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Updated throughout the day, the Torch News Ticker delivers a constant stream of news and information from WWE, TNA, ROH, Japan, the independents, and whatever else pops up. Keep it open in a new tab and bookmark it every Monday! Promoters and readers: Send in news, upcoming events, interview highlights, or wrestling-related information to the Torch News email address, Wade Keller, and James Caldwell for inclusion on the constantly-updated Ticker. Contact link.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Pre-Mania Update

- The Orlando Sentinel republished an interview with Gordon Solie from before Solie died several years ago. Nice, reflective interview from Solie. Article link.

- Yahoo's homepage early this morning had featured stories on boxers in wrestling, with a headline: "Boxers turned fake wrestlers".



- Smackdown ratings for Friday night were at 2.4, which was in line with last week's rating that went up against the NCAA Tournament. The show averaged a 2.4 for each hour.

- The Concord (N.H.) Monitor published a story on concussions after Chris Nowinski gave a lecture to students at Bedford High School. Much of the story talks about football, with the "macho mentality" being toned down to where it's hopefully no longer a sign of weakness for a player to come off the field if he's been knocked in the head. Article link.

- Great Khali is still on police records as an official cop back in Punjab, India. He's officially listed as being on leave without pay and "sick and indisposed". His family said he's going to beat everyone up tonight in Atlanta. Well, if the weather doesn't hold up, WWE might wish they were in Atlanta tonight. Article link.

- A local site in Texas has a story on Tito Santana growing up in Texas before entering the wrestling business. "We used to sell our tickets with the promos we'd do," he said. "I think wrestlers were better speakers back then." Article link.

***

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- There was a considerable amount of WrestleMania hype in Florida newspapers that we have on the main listing.

- Go to youtube.com and the first image you see is a two-minute promo clip for WrestleMania 24. WWE is sparing no expense advertising this PPV on Sunday.

- Floyd Mayweather was interviewed in the U.K. Sun about his WrestleMania role and other items of interest. Mayweather peeled back the curtain a bit to show a philosophical side when he's not in character. Article link.

- SI.com published a story on the history of WrestleMania, with the top 24 matches in Mania history. Since this is a subjective sport, the list has Andre vs. Hogan at WrestleMania III as the top match of all-time. The conclusion for the selection is that it was the most important match in wrestling history. Well, certainly one of the most-important matches in the "WWF/post-territory" era. Article link.

- Floyd Mayweather's parents are apparently not on board with Mayweather's latest endeavor at WrestleMania. Floyd Mayweather, Sr. says they'll be doing other things during the PPV, but Oscar de la Hoya is going to order the PPV to see whether his September opponent gets squashed by Big Show in the ring. Boxingscene.com article.

- Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun posted a blog on attending the Impact tapings on Friday night. He comments on a conversation with Dixie Carter and interviewing several of the wrestlers backstage during the show. Blog link.

- Midway Games launched a new website for TNA's video game to post updates on the game, provide new trailers, and offer news and updates prior to the release in a few months. Midway will be showing off the game at its annual convention in Las Vegas. Video game website.

***

Friday, March 28, 2008

- On the Torch main listing under WWE News, we currently have articles on the Orlando Sentinel publishing a story on the high mortality rate in pro wrestling, and new details from Irv Muchnick on the Benoit tragedy.

- WWE and THQ issued their official press release on the next installment of the Smackdown vs. Raw video game series, with the title expected to be released in the fall. The announcement has generated a significant amount of press from video gaming websites, including IGN.com. The game will increase user control over the gameplay and interactive features, including downloadable content. Press release.

- Adage published a story on USA Network's advertising party in New York City on Wednesday night, with USA presenting its advertising campaign for the next TV season. The article touts Raw, Monk, and Psych as the anchor shows. President of NBC Universal's cable division Bonnie Hammer said, "We're setting our sights to make the Characters Welcome brand the most powerful brand out there -- the best brand in the entire media landscape." Article link.

- Bloggingstocks.com published an article on WWE having a very key 12 months between this weekend and next year's WrestleMania. Investors are going to be looking closely at the 25th-year anniversary of WrestleMania, with it being a "milestone year" for WWE. Article link.

- U.S. News & World Report published a story on whether investors should place their money in WWE stock. The angle is that WWE isn't just a "wrestling show on TV anymore," but an entertainment brand that has revenue coming from several different outlets. This is apparently news to Wall Street. Article link.

- Ch. 6 in Orlando published a story that tickets for WrestleMania are going for $500 right now, and the PPV has already set the all-time ticket gate for the Citrus Bowl. Article link.

- WWE and THQ have not made the official announcement on the next video game, but nintendic.com published screenshots of the '09 version of the Smackdown vs. Raw series. There will be changes to the basic gameplay for the Nintendo Wii and DS systems to make the game more interactive. Article link.

- USA Today published a story on Mayweather vs. Big Show. Nothing new in the story to add to the hype. Just more mainstream press as WWE picks up steam heading into WrestleMania weekend. Article link.

- Here's an interesting story published in the Houston Chronicle on WWE's p.r. people. Jerome Solomon, who is a columnist for the paper and hosts a local radio show, called WWE to interview The Undertaker. Solomon played high school basketball with Taker locally in Houston, and wanted to interview him for WrestleMania hype. He was told by a WWE spokesman, "We must do interviews in the superstars' on-screen personas. The Undertaker persona does not, unfortunately, lend itself to interviews." Of course, he was calling him for a radio interview.

- Elijah Burke retained his video game crown at last night's THQ tournament at the House of Blues in Orlando. Burke (playing as Undertaker) beat Kofi Kingston (playing as Jeff Hardy) in the finals to win the tournament. Orlando Sentinel story.

- Melina was interviewed by askmen.com on being diva in WWE. She said he wouldn't consider a Playboy appearance because she wants to be noticed more for her abilities and talent in the ring. Melina also claims that all men are metrosexual now and wonders where all the manly men went? Article link.

- TNA TV notes: TNA has announced the top matches for next week's Impact. Main event will be Sting vs. James Storm. Also announced is A.J. Styles & Tomko vs. Christian Cage & Rhino, Traci Brooks vs. Peyton Banks, and Shark Boy vs. Elix Skipper in an Ultimate Xscape qualifying match... On TNA's website, they list "WWE wrestler Dereck Graham-Crouch" as one of the special guests in attendance at last night's live show. ... TNA's new video game will be one of the featured games on the college Game U tour, sponsored by Best Buy and Motorola. The tour launches March 31. Press release.

***

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Top stories of the Day

- Ric Flair was interviewed in the Peoria (Ill.) Journal-Star on his workout regiment to be conditioned for wrestling. He has a daily two-hour program that includes stationary bike, free squats, and weightlifting. He said it helps that his wife is a personal trainer. "It's a whole different world than just running around the track and riding the bike," Flair said. "Wrestling is a whole new level of condition." Flair said he hasn't trained this hard since the 1989 series of classic matches against Ricky Steamboat. Article link.

- The NBC affiliate in Orlando published a story on WrestleMania expected to have the largest attendance in the history of the Citrus Bowl. Jimmy Hart was interviewed for the story and said he's happy to still be part of it at his age. After Mania is over this weekend, Orlando organizers are going to begin working on their sales pitch for 2012. Article link.

- Miami Herald published an interview with Shawn Michaels, with Michaels offering his thoughts on other wrestlers on the roster. Michaels told Scott Fishman about Jeff Hardy's suspension, "A lot of guys don't want to go the direction I went. For me, it was the Lord Jesus Christ. It was one step. It comes down to just trying to appeal to his way of life, living the life of truth. That takes submission and humility. Each person comes to that place or fork in the road at different times. I hope Jeff is there and comes through this."

Michaels also commented on Mr. Kennedy. He said they have different styles in the ring, so it took some time to adjust, and they tried some different things with a more mat-based approach to their recent matches. "Ken was a guy I was able to do that with, so it was a fun experience for me," he said. "I think Ken brings great intensity to the ring, and I think he has great potential. I think his future is as bright as anybody. I would imagine it would be a matter of him getting out there, doing more and push the envelope.''

Michaels said a lot of people don't want to put emotion into the product, but he can't help but be emotional for the match against Flair. He added that it's the end of an era if Flair loses to him at Mania. "For me, I go back to if this is Ric Flair's last match; that is the end of an era," he said.
"With all due respect to everyone else in the industry, it's an era I'm a part of. If the Ric Flair era is over, it will question if I want to be part of what the next era is.'' Article link.

- The final week of the Daytona Beach News-Journal's interview series with Jim Ross looks at this year's Mania compared to previous years. Ross said it's tough to compare line-ups, but this might be the most emotional Mania of all-time with it possibly being Flair's final match. "WrestleMania is much like the Super Bowl in that sometimes the hype exceeds the actual event, but WM 24 has the 'feel' that it will be a really fun event to watch," he said. "The 'Flair Factor' is so special, and being outdoors also adds to the uniqueness of it." Article link.

- Sid Vicious announced in a conference call this evening that he will be returning to pro wrestling with the NWA. Vicious said he has been rehabilitating for seven years while his peers have faded away. He claims to be the most valuable free agent in wrestling. Vicious is essentially using the NWA run to test how much value he has after being off national television when the Monday Night Wars ended. It could be a springboard to bigger things, or he could settle into a role with the NWA as one of its top stars as they continue to rebuild the brand name with more touring dates and the weekly TV slot on Colours TV.

- TNA live preview: TNA posted some more details on tonight's live Impact broadcast. Kurt Angle will face Tomko & Styles in another exhibition. Rules are four one-minute rounds. ... Sting is expected to be live in Orlando for the show. ... Starting at 9:00 p.m. EST, TNA's website will have the interactive vote to pick Awesome Kong's opponent tonight. Fans can only vote once, and the options are Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, ODB, Gail Kim, Roxxi Laveaux, or Christy Hemme. Impact preview.

- Ch. 13 in Orlando published a story on WWE's artwork exhibit that took place last night in downtown Orlando at the City Arts Factory. One of the key exhibits was from Vickie Guerrero, who put together various artwork featuring Eddie Guerrero. "I put different aspects of his career and everyone in the collage had an impact on my husband's life," she said. I think our favorite picture is when Eddie accepted (sic) the championship belt." Article link.

- WWE filed documents with the SEC today for newly-hired CFO George Barrios, who was granted 25,000 shares of common stock to start with.

- WWE issued a press release on the WrestleMania weekend festivities getting started tonight at the House of Blues in Orlando, where THQ will be hosting WWE's annual video game competition. Wrestlers scheduled for the 16-person tournament include Orton, Santino, Rey, Matt Hardy, Finlay, C.M. Punk, and Kofi. (Absent from the roster is perennial contender, Shelton Benjamin). Tickets are $15 and on-sale at Ticketmaster. THQ will also be holding a press conference on Friday to announce the next video game in the WWE series. Article link.

- Due to popular demand, TNA has added a fourth date on their U.K. tour in June. They've added a show on Thursday, June 12 in Liverpool. They claim the Friday, June 13 show in Liverpool is already sold out. Tickets go on-sale for the June 12 date on April 7. TNA info.

- One of the leading investment research websites, Zacks.com, published a report on WWE's financials, labeling WWE stock a "timely buy of the week" and recommending the stock as an attractive investment opportunity. Article link.

***

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- We have a recap of WWE's appearance on Larry King Live that aired tonight on CNN available on the main listing under WWE News.

- Ric Flair was interviewed on Bostonnow.com about his WrestleMania match against Shawn Michaels. He said he started conditioning for the match when it was announced and he's preparing himself to be in the best shape he's been in in a long time. "The performance level that's expected of me is higher than ever before in my life," he said.

Flair said he can't envision himself not in the wrestling business because it's a part of him. "It will always be a major part of my life, whether I'm wrestling or not wrestling, because I love it and have so much respect for the guys that do it," he said. "I don't see that ever changing. My youngest son has just signed with the WWE and I want to be very involved and following him very closely each and every day."

On the topic of drugs and steroids in pro wrestling, Flair held today's company line that it's about personal choice and he can't blame anyone for the choices he's made. He added that WWE's drug testing policy is a positive for the wrestlers and the company. "They hired an outside company to do the testing and the thing I am really glad that people are finally seeing is that the WWE has no control over the testing," he said. Article link.

- USA Today published an AP story on Floyd Mayweather looking to increase his notoriety with the Mania appearance. His idea is to become the richest and most marketable athlete in the world, and create a Fortune 500 company out of the Mayweather brand name. Mayweather said he hopes to break last year's wrestling PPV buy figure. "It's possible," he said. "We keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. WWE has the right machine, and we proved I'm the hottest thing on the market right now. If you can't sell nothing else, you can sell Floyd Mayweather." Article link.

- USA Network issued a press release on their upcoming season of new shows. Noteworthy is that the U.S. Open tennis tournament will air on Monday, August 25 to pre-empt Raw. At least that's not the week before or after Summerslam on Aug. 17. Article link.

- Philadelphia Daily News published a story on Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, including an interview with Michaels. "What's going on is causing a real, bittersweet conflict inside of me," Michaels said. "What I would love to do is honor Ric Flair the man and the superstar he's been by giving him the greatest match of his career, which he deserves." Story link.

- Stevie Richards, former WWE announcer Kevin Kelly, and Marty Jannetty will have roles in an upcoming independent movie, "The Wimp Whose Woman was a Werewolf." It's a mock-documentary billed as a cross between the British version of "The Office" and the dog show movie "Best in Show". Movie details.

- TNA TV Notes: TNA has released a full line-up of segments for their first live TV on Thursday night. Sting returns ... Kurt Angle vs. Tomko & Styles (no indication that it's an MMA exhibit). ... Awesome Kong vs. the 'Net vote for her opponent, with voting beginning on TNA's website at 9:00 p.m. EST. ... Alex Shelley vs. Johnny Devine in a Lockdown Xscape qualifier, which will start the live broadcast. ... Sit down interview with Karen Angle about the separation from Kurt. ... Interview with Samoa Joe with footage of him training in California. ... MMA fighter Frank Trigg will be at the live broadcast to comment on Joe vs. Angle. ... LAX vs. Petey & Steiner & Rhaka Khan. ... Another installment of the Rough Cut segments featuring B.G. James and Kip James.

- TNA signed a deal with Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. as their exclusive commercial distributor of PPV events in the U.S. and Canada, beginning with the Lockdown PPV on April 13. TNA said in a press release that it will allow their PPVs to be shown in public areas such as bars and restaurants. Press Release link.

- Dory Funk, Jr. notes: Congressman Cliff Stearns (R) from Florida will be at the Funkin' Conservatory this weekend to watch Dory Funk's students tryout for slots in All Japan Wrestling. Osamu Nishimura will be on-hand scouting talent and Stearns has expressed interest in talking to Nishimura about pro wrestling in Japan. ... Gail Kim won their Women's Title on Sunday at the Bang! TV taping. Funk website.

- PWG announced the first line-up for their next show on April 5 in Reseda, Calif. PWG champion Human Tornado is taking a "personal day" and won't be on the show, so the top match is Joey Ryan & Scott Lost vs. Claudio & Eddie Kingston. Also booked is Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong, Phoenix Star & Zokre vs. MAZADA & NOSAWA, and Hello Kitty vs. Kuromi. It's PWG. And it's been a long-time coming, as fans have been chanting "Hello Kitty" at Ronin for years. PWG website.

- WWE issued a press release on WrestleMania festivities involving Raven Symone and Phat Fashion Kids for the biggest Make-a-Wish event ever. 50 children will participate in the events, which include a meet-and-greet with WWE wrestlers on Friday (hosted by Rey Mysterio). There will be a pizza party at Universal Studios on Saturday hosted by John Cena. Phat Fashion will have a raffle on Sunday morning at the annual Bacon, Bagels, and Biceps event. Press release link.

- Good story in the Stanly News and Press (N.C.) newspaper about WWE giving an 82-year-old woman, Elizabeth Poplin, a chance to see WWE live last night at the SD/ECW taping in Fayetteville. Poplin is in a nursing home and the events director lined her up with WWE to attend a live event for the first time.

Poplin had some comments on the current storylines. "Boxing don't mix with wrestling," she said about Mayweather vs. Show. Poplin added she's been a fan since she saw Ric Flair wearing his long robes. The events director told her, "The doctors thought you needed therapy. I thought you needed John Cena." Article link.

***

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Top Stories of the Day

- U.K. Sun published an interview with Chris Jericho today, with Jericho offering his thoughts on the top matches at WrestleMania. On Mayweather vs. Show, Jericho said people will check it out because it's a freak show. He doesn't believe the $20 million figure, but it doesn't matter to him what kind of money other people are making. "The more money that’s made the more money everyone gets," he said. "It’s a trickle down effect and if he draws a huge buy rate it’s more money in my pocket, so more power to him."

Jericho commented on Jeff Hardy's suspension, which he hopes will allow Hardy to learn from the situation and come back. "He is going to have to, because he's only got one more chance," he said. Jericho said he's not disappointed by his current comeback, and is excited to be in the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania. "Whether I’m in the main event, a paddle match or selling popcorn in the stands – I do everything I can to steal the show every night."

On the Raw three-way title match, Jericho said his personal preference is for Randy Orton to retain the belt. "He is one of the few heels in our company who people actually hate," he said. Jericho said most of the wrestlers think Flair vs. Michaels is the real WrestleMania main event, and he believes Flair's career will end at Mania, so that's going to push Flair to steal the show. Interview link.

- The Patriot Ledger published an interview with Ric Flair that was conducted last week. Flair said Ricky Steamboat is still the greatest opponent he ever had, but he said, "The problem with that statement now is that there’s nobody better in the business than Shawn Michaels, who I’m wrestling at WrestleMania." Flair said the only problems he experienced in his wrestling career were self-inflicted confidence issues when he wishes he would have stood up for himself in the '90s.

Flair said he's not hurting physically and feels great. "So many wrestlers talk about nagging aches and pains every day," he said. "Here’s what I say to some of them. What are you hurting from? What did you do yesterday that’s making you hurt today? We’ve got some 24-year-old kids that are talking about being hurt. But there’s no sympathy, man. You can’t approach a sport and be whining at 24 years of age. If you are, then you’re in the wrong business." Interview link.

- Jim Ross posted a new blog on jrsbarbq.com commenting on Raw, WrestleMania, and Gordon Solie. Ross confirmed that he will be inducting Gordon Solie into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night, and he will be calling Flair vs. Michaels at WrestleMania. Ross said that several wrestlers huddled around the NWA Title belt that Flair brought to Raw in order to get a close-up look at a significant piece of wrestling history. Ross added, "It was also interesting to see who did not move out of their comfort zones and off their backsides and make the effort to walk over and actually see one of the most significant artifacts in wrestling history. I don’t want to get started on this personal, pet peeve as this is too positive a week to let the apathy of some adversely affect me."

Ross also commented on Floyd Mayweather's preparation for WrestleMania. He said Mayweather has taken his WrestleMania preparation very seriously and "will most likely shock us all with what he brings to the dance". Ross said Mayweather has changed course with his wrestling persona after seeing money in being a villain. "Floyd 'gets it' and has reinvented himself to become a persona fans want to see humbled," Ross said. Blog entry link.

- ECW TV notes: Gordon Solie was officially introduced as the final inductee into the 2008 Hall of Fame class. ... The 24-man battle royale will air on WWE's website thirty minutes prior to the start of WrestleMania. The recent tradition at WrestleMania has been a pre-PPV battle royale for wrestlers not on the main card so they can pick up a significant payday on the biggest show of the year. The winner of the battle royale will then face Chavo Guerrero for the ECW Title on the PPV. ...

- WWE issued a press release this morning for their new WWE Kids magazine that will launch April 15. The magazine, which is aimed at kids 6-to-14-years old, will feature "age-appropriate content" for kids. “With content ranging from fitness and nutrition to geography to esteem building, ‘WWE Kids’ will appeal to children, their parents, and their teachers," said Tony Romando, WWE's Editorial Director. "Young fans will get to know their favorite Superstars through activity-based art projects, fun games, interviews and trivia." Press release link.

- Blogcritics.com posted a review of the WWE: the Music Vol. 8 CD that came out today. The reviewer was harsh, yet gave an insightful review. The key point: "The album does what theme music should do: there’s a boring hair-metal song for the guys with long hair, a power ballad of sorts for the guys who’re supposed to be known for having a lot of heart, and a faux reggae song for the guy from Jamaica. In that sense, they do represent the wrestlers’ personas." Article link.

- USA Network won last week's prime time cable ratings for the 12th consecutive week on the strength of WWE Raw from March 17 averaging 5.36 million viewers in the second hour. The first hour averaged 4.64 million. Overall, Raw took the top two spots on ad-supported cable for the week. In the key demos, the trend continued with USA winning adults 24-54 with an average of 1.25 million viewers, and TBS won the 18-49 and 18-34s with 1.26 million viewers in the 18-49 category. Mediaweek report || Cable top 20 ratings.

- Orlando's local Ch. 13 published a story on WrestleMania's contribution to the local economy. Mayor Buddy Dyer said, "The sports commission estimates it will be between $25 million and $30 million of new spending here in the city of Orlando over the course of this week." The story also includes photos of the giant WrestleMania logo at Orlando's airport to greet incoming planes. Story link.

- Ch. 6 in Orlando published a story on WrestleMania this weekend. They have the basics on Mania drawing thousands of fans internationally, and bringing in $25 million to the local economy. The prediction is 70,000 fans in attendance at the Citrus Bowl on Sunday. Article link.

- TVbytheNumbers.com has an interesting look at historical TV ratings and how technology has changed to give viewers more choices, which has led to lower ratings for even the most-watched TV programs. Article link.

- Detroit News published a story on WWE Raw returning to Detroit for the first time in four years on May 12. Tickets go on-sale April 5. Article link.

- Miami Herald published an interview Layla about putting in the time to improve in the ring. She told Scott Fishman, "I've been in the ring a lot more, so I'm trying hard. Hopefully, with the hard work I'm putting in, I'm going to get better. I want to finally show I can do more than I'm doing right now.'' Layla also talks about her on-air "mean girl" character being far-fetched from her true personality. She also said she's going to enjoy this year's WrestleMania after getting over the shock of being at her first one last year. Article link.

- Lita will be performing with her band, The Luchagors, at The Capitol in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday night. Show starts at 7:00 p.m. and are tickets are $8. Details.

- High-Def Digest published a story confirming our report yesterday that WWE's first Blu-ray release will be WrestleMania 24 on May 20. It's expected to be a two-disc set, and WWE plans to issue a press release later this week confirming the technical details. Article link.

- Triple H's DVD is officially set for release today in major retailers. We received a note from Torch reader Joe that that the DVD has been available at some retailers in Canada since last week, specifically the Wal-Mart in Amherstburg, Ontario.

- Variety published an article on another WWE Films hire. Steve Barnett has been brought into the company as senior VP of production for the Films division, as WWE looks to increase its efforts to produce straight-to-DVD and theatrical films. "There are very few entertainment companies in the world that can market their brand as effectively as WWE," Barnett said. "I am very excited in developing and producing films and television for a company with that kind of focus and potency." Barnett will be reporting to WWE Films president Michael Lake. Article link.

- The Detroit News published a story on Ford Field's transformation for the NCAA tournament this weekend. They interviewed the mastermind behind the transformation, Bob Gardner, who was also involved in setting up WrestleMania 23 last year. He said last year's Mania at Ford Field was more challenging because WWE kept throwing new ideas at him during the set-up phase. "With the WWE folks, it was the bigger the better," he said. "But it was more fun because of the things they did on the spot in regards to theatrics (and) pyrotechnic." Article link (scroll down.

- BoxingScene.com published an article on Floyd Mayweather's involvement in WrestleMania. Good summary of what Mayweather has been saying in the weeks leading up to Mania about him expanding beyond just being a boxer and WWE providing the vehicle as "the biggest entertainment company". Article link.

- WWE TV/WrestleMania notes. There were several announcements and changes announced on Raw last night concerning WrestleMania. Ashley has replaced Candice Michelle in the BunnyMania match. It will be Ashley & Maria vs. Melina & Beth Phoenix. ... WWE will announce the final Hall of Fame inductee on ECW tonight. It's expected to be legendary broadcaster Gordon Solie. ... All 24 of the individuals in the ECW battle royale at WrestleMania will be in a 24-man tag match on ECW TV tonight. ... Big Show and Floyd Mayweather will be appearing on NBC's Today Show on Wednesday morning. WWE will then hold a press conference at Times Square in New York City on Wednesday afternoon. ...

- While TNA is taping Impact on the evening of Saturday, March 29 at Universal Studios in Orlando, WWE will also have a presence at Universal Studios, as they will have a WrestleMania Axxess stop from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Miami Herald list of Mania activities.

- ROH Notes: ROH champion Nigel McGuinness will be in action this Friday night in Orlando, as he'll be in a non-title match against Delirious before his title defense against Austin Aries on Saturday. ... After WrestleMania weekend, there are numerous scenarios for ROH Title matches on the April shows. ROH's Newswire breaks down all the potential match-ups. Newswire link.

***

Monday, March 24, 2008

Top stories of the Day

- Ahead of tonight's Raw at the Colonial Center, Ric Flair was given the key to the city of Columbia, S.C. this morning. The local CBS affiliate, WLTX, covered the ceremony where Flair unsurprisingly got a lot emotional talking about how much Columbia meant to him earlier in his career. Article link.

- TheState.com has more coverage on Ric Flair's "key to the city" ceremony this morning in Columbia, S.C., with quotes from Flair on wrestling at Township Auditorium back in 1974. "We just knew when we walked into the Township, it was going to be loud, it was going to be packed, it was going to be wild, it was going to be very difficult to get out of the ring," Flair said. Article link.

- Candice Michelle will not be able to compete at WrestleMania in the BunnyMania match, as she had extensive surgery in Upland, Calif. this afternoon to completely repair the broken clavicle she re-injured on Raw last week. She told WWE's website prior to the surgery that the re-injury was her fault when she landed wrong on a dropkick.

"The doctor said I could take a non-surgical route, but it would take a minimum of six months doing nothing," she said. "I’ve been dying already, after having been out for five months. I’m completely ready to get it fixed and be able to make a real comeback to the ring." Candice won't be able to compete or get physically involved six days after major surgery, but she still expects to be at WrestleMania. Candice interview.

- Video Business published an article on Mr. Kennedy starring in the third installment of the "Behind Enemy Lines" series. It's a joint production of WWE Films and Fox's Filmed Entertainment division as part of the "first-look" agreement inked last month. The movie won't be a theatrical release, as it's a straight-to-DVD movie. Filming is in Puerto Rico, and the movie is expected to be released in 2009. Article link.

- Variety published a significant article today on WWE's increased focus on marketing to children, including the launch of their WWE Kids magazine in April, which will be heavily pushed in Wal-Mart stores. Among the highlights in the article: WWE plans to create an original kids-themed program on their website, and they're looking to find a home for a new TV series. Variety has demographic numbers that WWE's weekly programming is watched by an average of 2.6 million kids between the ages of 6 and 14.

"A large percentage of children in America get introduced to our brand from 6 to 10 years old," said WWE VP of marketing Geof Rochester. "We said, 'We have a strong kids audience; let's embrace that.' We want to have a lifelong relationship with these kids." Shane McMahon commented that WWE is recommitted to providing kids with "new, fun, age-appropriate content". Shane is over-seeing the WWE Kids division. Article link.

- WWE DVD notes: Triple H's "King of Kings" DVD hits stores on Tuesday. It's a two-disc set with matches and his commentary on career high and low points (including the MSG curtain call with HBK, Hall, and Nash). ... WWE is still scheduled to release a DVD on a 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, but they have not announced who will be the subject of the release. It's scheduled for release on April 1. ... WWE's first Blu-ray release will be the WrestleMania 24 DVD on May 20. Amazon.com lists the Blu-ray DVD at $5 higher than standard DVD release. ... Amazon has the cover art for The Rock's DVD, due out June 10. It will be a three-disc release with matches from 1997 until 2004.

- WWE is scheduled for a WrestleMania press conference at Times Square in New York City on Wednesday, with all the big players at Mania scheduled to appear. We're looking for a live report from the site.

- More positive press for WWE stock, as Harry Domash, of Winning Investing, says WWE might be a slow-growing stock, but it's a "perfect holding for this turbulent market." Domash expects annual revenue growth of 5 to 10 percent, and likes WWE having plenty of cash on hand and little debt. Bloggingstocks.com article.

- TNA sent a message to Mobile subscribers that New York City, Chicago, and Toronto are being considered for their signature PPV, "Bound for Glory", this year.

- After the AP reported on Gary Hart's death last week, Hart's contributions to wrestling made for a significant story in Texas newspapers this past weekend. The Houston Chronicle had a blurb in the obituaries section of Sunday's newspaper. Brian Argabright has a story on Hart in his weekly wrestling column in the Del Rio (Tex.) News-Herald. Del Rio article link.

- The family of John Graziano filed lawsuit against Hulk Hogan and his family in Pinellas County, Fla. court for their contributions to Nick Hogan's near-fatal crash last summer that put John in the hospital. In the lawsuit, the family cites one count of negligence against Nick, three counts against Hulk, one count against Linda, and one count against Daniel Jacobs, who was the driver of the vehicle racing Nick.

Fox News has a report that the Graziano family "is claiming in the lawsuit that Hogan and Linda Bollea should have known that their son was a reckless driver, and were also aware that their son was drinking on the day of the crash." Article link.

- Trading Markets republished the Miami Herald's story on Rocky Johnson overcoming racism when he was growing up in the wrestling business. Johnson, who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this weekend, thanked his father-in-law, Peter Maivia, for paving the way for Samoan wrestlers. "It's fantastic to be inducted with my father-in-law, who helped train me," Johnson said. "I'm very, very proud of that. He also went though a lot, and he opened the door for the Samoan wrestlers." The Rock will be inducting both his father and great grandfather into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Article link.

- Miami Herald published a story on WWE's WrestleMania Axxess tour that swung by Dolphin Mall in Miami this past weekend. Hillbilly Jim, Layla, and Tye Dye Guy were interviewed by Scott Fishman for the article, which includes a rundown of the Mania activities coming up this weekend. Article link.

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