Matt Hardy continues to annoy me, new Champions crowned at Night of Champions and thankfully nobody died this week.
Opening Witty Banter
It’s been a truly emotionally exhausting week for me this week. It’s nothing I need to say here or anything you care about, but I gotta say something up here to fill space. But on the bright side check out my awesome new banners! Pretty awesome huh? I made them myself. Eh you don’t care about that either. Time to tell the fake news.
Let’s take some ‘E…
The News of the Week
According to Pwinsider.com, Night of Champions was Chris Jericho’s final scheduled appearance for WWE.
I can’t believe Jericho is gone again. He has been on pure fire the past two years as The Last Honest Man and he definitely be conspicuous by his absence. He’s truly one of a kind veteran that is more valuable than most realize. Here’s hoping this isn’t the time we see The Best in the World at What He Does on WWE television.
Matt Hardy has been the talk of the town over the past couple weeks and nobody loves the publicity about Matt Hardy more than Matt Hardy. Here’s a time line breakdown of the Sensei’s recent craziness.
9.12
According to PWInsider.com, Matt Hardy was sent home early from WWE’s current tour of Europe. Apparently there was “concern†about his “condition†both on the trip as well as last week’s house show in White Plains. He was supposed to work a tag match with R-Truth at the White Plains show, but according to its sources, he was spoken to, left, and didn’t compete at that show. Hardy meanwhile has taken to Twitter (naturally) to badmouth a bunch of IWC writers and now just posted a video of himself in his hotel, in England. So who knows?
9.13
It was reported over the weekend that Matt Hardy was sent home from the WWE European Tour on Sunday, due to a backstage incident the night before. Hardy has posted the following video to respond to that from his hotel in Great Britain. He doesn’t mention not working the final night of the tour, and says “a stooging punk” started the story. [Credit: Pwinsider.com]
9.14
According to Pwinsider.com, Matt Hardy was not at the SmackDown tapings in Detroit, Michigan.
While Mat Hardy posted a video claiming that he was not sent home by the company, WWE confirmed with Newsday in New York that Hardy had been sent home from two different shows over the last two weeks.
After being sent home this weekend, and then posting his video online (which broke company rules), Matt is said to be on very thin ice. WWE didn’t want to consider releasing him, because they didn’t want TNA to be able to reunite the Hardy Boys, but at this point, they no longer care about that possibility.
That day on Twitter, he left these gems…
* Here’s a quick hello to all my people & a reassurance to everyone that I’m fine, healthy, & in good spirits. Thx for all of your support.
* When the time is right, I’ll put everything out there as far as what “really” went down. I know I have to protect me & my brand, & I will.
* I appreciate my fans so much that I’ll always be honest with them, & the whole story certainly isn’t out there now.
* I appreciate all of the things the WWE has done 4 me in the past, they have been gracious to me-but now, it’s decision time for me. Thx all.
9.15
Paul London got into the act during an interview with ClubWWI and said his piece about Matt.
“Matt Hardy, he’s definitely one of those guys who’s very phony to his fanbase. I think he tells them what he thinks they want to hear so they continue to kiss his ass. But he’s very much one of those guys who won’t even take his sunglasses off to talk to somebody, like if he ran into a fan at an airport or something like that. It’s disgusting. When the camera’s on you and people are watching, of course they’re going to be fan friendly and ‘I love my fans! Hey!’ and all that stuff. But when it gets down to it, they couldn’t be nastier about their fans and talk nastier about their fans. And it’s not just that goof, but most of those guys.”
So of coursed Matt took to Twitter today, and took the occasion to answer questions from fans about London.
“You know the deal, you know me. When someone becomes obsessed with jealously it’s sad.”
“I kinda feel sorry for the guy, he’s a mess.”
“He’s not important or significant enough to me to even dignify his absurd, delusional comments.”
9.17
On Twitter when asked if people should buy tix o the WWE tour in Europe in November to see him or the January TNA show in Berlin, Matt Hardy said “I’d go with Berlin”.
Also, when asked about his losing streak, he said the following: “Plan on changing that. It’s time for me to go somewhere thatl I’ll be given a fair chance–that’s all I want.”
He was also taken off the MSG supercard on September 25 and replaced by Mark Henry.
Then he left more Twitter gems:
“Today’s been a fun day-made a trip outta town & met with some peeps about some cool outside of wrestling projects-I like being my own boss.”
“4 those keepin count, only me*cough* I’ve dropped from my heaviest weight of 250-weighed in at 221 2day. Can Subway Jared get me a deal? LOL.”
“New body, new haircut, I’m looking to have all kinds of new stuff.. Maybe I’ll even get my nose that’s been broken 4 times fixed, who knows?”
“As he “dirt-sheets” say, I’m my own best promoter.. So who knows where I’ll end up in the future-I gotta give em something to write about :)”
“BTW, a fan today called me “The Pioneer of Pro Wrestling Social-Networking”-I like that-it fits & is a flattering compliment.”
“Before Hogan, Austin, Cena, even HBK, who has a twitter, FB, & a YT channel, starting personally interacting with fans via the net.. I was!”
“And it’s because I’ve always gone the extra mile for my fans, & always will, cuz I truly love, respect, & appreciate u all. Thank u so much.”
9.19
Then last night in response to a question as to when his WWE contract expires was the following:
“If I have my way, hopefully tomorrow.â€
Well I’ve spent far too much time writing about Mr. Hardy now. Even if he is just working everyone I don’t really care anymore. Go home Matt. Go away. Here’s hoping he goes to TNA to reunite with his brother only for Jeff to get cleared of all charges facing him and run back to WWE, leaving Matt alone in TNA.
WWE hopes to have the top three matches for WrestleMania XXVII determined by November. There are currently plans to have a number of people turning face or heel by the time WM rolls around, including one very big name. As far as Money in the Bank goes, they are considering bringing it back for WM and doing the PPV again as well.
Remember when Vince used to book backwards a whole year in order to build up WrestleMania? Yeah, me neither.
Speaking of WrestleMania, tickets will go on sale on Saturday, November 13. There will be an online pre-sale prior to that as well. Ticket prices will range from $22 all the way up to $1000 for ringside.
Yeah, let’s see if I finally get there this year…
Alex Riley will be a regular on television from here on out.
He’s already a well-rounded character that fits right in on television. Plus continuing as Miz’s lackey will only help his stock on television and could easily transfer into a feud with Daniel Bryan.
The Connecticut Post has an article up, noting that WWE is under investigation by the state of Connecticut. The investigation is in regards to how the company classifies their workers, which means they are looking at the “independent contractor” classification. WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman is quoted in the article, saying the following…
“WWE has always complied with the law. Up until this election, WWE has not been fined nor investigated in the past for independent contractor classification. However, curiously the state of Connecticut is currently conducting an audit of WWE’s classification of independent contractors. WWE constantly reviews its internal practices and procedures to comply with ever-changing employee laws.”
You can check out the full article here.
Could the state of Connecticut succeed where “Above Average†Mike Sanders failed?
The Republican American reports that a French company, Sun City, Inc., is suing WWE for $21.6 million. The suit is over counterfeit WWE merchandise which Sun City bought from a company called J.F. Ramos. While the company is suing WWE after it was discovered that they were given counterfeit merchandise, that isn’t the end of the story.
WWE is suing J.F. Ramos, a company based out of Portugal, and had the license to distribute WWE merchandise. WWE is requesting that their licensing agreement be severed and that Ramos be responsible for any legal costs in the French lawsuit. WWE claims that Ramos misappropriated paperwork for items the company did approve to be licensed, and that they also forged new paperwork in order to move additional shirts and other apparel that WWE did not give company approval for, without WWE’s knowledge.
WWE claims in their suit that they sent a cease and desist letter to Sun City over the unlicensed material, Sun City went to Ramos for proof the items were officially licensed and claimed, “Ramos, in response, deceptively created fraudulent approval sheets (based on prior forms where WWE had, in fact, denied Ramos approval for the distribution of certain products), and provided these fraudulent approval sheets to Sun City.”
eh…there you go…
Dave Meltzer has confirmed that former NXT season 3 rookie Aloisia (real name Lindsay Howard) has been released by World Wrestling Entertainment. She officially announced her released with an interview on Diva-dirt.com. From there the rumors swirled on why the sudden dismissal of someone who would be such an immediate “attraction” in the company. Additionally it was thought she was not physically ready from a wrestling standpoint to appear on television, but then Aloisa commented on her won website that some racy photos from her past may have contributed to her release.
From her website:
“When I first received my offer from WWE, they asked me to fill out a “Talent Information Form” providing them with information about myself and my background. One of the questions was, “Have you ever posed nude?”. I answered “No” to this question, because that’s the truth. If they had asked me if I ever posed suggestively, I would of course have answered “Yes”, but there’s a big difference between suggestive and nude. As to the question of whether this was why they took me off the show, that’s something you’d have to ask them. Perhaps it was a factor in their decision, but I honestly don’t know their entire thought process, as they’ve communicated very little to me about this. From what I’ve been reading on various blogs, it seems that they may have had a political motivation to get me off the show, but again, you’d have to ask them.â€
She also gave an exclusive interview with The Bleacher Report to discuss her departure.
I think she could’ve filled a certain role within WWE and a match against Beth Phoenix could’ve been fun. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be back soon enough.
According to The Wrestling Observer, World Wrestling Entertainment has banned the drug Carisprodol (better known as somas) as part of a new amendment to the Wellness Policy that was created in 2006. The new amendment doesn’t allow WWE talent to use “somas,†even if they have a legitimate doctor’s prescription.
Here is the new language from officially added to the Wellness Policy:
“Regardless of whether there is a prescription, the use of muscle relaxers known under the generic name carisoprodol (Trade Name Soma ® and others) and/or meprobamate (Trade name Miltown® and others) will be considered a non-medical use for purposes of this Policy and is prohibited.”
Somas have been a popular drug in pro wrestling culture for many years as a way for wrestler to relax after beating up their bodies night in and night out. Unfortunately the abuse of somas has caused much embarrassment and pain over the years as well. Louie Spicolli, veteran of ECW, WWE and WCW, died in 1998 after overdosing on somas & wine. Nick Dinsmore was also suspended from WWE in 2005 after passing out in a hotel lobby from overdosing on somas.
Jim Ross also gave this thoughts on the company’s decision to ban the drug.
“I think that it’s a great idea. Too many wrestlers took/take Somas recreationally much like wrestlers used to smoke weed in the 70’s. Prescription pill abuse is a huge enemy of all wrestlers who abuse them. Pain medicine, Somas, ambien, and xanax are an evil mixture especially when mixed with alcohol and taken in excess.â€
It’s another good step for the company. Here’s hoping the company continues to do things like this in order to improve the well being of its talent.
Wrestler of the Week
Week of September 13 – 19: Daniel Bryan
Of all the new Champions crowned last night at The Night of Champions Daniel Bryan’s United States Championship victory was by far the biggest. For a man who probably wasn’t even on the payroll two months ago, Bryan has sure come back strong. From getting the improbable mystery man spot at SummerSlam and now into becoming the number two champion on the most viewed wrestling program in the world, Bryan has had quite the month. I don’t think it will truly sink in until I see him walk out on RAW tonight wearing the belt, but it’s still hard to believe that the indy darling American Dragon has finally made it. Here’s hoping he can settle into a nice role as the preeminent mid-card technician in the company and continue his success.
RAW’s On Tonight!
With Night of Champions in the rear view mirror and Hell in a Cell only a ridiculous two weeks away, tonight’s RAW is going to be full of big-time events. Randy Orton became the new WWE Champion and is easily the hottest he’s ever been and has officially taken over as the number one face on the show for the time being. Look for a Championship address and surely a confrontation with the former Champion Sheamus. Plus John Cena still isn’t finished The Nexus and all eyes point to a one-on-one match with Wade Barrett soon. Daniel Bryan is the new US Champion and has a solid amount of challengers in the mid-card waiting for him. Can you imagine him against Evan Bourne? or William Regal? Plus with LayCool holding all the Women’s gold and Rhodes & McIntyre as the new Tag Team Champions, will the roving Champions make an appearance on RAW as well? As a great man once said, business is about to pick up.
On Last Week’s Episode…
SmackDown report and 10 thoughts
RAW results, 10 thoughts and judicial review
How They Rated
SmackDown! (9.3.10) –
Superstars (9.9.10) – .58
A.M. RAW (9.12.10) – .62
RAW (9.13.10) – 3.0
NXT (9.714.10) – 1.01
This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
Logan hangs out with The New Generation of the WWF, circa 1994
Morgado breaks down his first hand experience at Glory By Honor IX.
Biscuiti talks about the IWC’s favorite subject – Matt Hardy
In Case You Didn’t Spend the $40
PK once again brought the noise with Night of Champions coverage for the Pulse.
Here are the quick ‘n’ dirty results:
In the dark match, John Morrison beat Ted DiBiase.
In the opening match, WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler successfully retained his Title against Kofi Kingston.
The Big Show beat CM Punk after a knockout punch.
Daniel Bryan beat The Miz to win the United States Championship.
In a Lumberjill match, Co-WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool pinned WWE Divas Champion Melina to unify both Championships. The Bella Twins, Eve Torres, Kelly Kelly, Gail Kim, Alicia Fox, Natalya Neidhart, Jillian Hall, Tamina, Maryse, Rosa Mendes, and Layla were the Lumberjills.
World Heavyweight Champion Kane pinned The Undertaker clean after a Tombstone piledriver.
Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre won a Tag Team Turmoil gauntlet to win the WWE Tag Team Championships.
In the first match, Jey & Jimmy Uso beat reigning Champions The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd & DH Smith).
The Usos beat Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov quickly.
Evan Bourne & Mark Henry beat The Usos when Bourne hit the Shooting Star Press on Jimmy.
Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre beat Bourne & Henry when Rhodes hit Bourne with Cross-Rhodes to win the Championships.
In the main event, Randy Orton won a Six Pack Challenge elimination match to win the WWE Championship. Also in the match were reigning Champion Sheamus, Edge, Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett and John Cena.
Orton pinned Jericho quickly after hitting the RKO.
Cena eliminated Edge after an Attitude Adjustment.
Barrett eliminated Cena after The Nexus interfered and Barrett hit Cena with Wasteland.
Orton hit the RKO to eliminate Barrett.
Orton hit the RKO quickly thereafter on Sheamus to win the WWE Championship.
Roundtable Results for SummerSlam
Check out the Roundtable for SummerSlam. The staff did pretty terrible all the way around as no one predicted a CM Punk victory and the picks were all over the place for the other matches. Here’s how they fared.
Roundtable Champion: Matthew Michaels: 5-2 (215-191)
The rest:
Raffi Shamir: 3-4 (179-146)
Kyle Sparks: 3-4 (25-20)
Widro: 3-4 (88-83)
Andrew Wheeler: 2-5 (203-126)
Steven Gepp: 1-6 (53-78)
Kelly Floyd: 1-6 (12-8)
Mark has been a columnist for Pulse Wrestling for over three years now, evolving from his original “Historically Speaking†commentary-style column into his current Monday morning powerhouse known as “This Week in ‘E.†He also contributes to other ventures, outside of IP, most notably as the National Pro Wrestling Examiner for Examiner.com and a contributor for The Wrestling Press. Follow me on Twitter here.
