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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, June 8, 2008

- RESULTS WANTED: We're looking for reports from TNA on Friday night in Missouri and their PPV in Southaven, Miss. tonight. ... From WWE, we're looking for results from their five shows in Northern California.

- One of TNA's signature PPVs, Slammiversary, is tonight in Southaven, Miss. with the King of the Mountain match main event for the TNA Title. Samoa Joe defends against Christian Cage, Rhino, Booker T, and Robert Roode with Kevin Nash as special enforcer. ... The rest of the card reads: A.J. Styles vs. Kurt Angle in a match that could steal the show, Petey Williams vs. Kaz for the X Division Title, LAX defending the TNA tag titles against Team 3D, Jay Lethal and So Cal Val wedding where the swerve would be them actually getting married, Gail & ODB & Roxxi vs. Beautiful People, and Awesome Kong with another $25k challenge. Plus, certainly gimmick segments with Eric Young and Abyss. ... While you're watching the NBA Finals, we'll be covering the PPV live on the main listing, so check back tonight for live results.

- Jim Ross says the Draft changes probably won't be finalized until a few hours prior to Raw going on the air on June 23. "I would suggest that no official draft list exists and likely won’t until closer to Monday June 23 when the event takes place," Ross said on his latest blog on jrsbarbq.com. "I take the under that the draft is finished with internal debate and finalized a few hours before the show goes on the air in San Antonio." Ross also said he expects Big Show to be recovered in time for the Night of Champions PPV to face Kane for the ECW Title.

Ross also has an interesting note on Vince McMahon's mindset regarding MMA. With Donald Trump tossing his hat in the industry, Ross suggests McMahon could be listening to Dallas Mavericks owner and MMA promoter Mark Cuban, whose arena WWE will be running the Night of Champions PPV. "My feeling is that McMahon will remain focused on the WWE and hold off any MMA involvement at this time even though the Chairman is a fan of the genre as I understand it," Ross said. Ross blog with more commentary on the week's news

- Mick Foley will be appearing at a minor league baseball game in Lakewood, N.J. on June 21 to help with charity work. Foley was interviewed to promote the appearance, and he said he recently went back and watched the infamous fall off the Hell in a Cell cage from ten years ago. "I don't think I could ever do something like that again," he told CELBS. "It may not have been the smartest thing to try, to begin with." Foley said he currently has a few aches and pains from his wrestling career, but "it wasn't too large a price to pay for everything that being involved in the WWE gave to me." Article link.

***

Saturday, June 7, 2008

- LIVE EVENT REPORTS: Busy weekend for WWE, TNA, ROH, and PWG. We're looking for reports from last night's TNA house show in Poplar Bluff, Mo. That is TNA's lone house show this weekend prior to the Slammiversary PPV in Southaven, Miss. We're looking for a live report from the PPV if you attend.

WWE Raw brand is in Redding, Calif. tonight and the Smackdown/ECW brands will be in Fresno. Tomorrow night will be Raw in Stockton, Calif. and SD/ECW in San Jose. ... ROH tapes its seventh PPV tonight in Philadelphia. We're looking for a report from the PPV, and Sean Radican's report on last night's tag title tournament in Hartford is currently on the main listing.

- WWE Smackdown from last night averaged a 2.3 rating in the Fast Nationals to finish fourth ahead of FOX. The show averaged a 2.2 first hour and 2.4 second hour, which was good for third place for the Batista vs. Edge matches.

- Interesting story of the day goes to Cody Rhodes, who is the subject of an article on a video game website because of an item on his wrestling boots. Cody has an emblem linked to the Legend of Zelda video game. "In the game, the Tri-Force symbolized power, wisdom and courage," Cody said in a recent WWE Magazine article. I thought I could apply those qualities to my life." Maybe he can share with Bob Holly. Kotaku article link.

- Hollywood Today reported the details on Hulk Hogan's celebrity wrestling TV show to air on CMT this fall. The line-up of trainers and judges reads like a who's who of Hogan cronies that have been around all of his previous projects, while the celebrities are straight from the vault of reality TV shows. Complete show line-up.

- John Dybvig, an actor based in New Zealand, wrote a column for the Sunday Star Times to promote WWE's upcoming tour in a roundabout way. Dybvig defends WWE's product against the "well, it's fake" opinion. "Complaining about pro wrestling being fake is like going to a monastery and chastising the residents for praying too much," he says." You either engage with it or go home." Oh, there's more. On why WWE wrestlers need to look in great shape, Dybvig has this dandy. "There's a reason you don't see nude scenes in movies with fat people. Trust me, fat people have sex, it's just no one wants to see it. Not even fat people." Article link.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Evening Update

- Regarding the story on the Steve Austin lawsuit earlier this week, we want to make a note that we retracted our article on the main listing after TMZ removed their report once they realized it was a case of mistaken identity.

- Last week, we posted the New York Times piece on Floyd Mayweather that captured his life outside of the boxing industry. Many of the comments from Mayweather foreshadowed his retirement announcement today, as the WWE gimmick of him being all about money seemed like just a way to cover his discontent. "There comes a time when money doesn’t matter," Mayweather said in his retirement letter. "I just can’t do it anymore. I have found a peace with my decision that I have not felt in a long time." MVN sports reaction article.

- Peru is hot for the WWE product, and Carlito and Mr. Kennedy are scheduled to make a special trip to Lima on June 12 to promote next month's tour of Latin America. Tickets are currently on-sale for the event to be held July 3 at National Stadium. WWE hopes to sell 20,000 tickets for the show, according to LivinginPeru.com. Article link.

- Dwayne Johnson will not be taking part in a prequel to the "Scorpion King" movie that was marketed around him as the lead character. Johnson is being replaced by a former Power Ranger, so Universal's marketing will be focused on Randy Couture, who will be playing the lead villain in the new movie. Cinematical article.

***

Afternoon Update

- Midway and TNA officially launched a separate website for the TNA video game, which is set to launch sometime this summer. They'll update the game status and provide more trailers before the game launch. Site link.

- ROH Notes: ROH will crown new tag team champions tonight in Hartford, Ct. with the eight-team tag team tournament. Also signed is Brent Albright vs. Erick Stevens vs. Necro Butcher and Claudio vs. Sweet 'n Sour, Inc. We're looking for live reports from the site of tonight's ROH show. ...

- PWG Notes: PWG's next show is Sunday night at 5:00 p.m. in Reseda, Calif. up against Game 2 of the Lakers vs. Celtics series and the TNA PPV. Main event is Jack Evans Roderick Strong defending the PWG Tag Titles against Chris Jericho & Necro Butcher. Also signed is Austin Aries vs. El Generico. ... PWG's annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament is official for Aug. 29 - 31 in Reseda.

Morning Update

- For what it's worth until he appears on TV, WWE announced the signing of D-Lo Brown to a "Superstar contract."

- Going back a few weeks, the time-shifted numbers show the May 12 edition of Raw pulled in a significant number of DVR views to add to their total viewership. Raw was 2nd and 3rd behind The Hills for the week of May 12-18 with an average of 500,000 viewers watching Raw on the DVR. The time-shifted number added 11.5 percent to the live viewership, which is a jump from the previous average of about 8 percent of DVR-viewing. DVR viewing numbers.

- WWE Smackdown continues to pull in very strong numbers with the Hispanic demographic. The May 30 edition of Smackdown was the second-most watched TV show among Hispanics, according to HispanicBusiness.com. The number includes live viewers and DVR-viewing within 24 hours, with Smackdown pulling in a 3.9 rating based on the 11.63 million Hispanic households Nielsen evaluates in the rating. Smackdown topped the EXC broadcast, which scored a 3.8 rating. Article link.

- Bloggingstocks.com posted an analysis piece of Vince McMahon's McMoney giveaway from the perspective of whether shareholders should be concerned with the popularity of WWE's product. "McMahon and his creative cohorts need to become more creative in the storylines and in the usage of talent," says columnist Steven Mallas. "He won't always be giving away money, so the product must stand on its own merit." Mallas adds that long-term shareholders could have concerns over whether wrestling is becoming less interesting to viewers due to the slipping ratings. Good piece. Article link.

- Ahead of next week's Cauliflower Alley Club convention in Las Vegas, Ronnie Garvin says wrestling was a part of his life for 30 years, so it will nice to reunite with many people he hasn't seen in a while. "I've always looked at life that if things are 80 percent good, I'll take it. That's how it has been for me," Garvin said in an interview with Alex Marvez for his weekly syndicated column. "If I could start over tomorrow, I would do the exact same thing." Marvez article link.

***

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Morning Update

- Jim Ross says Randy Orton is expected to be out four months with the broken clavicle, while Candice Michelle expects to return within a month after rehabbing her second clavicle injury. "With exception of Randy Orton’s broken clavicle (collar bone) which I was told will keep him sidelined for 4 months and the Big Show’s gashed eye, One Night Stand came off as a solid and successful show from where I was sitting and the fans in San Diego helped the cause with their enthusiasm," Ross said on his latest jrsbarbq.com blog. "She (Candice) told me she would be going back to the doctor to have her collarbone (clavicle) checked in two weeks. I am not sure when she will be able to return to wrestling but one would assume in a month or so."

Ross also comments on the fan running into the ring on Raw, the MMA debut on CBS, and another developmental talent, Mikey from Spirit Squad, being arrested on DUI this past week. "If I were a young guy wanting to make the primarily roster of a major company I damn sure wouldn’t give the suits any reason, such as getting a DUI, to not give me a chance," said Ross. Ross blog link.

- With MMA still generating plenty of buzz following the EXC debut on CBS last Saturday night, The Record in Stockton, Calif. asked a WWE executive to compare their product to an MMA product ahead of WWE's house show this weekend. "We're considered a sports entertainment company," said Arthur Mroczek, WWE's senior marketing representative. "Our product is entertainment vs. a strict martial arts event, which is a hands-down sport. It's entertaining for the entire family. It's not something that is as violent as a mixed martial arts event." The card for this Saturday's show was originally scheduled to have Hunter vs. Orton, but that will be changing. JBL vs. Cena is also scheduled. Article link.

- During WWE's tour of Australia and New Zealand next week, WWE's Afterburn weekend program will begin airing on Ch. 9 across Australia. Afterburn will air at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoons, starting June 15. Continuing WWE's approach to be more media-friendly, another WWE executive offered comments for the story. "Our partnership with Nine will allow WWE to reach an extended television audience to the benefit of our fans and business partners," said Jonathan Sully, president of WWE Asia Pacific. "We appreciate Nine’s support, and view it as confirmation of the growing strength of the WWE brand in Australia." WWE tours Australia and New Zealand June 11-17. Article link.

- Maghull and Aintree Star in the U.K. posted an article on TNA's U.K. tour coming to Liverpool on June 12 and 13, headlined by Kurt Angle and Booker T. "We are really glad to be coming to Liverpool," said TNA UK tour promoter Alex Shane. "The Olympia is a beautiful building with a fantastic heritage and we feel that it, along with the amazingly vocal Liverpool fans, will be the ideal home for TNA’s first events on British soil." Article link.

***

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Evening Update

- WWE Raw finished 9th and 14th in last week's cable TV ratings. The May 26 show on Memorial Day averaged 4.2 million viewers to finish well behind the slew of NBA Playoffs games on TNT and ESPN. The highest-rated game was Tuesday against ECW, then Thursday's Spurs vs. Lakers against Impact, and third to Friday's game against Smackdown. The Celtics vs. Pistons game on Monday night was the lowest-rated of the NBA Playoffs games on cable last week. Top 20 ratings.

- MyNetworkTV was in several stories today focusing on the company's new branding identity to garner more advertising dollars for the fall season. The emphasis is on moving from 31st to 11th highest-rated TV network among 18-48 year-olds, which they hope to improve with the addition of Smackdown. Each night will have a theme, with action being the theme on Friday nights. Adweek article.

- Kane says that being a veteran in the WWE locker room allows him to help create the agenda for the rest of the wrestlers. "I used to go to other people for advice - now people come to me," Kane said in an interview with the New Zealand Herald to promote the June Smackdown tour. "But like all the older guys, when you become the old man in the locker room you set the agenda in there."

Kane added that he also tries to help the younger wrestlers, which is one of the biggest changes he's experienced over the past decade. "Over the past couple of years there has been a movement towards more professionalism," he said. "There is just no place for the rock star lifestyle [in wrestling] any more and you have to go out and do the best job you can every night." Interview link.

- If you're a public employee in the state of Ohio, you have a renewed interest in the success of WWE. A wire report shows that the Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio added 10,364 additional shares of WWE stock to its portfolio. The pension plan currently holds 31,036 shares. Wire report.

- TNA Notes: Doug Williams, who is notable in the States for his work in Ring of Honor, will be on TNA's tour of the U.K. later this month. Williams is scheduled for the June 13 show in Liverpool. He'll be in a World X Cup qualifying match to qualify for "Team International." ... TNA wrestlers will be in the Memphis area this Saturday prior to the Slammiversary PPV. Samoa Joe and Traci Brooks will throw out the first pitch at Saturday night's Memphis Redbirs AAA baseball game. Team 3D will be at Hooters in Horn Lake, Miss. judging a bikini contest. Sounds like a good time. ...

- Jeremy Borash says the environment prior to TNA's first live TV taping two months ago was very tense. "The day of the live Impact taping, I was probably more nervous than I'd ever been in the past five years, possibly more than I'd ever been in my ten years in wrestling," Borash said in an interview with Slam Wrestling. "I think it's because a lot of other people were nervous, and that kind of thing is contagious." He said the company hasn't decided on whether to do more live tapings, but he feels they would be ready a second time with the production crew they have on staff. Full interview with Borash.

- Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) is interviewed by Entertainment Tonight on his kissing scene with co-star Steve Carrell in the upcoming "Get Smart" movie. "That's the length I'd go as a committed actor," says Johnson. "Steve, for some reason, just wanted to do take after take after take after take." Article link.

Morning Update

- Big Show will be evaluated by an eye specialist in Los Angeles today to determine the severity of his injury suffered at the PPV on Sunday night. WWE reports that Show has been diagnosed with a fracture of the sinus cavity and possibly his orbital bone. Show is scheduled to challenge Kane for the ECW Title at the Night of Champions PPV at the end of the month.

- WWE Notes: Shawn Michaels will be the guest on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel during next week's Raw broadcast. ... WWE is predicting "unprecedented interest" in the Raw product during the McMoney sweepstakes. This message was included in a WWE website article defending the 2.9 rating for the Memorial Day edition of Raw nine days ago. We'll see if they carry the same attitude after the disappointing 3.1 rating for the Raw two nights ago. WWE article on May 26 Raw.

- TNA Notes: WWE will have returning legends at the Night of Champions PPV later this month, so TNA has countered with a line-up straight from the "Legends of Wrestling" PPV. Kamala, Koko B. Ware, Jake Roberts, and George "The Animal" Steele will be appearing at the Slammiversary PPV this Sunday to participate in the Lethal-Val wedding as groomsmen. No word on whether Koko's bird received a booking. ...

- USA Network is onboard with Vince McMahon's idea for the McMoney giveaway as part of a summer promotional campaign for the cable network. "When McMahon called us with the promotion, we said 'We're 100% behind you,'" said Chris McCumber of USA Network in an interview for Multichannel News. McCumber, who is VP of marketing, said the McMoney giveaway and the recent debut of In Plain Sight gives them a strong one-two punch to market the cable brand during the summer TV season. Multichannel News report.

- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says brand-name fighters like Kimbo Slice are good for the MMA industry. "Just like all the WWE wrestlers the UFC brings in, they are branded athletes that people are interested in," Cuban said in a Fox Sports interview. He was complimentary of the first EXC event on CBS to bring in mainstream viewers to the MMA product. Story link.

***

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Morning Update

- Busy press conference schedule today. Kevin Nash is on the TNA conference call at 12:00 p.m. EST, then Vince McMahon hosts a press conference at Staples Center in Los Angeles at 3:00 p.m. EST ahead of the Smackdown/ECW tapings. McMahon is expected to talk about the $1.0 million giveaway and WWE will probably promote the Cousin Sal vs. Santino match to be taped tonight.

- WWE issued an official press release on the $1.0 million giveaway. The release indicates McMahon will give away $1.0 million "each week" beginning June 9. The official rules, nor the press release states how long the contest will actually last. Apparently once McMahon buys enough sustainable ratings, the contest will cease. Press release.

- Last night's edition of NFL Live continued ESPN's coverage of Shawne Merriman appearing at the WWE PPV last night. In the final segment of the show, the host posed the question of who had a more impressive weekend: Kimbo Slice on CBS's EXC show on Saturday night, or Shawne Merriman at the One Night Stand PPV on Sunday. Highlights aired of Slice on CBS and Merriman whacking Chavo Guerrero with a Singapore Cane, which the analysts called a Bamboo stick. Fair enough. They concluded Slice was more impressive, and the host closed by saying, "One was fake. One was real." Well, that's debatable right now.

- Irv Muchnick says the latest indictment against Dr. Phil Astin shows incorrect priorities from authorities in Georgia. "The new indictment of Dr. Phil Astin ... is the latest installment of how government authorities seem to be working overtime to avoid providing the baseline public information," he says in a guest column posted on Slam Wrestling, "by which the gruesome Benoit double murder/suicide might spur badly needed reforms in pro wrestling health and safety standards." Muchnick concludes that either the Fayette County sheriff's department was in over its heads or "blatantly kowtowing to WWE's desire for minimalist disclosure." Article link.

- ROH Notes: ROH announced new match-ups for the Midwest swing at the end of the month. June 27 in Dayton will have a headline match of Austin Aries vs. Necro Butcher and June 28 in Chicago will have Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli. Danielson wrestles Erick Stevens on June 27. ... Also signed for June 27 is Steen & Generico vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Joey Matthews. ROH Newswire.

***

Monday, June 2, 2008

Evening Update

- WWE's current report on Randy Orton's injury is that he suffered a broken left clavicle. He is expected to be out of action for at least two months to heal from the injury. Video of Orton post-match.

- John Cena and Michelle McCool will be on Best Damn Sports Show this Tuesday night, which works out with WWE taping TV in Los Angeles tomorrow night following Vince McMahon's "blockbuster announcement" at Staples Center on Tuesday afternoon. The "Best Damn" show airs regionally on Fox Sports Net at 11:00 p.m.

- WWE has not announced matches ahead of tonight's Raw in Bakersfield, Calif. The big angle will be Vince McMahon announcing the details of the $1.0 million giveaway, which starts on next week's Raw. WWE has posted official rules on the giveaway and how to register to be eligible. Offical Rules and registration.

- TNA Notes: TNA is urging U.K. fans to pick up tickets before TNA sells out the four-night tour from June 12 - 15. The June 13 show in Liverpool is already sold out ... Kevin Nash will be the featured guest on TNA's monthly conference call with the wrestling media tomorrow at noon EST. ... The third edition of TNA's Spin Cycle is online with Borash hosting a panel of Nash, ODB, Roode, and Earl Hebner. If it's as any good as the previous two masterpieces of online video, then it's worth checking out. Video link.

- ROH Notes: ROH will determine new tag team champions this Friday in Hartford with an eight-man tag tournament. On Saturday, they'll tape their seventh PPV - "Respect is Earned II" in Philadelphia. Top matches to be taped for the next PPV are Nigel vs. Go Shiozaki for the ROH Title, Aries & Danielson vs. Jacobs & Black, and Roderick Strong vs. Erick Stevens for the FIP Title. ... Added to the Philadelphia show, but not scheduled for PPV taping, is Jay Briscoe vs. Necro Butcher in a Falls Count Anywhere match. ...

- Bobby Lashley signed a five-year deal with the American Fight League, with a guarantee of two fights and an option for a third fight. "I feel really comfortable, I've been going to different camps and wrestling with different people, doing jiu-jitsu with different people and setting myself up for stuff," he said. "I don't want to be a wrestler that just goes to ground-and-pound. That's not going to be my style." His first fight is scheduled for October on AFL's PPV debut from Atlanta. Report in the U.K. Sun.

***

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