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Updated throughout the day, the Torch News Ticker delivers a constant stream of news and information from WWE, TNA, ROH, Japan, the independents, and whatever else pops up. Keep it open in a new tab and bookmark it every Monday! Promoters and readers: Send in news, upcoming events, interview highlights, or wrestling-related information to the Torch News email address, Wade Keller, and James Caldwell for inclusion on the constantly-updated Ticker. Contact link.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- Jim Ross was hospitalized on Friday night with complications from colon surgery he had three years ago. Ross had a thoroughcolonoscopy to remove 3 or 4 benign, noncancerous polyps that were causing him to be sick the previous few weeks, including WrestleMania weekend. In his jrsbarbq.com blog detailing the health complications, Ross said he will be at work on Monday night calling Raw from New York. Blog link.

- WWE Smackdown ratings: Last night's Smackdown averaged a 2.6 rating, which is up from the previous two week's 2.4 ratings against the NCAA Tournament, but below the 2.8 level prior to the Tournament. The show started with a 2.4 rating, then increased to a solid 2.8 for the second hour. The second hour finished fourth, ahead of ABC's offering.

- The Stamford (Ct.) Advocate published a story on WWE's new kids magazine aimed at 6-14-year-olds. We have the story quotes on the main listing under WWE News.

- TNA sent a message to Mobile subscribers that TNA is interested in signing Frank Trigg to a contract. Trigg will be at Lockdown to add commentary to the Joe vs. Angle match at Lockdown.

- Gamespy published interviews with MVP, C.M. Punk, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio from the video game challenge last Friday in Orlando. We have the interview quotes on the main listing under WWE News.

- Interesting story on WWE's marketing using the text messaging voting at house shows and for the Cyber Sunday PPV. Article link.

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Friday, April 4, 2008

Top stories of the Day

- Floyd Mayweather's manager, Leonard Ellerbe, claimed to Kevin Iole in his Yahoo Sports MMA column that this year's WrestleMania broke last year's PPV buy record. Ellerbe said he was told by people in WWE that WrestleMania has already broken the 1.25 million buy total from last year. WWE isn't expected to release an official preliminary figure until next week. Article link (scroll down)

- TNA Mobile Notes: The Mobile plug that was announced on Impact last night reads: "The WWE wrestler shown in attendance on last Thursday night's live Impact was sent home by the WWE and was forced to miss the events of the weekend." So, not only did they tease a Mobile plug about putting a wrestler's job in jeopardy, but they didn't even mention Robbie McAllister as the person they're trying to make a buck off. Classless. ... TNA is expected to announce a tour of Singapore ... Kurt Angle is filming a reality TV show and the film crew for Angle's show was filming segments in Orlando last week. ...

- Brent Albright was interviewed recently by Slam Wrestling to comment on his current career and what happened in WWE two years ago. Albright said he was being mentored by Chris Benoit, then when Benoit took a leave of absence, creative ran out of ideas for his Gunner Scott character and they sent him back to OVW. "It was politics," Albright said. "For some reason or another somebody didn't like me, or whoever liked me didn't have enough power. It is the politics of wrestling."

Albright also comments on WWE making a mistake by consolidating their training schools into just one in Florida. "I think it benefits the WWE as whole to have guys coming from two different territories with different trainers because then you don't get a cookie-cutter effect," he said. "Now they will have guys all working the same." Interview link.

- ROH Notes: ROH is claiming 2,800 fans for their WrestleMania weekend shows in Orlando. They said they could have drawn more on Saturday if they weren't up against the Hall of Fame. ... ROH is calling the advanced ticket sales in Boston on April 11 "light" and they're assembling a street team to promote their show the weekend TNA has Lockdown in Lowell, Mass. ...

- Tickets are on-sale today for WWE's tour of Australia in June. It’s a Smackdown tour with five dates from June 13 - 17 in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane. Ticket info.

- Kurt Angle must have supplied the following ratings information. Antimusic.com has a story on the band, Emmure, which has an album coming out with Kurt Angle on the cover. Wait for it. Emmure will be supplying the soundtrack for TV and PPV this spring, including the Sacrifice PPV in May, to promote the album release. Wait for it. The article claims TNA Impact is seen by... 3.1 million viewers every Thursday and Saturday night. Article link.

- Republican Eagle (Minn.) newspaper published a story on the Top 10 favorite Minnesota sports icons. Sean Waltman received honorable mention after the likes of Kirby Puckett and Kevin Garnett. The author wrote that he used to bag groceries for Waltman at a local Super Valu. Other honorable mention in the wrestling category is Brock Lesnar, Ric Flair, Mr. Perfect, and the Road Warriors. Article link.

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- Jim Ross posted a new blog on jrsbarbq.com commenting on WrestleMania weekend. Ross said Flair was more nervous about his Hall of Fame speech than his WrestleMania match. He also commented on The Rock's appearance at the Hall of Fame. "The Rock stayed as long as he could after his presentation and then had to fly back to work where he was back on the set Sunday," he said. "Word going around the Internet is that Rock was aloof to many, is hard for me to buy into. I did not personally see that."

Ross called the so-called wrestling war between WWE and TNA "absurd". He said TNA showing Robbie McAllister on Impact was not a classy thing to do. "Two wrongs do not make a right, McAllister should never have gone to the show and TNA should never have put another wrestler’s job in jeopardy," he said. "Not real smart on either’s part, in my view." Blog link.

- Dusty Rhodes has relocated to Florida to be head writer for the FCW development promotion. It gives Dusty a chance to get off the road and work in a less-pressurized environment. Ross wrote on his blog: "After being on the road for most of his life, a change in travel schedule and being in a less pressurized position will be good for Rhodes, who can add a great deal to the process in Tampa. This move has been a while in the making."

- WINK in Charlotte County, Fla. published a follow-up story on the fireworks incident at WrestleMania. They interviewed a government reporter, Neil Hughes, who said the cables with the fireworks were running overhead when one of them snapped and landed on top of people around him. Hughes said one of the cables struck him in the head and shoulder while also hitting the boy in front of him. "They have those same streamers [at] every show, so I guess it was just the fact that it was a new arena and they never hooked anything up [before]," says Hughes. As of now, no formal complaints have bene filed against WWE. Article link.

- JBL is scheduled for a wrestling seminar on April 30 at the IWF training school in West Paterson, N.J. IWF interviewed JBL about his energy drink and his philosophy on pro wrestling. Asked whether he's had a defining moment of understanding in the business, JBL said, "I don't think I have it now. I went out the other day and got lost. I am still working on getting it." He said about people trying to break into the wrestling business: "Too many think wrestling is just about high spots and physiques. I have certainly proved that wrong and I've done fairly well in my career." He added, "The business is different from when I broke in. Those who changed with it are still here. Those that didn't aren't." IWF website.

- In a wrap-up interview with Jeff Wilen of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jim Ross commented on the specifics of WrestleMania 24. He said the show ending with Undertaker vs. Edge was the right thing to do because Taker and The Streak are special. Ross said C.M. Punk has a great opportunity after the surprise win in the MITB match. "What he does with it is up to him," Ross said. "I like him, but at the end of the day he has to carry his share of the water." He said about Kevin Nash that he will always be part of the extended WWE family, which is why he was at Mania with his son. Interview link.

- We have a story on the main listing where a four-year-old boy allegedly killed his two-year-old brother while imitating wrestling moves from Smackdown. Details on the main listing under WWE News.

- The latest edition of Sports Illustrated that just reached subscribers has a brief item on the Mayweather vs. Big Show fight. We have the story on the main listing under WWE News.

- Scott Fishman has a story in the Miami Herald about the events he attended Thursday - Tuesday for WrestleMania. Article link.

- Celebrity-babies.com published a story on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's second baby. Hunter said in a recent interview that they're not going to find out the gender of the baby until birth, as they want to be surprised. He said he hopes to get a boy at some point, but he wouldn't mind another girl. Story link.

- Columbia (Mo.) Tribune has a brief line about Ric Flair's Hall of Fame speech on Saturday night compared to the NCAA tournament. "It’s officially a dull NCAA Tournament when you find Ric Flair’s WWE Hall of Fame induction more compelling than a regional final. At least that was the case Saturday night when the Nature Boy’s stirring speech won over my remote control while Poplar Bluff’s Hansbrough and his Tar Heels were wrapping up their victory over Louisville in the Charlotte Regional final." Article link.

- TNA will be sponsoring the pre and post-show coverage of this weekend's NASCAR race on DirecTV's Hotpass show. TNA will also have a presence on the DirecTV blimp circling the racetrack in Fort Worth, Texas. Also of note, NASCAR commentator Hermie Sadler will be back on Impact during the April 17 show to commentate on an X Division match. Press release.

- Trish Stratus was the most-searched person on Lycos last week, topping the usual crowd of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Pamela Anderson. Stratus is working on a new reality show, "Stratusphere" that will be debuting on the Travel Channel in August. Lycos press release.

- Miami Herald published a story on WWE's new kids magazine launching in two weeks. The content will include fitness, nutrition, and geography wrapped around esteem-building. "Young fans will get to know their favorite superstars through activity-based art projects, fun games, interviews and trivia," said WWE's editorial director Tony Romando. Article link.

- ROH Notes: Added to the April 11 card in Boston is Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright. ... Main event for the Apr. 11 show is ROH champ Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries vs. Erick Stevens vs. Roderick Strong in an elimination match for the belt. ... Tammy Sytch will be at the April 12 show in Edison, N.J. to sign autographs and continue her program with Austin Aries. ...

- Dory Funk, Jr. notes: Rocky Johnson will be at the next Bang! TV taping at the Funkin' Conservatory in Ocala, Fla. ... All Japan's Osamu Nishimura will be at the Conservatory in June to scout more talent. Funk website.

***

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- ESPN.com's Dan Rafael posted a blog this morning on the Mayweather vs. Big Show spectacle from WrestleMania. Rafael came away impressed with the production value of WrestleMania and non-stop action. Rafael writes: "One thing that I also noticed watching my first wrestling pay-per-view in probably 15 years was the incredible production the WWE puts on with everything from massive amounts of pyro to the music to the constant energy. Seems to me that HBO and Showtime, as well as most promoters, could learn a lesson or two from the WWE (and also the UFC) when it comes to improving the presentation of boxing events both on television and in the arena." Article link.

- Motley Fool promoted WWE stock in a list of top companies that generate a good return on investment with high revenue and dividend yield. Article link.

- WWE: The Music Vol. 8 debuted at no. 24 for most copies sold last week. The latest WWE theme music installment recorded 17,000 sales.

- MTV has a story on the filming of "Get Smart" starring Steve Carell. Great Khali is in the movie and Carell commented that his hand disappeared into Khali's when they shook hands on the set. Article link.

- Inside Pulse published an interview with Sara Del Ray today. She comments on wrestling for Shimmer and her matches against Awesome Kong and Daizee Haze. Sara said she has not been contacted by TNA to be involved in the women's division. Sara added that Shimmer's next DVD will feature her against Awesome Kong. "She is one of my favorite opponents and I wish I could wrestle her every day," Sara said. Article link.

***

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- ECW TV preview: Kane is the new ECW champion. A bunch of people are going to be on the show. Tune in!

- Former pro wrestler Hardbody Harrison was sentenced to a life sentence in prison for running a sex trafficking ring out of his home. Harrison was operating a prostitution ring under the guise of a pro wrestling school for women. Article link.

- Local news coverage continued into this morning on the fireworks malfunction that left several WrestleMania fans with minor injuries and burn marks. The Orlando Sentinel published a story on what went wrong. According to the assistant fire chief, a guide wire was attached to a cable that was sent to fireworks shooting across the 300 section of the Citrus Bowl. "Somewhere in that period the cable failed," the fire chief said. An investigation is currently ongoing to review what went wrong - including fire response to injured fans. Article link.

- Newsday published a story on Zenith Pyrotechnology, which has handled WWE's fireworks and pyro for over a decade. Zenith has not only worked with WWE, but Boyz II Men and did fireworks for New Year's Eve celebration in New York City. They were also responsible for the limo explosion angle with Vince McMahon last year. Article link.

- Last week's Raw averaged 5.0 million viewers and grabbed the third and seventh slots on cable TV. The March 24 Raw before WrestleMania trailed Nickelodeon's Kids Choice awards show, which averaged 7.5 million viewers. Top cable ratings.

- WWE announced they are holding their annual shareholders meeting on May 9 at the Holiday Inn on 700 Main St. in Stamford, Ct. The event starts at 10:00 a.m. EST and will be streamed on WWE's website.

- Ring of Honor's two national DVD releases debut in major retailers today. "Stars Of Honor" and "Bloodstained Honor" will be at Best Buy and FYE stores featuring classic match-ups from ROH's past, with plenty of star power. Release details.

- TNA published its April Fool's news update, with a bunch of random stories including a photoshopped image of Rock 'n Rave Infection on the cover of the next "Guitar Hero" game. If they didn't actually say it was an April Fools update, it could have been considered a legit news story in TNA. Article link.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- Sports Illustrated's Arash Markazi published a behind-the-scenes look at what led to the Mayweather vs. Big Show match, right down to the pre-match walk-through five hours before the PPV was set to begin. He said Vince McMahon walked Mayweather and his manager, Leonard Ellerbe, from the ring entrance to the ring and laid out how the match would go. At the same time, Randy Orton, Triple H, and John Cena were walking through their match in street clothes.

Mayweather was respectful of working with the wrestlers. "Before I got involved with the WWE, I thought this stuff was easy but no, it's hard work," he said. "I saw The Undertaker walk around with an ice pack on his back and Shawn Michaels walk around with an ice pack on his knees. This stuff is crazy. It's not as easy as you think. Who knows? It's possible I could be here to stay." Article link.

- Late Sunday night/early Monday morning, ESPN's website posted a headline on their "Top Stories" section linking to a highlight video on the Big Show vs. Mayweather fight at WrestleMania. An ESPN anchor narrates a 1:30 clip of the fight, with highlights of the key points. Video link.

- The AP and local Florida news outlets reported that at least 40 fans were injured during the final fireworks display at WrestleMania. Firefighters on the scene said there was a "fireworks malfunction" that sent hot cables flying into the crowd. At least three people were taken to area hospitals for minor injuries.

Firefighters said they acted as quickly as possible to help injured fans, but one fan said that wasn't the case. "We had to sit up in the bleachers and wait for a paramedic to come. They didn't really examine us," said Barbara Vetere. "And we had to walk all the way down to first aid and had to ask for a bag of ice just to put on our head."

- WWE released an official statement on the fireworks incident on Monday afternoon: "We're investigating the incident and doing everything we can to find out why it happened and to make sure it never happens again. While we apologize to anyone who was injured and/or alarmed by this occurrence, we take solace in the fact that the reported injuries were minor."

- NBC Ch. 2 in Orlando published a report on WrestleMania, with an official estimate that the event pumped $30 million into the economy. WWE estimated $5.85 million in gross revenue from ticket sales to set the all-time mark.

- On Monday afternoon, Ric Flair told Mark Packer on the regionally syndicated "Primetime With The Packman" radio show that "they're doing something big for me on Raw tonight but no one will tell me what it is." Flair, who was very emotional at the beginning of the interview, also said he wasn't going to go into announcing, but was going to work public relations for WWE going forward.

- Jim Ross posted a blog on jrsbarbq.com Monday afternoon promising a memorable night for Ric Flair on Raw. Boy, was he right. Ross also said about Flair vs. Michaels: "I had to wipe tears from my eyes a few times during Ric’s match with HBK, who also had an emotional day on Sunday." Blog link.

- The Charlotte Observer published a story on Flair losing the retirement match at WrestleMania. The article closed with this line, which was so appropriate after Raw: "The best there ever was finished. And because he is, wrestling will never be the same." Article link.

- There was major heat on Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) for going long at the Hall of Fame ceremony, roasting some wrestlers without clearing it ahead of time, and brushing off former colleagues. We have a detailed story on the main listing under WWE News.

- Kevin Nash was backstage at WrestleMania to visit Triple H and Shawn Michaels. He was the only TNA wrestler who was backstage at the event.

***

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