The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[Floex]

So unless you're an insomniac or up at that hour watching babestation no one is going to see it

The death of TNA continues

[KK]

Dixie Carter was on Sky News' Jeff Randall Live this evening. She was asked about the Keys/Gray situation, encompassing sexism in the work place.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Busine ... n_Football

WWE aren't having a good time of it at the moment. Their stock has fallen 5% percent in 24 hours. This is all stemming from Friday's warning to investors that WWE is projecting lower than expected fourth quarter earnings for 2010.

WWE held a sponsored "webinar" for entertainment marketers this morning. Some news coming out of that:

WWE does not plan to cut the number of PPVs from the current slate of 13 per year, according to Joe DelGrosso, Senior Vice President of Partner Sales. DelGrosso said WWE has established a "new standard" of 13 annual PPVs (12 monthly and WrestleMania). He said it will likely be the "minimum" going forward, implying they could add PPV events in the future.

WWE is bringing back the Diva Search contest. Julie Stenz, WWE's Director of Partner Marketing, said there will be a ten-week competition during WWE's "regularly scheduled" WWE programming and there will be sponsorship opportunities for the Diva Search segments.

WWE plans to make Los Angeles the annual home of Summerslam, arguably WWE's second-most important PPV of the year. It was implied that Summerslam will be held in Los Angeles every year going forward due to the availability and access to Hollywood celebrities.

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_ ... 7104.shtml

So they get rid of one shitty idea (Guest Hosts) & replace it with the return of another shitty concept (Divas search).

[Dark Ritual]

It just gets harder and harder to stay interested if they throw in gooseberry fool like the Diva Search.

[KK]

It was edited over here, but the one they did with Christy Hemme in 2004 ended in complete disaster when they gave them all Live microphones, sent them out on Raw & told them to slag each other off. What resulted was profanity & innuendo never heard on WWE TV before or since.

[Cosmo]

Wow, Bret Hart really didn't want to break that Sharpshooter he had on Jerry Lawler at Summerslam 93 did he?

EDIT: Also, am I missing something or does what he says happened at the end of his match with Bulldog at SS 92 not match up with what actually happened?

[Irene Demova]

TNA are trying to get an NFL player and his coach to have a cage match

CHAD OCHOCINCO VS. HEAD COACH MARVIN LEWIS IN A STEEL CAGE MATCH?

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling offers to host the bout at the "Lockdown" Pay-Per-View event on Sunday, April 17

As the NFL's Super Bowl draws near, one of the year's major football news stories has been the ongoing rivalry between Cincinnati Begals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and his head coach, Marvin Lewis.

The ill-will between the head coach and his star player has reportedly been an ongoing issue, and now Ochocinco has challenged Lewis to put an end to their differences once and for all - not on the gridiron field of the NFL, but inside a steel cage!

On Monday, Ochocinco posted the following message to his Twitter account (twitter.com/ochocinco), responding to Adam Schefter of ESPN: "Me and Marvin Lewis in a cage match, set it up, I've earned my stripes on my helmet it's time to fight then play"

As a result, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has offered to host Ochocinco vs. Lewis inside a Steel Cage at their annual "Lockdown" event on April 17, which will air live on Pay-Per-View!

"Lockdown" features every match contested inside a 15-foot reinforced steel cage, making it the only all-steel cage Pay-Per-View event in professional wrestling.

If Ochocinco and Lewis agree to settle their differences, TNA Wrestling officials will work with their representatives to sanction the bout, as well as train both combatants in the weeks leading up to the match.

Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling is the world's most innovative experience in professional wrestling, airing in over 120 countries worldwide. Join Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Mr. Anderson, the lovely and lethal TNA Knockouts and the no-limits X-Division every Thursday at 9/8 on SpikeTV in the United States. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com

[Ginga]

Beats signing for Real Madrid

[Mafro]

TNA Wrestling TV Schedule on Challenge

TNA iMPACT: Friday (Saturday morning) 4th February at 12am
TNA iMPACT: Saturday (Sunday morning) 5th February at 12am
TNA Xplosion: Saturday (Sunday morning) 5th February at 2am
TNA iMPACT: Sunday (Monday morning) 6th February at 12am
TNA Xplosion: Sunday (Monday morning) 6th February at 2am
TNA iMPACT: Monday (Tuesday morning) 7th February at 12am
TNA Xplosion: Monday (Tuesday Morning - Raw head-to-head) 7th February at 2am
TNA iMPACT: Tuesday (Wednesday morning) 8th February at 12am
TNA Xplosion: Tuesday (Wednesday morning) 8th February at 2am
SPECIAL EVENT TNA Genesis: Wednesday 9th February at 10pm.

Jesus strawberry floating Christ.

[Drumstick]

Wow, Bret Hart really didn't want to break that Sharpshooter he had on Jerry Lawler at Summerslam 93 did he?

No.

[Balloon Sod]

Dixie Carter was on Sky News' Jeff Randall Live this evening. She was asked about the Keys/Gray situation, encompassing sexism in the work place.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Busine ... n_Football

WWE aren't having a good time of it at the moment. Their stock has fallen 5% percent in 24 hours. This is all stemming from Friday's warning to investors that WWE is projecting lower than expected fourth quarter earnings for 2010.

WWE held a sponsored "webinar" for entertainment marketers this morning. Some news coming out of that:

WWE does not plan to cut the number of PPVs from the current slate of 13 per year, according to Joe DelGrosso, Senior Vice President of Partner Sales. DelGrosso said WWE has established a "new standard" of 13 annual PPVs (12 monthly and WrestleMania). He said it will likely be the "minimum" going forward, implying they could add PPV events in the future.

WWE is bringing back the Diva Search contest. Julie Stenz, WWE's Director of Partner Marketing, said there will be a ten-week competition during WWE's "regularly scheduled" WWE programming and there will be sponsorship opportunities for the Diva Search segments.

WWE plans to make Los Angeles the annual home of Summerslam, arguably WWE's second-most important PPV of the year. It was implied that Summerslam will be held in Los Angeles every year going forward due to the availability and access to Hollywood celebrities.

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_ ... 7104.shtml

So they get rid of one shitty idea (Guest Hosts) & replace it with the return of another shitty concept (Divas search).

Summerslam having an annual home isn't such a bad idea.

13+ PPVs and the return of the Diva Search? Very bad idea. Didn't the most recent Diva Search constantly bomb in the ratings?

In other news, I like this picture:

[Balloon Sod]

The Cactus Jack debut in WWE. It has another theme dubbed over (I think it's his old WCW theme) but it really fits well.

I've never seen this before, but that video on the 'tron is class.

[KK]

The Big Show: A Giant's World DVD (3 Discs) is up to order at Silvervision. There's a documentary on disc 1.

http://www.silvervision.co.uk/products/ ... Discs.html

Disc 2 amusingly kicks off with the Sumo Monster Truck Challenge against Hulk Hogan atop Cobo Hall.

[Balloon Sod]

Watching 2 discs of Big Show matches would make me feel a little ill. It would be better than a disc of Kane matches, but only just.

[Skippy]

Good video that. Mind Games

[Cosmo]

Don't hate on Kane.

[KK]

The Cactus Jack debut in WWE. It has another theme dubbed over (I think it's his old WCW theme) but it really fits well.

I've never seen this before, but that video on the 'tron is class.

It was the same show Steve Austin stunned Vince for the firs time.

[KK]

According to someone who spoke directly to McMahon this past week, right now Undertaker vs. Barrett is scheduled as the Mania main event. Confirmation that it’s now a given Undertaker will appear barring a setback in recovery is they’ve announced him for the WrestleMania Axxess signing autographs the day before Mania. Undertaker wouldn’t be signing autographs if he wasn’t wrestling on the show. HHH is also already advertised for signing autographs, as is Michaels.

At least it's something new. Much prefer this to Kane again or Triple H.

Just can't see this being put on last though - or being promoted as the main event. Buyrate will tank.

[Skippy]

According to someone who spoke directly to McMahon this past week, right now Undertaker vs. Barrett is scheduled as the Mania main event. Confirmation that it’s now a given Undertaker will appear barring a setback in recovery is they’ve announced him for the WrestleMania Axxess signing autographs the day before Mania. Undertaker wouldn’t be signing autographs if he wasn’t wrestling on the show. HHH is also already advertised for signing autographs, as is Michaels.

At least it's something new. Much prefer this to Kane again or Triple H.

Just can't see this being put on last though - or being promoted as the main event. Buyrate will tank.

Wrestlemania usually has 3 main events, the title matches and either a celeb thing or Taker match. Doens't mean it'll go on last.

[Drumstick]

I said ages ago that Barrett is winning the Rumble, baby.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

According to someone who spoke directly to McMahon this past week, right now Undertaker vs. Barrett is scheduled as the Mania main event. Confirmation that it’s now a given Undertaker will appear barring a setback in recovery is they’ve announced him for the WrestleMania Axxess signing autographs the day before Mania. Undertaker wouldn’t be signing autographs if he wasn’t wrestling on the show. HHH is also already advertised for signing autographs, as is Michaels.

At least it's something new. Much prefer this to Kane again or Triple H.

Just can't see this being put on last though - or being promoted as the main event. Buyrate will tank.

Wrestlemania usually has 3 main events, the title matches and either a celeb thing or Taker match. Doens't mean it'll go on last.

Yeah i agree with Skippy, for the last few years they seem to refer to several matches as the main event. I suppose they attempt to give each heavyweight title an equal footing and then they've recently promoted the HBK V Taker matches as main events. However if Taker fights Barrett I can't see that being the last match of the night unless Taker loses which i don't expect.