WWE chief executive officer Linda McMahon officially announced her candidacy Wednesday for the United States Senate from Connecticut, promising to bring a fiscally conservative perspective to the institution. Shortly after her announcement of candidacy, Linda McMahon resigned as WWE CEO with her husband WWE Chairman Vince McMahon assuming the office.
Linda McMahon pledged to self-fund much of her campaign for the Senate as a Republican. She certainly has the financial resources to be a player in the Connecticut race but she isn't necessarily be the odds-on favorite even in her own party as her WWE experience could prove a double edged sword.
McMahon will have to play up her successful financial expertise with WWE while downplaying the specific nature of its product, especially as it existed during its provocative Attitude Era. Of course, Linda McMahon has never had a role in creating WWE's on-air content but that fact could be lost on non-wrestling fans. In an attempt to refute any criticism, WWE's corporate site is playing up the company's recent conversion back to fully TV-PG programming.
What the non-wrestling fans of Connecticut will also soon discover is that Linda McMahon is a serious person, perhaps too much so for this endeavor. She shares neither the outrageous bombast nor the natural charisma of her fellow McMahon family members. That fact could also prove another double-edged sword for Linda McMahon as she takes this most unique of journeys.
The Linda McMahon for Senate Web site is already up @ Linda2010.com with a Twitter feed @ LindaForSenate.
Linda McMahon announces U.S. Senate bid, resigns as WWE CEO
Categories: linda mcmahon , politics , pro wrestling , u.s. senate , wwe |
ECW on Syfy results (9/15/09)
Categories: ecw , pro wrestling , results , wwe |
ECW on Syfy results - 9/15/09
(aired September 15, 2009 from Hamilton, Ontario.)
| #1 | Hurricane postmatch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | ||||
| #3 | Shelton Benjamin, Yoshi Tatsu, Tyler Reks, Vladimir Kozlov, Goldust, Ezekiel Jackson, Tommy Dreamer | #1 ECW contender |
WWE Raw results (9/14/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , raw , results , wwe |
WWE Raw results - 9/14/09
(aired live September 14, 2009 from Toronto, Ontario.)
| #1 | & The Miz | & Primo | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | ||||
| #3 | DX/Legacy fought postmatch | |||
| #4 | Hornswoggle | & Carlito | ||
| #5 | MVP & Mark Henry | Chris Jericho & Big Show | Stratus pin Phoenix | |
| #6 | Cena attack Orton in-match, Batista WWE return |
(Batista announces move to Smackdown brand.)
added to Hell in the Cell PPV:
- WWE champion John Cena vs. Randy Orton (hell in the cell)
- Triple H & Shawn Michaels vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes ( hell in the cell)
John Cena defeats Randy Orton for WWE title in I Quit match
Categories: cm punk , john cena , ppv , pro wrestling , randy orton , undertaker , wwe |
John Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE championship at the promotion's Breaking Point PPV in an "I Quit" match. Much of the match featured Orton attempting to force the verbal submission of Cena by physically punishing Cena while Cena was handcuffed to the ring ropes. Cena eventually forced the submission by handcuffing himself to Orton and applying the STF. Cena's title win is the 6th WWE/World level win of his tenure in the promotion.
While the WWE title change was a highlight, the World title match that closed the show left fans in disbelief. WWE booking piled a Dusty finish on top of a Montreal screwjob. Undertaker's Hell's Gate submission win being ruled invalid by Smackdown general manager Theodore Long based on the maneuver being invalidated by Vickie Guerrero last year. The ref then called for the bell immediately after Punk applied his Anaconda Vice without 'Taker actually submitting.
CM Punk escaped with the title but not before completely defeating the submission
concept of Breaking Point in the first place. Let's hope for WWE's sake that fans have long memories of Orton/Cena and short memories of the Punk/Taker screw-job or the promotion could find the 2010 Breaking Point a very tough sell.
In other matches of note, ECW champion Christian defeated William Regal in the consensus match of the night while Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes scored a shocking upset of DX with both Legacy tag teamers forcing Shawn Michaels to submit. The U.S. and Unified tag champions both successfully defended their belts while Kane won a forgettable Singapore Cane contest.
WWE Breaking Point PPV results (9/13/09)
Categories: ppv , pro wrestling , results , wwe |
WWE Breaking Point PPV results - 9/13/09
(aired live September 13, 2009 from Montreal, Quebec.)
| #1 | Chris Jericho & Big Show | Mark Henry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | Kofi Kingston | |||
| #3 | & Cody Rhodes | Shawn Michaels | subs count anywhere | |
| #4 | ||||
| #5 | Christian | |||
| #6 | Randy Orton | Cena new WWE champ | ||
| #7 | CM Punk | montreal screwjob sub |
WWE Breaking Point PPV lineup (9/13/09)
Categories: breaking point , lineup , ppv , pro wrestling , wwe |
(September 13, 2009 from Montreal, Quebec.)
----
- World champion CM Punk vs. Undertaker (submission)
- ECW champion Christian vs. William Regal
- U.S. champion Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz
- Unified tag champs Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. MVP & Mark Henry
- Kane vs. The Great Khali (singapore cane)
- Triple H & Shawn Michaels vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes (submissions count anywhere)
WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (9/11/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , results , smackdown , wwe |
WWE Friday Night Smackdown results - 9/11/09
(aired September 11, 2009 from Rockford, Illinois.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | Chris Jericho & Big Show | |||
| #3 | John Morrison | |||
| #4 | ||||
| #5 | CM Punk |
Jeff Hardy arrested on multiple felony drug charges
Categories: arrest , jeff hardy , pro wrestling , smackdown , wwe |
Ex-WWE pro wrestler Jeff Hardy was arrested this week on multiple felony drug charges including "charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids."
The Southern Pines Pilot newspaper reports word from the Moore County, N.C. sheriff's office that Hardy was arrested after "262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia" were uncovered.
Hardy has been formally charged with five felony counts including "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." He was additionally charged with one misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia.
UPDATE: The ex-WWE/World champion was reported by the Pines Pilot to be in jail Friday but Jeff Hardy has since tweeted the following this Friday afternoon.... "Alot of exaggerations are out there today, don't believe everything you read 4 it is not true, I am at home and fine-thanks for your concern."
TMZ.com and PWInsider.com both report that Jeff Hardy was bailed out "by his brother," presumably Matt, though Jeff later tweeted that Matt didn't even know about the situation.
WWE Royal Rumble PPV moved to avoid NFL conflict
Categories: ppv , pro wrestling , royal rumble , wwe |
WWE's 2010 Royal Rumble pay-per-view has been officially moved to January 31, sidestepping a conflict with the National Football League. For reasons still unclear, World Wrestling Entertainment had originally set its PPV event for January 24 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
As pointed out earlier this week by Richard Trionfo at PWInsider.com, the 1/24 placement put the Royal Rumble in direct conflict with one of the NFL conference championship games. With those games being among the most popular television events for young adult males in existence, the conflict would have significantly reduced the Royal Rumble buyrate.
The decision to reschedule the Royal Rumble to January 31, the off Sunday between the conference title games and the Super Bowl, was thus a no-brainer for World Wrestling Entertainment. It just amazes this blogger that WWE allowed the conflict to exist in the first place.
WWE Superstars results (9/10/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , results , superstars , wwe |
WWE Superstars results - 9/10/09
(aired September 10, 2009 from Rosemont & Rockford, Ill.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | ||||
| #3 | ||||
| #4 | ||||
| #5 | & The Miz | & Primo |
John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler removed from WWE Breaking Point
Categories: dolph ziggler , john morrison , ppv , pro wrestling , smackdown , wwe |
The match betwee new WWE Intercontinental champion John Morrison against Dolph Ziggler has apparently been removed from the WWE Breaking Point pay-per-view card. WWE.com no longer lists the match in its preview for this Sunday's event.
Assuming this isn't just a WWE.com glitch, it isn't immediately clear why the Intercontinental title match would be removed from the card. The match had only been added when Morrison's IC title win over the suspended Rey Mysterio was broadcast on last Friday's Smackdown. WWE may believe that Morrison is not yet worthy of a major PPV push or that Morrison vs. Ziggler simply hasn't received sufficient promotional time.
The absence of Morrison/Ziggler is especially jarring considering the inclusion of the much less important or credible Kane vs. The Great Khali from the same Smackdown brand in a Singapore Cane match. For whatever reason that Morrison/Ziggler has been removed, the wrestling quality of Breaking Point will take a significant hit in its absence.
ECW on Syfy results (9/8/09)
Categories: ecw , pro wrestling , results , wwe |
ECW on Syfy results - 9/8/09
(aired September 8, 2009 from Rockford, Illinois.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | & Sheamus | Yoshi Tatsu | Sheamus/Benjamin fought postmatch | |
| #3 | ||||
| #4 | & Vladimir Kozlov | Tommy Dreamer | Regal laid out Christian/Dreamer postmatch |
added to Breaking Point PPV:
- ECW champion Christian vs. William Regal
WWE Raw results (9/7/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , raw , results , wwe |
WWE Raw results - 9/7/09
(aired live September 7, 2009 from Rosemont, Illinois.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | ||||
| #3 | Cena laid out Rhodes postmatch | |||
| #4 | ||||
| #5 | ||||
| #6 | Chris Masters | DX/Legacy fought & Orton laid out Cena postmatch |
WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (9/4/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , results , smackdown , wwe |
WWE Friday Night Smackdown results - 9/4/09
(aired September 4, 2009 from Cleveland, Ohio.)
| #1 | & Finlay | Mike Knox | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | Rey Mysterio | |||
| #3 | & Maria | & Layla | ||
| #4 | CM Punk | out Punk postmatch |
added to Breaking Point PPV:
- Intercontinental champion John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler
- Kane vs. The Great Khali (singapore cane)
Nigel McGuinness agrees to WWE contract in principle
Categories: nigel mcguinness , pro wrestling , roh , wwe |
Ring of Honor wrestler Nigel McGuinness has agreed to a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, according to an official ROH press release. McGuinness is the second ROH prominent wrestler in recent weeks to agree to such a deal, coming soon after Bryan Danielson did the same.
The British national was a longtime heel mainstay of Ring of Honor, performing as its Pure Champion before losing the title in a unification match. McGuinness later won the Ring of Honor World championship outright. As with Danielson though, McGuinness had been placed by ROH into a less prominent position over the past several months as he explored outside options.
McGuinness will be allowed to complete his Ring of Honor run over the next month, working the same farewell cards as Danielson in Boston, Philadelphia and New York. ROH management just has to hope against hope that it can either hold on to its remaining top talent or successfully transition to its next generation of wrestlers.
WWE Superstars results (9/3/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , results , superstars , wwe |
WWE Superstars results - 9/3/09
(aired September 3, 2009 from Detroit, Mi. & Cleveland, Oh.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | out Reks postmatch | |||
| #3 | David Hart Smith & Natalya | Shad Gaspard & Eve Torres |
ECW on Syfy results (9/1/09)
Categories: ecw , pro wrestling , results , wwe |
ECW on Syfy results - 9/1/09
(aired September 1, 2009 from Cleveland, Ohio.)
| #1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | Vladimir Kozlov | Mike Tolar | ||
| #3 |
WWE Raw results (8/31/09)
Categories: pro wrestling , raw , results , wwe |
WWE Raw results - 8/31/09
(aired live August 31, 2009 from Detroit, Michigan.)
| #1 | Gail Kim, Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes | Divas contender match | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | ||||
| #3 | Bourne distract Guerrero | |||
| #4 | ||||
| #5 | Kofi Kingston | The Miz, Carlito | ||
| #6 | Mickie James |
Bob Barker confirms "WWE Raw" guest host stint for Sept. 7
Categories: bob barker , pro wrestling , raw , wwe |
Former "The Price is Right" host Bob Barker confirmed his upcoming guest host stint on "WWE Raw," reported a couple of weeks ago by Variety. Barker announced in a phone interview with radio station WQXA/105.7 (The X) of York, Pa. that he will host the September 7 edition of Raw from metro Chicago.
If the telephone interview is any indication, Barker won't have any problem with the out there nature of World Wrestling Entertainment programming. Of course, he also has a project to promote with his book "Priceless Memories" released several months ago. (Credit to Darth Chaos at rec.sport.pro-wrestling for the Barker news.)
Additionally, NWA legend Dusty Rhodes was announced by WWE.com several days ago as the guest host of the August 31 "Raw" edition from Detroit, Michigan. Rumors that basketball star LeBron James or failed general manager/commentator Mike Adamle would host the next edition proved unfounded. One or both men could still host in future weeks.
Jeff Hardy leaves WWE
Categories: jeff hardy , pro wrestling , smackdown , wwe |
THe long rumored departure of Jeff Hardy from World Wrestling Entertainment finally took place this week as he exited following a loss in a "loser leaves WWE" steel cage match against CM Punk for the World title.
This week's "Friday Night Smackdown" main event matchup ended soon after Punk took down Jeff Hardy with a superplex from the top of the cage. Hardy would recover long enough to fight Punk at the top of the cage but just as in SummerSlam's TLC match, Punk got the better of the final exchange and shoved Hardy down to fall to the mat one final time.
The remarkable thing about Jeff Hardy is how his WWE story was so unlike many others. There were better promo men, there were even a few better wrestlers but somehow Hardy managed to connect with fans organically to the point that WWE was left with no alternative but to let him be a true superstar. What Hardy did every night was just give everything he was, everything he had until there was simply nothing left.
The only thing more remarkable about Jeff Hardy is that he chose to take all that success and popularity and set it aside. Virtually nobody in his position would have made the decision he did to simply leave and not pursue pro wrestling further without the promise of a better opportunity.
There's no guarantee that Hardy will succeed with music or reality TV anywhere near to the point that he has in WWE. For better or worse though, the man doesn't think the same way like the rest of us in this world of ours. One can only give the man best wishes as he pursues his own passions as far as they will take him, then hope that he will one day return to this sphere of professional wrestling we love so much.
