RAW

Raw is live from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Opener

Mike Tyson out. He’s terrible live. Video package of him punching out HBK at WM14. One of the most awesome moments/storylines in WWE’s history. WWE pushing him as the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ is stupid – Tyson hasn’t been relevant for more than a decade and hasn’t won a big fight in nearly 20 years. Plus, he’s fat and out of shape now. Sheamus is smack talking Tyson, with Orton, Cena and Kingston all coming out to argue why they should have the Number 1 Contender’s spot for the WWE Championship at the Rumble. I loved the Cena boos and Orton cheers. Triple threat made for tonight, but not great booking – Kofi has about as much chance winning this match as I do.

Alicia Fox d. Kelly Kelly (1/4*)

Kelly did some offense, but Alicia countered on a very obviously choreographed spot to finish her off with a stiff powerbomb. These two cannot wrestle well.

Legacy comes out to talk about the Rumble, hinting at splitting. Same promo that every single team has cut for over 20 years about the Rumble. The Marine 2 gets a plug, but nothing about how poorly its done so far.

Legacy d. Mark Henry & Evan Bourne (*)

Typical – Bourne’s the face in peril, hot tag to the Kool-Aid man. Rhodes wins with the Cross Rhodes, and Bourne sells it like a champ.

HHH talked with Shawn saying he wants to talk to Tyson. Useless.

ECW plug, which is apparently no longer shown in Canada. It can be watched online, but I’d much rather watch it on my 68″ HD TV. Plus, ECW has Christian. For the time being.

Tyson w/ Michaels. Tyson said he didn’t regret what happened. Jericho came in even though he got kicked off Raw for the second time. Tyson & Jericho vs. DX tonight with the idea that if Jericho wins, then he gets to stay on Raw forever this time. Again.

Jack Swagger segment w/ Santino in an over the top challenge. Santino’s awesomeness was shown in making a joke about how was going to drop Swagger like a bicycle without a kickstand. This guy’s a legend. His handlebars are hysterical. Swagger gets eliminated. Doghouse? Waste of time still.

By showing Austin/Tyson from 1998, all they’re doing is showing fans what used to be great WWE programming, and showing the sharp decline in quality to what we’re watching now.

Randy Orton d. Kofi Kingston & John Cena to become the #1 Contender to the WWE Title (**)

This match was pretty awkward. Something wasn’t right. That reverse angle of Sheamus at the top of the ramp shows you his back acne crystal clear in HD. They did the typical triple threat spots with each guy getting falls until the third man kicks out. The problem was guys were out of place. I think it might have been Kofi, I don’t know. Anyway, he hit Trouble in Paradise on Cena, who went to the floor. Cody came in to kick the steps into Cena. Cody distracts the ref while Ted would come in to interfere with Kofi. Orton hit the RKO for the win. Orton yelled at Kofi saying “STUPID!” while doing it. Did Kofi miss a spot, or was that RKO in character? Orton moves on against Sheamus.

The Miz talking about how when he first got to WWE he wasn’t allowed to change in the locker room because he violated some rule about eating chicken and getting a ref’s bag dirty. He had to dress on his own for six months, find his own washroom, etc. True? I think so. He walked out to the ring saying that MVP, the number one contender to the US Title, wasn’t in his league because he’s perfect while MVP was a criminal. Cue MVP, who talks about how he made those mistakes, but he’s learned from them and earned the respect of the fans. The two brawl with a good crowd reaction, with MVP kicking Miz out of the ring. Great segment. Two midcarders on Raw getting ten minutes to further a feud using only their voices is rare, and these two did a great job. This, and the Morrison/McIntyre match are looking good. Hopefully when they have the match it lasts longer than this promo.

Eve Eve d. Katie Lea Burchill (DUD)

Brutal. Eve vs. Maryse next round.

Smackdown this week: Batista vs. Mysterio again, now for the third time in six weeks. This time in a steel cage to determine the #1 contender. I thought it would be a triple threat at the Rumble, but apparently not.

Vince McMahon came out to the ring. Vince reacts to the “We Want Bret” chants but not the “Boring” ones. He said Bret won’t be in a WWE ring again. Yes he will. He’ll be there next week. At least it was under five minutes.

DX d. Chris Jericho & Mike Tyson (1/2*)

Before the match started, HBK said he wanted Taker to answer him about WrestleMania 26 next week. Unlikely. Michaels bumped around for Tyson shoving him. Horny came out, Jericho turned around and ate a right hand from Tyson who knocked him out to give DX the most obvious and unnecessary win in wrestling history. Why is WWE putting over Mike Tyson, a retired boxer, moreso than HBK, one of the industry’s greatest? This is doing nothing to help WWE. King & Cole are praising Tyson like it’s the mid-1990′s when he hasn’t done anything in 20 years. Good sell by Jericho, though. Speaking of Y2J, where’s Big Show?

Brutal ending. The only good thing that came of this night was that Steve Austin’s guest hosting on March 15 in San Diego. Not really looking forward to Miami Vice and Napoleon Dynamite next week.

Three Stars of the Show

* – Randy Orton – “STUPID!”
** – The Miz
*** – MVP

What did this show accomplish aside from Randy Orton being named number one contender? Nothing. Yes, MVP and Miz cut a good face to face promo that will hook fans, but will they even get a PPV match? Probably not. The main event was based on a story from 12 years ago that they replayed half a dozen times even though everybody knew what was going to happen. King & Cole moronically asked if it was planned all along. Obviously, idiots. WWE needs to stop booking shows to put the guest hosts over, they’ll never be associated with Raw ever again, and there’s no point in doing it. Raw would good if they actually booked some of the younger babyfaces to look good, rather than jobbing. All MVP, Kingston and Bourne do is lose matches, and the crowds are dead for them as a result. I forgot to mention last week how the PPV numbers are down for WWE. A big four show like Survivor Series doesn’t even get 250,000 buys, so that’s a huge issue for them to worry about.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/thecanadianrage

MLB

– The Dodgers have acquired 1B Jim Thome from the White Sox for INF Justin Fuller and cash, and have also acquired RHP Jon Garland from the D’Backs for a PTBNL. Thome, a five-time All-Star, is owed $2,415,301 from his $13M salary, and is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series.

Thome will serve as an excellent late-innings weapon for the playoff-bound Dodgers, but will not draw starts at first. Garland, 29, has gone 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in the month of August and will serve as an effective fill-in until RHP Hiroki Kuroda (concussion) returns.

– The Giants have signed RHP Brad Penny. The 31-year-old right-hander was cut by the Red Sox on Thursday after going 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA this season—including 1-6 in his last 11 starts. The Twins were reportedly interested in claiming him off waivers and paying the $1.11-1.44M remaining on his contract, but Penny reportedly wanted to play in the NL.

– The Rockies have acquired RHP Jose Contreras from the White Sox for RHP Brandon Hynick and cash. The 37-year-old Contreras is 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 21 starts this season. He’s pitched in seven major league seasons with the Yankees and White Sox and is 70-63 with a 4.66 ERA. Contreras has allowed 30 runs in his last six starts and carried a 7.66 ERA through August. Hynick, 24, had a 3.83 ERA and 92/48 K/BB ratio in 26 starts (155 innings) this season on the Triple-A level and could eventually turn into a fine long reliever or No. 5 starter.

– The Angels have sent 2B Sean Rodriguez to the Rays to complete last week’s trade for LHP Scott Kazmir.

– The Yankees have acquired INF Juan Guzman from the Nationals.

– The D’Backs have acquired RHP Kevin Mulvey from the Twins.

– According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have signed LHP Trevor Miller to a one-year deal. Miller’s new deal also contains a vesting option for 2011. The 36-year-old left-hander has been fantastic, posting a 1.77 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings this season while holding left-handed batters to a .100/.157/.175 batting line.

– Astros 3B Aaron Boone is returning to the MLB only five months after open-heart surgery. The 36-year-old Boone signed with the Astros in the offseason, then had an operation on March 26 because of a congenital defect in his aortic valve.

– Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (hip) may not need a second surgery at the end of the season, as originally diagnosed. A-Rod is saying there is an 80% chance that he won’t be back in the surgery room this off-season.

– The D’Backs have placed RHP Chad Qualls (dislocated patella) on the 60-day DL.

– The Reds have placed OF Laynce Nix (back) on the 15-day DL.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Guillermo Mota (toe) on the 15-day DL.

NBA

– Timberwolves president David Kahn says Spanish G Ricky Rubio has backed out of a deal to play in Minnesota this season. Kahn says the Wolves negotiated a deal on Saturday night with Rubio’s Spanish pro team and agent Dan Fegan to bring the 18-year-old to Minnesota this fall. But Rubio informed Kahn on Monday night that he would prefer to stay in his homeland for two more years to better prepare himself for the NBA. Kahn says DKV Joventut has agreed to trade Rubio to Regal FC Barcelona, where he will play until 2011.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Knicks are trying to find a way to acquire Rubio. Rumours are circulating that from day one, Rubio has wanted out of Minny and into a bigger NBA market. Rubio’s agent, Dan Regan, has supposedly talked to Knicks president Donnie Walsh about it. The Tribune says the Knicks could send the Wolves F David Lee, G Nate Robinson and a No. 1 pick for the rights to Rubio. Stay tuned.

– The Celtics and G Marquis Daniels are close to agreeing on a contract for the biannual exception worth roughly $1.9M. The Celtics and Pacers have finally given up looking for a third team to facilitate a sign-and-trade, though there was never any doubt about where Daniels would be playing this season.

– The Bobcats are no closer to signing G Raymond Felton to a long-term deal. Felton could sign one-year/$5.5M offer, making him a UFA next season. There is a month left before training camp gets underway and a deal needs to be done before then.

– According to sources, the Clippers, Grizzlies and Thunder are trying to land Rockets F Brent Barry. The 37-year-old Barry only has one more year left on his current contract.

TNA

– Daniel Christopher Covell (aka Christopher Daniels), 39, of Palmdale, CA, was charged with driving while impaired after police said he registered 0.14 on the Breathalyzer. Officer J.A. Calzaretta Jr. stopped Covell’s 2009 Dodge Charger in the 2300 block of South Brightleaf Boulevard for a traffic violation, which led to his arrest. Covell was released on $2K bail.

It’s now become apparent that Christopher Daniels was drinking with WWE wrestler Shane “Hurricane” Helms before he got behind the wheel.

Daniels was arrested a short distance from Helms’s home. Daniels and Helms posted messages on Twitter on Friday evening talking about a drinking contest the two were having. Since then, most of the messages referencing the drinking that led to Daniels’ DUI have been taken down.

NHL

– The Canucks and G Roberto Luongo are reportedly close to agreeing on a contract extension. “Negotiations are on-going and we are confident we will reach an agreement before training camp,” said a Canucks’ official in an email to The Canadian Press. Luongo said, “We’re trying to get it done before (training) camp. If it doesn’t happen before camp, I will not be negotiating during the season. I don’t want to have that distraction.” It would certainly be in Vancouver’s best interest to lock up their franchise goalie as soon as possible, especially with Luongo setting a September 13 deadline for negotiations. Luongo was entering the final year of a four-year/$27M contract. He will make $7.5M for the 2009-10 season. Stay tuned.

– F Jiri Hudler is still waiting to receive an international transfer card (ITC) in order to play in Europe this season. USA Hockey needs to sign off on the deal to allow Hudler to suit up for Moscow Dynamo or else the KHL club would face sanctions from the IIHF. The ITC needs signatures from the incoming federation (Russia), the outgoing federation (USA Hockey) and the player to become official. This an interesting development as the Red Wings are already working under the assumption that Hudler is gone for this season, after giving him permission to play in Russia, and his return to the organization would certainly hurt their salary cap situation if he does not receive his ITC.

– A Michigan judge says former Blue Jackets F Sergei Fedorov is entitled to $60M from a man accused of failing to meet a loan obligation to the hockey player. Fedorov says Joseph Zada of Grosse Pointe Shores swindled him out $43M during the past 11 years. He allegedly promised to repay the former player $60M by April 20.

– The NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs appear to have a difference of opinion when it comes the club’s veto power that would prevent another team from moving into its territory. According to the Globe and Mail, Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, who is looking to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton, filed a letter in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday that shows that the Leafs do not agree with the NHL’s position, which is that a veto does not exist. “The Toronto Maple Leafs do not agree that a relocation of another club into their home territory would be subject to a majority vote (of the league board). They continue to believe that a unanimous vote would be required before a team could relocate into their home territory.”

The Balsillie group will return to court on Wednesday where they will have a hearing to determine if their bid of $212.5M will be allowed in light of Balsillie being denied as a potential owner in a unanimous vote earlier this summer. Balsillie is expected to argue that the NHL’s primary reason for denying his bid is largely based on the Leafs’ insistence that they can veto the move to Hamilton. Balsillie’s group has also previously stated that the NHL wanted to keep the veto a secret because it might be illegal.

– Wild F Benoit Pouliot was found guilty of a drunk driving charge on Monday in an Ontario court room.
As a result the Wild center lost his driver’s license for a year and was fined $1,828. Pouliot has acknowledged his mistake and said he has learned from it as a result. The Minnesota organization is aware of the incident but did not comment.

– The Panthers will go without a permanent general manager this season. Interim GM Randy Sexton will continue to handle the day-to-day duties this season, but hasn’t been named the official GM of the team. It seems like a strange move, but Sexton will be able to keep from imploding in the interim.

– The Canucks have re-signed D Nathan McIver.

NFL

– Free agent CB Pacman Jones has agreed in principle to a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. Pacman, who turns 26 on September 30, could join the team by Wednesday. His NFL career was ruined by off-field problems but he hasn’t had any issues with the law since 2007. If Jones’ play north of the border catches an NFL team’s eye, he can request a release from his CFL contract at anytime. The CFL’s regular season ends on November 8.

– The Chiefs have cut WR Amani Toomer.

WWE

– According to sources, WWE has a long-term plan in place for Legacy to split with Ted DiBiase turning babyface around Survivor Series.

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.”

RAW

RAW # 841 comes to you taped from San Jose, California.

Opener

Ted DiBiase has the greatest laugh in the history of mankind. In fact, his theme song is my current ringtone. DiBiase’s promo came off a bit heel-ish, which wasn’t necessary, but oh well. RKO vs. DiBiase and Rhodes vs. Henry.

Rated Y2J d. Primo & Carlito

It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the tag straps with Edge’s achilles injury that’s expected to keep him out until January 2010 at the earliest. The match was OK, but short with the a decent finish. Carlito’s heel turn was expected, but it’s dumb how they waste one on him rather than turning HHH or Cena heel instead which would be much more interesting than a midcard tag team. Either way, the “backstabber” becomes adequately named again.

Backstage

Legacy. DiBiase hinting at a possible face turn.

Mickie James & Gail Kim d. Maryse & Alicia Fox

Gail Kim’s return adds another dimension to the women’s division which has become pretty respectable if they left it alone as James, Kim, Maryse, McCool and Phoenix. Alicia Fox is anything but what her last name suggests, she’s like a skinny Jazz (remember her?).

Backstage

Great stuff between DiBiase Sr. and Rhodes. I wonder if Dusty will be GM next week and totally screw over DiBiase Jr. There’s nothing better than WWE bringing back old stuff, which they rarely do nowadays since they expect everyone to have about a one-year memory. Cody in polka dots would be pretty hilarious, since he already looks like a little boy coming out of a bath tub to begin with.

Mark Henry d. Cody Rhodes via countout

What a bloody waste. What was the point of this? To make matters worse, Michael Cole calls Henry’s tenure on RAW a “legacy”, which absolutely ruins any credibility the stable had prior to tonight.

Randy Orton d. Ted DiBiase

I liked it. It made DiBiase look good, but made RKO look like a chump. That’s kinda what happened with Evolution with HHH/RKO I guess, so they’re on the right track.

Backstage

Awful Triple H promo. Ugh.

MVP Lounge

MVP w/ Jack Swagger. Great stuff with Swagger bringing up the 10-years-behind-bars knock. Good job by MVP to reverse it and stay face.

Backstage

DiBiase w/ DiBiase. So much for Teddy’s face turn.

Evan Bourne d. Kofi Kingston

Decent match, both guys looked pretty good. Big Show with the double squash afterwards.

Backstage

Awful John Cena promo. Ugh.

HHH vs. John Deere ends in Double DQ

This match was basically PPV quality, but that’s not saying much since it came from Cena and Triple H. It had flashes of absolute boredom and some of actual quality wrestling. Legacy interferes at the end to ruin the match, which continues WWE’s streak of ruining good matches for no good reason. NOC sees a triple threat now for the WWE title.

Final Thoughts

An average show, nothing terrible but nothing outstanding.

Final Score: 5

VoV

– The Hero List! has been updated.

NFL

– Nashville police formally classified QB Steve McNair’s shocking death Sunday as a homicide. The death of 20-year-old girlfriend Sahel Kazemi has not been classified, though. An autopsy revealed that McNair suffered four gunshot wounds; two to his head and two to his chest, while Kazemi’s only wound was to her head. A semi-automatic pistol was recovered under her body, and Kazemi’s condo showed no signs of forced entry. Police believe the two died early Saturday, well before the bodies were found. Authorities are still not looking for suspects. McNair is survived by his wife of 12 years and four sons.

WWE

– In a recent interview with Spain’s Four Network to promote WWE’s upcoming tour of Europe, Jeff Hardy said he has still not decided whether to re-sign with WWE. His current contract expires at the end of the month and he claims he has not signed a contract renewal.

When asked whether he’s made a decision to continue wrestling for WWE, Hardy said, “I don’t know.”

“I am 31 years old now and I don’t like making plans for the future. I can wrestle until I am 40 but I don’t want to make plans, I don’t like thinking about what could happen between now and the next five years,” Hardy said.

– John Cena, who is currently on tour with the RAW brand down in Australia, was recently interviewed by Kylie Northover of TheAge.com.au. Cena put over WWE’s popularity as a one-of-a-kind entertainment spectacle. “It’s amazing that we’ve been so popular for so long. I think a part of it can be attributed to the fact that we appeal to people from all walks of life. WWE is the ultimate package – sports entertainment.”

Cena spoke about watching wrestling as a kid, naming Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior and Shawn Michaels as three of his favorites growing up.

Cena was asked about his “rivalry” with former WWE superstar and Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Cena’s made it clear in the past that he feels The Rock should show more appreciation to the WWE fans who made him a star and told TheAge, “I just felt that he could give something back to the WWE fans. I thought The Rock was great. I’d love to see him back in the ring just like every other WWE fan would.”

Although Cena’s own movie career is taking off, he does not see himself leaving the business entirely like The Rock. “If you asked me where I’d be in 10 years, I’d say promoting another film and looking forward to the next Wrestlemania.”

– Through the weekly POWER 25 feature, the official WWE website mistakenly spoiled the results of three matches set to air on tomorrow night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, including a huge angle. The episode was immediately taped following last Monday’s live broadcast in San Jose.

Both Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase will be in singles action on tomorrow night’s taped broadcast, with Rhodes going up against Mark Henry and DiBiase going up against Randy Orton. The POWER 25 says both wrestlers came up short in their respective matches.

“Unfortunately for the two younger members of The Legacy, both came up short in singles action on Raw and in tag team action at The Bash. As a result, the duo drops two spots down the list.”

Tomorrow night’s taped broadcast will also see Carlito and Primo get a rematch against Chris Jericho and Edge for the WWE Unified Tag Team Championships. After Carlito and Primo come up short in their match, Carlito turns on his brother.

“Losing the Unified Tag Team Titles Sunday as well as their rematch Monday against Edge & Chris Jericho obviously frustrated Carlito a great deal, and he took out those frustrations on his brother on Raw.”

You can see the latest edition of the POWER 25 at WWE.com. The spoilers have yet to be edited.

– For the past several months, any match featuring blood has been censored on WWE Classics On Demand. The screen turns to black and white whenever blood is displayed. They also now put up the following warning screen before old episodes of ECW.

– The Bell Centre has posted the following statement on it’s website:

** A night where every match is a submission match **
** WWE Superstars will push each other beyond every threshold of pain **
** Who has the power, the resiliency and the determination to survive WWE Breaking Point? **

According to a survey that was sent out a few months back, the original plan was for just the top matches at WWE Breaking Point to be submission matches. WWE Breaking Point takes place on September 13th at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

NBA

– According to sources, G Jason Kidd will re-sign with the Mavericks on a three-year/$25M deal. The Knicks were also chasing J-Kidd, but couldn’t offer more than a mid-level exception.

– According to sources, F Rasheed Wallace will indeed sign with the Celtics on a two-year deal. The Magic, Spurs and Mavs were also vying for his services.

– Talks continue between the Pistons and Jazz about a F Carlos Boozer-G Rip Hamilton trade. Hamilton didn’t fit with G Allen Iverson this season, and he won’t fit with newly acquired G Ben Gordon), thus, the team is looking to deal him. If they are unsuccessful in acquiring Boozer, the Pistons will look elsewhere for an established big man.

– The Knicks are scheduled to meet with FA F Grant Hill. The Knicks plan to offer Hill $2M, but the Celtics and Suns are looking to sign him and would likely offer him more.

– The Cavs are scouting F Shawn Marion and F Josh Childress.

NHL

– Canadiens GM Bob Gainey spoke to Montreal radio station CJAD on Monday where he stated that F Alexei Kovalev will not being brought back. Gainey told the radio station that the club made an offer to Kovalev last week, but the Russian winger took too long to consider the deal.

– The Leafs are currently scouting G Jonas Gustavsson’s teammate, F Rickard Wallin.

– According to the Nashville Tennessean, Predators F Steve Sullivan says his injured back feels great, which is great news for the Predators for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that he is valuable part of the team’s offensive picture and the second part it that insurance will no longer pay the tab should Sullivan suffer another back injury. Insurance paid 80% of his $3.2M annual salary when he was sidelined for nearly two years. GM David Poile said, “It would be an exclusion, because once you have a pre-existing injury, that’s it. So if he was ever to go down with the back, insurance is out. If he injured a knee or something else, you could get the insurance. But not if it’s the back.”

– F David Jones is believed to be close to agreeing to a new contract with the Avalanche. The deal is thought to be a two-year contract, but the terms and specifics are not yet known.

– The Pens have signed F Chris Connor to a one-year deal.

TENNIS

– Roger Federer, serving 50 aces and winning 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14, defeated Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon finale. Federer won his record 15th Grand Slam title, outlasting Roddick for his sixth Wimbledon championship in match that went to 30 games in the final set. Federer’s win breaks the record of major titles he shared with Pete Sampras (14). The match lasted 4:16 in an absolutely outstanding tennis matchup.

MLB

– The Phillies are scouting RHP Pedro Martinez. Martinez, 37, is 214-99 with a 2.91 career earned run average, but went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA last season with the Mets. He’s thought to be seeking a $5M salary.

– The Athletics have acquired OF Scott Hairston from the Padres for RHP Craig Italiano, RHP Ryan Webb and a player to be named. Hairston is under control through 2011.

– ChicagoBreakingNews.com reports that the Tribune Co. has reached a deal to sell the Cubs and Wrigley Field to the Ricketts family for about $900M. The deal must now be court-approved and accepted by other MLB owners. This move could give the Cubs the financial flexibility to take on salary at the deadline.

RAW

RAW # 840 comes to you live from San Jose, California.

Opener

Good Vince promo. Stupid that Vince is the Chairman, yet he’s still following rules from a guy no longer “employed” there. How does that work? Batista’s got pretty good range of motion in his arm considering he’s in a brace and just had biceps surgery. Batista’s still terrible on the mic, he hasn’t practiced at all during his time off.

Triple H d. MVP

Short match, with the obvious winner being H. He got zero offence in. What a waste.

Y2J & Edge d. Primo & Carlito

Great tag match. Edge and Y2J work well together as a heel tandem. Great close finishes, too.

John Cena d. The Miz

Typical Cena match. Not much else to say here.

Backstage

Nice to see DiBiase back for next week. I hope he laughs.

Mickie James d Kelly Kelly, Rosa & Beth Phoenix

Short match with little substance.

Big Show vs. Kofi Kingston ends in Double Countout

What a waste.

Randy Orton Gauntlet

RKO beats Evan Bourne, then Jack Swagger, but loses to Mark Henry. Nice heel play by Swagger to not enter the ring.

Final Thoughts

RAW sucked again. The tag match was the match of the night, but thankfully WWE traded some guys to freshen up each brand. Something like this needs to be done in addition to the WWE Draft.

Final Score: 4

WWE

– According to the PWInsider, there is still no solid word on when Shawn Michaels will be returning to WWE television. Michaels was pretty banged up after his WrestleMania 25 match and has been at home recovering, much like The Undertaker.

Michaels has said that he wants to take off an extended period of time to be with his family, although people within WWE definitely want him back sooner than later. Shawn and Triple H are both known as guys who are good at talking Vince out of doing the nonsensical comedy angles that he and lead RAW writer Brian Gewirtz both love.

– According to the PWInsider, as expected, company sources say that WWE management is thrilled with the 4.5 rating RAW pulled this week. The company is giving credit for the rise in viewer-ship to curiosity over what could happen with Donald Trump taking over the brand in storylines. They feel that the commercial-free aspect had much less to do with the ratings rise than Trump did.

This is leading at least one source to believe they haven’t seen the end of the Trump/McMahon saga, provided that Trump is willing to do more wrestling appearances. Vince and Donald are old friends, and the idea came together after USA asked WWE to do something big for the commercial-free show. WWE doesn’t get paid for commercials, so they didn’t take a loss.

Neither WWE nor USA Network are stressing the fact that John & Kate Plus 8 beat RAW in the ratings since the reality show is getting a ton of mainstream publicity. USA’s main concern is beating TNT, who they are currently in a cable ratings war with.

– World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is said to be working hurt right now. Nobody knows the extent of his injury because he’s not selling it to anyone, but locker room sources say his upper-body pain shows. Edge is pretty banged up as well, and is showing lots of signs of wear-and-tear. He is being given a lighter travel schedule.

– WWE had arena security confiscate all fan signs related to “Macho Man” Randy Savage at Monday’s RAW taping in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

It was reported last month that WWE decided against manufacturing Savage clothing in coordination with their three-disc DVD release on him as they didn’t want fans wearing t-shirts bearing his trademark likeness appearing on their television shows.

– Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase are no longer be referred to as “Priceless.” Rather, they will simply referred to as “Legacy.” WWE recently issued a directive to the announcers regarding the change.

NBA

– According to ESPN, Celtics coach Doc Rivers finds G Rajon Rondo “stubborn” and “impossible to coach”, and Celtics GM Danny Ainge revealed on Wednesday that Rondo was fined for being late to a home playoff game last season. The Celtics recently included Rondo in a low-ball trade offer to the Pistons, and it looks like they’re trying to rid themselves of him before he becomes an RFA next summer. Ainge said bluntly, “[Rondo's] presence hurt us in winning right now because [against Orlando in the playoffs] his man went and doubled onto Ray [Allen] and Paul [Pierce] and made it difficult for us.” Ainge doesn’t feel Rondo deserves a max contract, and his trade value is probably at its peak, so as you read here before at VoV.com, expect his name to continue surfacing throughout the summer.

– According to ESPN, the Grizzlies might trade F Darko Milicic to the Knicks in exchange for G Quentin Richardson and cash. Milicic will make $7.5M next season, after which his contract expires. Richardson, meanwhile, has an $8.7Mplayer option for next season. ESPN says that the deal could fall through if the Grizz decide to use Darko’s expiring deal in a different draft-day trade.

– According to the Denver Post, the Nuggets top offseason priorities are re-signing F Chris Andersen and extending coach George Karl’s contract. Bird Man is due to get a large multi-year deal, though the Nuggets would prefer a back-loaded deal to ease their payroll over the next few seasons. Denver must also decide whether to bring back UFA G Dahntay Jones, whose “goal” is to sign a multi-year deal with the Nuggets.

– There are rumours that the Timberwolves want to package two of their draft picks to acquire the No. 2 pick. The Wolves currently hold the No. 2, No. 5, No. 6, No. 18 and No. 28 The Wolves reportedly aren’t interested in giving up both the No. 5 and No. 6 pick, since their main interest is in having two lottery selections. Minny is believed to be looking at G Ricky Rubio with the No. 2 pick, but F Hasheem Thabeet also remains a possibility.

– Celtics GM Danny Ainge said on Tuesday that F Kevin Garnett, who is recovering from knee surgery, “should be 100 percent by the time we start training camp.” It’s unknown when KG will begin working out, but Ainge said his rehab is going “great.” F Leon Powe, who had a more serious knee injury, isn’t expected to be in game shape until the middle of the next season.

MLB

– According to the Arizona Republic, shoulder surgery is “looking likely” for ace RHP Brandon Webb. Webb underwent a second MRI Tuesday and met later in the day with both GM Josh Byrnes and team physician Dr. Michael Lee. Byrnes said, “We met and discussed options. Everyone wants to be sure he takes the right course of action.” Doesn’t sound too promising. Webb has been on the DL since early April with a bum shoulder.

NFL

– The Panthers have signed franchise player DE Julius Peppers to a one-year/$16.683M tender. He’s withdrawn his trade demand, and it now appears he’ll be in Carolina for at least one more year. Peppers, 29, set a career high with 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles after moving back to his natural right end position in 2008. He’s also a four-time Pro Bowler.

– The Packers have finalized a three-year extension with WR Greg Jennings. It will run through 2012. The deal averages just over $7M a year, assuming he keeps up his Pro Bowl-calibre play. Jennings is the undisputed primary receiver on the Pack, and with an already elite young quarterback under contract for even longer than he is.

– The Chiefs have signed S Mike Brown, formerly of the Bears. Brown, 31, is a onetime Pro Bowler (2005) and Chicago’s all-time leader in defensive TDs (7). Good pickup by the Chiefs.

– According to PFT.com, the Jaguars have given WR Dennis Northcutt permission to seek a trade. Owed close to $10M through 2011, the 31-year-old slot receiver/punt returner won’t bring much in return. The Jags are going all out with their rookies this year, and all have had positive feedback during the OTAs.

RAW

– RAW #839 comes to you live from Green Bay, Wisconsin (MISTERRRRR…KENNEDYYYYY…KENNEDYYYYY…how much I miss that). It’s also the first commercial-free RAW in its 17-year history.

Opener

Trump opens the show. Offering a refund is pretty cool, but what the hell, where was my refund when I went to RAW or when I went to TNA No Surrender? $245,000 just for tickets is peanuts for WWE though.

Cena promo

Cena comes out with new attire that makes him look like a John Deere salesman. What was he thinking? Good job by Cena to burn Miz on The Real World. Good promo to give Miz cheap heat before The Bash this Sunday.

Vince Rides Piggyback

This, aside from maybe the Stone Cold/Vince hospital and bedpan skit, could be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Calling the limo driver an idiot in his Vince-voice twice just made my day. Then having Vince ride the limo driver piggyback style and yelling “GIT!” like he did when Santino and Maria were together was just the cherry on top (followed by Vince kicking him in the ass, of course). Showing the arena that’s within a 5-minute walk was great too, although it might have been even funnier if the arena was closer than that. Even still, Vince could’ve made it quicker than 5 minutes with his patented power walk. All in all, incredible work by VKM.

Commercial?

Why are there buckets of KFC on the announce table? What a cheap attempt at a commercial. King having the Subway sandwiches was better, even with Santino making fun of him about it and then stealing it and eating it afterwards. And why are they still called KFC when the chicken is no longer fried? Although I haven’t tried the new KFC, I’m sure it’s not the same picking up a piece of healthier chicken than it was digging your hand into a grease-stained KFC bucket and pulling up a nice chicken breast, glistening with grease. Damn.

Mysterio, Hardy & Khali d. Y2J, Edge & Ziggler

Hardy slips at the entrance way. Just though I’d point that out. Some nice spots by Hardy and Mysterio. Edge didn’t do much in this match, and neither did Khali, so it could have easily been a regular tag match. Speaking of Khali, his babyface Ziggler had some great sells, although he flops around a lot, kind of like when you throw a guy off the Hell in a Cell in SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007. Good call for Hardy to still get over with the pinfall while not forcing Y2J or Edge to do the job. Dumb Punk/Hardy confrontation afterwards, a staredown would have sufficed.

Backstage

If Trump is going to cut a promo, he needs to learn how to not stare at the camera, especially in backstage segments. The Santino/Santina idea wasn’t necessary, but hopefully Santina is written off from here on out.

Cody Rhodes d. Primo Colon

Awful Primo/Carlito promo to kick things off. Good call to make Rhodes win heading into their title shot at The Bash.

Backstage

Good stuff with Goldust’s hair. Come to think of it, the funniest moments in the WWE come when Vince either gets hurt or he’s angry.

RKO vs. HHH ends in No Contest

Great last man standing match – nice and long, and it felt like a PPV match. Stuff like this is *exactly* what WWE needs to get them out of these stupid 5-minute matches with no substance. I’m surprised Triple H let Orton get the majority of the offence, but it had to be done for this to work. Cole messed up when HHH was tossed over the top rope, he had called a knee injury almost as HHH was still airbourne and well before he even got up and began to sell the knee injury. Idiot! (Vince voice)

Backstage

Miz & Maryse. They’d be a pretty awesome couple, but so would Maryse and I.

Trump Sells RAW

Well, that didn’t last long. But if they had planned on making it a one-night only deal with Trump, rather than saying there would be a celebrity GM every week and free RAWs and stuff, why wouldn’t he have sweetened the deal for more pops? Stuff like, every week there would be a title being defended, or re-institute RAW Roulette or something like that? Vince saying he’d be broke with free RAWs in 6 months is nonsense – that is, unless, ECW is as bad as everyone thinks it is. Either way, a dumb segment.

Backstage

RKO w/ Vince. Great stuff by Vince. Basically, HHH/RKO at The Bash is now a best 2-of-3 falls.

Mickie & Bella Twins d. Beth, Rosa & Maryse

Everyone was a waste except for Mickie and Beth. WWE really needs to do a Maryse/Mickie angle soon, and then push for Mickie/Beth at WrestleMania 26.

The Big Show d. John Cena

Snore. The same Show/Cena stuff we’ve been seeing since ‘Mania, with nothing new. I can’t wait for this storyline to end. If it wasn’t for Vince’s segment with RKO backstage, the HHH/RKO match should have been the main event and not this. Good cheap heat for Miz afterwards.

Final Thoughts

Commercial-free RAW was actually too much. I think they need a few commercials (4 maximum) to give fans at home a break, as it was a lot to take in. Nice to see RAW end at 1:55 into the 2-hour timeslot rather than 2:15. The RKO/HHH match was awesome and was easily the match of the night, but the 6-man tag was also good. Show/Cena sucked as usual, and the Divas match was pointless since the belt isn’t even at The Bash. Rhodes/Primo was average at best. No matches until 30 minutes into the program, which sucked, especially since Cena had a promo in his John Deere uniform. Vince’s comedy had me on the floor for the majority of the show – if you missed the piggyback segment, you *need* to watch that, it’s shades of the Attitude Era. For realzies.

Beth will also be doing a recap of The Bash, which is live via PPV this Sunday.

Final Score: 8.5

NHL

– Maple Leafs’ GM Brian Burke confirmed yesterday that Swedish free agent G Jonas Gustavsson, a.k.a. The Monster, will arrive in Toronto this week and meet with the Leafs. The Leafs are hoping to sign the 24-year-old Gustavsson, widely considered the best goaltender outside of the NHL last season, to a contract. There are reportedly three other NHL teams are vying for his services, including the Sharks, Stars and Avalanche.

Gustavsson visited Denver yesterday to meet and greet the Avalanche staff and is expected to touch down in the other cities this week. The Denver Post reported that former Avalanche star Peter Forsberg, a fellow Swede, spoke on behalf of the Colorado franchise during Gustavsson’s visit.

Burke is hoping the Monster backs up G Vesa Toskala in Toronto this season, but if the GM is unable to sign Gustavsson, he’ll likely sign a free agent backup or draft a goaltending prospect. Gustavsson guided Farjestad to the Swedish Elite League championship last season and posted a 1.96 GAA and stellar .932 SV% during the regular season.

Gustavsson’s mother passed away a couple of weeks ago, which put his visit to North America on hold for a time. The Leafs recently signed renowned goaltending coach Francois Allaire, and that may prove to be an enticement for Gustavsson to sign with the Leafs.

– The Habs are not interested in acquiring Flyers’ F Daniel Briere. Briere snubbed the Habs two years ago when he was a UFA, but the Canadiens say that that has nothing to do with their lack of interest in him – Montreal passed on Briere because, despite their previous interest, the last thing they need is a small centre with a cap hit of $6.5M for each of the next six seasons. Briere said he chose Philadelphia over Montreal because it offered him a chance for relative anonymity. He also found some comfort in the presence of his good friend and former Buffalo teammate, G Marty Biron, who might not be a Flyer much longer. Biron is eligible to become a UFA on July 1 and there might not be room for him in Philadelphia.

Briere has a no-movement clause in the 8-year/$52M contract he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, but the franchise has hopes of creating some cap space.

The Flyers have also spoken with the Kings, who are also not interested in Briere. There are also rumblings that they have spoken with the Coyotes, but their current bankruptcy situation leaves one to wonder what their priorites are.

– Jim Balsillie, who’s appeal to purchase the Coyotes was rejected yesterday, sees this as a stepping stone to his eventual goal of owning an NHL team. Mr. BlackBerry says that he is committed to bringing an NHL team to Hamilton and Copps Coliseum.

– The Team 1260 in Edmonton is reporting that Oilers’ F Ethan Moreau will win the King Clancy Award on Thursday in Las Vegas. The award is given annually to the player who best exemplifies “leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”

– Red Wings’ F Pavel Datsyuk is a finalist for four awards as the NHL hands out its hardware in Las Vegas on Thursday. Datsyuk is nominated for the Hart, Selke, Lady Byng and Lester B. Pearson Trophy, which is two more nominations than any other player in the league. The quiet Datsyuk does not consider himself a superstar, though. Agent Gary Greenstin said, “He will never come off as a superstar. He will never think of himself as that. If you were to ask, he just doesn’t think it’s important. He is a team player. But I feel, right now, over the last few years, I myself think he has become a superstar. He is one of the best two-way players in the league, and I believe he will get the awards, Thursday.”

WWE

– According to the PWInsider, WWE kept a lot of employees in the dark about the Donald Trump angle on RAW, and the wrestlers had no idea until at least 7:00pm that night. Vince told everyone he was working on a major deal, when in actuality, he was working on the pre-tape of Donald Trump speaking so he could time his reactions to make it look like a live feed.

The angle with Trump, who is a long-time friend of Vince, was put together as a cross-promotion and will likely result in lots of plugs for The Apprentice on NBC. Sources within the company don’t expect the storyline to go on for too long. Thank the Lord…

– The following is the latest OFFICIAL card for WWE’s “The Bash” pay-per view:

WWE Title:
-Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H

World Title:
-CM Punk (c) vs. Jeff Hardy

Unified Tag-Titles:
-Carlito & Primo Colon (c) vs. Legacy

Intercontinental Title vs. Rey’s Mask:
-Chris Jericho (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

– RAW did a 3.5 rating last night. The first hour drew a 3.3, the second hour drew a 3.8, and the third drew a 4.1. SmackDown! last Friday did a 1.8.

– The TV Guide website ran a front page story on the Donald Trump/WWE angle after USA Network issued a press release, but has now removed it, presumably after learning that the press release was about a fake storyline.

NBA

– The Magic are desperate to re-sign F Hedo Turkoglu. The team is even willing to pay a luxury tax to get him back under contract. The team believes that in order for them to reach the NBA Finals again next season, Turk will have to be on the team. Stay tuned.

– The Raptors announced they have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent G/F Carlos Delfino. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in order for a team to retain its rights of first refusal with respect to a restricted free agent it must tender the player a qualifying offer prior to June 30. A restricted free agent may sign an offer sheet with any team, but is subject to a right of first refusal in favour of the NBA team for which the player last played.

Delfino played last season in Russia with BC Khimky Moscow in the Russia-A Superleague. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 23.2 minutes in 26 games. He had a season-high 25 points against Krasnoyarsk. He also appeared in 10 Eurocup outings, averaging 13.0 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 minutes. He scored in double figures in eight games with a high of 19 points against Benetton.

– T’Wolves’ F Kevin Love said on his Twitter account that head coach Kevin McHale will not return next season. “Today is a sad day … Kevin McHale will NOT be back as head coach this season.” While it isn’t official, it’s believed that McHale sent Love a text message saying that he wouldn’t be returning. Love’s name has come up in trade talks recently. Former T’Wolves forward and former Raptors bench boss Sam Mitchell seems like a realistic replacement, but that’s merely speculation on my end. It will also be interesting to see how the Wolves feel about Love breaking this story.

– The Bucks are now rumored to be targeting Ty Lawson with the No. 10 pick.

– There’s a rumoured deal between the Suns and the Wizards involving Washington’s No. 5 pick and Phoenix’s F Amare Stoudemire.

MLB

– Sammy Sosa, who reportedly tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003, worked out with the same controversy-stained trainer in the Dominican Republic as Yankees’ 3B Alex Rodriguez and retired Juan Gonzalez, according to the NY Daily News. Sosa worked out during three offseasons with Angel (Nao) Presinal, a trainer who has been banned from ballparks and clubhouses by the MLB and is still under investigation for his role in Rodriguez’s admitted steroid use.

Because Sosa is believed to have worked with Presinal in the D.R., where steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are legal and easy to obtain, and thanks to an artfully crafted statement at the 2005 congressional steroid hearing, it is unclear whether he would be subject to a congressional perjury investigation.

Sosa, according to a report posted on The New York Times Web site yesterday, tested positive in 2003 during survey testing conducted by MLB and the MLBPA to determine whether the sport needed to implement a permanent drug program. Two years later, Sosa, accompanied by a translator and a lawyer, appeared on a panel before the House Committee on Government Reform with Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Curt Schilling and Rafael Palmeiro and said he had “never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs.”

– According to FOXSports.com, the Red Sox and Rangers have discussed a deal that would see RHP Takashi Saito head to Texas for 3B Hank Blalock. The talks, however, were tabled after Rangers OF Josh Hamilton underwent right-abdominal surgery on June 2. They are unlikely to revive, sources say, in part because of the resurgence of Sox’DH David Ortiz, who has a 1.001 OPS in June.

Saito, however, remains in demand, with several teams expressing interest. At this point, the Sox probably would prefer to trade him for a prospect, according to one source. The motivation for such a deal would be unrelated to the team’s logjam in the starting rotation, another source said.

– The Cardinals and 1B Albert Pujols have yet to begin contract extension talks. Pujols signed a 7-year/$100M deal with a $16M club option for 2011 or a $5M buyout in 2004. He’s under contract in 2010 for $16M also.

– The Athletics are currently mulling the future of OF Matt Holliday.

– According to FOXSports.com, the Brewers are soon expected to make an offer for Mariners’ LHP Erik Bedard. The return price would include a shortstop, a position that the Brewers are razor-thin at.

– The Rangers have inquired about the availability of Nationals’ 1B Nick Johnson. A deal, however, is unlikely, as the Rangers would look within the organization to replace 1B Chris Davis, who has a major league leading 92 K’s already.

– The Cubs and Rays recently flew south to see free agent RHP Pedro Martinez in action in the Dominican Republic.

– The Rangers remain the leading candidate for free agent RHP Ben Sheets.

– White Sox’ OF Carlos Quentin said his left foot is suffering from plantar fasciitis, and that he is one bad step away from rupturing the tendon in his foot even further. That would then cost him the season. Quentin said, “We’re aware that if a relapse happens where the tendon ruptures even more, well that’s major. That’s something that’s going to take longer, maybe even the rest of the season.” The 2008 MVP candidate said he could be facing surgery on the foot right after the season, one way or the other. It’s also possible that the ChiSox will keep him on the DL for the remainder of the year to play it safe.

– The Twins have placed OF Denard Span on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 10, with vestibular neuritis of the right ear. Span is still feeling the affects of an inner ear infection. According to the Twins’ assessment, he wouldn’t have been able to play until after the weekend.

– Astros’ C Ivan Rodriguez matched the major league record for games caught on Tuesday night against the Rangers. He’s now tied with Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk with 2,226 games behind the dish. He’ll have a chance to break the record against his former team on Wednesday.

RAW

RAW # 838 is a special 3-For-All 3-hour RAW coming to you live from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Y2J d. Rey Mysterio

Y2J retains the IC strap. Probably the match of the night. It was nice not having to see Rey for a while, but I missed Y2J. Good match with some good spots, and a nice finish.

Backstage

Mathews w/ RKO. Good RKO promo, then interrupted by a typically terrible SuperCena promo. Ruins a good thing. Cena’s last comment didn’t even make any sense, it sounded like something a kid would say.

BREAKING NEWS

What a stupid ticker. They only put it in for two rotations, so if you went to take a leak or a dump, or went for a food refill, you missed it. Although you probably heard Michael Cole talking about it in every 30-second interval.

Tommy Dreamer d. Christian

Dreamer retains the ECW belt. Christian is just wasting away on ECW, but at least he’s in the title picture. Match wasn’t very good.

RKO d. The Big Show, John Cena & Triple H

RKO wins the WWE Championship back. Typical fatal four-way match. Pretty weak finish.

In-Ring Segment

Vince “sells” Monday Night RAW. Too bad Trump knows RAW sucks and wouldn’t even appear live and had to send in a copy of a VHS he had laying around from when he had to take a jab at Vince’s ego. Commercial free RAW should be interesting – is WWE going to do random product placement to make up for lost revenue? What about the downtime between matches?

Mickie James d. Rosa Mendez

The match sucked.

The Miz promo

For some reason, Golddust is there too. Nice Wiz comment. Hitting Hornswoggle with the t-shirt gun was almost as funny as when JBL threw the garbage can at him from WrestleMania 24 and sent the midget tumbling to the floor. Awesome.

Backstage

CM Punk w/ Matt Hardy. Punk’s not wrong about cashing in his MITB, though.

CM Punk d. Jeff Hardy & Edge

CM Punk retains the WHC. Nice to see Edge back on Monday night. Good buildup to the finish, but like the WWE Championship match, the finish itself sucked.

Primo & Carlito d. The Hart Dynasty

Interference from Legacy was obvious since they have a match at the Bash. Primo was a botchfest.

Backstage

Vince w/ Santino Marella. Waste of time, even with Santino involved.

Triple H wins Battle Royal

Triple H vs. RKO next week in a last man standing match. So many useless people like Matt and Regal in it when realistically it was going to be between Cena and Triple H in the end. Typical finish. Not impressed.

Final Thoughts

I wonder how long the Trump sheraid will last. My guess is not long. The matches sucked again, with Y2J/Mysterio and the WHC 3-way being the best matches.

Score: 5