."

Labels: ahmed johnson, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

One idea being thrown around is a heel stable composed of a group of younger WWE wrestlers. Also, they would use an older wrestler or a manager as a mentor.

One idea is to make it a second generation stable featuring Ted DiBiase, Jr., Afa, Jr., DH Smith, Cody Rhodes (who would turn heel), and maybe Carlito as the mouthpiece if they don't get a manager.

However, it may not be a 100% second generation stable after all, as other names being tossed around include CM Punk and Chris Harris. However, the young wrestlers stable is the basic idea they have in mind.

Labels: carlito, cody rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Dave Meltzer confirms in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that former ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero is actually one drug test failure away from an automatic termination from World Wrestling Entertainment, not two. The other two wrestlers in the company in the same uneasy position are of course Jeff Hardy and William Regal.

As we all know, Guerrero, along with several other WWE wrestlers were named by Sports Illustrated to be given illegal steroids not in compliance with the company's drug testing policy. Guerrero received somatropin (Growth Hormone), nandrolone (anabolic steroid commonly known as Deca-Durabolin), and anastrozole (the drug used to prevent side effects such as "manboobs" during a steroid cycle) between April 2005 and May 2006 through Signature Pharmacy, an alleged illegal Internet drug distribution network. Because purchasing drugs through the Internet is in direct violation of WWE's Wellness policy, Guerrero was suspended.

Unlike the other WWE wrestlers busted in the Signature Pharmacy scandal last fall, they only sat out for 30 days, whereas Guerrero mysteriously sat on the sidelines for just a shade over 60 days. Guerrero was officially suspended on Thursday, August 30 and returned to action on November 3, 2007, which was a Saturday night SmackDown/ECW house show. That was the first scheduled WWE show a wrestler on a 60-day suspension from the August 30th suspensions would have been permitted to appear on. Apparently, Guerrero's first suspension quietly slipped under the radar some time ago and went unreported.

Back in July 2006, after a number of SmackDown stars went down with Wellness related issues the week before the Great American Bash pay-per-view, which caused havoc on the card, Vince McMahon made the decision to not pull future suspendees from television because he didn't want sudden suspensions to ruin his heavily-hyped pay-per-view cards. Instead, future suspensions called for wrestlers to miss a month's worth of downside pay, not to mention their pay-per-view bonus. Also, the suspendees would be pulled from all house shows for a 30-day period. The new rule allowed Randy Orton to wrestle Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam, who was suspended in August 2006 for a Wellness Policy violation (he failed for steroids). Last July, WWE reverted the policy to completely ban suspended talent from television as well in light of the aftermath following the Chris Benoit double-murder/suicide.

Labels: chavo guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Batista's battles outside the ring

US wrestling superstar Batista has opened up about murders on his doorstep, his lesbian mother and his addiction to women.

"I never want to forget what I've been through and where I came from," Batista said in Sydney last week, where he was promoting the Wrestlemania 24 DVD, out June 7.

By any standard – even the wacky melodrama of World Wrestling Entertainment's storylines – Batista's journey is surreal.

Batista – born Dave Bautista – was raised by his mother, Donna, in poverty, and in a violent part of Washington D.C.

During his childhood, three murder victims were found in, or near Batista's front yard, in separate incidents – their home was near an alleyway notorious for violent crime.

"We saw some bad things," he said.

"We saw a couple of people die. There were fights all the time, stabbings were common.

"And I hate to say this, but I was numb to it. That's all I knew."

Batista said his mother, a lesbian, moved the family to San Francisco to escape the violence.

"I never had an issue with my mother's sexuality," he said.

"She loved us, she cared for us, and that's all that mattered."

Click HERE to read the rest of the story

Labels: batista

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Pardon the horrible cliched title, but its all I was able think of. So we finally get the announcement tonight the World Heavy Weight title will be contested in a TLC match at One Night Stand. This should be a classic as it's Edges signature match and the addition of the Undertaker only solidifies it. But let's save the discussion of that match for the One Night Stand pod cast. Onto the business at hand and lets take a look Smack Down tonight.

It was good to see Jesse and Fetus back on the show tonight as they joined Cherry while facing Deuce, Domino and Maryse. This match really was more of the men fighting until the very end when the ladies finally made an appearance. Of course it would take Maryse to get the win for the Dice Clay clones. We are starting to see more of Cherry's ability in the ring as she took a good kick to the face from Maryse. Still not sure if this push will work as Cherry most likely will get lost in the shuffle of the better looking faces in the women's division. She has the moves, but unfortunately she does not have the body that makes you popular in the WWE these days, especially for a face.

In the match that features two of my favorite things; the comedic stylings of Hornswoggle and a Chuck Palumbo apperance, we saw Finlay get the win courtesy the shillelagh and the green mist from Hornswoggle. When did Finlay become this lovable character? Isn't he the guy who loves to fight. Enough of the fun entrance music an the horrible pranks played by Hornswoggle on Finlay's opponents. He's an old fashion brawler and that's all he needs. You always get a decent match out of him and the gimmicks only cheapen the quality of wrestling he brings to the ring. And can we please end Palumbo's appearances. They have tried everything to make him get over, and it's not working because he is not that good. Let this bad experiment die already.

Speaking of the dead, we saw Elijah Burke tonight. He teamed up with Shelton Benjamin to take on Matt Hardy and Kofi Kingston. Kingston would pin Benjamen in what was a good match. All of these guys are very athletic and the match was very up tempo. It looks like they want a program between Benjamin and Kingston on ECW, but if Benjamin can show he is willing to work hard I would love to see him up against Hardy. Imagine a ladder match between those two for the US title. We've seen both men put in good performances during Money in the Bank matches, and just having them alone in the ring will only help showcase their abilities.

Kozlov kept his streak alive tonight as he stepped up the food chain of WWE competition. Instead of the usual jobber he faced Nunzio. As I have stated I really don't see Kozlov going over. He is no more than a Russian Snitsky. And if Snitsky can't get people into his character, I doubt being Russian will help. Either they need to rework Kozlovs character or by next year we will be asking Vladimir Kozlov who?

When will we make the Batista and MVP program official. Tonights match was made due to Batista coming to Teddy Long's aid on the VIP Lounge. MVP was threatening Long until Batista came out and trashed the Lounge. These two had great matches leading up to Wrestle Mania and currently are not involved in a major program. Yes Batista meets HBK at One Night Stand, but that story line is not working and I really can't see it continuing. This would be great for MVP as Batista is a huge crowd favorite and any program of that magnitude can only help those involved. I really feel MVP has what it takes to become a major player for either the WWE or Heavy Weight titles. A solid group of matches with Batista will give him his opportunity.

In a bit of payback for leaving the ring last week for Vickie's match versus the Undertaker, Chavo found himself taking on the Dead Man. Edge, Bam Neely, Hawkins and Ryder supposed to be at ring side to make sure Chavo would be all-right, but they were ejected and sent back to the locker room. This allowed the Undertaker to deliver a message to Edge via the tombstone to Chavo. It should be interesting to see if this signals the end for la familia as Chavo is showing signs of tiring of Edge and Vickie's antics.

Posted by JSX at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleAttitude

An audio tape of Hulk Hogan and his jailed son Nick Hogan badmouthing crash victim John Graziano has been posted on TMZ.com. "Well, I don't know what type of person John was or what he did to get himself in this situation," Hulk said. "I know he was pretty aggressive and used to yell at people and used to do stuff. For some reason, God laid some heavy shit on that kid, man. I don't know what he was into." Nick responds by saying, "John was a negative person."

The audio recording also includes clips of Hulk and Nick discussing their plans for a reality show that would feature Nick attempting to bounce back following a stay in jail. Hulk proposes the name "The New Nick" and suggests that his son work on names. At one point, Nick says, "I want to do it where I'll make the most money." Hulk then suggests that he, Eric Bischoff, and Jason Hervey.

Labels: hulk hogan, Nick hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Wrestling entrances and music have become one over the past 20 or so years. Nothing makes a crowd pop more than when a wrestling theme hits that maybe fans have not heard for awhile, or a fan favorite riding high is coming to the ring and the crowd pops for him once they hear his song. It's part of the sport, and has been for sometime and always will be.

Which is why today I sit in disgust with some of the "new" themes that the WWE is rolling out for wrestlers when they come to the ring. The song that is most disturbing to me right now is the new song for Randy Orton, a heel who should have the darkest or the most evil music you can have, metal yes, but a ballad? If you don't know what I am talking about, listen to Orton's new song, which debuted recently. Sounds more like an 80's love ballad by Great White than a song for a man supposed to be the biggest heel on the RAW roster. Here is the open:

"I hear voices in my head
the council me
they understand
they talk to me"

Uh...what? Yes, voices in my head, sounding more like a bad mid-80's hair band song than a heel's theme. It's almost funny how bad this song is. It comes from Rev.Theory, who the WWE is in love with for their song they used of them at WrestleMania XXIV. Now though they have the distinction of having what I feel is the worst song I may have ever heard on a WWE show.

Add Mr.Kennedy's new "happy" theme that was put to a faster tone (they do that when a wrestler turns face) and Jeff Hardy's new awful song to the list of bad music that the company has rolled out. Now give them their due, they usually do a very good job in placing the music behind the wrestler, with these three themes, they totally have missed the boat for whatever reason.

It's a big deal for the WWE to use these up and coming bands for their music as of late, like a Rev Theory or the band Zididada, who did the music for last weeks Judgement Day PPV. Here's hoping they listen to the fans on this one, becuase Orton, Kennedy and Hardy can go back to their old songs at anytime, because the new versions are something to forget.

Labels: jeff hardy, mr. kennedy, randy orton

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

From: PWInsider

World Wrestling Entertainment will pull the plug on WWE.com's Heat series and bring ECW on Sci Fi tapings to the Raw brand tapings this June, following a company tour of Australia, according to multiple sources.

The plan is to have the ECW brand performers on the Raw tapings as a way to increase interest and ratings in the Tuesday night Sci Fi series, which would now be taped prior to the live Raw broadcast under the plan.

One would assume ECW talents would also join Raw house shows as well, but that has not confirmed.

The Smackdown tours would become stand-alone tapings and house shows for that brand alone.

Heat, which originally ran on the USA Network, then MTV, has been in production since the late 1990s. It was moved to an Internet platform when WWE returned to the USA Network. Internationally, WWE has already informed TV affiliates that a WWE Classics series utiilizing old footage would be replacing Heat shortly.

Labels: ecw, heat, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Preview:Crowning a champion?
May 23, 2008

The stage was set for Undertaker or Edge to walk out of Judgment Day as the new World Heavyweight Champion. However, things didn’t go as planned for either Superstar. Although Undertaker defeated Edge, it was by count-out. So – as SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero reminded a chorus of booing fans – the title remains vacant. Judgment Day results…

However, WWE.com has learned Guerrero will kick off Friday Night SmackDown with huge news regarding One Night Stand. Will it involve the ongoing struggle for the title?

Will Edge continue to rely on his cohorts, including fiancée Vickie Guerrero, to help him in his quest to reclaim the gold? Are chinks starting to show in the armor of people the Ultimate Opportunist has surrounded himself with? Last Friday on SmackDown, Bam Neely & Chavo Guerrero opted to walk away from partners Edge, Vickie, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder before a Handicap Match against The Phenom. What will Chavo & Bam do this Friday?

WWE.com has also learned that former SmackDown Assistant General Manager Theodore Long will be a guest on MVP’s VIP Lounge. What will Long have to say about his action on last week’s SmackDown – when he quit so that Guerrero could not fire him?

Batista vowed to hurt Shawn Michaels if The Animal found out HBK faked an injury in their match at Backlash. Recently on Raw, HBK finally admitted he did feign his injury. At Judgment Day, Batista reminded HBK of his warning to hurt him – and it would happen when he least expects it. If and when The Animal does deliver, will HBK be ready for him?

Witness all the fallout from Judgment Day on Friday Night SmackDown at 8/7 CT on The CW Network.

Labels: edge, smackdown, undertaker, vicki guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestlescoop.com

Dateline NBC is looking to do a story in late June on the professional industry revolving around the one-year anniversary of the Chris Benoit double-murder suicide, reports the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. However, the story is only under consideration, and not definite. What would likely make it definite is if the family of Nancy Benoit would cooperate with the piece. The family has largely kept quiet due to the possibility of legal action.

In related news, Benoit: Wrestling with the Horror that Destroyed a Family and Crippled a Sport by Steve Johnson, Heath McCoy, Irvin Muchnick, and Greg Oliver, published in November 2007, is now the number one book in the wrestling category at Amazon.ca.

Speaking of Chris and Nancy Benoit, it would have been their birthdays yesterday. They both shared the same birthday. Chris would have turned 41 and Nancy would have turned 44.

Labels: chris benoit

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: www.f4wonline.com

It is well known that William Regal has had problems with recreational drugs in the past; ultimately losing his job two times over it (early 1998 from WCW and April 1999 from WWE), as well as a stint in rehab (early 1999). However, he has long since claimed to be clean. No one has said anything on Regal struggling to maintain his sobriety, so that the theory of him failing a drug test due to recreational drugs appears to be out.

Regal has been telling people that believes he took an illegal supplement by mistake, which led to his drug failure. However, a number of people are skeptical of that, mostly because so many athletes have used that excuse in the past and its rarely believed.

The belief backstage among some in WWE is that Regal started taking steroids again somewhat recently due to his renewed push after winning the King of the Ring tournament. Seeing how he was being pushed as an active wrestler and not just a suited-up authority figure, he needed to get back on the gas to look his absolute best.

Obviously, Regal doesn't have the chiseled bodybuilder look that many people associate with steroid use, but he also didn't have that look when he was nabbed for buying steroids online last August. According to Sports Illustrated, Regal purchased a variety of steroids including stanozolol, somatropin, genotropin and anastrozole between November 2004 and November 2006 through Signature Pharmacy, an alleged illegal internet drug distribution network.

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Some highlights of the latest Jim Ross Blog:

William Regal's Suspension: "I do not know the details of his recent 60 day suspension but I do not think that Regal has 'fallen off the wagon' and retreated to his misdirected ways of years gone by. Nonetheless, something went awry and the WWE Wellness Program, which is more thorough and organized than ever before, dropped the hammer on the talented Brit. With no pay for 60 days, two strikes against him and a family to care for, Regal finds himself in a challenging position. Some weak minded individuals could 'poor me' it and say to hell with it and revert back to those aforementioned issues, but, I do not think Regal fits into that category."

A Lesson to be Learned: "This should be a great lesson for every one on the roster.. be careful of every thing one ingests, including over the counter supplements that might contain even traces of banned substances. Education again becomes a key term in this issue as it is incumbent on each individual with which this program applies to know what is banned and what is not."

"No, I did not forget that it was almost nine years ago at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, the same arena Monday Night Raw emanated from this week, where Owen Hart fell to his death. We did not speak of it on air nor did I think that we would, but it was definitely a point of discussion for many of us during the day especially for the King and me on our drive down from Omaha on Monday. Jerry and I sat in the same exact spot this past Monday night that we sat 9 years ago on the saddest night of our careers. After Monday’s show went off the air, some fans in attendance started an 'Owen' chant which was emotional for many of us that were Owen’s friends and especially for those of us that were actually in attendance that night."

Labels: jim ross, owen hart, william regal

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWPIX.net

There is a lot of concern backstage within WWE stemming from William Regal’s recent 60-day suspension. Regal has been battling a drug addiction for years, and ProWrestling.net reports that many are worried about him relapsing during his suspension. The other concern is that the big push he’s been getting will not resume after he returns from suspension.

A former WWE creative team member revealed that Vince was never a fan of Regal’s in-ring style and rejected pitches to push him in the past. Vince is said to like Regal’s personality, which is how he landed the RAW GM gig.

There are no reports of Regal struggling to maintain his sobriety, and there are a number of people who are skeptical of the theory that he took an illegal supplement. "I don't think he was a street drug or a steroid guy," said one WWE source. "I'm just happy we have a strong program and that it's being taken seriously."

Overall, there is a much different mood in the WWE locker room in regards to Regal’s suspension than there was when Jeff Hardy was suspended. People were using words like “idiotic” and “stupid” to describe Hardy’s actions, whereas most within the company are concerned and disappointed for Regal.

Labels: william regal

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: LordsofPain.net

If you're wondering about the names of the 30+ WWE suspensions, here is an updated list of the history of the program's drug offenders (at least that became public knowledge):

Randy Orton (in August 2006 for failing a drug test due to steroids; continued receiving packages from Signature Pharmacy until February 2007, but wasn't suspended again because he had to wrestle John Cena for the WWE title at Unforgiven 2007 and WWE felt that he had "already served his time;" also, openly smoking marijuana backstage at a show in March 2006 was a behavioral suspension and didn't count as a strike)
Joey Mercury
Rene Dupree (two-time offender)
Kurt Angle
Rob Van Dam (due to a drug possession arrest)
Kid Kash
Ryan Reeves
Ryan O'Reilly (call-up to ECW roster relinquished)
Balls Mahoney (for painkillers)
Drew "Festus" Hankinson (when in developmental in late 2006)
Andrew "Test" Martin (later fired)
referee Chris Kay (two-time offender, later fired)
Jeff Hardy (two-time offender)
Chavo Guerrero (may be a two-timer, as he returned as soon as 60 days passed in November 2007)
Chris Masters (two-time offender, later fired)
Edge
Funaki
Gregory Helms
Booker T (two-time offender)
Charlie Haas
Mr. Kennedy
Umaga
William Regal (two-time offender)
John Morrison
Gene Snitsky (apparently a drug failure as his name never came up during the Signature Pharmacy scandal)
Harry "DH" Smith
Derrick Neikirk (later fired)
Neil "Chet the Jet" Bzibziak (later fired)
Afa, Jr. (for attempting to cheat on a drug test with a realistic prosthetic penis).

By my count, that's 27 Wellness Policy offenders (at least that we know of) and at least 32 individual drug suspensions, so the WWE spokeswoman was being truthful when she said that there have been over 30 suspensions in the policy's history.

Labels: charlie haas, edge, harry "DH" smith, john morrison, mr. kennedy

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

As we gear up for One Night Stand in two weeks each brand has been putting together its matches for the card. Tonight ECW opened with GM Estrada announcing a number one contenders match between former champs John Morrison, CM Punk, Chavo Guerrero and Tommy Dreamer. The winner will face Kane at the Night of Champions for the ECW title. Of course this match for One Night Stand would be a Singapore Cane match in classic ECW style. But before we had this match the competitors would face each other in tag match tonight. It was Punk and Dreamer up against Morrison and Chavo. The match was very good as the athletic styles of Chavo, Morrison and Punk mixed very well and Dreamer added the necessary brawling to tone the pace down. It would end with Chavo pinning Dreamer but that was not all. Since this match was between former ECW champs the Big Show made an appearance to remind everyone of his days as ECW champ. He quickly choke slammed all the men in the ring and announced he is adding himself to the match at One Night Stand. We have speculated on this site about what the future holds for him, and now it looks clear. Look for Big Show to win and enter into a program with Kane. This will put the two big men together until they sort out who will remain in ECW and who will go onto greener pastures.

Speaking of Kane, it looks like they brought back his sadistic evil side, perhaps to make him the heel against Big Show. In his match against the Miz tonight he would end up getting DQ ed due to failing to break a choke move while the Miz was upside down in the corner. This was preceded by a series of beatings in the middle of the ring and an attempt to jump off the top rope onto the KO ed Miz who had a chair around his neck. Luckily Morrison cam to the rescue of his tag partner to avoid anymore damage courtesy of the Big Red Machine. I like this evil turn for Kane as it helps to define his character more. Let's face it since he lost the mask there has really not been much mystique about him and he really has fallen to the wayside in getting premier matches. Hopefully this will boost his career and spice up ECW a bit.

The streak has ended folks as Kofi Kingston finally lost at the hands of Shelton Benjamin. The match was a great display of they athletic talents both of these men have. In a way I really feel they are wasting these matches on a meaningless storyline as this feud can produce some great matches. Both of their styles compliment each other very well and it would be fun to see this for some type of title so we can see it at a pay per view. Hopefully in the future it will be revisited as long as Benjamin can keep raising his game on a consistent basis and Kingston still shows the promise of being a solid star in the WWE. I would love to see these two battle for the ECW title, especially since both are actual members of the roster. Now there is a novel concept, have the ECW champ be from ECW and compete against fellow ECW members.

And in the obligatory Kelly Kelly, Mike Knox and Colin Delaney appearance we saw Kelly pin Layla in mixed tag action. At least the bookers are putting all three of these individuals who seem to be on every ECW show together so we can make room for decent matches. But the plot for each of them is getting old. Kelly Kelly is still not ready for in ring action, so can we refrain from this till she is. Yes keep her on the show as she is easy on the eyes, but lets hold off on the wrestling for now. Mike Knox was no good his first time around in ECW and it looks like the second verse is the same as the first. And the Colin Delaney getting squashed by everyone antics are growing tired-some. Tonight sees Knox destroy him only to be forced into a match with Estrada right after it to receive some more punishment. Does anyone really care about Delaney. I'm guessing the answer is no, so why do they keep pushing him. We already have one whipping boy in ECW and that is Tommy Dreamer. Let's leave it at that .

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

A TLC Match between Edge and Undertaker. Needless to say that the belt should finally be decided.

Labels: 2008 One Night Stand, edge, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: FOXNews.com

Even though Hulk Hogan's son Nick is the Hogan child serving eight months in prison after pleading no contest to charges of reckless driving, friends of the Hogan family are more concerned about Nick's 20-year-old sister, Brooke.

A source told FOX News, "She's suffering the worst of all; she just can't keep it together and has been hit the hardest," said the source, adding that Brooke is "extremely sensitive" and her emotions are spiraling out of control. Brooke's relationship with her father was severely strained after it was revealed that Hulk had been cheating on Linda with Brooke's close friend Christiane Plante.

While the FOX News source said that Nick's arrest has "brought them a little closer to reconciliation," it’s not the case for Hulk and his wife, Linda. The estranged couple appeared together at Nick's hearing on May 9 for the first time since the news of their divorce.

"Basically they were trying to put their best foot forward and fake a public image of unity and support for their son," FOX's insider said. "He [Hulk] is a very astute businessman and very good at playing the media." He even admitted in court that their reality show was scripted and not so real after all."

Labels: hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is the lineup for the "One Night Stand" PPV coming up on June 1st in San Diego:

Shawn Michaels vs. Batista in a Stretcher Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
John Cena vs. JBL in a First Blood Match
WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match

Of course we'll have some sort of Undertaker-Edge match with a stip for the World Heavyweight Title, likely to be some sort of Falls Count Anywhere or No-DQ, No Count out match.

Labels: 2008 One Night Stand, shawn michaels

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

Following up on our breaking news from earlier today; PWInsider has confirmed along with a post on WWE.com that William Regal has been suspended for 60 Days for his violation of the WWE's Wellness Policy. Below is the post on WWE.com:

STAMFORD, Conn., May 20, 2008 - In accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Darren Matthews (William Regal) for 60 days for his second violation of the company’s policy.

This has to be about the biggest blow to a star since Jeff Hardy's two month suspension back before WrestleMania XXIV. Regal was getting a major push as the "King" and RAW GM, and his momentum is now dead as he'll be off TV for two months after his storyline loss to Ken Kennedy last night. This is his second violation as stated above, so if he has another issue after his return, he's gone from the company.

Labels: ken kennedy, william regal

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Following from PWInsider: The word going around at Raw last night is that the suspension of a top name will be coming today. If/when it happens, we will have the full story here on the site.

Now to throw this out there and for it not to happen is pretty extreme, so I would expect it to be true. A couple of names come to mind, and of course this IS JUST A GUESS - so please do not publish this as truth, but when you hear "top name" - you think of the following: Triple H (no way), John Cena (also, no way), Randy Orton (has had issues before), JBL (don't think so), Jeff Hardy (let's hope not for his sake), Chris Jericho (never been known to have issues), Shawn Michaels (also would be a surprise at this point), William Regal (would be a big letdown at this point with his push), Umaga (this I can see, which is sad).

We of course will monitor and get the result of who it is up as soon as possible along with feedback and the story as soon as we get it.

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

I have never been a fan of when the WWE forces a change of personality to a wrestler when he goes away, if it a short or long period of time. That's exactly what took place recently upon the few week absence for Ken (Mr.) Kennedy, who when he left us was a mean, grouchy, heel, and now upon his return is a wonderful, loveable babyface. It's as if the writers (led by Vince McMahon himself), has finally said that we as fans are now being told that we're to root for Kennedy. And why is this? Only the writers know.

The wrestling fans that watch the product week in and week out know when a wrestler is on the verge of a change of going from good to bad or vice-versa. Right now there are a list of performers who seem ready to "switch" one way or another: Batista, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, (at least one if not two of these first three seem ready to switch), Trevor Murdoch, Melina, Chavo Guerrero, and Mr.McMahon. It's common practice, which is why the move to make Kennedy a face is not a good one.

I have said for sometime that Kennedy would be embraced by the fans. It didn't take all that much to figure that out. Now with this latest turn by the company, the move seems forced, and it's a move that could have been kept on the back burner for some time to come.

Labels: ken kennedy, mr.kennedy, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

Preview:
Following Moonlight Drive to Tag Team gold
May 20, 2008

WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison retained their gold on Sunday at Judgment Day, defeating ECW Champion Kane & CM Punk in Omaha, Neb. The Big Red Monster and Mr. Money in the Bank put forth a valiant effort, but will return to the Land of the Extreme without Tag Team gold. Kane chokeslammed The Miz outside of the ring, but moments after, Morrison delivered a devastating Moonlight Drive to Punk to pick up the win.

Now that The Miz & Morrison have retained their gold, have they seen the last of Kane and Punk? Or will the ECW Champion and Mr. Money in the Bank continue to seek the WWE Tag Team Championship?

ECW’s "Gold Standard", Shelton Benjamin, is determined to end Kofi Kingston’s undefeated streak. During an altercation on Tuesday, Kingston wished Benjamin good luck, and then leveled the Gold Standard. Will Benjamin use Kofi's attack to fuel himself to a win over the Jamaican Superstar? Or will the Kingston outshine the "Gold Standard" in their match and continue his undefeated streak?

Also on ECW on Sci Fi, Colin Delaney experienced a difficult first night as an official member of the active ECW roster. He picked up two brutal losses, one to Mike Knox, the other to ECW General Manager Armando Estrada. Well, at least the youngster had his own entrance music!

How will Delaney handle the Land of the Extreme? Will the youngster find his way back to the winner’s circle, or will he once again be the punching bag of his fellow ECW Superstars? Will Knox continue to beat on Delaney, or will Tommy Dreamer emerge by the youngster’s side? And now that Estrada is an active member of the ECW roster, how will the GM’s strong presence affect Delaney?

To find out the answers to these questions and more, tune into Tuesday’s ECW on Sci Fi at 10/9 CT

Labels: colin delaney, ecw, john morrison, mike knox

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

From what looked like the bookers taking the past two pay per views off, we have had two amazing TV shows in Smack Down last week followed by Raw tonight. For once in a long time I can actually say a network program was filled with superstars top to bottom. The addition of stipulations for the upcoming one night stand pay per view and allusions to future rivalries made this show very intriguing for the fans. This is the way these shows should be as the fans deserve to see best each night and should not be bogged down with matches featuring Super Crazy, Jim Duggan and the rest of lower tier wrestlers.

Backstage saw Katie Lea Burchill challenge Mickie James to the women's tile. This would add yet another great competitor to the women's mix as we have seen good things out of Burchill the past few weeks with her brother. This once again though puts a another good female wrestler into the heel camp and leaves the face side bereft of quality grapples. We may see Melina still getting ready to become face soon as tonight she attacked Beth Phoenix after Phoenix made short work of Maria. This would be a great feud as Melina knows how to hold her own and we have seen what Phoenix is made of. Things are looking good for the women's division as more and more talented ladies keep joining the fold. Even those who where not great ring performers have raised their game due to this influx of talent.

In the role of great cross promotion it looks like we will see Santino will take on Jimmy Kimmel's cousin Sal. This came about due to Santino crashing Sal's birthday party which featured Roddy Piper. Santino tonight did one of his "great" impressions of Piper tonight and had Sal in the ring in order to make him apologize for smashing a cake in Santino's face. Of course Piper showed up and the joke was on Santino as he took the cake, literally, again. Now I usually am against lame crossovers in the entertainment world but this one can be fun. Santino has been the clown prince of Raw and this future match will only allow him to further his antics. Plus you know Piper will intervene and it's always good to see Hot Rod in the ring.

We've speculated on the future of William Regal on this sight and it seems the future may be wide open for him. Finally he and Kennedy met in match but it had a stipulation placed on it by Vince McMahon. Vinny Mac was upset due to the ratings drop when Regal is on the air, and as he stated he has no love of Kennedy. So he stated the loser would be fired. Regal tried all his tricks, including making the match no DQ in the middle of the match, thus invoking his GM powers. He tried to use his patented brass knuckles, but Kennedy countered with the Mic Check and won. This opens the door first to who will be GM, as we saw both Teddy Long and Ted DiBiase hanging around backstage. Also we can look for Regal to still bring his reign of terror as the King of the Ring. Look for him to seek revenge against Kennedy.

To keep the Shawn Michael's, Batista and Jericho story alive we saw Jericho face Batista tonight for the right to face HBK at One Night Stand in a stretcher match. The match itself was good and it saw Batista win. Had to figure this was coming as Batista right now is in limbo on Smack Down. I'm still not sure if this feud has any legs as they have tried to make this work since after Mania. They keep adding to the plot, but each new addition really does nothing to fan the flames. Also it should be interesting what they do with Jericho for the pay per view. Will they leave him out like they did with Batista at Judgment Day, or will he find himself in the match at One Night Stand? It looked like he would end up back with Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental title, but that looks like it may not be happening soon.

The reason why is Hardy will not face Jericho as he first has a match against Umaga. This will be a falls count anywhere and should be a great way for Hardy to return to pay per view action. This match against Umaga was great but ended in a count out so there is unfinished business here. It was good to see Umaga back in major action. I have stated my love for this guy in the past as he is a solid worker. You can place this guy into any situation and you know you will get a great result. I know there have been questions about his role and a response by Vince was they are working on something. I would love to see him get a major push on one of the brands this summer as he deserves to be rewarded for his efforts. Also it's great to see Jeff performing at a high level after the suspension. Hopefully he can put his demons behind him and keep clean so we all can enjoy another great title run by him.

For the main event we saw a major stipulation for One Night Stand, as John Cena and Triple H teamed up against Randy Orton and JBL. If Triple H and Cena won they would face each other in an extreme match of William Regal's choice. If Orton and JBL won they would get rematches from Judgement Day with the stipulation of their choices. The tag mix was excellent as we saw all the competitors run into the ring in order to help manipulate the match to their liking. It was finally Orton who missed his head kick on Triple H but knocked out Cena who was administering the STFU on JBL. This broke the hold and allowed JBL to get the pin. Of course the action did not stop there. JBL would close line Triple H and Orton then would RKO him. With both H and Cena out the matches were announced for One Night Stand. JBL announced a first blood match with Cena and Orton will face Triple H in a last man standing match. Look for both of these matches to be brawls with plenty of blood.

Posted by JSX at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK, N.Y., May 19, 2008 – The WWE on MyNetworkTV will kick off a night early with a first ever broadcast presentation of “WrestleMania” on Thursday, October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), announced the network’s president, Greg Meidel. This special presentation featuring the best moments of “WrestleMania XXIV” including Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show® will be followed by the premiere of “WWE SmackDown” on Friday, October 3rd at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).

In making the announcement, Meidel stated, “We’re thrilled to bring fans even more of their favorite WWE action on MyNetworkTV. These side-by-side primetime events are sure to deliver two nights of edge-of-your-seat, action-packed entertainment.”

“WWE SmackDown” will be presented on MyNetworkTV weekly on Fridays and showcase a star-studded cast of WWE Superstars, including Edge®, Rey Mysterio®, Batista®, MVP™ and Undertaker®. It will feature all the action, excitement, drama and great athleticism that have made it for nine years one of the most popular programs among males on broadcast television, and one of the top ten English language prime time programs among Hispanic households.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, “What better way to introduce MyNetworkTV viewers to the WWE brand than to schedule our first-ever broadcast television debut of ‘WrestleMania.’”

“WrestleMania” is one of the biggest annual sports entertainment events. In addition to the Mayweather/Big Show match, this year’s lineup featured the retirement of the legendary Ric Flair following an emotional loss to Shawn Michaels, as well as the crowning of the Undertaker as the new World Heavyweight Champion and Kane as the new ECW Champion. Additional celebrity appearances included a performance of “America the Beautiful” by John Legend, special guest hostess Kim Kardashian, BunnyMania Lumberjack Match Master of Ceremonies Snoop Dogg and Raven-Symoné along with 50 children honored by WWE in its largest ever Make-A-Wish event. “WrestleMania XXIV” was the highest grossing live event for both the WWE and its venue, The Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

Labels: big show, floyd mayweather, wrestlemania

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

From PWInsider

WWE announced Kofi Kingston putting his undefeated streak on the line against Shelton Benjamin, who laid him out a few weeks ago, on tomorrow's edition of ECW on Sci Fi.

Labels: kofi kingston, shelton benjamin

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

Join Matt Loede and John Sefcik of Let's Wrestle as they take you through the Judgement Day Post Match Show. The two break down the latest WWE PPV, the seven match card, give their views on where things will head from here, and talk about some of the on-going events in the WWE. Click below to hear the latest WWE PPV post-match show - Judgement Day!

Labels: john sefcik, judgement day, matt loede

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestling Observer

Mike Johnson is reporting today that there has been discussion of adding Jeff Hardy vs. MVP as a surprise on tonight's show. He wrote at one point during the day today it was on the schedule. We had been told yesterday that there was a match they were discussing adding, but not told what the match was. Johnson speculated it could take the place of Mark Henry vs. Big Show, which was announced a few days ago but on the wwe web site that lists tonight's matches, they are not listing the match.

Labels: jeff hardy, mike johnnon, MVP

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

Labels: jbl, john cena

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Big Show vs Mark Henry has been added to the final card for tomorrow's Judgement Day card, leaving us with the following for the show:

WWE Title Cage Match
Triple H vs. Randy Orton

WH Title Match
The Undertaker vs. Edge

WWE Women's Title Match
Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina

WWE Tag Team Title Match
John Morrison & The Miz vs. CM Punk & Kane

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

John Cena vs. JBL

Big Show vs. Mark Henry

Labels: big show, jbl, judgement day, mark henry

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

Join Matt Loede and John Sefcik of Let's Wrestle as they take you through the Judgement Day Pre Match Show. The two break down the six matches on the card, give their views on current storylines, and talk about some of the on-going events in the WWE. Click below to hear the latest WWE PPV preview show - Judgement Day!

Labels: john sefcik, judgement day, matt loede

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

The WWE's string of rather weak PPV's that always seem to signify the spring months following WrestleMania continue Sunday, as Judgement Day takes place at the Qwest Center in Omaha. This PPV in the past has had some pretty solid moments, such as the return of the Undertaker in a memorable 60-minute "Ironman" match between the Rock and Triple H back in 2000, a blood-bath between then SmackDown champ Eddie Guerrero and JBL in 2004, and a very good "I Quit" match with WWE Champ John Cena and JBL the following year in 2005.

For the most part though, this is a PPV to set things up for the next few months leading into SummerSlam, which will take place in Indianapolis in mid-August. This years card will be highlighted by only six announced matches, with a steel cage match for the WWE title being the main event between Triple H and Randy Orton. Here is a breakdown of the card along with some predictions.

WWE Title Match - Triple H (C) vs Randy Orton in a Steel Cage: Your standard series of rematches between these two foes will highlight the remainder of the summer until John Cena gets back in the mix in time for SummerSlam. HHH and Orton have had solid matches to this point, with their match on RAW that was cut short by William Regal being one of the better RAW matches in sometime. Look for Triple H to retain, as I see no reason to rush the belt back on Orton for any reason.

Undertaker vs Edge for the vacant World Heavyweight Title: Reportedly Vince McMahon made the call behind the scenes to do the stripping of the belt from Taker for whatever reason, forcing this third match between the two. Another pair that seem to have good matches, but again, is there any question that Taker wins and regains the strap here? They need to move these two on to other feuds before this starts to bore the fans, despite the fact that Edge is really the only true heel on the SmackDown roster that can match Taker in the ring.

WWE Tag Team Title Match - Miz and John Morrison (C) vs ECW Champion Kane and C.M. Punk: I thought this was supposed to be a match on ECW this week, but instead they threw it on the PPV to give Tazz and Mike Adamle something to do. Miz and Morrison have been solid tag champs, and I think having them go over here would be a big boost to their careers. Of course the WWE loves to have odd couples hold the belts, so I wouldn't doubt a shift to allow Kane and Punk to win the straps for some reason, which I think here is a mistake.

JBL vs John Cena: These two had a long feud when Cena beat JBL for the WWE Title back in 2005, and now it seems like neither have much to do, so let's rekindle the feud for a month with a meaningless match at a PPV. Don't mean to be negative, but frankly this match does nothing for me, nor should it for many WWE fans who can see through it's on the card for no other reason than to have Cena there for the fans, and JBL continues to have PPV matches for reasons I have no idea. Cena wins, but does it matter?

WWE Women's Title Match - Mickie James (C) vs Beth Phoenix vs Melina in a Triple Threat: I feel a title switch as well as a swerve coming here, as they played off Phoenix walking out on Melina last week and then having a fight backstage. In the end, look for Melina to play the face role, going after Phoenix and helping James, but in the end turning on James and laying her out to let Phoenix win the belt back. Just a guess, but that's my feeling going in.

IC Champ Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michales: No belt up here for some reason, and as usual with Michaels PPV matches going in, this has the shot to steal the show. I have to believe that HBK was not all that happy with his Backlash match with Batista last month, and he and Jericho will go all out to make up for it here. Jericho continues to be a "tweener" character, sometimes good, sometimes bad. As for Michaels, I can see a win here, but what it will lead to is anyones guess.

Labels: chris jericho, edge, judgement day, randy orton, shawn michaels, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

Tonight Vickie Guerrero had to face the music fro her various transgressions as GM of Smack Down. The original announcement made by Teddy Long was for her to face the Undertaker tonight, but using her cleverness and GM abilities this match was changed to a handicap match with Ryder, Hawkins, Bam Neely, Chavo and Edge on her side. But before we get to that let's first do a quick run down of the filler matches tonight. Kozlov remains undefeated after destroying Funaki. Michell McCool beat Layla. Cherry still gets a major push by pinning Maryse. CM Punk now gets the albatross know as Chuck Plaumbo and beats him. And in a match featuring upset members of the Championship Challenge from last week, we saw Finaly and Big Show team up to defeat MVP with Mark Henry. Now we are done with that business we can move on to the meat and potatoes of the show.

First it looks like Batista and HBK are not done yet. Tonight saw the Animal bless us with some of his great mic work and say he is going after Michaels for faking the injury in their match last month. Batista even eluded to showing up at Judgement Day to take care of this unfinished business. I though this was over. Isn't that why they put Jericho into the mix so we don't have to have two major faces pairing of with each other? I know Batista currently doesn't have a program, but would one with HBK really be that good? If they do anything at Judgement Day with Batista it would just be a cheap way to get him involved in the pay per view. Plus the Michaels turning heel due to unscrupulous actions in the ring has already been done and I don't think it will have legs this time around.

Matt Hardy and Shelton Benjamin was a decent match tonight and I would like to see Benjamin get involved for the US title. They are building him up with Kofi Kingston now, but I feel if they really want o give him a push again it would be better with Hardy. Just like Hardy is using his title reign to climb the rungs in the WWE, Benjamin could use these matches to show he can become a big time star. They looked good tonight and it would be a refreshing alternative to the MVP and Hardy angle that is getting stale.

Finally in the main event we saw the handicap match take place, but minus Chavo and Neeley. Due to the web of decent woven by Vickie and Edge for the Championship Challenge, Chavo decided to opt out of helping them tonight as he is growing tired of being their lackey. This did not effect the outcome to much as Vickie was able to escape a choke slam courtesy of Edge giving the spear to the Undertaker. Edge and his boys did a fairly decent job of keeping Taker away from Vickie but eventually he was able to clear the ring. His plans were thwarted by Edge's last second heroics before he was able to whisk Vickie to safety out of the ring. Since this match did not end in a pin fall I wonder if this will create some type of revision to the match at Judgement Day. Perhaps as punishment the Undertaker will be allowed to use his choke hold again. They need to due something to spice up this old rivalry as it seems it will be a straight rematch for the title.

Posted by JSX at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments