Pinfall Recall
The Best Wrestling You’ve Ever Heard

Welcome to Pinfall Recall’s Wrestling News Digest, your daily collection of all the news in the professional wrestling world. Each day we collect all the news from WWE, TNA, ROH, and more, and deliver it to you in one easy to read posting. No more clicking 30 links and loading 30 pages to read 3 lines of text. Just point your browser to Pinfall Recall every day for all the wrestling news you need.

After the jump (the read more button) you’ll find today’s top stories, immediately followed by all of your news divided up by organization, for your viewing pleasure.

So, for the latest on how long Batista will be out injured (again) and more…

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WWE

Randy Orton Goes Crazy On Reporter

Here’s a video of Randy Orton generally being a loud douchebag with some person on television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXUrdHoJOFo

credit: Me!

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TNA

Impact Preview

- In a King Of The Mountain Qualifying Match, “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe will take on Main Event Mafia’s Kevin Nash inside the Six Sides of Steel with Lethal Lockdown rules! The winner advances to the King Of The Mountain main event for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary!

- X Division Champion Suicide and Daniels will team up once again to take on the tandem of Sheik Abdul Bashir and Kiyoshi

- Mike Tenay is scheduled to conduct a sitdown interview with The Main Event Mafia concerning Sting’s new leadership as The Godfather

- Shane Douglas, Raven and newcomer Lisa Marie Varon (formerly Victoria) will all appear on the huge program!

- In tag team action, Beer Money, Inc will face Consequences Creed of Lethal Consequences and Chris Sabin of The Motor City Macineguns

- Plus, the TNA in-ring debut of Jesse Neal

credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

ROH Newswire

- June 3rd: In case you happened to miss the main page announcement yesterday (http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2835), ROH and Pro Wrestling NOAH representatives have come together to make the match that people have been wishing for: KENTA versus Tyler Black! The potential in this match is off the charts, and it has been signed for 6/27 in Chicago. Don’t be left out! There can only be one “first time match” between these two! Get your tickets now!

- Colt Cabana has been waiting for the right time to make move on D’Lo Brown. Brown, who defeated Cabana under suspicious circumstances at Supercard of Honor IV, hasn’t made many friends in ROH since debuting, and now he’s going to have to face Cabana again. “D’Lo as a Chicago guy that ‘made it’ was someone we all could look up to when we were younger,” said Cabana. “But when I met him, and obviously when I wrestled him, those feelings, that admiration went bye-bye. Now in Detroit he’s gonna get what’s coming to him.” It’ll be Cabana versus Brown in Detroit on June 27th!

- Good news for Ring of Honor fans with a Sony Playstation 3 console. Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet is now available for download in the Sony Playstation 3 Online Store at a very reasonable price. The Standard Definition broadcast is $1.99, while the full High Definition broadcast is $2.99. ROH extends a big thank you to Sony and HDNet for making this possible.

- Signed for the next set of National TV Tapings for Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet in Philadelphia on June 19th and 20th are: ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn (6/20 only), Kevin Steen, El Generico, Sami Callihan, Roderick Strong, The Dark City Fight Club, Claudio Castagnoli, Kenny Omega (6/19 only), and Davey Richards. Tickets are on sale and available now at www.rohwrestling.com.

- Josh Raymond and Christin Able have been cutting their teeth for some time on the independent tag team circuit, and have impressed ROH officials, notably during the last swing through Canada. Now the cantankerous Michigan natives have taken their biggest step to date in ROH, signing for the biggest match of their careers on June 26th. Their opponents? Former ROH World Tag Team Champions – Kevin Steen and El Generico! Generico’s knee was obviously still an issue at the latest ROH on HDNet Television Tapings. Could Able and Raymond shock the world in Detroit?

- The latest commercial for this weekend’s episode of ROH on HDNet can be seen at http://blip.tv/file/2185706/. If you don’t get HDNet, call your cable provider! Demand to see ROH on HDNet in your town!

- Signed for Chicago on June 27th is a Four Corner Survival pitting a variety of personalities against one another. It’ll be “Addicted to Love” Rhett Titus squaring off against Sami Callihan, the returning Egotistico Fantastico, and a man that has been on a role since finally splitting from the Age of the Fall – Delirious! Will Delirious continue his winning ways in Chicago?

- For those of you who purchased ROH’s “7th Anniversary Show” DVD, we thank you very much for your purchase. It has come to our attention that there are technical issues on some of the discs. If you have one of these faulty discs, please refer to http://www.rohwrestling.com/MessageBoard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=47757 for information on how to get that disc replaced. Thank you in advance for your patience while we resolve these issues.

- The 25% Off Sale continues until Friday morning at 10am at ROHWrestling.com. You can save on all DVD’s, live event tickets, apparel, & much more. For the complete details along with the discount code click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2215.

- Ring of Honor is happy to announce the first set of names for the huge Death Before Dishonor VII doubleshot on July 24th and 25th in Toronto! Just signed for Toronto: ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn, Jimmy Rave, The Super Smash Brothers, Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana, Nigel McGuinness, Sonjay Dutt, and Tyler Black. These names in addition to Chris Hero and Lance Storm, which were already announced, along with special appearances by Bret “Hitman” Hart (7/24 only) and “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
(7/25 only). Don’t miss out on one of the biggest weekend of the year! Tickets are available now at www.rohwrestling.com!

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Other

Brooke Hogan Makes Appearance On Howard Stern  Show

- Brooke Hogan was on the Howard Stern Show yesterday. She admitted her boobs were fake, said she lost her virginity to Jerry, the musician guy who appeared on the first season of Hogan Knows Best. She admitted that her dad’s girlfriend looks a lot like her and acts similar to her. She said that her dad had never smoked weed in front of her but added that smoking weed is not a big deal. [WrestlingObserver.com]

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WWE

Track Listing For 12 Rounds DVD

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

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

Blu-ray:

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

Credit: PWInsider

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TNA

TNA’s Free Webmatch of the Week

…can be found right here!

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

credit: ME

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ROH

ROH House Show Results!

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

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

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

New JR Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boomer Sooner!

J.R.

credit: jrsbarbq.com

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WWE

Divas Update

Mickie James was removed from the opening video of RAW and replaced by Diva’s champion Maryse. This is a bit odd considering Mickie James is still on the RAW roster, post-WWE draft.

It is being reported that Vickie Guerrero has been taking lessons on in-ring action in recent weeks, preparing for some kind of upcoming work in the ring for television.

credit: wrestlezone.com

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ROH

4.24.09 Show Results

Credit: Aaron Rund & PWInsider

Pre-Show:

The Soul Shooters vs. Josh Raymond (Abercrombie) and Christian Abel:
The Soul Shooters were announced as from Dayton so they did get a small home town pop. I haven’t seen Josh Raymond since he shaved his mustache and stopped calling himself Josh Abercrombie and if it wasn’t for the Tattoos I wouldn’t have even known he was the same person. This match was ruled a no-contest after about ten minutes when the Dark City Fight Club ran in with chairs and ran everyone off (think of it like how Sandman used to come out and cane everyone in a Bad Crew vs jobbers match in the Original ECW except no one got hit with any of the chairs)

GT Vega and “Dirty” Ernie Osris vs. Andy “Right Leg” Ridge and Tim Donst:
It was a surprise to me to see Tim Donst on this show considering he is working Chikara in Easton, PA and Philly this weekend on Sat and Sun. Donst got a small pop when he was first introduced. Andy Ridge is one of the most recent graduates of the ROH wrestling school and he was very impressive in this match. His kicks remind me a lot of Davey Richards. Vega and Osiris get the win. Post match Osiris was begging for tips from ringside fans.

Mikey Nichols vs. Sampson:
This match was your pre-show main event. Nichols and Sampson had a pre-show match at the Indianapolis ROH show that was very entertaining and this match was no difference. Sampson is one of the most Charismatic wrestlers I have seen in a very long time on an ROH pre-show. I can see a future spot for both Nichols and Sampson in the future (I don’t know how viable that is for Nichols as I believe he is Australian and may be in the States for only a short period of time), Overall it was a good match with Nichols getting the win.

Main Show:

Attendance was estmated at 600 people.

“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Eddie Edwards w/Shane Hagadorn:
Edwards is one half of the ROH world Champions the American Wolves (with Davey Richards). This match was one of the best openers I have ever seen in ROH live. These two had a great technical match with a lot of back and forth action. Dragon was able to hit most of his signature moves and even added a few knee strikes from the clinch which I hadn’t seen him do before. Danielson wins when he reverses a small package.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. “Skull Krusher” Rasche Brown vs. Silas Young vs. Matt Cross:
No Prince Nana with Claudio for this match, Rasche Brown was making his ROH debut. This was your standard ROH 4 corner survival. Brown and Claudio at one point were trying to one up each other on power moves delivered to young. A scary moment in this match when Cross attempted a spring board move off of Silas Young’s back (who was being held by Claudio Castagnoli in a fireman’s carry position) onto Rasche Brown on the floor. Cross caught his feet on the top rope and nearly took a header to the floor. I give a lot of credit to Brown who saw what was happening and dove to try and catch Cross. Some how Cross was able to right himself and didn’t land directly on his head. Claudio wins the match (I think with the Ricolla Bomb on Young but I am not sure).

Grizzly Redwood vs. Jimmy Rave w/Prince Nana and “Dirty” Ernie Osiris:
Ernie Osiris has taken the old Jade Chung role in the Embassy as Jimmy Raves footstool. Jimmy Rave was welcomed back to Dayton with a TP Shower from the fans. Rave won this glorified squash with Ghana-ria after Osiris distracted Redwood by offering him the piece of wood which Osiris had stolen a few weeks back. Post match, The Embassy destroyed Grizzly Redwood, Ernie Osiris stole both of Grizzly’s boots.

“A Double” Austin Aries & “Addicted to Love” Rhett Titus vs. The Phoenix Twins:
The Phoenix Twins were making there Dayton ROH debut. Austin Aries did a little bit of mic work before the show, ripping on both the Phoenix Twins and the Dayton fans. Aries told Titus before the match to “sit tight and observe, I may not even have to tag you into this match” This match was controlled for the most part by Aries and Titus. Phoenix Twins were impressive in the little offense they got in. Austin Aries won the match for his team following a Brainbuster.

Colt “Boom Boom” Cabana vs. “That Young Knockout Kid” Chris Hero w/Shane Hagadorn:
Cabana cut a promo before the match saying how great it is for him to be back in ROH. He mentioned that there were other offers on the table but he chose ROH because this is where he wanted to be. A pretty good back and forth match between these two with Colt getting a few comedy spots in and Hero working towards a knockout. Colt won the match via submission with “The Billy Goats Curse” (Inverted Boston Crab).

Intermission:

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Egotistico Fantastico:
Jimmy Jacobs was wearing an eye patch following last week’s match in Toronto where Delirious spiked him in the eye with Jacob’s own railroad spike. This was another good match, I had only seen Ego a few times and he hadn’t really impressed me before but he was very impressive in this match. At one point in time Jimmy Jacobs ended up in the Crowd and Ego ran 3/4s of the way around the ring and dove onto Jimmy Jacobs in the crowd. Jimmy at one point ripped the horn off of Ego’s mask and tried to use it as a weapon. Jimmy then kept the horn. Jimmy Jacobs wins via submission via the End Time.

Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards w/Shane Hagadorn:
This match was in my Opinion the match of the night. As expected both men worked their asses off. Tyler hit an insane springboard, front flip senton to the floor on Richards at one point. Honestly, my description of this match won’t do it justice. Davey Richards won with a roll-up and hand full of tights. Both men got a standing ovation from the crowd.

Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe vs The Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis and Corey Chavis):
Through no fault of anyone in the match, this match just wasn’t that good. It may have been the placement on the card, it may have been the lack of chemistry between Jay Briscoe and Kevin Steen. It could have been burnout from the crowd due to the Black vs. Richards match but for whatever reason these four just never clicked. Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe won the match.

Roderick Strong vs. ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn:
Jerry Lynn received a smattering of boos when he first came out but for the most part received a positive reaction from the fans. The action in this match started off a little slow with both men feeling each other out. At one point Jerry Lynn was knocked to the floor, Strong acted like he was going to do a Pescado but Lynn moved out of the way. Roderick was able to catch himself and went for his running kick from the ring apron on to Lynn on the floor. Lynn was able to side step the move and sen Strong into the guard rail. Roderck hit the Guardrail face first and opened up a huge gash over Strong’s left eye. This cut was gushing and there was a small pool of Roderick’s blood on the protective mats on the floor. At this point many in the crowd wondered if Strong was able to continue. Strong toughed this one out and was able to continue. This re-energized the crowd. Lynn gets the win to Retain the ROH World Championship following two Cradle Piledrivers on Strong. By the time the match was over, the left side of Strong’s face was covered in blood. He resembled Two-Face from the Batman comics. Both Lynn and Strong received standing ovations. Jerry Lynn cut a small promo about how it is fans reactions like the one he received tonight that keeps him going after 20+ years in this business.

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

Torrie Wilson Update

- Former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson posted the following statement about her upcoming role on the new reality show, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.

“Hey guys and gals! In case you haven’t heard I am going to be on a new reality series on NBC entitled “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” I will definitely be testing my survival skills but am feeling confident. I met the cast members this week and have to say I am looking forward to this most likely life changing experience of surviving in the Costa Rican jungle! I really hope you tune in and vote for me in the month of June. It will be airing 4 days per week and parts of each show will be live! I will also be playing for a charity so it’s going to make me even more competitive than I already am! I will keep y’all posted….”

credit: 411mania.com

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New JR Blog!

I’m holed up in my hotel room watching the NFL Draft & preparing for Sunday’s Backlash PPV. Here are some BBQ’ed Random Thoughts. Backlash feels like a “sleeper” PPV & will likely bring with it some surprises.The match that may plesantly surprise us is the Steamboat-Jericho bout. I’m approaching this (unofficially) as Ricky’s last 1 on 1 bout. I have loved his work for years and admire him as an honorable man & one of the best fan favorites ever. Chris Jericho is the perfect opponent for “The Dragon” which makes this match even more intriging to me as a fan. With Ric Flair in Jerry Lawler’s corner Saturday night in a New York indy show promoted by my friend Michael O’Brien, I’m taking King and giving the points in that one.I kept Jerry updated on the Browns’ draft Saturday. I’ve been traveling some recently w/ Matt Striker on the road which I enjoy. Matt is a real student of the biz who wants to learn his craft. Plus, he’s a good “wheel man.” We’ll make our way to NYC after Backlash. Since flipping our Moore BBQ joint to a Louie’s Sports Grill our BBQ biz in Norman has been amazing. I hope those of you that can will check us out in Norman if you’re ever in our area. We are going to add a bunch of new memorabilia there over the next few weeks. I was hoping to hook up w/ JBL while in NYC but John is out of town next week. He did give me some BBQ joints to try. John is busy building his businesses which could include doing business w/ JR’s Family BBQ down the road. We get lots of questions about wrestling schools. I suggest that one look at the successful students the schools of interest have produced before making a final decision. I know that men like Harley Race, Danny Davis, and Lance Storm are all credits to the biz and can help anyone w/ the ability & aptitude increase their chances of finding regular work. But always bear in mind that the road to fame & fortune is challenging and many more will fail than will succeed. With that said, never give up on your dreams. After this coming week, specifically Tuesday nite at MSG when MVP faces Dolph Ziggler for the U.S. Title, it looks as if WWE is going to be really serious about the brand seperation. I hope that assumption is accurate. I like giving more talents the opportunity to become stars. Another visitor to this site asked me to compare working w/ Todd Grisham and w/ Tony Schiavone. At the 1st Clash (Flair vs Sting) my role w/ Tony is much like my role is now w/ Todd, an analyst or whatever one wants to term it. I enjoy the role as I’m still calling matches w/ the best seat in the house. It obviously is an adjustment re: timing, etc but I’m still having fun which is key. The challenge to make Smackdown a stronger brand going forward is motivating to me at this stage of my game. For those fans who write from time to time that I am unhappy about not being on Raw, they simply show their ignorance & immaturity w/ their ramblings. I enjoy working w/ Todd and hope that I am able to help him refine his game as our team evolves. Don’t forget that we ship our JR’s BBQ caps, shirts, and our autographed “JR’s Cookbook’s” any where in the world. We will soon be moving from glass bottles to shipping friendly plastic bottles. Plus, our new HOT BBQ sauce is a main event product. I’m anxious to see what our announcer assignments will be for Backlash. Several bouts intrige me on what I perceive to be a largely “wrestling heavy” event. Backlash is sold out as is Monday’s Raw in Bridgeport and Smackdown Tuesday in MSG. I hope you will join us on PPV and keep up w/ what you don’t see on WWE.com. BTW my wife Jan & I saw comedian Ron White’s show in Norman Friday night and “Tater Salad” was awesome. If you get the chance to see Ron perform, don’t miss it. Boomer Sooner! J.R.

credit: jrsbarbq.com

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WWE

Chuck Palumbo Comments On WWE Tenure

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

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

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

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

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

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

credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

House Show Results

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

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

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

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

- Daizee Haze pinned Lufisto in 6:01.

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

- Tyler Black pinned Jimmy Jacobs after 15:41.

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

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

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

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

New JR Blog!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

credit: jrsbarbq.com

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Hulk Hogan Comments On Recent Controversey

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

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WWE

Smackdown and ECW get new GM’s, Next week’s ECW main event

- It was announced during last night’s ECW broadcast that Teddy Long is now the new General Manager of Smackdown and Tiffany is now the interim General Manager of ECW.

- Also announced on ECW last night that next week’s broadcast will be headlined by another elimination chase match. The bout will feature Christian vs Tommy Dreamer vs Finlay in a triple threat contest. The loser of the match, more specifically whoever is pinned, will be eliminated, and the two remaining superstars will compete in a singles match, presumably the following week, to determine the number one contender to Jack Swagger’s ECW Title which he will then defend at Backlash

Credit: wrestlezone.com

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Update on WWE’s announcer situation

- With Josh Matthews working as the play by play man on ECW last night, Todd Grisham will work with Jim Ross on Friday’s episode of Smackdown. The announcing situation is likely to change with the draft Monday, as well as the addition of the WGN show.

Credit: 411mania.com

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Ken Kennedy and Candice Michelle injury updates

- The injured Mr. Kennedy recently spoke to The Miami Herald concerning his rehab and his in-ring return time frame. The following is an excerpt:

“I’m going to find out from Dr. Andrews if that’s going to be a permanent thing, and I’ll have to deal with it, or if there’s something more that we can do…I’d rather be 100 percent, [as opposed to working through the injury] but you got to do what you got to do in this business because the bottom line is this business is going to keep rolling with or without me. I’d rather be a part of it and contribute. I think I have a lot to contribute because there are a lot of things that I have yet to accomplish that nobody really has seen out of me.” You can read the whole interview at  MiamiHerald.com.

- According to fans this past weekend at WWE’s Axxess event, WWE Diva Candice Michelle was telling people that she is about 3 weeks away from returning to the ring full-time.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

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Howard Finkel thanks fans, Gail Kim and Jimmy Yang Wang movie gets released

- WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel has posted his latest blog on the WWE Universe website, thanking fans for their support, discussing his induction and the most recent events in WWE storylines.  You can read the complete blog by clicking here.

- The feature film “Royal Kill” featuring Gail Kim and Jimmy Wang Yang has a limited release starting this weekend.

Credit: PWinsider.com

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TNA

TNA signs female Japanese star

- At a press conference held today in Japan, female Japanese star Ayako Hamada announced that she has signed with TNA, and that the April 19th Ito Dojo show will be her final match in Japan. Ayako Hamada is the daughter of Michinoku Pro Wrestling’s Gran Hamada.

Credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

Tons of ROH news…with Flair!

- Ric Flair will be at “The Arena” tomorrow and will be a part of the ROH on HDNet TV tapings. HDNet may be covering the cost of Flair’s appearances.

- The following matches have been announced for tomorrow’s tapings:

* Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong

* Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black 

* ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen and El Generico vs. Kenny King and Rhett Titus

- The following matches have been announced for Friday’s tapings:

* Jimmy Jacobs and Brodie Lee vs. The Necro Butcher and Delirious

* ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen and El Generico vs. The American Wolves - Tables Match

* Chris Hero vs. Eddie Kingston

- Nigel McGuinness will be wrestling for 2CW out of New York this weekend. McGuinness is in bad shape, due to his arm injuries, and some say that he couldn’t lift his arms over his head after the match with Jerry Lynn last week.

- During the ROH Supercard of Honor IV show, Ace Steel played the part of “Kim-Chee” during Kamala’s appearance on the show.

- American Wolves vs. Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black has been added to the April 18th card in Toronto.

- Sylvan Grenier will also be on the Canadian shows, working against Kevin Steen and El Generico

- ROH Champion Jerry Lynn will defend against Roderick String on April 24th in Dayton. On the 25th, Lynn defends against Colt Cabana in Chicago.

- Mike Quackenbush returns to the company on May 8th in Boston, Massachusetts and May 9th in Edison, New Jersey.

Credit: 411mania.com

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Other

Hulk Hogan sells energy

- Hulk Hogan has a new job, selling Hulk Hogan’s Extreme Energy Granules. Click here for all the details

Credit: 411mania.com

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WWE

Cena Challenges the Rock To A Match

With Dwayne Johnson’s nearly seamless transition from professional wrestler to Hollywood heavyweight, you’d think any other wrestler/actor would want to follow in his footsteps. But John Cena — who stars in “12 Rounds,” opening Friday — doesn’t see it like that.

“He’s the guy I say I won’t be like,” he told MTV News. ” ‘Cause he — although a very, very successful actor and super-nice guy, consummate professional, one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever met — he left the WWE.”

One thing that bothers Cena is the way Johnson discarded his wrestling nickname, the Rock, for his acting career. “I really hope that people respond to ‘12 Rounds,’ the movie is a success, and more movies come down the line, [but] I’m just not for leaving the WWE,” Cena said. “I love my job. I have a long-term commitment. That’s the one difference in my future career path and what he’s done.”

He thinks the WWE fans might be a little put off by Johnson as well. “We have a very loyal fanbase,” Cena said. “For him to go on the front and say, ‘I love the business,’ and then not be a part of it [is something I'd never do].”

Cena is giving Johnson the perfect way to redeem himself. “I’ve been trying to wrestle him. It’s not that I don’t think he’ll accept the challenge; he truly has a full plate,” he said. “I think our fans would like to see him come back to the ring. Dwayne Johnson or the Rock or whatever he wants call himself vs. John Cena. Let’s say ‘WrestleMania XXVI.’ ”

credit: MTV.com, 411mania.com

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Raw/Smackdown Match Updates

- WWE has announced John Cena vs. Big Show for RAW on Monday.

- Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP for the WWE U.S. Title is set for Smackdown next week. The match will be taped on Monday at the WWE Supershow in Dallas.

credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

Non-Spoiler Match Listing For HDNet Show

The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s edition of ROH on HDNet:

- Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards
- Daizee Haze vs. Sara Del Rey
- Claudio Castagnoli vs. “Sugarfoot” Alex Payne
- ROH World Title Match: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Jay Briscoe

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

12 Rounds Update

- 12 Rounds debuted #7 at the box office, earning $5.3 million.

- When The Marine debuted in 2006, it earned $7.1 million in its opening weekend.

- Race to Witch Mountain fell two spots to #6 at the box office in its third weekend, earning $5.6 million to raise its total gross to $53.2 million.

credit: 411mania.com

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Jim Ross Speaks On Andrew Martin’s Death

On Andrew Martin’s death and drug use in wrestling: Since Andrew “Test” Martin’s untimely passing of what is expected to be from a drug overdose although that has not been confirmed as I write this blog pending the results of an autopsy, so much speculation regarding drug use in wrestling and sports has been written. We all likely have friends that we have grown up with and most probably some of them do drugs and, hopefully, most of them don’t. I have friends that were big party guys in college who did their fair share of drugs. Some of those guys, even now that they are in their 50’s, still seemingly live to get high. Others who ran in our same group decided to live their lives in another way and simply say no to illegal drug use and the abuse of prescription medication.

So why are wrestlers any different than the “average Joe?” They’re not. But the bottom line is that illegal drug use and specifically the abuse of prescription medication in wrestling should not and can not be tolerated. Wrestlers in question need to grow up, become men, and just say “NO” to what should be the simplest question that they are ever asked to answer. Please don’t go to the soap box that between a wrestler’s schedule and the physicality of their jobs that they can’t help but be drug users. That even sounds more stupid as I write it.

credit: Jrsbarbq.com, 411mania.com

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Welcome to Pinfall Recall’s Wrestling News Digest, your daily collection of all the news in the professional wrestling world. Each day we collect all the news from WWE, TNA, ROH, and more, and deliver it to you in one easy to read posting. No more clicking 30 links and loading 30 pages to read 3 lines of text. Just point your browser to Pinfall Recall every day for all the wrestling news you need.

After the jump (the read more button) you’ll find today’s top stories, immediately followed by all of your news divided up by organization, for your viewing pleasure.

So, for the latest on John Cena’s thoughts on Steroids, the ECW Ratings, and what’s going down in ROH today…

(more…)

WWE

3.22.09 House Show Results

- Good show, LOTS of kids, took a while to get everyone inside.

Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix w/Santino Marella
Solid opener, crowd was into it. Mickie got an impressive head scissors before Phoenix ended it with the double arm chickenwing slam. Around **.

Santino got on the mic and took up some time by talking, and gave an open challenge.

*Glass Shatters*….for Stone Cold Charlie Haastin! Huge pop, but the crowd was a little deflated when it turned out to Haas.

Charlie Haas vs. Santino Marella
Charlie did the mudhole stomps and Lou Thesz Press, while Santino did some basic cheating. Charlie hit an exploder before finishing with the Stone Cold Stunner. Crowd wasn’t into it very much, but it was solid. Around *.

After the match Beth carried Santino outside. Kelly Kelly was in the nosebleed seats, asked some kid what Wrestlemania was coming up and the kid and his family got front row seats for the show.

Kane vs. Kofi Kingston
Strange match due to the crowd being REALLLLY into Kane. Kane was motivated and did more than the checklist match he often does. Kofi wasn’t able to do much, but got a wheel nice Pele Kick, before we got an unexpected Wrestlemania series of nearfalls. The best one was an impressive sunset flip counter to a chokeslam, but Kane eventually got the real deal for the win to a good pop. Kofi got a good ovation after the match. Around **1/2.

Colons & Bella Twin 1 vs. John Morrison, the Miz & Bella Twin 2
Pardon me for not knowing which Bella was which, but they barely played a roll. Crowd was behind the Colons. These guys had the typical high energy match they’ve been having for the last few months, with Mizorrison working over Primo before Carlito got the hot tag. Lots of spots, but Carlito botched his Backstabber before getting the 3 count. Around ***1/2.

Belfast Brawl: Finlay w/Hornswoggle vs. Mark Henry w/Tony Atlas
Kids loved Hornswoggle. Very slow match for most of it, with Henry controlling and doing THREE nerveholds. There was also a bizarre spot where Henry used a kendo stick to poke at Finlay instead of smacking him as usual. Finlay finally made a comeback with some PLUNDAH, and Atlas ate a Tadpole Splash. Hornswoggle distracted Henry long enough for Finlay to use the shackilacki for the win. Long, mostly boring, but the antics and stiff shots made up for it a little. Around *.

After the match Finlay brought in some kids and Kelly Kelly gave them shirts. A little kid made my night when Kelly asked him who his favorite wrestler was. “The Hardyz.” “Which one?” “MATT!” “REALLY?” Huge boos but it made me laugh.

Intermission.

ECW Championship Match: Jack Swagger vs. Christian
Christian got a good amount of cheers and they worked smartly to get the crowd into it. Good, long match that was very similar to the one they had on ECW, minus the extended armwork and a few of the dives. Crowd was with them every step of the way, and bit hard on a nearfall after a tornado DDT. Swagger eventually sent Christian shoulder first into the post, which prevented an unprettier and allowed Swagger to hit the Doctor Bomb for the win. Christian got a standing ovation after the match. Extremely good match that was easily best of the night. Around ****.

Biggest mark out moment came when RICKY STEAMBOAT was introduced. Steamboat thanked the fans for coming, but was interrupted by Chris Jericho, who got a TREMENDOUS amount of heat. Jericho started tearing into him and said that there was nobody to save Ricky this time, which brought out CM Punk. Seeing Steamboat, Jericho and Punk in the same ring was SWEET.

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho
Somewhat slower match, with Jericho working over Punk for most of it. Punk did his stuff, Jericho did his stuff. The crowd was WAY into it, but more into booing Jericho than cheering Punk. Punk got the ropes to escape the Walls of Jericho, so Jericho got a chair. Steamboat made the save, which led to Jericho beating up Steamboat to more loud boos. Back in, Punk hit the Go To Sleep for the win. Nothing special, considering the talent, but these two can have a good match in their sleep. Around ***.

World Heavyweight Championship: Edge vs. John Cena
Cena came out to an earsplitting pop, as practically everyone was behind him. Edge got a mild reaction, more boos than cheers but no crazy heat. Edge worked a very old-school heel approach, and only hit like two or three actual moves, preferring to soak in the boos by keeping Cena outside and trying a count-out victory. It picked up near the end, with Cena trying the Super “Attitude Adjustment” but getting hit with an electric chair drop, Cena countering the Spear into the STF, and Edge getting a very close nearfall off of a Spear. Edge used the belt which drew a disqualification. Edge went for some chairs, but I was denied my conchairto and Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment to send the crowd home happy. Funny to note that a lot of the kids were still calling it the FU. Good match, but hurt by Edge’s stalling. Around **1/2.

Overall, the show was fantastic, and people who are going to RAW house shows can probably expect something similar.

Biggest Pops:
1) John Cena (By a large margin.)
2) Ricky Steamboat
3) CM Punk
4) Charle Haastin (Followed by apathy.)
5) Christian

Most Heat:
1) Chris Jericho
2) Jack Swagger
3) Edge
4) Miz & Morrison
5) Santino Marella

credit: 411mania.com

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Changes Coming to Smackdown’s Network

- Media Daily News has an article up on how MyNetworkTV is nullifying all their current affiliate deals as part of their change to airing only repeat programming outside of Smackdown. The previous five year affiliate deals will now be changed to annual deals. MyNetworkTV Executive Vice President Paul Franklin said he doesn’t expect to lose affiliates. Smackdown is the highest rated show on the network. The new format will see the network air Law & Order reruns, movies, and other syndicated programming in prime time.

credit: 411mania.com

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ROH

3.21.09 Results!

The return date is June 13th.

I guess attendance isn’t quite what they expected, they just broke down two sections of GA seating. I’m really bad at gauging attendance, but this place is nowhere near full.

Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens defeated Rhett Titus and Kenny King

While Titus was handing out his card with his numbers to the girls at ringside, one girl handed him a card with her number. Pretty funny. Roderick and Stevens are looking pretty badass tonight. Strong has improved a million percent, looks in great shape, and is so on the money tonight, I wish they’d find a direction for him. Stevens has gotten really lean and cut as well, the two of the look pretty intimidating. Strong and Stevens batter Titus to start, killing him with an endless series of chops, but a cheapshot from the outside by King on Stevens turns the tide. Fans start chanting HepaTitus at Rhett. King kills Stevens with a clothesline for two. Titus and King have gelled great as a team and are terrific at cuttin the ring off. Roderick makes the hot tag and cleans house, then it’s back and forth for several minutes until Stevens puts Titus away with the Doctorbomb.

Brent Albright defeated Claudio Castagnoli by DQ

Claudio has a new robe with the Swiss cross thing and is doing the tried and true heel European gimmick of having his weight announced in kilos rather than pounds. Albright is really over with the NY crowd. Claudio cheapshots him from behind to start and then they start trading blows. Claudio bails to the floor and Albright hits a tope and tosses him back in. Albright gets the (very) delayed vertical suplex for 2, but misses a crossbody and shish kebabs himself on the ropes to give Claudio control. Claudio’s looking a lot more cut tonight too. Did somebody hire these guys a dietician? Albright makes a comeback, but Claudio takes his head off with a big bicycle kick. Albright with an Air Raid Crash for 2 and gets him in the Crippler Crossface (drawing a surprisingly large Benoit chant) but Claudio makes the ropes so Albright does the Benoit snot blow. Albright comes off the top and Claudio catches him with a European uppercut for 2, then they go to the outside where Albright gets a wicked suplex. Both men beat the count and Claudio starts working him over, but Albright gets the Crowbar. Claudio escapes and hot shots him on the top rope, but Albright gets a big superplex with one minute left in the time limit, drawing a groan from the crowd. Toe to toe until the bell rings and they keep going after the match ends. The crowd starts chanting for five more minutes, which of course always works. Claudio grabs the mic and says he knows he can beat Albright if he has five more minutes, and for the first time in history we actually get it. Albright with the Crowbar, Claudio reverses into a Crowbar of his own, Albright escapes and tries to get the half nelson suplex, but Claudio kicks him low for the DQ. Claudio with the Ricola Bomb and then fights off security before delivering the headstomp with the chair. Great match with a fun ending that left you unsatisfied, but in a good way.

Bobby Dempsey defeated Adam Pearce

Some guy from NBC is the guest timekeeper. Okay. This is a “Sweet N Sour Challenge Match.” Okay. Adam does a bit with the NBC guy and threatens to John Stossel him, then shoves him into the ropes. Okay, I really can’t see Dempsey beating Pearce. Pearce looks way better than last time I saw him, maybe he’s preaching his secrets to the roster? Just to make me look bad, Dempsey hits the Death Valley Driver for the win in like 30 seconds, then parties in the ring with the NBC guy. The lights briefly went out in the middle of the match, the second time that happened. I figured the first was a mistake, but this makes me think it’s some kind of angle.

Jerry Lynn defeated Mike Quackenbush

This is gonna be good. Counter wrestling to start as they trade armbars and wristlocks. Lynn with a flying headscissors and corner clothesline, but Quack blocks a bulldog and counters to a leg lace. Quack with a beautiful springboard headscissors and a rolling fireman’s carry into a crossed leglock. Lynn with the springboard dropkick sends Quack to the floor, Quack dives over Lynn’s baseball dropkick attempt, but Lynn gets the guillotine legdrop on the ropes. Quack counters by sweeping Lynn off the apron, but Lynn then counters another headscissors by swinging Quack into the guardrail. Back in the ring Lynn hits a nasty German suplex and a tornado DDT. Quack counters another tornado DDT and gets a nice magistral cradle for 2. This is really awesome. Lynn with a backslide for 2, then a series of reversals ends with Lynn trying to slam Quack off the top, but Quack rolls through and goes for a superplex, but Lynn with a top rope sunset flip/ powerbomb for 2. Quack with his version of the Jig And Tonic for 2, but Lynn gets the cradle piledriver out of nowhere for the win. This was a counterwrestling fan’s Christmas present. They shake hands after and Lynn raises Quack’s hand.

Tyler Black, Necro Butcher, and Delirious defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Brodie Lee, and Austin Aries

This is elimination rules, with a different stip for each fall and the whole thing being No DQ. Aries now not only has the “strip club for lunch” mustache, but also a soul patch as well. Joey Ryan has nothing on this guy when it comes to sleaze. Delirious is back in the green and black.

Fall #1

Brodie lays out Tyler and Delirious then calls out Necro, which ends badly for him. Jimmy winds up alone in the ring with all three opponents and gets destroyed. I guess the first fall is tornado rules? All six men end up brawling on the floor. Necro goes for the dive to the floor, but Brodie yanks him down and hits the big boot. All six men back in the ring as Aries and Jacobs continue to snipe at each other even as they try to work together. Tyler with the big dive to the floor and then Necro hits his to a big pop. Now Daizee goes for hers but Aries grabs her, drawing Delirious in to the rescue. Aries misses the corner dropkick, Brodie comes in but Delirious takes out both men. Delirious gets Jacobs in the Cobra Stretch, but Brodie with the Black Hole Slam and Aries with the brainbuster to eliminate Delirious.

Fall #2

This fall cannot be won by pinfall. Aries and Jacobs start their repressed love thing again, allowing Black to come back, but Brodie comes in and shuts him down. Heels triple team Tyler until Necro comes in and cleans house. Everyone’s back to the floor where Necro and Brodie end up brawling through the crowd and to the back, and the ref used that excuse to DQ both men. This whole fall got TNA chants.

Fall #3

No stip announced for this fall. Jacobs and Aries double team Black but spend as much time shoving each other around. Jacobs blocks Aries from hitting the missile dive to the floor so Aries attacks him and they start brawling. Black uses the distraction to try a comeback, but quickly gets shut down. I guess Aries and Jacobs are working together again. Jacobs gets 2, so I guess pinfalls count again. Aries misses a corner dropkick and kills Jacobs with it, but hits a second one for 2. Black and Aries go back and forth until Black gets the corner powerbomb and superkick, then locks in the End Time to eliminate Aries.

Fall #4

This fall can’t end by submission. That may be the least creative stip of all time. This match has gone beyond boring chants and now the crowd is just laughing. Jimmy gets the spike out, Tyler gets ahold of it, but misses and buries the spike in the top turnbuckle. Jimmy gets the Contra Code for 2, then locks in the End Time but there’s NO SUBMISSIONS! Tyler reverses the End Time to God’s Last Gift to mercifully end this one.

Not only did this not get over at all, but this may have been one of the worst matches in ROH history.

Bryan Danielson and Colt Cabana defeated Bison Smith and Jimmy Rave

Prince Nana came out in a Barack Obama shirt and made stimulus remarks to a girl at ringside. This guy’s hilarious. He announces Jimmy Rave as Bison’s mystery partner, which got a big pop from the crowd. Rave gets a big welcome back chant. Danielson ran into the ring before he could even be announced and got destroyed. Grizzley Redwood came out to make us think he was the mystery partner and was quickly disposed of, then the real partner came out…Colt Cabana! He got an even bigger reaction than Rave did. This match has gotten the biggest reaction of the night so far and they haven’t even started wrestling yet. Cabana and Rave start and the crowd starts a “die Jimmy die” chant. This match is bringing me right back to 2005. Danielson and Cabana take turns working Rave over until Rave tags to Bison, who presses Danielson into the corner. Heat segment on Danielson, but Cabana tags in after only a couple of minutes, but Bison no-sells everything and hits a big shoulder block. Danielson comes in and together they’re able to turn the tide, but Danielson tries a dive to the floor, and Bison catches and slams him. Bison with the claw slam onto Jimmy’s knee, and then tries another claw slam, but Danielson comes in and together they send Bison to the floor where Danielson hits the big dive. Rave catches Cabana in the heel hook, but Cabana reverses into a rolling press for the win. After the match Cabana calls for the Final Countdown and it begins playing over the sound system. This came totally unglued, but was still pretty good. I was a bit bummed that Bison didn’t get into total destruction mode.

D’Lo Brown defeated Jay Briscoe

D’Lo gets on the mic before the match and thanks WWE for releasing him and wishing him luck in his future endevours, because his future endevours are right here in ROH. Brown overpowers Jay to start and does the head thing, but Jay with a Frankensteiner and a dropkick and they do the indy stalemate. Jay with a series of legsweeps frustrates Brown, but Brown distracts the ref and gets a low blow to take control, then hits a big short clothesline. Brown working a very methodical style here, measuring Jay before getting a big running clothesline in the corner and a vertical suplex for 2. I want to see someone try a horizontal or, even better, diagonal suplex someday. Jay tries to go toe-to-toe with Brown but that doesn’t end well for him. They go chop-for-chop, but Brown goes to the eyes and catches him in a top wristlock/half nelson combo. Jay escapes, but eats the flying heel kick. Brown with a series of stiff short clotheslines gets 2. Brown with a springboard dropkick sends Jay to the floor and fakes a dive, but Jay caught him with a dropkick to the face when he did the dive for real. Dueling chants start as both men get back in the ring and Jay hits an inverted STO into the turnbuckle, big boot, and clothesline for 2. Brown with the Sky High for 2, then a Death Valley Driver for another two count. Brown moves out of the way of the top rope legdrop and rolls up Jay with the tights for the win. Crowd was asleep, but it was fun to watch D’Lo play the grizzled veteran who doesn’t mind doing whatever he has to to win.

Kevin Steen and El Generico defeated the American Wolves to retain the ROH World Tag Team Title.

I will be very surprised if the Wolves don’t get the straps tonight. This is no DQ. Good for Eddie Edwards, who first appeared as an occasional undercard guy two or three years ago and is now working the semi-main on one of ROH’s big four events. Steen and Generico run in before their announcement and attack the Wolves, sending them to the floor where Steen hits the big dive. Generico throws a bunch of chairs in the ring and Steen gets a flipping legdrop/conchairto on Edwards. Richards drags Steen to the floor and launches him into the rail, then gets in the ring and Tomvstones Generico on the chairs. Wolves start working Steen’s knee over with a chair. Crowd is dead for this one. I just noticed Edwards seems to be sporting a shiner. Wolves are pretty brutally working Steen over while Generico’s on the floor. They tie Steen’s knee in the ropes and take a run, but Steen moves and they go to the floor, where Generico hits a top rope somersault on both opponents. Back in the ring, Generico kills Edwards with a chairshot then gets a top rope splash on Richards for 2. Steen brings out a ladder and rams it into Edwards’ face in a pretty brutal display. Now it’s Steen and Generico’s turn to double team Richards, beating him up in the corner before Irish whipping him into the ladder and suplexing him on it. Generico with a split legged moonsault for 2. Edwards runs in and nails Steen, but eats a corner Yakuza kick from Generico. Generico misses a dive and audibly crunches onto the ladder as the crowd finally comes alive. Wolves with the double team alarm clock and a sick chairshot to Generico, but Steen breaks up the fall and takes out both men, then hits the corner cannonball. Steen places the ladder over the Wolves and Generico hits the coast to coast somersault dropkick, but that only gets 2. Great match. Steen gives Edwards a Fisherman’s Buster on a chair for 2. Richards takes out Generico on the floor then pushes Steen off the top rope and he lands on the knee. Richards with a chairshot to the knee and a Texas Cloverleaf, but he toughs it out until Generico makes the save. Generico misses a chairshot and nails Steen and Richards tosses Generico to the floor. Richards misses a shooting star press and Steen starts working Richards’ knee over with a chair then traps him in the Sharpshooter for the win. So much for my theory. Wolves attack after the match and Edwards just kills Steen with a chairshot, then put Generico through a table in the ring. Steen still tries to fight back, but they tape him to the ropes and work over his knees with a couple of chairs before finally finishing with a conchairto and walking off with the belts.

ROH Champion Nigel McGuiness vs. KENTA.

Nigel looks awful, he’s got both arms taped up. KENTA gets a lukewarm welcome back chant, and Nigel doesn’t get much reaction either. How does KENTA always end up wrestling badly injured ROH World Champions in New York? KENTA goes right to work with a pair of big kicks to Nigel’s arms that drop him immediately. KENTA continues kicking away on the arm and rams him shoulderfirst into the ringpost before putting Nigel in an armbar. KENTA is just mercilessly kicking away at Nigel, getting some big cheers from the strongly anti-Nigel crowd. KENTA with a big running boot for 2 and a key lock, but Nigel makes the ropes. Ref keeps checking on Nigel after each barrage to see if he wants to continue. Finally Nigel gets in some offense by moving out of the way of a kneedrop and getting a Tower of London to the floor. Back in the ring, Nigel starts working on KENTA’s arm. You’d think he’d go after the legs since kicks have been KENTA’s main offense, but what do I know? Anyway, Nigel gets 2 off of an arm-assisted suplex and gets a chickenwing, then catches KENTA with a surprise dropkick, which we never see him do. KENTA comes back with a vertical suplex and a flying clothesline for 2, then it’s back to the key lock, but Nigel makes the ropes. More vicious kicks from KENTA, but Nigel with a big forearm in the corner. He’s dramatizing it, but Nigel is obviously in pain. Nigel knocks KENTA off the ropes to the outside and then whips him into the rail, but misses a charge and eats the rail himself. KENTA drapes Nigel over the rail and hits a top rope kneedrop to the outside. Nigel just beat the count, and KENTA started killing him with kicks and a fisherman’s buster for 2. Flying clothesline gets 2 on Nigel, series of pinfall reversals ends with Nigel catching KENTA in the London Dungeon. He makes the ropes, so Nigel hits another Tower of London for 2. He tries a third, but KENTA blocks, so Nigel goes for a superplex instead. KENTA turns that into a top rope Falcon Arrow for 2 then another series of reversals into a German Suplex for 2 by KENTA. KENTA finally hits Go To Sleep, butNigel gets his foot on the rope. Crowd didn’t like that one. They battle on the apron and Nigel hits a Tower of London to the apron. Both men again just beat the count and Nigel reverses out of the Go To Sleep and hits one of his own for 2, then gets KENTA in the London Dungeon again, but KENTA reverses to a cradle for 2. Nigel catches him in the London Dungeon yet again and bridges all the way back until KENTA taps. Awesome match, on the level of KENTA-Danielson from 2006. Some idiot fan got a little overzealous after the match and Zack had to eject him.

Well, there were two awesome matches and two good matches, but the rest was moderate to really bad, and the crowd was dead. It was good, but not as good as it looked on paper.

credit: 411mania.com

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Other

Ricky Steamboat Update

- Ricky Steamboat appeared at the WWE house show in Topeka, Kansas. He spoke briefly before being confronted by Chris Jericho. Jericho talked bad about Steamboat until CM Punk came out to wrestle Jericho. Punk went on to beat Jericho.

credit: 411mania.com

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Lashley Wins Another Bout

At tonight’s boxing and MMA show, “March Badness”, Bobby Lashley took his pro MMA record to 2-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Jason Guida.

Lashley easily won all three rounds and his conditioning looked very good in the 15:00 fight. Guida had Lashley in trouble at one point in the third round, locking in a tight guillotine, but Lashley was able to escape and held on for the victory.

After the fight, Lashley admitted that the guillotine was tight, that he had to dig deep and that he went into the fight with the wrong plan and frame of mind. He promised to go back, watch the tape, learn where he could have finished the fight, and go on from there.

- Here are the MMA results from the card:

# Bobby Lashley defeated Jason Guida via Unanimous Decision (30-27 Across The Cards)
# Jeff Monson defeated Roy Nelson via Unanimous Decision (29-28 Across the Cards)
# Din Thomas defeated Gabe Lemley via RD1 TKO
# Dennis Hallman defeated Danny Ruiz via RD1 Submission

credit: 411mania.com

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