Celtic Guardian

Smackdown won't air until Sunday night in D.C. I'm curious to see what feed airs there.

The Amazing Race, for certain even if the family edition is bad, because much of my blog traffic comes from posting about the show. Otherwise: Everybody Hates Chris, probably. Arrested Development, probably. Veronica Mars, maybe on a tryout basis.

WWE.com Friday Night Smackdown preview WWE will produce a two hour Friday Night Smackdown, air one hour on UPN and the other hour on WWE.com.

No way. The RFK Stadium grass is getting torn up hosting two teams (baseball and soccer) as it is now.

I didn't know Hogan has working boots. I've been watching him since '84 and haven't seen that pair yet. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hogan kept them in storage for his Japanese trips.

Actually, as much as people seem to dislike Christy, she has nothing to do with Molly's departure, Molly herself has said as much. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Of course, both statements are accurate. The release request did occur at about the same time but had nothing to do with jobbing to lesser talents. Molly never had a problem doing jobs for anyone, including Christy.

And after all that, Joey Styles was bounced by WWE from any association with the promotion. JSEH will be renamed. Press release on 1wrestling

...with custody papers hanging from the ceiling too. (preview.)

They are trying in a sense. There is an ongoing challenge in the courts against the Redskins trademarks, based on a federal law that bars registered trademarks for racist terms and material. If successful, the team would lose exclusivity for the term and would presumably be financially inclined to change the Redskin name to something else.

I remember this story. Jillian went to OVW on her own in hopes of getting noticed by WWE. She wrestled Ivory there once. Ivory was impressed, put in a good word back at WWE and Jillian got the developmental deal.

That doesn't mean she can wrestle worth a lick. Probably can't. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> She developed a good rep as a wrestler back in the indies as Macaela Mercedes. God only knows if she has maintained that skill through all the surgical alterations though.

August 11, Devil Rays at Orioles.

(The official press release) ---- ----

We may have to forget the bookend theory. The Stern talks with Spike have reportedly been suspended without success according to TVWeek. TNA without a popular lead-out like Stern will obviously have a more difficult time holding on to that casual audience.

...except when it is described as "JOEY STYLES EXTREMELY HARDCORE" of course. Styles has to remember to name drop at every possible opportunity, not just 90% of them. Pffft!!

TNA does have one other advantage, it more easily fits the Spike target demographic. Young adult male viewers generally have this channel in mind as a potential viewing option. TNA has at least the potential to pick up new followers for its unexposed product with that slot. ECW never made sense on the then country-themed TNN, the target demographics were just mismatched. Potential future ECW fans weren't inclined to ever watch TNN in the first place so that slot really was something of a waste.

I could well be working myself, please let that be the case. The one thing though that I have learned over the years though is not to trust the blatantly obvious in the pro wrestling business. It's so obvious, so laid out, so pre-destined that Undertaker must bury Hassan tonight that it could end up all being just a sham.

My picks while I still have time... World Championship Batista © vs. John Bradshaw Layfield Batista wins strong and takes the title home. WWE Tag Team Championship MNM © vs. Road Warrior Animal & Heidenreich Animal & NOT Hawk by dq or count-out, symbolic win only. MNM has to keep the titles for credibility's sake. U.S. Championship Orlando Jordan © vs. Chris Benoit Benoit takes the title because even team McMahon have to be tired of this joke. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio. If Eddie wins, he will tell Rey's "secret". If he loses, he will never reveal it. Mysterio wins, evil Guerrero reveals the secret anyway, both wrestlers have reason to keep feuding. Number One Contender Match The Undertaker vs. Muhammad Hassan Hassan. I call swerve. Batista/Hassan in D.C. may be too irresistable for Vinnie Mac. Let UPN take the ratings hit with any future title feud off TV. Bra & Panties Match Special Referee: Candice Michelle Melina vs. Torrie Wilson Melina wins, though it doesn't matter anyway. Torrie should "misplace" her phone. Booker T vs. Christian Christian wins to build for a stronger push. The Mexicools vs. The BWO Mexicools because the BWO means nothing in WWE.

The negative press isn't a work. The statement from UPN banning Hassan from Smackdown isn't a work. Call it a hunch, but I'm guessing this situation isn't a work. But I guess the media coming down on WWE and UPN could be going along with Vince for one big mega work. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Even if UPN's declared position is real, Hassan could survive as a PPV/internet-only character for two plus months or so until Raw gets moved to USA. There used to be a time in the pre-Raw days when a World champion would rarely appear at the television tapings anyway. Besides, WWE gets paid a flat fee nowadays for the Smackdown rights, UPN has to try to make money from Smackdown ads based on the ratings. If the ratings go down because a title feud gets pulled off weekly television, UPN would take the short-term hit.

The official WWE statement never definitively claimed that the Hassan character would be pulled. Only the unofficial leaks on wrestling and mainstream media sites have made that claim. Look, Vince McMahon has had some hours now to think things through. His natural instinct is to be spiteful, not contrite towards his critics. I simply won't trust him to step down off the Hassan precipice until if/when Hassan is down and buried.

Undertaker defeating Hassan tonight just seems all too easy, all too predictable somehow. Pro wrestling is a game of misdirection. I just don't trust these leaks about Hassan being pulled.

From reading the AP article, it looks like the effort will be to develop a new version that would requalify for the M rating instead. Making the AO-rated content more accessible probably isn't in the cards.

One hopes there's an actual contract provision that would allow for TNA to not pay should it reach a certain ratings benchmark.

The TNA statement seems like a classic "non-denial denial" that doesn't really settle anything. Any Matt Hardy appearance (should there be one) would not have the public sanctioning/authorization of WWE or TNA anyway.

Being that Matt Hardy is not a TNA contracted performer, there would be no recourse should he "shoot" against TNA instead. Under no circumstance should TNA allow Matt Hardy on the PPV.