WWE Notes from the 4/19 Observer

[Enigma 0]

"There are no plans at all right now to revive ECW. The new TV schedule, starting on 5/1, is that the two-hour Saturday night block is being canceled. Spike TV wanted to put something else in the time slot, but there are contractual stipulations providing WWE a certain number of hours of programming. Velocity will be moving to 7 p.m. on Saturday night. The Velocity change in the long run is probably for the better, although it will take a few weeks to get the audience trained. Interesting that they are running Saturday and Sunday nights in what was very close to the same time slots TBS did with great success for decades (Saturday's new slot is same as the second hour, Sunday is an hour later). Confidential is out and there will be a new show called WWE Experience at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning to provide the added hour. The new show will be hosted by Ivory and Todd Grisham and will be pushed as the only show covering both brands. It'll be more kid-oriented than Confidential, which it is replacing, with weekly diary segments with wrestlers like Chris Jericho, John Cena, and The Hurricane talking about what they've supposedly been doing out of the ring that week. There are also supposed to be music segments on the show.

 

The Canada deal wound up as a front page story in the Winnipeg Free Press on 4/10, which I guess goes to show a lack of news on that day when WWE changing Chris Jericho's home town is front page news. Keep in mind I think the new WWE doctrine is stupid, with no upside and only a downside, but when it becomes a front page story in the newspaper that they've changed a few guys home towns (even if I'm quoted in the story), that's a bit much. The timing is curious with some televised events over the next two months scheduled in Winnipeg (depending upon how Smackdown sales go, the plan is to do both Raw and Smackdown from the Arena on 7/5 and 7/6), Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, and Kelowna. The story noted that the new company doctrine has hit a nerve with Canadian wrestling fans, which it was guaranteed to do. The story talked about Canadian fans starting a petition to allow Chris Benoit, Jericho, Edge, and others to be billed from Canada once again, with the story noting that heels La Resistance have now claimed being Canadian instead of French, while Christian is still from Toronto. The petition being circulated read, "We believe this is an attempt by the WWE to. try and hide the fact that they are Canadian. This message proves that the WWE doesn't care about Canada." Actually, it only proves that WWE thinks its American audience is unbelievably racist. The TV taping last year in Montreal where they tried to make Canadian wrestling fans heels was when I realized they either didn't understand or care much about the Canadian audience. The story noted that Jericho grew up in Winnipeg, went to high school and college in Winnipeg, and is married to a woman from Winnipeg (although the couple has since moved to Florida). The CBC's (equivalent to PBS in the U.S.) national radio broadcast on 4/10 also covered this story in similar fashion, as did the Calgary Herald.

 

The Backlash final line-up for 4/18 in Edmonton is Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. Shawn Michaels for the title, Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack for IC title in a falls count anywhere no DQ match with Evolution barred from ringside, Ric Flair vs. Shelton Benjamin, Chris Jericho vs. Christian & Trish Stratus, Edge vs. Kane, Victoria vs. Lita for women's title and Tajiri vs. The Coach.

 

It wasn't a one-time deal as Brian Lawler signed a new contract and is back as Grand Master Sexay. I'm also into bringing back guys like Eddy Guerrero who have their troubles, but go to work on the independents and Japan and show they've still got it. I'm usually against guys who take the same route and stink up the joint on independents and in Japan (Scott Hall comes to mind) because odds are if they stink elsewhere, they aren't going to be turning their lives around here. Anyway, Lawler was among the worst guys when he worked in TNA, and only the top few guys in TNA can really hang here. Lawler was fired several years ago when he was caught going across the Canadian border with cocaine and methamphetamines, which I don't believe he ended up being charged with. He's been trying to get back for years and was at one time both a good worker and charismatic. He still has some charisma in his role, but didn't look good at all, granted he hardly had time to, in his return on the 4/12 Raw getting squashed by Kane.

 

Walking Tall as of 4/11 had taken in $28,953,956. Its second weekend drew $8,442,008, which was a 44% drop from the first weekend. The drop off was less than predicted, so overall its above projections. It was hoped to do $35 million to $45 million in its theatrical run, and should easily beat the former number.

 

When Chris Benoit was in Toronto this past week doing promo work, he kept getting asked about being announced from Atlanta. Because the real answer is not about to make the company look good in Toronto, he didn't explain the change other than noting they don't bill him as "from Atlanta," but as "residing in Atlanta," which he noted is the case. He also said that when he retires from wrestling he would move back to Edmonton. He also said that he never actually believed he was winning until HHH actually tapped. Even though it didn't surprise me at all, because it was the right thing for business, there were a lot of wrestlers in the company who really didn't believe HHH would be the one to tap in that match even though they knew Benoit was winning. Benoit himself said the final moments of the match were in slow-motion to him. It's so weird to people who don't follow wrestling how something like that which is pre-planned can be such a big deal to someone. Most of the match was called in the ring, with only the basic outline of the match planned ahead of time. He appeared on TSN's "Off the Record" on 4/13. Among the highlights were his basically avoiding the Canadian question, saying it was unfair to blame wrestling for all the deaths in wrestling because they were largely due to people making their own bad decisions. He said he was mad about the USA Today story that came out. He talked about his frustrations in WCW. He even said in WCW that he would say hi to some of the top guys, mentioning Hulk Hogan, and they'd walk right past him without even acknowledging him. He also said he came close to retiring in 2001 because he was worried he wouldn't be able to come back from the broken neck and was in tears when he got the original word that he needed severe neck surgery.

 

Edge is apparently considering moving back to Toronto. I guess if that's the case, they'll have to bill him as "formerly residing in Tampa, Florida" due to the no top Canadian babyfaces doctrine. There are a lot of decisions made that I don't always agree with, but most of the time, I can at least understand the rationale behind making the decision. You know, like when they call up the worst guys in OVW, I understand, because they are usually the ones who look good in still photos. But this no top Canadian babyface deal I can't even fathom on any level. Like Bret Hart would have been a bigger star if he was announced as being from Los Angeles.

 

Ultimo Dragon is leaving for now, but scheduled to return in the fall. I think they are doing an angle in Japan where Dragon is quitting, but then will make up and return.

 

The 6/27 Smackdown brand PPV in Norfolk may be called "The Great American Bash," (am told it's not 100% but the word already got out and it is the going plan) the first time WWE has used one of the traditional WCW names for a show. This would be the first time since the ill-fated attempt in late 1991 to do two PPV's so closely together (Survivor Series 1991 and then Tuesday In Texas six days later). They have things also scheduled this way in October, which will experiment with a Tuesday night PPV on 10/9 from the Raw brand, hit hard by angles the night before.

 

The decision was made to release William Regal's book in the U.K. next month. As noted here, the book was written and according to one source which read it, it was very good. It talks in depth about his starting as a carnival wrestler at the age of 15, wrestling people like Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks, and Kendo Nagasaki as Roy Regal, and then going to the U.S. and going through drug and alcohol problems. The company's marketing department, which was under the impression Regal would never be brought back (we noted that controversy a few weeks ago) to TV, canceled release. It is uncertain whether the book will be released for the U.S. market.

 

When doing one of zillion interviews to promote "Walking Tall," The Rock talked to a reporter in Williamette, WA, who was a wrestling fan and brought up when his father worked the Pacific Northwest in the 70s and the name Dutch Savage. You could tell it struck a chord. Rock started talking about when he in Vancouver, WA and went to the matches at the Portland Sports Arena. He asked about Don Owen, and then asked if the appliance dealer with the crew cut (Tom Peterson) was still around. Funny that he's still got that crew cut and he's now sponsoring the new TV version of Portland Wrestling.

 

WWE.com had an article on William Regal, and positioned it like almost a miracle that he may return to the ring. It said he was cleared this past week to wrestle, but for now, he's going to do the managerial gig. His active career ended 14 months ago when one side of his heart wasn't functioning properly. They had to stop his heart and restart it, and at the time, it was thought he would never wrestle again, although that was never said publicly. He has been training in the ring with the different wrestlers and said if he came back he'd have better matches than before. Regal is now 36, having started wrestling as a teenager and has experience all over the world. Regal said he watched tapes of his matches before his health problems and felt he had gotten into a rut, and felt he was doing nothing to make his matches seem special. Regal is also an unofficial trainer for a lot of the younger wrestlers, particularly the ones who worked the old Memphis developmental territory like Garrison Cade and Victoria. For a little while he was working as an agent, and I don't know why that didn't continue, although it may be a numbers issue because they have a full staff there.

 

John Bradshaw Layfield just got engaged to Meredith Whitney, an anchor personality on the business shows he regularly appears on for Fox News Network. Layfield's radio show legit starts on 5/1 from 8-10 a.m. every Saturday morning. I'm guessing he'll be doing it from home in New York, which means he's got to wake up and do the show, and then fly to wherever his house show is that night.

 

Jerry Lawler also recently got engaged to a woman who I believe is from Boston. This would be his fourth marriage.

 

At press time there were still second row tickets available for Judgment Day at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Guerrero-Layfield PPV on 5/16.

 

The release date for the 2-disc "Rise and Fall of ECW" has been delayed to 11/16.

 

Several WWE wrestlers will be working Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart's Memphis Championship Wrestling show on 4/23 at the Mid South Coliseum. The main event is Jerry Lawler & Road Warrior Animal vs. Money Inc., which are two bodybuilders from the Carolinas who work on the group Jimmy Hart does TV for, not the old WWF tag team of Ted DiBiase and I.R.S. Doug Gilbert, managed by Hart, stole Lawler's old AWA and Unified world title belts from the late 80s that they have resurrected for their shows and teased he was going to throw it in the river. Maven is scheduled against Grand Master Sexay, and Mabel is defending the Southern title against Rodney Mack, who had Teddy Long cut a promo for him. They also announced a WWE diva (Shaniqua, but they are teasing it's a mystery diva until the day of the show) would be challenging Christie Ricci for the XWF women's title and TNA's Kid Kash faces Derrick King for the XWF light heavyweight title.

 

There has been a lot of praise for Orlando Jordan and Mark Jindrak, after their house show matches, instead of rushing out, they get the tapes and go over them looking for flaws.

 

A funny note from the Columbus tapings when the fans were all putting their drinks and such into Layfield's cowboy hat. If you watch the tape, you can see UFC fighter Wes Sims, who wants to be a pro wrestler, spitting into the hat. Sims and Kevin Randleman were visible on the show as they were in the front row right behind Michael Cole and Tazz.

 

Some of William Regal's remarks on Eugene such as calling him a window licker (a British term for mentally challenged child because they are seen taken away in special school buses licking windows) have been edited off the U.K. versions of Raw. However, Bradshaw's anti-Mexican remarks on Smackdown are not edited off.

 

Dennis "Mideon" Knight did an interview with Alex Marvez talking about his attempt to come back. He's dropped 70 pounds and was training in Undertaker's ring. Since he left the company, he's worked as the world's largest chef at his family's Florida restaurant.

 

Paid attendance for 3/29 in Cincinnati for the Raw taping was approximately 10,000 and for the Smackdown taping on 3/30 in Columbus, OH, was about 3,000. After the positive attendance signs for the past several weeks, this was a bad weekend. 4/10 Raw house show in Saginaw drew 1,800. 4/10 Smackdown house show in Ames, 1A, at Iowa State University drew 1,400 in a 15,000 seat arena. The Easter Sunday shows on 4/11 drew 2,300 for the Raw brand in Peoria and 3,700 for the Smackdown brand in Omaha (which is, per capita, and has pretty much always been since the 1910s, one of the best cities when it comes to supporting pro wrestling). They came back to Omaha just eight weeks after selling out for a live Raw in the same building. Raw on 4/12 in Chicago drew a sellout 15,186, which was the first wrestling sellout in Chicago (and boy does that say something about the state of the industry the past two years) since February 18, 2002, which was the night of the Hulk Hogan/Rock confrontation that solidified the Mania main event. 4/12 in Terre Haute for the Smackdown house show drew 1,700. Many didn't seem to know much of the talent and storylines because Smackdown doesn't have much penetration in that market.

 

In Saginaw, they opened the show with Johnny Nitro announcing Ric Flair and HHH weren't there because they were doing a business deal. Wow, I’m sure that makes fans that spent $40 for a ticket feel real good about the big stars blowing off the city. At least an injury is something people can accept. I believe HHH wasn't there because Stephanie still hasn't fully recovered from her surgery. Not sure with Flair, although he had a busy week with a U.K. promotional trip scheduled. Nitro said that he was appointing himself ref in the main event. The new evil Canadians, La Resistance, cut off the national anthem, setting up the opening loss to The Hurricane & Rosey. They had Victoria and Lita practice for their singles title match at the PPV. They did a four-way against Jazz and Molly, and Jazz and Molly were both pinned at the same time first leaving those two to work several minutes. With Victoria as the champ, she had to go over. Eugene vs. A-Train saw Eugene come up with a stuffed Easter Bunny, but A-Train tore it apart to start the match. Eugene then tried to put the bunny together again. William Regal ended up being cheered as a babyface. The finish saw A-Train head-BUTT the exposed turnbuckle when Eugene moved and knocked himself out. Eugene didn't know enough to cover him, but was sitting on A-Train's leg while trying to put his bunny back together and the ref counted three. Regal may be great but this idea doesn't look to have legs. Edge was on the road. After Kane pinned Rhyno, Edge did a run-in, gave Kane a low blow and a spear. Before the Randy Orton vs. Shelton Benjamin match, Nitro said he's changed it from one fall and a one hour time limit to 2/3 falls and a 20 minute time limit. It was Orton's first match back. They split falls and went the 20. For Chris Jericho vs. Christian, Nitro said that it was no DQ for Christian, but not for Jericho. This overbooking is going to bum people out. Anyway, Christian went for a chair shot, Jericho moved, and the chair rebounded off the ropes and Christian knocked himself out. Yes, too similar to A-Train knocking himself out. Chuck Palumbo, who was supposed to be a babyface, got no reaction, so worked as the heel against Matt Hardy. Hardy wrestled as a face on TV a week ago, but was back as a heel on Raw. Chris Benoit vs. Batista with Nitro as ref saw Nitro help Batista like pulling the ropes to him while caught in the crossface. Benoit attacked Nitro. A second ref came in. Garrison Cade and Orton both did run-ins and then Tajiri, as a babyface, blew the mist at Cade while Benoit won clean with the crossface.

 

In Ames, main event was Eddy Guerrero over John Layfield in a bad match. Layfield came out and give a speech anti-Mexican and since they were in Iowa, the fans cheered him. Then he started on about how Iowa sucks and how if he won the title, he'd never defend it in Iowa. Report was the crowd lost interest in this match. People suited chanting "Marco" "Polo" and at about the fourth time, Guerrero lost his temper and started swearing at the guy who started it. Each kicked out of the other's finisher. Then came ref bump time. Kurt Angle tossed the belt to Layfield, but Guerrero got it and used it, and then tossed it back to Angle. Ref got up, saw Angle with the belt and Guerrero selling. Guerrero then got up for the pin. John Cena beat Rene Dupree via a walk out count out in a short match. Those finishes are the ones that make people glad they paid $30 to see a show. Nobody could believe it was over and it killed the crowd for the main event. After the match, Dupree came back in and got FU'd. Torrie Wilson returned and did two segments. The first saw her come out and start cheerleading until Angle booted her out of the ring. She showed her ass on the way out. Second saw Dawn Marie do microphone work and insult Wilson, leading to them rolling around over Angle and Wilson tearing Dawn's pants off and leaving her in a thong. Billy Kidman & Paul London played heel in a prelim loss to The Dudleys. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty beat The Bashams. Horshu, who is in the movie "Girl Next Door," is getting people to chant "Horseshit" at him.

 

Omaha was similar to Ames, although John Cena vs. Rene Dupree was a totally different match, going long with Cena winning with the FU in a good match. Eddy Guerrero and John Layfield did the same finish. Said to be a better match than you'd expect and Layfield even looked good at points. Still, said that Layfield wasn't over enough in the building to be a viable main event. Billy Kidman & Paul London were told to work stronger as heels against The Dudleys. They did a deal at the end of the show where Guerrero, Cena, and Rikishi cleaned house on all the heels and Eddy gave Chavo Guerrero a stink face.

 

In Peoria, the Raw show was almost the same as Saginaw. The main change was that they made Randy Orton vs. Shelton Benjamin for the IC title into a 2/3 fall match with a 10:00 time limit, which is just plain stupid for a house show. Apparently the feeling was they couldn't keep the crowd for 20:00, but why do 2/3 which then just cheapens the show and the belt. They didn't announce the 2/3 deal, and just had a match and Benjamin won clean. People thought they saw a title change, and then Nitro came out to say he made a mistake and it was 2/3 falls. William Regal was again considered a babyface by the fans when managing Eugene. There is a push from those on the road, because the crowd doesn't know any better and reacts to Matt Hardy as the face, to make Hardy a full-fledged TV face and turn Chuck Palumbo back heel, since nobody knows he turned face to begin with. This speaks volumes about how the crowd that pays to see the product doesn't watch the B shows.

 

Terre Haute, at Indiana State University, was a poor crowd with a lot of problems. There is no UPN station in the market, nor do most of the neighboring cities bring in UPN via cable. A lot of the fans who came, and the crowd was tiny to begin with, weren't familiar with a lot of the talent. It's the same Smackdown show they had been doing all weekend. Danny Basham got on the microphone saying he was appalled at the people booing him since he went to college at Indiana State. Kurt Angle made a goof as he came out and talked about there being two matches left on the show, noting John Cena and Eddy Guerrero were defending their title next. Problem was, the John Cena-Rene Dupree match had taken place two matches earlier. Fans yelled at him over that one. Guerrero beat John Layfield on top in the same match they did all weekend. Layfield, to get over as a heel, ripped on Larry Bird, who went to college there, saying he couldn't hold Dr. J's jock or Magic Johnson's, and if he played today, he'd get raped by Kobe Bryant and referred to Bird as an overrated white man."

 

Credit: Dave Meltzer/Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Is Eddy fighting with a rude fan now a featured attraction at house shows?

[haVoc 0]

People suited chanting "Marco" "Polo" and at about the fourth time, Guerrero lost his temper and started swearing at the guy who started it.

 

Okay, where are the guys who lack a set of balls with the "Eddie should be more professional" stuff?

[Red Hot Thumbtack In The Eye 0]

After the positive attendance signs for the past several weeks, this was a bad weekend. 4/10 Raw house show in Saginaw drew 1,800. 4/10 Smackdown house show in Ames, 1A, at Iowa State University drew 1,400 in a 15,000 seat arena. The Easter Sunday shows on 4/11 drew 2,300 for the Raw brand in Peoria

 

The SD! house show scheduled for tonight was cancelled due to lack of interest, although they sold 3600 seats in the first couple days of the on sale. I'm not impressed.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

In Ames, main event was Eddy Guerrero over John Layfield in a bad match. Layfield came out and give a speech anti-Mexican and since they were in Iowa, the fans cheered him.

 

talk about knowing your audience..

[SamoaRowe 0]

Wow... after reading this report, I'm genuinely depressed and scared again.

[clean rob 0]

Eddie should be more professional.

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

Eddie should be more professional.

True - but he does have "that Latino temper".

[geniusMoment 0]

Eddy just seems like a dick to me. Can't he just laugh anything off, you are sucking in the ring with Bradshaw. People paid money to see the show and are pissed, so fuck off Eddy.

[Scroby 0]

Eddy just seems like a dick to me. Can't he just laugh anything off, you are sucking in the ring with Bradshaw. People paid money to see the show and are pissed, so fuck off Eddy.

 

Wait did you just say that Bradshaw is a better wrestler than Eddy? I mean it isn't Eddy's fault that Bradshaw really isn't that good in the ring. Hell I'm sure Eddy is trying his damn hardest to carry Bradshaw on Eddy's shoulder's more or less trying to get a decent match outta Bradshaw, I'd be frustrated too.

[geniusMoment 0]

I did not say that Bradshaw was better than Eddy, just that the match sucked. Therefore the fans have a right to be pissed, Eddy should realize that.

[Guest I Got Banned for Sucking]

I did not say that Bradshaw was better than Eddy, just that the match sucked.  Therefore the fans have a right to be pissed, Eddy should realize that.

They do, but they don't have to be fuckheads about it - and it's a House Show.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

can someone explain why a marco polo chant annoyed Eddy? I have no clue and dont want to rumage through all these recaps.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I did not say that Bradshaw was better than Eddy, just that the match sucked.

 

Like you were expecting a 5 star classic match that had BRADSHAW in it.