WWE teams up with WGN for "WWE Superstars"

Photo courtesy of wwe.com


Last night, it was reported on the Slam! Sports wrestling news section that that World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] and WGN had released information on the new weekly WWE show coming to cable network WGN America this spring.

In the announcement, no official date was mentioned but it was noted the new show, which is a first-run, original program called "WWE Superstars," will begin airing after Wrestlemania 25 in April 2009 on Thursday nights at 8 and 11 p.m with an additional airing on the weekend.

The action-packed "WWE Superstars" will be produced by WWE and will feature Superstars and Divas from the entire WWE roster in a one-hour show that will give WWE six hours of first run shows to fill each week.

While this news sounds exciting, I am a bit on the hesitant side to think that this will be a one-hour show like RAW, Smackdown and ECW where there is wrestling action. The cynic in me thinks that this one-hour show will simply be a recap show, similar to WWE shows like Afterburn, that will just show highlights from the week in WWE with an occasional feature on a Superstar or Diva.

On the other hand, I could be totally wrong and this could in fact be a new one-hour wrestling show that will give some more talents on the roster a chance to showcase their talents that they may not get the chance to on the regular three shows, similar to what WWE Velocity and Heat were used for during their runs.

I guess we will just have to wait until April 2009 for our answer when the debut show airs.

Alzheimer’s pinning Lord Littlebrook

Photo courtesy of obsessedwithwrestling.com


Over the weekend, the Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that professional midget wrestler Eric Tovey [pictured above], better known to professional wrestling fans as "Lord Littlebrook,"celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday bedridden as he is currently suffering from Alzheimer's, dementia and can no longer walk due to losing the use of both his legs, which has baffled his doctors.

Littlebrook, perhaps best known for being on the card at Wrestlemania III in a mixed tag-team match with Little Tokyo and King Kong Bundy against Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver and Haiti Kid [which can be viewed at the end of this entry courtesy of youtube], has been credited as being one of the first wrestlers to use aerial maneuvers on his opponents, paving the way for high flying wrestlers such as "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, "Flyin" Brian Pillman, Rob Van Dam and Kofi Kingston.

I would like to give my condolences to the Tovey family as well as all his relatives. I know how hard of a toll seeing a loved one with Alzheimer's takes on one person as my grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's for seven-years before passing away in April 2007.

I don't want to sound mean or cold-hearted but with all these complications Mr. Tovey is suffering from, I would urge the family to consider ending the suffering for Mr. Tovey as soon as possible. In all honesty, the person they knew and loved growing up left Mr. Tovey's body a long time ago and I know from personal experience that when a loved one has Alzheimer's, it will only get worse the longer it progresses, which is why it is called "The Long Goodbye."

Government issues report on steroids in wrestling

Earlier today, I made my usual visit to the Slam! Sports wrestling news section and saw something that caught my attention and could shake-up the industry of professional wrestling.

According to the website, on Jan. 3, 2008, United States Senator Henry Waxman [D-CA] provided the results of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee's investigation into steroid use in the professional wrestling industry and the results were filed with the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The six page report, which can be viewed by clicking "HERE" attacks the current steroid and drug policies of the big two-wrestling companies in North America, World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] and Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling.

Among other findings, these eye-openers were included in Waxman's report:


*Chris Benoit tested positive three times for steroids by WWE prior to his June 2007 murder/suicide of his family but was never penalized by the company.

*40-percent of the WWE talent roster tested positive for steroids and other drugs despite being aware they would be tested when the company instituted their "Wellness Policy."

*25-percent of the TNA talent roster tested positive for steroids during the promotions baseline test while 11 talents tested positive for other substances.

*Waxman noted that while TNA has instituted a policy, there are significant weaknesses in TNA's policy.

*WWE hired four-of-five wrestlers who tested positive for steroids in a pre-hiring test, despite their positive results.

*Waxman blasted WWE for making changes to their Policy several months after instituting it to allow wrestlers to continue to perform, without pay, on television and pay-per-view events in order to maintain storyline consistency.

*Waxman also noted that WWE allowed 'therapeutic usage" of steroids from talents who were using a testosterone replacement therapy due to issues brought on by previous steroid use in their past.


Upon reading headline, I immediately read the report and a few things jumped out at me that rubbed me the wrong way, most noticeably the opening paragraph where Waxman said he was "leaving the Oversight Committee to become Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee" and that "over three million children and teens regularly watch professional wrestling."

Those two statements in the opening paragraph alerted me and should alert any reader who can read between the lines that Waxman did not do this investigation for a better life expectancy for professional wrestlers but rather, Waxman did this investigation because he clearly has an agenda against professional wrestling and wanted to go out from the Oversight Committee in a blaze of glory by bringing down the wrestling industry with this piece of dirty laundry.

If Waxman does not have an agenda against pro wrestling, why didn't he mention the entire, total viewership of people who watch pro wrestling rather than just focusing on children and teenagers? Waxman calling this report and his committee "impartial" is quite laughable.

As for some of Waxman's findings, he gives a lot of good numbers but doesn't give the non-fan any depth to his findings and makes it appear that WWE never did anything about the test results.

Had Waxman conducted a true, impartial report, he should have reported that since the Wellness Policy was implemented, WWE owner Vince McMahon stated that as long as any talent had a written and authorized note from their doctor that checked out for what they were taking, they would be in the clear even if they failed a test.

Also, the tests were subject to discretion as it was known that if a talent had high marks in one test but then showed a decrease in levels on their next test, they would not suffer any penalties.

As for WWE allowing wrestlers to compete for 30-days without pay on their first offense, Waxman should have informed the reader that the reason for this change in the Wellness Policy was so another disaster like the Great American Bash 2006 pay-per-view wouldn't happen again were Bobby Lashley, Great Khali, Super Crazy, Psichosis and other talents were pulled off the card the night before the show due the finding of elevated enzyme levels in their systems and created chaos in the storylines.

In addition, it's quite odd that the report doesn't mention anything about big name WWE talents like Jeff Hardy, William Regal and Randy Orton being down to their last strike with the company and another failed test will result in their termination from the company, which WWE has acknowledged quite heavily on television since Jeff Hardy returned from his 60-day suspension this spring as a result of his second offense.

Also, why isn't the incident with Raw superstar Manu not included that forced WWE to have all talents drop their pants in front of a doctor when being tested as Manu tried to cheat by using one of those fake whizzanators while down in WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling [FCW]?

It really upsets me that our wonderful government is going to pay more attention to this than the fact that our nation is on the brink of a depression. The government cannot have it both ways when it comes to steroid testing in professional wrestling as professional wrestling is NOT A REAL SPORT, a fact every person in the media and the ones who detest it are sure to drive home to both fans and non fans even though the fans have known this fact for years!

One cannot say professional wrestling is not a real sport and claim it as ENTERTAINMENT and then turn around and hold it to the same steroid-testing standards as real sports, such as baseball and football, whom lets be honest, are not on the up-and-up with their testing either.

The last time I checked, baseball, football and other legitimate sports test athletes for steroids so they cannot have an unfair advantage over their competition. Who exactly is a professional wrestler getting an unfair advantage over if he or she is using steroids? They aren't cheating the fans as the fans know its entertainment and not a legitimate sporting event. They aren't breaking hallowed records like the home-run record in baseball so how exactly would they be cheating?

The fact of the matter is a professional wrestler using steroids is not cheating anyone other than themselves out of a longer lifespan but its their choice as they are grown men and women who have seen what steroids and other drugs have done to their peers over the last three-decades and know the risks and dangers if they start using.

Should the government intervene and start testing professional wrestlers, than its only fair that they start testing Hollywood actors and actresses since they are in ENTERTAINMENT and there have been a plethora of cases of actors and actress dying from their drug use, most recently Heath Ledger, and correct me if I'm wrong but if I use Waxman's theory in his concluding paragraph, doesn't Ledger's drug use send the wrong message to kids that they can do all the drugs they want but if they are a good actor, they will find work?

In addition, Sylvester Stallone was busted in Australia with HGH and testosterone just a little over a year ago and publicly admitted he used those substances to get his physique for "Rocky Balboa" and "Rambo IV."

However, everyone gave Sly a pass, saying he wasn't an athlete, just an actor who was replenishing his body with substances that diminished from his body with age, and therefore, wasn't cheating anyone by using those substances. Double standard? You bet!

At the end of the day, a government intervention is not going to rid professional wrestling of steroids nor should it. The only ones who can rid steroids from professional wrestling are the wrestlers themselves and the way they go about that is forming a professional wrestling union. However, that is easier said than done since, as Terry Funk stated in his autobiography "More Than Just Hardcore," that a professional wrestling union would be nice but professional wrestlers can't even agree on the finish of a match. Do you really think they will be able to agree on a wrestling union?

Bobby Lashley signs with PFC

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Former World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] superstar and Extreme Championship Wrestling [ECW] champion and currently undefeated mixed martial arts fighter, Bobby Lashley [pictured above], has singed on to compete with Palace Fighting Championship [PFC] for their Feb. 6 show at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif. in a report by Loretta Hunt for sherdog.com

According to Hunt, Lashley has inked a two-fight deal with PFC as he continues to build his MMA resume towards a heavyweight title bout and possible dream match-up against current Ultimate Fighting Championship [UFC] heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Lashley, who was a three-time NAIA National Champion at 177 pounds, a four-time All-American honors four times, a three-time National Amateur Wrestling Champion, a two-time Armed Forces Champion and a 2002 Silver Medalist at the Military World Championship, made a speedy debut in the realm of MMA by defeating Joshua Franklin in 41 seconds with a Technical Knockout [TKO] stoppage via a cut from elbow strikes [which you can view in its entirety at the conclusion of this entry courtesy of youtube].

Currently, there are no opponents announced for Lashley, who trains with American Top Team, but PFC promoter Christian Printup, who has been entrusted with finding an opponent for the 6'3," 265-pound prospect, stated that an opponent will be announced shortly the list of possible fighters are looked over, which include some World Extreme Cagefighting [WEC] veterans and other local Californian fighters.


LASHLEY vs. FRANKLIN

Wrestling Recipes Week 20 - Hardcore Iced Tea

With the National Football League [NFL] playoffs on the horizon tomorrow afternoon, there is a 50/50 chance that if your favorite team is playing tomorrow, the could be eliminated in a close battle that comes down to the last play of the game or do like my Dallas Cowboys did last week against the Philadelphia Eagles with the playoffs on the line and not bother showing up to play.

If you team does unfortunately lose, you will probably want something to drink to make you forget about the fact your team let you down again and that you have to wait until Aug. to see your favorite team in action again. Should your team win, you will want something to drink to celebrate the night away as you scream at the top of your lungs, "This Night Belongs to Us!"

Luckily, the folks at World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] magazine have just the thing for you. In the Nov. 2006 issue, former WWE talent, Jim "Sandman" Fullington was gracious enough to share his recipe for his own specialty, "Hardcore Hooch Iced Tea," which is just the pick me up anyone can use regardless of this weekends football results.




HARDCORE HOOCH ICED TEA



INGREDIENTS:
*Shot of vodka
*Shot of gin
*Shot of tequila
*Shot of rum
*Dash of triple sec
*Dash of peach schnapps
*Dash of cola
*Dash of orange juice


DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine liquor, shake and pour over ice in a highball glass.
2) Add orange juice and cola.
3) Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Kizarny to be Kazaamed!?

Photo courtesy of myspace.com

Last night, the Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that despite only taping one television match so far, several key officials in World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] have already begun to doubt the future of the newly debuted Kizarny [pictured above].

In addition, the head of talent relations, Johnny "Ace" Laurinaitis, is drawing heat within the company as it is being reported Laurinaitis is the primary supporter of Kizarny and it was his decision to push him on the Smackdown brand despite these officials feeling Kizarny is not ready for the big time.

During Kizarny's recent house-show circuit matches against fellow Smackdown wrestler MVP, these officials have showed how little faith they have in him as he has been picking up fluke wins in these matches where MVP has been controlling and carrying the matches only for Kizarny to get the win out of nowhere.

I am not going to bash Kizarny until I see his first televised match against MVP on Smackdown this Friday night but even if the match wasn't as smooth as it could have been, can you honestly blame Kizarny for being, I don't know, a little nervous since it was his first television match and his first shot at the big-time after wrestling on the independent scene for a close to 15-years?

What baffles me is that WWE has trainers in Florida Championship Wrestling [FCW], their official developmental territory for several reasons, one of which is to communicate with them to see how the developmental talents are progressing and who is ready for the big time. Why didn't these so-called officials ask the trainers thoughts on Kizarny's in-ring skills before calling him up to the main roster?

I swear, with this report and last week's report about the Hade Vansen character and prophecy group being dropped, it appears that these backstage officials are looking for the slightest thing to criticize a new talent about and if Vince McMahon says something negative about the talent, these officials chime all chime in like a groaning chorus of yes-men.

Here's something these officials should consider....if they were this trigger happy to pull the plug on new talents after their first appearance, today, there would be no MVP, Randy Orton, Batista or John Cena!

Time Warner to black-out TNA fans?

Photo provided

vs.


Photo provided

Earlier this afternoon, I noticed a scrolling text going across my "Spike TV" channel but didn't pay much attention to it as "CSI" was airing and I was watching the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" marathon on "A&E."

However, a little bit later, while channel surfing, I noticed that scrolling text was still going across "Spike TV" so I decided to check out what it said. To my astonishment, the text was alerting cable subscribers that have Time Warner as their cable provider that at midnight tonight, they would be losing "Spike TV," "Nickelodeon," "MTV" and 16-other channels unless they called Time Warner through the phone number provided and DEMAND those channels not be pulled.

A little taken back at what I read, I flipped over to my "Nickelodeon" channel and sure enough, there was that same scrolling text that had been on "Spike TV," which alerted me that this was a serious matter even though I wouldn't be affected since Charter is my area's cable provider.

After doing some research, I learned all of this is a result of Viacom, the company that owns the said 19-networks, wanting more compensation for their programming from Time Warner and that midnight officially ends the two-year contract between the two parties. Should an agreement not be reached, this incident could affect up to 13.3 million homes in the US and some 2 million in the Los Angeles area alone.

If you have Time Warner, there is still time to call in and demand that they don't blackout these channels. If it were me, I would be calling Time Warner every five-minutes because I would be irate if I could no longer watch Ultimate Fighting Championship [UFC] events, "George Lopez Show," "Home Improvement," "Family Matters," Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling and my guilty pleasure, "I Carly."

Divas Champion Maryse dislocates kneecap

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com



Earlier today, I read on the Slam! Sports website that current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Divas Champion Maryse [pictured above] was officially diagnosed with a dislocated knee-cap after injuring her knee during a WWE live-event house show over the weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.

According to reports from fans in attendance sent in to Lordsofpain.com, Maryse and Natalya were wrestling The Bella Twins in the third match of the night and during the match, Maryse was working one of the twins over in the corner when Maryse suddenly crumpled down to the mat as it appeared she had blown her knee out.

The fans then described an awkward scene in which Natalya stood on the ring apron, not knowing what do to, while the Bella Twins went around the ring to play up the crowd. Special referee for the match, Kung Fu Naki, stood over Maryse, talking to her the entire time. The road agent for the match threw up the "X" signal with his forearms and a number of EMT's, referees and road agents hit the ringside area.

In the meantime, Natalya entered the ring and made of the twins submit to her sharpshooter finisher to put an end to the match, which was followed by Maryse being carried off on a stretcher.

I personally feel terrible for Maryse as this injury could not have come at a worse time for Maryse as she just won the Divas championship from Michelle McCool this past Friday on Smackdown.

I know a lot of know-it-all fans aren't big fans of Maryse or many of the Divas in WWE because they all can't wrestle like Natalya or Victoria, but personally, I feel Maryse has really stepped her in-ring game up over the last six months and has become one of, if not the top, female heel in the WWE. Her simple mannerisms remind me of a "heel" Trish Stratus and watching Maryse grow and progress as an in-ring performer in 2008 has been a joy to witness.

Hopefully, the injury isn't too severe and Maryse can be back in the ring in no time. If not, I wish her a speedy recovery and maybe this is the glitch in a storyline that WWE can use to re-introduce Gail Kim.

Joanie "Chyna" Laurer attempted suicide?

Photo courtesy of alivingwonder.com



Late last night, TMZ.com reported that former World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Diva and frequent Howard Stern radio show guest, Joanie "Chyna" Laurer [pictured above], was rushed to a hospital over the weekend after attending a party where it is believed she mixed a heavy dose of prescription pills with alcohol.

According to the report, Laurer was rushed to a Burbank hospital at about 5.am. Saturday morning after being found passed out with cuts on her arm, leading many to believe the cuts indicated an attempted suicide. In addition, TMZ reported that her blood alcohol content was so high, the doctors felt they wouldn't be able to do a psychiatric examination.

Early Monday morning, Jeff Bauer of Mad Dad Promotions and assistant director of the Lovechild video shoot, released a statement with Laurer's side of the story and stated that upon finishing the video shoot for Lovechild's new single, Laurer and a couple of friends, including himself, had a few drinks to celebrate her birthday and the end of a great shoot.

Bauer went on to state that a newly prescribed medication Laurer was taking had a very adverse effect combined with the alcohol and that she blacked out and fell into her mirrored closet doors, receiving minor cuts on her arms and legs. Bauer admitted that when Laurer fell, it was scary and things looked worse than it was as Laurer only spent half the day Saturday at St. Joseph's emergency hospital and was released by the doctors without being admitted to the hospital. Bauer finished by stating that Laurer is doing fine and is a little embarrassed about forgetting she was on new medication.

I would love to believe Bauer but I am a bit skeptical due to Laurer's past problems with substance abuse and her recent appearance on VH1 Celebrity Rehab where she stated that she doesn't consider herself an addict.

However, I will give Bauer credit for automatically coming out with their side of the story immediately after TMZ released their report rather than waiting days or weeks to make a statement.

It still saddens me to think that just a few years ago, Laurer was just as big and as popular as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock with both fans and non-fans of professional wrestling during the wrestling "BOOM" period and to see how far she has fallen really stings.

I honestly hope Bauer's statement was what really happened and I do hope Laurer continues to get her life straightened out because it would devastate me to read one day that she just became another statistic for professional wrestling deaths.

McMahon says NO to New Hart Foundation

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com


A few weeks ago, I discussed in an entry about the comments current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] developmental talent DH Smith, the son of the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, made to a local Miami newspaper where he said that he believe he was better than some of the current second and third generation wrestlers currently on the main WWE roster and I agreed with his comments.

On Dec. 4, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Smith was a lock to be called up to the main roster after an incident two months ago. Reportedly, Vince McMahon was in a bad mood on a flight home to Connecticut after what he considered to be a bad week of television tapings and while looking of a paper listing of the ENTIRE roster, which included developmental talents, and afters seeing the name Harry Smith, McMahon scolded and railed on the creative team for letting this "Pedigree Kid" sit on the sidelines waste away.

Following McMahon's rant, Smith was paired up with TJ Wilson [both pictured above] as the "Canadian Bulldogs" in Florida Championship Wrestling [FCW] to get thm on track for thier eventual call-up to the main roster, which appeared to be coming soon as last week, it was reported that Smith and Wilson were on their way to the Smackdown roster to be the "New Hart Foundation" and have current WWE Diva Natalya, the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and current girlfriend of Wilson, be their manager.

Indications got stronger after Smith and Wilson dropped the FCW tag-team belts last week at an FCW television tapings to Tyler "Gabe Tuft" Rex and James Curtis coming on the heels of the duo working a Smackdown dark match prior to the television tapings three weeks ago against current WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo.

Unfortunately, it appears all that speculation was hogwash as the Observer reported today that Smith and Wilson are once again on the back-burner with regards to a call-up to the main roster as the company has decided to go with "The Brian Kendrick" and Ezekiel Jackson in the spot of challenging Carlito and Primo for the tag-titles.

According to Observer, officials main problem with Smith and Wilson is that they are not really that good at talking and even though officials have been grooming Natalya as their mouthpiece, they feel she's not good enough of a talker to get them the needed mic time on the show even though she is outstanding at ringside.

To make things more complicated, the trainers in FCW have been raving about Smith and Wilson and feel they are the most advanced wrestlers in the developmental league right now but it appears to not matter as its back to the drawing board for the duo.

This is now twice that Smith, Wilson and Natalya were suppose to debut as a new generation Hart Foundation and both times have been scrapped. The first time was in the fall of 2007 but Teddy Hart, who was to debut with them and is the nephew to Bret "Hitman" Hart, screwed those plans up with his immature attitude and was released from the company for a second time in Oct. 2007.

I do not know what to say about this other than are you freaking kidding me? Could someone please explain to me like I'm a five-year old how McMahon could suddenly flip his position on Smith and Wilson after scolding the creative team for not doing anything with Smith?

It baffles me beyond belief that WWE has two talents they could make a ton of money off of but because they may not have the strongest mic skills, they are going to waste them in FCW while the likes of Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, Manu, Vladmir Koslov and others get television time on the main roster with weaker mic skills?

All I know for sure is that these two kids, Wilson and Smith, can produce the goods in the ring and are miles ahead of some of their peers who are currently on the main roster in terms of ring talent and natural ability.

I guaran-damn-tee you that if Jim Ross was still in charge of the talent roster and who got called up to the main roster instead of John Laurinaitis, this duo would already be multi-time tag-champions and would be carving out their name in professional wrestling history.

Hopefully, we will get to see this duo sooner than later as they could be the shot of adrenaline tag-team wrestling needs right now. Only time will tell and if McMahon keeps changing his mind like a dead fish flip-flopping, that wait could be a long, long time.

MMA fighter Justin Eilers murdered on Christmas

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com

Earlier today, I was shocked to discover on espn.com that Mixed Martial Arts fighter Justin Eilers [pictured above] had been shot and killed late Christmas night in Nampa, Idaho during an apparent domestic disturbance. Eilers was 30-years old.

According to Sherdog.com, Canyon County sheriffs arrived at the residence of the incident at 10:44 p.m. MST, where Eilers was found shot and wounded. Capt. Dana Maxfield said that emergency medical staff took live-saving measures but were unsuccessful in their attempts and pronounced Eilers dead at the scene.

On Friday, a conducted autopsy released the cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the chest and Eilers' longtime manager, Monte Cox, stated that the bullet punctured Eilers' lung before exiting his body

According to Cox, Eilers had gathered with relatives for the holidays but tensions escalated with an ex-girlfriend who was also attending. Eilers was asked to leave the residence but refused and began throwing dishes and other objects in protest.

During Eilers' tirade, it is being reported that the home's owner pulled a gun on Eilers and shot him in the chest after a brief verbal confrontation. Even more heart-wrenching is that in addition to Eilers' ex-girlfriend being in the same room at the time of the shooting, so were Eilers' mother and young son.

The home's owner, James Robert Malec, 48, was arrested and charged with second degree murder in relation with the shooting and it is believed that Malec is Eilers' mother's boyfriend, though nothing is being confirmed other than numerous relatives were at the scene at the time of the shooting.

I am honestly at a loss for words. What can you say after reading this story? I mean, a mother lost her son and a young boy lost his father for no apparent reason other than pure stupidity and typical male-ego aggressiveness.

The sad fact of the matter is that this is now the norm in society with people no longer settling disagreements or arguments with their fists [which were the only weapons people needed a few decades ago] after words don't work but rather, pulling guns out with their trigger happy fingers.

I would like to know what exactly was going through Malec's head that would make him think shooting and killing Eilers was going to solve everything? From what is reported, no one's life appeared to be in danger and the matter could have simply been settled with a call to the local authorities. However, Malec decided to take matters into his own hands and now has a bigger mess than just the objects Eilers threw in the house.

I don't care what Eilers threw in the house or said during the argument....Malec had no right to shoot and kill him unless Eilers had a gun pulled and was going to shoot someone in the house, which doesn't appear to be the case.

As stated earlier, this appears to be a case of two guys trying to be more macho than the other and ultimately, someone's life was cut short. Also, does anyone think its kinda odd that Malec was not only the home owner but also the person that had Eilers' ex-girlfriend over at the house, knowing there was still tension between them? Just something to think about.

Wrestling Recipes Week 17 - What the Hell Stew

Now that the holidays are over and people have stuffed themselves with a plethora of deserts, turkey, ham and other good holiday treats, people now have to come back to reality and get back to eating simple dinners, which is easier said than done with the current shape of today's economy.

Luckily, one-half of the current World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] World Tag Team Champions, The Miz, was gracious enough to lend his recipe to WWE Magazine for the January 2007 issue with a stew recipe that is unlike anything one has seen but guaranteed to leave you wanting more.


WHAT THE HELL STEW


INGREDIENTS:
*1 box creamy flour cheese Rice-A-Roni
*1 can green beans
*ketchup
*1 pound ground beef


DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook creamy flour Rice-A-Roni as directed on box.
2) At same time, brown ground beef in a skillet.
3) Combine green beans, ground beef and Rice-A-Roni.
4) Flavor generously with ketchup.

Merry Christmas from No Limit Wrestling

I would just like to take the time and wish everyone who has visited this page and continues to check in on this page a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and get to spend some quality time with family.

In honor of Christmas, I figured it would only be appropriate to post several of the World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Tribute to the Troops recap videos from the various years, courtesy of YouTube. Enjoy.



2003 Recap Video



2004 Recap Video



2005 Recap Video



2006 Recap Video



2007 Recap Video



2008 Recap Video

Hade Vansen quickly found the prophecy

On the Dec. 12, 2008 edition of WWE Smackdown, this promo video aired and got professional wrestling fans asking each other who was this guy?

Come to find out, the person in the video, courtesy of AOL Video, is a World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] Developmental talent Hade Vansen, a British wrestler who has been signed with WWE since 2007 and was going to portray a dark character with "cult" overtones and have several associates for his stable.

This afternoon, I read on 411wrestling.com that Vansen has already full-filled his prophecy as plans for his character have been dropped. According to the website, WWE owner Vince McMahon made the call to drop Vansen's character and upcoming angle with the Undertaker due to McMahon not wanting an unproven developmental talent being put into a major angle before being tested.

The planned angle, which was the brain-child of current Smackdown writer Michael Hayes, was to create several new nemesis for the Undertaker as former ECW wrestler Kevin Thorn and another developmental talent, Black Pain, were to be associated with Vansen but were told at last week's television shows that the angle and new characters had been scrapped.

Personally, I can understand McMahon being hesitant about putting an un-proven talent with one of the company's biggest names in company history but was it necessary to scrap the entire character and associates? Honestly, why not just do like in the 1980's when a new talent debuted and have Vansen build wins over preliminary and mid-card talent while gradually preparing him for the big angle?

Maybe I'm just too old school and not in touch anymore.

Vote for the new Great Khali t-shirt

Over at wwe.com, there is currently a poll being conducted where fans can vote for their favorite design for the upcoming Great Khali t-shirt by clicking here.

I have personally viewed both shirts and the only one I would slightly consider wearing would be choice number two just because it seems like a shirt any wrestling fan could wear and non-wrestling fans wouldn't know it that it is a wrestling shirt. The only downside on shirt number two is you might get one or two wackos come up to you and like the shirt a little too much.


Shirt Choice #1

All photos courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment



Shirt Choice #2




Shirt Choice #3

Batista injured....Wrestlemania plans out the door

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment

This afternoon, I read a post on a message board that stated World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] had been thrown a curve ball and that their plans for the upcoming Wrestlemania event were thrown out the window after learning that Dave Batista [pictured above] had suffered a torn hamstring.

At first, I dismissed the story as hogwash but after the elite section of PWInsider.com confirmed the story, I knew this was the real deal. According to an un-named source within the company, Batista is expected to miss several months and will being undergoing surgery shortly. In addition, the company had known about Batista working with an injury for a while as the hamstring began giving him problems during the most recent European tour and has since worsened.

On last week's episode of Raw, Randy Orton kicking Batista in the head after the match was the storyline reason for Batista's disappearance from the company and at this time, it is unknown whether the company will acknowledge the legitimate reason for Batista being absent or just put all the heat on Orton to make the crowd hate him more.

Word within the company is that as of today, they are not expecting Batista back until June at the earliest, with the worst case scenario being August, so all Wrestlemania plans involving him are out the door for now, which would have seen Batista taking on John Cena with the proper build up instead of the rush job done for Summerslam 2008.

Talk about taking it right on the chin. I have no idea what WWE should do after hearing this devastating news. No doubt that the Batista/Cena match would have had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand and now, who does the company put Cena against that the fans haven't seen a dozen times?

The logical choice would be Orton but Orton and Cena have had countless matches against each other over the last year and were two-of-the-three participants in last year's triple-threat match for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 24.

The second choice would be Chris Jericho but Jericho and Cena have just main-evented or co-main evented the last two company pay-per-views, Survivor Series and Armageddon, battling each other for the World Heavyweight Championship so why would fans want to see another match between the two?

The only other options on Raw would be JBL, who has already faced Cena at a Wrestlemania event [Wrestlemania 21]; Shawn Michaels, who is rumored to face Undertaker [FINALLY] at Wrestlemania; there's CM Punk and Rey Mysterio if the company wants to be bold but both will most likely be in the Money in the Bank ladder match so their out.

The only big money match I could see with someone on the current roster to face Cena at the Silver Anniversary of Wrestlemania would be the current WWE Champion Jeff Hardy just because it would be something no one is expecting and would have people talking. You have both of the company's champions, both of whom ignite a reaction from the crowd from the time they come out, facing each other at the biggest event of the year in front of 70-to-80,000 people in what could be an undisputed championship match! What more could one ask for?

In reality though, my idea is pure fantasy and the safe bet is that Cena will either face Orton one-on-one or face Orton and Jericho in a triple-threat match. But still, doesn't that Cena/Hardy match idea kinda make you interested to see what would happen if that became the reality? I know I am.

Trying to make sense of Tyson Tomko's week with WWE

Photo courtesy of New Japan Pro Wrestling


This past week has been a bit perplexing for fans trying to piece together what exactly is going on between professional wrestler Tyson Tomko [pictured above] and World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE].

It all started this past Monday night when Tomko, who just recently signed a contract with WWE, defeated current Raw Superstar Paul Burchill in a dark match [which you can view at the end of this entry courtesy of YouTube] shortly before Raw went live, leading most fans to believe that Tomko was going to be used on television shortly.

However, things got a bit strange when on Wednesday, Slam Sports! reported that Tomko was seen at the Raw event with his arm in a sling and the details and extent of his injury were unknown.

On Friday, PWInsider.com reported that Tomko has been dealing with a torn pectoral muscle and went into his match with Burchill at the Raw event injured and kept it quiet from WWE. PWInsider.com also reported that Vince McMahon was unhappy with Tomko's match and wasn't impressed with Tomko's work in the ring, despite the fact that live reports from the show said Tomko was very over with the crowd, whom broke out a "LET'S GO TOMKO" chant.

As a result of McMahon's negative reaction to the match, rumors swirled that Tomko had already been given his release but nothing had been confirmed or announced.

On Saturday, the Wrestling Observer reported that McMahon was not only UN-impressed with Tomko's match, McMahon also blew up at John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations, due to what McMahon perceived as Tomko being out of shape, which some felt was a result of Tomko's injury and not telling WWE he had an injury before his match with Burchill.

Then today, Ryan Clark reported that Tomko and WWE will likely be parting ways in the near future but because of his injury or McMahon's reaction to his match and conditioning. Rather, Clark's report stated Tomko feels he has worked too hard in Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling and Japan as himself to suddenly undergo a name change or be saddled with a gimmick.

Apparently, when WWE informed Tomko he would wear a body suit and mask, Tomko refused and it was made clear to Tomko he was not being asked to wear the items but told to wear them. Upon hearing that, Tomko asked for his release from the company and it will be given to him in the near future. It is still unclear if and when Tomko will leave WWE but when he does, its should be noted that he left TNA on good terms and has many friends who would welcome him back with open arms.

I have no idea what to make of all this. To me, everyone appears to be in the wrong on this case. First off, Tomko has a mouth and should have used it to tell McMahon and the higher-ups in WWE that he was indeed injured before his match with Burchill instead of trying to be tough guy because it ended up biting him in the rear with his sloppy performance.

Second, McMahon should have cooled his jets and asked Tomko why he didn't seem like himself in the ring instead of blowing up at everyone without having the full story. In addition, the higher-ups in WWE should have known about Tomko's attitude and un-willingness to go along with storyline and character ideas as that was the knock on him during his first run with the company.

Lastly, one would think Tomko would have matured and grown-up in the three-years since he's been gone from WWE but it appears he has grown a giant sized ego and thinks he is the greatest thing since slice bread. I understand he feels he has worked hard as himself but his name isn't going to sell out arenas or headline pay-per-views. What does his name even mean?

Also, I would think a body suit and mask would be a good thing for him as he currently looks like a generic, tattooed mixed martial arts fighter and the long lost brother of Anthrax band member Scott Ian. Nothing stands out about him and this probably why WWE wanted him to have a gimmick so he could show a persona of his the audience may not know existed.

Personally, I say let him go if he doesn't want to be there. There are plenty of guys who would jump at the chance to work for WWE and let's see how much Tomko likes it when he realizes he can't find work overseas in Japan because of the current economies and that TNA hasn't changed one bit since he left.

6th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops on NBC tonight

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment


Hey everyone, just wanted to remind all of you that at 9 p.m. tonight on NBC, World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] will be showing the sixth annual Tribute to the Troops special where the men and women of WWE head over to Iraq to entertain the troops in the company's biggest and most important show of the year, more so than Wrestlemania.

For those of you who don't want to know what happens since it was taped a couple of weeks ago, here is your non-spoiler preview:

Jeff Hardy/CM Punk/R'Truth vs. Miz/John Morrison/JBL in a six man tag match.

John Cena/Batista/Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho/Randy Orton/Big Show in a six man tag match.

A special visit by Cryme Tyme and Santa's little helpers, which of course are Divas Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Maria, Alicia Fox and Eve.

Wrestling Recipes week 16 - Holiday Cookies

Photo courtesy of WWE Magazine


With Christmas just less than a week away, I figured it was only appropriate that this week's recipe be something that the kids could leave out for Sana Claus on Christmas Eve night and the teenagers and adults could snack on during Christmas morning.

This week's recipe comes from the 2006 issue of World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE} Magazine where former WWE superstar and current Mixed Martial Arts [MMA] fighter Bobby Lashley, who was gracious enough to share his recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Enjoy.


HOLIDAY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:
*1.5 Cups Flower
*1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*1 tsp. cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. salt
*3/4 tsp. baking powder
*2 sticks butter
*3 eggs
*3 tsp. vanilla
*1/2 cup sugar
*1.5 cups brown sugar
*4 cups rolled oats
*1 cup Raisins


DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2) Mix flower, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
3) Mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla in another bowl.
4) Combine the two mixtures.
5) Fold in oats and raisins.
6) Grease baking sheets.
7) Drop dough by the spoonful onto sheet.
8) Bake for 8-10 minutes.
9) Let cool until cookies are firm.

TNA to air own 24/7 channel titled "TNA EPIX"

Photo courtesy of TNA Wrestling

Earlier today, Total Nonstop Action [TNA] wrestling announced they are creating a new one-hour television series, titled "TNA EPIX," that will debut in early 2009.

According to the press release, "TNA EPIX" will feature and highlight the most awe-inspiring and monumental moments, matches and superstars that shaped the face of TNA from its 2002 inception through today.

"TNA EPIX" will feature material from the early Wednesday nigh Pay-Per-Views that ran from the 2002 inception through lat 2004; the Fox Sports Net era, the evolution of TNA on Spike TV and the most recent wars inside the six-sided ring. In addition, "TNA EPIX" will feature rare matches, archived footage, fresh historical commentary from the TNA Superstars and much more.

I am actually excited for this because I prefer the older TNA matches and material from the weekly pay-per-views and FSN era than what has been shown on Spike TV in the last three years. Yes, its kinda like TNA's version of WWE 24/7 and while it may not be as great a 24/7 since TNA is not as expansive or have the longevity of WWE, reliving some great TNA matches, such as AJ Styles vs. D'Lo Brown Ladder match, Lo-Ki vs. Amazing Red and AMW vs. XXX Cage Match, are a welcome to me.

Even better is that people who are just now getting into TNA can have the chance to go back in time and see just how much better TNA was when the Tag-Team and X-Divisions were in their prime and the backbone and heart of the company. Don't believe? Check out the archive footage, some of which is on YouTube, compare it with today's product and then get back to me with your answer.