NFL

– Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension has been reduced from 6 games to 4, as expected. Big Ben is headed back to Pittsburgh after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York Friday morning. Though reports indicated that Roethlisberger wanted to push for fewer than 4 games, the Steelers never believed that scenario to be a possibility.

– The agent for Cowboys’ WR Patrick Crayton will request the Cowboys release his client prior to Saturday’s deadline for final cuts. “It seems he doesn’t figure in their plans so it’s not logical to be on the roster until Saturday. We don’t see the use in prolonging it.” Still an efficient slot receiver, Crayton will appeal to a number of teams as a free agent.

– The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the Chargers are now more open to the idea of trading RFA WR Vincent Jackson, and are targeting the deadline of Saturday afternoon to complete a deal. The Chargers have permitted only Seattle to speak to V-Jax to this point, but are reportedly considering opening the door to other interested teams. The Jackson camp is now saying its target contract is less than the initially reported 5-year/$50M deal with $30M guaranteed. A trade would be a best case scenario for both sides.

– Bronws’ RB Montario Hardesty (torn left ACL) is out for the season. The Browns were counting on a major contribution from Hardesty as a rookie. Jerome Harrison will now enter the season as the feature back with Peyton Hillis possibly entering the picture as a short-yardage specialist. Hillis saw first-teams snaps ahead of James Davis throughout August, though the latter is a better stash in Dynasty leagues.

– ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Steelers’ QB Byron Leftwich has a second-degree sprain of his left MCL, contradicting a previous report that Leftwich had torn the MCL. Leftwich avoided a complete tear, according to Mort. Though he believes he can avoid surgery and start the season opener next week, a Steelers source called that possibility “not likely.” The recovery timetable for a grade-2 MCL sprain is typically 2-to-4 weeks.

MLB

– Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Marlins and RHP Ricky Nolasco remain far apart on negotiations toward an extension. The Marlins are notoriously cheap with arbitration-eligible players and Nolasco is set to undergo knee surgery to repair a torn right meniscus next week. Negotiations may be put on hold until the righty shows signs of recovery. He posted a 14-9 record and a 1.28 WHIP in 26 starts this season.

NBA

– According to a team source, Knicks’ president Donnie Walsh recently rejected a 3-team deal that would have sent F Anthony Randolph to Indiana, the Pacers’ 1st-round pick to Portland and G Rudy Fernandez to New York. The Blazers are insisting on a 1st-round pick for Fernandez and, due to trades, the Knicks do not have one of their own until 2014. The Knicks were trying to shop G Wilson Chandler in an offer for Fernandez, but Portland doesn’t seem interested. If New York really wants Rudy, they will have to get a3 rd team involved; one that has a desirable 1st-round pick in Portland’s eyes. Fernandez has played his last game as a Blazer.

NHL

– The Penguins have signed F Mike Comrie to a 1-year/$500K deal. In 43 games with the Oilers last season, the Edmonton native had 13 goals and eight assists.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NHL

– The Canadiens have re-signed RFA G Carey Price to a 2-year/$5.5M deal. Some reports stated that Price was ready to “go on strike” if he did not receive a $3 million a season offer from the Canadiens. In 41 games last season, Price posted a 13-20-5 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .912 SV%.  He also appeared in four playoff games for the Habs.

– Penguins’ F Jordan Staal (foot) will not be ready for the start of Pittsburgh’s training camp. Staal is suffering from an infection related to the foot injury he suffered during the Penguins’ 2009-10 playoff run. Staal should still be able to play in the Penguins’ season opener.

– The NHLPA still hasn’t made Donald Fehr their executive director. The NHLPA’s 30 team player reps had a conference call on Wednesday, but they reportedly didn’t vote on appointing Fehr to serve as their new union leader. Fehr is believed to be seeking, amongst other things, $1.5M in salary for the remainder of this year and $3M annually. He also wants to hire his brother, Steve Fehr, to an executive position. Steve is currently serving as a special counsel to the MLBPA. Meanwhile, the NHLPA and the NHL are continuing their negotiations over F Ilya Kovalchuk’s 15-year/$100M contract as well as other frontloaded contracts in the NHL.

– The Avalanche have re-signed RFA F Chris Stewart to a 2-year/$5.75M contract. Stewart had a breakout season last year, scoring 28 goals and 64 points in 77 games. He should put up similar numbers in 2010-11.

NFL

– According to Yahoo’s Jason Cole, Jets’ CB Darrelle Revis relationship with the Jets is “ticking toward an end.” Cole writes, “A divorce, really. That might sound like hysteria to some but it’s reality.” Revis is apparently adamant that he won’t show up “ever again” if the Jets don’t substantially increase their long-term contract offer soon. Stay tuned.

– The Rams have reportedly pulled out of the bidding for unsigned RFA WR Vincent Jackson. The Seahawks are still in it, but figure to drop out if they’re unable or unwilling to dump WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s contract. According to NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora, the Rams did pursue the idea of acquiring V-Jax, but “do not expect to acquire him.” A Rams source told La Canfora, “There are too many moving parts. That’s not something we’re pursuing right now.”

– NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that the Seahawks are actively trying to trade WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. A poor fit for the new offense, Housh turns 33 later this month and is due a $7M. The only way Seattle could move him is if Houshmandzadeh agreed to a pay cut, but that won’t happen since the $7M is fully guaranteed.

– Beat writer Jerry McDonald suggests that Raiders’ RB Michael Bennett (thumb surgery) could miss “up to a quarter of the season or more.” The Raiders aren’t providing a timetable. McDonald, after consulting with an orthopedic surgeon, believes Bush is “highly unlikely” to be ready to play in the opener. The doctor advised that the 4-to-6 weeks would be a “best case scenario” for a return from “Bennett’s fracture” surgery. As Bush is a running back, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to play with a “club” over his hand.

TNA

TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter announced on her Twitter account this afternoon that Impact will be held live on Thursday, October 7.

“TNA iMPACT! is going LIVE on 10/7. Remember my tweet about how TNA is going to change forever? Stay tuned,” Carter wrote.

Carter did not indicate whether iMPACT! will be live on a permanent basis. She also did not say where the event will be held. Impact TV tapings are currently listed to take place Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the rest of the year. Regarding her previous remark in regards to TNA ‘changing forever’, Carter wrote on June 11, “It’s 6:30 a.m. Been up for hours. So excited I can’t sleep. TNA’s about to change forever. Can’t wait to share it w/you, my staff, the talent.”

Anybody else wish she would just shut the hell up?

– While Mick Foley is expected to return to the ring in October at TNA Wrestling’s BFG PPV event, he is no longer considered a long-term in-ring option by those within the organization. On the night of the company’s big angle where Fortune assaulted EV2.0, the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion was instructed to lie down when the lights went out to give the audience the impression that he was laid out during the sequence. While it’s possible this will play into the storyline, there aren’t many people within TNA who feel they can count on him to put on a good match at this point.

MLB

– Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that Nationals’ OF Nyjer Morgan is likely to be handed a suspension on Friday. MLB will review all of his recent infractions, including an incident with a fan in Philadelphia from mid-August, his running into a Cardinals’ backup catcher a week later, his hit on Marlins’ C Brett Hayes on Tuesday, and his charging of the mound in Florida on Wednesday night. Olney suggests that Morgan, 30, could see a suspension of over 10 games.

– Marlins’ C John Baker (UCL) will undergo Tommy John surgery on Friday. Baker had a meeting Thursday with Dr. James Andrews and tests revealed damage to the catcher’s ulnar collateral ligament. He’s likely to miss all of the 2011 season. The 29-year-old turned in a .218/.307/.282 line and four extra-base hits over 78 at-bats this season.

WWE

– Teddy Hart, the youngest wrestler to be signed to a WWE contract, recently entered a Texas area rehabilitation center on behalf of his former employer. He is staying at the same facility as former WWE performer Scott Hall. Hart is claiming that he entered rehab at the urging of his uncle, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, who said that if he successfully completes the center’s program, would persuade WWE to give him another shot. During his last run with AAA, Hart managed to unite the entire locker room against him due to his reputation of changing match finishes and spots to put himself over. His mentality is to perform as many flashy maneuvers in his matches as possible, whether they make sense or not.

NBA

– The Hawks have signed F Etan Thomas. An eight-year veteran, Thomas spent last season with Oklahoma City and in 23 games averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.0 minutes of playing time. The Syracuse alum spent the previous seven seasons with Washington.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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Nick Sequeira from The Sick Era Times has another video blog. The topics discussed in the video include Kaval winning NXT Season 2, the Miz/Daniel Bryan feud, WWE unifying their titles, Michael Tarver, John Morrison, NXT Season 3 and more. Nick is available through Twitter @SICKERATION as well as on YouTube at YouTube.com/NickSickEra.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NHL

– The Sharks have officially signed G Antti Niemi to a 1-year/$2M deal. Great move by the Sharks. Thomas Greiss has no value as he will start the season in the minors or be released, barring any injury.

MLB

– Red Sox’ 2B Dustin Pedroia (left foot) is expected to undergo surgery Friday at Massachusetts General Hospital in order to insert a screw in his ailing left foot. It was decided that surgery was the appropriate course of action after Pedroia was examined Wednesday night by foot specialist Dr. George Theodore in Baltimore, Maryland. Pedroia is done for the rest of the season, but should be ready for spring training 2011.

– Red Sox’ 1B Carlos Delgado (tear in left hip) has a small tear in his left hip, according to his agent David Sloane. Delgado flew to Colorado on Wednesday in order to be examined by Dr. Marc Phillipon, who performed his previous two hip surgeries. He’ll return to Pawtucket in order to go over the potential treatment options, however surgery hasn’t been ruled out. “He felt fine when he signed. He was playing. He was headed in right direction. All of a sudden, he felt pain there. Everything at this point is up in the air. He’s going to need some time to think about the next step.” Retirement could be the next step. Stay tuned.

– The Nationals have transferred RHP Stephen Strasburg (torn UCL) to the 60-day DL.

– The Braves have transferred RHP Kris Medlen to the 60-day DL.

– The Yankees have transferred RHP Damaso Marte to the 60-day DL.

– The Royals have transferred OF David DeJesus and RHP Luke Hochevar to the 60-day DL.

NFL

– The Chargers are asking for a 2nd-round pick in 2011 and a 3rd-round pick in 2012 for RFA WR Vincent Jackson, according to Yahoo’s Michael Silver. The Dolphins gave up a 2nd-round pick in both 2010 and 2011 for WR Brandon Marshall and then signed him to a 4-year/$47.5M contract with at least $12.5M guaranteed, so the asking price is realistic.

ROH

– Ring of Honor has announced that ROH Tag Team champions, The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) have signed new deals with the company.

WWE

– Actor Justin Long, who hosted WWE RAW on August 16th with “Going The Distance” co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, tells MetroNews.ca that the experience was a disaster.

“In no way am I being self-deprecating when I say that was a disaster. It was just not the audience to be promoting a movie like that to. We were so out of place. It was just awkward. They’re all fired up to see guys pummeling each other, not to see three nerdy comedy guys do some bits. They played the trailer for this crowd and it just silenced them — and not in a good way.”

Long continued, saying the crowd in Los Angeles looked like they were ready to attack him and his fellow co-hosts.

“We were in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, and the only time we really had the audience on our side was when we were praising the Lakers. And before that I think the majority of them were contemplating throwing things at us. There were a few homophobic remarks. I don’t want to generalize it, I know some wrestling fans. But it’s just not the audience.”

TNA

– Regarding former WWE Diva Katie Lea Burchill’s tryout match for TNA Wrestling last week, one observer dubbed her performance as “okay” and “nothing spectacular.” Meanwhile, talk amongst others within the company was more positive. No word yet on whether she will be offered a contract.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NHL

– The NY Post is reporting that the NHL could void the contract of Canucks’ G Roberto Luongo as early as Friday. The NHL would also not allow the potential contract of UFA F Ilya Kovalchuk. The report says that the NHLPA is not willing to change some parts of the existing CBA to avoid front-loading long-term contracts. The NHL wants to count only the years of a contract before the age of 40 towards the salary cap and negotiations are on-going. Luongo signed a 12-year/$64M contract extension one year ago and the contract kicks in this season, as he still had one year remaining on his existing contract. The article also states that the Blackhawks’ F Marian Hossa’s contract is still being investigated. Should both sides finally come to an agreement, the Kovalchuk, Luongo and all other deals will be grandfathered in. Stay tuned, as this story is far from over.

– ESPN.com is reporting that Matthew Hulsizer is in the late stages of negotiating a new arena lease with the City of Glendale to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix. The deal between Ice Edge Holdings, who were the front-runners to but the Coyotes, and Glendale have stalled. Hulsizer is the CEO of PEAK6 Investments and is extremely wealthy. A source said, “He has an unbelievable financial mind. He’s exactly the kind of guy that the league needs. He’s a legitimate hockey guy with a lot of money.” If Hulsizer gets the arena deal from the city, he will formally make a bid to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL. It is possible that some members of Ice Edge Holdings will be allowed to become minority shareholders if Hulsizer is successful. Stay tuned.

WWE

– According to an unnamed WWE source, it’s expected that Chris Jericho will remain with the WWE post-Night of Champions. The general consensus backstage is that he will not win the WWE Championship in the main event, but will re-sign a long-term deal. Jericho could potentially take some time off while touring with Fozzy in the UK as well. Stay tuned.

MLB

– According to Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com, Yankees’ 3B Alex Rodriguez has fired agent Scott Boras and is now being represented by Pittsburgh attorney Jay Reisinger. Bob Nightengale of USA Today had it first this morning, however the story mysteriously from the website. According to Calcaterra, Rodriguez fired Boras about a month ago, ending a working relationship dating back to when he was selected by the Mariners as the No. 1 overall pick in 1993. Reisinger’s name may sound familiar because he has actually represented Rodriguez as his attorney for quite some time now.

MLB

– Marlins’ RHP Ricky Nolasco (torn meniscus in right knee) has officially been shut down for the rest of the season and will undergo surgery next week. Nolasco was diagnosed last week, but never really should’ve tried to tough it out and pitch through the injury. His status for 2011 is uncertain. Nolasco finishes with a 14-9 record, 1.28 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 26 starts.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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NHL

– The NHL and the NHLPA have reportedly agreed to extend the deadline for F Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract decision to Friday. If the league rejects the contract again then the NHLPA will have a 5 -day window to file a grievance like they did before. If the contract is rejected again, Kovalchuk is expected to play in the KHL where his agent says he’ll play at least 1 full season. If the deal is accepted, however, then the Devils will have to shed approximately $3M to get under the salary cap. Stay tuned.

– According to reports, G Antti Niemi will sign with the Sharks on a 1-year/$2M deal. G Antero Niittymaki, who was signed earlier this off-season, would likely end up as Niemi’s backup while plans for G Thomas Greiss and G Alex Stalock would have to determined after training camp. We’ll keep you posted.

– F Bill Guerin took part in an informal workout with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. “I was down in the area visiting my father-in-law who lives in Medford [N.J.]. I was going to be in the area anyway and I wanted to get on the ice. My agent talked to Paul [Holmgren] about possibly having me come here and skate around with the guys. It was nice. It was good to finally get back on the ice and skate.” The vet was asked if there was a possibility that he may sign with the Flyers – he said he wasn’t sure where he will end playing this season, but he just wanted to get back on the ice. Stay tuned.

NFL

– NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora reports that Ravens FS Ed Reed (hip) is likely to resume playing at some point in September. La Canfora says that Reed has visited two specialists, and got “positive feedback” from both. While Reed probably won’t be ready for Week 1, he looks likely to at least avoid the PUP. Great news for Baltimore’s defence.

– ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reports that Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger will ask for “at least” a 3-game reduction of his 4-to-6 game suspension during his meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday. Roethlisberger will bring team president Art Rooney II to the meeting in an effort to show he also has the backing of the respected Steelers organization. Goodell is believed to already be in favour of reducing the ban to 4 games, but Big Ben has gone above and beyond what the NFL asked of him since his latest sexual assault accusation. Roethlisberger can also contend that he’s the only player in league history to be suspended under the Personal Conduct Policy without being arrested or charged with a crime.

– The Cardinals have signed DE Darnell Dockett to a 4-year/$48M extension through 2015 with $30-31M guaranteed. Dockett has racked up 20 sacks and 6 turnovers caused over the last three years. Entering his 7th season, the 29-year-old pass rusher has yet to miss a game.

– FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer disputes a rumour that Cardinals’ QB Matt Leinart has been traded to the Giants, saying New York is “not interested” in such a deal. Glazer says that the Giants do want a veteran backup, but one who’s “perfectly content with being Eli Manning’s backup,” whereas Leinart believes he’s still a starter. Buffalo makes more sense as a landing spot, but the Bills’ website says that a match is unlikely. If the Cardinals can’t find a trade partner by Saturday, Leinart will likely be among their final cuts.

MLB

– Royals’ C Jason Kendall (shoulder) will undergo surgery to rectify an “extensive tear in his rotator cuff” and is expected to be sidelined 8-to-10 months. The injury occurred in July but was never reported, so props to Kendall for playing through such a painful injury. Manager Ned Yost hopes Kendall will be ready for the beginning of next season, but given that April is 7 months away, that seems a bit unrealistic.

– Yankees’ LHP Andy Pettitte (elbow) reported feeling “good” after a 55-pitch bullpen session Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Sunday and could progress to a simulated game by week’s end. “This is definitely the best I’ve felt. I just want to continue to go out there and not have any problems.” He should be back in just less than 2 weeks.

– Reds’ LHP Aroldis Chapman earned his first MLB win on Wednesday night by pitching a perfect 7th inning out of the bullpen against the Brewers. He topped out at an insane 102.7 mph last night, but hit a miraculous 103.9 tonight while striking out 2 and inducing a groundout.

WWE

– According to the Wrestling Observer, the decision to make the third season of NXT an all-women’s show was likely made quite recently. Last week, WWE filmed 12 wrestlers at FCW, including 8 men and 4 women. Initial plans called for 4 men and 4 women to be featured in the abbreviated season, but it was later changed to 6 women.

There is hope that the show will garner better ratings with women prominently featured so they can reach a television deal with another network. There is also hope that Aloisia’s “freak of nature” persona will increase ratings so Syfy will change its mind and renew the program.

Another aspect revolves around unhappiness with many of its current female performers, resulting in the company looking for replacement Divas. Talent relations were unhappy with the behavior of several of the women in recent weeks, particularly when much of the roster was situated in Los Angeles for SummerSlam. It is said that Tiffany and the recently released Serena were not the only ones who made embarrassing scenes in public. Officials are very strict regarding the public image of its talent because of promises to corporate sponsors that World Wrestling Entertainment is a wholesome company.

As things stand now, the lame duck show will end its current season on October 1, with a live episode in Oklahoma City as part of a three-hour programming block that will include the network’s debut of Friday Night SmackDown.

WWE is expected to rush through the current season of NXT with the final episode airing on October 1 just before the premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on Syfy. The third season of NXT will feature 5 episodes. While company officials adore NXT and have vowed it will continue, they have been unable to land a new home for the show. With that being said, there was a discussion this past week of moving the show to WGN America. Vince McMahon said that ideally, they would keep both NXT and WWE Superstars.

– According to the Wrestling Observer, Joey Mercury (torn pectoral muscle) will be out of action for roughly 6 months after undergoing surgery over the weekend. Despite the injury, Mercury is expected to remain on television. Many feel that with Serena’s recent release, it wasn’t a good time to remove Mercury from television since the Straight Edge Society wouldn’t be much of a group with two people. However, Punk and Gallows broke up at the following night’s SmackDown TV taping, so the injury may have been the catalyst to disband the group.

– Steve Austin commented on Twitter about CM Punk using his music and calling him out on Monday’s RAW:

“Got a lot of reports of CM Punk using my ring music and calling me out…I enjoy his work and wish him the best. Go get em kid.”

– John Cena was asked on Twitter whether he’s interested in being an NXT pro and gave a pretty funny response.

“yes I asked, and was denied. Apparently u need more than 2 moves to offically be called a “pro” (enjoy that one)”

– Chris Jericho is working on the final draft of his latest book and has suffered an extremely frustrating setback:

“Was only able to recover 20% of the final book edit. I am now officially 80% insane…”

- The NXT Season 2 finale drew a  1.02 rating and averaged 1,323,000 viewers.

– Hours after Luna Vachon’s death last Friday, WWE issued a statement addressing the many former wrestlers who have passed away as a result of substance abused related issues. The statement reads:

“Not withstanding our extensive Talent Wellness Program for current Superstars, WWE goes to great lengths to help our former talent who may have substance abuse problems, offering complete drug rehabilitation at no cost to them. Ultimately, however, stars in any form of entertainment should be held personally responsible for their own actions. Prescription drug overdose is a problem not only with former WWE talent, but society as a whole according to the Center for Disease Control, as it is the second leading cause of unintentional death (particularly among younger people) in the U.S.”

– The WWE website has announced that Jackass star Johnny Knoxville will host October 4th episode of Monday Night RAW. Knoxville will be promoting the new Jackass 3D movie.

– In what has to be great news for WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, longtime Oklahoma Sooners football commentator Bob Barry announced on Tuesday that he is retiring. Ross said in various interviews over the years that calling Oklahoma football has been a lifelong dream of his, so this could be his chance to fill that position.

– The comedy duo Penn & Teller have once again been removed from WWE’s lineup of upcoming Raw guest hosts. A WWE source reports that Penn & Teller are very protective over how they are presented on television and there’s been a lot of back-and-forth over how much the WWE creative team would write for them. They were originally booked to host Raw on September 20, the night after Night of Champions, but now it appears they’re out again. The only two guest hosts now listed are teen actor Bobb’e J. Thompson on October 18 and country singer Toby Keith on October 25, the night after the Bragging Rights PPV.

NBA

– The Celtics have signed free agent G Delonte West. West averaged a career-high 12.3 points during his last season with Boston in 2006-07, but minutes will be more difficult to come by this time around. West is also suspended for the first 10 games of the season due to his arrest last year on weapons charges.

TNA

– TNA’s Eric Bischoff was a special guest on this week’s Monday Night Mayhem radio show. The highlights:

His reaction to those wrestling fans that ask the question “Where is the controversy in TNA?” and if we will be seeing that on TNA programming in the coming weeks/months: “I think that you will. One of the challenges in the business today, and the same is true in the WWE, what can we do that hasn’t been done to death in the last 10 to 12 years? When I launched Nitro, and we did all the ridiculous stuff & controversial stuff that I did that put WCW on the map, nobody had ever done it before, and that’s what made it controversial. That’s why I was the ‘anti-Christ’ for wrestling fans, because I was doing things no one had done before. Giving away finishes live on the air five minutes before the competition’s show went on. All these things people said was stupid & ridiculous, how do you do that again? How does Vince McMahon do all things that are ground-breaking, controversial, & water cooler buzz? How does he recreate those elements in the guidelines of a televised wrestling show? How do you recreate that in today’s environment? Is there going to be controversy in TNA? Of course there is. Are we seeing right now? Without giving anything away, I think we’re setting it up. In the months to come, people are going to see some things that are controversial, but I don’t think anyone should raise the bar of expectations so high that we are magically going to get back to that virgin territory that we enjoyed 10 or 12 years ago.”

How much input he usually has into an edition of TNA iMPACT, his response to those that strongly believe that Hulk Hogan & himself are “running TNA,” and the current chemistry between himself & Vince Russo: “It varies a lot depending on the week. I’ve read some of the comments of some of your other guests on Monday Night Mayhem talking about me, and I think Kevin Kelly was one of the ones I read last, and I know people out there think and are under the assumption that Eric Bischoff & Hulk Hogan are ‘running TNA.’ Nothing is farther from the truth. We have nothing to do with the strategy of the company. We have nothing to do with the marketing of the company. Nobody talks to us or asks us about talent acquisitions or people getting fired. We have little to do with the day-to-day operations of TNA. The same is kinda true with regards to creative. I work closely with Vince Russo, I see the formats, I give my suggestions. Vince & I have a great working relationship, and in regards to chemistry, I would say besides my partner Jason Hervey and Hulk, there’s no one better that I have a working relationship with.”

The Internet’s constant stream of hating against TNA & why it’s easier for fans to point out the flaws of TNA than those of the WWE: “Let me put it to you this way: Misery loves company. It’s easier for people who are negative, who want to criticize without really having anything intelligent to say and without it being constructive criticism. It’s one of the reasons why I constantly am trying to raise the bar, eliminating one stupid fan at a time. When I see the kind of comments like ‘TNA Sucks’ or ‘Your storylines blow,’ or ‘Fire Russo, or ‘Fire Bischoff,’ or ‘Hogan sucks,’ I laugh at that stuff because there are a lot of people out there and because misery loves company. Let’s face it, WWE is a giant bandwagon. It’s been around a long time. It’s easier & safer when you’re the type of person who is looking for a group of miserable people to jump on the bandwagon that’s successful, because the WWE is a cable television juggernaut. It is what it is. So it’s easy to jump on that bandwagon and look down at TNA for its warts, blemishes, bumps, bruises, & dents because there’s plenty of them. TNA is not WWE. It’s not a billion dollar company with the kind of infrastructure & production staff taking their show live on the road every week. There’s so many things that we don’t have that it’s easy to point out our flaws. I think if you look at what TNA does, and does well, and tries to do. We are ‘the little engine that’s trying.’ There’s some great talent in the ring, I think we have the greatest balance of new, young & exciting talent, established talent that rates well despite what everyone else wants to believe on the Internet. If you’re objective and you’re a real wrestling fan, you’re gonna have comments, and while you may not like certain things that are happening in TNA, you’ll find plenty of things to like.”

Bret Hart’s comments about Vince McMahon “stomping out” TNA from Monday nights, the impact “The Hitman” may have had in making that a reality, & what the final outcome would have been for TNA on Monday nights had Bret Hart never come back to the WWE: “I like Bret so much so it’s hard for me to comment about things like this. Bret Hart is a little pre-occupied with the legacy of Bret Hart. Not going to deny it, the move to Monday night was a mistake. It is what it is. It was ill-conceived, it was bad timing, it was a risk, and it was a risk that didn’t pan out. I’ve taken plenty of risks that didn’t work out, and I’ve taken some risks that have. Vince McMahon has taken some risks that worked and taken plenty of risks that hasn’t. The move to Monday night was a miss, and I’ll take as much responsibility for that as anybody else. I don’t think any of it had anything to do with Bret Hart. I think if Bret Hart would have never come back to WWE, the outcome of our Monday night effort would have been exactly the same.”

His thoughts on this Sunday’s No Surrender Pay-Per-View & why his primary focus will be on the semi-finals of the TNA World Title Tournament: “I think there are some great matches on the card. The primary thing that I’m focused on is our ‘A-story,’ which is who is going to become TNA World Heavyweight Champion. You got four powerful names there, four very exciting talents four guys who could deliver anywhere in the world in either company. You got four guys who are great storytellers and can deliver in the ring. If there’s a reason to watch the Pay-Per-View, that’s the one thing I would encourage people to follow & watch, because it’s another chapter in a pretty interesting story that we laid out back in March, and I’m excited about it.”

– TNA president Dixie Carter announced the signing of a new talent on her Twitter account on Monday, noting the individual as someone people ‘have been asking about’. Many have speculated that Mickie James is the big name, however, James’ manager Mary Michael released the following statement to Diva-Dirt.com dismissing rumors that her client has signed with TNA Wrestling: “To lay the rumors to rest, as of yet I can confirm that Mickie James has not signed a deal with TNA.”

– Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle’s ex-wife Karen have indeed gotten married. According to an individual with access to the former TNA Knockout’s private Facebook page, the couple tied the knot last month.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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NHL

– The NHL has until 5pm ET to submit a verdict on the latest contract offer between the Devils and F Ilya Kovalchuk. The league must either approve the reported 15-year/$100M deal or reject it. If the NHL turns it down, it would be the second time a long-term deal between Kovalchuk and the Devils had been rejected. The NHLPA would then have another 5-day window to file a grievance, something they did once before when the league chose not to allow the original 17-year/$102M contract they gave Kovalchuk earlier.

If the NHL chooses to reject the deal, then Kovalchuk is expected to sign in the KHL, likely with SKA St. Petersburg, which is believed to have offered Kovalchuk an enormous deal to return to his homeland to play. Kovalchuk’s agent has made it clear that if his client signs in Russia, he will remain there for at least one full season.

Should the NHL allow the contract then the Devils will have to quickly shed about $3M to get under the league’s mandated salary cap of $59.4M. Even if the deal is accepted, the possibility also exists that the Devils could be fined or penalized for their role in the saga.

The sticking point of the original rejected deal appeared to be front loading of the contract and the length of the deal. The league has stated that they believe the Devils intentionally circumvented the cap and that the Devils did not expect Kovalchuk to play out the entirety of the deal. The 27-year old would have been entering his age-44 season when the deal expired and would have been playing for the league minimum. Under the terms of the new deal, Kovalchuk would instead be 42-years old when the contract expires, earning a base salary of $4M in his final year.

The former Rocket Richard trophy winner had 41 goals and 44 assists in 76 games last season, split between the Devils and Thrashers.

MLB

– Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports that Marlins’ RHP Ricky Nolasco (torn meniscus in right knee) may be shut down for the rest of the season. Though Nolasco is still scheduled to make his next start Friday as of this report, his knee has reportedly been bothered him since his last start on Saturday. If he is too sore to pitch Friday, he will likely be shut down for the rest of the season in order to undergo surgery.

– According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Dodgers declined the Yankees’ interest in LHP Ted Lilly. That should kill any rumours of Lilly returning to the Bronx. It’s unlikely that the Dodgers would get the prospects to make it worth their while, considering that Lilly projects as a Type A free agent this winter.

NFL

– A league source tells the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mike Mulligan “there is still talk” that Bears’ TE Greg Olsen is available for trade. Mulligan also says that “there has been nothing but tireless propaganda” about Olsen’s fit in Mike Martz’s offense. Olsen’s offensive role remains up in the air.

WWE

– The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been cast in the lead role of “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” the sequel to 2008’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D.” Johnson will play “the boyfriend of explorer Josh Hutcherson’s mom, who Hutcherson is forced to bring on a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather.”

The movie is set to begin shooting in October. It’s interesting to note that the first “Journey” movie starred actor Brandon Frasier, but he and the studio were unable to agree on the sequel’s filming schedule, so he was replaced. Frasier was the star of the movie which launched Johnson’s movie career back in 2001, The Mummy Returns.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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WWE

– On Tuesday’s NXT season finale, Kaval was announced as the winner of WWE’s NXT season 2. Alex Riley was the first rookie to be eliminated on the Season finale and it came down to Michael McGillicutty and Kaval. Kaval has earned a shot at the WWE Championship on PPV and a spot on either the RAW or SmackDown rosters.

As Kaval was celebrating his win, the other Season 2 rushed the ring and attacked him. The Pros from this season came down and brawled with them. It turned into a NXT 2 Rookies vs. NXT 2 Pros with Kaval brawl. Riley and McGillicutty came back down to work over Kaval. The show ended with Riley, McGillicutty, Husky Harris, Titus O’Neil and Lucky Cannon beating Kaval down in the ring with their finishers.

Season 3 will start next week and will be an all-divas cast. Naomi Knight (FCW Divas Champion, Pro: Kelly Kelly), Maxine (FCW’s Liviana, Pro: Alicia Fox), AJ Lee (Pro: Primo), Aksana (FCW, Pro: Goldust), Jamie Keyes (FCW’s Jamie Keys, Pros: The Bella Twins) and Aloisia (Pro: Vikcie Guerrero).

– At Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Albany NY (set to air this Friday), it was announced that Kane will defend the World Heavyweight title against his brother The Undertaker at Night of Champions. With that match set, here’s the updated card:

Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship
Sheamus (c) vs. Wade Barrett vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Title Unification Lumberjill Match for the WWE Women’s Championship & WWE Divas Championship
Layla or Michelle McCool (c) vs. Melina (c)

World Heavyweight Title Match:
Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker

Night of Champions takes place on Sunday, September 19, 2010 from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

– Vince McMahon noted in a recent interview with the Boston Herald that he held a talent meeting a few years ago urging his performers to “reach for the brass ring” regardless of whom they have to step over. He particularly recalled John Cena approaching him at the end of the meeting to say, ‘I’m your man.’ The interview caught the attention of an anonymous wrestler who attended the meeting. He said there were actually five wrestlers who came over to McMahon following the meeting to say they were the right man for the job.

“The only difference is that Cena did his ’stepping over guys’ in the locker room more than the ring.”

The anonymous wrestler feels McMahon was looking for a “backstabbing stooge” to serve as his top WWE Superstar.

“It has zero to do with in-ring talent. Cena stepped on guys like the Spirit Squad and others who were only there for less than six months.”

– The Miz is on the cover of the Bragging Right PPV poster (10/24) while The Undertaker is on the cover of the Hell in a Cell PPV (10/3).

NFL

– The Bills, Raiders and Giants have discussed trading for Cardinals’ QB Matt Leinart, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Raiders and Giants are in need of a backup, while the Bills need anything they can get their hands on. Leinart needs to change his attitude and accept a No. 2 role. The Cardinals would do well just to get a 6th-round draft pick for Leinart considering his $2.5M salary this season.

– Lions’ RB Kevin Smith’s roster spot may be in jeopardy, hints the Detroit Free Press. They report that coach Jim Schwartz said about Smith’s place on the team. “I don’t know. I’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I don’t know that there’s very many people that have 100% earned a spot.”

MLB

– The Red Sox have released OF Jeremy Hermida. Hermida was given his release after being told he wasn’t going to be considered for a call-up in September. The 26-year-old batted just .203/.257/.348 with five home runs and 27 RBI in 158 at-bats with the Red Sox this season. He’s still young enough for teams to take a chance on him.

– The Red Sox have traded RHP Manny Delcarmen to the Rockies for RHP Chris Balcom-Miller. Delcarmen has posted disappointing numbers over the last two seasons in Boston and might do well with a change of scenery. If he can get back to his 2008 form, when he posted a 3.27 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 74 1/3 innings, the righty might be a useful piece in the Colorado bullpen for a few seasons.

– The Mets have traded OF Jeff Francoeur to the Rangers for 2B Joaquin Arias.

– The Reds have placed OF Laynce Nix (sprained left ankle) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 26.

– The White Sox have transferred RHP Jake Peavy to the 60-day DL.

– The Rockies have placed 3B Ian Stewart (strained right oblique) on the 15-day DL retroactive to August 26.

– The Reds have transferred RHP Russ Springer to the 60-day DL.

– The Astros have transferred RHP Brian Moehler to the 60-day DL.

NHL

– Oilers’ G Nikolai Khabibulin has appealed his drunk driving conviction. The Bulin Wall was sentenced to a 30 days in prison, but he won’t have to serve it as long as the process is ongoing. Khabibulin plans to attend the Oiler’s training camp, which starts on September 17. GM Steve Tambellini said, “Nik and his lawyers exercised their right to an appeal. This obviously means the process continues. It doesn’t allow me unfortunately to comment on behalf of the team as we thought we’d be able to do but that’s Nik’s right to be able to do that. As far as any discussion of further discipline or actions taken (by the) league, ourselves, obviously that all has to wait.” The appeals process could take months, so it might be a while before this matter is resolved.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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WWE

– On Monday’s RAW, Chris Jericho announced that he will be leaving WWE once and for all if he does not win the WWE Championship in the 6-pack challenge match at Night of Champions. With Jericho’s WWE contract expiring soon and talk that he’s strongly considering leaving the company to pursue his career in the entertainment industry, it appears WWE has begun setting the stage for his possible departure.

As of this past weekend, a WWE source informed us that Jericho still has not signed a new contract. It’s still entirely possible that Jericho re-signs, but since Jericho has acknowledged in several recent interviews that his contract is expiring and he’s considering moving on, WWE has incorporated the real situation into WWE storyline. Jericho has said he wants more time off to to spend with his family, record music and tour with his heavy metal band Fozzy and pursue other opportunities in the entertainment industry. On Monday night, Jericho posed a message on Twitter stating that he was invited to be a participant on the next season of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” show but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts.

– According to the PWInsider, tonight is the Season Finale of NXT Season 2 and it appears WWE will be introducing the Season 3 rookies tonight. Based on what we’ve heard, Season 3 will have 4 guys and 4 women, with WWE hoping the rookie divas will draw ratings. There are numerous new ‘rookies’ backstage at today’s TV tapings in Albany, NY.

The SyFy NXT series will finish up on October 1,which will give them 5 episodes to complete the 3rd season. The final episode will serve as a lead in for the debut of Smackdown on SyFy.

After Season 3 gets dropped from SyFy mid-season, the show will most likely be moving to WWE’s official website if they cannot secure a home on another NBC Universal cable channel. There’s also talk of incorporating the NXT show into Raw and Smackdown. WWE having to work under the NBC Universal umbrella (due to its current commitments through the USA Network) has given them limited options as to where the show might end up.

SyFy has opted not to keep the series due to poor ratings. Back in 2006, SyFy was originally sold on the ECW brand as a unique, stand-alone brand – not just another WWE show like ECW became. While the show initially brought in good ratings, it soon became WWE’s C show – and not “must see” like Raw or Smackdown. SyFy felt as if they did not get what was promised, and when they wanted to drop ECW, but Kevin Dunn pitched the NXT concept as a replacement for ECW. Based off of Dunn’s pitch, SyFy signed off on the NXT deal, thinking that the show would do better ratings than ECW had been doing.

Ratings for NXT dipped below the ECW ratings, and when SyFy had the chance to get Smackdown, they took the chance due to Smackdown historically doing well on network television. With the addition of Smackdown, they decided to drop NXT and focus on the stronger series.

– Creative plans as of Monday night was for WWE to unify all of its championships within the next year. There would be one World Championship, one Tag Team Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and one Women’s title. It is said that a WWE/World Title Unification Match will take place at next year’s WrestleMania.

– It is said that the chances of Team 3D returning to WWE are slim because Senior VP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis in particular hates Brother Ray. While ‘everyone loves D-Von’, but it’s not enough to bring back the duo due to all of Ray’s baggage.

– Monday’s 900th episode of Raw scored a 3.5 cable rating. The show averaged 5.05 million viewers did hours of 3.35 and 3.64. These numbers are up from last week’s show.

– WWE RAW star John Cena was interviewed this week by The Boston Globe and said despite its growing popularity, he’s not a fan of UFC and mixed martial arts. “It’s just not something that particularly interests me. UFC is where boxing was years ago, and I was never really into boxing, either.’’

Cena says he prefers pro wrestling because it’s “regulated entertainment that’s safe for anyone to enjoy.’’ As for UFC … “It is what it is. It can be pretty over the top, and it’s not something I’d want my children to watch.’’

Cena also spoke about his new movie “Legendary,” co-starring Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover. Cena has played action hero tough-guy roles in “The Marine” and “12 Rounds,” but plays a sensitive character in Legendary. “I’m used to dodging bullets and explosions. And this is more of a dramatic piece.’’ Despite making a few movies already, Cena admits he’s still “fairly inexperienced when it comes to cinematic acting’’ but hopes to continue his acting career.”

NHL

– Oilers’ G Nikolai Khabibulin will spend a 30 days in prison for speeding and driving under the influence. In addition to the jail time, Khabibulin will also be forced to pay $1,507.60 in fines and surcharges and complete an alcohol program. Khabibulin was caught driving with a BAC of .164, which is more than twice the legal limit. Anything above a BAC of .15 is considered an extreme DUI and comes with a minimum jail sentence of 30 days.

– CBC-Montreal reporter Michel Godbout says that a “very very reliable source” has told him that Canadiens’ RFA G Carey Price will “strike” if Montreal doesn’t give him a contract worth $3M per season. It’s worth noting that former Montreal G Jaroslav Halak signed a 4-year deal worth $3.75M annually with the Blues. Stay tuned.

– Red Wings’ D Niklas Kronwall (knee) underwent surgery on Tuesday, but GM Ken Holland thinks he’ll resume skating early in training camp. Kronwall’s knee has been bothering him this summer, but it looks like they’ve found the cause of the problem. “He had a lateral meniscus tear. I think it’s great news. Now we’re expecting that, early in training camp, he’ll be on the ice. When you don’t feel good, you don’t know what it is, it’s a concern. These are finely tuned athletes. He’s seen a lot of doctors.” Kronwall was limited to just 48 games last season due to a knee injury.

– D Chris Chelios has officially retired at the age of 48. Chelios was originally drafted with the 40th overall pick in the 1981 entry draft and he played in his last NHL game on April 6. He’ll be remembered as one of the best defenseman of his time, having scored 185 goals and 948 points in 1,651 games between Montreal, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta. Chelios will now work for the Red Wings as an adviser to hockey operations, helping with player development and to mentor the team’s young blueliners.

– According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, an NHL GM said the Devils are trying to disguise their circumvention of the salary cap with their latest offer to F Ilya Kovalchuk. The NHL has not yet accepted or rejected Kovalchuk’s new contract, which is believed to be a 15-year/$100M deal. Although none of this has been confirmed, Kovalchuk will reportedly be paid $90M over the first 10 years, and an average of $2.6M over the last three seasons. Teams have begun backloading low salary years at the end of long-term contracts in an effort to lower the overall cap hit, but the NHL finally fought back against this tactic when they vetoed Kovalchuk’s original 17-year/$102M contract, which would’ve paid him $550K per season in each of the last 5 seasons of the deal. Kovalchuk’s new contract, if it’s structured as reported, doesn’t look any different than some of the other long-term contracts NHL players are currently signed to. Stay tuned.

– The Islanders have re-signed F Doug Weight to a 1-year extension. GM Garth Snow said that Weight was all but signed in mid-June, but it took some time to finalize the contract. Weight scored a goal and 17 points in 36 games last season. Weight, 39, has played in just 156 contests over the last three seasons.

MLB

– Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo said that RHP Stephen Strasburg (torn UCL) will undergo Tommy John surgery Friday in LA. Strasburg underwent a second arthrogram with Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday, which revealed the same tear in his UCL. Yocum will perform the surgery, with Nats’ team doctor Wiemi Douoguih in the operating room. Strasburg is expected to miss approximately 12-to-18 months, so he’ll almost certainly miss the entire 2011 season.

– According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Dodgers’ LHP Ted Lilly was claimed off waivers, however he was pulled back by the Dodgers. Heyman suggests that multiple teams claimed Lilly, including the Yankees. Now that he has been pulled back, he can no longer be traded. The Dodgers are 9 games back in the NL West and 5.5 games behind in the NL Wild Card, so they are a relative long-shot to make the postseason, but they’re obviously not throwing in the towel. Lilly projects to be a Type A free agent this winter, so it might make sense to hang onto him.

– Two sources tell Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that the Rangers are considering trading for Mets’ OF Jeff Francoeur. “His name has definitely been talked about,” says a source. The Rangers are reportedly in the market for a right-handed hitting outfielder for the bench and are interested in Francoeur. A deal would be need to be completed today in order for him to be eligible for the postseason roster. Francoeur is in the starting lineup for the Mets on Tuesday night, at least for now.

According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, the Rangers still have interest in Red Sox’ 3B Mike Lowell. According to Sullivan, talks with the Red Sox “may have heated up.” Lowell might make a bit more sense, since the team is apparently unhappy with the production they’ve received from 3B Jorge Cantu. Sullivan writes that the team is also considering Dodgers’ OF Reed Johnson and Rockies’ OF Ryan Spilborghs.

NFL

– The Ravens will decide on Saturday whether to put FS Ed Reed (hip surgery) on the PUP list or try to bring him back early in the season. Reed met with the coaching staff on Monday, pushing for a quick return. He’s expected to follow up Saturday with an “honest and open conversation” with coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens have yet to rule out Reed for the season opener.

– The Packers have placed CB Al Harris (knee surgery) on the reserve/PUP list and will be out until Week 7 at the earliest. Coach Mike McCarthy said, “Al Harris is definitely getting better, he’s getting close. But he’s going to have to start the season on the PUP.” It’s another blow to Green Bay’s secondary depth, which has become the biggest concern for the 2010 preseason’s most impressive team.

– Citing “several sources,” FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reports that the Cardinals are actively trying to trade QB Matt Leinart. The return price is unclear, but Arizona has reportedly contacted multiple teams. They probably shouldn’t hold out for more than a 6th-round pick with Leinart’s trade stock at an all-time low. The 27-year-old will make a $2.5M base salary in 2010, which will be prohibitive for most teams. Leinart will take time to learn another offense, and has not been open to settling for a backup job. He’ll probably be released.

– The Vikings have placed WR Sidney Rice (hip surgery) on the reserve/PUP list. Rice will be eligible for a Week 7 return, but that would be highly optimistic. Most likely, he’s out until November at the earliest.

– The Patriots have placed CB Leigh Bodden (torn rotator cuff) on the IR, ending his season. He made his preseason debut last Thursday. Bodden is fresh off a 4-year/$22M signing this spring.

– The Ravens have acquired CB Josh Wilson from the Seahawks for a conditional 5th-round draft pick. The 2007 second-rounder is best suited to a nickelback role, but he could end up starting for Baltimore early in the season with Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb both returning from ACL surgery. Wilson did start the Seahawks’ first preseason game, but he wasn’t in Seattle’s long-term plans.

– Former Giants’ WR Plaxico Burress has lost his bid for a work release from prison. The Department of Correctional Services revealed that Plax will not be able to reapply for release before June of 2011, pending appeal. We may see Burress in a 2011 camp, but he’ll be 34 and coming off two missed seasons at that point.

NBA

– Nuggets’ VP Masai Ujiri re-iterated on Tuesday that he intends to soon meet with F Carmelo Anthony. “I’ll wait and talk to Melo. I think so far things have been positive. There’s been a lot of speculation … but until he tells me that [he wants to be traded], we want him back, the city wants him back, ownership wants him back.” Melo still looks like he’s leaving. Stay tuned.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
VoV – www.voiceofvaleri.com
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So we’ve got a special guest for today’s recap. Nick Sequeira from The Sick Era Times will be joining me via video review to give his thoughts on Raw’s 900th episode. Nick is available through Twitter @SICKERATION as well as on YouTube at YouTube.com/NickSickEra.

Raw
Raw comes to you live from Boston, Massachusetts. A lot of names, past and present, are scheduled for tonight, meaning we’re likely to see a rushed show with a lot of short matches. I understand hyping 900, since it’s a big number, but it’s not like it’s #1000. But if 900 is record-breaking and you’re going to hype it, why not hype 901 and 902? Other than 900 being an even number, it really shouldn’t make a difference. Whatever, I’m reading too much into this.

Video package featuring highlights from 17 years worth of Raw episodes. Nice stroll down memory lane.

Opener
Bret opens the show with a promo saying that The Undertaker is the only active roster member here when Raw debuted in 1993. He’s about to call him out when Kane interrupts. Kane says that “there is no Undertaker anymore thanks to me physically decimating him and leaving him to rot in a vegetative state.” Kane says that Taker is like Bret – weak and old, past his prime. He says the last time Taker was himself was when he retired HBK. Bret says he’ll enjoy it when Taker beats Kane at NoC. Kane says Undertaker took out a legend in HBK so Kane has to take out Bret. THD runs in and makes the save, but Kane prevails. He chokes Bret, and the lights go out with the gong sounding. The lights come back on, and Taker & Kane are face to face. GM sends an email saying it’s Bret vs. Taker in honour of episode #900. Wait, didn’t the GM say he didn’t want Bret to ever wrestle again when they did the Team WWE/Nexus angle a few weeks ago? Wow, they’re already ignoring it.

Episode #1 Raw flashback.

Episode #279: Austin rides the zamboni on September 28, 1998 to clothesline Vince McMahon. The peak of pro wrestling.

The Miz & Alex Riley d. Kofi Kingston & Michael McGillicutty and Daniel Bryan & Kaval (*1/2)
Double foot stomp off the top by Kaval on MM, but Miz sneaks up from behind and hits Kaval with the Skull Crushing Finale for the pinfall in 4 minutes. Post-match, Riley provides the distraction while Miz smashes Bryan with the briefcase.

Melina & Eve d. Michelle McCool & Layla (DUD)
Someone explain to me why the announce team is discussing Jersey Shore. Seriously. Why. Melina wins with a rollup on Layla in less than 1 minute. Post-match, LayCool wants to unify the titles, to which Melina accepts as long as they’re willing to do a lumberjack match. For those who didn’t see it, creative plans as of Monday night was for WWE to unify all of its championships within the next year. There would be one World Championship, one Tag Team Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and one Women’s title. Don’t know what’s happening with the US title. It is said that a WWE/World Title Unification Match will take place at next year’s WrestleMania. I hope they don’t unify them and make them look like big pennies like they did for the Tag Team titles.

Episode #889: June 7, 2010 when Nexus dismantled Cena and the ring.

Backstage
Nexus arguing with Young being out and Sheffield having his broken ankle. Barrett says they’ll do something to fill the void. I hope HHH comes back as a heel.

Episode #850: September 7, 2009 with Bob Barker as guest host. The Jericho/Barker confrontation was awesome.

Backstage
Jericho promo. He says that if he loses at NoC, he’s gone from WWE. Mathews points out that Jericho’s been fired from Raw a bunch of times. He says he’s going to prove to Nexus and the fans that he’s the best in the world at he does. FYI, Jericho’s contract is up right after NoC, and as far as I know, he hasn’t re-signed yet, though they’re negotiating a new deal.

John Morrison & R-Truth are out to work a tag match for the #1 contendership to the tag titles. The announcers talked about how Survivor needs to be on for 40 some years to have as many episodes as Raw. Of course Survivor also has about 4 times as many viewers as Raw. They don’t mention that. It’s called selective editing. I love Cole ripping on Truth’s entrance. It’s so random to go after him, but it’s hilarious too.

#1 Contender’s Match: John Morrison & R-Truth vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes (DUD)
And now they’re talking about Survivor and how it’ll have to be on for 40 years to reach 900 episodes. Survivor also does like a 10.0 cable rating. Anyways, all four guys start brawling 30 seconds in and the match gets thrown out. It’ll probably happen on SmackDown.

Episode #867: January 4, 2010. Bret & Shawn hug it out in the ring. Best moment of 2010.

Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker
Barrett comes out right away and says it’s about the future (Nexus), and not the past. He goes after Taker but eats a big boot. The lights go out, and Kane shows up. He brawls with Undertaker, but gets choked. The lights go out again, the gong sounds, and Kane disappears. It’s William Regal! Nexus comes out and surrounds Taker. He chokes Barrett, but the lights go out and the gong hits again. Barrett lands his finisher, Gabriel hits his 450. Why is Kane able to turn the lights out now? He must’ve eaten Taker’s soul. His soooooul. WWE needs to stop booking Bret for matches when they have no intent of having him work them. Ha, Nexus is Raw-exclusive, Taker won’t need to worry about getting jumped anymore.

Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne (*)
Now they discuss Friends. Ugh. 30 seconds in, Alberto Del Rio interrupts. Bourne and Swagger are still wrestling. Bourne goes for the SSP, misses, and gets put in an ankle lock. Bourne taps in 2 minutes. So Bourne goes back to jobbing? Soft. And Del Rio served no purpose ringside. Post-match, ADR says fans didn’t see SmackDown (who does?) and recreates what happened to Rey by putting Bourne in an armbar and tossing him from the ring. ADR grabs a chair, but Mark Henry makes the save.

Episode #331: September 27, 1999. “Rock This is Your Life.” The most watched segment in Raw history. Huge ratings. They went about 25 minutes straight without a commercial. I miss that so much.

In-Ring
CM Punk with the SES. Thank God. “Do you know who I’m better than? The Rock. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I don’t make crappy movies like The Tooth Fairy.” Ha! Hysterical. Punk asks if people miss The Rock, but he says he doesn’t. He says Raw’s been promoting poor family values. He says he’s got two words for us – the crowd yells “suck it,” but he says“Katie Vick.” Ugh, don’t remind me. He says he’s going to show us four of Raw’s worst moments: 1) March ’09, HHH beats up Orton in his house. Heeeeere’s Johnny! 2) August ’06, Edge and Cena fighting outside the harbour with Cena throwing Edge in the water. Did it again on SmackDown a few weeks ago. C) April ’98, DX invades WCW. Epic, not only for storyline but also in the WWE vs. WCW war. D) March ’99, Austin’s beerbath with McMahons and The Rock. Vince swimming in the beer. Probably the best moment in pro wrestling history. Punk says we’d love it if Austin came out to soak him in beer. GLASS SHATTERS! STONE COLD!? Nope. Punk is ROFL’ing and says he feels that disappointed when he sees the fans. Nicely done.

Episode #199: June 12, 2003 SmackDown. Lesnar superplex on Big Show, and the ring exploded. So cool.

Big Show comes out and tells a story of the tainted burrito that Eddie Guerrero gave him and it caused him chronic diarrhea. Punk says “That was boring. You’re not funny and nobody likes you.” “That was mean” replies Show. This is PG dissing. Show says, “I’m not high, I’m just tall.” The segment sucked. Show cleaned house of SES to end the segment.

Episode #450: January 7, 2002. HHH comes back to Raw in MSG.

Backstage
Sheamus comes out to do an interview. He says HHH is never coming back. Or he’s coming back tonight since they’ve just done two HHH references in a row. He complains about having to team with four of his opponents in the Six Pack Challenge. Edge says experienced it all on Raw and how he’s won 29 championships in WWE, the Rumble, the King of the Ring and the first MITB winner. And he says he’s going to win the Six Pack Challenge.

Wade Barrett, Justin Gabriel, David Otunga, Heath Slater & Michael Tarver d. John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, Sheamus & Chris Jericho (*1/2)

Jericho walks out for the countout loss while smiling. Edge against Tarver, but Edge pushes the ref and gets DQ’d. Gabriel hit a cheap shot on Sheamus and Slater pinned him after landing the Zig Zag. 5 on 2 now. Cena pinned Slater after about 30 seconds. 4 on 2. Cena got worked on for a bit, but gets Otunga to tap in the STF. 3 on 2. Immediately after, Gabriel hits the 450 on Cena and gets the pinfall, so it’s 3 on 1. Orton lands a quick RKO on Gabriel and pins, 2 on 1. Tarver runs in and eats an RKO seconds later, 1 on 1. Barrett comes in and hits Wasteland for the pinfall. Match lasted about 12 minutes. Orton got pinned after one move. What a shitty ending. A slow match to start, and a sloppy, disorganized, rushed ending.

Final Score: 2.5

3 Stars of the Show
* CM Punk. Bow before the Beard. He saved this show.
** Austin beerbash flashback
*** Rock/Mankind flashback

#900 really should’ve been 3 hours long. Dunno why they didn’t do it, everything seemed crammed. No one expected a ton of wrestling on the show, but it was ridiculous, there was like 15 minutes of wrestling on a 2 hour show. A night to forget.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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