Tommy Dreamer has posted a new blog on the WWE Universe site talking about tonight’s ECW tapings at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Dreamer says that tonight may be his last match at the Garden and mentions that he has been thinking of something to do for tonight’s show. Here’s part of the blog:

Today ECW televison will be filmed from the sacred halls of Madison Square Garden. MSG has been the mecca in sports entertainment since it was contructed. This is the place where careers were made and some of my greatest childhood memories originated. I was there when Jimmy Snuka dove off the steel cage. when the Iron Sheik ended Bob Backlund’s five plus year title reign. I was there for the birth of Hulkamania a month later. I rose to my feet every time WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel would announce the next months card returning to the Garden and would be so excited to hear what great matches were coming back. Even better when I would hear the Fink say and the winner and your NEWWWWWWW Champion. I would watch every three hour show if I couldn,t get tickets on MSG. I was jumping for joy when Mr.T hopped the railing to defend Cyndi Lauper and wanted to help him when he got jumped by Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Thank god The Hulkster came to his aid cause a 13 year old Tommy Dreamer would have done some damage(not at all but in my mind I would have) I was rewarded for good grades in school with the first ever Wrestlemania tickets. The excitement of going up the escalators and seeing the Garden filling with people is amazing.

In my own personal career, wrestling in MSG has been a dream. Performing there after 9/11, tearing down the house with Rob Van Dam in the last ever Hardcore Title match, and the greatest two minutes of my life the Royal Rumble. I realize all of this because as time approaches, this may be my last performance in MSG. I hope it isn’t but what a ride, I would love to have a Lou Gehrig leaving as a Yankee moment. I am really trying to think of something special to do tonight, so if you can please watch. It is real televison a boyhood dream quite possibly coming to an end and not regretting a single thing.

Labels: tommy dreamer

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

The finale of Backlash is upon us, as it's the "Last Man Standing" match with John Cena taking on Edge. Here's our thoughts on this final match to wrap up yet another WWE PPV.

Matt: A VERY cool ending to a match that seemed to drag on forever, the Last Man Standing you knew was going to have some cool spots, but it was good to see they saved the best for last. The Big Show choke slam through the spotlight was very well done, and it looked great on TV. The match was the usual long, dragged out with a number of near 10 counts, but in the end, you knew that Edge needed to get this belt back so SmackDown would have someone to call champion.

It seemed to be a pretty scary shot through the spotlight, and even on the replay, it seemed there was no real way to protect Cena when he took the slam. Let's hope that he's okay, but at the same time, I think we're heading for a big Cena-Show feud, while Edge starts a showdown with someone on SmackDown. Who that is will be anyone's guess.

John: Well we got our payoff for watching this lackluster pay per view. On a evening of average matches, and that is being generous, we saw a fantastic main event. It started slowly, but one had to see that coming as they has plenty of time to fill out for this show. But the momentum grew and the action started to pick up in the ring. But they saved the best for last as they took it outside, and in the stands. It started with Edge getting tossed into the front row from the announce table. Then we went into the crowd, out into the concourse and back to the stage. Here it ended with Cena being tossed into a spotlight via the Big show and Edge walking away with the win. You knew Edge would win as they need a major belt on Smack Down, but this finish was unpredictable. It matches like this that will pick up interest in the WWE again. This match harkens back to the Attitude era when ECW was forcing major brands to up the ante in order to keep fan interest.

Labels: 2009 backlash, edge, john cena

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

One of the two main events was the 5th match of Backlash 2009, as Shane McMahon, Batista and Triple H took on Legacy. Here's our thoughts on this co-main event.

Matt: Well, I guess that means that the HHH win at Mania means nothing, and that was the way it should have been. Orton was on a roll going into Mania, but they couldn't allow it to end on a sour note, so they allowed HHH to get a win that in the end - means little. Now we have real drama, as they are going to push Orton as the champion, Batista and HHH as contenders, and likely we'll see some sort of three-way with Orton having to fight off Batista and HHH for the next few months.

Overall, this match was pretty lacking, as really Legacy and Shane meant little, and it really all came down to Orton, Batista and HHH. Now they will play off HHH getting punted, which is pretty lame since he didn't take the kick flush, but whatever. In the end, we knew they had to give the strap to Orton, problem is, I think it came about 21 days too late.

John: We have a new WWE champ and most likely will see a title quest between Triple H and Batista for Orton's crown. I think everyone saw the possibility of Batista messing up H's title defense as a program between those two has been long rumored. The question is how will all three men factor in and will Batista go heel. This match for all its hype though was a bit slow till the end. It picked up once all the competitors started to take each other out and leave just Orton and Triple H alone in the ring.

They had trouble developing the other wrestlers as they really had no other connection to each other. Legacy only was there to help Orton, but Shane, Batista and Hunter all had their beef solely with Orton. I felt they could have played up the fact that the other men's actions could have cost both Triple H and Orton the title, that would have spiced up the match more than what we saw.

Labels: 2009 backlash, batista, randy orton, shane mcmahon, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

Brother vs Brother was on display once again on Backlash, as Matt Hardy took on Jeff Hardy in an "I Quit" match in the fourth match of the night. Here's our breakdown of the battle.

Matt: Ok, as expected, the best match by far to this point. A little goofy at the end, but overall this was a pretty good match. The focal point as of late has been on Jeff leaving the company, but in the end of this one, they made him look strong, so I wonder if he's having second thoughts. I can't see this thing going on, but you never know, I could see Matt getting one more piece of his brother, and having a cage or some crazy blow off TLC match at "Extreme Rules."

John: For a match that should feature brutality in order to make the opposition quit, we would not be treated to such actions tonight. It took way too long to get to a poor ending. We saw multiple submission moves in order to get the desired results that culminated in Jeff tying Matt to a table. Matt wold beg for mercy and quit, but Jeff would leap frog off a ladder onto the trapped brother. This should end this feud and by the looks of it there is no more gas leff in this tank.

Labels: 2009 backlash, jeff hardy, matt hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match three at the 2009 Backlash showcased two "Money in the Bank" grapplers, as Kane took on C.M. Punk. Here's our breakdown of the match with Matt and John.

Matt: Well, this seemed more like a match on RAW than a PPV match. Born out of the "for no specific reason" file, we had Kane and CM Punk go at it in what was an okay match, that in the end they gave to Kane with an impressive chokeslam. What bothers me is this match means nothing, and the only thing I can think of is they are going to keep this feud going with a couple of stip matches. Both guys worked well, but I can say three matches in that this PPV is clearly not worth $40.

John: This match was one of those that should have been saved for Raw or Smack Down. A bit of a slow one as it was a slug fest between Punk and the lumbering Kane. There was little back story for this match and it showed as the crowd really just watched because there was nothing better to do. I'm not sure what the win will do for Kane as he has been a filler wrestler at best over the past couple years. Can't see this grouping going on much longer as there is nothing at stake.

Labels: 2009 backlash, c.m. punk, kane

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match two at Backlash saw legend Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat take on Chris Jericho. Here's our analysis on the match from Matt Loede and John Sefcik:

Matt: Okay, as much as I think Ricky Steamboat has shown MORE than enough to get back into the ring since his WM outing, I hope this is the last of it. Jericho is way to good to be involved in a feud with a senior wrestler, and it's time for him to get into a bigger and better feud with a real WWE superstar. He's now on SmackDown, and he should be right back into a main event feud with someone.

This feud with the legends and Jericho has grown stale. If you remember when Randy Orton did it sometime ago, it ended with a loss to Hulk Hogan. I'm glad to see that they didn't give Steamboat a cheap win, and instead let Jericho hopefully keep some needed momentum with a win.

John: This should have been the match we saw at Mania instead of the Micky Rourke fiasco. Match started off pretty good but got very sloppy at the end. Terrible pin attempts followed by a weak figure four by Steamboat and a various display of other lame moves. It does look like we will not see anymore of Steamboat, which is fine. He put on a good show but he knows his limitations and will not put himself in embarrassing situations.

Labels: 2009 backlash, chris jericho, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

It was match one at Backlash on Sunday, as ECW Champ Jack Swagger took on Christian for the ECW strap. Here's our coverage from co-editors Matt Loede and John Sefcik.

Matt: Not a bad opener for what looks to be a crappy card. Both guys worked pretty hard, and while they have met before, this was probably their best match. I felt all along that they were going to get the belt to Chirstian, so this was not much of a shock. ECW is always out there in no man's land, and after what was a pretty good opener, we'll see if he can hold it and if he gains any momentum for the lackluster brand.

John:Not a bad start I guess. Nothing special about the match, but it pulled off its job of starting the pay per view. Will Christian finally bring some excitement to ECW, a job Matt Hardy failed to accomplish while champ? The roster of ECW still needs some talent infused into it and I really don't see Christian sticking around much longer. Especially with his run in with Edge backstage. Look for a summer feud with these two and Swagger to become ECW champ again.

Labels: 2009 backlash, Christian, jack swagger

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

The promoters of the RAW tour in May of Mexico were upset that Rey Mysterio was drafted to SmackDown because they had promoted the tour around him. WWE has put out new cards this week for the Mexico tour and Mysterio is booked. Another name on the tour is Umaga, which is interesting. The 5/27 show in Monterrey has Triple H vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Title, John Cena vs. Umaga for the World Title and Batista and Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. The 5/28 show in Monterrey has Triple H, Batista and John Cena vs. Legacy, and Rey Mysterio vs. Umaga for the Intercontinental Title. The 5/29 show in Santa Maria has Triple H vs. Orton, Batista vs. DiBiase and Rhodes and Mysterio vs. Umaga. The 5/30 show in Mexico City has Triple H and Batista vs. Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase plus Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy. For some reason Cena is off the last two shows of the tour.

Labels: rey mysterio

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

Although the talks only appear to be very preliminary, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Kurt Angle’s name has been brought up within WWE and it appears the company could be making a play to bring him back later this year.

Angle, who turns 41 this December, could be faced with a big decision if he is approached by WWE about a return. His wife Karen was said to be a major force behind him leaving WWE and now she is no longer a factor with the two splitting up recently. The negative is that Angle is still pretty banged up and is much smaller than when he left WWE in 2006.

While many feel his size could work against him, the belief is that WWE would give him an easier schedule and he would make more money. Angle has dropped a ton of weight in the last couple years, and tells friends he is much more comfortable this way. The plus to staying with TNA is that he is always guaranteed a top spot, his size will never be an issue and even if WWE offers him an easier schedule it will never be as easy on him physically as the TNA schedule is. The general opinion on Angle is that the smartest thing he could do is stay in TNA, but Angle’s career is also coming to a close and the possibility of an increase in pay becomes even more important at that stage of his career.

Labels: kurt angle

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross is back with yet another blog update this weekend over at jrsbarbq.com. Here are some of the highlights:

- Backlash feels like a “sleeper” PPV & will likely bring with it some surprises.The match that may plesantly surprise us is the Steamboat-Jericho bout. I’m approaching this (unofficially) as Ricky’s last 1 on 1 bout. I have loved his work for years and admire him as an honorable man & one of the best fan favorites ever. Chris Jericho is the perfect opponent for “The Dragon” which makes this match even more intriging to me as a fan.

- I’ve been traveling some recently w/ Matt Striker on the road which I enjoy. Matt is a real student of the biz who wants to learn his craft. Plus, he’s a good “wheel man.” We’ll make our way to NYC after Backlash.

- I was hoping to hook up w/ JBL while in NYC but John is out of town next week. He did give me some BBQ joints to try. John is busy building his businesses which could include doing business w/ JR’s Family BBQ down the road.

- After this coming week, specifically Tuesday nite at MSG when MVP faces Dolph Ziggler for the U.S. Title, it looks as if WWE is going to be really serious about the brand separation. I hope that assumption is accurate. I like giving more talents the opportunity to become stars.

- I’m anxious to see what our announcer assignments will be for Backlash. Several bouts intrige me on what I perceive to be a largely “wrestling heavy” event. Backlash is sold out as is Monday’s Raw in Bridgeport and Smackdown Tuesday in MSG.

Labels: jim ross, matt striker, smackdown

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

Taz is in fact heading to TNA and is expected to begin working as Samoa Joe's advisor. Sources have confirmed that Taz does in fact have a non-compete clause with WWE, and once it expires he will be able to appear on camera. There’s no word on the length of his non-compete agreement, but he is clearly being teased for a TNA debut. ProWrestling.net reports that he will enter the company as an advisor or manager for Joe, and will likely make a transition to the broadcast booth as a color commentator at some point.

It remains to be seen where Don West fits into the long-term picture of the broadcast team. Multiple sources claim that Jeff Jarrett and Mike Tenay have spoken out against the idea of using a three-man broadcast team in the past. West may have more value as a backstage pitch man than a color commentator, but Jeff Jarrett has resisted past pushes from others within the company to shake up the broadcast team. More than one source has stated that while Dixie Carter likes West personally, she is not a fan of his performance as a color commentator. There also may be a chance that Jarrett and Tenay would change their tune regarding a three-man team if it meant keeping West onboard.

Labels: tazz, tna

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestlingObserver.com

As previously noted, Chris Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat has been added to the Backlash card. This is a complete 180 on the mindset of last week, when WWE told everyone not to even mention Steamboat’s name on the air because he was done as a character.

Labels: 2009 backlash, chris jericho, ricky steamboat

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

SmackDown wrestler Rey Mysterio was unmasked twice during a match with Chris Jericho at a SmackDown/ECW live event held in Scotland on Saturday night.

The first instance occurred when his mask slipped off during the match with Mysterio covering his face in front of the audience while Jericho yelled at the referee. Subsequently, Mysterio went under the ring to put his mask back on when it fell off a second time after he was whipped into a turnbuckle. Prior to the match, Jericho did a promo saying he would take Mysterio’s mask off, although the second time appeared to be accidental. On the second occasion, his face was exposed for a few seconds before he went under the name to put it back on.

Labels: chris jericho, rey mysterio

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

In an interview featured in the latest issue of WWE Magazine, Randy Orton reveals why he kicked Manu out of Legacy.

“Respect, that’s something that Manu, who had a chance to be part of Legacy, didn’t have,” Orton told WWE Magazine. “He grew up in the business, and you would’ve thought he’d have that ingrained in his mind. He had been wrestling since his early teens, and he thought that he was already a veteran in his early 20s. That’s what got him fired from Legacy. But I think we’re looking to include another part man in the stable to make it all the more powerful. I’ll say no more.”

While Orton’s comments appear to be in-character, they are apparently not as the interview was a non-kayfabe interview with the members of Legacy discussing their real-life aspirations for the group, their families’ lineage, what makes the group different than other groups of the past, and more.

Behind the scenes, it is known that Orton legitimately pushed for Manu to be kicked out of the group, feeling he wasn’t in the same league as the other members, and didn’t fit in as a result. WWE officials apparently agreed as the son of WWE Hall of Famer Afa was booted from the group in an angle that aired on the January 12, 2009 edition of Raw. Manu’s departure from the group ultimately led to his release from World Wrestling Entertainment as the company didn’t have anything else for him once they opted against sending him back down to developmental.

Labels: legacy, manu, randy orton

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

SmackDown wrestler Jeff Hardy has handed in his notice to World Wrestling Entertainment. He has three months left on his contract and is refusing to sign an extension.

It's being said that he is very burned out and looking to do some other things outside of wrestling, so there is a very good possibility that he won’t be renewing his contract when it comes due this summer. This could explain his losses to his brother in recent weeks.

More details on this story as it develops.

Labels: jeff hardy

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

One of the main reasons the time limits were enforced in a more strict fashion at this year's 2009 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is because the original idea was that by booking the show to start at 6:00 p.m. local time that they would have had until 9:30 p.m. to finish the show for the airing on the USA Network since it would air at 11:00 p.m. ET (10:00 p.m. CT).

However, two weeks before the show USA decided to move the start time from 11:00 p.m. ET to 10:00 p.m. ET cutting an hour off the time they thought they would originally have to edit and get the show ready for airing. In previous year's the show aired in the 11:00 p.m. ET timeslot on USA. As a result, the WWE crew was intent on not having the show still taking place as the TV show started on USA since the network only wanted a one hour show and not go any longer.

This is why many live reports from the show noted how much more strict they were with time limits this year then in the past. Some have suggested the company look into running the show on the Friday night of WrestleMania weekend instead of Saturday night giving them enough time to edit the show and give the inductees as much time as they would like to talk. It should be noted that the WrestleMania 25 DVD will include the full 2009 Hall of Fame ceremony along with extended interviews conducted with inductees over the weekend.

Labels: 2009 WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

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

Jim Ross has posted his latest random thoughts blog, which you can read in its entirety at the following link. Here are some of the highlights:

-- On Todd Grisham comparing Tommy Dreamer to the Brooklyn Brawler during Raw: Todd Grisham and your truly, to a lesser degree, have been taken to task by some fans of Tommy Dreamer for remarks made Monday night on Raw. I had mentioned that Dreamer was a legend and particularly an ECW Legend when Todd with tongue in cheek said if Tommy was a legend then so was the Brooklyn Brawler of which I agreed. Brawler has worked for WWE 26 years without being fired once which is in wrestling is astonishing. Bottom line is that I have great respect for Dreamer and for Brawler. It isn't just guys who have headlined major PPV's or have toured the world as NWA Champion back in the day that deserve to be called a legend or who have earned respect from their peers. Both Dreamer and Brawler have made significant contributions in their own way to wrestling and my hat is off to both of them. Many times on TV things are said for entertainment purposes only and are merely attempts at humor and, honestly, some times our best efforts fall short. Please take attempts at wrestling humor and tongue in cheek remarks with a grain of salt or, better said, "Lighten Up Francis."

-- Not changing brands this year in the WWE Draft: I am pleased that no changes were made in the announcing teams during Draft Week. I enjoy the schedule that Friday Night Smackdown provides me on a personal level not to mention that I love the challenge of elevating the perception of the Friday night broadcast as it relates to the "pecking order" of WWE TV programs. I'm not naive enough to think that Raw will never be any thing but the #1 TV priority in WWE but I do think that SD can and has closed the gap. The SD roster is dotted with some extremely athletic and young talents who have the opportunity to enhance their WWE stock on MyNetworkTV's highest rated broadcast.

-- A Hardy gets stitches thanks to his own brother: WWE sold out two nights in the same arena in Dublin to the tune of over $1.4M for the doubleheader. Cologne, Germany this week did a whopping $800K at the box office with over 10,000 fans in attendance. Matt Hardy had to have some stitches thanks to his brother Jeff at the Cologne event.

-- The title situation in WWE: Some are writing us about both major titles in WWE being on Raw. That was the case last year after the Draft except it was Smackdown who had both titles. One would assume that matter will work itself out in time but if not the show will still go on.

-- Hulk Hogan's latest antics: Why isn't Hulk Hogan's friends telling him to simply "lay low BROTHER" and stop making statements to the media? Hulk should consider apologizing for his "O.J. remarks" and then get off the radar for a while. Might just be me and I could be wrong but It almost seems as if Hulk's attorney is looking to become a "star" in this unfortunate divorce case that seems to become magnified weekly.

Labels: hulk hogan, jim ross

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

Bishop and Douch are broke. They've hit rock bottom. While Douch seeks employment, in Bishop's mind there's only one soloution.

Labels: the rock

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

A total of 36 WWE Superstars changed brands following Monday's live Draft on Raw and today's Supplemental Draft on WWE.com. Here is a complete breakdown of all the moves.

Superstars Joining Raw (+15)
» Big Show
» Brie Bella
» Carlito
» Chavo Guerrero
» Festus
» Hornswoggle
» Maryse
» Matt Hardy
» Montel Vontavious Porter
» Mr. Kennedy
» Nikki Bella
» Primo
» The Brian Kendrick
» The Miz
» Triple H

Superstars Joining SmackDown (+15)
» Alicia Fox
» Candice Michelle
» Charlie Haas
» Chris Jericho
» CM Punk
» Dolph Ziggler
» John Morrison
» JTG
» Kane
» Layla
» Melina
» Mike Knox
» Rey Mysterio
» Ricky Ortiz
» Shad

Superstars Joining ECW (+6)
» DH Smith
» Ezekiel Jackson
» Hurricane Helms
» Natalya
» Vladimir Kozlov
» Zack Ryder

Superstars Leaving Raw (-12)
» Candice Michelle
» Charlie Haas
» Chris Jericho
» CM Punk
» Dolph Ziggler
» JTG
» Kane
» Layla
» Melina
» Mike Knox
» Rey Mysterio
» Shad

Superstars Leaving SmackDown (-19)
» Big Show
» Brie Bella
» Carlito
» Chavo Guerrero
» DH Smith
» Ezekiel Jackson
» Festus
» Hurricane Helms
» Maryse
» Matt Hardy
» Montel Vontavious Porter
» Mr. Kennedy
» Natalya
» Nikki Bella
» Primo
» The Brian Kendrick
» Triple H
» Vladimir Kozlov
» Zack Ryder

Superstars Leaving ECW (-5)
» Alicia Fox
» Hornswoggle
» John Morrison
» Ricky Ortiz
» The Miz

Labels: carlito, matt hardy, MVP, nikki bella, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE officials are said to be very high on Divas Champion Maryse due to her personality, hence her move to Raw during the live draft on Monday night. Fellow Raw Diva Beth Phoenix is expected to turn babyface soon, leading into a key singles program between the two.

As reported earlier, many of the participants in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania were none to pleased with how the bout ultimately turned out. There was a sense of disappointment afterwards for many of the participants in the match as they felt like they were never even there. While it's highly unlikely that anyone will come out and say it publicly (at least by anyone under contract or looking to come back), there were those at the hotel after the show talking about it.

Labels: beth phoenix, maryse

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

The well-documented war of words between Hulk and Linda Hogan has taken an ugly turn. The New York Post has some quotes from a recent interview Hogan did with Rolling Stone magazine where he talks about understanding how O.J. Simpson could [allegedly] murder his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

Linda Hogan walked out on Hogan last year, filed for divorce, forced him out of his $18 million mansion, allegedly started spending the couple’s money at the rate of $40,000 a month and is dating “some shaggy-haired pool boy 30 years her junior.”

Hogan tells Rolling Stone, “I could have turned everything into a crime scene, like OJ, cutting everybody’s throat. You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can’t go to anymore, you’re driving through downtown Clearwater and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife . . . I totally understand OJ. I get it.”

Labels: hulk hogan, linda hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here’s the second promotional poster released for WWE’s Judgment Day pay-per-view, a more generic one. The first poster was released last week and features Edge in a courtroom setting.

Labels: 2009 judgement day, edge

Posted by Matt Loede at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here’s the full content listing for WWE’s Greatest Stars of the 1990’s DVD which hits stores this Tuesday. The three-disc set focuses on WCW and WWE talents from the 90’s and is hosted by the recently departed Tazz in what is his final WWE project.

DISC ONE

Tazz - Introduction

Shawn Michaels

From the Smallest Champion to the Largest

Yokozuna

Samoan Culture

The Rock

Drawing the Casual Fan

Women of the 90s

Tough and Sexy

Kevin Nash

Battle for Superstardom

Owen Hart

Fun Filled Memories

Ric Flair

Infamous Figure

Mick Foley

The Quest for Success

Not So Great Stars of the 90s

The Reinvention

Hulk Hogan

Attitude and Controversy

Triple H

Technical Savvy

Bret Hart

Pop Culture Phenomenon

Vince McMahon / Eric Bischoff / Paul Heyman

The Total Package

Lex Luger

The IT Factor

Sting

The Bad Guy

Razor Ramon

Respect

The Undertaker

A Rebel

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Tazz - Close

Extras

• Razor Ramon – Restaurant Vignette
July 11, 1992

• The Undertaker Builds a Coffin for Yokozuna
December 1993

• Bret Hart – New Generation Vignette
July 1994

• Owen Hart Inside a Steel Cage
August 20, 1994

• Shawn Michaels Press Conference Before WrestleMania XI
February 28, 1995

• Hunter Hearst Helmsley - “Riff Raff”
April 15, 1995

• Mankind – “And God Created Mankind”
January 6, 1996

• Scott Hall & Kevin Nash N.W.O. Vignette
August 19, 1996

• The Hart Foundation Reunites
March 31, 1997

• D-Generation X Reenacts the Montreal Incident
November 24, 1997

• The Rock Reads Steve Austin’s Eulogy
April 19, 1999

• Steve Austin remembers the Shockmaster

DISC TWO

Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden - November 30, 1991

WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
Survivor Series - November 25, 1992

WWE Championship Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
King of the Ring - June 13, 1993

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart
WrestleMania X - March 20, 1994

Intercontinental Championship Match
Diesel vs. Razor Ramon
Superstars – April 13, 1994

International World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sting vs. Vader
Slamboree – May 22, 1994

WWE Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Diesel
Royal Rumble – January 22, 1995

WWE Women’s Championship Match
Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano
Monday Night Raw – April 3, 1995

DISC THREE

Triple Header Match
Shawn Michaels & Diesel vs. Yokozuna & British Bulldog
In Your House – September 24, 1995

#1 Contender Match
Owen Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
In Your House – February 18, 1996

WWE Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Vader
SummerSlam – August 18, 1996

Steel Cage Match
Mankind vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
SummerSlam – August 3, 1997

WCW Championship Match
Lex Luger vs. Hulk Hogan
Monday Nitro – August 4, 1997

WWE Championship Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker
SummerSlam – August 30, 1998

United States Championship Match
Sting vs. Bret Hart
Halloween Havoc – October 25, 1998

Strap Match
Triple H vs. The Rock
Fully Loaded – July 25, 1999

Labels: bret hart, hulk hogan, lex lugar, sting, triple h

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

In the first-ever Stretcher Match on Friday Night SmackDown this week, Jeff Hardy faced his own brother in an emotion-charged battle. Just like their Extreme Rules Match at WrestleMania XXV, it was Matt who walked away victorious. Following the match, Matt sent his own brother hurling back down the ramp, causing the stretcher to smash into the ring below. The feud between Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy was expected to be a short-term deal, so last night’s Stretcher Match was more than likely the blow-off to the program.

In a behind the scenes tidbit regarding their match at WrestleMania, privately, the two brothers were expecting to steal the show, even with Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels on the card. However, they were also given the caveat that it depended on if they were given enough time to do so. Ultimately, their match only lasted 13 minutes.

Labels: jeff hardy, matt hardy, shawn michaels, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

Batista recently approached company officials to inform them he was way ahead of schedule with his physical therapy and ready to get back in the mix of things as soon as possible. This explains why he was brought back to television last Monday. Batista has been working out at Florida Championship Wrestling’s headquarters in Tampa to get rid of some of his ring rust.

Before going down with an injury last year, he was said to be on the verge of burnout and had asked for some time off from the road. However, several other wrestlers were dealing with injuries of their own so company officials kept asking him to put off his time off from the road. In December, Batista incurred a hamstring injury, which forced WWE to shoot an angle for him to get his time off.

While the Raw Superstar looked bigger in his return than he has in quite some time, he was noticeably limping and at his age, returning to action before he is 100% ready could be a bad move in the long run.

Labels: batista, randy orton

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE did indeed offer Ric Flair the job of SmackDown General Manager before giving it to Teddy Long. Word is that they offered him $250,000 a year to come back as a full-time regular but Flair turned it down because it was far less than the amount of money he is making doing what he is doing these days on his own. Besides Flair, WWE creative also talked about giving the SmackDown General Manager role to Dusty Rhodes. Stephanie called Dusty about doing the job. Dusty has been working in Tampa, FL with the developmental territory at FCW and left the WWE creative team because he didn’t like all the traveling at his age and size.

Labels: ric flair, teddy long

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

WWE’s corporate website has released its monthly Key Performance Indicators report, revealing how No Way Out performed in terms of pay-per-view buys.

Initial estimates for the annual February pay-per-view have the show doing 164,000 domestic buys and 274,000 worldwide for a show headlined by two Elimination Chamber Matches with both World Championships at stake, a No Holds Barred Match pitting Randy Orton against Shane McMahon, and Shawn Michaels vs. JBL for The Heartbreak Kid’s chance at freedom.

The numbers have to be considered disappointing as this year’s show suffered a 25% worldwide and 32% domestic drop from last year despite house show business and ratings still going strong. In comparison, last year’s show drew 365,000 worldwide buys and 241,000 domestic for a show that also had two Elimination Chamber Matches (with Wrestlemania title shots at stake), plus two major title matches with Edge vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship and Randy Orton vs. John Cena with the WWE Championship on the line.

Labels: 2009 No Way Out

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

It is believed that the concept of the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania was born out of the big reaction Trish Stratus received when they were in Toronto for Raw last December. They figured to follow it up with her at the annual show, under the guise of bringing a number of female performers back.

Unfortunately for company officials, Stratus, Amy “Lita” Dumas and Wendi Richter — the three big names they wanted to bring back — all declined. In Richter’s case, it is believed that at her age, she didn’t want to be put in a position to be embarrassed body wise by being compared to the women of today. Richter is 47 years old and understandably looks nothing like she how she used to look during her heyday in the mid-1980s.

Stratus must have peeved some people off during negotiations as there were some negative things said about the seven-time Women’s Champion amongst management during WrestleMania weekend over her not being there.

Labels: trish stratus

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

Jim Ross has updated his WWE Universe blog. Among the items of interest:

On WrestleMania: I always enjoy Wrestlemania week as it provides me with the opportunity to reacquaint with old friends that I have not seen quite often since the last Wrestlemania. I don't really get too wrapped up in how many "stars" the critics in the "media" give specific Wrestlemania bouts or even the event in general. Everyone has the right to their opinion and it is simply a sign of the times for folks to over analyze things in today's world.

On Drinking With Steve Austin: I loved having a final "wrestling beer" with Stone Cold and, for the record, I did keep the beer can which will go into some kind of display for one of our BBQ joints in the near future. I did get significant beer on my hat but I enjoyed every minute of it. The King strongly dislikes getting beer on him which I find amusing especially on Sunday when his entire wardrobe was rented.

On Ricky Steamboat: How good is Ricky Steamboat, STILL? Aside from HBK and 'Taker this week, no one stood out more than did Ricky Steamboat in the ring. The young, WWE wrestlers can learn a heck of a lot by watching and listening to "The Dragon."

On Tazz Leaving: Speaking of Smackdown, my pal Tazz got a little burned out from all the travel, etc and has left WWE. Todd Grisham joins yours truly this Friday night at the announce desk. I will move to another role going forward on WWE TV broadcasts much like my role was at Wrestlemania 25. I will be doing more analyzing or color commentary than my old role of doing play by play. Who in the heck knows what's going to happen after this Monday's Draft? Based on my personal experiences from last year's Draft in San Antonio, I am prepared for any thing. Maybe I can cut a lucrative, free agent deal down in Florida at FCW.

Labels: jim ross, steve austin, tazz

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

WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy was interviewed by The Miami Herald today, and says that he’s still not cleared to return to the ring from his shoulder injury that happened eight months ago. Kennedy notes that it may be a recurring issue. Kennedy says that he could see himself working as a trainer to help get the next generation of talents ready but isn’t sure if he would do well as an announcer.

“I’m going to find out from Dr. Andrews if that’s going to be a permanent thing, and I’ll have to deal with it, or if there’s something more that we can do, ” he said. ”I don’t want to do that. I’d rather be 100 percent, but you got to do what you got to do in this business because the bottom line is this business is going to keep rolling with or without me. I’d rather be a part of it and contribute. I think I have a lot to contribute because there are a lot of things that I have yet to accomplish that nobody really has seen out of me. I just want to get back in there and get after it — win some championships, main event at WrestleMania. I say it year after year after year. If it takes me 10 years to do it, I’m going to do it.”

Labels: mr.kennedy

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE changed the name of their June Pay-Per-View several times before settling on “Extreme Rules.” Now, it appears the PPV’s location may also be in doubt. “WWE currently does not know which venue in New Orleans will host the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on June 7, 2009. The original plan was for the event to be held at the New Orleans Arena. However, if the New Orleans Hornets need the New Orleans Arena on June 7 for a playoff game, WWE will be forced to move the Extreme Rules show to the Lakefront Arena at the University of New Orleans.”

Labels: 2009 Extreme Rules

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Yes, usually the RAW following Mania is chock full of news and big happenings, and last night in Houston was no exception. The final showdown (if you want to call it that) of the night saw Vince McMahon take on Randy Orton, and at the end as Triple H, Vince and Shane were getting beat up by Legacy, Batista came out and cleaned house.

Thus we have the set up for "Backlash" a six-man where the title will be on the line, as Orton and Rhodes and Dibiase take on Batista, HHH and Shane. The first thought that pops in my head is that Batista is going to turn on HHH, cost him the belt to Orton, and then join Legacy. Think about it.

As for the rest of the night, I guess the company felt enough wrath from the general public about pulling the tag match that was supposed to be at Mania, so they did it exactly as it was supposed to be last night - a lumberjack match won by the Colons.

The other angle that I already can't stand but they are going to go with is the stupid Santina angle where Santnio dresses up like a woman, and stupid Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler play along like it actually might be a woman. How long until he/she wins the womens belt?

Labels: batista, beth phoenix, RAW, triple h, vince mcmahon

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog, giving his thoughts on Wrestlemania weekend, at this link. Some highlights from this entry:

- My 16th Wrestlemania experience was highlighted by the best WM bout I can recall broadcasting. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels bout was simply a classic. Old school approach, a magnificent story, amazing near falls, drama, surprises, intensity, and awesome athleticism were just a few of the memorable attributes of this extraordinary contest. Quite simply, it’s a wrestling match I’ll never forget and I’ve seen plenty of them. I had immense personal respect for both men going into the match but that respect swelled ten fold when this “instant classic” concluded. If any young wrestler doesn’t thoroughly study this one then they are doing themselves a gross injustice.

- Inducting my mentor Bill Watts into the WWE HOF Saturday night created a lifetime memory. Bill’s wrestling IQ was beyond reproach and his honor was so well deserved. Bill gave a wrestling fan from rural, eastern Oklahoma the opportunity of a lifetime, a debt that I can never repay.

- Having a quiet dinner with my dear friend Steve Austin on Friday night was another highlight. Just two couples catching up, telling our stories, laughing and talking about the future was great and Steve even picked up the tab! Stone Cold damned near stole the show Sunday night and wasn’t even in a match. Having our “last, wrestling beer” at WM25 was a career highlight for me. Yes, I kept the beer can, too.

- Sorry to see JBL retire as John and I have a great relationship. I signed John to his first WWE contract over 13 years ago. We love talking football and I fully expect to do some Beef Jerky and BBQ biz with John in the future. John was a “throw back” in many ways and some aspects of his demeanor always reminded me of the late, great Dick Murdoch. That’s high praise for the record. John has no interest at this time in broadcasting for WWE but working with him would be something that I would truly enjoy.

- Speaking of broadcasting, I don’t know who I’m working with Tuesday in Austin on Smackdown but whoever WWE selects is good by me. With the Draft just a week away, I can only assume that whoever it is could be a temporary move any way.

Labels: jbl, jim ross, steve austin, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

April 6, 2009

It doesn't get any bigger than Wrestlemania 25. WM 25 was in my home state of Texas with my childhood idols being inducted into the hall of fame.

I had wanted to make it to WM 25 for years, and when injuries cut my career short the one regret I had was that I wouldn't make the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania-well, I made it. I never dreamed after I retired the first time that my back would get better and I would be allowed to return to wrestling.

Standing there last night in front of over 70,000 people in my home state ended a journey that was unreal to me. For a kid from Sweetwater, Texas to be able to travel all over the world and realize his dream is pretty cool.

I don't know what the future holds, never say never in life. But I have wrestled my last match. Months ago, I picked out this match. If Eddie Guerrero couldn't be here for it then my dear friend Rey was the obvious choice, and I'm proud he was.

I want to thank the WWE for a great career, for taking a chance on me and allowing me the keys to the car for a while. I will always represent the WWE wherever I go, I am proud of my 13 ½ years with the WWE. And, I am proud of the WWE for cleaning up a great sport to make it more healthy to everyone that is a part.

However, I have no current plans on doing anything in the future on a professional level with WWE. I don't plan on doing commentary, in fact; it hasn't even been brought up to me. I don't plan on being an on air character. I plan on starting the next chapter in my life, and closing the door on this one.

I have worked with some of the greatest people in the world; I have life long friends that are the best in the world. Everytime WWE is brought up or JBL,

I will smile. I having nothing but great, great memories.

Click HERE to read More

Labels: jbl, rey mysterio, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: Pro Wrestling Insider

The general feeling backstage last night was that everyone knew that The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels tore down the house. There was a lot of talk about how great Ricky Steamboat looked for his age. And, the other big topic was about how poorly the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match came off, both in the ring and with how it was booked. A lot of people think that creative has to have something planned to get the title onto Orton tonight or they have just Orton'd him again. Overall, the mood was very good at the show and management was definitely happy with the attendance and the gate.

Labels: randy orton, triple h, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

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

Best Match

Matt Loede: This is a no-brainer, as the HBK vs Undertaker match will for sure get plenty of votes for "Match of the Year" award. Both guys went out and gave 110 percent, and others in the company should watch that match with great interest as to how to have a good match with a lot of emotion that doesn't have to be a total bump fest. What is this company going to do when these two guys are gone? It's a shame that we didn't have 3-4 matches like this one, but then again, there's only one Undertaker and one Shawn Michaels.

John Sefcik: Hardy v Hardy. They way a hardcore match should be. Plenty of O my God moments courtesy of two men giving their all.


Worst Match

Matt Loede: The 21 second joke of an IC title match, the first one at Mania in seven years, really ticked me off. While I wasn't exactly looking forward all that much to JBL vs Mysterio, it at least deserved 4-5 minutes. What I am thinking is that JBL had well in advance made his decision to walk away from active wrestling again, and he wanted to at least get one last moment in the ring in front of the home crowd. I really think his "quitting" may be real, and that he'll return to the announce booth at SmackDown this week.

John Sefcik: Divas Battle Royal. Gimmick of Santino does not pay off as the lack of real intro leaves who is in this match a bit confusing.


Biggest Bump

Matt Loede: I don't even know his name, but how about the cameraman in the Taker-HBK match?! I am thinking this guy must have been an indie wrestler, because not just anyone could take that move from a man close to 300 pounds in Taker. I felt there was a number of bumps that got a little messed up, but if you watch it closely, this one seemed really not to go well. Give credit to that guy, whoever he is, for taking that type of shot on a stage the size of Mania.

John Sefcik: Jeff Hardy going through a table to put Matt through another. This is as extreme as it comes. For a moment I felt we were in south Philly watching ECW

Match that Could Have went Longer

Matt Loede: Other than the IC belt, which I talked about above, the thing that really peeved me was having to sit through 15 minutes of worthless Kid Rock instead of seeing the Tag Team match that had been talked about with Miz and Morrison vs the Colons. I was actually thinking this would be a very good match, and instead of showing it, as they said they would, they did it as a dark match, and it will be on the WM 25 DVD. Why not cut the crap with Kid Rock and show that instead?

John Sefick: Jericho v Steamboat. The Dragon still can compete and his efforts were only hampered by Snuka and Piper. It should have been him and Jericho straight up.

The "And They Booked This Why?" Match

Matt Loede: The Divas battle royal had potential, and there was a lot of buzz on the net about the match, and instead of showing the past divas and making it a really cool event, they really blew past it, and then since Kid Rock played way too long, we didn't even get to see the ladies coming out. Then the announcers playing dumb about Santino being the last dressed up diva was dumb to say the least. If the ladies are not going to get a fair shot, don't book the match at all.

John Sefcik: JBL and Mysterio. Again we missed a tag match between the Colon's and Miz/ Morrison in order to see a quick and worthless match. Come on WWE, respect your fans some more than this.

Risk Taker of the Night

Matt Loede: A number of guys took some big bumps, but how about that death dive from Shelton Benjamin in the Money in the Bank match?! Insane to say the least. He's always been a guy that makes that match, and again on Sunday night he did his part in making that match one of the best of the night, and that dive was nuts. Someone is eventually going to get REALLY hurt in that Money in the Bank match.

John Sefcik: Shelton Benjamin. This man will die one of these days in Money in the Bank. In these matches he has no concern for his safety. Tonight he proved it again as he was only inches from horrific injury with his leap off the ladder onto the floor


Overall Favorite Moment

Matt Loede: The last few in-ring moments of the Taker-HBK match really was the highlight of the night, and that could have been a great way to end the night overall as the main event, but just like Mania 18 with Hogan and Rock, they dropped the ball on this one, and instead went with the Orton-HHH as the way to end the show.

John Sefcik: The Undertakers streak still being kept alive. What a great match between two legends with the result never really looking to favor one or the other. A true legendary Wrestle Mania moment.

The "Man that Sucked" Award

Matt Loede: This is going to be a shocker, but how about the crowd in Houston? I realize that a good event is what gets the crowd going, but it seemed like all night long they sat on their hands. If you watched the broadcast, during the Kid Rock segment, most of the matches, and even the main event, they looked like 70,000 people that were more than happy to sit there as if they were at the opera. I was at the last three Mania's, and I think those crowds easily blew the one in Houston away.

John Sefcik: Kid Rock, hands down. What a way to kill the buzz from money in the bank. Hey Vince, we came for the wrestling. If I want music I'll go to a concert and see a real performer. Also it prevented the crowd from getting into the Divas match and giving some cheers for returning stars like Tori, Sunny and Molly Holly.

Final Grade for the Event

Matt Loede: C minus - The company really needs to go back to the drawing board and get this event back on track. I thought that 22 and 23 were good, 24 was average at best, and this one was actually below average for the work that goes into it. Last year we had a better triple-threat with HHH-Orton-Cena, and the Edge-Taker match was a good main event. We also had the Flair-HBK, and the build for Mayweather vs Show. This year, other than the HBK-Taker match, the rest of the night was average to well below average. The main event really failed to deliver, and it's a shame that they felt that was the way to go instead of the Taker-HBK match.

Early Pick for Main Event at WrestleMania 26

Matt Loede: How about Taker vs Triple H for the WWE Title?

Labels: wrestlemania 25

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

We've come to the main event at WrestleMania 25, as Randy Orton and Triple H go at it for the richest prize in the sport. Here is our breakdown on the main event at the 25th anniversary of Mania:

Matt Loede: Can you say - underwhelming? Yes, I'd have to say that this match is the weakest main event of Mania we've seen since the HHH-Chris Jericho sleeper in WrestleMania 18. While it was an okay match, it clearly didn't have the fire that the two intended. When is the company going to learn that when you have a match like Taker-HBK, that you know is going to dominate - go with it as the main over a lackluster title match that no one at the end of the day cares about? That should have been the case here.

I am really worried about Randy Orton. He has a great look, has been given great program over great program, yet I don't think that he is anywhere near the top heel that this company needs, or thinks they are getting. Here's the problem - he's not over. He's too bland, and frankly, he's rather boring.

That came out again here, and that's a shame. The company insists on throwing us HHH, who at the end of the day is a better heel, and now he's in a program with a heel that no matter what he does - no one cares about. It's a shame. They just ruined a main event of a card that clearly should have ended with HBK and Undertaker.

John Sefcik: A nice way to end the night. A solid physical match between two great competitors. This was a good match for Orton, despite the loss, as he is silencing the critics who feel he cannot be a solid champ. Granted he did not walk away with gold tonight, but he has shown he can match up well with top dogs like Triple H. Of course we know this one does not end here and look for Orton to possible get a win to keep the fire alive. It should be fun seeing Orton's Legacy crew face off against the McMahon clan.

This would even be a fun angle to spice up the upcoming draft by trying to split up Orton, Rhodes and DiBiase. Or have them move to a new brand and attempt to take control of that show. Either way there are plenty of plot lines you can use for them and Orton can carry the story. There should be plenty of controversy coming out of this match as Orton will complain Triple H used the sledge hammer to get the win. It should be interesting to see who will be the new leadership on Raw and how they react to Orton's accusations. We know there will be a rematch at Backlash, but how many more times will these two meet. I see this one going for a few months with a couple of title changes. We need our McMahon storyline and Legacy will prove to be great adversaries.

Labels: randy orton, triple h, wrestlemania 25

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

We're down to the last two matches at Mania, the first of the big two being the World Heavyweight Title match. Here is our breakdown on that match:

Matt Loede: Well, it was kind of made known in inner circles that Edge would drop the strap, the only thing would be would it be Cena or Big Show. In the end, they give it to Cena, who probably now will get into a program with Show. The whole Edge-Vicky thing probably goes on the back burner for awhile, and I think they have Show hurt Edge enough for him to have to take some time off, as it's being said he has to get his knee back in shape. I'm not a huge fan of triple-threat matches, but these guys pulled it off pretty well, and even with Edge taking time off, we'll see these three probably do it again in three weeks at Backlash.

As for Cena getting the belt, it's an okay decision, but I think it would have been fresh to put it on Show, who hasn't had a strap since he carried ECW when it started. We'll see if another Cena title run is something that gets over or not. I'm thinking it will at first, but then grow stale just like all the others. Okay match, but a letdown after the awesome Michaels vs Taker battle.

John Sefcik: The champ has returned ladies and gentlemen. A nice paced match for a triple threat, nothing special, but nothing to dull. I'm not complaining as the match was good to watch, unlike a few of the matches we have had to suffer through tonight. And despite your love or hatred of Cena, he makes a good champ as he gives his all in the ring and is fantastic on the mic. The question is where do we go from here? I'm sure there will at least be a rematch featuring Edge, but you know the rated R Super Star will end up finishing some business with the Big Show. Hopefully that ends soon and we get Edge back in a championship program. Both he and Cena are the great talents that will carry the WWE into the future. I would love for these two to keep the fire of this feud alive for awhile. Cena is probably the best face the organization has and Edge is his heel counterpart. No offense to Triple H, these two guys are the ones who can take the WWE back to its heights when the Rock and Stone Cold ruled the roost.

Labels: edge, john cena, the big show, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: Pro Wrestling Insider

WWE had a major problem tonight with the nation's largest cable company, Comcast. When I went to order the HD version of the show, I got the dreaded black screen of death. I was on hold for 40 minutes before someone came on and told me that they were having a problem with the HD feed (no kidding). This is the third or fourth show in a row that Comcast has screwed up the HD feed. Since I have been through this beofre with them, I just ordered the SD version too and when the representative finally got on the phone, I had her cancel the HD purchase. But, anyone who ordered it in HD got nothing and will get a refund, costing WWE buys.

Also, we have heard from other Comcast customers who said they had no SD feed either. How the nation's largest cable company can't make sure that they can sell one of the biggest PPV shows of the year to its customers is beyond me. The sad thing is that it will end up costing WWE buys.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

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

In what will have to go down as a match of the year candidate, Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker took the stage in the latest match at WrestleMania 25. Here is our breakdown of this historic match.

Matt Loede: This could have been the main event, as these guys easily made this the best match of the night, and possibly the best match in Mania in the past few years. You gotta love the intense back and forth, and the crazy endings that each guy kicked out of time after time. Frankly, this match reminded me of Angle-Benoit at Mania 17, Michaels vs Angle at 21, and now Taker vs Michaels. The facials of each guy as this match went on was classic, and you figure that HBK survived a pair of tombstones, and Taker a pair of super kicks. Unless something amazing happens in the last two matches, I'm pretty sure that we just saw the best match of the night, and when people go back and think about Mania 25, they will think of this match.

John Sefcik: Now we are picking up steam. It was not a scheduled Iron Man match, but it might as well have been. Despite the et-shirt goof on Shop Zone, the results of this one were somewhat in doubt. Both men went back and forth and put on one hell of a show. File this one away as the greatest wins of all for the Undertakers streak. Both men put life an limb on the line by putting out some amazing moves. The sequence of HBK missing the moonsault followed by an airborne Taker crashing into a cameraman left the audience shaking its collective head in amazement. There was talk of making this match the main event and after it played out that would not be a bad call. The championship matches are going to have to pull ot some major stops if they want to meet the expectations that have now been set.

Labels: shawn michaels, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

Match #5 saw the IC belt defended for the first time in 7 years at WrestleMania, as JBL took on Rey Mysterio. Here's our thoughts on this title match:

Matt Loede: 21 seconds? Yes, I guess after some of the best matches in wrestling history, the IC belt has fallen to a new low. Not that either JBL or Mysterio are bad reps for the belt, but to have a match at Mania that lasts 21 seconds for a belt that has had some of the best matches in history is bad. Mysterio is going to get a run with the strap, and the whole thing with JBL has now become a joke, as he says he quits. Yeah, and I'm the Pope.

John Sefcik: A horrible and stupid match. Again wy did they make the tag match a dark match for this garbage? Not much else to say as it will take you longer to read this than the match itself.

Labels: jbl, rey mysterio, wrestlemania 25

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

Match four of WrestleMania 25 took on a family feel, as it was brother vs brother as Matt and Jeff Hardy did battle in Extreme Rules. Here's our breakdown of the latest match at Mania:

Matt Loede:This was more brutal than I thought, but at the same time, it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Give it to Jeff for trying though, it's amazing that at the end of the day he's even able to walk given all the crazy moves that he misses. As for Matt, the only thing I can say is that he did a solid job here, and all I can think is that they are going to keep this thing going. Overall, a good ending, and a cool visual with Matt doing the Twist of Fate on Jeff on the chair. I thought this would be the end of this feud, but I guess not.

John Sefcik:Now that's extreme. Hey ECW, take note and return to your roots. How does Jeff Hardy walk away from a failed drop off the high ladder and twist of fate while his head is in a chair. The length these two went to in this match is unbelievable. They definitely picked up interest in Mania after the great opening with Money in the Bank. If they continue this feud it will be hard to top this match. We'll have to wait and see were this goes from here. Hopefully both Hardy's will avoid any major injury trying to keep the momentum going.

Labels: jeff hardy, matt hardy, WrestleMania XXV

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

We're three matches in at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, and the latest match saw Chris Jericho take on three wrestlers - Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper. But wait, Ric Flair and Micky Rourke also got involved. Here's our thoughts:

Matt Loede - Okay, the end of this was about as bad as the womens battle royal. It easily could have been Ricky Steamboat vs Jericho, as Snuka and Piper added nothing to this. Snuka looked like a 70-year-old woman, and Piper has not taken very good care of himself over the years. Steamboat could wrestle today, on a very limited basis of course. As far as Jericho winning, that was what should have happened.

As for the post-match junk, Flair getting a beat down to set up Rourke coming in was expected. To be honest, the Rourke getting in the ring took WAYYY too long, and no one in the crowd seemed to care. Then Y2J took a cheap, and a miss of a punch to bite the dust? This was pretty bad. At least the two worst matches of the night are now done.

John Sefcik: The legends match was a roller coaster of feelings. It's always great to see legends like Piper and Snuka, but when they put on horrible performances it only sullies our great memories of these guys. These two guys had no business being in this match as they struggled to sell anything that seemed like a match. Ricky Steamboat on the other hand showed he stills has what made him a Hall Of Famer. This match would have been good if it was just him and Jericho. In a way I hope they can get at least one more match out of these two. But with the inclusion of Micky Rourke knocking out Jericho, I think this is buried. The ending of Rourke's lame punch on Jericho only made this match worse. Even the fans didn't seem to care as Rourke came to the ring. I'm not sure what the price would have been, but the WWE should have paid Stone Cold whatever the amount was in order to get him involved to make this match legendary.

Labels: chris jericho, Mickey Rourke, ric flair, WrestleMania XXV

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

Match #2 is underway, and this sucks, since there was no intro's due to the stupid Kid Rock "concert," the match just started with no real fanfare.

Matt Loede: For all the hoopla this got on the internet and on TV, this was awful. They really should have introduced the Divas, and it was a joke that of the Divas that came back, they were all pretty much out before we could even realize they were in the match. I mean, I really wanted to see the crowd pop for women like Torrie, Molly Holly, Victoria and more. And the whole fact they made "Santina" the winner was even more of a joke. I am not going to waste any more typing on this match. It outright sucked.


John Sefcik: Horrible gag. First a long intro combined with a terrible Kid Rock performance along with a lack of individual intros for the Divas. Then the match was a mass of humanity in which you had no idea who was who. This was followed up by Santino winning Miss Wrestle Mania. Why did we make the tag match a dark match? Yeah that's what I thought.

Labels: beth phoenix, molly holly, torrie wilson, wrestlemania 25

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

WrestleMania 25 in Houston is underway, and match #1 is in the books, as C.M. Punk has once again won the Money in the Bank. Here is a quick review of the match with Let's Talk Wrestling co-editors Matt Loede and John Sefcik.

Matt Loede: Wow. This was another great way to start off WM, just like they did the past two years with the MITB match. Shelton Benjamin did what he always does, which is take way too many risks, and even Kane and Mark Henry did a good job keeping up with the younger, faster guys. Punk and Finlay seemed to be the two most involved, and MVP had a good showing as well. Punk winning though to me was a little stale, but I guess they still have big plans for the Chicago based wrestler, and I guess we'll see him in a feud of some sort over the summer with a champion. As far as the best MITB match ever? Tough to say right after it was over, but the high spots were very good, and it was for sure a great way to start the card.

John Sefick:Shelton Benjamin, that's all that needs to be said. Again he brings his game to the top and gives us some memorable moments from Mania. After watching this match it has left no question in my mind this is the highlight of Mania and is establishing itself as the great appetizer for the night, One has to imagine one of these years we will see a major injury as the guys just keep raising the bar with more and more insane moves. Just look at Benjamin's leap from the ladder onto is fellow competitors.

Despite the lack luster roster this year, they still pulled off a great match. Have to wonder about Punk winning the briefcase again. His profile as been a bit down lately, but the fans still love him. Don't know if this was done on purpose for another title run, but he does get a chance to move his status up a notch. I thought Christian would walk away in order to raise his profile and return to the WWE. Also it would have been a great way to move him off ECW and take on competition worthy of his talent. Overall though you got to love this match as it is the best way to kick of Mania with its thrills and spills.

Labels: c.m. punk, kane, mark henry, shelton benjamin, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Championship Match
Triple (c) vs. Randy Orton

They have tried to build this as a hot feud, and while it's gotten a lot more legs over the past few weeks, we've seen it before, and it seems a little underwhelming to me. The right thing to do would be to give Orton the strap after some sort of screw job, but they don't normally end WrestleMania's on down notes, and they likely won't here either. Look for a Triple H win, and then for him to possibly lose the rematch next month at Backlash.

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple Threat Match
Edge (c) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show

The call here is that it's going to either be Cena or Show taking home the strap, becuase Edge has to take some time off for a knee injury. Show would be interesting, becuase you could keep him and Cena hot for a rematch at Backlash, and then have Cena take home the belt. I think though this is Cena's to win, since he's still the companies golden boy, and took the fall last year to Orton in the Triple-Threat.

Intercontinental Championship Match
JBL (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

No build here, and simply a filler match. JBL promised something big at Mania, and if he considers this szooner of a match "big," I'd hate to think of what he thinks is small. I don't know if Mysterio wins here or not, nor do I really care. If they want a cheap pop, they give the belt to Mysterio. There has been talk of Rey going back to SmackDown, so with that in mind, I'll go with JBL.

Brother vs. Brother
Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

This could be the show-stealer. I have heard a few times that this feud will be quick, meaning they should go all out here. They usually have good matches with each other, and with the hatred that Matt has shown towards Jeff, I see the younger Hardy winning what I hope and think will be a great match with lots of bumps.

Elimination-Style Match
Ric Flair will be in the corner of the Legends while Mickey Rourke will be sitting at ringside
Chris Jericho vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Jimmy “Superfly”

I see Flair and Rourke getting involved here, sending Jericho to a loss. Lots of talk about Austin and Hogan being a part of this match at first, but since they had to go the route of Snuka, Steamboat and Piper, the match has lost a lot. You realize that Sunka hasn't been in a Mania match since Mania 7, Steamboat since Mania 4, and Piper since Mania 8? Crazy, but they will win here in some fashion.

WWE & World Tag Team Championship Unification Match
Carlito & Primo (c) vs. John Morrison & The Miz (c)

No matter what you say, you have to admit that Miz and Morrison remain the best tag team in the company, so I will go with them here to get the win, and unify the belts. Carlito and Primo could steal one, but I think Miz and Morrison have a better chance to earn a heel win.

The Streak On The Line
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Easily could have been the main event, and should be. No way though that Michaels beats Flair at WM 24, then tops Taker at 25. I think the Taker streak is the one real thing in wrestling that should never end. It's something they will talk about forever, and I don't think there is a wrester that deserves beating him at this event.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston

Benjamin is great in these matches, but he won't win it. MVP has a belt, and he won't win it. Mark Henry stinks, and he probably can't get up a ladder anyway, so he won't win it. Kane is just another big man here that doesen't belong, he won't win it. Punk won last year, he won't win it again. That leaves Kingston and Christian, and I think out of the two, you go with Christian, who's WWE return has been nothing short of awful. He wins here, and beat Jack Swagger sooner rather than later for the ECW title.

25-Diva Battle Royal
Advertised Divas: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Brie Bella, Eve, Gail Kim, Jillian, Katie Lea, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maria, WWE Divas Champion Maryse, WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, and Tiffany

We'll see 7 others n the match - my guess is Victoria, Sunny, Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, Mae Young, Lillian and one more. This is an interesting match, and one that they could make an annual event to get the women involved. Not sure who wins, but with Mae Young in there likely for the final time, let's go with the Hall of Famer.

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Popeater.com has a new interview with WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster reveals that he was in talks with Vince McMahon about wrestling John Cena at WrestleMania 25. Here's what he had to say:

"You know what, I was supposed to wrestle John Cena for the title, and about four weeks ago I had back surgery. Vince and I were talking about how much involvement I wanted to have in Wrestlemania, and if I wanted to keep wrestling, and out of nowhere my back just got really crazy. I went in for an MRI and I had to have some emergency surgery that threw me out of the game. I was kind of flipped out about it, I thought I'd be the main event this year."

Labels: hulk hogan, john cena, vince mcmahon

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

Here are the order of events as advertised for tomorrow's WrestleMania 25 pay-per-view, according to Main Event and Fox 8 in Australia. If these are indeed correct, we will be getting three main events in a row which seems unusual.

World Wrestling Entertainment presents: WrestleMania - The 25th Anniversary
Presented by National Guard
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Sunday, April 5; 7e/4p LIVE on Pay-per-view
Contact your local service provider for ordering information

Hosted by Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole.

Order of Events:

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger sings America The Beautiful

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Christian vs Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) vs Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) vs Montel Vontavious Porter vs Kane vs Shelton Benjamin vs CM Punk vs Kofi Kingston

Legends Challenge Gauntlet Match
Chris Jericho vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jimmy "The Superfly" Snuka (w/ Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke)

WWE Tag Team Championship Unification Match
WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz vs World Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo Colon

Extreme Rules Match
Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy

LIVE Musical Performance from critically-acclaimed artist Kid Rock

25-Diva Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal
Participants include: Melina, Mickie James, Beth Pheonix, Santino Marella, Michelle McCool, Tammy Lynn Sytch, Victoria, Mae Young and Gail Kim

World Heavyweight Championship Match
John Cena vs Edge © vs The Big Show

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker

WWE Heavyweight Championship Match
Randy Orton (w/ Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) vs Triple H (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)

Labels: wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

WWE Championship Match
Triple (c) vs. Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Championship
Triple Threat Match
Edge (c) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show

Intercontinental Championship Match
JBL (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

Brother vs. Brother
Extreme Rules Match
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

Elimination-Style Match
Ric Flair will be in the corner of the Legends while Mickey Rourke will be sitting at ringside
Chris Jericho vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and Jimmy “Superfly”

WWE & World Tag Team Championship Unification Match
Carlito & Primo (c) vs. John Morrison & The Miz (c)

The Streak On The Line
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. Kofi Kingston

25-Diva Battle Royal
Advertised Divas: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Brie Bella, Candice Michelle, Eve, Gail Kim, Jillian, Katie Lea, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maria, WWE Divas Champion Maryse, WWE Women’s Champion Melina, Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, and Tiffany

Labels: triple h, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

In a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle to promote Sunday’s WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio revealed that he’s entering the final stage of his storied career. When asked whether it’s harder to move around at age 35 than it was at age 25, Mysterio responded, “It is without a doubt. I don’t know if it’s age or the years I’ve been doing it, but it has definitely taken a toll on my body.”

He added, “But I don’t want to quit. I still feel like I got a couple more years in me. I try to conserve myself as much as I can without doing as many crazy moves as I used to do when I was a lot younger. Some of those moves I can’t do anymore. Some I try to modify so I don’t have the risk of blowing out my knee or any other part of my body. It’s worked out pretty well.”

Mysterio also revealed that he has a fear of heights, “My very first show with the WWE I had my wrestling match versus Chavo (Guerrero). . . . I had to climb up a cage on the outside and stand on top and dive into the inside of the ring. At the moment it didn’t hit me — I climbed so fast — until I tried to stand with nothing behind me and ring in front of me. And looking 15 to 17 feet down is when it really hit me. (Laughs.) I don’t like heights. I just did it. It happened so fast, I just dove off and it was over.”

At 35 years old, Mysterio has been wrestling professionally for almost 20 years. He recently signed a 3-year WWE contract extension with options for a fourth and fifth year. You can read the entire interview at Chron.com.

Labels: Rey Mysterio Jr.

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

WWEShop.com has possibly spoiled the results of a WrestleMania 25 match by adding a new Undertaker and Shawn Michaels WrestleMania t-shirt to their website yesterday. The shirt read 17-0 with a tag at the bottom of a broken heart reading RIP HBK. The item was quickly removed from the website.

Labels: shawn michaels, undertaker, wrestlemania 25

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments