offical wwe thread

[Arcademan]

ECW on Sci-Fi Results: 1-22-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's report). Condensed to in-ring results only.

1 -- MINI-ROYAL RUMBLE

Dreamer, with his "I'm a jobber" official Rumble t-shirt, tried to eliminate Kane, but Kane easily tossed him out. The heels then ganged up on Kane in the corner. Kane sat up to a strong reaction, then he tried to toss out Shelton, but Shelton skinned the cat to avoid elimination. Kane then chucked the tag champs over the top rope in succession. Suddenly, Shelton wrapped his legs around Kane's head and flipped him over the top rope to the floor. Kane was stunned. Excellent move from Shelton. Afterward, Shelton took the mic and said tonight was the first step. The rumble is the next step on the way to the motherload of WrestleMania. There ain't no stopping him, in case you haven't heard.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin in 4:00. Fine opener to show off the graphics and get over the Rumble match for the PPV. Shelton's move to win was quite impressive. (*)

2 -- KOFI KINGSTON vs. DAVID OWENS

Kofi did sort of a martial arts stance before locking up. His outfit is all yellow with yellow knee pads on top of his yellow kick pads. Kofi went for a monkey flip out of the corner, but there was a miscommunication on the spot. Crowd isn't sold yet. Owens wasn't sure how to enhance Kofi's moves here. Kofi landed some obviously-worked moves before nailing a leaping knee strike that grazed Owens for the win.

WINNER: Kingston in 2:00. A lot of rough edges to smooth out. It was as if he was trying to get in as many spots by himself on a trampoline, and the opponent just happened to be in the ring like a tackling dummy. Crowds aren't going to buy the offense unless it looks smoother. (1/2*)

3 -- GREAT KHALI (w/Runjan Singh) vs. COLIN DELANEY

Colin remained frozen in fear, staring straight ahead at Khali's nipples. Khali let him get a feel for the nipples as he stared over Colin's head. Khali then gave him a chop to the head and the bell sounded. Colin didn't move. Khali then picked him up and landed a two-hand slam. He finished him off with the neck vice where it looked like Khali could have popped his head if he wanted to. The ref called for the bell out of mercy for Colin.

WINNER: Khali in 1:00. Well, it's getting to the point of taking Colin's program to the next stage of the program or ending it. I hope they continue it, because there's some sort of weird potential for Colin. (n/a)

4 -- ECW World champion C.M. PUNK vs. CHAVO GUERRERO -- ECW Title match -- No DQ

The bell sounded and Punk went right after Chavo with knee strikes to the gut. He then shot Chavo off into the corner before nailing a slap to the chest. Punk quickly took advantage of the new rules by ripping off the turnbuckle pad, but Chavo caught him from behind. Chavo worked on Punk's back before nailing a European uppercut. Chavo tried to ram Punk into the exposed steel buckle, but Punk blocked and dumped Chavo to the floor. Punk then rammed Chavo into the guardrail with a suicide dive forearm smash. Edge looked concerned.

Punk nailed Chavo with forearm blows on the floor before sending him back-first into the steel ring steps. He went for a suplex onto the steps, but Chavo blocked and pancaked Punk into the top ring step. Chavo then focused his attack on the ribs back in the ring. Suddenly, Punk ran over Chavo in center ring with a clothesline. They both came to their feet and Punk nailed a running bulldog out of the corner. Punk missed with a top rope dive, then Chavo nailed the Three Amigos suplexes. Chavo pointed to the ceiling, then went up top where he feigned a frog splash and simply did a gymnastics tumble. Punk then smashed Chavo with a knee strike before hitting the Go 2 Sleep. Edge had moved from the broadcast position in the background, so Punk turned around and found a spear in center ring. Chavo was KO'ed, so it took him a while to crawl over to Punk and make the cover. The ref made a very reluctant three count, giving Chavo the win and the belt.

After the match, Edge's cronies wheeled Vickie down to ringside where everyone had a good celebration. Edge took Vickie into the ring where she very easily sat back down in her wheelchair. The Edge-Guerrero alliance had a big photo-op in center-ring while they replayed the finish of the match. One more photo-op to close the show.

WINNER: Chavo Guerrero in 7:00 to capture the ECW Title. The first WWE title change of 2008 is Chavo winning with a non-clean finish. I hope that's not a sign of things to come the rest of the year. In the very short-term, it's sad to see Punk's title reign end, as he wasn't given a fair chance to carry the brand. But, I think it will lead to a better overall storyline in the long-term, as Punk really needed something to light a fire under him, as a character, and fans who support him in the arenas. He needs a very strong promo next week that walks a fine line of not sounding like he's whining, but sounds like he's asking for fan support to help him rise up against the collusion of the Smackdown and ECW brands. Next week will make or break Punk's character on the ECW brand. (*1/2)

 

[Arcademan]

Bobby Lashley gone from the WWE?!!

Link to article: PWHeadlines.com

In a thread on the message board of the official web site of former ECW Champion Bobby Lashley where fans were speculating his return date, an administrator account claiming to be Bobby Lashley posted the following message at 9:04 PM on January 21, 2008: �I'm sorry all but there will not be a Bobby Lashley return to the WWE.�

Few fans were taking the message seriously as they accused the poster of covering up for a return storyline. The person who says they are Lashley reassured fans that he was serious yesterday morning (January 22, 2008) in the following message that was posted at 9:48 AM: �I am sorry to everyone here but I am serious when I say I won't be back. Everyone wants to come here and hear the real story and I am telling you the real story. Circumstances which are out of my control left me no decision but to leave the WWE. I can't go into details of this now but like I said before sometimes people will hate you personally and try to destroy you which has happened here. Evil has prevailed however like I said before if you continue your struggle doors will open around these people. You have not scene the last of me so please don't stop your support. Add Bobby Lashley to the list of RECENTLY RELEASED!�

The person claiming to be Bobby Lashley became frustrated with fans that refused to believe that he was telling the truth. The following message was posted under the account 6:04 PM yesterday evening: "I feel like there is no reason to come to this chat room any more if nobody listens to me. People this is Bobby Lashley and I am serious, no surprises. I just wanted to be the first to tell all the people who supported me." Just three minutes after posting this message the person claiming to be Lashley wrote, �My release from the WWE will probably be online soon, maybe by the end of the week.�

Shortly after the forum administrator to the official message board of Lashley�s web site told readers to listen to Lashley, that he was telling the truth. Yesterday at 7:09 PM the account claiming to be Lashley wrote the following in the same thread regarding his future: []�Thanks for the nice words Jess (the forum admin) and everyone else. Like I said before I will be doing something big really soon. You can't keep a real fighter down. PS

In what I found as a very odd message, making me doubt the entire thing was true, the following was posted from the account claiming to be Bobby Lashley at 1:08 AM this morning: �I am pretty torn on what to do next. Please can i get some input from all of you�

At this point we are unable to confirm or deny anything. From everything that we have heard, Lashley is due to return to WWE sometime this month from shoulder surgery. However, these messages from the person claiming to be Bobby Lashley indicate otherwise. As of the time of this writing there are no mentions on the official WWE web site nor has any official announcement been made. We will keep you updated as this story continues to develop.

 

[Arcademan]

RVD Says He Is Not Ready For Full Time Return

Link to article from PWheadlines.com

In a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun, former WWE and ECW Champion, Rob Van Dam said that he is not ready for a full time wrestling return and he is not sure if he will ever be ready for one.

Rob Van Dam said his surprise appearance at the WWE RAW 15th Anniversary show was a quick in and out appearance while others were getting dressed and feeling the pressure.

Rob Van Dam added that ECW was his “last real serious run of inspiration.” He also spoke about his feud with Triple H in 2002: “It was ingenuine. Just like when he pretends that he cares when he says, “Hey, how’s it going today? OK, good, good.” And he just has that smugness about him where you know when he’s walking away from you that he’s rolling his eyes or something.”

Regarding possibly signing with TNA, RVD said: “I definitely would consider them. I would weigh out everything and decide what really is the best thing to do. When I knew that I wasn’t going to re-sign with WWE, which was around WrestleMania time when I knew for sure that I was going to stick to that plan, my first thoughts were, “OK, well there’s this TNA.”

He said that WWE would be primary if he were to return to wrestling. "WWE and I do have a good-faith understanding that if and when I’m ready to return that I’ll be talking to them," RVD said.

 

[K_K]

but bobby lashley was awesome

 

[Arcademan]

but bobby lashley was awesome

Until the WWE says he's gone and has taken down his bio, pictures and links, I tend not to believe what sounds like someone posing as him on his messageboard.

 

[Arcademan]

Here's the latest on Lashley from PWHeadlines:

We are now able to confirm that Bobby Lashley is gone from World Wrestling Entertainment. In a phone call placed to WrestlingNewsWorld.com's Ryan Gray, Lashley said that he is gone from the company. While he would not give any specifics he made it clear that he did not want to leave but had too due to circumstances beyond his control.

Lashley told WrestlingNewsWorld.com's Ryan Gray that he was training hard for a potential career in Mixed Martial Arts. The former ECW Champion said that despite the fact that he wanted to pursue an MMA career, it would not be with UFC.

Lashley would not comment on whether or not he would be interested in going to TNA Wrestling. He said that WWE has granted his release but it would not be announced until the paperwork was finalized.

 

[Steve]

wow... Raw loses King Booker... then Lashley. Snitsky's been jobbing lately, and so has Mr. Kennedy. The Raw "recruits" to increase the roster and provide a better quality show -- is no longer as stacked as it once appeared.

That's sad. And they're mis-using Y2J, and JBL's comeback has been disappointing so far as well.

 

[Arcademan]

Well, "Kwik" Ron Killings has signed a development deal with WWE. Seems he'll probably pop-up on Smack Down or ECW.
http://www.pwheadlines.com/wwe_news/backstage_details_on_ron_killings_to_wwe_his_ring_name.shtml

 

[Steve]

Ah-ha... had to do something with his lady, Kristal, over refusing to do a "racial" angle and getting fired for it...

---

Source: PWInsider.com

We've been covering the story here all day that Bobby Lashley is leaving World Wrestling Entertainment. New details have come out regarding why Lashley is leaving:

-- There are a lot of reasons why he wants to leave. One of the reasons has to do with how his girlfriend Kristal Marshall was treated by WWE after refusing to do an angle that made her feel uncomfortable. She was fired from the company after refusing a storyline that's been described as "racial".

-- Another reason is that Lashley feels disrespected by WWE during his time off. There has been very little communication between Lashley and Vince McMahon. Despite the fact that Lashley is fully healed from his injury, there were no firm plans in place to get him back on TV. He naturally found this very frustrating.

-- At this point, Lashley needs to negotiate an official release from WWE as he is still under contract. He is still listed on the official WWE website and is awaiting his release so he can move on.

 

[Arcademan]

Ultimate Warrior speaks...uh...yeah.

http://www.ultimatewarrior.com/blog/2008/01/23/

In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you I have watched Brokeback Mountain no less than 45 times and I own the Limited Edition DVD, signed by Willie Nelson a short time after he wrote that queer cowboy song as a tribute to the courage of the producers and actors who broke such incredible creative ground when they made their agenda-less movie. Serious. Until I saw Bendover Brokeback, Braveheart was my favorite movie. But the love scenes of Brokeback sucked me right in and I had no choice but to give myself over to the passion of its wide open range, if you get my drift. Such courage this young man and his collaegues have. Reminds me of the courage of classic movie stars, where during the War they enlisted and flew bomber planes and fought on frontlines, then came back and picked up their lives and careers right where they left off, without anti-American sentiment, whining and complaining, or self-destructive self indulgence. I’m equally inspired.

Apparently, Leather Hedger had sleeping troubles and anxiety and dealt with terrible mood swings. So do soldiers but they don’t self-destructively fuck up their lives. In fact, they don’t sleep, handle anxiety and mood swings while dealing with whether or not they might at any moment lose their life. And they do this all the while they are dangerously protecting the freedom of others to fuck up their own. By the way, how many 28 (or older or younger) year old soldiers met their death yesterday? It’s not easy to find out. None of them made the headlines of any news.

By today’s standard, though, I do have to agree that he was a great father. Perhaps even greater then the father of the year, Hulk Hogan. After all, Leather Hedger did what it took to kill himself. His kid is without a father, yes, but the negative influence is now removed and his own child has the chance for a full recovery. Hogan, on the other hand, won’t go quite that far. He insists on sticking around to keep further ruining, and profiting off of, the parentally mismanaged lives of his own children.

It is sad and tragic….that we don’t demand attention be paid to greater things.

 

[Arcademan]

Linky

Source: PWTorch

TNA Wrestling conducted their first round drug testing last night at the iMPACT! tapings in Orlando. Testing was originally supposed to start Monday, but TNA President Dixie Carter was unable to attend Monday's tapings and wanted to be there in person for the first tests.

Dixie was there last night and she volunteered herself as the first TNA employee to be tested. The drug testing is said to be totally legit, with medical staff brought in to administer everything. Urine will be sent to a third party testing facility.

Wrestlers had 2 weeks notice before testing began. Much like when WWE started testing, the first round of tests are to establish a "baseline evaluation" to see who has what in their systems. As long as any traces of banned substances decrease in future tests, they will be fine. There is sitll no word on what the punishment will be for violating the drug policy.

 

[K_K]

why does ultimate warrior talk sometimes? his promos were all nuts, as are random statements he makes. what a fag.

 

[rarehero]

the ultimate warrior is just plain insane.
which is sad. i used to think he was so cool back when it was him and the hulk days.

 

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 1-24-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's full Imapct! report). Condensed to in-ring results only.

1 -- ROBERT ROODE (w/Peyton Banks) & JAMES STORM (w/Ms. Jackie Moore) vs. ERIC YOUNG & SONJAY DUTT

Tenay plugged the viewership numbers for last week's episode. West plugged the Global Impact show last week. They talked about Peyton's stalker status, and they completely dated themselves by referencing "Single White Female" from 16 years ago. Dutt took a hot tag at 3:00 and ripped off a series of high-energy moves. Dutt then ran into a superkick from Storm, and he took the Perfectplex (pay off) from Roode for the win.

Afterward, Ms. Brooks hit the ring and tackled Peyton to the mat. Women and men started flying around the ring, ending with Brooks on top of Young, who was trying to hold her back. Peyton and Roode walked up the stage away from Brooks while Brooks called Peyton names.

WINNERS: Storm & Roode in 4:00. Basic TNA tag match. And, at the end of the day, the wrestling doesn't matter since the important post-match storyline is between the two people who weren't even in the match. (1/2*)

2 -- SHARK BOY vs. ELIX SKIPPER

Shark Boy jumped Skipper before the bell and beat him down. He nailed a Thesz Press ala Austin, then Skipper kicked him in the back. Skipper with a side slam for a nearfall. Shark Boy came back with a kick to the gut and a Stunner for the win.

Afterward, Shark took the mic and cut a promo about the birth of a new-and-improved Shark Boy. For the past three months (what?), everyone has stomped a mudhole in his ass. Shark said he's not getting beat up anymore. Tenay and West cackled uproariously. Shark Boy 24:7 means he just bit your ass. Shark then grabbed some clam juice and chugged it like a beer.

WINNER: Shark Boy in 3:00. It's like someone in a backyard wrestling promotion trying to cut an Austin promo for his buddies to get a kick out of. Here is a wrestling promotion on national TV unable to come up with its own material for characters. Oh well. If you are entertained by it, though, then TNA has done its job. (1/2*)

3 -- X Division champion JAY LETHAL vs. X Division belt possessor JOHNNY DEVINE -- X Division Title match -- Street Fight

Lethal pulled out a chair early on and rammed Devine throat-first into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Lethal gave Devine a DDT onto a steel chair. Lethal is serious tonight.

Back in the ring, Lethal smashed Devine with a trashcan shot. Devine had a trickle of blood coming down his forehead. Lethal with another can shot to the forehead. He nailed a Kendo Stick shot to the head before hitting the Lethal Combination. Lethal then went up top for an elbow drop on Devine, but Team 3D came to ringside and Lethal wiped them out with a dive to the floor. Back in the ring, Devine turned the tables with a lift-up slam across the chair. Devine missed with a chair shot, then Lethal took the chair and hit Devine square in the face. Lethal had the pin, but Devon pulled the ref to the floor. Ray then snuck in and smashed Lethal with a Kendo Stick to the back. He dragged Devine onto Lethal, then Devon sent the ref back into the ring to make the three count for Devine.

WINNER: Johnny Devine in 6:00 to capture the X Division Title. Short title match with a commercial in the middle. Usual interference in a match where someone wins a belt, so the person losing the belt has an excuse. (3/4*)

4 -- TIGER MASK & CURRY MAN vs. LANCE HOYT & JIMMY RAVE (w/Christy Hemme)

The match started and Hoyt & Rave pretended to be wrestlers. Next week, it's Angle vs. Tomko and the first interview with Awesome Kong, according to Tenay. The heels ganged up on Curry Man to start things off. Rave with a knee strike to the head for a nearfall. Mask took a tag at 3:00, and he dropped Rave with a back breaker. He then executed a nice butterfly suplex from the top turnbuckle for a nearfall. The action broke down, then Curry Man rammed Rave into Hoyt's gut. Hoyt missed with a running kick and spilled to the floor. Tiger Mask with a diving headbutt on Rave for the win.

WINNERS: Tiger Mask & Curry Man in 4:00. Standard, short tag match. Curry Man = greatness, but there was no back story for it mean to much. As in all wrestling storylines, follow-up is key. And why Hoyt & Rave & Hemme suddenly think they're rock stars could use an explanation. But, that's asking way too much, and is probably more trouble than its worth. (*)

5 -- TNA tag champions A.J. STYLES (w/Karen Angle) & TOMKO vs. TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON) vs. MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) -- TNA Tag Title match

The match broke down very early, with Ray taking Tomko over the top rope to the floor. Styles was the last man in the ring after hitting Ray with a springboard forearm smash. Styles then flew over the top rope with a flying dive onto everyone. Suddenly, Karen approached Ray in a flirtatious manner. She likes bad boys. Styles then spun Ray around to inquire about his advances, but Ray casually chucked Styles into Karen. They fell down with Styles on top of Karen in a provocative position. Karen sold an injury while the action tried to return to the ring. Styles ignored Tomko and carried Karen to the back like a knight in kinda shining armor.

They returned with Tomko on the disadvantage without his tag partner. Devon missed with a flying dive, then Tomko came to his feet and fired up. He landed ten punches on Devon, but Ray grabbed Tomko from behind and they did a Doomsday clothesline Device on Tomko for a nearfall. Sabin & Shelley finally got in the mix and landed their combo kicks. The girls are screaming for the MCMGs. Tomko suddenly dropped Devon with a lariat for the win.

After the match, Styles came back to ringside and hugged Tomko. After a brief moment, Tomko shoved Styles down to the floor. Suddenly, Christian Cage showed up on the entrance ramp to clap it up for Tomko.

WINNER: Tomko in 7:00 to retain the TNA Tag Titles. Another short TV match. In complete seriousness, why isn't Tomko getting the title shot at the PPV? Christian doesn't appear to care about his title match, while Tomko is being built up as the can't-miss babyface. At this point, TNA isn't giving the audience any reason to order the PPV for the TNA Title match of Angle vs. Christian. Meanwhile, Tomko is the only real babyface they have on the roster. Put the strap on him already. (*1/2)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 1-25-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report), Condensed to in-ring results only.

1- REY MYSTERIO vs. CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER

Rey got a quick spurt of offense before a tag was made. A blind tag led to a double-team to put the EdgeHeads on offense. Edge was shown watching the match backstage. An enziguiri by Rey gave him a breather. Springboard splash got him a near-fall. Rey hit a cross-body on Hawkins on the outside, then a seated “senton” on Ryder. Hawkins came in with a chair, drawing a DQ. Rey dropkicked it into Hawkins’ skull.

WINNER: Rey by DQ at 5:34.

2- DOMINO vs. JIMMY WANG YANG

Hurricanrana by Yang, who then whiffed on a baseball slide. Domino came off the top with a forearm to the back of Yang’s head while he was hung up on the top rope. Domino to the middle rope, but Yang allegedly got a boot to the ribs to stop him- it looked like Yang didn’t get his foot up in time or something, as it looked like he barely moved out of the way and Domino just had to come down and land on his feet selling. Crossbody from the top for two. Cherry got on the apron to distract the ref while Deuce nailed Yang. That only got two. Shannon Moore took out Deuce and Yang hit the moonsault for three.

WINNER: Yang at 6:26.

3- CHUCK PALUMBO & MICHELLE MCCOOL & JAMIE NOBLE vs. JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ & LAYLA

Coach doesn’t know if a guy and girl can be “just friends.” What, is he in high school? Noble tagged himself in just as Chuck was getting hot. Thesz press by Noble after a blind Palumbo tag. The two started arguing and Chuck shoved Jamie into Michelle, who was on the apron. McCool took a hard fall to the outside. The match stopped at this point and Jamie checked on Michelle. He called for a medic. After they arrived, Palumbo took out his frustrations on Noble, beating the crap out of him. “You suck” chants for Chuck. Michelle tried to intervene, but Chuck pushed her to the mat. It was ambiguous enough that it looked a bit like an accident.

WINNERS: No Contest, about 2:00. Good angle.

4- FINLAY vs. GREAT KHALI- BELFAST BRAWL

Ranjin Singh threw a chair into the ring for Khali, but he didn’t use it. Instead, he pounded away at Finlay. Khali bent over to pick up the chair and Finlay gave him a low-blow followed by chair-shots to the back. That didn’t faze Khali though. Khali picked up Horny to drive him through the announce table, but Finlay assaulted Khali with the shillaleigh and fists. Khali was busted open and Finlay continued the beating with chair-shots. I don’t think the ref stopped the match, but Finlay walked away and his music played. Seriously, if they didn’t want to put one over the other, why didn’t they just have the ref stop the match and call for the bell?

WINNER: No Contest (no bell), around 6:00.

5- BIG DADDY V vs. UNDERTAKER

Taker came out of the blocks quickly, but was stopped with a headbutt. Big splash on Taker in the corner. DDT by Taker. A clubbing blow from V sent Taker to the outside, allowing Striker to get in a cheap-shot in. Back in, Taker pounded away and hit two splashes in the corner, then a boot to the face. Chokeslam by Taker, though I don’t think V left his feet. V kicked out of a pin. Taker hit Old School, but was caught and side-slammed by V. Triangle choke by Taker, but V fought out. After pounding away on Taker, the Dead Man caught V in another submission and V quickly tapped, producing blood from his mouth in the process.

WINNER: Taker at 11:10. Good story told about Taker having to adapt to V’s size to win.

6- CM PUNK vs. EDGE

The Edgeheads joined Edge for the match. Rey sat in on commentary. Punk was on offense to start, taunting Edge by saying, “C’mon Goldilocks!” Pretty funny. This could be a big-money match down the line. Boot to the face by the World Champ. Edge went to the top, but was slammed off by Punk. Right afterward, Edge sent Punk to the outside and we took our final break.

Back to the show, Edge was in control. He came off the middle rope and Punk hit him with a spinning heel kick. Edge had Punk up for the electric chair, but Punk rolled forward into a roll-up for two. Punk went to springboard onto Edge, but Edge caught him and slammed him. Punk went to springboard again, but this time, slipped on the top rope and fell into the ring face-first. After Edge countered the Go To Sleep, he set up for the spear. Punk dodged it and hit his running knee in the corner and rolled Edge up for two. Edge was knocked off the top rope and Punk tried the GTS from the top. Edge jumped down and Punk jumped down too to avoid Edge’s attack. As he turned around, Edge hit the spear and got the three-count.

WINNER: Edge at 10:07.

 

[Arcademan]

Rob Van Dam Offers a First Hand Account of Paul Heyman Leaving WWE

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272618445.shtml

On December 3, 2006 World Wrestling Entertainment presented an ECW pay per view, "The December To Dismember" that is still the subject of controversy. The Augusta, Georgia event fell apart in front of the eyes of the spectators who had come to see The Elimination Chamber Match for the ECW World Title, then being defended by The Big Show.
Rob Van Dam Offers a First Hand Account of Paul Heyman Leaving WWE (Image: Wenn)

The event bombed. It was the poorest received WWE pay per view all year long. The show ended 20 minutes early. The crowd, furious with the lackluster event, grew hostile when both Rob Van Dam and CM Punk were eliminated from the Chamber early in the match. The audience chanted "T-N-A!" One of the ringleaders of this chant? Sonya Szatkowski, aka Sonya Van Dam, wife of RVD.

***

Bobby Lashley was crowned the babyface ECW World Champion on this night. Heyman and Show, according to several people, had feverishly pitched a scenario where Show would start in the Chamber, and get UFC-style choked out by CM Punk in the 1st round. But WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted Lashley to have the babyface spotlight to himself, and had RVD and Punk, far more popular than Lashley, eliminated so that Lashley would be the focus of the match.

The growing tensions over the presentation of the ECW brand between McMahon, who purchased the assets out of bankruptcy for far more money than he spent acquiring Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling, and Original ECW Owner and creative director Paul Heyman came to a head. There are lots of reports of what happened. All that's known is that shortly after the agent/producer's meeting, Heyman had a private meeting with McMahon and Stephanie McMahon LeVesque, and a short time later Heyman had departed the arena and went back home to New York. People who saw Heyman in the locker room had no idea anything had happened. Was he fired? Did he quit? Heyman has never given an interview, written a blog, or publicly discussed the situation. He simply stopped working in the wrestling industry.

***

Now comes the first on-the-record report of what happened that day between Vince McMahon and one of the most influential creative people in the history of professional wrestling. Rob Van Dam was interviewed this week on The Live Audio Wrestling Show in Toronto, and finally shed some light on the events that lead to both his and Heyman's departure from World Wrestling Entertainment and the brand Heyman and Van Dam will forever be associated with, Extreme Championship Wrestling.

When host Jason Agnew asked RVD, "How drastically did your time in the WWE change after Paul Heyman was sent home in December of 2006?"

***

Van Dam responded, "I knew I was on my way out already. In fact in November we were on a very, very stressful and dreadful over seas trip. Paul Heyman and I every night would get together in the hotel room and talk about everything they had done to try and destroy ECW on nightly bases. It was little things, not putting as much promotion in to it, where it is on the card, just everything, you know everything. It was obvious that a lot of it, agents didn't like ECW and that's no big surprise but guess what? Its Vince's EWC now, get behind it, quit being A-holes, its business! They were still trying to squash and bury ECW and it frustrated us."

"Paul and I both on that trip said we were leaving and I knew that we were going to leave, we both were. Paul, you said got sent home but I actually watched him get in to a taxi and walk out of the place, so there's two sides of the story for you. Vince told Paul basically kiss my ass, I'm paraphrasing, it had more to do with apologizing and taking back some things that were said and caving in or consider this you handing in your resignation. Paul said I am very happy to hand in my resignation, he couldn't wait to get out of there and he'd always been like that so I talked to him. I was waiting for his cab and he told me what just went down and he got in his cab and left. I told him "Paul my contracts up in a little bit, I'm gonna finish it. I signed the contract you know and I believe in loyalty. If I tell ya I'm gonna do the job, I'm gonna do the job, I'm gonna be there." I had till June and as it got close to it man I could not wait. It wasn't actually until Wrestlemania that I absolutely knew for sure that I was not going to re-sign. From that point on ugh, it just seemed like week by week it got more stressful for me."

***

Van Dam also was interviewed by Kevin Eck of The Baltimore Sun, and gave a very pointed statement regarding how Vince McMahon apparently viewed the ECW audience. Van Dam's statement: When they started killing the spirit of ECW, my passion came down. I was telling them, "What you're doing is going to destroy ECW. ECW fans won't get behind this." And I was hearing ridiculous things such as, "Rob, people don't remember the old ECW." I'd say, "What are you talking about, Vince? Why do you think they chant 'E-C-W?' " "Well, because I trained them to do that over the last five years when they see something extreme."

"How do you argue against something like that? I can't say I know what's better for global business, because WWE is like Coca-Cola, recognized around the world. But I knew that ECW was something special, it was something different. And I knew it was that spirit that was the thing not only that would interest me and keep my passion going, but would also draw like-minded fans. It would make wrestling cool again. [Vince] would say, "No, I never had any intentions of making this like the old ECW. People move on. They get married, they have kids. Nobody remembers that." Well, then why did we bring back the originals? Why'd we do this off the success of that pay-per-view? And I heard this: "Rob, for all I know, those 2500 fans in New York at the Manhattan Ballroom are the last of the old ECW fans." I mean, at some point, you tap. I tapped out. My passion tapped out. My desire to be there tapped out. And so how do I feel about the new ECW? It's something that I wanted to be a part of so bad that I walked right out the exit.

 

[K_K]

vince turned ECW from a great show involving crazy and extreme acts into a farm program for younger wrestlers. sucks. especially since we had to lose RVD, big show, and benoit to the new ECW.

 

[TemJin3000]

vince turned ECW from a great show involving crazy and extreme acts into a farm program for younger wrestlers. sucks. especially since we had to lose RVD, big show, and benoit to the new ECW.

i absoulutely agree. even tho they promote good guys like C.M. Punk and John Morrison (whose gimmick, IMO, is great and will hopefully take him further and further than the "Johnny Nitro" gimmick could even take him. he's like a heel Ultimate Warrior, which is both funny and awsome.), the show is still a wretched shell of what it really was.

...but, ECW is slightly good compared to the horrible mess TNA is turing into week-after-week. so sad, yet so very true IMHO. i could only hope TNA would hire Paul Heyman as head booker instead of the dumbshits (Jeff Jerrett, Dutch Mantell, and of course, Vince Russo) who decide to still live in 90's era WCW and WWF, instead of making the best of the great young talent they have.
you know TNA is bad when they make Samoa Joe go from uber-badass tweener, to less badass and more whiny and stupid.

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's real-time report)

1 -- RIC FLAIR vs. U.S. champion MVP

Flair opened things up with a hard chop. MVP came back with a Chono kick strike, but Flair went to the back of the left leg. Flair teased a figure four early on, but MVP quickly countered into a small package for a nearfall. They're really teasing an early finish at 3:00. The early finish tease continued with MVP getting a pin, but Flair's foot was on the bottom rope and Little 'Naitch checked the foot before calling for the bell. MVP, upset, almost got pinned with a small package. BTW, Cole and Coach are on commentary with Coach playing the "pointless echo" role. At 6:00, MVP slapped Flair, then they butted heads in the corner. Flair came up first and started going for pin attempts, but to no avail on a three count. Flair got the crowd into the action with hard chops, but MVP caught him with a jawbreaker across his knee. MVP went for his playmaker finish, but Flair countered right into the figure four. MVP didn't work the hold very much and tapped out in about five seconds.

Afterward, MVP argued with the ref on his way out of the ring about the early non-finish. Flair then choked back tears in the ring while blowing kisses to the ring. During the replay of the match, Cole mentioned Flair getting his revenge on MVP after MVP beat him at Vengeance in June. Cole then threw out an eye-rolling line about Flair being the world's most famous sports entertainer. Whoever came up with that one, that's...ugh...no words.

WINNER: Flair via submission in 8:00. A little off at times. It was quite obvious they were going short early in the match. Crowd was pretty hot for Flair. (*1/2)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

2 -- CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL

Ross said he tried having a conversation with Jericho early in the day, but Jericho was too pent up with rage. JBL, in his first match back from injury, wanted to take it slow early on, doing the classic heel bit of ducking under the ropes to get Jericho more frustrated. Early on, Jericho tried to land some clubbing blows that looked a bit rusty. Jericho caught JBL near the ropes with the Walls of Jericho, but JBL escaped to the floor. Jericho caught him with a baseball slide, then they brawled on the floor where Jericho rammed JBL shoulder-first into the ring steps. Back in the ring, JBL took advantage of Jericho's over-exuberance to drop Jericho throat-first across the top rope. Ross quickly pointed out that JBL worked over Jericho's neck a few weeks ago on TV. JBL then went to work on the neck with a series of lariats. Jericho made a false comeback at 7:00, but JBL cut him off with a smashing boot to the face. He then sent Jericho face-first into the ringpost, sending Jericho to the floor.

On the floor, Jericho had a good blood flow going. JBL smelled blood in the water and kicked Jericho in the face to open up the cut some more. Back in the ring, JBL kicked Jericho repeatedly in the corner, drawing the ref's ire. Suddenly, Jericho came flying out of the corner with running forearm blows. He then went for a running bulldog, but missed JBL's head in a botched spot. The fans booed, but cheered when Jericho hit a springboard lionsault. Jericho then charged JBL near the ropes and clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor. Jericho, who was covered in blood at this point, battled on the outside where JBL smashed Jericho head-first into the announce table. Jericho suddenly came up with a steel chair and he smashed JBL square in the face with a clean blow to the face to earn a DQ. Yes, another chair shot square in the head.

After the match, Jericho threw JBL back into the ring and grabbed a TV cable. He wrapped the cable around JBL's neck and tried to hang him across the top rope. Jericho went all the way to the announce table and yanked on the cable from a good 10-15 feet away. The fans popped for Jericho once he let go of the cable. There were boos when Jericho was DQ'ed (either for the ref's DQ call or Jericho getting himself DQ'ed), but they cheered for him at the end of the post-match.

WINNER: JBL via DQ in 10:00. Real good intensity (with a few blown spots), and Jericho bled heavy in this one. But, there was an unprotected chair shot straight to the skull on JBL. Yes, it fit the "personal program", but they're still pushing the envelope too far in 2008. This certainly wasn't the end of the feud. (**1/4)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

3 -- World Hvt. champion EDGE vs. REY MYSTERIO -- World Hvt. Title match

The boos for Rey and cheers for Edge continued in the opening minute of the match, with Rey one-upping Edge with fast-paced action. Edge caught Rey with a baseball slide dropkick on the floor, then Hawkins and Ryder went over to Rey for a little attack, but the ref caught them with their hands in the cookie jar and booted them from ringside. The fans booed that decision. Most ever-heat on the Majors. Back in the ring, Edge kicked Rey in the left knee and Cole talked about Rey's surgically-repaired knee. Rey made a brief comeback at 6:00 and had Edge in position for the 619, but Edge popped up and slammed Rey to the mat for a nearfall. Edge then applied the equivalent of an armbar to Rey's leg, but Rey kicked him away with his good leg. When Rey collapsed to the mat in pain, Edge raised his arms to get a shower of cheers from the crowd. Edge tried to take off Rey's boot, but Rey came up with a bulldog off the ropes.

At 10:00, Rey knocked Edge to the outside, then slid under the ropes and transitioned into a swinging DDT onto the floor padding. Back in the ring, Edge almost hit the spear, but Rey moved just in time to avoid the finisher. Rey then nailed Edge the 619 and went up top for his top rope splash and connected. He had the pin, but Vickie magically got out of the wheelchair and yanked the ref's foot to stop the count. Rey screamed as Vickie, then turned around and avoided the spear. Rey had the 619 on Edge, but Vickie had moved in the way to take the 619 instead of Edge. Rey looked at Vickie, who had collapsed to the ground. He then tried to Drop the Dime, but Edge caught him in mid-air with a spear for the pin and the win. Edge immediately checked on Vickie, who was put back in her wheelchair. Cole with another doozy: "Sometimes love hurts". Coach & Cole is worse than the worst golf commentators.

WINNER: Edge in 13:00 to retain the World Title. Pretty good undercard title match. Not blow-away status, as everything is running short so far. Good incorporation of the storyline into the finish. Obviously, the story is the New York crowd turning on Rey and cheering Edge. (***)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

4 -- WWE champion RANDY ORTON vs. IC champion JEFF HARDY -- WWE Title match

They locked up out of the bell and the fans did a dueling chant. It sounded like, "Let's go Hardy" vs. another "Let's go Hardy" chant. Lawler, caught up in the moment, talked about how amazing it would be for Hardy to lead WWE into a new HD era. Orton got caught on the outside early on, and Hardy baseball slide kicked Orton clear into the base of the guardrail. Orton's upper back hit the floor first, then the back of his head slammed into the guardrail. He sold it as if he broke his neck. Hardy nailed a plancha on the outside, then Orton grabbed his belt to leave, but Hardy met him on the floor and dragged him back into the ring. Hardy went for a springboard, but Orton kicked him in mid-air, sending Hardy crashing to the floor.

At 5:00, Hardy recovered on the floor, then back in the ring, Orton built his attack, while shouting at the fans that they can't believe in this guy. Orton got too cocky, and Hardy caught him near the ropes to send him flying over the top rope to the floor. Hardy waited for Orton to get up, then he went flying off the apron with a dive. Back in the ring, Orton regained control with a...wait for it...modified chinlock. He even wrapped his legs around Hardy's lower body. Lawler continued to talk about this being Hardy's moment to shine. Geez, it's like kiss of death for Hardy with the opposite of the announcers saying the babyface has no chance, then he comes up with an improbable win.

At 11:00, Hardy came up with a desperation Whisper in the Wind out of the corner for a close nearfall. Hardy hit the reverse kick to the jaw, then the double-foot lift-up dropkick in the corner. He went up top at 12:00, but Orton rolled to the apron to avoid a possible Swanton bomb. Hardy answered with a flying dropkick, sending Orton off the apron to the floor. Hardy then went to the opposite corner and went up top. He left a moonsault short and Orton just did get in the way (off camera) to break the fall. Crowd is real tense here. Back in the ring, Hardy measured Orton for a possible Twist of Fate, but Orton countered right into the RKO. He covered Hardy for the win.

After the match, Orton celebrated with the belt, then his music stopped and the fans booed. Hardy, who grabbed his hair in frustration after the finish, raised his hand to get a pity cheer from the crowd.

WINNER: Orton in 15:00. Stephanie's faction wins. Get used to it, wrestling fans, as Team Stephahunter will be around for the next 30-50 years. I try to remain objective here, but the wrestling fan in me says that f'ing sucks. And WWE just lost some PPV buyers after all the hype for Hardy winning the belt. (-***)

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

The 21st ROYAL RUMBLE!!!

So, it's the last two from last year starting this year. (1) Taker and (2) Shawn Michaels teased eliminations, then (3) Santino Marella was the next entrant. He was suddenly cornered and he walked right into Sweet Chin Music. Taker then picked up his limp body and eliminated him. Shawn tried to sneak in an elimination on Taker, but Taker managed to hold the ropes.

 

[Steve]

The 21st ROYAL RUMBLE!!!

So, it's the last two from last year starting this year. (1) Taker and (2) Shawn Michaels teased eliminations, then (3) Santino Marella was the next entrant. He was suddenly cornered and he walked right into Sweet Chin Music. Taker then picked up his limp body and eliminated him. Shawn tried to sneak in an elimination on Taker, but Taker managed to hold the ropes.

Haha cool. This sounds like it has the potential to be a fun rumble as I don't envision either Taker or HBK losing until the 20s or so, if not in the final four.

 

[Arcademan]

WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results: 1-27-08

FINAL REPORT!!!

5 -- ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH

So, it's the last two from last year starting this year. (1) Taker and (2) Shawn Michaels teased eliminations, then (3) Santino Marella was the next entrant. He was suddenly cornered and he walked right into Sweet Chin Music. Taker then picked up his limp body and eliminated him. Shawn tried to sneak in an elimination on Taker, but Taker managed to hold the ropes. (4) Great Khali came out to "you can't wrestle" chants. I don't think he can understand that. Suddenly, Taker blocked a chop and dumped Khali to the outside. (5) Hardcore Holly came out fifth and started stomping on Taker, but Taker cut him off. Taker then tried to dump out Michaels, but Michaels held the ropes. (6) John Morrison stormed the ring and went after Taker. Styles quickly referenced the female fans mauling Morrison and Miz last night at an autograph session. (Maybe they were looking for tips on hair products.) After Michaels teased a superkick on Michaels, (7) Tommy Dreamer came out to "ECW" chants. That was followed by "Tommy Dreamer" chants. He tried to dump Taker out, but Taker easily blocked.

At 10:00, (8) Batista stormed the ring and started dropping folks with spinebusters and clotheslines. Taker and Batista then had a mid-ring staredown, which Dreamer interrupted. Batista didn't appreciate it, so he chucked out Dreamer. (9) Hornswoggle came out next to a nice reaction. He slowly walked toward the ring where Taker stared at him ready for a snack. Hornswoggle then slid under the ring instead of entering the ring. Ross and Lawler joked about Lawler doing that one year. Holly nearly eliminated Michaels, then (10) Chuck Palumbo walked out to no reaction. No eliminations, then (11) Jamie Noble came out. He went right after Palumbo, but Palumbo got the best of Noble with a kick to his tapes ribs that eliminated Noble. Trainers then came out and helped Noble out. (12) C.M. Punk came out and started kneeing folks in the corner. He tried to bulldog Michaels out of the corner, but Taker smashed him with a clothesline. BTW, Michaels's face is covered in blood. (13) Cody Rhodes came in and went after Punk, and nearly eliminated him. No eliminations, then (14) Umaga came out in some new red trunks. He just started knocking folks around with clotheslines. Holly got him for a second with right hands, but Umaga smashed him over the top rope with a Samoan Spike.

At 20:00, (15) Snitsky came out. The announcers then traded verbal blows on Snitsky's appearance to get a laugh. Cody nearly eliminated Snitsky, then some other folks got involved, but no elimination. (16) The Miz came out, then Taker started working on Umaga. (17) Shelton Benjamin came in hot and did some acrobatics, but Shawn caught him square in the jaw with Sweet Chin Music that took him over the top for an elimination. (18) Jimmy Snuka came out to a nice pop, but looking older than at the Vengeance PPV in June. He landed some chops, then (19) Roddy Piper came out to a huge pop. His gut has grown by leaps and bounds. Against better judgment, Piper took off his t-shirt and chucked it into the crowd. He entered the ring and started trading blows with Snuka. Everyone else stopped and watched. (20) Kane came out, and some folks are about to start flying. Kane wasted no time dumping out Piper and Snuka. Kane and Taker had a brotherly staredown, but Michaels broke it up and nearly took a chokeslam. (21) Carlito came out and spit an apple in Cody's face. Carlito went for a springboard move and nearly got tossed out, but he slipped out and hit the backstabber on Punk. (22) Mick Foley came out to a huge pop. Although inconclusive based on the flannel-wear and sweatpants, I'm not sure if he's in any better shape than the other two. Meanwhile, Hornswoggle is still under the ring to keep everyone honest.

At 30:00, a melee broke out, then (23) Mr. Kennedy came out. He got a cool heel pop. Kennedy went right after Cody, then Miz, then Punk. Kennedy aggravated Taker, who grabbed him by the throat and nailed a chokeslam. Now time for (24) Big Daddy V, while Snitsky was eliminated by Taker. Taker then turned around and took Sweet Chin Music for an elimination. Shawn tried an apology, but Kennedy dumped him out. Taker took out his frustration on Snitsky, while Shawn bailed. Bam, bam, bam for two huge eliminations of Taker and HBK. (25) Mark Henry came out to clean up the carnage in the ring. Meanwhile, Hornswoggle showed up and eliminated The Miz before hiding back under the ring. (26) Chavo Guerrero came out and Punk went right after him, looking for a piece of Chavo. Meanwhile, Kane kicked Morrison off the apron to the floor. Suddenly, Hornswoggle showed up and Mark Henry yanked him into the ring. He was suddenly cornered by Henry and Big Daddy V, but Finlay stormed the ring to save Hornswoggle. He took Hornswoggle out of harm's way, then left the ring with Horny. They left ringside with Hornswoggle not officially eliminated. The announcers discussed whether Horny is officially gone or not. Ross said he has been informed Finlay has been DQ'ed. He was scheduled as 27. Out next was (28) Elijah Burke. Suddenly, Batista was on the floor holding his leg, but he wasn't eliminated. Chavo then eliminated Punk to add insult to injury. They showed a replay of Batista dipping to the floor after taking a Samoan Spike from Umaga. (29) Triple H came out and cleaned house. Out first was Cody. Then Big Daddy V. Hunter and Foley then mixed it up, with the announcers referencing their history in MSG. Hunter then chucked out Foley and Burke. Suddenly, (30) John Cena. The whole place exploded. For the first time in two hours and 30 minutes, my cat moved from the couch when Cena's music hit. Hunter's jaw hit the floor as Cena made his way to ringside. Cena then stormed the ring and chucked out Carlito and Chavo. Then, he dumped out Henry. Hunter and Cena then had a confrontation with the Mania sign hanging over their heads in the camera shot. Styles said Cena appears to have completely recovered from the torn pec. Cena and Hunter had an exchange, with Cena taking the spinebuster. Batista re-emerged and eliminated Kennedy. He then eliminated Umaga. Kane was then eliminated by Batista and Hunter.

So, now it's Batista vs. Hunter vs. Cena. They had a big staredown, then Batista did thumbs up and thumbs down, then Cena did the You Can't See Me. Hunter gave crotch chops. And the brawl was on with Hunter sitting in the corner as Batista and Cena battled. Batista protected Cena on a spinebuster, then he gave Hunter a spinebuster. Cena dropped Batista with a back body drop, then Hunter knocked Batista over the top rope. So, now it's Cena vs. Hunter. The crowd was on its feet for the final match-up, as Hunter pointed to the Mania sign hanging in the arena. Cena pointed back and reminded him that he made him tap last year. Cena and Hunter traded blows, with Cena getting booed and Hunter getting cheered. Cena, who looks bigger following the injury, dropped Hunter to the mat and dropped the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He measured Hunter for the FU, but Hunter slipped out and teased a Pedigree. They finished the sequence with a double clothesline.

At 50:00, they teased a spot near the ropes. Cena tried to FU Hunter over the top, but Hunter blocked and nailed a DDT. Hunter teased a toss over the top rope, but Cena held on tight. Cena then caught Hunter for an FU, but Hunter slipped out. Another tease of the Pedigree, but Cena caught Hunter in the FU and dumped him over the top rope to the floor. Shock! Cena pointed to his previously torn pec and gave an "OK" sign. Hunter was on the floor looking shocked. Cena then celebrated for a few minutes before signing off.

WINNER: Cena in 52:00. Well, that will ease a few fans who felt disappointed after the Hardy finish. Or, for the pro-hardy and anti-Cena fans, it's a double punch to the gut. Heck of a surprise finish to the Rumble, with Cena working folks with the interviews this week about him not being on TV at Mania. It's possible he could lose the title shot between now and Mania, but that's a stretch. First-half was a bit sluggish with a few surprises mixed in, but the match really picked up when Shawn and Taker were eliminated to start the surprise-fest, leading to Cena's return. (****)