SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Edge Appears At FCW Event & Gets Physically Involved

    SmackDown superstar Edge signed autographs at Friday’s Florida Championship Wrestling tapings in Melbourne, Florida and got physically involved at the end of the show, making the save for developmental star Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson).

    Bryan was attacked after the main event by Curt Hawkins, Caylen Croft and Trent Beretta. Out of nowhere came Edge to the ring, taking out all three men and saving Bryan and FCW Heavyweight Champion Justin Angel.

    Edge shook hands with Angel and Danielson before posing for the crowd and leaving.

  • How Much WWE Paying Bret Hart, Mickie James’ Music Career

    — The Wrestling Observer speculates that Bret Hart is being paid $500,000 for his return storyline with WWE as well as a handsome WrestleMania bonus.

    — Subway Jared appeared on Raw this past Monday night due to guest host Carl Edwards’ affiliation with the restaurant chain as he is the driver of the No. 99 Aflac/Subway Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion. Subway announced yesterday that Edwards was bringing the company’s “Footlong Nation Appreciation” campaign to Daytona, Ohio.

    — Click here to view a preview image of the promotional photography being used for Mickie James’ debut single, Are You With Me?.

    The single will be released to country music radio stations this Tuesday. The full album is currently slated for a Mar. 23 release.

  • WWE Releasing New Crime Drama, Triple H Unveils Action Figure

    — Beginning Apr. 13 in New Orleans, WWE Studios will shoot a new film called Killing Karma.

    The crime drama film stars a character named AJ who is determined to make a new life for himself after being released from prison, but fate intervenes. His best friend inadvertently shoots a guy, and soon AJ is scrambling to protect his buddy, his buddy’s wife and daughter, all while scrambling to keep one step ahead of a vendetta-driven mobster.

    No word yet on which WWE star will star in the film.

    — Marketwatch.com has a story on Triple H unveiling his new Mattel action figure this past week at the New York Toy Fair.

    — WWE returns to the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, May 16th, 2010 at 5 PM. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 10 AM. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

  • Edge’s In-Ring Return, Title Match Added to Elimination Chamber

    – Another title match has ben added to the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on 2/1, as Drew McIntyre will defend the Intercontinental championship against Kane.

    – SmackDown GM Teddy Long has announced that Edge will make his in-ring return against Batista next Friday on SmackDown.

    – The man who is trying to bring WrestleMania to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is Dave Teixeira, better known as the promoter of Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling.

    – The official theme song for WWE’s NXT is “Wild & Young” by the band American Bang, according to the Wrestling Observer.

  • Reporter Strongly Criticizes Linda McMahon & WWE (VIDEO)

    MSNBC reporter Lawrence O’Donnell called out Linda McMahon on World Wrestling Entertainment’s lingering steroid issue during an appearance on Morning Joe last week, claiming she “made money off the blood of people who destroyed themselves for a living for you.”

    The former WWE Superstar responded by saying O’Donnell was “behind the times.” She cited the company’s drug testing policy, cardio testing, and even noted padding around the ring. After McMahon finished responding, O’Donnell thanked her for giving him a situation where he can ask a politician about WWE. However, he went back on attack mode moments later by saying WWE gets away with drug problems because “everyone thinks your business is a joke.”

    You can watch the 7-minute exchange below, courtesy of MSNBC.com:

    Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

  • Miz Talks About Getting Kicked Out Of The WWE Locker Room

    Unified Tag champion The Miz was interviewed by Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun this week and told a story about getting kicked out of the WWE locker room for 6 months shortly after he joined the company. Miz said:

    “I got kicked out for eating a piece of chicken over a guy’s bag in the locker room, and I got kicked out for six months. I had to find a place to shower, to use the restroom, to change. I’ve had it pretty rough in the WWE just because I’m an outsider, and WWE is kind of like a close-knit family or like a fraternity. Once you’re an outsider trying to lurk in, they will haze you and haze you and try to see if you’re up for the task or if you’re just going to quit. I’m not a quitter. I’m more of a person that says bring it on.”

    Miz also talks about older guys like Hogan and Flair still wrestling, how the business has evolved in recent years, his goals and more. To read the full interview, visit BaltimoreSun.com.

    Follow The Miz & 80 other wrestlers and divas on Twitter at PWTweets.com.

  • Bryan Danielson Gets A New Ring Name, Morrison Wrestles

    – WWE developmental star and former Ring of Honor champion Bryan Danielson has a new name in Florida Championship Wrestling. At last night’s television tapings, he was introduced as “Daniel Bryan.” WWE almost always requires that they own the ring names of their talent, so Danielson likely refused to sign over the rights to the “Bryan Danielson” name – thus, Daniel Bryan.

    – John Morrison worked the SmackDown/ECW live event last night in Ecuador, teaming with Matt Hardy in the opening match of the night. Morrison and Hardy defeated The Hart Dynasty. Morrison appeared to be fine and showed no signs of a broken ankle. As we reported yesterday, Morrison’s claims on Twitter that he broke his ankle were not true and he was simply “working the Internet fans.” (Editor’s note: Man, he really got us good!)

    – Mickie James will make her live concert debut on February 22nd in Nashville, TN as a part of the Dustin Wells Gift of Music concert. Mickie will share the stage with country music stars Rascal Flatts, Kellie Pickler, Jason Michael Carroll, Keith Anderson and Little Big Town.

  • Update: John Morrison Broken Ankle A Work

    WWE star John Morrison claims to have broken his ankle at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings, but that is not the case.

    Morrison’s match with R-Truth was cut short after Morrison went down after leaping over Truth. Morrison was helped to the back by Truth, a WWE trainer and the referee.

    Morrison posted a message on his new Twitter account stating:

    “My ankle is broken in three places, but I’m just going to walk it off- on the flight to Quito”

    To update the story – Morrison is working the Internet fans. He traveled to South America for SmackDown & ECW live event tour and will not miss any dates.

    He’s currently scheduled to participate in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber PPV match on 2/21.

  • WWE Testing New Gimick PPV Ideas: War Games, Battle Bowl

    As reported here this morning, WWE’s 2009 financial results revealed a sharp decline in the 2009 Survivor Series PPV buyrate (down 26% from 2008) while the company’s new gimmick-themed events (Hell in a Cell, Bragging Rights, TLC) all did better than their 2008 counterparts.

    Vince McMahon stated during this morning’s WWE conference call that the WWE Survivor Series title is “obsolete” and has “outlasted its usage.” He said WWE does not intend on using the name moving forward. As a result, it appears WWE is considering more gimick-themed PPVs, including several concepts used back in WCW.

    In a survey sent out to the WWE Universe this morning (link) WWE asks fans what their level of interest is in the following potential PPV event themes:

    Tournament Event: Single elimination “bracket style” tournament where Superstars would compete in multiple matches during the night to become the tournament winner.

    Street Fight Event: Main events would include”street fight” matches where there are no disqualifications and pin-falls count anywhere. Superstars often compete in normal street clothes.

    Legends Event: Match participants would include WWE Legends from the past.

    Money in the Bank Event The main event “Money in the Bank” match requires Superstars to climb a ladder and retrieve a briefcase hung high above the ring. The winner can “cash in” the briefcase for a championship title shot throughout the year. Qualifying matches earlier in the event will determine participants for the “Money in the Bank” match.

    WWE Draft Event WWE’s annual Draft where Superstars and Divas learn which brand they’ll be a part of for the next year. The Draft is often the beginning of new conflicts and matchups.

    Battle Bowl Event Random tag-teams compete together – sometimes arch rivals – with the winning teams being put in a 2-ring Battle Royal. The winner could potentially receive a championship title match.

    Roulette Event Main event match stipulations would be determined by the spin of a roulette-type wheel.

    War Games Event Teams of 5 collide in 2 cages. 2 participants begin the match with a new participant added every 5 minutes. This process is alternated between teams until all members from both teams are present.

  • No More Survivor Series: PPV Being Re-Branded In 2010

    As reported earlier, WWE’s 2009 financial results revealed that the most recent Survivor Series PPV was down a sharp 26%

    During an investor conference call this morning, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon revealed that after 23 years, the Survivor Series PPV concept has come to an end and will not be used again. McMahon stated:

    “We think that Survivor Series is obsolete, as far as that title is concerned. It was something that worked many, many years ago, in terms of a creative standpoint, various teams competing. That really is not advantageous as the consumer now looks as what actually they are buying. And it’s such a broad … Survivor Series yes, many years ago, was one of the original four pay-per-views, but it’s outlasted its usage and it is one of the things in terms of re-branding, this year and going forward, that will be re-branded. No longer will we have that title, Survivor Series.”

    WWE Survivor Series debuted back in 1987 and for many years featured primarily team elimination matches. The show had lost much of its identity in recent years and will likely be replaced next year with a new gimmick-themed event.

    Related News:  WWE Testing New Gimick PPV Ideas: War Games, Battle Bowl & More

    What do you think about WWE killing Survivor Series? Comment below and tell us.

    | Did the show deserve to be re-branded?
    | Could WWE have made it count once again?
    | What are some of your favorite Survivor Series moments?

  • Survivor Series PPV Buyrate Tanks, Gimmick Shows Did Well

    With the release of WWE’s fourth quarter 2009 financial data earlier today, we have details on the performance of the company’s four Q4 PPVs. For the three months ending December 31, 2009, WWE’s PPV revenue rose from $15.9 million in 2008 to $16.3 million in 2009.

    The overall increase in Q4 PPV buys is attributed to a the success of WWE’s new gimmick-themed PPVs, which out-performed their 2008 counterparts. However, this year’s Survivor Series took a sharp hit, which kept the revenue increase to only $400,000 for the quarter over 2008.

    Here’s the data:

    • Hell in a Cell did 283,000 buys, up 7% from No Mercy 2008 (261,000).
    • Bragging Rights did 181,000 buys, up 15% from Cyber Sunday 2008 (153,000).
    • Survivor Series totally bombed. The show did 235,000 buys, down 26% from 2008 (319,000)
    • Tables, Ladders & Chairs did 228,000 buys, up 15% from Armageddon 2008 (193,000).

  • WWE 2009 Financial Results: Net Income Up 11% For The Year

    World Wrestling Entertainment has released its financial results for the final quarter and entire year of 2009.

    To view a PDF file of the complete report from corporate.wwe.com, click here. From the report:

    WWE® Reports 2009 Fourth Quarter Results For the year, Net Income Increases 11%

    STAMFORD, Conn., February 11, 2010 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today announced financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2009. Revenues totaled $117.3 million as compared to $125.4 million in the prior year quarter. Operating income was $17.8 million as compared to $23.3 million in the prior year quarter. Net income was $11.2 million, or $0.15 per share, as compared to $13.6 million, or $0.18 per share, in the prior year quarter.

    “We concluded a strong year with solid performance in the fourth quarter, which was highlighted by 7% growth in Adjusted EBITDA. For the quarter, we generated revenue growth and improved margins in our live event, pay-per-view, and television businesses,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “For the full year, we achieved a 13% increase in Adjusted EBITDA.    The results reflected the significant improvements we have made in productivity and a heightened fiscal discipline, which we intend to sustain going forward. The increased operating leverage we have established will enable us to drive greater profits as revenue growth returns. We are confident in our ability to achieve our targeted earnings growth.” The WWE business outlook targets average annual earnings growth of 15% to 20% over the 2009- 12 period.

    Summary Results for the Twelve Months Ended

    Total revenues through the year ended December 31, 2009 were $475.2 million as compared to $526.5 million in the prior year. Operating income for the current year was $77.1 million versus $70.3 million in the prior year. Net income was $50.3 million, or $0.68 per share, as compared to $45.4 million, or $0.62 per share, in the prior year. EBITDA was $91.6 million for the current year as compared to $83.4 million in the prior year. Current year expenses included the benefit of $8.3 million in tax credits associated with our television and digital media production, an increase of $7.4 million in bad debt expense related to a prior business partner and a $2.2 million restructuring charge associated with a 10% reduction in staff. As previously disclosed, the prior year results included the recognition of a $6.4 million advance related to a multi-year contract with a book publisher, an expense of $3.5 million associated with our McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania brand awareness campaign and a $1.9 million charge for our film See No Evil. Excluding these items, Adjusted EBITDA was $92.9 million for the current year as compared to $82.4 million in the prior year. (See Schedule of Adjustments in Supplemental Information)

    Again, visit Corporate.WWE.com for more to read the full report.

  • Bret Hart’s WWE Salary, WWE Video Game News & More

    – There is speculation that Bret Hart is being paid $500,000 for his current 4-month WWE deal plus a big WrestleMania bonus.

    – WWE’s SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 video game has shipped 3.5 million units already, putting it slightly ahead of UFC’s Undisputed game. Still, the number for WWE’s game is down from previous years.

    – WWE United States Champion and one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions The Miz was working the media tour yesterday with next week’s RAW host Jerry Springer.

    Related News: Jerry Springer says he was drinking when he agreed to host RAW

    – WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre will debut a new theme song on this week’s SmackDown.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • HBK Taking Time Off Following Mania, Diva Possibly Released

    — Once again, Shawn Michaels is planning on taking time off following WrestleMania. He will then return in August in time for SummerSlam.

    — It would appear that World Wrestling Entertainment has parted ways with developmental women’s wrestler Jenny Quinn (a/k/a Penny Cash) as her photo has been removed from Florida Championship Wrestling’s roster page.

    Quinn is a Tampa-based model the company signed in 2008. She tore her anterior cruciate ligament last May and had just recently returned to action.

    — Tickets for the SmackDown taping on April 6th in Chicago go on sale February 20th at 11 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

    (credit to the Wrestling Observer for some of the information used in this report)

  • The Rock Lays The Smack Down On TMZ (VIDEO)

    TMZ.com  caught up with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson this week and asked  the former WWE superstar who owns the rights to his signature catch phrases, such as “Do you Smell What The Rock is Cookin.”Johnson said he shares ownership of the phrases with World Wrestling Entertainment. They also share ownership of the the name “The Rock,” as well.

    The camera guy then got a little fresh with People’s Champ and asked him why he used to wear “panties” in the ring. Johnson clarified that he wore “trunks” and that maybe it was just him dreaming of The Rock wearing panties. He then got into his $180,000+ Bentley coupe.

    Related News: New Details on THE ROCK’s WWE Return This Summer

    Check out the video from TMZ:

  • Bret Hart Interview: His WWE Return, Wrestling At WM26, Shawn

    Bret Hart spoke to Alez Marvez of Scrippsnews.com this week in a lengthy interview discussing his return to World Wrestling Entertainment. He says his parents and Owen Hart would say “hell froze over” if they were still around to see him return to WWE after a 14 year absence.

    Hart teased that his current storyline with Vince McMahon would culminate with a match at WrestleMania. Despite the stroke he suffered back in 2002 and the fact that McMahon is 64 years old, he can still move around well enough to put on a good match.

    “I’ll never put on the performance I want to have, but I’ll be able to do enough to entertain and give a good show. I’m very careful about what I do and allow myself to do and what can be done to me. WWE has gone through great effort to ensure all that and make sure I’m comfortable with everything.”

    One thing he was unsure of when considering a return to WWE was how his past issues with Shawn Michaels would come into play.

    “When I came back, I didn’t know if the whole thing with Shawn would erupt again. The truth is, Shawn has been real good with the whole thing. You can tell this is a weight lifted off his back, my back and I think even Vince to a certain degree. It feels like a new start.”

    The Montreal Screwjob was a long time ago, but the situation set off such shock waves in the industry that even today, many fans can’t tell what aspects of his current WWE run are part of the storyline.

    “I’m trying to turn a negative into a positive. I think this is good for wrestling fans. I know for a lot people this whole thing seems quite real. If I can deliver realism in today’s wrestling, I’ll think I’ve done a good job.”

  • Chris Jericho’s “Fozzy” Album Flops, HBK Sets Rumble Record

    — Chris Jericho’s Fozzy album, Chasing the Grail, failed to crack Billboard’s Top 200 chart in its first week of release.

    Despite a heavy promotional push which included Martyr No More being used as one of the official theme songs for this year’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the album sold a mere 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week out.

    On a positive note, it ranked sixth in sales on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of the Billboard 200.

    Chasing the Grail was released on Jan. 26 via Australia’s Riot! Entertainment.

    — In statistic news, Shawn Michaels’ six eliminations in this year’s Royal Rumble match gives him 37 for his career, beating the record of 36 set by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Undertaker remains at 35, while Kane now has 34 with Triple H in fifth place at 26. For most time spent in the Rumble over the course of a career, the top three spots remain the same, but the numbers have changed with Triple H at 231:12, Shawn Michaels at 213:34 and Kane at 173:46.

    — WWE plans on pushing this year’s WrestleMania festivities harder this year. The mindset is to keep the talent busy and have so many activities for fans that they don’t attend the Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate shows.

    (credit to the Wrestling Observer for the information used in this report)

  • Jerry Springer Talks About Hosting RAW

    — Next week’s RAW guest host Jerry Springer says was drinking when he agreed to host the show. During a media conference call to promote the appearance, Springer says that he used to be a wrestling fan as a kid, but doesn’t keep up with the product much anymore.

    “I’m looking forward to doing it though you know how opposed I am to fighting on television,” he said. “These are all professionally trained people. You have that. Other than that, entertainment is entertainment whether you’re an athlete or a singer. You have your moment when you’re on stage, or in a ring, or on a ballfield. It’s that moment where you have to be really, really focused. You have to perform.”

    To read a full transcript of the conference call, visit RealityWanted.com.

  • JR Blog: The Rock’s Upcoming WWE Return & More

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update from JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

    Appearing At Raw on 3/1: “It has been reported on line that I am making some sort of unadvertised appearance at the March 1 OKC event as we have been getting emails regarding such. This is all news to me and I know of absolutely nothing that is planned. We are spending considerable time and some in kind donations to help promote the WWE event but that’s the extend of it. I do hope to drop by and say hello to friends prior to the event starting but will likely watch the show from home or possibly “in the back.”

    The Rock’s Upcoming WWE Return: “Dwayne Johnson reiterated what we have said here for the longest time and that is that he isn’t interested in stepping back in the ring as a wrestler but doing a speaking role and having fun on a wrestling show would be more to his liking. Bottom line, one takes Dwayne any way one can get him as he is a huge star who will pop a TV rating which is the holy grail for wrestling promoters.”

  • Japanese Legend Confirmed For WWE Hall Of Fame

    After it was announced on RAW that the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase will be joining the WWE Hall of Fame next month, we can confirm another wrestling legend set to join the Class of 2010.

    WWE held a press conference in Tokyo, Japan earlier this week to announce wrestling legend Antonio Inoki has accepted their invitation to be inducted.

    Inoki was presented with a Hall of Fame certificate and said he would fly to Phoenix, Arizona to be formally inducted. He also said he would appear at WrestleMania 26 the following night.

    For more details, including pictures of Inoki at the media event, click here to view a translated version of WWE’s Japanese website.

  • What You Didn’t See On RAW Last Night

    The following news items have been compiled from several live reports sent in from fans who were at RAW:

    Before Raw went on the air:

    WWE taped two matches for Thursday’s Superstars show:

    – Chris Masters vs. Chavo Guerrero.
    – Jack Swagger vs. Santino Marella.

    Live Notes

    – Who Dat Nation was at Raw last night and we happy. Coming off of the Saints big win in the Super Bowl, we were treated to great Raw show. The crowd was live all night and it looked like a sell out to me.

    – Bret Hart coming out at the end got the biggest pop of the night, but the crowd was into everything at the show.

    – John Cena and DX also got huge pops from the crowd. Sheamus, Vince McMahon and CM Punk had the most heel heat.

    After Raw went off the air:

    – In the dark match main event of the evening, John Cena defeated Sheamus by DQ. Cena had Sheamus tapping to the STF when the ref called for the bell because Sheamus had already hit him. Afterward, Cena hit Sheamus with the Attitude Adjustment, and celebrated with the crowd. He grabbed a Who Dat? sign and held it high on the stage to close the show.

  • Undertaker’s Future, Top Star Turning Heel, Mercury’s Return

    – There has been talk of turning SmackDown star John Morrison heel in the near future. WWE is firmly behind the developing star and he’s still seen as having a ton of potential.

    – Morrison’s former partner Joey Mercury is said to be returning to WWE shortly. While several sources are reporting that a deal has been signed, many people backstage at the Royal Rumble were not aware of his upcoming return.

    – The feeling within WWE is that The Undertaker will work a very light schedule headed into WrestleMania. Undertaker is still in rough physical shape and there are plans to get the World Heavyweight title off him before WrestleMania. With Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels still looking likely for WrestleMania, the match has enough going for it that it doesn’t need a title on the line and WWE could probably get more drawing power in having a separate match for the World Heavyweight title.

    (Partial Source: F4wonline.com)

  • Latest On Bret vs. Vince & WWE’s Plans For WM26 Weekend

    — It would appear that Bret Hart has been cleared to wrestle and that a “Hitman” vs. Vince McMahon match will be taking place in the form of a singles bout at WrestleMania XXVI. At the conclusion of tonight’s Raw, Cena convinced The Chairman to accept a match with the WWE Hall of Famer at WrestleMania. When Hart, who had been banned from the arena, actually appeared and retaliated against his longtime nemesis, however, McMahon retreated behind his security and canceled the bout. A none too pleased “Hitman” proceeded to go on a tear inside the Cajundome. Should he end up competing at WrestleMania, it will mark as Hart’s first wrestling match in over ten years. He was forced to retire from in-ring competition in late 2000 after sustaining a career-ending injury several months prior.

    – WWE is planning on promoting WrestleMania weekend in Phoenix this year so hard that hopefully fans won’t have any interest in attending the other wrestling shows
    that weekend such as DGUSA and Ring of Honor. They’re also looking at keeping the WWE talents extra busy so they don’t have time to attend the shows either.

    — Newly crowned Unified Tag Team Champion Big Show turned 38 years old on Monday.

  • Future Of The ECW Roster Determined, WWE Diva Rips Celebrity

    — ECW champion Christian made a surprise appearance during tonight’s Raw broadcast to announce that the entire ECW roster will become “free agents” after ECW goes off the air next week.

    As the storyline goes, each wrestler on the roster can choose to join either Raw or SmackDown with the new NXT show filling ECW‘s timeslot on Syfy.

    — While promoting WrestleMania during an appearance on an Arizona radio station, Maria Kanellis discussed her involvement with Celebrity Apprentice and said she got along with all of the celebrities with the exception of Cyndi Lauper. Maria had this to say regarding the recording artist: “It was more like, girls just wanna be mean, than girls just wanna have fun… I still like [Cyndi], I just don’t want to work with her again… EVER!”

    — Speaking of Maria, she will be appearing at the World of Wheels Auto Show this Friday, beginning at 7:00 p.m. The show is located at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

  • Canadian City Seeking Future Mania, Divas Title Match Update

    — Devin Cutting sent in the following: The WrestleMania Vancouver Bid Committee has been formed and is attempting to bring WrestleMania to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in either 2013 or 2014. (Official Website | Facebook | Twitter)

    — To set the record straight, the tournament final for the vacant Divas Championship was scheduled to take place last week on Raw, but ultimately pulled due to time constraints. The match would have likely taken place had there not been Elimination Championship qualifying matches.

    While Gail Kim vs. Maryse has been teased tonight, it has not been officially announced.

    — Edge is featured on the cover of this week’s issue of Super Luchas magazine in Mexico, which has coverage on his in-ring return at last week’s Royal Rumble. You can view the cover at the following link.

    (credit to www.f4wonline.com for some of the information used in this report)