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Updated daily, the Torch News Ticker delivers a 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 Ticker. Contact link.

Friday, August 22, 2008

- RESULTS WANTED: WWE kicks off a weekend tour of the Northeast with a Raw brand show in Bridgeport, Conn. tonight. We're also looking for a live report from TNA's house show in Salina, Kan. to kick off their weekend tour of Kansas.

- Steve Austin will make a return appearance at the Cyber Sunday PPV in October, reports the U.K. Sun. The return would likely follow the same storyline Ric Flair had leading to his epic retirement at WrestleMania 24. Austin wouldn't return to the ring unless he could be the top performer at WrestleMania 25 in Houston, so it remains to be seen whether he'll have a one-time-only match or simply be the "main event" inductee at the Hall of Fame. Sun article link.

- Mark Henry is interviewed by a Canton, Ohio newspaper on his weightlifting and Strong Man Competition background ahead of this weekend's Smackdown house show. Henry said he never expected to become a wrestler; just the strongest man in the world. Article link.

- Kofi Kingston says he grew up wanting to be like the martial arts-style wrestlers, such as Ricky Steamboat. He said that's translated into talking to Ricky backstage for advice. "I absolutely talk to Ricky Steamboat in the back,'' Kingston told Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald. "There are lots of people in the back who were wrestlers back in the day, and you'd be a fool not to pick their brains. They've forgotten more stuff than I'll ever know. I always try to go and pick everybody's brain." Article link.

- Batista is daring people from Singapore to watch just one episode of WWE TV and they'll become fans. In an interview with asia1.com conducted prior to Summerslam, Batista said he feels WWE should have held off on the match against John Cena. "I personally would have chosen to wait. It's a dream match and we should have waited to tell a good background story," he said. "When there is more build-up, the fans invest more emotion in the match, and there's a whole different feel to it." Article link.

- DDP re-surfaced in an interview on his yoga program and some past storylines gone wrong in WCW and WWE. "I do know that Shawn Michaels is doing it," Page said about wrestlers using his yoga program in an interview with Jeff Wilen of the Daytona News Journal. "Cody Rhodes is in the book. There are a couple of other guys. I'm about to make a huge impact in MMA."

Page said he wishes Undertaker would have given him one-third of the selling he has given Edge lately when they were doing the stalker angle several years ago. "It was stupid planning by me," Page said. "I should have seen that. If I'm the heel, and he doesn't sell, it doesn't get over. It was a stage in my career. Taker's a great worker. I wish to God he gave me one-third of what he gives Edge." Article link.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Afternoon Update

- There is significant TV expansion in Asia, with StarHub launching a Video-on-demand service that will air WWE monthly specials and tape-delayed major events, such as Summerslam. StarHub reaches 511,000 subscribers across Asia, where WWE is slowly expanding its business operations. Press release.

- Some more numbers from last week's cable ratings. USA Network won the week thanks to Raw, which had more overall viewers and more viewers in adult 18-49 than Monday Night Football's pre-season game. Raw averaged 1.8 million in the demo compared to 1.6 million for ESPN. Variety article link.

- Midway will be showcasing the TNA Impact video game at the Games Convention 2008 in Germany, with appearances scheduled by Christian Cage and Christy Hemme. Press release.

- The latest on Michael Kingston's newest comic books in the "Headlocked: Work of Art" series is that Visionary Comics Studio is heavily pushing comic book retailers to order the comic series by offering a money-back guarantee for any unsold copies after 60 days.

Said Kingston: "Every retailer I’ve ever spoken with has told me that they have regular customers that are wrestling fans. Unfortunately, there have been some bad wrestling comics over the years, and some retailers are convinced that wrestling comics don’t sell…and to be honest, I don’t blame them. But Headlocked has been selling like mad at wrestling shows and almost everyone asks the same question…“Why didn’t they get this at my store?” I’m very confident that if you put this in front of wrestling fans, they’ll like it and they will buy it.” Press release.

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Evening Update

- Ric Flair is booked for the 1PW promotion's Oct. 18 show in Doncaster, U.K., according to the U.K. Sun. Flair will reportedly be doing an autograph session and Q&A prior to the show. Flair is not expected to wrestle on the card, though. Article link.

- Carmen Electra and Kim Kardashian have a scene in the upcoming "Disaster Movie" spoofing the WWE divas in the ring. After filming the scene, Electra joked she feels like a second career in wrestling might be in order. "It was really fun. I don't know. I feel a second career in wrestling," she said. Kardashian commented on pulling each other's hair during the scene, then checking to make sure they were each OK afterward. Ch. 3 New Zealand article link.

- WWE Raw from last week took a bit of a hit in the overall cable ratings. The Closer won the week of Aug. 11 once again, with the second hour of Raw finishing fourth in overall viewership, well ahead of the NFL exhibition game between the Packers and Bengals on ESPN. Top rankings.

- JBL's Mamajuana energy drink is coming to Texas with JBL's company signing a deal with Innovative Beverage Group to distribute in niche grocery stores within Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and San Antonio. JBL is thrilled about the news. Press release.

- TNA has some new trailers for the upcoming TNA Impact video game. Just a few weeks until the release the game. Gamershell.com video clips.

- ROH Notes: Kensuke Sasaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima have been signed for the Glory By Honor VII show in Philadelphia on Sept. 20. It's traditionally one of ROH's biggest shows of the year with more big names to be announced soon. ... Signed for Sept. 20 is Aries & Briscoes vs. Age of the Fall in a Steel Cage Warfare match. ...

- Slam Wrestling published a story on the NWA Legends Fanfest from over the weekend, with quotes from Johnny Weaver's daughter, Rip Hawk, and and Michael Hayes. Article link.

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