News to Start Your Weekend 01.20.06
Posted by Nick Marsico on 01.20.2006
Wow... big comeback from last week's crapfest. WWE TV was really good, lots of news, and talk about boys who like boys and girls! It's party time, folks!
I was doing some fun fantasy type booking stuff off the cuff late Wednesday night (into early Thursday morning, like until around 7:30 AM), and went over all sorts of ways to have Edge defend the title at WrestleMania while keeping Cena elsewhere in a fairly high profile match but away from the belt for a while. In any event, it ended up just making sure that Mysterio won the Rumble and beat Angle for the title at WrestleMania in the main event and they had a broken kayfabe moment where Rey dedicated the match to Eddy and Angle is right with him on it, and it's a great ending and a great feel-good WrestleMania moment. But that's beside the point. This is the News to Start Your Weekend, yes?
SOME NEWS, YES, NEWS, YES!
Quick TNA house show news off the bat!
Bizzar Tours, Ltd., Detroit based promoter and national touring company, is proud to announce the production of a TNA Wrestling Live show in Metro Detroit!
National television sensation TNA Wrestling Live is hosting their first show outside of Orlando, and it's coming only to Detroit! The Motor City has some of the greatest wrestling fans in the world, and they have an exclusive opportunity to see TNA Wrestling Live in the flesh, sweat, and spotlights!
Airing nationally in a Saturday night spot on Spike TV, TNA is one of the most popular sports entertainment organizations in the world, but this show is just for the die-hards of Detroit, and won't be seen on TV or anywhere else. It will be the Total Non-stop Action that fans expect, with 10 matches and plenty of surprises, featuring names like Abyss, A.J. Styles, America's Most Wanted, The Naturals, Sabu, and Samoa Joe, topped by the Main Event Match pitting Jeff Jarrett against Rhino, battling for recognition in his home town!
Bells ring at 8PM on March 17th, 2006, at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, MI, just off of M-14, at Beck Road, easily accessible by all the freeways on Detroit's west side. Doors for this all ages show are at 7PM, and tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at the box office. Bizzar Tours, TNA Wrestling Live, and the Compuware Arena are thrilled to host this exclusive show, and they want to see everyone there, from the life-long fans to the youngest newcomers. They want to stress that this will be all-ages entertainment, directed at a family audience, and with tickets starting at only $10.00, this is a show that no wrestling fan can miss!
TNA Wrestling Live
Main Event: Jeff Jarrett vs. Rhino
Tag Team Match: America's Most Wanted vs. The Naturals
Other Matches:
Samoa Joe vs. A.J. Styles
Sabu vs. Abyss
Team Canada's Bobby Roode vs. Ron "The Truth" Killings
"Alpha Male" Monty Brown vs. "Flying High" Chris Sabin
Plus many other stars of TNA Wrestling!
Not a bad looking card, but I have a feeling that the main event is Rhino vs. Jarrett for more of a reason than that it's in Detroit. Christian is probably really adamant about not wanting to travel, and won't even go back to his own stomping grounds to do a show if it means traveling all the way north to the opposite end of the country. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the way it seems to me. Oh, and is Chris Sabin's new official nickname "Flying High" Chris Sabin? In any event, I hope this is a success. And I hope, as it's their first show, they do tape it and release it on DVD. Just as a milestone thing.
No more "Talkin' Smack"?!?!?
It appears that WWE has shelved the "Talkin Smack" online show due to creative issues. The show, which was hosted by Tazz and Michael Cole, only had one episode.
Man, I was really looking forward to this thing, too. However, I also completely forgot about it a week after the first one aired, and if it was never brought up again, I probably would never, ever remember it. It was fun while it lasted, though.
New big man!
Oleg Prudius has officially signed with WWE. Prudius was the guy that Jerry Jarrett brought to WWE a few months back. Click here for WWE.com's article about it.
Eh, he has a good legitimate background, but I have no idea how good a wrestler he's going to turn out to be, and what kind of Russian bad guy gimmick he's going to have. I bet on 3 to 1 odds that he can speak English fine, but we never ever get to hear him speak more than broken English in an over pronounced Russian accent for his entire stay with the company.
Former star in rough times
Former WWE star John Tenta is struggling in his fight against cancer. Tenta posted the following message on the Wrestlecrap.com forum.
"I've been very busy. My last scan results were very disappointing. Despite being on chemo, the tumors in my hip, and both lungs continued to grow. The doctor is starting me on new chemo this Monday. It is a new combination, of chemo I've already had. The doctor says it has a one in ten chance of working. If that doesn't work, I will try experimental drugs. If nothing works, I have a life expectancy of six months to a year."
Things look grim, and it's really a shame. He sounds like a fantastic guy, and he's only 42 friggin' years old. This isn't the kind of shit that should be happening to him, it's the kind of shit that should be happening to people like those asshole parents in New York that beat their 7-year-old daughter to death. Good luck, sir. If there was any time where experimental drugs finally working would be appropriate, that time would be right now.
Sting not at Against All Odds?
Sting is not expected to appear at the next TNA PPV. The expected main event for that show is Jeff Jarrett vs. Christian Cage for the NWA Title.
Well this certainly is an interesting development. What is the plan with Sting then? Was there any point in having him come around? Didn't he sign a huge 6 month contract in which he would be grossly overpaid? What's the deal? Maybe it's explained on iMPACT! this or next week.
As one big man comes in, another says goodbye
World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms with Heidenreich on his release from the company. WWE wishes Heidenreich the best in all his future endeavors.
Straight from WWE.com. I can't say I'll miss him, but I also can't say that other people didn't deserve to be fired more. Hell, the guy had family's homes destroyed down in New Orleans, why not keep him around for a while so he can help out more on the money end? This is the way I see it, too, just like the Dawn Marie firing. It's garbage.
Well, I guess I was wrong
More details have become available on the release of John Heidenreich. He apparently checked himself into a hospital a few weeks back due to an ear infection and when WWE finally came to get him, assuming he was fine by then, he told them he could no longer handle being on the road and flew himself home.
Word backstage is that Heidenreich was dealing with some family issues and WWE may have released him so that he could be free to take care of those things and could possibly return in the future.
Animal is now expected to be repackaged as a singles wrestler.
Well I certainly was wrong, but that last sentence strikes me as news in the realm of "why is this necessary?". What use is Animal of right now? Fucking Johnny Ace.
It's pronounced Smi-LAY
Former WCW star Norman Smiley was backstage again at the Impact taping tonight. No word yet on if TNA plans to use him.
Do it! I want the Big Wiggle in TNA!
No more Apolo in LAX
According to prwrestling.com, Apolo no showed the TNA PPV Final Resolutions due to problems with his flight. It took off later than expected and by the time the PPV rolled around, Apolo was still in the air. Konnan took his spot in the match alongside Homicide. It seems that Apolo has been written off the storyline, since Konnan and Homicide challenged the James Gang for the next PPV and Apolo's name was not even mentioned alongside the LAX.
Good. I'd take Konnan over Apolo any day of the week.
Some revenge?
WWE has many companies challenging some of their trademarks. Some include Hasbro challenging "Taboo Tuesday" because it is too similar to their game "Taboo," Team 3-D challenging the names Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley, Warner Bros. challenging "Tazz," and Converse challenging "A-Train."
It's good to see WWE getting challenged over stupid petty shit just like they were doing to others. I hope they lose all of them, just out of spite.
I won't be able to return my shirt, but at least WWE will lose some stuff.
Yeah, no shit
Lita made Lycos' list of top ten searched terms for last week, likely due to her nip slip from RAW.
Like I said.
Revelations!
Great Britain's The Sun has a Q&A up with WWE Divas Maria, Torrie Wilson, and Candice Michelle. Below are some highlights.
This is going to be fun and insightful, I'm certain.
Candice said she recently got married to a doctor.
Candice said she has already completed her Playboy photo shoot.
Wow, that's a surprise, she married a rich dude! Oh, and yeah, we know she's completed her Playboy shoot. She finished it a couple years ago. I can't wait for the nothing new one!
Torrie said Billy Kidman turned down a TNA offer and is enjoying his time off.
Torrie said fans boo John Cena because women react positively to him.
Torrie said she would not ever participate in an angle like the Edge/Lita sex celebration.
But I read that TNA turned down Kidman... Yeah, that's why Cena's getting booed. I'm certainly jealous of those little kids, 11-year-old frizzy haired girls, and the hot girls who don't actually watch the product but think Cena's hot. It's the same reason that I was jealous of and booed The Rock, me and all the rest of the guys. Oh... wait. We loved Rocky (that thought brought to you by Aaron Lauretani of the IGN Boards). Also, Torrie also said she would never do Playboy. She did it twice. And didn't she do all sorts of racy angles like the sex celebration? Didn't she make out with Dawn Marie in a hotel room?
Fucking stupid bitch.
Warrior's new last name!
Warrior has now made "Warrior" his last name as well, meaning his name is Warrior Warrior.
Warrior has also filed a lawsuit against WWE, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon regarding the "Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" DVD.
Hahahaha! Warrior Warrior! That is all kinds of fantastic. I also kinda hope Mr. Warrior can take some money from Vince, because even though he's a crazy motherfucker, he isn't destroying the wrestling business like Vince is.
More Warrior insanity!
Warrior has filed another lawsuit, this time against Andrew Wright, a producer Warrior hired to create a positive DVD on his career that would respond to WWE's "Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" DVD. Wright ended up creating a documentary that Warrior thought was negative, not positive. Warrior then claims that Wright threatened to create a very negative DVD on him if he didn't pay the money according to their deal. Warrior wants roughly $250,000 and to be given the rights to all the footage Wright shot.
I will never get tired of Warrior's crap. I'll never have the patience to read one of his 50 million page long rants, but this stuff can go on forever and I'll always be amused.
We all love Orlando, and it appears he might love all of us?
WWE is planning to remake Orlando Jordan and give him a bisexual character. Former TNA valet Trinity and Jordan's real life friend Erik are set to serve as his love interests/managers for the new gimmick. The three will have a love triangle of sorts. Considering how UPN has been somewhat picky with controversial characters, it remains to be seen how far WWE goes with this new character.
If they're doing this as another "being controversial just for the sake of stirring up controversy", then right off the bat I just spit on it and think it sucks. Orlando, I've heard, is apparently bisexual in real life, and I am very glad that the male love interest won't be a new wrestler who comes up as had been previously rumored. Now that I feel safe that I won't be seeing CM Punk canoodling with Orlando Jordan on TV, I'm less apprehensive about this angle. Plus, I love Trinity. If nothing else, I'm curious to see how this is going to play out, and I'm interested to see how they'll do it. Is it unnecessary? Of course it is. Shit like this shouldn't show up in wrestling unless it can produce wrestling like the HHH/Stephanie/Kurt love triangle and is written as well as that one was, and I don't foresee any of that.
SmackDown! to stay?
At the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour today, UPN President of Entertainment Dawn Ostroff commented on the future of Smackdown.
"We fully intend to have wrestling on our schedule."
According to Ostroff, negotiations between UPN and WWE to extend their deal (which expires in September) is ongoing.
Those of you calling for the end of the brand split, please pack up your wonderful "it will make everything better" posters, banners and bumper stickers and go back under your rocks.
Now I have to watch the dog show?
TNA and SpikeTV were planning on having a live TNA primetime special Monday February 13th, the night after TNA's February PPV. TNA was really hoping to land the spot as RAW is not airing that night on USA Network. However, SpikeTV has decided not to go forward with the special due to "logistical reasons."
2/13 will now likely be the first Monday in many years that no wrestling airs in primetime.
Well this is a shame and a half. I want a damn reason that's better than "logistical reasons", though. What the hell does that mean? Is there going to be a UFC special instead? If I tune in to Spike TV on my birthday and UFC Unleashed (where they show nothing you haven't seen on PPV already) is on, I'll be pissed and never understand why the fuck they just ran that instead of a big special that could possibly draw some good ratings for TNA and Spike. You approve of that show and start promoting it NOW, and then do a hot angle to close your pay-per-view the night before, you create lots of interest, and you get your best ever iMPACT! rating yet.
Juvy gives his story
Juventud just gave an interview to Mexican wrestling magazine Box Y Lucha speaking about his release. Some of the more interesting points from the interview follow.
Juventud claimed that the reason he was released was due simply to visa problems. His work visa expired and due to increased regulations the Mexican consul could not get it renewed. He adds that he was told he could reapply in three or six months and it may be approved then.
Juventud goes on to say that he plans to compete in Mexico (probably in AAA), and also claims that the WWE is ready to take him back when the visa problems are cleared up.
Well 3 to 6 months from now when Juvy is nowhere to be found in WWE, I'm going to love to hear what his excuse is then. You fucking child. Put your damn pants on and find some steady work.
HOT DAMN THAT WAS A LOT OF NEWS
SmackDown!, and me talking about it
That's right, it's the return of my SmackDown! thoughts (something I don't think I've done since probably a while before it even moved to Fridays), and I'm glad that this is the week I've decided to bring it back. I'm actually writing this Thursday night, but I'm going to start doing some real preparation for this thing in the upcoming weeks and start to write my thoughts when I'm fresh off the show, and then maybe even compare how I felt right after the show to how I feel almost a week later, but really, you shouldn't expect that from me. I'm a lazy fuck. The SmackDown! thoughts are back to stay, though.
Batista giving back the title showed some true emotion from him, and set the pace for a very oddly paced show, which only featured, when you think about it, 4 different segments. The title relinquishing, the US title match, Piper's Pit and the Battle Royal. They pulled it off well, though. Mysterio was put over well as Batista was leaving, and maybe it is foreshadowing to bigger things for Rey? Royal Rumble victory? That would be nice.
The US title match was, to me, easily one of Orton's best matches to date. They went nearly 30 minutes, and other than Randy's shakiness with the mat work and his relying on the chinlock instead of working Benoit's arm, which he had targeted earlier on in the match, he was able to stay competent in the ring and keep up with Benoit enough so that he didn't look like Benoit was in the 10th stage of a decathlon while Orton was just getting out of the box. I am also really interested to see where this is going between Orton and Booker, and what Benoit's future holds, and how Orlando and his bisexual love triangle will fit in. Interesting times on SmackDown!, folks.
The quick segment about Eddy's award in El Paso was a nice little look back to his influence for his family and his community. You know we'll miss you Eddy. Keep watching us from up there.
Backstage with Piper, Jillian and JBL was really funny stuff, and Piper was classic here. JBL himself was great once they got out to the ring, and his interactions with Piper were a lot of fun too, which is one reason why I was very much looking forward to this segment when I read that it would be JBL instead of the Boogeyman on the Pit. Then, of course, here comes Boogey and he eats the mole dealy off Jillian's face, and the world is happy. I don't see why JBL will need that new broad that they're apparently bringing in to replace Jillian for the time being, but if she can wrestle, I wouldn't mind seeing them fight over JBL when Jillian comes back, because Jillian can go in the ring. Piper's praying at the end was pretty funny, too.
Of course, then there was the Battle Royal. I wish I hadn't known about Angle (and wouldn't have if it wasn't for that guy at work who spoiled it for me on Wednesday of last week), because friend and current co-host/producer of RocketBusta Radio, the greatest wrestling radio show of all time ever, period called me up and told me not to go to WWE.com if I didn't want it spoiled for me. I was ready and willing to stay away from anywhere that I could have been spoiled, but I just KNEW this guy at work was going to spoil it for me. Oh well. In any event, the match.
It was a decent battle royal, certainly, with some nice spots with eliminations from Kurt. I liked the standoff and elimination between Henry and Lashley, and don't think it did anything to hurt Lashley, because he's still just a young lion who has a lot to prove, and hasn't been around for almost 10 years like Henry has been. Henry's also a main eventer (eh, kinda) right now, and Lashley's just a guy who squashes jobbers and has no actual direction, so it doesn't hurt to put a bit of a spotlight on the guy, even if it's him being eliminated from the match. It shows that he has the potential to be something special, and that he isn't afraid of somebody bigger than he is. The Mysterio vs. Henry segment at the end of the match was pretty good (and makes me think their match on SmackDown! this week can be a pretty decent big man/little man match), and it did not make Mysterio look bad at all. He looked like a fighter with a legitimate chance of doing it. I didn't however, like how the match ended, as, while the fighting with Angle and the headscissors was really good to add drama, when they both fell out of the ring it just looked bad, and the crowd had to wait for a moment before they were sure that Kurt won it and knew they could cheer.
Overall, it was a lot of fun, and a really god damn action packed show for a 2 hour broadcast that only had two matches on it. Very good outing from a hurting brand, and there's a lot to look forward to in the future.
RAW stuff
Well I was very pleasantly surprised this week. Last week, of course I declared how little the show offered and how just overall shitty it was, but it was almost a complete turn around this week. It started off decent with Edge, was looking to go down the crapper REEEEEEALLY quick with the continuation of last week's awful celebration. But then Kurt Angle comes out, and he's got that SICK new pyro, I was going out of my mind. The promo between them was great, and then it led to a very good Angle vs. Michaels match to really start the show off hot and well. When Kurt kicked Daivari's ass, I was going nuts, and it set the pace for what I expected to be a pretty fantastic show.
Masters' promo backstage with Maria, was, of course, up to Masters' general standards, abysmal. The Masterlock Challenge wasn't too bad, and for some reason I'm overly protective of it not being broken by someone like Cena, if only because I think it can somewhat give the rub to someone who might need it. Yeah, I know, Masters, but still, that's the only over thing Masters does – the crowd give a shit about nothing he says or does EXCEPT for the challenge. It was a decent little interlude to the show, and it did enough to further along the short storyline between Edge and Cena leading up to the Rumble. It wasn't overly offensive, so I was cool with it.
As far as the women's stuff goes, it was kept nice and short and the story between Trish and Mickie is getting ready to go into full effect, but hopefully Mickie waits until February to turn on Trish. I really hope they'll be able to drag this out so they can have the big match and Mickie title win at WrestleMania, because it can go down as being easily the best women's match in ‘Mania history, and could really add to the card.
The Carlito stuff was just there, really. I'm a fan of Carlito, but I don't want RVD to have to be relegated to Carlito's level for WrestleMania. Please let Van Dam have a higher profile match at WrestleMania, pretty please? Let him beat Carlito on a RAW in a match built up for a few weeks and then move on to something bigger. Do it as a favour to me Vince, please?
The Shelton's Momma stuff was kind of funny. The backstage stuff with Vince was predictable and meh, although Shelton did pull off the line of the night with "Why's yo pants down?" That was CLASSIC. When Big Show came out, Shelton and Momma were pretty funny, also. I still don't see how this does anything for Shelton, though, other than letting him be a kind of entertaining comedy midcard act without any true direction. I will say that it is interesting and I am fairly intrigued by Triple H coming out and interfering in the match, though. I was sure the feud was over, but I guess not, and I don't really find that to be a bad thing.
And finally, the main event, the TLC match that a lot of people were sort of dreading, I think. I wasn't especially looking forward to it when it was first announced, but as the night went on, I felt like it could become something special. I was a bit wary of them playing all of the old TLC clips from the good old days with people flying through tables and off ladders, but if you see this match, then I guess you can say that in that realm, it didn't actually disappoint, because there were plenty of insane highspots. I have to say that multiple times I was afraid Flair was going to die, especially when he decided to set the ladder up in the corner and climb it. I was yelling for Flair not to do it, and when Edge followed him up, I was out of my seat and pleading for Ric to not die. Overall, the match took me through a hell of a wild ride, and when Edge flew through that table near the end, I was SURE that it was Flair's night, but that damn whore Lita just had to ruin the moment. The end was a bit anticlimactic with just the punch taking Flair down, but really, what more can you expect Ric to do? He did things in that match that someone like Chris Masters (the bane of my existence) will never, ever be able to do. This was a heck of a way to end RAW, and it was an overall very good show and a hell of a way to recuperate from the debacle from last week's show.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown! Preview
John "Bradshaw" Layfield vs. Bobby Lashley
United States Championship
Randy Orton vs. Orlando Jordan
SmackDown! Debut
Fit Finlay vs. Matt Hardy
Brian Kendrick & Paul London vs. The Gymini
#1 Contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship
Mark Henry vs. Rey Mysterio
Kurt Angle vs. Daivari
Total Nonstop Action iMPACT! Preview
X Division Street Fight
AJ Styles vs. Shannon Moore
iMPACT! Debut
The James Gang in action
Chris Sabin & Sonjay Dutt vs. Diamonds in the Rough
Team Canada vs. Ron Killings, Lance Hoyt & Shark Boy
TIME TO SAY BYE BYE
Uhhhh... that's about it. Much better report this week.
GOODBYE FROM NEW JERSEY, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FROM NEW YORK
