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Torch Today
TORCH TODAY RECAP 1/11: Every News Item for Sunday in one handy guide Jan 11, 2009 - 11:49:22 PM
1/11 TNA Genesis PPV in Charlotte, N.C.: (1) LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) & Eric Young beat Jimmy Rave & Kiyoshi & Sonjay Dutt in an elimination match when Hernandez scored the pin. ... (2) Alex Shelley beat Chris Sabin to capture the TNA X Division Title. ... (3) Shane Sewell beat Sheik Abdul Bashir. ... (4) Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode & James Storm w/Miss Jacqueline) beat TNA tag team champions Consequences Creed & Jay Lethal and Abyss & Matt Morgan in a three-way tag match to capture the TNA tag titles. ... (5) ODB & Taylor Wilde & Roxxi beat Kongtourage (Raisha Saeed & Rhaka Khan & Sojourner Bolt) when ODB scored the pin to earn a future TNA Knockouts Title match against Awesome Kong. ... (6) Kurt Angle beat Jeff Jarrett. ... (7) TNA World Hvt. champion Sting beat Rhino to retain the TNA Title. ... (8) A.J. Styles & Mick Foley & Brother Devon beat Legends champion Booker T & Scott Steiner & Cute Kip James when Foley pinned Steiner.
NEWS
Other News: Wrestling executive comments on dire consequences to WWE if wrestlers join Hollywood union
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Other News: Oscars preview? Status of whether Mickey Rourke won Golden Globe for Best Actor tonight
At tonight's 66th annual Golden Globes ceremony airing on NBC, Mickey Rourke won the Best Actor for his lead role in "The Wrestler." Rourke beat Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Brad Pitt to win the prestigious award.
A similar cast of contenders is expected to be lined up for the Academy Awards, where nominees will be announced later this month.
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Other News: "The Wrestler" wins first major award at tonight's Golden Globes
Mickey Rourke made a good call reaching out to Bruce Springsteen to write the title track to "The Wrestler" movie that he felt was the best movie he had ever worked on.
Springsteen's "The Wrestler" track picked up the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song at tonight's ceremony in California. Springsteen beat Miley Cyrus's song for the movie "Bolt" and the title track to Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" movie.
Also from "The Wrestler," Marisa Tomei did not win the Best Supporting Actress award that she was nominated for. Kate Winslet won for "The Reader."
Up later in the show is the Best Actor award, which Mickey Rourke has been nominated for. The Golden Globes award show is currently airing on NBC.
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WWE News: Eric Bischoff cuts a promo on Matt Hardy - calls him a "friggin goof"
Earlier this week, we reported first on Matt Hardy's myspace blog describing this generation of pro wrestlers as "smarter" and "more responsible" than the generation of stars in the 1980s that are depicted in "The Wrestler" movie.
Eric Bischoff, former WCW president and WWE on-air authority figure, responded to Hardy's claims in his latest blog. Bischoff didn't pull any punches cutting a promo on Hardy for his beliefs.
"Matt, you are a friggin goof," Bischoff said. "Your recent recap of your 'lifestyle' frames you as a candidate to the Jake Roberts Hall of Fame."
Bischoff said Hardy's suggestion that his generation is more responsible "makes me sick." Bischoff didn't explain why, but opted for a personal attack on Hardy to discredit the current ECW champion.
"You are a mid-card talent that should be grateful to even get a check every other week," Bischoff said. "And rather than looking down your nose at previous generations of professional wrestlers, donate a portion of your check to one of them and ask them to point out all the parallels between your current career path/lifestyle and theirs. It would be the smartest and most responsible thing you could do."
Other News: Former WWE star Bobby Lashley's next MMA opponent named; where to watch on TV
Former WWE star and ECW champion Bobby Lashley made his MMA debut in Miami, Fla. last month, picking up a decisive victory in under one minute.
Lashley's second fight is scheduled for February 6 in California. The opponent is a step up for Lashley, who wants to prove himself in the heavyweight division for a potential look from UFC.
Lashley will face 4-0 Mike Hayes at the mixed boxing/MMA card presented by Palace Fighting Championship in Lemoore, Calif. Lashley's match will air on a future installment of Showtime's SHOBOX series.
TNA News: Christy Hemme describes injury taking her off tonight's TNA PPV
TNA knockout Christy Hemme was scheduled to face Awesome Kong for the TNA Knockouts Title at tonight's Genesis PPV, but she had to pull out of the match due to a potentially severe neck injury that flared up during recent training with A.J. Styles.
Hemme wrote on her myspace page today "it is true and unfortunately not a work... sorry, I really wish it was."
The former WWE diva went on to describe having two herniated disks in her neck, which could have required surgery, but a doctor used an alternative solution to operate on the neck and limit the amount of recovery time.
"To be honest this has been going on a while and I just didn't know what it was," Hemme said. "Sometimes my neck would completely lock up and I would get numbness in my arms and legs."
She says she kept pushing her body, perhaps a result of TNA giving her a significant TV push, but one day of heavy training with A.J. Styles convinced her something more was wrong.
"I kept going and refused to stop until after a day of some heavy training when A.J. 'caught' me in some pain and basically told me we wouldn't continue training until I got it checked," she said.
Hemme wanted to continue through to the Genesis PPV tonight and wrestle her match against Kong, but she was advised against it. "It crushed me to be told 'no' but I know that TNA is protecting me and I plan on having on hell of a career here," she said.
Other News: Chris Harris stuck in no-man's land - says why he hated WWE; screwed for TNA return
Former TNA tag team champion Chris Harris left TNA in 2008 searching for greener pastures after his post-AMW singles run in TNA resulted in an unsatisfactory experience.
Harris wound up in WWE and was quickly brought to the ECW brand where Harris claims he was set up for failure.
"When I got there they changed everything - my personality, my look, my name," Harris said on the Monday Night Mayhem radio show. He added that it was the most miserable experience of his life and only resolved the "what if?" question in his head.
Harris says he was brought into WWE and didn't expect to be thrust on camera when he debuted on ECW TV in July 2008. He claims WWE gave him 20 minutes to come up with a new look and name before going out for his debut match against Armando Estrada.
"These guys are supposed to be pros, it's a billion dollar company, and for them to just throw me out there like that, I think it was set up to fail," Harris said. He added that the quick gear and look change is where "I got that stupid singlet."
As for a return to TNA, Harris says he wasn't thinking about that when he left for WWE. There were creative differences, which was turned into an Impact storyline of him always complaining about not having enough TV time. Now, discussions haven't turned out well for Harris to return to TNA, where he picked up his first national exposure.
"They're not feeling the same way (about a return) because they're a little bit more pissed off than I thought," Harris said. He closed that he hopes he can still have some sort of working relationship with TNA in the future.
WWE News: Report from Lance Cade meet-and-greet opposite WWE house show on Saturday night
Torch readers Doug Clymer & Ryan Flanagan sent in the following notes from former WWE star Lance Cade's autograph signing in Rochester, Minn. on Saturday night opposite the WWE Raw brand house show in the same city.
We attended a special appearance at a local establishment, Mickey's Irish Saloon, after the Raw house show. Lance Cade (mentioned as a WWE superstar) was there for a meet & greet. I assume his talent agent was with him.
I spoke with Lance briefly saying I enjoyed his performances while he was in the WWE and asked if would like to get back with them in the future. He said he would.
I know that sometimes wrestlers get a bad rap for being not so friendly but Cade seemed genuine. He was there for two hours signing autographs and taking pictures with anyone who wanted one (for a fee).
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TNA News: #1 contender for TNA PPV title match injured and removed from tonight's PPV
Training with A.J. Styles can apparently be hazardous to a person's health.
TNA reports today that Christy Hemme, the #1 contender to Awesome Kong's Knockouts Title, was seriously injured while training with Styles for tonight's PPV. Hemme was scheduled to challenge Kong for the Knockouts Title.
"Unfortunately, her injury will require surgery and she will be out of action for an undetermined amount of time," TNA reports.
On the PPV broadcast tonight, the storyline will be written with Jim Cornette naming a suitable replacement to challenge Kong for the Knockouts Title in Hemme's place.
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