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Bobby Lashley Comments On MMA Fight With Batista

Batista vs. Lashley in a cage?

When news broke that former WWE superstar Batista was entering the world of Mixed Martial Arts and will be fighting for the Strikeforce MMA promotion later this year, speculation began immediately that we could see him fight against fellow WWE alum Bobby Lashley (5-0).

Lashley was a part of Strikeforce’s media conference call this afternoon and commented on a possible showdown in the cage with Batista. Lashley said he’s open to fighting Batista if Strikeforce pushes the fight, but he’d rather focus on more experienced fighters in his quest for Heavyweight gold:

“It’s not really the direction I want to move (in), but if it’s worth it and they really think he’s ready and Strikeforce wants me to fight him, I’ll take the fight. I’ve had a good game plan up to this point and I really want to move in the right direction. Dave’s just starting out. I’m looking to better myself and get better opponents each time. I’m not disrespecting Dave at all, but he’s new to the game. That’s definitely a fight for the fans, but not so much for my career.”

Lashley’s next fight takes place later this month on August 21st against Chad Griggs at Strikeforce: Houstson on Showtime.

* VIDEO of BATISTA Training MMA

WM26 NBC Rating Bombs, Cena Meets The Kardashians & More

– According to Mediaweek, Saturday’s WrestleMania 26 special on NBC posted a terrible 0.65 broadcast rating and 1.78 million viewers. The WrestleMania special had NBC draw the lowest ratings on Saturday night among the 4 big television networks (ABC, CBS, FOX & NBC).  Ouch!

– John Cena appeared at Sunday’s Teen Choice Awards show and posted a message on Twitter about his encounter with reality TV stars The Kardashians.

“CeNation. Just leaving teen choice headed for sac town. Cannot believe how downright beautiful the kardashians are. Wow.”

Chris Jericho re-tweeted Cena’s message, adding, “maybe they can join ur [Summerslam] team.”

– The Miz appeared on Sacramento, California’s KCRA morning show to promote tonight’s RAW. Miz, who brought his belt and his briefcase to the interview, was in character during the appearance. He did his “I’m Awesome” line and acting like a cocky heel. The host asked Miz to rap or sing his theme song, but the Miz refused. Miz said that he’s on the road to winning the WWE Championship. Overall it was a short but entertaining appearance.

RAW Preview, The Rock’s New Movie Opens At #1 & More

– Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The “go-home” show heading into Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view will feature an explosive main event of John Cena and Bret Hart vs. Edge and Chris Jericho with Nexus at ringside as Lumberjacks.

– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new movie “The Other Guys” (starring Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg) opened at #1 this weekend and took in $35.6 million. The Rock is currently in Puerto Rico filming “The Fast and The Furious 5” with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.

Read More: Pictures Of The Rock On The Set Of “Fast & Furious 5?

– Eleven years ago today, Chris Jericho made his WWE debut on Monday Night RAW after months of buildup.

– In case you missed it, Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston on this past Friday’s SmackDown to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.

Pictures Of The Rock On The Set Of “Fast & Furious 5”

Former WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is currently filming “The Fast and the Furious 5” in Puerto Rico. Check out the following pictures of The Rock on set with co-star Elsa Pataky, taken last week.

The Rock and Pataky play cops that are trying to crack down on the antics of the movie’s main characters, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.

Lots of Backstage News From TNA’s Hardcore Justice PPV

– TNA management, including Dixie Carter, were said to be thrilled with how the pay-per-view went. The ECW originals earned a lot of respect for their passion and work rate.

– The show was booked almost entirely by Tommy Dreamer, except for the main event. Rob Van Dam really did pick Sabu as his main event opponent after Jerry Lynn had to pull out due to injury.

– Before the show began, Dixie Carter addressed the crowd and thanked Tommy Dreamer and everyone else. After the show went off the air, everyone partied in the ring with beer as Enter Sandman played. Everyone left but Team 3D and Tommy Dreamer. They led the crowd in an ECW chant before Dreamer raised a beer to the sky for those who have passed on.

– Some of the names backstage visiting at Hardcore Justice were Matt Morgan, The Motor City Machineguns, Abyss, Jimmy Hart, Dory Funk Jr., Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff. Mick Foley, Brother Ray and Tommy Dreamer all had their families there.

– Tommy Dreamer received stitches to his head after the match with Raven at last night’s pay-per-view. There are reports online that CW Anderson suffered a torn hamstring during his match with 2 Cold Scorpio, but we haven’t been able to confirm that with our sources.

– The fake Blue Meanie at last night’s Hardcore Justice pay-per-view, called Blue Tilly, was none other than Big Tilly from the old Phi Delta Slam tag team.

– The nose-picking mystery guy in the segment with Al Snow, Stevie Richards and Nova was supposed to be Lupus, who was one of Raven’s lackeys for a few months in ECW.

Tommy Dreamer & RVD Comment On Hardcore Justice

Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam and Chris Jericho have posted messages on Twitter about last night’s TNA Hardcore Justice pay-per-view. Here’s what each of them said:

Tommy Dreamer: “Thank you to everyone for making tonight one of the greatest nights of my life. I didn’t see much of the show. I heard & felt it. Luv ya all”

Rob Van Dam: “IN THE WORDS OF FRANKIE VALLI- OH WHAT A NIGHT!!! THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE THIS PAY PER VIEW A HUGE SUCCESS EVERYBODY!!! OUR LAST STAND.”

Chris Jericho: “Congrats to ECW for riding again one last time! Working there was always about family and defiance. Tonights show was no different.”

TNA HardCORE Justice PPV Results (8/8)

TNA HardCORE Justice 2010 Live Coverage
Sunday, August 8th, 2010 from Orlando, Florida

We open the show with a video package highlighting some of the former stars of ECW, current members of EV2.0. They talk about how they revolutionized the wrestling business, and it was where they learned some of the most important lessons in their careers. They also talk about paying tribute, and coming home tonight.

No pyro, but we do get crowd shots, and lots of ‘E-C-Dub’ Chants. There’s a different ring announcer, though I’m not sure who he is, and he introduces Taz. Taz makes his way out to the entrance ramp with a mic in hand. He welcomes the fans to Hardcore Justice. Lots of ‘Taz’ chants. He says he’s been backstage since 11 a.m. and he’s looked into the eyes of the athletes that will perform tonight, and it’s going to get extreme, because the desire is in their eyes again, and their passion will bleed out tonight in more ways than one. The Impact Zone is absolutely packed. Taz says as of recent, there’s been some haters and doubters on what they did back in the day. He hears stuff like ‘they were a bush league promotion’. Taz says they weren’t all about violence. All they did was revolutionize the business. He says they were the true renegades of the industry, and that’s the real deal. Taz says they were the little engine that could, and they did. He says he’s got a message to the folks who doubt what they did, they don’t get it, and they never will, so they might as well just kiss his ass.

Taz says he’s done, he’s the human suplex machine, beat him if you can. Back to Stephen DeAngeles, the ring announcer, and it’s time for the first match. The FBI of Tony Mamaluke, Little Guido, and Tracy Smothers make their way out first.

Kid Kash is the first man announced for the opposing team, and he makes his way out to a big pop from the crowd. Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger are announced as Kash’s partner, and this one is on.

The FBI vs. Kid Kash, Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger

We get formal ring introductions for all six men, as well as Big Sal E. who accompanied the FBI, and there’s huge pops for everyone.

Kid Kash and Guido start things out for their respective teams. For some reason the house lighting is kind of a blue hue. Guido takes Kash right down to the mat where he and Kash roll around for a bit before getting right back up. Kash and Guido chain wrestle for a bit, trading roll ups and starting to argue. Kash shoves Guido and then Guido extends his hand. Kash shakes hands with Guido, but brings him in nose to nose. Tony Luke tags in, and so does Swinger. Luke hits a drop toe hold and tries for a roll up but Swinger kicks out. Luke locks in an arm bar, but Swinger picks him up off the mat and slams him down to break the hold. Smother and Diamond are the next men to tag in.

Diamond and Smothers come to blows, with Smothers looking like a million bucks, taking it right to Diamond, taking him down to the mat, hitting a big knee drop, and taking Diamond to the outside. Diamond grabs a mic while on the outside, and he comes back into the ring, telling the Impact Zone that he has a problem. This crowd is pretty awesome, very reminiscent of an old ECW machine. Diamond says they’re not a fine oiled machine because of Kash. So while the FBI can probably out-wrestle them, their team can out-dance them. Diamond asks for the DJ to hit the music and initiates a dance contest. Swinger and Diamond dance, horribly, while Kash looks on ashamedly. Smothers grabs the mic and says Michael Jackson rolled over in his grave. He asks the DJ to hit the music again because if they can’t do better everyone dies. The FBI then begins to dance.

This is pretty goofy as Guido does the can opener, Smothers tries to do the worm. Sal E. dances a bit, but the distraction allows Swinger and Diamond to attack from behind. They try to tag Sal E., but they’re taken down by a double clothesline instead. Everyone brawls to the outside except Kash. The referee gets down on his hands and knees, and Kash takes off, jumping off the ref’s back and diving to the outside on top of everyone. Things move quickly back into the ring where Kash and Luke are legal. Kash takes Luke over his knee with a backbreaker that’s good for a near fall.

Kash and Luke trade huge chops with Luke gaining the advantage with a clothesline. When Luke charges Kash though, Kash responds with a powerslam into the corner. Luke tags out to Guido who takes out Diamond and Swinger before hitting a cross body and Russian leg sweep to Kash before a low drop kick that’s good for a near fall. Things before to break down and there’s a crazy tower of doom spot with everyone in the match except Diamond. Diamond comes in and hits a series of suplexes on Guido, but then Smothers is right there with an eye poke and clothesline. Smothers is takes out by Swinger, who’s taken out by Luke. Kash hits a double underhook suplex on Luke. Guido hits a leg drop on Kash. Guido hits the unprettier on Simon Diamond and goes for the pin, scoring the three count.

Winners: The FBI

Taz and Tenay talk a bit about how Tenay has never called an ECW match before. They then turn to the injury situation, talking about how Jerry Lynn had to drop out of tonight’s event due to a back injury, and he’ll be replaced in the main event by Sabu.

We get updates on Todd Gordon, Pitbull #1, and The Blue Meanie who all get one more chance to be on PPV and thank the fans for supporting them throughout their careers.

AJ Styles remembers the Singapore Cane match between Sandman and Tommy Dreamer where Dreamer continued to ask for lashes from the Sandman. Styles says Dreamer may be one of the toughest wrestlers in the world. Angelina Love is next and she talks about how the crowd reactions made everything even better.

Al Snow is backstage talking to Head, yelling at it for chanting those three little letters. Stevie Richards asks is Al is OK, and Al says no. He runs down everything that could go wrong, and then asks if Stevie knows a good therapist. Nova comes in from out of nowhere, but he’s got a different shirt on, and Al yells that he can’t even use the shirt of he’ll get sued. I can’t tell who it is, but someone comes in dressed up as the Blue Meanie, and Nova says he’s just as good as the real thing. Al says he’s not the guy and storms off with Head. This is pretty ridiculous. Stevie Richards says tonight is about proving to everyone what Stevie is about. He doesn’t seem too pleased about the fake Blue Meanie. Someone else omes in picking his nose and I have absolutely no idea who it is, or is meant to be. The segment ends with weird guy and fake Blue Meanie picking each others noses. Dumb.

CW Anderson vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

The Enforcer CW Anderson is the first man out to the ring. Tenay is quick to point out that he’s not related to Arn or Ole Anderson. His opponent is 2 Cold Scorpio, who’s name is of course, spelled differently.

Both men got very nice reactions, and both look to be in very good shape. Again we get formal ring introductions for both.

Both men lock up and Scorpio is quick to go behind. Anderson turns things into a wrist lock, but Scorpio is able to use the ropes to flip and turn the wrist lock around. A leg sweep and attempted pin from Anderson yields a two count. Anderson tags Scorpio with a couple of forearms, and Scorpio returns a couple of his own. Anderson locks in a side head lock, and Scorpio sends him into the ropes, hitting a beautiful dropkick that sends Anderson to the outside. A dropkick through the ropes and corkscrew plancha from Scorpio are beautiful.

Back in the ring, Scorpio hits a top rope cross body to Anderson for a two count. Anderson and Scorpio trade blows with Anderson scoring a superkick, good for a near fall. Anderson stomps at Scorpio’s arms and legs before picking him up and tossing him shoulder first into the ring post. This blue light thing is really annoying. Anderson wrenches Scorpio’s arm, but Scorpio responds with a back kick out of nowhere. A series of jabs startles Anderson, but Anderson ducks a kick and knocks Scorpio down with a big blow of his own. Anderson gets a two count when he goes for the pin.

Anderson and Scorpio trade roll ups. Anderson avoids a kick and hits Scorpio with a big forearm shiver. Scorpio sends Anderson into the corner and hits a cannonball like maneuver before going up top to hit the front flip leg drop. Scorpio pins Anderson but still only gets two. Scorpio goes back up top and goes for a moonsault but Anderson gets his knees up. Anderson hits a big spinebuster and goes for the pin but Scorpio kicks out at two.

Anderson hits Scorpio with a couple of forearms, but when he charges in from the ropes Scorpio connects with a big kick. Scorpio goes up top and hits a moonsault leg drop. Scorpio pins Anderson and gets the three count.

Winner: Too Cold Scorpio

After the match Scorpio pulls Anderson back into the ring. He says something to Anderson before offering his hand. Anderson and Scorpio shake hands, and Scorpio raises Anderson’s hand to the cheers of the fans.

Madison Rayne gets a chance to talk about ECW, but I zoned out after she started talking about how TNA was like ECW. Matt Morgan talks about how when he went on vacation he used to be able to watch EVW and he loved it. He talks about when he was a bouncer once for an ECW show and how much he loved it. Mr. Anderson talks about how ECW brought something different to the table in the 90’s.

RVD is backstage with Bill ‘Fonzie’ Alfonso. He talks about how much he loved his matches against Jerry Lynn and he can’t wait to do it again in 2010. He says though, that Lynn trained too hard and hurt his back, so he’s not going to be able to make it. RVD says Dreamer called him and asked him who he wanted to wrestle, and RVD had to really think about it. RVD says there’s a lot left unfinished from his TV Title run. He says it’s also important to please the fans. He tried to think who he could wrestle that would capture the time frame, and it’s got to be Sabu. Fonzie says you couldn’t have picked a more hardcore wrestler than Sabu. RVD says he knows Fonzie managed both men, and he wants to know he can count on Fonzie. Fonzie says he’ll call it right down the middle. He knows both men have a lot of history and it’ll be one of the greatest matches of all time. Fonzie reassures RVD he’ll call it down the middle before blowing his whistle.

Polaco, AKA Justin Credible, is the first man out to the ring, and he has a kendo stick in hand. Credible does not look great with huge dark circles under his eyes. Stevie Richards is out next with Nova and fake blue Meanie in tow.

PJ Polaco vs. Stevie Richards

The bell rings and both men lock up, Polaco locks in a head lock, but Richards is quick to fight it off, only to eat a big shoulder block. Another lock up and a head lock from Richards. Polaco fights it off, and Richards comes back with a shoulder block. Yet another lock up, and Polaco grabs Richards’ hair and pulls him back to the corner where he hits a couple of knees to the stomach. Stevie turns it around and sends Polaco into one corner, and then the other. Polaco rolls to the outisde, and Richards follows, but Polaco pushes him back first into the ring apron. Polaco hits a suplex on the floor before rolling back inside and hitting a slingshot splash right back to the outside on top of Richards.

Back in the ring Polaco stomps on Richards in the corner before yanking him out by the legs and bringing him down in a powerbomb. Polaco sends Richards into the ropes and catches him with a boot to the stomach before following it up with a big DDT and a jawbreaker. Stevie responds with a kick to the face, but it’s short lives as Polaco continues the assault in the corner with kicks and chops. Polaco catches Stevie around the neck with his feet, and Richards throws Polaco to the outside where fake Meanie and Nova taunt him. Polaco rolls back into the ring where he eats a series of right hands and forearms from Richards before Richards hits a nice delayed side slam. Stevie picks up Polaco and drills him with a powerbomb, but it’s only good for two.

Stevie dives from the second rope, but he’s met with a big kick from Polaco. Polaco hits a big piledriver and goes for the pin, but pulls Richards up at the count of two. Polaco taunt Stevie, beginning his Justin Credible phrase, but catching a big Stevie kick instead. Richards pins Polaco and gets the two count.

Winner: Stevie Richards

After the match Stevie celebrates, but he eats a bunch of cane shots from Polaco.

The lights go out in the Impact Zone, and when they come back on, Sandman is in the ring with a Singapore Cane of his own. Polaco tries to hit Sandman, but Sandman avoids it and hits the Singapore Cane assisted Russian leg sweep before cracking Polaco over the head. Sandman picks up Polaco’s cane and drapes it over his throat before posing over his prone body.

Francine gets a little bit of screen time and we see her 1 year old daughter. She thanks the fans, and the boys in the back. She says she loved performing for everyone, and event though she’s done in wrestling the fans will always be in her heart.

Before the match Taz and Tenay make it seem like there’s going to be a video package highlighting wrestler’s who are no longer around, but there’s just a title card.

Brother Runt is out first, followed by Al Snow (of course with Head), and then Rhino. All three men get nice pops from the crowd.

This match will apparently be elimination rules. The circling begins and Brother Runt puts Snow in a head lock, only to be put in a head lock by Rhino. Snow is sent to the outside and Runt tries for a pin on Rhino only to eat a shoulder block. Rhino teases the Gore, but Snow grabs his feet out from under him. Snow hits a backbreaker on Runt, but Rhino is there, sending him to the outside. Rhino charges Runt, and he’s tossed over the ropes by Runt. Runt dives to the outside, but he’s caught by Snow and Rhino, and they simply toss him over their heads to the entrance ramp. Snow rolls Rhino into the ring and tries for a slingshot leg drop but he misses. Snow catches Rhino with a double underhook and a series of head butts. Snow hits a big moonsault that’s good for two.

Snow tries to use head, but Rhino prevents it, putting him down with a dvd. Runt hits Snow with a double stomp from the top. He tries for the Dudley Dawg, but Rhino simply tosses him off. Runt responds with a hurricarana to take Rhino off his feet and everyone is down. Snow and Runt are up first, and Rhino soon after. Runt hits both men with left and rights but when he tries for a double Dudley Dawg, he’s tossed to the outside. Snow and Rhino fight and the ref goes down. Snow grabs head and smashes it into Rhino’s face. Runt throws a chair at Snow and takes a dive, Snow slams the chair down and falls down himself and everyone is down.

Everyone makes it up and Runt connects with the Dudley Dog on Snow. Runt gets the three count, eliminating Snow. Runt turns right around into a gore, and a three count eliminates him as well.

Winner: Rhino

Mick Foley gets a bit of interview time to talk about his role in Raven vs. Dreamer later tonight. Foley says he knows their history better than almost anyone. He says he’s been friends and enemies of both men. He knows there’s serious potential for the match to get out of hand, and he knows it’s being billed as a final showdown, and if that’s how it’s being billed, you need someone who’ll be able to be there when the smoke clears, to make the three count, and Foley can do that.

Brutus Magnus talks about how impressive it is that ECW was able to sustain itself for so long on passion alone. Chris Sabin talks about how his first taste of hardcore wrestling was Terry Funk vs. Sabu and it was simply captivating. Sabin says people like that, like RVD, inspired him to become who he is today.

Alright, it’s Balls Mahoney, and he’ll be Balls in this review. Balls grabs the mic, he says what you’re looking at in the ring, is the most hardcore tag team in wrestling. The most extreme tag team in the history of the business, and they don’t have a match, so this is an open challenge to anyone in the back. Joel Gertner makes his way out with a tye-dye clad 3D and there’s a huge pop from the crowd.

Gertner does his old schtick on the mic, and even Balls on the outside is loving it. Gertner is freaking ridiculous, saying things I guarantee you’ll never hear on TNA PPV ever again before giving Team 3D a proper introduction.

Ray tells Balls and Axl to come into the ring for a second. He tells the crowd they’re looking at four of the most hardcore men to ever step into a wrestling ring, and the last thing the people want to see is a ‘wrestling match’ so they should do what they do best, and give the people exactly what they came to see, Old School South Philly Street Fight. Fisticuffs ensue and this one is on.

Team 3D vs. Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten (Street Fight)

This is basically just a brawl with Axy and D-Von and Ray and Balls squaring off. Things quickly spill to the outside, and TNA employs their dumb split screen that makes everything so much harder to follow. Balls tags Ray with a couple of big right hands, but he eats a big boot and a second rope shoulder block for his troubles. D-Von begins looking under the ring apron but he gives up pretty easily. Ray grabs a styrofoam head from the audience and whacks Balls over the top of the head. Balls replies in kind. Things spill to the crowd, where the fans are absolutely loving it. Everyone is basically just beating on everyone else up the staircase.

Rey hits Balls with yet another Head, and Axl and D-Von fight up and down another staircase. This is just an absolute mess. It’s fun, but there’s nothing going on but guys punching each other. They fight back to the ringside area where Ray sends Balls into the ring and begins throwing weapons into the ring left and right.

In the ring Ray eats a trash can lid shot from Balls. Balls tries for a second rope leg drop, but Ray moves, and whack Balls over the head with a frying pan that sends him to the outside. Axl comes in the ring and hits Ray with a series of punches and an elbow of his own before whacking him with a cookie sheet. D-Von tries to hit Axl with the clothesline, but Axl ducks it and hits him with a couple of right hands for good measure. Axl comes up with a plastic lightsaber from out of nowhere, and D-Von tosses in another for Ray. Axl and Ray have a lightsaber duel in the middle of the ring, with Balls coming out on top. Balls hits Ray with a couple of right hands, but Ray comes back with a lightsaber low blow. Ray hits a couple of right hands of his own, dances and hits a bionic elbow.

Axl hits Ray with an inverted DDT that’s good for a near fall. D-Von comes in an hits a neckbreaker on Rotten. Balls hits a big sit out powerbomb, that’s good for a two count. Everyone gets to their feet and everyone has a chair. Balls and Axl are the ones who comes out on top, hitting 3D with chairs and going for a simultaneous near fall. Axl and Balls try to clothesline the ref, but the ref ducks. 3D hit Rotten and Balls with chair shots of their own, but it’s not enough to keep either man down. 3D hit the What’s up head butt on Balls and Ray tells D-Von to get the tables.

3D bring a table into the ring and set it up and Gertner hands Ray a bottle of lighter fluid. This is not a good idea. Ray absolutely douses the table with lighter fluid. D-Von sets the table on fire and Ray powerbombs Balls through it. D-Von pins Balls and 3D gets the win.

Winners Team 3D

Following the match, Ray says that 3D is the greatest, but music hits, and the Gangstas make their way out to the ramp with a ton of weapons in hand.

New Jack and Mustafa come in and lay waste to 3D. New Jack staples D-Von’s testicles before laying a trash can over him and whacking it with a hockey stick. He then hits Ray with a crutch, breaking it over his back. The Gangsta’s music is still playing and this is just an exended beat down. New Jack grabs a guitar and smashes it over Gertner’s head. 3D make it back up to their feet, and Ray hugs Mustafa and New Jack hugs D-Von. Balls and Axl get back into the ring and all six men celebrate.

Backstage, Raven talks about his history with Tommy Dreamer, especially their history as kids, when both were very different. Raven talks about how he got tougher and tougher, and how his career took off and Tommy’s wallowed in obscurity, and then the friendship changed. Raven says Tommy couldn’t handle not being the top guy. He says Tommy knows if you hurt someone emotionally it can hurt them for years, so Dreamer stole his girl. Raven says he’s smarter though, because he waited for the right moment, and it took ten years, and this is Tommy’s moment for glory, and Raven is going to hurt him, cripple him, and shatter his soul.

Jesse Neal talks about being able to see ECW live in Florida. He says it was insane and it just wasn’t the same as other companies. Kaz says that he was lucky enough to be in the ring with some of the old school originals when he was training, and it was like living a dream.

Former ECW wrestlers get some time to pay homage to Joey Styles, complimenting him and telling him that he’s the best at what he does. Jerry Lynn even gets a little bit of promo time, which is nice, especially considering he’s not able to perform tonight.

Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer

Mick Foley, the special guest referee, is the first man out to the ring, to a huge pop from the crowd.

Raven is the first of the two competitors to make his way to the ring, and he gets a decent reaction from the crowd. Raven makes sure to stop by Dreamer’s wife, who’s sitting next to Dixie Carter at ringside. Dreamer is out next, to a really nice pop from the Impact Zone.

Foley tells both men that anything goes, but this is the final showdown and someone will win and someone will lose. Raven starts things off by kicking Dreamer below the belt. Raven tosses Dreamer to the outside. He follows and buries his boot in Tommy’s midsection before slamming him into the guardrail back first with a Russian leg sweep. Raven tosses a chair into the ring before stomping at Dreamer and sending him back into the ring. Back in the ring Raven wedges the chair in between the second and third rope, but when he tries to whip Dreamer into it, it backfires and Dreamer counters, sending Raven into his own trap. Raven rolls to the outside, and Dreamer follows, hitting him with left and rights. Raven smiles, so Dreamer grabs a fans beer, spits some in Raven’s eyes, and slams the can into his head repeatedly.

Dreamer sends Raven back into the ring where he sets two chairs up side by side. Dreamer tries to suplex Raven into the chairs, but Raven turns it around, hitting a drop toe hold to send Dreamer head first into both chairs. Dreamer rolls to the outside and Raven follows with a chair. Raven uses the chair to slam into Dreamer’s head and Tommy is split open. Raven stares at Dreamer’s wife and kids and Tommy’s family is leaving the ringside area. Raven is pounding away on Dreamer and he’s a bloody mess. Raven tries to hit Dreamer with a chair but Dreamer ducks and Raven connects with the ring post. Raven sends Dreamer into the rings steps instead, slamming him headfirst into the top step. Raven brings things back into the ring.

Raven stomps away at Dreamer, before setting up a chair in the middle of the ring. Raven tries to whip Tommy into the ropes, but Dreamer turns it around and hits a drop toe hold, sending Raven face first into the seat of the chair. Dreamer goes to the outside and grabs a ‘fans’ sign, that has a street sign concealed in it, and he whacks Raven with it, sending Raven to the outside. When Raven comes back into the ring he’s split open and Dreamer suplexes his on top of the sign. Dreamer goes to the outside where he grabs a ladder. Dreamer brings it in and puts it in the corner in between the bottom and middle rope. Dreamer turns his attention back to Raven and he bites away at Raven’s forehead. Dreamer drags Raven by his legs and places his head under the ladder, slingshotting him up, face first into the ladder.

Dreamer sets Raven on the top turnbuckle, and puts the ladder in between the second and third ropes. Dreamer stands on the ladder, but Raven fights back and Dreamer falls through in a nasty spot. Raven hits I believe a clothesline and Tommy crashes to the mat. Dreamer kicks out of a pin attempt, and when Raven brings him up to his feet, Dreamer is able to connect with the Dreamer driver out of nowhere, but Dreamer doesn’t even try for a pin. Dreamer sets Raven up in the tree of woe and stomps down on Raven’s groin before setting the street sign in front of Raven’s face and hitting him with a giant dropkick.

Dreamer goes to the outside where he grabs a tiny bit of barbed wire. Dreamer uses the wire to scrape across Ravens forehead. The barbed wire is in Raven’s mouth and Dreamer is yanking back. Nova and fake Meanie run in and take out Foley while Raven taps. They then attack Dreamer. Fake Meanie goes to the top rope where he tries for a frog splash, but he misses. Dreamer connects with a DDT on fake Meanie, and a neckbreaker on Nova, but Raven is there to catch Dreamer with a DDT. Dreamer kicks out of a cover and Raven argues with Foley, shoving him. Foley responds with a series of right hands before reaching in his trunks and grabbing the sock, using it to apply the mandible claw. Someone, who’s apparently Raven’s lackey comes in with a top rope leg drop, but he’s quickly taken out by Foley who hits him with a barbed wire mandible claw.

The blood is gushing out of this kids mouth as Foley takes him to the back. In the ring, Raven has handcuffs which he uses to trap Dreamer’s arms behind his back. Raven grabs a chair and uses it to hit Dreamer across the back. Foley screams at Raven that Dreamer is helpless. Dreamer’s wife runs out to the ring, and she begs Raven to stop. Raven looks conflicted, and Dreamer’s wife gives him a hug. Raven pushes her off and hits Dreamer in the head with the chair. He goes for Dreamer’s wife and Foley tries to stop him, so he eats a couple of chair shots for his trouble. Dreamer’s wife hits a low blow, and Dreamer is kind of able to connect with a DDT, but it’s still only good for a two count.

Raven has the chair and he uses it to hit Dreamer over the head before dropping him on top of it with a DDT. Raven pins Dreamer and he gets the three count.

Winner: Raven

After the match, Dreamer makes his way up the ramp with his wife to a ton of applause from the crowd. Dreamer thanks the fans while they chant ‘E-C-Dub’.

Jeremy Borash is backstage with So Cal Val, and it’s not long before they’re interrupted by New Jack and Mustafa. New Jack asks Val if she knows what you say about black guys, once you go black, you get bad credit. Mustafa chases Val away, and New Jack says that makes JB his bitch. JB makes sure to plug TNA’s website before he goes offscreen with New Jack.

The originals get a chance to talk about Paul E. Heymen, and there is nothing negative said, which is a little bit surprising when you really think about how ECW ended. I guess time really does heal all wounds.

Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu

Rob Van Dam is the first man out to the ring with Alfonso in tow. He gets a nice pop from the crowd, and Fonzie won’t stop tooting on the damn whistle.

Alfonso runs back up the entrance ramp and takes off his ‘RVD’ jacket. He makes his way back to the ring with Sabu, unsurprisingly, still tooting that damn whistle.

Van Dam doesn’t even get a mentioned as the TNA World Champion. The bell rings, and Sabu tries right off the bat to dive into Van Dam’s legs. Another attempt and RVD avoids it again. Both men have a bit of a pose off before locking up. Sabu goes behind and locks up RVD until Van Dam is able to get into the ropes. RVD bails to the outside and poses for the crowd. Fonzie advises Sabu to pose for the fans. Another leg dive and Sabu gets it this time, but he’s kicked right off by RVD.

Another lock up and RVD gets a side head lock. Things change quickly as we get some nice chain wrestling from both men. It’s pretty obvious that both of these guys know each other well. Fonzie throws a chair in the middle of the ring and Sabu comes up with it, throwing it with force into RVD’s head before setting it up, and jumping off of it, splashing RVD in the corner. Sabu gets a near fall and RVD rolls to the outside. Sabu hits a baseball slide that sends RVD into the crowd. Sabu sets up a chair in the ring and uses it to jump to the top rope, and then the outside on top of RVD.

Sabu makes it back into the ring and RVD is there shortly after. Sabu goes right for the cover but RVD kicks out. Sabu locks in the reverse chin lock and stomps on RVD before picking up the chair and slamming it down into RVD’s back. Sabu applies a modified camel clutch with a chair across Van Dam’s back for a bit before setting up another chair and trying for another splash in the corner. This time though, RVD dropkicks the chair into Sabu’s legs. RVD sets up the chair and tries to monkey flip Sabu on top of it, but it looks like Sabu pretty much misses it. RVD throws the chair into Sabu’s head and tries for a pin but he only gets two. Sabu sends Van Dam into the corner and follows it up with a big clothesline that’s good for a two count.

Sabu and RVD both go for springboard moves in the corner and collide, crashing down to the mat. Fonzie comes into the ring and backs the referee off. He tosses both RVD and Sabu water, telling them both to drink up. They then both go to the outside where they both grab tables. They then run around to the hard camera side of the ring where RVD jumps up to the apron and right off with a single leg drop kick to Sabu’s face. RVD picks Sabu up and hits a front suplex, placing him on the barricade. RVD goes to the apron and hits the corkscrew leg drop on Sabu, who’s still hung up on the barricade.

Van Dam rolls Sabu into the ring on top of an unfolded table, and places a chair on Sabu’s chest, slingshotting himself out to the apron with a big leg drop across Sabu’s chest. Van Dam tries for a quick cover, but he only gets two. Sabu charges RVD in the corner, but he eats a shoulder. Van Dam climbs the ropes, and Fonzie throws a chair to Sabu who throws it at RVD’s face. Sabu puts the chair in the middle of the ring and hits a top rope hurricarana that sends RVD back first on top of the chair. Sabu then hits a chair assisted Arabian facebuster, but it’s not enough to keep RVD down. RVD hits a drop toe hold and Sabu’s face is smashed into a chair. RVD crotches Sabu on the top rope and he calls Fonzie into the ring and asks him to hold the chair in front of Sabu, Fonzie obliges and RVD connects with the Van Daminator.

RVD rolls Sabu back in the ring and hits a split legged moonsault that’s good for a two, and Sabu keeps grabbing his nost. RVD goes for a table and begins setting it up, and Sabu has a chair that he uses to toss at Van Dam’s back, then his face. Sabu hits a leg drop, but RVD is in the ropes and the ref doesn’t count it. Sabu is whipped into the corner and RVD connects with a big kick to the face. Van Dam sets a chair on Sabu’s chest and connects with rolling thunder.

RVD grabs a chair, and uses it to assist a corner dropkick, slamming the chair into Sabu’s head. Sabu starts to fight back, hitting a big boot and a springboard twisting DDT that sends Van Dam head first into one of the chairs in the ring. Sabu goes for the cover but Van Dam kicks out at two. Sabu drills Van Dam with a chair assisted leg drop but it’s still only good enough for a near fall. Sabu brings RVD to his feet and drapes him across the table, but when he dives off the top with a chair assisted leg drop, Van Dam is able to avoid it and Sabu crashes through the table. RVD goes up top to hit the five star frog splash and he connects. RVD pins Sabu, and this one is over.

Winner: Rob Van Dan

Fonzie helps Sabu to his feet while RVD celebrates, but Sabu drops right back down to his knees. Sabu talks to the ref and points to his ribs. RVD hands the belt to Fonzie and backs him off. He goes to help Sabu, but Sabu pushes him away. Sabu stops though, and hugs Van Dam before raising his hand.

The Originals make their way down to the ring with beers in hand, and everyone gets a brew. Lots of ‘thank you’ chants. Everyone toasts with everyone else, and even Dixie Carter gets a beer. ‘F you Vince’ chants. Dreamer grabs the mic, he thanks Taz and Tenay and says they’ve got beers for them. Dreamer thanks everyone watching at home, saying this couldn’t have happened without Dixie Carter. Brother Ray grabs Dixie and brings her up to the ring. Dreamer says to everyone in TNA, they set the bar, and hopes that they can raise it. Dreamer says that was one hell of an F’n Pay Per View, and he thanks the fans once more.

Jerry Lynn Comments On His Back Injury

SEScoops confirmed over the weekend that former ECW Champion Jerry Lynn has been forced to pull out of his main event match with Rob Van Dam scheduled for tonight’s TNA Hardcore Justice pay-per-view.

Fanhouse.com reached Lynn, who commented on the disappointment of having to miss tonight’s match.

“I’ve been looking forward to this match for years and finally thought it was going to happen” Lynn said.

Lynn and Rob Van Dam had several classic matches on ECW pay-per-views in the late 90s that included several “Match of the Year” candidates and set the standard for PPV main events at the time.

“Unfortunately, I got hurt. I’m really disappointed and hopefully it will happen in the future.”

Undertaker vs. Kane Feud Planned, RAW Rating, Orton’s Tattoos

– Monday’s episode of WWE RAW scored a 3.3 cable rating and averaged 4,660,000 for the 2-hour taped broadcast. The show did hours of 3.17 and 3.39.

– There is talk of having the Undertaker wrestle Kane at Night of Champions on September 19th and then a rematch at October’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. The Undertaker has been out of action for several weeks and is expected to appear at SummerSlam next weekend.

– Randy Orton posted a message on Twitter last night saying that he may be appearing on an upcoming episode of the  TLC reality TV show “LA Ink” and get a tattoo from Ms. Kat Von D.

– This week’s Friday Night SmackDown will be pre-empted until 11pm in New York City due to the Yankees game.

Credit to f4wonline.com for some of the info used in this report

Shane Douglas Talks About Sunday’s Hardcore Justice PPV

Shane Douglas was interviewed by Brian Fritz of Fanhouse.com this week and discussed Sunday’s TNA Hardcore Justice pay-per-view.

Related News: Shane Douglas Wants Ric Flair This Sunday At Hardcore Justice

Here’s what Douglas told Fanhouse about:

Appearing at Hardcore Justice: “I was offered to be on the show. I would love to be on the show. I put one stipulation forward — that I get Ric Flair. It’s come to my understanding that Ric, rather than talk about his illustrious career or the Four Horsemen or his infamous run-ins with Dusty Rhodes and Hulk Hogan, he decided to talk about me and say some things that my lawyers consider to be bordering on slanderous and libelous. This is no work, this is no joke. I want to get this guy in the ring so I can knock him around a little bit for my own satisfaction and I’m sure the fans would like to see it as well.”

ECW Guys Still Mistreated: “I would hope that ECW fans would see fit to tune out of this show as opposed to tune in whenever they consider that guys like Ric Flair are paid a half-million dollars a year, Sting’s been paid God knows how many millions of dollars over the past five years, Hogan’s been paid 750 this year. But then they’ll throw Axl Rotten or Balls Mahoney or some of these other brothers of mine $500 a night or a $1,000 for the weekend. To me, that’s repugnant.”

The Final Chapter For ECW? “I would love for it to be the final epitaph for ECW. If I felt for one second that TNA was going to do it right then a) the pay they’re offering out to the guys is telling me they’re far from doing it right, and b) the storylines and lack of promotion, true promotion — true, real push for the show … I’ve been around the business for almost three decades now. I know (the difference between) a show being pushed and not being pushed. This show is far from being pushed. I haven’t seen an ad any place outside of TNA’s website. So, I don’t know if Dixie is trying to get Spike (TV) over her back for Paul Heyman or if she’s trying to pull a smoke-and-mirrors with ECW fans.”

Transcript Of Vince McMahon’s Investor Conference Call

Credit to TheStreet.com for this transcript of Vince McMahon’s address to WWE investors at this week’s conference call..

Click Here for more on WWE’s 2nd Quarter financial results.

Basically, we had a lousy quarter, and I think that it was sort of like a perfect storm, if you would, we had quite a number of negatives as it relates to the Icelandic volcano situation, which our troops were stranded over there for quite some time.

Notwithstanding that, another perfect storm as it relates to talent and intellectual property and the use of them at the end of WrestleMania, the remaining of those really our top talents, some of them retired, which one of them we knew was going to another we did not.

In addition to that there were considerable injuries that booked a number of our performers on the sideline as well, Undertaker, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels retired, Batista, unexpectedly, took a hiatus, Triple H injured. These are some of the stalwarts that we rely on.

These are some of the star, which that we are relying on to for pay-per-view numbers, rely on for live events, and that’s really my major barometer in terms of where the business is going. All live events is for those pay-per-view numbers, because the pay-per-view is no different than really a live event that’s simply televised.

So, those two are numbers that were indicative of the lousy quarter in terms of pay-per-view and the lack of attendance, but all of that of course relates to WWE not giving the public the performance in terms of attraction that they want to see.

And again, that’s because of the perfect storm-type situation that we’ve never had in the business in terms of all of these talents leaving and injured all at the same time.

We did have a couple of strengths in terms of home video somewhat up. Our tour launch with Mattel, and Mattel as a partner is tremendous and we will continue to have very positive impacts.

*Spoilers* SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight

– Thanks to Eric for the following WWE SmackDown spoilers from last night, which will air on August 6th:

* The show opens with Rey Mysterio. Rey says he did not take out The Undertaker. Drew McIntyre comes out and says he’s going to take out Mysterio just like he did to Christian last week. Rey accepts Drew’s challenge for the main event.

* Cody Rhodes defeated Matt Hardy.

* A backstage segment with Layla, Michelle McCool and Teddy Long. Teddy demands they give up one of the belts and Michelle does. LayCool argues and break the other belt.

* Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Ziggler got help from Vickie Guerrero in the match. Kofi attacks Dolph after the match and beats him up bad.

* CM Punk, Serena, Joey Mercury and Luke Gallows come out. Punk shows footage of them beating up Big Show last week and brags about it. Punk cuts a promo on his fellow SES members.

* Punk, Gallows and Mercury defeat the team of MVP, JTG and Chris Masters. Good match here with Gallows getting the win for his team.

* Teddy Long and Jack Swagger had a backstage segment. Swagger blamed all his troubles with Kane on Teddy. I think this may have been a segment for arena viewers only since they referenced the dark main event.

* Rey Mysterio defeated Drew McIntyre in the main event with a rollup. This was the best match for SmackDown of the night.

* After the match Kane comes down and there’s a casket. Rey escapes from Kane and says he didn’t take out Undertaker and reveals that Kane was the attacker. SmackDown ends with Kane staring up to the sky for a long time, crying or laughing to himself.

WWE Releases Second Quarter Earnings Results

WWE released its second quarter earnings results today. Overall the results were not good, as they were below analysts expectations and last year’s Q2 results.  The main points:

* Revenues for the second quarter were $106.8 million with an opening income of $10.3 million and a net income of $6.3 million. The second quarter last year included WrestleMania, which was in the first quarter this year. When removing WrestleMania, second quarter results last year were $106.6 million in revenue, with $13.1 million in operating income and $10.2 million in net income.

* WWE cited the soft economy as well as “recent changes in our talent base” as the major reasons for the disappointing performance.

“In the second quarter, our performance fell below management expectations as trends weakened in the latter part of the quarter. Although we believe the continued softness in the economy played a part in our results, recent changes in our talent base may have also impacted key operating metrics, particularly domestic pay-per-view buys and live event attendance,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, our profitability was negatively affected by the reduction in revenue from high margin businesses and by the logistical costs related to the Icelandic volcano. We view some of these factors as temporary and, looking ahead, we remain confident in our ability to address these challenges by producing compelling content and cultivating consumer demand. On a positive note, the second quarter reflected improved results in our Home Video business and our continued success in managing our expenses.”

* Revenues in North America dropped 32% while revenues outside of America increased 3%, compared to last year. When excluding WrestleMania from last year’s second quarter, revenues dropped 5% in North America and increased 11% outside of North America.

* North American TV revenue was way down, from $103.5 million last year to $70.5 million this year.

* Home video revenue was up, from $8.6 million last year to $11.5 million this year.

* WWE.com revenues were down from $4.5 million last year to $3 million this year.

* WWEShop revenues were down from $3.4 million last year to $2.4 million this year.

Mickie James Talks About Working For TNA & Her WWE Relese

Former WWE Diva Mickie James was interviewed by Fanhouse.com this week and spoke about her music career, her WWE release and whether she’d work for TNA Wrestling again.

Here are some highlights of what she said about:

Her WWE Release: “It definitely was heartbreaking and it was out of the blue for me. It totally blindsided me and I didn’t see it coming. But, you know, hindsight is 20-20. Perhaps if I wasn’t so passionate … I don’t know, it’s one of those things that I think I would’ve never cut out on my own because I did love my job and I loved WWE and I loved my fans so much that I would’ve given anything. And I intended to be able to do both, to still wrestle 250 days out of the year and, in the meantime, if we’re in Savannah, Georgia, do the show that night and then maybe go to a bar and even if it’s like a little acoustic set, do a mini-acoustic set afterward and then hit the radio stations the next morning … I had this whole plan. So it kind of totally hit me out of left field, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise because now I can really concentrate on the music, and kind of cherry-pick when I’m gonna wrestle and what I’m gonna do and rebuild my plan of what I want to do and where I want to go.”

Her Music Career Being Her Top Priority: “Here’s the deal — I think that I’ve made my mark in the industry and I’ve made a legacy in the business, and granted there’s a lot more that I wanted to do, but it kind of fell short. So now it’s just a moving forward thing. I don’t think that anything that I could do in the industry right now on this level, in the wrestling industry, would ever compare to wrestling in front of 90,000 people. Unless it’s right and it’s the perfect thing, my focus is on the music. My heart and soul, that’s where I’m at right now, all my focus is on that.”

Working For TNA: “Well certainly I’ve entertained the thought and it’s one of those things … there has to be this beautiful marriage between the two. Obviously my music right now is in the forefront, and if there’s a way to be able to do it and still … you know, because TNA’s schedule is certainly less demanding, maybe what, 100 dates out of the year? Obviously it would give me a lot more time, but it would also give me that platform to be able to be there for my wrestling fans and hope that they would support me with my music.”

Eric Bischoff Hypes Hardcore Justice, Talks TNA, McMahon

TNA’s Eric Bischoff was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/02/09) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem radio show. For details on the show, visit MondayNightMayhem.com.

During the appearance, Bischoff Discusses Why TNA Is Not Trying To Recreate ECW, If He Feels The Angle Is Overshadowing TNA’s Current Crop Of Stars, The Recent Spike In Ratings For TNA iMPACT (And The Locker Room’s Reaction To It), His ECW One Night Stand Experience (And Whether Or Not He Was Truly Scared For His Life That Night), If Turning Heel Is Just Around The Corner For Him, How “The Whole F’N Show” Spike TV/TNA Special Could Mirror WCW’s Clash Of The Champions, The Beer Money/Motor City Machine Guns’ “Best Of Five” Series For The TNA World Tag Team Titles, & The Reasons Why He Believes That Vince McMahon Would Not Induct Him Into The WWE Hall Of Fame…Even If He Were Not Under TNA Contract.

Click Here to listen to an MP3 of Eric Bischoff’s appearance on the show.

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

Why the recent “extreme” revival in TNA/this Sunday night’s HardCORE Justice Pay-Per-View “is not ECW” & why TNA is not trying to recreate it: “Let’s make a couple of things really clear. This is not ECW. ECW was around on TNN for 12 months…that’s it. I know it’s grown in mythology and in the minds of people, but it lasted on TNA for 12 or 13 months. It found a home because it found a niche. It was a very violent, gritty, & very cool in many respects, and I’m not cutting it down in any way because it was different. To Paul E’s credit, he found a way to make what he was doing and the limitations he had to work with, and he was able to make a product that was different, and fans liked it because it was different. TNA, or WWE, or anyone that has to make money with a brand isn’t going to be able to resort to the level of violence & the presentation that they got used back on TNN. It’s just not possible. I want to make clear that this is not ECW, and we are not trying to re-create ECW. People that are getting so hung up on this ECW comparison are getting lost in their own mythology.”

Why he is in favor of the ECW angle at this point & whether or not the current crop of TNA stars are being overshadowed as a result of it: “I don’t know if it’s taking any money out of Sting’s pockets, or taking money out of Jay Lethal’s pockets, or anybody’s pockets. Jay Lethal is probably enjoying one of the better stages of his career as of late. I don’t think you’ll hear Jay Lethal complain about it. It’s a great story, it’s great for TNA, and the ratings are up, which is good for everybody. It’s good for business, and when business is good, everybody prospers.”

The morale of the TNA locker room & the reaction from Spike TV after the most recent iMPACT ratings were made public: “Other than Vince Russo, who I speak to daily, I haven’t really talked to anybody since the rating came out. I’m sure that everyone is excited. I’ve had several conversations with the folks at Spike TV, and I know everyone is excited. In terms of the talent, I really haven’t had a chance to talk to them.”

Why he believes that Vince McMahon would not put him into the WWE Hall of Fame, even if he was not under contract to TNA right now: “I don’t. I like Vince, and I respect Vince, but he’s his own unique animal, and there’s certain parts of history that neither he or some of the key people around him will ever forget, and I think that history, even if I wasn’t with TNA, would probably preclude me from being involved. I’m sure I’d get an invitation to come, but I don’t think Vince McMahon would ever, under any circumstances, give that spotlight away.”

Shane Douglas Wants Ric Flair This Sunday At Hardcore Justice

Shane Douglas posted the following on his official website, FranchiseFanSite.com, calling out TNA for using his likeness to promote Hardcore Justice when he’s never agreed to appear. Douglas says he’s willing to appear on the show, but only if he gets a shot at Ric Flair, “face to face.”

Douglas and Flair have had bad blood for many years, dating back to the early days of ECW, when Douglas would cut very harsh promos about the Nature Boy, who was in WCW at the time. Flair has taken some cheap shots against Shane Douglas in recent interviews, bringing up the fact that he currently works at the retail store “Target.”

From The Franchise:

After seeing, the ECW promo piece put out by tna, and being deluged by texts & emails from friends AND fans, I felt, very strongly, that I should put out a clarification about that less-than-honest video from tna.

Firstly, MOST organizations would NOT wish to mislead any potential customer(s)! CLEARLY, this video intended to mislead wrestling fans, most certainly ECW fans! That said, I have to question tna’s motive(s) in placing ANY shot of me in their promotional pieces?! tna is overly aware that we have NOT come to terms for any participation by ECW’s centerpiece “Franchise” in “Hardcore Justice”!

So, either they are trying to deceive potential ppv buyers (namely ECW fans), or they must be willing to meet my only demand for the event- Dic Flair on a silver platter! This was the biggest angle, teased to our loyal fanbase, that never came “to a head” in ECW. Unless I’m missing the mark, I feel VERY STRONGLY that this IS a match our fanbase, and tna’s, would tune in to see. Too bad, thus far, tna seems to be following their now-tired trend of ignoring their fans’ desires!!!

I stand prepared to take part in the “final bow” of this great organization. I only demand that our fans get what they deserve- Dic Flair and The Franchise, face to face, for their enjoyment!

To be fair and certain, it would seem Dic would want the same thing, judging from his recent comments about me. SURELY, “the, ahem, man” isn’t afraid of a guy who “works retail”, right DIC?

Balls in your, and tna’s (Dixie?) court! What do you fans think? Or, more importantly, what do you fans want? Surely, the Carter’s want to aim to please… RIGHT?!

Not hiding behind someone’s blouse, are you, Dic?!?!
I’m waiting…

Heyman Update, Team 3D’s Contracts, Hogan Retired

– With TNA’s HardCORE Justice pay-per-view just a few days away, sources in TNA say there’s little to no buzz backstage about Paul Heyman appearing at the show. While Heyman has met with TNA management in recent months, things seem to have died down as of late.

– Don’t expect to see Hulk Hogan back in the ring any time soon. In recent comments made to prowrestling.net, Eric Bischoff gave an update on the condition of Hulk Hogan’s health following recent back surgeyr.  “I don’t know for sure,” Bischoff said. “I don’t even ask him anymore because I know what his reaction would be. He’d say he’s feeling perfect.” Bischoff said Hogan feels that if he verbalizes something positively, it will come true, which is why he takes that approach with his back. When asked whether Hogan’s in-ring career is over, Bischoff said, “I don’t see him wrestling again. I’d be disappointed and there would probably be a physical moment backstage because I would try to stop him.”

– Team 3D is currently negotiating new TNA contracts, as the current deals are set to expire in the next few months. For what it’s worth, neither Brother Ray or Devon are happy about the latest ECW revival in TNA.

Kurt Angle Compares His & John Cena’s New Movies

TNA star Kurt Angle posted a few messages on Twitter.com/anglefoods1 comparing his new movie “Beyond the Mat” to WWE star John Cena’s “Legendary.” Both are about amateur wrestling, but Angle says Cena’s movie lacks realism.

“I heard that “Beyond the Mat” comes out in Jan. Legendary comes out next month. The difference is realism. Legendary is not true to real wrestling. Beyond the Mat, it has me, Ken Shamrock- all world class athletes who know how to succeed.”

His next comment got cut off, but said the “dark horse” movie would be the movie of 2011.

12-hours later, Angle followed up by complimenting Cena’s work on Legendary and says Cena’s movie is good for the sport:

“But I heard Cena did a great job in Legendary. Thanks for pushing the sport of amateur wrestling John. It’s great for the sport.”

Angle plays an amateur wrestling coach in “Beyond the Mat”, which will be in theaters February 2011.

Angle also said he’s got two more movie projects this year. He’s currently shooting “Death From Above” and will begin working on “Madman Marz” in a few months.

Hardcore Justice News: More Confirmed Stars, bWo Appearing?

– TNA president Dixie Carter posted a message on Twitter this week announcing that Brother Runt, C.W. Anderson, and The FBI will be at Sunday’s HardCORE Justice PPV.

– Despite the fact that TNA has used video clips of him to promote Hard Justice, former ECW champion Shane Douglas is telling people he does not plan on being at the show.

– Former ECW manager and referee Judge Jeff Jones recently appeared on Low Blow Radio and said he’s like to appear at Hardcore Justice, but never got an invitation. He’s reached out to friends in TNA about getting booked for the show, but there does not appear to be any interest.

– Stevie Richards taped a few backstage segments wearing a bWo (Blue World Order) t-shirt at last week’s TNA iMPACT! tapings, a sign that we’ll see him reunite with fellow bWo members Nova and The Blue Meanie this Sunday.

Updated Preview For Sunday’s TNA HardCORE Justice PPV

Hardcore Justice LIVE COVERAGE: This Sunday Night
If you’re not ordering the show, BE HERE for our detailed Live Coverage!
Detailed updates every minute so you don’t miss any of the action

Confirmed Matches:

* Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

* Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven
(with Mick Foley as the referee)

The following ECW originals are also confirmed for Sunday’s TNA HardCORE Justice PPV:

– Sabu
– Team 3D
– Rhino
– Stevie Richards
– Simon Diamond
– Al Snow
– Axl Rotten
– Johnny Swinger
– Brother Runt
– C.W. Anderson
– Members of The FBI

More matches and appearances are expected to be announced before Sunday – stay tuned.

Cena Praised Backstage, Angle Planned For RAW, Feud Scrapped

– John Cena has gotten a lot of praise backstage lately for his work with the Nexus crew, both on television and at WWE live events. While most of the Nexus stars are seen as “green” (except Wade Barrett, who management is happy with), Cena has helped them look like legitimate stars.

– We’ve heard that WWE is working on a big angle for Monday’s RAW, the final show before SummerSlam on August 15th. Monday’s RAW will be headlined by John Cena and Bret Hart vs.  Edge and Chris Jericho.

– A source in WWE says plans for a John Morrison and Melina vs. Ted DiBiase and Maryse feud have been put on hold and might be resumed after the summer.

– The Great Khali has been walking around with a bad limp lately. He’s not expected to miss any ring time, but is pretty banged up.

Credit to f4wonline.com for some of the info used in this report

Shane McMahon Named CEO Of China Broadband, Inc.

Former WWE executive Shane McMahon has been named the new CEO of China Broadband, Inc. Here’s the official press release:

China Broadband, Inc. (“China Broadband” or “the Company”) (OTCBB: CBBD), a provider of cable broadband services, and publisher of digital and analog program guides in the Shandong Province of China, is pleased to announce that it has closed a private placement financing with institutional and accredited investors with aggregate gross proceeds of $9.625 million to fund the simultaneous acquisition of Sinotop Group Limited, (“Sinotop”), through which China Broadband will provide integrated value-added services (VAS) solutions for the delivery of Pay-Per-View (PPV), Video-On-Demand (VOD), and enhanced premium content for cable providers in China.

Marc Urbach, President of China Broadband stated, “We are excited to announce the completion of our private placement and acquisition transactions. This has been a very positive reflection of the support from our existing and new shareholders, and we believe this signals the vitality of our new business and commitment as leaders in the premium content space.”

Simultaneous with the private placement and the acquisition of Sinotop, China Broadband appointed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Executive, Shane McMahon, as its Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Urbach further stated, “Mr. McMahon has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and we are honored to have one of the most seasoned veterans of PPV and premium sports entertainment in the world join the China Broadband team. His highly skilled background in marketing and promotion will be instrumental in moving us forward. In addition we look forward to working with some of the most prestigious and established media companies in China to advance the development of a sophisticated content platform. With the acquisition of Sinotop, our goal is to become the leading provider of VOD and PPV services in China.”

The private placement involved the sale of (i) $3.125 million of common units, at a per unit price of $0.05, with each common unit consisting of one share of common stock and a warrant for the purchase of one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05, (ii) $3.5 million of Series A units, at a per unit price of $0.50, with each Series A unit consisting of one share of Series A Preferred Stock (convertible into ten shares of common stock) and a warrant to purchase 34.2857 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05, and (iii) $3.0 million of Series B units, at a per unit price of $0.50, with each Series B unit consisting of one share of Series B Preferred Stock (convertible into ten shares of common stock) and a warrant to purchase ten shares of common stock.

Chardan Capital Markets LLC acted as placement agent for the transaction.

For a more detailed summary of the material provisions of the Financing Agreements please see the Company’s current report on Form 8-K that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission today and is available at www.sec.gov.

About China Broadband

China Broadband’s flagship operation is Jinan Jia He Broadband, also known as Jinan Broadband, the fifth largest broadband operator in China and the second largest broadband service provider in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan. Through its Shandong Group affiliate, China Broadband publishes digital and analog television program guides, newspapers and entertainment magazines. It holds the exclusive license to publish television program guides in Shandong Province, one of the largest regional economies in China. For more information, visit http://www.chinabroadband.tv.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward looking statements.” All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are “forward-looking statements.” These forward looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Tommy Dreamer Hypes Hardcore Justice, Paul Heyman Is Invited

Former two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Tommy Dreamer, was one of the special guests on this week’s edition (08/02/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem radio show. Dreamer Says “There Is An Invitation Out There” To Paul Heyman For This Sunday Night’s HardCORE Justice PPV, Discusses The Reaction From Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff At The Revival Of ECW (And Getting “The Rub From “The Hulkster” On Last Thursday’s IMPACT), The Reaction By Critics (Who Feel That ECW Is Once Again Being Prostituted & Bastardized), Those In The WWE, & Several Former ECW Stars (Who Chose Not To Participate), How Long He Has Been Planning This Pay-Per-View Concept, The Importance Of Authenticity For This Show, Just How Close We Were To Seeing the PPV At The Former ECW Arena Or The Hammerstein Ballroom, What The Fans Can Expect From Him In TNA After His “Final Showdown” With Raven, & The Legacy Of ECW.

Click Here to listen to an MP3 of the entire interview.

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

How supportive has Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff been about the ECW revival in TNA/the concept of the Hardcore Justice Pay-Per-View & the Hardcore Originals getting “the rub” from “The Hulkster” in the ring on last Thursday night’s iMPACT: “I was at WrestleMania with my dad. I was at WrestleMania II. For anyone to say anything about Hulk Hogan, he walks slowly and has a bit of a limp from all the surgeries. He has given so much to this business. To be in the ring with him, and the fan in me & the kid in me, they kept showing me & D-Von, and we were flexing, almost doing the Hulk Hogan pose as Hulk was coming to the ring. In regards to Dixie Carter giving us her 100% blessing, I don’t really know the guys’ personal feelings towards it, but I don’t think if Hulk Hogan didn’t like what he saw, I don’t think he would be out there. He has that stroke to say ‘No, I don’t wanna do something.’ I don’t know Eric Bischoff’s personal feelings towards it. Obviously, they are going forward and giving whatever Pay-Per-View matches they were gonna do for Hard Justice; they are gonna do the following Thursday, which is great.”

The Paul Heyman/TNA rumors & the “invitation” being extended to Paul for this Sunday night’s Pay-Per-View: “I have spoken to Paul, and there is an invitation out there. I would love for him to be there, but I understand if he’s not. He’s also doing stuff for Brock Lesnar. Paul is Paul, and if he does come in, I think he could definitely help. If he doesn’t, the business moves on without him. He’s very, very talented, and I think it would be cool to get people to drink his Kool-Aid again. If he does come to terms, I think it would be a good deal for Paul, and hopefully it would be a good deal for TNA as well.”

His thoughts on the refusal of several former ECW stars (such as “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, Mikey Whipwreck, & Lance Storm) choosing not to appear at HardCORE Justice: “Number one, there are only so many matches that you can truly have. I also don’t wanna throw a bunch of people into Battle Royals just for the sake of throwing people into the show. Yes, I did reach out to Lance Storm, and he said ‘Thanks for thinking of me, but I had my closure in 2005, and it was the perfect scenario for me.’ He had some personal issues with TNA, but that didn’t affect our friendship. Mikey Whipwreck has some serious health issues, and talking to Mikey he said ‘Hey, when I sneeze, my fingers go numb, and I gotta get my neck worked on.’ He also did not want to go out there and embarrass himself, and to me, if you can’t go out to that ring, you shouldn’t go out there anymore. If you’re there, you’re there. If you’re not there, I respect that.”

His reaction to the critics who think this PPV is being done to only make money for TNA & those that feel that the ECW legacy is being bastardized/prostituted yet again and the response he has received from World Wrestling Entertainment (including his long-time friends & colleagues who still work there): “I’ve gotten so many texts & phone calls from people who do work in the WWE congratulating me and wishing me tons of success. This was never about bashing the WWE, or we’re better…that’s not the case. My plan was to create a buzz for TNA. I’ve done that, and created some ratings for TNA, and we’ve done that too. After this, my goal is to help all that in TNA. I do have a different perspective, not saying that it’s 100% right, but these are ways I could prove to other people that if this is a success, that we are on the right track here. Bastardizing it and all that stuff, no. Bottom line, this is a television show. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it. Everything I have tried to do in my short time I’ve been in TNA, and trust me when I tell you: this is for TNA & for the future of this business. I wish I could have Joey Styles call the Pay-Per-View, but I can’t, because he’s under contract. If Chris Jericho was available, I would have Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, but I can’t. The surprises I have in store I hope are good surprises for people, and I look at this as a celebration of guys who are getting another shot, and you’ll never see us together again.”

What can the fans can expect from him in TNA (both inside the squared circle and/or behind the scenes) after his “Final Showdown” with Raven at HardCORE Justice: “My goal is to contribute to TNA in any role given to me and to continue to contribute in the wrestling business that I love so much. I have a list of men & women that I have seen on the indies that are television ready, and I have a list of people that should go to a developmental system that I’ve seen them work live, and if I have the opportunity to introduce these new people to the world, I would love to do that. It’s going out there and having to wrestle AJ Styles, finding a partner and wrestling Beer Money, wrestling Samoa Joe, or helping with a promo in the background behind the scenes, or helping on creative. Giving my experiences that I learned to show what I feel to help you take it to the next level. Just continue to contribute to the TNA product, as well as contribute to the business that I love.”

More is contained in Tommy Dreamer’s highly anticipated/first-ever appearance on the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, including the actual origins of the HardCORE Justice Pay-Per-View concept, the importance of authenticity for this show, just how close we could have been to seeing the PPV at the former ECW Arena or The Hammerstein Ballroom, & so much more! Call your local cable or satellite provider and demand HardCORE Justice: The Final Stand! While counting down the days until Sunday night’s PPV, we strongly encourage you to check out Tommy’s official website (located at www.TheTommyDreamer.com), and follow “The Innovator of Violence” right now on his Twitter page (located at www.Twitter.com/TheTommyDreamer).

Chris Jericho Talks About Leaving WWE & Calls TNA Horrendous

Former six-time World Heavyweight Champion, WWE superstar, the lead singer of Fozzy, & the host of ABC’s Downfall, Chris Jericho, was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/02/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem live every Monday night (at 7PM ET/6PM CT) at MondayNightMayhem.com.

Click Here to listen to an MP3 of the full Interview

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

What has been the most rewarding part of the release of Fozzy’s fourth album, Chasing the Grail and what it has been like for the band to be embraced band by their peers within the rock/metal scene & the music industry: “I think how the band started, it was a fun thing playing a lot of covers, and that’s how we were signed by the guy that signed Metallica & Anthrax. We really didn’t understand it, but we did it, and then to morph out of that into a “real band,” playing all original stuff, especially our last two records. Just to see the shift in attitudes from people who understands the band, it has become a viable, kick-ass rock n’ roll band with great songs. I think an example of the most rewarding part was when we played in BB Kings in New York; we had four-fifths of Anthrax there, Avenged Sevenfold joined us on stage, Vinnie Paul from Pantera was there. Just a huge cavalcade of guys from the business there, and it was just cool to say that we have respect from our peers, which is so important.”

His upcoming seven-on-seven Elimination Tag Team Match at SummerSlam (Team WWE vs. The Nexus), why the angle with The Nexus has generated so much positive buzz, & why he believes the fans have been intrigued thus far: “This match is cool, because obviously they created a great angle using guys who have never had matches on TV before basically, which I don’t think has ever been done before, and to have such a talked about storyline. Seven guys who have proved nothing as far as being main-event draws, but it goes to show that when you have a good storyline, a good idea, and promote it the right way. I’m just excited about it, and I’m happy about the storyline leading up to it. I think people are really intrigued by the whole situation, and that’s the best thing you could do, and to me, that’s the most important thing has always been the story. The match is important, but it’s the story that gets you there.”

The evolution & growth of Jericho’s rookie from NXT Season I Wade Barrett, why Chris knew that he saw himself with “the winner” as soon as they were paired up together, & why he would have been a great star in the WWE whether The Nexus was created or not: “There really hasn’t been much growth…he was good from the moment that he appeared. You could see his presence & his promo ability right off the bat was tremendous, his whole look & ambiance, so he was a star right off the bat, and as soon as I was paired up with him, I knew I was with the winner, because he’s got it more than these other guys do. Work wise, we really haven’t seen much from him. Is he a great worker? Is he a good worker? Does he suck? I don’t know, I think he’s a good worker and has room for improvement, and that’s because he doesn’t have a lot of experience in WWE arenas. But he, by far, is the most talented of the group, the biggest star of the group. Whether they created Nexus or not, he would have been a great star in the WWE. The only thing we need to work on with him is his actual matches, because we haven’t gotten to see much, except for a couple of three-minute matches. But other than that, I think he’s the total package of what we are looking for in the WWE at this point.”

The comparisons of The Nexus to the original NWO, along with the recycling of old angles in professional wrestling & sports-entertainment: “There’s only so many ideas you could think of, and there’s only so much talent out there. The bottom line is there’s so many new guys on the shows nowadays, so you have to use that to your advantage, or you have to go back to your old faithful. I don’t see this being the NWO, because the NWO wasn’t like this. The NWO began with three guys that were all World Champions and big huge stars. So you have Hall, Nash, & Hogan who everyone had known & seen before, and that was part of the shock. The Nexus, we don’t know any of these guys or seen any of them before. They have never drawn a dime anywhere, and that’s the difference. This pack that are working as a well-oiled machine that’s done nothing before…that’s the real surprise. As far as what TNA is doing with ECW, why not?

Why he sees TNA as being a “vanity project that’s been treading water for the last four years,” why he sees their booking being “horrendous,” why the HardCORE Justice could spike their PPV buyrates, & why bringing in Tommy Dreamer could be just what the company needs: “They got nothing else going on, their booking is horrendous, and I say that with the utmost respect for those guys and I most desire to see them succeed, but it’s crap. You know it’s crap, they throw stuff up against the wall, and it’s so hard to watch when it doesn’t have to be. They’re doing 10,000 buys on Pay-Per-View, so let’s bring back The Sandman & Sabu, and maybe they could do 30,000 buys. Go for it; maybe they can do something out of it. Having a guy like Tommy Dreamer involved behind the scenes might be what they need. Get rid of the same old stuff that they have been doing over & over, and bring in someone with a new perspective, and maybe that will help them get their heads out of there asses and just making some money instead of doing this as sort of a vanity project that’s been treading water for the last four years.”

How Chris stays in shape with all of his WWE commitments, his duties as the host of ABC’s Downfall, Fozzy, & other projects: “Crystal Meth. No, I have a lot of drive & passion for the things that I do, and I don’t take on stuff that I can’t completely nail. I’m not as busy as I could be, I still turn down quite a lot of things. Obviously with the band I’ve been playing music a lot longer than I have been wrestling, so this is something I have always wanted to do. As far as the other things, Downfall was a huge opportunity for me, and I would be crazy not to do that. Am I busy sometimes? Yeah, but it all balances out, and when it’s my time off, it’s my time off.”

What does Chris have left to give to the wrestling industry if he decides to stay with the WWE when his contract expires this fall & his response to the Internet rumors that foresee him leaving World Wrestling Entertainmeny being a mere certainty: “Just keep giving what I’ve been giving for the last 20 years, which is performing at the highest level that I can, and I think the stuff I have been doing over the last three years is the best work of my career. So there’s no reason for me to walk away from the WWE at this point, because I think I could perform at the level I have been doing for the last three years because you can’t teach experience. The company has a great future ahead of it, and guys are starting to break through that I’m really proud of. A guy like me, who has been doing this for 20 (and I’m only 39 years old), I could keep doing this another five or six years if I want to, so when it’s time for me to walk away, I’ll know, but as for now, I still enjoy it. I love speculation…that’s what I love about the Internet. Somebody writes something, so it becomes the gospel truth and written in stone.”

NXT Preview, Ex-WWE Stars Wed, Melina Trends On Twitter

– The following matches were taped last week for tonight’s “Rookie Challenge” episode of WWE NXT:

* Kaval vs. Husky Harris
* Alex Riley vs. Percy Watson
* Michael McGillicutty vs. Lucky Cannon, with the winner facing The Miz in the main event.

– Former WWE stars Stacy “The Kat” Carter (the ex-wife of Jerry Lawler) and Nick “Kizarny” Cvjetkovich were married over the weekend. Congratulations to those two.

– Following her return to WWE RAW last night, Melina was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

– WWE is currently working on several books for children that will be released next year. The projects include an Ultimate Guide to WWE, Mad Libs and books on the Brothers of Destruction (Undertaker and Kane), among others.