WWE News And Notes, WARNING: May Include Spoilers!

[Dark Lord]

:D

[Darryl The Hitman]

--Jeff Hardy's probable cause hearing which was set for yesterday was delayed once again and moved to January 27, 2010. This is the second time that the hearing has been pushed back. The hearing is to decide if Hardy actually committed a crime, then the case transfers to a Grand Jury for a review and hearing of evidence before they decide whether to indict. Delaying a case like this usually means that there's not enough evidence to present from the prosecution's side and they are buying time to get additional information. The case will be heard at the Moore County Criminal District Court in Carthage, NC.

--An article on WWE stars in Iraq for the Tribute to the Troops show, which may be taped today, is at http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news_show.php&id=42287 John Cena, Michael Cole, Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, The Miz, Layla, Vince McMahon and about a dozen others are on the tour.

--Gail Gagne, the 27-year-old daughter of Greg Gagne, has an arrest warrant out claiming the former high school assistant basketball coach at Cretin Derham Hall, a Catholic school, had inappropriate conduct with a student. The warrant said Gagne had a relationship with a 17-year-old male student starting in the summer of 2008 and the two had sex on more than one occasion. Gagne was put on administrative leave during the spring and a letter was sent by the school to parents that a female employee had an inappropriate relationship with a student. Investigators came to Greg's home in Bloomington looking for his daughter, but she said he no longer lived there and works outside of the state. Her lawyer, Earl Gray, said she will plead not guilty. For more you can go to http://www.startribune.com

--Former WWE Canada president Carl DeMarco was announced Tuesday as being on the Board of Directors for Multiplied Media Corporation out of Calgary, a mobile local search service for BlackBerry smartphones.

--John Kelly noted another use of the "shark cage" in WWF was for a HHH vs. Owen Hart match with Chyna in the cage.

--The NFL has changed its guidelines on concussions at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/sports/f...sion.html?_r=1& emc=eta1 Basically anyone showing any sign of concussion should be removed from the game or practice and immediately and not allowed back on the field the rest of the day at least. Pro wrestling should also follow these guidelines, in the sense that any sign of a concussion should lead to a match being stopped, and probably time off as well, as opposed to the current norm which is to ignore it and keep going.

--SmarTrend has an article about naming WWE stock an "uptrend" and the fact it's gone up $2 a share since then HERE: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/S...20News/2697192/

--I want to make a bold prediction about Sheamus O'Shaughnessy of WWE.

I think he will be the next WWE world champion and that he will defeat John Cena in their world title match-up on Pay Per View on December 13.

The Wild Irishman has come from nowhere to become a major force in WWE. No one in recent memory has ever had such a rise so fast.

A few months ago he was in the WWE backwater of Florida, now he will step forward as the villain before millions of fans on December 13 and dethrone Cena.

The reason is because this 6 foot 6 inches red-haired Irishman has what it takes to be a global figure in wrestling. With 40 million Irish Americans in America he is set for a great career.

Vince McMahon, a great Irishman himself is no fool when it comes to promotion. In fact there is no one better. He knows that a Celtic Warrior is just what his franchise needs right now.

Sure, John Cena is a great star but the Irishman is like a Mickey Rourke figure from "The Wrestler," someone who has a great back story and unlike Mickey, a great future ahead of him.

Sure Cena may be a rap star and a movie star, as well as a wrestler, but the hot-blooded Irishman will get all those female fan pulses racing, as well as come across as a true tip top fighting machine to all his male followers.

So you read it here first. O'Shaughnessy in December will be the man to remember. Cena is a has-been.

--Though Lilian Garcia is sadly no longer with WWE, fans can stay connected to the former RAW ring announcer through a site she recently launched on eBay. Her page allows fans to purchase some of the sexy outfits she wore on television during her time in the company including a "Santa" outfit she wore at last year's Tribute to the Troops event and the sizzling dress she wore at SummerSlam 2008. Her site also offers photos, boots and bikinis which can be personally signed to you. You can check out her page at tinyurl.com/liliangarciadirect or through eBay seller: LilianGarciaDirect. Several more one of a kind wardrobe items will be added to the site over the next few weeks, so stay tuned. And last but not least, partial proceeds from the site will go to the Make A Wish Foundation.

--The WWE website has added profiles on Trent Baretta and Caylen Croft to its ECW section. The duo debuted this past Tuesday on ECW.

--While World Wrestling Entertainment will continue to allow talent to use Twitter, a few guidelines have been issued.

They are okay with talent tweeting about getting traffic tickets and such, but they don't want anyone tweeting after midnight let alone sending drunken messages from bars.

Additionally, there are to be no tweets concerning rival wrestling promotions and friends in said promotions. Lastly, they would prefer talent not mention UFC in any of their posts.

--It's been heavily rumored that Dwayne Johnson would be making a one-night return to WWE early next year as the special guest host of an episode of RAW. In an update on the situation, "The Rock" is saying he hasn't decided upon what day that would be. January, which was the time period primarily discussed with WWE, looks to be challenging and unlikely considering he's going to be so busy with the publicity campaign for his next movie, Tooth Fairy. WWE reportedly had their sights set on Johnson hosting RAW on either the 4th or the 11th.

On another note, Johnson is saying Tooth Fairy will be his final family comedy movie for a while as he's looking to move on to different types of roles. He said he set a goal three years ago to do family comedy movies for a while, but feels the time has come to explore other opportunities. The Other Guys, where Johnson worked with Samuel L. Jackson, recently concluded filming and will be out this summer. And once the publicity campaign for Tooth Fairy has completed, he'll immediately begin shooting his next film, Faster, with Billy Bob Thornton (scheduled for January 22, 2010). Hence, if and when Johnson returns to WWE, it will likely take place in March at the earliest.

While Johnson's saying he wants to return, he hasn't decided on what the best scenario would be, so he may not necessarily come back as the host of RAW.

--Jerry Lawler was scheduled to work an indy show in New York on November 21 — five days after his angle with Sheamus on Monday Night RAW — but his people sent a text message to the promoter saying "due to an ongoing storyline, Jerry Lawler can’t make his appearance." The angle was noted at the Survivor Series, but dropped completely the next night on RAW with Lawler offering an explanation that made him come off bad. In the past, Lawler has hated coming off in that manner since he still wrestles.

--In a trivia note, before last week's Hulkamania - Let the Battle Begin tour of Australia, the last time Hulk Hogan wrestled Ric Flair in a singles match was on the May 13, 2002 episode of Monday Night RAW.

--Rey Mysterio intends to work through his latest knee injury until after WrestleMania XXVI. He will then undergo his sixth surgery on his left knee. With the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania being the most lucrative periods of the year, he obviously doesn't want to miss out.

--Sgt. Alun Thomas of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade has an article up on the WWE performers visiting Camp Taji in Iraq. His story has comments from The Miz and Layla, Finlay, Cryme Tyme, and Mark Henry were also part of the group that visited the camp. WWE splits up the roster that goes so that they can visit more military bases. You can check out the full article at http://www.dvidshub.net/

--It is being reported by many news outlets that Gail E. Gagne, daughter of former AWA star Greg Gagne, and granddaughter of AWA founder Verne Gagne has had a warrant issued for her arrest. She is being charged with two counts of third-degree criminal-sexual conduct for engaging in sexual acts with an 18-year-old student at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. When Gagne was 25, she worked at the school as a teacher, weight-room supervisor and basketball coach.

--In an "After the Bell" segment on WWE.com, Verne Troyer talks about his experience hosting RAW this past Monday.

--The first episiode of Jesse Ventura's new show, Conspiracy Theory, scored a 1.4 cable rating last night. That is a very strong rating for TruTV. The 2AM replay did a 0.6 rating.

--Though details are unclear, sources say Carlito's recent absence from WWE was not an issue of creative having no plans for him. According to a source, the reason for his absence "was something bad that [WWE is] trying to keep quiet."

--WWE.com has posted The Bella Twins' latest video offering advice on Fantasy Football.

--The Great Khali returned to action at the SmackDown live event this past weekend. The Wrestling Observer reports that Khali recently had his knee scoped.

--WWE may have had plans to continue something between Jerry Lawler and Sheamus before changing it. Lawler was scheduled for an independent wrestling show on November 21st, five days after he was attacked by Sheamus on RAW. After the angle on RAW that week, Lawler's people sent a text message to the indy promoter saying, "due to an ongoing storyline, Jerry Lawler can't make his appearance."

--Timing issues also played a factor in "little people's court" with DX and Hornswoggle not airing on RAW this past week. WWE's talent relations that were to book the little people weren't getting answers back from creative as to how many they needed, who would get what roles or a male/female breakdown.

The original idea for the segment came from Vince McMahon and nobody wanted to commit to doing anything about the angle until it came from Vince first and since Vince didn't get around to it until the weekend, it was too late to throw everything together for Monday. Word is that those in creative weren't really crazy about the idea to begin with.

For what it's worth, there is consideration of Hornswoggle doing a run-in near the finish for the DX vs. Chris Jericho & Big Show match at the TLC pay-per-view. {DTH: Odds on Big Show receiving a deafening babyface pop if he falls on top of the Little Bastard? :D }

--The angle concerning lockerroom resentment for John Cena, as highlighted in promos from Jesse Ventura and Carlito, has some footing in reality. While the ill will was obviously exaggerated for storyline, a number of wrestlers do reportedly resent Cena's standing with management, a feeling that is attributed to either envy of his cushy position or disgust for his "company man" attitude, depending on who is asked. Sources say his public airing of grievances with The Rock, regardless of the fact that he was likely reading company-fed lines, did not help his standing with "the boys."

--Conversations between Booker T and World Wrestling Entertainment have reportedly ended. On Monday, there was talk he would undergo the WWE pre-screening process, but for whatever reason it did not happen. He is not expected to be offered a WWE deal anytime soon.

--Low-Ki is expected to debut on WWE TV soon and start a program with Rey Mysterio. Low-Ki will debut under a mask and will be booked as someone from Mysterio's past in Mexico.

--WWE talent are expected to return from Iraq on Friday and take a breather before RAW on Monday.

--At this point, there is no writer, producer or anything else for The Undertaker origins project by WWE studios.

--There has been talk in the last two weeks about WWE producing a Wrestlemania 26 documentary, which would focus on the last six weeks heading into the PPV event.

--As of this afternoon, the plan is to shoot the Little People's court vignettes with DX and Hornswoggle (and a slew of little people) this Monday in Dallas, Texas. There was talk of holding the segment off until after the TLC PPV, but the final determination was made to shoot it Monday afternoon.

--WWE's Mickie James has signed a personal recording contract with Nashville music producer Kent Wells in anticipation of a planned Spring 2010 country album release. Wells has produced material for Dolly Parton, Michael Peterson, and Neal McCoy, including Parton's most recent album, which was her highest debuting Billboard Chart album release ever. The project is something James is doing independent of World Wrestling Entertainment.

--Info@Muchnick.net sent along the following: World Wrestling Entertainment has given the American public a bonus this holiday season. In the history of our 21st century Asian wars, WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops show, a Bob Hope-style fest of patriotic gore on NBC, has a longer shelf life than the average Fox News anchor. But this year WWE is also gifting us with the spectacle of its erstwhile CEO, Linda McMahon (the wife of Vince), as a viable candidate for the Republican nomination to unseat Democratic Senator Chris Dodd next year in Connecticut. The 2010 Republican primary field has shaken out, and it’s down to McMahon and the frontrunner, former Congressman Rob Simmons.

--Robert "KillJoy" Morales of the WrestleZone Forums sent along the following: WWC is promoting their Supercard event, "Euphoria", for January 16th at the Puerto Rico Coliseum. The Main Event is being advertised as "10 years in the making". AAA's "El Mesias" Ricky Banderas vs WWE's Carlito.

--Matthew Dascoli from NYC sent along the following: Just figured I would point out that in todays episode of "Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader", they showed the replay of the episode where MVP was the guest and they showed the screenshot of him calling him the longest reigning WWE World Champion.

--DallasMorningNews.com has an article up noting that WWE Raw star Cody Rhodes has challenged next week's Raw guest host, Mark Cuban, to a match. Rhodes was quoted as saying "We've had some guest hosts like Bob Barker who couldn't get in the ring, but Mark Cuban is a pretty active guy. I suggest that if he wants to get some payback on [Randy Orton], he bring a couple of Cowboys or Mavericks to the ring on Monday and put his money where his mouth is. We'll have an old-fashioned six-man tag match." Mark Cuban responded to Rhodes' challenge by saying, "What makes them think I would need any help? Orton got lucky one time. It won't happen again."

--Comcast and NBC Universal (parent company of USA Network) announced today that Comcast bought a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from the GE Company in a deal valued at over $30 billion. Comcast is one of the leading cable companies in the U.S. and will have greater control over content provided by NBC Universal's TV properties.

Comcast cited the strength of USA Network, CNBC, and NBC as "the deal's main attraction," according to the Wall Street Journal. USA Network's success over the past four years has been tied to the return of WWE Raw in 2005 and the development of other scripted series that have boosted quarterly ratings.

Prior to Comcast buying a majority interest in NBCU, Comcast and WWE worked together on regular promotions for WWE's Video-on-Demand and monthly PPV offerings.

Comcast currently offers free WWE content and PPV previews on their own On-Demand system trying to entice viewers to order PPVs. With WWE now directly involved with Comcast through the partnership with NBCU, WWE's PPV business could benefit from Comcast heightening their level of promotion for WWE's pay events, which have slipped nearly ten percent in total buys compared to 2008.

--WWE Raw on Monday night averaged a 3.15 rating and averaged 4.68 million viewers. Last week's show averaged a 3.23 rating for all three hours, but averaged a 3.55 rating for the comparative two hours in the regular timeslot.

This week's Raw ratings were down 11.3 percent and total viewership was down 11.7 percent compared to the regular two hours from last week.

WWE also did not retain viewers over the course of the show. The first hour averaged 4.82 million viewers, then declined to 4.55 million viewers in the second hour.

The show's overall 3.15 rating was within the range of "lowest of 2009." The November 9 episode averaged a 3.10 rating and the September 28 episode averaged a 3.11 rating.

Caldwell's Analysis: Not a good week for WWE. First, they were up against a marquee Monday Night Football match-up that drew the second-highest rating of the season. Second, it was "lame duck week" where they weren't coming off a PPV (Survivor Series) and they weren't in the final week of promoting a PPV (next week). Third, there was a distinct and noticeable lack of wrestling content and a lack of "hooks" from segment-to-segment to keep viewers interested in the show. We're also seeing a trend of uninvolved (Verne Troyer) or unfamiliar (Ricky Hatton) guest hosts not keeping viewers interested in the show. WWE created a monster with the weekly guest hosts and now they have to deliver a strong character each week or the audience will tune out. Mark Cuban and Dennis Miller the next two weeks should help achieve that goal if scripted properly.

--
Monday night's episode of WWE Raw took an eleven percent hit in TV ratings and overall viewership compared to last week's comparable two hours of Raw. The second hour of the show took the biggest hit of all.

The second hour averaged 4.55 million viewers, which represented a 5.6 percent decline from the first hour. The second hour also averaged the second-fewest number of viewers the entire year and the fewest number of viewers for a live episode in 2009. (The second hour of the November 9 Raw taped from the U.K. averaged 4.06 million viewers.)

The overall show was down 6.9 percent compared to the previous five weeks of TV, down 4.1 percent compared to the previous ten weeks of TV, and down 11.2 percent compared to all of 2009.

Raw TV Viewers Breakdown
11/30 - 4.68 million viewers (Verne Troyer, vs. Week 12 NFL marquee match-up)

LAST FIVE WEEKS OF RAW
11/23 - 5.30 million viewers (4.95 w/first hour) (Jesse Ventura, vs. Week 11 NFL)
11/16 - 5.05 million viewers (Roddy Piper, MSG, vs. Week 10 NFL)
11/9 - 4.25 million viewers (Ricky Hatton, vs. Week 9 NFL)
11/2 - 5.00 million viewers (Ozzy, vs. Week 8 NFL, World Series)
10/26 - 5.59 million viewers (NASCAR hosts, vs. Week 7 NFL)
5-WEEK AVERAGE: 5.02 million viewers (11/30 Raw down 6.9 percent)

W/LAST TEN WEEKS OF RAW
10/19 - 4.64 million viewers (Snoop Dogg, vs. Week 6 NFL, MLB Playoffs)
10/12 - 4.79 million viewers (Nancy & Maria, vs. Week 5 NFL, MLB Playoffs)
10/5 - 4.71 million viewers (Big Ben, vs. Week 4 NFL highest-rated game ever)
9/28 - 4.49 million viewers (Rev. Sharpton, vs. Week 3 NFL Dallas Cowboys)
9/21 - 5.01 million viewers (Cedric, vs. Week 2 NFL)
COMBINED 10-WEEK AVERAGE: 4.88 million viewers (11/30 Raw down 4.1 percent)

[Darryl The Hitman]

--Dallasnews.com ran a story today teasing the idea that Mark Cuban would wrestle on Monday's Raw. Cody Rhodes did an interview challenging Cuban to a trios match. Cuban in local buildup for the show has noted several times about getting an RKO by Randy Orton on a 2003 episode of Raw so that will likely be pushed as part of the show.

--Foxnews.com has a slide show on wrestler deaths at http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entertain...pro-wrestlers-p ast-tragic-ends-benoit-albano?test=faces

--The November 20th edition of WWE Smackdown scored a 2.1 rating according to www.tvbythenumbers.com - and just so you know they're always going to lag a couple of weeks behind now that MyNetwork is no longer considered a real broadcast network.

--WWE is now planning to shoot the Little People's Court vignettes with DX and Hornswoggle on Monday while they're in Dallas - but that doesn't mean it will air on Monday night.

--Here are the latest WWE PPV buyrate numbers - Breaking Point did 200,000 buys, which is down from Unforgiven last year (the show it replaced) at 225,000 buys. Hell in a Cell did 300,000 buys, which is up from the 261,000 buys that the No Mercy PPV it replaced did the year before. Last but not least Bragging Rights did 200,000 buys, up from the Cyber Sunday show it replaced which did 153,000 buys last year.

--Tribute to the Troops results courtesy of www.WrestlingObserver.com - MVP b Chris Masters, Rey Mysterio & Mark Henry b C.M. Punk & Carlito, The Miz b John Morrison, John Cena (who was still wearing the title belt, this airs after the PPV) b Chris Jericho, Divas there were Eve, Kelly Kelly and Layla. May have been others as well. R-Truth dressed as Santa Claus.

--The following wrestling related songs have been nominated for a Grammy:

* Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback [Best Hard Rock Performance]
* War Machine by AC/DC [Best Hard Rock Performance]
* The Wrestler by Bruce Springsteen [Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media]

--Today WWE® Diva Mickie James announced the signing of an exclusive personal recording contract with famed Nashville music producer Kent Wells.

Wells has produced projects for country artists Dolly Parton, Michael Peterson, and Neal McCoy among others. He also played guitar on and co-produced Dolly Parton’s GRAMMY-nominated album, “Halos And Horns” and the GRAMMY and Oscar-nominated song “Travelin’ Through.” He also produced Parton’s most recent album, “Backwoods Barbie,” which was the highest debuting Billboard Chart album release of her historic career.

James and Wells are currently in the studio working on her first recording project. A spring 2010 debut release is anticipated.

Last month, James announced signings with Sherry Massaro’s Nashville-based Skyline Management Group, Inc., as well as Don Grubbs’ Absolute Publicity, Inc. for public relations representation.

--RVD has posted a video message on his website, discussing that WWE and TNA want him, but that his only US appearance will be the WrestleReunion event.

--In today's wrestling birthday, former WWE wrestler Sylvester Terkay turns 39 years old. The former MMA fighter was released from his WWE contract on January 18, 2007 in a cost-cutting measure.

--The December 3rd edition of WWE Superstars did a 0.9 cable rating. The replay later that night scored the usual 0.2 cable rating.

--While Jesse Ventura did a great job as the host of Monday Night RAW last week, the general reaction to him among those in the company was not favorable at all. Many felt he came off as if he was above doing the guest hosting spot.

--Thanks to Oli Raabe for sending this in: This week, Smackdown was shafted to Sky Sports Xtra and was scheduled to start at half past ten. The show preceding Smackdown (Live Davis Cup Tennis) ended but instead of then showing Smackdown, Sky proceeded to air 'Golf Night'. The Television guide still shows Smackdown as being the current show despite it obviously not being the case. Smackdown is not airing on any other Sky Sports channels either.

--WWE's 2009 PPV buy figures are down 8.4 percent compared to 2008 when factoring in the estimates for WWE's Hell in a Cell and Bragging Rights PPVs released yesterday.

After the Breaking Point PPV in September, WWE was down 10.5 percent compared to 2008 after poor performances by Summerslam and BP. WWE released early buy estimates for HIAC and Bragging Rights that made a significant difference in the year-to-year comparisons.

In 2009, only the Extreme Rules, HIAC, and Bragging Rights PPVs have drawn more buys than their counterpart in 2008. The following is a break down of WWE's PPV business through Bragging Rights.

2009 PPV buys (vs. 2008)
Royal Rumble - 450,000 (down 15.6 percent)
No Way Out - 272,000 (down 17.3 percent)
WrestleMania 25 - 960,000 (down 9.3 percent)
Backlash - 182,000 (down 9.0 percent)
Judgment Day - 228,000 (down 9.5 percent)
Extreme Rules - 213,000 (up 9.8 percent)
The Bash - 178,000 (down 9.2 percent)
Night of Champions - 267,000 (down 2.2 percent)
Summerslam - 369,000 buys (down 22.6 percent)
Breaking Point - 169,000 buys (down 19.9 percent)
Hell in a Cell - 300,000 est. buys (up 14.9 percent)
Bragging Rights - 200,000 est. buys (up 30.7 percent)
WWE PPVs overall on average down 8.4 percent compared to 2008

--Sheamus's title shot against John Cena at the next PPV has been the subject of a lot of debate. The majority seems to be strongly against this unproven newcomer getting a PPV title shot.

I'm all for it, regardless of Sheamus's lack of track record. I'm all for it, even though part of his mega-push is because he's Triple H's workout pal and new traveling mate.

I can see a case being made that someone else deserved it first since Sheamus is so new, but looking at the Raw roster, there weren't a lot of options in terms of heels. The candidates would be The Miz, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Carlito, Chris Masters, and Jack Swagger.

The Miz had a short program with Cena already. I think they blew it off too quickly, and maybe they had their reasons - justified or not - for wanting to cool off Miz's push a little. But going back to Miz now would have seemed like a "been there, done that" scenario.

DiBiase and Rhodes are being "saved" for later. They've been pushed as being a notch below a top singles heel slot at this point, and their slow build I think has been measured and effective. Rushing one of them into a spot against Cena where they'd have to job to him would hurt whatever the long-term plan is for them to move solidly into the top tier as credible believable heel title contenders.

Jack Swagger, as noted by Jim Ross, may have some discipline or dedication or attitude issues that is holding back management wanting to put him in a coveted top spot against Cena. He's got most of the intangibles and tangibles to be a top star some day, but WWE is careful not to rush someone into a top spot if they think it might be premature or go to their head and cause further issues.

As for Chris Masters, he's been pushed mostly as a mid-card comedy figure, so it'd take a year of rebuilding him to be a credible threat to Cena.

Sheamus may not be the ideal option, but he's better than WWE going back to one of the usual candidates. We've seen years of Cena against the top tier of Randy Orton, Edge, Big Show, and Triple H. It feels like he feuded with Orton non-stop for the last three or four years.

Pushing Sheamus is the best available option, even including moving someone from another brand to Raw. The timing is right because the Smackdown main event is strong enough to carry the top spot on the PPV, plus DX vs. Chris Jericho & Big Show is marquee enough to also help carry the show. Cena vs. Sheamus is likely seen by fans as a third-from-the-top attraction. One of the benefits of the brand split is being able to have two top tier established names fighting for one world title, while the other world title features a fresher match that might help elevate a future star such as Sheamus.

There's also something to be said for "shooting someone to the top" quickly before they're "defined down" in the eyes of fans as a second-tier heel. Sheamus hasn't been a bumping machine for a top babyface such as DiBiase and Rhodes have been for Cena and DX. Sheamus hasn't done TV jobs in recent years like Masters or Carlito. Sheamus hasn't lost TV matches to top tier acts like Swagger has.

He's also impressed management (which includes Triple H) with his attitude and outlook enough to have earned their trust to have this spot. That's a big deal. There have been times WWE has seemed to overlook talent in the past, and later it turned out there was good reason behind the scenes. Sheamus obviously hasn't set off any warning signals that others in his position have in the past, thus he's getting shot to the top.

Sheamus may lose clean, or he may be a foe for Cena who fills a couple PPVs between now and WrestleMania. Either way, he'll come out of this feud with Cena slightly elevated in the eyes of fans. Even if fans are mostly not ready to accept him as a top heel threat right now, the mere fact that he visited the top tier briefly will help his ascension in credibility over the next year or so.

Sometimes WWE has to gamble on someone they think is a good risk. Sheamus has a unique look, a presence on the mic, enough in-ring competence at this stage of his career, and obviously the right friends and/or attitude behind the scenes to be worth gambling on. He's not likely to be the next heel version of Goldberg who turns into this mega-star overnight, but I'd like to see WWE take calculated risks such as this more often. It shakes thing up and breaks from the repetition of the same names against one another month after month.

Every six to nine months, if WWE wants to insert someone new into a main event title shot just to test the waters and break the monotony of the same match-ups, I'm all for it. It won't work every time, but eventually it could result in a breakout star who otherwise would have been "defined down" as a mid-card act "unworthy" of sharing the ring with the established top star. Earlier this decade, a year or two of Christian and Edge being destroyed by Undertaker and Kane, I believe, set them back a couple years in being taken seriously as a main event act in the eyes of the fans. Sheamus hasn't been subjected to that treatment, so if he ends up being worth of this fast-track, he can fulfill his potential soon rather than unnecessarily late.

There will be people who think someone from another brand should have been moved to Raw, such as Christian, Dolph Zigger, Vladimir Kozlov, Zach Ryder, Vance Archer, Ezekiel Jackosn, or Drew McIntrye. I'd put Sheamus ahead of everyone on that list, though, with the possible exception of Dolph Ziggler or Christian. But Ziggler and Sheamus are pretty close in terms of seeming ready, and if this is a one-month or two-month type of feud, it seems like a waste to move Christian onto one of the main brands for a quick one-off feud when hopefully they have something more significant in mind for him when he makes his move off of ECW.

So, overall, I applaud the move, even if doesn't work in the end and fans ultimately reject Sheamus as being a title threat. I think they have done everything right in pushing Sheamus as a new killer heel threat, and I think there's a good chance Cena fans will for the most part be eager to pay to see him knocked off his pedestal. It's a gamble WWE should have made more often over the years and I hope the backlash among those second-guessing the move doesn't cause them to go back to "what's safe" and recycle the same feuds for years at a time.

[Darryl The Hitman]

--While in Iraq, the WWE Superstars and Divas visited several FOBs for meet-and-greet sessions and to have some fun with expensive-and deadly-equipment. John Cena, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, The Bella Twins, and Vince McMahon visited the forward operating base occupied by the 1st Battalion 28th Infantry Regiment to spread some holiday cheer and get involved in promotion and re-enlistment ceremonies. The Superstars also visited Camp Liberty for an autograph signing. We have videos from both events, the first one produced by SPC Richard Colleta which shows their arrival and their activities at the base and following that, another video shot by an excited 18-year-old in the U.S. Army who went to Camp Liberty with his buddies to meet the Superstars. You can see them at http://bit.ly/4yuxjt

--Two of the three new WWE pay-per-views scored well with viewers while one of them bombed and was taken out of the 2010 calendar. Breaking Point was one of the casualties as the show did less than 200,000 buys which was the worst for 2009. Unforgiven PPV from the previous year had around 225,000 buys in the same month. Hell In A Cell did the best out of the bunch with 300,000 buys, around 40,000 buys more than the No Mercy pay-per-view held in the same month the previous year. Meanwhile Bragging Rights did just around 200,000; however, that is almost 50,000 up from the Cyber Sunday PPV which was also done during the same month in 2008. {DTH: So we're down to 12 PPVS next year then? BFT if so!}

--John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre for the IC Title has been added to the TLC PPV, apparently in a straight singles match.

--The WWE crew is already back in the US after filming Tribute to the Troops.

--WWE.com is having a "Best of 2009" countdown. Everyday in the month of December, they will be releasing a video of the biggest moments of 2009.

--Former WWE talent Armando Estrada (real name Hazem Ali), has said that his match tonight against Mr. Ken Anderson in Milwaukee for the Great Lakes Championship Wrestling promotion will be his retirement match. The former General Manager of ECW has done very few indy dates since being released by WWE on November 18, 2008. Since then, he opened a restaurant called Baby's Steak and Lemonade in Glendale, Arizona and is attempting to franchise the brand.

--The movie Aztec Revenge starring Mil Mascaras is scheduled for release next year.

--Of the WWE stars to have their pushes halted in recent weeks (Dolph Ziggler/Jack Swagger), Eric Escobar is going through the quickest demise of them all. Not that his stock was particularly high to begin with considering he had been in developmental for a number of years, but the company has pretty much given up on him mere weeks after his WWE debut as a result of his failure to impress. While he's tall and has a good look, he lacks charisma and the feeling is he has done nothing to prove he belongs.

--According to sources backstage, WWE officials have lost a lot of faith in Melina since her transfer over to the RAW brand last month.

--The WWE roster that was in the middle east for the Tribute to the Troops show have returned to the US. They went from the heat of the desert to a snowstorm in Washington DC. The snow is coming down like crazy up here in Albany, NY where I am based.

--The Miami Herald has an article up on the WWE's Tribute To The Troops tour, including the history of the company visiting in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can read that article at http://www.miamiherald.com/

--Corporate.WWE.com has updated some new financial information that includes pay-per-view buyrate estimates for three of the company's new gimmick-concept events:

* WWE Breaking Point drew under 200,000 buys, making it the least-successful event of 2009. The submission-themed show featured The Undertaker's first WWE match since WrestleMania. By comparison, the event that Breaking Point replaced (WWE Unforgiven) drew close to 225,000 buys last year. WWE recently released its pay-per-view schedule for 2010 and WWE Breaking Point was not part of the schedule, so this event may be a one-time affair.

* WWE Hell in A Cell, which featured three Hell in a Cell cage matches, drew around 300,000 buys, way up from the 261,000 buys that No Mercy 2008 drew.

* WWE Bragging Rights, which featured a RAW vs. SmackDown theme, drew approximately 200,000 buys. This is a big improvement over the event it replaced (Cyber Sunday) which drew 153,000 buys in 2008.

--Arn Anderson has been added to the WWE Alumni pages.

--The official theme song for WWE's Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view is Bullet Soul by the band Switchfoot.

--The following matches were taped for WWE's Tribute to the Troops special that airs on NBC: MVP vs. Chris Masters, Mark Henry & Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk & Carlito, The Miz vs. John Morrison and Chris Jericho vs. John Cena. R-Truth also makes an appearance as Santa Claus with the WWE Divas. According to reports, Vince McMahon did not make an on-air appearance at this year's show.

--Jon Blackford sent along the following: I live in Columbus, Ohio and thought it was interesting that the main event for the RAW booked in Columbus on Jan. 25 is John Cena vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Title. Interesting because if DX were to win at TLC, didn't they say that Chris Jericho would then be off of RAW? If this is the case then one can only assume that JeriShow will win at TLC, unless it's more of the ever-popular early advertisements!

--Nick Wassall sent along the following: Just a quick, but late, note on MVP while he was in Sheffield, UK. After the event he was outside signing autographs and informed the crowd he was a Manchester United fan. Some joker then started up at ‘S*** on United’ chant, which to MVP’s shock almost everybody joined in with. He took it well, retaliating with ‘Do you wanna come over the fence and say that?’ Very likeable guy.

--Andrew Benestante sent along the following: WWE Superstars Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, MVP, Kane, The Great Khali, and The Big Show make a cameo in the upcoming SNL movie MacGruber. I saw a test screening of the film last night and it was so funny. Jericho had some lines and The Big Show made out with a dude. In the end they were all accidently blown up by the main character.

--Patrick Kating sent along the following: One of your writers wrote in that Smackdown wasn't aired last night in the UK due to to change of schedule on SkySports Xta. This is not true. Smackdown was actually changed to the time 1:15AM due to the change. Just like to point that out.

--Jeff C. sent along the following:

I was browsing the website of Sportscenter when I came across a piece about Cuban hosting Raw, they suggest some tougher names for him to use.

Mark Cuban’s getting called out in his own house as WWE RAW comes to American Airlines Center on Monday. Cody Rhodes (son of “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and half-brother to Dustin “Goldust” Runnels) got wind that the Mav’s owner would like some retribution against ally Randy Orton. Back in 2003, Orton took Cuban down with his patented RKO jumping cutter finishing move. Then he issued this challenge:

"I suggest that if he wants to get some payback on [Orton], he bring a couple of Cowboys or Mavericks to the ring on Monday and put his money where his mouth is,” said Rhodes. “We'll have an old-fashioned six-man tag match."

"What makes them think I would need any help?” Cuban responded. “Orton got lucky one time. It won't happen again."

“Mark Cuban” is a little bland for a ring name, so we suggest he pick one of these alter egos:
Billion Dollar Man Mark Cuban
The Sideliner Screamer
Macho Mark Maverick
The Human Fine
Dairy Queen Blizzard Guy

Cuban hosts RAW on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. Whatchoo gonna do about it

here is a link http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter

--According to F4WOnline.com, WWE is possibly going to counter TNA Wrestling's live show on Monday, January 4th against RAW. How you ask? According to the website, WWE may schedule a three hour show of their own, so that both WWE's program and TNA's program will go completely head-to-head from 8-11PM ET.

[Darryl The Hitman]

--IGN did a positive review of "Marine 2" with Ted DiBiase at http://dvd.ign.com/articles/105/1051678p1.html

--An article on Baron Von Raschke being added to the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame at http://www.bnd.com/news/local/story/1038935.html Von Raschke will be inducted when he comes into town on Saturday night for a show at the East Carondelet Community Center.

--Phil Mushnick ripped Dennis Miller for doing Raw in his column in today's New York Post. He credited Vince McMahon for finding "attention-starved big shots to serve his raunchy shows," noting Donald Trump, Al Sharpton and Mark Cuban. But said Miller speaks about what's wrong in the world, but will lend himself to a drug-infested entertainment industry that has long specialized in muscular athletes with the nasty habit of dropping dead.

--A story about Rob and Annette Elowitch (Robbie Ellis), the art dealer/indie wrestler is at http://www.mainehomedesign.com/features/10...with-style.html

--I don't have this confirmed just yet but I was told by a reliable source tonight that WWE may be planning to counter TNA's three-hour special on January 4th with a three-hour special of their own. That means both shows would go head-to-head from 8-11EST on January 4th. Anyone think WWE doesn't care or think about TNA? Guess again.

--The 1/4/10 Monday Night RAW will take place in Dayton, Ohio at the Nutter Center. As of right now, it's being listed as a 8:15 start time for the event. As I noted late last night, there are already talks within WWE about making that show a 3-hour show to counter TNA's 3-hour special. Let the war return (for one week!).

--Early reviews are coming in for the latest WWE Studios release, "The Marine 2," starring WWE Raw superstar Ted DiBiase and the reviews are surprisingly positive. IGN.com gave a surprisingly favorable review (6/10) saying: While we wouldn't expect Shakespeare any time soon, Ted DiBiase obviously has sufficient acting chops to carry the film. That said, the wrestler-turned-action star lacks the kind of distinct and intimidating visual presence of somebody like Cena. In truth, for as tough and capable as the man appears, there's something all too vanilla about DiBiase. He looks like a normal, Mid-Western good-old-boy in prime physical condition, more likely to hold open the door for the lady at the market than single-handedly assassinate a group of highly trained killers. Regardless, his athletic skills are hardly in question as he does so with a good deal of command. Overall, The Marine 2 isn't exactly a great film – honestly, it's barely a good film – but it's significantly better and more creatively crafted than anything we've seen hit direct-to-video shelves in quite some time. If you liked the original or if you're just a WWE fan looking for a fun, action-packed night at home, you'd do well to check this out.

--Ashley Massaro got some new tattoos on her wrists over the weekend. The former WWE diva wrote a message on Twitter saying, "This is one of 2 I got yesterday, small but were building, awesome artist, i wanted to distract from the roman num"

--WWE Hall of Famer Nick Bockwinkel is celebrating his 75th birthday today. The four-time AWA World Heavyweight Championship was born on December 6, 1934. Also of note, former WWE Cruiserweight champion Spike Dudley turns 39.

--"I think that part of my life is very important. It was a big change. I’ve been wrestling for 20 years now, and after several operations, five on my left knee and three on my right arm, the medication caught up to me. I realised it, my wife realised it, and I knew it was time to make a change for myself, my family and for the business I’m in.

"I had to do the right thing, I was so tired of taking medication to keep me away from the pain; now I’ve learned how to cope with that day to day, and it feels great to be a new man!"-- Rey Mysterio in an interview given to The Daily Star.

Rey Mysterio showed remarkable strength of character this week. Discussing his painkiller addiction in a public forum, he portrayed himself as a role model for those who have suffered from a reliance on prescription drugs. Yet Mysterio's better judgment deserted him when he decided to postpone vital knee surgery until after WrestleMania.

It is alarming that wrestlers seemingly place the glory and financial benefit of appearing at WrestleMania above their own sense of self-preservation. Kurt Angle delayed serious neck surgery in 2003 in order to drop the World Title to Brock Lesnar. Shawn Michaels wrestled on the injury that kept him out for over four years in order to fulfill his commitment to appear at Wrestlemania 14. Rey Mysterio's decision to postpone surgery is far from out of the ordinary; it represents the wrestling mentality of working hurt for the good of the business. A mentality that must be changed.

It must be tough for a WWE wrestler to sit on the sidelines during spring - resting or going to the gym to rehab injuries while your contemporaries are participating in most lucrative part of the year; forgotten as other wrestlers attempt to steal the show at the most prestigious event that the WWE has to offer; working through the pain offers a ticket to WrestleMania for those on the injured list.

Four months is a long time to wrestle on a serious knee injury. Granted, it may be Rey Mysterio's ticket to a bumper payday, but what bearing will the damage he does in the meantime have upon his participation in WrestleMania in subsequent years? Once his ability to compete at an acceptable level has deserted him, he will be surplus to requirements in WWE, so surely it makes sense to stay as healthy as possible?

It’s a remarkably old-school attitude for someone who is one of the highest paid employees of a profitable, New York stock exchange listed company. In the past, wrestlers were unwilling to take time off due to fear of losing their spot on the card. With upward mobility hardly a feature of the WWE roster at the moment, this is no argument for avoiding resting injuries any more. In the case of Rey Mysterio, this should be of no concern whatsoever. No matter how much time he takes off, the likelihood is that he will return to the same position on the card.

WWE is within their powers to force Mysterio to have knee surgery, and it is in their interests to do so. He is a unique character with a look that is ideal for hooking the younger audience that they are attempting to market towards. Mysterio has a high-flying style, which management is historically reluctant to back (see Evan Bourne), and has been pushed as World champion despite his diminutive stature. He is incredibly over with Hispanic audiences, but not to the detriment of other parts of the WWE's fanbase. He's simply over with all audiences. Rey Misterio is one of the WWE's most important assets, and should be treated as such.

Yet the most dangerous factor to be taken into consideration is Mysterio's admission to ending up in rehab for dependency on prescription medication. Four months of working on a damaged knee will cause Mysterio a great deal of pain, which needs to be carefully managed. Only Rey Mysterio can ensure that the pain is managed responsibly.

The tragic and untimely death of Eddie Fatu a/k/a Umaga at the age of 36 is a reminder that personal well being is infinitely more important than any payday. Yet the industry will move on, and wrestlers will continue to work hurt, using pain medication to do so. Painkiller abuse is a cancer in the wrestling industry.

Rey Mysterio is risking his long term health by delaying his surgery. Unfortunately he is not the only wrestler who believes that the chance to appear at WrestleMania makes it a price worth paying. Working hurt is a tradition amongst wrestlers, but it's one that needs to be left in the past.