Wrestling News Digest 6/5/09: Evan Bourne says new ECW better than original…yes you read that right, Ric Flair leaves ROH, Shane Douglas to be honored and more!
WWE
CM Punk interview, Evan Bourne says old ECW doesn’t compare to the new version
- PNJ.com has a Q&A up with CM Punk, discussing tag team vs. singles matches, John Cena, what the “CM” stands for, more. You can check that out here.
- The Sun recently interviewed Evan Bourne, discussing the “old” ECW vs. the “new” ECW that he is a part of. You can checkout the full interview here. Here is an excerpt of the interview:
“You can’t make a direct comparison between the rosters, as we’re so different. But if you compare ECW now to the old ECW on TNN - we blow that show out of the water. Every week we blow it out of the water. I have tons of respect for Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Super Crazy and Tajiri - as they were the guys I idolized growing up. I loved ECW.”
Credit: 411mania.com
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Jeff Hardy comments on Ken Kennedy’s release
- Jeff Hardy was on the Big O and Dukes morning show in Washington DC this morning. You can download the full interview here. He spoke on Kennedy’s release, stating…
“It was really sad, you know? I think he’s a real talented guy. I don’t know if it was the right move, but we’ll see.”
He also spoke on releases in general, stating…
“There’s been a lot of releases, a lot of friends that are getting released just out of nowhere. You gotta deal with it, move on and just know to yourself that its not the end of the world and that there’s other things out there.”
Credit: 411mania.com
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WWE releases developmental talent
- World Wrestling Entertainment has also released Jon Cutler, who wrestled as “Prime Cut” Jon Cutler in developmental. A Winnipeg native, Cutler had been under contract since 2008.
Cutler joins Maverick Darsow and Lupe Santiago as Florida Championship Wrestling talents let go by the company this week.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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ROH
Ric Flair leaves Ring of Honor
- According to a report by “The Slammer” of The New York Daily News, Ric Flair claims he left ROH because it wasn’t right for him to appear on both TV shows…
“I announced I would be leaving them (ROH) last week at the Philadelphia show because it would be on HDNet (cable TV) and I felt it wasn’t right for me to be appearing (on TV) for the WWE and ROH while singing the praises of both. I will be at their event at the Manhattan Center next Saturday as a ’special’ referee, not as a wrestler.”
But did WWE pressure him to quit ROH?
“The decision was mine alone. Nothing against ROH, but I decided you can’t serve two masters, and my loyalty lies with the WWE. I feel very comfortable being there.”
What’s his current deal with the WWE and will he wrestle again?
“I only have a verbal agreement with them to make appearances…. I’m still retired. Well, let me say that under very special conditions I would consider wrestling again.”
Credit: 411mania.com
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Other
Shane Douglas will be inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame
- Legends of the Arena issued this as part of a press release today:
There will also be an induction to the Arena’s Hardcore Hall of Fame. The first inductee that night is none other then The Franchise Shane Douglas! You have heard his promo’s in the past. What will he say on June 27th? Buy a ticket and find out!!!
Credit: PWinsider.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
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Wrestling Podcast Episode 165: The RAWcast Drafts a Bloody Nose
Wrestling Podcast Episode 165: The RAWcast Drafts a Bloody Nose [42:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadJoin 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!
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Pinfall Recall News Feed For March 22
WWE
3.22.09 House Show Results
- Good show, LOTS of kids, took a while to get everyone inside.
Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix w/Santino Marella
Solid opener, crowd was into it. Mickie got an impressive head scissors before Phoenix ended it with the double arm chickenwing slam. Around **.
Santino got on the mic and took up some time by talking, and gave an open challenge.
*Glass Shatters*….for Stone Cold Charlie Haastin! Huge pop, but the crowd was a little deflated when it turned out to Haas.
Charlie Haas vs. Santino Marella
Charlie did the mudhole stomps and Lou Thesz Press, while Santino did some basic cheating. Charlie hit an exploder before finishing with the Stone Cold Stunner. Crowd wasn’t into it very much, but it was solid. Around *.
After the match Beth carried Santino outside. Kelly Kelly was in the nosebleed seats, asked some kid what Wrestlemania was coming up and the kid and his family got front row seats for the show.
Kane vs. Kofi Kingston
Strange match due to the crowd being REALLLLY into Kane. Kane was motivated and did more than the checklist match he often does. Kofi wasn’t able to do much, but got a wheel nice Pele Kick, before we got an unexpected Wrestlemania series of nearfalls. The best one was an impressive sunset flip counter to a chokeslam, but Kane eventually got the real deal for the win to a good pop. Kofi got a good ovation after the match. Around **1/2.
Colons & Bella Twin 1 vs. John Morrison, the Miz & Bella Twin 2
Pardon me for not knowing which Bella was which, but they barely played a roll. Crowd was behind the Colons. These guys had the typical high energy match they’ve been having for the last few months, with Mizorrison working over Primo before Carlito got the hot tag. Lots of spots, but Carlito botched his Backstabber before getting the 3 count. Around ***1/2.
Belfast Brawl: Finlay w/Hornswoggle vs. Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas
Kids loved Hornswoggle. Very slow match for most of it, with Henry controlling and doing THREE nerveholds. There was also a bizarre spot where Henry used a kendo stick to poke at Finlay instead of smacking him as usual. Finlay finally made a comeback with some PLUNDAH, and Atlas ate a Tadpole Splash. Hornswoggle distracted Henry long enough for Finlay to use the shackilacki for the win. Long, mostly boring, but the antics and stiff shots made up for it a little. Around *.
After the match Finlay brought in some kids and Kelly Kelly gave them shirts. A little kid made my night when Kelly asked him who his favorite wrestler was. “The Hardyz.” “Which one?” “MATT!” “REALLY?” Huge boos but it made me laugh.
Intermission.
ECW Championship Match: Jack Swagger vs. Christian
Christian got a good amount of cheers and they worked smartly to get the crowd into it. Good, long match that was very similar to the one they had on ECW, minus the extended armwork and a few of the dives. Crowd was with them every step of the way, and bit hard on a nearfall after a tornado DDT. Swagger eventually sent Christian shoulder first into the post, which prevented an unprettier and allowed Swagger to hit the Doctor Bomb for the win. Christian got a standing ovation after the match. Extremely good match that was easily best of the night. Around ****.
Biggest mark out moment came when RICKY STEAMBOAT was introduced. Steamboat thanked the fans for coming, but was interrupted by Chris Jericho, who got a TREMENDOUS amount of heat. Jericho started tearing into him and said that there was nobody to save Ricky this time, which brought out CM Punk. Seeing Steamboat, Jericho and Punk in the same ring was SWEET.
CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho
Somewhat slower match, with Jericho working over Punk for most of it. Punk did his stuff, Jericho did his stuff. The crowd was WAY into it, but more into booing Jericho than cheering Punk. Punk got the ropes to escape the Walls of Jericho, so Jericho got a chair. Steamboat made the save, which led to Jericho beating up Steamboat to more loud boos. Back in, Punk hit the Go To Sleep for the win. Nothing special, considering the talent, but these two can have a good match in their sleep. Around ***.
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge vs. John Cena
Cena came out to an earsplitting pop, as practically everyone was behind him. Edge got a mild reaction, more boos than cheers but no crazy heat. Edge worked a very old-school heel approach, and only hit like two or three actual moves, preferring to soak in the boos by keeping Cena outside and trying a count-out victory. It picked up near the end, with Cena trying the Super “Attitude Adjustment” but getting hit with an electric chair drop, Cena countering the Spear into the STF, and Edge getting a very close nearfall off of a Spear. Edge used the belt which drew a disqualification. Edge went for some chairs, but I was denied my conchairto and Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment to send the crowd home happy. Funny to note that a lot of the kids were still calling it the FU. Good match, but hurt by Edge’s stalling. Around **1/2.
Overall, the show was fantastic, and people who are going to RAW house shows can probably expect something similar.
Biggest Pops:
1) John Cena (By a large margin.)
2) Ricky Steamboat
3) CM Punk
4) Charle Haastin (Followed by apathy.)
5) Christian
Most Heat:
1) Chris Jericho
2) Jack Swagger
3) Edge
4) Miz & Morrison
5) Santino Marella
credit: 411mania.com
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Changes Coming to Smackdown’s Network
- Media Daily News has an article up on how MyNetworkTV is nullifying all their current affiliate deals as part of their change to airing only repeat programming outside of Smackdown. The previous five year affiliate deals will now be changed to annual deals. MyNetworkTV Executive Vice President Paul Franklin said he doesn’t expect to lose affiliates. Smackdown is the highest rated show on the network. The new format will see the network air Law & Order reruns, movies, and other syndicated programming in prime time.
credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
3.21.09 Results!
The return date is June 13th.
I guess attendance isn’t quite what they expected, they just broke down two sections of GA seating. I’m really bad at gauging attendance, but this place is nowhere near full.
Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens defeated Rhett Titus and Kenny King
While Titus was handing out his card with his numbers to the girls at ringside, one girl handed him a card with her number. Pretty funny. Roderick and Stevens are looking pretty badass tonight. Strong has improved a million percent, looks in great shape, and is so on the money tonight, I wish they’d find a direction for him. Stevens has gotten really lean and cut as well, the two of the look pretty intimidating. Strong and Stevens batter Titus to start, killing him with an endless series of chops, but a cheapshot from the outside by King on Stevens turns the tide. Fans start chanting HepaTitus at Rhett. King kills Stevens with a clothesline for two. Titus and King have gelled great as a team and are terrific at cuttin the ring off. Roderick makes the hot tag and cleans house, then it’s back and forth for several minutes until Stevens puts Titus away with the Doctorbomb.
Brent Albright defeated Claudio Castagnoli by DQ
Claudio has a new robe with the Swiss cross thing and is doing the tried and true heel European gimmick of having his weight announced in kilos rather than pounds. Albright is really over with the NY crowd. Claudio cheapshots him from behind to start and then they start trading blows. Claudio bails to the floor and Albright hits a tope and tosses him back in. Albright gets the (very) delayed vertical suplex for 2, but misses a crossbody and shish kebabs himself on the ropes to give Claudio control. Claudio’s looking a lot more cut tonight too. Did somebody hire these guys a dietician? Albright makes a comeback, but Claudio takes his head off with a big bicycle kick. Albright with an Air Raid Crash for 2 and gets him in the Crippler Crossface (drawing a surprisingly large Benoit chant) but Claudio makes the ropes so Albright does the Benoit snot blow. Albright comes off the top and Claudio catches him with a European uppercut for 2, then they go to the outside where Albright gets a wicked suplex. Both men beat the count and Claudio starts working him over, but Albright gets the Crowbar. Claudio escapes and hot shots him on the top rope, but Albright gets a big superplex with one minute left in the time limit, drawing a groan from the crowd. Toe to toe until the bell rings and they keep going after the match ends. The crowd starts chanting for five more minutes, which of course always works. Claudio grabs the mic and says he knows he can beat Albright if he has five more minutes, and for the first time in history we actually get it. Albright with the Crowbar, Claudio reverses into a Crowbar of his own, Albright escapes and tries to get the half nelson suplex, but Claudio kicks him low for the DQ. Claudio with the Ricola Bomb and then fights off security before delivering the headstomp with the chair. Great match with a fun ending that left you unsatisfied, but in a good way.
Bobby Dempsey defeated Adam Pearce
Some guy from NBC is the guest timekeeper. Okay. This is a “Sweet N Sour Challenge Match.” Okay. Adam does a bit with the NBC guy and threatens to John Stossel him, then shoves him into the ropes. Okay, I really can’t see Dempsey beating Pearce. Pearce looks way better than last time I saw him, maybe he’s preaching his secrets to the roster? Just to make me look bad, Dempsey hits the Death Valley Driver for the win in like 30 seconds, then parties in the ring with the NBC guy. The lights briefly went out in the middle of the match, the second time that happened. I figured the first was a mistake, but this makes me think it’s some kind of angle.
Jerry Lynn defeated Mike Quackenbush
This is gonna be good. Counter wrestling to start as they trade armbars and wristlocks. Lynn with a flying headscissors and corner clothesline, but Quack blocks a bulldog and counters to a leg lace. Quack with a beautiful springboard headscissors and a rolling fireman’s carry into a crossed leglock. Lynn with the springboard dropkick sends Quack to the floor, Quack dives over Lynn’s baseball dropkick attempt, but Lynn gets the guillotine legdrop on the ropes. Quack counters by sweeping Lynn off the apron, but Lynn then counters another headscissors by swinging Quack into the guardrail. Back in the ring Lynn hits a nasty German suplex and a tornado DDT. Quack counters another tornado DDT and gets a nice magistral cradle for 2. This is really awesome. Lynn with a backslide for 2, then a series of reversals ends with Lynn trying to slam Quack off the top, but Quack rolls through and goes for a superplex, but Lynn with a top rope sunset flip/ powerbomb for 2. Quack with his version of the Jig And Tonic for 2, but Lynn gets the cradle piledriver out of nowhere for the win. This was a counterwrestling fan’s Christmas present. They shake hands after and Lynn raises Quack’s hand.
Tyler Black, Necro Butcher, and Delirious defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Brodie Lee, and Austin Aries
This is elimination rules, with a different stip for each fall and the whole thing being No DQ. Aries now not only has the “strip club for lunch” mustache, but also a soul patch as well. Joey Ryan has nothing on this guy when it comes to sleaze. Delirious is back in the green and black.
Fall #1
Brodie lays out Tyler and Delirious then calls out Necro, which ends badly for him. Jimmy winds up alone in the ring with all three opponents and gets destroyed. I guess the first fall is tornado rules? All six men end up brawling on the floor. Necro goes for the dive to the floor, but Brodie yanks him down and hits the big boot. All six men back in the ring as Aries and Jacobs continue to snipe at each other even as they try to work together. Tyler with the big dive to the floor and then Necro hits his to a big pop. Now Daizee goes for hers but Aries grabs her, drawing Delirious in to the rescue. Aries misses the corner dropkick, Brodie comes in but Delirious takes out both men. Delirious gets Jacobs in the Cobra Stretch, but Brodie with the Black Hole Slam and Aries with the brainbuster to eliminate Delirious.
Fall #2
This fall cannot be won by pinfall. Aries and Jacobs start their repressed love thing again, allowing Black to come back, but Brodie comes in and shuts him down. Heels triple team Tyler until Necro comes in and cleans house. Everyone’s back to the floor where Necro and Brodie end up brawling through the crowd and to the back, and the ref used that excuse to DQ both men. This whole fall got TNA chants.
Fall #3
No stip announced for this fall. Jacobs and Aries double team Black but spend as much time shoving each other around. Jacobs blocks Aries from hitting the missile dive to the floor so Aries attacks him and they start brawling. Black uses the distraction to try a comeback, but quickly gets shut down. I guess Aries and Jacobs are working together again. Jacobs gets 2, so I guess pinfalls count again. Aries misses a corner dropkick and kills Jacobs with it, but hits a second one for 2. Black and Aries go back and forth until Black gets the corner powerbomb and superkick, then locks in the End Time to eliminate Aries.
Fall #4
This fall can’t end by submission. That may be the least creative stip of all time. This match has gone beyond boring chants and now the crowd is just laughing. Jimmy gets the spike out, Tyler gets ahold of it, but misses and buries the spike in the top turnbuckle. Jimmy gets the Contra Code for 2, then locks in the End Time but there’s NO SUBMISSIONS! Tyler reverses the End Time to God’s Last Gift to mercifully end this one.
Not only did this not get over at all, but this may have been one of the worst matches in ROH history.
Bryan Danielson and Colt Cabana defeated Bison Smith and Jimmy Rave
Prince Nana came out in a Barack Obama shirt and made stimulus remarks to a girl at ringside. This guy’s hilarious. He announces Jimmy Rave as Bison’s mystery partner, which got a big pop from the crowd. Rave gets a big welcome back chant. Danielson ran into the ring before he could even be announced and got destroyed. Grizzley Redwood came out to make us think he was the mystery partner and was quickly disposed of, then the real partner came out…Colt Cabana! He got an even bigger reaction than Rave did. This match has gotten the biggest reaction of the night so far and they haven’t even started wrestling yet. Cabana and Rave start and the crowd starts a “die Jimmy die” chant. This match is bringing me right back to 2005. Danielson and Cabana take turns working Rave over until Rave tags to Bison, who presses Danielson into the corner. Heat segment on Danielson, but Cabana tags in after only a couple of minutes, but Bison no-sells everything and hits a big shoulder block. Danielson comes in and together they’re able to turn the tide, but Danielson tries a dive to the floor, and Bison catches and slams him. Bison with the claw slam onto Jimmy’s knee, and then tries another claw slam, but Danielson comes in and together they send Bison to the floor where Danielson hits the big dive. Rave catches Cabana in the heel hook, but Cabana reverses into a rolling press for the win. After the match Cabana calls for the Final Countdown and it begins playing over the sound system. This came totally unglued, but was still pretty good. I was a bit bummed that Bison didn’t get into total destruction mode.
D’Lo Brown defeated Jay Briscoe
D’Lo gets on the mic before the match and thanks WWE for releasing him and wishing him luck in his future endevours, because his future endevours are right here in ROH. Brown overpowers Jay to start and does the head thing, but Jay with a Frankensteiner and a dropkick and they do the indy stalemate. Jay with a series of legsweeps frustrates Brown, but Brown distracts the ref and gets a low blow to take control, then hits a big short clothesline. Brown working a very methodical style here, measuring Jay before getting a big running clothesline in the corner and a vertical suplex for 2. I want to see someone try a horizontal or, even better, diagonal suplex someday. Jay tries to go toe-to-toe with Brown but that doesn’t end well for him. They go chop-for-chop, but Brown goes to the eyes and catches him in a top wristlock/half nelson combo. Jay escapes, but eats the flying heel kick. Brown with a series of stiff short clotheslines gets 2. Brown with a springboard dropkick sends Jay to the floor and fakes a dive, but Jay caught him with a dropkick to the face when he did the dive for real. Dueling chants start as both men get back in the ring and Jay hits an inverted STO into the turnbuckle, big boot, and clothesline for 2. Brown with the Sky High for 2, then a Death Valley Driver for another two count. Brown moves out of the way of the top rope legdrop and rolls up Jay with the tights for the win. Crowd was asleep, but it was fun to watch D’Lo play the grizzled veteran who doesn’t mind doing whatever he has to to win.
Kevin Steen and El Generico defeated the American Wolves to retain the ROH World Tag Team Title.
I will be very surprised if the Wolves don’t get the straps tonight. This is no DQ. Good for Eddie Edwards, who first appeared as an occasional undercard guy two or three years ago and is now working the semi-main on one of ROH’s big four events. Steen and Generico run in before their announcement and attack the Wolves, sending them to the floor where Steen hits the big dive. Generico throws a bunch of chairs in the ring and Steen gets a flipping legdrop/conchairto on Edwards. Richards drags Steen to the floor and launches him into the rail, then gets in the ring and Tomvstones Generico on the chairs. Wolves start working Steen’s knee over with a chair. Crowd is dead for this one. I just noticed Edwards seems to be sporting a shiner. Wolves are pretty brutally working Steen over while Generico’s on the floor. They tie Steen’s knee in the ropes and take a run, but Steen moves and they go to the floor, where Generico hits a top rope somersault on both opponents. Back in the ring, Generico kills Edwards with a chairshot then gets a top rope splash on Richards for 2. Steen brings out a ladder and rams it into Edwards’ face in a pretty brutal display. Now it’s Steen and Generico’s turn to double team Richards, beating him up in the corner before Irish whipping him into the ladder and suplexing him on it. Generico with a split legged moonsault for 2. Edwards runs in and nails Steen, but eats a corner Yakuza kick from Generico. Generico misses a dive and audibly crunches onto the ladder as the crowd finally comes alive. Wolves with the double team alarm clock and a sick chairshot to Generico, but Steen breaks up the fall and takes out both men, then hits the corner cannonball. Steen places the ladder over the Wolves and Generico hits the coast to coast somersault dropkick, but that only gets 2. Great match. Steen gives Edwards a Fisherman’s Buster on a chair for 2. Richards takes out Generico on the floor then pushes Steen off the top rope and he lands on the knee. Richards with a chairshot to the knee and a Texas Cloverleaf, but he toughs it out until Generico makes the save. Generico misses a chairshot and nails Steen and Richards tosses Generico to the floor. Richards misses a shooting star press and Steen starts working Richards’ knee over with a chair then traps him in the Sharpshooter for the win. So much for my theory. Wolves attack after the match and Edwards just kills Steen with a chairshot, then put Generico through a table in the ring. Steen still tries to fight back, but they tape him to the ropes and work over his knees with a couple of chairs before finally finishing with a conchairto and walking off with the belts.
ROH Champion Nigel McGuiness vs. KENTA.
Nigel looks awful, he’s got both arms taped up. KENTA gets a lukewarm welcome back chant, and Nigel doesn’t get much reaction either. How does KENTA always end up wrestling badly injured ROH World Champions in New York? KENTA goes right to work with a pair of big kicks to Nigel’s arms that drop him immediately. KENTA continues kicking away on the arm and rams him shoulderfirst into the ringpost before putting Nigel in an armbar. KENTA is just mercilessly kicking away at Nigel, getting some big cheers from the strongly anti-Nigel crowd. KENTA with a big running boot for 2 and a key lock, but Nigel makes the ropes. Ref keeps checking on Nigel after each barrage to see if he wants to continue. Finally Nigel gets in some offense by moving out of the way of a kneedrop and getting a Tower of London to the floor. Back in the ring, Nigel starts working on KENTA’s arm. You’d think he’d go after the legs since kicks have been KENTA’s main offense, but what do I know? Anyway, Nigel gets 2 off of an arm-assisted suplex and gets a chickenwing, then catches KENTA with a surprise dropkick, which we never see him do. KENTA comes back with a vertical suplex and a flying clothesline for 2, then it’s back to the key lock, but Nigel makes the ropes. More vicious kicks from KENTA, but Nigel with a big forearm in the corner. He’s dramatizing it, but Nigel is obviously in pain. Nigel knocks KENTA off the ropes to the outside and then whips him into the rail, but misses a charge and eats the rail himself. KENTA drapes Nigel over the rail and hits a top rope kneedrop to the outside. Nigel just beat the count, and KENTA started killing him with kicks and a fisherman’s buster for 2. Flying clothesline gets 2 on Nigel, series of pinfall reversals ends with Nigel catching KENTA in the London Dungeon. He makes the ropes, so Nigel hits another Tower of London for 2. He tries a third, but KENTA blocks, so Nigel goes for a superplex instead. KENTA turns that into a top rope Falcon Arrow for 2 then another series of reversals into a German Suplex for 2 by KENTA. KENTA finally hits Go To Sleep, butNigel gets his foot on the rope. Crowd didn’t like that one. They battle on the apron and Nigel hits a Tower of London to the apron. Both men again just beat the count and Nigel reverses out of the Go To Sleep and hits one of his own for 2, then gets KENTA in the London Dungeon again, but KENTA reverses to a cradle for 2. Nigel catches him in the London Dungeon yet again and bridges all the way back until KENTA taps. Awesome match, on the level of KENTA-Danielson from 2006. Some idiot fan got a little overzealous after the match and Zack had to eject him.
Well, there were two awesome matches and two good matches, but the rest was moderate to really bad, and the crowd was dead. It was good, but not as good as it looked on paper.
credit: 411mania.com
Discuss here!
Other
Ricky Steamboat Update
- Ricky Steamboat appeared at the WWE house show in Topeka, Kansas. He spoke briefly before being confronted by Chris Jericho. Jericho talked bad about Steamboat until CM Punk came out to wrestle Jericho. Punk went on to beat Jericho.
credit: 411mania.com
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Lashley Wins Another Bout
At tonight’s boxing and MMA show, “March Badness”, Bobby Lashley took his pro MMA record to 2-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Jason Guida.
Lashley easily won all three rounds and his conditioning looked very good in the 15:00 fight. Guida had Lashley in trouble at one point in the third round, locking in a tight guillotine, but Lashley was able to escape and held on for the victory.
After the fight, Lashley admitted that the guillotine was tight, that he had to dig deep and that he went into the fight with the wrong plan and frame of mind. He promised to go back, watch the tape, learn where he could have finished the fight, and go on from there.
- Here are the MMA results from the card:
# Bobby Lashley defeated Jason Guida via Unanimous Decision (30-27 Across The Cards)
# Jeff Monson defeated Roy Nelson via Unanimous Decision (29-28 Across the Cards)
# Din Thomas defeated Gabe Lemley via RD1 TKO
# Dennis Hallman defeated Danny Ruiz via RD1 Submission
credit: 411mania.com
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Pinfall Recall News Feed for March 3, 2009
WWE
Ratings, ratings, ratings!
- Last night’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw scored a 3.8 cable rating off of hours of 3.64 and 3.99. This is down from the 4.1 the show did the last two weeks.
- The 2.27.09 edition of WWE Smackdown scored a 2.3 broadcast rating, and set a record for MyNetworkTV with 2,660,000 households tuning in.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Evan Bourne on the comeback trail
- Several reports today on various websites are claiming that WWE’s Evan Bourne will be medically cleared to return to the ring any day now and is expected to do so, however WrestleZone’s Bill Behrens reports that Bourne is still about 3 weeks away from receiving medical clearance to return to the ring. So although he is returning in the not-too-distant-future, don’t expect him back in a WWE ring for at least 3-4 weeks.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
Talk about Bourne’s return with our forum members here
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Mr. T turned down the WWE Hall of Fame
- Mr. T recently sat down for an interview with The UK Mirror and discussed a number of topics including his decision to turn down WWE’s offer to induct him into the Hall of Fame. On that subject Mr. T said, “WWE asked me to be in the Hall of Fame and I turned it down. You know why? They put Pete Rose in the wrestling Hall of Fame. This guy can’t even get into his own Hall of Fame. After they put Rose in they came and asked me and I said “You don’t insult me! You don’t put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame before me! I ain’t going to be a part of that. They put him in and he only did one WrestleMania, and he didn’t even wrestle.” It should be noted that Pete Rose actually appeared at 3 Wrestlemanias, working with Kane in some type of fashion at Wrestlemania 14, 15 and 16. You can read the entire interview if you click here.
Credit: 411mania.com
Pity some fools on the forums here
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ROH
ROH Newswire for March 3rd
- Everyone at Ring of Honor wishes to thank each and every fan, crew member, cameraman, wrestler, and friend that made our first two television tapings this past weekend a huge success. Something special took place, and we hope that you all feel the same way. We will tape more episodes of Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet on Thursday, April 9th and Friday, April 10th at the Arena in South Philly, and we hope to see you all there once again!
- Not to be outdone were the wonderful fans in Danbury, CT last Friday night. They were on hand in full force and everyone at ROH extends a big thank you to them as well. We return to Danbury on Friday, July 17th. Tickets are now on sale at www.rohwrestling.com.
- In case you missed it on the main page, a HUGE tag team main event has been signed for March 20th in suburban Pittsburgh! KENTA will team with ½ of the ROH World Tag team Champions, El Generico against ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness and the partner he chose, Davey Richards. All four men are involved in huge matches the following night in New York City, so this contest is chock full of bad blood and ramifications. Tickets are on sale now at www.rohwrestling.com. You don’t want to miss this huge encounter!
- The main event for the “7th Anniversary Show” at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Saturday, March 21st was announced yesterday. Nigel McGuinness will defend the ROH World Title against the new GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion, KENTA. To read the complete announcement click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2648 .
- You can now save 20% off all live event ticket purchases at www.rohwrestling.com. For this specific sale you don’t need a discount code. Prices have already been reduced on the site. Don’t miss out, this sale ends Friday morning.
- Bryan Danielson’s challenge to Bison Smith has been answered, and it appears that Dragon is only going to get half of what he wants. ROH officials received word late yesterday that Bison has agreed to face Danielson in St. Louis on March 13th, but rejected the match for March 14th. “I don’t answer to empty challenges,” said the gargantuan Smith. “I only need one match with him to finish the task I was given. There isn’t any need for another.”
- Larry Sweeney made a very un-welcome appearance at the ROH offices yesterday, with two signed contracts in hand. “That ungrateful slob Dempsey forgets who I am,” said the super agent. “I still have two contracts that he signed, and I fully intend to make him fulfill those contracts. He may think he’s “freed himself”, but Sweet-N-Sour always has the last laugh – or in this case – TWO last laughs. The first will be on March 21st in New York. Dempsey is a dead man.”
- A huge grudge tag team match will take place on March 14th in Indianapolis, as the bad blood from “Caged Collision” still simmers. The American Wolves – Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, have their sights set on the ROH World Tag Team Titles, but first, they face an old foe. “We saw that the Wolves had an open contract, so Roddy and I signed it,” said Brent Albright. “We thought it would be nice to beat on some old pals in a new town.”
- The Buy 3, Get 1 Free Ring of Honor DVD sale is back at www.rohwrestling.com until Friday morning. New ROH DVD releases include “Full Circle” from Manassas, VA from January 16th. This event features Features ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black; Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Jacobs; Jerry Lynn vs. Austin Aries; Jay Briscoe & Roderick Strong vs. The American Wolves; Delirious vs. The Necro Butcher; plus more. Also available is “Injustice II” from Edison, NJ on January 17th. This show features the controversial Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black ROH World Title Match; Bryan Danielson vs. Jerry Lynn; Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. The American Wolves in a Lumberjack Strap Match; Austin Aries vs. Jay Briscoe vs. Jimmy Jacobs; plus more. For complete details click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2643 .
- We’ll be back tomorrow with more matches and news for St. Louis & Indianapolis on March 13th and 14th, as well as more for Pittsburgh on March 20th, and the huge 7th Anniversary Spectacular on March 21st where there are sure to be good times and great memories, New York City!
Credit: 411mania.com
Discuss ROH on the PFRC Forums here
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Pinfall Recall News Feed for February 10, 2009
WWE
Chris Jericho won’t be punished for laying the Smackdown on fans
- PWInsider.com is reporting that Chris Jericho should not be reprimanded for his altercation with a fan in Victoria, British Columbia. Those in WWE management are saying it was self-defense, so he shouldn’t be punished for what happened.
- Media outlets picking up on the story are definitely adding up. As of now, TMZ, Fox News, and MSN have all covered the story. In addition, it’s getting plenty of publicity in Canada, which is understandable due to the fact that Jericho is from there.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss Y2J and all things wrestling on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards. The topic is here
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New HOF members announced (SPOILERS!)
- The Von Erich family, as a group, will be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame class during Wrestlemania weekend in Houston, Texas.
Kevin Von Erich and his children will be on hand to accept the honor. It’s been speculated that Michael Hayes, the leader of the Von Erich’s greatest adversaries, The Fabulous Freebirds, will be handling the induction.
The Von Erichs join a class featuring Steve Austin, Bill Watts, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. There is expected to be one additional induction into the Hall as well.
Credit: PWinsider.com
Talk about this exciting news right here with our forum members
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WWE news on Evan Bourne, Royal Rumble, and Victoria
- The latest on injured Raw star Evan Bourne is that he’s expected back early next month from his ankle injury.
- The extras for the 2009 Royal Rumble DVD release will be a video feature on Randy Orton and Todd Grisham interviewing Rob Van Dam about his surprise appearance at the PPV in Detroit.
- Former WWE Women’s champion Victoria is starting to make some signing appearances and is now taking MMA classes in anticipation for possible competition down the line. You can read the complete blog by clicking here.
Credit: PWinsider.com
Discuss these news bits on our forums right here
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TNA
Former WWE favorite at TNA taping last night
- Former ECW & WWE star Stevie Richards was backstage last night at the TV tapings and it is rumored he may be starting with the company soon doing a “loose cannon” gimmick of sorts.
Richards would be a great addition to the TNA roster should rumors prove to be true. He can talk and work, strengths TNA needs.
He was released in August of 2008 so is well past his 90 day non-compete.
Other former WWE stars that are free of their non-compete include Little Guido (Nunzio), Shannon Moore, Lance Cade, & Big Daddy V, among others. Paul London is either just past hois 90 days or very close. Kenny Doane (Dykstra) has a week or so left in his.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
Talk all about TNA right here on our message boards
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ROH
Ring of Honor Newswires for Feb. 9-10.
- February 9: We’d like to extend a great big thank you to the wonderful fans in Coral Springs and Orlando for two great events. “Proving Ground ‘09″ served its purpose, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the central Florida fans!
- As announced earlier today on the main page at ROHWrestling.com, the “7th Anniversary Show” will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Saturday, March 21st. Tickets are on sale now. For a look back at the history of the Anniversary Show read here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2575.
- Executives and crew from HDNet were on site in Orlando and were blown away by the talent that the ROH stars brought to the table that night. HDNet film crews captured lots of footage before and during the event in preparation for the huge National Television Tapings scheduled for Philadelphia on 2/28 and 3/1. This is the kind of opportunity that ROH has waited for and the time is near. Tickets are available for both days at http://www.rohwrestling.com/shoponline.asp?point=products&catid=163. Don’t miss out! This is wrestling history as ROH comes to National TV!
- Brent Albright still believes that he defeated Claudio Castagnoli in Detroit on January 30th. “If Turner (the referee) hadn’t disqualified me, I win, it’s that simple”, said Albright. “He was tapping out, and he knows it.” Castagnoli, on the other hand, had nothing good to say about Albright. “He is a big American oaf. He lost in Detroit because he is stupid.” Kyle Durden was recently able to get comments from both men, and a challenge was issued. Stay tuned to the ROH Video Wire later this week for all the details.
- There are two new sales in effect this week at www.rohwrestling.com. With the first sale you can save 20% Off your next order placed on the website. We also have a sale where you can save $5-$10 off ALL ticket purchases for upcoming Ring of Honor live events. With any ticket order you can combine both sales to save even more money on your ticket purchase. For complete details on the sale click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2215.
- Are you a musician? Have any interest in National exposure? If so, we can help each other! ROH is in need of original music for the upcoming HDNet television program, and if you’ve got original music that you think would fit ROH or one of its stars, we want to talk to you! We’d love nothing more than to be able to give National exposure to up-and-coming musicians in exchange for your talents! If interested, please email rohhelp@aol.com and let us know where we can hear you do your thing!
- We’ll be back tomorrow with more names for the HDNet Television tapings as well as the big live event in Danbury on February 27th!
- February 10th: El Generico will not be appearing in Danbury on 2/27 nor at the TV tapings on 2/28 and 3/1. He was attacked by Davey Richards after the Orlando event this past Saturday and has suffered a knee injury. Once again the “Wolves” target another knee. Larry Sweeney ignored all requests for comment. Kevin Steen had already left the building when the attack occurred, and he has assured ROH officials that he will be in Danbury and Philadelphia, and he wants revenge in the worst way. We have been told that footage of the attack will be included in an upcoming Videowire.
- ROH Officials are happy to announce that Sterling James Keenan will return to ROH as he will be appearing in Philadelphia on 2/28 as part of the HDNet National Television tapings. ROH Officials are high on Keenan’s ability and look forward to seeing what impact he’ll make with this opportunity.
- The fans of Danbury will be in store for a top-notch ROH World Title match on February 27. ROH Officials are currently negotiating with the potential challengers to Nigel McGuinness, who defeated D-Lo Brown in Orlando. Several competitors have legitimate claims to a title shot, and we will announce this match before the week is over.
- Sami Callahan has impressed in his ROH appearances thus far, and on 2/27 in Danbury he’ll face his toughest test yet as he’ll oppose Austin Aries. Aries and his new attitude have rubbed everyone the wrong way, and his odd relationship with Jimmy Jacobs doesn’t help. Aries has yet to unveil the “A-Double Manifesto”, but assured ROH officials that “Callahan will be lucky if he even gets a mention in the glossary”.
- Fresh off their impressive debut at “Proving Ground ‘09″, Kory Chavis and Jon Davis – the Dark City Fight Club, will appear in Philadelphia for the HDNet tapings on 2/28 and 3/1.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Pinfall Recall News Feed For December 13
WWE
Updated Armageddon Card
# * Randy Orton vs. Batista
* Santa’s Little Helper Match: Michelle McCool, Maria, Mickie James and
Kelly Kelly vs. Victoria, Natalya, Jillian and Maryse
* Belfast Brawl: Mark Henry vs. Finlay
* IC Title Contender’s Tournament Final Match: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
* Non-Title Match: Matt Hardy © vs. Vladimir Kozlov
* WWE Title Match: Edge © vs. HHH vs. Jeff Hardy
* World Title Match: John Cena © vs. Chris Jericho
credit: 411mania.com
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Belt Changes Hands At House Show
At tonight’s Raw house show in Hamilton, Ontario John Morrison and The Miz defeated Kofi Kingston and CM Punk to win the World Tag Team Titles.
Credit: Pwinsider.com
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TNA
Impact Ratings
Last night’s edition of TNA Impact scored a 1.2 cable rating, the same as last week.
Credit: Wrestlngobserver.com
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Homicide Interview
Nelson Erazo is living proof someone can turn his life around for the better, and pro wrestling helped steer him right.
A role model, Erazo is TNA star Homicide.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Homicide took a dark road. Destiny, a life of crime.
”As a youth, I was hanging out with a bad crowd,” Homicide said. “I was a gang banger, doing bad things, negative things.”
A good baseball player, he began channeling his efforts through sports rather than the streets. His step-dad, a huge baseball fan, encouraged the game.
”I always loved competition,” he said. “I loved playing football. I loved playing baseball. When I was 5, my father left me, and my step-father took over, and he was a fanatic of baseball, and he taught me everything about baseball.
“No offense to other workers doing a job at a desk or at a computer all day, I like competition. It could be fighting. It could be golf or tennis. I just like competing. Even video games, I like to compete with my friends.”
Pro baseball aspirations did not work out but neither did jail time. Homicide avoided the pitfalls, focusing on another love — pro wrestling.
Debuting in 1993, he’s wrestled nationally and internationally including stints in Ring of Honor, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Full Impact Pro, NWA Wildside, Long Island Wrestling Federation, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Japan’s Zero-One and more.
He won the Ring of Honor, Jersey All Pro and FIP titles. He also captured the Big Japan junior title. He’s competed againsta wide range of talent. Late in 2005, former WCW and TNA star Konnan, a wrestling legend in Mexico, contacted Homicide.
”He liked my style,” said Homicide, 31. “We worked each other in Puerto Rico. He knew my background. He thought I would be a perfect fit for his new character group called the Latin American Xchange and perfect for the business.”
Homicide had a tough decision but always good to have options.
”Basically, Konnan told me he was going to get my foot in the door,” Homicide said. “Mick Foley was giving me advice, too. I was working for Ring of Honor then, and Mick Foley asked me if I would like to go to WWE. That was the decision to make — go to TNA or WWE.
“With less traveling, I picked TNA. I spoke to Konnan and told him I’d be willing to go to TNA. I just asked him to let me know when, and I’d get started. In December 2005, Konnan gave me a call and said, `You’re in. Just come to Orlando, and we’ll build up LAX.’
“We took it far, and we’re here right now.”
Homicide joined the agile big man Hernandez, and LAX, led by Konnan, was born in TNA. They accomplished tag team gold multiple times. As bad guys or good guys, LAX worked well, and the crowd reacted.
”I’m a big fan of tag teams,” he said. “I’m a big fan of the 1980s and 90s tag teams. Right now the tag teams of this era are not doing as well. I feel the tag team division not only in TNA but all over needs to pick up the ball.
“TNA has a great tag team division with great talents like Beer Money, the Motor City Machine Guns, us, of course, Jay Lethal and Creed. I can’t complain with the talent, but I got a funny feeling the division is dying down a little because the people are paying more attention to other stuff or the people don’t know enough about the tag team division. The tag team division is good, but it could be better.
“We need a good tag team division. Look at the guys back in the day — The Road Warriors, the Samoans, the Freebirds, the Von Erichs. We want something like that. I think the product is being introduced with new things like the Main Event Mafia [Sting, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash] and the Frontline [A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Team 3D, Rhino]. Right now the company is concentrating on that, and hopefully the company will concentrate again on the tag team division.
“Wrestling needs tag teams. It’s not only like in Mexico with six-man tags and sometimes singles. In America, it’s cruiserweights, heavyweights and tag teams.”
In America, Homicide met Hernandez on the independent circuit in the North.
”I’m the original member of LAX,” Homicide said. “I had a couple of partners who were not professional enough. We had one guy, Ricky Vega, aka Machette, who was doing good, but he didn’t pick up the ball. So Hernandez came in, and we just clicked right away.
“He’s got the same passion I got. He’s got the same mindset. We want to be the best, and we want to show the people we are the best. We also want to be the next big Latino wrestlers like Eddy Guerrero, Carlos Colon, Tito Santana, Manny Fernandez.
“We’re doing good, very good. We are the first Latinos to win the NWA world tag team champions. That’s highly accomplished, and to be a part of the history books is a Blessing.”
Hernandez and Homicide are trying to re-write history again. Each captured a briefcase during the TNA pay-per-view Final Resolution on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Known for their tag-team work, they wrestled singles on the independent circuit. They have a chance to display their singles skills with Hernandez winning a shot at the TNA title and Homicide the X Division belt.
”I’ve got a singles competition background,” Homicide said. ‘I’m a former Ring of Honor heavyweight champion. I have numerous singles’ championships around the independent circuit, and right now I have a new direction in TNA. I’m going singles for the X Division title.
“I want to change the X Division. I want to make it more interesting and more focused. Everybody thinks the X Division is about cruiserweights. It’s not about cruiserweights. It’s about no limits. It’s about dare-deviling.”
Hernandez is an agile big man.
”My partner Hernandez is going for the heavyweight title,” Homicide said. “Hernandez is about 6-3, 6-4, 270 pounds. We never had a great heavyweight Hispanic champion. The last champion Hispanic was Eddy Guerrero, God rest his soul. We need somebody to take his place, and hopefully Hernandez can do that or myself, too.”
Homicide is up for the challenge.
”I like to try something new,” he said. ‘I never wrestled singles competition in TNA. I’ve wrestled in singles all over, but in TNA, it’s like I’m a rookie in singles’ wrestling. Still, I’m going to have good plans.
“The same way with Hernandez. He did a lot of six-man tag team matches in Mexico. It’s going to be a new direction for us in TNA, brand new, starting all over again. We’re going to make the people happy and make sure to bring the gold home.”
Overcoming obstacles, collectively or individually, LAX keeps wrestling, fighting.
”We want to be in a position like Kurt Angle, Sting, Booker T,” he said. “A couple of times we had people with us like Konnan who was having troubles with the company, and that put us at the back of the bus. Hector Guerrero and we went to the back of the bus. The same thing with Shelly Martinez. I think she was the hottest girl in wrestling, and it didn’t go well, and we went to the back of the bus again.
“So we told the company. Give us the ball, and let’s see what happens. Right now we’re doing good. Hopefully it will go far, and we will do very well, and people will remember us. That’s the accomplishment we want.”
Shane Sewell, a successful wrestler in Puerto Rico, who is TNA’s newest referee, said, “Homicide. Exciting. I saw him when he came down to Puerto Rico when he was working for Ring of Honor. He had these different moves. He was an innovator of different moves. I would call him fierce and fearless in the ring.”
Homicide has come a long way from his early days of no formal training.
”I did go to a wrestling school,” he said. “It was a wrestling ring. I had a couple of people show me the basics — back bumps, hitting the ropes, the storytelling. I started in 1993. Basically, I just took it from there. I got into tag team wrestling, and my partner passed away. So I took off some time, and then I started training people.”
He trained several wrestlers including former TNA star Low Ki and Becky Bayless.
“I was also watching Japanese tapes and ECW tapes and putting that together into a style like in Japan but more the Japanese wrestler mixed with ECW.
“After that, I met [former wrestling star Raging Bull] Manny Fernandez. He had a clinic in New Jersey, and he liked my style. I’m about 5-8, but I wrestle like a heavyweight. I’m not like one of these cruiserweights that goes bippity, boppity, and does all these dives. I do dives, too, but I do dives that make sense. A lot of these guys do dives, and it doesn’t make any sense. Plus, I love to wrestle like a heavyweight.
“Manny Fernandez saw that in me and loved it. He took me under his wing and showed me every basic move. He also took me to Tennessee, to Georgia. He told he was down with West Texas State University and guys like Ted DiBiase, Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., Bruiser Brody, Tito Santana — all those guys who came from that college and their Texas wrestling style. That was the same college Manny Fernandez came from, and he just took that Texas wrestling style and passed it on to me.
“Manny Fernandez showed me everything, the right tools of wrestling. I put his great knowledge with my knowledge, and I became the first wrestler whose style combines hardcore, Lucha Libre, European. I call it the Texas style, too, because in my opinion the Texas style is kind of different. A lot of people don’t see that, but to me it is. It’s hard hitting like in the 1980s with the Von Erichs, the Freebirds, the Funks, Bruiser Brody. To me that’s a Texas style.
“In 2008, it’s very different now. It’s more like a video game, and I’m not into that kind of style. I’m more into the old school style of the 1980s and 90s. My idol is Terry Funk, and my teacher was Manny Fernandez. So I always watched them and put their style into my style, put it all together. It became an unbelievable style that I got right now.”
Homicide, who is focused on current goals, addresses his future.
“I love production, doing production stuff like in the movies, in wrestling,” he said. “God forbid something happens to me in wrestling, like an injury, I’d like to be in a behind the scenes role, becoming an agent or a match maker or promoter or booker.
“I studied from everybody, especially those working in TNA. I studied people like Terry Taylor, Dutch Mantell, Jeff Jarrett. I like to learn.”
Speaking of new thngs and learning, former pro wrestlers Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar are involved in the ever-growing Mixed Martial Arts field.
”I thought about MMA as did Samoa Joe who has an excellent background,” Homicide said. “I love the MMA style. MMA is picking up business wise and marketing wise.
“As for myself, I’d love to do it, but I’ve had so many injuries that I think I could not survive. I’d love to train with them and learn. I’ve got so much respect for those guys. A lot of them don’t respect pro wrestlers, but I respect them.
“I don’t care what they think about us. I respect them, the training, the passion for the competition. If I wasn’t injured because I got a bad shoulder and I work five times a week; and I travel; and I wrestle. Wrestling is not a comfortable sport. It’s really hard hitting. You wake up with aching knees and shoulders, even a bad headache.
“If I wasn’t injured, I would have loved to do the MMA style, go to Japan, go to the UFC or any promotion, any market that can compete with the great guys in the MMA.”
Homicide offers an opinion on pro wrestling and mixed martial arts.
”I’ve been telling my students and legends like Terry Taylor and Terry Funk that I got a bad feeling,” he said. “Pro wrestling is on the downhill right now. In the year 2020, wrestling is going to be over. Everybody’s got to look for a backup sport just in case.
“To me pro wrestling is great. I love pro wrestling no matter what. Right now the MMA is taking over. What we got to do is bring out some new stuff to the plate, and that’s what TNA is about as it’s very different. It’s not like the other promotions in the world, especially in the United States. We’ve got a six-sided ring. We’ve got steel cages, six sided. It’s just different from everything, and people like to see different stuff.
“I got a funny feeling for a little while Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley will get the respect they deserve, but people still won’t respect pro wrestling.”
They should respect Homicide.
• About the TNA Knockouts
”I’m highly respectful of the TNA Knockouts,” Homicide said. “TNA has a great women’s division. You have the best talent. Awesome Kong, the name of awesome fits. You’ve got Roxxi, who’s awesome. You’ve got ODB, the Beautiful People, Taylor Wilde.
“There’s a reason they call them knockouts. They bust their butts. That’s what I like about these girls. They’re putting women’s wrestling on the map.
“I respect all the ladies, in Japan, the divas in WWE, but I highly respect the ladies in TNA because they’re doing something special. We have a great roster with the ladies.”
• The TNA pay-per-view Genesis is Sunday, Jan. 11 at the Cricket Arena in Charlotte. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett and more.
• TNA tapes four shows a month for its TNA iMPACT! TV shows at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando.
See Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Sting, Samoa Joe, Booker T, Rhino, Scott Steiner, Matt Morgan, Kevin Nash, Awesome Kong, Abyss, Hernandez, Homicide, Roxxi, the Motor City Machine Guns, the Beautiful People, Beer Money Inc., ODB, Sonjay Dutt, Hector Guerrero, Jay Lethal and more.
Admission is free.
• TNA iMPACT! is 9-11 p.m. EST Thursdays on Spike TV.
credit: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/other/v-fullstory/story/811445.html
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ROH
- December 12th: Larry Sweeney said that Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards would take the tag team wrestling scene by storm, and it looks like they’re setting the stage to do just that. We received a fax this morning at the ROH offices from Sweeney, saying that the “American Wolves” are issuing a challenge for December 26 in Philadelphia. And this challenge isn’t for your typical run-of-the-hill tag match. The Wolves apparently aren’t satisfied with the prospect of debuting and beating one team – they want two! That’s right; the ever-arrogant Larry Sweeney is demanding that the American Wolves face TWO teams! The proprietor of Sweet-n-Sour Incorporated stated, “We don’t care if it’s a gauntlet, we don’t care if it’s a 3-Way-Dance, the American Wolves are going to show the world what tag team excellence is, and it is going to start in Philadelphia!”
- In other Sweet-n-Sour news, a heated grudge match has been signed for Philly on 12/26. “That Young Knockout Kid” Chris Hero will represent Sweet-n-Sour and oppose the powerful Erick Stevens one-on-one! Stevens is looking for any reason to beat on a member of Sweet-n-Sour, stemming from the public beat down and subsequent concussion suffered at the hands of Sweeney’s men in Markham, Ontario last month. Hero has stepped to the plate and promised Sweeney that Stevens will eat his vicious elbows, lose, and suffer another head injury on 12/26!
- Check out the Ring of Honor “Holiday Triple Savings Sale” on the main page at www.rohwrestling.com. The first part of the sale includes 25% Off All Orders placed on the ROH website. With the second part of the sale you can get Free Shipping on your next order. The third part offers $5 Off all ROH live event ticket purchases. As always you can combine offers so you can mix the Free Shipping with the 25% Off Sale and also combine the $5 Ticket Sale with the 25% Off Sale.
- New DVD Releases include “The French Connection” from Ring of Honor’s debut in Montreal, Quebec on November 7th. This event includes a battle of champions as Nigel McGuinness defends the ROH World Title against FIP Champ Go Shiozaki, Tag Champ Kevin Steen, and Tag Champ El Generico in an Elimination Match. Also, Bryan Danielson & Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black; Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards; plus more. Also just released is “Bound By Hate” from Markham, Ontarion on November 8th featuring Kevin Steen & El Generico defending the World Tag Team Titles against The Briscoes; Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs in a Dog Collar Match; Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black vs. Kenny Omega in a tremendous Three Way Match; Nigel McGuinness vs. Necro Butcher for the ROH World Title; plus more.
- Kenny Omega aims to continue his meteoric rise in ROH during Final Battle Weekend! In Philly on 12/26, he has signed to face “Addicted to Love” Rhett Titus in a singles contest. Titus, completely embarrassed by Daizee Haze and the Necro Butcher in Nashville, is looking to get back on track. Then on 12/27 at the Hammerstein in midtown Manhattan, Omega is certainly facing his biggest challenge, Claudio Castagnoli! Castagnoli has been fuming and is fresh off a No DQ loss to Bryan Danielson. Without question, Claudio is looking for someone to take it out on. Will Omega rise to the occasion? We’ll find out in two weeks!
- Speaking of Rhett Titus, we’ve been told by Titus to expect another “sweet” video in the next few days. Good lord.
Credit: ROHWrestling.com
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Other
New JR Blog
JrsBarBq.com
With me leaving Saturday for Buffalo, I thought I would write a short blog with a few observations and random thoughts. We will cover The Naitch, Brock Lesnar, JBL, and Chris Adams among others. Here goes…
I guess there was a small controversy about Ric Flair attending an autograph session Saturday in Jersey. Ric is now making the appearance as previously committed as I understand it. I heard that Ric’s agent was not pleased Ric would be asked to sign several requests from fans who could not be there but instead paid the fees and send items for signing. I say what the hell. Sign the items, earn the payday and call it a day. Agents can over think things and many of them do on a regular basis. Ric is very amenable to his fans and I can virtually assure you this “issue” was not of Ric’s doing. Fortunately, all’s well that ends well Saturday in New Jersey.
JBL has been in the eye of the storm this week as far as ‘rasslin gossip is concerned which sort of goes with the turf these days. Nonetheless I am impressed with how much weight John has lost over the past several months and I do know that his Mamajuana Energy Drink has been an important aspect of his weight loss which is getting close to a whopping 100 pounds. Obviously the product works and John has told me that taking it has helped him maintain his workouts which are a must to go along with common sense eating.
Speaking of losing weight, I mentioned that I had 2 Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches with Tazz this past week from Tony Luke’s in Philly and I get emails blasting me and telling me that my colon is going to blow up, etc. I have heard enough colon jokes to last me a life time and all you amateur Dr. Heiney’s out there can let it rest. I may eat red meat once a week nowadays and am healthier than I have been in years.
Great to see Brock Lesnar heading back down to Louisville to make an appearance at the Davis Arena where Brock learned his pro wrestling skills. I am impressed with the UFC Heavyweight Champion for taking the time to do this. Brock will be in Louisville on January 7.
We are getting a ton of emails about the retirement of The Undertaker. I have heard NOTHING about this matter and would bet a black hat and a slab of ribs that ‘Taker wrestles a few more years. Plus, for the record I don’t ever see the Undertaker losing at a Wrestlemania no matter who he wrestles.
We are really staying busy processing your orders that you are sending in and the Mrs. is helping her sister get them packed and shipped. You still have time to place your orders but I suggest you get them in ASAP so we can get them to you by the holidays.
FCW wrestler Sheamus O’Shaunessy is a good looking prospect. Keep your eye on him.
The pending Chris Adams’ documentary could really be interesting. Adams had great talent, a superb look, unique verbal skills but also had a pronounced dark side. Drugs and alcohol abuse did Adams no favors nor did him working in World Class Wrestling when it was the wild west and talents had little discipline and it was party like a rock star virtually every night. Adams seemed to have a propensity of beating women and that is never cool. Chris’ temper got him some prison time as I recall for assaulting a flight attendant and he died of a gun shot wound.
I see where Jushin Liger is having a match to celebrate his 20th anniversary of being in the business. I vividly remember meeting Liger for the first time while I was in WCW. He was and I am sure still is a class act. Liger was the Rey Mysterio of Japan for those of you that may not be familiar with the talented, high flier. Liger’s matches with Brian Pillman are some of my best memories of that period of my career. Their aerial moves were on the money and not over done and all had meaning. Flying for the hell of it reeks of a lack of knowledge of the art of wrestling and both “Thunder” and “Flying Brian” fully understood the true meaning of wrestling and entertaining the fans.
Looking forward to Buffalo hosting Armageddon on Sunday. I have not seen the show or the final, final lineup but my instincts tell me that this show might include some surprises which are always nice if they stay surprises.
Congrats to Ron Simmons for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Ron was a real stud at Florida State and a legit 3 time all American. One man never blocked the dominating nose guard including my Sooners who hooked up twice against Ron’s FSU Seminoles in the Orange Bowl. The celebration for Ron becoming the first African American World’s Champion in WCW that was held at the CNN Center was something special of which to be a part. Ironically ESPN Classics has aired one of those Orange Bowls with Ron playing against Steve “Dr. Death” Williams who was an offensive guard for the Sooners. Small world, huh?
How long will it be until we see “Legacy” merchandise available? Soon would be my answer.
Check out our Q&A section of the site as I have worked diligently to update most of your questions. Remember the more succinct you can make them the better. If they start off with, “I have 5 questions for you” they likely get deleted. Nonetheless I have answered dozens of new questions and think you will enjoy that facet of this site.
The Mrs. and I are looking forward to 5 days in Miami in early January as the Sooners prepare to play Florida in the National Championship Game for the “strap.” You see here in this blog I can say “strap” and it’s cool. It’s really not a strap though it’s a crystal cup of which the Sooners have won 7 whereas a great team like Texas has won 3 if you’re keeping score at home.
Again, thanks for your holiday business and you still have time to get your items by the holidays if you don’t delay. Our family certainly appreciates you shopping with us.
Our Norman crew is still buzzing about actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton visiting our store last week. A buddy of mine got a part in an upcoming Billy Bob movie. I wonder……
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
Discuss here!
Totally True or Fuckin’ False #6
Hello All, I’m Danny Charisma, no introduction needed, you all know and wish you were me, especially certain members or member. We have a great column here for you friends, so enjoy! And remember; DC is always right, Robbie is almost always right, Milo didn’t manage to make it this week, and JG and CK are in charge, so I’m going stop before I get myself into trouble.
Since everyone loves arguing about things on our podcasts and our forums, we’ve decided to give you a way to read all of the heavily analyzed and expertly crafted opinions of our Pinfall Recall Team right here in one place, as we gather to decide whether each statement is “Totally True or Fuckin’ False!” Each and every week the team comes together to answer the tough questions, and the host changes every time. Obviously, this is DC’s week. The host compiles the questions, and the rest of the team lays out their opinions right along-side those of the host. So, without further ado, I present to you our sixth edition of Pinfall Recall’s
Totally True or Fuckin’ False? (continued after the jump…)
Click here to (more…)
Pinfall Recall News Feed For December 6
WWE
New Slammy Nominees Announced
Best WWE.com Exclusive :
- Cryme Tyme’s “Word Up!”
- The Miz and John Morrison present “The Dirt Sheet”
- Santino’s Casa
- Out-think the Fink
Breakout Star of the Year:
- Kofi Kingston
- Vladimir Koslov
- Evan Bourne
- Ted Dibiase
Best Musical Performance:
- R-Truth’s Entrance (Smackdown, Sept 15)
- Santino rapping to Akon (RAW, Nov 17)
- Edge singing “Heaven” to Vickie (Smackdown, Feb 15)
- The Miz and John Morrison rap (The Dirt Sheet, Aug 29)
Announce Team of the Year:
- Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole
- Jim Ross and Tazz
- Matt Striker and Todd Grisham
Best Impersonation:
- Charlie Haas as “Haas” Hogan (RAW, Oct 13)
- Charlie Haas as “CHL” (RAW, Sept 8 )
- Charlie Haas as “The Glamahass” (RAW, Oct 27)
- Charlie Haas as Mr Perfect (RAW, Sept 22)
- Those five categories join these, which had already been announced
Most Extreme Moment of the Year:
- Jeff Hardy Swanton Bomb on Randy Orton from the Raw set (Raw, Jan. 14)
- The Undertaker falls off ladder through table as Edge wins TLC Match (One Night Stand)
- JBL throws John Cena off Nassau Coliseum stage into car windshield (The Great
American Bash)
- Chris Jericho smashes Shawn Michaels’ head through Jeri-Tron (Raw, June 9)
The DAMN! Moment of the Year:
- The Khali Kiss Cam (SmackDown, Nov. 7)
- Jim Ross in sailor suit (SmackDown, Oct. 31)
- CM Punk disguised in Mariachi Band, lays out Chavo Guerrero (ECW, Jan. 29)
- Santino Marella attempts Melina’s Entrance (Raw, Dec. 1)
Best Finishing Move:
- Randy Orton’s RKO
- Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate
- Big Show’s KO Punch
- Evan Bourne’s Shooting Star Press
Tag Team of the Year:
- The Miz & John Morrison
- Cryme Tyme
- Carlito & Primo
- Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase
OMG Moment of the Year:
- CM Punk cashes in Money In The Bank and becomes World Heavyweight Champion (6/30/08 Monday Night Raw)
- Undertaker sends Edge to Hell (SummerSlam 2008)
- Floyd Mayweather punches Big Show and breaks his nose (No Way Out 2008)
- John Cena surprise return at the Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble 2008)
Couple of the Year:
- Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix
- Edge and Vickie Guerrero
- William Regal and Layla
- Finlay and Hornswoggle
Superstar of the year :
- Batista
- Chris Jericho
- Edge
- HHH
- Jeff Hardy
- John Cena
Match of the Year:
- 2008 Royal Rumble Match
- Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (Career Threatening Match, WrestleMania 24)
- Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Wrestlemania 24)
- Undertaker vs. Edge (Hell in a Cell Match at SummerSlam)
Diva of the Year:
- Mickie James
- Kelly Kelly
- Beth Phoenix
- Michelle McCool
credit: 411mania.com
Discuss here!
TNA
TNA To Show Promos For Newcomer
- TNA will start airing video packages for TNA newcomer Nick Aldis in the upcoming weeks.
credit: 411mania.com
Discuss here!
Rhino Taken To Emergency Room
During last night’s TNA house show in Troy, Ohio it was announced to the live crowd that the scheduled main event of Rhino vs. Kurt Angle was canceled due to Rhino being taken to the emergency room. This was not an angle. Rhino was taken to the emergency room because when the Ohio State Athletic Commission did his physical and when they took his blood pressure, it was deemed too high. The commission insisted that Rhino be taken to the emergency room for a check out, and TNA agreed. AJ Styles replaced Rhino in the main event, after already wrestling Sheik Abdul Bashir earlier in the evening.
Credit: Pwinsider.com
Discuss here!
TNA House Show Results
Shark Boy def Sonjay Dutt
Knockouts Champion, Awesome Kong def Taylor Wilde & Jackie Moore when Kong pinned Moore
Abyss def Cute Kip
AJ Styles def X Division Champion, Sheik Bashir using the Sytles Clash in a non-title match
TNA Tag Team Champions, Beer Money def LAX pinning Homicide
Samoa Joe def Scott Steiner in a “Troy Streetfight”
AJ Styles subbing for Rhino (who was announced as injured at at the local hospital ala Jeff Hardy) def Kurt Angle with a roll-up
credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss here!
Other
New JR Blog!
credit: Jrsbarbq.com
Headed to Kansas City in a few minutes to watch the Oklahoma-Missouri Big 12 Title game Saturday night. The Sooners are heavily favored but I don’t see it that way. I think it will be a closer game than the Vegas odds makers predict. I will go on record that it will be cold as a mother in law’s hug with temps set to be in the low 30’s and upper 20’s during the game. But enough football for all the wrestling junkies out there so here goes some quick random thoughts…
All reports are that the WWE trip to Iraq was amazing. I’m sure some folks will do a fair amount of sleeping this weekend as many are involved in a significant way this Monday night in Philly for the 3 hour Raw. Remember it starts at 8/7 central.
I have never won a Slammy and expect that trend to continue, I’d trade it for an OU National Title by the way, but if I do “get lucky” it will ironically be for wearing that silly, sailor’s suit in San Diego a while back. Why wouldn’t it be that? I can personally say it was a “DAMN” moment in more ways that one.
Friday Night Smackdown was solid as predicted. I watched the stout, cage match and got to thinking that that match was Tazz and my 21st and 22nd segments to do commentary that night in Albany. The Albany crowd hung in there and even though the doubleheaders aren’t ideal their cost savings are hugely significant. Plus, I get to not get on an airplane one week so I am for them.
I am most interested to see how the wrestling Slammy’s are distributed Monday night and to see who gets a boo-boo face if they don’t win. Good grief, it’s just an award that doesn’t carry the credibility of headlining a PPV and especially year to date earnings. I’m all for Matt Striker winning the announcer of the year award which would accelerate Tazz’ dislike toward the rookie broadcaster. It makes Tuesdays more interesting hearing those two debate on occasion.
Expect well north of 10,000 fans on hand Monday night in Philly.
Bridgeport has a fighting chance to sell out as well but tickets for Monday and Tuesday night’s tapings still remain.
Buffalo’s Armageddon has had a nice hit with tickets sold but selected good seats are still available and the card might be one of the more sleeper events of the year for the locals. Buffalo isn’t sold out and it is more fun watching a PPV live in many instances than watching it on TV.
Reports indicate that Vladimir Kozlov is rapidly improving with his work at WWE live events. Yes, there is still work to be done with this athlete but he is making positive strides which is what one looks for.
Jack Swagger is also getting good, road reviews and is so athletically gifted that when he finally “gets it” Swagger is going to be a welcome addition to Monday or Friday’s roster in my view. No program can teach athleticism and natural timing and Swagger has them both. Swagger and Chicago Bear Dusty Dvorchek spent plenty of time eating the Mrs. cooking back in their college days at OU.
Edge returning to SD is a welcome addition to the mix as Edge is just about as good at what he does in the biz as anyone for my cash. The volatile and potentially combustible relation ship that Edge has with Vickie Guerrero is compelling TV. They still have their uncomfortable chemistry that makes me squirm in my seat especially when they get each other in a lip lock.
One can tell how far up the ladder Jeff Hardy has advanced by how well he pairs up with perennial main eventers HHH. These two have developed a really solid chemistry in the ring and I am one that thinks their matches and physical interaction has helped both men. Whereas at one time perhaps Jeff was “almost”: there it seems to me that Jeff is a solid, main eventer who is WWE Title worthy and was apparently a HUGE hit on the Tribute to the Troops tour with the soldiers.
The Legends Roundtable involving Cowboy Bill Watts has been postponed from this upcoming week to likely next month. Again, it is set to cover Texas Wrestling legends and African American’s contributions, and there are so many, in the wrestling business.
I want to thank all of you that are making holiday purchases in our store here on the site. I have been busy signing many items as we are offering personalized autographs on several of our offers and FREE SHIPPING on some as well. We will be shipping items through out the weekend so order today if you can to insure delivery before the holidays.
I met a nice fellow (lad) from Kent, England in our JR’s BBQ in Norman Friday which just shows one how loyal many wrestling fans are. We took photos and he had a great meal as he left with a big smile on his face.
It’s time to bundle up and head out the door. If you see a black hat on top of a chilly Okie tonight on the OU sideline on ABC it might be me. Be well.
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
Discuss here!
Pinfall Recall News Feed For November 23
WWE
Jeff Hardy Found Unconcious, According To WWE.com
WWE.com story posted at approximately 4AM, November 23, 2008
“Jeff Hardy was found unconscious in a stairwell at his hotel in Boston today, and was rushed to the nearest emergency room.
Due to privacy issues, WWE is not releasing the name of the hospital.
WWE.com will have more information if it becomes available.”
credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss here!
WWE Edits Eddie Guerrero DVD
WWE has edited the forthcoming Eddie Guerrero DVD by removing any mention of Chris Benoit from the Guerrero tribute show that aired on Raw. In addition, the storyline between him and Chyna has been removed out of respect to Vickie.
credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss these edits right here!
TNA
Jarrett/Angle Update
The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett are most likely going to be continuing their feud heading into the Genesis PPV which airs in January. The current creative plan calls for Angle to win his match against Rhino at Final Resolution and then earn his rematch against Jarrett at Genesis. The company had originally planned on having the match take place at Final Resolution, but felt it would be a smarter move to hold off until the storyline had a chance to develop more fully.
credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss this angle right here!
Other
Eric Bischoff Comments On Cease And Desist Order
“Prior to receiving the letter, I got a call from Brian Knobs who informed me that Vince’s surrogate Johnny Ace called Brian, who hasn’t worked for WWE in a decade, and threatened him not to go near any WWE talent or events as no one who is associated with CCW will ever work for WWE again. Then I found out that Jimmy Hart, one of the hardest working and loyal people I have ever met, was told he was no longer going to be used for WWE promotions because of his association with CCW, even though he asked for and received permission to do our show! As we subsequently learned, Vince went ballistic after viewing an episode of CCW and ordered Johnny to make the calls.”
“According to Brian, Johnny told him that Vince was furious that CCW “exposed” the business. If that statement weren’t so transparent it would almost be funny. Even the most die-hard WWE loyalist knows that Vince has exposed the business more than anyone in history whenever it suits his financial self-interest (see avoiding regulation and taxation by athletic commissions) or lame creative decisions (Hornswaggle).”
credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss the many intriguing levels of Eric Bischoff right here!
Pinfall Recall News Feed For November 22
WWE
Randy Orton Interview
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2008/11/20/7482571.html
Maybe being the youngest heavyweight champion in WWE’s history went to Randy Orton’s head.
Maybe hearing a symphony of boos and cheers from thousands of people every night affected his perspective.
But Orton needed a reality check. And two years ago, he got it from Vince McMahon, who happens to sign the paycheques.
“I wasn’t thinking before I was saying things,” says Orton, who seems to have matured through the humbling process. “I was taking the heel persona a little too seriously. I was told, ‘This isn’t going to work for you. That’s what the ring is for. This is a publicly traded company and you’re not a kid anymore.”
It was a chat with McMahon and subsequent suspension that had an impact.
“Vince said he couldn’t have somebody who was a loose cannon. He said if any person was going to stop Randy Orton from succeeding, it was Randy Orton.”
So why didn’t one of the other wrestlers, one of the veterans, give the third-generation star a reality slap?
“I’m sure Triple H was probably thinking it. He probably had a hundred of those conversations with me,” says Orton.
He says internet reports at the time accused him of trashing a hotel room, something he says just wasn’t true.
“I came home early from a show in Germany and the night before I flew out, a couple of the other wrestlers, who I won’t name, got out the fire extinguishers and had a war in the hotel. There was thousands of dollars worth of damage. Everybody thought it was me because I flew home right after. There were signs in arenas: ‘Randy Orton destroyed my hotel room.’”
Orton says he’s looking forward to tomorrow’s Survivor Series, where Team Orton will take on Team Batista.
“Being part of it is awesome,” he says. “My goal this show and every time I got out there is to steal the show.”
At age 28, Orton says he’s still on the rise.
“You look at the talent and you’ve got a lot of the veterans getting to the age where they have to slow down … lighten up their schedules, maybe do some movies,” says Orton. “You’ve got a big crop of second- and third-generation wrestlers. And you’ve got a lot of new guys with limited experience. There are very few wrestlers at the level I’m at. There are going to be a lot of things for me to do down the road, movies and sponsorships, but my goal is to be the No. 1 guy here.
“As long as I’m kicking ass and taking names, the titles will find me.”
Orton was recently ranked the No. 1 wrestler by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, but he says he doesn’t pay much attention to those accolades.
“If I’m first or 60th, it doesn’t really matter to me,” he says. “But when my wife sees the magazine at Walgreen’s … she’s like, ‘That’s so cool!’ “They can hate me. I would love for all of them to hate me. It really means nothing to me.”
Since he’s The Legend Killer, does he see himself as a future legend?
“I’m a future Hall of Famer,” he says. “I’m already a three-time champ. Age is on my side. Nothing is going to stop me.”
But what about the injuries, the broken collarbone he got in June’s One Night Stand match against Triple H, a setback that sidelined him until early this month?
“If I tear a muscle, I’ll come back. I’ll keep coming back. Doctors now, they fix you up better than ever. I’ll definitely be a household name if I’m not already,” says Orton.
And what about August’s motorcycle accident that could have killed him?
“I was 3-4 weeks from returning to the ring, maybe not even that long,” he says. “I was going up a hill at night. A car swerved into my lane and I had two options — to slide into the wall or try to make a turn. If I’d slid into the wall at 30 miles an hour, I would have been pretty messed up. I didn’t have enough road, (hit a curb), and landed a couple of hundred feet away. I was wearing a helmet or I would have been dead. I really got lucky. We’d just had the baby. I got to stay home some more and spend time with the baby.”
He’s back riding again.
“The first time back I was a little nervous, but that went away,” he says. “The accident wasn’t my fault. I just learned how to ride. Before the injury, I wasn’t that experienced.”
So what’s next?
“Batista’s in my sights. [John] Cena tore his pec before we could wrap up our feud. And I want to prove to everybody I’m better than Rey Mysterio. We had a run on Smackdown!, but I’d like to have a good run with him.”
It’s been well documented that Orton is the son of Cowboy Bob and grandson of Bob Sr., but what about his uncle Barry O, who was also a wrestler?
“When it comes to wrestling stats, he’s not up to par with my father and grandfather,” says Orton. “He’s not a big part of our family. My wife and I had a baby girl (July 12) and I never got a call from him. I did everything I did by myself. My dad helped me get my foot in the door, just like his dad helped him get his foot in the door.”
It’s obvious Orton still is brash and bold? So how has he softened? How has he turned into a better person?
“We were just in Scotland, Ireland, Germany and Italy … and Tampa before that,” he says. “After being gone so long, when I got home, I walked into our house and my daughter and wife were sleeping. They looked so beautiful, so peaceful. I just watched them for a bit. I knew then what I had with my wife. She’s one of a kind.
“My daughter (Alanna) was so happy to see her dad. She remembered me. I’m very lucky, there’s no doubt.”
See, it’s hard to hate the guy now. Within the heel, there’s a big heart.
Discuss this interview right here!
Ken Kennedy Apologizes For Mistakes
IT is often said that you should never meet your heroes.
Ken Kennedy had been in WWE a wet weekend when FT was blown away by the Green Bay Grappler.
He swaggered into global superstardom like it was his birthright.
He was charming, opinionated, humble and witty, and also a fantastic wrestler, and we spoke a few times as his career rocketed towards the very heights of WWE.
We cheered along in person for his high point: victory in the Money in the Bank Ladder match at Mania 23 in Detroit.
Then Kennedy had some bad luck: a minor tricep injury was misdiagnosed as serious, costing him his briefcase, and things went downhill from there.
His European media tour in August of 2008 was a farce, during which he told FT and everyone who would listen that he didn’t use steroids, and had been clean for a year, no less.
He was promptly suspended by his employer a mere two weeks later.
To say your trusty correspondent was less than impressed would be as mild as a DDT from my nan.
FT is the only place in the British national print media pro-wrestlers can be heard and we print their comments in good faith. If they lie, we all look stupid.
So you can bet your inflated wallet-wasting mortgage that I was looking forward to talking to Kennedy again.
I got my chance this week. We got to the point. Why did Kennedy talk out of his backside when last we met?
He says: “Overall I made a mistake. I’m sorry for it, I’m trying to move on and get past it.
“I would love to sit down with you for two or three hours and explain things.
“I was on a time schedule, so I would omit certain parts that I did not deem necessary. There is a lot more to it than what was said.
“It’s something I feel passionately about. I believe wrestling has changed, and of course it’s still apparent because I hear stories about the past, and how things were in the 80s. They are funny now, but at the time it was horrific, what happened on the road, and all the unethical things people did.”
But Kennedy adds: “I stand by the fact that I stopped taking steroids for cosmetic reasons.
“If you simply look at pictures of me, there’s a huge difference from when I started to now.
“When one partakes in those substances … at the time I thought I was impervious, invincible.
“I ran into some of those situations, and you don’t quit cold turkey – there are health risks.
“What we do is not ballet, it’s an inevitability of our job, and people get hurt.”
Kennedy is off on the long term-sick, having dislocated his shoulder and undergone surgery.
He estimates he’ll be back in another two or three months.
There are positives on the horizon: his first acting venture, Behind Enemy Lines, has been a blast. Injury has allowed him the time for filming.
Mania 26 in Houston is on Kennedy’s mind for a spectacular return. A certain Stone Cold Steve Austin, friend and mentor, will be joining him on a card that’s bound to be stellar.
Kennedy says: “He’s always maintained he could come back and wrestle any time.
“Steve put in his time, and he still puts it in. He has a tremendous wrestling mind.
“It wasn’t just a case of the right place at the right time. You can’t bottle that, you can’t teach that, he just had that God-given talent.”
credit: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/inthering/view/59529/Ken-Kennedy-sets-the-record-straight-/
What do you think of Kennedy’s return? Discuss here!
TNA
Releases To Come
- In recent weeks that has been talk among TNA officials about parting ways with some of the undercard wrestlers not being used. Since September or so, TNA hasn’t felt the need to use everyone at every set of tapings, so a lot of talents are going unused. There has been talk on this for a while, but discussions have increased lately, reports PWInsider.com. Basically, the reason why TNA hardly ever fires people outright WWE-style is because Jeff Jarrett & Dixie Carter have soft spots and really doesn’t like firing people. So far this year, with the exception of Pat Kenney & Glen Gilberti (although their contracts were up), no one’s been outright fired. Everyone that left either left on their own accord, or their contracts were up, or they were on a pay-per-appearance deal and no longer being used. They have yet to fire someone in the middle of a contract (Karen Angle’s status with TNA still remains unclear).
credit: rajah.com
Discuss here!
ROH
Updated PPV Card
Below is the lineup for tonight’s ROH PPV taping:
* ROH Title Match: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Bryan Danielson
* I-Quit Match: Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs
* SHIMMER Title Match: MsChif © vs. Sara Del Rey
* Roderick Strong,
and Brent Albright vs. Chris Hero, Go Shiozaki and Davey Richards
* Delirious vs. Rhett Titus
* Four Corner Survival Match:: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sami Callahan vs. Silas Young vs. Alex “Sugarfoot” Payne
* Non-PPV Match: Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Black
credit: 411mania.com
ROH fan? Discuss in our ROH section!
Other
Former WWE Diva Wins Ms. Bikini America
- Former WWE Diva Krystal Marshall won Ms. Bikini America today. She not only won her height class, but also the overall championship as she beat out more than 400 contestants. Marshall recently had a child.
credit: 411mania.com
Discuss here!
