Evan Bourne gets injured, WWE finds itself in more legal trouble and the company has started looking to Vh1 reality shows to find new talent. Sometimes I wonder about this company…
Opening Witty Banter
Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling is seriously the greatest thing on television week in and week out. What does this have to do with This Week in ‘E? Absolutely nothing, it just needs to be said. And Impact all of a sudden has gotten better with a solid direction in the main event and a fresh new look of the Impact Zone. I’m actually intrigued and entertained by TNA for the first in months. And with Batista on top of RAW, Triple H, Undertaker and Vladimir Kozlov on top of SmackDown! and Evan Bourne injured on ECW, I’ve become a little disinterested with WWE TV. Thank God the company’s tag team scene (what? I said it) entertains me with tandems like Kingston/Punk, Miz/Morrison, Simply Priceless, Hawkins & Ryder, Jesse & Festus and The Colons. I’m not even kidding.
The News of the Week
WWE is seeing the good and bad sides of this country’s legal system recently. First off they won their trademark infringement lawsuit against AWA Superstars promoter Dale Gagner. Gagner had been using the old AWA logo and trademark for years, passing himself off as a family member of the Gagnes and acting as if this new promotion he booked was a continuation of the old AWA. Of course WWE owns everything Verne Gagne AWA related and sued the pants off this guy. The Judge sided with WWE, which claimed that Gagner was not following instructions during the discovery phase of the case. Apparently Gagner refused to follow court instructions during the discovery phase, which didn’t help his weak cause in the slightest. The actual results of the case have not been released, but one would assume that Gagner was ordered to cease and desist use of the AWA trademarks, even though at this moment his AWAStars.com page is still up and running, even though it redirects to “Dale Gagne Presents Wrestling Superstars Live,” which still contains several AWA logos, references, and quotes to the history of the organization that the WWE owns.
Gagner never had a leg to stand on in the first place. There was no way his little scam organization could even compete with the legal juggernaut of World Wrestling Entertainment. I remember this guy going back and re-writing history a few years ago by announcing that this new AWA would honor and recognize Hulk Hogan’s past AWA World Championship screwjob victories like all of a sudden it was relevant and ground-breaking. What would pro wrestling be without skuzzy promoters?
On the other side of the coin, some rappers named MOP are filing suit for the unlicensed use of lyrics from their biggest hit, “Ante Up”, in John Cena’s entrance theme “My Time Is Now.†The allegations name John Cena, Sony Music, and Stephanie Music (WWE’s label) in the suit. Apparently they are claiming that the opening “Brrrrrrrrrr ABADOO†hook from Cena’s theme was lifted from their song.
Apparently WWE asked for permission to use the line from the group back in early 2005, but were granted permission from someone who didn’t have the authority to okay it. Two of the members of MOP were the ones who filed the suit, claiming that they have a 66% say in the songs use, thus overruling the third group member who okayed its use. WWE believed they got permission properly and has nothing to prove here. The rappers did not file the suit until October 14, 2008.
Folks, stuff like this is why the United States legal system invented settlements. There is no way this sees the light of day in a courtroom. These rappers are just looking to pick some coin from WWE and line their own pockets. I’m guessing they will come up with something where these guys get some money for past use of the song and then probably more money for future use of the song. It will be tied up in court battles for years before something finally sees the light of day.
Special Delivery Jones (Conrad Efraim) passed away last week Sunday at the age of 63. He died after suffering a stroke.
Jones was WWE’s greatest enhancement talent and he will be missed by his fans in the wrestling community.
Taylor Rotunda, son of Mike Rotunda (I.R.S.), has been signed to a WWE developmental deal and is now training in FCW.
I’ve said it before and this just reinforces it. In 2010, the entire WWE roster will be filled with just second and third generation athletes, Triple H and Undertaker.
Meanwhile, the company has also apparently signed some guy named David Otunga, who was apparently known as “Punk†on the Vh1 reality show, “I Love New York.†I guess this guy is a bodybuilder and is jacked up. He also a law degree from Harvar and is dating singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson.
Ok so this guy has a law degree from friggin’ Harvard and he’s doing bad Vh1 reality shows and looking to wrestle. What is wrong with this guy? I’ve never even come close to seeing “I Love New York†so I have no idea what this guy is all about.
And then to make things better, the company signed this guy named Matt Walsh after watching him at a 5-day program WWE put on to try and find new talent. The entertainers were paid $1,000 and more to perform in front of various WWE brass including Johnny Ace, who promised that at least one person with no wrestling experience would be signed from the event. Apparently Walsh, who claimed to be a model with no wrestling experience, had photos of him wrestling posted on his Myspace page.
They really will sign anyone to a contract these days apparently.
In even more signing news, Dos Caras Jr. has stated that all he needs to do his give EMLL his notice and pass his medial exams in order to be ready for WWE.
I still won’t believe it until I see him on WWE TV.
Funaki is currently working with Ricky Steamboat on improving his ring work with the new “Kung Fu Naki” gimmick.
That little tidbit has awesomeness just written all over it. Funaki has been with company for over a decade now and finally the Kung Fu joke comes around. He could have been a superstar years ago with his bad gimmick. I guess this proves WWE will push anyone these days…except Paul London.
In some sad news, Evan Bourne tore ligaments in his ankle during the six-man tag match that aired during Tuesday’s ECW show. He was advised to stay off the ankle and could miss up to four months. However, he is hoping to make a faster recovery or work through the injury. But the official word that has come down is that Bourne suffered a torn deltoid ligament and a dislocated ankle and has been fitted with a huge boot.
Damn that really sucks. I hope that the company won’t forget about him when he comes back from injury. He was an absolute breath of fresh air on WWE TV, and thanks to his landslide victory at Cyber Sunday maybe it showed the company that he could be a bankable star for them. Hey Paul London is lying around doing nothing right now. He would fit just perfect in that slot that Bourne occupied on ECW. Ah…who am I kidding.
Weekly Paul London Update
In what is considered another nail in Paul London’s proverbial WWE coffin, it is now being reported that Layla El will be advertised as Layla London to help sell her new British character as William Regal’s valet. In a WWE climate where it’s taboo for two superstars to even share the same first name, giving a low card valet the kayfabe surname of another talent who’s real last name is also “London†does not bode well for our hero Paul. I would tell Paul to head east towards his old home in Ring of Honor, but these days I’m wondering how safe an option that is anymore.
Wrestler of the Week
Week of October 27 – November 2: Undertaker
It was kind of a slow week in the “WWE Universe†so I’ve got give the nod to Undertaker, who on Halloween night was showcased on SmackDown! Undertaker has made SD! his home for years now and last Friday’s broadcast was all about showcasing the Undertaker gimmick on the Halloween episode. The show, and the main event especially, kind of had an old-school feel to it.
RAW’s On Tonight!
It’s RAW huge 800th episode spectacular show, complete with a special three hour running time. It’s been announced that Batista will defend his newly won World Heavyweight Championship against Chris Jericho inside a steel cage. Plus the company’s hottest up-and-coming heels John Morrison and The Miz look to have their momentum squashed by the tired and dated DeGeneration X act of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. And with three hours to fill I’m sure Santino Marella, Charlie Haas, The Great Khali, Mae Young, The Boogeyman and every other comedy act they can dig up will be on hand as well.
On Last Week’s Episode…
Norine and Curran double cover SmackDown!
Marshall pulls double duty and covers both RAW and ECW.
How They Rated
A.M. RAW (10.26.08) – .7
RAW (10.27.08) – 2.89
ECW (10.28.08) – 1.2
SmackDown! (10.31.08) –
This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
Wiswell give his thoughts on a post-Sapolsky Ring of Honor product.
Marshall is the latest Pulse Wrestling writer to step up and try his hand a weekly TNA column.
Ditch continues his voyage through the world of Kobashi.
Glazer’s take on the firing of Gabe Sapolsky was probably the column I’ve most anticipated on Pulse Wrestling. It’s a damn great read.
