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Another New Video From Matt Hardy: “GENESIS”

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Matt Hardy caused a major scare on Tuesday night when he posted a video on YouTube titled, “GOODBYE.”  The video appeared to be a tragic “Goodbye World” suicide letter – which led dozens of Matt Hardy fans to call 911 fearing that he was about to take his own life.

After police visited Matt Hardy’s home and confirmed that he was “fine” (which is certainly debatable) – Matt posted a long blog explaining that he was really just saying goodbye to his Matt “MATTHEW” Hardy alter ego. WTF ?!

Now – Matt Hardy has posted another video on YouTube, this one titled “GENESIS.”

Hardy says he is more alive and well than ever. Hardy says his metamorphosis is complete and that we should all be very excited. Hardy says today is the beginning of his new genesis.

Here it is … Matt Hardy’s “GENESIS” –

Triple H To Wrestle On RAW, Ziggler’s Neck In Pain

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– In what’s being billed as a “warm-up” for his upcoming match against CM Punk at Night of Champions, WWE COO Triple H will be returning to the ring next week on RAW. A commercial aired during this week’s show hyping The Game’s return to the ring – his first match since wrestling The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27.  No opponent has been named yet.

– The WWE RAW brand is headed to Puerto Rico this week for a string of live events. WWE officials are hoping WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio will have his visa issues worked out in time for this week’s Puerto Rican shows.

– Dolph Ziggler tweeted the following on Wednesday – let’s hope this isn’t anything serious:

“Getting neck examined/worked on today…… Keep you fingers crossed”

Punk-Nash-Triple H Update, Lawler Backing off Vickie

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– To correct an earlier report, the decision for CM Punk to wrestle Triple H at Night of Champions was actually made over the weekend, not Monday. A “Team Punk vs. Team Triple H” had been discussed for Survivor Series, and that might still happen. Whatever happened during Kevin Nash’s recent medical physical that prevented him from wrestling Punk next month is expected to be resolved – and a match between Punk and Nash is still expected to happen eventually.

– Jerry Lawler has been told by WWE producers to back off Vickie Guerrero and not make fun of her weight on commentary at RAW.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross will be the next WWE personality to go hunting with Shawn Michaels on an upcoming episode of Shawn’s MacMillan River Adventures on the Outdoor Channel.

(Sources: PWInsider.com, f4wonline.com)

Matt Hardy Issues Statement Regarding Disturbing Video

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Matt Hardy issued the following statement regarding the disturbing “Goodbye” video he posted on Youtube on Tuesaday night – which you can VIEW HERE

The YouTube Video was not in any way a suicide note.. No words such as death, suicide, kill, heaven or hell were included-I wanted to see people’s optimism or pessimism towards my words. It’s pretty clear to me what their reaction was, and I needed one last attention grabber to let the World know that Matt Hardy has re-found his true self. After the events of the last couple of weeks, even though I’ve made some terrible mistakes, I have come to a revelation in my life. I realized that since the “MATTHEW” videos, with the damage inflicted on my body over the last 15 years and, more importantly, how I was coping with the severe pain, “Matt Hardy” had lost his way. I went from being the guy who wanted to change the world, entertain and inspire people to being someone who was more concerned about shock value and making the world unravel my cryptic messages and videos.

NO MORE.

Tonight’s video at http://bit.ly/dvfwOb represented the end of the “New” Matt “MATTHEW” Hardy, as I’ve come full circle back to the “Old” Matt Hardy. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I believe that statement defined my last two weeks. Regardless of if its in a wrestling ring or not, I WILL change the World, make it a better place, and inspire and motivate others to do the same. I am of sane mind, completely clean of any and all crutches, and feel better then I have in years. You’ll be surprised at my stories from the last two weeks, as well as my future plans and aspirations.. More videos will follow on http://www.youtube.com/MATTHARDYBRAND to explain my revelation and reveal my future plans. I apologize to anyone who was taken off guard or frightened by my final, cryptic YouTube entry. I want to reassure everyone that I am doing great right now. Stay tuned, as I’ll be upgrading and launching several new ventures in the days to come. Be well all, I wish you all the best.

Matt Hardy

Police Say Matt Hardy Is “Fine” After Alarming Video

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According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Matt Hardy is “fine.”

Fayetteville Observer reporter Michael Zennie wrote the following on Twitter:

“The night shift captain said police received 25 to 30 phone calls to 911 to check on his well being.”

On Tuesday night, Matt Hardy posted an alarming video on Youtube that strongly implied Matt might harm himself.

WWE Super SmackDown Results: August 30th, 2011

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– Tonight’s WWE Super SmackDown kicks off with hype for tonight’s matches and the Night of Championscontract signing between CM Punk and Triple H. We go to the normal SmackDown intro.

– And we’re live from Wichita, Kansas as Michael Cole welcomes us to SmackDown. We see the steel cage hanging high above the ring as Cole hypes tonight’s main event for the World Title.

– We go right to the ring and out comes John Cena.

– We go right to the ring and out comes John Cena. Cena hits the ring and welcomes us to Super SmackDown. Cena says the whole roster is here and takes a shot at the XFL. Cena says let’s talk about who’s going to get hurt and brings up Alberto Del Rio. Cena calls out the WWE Champion.

Del Rio’s music hits but out comes Ricardo Rodriguez instead. Ricardo has a message from Del Rio for Cena. Ricardo says Cena will have to wait just a little longer until Night of Champions to see Del Rio. Ricardo starts saying Del Rio’s name over and over, and over and over until Cena tells him to shut up. Cena sends Del Rio a message and drops Ricardo with a right hand. This brings out Cena’s opponent for tonight, Wade Barrett.

Wade Barrett vs. John Cena

Barrett comes out to the stage and says it’s impressive for Cena to beat up a fat ring announcer. Cena says if hewanted to beat up a fat ring announcer, he would beat up Tony Chimel. Barrett talks about the lessons he tried to teach Cena last year. Barrett isn’t trying buying Cena’s tough guy stuff. Barrett says Cena will feel just as pathetic as he did when he was Barrett’s personal slave, when he’s done with him tonight. Cena says what’s pathetic is Barrett taking his kindness for weakness. Cena says he owes Barrett some payback. Cena says Barrett will find out tonight that payback is a bitch. Barrett heads to the ring as we go to commercial.

Back from commercial and the bell rings. Barrett and Cena go at it, going to the corner. Cena stomps Barrett down to the mat and hits a big bulldog early on. Cena allows Barrett to regain his composure and a Cena chant breaks out in the crowd. They lock up and Cena takes Barrett to the mat with a headlock. Barrett tries to make a comeback but Cena drops him. Cena splashes Barrett in the corner and slams him down again. Barrett catches Cena with a big side slam for a 2 count. Barrett works Cena over now until Cena comes back with the shoulders and the big slam. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the Attitude Adjustment for the win.

Winner: John Cena

– We go backstage with Matt Striker and Mark Henry. Henry says he doesn’t care who wins tonight and becomes his opponent at Night of Champions. Either way, they will be a candidate for the Hall of Pain.

– Cole leads us into a preview for SyFy’s Ghost Hunters.

Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan

We go to the ring and out comes Sin Cara for the next match. Cara does his entrance as we go to commercial. Back from commercial and out comes Cara’s opponent Daniel Bryan.

The bell rings and they lock up. Cara ducks a clothesline and takes Bryan down with hip tosses. Cara goes to an arm bar now. Bryan catches Cara in mid-air and kicks him out to the floor. Bryan runs and dives through the ropes, knocking Cara back into the fan barrier. Bryan brings it back in the ring for a 2 count. Bryan hits Cara with kicks while he’s on his knees. Bryan drops a knee and gets another 2 count.

Bryan drops Cara in the corner with a kick to the head. Bryan applies a surfboard submission and falls back on the neck. Bryan with more kicks. Cara ducks a kick and dumps Bryan out to the floor. Cara runs the ropes and flips to the apron as Bryan moves. Cara kicks Bryan away and hits a crossbody onto him from the apron. Cara brings Bryan back in the ring, hits a back splash for a 2 count. Cara with kicks and chops in the corner now. More counters until they collide in mid-air with crossbodies and go down.

Cara fires away with kicks. Bryan comes back with a series of rights and kicks. Cara ducks a roundhouse kick and hits a fall away slam. Cara springboards in with a senton and then moonsaults off the other rope for the pin and the win.

Winner: Sin Cara

– After the match, Cara and Bryan shake hands, while Bryan is still on his knees. Cara goes to leave the ring but turns around and kicks Bryan in the head.

– We go backstage with WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne. Matt Striker asks them how it feels to retain the titles after last night. Bourne says they’re going to ride the wave all the way. Kofi talks about being a singles champion compared to a tag champion. Kofi talks about Harlem Heat, The Rockers, Legion of Doom and says if anybody can fill shoes that big, it’s them – Air Boom. Striker does the “Boom Boom” gesture with them.

– Booker T hypes tonight’s contract signing. We see Sheamus making a recent appearance for the “be a STAR” campaign before taking another commercial break.

– We get highlights from the feud between Randy Orton and Christian. Christian is backstage with Matt Striker. Striker asks if he thinks he can beat Orton inside a steel cage. Christian says this is his night. Christian says he’s a fighter and always fights for what’s right, whether people like it or not. Christian calls the fans in Wichita losers. He says he doesn’t need the title to validate his career but he wants to be the champ. He says Orton will find out tonight that Christian always gets what he wants. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and Aksana is in the ring. The light goes pink and jazz music plays in the background. She introduces Beth Phoenix and Natalya, who come to the ring.

Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox

Aksana introduces WWE Divas Champion and her partner Alicia Fox next. Kelly starts things out with Natalya and they go to the corner. Kelly slaps Natalya and ducks a clothesline. Kelly with a Thesz press. Natalya blocks amove and slams Kelly on her face before tagging in Phoenix for a double team move. Beth covers for a 2 count.

Kelly tries to fight back but Beth overpowers. Kelly slides out and tags in Alicia Fox. Alicia comes in and goes at it with Beth. Beth stops Alicia’s attack and hits the Glam Slam for the pin and the win.

Winners: Beth Phoenix and Natalya

– We see Teddy Long and Triple H walking backstage. Triple H is reading over the Night of Champions contract as we go to commercial.

– Back from the commercial and Teddy Long is in the ring with the table and chairs for a contract signing. Out comes WWE COO Triple H. HHH says after conferring with the Board of Directors, he canceled CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash last night and put him in the match against Punk. HHH says the Board was kind enough to let him take the suit off for one night to deal with Punk. Cult of Personality hits and out comes Punk.

Punk takes a seat and puts his feet up on the table, saying all this is unnecessary. Punk asks Triple H why they’re here. Triple H says last night was a bit unfair and he knows he caught Punk off guard. Punk says no, he did not catch him off guard. Nothing in WWE catches him off guard anymore. Triple H says Punk has disrespected him and his family. Punk tries to talk but Triple H tells him to shut up because he isn’t done talking. HHH says despite Punk disrespecting his family and holding WWE hostage with the title, he tried working with him. HHH says he bent over backwards to work with Punk but that still wasn’t good enough. Triple H asks Punk who he thinks got Living Colour to let Punk come to the ring to Cult of Personality. HHH says he got that done and paid the bill. HHH says he got Punk’s shirt approved that says best in the world. HHH says he gave Punk Nash last night and he still pushed his buttons. HHH says he’s trying his ass off to be the bigger man and the COO around here but he can only take so much. Punk has insulted him as a man, now he has to deal with him as a man.

Punk likes that. He says he wants to face Triple H, not the COO. Punk says the new Triple H sucks. Punk says Vince McMahon couldn’t separate personal issues between business issues and now Triple H is doing the same thing. Punk says he doesn’t hate WWE, he loves this place. If he hated it, he wouldn’t be here. He’d be at home a lot happier. Punk says he wants change. He recognizes when things suck and speaks his mind. Punk says he wants things to be better for everybody. Punk says he is dying for a change. We are dying for a change, he says. Punk wants to be the catalyst for that change. HHH says Punk wants to be the catalyst as long as it benefits him. HHH says about half of the people agree with Punk and the other half could care less what he says. HHH says some people actually like WWE the way it is. Could it be better? Sure, he says, and that’s why he’s here. HHH says Punk only wants change if CM Punk is on top. HHH says Punk is no different than anyone else who has been in this business, including him. HHH says he looked people in the eye and told them he was going to step on them. HHH says Punk is doing it the opposite way, the back door way. Punk says he isn’t trying to be a martyr and isn’t trying to step on anyone. Punk says he wants everyone to like what they see, not just half. Punk wants it to be fun again. Punk says right, he is doing this for himself. Punk says before he became a wrestler, he was a fan, and at his core he is still a fan. Punk says he will do what he knows is for the better and what will make WWE fun again. Punk says he says bad things about Stephanie McMahon because it’s fun but also to push Triple H’s buttons. Punk says Triple H failed, he is just like Vince McMahon. Punk says he thought Triple H and himself wanted the same things but it turns out that Triple H is the same ‘ol vindictive person. Punk says he’s seen it before.

Punk says this match has been a long time coming because they’ve never liked each other. Punk tells Triple H not to fine him or suspend him after he kicks his ass at Night of Champions. Punk signs the contract. Triple H says one of the differences between he and Punk is respect. HHH says he respects Vince McMahon for what he’s done and says they wouldn’t be right here tonight if it weren’t for Vince. HHH says comparing him to Vince is a huge compliment. HHH goes to sign the contract but Punk tells him to hold up. Punk goes on and says HHH has lost touch. He’s the guy who likes to point at his crotch and tell people to suck it. Punk says he wants change. Triple H says if Punk wants change, he’s going to get it. HHH says this is how he’s not like Vince and signs the contract. HHH says Vince would have got in the ring with Punk at Night of Champions and taken a beaten because it’s good for business. HHH says it’s not business between he and Punk, it’s personal. HHH says he’s going to kick Punk’s “skinny fat ass” and drops the mic. The NWO music hits and out comes Kevin Nash.

Punk gets up ready to fight as Nash heads to the ring. Triple H holds Punk back. Nash gets in the ring and they go at it. Punk fires away with kicks and backs Nash in the corner. Nash comes out and drops Punk with an almost-big-boot. Triple H shoves Nash. Nash pushes Triple H and he falls on his ass. Nash stands over Triple H and clutches his fist before walking out of the ring as the NWO music plays.

– Booker T hypes Sheamus vs. The Great Khali, which was originally Punk vs. Khali, as we go to commercial.

– Back from the break and we see a video from during the commercial where Matt Striker tries to get a word with Kevin Nash backstage. Nash just looks at him and keeps walking.

The Great Khali vs. Sheamus

We go to the ring and out comes The Great Khali with Jinder Mahal. Out next comes Sheamus. They lock upa nd Sheamus applies a headlock. Khali slams him and takes control. Khali with big chops in the corner as Mahal looks on. Khali beats Sheamus down and clutches his neck.

Sheamus fights back with double ax handles and kicks out Khali’s leg. Sheamus traps Khali in the ropes and wails away at his chest with forearms. Sheamus hits Khali with a big running knee on the apron. Sheamus goes up top now and connects with a shoulder block, taking Khali down. Sheamus readies to finish Khali but Jinder Mahal comes in the ring and attacks him for the DQ.

Winner by DQ: Sheamus

– After the match, Sheamus fights Mahal off but he and Khali take control and beat Sheamus down. They throw him out of the ring. Khali slams Sheamus into the ring post. Khali goes for a big chop but Sheamus ducks and he hits the ring post. Sheamus hits a Brogue kick but Mahal comes back over and beats him down. Mahal throws Khali back in the ring and comes in. Sheamus knocks him down and hits the Celtic Cross, sending Mahal out to the floor.

– More hype for the World Heavyweight Title match as we go to commercial.

– Back from the break and we get the trailer for Inside Out.

– The announcers hype tonight’s World Title match as the steel cage is lowered over the ring. Back to commercial we go.

Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Christian vs. Randy Orton

Back from the break and out comes Christian as Tony Chimel explains the rules of the steel cage match. Christian climbs to the top of the cage after entering. Out next comes the World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton to a big pop.

The bell rings and Christian strikes first and goes right for the cage door. Christian fights Orton off and goes to climb the cage. Christian comes off the second rope but Orton dropkicks him in mid-air. Orton with a 2 count as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Orton connects with a big clothesline. More back and forth. Orton counters and hits Christian with a big back drop. Orton drops a knee drop for a 2 count. Orton ends up on the apron between the ropes and the cage with Christian working him over. Christian tries to climb the cage but Orton grabs his ankle. Orton counters in the corner and rolls Christian up for 2. Christian with a spinebuster for a 2 count.

Christian with a neckbreaker and another 2 count. Christian goes to leave through the cage door but Orton pulls him back in and fires away with right hands. Christian counters, drops Orton in the corner and goes to climb out of the cage. Orton stops him with right hands on the top turnbuckle. Orton superplexes Christian back down to the mat and both go down. Another commercial break.

Back from commercial and Christian is crawling out of the cage door. Orton pulls him back in and stomps. Christian charges but Orton throws him head first into the cage. Orton works Christian over, throws him into the cage again and hits a big powerslam. Orton goes for the second rope DDT again but it’s countered again. Orton tries to torpedo Christian into the cage but Christian counters with an inverted DDT for a 2 count. Christian climbs the cage again and Orton comes after. Christian knocks Orton to the mat from the cage wall and hits a huge frogsplash for a 2 count.

Orton drags Christian back into the ring again. Christian readies for a spear but Orton jumps over it. Christian blocks the RKO and connects with a spear for a close 2 count. Christian goes for a running kick in the corner but Orton moves. Christian climbs the cage again but Orton stops him. Orton pulls Christian off the corner and hits a big neckbreaker for a 2 count. Orton blocks Killswitch and connects with the second rope DDT. Orton goes for the RKO but it’s blocked by Christian. Christian climbs the cage again and almost makes it out but Orton pulls him back over. They sit on top of the cage and trade right hands. Christian tries to fall to the floor but they end up back in the ring on the top rope. Orton slams Christian’s head into the cage. Orton hits a RKO from the top rope for the pin and the win.

Winner: Randy Orton

– After the match, Mark Henry comes out and attacks Orton in the cage. Henry torpedos Orton into the side of the cage. Orton tries to fight back but Henry slams him hard to the mat. Henry lands on Orton with a big splash. Orton gets to his feet again and Henry throws him head first into the cage again. Henry hits the World’s Strongest Slam and drops Orton one last time as his music hits. Henry stands over Orton and runs his mouth. Henry snatches the World Title from Charles Robinson as SmackDown goes off the air.

Jeff Hardy’s Wife Lashes Out At Matt Hardy Over Publicity Stunt

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An apparent suicide note Matt Hardy released this evening via YouTube has been confirmed as a hoax.

Jeff Hardy’s wife Beth is not happy with Matt’s latest attempt ‘to work the Internet’ as police showed up to her North Carolina home on Tuesday evening on a suicide call. She angrily wrote on her Twitter account:

“When the cops show up to our house at 11 pm, for a “suicide call” the fucking joke is over @MATTHARDYBRAND. Stop trying to work the Internet.”

A fan wrote to her, “Who the hell calls 911 and sends them to the wrong f’n house?” She responded, “Apparently someone that believed the stupid video.”

She then wrote:

“I guess you got what you wanted @MATTHARDYBRAND. Everyone is talking about you, again. But it’s not in a good way.”

Meanwhile, Shane Helms wrote, “Don’t believe the hype.” He continued, “And please don’t bash me for it! I didn’t do it, had nothing to do with it.”

Matt Hardy Posts Video With Disturbing “Goodbye” Video

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Matt Hardy uploaded a disturbing video to YouTube on Tuesday night titled, “Goodbye.”

The video includes the following text, which led many concerned fans to call 911 thinking it was a suicide letter:

Goodbye, World …

My time here is

Almost complete …

I only have a few

Hours & minutes …

I loved you all …

Regardless of how

You felt about me…

I’ll miss you all

September 23, 1974 – August 31,2011

The video was later revealed to be a hoax, and not a suicide video afterall. What a jackass.

The video has been pulled from Matt Hardy’s official YouTube channel, but we’ve got a backup right here:

NOC Contract Signing Tonight, Jindrak Trying Out For Baseball

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— WWE.com has announced that tonight on SuperSmackDown, WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H and CM Punk will sign the contract for their match at Night of Champions.

Randy Orton vs. Christian in a World Title Steel Cage Match and John Cena vs. Wade Barrett are also advertised for the live Syfy special.

— Former WWE talent Mark Jindrak, who now competes as Marco Corleone in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), announced on Twitter that he will be trying out for the Mexican baseball league next spring.

“It’s official. I’m going to tryout in spring 2012, in the Mexican baseball league,” he wrote. “I’m going pro and I’m going to be a two sport athlete.”

London Rips Hardy & His Girlfriend, Ex-Diva In Car Accident

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— Former WWE star Paul London took Matt Hardy and his girlfriend Reby Sky to task recently on Twitter. Regarding his former colleague’s arrest for driving while intoxicated, London wrote, “Karma Police, arrest this man. He talks in myths He buzzes like a fridge He’s like a detuned radio… This is what u get This is what u get.”

Sky, a former Playboy model, has undergone extensive wrestling training with Hardy this year and appeared on several wrestling shows. London, however, feels she’s a ‘wannabe’.

“Wake/Bake Up Call to ALL wannabe ‘wrestlers’, wannabe ‘models’ and professionally tazered SKANKS: W/out paying ANY REAL dues, how can one ACTUALLY expect any form of respect in ANY work environment?” he wrote. “When you’re surrounded by men who have truly sacrificed to be where they are, why don’t you stop trying to take short cuts ( by taking clothes off) and actually TRY AND LEARN SOMETHING? ANYTHING? Kill your ego for once.”

— Former WWE Diva Tiffany (a/k/a Taryn Terrell) stated on Twitter that she totaled her car Monday night. The former Playboy model was taken to the hospital but did not suffer any serious injuries.

— Former WWE Divas Maria Kanellis and Torrie Wilson are advertised to appear at Chiller Theatre, which takes place October 28-30 at Hilton Parsippany One Hilton Court Parsippany, New Jersey.

EDITORIAL: Why Is It So Damn Difficult To Book Pro Wrestling?

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Summerslam 93

Why Is It So Hard To Book Pro Wrestling?

LOOKING BACK AT SUMMERSLAM 18 YEARS AGO TODAY
by The Solomonster ([email protected])
Podcast | Twitter | Facebook

Whenever Vince McMahon likens WWE to a movie or TV show rather than sports, some fans tend to get up in arms. After all, are wrestlers not athletes? Do they not put their bodies on the line year-round and suffer serious injuries? Of course they do. But the more you stop and think about it, the man has a point. One key element pro wrestling has over sports like baseball, football and MMA is the ability to book its own finishes. Just like in any Hollywood film, the director (or promoter in this case) can script out a finale that both makes sense and satisfies the audience’s expectations. The “game” can’t be called due to bad weather. The “fight” won’t end on a swift, 10-second knockout. They have the power to give the people their money’s worth.

So why then is it seemingly so difficult for pro wrestling to get it right?

Visit any news site or discussion forum and you’re likely to drown in a sea of negativity. Welcome to the internet, folks. But when it comes to wrestling, this seems especially prevalent. ‘Oh great, so-and-so lost his match so he’s obviously being buried,’ or ‘man, what a crappy show that was. I’m never watching again!’ (as if). We’re all guilty of it in some form or fashion, so let’s just get that out of the way. Got it? Good. Now the flip side. Truth be told, we’ve seen our fair share of bad TV shows in the last couple of years. We’ve seen some horrendous booking decisions and godawful main event finishes that have nearly made our heads explode. But enough about Vince Russo… the fact is this. You can’t ALWAYS give fans what they want to see. Not every match is going to have a perfectly logical conclusion. Often times, injuries and suspensions can spoil whatever long-term plans a promoter may have mapped out, and for that, I sympathize. And while you can argue that CM Punk has cooled off a bit since his title win over John Cena in Chicago, that PPV was a great example of what happens when wrestling gets it right.

Still, why do these people make such dumb decisions? Why must the hometown hero lose in their hometown 95% of the time? Why must someone who is getting over with the crowd be booked on a losing streak, thus killing whatever momentum they may have? I bring all of this up because A) it’s a relevant question to ask, and B) I wanted to use it as a segue to talk about one of the all-time great blunders in PPV finishes that occurred 18 years ago today. A finish, mind you, that Vince McMahon, a man that some people credit as being a genius, actually thought was a good idea.

August 30, 1993. The site was the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was WWE’s second biggest event of the year, Summerslam, and it boasted an impressive lineup for that time. Shawn Michaels and Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental title was like a wet dream for fans of technical wrestling. Bret Hart and Jerry “The King” Lawler were set to finally lock horns after Bret had been viciously attacked following his KOTR victory. And in the main event, Yokozuna, the evil foreigner, would defend his championship against the newly-minted All-American hero, Lex Luger. Now before I go any further, I must point out that the original booking plan for the show had Hulk Hogan putting over Bret Hart for the title, which would have cemented Bret as a main event player much sooner. However, Hogan balked at the idea and decided he would rather drop the title to Yokozuna and flee the company than put over teeny-tiny Bret Hart, forcing a change in plans. That said, there’s still no excuse for their Plan B.

When Hogan left, it left a void at top babyface for the company. They tried Bret Hart in that role already and he didn’t exactly light their business on fire, so he wasn’t the answer. So they decided to turn Luger, who had been a heel since his debut about six months earlier, and transform him into a modern day version of Hogan (only better, you see, because he had a steel plate in his arm!). To their credit, they went all the way with it. The Fourth of July chopper landing on the Intrepid when Luger slammed Yokozuna was a great piece of marketing. Then they had Luger travel cross-country on a bus called “The Lex Express” straight through to Summerslam. I mean, you would have thought the guy was running for political office the way he spent over a month on that bus, shaking hands and kissing babies. To cap it off, Jim Cornette, serving as the champ’s American spokesperson, forced Luger to agree to the stipulation that if he didn’t win the title at the PPV, he would never get another title shot. The stage had been set for an epic championship victory for Luger and the United States, right? Right? Well, not exactly.

Lex Luger would not have been my first choice to lead the company if I had the book. But I didn’t. Hell, I wasn’t even old enough to vote at the time. But you know what? Vince McMahon had a vision and you can tell he was hell-bent on seeing it through. At least he wasn’t half-assing it with the guy. Summerslam arrived and the arena was decked out in red, white and blue. They paraded country singer Aaron Neville out there to sing the national anthem. Out comes Luger to a pretty good response from the crowd (and a new haircut) and we’re off to the races. I’m not going to spend time breaking down this match other than to say it was every American vs. foreigner WWE main event you’ve ever seen, including the dreaded NERVE HOLD OF DOOM. Luger rallies from certain defeat, Cornette tries to interfere, Mr. Fuji tries to interfere, all to no avail. Then comes the big climax – Luger fires off the ropes and clobbers Yokozuna with his loaded forearm, knocking the big guy out to the floor in a heap. The Palace is going crazy. As a fan watching at home on TV, I can recall thinking to myself, ‘boy, he better get Yoko back inside before the referee counts to ten.’ I waited and waited until I saw something rather odd. Luger was making no attempt whatsoever to bring him back inside and seemed perfectly content to leave him laying. In fact, it appeared he was COUNTING ALONG with the referee!

‘Is this guy a moron?’ I wondered. ‘You can’t win the title on a count out. Get him back inside! What’s wrong with you?!’

He never did bring him back inside. The referee counted to ten and called for the bell. And with that, Lex Luger would forever become the poster-child for ignorant, dumb babyfaces. Yet, there was Vince McMahon on commentary going orgasmic over what we had just witnessed. Out came other equally dumb babyfaces like Randy Savage, Tatanka and the Steiner Brothers to celebrate and hoist Luger up onto their shoulders as balloons and confetti rained down from the ceiling. These days, Vince loves to have his announcers throw the term “Bizzaroland” around whenever the Canadian fans cheer for the heels and boo the faces, but back at that very moment, I thought I was living in “Bizzaroland” myself. You spent all of that time and effort to get Luger over to the masses, only to have him fail the fans and make him look stupid? I didn’t get it 18 years ago, and all these years later, it’s just as mind-boggling.

Luger was never the same after that. He was still positioned as the top babyface and got nice reactions, but by the Royal Rumble, it was obvious the fans wanted Bret Hart in that role. Perhaps if they had gone all the way with him at Summerslam, things might have turned out differently. It’s been said the reason for the finish is that at the last minute, Vince McMahon decided that he wanted Luger to win the title at WrestleMania X instead. Of course, that never happened. Instead, at WM11 the following year, Luger was curtain-jerking in a tag match against the Blu Brothers. Talk about a fall from grace.

Pro wrestling shouldn’t be this hard. You control your own destiny. How an intelligent person like Vince McMahon could have thought it was a wise move to book that main event finish, we may never know for sure. But on this day 18 years ago, it wasn’t the first time and damn sure would not be the last time we would see a promoter do such a thing and it begs the question, why is it so hard to book pro wrestling?

The answer is, it’s not. It’s just easier to screw it all up.

[email protected]

Ashley Joins WILD Wrestling, Cookie Discusses TNA Departure

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— WILD Wrestling, whose current champion is TNA Knockout Winter, has announced that former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro has agreed to join the women’s wrestling promotion. However, she won’t be stepping into the squared circle just yet.

“Ms. Massaro will hold a different position in WILD until she feels the time is right to re-enter the ring. Although it is unclear what role she will play in the World Independent Ladies’ Division, Mr. Leland has told us that she is indeed a member of our organization,” according to the statement released.

The winner of the 2005 Diva Search announced Sunday on Twitter that she was aspiring to wrestle again once she is properly trained. This led to WILD Owner Travis Leland getting in contact with her and coming to terms on an agreement.

— Recently released TNA Knockout Cookie is this week’s guest on the I Want Wrestling Podcast. She discusses her departure from TNA, how her debut as Cookie happened, her interaction with J-Woww, Snookie at WrestleMania, her managerial inspirations and how she’s changed over the last 10 years.

The interview can be accessed here.

Also, you can win a phone call from the former Knockout. Details are available here.

Rating For This Week’s Raw, Rock Hits Twitter Milestone, More

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— The August 29 episode of Monday Night Raw scored a 3.15 cable rating, up from 2.97 the week before. The first hour drew a 3.23 before decreasing to 3.06 in the second.

The program averaged 4,650,000 viewers over the course of two hours, up from 4,637,000.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surpassed one million followers today on Twitter.

Regarding this momentous occasion, “The Great One” wrote, “Team Bring It – 1,000,000 strong! We’re just gettin’ started… #ProudToBringIt.”

His WrestleMania XXVIII opponent, John Cena, has 871,028 followers.

— An electric guitar autographed by Kevin Nash is up for auction here.

— The August 26 episode of A.M. Raw garnered a 0.44 rating with 498,000 viewers.

source: PWInsider.com

TNA Knockout Appearing On “9/11” Special, Cookie Removed

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— This Monday, Sept 5, NBC will air a “Children Of 9/11” special, featuring children who lost their parents 10 years ago. TNA Wrestling has announced that this special will include Rosita, who lost her father on 9/11 when she was 10 years old.

TNA adds, “We hope our fans will tune in and listen to Rosita and her thoughts since that day.”

— ImpactWrestling.com has removed Cookie from their roster page. She announced Friday on Twitter that she had parted ways with TNA Wrestling, reportedly after company officials decided not to renew her contract.

— Kazarian, Traci Brooks, Christy Hemme and ODB will be at MPW’s Wicked Eve show, which takes place Oct. 1, 2011 in Timmins, Ontario, Canada at Theriault Catholic Secondary School.

— TNA returns to the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio on Nov. 5, 2011.

source: WrestlingFigs.com

Jimmy Hart On His Favorite WWE Stars, Lack Of Managers

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WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart appeared on Right After Wrestling with Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas (audio available at TheScore.com and iTunes). Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Jimmy’s recent projects in relation to the WWE – appearing at SummerSlam this past August with R-Truth: “Well I did WrestleMania this past year in Atlanta. Then I did something with Jim Neidhart and Nattie. And sometimes I pinch myself and say ‘do I really get paid to do this?’ Cause I still love to do this kind of stuff.”

Jimmy on the current crop of talent in the WWE: “The Miz – he’s so cool. I love The Miz, he’s one of my favorites. He’s so different. He’s got that ‘it-factor’ so he’s like the James Dean or Marlon Brando of wrestling. I’ve done stuff with CM Punk. I saw him three or four years ago in Chicago and I knew he was just something special. And Cena, man he’s so real. He’s always doing stuff with the Make-A-Wish foundation and he’s so dedicated. And of course Triple H, being up and down the roads with him over the years and now he has a real good spot with the company right now too.”

Jimmy’s ring gear and being a long time manager and the lack of managers in today’s product: “I kept all of my jackets from WrestleMania 1 and so on. And one day I might have a themed restaurant and put them all on display and you can get wings and visit the place. As far as being a manager and having different jackets for each guy, the managers role in the wrestling now is different. I only see Vickie Guerrero doing that role now – a manager/agent type role. The way things change in wrestling, you really don’t know. But there’s an old saying – ‘if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re gonna have what you’ve always had’. And if business is going well in the WWE without managers then you might as well keep doing it. And right now, everything the WWE touches seems to turn to gold.”

Other Topics

Jimmy being caught in the eye of the Hurricane Irene while recently traveling

His reaction to seeing CM Punk using the megaphone not along ago on WWE Raw

Jimmy on working with different charities such as Make-A-Wish

An detailed conversation with Jimmy Hart about his time with Andy Kaufman in Memphis

Jericho Takes Another Shot At Punk, Hunico Works RAW & More

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– Former WWE star Chris Jericho took yet another shot at CM Punk on Twitter. Jericho tweeted on Monday night after RAW:

“Another Raw, another stolen move. I expect that from a rookie or a diva, but et tu Punk? BACK OFF….”

Chris Jericho tweeted the following back on August 1st after CM Punk mentioned his name during a promo on RAW:

“Everyone is so excited that @CMPunk mentioned me on Raw. Newsflash…I don’t give a shit. Mind ur own business and stop rippin me off Punk.”

Last week, when CM Punk and Steve Austin were going back and forth talking trash on Twitter, Jericho wrote:

“It’s so cute reading @CMPunk and @steveaustinBSR ‘s lil cyber bitch-fights…”

It appears the seeds are being planted for an eventual CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho feud down the road once Chris Jericho returns to the company – which is just fine with us.

– For those wondering, it was in fact Hunico who wrestled as Sin Cara on RAW. According to a source who was backstage at RAW, the general feeling in the locker room is that Mistico is done with WWE.

– Two readers sent word that there was no Sin Cara merchandise for sale at last night’s RAW in Tulsa.

– In related Sin Cara news – in light of the recent backstage heat on Mistico, WWE seems to have scrapped the idea of bringing in Mexican wrestler Averno to work with Sin Cara. Before Sin Cara fell out of favor with WWE management, there had been talk of bringing in Averno, a formal rival of Mistico, into WWE so he had someone familiar to work with. (Source: PWInsider.com)

Alberto Del Rio Having Issues With His Work Visa

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WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio was not at RAW last night (or at WWE’s weekend live events) due to issues with his work visa that have prevented him from entering the United States.

Del Rio had been scheduled to wrestle Sin Cara in a non-title match at tonight’s Super SmackDown special, but that match will likely not happen.

WWE had a video package ready to go on RAW to hype Del Rio’s match with Sin Cara, but decided against airing the footage due to this issue.

Del Rio’s name was also removed from an updated press release sent out on Tuesday hyping the live SmackDown special.

Del Rio is still being advertised for this weekend’s live events, so WWE is confident the matter will be resolved this week. 

WWE Announces A New Member To The Board Of Directors

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WWE issued the following press release on Tuesday morning:

WWE® Elects Stuart U. Goldfarb to Board of Directors

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced that Stuart U. Goldfarb has been elected to its Board of Directors. Goldfarb will also serve as a member of the Audit Committee.

Since June 2011, Goldfarb has been President and Chief Executive Officer at Atrinsic, Inc., a marketer of direct-to-consumer subscription products and an Internet search marketing agency. From 2001 to 2009, he served as President and CEO of Direct Brands, Inc. Under his leadership, the company grew to be the world’s largest direct marketer of music, DVDs and books, with household brands such as Columbia House, BMG Music, Doubleday Book Club and many more. Prior to that, Goldfarb was President and CEO of bol.com, Bertelsmann’s premier online international retailer of books and music. He has served as Vice Chairman of Value Vision International, a cable TV home shopping and e-commerce company, as well as held various executive level positions at NBC.

“Stuart is a great addition to our Board of Directors,” stated Vincent K. McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WWE. “He brings broad marketing and operational experience across a wide range of distribution platforms, including cable television and the Internet. His proven international experience and overall business perspective will be very valuable to the WWE Board.”

Goldfarb also sits on the Board of Directors of Atrinsic and Vitacost.com. He graduated from Adelphi University with a Bachelor of Arts degree followed by a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law.

(Source: Corporate.WWE.com)

New Modeling Pictures Of Former WWE Diva Melina

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Former WWE diva Melina recently did a photo shoot for SNAPS Photography, and several images from the shoot are now online. Check out Melina Perez looking hot as ever:

The Reason Why CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash Was Scrapped

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On Monday’s RAW, we saw Kevin Nash challenge CM Punk to a match at Night of Champions, only to have the match changed to Triple H vs. CM Punk at the end of the show.

Company officials did plan for Nash to wrestle at Night of Champions, however those plans were scrapped after Nash’s recent visit to Pittsburgh for his physicals. While details are still sketchy, something about what the doctors observed made WWE decide against having him work a full match, even with a seasoned performer like Punk, who could take the majority of the bumps.

It’s expected that Kevin Nash will remain part of WWE storylines, perhaps as an enforcer/bodyguard for Triple H, but don’t expect to see him working singles matches any time soon.

The decision for Triple H to wrestle at Night of Champions wasn’t made until Monday afternoon.

Had Nash been medically cleared to wrestle at Night of Champions, the plan was for CM Punk to win their match.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

What Happened After RAW Went Off The Air

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After Monday’s RAW went off the air …

The Miz, R-Truth, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler ran down to ringside and started beating down John Cena and Sheamus.

World heavyweight champion Randy Orton made the save, cleaned house and joined Cena and Sheamus to celebrate as the heels ran to the back and ended the show.

The advertised triple threat dark match main event between Del Rio, John Cena and CM Punk did not take place.

Talent Worried Following Consolidation, Kelly’s Streak Snapped

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— WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H announced on Raw that Superstars from SmackDown will be joining Monday nights for the foreseeable future. The “new concept,” as described by Michael Cole, will be known as Raw SuperShow. According to PWInsider.com, the initiative has several wrestlers worried about their futures since it means less television time for those not in the upper crust.

— Brie Bella snapped WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly fifteen-match winning streak Monday night on Raw. The Jacksonville native had not lost since May 22, 2011, at Over the Limit. Brie’s victory also snapped her nine-match losing streak.

— WWE’s 2002 DVD titles on Triple H, Triple H: The Game and Triple H: That Damn Good, are being packaged together for release in Europe next month.

— Tyler Reks was backstage at Monday’s Raw in Tulsa, Oklahoma but not used. He wrote of his absence from the show: “Oh I’m here at the BOK Center…waiting patiently for an opportunity.”

source: PWInsider.com

Bare Breasts Shown During Raw, NXT Graduates Special Tonight

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— Following the Brie Bella vs. Kelly Kelly match on Raw, The Score in Canada accidentally cut to a feed of Eastbound and Down. During the brief cutaway, four seconds of bare-breasted women aired. The Score then briefly cut to a Steve Austin music video featuring “Somewhere Down in Texas” by George Strait before returning to the broadcast with the Alex Riley highlight video.

— Tonight’s episode of WWE NXT will highlight past contestants who have gone on to superstardom including A.J., Alex Riley, Brodus Clay, Daniel Bryan, Justin Gabriel, Kaitlyn and Wade Barrett. The synopsis of tonight’s episode reads: “WWE NXT is WWE’s launching pad to Superstardom. Six NXT Graduates have gone on to win WWE Championships, including Wade Barrett and Daniel Bryan. After Tuesday’s LIVE SuperSmackDown, tune in to NXT.WWE.COM at 10 ET/7 PT for the NXT Graduates special!”

— Chris Masters is advertised to appear at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet 13963 Alondra Blvd. Santa Fe Springs, California (Space H-5) on Saturday, September 10 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

source: F4WOnline.com

R-Truth vs. Morrison On Superstars, Kingston & Bourne Named

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— A match pitting John Morrison against R-Truth was taped Monday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars.

— Thanks to suggestions from fans, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne have officially been named “Air Boom.”

— Alex Riley beat Drew McIntyre in the dark match prior to tonight’s Raw broadcast.

— WWE Studios’ Inside Out starring Triple will premiere on DirecTV Cinema on Saturday, September 10.

source: PWInsider.com

Zack Ryder Takes RKO During RAW Commercial Break

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During a commercial break at Monday’s RAW, Zack Ryder came out and confronted World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton .. It didn’t go so well for Mr. Long Island Iced Z.

Ryder came out with a camera filming for his YouTube show. Ryder told Orton about how popular his show is, but he still can’t get on RAW each week. Ryder tried to get footage of Orton for his show and be his “R-K-Broski of the Week” – but Orton was not interested.

Ryder got too close to Orton, who laid out the Long Island bro with an RKO.