SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
TORCH TODAY – Tuesday, November 24, 2015
AFTERNOON UPDATE
– LIVECAST ALERT: Join PWTorch editor Wade Keller and Jason Powell of Prowrestling.net on the Livecast at 5:00 p.m. EST taking your calls & emails at PWTorchLivecast.com.
– There is a new wrestling-themed independent movie in the final stages of production. “Chokeslam” features Mick Foley, Lance Storm, Harry Smith, and Chelsea Green from Tough Enough. The producers are looking to pick up additional funding to complete the project. A fundraiser campaign is at Indiegogo.com with various prizes for contributing.
– AIW is looking to finish 2015 on a high note with three big shows in November and December. Announced Tuesday is Colt Cabana vs. cult-favorite Japanese wrestler Kikutaro on December 5 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Ticket & Full Events Schedule)
– PWPODCASTS ALERT: Check out a recap of Cabana’s latest “Art of Wrestling” podcast featuring a host of independent wrestlers covering several subjects. (PWPodcasts.com)
– Chikara announced Tuesday new matches for their season finale on December 5 in Philadelphia. Included is Hallowicked vs. Eddie Kingston vs. Icarus for the Grand Championship. Plus, Chuck Taylor’s Gentleman’s Club against the reunited Batiri. (Event & Ticket Info)
– 2K Sports announced Tuesday the first downloadable content offering for the “WWE 2K16” video game. The DLC is the “New Moves Pack,” which includes 30 new moves. The pack is priced at $3.99 individually or is included in the $24.99 “Season Pass.”
MORNING UPDATE
– WWE travels to Indianapolis on Tuesday night for this week’s Smackdown TV taping. The top advertised match is U.S. champion Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger. Also scheduled are new WWE World Hvt. champion Sheamus, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman, and Kane.
Advertised for the live crowd in Indy is a bonus main event of Reigns & Ambrose & Kane vs. The Wyatt Family in a six-man tag match. (We’re looking for a report sent to pwtorch@gmail.com.)
– Sheamus is scheduled for the weekly SportsCenter interview on Tuesday night. Sheamus’s interview with The Coach is scheduled for the 9:00 p.m. EST hour on ESPNews.
– WWE NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS: There is a new episode of “WWE List” at 4:30 p.m. EST. Most of the rest of the schedule are Breaking Ground episodes.
– WWE’s website released a behind-the-scenes video look at the WWE Title semi-final and final matches at the Survivor Series PPV. Included is footage of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, and Alberto Del Rio preparing for their matches, with brief soundbytes from Reigns and Owens.
– TNA star Kurt Angle says his TNA contract is set to expire at the end of the U.K. Tour in January, so he plans to wrestle his final matches before taking time away from pro wrestling. Unless he takes a new offer from TNA. However, Angle was quoted by the U.K. media during his “Golden Truth Tour” that he plans to finish in January.
“Our biggest and best fans are from the U.K. and we only come once a year and these happen to be my final matches, so it’s a great feeling,” Angle was quoted. “To know it’s going to be here and in front of thousands of fans instead of hundreds, it’s a big deal for me.”
– Following the faux terrorism scare for Survivor Series in Atlanta on Sunday, there are questions of whether the arena in Jacksonville, Fla. will have beefed-up security for WWE’s “Tribute to the Troops” TV taping on December 8. First Coast News is reporting that the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office has not indicated whether there will be extra precautions.
– Former WWE announcer Jim Ross is looking to call pro wrestling again on a limited basis. Ross, who last called the English version of New Japan’s Tokyo Dome PPV earlier this year, said in his latest blog that he’s interested in calling Ring of Honor’s big anniversary show involving New Japan stars.
“Hey, if Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino need a ‘third wheel’ in Las Vegas at the announce desk for the February ROH-NJPW PPV, I’d make myself readily available. Just throwing it out there as that should be a helluva wrestling event,” Ross wrote at jrsbarbq.com. Ross’s latest blog includes his review of Survivor Series and thoughts on other pro wrestling items.
– Rhyno says he is content doing spot shows for NXT mixed with his regular independent bookings, as opposed to trying to get back to the main WWE roster. “I’m taking it one step at a time, I’m part of something special moving forward with NXT and you just feel so alive and that’s my main focus to become NXT Champion and that is the honest to God truth,” Rhyno told Josh Modaberi in a new interview at CultofWhatever.com.
– SHINE & NWA Women’s champion Santana Garrett completed a tour of Japan wrestling in Tokyo and Osaka. Santana captured the “Wonder of STARDOM” Title and successfully defended the NWA Women’s Title while overseas. She returns to the U.S. this week and is scheduled to return to Japan for the second time in January.
– Pro Wrestling is on the fringe of the new “Concussion” movie due out Christmas Day December 25. The movie is centered on recognizable name Dr. Bennet Omalu, who is played by Will Smith. Omalu helped develop CTE research and tackled the high-profile cases of Chris Benoit and Test (Andrew Martin), discovering postmortem brain damage. Wrestling author Irv Muchnick tackled the movie’s political and social battles in a new blog at ConcussionInc.net.
The movie also aims at the NFL’s concussion policy, which came under fire on Sunday when two NFL QBs appeared to be knocked silly, but remained in the game. The policy has drawn criticism from former NFL player Ted Johnson on Houston radio. Johnson, who has worked with former WWE star Chris Nowinski in the area of concussions, slipped in a pro wrestling reference in his latest comments. “This is real life. This isn’t wrestling,” Johnson was quoted by the Houston Chronicle. “These are real people who have serious health problems later in life.”
– The latest episode of Joey Ryan and Candice LaRae’s YouTube series takes the traveling partners to New Jersey for Jersey All Pro Wrestling earlier this month. Included are cameo appearances by Caleb Konley, Eddie Kingston, Kimber Lee, Heidi Lovelace, Mia Yim, and other independent wrestlers. Plus, ring introductions for the big singles match of Rey Mysterio vs. Low Ki.
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