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Preview For Next Week’s Impact Wrestling – Jeff Hardy Returns

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Below is the official preview for next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling:

Jeff Hardy returns Thursday on IMPACT WRESTLING At 9/8c on SpikeTV

Don’t miss Thursday’s huge IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 9/8c, featuring the return of Jeff Hardy and a huge World Title match! Can’t watch IMPACT WRESTLING on Thursday night? Make sure to set your DVR to record it so you don’t miss any of the action.

Here is a preview of Thursday’s broadcast:

– Starting this Thursday, it’s two back-to-back weeks of “can’t miss” IMPACT WRESTLING broadcasts on SpikeTV!

– All roads lead to Sting vs. Ric Flair next week (Sept 15), but this Thursday the World Heavyweight Title is on the line in the main event as Kurt Angle defends against Mr. Anderson, who cashes in his rematch clause

– Plus, the “Final Four” superstars in the Bound For Glory Series go face-to-face – who will advance to the main event at Bound For Glory?

– The British Invasion vs. Devon and The Pope to determine the #1 Contenders to the World Tag Team Championship

– Eric Young defends the Television Championship against Robbie E

– And what does Karen Jarrett have planned for the Knockouts Division? Will the new Knockouts Law rule the lovely ladies with an iron first?

Sting vs. Ric Flair Official, BFG Series “Final Four” Set

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— It was announced last night on Impact Wrestling that Sting will face Ric Flair two weeks from now on the September 15 show. A stipulation is in place where Sting will receive a match against Hulk Hogan if he wins, but must leave wrestling if Flair wins.

— The “Final Four” wrestlers of the Bound For Glory Series concluded Thursday night on Impact Wrestling with Bully Ray ranked No. 1 with 49 points. He is followed by Robert Roode (42 points), Gunner (42 points) and James Storm (40 points). Ray will face Storm in a semi-final match at No Surrender while Roode will square off against Gunner. The Bound For Glory Series Finals takes place the same night and the winner will automatically be ranked the No. 1 contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Crimson, who obtained 50 points during the series, was officially scratched Thursday afternoon due to injuries he suffered from Samoa Joe last week.

— Doug Williams turned 39 years old on Thursday.

Mickie James Sets Record On Impact, Karen Given New Role

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— Mickie James beat Winter tonight on Impact Wrestling to capture the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship for the second time. It also marks as her eighth national title victory, breaking Trish Stratus’ record of seven.

— Eric Bischoff appointed Karen Jarrett the VP of the Knockouts division on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling. In her first act, she made Jackie and ODB full-time roster members. Jarrett then announced that Traci Brooks, who was scripted to act disappointed in being snubbed for the role of Knockout Law, would be her assistant.

Meanwhile, Jackie and ODB have been added to Impact Wrestling’s roster page.

— TNA Knockout Tag Team Champion Tara, Tommy Dreamer and former TNA Knockout Sojo Bolt are advertised to appear for Remix Pro Wrestling on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Marietta Middle School 242 Seventh St. Marietta, Ohio. Visit www.remixprowrestling.com for more information.

Original Sin Cara Returning, Kaitlyn Appearing At Olympia Expo

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— Tuesday night on SuperSmackDown, Sin Cara (portrayed by WWE developmental wrestler Hunico) blasted Daniel Bryan with a kick to the head following his victory over the former ROH World Champion. This was done because creative was told that the original Sin Cara, Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde, is returning to feud with his imposter.

— Gaspari Nutrition will host the sports nutrition and supplementation industry’s first ever live broadcast from the Joe Weider’s 2011 Olympia Expo, September 16-17, 2011 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. WWE Diva Kaitlyn, a former fitness model, will host live interviews from the Gaspari Nutrition booth. More details are available here.

— WWE returns to the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida on December 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale September 17, 2011 at 10:00 p.m.

sources: F4WOnline.com, PWInsider.com

New Matt Hardy Video: “Apologies, Reflections and Decisions”

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Matt Hardy is back with a new video – explaining what he meant by his “GOODBYE” video and says he cannot perform as a fulltime wrestler anymore. Matt, who is sporting two black eyes from his recent accidents, apologizes for people misunderstanding his message and says he knows how serious of an issue suicide is.

Here’s the video, titled, “Apologies, Reflections and Decisions” –

Latest On Leavine’s Suspension, Chavo Classic Knocks Sin Cara

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— It was reported two weeks ago that Tough Enough winner Andy Leavine, who is currently training in Florida Championship Wrestling, was suspended for 30 days due to a violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program. WWE, however, never publicly announced the suspension. The latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter speculates that it could be due to Leavine being considered a developmental wrestler and not a main roster talent.

— Chavo Guerrero, Sr. (a/k/a Chavo Classic) knocked WWE’s attempt to market Sin Cara. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion wrote the following on Twitter (in Spanish): “Whoever hired Sin Cara does not know the Hispanic market.”

— Alex Riley’s father, Kevin Kiley, Sr., has been hired as the morning talk show host for WKRK FM in Cleveland, Ohio. The CBS affiliate is switching from a music to an all-sports format.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

MAILBAG: Who Had The Greatest Debut, Jericho or Kane?

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SEScoops Mailbag for September 1st

(submit YOUR questions to [email protected])

Q: What are your thoughts on the Raw-Smackdown Supershows? Is it getting more confusing to the average fan? It’s great to have everyone in the same building, but now they are going back to the inter-brand matches. I miss the old days back in the 80s-90s where everything was cut and dry. – Anonymous

A: Yes, everything was a lot simpler back in the day, but I would argue that bringing the Raw and Smackdown talent together does more to resemble those days than keeping the rosters separate. Back then, you didn’t have brands, the roster was unified. I think what’s confusing to some is the fact that they’re never entirely clear on what the rules are. For years now, especially leading up to WrestleMania, we’ve seen a mixing of the brands off and on without any real explanation. Now all of a sudden, Smackdown guys can appear on Raw, but apparently, not vice versa. Why? They don’t bother taking the time to explain these things to their fans and that is what can be so confusing.

Q: Is Triple H the only [wrestler] ever to use a sledge hammer? It’s like it is exclusive for him unlike chairs, tables, ladders, etc. which are used by everyone. Why is he the only guy given the hammer? Was there originally any story or angle behind that? – Jeff T.

A: Nope, Mankind may have actually been the first to use the sledgehammer as a weapon on WWE TV. During a match between Kane and The Rock on the 9/14/98 edition of Raw, Foley came out and struck Kane with the hammer, which actually lead to the first ever “Sledgehammer Match” between Mankind and Undertaker later that night. The first time Triple H ever used it was during a casket match on Raw between Rock and Undertaker on Raw in 1999. He interfered in the match, smashing Rock’s arm with it on the steel steps, then bashing the casket with it repeatedly with Rock inside. There was no story behind it. I’ve always heard his weapon of choice behind the scenes was a shovel.

Q: Any chance of CM Punk leading the return of the Undertaker back to WWE? I can envision a CM Punk/Undertaker vs. HHH/Nash Survivor Series match. Also, why doesn’t WWE allow for one week title changes? For instance, in every sport there is occasionally upsets that make every fan say “wow, I didn’t see that coming!” So why not have Cena/Orton/Punk/Del Rio occasionally lose in an upset to a Kingston/Bourne/Sheamus/Bryan only to win it back the following Raw? I think it would be a fun way to get mid-card talent over instead of the usual boring “push” that ends up being predictable. – Seth from Parts Unknown

A: First, what sense would it make for Punk to bring Undertaker back? He’s on television every week talking about how he wants to bring change to WWE and talking about pushing younger talent like Zack Ryder and Colt Cabana. I just don’t see it. Second, one week title reigns do absolutely NOTHING to get mid-card talent over. We’ve seen abbreviated title reigns for guys like Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler which didn’t exactly move them to the next level. I get what you’re saying about being spontaneous and unpredictable, but swapping titles like candy is not the way to go about doing that.

Q: Is it just me or does anyone else think Sheamus is all of a sudden being under-utilized? This guy is a former 2-time WWE Champion, Unites States Champion and King of the Ring, and just recently there were two rivalries involving The Celtic Warrior that had the potential to go somewhere but seemed to be thrown out. His feud with Wade Barrett ended in a draw, and unless they plan now on doing something with him and Mark Henry, that’s just going to end with each getting a count-out victory, which might as well just be a draw! – Nick Adams

A: He was being under-utilized about a month or so ago, but how can you make that argument right now? He’s been on television in prominent matches for the last few weeks. He headlined Smackdown last week against Mark Henry and headlined the Raw Supershow on Monday, teaming (and winning) with John Cena in the main event. His babyface push seems to be taking off nicely. Would it have been nice to have a resolution in his feud with Mark Henry? Sure, but WWE was so afraid to have either guy lose clean, we never got that. It’s their classic even-Steven booking. One guys wins, then the other guy wins.

Q: I think Chris Jericho and Kane had two of the best (if not the best) debuts of all time. In your opinion, who had the better debut? Jericho interrupting The Rock or Kane showing up in the first Hell in a Cell between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker? – Michael

A: That’s a really tough question. Both debuts were excellent and left an impression that we still remember all these years later. Jericho got a superstar reaction his first night in and went toe-to-toe verbally with one of WWE’s biggest stars at the time, but Rock made him look like a pansy by the time it was said and done and worse, it didn’t lead anywhere. On the other hand, Kane’s debut had been built up literally for months and he appeared during a PPV main event involving two of WWE’s biggest stars. His entrance was masterfully done, with the lighting and the pyro, and him ripping the cell door off its hinges was a really cool visual. I mean, the guy looked like a total monster. Then, he got to lay out Undertaker and played a pivotal role in the finish of the match. I’ve got to go with the Big Red Machine on this one. Also, if we’re having a discussion about greatest debuts, I have to add Tazz at the 2000 Royal Rumble to the list.

Q: I know that secondary titles do not mean as much as they used to, but do you have a problem with wrestlers like Del Rio, Lesnar and Khali coming in and their very first championship is a World title? Also do you think the MITB briefcases should only be won by mid-carders like John Morrison and Kofi Kingston who can’t quite jump into the main-event level? It did wonders for Edge, CM Punk, and somewhat Miz. Lastly, do you think someone else should have won instead of Del Rio? I don’t think he needed to cash in a briefcase to become champion. – Marc C.

A: I have a problem with Khali winning any championships at all, but that’s beside the point. I do prefer having a guy work his way up the ladder, and perhaps winning a secondary title first before moving on to the World title. In many cases, they rush the title onto these days, who quickly drop them and then end up getting pushed down to the mid-card. I mean, where is there to go once you’ve won the top prize? Anything after that is going to be perceived as a demotion. There are exceptions to this as I think the way they handled Brock Lesnar leading up to his win over The Rock at Summerslam was pitch perfect. As for the MITB briefcase, it does make sense to use them to help elevate non-main event talent. Del Rio did not have to win the briefcase because he had just won a match on Raw a week or two earlier to become #1 contender. His win at the PPV basically rendered that match pointless. And WWE wonders they their ratings have dropped off in recent years. Why bother watching these matches when you’re basically being told they don’t mean squat?

Q: One of my favorite matches was HBK vs. Mankind in September 1996 at Mind Games. However I never really knew how Mankind became #1 contender. I remember Shawn Michaels being interviewed backstage on Raw about the match and Mankind jumping him and slapping the Mandible Claw on HBK, but it seemed to be just announced out of the blue. How did Mankind become #1 contender and what were your thoughts on that match? – Trey

A: Mankind had just come off a very successful feud with Undertaker. In fact, he beat him not only at KOTR that year, but also in the Boiler Room Brawl at Summerslam. I always assumed that by doing so, it earned him #1 contender status, though I don’t know if they ever actually said that on TV. The match between Mankind and Michaels was one of the all-time great title matches in WWE history. Part of what made it so great is that people were completely caught off guard by it. Nobody expected Mankind to be part of a match of that caliber. I can still remember him stabbing his knee repeatedly with some sort of foreign object in the middle of the match to try to get some feeling back into it. The finish sucked, but it wasn’t enough to ruin an otherwise fantastic match.

Q: Did Nathan Jones actually do time in an Australian prison? – Nate OB

A: Indeed he did. He spent seven years in a maximum security prison after being charged with eight armed robberies. As a wrestler, he was awful, so bad in fact that even after announcing him for a tag match at WM19, WWE elected to have Undertaker wrestle Big Show and A-Train by himself in a handicap match. I don’t know what he stole during all those armed robberies, but talent certainly wasn’t it.

Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!

Punk Talks About The State Of The Business, Wrestling Austin

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CM Punk did a video interview with “Mike on a Monday” last week at The Pint Public House in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Punk, who is arguably the breakout star of 2011, had a lot to say about:

  • Why he returned after WWE’s Money in the Bank PPV
  • The future of the wrestling business
  • What’s missing from the business today
  • The possibility of wrestling “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
  • Zack Ryder

.. and much more. Check out the video here:

Top Diva Expected To Turn Heel, Superstars Airing At New Time

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— WWE has had discussions of turning either Kelly Kelly or Eve Torres heel and having them feud with against each other.

— On this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, John Morrison takes on his rival, R-Truth. The program takes place at a new time – Thursday at 4 ET/1 PT – on WWE.com.

— Four of Lance Storm’s wrestling academy students received tryouts at last week’s WWE television tapings in Edmonton and/or Calgary, Alberta.

— The Aug. 8 episode of Monday Night Raw was watched by 363,000 homes on DVR or tape delay, meaning 10.5% of the total viewers didn’t watch the episode live that week.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Match Preview For Tonight’s Impact, Sting Heading To Mexico

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— Tonight on Impact Wrestling, Sting battles Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship with Hulk Hogan serving as special enforcer.

Matches slated to air include:

* AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

* Mickie James vs. Winter for the Women’s Knockout Championship

* Gunner vs. Rob Van Dam in a Bound For Glory Series Match

* Austin Aries vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Jesse Sorensen

— Asistencia Asesoría y Administración officials have confirmed that Sting will be appearing on their Heroes Immortales show on Oct. 9 in Monterrey, Mexico. He will be participating in the promotion’s TNA invasion angle.

— Mickie James turned 32 years old Wednesday while Jeff Hardy turned 34.

Alberto Del Rio Update, WWE Sending Stars To Rehab

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– WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio is still unable to enter the United States due to issues related to his work visa. Del Rio missed last weekend’s live events as well as Monday’s RAW and Tuesday’s Super SmackDown special.  Company officials are confident that Del Rio will have his visa problems sorted out in time for this week’s mini-tour of Puerto Rico, where he’s advertised to wrestle CM Punk. John Cena is advertised to wrestle the winner of the Del Rio vs. CM Punk matches in the main events of each show.

– Other matches for this week’s Puerto Rico shows include:

  • US Champion Dolph Ziggler vs.Primo Colon
  • John Morrison & Evan Bourne vs. The Miz & R-Truth
  • Santino Marella & Zack Ryder vs. David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty
  • Alex Riley vs. Jack Swagger
  • Divas Champion Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix

No word yet on why Morrison is replacing one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston.

– Jim Ross was asked on Twitter this week about how much WWE spends to send past and present stars to rehab. Ross wrote:

“WWE spends thousands of dollars on former wrestlers rehab treatment annually BUT 1st wrestlers have to want help. Can’t make em go.”

A fan responded to Ross’ tweet – asking whether Matt Hardy would qualify for this sponsored rehab program. JR wrote:

“WWE’s offer is good for any alums. BUT they have 2 want 2 be helped.”

Hell In A Cell PPV Poster: John Cena Goes to Hell

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Greetings from HELL!

Another promotional poster has been released for WWE’s upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view – and this one features John Cena.

WWE Hell in a Cell takes place on Sunday, October 2nd.

The official event synopsis reads:

“Surrounded by steel. Besieged by brutality. Confined by chaos. Those locked inside the confines of Hell in a Cell are changed forever

Don’t miss John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Wade Barrett, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite Superstars brave WWE’s most diabolical construction at Hell in a Cell live on pay-per-view.” 

It’s hard to read in the poster to the right – there’s a caption on the poster that reads, “John Cena Goes To Hell.”

Below is the original Hell in a Cell poster, which features Kane.

WWE.com announced July 23 that he would be sidelined for at least three months after suffering a fractured fibula. He sustained the injury while being attacked by Mark Henry on the July 22 episode of SmackDown, which occurred moments after losing to Randy Orton in a Street Fight.

WWE Hell in a Cell

Kurt Angle Deeply Insulted By WWE, Jeff Hardy Return Update

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– TNA star Kurt Angle is not happy with WWE’s recent list of the top superstars of all time. Angle, who ranked #34 on the list, took to Twitter and vented about WWE’s “insulting” gesture an wrote the following:

“I was No. 34 of WWE all-time greatest? Tell you what, take me off the list. I’d rather not be on it if I wasn’t top five. Who ranks wrestlers?”

“I have never been More Insulted By Wwe top 50.#34 to Me Is a kick to the balls!Take Me out of ratings.please.U think fans will buy that crap”

– TNA has announced that Jeff Hardy will return the road at wrestle on TNA’s live events in two weeks. Jeff Hardy is scheduled to wrestle Jeff Jarrett at the live events the weekend of September 15th through the 17th in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Jeff Hardy returns to TNA Impact Wrestling next Thursday night, September 8th.

Video: Goldberg Talks About His Return, Vince McMahon

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Former WWE & WCW star Bill Goldberg was interviewed by Tulsa, Oklahoma’s FOX 23 last month when he hosted an MMA viewing part at the Hard Rock Casino.

Of course, Goldberg was asked about his upcoming return to wrestling at a charity event in Africa, his first time in the ring since that fateful match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XX. Goldberg revealed that he is NOT 100% signed on to wrestle at the charity in the Africa – but is in negotiations – despite what he wrote on Twitter a few weeks ago.

Goldberg  was asked about his former boss Vince McMahon. Goldberg, who has been very outspoken about Vince and WWE in recent years, said he doesn’t have a single nice thing to say about Vince due to the way his character was handled during his brief WWE run.

Check out this video of the Goldberg interview:

Update on WWE’s Brand Split & SmackDown Stars On RAW

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On Monday’s RAW – WWE COO Triple H announced that for the foreseeable future, RAW will feature superstars from both RAW and SmackDown.

The main reason behind the move is that RAW’s ratings have been sluggish lately. WWE is looking to strengthen the star power on Monday nights headed into the fall, when RAW goes head to head with the NFL’s Monday Night Football show each week.

Additionally, the added star power on RAW will certainly make for some fresh new match ups.

Recent ratings data has revealed that WWE’s main event stars are still ratings draws, however some of WWE’s mid-level talent have not been drawing the ratings WWE needs to stay comfortable on Monday nights.

At this time, RAW superstars will not be appearing on SmackDown regularly, because of the extra day of travel that would be added to their schedules. In the future however, in  the event that SmackDown is moved to Tuesday nights, it is possible that WWE could book SmackDown in a city closer to RAW the next night, which would cut down on the travel required for wrestlers to appear on both shows in a given week.

(Sources: pwinsider.com, f4wonline.com)

Ratings Are In For Tuesday’s Live Super SmackDown

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The ratings are in for Tuesday’s live Super SmackDown special – and it’s great news for WWE and the SyFy channel

WWE Super Smackdown drew a 2.20 rating and averaged 3.2 million viewers.

While this is around a full ratings point below what RAW typically draws on Monday nights on USA (a much stronger network than SyFy), Tuesday’s numbers are way above what SmackDown has averaged this year on Syfy.  SmackDown has averaged a 1.88 rating with 2.87 million viewers on Friday nights so far this year.

(Credit: PWTorch.com)

 

Jim Ross Calls Matt Hardy’s Stunt Embarrassing & Inexplicable

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– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was asked on Wednesday about Matt Hardy’s disturbing “Goodbye” YouTube video. Many fans mistook the video for a suicide letter and called 911, which led police to visit Matt Hardy’s home to check on him and declare that he is “fine.” The video was later revealed to be a hoax – and the storyline death of Matt’s “Matthew Hardy” alter ego.

Jim Ross responded to the fiasco on Twitter, responding to a fan who asking him about the situation. Ross tweeted:

“Embarrassingly bad publicity stunt by all accounts.”

He later added:

“Matt Hardy fiasco totally embarrassing and inexplicable. Alleged suicide Youtube got him noticed… sadly in absurd way. Matt, seek answers.”

Dana White Denies Angle’s Claim He Almost Signed With UFC

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TNA star Kurt Angle spoke to MMAWeekly.com this week to discuss his training for the United States Olympic Wrestling team and hype his new MMA movie, “Warrior.”

During the interview, Angle stated that he came very close to signing with the UFC – but UFC President Dana White has a different view on how things went down.

Kurt Angle told MMAWeekly:

“I actually contacted Dana White again after the movie. I flew out to meet him once and got a great offer. I contacted him again, I was thinking about dropping out of Impact wrestling, and there were some personal problems with my marriage and I just wanted to get away. I contacted Dana White, I flew out, and he had me take the UFC physical.

I passed it, thank God, and he gave me the offer. The terms weren’t good, I mean not for me, and the terms I gave him weren’t good for him. He wanted me ready in four-and-a-half weeks; I wanted three to six months.

So I respect Dana White and I love him to death, very good friend. I knew I was capable of winning in four-and-a-half weeks, but I wanted to be at my best.”

Dana White was asked on Twitter about Angle’s claim, to which he responded:

“love kurt but not true.”

Edge Returning To SmackDown Soon, Boring Tag Teams

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— The WWEFanNation YouTube channel has introduced a new series on “Boring Tag Teams” – apparently playing off the RAW storyline that David Otunga and Michael McGuillicutty tag team are boring. “Boring” teams featured thus far include Beverly Brothers, Tekno Team 2000, Well Dunn, Doug Furnas & Philip LaFon and more. Check out Youtube.com/WWE to see the videos.

— Former WWE superstar Edge will be returning to SmackDown in September. Toronto’s Air Canada Centre is promoting an appearance from Edge on September 13th for that week’s SmackDown, airing Friday, September 16th. The Air Canada Center’s website reads:

“Witness the return of Toronto’s own The R-Rated Superstar EDGE to SMACKDOWN!!”

Edge’s return to Smackdown coincidences with his upcoming apperances on SyFy’s “Haven” show. Edge will be appearing on 3 consecutive episodes of Haven, airing 9/9, 9/16 and 9/23.

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.