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WRESTLING GLOBE NEWSLETTER
Monday January 4, 2010
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Wrestling Globe Newsletter by Mike Aldren – All the latest professional wrestling news, gossip and occasional opinion direct to your mailbox.
WGN is read by industry power players, many top wrestlers and thousands of fans from all around the world.
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Please send all news tips to: you2us@wrestlingglobe.com
WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Raw is live tonight from Dayton head-to-head against Impact with Bret Hart making his first in-person Raw appearance since 1997; plus DX vs.
JeriShow for the tag titles, and Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston. The Hart Dynasty are also booked for the show.
John Cena is currently in Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. He will be handling the coin toss for the game tonight.
The Smackdown/ECW tapings are Tuesday in Louisville including Batista vs. Rey Mysterio with the winner facing The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble.
***
Paul Heyman wrote a tremendous blog looking at “The Real Story Behind The Monday Night Wars 2010.” He addresses rumors regarding his future, and writes in detail about the ongoing battle between Spike TV and NBC:
“TNA has a chance to capitalize on its home network’s desire to derail USA Network’s momentum. Character development and TNA-brand-building are key. Tonight, TNA has the opportunity to declare to the public something far more substantive than “check out a bunch of former WWE big name stars in a six sided ring with some of our own guys who aren’t quite so recognizable. Tonight, TNA has a chance to deliver. Deliver to their own audience. Deliver to the 8pm Eastern Time curiosity viewers Hulk Hogan‘s involvement may bring in. And most importantly, deliver a market study for SpikeTV execs to learn a little more about the true Ultimate Champion of the Monday Night Cable Wars: Bonnie Hammer.” The blog, which is worth going out of your way to read, is online at http://tinyurl.com/ylyr64u.
Melina can’t work due to her ACL tear so the storyline will be her vacating the title. They are starting an 8-Diva tournament tonight to crown a new champion.
UFC President Dana White praised Vince McMahon during interviews this past weekend in Las Vegas. When asked about UFC Fight Night going head-to-head against Raw with Mike Tyson as guest host on January 11, he
said: “We’re not trying to go against him. That night is the night Spike wanted the fight. Spike wanted the fight that night, so that’s the night they called for it and Vince goes into f–king war mode. He’s calling up Tyson. He’s bringing this guy back and The Rock might come back. I love it. He’s a f–king animal. You’ve never heard me say we’re going to kick the s–t out of Monday Night Raw. You’ve never heard me say that. I think we’re two totally different; pro wrestling is totally different than the UFC and mixed martial arts. And I respect this guy. I like Vince McMahon. I’ve had breakfast with him. He’s a good guy, but he is a f–king animal. I’m not trying to beat him on Monday night. I don’t think we would beat them. Those guys pull killer ratings. It’s been like the highest rated show on television forever. We’re just putting a fight on Monday night because Spike wants us to.”
The WWE posted a note on it’s website this morning confirming the release of Tommy Dreamer. Not sure if this means he is free to start with TNA straight away. I assume he has the standard 90-day no compete but the fact they bothered to mention this when everyone knew he had already left does make you wonder. The December 29 edition of ECW with Dreamer’s farewell speech drew a 0.9 rating.
Titan Publishing (not associated with WWE) announced a deal with the company to produce comic books under the title of WWE Heroes. Artwork is provided by Andy Smith, who has worked as a penciller for major comic publishers such as Marvel, DC, Image, Acclaim, and CrossGen Entertainment. More info at www.wwecomics.com.
There is talk once again of Ted DiBiase splitting with Cody Rhodes for a singles push.
Mickie James talks a number of topics including the storyline on her weight at http://tinyurl.com/yhaae7v. When asked if the storyline bothers her, she said: “Well, no, because I don’t think I’m heavy, for one. I’m only 130, 135 pounds. But at the same time, no, because it’s entertainment. Is it my favorite? I don’t really know. I guess we’ll have to see where it goes. It depends on the payoff. We’re telling stories and we’re building emotional things where people can actually connect with it. And I think that a lot of women in general, society has put on this thing where every female should look like Paris Hilton who is 6-foot something, and 100 pounds. That’s not how America is and that’s not how the real women in the world look.”
Batista is on the cover of the January issue of Ironpinoy magazine.
WWE returns to the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on August 5.
Tickets go on sale February 26.
There were a lot of unhappy wrestler’s flying in for TV today with new airline restrictions and increased security.
TNA WRESTLING NEWS
Impact is live tonight for three hours starting at 8pm ET with the debut
of Hulk Hogan and friends; Tara vs. ODB for the Knockouts title; Taylor
Wilde & Sarita vs. Awesome Kong & Hamada for the Knockouts tag titles,
and the X-Division title is defended in a steel cage.
Scott Hall was at the TNA hotel in Orlando last night. He is backstage
right now along with former WWE wrestlers Sean Waltman, Val Venis and
Orlando Jordan, plus the Team Hogan entourage of Eric Bischoff, Jason
Hervey, The Nasty Boys, Brutus Beefcake, Jimmy Hart, Hogan’s daughter
Brooke and son Nick.
The big news backstage is not that Ric Flair is in Orlando, but that
Jeff Hardy is apparently contemplating wrestling here tonight. We’ve
been told Hardy has been in meetings with Dixie Carter and Hogan today,
and they are pushing to sign him.
Team 3D won’t be making the show as they worked New Japan’s annual Tokyo
Dome show a few hours ago dropping the IWPG tag titles to Tetsuya Naito
and Yujiro. Terry Funk also worked an 8-man along with Riki Choshu,
Masahiro Chono and Manabu Nakanishi over Abdullah the Butcher, Takashi
Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano.
***
Hogan wrapped a talent meeting around three hours ago in the Impact
Zone. He basically told everyone it’s time to go out there and shine,
Brother!
The Impact Zone will be a full house tonight with many turned away. Some
fans have been waiting in line for hours.
The Young Bucks are scheduled to debut either tonight or on the Tuesday
night taping against The Machine Guns.
Tampa radio DJ Bubba the Love Sponge wrote on his Twitter that TNA has
hired him as a “backstage guy” so presumably that means as a backstage
interviewer, at least for tonight.
There is another new announcer making his debut tonight too.
Even though they claim they don’t care about tonight’s Impact rating,
and TNA is a ratings driven company, Spike TV is hoping for an average
of 1.5 million viewers with anything more than that considered a huge
success. Talking to different TNA people during the last few days
predications range from a 1.0 to a 2.0 average for the 9-11pm hours with
most predicting the medium and lower end of that range. Based on the
feedback we’ve had via Twitter the majority of our readers are planning
to watch Raw live and record Impact to watch later or the next day.
TNA booker Vince Russo wrote a reflective blog in the early hours this
morning noting that a lot of TNA people are worried about their jobs
heading into today’s television taping. He wrote: “Tomorrow, a lot will
change for a lot of people. While there are those that look forward to a
new season–there are many who are worried about their futures. I can
tell you right now, regardless of what those critics say, I am not one
of those people… Tomorrow the pros come in–the big hitters who have
been there and done that. The Babe Ruth’s, the George Steinbrenner’s and
the Reggie Jackson’s. The guys who have “drawn money”. The guys who know
what to do both in front of and behind the camera. The guys who had
spots for all those years because they earned those spots. The pros who
won’t slow down to let the kids catch up this time the kids will have to
catch up on their own and there isn’t anything that a Vince Russo can do
to help them. Sooner, or later, I knew that it would come to this point.
We ALL have to grow up in life–that’s the only way we mature as people.
Yes, it is hard for me to let go, but I know I have no other choice.
When my son Will turned 19, he left home and it broke my heart, tomorrow
50 young men and women will be leaving home, and it will be up to them
as to whether they fly or fall. There has been no other place like TNA
for me. Vince [McMahon] robbed me of my innocence at WWF, and WCW
dropped me to my knees in a deep, dark despair. TNA was always family.
It was small enough to be that way. We were special, we were unique, and
no matter what any critic out there has ever said about us we busted our
butt every week and took great pride in what we did. But in this
business that just wasn’t good enough. Seasons change, people change,
feelings change tomorrow TNA changes and it will never be the same
again.”
There is a post-Impact press conference at www.mycontent.com/tna
beginning at 11pmET/8pmPT.
Roxxi is expected to be out for at least another month with her broken
ankle.
Hogan during a Seattle radio call-in this morning shot back at CM Punk
for comments Punk made about Hogan on the same radio show last week. He
said: “Well, you know, brother, it’s kind of like the law of attraction.
[CM Punk is] probably going to attract more of that negative stuff to
his career because, you know, if you’re functioning on that level,
that’s probably what you are going to attract, but at the end of the
day, you know, I was selling out Madison Square Garden when that kid was
pooping in his diapers, so you know, you’re going to see what I’m all
about. I’m not there to wrestle. I don’t have a contract to wrestle. I’m
there to run this company. Make it better, like I said, give the talent
a choice. All the talents that are locked in there… I’m sure Vince
McMahon is giving CM Punk the big push but paying him crumbs, because I
know how that goes, because I’m giving the fans a choice, and the talent
a choice and I’m going to prove to this negative guy that he’s wrong.”
Hogan also talked about doing away with the six-sided ring saying he
doesn’t like it because it limits mobility.
Apparently somebody in the TNA office purchased a calendar. They
canceled the house shows in Calgary that were scheduled for the same
weekend as Wrestlemania 26. Why they would want to run Canada with
Wrestlemania in Arizona is beyond me. One of the buildings told us they
canceled a show with zero tickets sold.
TNA announced a deal with Setanta Sports Africa to broadcast Impact,
Xplosion, Epics, and pay-per-view. It’s a major clearance bringing TNA
programming to Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Congo Democratic Republic, Congo Republic, Cape Verde, Chad, Central
African Republic, Comoros Islands, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Equatorial
Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya,
Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome
& Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St Helena, Somalia,
Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Josie Bynum (the former Sojourner Bolt) did a radio interview putting
over TNA and all the Knockouts. She said she was sad to leave when
creative had nothing for her and is looking at getting in with the WWE.
She is currently working in Louisville with OVW.
Awesome Kong beats up Santa at http://tinyurl.com/ydon4g9.
OTHER WRESTLING NEWS
Ring of Honor tonight at 8pm ET on HDNet has Davey Richards vs. Roderick
Strong; Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli; Rhett Titus vs. El
Generico; and Steve Corino, plus highlights from Final Battle 2009. More
info at www.rohwrestling.com.
CBS TV is shooting wrestling-themed episode of Cold Case starring Roddy
Piper over the next two week’s. Piper has been training with Ric Drasin
at his wrestling school in Sherman Oaks, CA, to get ready for the role.
The episode is called One Fall and will air in February or March.
Rob Van Dam is offering free subscriptions to his excellent website at
www.robvandam.com.
Paul Heyman on his Heyman Hustle website at http://tinyurl.com/ybxbqzn
has some revealing new photos of Stacy Keibler.
Diamond Dallas Page will be pushing his Yoga classes on Fox 5 Good
Morning Atlanta during the 9am hour on Tuesday morning.
David Kash (Kid Kash) is due in court this afternoon in Johnson City,
TN, to answer charges of forgery, identity theft, and theft of property.
He allegedly used the credit card of a female acquaintance on four
occasions without her permission.
Dragon Gate USA booker Gabe Sapolsky blogged on how he would book
tonight’s edition of Impact at http://tinyurl.com/yapmnnz.
Former WWE wrestler JBL at http://tinyurl.com/y8skcz3 predicts a WWE
victory tonight.
Bobby Horne aka Mo of Men on a Mission fame is interviewed at
www.ClubWWI.com. He talks backstage politics in WWE saying he once
contemplated suicide after he was fired by Vince McMahon: “Man, that
company almost cost me my life…Vince McMahon, thank you. Thank you and
your family for the opportunity. You didn’t have to give me a job. I
know a ton of people who wish they had a job today. I had one. So when
you look at the wrestling books, as far as tag team champs, my name is
there. So as far as that experience, I’m grateful or whatever. But some
of the people that I had to work with, man, and the management – some of
the management I had to deal with on a daily basis drove me to almost
commit suicide. I wouldn’t wish some of that stuff that went on there on
my worst enemy. Oscar [his storyline manager] got tortured… I’m
talking physically abused.” Horne said he has no desire to return to pro
wrestling and claimed to be training for a run at MMA: “When I left
Vince in 96, it was like, ‘I don’t ever want to put myself in that
environment again.’ Because to me, it was horrible. It was such a
horrible experience. The entire experience was horrible. I had more fun
working for the Jarretts in Memphis making $120 a week. Living in a
cheap rundown crack hotel, going up the road, I had more fun than
working in WWF.”
Cary Silkin talks Ring of Honor at www.mondaynightmayhem.com. He put
over Jim Cornette after he recently returned to the company: “We have a
very good relationship with him. [Jim] was a solid part of Ring Of Honor
over a course of a couple of years going back to 2005-2006. He had the
opportunity to work for TNA full-time, which I can’t begrudge him. When
they foolishly let him go, I was quick to contact him. I didn’t know
where his head was at, as far as he might be a little burned out, or did
he want to get back, or did he not want to work to work with us.
Gratefully, he did. His experience in Ring Of Honor was very positive
previously. He was interested in coming back to a place where he felt it
was professional wrestling that he liked and wrestling fans liked. And
to be given the opportunity to be put into a position where he could
make a difference and be involved in something he really believed in, he
liked that idea; I was thrilled with that. His influence and his
knowledge is undeniable, and the effects that we’ve seen from Jim
haven’t even started. He’s really interested in making Ring Of Honor
more successful. He’s totally vested in the project, and I am extremely
grateful for that.”
John Cena Sr. will be appearing at the Classic Championship Wrestling
events in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada on January 23 and Tillsonburg,
Ontario, Canada on January 24. More info at
www.classic-championship-wrestling.com.
Matt Riviera, the indy wrestler who was a contestant on the VH-1 show
Megan Wants A Millionaire, is holding a contest to win a date with him
at www.dateriviera.com. The winner will recieve: Riviera picking them up
in his Ford Thunderbird, flowers, dinner for two in Fort Smith, AR, and
VIP access to Mid-South Wrestling on January 16 at the Fort Smith Events
Center. What more could a girl (or guy) want?
One of our readers sent this note in: ‘I have a story that I thought I’d
share. It’s not a blockbuster, but I thought you might get a kick out of
it. I went back to Memphis last week for the holidays, and my wife’s
family is pretty close to Kevin Lawler, Jerry’s son. He grew up with my
wife’s brothers, and he even lived with him for a little while. Anyway,
he came over and we were talking about Christmas and Santa and stuff,
and he said that one year when he was a kid, his dad got Jackie Fargo to
dress up as Santa and come over to see he and his brother at Christmas.
That amused me for some reason.’
Austin Idol has launched a new website at www.tampasuperstars.com which
is a business A to Z for the city of Tampa, FL. He planning to launch
similar sites later this year focusing on different major cities across
North America.
There is a wrestling fanfest on April 17 and 18 in East Providence, RI ,
with Larry Zbyszko, John Cena Sr,
Brian Clarke, Rick Martel, Jimmy Snuka, and many others. More info at
http://www.nepwhof.weebly.com/ or email Joe Bruen at
hwfforever@yahoo.com.
Lilian Garcia and Candice Michelle are signing autographs at the Steel
City Con on February 26-28 at the Monroeville, PA, Convention Center.
More info at www.steelcitycon.com or call (412) 213-0224.
Dwayne Johnson had a cameo on Family Guy last night on FOX.
Tom Prichard of WWE developmental is hosting a wrestling clinic open to
talent of all abilities April 23-25 in West Paterson, NJ. More info at
www.WrestlingIWF.com. There is a $275 registration fee.
Today’s Diva of the Day is Shelley Martinez at
http://www.thewrestlingpress.com/DailyDiva.
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