Pinfall Recall
The Best Wrestling You’ve Ever Heard

 

 Wrestling Podcast Episode 173: The Million Dollar RAWcast [20:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

CK may be without a co-host this week, but that doesn’t mean we’re not bringing the fire in our discussion of WWE Monday Night Raw from July 6th, 2009. This week’s show features 20 minutes of the finest wrestling analysis on the web. Highlights include Pinfall Recall’s continuing hatred of WWE’s handling of the Tag Team Championships, Teddy Dibiase acting like a 9 year old, CK’s desire for more Million Dollar moments, and excruciating foot and leg injuries, all brought to you with that PFRC heat you know and love. So fire up your media players, turn up your speakers, and prepare to have the knowledge dropped on your asses by the best professional wrestling podcast you’ve ever set ears upon.

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Hey everyone!

Too bad The Donald couldn’t hold up some good shit for us on this “No-Chance-For-A-Potty-Break” episode of Monday Night RAW, but JG and CK are here to rattle your minds as we discuss what had potential to be one of the best RAWs of the year, and undoubtedly ended up being one of the worst.  Have thoughts or opinions?  Feel free to share those on our forums.  Also, do yourself a favor and subscribe to our show in iTunes via the link below!

 

 Wrestling Podcast Episode 171: The RAWcast is ALWAYS Commercial Free [54:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Do it, Bitches!

 

 Wrestling Podcast Episode 169: JG and Ed RAWcast With Each Other’s Minds [57:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wuddup! Welcome to Pinfall Recall where you can get “The Best Wrestling You’ve Ever Heard. If you ever want to know what it’s like to hear heaven, just check out this show. This week we cover the Memorial Day Edition of WWE Monday Night RAW!

Do it, Bitches!

Report by Jason Powell and ProWrestling.net

WWE Judgment Day 5/17/09
Chicago, Ill. at the All State Arena

The show opened with a video that hyped the various matches while playing on the Judgment Day theme.

Fireworks exploded on the state to kick off the show live in the building. Jim Ross introduced the show and noted that there are 14,822 fans in attendance.

1. Umaga defeated C.M. Punk in 11:55. Todd Grisham checked in with J.R. and they’ll call the first match together. Ross said he has no idea why Umaga has so much rage when it comes to Punk. The live crowd popped big for the hometown Punk and chanted his name to start the match. The ring ropes are are white in a nice change of pace.

Umaga caught Punk with a twisting slam less than a minute in. Punk came up holding his shoulder. The live crowd picked up the “C.M. Punk” chant again. Grisham noted that Punk can cash in his Money in the Bank contract at any time. 

Punk sold heavily in the opening minutes and then hit a plancha onto Umaga at ringside. Punk hit some of his signature spots including a knee-lift and a heel kick. He came back with a running knee to the head at 9:30. Punk hit a bulldog off the second rope and went for a cover, but Umaga threw him off. 

Later, Punk went for the GTS, but couldn’t lift his opponent. Umaga caught Punk with a kick and then followed up by slamming his backside into Punk’s head in the corner. Umaga used the Samoan Spike and scored the 1-2-3 on Punk. Grisham put over Umaga’s performance as “the most impressive return you’ll see.” 

Backstage, Chavo Guerrero told Vickie Guerrero that John Cena had received medical clearance to compete. Big Show stood up and warned Vickie that she would lose Cena to the injured list just as she lost Triple H. She said the company is bigger than any individual and that someone else would step up. “Yeah, I know who will step up,” Show said. He started to leave the room, but bumped into Edge, who said he was there to speak with his wife. Show and Chavo left the room to give an uncomfortable looking Vickie some alone time with Edge.

Josh Matthews and Matt Striker narrated highlights of Christian beating Jack Swagger to win the ECW Title at the Backlash pay-per-view.

2. Christian defeated Jack Swagger at 9:35 to retain the ECW Title. Matthews and Striker on commentary. Good aggressive action to start. They went to ringside early. Swagger picked up Christian and threw him into the ring post. Cool spot. Back in the ring, they slowed things down temporarily, as Swagger locked Christian in a leg scissors. 

Both men traded good near falls between 8:00 and 9:00. A short time later, Christian rolled up Swagger and then held the tights for the win. After the match, the announcers pointed out that Swagger held the tights while going for a pin earlier in the match.

Backstage, Edge left the room and bitched to Chavo about not stepping in when Santina called Vickie a pig.

A shot aired of several Chicago Bears sitting at ringside.

3. John Morrison defeated Shelton Benjamin (w/Charlie Haas) in 10:10. Ross and Grisham on commentary for the Smackdown match. Less than two minutes in, Morrison used the top rope as a springboard and performed a 450 splash/dive onto Shelton at ringside. They slowed things down in a hurry back in the ring and the crowd got quiet in a hurry. 

At 9:00, Shelton caught Morrison leaping off the rope in a powerbomb position. He stumbled as he ran with him and threw him into the far corner. Scary move, but Morrison landed in the right position. Later, Morrison knocked Haas off the ring apron and followed up with the flying Chuck Kick (his tribute to Chuck Norris). Morrison hit his Starship Pain (split-legged corkscrew moonsault).

A WrestleMania 25 DVD ad aired. The DVD comes out on Tuesday.

The Miz’s music played and he strutted to the ring. We heard from Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler for the first time. Not so nice. In the ring, Miz told the crowd to “give it up for Marty Jannetty, oh, I mean John Morrisson.”

The crowd gave Miz the “What” treatment. He acknowledged it and said they sounded like a bunch of ducks. Miz quacked at the crowd. The crowd booed and then chanted, “You suck.” He responded by saying, “I haven’t heard that one before.” Miz said that since he can’t wrestle John Cena tonight, he was going to challenge someone comparable. He called Cena a “lovable loser, much like the Chicago Cubs.” 

Miz pointed out Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano sitting in the front row. Miz noted that Soriano does Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand gesture after he hits a home run. Miz said the hand gesture really means, “You can’t see a World Series ring as long as you play for the Cubs.” Miz said it was a cheap line and therefore he wanted to apologize to anyone who was around in 1908 to see the Cubs win the World Series. 

Miz challenged Soriano to serve as a Cena surrogate by facing him in a match. Miz excused himself and said he received a phone call. “Forget it, Alfonso, that was Lou Pinella,” Miz said. “He said you can’t do it because he’d rather you get your annual injury on the field rather than off.” Miz said that since Soriano couldn’t wrestle and was supposed to be a fill-in for Cena, he’s therefore 4-0 against Cena.

Santino Marella’s entrance music played and he came to the ring to confront Miz. Santino took offense to Miz mocking Soriano because he assumed it was an Italian name. Soriano laughed in the crowd. Santino said some WWE wrestlers look like animals. He said Vickie looks like a pig, and Santino looks like the muppet eagle. He said Miz looks like a jackass.

Miz said he had no problem kicking Santino’s ass. Santino said he hopes Miz brought a metal detector. He said he brought some guns and pulled the sleeves off his t-shirt. Miz punched Santino, who fired back. Miz laid out Santino with a DDT. The crowd booed.

As Miz was leaving the ring, Chavo Guerrero ran out and yelled at the fallen Santino. Chavo went up top and Frogsplashed Santino. Chavo yelled, “You’re the pig now, Santino”.

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed Chris Jericho, who tore into Rey Mysterio and the fans. He led the fans to chant “619″ via his heel promo. He vowed that there would not be a 619 tonight, and guaranteed that there would be a new Intercontinental Champion.

4. Rey Mysterio pinned Chris Jericho to retain the Intercontinental Title in 12:30. At 6:00, Jericho caught Rey in a Torture Rack. He spun around and then dropped down to his knees. Jericho went for the cover, but Rey kicked out. Later, Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho, but Rey blocked it. Jericho hit tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near fall. 

At 10:15, Rey went for the 619, but Jericho caught him and immediately applied the Walls of Jericho. The live crowd cheered like crazy for Jericho applying the hold. Rey tried to crawl toward the ropes, but Jericho pulled him back. Rey slipped out and caught Jericho in an inside cradle for a near fall.

Rey ran at Jericho, who threw him into the air and caught him in a powerbomb slam for another great near fall. Later, Jericho got his head slammed into the turnbuckle and dropped down to his knees. Rey hit the 619 and then followed up with an awesome top rope splash for the clean pin. The crowd popped big for Rey getting the pin.

A video recapped Randy Orton’s latest exploits and his feud with Batista.

Randy Orton made a slow ring entrance. Batista came out with a big cut on his forehead.

5. Batista defeated Randy Orton by DQ in a WWE Title match in 14:50. The crowd popped big for Batista’s entrance. They quieted down once the match started. Orton applied the chinlock of death, but he didn’t keep it locked in as long as usual. After some back and forth action, Batista took control. At 13:15, Orton grabbed the belt and tried to leave.

Batista ran to ringside and grabbed Randy. Batista threw Orton back inside the ring and hit the spinebuster. Batista went for the Batista Bomb, but Randy punched him in the head until he released him. Orton went for the RKO, but Batista pushed him off. At 14:40, Batista shoved Orton into the corner and he stopped just short of running into the referee. 

Batista grabbed Randy from behind, and Orton slapped the referee across the face for the DQ. Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes ran out and attacked Batista. “Whoooooooo!” played over the house p.a. system. Ric Flair’s entrance music played and he headed to the ring to save Batista. Flair threw punches at the Legacy members and eventually helped Batista clear the ring.

Cole and Lawler popped for Flair at ringside and then introduced a video that focussed on the John Cena vs. Big Show feud.

6. John Cena pinned Big Show in 15:00. Show dominated the first five minutes of the match and then tossed Cena to ringside. Show continued to dominate as then reentered the ring. Cena went for a bulldog at 6:15, but Show just pushed him away. Lawler noted that the match was all Show and that Cena had yet to hit any big moves. 

At 8:00, Big Show applied what Cole referred to as a “gargantuan bear hug.” Cena eventually broke free and Cole put over Cena’s “amazing power.” Show shoved Cena to the mat again. When Cena stood up, Show ran at him, turned around, and slammed his backside into Cena.

At 10:00, Cena finally connected with a couple of punches and took down Show with a neck breaker. Cena did the “You can’t see me” bit and connected with the five knuckle shuffle. However, Show stood up and grabbed Cena by the throat. Show went for the chokeslam, but Cena slipped out and DDT’d Show.

Cena applied the STF, but Show broke free and came right back with a big clothesline. Show dragged Cena to the corner and hit the Vader Bomb, but Cena kicked out at two. Cole said Cena kicked out after “literally being squashed.” He said he didn’t know a better way to put it.

Later, Show kicked Cena to ringside and then tried to bring him back in the ring, but Cena went on offense and ended up hitting a leg drop off the second rope. He went for the STF again, but Show broke it up. “It can’t be done!” Lawler exclaimed. Show picked up Cena in powerbomb position, but dropped him over his head and drove him into the mat instead. 

Show stood up and signified that he was going for the knockout punch. Cena slowly stood up. Show went for the punch, but Cena avoided it. Cena used the Attitude Adjustment and scored the clean pin. The announcers raved about it as a “miracle victory.” Cena headed to ringside and hugged Alfonso Soriano.

An ad aired for Terminator Salvation.

Grisham and Ross hyped the Extreme Rules pay-per-view for June 7 in New Orleans.

A video aired to promote the Edge vs. Jeff Hardy match.

7. Edge pinned Jeff Hardy to retain the World Hvt. Championship in 19:55. Justin Roberts handled the in-ring introductions for the title match. Scott Armstrong is the referee. 

Good back and forth action to start. Hardy hit a nice kick onto a seated Edge for a near fall at 9:30. He came back a short time later with a crossbody block off the top rope for a better near fall. At 11:00, Hardy applied the Sharpshooter, but Edge reached the ropes. At 11:30, Edge hit the Twist of Fate for a near fall. 

At 12:30, Hardy ran toward the corner and used the ropes to press himself up for a kick on the seated Edge, but Edge stood up, caught Hardy, and powerbombed him. The announcers noted that Hardy was showing signs of frustration. 

Both wrestlers went to ringside and Hardy dismantled part of the ringside barrier. Hardy ran the rail, but Edge recovered and ran off the announcers desk and speared Hardy in mid-air. Hardy landed on the ring barrier he dismantled and it ended up providing him with a nice cushion. Hardy struggled to get up. The ref counted, but Hardy made it back in the ring at the nine count.

At 16:30, Hardy hit the Twist of Fate and went for another cover, but Edge stuck his leg on the rope to break it up. They ended up back at ringside. With the referee distracted, Matt Hardy showed up out of nowhere and clubbed his brother over the back of the head with his cast. Edge rolled Hardy back inside the ring and went for the cover, but Jeff kicked out.

Hardy came back and went up top for the Swanton. Edge recovered and caught Hardy on the ropes. Edge hit the Edgecution off the ropes and scored the clean pin to win the match. Edge celebrated with his title belt while trainers tended to Hardy in the ring to close the show…

credit: Lordsofpain.net

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WWE

Track Listing For 12 Rounds DVD

- Here is the listing for WWE’s 12 Rounds DVD which comes out on 6/30.

* PG-13 and Director’s Cut versions of film
* Audio Commentary Track with Director Renny Harlin, Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena
* Two alternate endings
* Featuette: Crash Course: John Cena Stunts
* Blooper Gag reel

Blu-ray:

* All the aforementioned above as well as:
* Featurette: “Streetcar Crossing: Film with Caution”
* Featurette: 12 Bonus Rounds: Making Magic Behind-the-Scenes”
* Featurette: “Keeping Score: The Music of 12 Rounds”
* Round and Round with Director Renny Harlin and John Cena
* Viral videos

Credit: PWInsider

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TNA

TNA’s Free Webmatch of the Week

…can be found right here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL0-6jEqWkc

credit: ME

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ROH

ROH House Show Results!

#  Ring of Honor returns to Edison, New Jersey tonight, with the following card:

* ROH Title Match: Jerry Lynn © vs. Jay Briscoe
* ROH Tag Team Title Match: The American Wolves © vs. Bryan Danielson and Kevin Steen
* Chris Hero
vs. Sonjay Dutt
* Colt Cabana vs. Joey Ryan with Prince Nana
* Necro Butcher and Delirious vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Jimmy Rave w/Prince Nana
* Brent Albright and Erick Stevens vs. Super Smash Brothers
* Eddie Kingston vs. Ricky Reyes
* Also scheduled to appear: Kenny King and Rhett Titus

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

New JR Blog

Here’s hoping that everyone is having a great day. The weekend is upon us and then it is back on the road for me as I leave Monday for Dayton, Ohio to prepare for another taping of Friday Night Smackdown. The smoker is fired up so let’s get rolling with some BBQ’ed random thoughts…..

For those that have made comments on my most recent Smackdown blog on WWE.com and that took ALL my comments seriously, as Michael Cole would say, “Please, stop the pain.” Humor, or attempts thereof, take many forms and my intent with that particular blog, as I try to do more often than not when I write, is to have fun.

Because I am pro choice & pro same sex marriage, does that mean I have to like all intergender wrestling matches because I don’t. BTW that’s as much as I will ever discuss politics or religion on this site. We aren’t here to address the world’s problems or to change the direction that wrestling is or isn’t traveling.

Tag team wrestling. Seems like it has become topical over the past few days. We have received a fair amount of feedback on this site regarding it. Again, I reiterate that I am a fan of tag team wrestling or should I say good, tag team wrestling. It really doesn’t matter who says what company is or is not prioritizing tag teams because until an established tag team headlines a PPV then it seems to me that tag teams, no matter how good they are, are still viable, important, semi main/under-card contributors. A resurgence of long arcing, tag team issues that culminate with those teams squaring off on PPV main events or even co-main events would suit me just fine but until then it is what it is.

Friday Night Smackdown provided the most compelling elements of WGN America’s WWE Superstar broadcast Thursday night. Edge ’s verbal skills continue to just get better and better and wait until you hear Edge’s guest commentary on Friday Night Smackdown during the main event featuring Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho.

Is this WWE fan LeBron James year to lead his Cavs to the NBA Title? I vividly remember “King James” attending a Monday Night Raw at the then Gund Arena in Cleveland his rookie year. We had a nice chat after the event walking to our vehicles and he signed my TV format that night. Really a classy young man as all have seen with his many TV interviews, etc. Since then LeBron has provided me a signed basketball and a signed Cav’s home jersey that we will eventually display at J.R.’s Family BBQ in Norman, Oklahoma. LeBron is a great example of what is really good about pro sports and is a young man who knows he has been blessed with amazing gifts and doesn’t take that fact for granted.

I saw on the ‘net that it was May 8 (that’s today as I write this) 2006 that was the date that I came back to Monday Night Raw full time after battling a colon cancer issue. 2005 was an interesting year for me and I got a huge break considering my tumor was not malignant. Fans still write about “Dr. Heiney”, etc and all that sort of stuff expecting me to rant about it but I am so much more thankful that I am cancer free and still alive that all that other stuff that has happened on TV is no more than a dot on my personal, radar screen.

Somehow some idiot will go on another’s website message board and turned my preceding statement into me “bitching” about not being on Raw and being “stuck’ on Friday Night Smackdown which reeks of  some having a chronic case of the “dumbass.”

A-Rod returns to the Yankees lineup Friday. Does any one outside the world of pin stripes care? Alex Rodriquez can;t have any thing short of a great year for 1. the Yankees to battle their way into the playoffs and 2. to do the right thing by his teammates and fans after creating such a firestorm with his off the field BS of a few months ago. Hearing less from A-Rod in the near future on any subject might be something #13 should consider.

I got a nice email recently from Torrie Wilson who is on NBC’s newest reality show that starts imminently. She’ll be in a Costa Rica jungle with a slew of other celeb’s with the object to see who can last the 30 days as I understand the premise. Torrie isn’t a “dumb blond” by any stretch of the imagination and is dead set on proving that fact on her reality show opportunity. Torrie is in amazing physical condition which will help her cause in less than Marriott surroundings in the jungle. She sent us an autographed swimsuit to display in our BBQ joint and I have this revelation, the swim wear did not consist of an overabundance of material.

Speaking of lovely, smart and sexy WWE Divas, it is amazing how many folks check out the Daily Diva section of www.wwe.com. And I’m not even counting how many times the King logs in, so to speak.

From my days associated with the Atlanta Falcons in the early 90’s, I got to know Bret Favre  and found him to be one helluva guy. Tough minded, competitive and a super guy to be around. But he’s a football player who loves to play the game. Bret was put on Planet Earth to be a quarterback. All great players, wrestlers too, have difficulties knowing when to hang up their gear. Let’s all remember that it was the media that started the Favre to Minnesota story, not Bret. He seems to have made it clear that he is retired, yes I know that he’s said it before, but this time I think he will stay retired. He certainly doesn’t need the paycheck and I do know personally that he loves his off time hunting and fishing. Plus, what network wouldn’t love to have the future Hall of Famer in their broadcast booth or studio if he’s “football bored” and wants to stay associated with the game? NBC’s brilliant Dick Ebersol is likely already all over this one.

There was a time in my life when I was joined by several Atlanta Falcons on a regular basis and we thought that we could drink all the Crown Royal in Atlanta but we failed miserably. Thank goodness I met Mrs. J.R. about that time or my life story, if I were able to remember it, might resemble a sad, country song. A party can be found in Hotlanta every night even without seeking one out.

I think the HBK vs. Undertaker Wrestlemania 25 match could be made into one helluva documentary styled DVD. I know some of the biggest stars in the biz who would love to talk about it including some of the HOF’ers who were present that day. This match will live forever in the annals of WWE and should be celebrated sooner than later even though both men are on hiatus for the time being.

Manny Ramirez really screwed up. Duh. How could Manny’s doctor accidentally violate the MLB drug policy so blatantly and not be remotely aware of what he or she was doing? Will Ramirez seek restitution from his doctor for the $7M Manny is losing as a result of his suspension. Highly unlikely. Everyone should stop the insanity and just say no and work within a zero tolerance or something damn near it.

WWE’s much anticipated DVD release of “The Rise and Fall of WCW” will no doubt create controversy which in turns creates cash. Where have I heard that before? Some have refused to be interviewed for this project which is understandable for many who have already discussed the topic endlessly. I would have personally liked to have heard Bill Shaw’s thoughts, and I use that term loosely, but he declined. This DVD, as I understand it, will focus more on the WCW side of this equation from those who were there. I wasn’t there when it “fell” and arguably wasn’t there when it “rose” but I came in to WCW with the original class and discussed my tenure in Atlanta which was more positive than negative. It will be interesting to see how much of my contributions to the DVD will make air. For the record, I don’t “blame” any one from the old, WCW regime for not wanting to be involved in this process and for a variety of reasons. I do know that this DVD is getting tons of internal attention and I fully anticipate that it will be a compelling DVD and one that I can’t wait to watch.

What will you bet that the Rick Pitino to the Sacramento Kings story isn’t being fueled by rival colleges who want to hurt Louisville’s recruiting efforts? The same thing usually happens every December, more often than not it seems to come from the Dallas Morning News, regarding Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops leaving the Sooners. Bob has been at OU since ‘99 and has no plans on leaving any time soon but  those sort of stories do adversely affect recruiting as kids are kids and are impressionable and are also more media savvy than any other generation.

A Terry Funk Roast is being planned for October in New Jersey which I am sure will be a blast. I love the idea of doing Roasts on DVD but with WWE being PG rated and Roasts usually not being, it wouldn’t be a good fit on that particular platform. Nonetheless I am betting a slab of ribs that the Terry Funk Roast will be a fun event to attend and wish the promoters well.

Cowboy Bill Watts turned 70 this past week. He’s still feeling great and going strong. Bill “understood his audience” better than the vast majority of his peers in wrestling and was a real student of ring psychology. Cowboy wasn’t a great in ring performer, better than he’s often described as being, but not great. But he made fans believe and he knew how to promote himself particularly w/ mic time. How many wrestlers can you name who were headlining MSG their third year in the biz? I can think of Rock and Brock Lesnar off the top of my head but Watts did it in 1965, decades before any one else of accomplished the same feat. “Bombastic Bill” is featured prominently in the new book, “The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette 25th Anniversary Scrapbook” which is available at www.jimcornette.com. Watts’ hand written memo regarding the art of and the importance of doing promo’s is a must see and,  like the rest of this classic publication,  is a must read.

I have worked diligently to keep up with your questions and comments on our Q&A section of this site. It is updated as we speak and I will continue to work on it sporadically throughout the weekend.

Keep in mind that we ship non liquid, non food items any where in the world. That means our autographed J.R.’s Cookbook and autographed, black, Trucker’s Caps, among other items. I hope that you will take a moment and check out our specials in our on line store.

With the wife out of town, I found myself watching WWE 24/7 On Demand until 3 a.m. this morning and that’s not a complaint. I love the 24/7 service and encourage all fans to check it out as it is a great value. I truly lead an exciting life do I not?

Apparently the WWE’s tour of Mexico is back on and I know that the advance ticket sales are MASSIVE. The international growth of the WWE brand in the future is going to be a major part of the company’s success and will further strengthen the brand which should enhance the stock price one has to assume.

I hope to see  a huge crowd of WWE fans Tuesday night in Dayton for a full night of WWE action including SD, ECW, and WWE Superstar content. I am arriving in Dayton on Monday in time to watch Raw even though I always DVR it. I have fun “entertainingly” hammering Raw on my blogs but don’t kid yourself,  I regularly watch the WWE’s #1 TV priority. I can always count on the King breaking out a spiffy,  new T shirt and his comedic banter directed to his broadcast partner, the “vintage” Michael Cole, has been fun to listen to lately especially when “Oh, My” Cole retaliates.

Remember that the Q&A section is updated and you’re cordially invited to visit it.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

credit: jrsbarbq.com

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WWE

Tonight’s WWE Superstars

- Zach Ryder vs. Finlay
- Kelly Kelly and Santina Marella vs. Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes
- Chris Jericho vs. John Morrison
- The Cutting Edge with Guest Jeff Hardy

credit: 411mania.com

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TNA

Card For Tonight’s Impact

- The Team 3D Tag Team Tournament: Beer Money vs. Eric Young and Jethro Holiday
- Stretcher Match: Awesome Kong vs. Velvet Sky
- Kurt Angle, Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T and Scott Steiner vs. Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Daniels

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

Doug Basham Update

- Doug Basham has actually not retired from wrestling. In some promotional material for a shoot interview he did, it was mentioned that he was retiring, which was the case, but he has now changed his mind. [Credit: Pwinsider.com]

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New JR Blog

Random thoughts from lovely Chicago O’Hare on my home to Oklahoma. ECW is becoming a really nice wrestling show that isn’t over thought or reaching for comedy. The small roster works hard and they seem motivated. Striker and Mathews are getting better each week in the ever growing, complex role of a wrestling broadcaster. I like Swagger’s improvement and Swagger wrestling men like Christian and Dreamer will help the former Sooner improve quicker. Nice to see the Bella Twins apparently “make up” as they are back together seemingly on Raw. WWE being on The View is smart, strategic marketing. Any time a business can affordably reach a sizeable, new audience it makes sense. Barbara Walters saying positive things about WWE isn’t a bad thing. The video that aired prior to MVP’s “View” cameo was excellent. WGN America’s Main Event Thursday night is Jericho vs Morrison. Sweeter than slow, smoked BBQ Ribs from JR’S in Norman. Typos are likely in todays blogs done on my blacberry while folks walk up to me, wearing my “come talk to me black hat” and asking me if I’m “J.R.” I strongly dislike Blue Tooth using geeks who talk LOUD in the boarding area. It will be a late nite for yours truly while doing small, audio fixes for SD. I still find it humorous when older, ex-wrestlers talk about forming a union. I say it will never happen in my lifetime. Wrestlers, in general are not the most trusting group and I’ve always said that if you get more than a dozen or so together that they couldn’t agree on where to go for lunch much less elect their union leaders. I used to discuss this point with Jesse Ventura who likes to argue for the pure hell of it at times. Been reading where Batista “may retire” in a year or so but I’d bet that won’t happen. Unless Batista has saved a boat load of cash I say he stays in WWE and makes more of those big pay days and 7 figure years. Big Dave likes the good life, who doesn’t, but the “good life” isn’t facilitated w/ coupons. Dave’s value to WWE, considering especially the overall lack of main event depth may never be greater. I know I throughly enjoy my paychecks even thought I feel I’m underpaid ( who doesn’t?)and hope to successfully negotiate a new contract w/ WWE when the time comes later in 2009. Hey, we ALL feel like we’re under paid, right? Read a review of the new Jeff Jarrett DVD. I’m sure it’s good but some folk’s recollection of history never ceases to amaze me. Jeff remembers things differently than I but it is his DVD produced by his company about him so he’s certainly not going to make himself look bad. Who would? Lots of water has gone under the bridge since those days and it certainly isn’t a major issue one way or the other and perhaps I’ll tell my side of the negotiations in question some day. I would suggest that all involved might have had dirty hands in that matter but I can assure you that I didn’t break my word in dealing with Double J. My old job back in the day was challenging and every decision wasn’t easy. Such is life. No regrets. Thanks for your business as our sales are increasing weekly. Our products are affordable and unique. Our new sauces in the lighter, plastic bottles are going great sellers. Our books and caps are selling super too. Plus we had the biggest week at our Norman location last week in months. Again, many thanks, Boomer Sooner! J.R.

credit: JrsBarBq.com

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WWE

Chuck Palumbo Comments On WWE Tenure

Chuck was welcomed by The Big Mosh & Blade for some of his first post-WWE comments since being released this past November. As many long-time Mayhem listeners know, “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio” was one of the programs that began airing shortly after the WWE’s purchase of World Championship Wrestling, as well as the closing of ECW. With the rumors abuzz of the WWE potentially working on a WCW-themed DVD for the summer months ahead, more fans are clamoring about the days of the “Monday Night Wars,” and even some fans who wish WCW were still around to provide some competition. Chuck was asked by The Mayhem Crew how often he receives those type of comments from wrestling fans. “I get that a lot…people who talk about WCW. I miss it myself personally, out of all the years I’ve been in the business, I really think my best years & my most fun years were with WCW.”

On the heels of World Wrestling Entertainment buying out WCW, just several short months later we saw the failed “Invasion” angle, that unfortunately only lasted several months. Blade mentioned that many fans are still upset over the botching of that angle & the possibilities it could have brought to many talented performers & superstars. Many WCW wrestlers were pushed to the “back-burner,” and Chuck wished to give his open thoughts on the storyline from his perspective: “Who was the main beneficiary out of that ‘Invasion’ angle? It was Vince, the WWF(E), & his talent. There was nobody who was enhanced coming from WCW especially or ECW who really got enhanced by that angle.”

This past Monday night saw the face of the WWE change, with the 2009 WWE Draft. Chuck is very familiar with how the Draft operates, as back in 2004, he was drafted to RAW after being involved in the highly-talked about “Billy & Chuck” angle on SmackDown. Mosh asked Chuck what was it going from a huge storyline on one show to having to transition to another show. “If you noticed, it’s not hard to figure out both times 2004 & 2008 when I got drafted to RAW, I got released pretty quickly after that. One might say the writers had nothing for me, but I’ll tell you what, anything happens four years apart, and you got the same writer on RAW (Brian Gerwitz), who wasn’t a fan of mine & didn’t utilize me. But that’s how the business, I got no hard feelings.”

For many “old-school” fans of the business, the tag team division within the WWR has been a forgotten entity. However, in the early part of this new millennium, it was at aforementioned “Billy & Chuck” storyline. Chuck has been a part of several successful teams (both in WCW & the WWE), and had some very candid feelings about the shift from mainstream tag team wrestling: “Honestly, the tag belts haven’t meant anything for a while…Like all belts, all championships are just a prop, and they are used to enhance talents. He went on to add, “When we (himself & Billy Gunn) had them, it was entertaining, people were digging it..” Vince McMahon’s view on tag teams/tag team wrestling, according to Chuck: “Vince is not a big fan the tag team. He doesn’t believe that there’s money, as far as merchandise, or giving that guy that push for a Pay-Per-View buy they draw. Vince just doesn’t believe in tag teams…never has.”

Just last year on SmackDown, one of the hottest on-camera feuds was involving Chuck Palumbo & Jamie Noble fighting over former WWE Divas Champion, Michelle McCool. Many fans across the globe were hopeful this angle could lead to two of the most underrated talents finally getting some well-deserved TV time. However, it was cut short. The question many fans have been left wondering was why? Jamie became an agent, so what happened was he wanted to enhance himself more, so the next thing you know, he’s pitching storylines in the meetings for himself. You know, how many times you’re gonna’ have me lose to Jamie Noble? The kid wouldn’t last two seconds with me on the street if it was real.” He continued on by saying, “I’ll be honest with you, Arn Anderson’s not a big fan of mine…he’s one of the main producers. He hated seeing me come back, so he was doing everything in his power to let Vince know that I wasn’t going to be the next guy to make him money.”

With all of what has been reported about TNA signing two former champions & with the very good likelihood those talents may debut at Lockdown this Sunday night, the names begin to be bantered about….Taz, Victoria…what about Chuck Palumbo? Mosh & Blade asked Chuck that on a scale of 1-10, what are the chances of him heading to TNA before the end this year. “I say the chances are very good…they are very good. I’ve been talking, but I’m in no rush. If we do it, we gotta’ do it right.”

credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

House Show Results

ROH Montreal
Friday, April 17th, 2009
Centre Jean-Claude Malépart, Montreal, Quebec, CANADA

- Grizzly Redwood and Alex “Sugarfot” Payne fought to a time limit draw (5:25)

- The Super Smash Brothers (Stupefied and Player Uno) beat Eddie Osiris and Dan Paysan in 4:27 when Stupefied pinned Dan Paysan.

- Chris Hero pinned Franky the Mobster in 9:44.

- Daizee Haze pinned Lufisto in 6:01.

- Rhett Titus and Kenny King beat Necro Butcher and Delirious by DQ at 11:12 when Necro flattened Titus with a chair-shot.

- Tyler Black pinned Jimmy Jacobs after 15:41.

- In a four-way match that also included Jay Briscoe and Roderick Strong, Kenny Omega pinned Austin Aries with a backslide after 10:20.

- Claudio Castagnoli and Jimmy Rave beat Colt Cabana and Brent Albright in 12:21 with a big assist from Prince Nana.

- Kevin Steen, El Generico and Bryan Danielson beat Sylvain Grenier and ROH Champions the American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) in 22:35.

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

New JR Blog!

Good to be back in Oklahoma for a few days prior to departing for London on Sunday to get ready for Tuesday night’s Smackdown TV Taping at the O2 Arena.

It’s always busy in WWE and particularly so this week. A three hour Raw that turned into 3 1/2 hours for young Todd Grisham and yours truly as we called our WWE Superstars match for Thursday night’s inaugural broadcast on WGN America. These are the marathon nights when one wishes that he had not had that last cup of coffee or was at least wearing king sized Depends.

Nice trip late Monday night riding from Atlanta up to Knoxville with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco as we got to share some hilarious road stories which made me want to think more seriously about writing a book, someday. If you get a chance to watch the Brisco’s on WWE 24/7 On Demand, I strong suggest that you check it out. Even though tag team wrestling these days isn’t as prominent as it once was when the Brisco’s met teams like the Funk’s or Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood those bouts were amazing.

Smackdown had a viable draft. Keeping such SD stalwarts as The Undertaker, Jeff Hardy, Edge, and Umaga helped the Friday night cause. No brand has a more prominent star than ‘Taker who stock has risen even more since his amazing victory over the equally amazing Shawn Michaels at WM25 which saw the “Demon of Death Valley” go an astonishing 17-0 at Wrestlemania events.

Adding Rey Mysterio back to Friday night’s is huge especially for WWE’s ever growing Hispanic audience. Rey is a marvel considering that he is not physically the biggest dog in the hunt but the King swears that size is a non issue.

CM Punk somewhat quietly had one of the biggest years of any WWE Superstar ever in 2008 after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Edge in Oklahoma City in June. I remember that night well as it was my “farewell” to Raw after being drafted a week earlier to Smackdown. Punk can reach new heights on Friday nights I assure you.

Chris Jericho, 2008 Slammy Award winning Superstar of the year, is uber talented (how about that descriptor, Stocky?) and arguably no one is better at what they do than the brash and arrogant Jericho who has starred in Japan, Mexico, and most prominently in WWE. Don’t discount the fact that Jericho is the man who beat both Stone Cold and The Rock on the SAME night to become the first ever Undisputed Champion in WWE. Jericho is a BTP, big time player.

I expect huge things out of John Morrison especially now that he isn’t saddled in a tag team which will provide Morrison the chance to create his own individual legacy. Morrison has some Mr. Perfect-like traits as he is so athletic, flexible, and creates eye opening, innovative offense. John Morrison is a main eventer waiting to happen and he needs to grab the old, brass ring and make some noise.

Dolph Ziggler is another talent who has all the physical skills to be much better than some perceive. If Ziggler can someday get past personally introducing himself to the world and simply focus on beating people in the ring he can be a player. I love the athleticism that we often see in WWE and Ziggler has a load of it. Point being is that Ziggler knows the fundamental skills of wrestling which heretofore have been somewhat kept under wraps.

Another wrestler with a significant upside is Mike Knox who is now a Friday Night Smackdown talent. Knox, at times, reminds me of a young Bruiser Brody with his body type and, of course, that bushy beard. Knox is a raw boned, tough human being who is much more cerebral than perhaps some WWE fans are aware. Knox really caught my attention several weeks ago during, of all things, a succinct albeit memorable backstage interview on Monday Night Raw. Knox needs to be Knox but him watching some Brody DVD’s might serve him well.

credit: jrsbarbq.com

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Hulk Hogan Comments On Recent Controversey

- Hulk Hogan appeared on the Bubba the Love Sponge show yesterday and again claimed that his OJ comments were taken “out of context.” [WrestlingObserver.com]

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 Wrestling Podcast Episode 166: Supplemental Draftcast ft Milo [54:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

CK and JG come together with Milo to discuss our complete disdain for the supplemental draft.  WWE really fucked up this time, make sure to check out how we feel about it by listening here!

Also come talk to us about it on our forums!

Do it, bitches!

 

 Wrestling Podcast Episode 165: The RAWcast Drafts a Bloody Nose [42:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Join CK and JG with special guest ED as we talk about the WWE draft and how they feel about it.  Of course, you’re still getting “The Best Wrestling You’ve Ever Heard”, so why the hell would you bother going anywhere else.  This is your one-stop awesome shop.  Listen up!

You wanna talk to other people that feel just like you about WWE or any other wrestling promotions?  Good news!  We have forums where you can talk about anything you want and tell us how you feel.  Go to the forums!

Do it! Do it NOW!