Message-ID: 

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/

1/29/2004 2:52:00 PM
Thursday news update: Smackdown preview, UFC huge advance, Benoit
schedule, Urlacher pub, former wrestler to be seen by 100 million
Sunday and make another killing, America's Cup, Best selling books,
Hogan, Jericho, Rock and tons more
 
by Dave Meltzer

hsmeltzer{at}juno.com

We're looking for your thoughts on last night's NWA TNA PPV, so you
can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with
a best and worst match to dave{at}wrestlingobserver.com.

Tonight's Smackdown preview:

*Billy Kidman & Paul London vs. Bashams
*Rey Mysterio vs. Jamie Noble for cruiserweight title
*Orlando Jordan vs. Brock Lesnar
*15 man Royal Rumble for a title shot at Lesnar

I'm told the Rumble was really good and long for a TV match.
Mysterio-Noble was basically the match they should have done at
Rumble, except they didn't have time to do. Vince McMahon returns on
tonight's show to blame Paul Heyman for losing Chris Benoit. Why
should Vince care? He owns both sides anyway?

--Reportedly, the advance for Saturday's UFC live event in Las Vegas
headlined by Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort has already topped $1
million. The idea of running the show on the Saturday night before the
Super Bowl in Vegas was a brilliant marketing move. Tons of major
celebrities are expected to be at the show because of Super Bowl week.

--Rock is making the media rounds as he's in Houston for the Super
Bowl. He's said he's doing Wrestlemania on at least three radio shows,
most prominent being Jim Rome, so far today.

--The appearance of Brian Urlacher got TNA a little publicity in the
Chicago market last night and this morning, but not anywhere else that
we're aware of. At least it was more than Jonny Fairplay. The Fox
station showed him doing his spot, without mentioning Fairplay's name,
but did mention the TNA name. The ABC affiliate this morning did a
short tongue in cheek piece and made fun of the fact the man Urlacher
pressed (again no mention of name) weighed as much as Nicole Richie.
The NBC affiliate last night showed a clip, never mentioned TNA by
name, and called it a "professional wrestling organization in
Memphis." The Chicago Tribune had two sentences yesterday on it in a
sports column, but nothing today in either Chicago paper. Jay
Marrioti, host of the WMVP sports talk show (who also appears on
Around the Horn), talked about it and questioned the wisdom of doing
something like that due to the injury risk. WBBM, the highly rated
all-news station in the market that broadcasts the Bears, mentioned
Urlacher appearing "in a pro wrestling match for NWA TNA." (thanks to
Mike Miazga, Josh Schultz, Keith Lipinski, David Kaplan and Jason
Davoodi)

--Former pro wrestler Lester Speight, who made a killing in two
different deals, first as part of the WCW racial discrimination
lawsuit, and more famous, playing the role of Terry Tate, office
linebacker, will be returning in that role in a new Reebok ad Sunday
at the Super Bowl

--Word we got from last night in Nashville is the America's Cup first
round matches were nothing close to the caliber of the TNA X Cup
matches from last year. Juventud Guerrera, Abismo Negro and Mr. Aguila
had all flown from Narita, Japan, to Mexico City, had ten hours in
Mexico City, and then flown to Nashville. To say they were dead would
be an understatement. Plus, they worked an eight-man which totally
fell apart on the PPV.

--Chris Benoit starts this weekend with the Raw brand. As things are
scheduled right now, he's set for a singles match with Batista on
Saturday in Dayton and a singles match with Mark Henry on Sunday
(afternoon show before the Super Bowl) in Youngstown. WWE also
officially announced him for the Japanese tour, although we've had
that for a few weeks. His Saitama match was switched from Christian as
his foe to Chris Jericho.

--Nova will be working under his real name of Mike Bucci on the Raw
tour this week. He's at this point scheduled for a face slot teaming
with John Heidenreich vs. Rob Conway & Rene Dupree in Youngstown, and
a heel slot against Spike Dudley in Dayton.

--Greg Dyke, known in the U.K. as the man who killed pro wrestling (he
made the call to cancel wrestling in the late 80s on ITV, where it had
been popular for decades, largely killing the local scene which hasn't
had a locally produced regular television show since), quit his job at
Director General of the BBC. He was in charge of programming at ITV,
and made the same call that Jamie Kellner made at TBS, which
ultimately changed the face of wrestling history in both cases.
(thanks to David Taylor)

TOP 15 BEST SELLING PRO WRESTLING BOOKS (based on amazon.com rankings
as of this morning, overall ranking in parenthesis)
1. The Stone Cold Truth by Steve Austin (2,132)
2. Wrestlecrap by Randy Baer (2,572)
3. WWE Unscripted by Ken Leiker (3,833)
4. Lita by Amy Dumas (19,124)
5. Bobby the Brain by Bobby Heenan (24,567)
6. The Hardy Boyz by Matt & Jeff Hardy (26,852)
7. Pure Dynamite by Dynamite Kid (28,105)
8. The Rock Says by Rock (33,550)
9. Chokehold by Jim Wilson (36,432)
10. Foley is Good by Mick Foley (36,560)
11. I'm Next by Bill Goldberg (38,680)
12. Positively Page by Diamond Dallas Page (49,799)
13. Classy Freddie Blassie by Fred Blassie (55,554)
14. First Lady of Wrestling by Missy Hyatt (58,727)
15. In the Pit with Piper by Roddy Piper (61,765)
In the few weeks since our last update, the main thing of note is that
only three books are selling at all right now, a far cry from five
weeks ago. Again, Christmas should help overall sales, but the
positioning in theory should remain relative.

--Urban Latino TV, a nationally syndicated show that airs on several
network affiliate stations around hte country, will be running a
segment on the Lucha Xtreme Wrestling promotion next week and again in
March, including footage shot at the 11/15 show in New York and
interviews with Shocker and others. It airs in New York on Ch. 2 at 1
a.m. Saturday and in Los Angeles on Ch. 7 at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

--ROH runs tonight in Glen Burnie, MD at Michael's Fifth Avenue
featuring Mark & Jay Briscoe, managed by Jim Cornette, facing Samoa
Joe & Jerry Lynn, plus Dan Maff vs. Matt Stryker vs. B.J. Whitmer vs.
Xavier with the winner getting a shot at Samoa Joe's title on 2/14 in
Braintree, MA, Homicide vs. C.M. Punk, Backseat Boyz vs. Carnage Crew
vs. Special K, Chad Collyer vs. John Walters with the three rope break
rule in effect, Jimmy Jacobs vs. Alex Shelley plus Slyk Wagner Brown
vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Hydro vs. Jack
Evans

--Hulk Hogan will be Grand Marshall at the Florida Dodge Dealers 250
NASCAR race on 2/13 in Daytona Beach. His daughter will be singing the
national anthem at the event

--Chris Jericho's Fozzy band will be performing at The Ranch Bowl in
Omaha on 2/23. For more info you can call 404-393-0900.

--MLW has announced this line-up for 2/13 in Fort Lauderdale: Steve
Corino vs. Shane Douglas for MLW title, six-sided ring match with
Teddy Hart & Jack Evans & Apocalypse vs. Juventud Guerrera & Jose &
Joel Maximo vs. Sonjay Dutt & Dark Fuego & M-Dogg 20, C.W. Anderson &
Simon Diamond vs. T.J. Wilson & Harry Smith for tag titles, Norman
Smiley vs. P.J. Friedman, Rocky Reyes & Ricky Romero vs. Puma & Bobby
Quance in a battle of the Havana Pitbulls, plus Low Ki, Michael
Modest, Terry Ray Gordy Jr., Chad Collyer, Raven, Sabu, Justin
Credible and more. The next night in Orlando at Tabu Night Club as
Corino & Credible & Anderson vs. Samoan Island Tribe & ?, Guerrera vs.
Hart, Dutt vs. Collyer for jr. title, Reyes & Romero vs. Smith &
Wilson, Quance vs. Jack Evans, plus Terry Funk, Low Ki, Modest, Gordy,
and more

--International Wrestling Cartel on Saturday night in Aliquippa, PA at
the Hopewell High School has C.M. Punk vs. Raven, Jerry Lawler vs. X,
Shane Douglas vs. Bubba the Bulldog, Chris Sabin vs. Jimmy Jacobs and
more

--Tuesday night results from Arena Coliseo in Mexico City: Bracito de
Oro & Mini Fantasy b Fire & Sombrita, Ramstein & Super Comando &
Valentin Mayo b Explosivo & Sombra de Plata & Zetta, Hooligan & Nitro
& Sangre Azteca b Alacran & Neutron & Tigre Blanco, Averno & Mephisto
& Universo 2000 b Negro Casas & El Satanico & Alan Stone, Dr. Wagner
Jr. & Emilio Charles Jr. & Pierroth Jr. b Brazo de Plata & Felino &
Mr. Niebla (thanks to Kris Zellner)

--El Hijo del Santo vs. Negro Casas headlines a 2/21 show in Woodburn,
OR, at the High School, plus Villanos face the Suicide Kings and Cuban
Assassin from Florida is being brought in to face Pierroth Jr.

--Lady Apache puts up her career on Sunday against Tiffany's Queen of
Queens and Mexican national womens' title on the AAA TV taping in
Zapopan (Guadalajara area).(thanks to Robert Bihari)

--Kurt Angle's crying after winning the 1996 gold medal aired this
morning on VH-1 (thanks to Jamie Lamkin)

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


--- Internet Rex 2.29