Message-ID:  

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/

1/15/2004 2:24:00 PM

Thursday news update: Smackdown preview, Wrestler jump, TNA attempts
to get mainstream media, Sapp on ABC, TNA false advertises, best
selling books and tons more

hsmeltzer{at}juno.com

Smackdown tonight:

*Jamie Noble vs. Tajiri to get a shot at Rey Mysterio's cruiserweight
title at the Rumble
*Rikishi vs. Scotty 2 Hotty to get into the Rumble
*Bashams vs. Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin with the winning team
getting into the Rumble
*Three man Battle Royal with the three FBI members, winner gets into
the Rumble
*Big Show vs. Funaki
*John Cena vs. Rhyno - either Cena or Paul Heyman gets their mouth
washed out with soap after the match

Reports we got live were it was an average show.

--It is now as close to a lock as any angle that hasn't been shot can
be that Chris Benoit will be winding up on the Raw roster fairly soon.
Other switches have been talked about as well.

--TNA is sending out press releases on the Johnny Fairplay signing.
While this has caused very little stir among wrestling fans, the idea
of this is to get mainstream media attention. We'll know literally
over the next few days, because if Fairplay's celebrity time is up and
it gets no attention, well, it was an effort for a company that needs
something to get people to know who and what they area. Well, it's
been said since before day one and they all realize it now, they need
weekly television on a strong cable network. And the fact they don't
have it, speaks for just how difficult it is, and how difficult it is
at this time to start up a real alternative company.

--Bob Sapp appears tonight on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel show

--WWE has moved the 2/15 Raw show from San Bernardino, CA to Denver.
There had already been a decent amount of promotion in the area, based
around Victoria, who is from Rialto, being on the show.

--One thing about last night's TNA show that really bothered me was
there was blatant false advertising. Yeah, I know, pro wrestling, it
goes hand-in-hand. Raven was never booked on last night's show but was
advertised. Now, if it was a free television show building an angle,
it's one thing. But this was a $9.95 show partially advertised on that
match. Granted, it was not the main event, but they should have simply
not advertised the match ahead of time, then added it at the beginning
of the show as they do many matches. Then when Raven didn't show up
(it's part of an angle where the idea is that Raven is mentally beaten
down by Jim Mitchell being back) you accomplish the angle without
being deceptive.

--TOP 15 BEST SELLING PRO WRESTLING BOOKS (based on amazon.com
rankings this morning, overall ranking among all books in parenthesis)
1. The Stone Cold Truth by Steve Austin (3,585)
2. Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling by R.D. Reynolds
(4,216)
3. WWE Unscripted by Ken Leiker (7,058)
4. Lita by Amy Dumas (11,166)
5. The Hardy Boyz by Matt & Jeff Hardy (12,582)
6. Chokehold by Jim Wilson (18,631)
7. Classy Freddie Blassie by Fred Blassie (18,691)
8. Hollywood Hulk Hogan by Hulk Hogan (19,236)
9. First Lady of Wrestling by Missy Hyatt (19,347)
10. Have a Nice Day by Mick Foley (23,982)
11. Pure Dynamite by Dynamite Kid (25,804)
12. Bobby the Brain by Bobby Heenan (27,433)
13. Foley is Good by Mick Foley (28,986)
14. I'm Next by Bill Goldberg (38,271)
15. In the Pit with Piper by Roddy Piper (40,358)

--The Diamond Dallas Page character has been added to the Acclaim
Legends of Wrestling video game that will be released in April. He
joins Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts, Dusty Rhodes, Davey Boy Smith,
Dory Funk, Jim Duggan, Ivan Putski, Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Snuka, Ricky
Steamboat, The Sheik, Sabu and Terry Funk

--While this isn't etched in stone, the current plan seems to be for
Pride to announce both the 2/1 and 2/15 show line-ups on Tuesday

--WWE does its first Smackdown taping ever in Savannah, GA on 3/2.
(thanks to Michael Carpenter)

--Mick Foley appears tomorrow night at the Rockford MetroCentre as a
guest signing autographs before the Rockford vs. Quad City minor
league hockey game.

--CTV in Canada did a feature on Trish Stratus at the CTV.ca web site.
Nothing that anyone wouldn't know about that follows wrestling
closely.

--Scott Bowden at www.moviepoopshoot.com has a great article on Jimmy
Hart's pre-wrestling musical days as well as his debut in Memphis
wrestling. Dan Wahlers also has a Royal Rumble history column up on
the site and Todd Martin wrote a very interesting column on the U.S.
business ten years ago vs. today.

--NWA Florida on 1/24 at the St. Petersburg Arena has Steve Madison
vs. Frankie Capone for the Florida title plus Shane Twins vs.
Fahrenheit 420, Scoot Andrews, Billy Fives, Jerelle Clark, Michael
Shane, Danny Doring, Lex Lovett and others

--Beetlejuice of the Howard Stern show did a guest ref bit in a
midgets match for Bad Boys of Wrestling this past Saturday in
Hosington, KS with old-time midget stars Little Kato vs. Beautiful
Bobby Dean

--There was a TV special on weddings yesterday (not sure what channel)
and they showed the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas and noted many
celebrities had gotten married there. One of the couples they talked
about was Steve Austin & Debra.

--A correction from yesterday, the ESPN Classic Canada Raw shows that
start on 1/21 at 7 p.m. Eastern are most likely to be replays of the
most recent Monday show. In all, Raw will now air six times per week
in Canada between the TSN replays and the three more replays on that
station. (thanks to Stephen Gray and others)

--Tickets for the Smackdown tour of the U.K. go on sale on 2/14 at 9
a.m. at BookingsDirect.com as well as respective arena box offices.
Shows are 3/18 in Newcastle, 3/19 in Sheffield, 3/20 in Aberdeen and
3/21 in Glasgow. You can get a hospitality package at any of the shows
for 229.13 pounds which includes a ringside seat, an autograph session
with two stars, a program, t-shirt and complimentary buffet and
drinks. Regular tickets range from 40 to 20 pounds. (thanks to Ian
Hamilton)

--More on the Butterbean note from the Tony Kornheiser show about
Kornheiser and Brian Kenny not caring about the Butterbean fight with
Mitchell Rose being fixed. The context of the comment is that Kenny
was talking about the irresponsibility of the New York Daily News
writer who broke the story that there was evidence the de la Hoya vs.
Mosely II fight was fixed (for de la Hoya to win, even though Mosely
won, which means fixed couldn't be the right word anyway). He noted
that they hurt the reps of those fighters, only to find out it was
really a Butterbean fight and a Jorge Paz vs. Verdell Smith fight that
were the ones being investigated, and that it was hardly as important
a story because of it (thanks to Mike Hendrickson)

--Bret Hart will be doing a rare radio appearance on The FAN 960 today
in Calgary at 2:05 p.m. Calgary time. Hart also appears on The Big
Breakfast tomorrow at 7 a.m. on The A Channel in Calgary, and they are
giving away Bret Hart bobbleheads at the Calgary Hitmen game tomorrow
night.

--Jun Kasai is off the World-1 tour and will be replaced by a mystery
man who won't be revealed until the tour starts. The three shows are
2/6 in Pottstown, PA at Academy Hall, 2/7 in Deer Park, NY at the
Community Center and 2/8 in Fall River, MA at the Cultural Center.
Wrestlers on the tour include Jack Victory, Jason the Legend, Josh
Daniels, C.M. Punk, Homicide, Jerry Lynn, Steve Corino, Justin
Credible, Low Ki, C.W. Anderson, Simon Diamond, Masato Tanaka and
Yoshito Sasaki

--IWRG tonight in Naucalpan has Dr. Wagner Jr. & Felino & Tinieblas Jr
vs. Black Tiger & Canek & Veneno as the main event. (thanks to Kris
Zellner)

--NWA East on Saturday night at the Sportatorium in McKeesport, PA

--NECW will promote "An Evening with Johnny Valiant," which is
Valiant's one-man show about his career and life, on 3/28 at the Good
Time Emporium in Somerville, MA


--- Internet Rex 2.29