SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • WWE RAW Gets Plugged On NBC’s Sunday Night Football

    From site reader Jeff W: Al Michaels mentioned on Sunday Night Football on NBC that “tomorrow Ben Roethlisberger and some of his line are going to jet up to Wilkes-Barre to partake in Monday Night RAW with Vince McMahon and company”. Then he and Chris Collingsworth went into the controversy about his appearance. Considering that NBC owns USA Network (at least for now) you would think that Al would have been handed a formal billborad to read, but he was not.

    From Andy R: I’m watching football tonight instead of the PPV and the NBC guys have mentioned Big Ben’s appearance on Monday Night Raw a few times. It even came up in Bob Costas’ pre-game interview with Ben where he advised him to watch out for the Big Show. Ben said he was bringing his O-line with him, so he’ll have back-up in case someone tries something. He did go out of his way to say that he wouldn’t be coming off the top rope or anything tomorrow. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth were just talking about the appearance and Collinsworth said if you want to make your O-line happy, take them to wrestling.

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    PIC: WWE’s Entire October RAW Guest Host Schedule Leaks Online [VIEW HERE]

  • Backstage News On How WWE Booked Hell In A Cell

    Various changes were made to the booking of Sunday’s Hell in a Cell PPV according to F4WOnline.com. One match that WWE spent a lot of time crafting was the SmackDown IC title match between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. WWE views both men as future stars on the verge of moving to the next level, so its understandable that the WWE producers gave the booking of this one extra attention.

    In addition the match order itself was also changed around several times before WWE settled on what we saw last night on PPV. At one point, there was talk of putting Randy Orton vs. John Cena on as the main event, which didn’t happen.  Additionally, most do not believe Undertaker vs. CM Punk was initially scheduled to open the show.

    Based on how the match order played out, its clear WWE tried to space out the three Hell in a Cell matches. This is similar to what WWE has done at WrestleManias in the past, spacing out the title matches with undercard matches. This is why we saw Drew McIntire vs. Ron Killings in the second to last match of the night.

    As has been reported, WWE creative as well as the talent roster have expressed some concern about having to book multiple, identical gimmick matches on the new specialty pay-per-views.

  • Sound Off 83: Come on Rocky, Come Back To MSG!

    DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
    Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 83)
    *right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

    Est. Runtime: 60 minutes

    Some of the topics discussed in this week’s Sounds Off include:

    | Thoughts and predictions on the WWE “Hell in a Cell” pay-per-view and last minute changes

    | Thoughts on the Smackdown 10th Anniversary show and ideas for Rock’s guest hosting gig on Raw

    | The Ultimate Fighter BEATS Raw in the ratings this week and panic sets in at Titan Tower

    Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

    Wanna subscribe to the Sound Off via iTunes? CLICK HERE!

    Visit The Solomonster on Twitter @ twitter.com/solomonster

  • Interbrand Main Event Announced For WWE Bragging Rights

    WWE Bragging RightsPay-Per-View provider iNDEMAND has released a preview for WWE’s new Bragging Rights event, which takes place on Sunday, October 25th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event replaces Cyber Sunday and is expected to feature some of that event’s interactive elements.

    Here’s the event synopsis and promotional poster from iNDEMAND that reveals details on a huge interbrand main event:

    “Bragging Rights are on the line in a special SmackDown vs. Raw tag-team main event featuring winners of the night’s matches. Don’t miss WWE Bragging Rights, with all your favorite Superstars including Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, Undertaker and Rey Mysterio, Sunday, October 25, 8PM ET / 5PM PT, live on pay-per-view. A World Wrestling Entertainment Production.”

    Related Link : More Details on WWE’s new Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View

  • SD Problems In Memphis, Kimbo’s Loss, Edge/Eve, Heenan

    Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    — Several readers sent work that MyNetwork TV is no longer available in Memphis, TN. SmackDown will now instead be airing every Saturday Night in Memphis on the CW affiliate in Memphis channel 30 starting at 7 p.m.

    — Bobby Heenan will be making a rare public appearance this wekend at an autograph signing run by Turnbuckle Promotions and Jason Blaustein (the son of Beyond The Mat director Barry Blaustein). It takes place on October 3rd and 4th in Oaks, Pennsylvania at the Greater Philly Expo Center, 100 Station Ave.

    — Edge and Eve will be in Australia from November 11th through the 16th to do promotion for WWE’s tour of the country in 2010.

    — Roy Nelson talked about defeating Kimbo Slice on this week‘s episode of The Ultimate Fighter to USA Today: “First round was 44 punches to the face, and then Herb Dean doesn’t know how to ref, but we’ve seen that before. And then the next round was 22 punches. You could even see me yelling at Herb Dean, ‘Come on, ref.’… But the thing is, there’s a lot of people, there’s a lot of money… So I think it was more that Herb Dean was afraid to lose his job, because there’s a lot of people with a lot of money that can have a lot of influence with his career.”

    — From the ‘Where are they now’ file: Collector’s Realm has an autograph signing with “Mr. Kennedy” and Dusty Rhodes on Saturday, November 7th from 1-3 pm at 44 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie – one block north of Vassar College.

    BACKSTAGE NEWS: Huge INCIDENT Between Mickie James & Randy Orton @ RAW [Full details >>]

  • UFC & Kimbo Slice Crush RAW In The Ratings – Full Details

    Wednesday night’s  highly anticipated edition of UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter delivered a monster rating that put this week’s edition of WWE Raw to shame. UFC President Dana White boldly predicted 6 million viewers would tune in for Kimbo Slice’s first UFC fight and he was right on the money.

    The 1-hour broadcast drew a 3.7 cable rating and averaged 5.3 million viewers. The final 15-minute segment featuring the Kimbo-Nelson fight drew a staggering 6.1 million viewers, making it the most watched MMA show on Spike ever.  The show drew a massive 6.81 rating in the M18-34 demo, with a 5.4 for M18-49.

    Despite Kimbo Slice’s shortcoming inside the cage, his ability to draw in fans is undeniable. ?He now holds three of the top four most viewed MMA fights in the sport’s history.

    By comparison, Monday’s Raw hosted by Al Sharpton drew a 3.1 cable rating with 4.5 million viewers, the lowest rating of the year.  Even uglier was Raw’s performance in the M18-49 demographic. UFC killed it with a 5.4 rating while Raw drew a meager 1.86.

    Before the Ultimate Fighter rating came out, the backstage feeling within WWE was that “sh*t would hit the fan” and changes would be in store if UFC beat Raw this week. While the UFC show featured a special attraction in Kimbo Slice’s first UFC fight and the company likely won’t be able to sustain those numbers, WWE will not take this lightly.

    Dana White was right on with his prediction of the Kimbo Slice-Roy Nelson fight on Wednesday’s episode of the Ultimate Fighter, as a record setting 6.1 million viewers tuned in for the fight.

    The full hour drew an average of 5.3 million viewers, with viewership peaking in the final 15 minutes. The 3.7 household rating the show garnered was the highest for any MMA show ever, though this was just a one hour broadcast.

    It is officially the most viewed MMA fight on Spike, surpassing the 5.9 million that tuned in to see Quinton “Rampage” Jackson square off against Dan Henderson on the UFC 75 event. The show drew a massive 6.81 rating in the M18-34 demo, with a 5.4 in M18-49. It was the most watched episode of an original series in Spike’s six year histor

  • Sharpton Trashed For RAW Appearance, UK Ratings, & More

    — Radio personality for New York’s POWER 105, Ed Lover, has a new video online where he discusses Al Sharpton’s appearance on WWE RAW this week. Lover says: “Speaking of stupid s***, did you see Al Sharpton on WWE? Is this the same man who stood up for Sean Bell and non-violence in the streets? And then you’re at the WWE? The WWE is nothing but violence. […] Come on, son. Who do you think you are, Classy Freddie Blassie? You‘re a reverend, son.” You can watch the video at this link.

    — In the UK for the week ending Sept. 20: TNA iMPACT did 50,000 viewers, RAW did 58,000 live and 66,000 for the replay, and SmackDown did 56,000.

    — ESPN came in first place once again for last week’s cable ratings race, with USA coming in second. SyFy was at #13 and Spike was at #17 despite thie big ratings for The Ultimate Fighter. The two hours of RAW hosted by Cedric were the #3 and #5 rated shows for the week, with football dominating the rest of the chart. In the 18-34 demographic, the second hour of RAW was #4 while the first hour didn’t crack the top 10. In 18-49, the two hours of RAW were ranked #2 and #7, while The Ultimate Fighter was #5.

    — In Leonard Maltin’s 2010 Movie Guide, he gives The Wrestler 3.5 stars and gives 12 Rounds 2.5 stars.

    PICS: WWE’s Newest Diva – Looks Like Chyna…Whoa [INFO + PIC GALLERY; CLICK HERE]

  • Vince’s Rockstar Needs, Compares CM Punk to The Warlord

    — According to an article by BostonHerald.com, a source at the Boston Park Plaza hotel revealed some interesting details about what goes on when Vince McMahon and superstars and staff of World Wrestling Entertainment stay at a hotel.

    First off, “all of Vince McMahon’s charges go to the master bill,” the info sheet states. Those charges would include “a special room-service order upon (McMahon’s) arrival between 11:45 p.m. and midnight . . . WWE will pay the chef to stay late.”

    Additionally, all of the WWE rooms had to be non-smoking and “all rooms traveling with Vince McMahon should be pre-keyed” so he doesn’t have to wait to check in upon his arrival.  Say what you want about him, the guy knows how to travel!

    — In a recent interview with WWE Magazine, Vince McMahon gave his thoughts on what defines today’s WWE Superstars. Using the massive Warlord as an example, McMahon says bigger is not necessarily better in today’s WWE. When asked what defines today’s top WWE superstars,  Vince said:

    “It’s everything that people don’t see. It’s easy to say from a visual standpoint that bigger is better in reference to past eras of WWE. But take The Warlord, for example. He was enormous — one of the most visually impressive Superstars we’ve had — but he couldn’t sell five tickets. He had no charisma, no “gift of gab,” which is what really sets apart today’s Superstars, even if they may not be as physically intimidating. Someone like CM Punk, even though he’s a good-looking guy, isn’t built like that. He probably weighs less than I do. But today’s fans are drawn to his confidence and charisma. Those are the things a Superstar exudes, and they translate though the television set.”

    Question: What defines today’s top Superstars?

  • Matt Hardy Playing More Games With Wrestling News Sites

    Earlier this week, Matt Hardy posted a message on his Twitter page that said he’s tired of “being punished because of someone else’s sins.” Since Matt was only been on WWE television once since his brother’s Jeff’s arrest on September 11th, some speculated that Matt’s Twitter remarks were implying that he was being punished by WWE for Jeff’s behavior.

    After a few sites out there took the bait, Matt posted a message on his MySpace blog

    Last night, since almost every WWE personality was in Boston for The Decade Of Smackdown show, we all went out to eat after the show last night. A huge tab ended up being comped, which was very cool. Everyone was gonna leave generous tips because the meal was free obviously, and we wanted to take care of our servers. I was one of the last ones to leave, and was figuring up the tip. The tip wasn’t as good as I would have liked it to have been from a couple of the guys. So I left an extremely large tip at the end before leaving. I joked and said it was a sin that I had to pay for other people’s mistakes and cheapness. I bet a couple of my closest WWE friends that if I posted a tweet rephrasing the situation as “I am exhausted from being punished because of someone else’s sins”, that the wrestling media would pick up that comment and run with it as something completely different. Low and behold, almost every site did.

    While there may be a few copy and paste “newz” sites out there that reported Matt was in fact talking about Jeff, most reputable sites did what we did – posted Hardy’s comments and allowed readers to connect the dots themselves.

  • RAW Rating Plummets, MyNetworkTV Loses “Network” Status

    — This past Monday’s edition of Raw drew a 3.1 cable rating, its lowest number in several months. The show drew hours of 3.06 and 3.15. The program’s two hours were the number two and three rated shows for the evening, behind Monday Night Football on ESPN (which drew a 11.5 rating).

    — MyNetworkTV, home of WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown, has basically given up on running original programming and is no longer considered an actual broadcast network, according to an article on Variety.com. My”Network”TV will now have its ratings reported weekly as part of a syndicated report and will no longer have daily national ratings reported.

    — The WWE website has posted video of Al Sharpton detailing his big night as the guest host of Raw, which you can see here.

  • Jeff Hardy Update, News On Lilian Garcia’s Replacement

    Jim Ross updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. In this edition, JR gives an update on Jeff Hardy’s situation and talks about who will replace Lilian Garcia:

    Jeff Hardy Update: “Word has it that Jeff Hardy is ‘laying low’ these days and diligently preparing to meet the challenges that await him. The more I hear of this legal matter the more I think that there is MUCH more to this story than meets the eye and that Jeff Hardy is far from being a drug trafficker. To even think the latter is ridiculous. I feel confident that in the coming weeks that Jeff will have his day to reconcile this matter and to better address it publicly.

    “Until then, Jeff is wise to remain silent and not feel obligated to tweet, etc his fans as no one needs or deserves any information on this issue until the proper time. Just from what I have been able to ascertain, this case looks much worse on paper than it actually is but let’s all allow the legal process to address this matter and remember that we, as citizens of the United States, are innocent until proven guilty.”

    Replacing Lilian Garcia: “I don’t know the details of what going to occur as it relates to replacing Lilian Garcia, whose last night on the job was this past Monday, but I suspect that Justin Roberts, the current SD ring announcer, might get that nod. That’s just speculation on my part but Justin does a really nice job and is a reliable, professional young man. I think getting a female who also sings to do Lil’s role has its challenges. However, it’s obvious that a new ring announcer is needed and someone will be introduced next week or so it would seem. The young lady who worked in Tulsa Tuesday night seem to sing the National Anthem quite well.”

  • Could Bret Hart Be Returning To WWE Television Soon?

    For the first time since the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” in 1997, Bret Hart is said to be open to returning to World Wrestling Entertainment as a weekly storyline character, according to a report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Hart has had business talks with WWE in recent months, which played a part in the company rehashing “Montreal” at last week’s Breaking Point pay-per-view — in case he agrees to return.

    While nothing yet has been agreed upon, nor should one expect anything to happen anytime soon, he is no longer against returning to WWE. In the past he has said he didn’t see himself ever coming back as a character on television because he could no longer wrestle and didn’t want to become some authority figure or manager.

    WWE has had talks over the years regarding Hart returning to the company as a character. In fact, Vince McMahon told the creative team in 2006 that he was going to do a street fight with Hart on a pay-per-view. Of course, it never came to be and Hart at the time was saying that he was never going to wrestle again. Apparently, Hart was tentatively penciled in to team up with Shawn Michaels vs. Vince and Shane McMahon at Backlash 2006 instead of “God.”

  • WWE Pins Ultimate Warrior In Court: Warrior Must Pay

    There’s been another setback for the Ultimate Warrior in his legal battle against WWE. Last week, it became clear that Warrior’s lawsuit against WWE for defamation related to the “Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior” DVD would be thrown out because WWE lawyers were able to demonstrate that Warrior publicly defamed WWE first. After last week’s ruling, Warrior wrote the following message on his website:

    “It is what it is. There are no guarantees in litigation. None.  Of course, when you pursue these things, you want things to turn out in your favor. So does the other side. Cases are made and cards fall where they will.  What helps me handle it is that I am realist about things I cannot control and an optimist about all the incredible opportunity that always lies ahead, every day, every hour, every minute. I mean, from the moment you decide in your head that the past is done and gone, that it is a fact of reality you can’t change, and you put your time and energy into moving forward, right then and there positive things begin to happen. Only when you change the world of your mind will things in world outside of you change.  There is no reason for hesitation except that you choose to stay stuck. The only force is your mind. I don’t choose to remain stuck. I’m not good at whining and complaining about what I, myself, can, will and must do. I still have the rest of today to make the most out of myself and my life. I’m going to get at it.”

    Call the guy crazy, but he seems to have a good attitude about the situation. On Monday, Judge Roslyn O. Silver ruled that Warrior will now will have to pay $18,967.46 for the legal costs and expenses WWE had to pay to defending themselves against Warrior’s lawsuit.

  • Associated Press Calls Out Linda McMahon For Not Voting

    The Associated Press issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon reporting that Linda McMahon, who is seeking the Republican nomination in Connecticut for the U.S. Senate, did not vote in several recent significant elections.

    McMahon acknowledges on her blog that she didn’t vote in the 2008 presidential primary after Sen. John McCain was the presumptive nominee. According to the AP, She also missed a general election in 2006 and several local elections.

    However, McMahon isn’t the only candidate in the race with a spotty voting record. Money manager Peter Schiff, her top Republican opposition, didn’t register to vote when he moved back Connecticut in 2004.

  • Updated Card For WWE Hell In A Cell (10/4)

    Following this week’s RAW, here’s the latest card for WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 4th:

    Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Title
    John Cena vs. Randy Orton

    Hell in a Cell Tag Team Match
    DX vs. Legacy

    Triple Threat for the WWE United States Title
    Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz vs. Jack Swagger

    WWE Intercontinental Title Match
    John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler

  • What You Didn’t See On Raw: Dark Match, Farewell Lilian

    Thanks to reader James Cohorn for sending in these live notes from last night’s WWE Raw from Little Rock, Arkansas:

    Pre-Raw Dark Match: The dark match was Eric Escobar vs. Jamie Noble. Escobar received a lot of heel heat and Noble was receiving a surprising good reaction. Noble won with a flying legdrop from the ropes.

    WWE Superstars Match: Chris Masters wrestled Primo.

    Live Notes: I would estimate the crowd at around 8-10,000 people. The crowd was pretty live for most of the night. I was sitting near the stage area and could see Brian Christopher and I believe Scott Taylor in the backstage area. My friend saw Rodney Mack and Jazz in the concourse before the show so i guess they were visiting. Mack and Jazz run a weekly independent show In Jonesboro, Arkansas, which is about 2 hrs from Little Rock.

    I enjoyed the opener and then the beatdown that Legacy put on DX. The contract signing segment seemed to drag on and on until Show and Jericho and MVP & Henry came out. The Cedric and Chavo match was pretty boring. I can’t believe that are still giving us this Hornswoggle and Chavo crap. The crowd seemed to eat it up when Horny came out from under the ring. I am not sure who the tall masked guy was.

    Post-Raw Dark Match: The dark match main event was DX & John Cena vs. Randy Orton & Legacy. Orton & Legacy started triple teaming Cena before DX ran out. After DX came out they had Orton cornered and Legacy left. All of the faces hit their signature moves on Orton, who then left, so there was really no match. DX then started to do their speil with Cena. Triple H said that Cena needed to move his hips so he could get in the flow. As they started saying for the 1,000’s in attendance and the millions watching at home, Triple asked what time it was. Someone in the audience said that it was 10:18. Michaels said that they were not live so that it was just the 1,000’s in attendance.

    Goodbye Lilian: Triple then started again but said that something was missing. They then brought Lillian in. Triple then started a Shopzone spiel. Triple H then said for the 1,000’s in attendance and the millions not watching around the world and Lillian Garcia because it may be her last night. They then proceeded to the two words part. Lillian then joined in with DX on the if your not down with DX part. DX then left and shook hands with the fans.

    After DX left, they started playing the Eisley Brothers song “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life” for Lillian. Her fiancé then came out to the ring and they started dancing to the song while in the ring. Lillian left and then shook hands with the fans. This was truly a great moment.

  • Al Sharpton Hosting Raw, Kanye West Rumor Killer

    Jim Ross updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. In the blog, JR confirms a big name hosting Raw next week, addresses the rumor of Kanye West to WWE and discusses whether the planned Jeff Hardy DVD has been shelved.

    Next week’s Raw guest host: “The Reverend Al Sharpton is guest hosting Monday Night Raw next week for the show that emanates from Albany, New York. Reverend Al is a charismatic individual who definitely elicits a response out of a wide spectrum of individuals. It will be interesting to see how Reverend Al defends himself when the main stream media comes after him asking Sharpton why he’s appearing on Monday Night Raw. Hey, I think it’s a fun idea as Sharpton has a quick wit and can be awfully entertaining at times and I will definitely watch Raw to see how things go but you can bet your last rib that Reverend Al will be raked over the coals by some near sighted good on one of the seemingly endless news programs because of next Monday’s Guest Hosting role.”

    Kanye West To WWE?: I even saw on the ‘net that it was alleged that WWE had offered Kanye “$10M” to step in the ring and wrestle which is so outlandish and ridiculous that it’s insane. I can see why some wrestling websites do all they can to distance themselves from other sites as I read recently where I was in another state having a clandestine meeting with a company which was totally untrue. There was no meeting nor was I in the city that I was, according to a wrestling website, seen by eye witnesses.

    Whether WWE has canceled the planned DVD on Jeff Hardy or not: “To the best of my knowledge, the WWE hasn’t pulled the plug on the Jeff Hardy DVD as of yet. With so much legal maneuvering still ahead I can see this project become slowed until more info is available or postponed. However, as has been said many times in this and many other businesses, controversy creates cash. As I understand it, and this is certainly subject to change, the Jeff Hardy DVD will be released prior to the holidays around the first of December.”

  • Undertaker’s Health In Question – Retirement On The Horizon?

    Source: PWInsider.com

    After his work in Puerto Rico several weeks ago, there is backstage concern about the health and long-term viability of The Undertaker.

    In terms of his last hiatus from the ring, several sources are claiming that The Undertaker actually had hip replacement surgey after WrestleMania, not minor surgery which was originally reported. Regardless, there was concern at the time that the problem may stop him from competitive in the ring again.

    Many wondered why his match at Breaking Point only ran around the nine minute mark, and it is because he has been complaining of suffering from pain lately and his visibly slowed down as a result.

    Considering all of this, there has been talk that Taker may be looking at retirement after next year’s WrestleMania.

  • JR Blog: Flair Wrestling Again, One More Match For Austin?

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. JR talks about what Steve Austin is upto these days, Ric Flair’s decision coming out of retirement and whether he would follow in the footsteps of Jesse Ventura, Jerry Lawler and Linda McMahon ever consider a career in politics. The highlights:

    Steve Austin: “Steve Austin is on the cover of the current Muscle and Fitness Magazine. Great story on Steve in the prestigious publication about his new career in film. Steve is attacking his movie roles with the same intensity, preparation and attention to details as he did when he was wrestling. Steve is in awesome physical condition which always leads fans to speculate if he will come back for ‘one more match.’

    “Officially, only Austin can definitively answer that question but I know him pretty well and I think he made his last foray in wrestling at WM25 with the possible exception of a guest shot, non wrestling, here and there but even that is my own personal speculation. Hopefully, fans of ‘Stone Cold’ will support Steve’s movie work as religiously as they did his hell raising inside the ring. We talk regularly this time of the year and 90 percent of our discussions concern college football of which we are both major fans.”

    Ric Flair Coming Out of Retirement: “It looks like the ‘Naitch’ may be joining Hulk Hogan’s upcoming tour. What a reality show this tour would make if we never saw a single wrestling match. I’d watch it!”

    Getting into Politics: “I got an email asking if I had any political aspirations such as The King, et al and I said not just no but HELL no. Being an elected official would cut into my BBQ and Football time not to mention my ‘day job’ of being Todd Grisham’s sidekick on Smackdown.”

  • JR Blog: Ted DiBiase’s Ear, SvR2010, WrestleMania in Miami

    Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

    Ted DiBiase’s Ear: “The ear controversy. What’s up with Ted DiBiase’s nasty looking ear? From what I was told the ear got infected for some unknown reason and when young Ted went to get it checked out the doctor discovered that DiBiase had tubes inserted in his ears as a child and they were never removed! However, if you are operating some of the dubious wrestling websites that exist in cyberspace feel free to make up what you choose regarding this matter much like you have about my professional future.”

    SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Roster: “If you are wondering why some WWE Superstars are on the Smackdown vs Raw 2010 video game and others aren’t it’s because this particular decision has to be made long in advance and several months ago the point of no return and going with what was there came and went. I had the same issues when I was the head of Talent Relations and made those decisions. One is damned if they do and damned if they don’t when one has to work with such long lead times. This matter will never be resolved in my view and there will always be some wrestlers who make the game that don’t deserve to and some that are left off that deserve to be included.”

    WrestleMania in Miami?: “I read where Miami, Florida is interested in hosting Wrestlemania in 2011 or 2012. I assume many cities are in the bidding process as ‘Mania brings in big money to the host city. However, if the trend is to go into stadiums for Wrestlemania events, how does one address the issue of rain especially with South Florida’s lovely but rainy, at times, climate. No, I did not forget WM24 in Orlando but that was a hold one’s breath deal as it related to the weather and how to deal with rain not only for the talents but for the many  fans who traveled thousands of miles and paid healthy dollars to attend the show. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting Miami (well, last January wasn’t so great when the Tim Tebow Gators trounced my Sooners) and have for years but it would seem to me, and no one has asked me to offer this opinion, that cities with domed stadiums would have the greatest chance of hosting the event.

  • WWE’s “RAW” Trademark In Jeopardy?

    The following press release was issued today:

    Muscle Flex to Seek All Infringement Damages Against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) After It Was Successful in Defending Its “In the Raw®” Trademark Against the WWE’s “Raw” Trademark

    LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire – September 17, 2009) – Muscle Flex Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MFLI) (www.MuscleFlexInc.com) has announced to investors that it will be seeking all infringement damages against the World Wrestling Entertainment for its unauthorized use of “Raw” in Canada which it has used without permission for over 10 years. Muscle Flex has accumulated significant evidence which it believes proves undeniably that the WWE procured the sale and distribution of “Raw” labeled products that infringed on the “In the Raw®” wares and services over a period of many years and continue to this day. In 2002, a Cease and Desist order was issued but was ignored by the WWE as they continued to sell “Raw” branded merchandise in Canada knowing that ‘In the Raw’ was a registered trademark.

    In a press release dated July 20, 2009, Muscle Flex Inc. disclosed that it was in possession of WWE “Raw” labeled items that it believes directly infringe on its ‘In the Raw’ trademark. Items include: various CDs, VHS tapes and a number of apparel items. According to the WWE’s most recent reported financial quarter, combined sales of WWE’s consumer products and digital media business segments produced $40 million in global revenues. In previous quarters, these numbers were even higher.

    The multi-year dispute between Muscle Flex’s “In the Raw” and WWE’s “Raw” trademark concluded in April of this year when Muscle Flex successfully defended its “In the Raw®” trademark against WWE “Raw” trademark application 1,153,018 in a final Federal Court appeal by the WWE. Previously, on June 18, 2008, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) Opposition Board issued its final decision with respect to the WWE Canadian trademark application for “RAW.” The ruling confirmed that certain wares listed in the RAW trademark application 1,153,018 were confusingly similar and thus lacked distinctiveness from the “In the Raw®” registered trademark.

    “If someone steals your car and decides to drive it for 15 years knowing it was yours, how would you react?” commented Danny Alex, CEO of Muscle Flex Inc. “Now that the appeal process has concluded, Muscle Flex has begun the process to fully monetize all elements of its ‘In the Raw’ trademark including all infringement and potential damages caused by the WWE in its unauthorized use of ‘Raw’ in Canada. This has been a very long process and I fully intend to bring full and complete restitution to Muscle Flex shareholders… full stop.”

    Danny Alex continued, “We are measuring the specific potential damages the WWE has caused over the years and the dilution of our ‘In the Raw’ brand in Canada as a result of WWE’s infringement. In 2002, we issued a Cease and Desist order that was ignored by the WWE as they continued to sell ‘Raw’ branded merchandise, and continue to do so in Canada, knowing that ‘In the Raw’ was and is a registered trademark in Canada and has been for many years prior.”

    Muscle Flex Inc. is in the process of developing its first generation of “In the Raw” logo designs that will appear on all branded merchandise. Details of the Muscle Flex ‘In the Raw’ brand are expected to be released shortly.

    For additional information regarding the “In the Raw®” trademark and details on the Federal Court and CIPO ruling, please visit our corporate website at www.MuscleFlexInc.com.

    “Muscle Flex” is a Registered Trademark of Muscle Flex Inc.

    “Muscle Flex” and “In the Raw” are Registered Trademarks of Muscle Flex Inc.

    Muscle Flex Mission Statement
    Muscle Flex Inc. is a company dedicated to providing the highest quality health, fitness and lifestyle products that enrich and provide unequivocal betterment for an individual both physically and emotionally. To this end, Muscle Flex strives to always keep respect and honesty in all it delivers to its customers and provide the highest regard on the value of each individual. Muscle Flex believes it is its fiduciary duty to help in assisting all individuals attain a healthier lifestyle who have been disadvantaged one way or another by circumstances that were not of their choosing or control.

    About Muscle Flex Inc. (www.MuscleFlexInc.com)
    Muscle Flex Inc. is a leading edge fitness, health and lifestyle company that develops exciting brands and new products to market using direct response TV advertising and infomercials as well as cutting edge brand and image marketing through the creation of television media content for network and cable television distribution.

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  • Jeff Hardy’s MySpace & Twitter Pages Taken Down

    — In the wake of Jeff Hardy’s 9/11 arrest for drug trafficking, the former WWE superstar’s MySpace and Twitter pages have been taken down.  Jeff posted a message on his Twitter the day of the arrest assuring fans that he would tell his side of the story and make a statement “later,” but now that his primary outlet for speaking to his fans is gone, we’ll see if that ever happens.

    — It’s also worth noting that the Twitter account of Beth Britt, Jeff Hardy’s fiance, is still active, all the content has been removed. It appears they have shut the accounts down due to the attention stemming from Hardy’s arrest.

    — There were rumors over the weekend that Matt Hardy had been sent home by WWE management. After speaking with a source within WWE, we can confirm those rumors are false. Matt was backstage at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Hamnilton, Ontario but was not used on television.

  • WWE CEO Linda McMahon Steps Down To Run For U.S. Senate

    WWE has announced Linda McMahon is leaving her post as Chief Executive Officer to begin her senate campaign:

    WWE’s Linda McMahon Resigns to Run for U.S. Senate

    World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Linda McMahon has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer after announcing her candidacy for the United States Senate, representing the state of Connecticut. Vince McMahon assumes the duties of Chief Executive Officer in addition to his current position as WWE® Chairman. McMahon will be supported by the seasoned executive management team already in place and led by Chief Operating Officer and board member, Donna Goldsmith.

    Linda McMahon has also launched her campaign website at Linda2010.com. Here’s her first campaign video:

    Notice how Linda says, “I’ve been in business for over 30 years. I was the CEO of a publicly-traded company that has created over 500 jobs right here in Connecticut” yet does not mention WWE by name. Let the distancing game begin!

    Several mainstream media outlets are covering the story of Linda McMahon running for the United States Senate:

    Associated Press | New York Times | Wall Street Journal | The Greenwich Post

    Most of them are pretty neutral in the coverage, Politico.com says Linda will have a hard time escaping WWE’s marketing of sex and violence. Politico also includes a link to a YouTube video of Linda getting tombstoned by Kane on Raw from several years back, which you can see here.  That footage should make for some nice anti-Linda campaign videos.

  • Jeff Hardy Court Hearing Scheduled For 9/30

    Jeff Hardy’s first court hearing stemming from his 9/11 arrest for drug trafficking will take place on Wednesday morning, September 30th. Here is a summary of the charges brought against the former WWE superstar:

    • 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

    It’s worth noting that the drug trafficking charges brought against Hardy are a result of the sheer quantity of drugs found at his home. Should Hardy be able to provide a legitimate prescription for some or all the painkillers found, those charges could be reduced or dropped entirely.

    The day of his arrest, Hardy promised to make a statement regarding the situation, but since then his comments have been limited to thanking his fans for their support on Twitter.

  • Ric Flair To Wrestle Hulk Hogan This November In Australia

    Last week, it was announced that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are planning a tour of Australia in November. “Hulkamania: Let the Battle Begin” will feature many of the top free agents in pro wrestling today performing on four shows.

    Some of the names set to appear include former WWE superstars Ken Anderson, Umaga, Rikishi, Orlando Jordan, Gangrel, Val Venis and the Godfather. Former WWE developmental diva Lacy Von Eric is also booked to appear. Several of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s friends are also rumored for the tour, including Diamond Dallas Page, Brutus Beefcake the Nasty Boys.

    The biggest selling point, however, will be the opportunity to see two of the biggest legends in wrestling history returning to the ring to renew an old rivalry. It was rumored last week that Ric Flair was in negotiations to wrestle Hulk Hogan on at least one of the shows of the tour. According to PWInsider.com, a source close to Ric Flair has confirmed that the Nature Boy will indeed be coming out of retirement to wrestle Hulk Hogan on the tour.

    It is unknown at this point how many times Hogan and Flair will wrestle on the four-show tour, however a chance to see Ric Flair “walk that aisle” once again and square off against Hulk Hogan is sure to draw fan interest down under.