– There is a tremendous amount of respect for Ric Flair within the TNA locker room. At the last set of iMPACT tapings, Flair was very outgoing, getting to know some of the young wrestlers and was telling people he loved being there since he felt he was being used right by managing the World Champion AJ Styles. He was shown a ton of respect backstage with the wrestlers and agents “in awe” of him. Flair’s interviews have also received ave reviews.
– TNA management is said to be “putting up with” Scott Hall and Sean Waltman, but are trying to make the most of them while they’re part of a big storyline. Most people figured that Hall wouldn’t work out but there’s a lot of disappointment in Waltman as some figured that he would have shown up in better shape considering it’s probably his last shot with a major US promotion.
Ric Flair says his main reason for joining TNA and making his debut this past Monday night on iMPACT! was because unlike WWE, he felt wanted by the organization. In an interview with Mike Mooneyham of the Charleston Post and Courier, he said he didn’t want to sit at home watching two wrestling shows on Monday nights when he feels he can still contribute to the industry.
“I think I certainly can add something to the show,” Flair said. “And the nice thing is … they want me.â€
Flair says he waited for WWE to call him back after he worked a brief angle with Randy Orton this past June, but they never called him back to do a follow-up.
Flair says he was feeling great following his recent wrestling tour of Australia, both mentally and physically, and felt he shouldn’t have to sit on the sidelines when he can strongly contribute to TNA. Thus far, he’s been impressed with TNA’s professionalism.
“It’s been great. It couldn’t be better. I’m loving it here ..I never heard that it wasn’t [professional], but until you see it, you don’t know what to expect. I couldn’t be more impressed.â€
Mooneyham noted: “Flair says he loves WWE and always will, but that he needed this opportunity for himself. … It’s a matter of pride, of belonging, of feeling that old familiar adrenaline rush. Flair says he is excited and energized by the positive vibes coming reverberating throughout the company (TNA).”
— Jeremy Borash said yesterday morning during an appearance on the Pain Clinic radio show that TNA shot an episode of Spin Cycle two weeks ago with Lacey Von Erich and Kevin Nash but it ended up being much too raunchy to air. Borash said they taped it again and he had Lacey clean up her ‘potty mouth’.
— TNA Superstar Ric Flair is working on a second book. His first book, Ric Flair: To Be the Man, was released in 2004. (source: SLAM! Wrestling)
— In case you missed the post-Impact press conference, you can watch it at the following link.
Big props to PWTorch.com for getting a hold of the minute-by-minute ratings data:
In a news bit that should surprise no one, a minute-by-minute breakdown of Monday’s TNA iMPACT! rating reveals that the first Hulk Hogan segment contained the most-watched portion of the show.
After opening with a whopping 3.05 million viewers for Hulk Hogan’s walk to the ring, Hogan’s first live segment peaked with 3.36 million viewers at 9PM. This figure then gradually (and steadily) declined as people began tuning out, presumably to view the Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels encounter on WWE RAW.
What is interesting, however, is that the next biggest attraction was neither Jeff Hardy, Ric Flair nor any of the active male TNA performers. Rather, it was The Beautiful People’s strip poker game. While TNA’s Knockouts have often drawn well in comparison to the other action, it is surprising that they maintained their dominant level of appeal on such a star-studded show.
The first instance of the poker game drew between 3.00 and 3.01 million viewers; a segment that also featured Sean Morley drew 2.9 million viewers just after 9:30PM. Aside from a portion of Hulk Hogan’s appearance, the Beautiful People were far and away the biggest draw of hour two.
– It appears Bubba the Love Sponge is still with TNA after meeting with Dixie Carter, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan on Tuesday night. He wrote the following on Twitter:
“went over 2tna lot shot my deal met with hulk & Eric saw Dixie2 I think it’s better Planned some sneaky stuff with them2. going2bed but after my meeting with hogan and seeing the #s Dixie annouced I’m very excited tna is on the course2 give Vince a good fight”
– Ric Flair signed his deal with TNA just a few days before Monday’s live iMPACT. His deal is for 65 appearances over one year’s time. It’s believed Flair is working on a guaranteed money deal and is still able to book his own outside-TNA appearances. In an effort to get him on Monday’s show, word is that TNA offered Flair more money. TNA really wants Flair to be part of “the team” and be a face for the company. Some feel that Flair’s heart isn’t really in TNA and he’s more interested in the money than helping TNA succeed.
Jim Ross is back with another blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on last night’s RAW and iMPACT. Here are some highlights:
Bret Hart & HBK: “The dialog between HBK and the Hitman sounded so natural that I thought I was eavesdropping on two old rivals’ conversation. They were simply being themselves. Their handshake made the night complete for me but remember that I lived through the debacle of ’97 and was just a little immersed in it and spent many, many hours “talking wrestlers off the ledge” so to speak for hours after the controversial incident.”
Bret Hart & Vince McMahon: “The McMahon-Bret confrontation was well done especially planting the seed early and keeping me hooked until the end of the show for the payoff plus adding some spice to the dish in between. The Mr. McMahon persona is so easy to dislike and the Chairman got the last word and the final act of physicality in the exchange with his longstanding adversary and left me wanting to see more and wondering how Bret will respond next Monday night? Or will he? This issue has new, fresh legs.”
Jeff Hardy in TNA: “It surprised me to see Jeff Hardy on Spike TV Monday night which I am sure will get some fans talking and critics/pundits asking a great deal of questions. I’m a Jeff Hardy fan and I wish him well. Jeff had a great tenure in WWE and considering that I signed him and his brother Matt to their first WWE contracts I will always consider the Hardy brothers as being special. As Hall of Fame Coach Barry Switzer once told me, “Once you recruit a player you recruit them for life.”
Ric Flair in TNA: “Knowing how much Ric Flair still enjoys wrestling I was not shocked to see Ric on another channel Monday night. The WWE gave Ric the greatest send-off/retirement presentation that I have ever witnessed but nonetheless “Naitch” has wrestling running through his veins and he’s going lace ’em up until he simply can’t do it any longer. Ric Flair has been my friend for about 30 years and I wish him well in what ever he does in his career.”
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: “Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, another one of the guys that I signed to their first WWE contract, and A.J. Styles had a truly excellent wrestling match that I got glimpses of Monday night.”
– The latest on Ric Flair is that he has not signed with TNA as of this week. Flair was out of the country on vacation last weekend but word is that TNA is putting pressure on him that if he doesn’t sign and appear on the January 4th show then the offer may be pulled. The issue most likely is Flair not wanting to go with WWE’s competition. However, money plays a factor as the last time WWE made him an offer it wasn’t even close to what TNA is offering. It’s believed that WWE’s last offer to Flair was somewhere around $250,000 per year. Flair hasn’t spoken with WWE about any kind of offer recently. As noted before, Flair wants to sign with Panda Energy in case TNA goes under, he still gets paid. Flair feels that since Hulk Hogan signed a deal under the same circumstances with Panda, he should get the same treatment.
– Reaction within TNA to the news of Scott Hall returning has been negative because of Hall’s track record with the company. Some are also worried about what kind of negative impact Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff can have on TNA with making bad decisions.
– While TNA is still turning people away from the iMPACT Zone for pay-per-views, they are having problems with attendance at TV tapings. They have been having to get people to move closer together and only film that direction because of attendance lately. They are trying to get more fans to come out for the January 4th live show and the feeling is attendance is more of a problem this time around because of the slow season at Universal Studios. Attendance at the theme park is down this time of year and people in the park who aren’t wrestling fans usually make up a good part of the crowd. There is hope that with Hogan and possibly Flair wrestling in the iMPACT Zone in 2010, attendance among park-goers who aren’t wrestling fans will increase.
(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for some of the information used in this report)
Alex Marvez of ScrippsNews.com recently interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and asked him about whether he’d ever seriously consider going to TNA Wrestling now that Hulk Hogan is on board.
“I haven’t entertained the idea of working there because I’ve been so loyal to WWE, but you never know what’s going to go on,” Flair said. “I don’t want to make any predictions, but I’ve certainly got a lot left to offer. I think I would be a good addition to (TNA’s) program.
“Everything is about money, timing, what they want me to do and the job description. There’s a lot up in the air. I haven’t talked to (TNA ownership) yet, but I’ve had conversations with people who work there. I’ve stood by WWE, but if they’re not going to use me anymore, I’m ready for any kind of action.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR wrote about:
His future in WWE: “Some think that it is automatic that when/if I return to WWE that I am automatically going back on the Smackdown announce team. I wouldn’t say it’s automatic at all. Let’s allow all the issues to play out and then see where I land. It might be Smackdown and then again it might not. I don’t have a crystal ball to gaze into but within the next few months things will shake out.”
Steve Austin & Ric Flair In TNA: “Will Steve Austin ever go to TNA? That’s a question for Steve but my educated guess would be no. I don’t think Steve has any intention of ever wrestling again as he focuses on his movie career which is both time consuming and challenging for the ‘new guy.’ Steve is and always will, be a fan of the wrestling business but he’s building a body of work in the movie business and has been involved in, I think, 3 or 4 productions this year alone which is a helluva, challenging schedule “Will Ric Flair ever go to TNA? Again, that’s a “Naitch” question but the chances of Flair doing some work with TNA especially now that Hulk (Hogan) is headed there is much more likely than had Hulk not joined TNA in my opinion. Bottom line is that the above questions re: Austin and Flair can only be definitively answered by those two men but at least I addressed the questions of which we have been inundated.”
Why WWE PPV Buyrates Are Down: “Read something about “why PPV buys are down in wrestling.” That’s an easy one. If the product/attraction is what the fans want to see they will find a way to buy it. PPV’s are attraction driven. Give me what I want and I will pay you for it. Obviously, some folks can’t afford the volume of PPV’s that come their way plus seemingly having a PPV every three weeks or so is not advantageous. One’s disposable income is an issue with buying any non essential products but wrestling fans will usually pony up the cash if the attractions are in place. Plus, it makes sense that more folks are chipping in and watching the PPV’s together.”
As always, you can read the rest of JR’s informative blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin Results
Melbourne, Australia at Rod Laver Arena
Report by reader TheMrDAprano
1. Nick Dinsmore (a/k/a Eugene) with Pimp Fatha (a/k/a Godfather) defeated Rock of Love. Dinsmore and Fatha win after the hot tag. Fatha hit the pimp driver. Great chant for one of the heels to ‘put his shirt on.’
2. Spartan3000 Matt Cross defeated “Outcast” Shannon Moore. Cross won with a shooting star press. Cross was heel but hit the finish and got a pop. Moore wasn’t over.
3. The Nasty Boys defeated Black Pearl and Vampire Warrior in an Australian Street Fight. The latter duo was Team Puffy Black Shirt. Basic hardcore match. The Nasty Boys were over.
4. Brutus Beefcake defeated Heidenreich. Brutus got the win witih a sleeper. Boring match. Hedenreich was okay and spent time jawing with the referee. Brutus Beefcake cut the referee’s hair after the match.
Intermission
5. Lacey Von Erich won a bikini contest. There were two Playboy models and another girl. Pimp Fatha came out. After Lacy won the contest, a fat dude got on the ring and danced.
Ric Flair cut a sweet promo and then press conference footage was shown.
6. Mr. Anderson defeated Sean Morley (a/k/a Val Venis). The former Mr. Kennedy won with the Mic Check after Morley missed with the Money SHot.
Orlando Jordan came out to custom music, which was rare. He cut a promo about being the greatest and then introduced Uso Fatu (Umaga) as his partner.
7. Brian Lawler and Rikishi defeated Orlando Jordan and Uso Fatu. Good action and comedy. The crowd was into it and chanted “Jerry’s Kid” at Lawler. They also chanted “Booker T” at Jordan because of the dreads. Lawler and Rikishi danced afterward despite some reluctance from the latter. The referee did the worm, but Lawler kicked him out for doing so.
8. Hulk Hogan defeated Ric Flair. Unreal experience. Glad to see it in person. After great backstage promos, they came to the ring. Once they were in the arena the noise was deafening. All of their trademark spots were in there. Both men eventually bladed. Hogan used Flair’s brass knuckles to win. No leg drop.
During a Tuesday night press conference in Australia to promote the upcoming Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin tour, a wild brawl broke out that left Hulk Hogan beaten and bloodied by his opponent on the tour, Ric Flair. While most probably understand that what occurred is probably “worked” and part of the show, the Australia media is reporting the story as if it were a legit attack. The story is getting a ton of media attention on Australian television news shows and is a a headline story on many Australian news websites.
The Herald Sun writes,”Media were stunned as the Hulk’s head began bleeding profusely and confusion broke out when the veteran wrestling star was unable to get to his feet.” TMZ.com has picked up on the Australian media’s coverage of the attack, asking readers whether the blood coming from Hulk Hogan’s head was real. So far, over 70% say the blood was fake
Here’s some footage of the attack from an Australian evening newscast. While the reporter acknowledges pro wrestling’s track record, yet stated that “this looked very real.”
The Hulkamania: Let the Battle Begin tour begin this Saturday with a show in Melbourne at the Rod Laver Arena. There are four shows in all, with stops in Perth on Tuesday Brisbane on Thursday, and Sydney one week from Saturday.
WWE unified tag champion the Big Show was interviewed by the UK’s Daily Star this week and commented on Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair returning to the ring later this month in Australia.
Show, a longtime friend of Hulk Hogan, “I just think it was a situation where two guys who love the industry wanted to go again,” he told the Star. “That’s the thing, no matter how long you do this for, or how old you are, you still have a love and a passion for the business. I wish them all the best.”
When asked whether his own career is winding down, he said, “I get sore and a little lame and I have a bad attitude generally – but I still love coming to work. I’m the kind of guy who can’t sit still for longer than two or three days in a row anyway! If there comes a time where I can’t go out and entertain the fans then I’ll call it a day but that’s not here yet. I’m enjoying the moment.”
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is getting ready to walk that aisle once again – the aisle that leads straight to the alter.
The recently unretired legend is getting married once again this afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina to his fiance, Jackie Beems. It will be Flair’s fourth time getting married.
Ric Flair and Jackie Beems have been an item for several months and made several public appearances together, including the Los Angeles premiere of the film “The Wrestler” as well as various signing appearances. They big party last night in Charlotte to celebrate the occasion.
Flair will be bringing his new bride to Australia with him later this month for the “Hulkamania: Let the Battle Begin” tour, where he’ll wrestle against Hulk Hogan in his first matches since retiring at WrestleMania 24.
With three ex-wives and a lot of alimony money going out the door each month, you’ve gotta admire the guy’s to find the right lady. Best of luck to Ric & Jackie!
Here are some pictures of the couple taken earlier this year:
Posted November 11th, 2009 in News. Tagged: Ric Flair.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about:
Ric Flair: “Ric Flair called me Saturday as I was pulling into Owen Field in Norman about two hours before the Sooner game. Ric is staying very busy and the state lottery, promotional endorsement that he’s doing may be growing to other states outside the old, Mid Atlantic Territory area. Ric told me he was working out twice a day, when he could, in preparation for the upcoming Australian tour on which he’s booked. After talking to ‘Naitch’ it’s obvious to me that he still has the passion and the fire to perform inside a wrestling ring which should come really as no shock or surprise and I don’t think that his passion to perform will ever wane. Mother Nature might cause Ric more ‘female problems’ but Ric’s will to compete and perform can’t be deterred.”
Steve Austin: “Steve Austin called me Sunday afternoon during the Packers-Vikings game and most of our discussion centered on football and how I was doing battling my ‘little friend’ Bells palsy #3. Steve is preparing to head up to Vancouver to film another action/adventure movie that is going to be largely done outdoors in the beautiful terrain of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Texas Rattlesnake expects to encounter plenty of ‘weather’ including ample rain which apparently is what they want for the film to have the organic grittiness to fit the script. I don’t know the release date but one can assume some time in 2010 nor do I know the title. I obviously don’t know much but as I said we talked football and not work.”
Following the announcement that Hulk Hogan will now be working with TNA Wrestling, there have been some curious changes to WWE.com that are worth noting.
Both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair’s profiles have been removed from the Alumni section of WWE.com. Eric Bischoff, who will be joining Hulk Hogan in working with TNA, still has a profile on the Alumni page.
While its somewhat understandable why Hogan’s profile would be taken down now that he’s working for WWE’s top competitor, there hasn’t really been anything newsworthy with Ric Flair in recent days. While he is wrestling next month despite WWE’s grand sendoff last year at WrestleMania, this has been known for quite some time.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross his blog, which you can read at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about:
Shane’s Departure From WWE: “No website has any definitive news on why Shane McMahon resigned from his family’s company, WWE, on Friday. Perhaps more news sites will elaborate on this matter come Monday as Friday is always the best day to drop big news as sometimes it gets somewhat lost on the weekend. Nonetheless no one knows why Shane seemingly abruptly decided to leave the family business and IÂ don’t feel that any one will know the reason until he declares what his next venture will be. Shane has a great formal education not to mention years of “on the job” training since starting out on the ring crew as a teen during the summers. I know Shane has many interests and who’s to say that he simply wants to reassess where he is in his life and spend more time with his family which includes two sons? Until Shane himself makes an official statement as to what he is going to tee up next, then every thing any one can read, report or write about is pure speculation. Shane has excellent people skills and a unique skill set in a one of a kind genre that employs basic promotional and organization skills that should be transferable to many businesses.”
Wrestlers Leaving The Industry: I have always found it amazing when fans cannot understand when someone who is seemingly entrenched in the wrestling business decides to explore other opportunities. Both the Rock and Stone Cold have been dissed because they no longer have the desire to “wrestle” but have both said that they would be interested in making selected appearances at the right place and the right time. For some fans that isn’t good enough. I admire “wrestlers” or “wrestling people” who want to explore other opportunities. Life cannot become one dimensional and one cannot allow their own lives to revolve around one, singular entity. That mindset isn’t healthy or smart. Unless one is in a very unique position, IE ownership, and that’s arguable, one should not allow the wrestling biz or any other biz to become their “life.” Those that due usually end up miserable and make those around them unhappy as well. I have great empathy for ex-wrestlers who have to or feel compelled to to hang on to whatever they can within the wrestling business under the guise of “loving the business” while it’s really all about not having any marketable skills to replace their income. This is just one of the reasons that I always encourage young wrestlers to be to get college degrees so that they will have something to fall back on in case becoming a wrestling star doesn’t’ work out….and it usually doesn’t. If 2-3 out of 100 prospect become legit, main event level wrestling stars then a company should feel fortunate.
Flair Wrestling Again: Speaking of “Naitch” he called me Saturday morning early to wish me good luck at the Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl which was a classy gesture. He’s excited to be going to Australia to wrestle but Flair vs. Hogan isn’t what I would book as it would be Flair and Hogan together against two, younger athletic guys. Ric going down under to make a big payday doesn’t bother me at all nor do IÂ think it bothers HBK who a fan recently asked about in our Q&A section of this site.
Ric Flair appeared on “Busted Open†on Sirius radio on Tuesday and revealed what Vince McMahon was to him coming out of retirement and wrestling overseas. “I told Vince McMahon about three months ago that I wanted to back and work and that I’d just work overseas. He said, ‘You know, go for it.”
Flair added, “I’m in good health. I like to sign autographs and I’m really enjoying (non-wrestling projects), but there’s nothing like wrestling. I’ve been working out really hard and I’m looking forward to it. It gives Hulk (Hogan) and I a chance to see if we’ve still got it going on.”
Flair was also asked about the possibility of appearing as a guest host on WWE Raw. “That may still happen,” he said. “My schedule hasn’t allowed it to happen. I work with Coca-Cole, Krogers, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s Club. The lottery thing has been huge to me. I can’t give enough credit to the North Carolina education lottery for giving me the opportunity to work for them. It’s been great.”
The Busted Open radio show airs on Tuesdays and Fridays 4-5 p.m. EST on Sirius 127, and XM 242. Visit Sirius.com for more info.
READ MORE about Ric Flair coming out of retirement.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:
His WWE Contract Expiring: So, regarding my professional status, any thing else you read other than what I have said here is manure. I don’t break commitments and I am smart enough to not violate the terms of my contract with whomever I’m employed. My WWE contract expires in December, I don’t even know the exact date, and I expect to sign a multi year deal with WWE when schedules permit for us to sit down and to hammer out a deal that is a win/win. If we don’t hammer out a deal, I have no issues taking the holidays off, focusing on Family, BBQ and Football and then reassessing other career moves. The only thing that I can say is that “retirement” is NOT an option as there is still plenty of fuel left in my tank and that I can assure one and all.
Ric Flair’s NWA Title Being Auctioned: The Ric Flair, original NWA Title belt issue is still on going or so it seems. Apparently there are multiple bids for the coveted, collector’s piece of over $75K. Hopefully this matter will be resolved amicably and to everyone’s satisfaction but from a fan’s perspective there is no pro wrestling collectible any where that I can think of that I would rather have in my personal collection. I think a creative mind could literally write a screen play about the travels and experience of this “trophy.”
Ric Flair Wrestling Hulk Hogan: Speaking of “Naitch,” some emailers have asked me my thoughts regarding the Hulk and company tour of Australia coming up soon. Why would I have any issues with it? I am for all wrestlers to earn the best income that they can no matter where it may be. I would love to see Hulk and Ric tag rather than wrestle each other but that’s simply one guy’s opinion. If wrestling fans are entertained and the talents earn a fair wage, then who loses? I wish them success
— According to Philadelphia’s CityPaper.net, WWE lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Wine School of Philadelphia for an event they’re holding called “Sommelier Smackdown,“ where a professional sommelier’s food and wine pairings are matched against those of a member of the Wine School, with students voting for the winner. Keith Wallace, the school’s founder and director, says he has no plans to stop using the smackdown phrase. “They don’t have a leg to stand on. I am not going to bow down to a bully,†he said in a press release. “They claim that they own the term “smackdown” but they don’t.†In response to the WWE threat, Wallace is calling out Mr. McMahon Chris Jerico to a wine-tasting double-team cage match.
— Jim Ross wrote in his latest JRsBarBQ.com blog that Steve Austin’s new movie “Damage” did strong sales in its first week in the United Kingdom. “Damage debuted at #5 on the i-Tunes store chart in the U.K. and #3 in DVD sales through major retailer HMV,” Ross said. The movie went straight to DVD in the UK and is scheduled for theatrical release in the U.S. on January 28, 2010.
— HecklerSpray.com has posted an interview with Steve Austin, who talks about his various movie projects.
— Ric Flair is said to be engaged to be married once again. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, Flair has been seen around with his girlfriend, who is sporting a new ring on his finger. This would be Flair’s fourth time down the aisle.