Select Next Article by Category
WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999

Support Our Sponsor: PWI!
===========================
CHECK OUT OUR AFFILIATE WRESTLING NEWS SITE - THE FASTEST GROWING PRO WRESTLING SITE IN 2008! (click on logo)

|
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL's "Who's Hot, Who's Not" for Week of 6/4: Batista, Wedding Planners, Orton, McMahon
Jun 4, 2008 - 5:43:28 PM |
|
By Pat McNeill, Torch Columnist
Time for our weekly look at the hot and cold of the pro wrestling business as we prepare to celebrate a giant Slammiversary.
WHO'S HOT?
TNA's Wedding Planners: Total Nonstop Action gets a lot of abuse on wrestling news sites (and usually deserves every bit of that abuse). However, the upcoming Black Machismo-So Cal Val wedding at Slammiversary, combined with the news that Jake "The Snake" Roberts will be in attendance this Sunday night in Mississippi, means it will be difficult for TNA to screw up this very important tragicomic parody sketch.
Dave Batista: Timing is everything in this business. The Undertaker's time off, combined with the ongoing feud between The Animal and the legendary Shawn Michaels, puts Batista at the top of the Smackdown babyface pyramid. Batista has had good matches with both the Heartbreak Kid and Smackdown champion Edge, and he's likely to have more good matches with both men.
Awesome Kong: This week, Awesome Kong beating up the random woman from the stands really was TNA's highest rated segment. Kong is Queen.
Jerry Lynn: The former ECW champion might be on his way back to Ring of Honor after stealing the show during last weekend's Full Impact Pro events down in Florida. Lynn worked with former Ring of Honor champion Austin Aries on both knights. Could we be setting the stage for an Aries vs. Lynn feud in the Northeast this fall?
WHO'S NOT?
Randy Orton: Randy went down with a broken collarbone on Sunday night when a bump over the top rope went horribly wrong. The only silver lining for the Legend Killer is that he'll now be present when his wife gives birth to their first child. Orton will hopefully recover soon.
Vince McMahon: Three point one for Mr. McMahon's Million Dollar Money Mess. Amazingly, wrestling audiences weren't enthralled by watching McMahon and a few suits transfer stacks of money from one glass briefcase to another. You have to wonder how McMahon felt after being ignored by a live wrestling audience who wanted more wrestling on their favorite wrestling program.
Ace Young: Over the past several years, we have seen losing "American Idol" contests come back to make an impact on popular culture. Clay Aiken became a successful recording artist. Chris Daughtry is a rock star. Kimberley Locke even had a successful Christmas album. Ace Young singing at Jay Lethal's fake wedding on a TNA Wrestling pay-per-view doesn't quite measure up.
National Wrestling Alliance: This month's big NWA Showcase event takes place Saturday at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta. Ric Flair was supposed to be inducted into the NWA hall of Fame, but WWE has pulled him off the show. NWA World Champion Adam Pearce will be working the Ring of Honor pay-per-view in Philadelphia. The marquee match features Tommy Rich against Abdullah the Butcher, two wrestlers with a combined age of 118. Good seats are still available. Happy Anniversary, National Wrestling Alliance!
Responsible replies are welcomed.
Download Audio Sample:
For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA, ROH
visit our affiliate: JASON POWELL'S PROWRESTLING.NET
For UFC AND MMA NEWS & BLOGS
visit our affiliate: MMATORCH.COM - now featuring the MMATorch Daily Audio Update!
REACT TO THIS STORY IN OUR FREE PWTORCH FORUM
PWTORCH VIP SIGN-UP INFO - NO ADS, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
|
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Latest Articles by Category |
| Ready To Roll! McNEILL previews WWE SummerSlam |
| Rap It Up: McNEILL previews TNA Hard Justice! |
| VIP - MCNEILL FACTOR: Twenty Years of Summerslam, part two |
| Move To The Music: McNEILL previews WWE's Great American Bash! |
| Fans' Revenge: McNEILL previews TNA Victory Road! |
| Paul, I Can't Feel My Legs: McNEILL previews Night of Champions! |
| McNEILL: What If WWE Actually Had A Random Draft? |
| McNEILL's "Who's Hot, Who's Not" for Week of 6/18: Styles, Cena, Sonjay, Hulk |
| McNEILL's "Who's Hot, Who's Not" for Week of 6/10: Jericho, Danielson, Angle, McMahon Money Mania |
| Walking Somewhere Near Memphis: McNEILL previews TNA Slammiversary! |
| McNEILL's "Who's Hot, Who's Not" for Week of 6/4: Batista, Wedding Planners, Orton, McMahon |
| Haven't We Met Before? McNEILL Previews Sunday's WWE One Night Stand! |
(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.
|
|
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1040 (18 PAGES)

This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller looking at the final scene of SummerSlam and why it's bad for WWE not in and of itself, but due to the context it's put in... In-depth coverage of the WWE SummerSlam PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews and Reader Reax... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis on Mick Foley, TNA's expiring contracts, and more... Bruce Mitchell's Memo further reviews the latest Ric Flair DVD... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more... PDF EXCLUSIVE features include the Jon Mezzera's Weekly Hits & Misses and Greg Parks' look at SummerSlam and Smackdown...
INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO NEWSLETTER AND AD-FREE VIP SITE
DOWNLOAD RECENT (5-10-08) SAMPLE OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTER (PDF)
|
| Articles Grouped by Category |
 |
| Torch Today |
| PRIORITY DRAFT TRADITION CONTINUES: Which ten wrestlers would you start a promotion from scratch with? |
| TORCH NEWS TICKER 8/29: Kowalski fundraiser, WWE lawsuit update, Midway Q&A on TNA video game, ROH Notes |
| TORCH NEWS TICKER 8/22: Results Wanted, Austin return date, Batista comments on Cena match, Kofi and DDP interviews |
 |
| WWE News |
| WWE News: A YouTube video puts new spin on Shawn Michaels-Chris Jericho saga |
| Ratings News: John Cena surgery a success, estimated time out of the ring determined (w/Keller's Analysis) |
| Ratings News: USA replay audience added to live Sci-Fi audience makes up for drop in rating |
 |
| TNA News |
| Interview Highlights: Chris Jericho talks about Guitar Hero, Reinventing his Character, Short Tights |
| TNA News: Details on Gail Kim's reasons for leaving TNA come to surface this week (w/Keller Analysis) |
| TNA News: WWE legend Mick Foley agrees to terms with TNA, set to debut as soon as September (w/Keller Analysyis) |
 |
| ROH News |
| Interview Highlights: Roderick Strong on his stint with TNA, lagging promo skills, indys working together |
| 7/25 ROH in Toronto: "That show was the first thing to make me proud to be a wrestling fan in a LONG time." |
| ROH News: Lance Storm interview on working with ROH wrestlers and injuries in pro wrestling |
 |
| Other News |
| Torch Indy Weekend Preview: Steen in IWS, Shiozaki in FIP, Delirious in Elite Pro |
| Torch Indy Weekend Report: Sabin & Shelley, Lynn, Jake Roberts, ROH results |
| ETC. News: Jesse Ventura in talks for a court show, according to TV Week (w/Keller Analysis) |
 |
| PPV Reports |
| CALDWELL'S WWE SUMMERSLAM REPORT 8/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV |
| KELLER'S WWE SUMMERSLAM REPORT 8/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV event |
| KELLER'S TNA HARD JUSTICE PPV REPORT 8/10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of event - Samoa Joe vs. Booker T in cage |
 |
| TV Reports |
| 8/28 TNA IMPACT Review by Wilkenfeld: Sting steals the show |
| CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 8/28: Nash vs. Angle, Sting speaks, Jarrett teases return, Knockouts in main event |
| CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 8/26: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE's Sci-Fi show |
 |
| Arena Reports |
| 8/24 WWE Smackdown in Canton, Ohio: Triple H & Undertaker vs. Khali & MVP, R-Truth vs. Carlito, Michelle vs. Maryse |
| 8/24 TNA in Wichita, Ks.: Samoa Joe vs. A.J. Styles, Morgan vs. Kip, Knockouts Title Match, Lethal vs. Dutt |
| 8/24 WWE in Bethlehem, Pa.: Cody & Ted vs. Cryme Tyme, Jericho & Kane vs. Cena & Batista |
 |
| MMA / UFC Coverage |
| UFC News: Paul Heyman comments on Brock Lesnar's controversial post-fight antics last Saturday |
| KELLER'S UFC 87 LIVE PPV REPORT; On-site ongoing coverage of Lesnar's second UFC fight, full card coverage |
| UFC 87 PREVIEW: Fight analysis, predictions, odds for Lesnar vs. Herring, GSP vs. Fitch, Huerta vs. Florian |
 |
| KELLER'S TAKE |
| VIP - KELLER: More crazy G.M. ideas for WWE to consider (PWTorch Newsletter #1037) |
| KELLER: An overhaul is in order for Raw before ratings drop further - several specific suggestions |
| KELLER: McMahon Returns for That? Nothing Funnier than a DUI! Let Me Shift So You Can Hit Me! |
 |
| MITCHELL'S TAKE |
| MITCHELL'S BLOG: Notes From the 2008 NWA Fanfest - Ric Flair |
| WWE News: Flair's departure from WWE amicable, nostalgia convention circuit could be next |
| VIP - MITCHELL'S MEMO: DVD Liner Notes Part 3: Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection |
 |
| MCNEILL'S TAKE |
| Ready To Roll! McNEILL previews WWE SummerSlam |
| Rap It Up: McNEILL previews TNA Hard Justice! |
| VIP - MCNEILL FACTOR: Twenty Years of Summerslam, part two |
 |
| CALDWELL'S TAKE |
| CORNER CUBE TUESDAY 8/26 - Raw delivered highlights, but was heavy on filler |
| CORNER CUBE MONDAY 8/18 - Shawn Michaels showed strength, not weakness by not attacking Jericho |
| CORNER CUBE WEDNESDAY 8/13 - Finally, Matt Striker has found his calling with ECW on Tuesday nights |
 |
| RADICAN'S TAKE |
| TALES FROM THE PULPIT 7/23: McGuinness & Jericho setting standard for heels in 2008 |
| DEJ's Kevin: Covering Pro Wrestling Ohio - The Ladder Match for the Heirloom Swords Part I |
| TALES FROM THE PULPIT 7/21: The man who talks poopy and defies fire can’t escape the windshield of doom! |
 |
| The Specialists |
| CAREER PATH: Christian Cage's career high point, low point, and what if he had never left WWE? |
| UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 8/28 TNA IMPACT: What I noticed on the show that you might not have |
| MAGIC, MEMORIES AND MANIA: The Top Ten Draft Picks to Build a Wrestling Company |
 |
| Guest Editorials |
| EDITORIAL: What's wrong with Raw this year? A lot. But one core problem trumps the rest |
| EDITORIAL: Tag Team Divisions will not get over until squash matches return |
| EDITORIAL: C.M. Punk needs a prominent program to make him the star of Raw |
 |
| Torch Feedback |
| DRAFT PICKS - Batch #5 featuring top picks of Sting, Rob Van Dam, Edge, plus Danielson, Shelley, Bourne, Briscoes |
| DRAFT PICKS - Batch #4 featuring top picks of Nigel, Edge, Awesome Kong, plus CIMA, Bourne, Hogan, Ross, Kim |
| DRAFT PICKS - Batch #3 featuring top picks of Mick Foley, Brian Danielson, John Cena, plus Abyss, Shiozaki, Teddy Hart |
 |
| Ask the Editor |
| Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not? |
| ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"? |
| ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"? |
 |
| DVDs - VGames - Books |
| WEEKEND DVD SPOTLIGHT: SHIMMER Vol. 18 (Kong-Busic,Del Rey-MsChif) |
| RADICAN: Al Snow discusses his wrestling career, philosophy, time in OVW, and more in new interview |
| DVD Review: ROH "Glory By Honor VI, N2" with Kenta vs. Misawa, 110307 |
 |
| Torch Flashbacks |
| KELLER'S TNA REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (8-28-03): Truth, D-Lo, Abyss, Sandman, Raven, Styles, Dusty |
| KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (8-25-03): Gail Kim vs. Trish, Jericho headlines Raw against... Shane McMahon? Linda a guest on Highlight Reel, |
| WWE Smackdown Reax #1: "This is the worst wrestling show I have seen in a long time with booking that defies all logic and common sense." |
 |
| VIP Exclusive Features |
| 8/27 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - A show that did everything it could do to turn people away from wrestling (79 min.) |
| 8/28 Daily Keller Hotline: Analysis of lawsuit contending WWE wrestlers should be employees (5 min. free clip) |
| VIP - PWTorch Today Bulletin #12 (PDF): McDevitt comments on lawsuit regarding employment status of wrestlers |
 |
| Torch Trivia |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Champion vs. Champion matches? |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about SummerSlam - Part 3 |
| Torch Trivia: How much do you know about SummerSlam - Part 2 |
 |
| Torch Instant Polls |
| POLL: What are your thoughts on the WWE Championship Scramble concept? |
| POLL: Should the TNA Knockouts women wrestlers be paid in the same ballpark as the male wrestlers? |
| POLL: Who is your pick as the MVP of the August 11 edition of WWE Raw? |
 |
| PWTorch Free Podcast |
| 8/27 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - A show that did everything it could do to turn people away from wrestling (79 min.) |
| 8/28 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan: Foley to TNA, HBK-Jericho capture the heart and mind, Torch Draft, more! (5 min. free clip) |
| 8/28 Daily Keller Hotline: Analysis of lawsuit contending WWE wrestlers should be employees (5 min. free clip) |
 |
| Annual Obituaries |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade... |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello |
| SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart |
 |
|
|