Industry News & Notes:

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More WWE HOF Inductees Confirmed, New DVD, Last Week's Raw Rating
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 12:37:27 PM

source: www.f4wonline.com

-- The legendary Von Erich family has been confirmed to be inducted into this year's WWE Hall of Fame. Other names confirmed for induction this year include "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, "Cowboy" Bill Watts, and Terry & Dory Funk, Jr.

-- Last week's edition of Raw drew a 3.59 cable rating off hours of 3.55 and 3.63. The first hour drew 5.1 million viewers and the second hour drew 5.4 million. The median age of the show was 36.4 and it was number one in adults 18-49 and males 18-49 for the night.

-- WWE's The Best of Saturday Night Main Event DVD is officially released today. The DVD set runs 540 minutes long, features more than 30 matches, as well as humorous videos, interviews and Superstar commentary. You can purchase the DVD at the following link. WWE did not plug the DVD on last night's edition of Raw.

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Evan Bourne's Return, Jericho Update, Former Diva Training MMA
By Michael Bluth
Feb 10, 2009 - 12:04:33 PM

Source: PWInsider.com

-- WWE.com mentioned the Chris Jericho incident on their 'Industry News' section. Similar to their initial statement, they only mention that Jericho was "physically and verbally assaulted" and with no mention of Jericho fighting back and striking a female fan. Speaking of the Jericho incident, another video has surfaced on YouTube that shows Jericho right before the incident, getting into his car and trying to drive away. You can check that out here.

-- Former WWE Women's champion Victoria, who retired from the squared circle last month, is now taking Mixed Martial Arts classes in anticipation of a possible MMA career. You can read her complete blog at MySpace.com.

-- The latest on injured Raw star Evan Bourne is that he is expected back early next month. Bourne has been out of action for several months with an ankle injury and will be back in action in time to be used at WrestleMania.





TNA Signs WWE Castoff, Former WWE Stars Backstage This Week
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 10:34:53 AM

source: PWInsider.com

-- Former ECW Superstar Shawn "Gavin" Spears was backstage at Sunday's Against All Odds pay-per-view in Orlando. The recently released WWE wrestler was seen sporting a broken hand.

-- Former WWE/ECW Superstar Stevie Richards was backstage at last night's Impact taping in Orlando. There has been talk of Richards joining the organization.

-- According to the official MySpace page of the Team 3D Wrestling Academy (www.myspace.com/team3dacademy) in Florida, TNA has signed Rob Terry to a two-year deal. Terry was quietly released from his WWE developmental contract this past August. Terry, a former bodybuilder, is originally from Wales.

-- The official TNA website has post-show footage from Sunday's Against All Odds pay-per-view at the following link. The video features an exclusive interview with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Sting following his successful title defense.

[Karl Kox]

I never thought the Von Erichs would be in the WWE HOF

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Ricky Steamboat-WWE Hall of Fame Update, Lilian Garcia Performing
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 2:54:34 PM

-- Courtesy of the Wrestling Observer, news broke online a few weeks ago saying WWE has plans to induct Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat into their Hall of Fame this year. In light of the report, the webmaster behind the wrestling legend's official website, www.RickyTheDragonSteamb oat.com, posted a statement informing his fans of the news. As it turns out, the site's webmaster was not authorized by the Steamboat family to post an announcement regarding Steamboat and the Hall of Fame. The website is also saying that news of Steamboat going into the WWE Hall of Fame is false. Here is a message Bonnie Steamboat released regarding the error:

DISCLAIMER:

INFORMATION REGARDING THE INDUCTION OF RICKY STEAMBOAT INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME IS FALSE AND WAS INADVERTENTLY PLACED ON THIS WEBSITE. THE OWNERS OF THIS WEBSITE REGRET THIS ERROR AND APOLOGIZE TO THE WWE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE IT MAY HAVE CAUSED.

Rick, Bonnie and Richie regret to inform wrestling fans that we have temporarily had to put our web site under suspension. The good news is we expect it to be back up and running in the near future. Thank you for your patience. In addition, neither Rick, Richie or myself have not given anyone our "official" permission to put up a MY Space account for us on the Internet. Please be aware of imposters that claim they are our 'friends' ... who continue to try corrupt the reputation of the Steamboat family. Thank you all so much. Bonnie Steamboat

WWE still has plans to put Steamboat into the WWE Hall of Fame this year as this is simply a case of damage control on the part of the Steamboats. The wrestling legend works for WWE in a road agent role and it would not be wise to make an official announcement before the company does.

-- Lilian Garcia announced on her MySpace account (myspace.com/liliangarcia) that she will be performing at the Borgata Hotel Casino's Gypsy Bar in Atlantic City, New Jersey this Friday from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m. Garcia will be performing with members of the New Jersey band Lifespeed. This show is for ages 21 and older.

-- Click here for a video preview of WWE's The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event three-disc DVD set, which is officially out today. The video preview features the chapter on "Macho Man
" Randy Savage turning on Hulk Hogan in February 1989.



Will Jericho Be Punished?, MMA Fighter Issues Challenge To Kofi
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 2:27:00 PM

source: PWInsider.com

-- According to several sources, Chris Jericho will not be punished by WWE officials over his scuffle with fans this past Saturday. Officials feel he was put in a situation in which he was forced to defend himself, so he's clear of any wrongdoing.

-- MMA fighter Kevin Randleman issued a challenge to Raw Superstar Kofi Kingston. Randleman doesn't want to fight or wrestle Kingston, but rather, take the WWE Superstar on in a "corner jumping contest." Randleman issued the challenge during an interview with Absolute Wrestling Radio this past week. You can listen to the interview at MWR.Podomatic.com.

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Raw Rating Drops Again, ECW Match Announced For Tonight, CC-Cena
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 8:41:10 PM

source: PWInsider.com

-- Despite heavy promotion of the return of Ric Flair as well as a match pitting Randy Orton against Undertaker, last night's edition of Raw drew a 3.4 cable rating, down from the 3.6 the show did the two previous weeks. The show did hours of 3.34 and 3.50. Three weeks ago, the show drew a 3.9 rating.

-- Seeing how they're on the West Coast, tonight's edition of ECW will be a rare live edition of the program. One match has already been announced for tonight's show as Tommy Dreamer will be going one-on-one with one-half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions, The Miz.

-- As seen on Raw last night, New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia was in attendance. WWE.com has posted photos of Sabathia meeting up with John Cena backstage at the show, which you can see at the following link.

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Chris Harris To ROH?, Dave Hebner Breaks His Silence, Chris Adams
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 11:23:05 PM

-- Courtesy of Marvin Ward:

DAVID HEBNER BREAKS HIS SILENCE:

DAVID HEBNER, ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MEN IN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, SPENDING ALMOST 30 YEARS OF HIS LIFE WITH WWE BEFORE BEING LET GO, JOINED TRASH TALKING RADIO TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. ALMOST 3 ½ YEARS OF SILENCE, DAVE TELLS THE WHOLE STORY AND SHOOTS HARD ON MANY NAMES IN THE BUSINESS. TELLS INSIDE DIRT ON SEVERAL KEY FIGURES IN WWE, HOW TNA NEEDS SERIOUS HELP IN THE MARKETING HOUSE SHOW DEPARTMENT, AND TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW VENTURE BECOMING BUSINESS PARTNERS WITH MARVIN WARD.

GO TO TRASH TALKING RADIO FOR AN INTERVIEW YOU WILL NEVER FORGET - PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW!

http://www.trashtalkingradio.com/wn/2009.htm

-- Courtesy of Mathijs Affourtit:

Do you remember “Gentleman” Chris Adams from World Class Wrestling in the 80s? There’s this great documentary about his rise and fall, called “Gentleman’s Choice: The Chris Adams Story.” It can only be seen online at: http://gentleman.eyesoda.com/film/374 where there is also a discussion board for fans of Chris.

This film is made by one of the Creators of WCW, Mickey Grant. It has got some great footage from the very beginning of pro-wrestling. It’s also got some footage of Stone Cold Steve Austin when he was in Chris’ school for pro-wrestlers. It has got some revealing interviews with Kevin von Erich and some other former pro wrestlers.

Mathijs Affourtit
Promotion team
www.eyesoda.com

-- Courtesy of reader WWEYanks:

Hello, I attended the NYC comic con this past weekend where I had the opportunity to meet several wrestlers from past and present.

First man I met was the legend himself The Honky Tonk Man. Honky Tonk Man was a great guy. I took a picture with him and got his autograph. We talked for about a half hour about his injured finger and how he can't even bend it totally. He told me he will probably never use the guitar as a weapon again, but he will be a part of Wrestlemania, but they didn't tell him about the hall of fame. I then bought up Jeff Jarrett and he in a comedic fashion called him a punk. He couldn't have been a nicer guy.

I also had the chance to meet Christopher Daniels as Curry Man. He was definitely portraying the comedic Curry Man in full force. I was even on the phone with my dad and he took the phone from me and said that I was drinking beer. He was so funny. He pretended like he couldn't read English and I was with him for a long time. He was awesome. At about 1 pm Curry Man went to the back never came back and Christopher Daniels at the fallen Angel came out. He was a great guy with a bunch of people bringing suitcases of stuff for him to sign. He was gracious enough to sign everything. I asked him why he bleeds so much and said he has thin skin haha. He was awesome and I bought his shirt which he signed.

I met Taylor Wilde and hands down she's the prettiest woman in wrestling today. She was so nice. Not a bad word to say about her. Than I met Roxxi who was one of the nicest ladies I've ever met we joked about the Voodoo Queen Gimmick and I called her the next Lita and she said that was sweet of me and hugged me.

I met Scott Steiner and the things people say about him are not true at all. He is one of the biggest stars I've met and one of the nicest big stars. So we can all clear the air that Steiner is a great man. Internet rumors aren't true though I asked him about his knees and he said they were fine.

I then met my hero Wildcat Chirs Harris and he was the nicest guy be it wrestler or friend I've ever met. best man I think I ever encountered. After he wasn't busy and the booth wasn't crowded I had about an hour conversation with him. We talked about the horrors of WWE, his entrances when he came out and made fun of Don west where he got fined, to his greatest matches with Triple X and how he loved to work with Storm, Roode, and Eric Young. He was awesome enough to sing all my AMW merchandise and he was an all around nice guy. And he told me he may sign a contract with ROH. I just want to let all the readers know Wildcat Chris Harris was the greatest man I've ever met.

Identity Of New ECW Wrestler, WWE Diva Changes Brands Due To Move
By Daniel Pena
Feb 10, 2009 - 11:24:19 PM

During tonight's edition of ECW on Sci Fi, General Manager Theodore Long blew off a discussion with Jamie Noble to talk to a wrestler by the name of Tyson -- who was accompanied by SmackDown Diva Natalya. They discussed his background of training in the Stu Hart's legendary "Dungeon." Tyson then directed a one-liner towards Noble, saying he would send the "big dog" back to the pound.

Following the commercial break, Tyson, under the name Tyson Kidd, beat the one and only Bao Nguyen in his ECW debut. Kidd hit a spinning kick and then followed it up with a springboard flying elbow before pinning Nguyen. Following the bout, Noble walked onto the stage and clapped.

Kidd is longtime Hart family friend T.J. Wilson. Wilson signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment in November 2006 and had been in developmental ever since. Wilson has a wealth of wrestling experience as he has been grappling since 1995 when he was only fifteen years old.

For the past few months, there had been talk of bringing Wilson and longtime friend DH Smith up to the main roster as The New Hart Foundation with Natalya as their manager. As recently as December, officials had given thought to placing them on SmackDown to feud with WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo Colon, but they went with the already established The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson instead. Shortly there after, Smith and Wilson lost the FCW Florida Tag Team Championships and broke up.

The team broke up after Smith went to the creative team on his own and requested to be brought on board for the Legacy. Officials had plans to add him to group, but those plans cooled off after the sudden twist on Raw a few weeks ago involving Randy Orton and Vince McMahon. Now Smith is back in a state of limbo and it is unknown as to when officials will finally call him up to main roster.

With Wilson on ECW, Natalya has been transferred from the SmackDown roster to manage him. Natalya is close to Wilson as the WWE Diva has been dating him since November 2001 and the two have lived together for approximately six years.

In recent months, Natalya had done little of note on SmackDown and was being left off television more often than not. Her strong initial push in the company came to an end last July at the hands of Michelle McCool in a match to determine the first WWE Divas Champion at the Great American Bash pay-per-view. Soon after, officials started having her put over less experienced Divas on the roster such as The Bella Twins and backstage announcer Eve Torres.

In a case of turnabout is fair play, Smith appeared to be headed for a major role in the company, leaving his close friends behind to fend for themselves. Now Wilson and Natalya have stable roles in the company whereas Smith has been left to fend for himself in developmental.

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Backstage Heat On DH Smith, WrestleMania Site Launched, Burchill
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 12:21:51 AM

source: PWInsider.com

-- As seen on tonight's edition of ECW on Sci Fi, Tyson Kidd made his WWE debut in a win over local competitor Bao Nguyen. Kidd is WWE developmental wrestler T.J. Wilson. WWE had plans to call Wilson up to the Smackdown roster with DH Smith and Natalya several weeks back as the New Hart Foundation, but those plans changed when Smith went to the creative team and pitched a role for himself on the Raw roster as a member of Legacy. As a result, there was heat on Smith from other wrestlers as they felt he damaged Wilson and Natalya's chances of making it to the main roster in a pronounced role. A tag team with Smith appeared to be Wilson's best and perhaps only chance at making it on the main roster as we never heard anything about WWE utilizing him as a singles wrestler. Until Monday's Raw, Wilson never worked a singles match before a WWE crowd, and he had been under contract for over two years. Wilson beat Jamie Noble in a dark match prior to the show. In the end, Wilson made it to the roster before Smith did, who is now on his own in developmental.

-- WWE has launched a cutting edge micro-site promoting WrestleMania 25. You can reach the site at www.Wrestlemania25.com or wm25.wwe.com. (Thanks to Mike Vendely)

-- Paul Burchill, who did not appear during tonight's ECW broadcast, was still utilized at the taping. In between a commercial break, Burchill came out on stage and spoofed actor Christian Bale's recently publicized angry tirade on the set of Terminator: Salvation. Footage of the ECW wrestler's take-off on the British actor is currently available to WWE Mobile subscribers. WWE.com will likely post the footage later in the week. {WWE Mobile on AT&T: Paul Burchill}


Ric Flair Hosting Wrestling Seminar For Active Wrestlers
By Michael Bluth
Feb 11, 2009 - 10:18:57 AM

Ric Flair's management team sent out the following last night:

RIC FLAIR TO HOST WRESTLING TRAINING SEMINAR FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS!

Wrestling Legend comes to Boston area to provide once in a life time opportunity.

Webster, Massachusetts, 12/10/08 – Ric Flair, the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion known world wide as “The Nature Boy” will be giving active professional wrestlers a once in a life time opportunity on Sunday, March 29, 2008. Flair, for the first time ever, will step in the ring and hold an open seminar for active professionals within the wrestling industry. This first ever event will take place at the Webster Town Hall in Webster, Mass.

“Never before has a training seminar of this magnitude been open to the general public.” said Steve Perkins of Big Time Wrestling, “Not only wrestlers, but anyone involved in this industry will benefit greatly from this experience, we expect attendees from around the country.” Ric Flair will provide his unequaled insight into the industry with only 50 lucky professionals. Flair will be assisted by his son Reid, who recently made his pro debut.

“The standouts at the seminar are very likely to be given a match that evening at our event at Webster Town Hall.” said Terry Allen of Big Time Wrestling. “It’s a once in a life time opportunity to work a show alongside Ric Flair”. Ric Flair will be managing his son Reid Flair in the main event of the evening, and has vowed to not let any outside interference occur.

This once in a life time opportunity takes place, March 29, 2009 at Webster Town Hall. Price of enrollment is only $150 for the first 25 that enroll and $200 for the second 50 attendees. You can reserve your spot right now at www.flairseminar.com.

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JBL Blogs About WWE's Wellness Policy, Steroids
By Michael Bluth
Feb 11, 2009 - 10:40:21 AM

John Bradshaw Layfield has updated his WWE Universe Blog with his thoughts on WWE's Wellness Policy, the latest steroid controversy in pro baseball and more.

JBL says he's "thrilled" that WWE has a strict drug policy and he's 100% against steroids. "I am thrilled that WWE is a leader in testing. I don't say that because I work for them, I say that because I am thrilled that the temptation to take drugs to look better or perform better was taken away by WWE's strict drug policy."

He says that as he was training to get back into wrestling shape and nearly lost 100 pounds, he had no temptation to use performance enhance drugs "I am very glad that when I was trying to get back into shape to make a return to the ring that drugs was not an option, because if it had been an option I would have been tempted to go to a doctor (which you can do easily at my age) and get a prescription for testosterone or other drug and take a short cut," JBL said. "Because, getting into shape after getting so out of shape was tough, and still is. Taking the option of drugs out of the equation was a great thing the WWE did."

JBL believes WWE has created a healthy environment for wrestlers to help remove the temptation of using banned substances. "I have been tested for drugs, AIDS, high cholesterol, concussions; you name it in the past six months alone," JBL said. "WWE has made sure it has created an environment that is healthy, just as the NFL has done and baseball started doing a few years ago."


Ric Flair's WWE Contract Status, WWE-MLB Steroids
By Michael Bluth
Feb 11, 2009 - 11:47:07 AM

-- In a column printed in today's Houston Chronicle, sports reporter Jerome Solomon about this week's steroid scandal in baseball, with Alex Rodriguez admitting he used performance enhancing drugs from 2001-2003. Solomon said the focus should be shifted to WWE, where he claims the wrestlers are readily available to be investigated by Congress. "That is good law enforce-ment - when it comes to laws we want to enforce. Is this really one of them? ... If so, I submit that a couple dozen steroids arrests could be made if the long arm of the law showed up at a WWE event (or most major gyms around the country on a random Wednesday) with urine sample cups in hand. Heck, several guys could have been scooped up in any Major League Baseball clubhouse a few years ago." To read more, check out Chron.com.

-- Ric Flair has not signed a new deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. PWInsider.com reports that the Nature Boy is scheduled to be a regular part of WWE television up through Wrestlemania. He is still taking independent appearances and bookings.

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TNA Releases Another Star: Backstage News On Releases *Spoilers*
By Michael Bluth
Feb 11, 2009 - 11:54:53 AM

Source: PWInsider.com

Warning: The following contains a spoiler for Thursday's iMAPCT!:

As reported yesterday, TNA Wrestling has released homegrown stars Petey Williams and Lance "Rock" Hoyt. You can now add Jimmy Rave to that list of released stars. There is a rumor that Eric Young was also released, but so far that appears to be false.

There was no backstage heat on any of the released talent. In fact, Petey Williams has a reputation of being one of the most willing and capable stars in TNA. The reason they were released is that TNA is looking to freshen up the roster by clearing out undercard talent that has been on the roster for years and bringing in some fresh faces.

Petey was spotted leaving Orlando this morning with a new look - he's shaved his head and beard. He is now accepting bookings at canam@bordercitywrestling.com.



Former WWE Star Likely Joining TNA, Petey Williams Update, Young
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 12:18:16 PM

source: PWInsider.com

-- As reported yesterday, Stevie Richards was backstage at Monday's Impact taping in Orlando. The word going around at the taping is that Richards will likely be starting soon with TNA.

-- Regarding rumors of Eric Young being released, there is nothing to the story.

-- Petey Williams, who TNA released yesterday, is now accepting independent bookings. The following press release was issued last night:

Effective immediately, two-time TNA X-Division champion, 'Maple Leaf Muscle' Petey Williams is now accepting bookings for wrestling events, autograph signings and seminars. Don't miss out on an opportunity to have the 2004 "Rookie of the Year", winner of "Best Finishing Move" (Canadian Destroyer) three years running (2004-2006), and one of the top young superstars in professional wrestling as part of your next event!

Also available for bookings are TNA's Japanese sensation Kiyoshi and All Japan Pro Wrestling's 6'6", 270lbs superstar Joe Doering.

For booking information please email canam@bordercitywrestling.com

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Mick Foley On Dixie Carter vs. Vince, His HOF Chances (Interview)
By Michael Bluth
Feb 11, 2009 - 1:10:45 PM

The Sun recently had Mick Foley on their WrestleCast radio show, which you can listen to at TheSun.co.uk. Here are some highlights of what Foley said about:

His return match in TNA: “I learned the lesson that if you’re going to forget one thing it shouldn’t be: ‘Hey, there’s two guys crashing through a table – you might not want to have your leg there.' I thought I broke my leg. I could barely walk, but thankfully the swelling has gone down.”

TNA President Dixie Carter: “Dixie is definitely not Vince – and that’s a good thing. Once I got involved with TNA, it was something I really wanted to become a bigger part of. Dixie actually let me make an investment in the company, which was a good thing.”

Vince McMahon and "The Wrestler": “I was asked whether I thought Vince McMahon would like the movie and I said: ‘Personally I don’t think he’ll like it, as he doesn’t like to shine a spotlight on some of the troubles the guys go through.’ Mickey Rourke called me and the first thing he said was: ‘Screw Vince McMahon!’"

His Chances for Making WWE's Hall of Fame: “It’s weird how much talk the Hall Of Fame gets and it’s definitely something people consider. You have to keep in mind that there are guys like Baron Mikel Scicluna, Johnny Rodz, The Fridge and Pete Rose in there – but Bruno Sammartino is not in there. Between Bruno and Bob Backlund, they held the old WWWF title for about 13 years and neither one is in. I’m not going to let Vince determine whether or not my career is a good one by whether or not I’m inducted. Still it would be nice to be asked one day – but I’m not counting on it and in no way would that greatly shape my memories.”

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Update On WWE's Randy Savage DVD, WWE Signs "Bambikiller"?, Cena
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 3:32:56 PM

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- As reported last week, World Wrestling Entertainment has plans to release a three-disc DVD set on "Macho Man" Randy Savage on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 entitled Macho Madness: The Ultimate Randy Savage Collection. As expected, several fans are skeptical of WWE releasing a DVD on Savage considering Vince McMahon pulled the plug on the project once before, but the company is legitimately going through with the release. Internally, the feeling is with the state of the economy that this isn't the time to kill projects they believe will make significant money, especially for petty reasons such as McMahon's personal feelings towards Savage. In other sign indicating the company's change of heart towards Savage, he is featured on the cover of the Best of Saturday Night’s Main Event DVD released this week.

-- An Austrian wrestler by the name Chris Raaber, also known as Chris "The Bambikiller", is telling people he has signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. His signing has yet to be confirmed by company sources. Raaber has mostly worked in Japan and Europe, but trained under wrestling legend Dory Funk in Florida. He is a big, muscular wrestler as Raaber bills himself at 6' 4" and 246 pounds. For more information on Raaber, you can visit his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/chrisraaber.

-- WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena is currently featured in magazine ads for Ultimate Nutrition, a bodybuilding supplement company. The ads can be found in assorted bodybuilding magazines and MMA magazines.

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WWE Officials Down On Member Of Cryme Tyme, Voices CD Sales Sink
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 3:13:14 PM

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- Cryme Tyme member Shad Gaspard is said to be the on bubble, which could affect JTG's standing in the company if the company doesn't want to push him as a singles wrestler. Gaspard was originally slated to participate in the Royal Rumble match a few weeks ago, but officials pulled him as a message to improve.

John Laurinaitis, WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Relations, recently had a face-to-face meeting with Gaspard specifically telling him the company was unhappy with his lack of progress. Gaspard has been training at the Florida Championship Wrestling school in between road trips.

Gaspard has always been slow when it comes to picking things up. While he's actually improved greatly, it is because he started out so slowly that he's now only below average. This is one of the reasons why he is never used in singles matches and his ring time is generally kept short in tag matches with JTG doing most of the work. Had it not been for the Cryme Tyme gimmick, it is unknown if Gaspard would have been called up to the main roster in the first place.

-- As predicted, sales for WWE's "Voices" CD took a plunge in week two. The CD fell out of Billboard's top 50 chart and is estimated at selling approximately 7,000 copies. Regarding this, music industry insider Mike Omansky said, "Unless there is a major retail event, which is doubtful at this point, this album is dying a quick death as far as significant sales go." It should be noted that CD sales includes sales from all retail outlets except Wal-mart, which doesn't report to Billboard.

-- Here are some recent attendance figures. Friday's Raw brand house show in Vancouver, BC, drew a sellout in advance of 5,500. The 2/7 Raw show in Victoria, BC, drew 5,000. Sunday's show in Sacramento did 9,500. Friday's Smackdown show in Kennewick, Washington drew 2,000. Sunday's Smackdown show in Bakersfield, California drew a sellout in the 2,500-seat convention center.




WWE Star Moves Back To Raw, Who Is Bao Nguyen?, Butch Reed
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 1:52:16 PM

-- Even though Jamie Noble appears to be a member of the ECW roster, technically, he's a member of Raw. WWE.com has moved Jamie Noble's profile back to the Raw roster section. Last week, WWE.com moved his profile to the ECW section.

-- Tyson Kidd made his WWE debut on last night's edition of ECW in a win over local competitor Bao Nguyen. Nguyen is a 27-year-old indy wrestler from California, but currently living in Eldon, Missouri. He's worked for a number of California-based indy promotions over the years such as Supreme Pro Wrestling. Nguyen is Vietnamese as he calls himself the "Vietnam Phenom." For more information on Nguyen, you can visit his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/vietnamphenom23.

-- WWE.com continues celebrating Black History Month with a look at former Superstar "The Natural" Butch Reed. Click here to see his WWE alumni profile. Reed joined WWE in September 1986 and quietly left the promotion shortly after WrestleMania IV.

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WWE Draft Announced, WWE Looking For Play-By-Play Announcer, More
By Daniel Pena
Feb 11, 2009 - 7:36:17 PM

-- The WWE website has announced the date for this year's WWE Draft. WWE will "shake things up" once again eight days following WrestleMania on the April 13th edition of Raw in Atlanta, Georgia. (2009 WWE Draft announced for Raw April 13}

-- WWE has a job opening for a play-by-play announcer. The job requirement calls for one to three years of play-by-play sports announcing experience. You can see the job opening at the following link.

-- WWE returns to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California on June 30th, 2009. Last night's SmackDown/ECW taping took place at the Save Mart Center. Tickets go on sale April 11th, 2009 at 10 AM. Go to http://prowrestlingevents.tk or http://prowrestlingevents.webs.com for info about upcoming wrestling shows worldwide. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

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Von Erichs Comment On WWE HOF, WWE Holding Second Tryout, More
By Daniel Pena
Feb 12, 2009 - 12:04:02 PM

-- As reported earlier, the legendary Von Erich family will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this April. The family confirmed the report on their official website, www.vonerich.com, with the following statement: "We are honored to announce that the Von Erich Family will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4th. The induction will be held in Houston, TX. For those of you that have been asking about Kevin's sons, we are planning on including Ross and Marshall in the ceremony."

-- World Wrestling Entertainment will be holding their second open tryout at Florida Championship Wrestling's headquarters in Tampa, Florida this May. Here is the statement they released on www.fcwwrestling.com:

FCW To Hold Second Talent Evaluation Clinic

FCW will host another Talent Evaluation Clinic on Friday May 1st thru Monday May 4th. The clinic will be run by FCW Chief Steve Keirn and FCW trainers Tom Prichard, Billy Kidman, and Norman Smiley. The clinic will include WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, WWE Producers and Talent Scouts, and other special guests.

Registration Info Forthcoming

-- Here is the updated card for the WWE house show in Santiago, Chile on February 22nd, courtesy of MovistarArena.cl:

Triple H & The Undertaker vs. Vladimir Kozlov & The Big Show
Jeff Hardy vs. Edge for the WWE Championship
Carlito vs. Shelton Benjamin for the US Championship

Also appearing are Mr. Kennedy, The Great Khali, MVP, Michelle McCool & Primo.

Go to http://prowrestlingevents.tk or http://prowrestlingevents.webs.com for info about upcoming wrestling shows worldwide. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)


Daughter Of Wrestling Legend Posing For Playboy Magazine
By Michael Bluth
Feb 12, 2009 - 10:11:54 AM

It looks like third generational talent and former WWE developmental Diva Lacey Von Erich, daughter of the late "Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich, will be posing for Playboy Magazine. KARL YOU HAVE TO GET THOSE PICTURES

The 22 year old blond beauty posted a message on her official MySpace on 2/4 that said: “Playboy next Thurs. at 12:15! Wish me luck! I’m scared !!” "Next Thursday” is today (2/12).

Lacey was signed to a WWE developmental deal back in August of 2007 and worked a few dates with Florida Championship Wrestling. She was released from her WWE developmental deal in late 2007. Since then she has been modeling and worked a few independent shows.

[wolfgang187]

Twenty More Characters Of "Legends of WrestleMania" Leaked Online
By Daniel Pena
Feb 12, 2009 - 6:13:28 PM

Images revealing twenty previously undisclosed characters in the upcoming Legends of WrestleMania video game have surfaced online. Presumably, these are the last twenty characters WWE.com and IGN.com will reveal over the next few days. Images featuring the following characters surfaced:

- Arn Anderson
- Big Boss Man
- Bret Hart
- Honky Tonk Man
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
- Kamala
- King Kong Bundy
- Koko B. Ware
- Michael Hayes
- Mr. Fuji
- Mr. Perfect
- Nikolai Volkoff
- Paul Bearer
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
- Ric Flair
- Ultimate Warrior
- Undertaker
- Yokozuna

The following characters were confirmed last Friday:

- Hulk Hogan
- Andre the Giant
- Bobby Heenan
- Shawn Michaels
- The Iron Sheik
- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
- Big John Studd
- Junkyard Dog
- Bam Bam Bigelow
- Sgt. Slaughter
- Dusty Rhodes
- Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka

The following characters were confirmed this past Monday:

- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- The Rock
- Jimmy Hart
- Road Warrior Hawk
- Road Warrior Animal
- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
- Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
- British Bulldog
- "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase


Confirmed 2009 Hall Of Fame Inductees
By Brad Ingles
Feb 12, 2009 - 6:41:46 PM

Confirmed inductees for the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame in Houston, TX are Steve Austin, Bill Watts, Ricky Steamboat, Terry and Dory Funk Jr, and the Von Erich family. Jim Ross will induct Watts and Ric Flair will induct Steamboat. There is no word on who will induct Austin, Funk's, or Von Erich's.

Credit: Figure Four Weekly Newsletter


WWE Interested In Signing TNA Champion
By Brad Ingles
Feb 12, 2009 - 7:02:18 PM

WWE officials are interested in signing one-half of TNA Tag Team Champions Robert Roode when his contract expires this Spring. Roode, who has been with TNA since 2004, is seen as a valuable asset to the company and they will do what they can to keep him happy from now until negotiations begin later this year.

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter


Jim Ross Blogs About Christian & Ric Flair's Return, WWE Draft
By Brad Ingles
Feb 12, 2009 - 7:30:30 PM

Jim Ross updated his blog, JRsbarbq.com, and commented on Christian and Ric Flair's WWE return, 2009 Draft, and more.

Christian's ECW debut: I have to admit that I was surprised to see Christian return to the WWE Tuesday night on ECW. Christian returning to the WWE at some point wasn't a big secret in many circles but Christian going to the ECW brand was. Personally, I was hoping that "Captain Charisma" would have joined the Smackdown team. ECW got a nice addition to their roster and because they only do one hour or 6 segments of TV weekly, the ECW show should feature solid, in ring wrestling more weeks than not. I think fans want to see more bell to bell action and ECW seems to provide that most weeks.

On WWE Draft: Tuesday in Fresno lots of WWE talents were speculating and discussing the upcoming WWE Draft on April 13 from Atlanta when, I assume, every one and their Mom, will be required to be front and center for the annual "let's shake up the WWE night." This Raw broadcast will likely garner a healthy TV rating. After last June's night of surprises in San Antonio, any thing can happen and likely will. I am prepared for whatever unlike last year when I wasn't expecting to leave Raw. Change can often times be effective and I personally think it is a good thing to shake up the rosters and create new rivalries and issues. Plus, it is a great time to provide some young talents a nice "jump start."

On Ric Flair's return: It was great to see Ric Flair back on WWE programming this week as he added excitement to Monday Night Raw in Oakland, Calif. “Naitch” still has “it” -- that magical intangible that cannot be manufactured or replicated. I don’t know what Ric’s future plans are as they relate to WWE, but I, for one, hope that we see Flair in Houston in some shape, form or fashion during WrestleMania week festivities … as long as he isn’t wrestling. Flair’s verbal exchange with Chris Jericho Monday night got Raw off to a rousing start and was arguably the best aspect of the broadcast.

[wolfgang187]

Steve Austin Booked For Raw, ESPN Covering WWE, "Voices" CD Sales
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 3:00:42 PM

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- At last word, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin is booked to appear at Raw tapings in Nashville (2/23) and San Antonio (3/16).

-- ESPN's E:60 program have plans to do a major feature in WWE. Their crew will be on hand for this Sunday's No Way Out pay-per-view in Seattle.

-- In its second week out, WWE's "Voices" CD sold just over 9,000 copies, finishing No. 61 on the Billboard chart. The CD sold approximately 26,000 copies in its first week out.


Update On Randy Savage DVD, Jennifer Hudson's Fiancee, Terry Funk
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 3:24:06 PM

sources: PWInsider.com, FloridaIndies.com, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- Independent WWE sources have confirmed reports of the company releasing a DVD on "Macho Man" Randy Savage. According to sources, the three-disc DVD set will not feature a documentary on Savage as it will simply be a collection of matches featuring the wrestling legend.

Jim Ross also confirmed the DVD in a blog yesterday. Ross wrote: "Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection" will be released by the WWE on June 9 and as of today the match selection process was still on going. Obviously, some of Savage's bouts are no brainers to include on this upcoming DVD including Savage vs. Steamboat from WM3 but there is so much excellent content to pick from that making a final decision on this particular DVD won't be easy. Of course this will create the obligatory and predictable concerns as to why certain matches were not included. It's obviously a conspiracy of the Oliver Stone magnitude. BTW Macho Man would be a great candidate for the WWE Hall of Fame some day and I wonder why no one has ever suggested such in the past? I think Matt Striker may be penciled in to host the Savage DVD....dig it?!"

-- The fiancee of actress/signer Jennifer Hudson, reality television star David "Punk" Otunga, has started appearing on Florida Championship Wrestling shows. He appeared at last night's television taping to help break a brawl between DH Smith and ECW wrestler Tyson Kidd. Otunga is going under the name "Dawson Alexander Esq." in FCW. He wrestled his debut match at a show outdoors a few weeks ago. Otunga recently appeared on the reality series, I Love New York 2 and was in the next-to-last episode as one of the final contestants. Several weeks ago, Otunga took a leave of absence to be with Hudson in light of tragic events surrounding her family.

-- Terry Funk, who has been confirmed for induction into this year's WWE Hall of Fame, is planning on bringing his daughters and granddaughters to the ceremony.


ECW Star "Shoots" On DH Smith During Show, Legends To Be Revealed
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 2:32:19 PM

-- Last night's Florida Championship Wrestling television taping in Tampa apparently featured a "worked shoot" angle based on some recent wrestling news site reports.

Following DH Smith's loss to FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Eric Escobar, new ECW wrestler Tyson Kidd (TJ Wilson) ran down to the ring and laid out Smith. The two then got into a brawl that was eventually separated by FCW talent.

During the brawl, Kidd grabbed the mic and said even though Smith went to "WWE creative" to get on television before him, he (Kidd) made it to television before him.

As we've been reporting, WWE had plans to bring The New Hart Foundation up to the main roster, but plans changed when Smith went to the creative team and pitched a role for himself on the Raw roster as a member of Legacy. As a result, the team was disbanded. There was heat on Smith from other wrestlers as they felt he damaged Wilson and Natalya's chances of making it to the main roster in a pronounced role, but luckily for them, they were brought to ECW this past Tuesday.

For complete taping results from last night's FCW show, click here.

-- According to a cracked source code on WWE.com, IGN will confirm the following legends later today in their video:

- Bret Hart
- Honky Tonk Man
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
- Kamala
- King Kong Bundy
- Mr. Fuji
- Nikolai Volkoff
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
- Yokozuna

-- In a poll on WWE.com, more people are looking forward to SmackDown's Elimination Chamber Match (65%) at No Way Out rather than Raw's (35%).

[wolfgang187]

WrestleMania 25 Poster Hints Towards A Steve Austin Match
By Brad Ingles
Feb 13, 2009 - 3:59:15 PM

A posted released for WrestleMania 25 shows Steve Austin in his wrestling clothes, which further hints that he will have a retirement match at the PPV. The poster also features The Undertaker, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, and Edge.


Paul London Lashes Out At Several Wrestlers (Interview)
By Brad Ingles
Feb 13, 2009 - 1:50:52 PM

False Count Pro Wrestling Radio interviewed Paul London in his first post WWE interview. Below are highlights from interview.

- When asked if he was shocked about his WWE release, London immediately said "No", but was shocked that they were still paying him.

- London said that he never liked Billy Kidman as a person, but admired his work in WCW "when he was 100 lbs. lighter". He also said that Kidman "threw him under the bus".

- "The Albert Einstein of Pro Wrestling" Alex asked London how it was working with the Dudleyz, in which London stated that D-Von was great to work with, but that Bubba was an "xxxxxxx".

- A caller asks him what he thinks of Evan Bourne using the shooting star press, to which London replies that "it's ridiculous" and gives a funny story why he thinks that.

- Caller A.G. Vito asks what the reasoning was for him smiling on the day Mr. McMahon "died", where London discusses how hard it was not to laugh at the whole thing.

- London says that Rob Van Dam would be his dream opponent, as he not only idolizes the wrestler, but also the person.

- Calls Matt Hardy a "piece of ****" and a "coward".

- Says his favorite match ever was against Jeff Hardy at a house show in Mexico That Was Never Seen.

- Juicin Jobber asks if London plans on training wrestlers, to which London said he would like to in the future.

- Says he's very happy for Brian Kendrick and wishes him the best.

- JT Evans asks London what the fans can expect in his PWG debut, which London replies "an uncensored, unrestrained spirit...the fans can look forward to honesty".


Latest On WM25 Smackdown Broadcast, Summerslam Tickets
By Brad Ingles
Feb 13, 2009 - 7:13:06 PM

- The latest on the WWE Smackdown broadcast during WrestleMania weekend is that there will be live footage from the AXXESS event with matches and promos, but the show will also include taped footage. The show will primarily be used to promote their flagship pay-per-view event.

- Tickets for WWE Summerslam go on sale tomorrow at 1PM EST. The PPV will be held in Los Angeles, CA at the Staples Center.

Credit: PWInsider.com


Punk Reveals What "CM" Means, Kennedy's Return Date, Lilian, MVP
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 5:07:03 PM

-- CM Punk was interviewed in the "Cash For Questions" section in the latest issue of WWE Magazine One of the questions asked was, "Did The Miz steal your nickname, as in CM: Chick Magnet?" Punk responsed with the following: "C'mon, why would I have such a ridiculous nickname? If you must know, CM is short for "Chicago Made" End of Story."

-- It was announced on last night's Florida Championship Wrestling show that Dolph Ziggler and MVP would be appearing at tonight's show at the Florida State Fair. In a small Ziggler note, he still has yet to wrestle on TV this year. He last competed on Raw on December 29, 2008 in a ten-man tag match.

-- As a reminder, Lilian Garcia is performing in New Jersey tonight. She sent out the following bulletin on her MySpace page this morning: "Perfo ​rming​ Tonig​ht!​ - I will be singi​ng this tonig​ht at the Borga​ta Hotel​ Casin​o’s Gypsy​ Bar in Atlan​tic City,​ N.J. in a speci​al early​ show from 7 to 10:​30 p.m. This show is for ages 21 and older​.​ The Borga​ta’s Gypsy​ Bar is at 1 Borga​ta Way in Atlan​tic City.​ For more infor​matio​n,​ visit​ www. borga​tanig​htlif​e.​com."

-- Mr. Kennedy is scheduled to make his much anticipated return to the ring a little more than a week from now on Sunday, February 22 as he's advertised for a SmackDown brand house show in Santiago, Chile, reports prowrestling.net.

Austin wrestling at WrestleMania? See *NEW* photo of him in his ring gear

[wolfgang187]

Upcoming Raw Main Event With Possible WrestleMania Implications
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 11:43:15 PM

source: PWInsider.com

Local advertising for Monday's Raw at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, as well as the 3/2 Raw at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, have all three members of Legacy taking on WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and a reunited D-Generation X of Shawn Michaels & SmackDown wrestler Triple H in the main events.

While this advertised match-up appears to simply be a dark match with Triple H making a special appearance, this could be a hint of things to come as WWE marches towards WrestleMania. In a backstage segment on Monday's Raw, Stephanie McMahon was seen talking to an undisclosed person she seemed to know pretty well on the phone.

(Thanks to reader Kris Style for the tip on the Spokane show


New Star Possibly Coming To ECW, LOW Characters Revealed, Jericho
By Daniel Pena
Feb 13, 2009 - 11:41:51 PM

sources: FloridaIndies.com, PWInsider.com

-- At last night's Florida Championship Wrestling television taping, Tiffany, representing ECW General Manager Theodore Long, called out WWE developmental wrestler Sheamus O'Shaunessy to talk about the brand. Sheamus O'Shaunessy, who is Irish, insulted both Finley and Hornswoggle, as well as ECW wrestler Ricky Ortiz. Ortiz came out to confront O'Shaunessy. Soon after, O'Shaunessy shoved Tiffany down, prompting a brawl he eventually got the better of.

-- It was announced during today's edition of The Bonnie Hunt Show that WWE star Chris Jericho would be a guest on Monday's show. The talk show is syndicated, so check your local listings for time and channel.    "WOLFGANG SAYS HE MIGHT SMACK THE BITCH"

-- IGN.com introduced the following characters for the upcoming "Legends of WrestleMania" video game:

- Bret Hart
- Honky Tonk Man
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
- Kamala
- King Kong Bundy
- Mr. Fuji
- Nikolai Volkoff
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
- Yokozuna

You can see IGN's video introducing them at the following link. The final set of characters will be revealed on Monday.

[wolfgang187]

Foley Pulls Out Of Project, Production Company Issues Statement
By Daniel Pena
Feb 14, 2009 - 3:23:31 PM

A proposed sitcom involving Mick Foley and a former cast member of Survivor was in the works, but the TNA star recently pulled out of the project. Lost Colony Entertainment was working with Foley on the proposed sitcom and they issued a statement today on their MySpace account talking about why the project was nixed.

For those of you who have asked, yes, Mick Foley has once again pulled out of the "Have a Nice Day" sitcom, citing time constraints (specifically due to his busy wrestling schedule and family commitments).

Mick is a true legend in the world of pro wrestling and he has literally given his body to entertain his fans. Producing and starring in a situation comedy is a full-time job and a person really has to want it badly enough in order to devote their time to it. Otherwise, it's not gonna be a success.

Fortunately, Mick understood that he wasn't cut out for this project and he respectfully backed out before we got too far into negotiations with a major broadcast network. Everyone at Amdram Productions and Lost Colony Entertainment wishes Mick well as he continues with his work as a professional wrestler at the age of 43.

Now? We move forward with our current slate of projects, relishing the opportunity to work with a talented group of individuals who are anxious and ready to devote their time and energy towards making things happen.


Ric Flair Holding Training Seminar Week Before WrestleMania
By Brad Ingles
Feb 14, 2009 - 1:13:52 PM

Ric Flair will hold a training seminar for wrestlers on March 29 in Webster, MA at the Webster Townhall from 1-3PM. The first 25 people will be charged $150 and then $200 following that. The maximum amount of participants is 50. For more information visit FlairSeminar.com.

"Never before has a training seminar of this magnitude been open to the general public,” said Steve Perkins of Big Time Wrestling, “Not only wrestlers, but anyone involved in this industry will benefit greatly from this experience, we expect attendees from around the country.”

“The standouts at the seminar are very likely to be given a match that evening at our event at Webster Town Hall,” said Terry Allen of Big Time Wrestling. “It’s a once in a life time opportunity to work a show alongside Ric Flair”.

Former WWE Hardcore Champions Wed, Ted DiBiase, Kenny Dykstra
By Daniel Pena
Feb 14, 2009 - 4:17:16 PM

sources: PWInsider.com, www.f4wonline.com

-- Former WWE Hardcore Champions Al Snow and Cynthia "Bobcat" Lynch recently got married. A number of wrestling personalities attended the ceremony including WWE Diva Katie Lea, a very pregnant Francine, April Hunter, JD Michaels, Lollipop, The Blue Meanie and Serena Deeb.

-- Former WWE stars Ted DiBiase and Chris Nowinski will be on TSN's Off the Record next Friday. The show's theme will focus on life after wrestling. Bret Hart was scheduled to appear at the show but pulled out due to a scheduling conflict.

-- Kenny Dykstra & Lance Cade will be appearing at the Extreme World Wrestling event in Hastings, England on April 30th, 2009. Go to http://eww-wrestling.co.uk for info about EWW & http://prowrestlingevents.tk or http://prowrestlingevents.webs.com for info about upcoming wrestling shows worldwide. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

WWE Spoils No Way Out?, Paul Burchill Flips Out, Divas Live Blog
By Daniel Pena
Feb 14, 2009 - 4:38:28 PM

-- Last month's issue of WWE Magazine released about a month ago apparently spoiled the outcomes of the qualifying matches for SmackDown's Elimination Chamber Match that ran over the course of a few recent episodes of Friday Night SmackDown. The feature correctly noted all six participants for the match. The magazine reads: "Six Superstars. One WWE Championship. Mix together these elements and you have the potential for an explosive Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out." The magazine goes on to list Jeff Hardy as Wildfire, Triple H as an Avalanche, Undertaker as a Blizzard, Big Show as an Earthquake, Edge as a Tsunami, and Vladimir Kozlov as a Volcanic Eruption.

-- WWE.com has posted video of ECW Superstar Paul Burchill spoofing actor Christian Bale's recent meltdown at the following link.

-- Mickie James will be participating in tomorrow's live blog on the WWE Universe site from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. ET. Then, throughout the night, Melina, Beth Phoenix, and Layla will join the blog. Click here for more information.


J.R. "Like You've Never Seen Him Before," WWE Hall of Fame Update
By Daniel Pena
Feb 14, 2009 - 5:10:34 PM

sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com

-- As reported earlier, the legendary Von Erich family is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this April. In an update on their induction into the Hall of Fame, Kevin Von Erich and his sons Ross and Marshall will be accepting the award on behalf of the family.

-- The final Raw taping before WrestleMania on Monday, March 30 will actually be a SuperShow featuring wrestlers from all three brands. Also, local advertising for the March 9th Raw taping in Jacksonville, Florida has a John Cena vs. Randy Orton match taking place.

-- Michael Moody of Hollymood Entertainment, the production company behind the 2005 documentary 101 Reasons Not To Be A Pro Wrestler, has decided to upload all productions that he has produced and directed over the past ten years onto YouTube.com for free public viewing.

In their first release, Hollymood Entertainment has posted two videos of never before released footage featuring SmackDown play-by-play commentator Jim Ross dating back to his early days in the professional wrestling business on the company YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/slowdive626.

Here is a description of the footage in question: "The footage is very rare and could be considered controversial but nothing that necessarily deserves censorship other than the fact that this is real footage and Jim Ross likely does not want the public to view such footage." It is recommended that you turn up your audio to understand clearly what Ross is discussing in the videos.

For "Jim Ross Exposed," visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p84faX9OA8. For "Horny Jim Ross is Naughty," visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MA7zFv0rKg.

For more information on Hollymood Entertainment's upcoming plans, you can visit their official website at www.HollymoodEntertainme nt.com.


Matt Hardy Takes Aim At Paul London Again, Calls Him A Psychopath
By Daniel Pena
Feb 14, 2009 - 5:25:56 PM

SmackDown Superstar Matt Hardy has posted another blog commenting on former WWE wrestler Paul London -- this time on his MySpace account. In his latest blog, he calls London a "psychopath."

Regarding London, Hardy wrote: "To my hooligan friend-I actually appreciate when crazy, bitter people give me free publicity by addressing me in interviews that are supposed to be about them. Where I'm currently at now in my career, believe it or not, it actually helps promote the Matt Hardy you see on TV. So thanks. Thanks for giving the Black Cloud image credibility. I know you've probably got some more interviews coming up, so please, keep on ranting and raving and promoting me. It certainly doesn't hurt my feelings or my paychecks. Especially when almost 100% of your comments are about nonsensical events and stories that never really happened. But I guess that's what people that are mentally and emotionally unstable do. It's really sad actually-when seemingly normal people that are so physically gifted can never capitalize on their talents because they're psychopaths."

In his first public interview since his release from WWE last week, London had some choice comments for the elder Hardy, calling him a "coward" among some other insults.

"All I remember was that I hate Matt Hardy," London told the False Count radio show. "I think he's a piece of s---. And I was trying to go into that (ladder match at Armageddon 2006) with as much of a professional mindset as possible without trying to murder this person. I think he's a coward."

In Hardy's blog, he also comments on (wrestling) internet journalists. Hardy wrote: "I don't hate or dislike the "internet journalist." Some of these guys have a good grasp on our business. Unfortunately several of them don't. Although I realize in actuality they are some of the biggest fans of our industry. And I do appreciate that. But like any other type of media, they often present their opinions and perspectives as facts, and their "facts" are frequently incorrect and wrong. It's the nature of the beast."

You can read Hardy's blog in its entirety at the following link.

[wolfgang187]

Big Update On WWE's Title Situation & Rumored WM25 Main Event
By Michael Bluth
Feb 16, 2009 - 3:44:23 PM

Partial Source: PWInsider.com

Heading into last night's No Way Out PPV, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding what top matches will take place at WrestleMania 25 on April 5th. At No Way Out, SmackDown star Edge dropped the WWE title (to Triple H) only to win the RAW brand's World Heavyweight title later in the night. WWE.com currently lists both titles on their SmackDown Superstars page (link), so the situation has been acknowledged and is expected to be part of WWE storylines in the coming weeks.

As Brad reported earlier, one possible scenario is that Triple H will take the WWE title to RAW and come to Stephanie's rescue from the Legacy. The word backstage at last night's PPV is that WWE is planning for Triple H to defend the WWE title against Randy Orton in the main event at WrestleMania XXV.

It's also important to note that former World Heavyweight champion John Cena is being advertised to appear on Smackdown this week, so another possible scenario could see Cena winning one of the belts and bringing it back to RAW.

Complete Roster For Upcoming "Legends of WrestleMania" Video Game
By Daniel Pena
Feb 16, 2009 - 8:32:05 PM

As reported earlier today, IGN.com revealed the final batch of characters for the upcoming Legends of WrestleMania video game this afternoon. According to the latest issue of WWE Magazine, the game includes 38 playable characters - the exact number of wrestlers that were revealed online. Following the final announcement, the complete Legends of WrestleMania roster is as follows:

Wrestlers
- Andre the Giant
- Animal
- Arn Anderson
- Bam Bam Bigelow
- Big Boss Man
- Big John Studd
- Bret Hart
- British Bulldog
- Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
- Dusty Rhodes
- Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
- Hawk
- Honky Tonk Man
- Hulk Hogan
- Hunter Hearst Helmsley
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts
- Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
- Junkyard Dog
- Kamala
- King Kong Bundy
- Koko B. Ware
- Michael Hayes
- "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
- Mr. Perfect
- Nikolai Volkoff
- Paul Bearer
- "Ravishing" Rick Rude
- Ric Flair
- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
- Sgt. Slaughter
- Shawn Michaels
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- The Iron Sheik
- The Rock
- Ultimate Warrior
- Undertaker
- Yokozuna

Managers (Non-playable)
- Bobby Heenan
- Jimmy Hart
- Mr. Fuji

Matt Hardy Blogs About Jeff, WWE's Next DVD Anthology Set, Orton
By Daniel Pena
Feb 16, 2009 - 7:45:38 PM

source: PWInsider.com

-- Matt Hardy has posted a blog talking about why he didn't interfere with Jeff Hardy's involvement in last night's Elimination Chamber Match. Hardy wrote: "At No Way Out in Seattle, I gave you the opportunity to win the WWE Title inside of the Elimination Chamber. I listened very closely to what you had to say on Smackdown last week. You said you were going to "move on" and win the WWE Title regardless of what I wanted. You also mentioned that you hoped this issue between us will one day pass over.

So from the bottom of my heart, I didn't interfere with your Elimination Chamber appearance and/or match. Nor did I need to.. You failed like you always do. I wanted to reinforce to everyone what a failure you truly are-how you can never pull through and succeed in a "big time" atmosphere. How you always choke. It's nothing new though."

Hardy added: "I'm afraid the WWE is not big enough for the both of us. I recommend you do the smartest thing possible for your life and livelihood right now. And that's walk out of the WWE and my life. You have until Friday to make your decision."

You can read his blog at the following link.

-- WWE has plans to release an DVD anthology box set on the Survivor Series, reports PWInsider.com

-- Randy Orton is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam magazine, which takes a look at the road to WrestleMania.

-- Mr. Kennedy has some appearances lined up next month as he will be participating in the Youth and Government Day at Keystone College in Clarks Summit, PA, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13. He will also be at the Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers game at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to meet fans.


Cena Appearing At SmackDown Taping, New Raw Matches Announced
By Daniel Pena
Feb 16, 2009 - 6:07:59 PM

-- Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena is scheduled to appear at tomorrow night's Smackdown double taping in Portland, Oregon, reports ProWrestling.NET. Other matches scheduled for the event include Triple H defending his newly won WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy. Plus, Big Show will face Undertaker in a casket match.

-- WWE.com has updated their preview for tonight's Raw. In addition to WWE Women's Champion Melina defending her belt against Beth Phoenix tonight, WWE Intercontinental Champion CM Punk will team up with Cryme Tyme to take on William Regal, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. As if that isn't enough, Mike Knox will be in action tonight. He is scheduled to wrestle Rey Mysterio.

-- WWE.com has posted a new photo gallery on SmackDown Diva Maria. Click here to see "Pucker up."

*RUMOR* WWE Star Expected To Switch Brands
By Brad Ingles
Feb 16, 2009 - 1:58:08 PM

It is expected for the new WWE Champion Triple H to move to the Raw brand since Smackdown has two champions. He moved to Smackdown to help the show make a smooth transition to the new network, and with MyNetworkTV becoming a rerun network and Raw ratings slipping, a move to Raw will boost the ratings leading up to WrestleMania.

With the recent tease of Stephanie McMahon talking to someone on the phone, Triple H will be revealed as the person she has been talking to. Randy Orton could put Stephanie in danger and Triple H would run out to save her. Vickie Guerrero and Stephanie will meet and agree to swap their champions.

Credit: PWInsider.com


RAW Preview: Women's Title Match, DX Reuniting & More
By Michael Bluth
Feb 16, 2009 - 8:37:48 AM

World Wrestling Entertainment will tape this week’s edition of ECW and RAW tonight at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington.

Here's an early preview for tonight's RAW:

-- Women's Champion Melina is scheduled to defend her Championship against the Beth Phoenix.

-- D-Generation X and John Cena vs. Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes is being advertised locally as the dark match main event. Christian is also being advertised to appear at tonight’s ECW taping.

-- Expect to see plenty of fallout from No Way Out, with SmackDown star Edge becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton defeating Shane McMahon and Shawn Michaels now a free man.

-- As of this writing, tickets still remain available in the lower levels.

[wolfgang187]

Ric Flair Signs With Ring Of Honor To Appear At Several Shows
By Michael Bluth
Feb 16, 2009 - 10:13:00 AM

The following announcement was released by Ring Of Honor this morning:

Ring of Honor is proud to announce that it has signed a multi-event agreement with the legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. His first appearance with the company will be in the St. Louis area on Friday, March 13th at the Gateway Center located at One Gateway Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234. Tickets for this historic event are now on sale at www.rohwrestling.com.

"Ric Flair is a legend in this industry and has been a huge influence on the careers of many Ring of Honor stars," said Ring of Honor president Cary Silkin. "The name ‘Flair’ has been synonymous with professional wrestling in the United States over the past 30 years, and it’s a wonderful privilege to have Ric appearing in Ring of Honor, adding his name to the list of legends that have set foot in the ROH ring. We agreed that the St. Louis area would be perfect for his first appearance in ROH because of his great wrestling history in that area. What could be a more wonderful way to say ‘thank you’ to those great St. Louis fans for supporting ROH than to bring the “Nature Boy” back to town one more time?"

Flair will be in the St. Louis area on March 13th for a special meet & greet autograph session that will be held from 6pm-8pm at The Gateway Center and he will also appear before the live crowd later that evening during the event. Autograph and show tickets are now on sale at www.rohwrestling.com. Autograph prices are $30 for the 1st item and $20 for each additional item to be signed. You can bring your own item or purchase Ric Flair merchandise at the building on the night of the show to get signed.

Please stay tuned to www.rohwrestling.com for more information on Ric Flair's appearance on March 13th along with additional events where you can meet the legendary “Nature Boy” in person!

[wolfgang187]

Update On Drug Use In WWE, Orton's Anger Issues Examined, More
By Daniel Pena
Feb 15, 2009 - 7:23:20 PM

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- While testing positive for marijuana under WWE's drug testing policy still only results in a fine, many wrestlers have seen what happens to guys who fail tests, so many are staying away from it knowing it gets heat with management.

- As a result of declining house show numbers, WWE has started booking smaller buildings in major cities. One example includes last weekend's show in Vancouver. Instead of using the big arena where the NHL's Canucks play, they held the house show at the 5,500-seat secondary arena and sold it out. This also occurred in Bakersfield, California where instead of using the major arena in the town, they sold out a much smaller convention center. This new business change has allowed WWE to cut down on costs by booking cheaper buildings since they aren't going to sell 8,000 tickets to a non-televised house show in many markets.

-- The latest issue of Inside Wrestling features Randy Orton on the cover with a story looking at his apparent anger issues. The headline reads: "The Rage of Orton - Are Randy's Anger Issues Holding Him Back?"

WWE Putting Together New Tag Team, Stock Down Again, Legends Game
By Daniel Pena
Feb 15, 2009 - 6:59:56 PM

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- WWE officials are putting Edge and Matt Hardy together as a new tag team as the two are booked on some house shows coming up. The two SmackDown wrestlers were told ahead of time before the recent house show line-ups were announced that they wanted them together as a tag team for the house show run leading up to WrestleMania. Pre-Mania house show plans have Matt Hardy & Edge against Jeff Hardy & Undertaker, with Triple H taking on Big Show, and Carlito & Primo Colon defending their tag titles against Jesse & Festus.

-- As a result of the recent downturn in the stock market, WWE stock has hit the skids again. The stock closed at $9.24 per share on Friday, very close to the five-year low of 8.76.

-- Gamestop.com is offering alternate attires of Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Hart and The Rock for those who pre-order the Legends of WrestleMania video game. You can see an advertisement featuring the listed wrestlers in their alternate clothing at the following link.


Latest On WWE & Playboy, Ashley Massaro, WWE's New Marketing Plan
By Daniel Pena
Feb 15, 2009 - 6:37:54 PM

sources: PWInsider.com, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

-- The March issue of Playboy has been released and the preview section for next month's issue makes no mention of a WWE Diva gracing the cover of the magazine. For the first time since 2002, it looks there will be no Playboy connection for WrestleMania's synergy this year.

-- As Ashley Massaro noted in a blog last week, the former WWE Diva recently had a talk with John Laurinaitis, WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Relations. However, with Gail Kim still sitting on the sidelines and a new batch of women waiting in the wings in developmental, her chances of returning to the company appear to be slim.

WWE's head television producer Kevin Dunn, at least in the past, was a huge supporter of hers when most were negative on her. Dunn was high on her because she was selected by the fans as a Diva Search winner and he was the main person behind the concept. Dunn also had a hand in her landing the Survivor gig when most felt the role should have gone to someone who had more long-term potential such as Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.

When Massaro returned from the show early last year, many felt her crowd appeal was gone due to her change in appearance. Many have also credited Paul London's downfall in the company to Massaro.

-- WWE has a new marketing strategy as they're pushing themselves as "The Best Value In Entertainment." This new strategy is as a result of the struggling economy so they're pushing the fact that they are charging lower prices to arena events than most major league sports and entertainment events. WWE's also pushing that their pay-per-view events are priced cheaper than either boxing or mixed martial arts events, saying they are the best family bargain.


Reason Shad Gaspard Was Not In Royal Rumble
By Brad Ingles
Feb 15, 2009 - 2:59:11 PM

Shad Gaspard was not selected as a participant for the Royal Rumble because of his lack of improvement. John Laurinaitis met with Gaspard and told him WWE officials are not impressed with his progress. The general feeling backstage is that Gaspard's inability to improve could hurt his tag partner JTG's stance with the company unless they have plans to use him as a singles wrestler.

Gaspard's poor performance at house shows could be the reason Cryme Tyme has loss so many televised matches.

Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[Karl Kox]

That might be intresting.

[Thin Lizzy]

 

[Ruffneck]

I met Flair last year on a show I was on, he was a great guy!