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http://www.wrestlingobserver.com

1/16/2004 2:52:00 PM

Friday news update: Weekend preview, Smackdown early rating, IWGP
tournament, Mania media notes, Belfort update, new MLW TV debuts
tonight and Backlash announcement
 
by Dave Meltzer

hsmeltzer{at}juno.com

It's something of a slow weekend coming up, which will be the last of
those for a while. There will be major weekend PPVs the next three
weeks, with Royal Rumble on the 25th, the UFC on the 31st and the
Pride show that will be taped 2/1 airing on 2/8 (so as not to compete
with the Super Bowl or run the same weekend as UFC).

--Smackdown last night on the overnights in the top 55 metered markets
did a 4.3 rating, which is slightly above average. It finished in
fourth place among the six networks and in the 9-9:30 p.m. time slot
beat Extreme Makeovers on ABC. Most stuff was up as Friends did a
whopping 18.6 last night and The Apprentice did a 14.0. CSI rerun in
hte first hour did an 11.1 and first run show did a 20.0. If this
translates into a better than average rating, that would be a good
sign because John Cena vs. Rhyno as the main event on paper shouldn't
be a good draw , so if it worked, it's a feather in the cap of Cena
and Paul Heyman.

--New Japan announced the IWGP heavyweight title tournament for 2/15
at Tokyo Sumo Hall. It's a six-man one-night tourney with Masahiro
Chono vs. Genichiro Tenryu (winner faces Yoshihiro Takayama) and Yuji
Nagata vs. Tadao Yasuda (winner faces Hiroyoshi Tenzan).

--Insane Clown Posse on its web site announced they would be at the
TNA show on Wednesday.

--According to ad slicks scheduled to run in the Hollywood Reporter
and Variety, Wrestlemania XX will be called "The Original Lord of the
Ring." The Hollywood Reporter will be doing a special Wrestlemania
section on 3/9 (thanks to Mike Lano)

--As a build up for tonight's show, the local Des Moines Register's
Datebook section had Jericho on the cover with an article where local
fans talked why they liked pro wrestling. Kane vs. Jericho was listed
in the paper and in all local advertising, although it looks to be
Kane vs. Booker and Jericho vs. Henry off the TV angles on Monday.
(thanks to Todd Countryman)

--Brazilian sources have said Vitor Belfort is coming to the U.S. on
Monday and has been adamant about fighting Randy Couture and that
Murilo Ninja will be in the 2/1 Pride show.

--This made some press in Canada, most notably the Toronto Star.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeremy Roenick was suspended for throwing
a water bottle at an official, mad because he got a busted lip and no
call was made. His lip was bleeding pretty bad and he's furious about
how the league treated him. He said the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
"forgot that the NHL merged with the WWF and we hide razor blades in
our pockets and cut ourselves so we can get calls." (thanks to Dave
Gagnon and many others)

--First-run Major League Wrestling returns to TV tonight at midnight
on the Sunshine Network with Sonjay Dutt vs. Jack Evans for the jr.
title and Jerry Lynn vs. Michael Modest

--Len Denton has put the old Pacific Northwest title belt up on ebay.
As of Wednesday, the price was up to $2,500 (thanks to Rich Vento)

--Today's Telegraph in the U.K. (www.telegraph.co.uk) has an article
on Rock previewing "Welcome to the Jungle," the former Rundown movie,
which opens 3/19 in the U.K. The article said that neither
Schwarzenegger or Stallone have had the impact on women that Rock has
It's a pretty extensive article, although nothing that most fans
wouldn't know

--Homicide vs. C.M. Punk takes place on the 1/29 ROH show in Glen
Burnie, MD.

--At last night's Smackdown that aired in Canada, they officially
announced Backlash on 4/18 in Edmonton, which will be a Raw PPV event.
(thanks to Adam Lebow)

--Tomorrow night's Confidential will air the Mick Foley vs. Terry Funk
hardcore match from May 4, 1998 on Raw, which was a match worth seeing
again. Rest will be Rock on the set of Walking Tall and a Trish
Stratus photo shoot.

--Combat Zone Wrestling tonight in Allentown, PA at the Mountainville
Center has Ian Knoxx & Nick Gage & Nate Hatred vs. Messiah & B-Boy &
Adam Flash, plus Backseat Boyz vs. Alex Shelley & Jimmy Jacobs for the
tag titles, Jimmy Rave vs. Ruckus for the Iron Man title and Sonjay
Dutt vs. Derek Frazier for the jr. title. They have their return to
Viking Hall tomorrow night with Zandig vs. New Jack, a submission
match for the Iron Man title with Rave vs. Shelley, Backseat Boyz vs.
Rockin Rebel & Greg Matthews for the tag title Dutt vs. Jacobs for the
jr. title and Homicide vs. Dan Maff in the first match of the Xtreme
Strong-Style tournament.

--IWA Mid South tonight in Oolitic, IN has Danny Daniels vs. Jerry
Lynn for the IWA title as the main event.

--Although not announced officially, there is a screen shot sent us
that shows a character that looks exactly like Sting in the Legends of
Wrestling video game (thanks to Chris Metry)

--Tuesday night at Arena Coliseo in Mexico City: Bracito de Oro &
Shockercito b Fire & Pierrothito Brazo de Oro Jr. & Brazo de Plata Jr.
b Caligula & Messala, Ringo Mendoza & Tigre Blanco & Tony Rivera b
Nitro & Nosawa & Valentin Mayo, Averno & Fuerza Guerrera & Mephisto b
Felino & Negro Casas & Virus, Damian el Terrible & Mascara Magica &
Shocker b Black Tiger & Mascara Ano 2000 & Universo 2000, Emilio
Charles Jr. & Pierroth Jr. b Black Warrior & Lizmark Jr.

--How's this for a new gimmick from the mind of Antonio Pena. Tonight
in Acapulco they are having a three-way dance for what is billed as
the Mexican National Mascot tag titles, which is a wrestler teaming
with a mini, with Mascara Sagrada & Mascarita Sagrada, El Alebrije &
Cuije & Monsther & Chucky (thanks to Kris Zellner)

--The K-1 PPV from Las Vegas with Bob Sapp vs. Kimo aired last night
on the HDTV channel called INHD. (thanks to Derrick Hanna)

--UPW will have a show at its gym in Los Angeles on 2/7 featuring
Michael Modest vs. Frankie Kazarian

--Lucha Va Voom has scheduled shows on 3/4 and 3/5 at the Kool Haus in
Toronto. For more info you can call 416-869-0789. (thanks to Gary
Will)

--OVW TV tapings this coming Wednesday in Louisville at the Davis
Arena has Billy Gunn vs. Nick Dinsmore and Johnny Jeter & Jim Cornette
vs. Mark Magnus & Nikita

--Randy Couture will be a guest on the Jimmie Kimmel show on the 26th.
As noted, there are writers on that show who are fans of both WWE and
MMA. By the way, how was Sapp last night? (thanks to Jeff Beecher)

--Scott Favarelle wrote us saying that in looking through one of his
DVD's, he believes that the Britney Spears-Jason Alexander wedding was
done in the same chapel as the one where HHH & Stephanie did the drunk
wedding deal right before she was to marry Test.


--- Internet Rex 2.29