Source: PWTorch.com Newsletter


In an update to a previously reported story, both Joey Styles and Paul Heyman are expected to write books about ECW; Styles has already agreed.


Although the WWE terrorist angle played out as a major controversy on the Internet, sources in WWE note that the level of critical fan email - while high - did not rival past "controversies" on WWE TV.

There is also some debate as to what Vince McMahon's intentions were in going ahead with the storyline. While some have noted that Vince feeds off negative media reaction and is thrilled with how the angle played out, others feel that Vince would never have intended to wreck the positive publicity attached to the move to USA.

Since leaving his position as Vice President of Talent Relations in 2004, Jim Ross' role within the company has been considerably scaled down. Ross still meets with Vince McMahon and is one of the few people who freely speaks his mind without worrying that disagreeing with him may affect his position.

A close friend is quoted saying that Jim is much happier now living in Oklahoma. The friend goes on to say, "He has long talked of his goal to be primarily an announcer."

The friend also added that Ross wants John "Johnny Ace" Laurenaitis to succeed as he played a part in grooming him. However, with Laurenaitis proving how hard the job actually is, he feels somewhat satisfied as it goes to show just how much he was taken for granted.

Stephanie McMahon is apparently a fan of Laurenaitis, although sources say Triple H doesn't feel the same way.

Here's how the segment in question went down:

In the middle of a match between Seth Skyfire and Cliff Compton the theme from the Exorcist starts playing. They stop wrestling and Wright comes out from under the apron wearing a headband with 10" black horns sticking out from either side and carrying a broken shrunken head on a stick. He's having to hold the head to keep it from falling off.

As he tries to get into the ring the two wrestlers and the ref bail simultaniously. This would have been kinda cool except his horns were too wide to fit between the ropes and he had to back up and try again. The crowd starts laughing right about here.

He breaks character a little to turn the mic on. Crowd laughs even more.

Sings "the itsy bitsy spider". Random people in the crowd yell out "this sucks".

He goes into his promo. The horns start slipping down over his eyes. Eventually he has to hold them up with one hand. Since the other hand is holding the mic, he drops his voodoo cane.

Ends promo by yelling "boom shaka laka".

As he is leaving the ring the crowd starts chanting "you suck". After a few seconds they seem to realize that implies he is getting over as a heel so they start chanting "boogie man" and laughing.

He shoves a piece of guardrail at some plants in the crowd near the side door of the studio. Plants #1 and 2 are a woman holding a badly fake-cowering pre-teen kid. Plant #3 is a guy in a black polo shirt who sits there and laughs a little when the rail hits the back of his chair

TNA will make their decision today as to whether or not Matt Hardy will do a one-time appearance at their No Surrender pay-per view this Sunday. WWE has officially agreed to allow Hardy to work the show in an unexplained run-in type role. Up until today, TNA has not okayed the appearance.

Tonight will be the first arena type show from OVW booked by Paul Heyman at Six Flags in Louisville, which will also include Jim Cornette's final appearance with the company.

- In a new article entitled "The Single Life," WWE puts over Rob Conway as a rising singles superstar. Conway notes that although he was part of WWE's flagship tag team over the past few years, he's extremely excited about the prospect of moving up the ladder on his own. He compared his likely future to HBK and Bret Hart by explaining that after ending their runs as tag wrestlers, they slowly earned the chance to compete for the World Title.

"Those are legends with legendary careers, as opposed to someone who might have had a title match early in their career. I don’t mind paying my dues to get where I need to be. You just have a longer influence on the business," Conway said.

The only good wrestler is Hulk Hogan.
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Is that sarcasm?

The New York Times covered the SmackDown! terrorist controversy in an article released Monday. WWE's Gary Davis acknowledged that although the timing of the segment was terrible, UPN did not have a chance to edit the angle out of the show.

Davis did not accept all blame, however. He also put some of the heat on the false perceptions of WWE viewers. "We did everything we could to advise people that there might be material that might be offensive to some people," Mr. Davis said. "The real problem is the perception of viewers watching that segment."

Said the article: Mr. Hassan, he explained, is not a terrorist, but an angry, disillusioned Arab-American, embracing his roots after experiencing racism from other Americans since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The Times also covered the complaint issued to WWE by American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, which argued that although Hassan was an entertainer, his actions on the show would not make WWE viewers sympathetic to the plight of Arab-Americans.

According to reports received early Tuesday morning, WWE has officially released Earl Hebner. Hebner, who had been with the company since 1988, is the most well-known referee in American pro wrestling.

Hebner was released for allegedly selling WWE merchandise without authorization. Dave Hebner, who was also involved, will be disciplined as well, although he has not been released.

Hebner was one of WWE's "senior officials" and refereed many of the past decades PPV main-events.

Matt Striker is claiming that he was injured during last night's match with Kurt Angle, which is why he ran into some difficulty towards the end of the bout. He apparently took a stiff kick to the face.

Confirmation continues to come in that TNA has signed a deal to replace Velocity on Spike TV's lineup. As stated earlier, a legal restraint is currently inhibiting TNA from announcing the deal, but once that is cleared, a press release will be issued. It was not known if TNA planned to inform the wrestlers of the deal at today's taping.

I would like to think Kurt wouldn't do something like that on purpose...

Despite having little appeal with Internet fans, the WWE RAW Diva Search continues to be a ratings success for WWE. Although ratings for this past Monday's RAW are not yet known, if past numbers are any indication, the segment likely scored well.

According to the PWTorch.com Newsletter, last week's "talent show" was the highest-rated segment of RAW, sans the overrun (4.1 for HBK's challenge to Hogan), with a 3.9 rating. The show itself only scored a 3.6, which once again indicates that the majority of mainstream fans are interested in WWE's "reality competition."

If the ECW PPV didn't do enough to prove one's inability to use Internet buzz as a gauge for WWE viewership, last week's RAW rating certainly will. While the Diva Search scored a 3.9 quarter-hour, the Edge/Kane match with Matt Hardy's run-in, after having been teased moments earlier, only scored a 3.6.

Triple H is currently on a hiatus from WWE television, a break that some sources say could last for a few months. Over the course of his hiatus, which is the product of HHH wanting time off to rest his body, Triple H will be undergoing an orientation process at WWE Headquarters. It is no secret that HHH is viewed as an eventual heir to the WWE throne, and, at Vince McMahon's suggestion, he will learn more about how WWE - the enterprise - operates.

HHH is already a frequent visitor at WWE Headquarters, where he utilizes the gym and has a great rapport with office workers.

Contrary to rumors, Triple H's hiatus has absolutely nothing to do with Hogan's return to RAW. While the two are not best friends, they have no problem coexisting and working in the same lockerroom, so HHH did not decide to leave out of resentment. In fact, one source states that it's even possible HHH requested time off before the plan for Hogan/HBK had even been derived and that Hogan was brought in to fill in the void left by HHH's absence.

A feud between Ric Flair and Triple H is said to be inevitable, although there are conflicting reports as to when it will begin. One source was under the impression HHH would work against Flair at Summerslam, while others insist that HHH will not be present at the PPV in any capacity.

There's something oddly unsettling about RAW without Triple H...it's like going to the cinema without that annoying loud guy who talks through the whole movie.

We have it confirmed that Dave Hebner, twin brother of Earl Hebner and WWE referee, has been released from the company. We believe we was finally informed of this yesterday.

His twin brother Earl was released on Monday, due to selling merchandise illegally.

- Because Rhino has a good relationship with Scott D'Amore, it's expected he'll get the best possible opportunity to serve as a feature performer with TNA. Many believe this is Rhino's first chance to shine since his ECW title reign.

- Shawn Daivari uses the name "Khosrow" as a tribute to his father, not because it's the real first name of the Iron Shiek. As has been reported in the past, Daivari's father owns two award-winning pizza restaurants in Minneapolis called "Leaning Tower Of Pizza."

- Shane McMahon was present backstage for the July 11 WWE RAW. McMahon typically only shows up for post-PPV RAWs and tapings that take place in New York City.

- WWE.com has already begun pushing Rob Conway as a singles performer, as noted in an update last week. Rob Conway has long been viewed as a hot prospect by WWE management, so he will definitely get a fair shake on WWE television.

There is a story on the Associated Press which quotes Bill Goldberg as saying, "I'd love to be Hollywood's next superhero; I'd love to be Hollywood's most violent villain ever."

It would be easy to blame the writers for failing to come up with anything substantial for Rhyno, but the wrestler is quick to put the blame on his own big shoulders.

"You can say the writers weren't writing for me, and it's all their fault. But you really have to take responsibility for your own self and your own actions," he says. He draws on WWE owner Vince McMahon as an example of someone who does things the way he should have. "Vince is a go-getter. If something isn't happening for Vince, he asks himself what he needs to do to go make it happen, and then does it. Vince wouldn't just think that the writers had nothing for him to do and accept it. Vince would call them every day, and ask them again and again, 'What do we got? What do I need to do? What do I need to change?' And then do it. That's what I wasn't doing. I can't put any blame on the writers. It would be easy if you just went there, and they had a great show written for you. But it's not like that."

UPN has told WWE that they do not want the Muhammad Hassan character on their network again.

Hassan has been kept off WWE television for the last two weeks ever since they aired footage of him and a terror cell on the same day as the London attacks.

We'll keep you posted.

Former WWE superstar Luther Reigns was involved in an incident with NODQ’s video show (XMV) crew member, at last night’s UPW show in Santa Ana last night. Mike Nagel who was the victim of the incident posted the following on his blog:

“So I'm filming Luther Reigns doing his promo and I'm standing pretty close to the ring apron, filming and Luther turns to me and says get that camera out of my face...Now I’ve been doing this long enough to know that no wrestler is ever going to be stupid enough to actually break an $1800.00 digital video camera...WOW I was wrong! This stupid son of a b*tch full on hit the camera knocking it into my mouth busting the inside of my lip open and knocking one of my teeth loose...I couldn't believe this and to be honest I was more concerned about the camera than myself...I've been hit in the face before, no big deal...but this camera is more important to me and Aaron than anyone else realizes, this is the XMV camera, not a UPW camera...THEE XMV Camera and I was f*cking p*ssed...Pukeboy, Jade, Jeff, and Aaron were all in disbelief over what happened, but I was f*cking p*ssed. I went to the back found Josh and told him what happened, everybody was apologizing and for that I respect UPW, however I do not respect Luther "Horshu" Reigns one bit, he saw me in the back after everything talking with Hawk from Tough Enough 2, Michael Moody, and Rick Bassman, the a**hole didn't offer an apology, he didn't come up to me and say sorry or shake my hand, he has no respect...I wonder why WWE FIRED HIS A**.”

At the moment the XMV team is waiting for legal advice before they proceed to take further action.

TNA iMPACT! TO TELECAST ON SPIKE TV!
New York, NY (July 21, 2005) – TNA Entertainment, LLC has signed a deal with Spike TV to telecast TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling’s weekly action athletic entertainment series “iMPACT!” The weekly one-hour show will join Spike TV’s popular “Slammin’ Saturday Night” programming block starting this Fall, taping at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.

“We are thrilled to be coming to Spike TV,” said Dixie Carter, President, TNA Entertainment, LLC. “We look forward to bringing our exciting style of Total Non-stop Action and entertainment to their male viewers.”

The new wrestling alternative, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s iMPACT! delivers a distinct brand of high-risk, live-action athletic entertainment. TNA’s roster includes some of the most exciting and recognizable stars in wrestling today such as, Jeff Jarrett, Raven, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Abyss, Sean Waltman, Christopher Daniels, Monty Brown and others. TNA features the high-flying “X Division,” the “Six-Sided Ring,” and concept matches such as “Ultimate X,” “King of the Mountain,” and “Six Sides of Steel.”

TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held company headquartered in Nashville, TN. TNA programming is currently available in 118 countries. TNA is also available on monthly pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network and TVN as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell ExpressVu and Shaw PPV in Canada. The names of all Total Nonstop Action Wrestling televised programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and all TNA Wrestling logos and trademarks are exclusive property of TNA Entertainment, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com.
Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 88 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA..

According to the Wrestling-Observer Newsletter, PPV industry estimates for the ECW: One Night Stand show conflict with those being reported. While WWE's internal estimates (the ones that have been reported on newsboards) are just shy of 300,000 buys, PPV sources have listed the show doing well over 300,000. No word is available on why there is such a large discrepancy.

- In an update to the story from last night, the video featuring the bWo challenging the Mexicools to a match is back on WWE.com. The major change is that the video has been further 'produced' from yesterday's cut: it is now featured in the signature shade of gray, and the bWo logo appears prior to the promo.

Tazz has voiced his disappointment and shame regarding the recent releasing of the Dudleys from WWE. Tazz has been quoted to say it was a mistake. Regarding the differences between Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman, Tazz said McMahon is more business and Heyman was more “one of the boys.” He said you hear more from McMahon when you screw up than when you do well, but it’s expected that you’ll do well.

He also said he was happy with the ECW reunion show, however isn’t keen on seeing ECW kept in Vince’s vision. Apparently McMahon kept a close eye on Paul Heyman, however did let him run and plan the show.

Tazz went on to say that he would’ve loved the opportunity to wrestle at the show, however due to problems he experiences in his neck, this prevented him from doing so.

Tazz said he is a bit embarrassed about how he used to act backstage when he took his gimmick so seriously, but he has matured now and has a family. He said Joey Styles noticed his new attitude and complimented him on the calmer demeanour. He also said nobody can match Michael Cole at partying and drinking.

There are quotes from Brock Lesnar's agent in the St. Pioneer Paul Press in Minnesota today with him noting that Lesnar was "negotiating" for a WWE return and would not be trying out the Minnesota Vikings this year.

- During yesterday's Toronto Blue Jays game, a "Piper's Pit" segment featured Piper beating on Toronto mascot, Ace, who was wearing a kilt to mock Piper. Gene Okerlund sang the national anthem as well as providing some color commentary, while Bobby Heenan threw out the first pitch.

- The Internet Wrestling Council's return to Monroeville, PA on 7/29 is set to be headlined by Matt Hardy vs. AJ Styles. Visit http://www.IWCWrestling.com/ for more information.

Just thought you should let everyone know that TNAwrestling.com has finally updated their website. The outlaw can now be found under Kip James and Michael Shane is now under Matt Bentley. Rhino has also been added, but intrestingly, Trinity has been taken OFF the roster list and off the Knockouts list, where there is only Traci. As before reported, Trinity wanted to leave the company, but has she already gone? (Thanks to Luke Owen)

I was at the John Bradshaw Layfield Autograph signing at the Sports Authority in West Long Branch, NJ today. He was there to promote the new fishing lure his name is attached to. Quite frankly, nobody really cared about the fishing lure, it was just about seeing JBL. The line was not that long although the turnout was decent (at least early on when I was there). He seemed to just go along with the flow. He was not very enthusiastic or outgoing towards the fans, but he wasn't rude either. He seemed as if he didn't want to be there, and everytime people asked him if they could get a picture with him, he had this look in his face as to say, "not again". He had a nice bruise on his left eye; not sure how he got that. I had him sign a Jakks Pacific figure (a Wrestlemania 21 figure that was packaged with a white hat- got it just for the signing), and he looked at it like he had no clue what it was. Kind of leads me to believe these guys don't even know what the WWE is using their images for. Anyway, I just thought you might like to know how it went with JBL. (Thanks to Neil Grazer)

- In an update to the story from last night, the video featuring the bWo challenging the Mexicools to a match is back on WWE.com. The major change is that the video has been further 'produced' from yesterday's cut: it is now featured in the signature shade of gray, and the bWo logo appears prior to the promo.

- The Internet Wrestling Council's return to Monroeville, PA on 7/29 is set to be headlined by Matt Hardy vs. AJ Styles. Visit http://www.IWCWrestling.com/ for more information.

Is that sarcasm?
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Ivory’s World Wrestling Entertainment television contract will not be renewed. She will make her final appearance on The WWE Experience this weekend. WWE wishes Ivory well and hopes to work with her again in the near future.

Ivory’s World Wrestling Entertainment television contract will not be renewed. She will make her final appearance on The WWE Experience this weekend. WWE wishes Ivory well and hopes to work with her again in the near future.

The WWE Creative team continues to grow, currently having 11 people on staff.

The word around WWE is that Triple H has gotten "soft" since taking time away from television. He hasn't been working out nearly as much as he has in the past.

Triple H has been working at WWE and helping with television. The rumor right now is Triple H will return before SummerSlam to setup a match with Ric Flair.

Amid complaints, WWE agrees to remove Arab-American character

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
AP Business Writer

July 22, 2005, 3:08 PM EDT

STAMFORD, Conn. -- World Wrestling Entertainment has agreed to remove an Arab-American character from a popular television show after complaints about an episode featuring masked henchmen that aired the day of the London bombings.

The Stamford-based wrestling company said it would no longer feature Muhammad Hassan on its "SmackDown!" program. UPN, the station that airs he show, had asked WWE to be sensitive about the character, WWE said.

"It was an interesting character," said Gary Davis, a WWE spokesman. "This was an unfortunate sequence of events. Some people drew the conclusion these people were terrorists even though they were not terrorists."

During the episode, five Hassan henchmen in ski masks and camouflage ran into the ring to beat up his rival, the Undertaker, who had defeated Hassan's sidekick. The men then carried Hassan's sidekick over their heads, which to some evoked a martyr's funeral.

The show did not air in London, but it did appear in the U.S. with an advisory to parents because of the bombings, Davis said. The segment sparked 200 to 300 complaints, he said.

"There really wasn't any time for UPN to edit the program. So they opted to put up an advisory," Davis said.

While Hassan will not appear again on "SmackDown!," he will be featured Sunday on a pay-per view event. Beyond that, his future is uncertain.

"SmackDown!" draws more than 5 million viewers per week, Davis said.

"We asked them to remove it because we thought that was the right thing to do," said Joanna Massey, a UPN spokeswoman.

Hassan, a character introduced last November and played by Mark Copani, grows up in Detroit as a typical American.

But after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he believes he is treated differently by his fellow Americans, leading him to embrace his Arab roots and feel alienated from the U.S.

"The whole point of the story line and this character was to point out the injustices Arab-Americans have suffered since 9-11," Davis said.

But the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee objected to the character. One of its campaigns resulted in nearly 500 complaints sent to WWE, a spokeswoman said.

The character could raise doubts about the patriotism of Arab-Americans, said Siwar Bandar, communications coordinator for the committee.

"The character deals with a very sensitive issue," Bandar said. "However, he does so in a context that is violent, that is turning his back on America."

The committee welcomed the decision to take the character off "SmackDown!" and hopes WWE will make major changes to the character or not feature the wrestler at all, Bandar said.

WWE counts on villains to draw fan interest in its plots, said WWE analyst Dennis McAlpine, managing director of McAlpine Associates in Scarsdale, N.Y. With the Cold War long over, Russians are out and it's getting tougher to find a bad guy, he said.

"You can't find too many more bad guys any more," McAlpine said. "I think the character was probably getting a bit over the top any way."

The controversy left Hassan angry on a recent episode in which he was greeted with shouts of "USA" as he entered the ring. One fan held up a sign telling him to leave the country.

"Because of my heritage, because of my background, I'm labeled 'terrorist,' " Hassan told the fans to a chorus of boos. "I have been denied my God-given right to pursue the profession of my choice, to pursue the American dream."

THE FREAK HAS ARRIVED....UCW has come to terms with "BIG POPPA PUMP" SCOTT STEINER, formerly of WWE & WCW. After a successful rehab from surgery a now healthy and eager champion returns! The former WCW World Champion came to terms with UCW early Thursday, and will be appearing on the UCW shows in North Carolina in August. More details coming soon as UCW is talking with other top tier talent, and some recently released stars from WWE. (Thanks to phillipusa1@bellsouth.net)

I live about an hour away from Columbus, Ohio, the site of the August 9th WWE SmackDown! tapings. At around 9:00 pm last night they ran a commercial promoting the main-event for SmackDown! as Batista vs. JBL in a Street Fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. It will probably be the dark match on that show. (Thanks to Bryan Clark)

In the new August edition of SmackDown! magazine, there is an article on Matt Morgan. It basically says he's a great physical specimen and a powerful man. The magazine calls him "uniquely gifted." That's funny because they fired him for not having great in-ring ability. (Thanks to Corey Hill)

who came down to the ring waving the stars and strips and going on about how much he loves America....