SmackDown writer Michael Hayes pitched the idea of WWE.com to do the publicity stunt involving Jeff Hardy. Vince McMahon gave him his full support and Stephanie directed the creative team on how the storyline would play out. WWE decided to go with the angle last week and only a few people outside of the writing staff were aware of the idea. Hardy, Edge and Triple H were among the few wrestlers approached about the storyline.

Labels: edge, Michael Hayes, triple h

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

Despite Edge showing up and winning the WWE Title, the plan at one point was to hold a triple threat match between Triple H, Vladimir Kozlov, and Jeff Hardy at the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, as advertised and determined on SmackDown. The reason Hardy was added to the match was because WWE officials were concerned that a singles match between Hunter and Kozlov would not be entertaining, which we all saw live, so Hardy was added to make the match better.

There was no serious consideration given to putting the WWE Title on Hardy and the buzz was that the company wanted to protect Kozlov, but not put the WWE Title on him either. It’s logical to assume that Hardy would have done the job had they went ahead with the match and not come up with the storyline with Edge entering the match and winning the WWE Title. Vince McMahon was said to be “noncommittal” regarding the finish of the match.

Labels: 2008 survivor series, edge, triple h

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

A number of WWE employees besides the wrestlers are worried about their job security. Some of the road agents are concerned that cuts could be coming their way, not to mention that some of the creative team members believe they’re not immune to the budget cuts. WWE recently altered the schedule for referees to cut down on the number of them being used in order to save money.

Additionally, Vince McMahon has been to known to threaten creative team members by saying changes could be coming when he feels he doesn’t have their full attention. McMahon recently made one of those threats, which put some of the writers on edge. One source added that he doesn’t want to see anyone lose their job, but felt the company could do without some of the agents. The source said, “Let’s be honest, if everyone in the room says yes, how many agents do you really need?” He also added that most of them have a “yes men” reputation.

Labels: vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE will be holding an AXXESS Fanfest the weekend of WrestleMania 25 in Houston. It will be a paid event similar to the old school Fanfests that did in the early 1990’s. The event will feature signings, memorabilia displays and other stuff. There will also be a charity golf event as well as some other appearances in Houston that weekend. Some ticket brokers in the Texas area are already listing AXXESS for pre-orders.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with another blog update over at jrsbarbq.com. The highlights:

- Jack Swagger, really nice name, is the real deal and, as legend has it, never lost a street fight while attending Oklahoma University where he came as a two sport, full scholarship athlete. Swagger will someday be an ECW Champion, or hold other gold, and is likely a year away from getting his chance to be a regular, contributing member of the main event society within the WWE but make no mistake that this young man is a keeper. Nice bout between the former OU Wrestling All American and veteran Tommy Dreamer on Tuesday night on Sci Fi. FTW as some will try and figure it out, I watched it on DVR.

- Speaking of the King and I, we will be heading to Houston in January to do some PR work for the on sale date of the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that will be a part of WM25. It would be nice to know an inductee or two by then but I’m not holding my breathe on that one.

- Bold statement in a recent newspaper interview by DH Smith that he is the best second generation wrestler in the WWE today. I like the young man’s confidence and after seeing him this week he looks physically ready to go. Smith is very laid back but something tells me that he has a bona fide mean streak ala his Grandfather Stu Hart. I suspect that Smith will debut on Smackdown in the next few weeks but that is speculation only.

- The Undertaker’s submission hold is now being called officially, “Hell’s Gate.”

Labels: jack swagger, jerry lawler, jim ross, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

In its first week out, the WWE: Viva La Raza: The Legacy Of Eddie Guerrero topped Billboard’s Video Sales - Recreational Sports DVD chart. The Hell in the Cell DVD dropped to No. 2 after four straight weeks on top. TNA’s Cross The Line pay-per-view pack featuring the 2008 Victory Road, Hard Justice & No Surrender pay-per-view events managed to chart, finishing at No. 5. The No Mercy DVD finished at No. 6, and The Rock’s DVD continues to show why it has the most lasting power by finishing at No. 10.

Labels: eddie guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: WWE Legends of WrestleMania

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

Partial source: F4Wonline.com

Apparently the situation with Vince McMahon being pissed off at Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling is far worse than it has came off. Vince despises the show and it's said that he wants to do whatever he can to destroy the show.

One source notes that on the flight into Boston, MA for the Survivor Series pay-per-view over the weekend, Vince was ranting and raving about the show, which airs on CMT. Vince said that no man on Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling will ever work for "this company" again, meaning WWE.

I wonder if this is just Vince ranting or if guys like Rob Van Dam, who participated on Hogan's show, may have actually hurt his chances with WWE. One would think that WWE wouldn't turn down bringing a ratings hit like Van Dam back because of a beef with Hogan's show, but we've seen how Vince can be in the past when he has serious grudges.

Labels: hulk hogan, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer

The changes to WWE's TV tapings with double SmackDown tapings and ECW and RAW on the same night could run through WrestleMania and then be re-evaluated to see if the changes will stick.

Because of these changes in the schedules, some of the WWE Superstars will be losing money. The midcard guys could lose up to $1,000 a month and for some of the top guys, several thousand dollars a month. However, it also eases up the road schedule by two more days a month.

Each taping canceled saves WWE about $696,000 in production expenses and that doesn't include talent costs.

Labels: smackdown, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

I don't know about you, but I for one didn't really like the direction that RAW took last night. I have to admit that I was looking forward to the show, this after a Survivor Series that I thought had some good moments and if nothing else had two major title changes that should have changed up the show.

First off, you crown a new champion in John Cena, and then his segment at the end of the show seemed to be nothing more than a throw-away segment that didn't do much for anyone. We all knew that Chris Jericho was going to get an immediate rematch, if for nothing else than because he deserved it being the ex-champ.

Then in an interesting switch, we didn't even see Cena till the final segment of the show, and by then the show was officially deemed a complete disaster on a number of levels. Cena taking out and beaing on Y2J was as much of a head scratcher as anything I have seen in awhile. Bottom line, it was a tough show to watch.

Here are some things on the show that made no sense whatsoever:

1. Goldust beats Santino - I don't think I need to say much about this, other than I have no idea what creative could possibly see in this feud. An over-the-hill Dustin Rhodes beating a wrestler that in some fashion is involved with the future of the company. Makes no sense.

2. The IC Belt #1 contender Tourney - One word: why? I mean, don't we enough time wasters on a weekly basis? It's also interesting to note that William Regal, the IC Champ, didn't come out for the first match of the tourney, but yet showed up for the C.M. Punk/Snitsky match. Huh?

3. The Titan Tron Glitch during the womens match - Yes, it blew what was somewhat of going to be a nice surprise with the return of Melina. Someone should get a tounge lashing for screwing this one up.

4. JBL and HBK now have a Deal? - While I still think this is going to be a scam, this is yet another storyline that makes no sense. Do we even need a HBK-JBL feud anyway? You know how this will go -they will have some sort of "understanding," then JBL will turn on Michaels. I think we've seen this before.

5. Mr.Kennedy comes back in a lame skit - excuse me while I yawn.

And with that, RAW fails on a lot of levels this week. They should have started the show with Cena, then moved on from there, and forget about some dumb IC contender tourney, not exactly a way to get fans ready for your biggest PPV's of the year starting in mid-January with the Royal Rumble.

Labels: chris jericho, Goldust, john cena, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with yet another blog update at jrsbarbq.com, this time with thoughts on RAW last night. Some of the highlights:

- Stephanie McMahon will be a significant upgrade over former GM Mike Adamle. Good move for Raw.

- I am intrigued as to the “deal” between JBL and HBK.

- Building focus on the IC title is a good thing, especially if it leads to Champ William Regal, a viable contender, which will help the title and the broadcast.

- Batista’s promo made me feel as if the Animal is losing his patience re: the World Title picture.

- Randy Orton’s relationship w/ young male fans is noticeable. RKO has “it” equating to “presence.”

- John Cena coming through the crowd and genuinely interacting w/ them worked. A more aggressive, more physical Cena should help John in the long haul especially w/ young male fans.

Labels: batista, hbk, jbl, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

World Wrestling Entertainment® Inc. (WWE) announced the launch of its next generation video player on wwe.com. Since its launch, video viewing has increased 77% on the site and video ad impressions are up 95%.

The new video player not only provides a dramatically enhanced viewing experience, it also enables WWE® to offer even more ways for advertising partners to bring their brand “inside the ring” through sponsorship, product integration, and branded entertainment content. WWE advertising partner brands can be front and center in WWE’s pop culture environment, through one of the entertainment industry’s most engaging and interactive online platforms, featuring:

* A high-definition viewing experience offering 16 : 9 playback
* Pre-roll ads and premium companion ad units in 728 x 90 and 300 x 250 sizes
* Custom background video player skinning
* Full-screen playing capabilities

WWE.com currently offers an online video advertising channel that garners over 25 million video streams each month and an impressive roster of over 1500 web-exclusive videos, including interviews with Superstars, weekly brand “QuickCut” recaps, exclusive news, and all of the latest editions of WWE.com Video Originals such as “The Dirt Sheet,” “Santino’s Casa”, and “Word Up.”

“This new video player launches the next generation of wwe.com. Our loyal audience will enjoy a stadium-like experience, sitting in the comfort of their own homes, viewing an unprecedented amount of video from our live events and web exclusive programming. Advertisers will get top billing through pre-roll ads, premium adverting real estate, and creative custom solutions to help them achieve their marketing objectives,” says WWE’s Joe DelGrosso, SVP of Digital & Sponsorship Sales.

Labels: wwe.com

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

The annual Survivor Series is in the books, and with it the WWE pulled somewhat of a curveball with the changing of not one major title - but two. The return of Edge was a surprise, and it was a good surprise at that. His coming back to the company after a couple months off right away makes SmackDown a MUCH better show, and gives guys like Triple H and Jeff Hardy an opponent to duke it out with.

Here is my take on the Good and the Bad from last night's PPV:

Good
--------

Edge is back - The "Rated R" Superstar comes back right at the right time, wins a major belt, which is good, and right away creates a feud with Triple H and Jeff Hardy. Edge is one of, if not the top heel in the industry along with Randy Orton, and it's great to have him back.

John Cena - You can almost say the exact same thing about Cena that you can say about Edge, except it being from a face standpoint. Cena is a star, no doubt, and now with him with the strap for the first time in awhile, it will be interesting to see the programs they put him in.

Orton-Batista - This is a major feud between two of the best in the business, and I think the heat between them makes for a very solid non-title program. I like the energy they both bring, and they both seem to have that desire to make each other better. This is by far the best feud that Batista has been in since his long Undertaker program that took him to the next level.


Bad:
------

Taker vs Show a Dud - The casket match between the two I thought was a total flop. It was totally hookey with the fire on the ramp and the casket falling over and then the druids coming out with a second casket. Plus the ending was bad. Taker's feuds all seem to go the same way, and at times they just drag. This was a feud that has dragged long enough, and they need these two to move on.

Womens Survivor Series Match - I think there were enough wrestlers not on the show that could have made one more solid match, but instead we dragged it down with a womens match that seemed all over the place. Having Beth Phoenix, who is by far the best in the business right now, win is a very deserving honor, despite it being a tough match to watch.

HBK vs JBL Dragged - For an opening match, it just seemed like these 10 guys didn't have a lot to offer, and then having a cheap ending with a count out was not a good way to start the night. From here it looks as if we'll see HBK vs JBL in a program, Kane vs Khali (ugh) and Cryme Tyme vs Miz and Morrison (why not). Again though, didn't feel the energy or heat I thought this match would bring to the table, and it seemed to be pretty lacking.

Labels: 2008 survivor series, batista, edge, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Matt Loede and John Sefcik return for the Let's Talk Wrestling Survivor Series Post Match show. With two major title changes and some surprises along the way, click below to hear Matt and John chat about the event, the good and the bad, and what lies ahead for the WWE. It's the Let's Talk Wrestling Survivor Series Post Match show - check it out now!

Labels: 2008 survivor series, batista, edge, john sefcik, matt loede

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

Reviewed by : Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

Infinity Entertainment continues it’s walk down wrestling’s memory lane as they release Ultimate Classic Wrestling on DVD this past week. The “Wrestling Underground” DVD took a look at the ECW originals in action, and Ultimate Classic Wrestling takes a look at some of the big name WWE stars before they were ever in a WWE ring. The two disc, nearly 6 hour set gives fans “A ringside seat not for the faint of heart” or at least that’s what the DVD cover promises.

The set is divided into 6 separate episodes with each one focusing in on a certain superstar. This includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. Matches also include the likes of Eric Embry, Kerry Von Erich, Terry Funk, Brickhouse Brown, Iceman King Parsons, and many others. The footage for these episodes seem to come from different sources, with most of it from World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas, and from the USWA in Memphis.

If I recall correctly some of this footage was included on a release under a different name of “This is Ultimate Wrestling” in 2001, although from what I remember of that release, and from the DVD lineups I researched while preparing this review, the 2001 release does not have the exact same match lineups, and from what I can tell a specific episode was never released under that series that focused on either The Undertaker or Dustin Rhodes. Commentary varies from match to match and from episode to episode, with some being the original commentary tracks, and others seemingly newly recorded tracks, although no one really identifies themselves, and neither does the narrator who introduces each match.

With a 14.99$ suggested price tag, and the nostalgia factor, this release could be something your interested in picking up. If you never saw or do not own the similar 2001 release then this can definitely be an interesting watch and suggested pickup. The footage itself has held up and transferred well to DVD, as has the sound, and if you’ve never got a chance to see these big name WWE/TNA stars in their early years then it’s a nice addition to help broaden your wrestling dvd collection. If you have seen or own the previous release then its really a toss up as to whether or not the 15$ warrants acquiring the footage that you didn’t get in that set. For the completists out there id say it is.

Labels: steve wilson

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

The annual Survivor Series is upon us, and here at Let’s Talk Wrestling it’s time again for the Let’s Talk Wrestling Survivor Series Pre Match Show. Check in with John Sefcik and Matt Loede as they talk about the card, the winners and losers, and what will go down in Boston Sunday evening. Click Below to check out the Let’s Talk Wrestling Survivor Series Pre Match Show.

Labels: 2008 survivor series, john sefcik, matt loede

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

The DVD is set to release on January 13th of 2009

Labels: best of wcw starrcade

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here is this week's Billboard Recreational Sports DVD top ten list. As always, you can get the wrestling titles from our good friends at www.Highspots.com.

1. WWE: Hell In A Cell
2. WWE: No Mercy 2008
3. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
4. NFL History of the Cleveland B
5. NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers 5 Greatest Games
6. Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony
7. NHL: Sidney Crosby: On The Ice And Beyond
8. NFL: Washington Redskins: Super Bowl Champions
9. WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
10. Pride Fighting Championships: Total Elimination 2006

Labels: Billboard Recrational Sports DVD charts

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

Below is the updated card for WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view this Sunday from Boston:

World Heavyweight Title Match
Chris Jericho vs. John Cena

WWE Title Match
Triple H vs. Vladimir Kozlov
(Jeff Hardy is added to the match if he wins on SmackDown)

Casket Match
The Undertaker vs. Big Show

Team HBK vs. Team JBL, Traditional Elimination Match
Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Cryme Tyme and The Great Khali vs. JBL, Kane, MVP, The Miz and John Morrison

Team Batista vs. Team Orton, Traditional Elimination Match
Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy and R-Truth vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal and Mark Henry

RAW Divas vs. SmackDown Divas, Traditional Elimination Match
Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle and Jillian vs. Michelle McCool, Maria, Maryse, Victoria and Natalya

Labels: 2008 survivor series

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

ProWrestling.net reports that Sho Funaki has been pushing the idea of the Kung Fu Naki character for a few years. He has been showing up at TV tapings with the same sheet of paper that contained his ideas for the character for quite some time. While the creative team may have altered the character, the original idea belongs to Funaki. Vince McMahon used to roll his eyes whenever the character was presented to him, but obviously something changed. Vince has a notoriously bad memory and one source says it’s possible that Vince doesn’t even remember the character being pitched to him before.

Labels: Kung Fu Naki

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: The Sun

TWINS sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella are the latest babes to wow the Web

But the sexy siblings aren't models or actresses ... they're SmackDown wrestling stars.

And since their WWE debut in August, the California-born girls, real names Breanna, 25, and Nicole Garcia, 25, have become an internet sensation.

To read the more about the twin wrestlers and see sensational pictures of them both, click on the link below -

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/article1953651.ece

Labels: bella twins

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Reviewed by : Steve Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

In recent years, if one thing has made itself clear, its just how much Extreme Championship Wrestling and its style can be worth. The WWE has held the reunion ppvs, put out numerous DVD’s as have other orginizations and now Infinity Entertainment laces up their wrestling boots with the release of “Wrestling Undergroud”. A two disc, nearly 4 hour set,featuring all the big names stars of ECW enganging in violent battles.

Seperated into 4 episodes, hosted by Former WCW and TNA announcer Scott Hudson, Wrestling Underground features action from “The Wrestling Zone”, which is really just a compliation of footage taken from various indy feds during the early 2000 years, most notably 3PW. The production value is surprisingly good for an independent release, The action is shot with 2 cameras, edited together rather flawlessly, and features new play by play with Scott Hudson.

Looking at the match lineup you will notice that it has just about every big name ECW star as well as a couple of WCW’s stars thrown in for good measure. Episode 1 entitled Origin of Mayhem features Mikey Whipwreck vs CW Anderson, Rodney Bagnaud (Mack) with Jazz vs Pitbull Gary Wolfe, Justin Credible w/ Francine vs Diamond Dallas Page, and Balls Mahoney teaming with Axl Rotten against New Jack and Murder One. Episode 2 entitled Violent Behavoir features Gary Wolfe vs Kevin Sullivan, Jasmin St Claire/Blue Meanie vs Missy Hyatt/Rockin Rebel, The ageless Terry Funk takes on Justin Credible, Sandman and Fonzie take on Sabu and Tod Gordon, and Blue Meanie Takes on Raven. Episode 3 entitled Hardcore Hatred features CW Anderson vs Steve Corino, Kid Kash vs Sabu, Balls Mahoney vs The Sandman and Nova vs Rob Van Dam. Finally, Episode 4 entitled Back Alley Destruction features Public Enemy vs Chris Chetti/Danny Doring, Little Guido vs Kid Kash, Simon Diamond with Dawn Marie vs The Sandman with Missy Hyatt, Balls Mahoney vs Rob Van Dam, and Dusty Rhodes vs CW Anderson. Unfortunately some matches are clipped during a slow period of a match but doesn’t necessarily take much away from the overall product. Also worth noting is that there is some interview promo's hyping certain matches as well.

Ive been a big fan of ECW and its stars for years, and in this day and age of wrestling where it seems that we’re all clamoring for that nostalgia factor (see DX’s constant reunion, Austin’s yearly appearances, and WWE’s documentary DVD sales figures) Wrestling Undergound is able to fill your need for the hardcore stars of the 90’s, and with a 12.99 price tag on Amazon, it would be hard to say that this is anything but a recommended buy .

Labels: steve wilson, the main event radio

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Amazon.com has released the description and cover art of the upcoming paperback book on Andre the Giant, Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life. Here is the description: “Andre the Giant is known to millions beyond the boundaries of the wrestling ring. From his sheer size of 7′ 4″ and 500 pounds to his memorable acting role in The Princess Bride, the circumstances of his life and career ensured him recognition wherever he went. Born Andre Rousimmof in a small village in France in 1946 (to parents of average height, as were his four siblings) he suffered from acromegaly, or giantism, which results in an overabundance of growth hormones. By the age of seventeen Andre was 6 ‘ 7″, and continued to grow throughout his life.

At the time there was no treatment and life expectancy for this rare condition was forty-five. Determined to make the most of his life, Andre looked for a profession where he could put his size to good use and enjoy each day as if it were his last. As a wrestler he travelled to Canada and then to the USA where, under the aegis of Vince McMahon Sr, he quickly became a superstar, performing to crowds of up to 90,000. Chronicling his life and his phenomenal rise to stardom and featuring input from many who knew and worked with him, this book gives readers a unique insight into the man known and loved across the world as the gentle giant.”

Labels: andre the giant

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

As reported a few months ago, WWE will be releasing a DVD set entitled “WWE: The Legends of Wrestling” on January 27, 2009. The DVD set is based on the popular “Legends of Wrestling” roundtable series on WWE 24/7.

Here is the official description of the DVD: Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Jerry”The King”Lawler & Junk Yard Dog are just a few of the biggest names in the history of sports-entertainment, a who’s who of professional wrestling immortality. In one of the most popular shows on WWE’s on demand channel, panels that include WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes discuss the life and times of these legends. These shows have never been available on DVD - until now! Fans can now enjoy these panel discussions along with bonus matches featuring the best of the highlighted superstars.

Here is the product information of the DVD:

RUNTIME - 540 minutes

LANGUAGES - English

SCREEN FORMAT - Full Screen

US RATING - TV14

DVD KEY SELLING POINT - First time on DVD! Value packed with 3 DVDs features Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Jerry”The King”Lawler & Junk Yard Dog. Unique perspectives and entertaining anecdotes from a panel of wrestling superstars, historians, and Hall-of-Famers. Includes never before seen bonus matches. WWE continues to dominate the Sports DVD category, holding 9 of the top 10 DVD releases.

Labels: WWE Legends of wrestling

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

WWE will be holding a golf tournament during the WrestleMania week in Houston, TX, at the Wildcat Golf Club course. There will be a total of maximum thirty six teams who can participate and each team gets to play with a WWE Superstar or Diva. No more information or pricing has been revealed yet. This will be one of the several events leading up to WrestleMania in the city with other events including Make-A-Wish Foundation appearances, the THQ Superstar Challenge and others.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with a weekend blog at jrsbarbq.com. The highlights:

The WWE sold out Glasgow, Scotland Friday night and Aberdeen, Scotland Saturday night has been sold out for several weeks. WWE events upcoming in Berlin, where ticket sales have exceeded a whopping $1.1M and in Dortmund, Germany which has over $1M dollars in ticket sold will be a great way to end the long but amazingly successful tour. The amount of merchandise sold on this tour will be a significant number as well.

Speaking of numbers, Boston’s Survivor Series is a sell out at over $700K and looking all the way to December 22 tickets are moving at a pace that the big super show in Toronto will likely be sold out as well. If you are planning on attending the major event in TO, I strongly suggest that you get your tickets ASAP.

The exploitation of the Iron Sheik is getting sad and that particular joke played out long ago. I feel for Sheik and wish he were in a better state of mind and wasn’t the butt of so many jokes. I know that people reap what they sow in life but I’m tapping on this one. If I never hear Sheik cut another Hulk promo in my life it will be just fine with me.

Labels: 2008 survivor series, iron shiek, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

The new extreme edition of Jeff Hardy Is somewhat baffling to me. First, did we really need a dramatic character change for this guy to go extreme? Secondly, has Hardy really gone extreme? It's not like this guy has never been involved in anything outside of technical wrestling. He has given is body and should to TLC matches, Money in the Bank and his dive off the light scaffold onto Randy Orton is legendary. So this switch to him being more extreme now in order to get a chance at Triple H and the WWE title makes no sense. Plus his stupid Crow/Sting/Saw/Joker makeup last night was just part of this terrible gimmick they are trying.

This of course would not detract from his match with the Undertaker. For extreme rules matches on network TV they rarely go too extreme and that was the case here. But there were plenty of chair shots and Hardy provided plenty of his high risk moves in and out of the ring. The big Show even go involved taking out both men and eventually distracting the Undertaker so Hardy could deliver the final blow via a chair to get the win. This opened the door for Hardy to face Triple H next week in an attempt to make the Survivor Series match a Triple Threat. Look for this to happen as the WWE cannot feel comfortable with just Kozlov main eventing against Triple H.

The match between Shelton Benjamin and Matt Hardy shows how the WWE desperately needs to find solid competition for Matt. Right now he really has nothing developing in ECW so having him cross brands will help enhance his profile. He put on a good match with Benjamin which was great for both men. Benjamin himself has hit the wall in his rise, and needed a good match to help his profile. If they can find a way for this to become a feud it would provide us with some great matches. They could even move Hardy off ECW and put him back on Smack Down. This would give him more opportunities against better wrestlers and the possible reuniting with his brother in tag matches.

MVP's stock has hit an all time low as in one match he would lose to Funaki, get beat up by Khali then forcibly kissed by one of Khali's "hotties". This to me is very sad as I felt he had a chance to make some noise in the WWE. Two years ago when he won the US title he really established he could hold his own and looked poised for great things. He had a solid program with Matt Hardy, but since then he has been on the fringe. He has found himself in the doghouse on a few occasions, but the man has too much talent to cast aside like this.

Will we be seeing a feud develop between tag champions Carlito and Primo against Kendrick and Zeke. During a singles match between Carlito and Kendrick, Zeke provided a distraction by attacking Primo outside of the ring. It was enough for Kendrick to ge the pin and add a little heat between these factions. If this is the case then it appears Kendricks push as a singles competitor is over. Ever since being in the Championship Scramble he has not made much noise. This was Kendricks strong point, but it will be interesting if he can build the same dynamic as he did with Paul London. And with London now released there is no way to currently recapture that magic they had as tag champs.

The Divas division has seem to hit a wall as they now are developing a program between Michelle McCool and Maria. Michelle is a worthy champion, but Maria is possible the worst Diva wrestler next to Jillian. There are plenty of talented ladies on the Smack Down roster so there really is no need to follow this story line. Hopefully this ends soon and we can be spared more awful matches.

Posted by JSX at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestlescoop.com

As reported earlier, WWE will holding a RAW taping in a smaller building than usual in the Cleveland area the day after the Royal Rumble on Monday, January 26, 2009. It was said to be as a result of cutbacks, but that is not the case. WWE would usually hold a show in The Quicken Loans Arena, but the week before, the World Figure Skating Championships are being held in the arena. As a result, the arena crew would only have less than 24 hours to setup the arena from figure skating to wrestling, which is not enough time. Here is reader Jason Frost’s message regarding this:

The Quicken Loans arena is still home to WWE shows. The reason they are not going to be there has nothing to do with cutbacks nore is the arena they’re going to as small as this story seems to be making it out to be. The reason for the venue change is a scheduling conflict between the WWE and the Arena. The Quicken loans arena for that week will be home to the World Figure Skating championships and that would give the arena crew less than 24 hours to setup the arena from figure skating to TV wrestling arena which normally they would need to do the day prior to the event. Instead they are going to be holding RAW at the Wolstein Center which is the arena WCW used to hold Nitro and Thunder at when they would go to Cleveland back when it was known as the CSU Convocation Center. True it is not the size of Quicken but it is still considered a large crowd sized wrestling arena and is still in Downtown so as not to completely screw up their traveling schedule by having to have the show in a completely different city or some out of the way location.

Labels: 2009 royal rumble, RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

.....And fast. If ECW proved anything last night, it was the lack of contenders for Matt Hardy's title. The match against Finlay was slow and boring as both men's diverse styles never really meshed. Plus both men are considered faces an this was evident as the both shook hands after the title match. How often do you see that now. The possible Mark Henry angle is dead as Cyber Sunday showed how much the fans hate him, while right now there is no top heels to challenge for the title. I still think they may move MVP, especially since he is in a supposed contract squabble on Smack Down. But that may not happen as we have already seen plenty of those two together. If they wanted this to be a big push for Matt they better find him some competition soon.

Th only guys they have on the current roster who would add some excitement are Miz and Morrison, but they seem to want to keep this tag team together. I do like their dynamic an they could become a great tag team, but both men have so much more to offer. I always felt they would also want to push Morrison alongside Hardy, but that has yet to develop. They seem to be in a big program now with Cryme Tyme and it does not look like they will be splitting anytime soon. This program is interesting as it does not feature any of the tag championship belts so I'm not sure where it's going to lead. But they need to do something quick to fill this void or ECW will continue on its path of being a dull show to watch each week. Things were picking up for awhile with the new talent they have been focusing on but it appears they have hit a wall as of late.

Posted by JSX at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Survivor Series will be held on Sunday, November 23 from the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA. WWE.com has announced there will be a traditional 5-on-5 elimination match at next week’s Survivor Series. Shawn Michaels will captain Team HBK, leading Rey Misterio, Cryme Tyme & The Great Khali against JBL’s Team JBL, consisting The Miz & John Morrison, MVP and Kane.

Here’s the updated card for Survivor Series 2008:

WWE Championship Match
Triple H defends against Vladamir Kozlov

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Chris Jericho defends against John Cena

Casket Match
Undertaker vs. The Big Show

5-on-5 Elimination Tag Match
Team HBK vs. Team JBL

Labels: 2008 survivor series

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: The Bleacher Report

This may come as a shock to some, but not to others: Many people on this site and around the world do not know Paul London has been released.

Many superstars over the years have been part of the creative team, which London was a part of. He had been doing well on the WWE's creative team, but still he was sacked.

But many people don't know that London was going to be part of one of the biggest storylines in the last couple years until tragedy struck.

Remember when Vince McMahon entered his limousine and it exploded?

London smiled while Vince, accompanied by superstar wrestlers, walked through the lobby to his limousine, because Paul London was supposed to be the doer. This would leave London as the enemy of the WWE, putting him up against Shane McMahon and having him come out on top.
Author Poll

He would try and take Stephanie McMahon out, which would inevitably cause a feud with Triple H. London possibly would win the WWE title from the current title holder and catapult to the top of RAW.

Paul London would be the man that took out the McMahons, which would be something people would never expect, but obviously Vince would claim he exited the limousine before the explosion and fire London.

London would later return to ECW or SmackDown.

The Benoit tragedy halted this storyline, however.

Stephanie appeared crying about her father's death and Shane vowed to find out who did it.

Chris Benoit did not show up on the Saturday before the Night of Champions PPV. Benoit had killed his wife and child, and then hung himself.

The Night of Champions had CM Punk against John Morrison, with Morrison coming out as winner. CM Punk was supposed to lose and feud with Benoit, but instead Vince McMahon appeared on WWE RAW and told the wrestling world that Benoit had died, therefore, the London storyline never picked up.

Some people believe that London's smile was a mistake, which Jerry Lawler first pointed out during a Live RAW, but it could only be considered a mistake if it wasn't going to happen.

Labels: paul london, triple h, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

Elijah Burke was wished well in all his future endeavors (aka "released" aka "fired") by World Wrestling Entertainment, and the former OVW standout posted a very weirdly worded blog on his website (http://www.theelijahexpress.com/blog/3). The captain (or, as he calls himself, "The Pope") of The Elijah Express stated the following:

"My time is at hand. Do not weep, nor mourn, for I am gone but 4(up) a while. Hold on to that which I gave you, share it in laughter with those around you. For I have landed but for a brief refueling, for the course YOUR Pope takes is far far away. Your Pope smiles as he writes this knowing that peace is filled within, to all within the Congregation, NOW the true test begin! And remember, MY COMEBACK SHALL BE GREATER THAN MY SETBACK! The Pope Has Spoken!"

Labels: Elijah Burke

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

WWE announced the releases of ECW Superstar Elijah Burke and SmackDown Superstar Kenny Dykstra this afternoon.

Burke had not been used in recent months and had been rumored to be returning under a new gimmick at one point. Dykstra was considered the best of the Spirit Squad crew during their run on RAW, but was saddled with a reputation for a bad attitude, which hindered him politically within the company. He was considered a “can’t miss” prospect during his time in Ohio Valley Wrestling while under a developmental deal.

WWE also wished ECW Diva Lena Yada the best in her future endeavors.

Labels: Elijah Burke, kenny dykstra, Lena Yada

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

That was the theme for most of the matches tonight as Stephanie McMahon made it clear the old Mike Adamle regime as over and it was time to bury old feuds. The biggest of all was the ongoing hate fest between HBK and Jericho. It would be settled in a Last Man Standing match that was really good for a normal TV event. We saw HBK leap off a ladder and put Jericho through a table, Jerciho perform the walls of Jericho on top of a cab and a variety of other big time moves. It would be a win for Jericho with a little help from JBL in the form of a chair shot. This should set up a new program of HBK and JBL while Jericho will move on to defend his title.

Kane and Mysterio would put an end to their supposed program in a no DQ match. This was a nice match in the David and Goliath mold, but did feature some botched moves. It was Mysterio who would triumph and finally put an end to this program. It had some potential. But they never really established the hatred between Kane and Mysterio, nor really showed how Kanes "mind games" were emotionally harming Rey.

We will have to wait for Orton and Batista, possibly a feature of Survivor Series, as Cody Rhodes interrupted the start of their match with a challenge of Batista. They are building the tension between the Priceless gag and Orton, but tonight it robbed us of a good match. Of course Batista would defeat Rhodes with no problem and there was nothing to be gained by this match.

Santino Marella would fall victim to the hometown favorite William Regal and lose his Intercontinental title. It's nice to see Regal regain some favor in the company after his suspension, but also sad to see Santino drop the belt. I felt he had more to give than his comedic exploits. He has decent in ring ability and it would have been nice to see this showcased more. Hopefully they will have a program between these two, instead of inserting Regals most recent pest, Jamie Noble. But not all was bad as the other half of Glamorella was victorious. Beth Phoenix was able to defend her belt against Mickie James, with some help from Santino.

The other match on the card was from the who can create the worst match possible bin. And they did a pretty good job of it tonight as they featured DeLo Brown back on Raw against Mike Knox. It was Knox who got the quick win, but who really cares. It seems they are tyring to push him like they did with Snitsky last year, and we all remember how well that went.

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

The premise behind Friday Night's SmackDown this past week was I guess to see what would happen when Jeff Hardy decided to go "extreme." That is if you consider "extreme" for the rainbow Warrior to come out, use a chair in the main event, and also get his tag team match with him and Triple H DQ'ed when he used a chair on Miz and Morrison in the semi-main event.

So where does that leave the show now? They will have a main next week with Hardy vs the Undertaker, which could be very good if done right. It also means, and this is not much of a shock whatsoever, that Triple H will take on Vladimir Kozlov in the SmackDown side main event at Survivor Series in a few weeks. This match has been in the works for awhile, and at least we'll see Kozlov enter the match undefeated (not for long though).

On to the rest of thw show, which kept my attention for the two hours on the air. The two mains with HHH & Hardy vs Miz and Morisson was good till the end, which was a rather lame ending. Same went for the main with Taker and Kozlov, which I thought would have been better with Show getting involved insted of a weird ending with Hardy.

That also leads us to another Survivor Series match which was announced last night, with Taker taking on Big Show in a casket match. It has the makings of what could be a good match, but at the same time, here's hoping that this is the end to this feud, which started way back when at Unforgiven.

We saw a couple other things out of the show, like the Bella Twins finally being reveled for the first time. Brie beat Victoria in a singles match, and then afterwords, Natalya pulled out Nikki out of the ring, finally showing the twins for the first time. I would assume next week we'll see a tag with the twins vs Victoria and Nayalya.

The Great Khali beat on MVP and did another interesting "Kiss Cam" with two rather large women from the crowd, Shelton Benjamin beat R-Truth to keep the US Title, and Ezekiel Jackson beat Jimmy Wang Yang as the other filler matches on the show. The Hardy stuff was the main point of the show, and we'll see where it goes next week from here.

Labels: jeff hardy, smackdown, triple h, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider.com

WWE 24/7 has posted the second episode in their Essential Starrcade series, which features a countdown of the "Greatest" 25 Starrcade matches. This week's bouts are:
20) Steve Austin vs. WCW United States champion Dustin Rhodes 2 out of 3 falls - Starrcade '93

19) NWA World Tag Team champions Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard vs. The Road Warriors - Starrcade '87

18) Jushin Liger vs Rey Mysterio Jr. - Starrcade '96

17) Night of the Skywalkers II - Midnight Express vs. The Rock N' Roll Express - Starrcade '87

16) NWA World champion Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger Starrcade '88

The second episode is hosted by original Four Horsemen member Tully Blanchard.s

Labels: best of wcw starrcade

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

Mr. Kennedy hyped WrestleMania and discussed his injury in an interview with the Miami Herald.

“Dr. [James] Andrews did my surgery and said it was going to be a long, slow road to recovery, about six months,” Kennedy said. “Right now my projected return date is February 28, but I could end up coming back early, or it could take a little bit longer than that, but I’m hoping for an early return. I feel pretty good. I’ve been rehabbing on my own, and I’ve been working out everyday in the gym. Obviously, I’m chomping at the bit. I hate being off for this long. It’s nice to have a little bit of a break, but to be off this much is a bummer.”

Kennedy also made it clear that he prefers working on the Smackdown side. ”

Raw’s a little more competitive, and there’s a lot more depth on Raw as far as a lot of the top stars are over there, and it is the flagship show for WWE,” Kennedy said. “For an up-n-comer, it was a little bit different experience, and I was glad that I had that experience. I’m also very, very glad to be back over on SmackDown, working with Michael Hayes who is the lead writer for SmackDown and head of creative.”

Labels: mr. kennedy

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

Below is the full match listing for WWE’s DVD on Eddie Guerrero which comes out next Tuesday. The DVD will also feature commentary from a number of people in wrestling including Vickie and Chavo Guerrero, Jim Ross, Dean Malenko and others. The DVD is a 3 disc set.

Disc 1:

ECW World Television Championship Match
2 Cold Scorpio vs. Eddie Guerrero
ECW TV April 8, 1995

ECW World Television Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
ECW Hostile City Showdown April 15, 1995

Eddie Guerrero vs. Shinjiro Otani
WCW Starrcade December 27, 1995

United States Heavyweight Championship Match
Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Hog Wild August 10, 1996
United States Heavyweight Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho
WCW SuperBrawl February 23, 1997

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Nitro November 10, 1997

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko
WCW Starrcade December 28, 1997

Eddie Guerrero vs. Ultimo Dragon
WCW Slamboree May 17, 1998

Juventud Guerrera vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Nitro August 3, 1998

Psychosis vs. Eddie Guerrero
WCW Thunder June 24, 1999

Disc 2:

European Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWF RAW April 3, 2000

King of the Ring Qualifying Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Matt Hardy
WWF SmackDown! June 8, 2000

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Rob Van Dam vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWF Backlash April 21, 2002

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Jeff Hardy
WWE RAW April 29, 2002

No Disqualification Match
Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE SmackDown! September 26, 2002

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Team Angle vs. Los Guerreros
WWE Backlash April 27, 2003

Latino Heat Parking Lot Brawl
John Cena vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE SmackDown! September 11, 2003

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero
WWE Royal Rumble January 25, 2004

WWE Championship Match
Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE No Way Out February 15, 2004

Disc 3:

WWE Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE SmackDown! March 18, 2004

WWE Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield
WWE Judgment Day - May 16, 2004

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE SmackDown! July 15, 2004

WWE Championship Series
Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle
WWE SmackDown! April 14, 2005

Steel Cage Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE SmackDown! September 9, 2005

World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. Eddie Guerrero
WWE No Mercy October 9, 2005

Eddie’s Final Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Mr. Kennedy
WWE SmackDown! November 11, 2005

Labels: eddie guerrero

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

In the days leading up Cyber Sunday, Honky Tonk Man wasn’t originally scheduled to appear at the event. They didn’t call him until the Thursday before the pay-per-view. In an interview with Live Audio Wrestling, Honky Tonk Man said the original plan at Cyber Sunday was for Charlie Haas to come out dressed as him. “They were originally going to have Charlie Haas dress up and go out and do this,” Ferris said. “The rehab came along very well and Thursday they had called and said ‘can you still do the shake, rattle, and roll?’ and I said ‘well of course I can do that’ and that was case closed.”

Ferris is still rehabbing an injury suffered at an autograph signing over the summer when an overzealous publicity person nearly severed his finger when they were horsing around with two guitars. Ferris wasn’t sure if he would be able to make the show as a result, and he didn’t think he would be voted in to the match against Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella. “This voting thing is extremely legitimate. It was a very close race between myself and Piper,” Ferris said. “I went there thinking I wasn’t going to have to do anything either. I’m just making a little cameo appearance, but I ended up being in the ring for about 40-45 seconds and it worked out very well.”

Labels: charlie haas, honkey tonk man

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments

Wrestlemania 25 goes on sale through Ticketmaster tomorrow morning, but you can purchase tickets early during their presale!

Use the password WM25TX to purchase tickets early!

Click Here to Purchase Wrestlemania Tickets Now!

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

The word going around WWE is that Mike Adamle is finished, at least for the short term and quite possibly for good. Both sides came to the agreement that Adamle was not cut out for the business so that’s why he was taken off TV as the RAW General Manager.

A lot of people in WWE said it was a fitting end to his WWE run that he fumbled his words badly on his final night on TV.

Labels: mike adamle

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

As noted before, there is talk of having Low Ki feud with Rey Mysterio if WWE signs him. Two of the ideas that were pitched a month or so ago for Low Ki to come in were as a heel Rey Mysterio impostor or a new masked character for Rey to feud with. Rey and MVP are among the WWE Superstars who are pushing for WWE to sign Low Ki.

Labels: low ki, rey mysterio

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

- IGN.com recently conducted an interview with the WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix. She makes note of WWE bringing in Divas despite marginal experience. “There’s more and more girls out there that want to be part of the business,” Phoenix told IGN.com during a THQ media event this past week at Florida Championship Wrestling headquarters.

“As far as the experience level of some of the WWE divas, there are girls who get rushed along in the process. They’re beautiful and we want to get them on TV as soon as possible.” She added, “Sometimes that doesn’t leave for a lot of time for wrestling training. This isn’t a business that you can pick up in a few weeks. This takes years of commitment, dedication, passion, and hard work. With that is WWE’s road schedule that doesn’t provide for enough in-ring time for the divas to develop. With our current grueling schedule, sometimes the way our girls come into WWE, it’s with less experience than the training the guys get.”

She also commented on internet criticism regarding her character’s appearance in the Smackdown vs. RAW 2009 video game. Phoenix said, “If you go read the comments on boards, there’s a lot of criticism on my character. ‘Oh, this isn’t quite right. That’s not updated.’ And to me, that’s so cool because it shows that people really care about this game. … It’s really been eye-opening - I get to interact a lot with WWE fans - and gaming fans are just as dedicated and devoted to the game.”

Labels: beth phoenix

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

From:Wrestlescoop.com

We’ve had articles here on the site talking about the news of the leaked memo WWE and THQ put out instructing the video game press to not show Triple H in a vulnerable position when reviewing the SmackDown vs. RAW 2009 video game. The memo said: “refrain from showing Triple H in a losing/defeated/defenseless position.”

The Escapist website picked up on the story and wrote: “Non-wrestling watchers may wonder why one star is so coveted. These actions could be due to Triple H’s notoriety as one of the biggest drawing superstars with the WWE — or his marriage to the company’s owner’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon.”

PC enthusiast website also has an article on the situation. They wrote: “Companies making content requests of news outlets when they write up previews isn’t anything new in the gaming world. Nor is it that unusual to see developers or publishers make strange requests of reporters when we review or preview a game. THQ and WWE can now be added to the list for making bizarre demands of publications writing about the upcoming Smackdown vs Raw game.” They also added: “This is a fighting game, and to demand that journalists NOT show one of the characters getting beat up or losing seems ridiculous at best and moronic at worst. By insisting on controlling what can be covered, THQ and WWE will earn a lot of animosity from the gaming press corps. What’s sad, though, is that all of this bad karma will be earned for a WWE title.”

Labels: raw vs smackdown 2009, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Is this all Finlay has left in his repertoire. For a man who loves to fight , it seems he can only win by cheating now a days. And by clubbing Mark Henry tonight he now will face Matt Hardy for the ECW title next week. A great way to become number one contender. Please, please, please WWE let this man win cleanly for once. It's not like you had anything to lose by him doing that tonight. If Cyber Sunday taught us anything, it is Mark Henry is not loved by the fans and frankly we are sick of seeing him each week in a major match. Let Finlay have his title shot, heck you can even make him champ, but due so legitimately. He has been in the business too long to have his matches dictated by cheap antics. For a main event this one came up short, big time.

The opener did no favors either as it was Hardy against Bam Neely. I will say Neely looked decent for once, but I still think his days are numbered as he still really has no direction.
He has been around long enough to establish himself and that has not happened, and that day may never come. Hardy was able to turn the tide of Neely's early assault and get the win.

Ricky Ortiz was back om the program tonight and extended his winning streak by pinning a local wrestler. This match was so memorable I can't even remember his opponents name and WWE.com has him listed as only "a local athlete." Ortiz failed to get much out of the crowd as it looks like his star may already be fading. The same can be said of Jack Swagger, but I'm not sure if his star has ever shone. He had a rant on how Tommy Dreamer has always been a loser. This would cause Dreamer to storm the ring in a rage and beat Swagger with a bamboo cane. In what should have been some high drama, failed to get much out of the crowd. Dreamer only hit him once then stood in the ring as Swagger slowly left for the dressing room. As I said last week this feud should die soon enough.

Posted by JSX at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Raw celebrated its 800th episode tonight and it followed the typical script for celebratory episodes, some good matches, some bad and some things we could do with out. Some of the big news was Mike Adamle resigning as GM as he felt he was undermined by Stephanie and Shane McMahon. Tired of having his decisions questioned he decided it was best to leave his post. This look to set up a sibling rivalry as Steph was a bit upset with Shane making major decisions, like having the Champ take on Cena at Survivor series, without letting her know. This begs the question if both will have their faction of wrestlers who will face each other to see what McMahon will take full control of the show.

The main event of Jericho against Batista in a steel cage was a bit weak as it lacked decent pace. The only real standout moment was Jericho using a rig from the cage cables as weapon to weaken Batista so he could climb out of the cage. The win would go to Jericho as Batista's reign was very short. This sets up Jericho and Cena, but you have to figure Batista will be upset by being pushed aside again. He may find himself back in the mix, but there has been talk he wants a major push and may not like being the third guy in this mix.

The DX reunion was great as both Triple H and HBK had some good gags on each other and their opponents Miz and Morrison. They backed it up with the action in the ring with a solid match. Triple H would gt the pin over Miz, after the Hollywood elite team would lose focus mocking DX. A point of interest was Morrison landing sweet chin music on H, but theMiz failing to get the pedigree on H. This may show the pecking order of theese two as the WWE expects big things of Morrison, but are sill not sold on the Miz.

Randy Orton returned to action tonight against CM Punk but was not able to get the win due to interference from the Priceless crew of Rhodes, DiBiase and Manu. Orton looked good, sporting his new tattooed arms and should find himself in a major program soon. The question is will it be Punk since Orton had a beef with him during Punk's title reign. Punk right now shares the tag belts with Kofi Kingston, but that can't last to long as they want more out of him and a feud with Orton would be the right fit.

William Regal now finds himself as the number one contender for the Intercontinental belt as he won a battle royal featuring the top mid card guys on the roster. Regal as done well to keep himself on TV with his feud with Jamie Noble and now a title shot against Santino. It looked pretty bad for him after he was suspended under the wellness program after wining The King of the Ring. Instead he is reestablishing himself and may get decent mid card work here on out. This battle royal also featured DiBiase turning on his Priceless mates by knocking both Rhodes and Manu out of the ring. Could this be spelling trouble for this group.

The rest to feh night was either decent filler of just bad matches. The Undertaker made quick work of JBL, with some help from HBK. Michaels would thow JBL back in the ring once he was counted out so the Undertaker could finish him off with a tombstone. Mark Henry and Kane used brute force to defet Myserio and Kingston. But the Great Khali would come out after the match and help the little guys by taking out Kane and setting Henry up for a 619 by Mysterio. It looks like they are trying a Khali as the good guy routine to finallly get him over, too bad it will fail as this guy just doesn't have the in ring ability to make matches interesting. And in all these special cross over shows the Hardy's were reunited and defeated MVP and the Brian Kendrik. As always the Hardy's looked good, but the result shows how much both Kendrik and MVP have fallen out of favor.

While these were the decent matches, the terrible featured Charlie "the Hit Man" Haas losing to Vladamir Kozlov in a quick mach. A horrible Divas tag match that featured May Young taking on all the heels. Noble effort bringing in a legend, but when you can' walk, let alone look like you are throwing punches, the gimmick tends to be a bit dull. Thankfully this one ended fast and we were spare the terrible attempt at humor. Despite these terrible matches Raw showed tonight why it has made 800 episodes and looks set for 800 more. The WWE knows how to put on a spectacle and can keep the crowd entertained. This is the reason why they are the only solid wrestling promotion out there today and have been able to outlast any challenges to their throne.

Posted by JSX at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

Adult film star Trina Michaels was in attendance for the WWE SmackDown tapings in San Diego, CA last week. Trina was watching the show from the crowd and later hung out backstage and even partying with some of the WWE talents later that night.

Trina has noted that she is hoping to be one of the best female managers in wrestling and has recently moved to Florida, fueling rumors that she is looking to sign with WWE to train at Florida Championship Wrestling. Security at the SmackDown tapings said she was talking to a number of WWE writers and employees. She noted on her blog that she even caught a glimpse from Vince McMahon.

Trina also noted in her blog that she was planning on attending the TNA live event in California this past Sunday. Trina is the same female named in the Rolling Stone Magazine article with former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro.

Labels: Trina Michaels

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

We all know already that next week we are going to see Vladimir Kozlov take on the Undertaker with the stip being if Vlad wins, he gets a title shot at Triple H at Survivor Series. In other words - book it. Taker is coming off a casket match win over Chavo Guerrero on Smackdown Friday night, and what I can forsee is Vlad and Taker going at it, and this time Big Show gets his revenge and knocks out Taker, giving Kozlov the win and the title shot.

My question though is this - do you really want to see Triple H vs. Kozlov? I mean, can you actually see the big Russian being a true legit challenger to the “King of Kings”? I can’t. He’s your typical big man that can do some things in the ring, but overall his character is not much, and while I like them doing the undefeated angle, this one is not going to be very good.

Triple H has not exactly had the best of challengers since moving to SmackDown. We’ve had the Khali angle, which was painful enough, and now after a pretty good but in the end rather one-sided feud with Jeff Hardy, it’s not Kozlov’s turn.

Let’s grin and bear it, as the only thing I can see them coming up with next is a long feud with Edge and eventually they will move HHH on to the Undertaker, where these two SHOULD do battle at WrestleMania 25.

Labels: smackdown, the big show, triple h, undertaker, Vladimir Kozlov

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Chris Jericho said all great villains such as Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter turn babyface because they’re interesting characters with layers. As such, he expects his character to turn babyface again. “I’ve pretty good so far with not having that happen,” Jericho told Mike Mooneyham of Charleston.net.

“But in another six months or so it might change unless I can think of something else and another way to get under people’s skin. It’s a lot easier to make people hate you than it is to make them really, really like you. And usually, to make them really, really like you, they have to hate you first. That’s the cool thing about wrestling. You can play a character like this and go through the spin cycle. As long as they’re interested in the character, it really doesn’t matter to me.” To read the full story, visit Charleston.net.

Labels: chris jericho

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry on his official website. Here are some highlights from this entry:

On wearing a sailor suit on last night's SmackDown: "It must have been a slow news week in the 'rasslin biz as the sailor suit that yours truly wears on Friday Night Smackdown is getting WAY too much coverage. I think it will be good for a chuckle, certainly for some behind the scenes operators, but neither Tazz nor me had any issues with our costumes whatsoever. Hell, it's a Halloween night theme! Speaking of Sailors, does any one remember Sailor Art Thomas?"

On people sending him e-mails for saying Friday Night SmackDown is the "A" show: "Hey, for those of you that have sent emails to this site rebuking with venom my flippant remarks about Friday Night Smackdown being the "A" show and all that other fertilizer I have three things to say to you, "Lighten up, Francis." Why would I NOT think my "team" wasn't the best in the WWE or should I simply drag my ass to work with a "poor us" , defeatist mentality? That isn't the way I personally play the game and as long as my fire continues to burn as a fan of wrestling I will remain competitive. The day I don't care is the day I start selling "Q" full time."

"Rumors" of The New Hart Foundation (DH Smith, TJ Wilson & Natalya) starting up in WWE: "I have read "rumors" of a new formation of an updated Hart Foundation. I am not big on repackaging old personas and have made that point clear which is exactly why this creative manifestation is likely to happen."

The recent report of Jose Canseco talking with WWE about doing something together: "I read where the story came out about Jose Canseco once wanted to explore the WWE way back in the day and I thought it was an ill advised idea then and I haven't changed my mind. It makes no sense to me to bring outsider with no training and dubious character into a locker room environment. Of course those that wanted to explore the concept of hiring Jose did not have the responsibility of managing him."

Ross, apparently talking about WWE's frequent "Did You Know?" messages on Monday Night Raw: "Will the WWE announcers break their arms patting themselves on the back when it comes to all the well earned accolades of Monday Night Raw? Watching at home or from a hotel room it gets a little repetitive to hear all the self congratulations that used to irk my late mentor, Gorilla Monsoon. Raw is a phenomenon without question but "I get it." Tell me once an hour and I will be more likely to retain it positively than if I feel as if I am being force fed."

Labels: d.h. smith, jim ross, smackdown

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