Top Stars Getting The Weekend Off, RAW vs. NFL, Angle/TNA

— WWE Raw just managed to make this week’s top 10 Neilson cable ratings. The two hours of Raw earned the number 8 and 10 spot, getting topped by the Monday night NFL game on ESPN, UFC’s Ultimate Fighter, ESPN’s SportsCenter and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants. To see this week’s Top 15 list, visit Google.com.

— Raw, SmackDown and TNA will be without some of their top stars for this weekend’s house shows. Neither Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker or Kurt Angle are advertised for their respective shows’ live events.

— Speaking of Kurt Angle, he made his TNA Wrestling debut on this day three years ago. Angle showed up to confront TNA Champion Samoa Joe, leading to a physical confrontation and eventually several great matches between the two. During his first appearance, Angle took the mic and said he wasn’t fired from WWE, he asked for his release. He also said Vince McMahon could kiss his “Olympic ass.”

Kurt Angle at RAW In Pennsylvania last week – we’ve got the full report!