Raw Revelations: Floyd Mayweather's Flop

If you were to rank the celeb guest hosts for Raw so far, Shaq is easily the top dog, Seth Green and Freddie Prinze did well, but looking at the bottom of the barrel. you'd have to place Floyd Mayweather above ZZ Top and possibly tied with Jeremy Piven (won't mention Piven's sidekick). That isn't saying much for Mayweather. Floyd was late to Monday Night Raw due to legal troubles that one of his associates had involving a shooting at a skating rink in Vegas. So that's why we were "treated" to a 30 minute DX and Mr. McMahon in-ring birthday bonanza. It featured everything Vegas (showgirls, cirque de soleil guys, Elvis impersonator), and everything that fans at home probably could do without. But WWE didn't have a lot of choice when their star host was late. When he did show up, he was acting like the star of the show, yet wasn't embraced by the live audience right away. He arrived out to the ring with an entourage of 10 guys wearing t-shirts to promote his event.

You'll notice Mayweather's only real involvement with the show was his interaction with Big Show and Jericho, and to promote his upcoming boxing match against Marquez. He slid a gold weapon, brass knuckles to MVP during a tag match against Jericho/Show to help them win the match. He also got into the ring to get a bear hug from Henry and celebrate with MVP. Besides that, he wasn't really much of a host and was more of a guest. He sat at ringside and yelled some things during the tag match as well. I'm going to guess Nancy O'Dell outshines Mayweather when she hosts. If she wrestles Beth Phoenix, I'll give her 2nd best hosting job to Shaq.

The Miz is getting a nice push towards the United States Title. He seems to be doing good promos on the mic, and his "Because I'm the Miz, and I'm Awesome" just might be the next "If you smell what the Rock, is cooking"..ok let's not get carried away.

The main event on Raw was a six man tag match, No DQ, as a birthday gift to Mr. McMahon. He got the winning pin on Orton, despite Rhodes being legal. If you think about it, just about all of Randy Orton's recent matches are No DQ, especially his PPV title defenses. In the Summerslam PPV, a fan rushed in and tackled the ref, but the match wasn't stopped, nor was it stopped when Orton shoved the ref. Same thing at the PPV where Orton faced HHH and Cena. Both men had a submission hold locked in, and since the ref didn't make a decision, Legacy was allowed to come into the ring, break the holds and the bell didn't sound.

On a side note, I've noticed a trend in WWE matches lately with DQ's being called as one wrestler continues to pound away on the other, and doesn't heed the ref's warning. Still, Orton manages to get away with murder in the ring. Very interesting.

I'm not a big fan of DX, although I admire both Michaels and HHH's work in WWE. It's just too childish a gimmick. I really believe if Batista were not injured, we probably wouldn't see DX at all, rather Michaels and HHH as singles wrestlers.

So what did Chavo do wrong? His Aunt Vickie is no longer Raw GM, but he's been a jobber for Hornswoggle for week's now. He hasn't violated the Wellness program in months! Looks like we'll get a Chavo vs Evan Bourne match now, but I'm sure Horney will be involved somehow. Get ready to see Evan Bourne do the Irish jig...

Nice divas boxing match, and Mickie James definitely was showing off. Alicia Fox took the pinfall on her though. Are we headed for Mickie vs Alicia, or Mickie vs Beth?

Raw Recap 08.24.09

Raw Recap from Las Vegas, NV:

Raw began with highlights from last night's Summerslam, including Cena vs. Orton with a crazy fan rushing in to interfere in the match. Orton hit an RKO outside the ring and inside the ring to win it afterwards. After the highlights, Orton was shown staring into the camera. Orton was flanked by Legacy and discussed what happened last night. He looked to Dibiase saying that the fan who interfered last night wasn't just any fan. Dibiase said it was his own brother, Brett Dibiase, who had bought a ticket to last night's event. Orton acted angry that Brett interfered and shot him a look, then said he assured WWE staff that Brett wont interfere in any of his matches again. Brett told Orton he was sorry, with Orton just shooting him a look. Cody Rhodes said Orton would have won last night regardless. Orton then told Cena he is and will remain the WWE champion.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler were on next to discuss tonight's guest host Floyd "Money" Mayweather. Vince McMahon was out to the ring after Lillian's introduction. Vince talked about tonight's guest host, Floyd Mayweather, then switched to speaking about Orton, and said last night's match was final, leaving Orton still the champion. Vince said John Cena will get a rematch in 3 weeks at a Pay-Per-View called "Breaking Point", in which the main events are submission matches. Vince said the Orton/Cena match could be an "I Quit" match. Vince said if anyone interferes on behalf of Orton, he'll immediately lose the title. Vince wished everyone a good night and got ready to leave, until DX's music hit, and out came DX.

Triple H and Michaels each had mics. HHH talked about not liking "good guy Vince McMahon" saying it was like Michael Vick at a PETA convention. Michaels said it August 24th and suggested it's someone's birthday. Triple H guessed several celebrities, then HBK tipped him off. HHH realized it was Vince's birthday and said it was his 84th. Vince finally screamed out that he's 64. HHH suggested they do something crazy with Vince in Vegas, then Michaels said he understands if he doesn't want a happy birthday, he understands.

Michaels had them show a tribute video about Vince including slides and video highlights set to the Kenny Rogers song "Through the Years". It cut to a video of Vince singing, and various other highlights such as Vince getting shaved, Vine getting pranked by DX and Vince vs. Stone Cold. Vince wasn't happy with the video, so then HHH introduced them bringing out a fake cake. Several WWE staff pushed the cake down as the crowd started singing Happy Birthday. Next, out came several Vegas Showgirls, and each gave Vince a kiss on the cheek in the ring. HHH next had two Cirque de Soleil guys come down on special pogo stilts. Next, they had an Elvis impersonator come to the ring. Elvis lead the crowd in Happy Birthday. Then they started up some dance music and Big Dick Johnson came out of the cake in just a G-string dancing around, Vince McMahon grabbed him and tossed him out of the ring. Vince said he had enough of this birthday crap, but DX had everyone in the ring leave so they could have a private moment. DX said they had just one more surprise, and tried to position Vince in the ring.

Just then Legacy rushed down to the ring to attack DX. DX fought them off, including HBK grabbing a steel chair from ringside. Randy Orton came walking down the ramp. HHH got on the mic saying Floyd Mayweather isn't there yet, so he'll book a match, Legacy and Orton versus DX and Mr. McMahon. Vince added that it will be a No DQ match, then said "if you're not down with that...."

They showed a Floyd Mayweather video promo about his money and boxing skills.

Santino Marella vs. The Miz

Miz started out with several strikes until Santino blocked him and fought back. Miz responded with a kick to the gut, and then ran with Santino to yank him across the top rope. Miz got Santino down in a chinlock for a bit before Santino got to his feet. At one point, Miz whipped Santino to the corner, but Santino again fought back. Santino missed on a diving headbutt, allowing Miz to respond with his finisher, "The Skull Crushing Finale".

After winning, Miz got on the mic saying he's one step closer to becoming new US Champion.

Winner: The Miz wins via pinfall over Santino Marella.

Mickie James, Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim were shown walking backstage. Lawler said a six diva tag match is up next.

---

Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly & Mickie James vs. Alicia Fox, Rosa Mendes & Beth Phoenix
Six Diva Tag Team Mayweather Melee Match

All of the divas wrestled wearing various boxing theme outfits. Early on, the heels took control against Kelly, triple teaming in their corner. Kelly escaped when she hit a move on Rosa Mendes then made a hot tag to Mickie. Mickie rushed in to take down Alicia Fox. Eventually, all six divas got into the ring to mix things up, with the ring getting cleared, leaving Alicia versus Mickie. Mickie pounced on Alicia punching away on her. Alicia recovered and threw Mickie into the corner shoulder first, then hit a scissors kick to the back of Mickie's head to take the pinfall.

Winner: Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes win via pinfall over Mickie James, Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim.

---

Raw returned from commercial with DX backstage. Michaels was talking about Vince being so old, but HHH was too busy looking at a DVD. He held it up and said it was the Rise and Fall of WCW DVD. All of a sudden an off camera noise got really loud, so DX started yelling over it about their other merchandise for sale, like their DX Army T-shirts and HBK's camo hat. HBK mentioned they needed to get Vince angry for their match later tonight. HHH said he came up with an idea that should do it. Just then, Vince was shown in his office with Jillian Hall dressed as Marilyn Monroe. Jillian started singing Happy Birthday Mr. McMahon, until Vince screamed at her to get out.

Big Show & Chris Jericho came down to the ring with their tag team title belts. Video was shown of Wrestlemania 24 where Floyd Mayweather got a KO win against Big Show, after hitting him with some chair shots and brass knuckles. Michael Cole said he can imagine Big Show is still steaming over the loss.

Big Show and Chris Jericho got on the mics. Show said it looks like Mayweather is being smart by hiding from Big Show so far. Show said if he gets his hands on him, he's going to hurt him. Show said he's not leaving the ring until Mayweather shows up. Jericho said nobody can make him leave either. Just then, cameras caught Floyd Mayweather walking backstage with his entourage on their way out. Raw went to commercial break as they were still walking backstage.

---

Raw came back from commercial and Lillian Garcia inroduced Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather came out with a crew of about 10 other guys wearing Mayweather vs. Marquez September 19, 2009 T-shirts. Mayweather made his way to the ring as Big Show kept staring him down. Mayweather told Show he remembers what happened at Wrestlemania, and he'll do it again, but he's got a September 19th PPV that's more important. Chris Jericho got into Mayweather's face, with Mayweather lifting his glasses up to stare into his eyes. Jericho said he disagrees that Mayweather is the greatest fighter in the world. Jericho said he's a good self promoter, but not a good boxer. Jericho told Mayweather he thinks Marquez will knock him out on the 19th. Big Show added that maybe after that happens he and Jericho will come into the boxing ring to eliminate him from the planet. Just then, MVP's music started up and out came MVP.

MVP said he doesn't appreciate them talking to Money Mayweather that way. MVP called Jericho "Christina" and insulted Big Show, reminding him about the Wrestlemania loss. Jericho started to respond until MVP told him to shut up. MVP said if someone can beat them for the Unified Tag titles, then Jericho would never run his mouth on Raw ever again. MVP suggested to Mayweather that if he can find a tag team partner to beat Jericho and SHow, that they should get a title shot at Breaking Point. Mayweather agreed and asked who MVP has in mind. Out came Mark Henry and the two marched down to the ring.

---

MVP & Mark Henry vs. Big Show & Chris Jericho

Raw returned with the tag match in progress as MVP delivered a big running boot to Jericho in the corner. Mayweather was seated near ringside to watch the match. Jericho made a tag out and Show came in to level MVP. Show continued to manhandle MVP including a submission headlock, before throwing MVP to the mat. Jericho tagged in to try a pinfall. Jericho went over and slapped at Mark Henry, then got the ref distracted as Show started to choke MVP from outside the ring. Jericho walked over and catapulted MVP face first into the bottom rope. MVP was able to clothesline Jericho after he came off the ropes, but couldn't crawl to tag Henry.

Jericho wore down MVP then threw him outside the ring. Mayweather screamed from ringside about it. Once MVP was back, he again tried for a tag with Jericho holding him off. Jericho rammed MVP to the corner for a tag to Show. Show continued to beat on MVP. After a bit from Show, Jericho was back in and the two men doubleclotheslined each other down.

After a commercial break, Jericho missed on a Lionsault attempt, with Jericho seeming to hurt his knee. MVP finally made a hot tag to Mark Henry. Henry leveled Jericho and tried to charge at him in the corner. Jericho moved away, then went for a Codebreaker. Henry blocked him and turned it into a near World's Strongest Slam. Jericho incredibly countered for a DDT from the air. Henry threw Jericho off the pinfall attempt. Henry tagged MVP back in. MVP came in and hit a facebuster on Jericho then did the Ballin' Elbow. Jericho kicked out of a pinfall. Big Show interfered in things, so Mark Henry came over and knocked him off the apron.

As the ref was ordering Henry back to his corner, Floyd Mayweather came over to ringside and handed a piece of jewelry to MVP. MVP used it to punch Jericho in the face while the ref was distracted, then grabbed the winning pinfall. Big Show carried an unconscious Jericho up the ramp as Mayweather celebrated in the ring with the winners.

Winners: Mark Henry & MVP win via pinfall over Big Show and Chris Jericho to earn a tag team title shot at Breaking Point PPV.

Backstage, Legacy was with Bret Dibiase. Orton came in and told him to leave so he could talk to Legacy. Orton said they have a great opportunity tonight to shut down Legacy and McMahon. Orton said this time when he kicks McMahon in the skull, he won't come back. He said the Cena vs. Orton match for Breaking Point will be the last match Vince ever makes.

---

Raw came back with highlights of Hornswoggle winning a Falls Count Anywhere match last week against Chavo Guerrero. Hornswoggle won backstage when Chavo was looking for him and opened a door that had a paint bucket on a string rigged to hit him in the head.

Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero
Boxing Exhibition Match

Hornswoggle and Chavo were wearing boxing shorts and gloves. The ref came over to tell Chavo he wouldn't need the gloves he had on, then went ringside to grab a huge gag pair of Boxing gloves. Chavo angrily removed his real gloves and put on the huge ones saying he's still knock out Hornswoggle.

Hornswoggle kept getting in jabs and shots, as Chavo swung and missed several times with his huge gloves. Horney with one knock down, and as the ref backed him away. Chavo removed his gloves. Chavo came over and slammed Hornswoggle to the mat, so the ref called for the DQ immediately. Chavo stood over Hornswoggle smiling, then went to the top for a Frogsplash. Just then, Evan Bourne rushed to the ring to take out Chavo with several high kicks and knees. Bourne knocked Chavo down then did his Shooting Starpress from the corner on him.

Winner: Hornswoggle wins due to disqualification against Chavo Guerrero in a Boxing Exhibition match.

---

Cole and Lawler cut to footage of Summerslam and the celebrities that were in attendance such as Tatyana Ali from Fresh Prince, Vern Troyer aka "Mini Me", Nancy O'Dell, Rob Dyrdek and various divas and wrestlers at events. Summerslam Axxess was shown with appearances from Kofi Kingston, Batista and Big Show.

Backstage in an office, Mayweather was helping Vince practice boxing punches with him. Carlito came in angrily saying that Mayweather was a terrible host for not including him in tonight's Raw, especially after what he did to Kofi last week. DX came in to interrupt. HHH made a comment about needing more time to have fun with Vince's daughter, causing Vince to throw a punch near Floyd's sparring pad. Floyd moved the pad away from near Carlito's face, causing Vince to punch him down. Shawn Michaels said "now that was cool", before DX left.

---

D-Generation X & Vince McMahon vs. Legacy & Randy Orton

DX with the early advantage early as they took it to Rhodes, eventually tossing him over the ropes out onto his Legacy teammates. Legacy regrouped as Raw took a commercial break.

Raw returned with HHH and Dibiase both down on the mat as the ref counted. They made their ways to their partners with HHH getting a fast tag. Michaels came in to take it to Dibiase, then knocked Orton and Rhodes off the apron. HBK with an elbow drop off the corner on Dibiase, but Rhodes rushed in to attack hitting the Cross Rhodes. Orton tagged in next and began his stomping away on HBK. Orton continued to methodically pick apart HBK. Rhodes tagged back in and got HBK into the neckhold, but HBK got up and fought back. Rhodes held off his attack, then dragged HBK to the corner for a tag to Dibiase.

The heels continued their triple teaming effort on HBK, with Orton getting back in once again. He had a near fall on Michaels, then began to wear him down with a headlock. Rhodes came in again and this time knocked McMahon and HHH off the apron. Michaels fought back and luckily HHH had got back to the apron for the tag. HHH came in to clean Rhodes' clock punching away then hitting a Facebuster. HHH went over to punch Dibiase off the apron then hit a Spinebuster on Rhodes. Vince got back on the apron and begged for a tag in. Rhodes tried to go at HHH but he ducked then hit The Pedigree. HHH tagged in Vince who tried to take a pin as HHH knocked Dibiase out of the ring.

Randy Orton rushed in to break up Vince's tag attempt. Orton prepared for a skull kick on Vince but as he ran, HBK came back in and tackled him down to save Vince. HHH came back in and the two chased Orton out of the ring. As Orton kept backing up, John Cena's music hit and he came out to the ramp. Orton began to punch away on Orton and eventually tossed him back into the ring. After a Superkick from Michaels and an Attitude Adjustment from Cena, Vince took the winning pinfall on Orton.

Cena looked down at Orton in the ring and raised his arms up. Vince, DX and Cena all raised their arms up with Orton down on the outside as Raw went off the air.

Winners: Vince McMahon & DX win via pinfall over Legacy and Randy Orton.

---

Raw Preview 08.24.09

Tonight's special celebrity guest host for WWE Raw in Las Vegas will be the flamboyant and flashy Floyd Mayweather Jr. "Money" Mayweather is very familiar with the squared circle, not only from his boxing career, but also from his match against Big Show at last year's Wrestlemania 24. Mayweather picked up the victory over the World's Largest Athlete then, but since that fight, Big Show has been dominating everyone in WWE. He's currently partnered with the cocky Chris Jericho, and the duo hold the Unified Tag Team Titles. Show and Jericho are coming off last night's win over Cryme Tyme at Summerslam (see WWE Summerslam Results) to retain their titles, so there's likely to be more bragging. Will Big Show and Mayweather cross paths again on tonight's show? What sorts of matches will Mayweather set up in the aftermath of the Summerslam PPV?

The Summerslam Pay-Per-View featured several wrestlers from the Raw roster competing, including MVP and Jack Swagger. MVP picked up the bragging rights victory against the cocky Swagger by hitting the Playmaker, although it's unsure if this feud will be over when Raw hits. Also, Summerslam saw the triumphant return of D-Generation X. The duo took on the team of Rhodes and Dibiase aka "Legacy" in a tag team contest. The match featured all sorts of action, including several attempts at Sweet Chin Music by HBK, several near falls by Cody Rhodes, submission attempts, a fight into the crowd, and an eventual Sweet Chin Music finisher. This came after HHH hit the Pedigree on Rhodes, and Dibiase hit Dream Street on HBK, leaving the legal men down in the ring. HHH and Dibiase ended up fighting outside the ring near the commentator's table, and once HBK made it to his feet in the ring, it was all over. D-Generation X with the pinfall win, but it seems this feud with Legacy may still be sizzling after Summerslam. Will there be more from these two teams on Raw?

And finally, last night's PPV in Los Angeles featured John Cena going against Randy Orton for the WWE Title. Unfortunately for John Cena, luck just wasn't on his side as Orton tried every trick in the book to keep his title, and ultimately succeeded thanks to a bizarre distraction in the end. Initially, Orton tried to shove the referee to get himself disqualified. The ref called for the bell, but soon after Orton was walking up the ramp with his title, Lillian Garcia announced that Mr. McMahon had ordered the match to restart. If Orton was to get disqualified, he'd lose the title. Orton tried for a pin unsuccessfully and after that tried to leave for the countout. Again, Lillian got on the mic to announce Mr. McMahon's ruling that should Orton be counted out, he'd lose the title. Orton was able to get into the ring and rollup Cena for a pinfall, but used the ropes for leverage. The ref proclaimed Orton winner, with another ref coming down to challenge the ruling. Once the match restarted gain, in a crazy spot, a fan rushed into the ring and attacked the referee as Cena had the STF locked in on Orton. Due to this, Orton regained control and was able to hit a series of RKO's on Cena to finally get a clean pinfall win. Orton remains champ, but will Cena be granted a rematch on Raw or at the next PPV?

Catch all the exciting action of tonight's Raw with host Floyd Mayweather Jr. tonight on USA at 9PM EST!

Summerslam 09' Stories: Punk wins, Undertaker returns!

The Undertaker has officially returned from "the dead" once again as of Summerslam 2009 (Full WWE Summerslam 2009 results). The last we saw of "The Phenom" he was competing at a high level against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 in the match of the event. The two Texan natives put on a classic, and both men who are well into their wrestling careers had to take some serious time off afterwards.

However at Summerslam 09', both superstars made their returns to the WWE. The fans already knew Shawn Michaels would be back as part of DX, but the Undertaker was unexpected. Michaels and HHH were able to do as expected when they picked up a victory over Legacy in interesting fashion, following some Sweet Chin Music. The match was considered one of the best of the show, but the best was really yet to come.

Later in the show, came the match of the night with CM Punk and Jeff Hardy going at it in a TLC Match. It involved some crazy stunts, including bodies hitting the floor, crashing through tables, and Jeff doing the sickest Swanton Bomb you may ever see in your life. The dive ended up putting Jeff on a stretcher and a la Mick Foley Hell in a Cell vs Undertaker, Jeff got off the stretcher to return to fight. He tried to battle Punk up on a ladder with Punk eventually throwing Jeff off and grabbing the belt to become a 3-time WH Champ. That may be the last we see of Jeff Hardy in WWE action for some time fans.

CM Punk stood over Jeff's battered and bruised body on the mat victoriously, thinking he owned Smackdown now. The lights suddenly went dark as Undertaker's bells sounded, and when the lights were back Undertaker was in Jeff Hardy's spot on the mat. Taker reached up, grabbed Punk by the throat and proceeded to chokeslam him down with all his might. The lights went out as Taker's music closed out Summerslam 2009 in grand fashion.

Now it appears we'll get another fresh new feud on SmackDown with Punk and Undertaker fighting it out. Should be a good one we haven't seen before!

In other Summerslam stories, we saw Christian retain the ECW title in ultra-quick fashion, pinning Regal before he even could take off his robe in the ring. Of course, Christian was greeted by Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson after his win to give him a congratulatory beatdown. There was even a 15-divas battle royal prior to Summerslam with Chavo Guerrero as guest ref, and Hornswoggle nowhere to be found.

Then there was the mayhem in Cena v. Orton for the WWE title. It was classic Orton using any tactic he could to escape with the belt. The match stopped and restarted over a DQ, a near countout and then a cheat pin by Orton using the ropes. A second ref rushed into the ring to overturn a decision, something we rarely see at all in matches these days. It ended strangely with a fan going bezerk, rushing into the ring and tackling the ref. That mayhem allowed Orton to hit a series of RKO's to eventually pin Cena. Strange but true, the fan had to be a plant for this match to make some sense.

Raw should be interesting on Monday night as Floyd "Money" Mayweather will be our guest host in Las Vegas...Stay tuned for more crazy WWE action!

Feel free to leave your reactions and comments regarding the 2009 Summerslam PPV below!

Raw Revelations: Orton breaks in Freddie Prinze Jr.

Last night on Raw, guest host Freddie Prinze Jr. received his official induction ceremony to the WWE Universe. The self-professed wrestling fan for years got to do his dream job of calling the shots on Raw for a night, while getting some indirect "24" promo's in as well. Unfortunately for Prinze, Randy Orton decided to spoil the fun as he came to the ring for one of his usual bullying jobs trying to remove himself as Cena's tag team partner. Prinze stood up to the Viper though, but it only resulted in Orton grabbing him and nearly snapping him in half across his back. Prinze was helped out of the ring by medical staff for his back and neck injuries, which didn't seem to require a brace or stretcher. Prinze was back later in the show to make sure Orton got his. Prinze made the main event tag match where Orton teamed with Cena, a Lumberjack match. He hand picked the jacks including guys like MVP, Kofi Kingston and Mark Henry. Prinze did a good job riling up the crowd and acting, and again you'll notice how WWE sort of toned down this guest host's interaction quite a bit from past shows (Piven, Seth Green). If anything, Prinze did a good job selling the fact he'll be on a show like "24" where Kiefer Sutherland recovers from just about anything.

I thought the Mickie James-Gail Kim Divas Championship match had one of the strangest finishes I've seen. Just the look on Mickie's face seemed to be one of either concern, frustration or bewilderment. The two traded momentum and all sorts of fast paced action, and in the final moments, Gail Kim blocked Mickie's finisher. Mickie still took Gail down to the mat in a hold. As Gail staggered up to her feet, she avoided a kick by Mickie James, so Mickie simply walked up to her and hit her in the face with a forearm to win it. It was extremely odd and makes you wonder if Gail got hurt and somehow let Mickie know. Nonetheless, Mickie and Gail raised each others arms at the end of the fight.

It's great that The Miz is getting a push for the United States Championship. He called out Kofi Kingston last night, letting him know what he's after. Shortly after that he was able to defeat high flyer Evan Bourne for a big "comeback" to Raw win. I think Miz will capture the US Title, probably after some trickery or underhanded tactics to win against Kofi. Speaking of Kofi, great match between he and Carlito last night. Also, good idea to put Rosa Mendes in Carlito's corner. Last night, Cole and Lawler were saying the list of US Champions is only a dozen or so guys, and maybe Carlito will add his name. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Carlito was a US champ already. I'm pretty sure Carlito won the US title back on Smackdown, by defeating John Cena. It happened right after Carlito's debut on the show and in WWE.

While I'm not a fan of the DX reunion, last night's scenario was set up well. Got a good chuckle out of HHH "canning" Jillian Hall's screeching by just putting a trash can full of trash on top of her. In the ring, DX did a lot of waiting around due to the crowd excitement before they started speaking. From there, they started up the DX lines in the ring, but it was cut short as Legacy attacked. A great way to set up Summerslam, making it look like Legacy has the upperhand, when we all know exactly who's winning that match.

While the Hornswoggle-Chavo thing's getting older each week, the Macaulay Culkin appearance and Home Alone stunt was a surprise.

In the main event, Orton and Cena sort of co-existed, despite Orton refusing to tag in, and then attacking Cena after the match. They defeated Show and Jericho in a non-title matchup, with face Lumberjacks surrounding the ring. Cena managed to win the match with an Attitude Adjustment on Jericho, but after the bell Orton snuck in to RKO him. Nice touch before Summerslam, but I kept thinking Freddie Prinze, Jr. might sneak out from backstage and bring Orton back to the ring for Cena. Wishful thinking, and they don't want Orton looking weak compared with a TV actor before a major PPV.

Next week we'll see Floyd "Money" Mayweather return to the scene when he guest hosts Raw in Vegas, following Summerslam. He's got a history with Big Show, so we just may see those two tangle again.

Variety Article reveals Raw Hosts

Variety magazine has a recent online article examining the Raw guest hosting gig, and how most celebrities are using it as part of their promotional arsenal for new projects. For example, Jeremy Piven promoted his movie "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard", Seth Green promoted Robot Chicken and ZZ Top promoted their DVD's, albums, and a current concert tour.

Freddie Prinze Jr. hosts the 08/17/09 episode of WWE Raw and he also is joining the cast of Fox's hit action/drama series "24". Stephanie McMahon had the following to say, according to the Variety article:

"We wanted a different way to get our product out there and talked about," Stephanie McMahon, WWE's executive VP of creative development and operations, told Daily Variety. "Tying us in with celebrities in Hollywood raises our awareness and gets a variety of people talking about us, which is always a positive place to be. Hopefully it will translate to new viewers."

According to the article, the guest hosts will continue through 2009, and may even go on until Wrestlemania 26 in 2010. Among those confirmed as upcoming hosts: Bob Barker (Price is Right), Reverend Al Sharpton, Nancy O'Dell (Access Hollywood), boxer Floyd Mayweather, and NBA star Lebron James (also Shaquille O'Neal's Cleveland teammate). Sounds like at least two of the upcoming hosts could make things rough for The Big Show.

There's also several rumored guest hosts who are in talks with WWE: Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, Ashlee Simpson, the Osbournes, Danny DeVito, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, Jimmy Fallon, Rachael Ray, MC Hammer, Woody Harrelson, Serena Williams and Ashton Kutcher.

If you think about the move, it's smart business for both WWE and the hosts who get to plug whatever they want. ESPN covered Shaq's appearance, while Jeremy Piven talked his Raw hosting gig up on various shows like Jimmy Kimmel and Regis & Kelly. And at least a few times, it's made for entertaining television (Shaq, Seth Green). It's even boosted ratings since they've instituted the hosts and gained new sponsors such as KFC, Pepsi and 7-11, currently helping to promote Summerslam 2009. If you recall, this all started out when Trump announced the idea as part of his Raw restructuring plan. So maybe Donald Trump should be running WWE after all?

Read full article: "WWE added to Talk Show Circuit at Variety's online site.

Smackdown's Debut on MyNetworkTV

Mark your calendars for October 3, 2008. That's the date that WWE's Smackdown show will officially start airing on MyNetworkTV. Just one day before, on October 2nd, the channel will air Wrestlemania 24 highlights including the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Big Show "Anything Goes" match.

More from the Associated Press:

Those dates pin down a notable transition for World Wrestling Entertainment, whose "SmackDown" series premiered on UPN in fall 1999. The past two years it aired on The CW. In February, the CW and WWE announced the end of their partnership after this season.

"SmackDown's" new home is appropriate: Some MyNetworkTV stations were affiliated with UPN before its 2006 merger with The WB to form The CW.

The "WrestleMania" special, billed as the first ever on broadcast TV, will feature highlights from "WrestleMania XXIV," including Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show.

Other WWE-produced programming includes "Monday Night RAW" and "A.M. RAW" on USA Network and "ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling" on the Sci Fi Channel.

So in about 5 months, Smackdown makes the big move from the CW Network where it's aired for many years now. Find more info regarding Smackdown's new home at MyNetworkTV.com.

Relive Wrestlemania 24 on DVD

Just a few months ago was the WWE's biggest Pay-Per-View of the year with the 24th Wrestlemania. The "Superbowl of Wrestling" was held in the outdoors of Orlando, Florida and featured a Triple Threat match for the WWE title between John Cena, Randy Orton & Triple H as well as Edge defending the World Heavyweight title against the Undertaker. In addition there was pro boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. taking on the massive Big Show, and the traditional Money in the Bank Ladder match. Now fans can relive the excitement of Wrestlemania 24 in all its glory on DVD in regular and Blu-Ray format.

The 3 disc set is 540 minutes in length and not only includes all of the great Wrestlemania matches, but the Hall of Fame ceremony from the night before. The ceremony is definitely one you want to relive as it includes Ric Flair's acceptance speech as well as The Rock's great opening intro and his presentation of two legendary relatives to WWE's Hall of Fame.

Purchase your copy below, to get all the excitement, action and sports entertainment that Wrestlemania delivers!

WWE: Wrestlemania 24

WWE - Wrestlemania 24 [Blu-ray]

WWE's 2008 Q1 Results Up

World Wrestling Entertainment has reported its 2007 First Quarter results for the business. As a business, things have increased positively for WWE, no matter what TV or PPV ratings indicate. Revenue totals were $162.6 million for the quarter ending March 31, 2008, which is higher than last year's $107.4 million. Net income was $19.5 million, or 27 cents per share, while it was $15.1 million or 21 cents a share just a year ago.

Linda McMahon says the following in the results report:

“Our first quarter results reflect the power of our premiere event, WrestleMania® XXIV. Our WrestleMania brand provides us with a unique opportunity to showcase our creative content and marketing talents across a multitude of media outlets,” stated Linda McMahon, Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to posting solid financial results in the first quarter, we are actively expanding our global brand presence through our newly established international offices. During the quarter, we also announced and paid our first quarterly cash dividend at the increased rate of $0.36 per share for all shares not owned by the McMahon family. As we continue to take the next steps forward, we remain focused on delivering value to our shareholders for the long term.”

An interesting bit from the report says that WrestleMania 23 outdid this year's WrestleMania 24 by about $5 million in profit. There was 0.1 million less buys for this year's Wrestlemania PPV. Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s appearance may not have helped boost the revenue from WM24 as much as the brash young boxer was expecting it to. WWE also denied the statement made my Mayweather that he was paid $20 million for his appearance to wrestle against Big Show. This may have been part of the storyline to hype up the match and draw publicity as well. The powerhouse names of Trump-McMahon as well as having Stone Cold Steve Austin at last year's event definitely helped.

Read the full report on WWE's First Quarter Results here at BusinessWire.com.

Various sites have commentary regarding the results:

Doghouse Boxing 's Johnny Benz asks Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. a Huge Liar?

The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck discusses how Revenue Trumps Ratings in WWE

WWE Internet Stories 4/4/08

From around the world wide web, here's the latest news about World Wrestling Entertainment. Here's WWE news and miscellaneous content about WWE's Jim Ross, Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, Smackdown coming to Brisbane, and Professor Wrestling's Wrestlemania 24 thoughts.

Wftv.com presents Professor Wrestling's match by match analysis of this year's Wrestlemania 24. The Professor gives kudos to several matches including the Money in the Bank ladder match, Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show, and Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. On the flipside, he was unimpressed with the WWE title Triple Threat match and Batista vs. Umaga's offering.

Read Professor Wrestling: 'Wrestlemania 24' Thoughts

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WWE Fans' dreams come true. An article from PR Web discusses Ashley, a 14 year old girl who's a big fan of John Cena. Thanks to Kids Wish Network she was able to meet her favorite wrestler, John Cena. According to the article: Ashley was smitten. "It was awesome to see Cena in real life instead of on TV. I like how he wrestles. He's cute, he has nice muscles, and he has nice teeth," Ashley gushed with an ear to ear grin. "Also, I like him so much, because he's multi-talented. Cena's more than just a wrestler - he's a rapper and a great actor."

Read Ashley Rumbles with her Idol, WWE Champ, John Cena from PRWeb.com.

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The Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 video game is due out this coming Fall. Kentucky.com presents a brief preview of the game which will include a "Create a Finisher" feature and downloadable content this year. WWE will be getting some competition in the video game field as well.

Read WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 Preview

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A WWE Smackdown show will be coming to Brisbane, Australia in June 11 for the fans down under. Tickets are on sale today. Read more about it Thedaily.com.

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Last but not least, WWE commentator and analyst, Jim Ross discusses his latest thoughts on Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. JR named Ric Flair as his Superstar of the Week. An interesting note in JR's Blog from 4/2/08 is that Robbie McAllister of The Highlanders was at the TNA show in Orlando, and WWE sent him home due to this. JR also gives thoughts on The Rock at the Hall of Fame ceremony, Ric Flair, Floyd Mayweather and TNA vs. WWE in Orlando.

Read JR's latest 4/2/2008 blog here

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WWE Raw Recap 03.31.08

Raw recap from Orlando, FL

Raw kicked off with highlights of last night's Career Ending Wrestlemania match involving Ric Flair. Flair taunted Shawn Michaels to give him all he had and Flair was superkicked down to the mat for a pin. A teary eyed Flair extended thanks to his family and fans following the match.

Jim Ross announced that tonight we will see Ric Flair's Farewell Address on Raw. John Cena;s music came on to open the show. After a minute or so and no Cena, Triple H's music started up for his entrance. Triple H did not show either as his theme song kept playing. Finally, Randy Orton's music came on and the WWE champ was soon on the ramp walking to the ring. In the ring Orton held up his belt for all fans to see. Orton asked the fans if they were expecting someone else, then reminded fans that all last week people wondered who would beat him, Cena or Triple H. Orton said nobody wanted to give him credit, but now they have no choice but to show respect. Orton listed off the names of all the men he's beaten like Michaels, Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Triple H and Cena.

Orton went on to say the Orton era is here and neither Triple H nor John Cena deserve any rematches. Just then, JBL came down to the ring. JBL said that Cena and Triple H don't deserve a title shot, but JBL does. JBL told Orton his whole title reign has been due to luck, while JBL's was due to dominance. JBL reminded Orton how he beat Finlay and Hornswoggle last night in their own match, a Belfast Brawl. JBL proclaimed e is the #1 Title Contender and wants the torch he passed back. JBL stormed out of the ring and up the ramp, causing Orton to become enraged. Orton screamed at JBL to get back to the ring. Just as he was facing the ramp, Matt Hardy came sliding into the ring behind Orton. Hardy began to attack Orton furiously in the ring, then it spilled to the outside. Eventually Orton was able to push Hardy against the crowd barrier, and Orton grabbed his WWE title to escape.

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Backstage, an angry William Regal came up to Matt Hardy backstage demanding an explanation for what just happened. Hardy said he hadn't forgot what Orton did to him several weeks back on Raw, causing a visit to the ER. Matt demanded a match tonight against Orton for revenge, and William Regal said he'd have to think about it.

Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Cryme Tyme

A surprise return for Cryme Tyme who had been out of the WWE months ago. Fans chanted "Welcome Back" to the tag team. Cade immediately attacked Big Shad, but was met with a clothesline off the ropes. JTG tagged in for an impressive double team move where he was flipped by Chad onto Cade. Cade took control of JTG then tagged in Murdoch. Murdoch continued to hit and chop away at JTG then knocked him down after throwing him against the ropes.

Murdoch and Cade started to doubleteam JTG, tagging in and out and keeping him nearer to their corner. Cade picked up Murdoch and dropped him on JTG for a leg drop. Murdoch missed when he ran at JTG in the corner. As Murdoch hit the corner hard, JTG grabbed him to roll him up for the surprise pinfall.

Winners: Cryme Tyme wins via pinfall over Cade & Murdoch.

Highlights of a NWA title cage match with Flair against Harley Race on Nov. 24, 1983 were shown. Both men became bloodied in a back and forth fight. Flair eventually pulled off the win to capture the NWA World Heavyweight title.

The man responsible for ending Flair's career, Shawn Michaels, was shown walking backstage on the way out to the ring. JR said he's heard Michaels is going to pour his heart out next.

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Shawn Michaels made his way down the ramp to the ring. Fans chanted H-B-K before Michaels began speaking. HBK said that he's feeling a lot of emotions, but none too good. Michaels spoke about how he had too much respect for Flair to give him any less than he did last night. HBK said being the man who ended Flair's career is a burden he has to carry the rest of his life and "Lucky Me". Michaels put down the mic and exited the ring, still seeming emotionally shaken.

Jim Ross announced we will see 2 of last night's MITB Ladder match competitors battle with Chris Jericho going against CM Punk. Jerry Lawler added that the Hardy vs Orton (non-title) match has been confirmed for later tonight.

Advertisement shown for WWE the Music Volume 8 which is now on sale. Features the theme music for Mr. Kennedy, Jillian Hall, John Morrison and more!

Shawn Michaels shown pacing backstage. WIlliam Regal came up and told HBK he did what he had to do and it should have been done a long time ago. Regal left and next the camera caught a shot of Batista who was standing near Michaels in the hall staring at him angrily. Michaels looked at Batista then walked off.

Kendrick & London vs. Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly

JR said that it appears Kendrick and London worked out the issues that occurred in their handicap match against Umaga. JR also added how the team reminds him of The Rockers.

Cody Rhodes took an early advantage over Kendrick with headlocks and takedowns, but Kendrick managed to escape then tagged in London. Rhodes tagged in Holly as well, and the two wrestlers grappled. London tried to get a quick move on Holly then ran to the corner. Holly avoided London's attack then continued to chop at his chest. London fell out of the ring holding his chest, with Holly going out to retrieve him. London escaped a near pinfall, and Holly tagged in Cody.

The action got fast and furious with Holly going towards the ropes. London pulled the top rope down and Holly fell out of the ring. Rhodes ran over to clothesline London out of the ring. With his back still turned, Rhodes was grabbed by Kendrick who rolled him up for a bridge pin.

Winners: Kendrick & London win via pinfall over Rhodes & Holly.

Highlights of the May 7, 1989 match between Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair were shown. Steamboat was current World champion at the time. Flair won the match by being able to reverse a Steamboat slam for a pinfall. Flair became World champion for the sixth time with the win.

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Jerry Lawler gave a special thanks to Rev Theory for providing the Wrestlemania theme song "Light it Up". Rev Theory shown sitting in the front row of the Raw crowd behind Ross and Lawler.

Highlights from Wrestlemania 24 were shown including Kane winning the ECW title, Snoop Dogg clotheslining down Santino Marella then kissing Maria, and the Belfast Brawl. Money in the Bank was also shown, where Matt Hardy made his surprise return to prevent MVP from winning. Highlights shown from Flair's last match, with Shawn Michaels defeating him by a Superkick. The Triple Threat match highlights were shown as well as Undertaker defeating Edge to win the World Heavyweight title.

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

Mr. Money in the Bank 2008 challenged the Intercontinental champ in this one. Highlights shown from last night's MITB match, with Punk beating out Jericho to get the briefcase. JR reminded fans that Punk can cash in his briefcase for a title match anyplace, anytime, meaning he can go for any title of any brand.

The two men rolled each other up early for pins with both men escaping. Punk started to punch away at Jericho then knocked him down for another pin attempt. Y2J eventually managed to kick Punk in the chest from the ropes, then clotheslined him down. Jericho started to dominate Punk with a sideslam and a kick to his head. Fans chanted for Punk and Jericho back and forth during the match. Jericho continued to deliver kicks to Punk, then suplexed Punk onto the top rope. Y2J tried to Leapfrog off the ropes at Punk, but Punk ducked down causing Jericho to fall.

Punk regrouped outside the ring as Jericho also got up. Y2J saw Punk standing up and went for a slide dropkick. Punk moved away then punched Jericho. The two got back in the ring for more fight. Jericho knocked Punk to the mat for a Lionsault attempt. Punk moved and Jericho landed bad on his knee. Punk took control and eventually tried for the GTS. Jericho reversed for the Walls of Jericho, but Punk escaped. After ducking a clothesline, Y2J was able to grab Punk and drop him with the Codebreaker.

Winner: Chris Jericho wins via pinfall over CM Punk.

Highlights of 1992 Royal Rumble were shown, with Ric Flair winning the match to claim the WWE title.

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Jerry Lawler said later tonight we're going to see Maria facing Santino in a matchup.

Big Show made his way down to the ring. Show congratulated Floyd Mayweather for the win, as well as his manager, posse, steel chair and brass knuckles. Show said he came out because of the Hall of Fame though. Show said he was touched by Flair's comment from the ceremony that Big Show was the best big man in the business. Show started saying he was going to go back to doing what he's always done. Just then, the Great Khali interrupted and made his way down to the ring. The two giants began staring each other down in the center of the ring. Show dropped his mic after warning Khali to get out of his face. Show put his fists up to fight. The two men stared each other down more before Khali finally stepped out of the ring and backed up the ramp.

Highlights of the earlier incident between Matt Hardy and Orton were shown. Hardy shown pacing backstage in anticipation of the main event match.

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Santino Marella shown backstage doing calisthenics, when Maria walked up to him. Santino began to harass Maria about last night's match where she kissed Snoop. Maria pleaded with Santino to not go through with tonight's match. Santino said he was humiliated by being a part of last night's diva match and divas shouldn't even wrestle. Santino said he needs to blow off steam and asked Maria to help him. Maria slapped Marella and he angrily left.

Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton

Hardy and Orton traded shots early, with Hardy flipping Orton over his back off the ropes. Hardy gave a shot to Orton and Randy left the ring. Matt followed him outside to continue beating him up. Hardy threw Orton back in and landed an elbow drop on him. Matt kept kicking and punching Orton in the corners. The two men went back to the outside and Matt kept punching away.

Hardy went to the ropes at one point, but Orton yanked his feet away and Matt hit the mat. Both men down as Raw went to a break. When Raw returned, Orton had Hardy down in a headlock. Matt fought to his feet, but Orton hit him back down. Orton failed at a pin then took Matt back up to the corner ropes. Matt hit a moonsault on Orton but failed at a pin as well. Matt also hit the Side Effect, but Orton kicked out of a pin again. Matt signaled for Twist of Fate. Orton countered and gave an uppercut to Matt.

The two men went back outside the ring again and Matt hit Twist of Fate on Orton. The ref made a count as Matt picked up Orton and tossed him into the ring. As Matt got in the ring, Orton surprised him with a RKO to win the match.

Winner: Randy Orton wins via pinfall over Matt Hardy.

Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes gave his thoughts about Nature Boy Ric Flair. Rhodes said from this day forth Flair is a National Treasure.

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Wrestlers such as Edge and MVP shown giving thoughts about Triple H as a superstar. Triple H King of Kings DVD promoted via the ad.

Randy Orton shown resting in a back locker room just as JBL entered. JBL picked up the WWE title and looked at it, then dropped it back in Orton's lap before leaving.

Maria vs. Santino Marella
Anything Goes Rules

Marella tried to knock Maria around early on, but a bunch of angry divas came storming down to the ring. All the divas including Ashley, Victoria, Mickie James, Michelle McCool and Kelly Kelly got into the ring and knocked Santino down. Two divas held Marella's legs apart for Maria to headbutt him. Maria rolled up Santino for a pin, collecting the victory.

Winner: Maria wins via pinfall over Santino Marella.

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Ric Flair Farewell Address

Raw showed highlights again of Shawn Michaels defeating Ric Flair in the Career ending match at Wrestlemania XXIV.

2008 Hall of Famer Ric Flair made his way down to the ring for his Farewell Address. Flair told the crowd last night was indeed his final wrestling match. Flair said he's not sad about it and fans should rejoice in the fact he has had the greatest wrestling career in the history of pro wrestling. Flair thanked everyone for making him who he is today. As Flair's music came on and he "WOOOd!" all of a sudden Triple H's music came on. The Game came to the top of the ramp, paused a moment, then made his way to the ring.

Triple H told Flair that it wasn't just the fans watching in the arena and on TV who wanted to thank him. HHH hugged Flair in the ring, as tears streamed down Flair's face. HHH said there's several other men who want to thank him, and then the Four Horsemen came down to the ring. JR said it's the first time the group's been together since 88'.

Next up, Batista made his way down to the ring to hug Flair. Ricky Steamboat came down the ramp next and entered the ring to hug Flair. Harley Race was escorted to the ring down the ramp by Mickie and Michelle. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho and John Cena all came to the ring to hug Flair and wish him well. Finally, Flair's family came down the ramp to the ring. A visibly moved Ric Flair hugged all of them and stood center of the ring as fans and the wrestlers all applauded him. To top things off, Shawn Michaels made his way down the ramp. HBK hugged Flair as fans continued to clap. Triple H then invited anyone else backstage who wanted to come thank Flair to come to the ring.

All of the WWE wrestlers, officials, personalities and divas from ECW, Smackdown and Raw made their way out to the ring clapping for Flair. They stood bottom of the ramp applauding the legendary Flair for his career. "Thank You Flair" chant erupted and continued throughout the arena as a tribute to the greatest of all time.

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Wrestlemania XXIV Breaks Records

Pro boxer turned semi-wrestler, Floyd Mayweather continuously spoke on TV interviews and other footage about "shattering last year's Wrestlemania records set by Trump-McMahon". Floyd may have been helpful as the WWE smashed ticket sales and attendance records for this year's huge outdoor event. According to bizjournals.com:

WrestleMania XXIV, held at the Citrus Bowl, attracted 74,635 fans, a record attendance for the event hosted by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

In addition, WrestleMania generated gross ticket sales of $5.85 million, which makes it the highest grossing live event for both the WWE and the Citrus Bowl.

WWE Executive Vice President Geof Rochester says in a prepared statement that wrestling fans from 50 states and 22 countries attended the annual event.

Source: Bizjournals.com

Another triumphant event for Vince McMahon and his top brand of sports entertainment. John Saboor, president of the Central Florida Sports Commission is already talking about having McMahon and his crew back for another event. This Monday Night's Raw, will also be in Orlando and should have more mayhem and fallout from last night's huge outdoor event.

See full Wrestlemania 24 Results.

Also see Wrestlemania Thoughts from the Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck

Wrestlemania 24 the Hype!

Today's the day for the big event, Wrestlemania 24! Fans have been waiting months for the superbowl of WWE wrestling to hit on Sunday, March 30, 2008. Tonight the WWE Superstars and divas will take to the ring in many great matches including a Belfast Brawl, a Triple Threat WWE title match, and Bunnymania! Here's previous WWE Wrestling entries here at WWE Characters the Blog to get you ready for the biggest night of WWE wrestling!

Wrestlemania 24 Links

Wrestlemania 24 Full Card

Wrestlemania 24 Predictions

Wrestlemania 24 the Merchandise!

Get Rev Theory's Light it Up

Snow (Hey Oh) Lyrics - Red Hot Chili Peppers

2008 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony

WWE 2008 Hall of Fame Class

WM24 Celebrities

Wrestlemania 24 Internet Stories

WWE on Larry King Live - WM24 Preview

Poll Results: WM24 Matches Fans are Most Excited For!

How Orlando Won Wrestlemania 24

Floyd Mayweather's 39-0 Boxing Record

5 Money in the Bank Possibilities

Money in the Bank 2008

Wrestlemania XXIV Goes Virtual

Raw WrestleMania Rewind Recap

Results from Wrestlemania 23 - 1 Year ago!

Let's Wrestle Blog - coverage from Orlando

Wrestlemania 24 Internet Stories

With just a few days until Wrestlemania 24, fans around the world are buzzing with anticipation and speculation about the huge event. Here's a look at various stories from around the web concerning the Pay-Per-View wrestling extravaganza!

USA Today has a sports boxing article looking at Floyd Mayweather's involvement with Wrestlemania 24, which discusses how Money Mayweather is looking to gain more exposure at the big event. USA Today states that Mayweather and WWE are targeting pro wrestling's pay-per-view record of 1.4 million buys with this Sunday's PPV.

Read Floyd Mayweather Jr. looks to increase exposure at WrestleMania

David Mayo of Grand Rapids Press proposes some interesting ways to end the Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show match, including former wrestling legends and interference from Oscar De La Hoya.

Read "Here's How the WWE should end the Mayweather-Big Show Match"

OddsPreview.com takes a look at the Triple Threat match, discussing the ideas that Triple H shouldn't be in the match, or that Cena should be facing Triple H one on one, without Orton involved. The article also discusses the idea that Jeff Hardy should be facing Orton at WM24, and that Triple H is part of the main event thanks to being the WWE chairman's son-in-law.

Read "Is Triple H main eventing WrestleMania based on being related to the boss?"

Also see: Should The Undertaker's winning streak end at WrestleMania 24?

Last night CNN aired the WWE WrestleMania episode of Larry King Live. Larry talked with Vince McMahon, John Cena, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Floyd Mayweather and Big Show. They discussed everything from what Mania is like, to the sports entertainment aspect of WWE to how well wrestlers are payed.

Read WWE Characters recap of WWE on Larry King Live

Predictions for Wrestlemania 24 will be here Saturday..stay tuned!

Wrestlemania 24 the Merchandise

Get Rev Theory's Light it Up

WWE on Larry King Live Show

On Wednesday night, Wrestlemania 24 publicity continued, with the WWE edition of CNN's Larry King Live show featuring several WWE Superstars and boxer Floyd Mayweather. This episode was originally supposed to air over a week ago on CNN, but due to other news stories, it was rescheduled. The wrestlers hyped up the big event as King asked the hard-hitting questions. Appearing as guests on the WWE episode were Triple H, John Cena, Chris Jericho & Big Show as well as behind the scenes coverage of WWE with Vince McMahon. Vince and Triple H started off in the studio with Larry King.

Vince discussed how he bought out Ted Turner's wrestling company, how he acts as chairman and wrestler now and how they coined the term "sports entertainment". Vince said Wrestlemania was his idea because it was logical to have a huge annual wrestling event just like football has the Superbowl. Vince said WWE falls out of the sports page coverage because it's also entertainment. The drug policy was mentioned how it's unusual that entertainers would be tested but WWE does. Larry brought up the Benoit tragedy and both Vince & HHH said they couldn't believe the story at first. Vince added that the tragedy didn't hurt the WWE business overall, although it may have short term.

Triple H discussed how his nickname came from Hunter Hearst Helmsley, a snobbish wrestler character he started out as. Hunter said he's actually from New Hampshire and not Greenwich, CT. Triple H said with thousands of fans screaming each week it's tough not get riled up, and there have been real injuries as well. Triple H said he took painkillers for a quad injury for about 2 days but can't stand using them.

John Cena appeared via satellite in New Orleans, because he was on location filming the WWE film "12 Rounds. Cena spoke about how big Wrestlemania is and how fantastic an entertainment event it is. Cena said there will be hype, celebrities and pyro displays, so it's worth tuning in for. Cena discussed how drug use by pro wrestlers is really a personal choice, and he's not concerned over it happening to him.

Chris Jericho discussed how the Wrestlemania event will be 4 hours but flies by due to its high entertainment value. Larry asked how they rehearse and Jericho/HHH mentioned it's more of an improv type thing where they go out and put on their best show. Donald Trump was also on the show via phone to discuss his fight with Vince at last year's Mania. Trump said it will be tough for Floyd Mayweather to top their performance this year. Trump said Vince is both a great promoter and manager all in one, which is a rarity in business.

Larry asked how the wrestlers do for salaries. Jericho said he does well and it's based on who sells the most tickets and gives the most entertaining performance. Cena said the structure for payment is based on how over a wrestler gets with the fans. Triple H said he feels he is being treated fairly and that Cena is one of the hardest workers in the company, and is payed for it. Triple H also discussed how he's never away from the business due to being married to Vince's daughter, Stephanie.

Floyd Mayweather appeared to discuss his huge fight with Big Show at Wrestlemania. Mayweather said as a kid he enjoyed wrestling and dreamed of being part of it, now he's in Wrestlemania. Vince said he liked Floyd's personality and flashyness and that's where he got the idea for the match. Jericho said the Big Show punches from Floyd where Show's nose was broken was not staged. Floyd said his next boxing fight is in Septermber. Vince responded to Larry's question about paying Floyd 20 million dollars "I wouldn't be surprised if he gets 20 million".

Big Show joined Vince and Floyd Mayweather in the studio with Larry King. Show said he took this match to prove he's the greatest fighter on the planet and squash Mayweather. Show said he plans to have fun and humiliate Mayweather at WM24. Show also said he is a fan of Floyd's boxing achievements and thinks he is a great fighter. Larry wished Floyd good luck with the match and told him to stay undefeated.

WWE Diva Maria was also shown in a video piece signing autographs on her Playboy magazine for fans. Maria discussed her finishing move "The Beautiful Bulldog" as well as how she came to WWE for the Diva search after growing up a fan of wrestling.

Larry went behind the scenes as well to tour a WWE TV show production, with Vince as tour guide. The stage was shown being set up as well a the 20x20 ring and Vince discussed how he would be wrestling on the show.

A simulated WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 video game match was shown between Vince & Larry King, with Larry hitting moves off the ropes and finishing off with the FU on Vince for the win. The show ended with Larry asking HHH, Jericho and Show about injuries. Vince ended saying that the wrestling season lasts all year long with events. Wrestlemania 24 will be Sunday at 7PM EST.

Mayweather Show = Too Much TV

Heading into Mania a few things are obvious with others up for grabs. For one, the Mayweather vs. Big Show match has received a bit too much publicity. We see more background footage and interviews on this match than any other. WWE definitely made a huge $20 million investment, hence all the promotion for it. They are probably hoping to get boxing and other sports fans interested in the event with this, and also consider they spent so much on it. Show tossing Mayweather out of the ring did make the Top 10 plays on Sportscenter the next day. However, it makes little sense to build this match up more than Undertaker vs Edge or the WWE Triple Threat. Even the Money in the Bank is more interesting at this point and should be given more attention.

Another problem with Show vs. Mayweather is that WWE fans might revolt at this point if Mayweather is declared the winner. So basically WWE really needs a great idea to save this by making Show look legit as a wrestler and Mayweather still look tough as a fighter.

You may have also noticed on Raw that Jim Ross said "either Undertaker's streak ends or we will have a new champion". Not necessarily JR. Edge has been known to play dirty, and a DQ would let Edge retain and Undertaker still be undefeated. It would be an unfair scenario for fans paying to be there or see it on the PPV, but would save both the streak and the title.

Ashley has now been added to Bunnymania, because there's not much other choice. WWE doesn't have enough money left after paying Floyd Mayweather to pay other Playboy divas like Sable or Chyna. Ashley doesn't quite have the in ring skills as Candice yet, so this may be a disappointing one for fans. Expect to see the 2 bunnies triumphant, and maybe Snoop Dogg helps out or the Godfather starts up his "Hooo train" to end the match with a parade of divas leaving up the ramp with Snoop and the Godfather Pimp.

The Money in the Bank will definitely make things very interesting, as it could give way to another new champ at Wrestlemania 24. Seeing Punk get pinned on Raw makes you wonder if he's scheduled to win the big MITB contract at WM24, then defeat Chavo (or whoever has it) for the ECW title.

WWE Raw Preview 03.24.08

Last week's Raw ended with The Game, Triple H standing triumphantly over a fallen John Cena and Randy Orton. Cena and Orton had fought for their lives against most of the Raw roster, only to receive Pedigrees by HHH as he was the last man to come down to the ring. HHH held up the WWE title for a few moments, but is this a sign he will be the next WWE title holder? All 3 men have just this last week to show each other who has the Wrestlemania advantage. What will Cena, Orton and HHH do this week to prove their toughness heading into a Triple Threat match? Will Cena and Orton have revenge in store for The Game?

Last week also saw the Big Show deliver a huge punch to the face of Intercontinental champion, Chris Jericho. After his brutal beatdown of Y2J, a clear message was sent to Floyd Mayweather again. Will Money Mayweather have a message of his own for Big Show, or will Big Show destroy another wrestler or two this week as he heads into WM24?

We have several other WWE Superstars getting themselves ready for big matches at Wrestlemania. From the Raw roster, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair will be Wrestlemania opponents, despite their longtime friendship. Chris Jericho, Mr. Kennedy and Carlito will all be looking to prepare for Money in the Bank. JBL and Finlay will be tuning up for their Belfast Brawl. Which superstars will gain the advantage as they head to the biggest PPV of them all?

For all the action, tune into Monday Night Raw at 9/8 CT on USA Network.

Also see WWE.com's Raw Preview: Pure Pedigrees

WWE Raw Preview 03.17.08

Monday Night Raw will feature one of the more unique and lopsideed handicap matches of all time. On tonight's show, The Game, Triple H is in charge and as of last week he announced that his main event will see John Cena and Randy Orton as tag team partners. Their opponents? The entire Raw roster of WWE Superstars. How will these two Wrestlemania 24 opponents work together against the entire collective roster? Will they have any chance of winning such a lopsided, and undermanned match? Will this move give The Game a true advantage over Cena and Orton heading to their Triple Threat match?

Tonight we will also see the brand new Intercontinental champion, Chris Jericho. Y2J won a surprising match on last week's show, as he defeated multiple time champ, Jeff Hardy. Now that Y2J holds the belt, who will be gunning for him and the title? Will Jericho continue to gain momentum as he heads into the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WM24?

Last week's show also saw The Big Show toss his WM24 opponent, Floyd Mayweather out of the ring. In the brawl that ensued, Mayweather appeared to have injured his arm and Shane McMahon was knocked down on the ramp by one of Mayweather's posse members. Will there be reprecussions from the WWE or Mayweather's camp on this episode of Raw? Will Mayweather be present for tonight's Raw, or will he have second doubts about competing at Wrestlemania with the gigantic Big Show?

Catch all the action of Raw, Monday Night at 9PM on USA!

Preview:Rules of The Game at WWE.com

Larry King WWE Episode - Postponed

The CNN Larry King Live episode originally scheduled for Thursday, March 13th was postponed to a later date due to the recent news of New York Governor Elliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal. The CNN Larry King site provides the following blurb about the WWE episode, coming soon:

Global smackdown! It's a spectacle in 100 countries around the world. We pull back the curtain with WWE ringmaster Vince McMahon, and superstars John Cena, Chris Jericho, Floyd Mayweather, Big Show and Triple H. Only on Larry King Live!


CNN's Larry King goes head to head with World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon in this video animation.

Larry King vs Vince McMahon

Wrestlemania Rewinds & Renews

The Wrestlemania Rewind version of Raw gave us a look at some of Wrestlemania's past as well as its future. There were just 3 Wrestlemania rematches really, with Kane battling Triple H, then Undertaker & Mark Henry in a Casket match, and then John Cena vs Shawn Michaels in a rematch of last year's main event. Two other matches featured competitors from last year's Money in the Bank match. And we can't forget the original Wrestlemania match between US Express and Nikolei Volkoff/Iron Sheik. That much didn't go down thanks to Jillian Hall interrupting, but who expected these guys to really grapple?

We also got the confirmed fact at the Big Show and Floyd Mayweather weigh in: Big Show clearly is bigger and outweighs Mayweather. Show came in at 441.4 lbs with Mayweather tipping the scales at 159 lbs. The antics following the match involved Show tossing Mayweather over the top rope, causing him to land in a heap on top of several WWE Superstars. Mayweather then got up holding his arm and ran backstage fast. It's always tough to tell how much of that is real or part of the show. What was most interesting about this whole exchange is that Big Show is a heel and the crowd is treating Mayweather as a heel, booing him and using the "WHAT?!" response ala Stone Cold. Clearly the fans don't have a favorite in this match, indicating the match probably isn't the best idea.

Raw gave us our first new champion of 2008, with Chris Jericho pinning Jeff Hardy for his Intercontinental title. Something had to give with Hardy's title, but this makes you wonder. Is WWE clearing Hardy of that title in order to set him up for a Money in the Bank win, then a WWE title run? Past IC title holders like Stone Cold, The Rock, even Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man Randy Savage went on to win the bigger title.

The 3 hour show could have had more rematches than the 3 decent ones it gave us. For example, both Undertaker and Batista were on hand for a rematch of last year's WM23 other main event. Also, for some reason the WWE doesn't want us to see Triple H vs. John Cena until Wrestlemania 24. Smart move as it may build anticipation for the big Triple Threat match. Next week will give us Cena and Orton teaming up to face the entire Raw roster. Expect the two to try to hold their own, then maybe beat each other down, paving the way for Triple H to emerge from backstage and make the pin on both men.