QuestionMan

Because the simple fact that it's happening (remember, Bret's actually going to be in the studio, not just on the phone) means that it just may lead to your little fantasy of Bret Hart being on RAW. And it's not bogus. A bogus headline would be the one up saying that RAW records an all-time low USA rating, when it easily is not. It's not the headline's fault that you jumped to fanatical conclusions. Byte This is WWE programming. Get over it, Billy Bitchcakes.

I don't know, but I'm betting Paul Heyman wishes the current management was in place back when ECW was on this network.

That's so sad how the promos are scripted word for word. No wonder no one has a personality anymore.

I do believe that was just situational heat. The idea of a heel, HHH or anyone else, walking out of WrestleMania with the title is something I'd throw trash at too.

I really believe Austin's "I'm not losing the belt to HHH" declaration really planted the jackass seed in HHH.

Yep, it's on PWI Elite that Tajiri recently signed a new contract.

The last time Halloween was on Monday was in 1994. Unfortunately, there's no ratings info I can find for 1994 to see if there was a significant drop.

The turnbuckles still had the original block logo at WM14 I do believe.

Just got done watching Backlund/Hart. They panned to Julie Hart during the match and, wow, she was really gorgeous. It's amazing how fat and ugly she got in 3 years.

What a horribly misleading topic. RAW's done MUCH lower on USA. Back when the nWo was getting hot in mid-96, RAW was pulling ratings in the high 1s. They almost got bumped to midnight their ratings were so low.

On WWE.Com's Unlimited thing on the PPV, Foley was asked what he thought of the match and he said: "It went from utter joy to utter panic pretty quickly when I realized that I was quite a bit heavier and less prepared than for the Randy Orton match at Backlash 2004." Some people backstage said Foley was very disappointed with his performance and some accounts say he actually apologized to Carlito for the match.

Here is the transcript of Jake Roberts' 24/7 Online interview. It's a snippet from his DVD (Jake "The Snake" Roberts: Pick Your Poison) and it's gripping stuff. ============= Jake Roberts: "I wrestled in an altered state for probably two years straight. At least 18 months." Jim Ross: "When you look back at that, not withstanding the fact that the drug addiction is a killer; it will kill you if you do it long enough. We all know that's going to happen. If a guy does it long enough, he's a dead man." Roberts: "Right. Absolutely. Russian roulette." Ross: "But looking back at it aside from that fact, do you feel almost a sigh of relief that nobody in any of your matches got hurt because you were messed up?" Roberts: "Yeah. Absolutely. I'm just thankful that I wasn't clumsy. And thankful that God had a hand on there somewhere. Because there's no way in the world I should be sitting in this chair right now. I tried to commit suicide twice. Took 100 placidils. 10 of them will kill a man. Easily. 100 would kill an elephant. And lived. Took 100 Valium. Woke up the next morning. And you know what--" Ross: "You wanted to die that night." Roberts: "I was begging for it. And you know what, Jim? You know the insanity of it? When you wake up and you say to yourself, 'Christ, what a loser I am. I can't even fucking die right.' That, my friend, is insanity of the addiction. Nobody, no one, can ever hurt me as I've hurt myself. Whether it came from being ashamed of myself for being a 10-year-old/11-year-old bed wetter to the no good, son of a bitch that beat his sister up and never once told her that he loved her. And then she dies? She's murdered? Nobody can make me feel as bad as I do myself. Nobody can punish me as much as I can punish myself. I'm not happy about where I've been. But I'm truly excited about where I'm going."

Interesting Note: Earl Hebner is the referee of Rhodes vs. Luger.

So, when is Vince going to start humiliating Joey Styles?

Bret didn't want it on the DVD.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Lex Luger WCW Starrcade 1987 November 26, 1987 Starrcade was WCW's biggest event of the year, and in this one Lex Luger put his United States Championship on the line against Dusty Rhodes in a Steel Cage Match. Luger was a part of the Four Horsemen at the time and had J.J. Dillon in his corner. Would Dillon give Luger the edge he needed to defeat Dusty? The Perfect Team (Mr. Perfect & Demolition) vs. The Ultimate Warriors (The Ultimate Warrior, Kerry Von Erich, & The Legion of Doom) WWE Survivor Series 1990 November 22, 1990 This is a classic Survivor Series-style elimination match pitting Ultimate Warrior, The Texas Tornado & L.O.D against Mr. Perfect and all three members of Demolition. Could the strength of The Warriors overcome their opponents' self-proclaimed perfection? The All-Americans (Lex Luger, The Steiner Brothers, & The Undertaker) vs. The Foreign Fanatics (Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Quebecer Jacques Rougeau, & Crush) WWE Survivor Series 1993 November 24, 1993 This one was about more than wins and losses. National pride was on the line in this one as Lex Luger, The Steiners and Undertaker fought for the honor of America against The Foreign Fanatics. Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Jacques Rougeau and Crush all shared disdain for the U.S., but would that disdain translate into a victory? Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund WWE Survivor Series 1994 November 23, 1994 Bret "Hit Man" Hart was called the Excellence of Execution, but Bob Backlund was one of the few Superstars that could go hold for hold with the Hit Man. Hart had the Sharpshooter and Backlund had the Chicken Wing. The only way to win was if the towelboy in a man's corner threw in the towel. Hart's towelboy was his brother-in-law, the British Bulldog, and Backlund's towelboy was Hart's estranged brother, Owen Hart. The finish to this one must be seen to be believed. Jake Roberts on The Barber Shop WWE Wrestling Challenge December 28, 1991 Jake "The Snake" Roberts was a guest on The Barber Shop. He was there to discuss his very personal rivalry with "Macho Man" Randy Savage. This rivalry was jump-started when Jake, along with Undertaker, crashed Savage's and Elizabeth's wedding at SummerSlam and gave them a cobra as a wedding present. Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie WWE Royal Rumble 1992 January 19, 1992 The Mountie shocked the world when he defeated a sick Bret "Hit Man" Hart (Hart was suffering from a 104 degree temperature) for the Intercontinental Championship, but he needed his shock stick to get the job done. Roddy Piper took this match on behalf of the Hit Man and tried to avenge Bret's loss by winning his first piece of WWE gold. Would The Mountie have to pay the Piper? Piper's Pit with Jimmy Snuka June 26, 1984 This is widely considered as the most memorable Piper's Pit ever. In this edition, the Rowdy one insults WWE Hall of Famer "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and adds insult to injury when he smashes a coconut over his head. Bret Hart vs. Goldberg vs. Sid Vicious vs. Scott Hall WCW Monday Nitro November 8, 1999 The United States Championship was on the line in a Texas Tornado Ladder Match on this wild edition of Nitro. Scott Hall was the Champion and his buddy Kevin Nash was named the special guest referee. Would his fellow Outsider help lead him to victory? Paul Orndorff on The Flower Shop July 26, 1986 "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff used to be a revered crowd favorite, but after he turned on one-time friend Hulk Hogan, he became a hated villain. Shortly after turning his back on the fans, Orndorff appeared on the Flower Shop mocking The Hulkster. You won't want to miss this classic segment. The Steiner Brothers vs. Sting & Lex Luger WCW SuperBrawl I May 19, 1991 The Steiner Brothers, Lex Luger and Sting were all friends at the time, but Luger and Sting thought they were worthy of a shot at the WCW Tag Team Championship so they asked for a match. The Steiners, being the fighting champions that they were, granted them the shot and the result was a tag team classic. Nikita Koloff got involved in the action as well, but what result would his presence cause? Jake Roberts vs. Macho Man Randy Savage WWE Tuesday in Texas December 3, 1991 This rivalry was about as personal as it could get. Jake "The Snake" Roberts crashed "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth's wedding and gave them a cobra as a wedding gift. After being attacked by a cobra in the ring as well, Savage came out of retirement to face Roberts. You won't want to miss this brutal grudge match. Superstar Billy Graham vs. Dusty Rhodes August 24, 1977 Take a trip in the Way Back Machine and watch a WWE Hall of Famer take on a young Dusty Rhodes. Superstar Billy Graham was on a roll in 1977 and had defeated the likes of Chief Jay Strongbow, Gorilla Monsoon, Ivan Putski, Bob Backlund and was the WWE Champion after dethroning Bruno Sammartino. Could Superstar add Dusty Rhodes to his list of victims? Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan WWE WrestleMania VII March 24, 1991 Sgt. Slaughter is often remembered as a huge crowd favorite. But during this time there was no man hated more than the Sarge. He was an Iraqi sympathizer during this time and had turned his back on his country. He had defeated Ultimate Warrior for the WWE Championship and put the gold on the line at WrestleMania VII against Hulk Hogan. Could the "Real American" defeat the turncoat and become WWE Champion once again? Ric Flair vs. Bret Hart October 12, 1992 Most people know about this famous match that took place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but not many have actually seen it. Now is your chance to witness Bret Hart become WWE Champion for the first time when he upset the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in his home country of Canada at a live event. Syxx vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr. WCW Monday Nitro April 21, 1997 The action is incredibly fast-paced in this Cruiserweight classic. Known by WWE fans as X-Pac, Syxx took on Rey Mysterio. Syxx was the Cruiserweight Champion and had the nWo by his side. Could Mysterio pull off the upset and become Champion? Billionaire Ted on Larry Fling Live WWE Monday Night RAW February 19, 1996 This segment was smack in the middle of the Monday Night Wars. This was a spoof on WCW owner Ted Turner, and showed how deep the hatred ran between WWE and WCW during this time. Rick Steiner Meets Chucky WCW Monday Nitro November 12, 1998 WCW had its share of bizarre moments over the years, but perhaps no segment was more bizarre than when Rick Steiner was confronted by horror movie icon Chuckie from Child's Play. This segment has to be seen to be believed. Shawn Michaels vs. Max Moon WWE Monday Night RAW January 11, 1993 Max Moon was a very colorful high-flier that was around for a brief time in the early 1990s. Shawn Michaels took on this mysterious character in a match from the first ever RAW. Sting vs. Mike Rotundo WCW Clash of the Champions April 1, 1989 This was a classic technical wrestling match-up and the Television Championship was on the line. Could Mike Rotundo, better known by WWE fans as I.R.S., walk away with the gold? Or would the Stinger leave as Champion? Hulk Hogan & Macho Man Randy Savage vs. The Alliance to End Hulkamania (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Kevin Sullivan, the Faces of Fear, Lex Luger, Z-Gangsta, & The Ultimate Solution) WCW Uncensored 1996 March 24, 1996 This will certainly go down as one of the most unique matches in WCW history. This took place in a four-level Steel Cage. Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage had to take on eight men. They had to start at the top of the cage and work their way down until they got to the bottom level and score a pinfall. This is certainly one you won't want to miss.

THE REAL REASON STEVE AUSTIN ISN'T AT TABOO TUESDAY by Wade Keller Steve Austin was not in a car accident, but a source tells the Torch he did suffer a back injury moving furniture. Saying "car accident" sounded more serious and palatable for television. As one WWE source noted, though, if Austin were enthusiastic and motivated about this angle and the planned finish, he may have taken a pain pill and found a way to make it through a gimmicky low-exertion match with Coach. As it is, though, he apparently is severely immobilized at this point from the back strain.

I can't believe I'm thinking about ordering Taboo Tuesday because of a play-by-play guy. Has WWE's product gotten so stale that simple changes in the announce booth can cause someone to get so excited for change that they'd throw down $35?

Goldust being back doesn't offend me at all. In fact, it kinda makes me happy to see him back. I was kind of upset with the fact he was released. BookDust was one of the most over acts of 2002. And he was probably the best I have ever seen him, workrate wise, in 2003. His matches with Christian and Chris Jericho were great matches. The only problem I can see is that he got a little bigger. If he can get back down to his 2003 shape (which I believe was the best shape he's ever been in his career), push him.

If someone gets hit by a low blow, I guarantee you Styles will make a reference at how he was chastized for saying "balls" at ECW One Night Stand.

I guess this topic can be closed now, since it's not true.

Joey Styles backstage at Taboo Tuesday November 1, 2005 Earlier today, former ECW announcer Joey Styles was spotted backstage at Taboo Tuesday. WWE.com: Why are you here and who invited you? Joey Styles: I was invited by Kevin Dunn (Executive Vice President of WWE Television Production). Because Jonathan Coachman will be getting his head kicked in during his match tonight, there was an opening at the announce table, so I was brought in for the night to do play-by-play. Being a huge Internet wrestling fan, I couldn’t think of anything that would be more fun than Taboo Tuesday – the interactive pay-per-view. I think it’s a great idea to have fans pick the stipulations for the matches. I’m a little surprised the fans didn’t get to choose an announcer for Taboo Tuesday, but I like to think that if fans did get to choose, they would have chosen me. WWE.com: What do you think lead WWE to calling you? Styles: I’m sure the decision to call me was made a few seconds after WWE’s original choice realized he didn’t know enough about professional wrestling to fill the shoes of Jim Ross, even for one night. WWE.com: At this point, do you know if this is another “one night stand” for you? Or is this a permanent move for you into the RAW announce booth? Styles: As far as I know, this is another one night stand, which is funny because I was never the most successful single person in the world. The only pickup line that ever worked for me was “Will you marry me?” So I’ve now had two one night stands in one calendar year, which is probably more than I had in my entire single life. WWE.com: At this point, has WWE told you anything about your future past Taboo Tuesday? Styles: First of all, I want to say that I think Jim Ross was the greatest play-by-play man there has ever been in professional wrestling. I don’t think anybody could fill his shoes, his hat or his headset. But I’d like to think if somebody can, it would be me. It would be an honor. As far as I know, though, I was brought in for one evening because Coach cannot wrestle and do play-by-play at the same time, and some would argue that he can’t do either. So I’m just here for the one night. I’ll be doing play-by-play tonight. Then I’ll be on a plane, going back to my anonymous career in advertising sales in Atlanta. While I’m here, though, I’ll be sure to check out catering. The cheese plate was exquisite in New York at One Night Stand. I can’t wait to see what it looks like here in California. WWE.com: What will it be like working with Jerry Lawler? Styles: I have not seen The King since ECW Hardcore Heaven 1997 when he battled Tommy Dreamer. I’ve never had the opportunity to work with him in the broadcast booth. I’m looking forward to it because he’s a lot of fun. WWE.com: If you had to pick a broadcast partner, who would be your dream color man? Styles: I would rather slide over and do color and sit beside Jim Ross. He’s the best there’s ever been. Seniority means something in this business and I would be honored to sit next to good ol’ Jim Ross. WWE.com: Do you have any thoughts on the way that J.R. was let go? Styles: I think it took great restraint on his part not to take a swing at the McMahons. I’ve got somewhat of an undeserved reputation of being a loose cannon, which is usually reserved for wrestlers. I’ve been put in some compromising positions. I’ve probably been beat up and bounced around as much as any other play-by-play man, but to take that much abuse by three members of that family after everything that has happened to him over the years, I’m surprised he didn’t say “to hell with my job” and start swinging. WWE.com: What have you been up to since One Night Stand? Styles: About a year-and-a-half ago, I moved from my hometown in Stamford, Conn., coincidentally enough, and took a job with an advertising agency in Atlanta. Most people don’t realize that ECW wasn’t a full-time job for me. It looks like it is because you’re on TV once a week, but a lot of it was post-produced out of a studio in New York. So I always had a full-time job in advertising sales. When ECW ceased operations and I was unable to come to terms with WWE, I went back to my career. So basically, I’m under contract now to WWE as the ECW announcer and I’m available at the company’s convenience. When they need me, they take the hammer and break the glass box that says “in case of an emergency, and you need an announcer, break glass.”

Meltzer just reported that Styles may be taking over RAW announcing, and could start as early as tonight at Taboo Tuesday. Someone in this friggin' company finally got a clue. How well do you think Styles & Jerry "Extremely Crappy Wrestling" Lawler will work together as commentators?

HTQ is exactly right. A lot of the people within WWE who observe the booking meetings say the McMahons mainly book shows around what would entertain them, not the fans.

According to Meltzer, WWE is strongly against fixing the voting, and the votes for "Street Fight" will be a runaway.