SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Jamie Noble Announces His Retirement From WWE

    On Monday, we reported that WWE.com had posted an article saying that Raw superstar Jamie Noble was considering retirement following the brutal attack he sustained at the hands of Sheamus last week on Raw. “Luckily, the doctors tell me I’m going to recover again,” Noble told WWE.com earlier this week. “But I’m laying here thinkin’ about how great my life is with my wife and my son. I’m thinkin’, how many more times am I gonna be lucky enough to walk out of the hospital on my own? I’m thinkin’ it might be time to hang up my tights and boots.”

    That article has since been taken down and replaced with a new one (which you can read here) announcing that Noble contacted WWE to reveal his decision to conclude his seven-year career as a WWE Superstar and retire from the squared circle. Noble made the “regrettable announcement” shortly after being released from the medical facility where he’s been receiving treatment following the Sheamus attack.

    At this point, there’s no word on whether the retirement is legit or part of a storyline to build up Sheamus.

  • SummerSlam In LA Every Year, WWE On Food Network Tonight

    – According to F4Wonline.com, WWE plan to hold the SummerSlam PPV in Los Angeles every year from now on. As previously reported, WWE want to strengthen their ties in the Entertainment world and feeling hosting an annual PPV in L.A. will help toward that goal. (Related News: SummerSlam buyrate drops 20% this year)

    – Tonight on 10:00 PM ET/PT, there will be a special WWE-themed episode of the cooking show Dinner Impossible on the Food Network. Here’s a preview from the Food Network website:

    WWE: A Mission on the Mat

    Robert is taken to the mat as he joins up with some of World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars at Summer Slam, WWE’s biggest summertime event. Stephanie McMahon gives Robert his mission to feed 300 WWE VIPs a “Superstar” meal in just nine hours, this means every dish he creates must be based on some of WWE’s Superstars’ signature moves such as Frog Splash, Clawhold, and Knife Edge Chop. Stephanie is center ring joined by her seven foot tall, 400 pound “enforcer”, Big Show, who’s there to make sure Robert knows that failure is not an option!

    – The 2010 WWE Hall of Fame will be taped at 5:40PM Mountain time on Saturday, March 27th, 2010. The USA Network will air a one-hour edited special later that night.

    – The man who faced Sheamus on last night’s RAW was current LDN British Heavyweight Champion David DeVille.

    – Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler won the “Baltimore Celebrity SmackDown” contest which was hosted on the Baltimore Sun website over the past few months. 64 celebrities from Baltimore were in the competition which was voted on by the paper’s readers.

    Tonight on 10:00 PM ET/PT, there will be a special WWE-themed episode of the cooking show Dinner Impossible on the Food Network. Here’s a preview from the Food Network website:

    <b>WWE: A Mission on the Mat</b>

    <b>Robert is taken to the mat as he joins up with some of World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars at Summer Slam, WWE’s biggest summertime event. Stephanie McMahon gives Robert his mission to feed 300 WWE VIPs a “Superstar” meal in just nine hours, this means every dish he creates must be based on some of WWE’s Superstars’ signature moves such as Frog Splash, Clawhold, and Knife Edge Chop. Stephanie is center ring joined by her seven foot tall, 400 pound “enforcer”, Big Show, who’s there to make sure Robert knows that failure is not an option!</b>

    For more, visit <a href=”http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/shows/episode/0,1000011,FOOD_32078_65931,00.html” target=new><b>FoodNetwork.com</a></b>.

    <a target=new><strong>** 2 PICTURES of JEFF HARDY’s Short Haircut – Totally Different Look For Him</strong></a>

  • Jeff Hardy’s Short Haircut, Next Week’s Raw Host & Main Event

    — Matt Hardy posted a video link (view here) promoting Season 8 of he and Jeff’s online reality show at TheHardyShow.com. “Join Jeff and Shannon as they tell stories about and take on Jeff’s motorcross track, a.k.a. the “Leaps Of Faith.” And for the first time during this episode, you’ll see Jeff’s BRAND NEW HAIRCUT!”

    2 PICTURES of JEFF HARDY’s New Short Haircut

    – On Monday afternoon’s WWE Raw taping Sheffield, England, it was announced that WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper will be the special guest host of next week’s show from Madison Square Garden. PWInsider.com writes that WWE had been in talks with an NBC television personality but they couldn’t finalize the deal.

    – The main-event for next week’s MSG Raw with be DX vs. JeriShow vs. John Cena & The Undertaker.

  • UK RAW Results With Ricky Hatton, Dark Match Result

    WWE taped this week’s RAW on Monday afternoon from Sheffield, England. Here’s a live report of the event from Richard Gray:

    * Ricky Hatton opened the show with an in-ring promo. WWE Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. DeGeneration X is announced for later in the night. Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry is also announced for later.

    * Alicia Fox b. Kelly Kelly

    * Sheamus b. a local English worker

    * They tape a segment with Ricky Hatton, the Bella Twins, Chavo Guerrero and Santino Marella. Mostly comedy in the piece with it being announced that Chavo will face Hatton later tonight.

    * Evan Bourne b. Jack Swagger after interference from The Miz

    * They taped a VIP Lounge segment with MVP and Mark Henry. Kofi Kingston came out and joined them which lead to Randy Orton and The Legacy interrupting. Kofi got physical with Randy Orton.

    * Randy Orton b. Mark Henry

    * Ricky Hatton b. Chavo Guerrero with a knockout punch in a Boxer vs. Wrestler “MMA Match”. Jerry Lawler spoke after the bout.

    * DeGeneration X b. Big Show & Chris Jericho after Show inadvertently punched Jericho. John Cena was on commentary for the bout.

    Dark Match Main Event:

    * DeGeneration X & John Cena b. Big Show, Chris Jericho & Randy Orton. After the match, Ricky Hatton joined the babyfaces in the ring to celebrate.

  • New WWE Raw Theme Song To Debut Next Week (VIDEO)

    WWE.com has announced that next a new opening theme song will debut before next Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from Madison Square Garden.

    The new theme song is “Burn It To the Ground” by rock band Nickelback. The song is from the band’s latest album, Dark Horse.

    Here’s the new WWE RAW opening theme:

  • JR Blog: Jericho TMZ Controversy, Rourke Wrestling, WM26

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

    WrestleMania Ticket Sales: “This is NOT official but I hear out of Arizona that the first day of ticket sales for WM26 saw between 35-40,000 tickets sold. This is not WWE info therefore it isn’t official. Might be a little low or a little high. But I’m guessing that it is close. As an idependent business man and dealing with the economy daily, those numbers seem strong to me. I think the event is slated for approximately 72,000 seats. Perhaps the official numbers will be updated this week.

    Jeff Hardy Update: Smart move by Jeff Hardy keeping mum and not talking to any of the media. Jeff must have a helluva lawyer. (Original story: Jeff Hardy living in seclusion, not talking to anybody)

    Chris Jericho: O.K. so Chris Jericho made an error in judgment with an insensitive remark recently that has made TMZ, etc headlines. Chris’ choice of words are regretful but he is one of the most open minded and fair people that I know. Now this Lobo dude is running with the press op’s which under score that Lobo wasn’t as emotionally distraught over this untimely incident that has been blown largely out of proportion. Next.

    Mickey Rourke Wanting to Wrestle: Acclaimed actor Mickey Rourke “really” wants to wrestle in a big time WWE match? Wow. I’m tapping on this one. This would not be my personal cup of tea so you might as well consider it booked. I have no idea where this matter may or may not be going but perhaps it will be something that could be done on Raw. I don’t know what to make of this and know only what I’ve read on the internet. (Original Story: Mickey Rourke wants to wrestle for WWE)

  • Jeff Hardy In Seclusion & Not Talking to Anybody

    Source: FayObserver.com

    Gilbert Hardy, father of Matt and Jeff, spoke to the Fayetteville Observer newspaper last week and said Jeff has been keeping a very low profile in the weeks and months since his September 11th drug arrest. “He won’t talk. He ain’t talking to nobody,” the senior Hardy said. “He doesn’t even want to talk to me.”

    The newspaper tried getting a quote from Jeff, but he refused to speak to them.

    Hardy was due in court last week for a probable cause hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant indicting the former WWE champion on the various drug charges (including six felonies) he’s facing. The hearing was rescheduled for December 2nd.

    If convicted of the opium trafficking charge alone, Hardy faces nearly six years in prison, at a minimum, said Warren McSweeney, a Moore County prosecutor. “It could be substantially more,” he added.

    Greg Price, who runs the NWA Legends Fanfest each August in Charlotte, said he doesn’t believe Hardy’s career will be jeopardized even if he’s found guilty of drug charges. “The worst-case scenario – jail time,” Price said. “Honestly, in the wrestling business, all that would do is delay his career. No wrestling promoter out there today is not going to use him because of that. I think again, that comes back to society and prescription pill use. A lot of people don’t look at that as being illegal.”

  • Jericho “Victim” Challenges Him To Thumb Wrestle

    Mr. Lobo, the goof that Chriss Jericho taunted on stage at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, isn’t satisfied with Jericho’s lackluster apology and now wants to get physical with the WWE superstar.

    Lobo rants about “drunken celebrities embarrassing themselves and/or other people in public” and challenges Jericho to “wrassle” him – with his thumb – “anywhere, anytime.”

  • JR Blog: WWE Cable TV Channel, Grisham & Striker, WM26

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

    A WWE Cable Channel: “As I wrote earlier in the week, the potential of a WWE Channel is another positive. There are virtually unlimited ways to create new programming notwithstanding the Legends Roundtables, watching DVD releases w/ the talents involved with the production, daily blocks of World Class, AWA, ect has credence. Producing internet “radio shows” along the line of ESPN’s Mike and Mike, etc would work. Producing a specfic number of hours of daily programming and then repeating it seems doable. The potential is really limitless.

    WrestleMania 26: “It will be interesting to see how Wrestlemania 26 gets out of the box for Phoenix. It’s a great time to be a fan. There will be several days of activities for fans making the trip to the valley of the sun. I’ve attended a Fiesta Bowl there and the facility is incredible.

    New Smackdown Announce Team: Grisham and Striker are beginning to mesh as a solid broadcast duo and their efforts will continue to be a work in progress which is to be expected. I like their potential. Their progress may see yours truly assume another role TBD upon my return which works for me. I feel that I’m fortune to be able to help the team in a variety of ways. All of that is up in the air and is pure speculation until I’ve been medically cleared. Maybe there is a there man booth in my future especially on selected PPV’s. Who knows but I for one am not concerned. Just anxious to get back in the game.

  • Lilian Garcia Assaulted In New York – Attempted Mugging

    During the Yankees World Series victory parade in New York City on Saturday, former WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia was assaulted. She was thrown to the floor after somebody tried to grab her cell phone.

    She was not harmed, but was shaken by the ordeal and grazed her elbow during the fall. Police hope to catch the culprit from CCTV footage after Garcia filed a police report.

    “I just had a punk kid try and steal my phone,” Garcia wrote on Twitter. “Luckily, I held on tightly and he didn’t get it, but now be fore he threw me to the ground. As reported, Garcia mentions she has filed a report and is doing OK.

    Lillian Garcia is concentrating on her music at present and is not currently accepting any new convention bookings.

  • Slammy Awards Announced, PPV Dropped But Prices Increase

    — WWE Issued a following press release today announcing that comedian Dennis Miller will host a special 3-hour edition of WWE Raw on December 14th. The 3-hour broadcast will take place from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX and will feature the 2009 WWE Slammy Awards. 2009 Slammy Award categories will include: WWE Superstar of the Year, WWE Match of the Year, and WWE Diva of the Year.

    Read more: WWE Press Release.

    — A WWE memo sent out to various Pay-Per-View providers reveals that World Wrestling Entertainment will be eliminating one of its June PPV events in 2010, bringing the annual total down to 13. While this does seem like a step in the right direction, WWE will be making up for that lost PPV revenue by increasing the suggested retail price of its other PPV events (excluding WrestleMania), by $5.00, to $44.95. According to the memo, this will be the first price increase for non-WrestleMania events since 2006. The suggested retail price for WrestleMania will remain $54.95.

  • JR Blog: Jeff Hardy, Declining PPV Buyrates, WWE TV Channel

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross
    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted another blog update with his thoughts on the sharp decline in Pay-Per-View buyrates revealed in yesterday’s 3rd Quarter 2009 financial results (more on that), whether Edge will be healthy in time for WrestleMania in March and an update on Jeff Hardy’s legal woes. Some highlights:

    WWE’s Declining PPV Buyrates: “PPV’s coming at us fans with such frequency is challenging to. process, prioritize and to afford. However, with the PPV business being such a vital part of any wrestling organization’s bottom line, I would be surprised to see the number of PPV’s decrease. So, it will come back to providing the consumer with what they are willing to and can purchase which will always be attraction driven fueled by button pushing creative which is no exact science.”

    Jeff Hardy’s Legal Situation: I see the continuance of the Jeff Hardy legal issue as positive news for Jeff. I’m not an attorney nor do I play one on TV but one can make an argument that if the authorities thought that they had an overwhelmingly strong case that they would not be interested in postponing the proceedings. I strongly feel that Jeff Hardy is NOT a drug trafficker whatsoever and that he will be vindicated. I am also not unbiased in this matter as I am a Jeff Hardy fan and have been since signing Matt and Jeff to their first WWE contracts.

    A WWE Cable TV Channel: “WWE TV Network…to me it seems as this is a logical progression for WWE in the future. If I had to place a bet, I would bet that WWE having their own TV channel on cable and satellite would happen sometime Sooner than later. I don’t know when this channel would launch but I do know that WWE has plenty of programming to help start a network. Plus new, non live event programming can be facilitated much like ESPN has done with their, seemingly, zillion hours of original programming that they produce for their multiple platforms.

    As always, there’s plenty more to the blog, which you can read at JRsBArBQ.com in its entirety.

  • Mickey Rourke Wants To Wrestle, Piper Hosting Raw Soon

    — WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is expected to host Monday Night Raw when it emanates from Madison Square Garden later this month.

    — According to a report today by The Sun, Mickey Rourke says he would like to wrestle for World Wrestling Entertainment after being disallowed from competing at WrestleMania XXV earlier this year. The Academy Award-nominated actor says in his new book, Wrestling With Demons, that a clause in his contract for the Iron Man 2 prevented him from taking part in a one-on-one match with Chris Jericho due to the possibility of injury, which would delay filming.

    Rourke says he walked away from WrestleMania “disappointed” due to his limited involvement with the event, which saw him punch Jericho following the WWE star’s handicap elimination match with Hall of Famers “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka. Rourke says he wanted to put his wrestling skills to the test after training for the lead role in The Wrestler. To read The Sun’s report, click here.

    — Tuesday’s episode of ECW on Syfy drew a 1.0 cable rating, the same number as last week.

    — John Cena, Big Show, Evan Bourne, MVP and several other WWE stars paid a visit to the National Guard’s Marseilles Training Center in Illinois in September. Click here to see photos from their visit.

    (Credit to f4wonline.com and pwinnsider.com for some of the information used in this report)

  • Jeff Hardy Skips Court Date, WWE-THQ Deal Renewed

    – Jeff Hardy did not show up for a scheduled court hearing on Wednesdayf or a probable cause hearing stemming from his September 11th arrest on multiple drug charges. The Fayetteville Observer reports that Hardy’s lawyer Jeff Van Camp told them that Hardy originally intended to attend the hearing, but decided not to show up because some of the drug test lab results had not come in yet.  As a result, the next hearing is has been set for December 2nd.

    For more on Jeff Hardy’s legal situation and the multiple felonies he’s facing, click here.

    — Last week, video game publisher THQ announced in a press release was set to expire at the end of the year and that WWE had given them until December 31st to decide whether to renew their licensing deal. During THQ’s quarterly conference call on Wednesday night, THQ CEO Brian Farrell announced that THQ and WWE have agreed to extend their partnership through 2014. Included in the five-year deal will be the continuation of the “SmackDown vs. Raw” franchise, new WWE games specifically targeting Asian markets and more focus ononline play.

  • Jericho Apologizes For Homophobic & Racist Remarks (VIDEO)

    Chris Jericho is apologizing  for some recent comments he made at a film festival that many would consider to be racist and homophobic.

    Jericho took part in a “Q&A” session at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival a few weeks ago following the screening of his movie, Albino Farm. Jericho referred to the session moderator as “Hadji”, a racial slur used against Middle Easterners. After the host jokingly checked Jericho’s drink for alcohol, the WWE Superstar used a gay slur towards him.

    TMZ.com has footage of the incident, which you can view below.

    Warning: The video contains some colorful language.

    Jericho has since apologized and told TMZ.com, “After seeing the video I realize some inappropriate comments were made and I apologize if I offended anybody. Just know that everyone on stage was having a blast and we all shared a drink and a laugh after! The good news is I got my wish of being posted on TMZ.”

  • The Miz Says It’s Time For WWE’s Young Stars To Shine

    WWE United States champion The Miz spoke to Brian Fritiz of the Orlando Sentinel’s “Between The Ropes” blog this week and says now is time for younger wrestlers to get their chance in WWE. “I think right now we’re at a time where a lot of the veteran WWE main-eventers are starting to get a little older and we’re starting to realize that they’re not going to be here for the next 10, 15 years and they need to start bringing up a new crop of new WWE superstars.

    Miz said despite the progress he’s made since coming to WWE, some of his peers still have trouble getting past his background as a reality television star. “That’s always a topic of conversation,” he said. “People always ask me how does the locker room like you and the locker room has always hated me. I’ve never had too many friends in the WWE whether it was jealousy, whether they just didn’t like me because I came from the reality world.

    “I find it amazing that WWE fans but also the locker room will take in MMA stars, they’ll take in football players, they’ll take in seven-foot tall people, you know. But a reality star comes in and oh, low and behold, he can’t fight. He can’t come into our business. I’m there just to prove everyone wrong, to prove to all those people that said he’s not supposed to be here, he’s just from a reality show. Let him host something. Let him host a Diva thing or something. I can actually wrestle and I can actually mean business and do what I say I am and actually be the best in the business.”

    Miz also talks about Shane McMahon leaving WWE, WWE Raw’s celebrity guest host gimmick and lots more. It’s a great read – you can read the entire interview at OrlandoSentinel.com.

  • WWE Announces Q3 2009 Financial Results

    World Wrestling Entertainment has released its third quarter of 2009 earnings report. Below is a summary of the report – you can view a more detailed breakdown at Shareholder.com. Through all the ups and downs, the bottom line is that Net Income was up 68% from last year.

    WWE(R) Reports 2009 Third Quarter Results
    November 5, 2009

    STAMFORD, Conn., Nov 05, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009. Revenues totaled $111.3 million as compared to $108.8 million in the prior year quarter. Operating income was $14.5 million as compared to $7.9 million in the prior year quarter. Net income was $8.9 million, or $0.12 per share, as compared to $5.3 million, or $0.07 per share, in the prior year quarter.

    “We are pleased with our solid performance. During the quarter we achieved an 84% increase in our operating income and managed a 26% increase for the first nine months of the year,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Entering the year, we established clear goals to reduce our cost structure and to improve our operating efficiency. Our results to date, including significant and sustained improvement in our profit margins, demonstrate our ongoing commitment in meeting these objectives.”

    “Looking ahead, we believe WWE can achieve meaningful growth by taking advantage of our strategic opportunities and maintaining our focus on managing costs. Our portfolio of businesses exhibit significant operating leverage and, through disciplined cost management, we expect that leverage to drive future earnings growth.”

  • Rumored Names For The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010

    With WrestleMania 26 already less than four months away, we’re already starting to hear some talk regarding who is being considered for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

    Names that keep coming up lately for the Class of 2010 include Ted DiBiase, the Road Warriors, Demolition, Ron Simmons and Slick.

    Other names that are being discussed but are a little less likely are Ultimate Warrior, Lex Luger and The Honky Tonk Man.

    Out of all these names, Ted DiBiase is considered to be the most likely possibility.

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

  • WWE Changes Their Business Outlook – More Cost Cutting

    Following the release of WWE’s third quarter financial results, the company issued the following statement this morning:

    WWE, Inc. Announces 2009-12 Business Outlook
    Expects 15% to 20% Earnings Growth

    STAMFORD, Conn., Nov 05, 2009 — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today issued a revised business outlook, targeting average annual earnings growth between 15% to 20% over the 2009 through 2012 period. The revised outlook is based on a comprehensive review of the Company’s operations.

    Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We believe we can achieve meaningful growth by strengthening our global expansion and television distribution, leveraging our new partnership with Mattel and continuing to improve operating efficiency. Through disciplined cost management, we expect our operating leverage to deliver outstanding earnings growth with even moderate increases in revenue.”

    George Barrios, Chief Financial Officer, added, “WWE’s projected earnings growth reflects our focus on producing superior economic returns on the capital invested in our business and thereby creating value for our shareholders.”

    Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) can be found at https://www.wwe.com/ and https://corporate.wwe.com/. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

    Notes: The outlook above does not include the impact of any future merger or unplanned restructuring charges, the impact from sales and acquisitions of operating assets and investments, or the impact of taxes on the above items, that may occur from time to time due to management decisions and changing business circumstances. The Company is currently unable to forecast precisely the timing and/or magnitude of any such amounts or events.

  • PPV Buyrates For SummerSlam, Breaking Point, NOC

    World Wrestling Entertainment has announced its 3rd Quarter 2009 financial results. You can read read the full report at Shareholder.com. The report is chock full of financial news that we’ll be covering here throughout the day, but here’s some data on WWE’s pay-per-view buyrates from the third quarter:

    • WWE Summerslam 2009 drew 369,000 PPV buys, down from 477,000 in 2008.
    • WWE Breaking Point reported 169,000 buys. Last year’s Unforgiven PPV, which Breaking Point replaced this year, did 211,000 buys.
    • WWE Night of Champions reported 267,000 buys, up from the 196,000 buys that The Bash did in the same quarter last year.

    Overall, WWE made $14.5 million in PPV revenue during this year’s third quarter, down 10% from Q3 2008.

  • Kofi Talks Dream Opponent, Jamaican Gimmick, Orton Feud

    In an interview with TheSun.co.uk, WWE Raw star Kofi Kingston was asked in a UK Sun interview says he was one of the last people to find out that he’d be feuding with Randy Orton. “This whole development has been pretty recent, I still don’t know what’s in store, except that there’ll be some high-quality matches. You pick a fight with Randy Orton, you have to step up to the plate. I’m going to step up and try to hit a home run.”

    When asked about dropping the Jamaican gimmick, Kingston said WWE legends like Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H all had gimmicks before they broke out. “I think this is about me making a transition, a progression to the next level.

    Kingston also spoke about his dream opponent “There’s a few, but growing up, Shawn Michaels was a big influence on why I watched wrestling and why I got into wrestling … It would bring my career full circle, because he got me into wrestling, and now here I am pursuing my lifelong dream.”

  • Jeff Hardy In Court Today Over Multiple Felony Drug Charges

    Jeff Hardy is scheduled to be at the Moore County Criminal District Court in Carthage, North Carolina today for a probable cause hearing stemming from his September 11th arrest on multiple drug charges. The charges include:

    • Felony possession of cocaine.
    • Felony drug trafficking of opium
    • Two counts of felony possession with intent to redistribute a Schedule III drug
    • Maintaining a dwelling for drug use and/or distribution (also a felony)
    • Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia

    If it is determined that a crime was committed and Jeff Hardy is probably the party who committed the crime, the cases move on to a Grand Jury. Upon review of the facts and evidence, the Grand Jury can criminally indict Hardy.  If Jeff Hardy gets indicted, the cases are transferred to Superior Court.

    We’ll have more on this story later today.

  • RAW Rating, WWE Legends To TNA, Lance Hoyt Debuts

    — This week’s WWE RAW hosted by Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne dropped to a 3.45 cable rating. Considering it was up against Game 5 of the World Series and Monday night football, the number is not so bad. Unfortunately for WWE, viewerhip declined as the show progressed, with hourly ratings of 3.5 and 3.4.

    — Former TNA star Lance Hoyt made his WWE television debut this week on ECW as Vance Archer. He had been billed a Lance Archer in Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental territory.

    – As previously reported, former WWE Tag Champion Jim Neidhart worked last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings, defeating Jay Lethal. Neidhart is part of a new storyline where Jay Lethal faces off against various wrestling legends. The storyline is something that was planned before the Hulk Hogan signing and more legends are expected to be used in the coming weeks.

  • Hulk Hogan Says He Taught Vince The Business, He’ll Run TNA

    Hulk Hogan spoke to Minnesota’s City Pages newspaper this week and made some interesting things to say about his relationship with Vince McMahon in the 1980s, how much power he’ll have in TNA and what it meant to announce his partnership with TNA at Madison Square Garden. To read the whole interview, visit Citypages.com.

    Hogan claims that Vince “didn’t really understand the business” after buying the company from from his father, Vince McMahon, Sr. “I moved in next door to him in Connecticut and taught him all about lifting weights and riding motorcycles and partying like a mad man; and then I taught him about the wrestling business and making money,” Hogan said. “And now I’m doing that again with TNA Wrestling.”

    Hogan also talked himself up as the savior for TNA. He said the company agreed that he could have a “Vince McMahon role” calling the shots for TNA. Hogan says he will be “unofficially” running the promotion and will have the same if not more influence than he had during his run in WCW.

    “All I told these guys was that they should give me a chance. If they didn’t like what I was doing they can tell me to take a hike, but let me have the chance to come in and take a shot at it,” Hogan said. “Let the fans and the other wrestlers take a look and decide for themselves what they’re in to and I’m confident that I will get this thing rockin’.”

    Hogan is already crediting himself with generating the most buzz for TNA in its history and explains the significance of announcing his partnership with TNA Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

    “The proof is already out there. In the course of a few days we’ve got more buzz going for TNA Wrestling then it’s had in seven years. For example, no other wrestling organization had ever been able to get into Madison Square Garden in New York for like, 100 years, because Vince owns it and his family owned it before him. So I came in and was like, ‘Watch this.; And we did a press conference at Madison Square Garden.

  • Next Week’s Raw Guest Host, ECW & SmackDown Matches

    – WWE has announced that principle photography wraps this week in New Orleans on their next movie, Knucklehead. The movie stars Big Show, Mark Feuerstein from Royal Pains and Melora Hardin from The Office. Fight promoter Memphis Earl (Feuerstein) is in debt and thinks his luck is about to change when he comes across the 7-foot lifelong orphan, Walter Kronk (Big Show). He tries to convince Kronk to wrestle professionally and Kronk finally agrees to wrestle on behalf of his fellow orphans, setting up a road trip. The movie is currently scheduled for a theatrical release in the Spring of 2010. Click here to see a picture from the set.

    – As reported here last week, boxer Ricky Hatton will be the guest host of next week’s WWE Raw from Sheffield, England.

    – Tonight’s edition of ECW on Sci Fi will feature ECW champion Christian & Yoshi Tatsu teaming together against Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson. Also, the Hurricane will take on Paul Burchill.

    – Batista vs. Matt Hardy has been announced for Friday’s SmackDown.

    – This week is “WWE Week” on MyNetworkTV. In addition to Friday’s SmackDown, the network will be featuring two WWE-themed episodes of the “Deal or No Deal” gameshow on Tuesday night and will air John Cena’s action movie “The Marine” on Thursday night.