WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
4/15 Superstars TV results: Matt Hardy over Carlito; Christian over Chavo Guerrero; and Ted DiBiase over MVP.
4/15 Raw house show results from Lille, France: Evan Bourne over Chavo Guerrero; Christian over Dos Caras; Christian over Willian Regal; Eve Torres over Maryse; The Miz over Kofi Kingston & Ted Dibiase in a three-way; Sheamus over Mark Henry; MVP over Dos Caras; and Randy Orton & John Cena over Batista & Big show.
4/15 Smackdown house show results from Hannover, Germany: Matt Hardy over Dolph Ziggler; Michelle McCool over Beth Phoenix; The Hart Dynasty over Caylen Croft & Trent Barreta; R-Truth over Shad Gaspard; Kane over Luke Gallows; Drew McIntyre over John Morrison; Rey Mysterio over CM Punk; and Jack Swagger over Chris Jericho & Edge in a three-way.
The European tour continues today with Raw doing a double-shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Smackdown tonight in Zurich, Switzerland followed by Innsbruck, Austria on Saturday and Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday. Both crews then fly to New York for TV tapings with Raw from East Rutherford, NJ on Monday and Smackdown/NXT from the Mohegen Sun in Connecticut.
Smackdown TV tonight has Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge; Dolph Ziggler vs R-Truth; Drew McIntyre vs. Kane; Michelle McChool vs. Mickie James; CM punk, Luke Gallows & Darren Young vs. The Hart Dynasty & Rey Mysterio; and JTG vs. Caylen Croft.
***
Regarding travel, WWE is trying to keep their European tour moving along with both crews traveling by bus rather than plane to different cities. They had a police escort yesterday in France and should be arriving in Ireland this afternoon after 12 hours of bus and ferry travel.
Linda McMahon invested another $8 million into her Senate campaign bringing her total investment to about $14.5 million, which is more money than all her opponents combined fours times over. The Connecticut Mirror reports that Linda has turned a 10-point opinion poll deficit into a 10-point lead over Rob Simmons, her main rival, who has yet to air television commercials. The story noted that she doesn't have to answer any difficult questions about her past because she is leading the GOP primary with her money.
Jim Ross wrote on his website that his contract extension expires on 4/30. He said he expected his future to be clearer in the next week or so. "WWE says that they want to reassign me to another area and they choose not to use me on air. I have yet to hear the details of the new assignment but expect to some. Yes, my contract is up April 30. No, I have not broadcast my last event. " The Slam Wrestling website has a story on Ross at http://tinyurl.com/y79vvs4 who is accepting a lifetime achievement award from the Cauliflower Alley Club next week in Las Vegas during the Club's annual convention. The story notes that Steve Austin is taking time out of his movie schedule to attend with Ross. "The fact that Steve Austin is coming to Vegas to introduce me when I receive the Art Abrams Award is especially rewarding to me personally. Steve is so busy these days with his ever-evolving movie career, and for him to make time to attend this event is extraordinarily special. One of the great gifts of being in the biz are the friends that one is fortunate enough to make. And Steve and I will always be friends, thanks in part, to the wrestling business." For more on the CAC go to www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/.
Alex Marvez has a story on Ted DiBiase Sr. at http://tinyurl.com/y4tgjgq who is also receiving an award at the CAC convention. He talks about his WWF run noting that alcohol and drugs weren't really his bag but had an addiction to women. He also gave the company line that wrestlers don't party after shows like they did in his day. Probably true to a lesser extent.
A.J. Hawk of the Green Bay Packers did an interview stating that No. 1 on his bucket list would be to wrestle for WWE.
Pro Wrestling Revolution in Cali announced that they'll be acting as talent scouts for WWE with a focus on luchadors. Nobody in WWE would confirm this.
New Jersey's Record has a story on Santino Marella (partly in character) to promote Raw on Monday. He puts over Dusty Rhodes for helping him with his promos while taking a veiled knock at Hulk Hogan. He also says he's a fan of Jersey Shore and enjoys hiking and cooking in his spare time. Story is at http://tinyurl.com/y7lrfog.
Santino Marella will be appearing on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show this Wednesday at 9:20am. He is promoting his upcoming appearance at the FCW show at the Harborside Event Center in Ft. Myers, where he will be hosting the Diva’s Bikini Contest and an autograph session. More info at www.fcwwrestling.info.
The Daily Journal in New Jersey at http://tinyurl.com/y67r2y3 has a story on Chris Hollyfield who is billing himself as a WWE Star. If you don't recognise the name he's a 42-year-old midget who once appeared as Little Boogeyman during a wacky television segment. Hollyfield is touring local high schools with an anti-bullying message.
The Sheffield Star at http://tinyurl.com/y53ft3n has a story on Bret Hart comping his friend, and boxer Ryan Rhodes (who is managed by Ricky Hatton) to a UK house show this past week . The story notes that Rhodes wants Bret to be part of his entourage for his next fight on 5/21. Said Rhodes: "It was great to meet up with Bret again. I grew up watching him as one of wrestling's biggest ever names on TV. Now to have him as a friend is amazing. I'd be so proud to have Bret escort me in the ring with my belt. He's got a heavy schedule, which takes him around the world. But if he can be at my fights he says he will be. I'm defending my European belt and hoping to have a shot at the world title this year or next."
Maryse is really over in France and is getting huge babyface reactions from fans.
Mattel reported first-quarter profits today of $24.8 million, compared with a year-earlier loss of $51 million, helped in part from sales of WWE, Barbie and Fisher-Price brand merchandise.
The WWE website posted part two of it's 'Where Are They Now?' feature on The Warlord (Terry Szopinski). He noted he tried to return to wrestling in 2001, but was involved in a motorcycle accident that tore up his quadriceps and cracked his left knee cap in half. He now works security for a company called Relief Group International. He said, "They handle the auto relief group and are about to start investment banking as well... I do the security work, I do bodyguard work and I’m beginning to train some starters from the Miami Hurricanes football team. I’m also going to class starting in May to become a bail bondsman." One reader also emailed in saying they recently spotted Szopinski working as a bouncer at Diamond Dolls strip club in Pompano Beach, FL.
TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION WRESTLING
TNA run tonight in Independence, MO at the Events Center ahead of Sunday's Lockdown PPV in St. Charles. Line up is Ken Anderson vs. Kurt Angle; Abyss & Jeff Jarrett vs. Beer Money; Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky; Brian Kendrick vs. Kazarian vs. The Amazing Red; plus The Poipe, Rob Terry, Orlando Jordan, and Desmond Wolfe.
Lockdown with all the matches in a cage has AJ Styles vs. The Pope for the TNA heavyweight title; Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode, James Storm) vs. Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy) in Lethal Lockdown; Shannon Moore vs. Kaz vs. Doug Williams in a three-way for the X Division title; The Beautiful People vs. Angelina Love & Tara with both the Knockouts title and tag titles on the line; Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle; Kevin Nash vs. Eric Young; and The Band vs. Team 3D. RVD vs. James Storm will open the show to determine who gets the numbers advantage in Lethal Lockdown.
***
Ric Flair and AJ Styles appeared on the Fox news affiliate this morning in St. Louis pushing the Fan Interaction signings on Saturday. They played some WWE clips of Flair to introduce him. The host brought up that $299 was a lot of money for a wrestling convention but sold it saying Flair's signature was worth $100 and Styles' was probably worth over $300. Flair said Lockdown was TNA's version of Wrestlemania and their biggest event of the year. Well, it probably is this year. Flair also talked about the history of wrestling in St. Louis and put over Styles as a great champion and The Pope as a rising star.
The latest ticket count for Sunday's PPV is just over 2,500 sold.
Lacey Von Erich is now writing a blog at falsecountradio.com called Lacey Lately. This probably won't last long. She talks about going on the house show loop last weekend saying that she has now grown really fond of Angelina Love and rooms with Velvet Sky. She wrote that she enjoys being on the road and amuses herself by making prank phone calls to fans who give her their number via Facebook. "With the great people of Kentucky and West Virginia, the large accommodating arenas, and my girls by my side, all the stress, emotions, sadness, and the fact I had a 5am flight the next morning, disappeared. I cant wait to go on the road again..."
In response to Eric Bischoff calling Jim Cornette a "low rent con man", Cornette fired back with this: "Eric hurts my feelings---I was part of meaningful national promotions when he was still getting coffee for Verne Gagne. A con man tells lies--all I have to do is tell the truth. I AM good at gaining the attention of the wrestling fans (over 250 emails to jimcornette@jimcornette.com in the last 18 hours, unofficial count 244 for me, 6 against) and maybe he's jealous that his national TV show with a multimillionaire backer can't get ANY attention with the wrestling fans, unless it's bad. He puzzles me, though, about the fake autographs. I only sell things autographed by ME--how can I fake my own autograph? Is that a circular conundrum like, 'Can God make a rock so big he can't lift it?' Thanks for the pub, Easy E--maybe I can move some of those $1.98 clearance books of yours--but I won't sign them!"
The latest today from Bischoff via his Facebook page: "Jim needs psychological help. I know it must be tough getting up in the morning and looking at yourself in the mirror and realizing you look like 240 pounds of sausage stuffed in a 12 ounce polyester bag....but Jim needs to move on. The television business passed him by many Big Macs ago." He later wrote, "... threatening to kill someone, posting confidential corporate information, and posting terroristic threats doesn't make you a "genius" any more than criticizing the efforts/success of others when they realize that you have nothing to offer. Jim is a washed up, has been IWC icon to the 5% of the people that makes up a television audience."
And the latest response from Cornette: "Eric continues to wound my sensitive feelings--so I feel I must rebut his facebook comments point by point. It WAS real tough to look at myself in the mirror while working for the same company as Vince Russo, but with that out of my life I believe I am a darn good-looking guy. I recently went on a low-carb diet, and with the advent of Sprite Zero I'm down to 231 pounds. Everyone in the world except Easy E knows I don't eat Big Macs, they're far inferior to Wendy's Triple Cheeses. The only confidential corporate information yet to be revealed about TNA is how much Eric and Hogan soaked Dixie for when they played her, and whether Jason Hervey is getting Eric's Midget Wrestling title. Lastly, I never criticized TNA's efforts or success since there's no evidence they have ever legitimately made the former or achieved the latter. I think Eric is jealous of the fact that I don't have to do as he does and continue to work alongside and/or kiss the ass of people who have sued him, blamed him for the death of WCW, or taken him down in a locker room and roughed him up with no rebuttal. That kind of thing can make you bitter, Eric, perhaps counseling could help.Don't knock the IWC, E, keep producing programs like Impact and that "5%" will look lie the ratings for the moon landing."
The Inside Pulse website has a good editorial on TNA''s legal threats attempting to silence Cornette at http://tinyurl.com/y2vgyn5. Chris Morgado writes, "If the internet knows that Cornette isn’t actually coming up with a Dr Doom style plot to murder Russo and get away with it, you would think that people who have worked with and known the man for decades would as well. And in a year full of tea party protesters with Death To Obama signs and death threats on Senators over health care, the TNA higher ups and lawyers can’t possibly really think the Feds are going to look into Jim Cornette’s big mouth. To me, what this really is, is a giant bluff; an attempt to silence perhaps the loudest and most outspoken critic of the company, who has now lent his talents to what some would consider their REAL competition: Ring Of Honor. Will it work? Will Cornette keep his mouth shut from here on out? Will the Feds now come knocking on his door to question him every time a TNA employee gets in a fender bender or to drag him to jail every time Vince Russo stubs his toe? Come on. Those things are about as likely as Jim Cornette actually killing Vince Russo."
IGN has a story on Eric Young at http://tinyurl.com/y2scj3e.
Slammiversary is scheduled for 6/13 in Orlando, which marks the first time the event has not been on the road since 2006. My impression is this is a cost issue more than anything. They are talking about doing a King of the Mountain match which would likely include AJ Styles, RVD, Abyss, Ken Anderson, and Jeff Hardy, if his legal issue doesn't preclude him.
Ian Hamilton sent in the latest UK ratings data. For the week ending 4/4 Impact did 75,000 viewers on Bravo (- 45,000 viewers from the prior week) in it's prime time airing, while Raw did 133,000 (+36,000) viewers in it's live airing at 2-4am UK time. Smackdown did 119,000 viewers.
Universal Studios released an updated list of TV taping dates. One change was made--they had planned to do a live Impact on 5/31 (Memorial Day), but that's off. Instead the show will taped on 5/19 so they are taping three shows that week.
OTHER WRESTLING NEWS
Bruno Sammartino remembers Georgiann Makropoulos at http://tinyurl.com/y68yuan. Bruno notes that a few years ago Gerogie managed to bring together himself and Buddy Rogers for a photograph (they don't like each the) saying that she is the only person that could have have made that happen. Georgie was burried with that photo when she passed away in January.
A video has surfaced on YouTube with footage of former WWE wrestler Big Vito being attacked by angry fans during a show in Nepal, a country in Southern Asia, between china and India. The video is at http://tinyurl.com/y4uesw2. Vito was working a guy called the Himalaya Tiger, a local fan favorite. The incident took place last week in the town of Kathmandu. Vito was unharmed and protected the female referee from fans tossing chairs into the ring.
Dallas Page has a tear in his right knee that will need to be scoped. He is currently working on a direct-to-video movie called Pizza Man where he plays a character called The Big Cheese.
Wrestling manager Kenny Bolin has taken control of Lanny Poffo's website after Poffo fell out with his former webmaster. Hilarity ensues at http://whosslammingwho.podomatic.com/.
Brooke Hogan got some gossip column play this week for hanging out at Pure nightclub in Vegas where Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross was celebrating her birthday with DJ Samantha Ronson and Sidney Rice of the Minnesota Vikings.
A correction from yesterday. The wrestling convention in White Plains NY is on 5/8. Advertised names include Jim Duggan, Vampiro, AJ Styles, The Godfather, The Pope, Amazing Red, Tommy Dreamer, Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Gillberg, Ox Baker, Butterbean, Shelly Martinez, Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, and Traci Brooks. More info at http://www.bedofnailz.com/fanfest.
Today's Diva of the Day is Gail Kim at http://www.thewrestlingpress.com/DailyDiva.
