4/25 WWE Extreme Rules PPV - Cena vs Batista, Orton vs Sheamus, Edge vs Jericho (p15)

[Bend_The_Knee]

- WWE is talking about doing a King of the Ring tournament this year for one of the three-hour RAW shows that are booked. The RAW from Miami where they wanted Tiger Woods or The Rock to host is being looked at as a possible tournament night. That date is June 7th.

- WWE’s NXT show may end up on WWE.com if they can’t find a new network for it this fall. Other possibilities include WGN and Bravo. WGN is said to be hesitant on adding another wrestling program to their line-up that already includes Superstars.

- The latest word on Mick Foley is that he will be re-introduced to the TNA storylines some time this summer, likely in June for the Slammiversary pay-per-view.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

- We noted before that Hulk Hogan vs. Kurt Angle is being planned for this year’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view. The match now may be Abyss vs. Hogan as Angle doesn’t want to turn heel yet to face Hogan. A heel turn by Abyss is being planned, as noted elsewhere on the site. No word exactly on when the Abyss turn may happen but it will likely be shortly before Bound For Glory.

 

[The_Isomotion31]

Originally Posted by Hyper Cutter

freaking HHH, he gets to play leader when no one's around. just pedigree'ing anybody he wants. surprised he didn't give lilian an abdominal stretch or something.

 

[4wrestling]

Originally Posted by LiveMyReality

Did anyone notice the promo of RVD before his match with Hardy? The video quality seemed to be filmed differently, compared to a live promo. Anyway, I believe TNA has done a great job with the PPV last night and the Impact show tonight. Since Hogan went to TNA, I honestly can say I started watching wrestling again. TNA has a lot of promise after tonight's Impact. I really feel that Samoa Joe will have a major impact since his character has been re-freshed. It was good to see him tonight.

Also, TNA actually did a GREAT job starting off Impact with AJ, RVD, Hardy, and Hogan segment. We don't need no more Eric Bischoff prentending to play the guitar.

Last night is the first time I can say that Impact was a legitimately good show.  Now the challenge is to keep the momentum going.

 

[hombrelobo]

And Here....We...GO.



According to a high level source within TNA, Jim Ross has had a meeting with TNA officials concerning the possibility of signing with the company.

I was informed that within the past week or so, Ross met with both TNA President Dixie Carter and Dean Broadhead, the CFO of TNA, and the two sides discussed the possibility of Jim Ross signing with TNA. I was told TNA has interest in bringing JR into the company as they are still in the process of trying to "shake things up" on TV.

It should be noted that this was just a meeting, and should not be taken to mean that Ross has signed, or is going to sign with TNA.

Currently, JR is still under contract with WWE, but the deal expires on April 30th.

 

[ill i am]

^To follow up on your post...

Latest on Jim Ross; wants Russo removed before any talks.

Posted on 4/15:

I'm told a top TNA official reached out to a top star in the business but the source would not give me the name. Apparently the star requested Vince Russo be removed from the creative team before they would even consider talking about working for the company.

Update: We can now confirm the name in question is Jim Ross. Multiple sources are now reporting Ross meet with TNA Chief Financial Officer Dean Broadhead, Dixie Carter and her father Bob Carter earlier this month. Apparently Ross was looking for a deal that included more than announcing where he could function as a top executive in the company.

Jason Powell of PWnet also reports Ross has spoken with HDNet officials about perhaps calling MMA and UFL football games on their network and Ring of Honor could even be part of the package.

Jim Ross is still negotiating a new deal with WWE as his latest contract extension with the company expires at the end of this month. If he does not reach an agreement, many expect him to step away from the wrestling business to focus on other projects.


This was sort of confirmed by J.R. when he (mistakenly) tweeted the following:

On Twitter, Jim Ross made the preceding comment directly following last night's TNA Lockdown pay-per-view: "U should feel good of ur work 2nite. Creative can be tweaked easily. It's easy 2 ID the players. Poor Mike lacks instincts but tries. La ..."

It appears Ross fumbled sending a private message to former colleague Taz as the message was quickly deleted, though it lingered a short while longer on Twitter's public timeline.


I think ALL of us would trade removing Russo for J.R. 100 out of 100 times. That's a no-brainer.

But Dixie has been real loyal to Russo through everything and he's been with the company for a while now...I know Bischoff doesn't give a %*!% about Russo and is also pushing for this but I'm now curious to see how this plays out.

It's possible this could all be a negotiation ploy by J.R. but I think he's at least considering ALL his options before he makes his decision.

We weren't the only ones who were not pleased at J.R. not calling Wrestlemania...

Several top WWE superstars were not happy about Jim Ross being left off the WrestleMania 26 announcing team. Ross even wrote in his blog that Vince McMahon didn't make any time for him during WrestleMania weekend, which is unfortunate considering how influential Ross has been over the years. You can clearly see that Jim is not all that thrilled with WWE right now through his blogs. He likely wouldn't admit this but it seems pretty clear to us. He's also a guy that has always been very professional but you can tell he's frustrated and not ready to 'retire' from the booth. It seems like they're forcing it on him. We'll see what happens.

 

[4wrestling]

At this point, I really hope Ross DOES go to TNA. Vince is an ***hole. He obviously prefers being able to have guys like Cole and Striker be his puppets instead of allowing the greatest announcer of all-time do his thing. JR would arguably be the most important signing for TNA to date. He would be instant credibility to the shows, be able to narrate the storylines, as well as finally get Tenay off the air.

 

[ill i am]

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

JR would arguably be the most important signing for TNA to date. He would be instant credibility to the shows, be able to narrate the storylines, as well as finally get Tenay off the air.

I'm willing to say he'd be their biggest acquisition since Hogan and Bischoff came along...more than Hardy, RVD, etc. Like NK said, Not only is he the GOAT of announcers and makes the product 100x better...but he was the head of talent relations during the Attitude Era and did a phenomenal job there as well. Ross as a top executive in any company is good [color= rgb(0, 102, 51)]$$$[/color].

It comes down to how bad does Vince and co. want him back...trust me, if they want him back...they'll have him. It's almost the same +%%$ as RVD. RVD's preference was to go to WWE but TNA wanted him more and gave him what he was looking for.

Speaking about RVD, I might be the only who

at him winning the strap yesterday...I have no issue with him being World Champ but it should have came at the climax of a feud...he won the belt the same show he won the #1 Contender spot...c'mon.

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

any news on edge?

 

[captaincrown]

Originally Posted by GotHolesInMySocks

any news on edge?

We know as soon as you post. 

 

[4wrestling]

Originally Posted by GotHolesInMySocks

any news on edge?

Meltzer said it was a work, and he was continuing to sell the injury angle from Smackdown.  But to me, it looked pretty legit.  Maybe it's just that I'm so accustomed to Cena Supermanning up after every shot that I'm not used to someone actually selling an injury.

 

[je ne sais quoi]

[h1]Update on JR's Meeting With TNA Officials[/h1]

Jim Ross met with TNA officials earlier this month. Multiple sources indicate that the meeting was held in Texas and included Ross, TNA president Dixie Carter, and her father Bob Carter.

[color= rgb(255, 255, 0)]Buzz amongst TNA sources is that Ross was not open to solely being a play-by-play announcer for the company. Rather, he expressed more interest in playing a general manager type role where he would help shape the TNA roster and office staff structure among other duties.[/color]

[color= rgb(255, 255, 0)]The feeling coming out of the meeting was that Ross was not interested in committing to TNA and is looking for work outside professional wrestling should he not strike a new deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. [/color]He has a number of projects in the works including book deals and speaking engagements. His latest contract extension with WWE expires on Apr. 30.

Ross has also spoken with HDNet officials regarding a potential deal that would have him call MMA events and United Football League games. Though calling Ring of Honor could potentially be part of the deal, the focus appears to be on MMA and football at this time.

There is still a chance Ross could re-sign a long term deal with WWE or work out another short-term agreement. TNA sources do not believe there is a non-compete attached to his current deal with WWE, meaning he could theoretically work for TNA or HDNet as soon as his contract expires. However, it does not appear that a deal is imminent with either organization.

[h1]Hulk Hogan Discusses Randy Savage - Stephanie McMahon Rumor

[/h1]

On last week's radio show, Hulk Hogan addressed the long-standing internet rumor about an alleged incident between Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Stephanie McMahon that was rumored to have happened many years ago.
A listener called the show and asked Hogan, "There's a lot of urban legends in the professional wrestling business, however this one has a little merit because a lot of guys won't touch it. Would you comment, since you have nothing to lose right now, on the infamous rumor about Randy Savage and Stephanie McMahon?"

While the rumor is just that - a rumor - and has never been verified, it has been around for a long time and Dave Meltzer once stated on his radio show (link) that "within the company - as far as the top people - they all believe it, but nobody knows for sure because it's never brought up." However, Hogan genuinely acted surprised when the caller brought it up, asking, "Yo brother, hold on dude! What's the rumor?"

The caller replied, "There's a rumor out there that the reason why Savage is kind of getting the black-list from Vince... is that he allegedly might have had sex with Stephanie."

While there have been many rumors circulating as to why Vince McMahon refuses to do business with Randy Savage, none have ever been proven and no one knows for sure. Even Hogan admitted to not having any idea as to why Savage is black-balled from the WWE.

"What's that got to do with anything, I mean Stephanie's a grown woman," asked Hogan. "You know, Macho, his name has never been uttered again out of Vince McMahon's mouth, and I've been back several times - the SummerSlam's with Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton, the big RAW anniversary - and you're right brother, ooh yeah, that Macho Man's name has never been mentioned. If that's true, maybe that's the reason he never went back there. I'll do a little digging around."

I should stress that this rumor has never been proven, and that no one really knows exactly why Vince McMahon refuses to do business with Savage. The only time, to the best of my knowledge, that I've ever even heard Savage mention Stephanie's name was many years ago when he apparently went insane and posted a video where he is repeatedly challenging Hulk Hogan and Triple H, and tells Triple H that after he took care of him, that he would take "Stephanie around the block a few times."

This rumor will never die

. I honestly doubt Stephanie snapped into Randy's Slim Jim.

 

[ill i am]

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

Originally Posted by GotHolesInMySocks

any news on edge?

Meltzer said it was a work, and he was continuing to sell the injury angle from Smackdown.  But to me, it looked pretty legit.  Maybe it's just that I'm so accustomed to Cena Supermanning up after every shot that I'm not used to someone actually selling an injury.

Wow, he got me then.

That's a real good job of selling he did...even HHH and Rey got got too.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrown

Originally Posted by GotHolesInMySocks

any news on edge?

We know as soon as you post. 

J.R. speaks on his status w/ WWE.

Jim Ross has a new blog entry available on his official website. Here are some interesting highlights:

Expect to hear from WWE regarding my next assignment w/ them in a day or two. Contrary to what is being carelessly reported, WWE is still my top priority as it relates to wrestling gigs.

Amazed at the amount of inaccurate info regarding my future. Can only say that my future is bright, that I'm very happy, and looking forward to an interesting next few days.

When something is finalized I will accurately report it. Until then, be leery of all the nonsense that you read on line. Many interesting, high road projects are being presented to me of which I've previously discussed. Nothing is a done deal. I'm merely listening to some of them. Many projects that the internet are reporting are completely false. You can believe that or not. Whatever I decide to do will be things that are classy, fun and things that I have been wanting to become involved with.

Click here to read JR's latest in its entirety. While you're there, check out his Store for some great BBQ sauce.

 

[hombrelobo]

The Monday Night War ratings are in.

WWE RAW scored either a 3.0 or a 3.1 (all of the ratings data is not completely in yet, but the show definitely did either a 3.0 or a 3.1 at the most).

TNA Impact scored a 1.0 last night.

 

[4wrestling]

Originally Posted by hombrelobo

The Monday Night War ratings are in.

WWE RAW scored either a 3.0 or a 3.1 (all of the ratings data is not completely in yet, but the show definitely did either a 3.0 or a 3.1 at the most).

TNA Impact scored a 1.0 last night.

So the question is, did Raw's ratings bomb, or did TNA cut into WWE's audience?

 

[retrogearsolid]

For the record, I believe that Macho Man went pedo on Steph. Because it's funny to me.

The extra 0.2 in Impact's ratings was definitely for RVD.

I hope JR goes to TNA as well. If JR is on board, all TNA has to do is resign Scott Steiner and they will have me tuning in every Monday night.

lol CaptainCrown straight no-sold DSK's status as News and Notes bringer Cena style.

 

[captain charisma85]

Originally Posted by iLL I AM

Originally Posted by CaptainCrown

Originally Posted by GotHolesInMySocks

any news on edge?

We know as soon as you post. 

 x2

  

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

Originally Posted by hombrelobo

The Monday Night War ratings are in.

WWE RAW scored either a 3.0 or a 3.1 (all of the ratings data is not completely in yet, but the show definitely did either a 3.0 or a 3.1 at the most).

TNA Impact scored a 1.0 last night.

So the question is, did Raw's ratings bomb, or did TNA cut into WWE's audience?

Honestly, I watched Impact on DVR before Raw. The put on a good show. I'm also excited about the new ranking system. Sounds interesting.

 

[hombrelobo]

http://kushinator.com/

for the RVD music video/happy 420 wrestling thread.

 

[T0INE]

Anyone had any luck finding the non-looped version of Drew McIntyre's theme music?

 

[chino905]

is TNA still doing the iMPACT replay on Thursday nights?

 

[rko2004]

Originally Posted by toine2983

Anyone had any luck finding the non-looped version of Drew McIntyre's theme music?

NOPE! How depressing is it to find a long version to only realized, its looping.

 

[je ne sais quoi]

Originally Posted by 4wrestling

So the question is, did Raw's ratings bomb, or did TNA cut into WWE's audience?

I DVR both, but you have to factor in the whole volcano situation.
I'm betting there were a number of viewers that didn't watch raw hearing that Cena and the rest of the raw roster wasn't going to be there.

 

[D Fly]

Originally Posted by toine2983

Anyone had any luck finding the non-looped version of Drew McIntyre's theme music?

..its not really non-looped.

But that's the best version out now.

 

[T0INE]

Thanks DFly.  

I swear you have a better chance of finding a Layla El sextape than the complete version of that song.

WWE needs to drop a new music CD I need that song on my IPod.

 

[ill i am]

Originally Posted by retrogearsolid

lol CaptainCrown straight no-sold DSK's status as News and Notes bringer Cena style.

Originally Posted by toine2983

I swear you have a better chance of finding a Layla El sextape than the complete version of that song.

This is why I *!$% with y'all (no Billy & Chuck)

4w, I think Nino brings up a good point. The decline in the RAW ratings has more to do with WWE informing people the RAW crew was stuck overseas, IMO. Impact's rating rose from a 0.9 to a 1.0...that's not a big enough rise to say they took some of RAW's audience. We'll have a better sense of the ratings once the segment by segment breakdown comes out.

All good news for Impact though...their rating rose and they had one of their best episodes of the year.

EDIT:

The Impact breakdown is out:

-- As reported earlier, last night's episode of TNA iMPACT! scored a 1.0 cable rating. This is rounded up from an 0.95. The show averaged 1,334,000 viewers. Meanwhile, RAW scored a 3.1 cable rating (rounded up from 3.05) off a first hour 3.00 and second hour 3.10. Overall, RAW averaged 4,150,000 viewers last night. RAW's 3.05 was the show's lowest rating since the December 8, 2008 episode averaged a 3.01 rating.

-- We have just received the quarter hours for last night's iMPACT!: The first hour did .91, 1.02, 1.04, and 1.02. The second did quarters of .82, .95, .87, and .94. The show actually averaged a 0.95 off hours of 1.0 and 0.9 (against RAW).

-- The highest rating of the night was for Q3, which drew a 1.04 rating with Ric Flair talking. Quarters 2 and 4 did a 1.02.

-- Quarter 5, the first opposed segment, dropped to 0.82 for the end of Jeff Hardy-RVD, opposite Triple H and CM Punk's opening interaction. By Q6 the rating had gone back up to 0.95 but dropped again to 0.87 before climbing back to 0.94 for the ending of the world title match.

Flair drew the highest rated segment.

hombrelobo, the rating actually declined for the second hour so I think RVD had little to do with it. They did their best ratings when RAW wasn't on air...goes to show how important that 8 PM slot is (although it took Bischoff some time to realize that

)