Post by michaelporter on Aug 10, 2005 11:03:11 GMT -5
Michael Porter's WrestleBeat (8-10-05)
Hey there again, Wrestling Fans! And welcome to another edition of WrestleBeat. I've got a lot of news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling. So, let's get right to business.
Well...I made my initial appearance with Dave Logasa on his Morning Show this past Thursday morning on Country 103.1 KKCY out of the Marysville/Yuba City, CA. and surrounding areas. It was a short 5-minute segment, oddly enough called "Michael Porter's WrestleShoot"!
On this week's edition, I discussed the latest developements in the WWE...including Matt Hardy's return to WWE and the Matt-Edge-Lita real-life situation, Vince McMahon's announcement that Matt will be facing Edge at Summer Slam, the appearance by Tatanka on RAW, and the latest on Bret "Hitman" Hart being at WWE Headquarters for a week, beginning this past Wednesday.
The Hitman is in Stamford, CT. to work on the upcoming WWE Home Video release of the Bret "Hitman" Hart DVD!
I also reported that Bret ALMOST didn't make it to Stamford due to the fact that he was on the airliner that skidded off of the runway and broke into flames this past Tuesday in Toronto, Canada.
(SPECIAL NOTE HERE): As it turns out, Bret's flight was NOT the flight that skidded off the runway and burst into flames! THANK GOD! This is from WrestlingObserver.com: "From yesterday, the problem with Bret Hart's flight skidding in Toronto due to weather problems was not the publicized flight from France. He was coming from Calgary to Toronto, and Toronto to New York and supposed to arrive on Tuesday. His arrival was delayed until Wednesday as he had to stay in Toronto. He is still in Stamford, CT today working on a DVD of his wrestling career."
Anyway...WrestleShoot is now a part of the "Dave Logasa in the Morning" show on Country 103.1 KKCY every Thursday morning at 8:10am.
I would like to thank Dave, General Manager/Program Director, Michael Berry and Country 103.1 KKCY for having me and WrestleShoot on KKCY every Thursday, with news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling.
I would ALSO like to send out a SPECIAL THANK YOU out to Jeff Sivley, who is an Account Representative at KKCY and their sister station, Sunny 101.5. Jeff helped me with some of the initial contact with Michael Berry about the possibility of bringing WrestleShoot back to the local radio airwaves. Jeff is a member at my place of employment, Cuts fitness for Men in Yuba City. THANKS Jeff!
Be sure to listen to the Dave Logasa in the Morning Show, Monday thru Friday from 5:00am-9:00am, for all of the best of Country Music, local and national news, weather and sports, local events, traffic reports from Cal-Trans, and of course...the Dave Logasa CRAZINESS!
For more information on Country 103.1 KKCY, go to www.kkcy.com .
WCWA returned to the WCWA Arena in Pleasant Hill, CA. on Saturday August 6th, before a SELL-OUT crowd of more than 300 people (due to a large newspaper story on the promotion that ran in the Friday Contra Costa Times at www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/12309819.htm)!
I received this e-mail, with no name attached, with the results of the show and other WCWA news:
This comes from www.wcwaprowrestling.com : "Many thanks for all who came out last night. It was, by far, our most successful show ever. I guess folks DO read the newspaper, afterall.
More details later, but your results are:
3 Way Match for a Ring of Fire Title Shot:
Bonzai Bruce Bukaki beat Sir Samurai & Virgil Kensington Belmont
Tag Team Tournament (double elimination):
Hijo de Chupacabra & Paul Isadora beat the Bad Apples (DQ)
Risa de Muerte & Ultimate Evil Shane Dynasty beat Apollo Green & Lance Bermuda
D.J. Rizz & Chance Calloway beat Steel & Rik Luxury
Ring of Fire Title:
Jason Vega beat Alexis Schmirnoff Jr.
WCWA Title:
Helfyre beat Eric West (DQ)
OAKLAND SHOW CANCELLED
We were supposed to do a free show for the Oakland A's Green Stampede Booster Club in the parking lot of the Oakland Coliseum this Wednesday.
You know, set up a ring, have some great matches and a grand old time will be had by all in the lovely afternoon sun.
FOR FREE.
Until the Oakland Alameda Coliseum Stadium Authority got involved...
They decided, in their infinite wisdom, that we had to pay them 5-10 THOUSAND DOLLARS to put on a FREE show.
Needless to say, this non-profit organization is not going to pay ANYONE to put on a free show.
With this sort of community outreach, can you understand why the A's will never be as successful as the Giants? At least off the field, that is...
Sorry for those that were looking forward to a great day in the sun. Hopefully, we can put something together in the near future.
For now, the next WCWA Arena show is Saturday, August 20th. The tag tourney will continue, Bonzai Bruce Bukaki will face Jason Vega for the Ring of Fire Title, U.S. Steele will attempt to settle his score with Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. and I am attempting to come to terms with Blackie for one final match between Helfyre and Eric West.
He is white hot over what happened last night and was ranting, raving and sputtering in my office already today.
What do you think the match should be? Chain match? Texas Death? Last Man Standing? I Quit? Lumberjack? Steel Cage?
I really want to hear what the fans want for this one.
I don't know that the building could stand much after the end of last night's show.
Thanks again. More later...
Brian Elliott
WCWA Championship Committee"
Here's one for the books: I heard from a former Nor-Cal INDY Wrestling favorite this week. I received an e-mail from Juggalo Jim Cooley on Monday! He's doing well with his music, and he now owns his own recording studio! And he even mentioned wanting to get back into the ring again. It was GREAT hearing from The Juggalo!
Alright...I received this info from UPW (Ultimate Pro Wrestling) regarding their new DVD release, "OVERLOAD". It looks like a GREAT DVD, probably one that I'll get myself! Check out this line-up of matches and Superstars on "OVERLOAD"!:
"Overload Format: DVD Price: $14.99: "Batten down the hatches and get ready for “OVERLOAD”, the newest UPW DVD release from St.Clair Vision and Plus Entertainment. This dynamic, hot off the presses title is absolutely busting at the seams. Witness UPW’s best clash with some of the biggest names in Pro Wrestling including Diamond Dallas Page, Rikishi, Ken Shamrock, Konnan, the legendary “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and many more! Included are 10 of the most memorable matches in UPW history plus tons of excusive footage and bonus material including UPW appearances by Joanie Laurer and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Below is a list of matches for “OVERLOAD”, a must buy for any fan of Ultimate Pro Wrestling.
UPW Lightweight Championship: Frankie Kazarian vs Jerry Lynn vs Evan Karagias. Somebody better call Air Traffic Control! 3 of the world’s most exciting competitors take to the air in a high-flying classic.
“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. "Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce w/ The Big Schwag.
Rikishi & Skulu vs. The Outlaws.
Ken Shamrock vs. Predator.
Diamond Dallas Page vs. “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce.
The Miz & Lil Nate vs. Tony Stradlin & Kid Vicious.
Konnan, Psicosis & Juventud Guerrera vs. The University (Shawn Riddik, Andrew Hellman, and Antonio Mestre). Legendary Luchadors unite and lock horns with a dynamic young trio.
UPW Women’s Championship Valentina vs. Erica Porter w/ The Big Schwag It’s the ultimate catfight! Watch the sparks fly after the matches Joanie Laurer (aka...Chyna) steps into the ring and gets involved in a shocking physical altercation with the Champ!
Light Weight Lunacy:Don’t blink; you might miss something in this wild brawl combining elements of a gauntlet match, battle royal & ladder match!
UPW Tag Team Championship (Champions) Hardkore Inc. w/ El Jefe vs. The Ballard Brothers. Tables, ladders & chairs are as legal as a wristlock in a brutal war to settle the score!
Konnan & Psicosis vs. Ricky Reyes & Puma.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Mikey Henderson."
Go to www.upw.com for more information on UPW and the OVERLOAD DVD...as there are MORE features on the DVD.
And now...on to the national news:
WrestlingObserver.com reports that Bret "Hitman" Hart was NOT the only former WWF/E Superstar at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT. last Wednesday:
WWE.com reported Dusty Rhodes meeting with Stephanie McMahon today. We have no other details other than the company has been adding a lot of writers of late, but it's also known they want him for their legends program. Rhodes has floated to WWE being interested in working on the writing end since he was fired/quit by TNA as an on-air performer.
Amish Patel reports this:
Credit: PWInsider.com
Marty Wright aka. The Boogeyman apparently hyperextended both his knees working the the weekend house shows.
There's no word on how serious the injuries are, and if they are bad enough to cause him to miss significant ring time.
Changing subject, many superstars who've worked with him feel that he's a hard worker, which probably comes from his lack of experience.
Niel Stephens reports the following:
Credit: PWTorch.Com
It’s well known now that WWE have been keen on bringing back Bret Hart to WWE, however Hart has declined each one. According to The Torch, reasons for him rejecting the offers are down to his general concern over how the 1997 Survivor Series swerve will be portrayed.
Bret told Between the Ropes radio last week that he doesn't want to participate in a documentary that creates the impression that "reasonable people can disagree" or "there are two equally valid perspectives" on the controversy.
One source says he can't imagine what more WWE could do to facilitate reconciliation. "He knows the door is open," says the source.
In the interview, Bret did not hide the fact that he misses certain aspects of the business and wishes he could wrestle people such as Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. However, he also revealed he doesn’t miss the bumps, especially being dropped on his head, as well as hotel rooms and car rentals. He also revealed that both Edge and Chris Benoit keep in regular touch with him.
Hart didn’t rule out the possibility of working for TNA, however did sat he is enjoying life after wrestling with his new wife.
Well...since this last report, Bret HAS signed a deal and has been at work with WWE on the upcoming WWE Home Video release of the Bret Hart DVD (due out in November, from EARLY reports). Also...WWE.com has a photo up of Bret and Vince McMahon shaking hands. This photo has to be seen to be believed!
(On a PERSONAL note...I've seen it, but I STILL can hardly believe it myself! But, I am HAPPY about it!)
There's further news on this and more from WWE.com:
"It was a sight many fans never thought they would see again, until now. Bret Hart and Vince McMahon met face to face today before shooting began for the upcoming DVD chronicling the Hit Man's career.
During shooting, McMahon and Hart both talked about Bret's beginnings, SummerSlam 1992, the historic Owen Hart-Bret Hart rivalry, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the infamous Montreal incident, Bret's jump to WCW and much more.
Afterwards, the Hit Man said he was "happy with how everything went today," regarding the Bret Hart-WWE joint production.
Ryan Clark reports this, as posted on www.BretHart.com :
"August 7, 2005
We've just returned from Stamford, where everything went well and ended up being a groundbreaking step towards a positive future. The WWE wanted to pop the internet story of Bret being at the WWE studios first and it didn't seem like such a big concession to make in the overall scheme of things - so that's why we haven't posted about the DVD here at brethart.com yet. Later today, or tomorrow, I'll post some of my personal photos from the trip and also Bret is going to be on Dave Meltzer's radio show, either tonight or on Sunday, August 14th. We're still working that out and will post that info for you later today.
Personal notes; Bret, Cinzia and myself left for Stamford on Tuesday, August 2nd, flying Calgary through Toronto to New York. Our plane was diverted from landing in Toronto, to Ottawa, because of severe thunderstorms. While we were in the air on the way to Ottawa, an Air France flight skidded off the runway in Toronto and burst into flames! The Toronto airport was closed and we, along with a lot of other weary travelers all over the northeast, ended up stuck overnight. The good news was that everyone aboard the Air France flight got off the plane alive, before it burst into flames! With that good news, the delays were more tolerable and we made it to Stamford on Wednesday. After all that, Bret did a seven hours interview, which will be edited into the three-DVD set, which is a joint production of Bret Hart and WWE.
The already historic photo of Bret and Vince that WWE posted was taken on Thursday, August 4th, at the end of our time there, on this visit. Our trip home was again delayed as a result of cancelled flights due to bad weather, but the upside to that was that we got to spend an enjoyable evening in NYC before returning home to Calgary. I'm originally from NY, but hadn't been back since 9/11, but that's a whole 'nother story. Just because I can't give out more details about the DVD right now, take my word for it, everything that happened in Stamford was nothing but positive and this project will be the happy ending that all of Bret's fans have waited eight long years for - and more importantly it's a beginning to the next chapter in the continuing Hitman saga. I know you're all waiting to hear from Bret on all this, so we'll get that Meltzer interview set up. By the way, to clarify, the DVD set is now called, The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be.
More soon."
THANKS to Andy Steven for the following:
Source: PWTorch.com
While WWE.com quickly responded to the rumors of Chris Jericho leaving WWE by posting news of the wrestler signing a contract extension, its efforts have not done anything to calm the speculation. According to sources close to the situation, even though Jericho signed a short-term contract extension, he continues to sit on a long-term deal and, as of right now, will be taking some time off this fall.
Sources report that Jericho is after some time away from the ring to recharge his batteries, spend time with family, work with Fozzy and investigate possible Hollywood opportunities. What is not on Jericho's agenda, at least at the moment, is negotiating with TNA. Although the occasional source will speculate that talks could pick up, there isn't yet anything to even suggest the possibility of Jericho working with TNA. Virtually all believe that Chris Jericho will return to WWE; few, however, know when that return will take place.
On this week's Byte This, Chris Jericho interestingly vented some of his WWE frustrations, despite the fact that they were not strongly connected to his feud with John Cena. Despite being very respected as a strong talent, there are those who feel Jericho, in addition to having an inflated opinion of himself, tends to be overcritical of the creative process.
Chris Jericho has reportedly saved enough money to make time away from the ring an easy possibility, but there are some who feel the possibility of Jericho and WWE coming to terms on a long-term deal is not yet out of the question. In all likelihood, however, Jericho will be taking a hiatus sometime after Summerslam.
There are rumors going around that WrestleMania23 MAY be in Detroit, Michigan. THAT'S not the BIG story though. THE story is that WM23 is to be held at Ford Field, the home of the NFL Detroit Lions! And that will ALSO be the 20th Anniversary of WrestleMania III at The Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, in which the WWF drew over 93,000 spectators!
Well, that does it for another edition of WrestleBeat. I'll be back next time with more news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling.
So, until next time, KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE MAT AND YOUR PUNCHES ABOVE THE BELT! Later, Michael.
(contact Michael Porter by e-mail at kmichaelporter@yahoo.com or by snail-mail at P.O. Box 5282 Marysville, CA. 95901-8521)
Hey there again, Wrestling Fans! And welcome to another edition of WrestleBeat. I've got a lot of news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling. So, let's get right to business.
Well...I made my initial appearance with Dave Logasa on his Morning Show this past Thursday morning on Country 103.1 KKCY out of the Marysville/Yuba City, CA. and surrounding areas. It was a short 5-minute segment, oddly enough called "Michael Porter's WrestleShoot"!
On this week's edition, I discussed the latest developements in the WWE...including Matt Hardy's return to WWE and the Matt-Edge-Lita real-life situation, Vince McMahon's announcement that Matt will be facing Edge at Summer Slam, the appearance by Tatanka on RAW, and the latest on Bret "Hitman" Hart being at WWE Headquarters for a week, beginning this past Wednesday.
The Hitman is in Stamford, CT. to work on the upcoming WWE Home Video release of the Bret "Hitman" Hart DVD!
I also reported that Bret ALMOST didn't make it to Stamford due to the fact that he was on the airliner that skidded off of the runway and broke into flames this past Tuesday in Toronto, Canada.
(SPECIAL NOTE HERE): As it turns out, Bret's flight was NOT the flight that skidded off the runway and burst into flames! THANK GOD! This is from WrestlingObserver.com: "From yesterday, the problem with Bret Hart's flight skidding in Toronto due to weather problems was not the publicized flight from France. He was coming from Calgary to Toronto, and Toronto to New York and supposed to arrive on Tuesday. His arrival was delayed until Wednesday as he had to stay in Toronto. He is still in Stamford, CT today working on a DVD of his wrestling career."
Anyway...WrestleShoot is now a part of the "Dave Logasa in the Morning" show on Country 103.1 KKCY every Thursday morning at 8:10am.
I would like to thank Dave, General Manager/Program Director, Michael Berry and Country 103.1 KKCY for having me and WrestleShoot on KKCY every Thursday, with news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling.
I would ALSO like to send out a SPECIAL THANK YOU out to Jeff Sivley, who is an Account Representative at KKCY and their sister station, Sunny 101.5. Jeff helped me with some of the initial contact with Michael Berry about the possibility of bringing WrestleShoot back to the local radio airwaves. Jeff is a member at my place of employment, Cuts fitness for Men in Yuba City. THANKS Jeff!
Be sure to listen to the Dave Logasa in the Morning Show, Monday thru Friday from 5:00am-9:00am, for all of the best of Country Music, local and national news, weather and sports, local events, traffic reports from Cal-Trans, and of course...the Dave Logasa CRAZINESS!
For more information on Country 103.1 KKCY, go to www.kkcy.com .
WCWA returned to the WCWA Arena in Pleasant Hill, CA. on Saturday August 6th, before a SELL-OUT crowd of more than 300 people (due to a large newspaper story on the promotion that ran in the Friday Contra Costa Times at www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/12309819.htm)!
I received this e-mail, with no name attached, with the results of the show and other WCWA news:
This comes from www.wcwaprowrestling.com : "Many thanks for all who came out last night. It was, by far, our most successful show ever. I guess folks DO read the newspaper, afterall.
More details later, but your results are:
3 Way Match for a Ring of Fire Title Shot:
Bonzai Bruce Bukaki beat Sir Samurai & Virgil Kensington Belmont
Tag Team Tournament (double elimination):
Hijo de Chupacabra & Paul Isadora beat the Bad Apples (DQ)
Risa de Muerte & Ultimate Evil Shane Dynasty beat Apollo Green & Lance Bermuda
D.J. Rizz & Chance Calloway beat Steel & Rik Luxury
Ring of Fire Title:
Jason Vega beat Alexis Schmirnoff Jr.
WCWA Title:
Helfyre beat Eric West (DQ)
OAKLAND SHOW CANCELLED
We were supposed to do a free show for the Oakland A's Green Stampede Booster Club in the parking lot of the Oakland Coliseum this Wednesday.
You know, set up a ring, have some great matches and a grand old time will be had by all in the lovely afternoon sun.
FOR FREE.
Until the Oakland Alameda Coliseum Stadium Authority got involved...
They decided, in their infinite wisdom, that we had to pay them 5-10 THOUSAND DOLLARS to put on a FREE show.
Needless to say, this non-profit organization is not going to pay ANYONE to put on a free show.
With this sort of community outreach, can you understand why the A's will never be as successful as the Giants? At least off the field, that is...
Sorry for those that were looking forward to a great day in the sun. Hopefully, we can put something together in the near future.
For now, the next WCWA Arena show is Saturday, August 20th. The tag tourney will continue, Bonzai Bruce Bukaki will face Jason Vega for the Ring of Fire Title, U.S. Steele will attempt to settle his score with Alexis Schmirnoff Jr. and I am attempting to come to terms with Blackie for one final match between Helfyre and Eric West.
He is white hot over what happened last night and was ranting, raving and sputtering in my office already today.
What do you think the match should be? Chain match? Texas Death? Last Man Standing? I Quit? Lumberjack? Steel Cage?
I really want to hear what the fans want for this one.
I don't know that the building could stand much after the end of last night's show.
Thanks again. More later...
Brian Elliott
WCWA Championship Committee"
Here's one for the books: I heard from a former Nor-Cal INDY Wrestling favorite this week. I received an e-mail from Juggalo Jim Cooley on Monday! He's doing well with his music, and he now owns his own recording studio! And he even mentioned wanting to get back into the ring again. It was GREAT hearing from The Juggalo!
Alright...I received this info from UPW (Ultimate Pro Wrestling) regarding their new DVD release, "OVERLOAD". It looks like a GREAT DVD, probably one that I'll get myself! Check out this line-up of matches and Superstars on "OVERLOAD"!:
"Overload Format: DVD Price: $14.99: "Batten down the hatches and get ready for “OVERLOAD”, the newest UPW DVD release from St.Clair Vision and Plus Entertainment. This dynamic, hot off the presses title is absolutely busting at the seams. Witness UPW’s best clash with some of the biggest names in Pro Wrestling including Diamond Dallas Page, Rikishi, Ken Shamrock, Konnan, the legendary “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and many more! Included are 10 of the most memorable matches in UPW history plus tons of excusive footage and bonus material including UPW appearances by Joanie Laurer and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Below is a list of matches for “OVERLOAD”, a must buy for any fan of Ultimate Pro Wrestling.
UPW Lightweight Championship: Frankie Kazarian vs Jerry Lynn vs Evan Karagias. Somebody better call Air Traffic Control! 3 of the world’s most exciting competitors take to the air in a high-flying classic.
“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka vs. "Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce w/ The Big Schwag.
Rikishi & Skulu vs. The Outlaws.
Ken Shamrock vs. Predator.
Diamond Dallas Page vs. “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce.
The Miz & Lil Nate vs. Tony Stradlin & Kid Vicious.
Konnan, Psicosis & Juventud Guerrera vs. The University (Shawn Riddik, Andrew Hellman, and Antonio Mestre). Legendary Luchadors unite and lock horns with a dynamic young trio.
UPW Women’s Championship Valentina vs. Erica Porter w/ The Big Schwag It’s the ultimate catfight! Watch the sparks fly after the matches Joanie Laurer (aka...Chyna) steps into the ring and gets involved in a shocking physical altercation with the Champ!
Light Weight Lunacy:Don’t blink; you might miss something in this wild brawl combining elements of a gauntlet match, battle royal & ladder match!
UPW Tag Team Championship (Champions) Hardkore Inc. w/ El Jefe vs. The Ballard Brothers. Tables, ladders & chairs are as legal as a wristlock in a brutal war to settle the score!
Konnan & Psicosis vs. Ricky Reyes & Puma.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Mikey Henderson."
Go to www.upw.com for more information on UPW and the OVERLOAD DVD...as there are MORE features on the DVD.
And now...on to the national news:
WrestlingObserver.com reports that Bret "Hitman" Hart was NOT the only former WWF/E Superstar at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT. last Wednesday:
WWE.com reported Dusty Rhodes meeting with Stephanie McMahon today. We have no other details other than the company has been adding a lot of writers of late, but it's also known they want him for their legends program. Rhodes has floated to WWE being interested in working on the writing end since he was fired/quit by TNA as an on-air performer.
Amish Patel reports this:
Credit: PWInsider.com
Marty Wright aka. The Boogeyman apparently hyperextended both his knees working the the weekend house shows.
There's no word on how serious the injuries are, and if they are bad enough to cause him to miss significant ring time.
Changing subject, many superstars who've worked with him feel that he's a hard worker, which probably comes from his lack of experience.
Niel Stephens reports the following:
Credit: PWTorch.Com
It’s well known now that WWE have been keen on bringing back Bret Hart to WWE, however Hart has declined each one. According to The Torch, reasons for him rejecting the offers are down to his general concern over how the 1997 Survivor Series swerve will be portrayed.
Bret told Between the Ropes radio last week that he doesn't want to participate in a documentary that creates the impression that "reasonable people can disagree" or "there are two equally valid perspectives" on the controversy.
One source says he can't imagine what more WWE could do to facilitate reconciliation. "He knows the door is open," says the source.
In the interview, Bret did not hide the fact that he misses certain aspects of the business and wishes he could wrestle people such as Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. However, he also revealed he doesn’t miss the bumps, especially being dropped on his head, as well as hotel rooms and car rentals. He also revealed that both Edge and Chris Benoit keep in regular touch with him.
Hart didn’t rule out the possibility of working for TNA, however did sat he is enjoying life after wrestling with his new wife.
Well...since this last report, Bret HAS signed a deal and has been at work with WWE on the upcoming WWE Home Video release of the Bret Hart DVD (due out in November, from EARLY reports). Also...WWE.com has a photo up of Bret and Vince McMahon shaking hands. This photo has to be seen to be believed!
(On a PERSONAL note...I've seen it, but I STILL can hardly believe it myself! But, I am HAPPY about it!)
There's further news on this and more from WWE.com:
"It was a sight many fans never thought they would see again, until now. Bret Hart and Vince McMahon met face to face today before shooting began for the upcoming DVD chronicling the Hit Man's career.
During shooting, McMahon and Hart both talked about Bret's beginnings, SummerSlam 1992, the historic Owen Hart-Bret Hart rivalry, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the infamous Montreal incident, Bret's jump to WCW and much more.
Afterwards, the Hit Man said he was "happy with how everything went today," regarding the Bret Hart-WWE joint production.
Ryan Clark reports this, as posted on www.BretHart.com :
"August 7, 2005
We've just returned from Stamford, where everything went well and ended up being a groundbreaking step towards a positive future. The WWE wanted to pop the internet story of Bret being at the WWE studios first and it didn't seem like such a big concession to make in the overall scheme of things - so that's why we haven't posted about the DVD here at brethart.com yet. Later today, or tomorrow, I'll post some of my personal photos from the trip and also Bret is going to be on Dave Meltzer's radio show, either tonight or on Sunday, August 14th. We're still working that out and will post that info for you later today.
Personal notes; Bret, Cinzia and myself left for Stamford on Tuesday, August 2nd, flying Calgary through Toronto to New York. Our plane was diverted from landing in Toronto, to Ottawa, because of severe thunderstorms. While we were in the air on the way to Ottawa, an Air France flight skidded off the runway in Toronto and burst into flames! The Toronto airport was closed and we, along with a lot of other weary travelers all over the northeast, ended up stuck overnight. The good news was that everyone aboard the Air France flight got off the plane alive, before it burst into flames! With that good news, the delays were more tolerable and we made it to Stamford on Wednesday. After all that, Bret did a seven hours interview, which will be edited into the three-DVD set, which is a joint production of Bret Hart and WWE.
The already historic photo of Bret and Vince that WWE posted was taken on Thursday, August 4th, at the end of our time there, on this visit. Our trip home was again delayed as a result of cancelled flights due to bad weather, but the upside to that was that we got to spend an enjoyable evening in NYC before returning home to Calgary. I'm originally from NY, but hadn't been back since 9/11, but that's a whole 'nother story. Just because I can't give out more details about the DVD right now, take my word for it, everything that happened in Stamford was nothing but positive and this project will be the happy ending that all of Bret's fans have waited eight long years for - and more importantly it's a beginning to the next chapter in the continuing Hitman saga. I know you're all waiting to hear from Bret on all this, so we'll get that Meltzer interview set up. By the way, to clarify, the DVD set is now called, The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be.
More soon."
THANKS to Andy Steven for the following:
Source: PWTorch.com
While WWE.com quickly responded to the rumors of Chris Jericho leaving WWE by posting news of the wrestler signing a contract extension, its efforts have not done anything to calm the speculation. According to sources close to the situation, even though Jericho signed a short-term contract extension, he continues to sit on a long-term deal and, as of right now, will be taking some time off this fall.
Sources report that Jericho is after some time away from the ring to recharge his batteries, spend time with family, work with Fozzy and investigate possible Hollywood opportunities. What is not on Jericho's agenda, at least at the moment, is negotiating with TNA. Although the occasional source will speculate that talks could pick up, there isn't yet anything to even suggest the possibility of Jericho working with TNA. Virtually all believe that Chris Jericho will return to WWE; few, however, know when that return will take place.
On this week's Byte This, Chris Jericho interestingly vented some of his WWE frustrations, despite the fact that they were not strongly connected to his feud with John Cena. Despite being very respected as a strong talent, there are those who feel Jericho, in addition to having an inflated opinion of himself, tends to be overcritical of the creative process.
Chris Jericho has reportedly saved enough money to make time away from the ring an easy possibility, but there are some who feel the possibility of Jericho and WWE coming to terms on a long-term deal is not yet out of the question. In all likelihood, however, Jericho will be taking a hiatus sometime after Summerslam.
There are rumors going around that WrestleMania23 MAY be in Detroit, Michigan. THAT'S not the BIG story though. THE story is that WM23 is to be held at Ford Field, the home of the NFL Detroit Lions! And that will ALSO be the 20th Anniversary of WrestleMania III at The Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, in which the WWF drew over 93,000 spectators!
Well, that does it for another edition of WrestleBeat. I'll be back next time with more news and notes from the World of Professional Wrestling.
So, until next time, KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE MAT AND YOUR PUNCHES ABOVE THE BELT! Later, Michael.
(contact Michael Porter by e-mail at kmichaelporter@yahoo.com or by snail-mail at P.O. Box 5282 Marysville, CA. 95901-8521)