Smackdown

An interesting SD, though a bit of a letdown ...

They never explained why Edge and Vicki Guerrero, who when last seen were HIGHLY estranged spouses, worked things out enough to have been in cahoots at the Survivor Series. I get Vicki's concern as GM about Jeff Hardy's reliabiilty; I get Edge recognizing an opportunity when he sees one. But then just say that - 'we don't like each other or trust each other but we have common cause right now so we'll deal with it'. I can totally see those two people, as they've developed their characters so far, making deals with the devil like that. It's a simple explanation that would leave everyone and everything a bit less confused.

Conversely, I always enjoy Beat the Clock setups - especially in this situation where I'm quite tired of the Smackdown Title being defended in Triple Threat Matches, and I actually agree with Vlad Kozlov when he says 'no Triple Threats'. A smart way to deal with that ... and the tournament was even entertaining in terms of Matt Hardy simply running and ducking and weaving with Kozlov to run out the clock for his brother, and Triple H having a great match as well ... except for the time expiring at the same time as the ref's hand hit the mat for Trips' three-count. A tie is an interesting way to go here, as I don't think that's ever happened in a Beat the Clock scenario and it's kind of interesting ... but does this mean another Triple Threat? I mean at least Edge can carry his weight a bit better than Kozlov but ...

I'm personally hoping for a stip more along the lines of Wrestlemania X, where one challenged Edge while the other guy gets his own match, and faces the winner later in the evening. Perhaps they'll do something like that, or else have Jeff Hardy and Triple H fight for the spot ... especially since they made a point of acknowledging the way too frequent use of Triple Threat Matches of late. We'll see - I'm just tired of saying that. There's only so many times one can say that before having to acknowledge 'OK y'know what? They don't know what the hell they're doing either'.

Some good points? Again, match quality - especially the divas 6-woman match. Michelle McCool teasing a heel turn is interesting on the one point, except almost all the girls who can actually wrestle are heels; it was nice having her and the Bellas as faces to counteract that. Because what next then ... Maria's thrown in as the third 'face'? Boo! Still a great match though, with some good moves and good intrigue. I personally also enjoyed Miz and Morrison vs. Jesse and Festus, and the messing with the bell - apparently this has been done a lot, so perhaps it's better because I haven't watched a whole lot of Smackdown but *I* was entertained. :) So some definite good points - but the Vicki Guerrero/Edge relationship, and the world title picture, both leave some situations to be resolved, and which shouldn't be left hanging too long.

ITVR - This and That

Hi guys,

So we've been spending a lot of time this week at the hospital - don't ask how that can be good news, lol, but it is - which has meant no time for ITVR. That said I don't feel as bad about that this week as I did last week, since I've still given myself a lot more opportunity to come on here and talk about wrestling than I had in previous weeks. Some steps in the right direction, which will continue. :)

Now I'm not sure how the broadcasting this week will go - I'd still like to put something up tonight or tomorrow, but it might not be a full show, and/or it might not happen. So please stay tuned; however either way I'm also working on something big for ITVR's next broadcast so stay tuned for that as well! :)

Meanwhile, some interesting behind the scenes developments going on this week, as Tomko and Gail Kim were both confirmed rehired by the WWE, the "E" sued wrestler Ed Leslie over his use of the Brutus Beefcake name when he's been doing so without reprimand for years, and Linda Hogan's new boyfriend, Charley Hill, accused Hulk Hogan, her estranged husband, of stalking him and wanting to kill him while seeking a restraining order against the Hulk yesterday. I also want to touch briefly on the Slammy's before letting you go. :) Yes - the Slammy's, returning in I believe it's two weeks time on Raw ...

• About Tomko and Gail Kim: these are both talented competitors who really hit their full potential once WWE let them go and they found their stride in TNA. Here's hoping WWE rehired them due to seeing that potential, and that they decide to use them correctly, instead of rehiring them simply to get them away from TNA, which will only result in WWE showing their pettiness towards stars 'created' by another company, in letting them sit home and collect a paycheck which in this day and age WWE can't really afford to pay for. As a note - is Tomko's return, and Edge's big return at the Survivor Series this week, at all indicative of Christian Cage also having re-signed with his once and future home? One can hope - again if he's used properly. Keep your fingers crossed.
• Ed Leslie has used the Brutus Beefcake name since 2000 without WWE giving a flying fig about it - to me, this is a petty lawsuit only because he's now achieved some success with Hulk Hogan's celebrity wrestling. I'm no legal expert so I'm not sure what will win out here, precedent or the law itself, but if I were a judge, to the extent I could, I would consider WWE's not pushing this issue for nearly a decade in my decision, until there was perhaps some money or lucre to be gained from it.
• Hogan's attempt to terrorize his estranged wife's 19 year old 'boyfriend': the judge laughed in young Hill's face and so do I. Don't get me wrong - I don't think Hogan's such a nice guy he'd necessarily be above this ... if he CARED about Linda and her shenanigans. Here's the bottom line: while Linda has done everything she can to smear Hogan, he has said nothing about her except to say 'she's trying to smear me'. To me, he's past it, while she still needs her Hulka-meal ticket. Besides, if someone my kids' age was dating MY wife, who's now demanding MY hard earned money go to pay for his tuition at nautical school? I'd plead justifiable homicide lol.
• And the Slammy's - I've always enjoyed this idea and I'm much more open to it as a result than Jason Powell over at http://prowrestling.net is. That said the categories were released yesterday at WWE.com, and I have only one question - wtf's the difference between an "OMG moment of the year" and a "DAMN! moment of the year"? I have some ideas on potential nominees which I'll discuss in more detail in a later posting My only concern becomes I don't know who 'best musical act' could be besides Jillian Hall ... maybe Lillian Garcia? Oh well. Again, to be discussed at a later date, and in still more depth once we know who the nominees are.

So that's your 'bits n pieces' entry for the day. Continue to stay tuned, as I know you do! Peace out folks!

Survivor Series and Raw Thoughts

OK so moreso than things I simply liked or didn't like from Survivor Series or Raw, I came out with the same feeling from both shows - WWE is trying a different direction; has been for a little bit now in terms of experimenting, and I finally feel like they've made some decisions and are 'going there'. Good or bad? Don't know and will have to see how the above plays out. But I will say this; I have a real feeling of 'make or break' going on. It will either be fantastic, or it will suck totally. Some examples:

• The 'Jeff Hardy found unconscious' storyline leading up to Survivor Series: offensive, in terms of playing on someone's reputation, and real demons? Yes - not that this is new (see: Hawk, Scott Hall). Would it have been less offensive had they clarified he'd been 'attacked' in the stairwell where he was found? Yes. However, would that have been less cutting-edge, intriguging, and created less buzz? Yes. The mainstream media was had, in terms of their witch hunt looking for WWE pillers, and the "E" succeeded in minimizing any REAL story of this ilk going forward, and creating caution in the media for trusting 'wrestler OD'd stories'. Is this good for wrestlers? Um ... :P Good for business in one sense, bad in another - we'll see if THIS brand of worked shoot becomes a regular feature or is a 'pop a rating' anomalie.
• The resulting Edge title win: great in that Adam Copeland is an awesome performer and it's always great to see him on top. Suckitudinous in that here's another 'undeserved' run for Edge with the title, and after they pulled a similar bait and switch with CM Punk a few months ago, with him being yoinked out of the World Heavyweight Title scramble in favour of Chris Jericho, it doesn't even feel that creative. And Vicki's support of him after their marriage was in shambles when they were last seen together? It's all very interesting - especially champion Edge - but the consistency problems etc. have to be addressed for me to really get behind this.
• John Cena as champ and his performance last night can be seen in two ways: Jason Powell at http://www.prowrestling.net saw Cena's title win as hitting a 'fast forward button' when he could have 'chased' Jericho right to Royal Rumble; his promo last night was pandering and sucking up to the fans. And a fair case can be made. But the 100% positive reaction Cena got in his hometown made it inevitable he'd win the belt; and I think personally he deftly tied in Chris Jericho's disrespect of the WWE, to his disrespect for the fans, and issued his support of both, and judging from the crowd reaction, he succeeded in what he, and the WWE more in particular, wanted him to do - the WWE fans appreciated his support, and sympathized with the WWE being looked down upon by Jericho. In one fell swoop, for that moment or two of magic, Cena got the fans behind him, and the flagging WWE product. Will it last? Again - we will see.
• IC Title Tournament: I feel about this the way I feel about every tournament; the quality of competition, and the final match, will say a lot about where it goes. Last night, was not particularly inspiring.
• A huge technical screwup blew Melina's surprise return in the Diva's six-woman tag match; her music played during Candice Michelle's entrance, before she was due to come out. Bad. On the other hand - I have never respected the King and Michael Cole - particularly the King- more than their commentary thereafter. Was it cheezy, and obviously trying to cover up for something? Of course. Did it make me laugh? Yes. Did point A cause point B? You bet your bippy.

So an eventful couple of days for the onscreen WWE product - be sure and tune in tomorrow night to hear even more about all that, and anything else that comes around in the meantime, at roughly 11 or midnight EST, right here ... In This Very Ring. :D

Survivor Series Update: Jeff Hardy 'found unconscious at his hotel'

WWE.com reported Jeff Hardy was found unconscious in a stairwell at his hotel today, hours before competing for the WWE Title vs. Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov. This is widely known to be a work, as no insiders have any information on an actual incident involving the incident-prone Hardy.

This confirms for me that, unless WWE is really keeping things under wraps and this is more real than most people know (doubtful), this is a further sign of Jeff Hardy winning the title tonight. If he competes - as expected - he will win, mark my words.

Also sighted in Boston, near the Survivor Series venue - one Adam Copeland, better known in wrestling circles as former WWE Champion Edge. Possible culprit in a heinous hotel attack on Jeff Hardy? Well we'll have to tune in to the Survivor Series to find out!

Survivor Series Predictions

As promised - here we go ...

Casket Match: Undertaker vs. Big Show
If there's any event with which Undertaker is even more associated than Wrestlemania, it is Survivor Series. It is at this event 18 years ago where he made his WWE debut. He lost his last match to Big Show, and this feud is going on two months old, which is usually around where WWE starts to want to move on with things. All these things point to the Dead Man coming out on top here. Unless anyone's heard rumours of UT needing some time off, which happens now and then, look for him to go over here ... and Show to go six feet under.

WWE Championship Triple Threat Match: Triple H (c) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov
I think Triple H has had a significant bordering on dominant reign with his title this year - the WWE Title scene has been much more stable than its World Heavyweight counterpart on Raw (which has gone from the Undertaker to Edge to CM Punk to Chris Jericho to Batista back to Jericho in the time Triple H has held his title). That's very understandable to anyone who know's The Game's back story, but even HE relinquishes the title now and then. Given he likes to make doing so a momentous occasion (ie, not just some throwaway monthly PPV), and the Survivor Series is traditionally a big event, and Jeff Hardy has been built for months as 'one step away from the title', I'm actually going to go with an underdog and predict that this is young Mr. Hardy's night. For 8 months he's kept his nose relatively clean, and done his time; his onscreen character's developed a new attitude in the last month, no longer appreciating being tweaked by Trips. Kozlov's not quite ready for the big time. All signs point to a Hardy win except for past precedent. And with that in mind don't get me wrong - a Triple H win would NEVER surprise me. But I'm going to take my chance here and predict it's Hardy's night.

Traditional Survivor Elimination Match #1: Batista (captain), R Truth, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston and Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton (captain), Shelton Benjamin, Cody Rhodes, William Regal and Mark Henry
For those not in the know, this is a ten-person tag team match in which each wrestler gets eliminated when he takes a fall (by pin, submission, DQ or countout). The final wrestlers standing when one entire team has been eliminated, are the 'survivors' - the basis of the Survivor Series format. With that in mind I'm hard pressed often to figure out the exact configuration of who will be standing at the end, who will be eliminated in what order, etc., as some wrestling pundits do. This match though I'm going to go out on a limb to say (a) I think Batista will be the sole survivor, and (b) I believe we will be seeing him alone vs. at least two or three members of Team Orton. Batista will perceive recent losses to Chris Jericho and CM Punk as having made him look weak, and given his ego is reportedly not that far off from Triple H's, I could see him wanting - and getting - a stronger push here to keep him on top.

Traditional Survivor Elimination Match #2: Shawn Michaels (captain), Great Khali, Rey Mysterio and Cryme Tyme vs. JBL (captain), The Miz, John Morrison, MVP and Kane
The faces go over in this one too, in my opinion. I think we'll see a strong showing from MVP after a long PPV dry spell, but ultimately the heels are going down in defeat - especially after Miz and Morrison got an important win over Shawn Michaels on Raw last week. As much as HBK has 'grown up', do you really think he'll allow that to stand? JBL has become the 'beatable main eventer', sort of like Chris Benoit or Eddy Guerrero or Randy Savage before him, the guy people beat, on their way to world title matches. All signs point to a win for Team Michaels, and taking a stab at the final configuration, I'm thinking only Cryme Tyme will have taken an early shower for the face team by the end.

Traditional Survivor Elimination Match #3: Michelle McCool (captain), Maria, Victoria, Maryse and Natalya Neidhart vs. Beth Phoenix (captain), Mickie James, Candice Michelle, Kelly Kelly and Jillian Hall
I think Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown SHOULD come down to either the two captains, giving us a taste of those two fighting and perhaps leading to an interpromotional divas match at Royal Rumble or WM 25, or else if the WWE is, for once, more interested in giving us some interesting and unique wrestling, it could come down to Beth Phoenix or Mickie James vs. Natalya Neidhart - Natty really needs to be able to do more and go further than she has in the dud-like Diva's division over on SD. I think this will come down to a one on one altercation, and it's tough to choose exactly which side will go over. Based on shear name value, and assuming that sells, I'm going to guess Raw wins in the end. If they don't, figure Santino Marella - boyfriend of Beth Phoenix - unintentionally cost them the match, and some Glamarella fireworks will ensue.

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. John Cena
Short and sweet, I'm going with my old rule of thumb: go with Cena, you'll only be wrong once. ;) Jokes aside, look: I don't think Cena has a place in this Wrestlemania's main event picture. It's going to be a big night full of tradition, pomp and circumstance. With names like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Chris Jericho - true veterans who have been with the company a long time - on the roster, and a rumoured Steve Austin one-night-only in-ring return, while Cena will have a BIG role to play, I'm not sure it's at the top of the card on that night. But he IS a main event player whose return WWE has been hyping big time, fighting in his hometown, and for whom the timing is right to have a respectable reign before losing it at the Royal Rumble to Batista or Randy Orton, leading up to a final, one-on-one faceoff between those two at WM. So look for a Cena win! - Duh ... ;)

State of the Blog (and ITVR) Address

OK guys - so ... ITVR was just a pain to find time to fit in this week, and today, too, the day I promised we'd post finally, got away from us in the craziness that has been the last 3 days (honestly, they make the last two months I've been saying the same thing look downright chill by comparison). So with your permission I'm declaring this week a lost cause for recording. But I wanted to take the time to come online here and address these last 6-8 weeks or so that have been spotty, both for ITVR podcasting AND blogging, with more than just a 'I'm flitting off right now, sorry for the lack of detail, it's going to turn around'. This site means a lot to me, and while there aren't a big number of you who read regularly, I know those of you who do are very, very loyal and I appreciate that.

Having said that, the simplest explanation in this case IS the truest, for my own part - honestly, life has just gotten in the way. And I know that's vague and I've said it before, but honestly, in some ways it goes no deeper than the obvious fact that as a school teacher it was easier to fit regular commentary in over the summer! As for my partner in crime, Ari's job w/his current work changed, as did his schedule, plus he's got a few other projects going on that have made me feel bad demanding the rare time he has in the evening for our podcasts.

To me and to anyone, that explanation is understandable, I think. And if you add to that two weeks where we both were ill, plus that I had a full-time teaching gig in which I had to fit a whole semester into two-thirds of one, and now it's a full time job FINDING work ... AND through all that I've been directing a play, tutoring part-time, and lastly and most of all, that there are some major things going on in our lives at this particular moment (all good stuff - changes for the better - but very rapidly occurring and defying a whole lot of detail or explanation at the moment), and it has been truly, truly insane, and I suppose I should just be pleased, and ask you to be pleased, that I've even had time to *watch* wrestling these last two months, much less comment on it - but that's not me. To me, this is a project I've taken on myself, I've had hundreds of people (apparently) read this site, and I haven't kept up with the blogging or podcasting the way I envisioned. So for that I'm sorry.

So having said all that, what does it mean? Is the blog going to be shut down or retooled like my previous one? Am I going to permanently cancel In This Very Ring? No. But what I can say is this - the last two months, as I have implied and as I can't really get into with a great deal of detail because it does not just involve us, have been a time of great change in our little world, but those changes have been building up to this week. I know our most loyal listeners (all two or three of them) know us, and can put things together to know just what this last week has been in our life - you understand and I appreciate that. Those who are maybe more casual and not in the know - trust me that these two months, while in some ways typical of the busy-ness our lives always are, have also been VERY different, but that we truly HAVE a bit of an understanding of where things are heading schedule-wise for the next bit, and will have more of a chance to get this show, and my blogging in general, back on a more even keel.

I hope you bear with us and keep coming by ... starting tomorrow when I post my Survivor Series predictions, and Monday when I post my reactions to it. Tuesday I will be taking off of blogging due to the aforementioned upheaval, but Wednesday we will post ITVR as scheduled and planned, discussing the PPV, plus Raw, plus any other backstage happenings. And hopefully THAT broadcast will signal a new 'back on track'ness here at ITVR. Meanwhile hey - at least I'm not posting once every 6 mos. like I did back at prowrestling.blogdrive.com! lol - Meanwhile, be well, and I'll see you again tomorrow to discuss just WHO will survive the ... well, y'know. ;) Cheers.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT - and quick news hits

Due to some personal developments ITVR will be broadcast on Saturday night instead of today.
I can't and won't get into specifics but rest assured it's good news, and we will be back with the broadcast you expect of us this weekend.

Meanwhile ...

- Armando Alejandro Estrada was released by WWE this week. A shame - he was a very talented worker and if WWE believed in the use of managers in the traditional sense, he'd have a job for life in wrestling. Hopefully another fed will see his potential and snap him up quickly.

- Roddy Piper seen hitting a bong at a party - later claimed it was medicinal, due to his cancer battle last year. OK; I know pot serves pain killing medicinal purposes. But from a bong? At a party? Sure, Hot Rod. :) Enjoy. :)

- WWE stocks plummet to all-time lows ... damn it! I guess my one single share wasn't such a hot investment after all. lol ...

- Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman in recent weeks have both criticized the WWE product, in particular Vince McMahon's juvenility and out-of-touch-ness, and spoken of their interest in getting back in to the promoting game. If these two could get past their own personal differences, and start a federation with Bischoff holding the purse strings and Heyman as the guiding creative force, they would be untouchable. Do it, gentlemen! :)

That, so far, is your last couple of days in wrestling, and in a nutshel what we were going to discuss tonight. Please tune back in on Saturday for all that in detail, plus Survivor Series predictions! :) See you then ... In This Very Ring.

Yeah yeah yeah ...

lol I know - ITVR. It will be up tonight. We kept meaning to do it last night but as a supply teacher I have to call in for work. I didn't have any so I didn't want to take an hour, hour and a half off from calling in to do the broadcast (well, correction - I'd have rather been broadcasting than sitting on the phone w/a recording, but I wanted a job for today lol), but I didn't want to postpone the show in case something came up last night and we still had the chance to do it. We didn't. We will tonight though. :) Thanks for bearing wtih me and be sure to be back then for our Survivor Series predictions, discussion of Ted Dibiase's role in WWE Films' Marine II, more WWE releases, Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman thoughts, and more. See you then! ;)

Raw, Ted Dibiase Jr., and ITVR

So Raw last night was a decent show - I have to admit it wasn't particularly forward-moving in terms of driving plot forward, nor was it particularly exciting; but it was solid. Manu was used as effectively as he has been to date; they brought out Evan Bourne to keep him in our minds as fans, which was a ball I was afraid WWE was going to drop when he got injured, and CM Punk was given an important role. Shawn Michaels is returning to his funny self (although the segment backstage w/Rey Mysterio was random and I couldn't help but feel he was making fun of Rey somehow), and his match with Mysterio vs. Miz and Morrison was good - all the better due to Shawn doing the job for Morrison. Now I'm a Shawn fan and as such enjoy seeing him do well; but I don't enjoy the 'have him lose when it counts and then beat other guys who don't matter, but could if they got the win over somebody like, oh, say, Shawn Michaels. His loss here was just 'freak accident' and flukish enough - a superkick, which has been built as a devastating maneuver, out of nowhere when Shawn and Mysterio had been dominating - while still decisive enough (a pinfall win is a pinfall win) that it will elevate Morrison.

Really at the end of the day my only disappointments were these: 1. the public meeting of Raw roster at the beginning. I think Stephanie McMahon is a much more interesting character than they've let her play these last two weeks - I know they teased a heelishness about her a couple of week ago and I'd like to see them pursue that. And I'm trying not to be impatient; builds are good. But a non-wrestling character can only last so long without clarifying what their impact on the product is going to be - see Adamle, Mike. Bottom line: this was a new and refreshing way to start Raw with a lot of potential, and I feel they dropped the ball - although Santino Marella's rap, and Shawn Michaels' attack on JBL were both hilarious. I was also disappointed in Chris Jericho's promo; last night was the first time I agree with Ari about Jericho: he basically restated, repackaged and reiterated what he's been saying for months. He's done a great job at that so far, while keeping it interesting, and his points about the fact he should be the centrepiece of Raw since Cena's been off so long were valid too. But let's continue to develop this character - if this is where the new, more serious Jericho shift ends, it is simply whiny and uninspired. Y2J ca do better.

Otherwise a strong performance by all players, and every match tied into the upcoming Survivor Series, thus making an effective Go Home show - the only way it didn't fit is it didn't feel like it gelled or carried over from the previous few weeks in terms of continuity - but that might just speak to the fact the previous weeks' shows didn't build up to Survivor Series enough. I also enjoyed Randy Orton's interactions, both with Batista and with Cody Rhodes and Manu - this kid is tremendously talented and I'm glad it seems he's gotten his stuff together enough to have been, and to remain, a top-tier draw for the WWE - his program with Priceless, either as friend or foe, and potential upcoming programs with Batista and/or John Cena (I think these three have some interesting history and tie-ins which should be explored) are things I'm excited about.

And last thing - speaking of John Cena and Priceless (tangentially). Many of you remember John Cena's movie from about eighteen months ago, The Marine. Many of you have also noticed that Ted Dibiase Junior has been off TV of late, due to a kayfabed concussion inflicted by Randy Orton. How are these related? Well ... currently in production with WWE Films ... The Marine II ... starring ... wait for it ... Ted Dibiase Jr. I can HARDLY wait. :P Ari and I will talk more about this, however, as well as previewing this Sunday's Survivor Series, tomorrow night, "In This Very Ring." Be sure and tune in then. :)

The Lesnars Expecting

Congratulations to former WWE Champion and new UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and his wife, Rena Lesnar (aka Sable, former WWE Diva) on expecting their first child together. Both have children from previous relationships. What an exciting time for both parents-to-be, and for the new champ.

In other wrestling divorce news ...

Linda Bollea's lawyer (and for those not in the know, Linda Bollea is the estranged wife of Hulk Hogan), is accusing Hulk Hogan of selling off his trademarks - Hulkamania, Hulkster, Hollywood Hogan and the like - to good friend and business associate Eric Bischoff at bargain basement prices to avoid having to share any royalties or other benefits of those TMs with his wife. The Hulkster's attorney denies this claim.

My thoughts? Eric - your check is in the mail for my use of "Hulkster". lol Seriously, Eric Bischoff does currently own that intellectual property, and as Hogan's friend I have no doubt that he purchased them at a very ... agreeable ... price. That said, time and a court of law will tell if that transaction was particularly unseemly or illegal. Not knowing the players, or particularly liking either of them so far as I do know them, some ugly tactics have been used by both sides in this very bitter split, and I think it would serve them both right if the Graziano family - whose son John was severely injured in a car accident last year with the Hogans' son Nick behind the wheel - came into all of it and left them both penniless.

Oh dear Hulk - you might have to wrestle for your supper again!

Are Dubbya and his staffers Matt Hardy fans?

Any further explanations for the V1 handsign in this photo are sought. :P

(photo from http://www.perezhilton.com)

The Flair Divorce - getting ugly

So it's been a slow news week in wrestling when the main thing to cover, other than the firings we discussed Wednesday, is the fact that Ric Flair's soon-to-be ex-wife appeared on a 'fan talk live'-esque online radio show, called Unholy Matrimony (http://www.unholymatrimonyshow.com). It sounds like the divorce is getting bitter, with Tiffany saying, in response to Ric Flair's physical confrontation with his daughter and her boyfriend, that she is "So glad to be out of the drama" that Ric "creates and likes it". She reveals they are nowhere near a settlement, and that they have several joint business ventures after nearly five years together, not to mention Ric currently lives in a house SHE owns. However under North Carolina law they cannot start divorce proceedings until June - leading the hosts of Unholy Matrimony to joke that the challenge would be making sure Slick Ric didn't spend all his money before then - a "novel idea, huh?" according to Tiffany.

Wow - this interview was a far cry from the accepting, understanding, even affectionate words she had for her ex just a few months ago. You can listen to the show at the link above, Mrs. Flair appears at the 60 minute mark approximately. You can also check out her website in the near-future, which should be at http://www.tiffanyflair.com - with a physical training and inspirational focus.

ITVR

No - no excuses, no 'sorries', nothing - ITVR is up, on the night it's supposed to be! :D Including both Ari and I in a full-length version! :) Here's a toast, it's a red letter day.

You can enjoy the podcast by clicking the title of this entry.

Changed my mind re waiting until tomorrow - an actual newsy entry (with a SPOILER about halfway thru)

So I WAS going to leave my entry at that, but then started thinking ...

So much of my blog of late has been about the on-air product, or excuses for ITVR not going up ... and a big part of the reason for both is that for awhile, there had been a whole lot of quiet behind the scenes. Well this isn't the case anymore, it's been a big 7-10 days in wrestling, and I'd be derelict in my duty as blogstress here to shunt off talking about them until tomorrow. Now I do want there to be a show tomorrow still so I'll leave the in-depth discussion of on-air programming until then, plus still more discussion of all this with my partner in crime Ari, but --

WWE RELEASES
In the last 10 days, the WWE has released: Chuck Palumbo, Paul London, Kenny Dykstra, and Elijah Burke. While none of these were major shocks - none of them have been getting what could be call even modest pushes of late - they were all talented hands and I certainly hope this isn't the end of the line for them in terms of big league wrestling. Hopefully TNA or ROH helps them land on their feet, and/or eventually WWE welcomes them back with renewed enthusiasm. These are talented men who should at this point be able to write their own tickets in the business. Conversely - their next moves are critical. Wrestling is replete with talented also-rans; here's hoping those gentlemen not only write their own ticket, but also get off at the right stop. On the other hand, here's hoping Mike Adamle's on-air writeoff on last Monday's Raw (which I didn't address nearly enough, or nearly enthusiastically enough, I don't think) is the last we see of him, and he will be 'future endeavoured' in rapid order. I'm afraid his terse words with Stephanie McMahon are indicative he has a future storyline coming as I said, but we'll see.

WWE Entry (TNA Impact spoiler alert, as alluded to in the title, applies here)
Christian Cage, on this Thursday's Impact!, was left lying by the Main Event Mafia after losing his match on Sunday's pay-per-view and ostensibly, therefore, being forced to join them. Given his contract is coming to an end, and rumours have abounded he and WWE are mutually interested in his returning in the near-future, this was probably a wise move; get him off-screen until TNA knows he's returning. That way, if he DOES come back, he can have a ceremonious triumph on his re-entry; if not, they aren't sending a hot prospect to the WWE. Unfortunate that such a talent should spend any time off TV, but a smart and understandable business decision. In a less certain note, it is rumoured Gail Kim is speaking with both WWE and TNA now that she is a free agent as well. I look forward to seeing both of these talents' next moves.

TNA Entry ... aborted?
So it was confirmed that was (a very drunk) Scott Hall at Turning Point on Sunday. Apparently his cohorts, the Insane Clown Posse, had been okayed by Jeff Jarrett to be at the PPV that night, but not Hall; when he showed up onscreen, apparently former tag team partner and friend Kevin Nash asked for him to be ejected from the building. Some heat between these two? Ari and I will be talking about this story - and the others - more tomorrow but all I will say for now is, dude. Clean the hell up. I mean REALLY. Do you EVER want to be employed again? You don't do this crap. Sigh ... some people will never ... what's that word? Oh yeah. Learn. :P

Again - more on all this tomorrow. And thanks again for bearing with me through a couple of weeks which were slow in terms of wrestling news, and busy in terms of my life. Hopefully the former will now pick up while the latter HAS indeed calmed down. Look forward to you joining me for the ride, starting right here tomorrow with Ari and I ... In This Very Ring. ;)

True good vs. evil

I'd like to take the time on this Remembrance Day and Veteran's day to realize that the good-vs-evil epic battles we see in the ring have nothing on what our brave men and women throughout history, and today, do in order to protect the world in which we live. They are the true superheroes, who the wrestlers acknowledge every Christmas with "Christmas with the Troops". Ari and I will do our usual ITVR episode complete with TNA Turning Point reviews and talking about the recent WWE releases, and the Raw episode from the UK last night tomorrow, plus much more - plenty to discuss!

But for today, please make sure to take a moment and thank the veterans and soldiers who are the REAL heroes of our world's REAL wars.

TNA Turning Point

So we actually tuned into a TNA show tonight! It was good stuff - strong wrestling, the booking was decent (although I don't think the Main Event Mafia would have suffered from losing ONE match, I don't mind establishing them as strong this month, to maybe expose a chink or two of their armour in the coming weeks and months), and it was nice to see some familiar faces (I'm surprised to say) in Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle ... heck, and of course the younger guys who make TNA so exciting to watch when we do get down to it. I'm still not sure, given the fairly consistently critical reviews I've read, if I'm prepared to sit through too much of the weekly Impact! show, but the PPVs are definitely worth the buy - at $10 cheaper than the WWE shows, you get more action and actually a fuller show - tonight's event went until five to 11pm, where WWE shows usually end somewhere between quarter-to and ten-to.

Just one question: was that REALLY Scott Hall in the front row for some matches in the middle there, or do I need a new prescription for my glasses? And if he was there, why didn't the announcers acknowledge him as anything other than a 'familiar face' (ie, do some actual NAME dropping which might benefit TNA?). I can only assume, since they didn't really say anything about him being there, nor was he involved in any of the action, that he hadn't been expected to be there and was enjoying the show as a fan. But perhaps I'm wrong. I'll wait to see what the real insiders (as opposed to me who is a completely casual blogger) have to say. Overall great show though. Good stuff.

ITVR Podcast

Well I was going to postpone it due to Ari's voice, but figured I'd at least put a solo edition out there to make up for my sluggish posting these last few weeks. Just as the busy-ness of finishing up at school ended, the sickness bug hit our house - ain't that how she goes?

But anyway click the post title to hear my brief thoughts on Raw, Survivor Series coming up, WWE 24/7 and the recent WWE releases, as well as some ideas for increased interactivity on the show going forward (plus a funny cameo by Ari's frog voice a min. or two in lol).

ITVR

Will be up tomorrow - Ari has had what I've had the past couple weeks and his voice n'est pas en bonne forme - not in good shape. Thanks for the patience dudes and dudettes.

RAW

So last night was a 3-hour special on Raw - it featured several veterans such as DX, and octogenerienne Mae Young. Some good drama with the McMahon siblings vying for control over the heart and soul of Raw, and Mike Adamle's resignation as GM which started it all; Randy Orton's kicking in of Ted Dibiase Jr.'s head was unexpected and interesting, as was Dibiase's elimination of his tag team partners Cody Rhodes and Manu earlier in the night.

The show was solid, and while I was disappointed at some of the treatment of the younger guys - how CM Punk and Kofi Kingston were made to look; Miz and Morrison's jobbing to DX - these were not entirely unexpected, and in Miz and Morrison's case they got a good deal of offense in before the predictable finish, which in itself was a pleasant surprise. :)

This had a big-show feel with such luminaries as Jim Ross, Triple H and Undertaker appearing from the Blue Brand, and the reunion of the Hardy Brothers; I enjoyed DX's humour and it's great to see Shawn Michaels back to his old self. Jericho's recapturing of the world title so quickly was unforeseen but also not bad, provided it's backed up with some decent story between him and John Cena in the upcoming month - WHO will get screwed at the Survivor Series this year?

Solid show, Raw keeps getting better after a few rough months, just as they were getting back on track. Way to right the train guys, keep it up! :)

Main Event Mafia - TNA

I gotta say man ... I should watch TNA more often. I heard awhile ago that they've started up a 'legends vs. younger guys' angle, which tends to fail miserably (most notably under Vince Russo's auspices towards the end of WCW's days); thus I'd been ignoring it. But I've read from a few reliable sources now, and caught on from the very minimal snippits of Impact! I've seen since leaving it for dead, that the Main Event Mafia angle, featuring Kevin Nash, Booker T, Sting and Kurt Angle, is actually being handled beautifully (if you ignore the fact that AJ Styles is being booked as a younger guy despite having wrestled longer than Angle, and having won his first title before Angle did).

Now I have the first rehearsal for a play I'm directing this Thursday, but I'm going to try to catch Impact! when I come in to see if the fuss I've been hearing is correct - and if I do succeed in catching it, expect feedback Friday. :) Until then, keep tuning in for ITVR and other blogging throughout the weekend and coming week. Take care all!