Hey there, readers, and welcome to today's edition of the News and Rumors. I've got some interesting tidbits and news items to get to today, so let's not waste anymore time on this stupid intro…
The talk of today is once again the amazingly low ratings of the XFL game last night. According to Zap2it, the game drew an absolutely abysmal 2.1, down from last week's 2.8. This makes it the lowest prime time network rating in history. St. Patrick's Day and the NCAA Tournament might be something of an excuse, but you've still got to consider the fact that the league just isn't popular at this point.
In a related bit, it seems as though Honda has already cancelled all of its advertising on XFL games. They're obviously nervous about the incredibly low ratings the XFL has been garnering lately, and can you blame them?
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania is official, and confirmed by the WWF. An angle will be shot tomorrow on Raw that will lead into the big match up.
There is absolutely NO chance of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Randy Savage, or Hulk Hogan being at Wrestlemania X-Seven. While the WWF could technically bring some of these names in, they will not be there. Just thought I'd clarify the rumors that are rampant on the Internet right now.
Here's what you can expect from tonight's edition of Heat on MTV:
*Crash Holly vs. Dean Malenko
*Raven vs. Val Venis
*Chris Benoit vs. Haku
*Promo from Justin Credible, Albert, and X-Pac
Right To Censor may be broken up immediately following Wrestlemania. The WWF writers feel they aren't drawing the same amount of heat they once did, and basically that the gimmick has run its course. Look for the Goodfather to return to the pimp gimmick and feud with Bull Buchanan. Steven Richards may remain a tag team with Val Venis, but even that's unlikely at this point.
For those of you who haven't heard, it is believed that promoter Jerry Jarrett is the driving force behind the other company considering purchasing WCW. It is very unlikely that this group of investors will be able to finance the operation independently, so I doubt this will help WCW out much. Jerry is current WCW superstar Jeff Jarrett's father, by the way.
Jason Jett (formerly known as EZ Money) will be using the "Crash Landing" as his finishing maneuver from now on. For those wondering what this move is and where he developed it, it is an Orange Crush Bomb, a pet move of Japanese superstar Naoya Ogawa.
WCW did have interest in signing the Road Dogg, and was looking to possibly snatch up Billy Gunn as well. The idea was to have the New Age Outlaws reunite in WCW, seeing as how their current tag roster pales in comparison to the WWF's. That plan is definitely on the backburner now though, since it looks as though WCW is on the way out.
1wrestling received word from John "Earthquake" Tenta that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will be reuniting at Intense Florida Wrestling's show Friday, March 23rd in Sanford, Florida. Although Nash isn't "officially" on the card as of this report, Scott Hall will be wrestling Tenta in the main event with Tenta's wrestling school on the line. Others on the card include Marc Mero, Rena "Sable" Mero, Typhoon, Prince Iaukea, and more.
In some international news, former WCW NWO member Scott Norton captured the IWGP World Title yesterday in Japan. He used a Flying Lariat to put away Kensuke Sasaki. Scott Hall was at ringside cheering on former running mate Scott Norton, which is probably the bigger story at this point.
There is a good chance Kevin Nash will make an appearance at WCW Greed this evening. He will be backstage at the very least, but there is talk of him making an on camera appearance. The thinking is that since tonight will probably be the last WCW pay per view, it should have a few surprises and be somewhat memorable. Sting was contacted about returning, but he's still not completely over his injury as of now. Goldberg is essentially in the same boat, since he wouldn't be ready for a surprise return tonight either.
There's not much new to report on WCW's current status other than yesterday's news of Turner Broadcasting cancelling WCW permanently after the March 26 Nitro. As of right now, WCW Greed is scheduled to be the last WCW pay per view ever. The feeling backstage at the pay per view is said to be very somber and depressing, since pretty much all the talent believes WCW is done for good. The news of the show cancellation totally shocked everyone backstage, as they can't believe that this is really their last pay per view. Be sure to check by TPWW.net tonight if you're not getting the show, so you can read a comprehensive play by play of this historic event.
That's it for today, readers. There were some pretty interesting bits, and I hope you enjoyed this report. Check back with me next weekend for my column on Saturday, and another News and Rumors Report on Sunday. Also, keep those new columnist applications coming! I'll be on the "panel" of "judges" selecting new writers for our site, and I'm really excited about getting some new blood here at TPWW.net. Thanks for reading this report, and I'll talk to you later.
Corey Silvia
Corey@tpww.net