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WWE

ECW on Sci-Fi rating

- The 11/18 edition of ECW on Sci Fi did a 1.2 cable rating (rounded up from a 1.15).

Credit: PWinsider.com

Does the WWE have to be concerned about this rating with it being a big show heading into Survivor Series? Express your thoughts on this and more on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards located right here

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WWE changes referee protocol

- Starting soon WWE will stop the branding of referees and all refs will wear the same shirts (likely the traditional black & white stripes), and only two refs will be going out on the road for Raw & Smackdown House Shows rather than three. 

Whether this will lead to any refs being released is unknown. 

Some refs also work on ring crews. Mike Posey & Charles Robinson are examples. It is possible they could be booked on some shows only as ring crew now rather than as ring crew and as refs too, as ref pay falls under the talent budget and ring crew pay falls under a different budget.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Talk about the change in referee policy and more right here on our forums

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WWE social networking site is now up and running

- World Wrestling Entertainment is now officially in the social-networking industry. 

The company has officially launched WWE Universe, an online destination for the millions of WWE fans to gather and discuss all things WWE. 

WWE quietly tested the website since April and has already obtained more than 200,000 users without spending a dime on advertising or promotion. 

WWE Universe is seen as a way to keep WWE fans in one place and capitalize on it, rather have them switch between, say, Facebook or MySpace. 

The company will be able to gain more revenue from online ads and merchandise sales. It also creates a community and user base to which it can promote upcoming projects, including its slate of films that start rolling out early next year, beginning with the Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2 Director) actioner “12 Rounds,” starring John Cena. 

WWE Universe includes profile pages, message boards, discussion groups, live chats and blogs but also includes active participation by more than 80 WWE entertainers. 

The site traffic is mostly men 18-35. But it’s also proved popular among women, who currently account for 40% of its user base. 

“People are looking less for a passive experience and more for an interactive experience,” said Brian Kalinowski, WWE general manager of digital media. 

WWE also found that its audience on the website wanted more video and less text. 

“They want more interaction with talent and richer media,” Kalinowski said. “We’ll be making the transition to a site that’s more image- and video-heavy.” 

As part of that, WWE.com launched an enhanced video player last month that already has boosted viewership of original programming by 77% and increased ad impressions by 95% through pre-roll ads that play in front of video content.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

If you had a WWE Myspace username, what would it be? Post them right here on our message boards

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WWE stock drops dramatically

- WWE’s stock closed today at $10.33, which is significantly down from yesterday’s $11.73. This can’t be a good sign for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

What impact do you think this will have on the roster, if any? Discuss the financial state of WWE and more here

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Random tidbits from Stamford

- WWE has released a new John Cena shirt, which is a play off of the old AWA logo. You can see the new shirt if you CLICK HERE. 

- The documentary from the Mr. Perfect DVD will air on PPV next month. 

- There has been a lot of online media attention today for the WWE Universe launch. There are articles on TVSquad and CrunchGear and other online outlets. 

- Paul Heyman discusses Brock Lesnar’s UFC Title win in his UK SUN column, which can be read if you CLICK HERE. 

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Talk about Cena, Perfect, Lesnar, Heyman, and all your favorite superstars right here on our forums

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TNA

TNA could be releasing more talent soon, Frank Trigg on his way back?

- Mike Johnson from PWInsider.com is reporting that TNA is heavily discussing releasing some of their under-utilized talent as of late. Lately, the talks have been more abundant and releases of the lesser used stars should come as no surprise. 

- Speaking of TNA, everyone’s favorite MMA crossover, Frank Trigg, is reportedly telling those who will listen that he will be back in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling shortly, possibly working with Kurt Angle. This has not been confirmed, but it seems likely. 

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Do you want Trigg back if it costs TNA some talent? Discuss that and more here

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Sonny Siaki update

- Former TNA wrestler, Sonny Siaki, issued the following statement today:…On behalf of The Siaki Family, a BIG THANK YOU goes out to Dixie Carter and The TNA family. Thank you for the contribution from you and the TNA fans, posting a blog about my brother on the TNA website, autograph 8×10’s, DVD’s, Action Figures, TNA shirts signed by all the TNA superstars, TNA women’s gear and many more TNA memorabilia’s. That meant A LOT to my brother. We wish TNA the best of luck. WWE… We wish you the best. 

(Editor’s note: Siaki recently retired from wrestling in order to donate organs to his sick brother)

Credit: wrestlezone.com

We here at Pinfall Recall wish the Siaki brothers a clean bill of health. Give your wishes and talk TNA right here

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Other

NWA news and notes from tapings

- For the NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood TV Tapings, due to scheduling issues with talent, many of the segments were filmed out of order. 

NWA champion Blue Demon Jr. was only available on the first taping on Friday, so everything with him was filmed then. 

Adam Pearce was unable to attend until Saturday’s taping, so his segments were all filmed Saturday and Sunday. 

Dave Lagana, former WWE Creative team member, was brought in to work on the TV tapings. Lagana, who is living in Los Angeles, was added to the NWA’s creative team to work on the writing, formatting and timing of the tapings due to his experience with WWE. 

There was an audio issue with the friday night tapings where everything was recorded on one audio channel, as opposed to the crowd, announcers, and the ring each being recorded on separate individual channels. This will make it very hard to work on in Post-Production. 

Porn stars Ron Jeremy and Trina Michaels were in the audience at the Saturday taping. 

Several matches and segments were taped for alternate versions of the show and for future DVD releases by Big Vision Entertainment.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss the new NWA venture and classic NWA on our Pinfall Recall Forums located here

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WWE

Big Monday Night Raw news 

- According to WWE’s website, tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw will open with Stephanie McMahon holding a live Q&A where WWE stars can ask her anything they want.

Of course, this will be a scripted segment where stars will get the chance to ask what the future holds for the brand since Mike Adamle was “fired” as General Manager, so don’t expect anything cute. It’s all part of whatever direction they are going towards.

- The Miz and John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio and Shawn Michaels (teaming for the first time ever, I believe) has been added to tonight’s Raw.

Previously announced - 

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton.

Credit: PWinsider.com

With these segments and matches on tap, will you tune in? Tell us here on the Pinfall Recall Message Boards

Adamle upset at losing GM job

- The Wrestling Observer is reporting that former Raw General Manager Mike Adamle was very upset when he learned that he was to be written off television as the GM. When Adamle arrived to the building the morning of the Raw broadcast, he was informed by creative that it would be his last show as the General Manager and that there was no current plan in place to have him continue with the WWE as an on-air personality. His reaction later that night on television was genuine, as he became very emotional on the air and was said to have been emotional about the creative decision all night.

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Did you like Adamle as GM? Discuss how you would’ve run Raw here on our forums

Matt Hardy blogs about overseas trip and knee injury

- Matt Hardy has posted a blog on his Myspace page, which not only details his over seas trip to Europe, but also describes the hyper-extension of his knee during his match against Finlay which aired this past Tuesday night on ECW. Hardy writes: 

“I fortunately retained the ECW Championship in a hard-hitting, fantastic match against the veteran Irishman. Unfortunately, something none of you at home witnessed-because it happened during a commercial break period-was me painfully hyper-extending my surgically repaired left knee. I continued that match without acknowledging it to anyone but knew I had hurt it. After the match, I was examined and diagnosed with a slightly torn PCL and stretched ligaments in the back of my knee. I could finished the tour out, but had to do some major treatment, wrapping and bracing of my knee. And by the way, I thought going into this day I had tomorrow off because it was a Smackdown only taping. I find out at the end of the night I’m needed tomorrow for both episodes of Smackdown. I guess that’s what you get for being a WORKHORSE, HA! Now I already have the stress of an extremely hard trip plus a knee injury. Welcome to the wrestling business boys and girls. I felt much better when I got back to the hotel, my Smackdown crew got in, and the ECW, Raw, and Smackdown crews hit the hotel bar. I think the entire WWE drank every ounce of alcohol and liquor in Manchester that night! LOL!” 

Day 6 

“Manchester, England - I wake up and my knee feels absolutely horrible. I can noly walk. It’s one of those moments when I ask myself how am I gonna do this.. How am I gonna perform tonight. After soaking and icing and treating and wrapping and bracing my knee thoroughly, somehow I do. I wrestled Shelton Benjamin in a Champion versus Champion match and came out victorious. I thought it was a helluva match as well. In case you’re wondering, I was in excruciating pain the whole time. I also wrestled another tag match that will be featured on this week’s Smackdown. I also wanna tell everyone that I was extremely proud of Jeff on this day as he had possible his best TV day performance EVER. That night, a little social time was had-but I actually got a good night’s sleep. I had to-my knee and my performances for the week were depending on it.”

Credit: wrestlezone.com

If you are an MF’er then head over to our message boards located right here and talk about your favorite superstar

WWE posts then pulls cheap shot directed at UFC

- Less than 24 hours after posting it, WWE has removed their congratulatory note on WWE.com regarding Brock Lesnar’s UFC Heavyweight Championship win, along with the following cheap shot at the company:  

“Critics have noted that many of the fights on the UFC pay-per-view ended in the first round, leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content. The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious under-card fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a “crap shoot” in regards to filling the full three hours.”

Credit: PWinisider.com

Does WWE have the right to take shots at UFC? Discuss it here

JR blogs about wrestling couples, John Cena, Kurt Angle, more

- Not with any one in particular in mind but does any one ever day dream why “wrestling couples” usually don’t make it? It’s a challenging profession, much akin to Hollywood, when there are two performers in the marriage or relationship where often times egos and who gets the most TV time or the biggest “push” can adversely affect these fragile to begin with unions. For the record, when I was head of talent of the WWE I cringed when I saw two performers who traveled almost constantly become couples. Travel and ego’s seem to be the root causes of these “not meant to be train wrecks.” Some couples cannot separate the difference in being in lust and being in love.

- After Brock Lesnar’s huge weekend in the UFC,  I assume we can expect the plethora of rumor and speculation that Kurt Angle will someday be going to the UFC. I don’t see it happening myself nor do many others that I know that have infinitely more knowledge of the matter than I.  As I have said before, if Kurt had tried his hand at this ten years ago,  I could see it possibly being a successful venture. But with lingering, neck issues and an absence from competitive athletics for so long, it would seem that particular ship has sailed  for the 1996 Olympic Gold medal winner in free style wrestling. 

- I certainly hope that John Cena is physically 100% come this Sunday in his “hometown” of Boston for the Survivor Series. It doesn’t seem far fetched to say that Cena would appear to be a heavy favorite to win the World’s Title from Chris Jericho on Cena’s first night back after being shelved due to a neck injury requiring surgery. I will be curious to see what kind of reception Cena receives in Bean Town and will enjoy watching the event from ringside as Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler call that particular bout. Without question Jericho will have his share of fans in Boston on Sunday as well. It’s all good as there will be a backside every 18 inches as the event has been sold out to the tune of over $700K since tickets went on sale several weeks ago.  

As always, Jim Ross covers other topics in his blog, which you can check out by clicking here.  Ross also has some specials on merchandise available on his website.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Talk about JR and his blog topics right here on our forums

Other

Mick Foley’s sitcom gets a name

- The name of Mick Foley’s sitcom has been officially changed from “Hey Dude!” to “Have A Nice Day!”.  Supposedly one of the reasons for the name change was due to confusion with an old Nickelodeon show of the same name.  Of course, “Have A Nice Day!” was the name of Foley’s first best-selling autobiography which pretty much opened the floodgates for wrestling books.

Credit: PWinsider.com

Are you going to watch “Have A Nice Day!”. Tell us how you think it will do right here on our message boards.

Bret Hart talks about his health, future, and Hart’s wrestling now

- Jeff Wilen of the Daytona Beach News-Journal has posted an interview he conducted with Bret “Hitman” Hart on his blog, and you can check out the full interview by clicking here.  Here are just a few highlights from the interview: 

On his current health: 

“I feel really good. I’m close to a 90-95 percent recovery from the stroke. There’s still some delay in movement on one side. I’m mostly concerned as to the toll wrestling took on my body. My back. My knees. I will need a knee replacement surgery in the next few months. Wrestling is a very physical job.”

On his future plans:

“I’m working on another book — a novel. Maybe go back to film school. Maybe make movies — taking the ability I have to tell stories. I see a lot of wrestlers that go back — all they know is wrestling.” 

On his family members currently wrestling: 

“I hope Harry (Smith) gets a better shot — he’s a much better talent than people realize. Nattie (Natalya) is doing really well. Teddy (Hart) is setting Mexico ablaze. They all take a lot of pride in the profession.”

Credit: PWinsider.com

Talk about the Hitman with our forum members here

Paul London taking a break from the ring, Marc Mero gets robbed

- PWInsider.com is reporting that Paul London may not be returning to the ring as quickly as some might expect. The recently released WWE superstar is reportedly considering taking some time off from the wrestling business and has just relocated to the Los Angeles, California area. London has hopes of working in either the stuntman or acting industry, and at various points in the past has expressed interest in working in one or both of those fields. 

- PWInsider is also reporting that former WWE superstar Marc Mero recently had his Florida gym broken into and several items were stolen from the premises. WKMG Channel 6 in Orlando is reporting that among the items stolen were a plasma TV and a computer. The gym is located in Alamonte Springs, FL and other than the two items mentioned nothing else appears to have been stolen from the facility. Mero has expressed relief that none of his wrestling memorabilia had been taken. 

Credit: wrestlezone.com

Would you like to see London back in the ring? Does anyone remember Marc Mero? If you do, then click right here

WWE

Smackdown House Show Result

The following results are from the Smackdown house show in Berlin, Germany. The results are courtesy of PWInsider.com:

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Carlito & Primo Colon (c) b. The Miz & John Morrison via Backstabber

WWE Diva´s Championship Match - Special Guest Referee: Maria
Michelle McCool (c) b. Maryse via Roll Up

The Great Khali b. Ryan Braddock via Chokebomb

WWE United States Championship Match
Shelton Benjamin (c) b. R-Truth via Roll Up

Matt Hardy & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) b. Chavo Guerrero & Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas)
via Twist of Fate to Chavo Guerrero

The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezekiel Jackson) b. Kung Fu Naki via The Kendrick

Jeff Hardy b. Vladimir Kozlov via DQ after a chair shot from Kozlov

WWE Championship Match
Triple H (c) b. The Big Show via Pedigree

credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss the results right here!

WWE.com Article Takes Shot At UFC

WWE.com has an article up commenting on last night’s UFC 91 PPV which aired last night. The article takes quite a few shots at UFC and the MMA business itself, at one point saying the PPV bouts were ending quickly “leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content.”

WWE went on to say “The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious undercard fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a “crap shoot” in regards to filling the full three hours.”

credit: wrestlezone.com

UFC fan? Let us know in our forum!

TNA

TNA Congratulates Brock Lesnar On Victory

- TNAwrestling.com has an article up congratulating Brock Lesnar on his UFC Title victory last night. The article also hypes the release of the Kurt Angle DVD, where they tease Angle following his former opponent into the world of MMA. You can check out the full article here: http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/1165/84/

credit: 411mania.com

What’d you make of Lesnar’s victory? Let us know!

ROH

Former ROH Booker Comments On Departure

The former RoH booker breaks his silence and comments on his departure from ROH…

- Former ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky has decided to make some comments since being dismissed from Ring of Honor last month. Here are some of the highlights…

On His Departure: “I’ve had a little over three weeks to reflect, think about things and get out of the ROH bubble. It’s funny how you don’t realize you are in the bubble until you are out of it. It is actually amazing the conclusions you come to and the things that become clear about yourself and business once you are removed from a situation. I’ve come to a lot of realizations in the last few weeks. First of all, while I won’t admit that I agree with the decision to dismiss me, now that I’ve thought about things I certainly can’t disagree with it. There are several reasons for this all relating to me and my behavoir, but that is for another time if I ever decide to even publicly talk about it.”

On ROH owner Cary Silkin and ROH as a company: “Cary Silkin put a lot of faith and trust in me, more than I could ever hope or ask for. He deserves much more than a huge thank you from me, but it is all I can offer at this time. Cary is the man. I still have nothing but love for ROH and everyone there. It is full of hard-working, professional, intelligent people and the pro wrestling business needs what ROH offers. Most importantly, it is full of good people and that includes the entire office and the locker room. I am looking forward to seeing how the company grows and what direction it takes now. It is a fun time for ROH with everything so fresh and exciting.”

On the ROH Driven PPV: “That said I just want to put over Kevin Steen, El Generico, Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black for the main event of the current PPV. This is one of my favorite matches in ROH history. It is now extra special for me because it meant that the final show I was involved with in Boston ended with a resounding bang. I saw Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger in that complex in 1989 and now was able to produce a great PPV from the same location. That is very special to me. Steen, Generico, Jacobs and Black deserve all the credit for putting together and executing what I believe is truly a perfect match. I have nothing to gain by plugging this. I’m not a shill for ROH anymore. I just want people to see it because these four deserve for it to be seen. Thanks guys for giving me that memory too.”

credit: 411mania.com

Talk Ring of Honor in our brand new ROH section in the PFRC forums!

Other

JR Posts New Blog

Former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar won the UFC Heavyweight Title Saturday night in Las Vegas with a 2nd round TKO over UFC legend Randy Couture. Perhaps now MMA purists will acknowledge Lesnar’s athletic abilities and not hold his tenure in the entertainment world of the WWE against him. But somehow I doubt it….at least not for now.

The pro wrestling bias has never been more prominently displayed than by what I perceive to be a vocal minority of MMA fans against Lesnar simply because he signed with the WWE after an outstanding amateur wrestling career that was topped off by winning a NCAA Heavyweight Title in 2000 after finishing 2nd in the NCAA’s in 1999 while wrestling for the University of Minnesota.

When my fellow WWE officials first saw Lesnar,  it did not take a Mensa member to ascertain what an amazing physical specimen that he was. As the head of the WWE Talent Relations department at that time and ultimately responsible for finding, signing, and monitoring the training of future WWE stars, signing Brock was a no brainer. He flourished in the Louisville based training camp and was one of the great amateurs like Danny Hodge and Jack Brisco to make a virtual seamless transition from the amateur world of wrestling, the world’s oldest recognized sport, to the world of entertainment/show biz  featuring great athletes aka pro wrestling.

Brock’s journey to the main roster in the WWE wasn’t without its bumps in the road but collectively we got through them and Lesnar progressed in rapid fashion to the main talent roster of the WWE. Lesnar was earning 7 figures faster than any rookie I ever signed in my role in the talent department in the WWE and that includes such stars as Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson and Kurt Angle.

Unfortunately Brock hated the amount of travel that it took to be a main event star in the WWE and earn the type of money that came with his “spot.” He left the WWE primarily due to travel issues and embarked on another adventure as Brock tried to earn a roster spot with the NFL’s  Minnesota Vikings.

When the NFL did not work out, Brock turned back to his long time roots and parlayed his grappling skills and amazing athletic gifts by signing with the UFC. Lesnar’s name identity that he developed globally with the WWE made Brock marketable from day one but it also came with a pre-conditioned identity. Lesnar was a former pro wrestler and that stigma made the South Dakota farm boy a marked man from day one by many UFC fans.

UFC promoters discovered what many successful pro wrestling promoters had known for years and that is their fan base would pay big money to see someone get their ass beat if that individual represented what the majority of the fan base disliked which could come in a variety of incarnations.  In the annals of pro wrestling, that could mean an evil  “German”, a diabolical “Japanese”, a menacing “Masked Man”, or a flamboyant “Loud Mouth” among many personas.

Lesnar was none of these but he did have the “distasteful” pro wrestling stigma attached to him that will be a part of his UFC bio until the day he retires. Never mind that the guy was a superb amateur wrestler long before his short albeit successful stint in the WWE. “Dammit the guy was one of those pro ‘rasslers and those guys have no business in any form of MMA.”  Wrong.

Simply being billed as a former WWE Champion was enough to make some MMA fans “hate” the 6′3″-275 pounder from day one. By the boos I heard Saturday night on PPV,  many UFC hardcore’s still despise Lesnar and perhaps even more so now that Lesnar is “their” heavyweight champion and more specifically because Brock defeated “Captain America”, the beloved, and deservedly respected, Randy Couture in such a dominating, no questions asked fashion. BTW Couture is a class act and a credit to the UFC. Hopefully, Couture will go down in weight and continue to fight as one can’t help but love his passion and warrior spirit.

However, now the UFC can promote Lesnar vs. virtually any qualified, MMA born and bred heavyweight they choose and the fans will be on board in the hopes of seeing Brock humbled and, more pointedly, beaten to a pulp.

The same pro wrestling methodology that has been around for decades is now exactly what MMA hardcore fans are buying into.

Of course, according to some of the MMA vocal minority, I, being a proud member of the pro wrestling community for many years,  have no business writing about a sport of which I am a huge fan on a website that our company owns. Shame on me.

The pro wrestling bias isn’t new nor is it going away any time soon. Some former wrestlers have reluctantly had to distance themselves from the genre to become successful in other fields. That’s not because these individuals don’t respect the fans or the wrestling business but it’s because the decision makers of their new endeavors don’t want to be associated with the wrestling biz.

That’s sad.

Brock Lesnar will likely never earn the full respect of the die hard, MMA, hard core fans. That’s their loss. Lesnar is not without his faults, the same as any other human, but no one with a modicum of common sense can deny Brock’s God given athletic gifts and the fact that because of his upbringing and his amateur wrestling background that Lesnar has a work ethic, and an ego, that will drive him to be the best in his field.

I have seen this first hand but of course my opinion, being that of a ‘rasslin announcer, means little.

Brock Lesnar was “The Next Big Thing” at one time in the WWE and he is definitely “The Next Big Thing” today in the UFC. I expect Lesnar to continue to improve his MMA skills with his burning desire to be the best in his field.  The self proclaimed purists of the MMA world can like it or not but for sure they will keep buying tickets and pay per views to see one of their own destroy Lesnar.

credit: jrsbarbq.com

Talk about JR’s post right here!

Brock Lesnar’s Wife Is Pregnant

If you missed the UFC 91 PPV last night, then you didn’t see Brock Lesnar congratulated by his wife, former WWE Diva Rena “Sable” Mero. Following the bout, Sable hit the ring and Lesnar gave her a kiss and then kissed her stomach. Sable is pregnant with the couple’s first child.

Following last night’s PPV, UFC handed out several bonuses based on the results of the card. Here’s how the bonuses break down:

Knockout of the night was given to Jeremy Stephens for his uppercut on opponent Rafael Dos Anjos.

Submission of the night went to Dustin Hazelett for his armbar submission to Tamden McCrory.

Fight of the night went to Jorge Gurgel vs Aaron Riley after both competitors fought through all three rounds.

And as we reported earlier, Brock Lesnar will receive a huge bonus for defeating Couture.

credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss right here!

WWE

Advertised Matches For Upcoming Raw

The Philis Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home to this coming Monday night’s Raw broadcast, is advertising the following matches for the event:

Chris Jericho vs. Batista vs. Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight Championship

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

Punk vs Orton was announced last week on Raw, so that match will take place on the live broadcast, however the Triple Threat Championship match will most likely be the dark match main event.

credit: wrestlezone.com

Discuss here!

Could Lashley Make a WWE Comeback?

- Bobby Lashley was on the latest edition of “The Shoot” and now seems interested in retuning to the wrestling business. Here is part of the interview:

Bobby Lashley stopped by The Shoot on November 13th, he was welcomed by hosts Gary Cantrell and Alan Martin. Gary starts off by asking Bobby about his WWE release. “I spoke with some of the higher ups, and just came to the conclusion that I did ask for my release.” Bobby also responded to the rumors that his release involved Kristal Marshall by saying, “There was nothing at all to do with Kristal why I left. I don’t know who brought that up or why that brought that up but it was completely wrong.” He also mentioned that he would love to go back to professional wrestling at some point as he really enjoyed the atmosphere and interacting with the fans. Gary then goes on to ask him about the feeling of headlining a Wrestlemania. “Walking out there in front of 85,000 people, it was without a doubt surreal man.” He was then asked if he was at all nervous before walking through the curtain, and Bobby said “I was more anxious than nervous. I was ready to go out there, I couldn’t wait to get out there.” The conversation switched to talking about the schedule that comes with being a top tier WWE star. “It has a big effect on your family life but I think the people that are able to it for a long time have a lot of support from their family. All in all your doing a lot, but on the same token your able to take care of your family like you never have before. There was things that I was able to do for my family, my extended family, friends, and everyone else that I never thought I’d be able to do so I didn’t mind at all sacrificing myself in order to take care of everyone else and everyone else understood it.”

To find about what went down during the rest of the interview including Bobby’s MMA aspirations, Training with American Top Team, Bonding with Paul Heyman, starting Lashley Nutrition, calling out Brock Lesnar and his pick for the Lesnar/Couture fight then head over to The Shoot. The interview starts around the 5-minute mark/

Credit: Pwinsider.com

Lashley fan? Let us know!

ROH

ROH Newswire
November 14th: TONIGHT is the night. Ring of Honor “DRIVEN” debuts on PPV. In the United States you can watch this event on iN Demand, The Dish Network, and TVN cable systems. In Canada you can see this event on Bell Express Vu and Viewer’s Choice cable systems. The event replays several times this weekend including the traditional 8pm EST time slot on Sunday. For more information on the event click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2387.
November 14th: Mark and Jay Briscoe showed a different and somewhat unfortunate side of themselves after their hard fought loss to Kevin Steen and El Generico in Toronto. Their level of aggression post-match was at an all-time high, and their frustration due to the loss went way past what we’re accustomed to seeing from the former World Tag Team Champions. “We’ve earned our spot. We’ve done it time and again, and now we have that black mark hanging over our heads”, said Jay Briscoe. “But we’re gonna do what we do, son, and that’s simple. We man up. Can Steen and Generico do that? Are they men or mice? Yeah, they got a win. ONE win. That don’t prove nothing to nobody. Do it again and then maybe you got something.” We’ll have comments from Steen and Generico next week in the Newswire.

November 14th: Claudio Castagnoli has been rumored to have been training along side ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness. He’ll put that alleged training to the test as he’s thrown himself into the Four-Corner-Survival scheduled for Chicago on 11/22. Besides the challenge of Silas Young, Sami Callahan, and one other unnamed competitor on that night, don’t forget that Castagnoli is facing Bryan Danielson in a highly volatile grudge match the night before in Dayton!

November 14th: Mums the word in Austin Aries’ camp as he prepares for his “I Quit” war against Jimmy Jacobs on 11/22. We know that Tyler Black will second Jacobs to the ring, and that Aries will also have a second, but he has refused every inquiry as to who that second will be. Aries will get an up close and personal look at Black the night before in Dayton during the scheduled 3-Way-Title Match as they both oppose Nigel McGuinness, but will Aries’ second also be on hand?

November 14th: ROH officials have been unable to reach anyone connected to the Necro Butcher to ascertain the status of the knee injury he suffered at the hands of the AOTF’s Brodie Lee in Montreal. Necro has seemingly gone into seclusion, and at this point all we know is that he’s scheduled to be a part of ROH’s debut events in St. Louis and Nashville. We can’t confirm at this time if he’ll be able to compete, but we can surely surmise that he has his sights set on revenge.

November 14th: The Triple Savings Sale returns for a few days at www.rohwrestling.com. With the first part of the sale you can save 15% off your next order. The second part of the sale features over 60 DVD’s reduced to $5 or less. The final part of this sale gives you 30% off tickets to ALL upcoming Ring of Honor live events. Don’t forget you can use the 15% off sale along with the $5 Sale and the 30% off ticket sale. If you’re looking for ROH tickets, this is your time to buy.

November 14th: Without question, the top two female competitors to emerge out of the St. Louis wrestling scene in recent years are SHIMMER Champion MsChif and Daizee Haze. Both women have several years of history with one another, both as training partners, adversaries, and as occasional teammates. There’s no better place for MsChif and The Haze to have their first one-on-one match in ROH competition, than in front of the St. Louis area fans who have watched them from the start of their careers. On 12/5 in suburban St. Louis, these two Women of Honor will show their hometown fans what athletic female wrestling is all about in ROH. If MsChif is still SHIMMER Champion come 12/5, the title will be on the line!

November 14th: Sources indicate that Larry Sweeney has been reluctantly telling those around him that it’s time Bobby Dempsey earned his keep. Could this mean that Dempsey will finally see action inside the ring as opposed to always being forced to hide under it? And when might this happen? More on this as it develops.

November 14th: There is a great video on the Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens feud with Sweet N Sour Inc posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMwXYss9XU8. If you missed the latest Video Wire you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ6b74OOCKM&feature=channel.

November 14th: Fans of Nashville, get ready. After spouting some unflattering comments on November 10th, Nigel McGuinness will be forced to physically back them up as he will face Jerry Lynn man-to-man! This match will take place regardless of whether or not McGuinness retains the ROH World Title in Dayton or Chicago. “Nigel is a great wrestler”, said the ever-classy Lynn. “He’s one of the best of his generation. But that ego of his is going to be his downfall. I’m glad the booking committee made this match for me and my hometown fans, and I promise those fans in Nashville that win, lose, or draw, I’m taking Nigel to the limit.”

November 14th: We’ll have more news on the St. Louis and Nashville cards early next week in the Newswire, as well as an update on whether or not Brent Albright and Roderick Strong plan to find a replacement for the injured Erick Stevens in Chicago. Also, we’ll have exclusive “Final Battle Weekend” news and more. Have a great weekend!

November 13th: We’re just one day away from the debut of Ring of Honor “Driven” on PPV. The event will air on iN Demand, The Dish Network, and TVN cable systems. The early reviews have been outstanding including Sean Radican of pwtorch.com giving the main event of Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico 5 STARS. Radican wrote “The main event was simply incredible. This is the best match I’ve seen in 2008.” Richard Gray of wrestlingnewsworld.com says “ROH offers so much more bang for your buck than WWE or TNA pay-per-views that buying them should be a no-brainer. The final two matches of the show are two of the best matches that you will see on pay-per-view this year”. For more information on the PPV click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2387

November 13th: There is a video teaser posted for the “Driven” PPV at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkqQbehGSxc.

November 13th: The stage is set! December 27th in New York City at the Manhattan Center, the grudge match of the year has been signed for Final Battle! Former ROH World Champion, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, will finally get his chance at redemption as he will oppose the man responsible for his permanent loss of eyesight, a man who in his own right is also a former ROH World Champion, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Takeshi Morishima! Both men are focused on taking the other out for good, so much so that both parties have agreed to settle the score in a Fight without Honor! It should be mentioned that if circumstances find Bryan Danielson once more carrying the ROH World Title, then the belt will also be on the line! Tickets are available now at www.rohwrestling.com.

November 13th: Nigel McGuinness certainly isn’t planning on anyone else carrying the ROH World Title anytime soon other than himself. To that end, we’re told the training regiment for both his Dayton championship 3-Way-Dance against Austin Aries and Tyler Black, as well as his highly publicized PPV encounter against Bryan Danielson in Chicago, must be seen to be believed. In fact, it seems that Claudio Castagnoli has been seen sparring and talking strategy with McGuinness. As we all know, Castagnoli is opposing Danielson in a heated grudge match of their own on 11/21 in Dayton!

November 13th: ROH officials are happy to welcome back Bushwhacker Luke Williams, as he will be appearing in the St. Louis Area on 12/5 and in Nashville on 12/6.

November 13th: If you missed the announcement on the main page at www.rohwrestling.com it’s now official. Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Black has been signed for Chicago Ridge, IL next Saturday night. Black has stated that when he wins the ROH World Title the night before in Dayton, he’ll defend the belt against Joe in Chicago. You can still get 25% off all tickets for this loaded PPV taping.

November 13th: Kenny Omega was both consoled and congratulated by the Briscoes for his effort, albeit on the losing end, in their Montreal tag team match. Kenny King inexplicably abandoned Omega during the contest and watched him ultimately fall to the Briscoes while laughing at him from ringside with his new found cohort, Rhett Titus. As a result, we’re happy to announce that two big grudge matches have been signed. In St. Louis, Kenny Omega will face Kenny King one-on-one in the hopes of gaining revenge. Not to be outdone, King accepted the match on the condition that he be granted a match of his choice. That match, signed for Nashville, will be a 6-Man-Tag Team match pitting Kenny Omega and the Briscoe Brothers against Kenny King, Rhett Titus, and King’s YRR partner, the returning Sal Rinauro!

November 13th: Speaking of Rhett Titus, he’s decided to thrust his name into the hat for the Four-Corner-Survival taking place in Dayton on 11/21. Already announced for that match is newcomer Sami Callahan, and the addition of Titus leaves two spots still open. Don’t forget that Callahan is also signed for the Four-Corner-Survival scheduled the next night in Chicago.

November 13th: You still have less than 24 hours to take advantage of the 25% off sale at www.rohwrestling.com. Everything is on sale including all DVD’s, tickets, & apparel. Don’t forget the latest DVD releases from Ring of Honor including “The Tokyo Summit” from 9/14/08 features KENTA & Kota Ibushi vs. Naomichi Marufuji & Katsuhiko Nakajima; Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Bryan Danielson for the GHC Jr. Title; Nigel McGuinness vs. Jimmy Jacobs for the ROH World Title; Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Davey Richards & Takeshi Morishima; Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black; El Generico vs. Taiji Ishimori; plus more. “Battle of the Best” from 9/13/08 features Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson; Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe for the World Tag Team Titles; El Generico, Shingo, & Dragon Kid vs. Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino & BxB Hulk; Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards; plus more.

November 13th: We regret to inform you that due to a Grade 3 concussion suffered at the hands of Sweet-n-Sour Incorporated in Toronto, Erick Stevens will be unable to appear as scheduled in Dayton and Chicago. We’re told that Stevens is resting comfortably and is completely disgusted by what happened. The ugly attack can be witnessed in the latest ROH Video Wire at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ6b74OOCKM. This turn of events leaves the team of Brent Albright and Roderick Strong shorthanded in their scheduled 6-Man-stipulation-to-be-named-PPV-War against Sweeney’s team of Go Shiozaki, Chris Hero, and Davey Richards. We’re awaiting word from the ROH Booking Committee on whether or not this match will still happen. For more information on the show you can also log on to www.ChicagoProWrestling.com.

November 13th: “Dirty” Ernie Osiris has uncomfortably asked ROH Officials to let the fans know that he will accepting donations at all upcoming Ring of Honor events in the hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford a “battery-operated beard trimmer” and “semi-decent ring gear”. Thank you.

November 11th: The ROH World Tag Team titles will be defended in Dayton! Fresh off their victory against the Briscoes in Toronto, Kevin Steen and El Generico will once more battle Jimmy Jacobs and the Age of the Fall. Jacobs will go to battle along side Delirious in the hopes that he can win the titles with yet another partner. ROH officials were surprised that Jacobs chose Delirious instead of Jacobs’ former championship partner, Tyler Black. We were unable to get a comment from Jacobs in reference to the choice.

November 11th: Ring of Honor returns to PPV this Friday night with “Driven” on iN Demand, The Dish Network, and TVN cable systems. The first reviews on this tremendous event are in. To read the reviews and for more information click here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2387

November 11th: Speaking of the AOTF, fans in St. Louis and Nashville will see them first hand as Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, and Delirious will all be in attendance. Also scheduled to appear is the Necro Butcher, who must be chomping at the bit to get revenge as he was injured in Montreal against the AOTF beast, Brodie Lee. As of now we do not have any update on Necro’s condition.

November 11th: Fans in Toronto saw the frustration mount and explode from Mark and Jay Briscoe after they lost their hard fought battle with Steen and Generico. The former World Champions unexpectedly lost their composure after the bout, resulting in a shoving match with the victors that had to be broken up by officials. “We are the best tag team in the world, “said Jay Briscoe. “And we flat out lost. Were we pissed? You damn right we were, and we still are. So now what do we do? We man up. And it starts in Dayton.” We’ll have their opponents as soon as possible right here in the Newswire.

November 11th: Super Agent Larry Sweeney isn’t happy about bringing Sweet-n-Sour to St. Louis and Nashville. “It makes me sick,” quipped Sweeney. “Nobody wants to spend time around toothless hillbillies and I’m only bringing Davey Richards to those two dumps because he wants to hurt somebody.” Richards was victorious in both of his matches in Canada, and seemingly wants to continue his charge. “Let’s face it,” Sweeney continued. “Davey is unstoppable right now and it won’t stop in Dayton against Brent Albright, it won’t stop in Chicago, and it sure won’t stop in St. Louis or Nashville. I could beat anyone in those two towns.”

November 11th: We are happy to announce that the Four Corner Survival will return to ROH in Dayton on 11/21 and Chicago on 11/22! The first competitors to throw their names in the hat are Sami Callahan and Silas Young. Callahan will be a part of the battles in both towns, while Silas appears in Chicago only. Both men will try to prove themselves in one of Ring of Honor’s signature encounters. We’ll have more combatants for these matches as we get closer to the events.

November 11th: Look for the new ROH video wire to be posted later today or by Wednesday at the latest.

November 10th: ROH is happy to extend a huge THANK YOU to the wonderful fans of the Montreal and Toronto areas for two wonderful events over the past weekend. We are happy to announce return dates of April 17th in Montreal, Quebec and April 18th in Markham, Ontario. Tickets for both events are on sale now.

November 10th: Speaking of “thank you’s”, ROH officials want to publicly acknowledge the remarkable efforts displayed by the Necro Butcher in Toronto during the ROH World Title match against Nigel McGuinness. After suffering a knee injury the night before in Montreal, Necro displayed an incredible sense of pride and guts as he lobbied to participate in the match against the advice of medical personnel. We wish Necro a speedy recovery and will update his status as news becomes available.

November 10th: Erick Stevens was blind sided and publicly attacked by Sweet-N-Sour Incorporated following Saturday’s Markham, Ontario event. New ROH backstage interviewer, Kyle Durden, was in the midst of an interview when cameras captured the violent attack. We hope to have the footage available soon and we are awaiting confirmation of the severity of Stevens’ injuries.

November 10th: Kenny Omega took the ball and ran with it over this past weekend with impressive showings in both Montreal and suburban Toronto. Kenny King was apparently unimpressed, as he abandoned Omega during their scheduled tag team match against the Briscoes in Montreal. King left ringside with Rhett Titus, and ended up being successful with Titus against the AOTF contingent of Brodie Lee and Delirious. Both King and Omega will be a part of the debut of ROH in St. Louis and Nashville! We’ll have their scheduled matches soon right her in the newswire.

November 10th: You can now save 25% off all orders placed at www.rohwrestling.com. This offer is good on DVD’s, tickets, apparel, & more. Check out the main page of the site for details along with the discount code.

November 10th: Jimmy Jacobs was a bloodied and beaten man at the end of the night in Markham. That did not stop him from commanding the attention of ROH film crews, who captured Jacobs’ reactions to the brutal Dog Collar match only minutes after the bell rang. We will bring you that footage soon, as well as several other video pieces, at ROHVideos.com.

November 10th: Jerry Lynn was 1-for-2 in his contests over the weekend, but in the eyes of the fans, he convincingly batted 1.000. The ovations for the 45-year-old veteran in both Montreal and Markham didn’t go unnoticed, especially by ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness, who was said to be “less than happy” with how much adulation Lynn received.

credit: rohwrestling.com

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Other

Hulk Hogan Selling Trademarks To Eric Bischoff

- TMZ.com reports that Hulk Hogan is apparently selling some of his trademarks to best friend Eric Bischoff at discounted prices as a way of keeping Linda Hogan from getting access to them during their ongoing divorce case. The trademarks in question are apparently big ones — Hollywood Hulk, Hulkster, Hulkamania, and his grill and energy drink. Linda Hogan’s lawyers have filed papers in court claiming that she has rights to these trademarks. Hogan’s lawyer is denying the report that Hulk is trying to hide assets by selling them off to friends.

credit: 411mania.com

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UFC 91 Card

Below is the final advertised card for the UFC: 91 Pay-Per-View airing tomorrow night at 10pm EST from Las Vegas:

-Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture.

-Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson.

-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks.

-Nate Quary vs. Demian Maia.

-Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdon McCrory.

-Jore Gurgel vs. Aaron Riley.

-Jeremy Stephens vs. Rafael dos Anjos.

-Alvin Robinson vs. Mark Bocek.

-Matt Brown vs. Ryan Thomas.

credit: wrestlezone.com

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