As I See It - June 25, 2009
Hello and welcome to the return of the highly acclaimed As I See It series. It may only be highly acclaimed in my own mind but that’s neither here nor there because this marks a significant part of Pinfall Recall history. As we edge ever closer to the fourth anniversary of the creation of Pinfall Recall, I am pleased to return to your computer screens with my thoughts on the world of professional wrestling and, what’s more, I’m pleased to once again improve your lives by giving you something to read that can only be described as simply ‘Genius’.
Since Pinfall Recall began this journey about 4 years ago, we’ve all had to endure some pretty horrendous wrestling from WWE and TNA alike. However, I think there are definite signs that we are finally being rewarded for the years of disillusion as the WWE product at this point is pretty damn good. Well, to be honest, Raw is still quite terrible on most occasions but I really can’t speak highly enough of the other 3 shows that WWE puts out on a weekly basis. Smackdown really demonstrates some of the best wrestling programming that I personally have seen in quite a long time to be honest with you. ECW consistently puts out a solid hour of TV each week and the last episode of Superstars that I caught had John Morrison and Chris Jericho tear down the house.
Now whilst we’re finally being repaid for our years of loyalty to the product, the powers that be may not be so pleased as the sheer awesomeness of the aforementioned television shows is not portrayed in the slightest when it comes to the ever important ratings. And it is that fact alone that leaves me with a bit of trepidation going forward as I’m concerned that these really good shows will not be given the time to blossom before some change is inevitable. But for the time being, wrestling fans all over the World should join me in taking pleasure in the extremely high quality of the perceived “B” shows.
Now whether it’s down to the intriguing direction CM Punk is going or the great matches put on each and every week by the mid and upper card respectively, Friday Night Smackdown has been a joy to watch every week for quite some time now. I think it’s no real coincidence that the shows that have blossomed have been the shows that were left to their own creative devices without any array of McMahon influence. Touching back to the point I made a little earlier and with the under-performance in the ratings department, I am a little concerned that big ol’ Vinnie will feel the need to get involved and give it that extra special touch we all know and love…and by ‘love’ I of course mean ‘absolutely despise’. But that’s not something I want to delve too deeply into at this stage as, for the moment at least, we’re being treated to some damn good television.
Whilst on the subject of ratings, I wanted to take full advantage and take a cheap shot at TNA. That being the fact that WWE Superstars airs on the same night (albeit an hour earlier) to a fraction of the potential viewers that TNA iMPACT! reaches yet is only a 0.1 or 0.2 down in the ratings on a weekly basis. I don’t hate TNA by all means but facts like that should be made fun of, simple as that.
So what I’m getting at with this is that it is your duty as a fan of great wrestling that you watch Smackdown each and every week to show the powers that be within WWE that it is this type of show that we wrestling fans like to see. And I’m 100% confident that if you do watch the so called “B shows” (Smackdown in particular) then you will agree with me implicitly. In the past I’ve been first in line to take shots at WWE and I think that it should be noted and appreciated when they outperform the relatively low expectations that I have for their creative team.
I touched earlier on the direction that CM Punk is taking, which is another big factor that is keeping me drawn to Friday Night Smackdown each and every week. They’ve not turned him full on heel, they’ve kind of just let him linger and I really think that Punk is one of the few guys that can pull this off.
I really do think that the direction they are taking CM Punk has been quite genius in execution thus far. I’ve heard in some pockets of the IWC that Punk should attack Hardy for having a past riddled with drug problems whilst he has reached the top by completely clean and “straight edge”. In my opinion, this would be the wrong way to proceed. Don’t get me wrong, it would definitely add an intriguing aspect to the storyline but in it’s current form I think it would be detrimental to the progress Hardy has made to step up to the main event level. To focus solely on the somewhat shady and questionable past of our supposed hero would be a quite absurd thing to do in my opinion. Let alone the impact that it could have with regards the views of the parents of the WWE Universe by highlighting the drug addicted past of their youngster’s idol. What it boils down to is the fact that they haven’t put all their eggs in one basket by turning Punk heel straight away, they’re letting the crowd make their own minds up on him and to me that’s the best way to handle him. My only hope now is that they can give him some good storylines going forward to keep him at the top of the card and a fresh heel run may eventually the way to go with him.
Changing tact a little bit, has there ever been a bigger waste of our time than the Donald Trump storyline that lasted 7 whole days? I certainly can’t think of any in recent memory. I cannot see how that enhanced the product in any way shape or form. The whole thing was stupid and it actually resulted in them losing money as some retarded shareholders actually believed this shit to be real. I must admit, I’m not sure how I’d progress with Raw in terms of the management/authority figure but surely there was a more logical way than what we saw with this Trump fiasco. If, as rumoured, Ric Flair is to be the new general manager of Raw then I do not see the problem in having the Trump angle run a little longer but have Flair running the show for him and Donny would be seen rarely, if ever. I would much rather have seen something like that happen than what we were indeed treated to.
As it pertains to this Sunday’s ridiculously named Pay-Per-View “The Bash”, I think it has to the potential to be a fairly interesting show. Either way, it’s free to air in the UK on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1 so I’m not fussed one way or the other. There’s definitely a few matches in there that I’m down for…and there’s the added bonus that as it stands three days away from the PPV, there is no Big Show to be seen on the card! I’m interested in seeing The Miz against Cena, purely as a result of the long (by today’s standards) drawn out development of this angle. The Tag Title match with Legacy against Carlito and Primo should be another exceptional contest in my eyes, especially since the Colons are easily one of the best teams I’ve seen in quite a while. So with a fairly stacked mid-card and a couple good main event matches on the card hopefully this year’s Bash will not be the joke that it has been in pretty much every year that the WWE has promoted the show.
So that’s that ladies and gents, the returning column from yours truly is in the books. I hope you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read and by all means get in touch either by commenting on the blog or posting on the forums or even sending me an e-mail at AK@pinfallrecall.com.
Thank you for reading and may the next week of wrestling viewing be a happy one!
-Andrew Kearney
Wrestling Podcast Episode 171: The RAWcast is ALWAYS Commercial Free
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!
Judgement Day PPV Results!
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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Pinfall Recall News Digest For May 10th
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
Discuss on our forum!
TNA
TNA’s Free Webmatch of the Week
…can be found right here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL0-6jEqWkc
credit: ME
Discuss on our forum!
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
Discuss on our forum!
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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Pinfall Recall News Digest For May 6th
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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Wrestling News Digest 4/27/09: Hardy injury update, Triple H and John Cena’s future’s, Reid Flair found with heroin, and much more
WWE
Matt Hardy injury update, Triple H and Cena’s future
- Matt Hardy’s hand was broken specifically during the final spot with him being tied to the table during the “I Quit” match with Jeff Hardy last night.
- The backstage word is that after last night, Triple H will be kept off television for a while to sell the injury angle.
- John Cena is set to have a feud with The Big Show.
- The Sun out of the UK is reporting that John Cena will be taking some time off from the road starting in May to work on his next film.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Former TNA star signs with WWE
- At Sunday’s Professional Championship Wrestling event in Arlington, Texas, former TNA performer Lance (Rock) Hoyt announced that he had signed a WWE deal. Hoyt trained with PCW, and was given a celebration and tribute video at the show.
Credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
Ring of Honor Newswire for April 27th
- We want to say thank you to the incredible fans in both Dayton, OH and Chicago, IL for the two excellent events this past weekend! Both cities brought big, enthusiastic crowds, and there is nothing better than that! ROH returns to Dayton on September 18th, and we’re back in Chicago on June 27th with the Chicago ROH debut of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair! Tickets to both events are on sale at www.rohwrestling.com .
- Tyler Black may have beaten Chris Hero in Chicago, but he came out worse for wear by the end of the night. Earlier in the event, Tyler and Jimmy Jacobs had a war of words, which ended with Tyler telling Jacobs he was pathetic and a disappointment. Jimmy sat in tears as Tyler walked off. Then later on, just after Black was successful in defeating Chris Hero, Jacobs struck, using his infamous railroad spike to bloody and batter Black. Tyler didn’t require medical attention, but once more his former mentor was inside his head. Jacobs refused comment, only smiling and muttering, “The means. The end. Justification is subjective.”
- Tickets are now on sale at www.rohwrestling.com for both events in Toronto at the Ted Reeve Arena on Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th.
- El Generico was in contact with ROH officials this weekend after going over the results of his MRI with his doctors. We’re being told that there is significant damage to his knee, specifically to his Meniscus and Posterior Cruciate Ligament. As of now, Generico is being listed as doubtful for the ROH events in Boston, MA on May 8th and Edison, NJ on May 9th. As soon as we can confirm whether or not he’ll be in attendance it will be announced here in the Newswire.
- Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe were set to do the improbable and win the World Tag Team Titles from Richards and Edwards last Saturday in Chicago. And for 90% of the battle it looked like it could happen. But an inadvertent shot to Briscoe’s groin late in the match by Steen seemed to derail the whole thing. The American Wolves retained the gold, and Steen and Briscoe were back to their old habits, bickering and shoving one another around. It ended with Jay Briscoe finally walking off alone and leaving Steen to his own disappointment. But with Mark Briscoe still on the shelf, and El Generico potentially about to be, Steen and Briscoe may have no other choice than to patch up whatever discontent their feeling, or the Tag Titles may end up too far out of reach. Both Steen and Briscoe will be a part of the National Television Tapings at the Arena in South Philly on May 29th and 30th.
- Injuries were an unfortunate theme this weekend in Dayton and Chicago. Roderick Strong received 10 stitches at a Dayton hospital to close the wound on his head that was suffered in his match against Jerry Lynn. Roddy braved the blood loss and fought valiantly, and both men dug deep to make the World Title match a classic. Jon Davis of the Dark City Fight Club also made a stop at the hospital before leaving Dayton. Davis suffered a dislocated wrist in the match against Jay Briscoe and Kevin Steen. With the wrist heavily wrapped and against doctor’s orders, Davis competed the next night in Chicago. Both Strong and Davis are not expected to miss time.
- The Buy 3, Get 1 Free Ring of Honor DVD Sale is ongoing at ROHWrestling.com. New ROH DVD releases include Stylin’ & Profilin’ from Collinsville, IL on 3/13/09. This event features the ROH debut of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; Nigel McGuinness vs. Brent Albright for the ROH World Title; Tyler Black & Jerry Lynn vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious; Bryan Danielson vs. Bison Smith; Wolves & Hero vs. Steen, Generico, & Dempsey; plus more. Also in stock is Insanity Unleashed from Indianapolis, IN on 3/14/09 featuring ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness & Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black & Jerry Lynn; The American Wolves vs. Roderick Strong & Brent Albright in a tremendous tag team match; Jimmy J acobs vs. Delirious No DQ Match; Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega vs. Claudio Castagnoli; Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Rhett Titus & Kenny King for the World Tag Team Titles plus more.
- Signed for the ROH on HDNet National television tapings taking place on May 29th and 30th: Current ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn, ROH World Tag Team Champions The American Wolves – Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards; Jimmy Rave w/ Prince Nana, Colt Cabana, Brodie Lee, Roderick Strong, and announced earlier in this Newswire, Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe. In addition, already announced is KENTA and ROH Ambassador “Nature Boy” Ric Flair! More names will be announced as we get closer! The tapings take place once again at the Arena in South Philly. Great tickets are available at www.rohwrestling.com . Be a part of National Television!
Credit: 411mania.com
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Other
Reid Flair caught with heroin
- Reid Flair was charged with the following offenses when he was arrested yesterday at 2:48 PM after being pulled over by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police police officers:
*Driving While Impaired. ($2,500 bond)
*Driving with a revoked license. ($2,000 bond)
*Felony possession of heroin.($10,000 bond)
*Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. ($500 bond)
Fleihr was bonded out for $15,000 total. As Buck Woodward noted earlier today, Fleihr’s license was revoked from his last driving while impaired arrest.
Reid’s arrest was picked up this evening by TMZ.com.
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.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
Robby Boydstun (RDB) - RDB@PinfallRecall.com
Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Wrestling News Digest 4/21/09: Jeff Hardy contract update, Paul London and Amazing Red hint at TNA return, ROH Newswire, and Taz on the comeback trail
WWE
Jeff Hardy contract update
- WWE is currently trying to sign Jeff Hardy to a new WWE contract. Jeff’s current contract is set to expire in the next 2-4 months.
- Hardy has not been receptive to the long -term deals that the company has offered him, and in a rare move, WWE offered Hardy a one-year deal with the hopes of signing him to that, and then working on a longer-term contract.
- It is due to the current contract situation that the feud with Matt Hardy has been booked the way it has, with Matt winning. It is also why Matt was moved to Raw.
- The feeling is that Jeff isn’t looking to go to another company, but more that he just wants to live his life on his own terms. TNA sources have claimed to have no contact with Hardy.
Credit: 411mania.com
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WrestleMania DVD extras
- The DVD Extras list for the Wrestlemania XXV DVD release on 5/19 are as follows:
*The complete 2009 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
*Carlito & Primo vs. The Miz & John Morrison in a Lumberjack match to unify the WWE Tag Team and WWE World Tag Team championships.
*Video highlight packages of Wrestlemania 1 through Wrestlemania XXIV (the video packages that aired on WWE programming in the weeks leading to Mania XXV)
Credit: PWinsider.com
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TNA
Paul London and Amazing Red to TNA?
- In an update to an earlier story posted by Bill Behrens, WrestleZone is now receiving word that former WWE Tag Team Champion Paul London may be debuting with TNA in the very near future. Sources are claiming that the two sides have spoken and that a deal is expected to be reached.
- Additionally, the earlier reported phrase of “Expect The Unexpected” was a tease that former TNA talent Amazing Red is rumored to be returning to the company. Sources close to Red have stated that he too has spoken with the company, and a deal is being worked out to bring him back to TNA Wrestling.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Angelina Love update
- New TNA Knockouts Champion Angelina Love suffered a concussion at the TNA Lockdown PPV Sunday. This happened near the end of the Knockouts Title match as Taylor Wilde came off the top rope with a cross body block. Love is only expected to participate in “non-wrestling” segments at the TNA tapings this week.
Credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
ROH Newswire for April 21st
- Thank you to the wonderful fans in both Montreal and Markham for bringing outstanding enthusiasm and passion during ROH’s latest return to Canada! Both crowds were great and treated ROH incredibly, and for that we can’t thank you enough! We return to Toronto on Saturday, July 25th at the Ted Reeve Arena, 175 Main Street, Toronto, Ontario M4E 2W2. The “Nature Boy” Ric Flair will be in Toronto for a special meet & greet autograph session. Tickets for the live event & the autograph session are now on sale at www.rohwrestling.com.
- The American Wolves had an absolute classic with Tyler Black and Bryan Danielson to close the event last Saturday in Markham. The 45 minute draw was a tag team classic and sent two very distinct messages to teams throughout Ring of Honor: Danielson and Black are not to be taken lightly, and that the Wolves are for real. Davey Richards was absolutely livid post-match, screaming at anyone within earshot. “We are the best in the world,” Richards said pointedly. “You ask Dragon and Tyler. They couldn’t beat us. They had to prod the fans into asking for 5 more minutes. Well, we do things our way – we answer to no one.” In Dayton on Friday, Richards will oppose Tyler Black in singles competition while Eddie Edwards, who shined in the match, will take on Danielson.
- This budding rivalry is far from over, because in addition to the singles matches taking place this weekend, a tag team rematch has been signed! In Edison on May 9th, it will be the American Wolves taking on Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black again! And if the Wolves escape the Midwest this weekend with the tag titles in tow, this will once again be a championship match!
- Kevin Steen and El Generico were set to regain the World Tag Team Titles this Saturday in Chicago, but now there is a cloud of doubt hanging overhead. El Generico has suffered another injury to the same knee that Davey Richards targeted back in Orlando at “Proving Ground 2009-Night Two”. He was unable to compete in Markham last Saturday, and went to a suburban Montreal hospital for evaluation on Sunday. He, along with Kevin Steen, is awaiting the results of an MRI which will indicate how severe the injury is. Should Generico not be able to appear this weekend, Kevin Steen has already informed ROH officials that he has a replacement ready to go. Everyone at ROH wishes Generico a speedy recovery.
- Signed for Edison on May 9th is a 3-Way-Dance that may involve more athleticism than most entire cards. “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush. Kenny King. El Generico. Need we say anything more? Should Generico’s knee force him out of action for this event, King and Quackenbush will lock up in a singles contest.
- A tag team bruiser has also been signed for Edison on May 9th. The Dark City Fight Club made a splash at “Proving Ground 2009-Night Two” in one of the hardest hitting ROH six-man tag team matches in some time. Now they’ll face 2/3 of the team they fought in Orlando. It will be Erick Stevens and Brent Albright taking on the DCFC in Edison! Both teams will need ice packs after this one!
- Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood began voiceovers on the second 6 weeks of “Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet” yesterday in Denver. Prazak informed us that HDNet has fixed the lighting and crowd noise issues for this round of tapings and that the show “looks incredible”. The next set of ROH on HDNet tapings take place on May 29th and 30th back at the Arena in South Philly. Already signed: Ambassador to ROH “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and KENTA! Tickets are on sale now at www.rohwrestling.com starting at $10 each.
- Two days remain in the Big Ten Sale at ROHWrestling.com. This offer features over 100 DVD’s priced at only $10 each. You can also general admission tickets for upcoming shows in Dayton, Chicago, Boston, & Edison for $10. On top of that, save 10% off your next order. For a complete list of all items included in the sale plus the 10% off discount code click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=860. New and in stock now at ROHWrestling.com is “Eliminating The Competition” from February 27th in Danbury, CT. This event features World Champion Nigel McGuinness defending his title against Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, & Jerry Lynn in an Elimination Match; Necro Butcher vs. Brodie Liee in an Anything Goes Street Fight; Chris Hero & Eddie Edwards vs. Jay Briscoe & Kevin Steen; Bryan Danielson vs. Delirious; Brent Albright vs. Claudio Castagnoli; plus more.
- We’ll be back tomorrow with more match announcements for Boston and Edison, and hopefully we’ll have an update on the condition of El Generico.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Other
Lashley vs. Sapp set in stone
- Fanhouse.com is reporting that Bobby Lashley has agreed to fight MMA veteran Bob Sapp on June 27. Lashley (2-0), who won a decision over Jason Guida in his last bout in March, signed the bout agreement late last night. It will be Lashley’s first time taking on a much bigger fighter, as Sapp is 6′5″ and weighs around 350lbs, which gives him about a 100 pound weight advantage over the former WWE superstar.
Sapp holds an MMA record of 10-3-1, with his most notable fight coming against Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in which Sapp was submitted in the second round. He was last seen on the FieLDS Dynamite!! show, where he won by TKO in the first round.
The report goes on to note that while Lashley did appear on TNA Wrestling’s “Lockdown” PPV on Sunday, there are currently no plans for him to wrestle with the company.
The bout will take place on an event promoted by an as-of-yet announced MMA upstart MMA promotion and will air on PPV.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Taz to make return to wrestling on May 30th
- To read a press release regarding Taz’s return to wrestling go here
http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/article/taz-confirmed-for-wrestling-related-return-on-may-30th-75475
Credit: wrestlezone.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.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
Robby Boydstun (RDB) - RDB@PinfallRecall.com
Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Wrestling News Digest 4/16/09: WWE Superstars card, Nine year old boy dies imitating a wrestling move, Jeff Jarrett interview, and Hulk knows how OJ felt
WWE
WWE Superstars card, DX reunion coming
- The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s edition of WWE Superstars on WGN:
* Shane McMahon vs. Cody Rhodes
* Elimination Chase Finals: Finlay vs. Christian
* Matt Hardy vs. The Undertaker
- It looks like we are heading for another DX Reunion run as the November events in France are being advertised as the “DX Invasion” tour.
Credit: 411mania.com/PWinsider.com
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Nine year old boy dies imitating a wrestling move
- 9-year-old Damori Miles dies in jump off Brooklyn apartment, may have been imitating video game
BY Matthew Lysiak and Alison Gendar
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Updated Wednesday, April 15th 2009, 8:43 PM
Friends say Damori Miles jumped to his death imitating a character from the video game, ‘Smackdown Raw’.
A 9-year-old wrestling fan jumped off his Brooklyn apartment roof wearing a homemade parachute in a fatal imitation of his favorite video game character, friends said.
The broken body of Damori Miles was found on the ground outside the Albany Houses about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Wrapped around his body was the string and plastic bag he used for the parachute, police sources said. The boy died at Interfaith Medical Center an hour later.
“It’s terrible. The kids try to imitate what they see and they think they can fly,” said family friend Sumore Murrel, 29.
The third-grader was supposed to have a Tuesday night play date with Murrel’s two children, Shakar, 11, and Kevin, 9, but never showed. “His older sister came knocking on the door looking for him at 7:30. She had no idea he was dead. None of us did,” Murrel said.
It turned out the boy, who received special education instruction, had left his 10th floor apartment and walked up to the Crown Heights building’s roof.
Shakar, Damori’s best friend, said his pal was imitating his favorite PlayStation2 game, “WWE Smackdown vs Raw.”
“He tried to do a swan dive like Jeff Harding does in ‘SmackDown.’ That was his favorite game. He played it all the time,” Shakar said.
“That was what he was trying to do. If I would have seen him up there, I would have told him not to do it.”
Check out the full article at:
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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DJ Gabriel’s days with WWE could be numbered
- The Wrestling Observer is reporting that ECW star DJ Gabriel may not have a very bright WWE future now that his valet Alicia Fox has been drafted to Smackdown. The gimmick Gabriel has been working relied on the two working as a team, and now that Fox is gone there may not be much Gabriel can do on his own if he retains the gimmick. It should be noted that Gabriel has not wrestled a televised match on ECW since March 10th.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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TNA
Jeff Jarrett discusses TNA’s progress, gimmicks and more
- Jeff Jarrett spoke to Newsweek about a variety of things. Here are the highlights.
On TNA’s progress: “Spike’s primetime average is, I think, a .9. And we’re doing 1.3’s. I think USA’s primetime average is well into the 2’s, and Vince is above that. So comparatively speaking, on the network we’re on, I think we’ve done very well. Are we bigger or better than them in the ratings? Absolutely not. But we continue to climb that ladder.”
On TNA’s ratings: “We’ve gone from a .7, .8 to a 1.3 on Spike network. You can look at ECW. They started in the high 2’s, and now they’re in the 1.2, 1.3 range – a tremendous drop. Smackdown you can’t really count because they’ve changed networks. They’ve had their issues, but as a matter of fact, they’ve done extremely well. You look at Raw. They went, over the last three or four years, they went from the 4’s to the 3’s, and now they’re back up there. So it’s an ebb and flow. And they tout themselves as the longest running series. It’s phenomenon that from 1993 to 2009, they’ve been on 17 years. They’ve got a 14-year, 15-year head start on us.”
On his relationship with Vince McMahon: “I’ll say there’s a personal relationship with the entire McMahon family and Jeff Jarrett. As far as a working relationship – absolutely not. We’re competitors. But a personal relationship? Without a doubt. The entire McMahon family was very, very good to me during the passing of my wife, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
On the criticism of TNA running too many gimmick matches: “Without risk, there’s no reward. So if we don’t risk trying anything – if we just sit back and keep ourselves in a little box and just give them a very cookie cutter, a very non-exciting, non-suspenseful – If you just give them a very straightforward product, that’s very, very boring. I’ve seen that. I’ve done that. I’ve been a part of that. It’s not successful and it’s never been successful. Do we bat 1000? Absolutely not. A great hitter in baseball – what do they hit the ball, one out of three times? So you have to try things. Do we bat a thousand? Absolutely not. We never will. But we need to try things. And have we screwed up? Absolutely we have, but we’re going to keep on keeping on”
Check out the full article here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Tonight’s iMPACT card, Bonaduce vs. Young on Lockdown pre-show
- The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s edition of TNA Impact:
* Naito vs. Chris Sabin vs. Homicide
* Awesome Kong and Taylor Wilde vs. Angelina Love and Velvet Sky
* One Member of Team Angle vs. One Member of Team Jarrett for the Lethal Lockdown Advantage
- The Danny Bonaduce vs. Eric Young match will be broadcast on the Lockdown pre-show which is also where TNA president Dixie Carter will be addressing the fans.
Credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
ROH Newswire for April 16th
- Ring of Honor returns to Canada this weekend for two big live events. On Friday night we return to Montreal Quebec at the Centre Jean-Claude Malepart, 2633 rue Ontario Est, Montreal, Quebec H2K 1W8. Bell time is 8:00 PM. The main event is a Six Man Tag Team Challenge Match with Kevin Steen, El Generico, & Bryan Danielson vs. ROH World Tag Team Champions The American Wolves & Sylvain Grenier. Other matches include Tyler Black vs. Jimmy Jacobs; Colt Cabana & Brent Albright vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Jimmy Rave; Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong vs. Kenny Omega vs. Jay Briscoe in a Four Corner Survival; The Necro Butcher & Delirious vs. Kenny King & Rhett Titus; plus more. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door on the night of the show!!!
- On Saturday night we return to the Toronto, Ontario area with a live event at The Markham Fair, 10801 McCowan Road, Markham, Ontario, L3P 3J3. Bell time is 7:30 PM. The main event in Markham features The American Wolves vs. Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black for the World Tag Team Titles; Austin Aries, Kenny King, & Rhett Titus vs. Kevin Steen, El Generico, & Kenny Omega; Colt Cabana vs. Claudio Castagnoli; Chris Hero vs. The Necro Butcher; Jimmy Jacobs vs. Delirious in a Markham Street Fight; Roderick Strong vs. Jay Briscoe; Brent Albright vs. Jimmy Rave; plus more. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door on the night of the show!!!
- Ring of Honor returns to Pay-Per-View tomorrow (Friday) night with “Caged Collision” on In Demand, DISH Network, Direct TV, & TVN in the United States, and in Canada with Bell Express Vu, & Viewer’s Choice Canada. Highlighting this event is Steel Cage Warfare featuring Roderick Strong, Erick Stevens, Brent Albright, Ace Steel, & Jay Briscoe vs. Sweet ‘N’ Sour Incorporated. Also, Nigel McGuinness vs. El Generico for the ROH World Title; Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries & Jimmy Jacobs; The Necro Butcher & Jerry Lynn vs. Age of the Fall; Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kevin Steen; plus more. ROH has set the standard by giving you true professional wrestling on pay-per-view at an affordable price. Click here for more details on this big event http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2728.
- This Saturday’s edition of “Ring of Honor Wrestling” on HDNet features the main event of Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright. Other bouts include The Necro Butcher vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Kenny King & Rhett Titus vs. Cheech & Cloudy, Eddie Kingston vs. Sami Callihan, plus more. For more information visit http://www.hd.net/ringofhonor.html.
- The ROH World Title will be defended when Ring of Honor returns to Boston on Friday, May 8th at the Case Gym on the campus of Boston University. The current champion, Jerry Lynn, has been training like never before as he’s scheduled to defend the title in Dayton (against Roderick Strong) and Chicago (against Colt Cabana). Lynn has never been more confident after finally overcoming Nigel McGuinness. Should Lynn defeat both Strong and Cabana, in Boston he’ll meet the man that many fans chant “next world champ” to – Tyler Black. Tyler, who can still request a title match at any time by virtue of his win at Caged Collision, earned the respect of Lynn at the last set of ROH on HDNet Television Tapings. Tyler came very close to winning the title in an incredible Four Corner Survival match at that time, and thus Lynn agreed to this match. The waters could get very muddy between now and Boston though, as it’s possible that Lynn will not make it to Boston as Champion. In that event, it could be Tyler Black versus Roderick Strong or Colt Cabana for the gold. Either way you shake it, the title will be on the line in Boston!
- The hottest feud in ROH will continue in Boston! Kevin Steen and El Generico may not have the World Tag Team titles at the moment, but they’ve got their pride, and nothing has ever motivated them both more than their desire to regain their gold. But until they get another shot at the Wolves, they’ve got time for rage and bad blood to build. To that end, a grudge singles contest has been signed for May 8th. It will pit Kevin Steen one-on-one with Davey Richards. There is no doubt that Steen will be out for revenge in Boston, while Davey has never been as smug as he is now. Will the Wolves still have the tag team titles when Steen and Generico get their rematch? One thing is for certain – in Boston on May 8th – Steen and Richards will give you your money’s worth!
- Also signed for May 8th in Boston is a 3-Way-Dance! “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush is looking to make waves in ROH after impressive showings against Bryan Danielson in Pittsburgh and Jerry Lynn in New York. Now he’s signed to face the “American Dragon” again, but this time, he wasn’t alone. Also signed for the match on May 8th in Boston is the returning Sonjay Dutt! The athleticism in this match is off the charts! Can Quack score a win in Boston? Can Dutt make a huge splash in his return? Or will the “best in the world” show both of his opponents why he’s earned that moniker?
- The Big Ten Sale is back at ROHWrestling.com featuring over 100 DVD’s priced at only $10 each. You can also general admission tickets for upcoming shows in Dayton, Chicago, Boston, & Edison for $10. On top of that, save 10% off your next order. For a complete list of all items included in the sale plus the 10% off discount code click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=860
- New and in stock now at ROHWrestling.com is “Eliminating The Competition” from February 27th in Danbury, CT. This event features World Champion Nigel McGuinness defending his title against Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, & Jerry Lynn in an Elimination Match; Necro Butcher vs. Brodie Liee in an Anything Goes Street Fight; Chris Hero & Eddie Edwards vs. Jay Briscoe & Kevin Steen; Bryan Danielson vs. Delirious; Brent Albright vs. Claudio Castagnoli; plus more.
- We’ll be back next week with the aftermath of ROH’s Canadian return as well as the first matches announced for Edison on May 9th!
Editor’s note: ROH’s debut episode is now available for purchase on Xbox live and they have launched their own twitter page which can be reached here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Other
Hulk Hogan’s ridiculous comment of the day
- Hulk Hogan P.R. rep told E! News the following about the comments Hogan made about how he could understand why O.J. Simpson did what he did.
“[Hulk] in no way condones the O.J. situation. As part of a larger conversation, he referred to it to exemplify his frustration with his own situation.”
Credit: 411mania.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 164: Wrestlemania Twenty-Suck
Wrestling Podcast Episode 164: Wrestlemania Twenty-Suck [65:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadCK and JG are back to bring you more of “The Best Wrestling You’ve Ever Heard.” We brought in team members Milo and Ed to join us in our crazy analysis of what was possibly one of the worst Wrestlemanias in years. We talk about all the matches, tell you what they SHOULD’VE done, and then we continue to just have fun as per usual. Get mind fucked and listen to the new shit 
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Pinfall Recall News Digest 4/3/09: Wrestlemania Card, TNA PPV PReview, ROH Match Listing!
WWE
Final Wrestlemania Card
Here is the final WWE WrestleMania XXV card:
* Chris Jericho vs. Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Rowdy Roddy Piper w/Ric Flair For Chris Jericho to win, he has to defeat all three of the legends. For the legends to win, they have to defeat Chris Jericho just one time.
* The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels
* Extreme Rules Match: Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy
* 25-Diva “Miss WrestleMania” Battle Royal: Known Participants - Melina, Maryse, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Michelle McCool, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Eve Torres, Katie Lea Burchill, Beth Phoenix, Layla El, Rosa Mendes, Candice Michelle, Natalya Neidhart, Jillian Hall, Tiffany, Sunny, Torrie Wilson, Molly Holly, Victoria and Jackie Gayda-Haas
* Money in the Bank Ladder Match: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Finlay
* Winner Takes All – WWE Tag Team Titles vs. World Tag Team Titles – Unified Tag Team Title LUMBERJACK Match: The Miz and John Morrison © vs. Carlito and Primo Colon ©
* IC Title Match: JBL © vs. Rey Mysterio
* World Title Match: Edge © vs. The Big Show vs. John Cena
* WWE Title Match: HHH © vs. Randy Orton
credit: 411mania.com
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Raw Quarter By Quarter Ratings Breakdown
The following are the quarter hour breakdowns for Monday night’s episode of WWE Raw. The show scored a 3.55 cable rating overall.
* 9:00: 3.28 (Diva Tag, Orton vs. HHH Video, Lawler Entrance)
* 9:15: 3.29 (Lawler vs. Jericho, Aftermath, Hall of Fame Video)
* 9:30: 3.45 (Cena Interview, HBK Shows Up In Casket, Rey vs. JBL)
* 9:45: 3.41 (Rey vs. JBL, WrestleMania Video Package)
* 10:00: 3.86 (John Cena vs. Big Show, )
* 10:15: 3.73 (HBK’s Funeral For Taker’s Streak)
* 10:30: 3.49 (Various Video Packages, Legacy Prepares for Orton’s Address, MITB Battle Royal)
* 10:45: 3.64 (MITB Battle Royal, Orton’s Address)
* Overrun: 4.08 (Vince, Shane, HHH vs. Legacy Brawl)
credit: 411mania.com
TNA
Impact Ratings
TNA Impact did a 1.3 rating last night and drew its largest audience ever with just under 2 million viewers.
Credit: WrestlingObserver.com
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Lockdown PPV Card
# Here is the updated TNA Lockdown PPV Card, all matches are held in the six-sides of steel:
- Danny Bonaduce vs. Eric Young
- TNA Knockouts Queen of the Cage Match: ODB vs. Madison Rayne vs. Daffney vs. Sojo Bolt
- Doomsday Chamber of Blood Match: Abyss vs. Matt Morgan
- Lethal Lockdown: Team 
(Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett and () vs. Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Kevin Nash)
- TNA Knockouts Title Match: Awesome Kong © vs. Angelina Love vs. taylor Wilde
- IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title Match: The Motor City Machine Guns © vs. No Limit vs. LAX
- X-Division Title Xcape Match: Suicide © vs. Kiyoshi vs. Jay Letha; vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed
- Winner Takes All – TNA World Tag Team Titles vs. IWGP Tag Team Titles Match: Beer Money © vs. Team 3D ©
- TNA World Title Match: Sting © vs. Mick Foley
credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
Card For HDNet Show
The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s edition of ROH on HDNet:
- Erick Stevens vs. Sterling James Keenan
- The Dark City Fight Club (Kory Chavis and Jon Davis) vs. Cheech and Cloudy
- The Necro Butcher vs. Chris Hero
- Bryan Danielson vs. Austin Aries
credit: 411mania.com
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