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.

Weekend Update

- REPORTS WANTED: We're looking for reports from TNA's tour of the U.K. and WWE's Smackdown & ECW brands in Australia this weekend. If you attend a show, be sure to drop in a report for posting. Stateside, the Raw brand was in Boise, Idaho last night. Tonight, they have a show in Ogden, Utah. We're also looking for reports there.

- Former WWE diva Stacy Keibler denied rumors of her requesting a nude scene in an upcoming movie she was slated to take part in. TMZ reported this week that Keibler wanted to do the scene for "Mercy," a movie directed by Patrick Hoelck. Keibler said it was just the opposite. "I just politely declined because they really were adamant about the nudity part of that," Keibler told Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun. "I was just like, 'I’m sorry. That’s just not something I’m interested in exploring at this time.'"

Keibler added that her deal with Disney/ABC requires her to run movie projects past the company for them to give an OK. "I don’t know if it was just a small little movie that wanted to get some publicity so they threw something out there or what," she sad. "I think it’s just a clear example that you can’t believe everything you read." Keibler is currently working on a new movie for ABC Family, "Samurai Girl," where she apparently plays a heel. Interview link.

- Trish Stratus will also be appearing on TV soon. She recently filmed a TV show in Ottawa for the series "Family Biz," which will feature her in a familiar role as a famous wrestling star. "I wasn't expecting so many stunts," Stratus told Sun Media in Canada. "It's exciting to be in the ring again. It's fun." She talked about leaving the wrestling business two years ago to marry her long-time boyfriend and nurse her ailing mother. "I went out on top as the best female champion ever," she said when asked about leaving at the right time. Also on the TV front, her reality travel show will begin airing on Travel & Escape this September.

- To promote the SD/ECW tour in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald published an interview with The Miz. Yes, Mizanin talking about women flocking to him was the selling point for the tour stop in Sydney. Article link.

- Maybe it's not a great sign when the other top shows on MyNet besides Smackdown this fall will feature Arsenio Hall and Flavor Flav. Cincinnati Enquirer has the story. Article link.

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Friday, June 13, 2008

Evening Update

- WWE announced Mike Mondo has been released by the company. In their note on the website, WWE didn’t specify why, but it's related to the DUI charge last week in Florida. Mondo, a former Spirit Squad member, was in the Florida Developmental program.

- Analysts expect Jakks Pacific to recover about half of revenue from losing the WWE deal with the acquisition of TNA and UFC's license. Edward Woo, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Business Journal that the two new deals should generate about 50 to 65 percent of revenue lost from WWE. Another analyst was more optimistic. "It’s a great deal for them,” said Arvid Bhatia, an analyst with Sterne Agee Financial Services Inc. "When you combine TNA and UFC, they should for the most part replace the revenues they will lose from WWE. So investors should be less concerned about the loss."

The LA Biz Journal author took a swipe at TNA for not being close to WWE in terms of business success. "Although Jakks quickly returned fire (after WWE signed with Mattel) with the announcement of a license with TNA Wrestling Inc., it was little consolation," said the author. "TNA stands for the little-known Total Nonstop Action league, a fledgling rival of the dominant WWE." The author also says the U.S. action figure market is a $1.5 billion business, with one-third of the business coming from collectors over 15 years-old. That fits with UFC's marketing of an older demographic than pro wrestling. LA Biz article link.

- Kofi blogging from Australia on carrot cake, boomerangs, and koala bears. Just read. Kofi blog link.

- Vince McMahon says he'll continue the McMoney giveaway as long as the TV ratings reflect interest in the contest. Promo Magazine recapped WWE's press conference in NYC last week, where McMahon commented on how long the contest will last. "I think there’s a limit," he said. "I might be crazy, but I'm not that crazy." Article link.

- Speaking of Vince McMahon, TNA posted a 3-minute video clip on the Liverpool show earlier this weekend where Kurt Angle addressed the crowd. He told Vince McMahon to kiss his ass during the promo. "Why should he kiss my ass?" Angle asked. "Because we're in over 120 countries and the U.K. is our number one country." Youtube clip.

- We can put a name to a voice on the James Earl Jones impersonator/TNA voice-over man who has also been handling the NBA Finals hype videos. His name is Barry Scott and TNA has a brief story on him on their website. Article link.

Morning Update

- WWE's Smackdown/ECW brands continue their lengthy tour today with the first show in Australia. They'll be in Melbourne and we're looking for results of the show. TNA's second night in the U.K. will also be in Liverpool. We're looking for a report from last night's show in Liverpool, as well as tonight's show.

- Jim Ross posted a new blog on his experience at Cauliflower Alley Club this week. Definitely worth reading his thoughts on the convention. On topical issues, Ross says Bryan Danielson should be given a look by WWE. Great work ethic, unique skills, lots of character, and he wrestles like he is a 'star' which is not something all wrestlers can do," Ross said on jrsbarbq.com. "I wished Bryan good luck as I left the arena in Oakland Monday and he went back to speaking with Shawn Michaels which can’t be a bad thing for Bryan." Ross also suggests WWE should look into subsidizing ROH, which he calls "one of the most viable entities when it comes to developing talent." Ross blog link.

- The "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" documentary continues to open in new theaters this weekend. The movie is expanding to 22 theaters from 19 last week to capitalize on the continued strong business. After grossing $31,576 its opening weekend, the movie grossed $50,966 last weekend. Movie showtimes in your area.

- MVP says he would probably be in prison or dead if he didn't discover pro wrestling as his profession. "Wrestling saved my life. When I got out of prison I got into wrestling and it became my passion," MVP told TVNZ in New Zealand. "If I hadn't become a professional wrestler I'd probably be back in prison or dead. I would've gone back to the streets and what I was doing before and usually that's a dead end." MVP also talks in-character about his "superstar athlete" character in the interview. Interview link.

- Larry Zbyszko says the wrestling business was a different animal decades ago when he was a key player, which influenced the decision to write the "Adventures in Larryland" book on his career. "The whole business was different then, and I hope I captured that in the book," Zbyszko told Alex Marvez for his weekly syndicated column. "Back in those days, wrestling fans would get heart attacks and die or try to stab you because they really hated you. That made it a fun and exciting time."

Zbyszko, who is scheduled for appearances on TNA TV to plug his book, said he checks out the AWA shows that air on ESPN Classic, but only if he's on the show. "I forgot how great I was," said Zbyszko with a laugh. "I started watching those shows a few months ago because some friends told me I was on. If I'm not on, I really don't watch it." Interview link.

- Entertainment Tonight has a behind-the-scenes look at Dwayne Johnson's new movie, "Escape to Witch Mountain." It's a bit of a far-fetched sci-fi movie where Johnson helps two kids save their planet. Film is scheduled for release in March 2009. Video clip.

***

Thursday, June 12, 2008

- RESULTS WANTED: WWE and TNA are on major international tours this week, and we're looking for results from the tour stops. SD/ECW brand is in Christchurch, New Zealand today, while TNA starts its U.K. tour in Liverpool. Thanks to Neeraj Kashyap for checking in with a report from WWE in Auckland yesterday.

- Kofi Kingston blogs from New Zealand. Just read. Blog link.

- Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Terry Funk, Harley Race, Jim Ross, and Pat Patterson were notable attendees at the annual Cauliflower Alley Club convention in Las Vegas this week. The convention concluded yesterday with Bret Hart giving a speech after being awarded the Iron Mike Mazurki award with his late father, Stu. "Being here tonight is meaningful for me because this award is coming from my peers, from those people that educated me about wrestling," Hart said. "I owe everything I am to wrestling and all the people in it. Wrestling was my family's life and to a certain degree, it always will be." Be sure to check out Slam Wrestling's story and photo gallery covering the event. Article link.

- After Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr praised WWE for its effort to regulate drug abuse with its Wellness Policy, conservative blogger Dylan Waco ripped Barr for being misled on several facts. "The two big problem drugs in the business, painkillers and steroids, can be consumed at will as long as a doctor note can be secured," says Waco. "I'm a longtime advocate for drug legalization, and I have no interest in regulating the wrestling business, but to hold that up as a model of successful free market enforcement is absolutely insane." Blog lonk.

- Former WCW star Daffney, who took a beating from Awesome Kong on Impact last week, says she wants to be taken more seriously as a wrestler. Part of that was dropping the "screaming gimmick" and talking in a more normal voice on Impact before taking a beating from Kong. "I’ve heard from so many people, 'Well, we didn’t like the scream.' I wanted to show that I don’t really do that anymore," Daffney told Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun. "I don’t think people believe that, so I’m like, 'Well, just watch and see.' And I spoke on a normal voice, which I didn’t do for years." She said Kong is a professional in the ring despite the beating looking vicious. "I think that every woman that she gets in the ring with, if given the opportunity to do what she wants to do, she elevates the person," Daffney said. "Me being fortunate enough to know how to work her, I was prepared for how she works." Full interview link.

***

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Evening Update

- WWE Results: The Undertaker returned to the ring on the first night of WWE's tour of New Zealand and Australia. Taker teamed with Kane to face Mark Henry and Great Khali on today's show in Auckland. Also, Batista faced World Hvt. champion Edge. New Zealand Herald reported on the wrestlers meeting with local rugby players to trade notes. MVP took a shot at the rugby players. "To play rugby you need one ball," he said. To be a professional wrestler, you need at least two." NZ Herald article.

- WWE will have two major appearances in New York City tomorrow. Prior to the noon press conference in Times Square, Vince McMahon will be on NBC's Today Show at 8:30 a.m. EST to hype the McMoney giveaway. He'll be joined by one of the winners from Raw, Joshua Smith.

- Greeneville Sun (Tenn.) has another local story on one of the McMoney winners. Justin Guy, who won $75,000 on Raw, says WWE offered him a trip to NYC for the press conference, but he turned it down. WWE offered to send a representative to his house for an interview, however. Article link.

- ROH Biz Notes: ROH's seventh PPV, Respect is Earned II, will debut on August 1. ROH has begun production on the event, which was taped on Saturday. ... ROH says they granted Bryan Danielson permission to wrestle in a dark match at the WWE Raw taping in Oakland in Monday. ... They also claim they were close to getting Ric Flair and Kenta Kobashi for the August 2 show in Manhattan. "There are no talks of Kobashi returning to ROH," says ROH. ... ROH's next two national DVD releases will be July 8 with "Best in the World" and "Greatest Rivalries." ... ROH Biz notes.

Morning Update

- During an interview on CNBC's Power Lunch yesterday, UFC president Dana White denied rumors of WWE buying a minority share in the UFC organization. White said in a recent ESPN the Magazine interview there would be a major announcement this week, which prompted speculation on a major TV deal or WWE's involvement. Asked by CNBC sports business analyst Darren Rovell about the rumors, White simply said, "no" without further explanation. Brock Lesnar was also interviewed and talked about the difference between WWE and UFC. CNBC article and video clip.

- Bob Barr, the Libertarian party nominee for the 2008 U.S. presidential election, recently pointed to WWE's drug testing policy as an example of the free market regulating itself without government intervention. In a mea culpa on the war on drugs, Barr applauded "the WWE for how they dealt with steroid abuse problems," as reported by Third Party Watch. The article references Kane, who is a Libertarian party member, for possibly influencing that commentary.

Barr also referenced the Chris Benoit tragedy and WWE's subsequent crack down on drug abuse. WWE implemented the policy after Eddie Guerrero's death in November 2005, and Barr said, "In the wake of that tragedy (Benoit's), the WWE did a better job of cleaning up its internal drug policy than the government would have done." He claimed that's an example of a libertarian solution. New Republic article link.

- For last week's cable TV ratings, the June 2 WWE Raw pulled in the second and sixth spots on all cable. The show averaged 4.6 million viewers with no competition from the NBA playoffs on cable TV. Top 20 ratings.

- McMoney contestant Will Frank was interviewed by the Meadville Tribune (Pa.) on winning $51,998 on Raw Monday night. Frank said he can pay bills and put a down payment on a house. He was called by a WWE representative at 9:00 p.m. EST to stand-by for Vince McMahon's call later in the show. The call came at 10:30 p.m. EST when he provided the correct password. A P.R. representative for WWE said the money is real - from Vince McMahon's checkbook - and not Monopoly money. So, today's lesson is that if you don't receive the "stand-by" call at the top of the broadcast, then you're not going to be winning any money on the weekly giveaway. Article link.

- Chris Bell, the filmmaker of the "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" documentary on steroids, says he was denied access to Arnold Schwarzenegger for his documentary, but he believes the California governor wouldn't have had a problem being interviewed if he saw the film. "If Arnold saw our movie, I think he would take a deep breath and go, ‘Oh, that’s all they wanted to talk to me about?’” Bell said to the San Diego CityBeat. “What I wanted to ask Arnold was this: 'Do your really think steroids are that bad, or do you have to say that because you’re the governor?' 'Do you wake up every day with aches and pains that we don’t know about?' 'Do you have side affects that are long-reaching?'" Bell added that the governor might put up a front of being Superman, but he's also a human being. "But nobody wants to go on the record about anything, and that’s not just steroids," he said. Article link.

***

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Morning Update

- One of the winners of McMoney last night was stocking shelves at a supermarket when his phone rang. WWE released the names, locations, and earnings of the winners from last night's show, which includes Daniel Crummett of Palms, Calif. He was the first person called on Raw and he was working at the supermarket when the phone rang. Miami Herald article on the list of winners.

- McMahon's failed attempt to dial Daniel Crummett's number the first time around made a story on gawker.com, which covers pop culture and media gossip. As Jamie Penick pointed out in the Raw post-game show last night, McMahon was Rickrolled by the caller when the "Never Gonna Give You Up" song by Rick Astley played as Daniel's ring tone. Gawker calls it a historic moment in TV history. Article link.

- TNA's signature PPV, Bound for Glory, will be held in the Chicago area on October 12. The event will be held at the Sears Centre Arena in suburban Hoffman Estates, Ill. Tickets go on-sale August 1. In the company's press release, TNA president Dixie Carter mentioned Steve Bartman, which might not be the best way to promote the PPV to Cubs fans.

- WWE's latest DVD featuring The Rock comes out today. Interesting to note that there were not any advertisements for the DVD on Raw last night. DVDTalk.com posted an early review of the DVD. They say the DVD "isn't the most well-rounded WWE release in recent memory, though fans should still enjoy revisiting The Rock's short-lived but brilliant wrestling career." Review link.

- WWE's Smackdown and ECW brands start a week-long tour of Australia and New Zealand tomorrow night in Auckland. New Zealand Herald is advertising a main event of Kane & The Undertaker vs. MVP & Mark Henry. It must be confusing when in the same article, they indicate Edge retired Taker a few weeks ago. Herald article link.

- The international version of WWE Magazine will debut in South Africa tomorrow. WWE already has an international delivery in Greece, Spain, and Germany, with WWE launching a South Africa-specific version in major retailers on Wednesday. Bizcommunity.com article link.

- ROH Notes: ROH and NWA finally pulled the trigger on Adam Pearce bringing the NWA Title to ROH. After a lengthy planning period, Pearce revealed the contents in the briefcase at the Philadelphia show last Saturday night. A match has now been signed with Pearce's NWA Title vs. Nigel McGuinness's ROH Title at the June 27 show in Dayton. ... Marufuji will return to ROH for Toronto, Detroit, Manassas, and New York City the last week of July and first week of August. ... A special match signed for June 28 in Chicago will be non-title with Nigel vs. Jerry Lynn. ...

Be sure to scroll down to Monday's update, which we posted with this Tuesday morning update.

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Monday, June 9, 2008

- TNA posted a message on their website concerning the death of one worker following the Slammiversary PPV last night in Southaven, Miss. TNA is calling it a "tragic accident" that led to the death of an employee of a TNA independent production contractor. "The accident occurred following the conclusion of the event as technical crews worked to disassemble the TNA set," TNA said. "Currently, TNA is working in cooperation with local authorities to investigate the details surrounding the accident. TNA is deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family in their time of loss."

- The AP reported on Jimmy Wang Yang's 30-day suspension for a Wellness violation, leading to many news outlets reporting the basic details. As usual, WWE spokesman Gary Davis declined to comment on what Yang was in violation of that led to the suspension.

- WWE is hosting a press conference at the Hard Rock Café in New York City this Thursday afternoon. In the heart of Times Square, WWE is inviting WWE fans to attend the latest McMoney press conference at noon EST. Press release link.

- Going back to the May 19 edition of Raw, the show took the top two spots for DVR viewing the week of May 19-25 on cable TV. An average audience of 320,000 viewers watched Raw on their DVR within a short period of time following the live airing on Monday night. DVR viewing made up 7.5 percent of the total audience, bringing the total viewership of live and DVR to approximately 4.75 million. DVR viewing numbers.

- NWA Notes from Saturday night: NWA held its 60th anniversary show at Phillips Arena in Atlanta with a claimed attendance of 2,500. We don't have a break down of paid and comped tickets, but it was said to be a good turn-out for the show. ... Jim Cornette hosted the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which did not include Ric Flair in any capacity. Paul Orndorff was announced as the first inductee for 2009. The ceremony was reportedly very classy for the 2008 inductees. ... Top matches on the show were Los Luchas defeating The Naturals and Joey Ryan & Karl Anderson in 18:00, Sid Vicious destroying the Playas Club, and the Rock 'n Roll Express defeating the Midnight Express.

- PWG notes from Sunday night: Chris Hero won a #1 Contender match over Necro Butcher and Jack Evans to secure a match against PWG champion Human Tornado at the anniversary show on July 6. Hero selected a Guerrilla Warfare match in a steel cage for the match. This is expected to be Tornado's final match prior to having complete surgery to repair his leg injury. ... The buzz locally was the return of Chris Bosh to PWG. He'll be facing Scorpio Sky at the anniversary show. ...

- In a mere formality, Dr. Phil Astin pleaded not guilty to 175 counts of overprescriping and improperly prescribing medication to patients, including Chris Benoit. Astin did not make the court date in Atlanta today, but his attorney entered the "not guilty" plea in front of the federal court. Forbes article link.

- TheSpoof.com posted a satire piece on John Cena running for president in 2012. Mickie James is the running mate and Vince McMahon has already bought off Congress. Fun read. Article link.

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