By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009

6:00 p.m.

-- Bret Hart reportedly signing with WWE comes with several questions. One - Did Hart approach WWE to finalize a deal or did WWE approach Hart? Two - Who needs the association more - WWE for a big name opposite Hulk Hogan in TNA or Hart to get his name back on worldwide wrestling TV? Three - Does Hart still have drawing power nearly a decade removed from his previous national TV run in WCW? Four - Will WWE audiences be forgiving if his speech isn't sharp or he isn't quick on the gun following his stroke earlier this decade? Five - Will he tempted to step back into the ring or will he strictly be an authority figure? Six - Can he help elevate the Hart Dynasty as a main event tag team act in a program with DX? Seven - How much creative control will Hart be willing to give to McMahon for the inevitable Hart-McMahon power struggle related to Montreal in 1997?

Since the news broke on Hart signing with WWE, I've gone through a number of different interviews and news items from the past year where Hart has talked about his relationship with WWE and his thoughts on Hulk Hogan, who he will be linked to by virtue of them being on opposite sides of a Monday Night Wars battle to start 2010. We'll be posting a timeline of Hart's position on WWE and McMahon this evening looking at this story from a variety of different angles.

-- The margin has widened in our Morning Poll on whether Jim Ross should re-sign with WWE or head to TNA. At 5:00 p.m., the polls were reading 51 percent for TNA and 39 percent for a WWE return. At 11:00 a.m., Torch readers were voting 47 percent for TNA and 41 percent for WWE.

-- Mick Foley will be working with the "Toys for Tots" program in New York City's Times Square on Thursday, December 17 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Foley is encouraging wrestling fans to stop by with a new, unwrapped toy to donate. Mick Foley's MySpace blog.

-- WWE has signed a licensing deal with a U.K. company to have Rey Mysterio, Undertaker, and John Cena-themed video game accessories. The product line includes cases for portable devices. Press release.

***

3:00 p.m.

-- Chris Jericho is getting second billing behind David Letterman sidekick Paul Shaffer on Thursday night's "Late Night" with Jimmy Fallon show on NBC. The musical guest is Boyz II Men, which performed "America the Beautiful" at WrestleMania 15 in 1999.

-- "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson will be giving the fall graduation commencement speech at the University of Miami on Thursday. Johnson played football at Miami and reportedly gave a $1.0 million donation to the athletic department to have the football team's locker room re-named "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Locker Room." Local CBS affiliate report.

-- From the "stay tuned" department, TNA has canceled their scheduled house shows in Canada during WWE's WrestleMania weekend. Devin Cutting reports: "According to a staff member at one of the venues, it was TNA's decision to cancel the events. No word yet on if TNA plans to hold events somewhere else that weekend."

-- Former WWE/WCW wrestler Marc Mero is speaking to a youth group at Trinity Assembly of God church tonight in Clay, N.Y., which is north of Syracuse. Mero will be talking life-change after battling drug and alcohol abuse in the wrestling business. Info on the appearance.

-- WWE posted Part 1 of a "Where is She Now?" interview with former diva Ivory. She talks about her beginnings in the wrestling business working for the GLOW promotion. WWE interview.

-- The River City Wrestling promotion based out of San Antonio is booking their own TLC-themed independent show on January 2 after WWE's TLC PPV eminated from San Antonio. Details on the RCW show are available on the San Antonio Express-News website.

***

11:00 a.m.

-- It was only a matter of time before former WWE CEO Linda McMahon tried to use WWE's association with U.S. president Barack Obama as a means to boost her Senate campaign. Politico said: "That would seem to undermine the attempts of rivals of WWE co-founder Linda McMahon, now a Senate candidate in Connecticut, to paint professional wrestling as an immoral spectacle."

McMahon has waited and waited to play the WWE card. Now, with the current president - a Democrat, no less - associating with WWE and indirectly McMahon, who is running as a Republican, she can play two big cards. "See, WWE isn't so horrible" and "I reach across party lines to promote bi-partisanism."

The strategy is quite laughable when you think about how much effort McMahon and her campaign manager, Ed Patru, have put into (a) initially avoiding any association with WWE and (b) trying to deflect criticism from her past as CEO of WWE. Now, when it's convenient, McMahon is opening her arms and embracing WWE. It's also about power. Think about it. McMahon and WWE have used the leading political figure in the entire free world as a pawn in McMahon's political chess game. That's a classic power-play from WWE.

-- CBS News covered the basics on Obama delivering a message on WWE's show this Saturday night. It's the one time of the year when WWE gets positive mainstream news coverage.

-- Looking at the Jim Ross poll from this morning's Question of the Day, Torch readers are voting in favor of Ross not re-signing with WWE and packing his bags to TNA. As of 11:00 this morning, the poll is 47 percent in favor of TNA, 41 percent in favor of re-signing with WWE, and 12 percent for Ross calling it a career. Very interesting vote. The negative feelings toward WWE right now, especially from Monday night's Raw, could have an impact on Torch readers leaning toward TNA right now.

-- TNA will begin a countdown on December 24 running through December 31 to determine the best TNA PPV matches of the year that will air on Spike TV during one of two TNA Year-End shows on New Year's Eve. TNA fans will be selecting the best PPV matches of the year from TNA to air on the show. Details on TNA's website.

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