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TORCH NEWS TICKER 9/24: Angle on TV tonight, The Wrestler in New York, ROH Notes, WWE helps Houston Sep 24, 2008 - 6:35:54 PM
- TV appearance: Kurt Angle will be appearing on A&E's "Mindfreak" show tonight, airing at 10:00 p.m. EST. The episode will involve Angle being handcuffed inside a car filled with explosives. Sounds like a TNA gimmick match. Appearance details.
- The Wrestler, which rocked in Canada a few weeks ago, will be debuting in the U.S. in two weeks as part of the New York film festival. New York Magazine published a story with the top 10 things you need to know about the movie prior to its release. No. 10: "Seriously, you're totally going to cry." Time to man up. Article link.
- WWE's website has a story on The Miz, John Morrison, Layla, and Funaki helping out at the Houston Food Bank earlier today to help Hurricane Ike victims on the road to recovery. A very nice gesture, as there are still millions of residents in Houston without power, water, or basic supplies 12 days after the hurricane struck. Contribute to relief efforts.
- Some music websites published stories on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon being on-hand at Motorhead's rock concert in New York City over the weekend. Hunter introduced the band, then stayed on stage during the entire show. Stephanie came on-stage at the end of the performance to play to the crowd with Hunter. Article with videos.
- ROH Notes: ROH announced Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin will be appearing for ROH for the final time this year on Oct. 24 and 25 in Danbury and Edison, respectively. This could be their final ROH appearance overall, according to ROH. On Oct. 24, they will be in a 30-minute Iron Team match involving the Briscoes, Steen & Generico, and Sweet 'n Sour Inc. ROH Newswire.
***
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Afternoon Update
- We're diving into Kurt Angle's latest today. Deep breath. And together...
- Kurt Angle's MMA story has changed again. In an article published by the U.K. Sun, he said he's not considering getting involved in MMA because he can't tell a story inside the octagon like he can inside a wrestling ring. He said he's also banking on continuing his pro wrestling career because of its long-term mainstream appeal, whereas MMA might not have the same longevity. Sun article link.
- Also on the Sun, there is a completely different tone, with Angle claiming he's talking to several different fight companies for fights at the end of 2009. He still wants to end up in TNA and wrestling, however. "I can almost guarantee you're going to see me in the Octagon," Angle said. Confused? Sun article link.
- Oh, but there's much more from Angle, who had some choice words about TNA's over-use of gimmicks in the Sun. He's sure to ruffle some feathers in the Jarrett household with his comments on the King of the Mountain match. "It’s like holy s***, it’s too f***ing confusing," he said. "And that’s one of our biggest matches of the year. Why not just make it that someone puts the belt on the hook and they win. That’s all you’ve got to do."
Angle doesn't stop there on the over-abuse of gimmicks and run-ins. "We call ourselves Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. We say: 'TNA – we are wrestling.' No we’re not. We’re f***ing gimmick matches. Then there are the run-ins," he said. "What’s been happening is we have run-ins to create the wins, so I get protected. I don’t want to be protected and I don’t need to be protected. I’m having a real struggle with it." Must-read Angle comments.
- MVP is interviewed on USA Today's website about his background and wrestling career. MVP says the one wrestler he'd like to get in the ring is The Rock and Undertaker is the best wrestler besides himself, of course. He also talks about his finishing moves and talks some sports. USA Today article link.
- The latest on WrestleMania tickets, beyond the new on-sale date in November, is that tickets will priced as high as $755 and as a low as $40 to sit at the tip-top of Reliant Stadium. Ken Hoffman in the Houston Chronicle says ticket brokers are expecting the event to be the biggest in Houston history, which would make it one of the highest-grossing wrestling events in history considering WrestleMania 17 at the Astrodome is still considered the measuring stick of major PPV events. No word yet on when tickets go on-sale for the Hall of Fame and Raw-after-Mania at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston. Chronicle article link.
- Jim Ross says he's been working on WWE's upcoming Starrcade DVD that will cover some of the top bouts in the former NWA-WCW PPV's history. Ross worked with Matt Striker on the project, so it's guaranteed to be awesome. Ross blog link.
***
Monday, September 22, 2008
Afternoon Update
- Raw Preview: WWE celebrates 800 episodes of Raw tonight. No matches have been announced as of now, but WWE will certainly be looking to pull out some newsworthy events following last week's poor TV rating.
- WWE continues its international expansion plan of TV, then touring, then merchandise by signing a new distribution deal with Synergex Corporation to bring WWE merchandise to South America. They're targeting Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Press release.
- WrestleMania 25 tickets will now go on-sale Nov. 8. WWE and the Reliant Stadium box office pushed the date back again due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Ike on Houston.
- Batista was interviewed in the Times of India following his tour of India to survey how many fans he has. "I got overwhelmed after actually seeing the number of fans I have here," he said. "I come from a humble background. I never expected to see my cutouts and have a fanbase." Batista also commented on having problems in the locker room a while ago when he was a quiet guy in a very social environment. He added that he's in the best shape of his life right now, but he's not planning to over-stay his welcome in the wrestling business. Article link.
- India Times also published a Q&A with Batista on the basics of his life and wrestling. Article link.
- Blogcritics.org published a review of the "Lucha Libre - Life Behind the Mask movie." Article link.
- ROH Notes: New ROH tag champs El Generico & Kevin Steen have their first title defense on Oct. 11 against the Briscoes. Also on the card in Orlando is Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards. ... Adam Pearce re-captured the NWA Title from Davey Richards in Philadelphia on Saturday. Pearce's first title defense will be disclosed soon. ROH Newswire.
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