By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

The Wine School of Philadelphia issued a press release today announcing a "Big Red Smackdown" event on Saturday, November 28 after challenging WWE CEO Vince McMahon and top heel Chris Jericho to a fight.

The Wine School is garnering as much publicity as possible after WWE tried to block the school's attempt to trademark "Sommelier Smackdown" for its student vs. professional contest.

In the press release, the head of the Wine School, Keith Wallace, referred to the Torch's headline when we originally published the news story last week. Since then, major publications have covered this story and debated whether "smackdown" is a common-enough word that it can be trademarked even if a high-profile company, like WWE, is generally associated with the word and has a trademark for the word.

"“The LA Times, Wine Business News, the Inquirer, all ran with this story,” Wallace said in a press release. “But imagine my surprise when no less than a dozen pro wrestling online news sources picked up the story, a number of them making it the story of the day.”

In an interview with the Connecticut Law Tribune, Wallace played the underdog card against the "bully" WWE when asked whether he's going to fight WWE and their lawyers for the right to copyright "Sommelier Smackdown."

"I have a staff of five," Wallace said. "If I have to choose between fighting the WWE or paying my staff's health care, I’m going with the staff’s health care."

Caldwell's Analysis: So ironic that Mr. Wallace, an unknown to the wrestling world before last week, is using WWE's own "underdog" card against them. Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is trying to use that card in her political campaign by drawing attention to WWE's so-called "humble beginnings." During the Monday Night Wars, Vince McMahon came to Torch editor Wade Keller for an interview to say "it's not fair" that WCW was out-gunning him with their guaranteed contracts and big money from Ted Turner.

FYI: Tickets for the Big Red Smackdown can be ordered on vinology.com.

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