Hello and welcome to the first time I've ever done the News & Rumors. This is due to Mike Christopher & Edge X still working on repairing the site. Yeah, we were hacked today, and we all went crazy until CR & Edge came on and saved the site. We're still fixing some things with the site and everything should be fine by the time Triple A returns on Monday (and god help us all when he returns). We completely apologize for what happened over the last 12 hours and we're working very hard like I said. Again, send all thanks for keeping the site alive to Mike & Edge X. Also, if anybody noticed, the TPWW Message Forum is currently down to Coolboard going under some repairs. It should be up by the weekend and we'll keep you updated on that as well.
Now, onto the news & rumors brought to you by the guy who does everything at this site but fix it :).
Last night, Triple H appeared on the Conan O'Brien show. Triple H recounted a funny story with Al Snow about the last time he laughed on camera. During a suplex by Triple H, let's just say Al Snow popped out out of his trunks. Triple H plugged the WWF Auction site and about the Royal Rumble match with Cactus Jack and how his mom cried and "like a true heel" he yelled at her. Man, that's just mean.
Dave Scherer of 1Wrestling.Com (where I do the HeAT report BTW) reported that "Diamond" Dallas Page asked WCW executive Brad Siegel for a buyout, and Seigel referred him to Vince Russo after saying no for those two to talk about. Russo supposely told him to go to talk to McMahon, and if McMahon wants to buy him out, that's fine, and he'll be let go. Looks like WCW is looking to get some money from the WWF for a big contract. Smart move in my opinion.
Jacques Rougeau told Montreal's Journel de Montreal that he when he came back into WCW he told Vince Russo that he didn't want to be treated like a jobber. (Well maybe if you weren't one you wouldn't be treated like one.) He was also pissed off that the announcers (not exactly the best in the business) called him the valet of Lance Storm. I could also see why he'd be pissed.
Bob Ryder of 1Wrestling.Com reported Lenny Lane was finally released from WCW and a downward spiral from his very over gimmick with Lodi (also known as Idol, Rave and god knows what else) after GLADD pressured WCW to taking them off TV. Oh well, he'll probably toil in the indys and hopefully show up in ECW, but that's pure specualtion at this point.
If you saw SmackDown! last night you saw the advancement of the Acolytes - Kaientai fued. There is still a possibility that the Acolytes will face Kaientai at SummerSlam, even though it seems that could've been the ending of the angle. Stay tuned.
This literally just in from Dave Scherer, the final rating for SmackDown! from last night did a 4.7 rating off of quarter hours of 4.0, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.6, 4.9, and 5.4 The show looks like it solidly built to the ending with ratings going up each segment except for the 4.6 rating, which was the Tazz - Jerry Lawler angle if I'm not mistaken, but in my own opinion it was the best damn angle of the whole show.
Hey, to everybody who follows WCW, guess what? No, the ratings aren't going up, no the house shows aren't going, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE REALITY BASED ANGLES! Yes, according to Vince Russo on WCW Live!, he believes that the next big thing in wrestling is reality based TV. He based it off of Big Brother & Survivor, which is fittingly two CBS shows which is owned by Viacom, who will have the WWF on their networks soon. Interesting isn't it? :). He also said that, IN A SHOOT!, he'll offer Goldberg his release Monday. Sure Vince, that's what people want to see. No wonder you're ratings are going down. You know how Russo said he didn't want to be on TV? Yeah some of us know that, but he'll stay on because he can't do these angles if he's not on TV. Damn good excuse Vince. And in the final only news worthy tidbit from WCW Live!, he'll be leaving the wrestling business no matter what at the end of his WCW contract. Question is: Will wrestling be better off without him?
Oh yeah, like I said, that was the last news worthy bit off the show, but this is a slow day (seems weird doesn't it?) but Carl Oulette may be gone from Team Canada already. So right now The Amazing French Canadians (The Quebecers) are gone, so we're left with Bret Hart while he sits on the sidelines, Elix Skipper who's being pushed as a Canadian (oh come on, he's been announced from Atlanta on Saturday Night so many times, oh wait nobody ever watched that show), and Lance Storm. So after all this, Lance Storm is left with one title. *sigh*. I hope they don't job that title to Fat F---er (Mike Awesome).
XPW has signed a deal to add another ancient hardcore legend to face Sabu in a hardcore match. That's right, Astushi Onita is returning to America (he should've been in America for the CZW Pay-Per-View but he sucks) to face Sabu in a Electrified Barbed Wire Match against Sabu. Zach Arnold of Wrestling Observer reported that. Great, another tape that I will have to get to see to believe.
WCW.Com has released their Nitro Preview:
Like I stated above, Vince Russo will "offer a release" to Bill Goldberg. Lance Storm & Jeff Jarrett will face Mike Awesome & General Rection. Tank Abbott will sing with 3 Count (god help us all). David Flair & Miss Hancock will try to set a wedding date but will probably be interrupted. The Perfect Event, Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire, Reno & Mike Sanders will explain that they were in the Power Plant and that's why they formed their alliance you see? No, oh well. They'll tell you that most likely. More matches will be announced for Fall Brawl.
Dave Scherer has reported that WCW Saturday Morning has been canceled permentally and tomorrow's show will be the last. The end of a legend I guess you could say.
Dave Scherer also reported that Steve Austin, Debra & JR appeared at WWF New York last night. Hey, Anything Can Happen in the WWF...'s Resturant in New York!
That's all for today and probably for the last time I ever do the News & Rumors. *Sheds Tear* Oh well, I'm just glad to help out while the site gets back to where it was. Hopefully. Anyway, that's all for today, be sure to check back tomorrow for the recaps for ECW Hardcore TV since Triple A is away.
Later,
Derek Sabato