USA made television history by delivering the best summer ever in all of basic cable in P25-54 (1.64 million), P18-49 (1.455 million), P18-34 (617,000), total viewers (3.6 million) and households (2.67 million) in prime. With August 2009 data, USA now has 12 consecutive months of each month beating all previous records for the network in P25-54, P18-49, total viewers and households. The network's record performance was driven by outstanding performances from original series, including Burn Notice, the top-rated scripted series in all of television -- broadcast or cable, including pay-TV -- in P25-54.
WWE's MONDAY NIGHT RAW had its best summer since 2001, delivering more P25-54 (2.68 million), total viewers (5.72 million), and households (3.83 million) than the show has drawn in the past 8 years and growing year to year by +8% P25-54, +4% P18-49, +11% total viewers and +16% in households...More?
September 1, 2009
USA Network has its "best summer ever"; WWE Raw has its best year since 2001
This Day in Wrestling History
Ric Flair defeated "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the WWF(E) Heavyweight Title.
September 1, 1992
August 31, 2009
AJ Styles on MTV's "MADE"
TNA stars AJ Styles, The Beautiful People (Angelina Love & Velvet Sky) and Taylor Wilde will all be appearing on MTV's "MADE" this Sunday mentoring a teenage girl who has aspirations to become a pro wrestler.
Events Scheduled for WrestleMania 26
Like a smaller-scale version of the Super Bowl, events leading up to WrestleMania 26 will sprawl across the Valley. Here's what is currently schediled:
• WrestleMania Axxes - Similar to the Super Bowl's NFL Experience, the interactive fan event will run March 25-27 and is likely to be at the Phoenix Convention Center.
• Pro-AM golf tournament - Expect Arizona Cardinals players to golf with wrestlers at the Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler on March 27.
• WWE Hall of Fame - Wrestling legends will be inducted during a ceremony at U.S. Airways Center in downtown Phoenix on March 27.
• WrestleMania Reading Challenge Finals - Young readers can compete at the Phoenix Public Library for entry into Wrestlemania on March 27.
A charity auction of wrestlers' art will be March 24, although a location is still unclear. WWE also is still debating whether to host a block party. Possible sites include Westgate City Center in Glendale or downtown Phoenix...More?
source: azcentral.com
Dixie Carter Wants to Cut the Number of PPV's
TNA President Dixie Carter was a guest on the Live Audio Wrestling Internet radio show on Sunday night. Host John Pollock discussed TNA's current pay-per-view formula of one event per month, Carter says she is not a fan of the monthly pay-per-view format and she would like to see the formula shaken up.
"I'm not a big fan of monthly PPVs, quite honestly, but you have contracts that keep you held in and bound at times," Carter said. "We're definitely talking about trying to shake things up and do things differently in the future."
Carter repeated her recent claims that changes are coming to TNA and that she would be addressing many of the elements of the product that have become stagnant or too formula.
"I work very, very closely [with the creative team]. I'm not going to profess to be a wrestling writer. I am good at challenging people. It's not just ratings, but other things as well," Carter said. "We've made a lot of changes internally to present the product more real and focusing on these young guys."
August 30, 2009
Ric Flair News
Ric Flair still hasn't returned any of the advancement payments owed to Ring of Honor back when he pulled out of his on air role with the company as "ROH Ambassador" last May reports PWInsider. There is also said to be another company where Flair did business with over the last year that is also owed payments as well. While there has been talk of a possible lawsuit, nothing has been filed and it isn't expected that anything will develop.
As reported on earlier, a recent film deal about Flair's life didn't end up happening as his new management team were demanding executive producer credits and even blew off a meeting with the screenwriters hired. The production company that was interested in financing the project decided to drop out as a result of this situation with Flair's new management team (which isn't The Gillespie Agency who Flair fired a few weeks ago that had been representing him for some time now)...More?
Future Raw Hosts Revealed
Bob Barker will host the September 7th show and Trish Stratus will host the September 14th show.
'Choose Death' Explores the Mind of the Necro Butcher
In what Big Vision Entertainment boasts as the Necro Butcher's "first interview ever!" on the recently released DVD, Choose Death: Inside the Mind of a Wrestling Madman, Dylan Summers said, "When I was a kid, I was a little Hulkmaniac -- trainin' sayin' my prayers and eatin' my vitamins."
These days, Dylan Summers -- known to hardcore wrestling fans around the world as the Necro Butcher -- is more likely to be eating fluorescent light tubes and stomping barefoot on thumbtacks during death matches deemed, "too violent for TV!"...More?
source: slam wrestling
J.R. Comments on Rey Mysterio's Suspension
"No, Rey Mysterio will NOT be in Montreal performing at Breaking Point no matter what advertising you have or are seeing. Rey getting suspended by WWE is still so personally perplexing. I have no idea the circumstances nor have I discussed this matter with any one in WWE so all I know is that the rules were violated and the offender has been sent home without pay. The amount of money Rey will not earn as a result of this misstep and subsequent suspension is considerable and will likely be equal to the equivalent to an entire year's earnings for main event level talent back in the day." - jrsbarbq.com
This Day in Wrestling History
Mad Dog & Butcher Vachon defeated Crusher & Dick the Bruiser for the AWA Tag Team title.
August 30, 1969
Paul Orndorf defeated Vader in a locker room brawl and Vader left WCW.
August 30, 1995
Triple H defeats The Rock for the WWF(E) IC Title in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam at Madison Square Garden.
August 30, 1998
August 29, 2009
Rey Mysterio Explains His Suspension......Sort of
Rey Mysterio recently spoke with The Record Newspaper in Mexico and commented on his WWE suspension. During the interview Mysterio said that he failed the test because of a drug he's taking for his knee and arm, and furthered his comments by saying that he had a prescription for the medication. However, because he had to fly to The UK for SummerSlam promotion, and because he was on vacation for a small period of time, he was unable to show WWE the valid prescription by the deadline they gave him and was suspended as a result.
source: wrestlezone.com
He can't possibly think we believe that, can he?
WWE Stars Appearing on The Food Network
Over the SummerSlam weekend in LA, WWE stars Jim Ross, The Miz, Gail Kim, Big Show and Stephanie McMahon all filmed a segment which will air on The Food Network's "Dinner Impossible" show in November.
Who Would Triple H Like to See Host RAW?
Who would Triple H pick for a guest host on RAW? "Andre the Giant," he told ign.com. "I think first of all, Andre's the one guy that I always wanted to meet that I never got to meet and he was very close to my wife. I would have loved to have met him. But also, at the same time, Andre had an incredible sense of humor that I don't think a lot of people ever saw." Triple H went on to say that he thought that Andre, the way the business is in 2009, would have been able to show more of his fun side. "I think that it was something, that in today's environment, that he could have put out there a lot more."
source: ign.com
Triple H Brings a Fan into the Ring After SmackDown
After the dark match at the Smackdown-taping in Phoenix, Triple H was saluting the crowd. Suddenly a handicapped fan asked Triple H if he could do a pose with him. Hunter asked the security if they could pull up the fan. Then Triple H and the fan stepped into the ring. At that time, Shawn Michaels entered the ring and they did the DX pose together.
The Ring Post 20
From Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun:
This is my ranking of the top 20 wrestlers over the past year, using the same criteria that Pro Wrestling Illustrated uses for its list: titles won, major feuds, won-loss records, quality of opponents, prominence within their individual promotion, activity and overall ability.
For this list, I treated pro wrestling as if it were an actual competition and not scripted entertainment. Therefore, I did not take into account attributes such as charisma, promo skills and whether someone is or isn’t a “great worker.” I also did not factor in backstage politics, who is married to the boss’ daughter, et cetera.
Unlike the PWI 500, I did not consider wrestlers from Japanese or Mexican promotions. My list is composed entirely of WWE and TNA wrestlers. As talented as some of the Ring of Honor guys are, the fact is that ROH is a distant No. 3 in terms of prominence.
1. TRIPLE H
2. JOHN CENA
3. EDGE
4. RANDY ORTON
5. STING
6. JEFF HARDY
7. CHRIS JERICHO
8. THE UNDERTAKER
9. SAMOA JOE
10. KURT ANGLE
Click here for the rest of the list.
This Day in Wrestling History
"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith defeats Bret "Hitman" Hart for the WWF(E) IC Title in a classic match at Wembley Stadium in London in front of 82,000 fans.
August 29, 1992
August 28, 2009
SmackDown Results: Extreme Exodus
Later that night, after years of incredible feats of reckless abandon, fate finally caught up with Jeff Hardy in a moment of tragic irony. After blocking the high-flying specialist’s climb to victory, the World Heavyweight Champion superplexed him from high atop of the cage. Hardy battled back heroically, trying to prevent his adversary from getting over the cage with every fiber of his being. But a thumb to the eye by Punk sealed his fate, allowing The Straightedge Superstar to retain his title while simultaneously vanquishing the amazing Jeff Hardy from the WWE ring. After Hardy delivered a heartfelt goodbye to the WWE Universe, the ruthless Punk added insult to injury, attacking the departing Superstar from behind with the World title. Full results.
source: wwe.com
Heyman: WWE's Punk Move Worked
The former Smackdown head writer has sided with his previous employers, despite admitting that Taker launching an unprovoked attacked on the villainous new champion "violates every principle of 'Booking 101' ever taught".
"There were a lot of people that were really upset with WWE over this storyline twist. Jeff Hardy had just put on a spectacular performance with CM Punk in a TLC Match as the main event of SummerSlam, and by having Undertaker appear out of nowhere just made everyone lose focus on the brilliant performance Hardy had delivered. But that's the entire point behind Vince McMahon's decision to go in this direction. Jeff is leaving WWE, and every moment after that main event a potential paying customer is thinking of Jeff is a moment that customer is not thinking of spending money on WWE and its shows. By placing the emphasis on The Undertaker coming after Punk, WWE ensured itself a huge attraction in the Smackdown world title picture."...More?
source: the sun
This Day in Wrestling History
Wahoo McDaniel defeated Tully Blanchard for the Georgia National Heavyweight title.
August 28, 1986
The Ultimate Warrior defeated Rick Rude for the WWF(E) Intercontinental title.
August 28, 1989
Shawn Michaels & Diesel defeated the Headshrinkers for the WWF(E) Tag Team title.
August 28, 1994
August 27, 2009
WWE Superstars Results: Making His Breaking Point
Given Burchill’s recent statements regarding both Gregory Helms and The Hurricane, the Chelsea, England, native must be elated after defeating ECW’s favorite superhero in his “WWE Superstars” debut. Whether or not Burchill’s theory that Helms and the green-clad Superstar are the same person is true, it is clear that The Ripper will aim to take both of them out if he has the opportunity. Thanks to an assist from his sister, Katie Lea Burchill, Paul was able to roll-up the superhero for the win, gaining retribution for the loss he was dealt last week on ECW. Full results.
source: wwe.com
Rey Mysterio Suspended for Wellness Policy Violation
From wwe.com:
In accordance with WWE's Wellness Program, effective Wednesday, September 2, Oscar Gutierrez (Rey Mysterio) is suspended for 30 days for a violation of the company’s policy.
WWE Offering Personal Life Development Courses for New Talent
WWE are starting to introduce Personal Life Development courses for new talent signed and sent to developmental in Tampa, Florida. The courses are being done to help prepare the younger talents for changes in life when going on the road, experiencing fame and to help them develop skills and solutions for out-of-the-ring issues that can hurt their career.
WWE is also offering Personal Finance Education classes to all talents, working with Fidelity Investments, focusing on the importance of financial planning, saving for the long-term, balancing portfolios and managing financial responsibilities.
Also being offered are workshops on how talents can get the best health insurance for themselves and their families since WWE doesn't provide it. Media training workshops to teach talent how to best present themselves to the media and best present the WWE brand to the media are also being done. WWE is bringing in Kathleen Hessert, the president of Sports Media Challenge, for these workshops.
source: wrestling observer
Information from wwe.corporate.com
Triple H mentioned in an earlier interview that the WWE offered these programs. Hopefully new Talent will take advantage of them.
