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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.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Afternoon Update

- WWE's One Night Stand PPV is tonight in San Diego with the main event scheduled for The Undertaker vs. Edge in a TLC match for the World Hvt. Title with Taker's career on the line. But, alas, it's not a career threatening match. WWE Title match is Triple H defending vs. Randy Orton in Last Man Standing. No other title matches are scheduled (save that for the PPV later this month), leaving Cena vs. JBL in First Blood, HBK vs. Batista in a stretcher match, Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga in Falls Count Anywhere in San Diego, Melina vs. Beth Phoenix in I Quit, and five men battling for #1 contendership to the ECW Title.

- WWE will be hosting a press conference at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. PST. The conference is open to the public, with WWE teasing a "blockbuster announcement" most likely related to the $1.0 million giveaway and the angle with Jimmy Kimmel's cousin, Sal, and Santino. WWE then tapes Smackdown/ECW later that night at Staples Center.

- Jim Ross says several changes are in the works for Raw following the 2.9 rating last Monday night. "I am anxious to see what changes are initiated on Monday Night Raw this week as it seems that several changes are rumored to be on their way," Ross said on his weekend blog on jrsbarbq.com. "Last Monday’s lackluster TV rating for Monday Night Raw would certainly be reason enough to move these changes along as no one could ever be content with a 2.9 national cable rating." Ross also comments on the PPV tonight and Chris Bell's documentary on steroid use. Ross blog link.

- Santino Marella says his martial arts background will eventually make him a more serious competitor in WWE. Having watched him in the ring and considering Santino remains in-character during his interviews, there is much question on his purported background. "Slowly but surely I'm going unleash some judo,'' he told Scott Fishman in the Miami Herald. "When I unleash my judo, it's going to be very dangerous for anyone who gets in the ring with me. Judo is very serious and not just the self defense. You flick the switch, and it becomes offense to the other person."

Santino with the line of the day making up a story where Carlito took Maria dancing when they were together on TV. "One time I was sick," Carlito said. "I promised to take Maria dancing, and I couldn't go. Carlito took her and brought her home at 7 o'clock in the morning after dancing all night. That is what you call a good friend. She could barely walk the next day." Interview link.

- "Apparently the McMahons are in the pro wrestling business not for money, but for love, which is somewhat more disturbing," says a review of the company's recent financials in the Hartford Business Journal. The author draws this conclusion after looking at Vince and Linda McMahon pulling in modest $850,000 and $500,000 salaries, respectively. Article link.

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Saturday, May 31, 2008

Afternoon Update

- New York Times published a lengthy story on Floyd Mayweather expanding his reach as an entertainer beyond the boxing industry. The story includes a behind-the-scenes look at Mayweather's mentality while preparing for his WrestleMania match against Big Show two months ago. "I'll be honest, boxing comes so easy to me I don’t even think about it," he said prior to the Mania match. "I'm gonna make a lot of money, but this is also a learning stage of my life. I’m learning different ways to promote." Fascinating read with insight into what makes Mayweather tick. Article link.

- Following the announcement of a 175-count indictment against Chris Benoit's doctor for over-prescribing medication to a number of patients, Bret Hart says he feels sympathy for Dr. Phil Astin because "in his mind, he probably thought he was helping." Hart's comments come in a story by Pain and Passion author Heath McCoy, where Hart adds, "Doctors could be found liable for lawsuits related to the deaths of many wrestlers. So many wrestlers have died, and they've always had an insurmountable amount of pills and stuff. It's an epidemic in wrestling." McCoy's article cites the U.S. attorney for the northern district Georgia, who said, "We now see a much broader picture of the disturbing and dangerous distribution of prescription drugs (by Astin)." McCoy's article link.

- Chris Bell's "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" documentary is positively reviewed by the Morning Call website for its even-handed approach to steroid use, with the American public demanding perfection and high achievement from athletes and entertainers. ''I'm not advocating the use of steroids in sports at all," Bell says, "but it is hypocritical to be a fan who cheers on the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa home-run race, and then turn around and chastise these guys for taking steroids." Morning Call review with notes on the documentary.

- Bobby Lashley will debut for the American Fight League at their first scheduled PPV in October, to be held in Atlanta. Lashley's association with the MMA league was confirmed at last night's AFL show, according to a report by Phanatic Magazine. Lashley's deal is reportedly non-exclusive, which gives Lashley an opportunity to pursue other MMA or pro wrestling opportunities. Report link.

***

Friday, May 30, 2008

Evening Update

- Stephanie McMahon-Levesque acquired 20,000 shares of WWE Class A common stock, according to documents filed with the SEC today. As an officer with the company, Stephanie used her stock options to acquire the shares at $9.60 per share. WWE's stock closed at $16.65 today, and the 1-year estimate from analysts has the stock rising to $19.50 per share.

- Jim Ross says the Raw ratings (2.9 overall) from Monday shouldn't be read into too much. "The Memorial Day TV ratings for Monday Night Raw were not at the level any one involved with the broadcast most likely are happy with, to say the least," Ross said on his latest blog posted on jrsbarbq.com. "I don’t think the ratings ever get high enough to keep everyone happy and when they drop down consistently to low levels all any one involved can do is to continue to work hard and to try new things featuring new personas." Ross goes old school in his blog, with comments on the NWA Hall of Fame class inductees and the frequency of fan incidents many years ago, especially on "25 cent beer night." Blog link.

- Dr. Phil Astin, the doctor to Chris Benoit, was indicted on 175 counts of illegally prescribing medication to patients. Federal authorities added 168 counts to the original indictment last summer, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They also report from the indictment that Astin "knowingly and intentionally" distributed illegal prescriptions for painkillers, amphetamines, tranquilizers, and muscle relaxers. Astin is alleged to have contributed to the death of a patient through over-prescription. "I've been expecting this for some time now," Astin told the AJC, "so it's really not that surprising." AJC article detailing indictment.

- Bobby Lashley has reportedly signed with American Fight League to officially enter into the MMA industry. AFL is expected to announce the signing of Lashley at their "Bulletproof" show tonight in Atlanta, according to MMAjunkie.com. MMAjunkie.com report on Lashley signing.

- Jordan Invincible and Double D Davey Deluxeo are two wrestlers looking to impress WWE scouts when WWE tours New Zealand this June. WWE will be holding try-outs ahead of the June 11 Smackdown house show in Auckland, which has Undertaker, Kane, and Great Khali advertised for the show. New Zealand Herald story on Jordan and Double D.

Today's Events

- The "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" steroid documentary by Chris Bell opens in five theaters today. Three theaters are in Southern California: Edwards Town Center 6 in Irvine, Laemmle's Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, and the ArcLight theater in Hollywood. Two theaters are in New York City: the AMC Empire 25 and the Landmark Sunshine Cinema. If you're able to attend one of the viewings, we're looking for notes on the documentary.

- ROH's sixth PPV debuts tonight on InDemand at 10:00 p.m. EST. There is potential for four hours of wrestling viewing tonight, with the PPV starting right after Smackdown ends. The match that will be talked about after this weekend is the main event of Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black for the ROH Title, which Sean Radican called a very special match. The other top match is Austin Aries vs. Bryan Danielson. If you order the PPV, we're looking for your feedback for an ROH PPV reax this weekend.

- WWE Smackdown tonight has the final preview before the One Night Stand PPV, highlighted by a Cutting Edge segment with special guest The Undertaker. Match line-up is very basic heading into the PPV, evidenced by the main event of Michelle McCool vs. Maryse. As always, we're looking for your feedback on the show.

Morning News Update

- Santino Marella equates himself to a Snickers bar in an interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun. "You can’t force-feed somebody," Santino said about why his initial babyface run didn't work out. "They must desire Snickers. Currently, you like Snickers because it’s your choice to go eat one. So now that Santino Marella is people’s choice to go indulge in him, it’s more popular." Santino's in-character interview is must-read material, with his thoughts on Jim Cornette, the Maria program, and becoming more dangerous in the ring. Interview link.

- WWE issued a press release on the $1.0 million giveaway with details to be announced on next week's Raw. The press release doesn't add anything to what McMahon said on Raw, while WWE's website has been teasing "more information to come" for the last few days. Press release.

- TNA Notes: Signed for next week's Impact leading to the Slammiversary PPV is Christian Cage & Rhino vs. Booker T & Robert Roode. Also, the X Division does its monthly return-from-the-dead with a King of the Mountain preview match where the winner receives a TNA Title shot on the Impact following the PPV. Other matches are A.J. Styles vs. Tomko and Velvet Sky vs. ODB. Plus, a bachelor's party for Jay Lethal and Karen debates Kurt. ... TNA added new live events to the July schedule the week after the Victory Road PPV in Houston. July 18 is Tyler, Tex., July 19 is Monroe, La., and July 20 is Little Rock, Ark. ... Petey Williams vs. Kaz for the X Division Title has been added to the Slammiversary card.

- Joey Matthews, Rob Conway, and Larry Sweeney are headlining tomorrow night's Second City Wrestling show in the Chicago area. SCW is a new promotion running shows in Midlothian with a decent mix of local wrestlers and recognizable independent names. Southtown Star article including interview with promoter Bridget Kelley.

- Chris Masters and Relic are headlining a show tomorrow night in Petaluma, Calif. at the Portuguese Hall. Article link from local newspaper.

***

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Morning Update

- TNA Impact preview: Top two matches are the King of the Mountain qualifiers with Christian Cage vs. Tomko and Rhino vs. James Storm. ... Other matches include Lethal & Dutt (w/former American Idol contestant Ace Young) vs. Rock 'n Rave, Roxxi vs. Angelina Love, and Awesome Kong vs. a fan. ... Main angles are A.J. Styles seeking revenge on the former WWE wrestlers who took him out last week and Kevin Nash being Kevin Nash.

- Jim Ross says the $1.0 million giveaway announced by Vince McMahon on Raw is similar to a TV promotion during sweeps weeks. "It appears to be similar to many ratings promotions that are done by TV networks, especially in May and November, and also by radio stations, to enhance viewership," Ross said in a new blog on jrsbarbq.com. "Many critics are blasting the on air promotion before it even starts or before the details are known, but that isn’t unusual these days."

Some notes from Ross's blog: One Night Stand PPV is Raw-heavy on matches, so he expects himself and Jerry Lawler "to carry another multi-branded PPV." ... Steve Austin is confirmed for the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas along with Ross and Bret Hart. Blog link.

- WWE is taking additional measures to keep it a secret on who will be switching brands on the June 23 Raw in San Antonio, Tex. that will feature the 2008 Draft. The following weekend, all three WWE brands are being advertised for the June 27 house show in Lubbock, the June 28 house show in Abilene, and the June 29 Night of Champions PPV in Dallas.

The tentative card for the June 27 show in Lubbock features Triple H vs. Randy Orton, Batista & Big Show & Rey Mysterio vs. Edge & MVP & Mark Henry, and Matt Hardy vs. Carlito. Well, based on that, either Hardy is moving to Raw or Carlito is tentatively scheduled to move to Smackdown. Lubbockonline.com article with the card.

- WWE Raw nearly picked up 5.0 million viewers last week when factoring in DVR viewing. Raw is consistently in the top five each week for "time-shifted" viewing that measures the number of people who watch a given show on the DVR after it airs. 7 percent of WWE's audience is coming from DVR-viewing to help make up for the slipping first-run ratings.

Last week's May 19 Raw finished seventh and eighth overall, behind six NBA playoffs games. At the top of the list for the week was the Spurs vs. Hornets game 7 that went head-to-head against Raw and drew 6.5 million viewers. Top 20 rankings.

We posted a late update on Wednesday night, so scroll down a few inches for what you might have missed in yesterday's news...

***

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Evening Update

- Interview of the day goes to Scott Steiner, who ripped on Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Ric Flair in an interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun based on his experiences with these men anywhere between 5 and 20 years ago. Asked whether his negative comments on the Big Three is out of bitterness, Steiner denied the claim. "I have nothing to be bitter about," he said. "I’ve made a lot of money, and more importantly, I’ve saved a lot of money. I’m not bitter. I love this business and that’s why I’m still in it. I’m just telling you the way it is, man. I’ve seen it with my own eyes." Steiner said he respects Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan for being money-draws and The Rock for doing big things in Hollywood.

Steiner's comments on the Big Three fall into the following categories. On Michaels: "Shawn Michaels is one of those wise-cracking guys who would say a smart comment to you, but then if you face him, he would run and cry somewhere." ... On Flair: "I always knew he was a piece of garbage." ... On Hunter: "Look at Triple H’s career before he started (having sex with) the boss’ daughter: He lost to Ultimate Warrior in 30 seconds; he was losing to guys like Alex Wright in WCW; he lost to one of the Godwins in a pig slop match." Interview link.

- WWE divas picked up significant publicity today when tennis player Ashley Harkleroad announced she will be in the August 2008 edition of Playboy. Orlando Sentinel posted a story on the list of athletes who have appeared in Playboy, with the note that Sable and Chyna had two of the highest-selling Playboys ever in 1999 and 2000. WWE was peaking in popularity at that time, and it was a novel concept for a WWE diva to appear naked. Sentinel lists the history of every athlete-related Playboy cover. Article link.

- Chris Bell, filmmaker of the "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" documentary that examines the history of steroids in sports and pro wrestling, says he was denied access to Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Jose Canseco, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the film. "Major League Baseball, The NFL, The US Olympic Committee, and WWE would not license us footage for use in the film," Bell told indiewire.com in a recent interview. "Fortunately there are some very interesting and underused fair use laws that protect documentary filmmakers, and allow them to tell their stories without being completely restrained by corporate America." Bell's film opens Friday in limited release at select theaters in the U.S. Interview link.

- C.M. Punk hinted in a recent interview with Fort Collins Now (Col.) that he'd like to cash in his Money in the Bank opportunity for the World Hvt. Title. Punk also commented on the cyclical nature of the wrestling business. "It's been more popular (in the past), but the hard-core fans are always going to be here," he said. "I’m a hard-core fan myself, and I’ll always be here. It’s not going anywhere." Interview link.

- ROH Notes: Nigel McGuinness vs. Go Shiozaki for the ROH Title has been signed for the June 7 PPV taping in Philadelphia. ROH is trying to counter-act rising gas prices by offering a 35 percent discount until Friday morning on tickets bought, including the Philly PPV taping. ... ROH announced Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Tyler Black & Jimmy Jacobs at the June 28 show in Chicago. ...

- NWA announced Nikita Koloff as the next Hall of Fame inductee for the ceremony to be held at the June 7 show in Atlanta. He joins Tommy Rich, Iron Sheik, and the Midnight Express on the 2008 class roster.

- Danica Patrick vs. Ryan Briscoe at Summerslam in Indianapolis? That's the proposal from one writer on the NBC affiliate in South Bend, Ind. following the Indy 500 race this past weekend where Briscoe crashed into Patrick. The writer suggests Bob Holly team up with Patrick considering his old spark plug race-car gimmick from over 15 years ago. Blog link.

***

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Afternoon Update

- Midway's interim CEO Matt Booty says they want to turn the TNA Impact video game series into a key franchise with a new release every year. "Everything we're doing in how we structure the team and how we got the game together is planned for this to be a year-on-year release," Booty told gamasutra.com. "In terms of the development side, we already have plans in place to make this successful."

Booty was interviewed by the gaming website to also discuss the state of Midway after the company reported losses after spending a considerable amount of time and money investing in a new infrastructure. "It's several years, and well over a hundred million dollars invested in our common technology," Booty said about the amount of investment. "Getting that to work is one of those things that's easy to say, but difficult to really pull off." The key to whether TNA will be able to push out yearly releases (after the first one comes out) will be Midway shoring up the business-side in the long-term. Article link.

- "Screenshots reveal such fine and subtle visual elements like freckles and tiny bumps on the skin of the wrestlers, realistic wrinkles on the old ring veterans, and drops of sweat carving paths through body hair," says videogamemedia.com about the realism of the TNA Impact video game, which is due out sometime this summer. Angle, Sting, Joe, and Styles are shown on the box cover. Review link.

- During WWE's tour of New Zealand in June, WWE will be hosting try-outs in Auckland on June 11. Kiwi Pro Wrestling's CEO Rip Morgan will pick 12 local wrestlers to try out in front of WWE agents, reports the New Zealand Herald. Wrestlers who make the cut will be sent to Florida to train in WWE's developmental program. Article link.

- NWA announced that the Midnight Express of Dennis Condrey and Beautiful Bobby Eaton have been added to the NWA Hall of Fame class to be announced at the June 7 show in Atlanta.

- PWG announced its next show for Sunday, June 8 in Reseda, Calif. Top matches are Jack Evans & Roderick Strong vs. Chris Hero & Necro Butcher for the PWG Tag Titles, Austin Aries vs. El Generico, and air conditioning. Well, maybe, as PWG has decreed that no more shows shall take place during a heatwave without proper ventilation...by 2011.

- A wrestler by the name of Wavell Starr, out of Regina, Canada, is passing himself off as a WWE wrestler to be an inspiration to aboriginal youths in Canada. "I feel that my entire journey as a professional wrestler was to be able to use myself as a medium to convey positive role model messages to aboriginal youth," Starr told the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. "When the kids hear how I've been mentored by some of the famous wrestlers in the WWE their attention is immediately focused on what I'm saying." Records indicate Starr has only wrestled dark matches and a Heat taping over the last few years. Article link.

***

Monday, May 26, 2008

Afternoon Update

- Raw Preview: The final Raw before the One Night Stand PPV on Sunday will feature a tag match of John Cena & Jeff Hardy vs. JBL & Umaga. It's another PPV-quality tag match on Raw, which will need increased promotion throughout the show to make it feel special for viewers tuning in on a holiday so that it doesn't come across like just another TV main event. ... The Raw preview says WWE champion Triple H will face off against Randy Orton to start the show. Presumably, that's just a verbal confrontation and not a match six days before they wrestle for the WWE Title on PPV. ...

- Beth Phoenix is interviewed in the Miami Herald about her Glamazon moniker. Beth remains in-character during the interview and she told Jim Varsallone the Glamazon name came from the fashion world, but the way the name is applied to her is different because she's not a cookie-cutter diva. "For me, it was really important to set myself apart from everybody else," she said. "Giving myself that label, that name, I feel like it does that for me and the fans.'' Interview link.

- TNA tapes two weeks of TV tonight and Tuesday night in Orlando. Matches scheduled for taping tonight to air this Thursday night include Christian Cage vs. Tomko and James Storm vs. Rhino in KOTM qualifying matches. If you attend this week's Impact tapings, be sure to send in a report.

- TNA added a new "Spin Cycle" video online this weekend. It's seriously one of the better things TNA has come up with this year. The shows have a sense of SNL talk show parody featuring off-the-wall TNA characters, including Jeremy Borash hosting as the self-conscious over-the-top moderator. Video links.

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