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By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

Send anything pro wrestling related (news, mainstream media mentions, newspaper article links, obscure wrestling references, oddball wrestling-related items, etc.) to the Torch News Link for inclusion in the Torch Today blog. When this page is updated, it will move to the top of the PWTorch Main Listing.

Updated Monday, June 25 at 8:45 a.m. - by James Caldwell

-- FIRST WORD: Last night at Vengeance, there were many moments where the 90/10 percentage split came into play. 90 percent being casual fans who bought a ticket for a family wrestling event to cap off the weekend. 10 percent being the hardcore audience. 90 percent were for Cena, while 10 percent created the loud boos during his backstage promo with Edge and during his ring entrance. 90 percent were very much behind Batista, while 10 percent of the fans - mainly concentrated in the front rows facing the hard camera - applauded every move Edge made during the Hvt. title match. 90 percent of fans were confused and disappointed when Johnny Nitro replaced Chris Benoit, while the very vocal minority of 10 percent expressed their displeasure when Benoit wasn't on the card. WWE has such a low opinion of Benoit's connection with the audience that they apparently believed fans wouldn't be that upset when Benoit wasn't on the card. So, they waited until two seconds before Nitro came out to announce the line-up change instead of telling the audience at the top of the show. No matter how much they believe Benoit is just another wrestler, they were shown the error of their ways on the PPV.

-- RAW PREVIEW: Another three hours of WWE TV tonight, featuring the Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night II. ... They're setting up a memorial inside the arena in Corpus Christi, Tex. tonight, where fans can cut their own eulogy promo. Believe me, there are plenty of fans who will play along to get on TV. They're the same fans who bought the "I DID IT" t-shirts at Vengeance last night ... No matches have been announced yet ...

-- The Broadcasting & Cable website has an in-depth piece on WWE's marketing and overall business. Quotes from Dick Ebersol, Bonnie Hammer, CW executives, and Vince and Linda McMahon. Vince McMahon, who isn't dead, said about the TV market they're trying to compete in, "I think we're holding our own in this fractionalized market that becomes more fractionalized every day. I'm not particularly satisfied with where we are, and I don't know that I ever would be." Article link.

-- Chris Benoit was not at the Vengeance PPV last night, as he had to fly home to Georgia before the show for personal reasons. No word on whether he'll be back for the McMahon Raw tonight or the Smackdown/ECW tapings on Tuesday.

-- AAA in Mexico will be touring the U.S. this summer, holding exhibition matches on the Vans Warped Tour. The first show is June 29 in Pomona, Calif. and it concludes on August 25 in Los Angeles. It's a good marketing opportunity to give wrestling fans a sample of Lucha wrestling, before possibly running larger standalone shows later this year or sometime next year in cities that had the biggest response to the exhibitions. Press release.

-- After this past weekend's big double-shot in Dayton in Chicago, ROH won't be in the U.S. again until July 27 and 28 in Long Island and Edison, respectively. Their next tour will be in Japan on July 16 and 17. They have not announced a card for Tokyo on July 16, but the July 17 card in Osaka has The Briscoes vs. Shingo & YAMATO, KENTA & CIMA vs. Davey Richards & Rocky Romero, Jack Evans vs. Roderick Strong, Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Rave, Nigel McGuinness vs. B.J. Whitmer, and an impressive Dragon Gate six-man tag match.

-- The Salt Lake Tribune has a story on a Lucha show in Utah on Sunday that drew 500 fans. Mascarita Sagrada was the headliner on the show. Article link.

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