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Preview & Cover For Chris Jericho’s New Book “Undisputed”

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51qEz1ZMYMLAmazon.com has updated its preview for Chris Jericho’s new book, Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps.

Jericho put himself on the map as one of wrestling’s premiere authors with his first book “A Lion’s Tale,” which topped the New York Times Best Seller’s List in October 2008. Now .. he’s Undisputed:

The eagerly awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestselling A Lion’s Tale documents Chris Jericho’s meteoric rise to wrestling glory in the WWE.

A Lion’s Tale gave readers a portrait of Jericho as a young man. Fighting his way through Mexico, rinky-dink leagues and a battery of thieving, sleazy promoters/managers, the book ended with the author’s WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) debut. Never one to leave his fans hanging, as demonstrated by his recent return to wrestling glory, Jericho now tells the story of life in the big leagues. But “making it” in the premier wrestling league in the world comes with its own set of obstacles and hard lessons. Jericho, in his witty, hilarious, and surprisingly endearing manner, lays it all out: the good, the bad, and the spandex.

“Undisputed” is set for release on February 16, 2011 and is being published by Grand Central Publishing.

Black Corrects Reports On Name Change, WWE Hypes SmackDown

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— Former ROH World Champion Tyler Black said on his Twitter account that his “possible name change” is Seth Rollins, not Zack Rollins as had been reported.

“Good first night in an FCW right,” he wrote. “New name, fresh start. I’ll change the Twitter when it gets confirmed.”

— Currently featured on the front page of YouTube.com is a video advertisement promoting tonight’s debut of SmackDown on Syfy. Also featured are brief spots on Kofi Kingston, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Big Show and The Undertaker.

— WWE returns to the Civic Center in Monroe, Louisiana on December 12, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale October 22, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

Tribute to the Troops Plans, Update On Buhl Signing With WWE

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— WWE will reportedly not be holding a “Tribute To The Troops” show overseas this year. However, company officials are looking to hold a similar style event at a domestic military base, possibly in Texas. (source: PWInsider.com)

— It was reported earlier this week that Melyssa Buhl, a 26-year-old fitness model from Vancouver, British Columbia, had signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. She later sent e-mails to various news outlets indicating she had not signed with WWE, noting she was ‘entering a contract’ and would not be shooting past October 14.

In the latest update regarding the situation, Buhl had posted several messages on her Facebook account concerning meetings with WWE officials – which have since been deleted. She noted signing a contract with WWE and would therefore be shutting down her official website, which features adult material.

The website, www.melyssabuhl.com, has been taken offline.

— WWE returns to the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia on November 29, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale October 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

Mick Foley Talks About Drugs & Concussions, Linda’s Campaign

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TNA star Mick Foley was interviewed by The Huffington Post this week about his new book, Countdown to Lockdown. Here are some highlights of what Foley said about:

Linda McMahon’s Senate Campaign: “I was really kind of worried about seeing her because I hadn’t seen anybody since I’d left the WWE. I think she makes a good candidate, a very interesting candidate, and I know that her opponents want to make the issue about wrestling itself, and I think that’s a losing argument but it’s their only argument because it’s hard to refute somebody who’s been so successful in a really rough economic climate. I think she’s a good candidate because I think it’s less likely that she’ll participate in the partisan bickering that makes politics so frustrating for me to watch. She’s not looking to be a career politician, she doesn’t need the money, so she’ll probably be rushing back to the grandchildren instead of political fundraisers, and I just don’t think the McMahon in her is going to allow her to simply fall in line with party politics. Although she is running as a Republican, I don’t think she thrived in the busuness she was in without a fierce independent streak.”

Concussions & Wellness: “I think things are constantly changing for the better. Everybody in wrestling is looking at the information coming in on concussions. Everyone from the NFL to the WWE to TNA to the youth soccer groups around the country are realizing that there are dangers that weren’t previously known. I think the environment is better, and I think people are more willing to admit when they’re hurt so they won’t be injured again.”

Drugs In Wrestling & Andrew Martin’s Death: “I did like Test, and he was a guy I kept in touch with for years after we stopped working together. One of my regrets is that he left me a message a few weeks before he died and I guess at the time I thought I was too busy to return the call. To tell you the truth I did not even know he had a problem with pills. I think that’s by far the biggest problem facing wrestling, the painkillers and muscle relaxers, and because they are legal it’s much more difficult to crack down on them.”

Latest Carter Tease Fails To Generate Buzz, Angle On Facebook

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— TNA president Dixie Carter’s most recent teased talent acquisition failed to generate much buzz amongst the locker room.

“Nobody talked about it because nobody cared,” a TNA source told the Pro Wrestling Torch. “No one is big enough to make a splash in our ratings.”

Others in the company echoed similar thoughts as the general feeling is that it will take a creative overhaul to make a significant change, not a talent acquisition.

— Kurt Angle recently confirmed on Twitter that he has an account on Facebook. His page can be reached here.

— Today is TNA Spanish color commentator Hector Guerrero’s birthday. He turns 56 years old.

WWE Survivor Series 2010 PPV Poster & Synopsis *Spoiler*

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goodbye
WWE Survivor Series: November 21st on PPV

Pay-per-view provider iNDEMAND has released the official promotional poster and synopsis for WWE Survivor Series 2010 on Sunday, November 21st and they appear to give away a big spoiler for Sunday’s Hell in a Cell event.

This Sunday, John Cena wrestles Wade Barrett with the stipulation that if Cena wins, Nexus disbands and if Barrett wins, Cena joins Nexus.

If the Survivor Series preview are any indication, Nexus won’t be going away any time soon. The Synopsis reads:

“History collides with controversy as The Nexus takes on all comers at WWE Survivor Series. Don’t miss John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars live on pay-per-view!”

The poster features the Nexus group, including injured star Skip Sheffield (expected to be out until after the event) and Darren Young (who was eliminated from the group many weeks ago). While this promotional material is always subject to change, WWE hyping Nexus for the November PPV appears to give away the result for Sunday’s John Cena vs. Wade Barrett match..

Ex-Manager Remembers Gonzalez, Updates On Demento & Rico

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— Bruno Lauer (a/k/a Harvey Wippleman), commented on the passing of friend and colleague Jorge González (a/k/a Giant González) to RasslinRiotOnline.com.

“I would like to take time here to address the passing of my dear friend Jorge Gonzales, also known as Giant Gonzalez [during his tenure with me] and El Gigante, when he was with WCW. I was Jogo’s [nickname short for his name] manager the entire time he was with the WWE and not only was I his manager, but I was his friend and confidante as well aka his errand boy! Not that I minded either…s**t if I was 8 feel tall, I’d want somebody to run out and get my food and medicine too! Jogo was always a gentleman and a true friend. He actually did something completely out of character for me one time when he was in Memphis to work a shot or 2 for USWA. He came to Walls, MS [my hometown] and visited the old Loretta’s beer joint, which has since burnt down. He came to see me just so all my friends and neighbors could have the excitement of meeting not only TV star in our little delta town, but a giant – not only physically, but in heart as well. I know he is in a better place now, so GOD bless you, my friend.”

— In an update on Damian Demento, the former WWE star is trying his hand at acting. He has posted monologues from various movies on YouTube including The Dark Knight, A Few Good Men, Jurassic Park, and High Noon, among others. To view his various monologues, click here.

Additionally, he posted a video late last night entitled “GIMMICK IS DEAD MONOLOGUE” denouncing professional wrestling, in response to wrestling news sites noting his acting aspirations. He says he wants to break into acting and is thus trying to distance himself from the wrestling business. He concludes his video by saying he can’t wait for the “god damn day” Undertaker retires so no one mentions him again. To view the video, click here.

— Today is former WWE star Rico Constantino’s birthday as he turns 49 years old. He is currently working as an Airport Control Officer in Las Vegas for the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority.

Jim Ross Blogs About WWE’s Recent Ratings Decline

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with a reaction to WWE’s recent ratings decline. Here’s what JR wrote:

“Lots of talk about Monday Night Raw’s last couple of TV ratings and them being lower than normal. There are two primary reasons for this matter, in my opinion. Monday Night Football provides immense competition on cable TV on Monday nights. ESPN/ABC has a huge investment in the NFL and they spend countless hours promoting each Monday Night Football contest. MNF on TV is a right of passage in America. ESPN battles with the USA Network for ratings supremacy and popping big numbers on MNF is the key to ESPN’s success from September thru January. The flexible scheduling is much more amenable to strong football ratings and that did not exist years ago. Bottom line is that football has seemingly become America’s game of choice and MNF still has significant cache as a brand.”

“Secondly, and this is the old promoter coming out in me, if the attractions are spot on and personal issues are hot enough to create ‘water cooler talk’ then more viewers are likely to tune into Raw. After doing approximately 600 episodes of Monday Night Raw, we knew we always had to battle MNF and even Nitro back in the day. We always strived to create compelling TV and to earn our share of the marketplace. We were fortunate that we had a deep roster of talented, experienced athletes who, in one form or another, clicked with the audience. WWE has some very talented individuals performing on Raw and some are involved in thought provoking storylines. But the biz in general needs new stars to become established ‘box office’ sensations and that simply doesn’t happen over night and honestly for some performers it will never happen.”

“Personally, I see WWE going through somewhat of a transition period as it relates to the development of new, top talents. I still enjoy watching Raw each week to see how quickly these younger guys evolve and accept the personal responsibility and challenge of becoming a main event star that draws ratings and sells tickets and pay per views. I’ve said many times in this space that the journey from debuting on TV until a talent makes it to the next level, if they do make it, is 3-5 years and particularly starting from scratch and with little or no experience.”

“Not having viable wrestling territories where a talent could ply their trade under a variety of philosophies and gain invaluable experience is a determent in today’s wrestling world when developing new stars. Does that mean that new stars can’t be developed? Of course not, but I do feel that the process to get from inexperience rookie to a PPV headlining main eventer is longer and more challenging.”

“I’m very excited about many young, WWE talents and feel with confidence that some will be headlining major events in their career. The question that I can’t answer is exactly when that will occur but until then I will remain patient and continue to enjoy Raw and any other program WWE produces including Friday Night Smackdown which moves to Syfy and emanates from OKC this Friday night. We’re talking a TV show here folks that airs first run about 51 weeks a year and producing a ‘hit’ every week isn’t possible. Can all programs be better? Certainly? Should wholesale changes be implemented? Not in my opinion. Rebuilding a roster takes time.”

“Bottom line is that I’m not nor do I encourage any one to consider pushing the proverbial panic button but I do feel that the lower TV ratings will motivate everyone in the process to try logical and different things while utilizing different people in unique scenarios.”

James vs. Kong Canceled Again, Funk Coming Out Of Retirement

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— Northeast Wrestling announced on its Facebook page this morning that tonight’s scheduled match between Awesome Kong and Mickie James has been called off due to injury.

“Awesome Kong contacted Northeast Wrestling at midnight last night notifying us that she will be unable to appear this evening due to a back injury,” the statement reads. “Northeast Wrestling would like to apologize as she promised us on Monday that would definitely be wrestling Mickie James tonight.”

James will be still be wrestling on the card, but a replacement opponent has yet to be announced.

— WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk, 66, has agreed to wrestle in a Legends Battle Royal at the WrestleReunion event taking place this January in Los Angeles, California. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus kicks off an autograph signing tour today in the Northeast dubbed ‘The Stratusphere Tour’. For complete details, click here.

Black Debuts In FCW With New Name, Hardy Getting New Look

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— Former Ring of Honor World Champion Tyler Black made his WWE developmental debut at Thursday’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event, losing to NXT season two finalist Michael McGillicutty. He was introduced as Seth Rollins.

— Matt Hardy vowed Wednesday on his Twitter account that he plans to reinvent himself in the coming weeks. Hardy wrote on Twitter:

“You will all understand the motives behind Matt & MATTHEW, The Hardy Show is about to go to never before seen heights, OMEGA is coming back, and in the next few weeks I am gonna totally reinvent myself, all the way from my body, to my hair, to my wrestling “look” & persona. ”

“Even the people that are my critics & doubters will take notice and appreciate all the changes. I am prepared to work harder than I ever have.”

— The official website of Florida Championship Wrestling updated its roster page with three new performers — Calvin Raines (a/k/a Patrick Brink), Conor O’Brian (a/k/a Ryan O’Reilly), and Damien Sandow (a/k/a Idol Stevens). All three are previously released developmental wrestlers signed over the summer.

Melina Posts Her First Video Blog, WWE Programming Change

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— WWE has nixed the previously scheduled Countdown to SmackDown special and will instead air a replay of Tuesday’s episode of NXT before the premiere of SmackDown tonight on Syfy.

— It would appear that the NXT Rookie Divas will be on hand for tonight’s live SmackDown in Oklahoma City as Maxine wrote on her Twitter account Thursday that she was preparing for the evening’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event only to say two hours later that she suddenly had to catch a flight.

— WWE Diva Melina has launched a YouTube channel and has posted her first introductory video blog. We’ll post Melina’s videos here at SEScoops, here’s episode 1:

NXT Rating, Christian-Del Rio, Early RAW Preview & More

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– With WWE’s RAW and SmackDown now on NBC Universal owned TV stations, there more cross-promotion between the two shows. Expect to see angles begin on RAW and carry over to SmackDown on Fridays.

– Tuesday night’s final episode of WWE NXT on SyFy scored a 0.7 cable rating with 964,000 viewers. This was the first NXT episode that averaged less than 1 million viewers and was the least-watched episode. Through 4 episodes of season three on SyFy, the show averaged 1.09 million viewers.

– Monday’s RAW will take place from Wichita, Kansas and will feature guest host Johnny Knoxville. The post-Hell in a Cell show will include the early build for WWE Bragging Rights (10/24) and a continuation of the mystery RAW General Manager storyline.

– Following Christian’s recent torn pectoral muscle injury, WWE was forced to end his feud with SmackDown new comer Alberto Del Rio. Christian will be out until at least the Royal Rumble and WWE has discussed resuming the feud when Christian returns.

Mickie James Pitching Reality Show, Torrie Appearing In NYC

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Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal writer Hubert O’Hearn has posted an article on his blog concerning former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James that will be published in tomorrow’s edition. O’Hearn chronicles James’ rise to WWE superstardom and subsequent fall with the “Piggie James” storyline. He also notes that James and her manager are shopping around a reality show to television networks focusing on her foray to the country music world.

— A number of former WWE and WCW stars will be on hand for this weekend’s Big Apple Comic Con at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in New York City including Torrie Wilson, Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, Kevin Nash Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Shane Douglas, Mikey Whipwreck, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, and Virgil. Click here for more information on the event.

— Today is former WWE Women’s Champion Candice Michelle’s birthday. She turns 32 years old.

Foley Comments On WWE Plug, Austin & Keibler On NBC & More

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– Mick Foley had the following to say regarding WWE plugging his book Monday night..

“I guess you could call it the plug heard ’round the world. I actually almost missed it when Michael Cole first said my name, and didn’t really catch on until the King followed up on the Cole mention of the new book. Certainly, it was surreal; I don’t think there has ever been an instance of someone on an opposing show getting a shoutout from WWE. I guess there are alot of people speculating as to what Vince’s motives might be. I’m leaning toward the idea that Vince sometimes does things just to be nice, and that the winds must have been blowing in a favorable direction on Monday morning. I think Vince deep down genuinely likes me and respects me and was just trying to do what felt right to him.”

– “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Stacy Keibler will be appearing on NBC’s Chuck on Monday at 8 PM ET. Austin returns as mercenary Hugo Panzer, while Keibler will play the undercover CIA operative Greta. Batista is also set to appear on the show later next month.

– Radio host Howard Stern and the National Federation of Independent Business announced on Thursday that they are endorsing Linda McMahon in Connecticut’s US Senate race.

– Sheamus will be at the FCW show on October 29th in Gainesville for a meet and greet. The show features a ladders and chairs match and a Halloween costume contest for fans.

– The amateur wrestling movie Vision Quest and movie Over the Top starring Terry Funk are both currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.

Ken Anderson Talks About Leaving WWE, TNA vs. WWE

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In an interview with Alex Marvez of Scrippsnews.com, TNA star Ken Anderson talked about leaving WWE, saying that his bitterness toward WWE and “certain people there” ran so deep that he “wasn’t able to even look at it on TV for the longest time.”

Despite the sour ending, Anderson looks back on his time in WWE fondly. “I’m very happy to have put in my time there.” said Anderson. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at in my life without that company. I have a lot of really amazing memories. I met some great people I still keep in contact with. Yeah, the last two years didn’t go the way I had planned. But I’m not going to whine about it. I’m going to move forward and try to turn the negatives into a positive.”

Anderson, who starred in the WWE Studios film Behind Enemy Lines 3 and plans to continue acting, still loves wrestling and looks forward to raising the profile of TNA Wrestling.

“I want to help TNA,” he said. “I know we’re a significant underdog in this whole picture. I don’t expect to be competing right now on the same level as a company that’s been around for 50, 60 years. But if we can take some of those (television) ratings points away from (WWE), that would be a great thing.”

Hulk Hogan Back In The Hospital Again With Another Video

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Hulk Hogan is back in the hospital after having an “electrical spinal cord stimulator” installed this to alleviate chronic pain.

Read More: Hulk Hogan Posts Video After Having Spinal Surgery

Hogan has posted yet another video from the hospital .. Hogan says he was supposed to have surgery on Friday to have the stimulator permanently installed in his back, but his doctor could not make it. Hogan is not as upbeat in this video as he’s been in the past, saying he will “try to make it through the weekend and make it ’til Monday.” He ends the video by saying, “We’re still trying to find out what’s wrong with my back. Stay tuned.”

WWE Reports On Christian’s Surgery & When He Will Return

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The official WWE website published an article regarding Christian undergoing a surgical procedure today to repair a torn pectoral muscle. WWE attributes the injury to an attack by Alberto Del Rio on last week’s SmackDown.

The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama.

Regarding a timetable for a return to the ring, “Captain Charisma” expects to be back in four months.

He told WWE.com, “I can start light rehab next week and I expect to be fully recovered in four months.”

Big Update On Sting’s Future In TNA & Possibly WWE

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To update Sting’s contract situation with TNA Wrestling, his current is set to expire at the end of the year.

For the past several years, Sting has seriously considered retirement and has agreed to try “one more year” a few times now.

So far, Dixie Carter has been able to convince him to keep wrestling with impressive offeres. It’s said that Sting has never been less interested in TNA than he is right, now but it’s hard to turn down the good money and limited schedule that TNA can give him.

There is already tentative talk in WWE that if Sting does not re-sign with TNA, he would be invited by WWE to enter its Hall of Fame next year when WrestleMania is in Atlanta, former home of WCW. One source close to Sting says that a possible job with WWE won’t be a factor at all in his decision to stay with or leave TNA.

Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Hogan Lawsuit Over “Cocoa Pebbles” Commercial Settled (VIDEO)

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Hulk Hogan has reached a settlement with cereal manufacturer Post Foods LLC, according to Hogan’s attorney Joseph W. Bain.

Hogan sued Post Foods back in May over a TV commercial for Cocoa Pebbles cerea, titled “Cocoa Smashdown” featured a blond-haired wrestler with a championship belt and Fu Manchu mustache that bore a striking resemblance to Hogan and was produced without Hogan’s knowledge or consent, according to the suit.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, but the commercial will no longer be aired and the lawsuit is being dismissed.

Hogan’s lawyer told TampaBayOnline.com, “Terry is happy to have it favorably resolved.”

According to the federal lawsuit, Hulk “is shown humiliated and cracked into pieces with broken teeth, with the closing banner, ‘Little Pieces…BIG TASTE!'” He also claims that he has been harmed by “the unauthorized and degrading depictions in the Cocoa Smashdown advertisements.”

The lawsuit says Post Foods never sought or received Hogan’s permission to use his likeness and ignored Hogan’s requests to discontinue the ads.

Here is the commercial in question:

Kurt Angle & Fiance Expecting, TNA Losing Faith In Hernandez

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— Kurt Angle’s fiance, actress Giovanna Yannotti, announced on her Twitter account that she and Kurt are expecting a child. Yannotti is 24 years old, 17 years younger than Angle. They met on the set of one of Angle’s movies, “End Game.” You can see some of Yanotti’s modeling pictures here.

— Hernandez has not been on hand for TNA events in recent months because he is on loan to the Mexican based AAA promotion due to a talent exchange. Management has lost faith in pushing him as a singles star because his ring work has not progressed at the rate they feel it should. (source: Pro Wrestling Torch)

— TNA Wrestling has announced that Bound For Glory, scheduled for Sunday, October 10, will be available in high-definition via DIRECTV’s satellite system.

Helms Says He Was Unhappy Towards The End Of His WWE Run

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Ryan Rider recently caught up with Shane “The Hurricane” Helms to talk about his WWE departure. Here are the highlights from the interview from Main Event Radio (www.maineventradio.com, CJLO 1690AM in Montreal):

Thoughts on his WWE departure: “I would say that my career was 95% positive. I had some of the best times of my life. I wasn’t really too thrilled with my last run. In WWE/ECW, I wasn’t too happy with that show; I wasn’t a fan of that show. I’m the type of person where I have pride in what I do and I want to feel like I’m a part of their varsity team. I enjoyed my storyline with Paul Birchill, I felt that he was very underrated and underutilized and had a lot more talent than he was allowed to show. On more than one occasion we stole that TV show together. Just at that point in my career I was thinking why do I have to keep proving stuff that I’ve already done?”

“I was there 10 years, that’s pretty much the main factor. Most guys don’t even last half that long. I think the average career there is about 2-3 years. Some guys last way longer of course and some guys last one show and they’re out. I was pretty vocal with how unhappy I was there with Talent Relations toward the end and then me and Jericho had our little incident. I was ready to go, and they knew I was ready to go, and when that happened [Jericho incident], it’s like okay let’s just take a break. The door’s open. I’ve called WWE out on some things but not as a company as a whole. I had a great time there. There were some times where they used me well and did a lot of good things. Towards the end I just wasn’t happy though.”

On being injured: “That neck injury was pretty drastic. It was way worse than what was reported. I’m still rehabbing it. It’s just not something that’s ever going to be fully repaired. I still have side effects that I have to deal with but there’s a good chance I would have to deal with them whether I wrestle or not. I’m going to keep wrestling. It’s what I do, it’s what I dedicated my life to. Modesty aside, I think I’m pretty good at what I do. I’m having a lot of fun working the indies.”

TNA iMPACT! Preview For Tonight: Abyss vs. Angle

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Here’s a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV:

* Abyss vs. Kurt Angle: Steel Cage Match.

* TNA TV champion AJ Styles vs. Brian Kendrick.

* Ric Flair and Mick Foley go face to face.

* Beer Money vs. Tommy Dreamer & Rhino.

* Mr. Anderson vs. Samoa Joe.

Also appearing are Rob Van Dam, Eric Bischoff, Sting, Kevin Nash, The Pope and more.

Paul Daley Vs. Scott Smith Official For Strikeforce 12/4

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NEW YORK (Sept. 29, 2010) – Two fighters who loathe decisions will collide when recent STRIKEFORCE signee Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (25-9-2) of Nottingham, England, meets power puncher Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith (17-7, 1 NC) of Elk Grove, Calif., in a featured welterweight (170 pounds) bout on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Scottrade Center in St. Louis live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Mixed martial arts superstar Dan Henderson will take on former STRIKEFORCE world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral at light heavyweight (205 pounds) in the main event. Football legend and unbeaten MMA fighter, the amazing Herschel Walker (1-0), will be opposed by an opponent to be determined in a televised heavyweight bout. Popular St. Louis native Jesse Finney will take on a foe to be announced in the top non-televised undercard scrap.

Daley is an exciting British bomber and freelance mixed martial artist whose style is a mix of striking, striking and more striking. Smith is a superb Muay Thai striker with tremendous one-punch knockout power. Neither is accustomed to putting in a full night’s work.

Combined, the fighters have 42 victories, but only five of those wins have come via decision, and all five belong to Daley. Smith, a pro since June 2001, has never been triumphant on points.

The world-ranked 5-foot-9, 27-year-old Daley scored a decision over Jorge Masvidal last Sept. 11. Prior to that, Daley’s last victory on points came on July 1, 2006.

“I am a striker – there is no secret about that,’’ said the brash-talking Daley, a winner of two in a row and six of his last seven. “I like to knock people out aggressively and quickly. That’s my game and no opponent’s going to change that. Almost all my fights are exciting and memorable with non-stop action.’’

Daley, who has compiled a highlight reel of impressive knockout victories, has competed against some of the best since turning professional in June 2003. Three of his most significant victories came against Masvidal, a 2:24, first-round KO (punches) over Dustin Hazelett on Jan. 2, 2010, and a 2:31, first-round TKO (punches) over Martin Kampmann on Sept. 19, 2009.

“Everyone knows I detest decisions,’’ said the soft-spoken six-foot-tall, 31-year-old Smith, a proven finisher known for dramatic, stirring comebacks. He’s won all his fights by knockout or technical knockout – 12 in the first round. The fight with Daley will mark Smith’s first start at 170 pounds.

“Fans want action all the time and so do I. That’s what I am all about.’’

In his most recent start last June 26, Smith lost to former STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion Cung Le in a rematch, one fight after Smith handed Le the first loss of the San Jose-based Vietnamese star’s fight career with an astonishing comeback third-round knockout on Dec. 19, 2009. The dynamic Le had previously amassed a perfect, combined 22-0 record in professional MMA and kickboxing.

Smith has fought some of the biggest names in MMA, including Le, Diaz, Robbie Lawler (twice) – their first fight was during the first-ever MMA primetime broadcast on the CBS Television Network) – Benji Radach, Dave Terrell, Patrick Cote, James Irvin, Jaime Jara and Pete Sell.

A special ticket pre-sale for STRIKEFORCE; Henderson vs. Babalu for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders” began yesterday and will conclude tomorrow/Thursday, September 30 at 10 p.m. CT. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com. Anyone who purchases tickets during the pre-sale period will receive a special $5 off discount.

Tickets for the event go on sale to the public this Friday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. CT at Scottrade Center, online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone (800) 745-3000.

Doors at Scottrade Center will open for the event at 6 p.m. CT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the first SHOWTIME televised main card fight will begin at 9 p.m.

Bret Hart Interviewed Backstage At MSG (Video)

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— This past Saturday, WWE hosted “Bret Hart Appreciation Night” at Madison Square Garden as part of its Smackdown World Tour. Bret “The Hitman” Hart returned to New York City after 13 years and fans got to experience a variety of matches including the Six-Man Tag Team Match, Diva Tag Team Match, and a New York Street Fight Match, among others. Wrestlers featured on the card included The Undertaker, Kane, The Big Show, CM Punk, Kelly Kelly and Michelle McCool.

MSG.com had a chance to talk with “The Hitman” himself to discover more about Bret the Wrestler, Bret the Romantic, and Bret the hockey player. Find out what he had to say in their exclusive video interview here:

Divas Title Bout Advertised For HIAC, WWE Fan Appreciation Day

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— The official website of the American Airlines Arena, venue for Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, is advertising a Unified WWE Divas Championship Match between Michelle McCool and Natalya.

WWE has yet to announce the match for the event.

— WWE will be holding an event called “WWE Fan Appreciation Day” on October 30, 2010 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Bell time is 3:00 PM. Tickets go on sale October 5, 2010 at noon. Scheduled to appear are The Undertaker, Kane, John Cena, The Big Show, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, Edge, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

— A pre-sale is currently being held on Ticketmaster.com for the December 30, 2010 SmackDown live event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The promotion code is “Access” and it runs through Friday evening.