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WWE

Shawn Michaels considers retirement, JR now a color commentator

- F4WOnline.com is reporting that Shawn Michaels is seriously considering either retiring or reducing his schedule from full-time to occasional appearances following Wrestlemania 26. HBK has said recently that he wants to spend more time with his wife and children, and although he might not be fully retiring, he will be reducing his schedule with WWE pretty significantly after next year’s PPV.

- Todd Grisham and Jim Ross were the announcers during the Smackdown! tapings this past Tuesday night (scheduled to air this Friday). It a bit of a weird note, Grisham was doing the play-by-play and Jim Ross was doing the color commentary (the Jerry Lawler role, etc.). 

According to JR’s blog, he will continue this role at least for the time being.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss this news on the forums

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JBL does a shoot interview, No Way out buyrate

- Don’t miss part one of a 50+ minute sitdown Studio Shoot Interview with WWE superstar John Bradshaw Layfield! After invading an MWF Board of Directors meeting, JBL joins Dan Mirade in studio to discuss his new energy drink company Layfield Energy, his career in WWE, his history at WrestleMania & much more!

- The buyrate information is in for WWE’s No Way Out PPV which took place back in February, and they show the event drawing 164,000 domestic buys and 274,000 worldwide, which is a 25% and 32% drop in buys domestically and worldwide, respectively, from last year. 

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss this news on the forums

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WWE hypes new show on WGN

- WWE sent out the following press release today:

EXPECT EVERYTHING WHEN WWE® SUPERSTARS ENTERS WGN AMERICA’S RING ON APRIL 16  

NEW ONE-HOUR EXCLUSIVE SHOW TO FEATURE WWE PERFORMANCES

NEW YORK, NY and STAMFORD, CT, April 9, 2009—Beginning April 16, WGN America and World Wrestling Entertainment® (NYSE: WWE) will team up for WWE Superstars, a first run, original program airing exclusively on WGN America, Tribune Broadcasting’s national Superstation.

The action-packed WWE Superstars will be produced by WWE and will feature WWE performances by Superstars and Divas from the entire WWE roster. The hour-long weekly program will provide WGN America viewers the chance to see WWE Superstars and Divas from all three WWE brands — RAW®, SmackDown® and ECW® — in one program.  WWE Superstars will be available in HD and air on Thursday nights in prime time at 8 PM and 11 PM ET (5 PM and 8 PM PT) with an additional airing on Sundays at 12 PM ET (9 AM PT).

Credit: PWinsider.com

Discuss this news on the forums

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TNA

Kurt Angle admits to steroid use in interview

- The Philadelphia Inquirer is running a big article on Kurt Angle, discussing his career and next weekend’s Lockdown PPV, here are thehighlights…

On Taking Steroids and Being Suspended by WWE: “Have I used steroids before? Yes, I have, after I broke my neck and lost three inches in this arm and 21/2 in the other from loss of circulation. But I paid the price, both financially - I got fined $125,000 - and reputation-wise. I was a pure athlete, an Olympic champion. And all of a sudden, I’m like Kurt Angle the cheater? It really sucked. You can test me right now. I’ll come up clean. But there was a time when I did it.”

On the TNA Schedule: “It’s very grueling. There’s no time off. We don’t have an off-season. That’s why it’s so difficult on wrestlers. That’s why they break down physically. They try to rotate them in and out so nobody gets burned out. Except for me.”

On Who He Liked to Watch: “Roddy Piper intrigued me. He was always funny. The other wrestler I liked was Paul Orndorff. If those two weren’t on, I really wouldn’t watch.”

- You can read the whole article here.

Credit: 411mania.com

Discuss this news on the forums

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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

Ed Battes (Ed) - Ed@PinfallRecall.com

Danny Charisma (DC) - DC@PinfallRecall.com

WWE

Jeff Hardy/Christian angle updated

- PWInsider.com is reporting that the rumored “accident” angle involving Jeff Hardy and his girlfriend will indeed be inserted into this Friday night’s Smackdown broadcast. It will most likely involve some sort of “hit and run” scenario.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

The countdown for the Cap’n begins. Discuss it and the wrestling scene on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards. The topic is located here

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Hogan says he’d put over Austin at WrestleMania

- From the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show:

Bubba asked if JR thought Hogan and Vince could make up and do something for WM 25.  This began a long discussion about a Steve Austin vs. Hogan match at WM 25.  JR said he didn’t think it would happen, but would like to see it.  JR suggested a finish in which at the end of the match Miz & Morrison would run in, cause the double DQ, get beat down by Hogan and Austin, and then Hogan and Austin would drink a beer.

Shortly after that Hogan called in.  Hogan and JR exchanged pleasantries and then Hogan went on to tell JR that he didn’t like his proposed finish to the match.  He said that a match of that magnitude and historical significance needed a definite finish for the fans.  Hogan went on to say he would have no problem putting over Steve if the match took place.

Bubba wondered how much trouble JR would get into for talking to Hogan because of his relationship with CCW.

Bubba said he is going to try to get Steve Austin on the show and had his producer put in a request with WWE to get Vince on the show in an effort to put this match together.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Will the most hyped match of the century finally take place? Talk about it with our forum members here

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WWE has major cutbacks

- World Wrestling Entertainment has reportedly laid off a number of staff from the office at Titan Tower in Stamford, CT. While the positions that were laid off are not currently known, sources say that personnel from the television department, WWE.com and office area of the company were let go. These cuts are said to reflect 10% of the staff, and more layoffs are said to take place tomorrow.

- Also, WWE released ECW referee Keenan Quinn this week. When the company made the decision to go with the official working a loop on a rotation, Keenan was sent down to Florida Championship Wrestling.

Credit: 411mania.com

Discuss this disappointing news right here on the forum

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Low Ki shows up at FCW, Bam Neely sent back down to minors

- Low Ki did wrestle on tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling TV taping in Tampa, FL, facing Trent Berreta. He won the match.

- Bam Neely has been sent back down to WWE developmental Florida Championship wrestling. 

Credit: PWinsider.com

Did Neely need to be sent back? Do you like Low Ki as an acquisition? Tell us here on the message boards

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TNA

TNA DVD value pack

- According to Amazon.com, Turning Point 2008, Final Resolution 2008, and Genesis 2009 will be released in a Cross The Line 3-Pack: Volume 2 on March 24th.

Credit: 411mania.com

Sweet pick up right here for you TNA fans. Go buy it and post your review right here on the forum

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ROH 

Ring of Honor offered TV deal

- Yesterday, HDNet sent an official offer to Ring of Honor for a proposed one-hour weekly TV show. This is the first TV offer the promotion has ever received. As of now there is no word on the details of the deal or even if Ring of Honor has accepted the offer.

Credit: 411mania.com

Are you pumped for a possible ROH TV series? Tell us right here on the PFRC forum

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If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or via e-mail.

CK@pinfallrecall.com

JG@pinfallrecall.com

DC@pinfallrecall.com

RDB@pinfallrecall.com

Milo@pinfallrecall.com

Download podcasts here on the website or via iTunes using the keyword Pinfall Recall.

WWE 

Elimination Chamber announced for No Way Out

- It appears the Elimination Chamber Match will be returning at the No Way Out pay per view on February 15, 2009 in Seattle Washington. The promotional poster for the event which can be seen HERE shows Vladamir Kozlov behind chains. InDemand’s description reads as followed: 

“Two miles of chain and ten tons of steel will surround WWE Superstars in the elimination chamber. Don’t miss Triple H, John Cena, Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite Superstars at WWE No Way Out, Sunday, February 15th, live at 8PM ET/5PM PT, only on Pay-Per-View. A World Wrestling Entertainment Production.”

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss the Chamber match right here on the Pinfall Recall Forums. The topic is here

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Ted DiBiase on his way back

- The February 28th Raw House Show in Wilkes Barre, PA, is advertising a triple threat match between CM Punk, William Regal and Ted DiBiase. This should indicate that DiBiase will be back on the road with WWE around that time. He has been off TV for awhile now shooting The Marine 2, which will be a direct-to-DVD release.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Talk about the second generation star right here on the message boards

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Christian NOT at Raw last night

- Just to clarify, Christian Cage was not backstage at Raw last night in New Orleans and neither was Val Venis, who he was alleged to have arrived with.

As Dave Scherer wrote yesterday, a “Scott Williams” wrote every media outlet he could find claiming he saw the pair entering the venue. We checked with sources and were told neither were there, but that WWE champ Jeff Hardy was backstage.

Some outlets took the Cage story and ran with it when they received the email, but as Dave theorized last night, it was obviously someone trying to work the websites into reporting false news.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Talk Cap’n Charisma’s return right here with our forum members

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ECW to be broadcast on another network

- WWE sent out the following press release this afternoon:

WWE®’s ECW IGNITES mun2 

The Popular Series Hits mun2 Programming Starting January 9th at 10 PM

Universal City, January 6, 2009 – mun2 announces it will rebroadcast World Wrestling Entertainment®’s, ECW series, on Friday nights starting January 9th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. 

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with WWE with this new property,” says Alex Pels, General Manager for mun2. “The popularity of WWE among young Latinos has prompted us to continue providing action-packed, WWE entertainment for our audience, all while building strategic partnerships for the network.” 

ECW, which has been one of SCI FI’s highest rated programs, will bring a new level of entertainment to mun2’s 2009 line-up and comes on the heels of the unprecedented success of WWE’s RAW on mun2. 

Last year, mun2 partnered with WWE in the highly successful on-air and online “Ultimate Quinceañera” sweepstakes. The initiative, which celebrated WWE RAW’s 15th Anniversary, garnered a prestigious “Emma” Award (Excellence in Multi-Cultural Marketing Awards) from NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications). 

RAW can be seen every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and Sunday night at 6 p.m. on mun2.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Discuss ECW and more right here on the message boards

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ROH

Ring of Honor Newswire for January 6th

- January 6th: We at Ring of Honor hope that everyone had a safe and awesome New Year celebration. We look forward to bringing you an incredible 2009! Thank you so very much for supporting us!

- The fans of Manassas will witness a first-time ever matchup on January 16 as the Mid-Atlantic’s own, “Geordie Bulldog” Sean Denny, will face a man looking to continue to prove himself in the ring, as well as apparently proving his manhood, “Addicted to Love” Rhett Titus. “I’m one of the world’s greatest lovers”, said Titus. “And in Manassas, I’ll show this guy from Denny’s why ladies gab about abs, squeak for obliques, and confess while touching my chest.”

- Judging by his comments above, Rhett Titus is overflowing with confidence. In fact, he’s had an open contract for 1/17 in Edison for quite some time. Until today that is. Just signed for Edison on 1/17, Titus will step into the ring with former NWA Champion, “Shooter” Brent Albright. “I don’t like people with big mouths”, said Albright. “And Rhett has a big mouth. He reminds me of Sweeney in a lot of ways. I noticed his open contract for Edison, and it seemed like a great time to shut him up for once.”

- ROH Officials have been working hard to finalize an ROH World Title Match for January 31 in Chicago. Nigel McGuinness has voiced to the booking committee what he believes are “very important concerns” as of late, making it somewhat difficult to find a challenger suitable to McGuinness. Officials are mulling over McGuinness’ concerns for validity, and hope to have a match announcement very soon.

- The Necro Butcher is bringing his war to both Detroit on 1/30 and Chicago on 1/31. He’s made no secret that targeting the Age of the Fall is his number one priority, and is hoping to continue the battle on Pay-Per-View! We’ve also just learned that he’ll be a part of a newly signed Four Corner Survival match in Edison on January 17. We’ll have the first of his opponents in tomorrow’s Newswire.

- There are two new specials available at www.rohwrestling.com involving DVD’s and tickets. The first offer features over 20 ROH live event DVD’s from 2005 for only $8 each. The second deal features $10 off all ringside reserved seats for all upcoming live events. Complete details on the sale can be found here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2435.

- The ROH Booking Committee is happy to announce that the World Tag Team Titles will be defended in Detroit on 1/30! Kevin Steen and El Generico finalized their half of the championship contract this afternoon and we’ll have their challengers as soon as possible right here in the Newswire.

- Brodie Lee of the AOTF will return to action on January 30 in Detroit and he will be in action on Pay-Per-View in Chicago on January 31.

Credit: 411mania.com

Talk ROH and other Indy divisions here on the PFRC message boards

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If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or via e-mail.

CK@pinfallrecall.com

JG@pinfallrecall.com

DC@pinfallrecall.com

RDB@pinfallrecall.com

Milo@pinfallrecall.com

Download podcasts here on the website or via iTunes using the keyword Pinfall Recall.

WWE

New matches added to Survivor Series (SPOILER ALERT!!!)

(SPOILERS START HERE!)

At the Smackdown taping in the UK, a new Survivor Series elimination match was announced for the PPV:

Batista (captain), CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy & R-Truth vs. Randy Orton (captain), Cody Rhodes, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal & Mark Henry.

(Editor’s note: Also announced was the addition of Jeff Hardy to the WWE title match between Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov.) 

(END SPOILERS!)

Credit: PWinsider.com

What do you think of these matches being added to the show? Express your thoughts on Survivor Series and more on our Pinfall Recall Message Boards located here

Former WWE superstar lashes out at creative team, ECW on Sci-Fi rating

Kenny Dykstra, who was recently released by the WWE, wrote the following on his Myspace.com page: 

“Believe it or not, I actually am happy to be gone from WWE. I dont have to do things around their schedule and I don’t have to answer to anybody. I have never felt so free in my entire life. I had been working with WWE since I was 16 so I’ve never really known anything else.” 

“I did have fun with WWE but the creative side never used me properly or really gave me an opportunity to get over. It sucks when you know your better than the majority and your only used to make people look good. Will I stay wrestling? I’m not sure. WWE kinda puts a bad taste in your mouth after all the politics and garbage that can go on. I may try to go to TNA but we will see. I have 90 days to think about it and possibly try.”

Last night’s edition of ECW on Sci-Fi drew a final 1.2 cable rating.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Is Dykstra being a prima dona or do you sympathize with him? Let us know here

J.R. talks Jeff Hardy, WrestleMania tix, and more 

- Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry, which you can check out by clicking here.  Some highlights from this entry:

Jeff Hardy had two of the best back to back shows taped in one night that I can remember seeing in years. Jeff’s match vs. the Undertaker this Friday night on Smackdown is simply off the page as is the build to the final match of the evening. These two had some nasty physicality near the announce table that more closely resembled felonious assault that a wrestling match. Old school, physicality especially when the “weapons” came out. Without question, on of my favorite bouts I’ve seen in a long time. Hardy said he was “tired of being sorry” and that he lives on “emotion” and “recklessness” and was on the brink of “insanity” and he more than lived up to those words

WM25 tkts are north of 40,000 sold w/ 68% being sold to Texas residents. I think the number I heard was somewhere around $5M sold. Nice start in an extremely sluggish economy. This will sellout in the 65-70,000 range.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Do you think this will lead to a Jeff Hardy title push? Or will he burn out again? And will Mania 25 sell out? Talk with our forum members about these topics here on our forums on this busy news day.

Randy Orton interview, omissions to Eddie Guerrero tribute show on DVD

- GameDaily.com has an interview up with Randy Orton where he talks about using a Wii to help with his collar bone injuries. Check out the interview here. 

- Here are the changes to the “Raw is Eddie” show that is included in the Eddie Guerrero DVD box set from Best Buy:

* All Chris Benoit close-ups have been deleted from the entire broadcast

* Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” has been changed to generic music

* The Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit as Double Champions moment from Wrestlemania XX has been deleted

* Chris Benoit talking about the lessons he learned from Eddie Guerrero has been removed

* Stephanie McMahon talking about meeting Eddie Guerrero for the first time has been deleted

* In the Eddie Guerrero and his Mamacita (Chyna) part, most close ups of Chyna are cut as well as her dialogue

Credit: 411mania.com 

Would you use the Wii method for physical therapy and do you think WWE should keep omitting Benoit? Discuss here

TNA

TNA and Palin getting mainstream attention, New downloads for iMPACT video game

- TNA’s public offer to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to become an honorary member of “The Beautiful People” at their Final Resolution PPV may not result in an actual appearance from the one-time Vice Presidential candidate, but it has resulted in a lot of TNA mentions in different areas of the media world.

The following media sources picked up the story in the last 24 hours:

FOX Sports coverage

Orlando Sentinel coverage

TheExaminer.com coverage

Baltimore Sun coverage

Whether any of this leads to some sort of renewed interest in TNA remains to be seen.

- Fans who play the TNA Impact video game via XBOX Live can now download Petey Williams, Curry Man and Mike Tenay for the game.  Midway has lowered the price tag on both Impact and the recently released Blitz football game in an attempt to spike sales in the current soft market, according to their most recent quarterly earnings filing.

Credit: PWinsider.com

If you can’t wait to see the hot almost vice-president in the ring or get your Canadian Destroyer on go here

Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe angry at Scott Hall incident

- The people that were most upset about Scott Hall being at the Turning Point show were Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe. The storyline they wanted to get over in their match was that Joe took everything Nash had and still kicked out and was likely going to win if not for the low blow and Nash’s feet on the ropes. Nobody has ever kicked out of two Nash powerbombs except The Undertaker. Nash and Joe worked hard on their match, even screening an old Sgt. Slaughter vs. Pat Patterson match for ideas. There is a feeling that because the fans were expecting Scott Hall to run in at any second, it really took away from the match. 

Nash and Joe didn’t need Hall to get over their angle and TNA nor the two were not going to build a storyline or a match finish on the unreliable Scott Hall. The joke backstage was that Hall took a full year to show up for his scheduled pay-per-view appearance and there are still a lot of hard feelings towards Hall within TNA for missing last year’s show. 

The storyline for Nash and Joe now is that Nash will refuse to fight Joe again because he beat him already while coming across as a bit of a coward. No pay-per-view rematches are in the works for the two right now but they are set to face each other multiple times on the upcoming European tour. Eventually the storyline will be that Joe gets TNA management to give him another match with Nash after Nash doing everything he can to avoid it. The idea is that Joe builds up outrage that he took everything Nash gave him and could only be pinned after a low blow and a tainted pin.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Join in on the “Is Scott Hall the biggest joke in wrestling?” debate here on our message boards

Other

Bobby Lashley’s MMA opponent revealed

- MMAJunkie.com is reporting that former WWE Wrestlemania headliner and ECW champion Bobby Lashley will face Joshua Franklin at the 12/13 Mixed Fighting Alliance MMA event in Miami, Florida. It will be the first MMA fight for either competitor.

Credit: PWinsider.com 

Place your bets on if Lashley gets his butt kicked (ala Lesnar in his first bout) or he prevails right here on the PFRC forums

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or via e-mail.

CK@pinfallrecall.com

JG@pinfallrecall.com

DC@pinfallrecall.com

RDB@pinfallrecall.com

Milo@pinfallrecall.com

Download podcasts here on the website or via iTunes using the keyword Pinfall Recall.

WWE

Wrestlemania Ticket Sales Dissapointing

- Ticket sales for WrestleMania 25 are, thus far, very disappointing for WWE. The show is not close to being sold out yet. WWE was hoping for a near instant sellout due to the WrestleMania name and because Houston, the location for the show, is traditionally a strong wrestling market. [WrestlingObserver.com]

- Despite the disappointment, WWE did their best to put a happy face on it by releasing this press release today.

WrestleMania®: Texas-Sized Ticket Sales

STAMFORD, Conn., November 9, 2008 – WWE® fans worldwide took home thousands of available tickets yesterday during the official on-sale date for the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.

With ticket sales already exceeding $4.8 million, fans from 24 countries, including all 50 states and 7 Canadian provinces, are expected to attend the event, making the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania an event only a state the size of Texas could handle.

Tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans purchased tickets at the Reliant Stadium Box Office, Ticketmaster offices, and logged-on to Ticketmaster.com for the iconic 25th anniversary of WrestleMania. Tickets will continue to be available at Ticketmaster outlets throughout Texas and worldwide at www.ticketmaster.com.

WWE fans are expected to inject upwards of $50 million into the local economy with a weeklong schedule of activities, interactive experiences and events taking place in Houston leading up to the big event. The 25th anniversary of WrestleMania will also be seen by millions of fans around the world as they watch the broadcast in more than 90 countries.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

credit: 411mania.com

Does this surprise you? Let us know!

TNA

James Storm Interview

On Tuesday night, November 4, James Storm, one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions “Beer Money,” joined hosts Brian Fritz and Dickerman live on Between The Ropes on ESPN Florida AM 1080 and AM 1060 to discuss his current run with Robert Roode in Beer Money, the time he spent with Chris Harris in America’s Most Wanted and what was behind that team’s split, his beer holster belt, and much more.

The interview started out with some discussion about Storm’s character and how much fun it is to be able to excuse drinking anytime as just staying in character. Storm said “I take full advantage of that. And now the bad thing is Robert Roode is trying to get in on it too. I’ve seen him sneaking a beer or two out of my six pack and I’m like ‘what are you doing man’ and he says ‘well I bought the damn thing’ so I guess it’s all good then.”

James also talked about his beer holster belt. He said that he was able to sneak some beer into universal studios by using it. He also said he didn’t make it himself, but instead it was actually a gift from some friends of his.

Next James talked about how he feels about his current tag team with Robert Roode, Beer Money. “It’s working out really good. Me and Robert gel kind of like me and Chris did. We’re so opposite that it works well in the ring. We’re two totally opposite people, but when we get in the ring it just gels, it clicks.”

James has had a lot of success working as a tag team wrestler in an era where stable tag teams are something of a rarity. James was asked if prefers being in tag teams because of this and he replied that his success has been a result of being willing to do whatever he is asked to do, saying “I just make any situation work.”

Staying on the topic of his past tag team work James talked about the split of America’s Most Wanted and how he felt about having to be a singles wrestler. “I was against splitting up the team, but it’s one of those things where I had confidence in myself, I knew I could do it. I think a lot of people, including (AMW parter) Chris Harris, at the time, didn’t think I could do it.

“One thing I thrive off of is entertaining the crowd because the crowd is there to have a good time. That’s what I’m about. I can do wrestling, but I can entertain as well. That’s kind of where Chris lost track, because he’s a good wrestler, but he’s kind of bland in the entertainment part of it.” James also confirmed that it was Chris Harris’ idea to split up the team because Chris thought he could be a bigger star as a singles wrestler and discussed some reasons why Harris didn’t work out once he was signed by WWE.

The discussion then turned to Storm’s feelings on TNA’s growth since he has been there since day one. James said that TNA is still a lot the same as it used to be, though they are making more money now. He also credited Jeff Jarrett for keeping the locker room atmosphere so positive.

Storm was also asked his opinion of seeing so many guys jump to TNA from WWE since he has been with TNA since day one. “They didn’t come over with the big head, like they were better than everybody else. They came over to help the younger guys. They pull guys to the side after their match is over and critique them a little bit…I think that’s been a good thing. I traveled with Kurt on the road a little bit and he’s helped me out a whole lot.”

credit: 411mania.com

Let us know how you feel on this interview right here!

Christian Cage Rumors Swirl

Several sites have been reporting that Christian Cage is “set to stay with TNA”, and that “there was no talk of him actually having any intentions on going to WWE and that those rumors were inaccurate”.

I’m hearing the opposite and that it is more than likely that Cage will end up back in WWE for one last run.

The current economy has not helped anyone with investments and it is very possible that Cage sees one last WWE run as the best way to solidify his family’s financial security.

An additional rumor I’m hearing is that the Turning Point PPV or TV’s that follow might be Christian Cage’s last appearances for TNA, and that there may even be an angle in play that “says goodbye” to him tonight.

credit: wrestlezone.com

How do you feel this will play out? Let us know!

Other

Dolph Ziggler Update

Dolph Ziggler, who is currently serving a 30 day suspension for his first violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy, is now cleared to wrestle as his suspension has now expired. Ziggler was suspended on October 10, 2008, and could technically appear on tomorrow night’s Raw if he made the trip to England with the rest of the crew.

credit: wrestlezone.com

Hi, Dolph Ziggler!

WWE

Raw rating is in, J.R. talks Grisham, turning heel, Michaels retiring

- This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW drew a 2.9 cable rating, which is the same rating the show drew last week. The first hour drew a 2.83 rating and the second hour drew a 2.95 rating with an average of 4,129,000 viewers.

This is yet another disappointing number for WWE. RAW had been in the 3.1 range in previous weeks and the dip below the 3.0 mark has to be alarming for the company.

- Jim Ross updated the Q & A on his website JRsBarBQ.com. The following items are among the highlights:

On Todd Grisham: “Todd broadcast one whole hour per week…42 minutes…he’s young and he’s getting TV exposure on the WWE’s longest running broadcast. I’d say Todd has a great deal.”

On Vince Russo’s 1999 storyline that had J.R. turn heel: “Not “offended” as it was merely a misguided idea that was designed to fail. I think the goal was for me to get frustrated and leave the company. Not being a quitter that wasn’t going to happen. TV time should be devoted to those that sell PPV’s and merchandise. I think I have been involved in more in ring type scenarios than any announcer ever which isn’t that big a deal to me. I’d rather simply be an announcer.”

On Shawn Michaels retiring: “HBK earns big money, works a schedule that he is ok with and is still the best big match wrestler in the biz. Shawn is at a place as to where if he is unhappy he won’t be around. The WWE needs HBK much more than Shawn needs them.”

Credit: wrestlezone.com

What did you think of this week’s Raw? What did you think of J.R.’s blog? Talk about it here on our fantastically fun Pinfall Recall Forums with our exuberant and talkative forum members.

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- A press release was sent to WWE by The St. Pete Times Forum. It notes that the DX vs Miz and Morrison match will take place inside a steel cage in addition to the main event match featuring Batista vs Chris Jericho. Personally, the way it’s phrased leaves open the possible interpretation that they mean the Championship match will be in the cage and then the tag match will be separate, but it does say cage “matches.” This was not confirmed on Raw last night, and is of course subject to change. The release can be found at http://www.sptimesforum.com/.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Would you like to see two cage matches, or is it overkill? Talk about this on our forums here

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- The Score in Canada will not be airing Smackdown this Friday night in its regular time slot. Instead they will be airing NBA basketball. Smackdown will now be broadcast at the following times: October 31st at 10 PM EST, November 1st at midnight EST and November 1st at 7 PM EST.

- The 3 hour Raw special airing next Monday night will be airing on The Score in Canada at the following times: November 3rd at 8:15 PM EST, with a pre-show at 8 PM EST, November 4th at midnight EST and November 4th at 4 PM EST.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Are you Canadian and upset by this? Talk with our forum members about this here

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TNA

Three matches announced for Turning Point (Spoiler Alert!!!)

(SPOILER ALERT HERE!!!)

- Mick Foley came out during last night’s Impact tapings and announced that the following 3 matches will take place at TNA’s Turning Point PPV:

Here is the current card:

TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match

Sting will defend against AJ Styles

TNA Legends Championship Match:

Booker T will defend against Christian Cage

Kevin Nash vs. Samoa Joe

Also rumored for the card but not yet announced is Kurt Angle vs. Abyss

Credit: wrestlezone.com

(END SPOILER ALERT!!!)

What do you think of the card so far? Discuss it here

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Other

Hogans on E! True Hollywood Story

- The E! True Hollywood Story, featuring the Hogan family, will be airing on the E! Network sometime in the near future. The show will chronicle the recent difficulties the family has gone through including Hogan’s divorce as told by Terry Bollea and his friends. So far the show is scheduled to feature interviews from Bill Goldberg, Brian Knobs, Eric Bischoff and Bubba The Love Sponge.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Are you going to watch what may be the most messed up THS ever? Talk about it here

WWE

S.D. Jones passes, John Cena’s official return, Randy Orton in FCW

- Former WWF star Special Delivery Jones (Conrad Efraim) passed away on Sunday at the age of 63. He died after suffering a stroke.

- WWE has announced that John Cena will return to the ring at the 11/23 Survivor Series PPV.

- Randy Orton will be appearing down in FCW on Thursday.

Credit: 411mania.com

Post your thoughts on S.D. Jones, Cena, and Orton located here on our Pinfall Recall Forums

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New J.R. Blog, Cyber Sunday voting news

- Jim Ross has a new blog entry up where he gives his thoughts on the Cyber Sunday PPV. Check out the blog entry here.

- According to sources within WWE, the voting for Cyber Sunday was 100% legit.

Credit: 411mania.com

JR’s Blog and Cyber Sunday are one of many topics being discussed on our forums. Join the fun here

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Next week’s Raw main event is huge

- It was announced tonight on Raw by GM Mike Adamle that next week’s main event will see Batista defending his World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage against Chris Jericho.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Excited for the Batista vs. Jericho rematch in a cage? Express your opinion on this topic here

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TNA

Returning star at iMPACT tapings

- “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner is in Orlando and should be returning to TNA TV either on tonight’s taping, or Tuesday’s, or both.

Steiner had knee surgery to repair a torn ACL on 6-24-08. He had injured his knee at the Sacrifice PPV working Kaz & Samoa Joe, and tried to work around the injury for a while thereafter.

After surgery and several months of recovery & rehab, Steiner wrestled for PWA on 9-21-08 in Detroit and his return to TNA had been assumed since.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

What do you think of Big Poppa Pump coming back to suplex the competition? Talk about it here

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New iMPACT zone under construction (pictures included)

The new iMPACT zone that is being built for HDTV broadcasts is coming along smoothly. Here’s a link to some pictures if you want to take a look here

Credit: pwinsider.com

What did you think of the set? Tell us right here on our forums

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Other

Eric Bischoff interview

- Eric Bischoff on the Pain Clinic 10/25 Recap

Eric Bischoff joins the show and we give him praise on his reality shows with Scott Baio. Which leads us into asking why Scott isn’t involved in his new show.  He talks about possible using someone from that show for the 2nd Season of Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.

We mention that the debut show was repeated on last night on VH1 so we were curious to how Viacom and CMT feels about the show after seeing the ratings. Eric mentions that the debut show was on some 50+ times in the past week on different channels at different times.

Eric talks about the screening of the contestants as part of his job as executive producer. He explains the challenges of casting the show. Eric was happy with the balance of the cast. Eric talks about Danny Bonaduce for a bit. Eric compares screening the talent for this show versus bring in wrestlers when he was in charge of WCW. Eric talks about who from this new show could have made it in the business if they so choose.

Eric talks about the goals of the show and one of them is not to create competition for the WWE to TNA. It’s a reality show with a wrestling background. Eric puts over Todd Bridges on the show saying he came in without much motivation and as the show went on he really took off.

After a call from Dave, Eric talks about his favorite moment while in charge of WCW. When Hogan heeled out at Bash At The Beach was definitely it. The impact of this really made WCW a player in the business. It forced the entire business to change. We ask Eric about his interest in MMA. He follows it and enjoys it and loves watching it evolve. Eric talks about breaking his arm in an arm wrestling match. We ask Eric about the possibilities of a Ric Flair reality show. We let Eric go after this.

You can hear the show at www.feelthepain.net.

Credit: pwinsider.com

What did you think of the interview? What are your thoughts on Bischoff? Voice them here

WWE

JR explains why Lance Cade was released

- CM Punk will be attending the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade.

- A Undertaker vs. Big Show Casket Match is being advertised as the dark main event for the 12/9 Smackdown/ECW taping in Bridgeport, CT.

- Chris Jericho vs. Batista vs. John Cena is being advertised as the dark main event for WWE’s 12/29 RAW taping in Manchester, New Hampshire.

- Former WWWF/WWF announcer Jack Reynolds has passed away.

Credit: 411mania.com

Send in your favorite Reynolds memory or discuss these huge matches on our forums

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- Former WWE Global Licensing Coordinator Fara D’Angelo has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against WWE. D’Angelo worked for WWE from April 2004 to May 2006. She alleges that she was sexually harassed by Senior Director of International Consumer Products Alex Romer. D’Angelo claims that Romer pursued an intimate relationship with her almost immediately after she started working at WWE even though she was married, adding that he would do so in person, via text messages, late night phone calls, etc.

D’Angelo says that another employee who witnessed the harassment told her to “switch jobs” and that when she took her complaint to WWE’s Senior Director of Quality Assurance, Mike Archer, he also encouraged her to look for a new job.

She said she felt as if her job would be put in jeopardy if she continued to shed light on the harassment, so she is bringing it up now after resigning from her job with the company.

WWE hasn’t commented on this lawsuit yet.

Credit: 411mania.com

Post your comments on this shocking story on our forums here

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TNA PPV order changed, iMPACT match preview for tonight

- TNA has changed the order of three of their PPVs. Last year, Genesis was in November, Turning Point was in December, and Final Resolution was in January. This year, Turning Point will be in November, Final Resolution in December, and Genesis in January.

Credit: 411mania.com

- While the “official” debut of Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling on CMT this Saturday is at 8PM ET, the show will actually air for the first time at 2PM ET that day. CMT will also replay the show throughout the week.

- Here’s ROH’s official preview for the 11/15 ROH Driven PPV.

“Larry Sweeney has taken the wrestling world by storm. A cunning character known for controlling minds, corrupting talent and stepping on the weak, Sweeney’s Sweet & Sour Inc. has set a new standard for greed and gluttony. The man will stop at nothing in his quest to dominate the wrestling world for his own personal gain. Can one man’s greed bring the wrestling world to its knees? Don’t miss the explosive action at the worldwide premiere of Ring of Honor: Driven; Premiering November 14, 2008 on Events iN DEMAND Pay-Per-View.”

- ROH’s 10/24 Danbury, CT show features the following matches.

* Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. LAX vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black vs. Chris Hero & Davey Richards
* Go Shiozaki vs. Austin Aries
* The Necro Butcher vs. Delirious vs. Mark Briscoe in a No DQ Match
* Jay Briscoe vs. Brent Albright
* Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jerry Lynn
* Sara Del Rey vs. Portuguese Princess Ariel

- ROH’s 10/25 Edison, NJ show features the following matches.

* The Briscos vs. LAX
* Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs in an Anything Goes Match
* Go Shiozaki vs. The Necro Butcher
* Jerry Lynn vs. Tyler Black
* Brent Albright vs. Davey Richards
* Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. The Osirian Portal
* The Age Of The Fall vs. Cheech & Cloudy

Credit: 411mania.com

Excited to see Danny Bonaduce go crazy in a wrestling ring? Want to talk ROH? Talk here on our PFRC forums

WWE

Survivor Series surprise (SPOILER ALERT)

SPOILER WARNING!

The local ads for the WWE Survivor Series are being built around John Cena’s return to the ring. The show will be in Boston, Cena’s hometown.

END OF SPOILER WARNING!

Credit: 411mania.com

Excited? Mad because you didn’t want to know but your wondering eyes couldn’t help it? Just hate Cena or love him? Discuss here

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New Cyber Sunday Match, JR talks Vince and Patterson’s sexuality

-Ross on Vince McMahon screaming in his ear during broadcasts: “What….I can’t hear you. Everyone is produced differently and everyone reacts differently to how they are produced. No one enjoys being yelled at no matter the circumstance but I worked for the big Cowboy (Bill Watts) back in the day and I can handle anything after that.

-Ross on the best referees: “Usually the best ‘officials’ are the ones no one notices and they do not take away from the ’stars.’ Tommy Young was really good in the Mid Atlantic days. Earl Hebner always did well as did his brother Dave. Jerry Usher back in the McGuirk days was really a good one too. Actually, there were really a ton of good refs back when the territories were alive and well. Tommy Gilbert did a good job too as the striped shirt guy and, yes, he was former wrestler Tommy Gilbert from Jackson, Tenn.

-Ross on Pat Patterson: “Pat Patterson is one of the most respect minds ever in the business. He was also an amazing wrestler who started from nothing…perhaps less than nothing to go on and become a huge star. Pat and Ray Stevens were arguably the best tag team ever according to many historians. Pat will always have his detractors because he rose to a position of administration in the business for which some wrestlers have taken issue with, plus the fact that Pat is gay which should mean anything to any one who is sane and not an idiot.

You can check out the rest of his blog here

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Want to talk JR or the Big Show vs. Undertaker rematch? Then go to our forums here

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WWE Card for Madison Square Garden show

The MSG website has put up this card for WWE’s 12/28 RAW house show.

* Chris Jericho vs. John Cena for the World Title in a Cage match
* Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
* Batista & Rey Mysterio vs. JBL & Kane
* Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston for the World Tag Team Titles
* Santino Marella vs. D’Lo Brown for the WWE Intercontinental Title
* Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle for the WWE Women’s Title w/ Special Ref Jillian Hall

Credit: 411mania.com

Discuss the card on our always busy forums right here

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Abyss injured, Foley’s future (SPOILER ALERT)

- Abyss suffered some burns to his arms after taking the flaming table spot at last night’s TNA Bound for Glory PPV. As of right now there is no word on how severe the burns are, or if he will have to miss some ring time.

SPOILER WARNING!

- TNA is advertising that Mick Foley will “say goodbye” to TNA on Impact this week, claiming he was only signed for one PPV. This is obviously a storyline. It’s expected that Foley’s “goodbye” segment on Impact this week will lead to him facing Kurt Angle in the ring.

END OF SPOILER WARNING!

Credit: 411mania.com

Post your opinion on this busy day of TNA news by clicking here

Johnny Devine and Karen Angle are out

- Johnny Devine asked for and has gotten his release from TNA.

- Karen Angle has apparently left TNA and is now taking independent bookings. The reason for her departure is apparently because creative had nothing for her, but her filing for divorce from Kurt Angle probably was a factor as well.

Credit: 411mania.com

Discuss your thoughts on TNA news by clicking here

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Other

Ric Flair inducted into NWA Hall Of Fame, The Wrestler Debuts, Hogan’s Wrestling Show

- The National Wrestling Alliance has posted the following video of Ric Flair accepting his induction into the NWA Hall of Fame. View it Here

- The Wrestler made its U.S. debut last night in New York City. Several ROH personalities including owner Cary Silkin and ring announcer Bobby Cruise were at the screening. The film’s stars, as well as director Darren Aronofky, were also at the screening.

- Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling debuts this Saturday at 8PM ET on CMT. The show is a reality show about celebrities being trained by Brutus Beefcake and Brian Knobbs. The celebs will then wrestle and be judged by Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Jimmy Hart.

Credit: 411mania.com

Discuss your thoughts on Flair, Hogan, and wrestling movies here

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Bret Hart Interview, says he’ll never appear in a WWE ring again