This Week in ‘E – The Matt Hardy Show…Finally Cancelled

Columns, Top Story

Matt Hardy is finally released, autopsy results are revealed and Air Bourne is temporarily grounded. All this and winning lotto numbers inside.

Opening Witty Banter
Did ya miss me? Well last time I was here I was saying I was having a good week. It looks like I did jinx myself a little bit and hit some personal life snags. But things look to be going well once again. A new job, a new location and hopefully some new outlook on things will be just what the doctor ordered. Apologies for missing the past two weeks, but let’s read some fake news.

Let’s take some ‘E…

The News of the Week
Matt Hardy was finally released from World Wrestling Entertainment on Friday, October 15.

The news was confirmed via a brief post on wwe.com

The news is no real shock to fans that have been following Hardy and his various online social networks over the past couple of months. Hardy has not been used on WWE television in well over a month, and he has publicly been asking for his own release via this Twitter account and YouTube channel. He was sent home from two different WWE events in mid-September and had done been featured since then.

The belief was originally that the company did not want to release Matt as they realized he would move to TNA Wrestling once his no compete clause was up and he could reunite with his brother Jeff Hardy for potentially profitable and successful Hardy Boyz reunion. However more and issues kept piling up in regards to Matt and apparently the risk of losing him to TNA far outweighed the good of keeping him on the roster for the time being.

Not surprisingly Hardy immediately took to his Twitter account to talk about his release and his plans for the future.

Thank God. Please just go away now. Remember how the IWC was all up in arms about his release in 2005 and were championing for his return? Now I’ve never seen so much indifference or excitement about him getting the boot. Talk about losing momentum. Just go to TNA already so you, Tommy Dreamer and Mickie James can all get together and cut some tearful “shoot” promos.

Gertrude “Luna” Vachon died from an overdose of painkillers and anti-anxiety medication.

According to TMZ, the toxicology reports from District Six Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida show that oxycodone and benzodiazepine were in her system when she died. The manner of death was ruled “accidental.”

Vachon was found dead on Friday, August 27, in her mother’s home in Florida. Her ashes were spread on the North Carolina ranch where the legendary Andre the Giant was also laid to rest.

So sad…

The death news doesn’t stop there. The death of Lance Cade was caused from an accidental overdose of drugs and a weakened heart, according to a report in the New Haven Register.

The Bexar County, Texas Medical Examiner’s Office said that his death was accidental and that “the cause was ruled mixed drug intoxication, complicating a cardiomyopathy.” Cardiomyopathy is the technical term for an enlarged or weakened heart, and is often linked to anabolic steroid use. However the findings do not confirm that his death was linked to steroid use.

The former pro wrestler, born Lance McNaught, died on Friday, August 29. He was only 29.

When will the young deaths stop?

Actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. has returned to work for WWE.

Prinze returned to WWE on Monday will work as a producer and director. Previously the movie star worked on WWE’s creative team from July 2008 until officially parting ways with the company amicably in February 2009.

He is a long time World Wrestling Entertainment fan and was shown on camera at many WWE events in the past, including WrestleMania XXIV. His most recent appearance for the company was when he guest hosted WWE Monday Night RAW back in August 2009.

Apparently Prinze is quite popular with the wrestlers backstage as he’s (gasp) an actual fan of pro wrestling and thus works as a liaison between the talent and creative. It’s always nice to see someone work for the company who actually wants to work there.

Jamie Keyes has been released from contract.

Keyes (real name Brittany Beede) signed with WWE in early 2010 after officials saw pictures of her on Wrestlicious. She debuted with in the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling in March of this year as a ring announcer, using Jamie Keyes as her new moniker.

She was called up to the main roster in June 2010 to serve as the ring announcer for NXT, season 2. At the conclusion of that season, Keyes was announced as one of the contestants for NXT, season 3. She was eliminated from the competition on the October 5 episode of NXT and was released completely from her contract one week later.

It seems odd to release her as she already talent as a ring announcer and could’ve been useful in that role at some point. I wonder if there was something more to the release than is being let on.

More information has come out regarding the lawsuit between WWE and Martha Hart. Attorneys representing Martha have been granted an extension until October 25th to respond to the WWE’s motion to dismiss the case. They were originally supposed to respond by October 11th. A hearing to hear the dismissal motion has been set for January 28th in Bridgeport, CT.

Hart’s lawsuit claims the following:

– WWE violated their original Settlement Agreement in the wake of Owen Hart’s death.
– WWE violated the family’s privacy with the release of Owen Hart matches and the “Hart & Soul” DVD documentary.
– WWE intimates the Owen Hart Foundation endorses their company with the release of Hart’s matches and that the rights to Owen’s footage reverted back to his estate upon his death.

Please Martha, drop this lawsuit. Let fans who miss Owen dearly as a performer enjoy his past legacy. I don’t want Owen to completely forgotten and buried in the annals of WWE because of this.

The Great Khali recently appeared on Big Boss House in India, which is that company’s version of Big Brother. While they have provided an extra large bed, no other special treatment was given to Khali. WWE’s Andrew Whitaker had the following to say about Khali’s appearance on the show…

“He (Khali) is known for his strength in the wrestling ring but, with this show, his fans will get to see a part of his life as they watch him eat, sleep, laugh and interact with other contestants.”

Oh the hilarity that will ensue…

Evan Bourne went out with shoulder surgery. He is expected to be out at least four months. His match and subsequent post-match with CM Punk this past week on RAW was done as a way to write him out storylines for the time being.

Get well soon, Evan! We need you back so you can tear it up with all the former ROH alumni now dotting WWE’s roster. Then in my pipe dream WWE will resurrect the Cruiserweight Title and guys like Bourne, Bryan, Kaval and Gabriel can tear shit up.

In developmental news, WWE released Rudy Parker from his developmental deal. Kris Logan, who was signed a few weeks ago, has been renamed Ron Myers. In addition Pacific Northwest indy wrestler Su Yung, British wrestler Vicky Skeels and PCW regular Li Fang have all been signed to deals. Yung will be renamed Sonia, Skeels as Verity Thomas and Fang as Kenny Li.

Looks like they are amping the non-American talent on this recent run of signings. I guess they gotta do something to offset the insane amount second and third generation kids running around down there in Florida.

Knucklehead, starring Big Show will only run in theaters on October 23 and 24. WWE is doing the short theatrical releases to guarantee that Wal-Mart will carry the DVDs of the film.

Hey it’s a smart business move to do a short run if the endgame is get the movie into Wal-Mart. WWE movies always do be better in DVD format where kids can watch them at home at their own convenience, and Wal-Mart and wrestling fans go hand in hand.

WWE will have three more three-hour episodes of RAW by the end of the year, including November 15 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, November 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and December 13 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

So we’ll have maybe a Survivor Series rewind show, a Viewer’s Choice show and the Slammys. But it does seem odd to cram all those three-hour shows so close together in one month. They must’ve been contracted to do so by USA and they kind of forgot about them or something.

The Road to…Bragging Rights
WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) v. Wade Barrett (accompanied by John Cena)

Buried Alive Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
The Undertaker v. Kane (c)

7-on-7 RAW v. SmackDown Match
Team RAW (The Miz (c), Sheamus, CM Punk, John Morrison, R-Truth, Santino Marella & ???) v. Team SmackDown (The Big Show (c), Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Edge, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston & Tyler Reks)

Unified WWE Divas Championship
Natalya Neidhart v. Michelle McCool (c)

rumored matches:
MVP v. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan v. Alex Riley for the US Championship

Wrestler of the Week
Week of October 11 – 17: The Miz
Once again this week continued run of looking like a true main event superstar in the making. He was appointed the captain of Team RAW for Bragging Rights, went toe-to-toe with his old rival John Cena and then subsequently beat him finally in a one-on-one match. In addition he’s still got the Money in the Bank contract hanging in the balance and has his own personal lackey in Alex Riley. It’s truly hard to believe that this was the guy who just a little over a year ago was looking outmatched and outclassed by Cena at every turn and only two years ago was already pigeonholed as the Marty Jannetty of his tag team with John Morrison. I stand by my claim that it’ll be Miz, not Wade Barrett or someone else, who will become the 40th man to become WWE Champion.

RAW’s On Tonight!
With only a few days to go before Bragging Rights, RAW should be used for the hard sell and tying up the rest of the card. Team RAW still needs one more team member as proposed member Mark Henry is out taking care of family issues. That for sure will be addressed tonight, and hopefully some matches set up for the other Champions like Daniel Bryan and Rhodes & McIntyre. Perhaps a Daniel Bryan-Dolph Ziggler Champion for Champion match? Plus Goldust has been stalking Ted DiBiase, Maryse and the Million $ Championship. Remember when Dusty Rhodes feuded with Ted DiBiase, Sr. twenty years ago? Do you suppose the old guys look back with fondness that the family feud is continuing? Also the new age Mega Powers, John Cena and Randy Orton team up to take on the company’s new third generation stars Mike McGillicutty & Husky Harris in the night’s main event. Remember when being a third generation star was a novel thing?

On Last Week’s Episode…
SmackDown results and 10 thoughts

Superstars results and 10 thoughts

NXT

RAW results, judicial review and 10 thoughts

How They Rated
Superstars (10.7.10) – .65

SmackDown! (10.8.10) – 1.81

A.M. RAW (10.10.10) – .61

RAW (1011.10) – 2.9

This is Boring, What Else is There to Read?
Ditch is awesome. Go read him.

Dr. TNA tries to explain THEY and the Immortals.

Logan gets to watch Sparky Plugg and Kwang. I know I’m jealous.

Charlie looks back at WWE’s famous families DVD.

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.

Mark was a columnist for Pulse Wrestling for over four years, evolving from his original “Historically Speaking” commentary-style column into the 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.