Indeed Wrestling Weekly

WWE Raw Feuds

2011-07-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

From the debut in 1993 until today, he's the approximate ranking of most WWE RAW TV feuds:

Trish Stratus vs. Victoria: 15 singles matches and 35 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Molly Holly vs. Trish Stratus: 12 singles matches and 24 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James: 10 singles matches and 27 tag matches
The Rock vs. Triple H: 15 singles matches and 17 tag matches and 2 handicap matches
Jillian Hall vs. Mickie James: 5 singles matches and 28 tag matches
Edge vs. John Cena: 13 singles matches and 17 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly: 8 singles matches and 20 tag matches
Jillian Hall vs. Kelly Kelly: 3 singles matches and 24 tag matches
Randy Orton vs. Triple H: 10 singles matches and 10 tag matches and 7 handicap matches
John Cena vs. Randy Orton: 10 singles matches and 13 tag matches and 3 handicap matches
Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels: 7 singles matches and 17 tag matches and 2 handicap matches
Eve vs. Maryse: 6 singles matches and 19 tag matches
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy: 3 singles matches and 20 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Melina vs. Mickie James: 8 singles matches and 16 tag matches
Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam: 10 singles matches and 14 tag matches
Christian vs. Jeff Hardy: 3 singles matches and 21 tag matches
Alicia Fox vs. Gail Kim: 5 singles matches and 18 tag matches
Edge vs. Matt Hardy: 4 singles matches and 18 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Lita vs. Molly Holly: 8 singles matches and 15 tag matches
Chris Jericho vs. Triple H: 6 singles matches and 14 tag matches and 2 handicap matches
Jillian Hall vs. Melina: 7 singles matches and 14 tag matches
Glen Jacobs vs. Triple H: 8 singles matches and 12 tag matches and 1 handicap match
Batista vs. Chris Jericho: 6 singles matches and 11 tag matches and 4 handicap matches
Christian vs. Matt Hardy: 2 singles matches and 19 tag matches
Batista vs. Randy Orton: 11 singles matches and 5 tag matches and 5 handicap matches
Christian vs. Glen Jacobs: 4 singles matches and 15 tag matches and 2 handicap matches
Molly Holly vs. Victoria: 7 singles matches and 13 tag matches
Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Christian: singles matches and 20 tag matches
Gail Kim vs. Maryse: 3 singles matches and 17 tag matches
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels: 6 singles matches and 12 tag matches and 2 handicap matches

Has there been any noticeable correlation between RAW ratings and number of PPV buys?

2011-07-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

I look at "Has there been any noticeable correlation between RAW ratings and number of PPV buys?"

Here is my chart of PPV buys (usually based on 8-k filings) and domestic buys (estimated based on annual 10-k) combined with some numbers from the Observer. RAW Ratings were based on charts from Gerwick.

RAW Ratings are warts and all = that means I didn't adjust for 3 hour RAWs, I didn't take out non-Monday RAWs, I didn't adjust for major competition weeks. Whatever RAWs aired between PPVs became the average that I used.

And I'm using RAW ratings alone - nothing with Smackdown! (even though there are Smackdown! only PPVs in the beginning of this list) and nothing with other WWE shows (ECW, NXT, Superstars, etc.) I didn't incorporate price increase, UFC competition, major stips (Elimination Chamber, Hell in the Cell), headliners or anything else in this analysis.

PPV LIST
New Year's Revolution (Raw) 2006 = 294 buys / 182 domestic buys with 3.67 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 06 = 548 buys / 334 domestic buys with 4.37 RAW rating avg.
No Way Out 06 (Smackdown!) 2006 = 219 buys / 134 domestic buys with 4.08 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 22 2006 = 958 buys / 584 domestic buys with 4.12 RAW rating avg.
Backlash 06 (Raw) 2006 = 213 buys / 130 domestic buys with 4.18 RAW rating avg.
Judgment Day 06 (Smackdown!) 2006 = 238 buys / 143 domestic buys with 4.02 RAW rating avg.
ECW One Night Stand 06 = 294 buys / 176 domestic buys with 3.8 RAW rating avg.
Vengeance 06 (Raw) 2006 = 339 buys / 203 domestic buys with 4.28 RAW rating avg.
Great American Bash (Smackdown!) 2006 = 227 buys / 136 domestic buys with 3.89 RAW rating avg.
Summer Slam 06 = 529 buys / 339 domestic buys with 4.03 RAW rating avg.
Unforgiven 06 (Raw) 2006 = 289 buys / 185 domestic buys with 3.64 RAW rating avg.
No Mercy 06 (Smackdown!) 2006 = 197 buys / 126 domestic buys with 3.57 RAW rating avg.
Cyber Sunday (Raw) 2006 = 228 buys / 141 domestic buys with 3.66 RAW rating avg.
Survivor Series 06 = 383 buys / 237 domestic buys with 3.75 RAW rating avg.
December to Dismember (ECW) 2006 = 90 buys / 56 domestic buys with 3.8 RAW rating avg.
Armageddon (Smackdown!) 2006 = 239 buys / 148 domestic buys with 3.75 RAW rating avg.
New Year's Revolution (Raw) 2007 = 220 buys / 145 domestic buys with 3.37 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 07 = 491 buys / 324 domestic buys with 3.93 RAW rating avg.
No Way Out 07 (Smackdown!) 2007 = 218 buys / 144 domestic buys with 3.75 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 23 2007 = 1188 buys / 825 domestic buys with 4.02 RAW rating avg.
Backlash 07 = 194 buys / 128 domestic buys with 3.9 RAW rating avg.
Judgment Day 07 = 242 buys / 160 domestic buys with 3.6 RAW rating avg.
One Night Stand 07 = 186 buys / 123 domestic buys with 3.45 RAW rating avg.
Vengeance "Night of Champions" 2007 = 243 buys / 160 domestic buys with 3.9 RAW rating avg.
Great American Bash 07 (Smackdown!) 2007 = 229 buys / 151 domestic buys with 3.57 RAW rating avg.
Summer Slam 07 = 537 buys / 354 domestic buys with 3.46 RAW rating avg.
Unforgiven 07 (Raw) 2007 = 210 buys / 139 domestic buys with 3.55 RAW rating avg.
No Mercy 07 (Smackdown!) 2007 = 271 buys / 179 domestic buys with 3.3 RAW rating avg.
Cyber Sunday 07 (Raw) 2007 = 194 buys / 128 domestic buys with 3.13 RAW rating avg.
Survivor Series 07 = 341 buys / 225 domestic buys with 3.58 RAW rating avg.
Armageddon 07 = 237 buys / 156 domestic buys with 3.6 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 08 = 533 buys / 352 domestic buys with 3.15 RAW rating avg.
No Way Out 08 = 329 buys / 217 domestic buys with 3.62 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 24 2008 = 1058 buys / 697 domestic buys with 3.58 RAW rating avg.
Backlash 08 = 200 buys / 132 domestic buys with 3.36 RAW rating avg.
Judgment Day 08 = 252 buys / 166 domestic buys with 3.26 RAW rating avg.
One Night Stand 08 = 194 buys / 128 domestic buys with 3.06 RAW rating avg.
Night of Champions 08 = 273 buys / 180 domestic buys with 3.21 RAW rating avg.
Great American Bash 08 = 196 buys / 129 domestic buys with 3.4 RAW rating avg.
Summer Slam 08 = 477 buys / 315 domestic buys with 3.35 RAW rating avg.
Unforgiven 08 = 211 buys / 139 domestic buys with 3.01 RAW rating avg.
No Mercy 08 = 261 buys / 172 domestic buys with 2.98 RAW rating avg.
Cyber Sunday 08 = 153 buys / 101 domestic buys with 3 RAW rating avg.
Survivor Series 08 = 319 buys / 211 domestic buys with 2.99 RAW rating avg.
Armageddon 08 = 193 buys / 127 domestic buys with 3.24 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 09 = 450 buys / 284 domestic buys with 3.46 RAW rating avg.
No Way Out 09 = 272 buys / 171 domestic buys with 3.54 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 25 2009 = 960 buys / 605 domestic buys with 3.77 RAW rating avg.
Backlash 09 = 182 buys / 115 domestic buys with 3.8 RAW rating avg.
Judgment Day 09 = 228 buys / 144 domestic buys with 3.34 RAW rating avg.
Extreme Rules 09 = 213 buys / 134 domestic buys with 3.41 RAW rating avg.
Great American Bash 09 = 178 buys / 112 domestic buys with 3.94 RAW rating avg.
Night of Champions 09 = 267 buys / 168 domestic buys with 3.63 RAW rating avg.
Summer Slam 09 = 369 buys / 232 domestic buys with 3.77 RAW rating avg.
Breaking Point 2009 = 169 buys / 106 domestic buys with 3.79 RAW rating avg.
Hell in a Cell 2009 = 283 buys / 178 domestic buys with 3.3 RAW rating avg.
Bragging Rights 09 = 181 buys / 114 domestic buys with 3.32 RAW rating avg.
Survivor Series 09 = 235 buys / 148 domestic buys with 3.44 RAW rating avg.
TLC 2009 = 228 buys / 144 domestic buys with 3.2 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 2010 = 462 buys / 282 domestic buys with 3.5 RAW rating avg.
Elimination Chamber 2010 = 285 buys / 174 domestic buys with 3.54 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 26 2010 = 885 buys / 498 domestic buys with 3.57 RAW rating avg.
Extreme Rules 2010 = 182 buys / 111 domestic buys with 3.28 RAW rating avg.
Over the Limit 2010 = 218 buys / 121 domestic buys with 3.15 RAW rating avg.
Fatal 4 Way 2010 = 143 buys / 87 domestic buys with 3.2 RAW rating avg.
Money in the Bank 2010 = 165 buys / 101 domestic buys with 3.37 RAW rating avg.
Summer Slam 2010 = 350 buys / 214 domestic buys with 3.38 RAW rating avg.
Night of Champions 2010 = 165 buys / 101 domestic buys with 3.21 RAW rating avg.
Hell in a Cell 2010 = 210 buys / 128 domestic buys with 2.78 RAW rating avg.
Bragging Rights 2010 = 137 buys / 84 domestic buys with 3.12 RAW rating avg.
Survivor Series 2010 = 244 buys / 149 domestic buys with 3.12 RAW rating avg.
TLC 2010 = 195 buys / 119 domestic buys with 3.15 RAW rating avg.
Royal Rumble 2011 = 446 buys / 272 domestic buys with 3.18 RAW rating avg.
Elimination Chamber 2011 = 199 buys / 121 domestic buys with 3.31 RAW rating avg.
WrestleMania 27 2011 = 1042 buys / 617 domestic buys with 3.74 RAW rating avg.
Extreme Rules 2011 = 138 buys / 65 domestic buys with 3.47 RAW rating avg.
Over the Limit 2011 = 220 buys / 113 domestic buys with 3.24 RAW rating avg.
Capitol Punishment 2011 = buys / 0 domestic buys with 3.19 RAW rating avg.

I could post about five pictures, but they largely tell the same story so I'll link the other four and just post the one that I think is relevant:

This is for B-shows (I took out Royal Rumble, Summerslam, Wrestlemania, Survivor Series). I also eliminated ECW December to Dismember.

WWE PPV B-Show Domestic Buys vs. RAW Ratings Average

Other charts
WWE PPV All Shows Worldwide Buys vs RAW Ratings
WWE PPV All Shows Domestic Buys vs RAW Ratings
WWE PPV B-Shows Worldwide Buys vs RAW Ratings

Is there a positive linear trend linking RAW Ratings with domestic PPV buys? Barely. The R-squared is almost zero which indicates that it's almost random (i.e. not correlated).

I'm sure that as one of a whole lot of factors (PPV price, Total WWE Health, PPV Competition, Total WWE Ratings Health in key demographics, Stipulation Strength, "TV Build", etc.) it plays a role, but it certainly doesn't seem to be a driver by any means. Some of those factors are easy to name but hard to define.
(BTW, I did a separate analysis that showed almost no difference between a 3-week and 4-week RAW build in historical PPV business.)

So, where are we now?

Last four RAWs
RAW 6/20/11 : 3.09
RAW 6/27/11 : 3.13
RAW 7/4/11 : 2.4
RAW 7/11/11 : 2.9
Unweighted, holiday-included Average: 2.88
Unweighted, holiday-excluded Average: 3.04

Performance Other PPVs below a 3.1 RAW Average
Hell in a Cell 2010: 2.78 RAW avg = 210 buys / 128 domestic buys
No Mercy 08: 2.98 RAW avg = 261 buys / 172 domestic buys
Survivor Series 08: 2.99 RAW avg = 319 buys / 211 domestic buys
Cyber Sunday 08: 3 RAW avg = 153 buys / 101 domestic buys
Unforgiven 08: 3.01 RAW avg = 211 buys / 139 domestic buys
One Night Stand 08: 3.06 RAW avg = 194 buys / 128 domestic buys

Average of those was 225,000 worldwide buys and 147 domestic buys but that was mostly 2008 numbers with 65% domestic. We're a lot closer to 50% now than we are to two-thirds. However, anything can happen.

-Chris Harrington
indeedwrestling@gmail.com

April 1993 to May 1994 - WO Results Notes

2011-07-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

For reasons that I can not completely explain, I decided to run through about 12 months of Wrestling Observers RESULTS sections.

These Results sections offer an interesting window in the wrestling scene at that time, though by no means is it absolutely comprehensive and complete. In fact, major shows like PPVs and Clash of the Champions aren't usually listed in the Results section - especially if they are reviewed in another part of the same issue. Which indies are covered were probably a function of whether there was a reader attending or wrestling on those shows.

Observations:

** Award for World's Most Honest Attendance - NCW in month of May

5/10 Dallas (NCW - 30): Ray Evans b Mad Dog Billy, Sangre Guerrera b El Galena, Guido Falcone (Sweet Daddy Falcone) b El Geminis, Jimmy James & Ebony Prince (Dwayne Meadows) b Billy Steele & Chad Starr, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Steven Dane & Chris Barrett, Rod Price & Scotty Braddock b Iceman King Parsons & Action Jackson

5/24 Dallas (NCW - 11): Mad Dog Billy b Country Dog, Big D b Ray Evans, Iceman King Parsons b Chad Champion, Action Jackson b Billy Steele, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Chris Barrett & Thunder Warrior

5/29 Dallas (NCW - less than a dozen paid): Ray Evans b Big D, Awesome Kong & King Kong b Jimmy James & Chris Barrett, Action Jackson b Killer Tim Brooks-COR, Guido Falcone & Vito Mussolini DCOR Calvin Knapp & Steven Dane, Bill Irwin d Iceman King Parsons, Chris Adams b Scotty Braddock to win NCW title

That's right - they had a show with 18 wrestlers and less than 12 people even paid to attend.

Runner up for this award would probably be the ill-named "North American Wrestling Alliance" (NAWA) which criss-crossed the entire continent by running shows everywhere from Chester, South Carolina all the way down to Welford, South Carolina. Dozens of fans turned out to see to Paul Jones Jr, Rick Link, Gary Royal, Johnny B. Goode and Scotty McKeever.

** Globetrotters

While WWF superstars made it to US, Canada, Israel and Europe the man who really worked his passport to the max from May 1993 to April 1994 was SIONNE~!

Yes, the Barbarian was quite diverse:

He worked American Indies in Michigan alongside Dan Severn and Al Snow and Taz, he showed up in Germany to hang out with Papa Shango, Jushin Liger, Reno Riggins and Stan Hansen. He toured India with "Indo-Asian Wrestling" where he won the IAW Championship by defeating Vladimir Koloff and eventually losing to Giant Warrior Butch Masters in front of a crowd claimed to be 75,000. In July he stopped by Puerto Rico to mix it up with Invader #1, El Bronco #1 and watch Carlos Colon carve up Ricky Santana with barbed wire. And he spent most of the year with New Japan teaming with everyone from Haku, Scott Norton, Masa Saito and Ludvig Borga. Guess he had to do something while he waited for Samu to leave the Head Shrinkers!

Stars (Abdullah the Butcher, Jake Roberts, Terry Funk) and future stars (Chris Jericho) spent time on both sides of the ocean. However, I'm most intrigued by the lesser-known working stiffs (aka non-stars) who got to tour the world like Dusty Wolfe, Rambo and Max Moon/Paul Diamond:

Max "Paul Diamond" Moon - toured with New Japan as "Max Moon" teaming with Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit), Red Scorpio (Scorpio Jr) and several Brads (Armstrong and Rheingans)! He worked for both AWF - Australia (wrestling Akira Nogami every night) and Puerto Rico. Lastly, he squirmed around US indies doing everything from headlining PA indies against Nailz, competing in a "Hood Match" in ECW alongside the original Tanaka (Pat) against Public Enemy and even working as a Steve Austin jobber in Atlanta.

Dusty Wolfe went to Japan for NOW to get his groove back (part of an ecletic Gaijin list which included Tiger Ali Singh, Rockin' Rebel and Sweet Daddy Guido Falcone's tag partner Vito Mussolini), fighting to take the WWF jobber mantel by defeating Jose Luis Rivera in WWC and battling the legendary Lord Zoltan in American States Wrestling.

** Stipulations!

I always love digging through the archives for fun stipulations.
Some winners:

4/17/93 Circleville, OH (Big Time Wrestling/Bobby Fulton promoter - 200): Loser has to ride a donkey: Bobby Fulton b Grim Reaper (this should have been the main event instead of Ron Garvin DCOR Abdullah the Butcher)

5/7/93 Dallas Sportatorium (GWF - 1,300/125 paid): Branding iron on pole match: Angel b Black Bart

6/27/93 Dallas (Big D - 290): Hair vs. beard street fight: Big D b Handsome One

8/18 Jefferson City, TN (SMW - 275): Losers must bungee jump: Rock & Roll Express b Heavenly Bodies-DQ (Cornette loves stips like Russo loves poles)

9/2/93 Winnipeg (River City Wrestling): Losers wears a dress: Caveman Broda b Dakota Moondog

10/30/93 Bensalem, PA (NWA - 1,000): Loser gets spanked: Sherri Martel b Jim Cornette (this card was quite the affair with Steve Keirn as Doink, Brian Hildebrand as a Ninja Turtle, Ted DiBiase, Terry Funk, Sabu, Chris Candido and "Ed the Razor" who may have been Beefcake). And yes, this show is on DVD on Fan Cam.

11/26 Knoxville (SMW - 1,280): Loser gets tarred and feathered: Bobby Blaze b Chris Candido (Candido actually did this stip that whole week 11/25, 11/26 and 11/27 along with losing a battle Battle Royal 10/1 where the last man out, him, received that punishment).

11/27/93 Central City, KY (Tri-State Wrestling): Loser must kiss a pig: Dan Shannon b Mountain Man Miller (somehow Mike Samples and Mad Man Pondo managed to be in the other matches)

11/29/93 Memphis (USWA): Loser eats dog food: Little Eagle b Midget D

12/9/93 Indianapolis (Championship Wrestling from Indiana - 450): Flash Flash Flannagan won Royal Rumble rules everyone armed with a board match (GIANT BOARD WITH NAILS IN IT!)

1/27/94 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Pro Wrestling Crusaders - 600): Nail barricade death match: Power X I & II b Shunji Takano & Nobutaka Araya

2/4 Winnipeg (West Four Wrestling Alliance): Loser chews on winners socks: Chief Saddlebaggs b Steve Stryker (there was a man named "The Sicko" who wrestled on this card - but not in this match?!)

2/14 Memphis (USWA - 825): Hubcap on pole: Wolfie D b J.C. Ice, Unified title vs. Eddie Gilbert's car: Eddie Gilbert b Jerry Lawler-COR to win title (two Car-related stips on one card! Take that Bischoff Autoracing/Wrestling fed!)

** Hardest Working Woman in Show Business!

Now, there are many events - especially from the major federations - which aren't covered in the RESULTS section - usually if they have a separate review elsewhere in the issue. So, WWF and WCW wrestlers are probably under-represented. Additionally, while I've done some name cleanups - there are still 6,000 names listed and I know there are some duplicates.

That said, look at the All Japan Women - particularly in October 1993!

For instance, he was Toyota's schedule:
10/2 Chigasaki (All Japan women - 2,150): Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda b Etsuko Mita & Suzuka Minami
10/4 Iwase (All Japan women - 1,215): Manami Toyota & Kaoru Ito b Yumiko Hotta & Suzuka Minami
10/5 Kanagawa (All Japan women): Manami Toyota & Yumiko Hotta b Suzuka Minami & Etsuko Mita
10/6 Utsunomiya (All Japan women - 1,730): Yumiko Hotta & Takako Inoue b Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada
10/7 Moriya (All Japan women - 1,075): Toshiyo Yamada & Etsuko Mita b Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda
10/9 Tokyo Bay NK Hall (All Japan Women Wrestlemarinpiad '93 - 6,700 sellout): Manami Toyota b Mayumi Ozaki (JWP)
10/10 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (All Japan women - 2,100 sellout): Manami Toyota & Asari b Tomoko Watanabe & Kaoru Ito
10/11 Mito (All Japan women - 1,620): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada & Kyoko Inoue b Aja Kong & Bull Nakano & Suzuka Minami 22:17
10/12 Fukuyama (All Japan women - 1,675): Manami Toyota b Sakie Hasegawa
10/13 Munakata (All Japan women - 1,120): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada b Yumiko Hotta & Takako Inoue
10/14 Sakuse (All Japan women - 1,001): Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda b Kaoru Ito & Sakie Hasegawa
10/15 Hakata (All Japan women): Manami Toyota b Suzuka Minami
10/16 Kagoshima (All Japan women - 1,730): Manami Toyota & Aja Kong b Toshiyo Yamada & Kyoko Inoue
10/17 Kumamoto (All Japan women - 1,380): Toshiyo Yamada & Yumiko Hotta b Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa
10/18 Mitsua (All Japan - 1,190): Aja Kong & Suzuka Minami b Manami Toyota & Yumiko Hotta
10/19 Himdeo (All Japan women - 1,320): Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada b Aja Kong & Sakie Hasegawa 20:59
10/20 Miyagi (All Japan women - 1,480): Manami Toyota & Suzuka Minami b Aja Kong & Numacchi
10/21 Omura (All Japan women - 1,100): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda
10/22 Miyazaki (All Japan women - 1,569): Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa b Kaoru Ito & Yumiko Hotta
10/23 Moji (All Japan Women - 1,230): Kyoko Inoue & Toshiyo Yamada b Yumiko Hotta & Manami Toyota
10/28 Shizuoka (All Japan women - 1,550): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Eagle Sawai & Yasha Kurenai
10/29 Fukyama (All Japan women - 1,695): Manami Toyota & Akira Hokuto b Kaoru Ito & Tomoko Watanabe

That's 22 matches in 28 days.

When you look at who performed in front of the most people that year, the list is geared towards the people you'd expect:

* New Japan (Jushin Liger, Hiroshi Hase, Tatsumi Fujinami, Masa Chono, Satoshi Kojima, Takayuki Iizuka, Shinya Hashimoto, Akira Nogami, El Samurai, Kengo Kimura, Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, Shiro Koshinaka, Michiyoshi Ohara, Shinjiro Otani, Keiji Muto, Great Kabuki, Osamu Kido, Kuniaki Kobayashi, Tatsutoshi Goto)

* All Japan (Masa Fuchi, Rusher Kimura, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, Giant Baba, Haruka Eigen, Toshiaki Kawada, Yoshinari Ogawa, Takao Omori, Mitsuharu Misawa, Stan Hansen, Steve Williams, Mighty Inoue, Mitsuo Momota, Satoru Asako, Jun Akiyama, Masao Inoue, The Eagle, Dan Kroffat, Doug Furnas, Johnny Ace, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Ryuma Izumida, Richard Slinger)

* WWF (Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, Samu, Lex Luger, Fatu, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka, Mike Shaw, Shawn Michaels, Rick Steiner, Jacques Rougeau, Doink the Clown, Sean Waltman, Billy Gunn, Bart Gunn, Scott Steiner, Quebecer Pierre, IRS)

* FMW (Tarzan Goto, Atsushi Onita, Megumi Kudo, Ricky Fuji, Miwa Sato, Yukie Nabeno, Mr Pogo, The Gladiator, Big Titan, Crusher Maedomari, Shark Tsuchiya, Sambo Asako, Mr Gannosuke) - Terry Funk might belong on this list with the huge stadium show he did with Onita

* AAA (Octagon, Perro Aguayo, El Hijo del Santo, Love Machine, Rey Misterio Jr, Blue Panther, Cien Caras, Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal, Mascara Ano 2000, Konnan El Barbaro, La Parka, Volador, Misterioso, Winners, Latin Lover, Jerry Estrada, Mascara Sagrada, El Satanico, Universo 2000, Angel Azteca, Psicosis, Fishman, Eddy Guerrero, Vulcano)

* EMLL (Pierroth Jr, Atlantis, Haku, Negro Casas, La Fiera, Jaque Mate, El Dandy, Emilio Charles Jr, Ultimo Dragon, Mano Negra, Dr Wagner Jr, Black Magic, Mocho Cota, Escudero Rojo, Javier Cruz, Kahos I, Gran Markus Jr, Felino, Ciclon Ramirez, Metalico, Pantera II, Olimpus, Chris Jericho, America, Aguila Solitaria, Canadian Vampire Casanova)

* All Japan Women (Manami Toyota, Kyoko Inoue, Toshiyo Yamada, Aja Kong, Yumiko Hotta, Kaoru Ito, Etsuko Mita, Suzuka Minami, Takako Inoue, Mima Shimoda, Tomoko Watanabe, Bull Nakano, Sakie Hasegawa, Chikako Shiratori, Akira Hokuto)

* UWFi (Yoshihiro Takayama, Yoji Anjyo, Yuko Miyato, Nobuhiko Takada, Naoki Sano, Gary Albright, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kiyoshi Tamura, Dan Severn, Badnews Allen, Dennis Koslowski, Tatsuo Nakano, Hiromitsu Kanehara, Tom Burton, Super Vader, Greg Bobchick, Tommy Cairo, Jean Lydick, Billy Scott, Kazushi Sakuraba, Masahito Kakihara, Mark Silver)

* WCW (Sting, Steve Regal, Dustin Rhodes, Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Rick Steamboat, Ric Flair, Marcus Bagwell, Arn Anderson, Too Cold Scorpio, Paul Orndorff, Brian Pillman, Davey Boy Smith, Nasty Boys)

* UWA (Canek, Transformer, El Texano, Yamato, El Signo, Villanos IV, Super Astro. Principe Maya, Negro Navarro, Dos Caras, Scorpio Jr)

* WAR (Koki Kitahara, Genichiro Tenryu, Ashura Hara, Ultimo Dragon, Nobukazu Hirai, Super Strong Machine, Hiromichi Fuyuki, Masao Orihara, Great Kabuki, Yuji Yasuraoka, John Tenta, Takashi Ishikawa, Arashi, Masanobu Kurisu, Haku, Shiro Koshinaka, Black Cat, Koji Ishinriki, Masashi Aoyagi, Jado, Gedo)

** Not a lot of Fed Jumpers!

Appears to have worked AAA and EMLL in the same year
Pirata Morgan, Piratita Morgan, and MS 1
(not sure if they're all the same person or not but that's what I noticed)

Appears to have worked WWF and WCW in the same year

Terry Taylor (jobbed in WCW to Godwinns, Roma/Orndorff, Ron Simmons, Jim Steele, Steve Austin, Steve Regal, Tom Zenk and TERRA RIZING~!), Van Hammer (jobbed to Damian Demento) and Joey Maggs (jobbed to Bam Bam in WWF and jobbed to Cole Twins, Johnny Gunn, Bagwell, Maxx PAyne, Too Cold and Erik Watts in WCW).

I didn't see anyone who worked both New Japan and All Japan the same year.

There were a few people who worked both ECW and USWA that same year - namely Eddie Gilbert, Axl & Ian Rotten and THE WOLFMAN~!

** Birth of the Triangle Match?
Besides the Jake Roberts triplemania deal, AAA, ECW, MECW/ASWA and SMW all held multi-team or multi-man matches that year including:

3/28 Beckley, WV (SMW - 500): Smoky Mountain Showdown street fight: Rock & Roll Express won over Dutch Mantell & Jimmy Golden and Stan Lane & Tom Prichard

4/17 Johnson City, TN (SMW - 860): Rock & Roll Express beat Stan Lane & Tom Prichard (DQ) and Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden in three-team Smoky Mountain showdown @@@3/4

10/1 Juan de la Barrera Gym in Mexico City (AAA - 6,000): Huichol won triangular match from Misterioro and Vulcano @

10/2 Philadelphia (ECW TV taping - 400): Cage match: Public Enemy won three-team elimination of Tanaka & Diamond and Rottens

10/23 Pigeon Forge, TN (SMW - 300): Rock & Roll Express won four-corners tag match from Armstrongs, Heavenly Bodies and Bruise Brothers

11/14 Essex, MD (MEWF/ASWA - 625) Axl & Ian Rotten won 4-team Death match over Tony Stetson & Johnny Hot Body, Rich Myers & Jimmy Janetty and Southern Destruction

** Worst Match I could imagine

4/9 Linden, NJ (WWWA - 400): Mad Russian b Super Nova, Drake Debonair b Bobby Piper, Frankie Burns b Amazing Martine, Jack Hammer b Rick Ratchett, Diamond Express b Mr. Motion & Ace Darling, Jimmy Snuka b Metal Maniac, Abdullah the Butcher DDQ Nailz

Since 2008, WWE PPVs that have done more than 170,000 domestic buys

2011-07-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of buzz about this Sunday's Money in the Bank PPV and especially the storyline between John Cena and CM Punk. This well may be the last appearance of CM Punk in WWE for some time and the last month of well-executed worked shoot promos have captivated the attention of the many. Some are predicting that this PPV might finally break the 170k domestic B-show ceiling.

Some perspective on that subject:

Since 2008, WWE PPVs that have done more than 170,000 domestic buys:

Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble 08: 352 domestic buys
Royal Rumble 09: 284 domestic buys
Royal Rumble 10: 282 domestic buys
Royal Rumble 11: 272 domestic buys

Wrestlemania
WrestleMania 24: 697 domestic buys
WrestleMania 25: 605 domestic buys
WrestleMania 26: 498 domestic buys
WrestleMania 27: 617 domestic buys

Hell in a Cell/Elimination Chamber PPVs
No Way Out 08: 217 domestic buys (Elimination Chamber)
No Way Out 09: 171 domestic buys (Elimination Chamber)
Hell in a Cell 09: 178 domestic buys (Hell in a Cell)
Elimination Chamber 2010: 174 domestic buys (Elimination Chamber)

Summer Slam
Summer Slam 08: 315 domestic buys
Summer Slam 09: 232 domestic buys
Summer Slam 2010: 214 domestic buys

Other PPVs
Night of Champions 08: 180 domestic buys (Edge/Batitsta, HHH/Cena)
No Mercy 08: 172 domestic buys (HHH/Jeff Hardy, Jericho/HBK Ladder Match)
Survivor Series 08: 211 domestic buys (Team HBK vs Team JBL, Undertaker/Big Show Casket, Team Orton vs Team Batista, Edge/HHH/Kozlov, Cena/Jericho)

Last Five Years of July PPV
Great American Bash (Smackdown!) = 7/23/2006 in Indianapolis, IN = 227k buys @ $39.95 = 60% domestic =136k domestic buys
Great American Bash 07 (Smackdown!) = 7/22/2007 in San Jose, CA = 229k buys @ $39.95 = 66% domestic = 151k domestic buys
Great American Bash 08 = 7/20/2008 in Long Island, NY = 196k buys @ $39.95 = 66% domestic = 129k domestic buys
Night of Champions 09 = 7/26/2009 in Philadelphia, PA = 267k buys @ $39.95 = 63% domestic = 168k domestic buys
Money in the Bank = 7/18/2010 in Kansas City, MO = 165k buys @ $44.95 = 61% domestic = 101k domestic buys*

*) UFC 116 with Brock/Carwin was 7/3/2010 so that shouldn't have affected killed last year's MITB PPV.

12 Rounds - Good Article

2009-03-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/30/monsters-vs-aliens-is-a-dream-for-dreamworks-while-12-rounds/

Steven Mallas has an excellent article up at BloggingStocks.com discussing the latest WWE Film, 12 Rounds. While I would argue that DVD sales for WWE films have been unusually strong, all of the theatrical attempts (See No Evil, The Marine, The Condemned, Behind Enemy Lines) have failed to produce even mildly strong results at the theatrical box office. I believe there is still a market for these films as a vechicle for the talent, but I would move towards the straight-to-DVD/straight-to-Cable vehicles which might be far more lucrative in rights.

200 Fluorescent Lighttubes & Boards Death Match: Shadow WX, Ryuji Ito & Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Takashi Sasaki, Jaki Numazawa & Yuko Miyamoto

2009-01-02T14:46:00.001-08:00

BJW, 5/23/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,700 Fans

200 Fluorescent Lighttubes & Boards Death Match: Shadow WX, Ryuji Ito & Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Takashi Sasaki, Jaki Numazawa & Yuko Miyamoto

Four minutes later everyone is finally in the ring and introduced. Everyone brawling bare-shirted except Shadow WX. We get some Irish whip fakes & reversals until Sasaki and Numazawa bounce off the tube-robes and deliver stereo dropkicks to Kobayashi and Ito, who in take some bulbs to the back off the ropes. Those four are down so Shadow WX & Yuko Miyamoto play chop-off in the center of the ring. Shadow grabs a HEADLOCK and runs the ropes (ignoring the bulb he busts) to deliver a shoulderblock. Yuko bumps and kips back up. Shadow goes off the ropes so Miyamoto cuts him off with a nice little dropkick. The advantage is not long as Shadow stops Yuko and clotheslines him over the ropes to the outside. WX is taking his time so he throws a lighttube out of his way and gingerly steps outside the Meanwhile, the other four have moved into the bleachers. Kobayashi drinks a fan's water. Back at the farm, Shadow grabs a half-fluorescent and starts parading Yuko around to introduce him to the area behind the bleachers. Yuko's forehead - meet Mr Lighttube. Ito and Sasaki are fighting at the top of the bleachers while Abdullah (now bleeding from both forehead and left arm) has returned ringside to brawl with Numazawa. The Black Angel rams Kobayashi's skull into one of those quintessential Japanese folding table (one foot wide, four feet long) which enrages the beast. He chucks the table back at Jaki who sidesteps the projectile, lifts a folded folding chair and rams it into Abdullah's bleeding arm. The two men both lift a Japanese Table and while holding it upside down, crack both of them on the skull simultaneously several times. Odd spot. Obviously, a battle of the heads will be coming into place this match. Ito is still being worked over by Sasaki and we get a Star Wars wipe back to the ring with Shadow WX, Miyamoto and a giant piece of wood with several lighttubes attached propped in a corner. We're moving back into tag match rules so partners are returning to their customary spots. Irish Whip reversals leads to Shadow WX feeding his back into the wooden-glass combination complete with delicious crunching noise. Miyamoto tags out to Takasahi. WX comes back up slowly with a crimson mask so Sasaki delivers the boot to the breadbasket, snapmare and collects three lighttubes for a quick trip to punishment city - he destroys the trio of tubes via indy strong kick of doom to the base of Shadow WX's spine. At this point, Jaki Numazawa, standing on the apron, visibly winces. Sasaki's dickish pin attempt is unsuccessful so he begins laying in the boots to Shadow WX. When Shadow WX begins to hulk up against the punches, Takeshi cuts him down again with some face kicks and tags out to Numazawa. He launches Shadow WX into the ropes where his back against completes some unholy communion with the lighttubes. Jaki grabs a pair of lighttubes while we discover that a fan has obtained his own lighttube. BJPW staffer runs to the bleachers to retrieve it. Numazawa plays DrumMania (copyright Konami 1999) with Shadow WX's already gushing cranium in a series of sickening blows. Shadow WX is playing deathmatch Ricky Morton face-in-peril now. Numazawa chews on the WX's brow and pronounces it Beefy. Tag out to Yuko who snaps a tube over his knee and rams in into his opponent's frons. That's a little thing we'd like to call... ouch! Unsuccessful pinfall and Yuko throws the 49-year old man into the corner, delivers a nice flying back elbow and headbutts a lighttube right into the center of Shiga's forehead. Plenty of blood (type A according to bjwfans.com) over Shadow WX's face as Takashi Sasaki enters the ring. As Shadow WX is launched off the ropes, a lighttube goes high in the air demonstrating how much collateral damage there could be to fans in a messy deathmatch like this. Takashi executes an X-pac-esque Spinning heel kick to fell the man from Niigata. Punches and kicks galore from Sasaki. Shadow WX does enjoy the posturing and rises to his feet to engage in a blow-battle which ends with Takashi's Tiger Mask spinning back kick. Tags bring in Numazawa while Yuko holds Shadow WX up in the corner. Jaki opts for executing a snap suplex onto two light tubes which mostly end up in Shadow WX's colon. Numazawa, always the perfectionist, rallies the crowd and executes the suplex again to completely bust the lighttubes. Yuko Miyamoto, the baby of the group, tags in to bodyslam Shadow WX and then drop an elbow on some lighttubes across WX's abdomen. We're about eight minutes into the tape at this point. Pinfall attempt is requisite two count. Sasaki clears Kobayashi and Ito off the apron so he can toss Shadow WX into his own corner for a back elbow and four sets of his "break-a-lighttube with-a-kick-to-the-gut" routine. The Coup de grâce? Stuffing two lighttubes down Shadow WX's shirt (only competitor wearing one) and blasting him with a front kick. THIS DOES NOT PLEASE SHADOW WX. HE RIPS OFF HIS SHIRT AND IS FIRED UP. Another blow battle ends with Sasaski's boot to the midsection but Shadow WX clotheslines Takashi after he runs the ropes for speed. Numazawa and Miyamoto jump in the ring to doubleteam Shadow WX but they miscalculate their offense allowing Shadow WX to nail a double clothesline on the pair. Ryuji Ito is finally tagged in as Shadow WX collapses in his corner. Ito's first offense is a set of dropkicks to Sasaki and Miyamoto followed by a somewhat awkward roundhouse to the back of Numazawa's skull. Ito's educated feet (Engineering Studies, Ibaraki University) work over Takashi Sasaki complete with Hogan-esque leg-drop of doom. Nice fisherman's suplex only earns him a two-count. As his wife, the ref, looks on (how impartial can she be?!), Ito culminates an exchange with Sasaki by delivering a top-rope big-back-bump-in-lots-of-shards-of-glass dropkick. Another two count. Kobayashi goes to the top rope but fails to execute his flying KARATE CHOP. Sasaki manages to block it by crossing his arms but this only angers the mighty stallion. Abdullah performs deadly throat thrusts but surprisingly gets backdropped by Sasaki in must have been a little disconcerting for the Butterbean-esque Kobayashi. Numazawa tags in, fires up the crowd, and quickly delivers a spinning back elbow to fell the man from Nagano. However, Jaki's crowd-pleasing antics aren't helpful when Kobayashi rolls out of the way of his elbow-drop to catch him in the corner and deliver a QUINTET of lightbulb-breaking headbutts to Numazawa's crown. Numazawa is tossed into the corner to receive a running manhug from the 13-year veteran. Kobayashi works him over with a series of quick blows in the corner, bodyslam and a plodding (not running - but walking with purpose) elbow drop. It's time for a Vader Bomb - which he hits. Two count. Kobayashi chooses to KARATE CHOP two lightbulbs into Numazawa but his enchanted hand betrays him as Jaki snakes into a half-nelson switched into a jaw-breaker utilizing his own skull. The two bulls decide it's time to ram horns, or in this case, heads. Both behemoths build up a head of steam, run together, and we have a double-clothesline. As they recover, Shadow WX and Yuki Miyamoto come in together. Shadow WX clothesline him in the corner, hits a nice suplex, rallies the crowd and waits for Yuki to stand up so he can clothesline him out of his boots. Two count does not end the match so Shadow WX latches on a crossface. Shadow WX grabs a handful of glass and throws them into Yuki's eyes for good measure. Nice. We're about 13.5 minutes in.
Now, how should one escape? Just press your handy-dandy "Jaki Numazawa savior Button". He'll climb in and kabong a lighttube over your opponent's skull. Shadow WX gets the crowd clapping but Miyamoto manages to execute an overhead belly-to-belly to buy enough time to tag Sasaki in. Time for giant deathmatch lighttube board of doom #2 - this instance being placed against the bottom rope so it's cranked up at about a 30 degree angle. Takashi teases the suplex but shadow WX isn't interested in going two for two through these monstrosities. The men trade waistlocks and Takashi elbows his way out so he can whip Shadow WX into the corner and deliver a running clothesline. A stunned Shadow WX almost receives a superplex but at the last moment he slips down to the mat in order to play that popular carnival game - toss the Takeshi into the board full of lighttubes. Ouch. It's Ryuji Ito's turn now. Snap-mare & indy kick of doom. Ito grabs two lighttubes but Takashi stops him from destroying them on his body. The two men are struggling over these tubes. Ito gets the upper hand with a kick down low - Takeshi takes a knee (with the tubes over his head) - and Ito drops his heel to smash those lighttubes all real nice into Takeshi's skull. Poor chap. Ito plays Lighttube collector - grabs four or five more - puts them against Takeshi's chest and kicks him to kingdom come. Poor, poor chap. In a very short span, Takashi Sasaki has been powerbombed on tubes, had them cracked over his head and broken against his chest. Still, that's only a two-count in BJPW land. Big bodyslam from Ryuji Ito followed by a surprising moonsault. Ito has been moving a little gingerly this match so I did not expect an aerial move from him at this moment. Numazawa breaks up the pinfall this time. Ito's knees have had enough so he tags in Abdullah Kobayashi. Takeshi eats a back-elbow after being whipped into the far corner. Abdullah decides to flavor that dish with two lighttubes being karate chopped into Takeshi's chest. We've all had a day like this. Takeshi gets perched up on the shoulders of Abdullah who is standing on the second rope. Falling backwards equals a big Samoan Drop. Wow – Abdullah has pointy elf shoes. What's next? A piledriver? Nope. Abdullah drops him on his belly in a fancy move whose name I don't recall. Shadow WX is in. He hurks Takeshi up for another powerbomb but Takeshi attacks the eyes. Takashi Sasaki stills get thrown in an ugly powerbomb but he recovers while shadow is clutching his face. Still, no dice for Sasaki as his suplex attempt is reversed and Shadow WX launches him over. Takeshi stops the clothesline attempt and executes a spinning back kick followed by a back brain kick and a giant kick of ouch right to Shadow WX’s thinking cap. Yuki & Jaki come in and clear their opponents off the apron. Jaki whips Shadow WX into the far corner. He runs in with a so-so clothesline. Yuki decides to grab some lighttubes and do a combination knees to the chest & tubes to the skull move which couldn’t have been fun. Top rope frankensteiner from Yuki tossing Shadow WX across the ring. Shadow WX eats a shining wizard from Jaki and then kicks out of a double pin. Jaki DVDs Shadow WX so Yuki can go to the rope and moonsault him. Oh yeah, he stuck some lighttubes in there so the chest-to-chest action busted those up. Right at the three count, Ito broke up the pin. Shadow WX definitely didn’t kick out. Ito and Jaki tussle with Jaki launching Ito over in a nice suplex. Abdullah decides it’s time to break out “fat-man drop kick” and Jaki bails. Takeshi clothesline and kicks don’t the giant. He then delivers a pair of nasty back brain kicks to Shadow WX’s head and then puts two light tubes right by Shadow’s head and delivers an immense kick shattering the tubes and spraying everyone on that side of the ring with tube-glass and tube-gas. Ito breaks up the pinfall and tosses Takeshi to the outside. So, Yuki comes in and goes after the battered Shadow WX. One bodyslam later, Yuki has the man in position. He climbs to the top rope, executes another moonsault (this time holding on the tubes) but Shadow WX moves. Yuki was able to scout this so he lands on his feet and gets in perfect position for Shadow WX to deliver a big clothesline right to the tubes. Abdullah comes in and delivers a release German suplex to Yuki which Ito follows up with a shining wizard. Yuki kicks out before the three count. Bodyslam from Ito. Flying elbowdrop from Abdullah. Lighttubes on Yuki’s chest and the Ito frogsplash of death. Takeshi & Jaki break up the pin. Abdullah chucks Jaki outside and while Ito deposes of Takeshi. Yuki is thrown against the ropes and tries a back-handspring elbow but Shadow WX isn’t playing that game anymore. He lariats Yuki back to medieval times turning him inside out. Two count so Shadow WX does a spinning sitdown powerbomb. Two count. Stalling suplex and it’s finally over. Your winners: Shadow WX, Ryuji Ito and Abdullah Kobayashi. Good match.

IWW: Interview with Colin Delaney (part one)

2008-12-29T17:59:00.001-08:00

IWW interviews Colin Delaney (part one)

Indeed Wrestling Weekly, the program with quite a misleading title, has finally returned to air the first part of our interview with former WWE Superstar and current CHIKARA performer - COLIN DELANEY~!

In part one - we talk about growing up, memories of Upstate NY wrestling, breaking in and starting his tag team with Jimmy Olsen, the epic DELANEY CLAN matches, working ROH ringcrew and more. Colin only had a little while so we stuck to mostly pre-WWE talk. The abrupt end of this conversion was because my puppy unplugged my microphone before I signed off. How professional! Anyhow, we'll be back with Colin later this week and will continue the conversation with a focus on his WWE run.

If you have questions for Colin, you can pm me, email the show (indeedwrestling@gmail.com) or post them as a response to this thread.

Hope you enjoy it! If not, well, at least it was free.

9/7/08 - WWE Supershow in Rochester, NY

2008-09-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

WWE "Super Show" House Show in Rochester, NY by Ray Rhodes

Friday Night (September 7th) I attended the WWE House Show at the Blue Cross Arena in sunny Rochester, NY. Despite being hailed as a "Super Show" that would feature all the best stars from all three brands, I figured that just meant a Raw live event with Mark Henry on the card. I wasn't that far off.

Tony Chimmel started us off by introducing our special host for the night, Eve, somewhere in the audience that the spotlight couldn't quite find. She upgraded a family to front row after asking the trivia question, "What city did Wrestlemania 24 hail from?" Many of us always joke that the WWE thinks we need constant rewinds and replays because we don't have a long enough attention span or good enough memory. Looks like they're right because I had already forgotten. It's Orlando, of course. Tony also let us know that WE the people could determine the stipulation between Matt Hardy and Mark Henry (score!) in the ECW Championship match: 2 out of 3 Falls, No DQ, or Falls Count Anywhere by joining the digital age and texting our choice. Let me first point out that it's no trick of the TV, the masses really do love Matt Hardy. And *blush*, I do too.

The opening bout featured Chavo Guerrero (w/Bam Neely) against the spastic high-flier Evan Bourne. Not to be confused with Matt Bourne, aka Doink the Clown (which would be awesome). Of course, we all know Evan Bourne used to be Matt Sydal before ECW gave him his requisite awful WWE name (see also: Ryan Braddock, Ricky Ortiz, Gavin Spears, Braden Walker).

Ways to know you're at a WWE House Show: No Pyro, A Diva Host somewhere in the crowd, and Chavo stalls and works the audience for 10 minutes. Pop Quiz later. To be honest, I've had a hard time getting into Chavo if he's not fighting Rey and to me, Evan Bourne is just Cody Rhodes with a higher vertical leap. The two wrestled for a bit before Evan hits the first of at least 35 dropkicks we would see in the night. Bam Neely looks on. Eventually, Bourne hits the sweet Shooting Star from the top to finish Chavo and take the crowd pleasing win.

Next, Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella put their titles on the line against Kofi Kingston and (I hope it's Mickie James, I hope it's Mickie James, I hope it's Mickie James), D'OH, Kelly Kelly. Despite the hot chaps, Kelly Kelly looked more green than a sea sick sailor and was baffled several times. Which was okay because Santino seemed baffled at much of Kofi's movements as well. The crowd didn't seem to mind too much though, but Santino and Beth were able to defend their belts successfully. Santino had a pretty good opening promo about only needing 62 more weeks to break the I-C record.

When you think "Super Show" I know you're thinking "Primo Colon". If so, you'd be happy when Willian Regal came out to fight the brother of Carlito himself. They decided to tell a story by working some arms and well, that's about it. Most of the match took place on the mat and not in an interesting way, either. Primo spent much of the match getting worked over, but not in a cool "Regal Stretchin' Him" or "Regal Knee Striking" kind of way but more of an "Arm Lock" kind of way. Eventually, Primo would make a comeback--in the form of 4 consecutive dropkicks. And that's it. He slapped on a backslide, took the upset and the crowd rejoiced. Sort of.

The radio spots during the week in Rochester were advertising Jeffy Hardy against Carlito against Shelton Benjamin in a Three Way Dance for the US Title. Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Jeff Hardy was a no show but R-Truth was in the house to get rowdy. If he wasn't introduced as Carlito and didn't come out to his music, I wouldn't have believed it was him with his new make over. This was an elimination type match and after R-Truth's recent vignettes and Shelton Benjamin's old vignettes (I brought a gun to school once. The end), we figured this match was a "Who had the hardest childhood to overcome match". It wasn't Carlito as he was eliminated first. Poor guy. R-Truth and Benjamin battled it out for a good chunk of time and I wish I could tell you they put on a classic. If you've been alert at all in the last few years you already know that Benjamin cannot have a decent match with someone who isn't a main eventer. It all falls apart. No exception here. Truth and Benjamin were lost a few times including an Ax Kick that Wasn't Really an Ax Kick and a couple Ducking Mystery Clotheslines spots. Finally, Shelton retains.

Intermission came and went, as they usually do.

Up next we had the World Tag Team Champs, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase take on Cryme Tyme. First they had a few things to say, mostly about being Priceless or whatever. Yawn. Match was alright and Cody hits his awful DDT for the win.

Everyone loves Matt Hardy and it showed. Mark Henry is a large, large man. The match, picked by texting, was the No DQ match. And here I thought the 2 out of 3 Falls would win. Huh. The two had an energetic fight with Henry looking as good as he ever probably has or will again. After several near falls for Hardy he eventually falls to the World's Strongest Slam. Good match. Special Note: Henry managed to take a "Big Show Bump" of taking a Bulldog by bumping on his back. Tremendous.

Main Event City: Kane, The Great Khali, and MVP took on Big Show, Rey and HHH. The place went nuts for Kane, Rey and HHH, of course, with Rey probably getting the nod. Match featured several SHOW DOWNS and Crotch Chops. Good work by all six, I must say, in a fun match which, of course, saw the faces go over and the place go home happy. The two main events seemed to be enough to make everyone forget about the uh, forgettable first half and the lack of Jeff Hardy, Batista, Jericho, Punk, UT, Cena, etc. To be fair, I think Hardy was the only one of that bunch that was actually advertised on local promos (Cena was too before getting hurt, I think, but that's understandable).

Overall it was a decent time but really could have used some quality talkers. Aside from Santino, no one really worked the crowd verbally, which is a shame because that's half the fun of it.

Ray Rhodes, probably more critical than I should be.

Night of Champions Review by Ray Rhodes

2008-06-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Night of Champions Review, Thoughts, and Comments

by Ray Rhodes

After the RAW Draft and the following Supplemental draft the entire WWE was shaken, not just stirred as in previous drafts. The skeptical viewer (see: the entire IWW staff) would see this as a shameless gimmick to force people to pay attention and to order the Night of Champions PPV to see where the title belts would wind up. And, it seems, a giant swerve to the Internet Community. Jim Ross to Smackdown!? Take that, Good Ole JR! Rey Mysterio to RAW? Where what will the Hispanic audience do? HHH to Smackdown!? They said it would never happen! DH Smith to Fridays? But he was going to be Ted Dibiase's partner! The Swerves! The Intrigue!

Yet, not only was it a shameless gimmick, it was also a great way to freshen up the stale feuds for which I am entirely grateful for. So thank you, WWE, for sending Umaga to Smackdown. Funaki needs his face caved in by Umaga's ass right quick.

Tonight was the Night of Champions and for me, the gimmick worked. I am a huge mark for the title belts and title matches a just the thought of a night where all the belts would be on the line sends shivers down my spine. But since the rising cost of gas has forced Zip Whittle to cut my pay, I haven't been nearly as enthusiastic about dropping 40 bones for a PPV. Any hesitation, however, went away after the draft. Bring on Night of Champions!

With Finlay and Hornswaggle officially moving to ECW, I knew the tag titles could go either way on the hot opener. The Fighting Irish against Miz and Morrison in a worth while match would rest squarely on the ability of the four to manage hard hitting wrestling, tag psychology and comedy. Which they did and then some. Miz and Morrison are fast becoming the best tag team of the last few years (sorry, Carlito and Chris Masters) and Finlay and the sprite put up as much fight as they should without Miz and Morrison losing too much credibility. WWE went the right way here and had the Chick Magnet and the Emperor of Abs go over here.

Speaking of tag teams, the Draft sent Deuce over to RAW. They've done similar things in Drafts of Yesteryear just before they fire someone useless. Sorry, Deuce, we hardly knew ya.

Matt Hardy had to defend his US Title against someone other than MVP. And the world rejoiced. Sadly, though, that challenger would be Chavo Guerrero, who can't seem to have a good match unless it's with Rey Mysterio and 7 years ago. The two worked a decent match, to be fair, and Matt Hardy picks up the win after reversing the last suplex in the Three Amigos and hitting the Twist of Fate.

** Ray Rhodes Nice Touch Moment of the Match**

When Matt Hardy hit the Twist of Fate out of the suplexes, Chavo's bodyguard was taunting the crowd and didn't see the reversal. So when Matt went for the cover and got the three count, Neely was caught off guard and it didn't give him a chance to try and interfere. If he had been watching, it would have looked silly for him to just stand there, especially since he's a heel. So, nice touch.

The Internet World had been a buzz for weeks. Who would be Diabase's partner? Was it DH Smith? No! He went to Smackdown! Was it Teddy Hart? Yeah, right. Was it Cody Rhodes in a move that makes no sense, even to the most toothless of rednecks? Of course! In a swerve that make no legal sense, even in professional wrestling, Cody Rhodes turned on Hardcore Holly and was announced his own mystery opponent. When Dibiase pinned Holly, Rhodes lost the titles with Holly and won them with Dibiase at the same time. To make matters worse, Dibiase has the worst theme music in the last 12 years as well as the worst finisher. Million Dollar Dream into some sort of Russian Leg Sweep? Apparently money can't buy you happiness, good theme music or a decent finisher. But it can buy you an awful storyline. If Ted Dibiase Sr. was dead, he's be rolling in his grave.

Somebody in the WWE woke up and had a good idea. Use Jericho to his ability. And his ability is to be a great heel and to have incredible matches, not brawling with JBL and wrestling once a month.

Now that he's in a great feud with HBK, something had to be done with the IC Title. And that something was recent draft acquisition, Kofi Kingston. In a very strong back and forth match, Jericho did what Jericho does and Kofi showed glimpses of living up to his potential despite a few rough patches. Throw in HBK, a superkick on Lance Cade and a surprise upset and you've got some intriguing TV for the next few Raws. I admit it, I'm hooked.

Pigs began to fly and Hell was frozen over because tonight was the night Mark Henry became a World Champion. It's been a long 12 or so years of multiple let downs, painful matches, and a dozen injuries but Mark Henry has done it! Night of Champions brought us Kane, Big Show and Henry in a match of Sloths. It actually started decent until Kane got roughed up on the apron after getting dumped from the ring which left Show and Henry in the ring longer than should be allowed by law. Eventually, Henry gets the win after massive amounts of bodies crashing around. Mark Henry is a happy man tonight, but the world weeps.

Mickie James defended her Women's Championship against Katie Lea Burchill in a match that would, in my mind, make or break Katie Lea. On a side note, I was digging the Burchill v Kennedy angle but they abruptly ended it and sent Kennedy to Smackdown. Jerks. The two women had a pretty good women's match truth be told and it was an actual match, with barely a hair biel, hair pull, or hair based offense at all. Thank you. Mickie picks up the win but I hope they continue to feud for another month or so.

I originally thought whichever World Title match went on last would be the big title change of the night. So when Edge v Batista was in the Viscera Spot, my hope of Batista taking the title to RAW fell apart. After weeks of getting screwed over, it seemed like the perfect point for Batista's revenge. Sadly, Edge retains but after Batista picks up Vickie and hurls her onto La Famiglia, I'd say it was worth it.

So, logically, HHH was losing to Cena, right?

I guess not.

After hyping the match as a match that would give us a moment we would never forget, it was a typical Cena/HHH match. It almost seemed too robotical and cookie-cuttered and at no point did it reach the point of intensity it should have. Even the false finishes were predictable and with HHH winning it just seemed like a cheat. Sure, it wasn't what was expected but sometimes what is expected is what's needed. Raw needs a champion and for that not to be resolved at Night of Champions just seems like a dirty trick. Like sending Matt Striker to RAW. Sorry, Matt, you're probably not going to have a job anymore.

The best part of the night, perhaps, for comedy anyway, was when Batista and Cena were talking backstage, CM Punk came up and made sure we remembered he had the Money in the Bank Briefcase. Just the thought of Punk againt Cena or Batista made me have a fit of laughter. The day Punk beats either of them is the day Carlito beats HHH. Stranger things have happened, however, Mark Henry is a World Champion after all.

Final Word: The PPV started off good but a baffling and stupid tag team match and no title change in either of the main events brings a possible A grade to a strong B.

Future Presidents appears on RAW; King of the Ring returns!

2008-04-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Political theatre jumped in the squared circle on Monday night as all three major Presidential Candidates appeared on RAW in taped speeches laced with wrestling catchphrases. Also on this special three-hour episode, WWE held a one-night King of the Ring tournament crowning the first champion since King Booker’s 2006 win. (Prior to that, the tournament had been retired since June 2002 when Brock Lesnar defeated RVD in the finals. Trivia note: only five of the sixteen men in that 2002 tournament – Edge, Hardcore Holly, William Regal, Val Venis and Chris Jericho – are still working for WWE now.)

WWE did not announce the participants for this tournament in advance. The news that the Presidential Candidates had each taped a message for the show was also late-breaking. No doubt, with a very close primary in Pennsylvania, any efforts to target young voters (Obama appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday as well), were being pursued aggressively. The overnight ratings for the show were not released yet but are expected to be higher than normal for the last two hours.

The timing for a one night, three-hour RAW directly preceding Sunday’s Backlash PPV is interesting. Typically, these specials are directives from USA. A seven-match one-night tournament like King of the Ring is an excellent way to fill the time but on a go-home show directly prior to a PPV, is it dilutive to selling Backlash? PPV storylines were woven into the tournament as well as promos for the RAW main event. However, the tri-focus of KOTR, promoting the upcoming pay-per-view and the messages by Obama, Clinton and McCain gave the show a very odd feeling.

First round was Chris Jericho (Intercontinental Champion, RAW) and Montel Vontavious Porter (US Champion, Smackdown). This pairing is especially interesting because Jericho honed his skills as one of the last modern wrestlers to really tour the world (Europe, Mexico, Japan, North America) prior to joining WWE. MVP joined the professional wrestling community much later in his life, but has shown a veracious ability to learn and improve ever since Kane literally lit a fire under his ass during their inferno match. Both have expressed a deep appreciation for Japanese strong-style wrestling. With these expectations, the match was okay but not incredible. Surprisingly, MVP submitted to the Walls of Jericho after Y2J escaped from the Play of the Day. Considering that Jericho is the referee for the Batista/HBK match and MVP has a singles match with Matt Hardy, I would have thought MVP would continue. However, seeing the rest of the matches, the decision must have been made that face-face matches would play better than heel-heel matches.

Next match was “Never say Die” Matt Hardy and “Mr. Money in the Bank” CM Punk. Considering MVP’s loss, it seemed evident that Hardy would be doing the job. Another match that would play very well in front of a ROH audience, Punk was able to get the pinfall after Hardy escaped from the G2S (KENTA’s Go 2 Sleep).

Fit Finlay and Great Khali had a short match ending in a disqualification. Khali was killing Finlay and destroying his leg by wrapping it around the ringpost. Eventually, Big Show appeared and the two had a short confrontation. I was surprised they had Khali giving Big Show the Tree-Slam on Smackdown last week. Personally, the allure of these two giants fighting one another (in my mind because Big Show had to take Khali’s place in the awful Punjabi Prison Match several years ago) is only special if we can’t see them taking bumps on free TV.

Finlay and son Hornswoggle were leaving when William Regal came out and it was announced that the diminutive former bastard son of Vince McMahon had been entered into the King of the Ring tournament. Regal made quick work of Hornswaggle by applying the Regal Stretch and immediately garnering a submission victory.

CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in the KOTR semi-final match in the best match of the evening. These two men met just three weeks prior on Monday Night RAW during the build-up to the Money in the Bank Ladder match at Wrestlemania. In that encounter, Jericho landed the Code Breaker to defeat CM Punk in an excellent match. On Monday night, CM Punk avenged that loss when he managed to nail the G2S for the win. With a tournament which has the possibility to create new stars, CM Punk seemed like the right person to get some additional momentum. However, since he already holds the “Money in the Bank” title shot, it’s questionable whether he really would have needed to win this tournament as well.

William Regal and Fit Finlay had their usual face-bustingly violent affair. It was terrific to see them working over each other with their brutal strikes. Eventually, Regal managed to destroy Finlay with a devastating combination of senton-punches-knee lift and Regal stretch for another submission victory. Because of Finlay’s knee injury from the Khali match, I was surprised this one went as long as it did.

The finals for the 2008 King of the Ring tournament was William Regal versus CM Punk. Again, in another promotion, given sufficient time, this could be one of the finest matches of the year. On RAW, this was merely a good, albeit too short, final for a one-night tournament. In the end, Regal matched to apply the Regal Stretch for a third consecutive submission triumph.

A tournament such as King of the Ring offers an opportunity to make new stars. One of the main problems with the WWE Brand Expansion is that with the multiplying number of belts, it becomes harder and harder to establish anyone but the very top tier of the company: Triple H, Randy Orton, John Cena, Undertaker, Batista, Shawn Michaels and Edge. When you remove these players from a major tournament, you are only left with faux-main event contenders (JBL), Tag Champions (Hardcore Holly), Intermediate Belts (US Champion MVP & Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho) and ECW “Superstars” (Kane & Chavo Guerrero). The Fit Finlays of the roster are people whose sole job is really to be a credible opponent without really being a major contender. Wasting a slot on Hornswaggle, especially without a storyline about Regal being a conniving GM stacking the tournament in his own favor, is a real shame. Instead, elevating a young star such as Lance Cade or re-establishing a potential powerhouse such as Umaga would have had far more impact. William Regal’s transition to King of the WWE will hopefully be a productive adventure. He definitely has the skills and background. The real question is – who will he defend his royal title against?

Wrestlemania in Orlando - Ric Flair retires!!

2008-03-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

JBL defeated Fit Finlay in a “Belfast Brawl” match. (An interesting choice for hot opener because it’s always tough to follow a weapons melee as the first broadcast match of the night. However, there wasn’t a lot of other choices except perhaps Umaga vs Batista or Bunnymania.) Finlay was accompanied by his returning “son”, Hornswaggle (a.k.a. the Little Bastard), who didn’t really play much of a role in the match. Finlay tried to bring the violence including kicking out the vintage Benoit/Finlay moment of diving to the outside to see the hijo answered with a nasty weapon shot. JBL’s table spot was interesting because he seemed uncertain whether he wanted to take a flip bump or not, so he ended up going shoulder/head first. Ouch. JBL ends up winning with the clothesline from hell.

Money in the Bank with Seven Men: MVP, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, Chris Jericho, CM Punk and Mr Kennedy. There was no strong contender going into this match following the suspension of number eight man Jeff Hardy due to a drug test violation. As with all Money in the Bank matches, Shelton Benjamin worked hard and a spectacle ensued. Some creative spots with interlocking the ladders brought the nice innovation factor. Matt Hardy made a surprise return to knock MVP away from the briefcase which was a pleasant continuation of their feud. In the end, CM Punk won the match. However, his future is very uncertain – a title shot at ECW One Night Stand, perhaps?

Batista versus Umaga had a solid match with the Samoan Bulldozer working over the Fujian grandfather’s back. In the end, Batista narrowly managed to execute a powerbomb on the giant monster and won the “Battle for Brand Supremacy”. This did not have a big-match feeling about it, nor did feel like it was a meaningful encounter between the two brands. Umaga is probably moving off RAW in the coming weeks.

Kane won the ECW Championship (his second “world” title reign) by chokeslamming and pinning Chavo Guerrero in less than ten seconds. Kane has been on every Wrestlemania since 1998. We’ll see if his reign as ECW champion will be a ratings failure like Morrison’s.

Ric Flair lost his career-threatening match against Shawn Michaels and retired. HBK showed a lot of emotional throughout the match and put his body on line with a Asai moonsault into the announcer table that looked like it busted his ribs and a flip from the top rope to the floor that looked brutal. Arena was emotional with Flair’s last match and that sentiment will no doubt grow tonight as RAW is built around his farewell.

Bunnymania Lumberjack Match did not have Torrie Wilson as a nameless Diva on the outside. Beth Phoenix & Melina defeated Maria and her partner Ashely (filling in for a re-injured Candice Michelle). Not much to say about this match except that Snoop Dogg was given a ridiculous giant throne to watch it at ringside and later hit Santino and kissed Maria. What a great ad for his parenting reality show!

Triple H, John Cena and Randy Orton had a very well-laid out title match where the heel championship was able to retain. Crowd was vociferously booing Cena during this match as expected. Triple H was very popular but did not wear his Halloween costume. This fued will continue!

Floyd “Money” Mayweather defeated Big Show by Knock-out after Paul Wight fought an army of handlers, took several chairshots and was punched in the head by a world champ boxer while wearing brass knuckles. This match was laid out very well and the crowd was very excited to see the natural heel get hit. This may have been the best celebrity pro-wrestling match yet executed.

In the main event of the evening, Edge lost the World Heavyweight Title to The Undertaker by submission. The story of this match was the Undertaker’s 16-0 Wrestlemania streak which remains intact. Many observers pegged this match as the best on the card following a quiet beginning. Undertaker has been working hard to get the Gogoplata submission over and on Sunday, the crowd popped huge so it was a success. As usual, the show ended with a face winning a major championship.

Pre-WM IWW show: http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1206591194.mp3

SUMMERSLAM 2007

2007-08-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

Rey Mysterio returns to Summerslam covered in Volcanic Ash.

New IWW show: THE CONDEMNED~!

2007-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

IWW: The Condemned Review w/ Foywonder!

Another great show with B-movie guru FOYWONDER. We talk about WWE's latest: THE CONDEMNED; Roddy Piper's hits & misses; Jesse's failed buddy cop/wrestling TV show (honestly!) and much more. Also, we have a TRIVIA CONTEST for prizes. Great show!

SANTINO~!, Hogan/Lawler OFF & TNA Lockdown PPV

2007-04-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

This week WWE gave something back to their European fans by taping their flagship shows overseas. (And why not? As it stands, this current continental excursion is set to be the highest grossing tour in the history of the company!) RAW & Smackdown were taped this week in Italy. England will host next week.

One of the biggest surprises this past week was moving the Intercontinental Title from Umaga to a brand new character as the opener on RAW. Santino Marella, born Anthony Corelli, has been training at OVW for at least two years. In Kentucky, his character was Boris Alexiev, a faux-MMA superstar that was pushed during Paul Heyman’s time in charge of developmental. Ironically, the reason that Heyman was booking OVW instead of Jim Cornette was incidentally due to Corelli. Back in July 2005, Cornette blew his lid after Corelli, a plant in the front row, reacted poorly and laughed at Boogeyman’s debut in OVW. Cornette, notorious for his short temper, actually began slapping Corelli repeatedly in the face when he returned backstage. In the end, when word filtered back to the office, Jim Cornette lost his job with WWE, and eventually moved on to TNA. Corelli’s new moniker is thought to be a tribute to longtime WWF employee Gorilla Monsoon, real name Robert Otto Marella. The entire scenario was literally a last minute brainstorm by Vince McMahon who basically called Alexiev, and told him to get to Milan by the next day. Reportedly, Boris was in line for an ECW/Taz push by Dusty Rhodes, but that idea is now out of the window.

Some other updates:
• Jerry Lawler vs Hulk Hogan in Memphis has been cancelled. However, the event will continue with Hogan vs Paul Wight. WWE really pressured Lawler to not do this event and in the end, they won.
• Rene Dupree is in rehab. Bob Holly is getting elbow surgery. Kane needs knee surgery. Booker T got knee surgery. Ashley needs work on her leg that she broke last year.
• TNA Lockdown PPV Results from outside St. Louis, Missouri
-Chris Sabin won an Escape the Cage match (against Chris Sabin, Shark Boy, Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt)
-Robert Roode defeated Petey Williams
-Gail Kim beat Jackie Moore
-Senshi (Low Ki) rolled up Austin Starr (Austin Aries) for the pin.
-Former Tag Partners STORM conquered HARRIS in a BLINDFOLD match that was not good.
-Christopher Daniels overcame Jerry Lynn clean.
-TEAM 3-D won something like their 20th Tag Title from L.A.X. in an electrified cage match that was seen as very hokey by the crowd.
-STING beat Abyss in the Wargames match. The rest of the main eventers were in there too.
• Great list of Wrestling Events throughout the country.

Alternatives to WWE

2007-04-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

As life is wont to do, the weeks following the granddaddy-of-them-all Wrestlemania, are usually marked with a downturn in interest. This decline will generally stabilize over the Summer, with a small upward swing typically around Summerslam. When Football returns in the Fall, usually that picks off a lot of wrestling fans until around the Royal Rumble.

So, what causes this diminished attention? Is it because WWE typically rehashes their Wrestlemania main events? In this case, Backlash will feature Lashley versus Umaga (this time in a handicap match with Vince & Shane McMahon), The Undertaker versus Dave “the Animal” Batista (again for the Smackdown championship) and John Cena versus Shawn Michaels versus Randy Orton versus Edge (at least a slight variation on the HBK/Cena WM match). Internally, the view is that “branded” PPV, that is Pay-Per-Views where only superstars from a single brand (RAW/Smackdown!/ECW), aren’t sufficiently strong in the domestic market. December’s ECW PPV had less than 100,000 buys worldwide and registered one of the lowest gross domestic buys in North America of the past decade. So, that’s why on this next PPV all three major championships will be defended.

However, if you’re not interested in this retread, what else is out there for you?

Of course, there is TNA: Total Non-stop Action. They used to be known as NWA TNA, but the NWA moniker is being phased out. They’re going back to a NWA Heavyweight Champion touring the indies, and TNA isn’t going to be sending Christian Cage or Sting out to Elbow, West Virginia to perform in a barn. This weekend is Lockdown, the PPV with ALL cage matches. (I believe this was originally Dusty Rhodes idea .) They’re on the road for this event in St. Charles, Missouri so I expect a very rowdy crowd.
The Line-up courtesy of Brian Alvarez:
* Christian & A.J. Styles & Scott Steiner & Abyss & Tyson Tomko vs. Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe & Rhino & Sting & Jeff Jarrett in a War Games match where the guy who gets the pin wins a title shot at the next PPV.
* Latin American Exchange (LAX- Homicide & Hernadez) vs. Team 3D (The Dudleyz) for the NWA Tag Titles in an ELECTRIFIED cage match
* Austin Starr (Austin Aries) vs. Senshi (Low-ki) with Bob Backlund as the referee
* Jerry Lynn vs. Christopher Daniels
* Gail Kim vs. Jackie Moore (Jacqueline)
* Chris Sabin vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Jay Lethal vs. Alex Shelley vs. Shark Boy in an Xscape the Cage match
* Petey Williams vs. Robert Roode (formerly Team Canada’s Bobby Roode)
* Chris Harris vs. James Storm in a blindfold match (former tag partners)
* Bashams (Christy Hemme's new team) vs. VKM (Voo Doo Kin Mafia – basically, the New Age Outlaws – Road Dogg/BG James & Billy Gunn/Kip James)
The PPV will probably be solid. There is some variety and extra stipulations where they can keep the matches varied so the crowd won’t be too burned out. Expect the D-Von & Bubba (Team 3D) to win the so they can add the NWA Tag Titles to their vast lineage. Still, the PPV is under the radar of most fans. I don’t expect anything above the normal 30k PPV buys that TNA always gets.

You could go down to Memphis, TN. Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler are putting together something that would qualify as one of the most noteworthy independent wrestling shows in a long time. (As Dave Meltzer has emphasized, there have also been numerous lucha libre shows throughout the United States geared towards Hispanic audiences which have drawn huge crowds.) Set for April 27, Hulk Hogan versus Jerry Lawler is billed as the “PMG Clash of the Legends” and booked for the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis. Former WCW/WWE/ECW superchamp Big Show will be coming out of his “retirement” to wrestle under his real name of Paul Wight. Plenty of 80s legends, especially Hogan’s buddies will be on hand: Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, Jimmy Valiant, Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson, Koko B. Ware, The Barbarian, Jim Cornette, Abdullah the Butcher and Jerry Lawler’s son Grandmaster Sexay (Brian Christopher). The arena seats about 19,000 and Hogan is very clever. Hulk won’t wrestle in half-empty arena, especially since this is seen largely as a major play by Hogan to prove to WWE that he’s still relevant. (If anyone is planning on going to show, PLEASE send us an email.)

If you’re an adult (above 18) and interested in a very “alternative” wrestling product, you could consider Carmen Electra’s NWWL. That stands for the Naked Women’s Wrestling League. This isn’t porn stars rolling around in oil or chicken wing grease. It is still professional wrestling, except all the women wrestle nude. While the earliest tapings featured some pretty cornball storylines and questionable wrestling, to their credit, the owners of NWWL have really invested heavily in their product and production values. They have a substantially large training gym in Toronto where Ron Hutchinson, a professional wrestling trainer who’s taught a host of accomplished performers (including Trish Stratus, Edge and Christian), works with the women. Also, they’ve brought in independent talent such as April Hunter and Melissa Coates. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to NWWL Writer & Producer Dan Brown on several occasions, and I must admit that while creating a sexy product is always the goal of NWWL, they’re also very serious about writing & producing a real professional wrestling show. The latest taping of NWWL: Naked Revolution, begun airing on Monday on InDemand. It was taped last year in Canada. If you’re at all curious, please listen to the hour interview with Dan & April which was conducted on Monday. It was a very funny, interesting and enjoyable time!

Lastly, there is plenty of excellent independent wrestling out there. Ring of Honor, the winner of Wrestling Observer’s “Best Booker” award, is touring Minnesota & Chicago at the end of the month. NWA Upstate in Rochester, NY just held an excellent card last week including a Wargames cage match pitting Brodie Lee’s Team vs Jimmy Olsen’s Team. Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG) will be having another superstar event in West Hills, CA on May 19. Portage, Indiana will host the rising Fight Sports Midwest with Human Tornado, Low Ki, Tiger Mask IV and Marty Jannetty. There is plenty of excellent professional wrestling across the entire United States and Canada almost every weekend. We urge you to check it out!

So, don’t forget – if WWE has you down, there’s plenty of other great professional wrestling out there! And that’s not even touching on all the Mixed Marital Arts goodness that awaits you as well…

IWW reviews Wrestlemania 23

2007-04-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Wow. That was a very solid PPV! There weren't many surprises: what you expected to deliver, really did; what you expected to stink, did just that. I want to thank everyone who commented on the recent WMpredictions pieces! (We always love to hear from readers and we're interested in what you have to say.)

This year's Wrestlemania drew a reported 80,103 fans to Ford Field in Detroit. If that number is legitimate, that would easily be the largest pro-wrestling event ever held in North America. Toronto is in third place with 67k fans to see Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI in 1990 and 68k fans packing the Skydome for "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs The Rock at Wrestlemania X8 in 2002. WWF's claim of 93,173 for WM3 at the Silverdome isn't real. The real number for Wrestlemania in 1987 was closer to 78k. WM23 isn't even the record for Vince as they drew 82,000 to Wimbley Stadium in London, England for Summerslam 1992 for Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith. Any way you slice it, this year's Wrestlemania is a record for North American pro-wrestling gate, North American pro-wrestling attendance and highest Wrestlemania attendance. Next year's Wrestlemania will be at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando which will probably hold somewhere between 65 and 75 thousand people. It probably won't surpass this year's attendance, but it will be another huge event with tons of people and an enormous live gate!

On the Indeed Wrestling Weekly staff, LadyA showed her dominance by predicting seven of the eight matches correctly (only faltering on the ECW tag). Everyone else predicted either four or five matches of the matches correctly. On the whole, there wasn't much in the way of unexpected events. However, in pro-wrestling, predictability can be a really great thing: fans like to be able to see where a story is going and they like to be excited about that path. In the late 90s, Vince Russo & WCW Nitro Crash TV really pushed the envelope when it came to giving surprises and SWERVING the audience. Shocking people might increase television ratings, but it rarely plays well for viewers who have paid serious money to watch Pay-Per-Views. When it comes to the really big events - it's best not to do something dangerous. (Look at WCW Starcade 1997 with Sting vs Hogan for an example of how not just giving the fans what they wanted - a clean pinfall/submission - ruined a perfect angle.)After Aretha Franklin, her choir ("CROWN IT") and the military vignettes, we had Wrestlemania PYRO~! Then it was time for the first match.

1. MONEY IN THE BANK Jeff Hardy/Booker T/Fit Finlay/CM Punk/Mr. Ken Kennedy/Matt Hardy/Randy Orton/Edge)
Going into this match, the leading contenders were Edge, Orton and Kennedy. Edge, suffering from a torn bursa sac in his jaw, hasn't been wrestling much on television lately. In the end, a massive legdrop from Jeff Hardy through a ladder (the MASSIVE HGH LADDER OF DOOM) suspended between the ring and the guardrail (or MANSHIELD as TC Watts calls it) removed Edge and Jeff Hardy from this match. Fit Finlay really stepped up his game and set the tone for the evening: large men unexpectedly doing moves off the top rope: Air Finlay! This match really had it all - Hornswaggle's mini-ladder (stiff shot to CM Punk's head from Edge), Matt Hardy taking a nasty suplex on the ladder (again from Edge), Ken Kennedy missing a senton and landing neck-first on a ladder, Jeff Hardy giving a huge senton on Kennedy, Orton hitting an RKO off the ladder on CM Punk, Ken Kennedy delivering a rolling Samoan Drop to Finlay's midget from off the ladder, Fit Finlay executing a painful looking Celtic Cross on Matt Hardy across a ladder and much more! They laid out this match very well with people pairing up to fight on the ladder (with strong strikes and quick movements, this flowed a lot better than some other ladder matches) along with giving each wrestler their moment to shine (such as Edge's 6 spears, Booker T cleaning house, Randy Orton delivering multiple RKOs). In the end, it came down to the two newest WWE superstars: CM Punk and Ken Kennedy. While both were on the ladder, CM Punk hit a Maui thay kick to knock off Ken Kennedy. Kennedy retailated by throwing a ladder at CM Punk's face and climbing to victory. As Ray Rhodes & Zip Whittle predicted, the "golden boy" of Smackdown is now the 2007 Money in the Bank champion.
WINNER: KEN KENNEDY (19 minutes 10 seconds)

(RAW) The Great Khali VS (Smackdown!) Kane
Ultimately, this felt like a strange TV match somehow transported to our Wrestlemania screen. The encounter was less than six minutes long and still exposed how dreadfully poor Khali is at selling. We did get some old-school wrestling action with a trapeze muscle hold! Kane brought in his hook/scythe and we eventually got a serious low blow (with a chain) by Kane. This lead to the big moment where Kane bodyslammed Khali. It was a nice visual. (I wonder if in twenty years, people will remember this match as fondly as Andre/Hogan. Well, with the exception being that the crowd was at least vocal during that Wrestlemania match.) However, Khali could not be put down. He hit his hanging neck tree slam (chokebomb?) and won clean. No Mark Henry run-in. No DQ for using a Chain. They continue to build Great Khali. I assume he'll be fed either to John Cena or Bobby Lashley in the next four months.
WINNER: The Great Khali (5 minutes 31 seconds)

At this point, we had classic Wrestlemania Comedy with a bevy of cameos. Cryme Tyme & Eugene (looking quite Ox Baker-like) ran into the Extreme Expose, Moolah & Mae Young, REV. SLICK~!, Dusty Rhodes, Jimmy Hart, Mean Gene, IRS, Jerry Briscoe and RICKY F'N STEAMBOAT and lastly, FAROOQ (DAMN!). They had a dance party. It was a beautiful thing. "FAROOQ... FAROOQ... FAROOQ IS ON FIRE!"

US Championship: Chris Benoit (c) vs Montel Vontavious Porter
MVP has improved a lot, especially since Kane burned his ass. He's been in the WWE for less than a year and it starting to show a lot of potential for becoming a serious wrestler. The announcers (JBL/Cole) did a good job really building up Chris Benoit in this match as an incredible technical wrestler (Bret Hart & Eddy Guerrero are the "only guys able to go toe-for-toe"). Thus, when MVP was able to hold his own with Benoit, it really meant something. This was easily MVP's best match of his career (and it's no coincidence he was in there with Benoit) and I really thought they were going to put the Florida native over the Canadian for the US Title. However, in the end Chris Benoit pinned MVP clean using the diving headbutt! Either way, it was a fun match and a lot better than I expected. Ray Rhodes was right to predict that they two would click in a great way. I'm still not sure where they're going with Benoit down the line, whether he's going to stay on Smackdown or whether he might move to RAW. I expect this feud between Chris & MVP won't be over for awhile.
WINNER: CHRIS BENOIT (9 minutes 19 seconds)

We had a segment with Boogeyman, Donald Trump and former Miss USA 2006 Tara Connor. Wacky, worm-related comedy abounds. Trump was completely nonplussed by Boogeyman. Tara ran off. Trump claimed there were "almost 100,000 people" there and he couldn't get a sandwich. All I can say is that Vince McMahon is amazing - he's such a heel that he can turn Donald Trump, hardly a likeable guy, into a babyface.

The 2007 Hall of Fame was introduced: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, Mr. Fuji, The Wild Samoans (who did an awesome crazy pose), The Sheik (represented by his wife) and Mr. Perfect (represented by his mother and his father - Larry "the Ax" Hennig). I really wish that they would broadcast the HOF ceremony on PPV for $10-$20. They could sell a decent number and lots of older fans would be interested in tuning in!

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (SMACKDOWN! TITLE)
THE UNDERTAKER VS DAVE "THE ANIMAL" BATISTA (C)

One thing you're always guaranteed at Wrestlemania is a great Undertaker Entrance. (Always gives 20-25 indy workers the chance to throw on a black robe and walk around with fire!) My wife wondered why the druids chanted in Latin, but we all know that it's because it sounds cool. Big Dave seemed very focused. Maybe he'd read the AT&T Poll results: 82% of the voters thought he was going to lose. Both men went at it hard & heavy from the start trading strikes. The fans were audibly booing Batista and cheering Undertaker. (It was clear that Cena would be in for a ride later tonight.) Undertaker really had his working boots on tonight and was willing to pretty much kill himself in order to get over the match. He took a flip bump over the stairs on the outside, executed a picture perfect, terrifying no-hands over-the-top rope PLANCHA OF DOOM to Batista on the outside, herked Batista off the turnbuckle and planted him for a Last Ride and took a powerslam through the ECW announcer table. Batista went to the top rope and surprised us with a flying shoulderblock and had a great near fall after almost paralyzing Taker with his Batista Bomb (a jack-knife powerbomb that was so brutal that I really believed Undertaker's streak was over). However, in the end, Undertaker recovered and hit his Tombstone Piledriver to a massive ovation. This was very good; a lot of people have been calling it a highlight even above the Cena/HBK match.
WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION: THE UNDERTAKER (15 minutes 47 seconds)

Vince McMahon met with Stephanie McMahon to do a "WACKY VINCE PROMO". This one included BABY CAM and ended with the line, "She took a trump" when VKM smelled poop. It was silly but Vince can pull off a lot of stuff that would kill a mere mortal. I really was expecting Vince to get peed on in this segment.

ECW NEW BREED VS ECW ORIGINALS
(Elijah Burke/Matt Striker/Kevin Thorn/Marcus Cor Von) vs (Sandman/RVD/Dreamer/Sabu)
Ric Flair works the undercard with Carlito (against Shane Helms & Chavo Guerrero Jr.) so we can have Tommy Dreamer on Wrestlemania. At last. Anyways, at least everyone worked quickly and the audience seemed into it. The ECW Originals came in through the crowd while the New Breed made their entrance normally (with Burke looking a bit like Dee Jay from Street Fighter II). ECW fill-all, Scott Armstrong, was your referee! Sabu started the match and connected with his wacky springboard office. He tagged out to Sandman who actually executed a HYUGE legdrop across the ropes. Dreamer & Sandman did some goofy gobstopper elbows and eventually the ALPHA MALE got in the ring. Apparently, RVD was the only wrestler of this bunch who had ever been at Wrestlemania before. (Dreamer wasn’t in any hardcore battles?) The vampire came in to deliver some GOTHIC rear-chinlocks. Matt Striker knows how to take a great monkey flip! At one point, Sabu shot over the ropes and tried to kill Monty Brown. He was promptly dropped right on his head. Ouch. Anyhow, in the end ROB VAN DAM got the win with a big frogsplash. A bit of a surprising result; perhaps RVD isn’t leaving the company after all! The New Breed can’t beat the original ECW Geeks. It was a nice feel-good moment just like DJ Terry predicted.
WINNER: ECW ORIGINALS (6:26)

BATTLE OF THE BILLIONARIES: BOBBY LASHLEY VS UMAGA
Everyone got their own entrance in this match – even the barbershop platform. (No doubt it was powered by Wrestlemania 3 ring cart technology!) Vince came in with his super powerwalk. Umaga and Armando Estrada (remember him?) showed up. He still has the IC Title, by the way! Donald Trump (show with Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe all in the crowd) saunters in with money dropping from the ceiling. Bobby Lashley, ECW World Championship and Army Sergeant, makes his way to the ring. Stone Cold Steve Austin arrives, ready to raise hell. They ate up a significant amount of time with just getting everyone down to the ring. Eventually, the match started at Umaga & Lashley traded some flying shoulderblocks (again, as the memo encouraged all the 300-pounders). Both Umaga and Lashley also did death-defying flip bumps from the ring on to the floor which could not have felt good at all. Austin made his presence known when he hooked Umaga’s eye (just like he said he would) when Jamal wouldn’t break. So, Shane McMahon showed up and distracted Steve Austin so Umaga could hit him with the Samoan Spike. Then, in the evening low point, Bobby Lashley had to sell Shane’s comical strikes (instead, of just EATING HIM) so Shane McMahon could do his “coast-to-coast” dropkick into a trash can. (This move, a take-off of RVD’s Van Terminator, was shown in the Wrestlemania clips at the start of the show. Foreshadowing!) With Austin still out, Shane tears off his shirt to reveal he’s now a referee. Umaga does a HUGE splash and nearly flattens Bobby. He pins Lashley and it’s 1…2… AUSTIN PULLS OUT SHANE. At this moment, Trump turns to the camera and nonchalantly says, “What’s going on here.” Hilarity. Then, in a surprising spot Trump runs over and clothesline McMahon and starts delivering wacky worked punches. Umaga misses a Samoan Spike on Austin, gets a stunner, Lashley spears him and 1-2-3 it’s over! Shane McMahon receives a patented Austin combo as Vince tries to sneak away. Lashley retrieves him, throws him over his shoulder and ties him to the Sweeney Todd Barber Chair (as my wife coined it). Surprisingly, Donald Trump actually participates in the shaving of Vincent Kennedy McMahon. They even break out the cream and blades to really turn McMahon bald. VKM does his hilarious facials and tries to push himself over in the chair. Out of nowhere, Steve Austin suddenly stunners Donald Trump. What can you say about a match like this? Part debacle, part spectacle, absurd and fun. Hopefully, all the added press around this match added a hundred thousand buys. Will Vince be on RAW tonight with a wig?
WINNER: BOBBY LASHLEY (so Vince McMahon got his head shaved)

We get some footage from the Lumberjack Tag Team Match with Flair/Carlito vs Helms/Chavo that was held on the preshow to give all the guys some kind of payday. Here they were mostly trying to stall so they could clean up the ring.

WOMEN’S TITLE MATCH: ASHLEY VS MELINA – RING SURROUNDED BY LUMBERJILLS
Mickie James, Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Brooke Adams, Krystal, Victoria, Jillian Hall, Michelle McCool and the reappearing TRINITY came down followed by Playboy cover girl Ashely and Melina (without Johnny Nitro). They two didn’t have long to wrestle and didn’t ONCE leave the ring. They started with the obligatory hair-related offense and moved into the now-obligatory Stacy Kiebler leg chokes. Melina busted out a giant swing which was fun and Ashley did the headsissors & monkey flips proving any dope is capable. She missed an awful elbow drop. In the end, Melina won with a simple bridge. All the girls than got into a big fight. JBL ranted about “LUMBERJILL PANDEMONIUM.” I can’t fault the whole setup too much; they were in there for a simple purpose – to play a buffer between big matches. I’m glad they’re keeping on the title on Melina since Ashley is pretty hopeless as an actual wrestler.
WINNER: MELINA (3 minutes 14 seconds)

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP (RAW TITLE)
JOHN CENA (C) vs SHAWN MICHAELS
59% of the AT&T voters had Cena retaining. 41% chose HBK. Obviously, the outcome for this match wasn't as crystal clear as UT/Batista. JR kept claiming that Shawn hasn't held this title for nine years. What about his Elimination Chamber win?, I thought. Ray Rhodes set me straight: technically, that was for the World Heavyweight Championship which used to be on RAW until Batista & Cena swapped places. Cena's entrance this year lacked gangsters. Instead, it was a Ford Mustang shooting through the streets of Detroit ala Fast and the Furious. HBK was really heeling it up as a cocky bastard. Still, the crowd popped huge for Cena's arrival, booed his wrestling and cheered him whenever he seemed to be close to hitting his finisher(s): FU & STFU. We'd had very little blood (Fit got busted open during the opening match) so that was an element in this match. Shawn always steps it up when it comes to the big matches. Tonight he hit some nice enerzgis, an ASAI MOONSAULT and a very nice piledriver on Cena on top of the steps. The match had a number of great sequences highlighted by Cena trying to hit the FU and HBK countering with things such as a DDT and a sunset flip. Eventually, Cena switches gears and starts going for his submission hold but HBK is able to secure an inside cradle for a near fall. With both men bloody, Cena eventually secures an STFU but HBK manages to crawl to the ropes. Referee Jack Doan (the second ref in the match after the first one ate a Superkick from Shawn) rips Cena off Shawn and while he's admonishing him, HBK nails a sweet chin music on Cena. However, Cena does kickout and after a double down, Cena manages to secure the STFU for the victory. Ray Rhodes pointed out that's 3 of the last 4 Wrestlemanias where the main event had ended in a tap-out.
WINNER: JOHN CENA (28 minutes 21 seconds)

All in all? It was a great event. Both big title matches really delivered and the Battle of the Billionaires was everything is promised to be. The Money in the Bank match helped cemented rising star status for Ken Kennedy and the ECW tag match had a wonderful feel-good finish. MVP/Benoit had a surprising and exciting match with the Canadian Crippler coming out on top and both Great Khali & Melina helped balance all the face wins with some heel flavor. This will be a great event on DVD.

BEST MATCH?

Zip Whittle - Cena/HBK : The Asai Moonsault was terrific. The story was basic and riveting. Even after 3.5 hours of wrestling, this match seemed fresh and exciting.

Ray Rhodes - Batista/UT: These big men really stepped it up and Undertaker proved why he's such a legend. He hasn't looked this good in ages!

What did you think? Leave us a comment and email us at indeedwrestling@gmail.com

IWW Staff predicts WM23!

2007-03-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

I’ve been polling the Indeed Wrestling Weekly staff about Wrestlemania 23. We’re only a few days away from the big event and results are intriguing. There’s eight announced matches headlined by two Face vs Face brand Title encounters and a “Battle of the Billionaires” Hair stipulation featuring RAW’s top Heel and the babyface ECW champion. Of these three top matches, the former two still have a huge split in who is projected to win while the latter is beyond a foregone conclusion. However, WWE should be lauded for raising the stakes high enough not only to garner significant interest from casual fans but excitement from longtime fans too.

They’ve got four hours. Let’s run down the card and the latest predictions!

BATTLE OF THE BILLIONAIRES! UMAGA VS BOBBY LASHLEY
VKM’S HAIR VS TRUMP’S HAIR
While many people complained about how boring specific matches would be (in particular, the plodding Undertaker/Batista and Kane/Khali match-ups drew a number of derisive remarks), not a single person complained about the prominent Lashley/Umaga battle. I believe that everyone is eagerly awaiting the insane facials from Vince McMahon when he loses, along with the huge pops as Steve Austin delivers stunners left and right. Will Eugene be running down to help man the clippers? Will we see VKM in a wig next week ala Kurt Angle? It should be a fun spectacle.
WINNER: BOBBY LASHLEY (11-0 in IWW polling)

ASHLEY VS MELINA © for the WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP in a LUMBERJILL MATCH
This doesn’t promise to bring the house down in a technical classic. Fit Finlay and Dean Malenko have worked wonders in the past bringing out some surprisingly entertaining women’s matches in the past years. However, this one doesn’t promise to even live up to last year’s great Mickie James/Trish Stratus matchup. The pressure is reported to be on Melina to have a good match as the company sees her as a top act, but also as someone of an arrogant and possibly dangerous (Mickie James’ just got hurt again at a recent show) talent. Ashley is riding the wave of Playboy publicity but isn’t very good in the ring. Do you move an already meaningless title just so the babyface wins? Or do you keep the title on a rising act (which is now cemented as a singles act since Joey Mercury was fired) and line up new challengers such as a returning Beth Phoenix? IWW voters were also closely split 5-5. However, TC Watts weighted in at the last moment and agreed with my vote to call this one for the heel. In a year, I think Melina will still be around while Ashley will be gone or in TNA.
WINNER: MELINA (6-5 in IWW polling)

KANE VS GREAT KHALI
Originally, I had assumed this would have some kind of stipulation added to it. Not necessarily “amateur wrestling” rules, but perhaps making it a chain?, cage?, scythe?, something match. But, as of the time I’m writing this, it’s still an ordinary wrestling match. Kane has a lousy Wrestlemania Record (4-5) with his sole singles victory being a DQ win over HHH at WM15. Great Khali was moved to RAW from ECW to become a heel contender. Rumors have a returning Mark Henry feuding with Kane in coming months. What does it all mean? IWW Voters weren’t sure either:
5 votes for KANE victory
3 votes for KHALI victory
2 voters for KANE VIA DQ (i.e. Mark Henry attacks Kane and Khali is disqualified)
1 vote for KHALI VIA DQ (i.e. Kane takes out his hook and Kane is disqualified)
What do we know? As IWW Navy correspondent, Empire JH put it – “This match may even take place in slower motion than Hogan vs. Andre from 20 years ago.” Maybe that’s the real reason it’s on WM!
WINNER: KANE (7-4 in IWW polling)

ECW NEW BREED (Burke, Striker, Brown, Thorn) VS ORIGINALS (Sabu, RVD, Sandman, Dreamer)
The story of this match really is what’s happening with Rob Van Dam. As Kip Corona put it, “if RVD is planning on not resigning and will be leaving the WWE, it’ll be the New Breed. Otherwise, the Originals will win.” I laid out my thinking in this column a few months ago. I think we’re at point where the New Breed needs to win in order to really be worth something. Otherwise, they’re basically less than Tommy Dreamer on the totem pole, and can you really be any less than that? (See also, Balls Mahoney.) On the flipside, some (like IWW’s DJ Terry) have argued that giving the ECW Originals a victory at Wrestlemania would be seen by the audience as “a great feel-good moment”. Perhaps Mick Foley will get involved and help out the old-timers. Still, voting was close and...
WINNER: ECW NEW BREED (6-4 in IWW polling)

CHRIS BENOIT © VS MVP for the US CHAMPIONSHIP
It appears that Ray Rhodes & I are truly in the minority on this one in believing that Montel Vontavious Porter will take the title away from Chris Benoit. Reportedly, the two have been having long, excellent matches (not quite a rarity when you’re working with Benoit!) on house shows leading up to the PPV. While there have been rumors about moving Benoit to RAW in the next few months, it appears most IWW voters don’t think this will be the moment he’ll lose his title.
WINNER: CHRIS BENOIT (7-3 in IWW polling)

MONEY IN THE BANK MATCH
Edge, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Fit Finlay, CM Punk, Ken Kennedy and Booker T
This is another match with very interesting ramifications. The WWE has done an excellent job making the MITB contract into a very important thing on par with the role that the Intercontinental Title used to hold over a decade ago. IWW voters had a wide array of comments concerning this match ranging from bemoaning the lack of Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair & Carlito to questioning whether the Edge vs Randy Orton dynamic might overshadow the match. They expanded the match to include two more competitors than last year. Whether that will be a good idea remains to be seen! As Biff from Tampa put it, “8 men? This could really be a cluster…. (mess)”.
Fit Finlay: a Smackdown star that is respected by all but not really seen as singles main event material
Randy Orton: a RAW star that has been the chosen one (in particularly, HHH wants Batista & Orton to be his legacy in creating stars) that may have been hurt by the recent drug allegations.
Jeff Hardy: has proven himself a capable performer since returning from TNA but questionable whether he’ll ever rise above the IC title.
Matt Hardy: a relentless popular performer on the Smackdown brand with some important creative people aligned against him becoming a headliner.
CM Punk: the “internet darling” who is rising in popularity; may be too soon though!
Ken Kennedy: the “golden boy” who has already feuded with top stars like Undertaker.
Booker T: the former champion who is already reduced to a role where most people forget him and wonder why he’s even in the match!
Edge: currently working through an injury, he’s been a lead heel on RAW and carried WWE’s top feud in 2006.
The favorites are EDGE (5 votes) & Mr. Kennedy (4 votes) with CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Fit Finlay and Randy Orton receiving stray mentions. I’m once again over-ruled with my personal vote: Mr. Kennedy. Edge already has had a run at the top and is well-established as heel. But perhaps the tailor-made feud with Randy Orton that will no doubt be heavily featured on the next few PPVs will include his new MITB win.
WINNER: Edge (5 votes in IWW Polling)

THE UNDERTAKER VS DAVE “THE ANIMAL” BATISTA © for the SMACKDOWN BRAND CHAMPIONSHIP (World Heavyweight Championship)
Undertaker is 14-0 at Wrestlemania having defeating Snuka, Roberts, Gonzalez, Bundy, Diesel, Sid, Kane, Bossman, HHH, Flair, A-Train, Big Show, Orton & Mark Henry. Batista is actually also undefeated (2-0) with a win over Triple H and the Evolution tag match against the Rock & Sock Connection at Wrestlemania 20. Originally, there was heavy internet gossip circulating that Batista had been the chosen one to end the Undertaker’s win streak, about the only record in Professional Wrestling that seems to matter anymore. Recent post-WM house show ads have even advertised Champion Batista vs Challenger Ken Kennedy. However, internally, the tide seems to have definitely changed. Batista’s aloof nature hasn’t won him many friends. While Smackdown creative members Michael Hayes & Dusty Rhodes (now with ECW) lobbied Vince hard for Batista to regain the championship when he returned (they didn’t support comedy heel Booker T as the top draw), it’s difficult to argue that Batista needs to keep the title against a legend like the Undertaker. Also, Batista notoriously injury-prone nature doesn’t make him a safe headliner.
All in all, IWW voters all seem equally impressed by Undertaker’s credentials. Only two voters even ventured that Batista would leave Detroit with the title (and Ray Rhodes felt that would be possible only via Disqualification!) Popular sentiment among Indeed Wrestling Weekly staff is clear.
WINNER: Undertaker (10-1, though with the outside possibility that Batista retains the title via DQ)

JOHN CENA © VS SHAWN MICHAELS for the RAW BRAND CHAMPIONSHIP (WWE Championship)
The Heartbreak Kid always brings his A-game to Wrestlemania. His matches with Razor Ramon (ladder; WM10), Bret Hart (Iron Man; WM12), Triple H & Benoit (WM 20) and Kurt Angle (WM 21) are legendary. Win or lose, this has the potential of being the best match on the card. (Money in the Bank is the other major contender.)
John Cena continues to ride a wave of enormous popularity. He really proved himself with excellent feuds against Umaga & Edge in recent months, and has been a model employee. Backstage, he’s reported spend his time closely with the boss (Vince) and as Emperor JH put it, “If they want him to be the next Rock, he’ll keep the title.” Personally, the only way I see Cena is losing is if they decide to give Shawn Michaels one more run just as a thank-you for his years of service. Triple H isn’t scheduled to return until Summerslam and so that feud seems a long way off. Additionally, if HBK were to win that would mean both titles changing hands at Wrestlemania. This year, I don’t see it happening.
WINNER: Cena (8-3 in IWW Polling)

Additionally, I asked everyone what that thought would be the last match. It’s not going to be Hair vs Hair. Kip Corona had an interesting (though unlikely) scenario where Edge cashes in his MITB title and goes right for the MITB shot that evening and goes right for the RAW Title Most people suggested “John Cena/Shawn Michaels” which I’m inclined to agree. Four voters thought it was possible that Undertaker/Batista went last, but only if Undertaker was clearly winning the title. Again, I must quote the good Emperor JH: “What will be the last match? Cena vs HBK. Even if Taker vs Batista happens to be last, I'll probably fall asleep during it, so Cena/HBK will be the last match I remember!” Well put.

Where are the tag matches? Hmmm.. let's hope for some last minute additions!

Thanks to all the IWW Staff: Ray Rhodes, Biff Cheddarhead, Geddy Lee, Zip Whittle, DJ Terry, TC Watts, Kip Corona, KGBeast, Emperor JH, WJ and LadyA!

Be sure to email your thoughts on Wrestlemania to INDEEDWRESTLING@GMAIL.COM
Also, be sure to the listen to the latest Indeed Wrestling Weekly Podcast! 44 minutes talking the final days before Wrestlemania, looking at new WWE DVDs, TNA's mini-tour, where is Rob Conway?, Mr Fuji & other HOF notes, ZUFFA BUYS PRIDE, Hogan is nuts, Batista is a jackass and MARK HENRY HAS RETURNED. A really fun show!

The Latest Posts by IWW Staff!

2007-03-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ray Rhodes writes about whether Melina, Nitro, Batista or CM Punk is really in the doghouse

Zip Whittle covers the latest on the Steroid Scandal which has implicated several top WWE wrestlers

Friends of IWW, Outsider Radio, interviews former WWF/All-Japan/TNA superstar D-LO BROWN!

ENJOY.

IWW TRIVIA (weeks one, two and three)

2007-03-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

INDEED WRESTLING WEEKLY TRIVIA CHALLENGE: ANSWER THESE SIMPLE WRESTLEMANIA TRIVIA QUESTIONS AND WIN GREAT PRIZES!

WEEK ONE
WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper has a long history of performing at Wrestlemania, particularly in the early years. So. which Wrestlemania was the Hot Rod not involved?

a) Wrestlemania II
b) Wrestlemania III
c) Wrestlemania IV
d) Wrestlemania V

WEEK TWO
Wrestlemania X at Madison Square Garden had one of the all-time great matches when Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels faced off in a Ladder Match for the IC Title. Also on that card was the Japapense behemoth, Yokozuna, defending his World Wrestling Federation Championship. Legendary manager Mr Fuji was again in Yokozuna's corner that evening. What other wrestler did Mr Fuji manage that evening?

a) Papa Shango
b) Crush
c) Adam Bomb
d) Leilani Kai

WEEK THREE
The Undertaker has been a phenom in the WWE for well over a decade. He's putting his streak on the line at Wrestlemania against Dave "The Animal" Batista. Going back, who was the Undertaker's first Wrestlemania match against?

a) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
b) Giant Gonzalez
c) Kamala
d) Jake "The Snake" Roberts

WHAT TO DO

Email IWWTRIVIA@GMAIL.COM with your answers for each week. Be sure to include your name & address so we can ship you the prizes if you're a winner!

IWW Raw Blog by Ray Rhodes

2007-03-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

IWW Raw Blog: 3/19/07
by Ray Rhodes

Tonight we are promised Wrestlemania Reversal, where Cena and Michaels will face someone from their upcoming Wrestlemania opponents Wrestlemania past. Got it? Cena will face Benoit, Michaels will face JBL.

HBK's out first and here comes JBL's limo. Bradshaw says he's wearing his $8,000 custom suit and he goes on to cut a $8,000 dollar promo on HBK. Those will wrote him off all those years ago...SLAP YOUR MAMA! It leads to the Superkick which is fun because it's not if it's going to happen—it's when. Great opener here and all the Internet Marks relax that JBL didn't wrestle and surprise them.

Edge and Orton discuss tonight's Last Change Battle Royal and it's for...Edge's Money in the Bank spot. Seriously, if I'm anyone else in the match I'm pissed that I'm getting the shaft but still expected to put my body on the line. Hmm, I wonder if Edge is going to roll out of the ring (or never get in) and wait until the end to enter the Rumble, easily winning?

Bobby Lashley becomes the third person to break the Masterlock, but the only one to do it "legally". Man, if Hacksaw couldn't do it...I didn't think anyone could. This would have been a big deal—before Masters' got suspended and buried when he came back. Good thought, though.

Eugene spills some coffee on Mr Mcmahon in the back, and if there's one thing we remember about spilling coffee, it's Kane and Jericho. Neither of these men are involved tonight, however, and I expect Eugene to be in a bad way by the end of the night.

Edge wins the Last Chance Battle Royal to the surprise of maybe one guy who's never seen wrestling, RAW, a WWE Battle Royal, or Edge before. Man, I miss Lita. Edge fakes an injury and slides in just in time to throw Flair over. I just have to say, Flair got clotheslined over the top rope and managed to stay on the apron. I was impressed. Edge is going to Wrestlemania...still!

Eugene feels the wrath of Umaga and McMahon snaps, shaving Eugene's head. Zip suggests a new Basham or perhaps the third Highlander?

The Internet was abuzz over real life heat between Candice and Melina all week. Some were adamant that since they weren't in a program, the HEAT was LEGIT. Then, they did the angle on Raw. Another odd commercial break as they return and Melina and Candice are mid-way through their Bra-and-Panties match. Which Melina wins. But don't worry! Here comes Ashley for a STARE DOWN. Khali makes his way to the ring to inflict violence but upcoming HOFer Jerry Lawler makes the save only to get consumed by Khali. The only thing left was his Obnoxious Shirt, which Khali spit out.

Jeff Hardy and Orton have a match but at this point me and my girlfriend's ferret has decided to go under the refrigerator and not come out. Jeff Hardy hits a leap frog leg drop off a ladder for some reason. Eh, look it up if you don't know. The WWE is trying to get as much mileage off Hardy before he GETS ADDICTED AGAIN. Smart business plan.

After a decent match, Cena makes Benoit tap-tap-tap. HBK and Cena have an amusing tease of their finishers before JBL announces next week, it's Cena and HBK v Undertaker and Batista. It's also McMahon v Lashley.

Final Thoughts: Decent build-up for Wrestlemania but at this point, you're either sold or you aren't. I'm just ready for the damn thing. I give it 4 Garvin Stomps on the week to weigh it on at about a B.

WWE plans international expansion

2007-03-20T08:03:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest stories in the past five years broke recently when it was revealed that the WWE is considering a true global expansion. CFO for World Wrestling Entertainment, Micheal Selick, discussed their developing plans in an interview with Financial Week. The idea centers on establishing separate WWE promotions which would run full-time in distinct international markets. Each region would have their own unique storylines and televisions tapings. In short, the WWE product would go from three North American-centered brands (RAW, Smackdown, ECW) to a series of brands on different continents across the world, each producing their own content for that area of the world.

Although the plan is still in the preliminary stages, the territories that are being considered for expansion are:
1) PACIFIC REGION covering Japan, South Korea, China, Australia
2) EUROPEAN REGION covering Europe
3) HISPANIC REGION covering Puerto Rico, Mexico, South America
As it stands, the idea is to export the Smackdown brand (which has shown strong rating & attendance drawing ability in the Southwest U.S.) to become the Hispanic Region brand. WWE would continue to operate two separate touring brands, RAW & ECW, in North America (covering USA & Canada). Additionally, there was mention of adding a Russian territory expansion at a later date.

These expansions would require that each region have a sufficient production team capable of creating their own weekly television programming within each of the regions. So, each territory would need an experienced TV executive (with region-specific familiarity), along with at least one senior agent and one television writer to run the territory. Of course, wrestlers for each brand would also be required to move full-time overseas. Understandably, there are plenty of questions, doubt, confusion and uncertainty internally in WWE with the prospect of having to uproot families to move across the world.

At this moment, Shane McMahon and Selick are responsible for developing the plan. Then they will present it to the executives at WWE, most notably Vince McMahon. Allegedly, Vince is very excited and interested at this international prospect. However, considering the extreme level of precision and control that Vince likes to exercise over his television, it’s questionable whether he’d allow such decentralization of production.

While the proposal is still being drafted, there have been a few discussions with specific people. Paul Heyman, who is at home, still under WWE contract but not being utilized, has been considered for the Pacific Region. Head RAW Writer Brian Gerwitz (responsible for the Rock’s most recent impromptu appearance) has been given specific assurances by Stephanie McMahon that he will not be required to move overseas. However, beyond that, much remains to be seen. There is certainly a measured amount of apprehension among the wrestlers who know they don’t have much say in whether they will be utilized domestically or internationally in such an expansion.

Obviously, the plan will call for hiring many more people with a wrestling background. In the most recent WWE annual report, they list having over 500 employees, but that doesn’t include the wrestlers (who are labeled “independent contractors” in the filing). On each RAW & Smackdown brand, you have about 27 active wrestlers. (ECW has around 18.) Additionally, there are two announcers, about four referees, and 4-6 other people (Midgets, Managers, Commissioners, people to say “DAMN!”). With all the Diva search hirings and swimsuit models, each brand has 6-8 woman and 3-6 agents and writers. In total, there at least fifty people per brand. So, these new territories would probably call for at least 150 new hires.

There are a lot of pros and cons to implementing such an ambitious and extensive expansion plan. WWE is an internationally recognized pro-wrestling brand. They are easily the biggest pro-wrestling company in the world and a market leader. Their international tours have draw strongly and over the last three years, the reality of the situation is that strong growth and support in markets outside of North America have really kept WWE financially solid.

However, there’s a significant difference when you move from sporadic international tours (coming to Europe twice or three times a year) to becoming a permanent, weekly entity. WWE’s latest plans for overseas tours have already begun showing signs of burn-out and disinterest in places such as Mexico and Australia. Are these territories stable enough to support a weekly promotion with the production values that WWE is accustom? For instance, while CMLL & AAA might draw tens of thousands of fans to major arenas in Mexico, the ticket prices are still quite low when compared to WWE. In such a fragile economy, can a brand be implemented that will be profitable at WWE’s production scale? If wrestlers will continue to receive North American wages, can the territory earn enough money to be profitable at all? Will WWE be able to strike deals with key television networks such as Televisa and replace lucha? Will the WWE style be popular in the country or will they need to change how they perform?

Japan also has established competitors with New Japan, All-Japan and NOAH. However, Japanese pro-wrestling has lost enormous popularity to MMA promotions and these former powerhouses have nearly collapsed. WWE would be entering an expensive and difficult climate where wrestling has already been pushed to the fringes of Japanese television. Again, their latest tours of the Far East have showed many signs of not drawing to expectations.

Europe’s appetite for pro-wrestling, especially in the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Spain and Italy has been exceptionally important for the WWE since the end of the boom period of the late 90s. Without a major European promotion (there are several independent companies in each country, but nothing that could be considered a legitimate competitor to WWE), less of a language barrier (English is widely understood in the EU), and a history of selling PPVs abroad, this region probably has the best shot. There are several European workers in the company (Fit Finlay, William Regal and Paul Burchill) who could work as strong lynchpins for helping establish the new brand.

The advantage of the territory system is that wrestlers can be rotated from one region to the next in order to prevent them from becoming stale. Recently, the WWE announced that for all PPVs going forth, members of all three brands (ECW/Smackdown/RAW) would be involved. While this is seen as a necessity to keeping B-level branded PPV buys strong, it will only contribute to further water down the distinctiveness of the brands and keep the same top talent consistently on the television screen. In the old territory days of wrestling, moving wrestlers around the circuit from promotion to promotion keep people fresh, but gave them experience working different styles in different types of crowds. One major criticism that veterans have for this generation of pro-wrestlers is their lack of experience working a variety of styles in front of significant crowds. In theory, a well-orchestrated system of rotation among the territories could give a vast wealth of experience and training to young wrestlers.

In the end, I believe that this expansion plan will probably be scaled back to establishing a European brand and increasing tours of the Southwest & Mexico using a more Hispanic-focused Smackdown brand. I have a lot of questions about what would happen to the developmental leagues (OVW in Kentucky & DSW in Atlanta) if these territory expansions continued (Would they send new talent overseas before bringing them on American TV?). Neither Japan nor Mexico has extensive history buying PPVs in order to really support a wrestling product. Will live attendance at events along with television rights fees be enough to support the product? Will the touring areas be too large in some case? A lot of questions remain to be seen. However, as WWE intends to compete with UFC (with their PPVs reaching over a million domestic buys, a number WWE hasn’t made in years) and PRIDE (with a faltering business that may have already been sold), they look to international markets as a source for creating new stars, new territories and new opportunities. It’ll be years before such an ambitious plan can be implemented, but it’s a very exciting idea that we’ll be following quite closely! Among industry insiders, the biggest fear is burning out or failing spectactularly in any of these international markets on a scale that would shake or destroy WWE’s reputation and confidence in global opportunities.

ZW Runs down the latest Wrestlemania Card

2007-03-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

It might be Spring Training for Baseball, but right now is the final homestretch for wrestling fans. Wrestlemania is only a few weeks away and the card is firming up quite nicely. We’ll examine the matches and also who is NOT on the card.

THE BATTLE OF THE BILLIONAIRES
Vincent Kennedy McMahon’s HAIR vs. Donald Trump’s HAIR
SPECIAL Referee: STEVE AUSTIN
BOBBY LASHLEY (ECW CHAMPION, TRUMP rep) vs. UMAGA (VKM rep)

It’s hard to believe it’s been less than a year since Umaga (formerly Jamal of 3-minute warning) vacated the All-Japan Tag Titles and returned to the WWE. The gimmick seems to be a throwback to the Wild Samoans and may have started as somewhat of a rip-off of Samoa Joe (UMAGA: “Samoan Wrecking Machine”, Joe: “Samoan Submission Machine”), Umaga firmly planted himself in the top echelon on RAW very quickly. Second only to Edge, John Cena’s feud with Umaga was resulted in a host of fantastic matches in 2006 and a very exciting encounter at this year’s Royal Rumble. I still feel that Umaga has plenty of credibility as a vicious and dangerous heel despite his losses to Cena.

Bobby Lashley’s road to this important match has been stop & start the past 18 months. Like Umaga, Lashley is relatively new to WWE television (he debuted in September 2005). He has feuded with the top heels on Smackdown (JBL, King Booker, Fit Finlay) before moving to ECW in November 2006 to win the ECW Title from Big Show. Having already defeated Test (now released), Hardcore Holly and RVD, there isn’t anyone on ECW who really represents a very credible threat to Lashley’s ECW title at this moment though I imagine that post-WM the new top ECW heel will be Snitsky. Reportedly, Vince McMahon is actually viewing the entire ECW promotion as little more than an opportunity to make a star out of Bobby Lashley. At one point, when WWE was negotiating with K1 star Bob Sapp for ECW, there was discussion of turning Lashley heel, but momentum in that direction dissipated awhile ago.

So, you have two fresh stars – a strong babyface (Lashley, aligned with Donald Trump) and a strong heel (Umaga, aligned with Vince McMahon). They’re both large, young, formidable opponents that will gain excellent exposure by being in this important event. There are still some questions that remain:
• Is there enough motivation behind the actions? Why exactly does Lashley want to defend Trump’s hair so badly?
• Austin vs. McMahon is always the undercurrent whenever Stone Cold is around. Will that add to the dynamic of the match?
• Can these two click? Lashley has been dreadfully exposed in some matches and Umaga hasn’t done a lot of long, competitive matches with anyone.
• Will all the mainstream exposure on the B-circuit television shows equate to a bigger buyrate?
• Do people actually believe there is any chance that Trump would lose?!

WWE RAW HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
John Cena (CHAMPION) vs. Shawn Michaels

This has been the classic build for a babyface versus babyface. Cena is the hot, charismatic of the 2000s. HBK is the superstar from the 90s who has returned and been walking stars to great match. They’ve got the tag titles to build the “two guys that don’t want to get along” vibe which has always been great fun. (There was a very similar to build to the Rock/Chris Jericho feud in Fall 2001.)

Cena had a stellar year as champion in 2006 feuding with Edge & Umaga. HBK put on a clinic at the Royal Rumble with Undertaker once again demonstrating how he’s got it. I expect a very good match from these two. Michaels had a great bout with Hogan in 2005 and Cena is far more mobile and agreeable than the Hulkster has ever been! I wouldn’t at all be surprised if Micheals wins this match for another short title reign as a reward for his years of service. Then again, he’s needed time off since DX feuded with the Spirit Squad and this could finally be the big paycheck that signals his departure for a little while.

WWE SMACKDOWN HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
Batista (CHAMPION) vs. Undertaker

Batista is a ticking tricep-tearing timebomb. Undertaker is the undefeated (at Wrestlemania) undead phenom. It would be an enormous waste to end the UT’s streak this year. The crowds are still fully behind Taker and have begun turning on Big Dave whenever they are forced to choose between the babyfaces. Undertaker showed some real fire last year in his matches with Kurt Angle and this year at the Royal Rumble showdown with HBK. The age difference between the two is a lot smaller than you’d probably ever believe. I dearly, dearly, dearly hope that Undertaker walks away with the championship. Have him do a short feud with King Booker, Fit Finlay, a returning Mark Henry or even one last time with Ken Kennedy. Just don’t leave the title on Batista.

WWE WOMEN’S TITLE
Melina (CHAMPION) vs. Ashley

Melina has cosmic heat backstage over hurting Mickie James in their latest matches. Allegedly, the ultimatum is “Have a good match with Ashley or get packing”. Some say that really the pressure is the belief that Johnny Nitro & Melina have the potential for main events, but she has to prove she’s got it. Any way you want to cut it, Ashley is basically in this match just to promote her (second) Playboy appearance. Forget the fact she can’t wrestle. This will hopefully be short and less ridiculous than the Pillow Fight. Expect this to go on before a big match as a way of calming down the crowd.

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
Randy Orton vs. Ken Kennedy vs. Fit Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Booker T vs. CM Punk vs. Edge

The past two years have had significant, memorable Money in the Bank matches. This year has far more stories going into it as opposed to previous years. There is the Randy Orton vs. Edge RKO break-up dynamic. Ken Kennedy has been the WWE’s “Golden Boy” this past year being positioned in top feuds with Smackdown & ECW stars. Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy will both be in this match; will we see a better encounter than the unmemorable match-ups in prior Royal Rumbles? CM Punk is the internet darling who has been positioned as a major player in ECW. And then there is Booker T. Poor Booker T, just sort of there. In terms of having the impact that Edge or RVD made last year, I can’t see Booker T making it. I expect Ken Kennedy walks away with this one. Shame there won’t be another Ric Flair/Fit Finlay “Battle-Of-The-Men-Who-Can’t-Wear-Their-Kneepads-Correctly”. I expect this to be the second best match on the show. But no Shelton Benjamin? Alas.

ECW NEW BREED vs. ORIGINALS
Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, Sabu, RVD vs. Elijah Burke, Matt Striker, Marcos Cor Von, Kevin Thorn.

RVD sneaks onto Wrestlemania teaming with SABU, SANDMAN and TOMMY DREAMER. I don’t think I’d have believed it a year ago if you told me they’d be on Wrestlemania in 2007. ECW is full of goobers. I don’t even know who this feud is really going to elevate – Monty Brown, perhaps? The heels have to go over in this one. The faces are all over as much as they will ever be and they're old, broke down men. I don't blame CM Punk though for not joining the goofs: the vampire, teacher, jumpsuit and alpha male. SHEESH~!

GREAT KHALI vs. KANE (Some Gimmick Match)

A lot of people were really down on the Kane run-in on Monday’s RAW but I liked it. For one thing, Khali/Kane needs a gimmick. Second, fans of Kane (there are actually some, believe me) dig his horror gimmick. So, adding a ridiculous meat hook/scythe is no worse than anything TNA did on it’s last PPV or the absurdity of the Inferno matches.

WHAT ELSE?

I expect tag matches, possibly with London & Kendrick and MNM. Also, there will be new ECW tag titles in the near future (Dusty Rhodes’ idea) with several teams including FBI (Nunzio & Vito) and Cade & Murdoch fighting for them. I don’t know when they are going to institute them, but perhaps soon.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Hulk Hogan claimed his offer for WM23 was $400k. I don’t know if that’s true. I do know that WWE is irate with him, especially for the stint when he put Johnny Ace’s secretary on the radio during Bubba the Love Sponge and revealed the Hall of Fame voting they were doing. It might seem surprising to have Hogan not on the 20th anniversary of his big show, especially seeing as they are back in Michigan, but his relationship with Vince McMahon is as volatile as ever right now!

Big Show is at home, losing weight and being a 35-year old guy that doesn't have to constantly tour or take bumps. Angle wants him for TNA. Hogan wants him for any project he would pretend to start. It's unknown if he'll do anything, but it's doubtful he'd commit to any long-term deal with any company besides WWE and he's already turned down the lucrative spots he could have had at WM23 so he's clearly hurting and wants time off.

Paul Heyman is still at home. Attempts to bring him back to ECW as an authority figure (RVD/Lagana's idea) were not accepted. He's also been rejected from going to OVW to teach promos.

Rey Mysterio Jr. is in for a monster push when he returns; they already have big plans for him and his merchandise continues to sell even though he's off TV; his lone appearance on Smackdown drew a very strong number!

Chris Jericho is sending out very mixed signals. He will probably return to wrestling some day, even "fairly soon" but right now there is definitely nothing definite. Hard to say whether he’d go back to WWE or rather opt for TNA’s lightened schedule.

Comments? Questions? Be sure to contact me. You can also hear the latest Indeed Wrestling Weekly podcast to catch up on all the rest of the news & notes in wrestling today!

Ray Rhodes' RAW Blog for 3/12/07

2007-03-13T05:55:00.001-07:00

by Mr. Ray Rhodes

I missed the first 15 minutes but it seems I didn't miss much. I came during Orton-Flair-Carlito and promptly went upstairs to take a shower. I made it back in time to see Orton lay out Carlito with the RKO and qualify for the Money in the Bank. That wasn't even remotely clever. Have Carlito and Flair get interrupted one week and throw in Orton to qualify. Whatever. It seems that Edge and Orton will overshadow the match itself. Thanks for showing up, King Booker.

Normally I'd applaud any RAW air time for Super Crazy and I marked out for his Super (see also, Crazy) Offense but the Masterlock Challenge was so like, 2006. Yawn.

Lilian Garcia directs us to the TitanTron for...THE ROCK! Even though it would have been 100 times more intense if he was live, the video feed was enough for me. I might have wet my pants just a lil'. Great touch!!

Cena and HBK are in a Gauntlet match for the tag titles. One, I love gauntlet matches. Two, this is a perfect way to drop the tag titles that I've been moaning on about for weeks. WGTT...DAMMIT! Cade and Murdoch . . . DAMMIT! We go to commercial as the cage drops, come back and it's mid match with MNM. Uh...not so great on tonight's segment and break layout, guys. Someone's getting fired. Well, if anyone is going to win, it's gonna be MNM.

....

DAMMIT!

Waitasecond, you mean the WWE used it's tag division as storyline fodder and buried everyone in it even more? They wouldn't do thaaattttt. Sigh.

Well, Jeff Hardy is out and so is Edge but Edge bails out and allows the The Great Khali to consume Jeff's flesh right off the bone, and then squat and take an Extreme dump on the first row. Part of that is true, at any rate. Kane comes out with his See No Evil hook-and-chain and scares off Khali and his bologna nipples. Kane loses on Smackdown (to Batista, but still) and we're supposed to take him as a threat to Khali? I JUST DON'T GET IT. I do, however, hope this brings Kane back to another level. Only thing better than his hook-and-chain would have been a flail or a mace. Every time Edge has a big gimmick match upcoming he takes like, 3 weeks off, has anyone noticed that?

Mr. Fuji is the next Hall of Famer. Strange, I thought he already was. Welcome aboard. Again.

Foley. Todd Grisham. Ashley. All in one segment. That's all I need to say.

Melina takes on Torrie in a match where the kept moving around but nothing seemed to be happening. Afterwards, plain clothes Mickie ran out looking HOT but had crazy hair and soon after Victoria got involved as well. Ashley gets herself some and Melina bails out. Torrie and Mickie throw her back in so Ashley can...throw her out. It seems Ashley is destined to follow in Christy Hemme's footsteps. Diva Contest. Pose Nude. Awful Wrestlemania match. Fired.

Backstage Edge and Mcmahon have a strange talk, Edge convinces Mcmahon to have Lashley fight Orton on ECW and if Orton doesn't show up, he'll get thrown out of the Money in the Bank. He also touched Mcmahon like, 3 times. I was waiting for Mcmahon to tell him to stop. Alas!

I have no idea what Wrestlemania Reversal means.

In a long ass segment, all the players from the Battle of the Billionaires meet up for a contract signing. Estrada has become almost phantom-like. He's there, and you can kind of see him, but he just blends into the background now. Austin comes out, and in a humorous fashion, gets in Trumps face. The segment kept going and going and there is so much tension in the air while I wait for Trump to say something ridiculous. Then, finally, Trump pushes Mcmahon over the table.

This segment had promise but was riddled with the inherent problem of lack of physicality. The main event of a wrestling show for Wrestlemania hype and the "pay off" was Mcmahon getting shoved on a table. Didn't do it for me.

Final Thoughts: Raw just didn't do it for me tonight. Some more decent build up for Wrestlemania but it's beyond me why the Edge and Orton feud is taking place in the midst of the train wreck that is Money in the Bank. It was fun seeing Rock and Austin and they prove once again that they have "it" and say, Chris Masters does not. I'll give it 3 and a half Khali Nipples which will give tonight's RAW a C+.

New IWW Episode: Week TWO of WM Trivia

2007-03-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

40 MINUTES OF ZIP WHITTLE NEWS & NOTES!

This covers a TON of news including:

* WWE's plan for international expansion (TONS of news on this important story and plenty of ZW analysis)
* Kurt Angle's payoff for a New Japan Match & his latest STEROID woes
* Big Changes for a major Japanese Company
* Lots of ratings news with WWE & TNA
* Some comments from Dana White that would get a public executive fired & maybe sued!
* Chaos between PRIDE & PRIDE USA
* Latest on ECW's new tag divison and which teams might be getting switched over
* Other international stars who recently tried out for WWE (besides Mistico!)
* WWE Tour of Mexico not looking great
* LOTS MORE PLUS WEEK TWO OF IWW TRIVIA FOR WRESTLEMANIA 23 PRIZES~!!!

TC Watts comments on Randy Couture's win last week!

2007-03-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

by TC Watts (elusive IWW cohost!)

Randy Couture at the age of 43 is the NEW UFC Heavyweight Champion of the World. I never thought I would hear those words again but on March 3, 2007 in the city of Columbus, Ohio in front of 19, 049 rabid fans, Captain America AGAIN defied the odds.

This is the same man who lost his last heavyweight fight to Ricco Rodriguez in 2002. This is the same man who lost 3 of his last 5 fights by knockout. This is the same man who dropped to light heavyweight at the end of his career. This is the same man who was retired for the previous 12 months. This is the man who DOMINATED former champion and 6' 8" (203 cm) 255 (116 kg) slugbot Tim Sylvia.

Coming into the championship bout, not many thought that the old man Couture could manage the ridiculous reach and height advantage that Sylvia possessed. The odds in the betting world told the same story. Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia (-256) vs. Randy Couture (+236) was the line in Vegas. That simply means you have to bet $256 to win $100 on Sylvia and $100 to win $236 on Couture.

I am sure there were many happy souls in Vegas and the world around come Sunday morning and many kicking themselves that they didn't BELIEVE in Mr. Couture.

Why would you believe?

Sylvia, possibly the cockiest UFC heavyweight champion ever and hated by many, was still a feared striker. With an 84 inch reach he should have had no problem battering Randy's head, right? Sylvia was 23-2 with 15 KO's. One of those KO's was against the man with the hardest head in the world, Wesley Cabbage Correira. I remember watching him pepper Cabbage with shots and Cabbage being out on his feet and thinking maybe Sylvia really is worthy. Sylvia went on to then beat heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (you know the same one who beat up Couture) for the UFC title, only to have his arm legit snapped at the hands of Frank Mir. He eventually lost to Andrei Arlovski, by achilles lock for the vacant title after Mir nearly lost his life in a brutal motorcycle accident. That didn't stop Tim Sylvia from pushing forward and continuing his trek back to the title.

Training with some of the best at Miletich Fighting Systems, Sylvia eventually went on to throttle Mike Block, Tra Telligman(brutal head kick) and Assuerio Silva (another KO) before his rematch with the 'Caveman' Andrei Arlovski. Sylvia knocked out Arlovski in 2:43 of the first round. He then beat Arlovski and noted grappler and 5’9 Jeff Monson in 2 of the most boring fights known to man. Yet, the Maineiac continued to talk like he was the greatest heavyweight in the world even saying he would handle ANYONE in the world with ease. The temerity of Sylvia to say these things after not being able to put away a hurt Arlovski and a non striker in Monson, the world turned on him.

Right around this time, Randy Couture, who commentated, the Monson/Sylvia, fight went on to say he saw many weaknesses in Tim's game and that he could beat him. Sylvia took great offense to this and Couture signed a 3 fight deal to come back at HEAVYWEIGHT.

So the fight was set and the world began to doubt Couture again. Why not? In the real world 43 year old wrestlers with a 12 inch reach disadvantage against a striker, just have no chance in hell, right? Couture took all this to heart and formulated a phenomenal game plan to dispatch of the brash champion.

As the main event arrived the crowd was electric. I am getting chills just thinking about it again. Chants of RANDY, RANDY broke out before the fight even started and didn't stop until the arena was emptied. As hey both stood in the cage staring at each other during introductions, there was a special feeling in the air. Still though, how could Randy overcome that reach and striking ability? All questions were answered about 15 seconds into the first round.

The combatants came out circled and sized each other up. 15 seconds in Randy threw a leg kick followed by a ROCKY like right hand and dropped the big doofus right on his ass. The crowd exploded bigger than anything I have ever seen in MMA or pro wrestling. Sylvia though was not out, just rocked and as Randy charged he turned his back and Randy kept control of said back, working for a rear naked choke for the remaining 4 minutes of the first round.

The two came out in round 2 and decided to have a kickboxing match. Something Sylvia should easily get the best of, right? Well, Randy had the head and body movement of a polished championship boxer. Bobbing and weaving and circling and making Sylvia miss over and over. Meanwhile while Sylvia was striking out, Couture kept hitting the same combo over and over. Left to the body, right hand over the top, and it was effective. They clinched midway in to round 2 and despite the size and weight disadvantage
(255 to 222) Couture took him down with ease. With 30 seconds left the referee stood them up. Advantage Sylvia, right? Wrong, Couture took him right back down as the bell sounded and the current heavyweight champion of the world looked flustered and beaten.

Round 3 began and Sylvia looked tired. A round full of kickboxing followed, and with a one foot reach disadvantage he was outclassing Sylvia on his feet. The fight was dramatic because everyone knew that one punch or kick from the feared striker could floor Couture and end the fairytale. Sylvia, though, was afraid to kick out of fear of being taken down. The bobbing and weaving this round from Couture was simply a thing of beauty and something to behold. Round 3 ends and both men looked completely gassed and breathing hard. (Sylvia was even BURPING between rounds.)

Randy again took him down to begin round 4 and stayed there until the ref stood them up with 2:52 left in the round. Couture went to work and gained side mount before going for his back. Sylvia being a monster reversed and ended up in north south position. In a moment of genius, Randy left his hands on the ground so Sylvia couldn't knee him. The first 'championship' round ended and it seemed Couture was up 4-0. The crowd was ridiculous at this point, with RANDY chants breaking out more and more. Matt Hughes in the corner of Sylvia (I wonder where Tim gets his cockiness?) looked near tears at the impending doom of his friend big Tim.

Round 5 began and as Sylvia left his corner he muttered, ‘Is this the 5th?’ Not a good sign for the CHAMP. Randy Couture took him down again and went to work, grinding on him and just simply beating on him. Sylvia's left eye was now closed from all the right hands over the top. Couture garnered mount and Sylvia finally got up, only to be dumped back on the mat by the accomplished wrestler. The round finally ended and the chills began as Couture raised his hands in anticipation of the impending announcement.

The announcement came and the HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP of the WORLD was strapped around the waist of 43 friggin year old Randy Couture. In a very fitting moment, Joe Rogan appeared to interview Randy and near tears, said, 'I don't know what to say, there are no words.' Randy simply said in that Captain America style that we all love, 'Not bad for an old man!'

No, Randy, not BAD at all.

IWW Trivia Week One Question

2007-03-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Roddy Piper was a stable of early Wrestlemanias. However, there was one that the Hot Rod wasn't at. Was it:
A) Wrestlemania II
B) Wrestlemania III
C) Wrestlemania IV
D) Wrestlemania V

email your answer to: iwwtrivia@gmail.com with your name & address to enter this contest. Answer all four weeks of trivia correctly is all it takes to be eligible to win a prize!

Wrestling Observer MOTY & Runner-Ups

2007-03-08T12:37:00.001-08:00

1980
1.) Bob Backlund vs. Ken Patera (5/19 - Madison Square Garden)
2.) Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko (9/8 - Shea Stadium)

1981
1.) Pat Patterson vs. Sgt. Slaughter (4/21 - Madison Square Garden)
2.) Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair (9/17 - Kansas City)

1982
1.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (8/5 - Tokyo)
2.) Ric Flair vs. Bob Backlund (4/7 - Atlanta)
3.) Bob Backlund vs. Jimmy Snuka (MSG)
4.) Bob Backlund vs Adrian Adonis (1-30 MSG)
5.) Buddy Rose vs David Schultz (Chain match Portland)
6.) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (2-7 Greensboro)
7.) Ric Flair vs Stan Hansen (10-3 Atlanta)

1983
1.) Harley Race vs. Ric Flair (11/24 - Greensboro)
2.) Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle (3/12 - Greensboro) (actually outvoted Flair-Race)
3.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (4/23 - Tokyo)
4.) Antonio Inoki vs. Hulk Hogan (6/2 - Tokyo)
5.) Terry Funk & Dory Funk Jr. vs. Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (8/31 - Tokyo)
6.) Von Erichs vs Freebirds 7-4 Ft. Worth
7.) Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich (12-25-82 Dallas)
8.) Don Muraco vs Jimmy Snuka (7-23 Landover)
9.) Kerry Von Erich vs Michael Hayes cage match (11-24 Dallas)
10.) Roddy Piper vs Greg Valentine dog collar match (11-24 Greensboro)

984
1.) Freebirds vs. Von Erichs (7/4/84)
2.) Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik (6/16/84)
3.) Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich (5/6 Texas Stadium)
4.) Dynamite Kid vs The Cobra (7/5 Tokyo)
5.) Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Nobuhiko Takada (4/19 Tokyo)
6.) Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (5/29 Meadowlands)
7.) Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki (12/5 Tokyo)
8.) Hulk Hogan vs Iron Shiek (1/23)
9.) Davey Boy Smith-Dynamite Kid-David Schultz vs Antonio Inoki-Fujinami-Cobra (7/13 Japan)
10.) Bruiser Brody vs Jerry Blackwell (10/21 St. Paul)
11.) Dynamite Kid vs Davey Boy Smith (7/20 Osaka)
12.) Super Tiger vs Akira Maeda (9/11 Tokyo)
13.) Ricky Steamboat vs Dick Slater (early June Greenville)
14.) Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich (5/24 Yokosuka, Japan)
15.) The Cobra vs Kuniaki Kobayashi (8/2 Tokyo)

1985
1.) Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Tiger Mask (Misawa) (06/21/85)
2.) Jaguar Yokota vs. Lioness Asuka (08/22/85)
3.) Ted Dibiase vs Jim Duggan cage match (3/22 Houston)
4.) Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich (1/25 St Louis)
5.) Freebirds vs Road Warriors (9/28 Chicago)
6.) Ric Flair vs Harley Race (2/24 Meadowlands)
7.) Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff vs Mr T & Hulk Hogan (3/31 New York)
8.) Rick Martel vs Jumbo Tsuruta (9/29 St Paul)
9.) Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper (2/18 New York)
10.) Fabulous Ones vs Sheepherders (8/12 Memphis)
11.) Antonio Inoki vs Bruiser Brody (8/1 Tokyo)
12.) Riki Choshu vs Genichiro Tenryu (6/21 Tokyo)

1986
1.) Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (2/14 - Orlando)
2.) Yoshiaki Yatsu & Riki Choshu vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu (1/28 - Tokyo)
3.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Akira Maeda (6/12 - Osaka)
4.) Midnight Express vs. Rock 'n Roll Express (8/16 - Philadelphia)
5.) Shiro Koshinaka vs. Nobuhiko Takada (9/19 - Fukuoka)
6.) Fantastics vs Sheepherders (4/19 New Orleans)
7.) Midnight Rockers vs Buddy Rose & Doug Somers (8/7 Las Vegas)
8.) The Cobra vs Nobuhiko Takada (6/27 Nagoya)
9.) Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton (7/5 Charlotte)
10.) British Bulldogs vs Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake (4/7 Chicago)
1987
1.) Rick Steamboat vs. Randy Savage (3/29 - Pontiac)
2.) Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (1/20 - Greensboro)
3.) Chigusa Nagayo vs. Lioness Asuka (2/26 - Kawasaki)
4.) Nobuhiko Takada vs. Shiro Koshinaka (2/5 - Tokyo Sumo Hall)
5.) Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada vs. Shiro Koshinaka & Keiji Muto (3/20 - Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
6.) Ric Flair vs Barry Windham (4/11 Baltimore)
7.) El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas (7/27 hair vs hair match Los Angeles)
8.) Jerry Lawler vs Austin Idol hair vs hair match (4/27 Memphis)
9.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (10/6 Tokyo)
10.) War Games I (7/4 Atlanta)
11.) Choshu & Maeda & Takada & Fujinami & Strong Machine vs Inoki & Saito & Sakaguchi & Fujiwara & Murdoch (9/17 Osaka)
12.) Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki (9/1 Fukuoka)
13.) Antonio Inoki vs Masa Saito (4/27 Tokyo)
14.) Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (5/2 San Francisco)

1988
1.) Ric Flair vs. Sting (3/27 - Greensboro)
2.) Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (3/27 - Greensboro)
3.) Midnight Express vs. Fantastics (4/26 - Chattanooga)
4.) Footloose vs. Shinichi Nakano & Shunji Takano (7/19 - Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
5.) Ted DiBiase vs. Randy Savage (4/25 - Madison Square Garden)
6.) Chigusa Nagayo vs Lioness Asuka (8/25 Kawasaki)
7.) Antonio Inoki vs Tatsumi Fujinami (8/8 Yokohama)
8.) Tatsumi Fujinami vs Riki Choshu (6/24 Osaka)
9.) Genichiro Tenryu & Ashura Hara vs Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu (8/30 Osaka)
10.) Midnight Express vs Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson (8/26 Greensboro)
11.) Ted Dibiase vs Randy Savage (7/22 MSG Cage match)
12.) Owen Hart vs Hiroshi Hase (5/27 Sendai)
13.) Hiroshi Hase vs Shiro Koshinaka (3/19 Tokyo)
14.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Tiger Mask (3/9 Yokohama)
15.) Owen Hart vs Keiichi Yamada (6/10 Hiroshima)
16.) Akira Maeda vs Kazuo Yamazaki (5/12 Tokyo)
17.) Owen Hart vs Shiro Koshinaka (6/24 Osaka)
18.) Kazuo Yamazaki vs Nobuhiko Takada (8/13 Tokyo)

1989
1.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (4/2 - New Orleans)
2.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (5/7 - Nashville)
3.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (2/20 - Chicago)
4.) Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (11/15 - Troy, NY)
5.) Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (9/20 - Osaka)
6.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (6/5 Tokyo)
7.) Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (7/23 Baltimore)
8.) Footloose vs Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat (6/5 Tokyo)
9.) Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano (7/13 Tokyo)
10.) Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada (12/22/88)
11.) Rockers vs Brainbusters (2/17 Hershey)
12.) Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada (1/10 Tokyo)

1990
1.) Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (1-31) Osaka
2.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa (6-8) Tokyo
3.) Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane vs. Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong (7-8) Baltimore
4.) Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (4-1) Toronto
5.) Steiners vs. Nasty Boys (10-27) Chicago
6.) Atsushi Onita & Tarzan Goto vs Dragon Master & Masanobu Kurisu (4-1) Tokyo
7.) Keiji Muto vs. Hiroshi Hase (9-14) Hiroshima
8.) Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (2-25) Greensboro
9.) Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton vs. Joe Malenko & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
10.) Yoshihiro Asai vs. Negro Casas (6-7) Tokyo
11.) Jushin Liger vs. Chris Benoit (8-19) Tokyo

1991
1.) Steiners vs. Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (3-21) Tokyo
2.) Bull Nakano vs Akira Hokuto (1-4) Tokyo
3.) Ric Flair & Larry Zbyszko & Sid Vicious & Barry Windham vs. Steiners & Sting & Brian Pillman War Games (2-24) Phoenix
4.) Cactus Jack vs. Eddie Gilbert (8-3) Philadelphia
5.) Steiners vs. Sting & Lex Luger (5-19) St. Petersburg
6.) Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko vs. Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes (11-18) Savannah
7.) Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior (3-34) Los Angeles
8.) Curt Hennig vs. Bret Hart (8-27) New York
9.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue & Masa Fuchi (4-20) Tokyo
10.) Jushin Liger vs. Hiroshi Hase (5-6) Tokyo
11.) Keiji Muto vs. Masahiro Chono (8-11) Tokyo
12.) Jushin Liger vs. Chris Benoit (10-18) Hiroshima
13.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Kenta Kobashi (5-24) Osaka
14.) Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair (10-25) Oakland
15.) Jushin Liger vs. Owen Hart (4-27) Okinawa
16.) Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Toshiaki Kawada (10-24) Yokohama
17.) Aja Kong & Bison Kimura vs. Esther Moreno & Manami Toyota (4-29) Tokyo
18.) Ric Flair vs. Tatsumi Fujinami (3-21) Tokyo

1992
1.) Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs. Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (5-25) Miyagi
2.) Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (2-29) Milwaukee
3.) Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue (4-25) Yokohama
4.) Jushin Liger vs. El Samurai (4-30) Tokyo
5.) Manami Toyota vs. Toshiyo Yamada (8-15) Tokyo
6.) El Hijo del Santo & Atsushi Onita & Tarzan Goto vs. Negro Casas & Tim Patterson & Horace Boulder (5-16) Los Angeles
7.) Sting & Nikita Koloff & Dustin Rhodes & Ricky Steamboat & Barry Windham vs. Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton & Steve Austin & Larry Zbyszko & Rick Rude War Games (5-17) Jacksonville
8.) Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (8-29) London
9.) Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs. Yumiko Hotta & Suzuka Minami (3-17) Tokyo
10.) Eddie Gilbert vs. Terry Funk (11-14) Wayne, NJ
11.) Royal Rumble (1-19) Albany, NY
12.) Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (12-27) East Rutherford, NJ
13.) Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (4-5) Indianapolis
14.) Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (11-27) Richfield, OH
15.) Sting vs. Cactus Jack (6-20) Mobile
16.) Kenta Kobashi & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Masa Fuchi & Yoshinari Ogawa (7-5) Tokyo
17.) Sting vs. Big Van Vader (7-18) Albany
18.) Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs. Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue (4-20) Tokyo
19.) Rick Rude vs. Masahiro Chono (8-12) Tokyo

1993
1.) Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (4-11) Osaka
2.) Steve Williams vs. Kenta Kobashi (8-31) Toyohashi
3.) Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (4-2) Yokohama
4.) Cactus Jack vs. Vader (10-24) New Orleans
5.) Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (7-29) Tokyo
6.) Hikari Fukuoka & Cuty Suzuki & Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki vs. Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue & Sakie Hasgewa (7-31) Yokohama
7.) Sting vs. Vader (2-21) Asheville
8.) Lightning Kid (X-Pac) vs. Sabu 4-17 Minneapolis
9.) Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty (7-10) New York
10.) Stan Hansen vs. Toshiaki Kawasda (2-28) Tokyo
11.) Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (4-14) Nagoya
12.) El Hijo del Santo vs. Heavy Metal (1-29) Mexico City
13.) Winners [Abismo Negro & Rey Misterio Jr. & Super Calo] vs. Jerry Estrada & Heavy Metal & Psicosis (1-29) Mexico City
14.) Bret Hart vs. Curt Hennig (6-11) Dayton
15.) Mitsuhau Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (3-27) Kyoto
16.) Atsushi Onita vs. Terry Funk (5-5) Kawasaki
17.) Devil Masami vs. Bull Nakano (4-18) Tokyo
18.) Steiners vs. Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Rey (8-30) Auburn Hills, MI
19.) Heavy Metal & Psicosis & Picudo vs. Winners & Serup Calo & Rey Misterio Jr. (2-14) Mexico City

1994
1.) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon [Scott Hall] (3-20) New York
2.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (6-3) Tokyo
3.) Great Sasuke vs. Chris Benoit (4-16) Tokyo
4.) Love Machine & Eddy Guerrero vs. El Hijo del Santo & Octagon (11-6) Los Angeles
5.) Terry Funk vs. Shane Douglas vs. Sabu (2-5) Philadelphia
6.) Ric Flair vs Vader (12-27-93) Charlotte
7.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (5-21) Sapporo
8.) Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne (4-17) Chicago
9.) Jushin Liger vs. Great Sasuke (4-16) Tokyo
10.) Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan vs. Nasty Boys (5-22) Philadelphia
11.) Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (11-20) Tokyo
12.) Akira Hokuto & Kyoko Inoue vs. Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (12-10-93) Tokyo
13.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Steve Williams (7-28) Tokyo
14.) Great Sasuke vs. Jinsei Shinzaki (4-29) Tokyo
15.) Chris Benoit & Shinjiro Otani vs. Black Tiger [Eddy Guerrero] & Great Sasuke (10-18) Odawara
16.) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (8-29) Chicago
17.) Steve Williams vs. Kenta Kobashi (9-3) Tokyo
18.) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (3-20) New York

1995
1.) Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue (5-7) Tokyo
2.) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (8-27) Pittsburgh
3.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (10-7) Philadelphia
4.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada (1-24) Yamagata
5.) Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kenta Kobashi (1-19) Osaka
6.) Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (4-15) Philadelphia
7.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada (6-9) Tokyo
8.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (9-22) Mexico City
9.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Chris Jericho (7-7) Tokyo
10.) Manami Toyota vs. Akira Hokuto (9-2) Tokyo
11.) Oleg Taktarov vs. Tank Abbott (9-8) Casper
12.) Cactus Jack & Head Hunters vs. Terry Funk & Shoji Nakamaki & Leatherface (Rick Patterson) (4-2) Tokyo
13.) Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa vs. Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue (8-30) Osaka
14.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Stan Hansen vs. Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada & Johnny Ace (4-2) Tokyo
15.) Shawn Michaels vs. Jeff Jarrett (7-23) Nashville
16.) Sabu vs. Devon Storm (10-28) Woodbury, NJ
17.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (7-24) Tokyo
18.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue 4-15 Tokyo
19.) Rey Misterio & Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Fuerza & Juventud Guerrera (3-2) Xalapa
20.) Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (5-13) Philadelphia
21.) Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (8-26) Philadelphia
22.) Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong (6-27 Sapporo
23.) Pit Bulls vs. Raven & Stevie Richards (9-16) Philadelphia

1996
1.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (6-7) Tokyo
2.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (3-9) Philadelphia
3.) Dick Togo & Mens Teioh & Shiryu [Kaz Hayashi] & Taka Michinoku & Shoichi Funaki vs. Gran Hamada & Super Delfin & Tiger Mask & Gran Naniwa & Masato Yakushiji (10-10) Tokyo
4.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (5-23) Sapporo
5.) Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels 3-31 Anaheim
6.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis 7-7 Daytona Beach
7.) Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin 11-17 New York
8.) Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel [Kevin Nash] 4-28 Omaha
9.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Shinjiro Otani (8-4) Tokyo
10.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (12-13-95) Tokyo
11.) Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (9-22) Philadelphia
12.) Bas Rutten vs. Masakatsu Funaki (9-7) Tokyo
13.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada (10-18) Tokyo
14.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Ultimo Dragon (11-24) Norfolk
15.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko (10-27) Las Vegas
16.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (9-5) Tokyo
17.) Don Frye vs. Amoury Bitetti (5-17) Detroit
18.) Antonio Inoki vs. Vader (1-4) Tokyo
19.) Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda vs. Mariko Yoshida & Kaoru Ito (8-6) Hakata
20.) Sabu vs Rob Van Dam (4-20) Philadelphia
21.) Rey Misterio Jr. & Ultimo Dragon vs. Psicosis & Heavy Metal (6-1) Los Angeles

1997
1.) Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (3-23) Chicago
2.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (1-20) Osaka
3.) Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (10-5) St. Louis
4.) Eddy Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. (10-26) Las Vegas
5.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (6-6) Tokyo
6.) El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto (6-5) Tokyo
7.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (12-6-96) Tokyo
8.) Great Sasuke & Gran Hamada & Masato Yakushiji vs. Mens Teioh & Dick Togo & Taka Michinoku (4-13) Philadelphia
9.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (10-21) Tokyo
10.) Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Otani (2-9) Sapporo
11.) Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (11-9) Montreal
12.) Bret & Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith & Jim Neidhart & Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin & Ken Shamrock & Goldust & Legion of Doom (7-6) Calgary
13.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko (12-29-96) Nashville
14.) Hector Garza & Juventud Guerrera & Lizmark Jr. vs. La Parka & Psicosis & Villano IV (7-13) Daytona Beach

1998
1.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (10-31) Tokyo
2.) Undertaker vs. Mankind (6-28) Pittsburgh
3.) Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (6-27) Yokohama
4.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (5-1) Tokyo
5.) Steve Austin vs. Dude Love (5-31) Milwaukee
6.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (12-5-97) Tokyo
7.) Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (11-16) Wichita
8.) Rock vs. HHH (8-30) New York
9.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada (6-12) Tokyo
10.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (7-25) Tokyo
11.) Koji Kanemoto vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (6-3) Osaka
12.) Ric Flair vs. Bret Hart (1-25 Dayton
13.) Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels (3-29) Boston
14.) Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa vs. Koji Kanemoto & Dr. Wagner Jr. (8-8) Osaka
15.) Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa vs. Jushin Liger & El Samurai (8-2) Tokyo
16.) Genichiro Tenryu vs. Shinya Hashimoto (8-1) Tokyo

1999
1.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (6-11) Tokyo
2.) Edge & Christian vs. Hardys (10-17) Cleveland
3.) Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (10-4) Kansas City
4.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama (3-6) Tokyo
5.) Steve Austin vs. Rock (4-25) Hartford
6.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (1-22) Osaka
7.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama (10-23) Nagoya
8.) Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa vs. Minoru Tanaka & Koji Kanemoto (10-11) Tokyo
9.) Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto (6-24) Tokyo
10.) Juventud Guerrera vs. Blitzkrieg (4-11) Tacoma
11.) Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (3-21) Asbury Park
12.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis vs. Blitzkrieg vs. Juventud Guerrera (4-19) Gainesville, FL
13.) Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (5-16) Poughkeepsie
14.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Vader (5-2) Tokyo
15.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Vader (10-30) Tokyo
16.) Great Sasuke vs. Magnum Tokyo (2-7) Yokohama
17.) Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome (11-7) Buffalo
18.) Jushin Liger vs. Koji Kanemoto (3-17) Hiroshima
19.) Rock vs. Mankind (1-24) Anaheim

2000
1.) Atlantis vs. Villano III (3/17 - Arena Mexico)
2.) Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (1/23 - Madison Square Garden)
3.) Dudley Boys vs. Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boys (8/27 - Raleigh)
4.) Toshiaki Kawada vs. Kensuke Sasaki (10/9 - Tokyo Dome)
5.) Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa vs. Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka (6/25 - Tokyo)

2001
1.) Keiji Muto vs. Genichiro Tenryu (6/8 - Tokyo Nippon Budokan)
2.) Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho vs. Steve Austin & Triple H (5/21 - San Jose)
3.) Toshiaki Kawada & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka (12/14/00 - Osaka)
4.) Minoru Tanaka vs. Takehiro Murahama (4/20 - Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
5.) Triple H vs. Steve Austin (2/25 - Las Vegas)

2002
1.) Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Edge & Rey Mysterio (10/20 - Little Rock)
2.) Genichiro Tenryu vs. Satoshi Kojima (7/17 - Osaka)
3.) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (8/25 - Madison Square Garden)
4.) Keiji Muto vs. Toshiaki Kawada (2/24 - Tokyo Nippon Budokan)
5.) American Dragon vs. Low Ki (3/30 - Philadelphia)
6.) Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata (2/17 - Tokyo Nippon Budokan)
7.) Spanky vs. Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Doug Williams (7/27 - Philadelphia)
8.) Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa (12/9/01 - Tokyo)
9.) Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle (9/22 - Los Angeles)
10.) Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge (9/24 - San Diego)

2003
1.) Misawa/Kobashi 3/1 Tokyo
2.) Angle/Benoit 1/19 Boston
3.) KENTA&Marufuji / Kanemura&Hashi 9/12 Tokyo
4.) Jerchio/Michaels 3/30 Seattle
5.) Danielson/London 4/12 Philly
6.) KENTA&Marufuji/Liger&Murahama 7/16 Osaka
7.) Angle/Lesnar 3/30 Seattle
8.) Kobashi/Nagata 9/12 Tokyo
9.) Tenzen/Akiyama 8/17 Tokyo
10.) Angle/Lesnar 9/16 Raleigh

2004
1.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama 7/10 Tokyo Dome (362) 2,270
2.) HHH vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit 3/14 New York City Madison Square Garden (218) 1,974
3.) Samoa Joe vs. C.M. Punk 10/16 Chicago Ridge (163) 1,681
4.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama 4/25 Tokyo Budokan Hall(38) 410
5.) Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley 4/18 Edmonton (28) 352
6.) Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar 2/15, San Francisco Cow Palace(7) 209
7.) Samoa Joe vs. C.M. Punk 6/12 Dayton (12) 140
8.) Kensuke Sasaki vs. Yoshihiro Takyama 8/8 Osaka (1) 124
9.) HHH vs. Shawn Michaels 12/30/03 San Antonio (4) 108
10.) HHH vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit 4/18 Edmonton 94

2005
1.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe 10/1 New York (263) 1,968
2.) Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels 4/3 Los Angeles (176) 1,580
3.) Kenta Kobashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki 7/18 Tokyo Dome (177) 1,574
4.) Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles 9/11 Orlando (94) 1,195
5.) Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiosaki vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima 11/5 Budokan Hall (62) 514
6.) AMW vs. XXX 2/5-04 Orlando (25) 443
7.) Satoshi Kojima vs. Toshiaki Kawada 2/16 Tokyo Gym (13) 371
8.) Mistico vs. Ultimo Guerrero 2/15 Arena Mexico (12) 161
9.) AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels 2/13 Orlando (12) 148ls
10.) KENTA vs. SUWA 9/18 Budokan Hall (4) 145

2006
1.) Do Fixer vs Blood Gen. (ROH 3/31/06)
2.) KENTA vs Marufuji (NOAH 10/29/06)
3.) Bryan Danielson vs KENTA (ROH 9/16/06)
4.) Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuiness (ROH 8/12/06)
5.) Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA 12/11/05)
6.) KENTA vs Low Ki (ROH 12/17/05)
7.) Chris Benoit vs Finlay (WWE 5/21/06)
8.) Cage of Death: CZW vs ROH (ROH/CZW 7/15/06)
9.) Rikio/Morishima vs KENTA/Marufuji (NOAH 7/6/06)
10.) Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker (WWE 2/19/06)

11.) Averno & Mephisto vs. El Hijo del Santo & Negro Casas 12/16/05 Mexico City
12.) Samoa Joe vs. A.J. Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
13.) Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Takashi Sugiura (3/5 Tokyo, NOAH Budokan)
14.) Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong 3/31 Chicago Ridge (ROH)
15.) Edge vs. Mick Foley 4/2 Chicago (WWE WM22)
16.) Chris Hero & Super Dragon & Necro Butcher vs. Samoa Joe & Adam Pearce & B.J. Whitmer 4/22 Philadelphia
17.) Edge vs. John Cena 9/17 Toronto
18.) Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe 11/19 Orlando

2007
1. Bryan Danielson Vs. Takeshi Morishima (8/25/07) (118) - 1,199 pts.
2. KENTA & Taiji Ishimori Vs. Kota Ibushi & Naomichi marufuji (7/15/07) (131) - 1,108 pts.
3. Bryan Danielson Vs. Nigel McGuiness (6/9/07) - (146) - 1,061 pts.
4. John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels (4/23/07) (74) - 809 pts.
5. John Cena Vs. Umaga (1/28/07) (46) - 458 pts.
6. Briscoes Vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (9/15/07) (28) - 403 pts.
7. John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels Vs. Edge Vs. Randy Orton (4/29/07) (26) - 280 pts.
8. Cima, Shingo Takagi & Susuma Yokosuka Vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito & Masaaki Mochizuki () (45) 267 pts.
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Hirooki Goto (11/11/07) (2) - 212 pts.
10. Hiroshi Tanahasi Vs. Yuji Nagata (4/13/07) - (1) - 196 pts.
11. Bryan Danielson Vs. Takeshi Morishima (9/15/07) - 184 pts.
12. Undertaker Vs. Batista (4/1/07) - 173 pts.
13. John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels (4/1/07) - 167 pts.
14. BJ Whitmer Vs. Jimmy Jacobs (3/31/07) - 127 pts.
15. Briscoes Vs. Ricky marvin & Kotaro Suzuki (1/21/07) - 125 pts.
16. Takeshi Morishima Vs. Claudio Castragnoli (8/10/07) - 119 pts.
17. Chris Harris Vs. James Storm (5/13/07) - 96 pts.
18. Briscoes Vs. Claudio Castragnoli & Matt Sydal (5/12/07) - 88 pts
19. Kurt Angle Vs. Samoa Joe (12/10/06) - 67 pts

2008
1. SHAWN MICHAELS VS. CHRIS JERICHO 10/5 PORTLAND (179)1,146
2. Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels 3/30 Orlando (140)933
3. Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe 4/13 Lowell (33)622
4. Blue Panther vs. Villano V 9/19 Mexico City (30)594
5. Kenta Kobashi & Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama 12/2/07 Tokyo (36)539
6. Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries 12/29/07 New York (37)475
7. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson 2/23 New York (49)405
8. Undertaker vs. Edge 3/30 Orlando (22)386
9. Naomichi Marufuji & Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. KENTA & Kota Ibushi 9/14 Tokyo (39)360
10. Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino & Genki Horiguchi vs. Cima & Ryo Saito & Dragon Kid 3/29 Orlando (12)348
11. KENTA vs. Naomichi Marufuji 10/25 Tokyo 313
12. Undertaker vs Edge 8/17 Indianapolis 301
13. Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black 3/16 Philadelphia 280
14. Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black 7/26 Detroit 251
15. Naomichi Marufuji vs. Shuji Kondo 11/3 Tokyo 217
16. Kenta Kobashi & KENTA vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima 6/14 Tokyo 198
17. Volador Jr. & Sagrado & La Sombra vs. El Hijo del Fantasma & La Mascara & Valiente 4/30 Mexico City 192
18. KENTA & Taiji Ishimori vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki 9/6 Tokyo 114
19. Kurt Angle vs. A.J. Styles 8/10 Trenton 113
20. HHH vs. Jeff Hardy 10/5 Portland 113
21. Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi 3/28 Orlando 109
22. Kurt Angle vs. Yuji Nagata 1/4 Tokyo 78
23. Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Tyler Black & Jimmy Jacobs 9/19 Boston 76
24. Takeshi Morishima vs. Naomichi Marufuji 12/2/07 Tokyo 72

2009
1. UNDERTAKER VS. SHAWN MICHAELS 4/5 HOUSTON (304) 2,110 points
2. Davey Richards vs. Shingo Takagi 9/6 Chicago (81)855 points
3. KENTA vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 3/1 Tokyo (51)737 points
4. Bryan Danielson vs. Naruki Doi 9/6 Chicago (66)706 points
5. KENTA & Go Shiozaki vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima 6/22 Tokyo (63)517 points
6. Davey Richards vs. KENTA 4/3 Houston (29)432 points
7. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho 6/28 Sacramento (19)322 points
8. Bryan Danielson vs. Davey Richards 9/25 Boston (19)199 points
9. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. A.J. Styles 11/15 Orlando (4)187 points
10. KENTA vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima 2/11 Tokyo (2)143 points
11. Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima 12/27/08 New York 143 points
12. Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe 11/15 Orlando
13. John Cena vs. Randy Orton 9/13 Montreal 112 points
14. C.M. Punk vs. Jeff Hardy 8/25 Phoenix 90 points
15. Rey Mysterio vs. John Morrison 9/1 Cleveland 82 points

Deceased Wrestlers

2007-03-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Gary Will has compiled a very informative list of professional wrestlers who have passed away. People often ask about whether there an epidemic of wrestlers dying young.

So, there are about 1324 wrestlers listed there. Only 1085 have at least a year of death listed and only 854 of those have an age listed. I don't know when every person started their wrestling career, but let's just pretend they debuted when they were 18 years old. (Now granted, that puts a guy like Mike Awesome as debuting in 1983 when in reality it was several years later in 1989.)

So, by decade using this idea of a start date here are the counts:
[u]debut year[/u]
1860s -- 2
1870s -- 9
1880s -- 2
1890s -- 11
1900s -- 28
1910s -- 55
1920s -- 110
1930s -- 161
1940s -- 166
1950s -- 108
1960s -- 65
1970s -- 65
1980s -- 51
1990s -- 18
2000s -- 3

If you want to argue that most wrestlers weren't really into their career until they were about 25 (age David Von Erich died at), the list moves a bit further:

[u]decade when they were 25[/u]
1860s 1
1870s 2
1880s 8
1890s 2
1900s 19
1910s 27
1920s 67
1930s 142
1940s 156
1950s 162
1960s 82
1970s 68
1980s 63
1990s 50
2000s 5

Not perfectly scientific, but some basic analysis. Of the last five groups they divide as follows:
debuted in 1960s : 31%
debuted in 1970s : 25%
debuted in 1980s : 24%
debuted in 1990s : 19%
debuted in 2000s : 2%

Now, let's take into account average age of death for each decade:
(again I'm listing the decade of when they were 25)
1860s: 41.0 years old
1870s: 73.0 years old
1880s: 64.5 years old
1890s: 81.0 years old
1900s: 66.5 years old
1910s: 69.9 years old
1920s: 64.9 years old
1930s: 72.5 years old
1940s: 70.0 years old
1950s: 65.4 years old
1960s: 54.6 years old
1970s: 45.4 years old
1980s: 37.2 years old
1990s: 31.4 years old
2000s: 23.8 (for anyone who was less than 25 years old, I adjusted their debut date back to when they were 18)

Now, this list seems to be mostly US & Canadian wrestlers with some Mexican & Japanese personalities.

Now, it's not exactly fair to just compare 68 deaths from 70s personalities vs 50 deaths from 90s personalities because there has been more time for aging to occur. As of twenty years ago, how many people from the 70s had died and what was the average age?

As of the end of 1987... (by debut decade)
1930s: 73 deaths, avg age 61.5
1940s: 52 deaths, avg age 54.2
1950s: 28 deaths, avg age 46.9
1960s: 23 deaths, avg age 39.7
1970s: 13 deaths, avg age 32.0
1980s: 8 deaths, avg age 28.0

So, the average age of death from stars of 1990s as of now is 31.4 years old. However, there have been 50 deaths. This compares to only 13 deaths from stars of the 1970s (measured 7 years into the following decade) but at an average age of 32 years old.

Indeed.

RAW March 5, 2007 BLOG by Ray Rhodes

2007-03-06T20:39:00.001-08:00

Indeed Wrestling Weekly: RAW Blog 3/6/07 by Ray Rhodes

RAW kicks off with Cena and HBK talking backstage. Good promo exploiting the tension, with HBK saying he doesn't want or need Cena's help. The promo, at least locally, strangely cuts off and goes to commercial. When we come back, HBK is walking down the ramp. Not sure if that was a mistake or what.

It's HBK against Orton to kick off in a sweet hot opener. HBK's body is showing it's age but give the man credit, he still brings it like no one else. Good match but after Michaels takes a hard drop to the outside, the MID MATCH COMMERCIAL BREAK hits and ruins any momentum. We're back and HBK hits his patented comeback and after a series of traded reversals, a ref knock, and an attempted belt shot, Michaels gets the roll up victory. Good finish here, building on the Edge-Orton split as well. Orton gives HBK the RKO on a chair (which looked like it hurt HBK's knee just as much) but before they can continue to assault, Cena makes the save.

They show a graphic for the upcoming Guest Referee selection with the bald black shadow figure. My girlfriend remarks that if rumors are correct, the shadow actually looks like the mystery man (Austin).

Jeff Hardy gets a rematch with Umaga and since we're still in Phase One of "Let's forget Umaga lost to Cena twice and get him back on track as a monster" the outcome is already signed, sealed, and delivered. Hardy gets a few more shots in here, but can't sustain the pressure for too long. Eventually, Hardy succumbs to Umaga's Two Minutes of PAIN also known as his Signature Move Bonanza. While I get the idea of Umaga killing one of the most over face to make him more of a monster, I can't help but think he deserves better then to be eventually squashed out. He has, after all, lost some of the GUT he came back with.

Flair and Carlito have a little exchange, setting up the final Money in the Bank Qualifier. With Flair pretty much a non-factor last year with the mid-match injury angle, I hope if one of these guys has to make it, it's Carlito.

The MasterLock Challenge with....Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Is Hacksaw seriously on the roster? This has to be the most odd pity job in the company now that Animal was released. The Masterpiece wins, and one wonders if the writers actually watch week-to-week. Is Masters a goof or is he the real deal? I liked when they were breaking the hold and he was finding a technicality for saying it wasn't officially broken. Now I guess he's back to being the real deal but honestly, does anyone buy it anymore?

McMahon, Bishoff, Foley, The Phenoix Gorilla, Shane McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin have a Classic Raw Segment which really, makes no sense but it was entertaining and channeled some of the glory days of RAW. It's good to see Austin back and McMahon's faces were priceless.

Mickie James takes on Melina in a Falls Count Anywhere match for the Women's Title.

Hardcore Women's matches are always a hoot, remember Ivory and Ninja Tory from a few years back? Fun match which takes it backstage and into the women's lockerroom. Camera man gets taken out and we go to commericial. We come back and the women are making their way back to the ring. For a second time in a match with Melina, Mickie winds up falling on her head, this time going for a top-rope hurricanrana. That's a little thing IWW likes to call OUCH! Melina wins and Ashley, who was the guest announcer, gets into a little thing with Melina, taking the spot Mickie's more than earned. If there is one thing Christy Hemme and Ashley have taught the Divas: Pose for Playboy, Get a Wrestlemania Push. Nothing like selling out your self worth for a Wrestlemania pay day, right?

I talked with Zip on the last IWW podcast about Ashley briefly but man, she has the body of a 12 year old boy with ginormous fake breasts. Eat something! And what a pretentious entrance with the playboy cover coming down. She's so not-over Playboy has to put Chyna, Torrie, and others in the same issue. Showing the playboy bunnies on her Bazooms at No Way Out should have been a Diva Mark Out Moment...instead it was turned into another wasted moment.

Carlito and Flair wrestle for awhile until The Great Khali comes down and interrupts the match, eventually killing and eating both men, Torrie, and Chloe. He then takes a dump on the Announcer's table which looks like the pile of poop from Jurassic Park. He then utters what translator's eventually distinguish as, "I want Kane". Some of this is true, and one wonders–if Khali wanted Kane so bad why wouldn't he just you know, show up at Smackdown where KANE IS?! LIKE HE DID LAST WEEK?!

Orton tells Edge he doesn't have his back. Interesting!

Nick Bockwinkel joins Mr. Perfect, Jerry Lawler, and Dusty Rhodes in this year's Hall of Fame. Next IWW show I hope to go over this year's choices and debate with Zip on if he thinks they are good or bad choices.

Edge takes on Cena....sort of. Instead, Edge has MNM come down and in a strange promo talks about how he's colorblind and he's from Canada so Johnny Nitro gets to fight Cena. I'm honestly not sure what he was saying but RAW totally broke down at this point. Edge's promo and MNM's involvement made no sense and all it did was set up HBK's "will I, won't I" moment. Mercury and Edge beat on Cena, HBK starts to make the save but doesn't. As Edge leaves and Mercury and Nitro continue the beating, HBK still stalls. Eventually, he makes the save and walks away.

Final Thoughts: As Wrestlemania gets closer I think we're going to see less and less clean matches and lot's of interference and BS so it's going to be hard to judge on match quality. Entertainment wise, RAW moved along briskly and it was good to see a lot of old faces. The Women's match was fun and the hot opener was main event quality. I'll give it 4 out of 5 Viscera Heads, which marks a solid B, but mostly due to it's entertainment value and Wrestlemania build-up and not on it's matches.

New IWW episode - with DEBUT OF IWW TRIVIA CONTEST! (win great prizes)

2007-03-02T11:21:00.001-08:00

1 HOUR MP3 LINK

Ray Rhodes & Zip Whittle spend an hour covering the new & notes from around North America including:

* WWE Developmental (bunch of 2nd generation guys&girls coming in)
* Current Wrestlemania Card
* WWE & TNA firings
* No Way Out review
* TNA state in this world
* Chavo's lunch habits
* Possible stips for Khali/Kane
* WSX collapse?
* DVD news
* and random banter!

It was fun. We also debuted "THE GREAT IWW TRIVIA CHALLENGE." Listen for the question and then email your answer to: iwwtrivia@gmail.com to enter our big contest! ROCK. Prizes include a replica John Cena spinner belt! (Remember, we're only a month away from WM23 on April 1, 2007 in Detroit!)

IWW ECW Report for 2/27/07 by RAY RHODES

2007-02-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

Another IWW exclusive ECW report with your man of the hour.... RAY RHODES!

Money in the Bank qualifiers and we have Kennedy against Sabu. Kennedy, the WWE's new golden boy comes in and knocks off Sabu. I'm so glad we have Kennedy and Booker T in this match and not Shelton Benjamin and Sabu. Ray Rhodes sarcasm alert! Not a terrible match but with Sabu getting the majority of the offense it was only a matter of time before he does the JOB. Again here, Kennedy shows that going to Wrestlemania is a big deal but I can't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Sabu has paid enough penance to get out of the perennial dog house. I guess not.

Balls Mahoney takes on Striker but only for a few moments before SNITSKY comes in and lays out Balls, giving him a DQ win. One only knows why they bothered to give him a win since SNITSKY boots Striker as well. SNITSKY is perhaps the most vile man ever created by the hand of God. If you connect the dots of his body acne, you would surely draw the face of the Devil himself. On the bright side, Test and his Big Boot are now gone from the WWE so SNITSKY's boot reigns supreme.

Kevin Thorne and Marcus Cor Von takes on RVD and Tommy Dreamer with a bunch of people at ringside. If you've been paying attention, you've already guessed the outcome. The "New Breed" pick up the win. Originally, I was a fan of this angle since I thought it would be an opportunity for the New Breed guys to get some much needed experience and a good way to keep the Originals on TV. But typically, it's just another way to bury the originals even more. If you bury a bunch of guys and then have some other guys beat them, you aren't doing anyone a service. Ho-Hum. Still and all, RVD and Dreamer still show up to work, it's a paycheck, and they're toughing it out. I give them credit.

Now, I don't know this for a fact and it's something Zip would have to check on but I would imagine ratings for ECW starting going down around the same time RVD and Sabu both were de-pushed, Extreme Rules matches became all but extinct and then again when the Big Show left. This is when ECW became truly a dumping ground for green and uninspiring wrestlers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of the old ECW and I wouldn't want it back. But I liked this new ECW, when it combined some of the old, some of the new, and a 4-4 and half star main event each week. Now it's become ham n' egger city and that's no one's fault but McMahons. We've been getting a more clear view on what his vision for ECW is, and it doesn't look good for anyone, fan of the old ECW or not.

Steven Richards makes his yearly match proving he still has a job. CM Punk defeats him using Knee-Based Offense which is sweeping the indy scene. We're back to Punk squash matches on his road to Wrestlemania. My guess for next week? Little Guido.

Extreme Expose leads me to turn the channel to Law and Order. Olivia looks like she had her nose smashed with a frying pan. Back to ECW just in time for the CAGE MATCH.

I like how they make it seem like 5 minutes is such a short time but the majority of RAW and ECW matches are 5 minutes and under. However, I think they've found a way to make Lashley watchable–5 minute time limits. Run with it. Seriously though, Holly gets his ass handed to him again and if the rumors of elbow surgery are legit, this would be the excuse. In case Lashley forgot which elbow, he made sure to hit both of them a bunch with the chair. As ECW went off the air we get a outstanding WWE classic moment with Lashley throwing himself at a section of the cage and having it break and fall on Umaga sending both men sprawling to death. What I don't understand is why Lashley is so angry at Umaga. I realize they're both representing important people and Wrestlemania is a big deal. But really, what is in it for Lashley? They should have had a promo with Trump promising Lashley a comical sack full of golden doubloons or something. While I like the intensity, I'm just don't buy their hatred for each other rests solely on a haircut that neither man is involved in.

Final Thoughts: 5 matches in an hour, none of them had any time to get anything going. Best match would be the opener just because watching Sabu jump around entertains me. And he successfully used the leg takedown on Kennedy as the opening move. Main event was effective with a lasting memory. The rest of the show was trying to build up talent: SNITSKY as a monster, the New Breed as legitimate, and CM Punk back on a push. I know I've been complaining a lot lately but I just don't agree with Wrestlemania booking and some of these angles. I'll give this show 3 and half Chuck Palumbo heads, which in my book is a solid C Plus. Wait, SNITSKY BOOTS bump this up to 4 Palumbo heads...which squeaks out a very low B.

RAW REPORT (2/26/07) by RAY RHODES

2007-02-27T04:18:00.000-08:00

A SPECIAL IWW TREAT~! EXCLUSIVE FOR INDEED WRESTLING WEEKLY by HOST RAY RHODES

Tonight starts off with Cena and HBK firing up the crowd before their TAG TEAM TITLE DEFENSE. I sincerely hope the tag titles get from HBK/Cena to Rated RKO to Cryme Tyme, or the Highlanders, or WGTT or Cade/Murdoch, or even Flair and Carlito before Wrestlemania but I'm not holding my breath. It's truly beyond me why the tag titles are not in the tag title division right now as we zoom towards Wrestlemania. I'm sure they could have done the same storyline without them.

Edge and Orton on the Titantron (is it still called the Titantron?)and they don't want to fight just yet. Edge says, "Roll that beautiful bean footage", or at least, he probably wanted to. Excellent little montage of HBK's ruthless turns on his partners and friends which is a nice touch to set the two a bit ill at ease. Good set-up here for later in the night.

Shelton takes on Jeff Hardy for a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania. If you're in the know, you know that we already have CM Punk, King Booker, and Edge. I feel Edge is being wasted here! Decent match between the two of the most sloppiest workers (though talented!)and Shelton crashes and burns on a Springboard attempt. I wouldn't be overly surprised if that was PLANNED. Hardy picks up the win and earns his slot in Spotfest 2007. Keeping Benjamin out of this match is like having an Inferno match without Kane, it just isn't the same.

McMahon goes over his haircut ideas for the Donald. Not quite sure how having a haircut would produce MORE HAIR rather than less but whatever. We get it already, thanks.

Melina, who is turning into a capable wrestler, and Maria, who is well, trying, have a decent RAW women's bout but a thought occurred to me earlier in the week–the WWE must actually encourage and demand women to use hair-based offense in their matches. Hair-biels, Hair pulls, hair slams must be ordered upon these women and it's shame, it really undercuts them and they deserve better. Not that I don't think a good hair-biel or two has a place, because they do. Melina picks up the roll-up after blocking a Maria Bronco Buster. Strange how old homo-erotic men's moves are now the signature moves of the women (Maria=Bronco Buster, Torrie=Stinkface).

Vince brings out Umaga and does a speech running down the Donald before Trump appears on the Titantron from what looked to be a virtual reality set of his boardroom. Am I the only one who thought that it didn't look real? He touts his representative as being an animal and in one pick instantly makes the single most disappointing match in Wrestlemania History: ECW Champion Bobby Lashley v I-C Champ Umaga. So, you take two of your champions and put them in one match, where the titles are meaningless. So, you take a guy who has had a string of hideous matches and give him a huge spot. So, you try to pretend Umaga wasn't watered down after being Cena's cannon fodder. If Cena could beat him in singles, and in a Last Man Standing, Lashley should have no problem here. So, McMahon is now the underdog in this match. I'm baffled and disappointed by the whole thing. The brawl was something that RAW has needed badly but I just can't get into this match.

Next up, Masters attempts to give Khali the MasterLock Challenge but cannot get his arms wrapped around him and is visibly frustrated. Out comes KANE to fell the great beast, but not before wrapping a chair around Masters' skull and chokeslamming him. Thanks for showing up for work, Chris. I know I'm being a Negative Nancy here but this would have been the perfect match for Trump-Vince. Vince brings out a Monster, Trump brings out someone who is still an underdog but has a legitimate shot at winning. Now it seems we're going to have two train wreck matches., although I am a MARK for Khali. I love him.

Remember not so long ago when the Brand Split meant something? I don't mind the occasional jump but they've spent so much time and energy trying to make the split mean something and they're always talking about Raw contracts, and Smackdown contracts. Having Khali and Kane just show up to different shows should be something the GM of both brands should be pissed about–in theory. I just don't get it.

Jerry Lawler enters the Hall of Fame. Perhaps this is their way of saying, "It's time to hang it up?" Maybe he has cancer or something. Not my first, third, or any choice for this year.

Carlito takes on Kenny Dystra in mid-card mambo securely in the Viscera Slot of match before the main event. Good angle between Flair and Carlito, Flair is being used correctly by helping get the younger guys over one way or the other. He's already done so much for Kenny, now he's helping Carlito get to the next level. Good stuff here.

Tag Team titles are on the line and well, Edge walks out leaving Orton for the dreaded Superkick-FU combo. Won't Edge feel silly after Orton shows him the FOOTAGE. The Superkick teases each week are tremendous and I'm not sure which would be better: waiting until Wrestlemania or kicking his face off a week prior. Personally, I think Cena turning on HBK first would be more intriguing.

Final Thoughts: The Wrestlemania build up is fun, and even though I'm griping an awful lot, I think they're doing a great job making the Title Matches seem really important and having underlying tension build. I just don't agree with a lot of the undercard matches already and I'm quite perplexed as to why they're working on this Edge-Orton split when Edge is already locked in the Money in the Bank match. Seems like a waste. I'm anxious to see if the Tag Division gets their belts back and to see if Smackdown can produce a couple interesting matches before it's too late to get any interesting hype going. I might not agree with the booking but Raw produced several solid matches and good build-up for Wrestlemania so on a scale of Funaki's, I give it 4 Funaki's out of 5, which is about a B grade for me. Special guest Referee in an already clogged up Battle of the Billionaires Match next week, the Internet already knows who it is.

WWE Buyrates

2007-02-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

	New Yrs Rev	Royal Rumble	No Way Out	Wrestlemania	Backlash	Judgment Day	Bad Blood	ECW ONS	KOTR
2001		625	590	1040	375	405			445
2002		670	575	840	400	373			320
2003		585	450	560	345	315	385
2004		500	265	885	295	235	290
2005	275	575	240	980	320	260		340
2006	300	550	220	930	220	252		304
	RAW	Combined	Smackdown	Combined	RAW	SM	RAW	ECW	Combined
	Jan	Jan	Feb	March/April	April	May	June	June	June

	HITC	Elimination		RAW	ECW	Smackdown


	Vengeance	Invasion	Summerslam	Unforgiven	No Mercy	Cyber/Taboo	Surv Series	Armageddon	D2D
2001	315	775	565	350	325		450
2002	375		520	300	300		340	335
2003	365		465	360	275		450	240
2004	240		415	239	183	174	325	230
2005	420		650	250	230	250	400	320
2006	337		541	307	197	228	383	239	90
	RAW/SM	Combined	Combined	RAW/SM	Smackdown	RAW/Comb	Combined	RAW/SM	ECW
	June/July	July	August	Sept	October	Nov	Nov	Dec	Dec

Looking at WWE's latest PPV numbers...

2007-02-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

The question: did increasing the cost of PPVs to $39.99 from $34.99 hurt WWE?

Let's look at all the PPV results they announced this quarter vs last quarter. I'm looking at domestic buys @ domestic prices. So that's 63% of the buys for 2005 at $34.99 and 61% of the buys for 2006 at $39.99.

# of buys decreased (2005 vs 2006)
JUDGMENT DAY: 266 -> 252; $5.9m -> $6.1m (+$284k)
ECW ONS: 333 -> 304; $7.3m -> $7.4m (+$75k)
VENGEANCE: 429 -> 337; $9.5m -> $8.2m (-$1.2m)
GAB: 279 -> 232; $6.2m -> $5.7m (-$491k)
SUMMERSLAM: 634 -> 541; $14m -> $13.2m (-$779k)
NO MERCY: 224 -> 197; $4.9m -> $4.8m (-$132k)
ARMAGEDDON: 280 -> 239; $6.2m -> $5.8m (-$342k)
overall for decreased buy PPVs: -$2.6m

# of buys increased (2005 vs 2006)
UNFORGIVEN: 240 -> 307; $5.3m -> $7.5m (+$2.2m)
CYBER/TABOO: 207 -> 228; $4.6m -> $5.6m (+$1m)
SURVIVOR SERIES: 375 -> 383; $8.3m -> $9.3m (+$1m)
overall for increased buy PPVs: +$4.3m

[b]total change in domestic PPV revenue for these ten PPVs in the 8 month period from 2005 to 2006: +$1.65m[/b]
2005 domestic revenue of these PPVs total: $72.0m
2006 domestic revenue of these PPVs total: $73.7m

There were two other PPVs listed: Backlash (no 2006 buyrate listed) & ECW December to Dismember (no 2005 comparison.)

Looking at the Key Performance Indicators, it looks like:
Backlash 2005: 308k buys = 194k domestic buys = $6.8m domestic revenue.
Backlash 2006: ~240k buys = 146k domestic buys = $5.9m domestic revenue.

ECW D2D: ~$2.2m in domestic revenue.

Again, there this doesn't mean WWE made $72m last year on these PPVs. They only get a cut of the total domestic revenue. I was under the impression it was about $15 of the $40 domestic price. Let's check the numbers...

The report said they made $53.4m for this period for PPVs. 61% of the buys were domestic so let's take 61% of that revenue, so $32.57m domestic revenue. The total for 2007 was 3287 PPVs buys (or 3110 if you don't include prior events). 3287 x $39.99 x 61% = $80.182m. ($75.865m if you're discounting the Prior event buys.)
So, $32.57/$80.182 = 41%. ($32.57/$75.865m = 43%.)

41% of a $39.99 price (i.e. what WWE gets for a domestic buy) is $16.25.
(43% of a $39.99 price is $17.17).

So, my fifteen dollar estimate seems pretty close. Also, that means the ECW PPV gave WWE about $16.25 x 90k buys x 61% = $892k. I think it costs at least a $1m to run a PPV so they definately didn't make money on that one domestically!

Now, my figures have 2006 being better than 2005 while the actual PPV revenues were $53.4m (2006, 8 month period) vs $54.5m (2005, 8 month period). Why the difference? Because they didn't include any 2006 Backlash PPV revenue in their numbers this year. Essentially, those numbers compare 2005 Backlash vs 2006 ECW D2D, which obviously is going to favor 2005 numbers. As I show above, if you compare the PPV buys on a per-PPV basis, overall, the 2006 numbers are superior.

What we're seeing here:

* Summerslam was bound to go down. Hogan/HBK was a HUGE success in 2005 so 2006 numbers were going to be weaker. The price increase really offset the difference so it was probably a very good move and really took advantage of the fact that core WWE audience buys the major PPVs (RR, Surv Series, Summerslam, Wrestlemania).

* Unforgiven had a huge improvement over last year. (CENA/EDGE TLC, 2006) vs (ANGLE/CENA, 2005).

* Moving the "CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE" PPV (taboo tuesday) to the traditional day, Sunday, vastly improved the buys & profit.

* ECW ONS and Judgment Day actually made more money with less buys this year!

* There were two PPVs with Hell in the Cell stipulations in 2005: RAW's Vengeance and Smackdown's Armaggedon. HITC is one of the stipulations that has shown to still increase buys quite a bit. It was natural that straight matches (DX/Spirit Squad) and (Batista/Cena vs Booker/Finlay) would not be as strong the next year.

In the end, there are two PPVs where buys were down and generated less revenue than last year.

SMACKDOWN GREAT AMERICAN BASH (Booker/Mysterio, 2006) vs (JBL/Batista, 2005)
SMACKDOWN NO MERCY (LASHLEY/BATISTA/FINLAY/BOOKER, 2006) vs (Batista/Eddy, 2005)

So, it looks like Smackdown branded PPV shows without a strong gimmick stipulation (i.e. Hell in the Cell) were probably hurt by the price increase & decreased interest in Smackdown. However, on the whole, it doesn't look like the price increase negatively affected business at all!

Best WWE matches for 2006

2007-02-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

TOP WWE SINGLES PERFORMERS FOR 2006
EDGE (RAW)
9/17/06 John Cena vs Edge (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) ****1/4
4/30/06 John Cena vs Triple H vs Edge ****1/4
1/16/06 Edge vs Ric Flair (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) ****
4/2/06 Mick Foley vs Edge (Hardcore) ****
8/20/06 Edge vs John Cena (Title Can Change Hands on DQ) ***3/4
Great matches against Cena, Flair & Foley.

CHRIS BENOIT (SMACKDOWN)
11/24/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay ****1/4
5/21/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay ****
1/27/06 Chris Benoit vs Randy Orton (No Holds Barred) ***3/4
1/13/06 Chris Benoit vs Randy Orton ***3/4
10/9/06 Chris Benoit vs William Regal ***3/4
Great matches against Finlay, Orton & Regal.

JOHN CENA (RAW)
9/17/06 John Cena vs Edge (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) ****1/4
4/30/06 John Cena vs Triple H vs Edge ****1/4
10/2/06 John Cena vs Edge (Cage) ***3/4
4/2/06 John Cena vs Triple H ***3/4
8/20/06 Edge vs John Cena (Title Can Change Hands on DQ) ***3/4
Great matches against Edge & HHH.

FINLAY (SMACKDOWN)
11/24/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay ****1/4
5/21/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay ****
4/2/06 Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay vs Bobby Lashley vs Ric Flair (Ladder) ****
3/24/06 Rey Mysterio vs Finlay ***1/2
10/9/06 King Booker vs Batista vs Bobby Lashley vs Finlay ***1/2
Great matches against Benoit, good Ladder performance & other Smackdown stars.

RVD (RAW & ECW)
4/2/06 Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay vs Bobby Lashley vs Ric Flair (Ladder) ****
4/30/06 Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin ***3/4
9/26/06 Rob Van Dam vs Hardcore Holly ***3/4
10/3/06 Rob Van Dam vs Test ***3/4
6/25/06 Rob Van Dam vs Edge ***1/2
Great matches against Benjamin, Test, Edge & Hardcore Holly.

RIC FLAIR (RAW)
4/2/06 Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay vs Bobby Lashley vs Ric Flair (Ladder) ****
1/16/06 Edge vs Ric Flair (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) ****
8/20/06 Ric Flair vs Mick Foley (I Quit) ***1/2

TOP WWE TAG TEAMS FOR 2006

Paul London & Brian Kendrick - SMACKDOWN
12/17/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs Dave Taylor/William Regal (Ladder) ****1/4
10/9/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Idol Stevens/KC James ***1/2
5/21/06 Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Paul London/Brian Kendrick ***1/2

MNM (Nitro & Mercury) – SMACKDOWN/
12/17/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs Dave Taylor/William Regal (Ladder) ****1/4
5/21/06 Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Paul London/Brian Kendrick ***1/2
2/3/06 Johnny Nitro/Joey Mercury vs Super Crazy/Psicosis ***1/4

HARDYZ (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) – SMACKDOWN/RAW/ECW
12/17/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs Dave Taylor/William Regal (Ladder) ****1/4
12/3/06 Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy vs Johnny Nitro/Joey Mercury ***1/4
12/4/06 Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy/Shawn Michaels/Triple H vs Randy Orton/Edge/Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro ***

DX (Shawn Michaels & Triple H) - RAW
9/17/06 Shawn Michaels/Triple H vs Vince McMahon/Shane McMahon/Big Show (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4
8/20/06 Shawn Michaels/Triple H vs Vince McMahon/Shane McMahon ***1/4
12/11/06 Ric Flair/Triple H/Shawn Michaels vs Randy Orton/Edge/Kenny ***1/4

FINLAY/REGAL/TAYLOR - SMACKDOWN
12/17/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs Dave Taylor/William Regal (Ladder) ****1/4
6/16/06 Finlay/William Regal vs Matt Hardy/Gunner Scott ***1/4
5/19/06 Chris Benoit/Gunner Scott vs Finlay/Booker T ***1/4

TOP WWE MATCHES FOR 2006

1/16/06 Edge vs Ric Flair (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) ****
2/19/06 Kurt Angle vs Undertaker **** (won #10 for WO MOTY)
4/2/06 Mick Foley vs Edge (Hardcore) **** (WO MOTY HONORABLE MENTION)
4/2/06 Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay vs Bobby Lashley vs Ric Flair (Ladder) ****
4/30/06 John Cena vs Triple H vs Edge ****1/4
5/21/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay **** (won #7 for WO MOTY)
6/2/06 Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle ****1/4
9/17/06 Trish Stratus vs Lita
9/17/06 John Cena vs Edge (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) ****1/4 (WO MOTY HONORABLE)
11/24/06 Chris Benoit vs Finlay ****1/4
12/17/06 Paul London/Brian Kendrick vs Joey Mercury/Johnny Nitro vs Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy vs Dave Taylor/William Regal (Ladder) ****1/4

1/16/06 RAW: EDGE/FLAIR (TLC), ANGLE/HBK
2/19/06 SMACK PPV (NO WAY OUT): ANGLE/UT, BOOKER/BENOIT, ORTON/MYSTERIO
4/2/06 WM 22: LADDER; FOLEY/EDGE; CENA/HHH; HBK/VINCE; Rey/Angle/Orton
4/30/06 RAW PPV (BACKLASH): CENA/HHH/EDGE; RVD/SHELTON; HBK/MCMAHON; CARLITO/MASTERS
5/21/06 SMACKDOWN PPV (JUDGMENT DAY): FINLAY/BENOIT; MNM VS L-K; REY VS JBL
6/2/06 SMACKDOWN: (REY/ANGLE)
9/17/06 RAW PPV (UNFORGIVEN): TRISH/LITA, CENA/EDGE (TLC); DX/MCMAHON (HITC)
9/26/06 ECW: RVD vs HARDCORE HOLLY
10/3/06 ECW: RVD vs TEST
11/24/06 SMACKDOWN: FINLAY/BENOIT
12/17/06 SMACKDOWN PPV (ARMAGGEDDON): TAG LADDER; HELMS/YANG; Benoit/Chavo

Royal Rumble Review!

2007-01-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

TOP FIVE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES (NON-RUMBLE)

#5: Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jeannette (1993 – Sacramento, CA)
#4: Chris Jericho vs. The Rock (2002 – Atlanta, GA)
#3: Diesel vs. Bret Hart (1995 – Tampa, FL)
#2: Triple H vs. Cactus Jack [STREET FIGHT] (2000 – MSG NY)
#1: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit [LADDER] (2001 – New Orleans, LA)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1/22/95 Bob Holly/123 Kid vs Bam Bam Bigelow/Tatanka
1/24/99 Rock vs Mankind (I Quit)
1/21/01 Kurt Angle vs Triple H
1/19/03 Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
1/18/98 Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker (Casket)
1/18/98 Max Mini/Nova/Mosaic vs Battalion/Torito/Tarantula
1/19/92 Owen Hart/Jim Neidhart vs Pat Tanaka/Kato
1/24/93 Bret Hart vs Razor Ramon
1/22/95 Razor Ramon vs Jeff Jarrett
1/23/00 Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy vs Bubba Ray Dudley/D-Von Dudley (Tables)
1/30/05 HHH vs Randy Orton
1/30/05 Shawn Michaels vs Edge
1/24/88 Jumping Bomb Angels vs Glamour Girls (2/3 falls)
1/24/93 Rick Steiner/Scott Steiner vs Beau Beverly/Blake Beverly
1/25/04 Triple H vs Shawn Michaels (Last Man Standing)

TEN BEST ROYAL RUMBLES:
1992: Ric Flair wins it all! (ALBANY)
2004: Chris Benoit is going to Wrestlemania! (PHILLY)
1988: Jim Duggan defeats 20 other men to begin a WWF tradition! (SAN JOSE)
1995: Shawn Michaels goes on to face Diesel in April! (TAMPA)
2002: Longest rumble on record at nearly 70 minutes, HHH’s quad wins the Royal Rumble! (ATLANTA)
2006: Rey Mysterio sets the modern endurance record at 62 minutes winning the rumble! (MIAMI)
2001: MENG’s surprise DEBUT did not win; Steve Austin beat Kane! (NEW ORLEANS)
2003: Brock Lesnar (#29) beat Big Show to qualify then #30 Undertaker to win the Rumble! (BOSTON)
1990: Hulk Hogan won to set the stage for the huge showdown with the Ultimate Warrior! (ORLANDO)
1997: Steve Austin wins and goes to WM for a bloody battle with Bret Hart! (SAN ANTONIO)

Powerslam Top 50

2006-12-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Powerslam Magazine is from the UK and has been producing a "Top 50" wrestlers list for a decade. Their period of observation is between Dec 1 and Nov 30.

2006
1. Edge
2. Bryan Danielson
3. KENTA
4. Samoa Joe
5. Naomichi Marufuji
6. AJ Styles
7. Takeshi Morishima
8. Christopher Daniels
9. Yugi Nagata
10. Rey Mysterio
11. CIMA
12. Low Ki
13. Homicide
14. Shiji Kondo
15. Kurt Angle
16. Takarshi Sagiura
17. Satoshi Kojima
18. Hiroshi Tanahashi
19. Chris Benoit
20. Randy Orton
21. Austin Aries
22. Rob Van Dam
23. Shawn Michaels
24. Nigel McGuinness
25. Finlay
26. Katsuhiko Nakajima
27. Kenta Kobashi
28. Koji Kanemoto
29. Kensuke Sasaki
30. Roderick Strong
31. Jun Akiyama
32. Davey Richards
33. Jay Briscoe
34. Chris Sabin
35. Mark Briscoe
36. Triple H
37. Booker T
38. Petey Williams
39. Abyss
40. Rhino
41. Brian Kendrick
42. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
43. Paul London
44. CM Punk
45. The Undertaker
46. Matt Sydal
47. Matt Hardy
48. Johnny Nitro
49. Gregory Helms
50. Pac

2005
1. AJ Styles
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Samoa Joe
4. Kenta Kobashi
5. Kurt Angle
6. Kenta
7. Christopher Daniels
8. Naomichi Marufuji
9. Eddie Guerrero
10.Kensuke Sasaki
11.Chris Benoit
12. Rey Mysterio
13.Satoshi Kojima
14. Edge
15. Jamie Knoble
16. Triple H
17. Toshiaki Kawada
18. Austin Aries
19. Chris Jericho
20. Jun Akiyama
21. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
22. Koji Kanemoto
23. CM Punk
24. Chris Harris
25. Suwa
26. Bryan Danielson
27.Hiroshi Tananashi
28. James Storm
29. Roderick Strong
30. Chris Sabin
31 Shelton Benjamin
32. Doug Williams
33. Alex Shelly
34. Christian
35. Low Ki
36. Petey Williams
37. Hiroyshi Tenzan
38. Milano Collection A.T
39. Takashi Suguira
40.Randy Orton
41. Eric Young
42. Jay Lethal
43. Matt Hardy
44. Homicide
45. Nigel Mcguiness
46. Jeff Jarret
47. Abyss
48. Booker T
49. Batista
50. Sabu

2004
1. Chris Benoit
2. Kenta Kobashi
3. AJ Styles
4. Samoa Joe
5. Shawn Michaels
6. Randy Orton
7. KENTA
8. Jushin Liger
9. Kensuke Sasaki
10. Eddie Guererro
11. Hiroshi Tanahashi
12. Low Ki
13. Naomichi Marufuji
14. CM Punk
15. Triple H
16. Rey Mysterio
17. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
18. Kurt Angle
19. Chris Daniels
20. Doug Williams
21. Yuji Nagata
22. Bryan Danielson
23. Yoshihiro Takayama
24. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
25. Shinsuke Nakamura
26. Toshiaki Kawada
27. Mitsuharu Misawa
28. Koji Kanemoto
29. Christian
30. Jun Akiyama
31. Homicide
32. Mick Foley
33. Edge
34. Shelton Benjamin
35. Minoru Tanaka
36. Chris Jericho
37. Susuma Yokosuka
38. Chris Sabin
39. Chavo Guerrero
40. Paul London
41. Chris Hero
42. Alex Shane
43. Petey Williams
44. James Tighe
45. Tajiri
46. Jonny Storm
47. Jeff Jarrett.
48. Undertaker
49. Colt Cabana
50. Paul Burchill

2003

1. Kenta Kobashi
2. Kurt Angle
3. Eddie Guerrero
4. Yugi Nagata
5. Brock Lesnar
6. KENTA
7. AJ Styles
8. Jun Akiyama
9. Chris Benoit
10. Naomichi Marufuji
11. Paul London
12. Koji Kanemoto
13. Shawn Michaels
14. Rey Mysterio Jr.
15. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
16. Christopher Daniels
17. Shinjiro Ohtani
18. Jushin Liger
19. Low Ki
20. Yoshihiro Tajiri
21. Yoshihiro Takayama
22. Rob Van Dam
23. Juventud Guerrera
24. Samoa Joe
25. Chris Jericho
26. Christian
27. Toshiaki Kawada
28. Shelton Benjamin
29. Doug Williams
30. Satoshi Kojima
31. Charlie Haas
32. The Undertaker
33. Jerry Lynn
34. Booker T
35. CIMA
36. Bryan Danielson
37. Raven
38. Chris Sabin
39. Randy Orton
40. Chris Harris
41. Johnny Storm
42. Yossino
43. CM Punk
44. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
45. Jeff Jarrett
46. Matt Hardy
47. Jay Briscoe
48. John Cena
49. Bill Goldberg
50. James Tighe

2002
1: Kurt Angle
2: Yuji Nagata
3: Low Ki
4: Eddie Guerrero
5: Satoshi Kojima
6: Jerry Lynn
7: Keiji Muto
8: RVD
9: Edge
10: Genichiro Tenryu
11: A.J. Styles
12: Jun Akiyama
13: The Rock
14: Chris Benoit
15: American Dragon
16: Yoshinobu Kanemaru
17: Christopher Daniels
18: Koji Kanemoto
19: Rey Mysterio Jr.
20: HHH
21: Doug Williams
22: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
23: Chris Jericho
24: Shinjiro Ohtani
25: Minoru Tanaka
26: Yoshihiro Takayama
27: Bokker T
28: Manabu Nakanishi
29: Jushin Lyger
30: Jamie Noble
31: Mat Hardy
32: Mitsharu Misawa
33: Jodie Fleisch
34: Jeff Hardy
35: Steve Austin
36: Chavo Guerrero
37: Brock Lesnar
38: Jonny Storm
39: Christian
40: Masahiro Chono
41: Spanky
42: Masato Tanaka
43: Tajiri
44: Kenta Kobashi
45: Magnum Tokyo
46: Undertaker
47: Trent Acid
48: Dragon Kid
49: Red
50: Lance Storm

2001
1. Steve Austin
2. Keiji Muto
3. Kurt Angle
4. Rob Van Dam
5. Yugi Nagata
6. The Rock
7. Minour Tanaka
8. Jun Akiyama
9. Triple H
10. Chris Jericho
11. Satoshi Kojima
12. Booker T
13. Chris Benoit
14. Jeff Hardy
15. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
16. Edge
17. Toshiaki Kawada
18. Genichiro Tenryu
19. Buh Buh Ray Dudley
20. Rhyno
21. Tatsuhito Takaiwa
22. Matt Hardy
23. Christian
24. D-Von Dudley
25. Yoshihiro Tajiri
26. Shinjiro Ohtani
27. Kensuke Sasaki
28. Jushin Liger
29. Shinya Hashimoto
30. Mitsuharu Misawa
31. Test
32. Taiyo Kea
33. Kanyon
34. El Samurai
35. Shane Helms
36. Doug Williams
37. Christopher Daniels
38. Bryan Danielson
39. Scott Steiner
40. William Regal
41. Johnny Storm
42. Vader
43. Alex Shane
44. Lance Storm
45. EZ Money
46. Kaz Hayashi
47. Billy Kidman
48. Low Ki
49. Kane
50. Sean Waltman

2000
1 HHH
2 Chris Beniot
3 The Rock
4 Yoshihiro Tajiri
5 Kenta Kobashi
6 Chris Jericho
7 Jeff Hardy
8 Shinjiro Ohtani
9 Rob Van Dam
10 Jun Akiyama
11 Kid Kash
12 Minoru Tanaka
13 Kurt Angle
14 Justin Credible
15 Toshiaki Kawada
16 Edge
17 Mike Awesome
18 Guido Maritato
19 Tatsuhito Takaiwa
20 Scott Steiner
21 Matt Hardy
22 Mitsuharu Misawa
23 Jeff Jarrett
24 Christian
25 Jerry Lynn
26 Lance Storm
27 X-Pac
28 Booker T
29 Kensuke Sasaki
30 Buh Buh Ray Dudley
31 Vader
32 DDP
33 Super Crazy
34 Koji Kanemoto
35 Dean Malenko
36 Rhino
37 Eddie Guerrero
38 Masato Tanaka
39 Jushin Liger
40 Genichiro Tenryu
41 Scotty Too Hotty
42 D-Von Dudley
43 Mick Foley
44 Keiji Muto
45 Kanyon
46 Grandmaster Sexay
47 Terry Funk
48 Val Venis
49 Steve Corino
50 Crash Holly

1999
1. Chris Benoit
2. Keiji Muto
3. Kenta Kobashi
4. The Rock
5. Steve Austin
6. Jerry lynn
7. Yugi Nagata
8. Shinjiro Ohtani
9. Rey Mysterio Jr.
10. Koji Kanemoto
11. Billy Kidman
12. Mitsuharu Misawa
13. Triple H
14. Diamond Dallas Page
15. Justin Credible
16. Jushin Liger
17. Juventud Guerrera
18. Jun Akiyama
19. Super Crazy
20. Mick Foley
21. Yoshihiro Tajiri
22. Jeff Hardy
23. Tatsuhito Takaiwa
24. Sabu
25. Satoshi Kojima
26. Vader
27. Christian
28. Toshiaki Kawada
29. Dean Malenko
30. Raven
31. Yoshinari Ogawa
32. Edge
33. Lance Storm
34. The Great Sasuke
35. Rob Van Dam
36. Bill Goldberg
37. Matt Hardy
38. Bam Bam Bigelow
39. Masato Tanaka
40. Jeff Jarrett
41. Sean Waltman
42. D-Lo Brown
43. Tazz
44. Perry Saturn
45. Bret Hart
46. Shane McMahon
47. Mike Awesome
48. Eddie Guerrero
49. Test
50. Hardcore Holly

1998
1. Steve Austin
2. Koji Kanemoto
3. Mick Foley
4. Chris Benoit
5. Jun Akiyama
6. Shinjiro Ohtani
7. Chris Jericho
8. Ken Shamrock
9. Jushin Liger
10. Billy Kidman
11. Kenta Kobashi
12. Jerry Lynn
13. The Rock
14. Diamond Dallas Page
15. Raven
16. Mitsuharu Misawa
17. Shinya Hashimoto
18. Satoshi Kojima
19. Juventud Guerrera
20. Masato Tanaka
21. El Samurai
22. Bam Bam Bigelow
23. Owen Hart
24. Booker T
25. Tatsuhito Takaiwa
26. Triple H
27. Dean Malenko
28. Toshiaki Kawada
29. Sean Waltman
30. Rob Van Dam
31. Ultimo Dragon
32. Eddie Guerrero
33. Justin Credible
34. Bret Hart
35. Lance Storm
36. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
37. Genichiro Tenryu
38. Terry Funk
39. Rey Mysterio Jr.
40. The Undertaker
41. Disco Inferno
42. D-Lo Brown
43. Sting
44. Chris Candido
45. Billy Gunn
46. Saturn
47. The Great Sasuke
48. Kanyon
49. The Road Dogg
50. Sabu

1997
1) Bret Hart
2) Jushin Liger
3) Shawn Michaels
4) Shijiro Ohtani
5) Eddie Guerrero
6) Ultimo Dragon
7) The Undertaker
8) Steve Austin
9) Mitsuharu Misawa
10) Diamond Dallas Page
11) El Samurai
12) Dean Malenko
13) Rey Misterio Jr.
14) Kenta Kobashi
15) Toshiaki Kawada
16) Shinya Hashimoto
17) Randy Savage
18) Chris Benoit
19) Koji Kanemoto
20) Sabu
21) Ken Shamrock
22) Mankind
23) Akira Taue
24) Davey Boy Smith
25) Curt Hennig
26) Owen Hart
27) Jun Akiyama
28) Kensuke Sasaki
29) Vader
30) Shane Douglas
31) Hiroyoshi Tenzan
32) Jeff Jarrett
33) Syxx
34) Taka Michinoku
35) Keiji Muto
36) The Great Sasuke
37) Taz
38) Booker T
39) Scott Steiner
40) Bam Bam Bigelow
41) Chris Candido
42) Masa Chono
43) Hunter Hearst-Helmsley
44) Marcus Bagwell
45) Chris Jericho
46) Rocky Maivia
47) Rob Van Dam
48) Brian Christopher
49) D-Von Dudley
50) Scott Hall

1996
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Kenta Kobashi
3. Dean Malenko
4. Sabu
5. Mick Foley
6. Rey Mysterio Jr.
7. The Great Sasuke
8. Mitsuharu Misawa
9. Steve Austin
10. Jushin Liger
11. Akira Taue
12. Shinya Hashimoto
13. Steve Williams
14. Chris Benoit
15. Bret Hart
16. Ultimo Dragon
17. Nobuhiko Takada
18. Toshiaki Kawada
19. Too Cold Scorpio
20. Shinjiro Ohtani
21. Davey Boy Smith
22. Perry Saturn
23. Shane Douglas
24. Jun Akiyama
25. Chris Jericho
26. Eddie Guerrero
27. Keiji Muto
28. Marc Mero/Johnny B. Badd
29. Owen Hart
30. Mikey Whipwreck
31. Johnny Ace
32. Triple H
33. Steven Regal
34. Psicosis
35. Pit Bull Two
36. Diamond Dallas Page
37. Kevin Nash
38. Shiro Koshinaka
39. John Kronus
40. Rob Van Dam
41. Raven
42. Dustin Rhodes
43. Tazz
44. Stevie Richards
45. Scott Hall
46. Riki Choshu
47. Booker T
48. Vader
49. Ric Flair
50. The Sandman

1995
1. Mitsuharu Misawa
2. Chris Benoit
3. Shawn Michaels
4. Eddie Guerrero
5. Toshiaki Kawada
6. Bret Hart
7. Sabu
8. Kenta Kobashi
9. Keiji Muto
10. Ken Shamrock
11. Jushin Liger
12. Koji Kanemoto
13. Too Cold Scorpio
14. Dean Malenko
15. Ginsei Shinzaki
16. Nobuhiko Takada
17. Rey Mysterio Jr.
18. Akira Taue
19. Marty Jannetty
20. Mick Foley
21. Johnny Ace
22. Vader
23. Sean Waltman
24. Mikey Whipwreck
25. Alex Wright
26. Davey Boy Smith
27. Psicosis
28. Brian Pillman
29. Owen Hart
30. Rocko Rock
31. Al Snow
32. The Great Sasuke
33. Raven
34. Terry Funk
35. Triple H
36. Ultimo Dragon
37. Scott Hall
38. Johnny B. Badd
39. Arn Anderson
40. Steve Austin
41. Ric Flair
42. Chris Candido
43. Bam Bam Bigelow
44. Hayabusa
45. Scott Steiner
46. The Sandman
47. The Head Hunter(s)
48. Kevin Nash
49. Shane Douglas
50. La Parka

1994
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Chris Benoit
3. Toshiaki Kawada
4. Mitsuharu Misawa
5. Jushin Liger
6. Bret Hart
7. Steve Williams
8. Sabu
9. Nobuhiko Takada
10. Vader
11. Steve Austin
12. Kenta Kobashi
13. Too Cold Scorpio
14. Art Barr
15. Hiroshi Hase
16. Sean Waltman
17. Shane Douglas
18. Terry Funk
19. The Great Sasuke
20. Keiji Muto
21. Eddie Guerrero
22. Owen Hart
23. Mick Foley
24. Stan Hansen
25. Brian Pillman
26. Jimmy Del Ray
27. Tracey Smothers
28. Dan Kroffat
29. Ultimo Dragon
30. Sting
31. Rey Mysterio Jr.
32. Tom Prichard
33. Ginsei Shinzaki
34. Psicosis
35. Bam Bam Bigelow
36. Ricky Steamboat
37. Scott Steiner
38. Kevin Nash
39. Chris Candido
40. Arn Anderson
41. Super Delfin
42. Heavy Metal
43. The Patriot
44. Billy Gunn
45. Dustin Rhodes
46. Scott Hall
47. Rocko Rock
48. Mike Awesome
49. Hulk Hogan
50. Steven Regal

Thanks to Crippler for his help collecting this data!

Adaptation in Wrestling

2006-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Q: Explain how species adapt to changing environments to enhance
survival and reproductive success, including changes in structure,
behavior, or physiology and give examples.

By Zip Whittle

Throughout history organisms have adapted to their changing
environments in order to enhance their survival and reproductive
success. Successful transformations have involved bringing sexual
partners closer to a creature's natural habitat, finding adaptive
advantages within ecological limitations and developing the use
colorful marks in order to confuse and disorient your enemies. These
behavioral and structural alterations have been implemented both
through biological evolution and organic realization.

For most of the 20th Century, the halls of smoky-filled arenas were
filled with professional wrestlers each limited in their ability to
seek appropriate mating partners. Often, wrestlers would be forced to
take turns with rats and stunt grannies in order to fulfill their
carnal urges. However, in the 1980s an adaptation displayed by
promoters uncovered a new way to satisfy the wrestler's insatiable
sexual cravings. Instead of traveling town to town searching for
lustful encounters, the promoters would simply bring along a female
valet. For instance, World Class Championship Wrestling hired Missy
Hyatt in 1985 for the purposes of satisfying the wrestler's wanton
carnal hankerings when confused young ring boys simply would not do.
Some scientists speculated that this adaptation could not be further
improved. However, nature continues to amaze and prevail. In 2004,
the world was stunned to learn that within the nesting environment of
Vincacious McMahonicus a new species, DIVASEARCH DIMWITICUS, had been
discovered! Research into this whole new genus had already led to
breakthroughs in many fields including luggage/fecal matter cleaning
innovations as well as explaining the rise of back injuries among
blonds in Kentucky (the so-called Billard-Rogers conundrum).

Millions of years ago, many giant dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Yet,
after the Xenu coordinated the asteroid strike on the planet, it was
the smaller, more agile creatures which survived to the next age.
While the towering Tyrannosaurus Rex struggled to find enough food to
eat and eventually became extinct, fossil records demonstrate that the
smaller, cleverer Velociraptor survived much longer. While brain size
(especially in ratio to body mass) could have played a role in the
positive adaptations which benefited the Raptors, there were other
behavioral differences which benefited the one species of terrible
thunder lizard far greater than the other. While both faced with the
same changing planetscape and similar predators, the Velociraptor was
better adapted to the new environment. Similarly, the modern saga of
the "Big Man" in professional wrestling has always pitted natural
enemies: Behemoths vs. Gravity. Compare "Psycho" Sid Euly to Nathan
"Wacky Spinkick" Jones. Neither rain nor snow nor squeegees nor
softball season nor prison could fully stop either lumbering beast.
However, the powerful ability of being "absolutely batshit crazy" has
preserved Jones in relative good health while Euly career ended
following a horrific bone breakage from lack of sufficient calcium in
his weekly steroids. Again, we see that within creatures of the same
size, mental capacity will play an important role.

In nature, the use of color has always had an interesting correlation
to both speed and craziness. In the beginning there was the Destroyer
(DESTROYER EXECO), and it was good. While the speed was slow, the
sanity was normal. But lo, as time rolled on, the mask evolved.
Masks added colors, horns, levers and eventually when combined Paso
devaluation these entire species evolved. This new class was quicker
but far more insane with notable examples such as such Nicho Psicosis
(WATERPISTOLIO INSANACO). This remarkable evolution has come so far
that in some remote locations, like Australia, the creatures are known
to remove all their clothes (including the distinctive masks) and
operate in the broad daylight (see Juvi Guerrera -NAKEDONE INSANACO).

A parasite is a life form that has evolutionally adapted the
phylogenetically ability to feed off another living organism's
resources in a non-symbiotic fashion. A prime example would be the
Brock Lesnar (species: CARNIVORA SOUTHDAKOTIUS) and Rena "Sable" Mero
(MILFANIOUS HAGGARDFACIOUS). With each successive ridiculous chest
tattoo, the female indvidiaul borrows further into the checkbook of
the male. After a series of several years and several pounds of drug
medication, the creatures become completely inseparable. This
adaptation can also be seen in other places in the animal kingdom such
as K-Fed/Brittany and Helter Skelter/Indy Wrestling.

As you can clearly see, species adapt to changing environments to
enhance survival and reproductive success.

WWE QTRLY FINANCIALS (report by Zip Whittle)

2006-12-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Highlights of the WWE fiscal quarter lasting 7/29/06 until 10/27/06 (released 12/5/06)

Pay-Per-View REVENUE
2Q 2006 = $18.6m in PPV revenue vs 2Q 2005 = $18.8m in PPV revenue.

“International buys comprised approx. 36% of total buys this quarter vs 40% total buys prior year quarter.”
Remember: PPVs cost $5 more domestically in 2006 vs 2005.

Summerslam 06 – 528k buys (Hogan/Orton, Edge/Cena, DX vs McMahons, Flair/Foley, Batista/Booker)
Summerslam 05 – 534k buys (Hogan/HBK, Batista/JBL, Cena/Jericho, Orton/UT, Rey/Eddy Ladder)
SS06 = $13.5m (338k buys domestic) / SS05 = $11.2m (320k buys domestic) +$2.3m/17.5k buys.

Unforgiven 06 – 290k buys (Cena/Edge TLC, Trish/Lita Retirement, DX/McMahons/BS HIAC)
Unforgiven 05 – 225k buys (Cena/Angle, HBK/Masters, Hardy/Edge Cage, Flair/Carlito)
UF06 = $7.4m (186k buys domestic) / UF05 = $4.7m (135k buys domestic) +$2.7m/50k buys.

No Mercy 06 – 195k buys (Booker/Lashley/Batista/Finlay, Benoit/Regal, Rey/Chavo FallsCountAnywhere, MVP debut, Kennedy/UT, Hardy/Helms)
No Mercy 05 – 219k buys (Batista/Eddy, Ortons/UT Casket, JBL/Rey, Benoit/Christian/OJ/Booker)
NM06 = $5.0m (125k buys domestic) / NM05 = $4.6m (131k buys domestic) +$0.4m/-6.6k buys.

ECW is tanking the attendance average.
NA attendance average: 4000 (w/ ECW), 5200 (w/o ECW). ECW averages 1200 ($25 ticket).
Last year NA attendance: 4300.

ECW TV is generating about $1.4m in TV rights this quarter. The live events generated about $800k.

Venue Merchandise totaled $4.2m (vs last year’s $3m). Per head, that’s $11.20/fan at live event.

Hulk Hogan 3-disc DVD sold about 200k units. VKM, History of WWE Championship #s not quoted.

Magazine revenue is slightly up ($3.4m vs $3.1m) – recognizes the new WWE magazine which replaced RAW/Smackdown magazines.

WWE CONFERENCE CALL Q&A HIGHLIGHTS
There was the usual babble about nitpicking this margin or that, some questions about their new Genius distribution deal and clarification of "other income". Here were the short highlights:

• International buys PPV this quarter was about 36% compared to 40% last year over this same time frame. They explained it as "cooling in the international market, particularly Italy where previously the product had been very hot." (Again, they never frame it as domestic buyrates falling, only international segment growing!).
• Did they think NA attendance could continue to grow? In short, yes. It's gone up 7 consecutive quarters and is now averaging 5200/live event (excluding ECW). Linda noted their peak was something like 9500, so they believed they could continue to grow. (If you leave ECW's attendance average in, then there is actually a drop this quarter compared to last year's time. So, this is probably another reason they want to not include the ECW empty venues.)
• They are shipping over a million units of "See No Evil" and expect to sell around a million copies.
• The "sell-through rate" (I presume this is sent-to-store:people-actually-buying it) dropped a bit this quarter compared to last year at the same time. In particular, last year's Undertaker DVD was very successful with a sell-through rate of about 80%.

The two most interesting topics covered were: (1) brand management, (2) thoughts on IFL going public

Bob Jenkins – Schafer Capital Management

QUESTION: Brand Management: Why not have them as three separate & distinct brands, ran by three different people, set up their own budgets and keep them independent; no mingling of wrestlers except in special occasions? Because right now it seems like all three brands seems homogenized into just one entity – no difference between the three and gives the viewer no reason to check out any other brand over one?

Linda McMahon: Clearly, our entire goal was have these three brands to have them as stand-alone brands. However, the decision we made when we first separated the RAW & Smackdown brands was to provide us with opportunity to reach different audiences on Cable and on Broadcast. Also, to give us and different touring teams so we could increase our international live events. All of which we have done.

We've spent the last four to five years in the brand separation. And now We've found that you can still create more rivalaries sometimes by crossing over the brands, no different than if you have a different
league competing with another. So, part of the cross-over effect has been the increasing of that competitive factor.

We also look as ECW is a developmental brand. It also gives us an opportunity to launch newer talent through there. I think we're accomplishing the goals that we set out when we first started:
* Give us the opportunity to create more stars by having the two brands and now adding ECW.
* Providing the opportunity for greater international growth
* More licensing products off the two brands, and now the three brands with ECW. And ECW is growing slowly.

Your question really is "why not make them even more distinct?" I think we have created even more distinct brands and since they are now created distinctly we have the opportunity to cross-promote and have some of the talent migrate back and forth across the different brands. So that we can increase the storylines and continue to grow all the brands in our total business.

Thoughts on IFL going public. (Jefferies & Company, Inc. - Robert Routh)
Linda McMahon: IFL and UFC are "good competitors in the marketplace for sporting programs. Good demo reach for them. And clearly a growing sport. We're taking a look at too and even announced last week that we had the folks from Pride in to meet with us. We having an opportunity to look at the developmental of that particular business as well." (WWE likes to pretend Pride is #1 in the World as a way of slighting UFC. They actually had an offer to buy UFC back in the SEG days with Shane McMahon interested in running it but obviously that wasn’t persued.)

The last interesting thing was in response to a question by James Clement from Sidotti & Company, LLC. He asked about whether the decrease in "prior event buys" in the PPV category meant that they were getting closer estimates from the providers. WWE responded that while "international business means that reporting timeline is slower. On balance going forward, don't expect big adjustments that we've seen in the past. Initial forecasts are better than previously reported."

IWW notes 12/3/06

2006-12-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Roddy Piper –
Lymphoma Cancer
Age 52
Left the UK Tour from great pain & mass in his back
Drank seven red bulls at a Fan Fest shortly before his recent surgery

Jim Ross –
Contract Expired 10/29
Signed One-Year Contract Extension

Dave Taylor – Returning to TV despite a torn meniscus

Wrestlemania in Detroit (rumors) – Batista vs Undertaker (TITLE VS STREAK)

Hardy Boyz –
Unknown how long they’ll stay together
They were very hot on RAW & ECW
Helped draw RAW 3.8 (3.6 / 3.9)
Helped draw ECW 1.8 (up from 1.6 avg)

ECW PPV (THIS SUNDAY) –
Hardyz vs MNM
Bob Holly vs Sandman
RVD vs Big Show vs Sabu vs CM Punk vs Test vs Lashley
(EXTREME ELIMINATION CHAMBER)
Candace – Broke her nose while wrestling Victoria on RAW. Same town where Victoria broke Beth Phoenix’s jaw! Also where Charlie Haas knocked Lillian Garcia off the apron.

Ric Flair –
He might have some time off to deal with his divorce with Beth but overall isn’t expected to be leaving the company anytime soon. Who knows what he’s going do? Some speculate that 2007 will be his last year, but honestly they’ve been saying that for almost two decades.

Rey Mysterio –
Contract with WWE until Spring 2007
Unlikely to jump to TNA
Rumored to have a low downside guarantee like <$100k

Chris Benoit – Just resigned a long-term contract and unlikely to go anywhere

Monty Brown – Signed with WWE

Trish Stratus –
Shooting new reality show with Erik Estrada, Latoya Jackson, Wee Man (Jackass), and Jack Osbourne (Ozzy’s Son) working the streets of Muncie, IN as “legit police officers”.

WWE is going after E-Feds

Indy Wrestler Nick Berk (maybe from OVW?) was the guy pretending to be Kramer on the CT skit.

“We Want Angle” chants in Philly at RAW on Monday Night.

UFC is either in the final stages of purchasing or has already purchased the Lemoore, CA-based World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. Why?

Tim Sylvia wanted to fight Fedor when he heard that Chuck might fight Liddell a few months ago. In other news, Luke Cuomo is challenging the Sun to a no-holds barred match.

TNA on Thanksgiving Quarter hour ratings were 0.87, 0.85, 0.85 and 0.88. Could be a lot worse!

See No Evil DVD has been released. Again, why was this not ready in time for Halloween?
The Marine (10/13 release) DVD/UMD is rumored to be released in 1/30/07. There will be both PG-13 and UNRATED versions. If there is any nudity on the unrated version, the person will probably still be on fire. IMDB has the movie grossing $18.3m thus far versus the $15-$20m budget including advertising.

TNA’s Houseshow in Mexico at Monterray drew about 4200 fans (in a 18k building). They said they’d return in May 2007 for a “Champions Cup”. All wrestlers were TNA though some AAA appeared:
* AMW beat Naturals in a match with a Powder finish.
* Ron Killings beat Robert Rude.
Jeff Jarrett & Konnan (with AAA’s Cibernetico, Javier Gonzalez, Joaquin Roldan) did promos.
* AJ Styles beat Eric Young & Petey Williams in a three-way.
* LAX (Konnan & Senshi) beat Kip James & BG James.
* Christian beat Rhino in a Monster’s Ball match that involved crowd brawling.
* Angle beating Abyss. Abyss was said to look so bad that he made Angle look bad.
No TNA merchandise was available for purchasing and Fans were not happy about that.

TNA Conference Call: don’t expect Warrior or Goldberg anytime soon. Called the Dupp Cup the worst thing TNA ever did. (That’s worse than midgets in garbage cans doing unmentionable things?)

Meltzer suggested that TNA Genesis was looking at their best buyrate ever, probably 50-60k based on feedback. It’s always difficult to predict purely on internet feedback but I’d expect this is true because:
a) Joe/Angle was a big deal match that people hadn’t seen before. This was Kurt Angle’s first appearance on TNA PPV. This was a match that appealed to new/casual fans. Even Biff Chedderhead (Biff from Tampa) made the effort to attend the PPV which he’s never bothered to do anytime in the past.
b) TNA’s audience is very much on the internet, much more than WWE’s audience. This means that internet feedback is a much better representation of who was buying the PPVs. In WWE, the “internet” audience represents a smaller percentage and therefore their feedback levels aren’t necessarily as indiciative of the audience as a whole.
c) We’re dealing with a much smaller buyrate numbers. Consider this - A weak WWE PPV will do over a 150,000 buys. When WWE presented the first ECW: ONS, there was an enormous outpouring of feedback to wrestling sites leading many people to speculate that this PPV would do BIG FOUR (RR, SS, SurvSeries, WM) #s. In the end, it posted remarkable but not incredible numbers. However, the estimating process for a WWE PPV involves a much bigger multiplier.

“Samoa Joe beat Forrest Griffin of UFC last week. Seriously. It was in a charity video game tournament, though. Joe earned $6,000 for the Autism Society of America and Forrest won $4,000 for the USO.”

Director’s Cut of “Heroes of World Class” will be released next month at rightherepictures.com

WSX (MTV promotion) is scheduled to debut at the end of January 2007.

Michelle McCool was hospitalized for about a week over Thanksgiving due to an enlarged kidney and electrolyte imbalance.

IFL announced today that they are now a publicly traded company.

IWW covers latest WWE Conference Call Q&A (12/5/06)

2006-12-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

, I just listened to this quarter's Q&A for the WWE Conference Call.
There was the usual babble about nitpicking this margin or that, some
questions about their new Genius distribution deal and clarification
of "other income". Here were the short highlights:

• International buys PPV this quarter was about 36% compared to 40%
last year over this same time frame. They explained it as "cooling in
the international market, particularly Italy where previously the
product had been very hot." (Again, they never frame it as domestic
buyrates falling, only international segment growing!).

• Did they think NA attendance could continue to grow? In short, yes.
It's gone up 7 consecutive quarters and is now averaging 5200/live
event (excluding ECW). Linda noted their peak was something like 9500,
so they believed they could continue to grow. (If you leave ECW's
attendance average in, then there is actually a drop this quarter
compared to last year's time. So, this is probably another reason they
want to not include the ECW empty venues.)

• They are shipping over a million units of "See No Evil" and expect
to sell around a million copies.

• The "sell-through rate" (I presume this is
sent-to-store:people-actually-buying it) dropped a bit this quarter
compared to last year at the same time. In particular, last year's
Undertaker DVD was very successful with a sell-through rate of about
80%.

The two most interesting topics covered were:
(1) whether the three separate brands should be managed independently
and (2) IFL going public. I tried to write down Linda's answers as
closely as possible.

Bob Jenkins – Schafer Capital Management

QUESTION: Brand Management:
Why not have them as three separate & distinct brands, ran by three
different people, set up their own budgets and keep them independent;
no mingling of wrestlers except in special occasions?
Because right now it seems like all three brands seems homogenized
into just one entity – no difference between the three and gives the
viewer no reason to check out any other brand over one?

Linda McMahon: Clearly, our entire goal was have these three brands to
have them as stand-alone brands. However, the decision we made when we
first separated the RAW & Smackdown brands was to provide us with
opportunity to reach different audiences on Cable and on Broadcast.
Also, to give us and different touring teams so we could increase our
international live events. All of which we have done.

We've spent the last four to five years in the brand separation. And
now We've found that you can still create more rivalaries sometimes by
crossing over the brands, no different than if you have a different
league competing with another. So, part of the cross-over effect has
been the increasing of that competitive factor.

We also look as ECW is a developmental brand. It also gives us an
opportunity to launch newer talent through there. I think we're
accomplishing the goals that we set out when we first started:
* Give us the opportunity to create more stars by having the two
brands and now adding ECW.
* Providing the opportunity for greater international growth
* More licensing products off the two brands, and now the three brands
with ECW. And ECW is growing slowly.

Your question really is "why not make them even more distinct?" I
think we have created even more distinct brands and since they are now
created distinctly we have the opportunity to cross-promote and have
some of the talent migrate back and forth across the different brands.
So that we can increase the storylines and continue to grow all the
brands in our total business.

(endquote)

Thoughts on IFL going public. (Jefferies & Company, Inc. - Robert Routh)
Linda McMahon: IFL and UFC are "good competitors in the marketplace
for sporting programs. Good demo reach for them. And clearly a growing
sport. We're taking a look at too and even announced last week that we
had the folks from Pride in to meet with us. We having an opportunity
to look at the developmental of that particular business as well."

(endquote)

The last interesting thing was in response to a question by James
Clement from Sidotti & Company, LLC. He asked about whether the
decrease in "prior event buys" in the PPV category meant that they
were getting closer estimates from the providers. WWE responsed that
while "international business means that reporting timeline is slower.
On balance going forward, don't expect big adjustments that we've
seen in the past. Initial forecasts are better than previously
reported."

IWW returns with WRITER DAN BROWN~!

2006-10-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, the far more famous than that other guy, Carmen Electra's NWWL creative Director & lead writer - DAN BROWN joins IWW to talk all about:

* how he got involved with NWWL
* what has changed show to show
* their model (and models) for growth
* possible tours
* injuries & training with the girls
* working with Jimmy Hart
* backstage and documentary footage
* possible media deals including 30-min shows on TV?
* how to get involved
* opportunities besides wrestling for new people
* the background on the project, who is funding it and when will new content be up!

much more!

It's a very interesting hour and sure to generate some vivid emails. Take a listen and write in with your thoughts to indeedwrestling@gmail.com

IWW interviews DAN BROWN

IWW: BOBBY SHIELDS~! (and the notes from last show)

2006-10-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

Bobby Shields on IWW
Covering all the insanity that is HARLEY RACE'S WLW CAMP - NOAH & WWE reps in the house!

Find out more about BOBBY SHIELDS over at his website.

SOME NOTES FROM THE LAST NEWS & NOTES SHOW:

SMACKDOWN
* GREENFIELD LEAVES SMACKDOWN WRITING TEAM *

Head Writer Alex Greenfield left Smackdown. One of his movies got
green-lit in Hollywood and he needed/wanted to be out there working on
that project and couldn't continue to write for WWE.
July 2005: Joined WWE writing. (Hollywood experience)
June 2006: Head Smackdown Writer after Dave Lagana was moved to ECW.
"Midnight Movie" – produced by Jacques Thelemaque, who struck a deal
with production financing entity Bigfoot Partners to produce 2-4
independent films per year under $1 mil working with emerging
filmmakers under the banner, FA Productions.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117921378?categoryId=13&cs=1 (April 19, 2005)

Interesting, here is an article from a year ago in Variety which
mentions movies that Greenfield has worked on. (He had just left his
job as a "lit. manager".)

• scripting remake of "She Creature" for Lou Arkoff
• co-writing "Midnight Movie" with Sean Hood
• writing "Wilson" with co-producer Mike Eitelman

Sounds like he had a lot of projects in the works when he got involved
with WWE. Not too surprising that a year later he'd be leaving them
for Hollywood.

* MICHAEL HAYES BECOMES HEAD SMACKDOWN WRITER *

Michael Hayes returns to the helm of Smackdown. Years ago in the
Heyman Smackdown era, Hayes clashed with Paul and eventually was moved
to the RAW side of things. He has been working on creative for many
years dating back to before the Brand Split.

SURPRISE? Well, many thought Dusty Rhodes was destined to be the next
writer. It's unknown whether this is a permanent deal or just until
they find their next Hollywood-wannabe. What's also unknown is what
this means for Rhodes' future.
* HELMS AND HARDY SET SMACKDOWN RECORD *

Matt Hardy & Gregory Shane Helms, friends who started wrestling
together in OMEGA, will meet this Sunday on PPV. WWE has been pushing
Helms as "the longest reigning cruiserweight champion in history".
He'll soon have another title to add to his mantle: Lowest Rated
Smackdown Segment in History.

The 9/15 Smackdown match between Helms & Hardy has set the bar at 0.8
– about 1¼ million viewers. (Keep that figure in mind when we talk
about TNA Ratings). It should be noted that this is while Smackdown
was being extensively pre-empted by UPN and nearly 50% of the country
didn't see the show in it's normal timeslot on Friday night.

TNA on 9/14 had 817,000 viewers. They did an 0.88 last week for 1
million viewers.
ECW on 9/12 had 2.14 million viewers. ECW has dropped into the mid
1.7-1.8 range lately.

However, most recent episode with Cena appearing did a 2.5 on fast
nationals which meant it beat Fox for 4th place on Friday night.
LAYLA has been put on Smackdown. Dave's comment "should indicate what
they think of her winning."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? FORMER WWE PERSONALITIES…

"Trish Stratus claimed she was asked to pose by PB within six months
of her being in wrestling, and then at least once a year every year
after. She was asked now that her career looks to be over would she
pose, and she said she wouldn't. She was married this weekend."

Story about Stacy Carter, (The Kat, Jerry Lawler's wife): She held
talks about doing PB, but after she was fired PB didn't want to
endanger their relationship with WWF so they cancelled the talks. Not
to worry though, she not only received ownership of Jerry Lawler's FL
Condo, but an additional cash settlement due to Lawler's remarks in
his autobiography (which violated terms that prohibited him from
making "disparaging remarks".)

Speaking of PB, viewers of their prank series "Totally Busted" might
recognize one of the cast: "Matt 'Horshu' Weisz", better known as
Luther Reigns.

Ken Shamrock is about to draw the largest rating for a MMA fight in
North America with his cable-TV rematch with Ortiz on 10/10 on
SpikeTV. Ever wonder the connection between Frank & Ken Shamrock?

SHAMROCK CLAN
Frank Shamrock - Frank Jaurez
Ken Shamrock - Ken Wayne Kilpatrick
(You'll see him as Wayne Shamrock on early Pancrase & wrestling tapes).
They were both adopted by Bob Shamrock, who ran a home for troubled
youths in Northern California.

Dustin Runnels went AWOL a few weeks ago when he no-showed three
events in the Northeast. He basically missed his flights and becoming
increasingly difficult to contact. Not a good situation.

Likewise, Sean Waltman is rumored to be acting in a bad way after
leaving a wrestling show in NJ with "some known drug dealers". He
supposedly never even went to his hotel room that evening.

NEW IWW FEDERATION: RFBW (Recently Fired by WWE)

Kid Kash (Smackdown) – attitude problems; failed a test recently? In
TNA had a bad rep. His final match (teaming with Jamie Noble) aired
on Smackdown last week after he'd already been released.

Justin Credible (ECW) – he no-showed ECW and disappeared; they waited
two weeks to fire him and finally just did it via Fax. Wife is
pregnant.

Boogeyman (Smackdown/OVW) – lots of issues. Said to be difficult to
deal with and acting crazy. His return to OVW was not going well
despite him already being advertised for Smackdown (remember his
prominent role in the Summerslam commercial?)

KANYON? Latest is WWE has no interest in using him. "Then again,
they just hired Marty…"

Kevin Nash & Billy Kidman were both backstage at TNA Impact last week.
Kidman has been lobbying for a job pretty much since his WWE release
in July 2006; his last match was a dark match under a mask. (He's
only 32 so he'll have at least eight years until WWE is going to want
him back, I guess.)

Rochester NY's own Joanie "Chyna" Laurer resurfaced on Larry King Live
a few weeks back to discuss Anna-Nicole's son's death. They (the two
women) were in the movie "Illegal Aliens" together.
THE SKINNY ON DEVELOPMENTAL

Greg Gagne was fired back on 9/11 after about five months with WWE in
developmental.
He was "out of touch" and "behind the times". He pushed Cody Rennels
(Dusty's son) heavily using the same ideas that were done back when he
debuted as Verne Gagne's son in AWA in late 1972.
Story from Deep South: "it was taking them all week to undo one day of
Gagne's teaching."
Simon Dean (Mike Bucci) has taken over developmental and is working
out of Stamford.

Kenny Omega (OVW) went home to Winnipeg after asking to leave on 9/8.

Ryan Reeves is off suspension. He is said to be "even bigger"– like
Lashley/Batista huge.

Kevin Matthews and Danny Giamundo (Danny Inferno) have been released from OVW.
A SIX CHICKENS MEOW = MEXICO WHACKINESS~!

9/20 Palacio de los Deportes (18,301 fans) MEXICO CITY

AAA has been bringing in lots of TNA wrestlers
"They had talked over a spot where Abyss was going to throw Lider, who
fancies himself as being Mexico's Mick Foley, into tons of thumb
tacks. But being AAA, there is always one communication problem and
nobody bought the thumb thacks. They ended up with some fluorescent
light tubes and Abyss threw Lider through those."

TNA shot an angle on the Mexico tour where Konnan, Homicide and about
ten AAA guys (including JUVI and SUPER CALO) beat down AJ Styles.

RXLL: Vampiro's federation is already NO MORE~! He went to Japan and
the promoter (Pepe Villa) basically took the money and paid old debts
instead of paying the talent and the TV station. So much for
Vampiro's INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING AGREEMENTS with Italy Nu Wrestling
Evolution, All-Japan (he'd supposedly just struck a deal with Samurai
TV to air his show!) and unnamed Calgary promotion to come from the
ashes of Matrats. Vampiro is allegedly going to restart with some of
the original crew: Sean Waltman, Slash Venom, Ricky Banderas, Kaos,
Aaron Aguilera, Extreme Tiger (luchadore from Tijuana that has won two
hair matches and is being heavily hyped). I don't know Ron Killings'
status (or Teddy Hart's?) since Killings seemed to get in trouble with
AAA (and TNA) for working the last show and he basically promised to
not go back. Sounds like Raven, All Japan Talent (Nosawa, who has
worked in Mexico/US extensively was on his last main event) will be
coming in. Vampiro claims he'll be opening a school (which should be
interesting coming from a Canadian who openly admits he never learned
to take a flat back bump until he went to WCW and promptly got nearly
paralyzed from an Awesomebomb from that 70s guy Mike 'The Gladiator'
Awesome.)

REY MYSTERIO IN TIJUANA HALL OF FAME. That is all.

* RING OF HONOR – ROH *

ROH Tapes are popular with younger wrestlers in Mexico.
(AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Low Ki, Homicide)

"Deals were at the beginning of the year for KENTA to pick up win
after win against ROH stars using the Go 2 Sleep as his finish.
It was all booked to build for the spot where he'd use the move on
Danielson, but Danielson would kick out, and come back to win cleanly
with the cattle mutilation.
A monkey wrench was nearly thrown into those plans when Danielson's
shoulder and chest were tore up and he really shouldn't be wrestling,
but he did anyway."

In an interview, Danielson acknowledged a strong interest in joining
the Peace Corps and said he'd actually applied last year but was
rejected due to his lack of college education. He claimed he was
taking classes online to help him out and still wanted to pursue the
goal.

Sammartino's appearance in ROH drew a legitimate turnaway crowd of 1200.

Prince Nana (Nana Bandoh, who claims to be the nephew of King Otumfuo
Osei Tutu, Ashanti King) has quit working with ROH. He wanted to do
more wrestling since he lost weight and didn't see much more
opportunity for him in Ring of Honor. An angle with Nana interrupting
Sammartino was nixed at the last show; overall people thought was the
right decision but one imagines that Nana wasn't thrilled at losing
that chance.

They've already begun working towards the big angle of Morishima vs
Samoa Joe for next year's big show. The crowd doesn't know Morishima
much yet but he's a terrificly talented big man (like 300 lbs) who
NOAH is very high on. Morishima doesn't even have a working visa yet
for wrestling in the US.

The GHC title defense was another interesting situation. It appears
that ROH knew about the title defense in advance but obviously
couldn't advertise it until the switch occurred. In fact, it's very
possible NOAH was counting on the publicity from the GHC title change
(9/9) to promote Marufuji in New York (9/13). It appears that Jim
Cornette must have known because of a video update that ROH posted
using him but which was clearly taped prior (9/1) to the title change.
The working relationship between ROH and NOAH is strong. They've
definitely got more out of that than say New Japan/TNA!

The Dragon Gate wrestlers will return next year for Wrestlemania
Weekend. They have recently started on a deal with the dying New
Japan to work together (which some are against since DG workers are
much smaller than NJ guys). However, it seems like NOAH has no
problem with ROH using these DG guys despite the obviously feud
between New Japan and NOAH.

ROH DVDs to Check Out
• 1st ROH Card: American Dragon vs LowKi vs Christopher Daniels (TC &
ZW live at the show!)
• CM Punk vs Samoa Joe Series
• CZW vs ROH: Cage of Death
• Supercard of Honor (Dragon Gate 6-man)

PPV
* SUMMERSLAM BUYRATE DOES WELL *

8/20 Boston - Summerslam – earned 538,000 buys.
Coming off last year's Hogan v. Michaels supermatch it obviously was
going to be lower, so this was considered a extremely good news. Big
draws were Edge/Cena, DX vs McMahons and especially Hogan/Orton and
Flair/Foley. Domestically, the numbers were poor (as always) around
320k buys. WWE is definitely being kept afloat with strong
international interest.

SUMMERSLAM BUY HISTORY
1998: Austin/UT = 700k buys
1999: Austin/HHH/Foley (Ventura ref) = 600k
2000: Rock/HHH/Angle = 550k
2001: Rock/Booker T, Austin/Angle = 565k
2002: Brock/Rock, HHH/Michaels = 520k
2003: Elimination Chamber (Goldberg, Jericho, Orton, Nash, Michaels),
Angle/Lesnar = 465k
2004: Benoit/Orton, JBL/UT, HHH/Eugene = 415k (328k domestic)
2005: Michaels/Hogan = 636k (407k domestic final)
2006: Summerslam 2006 = 538k (320k buys domestic)

2006 probably earned around $18.3 million gross. Summerslam 1998
earned over $21million.

Those tracking UFC: Liddell vs Babalu had around 500k buys (almost all
North America)

ECW PPV
--ECW's December to Dismember PPV on 12/3 in Augusta, GA at the
Richmond County Civic Center has tickets going on sale on 10/21. At
this point tickets are only listed at $20, which is incredibly
inexpensive. I can't believe they won't have higher prices for
ringside. (thanks to Michael Carpenter)

Speaking of ECW on the Sci-Fi channel, they've renewed Eureka, "which
beats out ECW as the highest rated show on the network and serves as
its lead-in."

TNA NEWS
Booking shakeup means Mike Tenay, Scott D'Amore and Jeremy Borash were
taken off the committee. Now it's just Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantell
and VINCE RUSSO leading the charge. Terry Taylor was really pushing
for Russo's return.
Obviously, this caused some conflict with Jim Cornette, who abhors
Russo. The deal allegedly is that Cornette won't let him be in the
same room as him, speak with him and especially not take direction
from him. For the time being that's the situation, but one has to
imagine there is going to be another powderkeg.
Vince Russo's departure last time was preceded by TNA negotiating with
Hulk Hogan (who was most likely just creating leverage with WWE).
Hogan had a precondition that he would not work with Russo.

The fallout: Scott D'Amore is getting a new TV production role. Mike
Tenay is still announcing. Jeremy Borash is still playing the
interview/announcer geek deal.
Both Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell started appearing on TNA TV. Unknown if
they are here to stay.
Samoa Joe did an interview with IGN speaking about how a TNA videogame
was vital. (Perhaps, but ECW definitely didn't save itself with their
releases in the late 90s. However, alternatively, more copies of Raw
vs Smackdown version whatever were sold last year than all of the Home
Video releases COMBINED. Now, keep in mind WWE only earns a fraction
of the sales – like between 2 and 5 percent on licensing, so it's not
like that would turn TNA from being in the red to shooting money out
their eyeballs.)

TNA Bound for Glory - Sunday, October 22, 2006 - Detroit, MI
1. NWA World Title vs. Career - special ringside enforcer Kurt Angle:
Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting
2. NWA Tag Team Titles - Six Sides Of Steel: LAX (Homicide y
Hernandez) vs. Christopher Daniels & AJ Styles
3. X Division Title: Senshi vs. Chris Sabin
4. Detroit "8 Mile Street fight": Rhino vs. Christian Cage
5. Monsters Ball: Samoa Joe vs. Abyss vs. Raven vs. Brother Runt
Also: The return of Team 3D (as noted on Borash's update)

Scott Steiner was not cool with TNA's system of handling outside
bookings (they pay the wrestlers a quarterly fee) and is in dispute
with them over that.

KURT ANGLE

Kurt Angle signed with TNA and debuted on their last PPV in the form
of a pre-taped segment.
His contract does allow him to compete in MMA though most think it's a
bad idea to try and do both at the same time even with TNA's reduced
schedule.

If Kurt Angle's no-compete had lasted until Feb, he'd have been owed
about $500k from WWE. However, it's unclear whether with his release
he was given a more unconvential one. He rumored to be at around
$650k/yr with TNA plus whatever else he decides to do on top (indy
shows, etc.)

He has been advertised as WRESTLING at TNA's show in Mexico, though
that seems to be more the local promoter (working on what he was told)
versus what can really be expected at the show.

Bill Behrens' fed in Modesto, CA advertised they had Kurt Angle coming
in for 10/13 show for a short period of time. That has since be
removed and he won't make an appearance – maybe at a later show.
Behrens' lost a lot of favor with TNA after the New Japan deal went to
hell.

Angle was brought to Nashville (9/20) and they filmed a secret
vignette for the PPV debut in a local warehouse. They even went as
far as bringing in a different TV crew, hiring indy workers to set up
the ring (but not knowing who used it) and filming at MIDNIGHT. Angle
was not in Orlando for the PPV for fear that someone would see him!

OTHER CONTRACT NEWS
BoDog (the Costa Rica fighting organization by Calvin Ayre) airs on
the "Men's Channel" (seems like one guy in Nebraska gets this!).
They've been trying to get a deal with Don Frye, Kurt Angle and Brock
Lesnar.

Rick Bassman (UPW owner: Victoria, Cena, Heidenreich, the Miz, Melina,
Ryan Sakoda, Chris Masters; an unofficial developmental territory for
WWE) is trying to put together a TANK ABBOT vs BUTTERBEAN PPV. Send
him money now folks~!

Frank Shamrock has claimed to sign a multimillion dollar contract with
THE WORLD FIGHTER CHAMPIONSHIPS. Cesar Gracie ist he group's booker.

Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros have been reunited on IFL TV as announcers.

Apparently all WWE announcers sign their contracts at the same time!
Tazz's contract up at the end of the year. He's playing hardball and
citing radio opportunities in an attempt to get more money. He wants
a raise; hard to say if they'd give it to him.

Also, Jim Ross' contact is up soon. It's unknown if he'll resign.
It's tough to say as there are plenty of arguments for and against his
continued involvement. He's strictly doing announcing now – no talent
relations or creative. Longterm it's unknown what the plan is, though
I suspect he'll be on a week-to-week deal soon.

Similarly, JBL nearly left Smackdown this month as he has started a
new job with an Investment bank. He basically agreed to come back and
work a week-to-week d

RECENT HIRES TO WWE
Charles Skaggs (2 Cold Scorpio, 41) – three-year deal, friends with Booker T.
Mark Canterbury (Henry Godwinn, 42) – hired as favor to HHH &
Undertaker; been though (he lost his son). He's expected to be on
Smackdown.
Brad James (Brad Armstrong, 45) – hired to teach young guys; will work
on ECW house shows.
Frederick Martin Oakes (Marty Jannetty , 47) – VKM decision. He's
believed to hold the record for most firings from the WWE.
Mike Rotunda (IRS, 48) – recently hired as road agent.
Five guys over forty!

Rodney Begnaud (Rodney Mack, 33) – few month tryout; he'll be on ECW.
(no long term deal yet) – wife Jazz appeared on 6/7/06 "WWE vs ECW"
show. Since unseen!
--Rodney Mack and Eric Perez debuted for ECW last night in Loveland, CO.

WWE INJURIES
KNEE SURGERY: Michaels, Mysterio, Khali. Also bad knees? BIG SHOW~!
(He got the weekend off. I believe he's also having back issues.)

Damaja (aka Danny Hollie/Danny Basham) tore his biceps at house show.
Currently, the other security guard under the mask (with Doug Basham)
is Derrick Neikirk. His story is that his tag partner (Ryan O'Reilly)
were doing ECW houseshows until O'Reilly failed a drug test and got
himself suspended. Hollie won't be able to return until April!

Mickie James hurt her neck after her RAW match and the 'rana to the skull.

Your Eyes may have almost melted when "Big Dick Johnson" appeared on
your screen at RAW this past week. Who is that? Writer Chris
DeJoseph; the fat male stripper.
Hardcore Holly got 24 stitches in his back from the brutal table slice
in the RVD match from ECW last week. Seeing him tough it out (recall
when he broke his arm during a match on Smackdown a few years ago?)
seems to set the stage to turn him babyface.

I heard both Vince and Shane McMahon did stay overnight in the
hospital following the Hell in the Cell match with DX.

WWE MONEY FIGURES

WWE spent $1.53m between May and July buying new tape libraries. Some
think it's World Class & Stampede tapes.

"See No Evil" cost $10.9m to produce. They should end up with profit
after DVD sales but not after it's initial release. Still don't
understand why they aren't releasing the DVD until NOVEMBER since once
expects HALLOWEEN is prime time for Horror movies.

The Marine, aka WWE MARINE PRESENTS MONDAY MARINE NIGHT MARINE RAW
MARINE cost $23m to produce so they need a ton of money to make a hit
on this one ($30m range). It will be interesting to watch; the
premiere was held on Tuesday (10/3) at a Marine base in California.

Average house show was $58k in merchandise sales. Costs about $145k
to run a show and they earned about $185.5k per show (including PPVs).

Who spends more on production WWE or UFC? WWE spends about $1.65
million per PPV which appears to be more than UFC. However, UFC will
often offer main eventers a significant portion of the gross which
means compared to WWE's 15% spent on payroll, UFC is actually probably
paying guys a lot more – or at least a few guys a lot more. The
breakeven point for PPVs is 109,000 buys domestically. That means
they won't be going under anytime too soon!

ECW taping is cheaper to produce: (about $200k vs $500k for RAW/Smackdown)
ECW got about $233k/show to produce ECW but also an additional $133k
for the show internationally. So, that's about $66k profit + live
gate.

Big Show + Angle + RVD was $43k/week. Rest of ECW earn between $500 to $1500.

WWE will settle the damages they owe the World Wildlife Foundation on 12/5.

HERE AND THERE:

MENG IS GREAT.

Dean Malenko had a brief cameo on 9/15 Smackdown TV with Dominick.

There has been a push to have Steve Austin & Hulk Hogan appear on the
three-hour "Family Reunion", USA SEASON PREMIERE show on Monday.
Hogan is far more likely than Austin.

Speaking of Hogan, he's teasing that WM XXIII in Detroit would be a
final match ever. I doubt that. Likely matchup are either
Hogan/Austin (unlikely) and Hogan/Big Show (with BS playing Andre's
role since it's been twenty years since WM3).

Dallas Hart (Bret Hart's son) will be starting at Lance Storm's
training school in January.

--Ted Petty Invitational from (9/30) in Midlothian, IL: (thanks to
Dominick Valenti and Keith Lipinski)

El Generico b M Dogg 20,
Low Ki b Davey Richards,
Low Ki b Generico,

Claudio Castagnoli b Mike Quackenbush,
Arik Cannon b Hallowickid,
Cannon b Castagnoli,

Chris Hero b Trik Davis,
Roderick Strong b Delirious,
Strong b Hero,

Low Ki won three-way over Cannon and Strong in 35:00 to win the Ted
Petty Invitational

American Kickboxer & Tarek the Great NC Iron Saints,
Eddie Kingston & Joker & Ricochet b Iron Saints,
North Star Express won six-way gauntlet match,
Josh Abercromie b Tyler Black in a loser leaves town match,
Chuck Taylor b Toby Klein to win IWA Mid South title,

Lucha Masks & more!! http://www.nuclearjackalope.com/

SURVIVOR SERIES PPV

Event Description: It's three times the action as teams from RAW,
SmackDown and ECW compete against each other for the first time ever
in WWE Survivor Series. Don't miss the excitement as John Cena, Shawn
Michaels, Triple H, King Booker, Batista, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam,
Sabu and Big Show form a legion of WWE Superstars at Survivor Series,
Sunday, November 26th at 8pm ET/5pm PT, live and only on Pay-Per-View.
A World Wrestling Entertainment Production. Go to wwe.com for more
details.

(Fatal Four-Way Match)
World Heavyweight Champion King Booker vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Batista vs. Finlay

(United States Champion) Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker
[I expect a DQ – feud to continue until next PPV.]

Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

MVP makes his debut

Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms vs. Matt Hardy ??? no idea ???)

WWE Tag Team Champions London & Kendrick vs. KC James & Idol Stevens
?? no idea ???)

Dark Match:
*Kendrick/London d. The Gymini
ECW, Oct. 10, 2006:
*No backstage segments were shown. If Diva Strip Poker happened, it
was backstage, and it wasn't shown to the live crowd.
1 - CM Punk d. Rene Dupree (clean)
2 - Tommy Dreamer d. Kevin Thorne w/ Ariel (clean)
3 - Sabu, RVD & The Sandman d. The Big Show, Test & Matt Striker -
RVD, Sabu & Sandman

IWW: RETURNS~!!!

2006-10-06T04:36:00.000-07:00

It's twelve pages of news crammed into under fifty minutes. We cover:

* what former WWE star is on the playboy channel!
* what happens when you forget to get a good babysitter for your mexico indy fed (VAMPIRO/RXXL fiasco!)
* what's going on this sunday at the PPV
* what is ROH's next big angle and who did they bring to the US that didn't even have a WORKING VISA?
* why three announcers: one of EACH WWE BRAND might/almost left this year
* TNA news with lots of Kurt Angle coverage (including the story of the vignette, money and fighting)
* discussion of TNA's first PPV outside of Orlando in a long time
* what MMA fed should sponser IWW
* what is the best video on youtube
* what is the coolest lucha mask site on the internet
* how are the shamrock "brothers" (frank/ken) related
and much, much, much more!!

45 min (mp3) with Zip Whittle

Justin's recap of ROH 9/16

2006-10-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

From Justin on Myspace - one of the best wrestling reporters around!!

here's is one fan's thoughts of the 9/16 ROH debut at the Manhattan center

the crowd was very hot for the show. I'm bad at guessing crowd size but i would say they easily had over 1,000 people there. they had 4 sections around the ring that went 7 rows deep that were packed, a general admission section that had around 100 seats in it that were filled and balcony seating that went 4 rows deep that was also jammed.

before the show started there was a brief altercation involving the green lantern fan. i can't say for certain what happened but he was getting yelled at by a lady, security got involved and everyone in the arena chanted "fuck green lantern" for a minute. good times.

the show started with Davey Richards against Jack Evans. solid opening match. Evans hit his usual crazy high spots, Davey was hard hitting winning with a submission(i believe the move is called "stretch muffler")

next up the ring was surrounded by NOAH and ROH wrestlers as they honored Bruno Sammartino. the crowd was very appreciative of Bruno chanting "thank you Bruno", and "welcome back" making a reference to him having his best matches in new york at Madison Square Garden. the crowd was very silent when he spoke. he said that he does not approve of wrestling today(no shock there) however he was very impressed with Ring Of Honor and feels they are bringing wrestling back. ROH has Bruno's stamp of approval(note: this is a big deal considering Bruno's son doesn't have it).

as the wrestlers were walking back stage Samoa Joe and NOAH's Morishima started fighting and had to be broken up. with Kobashi out it looks like they're setting up a future Joe vs Morishima match (duh)

the second match was Delirious vs Adam Pearce. Pearce wins with help from Shane Hagadorn. the best spot of the match was delirious hitting 50 lariats in the corner on Pearce, taking 3 seconds to catch his breath, then hitting 10 more. chant of the night was for delirious during the match with the crowd chanting "bah bah bah bah clap clap clapclapclap".

next was a tree way between Jimmy Jacobs w/Lacey against Christopher Daniels and Colt Cabana. the back story of the match was Jimmy discovered Colt and Lacey having sex and was very distraught since he loves Lacey. however Lacey ordered Jimmy to team with Colt during the match and take out Daniels. a few comedy spots with Colt looking up Lacey's skirt and "stumbling" and grabbing Lacey's chest to keep himself up. the finish of the jabobs/cabana/daniles 3 way was a low blow from jacobs to cabana for the pin. after the match Lacey was furious with Jimmy for disobeying her and he left the ring dejected.

Jim Cornette came to the ring with the Briscoe brothers and cut an anti- new york promo. he felt that he was a minority in new york being a white middle aged man. he also said that homicide would get an ROH world title shot at the next show in Manhattan if him and Joe win the match.

next up was homicide and Samoa Joe vs the Briscoe brothers. the crowd went crazy for homicide and was firmly behind the "hometown hero" solid match, plenty of stiff shots from Joe and the Briscoes. match ended with homicide hitting jay Briscoe with the "cop killa" for the victory. Cornette returned to ring side saying that he's gonna make homicide's life a "living hell" the rest of the year.

intermission time. the line to meet Bruno Sammartino was huge also NOAH was selling shirts at the show with the proceeds going to Kobashi as he recovers from kidney cancer. a big seller at the merch table was the "hero's of world class/von erich documentary" dvd. when i went to purchase it, it was sold out. another big seller was shows featuring C.M. Punk.

the second half featured only title matches.

the first was the kings of wrestling(Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) against champs Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. the kings came out to "we are the champions" and made their way through the crowd. the match was very good featuring great tandem moves from both teams. it looked like Aries was going to hit his 450 splash when Castagnoli hit Aries in the ribs with his briefcase( I.R.S anyone?). Aries tried making a "superman comeback" but the kings hit the KRS-1 on Aries for the victory becoming (in the Howard Finkle voice) NEW ROH world tag team champions. the crowd was very hot for the match. the fans had a "battle chant going" with one side chanting "kings of wrestling" and the other side chanting "shut the fuck up". this lasted after the match and went on for awhile. also this means that Chris Hero is now a part of the ROH roster.

Chris hero tangent: this guy has incredible heat. the fans that don't like him absolutely hate him. the fans that like him will chant till their red in the face for him. personally i think this is a cool move. behind homicide no one else got a bigger reaction at the show and if your paying your (to borrow a Jim Ross quote) hard earned money to boo the man how can it not be a great idea on ROH's part to bring him in.

the second title match was GHC Heavyweight Champion Marufuji against Nigel McGuinnes. this was a big deal because this is the first time the GHC title has been defended in the united states. this was the surprise match of the night. Marufuji hit some insane spots including a shiranui on McGuinnes to the floor. halfway through the match the fans chanted "this is awesome". McGuinnes hit his spots including "tower of london" but Marufuji won the match after going corner 2 corner(a van terminator without the chair) followed with a super shiranui from the top rope. the match was excellent and after it the fans again chanted "that was awesome".

for what it's worth Nigel Mcguinnes has been the best independent wrestler this past year. he's had classics with Bryana Danielson and had a great run with the ROH pure title. he reminds me of cowboy Bob Orton(i may be the only guy) in that he makes really complicated moves and holds look so easy to execute(which has been said of Orton).

the main event of the evening was KENTA against ROH world champion Bryan Danielson. the crowd was behind Danielson strongly because he was wrestling the match with a separated shoulder. the match had a very "big fight" atmosphere to it. while i was waiting to get in the arena i was asking people who they thought was going to win and it was 50-50. people were sure KENTA was going to win or were sure Danielson was. tons of submissions from both KENTA and Danielson and plenty of near falls. Kenta hit "go to sleep" and the crowd erupted when Danielson put his foot on the rope at 2. Danileson won the match with cattle mutilation and is still your ROH world heavyweight champion.

the show went from 8:00 to about 11:30/11:40. the show felt just right time wise, the intermission helped. also stacking the second half with three title matches didn't hurt either. the best match of the night in my opinion was Marufuji and McGuinnes however Kenta and Danielson was also excellent. the only reason I'm picking Marafugi and McGuinnes was because it really surprised me and everyone in the building with how great it was. as for worst match there really wasn't a bad match on the card. if i have to say it would probably be Delirious and Pearce however it served it purpose and I would have no problem watching it again. .

the two biggest reactions went to homicide and the kings of wrestling.

overall i thought this was an excellent show. ROH hyped it to be their biggest show ever and they didn't disappoint. the Manhattan center made for a great venue and the crowd was very hot from start to finish. the only bad note was the security at the Manhattan center was gawd-awful. they were real ass-bags and from what i hear were taking away streamers from the fans. despite that the show was excellent and i recommend the purchase when it comes out on DVD.

Justin

Lots of NEW IWW content.. (enjoy our new theme music!!)

2006-09-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

9/14/06: TC WATTS & ZIP WHITTLE return.....
to discuss:
* the fallout from greg gagne being fired
* the future of smackdown
* who needs knee surgeries (answer: EVERYONE)
* wrestlethons
* turduckens
* viewer mail
* WWE & TNA PPV cards
HODGE PODGE of GOODNESS (52 minutes)

OUR INCREDIBLE IWW VIDEO PROMO BY MR. QUEST!!
(mp4 format!)

9/8/06: We head to LA to cover Pro Wrestling Guerilla's giant indy tournament last week, we visit CT to listen to Linda McMahon review WWE 's fiscal state and we turn to YOU the listeners of planet Earth to try and decipher Great Khali's promo antics! And the show starts off with an apology from ZIP!
IWW: PWG & WWE Conference Call, Khali explained! (39 minutes)

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MR QUEST (WWE PRODUCTIONS INSIDER)
Over ONE hour of great stories - a must listen

KURT IS FIRED! SNAKES ON A PLANE! UFC IS HOTTT~!

2006-08-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Zip Whittle does an hour of news & notes

* What Japanese superstar is in America and visited Smackdown?
* What TNA superstars are fed up and want out?>
* Why did Kurt Angle get fired?
* Who is Mike Tyson working for?
* How did Pride get one up on UFC?
* What happened to WWE buyrates?
* What's the plan for Unforgiven?
* VIEWER MAIL
* GREAT KHALI PROMOS!

ALSO- -- TC WATTS & SNAKES MCGEE TALK SUMMERSLAM & UFC.

New IWW: SUMMERSLAM~!

2006-08-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ray Rhodes & Zip Whittle discuss all the Summerslam you can point a stick at!

So many people returning....
Chris Masters, Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, Kid Kash, Jamie Noble and.... THE MIZ?!~

Not to mention every time we answer a question about a wrestler they show up again - JEFF HARDY & VICTORIA?~

Listen to the show - great 52 minutes of your life we'll steal.

BUMPER STICKERS ARE COMING!!

2006-08-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

email: indeedwrestling@gmail.com for more information about how you can get one!!

IWW: Tapings Galore!!

2006-08-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

New episode of INDEED WRESTLING WEEKLY posted: IWW Tapings Galore!! - over an hour where Zip Whittle speaks with PJ (of AJ&PJ Just Uncredible Wrestling podcast) about his recent adventure seeing the RAW/SMACKDOWN supershow taping and then going to the ECW tapings the next night! Also, Zip briefly discuss ELEVATED LIVER ENZYMES (including an opening skit), read listener mail that we received in response to Biff from Tampa, and have fun with a collection of goofy soundbytes to close the show (last ten seconds). Hope you enjoy!

IWW: Our Fans Hate Us

2006-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1153372649.mp3

1 hour 8 minutes

Zip Whittle and TC Watts spend the entire show confusing each other by constantly changing the subject. We discuss Ortiz/Shamrock, Worked Bull Riding Competitions, RVD's movie plans, Mitch's injury, Worst excuse for quitting Tough Enough, Judgment Day PPV preview (with reveal of Batista's MYSTERY opponent), Discussion of Missouri's Pregnancy Policy, Tommy Dreamer's Caps Lock Key, Mark Henry's Kentucky Derby Dreams and Our Desire for MORE CHUCK PALUMBO~!

WWE Annual Report notes

2006-06-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

WWE: Annual Report (FORM 10-K)
Filed 6/29/2006 for period ending 4/30/2006

Talk about establishing ECW as the third brand. Plans to “produce and market a full line of ECW products including television programs, live event tours, pay-per-view events and licensed consumer goods.”

USA: 248 live events – 1.2m fans = $37.34/ticket.
INTL: 52 live events – 475k fans = $69.18/ticket. (+86% more)
25% of that attendance was on Smackdown’s April 2006 Europe tour.

Venue Merchandise (sale at live events of WWE products): up 15% to $14.7m.

Three TV shows they produce: “Monday Night Raw”, “Friday Night Smackdown” and “A.M. Raw.”

RAW + AM RAW = $0.6 million per week in rights fees.
Smackdown = $0.3 million per week in rights fees.
ECW TV is “on a twelve week trial basis.”

Advertising: They don’t sell them in the US. They do sell them in Canada.
Result? -48% in Advertising net revenues (down to $22.6 million)

PPV: 16 PPVs in fiscal 2006 (vs. 14 PPVs in fiscal 2005).
WM22 = 925k buys @ $49.95 (domestic)
RR/Summerslam/Survivor Series = “avg. nearly 340,000 buys”

PPV revenues: $94.8 million = approximately ¼ of total net revenue in FY2006.

WWE LIBRARY: 75,000 hours of content = 25,000+ hours of “previously aired or released as finished product”. Specifically mentions WCW, ECW and AWA.

August 2006: WWE 24/7 On Demand will launch with Comcast.
As of 4/30/06, number of subscribers in North America was approximately 13k.
WWE 24/7 net revenues were $1.1 million in FY2006 (vs. <$0.1m in FY2005).

Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 video game (for PSP and PS2) sold about 2.9m units.

WWE book deal (with Simon and Schuster) = “Journey Into Darkness”, “Heartbreak and Triumph”, “Cheating Death, Stealing Life” and “Tangled Ropes”. Mentions Eddie Guerrero and Shawn Michael’s books being on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

Licensing net revenues, including music, were $32.2 million for FY2006.

WWE released 26 new home video titles = shipped approx. 3.0 million units.
WrestleMania: The Complete Anthology accounted for about $7.2m in gross domestic revenue in this category. Total Home Video net revenues were $42.6 million (up over 50% from FY2005 and FY2004).

Raw & Smackdown magazines each published 13 issues annual. They have been ceased for “one new flagship publication named WWE Magazine”. Magazine publishing net revenues were $11.1 million in FY2006.

WWE.com claims 11.6 million monthly unique users worldwide and average of 343 million page views per month in FY2006. WWE.com net revenues were $9.7m.

WWEShop net revenues were $12.1 million in FY 2006 (over 2.5x FY2005).

See No Evil – released May 19, 2006 (past the end of FY2006 so no revenue mentioned)
The Marine (w/ John Cena) = October 2006 – distributed by FOX
The Condemned (w/ Austin) = will be filming and spending $20m in the next 8 months.

Revenues outside of USA: $97.7 million in FY2006. This now accounts for ¼ of total revenues generated in Fiscal Year 2006.

“We have exclusive contracts with approximately 165 superstars, ranging from developmental contracts to multi-year guaranteed contracts with established Superstars…. Popular Superstars include Triple H, John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Big Show and Kane…. We continually seek to identify, recruit and develop additional talent for our business. In this regard, we have arrangements with two wrestling developmental camps, Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, to allow newly identified talent the opportunity to perform for crowds and refine their skills.”

COMPETITION: “we face competition from professional and college sports as well as from other forms of live, film and televised entrainment and other leisure activities.”

Headcount as of April 2006 = 460 employees “excludes out Superstars, who are independent contractors.”

RISK FACTORS:
• failure to main/renew key agreements (“we are finalizing a new agreement with UPN and its successor, the CW Network, which has announced that Smackdown will continue on Friday Nights”)
• failure to continue to develop creative/entertaining programs leading to a popularity decline
• failure to retain or continue to recruit key performers could lead to a decline in appeal of our storylines (“our success depends, in large part, upon our ability to recruit, train and retain athletic performers who have the physical presence, acting ability and charisma to portray character in on live events and televised programming.”)
• the loss of creative services of VINCENT K MCMAHON
• a decline in general economic conditions (“the demand for entertainment and leisure activities tends to be highly sensitive to the level of consumers’ disposable income”)
• a decline in popularity of our brand of sports entertainment – including as a result of changes in social/political climate (“our programming is created to evoke a passionate response from our fans.”)
• changes in the regulatory atmosphere and related private-sector initiatives (basically if people crack down on what you do on TV)
• inability to adjust to “rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented marketplace”
• uncertainties with international markets (“obtaining visas for our performers, political insatiability, risks involved in foreign travel, local regulation, currency risk”)
• being prohibited from promoting and conducting our live events if we do not comply with applicable regulations (athletic commissions, foreign jurisdictions, licensing for pomroters0
• failure to protect intellectual property rights
• pending material litigation is resolved unfavorable (against World Wildlife Fund – “we strongly dispute that the Fund has suffered any loss or damage, and do not believe they are entitled to restitutionary damages.”) – application is likely to be heard in July 2006.
• inadequate insurance to cover liabilities resulting from accidents of injuries that occur during our physical demanding events (“our performers, as independent contractors, are responsible for marinating their own health, disability and life insurance, we self-insure health coverage for our performers in the event they are injured while performing.”)
• risks if expand into new/complimentary businesses
• conflicts of interest between VKM and other holders of Class A common stock
• if VKM ever sold his shares, it could lower the stock price
• the class A common shares have a relatively small public “Float”

Avg revenue per PPV buy: $14.96.
“Live events revenue decreased primarily due to a lower average ticket price in the current year (down from $74.53 to $69.18) specifically in internationally markets. This decline in revenues was offset, in part, by an increase in average attendance.”

Net Magazine publishing units sold: 4,096,700 units / 26 issues = 157.5k sold/issue.
“Magazine publishing revenues decreased preliminary due to a decline in the newsstand copies sold in fiscal 2006 as compared to the prior year.”

Home video revenues increased due to the “48% increase in gross units sold combined with an approximate $3.70 increase in the per unit sales price of DVDs.”

Average WWEShop revenue per order $53.42 (up from $47.78)

“As of April 30, 2006 – we have approximately $36.1 million in capitalized film production assets.”

Film Libraries: “the cost of film libraries acquired during fiscal 2006 was approximately $881,000.” (this would include Graham’s FL and AWA?)

Vince and Linda McMahon have agreed that starting July 1, 2006 – they will begin “paying for the use of the corporate jet so the company incurs no incremental costs as a result of such use that occurs on or after that date.”

IWW: Let's play Ketchup.. er, catch up!

2006-06-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Judgment Day PPV: Finlay vs Benoit - w/ Ray Rhodes (via phone)

ECW vs WWE: Head to Head: Cena/Sabu surprisingly solid - w/ Zip Whittle

ECW: ONE NIGHT STAND 2006: Funk is a mad man - w/ Ray Rhodes (in studio)

IWW: Jumps the Shark: NWWL recap! - w/ Biff Cheddarhead

Excellent shows, all of them.

SEE NO EVIL REVIEW

2006-05-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

IWW reviews SEE NO EVIL with ..... TC WATTS!

Yes, the elusive cohost of Indeed Wrestling Weekly has been found alive and well. He's back to tell us all about Kane's feature film while Zip Whittle covers the latest news on ECW along with UFC predictions. A great show that runs about 50 minutes! Don't miss it! WELCOME NEW FANS FROM EGYPT & TURKEY!

IWW 5-11-06 posted

2006-05-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Over an hour of WWE and TNA discussion focusing on new faces, ages, midgets (with thoughts from Snakes McGee), booking, belts, backstage brawls, swallowing things such as your pride, wearing your kneepads on your shins, planning a 64-man tournament that has never been tried, latest on ECW and much, much, much more! Zip Whittle and special guest host (and returning under a new name) RAY RHODES~! Enjoy.

http://dl01.blastpodcast.com/indeedwrestling/15285_1147404255.mp3

IWW News & Notes 5-2-06 posted

2006-05-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

IWW 5-2-06 news & notes (20 minutes)

Zip Whittle covers WWE & TNA developments including why Johnny Ace is hiring swimsuit models, where is Brock Lesnar going?, the next WWE world champion and why, where Tomko will be next, what happened to Palmer Cannon, how much Stacy earned for dancing, Chuck Palumbo's next gig?!, who won on PPV and didn't get booked for TV the next night, who made millions for a company and might not have seen .2% and MORE~!

ECW - Why now?

2006-04-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

ECW: Why Now?
By Zip Whittle of indeedwrestling.com (indeedwrestling@gmail.com)

Surprising news broke on Sunday, April 23 2006 that the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) brand is being resurrected as a fulltime product as part of the Vince McMahon wrestling empire. There has been plenty of talk in the past, but this development was much more than just idle chatter. Stories have been circulating that as early as last week, some former ECW stars were offered a one-year deal (with options for two more one-year extensions) for this new brand. Most importantly, head honcho and evil genius Paul Heyman had signed on to the project as head of ECW Creative. He is expected to head a team along with Tommy Dreamer and Ed Koskey (current RAW writer and former ECW fan).

Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alverez and websites such as Pro Wrestling Insider have been reporting that the ECW brand name would return for “merchandising purposes as well as some form of weekly television and house shows.” The latest news suggests that WWE will be sitting down with USA Network this week to pitch the show for a timeslot. It’s believed they are aiming for a weekend timeslot. One imagines that it would preferably be late at night. If they are unable to get another timeslot for a new show (WWE have been decreasing programming since leaving Spike having lost both Heat & Velocity in the past two years and only has a few syndicated shows mostly playing in international markets), they could replace a show like “AM RAW” (which plays 9 am and 2 am on Saturdays). As a last resort, the brand could be relegated to internet-only “television” though that would seriously impact the brand’s ability to create a real resurgence. Allegedly, the talent would be a mix of “former ECW wrestlers and new WWE development wrestlers”. As it currently stands, one of the most controversial ideas is to simply hold ECW television tapings prior Smackdown or RAW events instead of adding a third day of television. Some have likened this to the WWF “Los Superastros” television show that was shown on Spanish Language stations such as Univision in the late 90s.

This is the information that is currently available. A host of questions have been raised including:

• What happens with WWE developmental? Currently, there are two groups: OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, KY) and DSW (Deep South Wrestling in Atlanta, GA).
DSW: Deep South Wrestling has a bad reputation. It’s owned by the former director of the WCW Power Plant, Jody Hamilton and run under the auspices of lead trainer Bill “General Hugh E. Rection/Hugh Morrus” DeMott. The group has been described numerous times as “a mess” though it continues to run shows. The first show was held on September 1, 2005. They continue to hold weekly shows on Thursday nights in McDonough, GA. Many aspiring developmental talents opt to get moved to OVW if possible. It’s expected that if the ECW brand is resurrected, DSW will probably be on the chopping block with talent being reshuffled between the remaining company resources or simply cut.
OVW: Paul Heyman is currently in charge of OVW. After Jim Cornette was removed by the WWE in July 2005 (following a number of incidents including a confrontation with Kevin Fertig and Johnny Geo Basco), Al Snow & Tommy Dreamer had short runs in charge of the federation. If Paul Heyman truly takes on the ECW brand fulltime (as he would be expected to do), he’s expected to leave OVW. The federation could be shut down as a WWE affiliated developmental. (That doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the federation. Danny Davis and partners still own it.) If the federation continues, who would take over in creative? Al Snow might return to power. Lance Storm, the former trainer in OVW, would have been a strong choice but he left the group after his WWE contract ended on July 7, 2005. If DSW does shut down, it’s possible that someone like one of the trainers such as Bill DeMott would move to OVW. Alternately, someone like Jim Cornette might make a triumphant return as booker, though this is an unlikely or at least hugely speculative scenario.

• Does it work to tape ECW alongside RAW or Smackdown?
As is the honest answer to all of these questions: that remains to be seen.
However, in short, the idea does seem a poor fit. The ECW atmosphere – violent, bloody matches, original but unorthodox production values, minimal sets and maximum attitude – seems like it would clash with the elaborate pyro, giant stages and carefully scripted nature of RAW and Smackdown shows. When WWE revived ECW for their ONE NIGHT STAND PPV last year, they had the luxury of performing in a separate venue (Hammerstein Ballroom) re-using a small location that had been established back when ECW first lived. An important part of the ECW appeal lies in the intimate settings and interactions with the personal crowd. It doesn’t seem like the large arenas with the elaborate sets and staging for RAW & Smackdown would be a good fit. However, current plans call for exactly this. Thus, we should consider the advantages:
a/ Roster travels together, at least to television. Rivalries (and differences in locker room etiquette) between the RAW and Smackdown brand have grown up partially because the two brands rarely share a single space. They tend to tour separately and only see one another every few months during either a supershow (double taping) or combined major PPVs. Keeping everyone under one umbrella (TEAM WWE) is probably a good idea if they don’t want to have the ECW brand treated a second-rate or minor league.
b/ Developmental Talent would have the ability to mix with the established talent. Ideally, a wrestler gets their educated on the road, in front of live crowds and not only performing but watching others perform. Being at the main shows would be an excellent environment for new talent to learn the ropes and see many different facets of the wrestling environment.
c/ Preferably, writers and creative talent would be exposed to wrestlers as they improved. One major compliant about the current developmental system is that not only do inexperienced wrestlers often get called up solely on look (but not wrestling ability) but also they are given complete makeovers. One hopes that by keeping developmental closer to the creative teams means that both groups are able to give feedback to each other so the wrestlers can develop into the best possible attractions. However, this is quite an optimistic attitude considering just recently a person like Frankie Kazarian quit after realizing that writers had no clue who he was despite being on Velocity for several months.
d/ The demand for the ECW product (and former ECW stars) might be strong enough where taping at the large television venues creates an atmosphere where you have thousands of people at the television tapings and an intimate feeling at the smaller house shows. ECW might create a good reason to attend a houseshow. In many ways, that’s one area where RAW & Smackdown brands really fail – they don’t create a compelling reason to see the action live unless it’s a televised event.
e/ Merchandising – more people = more money. Being able to sell tons of ECW merchandise to a bigger crowd is always a good thing.

• Where does ECW fit into the house show/PPV business model?
Domestically, House Show business is up. While overall WWE PPV buyrates are holding strong, when you strictly consider North American buys, the bottom has really fallen out. International business is contributing growing percentages of PPV buys and strong touring houses (on the whole) to the WWE coffers. However, in the USA and Canada, the story is really MMA promotions (domestically categorized by UFC) that have been drawing phenomenal gates and stellar PPV buyrates.
While the television taping aspect remains to be worked out, the question rises whether ECW would work as a touring brand by itself. After the nostalgia PPVs held last year (Hardcore Homecoming and ECW ONS), there was lots of talks of hitting major ECW hotbeds with a crew of wrestlers. Those involved with the Hardcore Homecoming show did launch a short ill-fated “ECW Reunion Tour” (not officially called that but generally recognized as such) went on to hit some old ECW markets while other shows in places like New York were advertised but subsequently pulled. These tours did okay but not amazing business. However, in the end there was a lot of talk and very few shows. The resources for putting together tours like these aren’t easy. In this way, WWE would have a very strong advantage (with their deep pockets) over competitors trying similar ideas. In addition, WWE would be well-leveraged to consider international tours (Japan and Europe) where the gospel of ECW has grown much larger than even when it was an active promotion. The question is whether increasing international touring would ultimately weaken the uniqueness of professional wrestling as a draw overseas and hurt one of the last markets that have been so strongly supporting WWE. It’s expected that ECW would also have the luxury of PPVs (hopefully more like quarterly). Would these ECW PPVs cut into branded (RAW or Smackdown-only) PPV revenues? Would ECW be included in Wrestlemania? These questions remain to be seen.
The latest from Meltzer (4/26/06) reports: “WWE is looking at booking house shows in the buildings ECW use to run in Philadelphia (looking at 6/24 at the ECW Arena), Detroit, Chicago, Poughkeepsie, Buffalo, Cleveland, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Hammerstein Ballroom in New York for more events, Tampa, Long Island, throughout New Jersey and in Pittsburgh.”

• What are the disadvantages and advantages of this being under the WWE empire?
As previously mentioned, the media and financial resources of the WWE is an immense asset to ECW. WWE is going to the bat with USA for a television deal. ECW nearly had a USA deal in the past though when that fell through, they moved to TNN (the predecessor to SpikeTV). It’s also important to note that while remembered fondly, ECW never really made money. It wasn’t a rating hit and drew very few large houses that were honestly sold-out. However, that isn’t to say ECW had no impact on professional wrestling in the 1990s. Rather, it had an enormous impact and that legacy: part nostalgia and part influence is still felt strongly today. Paul Heyman is the position of creative genius without also having his fingers near the purse strings is a good thing. If he’s truly inspired to keep working in professional wrestling, this could be the opportunity he’s always dreamed of- creative power, major media exposure, deep money backer. However, Jim Cornette probably felt the same way about his OVW opportunity and eventually the rug was pulled out from underneath him.
If ECW talent is signing these three-year contracts, it’s likely they would also be part of the WWE “wellness” program. Can aging stars perform the violent and bloody style, while maintaining a healthy drug-free lifestyle? Would WWE just cast a blind eye on the group? One imagines that failure to address this question would further bring the entire policy into more question?
There is always the issue of politics in wrestling. In this case, it’s obvious that certain factions in WWE are very for the project while others are very much against it. It’s rumored that the McMahon(-Helmsley) family itself is split on the idea. No idea could be green lighted this far without the approval of Vincent K. McMahon. On the opposite side, I would postulate the people such as Steph McMahon and HHH are very much against the idea of bringing back the ECW brand.
There has been a large amount of media released in the past two years concerning ECW. There is at least three books (Scott Williams’ “The Extremely Unauthorized story of ECW” is already out, John Lister’s “Turning the Tables” and the upcoming WWE-endorsed work by Thom Loverro “Rise & Fall of ECW”), two major documentary DVDs (WWE’s “Rise & Fall of ECW” and “Forever Hardcore”) and two major shows (WWE’s “ECW: One Night Stand” and “Hardcore Homecoming”). With the upcoming PPV in June, perhaps immediately following this will be the best time to launch the ECW brand. Last year, WWE was roundly criticized for not only showing little faith in the ECW product by adding a WWE feud to the storyline but also failing to piggyback on momentum from the PPV the next night, virtually ignoring all the events on RAW that following day. However, it sounds like the timetable for a permanent and active ECW brand is accelerating. Meltzer reports that arenas are already being contacted for July 2006. Originally, things sounded more they would begin in the Fall following the August Summerslam PPV in Boston, MA.
One major advantage of being part of the WWE umbrella is the media division. WWE releases DVDs within one of major PPVs now. UFC and TNA take 3-6 months to complete the same task. Similarly, WWE has been expanding its magazine division to a possible third brand that could be devoted to ECW coverage. In addition, WWE has their 24/7 network, already owns the ECW Video Library, has distribution deals with cable networks around the world and an established brand name associated with professional wrestling.
In terms of major ECW talent, the roster is split between the indies, WWE and TNA. In WWE there are people such as Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Taz(z), Heyman, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer and Nunzio (along with visitors such as Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Psychosis, Super Crazy, Vito and others). However, only RVD, Nunzio and Richards are really active wrestlers at this point. In TNA, there are the Dudleyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von under contract with Spike making appearances), Rhyno (also probably tied in TNA contract), Jerry Lynn (working backstage as an agent, interested in ECW), Sabu (who has finished his TNA engagements and signed with WWE). On the indies or partially retired include Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Tajiri (working in Japan though expected back for ECW ONS), Terry Funk (also expected for ONS), Steve Corino (working largely in Japan and World-1), and others like CW Anderson, Ball Mahoney (reported already signed), Sandman (reportedly signed), Francine (reportedly signed), Blue Meanie and Justin Credible (reportedly signed) floating around the indy scene. Of course, two major players in the ECW adventure are Paul Heyman and announcer Joey Styles – both part of the WWE family. One assumes (though it has not been officially announced) that Styles would be announcing this new incarnation.
One notion that has been brought up is that this new ECW would incorporate WWE developmental talent. Most notably, I would expect CM Punk, a Heyman pet project in OVW to make the transition into ECW. This is especially interesting because if WWE essentially puts developmental talent on television, it makes it much harder for them to ignore those storylines and characters when they call up talent to the “main” rosters. In the past, this has been an infuriating and mind-boggling process for OVW bookers as their top talent would get called up and immediately changed with virtually no warning.

• Will it work?
All, the $25,000 question. Actually, the failure or success of the WWE relaunch of ECW will cost a hell of a lot more than that! To get wrestlers to sign contracts with a one-year minimum on them, to create the marketing promotion behind the movement, to relocate talent, reallocate resources and most importantly – create a new television show and a successful tour – this will be an expensive endeavor. Consider TNA’s “success”: three years running, somewhere between $20 and $30 million spent.

Some people have suggested storylines like RVD winning the WWE title from John Cena at the ECW One Night Stand 2006 and throwing it down ala Shane Douglas/NWA/ECW 1994 incident. Others have joked about ECW becoming ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING. The real question remains: can you bring back this environment and this atmosphere? Some argue that ECW was a revolution or at least a passing fad. Wrestling has definitely evolved in the past decade – growing fat on the backs of the Monday Night wars, the Rock/Austin years, the sale of WCW, the crash after the Invasion angle, wrestling jumping networks, the rise and fall and rise again of MMA, the birth of a competitor in TNA, and this latest, and this most recent upswing in professional wrestling. In honesty, ECW cannot survive by simply living on the past. The original stars are retired (Taz), not likely to rejoin a WWE-version of ECW (Shane Douglas), otherwise employed (Dudleyz) and passed away (Chris Candido). Still, ECW was an attitude. It was about exposing people to new forms of wrestling (i.e. bringing in luchadores, adapting the Japanese garbage style of FMW) as well as being the grounds for fresh faces and people looking for a second chance to prove themselves. Perhaps we’ll see some of the stars of ROH who haven’t made a splash in TNA get a shot in this new, developmental league of ECW. Perhaps we’ll see the reintroduction of different body types, different hair lengths, and different wrestling styles into the WWE family. It’s a new world out there. WWE should recognize that it can’t continue to coast domestically using the same product that is losing fans and failing to connect to the new generation. Perhaps bringing back the ECW name with a mix of established and new talent will give the momentum required to reinvigorate it’s product. Then again, in a federation full of reprisals of successful angles (nWo, possibly DX) – could this just be the latest incarnation of the Horsemen - one that the public doesn’t actually plan on paying to see? Time will tell.

Wrestlemania Recap

2006-04-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

RECAP PART ONE

RECAP PART TWO

Each section is approximately 30 minutes long and hosted by ZIP WHITTLE and SAMMY "SNAKES" MCGEE.

SAMUEL SNAKES McGEE signs for IWW Wrestlemania post game coverage

2006-03-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

Legendary on-air personality, Sammy "Snakes" McGee has reached agreement with Indeed Wrestling Weekly hosts TC Watts & Zip Whittle to appear on the highly anticipated IWW's Wrestlemania Wrap-up show on Sunday 4/2/06. When contacted for confirmation, Snakes wanted this message to be sent to all his fans in the UK - "I'm coming back. And I'm hungry. I'm about to forget my manners. And leave no man untested."

IWW + SNME = 60 minutes

2006-03-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

It takes us almost an hour to cover three matches and eleventeen segments. More Boogeyman. More 80s Horror movies. More Bloodletting. Fun!

IWW covers SNME

We discuss our upcoming guest, our love of Booker T's dancing and who doesn't need rules. ROCK!

BIG NEWS~!

2006-03-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

CHUCK PALUMBO REHIRED BY WWE

IWW rocks your world.

NEW IWW SHOW 3-3-06

2006-03-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

3/3/06 - NEW IWW SHOW! (70 minute mp3 file)

Zip Whittle & TC Watts try and surmount two weeks off with a mega episode of news, notes and craziness. We cover the WWE Conference Call (with ZW ranting about what they do and don't tell you),the New Drug Policy, Hall of Fame information, news on releasing the Dicks, updates on future SNME and PPV locations, tour news with the new WWE "RISK AVERSION", who promised they would NEVER sell out to the WWE (and did this week!) and a rundown of Smackdown PPV (No Way Out) and latest show. Great episode with plenty of Palumboisms. Find out who Latvian Lover is! Fun fun fun.

PDF of Show Notes - FOLLOW ALONG!

feedback: indeedwrestling@gmail.com

MMA & Announcements

2006-02-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

The wackiness is in high form as TC and Zip run down UFC (future & past), Pride Openweight Tournament, discuss payouts from MMA and Zip reveals his big weekend plans. It's a hoot. Yup, it sure is.

Check out: IWW MMA & WOW. (40+ min MP3)

2006-02-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

IWW 2-16-06 NEWS UPDATE - 75 minutes of new, banter and PALUMBOISMs.

IWW is back with both men and a whole lot of information. Learn more than you ever wanted to know about TNA (new contracts; new champions; new jobbing tag teams) and the ins-and-outs of WWE's Hall of Fame. Hear about pirate gimmicks, the Japan tour, Super Porky's deal and the one IWW prediction that the entire internet is against. Why does TC Watts HEART WV? Find out.

New Episode Posted!

2006-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Zip Whittle tackles an hour of WWE news & notes including Wrestlemania notes (this year and next), Rey Mysterio JR plans, Details of the Mexico Tour Gates, upcoming DVD releases (including on that hasn't been announced yet!), new domain & website design, injury report & talent update - what WWE booker has a child being recruited to wrestle? who was hired at a funeral? what ECW star is being heavily sought? what 80s & 90s powerhouse almost returned? who is next for an IC title run?
It's a jam-packed hour as IWW returns with a vengance!

2-8-06 (WWE NEWS & NOTES~!) - mp3 file

TC & ZIP PIC

New Site

2006-02-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

We completely redesigned the IWW site. WOO!

Royal Rumble Coverage & Site News

2006-02-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

We have three podcasts devoted to the Royal Rumble:

* PreShow Preview (1 hour of News & Notes from Zip & TC)

* PostShow Rundown (30 minutes of Craziness - 4 men, 2 mics))

* Live Event Report with Listener Greg!

Also, our site is temp. down due to a server problem. We're hoping it should come back up this weekend and we apologize for the delay. You can always find our latest podcasts hosted throughout the web, especially on our podcast server at blastpodcast.com

NEWS: Expect a Rumble Box Set from WWE to be released sometime in 2006! EXCITING NEWS FOR ZIP!

IWW NEW SHOW~!

2006-01-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

1-25-06 news & notes (mp3) : 45 minutes solo podcast. ENJOY~!

Also, we'll have a pre-Royal Rumble show up this weekend!

Chuck Palumbo is...

2006-01-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

(from a suggestion from Dan!)

Googlism on Chuck Palumbo

chuck palumbo is on the phone with his mom asking for advice on tonight's match against goldberg
chuck palumbo is poking around in miller's drawers and demanding a spot in the main event tonight
chuck palumbo is contemplating a haircut

-ZW

IWW CRAZY SHOW~!

2006-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

IWW CRAZY SHOW (mp3 link)

From the outer rim of the galaxy, this LOST show appears in all it's glory. Recorded last week after a marathon session, hosts Zip Whittle and TC Watts discuss future WWE booking plans (recorded after taping but before Smackdown aired), WWE movie details, how to make money at an Indy show, Philly Drama and tons of Chuck Palumbo. We read Viewer Mail from around the world and respond and discuss a new PPV that could set new records for old men wrestling. Finally, some Mexico news! Finally, some Chuck Palumbo eating a steak news! Finally, TC Watts talks about Manshields. Get your IWW fix with ZW & TC as they nearly lose their minds!

IWW Ad Campaign

2006-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well, folks.. the time has come for IWW to start advertising in Wrestling Programs and websites around the universe.

Here's a sample ad we're looking at creating: http://indeedwrestling.frih.net/IWW_AD.pdf (PDF file)

Give us some feedback! Want to help out IWW? Design us an ad! email indeedwrestling@gmail.com for more details.

Thanks!

-ZW & TC

2006-01-17T05:51:00.000-08:00

TC takes the helms on this MMA update! First, we run down the Fight Night card for 1/16 as we reveal our secret method of picking fighters who share names with roles from popular sitcoms. Witness Zip Whittle valiantly attempt to convince his co-host of Vince Vaughn's fighting prowness. We talk about the big Liddell/Couture Fight along with all their past history, buyrates, payouts and what the future may hold.
We discuss Ortiz's Fight that he�ll have before he takes on Shamrock in June and how many fights someone needs to win in a row to establish themselves in the public's mind. Also included is a brief recap of many Pro-Wrestling connections in the K1 & Pride New Year Eve's shows including who Heath Herring did not mean to kiss. Who was the insane German King who built Neuschwanstein? Where is Mark Kerr now? Want another Chuck Palumboism? TUNE IN! Thus far, TC Watts has an undefeated streak of picking UFC fights. Does his record hold up? We'll cover that on the next episode of IWW.

IWW MMA SHOW! (mp3 link)

Additions to IWW Website

2006-01-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

Folks! Folks! Folks!

* SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK

* SEND US EMAIL (indeedwrestling@gmail.com)

* ADD US ON MYSPACE!

New shows hopefully posted in the next 24 hours!

MONSTER SHOW UPLOADED-!

2006-01-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

TC Watts joins Zip Whittle for the first fully remotely produced episode which is a monster of a show. We cover TC's thoughts on the New Year's Revolution PPV, the status of both brand champions, health and injury updates on many stars and some people who had just disappeared, new talent joining the WWE and who exactly is living with Steph & Hunter. Also, we go in-depth about the roles for retiring and injuried wrestlers along with details of Joey Styles recent woes, Vince McMahon's cash-filled pockets and who Ultimo Dragon can't book in Japan. Lastly, it's the birth of Indeed Wrestling Palumbo podcast~! PLUS VIEWER (LISTENER) SHOUTOUTS (get your name on our show at indeedwrestling@gmail.com !)

Download the MP3 right here.

At 1 hour and 17 seconds, it's easily our favorite episode to date. TONS of NEWS and NOTES~!

We're going to have two more updates this weekend including:
* MMA News with UFC Live Monday Night Fight Night Predictions
* More WWE news, viewer mail and thoughts on NYR, ideas for future booking and of course, MORE CHUCK PALUMBOISMS~!

BTW, Fans in Canada & Australia. We're sorry. We haven't been sending you love like we should. That will be remedied soon!

TWO OTHER NEW THINGS:
* IWW MYSPACE PROFILE (we need friends~!)
* IWW GUESTBOOK (we need love~!)

It's 2 AM on my birthday...

2006-01-08T23:35:00.000-08:00

and I'm going to bed after this post!

NEW EPISODE IS ONLINE~!
It's the PPV RECAP - we have a new WWE Champion (and it wasn't someone in the Elimination Chamber)?! Vince continues to go insane and Kurt Angle proclaims his love for France. Snitsky is awful-ly good and Maria interviews herself. New Year's Revolution starts the year off with a bang and a top-rope fist drop. CHECK IT OUT FOR ZIP WHITTLE SOLO HOSTING FUN.

REMEMBER to email us at indeedwrestling@gmail.com with your thoughts about this PPV for our extended show with news & notes coming up later this week.

INDEED,

A newly 25-yr old ZIP.

IWW 1-2-06 NEWS & NOTES.

2006-01-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

It's about the wrestling. It's about all the rage you can bottle into a MTV-fueled rant. It's all about WWE's plans for Wrestlemania, Crazy Vince Russo and Tajiri's wife being happy. You must hear this one - and stick around for the end for a sound byte surprise!

IWW: Chuck Palumbo & more! (45 minutes of news & notes!)

-ZW

ps/ check out Zip's 10 Commandments for Indy Wrestlers (mp3 link!).

IWW 2006 PREDICTIONS!

2006-01-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

A new episode posted already. Expect a long news update posted tonight!

Zip Whittle & TC Watts share their 2006 predictions about the WWE & TNA rosters, as well as a few UFC thoughts. Check out the episode here! (Direct link to the mp3!)

What are your predictions from the new year? Giant Singh = WWE Champ?!

IWW Recent Shows!

2005-12-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been quite a week for IWW in the editing studio. We added a bunch of shows.

IWW LIVE REVIEW: Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (TNA Turning Point PPV, 12/05) * NEW *
IWW LIVE REVIEW: Samoa Joe vs Necro Butcher (IWA MS 6/11/05)
IWW PPV REVIEW: December PPV REVIEW (WWE Armaggedon, TNA Turning Point)
IWW NEWS & NOTES: 12-23-2005, one hour of news - view the show's notes!

Stayed tuned for more, soon!

OUCH-! SAMOA JOE vs NECRO BUTCHER (live review)

2005-12-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

By popular demand, TC WATTS & ZIP WHITTLE have begun their live reviewing adventure and started with quite a doozy. It's SAMOA JOE vs (the) NECRO BUTCHER from IWA MS 6/11/05 in Philadelphia, PA. This was an insane affair that had the entire wrestling community buzzing about the dangerous bumps and insane stiffness. WARNING: The events in this match quickly invoke strong reactions from your hosts including cursing! Even a podcast about this match is explicit. Listen to us call a match that involved ZW using the phrase, "Like a Freight Train being hit with a space shuttle." INDEED.

Download the MP3 right here! (14 minutes 4 seconds)

PPV RECAPS~!

2005-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

TC Watts & Zip Whittle return with a 25 minute show (exactly) that recaps the most recent North American Wrestling PPVs:
* Turning PPV (TNA)
* Armaggedon (WWE)

Listen to the latest review of these December offerings and find out where Eric Everlast is hiding in Germany! (Direct link to MP3!)

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR PROMO TAPES-!

2005-12-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

The TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR PROMO TAPES by Zip Whittle
(closely adapted from an 2004 article by NWA Wildside President Bill Behrens)

I/ Thou shall rewind thy tape and mail securely using “Media Mail”.
II/ Thou shall identify thyself clearly and thy contact information (email & phone number) shall be up-to-date and valid. Thy phone number wilts have an answering machine or voicemail.
III/ Thy gear shall be real ring gear (not jeans & t-shirt).
IV/ Thy tape wilt not start with a promo and shall not include hardcore matches.
V/ Thou shall include one good, recent match that is well-taped.
VI/ Thy tape shall showcase thine ability to bump and sell as well as high spots and offense.
VII/ Thou shall realize that matches with established stars art a double-edged sword. Canst thine viewer know if you were being carried through the match?
VIII/ Thou shall not burn thine bridges with promoters, nay even if they be dullards! Thy mouth’s reputation wilt precedes thee.
IX/ Bewared thee of claiming recommendations from wrestlers unless they truly believeth thou art good (and not just being nice or ribbing thee)!
X/ Includeth a brief lineage of deeds (bio) and recent photograph of thee with thine package!

Other points:
• Get a passport.
• Always bring your gear in your car. Keep it clean.
• Be respectful. Introduce yourself to everyone in the locker room.
• Don’t promote yourself on message boards. Start a website.
• Your ring name shouldn’t be based on a current wrestling star.
• Recent matches are more important than long matches. A promo tape with old matches implies that you haven’t done anything worthwhile recently.
• A highlight tape is fine if it’s more than just one spot repeated! Be sure to include a complete match though to prove you can do more than just high spots!

Also, view the SHOW NOTES from 12-23-05 show!