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Torch Today
9/30 TORCH NEWS DIGEST - Wednesday: Daily Summary of The News, Torch Columns, Bischoff Torch Talk, Jeff Hardy Update Sep 30, 2009 - 6:30:00 PM
We're starting a new feature that we hope to keep running every evening recapping all the news and features that you might have missed during the day or just want to review at the end of the day.
Table of Contents
-- Bischoff Torch Talk
-- Columns & Analysis
-- TV Reports
-- The News
ERIC BISCHOFF TORCH TALK SNIPPET
Part 2, Question 1 - Bischoff on Vince McMahon's temper
Compared to Vince McMahon, I was the Dalai Lama. When he loses it, it's brutal. I was shocked at that because I had always heard "Vince would never talk to anybody like that and he respects the people he's working with." I just heard how the difference between Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff was night and day, and quite frankly, he rules by intimidation.
Torch staff posted their Roundtable Reviews of last night's ECW TV show. Read what James Caldwell, Greg Parks, and Dominick Mayer thought of the show leading to the Hell in a Cell PPV. Read the complete Torch Roundtable Reviews.
Caldwell Blogs
Torch asst. editor James Caldwell posted two separate blogs on hot topics from today in wrestling. Caldwell looked at The Rock telling Hollywood it's okay to associate with WWE. He also looked at the Raw TV ratings, which hit a 2009 low. What caused the drop? Read Caldwell's Blog on The Rock. Read Caldwell's Blog on the Raw ratings drop.
Torch editor Wade Keller posted his report on the first TNA Impact show with Ed Ferrara producing backstage segments that aired last Thursday. Read Keller's review of the Impact show that delivered a weak 1.02 show rating. Read Keller's TNA Impact report.
ECW TV Report
Torch asst. editor James Caldwell posted his report on last night's ECW TV show. Read up on the two matches that aired, including an eight-man tag match, and no match announced for the Hell in a Cell PPV from the ECW brand. Read Caldwell's ECW TV Report.
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THE NEWS
WWE Raw Ratings drop to 2009 low
WWE Raw from Monday night scored a year-low 3.11 combined first and second hour rating and a year-low 4.5 million viewers for the show hosted by Reverend Al Sharpton. Read the complete Torch Report with detailed analysis.
ECW Ratings drop to near-2009 low
Tuesday night's episode of ECW TV featuring Christian & Friends vs. Zack Ryder & Friends in an eight-man tag match averaged a 1.0 rating, which was down from the 1.2 rating the previous two weeks. The show hit a near-2009 low and tied with the Sept. 8 episode. Read the complete Torch Report with analysis.
Jeff Hardy scheduled for first court appearance today
Former WWE star Jeff Hardy was scheduled for court at 9:30 a.m. this morning at Moore County Criminal District Court in Carthage, N.C. Hardy was scheduled to enter his plea in response to several drug-related charges he was faced with after his arrest earlier this month. As of this writing, we have not received an update on Jeff's plea. The North Carolina court system has not been updated to reflect any results. Read the complete Torch Report on Hardy's charges.
Samoa Joe asking for Red Cross donations
TNA X Division champion Samoa Joe is asking for donations to the Red Cross to assist family members and people affected by the 8.0 magnitude earthquake in America Samoa on Tuesday. Donate at the Red Cross link. Read the complete Torch Report.
Matt Hardy says he's being punished
WWE wrestler Matt Hardy suggested on Twitter last night that he's being punished because of Jeff Hardy's "sins." Jeff Hardy was arrested on September 11, just a few days after he wrapped up business with WWE. Read the complete Torch Report with Hardy's Tweet.
ECW without PPV match
The ECW brand is without a match on the Hell in a Cell PPV scheduled for Sunday night. Current ECW champion Christian was booked in an eight-man tag match on tonight's ECW TV show. WWE created a loose storyline that possible #1 contender William Regal was appointed interim General Manager after ECW GM Tiffany was involved in a storyline car wreck. Read the complete Torch Report.
The Rock on Smackdown
Former WWE champion "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson cut promos on World Hvt. champion C.M. Punk, Dolph Ziggler, and The Undertaker during his video message that will air on this Friday's "Decade of Smackdown" show. Rock also suggested he will be a future Raw guest host and did his classic guarantee to be the best guest host ever on Raw. Read the complete Torch Report.
Jim Ross blogs on The Rock, Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero
WWE announcer Jim Ross posted a new blog on jrsbarbq.com with his views on last night's "Decade of Smackdown" TV taping for the show that will air on Friday night. Ross talked The Rock, Bret Hart, and Eddie Guerrero. Read the complete Torch Report with Ross's comments.
Chris Jericho on being involved with Raw guest hosts
WWE wrestler Chris Jericho says WWE typically involves him with each week's Raw guest host because he can adapt his heel character to fit the personality of the host. Without being braggadocios, Jericho says he has a better grasp of his TV wrestling character than most people on the roster. Read the complete Torch Report with Chris Jericho's quotes and Caldwell's Analysis.
Big Ben into business for himself
A player for the Pittsburgh Steelers told reporters on Wednesday that Ben Roethlisberger and the offensive linemen he's bringing to WWE Raw on Monday did not tell coaches ahead of time they would be guest-hosting the show. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is refusing to comment on Roethlisberger hosting Raw. Read the complete Torch Report including quotes from the Steelers O-line.
New Smackdown ring announcer limited at SD taping
New WWE Smackdown ring announcer Lauren Mayhew was limited to only announcing the dark match at Tuesday night's Smackdown TV taping on Tuesday night in Boston. She was replaced by Justin Roberts for the rest of the taping and took notes from ringside. Read the complete Torch Report.
ECW GM Tiffany injured
ECW on-air General Manager Tiffany was off tonight's ECW TV show after suffering a severe arm injury. She said she has a broken humerus bone in her left arm. Read the complete Torch Report.
Chris Nowinski quoted in AP story covering Tim Tebow's concussion
The AP ran an important story on brain damage research following high-profile Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow's concussion during a college football game on Saturday. The report quoted former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski, who is studying the effect of concussions on the human brain with the Sports Legacy Institute. Read the complete Torch Report with Nowinski's quotes.
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AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
