----WGN with Mike Aldren.
WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
11/22 Raw TV results from Orlando, FL: Sheamus over R-Truth; Ezekiel Jackson over Alex Riley; Daniel Bryan over Ted DiBiase; Natalya over Alicia Fox; John Morrison over Tyson Kidd; Randy Orton over Wade Barrett, and Miz over Randy Orton to win the WWE title.
11/23 NXT results from Jacksonville, FL: AJ won a trivia competition; Nikki Bella over Kaitlyn; AJ over Naomi; Kaitlyn won a sumo wrestling competition; and shockingly, as intended, AJ was eliminated.
Superstars on Thursday night includes Mark Henry vs. The Usos in a handicap match; and Trent Barreta vs. Zach Ryder. Newcomer Ashley Valence also makes her debut as ring announcer.
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For those who celebrate it, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday and drive safe!
The stories making the rounds that WWE agent Dean Malenko recently suffered a heart attack are not completely accurate. People had attempted to keep this quiet but the story is that doctors detected a clogged artery after Malenko experienced shortness of breath and nausea at the 10/26 Smackdown taping in Milwaukee. Subsequently he underwent surgery to have a heart stent put in. Malenko, 50, has already returned to work following the procedure and was backstage at television this past week.
MTV, Us magazine, TMZ and ESPN's Bill Simmons were among the mainstream media covering Miz's WWE title win on Monday night. The show saw a slight bump from last week doing a 3.3 rating and 4.85 million viewers.
John Cena noted on Twitter that he purchased tickets for Monday's Raw in Philadelphia, so I guess they're doing that seated ringside gimmick. For house shows they're doing the other gimmick where Cena is replaced by his Mexican cousin, "Juan Cena."
This week the company issued a casting call to Hollywood PR agencies for Tough Enough, which is expected to begin filming in February and airing later in the spring. The casting directors are looking for men and women with "charisma, personality, athleticism, agility, stamina, strength, and an intense desire to be the next WWE Superstar." That last part means things like not lying on your application about not doing nude photo shoots, not posting drunken Tweets or Facebook updates after Midnight, and definitely not getting arrested for public intoxication... As the company now won't be taping Tough Enough until early next year, there is some debate as to whether there will be a forth season of NXT. A few week's ago we were told probably not, but a final decision has not yet been made. WWE has indicated to some overseas markets (as the show still airs in other countries on television) that there will be a forth season that will begin taping in early December.
The company is also actively recruiting new writers from Hollywood. They don't want anyone with a wrestling background or anyone who knows too much about the product, as crazy as that seems. The only person now left on the current creative team with a wrestling background other than the McMahon family is Michael Hayes, who heads up Smackdown.
CM Punk is expected to remain on commentary for the rest of the year. He's said to be shooting to return for the Royal Rumble in January.
The younger brother of Dolph Ziggler, Ryan Nemeth, 26, started training with OVW in Louisville about four months ago. He's said to be a taller, better looking version of Ziggler who is past his brother as a pro at this stage of the game. He also has an MA in English from Xavier University and is the author of a novel titled, I Can Make Out With Any Girl Here.
Ziggler, who was trying to make out with a former Diva the other night, was checked for a concussion following Sunday's match with Kaval at the PPV. He was kept out of the ring at television this week as a precaution.
Alex Riley appears to have survived the latest round of cuts following his arrest last week for DUI. A couple of WWE people speculated that Riley was lucky that nobody in Shawn Michaels' family was hurt when they were hit by a drunk driver over the weekend--because should they had been, he more than likely would have been fired.
There is talk of Bret Hart returning soon as part of a new angle with the Hart Dynasty.
The Paul Bearer kidnapping storyline continues this week on Smackdown with a shocking twist.
Chavo Guerrero Sr. on Monday Night Mayhem spoke about his niece Shual recently joining the developmental program. He said: "My dad never approved of women wrestlers. Put it this way: Shaul is going to be the first Guerrero woman to get into the business. If I thought like before, if I thought like the way my father thought, I would be not really too much into the idea, but times change. If that's what my niece wants to do, then I have the full support of her. I appreciate the WWE taking her in, and giving her the opportunity, and paying her to train, which is even better. It's going to be up to her to get better and better everyday."
Jim Ross at www.jrsbarbq.com noted that a rep for MMA fighter Roy 'Big Country' Nelson recently contacted him about Nelson getting into WWE. "Roy Nelson might become a star in pro wrestling if he applied himself to it but so many athletes come into the wrestling biz thinking that it's easy and takes little effort to be good at it. Nothing could be more wrong," wrote Ross. "For the record, I have not gotten involved in this matter and likely will not. If I were Nelson, I would cultivate my relationship with UFC and look to earn some hefty paydays before looking for the next in ring career move. Nelson fits well into the UFC heavyweight division and I could see him earning some nice money with his puncher's power the next couple of years especially if he would focus more on his conditioning."
The Gobbledy Gooker was just added to the Alumni section of the WWE website. Hilarious.
The 11/19 edition of Smackdown did a 1.70 rating and 2.5 million viewers.
Joey Styles wrote on Twitter last night that his WWE contract expires on Friday. I assume he's referring to his talent contract, and not his employee contract.
A couple of "brain farts" to correct from the last newsletter. Buck Dixon in developmental is the son of Mark Canterbury (Henry Godwin), not Dennis Knight, and it was Dolph Ziggler over Kaval to retain the IC title at Survivor Series.
The former Alex Koslov in FCW will be using the name Peter Orlov moving forward. Alex Sherman is actually his real name.
Beth Phoenix celebrates a birthday today.
TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION WRESTLING
Impact on Thursday night includes the return of Dixie Carter (at least in a backstage segment confronting Bischoff); Tommy Dreamer vs. Rhino in a street fight, and Jeff Jarrett vs. Jesse Neal in an MMA match.
The company is taking a crew to Abu Dhabi this weekend for three shows at the Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian Club. Those advertised for the tour include: Jeff Hardy, Jeff Jarrett, Mr. Anderson, AJ Styles, Machine Guns, Pope, Madison Rayne, Samoa Joe, Abyss, The Beautiful People, Beer Money, Jay Lethal, Brian Kendrick, Douglas Williams, Shannon Moore, and Orlando Jordan.
***
A new video of the Hardy brothers hanging out wrecked at a diner surfaced the other day on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/3993w65. In the video Jeff cuts a promo on CM Punk accusing him of taking Ambien (prescription sleep med)--mocking the notion that he's Straight Edge, says he's a nerd, says he's cocky inside and outside the ring, says he made Punk a "mother FN superstar", and finishes his diatribe with a big FU and double middle finger salute. Matt Hardy is also in the video saying that Amy Dumas (who has dated both Matt and Punk) still calls him when she gets emotional.
There was a TNA Street Team giving out promotional fliers at Amway Arena during Raw on Monday... Inside the building there was also a fan sat ringside opposite the hard camera decked in full Hulk Hogan attire. Security made him take most of it off and gave him a Stand Up For WWE t-shirt.
Sources out of Mexico indicate the company is close to signing El Zorro of AAA.
Taryn "Tiffany" Terrell said this week that she wants to continue to wrestle post-WWE, saying she is open to offers from TNA. Terrell told www.mondaynightmayhem.com: "I would definitely say that my future is wrestling. I was not this crazy lifelong fan. I wish I could say I was, but from the time I started wrestling before my very first tryout at OVW, I bought five wrestling books, and read them, and learned as much as I could. I immediately fell in love with the business, and I have such strong passion for it, so no matter what, I’m definitely going to be wrestling. If TNA comes knocking at my door, I’m definitely open to that, and I think Dixie Carter has done really an amazing job. She’s really put in a lot into the Knockouts division, and they have a lot of really great talent there. I would love to go there. I’d love to be with TNA. I just love it, and have such a passion for it, and whoever will have me, I am ready to get back into the ring."
The former Linda Bollea was not a fan of A&E's documentary on Hogan and told the New York Post she'll detail some of her problems in her upcoming book. She was quoted as saying, "He has never apologized publicly or privately for his infidelities that destroyed our family. His adultery, cruelty and continuing dishonesty and failure to abide by any of our agreements continues to make life miserable... for me and our children." Hulk responded through his rep saying, "I can no longer respond to the bitterness and lies that I dealt with for 23 years."
Kurt Angle is under consideration for a major movie with Sony Pictures... Angle also recently wrapped another movie in Pittsburgh called Death From Above which is direct-to-DVD in February. Sid Eudy, Matt Morgan, Rhino, ODB, and James Storm either had cameos in the film or did stunt work, along with Angle's new bride, Giovanna.
OTHER WRESTLING NEWS
DeKalb County, GA police identified 31-year-old Ahmed Gill as a suspect in the shooting of local wrestler Chris Long over the weekend. Gill has been charged with homicide and aggravated assault, according to the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at http://tinyurl.com/35fz27h.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson publicly shot down rumors that he's lined up for the upcoming superman movie. While on the red carpet premiere for Faster on Monday night, Johnson said, "I love Zack Snyder (Hollywood Director), I'm a big fan of his. We're buddies and I don't believe the rumors to be true. But I would make a GREAT Superman."
Former wrestling valet/promoter and adult star Jasmin St. Claire just released her memoir What the Hell Was I Thinking? Confessions of the World's Most Controversial Sex Symbol.
The Heyman Hustle posted some recent photos of Tammy Sytch at http://tinyurl.com/389tzez. She looks great and the story says she's been doing lots of charity work lately.
Today's Babe of the Day Gail Kim is at http://thewrestlingpress.com/?page_id=298
