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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW, vince mcmahon

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

- With 2007 coming to a close and this being the last report of the year, I thought it would be good to do a little "Stories of the Year" top 10 list - so here we go:

1. Chris Benoit Double Murder/Suicide - Could be the biggest story in the history of the sport. Shook the foundation of how things in wrestling are looked at, and still today hard to fathom.

2. Main Eventers Injured - The list is alarming: Triple H, Undertaker, Edge, Shawn Michaels, John Cena. No star was bigger than Cena, as the company was able to overcome each of the other injuries without much of a hitch, but Cena's injury really changed things. It was good to see him on the Tribute to the Troops show this last week, and in the end maybe the injury in the long run will be a refresher for his character.

3 . WrestleMania 23 Sells out Ford Field - While the event lacked the man who helped sell out the Silverdome 20 years ago, Hulk Hogan, the event was still memorable for all the right reasons. Two great main events with Cena vs Michales and Batista vs Undertaker, and the Money in the Bank was memorable as well. A great card overall and a great venue.

4. ECW all but Dead - Like it or not, ECW of today is not even close to that of last year, when you at least at RVD, Sabu, Sandman and a few others that were originals. Now you have top guys like C.M. Punk, John Morrison, Big Daddy V, and Mark Henry. Change is not always good.

5. The Vince McMahon Death Angle - It was a shock angle that was scrapped when the Benoit murders/suicide took place. It was a distasteful angle anyway, and some thought it was fate that a real life wrestling death took place while a fake one was going on.

6. The Rise of Jeff Hardy - For years many thought that Hardy had what it took, but his out of the ring issues always seemed to hold him back. Plus many questioned his true dedication to the sport long term. Now he seems as focused as ever, and it's paying off.

7. The New Substance Suspension System - Back in August the company made waves when they suspended 10 guys, including big names like Jeff Hardy, Booker T., Umaga and others. It made an impact that hopefully these guys will finally get it.

8. Mr.McMahon's "son" - Yes, a pretty interesting storyline till the end, when the kid ended up being Hornswoggle, the pal under the ring of Finely. Since then, he has had a big role on TV, playing a big part in making McMahon's as well as Coach's life tough. The storyline should have belonged to Mr.Kennedy, but he blew it by not stepping up.

9. RVD and Booker T. Say Good-Bye - Two great long-time WWE guys decided that they had enough, and took the high road out. RVD did come back for the RAW 15th Anniversary show, but don't expect a full-time return. As for Booker, he's now in TNA.

10. RAW 15th Anniversary - A mega show that turned out to be better than the Armageddon PPV that took place six days later. It was great to see some of the old stars, and while the show went three hours, it seemed like with all the great highlights and what went into the show, it could easily have went longer.

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW, booker t, chris benoit, hulk hogan, rvd

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments

For those of you that recall the first Monday Night RAW, or watched the WWE through the early 90's (92-93) you may recall a charatcher Damian Demento, who wrestled the Undertaker on the first RAW. Well, recenlty he featured on the WWE's official website when they looked back at the RAW 15th Anniversary. Now the wacko has taken to You Tube to put out some videos giving his take on the business. Trust me, this totally seems like a guy who actually DOES want to get back in the ring. Check it out:







And here's a classic (if you want to call it that) match with Demento vs Tatanka on RAW back in 93:

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW, Damian Demento, undertaker

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

The WWE just keeps rolling out big things for this upcoming Monday night RAW. Added just earlier was a huge battle royal with some names that won't likely come out till Monday. Below is the announcement from the company:

WWE just announced the following:

Raw’s milestone celebration on Monday promises to be spectacular and what would be more fitting for this extravaganza than to have a very special 15th Anniversary Battle Royal?

There is no word on who will compete in the Battle Royal, but it will involve Superstars who have been on Raw in the last 15 years. Given this type of match and Raw’s penchant for unforgettable moments, Monday’s 15th Anniversary Battle Royal could provide a memory that will go down in WWE history.

Who will be the participants in Raw’s 15th Anniversary Battle Royal? Will there be any surprises? The only way to find out is to tune in to a three-hour edition of Raw celebrating 15 years of sports-entertainment greatness, live on USA Network with a special start time of 8/7 CT.

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

While the WWE's 15th Anniversary of RAW next Monday will be a loaded three-hour show, there has been word that not everyone contacted will be granting the show with an appearance. The biggest name that will NOT be on the show is that of The Rock. Seems that despite being a driving force on the show for many years, Dwayne Johnson is done and over with as far as pro wrestling is concerned, and unless he does a 180 in the next few days, we will not be smelling what the Rock is cooking on the big show.

Hulk Hogan WILL be on the show, which is a complete shock to me. The only thing I can think of here is that Hogan is starting to try and mend fences for a match at WrestleMania 24 in Orlando in March. The Hulkster has been taking a beating in the public as of late for the Nick fiasco, and now the public divorce issues with Linda. I would not be shocked to see Hogan get the biggest pop of the night. Will we see some sort of ground work for a Mania match with he and Steve Austin? That would be something.

Trish Stratus, Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Eric Bishoff and plenty others will also be on the show as well, so it's one that you are going to want to tune in for. As far as Vince McMahon naming the Biggest RAW Superstar - don't kid yourself, he'll name himself.

Labels: 15th anniversary of RAW, hulk hogan, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments