WWE News Bytes

December 14, 2007

by Sassy

Tribute to The Troops

WWE’s Tribute to the Troops will air on Monday, Christmas Eve, December 24, 2007.

Former WWE Champion John Cena made the recent trip to Iraq for WWE’s Tribute to the Troops special. Cena was featured in photos now online on www.WWE.com, still wearing a sling from his torn pectoral muscle.

WWE Pays for Rehab

Jake The Snake Roberts has been placed in rehab by World Wrestling Entertainment according to the Legends Championship Wrestling website.

"Baby Doll" Nickla Roberts, who is featured on Legends Championship Wrestling, informed the company that Jake "The Snake" Roberts was placed in a nine-week rehab program this past Monday by WWE. Nickla Roberts is the ex-wife of Roberts' half-brother, Sam Houston, who has stayed in close contact with Roberts. In a recent interview Nickla Roberts said "Jake needs prayers and support from all of us."

Jake "The Snake" Roberts was last seen in WWE back in 2005 where he confronted Randy Orton, who was preparing to challenge the Undertaker at WrestleMania 21. He later had a brief spell in TNA last year.

This looks to be the first former WWE Superstar who has accepted WWE’s offer to pay for their rehab. Roberts has been known in the past for abusing substances and comes to little surprise that he has accepted WWE’s offer. Source: www.prowrestlingfans.com

It appears that Jake is the first former WWE wrestler to accept WWE’s offer to pay for rehab, at least the first that we are aware of. Any other WWE wrestler, past or current, should be proud of Jake for taking the first step and, if you need help, get it now.

Injury Updates

Cena is out with a torn pectoral muscle but he did make the trip to Iraq for the Tribute to the Troops.

Matt Hardy is still out after undergoing an emergency appendectomy although he is scheduled for a personal appearance (see TNA Talent Events farther down the page).

Candice Michelle is scheduled to be back to WWE on December 29, 2007.

Torrie Wilson is taking time off due to some back problems.

Big Scare!

Breaking: Airplane Carrying WWE Talent

Article By: Ryan Clark, December 7, 2007, 2:52pm

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that while details are still sketchy, WWE's SmackDown/ECW crew had a huge scare a few hours ago in Europe.

Apparently after last night's show in Frankfurt, Germany, the WWE superstars were on a Lufthansa flight that was going to Zurich, Switzerland (the location of tonight's show). As the aircraft was about to land, another airplane got in the way of landing. At the last minute the pilot of aircraft carrying WWE talent was able to get the airplane back in the air.

The aircraft later landed safely. The entire WWE crew was said to be very shaken up and were even described as being "white as ghosts" several hours after the scare.

WOOOOOO!

Could someone in WWE please make up their minds

This from The Wrestling Observer:

there's some breaking news on the Ric Flair "win or be fired" angle. The original plan devised by Steve Austin was to have Flair appear on all three brands as his win streak continued. If the angle had continued as planned Flair would have challenged for a heavyweight title at WrestleMania. WWE has gotten cold feet about the plan though as they pulled Flair from appearances on both Raw and Smackdown last week. WWE scheduled Flair for Raw's three-hour show tomorrow night where the story should be continued, but possibly in a completely different direction. Source: www.angrymarks.com

Despite helping the Raw audience grow 1,205,000 viewers on 11/26, Ric Flair was pulled without explanation from previously planned television appearances on both 12/2 Raw in Florence, SC and 12/3 in North Charleston. Flair is booked for Raw on December 10, 2007, but his storyline will likely focus on the reunion of Evolution (source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

MIKE MOONEYHAM: Decision to pull Flair riles fans

Posted on 12/10/107 by Mike Informer

Decision To Pull Flair Riles Fans

By Mike Mooneyham, Dec. 9, 2007

The formula was to have been fairly simple for last week's Monday Night Raw at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Ric Flair, the greatest performer in the history of the business, would make his first live local wrestling appearance in more than three years. The moment would be even sweeter considering he had returned to WWE a week earlier following a hiatus of several months. His promo on that week's edition of Raw, which aired from his hometown of Charlotte, was the highlight of the show, and his non-title win over WWE champion Randy Orton drew one of the best numbers in months for the highly rated mat program.

Some local fans remained skeptical, however, recalling past WWE shows in which Flair was pulled at the last minute for storyline reasons (selling an injury) and off-camera circumstances (fallout over a highly publicized divorce and an alleged road rage incident in which charges were later dropped).

But this event, Flair followers reasoned, would be different. Vince McMahon's "lose and you retire" stipulation was the beginning of a can't-miss, Rocky-like storyline, with fans tuning in each week to see if the 16-time world champion could beat the odds. And while Charlotte may be the Nature Boy's hometown, Charleston ranks a close second, being smack dab in the heart of Flair country.

Even of more import historically was that last Monday night most likely would have marked the 58-year-old Flair's final match in Charleston, a town where he first laced up the boots back in 1974, making his appearance that much more special. With the plan calling for Flair to retire at Wrestlemania next March, another local showing before then would be highly unlikely.

There would be no early Christmas present for local wrestling fans Monday night. Flair, once again a victim of company politics and a contract dispute, was pulled from the show. Those in attendance at the North Charleston Coliseum were left wondering why in the world were they deprived - yet again - of seeing the beloved performer who helped define a generation of wrestling in this area.

Local response was fast and furious.

"I am incensed. I don't understand," said longtime fan Robert Ellington of Charleston. "We're in Charleston, South Carolina, and this is Ric Flair country. Why did we not at least even see Ric Flair get a chance to cut a promo or do a run-in? Anything with Ric Flair would have been fine. It didn't have to be a full match. We didn't even get to hear him talk. I just don't understand it. That was really a bad move. WWE needs to do better than that."

Ellington said he hasn't seen Flair in a live appearance since 2002 and was greatly looking forward to Monday night's nationally televised event.

"It was a decent show, but it could have been that much better with Ric Flair. The pop would have been amazing."

Greg Pitt of Charleston also voiced his displeasure with the decision to scratch Flair from the show. He harkened back to the days when Flair worked for WCW and often found himself the victim of backstage politics.

"When WCW - and mainly Eric Bischoff -were trying to bury his career, it made me extremely angry and sad. One year after WCW folded, it was great to see the Nature Boy back on TV, and this time getting the respect he so richly deserved. As usual, though, over time he's put in a mid-card role and putting younger talent over. It's tremendous for the younger talent because they launch their career by getting one over on the greatest professional wrestler of all time. On the other hand, year by year, Ric has done what's best for the business only to be put down and not given what he deserves - one final title reign."

Pitt also pointed to why Flair has had to play second fiddle to Hulk Hogan during their respective careers in WWE.

"Vince McMahon made the overrated, overpaid Hulk Hogan ... but he didn't make Ric Flair. Ric was already the best when he went to the WWF the first time. That's the only reason why Vince gives Hogan more liberty and Ric less. It looks as if Ric's last match will be at Wrestlemania. Unfortunately I probably won't see it.

"Shame on Vince McMahon and the entire WWE for not doing the right thing for tradition and the business ... No one can take away what Ric Flair means to this business, this part of the country and tens of thousands of fans."

It should come as little surprise that Raw's ratings, which held up nicely the previous week on the strength of Flair's return, dropped to a 3.2 for last week's lackluster show. With a strong Monday Night Football game between New England and Baltimore, combined with many viewers tuning out after realizing there would be no Flair, the numbers suffered.

WWE is rolling the dice with this week's installment of Raw. The company is presenting a three-hour celebration commemorating Raw's 15 years on their air, advertising such past and present WWE luminaries as Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Eric Bischoff and Lita (Amy Dumas). Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, one of the biggest stars in the company's history, turned down an offer to appear on the show.

Flair is being listed for the special as part of an Evolution "one night only" reunion with Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton.

WWE Doesn’t Play Fair

WWE.com Rigs Polls Involving Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle, and Raw's 'Hottest Diva'

Submitted by Daniel Pena on December 9, 2007 - 9:02pm.

With Raw’s 15th Anniversary 3-hour show December 10, 2007, WWE's official website asked fans to vote for their favorite moments, Divas and Superstars, among others, in Raw history. They announced the results of the polls earlier today, but at least two of the polls appear to be rigged.

WWE.com stated that the John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels nearly hour-long match in the U.K. last April was voted as the greatest match in the history of Raw. Here is what they wrote regarding Raw's greatest match:

"Raw has had thousands of matches, but tops on your list, with 24.2 percent of the vote, was John Cena and Shawn Michaels' nearly hour-long epic classic in the U.K. on the April 23, 2007 edition of Raw. Coming in second, at 19.6 percent, was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's battle with Kane for the WWE Title in 1998, followed by Jeff Hardy and Undertaker's 2002 Ladder Match at 17.61 percent."

According to the real poll results on WWE.com, the Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit steel cage match that took place on June 11, 2001 was voted as the greatest match in Raw history with 32.33 percent of the vote. The Cena vs. HBK match didn't even finish in second place as that distinction goes to the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Kane WWE Title match that took place the night after King of the Ring '98, which took home 26.09 percent of the vote. Cena vs. HBK actually finished in third place with 11.34 percent of the vote. Additionally, the Jeff Hardy and Undertaker Ladder Match in the summer of 2002 only garnered 6.89 percent of the vote, not 17.61 percent, not to mention that it finished in fourth place, not in third place.

The 'Greatest Match' poll wasn't the only poll rigged on WWE.com as the results for Raw's 'Hottest Diva' were rigged as well. Here is what they wrote regarding 'Hottest Diva':

"For our fans, it was "100% Stratusfaction" when deciding Raw's Hottest Diva. Seven-time Women's Champion Trish Stratus took top honors in the voting with 20.8 percent of the vote.

The four-time Women's Champion Lita came in second with 14.6 percent, and Candice Michelle finished third with 11.8 percent. There's really no loser in this category, however. All the Divas are smokin'! We all win."

According to the real poll results on WWE.com, Lita was the legitimate winner of the poll, not Trish Stratus. Trish didn't even finish in second place in the poll as that distinction goes to Mickie James. According to the real poll results, Lita came in first place by a mile with 34.77 percent of the vote. Mickie James, who is not even mentioned in WWE's blurb, finished in second with 21.79 percent. Trish actually finished in third place with 12.18 percent of the vote, but was deemed the winner of the poll by the WWE overlords anyway. Candice Michelle actually had a low vote tally with a 4.26 percent vote total. Mickie James garnered over five times the amount of votes of Candice, but is not even mentioned in the blurb on WWE.com. Melina and Torrie Wilson also finished ahead of Candice.

As far as the other poll results are concerned, they appear to be legitimate as the results listed on WWE.com match up with the actual poll results.

You can read Bob Magee’s perspective here: http://www.pwbts.com/messages/14403.htm

And Mr. Magee has more on the subject:

More on the gimmicking of votes on WWE.com online contest with screen caps of real vote totals

Posted on 12/11/107 by Bob Magee

As we reported yesterday, leading up to tonight's 15th Anniversary RAW three-hour telecast, WWE clearly and sloppily gimmicked the results of online contests for two of the categories that were originally to be announced on tonight's show.

What's worse was that the real results were easily available to anyone voting, until numerous websites posted links to the real results and reported on them

First the gimmicking occurs on the question for "the greatest match in the 15 years of RAW" category.

Rather than the WWE.com claim that the John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels April 23, 2007 match finished first in the fan voting, a rather embarrassing vote of Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit June 11, 2001 Steel Cage Match.

First, the Angle-Benoit match was removed from voting; then the ability to view results was removed altogether.

As for the Divas contest, that was gimmicked as well; as Lita was the real of the poll, not Trish Stratus. Stratus, in fact finished third.

You can see the actual screen shots here: http://www.pwbts.com/messages/14422.htm

I wonder if Mr. Magee has forwarded this to WWE?

Bret Hart Will Agree WWE Doesn’t Play Fair

Bret Hart & WWE's Negotiations Fall Apart: Bret Angry

Submitted by Michael Bluth on December 10, 2007 - 10:11am.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE's rocky relationship with Bret Hart has taken yet another bad turn. The two sides had been negotiating an agreement for the publishing rights to Bret Hart's autobiography in the United States. Those negotiations have fallen through and Bret will be shopping the book elsewhere.

According to Dave Meltzer, Bret had a verbal agreement saying that the company would not change one word. When he was given the contract to sign, the terms were completely different than what was previously agreed upon. WWE demanded final say on anything they found objectionable. Bret was told that 400 of the book's 533 pages would need to be changed, which was a deal breaker.

Side Note: Guess what Vince, you don’t “own” Bret Hart!  While I normally don’t go around buying wrestling books although I have read books by The Rock, Mick Foley (the adult ones, not the kiddy kind) and Steve Austin, I was so bored by Jerry Lawler’s book I swore I would never waste my cash on another book “written by a wrestler”, I might have to snag a copy of Bret Hart’s book – one that hasn’t been tainted in favor of World Wrestling  Entertainment and the McMahon family.

Who’s In

Although he was never really “out”, it appears Carlito has taken a step forward in WWE and will be involved in more actual matches versus silly storylines. I’m a big fan of Carlito’s comedy, but if comedy was what Carlito was all about, he wouldn’t be in the middle of a wrestling ring.

This from AngryMarks: In the truth is stranger than fiction category, despite Carlito having given his notice AND despite WWE making him look like a dope on TV ever since, Carlito will be staying with WWE. He met with Vince McMahon at RAW on Monday and Vince talked him into staying, and he has now rescinded his notice.

Developmental women's wrestler Nattie Neidhart went on SmackDown/ECW's tour of Europe this week. She's participating in the Divas matches with Michelle McCool and Victoria.

Last Thursday night on ECW, WWE aired the first "coming soon" promo clip for the newest ECW superstar, Kofi Kingston. His real name is Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah and he is a young, physically fit man. He's being billed as "the first Jamaican WWE Superstar". The promo video showed Kingston on the beach in Jamaica. He was shown overhearing an argument on the beach where a very muscular guy was bullying and kicking sand onto and a "normal" guy. Kofi walked over and the next thing you know, the bully is covered up to his neck in sand. Twice during the video, Kingston used the tagline "There's trouble in paradise". Kofi Kingston made his pro debut in 2005. Since 2006 he has trained in WWE's developmental territories Deep South Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling. He teamed with WWE newcomer Harry "DH" Smith in OVW

WWE has signed Reid Fliehr, 19, the youngest son of Ric Flair, to a developmental contract. He will be starting in Florida Championship Wrestling in January.

Maybe

Sources say an MMA fighter, who is said to be close friends with Batista, was also getting a tryout this week. At this point there are no further details on this individual, other than that he has no previous wrestling experience. Source: ProWrestlingFans

Not Yet

Why Ashley Hasn't Returned To WWE

Article By: Ryan Clark, Posted on: December 9, 2007, 7:03pm

Even though she was eliminated from Survivor: China several weeks ago, Ashley Massaro hasn't made her long-awaited return to the ring because her contract stipulates that she is not allowed to return to WWE television until the season has completed. She will be appearing on the Survivor: China finale on Sunday, December 16, 2007 and after that she'll be free to return to WWE.

Who’s Out

Steve Keirn’s son, who was wrestling in WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, recently quit. This has brought up much talk since Keirn is running the promotion.

Who Wasn't at the Raw Special

Rumors were swirling before last week’s Raw XV Anniversary show that Psycho Sid Vicious had arrived backstage. I watched the show and I didn’t see him in front of the camera.

Also reported: Former ECW Champion Steve Corino was backstage at RAW and was expected to get a tryout tonight prior to RAW against DH Smith. He may work under a mask. I'm also told he may be getting offered a tryout as an agent/producer as well.

Corino had a meeting recently in Stamford, CT. about the possibility of working full-time for WWE. We'll see how it goes tonight but it appears he is looking for work. Source: www.prowrestlingfans.com.

There WAS that guy in the first little skit that came out with his face painted like a baseball…

More on Carlito

Puerto Rican wrestling web site www.PRWrestling.com broke news that Carlito would in fact be staying with WWE. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has confirmed the report as Carlito met with Vince McMahon at this past Monday's RAW in Charleston, South Carolina where McMahon was able to talk him into remaining with the company. After the meeting, Carlito rescinded his release, which he had asked for several weeks earlier. Despite Carlito being unhappy in the company for several months, WWE decided they did not want to lose him and risk the chance of him ending up in TNA. This could be one of the reasons why Carlito was booked in an Intercontinental Championship ladder match against Jeff Hardy on Monday's 15 Anniversary RAW show. Source: www.prowrestlingfans.com

Smackdown Notes

Article By: Brandon Lau, December 12, 2007, 5:52am

The following was sent in by Sharon Crownwall: I was at the Smackdown and ECW tapings last night.

Signs saying "We want Bret" were confiscated by security throughout the night. A teenager seated near me refused to give up his sign and a security personnel threatened to throw him out.

Shane McMahon was walking through the crowd before and during the show greeting fans. Of course he was escorted by security. At first people thought it was Vince and some started screaming "a**hole" but later realized it wasn't.

I was seated near the ramp and I saw a fan across from me hold a sign that said Owen Hart HOF. I am not sure if that's all that it said because he was faced the other direction. When the wrestlers came down to the ring at the end of the show Mark Henry grabbed the sign and wave it around which got a huge pop from everyone. 

Source: ProWrestlingFans

Another report states the sign said “Owen Hart for Hall of Fame 2008”.

Triple H Is No Jerichaholic

Article By: Ryan Clark. December 9, 2007, 6:48pm

Backstage Y2J Return News: Triple H Not A Fan, JBL vs. Y2J?

Partial Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

At the 11/19 Raw show -- the night in which Chris Jericho returned -- Triple H was joking with a number of the younger wrestlers about how they should be really excited for the next round of house shows. When asked why, he said that there would be nothing but sellouts now that "the savior" has arrived. He also said something similar to Shawn Michaels, telling him that he should work house shows again because Chris Jericho "was back to save wrestling." Michaels didn't really respond to Triple H's comment as he didn't laugh about it nor respond to it negatively. Of course, Triple H was being sarcastic with his comments. He was telling people that Ric Flair's return will mean more money than Jericho's return. Internally, some people believe Triple H's comparison was counterproductive. It was also noted that he never does this sort of stuff at the arena to co-workers, but Jericho of all people got him to do it. If he does, it's only with the inner circle of WWE. On the other hand, Stephanie McMahon was giving the impression at television that she is very supportive of Chris Jericho.

Chris Jericho's feud with Randy Orton looks to be a short one as it should be over soon. He may move on to a "war of words" feud with JBL, culminating in a match at WrestleMania. Some people within WWE are already disappointed with Jericho's mic work, in-ring work and mild crowd reaction. Jericho was never expected to get a long period of grace, but the tide has turned against him fairly quickly. Source: ProWrestlingFans

WWE or ROH Fan

Chris Jericho has said he got the idea for the codebreaker from watching Naomichi Majufuji do the move on a Ring of Honor tape, and decided it would be a cool finisher. Source: www.gerweck.net

Results

I normally don’t post WWE results here.  Results for Raw, ECW and Smackdown can be found in the WWE weekly television reports, but these are from the House Show in Belfast, Ireland and it deserved a little posting space:

AngryMarks reader Thomas K. sent in these results from the December 6, 2007 house show in Belfast. Thanks Thomas!

Smackdown/ECW house show Belfast, Ireland.

Jimmy Wang Yang d. Kevin Thorn in a bit of a comedy match. The sold out crowd really got into it.

Jamie Noble d. the new Scottish signing Drew McIntyre.

Tommy Dreamer d. Kenny Dykstra with a DDT.

World tag team title match: The Miz & Johnny Nitro steal a victory over Jesse & Festus. Nitro uses the rope in a roll up pin on Jesse.

Michelle McCool d. Victoria & Maryse in a triple treat.

Chuck Palumbo v Finlay. Chuck cuts a short promo calling them Irish peasants, trying to use Irish phrases. He's interrupted by Finlay's music. Hornswoggle comes from under the ring. He dose Irish whip double move with Finlay for 2 and then gives him the shillelagh for the win. Finlay received a huge ovation from his hometown.

Intermission- Crowd dose the WOOOOOOOO! chant a lot.

ECW TITLE MATCH: CM Punk d. Big Daddy V w/t Matt striker via DQ interference by Matt.

The Great Khali & MVP vs. The Brothers of Destruction. MVP slags Ireland for a little while and says how he rather be in so many other places than Ireland, he also says he has some muscle for tonight’s match. Undertaker receives the loudest cheers of the night. Khali dose a series of chops and vise grips on Kane. Undertaker comes in for the hot tag and MVP is taken out. Khali sets up for a choke slam on Taker & Kane at the same time, it is reversed and the bro's do a double choke slam on him. Taker tombstones MVP for the win.

MAIN EVENT: World heavyweight title match: Batista v. Edge. Edge constantly leaving the ring to regroup. Batista dominates, however the out of shape Edge makes a come back and sets up for a spear. Batista reverses this into a Batista bomb, 1..2..3. Still champion Dave Batista.

Good Show.

From Our Favorite Polls

www.gerweck.net

Who will win the 3-way at Armageddon?

Edge - 56%

Undertaker - 26%

Batista - 18%

(2,011 votes total)

Who would win a beer-drinking contest?

James Storm - 8%

Steve Austin - 57%

The Sandman - 35%

(1,883 votes total)

Would you like to see Carlito in TNA?

Yes - 41%

No - 59%

(1,891 votes total

... I guess Carlito in TNA ISN'T Cool!

Should Mae Young be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?

Yes - 75%

No - 25%

(1,909 total votes)

What grade would give the 15th anniversary of Raw?

A - 61%

B - 24%

C - 9%

D - 3%

F - 3%

(1,747 votes total)

WWE & USA Extend RAW's Contract

Article By: Ryan Clark 

WWE & USA Extend RAW's Contract - Full Details

WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW RE-UPPED FOR USA, December 6, 2007

New York, NY December 6, 2007? World Wrestling Entertainment’s ?WWE Monday Night RAW will remain on USA Network through 2010, extending the current contract by two years, it was announced today by NBC Universal.

Monday Night RAW celebrates its upcoming 15th anniversary with a special three-hour episode on Monday, Dec. 10, starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The prime time cable series flourished for seven years on USA, establishing cable ratings records, before moving to Spike TV in September 2000. It returned to USA in October 2005, and has played a major role in making USA the #1 basic cable network. Since its return RAW has averaged 5.07 million total viewers, 2.6 million in P18-49 and 2.3 million in P25-54. Compared to the Mon 9-11p time period performance on USA in 2005 before RAW started, the program is up +210% in total viewers, +221% in P18-49, and +187% in P25-54.

In addition to RAW on USA, WWE will continue to provide NBC with special programming twice a year for the late night Saturday time slot. In addition, WWE will continue to provide its weekend program A.M. RAW for USA and provide a Spanish-language version of Monday Night RAW for Telemundo and mun2.

USA NETWORK is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 network in basic cable, USA Network is seen in nearly 94 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. 

WWE Ratings

Friday night SmackDown! did a fast cable rating of 2.7. The final number will be released sometime during the week.

Last week’s edition of ECW ran head to head with the second hour of TNA’s iMPACT.  ECW claimed a 0.6 rating while iMPACT claimed a 1.1 rating.

Monday Night Raw’s XV Anniversary show on Monday scored hours of 3.4, 4.5 and 4.3, for a 4.1 composite rating. Source: www.gerweck.net

The Sci-Fi Network has announced a change of schedule for the final week of December. Originally ECW was set to air on Thursday, December 27th at 10 p.m., head-to-head with TNA Impact. They have now moved ECW back to its regular time slot on Tuesday, December 25th at 10 PM. No reason as to why was given. Source: ProWrestlingFans.

MEDIA: Chris Jericho on eating chicken brains in Tokyo to being robbed at gunpoint in Mexico

Posted on 12/07/107 by Mike Informer

From eating chicken brains in Tokyo to being robbed at gunpoint in Mexico, Chris Jericho proves that life outside the ring can be a lot stranger than it is inside with his new autobiography, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex. FHM Online interviewed the WWE superstar to find out his choice for the worst moment in RAW history and why you’d never want to be a professional wrestler in Japan.

Your new book has gotten great reviews. Are people surprised it’s about more than just body slams?

I wanted to write a book that was just as much for non-wrestling fans as wrestling fans. I spent nine years in the wrestling business trying to achieve my goal of being in the WWE and most of that time was spent wrestling overseas in places like Japan, Mexico and Germany. So not only was I gaining experience in the ring, but I was gaining a lot of life experience. I was a stranger in a strange land. I was held up at gunpoint on the side of the road in Mexico by a girl that I was trying to pick up. She was holding the gun in my face and I could actually see the grooves of the pistol like in the beginning of a James Bond movie.

Then she stole my money and left me on the side of the road at 4 a.m. I had to follow the lights in the sky to walk back to Mexico City. In Japan, I was threatened by the Japanese mafia because I smashed a vase that they owned and I had to pay them and clean it up. They made no bones about the fact that they’d cut off my pinky finger if I didn’t. So the culture shock of being in these strange places and dealing with that gives you a great appreciation for what you have and also gives you a great story to tell.

The most shocking thing about the book may be the picture of you in bright yellow ball-hugger shorts in the photo section.

When I first went to Monterrey, Mexico to wrestle, the promoter—who I found out very quickly was gay—gave me this little handful of Spandex he wanted me to wear. They were the smallest, worst ball huggers ever. They were so bad. I said, ‘I can’t wear these.’ He said, ‘Okay, then wear these,’ and handed me a slightly bigger pair of shorts, but the banana hammock aspect was still there.

Did you have to stuff your tights?

Yeah, I put a zucchini wrapped in tinfoil into my pants like Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap.

Those shorts almost look cool compared to the fanny packs you used to rock.

That was a fashion staple for ’90s wrestlers. When the fanny pack came out all the wrestlers wore them. And to this day some guys who were really popular in the ’80s, like Hulk Hogan, still wear them. I had this neon green one that was awesome. Then I went to Japan and I was schooled by this guy named Ricky Fuji who was the king of the fanny pack. His damn fanny pack was like a knapsack. He had a pack of cigarettes in there. He had a damn monkey wrench literally in his fanny pack. This thing was huge. You could carry a baby in it.

Wrestling in Japan is a lot more intense than it is in America, isn’t it?

In Japan, the rookies have to wash the older guys’ asses and backs. Then they wash all the gear, set up the ring and watch all the matches. They really beat them down to make sure this is what they want to do. You have to have the tenacity and the discipline for it. I heard in one of the Japanese wrestling dojos the older wrestlers would jerk off into a cup, put it in the fridge and then the rookies would have to drink it. I was glad I was never asked to do that, because if I’m going to drink ejaculate I’m going to do it on my own time.

That’s sick. I’ve heard the food in Japan can be disgusting, but I didn’t know it was that bad.

They used to have these guys called sponsors in Japan that would take you out to eat. It was an honor for them to hang out with wrestlers and to pay for the food and everything. One guy took us to this sushi restaurant and ordered this gelatinous piece of fish. I took a bite out of it and it tasted like pee smells. It was the worst thing I’ve ever tasted. Then someone said, ‘Why aren’t you eating that? It’s the rarest form of sushi. It costs $750.” I couldn’t eat it, though. Then I went down the street to get some Kentucky Fried Chicken and got a chicken breast that had a brain underneath it. I’m talking a literal piece of brain. That’s when I asked for popcorn.

At least the women are beautiful, right?

In Japan, girls would actually call your room and ask to come see you. You wouldn’t know what the girls looked like though. You had to look through the peephole and if you appreciated what you saw you’d let the girl in and hang out. One time this girl showed up and she wasn’t much of a looker so I just didn’t answer the door. I pretended I wasn’t there. But she didn’t leave. She just kept knocking on my door. I was too scared to call the front desk, because I invited her up. So I put my Walkman on and went to sleep. When I woke up, there was a letter under the door that said, “Jericho, you no open door. I am not a groupie. I never sex you. You are probably gay boy anyways.” Then underneath that it said, “Please call me.”

Did you call?

No, I didn’t call her! But I loved the fact that she was not a groupie, yet she banged on my door for eight hours straight.

December 10th marks the 15th anniversary of RAW. Do you have a favorite RAW match?

There’ve been a lot of great RAW matches. There was a tables, ladders and chairs match with Christian and I, Kane, Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam and the Dudleyz. That was voted the best match in RAW history at the 10th anniversary show. That was a great match. The match with me and Chris Benoit against Steve Austin and Triple H for the titles when Triple H tore his quad was a very memorable match. I had a match with Shawn Michaels in Los Angeles in 2003 that was a great one, too.

What is the worst moment in RAW history?

I have a great sense of humor, but Mae Young giving birth to the hand was just so stupid, because I couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. I didn’t get it. Nobody gives birth to a hand. It’s biologically impossible. If she gave birth to a chicken at least it’s a living organism. But a hand? I just didn’t get it. It wasn’t even a baby’s hand. It was like Mickey Mouse’s hand. That to me will stand out as one of the dumbest moments in RAW history.

A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex is available now. http://www.fhmonline.com/articles-5833.asp?cnl_id=5&stn_id=65&idx_id=5833

Source: www.pwbts.com

Current TNA Events

Remainder of 2007 Schedule:

The Armageddon pay per view airs Sunday, December 16, 2007.

Mon, Dec 17 WWE presents Monday Night RAW - Buffalo, N.Y. 8:00 p.m.

Tue, Dec 18 WWE presents SmackDown/ECW - Rochester, N.Y. 7:30 p.m. 

Wed, Dec 26 WWE presents RAW Live! - Nashville, Tenn. 7:30 p.m. 

WWE presents SmackDown/ECW Live! - Albany, N.Y. 7:30 p.m. 

Thu, Dec 27 WWE presents SmackDown/ECW Live! - East Rutherford, N.J. 7:30 p.m. 

Fri, Dec 28 WWE presents RAW Live - Atlanta, Ga. 7:30 p.m.

WWE presents SmackDown/ECW Live! - Hershey, Pa. 7:30 p.m.

Sat, Dec 29 WWE presents Monday Night RAW - Greensboro, N.C. 7:30 p.m. 

WWE presents SmackDown/ECW Live! - Baltimore, Md. 7:30 p.m.

Sun, Dec 30 WWE presents RAW Live - Raleigh, N.C. 7:00 p.m.

WWE presents SmackDown/ECW - Richmond, Va. 7:30 p.m.

Monday Night Raw airs every Monday on the USA Network, 8 PM Central time.

WWE’s ECW airs every Tuesday night on the Sci Fi Network, 9 PM Central time.

Friday Night Smackdown airs every Friday night on the CW Network, 7 PM Central time.

2008 Schedule

Tickets for the WWE Smackdown/ECW Taping on April1, 2008, in Miami, FL at the American Airlines arena go on sale January 19, 2008.

WWE has officially announced a Latin America tour in February for the SmackDown/ECW brands. Tentatively they will hold shows on the following dates:

February 9 - Guatemala City, Guatemala

February 10 - Guadalajara, Mexico

February 12 - Quito, Ecuador

February 14 - Santiago, Chile

Current TNA Talent Events

WWE Superstar Ron Simmons is scheduled to be at Tinker Field, adjacent to the Florida Citrus Bowl, home of WrestleMania 24, this Friday, December 14th. Ron Simmons will be signing autographs from 5 to 6:30pm.

WWE United States Champion MVP is scheduled to be appearing at Circuit City, 800 Chauvet Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, this Saturday December 15th. MVP will be there on behalf on Comcast between 6 to 8pm.

Saturday, December 29, 2007 from 3-5pm, Matt Hardy will be at The Sound Garden, Baltimore, MD

Saturday, January 5, 2008, from 3-5pm, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Layla will be at the Big Boy Toy Show, Wichita, KS

Carlito is scheduled to work for WWC with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Ron Killings, Konnan, Chris Masters, and Ultimo Dragon on their upcoming Euphoria tour. The tour’s biggest show will take place on January 6th at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. Source: ProWrestling Fans.

No word on whether Carlito’s decision to rescind his request for WWE will have any affect on his appearances with WWC.

WWE Hall Of Fame inductee, The Iron Sheik will be on Howard Sterns, Howard inDemand, starting January 15, 2007.

Thursday, January 17, 2008, from 6-8pm, Mr. Kennedy will be at the Shoppingtown Mall, Syracuse, NY

Scotty Too Hotty, "Psycho" Sid Vicious and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper are confirmed for January 19^, 2008 -  World Wrestling Association Bash at the Ball Park event in Florida's Space Coast. Buff Bagwell, The Honky Tonk Man, Tatanka, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Demolition Ax and Smash, The Powers of Pain - Warlord and Barbarian are all also confirmed to be appearing on the show

Jeff Hardy, Cody Rhodes and Mickie James were all featured in today’s Stamford Advocate. The article stated that the Superstars helped with Toys for Tots toy donations in the city yesterday working with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. The article can be read at www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/.

Shawn Michaels has been booked for a house show on January 26th in Providence, Rhode Island. The show will feature talent from all three brands and is the day before Royal Rumble. Michaels & Jericho will take on Orton and Umaga in the main event. This is the first house show Michaels has worked since his return, as he came back on terms that he would work a lighter schedule.

On Monday Night Raw Jillian Hall mentioned that her new CD would be released today via iTunes. Most thought she was joking but she wasn't. She really does have a CD on iTunes called "Jingle with Jillian". It's 5 tracks in total for $.99 each or you can buy all 5 for $4.95. There are samples of the tracks as well if you would like to hear them without having to buy them. Source: www.gerweck.net

Not Necessarily WWE News

MEDIA: Hogan says he talked to son about his driving (Tampa Tribune)

Hogan says he talked to son about his driving

By Stephen Thompson of The Tampa Tribune, Published: December 7, 2007

CLEARWATER - Famed wrestler Hulk Hogan had a talk or two with his teenage son after the boy racked up a number of speeding tickets, some for driving faster than 100 mph.

If Nick Bollea lost his driving privileges, though, it wasn't for very long, Hogan told a prosecutor during an Oct. 16 interview.

Hogan also told Assistant State Attorney Scott Rosenwasser that he was with his son when Bollea was stopped twice for speeding along Alligator Alley in a black Mercedes-Benz. The Florida Highway Patrol said nothing about Hogan being a passenger when it confirmed the stops to The Tampa Tribune in September.

In the deposition, Hogan is nonchalant about the back-to-back stops on Sept. 17, 2006 - one putting the car at a speed of 100 mph and the second at 107 mph. A trooper let Bollea go after the first stop, but another trooper, in communication with the first, gave him a ticket after the second stop.

"We were pretty much going with the flow of traffic," Hogan said, describing the drive on Interstate 75 east of Naples. "You know, getting passed occasionally by a truck going 90 or 100, or a car."

"It didn't feel like we were speeding," Hogan said.

Hogan's 110-page deposition was among hundreds of pages of documents released Friday afternoon by the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting Bollea, 17, after an Aug. 26 wreck in Clearwater, which left Bollea's passenger, John Graziano, with severe brain damage.

Prosecutors say Bollea, who was at the wheel of a yellow Toyota Supra, was racing against silver Dodge Viper driven by his friend Danny Jacobs and owned by Hulk Hogan. Bollea is charged with reckless driving with serious bodily injury.

In the deposition, Hogan provides a glimpse into his family's highly visible, high-flying life, and describes his son's passion for driving. Bollea is an accomplished "drift" driver, certified to give demonstrations at weekend events in which amateur drift drivers compete on tight tracks by swerving sideways around corners.

Hogan said his son exhibited an interest in cars at 12 or 13, and talked his father into taking him to Supra meets. Nick's mother, Linda Bollea, bought the boy a green Supra before he could even drive, so the boy would work on the motor, Hogan said.

Hogan also divulged that, in addition to the green and yellow Supras, the silver Dodge Viper driven by Jacobs, and the Mercedes, he owns a yellow Viper, a 1968 Dodge Charger, a white Mercedes-Benz, a white Cadillac Escalade, a white Ford Expedition, a yellow Dodge truck, and a black Rolls-Royce.

Hogan is asked about the hours leading up to the wreck - how he met his son and his son's friends at an Albertson's liquor store and bought five cases of beer then went on a boat ride.

On board were Nick Bollea, John Graziano, Danny Jacobs, and Barrett Lawrance, who would later ride as a passenger in the Viper. Also on board were a couple of people interested in doing a television piece on Nick Bollea's racing, Hogan said.

When asked by the prosecutor about the volume of beer purchased, Hogan said it wasn't all for the boat excursion. Some was for his house and the refrigerators "in my gym and the one in my bathroom, the one in my office, the one in my mud room, the one in my kitchen, the one in the boathouse, the one in the guest house."

Hogan denied his son had any alcoholic beverages during the boat ride. Court records say that two hours after the wreck, Bollea's ethanol serum level was .055, and he was cited for driving as a minor with a breath-alcohol level of .02 or higher.

Hogan defended his son's driving.

"With all these speeding tickets that he was getting, were you still comfortable with him getting behind the wheel of these high-performance cars?" Rosenwasser asked.

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Because he is a very good driver," Hogan said.

The wrestler said he understood the circumstances of each speeding ticket and asked his son to watch his speed and to slow down.

"The keys have been taken away on a couple different occasions, but then either I or his mother have given the keys back," Hogan said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

The Hogans keep getting crazier literally by the minute. In the response Hulk Hogan filed to wife Linda Bollea's petition for divorce on November 28, he claimed that the two got married on December 12th, 1983. Linda responded with legal papers of her own, showing the wedding was December 18, 1983.

The Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina wouldn't allow TNA to announce that Against All Odds was going to be held at that venue until after the November 25th WWE house show was over.

Where Are They Now

Former WWE and WCW Superstars Booker T, Sharmell, Raven and Vampiro are all scheduled to be heading to Spain in April next year. They are all scheduled to be competing for NWE on April 19th in Madrid, Spain and April 20th in Bilbao, Spain.

Rob Van Dam doing standup comedy for the first time ever

from Tim Chizmar, Tim Chizmar Productions

RVD does standup comedy for the FIRST TIME EVER from Championship Comedy: Seasons Beatings at the world famous Improv

Booker T also made it out that night. Our champion retained his comedy championship with a win over Ro. New Jack is coming out in Feb to challenge our champion Bruce Jingles.

More info on www.championshipcomedy.com or www.myspace.com/championshipcomedy 

Booker T, currently with TNA,  is on the cover of the newest issue of Fighting Spirit Magazine.

For those of you that have not heard, Booker T will face former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam at his PWA Christmas Chaos 2 show on December 28th at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, Texas

Percy "Paul Bearer" Pringle issued the following statement on his official website regarding him appearing at the Raw 15th Anniversary next week: "Many of you are aware that this coming Monday, December 10, 2007 at 7pm (CT) on USA, will be the 3-hour 15th Anniversary of MONDAY NIGHT RAW. To settle some suspicions, I was contacted by WWE officials last week requesting that I be a part of the broadcast. As much as I would like to do so, my current schedule completely prohibits it. :-("

NOTE: Percy Pringle is a real life mortician and is on call with his business.

At least one source is reporting that Scott Hall missed TNA’s Turning Point pay-per-view last weekend due to depression. Hall told TNA officials that he would be unable to work the event due to food poisoning. Whatever his reason was for not making the event, there are no plans going forward in TNA for Scott Hall. Scott Hall was known as Razor Ramon in WWF.

Appearing on TSN's 'Off The Record', Bret 'Hit Man' Hart has said that he will not be on Monday's RAW despite him being on the artwork of the upcoming DVD and CD releases. When the host Michael Landsberg asked if there was a chance of Bret appearing on the show, Bret simply replied with a "No". Landsberg asked if WWE approached him to be on the show and Hart said that yes they did some inquiries about the possibility. (Thanks to Colin Vassallo)

Aladdin: The Magical Family Musical starring Bret Hart will be airing Thursday evening at 7pm eastern time on CBC in Canada.

The Ottawa Citizen has an article about Bret Hart today where he talks about some content from his book, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, which includes his association with Cocaine, booze, and pill popping at parties after wrestling shows. Hart was at the Chapters at Pinecrest and Iris in Ottawa, Ontario, promoting his book.

For those who don't live in Canada, Hart's book reached number one on the Globe & Mail bestseller list on November 3, 2007. Based on the books success in Canada, expect impressive numbers once released in the United States in 2008. Source: ProWrestlingFans.

Former Extreme Expose member Brooke said that she had big plans and would be doing Playboy and working in TNA Wrestling soon. The idea late last summer was to have her, Kelly Kelly, and Layla in Playboy right before WrestleMania. With Brooke being released those plans have obviously been scrapped.

Luna Vachon announced in a bulletin on her MySpace page (www.myspace.com/lunavachon)  that she's retiring from the wrestling business. Her body cannot handle the rigors of wrestling anymore, hence the retirement. Her last match takes place at an indy show in Milwaukee later tonight. Here is her message: You heard it here first. Hey Lunatics. I just want to let you all know how much I appreciate all of your love and support, that is why it hurts me so much to tell you all this. On Friday December 7th in Milwaukee I will be retiring from wrestling. My body has just taken on way too much abuse and I cannot actively compete. I just want you all to know that I love you all and i will miss seeing all my wonderful fans. If you live in the Milwaukee, Chicago area I hope you can make it out and see me one last time. Just so you know this was not an easy decision for me, but I have to do what is best for my future. Hope you can come and see me at Blizzard Brawl more info here www.BlizzardBrawl.com   Love and God Bless, Luna

If anyone wants to book Luna Vachon for autographs signings, e-mail David Herro at DavidHerro@aol.com.

Sci-Fi’s web site is still running advertisements for the ECW television series featuring Rob Van Dam. With RVD exiting the company several months ago it is interesting that they have not pulled them. Source: www.prowrestlingfans.com

As things stand right now there is no interest in bringing Chris Masters into TNA.

Former WWE Champion and Professional Wrestling Icon, Stone Cold Steve Austin joined WDFN's "It Is What It Is" morning show on Friday to talk about his appearance at the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals at The Palace of Auburn Hills this Saturday. If you missed the interview you can find out how to download it for free at www.wdfn.com  keyword "wrestling.

Tammy "Sunny" Sytch turned 35 years old on December 7, 2007.

Former General Manager of RAW Eric Bischoff's profile has been added to the WWE Alumni page.

MEDIA: Road Warrior Animal's son receives top college football award (Columbus Dispatch)

OSU football notebook: Laurinaitis garners award he wanted

By Tim May, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

2007 Ohio State football highlights DVD

After sitting through three ceremonies earlier this week watching others get trophies, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis finally got one of his own last night. It was the one he really wanted, the Butkus Award.

He became just the second Buckeye to win the award, which has gone annually to the nation's top linebacker since 1985. It was presented in Orlando, Fla., the other finalists being Penn State's Dan Connor and Colorado's Jordon Dizon.

"This award definitely is such an honor over everything else because it is so specialized to linebackers," Laurinaitis said. "It's hard to compare defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs for a defensive player of the year award. But when you are comparing yourself to just other linebackers, and you're judged to be the best at what you do, it really is such an honor.

"And it is the one that has been eluding Ohio State for a while. I'm just proud to be able to bring it back to Columbus."

Andy Katzenmoyer was the only previous Buckeye to win it, after his sophomore season of 1997. Notable among OSU linebackers passed through the years were consensus All-Americans Chris Spielman and A.J. Hawk.

Laurinaitis, the winner of the Nagurski Award as a sophomore last year, was a finalist for the Butkus last year.

A consensus All-American, Laurinaitis -- voted the Big Ten defensive MVP after helping the top-ranked Buckeyes to the national championship game Jan. 7 vs. LSU -- was up for five major awards this week. But he watched as LSU's Glenn Dorsey took the Nagurski and Lombardi trophies, and Connor won the Bednarik Award. Still to go is the Lott Trophy on Sunday.

"I thought I was going to go O-fer there for a minute," Laurinaitis said, laughing. "But no, this is such a tremendous honor, and I don't mean for me personally, but for our defense and our coaches. You can't be a great linebacker without a tremendous defensive line and a tremendous secondary. That's just the truth."

Putting it together, he said, are OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock, who earlier this week won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach, and linebackers coach Luke Fickell. But Heacock, on hand for the Butkus ceremony last night, said the praise should go to Laurinaitis, and for more than just his tackling ability.

"What stands out most of all is he is a great team player," Heacock said. "It's why his peers voted him captain as a junior. It's the team that matters most to him."

tmay@dispatch.com 

VH-1's "Celebrity Rehab" featuring Chyna and former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez is scheduled for a 10-week run, starting January 10, 2008 at10PM ET.

Sean Waltman is receiving a lot of heat because he's been arriving late to the bus to take him to the AAA shows, holding up the rest of the crew. The general feeling is that he's too laid back in Mexico City. We previously reported that Waltman's girlfriend Alicia Webb got heat for a missing a recent house show. Sean was previously known as X-Pac and Alicia was previously known as Ryan Shamrock.

Fans of the Angle Family can see Kurt and Karen Angle at the 2007 Spike TV Video Game Awards that was taped on Friday night in Las Vegas at www.TNAWrestling.com.

IWA: Luke Williams out

McGyver el 12/08/2007

"Bushwacker" Luke Williams is no longer a part of IWA Puerto Rico. We have no other details about his leaving.

Williams was part of the booking team for the past few years along with Savio Vega and others.

The NY Post is reporting today that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be starring in a new film, Ring King, about his father, former wrestling star Rocky Johnson. Fitness guru Richie Ornstein and his brother, who was Johnson's partner, will also star in the movie.

Smackdown diva Maryse is now managing Ted DiBiase Jr. in Florida Championship Wrestling.

 

WWE NEWS BYTES / DECEMBER 7
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