In a new interview with The Houston Chronicle talking about Mickey Rourke and Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 25, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair confirms that he will be at the big show this year in Houston.

Flair wouldn’t give many details but did have this to say: “Let’s just say, I will be at Wrestlemania, and that’s all I’m saying.”

Labels: chris jericho, Mickey Rourke, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

A one-volume encyclopedia with more than 700 WWE entries and more than 2500 images will be released on Tuesday, March 30. Here is the official product description of the WWE Encyclopedia: “As a unique, one-volume encyclopedia with more than 700 WWE entries and more than 2500 images, this is the book for all WWE fans! Featuring hundreds of superstars of all eras, from the World Wrestling Federation of the 60s and 70s to today’s WWE, this thrilling, one-of-a-kind reference guide contains a visual glossary of all wrestling moves and provides coverage of the television shows that put the WWE into millions of households. From the Hardcore Champion to the World Heavyweight title holder, from the WWE’s showcase events to the Pay-per-views, from Survivor Series to the grand spectacle of WrestleMania-this encyclopedia covers it all.”

Labels: WWE Encyclopedia

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Word coming from within WWE is that Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year and Ric Flair will be doing the honors. So Flair will not be inducting Austin. Within WWE, there are people saying they want Bret Hart to induct Austin but as of this writing, Hart hadn’t been asked. One reason Vince has thrown Hart’s name out there is because it ties into the WrestleMania angle with Austin and Hart’s history and another reason is that Vince has always stayed behind-the-scenes at the Hall of Fame and it will mean more and could be seen as the final stamp of approval on Austin being WWE’s biggest star in history in their eyes because Austin would be the only one Vince would do something like this for.

Steamboat and Ted DiBiase got a lot of votes internally for last year’s Hall of Fame but Vince usually takes those with the most votes into consideration before making his final decision. There’s still talk that the Funks and Von Erichs will be inducted this year.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, ric flair, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Former TNA wrestler Johnny Devine was backstage at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view and Monday’s RAW in Cleveland. We do know that Devine has talked with WWE about signing since leaving TNA last year but do not know if he’s getting ready to get a deal.

Labels: johnny devine

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Entrance Order

1. Rey Mysterio
2. John Morrison
3. Carlito
4. MVP
5. The Great Khali
6. Vladimir Kozlov
7. Triple H
8. Randy Orton
9. JTG
10. Ted DiBiase, Jr.
11. Chris Jericho
12. Mike Knox
13. The Miz
14. Finlay
15. Cody Rhodes
16. Undertaker
17. Goldust
18. CM Punk
19. Mark Henry
20. Shelton Benjamin
21. William Regal
22. Kofi Kingston
23. Kane
24. R-Truth
25. Rob Van Dam
26. The Brian Kendrick
27. Dolph Ziggler
28. Santino Marella
29. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
30. Big Show

Elimination Order

1. Khali by Kozlov
2. MVP by Kozlov
3. Carlito by Kozlov
4. Kozlov by HHH
5. Miz by HHH
6. Morrison by HHH
7. JTG by Taker
8. Regal by Punk
9. Henry by Mysterio
10. Benjamin by Taker
11. Regal by Punk
12. Kingston by Kendrick
13. Kendrick by HHH
14. Ziggler by Kane
15. Marella by Kane
16. Duggan by Big Show
17. R-Truth by Big Show
18. Punk by Big Show
19. Misterio by Big Show
20. Knox by Big Show
21. Finlay by Kane
22. RVD by Jericho
23. Jericho by Taker
24. Kane by Legacy
25. Show by Orton
26. Taker by Big Show
27. DiBiase by HHH
28. Rhodes by HHH
29. HHH by Orton

Labels: 2009 royal rumble

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

On WWE.com under the “upcoming pay-per-views” tab, the June 7, 2009 pay-per-view is listed as “Extreme Rules” instead of “One Night Stand.”

Labels: 2009 Extreme Rules

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

While I wasn't a huge fan of Sunday's Royal Rumble, I will say that the way they continue to develop Randy Orton's character is one of the highlights of what is going to be WrestleMania XXV in Houston in April. As far as last night in Cleveland on RAW, the storyline with the whole "mental disorder" thing and how Orton will sue the company should he get fired was sort of lame, but the ending of the show was even worse, with a "non-wrestler" in Shane McMahon taking his frustration out on Orton.

I guess this is going to lead us to a Shane McMahon vs Randy Orton match at No Way Out in the final PPV before Mania. Shane-O-Mac always puts forth a good show when called upon, and once they make this match, which seems like a shoe-in after last night, it'll be up to Shane to get the match over, and he will with some crazy bumps.

The rest of the show was built on starting to build what No Way Out is becoming, which is the PPV for two elimination chambers. This year is somewhat different, as they are having both the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles defended, and last night they had three wrestlers win matches to put them in the RAW Elimination Chamber matches - Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston.

John Cena beat Shawn Michaels on the show, meaning that JBL will NOT be in the elimination chamber match, leading to what will be the WM match with JBL and Michaels. Seems also they are building to a Beth Phoenix vs Rosa Mendes feud, as eventually they will have it where Phoenix turns on her "fan" and attacks Mendes. Don't think this one though will happen till after Mania.

Finally we're starting to see the build to Chris Jericho against Mickey Rourke at Mania, which will be this years version of trying to build some media exposure for the event. Having Rourke, who's up for the best actor award this year as part of the event, is a natural fit.

Now we move to ECW tonight, where the big news will be Matt Hardy's first appearence since bashing his brother with a chair on Sunday night at the Rumble. Should be an interesting interview, but one we've heard before.

Labels: john cena, matt hardy, Mickey Rourke, randy orton, shawn michaels

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

For a number of weeks there had been talk of adding DH Smith to Randy Orton’s Legacy faction, but those plans have cooled off after the twist with Vince McMahon and Orton on last Monday’s Raw.

Officials were looking to call up Smith and his tag team partner TJ Wilson to SmackDown, but their partnership quietly broke off in developmental after Smith suggested to the creative team that he be brought on board for the Legacy.

Orton himself hinted at Smith possibly joining the Legacy in an interview with ESPN.com this past week. Regarding Smith, Orton said: “One guy I’ve been looking at really closely is Harry Smith. He’s Davey Boy Smith’s son, and he’s a big, young kid who has that hunger. He’s a strong boy, and I think he’s at that age now where he’s learned from some of the mistakes he’s made in the past. He originally debuted as DH Smith, but he’s a completely different person right now. I have my eye on him, but we’ll have to see what the future holds. I need one more guy, but he has to have wrestling in his blood and he has to have that potential to one day follow in my footsteps. I won’t settle for anything less.”

Labels: DH smith, legacy, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

SmackDown Superstar Vladimir Kozlov was named “Most Overrated” in the 29th annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter readership awards announced this past week. Triple H was only 70 votes shy of winning the award for a fourth time. Triple H won the award three years in a row from 2003 to 2005. For this year’s award, here is the final voter tally:

1. VLADIMIR KOZLOV (143)1,022
2. HHH (139)953
3. Great Khali (64)583
4. Sting (38)377
5. Kevin Nash (37)374
6. Batista (32)372
7. Kane (38)332
8. C.M. Punk (34)305
9. Mr. Kennedy (29)299
10. JBL (18)197

Labels: kevin nash, triple h, Vladimir Kozlov

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

The 09 Royal Rumble is done, and it means that WrestleMania XXV is coming quickly. There are a couple of matches that seem to be already booked for the event out of last night's show, and here they are:

Randy Orton vs John Cena for the World Heavyweight Title - Orton wins the Rumble, and his new heel character w/ Legacy at his side will take the shot at Cena. These two have had plenty of matches on PPV in the past, so we'll see how they freshen this up.

Triple H vs Edge for the WWE Title - This still needs to be developed, but you can bet HHH will be in the title picture in some fashion, and with Vickie Guerrero at Edge's side, they will make HHH's life hell before he finally gets the title shot.

Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy - Out of the Rumble, the brother vs brother storyline will go forward. Most thought it would be Christian playing the role of the attacker of Jeff Hardy, but instead they will play the jealous brother storyline of Matt going after Jeff. Should be a good match, but again, we've seen it before.

Shawn Michales vs JBL - I would expect this to be a stip match to do with "Texas" (Bullrope maybe?) since both are from the Lone Star State. They have been building this for awhile, and it's the logical choice for each other to highlight the card with a match of "employee vs boss."

Undertaker vs Big Show - This has been ongoing for some time, but since they went at it during the Rumble, and eliminated each other, I can't think of another program for either of them, so it makes sense.

Money in the Bank - A Mania specialty that is always a fun match between 6-7 top WWE stars.

That's all that is a "for sure" for now, but things will start to play out as the final PPV - No Way Out will get more matches cemented as the card starts to take shape.

Labels: big show, jbl, john cena, shawn michaels, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

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

And with that, another Royal Rumble is in the books. It was sort of a bummer Rumble in my opinion, as even with the return of Rob Van Dam, the match itself was a bit lame, and you could sense for most of the match that it was a "coming out" party if you will for Legacy and more importantly - Randy Orton.

Orton's win secures what should be a title match with John Cena at WrestleMania XXV, and I wouldn't doubt that Orton wins the title this time around, and even as a heel champ, I think that they are pushing him to being one of the more hated title holders in WWE history. The issue will be the talk about Cena heading into the match, and knowing that he likely even in Houston will get his share of cat-calls from the crowd. With that, ealry on I am thinking that Orton will walk out of Houston with the belt.

On the other hand, I felt that the Edge-Jeff Hardy match will get quite a few "Match of the Year" votes. I felt this was by far the best 1-on-1 match these two have ever had, and I would love to see this one again, but it appears that that won't happen with the company throwing the curve ball between Matt and Jeff Hardy. Here are some more random thoughts from this years edition of the Royal Rumble:

1. Talk About a Bury Job of Matt Hardy - Two straight clean losses to Jack Swagger should have tipped us all off that something was going to go down between Matt and Jeff Hardy, but it seemed odd that Matt, a guy on the rise in ECW as their champion, would take two quick and clean losses to the still very green Swagger. Seems now that Swagger will be the title holder for awhile.

2. I Never Knew She was THAT Flexible - The highlight of the women's title match between Beth Phoenix and Melina had to be Beth taking Melina's OWN leg and hitting her in the head with it. A wild sight and I can honestly say a move that I have never seen before. With that, I fully expect that we'll see Phoenix and Melina in a rematch at Mania, as these are the two best women wrestlers in the company right now.

3. JBL vs HBK at Mania; Is There Any Doubt? - I'm pretty sure we can book that one right now based on the way things went in the match between John Cena and John Bradshaw Layfield. Shawn Michaels played the old "who do I take out" delima, and in the end of the day, he kicked JBL first, then Cena for good measure. While Michaels for all intensive purposes "did his job," you can see a stip match with JBL and Michaels coming in Houston.

4. Does This Mean No Christian? - All the talk about the eventual title change to Edge did happen, but the thought was it would come out that Christian, who would be making his WWE return, would be the guy behind the attacks recently on Jeff Hardy. Instead, in an angle we've seen already I think twice, Matt turned on Jeff, thus setting up what will be another "brother vs brother" feud and putting the two in a match at WM 25. Maybe we won't see Christian till after Mania.

5. The Rumble Itself was a Snoozer - Yes, I am saying it - I thought this years version of the Rumble wasn't all that great. Most of the real heavy hitters came out quickly, leaving mostly mid-card or flat our jobber guys for the second half of the Rumble. Now I realize that every year can't be a winner, but knowing that Triple H and Randy Orton were the two favorites, having them out there most of the night was kinda stale. All I can say is I hope they continue to develop Orton's character.

Now that it's over, having Orton win was pretty much the only thing they could do with the storyline set forth Monday night, and now he'll be on his way to Mania to challenge Cena. They have had plenty of matches in the past, so it will be interesting to see what they do to freshen the storyline between the two.

Labels: 2009 royal rumble, john cena, randy orton, Rob Van Dam, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

Source: www.f4wonline.com

It has been confirmed that Jim Ross will be inducting "Cowboy" Bill Watts into the WWE Hall of Fame this April. Ross worked under Watts in the Mid-South territory in the 1980s and have been close friends for a number of years.

Labels: bill watts, jim ross

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

"The Wrestler" star Mickey Rourke was at tonight's Screen Actors Guild Awards in Hollywood and spoke about a possible appearance at WrestleMania 25.

We now have confirmation that Rourke will in fact be in Houston on April 5th. PWTorch.com reports that Rourke is "officially signed" to appear at WWE's showcase event.

This evening, Rourke spoe to Access Hollywood on the red carpet and said, “The nicest thing has been the whole wrestling community embracing us. The movie was about their world.”

He continued, “The boys from the WWE called me and asked me to do it. I said, ‘I want to.’ I’m talking with [WWE legend] Rowdy Roddy Piper about it.”

Just as he did on the E! channel's pre-show, Mickey Rourke cut another promo on Chris Jericho. "Chris Jericho, you better get in shape," Rourke said. "Because I'm coming after your ass."

Labels: The Wrestler, WrestleMania XXV

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

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, braden walker

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Rock band Rev Theory posted the following announcement on their MySpace page. Read what you want into it but could they be planning some kind of celebration for Orton on next week’s RAW, the night after the Royal Rumble? The announcement:

We’re super excited to announce that we’ve been tapped to play WWE “Monday Night Raw” next Monday, January 26th in Cleveland, Ohio! We’ll be performing Randy Orton’s theme song, “Voices”, a song which features Rich on vocals, and also happens to be WWE’s biggest theme at the moment. In addition, WWE “The Music” compilation CD, which features “Voices”, drops the following day - Tuesday, Jan 27th. “Monday Night Raw” airs on the USA Network and is cable TV’s most watched program, so please be sure to tune in!!

Labels: randy orton, rev theory

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

Chris Jericho has now officially been added to the list of participants for Sunday’s Royal Rumble (along with the recent additions of Finlay, Mark Henry, and CM Punk). Here is the updated card for this Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble:

WWE Championship Match
- Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Edge

World Heavyweight Championship Match
- John Cena (c) vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield

WWE Women’s Championship Match
- Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Melina

ECW Championship Match
- Jack Swagger (c) vs. Matt Hardy

Intercontinental Championship Match:
- CM Punk (c) vs. William Regal

30-Man Royal Rumble Match

Confirmed participants: R-Truth, Carlito, The Brian Kendrick, Triple H, Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov, Shelton Benjamin, Undertaker, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, The Miz, John Morrison, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase, Santino Marella, Kane, CM Punk, Finlay, Mark Henry, and Chris Jericho.

Labels: 2009 royal rumble, jbl, jeff hardy, john cena, triple h

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

After a recent radio appearance where Hulk Hogan told Bubba The Lovesponge that he’d have no problem putting over Steve Austin at WrestleMania 25, Jim Ross was quick to update his blog stating that Austin’s wrestling days were behind him and a dream match with Hulk Hogan was no longer possible. Jason Powell reports that a source close to Hogan agrees the match is unlikely but that we still could see Hogan at the big show in April.

“Steve is in no shape to work with anybody,” said the source. “It’s impossible for him to bump and have a match.” The source acknowledged that Austin is one bad bump away from a serious injury, and noted that Hogan struggling with his own wear and tear. While the source wouldn’t completely rule out a special Hogan appearance at WrestleMania, it’s not something he’s actively persuing.

Labels: hulk hogan, steve austin, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

source: PWInsider.com

Candice Michelle wrestled as a heel in a singles match with Melina at last night's Raw/ECW house show in Madison, Wisconsin. During the match, Candice faked an injury, to the point that a referee called for medical assistance from the back. When Melina tried to check on her, Candice pulled a fast one and rolled her up for the win, but Melina kicked out. Melina finished off Candice with her signature split kick for the win. Candice played a heel throughout the match, even as she was heading to the back.

Labels: candice michelle, melina

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Prospective WWE wrestlers DH Smith and TJ Wilson stopped teaming up together at Florida Championship Wrestling shows a few weeks ago. For the past few weeks they've been competing in separate matches. They're apparently doing a break-up angle on FCW television to explain the sudden change as Wilson won a match due to Smith's help at last Thursday's television taping, but got angry afterwards for helping him cheat.

Also, Smith is no longer wearing the pink & black "Hart Foundation" attire, and has since gone back to his red & blue outfit.

For several weeks there was talk of calling up DH Smith and TJ Wilson (with Natalya as their manager) to SmackDown as The New Hart Foundation, but those plans have been called off.

A few weeks ago, Smith went to the creative team and pitched the idea that be brought on board as part of Randy Orton's Legacy faction. Smith is set to debut in The Legacy any week now.

Many backstage feel Smith was wrong to turn on Natalya as well as Wilson -- his best friend since childhood -- in order to get a bigger push on the bigger stage.

Labels: DH smith, tj wilson

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Two More big bad Texans are going to be introduced into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2009, as reports say that both Terry and Dory Funk will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. The official announcement will be made in a few weeks. That would make three men that will go into the Hall n 09 - Steve Austin and the two Funk Brothers.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, dory funk, steve austin, terry funk

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Tickets to this year's WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas have not sold out despite last week's announcement of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the top inductee. In comparison, last year's event featuring Ric Flair almost immedatiately sold out a curtained off arena. WWE also sold out the 2004 event -- the year it was brought back -- as well as the 2006 event featuring the induction of Bret Hart.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, steve austin

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: www.f4wonline.com

Several pushed for Manu to be kicked out of The Legacy, most notably, Randy Orton. The feeling is that he isn't in the same league or had the same amount of potential as others in the group, and didn't really fit in as a result. Many believe the group would be better off with Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and possibly DH Smith.

Considering that he's no longer apart of Legacy, many feel Manu may not be long for WWE.

Labels: legacy, manu, randy orton, Ted DiBiase Jr

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

WWE.com made the following announcement this evening:

Hardcore Holly released
Written: January 16, 2009

World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of Raw Superstar Bob "Hardcore" Holly as of today, January 16. WWE wishes Bob the best in all future endeavors.

Labels: hardcore holly

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Victoria, who’s final WWE match will tonight on Smackdown, posted the following on her MySpace.com account:

It’s been announced on WWE.com, so I guess I should address it. This Friday’s Smackdown is my last match with WWE. I started with the company in 2000. I have had so many once in a lifetime experiences. It’s been incredible. I was part of an era in Women’s Professional Wrestling that will never be duplicated again.

Choosing to leave was a very difficult decision. I think many of my colleagues considered me a “lifer”. That is, they thought I’d be with WWE until I was old and grey. But I was not happy with the opportunities that were available to me within WWE. And at the end of the day, there are thousands and thousands of women who would kill or die for the chance to be a WWE Diva. It isn’t right for me to fill that spot if my heart weren’t in it.

And I didn’t make a rash decision to walk away. On many occasions I pushed for the Victoria that I’d want to watch. But we were on different pages. I respect their decisions, and they are their decisions to make. Being with WWE is very time consuming. And again, with where we were at, I would rather spend more time at home.

I am a “lifer” though. That may not be WWE for life (although I will always be a fan). But I will always challenge myself. I am a competitor. As you can see from one of the pics in my photo gallery, I’ve been training in Jiu Jitsu. I started for the conditioning, but I have really excelled. It has crossed my mind to enter MMA. I’ve also been learning to DJ. I love music, and this girl has been getting her mix on. Of course I have the custom car shop, Black Widow Customs. And I haven’t ruled out the idea of jumping back in the squared circle occasionally down the road.

I am just so thankful for the experiences that I have had with WWE, for the great friends that I have made with WWE, and the best fans in the world that I have encountered because of WWE.

So what am I doing first? I’m on vacation! I’m not going to say where I am, but it’s warm, and I can look out the window and see palm trees, and I’ll be here for a couple weeks. I have been getting bombarded with requests for interviews and appearances. As for appearances, you can contact me through MySpace for now. When I decide what direction I intend to take, I will acquire appropriate representation, and will pass info along to them.

As for interview requests, several people have emailed me regarding “shoot interviews”. I would like to say this. I am a fan of the Willy Wonka movie. I won a golden ticket. I was in Willy Wonka’s Magical Chocolate Factory for nine years. If you’re looking for an Everlasting Gobstopper, don’t waste your time asking. It’s not for sale.

Finally, I want to thank all my MySpace Friends for your encouragement. I truly feel that we are friends, and I appreciate your support. I will keep blogging, and hope you all keep in touch.

Later Sweet Potaters, Lisa Marie aka Victoria : ) “

Labels: victoria

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

Stephanie McMahon’s executive assistant, Mary Blinstrubas, was cut last week. She had been with WWE since November of 2006 and was said to be pretty much incompetent and constantly sending out creative scripts via e-mail to random departments within the company, putting random people in the loop on creative before Vince McMahon even had a chance to review the shows. She would also have humorous slip ups where she would call people by the wrong name and accidentally patch in important phone calls with random extensions on the WWE board during conference calls with Vince. Mary did just about everything for Stephanie including grocery shopping, clothes shopping, relaying messages to her nanny and more. She’s probably not missing that job too much.

Labels: Mary Blinstrubas, stephanie McMahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE will be releasing its three-disc “Legends of Wrestling” DVD set on Tuesday, January 27. Here is the content listing for the DVD set:

Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Jerry “The King” Lawler & Junkyard 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.

Disc 1- Sgt. Slaughter and Ric Flair
*Legends of Wrestling panel discussion on Flair and Slaughter
*Slaughter vs. Mike Rotundo, Mid-Atlantic May 12 1982
*Texas Death Match for WWF Title - Slaughter vs. Bob Backlund, Sept. 24 1983
*Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik, April 23, 1984
*Boot Camp Match Slaughter vs. Col. DeBeers, AWA SuperClash III Dec. 13, 1988
*NWA Heavyweight Title Match - Flair vs. Lex Luger, Starrcade Dec. 26, 1988
*Thunderdome Match - Flair & Sting vs. Terry Funk & The Great Muta, Halloween Havoc Oct. 28, 1989
*Flair vs. Curt Hennig, WCW Nitro Oct. 11, 1999

Disc 2: Jerry Lawler and Junkyard Dog
*Legends of Wrestling panel discussion on Lawler and JYD
*Lawler & Jimmy Valiant vs. Kerry Von Erich & Michael Hayes - AWA Jan. 22, 1989
*Lawler vs. Roddy Piper - King of the Ring June 19, 1994
*Lawler vs. Bret Hart - In Your House May 14, 1995
*”Kiss my Foot” match Lawler vs. Bret Hart, King of the Ring June 25, 1995
*Lawler vs. Marty Garner, June 8, 1996
*Lawler vs. Owen Hart, Wrestling Challenge
*JYD & Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff, Nov. 10, 1984
*Intercontinental title match, JYD vs. Greg Valentine, Wrestlemania March 31, 1985
*Tournament Final Match, JYD vs. Randy Savage, The Wrestling Classic Nov. 7 1985
*JYD vs. Adrian Adonis, SNME March 1, 1986
*JYD vs. Harley Race, SNME Jan. 3 1987
*”Loser Must Bow” match - JYD vs. Harley Race, Wrestlemania III March 29, 1987

Disc 3: Heatseekers
*Legends of Wrestling panel discussion on “Heatseekers” in wrestling.
*The Freebirds vs. Ron Shaw, Rene Goulet & Charlie Fulton, Aug. 4, 1984
*NWA World Tag Team title match, Lex Luger & Barry Windham vs. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson, NWA Clash of the Champions March 27 1988
*Loser Leaves NWA match - The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane & Jim Cornette) vs.
Jack Victory, Randy Rose & Paul E. Dangerously, NWA Chi-Town Rumble Feb. 20 1989
*NWA U.S. champ Lex Luger vs. Michael Hayes, NWA Wrestlewar ‘89 May 7, 1989
*WCW US Title match - Scott Hall vs. Goldberg, WCW Nitro July 6, 1998
*Scott Hall vs. Kevin Nash, WCW Halloween Havoc Oct. 25, 1998
*Steel Cage match for WCW title, Vince Russo vs. Booker T, WCW Nitro, Sept. 25, 2000
*Boxing match - Buff Bagwell vs. Roddy Piper, Bash at the Beach July 11, 1999

Labels: WWE Legends of wrestling

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sources in Florida Championship Wrestling report that the next member of Randy Orton’s legacy group is scheduled to be DH Smith, son of British Bulldog. All plans for the return of The Hart Foundation with Smith, Nattie Neidhart and TJ Wilson have been scrapped for now.

Labels: DH smith, legacy, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

After new participants were announced on RAW tonight, the listing for the Royal Rumble match this month looks like this: Santino Marella, Ted DiBiase, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, John Morrison, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Shelton Benjamin, Triple H, Vladimir Kozlov and Big Show. Also, I could be wrong but it sounded like Michael Cole said Kane was confirmed for the match on RAW but he’s not listed on WWE’s site yet.

Labels: 2009 royal rumble

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

It appears that WWE is working towards referee Scott Armstrong working with Randy Orton and his Legacy group. On tonight’s RAW, Armstrong counted to three in Orton’s match with Kane when it clearly was a two count, as shown on the replays. Armstrong, who would be considered second generation, walked away from the ring like nothing had happened, ignoring Kane’s pleas.

Maybe they’re doing something with Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase employing the services of the second generation referee. Armstrong is the older son of Bob Armstrong and the brother of Brad, Steve and Brian (BG James in TNA). Armstrong has wrestled over the years but has refereed for WWE since 2006, after having stints with WCW and TNA.

Labels: kane, randy orton, scott armstrong

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

So the WWE brass has given a basic no-name in Jack Swagger the ECW Title, beating an established star in Matt Hardy. And I wonder why I don't watch ECW with much hope. Yes, the company thinks they are creating stars by giving them belts, but let's be real here, does Swagger even deserve a belt at this point in his young career?

You probably did like I did when Swagger got the three-count vs Hardy on Tuesday night - said to yourself "wow" and then simply went back to doing whatever it was you were doing. Fans don't care about wrestlers like Jack Swagger. They don't have near the charsima that main event stars do, yet they get pushed down our throats each and every week.

I'd almost rather watch Tiffany make out with Ricky Ortiz. Just kidding.

Labels: ecw, jack swagger, matt hardy, Ricky Ortiz, tiffany

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

On Wednesday the 14th The Biography Channel is re-airing the biographies of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, along with Mickey Rourke. The Hulk Hogan Biography airs at 9 p.m. and again on Thursday at 1 a.m. ET, followed By Andre the Giant. Rourke’s airs at 10 a.m., 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday.

Labels: andre the giant, hulk hogan

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

STAMFORD, CONN., January 13, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment® announced today that the most popular Superstar in the history of the WWE, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on April 4th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas during the weekend of the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the man who revolutionized an industry, holds every all-time WWE record, including live attendance, Pay-Per-View buys, licensing and merchandise.

Tickets go on sale for the Hall of Fame Ceremony this Saturday, January 17th and are available through: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office, or by calling 1-866-4HOUTIX.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall of Fame, steve austin

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

The January 12th edition of WWE RAW drew a strong 3.5 rating, up 5% from last week's 3.4. The show, which was headlined by the WrestleMania main-event-caliber match of John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels, had an average audience of 5.26 million viewers. Without the competition of Monday Night Footballl, RAW scored big in the coveted demographic of males 18-49 - up 11.3% from last week. (Source: PWTorch.com)

Labels: john cena, RAW, shawn michaels

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider.com

WWE has cut two more individuals.

Sgt. Slaughter, who has been working as a producer for WWE for the past several years, has been released from the company.

Ron Simmons has also been released. He has made sporadic appearances on television for his "Damn!" gimmick and done some promotional work for the company in the last year or so. This is the second time in which Simmons has been released from WWE, the other time taking place in March 2004.

Labels: Ron simmons, sgt.slaughter

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Examiner.com

It seems as if the economy has also hit the publicly traded World Wrestling Entertainment. Back in November when the company released their third quarter financial reports they announced that profit had slid 37 percent over the quarter and WWE CEO Linda McMahon said the company would be looking to trim $20 million from their budget. Sure enough over the next week after that announcement six on-air talents were released from their contacts. In the following weeks that followed two developmental training talents, another on-air talent and high-ranking backstage employee Bruce Pritchard were also released from the company. Older wrestling fans may remember Pritchard’s former on-air role as the evil preacher “Brother Love.”

Today, January 9, it was officially announced by the company that the releases would continue.

They sent out this following official press release to explain their actions:

WWE® Reduces Staff by 10%

World Wrestling Entertainment® today announced a 10% reduction of its staff across all areas of its global operations. This reduction will result in annual savings of approximately $8 Million in compensation and benefit costs. Additionally, the Company will incur an approximate $3 Million one-time restructuring charge in the first quarter of 2009.

The staff reduction is consistent with the Company's previous commitment to implement stronger cost controls, increase earnings and margins, and reduce its cost base by $20 million in 2009. In addition to staffing, the Company has completed a comprehensive evaluation of its operating and capital expenditures and has identified additional efficiencies. Collectively, these initiatives will strengthen the Company's financial performance.

"These efficiencies will help position the Company for the long term, by placing it in a stronger, more flexible position," said Linda McMahon, CEO, WWE. "With these actions, we believe we can execute our key strategic initiatives, including our digital strategy and international expansion, in a more profitable manner."

The layoffs wouldn’t just affect on-air talent, the usual scapegoats when it comes to employee releases, but also office personnel. It was also reported today that many high ranking office personnel who have worked for the company for a long time have been let go as well, and some of the office workers are calling this the "Titan Tower Massacre." It seems as if the company was trying to reduce their overall pay scale, so some higher paid employees were in bigger danger. Security was called to escort out laid off employees of the property.

Almost immediately after that announcement of the on-air talents began rolling out.

So far today the company has released three on-air talents: D-Lo Brown (AC O’Connor), Bam Neely (Justin LaRouche) and Val Venis (Sean Morley). The press release was buried deep in their news section. Val Venis has been working uninterrupted for the company since 1998, which was is quite an impressive length of time for a wrestler to be working at the same company.

Referees Kevin Keenan, Mike Posey and Jimmy Korderas also have all been released. Korderas has been a referee for the company since 1987.

And literally as I was typing this up, it was announced that former referee and backstage agent Tim White and wrestler Kevin Thorne (Kevin Fertig) have also been released.

Of all the releases so far, White’s has to be the biggest shock, as he was a company employee since the mid-‘80s and besides his on-air duties as a referee he served as the personal assistant/handler/best friend to Andre the Giant. He quit refereeing full-time in 2002 when he suffered a shoulder injury while officiating a cage match.

Labels: bam neely, D-Lo Brown, tim white, val venis

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: Edge: Decade of Decadence DVD

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Voices WWE The Music Vol. 9 comes out on January 27th, but you can pre-order your copy now at Amazon.com.

The track list is as follows:

1. Randy Orton "Voices"
2. Maryse "Pourquoi?"
3. Kane "Red"
4. Kung Fu Maki "Kung Fu San"
5. Kelly Kelly "Holla"
6. R-Truth "What's Up?"
7. Vladimir Kozlov "Pain"
8. The Great Khali "Land Of Five Rivers"
9. Eve "She Looks Good"
10. Jack Swagger "Get On Your Knees"
11. SmackDown Theme "If You Rock Like Me"
12. Umaga "Tribal Trouble"
13. DiBiase/Rhodes/Manu "Priceless"

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

The official promo poster for this year’s No Way Out PPV features Vladimir Kozlov behind the chains of the Elimination Chamber.

Promotional material for the PPV from InDemand reads: "Two miles of chain and ten tons of steel will surround WWE Superstars in the elimination chamber. Don't miss Triple H, John Cena, Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite Superstars at WWE No Way Out, Sunday, February 15th, live at 8PM ET/5PM PT, only on Pay-Per-View. A World Wrestling Entertainment Production."

Labels: 2009 No Way Out, chris jericho, jeff hardy, john cena, undertaker, Vladimir Kozlov

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

WGN issued a press release toting the brand new "WWE Superstars" series that will debut in April on WGN America. The weekend replay will air on Saturday afternoons and the show will probably be around for a while as WWE and WGN have signed a two-year deal. WGN's parent company The Tribune Co. is paying a license fee for the show while WWE is producing it.

Regarding the actual content of the show, it looks like it will be a showcase for the mid- to low-end performers of WWE who have trouble getting on Raw and SmackDown. "WWE Superstars" is being billed as a "first-run" series, indicating it will not be a recap/magazine style of show, which pretty much leaves it being a program featuring all-new matches. Also, the show will feature Superstars and Divas from all three brands, so it won't be a brand exclusive show such as Heat and Velocity.

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: www.f4wonline.com

An angle involving Jeff Hardy and his fiancée Beth will be inserted into this Friday's edition of SmackDown. WWE is doing an angle where Hardy and his fiancée are injured in a hit-and-run auto accident in the WWE Champion's hometown of Cameron, North Carolina. Christian Cage will likely be revealed as the perpetrator when the time comes to be. Jeff will be okay, but his fiancée will apparently be seriously injured in the storyline. The angle is a bit surprising as Hardy's fiancée has always wanted to be out of the spotlight.

Labels: Christian Cage, jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

As announced on tonight’s RAW by Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon will finally be making his return to RAW in two weeks as RAW comes live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on January 19th.

It appears they are building to a big showdown between Vince and Stephanie for control over RAW, and maybe Shane will fit in there somewhere. Vince has been off TV since June of last year.

Labels: chris jericho, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWEShop.com has put the WWE: The Music Vol 9 CD up for pre-sale. It will officially be released on Tuesday, January 27. Here is the official track listing, as confirmed by WWE. It’s a bit different from the original one we had.

1. Randy Orton “Voices”
2. Maryse “Pourquoi?”
3. Kane “Red”
4. Kung Fu Maki “Kung Fu San”
5. Kelly Kelly “Holla”
6. R-Truth “What’’s Up?”
7. Vladimir Kozlov “Pain”
8. The Great Khali “Land Of Five Rivers”
9. Eve “She Looks Good”
10. Jack Swagger “Get On Your Knees”
11. SmackDown Theme “If You Rock Like Me”
12. Umaga “Tribal Trouble”
13. DiBiase/Rhodes/Manu “Priceless”

Labels: WWE: The Music Vol 9

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jeff Hardy no showed last night’s WWE Smackdown house show in Alexandria, Louisiana despite being advertised for an appearance. Fans were told that Jeff Hardy couldn’t attend but were treated with an Undertaker vs. Big Show steel-cage match. Jeff Hardy last worked the main event of Saturday’s house show in Tyler, Texas against Edge. As noted last night, Hardy was backstage at last night’s RAW in New Orleans.

Labels: big show, jeff hardy, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestlescoop.com

Batista is expected to return around June. He underwent surgery for a partial hamstring tendon on December 26, 2008. There is still no clear indication when the injury occurred, however WWE is using the storyline that it happened during his match with John Cena at SummerSlam.

Labels: batista

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

For people wondering where MVP's losing streak is going, he was told it will result in a babyface turn at the conclusion of the storyline. MVP is now accepting of the angle with the rationale that he can protect his body because he's not supposed to have stellar matches during the losing streak, which means less physical risks.

Labels: MVP, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:43 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

According to sources, WWE has already started the creative process of the return of Christian. Edge will cost Jeff Hardy the title, and reveal Christian as the "mystery person" who attacked Jeff the morning of Survivor Series. Triple H vs. Edge and Jeff Hardy vs. Christian is the current plan for WrestleMania 25. Jeff will get a chance to win back his title at WrestleMania by winning the Royal Rumble or in an Elimination Chamber at No Way Out against Edge, but will pass on the title shot for a grudge match against Christian.

There has been no confirmation of Christian signing with WWE, but the belief from people within TNA and WWE is that he will return to the company.

Labels: wrestlemania 25, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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

Jim Ross is back with another update at his website, jrsbarbq.com. Some of the highlights from this entry:

- Signs at wrestling events…..we have established that I am not a member or the “sign police” of the WWE….I also do not make policy as to what signs are allowed to appear on the WWE’s TV shows in the arenas that the WWE rents for production of these broadcasts. If it were up to me and the signs were not profane and of bad taste, I would not confiscate any of them. Some of you said I was the “face of wrestling” which is really scary in itself. I am “not worthy” nor do I consider myself such.

- PG rated wrestling shows…..that ’s what the WWE is offering and that’s what my primary area of concern is because that who employs me and pays me. I personally like the PG ratings for many reasons. Selfishly, now my daughter will allow her 5 and 3 year old daughters to watch their grandpa on Friday nights because the program content isn’t as edgy and doesn’t have to be constantly monitored or at least monitored as closely.

- Sports Illustrated…I have subscribed to S.I. longer than I am sure many of you have been alive…I am not planning on canceling my subscription either but S.I. was in the wrong when they inferred that Mick Foley was a role model for the Mickey Rourke character in the film “The Wrestler.” I am not “damning” S.I. but the writer simply did not do his home work and unfortunately some readers will accept his account of watching the film with Foley as factual. The writer was wrong and will hopefully address his errors but I’m not holding my breath.

- Really sad to hear about Joanie “Chyna” Lauer’s recent troubles. I am thankful she is alive after apparently overdosing on her birthday. I truly hope Joanie gets more professional help, the WWE is an option for her, with whatever issues she has and find true happiness in her life. I’m not sure that her kind of happiness is going to be found in Tinseltown. Joanie was always so health conscious when she was on the WWE roster and the reports about her issues the past several years have been personally troubling to me. She had many challenges in her life LONG before she arrived in the WWE which I honestly feel are at the root of her problems today. Nonetheless, I am no Dr. Phil but I do hope that Joanie gets better and finds a vocation that is personally rewarding to her.

Labels: chyna, jim ross

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

From: WrestleScoop.com

New WWE Divas Champion Maryse suffered a dislocated knee cap injury at the Smackdown brand house show in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was taken backstage on a stretcher during the ordeal. Fortunately for Maryse, her injury is not nearly as severe as initially believed, so she won’t be forfeiting her newly won Divas Championship. Smackdown announcer Jim Ross posted the latest edition of SmackDown This! on the WWE Universe site today and said Maryse “suffered a dislocated kneecap recently but isn’t expected to miss much ring time.”

Labels: maryse

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments