WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
1/10 Raw TV results from Nashville, TN: Alberto Del Rio over R-Truth; Daniel Bryan & Mark Henry over Tyson Kidd & Ted DiBiase; John Morrison over Sheamus: and Randy Orton & Jerry Lawler over Miz & Alex Riley. Due to other segments running long a Divas match between Natalya and Maryse was cut from the show.
1/11 NXT TV results from Birmingham, AL: Derrick Bateman won a slingshot competition; Conor O'Brian over Byron Saxton; Derrick Bateman won a password challenge; and Johnny Curtis over Ted DiBiase.
Superstars on Thursday night includes Chris Masters & JTG vs. Chavo Guerrero & Curt Hawkins
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Shawn Michaels was the first name announced for the 2011 Hall of Fame. Michaels is one of three major names we know the company has talked to about accepting the honor and was always going to be the most likely to accept as he's under long term contract. WWE is now pushing Michaels aggressively as the greatest Superstar of all-time since Flair and Hogan are both working for the opposition. Soon after the announcement was made during Raw on Monday night, Sean Waltman, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall all said they hoped to attend the induction ceremony in Atlanta, which would presumably, and perhaps poetically, lead to a final curtain call. Waltman noted that "The Klique" hasn't been together in one place since 2002.
Raw did a 3.1 rating and 4.6 million viewers. The company is actually thrilled with that number up against the Auburn-Oregon game which became the most watched show in the history of cable television drawing over 27 million viewers.
John Cena on Twitter claimed he was fined for using bad language during his promo on CM Punk. He said "ass" which has been a banned word on live shows since Raw went PG. He wrote that he was frustrated with injury and couldn't wrestle, which is funny because he worked a dark match after the show went off the air.
Smackdown on 1/7 did a 1.95 rating and 2.85 million viewers. The show drew it's highest household rating ever on SyFy and second highest number ever in terms of viewership.
Undertaker was backstage at Tuesday's Smackdown taping in Birmingham. He was overseeing the current angle with Wade Barrett as Barrett is the guy he's hand picked to work with at Wrestlemania since Vince's plan to snag Brock Lesnar never came to fruition.
Former announcer Mike Adamle was arrested at 1am Monday morning in Evanston, IL for DUI. He was also cited with disobeying a traffic device and failure to comply with the Secretary of State's address change policy. Adamle, 61, who currently works as a Sportscaster for the NBC affiliate in Chicago, was later transferred to Evanston Hospital for drug screening. A court hearing is scheduled for 2/14 in Skokie.
Another former announcer, Todd Pettengill is a finalist in Regis and Kelly's Male Guest Co-Host contest.
WWE offered a developmental deal to Brandon Barker, a graduate of Lance Storm’s wrestling academy in Calgary. He's due to start soon in Tampa when his visa clears.
The company recently hired a psychiatrist to evaluate talent and address any potential issues before they develop. As in those who crack on the road or develop obsessions for married world champions. They hired Dr. Mark Unterberg who is a clinical professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Unterberg has also been Team Psychiatrist for the Dallas Cowboys since 1979, and is also an NFL Clinician for the NFL Players Program of Substance Abuse.
Former Diva Maria Kanellis did an interview this past week saying she feels the door is always open for her to return. She even said she received a text from Vince McMahon over the holidays wishing her a Merry Christmas.
The Chaperone with Triple H is slated for a short theatrical release the weekend of 2/18. The film goes on sale on DVD and Blu-Ray on 3/8.
Chris Jericho's band Fozzy is playing at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter appeared last Saturday night at Pier 60 in New York City. He helped to raise over $700,000 for muscular dystrophy research along with players from the Jets and the Knicks.
TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION WRESTLING
Impact on Thursday night features all the fallout from Genesis and focuses on The Jarrett's and Kurt Angle, angle.
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TNA announced changes to it's pay-per-view schedule today with Victory Road moving from July to 3/13 and Destination X from March to 7/10. That's according to an edited press release posted on the company website. The first draft of the release listed Destination X as 7/17 which would put the show head-to-head against WWE's Money in the Bank PPV on the same night. So either the first date announced was a typo or nobody checked the WWE calendar with carriers.
Matt Hardy and Kurt Angle were added to the upcoming UK tour joining Ric Flair, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Douglas Williams, Jeff Jarrett, Mr. Anderson, Beer Money, Machine Guns, Pope, Shannon Moore, Matt Morgan, Madison Rayne, Angelina Love, Mickie James, and Tara. Dixie Carter is also making the trip and said the UK is one of her favorite places to visit.
Jesse Neal, Generation Me, and Sarita all signed contract extensions with the company.
Stevie Richards (Michael Manna, 39) came to the TV taping on Monday and quit. He wrote that he talked his decision through with Terry Taylor and Vince Russo and left it at that. Richards was already written out of storylines with a neck injury and there were no future plans to use him.
Desmond Wolfe was spotted backstage at television this week but his status is unknown.
Scott Steiner is in Orlando today and has told people he's starting back with the company.
Mickie James and Jeremy Borash did some PR on Orlando radio Tuesday morning to encourage people out to the taping that day. When asked if she was single, James confirmed she was but noted she hangs around wrestlers, so sometimes "stuff happens". Borash joked that James has lots of admirers in the locker room.
OTHER WRESTLING NEWS
The Philadelphia medical examiner's office determined that Michael Verdi aka Trent Acid died from drug intoxication and ruled his death an accidental overdose. Jeff Moran, Director of Communication for the Department, told us that toxicology results were sealed and only available to the next of kin. Verdi, 29, a popular Northeast independent wrestler was found dead by his mother at home on 6/18/2010. Two months prior to his death he was arrested for possession of heroin. He was sentenced to 23 months of confinement, in addition to court mandated rehab, after reaching a plea deal. He violated probation by leaving the country to wrestle in Japan soon after sentencing and had another trial pending which friends say he was worried about due to the likelihood he would do jail time.
Brock Lesnar along with Junior Dos Santos was announced as a coach on the next season of UFC's Ultimate Fighter. They will be mentoring fighters at 170-pounds. UFC President Dana White made the announcement during a media conference call on Tuesday. During the call he reiterated once again that Lesnar won't be working with WWE nor appearing at Wrestlemania while he's under contract to the UFC. “Obviously, I was in communication with Brock and his team, and talking to them the whole time," said White. "There was no wheeling and dealing about the WWE. I think everybody knows how I feel about that. He’s under contract with me.”
The final Ring of Honor on HDNet TV tapings are scheduled for 1/21 and 1/22 in Philadelphia. The company released a statement today revealing that it's contract with HDNet expires on 4/4. "Ring of Honor Wrestling would like to thank HDNet for the last two years, especially those behind the scenes that made it possible every single TV taping," ROH President Cary Silkin said. He added that the company will be looking to book more live events in the gaps that would have occupied TV tapings as well as search for a new US television network to carry ROH programming.
Today's Babe of the Day is Sarita at http://thewrestlingpress.com/?page_id=298
