World Wrestling News round up for Saturday 20th February 2010.

Television

• The following is an excerpt from an article on Variety.com:
  
  
  WWE execs said they didn't see the TNA move to Monday as competition. "We're not too concerned," WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman said. "We're in good shape." According to Zimmerman, WWE's "Raw" household ratings were up 12% in the third and fourth quarter of 2009 after implementing a regular series of guest hosts -- such as Snoop Dogg, the Osbournes and Shaquille O'Neal.
  
  
• NXT-Wrestling.com posted the following about WWE having their name:
  
  
  "WWE was proactive in working with us to come to mutually agreeable terms on the release of the NXT trademark once it learned of the potential conflict. The timing was right for us as we were planning on renaming the NXT brand to SWA:Source to be closer aligned with the SWA parent brand."
  
  
  -PJ Murphy, owner of the Scottish Wrestling Alliance
  
  
• It was announced on tonight's final ECW broadcast that the official cast of WWE's NXT show will be as follows:
  
  
  -Chris Jericho will be mentoring Wade Barrett.
  
  
  -Matt Hardy will be mentoring Justin Gabriel.
  
  
  -MVP will be mentoring Skip Sheffield.
  
  
  -Carlito will be mentoring Michael Tarver.
  
  
  -The Miz will be mentoring Daniel Bryan (aka Bryan Danielson).
  
  
  -Christian will be mentoring Heath Slater.
  
  
  -CM Punk will be mentoring Darren Young.
  
  
  -R-Truth will be mentoring David Otunga.
  
  
• PWInsider.com is reporting that Vince McMahon made the call to have Ezekiel Jackson go over Christian last night on ECW because he felt that Jackson needed the momentum boost heading into Smackdown more than Christian did. There were several people on the WWE creative team that felt the final ECW show should have had a happy ending with Christian retaining the title, but Vince felt otherwise.
  
  
• F4WOnline.com is reporting that qualifying matches for this year's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, which takes place at WrestleMania, will begin on Raw next week.
  
  
• Next week's Raw will be guest hosted by Jewel and Ty Murray.
  
  

Pay Per View news

• F4WOnline.com is reporting that there has been much talk within WWE over the past week of featuring a War Games match at the Bragging Rights PPV in September. The War Games match, which was made popular in the NWA and was later featured at WCW's annual Fall Brawl PPV, would see two teams of 5 competing against each other, which is similar to the main event match which WWE ran at its debut Bragging Rights PPV.
  
  
• It appears as if the Money in the Bank PPV is now official, as WWE is advertising it, along with 2 other new PPV concepts to its 2010 PPV schedule. They are as follows:
  
  
  -WWE Wild Card will take place on May 23rd.
  
  
  -WWE Fatal Four Way will take place on June 20th.
  
  
  -WWE Money in the Bank will take place on July 18th.
  
  
  It has yet to be confirmed whether or not WWE will be booking or scrapping the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for this year's Wrestlemania.
  
  

Other news

• TMZ.com is reporting that an arrest warrant has been issued for WWE star Chris Jericho after he failed to appear in a Kentucky court today stemming from the recent public intoxication charges filed against him on January 27th. The story also notes that fellow WWE star Gregory "Hurricane" Helms paid his fine. However, Jericho has posted the following on his Twitter page: "Paid my fine on time and never had a court date. Im free to walk the streets.... Sorry TMZ wrong again." TMZ later updated the Chris Jericho/warrant story by noting that after Jericho paid his fine, the warrant issued for his arrest was recalled.
  
  
• Chris Jericho has noted on his Twitter account that he will be getting a root canal done prior to this Sunday's Elimination Chamber PPV. He also tweeted on the end of ECW by saying "Goodbye WWECW. But as those of us who were there know, ECW really died in 99."
  
  
• The following is an excerpt from the latest online blog entry from WWE Hall Of Fame announcer Jim Ross:
  
  
  If I get asked one more time when I'm going back to work at WWE, I think my head will explode. I appreciate everyone's concern and support but the answer to that question hasn't changed in months. My career will take whatever direction it's meant to take when contract negotiations commence. One never knows how that process will go until it begins. I do expect it to go well.
  
  But, no, I am NOT retiring full time and "going fishing." I have many, varied interests that I am investigating becoming involved with but I'm not doing anything that I don't think that I would really enjoy at this stage of my life.
  
  I truly love the wrestling business but I also take pride that I'm not and never have been one dimensional so that allows one to approach many endeavors positively and with an open mind.
  
  Without question, pro wrestling has been such a vital part of my life for over 35 years and no matter what else I may or may not do for a living going forward I will always be a huge fan of the genre. Being in the wrestling biz and functioning at such a high level not only as an on air talent but in corporate administration, as well, has helped prepare me for many possible endeavors.
  
  
• WWE confirmed this week on Raw what we reported several weeks ago, that Japanese legend Antonio Inoki will indeed be inducted into the 2010 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame.
  
  
• Bret Hart posted the following on his official Facebook page this week: "As far as the WWE goes, all I can say is where the heck is Jim Ross? With everything that has transpired in my three appearances on Raw, it's too bad he hasn't been there to call it. There's nobody that calls it the way Jim Ross calls it and that's the bottom line because I say so."
  Jim Ross later responded to Bret via his blog:
  "Bret Hart has a Facebook page and he said some mighty nice things about yours truly recently. My relationship with Bret has been built from day one on respect. One of the best nights I've had in my career, off the clock, was at the Cauliflower Alley Club sitting at the hotel bar and shooting the breeze and telling stories with Bret and Steve Austin until about 6 a.m. I've often said that those types of pairings would make for some awesome DVD releases because of the talents' chemistry and the fact that there is so much archived footage that can be utilized."
  
  
• WWE Diva Mickie James posted the following on her WWE Universe page concerning the release of her new single: "Words can not begin to describe how incredibly excited I am. Its been a lot of hard work and tons of fun! I am so very grateful to have been blessed with such an extraordinary team that has helped bring this dream to a reality. For everyone who has stood by my side through this all and help keep me on this wonderful journey. My friends, My family, My James Gang!, The entire WWE Universe.... I could not have gotten to this place without each and every one of you. I have poured my heart and soul into the entire album that will be released March 23rd entitled "Strangers & Angels". I do not know what will come of it all but I hope and Pray for the best! I have my faith.... Through this entire project God has provided miracle after miracle.... So I let go... He shall lead the way!"
  
  
• WWE.com is reporting that Bret Hart suffered a broken left leg and suffered tendon and ligament damage during his car wreck spot on RAW this past Monday night. Obviously this is the storyline explanation of his injuries.
  
  
• In a recent interview with Sky Magazine, WWE's Jason Robinson said that the actual elimination chamber cage used for the PPV originally cost $250,000 to put together, it requires 24 ring crew members to assemble, and because of the usage of the Perspex chamber pods, it costs the company $10,000 every time they use it.
  
  
• WWE recently released developmental women's wrestler Jenny Quinn, who wrestled in FCW as Penny Cash.
  
  
• ECW General Manager Tiffany, whose real name is Taryn Terrell, will be appearing nude in next month's lingerie issue of Playboy Magazine. Her photos were taken before she signed with WWE, but the magazine owns the rights to publish them.
  
  

Ratings

• The February 15th edition of WWE RAW scored a final cable rating of 3.4 with 4.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The show did hours of 3.29 and 3.5.
  
  
• The final edition of ECW on SyFy, which aired this past Tuesday night, finished with a 1.14 cable rating.
  
  

Television

• TNA officially released the news to Variety on 14/02 that starting March 9th the company will go live on Monday nights from 9-11PM, head-to-head against WWE RAW. According to the report, TNA will go live alternate weeks and a taped show the other week.
  
  Below is the official TNA Press Release for the move:
  
  “TNA iMPACT!” ON SPIKE TV MOVES TO MONDAY NIGHTS BEGINNING MARCH 8
  
  Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s Flagship Series Will Air Live Every Other Week From Universal Studios In Orlando, Fl.
  
  New York, NY, February 16, 2010 – “TNA iMPACT!,” Spike TV’s highly-rated two-hour weekly series, is moving from Thursday nights to Monday nights beginning Monday, March 8 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT), it was announced today by TNA President Dixie Carter and legendary pop culture icon Hulk Hogan at a press conference at the “TNA iMPACT! Zone” at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
  
  “TNA iMPACT!” will air live on March 8, with subsequent telecasts live every other week. The series features many of the biggest names in wrestling including Hogan, Ric Flair, Mick Foley and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, as well as the hottest young talent in the industry: TNA World Heavyweight Champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe and “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan.
  
  The first ever Monday live “TNA iMPACT” broadcast on Spike TV, ran as a three-hour special head-to-head against WWE RAW on Monday, January 4, 2010, and drew a franchise-record 2.2 million viewers. Two wrestling companies have not broadcast head-to-head weekly since the “Monday Night Wars” in the late 1990’s between WWE and WCW.
  
  “On January 4 wrestling fans showed us they’re ready for a new professional wrestling alternative on Monday nights, and we’re answering that call. Bringing ‘iMPACT!’ to Mondays is our most exciting move yet in a year that’s already been filled with huge milestones for TNA” said Carter.
  
  "Monday nights are now officially the best night of the week to be a fan of professional wrestling," Hogan said. "My mantra has been 'change is coming' since partnering with Dixie Carter and TNA Wrestling. This change is great for the business and all fans of professional wrestling will benefit because of it."
  
  "TNA iMPACT! has emerged as one of cable's top performers with young men, said Spike TV President Kevin Kay. "With NFL Football off the television schedule and with "TNA iMPACT’s" expanding roster of top wrestling talent, we see this as an opportunity to tap into the millions of wrestling fans on Monday nights."
  
  Since its founding in 2002, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has become the world’s fastest growing professional wrestling company, currently airing in over 120 countries worldwide.
  
  The following are excerpts from the TNA press conference held this week:
  
  When asked if they expect a response from WWE about this move, Hogan added, "I expect no reaction. They don't acknowledge anyone else in the wrestling business and exist in their own little world. However, the talent (in WWE) are definitely cheering us on in because it gives them an option. Wrestling right now is like a monopoly so making this move opens up lots of doors." He added that he was "in the know" and that while the wrestlers were cheering them on, the suits in WWE corporate were in panic mode.
  
  
  In regards to expectations from Spike TV on this new timeslot change for Impact, Dixie Carter added, "I think it will grow over time. If we can hold numbers like we have had success on big Thursday nights and even grow from our success on January 4, it will be a good place to start. The real winner is the wrestling fans. We want to give fans a product they are proud of and not embarrassed of."
  
  
• It was announced at this week's Impact tapings that Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan will make their in-ring debuts for TNA at the March 8th taping, which is the first night Impact makes its move to Monday nights. The two stars will compete in the following match:
  
  Hulk Hogan and Abyss vs Ric Flair and AJ Styles.
  
  
• ProWrestling.net is reporting that TNA ran a controversial angle at this week's Impact taping when prior to his match, Orlando Jordan kissed a man before entering the ring. Apparently, Jordan came to the ring escorted by both a man and a woman, and prior to entering the ring he kissed both of them. According to the report, several people backstage in TNA were not happy with the angle and felt that TNA was going too far. Sources think that something like that might turn off SpikeTV viewers as the network is geared towards programming for men. It should be noted that prior to Jordan's release from WWE back in 2006, there was talk of having Jordan participate in some type of bisexual angle that would have involved former TNA Knockout Trinity. The idea was initially offered by Jordan himself as he lives a bisexual lifestyle outside of professional wrestling.
  
  

Pay Per View

• TNA has announced that the main event of it's forthcoming Destination X PPV will be an Ultimate X Match. It is still unclear whether or not the focus of the PPV will be entirely on the X-Division or not, but it has at least been confirmed that an Ultimate X Match will headline the show.
  
  
• Devin Cutting is reporting that this year's TNA Sacrifice PPV will be held on Sunday, May 16th, 2010 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
  

Comings and Goings

• From Wrestlezone.com: Yesterday, it was noted on Bubba The Love Sponge's Twitter account that he was not going to be appearing on last night's PPV and that he is uncertain what his TNA status currently is. WZ reader Aaron Pegg sent in word that TNA President Dixie Carter is no longer following Bubba on Twitter, which could be a further indication that Bubba is finished with TNA.
  
  
• TNA Wrestling officially hired Dave Taylor to become an agent for the company, filling the void left by Scott D'Amore recently.
  
  

Other news

• According to ProWrestling.net, a number of wrestling stars were backstage at the TNA Impact tapings last night. According to the report, Awesome Kong was backstage. Also, Karen Angle was backstage with Jeff Jarrett. Jeremy Borash also noted on his Twitter page that Meng (aka Haku) was also backstage at the taping.
  
  
• From TNAwrestling.com: SATURDAY, MARCH 13: PITTSBURGH, PA Due to the unfortunate circumstances of this weekend with the roof collapse at the Rostraver Ice Arena, sales are on hold until a new venue is found. TNA is committed to coming to the Pittsburgh.
  
  
• ProWrestlng.net is reporting that TNA star Kurt Angle is working through back and calf injuries at the moment. He worked his match at Monday's Impact taping with his calf taped up, and he will reportedly be working a reduced house show schedule while he recovers from the injury. It's being said that Angle himself requested a lighter house show schedule anyways as he feels he needs time to recover, and there are some within TNA that feel he needs to be written off TV for awhile so that he can heal up from several nagging injuries.
  
  
• Eric Bischoff is said to be very high on TNA's newest acquisition, Orlando Jordan, reports The Wrestling Observer.
  
  
• The Wrestling Globe Newsletter is reporting that TNA Knockout Roxxi is expected to return to action in about a month after suffering a broken ankle.
  
  

Ratings

• The February 11th edition of TNA Impact scored a final cable rating of 1.2 with 1.6 million viewers. This was for the show that lead into the "Against All Odds" pay-per view this past Sunday night. It's interesting to note that the peak segment was Angelina Love & Tara vs. The Beautiful People, which drew a 1.31. The final segment with Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan and The Band drew the lowest segment of the show with a 1.02.

• From rohwrestling.com:
  
  
  February 16th
  
  - The Eighth Anniversary Event has come and gone and history was made as Tyler Black has finally scaled the mountain and taken his place among the greats in Ring of Honor. With everything at stake, Black and Austin Aries went tooth-and-nail in a back-and-forth championship classic that must be seen! With skeptics abound and doubts looming, Black put on the performance of his career and earned the right to call himself CHAMPION. It wasn’t without controversy as all three judges at ringside became involved, with Roderick Strong and Jim Cornette falling victim to Tyler Black Superkicks. Strong was particularly angry after the fact, citing Tyler’s pledge to give him the first title match, on top of the Superkick, and demanded his shot. All of the men involved had comments for ROH and HDNet cameras, with some of it very heated, and footage on both ends is forthcoming. Congratulations go out to Tyler Black for realizing his dream of becoming World Champion.
  
  
  - Ring of Honor returns to New York City on Saturday, May 8th. Already announced is the ROH return of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin – The Motor City Machine Guns!
  
  
  - Just signed to appear when ROH debuts in Phoenix on March 26 and 27: Rocky Romero, Kenny King, the Necro Butcher, and former ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn.
  
  

• From dgusa.tv:
  
  February 17th: DGUSA is about to get hardcore!!! "The Innovator Of Violence" Tommy Dreamer will wrestle on Dragon Gate USA's March 27th "Mercury Rising" event in Phoenix. We'll have news on his opponent soon. Dreamer will also be available for autographs. Meet Tommy Dreamer and see DGUSA get extreme in Phoenix.
  
  
  February 15th: The Young Bucks of Nick & Matt Jackson have accepted CIMA's challenge and have selected Jack Evans as their partner. It's official. The six man tag team main event on March 26th in Phoenix will pit Jack Evans & The Young Bucks vs. CIMA, Dragon Kid & Gamma. It's USA vs. Japan in this one-time-only match. The Bucks picked Evans because of the influence he has had on them. They have never had the chance to team with him before. That will change on March 26th. The Bucks are going to make the most of this opportunity when they team with Jack Evans for the first time ever. "Open The Ultimate Gate" will feature a trio of America's most exciting, high-flyers vs. three pillars of Dragon Gate.
  
  

• The following is a recap of Rob Van Dam's appearance on the Right After Wrestling Radio Show this week:
  
  
  "I feel fairly optimistic because I know TNA is trying really hard to make a good deal for me and that's basically where we're at."
  
  
  "Everything is worth putting on the table to consider, but when it comes time to consider going back to that full-time travel schedule with WWE, that's not something that I'm wanting to do right now," RVD said. "The schedule with TNA and also probably their appreciation for RVD might also be a benefit over WWE."
  
  
  "WWE would love to have me come back on a full-time basis, but as you know by pointing out that Hogan called into my radio show and stayed on for about an hour, they have been very pro-active and trying to acquire RVD," RVD said. "That leads me to believe I would have a good spot if things do work out there. We'll see."
  
  
  WWE wants him, but RVD has not forgotten that he was unhappy towards the end of his last run there. "WWE had me so burnt out because my contract said I would get a weekend off every month and I never did and they wouldn't give it to me," RVD said. "When I would tell them I'm so burnt out I don't want to be here and I'm resenting traveling and coming to work every day, they would double-book me. So, that's how it went down."
  
  
• Former WCW and WWE star Bill Goldberg has posted the following on his Twitter page concerning rumors that TNA has offered him a contract: "Let's get the record straight...From my lips......TNA has not contacted me. Period. No B.S."
  
  
• It's being reported by The Wrestling Globe Newsletter that former WWE and TNA star Sharmell Sullivan Huffman, wife of Booker T, is currently pregnant with twins. Booker already has a son from a previous marriage, but the twins will be Sharmell's first children.
  

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