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.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Morning Update

- Here is the final WWE Judgment Day PPV card for tonight: WWE champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a cage match, The Undertaker vs. Edge for the World Hvt. Title, WWE tag champs The Miz & John Morrison vs. Kane & C.M. Punk, Women's champion Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina, Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, JBL vs. John Cena, and Big Show vs. Mark Henry.

- No major news coming out of night one of PWG's DDT4 tournament from last night. Human Tornado addressed the crowd about his injury, then quickly said he's keeping the PWG Title and he left the ring. Main event was Kevin Steen & El Generico beating Davey Richards & Super Dragon. Afterward, Steen's baby boy pinned Excalibur. It's a PWG thing. Night two is tonight in Burbank, Calif. with the conclusion of the tag tournament.

- Kelly Kelly was interviewed in the Brisbane Times in Australia to promote WWE's upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand. Kelly said she loves wrestling and she's still getting used to doing her moves in the ring. Wrestling moves, that is. Before she was hired, Kelly said WWE contacted her through a modeling agency, then "they kicked my butt for a week straight and asked me if I wanted a job at the end of it." Kelly said she was a nervous wreck when she debuted with the Extreme Expose gig, and she still get nervous being out there now. Article link.

- India Times published a story on Great Khali attending a big party for the conclusion of the Bollywood film he's in. Apparently he was dressed in a formal black suit. Pictures not available of this, unfortunately. The story is about Khali blushing when his wife said he's really a gentle giant. Someone then challenged him to repeat any dialogue from the movie, and Khali simply told the person to wait until the movie comes out. Article link.

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Afternoon Update

- Caldwell's Notes: Thanks to Shawn for checking in with a TNA house report from last night's show. TNA has a show tonight Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and tomorrow night in Wallingford, Ct. We're looking for reports from both shows this weekend. ... We have the news item below on TNA's July PPV being official for Reliant Arena in Houston. It's funny how many people in Houston still remember the WCW Fall Brawl - War Games PPV held in Reliant Arena 15 years ago. People I've bumped into at work or new friends ask me about that to this day. I always remember that PPV because the Astros played the Padres in the Dome that afternoon, then people walked across the parking to Reliant for War Games. Well, actually not too many people, as WCW drew about 4,000 that night. 15 years later, WCW TNA returns to the former Astro Arena for the World X Cup. Trivia note: Booker T was in the main event of that show 15 years ago as part of the Harlem Heat tag team.

- WWE Smackdown from last night averaged a 2.4 rating last night to finish third. It's been a long time since Smackdown, which the CW president called a weakening brand earlier this week, finished above fourth, but it helped that the competition was American Gladiators on NBC (2.2 overall rating) and "Dodgeball" on FOX (2.0 rating).

- Jim Ross posted a blog on jrsbarq.com responding to a story that was floating around yesterday following a radio interview he did in Oklahoma City. Ross cut a long promo about what he meant re: Cena vs. Hunter, Hulk Hogan's family issues, The Rock, Austin vs. Hogan, and more. Just read JR's blog.

- TNA made it official yesterday that the Victory Road PPV will be held July 13 at Reliant Arena in Houston. Tickets are on-sale May 30. It's expected this will be the World X Cup tournament, with TNA trying to draw from the large Hispanic market with Team Mexico participating. Hometown stars Booker T and Hernandez will also be important for helping draw for the PPV. Article link.

- India Today published a story on Khali being the biggest joker in WWE's circus. They look at the media hooplah in India for every one of Khali's moves, including a meeting with president Pratibha Patil. The article claims Khali's WWE salary is $200,000 per year with $500,000 to $2.0 million per Hollywood film. Article link.

- India Times published a story on Great Khali filming a Bollywood movie, which will be out in June. His co-stars were very complimentary of Khali, calling him "a very nice person, very grounded, very humble". Article link.

- New Indian Express Group published a story on "the farce" of WWE, focused on how Khali plays into the WWE freak show. The article goes into the steroids issue in pro wrestling with references to Chris Benoit "super-juicing on steroids." Their conclusion: "The WWE entertains. The WWE kills." Article link.

***

Friday, May 16, 2008

Morning Update

- TNA has a full slate of weekend house shows starting tonight in Binghamton, N.Y. Saturday night is Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and Sunday is Wallingford, Ct. If you attend a weekend house show, be sure to send in a report.

- Ad Age, one of the leading advertising magazines, published a story on what's wrong with NBC's marketing of American Gladiators. The takeaway is that the audience is left with a helpless feeling of having no one to root for. The author writes, "Say what you want about World Wrestling Entertainment, but 'WWE Raw' understands the necessity of delineating between the bad guys and the good guys. Rarely on 'American Gladiators' does the viewer have any idea who to root for; it's one well-sculpted behemoth against the next." Article link.

- Jim Ross will be co-hosting the KFOR Ch. 4 news broadcast in Oklahoma City this afternoon. The broadcast airs at 4:30 p.m. CST and Ross is expected to hype the Raw taping in Oklahoma City this summer. The streaming broadcast is available on Ch. 4's website.

- Christian Cage posted a new Q&A on gametap.com answering reader feedback on video games, staying in ring-shape, and keeping touch with Edge. Christian said about handling bumps and bruises that come with the territory of being a wrestler that he works with a muscle therapist to help him avoid injury. Entertaining read. Article link.

- Terry Funk was on Between the Ropes radio last Tuesday night to discuss what he's up to and whether he thinks an invite will be coming for the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend in Houston next year. "I think it would be wonderful, but I'm not going to beg for it," Funk said. "You have to remember what the Hall of Fame is. It is a wonderful thing, but it's still Vince McMahon's and what he wants to do. If Vince likes you then you've in there, if not then you're not. And I'm not knocking that. If I had the power he does I'd do the same damn thing. You know, I hated Buddy Rogers and I'd make sure that son of a bitch was never in there." Between the Ropes link for full interview.

- South Asian Post published a story on Great Khali in India. The graphic is priceless with a very early photo of Khali in WWE, with Daivari absolutely giddy standing next to Khali. The article discusses Khali t-shirts that are selling like hotcakes in India for $3 to $10. Apparently this won't be making WWE's next quarterly earnings, as Khali isn't receiving commission on the sales. But, he is the country's favorite son, which has to count for something. Article link.

- Speaking of India, WWE might have found a new home for "The Condemned" movie, starring Steve Austin. The DVD of the movie debuted in English and Hindi on Thursday in all major retailers. Pricing details.

- Trish Stratus won an award in Canada this week. Best Hair on an Athlete. Yes, as part of the A.G. Hair Cosmetic’s 8th annual Best Canadian Celebrity Hair Awards, Stratus won top honors in the athlete category for best hair. She can share the awards honor with Sandra Oh from Grey's Anatomy. Article link.

- U.K. Sun published a story on NOAH coming to Coventry on June 21 for their first show in the United Kingdom. The story focuses on Joel Redman, who is a younger wrestler looking for a break on the NOAH show. He's scheduled to face Atsushi Aoki in a match being billed as country pride on the line. Article link.

***

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Morning Update

- Slam Wrestling published an interview with Jim Ross on his BBQ business and store in Oklahoma. Ross told Greg Oliver that he was surprised when they made money their first month in business. "I really didn't know what to expect," Ross saud. "We had a budget, we had numbers that we needed to make to keep afloat, just like anyone else's business, just like anyone's household." He also comments on the fine art of smoking meat and the blogs on jrsbarbq.com. Interview link.

- Lansing State Journal in Michigan published an interview with Shad Gaspar of Cryme Tyme to promote this Sunday's house show. Among the highlights of the interview: Shad claims he doesn't like either one of Cade & Murdoch in real life, he was a big fan of Nash, Zeus, and Warlord growing up, and he wouldn't be surprised if JTG turns on him as a tag partner. He also explained the origin of their gimmick. "We were in the process of doing our name and I think it fits us really good," Shad said. "When we came out, people though we were stereotypes. But I'm a stereotype of myself. I'm a big guy who likes to fight and play jokes and rob things. We may be criminals but at least we're doing it with a smile." Interview link.

- Victoria is opening her own custom car shop in Louisville next week. The grand opening of "Black Widow Customs" at 5763 Preston Highway is May 22. Louisville Post & Courier is teasing that several WWE wrestlers will be on hand for the grand opening. Info on the car shop.

- ROH Notes: ROH released details on their first show in Canada coming up this summer. ROH will be at Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto on July 25 with all the top names signed. Tickets on-sale May 20. ... All eight teams have been named for the tag tournament on June 6 to determine the new ROH tag champions. List includes Nigel & Shiozaki, Strong & Richards, Steen & Generico, Jacobs & Black, Aries & Danielson, Ruckus & Jigsaw, Hero & Pearce, and Delirious & Primeau. ... ROH's next PPV debuts at the end of the month and ROH is hyping it as "a star is born" for Tyler Black's main event match against ROH champion Nigel McGuinness.

- PWG's DDT4 tag tournament, which takes place this weekend in Burbank, Calif., appears to be cursed. PWG champion Human Tornado, Mark Briscoe, and now Kota Ibushi have all pulled out due to severe injuries. Replacing Ibushi in the tournament is El Blazer. Simply watch this youtube clip to see what he brings to the table. Also this weekend, PWG will address the status of the PWG Title, which is currently held by Tornado. Updated card and line-up.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

- WWE's website posted a story on Rey Mysterio helping relief efforts in China following the 7.9 level earthquake in the Sichuan province earlier this week. Rey was already in China doing promotional work when the quake struck. He's now working with AmeriCares for relief effort. WWE's website has a link to make a donation to help the families of the victims and survivors. Article link.

- Multichannel News posted a story on TNT's two-week streak of top viewership on cable in prime time thanks to the NBA playoffs. USA had posted 16 straight weeks to start the year. This past week, TNT averaged 2.86 million viewers to USA's 2.84 million viewers to earn the victory despite USA having seven of the top 22 shows on cable, including both hours of Raw. Article link.

- Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press published a story on WWE's approach to the marketing of women. After last night's SD/ECW TV taping in Grand Rapids, Michael Zuidema wrote a column on the "patronizing and misogynistic" presentation of the divas on the roster where physical appearance seems to be the only factor that matters. Article link.

- TVN Entertainment issued a press release on expanding Video-on-demand services across North America to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Apparently this will give WWE more access to cable customers for their WWE 24/7 service. WWE's VP of affiliate distribution and marketing, Peter Clifford, said in the press release: "We congratulate TVN on reaching this important milestone which provides the means for WWE to attain our strategic goals and support our expansion throughout all North American markets." Press release.

- TNA Notes: TNA is teasing a "shoot" interview with Sting to air the next three weeks on Impact starting tomorrow night. It's a sit-down interview with Mike Tenay, and Sting will "talk about some things he's rarely discussed on-camera in his career". ... TNA posted full line-ups for their U.K. tour in June. June 12 in Liverpool is headlined by Joe vs. Angle. June 13 in Liverpool is headlined by Booker T facing the winner of Joe vs. Angle. Article link.

- ROH Notes: ROH's website posted an interview with Jay Briscoe to explain why the tag titles were vacated. The gist of the story is that Jay didn't feel right defending the belts without Mark by his side. Article link.

***

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Evening Update

- The big news from TV Land today is CW presenting its new line-up of programming for the fall season. CW is focusing strictly on the female demo, and their "trademark show" for the fall season will be a re-make of Beverly Hills 90210. Smackdown will be replaced on Friday nights with a block of comedies. President Dawn Ostroff took a shot at Smackdown when explaining why they let go of their top-rated show. "It is not a program that is going to break out any more," Ostroff said. "It is a program that is on the demise. It's also a program that does not fit our brand." Forbes article.

- Jim Ross posted an email from Cowboy Bill Watts on jrsbarbq.com, with Watts expressing his thoughts on Leo Garibaldi and Penny Banner's recent deaths. Watts on JR's blog.

- In last week's prime time cable TV ratings, Raw finished fourth and fifth behind Raiders of the Lost Ark on USA and two NBA playoffs games. Hornets vs. Spurs from Thursday night finished second overall, which most likely impacted Impact's ratings. Raw averaged 4.6 million viewers over the two hours on May 5. Top 20 ratings.

- Filmstew.com posted an article on Great Khali's film roles in the U.S. and in India. Khali is reportedly pulling in $300,000 for a role in the Bollywood film "Ramma - The Savior". In the States, he's in the upcoming "Get Smart" release. Article link.

Morning Update

- Updated Judgment Day PPV card (including new women's match): WWE champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a steel cage, The Undertaker vs. Edge for the vacated World Hvt. Title, Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels, JBL vs. John Cena, Women's champion Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix vs. Melina, ECW champion Kane & C.M. Punk vs. WWE tag champions Miz & John Morrison.

- "12 Rounds," starring John Cena, is tentatively scheduled for a March 13, 2009 release date. The movie will be out just a few weeks before WrestleMania 25.

- Indiantelevision.com published a significant story on WWE's international TV viewership, especially in India. A WWE executive said India is the company's second-largest TV market behind the U.S., based on the population in the country. Ten Sports is claiming a 15 percent increase in viewership for WWE's product, with the increased presence of Great Khali. The demo has changed from kids in the 4-14 age group to more 14-35 year-olds watching the product, which is reverse of the U.S. market. They cite that 45 percent of the Indian audience is female. Good story for looking ahead five years for when the Asian market is leading WWE's overall revenue and growth. Article link.

- Sify.com posted a story on Khali appearing in Mumbai on Saturday night to greet a reported audience of 15,000 people. The event, co-promoted by Ten Sports, featured Khali encouraging the youth of India to train to become wrestlers to bring more glory to the sport and the country. Article link.

- Jim Ross posted a new blog on jrsbarbq.com over the weekend. Ross goes in-depth into the Hogan family situation after Nick Hogan was sentenced to an eight-month jail term after Hulk Hogan showed up in court in a doo-rag. Ross said long-time WWE official Howard Finkel has moved on from the talent relations department to focus on WWE's website. Ross also denies several reports that Jonathan Coachman has signed with ESPN. An ESPN executive denied the report over the weekend, as well. Ross wrote, "As I write this, Coach is still employed by the WWE and is still doing projects for the MSG Network." Ross blog link.

- Daily Gleaner posted a letter from a fan who attended the WWE house show in Fredericton, Canada two weekends ago. The fan was critical of the arena's handling of the event, including opening the doors barely 30 minutes before the bell time (could have been a WWE issue), a lack of stocked concessions, and rude security. This is where WWE takes a hit financially when the patrons are given no time to stand in line at the merchandise tables with the show starting soon after doors open. Daily Gleaner article.

***

Monday, May 12, 2008

Evening Update

- Raw Preview: WWE, meet your slipping ratings. Slipping ratings, meet John Cena. On the Raw before Judgment Day, Cena returns from a two-week absence to set up his match against JBL at the PPV. ... One of the other mega-singles match at the PPV is Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels. They'll set that up on tonight's show. No matches officially confirmed for tonight. ...

- TNA Notes: TNA has changed the location of the U.K. Fan Fest on June 14. The venue will now be the Lava & Ignite in Coventry. ... Impact preview: LAX will face Sabin & Shelley, but the TNA Title belts are not being advertised as being up for grabs. From the knockouts division, it will be Kong vs. Kim for the Women's Title and Roxxi & ODB vs. Angelina & Velvet. ...

- ROH Notes: ROH returns to Manassas, Va. on August 1 after a virtual sell-out in their VA debut on Friday. The Saturday show in NYC had ROH's largest attendance in company history. ... ROH is repeating the same weekend line-up on August 1 and 2 with Sabin & Shelley booked as special guests. ... With Jay Briscoe vacating the ROH Tag Titles, ROH has booked a tag tournament for June 6 in Hartford, Ct. Jacobs & Black and Steen & Generico are the first two teams signed. ...

- Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press published an interview with Big Show ahead of WWE's SD/ECW taping in Grand Rapids tomorrow. Show was asked about Grand Rapids's Floyd Mayweather, who Show said he has not talked to since WrestleMania. Show commented on what he would do after wrestling. "I'm not really qualified for much else. I could be a greeter at Wal-Mart and I eat a lot of Subway, so I could probably make sandwiches," he said. "My whole thing is, as long as I can compete well and move, I will. But I'm not going to drag this thing out." Interview link.

- Kresten Ericksen admitted to forging the name of a WWE official on receipts for a WWE show that was supposed to be a school fundraiser. The story broke a few months ago when WWE said they were shorted $15,000 on a show in Ogdensburg, N.Y. in June 2006. Ericksen could face a year in jail or a split of jail time and probation when he is sentenced on June 30. Article link.

- Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is apparently still in the Democratic race, was the first presidential candidate to respond to WWE's "Smackdown your vote" campaign. WWE issued a press release with Clinton's response. Press release.

- Realitywanted.com published an interview with former Tough Enough contestant Justice Smith, who is on the new season of American Gladiators. Smith talks about a friend in WWE telling him to audition for Tough Enough, which opened his eyes to individual combat sports. Interview link.

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