From: PWMania.com

WWE and MyNetworkTV will officially kick off their relationship on Thursday, October 2nd at 8pm with the first-ever broadcast presentation of WrestleMania XXIV. The very next night on Friday, October 3rd WWE SmackDown will premiere on its new home at 8pm. This will be the first-ever broadcast television debut of WrestleMania. MyNetworkTV President Gary Meidel expressed his excitement for WWE’s debut on the network, saying “These side-by-side primetime events are sure to deliver two nights of edge-of-your-seat, action-packed entertainment.” Vince McMahon added, “What better way to introduce MyNetworkTV viewers to the WWE brand than to schedule our first-ever broadcast television debut of WrestleMania.”

Labels: mynetworktv, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Rock's new release debuted at the top of this week's Recreational Sports DVD this week, as expected. As always, you can get all of the wrestling DVDs from our friends as www.Highspots.com.

1. WWE: The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment
2. NFL: Road To Super Bowl XLII
3. WWE: WrestleMania XXIV
4. MLB: Shea Goodbye: 45 Years Of Amazin'
5. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
6. MLB: Red Sox Memories: The Greatest Moments In Boston Red Sox History
7. WWE: Twist Of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story
8. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
9. WWE: Backlash 2008
10 WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings

Labels: Billboard Recrational Sports DVD charts, the rock, wrestlemania 24

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

From: PWPIX.net

The PPV numbers are in for WrestleMania 24, and they are considerably lower than WWE and Floyd Mayweather expected. WrestleMania 24 drew 1,058,000 buys which works out to $23.8 million. This is less than last year’s 1,200,000 buys and $24.4 million for WrestleMania 23. The numbers were released this morning with WWE’s first quarter earnings report, which had the company listed as pulling in $19.5 million in net earnings over the first quarter of 2008.

ProWrestling.net reports that Vince McMahon was targeting 1.4 million buys for WrestleMania 24, and this number is viewed as a disappointment for WWE. Floyd Mayweather publicly predicted the number would beat out WrestleMania 23, which featured Donald Trump. Nonetheless, $19.5 million is a pretty decent first quarter figure.

Labels: floyd mayweather, vince mcmahon, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

From: PWInsider

The only scheduled extras for the WWE Backlash 2008 DVD will be a post-match interview with Triple H and footage from Raw the day after his title win.

Leon Peters sent the following.....I was in FYE today and they had a poster up near the WWE section saying that WrestleMania XXIV will come in an FYE exclusive tin case. This was only mentioned for the DVD release, not the Blu-Ray release. They had one section with only the exclusive tin releases. So far they've released tin cases for WrestleMania 23, SummerSlam 2007, Survivor Series 2007 and Royal Rumble 2008(which I just found out existed today). Also, about the 3 disc(DVD) and 2 disc(Blu-Ray) difference for Mania 24. Both will include the full 4 hour Mania event, the pre-show Battle Royal and the Hall Of Fame. The reason Blu-Ray is only 2 discs is because Blu-Rays can hold more data than DVDs so the full Mania 24 event will be on 1 Blu-Ray disc while it will be split onto 2 discs for DVD. Also Blu-Ray will include the widescreen HD version while the DVD will include the full screen standard definition version.

Labels: backlash 2008, wrestlemania 24

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

WWE just sent out the following press release.

WrestleMania® XXIV On Hi-Definition Blu-ray Disc

STAMFORD, Conn., April 24, 2008- WrestleMania XXIV will be the first Sports category title to ever be released on Blu-ray disc in the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada. The double disc set goes on sale Tuesday, May 20, 2008, the same day as a three-disc DVD version. “It’s natural that WrestleMania 24, the biggest sports entertainment event of the year, is not only the first WWE® title but the first Sports title to be released on Blu-ray” says Joel Satin, VP WWE Home Entertainment and Books. “Blu-ray disc will further demonstrate our commitment to bring WWE’s high-definition content to fans around the world through our network of home video distributors and licensing partners.”

This Blu-ray two disc release includes the entire four hour WrestleMania XXIV event in Orlando, Fla., and the complete 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, plus the never-before-televised 24-man Battle Royal. Authoring of the double disc set takes advantage of the new Blu-ray technology, offering content in HDMV (High Definition Movie Mode), which has exciting new features including improved navigational and menu features, graphics and animation.

Distribution will be handled through a variety of vendors including Genius Products for the United States, Clearvision Ltd. for the UK/Europe, Koch Entertainment Canada and Shock for Australia, all of which are current WWE home video distribution and licensing partners. "Much like sports programming has driven high definition television sales, we believe that sports content will thrive in Blu-ray," said Mitch Budin, EVP and General Manager, Genius Products. "As the leading sports brand, WWE is the best fit to lead the sports segment into Blu-ray."

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sounds like it's going to be awhile till we see Big Daddy V in a WWE ring again. Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the heavyweight was sent home prior to WrestleMania XXIV due to major weight issues. The company reportedly would like him to drop a whopping 50 pounds before he gets back into a WWE ring. The situation with "V" sounds a lot like what took place in the late 90's with the late Yokozuna, who was somewhere in the 500 pound range. The company wanted him to lose weight in order to stay on the roster, and while he did drop over 100 pounds, it was not enough, and his weight eventually lost him his job.

As far as "V" goes, he was enjoying the most success of his career in ECW, where he was taking on such wrestlers as the Undertaker, C.M. Punk, Tommy Dreamer, and other faces. I would not expect to see him in a ring anytime soon, which is a shame since he is such a good worker for a big man.

Labels: big daddy V, wrestlemania 24, yokozuna

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- When the Undertaker vs. Edge match at WrestleMania started, some witnesses heard an argument with one female staffer yelling on her walkie talkie that the fireworks display planned for the end of the show should be canceled because it was too windy. However, the woman was being told that the plans weren't going to change. Of course, an accident occurred at the conclusion of Undertaker's match when a cable that held the fireworks snapped, shooting rockets into the upper deck. 40 to 45 fans were injured, with more than 30 of them burned, and only three people hospitalized. No one was seriously injured though. It is unclear as to who made the final call to to do the fireworks display, or whether anyone from WWE heard about the woman's warnings. A few people in the upper decks were actually hit a few times from remnants of fireworks. Also, a few people in the upper decks thought that were a few close calls because of how close the shots were to them. From where some people were sitting, more people were scared than awed from the bigger explosions.

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 24

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

WrestleMania XXIV is in the books, and while the event is still fresh in my mind, I'd like to take some time to go back and write down my top 10 favorite memories of the event and some personal thoughts of the night at the Citrus Bowl:

1. Ric Flair Waving Good-Bye - In what will go down as possibly the most emotional moment in WM history, the greatest to ever lace up boots gives an emotional farewell on the biggest stage in wrestling history.

2. Taker Takes Back the Gold - In a great match with a deserving champ in Edge, the Undertaker under a blaze of fireworks and blue lights hoists the World Heavyweight Title once again.

3. Big Show Buries Mayweather, then Falls - Yes, in a match that I felt was better than expected, the Big Show looked strong in giving Floyd Mayweather a beating, then takes brass knucks to the face in losing by a knockout.

4. Money in the Bank Deliverers; Again - Yes, this year was my favorite of all the MITB matches, with John Morrison doing a flip with the ladder, Matt Hardy coming back, and Shelton Benjamin taking a huge bump. A good match with a good ending with C.M. Punk taking home the briefcase.

5. Pyro, Pyro and more Pyro - The WWE spent a record amount of money on fireworks this year, and while everyone wants to focus on the mishap at the end of the show, the fireworks throughout the night were simply amazing.

6. Randy Orton Shocks the World - Yes, only 8 percent on a poll thought Randy would keep the strap, but with some smarts at the end, he not only kept the strap, but did it in a fashion that makes him look stronger than ever.

7. Fans, and lots of them - The fans at the Citrus Bowl were amazing, and the ones on the floor around us were very much into the matches. Speaking of which, if you were the young lady sitting next to us in Section 25 Row P seat 1 - where's my pics? She was a lot of fun and was a wrestling buff....still waiting to hear from you!

8. Snoops Ride to the Ring - Nothing like being escorted to the ring by the finest Diva's in the WWE. That's exactly what Snoop Dogg got when he drove to the ring in that little car before the Bunny Mania match.

9. Kane Snatches the ECW Title - In an amazing 8 seconds, ECW crowned a new champ, and one that can actually hold the belt for sometime.

10. Hornswoggle Returns - The son of Finlay is back, and despite the Irishman losing to JBL, Hornswoggle is back and hopefully will continue to be a part of the storyline down the road.

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments

The WWE now enters that time of the year where there seems to be a lull after the mega build for WrestleMania and the hype leading up to the event. The company in the past few years has had its best wrestling it seems leading up to Mania, only to have some of its worst in the few months following it. We shall see if that is the case yet again in 2008.

Mania for the most part was a strong card, and after being there as well as in Detroit last year for 23, I would have to honestly say that this years was a better offering. The hoopla with the Ric Flair match, the huge build around Floyd Mayweather and the Big Show, the best Money in the Bank match to date, and a strong finish with the Undertaker and Edge outdid what they had on the plate last year.

Last years build was mostly around the saga involving Vince McMahon and Donald Trump in the hair vs hair match. The two "hired" wrestlers to represent them, which was Umaga for McMahon and Bobby Lashley for Trump. While the match was okay, the spectacle was seeing McMahon getting his head shaved post match.

The two main events last year were both solid, with John Cena beating Shawn Michaels, and Batista losing the belt in a very good match with the Undertaker. While that being said, I still felt this year was slightly better due to the undercard being stronger, and the three main events being strong as well.

The attention now turns to Backlash, the next PPV venture coming up on Sunday, April 28th from Baltimore. Without giving out "spoilers" for the show, already there will be a few Mania rematches, with the RAW main being announced on Monday night, which also will be a multi-wrestler title match. In the past few years Backlash has also been pretty strong, so let's hope that same will be for the 2008 edition.

Labels: backlash 2008, bobby lashely, vince mcmahon, wrestlemania 23, wrestlemania 24

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

Credit: ProWrestling.net

Floyd Mayweather Jr’s run with WWE is now considered to be done, but it ended on great terms. Guys in the locker room thought he was humble and respectful, contrary to his reputation. He took a lot of time posing for pictures with wrestlers backstage at WrestleMAnia 24 on Sunday, and took the whole experience very seriously. More than one person in the company has stated that he was the best celebrity or athlete the company has ever worked with.

Big Show got along well with Mayweather, but it’s said that he wasn’t particularly fond of some of his friends and bodyguards. Show thought Mayweather was very levelheaded for a person who made as much money as he has at such a young age.

Right now it sounds like Floyd only has one fight left on his deal with Golden Boy Promotions, and is then planning to launch his own promotional company. The feeling is that his WWE experience served as on-the-job training to some extent for his future in promoting. Floyd learned a lot from working with WWE and wasn’t afraid to talk about it backstage.

WWE officials are said to be open to the idea of working with Floyd again, but there’s nothing planned right now. Next on the agenda for Mayweather is fighting Oscar De La Hoya in September. It’s possible that WWE and Mayweather will do some sort of cross-promotion for any of his upcoming fights, but there’s no indication that he will be returning to the wrestling ring anytime soon.

Labels: floyd mayweather, the big show, wrestlemania 24

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

Mayweather’s crossover is money

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and advisor Leonard Ellerbe were strolling through a Smith’s Food & Drug grocery store in Las Vegas not long ago. As they were pushing their shopping cart and minding their own business, the well-to-do young African-American men were interrupted by a pair of decidedly middle-class elderly white women.

The women giggled as they asked Mayweather if he would mind posing for a photograph with them.

“We love you on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ” Ellerbe recalls one of the women saying to Mayweather.

As they walked away, a wide grin creased Mayweather’s face. He turned to Ellerbe, his best friend and de facto manager, and shook his head.

“Leonard, now I know I’ve crossed over,” Mayweather said.

He’s arguably the biggest attraction in combat sports. He is part of the best-selling bout in boxing history and his appearance at WrestleMania 24 on Sunday in Orlando, Fla., was such a hit, Ellerbe says, that the wrestling pay-per-view record of 1.25 million is expected to be topped.

In the past year, Mayweather had a prominent role on a hit television series. He was part of a boxing match that sold the unheard-of number of 2.4 million pay-per-view subscriptions. He followed that with sales of 900,000 for his bout with Ricky Hatton, a man who was making his pay-per-view debut in the U.S. and whose American television ratings had been tepid, at best.

Click HERE to read the rest of the story

Labels: floyd mayweather, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

TMZ.com has video of last night's fireworks accident that took place after Mania concluded. Click HERE to go directly to the video.

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Show's over: Mayweather wins his WWE debut

In one of the most hyped WWE events in decades, close to 70,000 fans filled the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida to witness Floyd Mayweather Jr. knock out "The Big Show" in a no-holds barred wrestling match at Wrestlemania XXIV.

Mayweather wore protective mitts and used his speed to run in circles with Big Show chasing. At some point Big Show began to pummel one of Mayweather's bodyguards. Mayweather would later jump on Big Show's back and applied a sleeperhold, which Big Show would eventually break and begin to batter Mayweather with chops, a sideslam and variety of other moves.

The handlers of Mayweather would pull their employer out of the ring and attempt to take him to the back, Big Show would follow in pursuit and attack Mayweather on the outside before throwing him back in the ring.

The Big Show would later attempt to finish Mayweather off with the chokeslam, bout the move was prevented by Mayweather's team members who would interfere in the match. While Big Show was distracted, Mayweather would attack him with a chair. He would give Big Show a low blow, sending the giant wrestler to his knees as he would land a few more chair shots before taking off one of the mitts and using a pair of brass knuckles to land a right hand that knocked Big Show out.

The ref would count him out at 11.41 of the contest.

Click HERE for the rest of the story

Labels: floyd mayweather, the big show, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

While leaving the airport in Orlando earlier today, I spoke directly to a WWE worker who worked on the electrical crew and was well aware of last night's incident of where the lights went out during the BunnyMania match. He told me that it was a blown transformer, and that the show and lights were running on backup generators for awhile.

While the video screens were down, they were re-routing wires frantically to try and get things back to normal. At the arena, at first many thought it was some storyline when the lights went out, but when the girls continued to fight as if nothing happened, you knew that it was not planned. I can only imagine Vince and the company going nuts backstage when the lights went out on the biggest stage of the biggest show in the history of the company.

Labels: vince mcmahon, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: floyd mayweather, the big show, wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Dozens burned after fireworks malfunction at wrestling event

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Fire officials in Orlando, Florida say a fireworks malfunction at a Wrestlemania event caused minor burns to about 40 people.

They say at least three people were taken to a hospital for treatment, but that none of the injuries was serious.

It happened last night as the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium was packed for the wrestling event. A fire department spokesman says a cable holding the fireworks collapsed at the end of the show, sending hot embers from the fireworks into the crowd. He says there were burn injuries "up and down the stadium."

Labels: wrestlemania 24

Posted by Matt Loede at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments