As I See It - June 25, 2009
Hello and welcome to the return of the highly acclaimed As I See It series. It may only be highly acclaimed in my own mind but that’s neither here nor there because this marks a significant part of Pinfall Recall history. As we edge ever closer to the fourth anniversary of the creation of Pinfall Recall, I am pleased to return to your computer screens with my thoughts on the world of professional wrestling and, what’s more, I’m pleased to once again improve your lives by giving you something to read that can only be described as simply ‘Genius’.
Since Pinfall Recall began this journey about 4 years ago, we’ve all had to endure some pretty horrendous wrestling from WWE and TNA alike. However, I think there are definite signs that we are finally being rewarded for the years of disillusion as the WWE product at this point is pretty damn good. Well, to be honest, Raw is still quite terrible on most occasions but I really can’t speak highly enough of the other 3 shows that WWE puts out on a weekly basis. Smackdown really demonstrates some of the best wrestling programming that I personally have seen in quite a long time to be honest with you. ECW consistently puts out a solid hour of TV each week and the last episode of Superstars that I caught had John Morrison and Chris Jericho tear down the house.
Now whilst we’re finally being repaid for our years of loyalty to the product, the powers that be may not be so pleased as the sheer awesomeness of the aforementioned television shows is not portrayed in the slightest when it comes to the ever important ratings. And it is that fact alone that leaves me with a bit of trepidation going forward as I’m concerned that these really good shows will not be given the time to blossom before some change is inevitable. But for the time being, wrestling fans all over the World should join me in taking pleasure in the extremely high quality of the perceived “B” shows.
Now whether it’s down to the intriguing direction CM Punk is going or the great matches put on each and every week by the mid and upper card respectively, Friday Night Smackdown has been a joy to watch every week for quite some time now. I think it’s no real coincidence that the shows that have blossomed have been the shows that were left to their own creative devices without any array of McMahon influence. Touching back to the point I made a little earlier and with the under-performance in the ratings department, I am a little concerned that big ol’ Vinnie will feel the need to get involved and give it that extra special touch we all know and love…and by ‘love’ I of course mean ‘absolutely despise’. But that’s not something I want to delve too deeply into at this stage as, for the moment at least, we’re being treated to some damn good television.
Whilst on the subject of ratings, I wanted to take full advantage and take a cheap shot at TNA. That being the fact that WWE Superstars airs on the same night (albeit an hour earlier) to a fraction of the potential viewers that TNA iMPACT! reaches yet is only a 0.1 or 0.2 down in the ratings on a weekly basis. I don’t hate TNA by all means but facts like that should be made fun of, simple as that.
So what I’m getting at with this is that it is your duty as a fan of great wrestling that you watch Smackdown each and every week to show the powers that be within WWE that it is this type of show that we wrestling fans like to see. And I’m 100% confident that if you do watch the so called “B shows” (Smackdown in particular) then you will agree with me implicitly. In the past I’ve been first in line to take shots at WWE and I think that it should be noted and appreciated when they outperform the relatively low expectations that I have for their creative team.
I touched earlier on the direction that CM Punk is taking, which is another big factor that is keeping me drawn to Friday Night Smackdown each and every week. They’ve not turned him full on heel, they’ve kind of just let him linger and I really think that Punk is one of the few guys that can pull this off.
I really do think that the direction they are taking CM Punk has been quite genius in execution thus far. I’ve heard in some pockets of the IWC that Punk should attack Hardy for having a past riddled with drug problems whilst he has reached the top by completely clean and “straight edge”. In my opinion, this would be the wrong way to proceed. Don’t get me wrong, it would definitely add an intriguing aspect to the storyline but in it’s current form I think it would be detrimental to the progress Hardy has made to step up to the main event level. To focus solely on the somewhat shady and questionable past of our supposed hero would be a quite absurd thing to do in my opinion. Let alone the impact that it could have with regards the views of the parents of the WWE Universe by highlighting the drug addicted past of their youngster’s idol. What it boils down to is the fact that they haven’t put all their eggs in one basket by turning Punk heel straight away, they’re letting the crowd make their own minds up on him and to me that’s the best way to handle him. My only hope now is that they can give him some good storylines going forward to keep him at the top of the card and a fresh heel run may eventually the way to go with him.
Changing tact a little bit, has there ever been a bigger waste of our time than the Donald Trump storyline that lasted 7 whole days? I certainly can’t think of any in recent memory. I cannot see how that enhanced the product in any way shape or form. The whole thing was stupid and it actually resulted in them losing money as some retarded shareholders actually believed this shit to be real. I must admit, I’m not sure how I’d progress with Raw in terms of the management/authority figure but surely there was a more logical way than what we saw with this Trump fiasco. If, as rumoured, Ric Flair is to be the new general manager of Raw then I do not see the problem in having the Trump angle run a little longer but have Flair running the show for him and Donny would be seen rarely, if ever. I would much rather have seen something like that happen than what we were indeed treated to.
As it pertains to this Sunday’s ridiculously named Pay-Per-View “The Bash”, I think it has to the potential to be a fairly interesting show. Either way, it’s free to air in the UK on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1 so I’m not fussed one way or the other. There’s definitely a few matches in there that I’m down for…and there’s the added bonus that as it stands three days away from the PPV, there is no Big Show to be seen on the card! I’m interested in seeing The Miz against Cena, purely as a result of the long (by today’s standards) drawn out development of this angle. The Tag Title match with Legacy against Carlito and Primo should be another exceptional contest in my eyes, especially since the Colons are easily one of the best teams I’ve seen in quite a while. So with a fairly stacked mid-card and a couple good main event matches on the card hopefully this year’s Bash will not be the joke that it has been in pretty much every year that the WWE has promoted the show.
So that’s that ladies and gents, the returning column from yours truly is in the books. I hope you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read and by all means get in touch either by commenting on the blog or posting on the forums or even sending me an e-mail at AK@pinfallrecall.com.
Thank you for reading and may the next week of wrestling viewing be a happy one!
-Andrew Kearney
Wrestling News Digest 5/15/09: The long awaited return! Rey injured, WWE cracking down on pirating, Bret Hart predicted Test’s death, more
WWE
Mysterio injured but will compete, WWE cracking down on pirating
- Rey Mysterio will still be working Judgment Day on Sunday despite the knee injury he suffered at the Smackdown taping this week.
- WWE Legal has become very aware of illegal stream on sites like Justin.TV. The company plans to attack the sites and shut down illegal PPV feeds. They will treat all sites like Justin.TV like they have people posting copyrighted material on YouTube.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Jillian Hall engaged
- Jillian Hall is now apparently engaged. The WWE Diva made mention of the announcement on her official MySpace account, writing: “finally got the ring!”. Jillian is engaged to current pro wrestling and former WWE performer Tank Toland, aka Chad Dick. Jillian was Toland’s manager in OVW a while back.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Other
Bret Hart discusses Test and drug use in wrestling
- The Mirror in the UK has posted the final part of their interview with Bret Hart. In it, he talked about how many people were saying that Andrew “Test” Martin was in danger of passing away more than a year before it actually happened. He said the only way to have stopped him from dying would have been to put him in a “straightjacket”. He also talked about the state of drug use in the business today. He said that he feels it is on the wane with today’s workers due to all of those that died before him. You can watch it by clicking here.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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Randy Savage website starts petition for the Hall of Fame
- Machomadness.com has started an online petition to get “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the WWE Hall of Fame. For more details, you can go here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Vic Grimes suffers heart attack
- Former pro wrestler Vicious Vic Grimes ( XPW,WSX, ECW, and WWF) (Wrestled under the name KEY in WWF) is in the hospital recovering after having 2 heart attacks due to a blood clot in his leg that traveled through his heart and ended in his lungs. He is doing better, but still hospitalized.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
Robby Boydstun (RDB) - RDB@PinfallRecall.com
Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Wrestling News Digest 4/28/09: Judgment Day card, TNA to pick up former WWE star, ROH injury and tapings update, and more
WWE
Judgment Day card as of now
- The following matches have been announced for the WWE Judgment Day PPV:
* ECW Title Match: Christian © vs. Jack Swagger
* WWE Title Match: Randy Orton © vs. Batista
Credit: 411mania.com
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TNA
No Slammiversary fanfest, Angelina Love cleared for action
- As of today, there are no plans for TNA to run a fanfest the weekend of Slammiversary.
- Angelina Love has been cleared to wrestle, as she is advertised on the weekend lineups.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Former WWE talent to join TNA, Bonaduce may return
- TNA Wrestling officials have reportedly reached out to former WWE star Lance Cade about joining the promotion.
The former three-time WWE tag-team champion is apparently interested in the offer, but has to first finish up some scheduled dates in Japan.
His former tag-team partner, Trevor Murdoch, has recently debuted with TNA on iMPACT! under the name “The Outlaw Jethro Holliday” and has advanced in the current tag-team tournament the promotion has going on right now.
- Danny Bonaduce said on his radio show out of Philadelphia that when his contract with Hulk Hogan’s “Celebrity Championship Wrestling” ends, there’s a good chance he’ll be back in TNA Wrestling. Jeff Jarrett has apparently claimed that the door is open for Bonaduce to return if he chooses to.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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ROH
ROH injury report, taping news, and more
- A few injuries to report from the Mid-West loop. Roderick Strong needed 10 stitches to close a wound suffered in his ROH title bout against Jerry Lynn. Jon Davis from Dark City Fight Club suffered a dislocated wrist but still worked the next day.
- El Generico is off next weekend’s events in New Jersey and Boston due to his knee issues. Surgery is looking more and more likely.
- Announced for the 5/29 and 5/30 ROH on HD Net tapings at the ECW Arena are ROH champion Jerry Lynn, ROH Tag Team Champions The American Wolves, Ric Flair, KENTA, Jimmy Rave, Prince Nana, Colt Cabana, Brodie Lee, Roderick Strong, Kevin Steen and Jay Briscoe.
- There’s been some talk of taping some ROH on HD Net episodes in Las Vegas down the line. There are tapings set for Philadelphia through July.
- ROH currently has a Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale on DVDs, including the recent Ric Flair debut. ROH has released the Indianapolis debut on DVD as well on www.rohwrestling.com.
- There’s talk of adding a big name to the Toronto return weekend, but nothing confirmed at this time.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
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Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Wrestling News Digest 4/24/09: Slow news day
WWE
Bret Hart reminisces about Jim Neidhart and the Canadian Piledriver
- The Poughkeepsie Journal interviewed Bret Hart, discussing his return to the town, Jim Neidhart and memories of creating the Canadian Piledriver. You can check out the full article here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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TNA
Slammiversary location announced
- In a press release issued by TNA Wrestling earlier today, it was announced that their Slammiversary PPV will be held at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. The Palace is home to the Detroit Pistons and seats over 20,000 people.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Bobby Lashley adds another MMA matchup to his list
- HDNet made the following announcement:
Bobby Lashley signs with MFC, to fight on HDNet
One of the most dominating up-and-coming fighters in the world has signed on with the Maximum Fighting Championship.
Former WWE star Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley will step into the MFC ring on Friday, May 15 at MFC 21: Hard Knocks live from the River Cree Resort and Casino and airing live throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico on HDNet Fights.
A chiseled and imposing figure at six-foot-three and 265 pounds, Lashley is the premier heavyweight prospect in all of mixed martial arts.
“Bobby Lashley is a phenomenal athlete and a very impressive fighter who wants to make a big name for himself in mixed martial arts,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “He is a very exciting prospect and he will get a monumental opportunity to break into the spotlight at MFC 21.”
Lashley (2-0) won his debut fight with a 41-second TKO of Joshua Franklin in December 2008. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jason Guida in March.
At Hard Knocks, Lashley will square off against Mike Cook (7-3) who is trained by legendary mixed martial arts persona Frank Shamrock.
“We are excited to partner with the MFC to feature the network debut of Bobby Lashley on HDNet,” said HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon.
“Bobby’s size, name recognition and collegiate wrestling background make him an unbelievable prospect in the heavyweight division.”
Lashley had a successful amateur background in wrestling, twice winning the NAIA college championship and then winning pair of U.S. Armed Forces titles. The Junction City, Kansas, native propelled his amateur abilities into the professional wrestling ranks with the WWE. During a three-year run, Lashley won three championships with the WWE, appeared on numerous pay-per-view events, and held prestigious spots on the WWE programs RAW, Smackdown!, and ECW.
HDNet’s “Inside MMA” will feature Lashley on the May 1 edition in a no-holds-barred discussion of his transition from professional wrestling to his future in MMA.
Credit: 411mania.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
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
Wrestling News Digest 4/17/09: Backlash Card, Why Taz left WWE, Lockdown card, and TNA promises TWO former champs at Lockdown
WWE
Backlash card, Taz posts response to his departure from WWE
- Here is the updated WWE Backlash card:
* ECW Title Match: Jack Swagger © vs. Christian
* World Title Last Man Standing Match: John Cena © vs. Edge
* WWE Title Match: HHH ©, Batista and Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes
- A link to Taz’s blog post stating why he left WWE and what the future holds for him is located here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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NBC to air WWE special this summer
- PWInsider.com is reporting that NBC has announced a new WWE special entitled “The 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania” which will air on Saturday, August 29th from 9-10 pm EST.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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TNA
Lockdown card for Sunday, TNA promising two former champs at PPV
- Here is the updated TNA Lockdown PPV Card, all matches are held in the six-sides of steel:
- On the Pre-Show: Danny Bonaduce vs. Eric Young
- TNA Knockouts Queen of the Cage Match: ODB vs. Madison Rayne vs. Daffney vs. Sojo Bolt
- Doomsday Chamber of Blood Match: Abyss vs. Matt Morgan
- Lethal Lockdown: Team Jarrett (Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett and Christopher Daniels) vs. Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Kevin Nash)
- TNA Knockouts Title Match: Awesome Kong © vs. Angelina Love vs. Taylor Wilde
- IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title Match: The Motor City Machine Guns © vs. No Limit vs. LAX
- X-Division Title Xcape Match: Suicide © vs. Kiyoshi vs. Jay Lethal; vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed
- Winner Takes All – TNA World Tag Team Titles vs. IWGP Tag Team Titles Philadelphia Street Fight: Beer Money © vs. Team 3D ©
- TNA World Title Match: Sting © vs. Mick Foley
- To make things clear, TNA has now issued two messages via their mobile service, both claiming that the company has signed former world champions from other promotions. Therefore, expect TWO former champions to debut with the company at TNA’s Lockdown PPV.
Credit: 411mania.com/wrestlezone.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
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Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Wrestling News Digest 4/7/09: Kevin Kelly returns, Danny Bonaduce picks a finisher, and ROH stars are spotted at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
WWE
Kevin Kelly returns, NBA playoffs could alter location for “Extreme Rules” PPV
- The official DirecTV preview for the debut episode of WWE Superstars next week on WGN lists host Kevin Kelly for the series.
- WWE currently does not know which venue in New Orleans will host the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on June 7th, 2009. The original plan was for the event to be held at the New Orleans Arena. However, if the New Orleans Hornets need the New Orleans Arena on June 7th for a playoff game, WWE will be forced to move the Extreme Rules show to the Lakefront Arena at the University of New Orleans.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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Raw rating
- Last night’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw scored a 3.9 cable rating, up from last week’s 3.6 rating.
Credit: 411mania.com
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TNA
Danny Bonaduce picks a finisher, TNA taping schedule to possibly change
- It’s being reported that Danny Bonaduce has been hyping his match against Eric Young at TNA’s Lockdown PPV on a daily basis during his morning show broadcasts. He’s even hinting that he has been working on the Swanton Bomb, a move he hopes to debut during the bout at the PPV. Mick Foley will be a guest on Bonaduce’s show tomorrow morning to help promote the Lockdown event.
- In other TNA news, it’s being said that the company is seriously considering altering their TV taping format this summer, although nothing has been finalized at this point.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Former Diva wants to work for TNA
- Debra Marshall is currently working on a “Debra to TNA Fan Movement”, with the hopes of TNA hiring her.
Credit: 411mania.com
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ROH
ROH stars spotted at the WWE Hall of Fame
- Prowrestling.net is reporting that several Ring of Honor personalities attended WWE’s Hall of Fame ceremony this past weekend. Ring of Honor owner Cary Silkin and the new ROH Champion Jerry Lynn were both in attendance, as well as Ace Steel who was reportedly there as a guest of CM Punk’s. Although it was not confirmed in the initial report, it’s being said that Bryan Danielson was also in attendance for the big event.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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That’s all for today’s Wrestling News Digest. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another easy to digest batch! Or, subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest Wrestling News, as well as our columns and podcasts, delivered right to your favorite feedreader. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the Pinfall Recall team on the forums or by emailing them directly through the links below.
Cliff Karklin (CK) - CK@PinfallRecall.com
Joshua George (JG) - JG@PinfallRecall.com
Robby Boydstun (RDB) - RDB@PinfallRecall.com
Milo Taibi (Milo) - Milo@PinfallRecall.com
Pinfall Recall News Feed for March 12, 2009
WWE
WCW DVD rumored, “The Greatest Superstars of WrestleMania” being re-released
- Jim Ross mentioned in his most recent online blog entry that while he was in Stamford, CT. he was scheduled for an interview on “The Rise and Fall of WCW”, which has a lot of people hoping for, and to some extent - expecting, a DVD documentary on the former WWE-rival promotion.
- “The Greatest Superstars of WrestleMania”, which was a theatrical release (in select markets) and Wal-Mart-exclusive DVD release last year, is being re-released for all retail and online stores this April as part of the WrestleMania 25 build-up. It should be noted that the special is being released in seperate installments on the WWE 24/7 On Demand channel as well.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Jesse Ventura wants WWE investigated for wrestler deaths
- Former Minnesota Governor and WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura claims he wanted to investigate World Wrestling Entertainment in regard to deaths in the professional wrestling industry and would have if he had been elected to the Senate this past election cycle. Ventura chose not to run.
In an interview with CYInterview.com, Ventura commented, “It’s one of the things that if I would run for the senate I was going to do a senatorial investigation on the WWE And you know for concerning what? What’s even a bigger importance is the fact that today they are still called independent contractors by the government which is absurd. They tell you when you wrestle. They tell you who you wrestle. They tell whether you win or lose. They tell you where you’re going to wrestle. They are your boss as much as any job in the universe. Yet McMahon is able to get away with calling all the wrestlers even today when he has them signed to exclusive contracts he still is allowed to call them independent contractors where they have to pay their own social security and he doesn’t have to pay a penny.”
You can read and listen to the complete interview at http://www.cyinterview.com.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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ECW rating and Royal Rumble buyrate
- Tuesday night’s edition of ECW on Sci-Fi scored a 1.34 cable rating, down from last week’s 1.4 rating.
- As of today, the 2009 WWE Royal Rumble PPV did 445,000 buys worldwide, with roughly 268,000 coming from North America. Last year’s show did 575,00 PPV buys worldwide, meaning that this year’s event suffered roughly a 23% drop.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Stone Cold joins Stallone movie
- Steve Austin has joined the cast of Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables. Austin joins a cast that already includes Mickey Rourke as well as Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Forest Whitaker and Charisma Carpenter. The film is about a team of mercenaries who attempt to overthrow a South American dictator.
Credit: 411mania.com
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TNA
Tonight’s iMPACT! preview
- TNA will be taping several weeks worth of their “iMPACT!” TV show this Monday and Tuesday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
- The following is scheduled for tonight’s edition of TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV:
* Special Guest Ref: Roxxi
Taylor Wilde vs. Madison Rayne
* Elimination Bout:
Beer Money, Inc. & Matt Morgan vs. Team 3D & Abyss
* Lethal Consequences & Mystery Partners vs. Booker T, Scott Steiner & Mystery Partners
* Also: Mick Foley, Sting and Kurt Angle building storylines leading into this Sunday’s “Destination X” pay-per view in Orlando, Florida.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Lineup for Booker T’s wrestling convention
- The talent appearances for Booker T’s WrestleMania weekend “Legends of Wrestling Fanfest” on April 3rd in Houston, Texas was announced today, and are as follows:
Morning Session: Kevin Nash, Lita, Team 3D, DDP, Kimberly Page, Rikishi, Ernest “The Cat” Miller and Stan Hansen.
Afternoon Session: Booker T, Sharmell, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Samoa Joe, The Nasty Boys, Jimmy Hart, Christy Hemme, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love.
Sting will also be there as part of a separate VIP ticketed event where he’ll be signing autographs starting at 2PM.
You can find out more information on Booker T’s “Legends of Wrestling Fanfest” at BookerTLOW.com.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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ROH
ROH Newswire for March 12
- Ring of Honor returns to the St. Louis area tomorrow (Friday) night for a big event featuring the ROH debut of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. The event will take place at the Gateway Center, One Gateway Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234. A special Ric Flair meet & greet autograph session will take place between 6-8 PM. Tickets for the autograph session will be available to purchase at the door on Friday night. You MUST have an event ticket to get into the autograph session. Autograph tickets are $30 for the first item and $20 each additional item PER PERSON. We will have merchandise for sale at the venue which you can use to get autographed if you don’t have your own item. The live event begins at 8 PM and will feature: Nigel McGuinness vs. Brent Albright for the ROH World Title; Bryan Danielson vs. Bison Smith in a Grudge Match; Tyler Black & Jerry Lynn vs. The Age of the Fall; ROH World Tag Team Champion Kevin Steen & El Generico and Bobby Dempsey vs. The American Wolves of Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards and Chris Hero with Larry Sweeney; Roderick Strong vs. Jay Briscoe; Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kenny Omega vs. Silas Young vs. Austin Aries in a Four Corner Survival; MsChif vs. Daizee Haze for the SHIMMER Title; Ric Flair will appear in front of the live crowd; plus more. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door on the night of the show.
- On Saturday night we debut in Indianapolis, IN at the Indiana State Fairgrounds (Farm Bureau Building), 1202 E. 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46205. Already announced is: ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness & Austin Aries vs. Jerry Lynn & Tyler Black; Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Rhett Titus & Kenny King for the World Tag Team Titles; Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega vs. Claudio Castagnoli in a Three Way Match; The American Wolves of Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards with Larry Sweeney vs. Brent Albright & Roderick Strong; Jay Briscoe vs. Chris Hero; plus more. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door on the night of the show.
- Larry Sweeney has been telling people close to him that he’s got two very special opponents in store for Bobby Dempsey, as Dempsey has two contracts leftover from when he was under the representation of Sweeney. The first matchup takes place as part of ROH’s Seventh Anniversary on March 21 in the Hammerstein Ballroom. “That fat slob is going to pay dearly,” said the Super Agent. “Ain’t no doubt about it. There ain’t no doubt at all.” ROH officials are unclear as to when Sweeney plans on making Dempsey live up to the second of the contracts.
- The first names confirmed for the second set of Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet tapings are: Roderick Strong, The American Wolves – Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards with Larry Sweeney, MsChif, Tyler Black, The ROH World Tag Team Champions – Kevin Steen and El Generico, and the Dark City Fight Club! The tapings will take place on Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10 at the Arena in South Philadelphia. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a part of history as ROH brings real professional wrestling back to television!
- ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness contacted ROH Officials over what “Nature Boy” Ric Flair had to say in the March 4 Edition of the ROH Videowire at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4qD_gxO2YA. McGuinness is reportedly unnerved that Flair has stated publicly that he plans on checking Nigel out closely to find out if he is “the man”. ROH officials have been informed that McGuinness plans on speaking to the legendary Flair face-to-face tomorrow night in Collinsville. Tickets will be available at the door! Will Nigel confront Flair for everyone to see? Be there to find out.
- You can see this week’s version of the ROH Video Wire here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyn7c9r_AbE.
- We have learned more about the modified Ultimate Endurance match that Jimmy Jacobs has requested for March 21 in New York. We have now learned that it is unlike traditional UE matches as Jacobs has proposed a 6-Man Tag Team Elimination contest. Similar to UE, the stipulations will change during the match based on the eliminations. But unlike, UE, we’ve been informed that each fall will determine the stipulation for the next. The result of the first fall will directly impact the next fall, and so on until there is only one man left. If a fall is won via pinfall, then the next fall must be won via some other means. If a fall is won via submission, then the following must be won via something different. It also follows that if a fall is won via count-out, then the next fall must be won via other means, meaning the next fall would then be contested under NO count-out rules. What about disqualifications, you ask? In this contest, there are no disqualifications. Because of the unique rules in this match, ROH officials are calling it a “revolution rules” match. We will have the participants next week in the Newswire!
- The Buy 3, Get 1 Free Ring of Honor DVD returns at the live events this weekend in Collinsville, IL and Indianapolis, IN. The BIG TEN SALE returns exclusively at ROHWrestling.com featuring over 100 DVD’s priced at $10 each. You can also purchase general admission tickets for events in Pittsburgh, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, Dayton, & Chicago for only $10 each. We also have a special on 2nd balcony tickets for the “7th Anniversary Show” next weekend in New York City for only $10 each. You can also save 10% off your entire order. For complete details on the sale along with the 10% discount code click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=860.
- We’ll have news next week on the huge Doubleshot weekend coming to Houston on April 3 and 4, as well as more on the March 20 event in Pittsburgh and, of course, the HUGE ROH 7th Anniversary Show on March 21 in the heart of NYC!
Credit: 411mania.com
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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.
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Pinfall Recall News Feed for March 4, 2009
WWE
Boogeyman released, Former star makes indy appearance
- WWE.com announced today that The Boogeyman had been released.
- Manu, who was recently released from the WWE, will be making his first independent appearance since his release at the WXW C-4 in Allentown, PA this Saturday.
Credit: 411mania.com
Discuss this and everything wrestling on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards. The topic is here
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Jericho and Fozzy releasing new album
- According to Blabbermouth.net, Chris Jericho has signed a deal with Australia’s Riot Entertainment for them to handle the release of Fozzy’s fourth album, titled “Chasing the Grail”. You can check out the full article here.
Credit: 411mania.com
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Why Rey missed Raw, Batista returning for WrestleMania…but not how you think
- Rey Mysterio had to miss Raw last week as well as several house show events due to a family issue which The Wrestling Observer is now reporting was a complication his wife was having with her current pregnancy.
- WWE.com has a list of talent currently scheduled to make autograph signing appearances during their Wrestlemania Fan Axxess weekend. Amongst those name is currently sidelined Raw star Batista. Although he will be ready to return to the ring in about a month, we have previously reported that he will NOT be wrestling at WrestleMania 25.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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TNA
Booker T comments on WWE taking superstars from his charity event
- The Houston Press has a story today that follows up on Mike Johnson’s earlier report that certain talents are pulling out of Booker T’s charity show in Houston on WrestleMania weekend. They talked to Booker who said, “It’s not going to stop anything, we’re still going to go forward with it…We’re just replacing those people with actually bigger names. I don’t think me doing my charity is going to hurt the revenue of WrestleMania, or hurt the Hall of Fame, and we’re not doing this, you know, to hurt WrestleMania…or ride their coattails or anything.” They talked to World Wrestling Entertainment employee Robert Zimmerman who said, “I don’t even know what his charity deal is, to be perfectly honest with you.”
Credit: PWinsider.com
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ROH
Gabe Sapolsky blogs about first taping and his favorite match
- Gabe Sapolsky has a new blog up, discussing booking theory in regards to the first ROH show and PPV as well as his favorite ROH match. You can check out the full blog here.
Credit: 411mania.com
Talk Ring of Honor right here on with the forum members
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Other
Marty Jannetty returns to the ring, Nowinski on Rather show, Former WWE refs to fight
- Marty Jannetty returns to the ring at the CLASH wrestling event on March 7th. The event starts at 7PM and will be held at the Taylor Town Trade Center in Taylor, MI.
- Christopher Nowinski was recently on the “Dan Rather Reports” show on HDNet. The show focused on concussions and brain damage to professional athletes.
- Former WWE referees Wes Adams and Mike Posey will face off in a wrestling match on March 28th at the Spring Bash 2009 show in Summit, MS at the Gordon Covington Rotary Gym. Adams wrestled as Scott Starr previous to his WWE refereeing job, and Posey wrestled briefly in TNA.
Credit: 411mania.com
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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
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Pinfall Recall News Feed for February 25, 2009
WWE
WWE.com posts update on Jamie Noble’s injury
- NASHVILLE - For Jamie Noble, the agony of defeat at the hands of Mike Knox is thankfully only temporary. The Raw Superstar is recovering from a brutal corkscrew into the mat that left him motionless Monday night on Raw. It had been reported that Noble had no feeling in one of his arms and his hand.
“The Pitbull” was immediately placed on a stretcher by Dr. Chris Amann and WWE’s Certified Athletic Trainers and taken via ambulance to a local emergency room in Nashville.
En route to the medical facility, Noble reportedly had begun regaining feeling in all of his limbs. An MRI administered shortly thereafter confirmed the best possible news.
“All of Jamie’s tests were negative,” Dr. Amann told WWE.com. ”I expect him to be sore for the next several days, but I think he will do fine.”
The Raw Superstar is in good spirits, and he expects to return to the ring as early as Monday.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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Who’s going to induct Steve Austin into the HOF, Smackdown rating, Backlash presale code
-The Houston Chronicle currently has as article up about the WWE Hall of Fame. In the article, they say that Vince McMahon will “reportedly” induct Steve Austin into the WWE Hall of Fame. You can read the full article here.
- The February 20th edition of WWE Smackdown scored a 2.2 broadcast rating.
- The presale code for the WWE Backslash presale, which takes place today, is “BACKLASH“. The PPV takes place on April 26th from Providence, Rhode Island.
Credit: 411mania.com
Express your thoughts on the possibility of Vince inducting Austin and Smackdown right here on the forums
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TNA
Dixie Carter issues address to TNA fans
- TNAwrestling.com posted the following message from TNA President Dixie Carter:
A MESSAGE FROM TNA WRESTLING PRESIDENT DIXIE CARTER
I want to take this opportunity to personally thank all of you for making last Thursday’s edition of TNA “iMPACT!” the most-watched broadcast in our company’s history.
Last October, we invited wrestling fans around the world to “Cross The Line” and sample our product, whether it was watching “iMPACT!”, ordering a Pay-Per-View, experiencing a live show or even visiting our website. We asked that if you enjoyed it, you would tell a friend about us. Well, you have responded and we are so grateful.
Since that time, TNA has also accomplished several major milestones including our debut in Hi-Def on SpikeTV, our first live television special from Las Vegas, our biggest event of the year with Bound For Glory and our hugely successful tour of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
In 2009, we will celebrate seven years in business. The little company who no one gave a chance has grown by leaps and bounds because of you, our fans. We will continue to work hard to earn your support. Several big things are already being planned including April’s brutal, all-steel cage pay-per-view, Lockdown, in Philadelphia, new superstars, new programming, a reinvigorated focus on the X Division, expansion of our online digital world and so much more.
Once again, all thanks to you. You are loyal and passionate and we don’t take this opportunity you have given us for granted.
Dixie Carter
President, TNA Wrestling
Credit: 411mania.com
Talk about Dixie’s state of the union right here with our forum members
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Other TNA news and notes for February 25
- The TNA Lockdown presale will begin tomorrow at 10AM through liacourascenter.com . The presale code is “ICON”.
- On April 18th, there will be a Fan Fest in Philadelphia as part of the TNA Lockdown PPV weekend.
- TNA will return to Dublin, Ireland in October. TNA’s last trip there saw two back to back sellouts.
- Kurt Angle will appear on the Howard Stern radio show again in March.
Credit: 411mania.com
Discuss these news bits on our forums right here
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ROH
ROH Newswire for February 25
- In case you missed it, KENTA is coming back to Ring of Honor! As explained in the main page article http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2641, ROH, in conjunction with Pro Wrestling NOAH, is bringing back the multi-time GHC Champion for four dates: Elizabeth, PA on March 20th, NYC on March 21st, and Houston, TX on April 3rd & 4th. We will have more on KENTA’s match announcements for these four events soon. Don’t forget you can save 25% off on all live event tickets, or almost anything else we sell at www.rohwrestling.com until Thursday morning. Details are posted on the main page.
- A huge Four Corner Survival match has been signed for March 13th, just outside of St. Louis. Austin Aries made some very insulting comments toward Silas Young in Detroit in January. And while Young came up short in that match-up, he advised the ROH booking committee that he wants an opportunity to avenge the words that Aries spewed about his family. Meanwhile, even as Claudio Castagnoli and Kenny Omega will lock horns as part of ROH’s debut in Indianapolis, Kenny Omega heard the comments that Claudio made about him in the 2/20 edition of the Newswire. “Claudio calls me a flash in the pan,” said the charismatic Omega. “That’s just fine by me, because I beat him once, and I’ll beat him in Indy, and why not, I’ll beat him at the Gateway Center as well!” It’s Castagnoli, Omega, Young, and Aries on March 13th!
- ROH officials have recently been in contact with a member of the AAA roster recently about coming in for the huge debut weekend of events in Houston on April 3th and 4th. More on this next week as it develops.
- Part 4 of the poignant Jerry Lynn interview is available. If you would like to see more “sit down” style interviews with ROH stars in the future, let us know who and we’ll do our best to make it happen. That interview plus Lynn in action from ROH’s recent Florida swing is part of the Wire, as well as comments from D’Lo Brown and the legendary “Nature Boy” himself, Ric Flair, calls out Larry Sweeney!?
- The 5th of the 6 Television Main Events has been signed, and it features two men that have been connected by recent animosity. Claudio Castagnoli and Brent Albright have had several “wars of words” and a lot of controversy as of late, but that aside, ROH officials feel they are two of the most physically gifted competitors ever to set foot in an ROH ring. Add that to their recent happenings, including their grudge rematch on 2/27 in Danbury, and this qualifies as a TV main event!
- We have the first match announcement for the ROH 7th Year Anniversary Celebration on March 21st in New York City! The ROH World Tag Team Titles will be on the line as Kevin Steen and El Generico will face the American Wolves – Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. And there is plenty of hate and bad blood to go around in this one, capped recently by Davey Richards attack on El Generico’s knee in Orlando. Now, ROH officials understand that order cannot be kept when the boiling point has already been reached between these four men. With that in mind, the ROH Booking Committee has decided that this match will be contested under “No Disqualification” rules!
Credit: 411mania.com
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Other
Homicide ruled in Verne Gagne case, charges unlikely
- WCCO Television in Minnesota is reporting that the Hennepin County Medical Examiner has ruled that the death of Helmut R. Gutmann being ruled a homicide due to complications from a right hip fracture. Gutmann was injured after being attacked by former AWA World champion and WWE Hall of Famer Verne Gagne. They both lived in the same assisted living facility and were dealing with dementia as a result of Alzheimer’s disease.
The investigation is ongoing, although the belief is that Gagne is unlikely to be charged due to the circumstances involved. There had been previous instances involving Gagne at the facility which had caused him to be removed from living there, although he was later allowed to return. One of those instances involved Gutmann.
Gagne is 82. Gutmann was 97 at the time of his death.
To read and watch WCCO’s coverage, click here.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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Pinfall Recall News Feed for February 23, 2009
WWE
Tonight’s Raw preview
- In addition to Shawn Michaels vs. JBL for the right to challenge the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, the following has been announced for tonight’s Raw broadcast:
- WWE Intercontinental champion CM Punk vs. WWE World Tag Team champion The Miz vs. WWE World Tag Team champion John Morrison for a slot in the Wrestlemania XXV Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
- WWE champion Triple H confronts Randy Orton.
- The latest confirmed WWE Hall of Fame inductee will be announced.
- Vladimir Kozlov has threatened to come to Raw and attack both Shawn Michaels and JBL.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
Discuss Raw and more on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards. The topic is here
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Second-Generation star released
- World Wrestling Entertainment announced that Manu (Afa Anoa’i, Jr.), son of Afa the Wild Samoan, has been released from the company.
Manu was signed to a developmental deal in late 2006. He was brought up to the Raw brand last year to second Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes as part of a second generation unit.
There had been some unhappiness about his work and look, which led to his removal from the Legacy group. He hadn’t been seen in several weeks after being broken off from the Legacy storyline with the last tease sort of being that he and Sim Snuka would have some sort of partnership.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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Wrestlemania 26 location announced
- A press conference will be held tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 PM Pacific to officially reveal that, as expected, Wrestlemania 26 will be held at The University of Phoenix Stadium, which can hold upwards of 70,000.
Representatives of WWE The Arizona Cardinals, Global Spectrum and Glendale, AZ Mayor Elaine Scruggs will be present at the announcement.
Arizona had been expected for well over a year as the city was actively campaigning for the event in mid 2008.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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TNA
Lockdown tickets go on sale this Saturday
- Tickets go on sale this Saturday for the April 19th TNA “Lockdown” PPV in Philadelphia, PA. Kurt Angle will be doing an on-sale appearance that morning in Philadelphia.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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ROH
ROH news and notes
- NWA champion Blue Demon Jr. will be appearing at the ROH events in Houston, Texas over WWE Wrestlemania weekend. Lucha talents Incognito and Magno will also be working the Texas dates.
- PhillyBlurbs.com featured an article today on Ring of Honor and their HDNet TV deal, tying the Wrestler’s Oscar attempts into the company being featured in the film. You can read the piece by clicking here.
- Bryan Danielson vs. Austin Aries has been added to the HDNet TV tapings.
- ROH announced that a Ric Flair promo on his forthcoming St. Louis area appearance would be included on their next videowire. It’s believed a deal is in place for 5 or 6 Flair appearances right now.
Credit: PWinsider.com
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Other
Hulk Hogan allegedly offered lead role for The Wrestler
- Hulk Hogan recently did an interview with The Los Angeles Times and he speaks on being offered the role of Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler, however he decided to turn it down. The following are some selected quotes from the interview:
“The movie got made and they cast Mickey Rourke…I thought he did a great job…I don’t think the public could have handled it, though…Just made me realize after seeing the movie with Mickey Rourke that if someone does the real Hulk Hogan movie, you better hang on for the ride, brother.”
“Made me realize how shock value - that just the drop of reality - can have an effect on the public,” Hogan said. “It was wrestling light. Very light version of wrestling.”
- On whether Rourke should have decided to wrestle at Wrestlemania 25: “You don’t want to jade your performance or have the Hollywood community look at you like, ‘you sold out.”
He then related a situation where he once told The Rock to seperate himself from the wrestling world if he wanted to have a successful movie career. He went on to say that he ended up only being offered B-Movies because although he was interested in acting he always went back to wrestling, which the Holywood community would not accept.
You can listen to audio of the interview if you click here.
Credit: wrestlezone.com
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