WON News + Notes, 27 November 2006

[The Decemberists 0]

Piper underwent disc surgery this past week. Doctors in Oregon discovered a mass of tissue near his spine that was causing him great pain. It was removed and the doctors did a biopsy on it. Results are not yet it, but so far all seems to be going well. Piper was in intense pain on the tour, which was why he and Flair dropped the tag titles to Edge and Orton. The orginial plan was to keep the title of Piper and Flair for a few more weeks.

 

There are zero plans to have tag titles stay on top guys in the future. Edge and Orton only got the belts due to Pipers injury and when they're done with them they'll go back to Highlander level guys.

 

There are movements to make Raw and Smackdown more different. Brian Gewirtz is under a ton of pressure from Vince to get ratings up (not realising that actually rates are holding up very well against the NFL). This is one of the reasons why all the top ECW and Smackdown have been on Raw recently. Smackdown boss Michael Hayes has been told to make Smackdown a late 80s WWF style show. It would be simple and basic, with the idea that kids should be able to understand everything that's going on. Raw should be more edgey and late 90s WWF. Of course, it would make more sense for them to both be 2006/7 style wrestling shows, but the WWE don't seem to have stumbled upon what that is yet.

 

JR signed his new contract on 11/20.

 

WWE and Pride officials had a meeting on 11/17. No deal was struck but talks will continue. There is no way the WWE should, under any circumstances, allow any of its talent to fight on a Pride show. Hopefully they've learned their lesson from the Brawl For All and Angle/Puder to know that pro wrestlers shooting spells problems. Worryingly, Vince's ideas are very close to the ideas that Antonio Inoki on cross branding MMA and wrestling. McMahon though has no idea what happened with New Japan though after Inoki's MMA adventures. The problem with doing any cross promotion though is that there's no way the WWE will let their guys get destroyed in any shoots, and there's also no way they'll let Pride guys win in works. If they weren't willing to have "WCW" guys beat WWF guys in the Invasion there's no chance they'll let guys they don't even own beat WWE talent. The other possibly benefitial senario is that the WWE would work with Pride to increase their US exposure, but keeping the talent competely seperate. MaMahon has finally released that they are competing with UFC for PPV buys and if they can somehow help Pride get over stronger than UFC then they would help both parties, particualarly if the WWE could get a cut of Pride income as a way of paying them back for helping them get on USA at 11:05pm after Raw.

 

The idea of WWE opening up it's own MMA group is not impossible either, although it would have a huge start off cost. They would have to raid some big names from the UFC and to do so would mean offering guaranteed contracts, and unlike in WBF they won't be able to get the top names for £250,000 a year. The top MMA guys earn significantly more than HHH and Undertaker do, and there would be absolute hell in the WWE locker room if the WWE was spending that sort of money on MMA fighters as they'd feel it was coming out of their paychecks - as was the feeling with the WBF and XFL. The company's limit vision when it comes to what draws though would certianly count against them though in any MMA venture as of all the UFC's big draws maybe only Tito Ortiz would have close to what Vince and Steph would consider 'the look'. Plus there would be a negative sigma of it being own by Vince McMahon, who obviously doesn't have the best public image, but that would be overcomeable if the product was good enough. Another problem would be that McMahon and the other WWE higher ups just don't know the first thing about MMA. Vince's biggest passion in life, ahead of even wrestling, is bodybuidling, but he couldn't even promote that successfully.

 

The company offically signed Monty Brown on 11/15. The idea is to put him on Raw. This is mainly because in their eyes Smackdown has a young up and coming African Amercian star (MVP), ECW has one (Lashley) and now Raw will have Brown (and before you ask, no, Shelton Benjamin doesn't count.)

 

There is now talk of the Smackdown main event at Wrestlemania being Undertaker vs Batista in a winning streak vs title match. The current plan would be Big Dave going over(!) and Vince has OK'd this. Although it goes without saying a lot can happen between now and then...

 

The Undertaker broke a rib on 11/8 in Germany but is working through it.

 

'The Marine' did $233,173 in its first weekend in Puerto Rico, making it the number 1 box office draw. Internationally the movie did little in Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, did decently in Indonesia but strongly in the Philippines where pro wrestling is very strong. It did $247,854 in the US this week, leaving it with a domestic gross of $18,354,170 at press time. The total international gross is $686,708.

 

Strangly, in the ladder match on Raw, JR and King didn't kayfabe the size of the ladders. Normally they call the 8ft ladder 10 or 12ft and 12ft is is said to be 15 or 20ft but not this time.

 

Van Dam seems to be making more of an effort to start working WWE Style.

 

WWE has booked a Mexico tour from 3/15 to 3/18. The arenas aren't finalised but it looks like the 3/15 and 3/16 shows will be at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, where the last two events sold out, and the final event will probably be at the Arena Coliseo in Monterrey.

 

Brooke Hogan's album fell to No. 116 in the Billboard charts.

 

Josh Matthews is now working part-time as a 24/7 presenter and half-time as a 24/7 editor. This is to punish him, apparantly, because he asked for a talent contract after being told there were plans to have him be a Smackdown wrestler. Kevin Dunn stepped in and told him that although there were plans for him to wrestle it had been decided else where that he no future as a wrestler and was more valuable as an annoucer. He was taken off Smackdown to teach him a lesson, I'd imagine, not to have the cheek to ask for a wrestlers contract after being told he was going to be a wrestler.

 

Flair told the Baltimore Sun that he has a little over a year left on his contract and will competely leave it up to Vince over when he retires.

 

Jim Ross stated on his website that if Oklahoma are playing a bowl game on 1/1 he will miss Raw to attend.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

"There are zero plans to have tag titles stay on top guys in the future. Edge and Orton only got the belts due to Pipers injury and when they're done with them they'll go back to Highlander level guys."

 

They'll go to Cryme Tyme..almost bet on it happening tonight. Rated RKO got squashed in the 5 on 5 match last night and with Lita getting embarassed by Cryme Tyme it only makes sense that Edge would want to stand up for her tonight by giving them a title match. It doesn't make any sense to have Rated RKO win and drag it out any further either since they'll probably still be in with DX for a while longer.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

As long as DX doesn't win the tag titles, I'm fine with whatever they do to the belts at this point.

[Guest Untitled]

Of course, it would make more sense for them to both be 2006/7 style wrestling shows, but the WWE don't seem to have stumbled upon what that is yet.

 

It's true. It's damn true.

[CanadianChris 0]

Josh Matthews is now working part-time as a 24/7 presenter and half-time as a 24/7 editor. This is to punish him, apparantly, because he asked for a talent contract after being told there were plans to have him be a Smackdown wrestler. Kevin Dunn stepped in and told him that although there were plans for him to wrestle it had been decided else where that he no future as a wrestler and was more valuable as an annoucer. He was taken off Smackdown to teach him a lesson, I'd imagine, not to have the cheek to ask for a wrestlers contract after being told he was going to be a wrestler.

This company is so hopeless. I've seen sixth-grade classes that are less juvenile than WWE.

[Enigma 0]

So wait, Mathews is being punished because he decided it didn't make sense for him to be paid as an announcer when his work and travel schedule was about to go up considerably?

 

Very professional there.

[pochorenella 0]

"There are zero plans to have tag titles stay on top guys in the future. Edge and Orton only got the belts due to Pipers injury and when they're done with them they'll go back to Highlander level guys."

 

They'll go to Cryme Tyme..almost bet on it happening tonight.

Edge and Orton are facing the Hardyz tonight on RAW for the Titles.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

YES!

[randomguy 0]

Wait...isn't Smackdown already kind of a simple, mostly wrestling show and RAW more of an "attitude era" assortment of skits and such?

 

Maybe instead of making RAW more different from Smackdown, they should made RAW more similar?

 

The whole thing is silly. Smackdown is doing fine, it isn't what should change. RAW has sucked for a long time now. And the harder they try the worse it gets. They just completely ignore the writing on the wall over and over again.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

so Matt is officially on Raw now that Lita's gone? Are they going to acknowledge any of that?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Wait...isn't Smackdown already kind of a simple, mostly wrestling show and RAW more of an "attitude era" assortment of skits and such?

 

Maybe instead of making RAW more different from Smackdown, they should made RAW more similar?

 

The whole thing is silly. Smackdown is doing fine, it isn't what should change. RAW has sucked for a long time now. And the harder they try the worse it gets. They just completely ignore the writing on the wall over and over again.

 

Well, at least it's not like a year or two ago where the two shows were like mirror images of each other. It's like the writing staff couldn't be bothered to write for two shows, so they basically just did the same thing on each one.

[haVoc 0]

Jim Ross stated on his website that if Oklahoma are playing a bowl game on 1/1 he will miss Raw to attend.

 

I dare one of the younger guys to ask for Raw off so they can attend a college game.

[tominator89 0]

Nice to see that they feel each brand needs an "up-and-coming" African American wrestler.

[TheFranchise 0]

Nice to see that they feel each brand needs a "token" African American wrestler.

EFA.

[Quasar 0]

An update on Piper's condition from RowdyRoddyPiper.com

 

Update and Statement on Roddy Pipers Health

Mr. Piper and his family would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support of well wishes he has recieved world wide. Roddy has been diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer. He will begin his battle against this cancer immeadiatly.

 

The following is a statement from Mr. Piper;

 

“It seems like I have been fighting someone, something, someplace, in some manner, my whole life. But this fight, is one I am gonna win!”

 

Ever Forward,

 

Roddy Piper

 

Yeah, it's FAR worse than Meltzer made it out to be in the WON.

 

Get well soon Hot Rod

[Man Who Sold The World 0]

There is now talk of the Smackdown main event at Wrestlemania being Undertaker vs Batista in a winning streak vs title match. The current plan would be Big Dave going over(!) and Vince has OK'd this. Although it goes without saying a lot can happen between now and then...

 

[The Decemberists 0]

Whoa, that sucks about Piper. Hope he kicks its ass.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Nice to see that they feel each brand needs a "token" African American wrestler.

EFA.

 

I forgot Bill Watts was booking again.

[haws bah gawd 0]

I'm all for Taker vs Dave at Mania next year. While I am not a fan of Batista on a personal level (mainly due to how he has treated his wife who beat Cancer not too long ago), I do not mind this at all. WWE has done a piss-poor job of elevating any of the midcarders to the point of reasonably being able to end Undertaker's streak. I would kind of rather it be Benoit, via tapout, but I dont mind this.

[CBright7831 0]

I'm all for Taker vs Dave at Mania next year. While I am not a fan of Batista on a personal level (mainly due to how he has treated his wife who beat Cancer not too long ago), I do not mind this at all. WWE has done a piss-poor job of elevating any of the midcarders to the point of reasonably being able to end Undertaker's streak. I would kind of rather it be Benoit, via tapout, but I dont mind this.

What did Dave do to his wife?

[LJSexay 0]

he did Melina, overnovernover again. Then left his wife (I think that's the order...)

[Enigma 0]

He had an affair with Melina, which is why they moved her and Johnny Nitro to Raw. Then he dumped his wife for the DivaSearch reject Rebecca DiPetro that is now an interviewer on WWECW.

[Wyld Cannon 0]

Well maybe his wife was a huge bitch? Big Dave looks like the kind of guy who would marry a bitch.

 

I think being a wrestler's wife should be regarded similarly to a rockstar or mafia wife. There's gonna be chicks on the side and they should learn to deal with that.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Is WWE really such a high morality workplace that they get concerned when some wrestler is cheating on his wife? I don't understand it.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

Well maybe his wife was a huge bitch? Big Dave looks like the kind of guy who would marry a bitch.

 

I think being a wrestler's wife should be regarded similarly to a rockstar or mafia wife. There's gonna be chicks on the side and they should learn to deal with that.

 

First off, we don't know if any of these rumors are true. Who knows if he was really fooling around with Melina or anyone else.

 

But I would probably give the wife the benefit of the doubt. It's not like wrestlers aren't known for being scumbags who screw around on their wives / girlfriends all the time when they're on the road.

[Hawk 34 0]

Is WWE really such a high morality workplace that they get concerned when some wrestler is cheating on his wife? I don't understand it.

 

There's a line, some feel about sleeping with co-workers when married. Holly got alot of heat for dating whats-her-name(the busty emt, Barbra Bush?) while she was married or he was married, or something.

 

It's one thing to sleep with a rat but another sleep with a co-worker. Although, they basically hire them for the explicit purpose of giving the guys something.

 

It wasn't just the Batista situation that got her and Nitro shipped over.

[CanadianChick 0]

Well maybe his wife was a huge bitch? Big Dave looks like the kind of guy who would marry a bitch.

 

I think being a wrestler's wife should be regarded similarly to a rockstar or mafia wife. There's gonna be chicks on the side and they should learn to deal with that.

 

That's a bullshit mentality. Cheating shouldn't be acceptable, wrestler or not. However, I don't think that it is WWE's responsibility to deal with that type of stuff, unless something borderline illegal is happening (Like Orlando Jordan being fired for going out with a minor).

[DerangedHermit 0]

However, I don't think that it is WWE's responsibility to deal with that type of stuff, unless something borderline illegal is happening (Like Orlando Jordan being fired for going out with a minor).

 

Or unless it develops into something like Lita's affair with Edge, where it could possibly get real ugly real fast.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

It's good Batista's wife doesn't work for WWE, or they would have fired her to take care of the situation, if Dave was really cheating on her with Melina...

[Thanks for the Fish 0]

I don't think anything happened with Melina, Nitro and Melina were transferred because nobody liked them in the lockerroom.

 

There is a belief that the Diva Search and the edict to hire 10-15 swimsuit models is done to give the boys something to play with.