TNA

– After a shocking appearance by Jeff Hardy at Monday’s TNA iMPACT! tapings, former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy has signed a contract with TNA Wrestling. Here are some of the key details to this story:

Jeff Hardy is now a full-time member of the TNA roster and will be working a regular television and PPV schedule.

The main reason Jeff Hardy jumped to TNA is the work schedule and is at the point where he doesn’t want to deal with the grueling WWE travel schedule. In TNA, he can still remain a top star in the industry and make great money while working and traveling far less.

On iMPACT!, we saw Jeff Hardy attack X-Division star Homicide. A feud between the two appears to be in the works. “Anything could change and I could do something else or Jeff could do something else at the TV tapings on Tuesday, and I think it would be a great match-up of Jeff Hardy vs. Homicide. I’m really hoping it will happen,” Homicide said on the “Right After Wrestling” radio program on SIRIUS channel 98.

Jeff Hardy was in meetings with Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter throughout the day on Monday ironing out the terms of his agreement. Its believed that nothing was locked up until Jeff’s visit to Orlando on Monday.

Hardy’s drug charges from September 11 are still pending. He will be back in court on January 27 for probable cause hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to take Hardy’s case to the next level.

But wait – there’s MORE! After said shocking return, Hardy has been dealt yet another legal setback.

Jeff Hardy’s drug charges went to the grand jury yesterday in Moore County, North Carolina. A grand jury found that there is enough evidence to indict Hardy and the case has been sent to Superior Court, according to a spokesperson with the Moore County Court. The case will be officially set on their docket within the next week, according to PWInsider.com.

Hardy was arrested on September 11, 2009 after police raided his home in Cameron, North Carolina. A joint investigation conducted by officers with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the search. According to the police report, a search of his residence yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia.He was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jeff was set for a probable cause hearing later this month to determine whether there was enough evidence to send the case to Superior Court, but it appears prosecutors opted to forgo that hearing and go right to the grand jury in order to move the case along.

WWE

– On Monday’s Raw, we saw the long-awaited return of Bret Hart to WWE television. The Hitman made peace with Shawn Michaels and got screwed over by Vince McMahon once again. Here’s some news on Bret’s return:

Bret Hart was at RAW last night with his girlfriend. He spent a lot of time introducing himself to the locker room, since Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Mark Henry were the only superstars on the roster since his last stint in the company.

Hart stayed at the same hotel as the rest of the WWE crew and spent over an hour signing and taking photos for fans in the lobby.

Although The Hart Dynasty were brought in for the show, there were never plans to use them, and they were there as trusted and known faces to Hart.

WWE has already released a new t-shirt for Bret Hart. It comes packaged with a DVD on their shop website.

WWE Superstar JTG of Cryme Tyme apparently wasn’t invited to last night’s RAW in Dayton. He said on Twitter that he was a “lil pisst” about not being there to meet his hero, Bret Hart.

– Jim Ross is back with another blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on last night’s RAW and iMPACT. Here are some highlights:

Bret Hart & HBK: “The dialog between HBK and the Hitman sounded so natural that I thought I was eavesdropping on two old rivals’ conversation. They were simply being themselves. Their handshake made the night complete for me but remember that I lived through the debacle of ‘97 and was just a little immersed in it and spent many, many hours “talking wrestlers off the ledge” so to speak for hours after the controversial incident.”

Bret Hart & Vince McMahon: “The McMahon-Bret confrontation was well done especially planting the seed early and keeping me hooked until the end of the show for the payoff plus adding some spice to the dish in between. The Mr. McMahon persona is so easy to dislike and the Chairman got the last word and the final act of physicality in the exchange with his longstanding adversary and left me wanting to see more and wondering how Bret will respond next Monday night? Or will he? This issue has new, fresh legs.”

Jeff Hardy in TNA: “It surprised me to see Jeff Hardy on Spike TV Monday night which I am sure will get some fans talking and critics/pundits asking a great deal of questions. I’m a Jeff Hardy fan and I wish him well. Jeff had a great tenure in WWE and considering that I signed him and his brother Matt to their first WWE contracts I will always consider the Hardy brothers as being special. As Hall of Fame Coach Barry Switzer once told me, “Once you recruit a player you recruit them for life.”

Ric Flair in TNA: “Knowing how much Ric Flair still enjoys wrestling I was not shocked to see Ric on another channel Monday night. The WWE gave Ric the greatest send-off/retirement presentation that I have ever witnessed but nonetheless “Naitch” has wrestling running through his veins and he’s going lace ‘em up until he simply can’t do it any longer. Ric Flair has been my friend for about 30 years and I wish him well in what ever he does in his career.”

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: “Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, another one of the guys that I signed to their first WWE contract, and A.J. Styles had a truly excellent wrestling match that I got glimpses of Monday night.”

– A crazy story in the entertainment industry today is Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone revealing that WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin broke his neck while filming a fight scene for the upcoming “Expendables” movie.

The movie features a loaded mega-star cast that includes Stallone, Austin, “The Wrestler” star Mickey Rourke, UFC fighter Randy Couture, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Dolph Lundgren, among others. It also stars Brittany Murphy, who died in December of a heart attack.

“Man, it was seven guys, kicking each other’s ass, one guy tougher than the next. No joke, our stunt guys were begging for mercy…Actually, my fight with Stone Cold Steve Austin was so vicious that I ended up getting a hairline fracture in my neck. I’m not joking. I haven’t told anyone this, but I had to have a very serious operation afterwards. I now have a metal plate in my neck.”

Filming took place last spring in Brazil. The movie is scheduled to be released on August 20, 2010.

MLB

– LHP Randy Johnson will make an announcement on his future on Tuesday, with several writers, including USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, speculating that he will announce his retirement. The Big Unit suffered a torn rotator cuff in early July, making this decision easier. The 46-year old was 8-6 this past season with a 4.81 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 22 appearances. If this is it, Johnson was 303-166 in 22 major league seasons, compiling a 3.29 ERA and 4,875 career strikeouts. Cooperstown will be his next stop.

– Sources have suggested to SI.com’s Jon Heyman that the Cardinals at one point offered a seven-year, $112M contract to OF Matt Holliday. The bid is (or was) worth $16M annually, which is slightly less than the Mets have committed to OF Jason Bay. The thought of that might not sit well with Holliday’s agent, Scott Boras, but it seems like the best offer the 29-year-old outfielder can hope for at this point. Expect some sort of resolution to this whole saga by early next week.

– The Mets have officially signed OF Jason Bay to a four-year/$66M contract with a $17M vesting option for 2014. The deal will pay him an $8.5M signing bonus and comes with a full no-trade clause. He’ll earn $6.5M in 2010 and $16M from 2011-2013. The option for 2014 would become guaranteed if Bay makes 600 plate appearances in 2013 or 500 PAs in both 2012 and 2013. It’s a fine deal for a team like the Mets, who can afford the hefty contract. Bay, 31, hit .267/.384/.537 with 36 home runs, 119 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 531 at-bats last season and will add some necessary “pop” to the Mets’ lineup.

– The Braves have officially signed 3B Troy Glaus to a one-year/$1.75M contract. Glaus has a chance to earn additional incentives, some of which will be easily attainable. He is expected to be Atlanta’s first baseman in 2010, but has only played six games there during his 12-year career. Glaus played in only 14 games this past year because of shoulder and back issues, but hit .270/.372/.483 in 2008 with 27 home runs and 99 RBI over 151 contests. He is very capable of a rebound and is a nice low-risk signing by the Braves.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that Red Sox 3B Adrian Beltre can bump his 2011 option up to $10M if he reaches 640 plate appearances in 2010. Beltre hasn’t made over 640 plate appearances since 2006, when he finished with 681. If he doesn’t reach the goal this year, his option will remain $5M with a $1M buyout. Beltre agreed to a one-year/$9M with the Red Sox on Monday and will start at third base.

– Blue Jays RHP Dustin McGowan (rotator cuff surgery) is scheduled to be ready for Opening Day. “I feel good. My shoulder feels great. I’m throwing again and looking forward to getting back on the mound…It’s been difficult. You start out not being able to throw and then you throw a little, and progressively increase your throwing. Right now it feels good and I’m throwing well.” McGowan, 29, underwent surgery on his right labrum in the summer of 2008, but was delayed again when he injured his left knee during some routine running in rehab, requiring him to have surgery in July of 2009.

– Red Sox manager Terry Francona told OF Jacoby Ellsbury that he will be moving to left field. As expected, center field will be ceded to newly-acquired OF Mike Cameron. Ellsbury fared poorly in defensive metrics available to the public in 2009, numbers that don’t agree with Boston’s internal evaluations that had him as an average defender at worst. The club, however, feels that moving Ellsbury to left would truly make an impact on the defense.

– According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, the Giants’ new one-year deal with INF Juan Uribe is worth $3.25M. It’s a large salary to pay a guy who doesn’t have a clearly defined role, but Uribe did hit .289/.329/.495 last year with 16 home runs and 55 RBI in 432 plate appearances. He’s expected to serve in a sort of super-utility role next year, filling in all around the Giants’ infield.

– The Mets have signed INF Russ Adams to a minor-league deal.

– The Pirates have signed RHP Tyler Yates, LHP Brian Burres and LHP Neal Cotts to minor-league contracts.

NHL

– Penguins F Chris Kunitz (torn abdominal) will undergo surgery on Wednesday. He will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks following the procedure. Kunitz has 20 points in 30 games with the Penguins this season.

– Hurricanes F Scott Walker (shoulder) is out four-to-six weeks. The 36-year-old veteran has posted three goals and five points in 32 games this season for the Hurricanes.

– Canucks D Kevin Bieksa (ankle tendon) is out two-to-three weeks.

NBA

– Wizards G Gilbert Arenas says he took unloaded guns from his locker in a “misguided effort to play a joke” on a teammate. Arenas released a written statement Monday after meeting with law enforcement officials. And Arenas’ lawyer says the player voluntarily met with prosecutors and detectives and answered every question during a two-hour interview.

“Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns — even if unloaded.”

– The Raptors have waived F Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

– Cavaliers F Jamario Moon (left abdominal strain) is out three weeks.

– The Nets have bought out G Rafer Alston, and he is set to sign with the Heat. He should quickly move into the starting lineup. The Nets acquired backup G Chris Quinn for a heavily protected draft pick on Tuesday, clearing the way for Alston to go to the Heat.

– The Warriors have released F Miki Moore. Moore, who underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his right heel last month.

F1

– Renault has confirmed it will remain in Formula One for the 2010 season, however, the French manufacturer has sold a large stake in the team to Gerard Lopez’ Luxembourg-based Genii Capital. There was a concern that Renault would elect to join Toyota, Honda and BMW and leave the F1 series especially in the wake of the “crashgate” scandal which saw team boss Flavio Briatore and technical head Pay Symonds depart the team in disgrace.

VoV

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VoV

-– You can keep up with VoV through Twitter by clicking here.

-– Peepulation! I have terrific news about the site – not only did VoV just break its own record and score the biggest traffic month in its short 10.5 month history, but VoV has also just recorded it’s 2,000,000th visitor! That reeks of awesomeness! Thanks again to the ever-growing peepulation, it’s your continued readership that has helped make VoV the fastest and most accurate site to late-breaking news!

MLB

– The Jays continue to seek out offers for RHP Roy Halladay. Doc, 32, won 17 games last year and struck out 208. He’s got only one year/$15.75M left on his deal.

– The Blue Jays have walked away from the potential deal with the D’Backs involving 1B Lyle Overbay and C Chris Snyder. According to the Arizona Republic, the deal was called off due to the Jays’ concerns about the condition of Snyder’s back, which was operated on in late September. Overbay is in the final year of his contract that will see him make $7M in 2010. Snyder has two years left plus an option that would see him make 4.75M in 2010, $5.75M in 2011 along with either a $6.75M salary or a $750K buyout in 2012.

– According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Phillies are looking at 3B Adrian Beltre, 3B Chone Figgins and 3B Mark DeRosa as possible replacements at third base. The team is also looking at SS Miguel Tejada, who is apparently open to playing third base.

– The Rays have exercised outfielder OF Carl Crawford’s $10M option for 2010. There was never any doubt, but Tampa Bay could have picked a $1.25M buyout instead. Crawford will be a free agent following the 2010 season and has said that he’d like to remain with the Rays, but there’s no indication that the two sides have made any progress on a long-term deal.

– The Red Sox have signed RHP Tim Wakefield to a two-year contract. The new deal takes the place of Boston’s perpetual $4M options on Wakefield, with the Red Sox reportedly guaranteeing the 43-year-old knuckleballer just $3.5M in 2010 and $1.5M in 2011. There are also incentives built into the contract, but lessening the upfront money is a smart move for the Red Sox with Wake coming off back surgery.

– The Red Sox have exercised C Victor Martinez’s $7.1M option for 2010 Martinez hit .336/.405/.507 for the Red Sox after coming over in a midseason deal with the Indians.

– The Red Sox have also declined C Jason Varitek’s $5M option for 2010. Boston turned down the team option, but Varitek’s player option still gives him the right to return at a $3M salary and he seems all guaranteed to do so. He has five days to make a decision.

– According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, there are signs that Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez will be traded “sooner than later.” Gonzalez, 27, is under team control for another two years. But he’ll continue to lose value as free agency nears. As the Union-Tribune notes, the slugger was left out of a brochure shipped to prospective season-ticket holders at the end of the season and his agent, John Boggs, has not been approached by the Padres’ new ownership group about the possibility of inking a contract extension. Gonzalez posted a .958 OPS and 40 home runs this season. A long list of teams would come calling if he’s made available this winter.

– Japanese RHP Ryota Igarashi of the Yakult Swallows has filed for free agency, saying he wants to play in the U.S. major leagues. A total of 87 players in Japan’s professional leagues became eligible for free agency Monday. Japanese players must wait nine seasons before becoming free agents to test the overseas market or eight seasons to change teams within Japan. Igarashi, a 30-year-old righty used primarily as a relief pitcher, went 3-2 with three saves and a 3.19 ERA in 56 games. His best season was 2004 when he had 37 saves and 86 strikeouts in 66 games.

NHL

– Capitals F Alex Ovechkin says he was joking when he told a reporter that he could miss over a month due to his shoulder strain. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau had previously stated that he didn’t even know much about Ovechkin’s injury other than it being an upper body strain and the team had released very few details. The lack of information which set up an environment where a misunderstanding like this one could occur. Ovechkin now says he’ll be ready to return in about a week.

– The Rangers were already rumoured to be interested in finding another centre, but with the injury to F Brandon Dubinsky (broken hand) being out three-to-six weeks, these rumours appear to be very true now. Combine that with F Chris Drury’s poor play/lack of ice time, and the Rangers are thin down the middle. Stay tuned.

– With Hurricanes G Cam Ward (leg) being out roughly four weeks, they have signed G Manny Legace to a one-year/$500K deal. This officially ends the Leafs-Toskala-Hurricanes rumours.

–The Red Wings continue to state they are not looking for short term fixes to the teams rash of injuries. According to a source, though, GM Ken Holland has made some calls around the league.

– Red Wings F Jason Williams (broken leg) is out eight-to-10 weeks.

– The Wild and Thrashers have offered F Miroslav Satan contracts. Satan is rumoured to be close to making a decision on a possible NHL return.

– Islanders D Radek Martinek (torn ACL) is out for the rest of the season.

– Buzz Hargrove announced that he is leaving his post as interim Ombudsman for the NHLPA. He had held the role since March 1, 2009 after serving on the Advisory Board for five months prior to that. “After much reflection I have come to the conclusion that under the current circumstances at the NHLPA that I can not perform the duties of Ombudsman as outlined in the NHLPA constitution. Therefore I am resigning as interim ombudsman effective immediately.”

– The NHL has suspended Flames F Curtis Glencross for three games. Glencross is being punished for blindsiding Rangers F Chris Drury in Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers. Glencross hit Drury in the head with his shoulder and Drury is now sidelined with a concussion. Glencross will be eligible to return on November 17.

NBA

– Grizzlies G Allen Iverson is contemplating retirement if he doesn’t rejoin the Grizzlies, according to a source familiar with the situation. Iverson has been granted an indefinite leave of absence to deal with an unspecified “family matter,” and Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley continues to defend his mercurial star. A.I. has said before that he’d rather retire than come off the bench, so this could be the bitter final chapter in his Hall of Fame career.

– Wizards G Mike James (broken hand) is out four-to-five weeks.

– Hornets owner George Shinn said Friday he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but remains healthy and is optimistic that he will conquer the disease.

WWE

– Gilbert Hardy, father of Matt and Jeff, spoke to the Fayetteville Observer newspaper last week and said Jeff has been keeping a very low profile in the weeks and months since his September 11th drug arrest. “He won’t talk. He ain’t talking to nobody,” the senior Hardy said. “He doesn’t even want to talk to me.” The newspaper tried getting a quote from Jeff, but he refused to speak to them.

Hardy was due in court last week for a probable cause hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant indicting the former WWE champion on the various drug charges (including six felonies) he’s facing. The hearing was rescheduled for December 2nd. If convicted of the opium trafficking charge alone, Hardy faces nearly six years in prison, at a minimum, said Warren McSweeney, a Moore County prosecutor. “It could be substantially more,” he added.

Greg Price, who runs the NWA Legends Fanfest each August in Charlotte, said he doesn’t believe Hardy’s career will be jeopardized even if he’s found guilty of drug charges. “The worst-case scenario – jail time,” Price said. “Honestly, in the wrestling business, all that would do is delay his career. No wrestling promoter out there today is not going to use him because of that. I think again, that comes back to society and prescription pill use. A lot of people don’t look at that as being illegal.”

– Former WWE superstar Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson recently spoke to the PojoSlam Blog. The highlights:

On being unhappy with WWE for a long time: “After I got the initial shock and the punch in the stomach, it was like an elephant just stepped off my chest. I was pretty unhappy there for about three years. I thought that I could used a different way and I wasn’t. That’s OK. That was their business decision. They decided not to go that way. That’s fine. That’s on them. Now, I’m going to try to stick it (to them, expletive) basically and prove them wrong. Hopefully, someday they’ll look back and say ‘(expletive), we could have had that guy.’”

On a potential WWE return: “Things would have to drastically change and I don’t think that’s going to happen. My answer to that is no.”

– WrestleMania 11 celebrity wrestler and NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was arrested on Sunday night in Dade County, Florida after police say he fled the scene of an accident.

According to TMZ.com, Taylor allegedly crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a 1984 Ford van and then a guard rail before driving away from the scene. No one was injured. Cops told TMZ.com that Taylor was found standing outside of his car several miles from where the crash took place. The car was missing a front tire, leading police to believe that he drove several miles on just the axle.

Taylor, who has been arrested twice before on drug-related charges, appeared sober at the time of the arrest and was said to be “very cooperative.” He was eventually released on $500 bond.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

WrestleMania Ticket Sales: “This is NOT official but I hear out of Arizona that the first day of ticket sales for WM26 saw between 35-40,000 tickets sold. This is not WWE info therefore it isn’t official. Might be a little low or a little high. But I’m guessing that it is close. As an idependent business man and dealing with the economy daily, those numbers seem strong to me. I think the event is slated for approximately 72,000 seats. Perhaps the official numbers will be updated this week.

Jeff Hardy Update: Smart move by Jeff Hardy keeping mum and not talking to any of the media. Jeff must have a helluva lawyer. (Original story: Jeff Hardy living in seclusion, not talking to anybody)

Chris Jericho: O.K. so Chris Jericho made an error in judgment with an insensitive remark recently that has made TMZ, etc headlines. Chris’ choice of words are regretful but he is one of the most open minded and fair people that I know. Now this Lobo dude is running with the press op’s which under score that Lobo wasn’t as emotionally distraught over this untimely incident that has been blown largely out of proportion. Next.

Mickey Rourke Wanting to Wrestle: Acclaimed actor Mickey Rourke “really” wants to wrestle in a big time WWE match? Wow. I’m tapping on this one. This would not be my personal cup of tea so you might as well consider it booked. I have no idea where this matter may or may not be going but perhaps it will be something that could be done on Raw. I don’t know what to make of this and know only what I’ve read on the internet.

– WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with some thoughts about Fedor Emelianenko’s Saturday night win over Brett Rogers, what the win means for CBS and Strikeforce and how they can get the most out of Fedor. Ross wrote:

Fedor Emelianenko won his CBS fight Saturday night with not too many strains and pains but also not without some angst and a bloody face which likely added to the moment. Fedor really needed to win to help CBS build their MMA franchise around their only big time, marketable star. Brett Rogers, who did much more press than did Fedor because Fedor allegedly doesn’t speak English well enough, was obviously gassed in the second round and became easy prey for the hard hitting Russian who continues to build his mystique and legend among MMA fans.

Remember, CBS’s involvement in MMA isn’t about building the sport it is solely about building a TV rating. That’s not a bad thing for a TV network but somewhere CBS might get it that building stars will build their TV brand and building their TV brand will build their ratings.

If I were CBS I would hire Fedor an English speaking manager. One who could do media and get people talking. Any challenger of Fedor cannot be a sucker and be obligated to do most of the press because Fedor is Russian. If the TV rating is decent it will be fun to see if a major network can build a MMA star.

NFL

– The Chiefs have waived RB Larry Johnson. L.J. won’t get a chance to break the team’s rushing record. The Chiefs are giving Johnson what he wants, but also avoid a distraction down the stretch. He’s unlikely to sign elsewhere this season.

– NBC commentator Tony Dungy, who has worked as a personal advisor to Eagles QB Michael Vick, suggested Sunday night that Vick could end up with the Bills in 2010. “I think a dark horse is Buffalo. They talked originally. I think that could be a good spot.” He also called the Rams, Redskins, and Browns possible suitors. Vick has a team option for 2010 that would cost the Eagles $4.25M to exercise. Their limited use of Vick indicates that it won’t be exercised.

– Browns owner Randy Lerner reportedly has his eye on Mike Holmgren for same role that VP of football operations Bill Parcells performs for the Dolphins. Lerner has four other names on his wish list: former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, Falcons president Rich McKay, and former Packers GM Ron Wolf. Holmgren is believed to be the preferred target. The new hire would have full power to make all of the football decisions, which means Eric Mangini isn’t long for the head coaching job.

– The Bengals have placed WR Chris Henry (broken forearm) on the IR, ending his season. He had surgery Monday. Henry was in the last year of his contract and is slated for free agency in 2010.

– The Panthers have placed LB Thomas Davis (torn ACL) on the IR, ending his season.

F1

– Bridgestone has announced it is pulling out of Formula One competition following the 2010 season. The Japanese tire manufacturer, which has been the sole supplier of rubber to F1 since 2008, says a change in the company’s business direction is the primary reason for the decision.

– Williams F1 has confirmed that that Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg will be its drivers. BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Force India’s Adrian Sutil said their futures were uncertain.

– Nico Rosberg has confirmed that he is leaving Williams F1, but is uncertain about his status for 2010.

– Kimi Raikkonen is considering switching to rally driving as he weighs up his post-Ferrari future following this weekend’s final race of the F1 season in Abu Dhabi. Raikkonen will make way for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next season. He has attracted much interest from other F1 outfits, with his former team McLaren considered the leading suitor for his services.

TNA

– Kurt Angle’s legal problems with ex-girlfriend Trenesha Biggers (former TNA Knockout Rhaka Khan) appear to be resolved. Pittsburgh’s WTAE station (an ABC affiliate) reports that the order of protection issued against Angle was dismissed today after Biggers voluntarily removed the order. Both she and Angle have agreed to stay away from each other.

Angle did not comment after Monday’s proceedings. Angle was arrested last September after allegedly stalking Biggers shortly after he was served with this protection order. Those charges were eventually dismissed.

VoV

– The Peep Show has been updated.

-– You can keep up with VoV through Twitter by clicking here.

-– Peepulation! I have terrific news about the site – not only did VoV just break its own record and score the biggest traffic month in its short 10.5 month history, but VoV has also just recorded it’s 2,000,000th visitor! That reeks of awesomeness! Thanks again to the ever-growing peepulation, it’s your continued readership that has helped make VoV the fastest and most accurate site to late-breaking news!

MLB

– Giants RHP Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in Washington. Lincecum was found with 3.3 grams of marijuana and a pipe after being pulled over for speeding. He was fined a total of $622 for driving at 74 mph in a 60-mph zone and for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. It’s doubtful he’ll face any sort of punishment from the Giants.

– The Red Sox have acquired OF Jeremy Hermida from the Marlins for LHP Hunter Jones and LHP Jose Alvarez. Hermida, the 11th overall pick in the 2002 draft, frustrated with the Marlins with injuries and unexceptional play in four years as a major leaguer and there was no way the team was going to pay him $3 million or so in his second year of arbitration. Still, it’s a shame that they couldn’t do better than a pair of generic left-handers. Hermida still has a lot of promise. He hit .296/.369/.501 in 123 games in 2007, and he’s just going to be 26 next year. The Red Sox may not be content with him as a regular in the event that Jason Bay leaves, but they couldn’t pass on the chance to acquire him at this price.

WWE

– Regarding discussion of Shane McMahon parting ways with World Wrestling Entertainment, his looming departure from the company has become the new “Randy Savage talk” backstage, reports PWInsider.com. By that, it means it’s a touchy subject to be broached with Vince McMahon at one’s own peril. As you would imagine, the WWE chairman is none to pleased with his son’s recent resignation.

Vince formally addressed Shane’s departure from the company during this morning’s conference call with investors. He said of Shane’s decision to leave: “Shane has decided to pursue other opportunities in the marketplace.”

He also added that the strength of the company’s management team is based on performance, not if an employee’s last name is McMahon. “Some people perceive this to be a family business, but I do not,” said Vince.

– WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is expected to host Monday Night Raw when it emanates from MSG later this month.

– According to a report today by The Sun, Mickey Rourke says he would like to wrestle for WWE after being disallowed from competing at WrestleMania XXV earlier this year.

The Academy Award-nominated actor says in his new book, Wrestling With Demons, that a clause in his contract for the Iron Man 2 prevented him from taking part in a one-on-one match with Chris Jericho due to the possibility of injury, which would delay filming.

Rourke says he walked away from WrestleMania “disappointed” due to his limited involvement with the event, which saw him punch Jericho following the WWE star’s handicap elimination match with Hall of Famers “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka. Rourke says he wanted to put his wrestling skills to the test after training for the lead role in The Wrestler.

NFL

– Colts CB Marlin Jackson (ACL) is out for the season.

UFC

– UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) will face Shane Carwin (11-0) at UFC 106 on November 21 in Las Vegas. It was originally rumoured that Carwin would fight Cain Velasquez (6-0) at UFC 106 with the winner getting a shot at Lesnar next year. However, Valasquez will now fight an unnamed opponent and there’s talk of him getting a shot at the winner of Lesnar-Carwin. For those unaware, Carwin is almost a mirror image of Brock. Should be a dandy.

MLB

– The Cardinals have signed RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, 42, is 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox this season. Great add for the playoff run. GM John Mozeliak said Smoltz would likely start Sunday at San Diego, and would probably get at least a few turns in the rotation.

– The Astros have placed SS Miguel Tejada on waivers, but pulled him off when another team made a claim. The Astros did the same thing with former C Ivan Rodriguez, and a similar fate is expected to happen with RHP Jose Valverde. For some reason, owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade continue to state that they are still in it for this year and aren’t building for next year.

– The Mets have released RHP Livan Hernandez. The 34-year-old Hernandez was 7-8 with a 5.47 ERA,  and had allowed 18 earned runs in 14 1-3 innings. He allowed six runs in a 10-1 loss to San Francisco on Monday, and the Mets went 2-10 in his last 12 starts.

Speaking of the Mets, they have placed LHP Billy Wagner on waivers, and according to ESPN, he is apparently ready to waive his no-trade clause. Anybody who takes Wagner will have to shell our about $2.7M for the rest of this season, in addition to a $1M buyout for next year. Wagner will be in tough for a job, though, as he has an $8M option for next season. It’s unlikely anyone will claim him off waivers, so the Mets will probably try and work out a trade. Wagner is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in the bigs since last September, so his trade value is rock bottom. Still, Wagner doesn’t want to finish his career this way and apparently would like to get up to the 420-save mark or thereabouts. He’s at 385 now.

Still with the Mets, they had placed OF Gary Sheffield on waivers last week, and pulled him later on. It’s now believed that Sheff won’t last the season with the team. If the Mets place him on waivers again, they lose the ability to pull him off or negotiate a trade. Sheffield, 41, says he wants to go somewhere with a strong lineup, but thus far, only the Marlins and Rangers have shown interest.

According to the NY Post, Sheffield asked for a contract extension from the Mets Thursday and was denied, and is now threatening to leave the team and might soon be released outright. Things had been running smoothly in New York until Sheff made a couple of curious comments on Tuesday night in reaction to trade rumors. “Based on what I know now, no, I do not think I will be here. But if I am sent to a team that I don’t want to play for, I would go home.” He was scratched from the lineup Thursday night.

– The Brewers have traded 3B Bill Hall to the Mariners for P Ruben Flores. Hall hit 35 home runs in 2006 and was rewarded with a four-year/$24M contract, but he was hitting only .201 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 76 games when the Brewers designated him for assignment last week.

– The Orioles have claimed RHP Chris Lambert off of waivers from the Tigers. The 26-year-old Lambert was 0-1 with a 14.85 ERA in two relief appearances with the Tigers this season. He was 6-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts with Triple-A Toledo.

– D’Backs RHP Jon Garland has cleared waivers. Arizona will likely have to part with some cash to make up for the $4M left between his contract and his 2010 buyout, but there’s a chance that a contender in need of pitching depth may decide to take their chances and deal for him. Stay tuned.

– The Reds have placed RHP Johnny Cueto (arm) on the 15-day DL. Cueto is 8-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 24 starts.

– The Dodgers have signed RHP Vicente Padilla.

– The Nationals have named Mike Rizzo as their next GM. Rizzo was acting in an interim role this season following the firing of Jim Bowden.

– The Rangers have placed RHP “Everyday” Eddie Guardado (knee) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mariners have transferred LHP Erik Bedard to the 60-day DL. His season is over.

– The Reds have placed OF Willy Taveras (quad) on the 15-day DL.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Hiroki Kuroda (head) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 16.

– The Royals have released 3B Travis Metcalf.

– The White Sox have placed OF Dewayne Wise (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mets have placed SS Alex Cora (thumbs) on the 60-day DL.

– The Astros have placed LHP Mike Hampton (torn rotator cuff) on the 15-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed 2B Esteban German (groin) on the 15-day DL.

NBA

– According to sources, F Amare Stoudemire is playing his last year with the Suns this season. Amare was reportedly very unhappy when Shaq was dealt to Cleveland, and was unhappy with being put on the trade block last February when he was supposedly in talks with the Warriors. He’s putting his odds of staying with the team after next summer at 50/50, though, as he can decline a $17.6M salary for 2010-11 next summer and become a free agent. Stay tuned.

– Bucks F Andrew Bogut still hasn’t participated in contact drills as he continues to recover from a lower back stress fracture that ended his season early last year. Bogut’s main goal is to be ready for training camp, but he’s been working on a limited schedule since July and the fact he hasn’t had contact drills yet is a concern.

– Nets F Yi Jianlian may be allowed to skip the rest of the Stankovic Cup in China and return to New Jersey earlier than expected in order to prepare for the start of the season. Yi has been playing very well for Team China, but the Chinese media is reporting that team officials are considering his request to return to the states early.

– According to the Arizona Republic, Cavaliers F Shaquille O’Neal’s new reality show, “Shaq Vs.” apparently was an idea that Shaq stole directly from Suns G Steve Nash when Shaq was originally traded there in February of 2008. Nash talked to a lawyer and now he’s listed as executive producer on the show.

– Knicks G Nate Robinson was arrested Tuesday after officers pulled him over in the Bronx at about 5:30 p.m. and discovered he had a suspended license. According to the NY Post, the 25-year-old RFA was apparently a complete jerk to the cop who pulled him over for driving with an unfastened seat belt. He turned up the volume pretty loud when the cop walked back from Robinson’s SUV to the police cruiser to check his license and then kept singing the words to the rap song when the officer returned to the window. As soon as he heard he was being arrested, Robinson apparently pulled out the I’m-A-Celebrity-card and tried to sway the officer to let him go. KryptoNate was taken to the 52nd Precinct and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and issued a summons to return to court at a later date.

– The Magic have signed G Jason Williams. Williams, who sat out last year, will back up G Jameer Nelson and probably immediately move in front of G Anthony Johnson on the depth chart.

– G Desmond Mason will not return to the Thunder next season.

– The Grizzlies continue to look into G Jamaal Tinsley, G Flip Murray and G Tarence Kinsey.

WWE

– Unless things change at the last minute, Jeff Hardy’s last day with WWE will take place at either SummerSlam or the following SmackDown! taping. WWE is still trying to get him to stay, though. As a result, it pretty much goes without saying that he will be dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk next week. Matt Hardy tweeted the following message to Jeff Hardy yesterday morning: “The time is near for the Hardy Empire to begin.. Starting with the Charismatic Enigma.. 8/25/09″ Hmm…

Also, WWE released the first-ever “WWE Kids Poster Book” special edition on Tuesday, which features individual posters of practically every male star on the roster. One glaring omission is that of Jeff Hardy, who is not featured on the poster. You can see the giant poster here.

– There is a lot of talk within WWE about having DX vs. Legacy in the main event position at SummerSlam, even though it would go against the tradition of ending with a title match. The feeling is that if CM Punk is going to beat Jeff Hardy for the World Title, which there’s a good chance of that, it’s better to end SummerSlam on a happy note. This would also indicate that John Cena isn’t planned to take the WWE Title from Randy Orton but that’s not confirmed.

– As of last week, there was a rumour that WWE was planning a major swerve at SummerSlam that would involve either Triple H or Shawn Michaels turning heel at SummerSlam. WWE is now advertising DX vs. Legacy in a steel cage match for the SmackDown and ECW tapings on September 1 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. This could be a sign that plan was changed or it could be a way to keep a possible heel turn a surprise.

– WWE.com has announced that ECW Champion Christian will defend the gold against #1 contender William Regal at Summerslam this Sunday.

– Former WWE superstar and Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently spoke to the UK’s The Sun. Some highlights:

His Troubled Teen Years: “I had a very checkered past. I got into trouble a lot and had multiple arrests. For a lot of years I struggled to stay on the right path. I had multiple arrests by the time that I was 17. The last time I was arrested, my parents came down to the police station to get me. My parents were struggling at that time, even to put food on the table. That was a lot of stress at that time and I was adding to it. When they came to the police station I remember their disappointment. For years the disappointment had never bothered me but for some reason this time the disappointment in their eyes moved me. And that was when I realized that I was causing a lot of pain for my parents and I did not want to continue to do that.”

His father’s reaction to ‘The Wrestler’: “He didn’t take it very well. We lived the life that you saw in the movie, The Wrestler. That essentially was my dad. The character that Mickey Rourke played so wonderfully was my dad. So when I graduated from college and had an opportunity to play pro football, naturally it was easy for my father to say he did not want me to wrestle. He had nothing to show from a wrestling career. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and he did not want that life for me. But instinctively I thought I had something to offer that world of entertainment. It took a little of convincing him but eventually we worked together. But being a parent I now understand where my dad was coming from.”

Getting Into Acting: “Ten years ago I knew that I wanted to be a good actor as I wound down my wrestling career. There is a great amount of acting in wrestling and wrestling is a great form of entertainment. For me that training ground was really invaluable because I did not go to school for acting. I went to school for football and studied criminology. I knew it was going to take time and 10 years went by pretty quickly.”

– Former WWE star Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson’s no-compete clause with WWE is set to expire within the next 2 weeks. He will therefore be able to work for any wrestling promotion that wants to hire him. He now goes under the name Mr. Anderson and TNA is said to have high interest in signing the former WWE star.

– As announced Friday afternoon on WWE.com, Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore was released from his WWE contract. According to several sources, the feeling is that he showed up at last week’s RAW taping looking terribly out of shape and Vince McMahon made the decision right then and there to cut him loose. He had just been hired back about a month ago. McMahon is pretty big on first impressions. For instance, his first impression of Takeshi Morishima following a tryout match a year ago this week killed any possible interest in signing him.

An issue of Power Slam noted the following: “August 19: Still on the warpath, Vince claims two more victims: he basically says Morishima looks like a giant, fat girl and that Laurinaitis was wasting his time by hyping such a s colourless and podgy wrestler. Vince also sagely notes that because fellow Japanese name Kenzo Suzuki tanked in WWE, obviously Morishima was likely to be a failure as well – solely on the basis of their shared ethnicity.”

Reportedly, the creative team wanted to get Eugene on television very quickly, so the fact that he was released after his first appearance adds further credence to the theory given.

– This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW drew a 3.8 rating, which is down from last week‘s 3.9 rating. The first hour did a 3.58, while the second hour finished off with a 3.99.

NHL

– Blackhawks F Patrick Kane, 20, and his cousin James Kane, 21, pleaded not guilty during a brief arraignment before Buffalo judge Thomas Amodeo. The appearance came a day after the two were indicted by a grand jury. The Kanes are facing misdemeanor assault, theft and harassment charges that he and his cousin beat up a cab driver over a fare. The panel dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery.

– The Sharks have removed captaincy from F Patrick Marleau. Yeesh, about time.

– The 2-month-old son of Capitals G Jose Theodore has died. The goalie’s sister-in-law made the announcement Thursday during her show on a Montreal-area radio station. Theodore also has a 3-year-old daughter, Romy. My condolences go out to the Theodore family.

– The Hurricanes have signed F Stephane Yelle to a one-year/$550K deal. The 35-year-old had seven goals and 11 assists with Boston, and has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Avalanche.

– The Sabres have signed F Jeff Cowan to a one-year deal. Cowan is an eight-year NHL veteran but spent last season playing for Peoria of the AHL. He previously played two years with Vancouver, where he combined for seven goals and four assists, and 203 penalty minutes in 88 games.

– The Ducks have re-sogned D Brett Festerling to a two-year contract. Festerling played 40 games with Anaheim as a rookie last season, recording five assists and 18 penalty minutes. He also played extensively for the Ducks’ top minor league affiliate in Iowa.

– Mark Messier was not offered the head coaching job with the Oilers last season when Craig MacTavish was fired.

– Stars owner Tom Hicks is not putting the team up for sale. Forbes says the team is worth about $405M, but one suspects somebody could get the team for less than that. Hicks’ HSG has until August of 2010 to satisfy his debts before any kind of movement by creditors could be made to take over the teams. He dug himself a hole, though, when his HSG defaulted on a $10M interest payment at the end of March on $525M in loans.

NFL

– WR Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges in a Manhattan court Thursday and received a two-year prison sentence. This could easily end the 32-year-old’s career. NY State still must approve Burress’ plea deal – if it doesn’t, Plax could stand trial for two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, and face even more prison time. Plax has probably played his last NFL down.

– The NFP is reporting that Raiders assistant Randy Hanson will turn over medical records, and he’s expected to cooperate with Napa, California police. Police, as well as NFL Security, have been attempting to get Hanson to talk since the story of his fractured jaw emerged earlier this week. It’s believed that he will now cooperate because the Raiders will not allow him to return to his former position. The next step is likely an investigation and a possible felony charge against head coach Tom Cable. Cable has declined to comment.

– The Chiefs have signed WR Ashley Lelie.

TNA

– TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle spoke with WTAO in Pittsburgh. Here’s what he said: “I don’t like confrontation, so I kind of back away from it. This is really hard for me. I spent nine hours in jail and it was the lowest point of my life,” Angle said as he started to break down crying pleading for his reputation. “I was sitting there in a county jail thinking about why I even started dating this girl. I don’t even know when I’m allowed back in my own home. I just hope that the hearing goes okay and I can move back into my home. I just want my life back.”

F1

– YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley has confirmed his involvement with the new Team US F1. US F1 will be joined on the 2010 starting grid by Manor Grand Prix and Campos Meta 1.

– F1 teams will go back to qualifying on low-fuel for the final session next season. According to FIA , the final 10 cars involved in the Q3 qualifying session will not have to declare their fuel levels due to the fact there will be a ban on refueling next year.

That should bring back the days of a real qualifying shootout in which the fastest car is actually the one on the pole. That was not always the case under the current system as teams were forced to declare their race day fuel levels before Q3, meaning different strategies forced teams to use different fuel levels.

Other changes to the rules will see eight cars knocked out in both Q1 and Q2 to take into account the expected increase to 26 cars next season on the starting grid. The current point system will also be maintained for at least one more season. There have been recommendations to go to an Olympic-styled medal system in which the driver with the most wins would be declared the world champion. Even though the FOTA-based teams have agreed not to use the KERS system next year, the FIA rules have increased the weight of the cars to 620kg to take into account the additional weight of the energy recovery system. Tire warmers, which were also expected to be banned along with refueling, will remain – at least for one more season.

MMA

– Kim Couture, the wife of UFC legend Randy “The Natural” Couture, has responded to Lisa Marie Varon’s (a.k.a. Victoria) comments about a potential MMA bout. “I think that with my name I have a target on me. That’s fine. I don’t imagine that’s going to go away any time soon I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me. If she can make my weight – she seems from the picture a lot taller, a lot bigger than me. But if she can make 135 pounds, if (Strikeforce CEO Scott) Coker wants to put it together then so be it.”

NHL

– Red Wings’ F Pavel Dastyuk (foot) is technically a game-time decision for Game 3 tonight, but it appeared as though he was going to play as of last night. The MVP finalist participated in the morning skate on Thursday, then stayed on the ice afterward.

F Kris Draper (groin), a healthy scratch in Game 2, is expected to play in Game 3 as well. F Justin Abdelkader will be scratched as a result.

– If Leafs’ GM Brian Burke is unable to move up from the No. 7 selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he will set his sights on D Brayden Schenn, the brother of Leafs’ D Luke Schenn.

– The Canucks plan to start contract talks with twin F Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the next week or two, assistant GM Laurence Gilman said Wednesday. The twins, who led the Canucks in scoring last season with an identical 82 points, stand to become UFA’s July 1. The twins made $3.575M apiece last season and are believed to be seeking raises to somewhere in the $6M range.

– The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Flyers are close to signing G Ray Emery. Emery, 26, spent last season in Russia. The Flyers can’t sign Emery until the free-agent market opens on July 1, but it’s very possible that he could be signed the day of.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens with current No. 1 netminder Martin Biron. Biron has said since the end of the season that he wants a long-term contract; he wanted one when he was first traded to the Flyers from Buffalo in the spring 2007, when the Flyers were wrapping up the worst season in franchise history. At that time, he signed a two-year/$7M deal. Biron has been the starter ever since, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference finals in his first full year and then the first round of the playoffs this past season.

Talks with Biron continue, but it is believed he is asking for too much money and a long-term deal that the Flyers are not willing to extend to him.

– The Senators have denied that they are shopping F Jason Spezza. GM Bryan Murray said that despite the window in which Spezza’s no-trade clause is void (July 1, 2010), he will not be dealt. Spezza, 25, will make $8M next season.

– Speaking of the Sens, they have offered F Chris Neil a new contract. Neil is scheduled to become a UFA July 1. There has been no counter-proposal on Neil’s end as of yet.

– The Sens are shopping for a high-end forward either via trade or free agency.

– G Dwayne Roloson is waiting for a new contract from the Oil, but seeing as he turns 40, they are unlikely to bring him back. Roloson is finishing up a three-year contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $3.67M.

– According to SLAM! Sports, if there are no conflictions with his daughters’ hockey, former Senator Luke Richardson will return as an assistant coach.

– The Avalanched named Joe Sacco their new head coach. New general manager, Greg Sherman, made quick work of hiring a new coach after taking over managerial duties on Wednesday. Sacco, a former NHLer with the Capitals among others, spent the past two seasons as a head coach with the Lake Erie of the AHL. The club is expected to announce the hiring of former Avalanche, Sylvain Lefebvre, as Sacco’s assistant coach.

NBA

– Raptors’ F Chris Bosh suggested Thursday that he will not sign a contract extension this summer, setting himself up to become a UFA next summer. He said;

“(When) I signed a three-year (extension in 2006)…I had a goal in mind, and that was to put myself in the best position (in 2010)…I’m thinking I just want to stick to my goal, stick to what I was doing.”

Bosh has been a target of much criticism for his style of play lately, and a lame-duck season in Toronto should add fuel to the fire.

– An NBA source told ESPN‘s Rachel Nichols that, contrary to earlier reports, Magic’ G Jameer Nelson will likely be active for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals. There’s still no word on if he’ll play (as he’s recovering from shoulder surgery), or how many minutes he might get. An earlier report suggested he’d been ruled out for tonight’s game, but it is now looking like he will play at some point in the Finals.

– Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson, regardless of whether the Lakers win the NBA Championships, will decide on his future this offseason. If he walks from the Lakers, retirement is likely the path he’ll take.

– Heat’ G Dwyane Wade is suing former business partner Richard von Houtman for $100M, claiming he made false statements about alleged drug use and called Wade a bully and coward. Wade’s lawsuit claims von Houtman is guilty of libel and slander, and that he sent an e-mail to Heat’ coach Pat Riley, claiming that Wade and other players smoked marijuana and used steroids. The lawsuit contends his claims were false and hurt Wade’s reputation.

– G Devin Brown has exercised his player option to remain with the Hornets. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound veteran averaged 5.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes for the Hornets last season after signing as a free agent in the summer of 2008.

MLB

– The Braves have released LHP Tom Glavine. Glavine, 43, is the winngest active pitcher in the bigs. The 305-game winner is coming back from shoulder and elbow surgery. Glavine threw six scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class-A Rome on Tuesday night and proclaimed himself ready to pitch in the majors again. GM Frank Wren said it had nothing to do with a $1M bonus Glavine would have received for being placed on the major league roster. Instead, the team felt it had a better chance to win with a younger pitcher in the rotation.

The Red Sox are believed to be at the top of the list for his services.

– Major League Baseball has suspended Yankees’ RHP A.J. Burnett six games for throwing over the head of Rangers’ OF Nelson Cruz on Tuesday night. Burnett has already filed an appeal and will be allowed to continue pitching until the appeal is heard. MLB decided to simply fine Rangers’ RHP Vicente Padilla, even though he hit Yankees’ 1B Mark Teixeira twice. Hmm…

– According to Red Sox’ RHP Brad Penny’s baseball calendar, he’s due to be traded next month. He got traded from the D’Backs to the Marlins in July of 1999, then five years later he went from the Marlins to the Dodgers at the trading deadline in 2004.

So, according to the five-year Penny plan, July of 2009 is his time to move on. Sure enough, like clockwork, because of the Red Sox’ depth in starting pitchers, Penny’s name tops the list of players the Sox will dangle, starting right now. Boston is looking for a shortstop and some outfield depth. Stay tuned.

– Rays’ 3B Evan Longoria (left hamstring) likely won’t go on the DL.

– The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports RHP Kyle Lohse (forearm) is headed to the DL. Lohse was forced from Wednesday’s game in the third inning with a recurrence of right forearm discomfort. It’s an issue he’s dealt with for weeks, and it may be time to hit the reset button.

– Yankees’ SS Derek Jeter has denied rumours of his engagement to Friday Night Lights’ star Minka Kelly.

– The Orioles are expected to release RHP Jamie Walker. Walker signed a three-year/$12M deal with the O’s.

NFL

– According to Newsday, the Falcons intend to release suspended QB Michael Vick sometime late in training camp. That’s when commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to decide whether Vick can play in the NFL this season or not. Atlanta hasn’t made the move yet because it’s still hoping to get a seventh-round pick via trade. Vick’s release date from home confinement is July 23. Training camp will conclude in late August.

– According to sources, along with the Jets and Bucs, the Bears are believed to be the third team that has expressed serious interest in free agent WR Plaxico Burress. The interest may be from management, or from players. It’s known that QB Jay Cutler reached out to Burress after coming from Denver. Teams are likely at least waiting to see what happens at Plax’s June 15 court date.

– The agent for RB Brian Westbrook confirmed to ESPN that his client will have surgery to clean out bone spurs in his injured right ankle. The agent gave no timetable for Westbrook’s return, but a source told ESPN that he could be sidelined “well into training camp.” Even though it’s to the same ankle Westbrook struggled with last year the agent claims, “it’s just some bone spurs…it has nothing to do with the high ankle sprain.” Westbrook is on his age-30 season and is coming off two leg surgeries and a knee scope in February.

– Browns’ WR Donte’ Stallworth was formally charged with DUI manslaughter in a Florida courtroom Thursday morning. Yahoo! reported in May that the prosecution might only pursue a simple DUI charge because of the difficulty of proving manslaughter, but the state will start out aiming high. If convicted of DUI manslaughter, Stallworth would face a mandatory four-year prison sentence. He pleaded not guilty Thursday.

WWE

– According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, while absent from television, Triple H has been lending a hand behind-the-scenes at the weekly WWE RAW TV.

According to one source, The Game is noticably less passionate about the product than when he’s personally involved.

A number of those in WWE have commented that RAW has featured more comedy lately because both Triple H and Shawn Michaels are not around to lobby against goofy skits in production meetings.

For those that forgot or missed it, I reported a few months ago about HHH and HBK being praised internally for using their influence to speak out against the corny comedy skits Vince McMahon and his flunkies enjoy.

– Members in the WWE creative team are under the impression that Jeff Hardy’s last show until he takes a break will be at this month’s Great American Bash PPV, but they are also brainstorming ideas involving him for SummerSlam, in case that is no longer the case.

Company officials are under the impression that Hardy will leave at some point, but also feel he hasn’t completely figured out when that would be.

The Bash date was given to those on the creative staff because if he were to leave immediately following the event, which is being considered a worst case scenario, they’ll have subsequent plans ready. Although, if he stays through SummerSlam, or longer, they’ll have some plans mapped out as well.

– WWE Champion Randy Orton lost his temper during an appearance on the Televisa sports show in Mexico City this past weekend.

The program’s host was conducting an interview with Orton in English, with Spanish subtitles, and all was going well until he brought up the WWE Champion’s past history of injuries and called him fragile. While the host was simply joking, Orton took great offense to his remark.

He threw off the host’s glasses, stared him down and said in a bullying tone:

“Listen, you wanna talk sh*t to me on your own show here and make you look cool here. You wanna look cool? Say it to my face. Why you turning red? I’m serious. I’m serious. I’m serious… no look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me! (raises voice) LOOK AT ME! Now say it again! Say it again! I dare you to say it again! CALL ME FRAGILE! I will headbutt your teeth through your skull! Do you hear me?”

The host took a few steps back and said,

“That’s not polite.”

Orton responded,

“Say something funny again, boy. Say something funny.”

He then said “I’m done” and stormed off the set.

Wow.

– According to the PWInsider, speculation over Ric Flair’s future within WWE, the Nature Boy is still being pushed hard by his representatives for corporate speaking and spokesperson jobs.

The Gillespie Agency did a huge mailing to casting and commercial agencies last week, promoting Flair as a 16-time WWE World champion and one of the greatest talkers of all time to help promote brands commercially.

The mailer noted that Flair has worked with Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart among others in the past.

Several people in the New York City area who work in the entertainment industry received the mailer today and yesterday, so Flair’s representatives are currently actively pursuing non-wrestling gigs for him.

– There is some internal frustration within WWE regarding the poor SmackDown! ratings as of late, especially because the company’s Friday night show is generally regarded as a higher-quality show than RAW as far as the wrestling is concerned.

One of the two factors being blamed for SmackDown’s low viewership is the fact that RAW is suffering right now. WWE’s research leads them to believe that a large portion of their audience only watches wrestling on Mondays now, and judges the entire company’s product based off that one show despite SmackDown being a complete 180 degrees different from RAW. Vince has been strict about wanting his three main shows (RAW, ECW and SD) to all have different feels to them, with RAW being the sports-entertainment variety show and SmackDown being the wrestling show.

The second factor being blamed for the poor ratings is the fact that SmackDown airs on MyNetworkTV. The network is in pretty rough shape right now, and starting next year the only new show on the entire channel will be SmackDown! and everything else will be repeats of other shows from other networks.

– Brooke Hogan was the featured guest on today’s Howard Stern Show on SIRIUS-XM satelitte radio and a lot of sex talk was had, as expected.

Brooke wouldn’t reveal the exact age, but did say she lost her virginity when she was of legal age, and that her first time was with the rocker-kid “Jerry” on the show. She also revealed that she got breast implants sometime last year.

In addition to the sex talk, Brooke discussed her father Hulk Hogan and his current social life. Brooke said his father’s new girlfriend looks a lot like her and acts a lot like her. She also addressed the Hulk-drug rumours, claiming he never smoked pot in front of her despite what it said in Linda Hogan’s press release recently.

The interview with Brooke Hogan on the Howard Stern Show can be heard on SIRIUS-XM as the show replays all day long. The interview will also be on Howard TV, an On Demand cable service much like WWE Classics On Demand, late tomorrow night.

UFC

– In the current issue of Maxim Magazine on newsstands now, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar takes a strong stand against the typical lifestyle of a WWE wrestler. Here’s what he said;

You get so brainwashed. You’re on the road 300 days a year, and that’s why guys get so messed up…this life just becomes a part of them. It’s not real, but some guys who are still in the business think it is. You look at Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler – he just couldn’t let it go. You live a double life. I was tired of trying to be who I was in the ring and then coming home for two days to be normal. They didn’t allow you to . Hee. The guys who get out are the smart ones, really and truly.”

NHL

– I can now confirm that the Leafs and Lightning have been in discussions regarding a potential trade. The deal would see the Leafs acquire the #2 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (likely either John Tavares or Victor Hedman) in exchange for D Luke Schenn, D Tomas Kaberle, and the #7 overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. The Leafs declined the deal, as GM Brian Burke still maintains the position that Schenn is not up for grabs.

Another rumour, which I can now confirm is false, was that Burke had offered the #7 overall pick for F Ryan Malone. Malone, however, is under contract through the 2014-15 season at a salary cap hit of $4.5M for each of the next six years.

The idea remains that the Lightning will attempt to trade captain F Vincent Lecavalier, who signed an 11-year/$85M contract extension with the club last summer.

Burke reiterated that he still wants to move up in the draft, and made it clear a month ago he had junior scoring sensation F John Tavares squarely in his sights. But acquiring the second pick overall would not guarantee that Tavares would be available, unless Burke had a deal in place with the New York Islanders, who have the first selection. It would make no sense logically to have the second choice and then watch the Isles choose Tavares. Swedish D Victor Hedman and Brampton Battalion F Matt Duchene would be great picks, but neither has the potential star power that Tavares has. Stay tuned.

– Penguins’ D Sergei Gonchar has skated, and could play in Game 7.

NFL

– The Dolphins have signed DE/OLB Jason Taylor to a one-year/$1.1M contract. The deal includes a $400K signing bonus. He can get another $400K in incentives. Taylor, 35, looked washed up based on his statistics in Washington a year ago, but he was playing out of position and at significantly less than 100% after life-threatening calf surgery.

Taylor reportedly didn’t want to sign with the Patriots nearly as much as he wanted to return to Miami. Taylor would have to accept less money, perhaps a one-year deal with incentives in order to return to the ‘Fins. Taylor is apparently willing to make the sacrifice of less playing time in order to be closer to his family.

– The Jets have re-signed TE Bubba Franks to a one-year deal.

WWE

– As seen on tonight’s episode of ECW on Sci Fi, DH Smith made his ECW debut, brutally attacking Finlay during his match with Tyson Kidd. He is now going under the name David Hart Smith and has aligned himself with the Hart Dungeon-trained wrestler as well as his valet Natalya. The announcers referred to the trio as The Hart Trilogy.

The pairing was expected as Kidd and Natalya were informed a few weeks ago that Smith would be joining them sometime soon.

Prior to his appearance tonight, Smith had not appeared on television in just over a year, his last appearance taking place on the May 5, 2008 episode of RAW.

– RAW scored a 3.3 (3.14 and 3.44) rating, even with last week’s show.

– In an interesting trivia note, this week in 1999 WWF RAW held the most-watched wrestling match in history. On May 10, 1999, The Undertaker & HHH & Shane McMahon vs. Steve Austin & The Rock & Vince in a six-man tag, with Shawn Michaels as the referee, scored a 9.2 cable rating. The overall rating for the entire show was 8.1. Wow.

– Scott Siegel, the actor who played Randy “The Ram” Robinson’s steroid dealer in the movie “The Wrestler,” was indicted yesterday for possessing and distributing steroids and assaulting law enforcement officers in a New York City suburb. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.

The case stems from February 18 when federal drug agents and police tried to take him into custody on the steroid charges. Siegel jumped in the car and led police on a chase through Eastchester.

Siegel’s lawyer, Barry Levin, says his client acted out of fear. The actor is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in federal court in White Plains.

MLB

– According to the Chicago Sun-Times, with OF Magglio Ordonez’s slow start and millions of dollars in the balance, there are whispers that Ordonez might be released. The Tigers would be on the hook for the remainder $18M salary plus a $3M buy-out next year, but they would avoid the vesting options of $18M and $15M, respectively, for the next two years. The Tigers aren’t strangers to large contract releases as 2B Damion Easley and OF Gary Sheffield can attest to, but this would be shocking. It’s still rather early and if Ordonez can get hot, he would be one of the team’s best hitters. Still, it’s a situation to follow. Stay tuned.

– The Cardinals have placed OF Ryan Ludwick (hamstring) on the 15-day DL.

– The Indians will wait and see how the team plays before firing skipper Eric Wedge.

– The Red Sox have placed 1B Kevin Youkilis (oblique) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mets are expected to place 1B Carlos Delgado (hip) on the 15-day DL.

– The Brewers have signed OF Frank Catalanotto to a minor league deal.

– White Sox’ RHP Bobby Jenks has been fined $750.

TNA

– Christy Hemme took part in an interview this past week saying she still can’t give a timetable on when she’ll be able to return to the ring after deciding not to have surgery to help heal her seriously injured neck.

Hemme said, “I opted not to have neck surgery because I don’t like the idea of fusing bones together when you can heal it naturally. I haven’t wrestled since November and I’m feeling really good and getting a lot stronger and waiting it out until I can get back in the ring.”

While the TNA Knockout suffered the neck injury training for a pay-per-view match, she says the injury was inevitable after accumulating a variety of injuries as a result of being “knocked around in the ring.”

NBA

– Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton, Jazz’ coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer are all set to be inducted into the 2009 Class of the NBA Hall of Fame. The announcement was made in Detroit, site of the men’s Final Four. Induction is September 10-12 in Springfield, Massachusetts, home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

WWE

– The general feeling backstage last night was that everyone knew that HBK/Taker match tore down the house. There was a lot of talk about how great Ricky Steamboat looked for his age. And, the other big topic was about how poorly the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match came off. The feeling is that Triple H will soon drop the title to Orton, even as early as tonight. Overall, the mood was very good at the show and management was very happy with record gate.

– JBL posted the following on his WWE Universe account;

“I had wanted to make it to WM 25 for years, and when injuries cut my career short the one regret I had was that I wouldn’t make the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania,” JBL wrote. “Well, I made it. I never dreamed after I retired the first time that my back would get better and I would be allowed to return to wrestling…

“I don’t know what the future holds, never say never in life. But I have wrestled my last match. Months ago, I picked out this match. If Eddie Guerrero couldn’t be here for it then my dear friend Rey [Mysterio] was the obvious choice, and I’m proud he was. I want to thank the WWE for a great career, for taking a chance on me and allowing me the keys to the car for a while. I will always represent the WWE wherever I go, I am proud of my 13 ½ years with the WWE. And, I am proud of the WWE for cleaning up a great sport to make it more healthy to everyone that is a part.

“However, I have no current plans on doing anything in the future on a professional level with WWE. I don’t plan on doing commentary. In fact, it hasn’t even been brought up to me. I don’t plan on being an on air character. I plan on starting the next chapter in my life, and closing the door on this one.”

I really hope that latter statement isn’t true.

– In a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun, Mickey Rourke had this to say regarding why he backed out of WrestleMania 25;

“After I got done with the movie, I really started liking this sport a lot. And I believe it was through Vince [McMahon's] people who said, ‘Would you like to come and do WrestleMania and wrestle?’ And Jericho’s name came up and I said, ‘Yeah, I want to do it.’ To be real honest with you, because I had left acting for six years to go back to professional fighting, my agents said it would be detrimental to my career…If I took time off at this point in my career and did the wrestling, I wouldn’t be taken seriously in the acting world again. I’ve always enjoyed sports a lot more than I have acting, but they just advised me not to do it. I was kind of disappointed.”

MLB

– According to Yahoo! Sports, Yankees’ 3B Alex Rodriguez was able to take a few light swings Sunday for the first time since undergoing hip surgery. A-Rod is now shooting for a late April return, but Yankees officials aren’t so optimistic. “He’s just rehabbing,” said general manager Brian Cashman. “He’s swung a bat, but he hasn’t taken batting practice, that I’m aware of. He’s doing physical therapy, mostly.”

NHL

– Blackhawks’ GM Dale Tallon is still having ongoing negotiations as he tries to re-sign F Martin Havlat.

NFL

– The NFLPA revealed Monday that the Chiefs have won their grievance against RB Larry Johnson for breach of contract and are no longer obligated to pay his previously guaranteed $3.75M salary. The Kansas City Star reported late last month that the Chiefs “probably” would release Johnson if they won. There is still a chance they’ll keep L.J., though. But, releasing Johnson would create another gaping need on a team with a roster full of them.

– FOXSports‘ Alex Marvez reports WR Plaxico Burress has won his grievance against the Giants for withholding his bonus money. The Giants attempted to withhold $1M after Plax shot himself in the leg last December. The decision could set a precedent that teams cannot recoup guaranteed bonuses written into contracts. WR Donte’ Stallworth will likely be the next player affected as he received a $4.5M bonus just days before his vehicular manslaughter accident.

– The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that the Raiders are likely to sign free agent QB Jeff Garcia, perhaps by as soon as Monday. QB JaMarcus Russell will start, but Garcia is being added likely as a mentor. The Raiders have been concerned with Russell’s work ethic and are likely hoping that Garcia will rub off on him. Garcia is not expected to compete for Oakland’s starting job.

WrestleMania 25

The silver anniversary – the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania comes to you live from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas in front of a sold out crowd of more than 72,744. A quarter-century in the making. Wow.

Here’s some other info: WWE set a new record tonight at Reliant Stadium, grossing $6.9M in revenue. This is the highest grossing live event in WWE history. With 72,744 in attendance, the WMXXV surpassed SuperBowl XLIII in Tampa (70,774 attendance). WWE fans from all 50 states, 24 countries and 7 Canadian Provinces attended the pop culture extravaganza.

WrestleMania XXVI will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, March 28, 2010. Ticket information will be announced later this year.

Carlito and Primo Colon defeat MizMo

They’ve now unified the titles, so it’ll be cool to see what they look like now, assuming they don’t just drop one or the other. For some reason, this match was pulled from the broadcast and moved to a dark match prior to the show, so for those of you who missed it, tough. It’s only available on DVD, which is stupid, since they should have just done a regular match. The match was said to be very good with some fun spots. The ending came when Morrison went for the Moonlight Drive on Primo, who reversed it and turned it into a Back Cracker to score the pin.

Speaking of stupid, Vince has already lost faith in ECW Champion Jack Swagger since his lackluster match with Finlay at No Way Out. He still wants to push him, but doesn’t think he’s ready for TV. If that’s the case, why didn’t he drop the belt to Christian without losing, maybe like getting DQ’d with that stipulation? And everyone wonders why championships aren’t worth anything anymore – that don’t get better if they’re not defended at PPV’s, and there’s no bigger PPV than the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania.

In unrelated WMXXV news, Dolph Ziggler was injured during a match with Sim Snuka (you read that right) during the WM Access Tour. He was seen holding his shoulder, so the early belief is that he’s broken his collarbone. I’ll keep you up to date.

America the Beautiful

Performed by the Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Sherzinger. Great crowd pop for the song. Jets fly over Reliant Stadium, and the set and crowd look astonishing. Opening pyro was awesome.

CM Punk wins the Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Very good match with some great spots. Shelton Benjamin’s swanton off the 20-foot ladder was incredible. Kofi Kingston had about a half-dozen spots too, he’s really shown how athletic he is. Climbing the folded ladder up the briefcase and performing some signature moves on the ladder was outstanding. Christian’s unprettier on CM Punk from the top of the ladder was a great idea, but the landing was botched. Hornswaggle even had a good spot. A lot of ladder shots in the match, which was a good thing. A great teased finish with Christian pushing the ladder over with himself on it, but bouncing off the ropes and regaining his vertical positioning was incredible – the crowd erupted when this happened. As for the finish…

Realistically, let’s go through the possible outcomes. Mark Henry and Kane can’t win – they’re not over enough, and neither one of them can climb a ladder. Finlay, realistically, won’t win because he too is just not over enough. MVP and Shelton Benjamin are possibilities, but neither one are ready for a championship match. That leaves CM Punk and Christian. Punk won last year, cashed in Money in the Bank to beat Edge, then lost the belt, and quietly went back down to midcard status on RAW. Christian, on the other hand, is a fresh talent who could use the MITB win to get a title shot on RAW or SD!, and once again push him back to main event status, which is where he was before he left for TNA. For some reason, beyond my comprehension, Punk wins again. He’s now the first ever to win back-to-back MITB matches. What for? All he’s going to do is cash in and quickly lose the belt and fall back down to tag matches with Kofi – again. What a waste.

Rating: ****

Kid Rock Concert

So the Buddy Holly glasses are back in style? Kid Rock rocked out to Bawitdaba, All Summer Long, Rock N’ Roll Jesus, Cowboy and So Hott, among others. Great stuff, but very long – roughly 6 songs melted into one performance. Good pyro for him, too. Some people have been telling me about him lip-synching, but I was too busy rocking out to notice. Bawitdaba and All Summer Long are some sweet tunes. Too bad American Bad Ass wasn’t played.

Santina wins the 25-Diva Battle Royal

Mae Young was timekeeper at the announce table. Gross. Sunny and Torrie Wilson were eliminated quickly, unfortunately, and the majority of the match was dominated by Beth Phoenix. A mystery diva (Santino dressed like a woman) was hiding in the corners, and for the finish, pulled a lopsided Beth and Melina over the top rope for the win. He starts crying after announcing that he’s Santina, Santino’s twin sister from Italy. He starts dancing afterwards.

Rating: 0

Chris Jericho defeats The Legends

Actually a passable match. Superfly was just awful, and he was eliminated first with the nice Walls of Jericho that was done for real – it actually looked like the original Lion Tamer. Poor attempt at tapping out by Superfly. Piper was the next to go, quickly thereafter. Thank goodness for Steamboat who can still move – he’s jumping off the top rope, out of the ring, everywhere. Jericho wins via Codebreaker. Flair comes in and gets beaten down, and Y2J calls out Rourke, who looks like a homeless Johnny Depp in the future. After some hesitance, Rourke comes in, and they box. Jericho backing away, and he eventually gets “hit” with a left hook. The Flair celebrates with Rourke.

Stupid segment. At least Floyd Mayweather is a real boxer, and he actually hit the Big Show. So, Jericho can beat four past-wrestlers down, but can’t beat up an untrained actor? Either way, Jericho came out looking like a tool because of that shot from Rourke. What kind of a guys name is Mickey? Wasn’t he a mouse? Anyways, the result and aftermatch were predictable.

Rating: **1/2

Matt Hardy defeats Jeff Hardy

This match was awesome. So many spots from Jeff – the top rope, the chairshot on the Whisper in the Wind, the double table jump, the Twist of Fate with Jeff’s head wedged through the chair, the missed Swanton, the double ladder leg drop – he missed that one and landed straight on his tailbone. Great match overall, but Matt winning was a given I think.

Rating: ****

Rey Mysterio defeats JBL to win the Intercontinental Championship

Rey comes out looking like Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. Pretty cool. JBL beats Rey down prior to the match, but the match itself was only 12 seconds long with Rey winning the belt for the first time. JBL’s historic thing is quitting, as it takes him a minute to spit it out. JBL is most likely taking Tazz’ spot on the SmackDown! announce table – him and JR should work well together. Anyways, waste of a match. I’d easily take the tag title unification match over this.

The Undertaker defeats Shawn Michaels

Oh. My. God. First and foremost, the entrances. HBK comes down from over the titantron with all white lights, almost like he’s descending from the heavens on clouds as he floats down to the stage. Taker rises from hell from underneath the stage, ala Rey Mysterio, with all darkness surrounding. Amazing. The match itself was incredible, with HBK getting two Sweet Chin Music’s and Taker kicking out, while Taker hit a Tombstone Piledriver and for the tease finish with HBK kicking out. Taker did a running Senton out of the ring and landed on a camera guy who landed on his camera, which was awesome. The crowd was hot throughout the match. There were about a dozen close finishes in what I can only describe as godly.

There are a few matches that come to mind when you think of the greatest matches in WWE history – Hogan vs. Andre at WMIII, Hogan vs. Warrior, HBK vs. Razor Ramon in the first ever ladder match, Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart in the ironman match, etc. This match could very well surpass them all. If anyone was to break Undertaker’s 16-0 streak, it would be HBK, and the fact of not knowing who was going to win added to the suspense. This match was so beyond 5 stars.

Rating: *****

John Cena defeats Big Show & Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship

Big Show didn’t need to be in this match to begin with. Anyways, not much to say here – some good spots with Edge going through the barricade with Show, and Cena almost FU’ing Show AND Edge on top of him. Cena winning means that Triple H retains to keep a belt on SmackDown!. Following up Taker/HBK was impossible.

Rating: ***

WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009

Some great names being inducted, with Stone Cold being the best. He comes back out with his Austin 3:16 shirt and an ATV, does some laps and drinks some beers for what could be his last hoorah ever. Arguably the best superstar in WWE history – soak it in while you can.

Rating: *****

Triple H defeats Randy Orton

The crowd was dead for this match – Taker/HBK was so nuts, I think the crowd was exhausted. An RKO and Pedigree led off the show immediately, like 30 seconds in, and Triple H punted RKO and won with the sledgehammer shot and Pedigree while the ref was down. Not much else to say here, just a wrestling match. It was alright at best, but nothing to jump out of your seat about. Poor execution for the most part.

Rating: **1/2

Final Thoughts

A lot of people are having mixed reactions about the PPV, as do I. The MITB match was terrific, but with the wrong finish. The Divas match was a total waste, and the Legends/Y2J match, although passable, was poor use of Chris Jericho’s skills. The Hardy match was great, but Cena and RKO were just average matches. The true main event was Undertaker and HBK, but after watching RKO/HHH, they had to put it third-last, since the crowd would be dead from cheering all night. Essentially, ‘Mania was a one-match show. Was the one match worth the fee? I’d say so, since it is likely the greatest match ever, but that’s just one guy’s opinion. Outside of that match, not really a memorable WrestleMania.

High Point: HBK/Taker

Low Point: Divas match

Final Score: 7

VoV

– SO PSYCHED for WrestleMania 25 tomorrow night. With what can basically be considered as 4 main events with HHH/RKO, Show/Cena/Edge, Y2J/Legends, and what really should be the main event, HBK/Taker, this ‘Mania is building up to be one for the ages. I can’t wait!

WWE

– In an interview with Chicago’s Q101 alternative rock station yesterday, Shawn Michaels, 43, said he think next year’s Wrestlemania will be his last. HBK said his WWE contract will expire after the show and he wants to be around more for his children. Michaels said he thinks he’ll come back to wrestling at some point, but likely when his kids are teenagers and don’t want to hang around him anymore.

– ECW superstar Christian had a recent interview with ESPN.com. He had this to say;

On leaving TNA for WWE: “I think the free agent process is a little bit different because other major pro sports like the NBA or NHL, you’re looking at 30 teams. You have 30 options. You don’t really have that in this industry. There is one name that stands above all else, and that’s WWE. So to really be on top, that’s where you have to apply your trade…I really had to sit down and weigh the options for me and my career. I’m just trying to do the best that I can and move as high as I can and my ultimate goal is to become World Champion. To be recognized as one of the best, you need to win that WWE title or the World Heavyweight Championship.”

On his future in the WWE: “I feel better than I have in years. I was gone for three-plus years from WWE, and coming back, I feel rested, and I actually feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’m a little older, a little wiser, and I think things are going to be a lot different for me this time around. I think this time I’ll definitely reach my full potential, and at some point, I will be World Champion.”

– According to Main Event & Fox 8 in Australia, the rundown for WrestleMania 25 is expected to look like this;

World Wrestling Entertainment presents: WrestleMania – The 25th Anniversary
Presented by National Guard
Reliant Stadium, Houston

, TX
Sunday, April 5; 7e/4p LIVE on Pay-per-view
Contact your local service provider for ordering information

Hosted by Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole.

Order of Events:

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger sings America The Beautiful

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Rey Mysterio vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield

Money In The Bank Ladder Match – Christian vs. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) vs. Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston

Legends Challenge Gauntlet Match – Chris Jericho vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jimmy “The Superfly” Snuka (w/ Ric Flair and Mickey Rourke)

WWE Tag Team Championship Unification Match – WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz vs. World Tag Team Champions Carlito and Primo Colón

Extreme Rules Match – Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

LIVE Musical Performance from critically-acclaimed artist Kid Rock

25-Diva Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal – participants include: Melina, Mickie James, Beth Pheonix, Santino Marella, Michelle McCool, Tammy Lynn Sytch, Victoria, Mae Young and Gail Kim

World Heavyweight Championship Match – John Cena vs. Edge vs. The Big Show

“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker

WWE Heavyweight Championship Match – Randy Orton (w/ Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) vs. Triple H (w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley

– Former WWE manager Paul Bearer had to decline an invite to WrestleMania 25 due to prior commitments. Afa “The Wild Samoan”, however, as well as Bobby “The Brain” Heenan will be in attendance.

– According to the PWInsider, former WWE Diva Nidia Guenard is currently in Houston, Texas and expected to participate in the 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV. Nidia last appeared in a WWE ring over four years ago, having been released from her contract on November 3, 2004 alongside several other performers in a talent purge. She retired shortly thereafter.

– WWE.com has added former WWE Diva Miss Jackie to their Alumni section. Her bio confirms her appearance at WrestleMania XXV with the following note: “

The excitement of the WWE Universe reached a fever pitch with the recent announcement that Miss Jackie would return to WWE to make a special appearance in the 25th Anniversary

of WrestleMania Divas Battle Royal.”

Her name was actually announced by Eve and Kelly Kelly during the WrestleMania XXV press conference this past Tuesday, but the mention was cut out of the short video posted on WWE.com for some reason. The WWE website has since posted video of the press conference in its entirety and with her name being mentioned.

WWE has also added Torrie Wilson to the Alumni section. She too will be participating in the 25-Diva battle royal.

– While signing autographs and meeting fans at last night’s WrestleMania Axxess event in Houston, RAW Diva Candice Michelle was spotted wearing her medical boot, which should confirm that her ankle injury has yet to fully heal (she was also seen wearing the boot a few weeks ago at a GoDaddy.com event). As a result, she won’t be competing in tomorrow night’s 25-Diva Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXV. Two weeks ago, her picture was pulled from the WWE television graphic promoting the match.

– WWE.com removed Tazz’ profile from the SmackDown! section last night. His profile has been moved to the WWE Alumni section, confirming his departure from the organization.

NFL

– QB Byron Leftwich visited the Redskins Friday. They met with the former Jaguar only a day after they failed to acquire QB Jay Cutler and on the same day they tried to calm QB Jason Campbell’s nerves.

– The Rams have signed QB Kyle Boller. Terms of the deal were not announced.

– The Texans have signed LB Cato June to a one-year/$1.5M contract. The deal can be worth up to $2M.

WWE

– Regarding plans for Chris Jericho at WrestleMania, Vince McMahon continues to keep them secret, so no one really knows at this point except perhaps his inner circle of the creative team. They’ve tossed around various scenarios for what is planned for Jericho, but they are changed regularly.

One scenario discussed last week was for Jericho to face a series of legends at “The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania,” culminating with The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke coming out and delivering a knockout punch.

Another idea thrown out was for Jericho to wrestle someone, although that person has yet to be disclosed. Additionally, the legends featured on television in recent weeks including Ric Flair, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, as well as Mickey Rourke, would sit in the front row and get involved towards the end of the match. While they haven’t been featured on television during the angle, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and the Honky Tonk Man will likely sit amongst the legends too.

Flair has talked about not wanting to be perceived as “just another legend” in the crowd, but he still plans on being involved with the storyline.

– According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Vince McMahon recently said he wants RAW upgraded during the upcoming WWE Draft, which is scheduled to be held on April 13, 2009 in Atlanta. While not saying so, with depth the way it is, SmackDown! will probably take a big hit. As far as SmackDown! is concerned, Vince wants to go back to focusing on the Hispanic audience it lost following the departure of Rey Mysterio from the brand as well as developing new stars.

NFL

– NFL.com‘s Steve Wyche reports the Rams have officially released WR Torry Holt. The move has been coming for weeks, but was delayed as the Rams attempted to find a trade partner. Holt, a 10-year vet, was due a $1.25M signing bonus on March 17, and his release saves the Rams $8M in salary cap room. Despite his disappointing 2008, he is expected to draw interest as a possible number-one receiver from the Titans, Giants, Panthers and 49ers among others.

MLB

– The Marlins have released OF Jay Gibbons.