30th september - 7th October news/spoliers

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Nash's Salary Revealed, Steiner Update, Upcoming Pushes

By Ryan Clark

Despite being on the injury list, Kevin Nash is still receiving full pay. WWE is apparently not trimming down Nash's pay in the least bit since his injury. From what I am being told, he is making $14,000 per week at this time.

-Raven, Justin Credible, D'Lo Brown, and Steven Richards, who are considered 'underused talent', all wrestled in a tag match this weekend in West Palm Beach. WWE wants to push these four on WWE TV, possibly starting tonight on RAW.

-Despite WWE and Jim Ross denying talks with Scott Steiner, the situation is as follows. WWE has not contacted Scott Steiner himself, but has been in talks with representatives and lawyers on Steiner's part. It's probably only a matter of time before we all see Steiner in WWE.

-WWE Divas will be doing another photo shoot, this time in Chandler, Arizona. Shots of each Diva will be taken over the next few weeks.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Huge News: Hulk Hogan Possibly Done With WWE

Apparently Hulk Hogan's WWE contract is not as long as many expected. Seemingly, Hogan only signed a year deal, possibly less, and has reportedly fulfilled all dates on his contract.

Everyone knows the story on the controversy over Hulk Hogan not appearing on the Global Warning tour, but it seems like his last WWE television appearance could be behind him. There is a chance of Hogan coming in to promote his upcoming autobiography, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Also, as I reported yesterday, WWE released Hulk Hogan's nephew, Horace Hogan, during a cut involving Mike Awesome and Shawn Stasiak as well. The only reason Horace got a job in WWE was mainly because Uncle Hulk lobbied for it at the right time.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Hulk Hogan/WWE Update, RAW Notes, New WWE Title Being Made

Latest word I am getting on a story I reported earlier about Hulk Hogan is that he and Vince McMahon worked out some sort of contract settlement. Some conflict it by saying his contract has expired, which I have heard much the same, while others say he went to McMahon and got out of his contract.

Only match announced for tonight's RAW so far is Rosey & Jamal vs. Booker T and Goldust which was set up last week. Also look for a bikini contest between Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie on tomorrow night's SmackDown! tapings from Lafayette.

Most of the wrestlers on the SmackDown! brand have been told about plans to hold a tag-team tournament on the show. This would most likely be the setting for a new tag-team championship belt to be created and used on SmackDown!, while the original tag-belts still roam on the RAW side.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Steve Austin Update: Return News, On RAW Tonight?

WWE is attempting to create a "buzz" about Steve Austin being on tonight's RAW. WWE has aired the Confidential footage regarding the Steve Austin story three times since it happened, once again this past Saturday knowing RAW was headed into his home state of Texas tonight.

While signs would seem that Austin could easily appear on tonight's RAW, it is more than doubtful.

Sources indicate Vince McMahon definitely wants Austin back due to WWE being in a period of desperation lately, as far as the business side goes. McMahon is under the impression that Austin could cure those plummeting numbers as he has done so many times in the past.

Basically, the ball is in Steve Austin's court right now. It will remain in his court, basketball court that is, as Austin wants to clear his domestic situation up with another court. "Stone Cold" has a court date of Oct. 9 scheduled stemming from the assault to his wife Debra Williams a few months ago.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Steve Austin Update: Return News, On RAW Tonight?

WWE is attempting to create a "buzz" about Steve Austin being on tonight's RAW. WWE has aired the Confidential footage regarding the Steve Austin story three times since it happened, once again this past Saturday knowing RAW was headed into his home state of Texas tonight.

While signs would seem that Austin could easily appear on tonight's RAW, it is more than doubtful.

Sources indicate Vince McMahon definitely wants Austin back due to WWE being in a period of desperation lately, as far as the business side goes. McMahon is under the impression that Austin could cure those plummeting numbers as he has done so many times in the past.

Basically, the ball is in Steve Austin's court right now. It will remain in his court, basketball court that is, as Austin wants to clear his domestic situation up with another court. "Stone Cold" has a court date of Oct. 9 scheduled stemming from the assault to his wife Debra Williams a few months ago.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Faarooq's WWE Status, Saturn's Return, More

The reason Faarooq hasn’t been on WWE TV recently isn’t because of an injury, but because the creative team has had no ideas for him. There was talk of having him turn heel and feud with Mark Henry, but when Paul Heyman got control of Smackdown, the idea was thrown out. He has had a bad knee and hamstring for a while now, but those are typical injuries that most wrestlers work through.

Saturn is close to being ready to return to the ring, but his future with WWE is questionable. He’s in the last year of a two-year contract, and it seems unlikely that WWE will end up extending it. Even before Saturn was injured, he wasn’t someone they were doing anything with.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Live Stacy/RVD Notes, WWE Reaches Goal

WWE.com released the following statement concerning the Smackdown Your Vote Tour:

We did it. Thanks to all of our fans, we surpassed our goal of 100,000 signatures on the Constitution to show our support for America. We finished our month-long, six-city Smackdown Your Vote! Pledge To Participate Tour with more than 104,000 people who signed our Constitution, registered to vote and Pledged To Participate in their communities.

World Wrestling Entertainment and the Smackdown Your Vote! partners would like to thank all of our great fans for your participation in the Smackdown Your Vote! Pledge to Participate Tour. But don’t stop now. Join the WWE Superstars in voting on Election Day, volunteering in your communities, and continuing to make a difference for our country. Thanks again.


Earlier today, RVD, Stacy and Spike made an appearance at Rice University in support of the aforementioned program. The three offered words on the September 11th issue and made the importance of voting very clear to their audience. After they spoke, around one hundred fans signed WWE's "SD Your Vote Constitution" and then met and took photos with the wrestlers.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

More On Hulk Hogan's Possible WWE Release

(Thanks To Ryan Clark)

Hulk Hogan appeared on the Tampa, Fla. radio show, "Bubba the Love Sponge," this morning and talked about his WWE status.

Bubba asked Hogan if he was sitting out right now due to a contract dispute. Hogan stated that's ridiculous because he has no contract. He said he is working on a handshake deal with Vince McMahon. Their agreement was to work a handful of dates only and he fulfilled those dates within two weeks.

He is currently at home because creative has nothing for him to do. He hasn't talked to anyone from the WWE in weeks and has no idea when or if he will be back. He said the talk that he will return in time for Wrestlemania is crazy because he himself doesn't know anything.

Hogan was advertised for the tour of Australia several weeks ago, but decided not to do after a money dispute with McMahon over what he'd be paid for the tour. Plus, he had told friends he was burned out and with his sore back, the idea of sitting on a plane to Australia didn't appeal to him.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

WWE Appearances; Kane/Bubba Ray News, WWE Diva

- The following are a few of this months WWE superstar appearances:

Sacramento, Calif. October 5 - Kane and Bubba Ray Dudley will be appearing at 6 p.m. at Arco Arena, on behalf of SmackDown! Your Vote! Attendees can register to vote. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Orange, Calif. Oct. 11 - Rikishi will be meeting with fans at Hilo Hattie at The Block to raise money for a local church. Fans will be asked to make a $15 or $20 donation for an autograph and Polaroid with Rikishi. The first 300 fans will also get an item of WWE memorabilia. The autograph session times are noon to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Foxboro, Mass. Oct. 11 - Terri will be signing autographs beginning at 6 p.m. at Spooky World, which is located in the woods behind Gillette Stadium. Autographs are free with paid admission to the park.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Owen Hart Biography Released, Hart Family/New Book

- Broken Harts, the Life and Death of Owen Hart, a biography by Hart's widow Martha and Eric Francis has been released in Canada for retail sale. The book will tell the story of Hart's life and passing through the eyes of his wife, who settled with World Wrestling Entertainment in court following Hart's death.

The book is the latest to be released surrounding Canada's most famous wrestling family, the Hart's. Other books about the Hart family have been released but nothing as true and as detailed as this. I have no word as to if the book will be released in the US anytime soon. Although, I'm sure it will.

A feature film on the life of Owen Hart is also in the works

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Survivor Series News & Notes, Chris Benoit, More

Thanks to Jon for sending the following newsbit:

- I went to an Our Lady Peace show last night and above all they were awesome. They played Chris Benoit's theme song with a little story before hand on how they met him. I'll quote as best to my memory, "So this next song we wrote for this guy we met in a bar one night. We notice this huge guy who had a something wrong with his neck or something about his vertebrae, anyways we shook his hand and talked to him. This guy is one of the hardest workers always trying to get his body into the best shape some of you might have heard of him his name is Chris Benoit and we did his theme song for him because he is cool and because he's from Canada. Kind of an interesting note.

- The WWE has released the Survivor Series promotional poster. The logo is the same as last years, the only thing that's changed is the background, which was changed from last years Blue to this years Purple. Survivor Series will be held in Madison Square Garden on November 17th.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

WWE Diva's In Lingerie, WWE SmackDown! News/Notes, More

WWE has done another Divas in lingerie magazine special. The magazine will hit newsstands next Tuesday. Definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to reader Kelvin Tan for sending the following:

I just wanted to alert Canadian fans of changes to the Smackdown schedule due to MLB playoff coverage on The Score. This Thursday, Smackdown! will be shown at 12am midnight and 3am (Friday). The Oct. 10 Smackdown will also be pre-empted, but the Smackdown shows on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 MAY be pre-empted if extra games are necessary in the National League Championship Series and World Series respectively.

Thanks to reader Dion Murray for sending the following:

I thought that you might like to know that Martha Hart will do an interview on her thoughts about Owen and her new book. The interview will be on some time Tuesday between 9 and 5pm MST. It will be on a Calgary radio station called qr77 news but if you go to www.qr77.com you can listen to it live over the Internet.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Huge Update On The Current Hogan/WWE Situation

As I reported yesterday, Hulk Hogan is not currently under contract with WWE. Right now, he is sitting at home with family.

Everyone knows that there is a ready made storyline for when Hogan returns with Brock Lesnar. The last time we saw Hogan was on SmackDown! when he took one heck of a beating by the current champion.

The problems, as we have been reporting, stemmed from when Hogan asked McMahon for more money to travel to the UK. McMahon's response was a "thanks but no thanks".

From what I am being told, the quandary is where Hogan is concerned. Although his popularity was off the charts when he was appearing on WWE TV, it did absolutely nothing to increase primary business. In addition to that, he was being paid an extremely high amount of money to work matches that didn't live up to WWE's expectations.

As it stands right now, there is really no telling if or when we will see Hogan back with WWE.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Andre The Giant's Daughter Wants Tribute At WrestleMania

SEATTLE (Reuters) - It would be hard to forget Andre the Giant, whose freakish size belied surprising grace and agility and made him one of the most popular professional wrestlers of all time, even now, nearly a decade after his death.

Andre the Giant, nicknamed "The Eighth Wonder of the World," was billed as 7-foot-5 and 520 pounds with a sprawling 71-inch chest and 16-inch hands that made beer cans look like thimbles.

Yet to his only child, watching today's beefcakes strut for screeching fans at a raucous World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. news conference last week, the man who was one of the foremost worldwide attractions in professional wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s seemed less than an afterthought.

"It seems like they don't honor him. It's almost like he's forgotten," said Robin Christensen, 23-year-old daughter of Andre Roussimoff, born in France in 1946 with overactive growth hormones that would ultimately lead to his death in January 1993 at age 46 after a lifetime with the medical condition known as acromegaly.

Nearly 6 feet tall herself and bearing a striking resemblance to her father, Christensen hopes WWE will mark the 10th anniversary of his death when it brings its signature WrestleMania event next March to Seattle, where she lives.

During his career, Andre the Giant was one of the top attractions in professional wrestling -- a spectacle of matches with predetermined finishes that blends athletics with outlandish showmanship.

Andre wrestled frequently for the World Wrestling Federation, as WWE was known until earlier this year, but also was a wrestling star abroad, particularly in Japan. He also appeared in several films and television shows, most notably a key role in director Rob Reiner's 1987 hit "The Princess Bride."

'WE HONOR ANDRE'S MEMORY'

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, the world's most-famous wrestling impresario, gave few details about the program for WrestleMania -- an annual pay-per-view extravaganza that is the biggest day of the year for professional wrestling in the United States. But McMahon spoke fondly of Andre the Giant.

"We honor Andre's memory almost every day. Hardly a day goes past where we don't think and/or talk about Andre, but nothing specific (was planned) for WrestleMania," McMahon told Reuters after the presentation.

McMahon promised to pack 50,000 fans into Seattle's Safeco Field and "blow the roof off" at WrestleMania, which dates to 1985. WrestleMania came of age in 1987, when Hulk Hogan pinned Andre the Giant, symbolically taking over as wrestling's biggest star, in front of an announced crowd of 93,000 people at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

But handouts detailing the history of WrestleMania focus on attendance and box office receipts, failing to mention any specific wrestlers until the 1995 event.

A stylized version of Andre the Giant's imposing visage is still seen in cities around the world, stenciled across street signs and sidewalks by artist Shepard Fairey beginning in the 1990s, or by followers he inspired.

But while Fairey's work helped rekindle interest in the mountainous wrestler, which his daughter appreciates, Christensen is less enthralled by Fairey's sales of prints including his Giant stencils.

'HE NEEDS TO PAY ROYALTIES'

"I can't get into it because there are legal procedures," Christensen said. "But he needs to pay royalties."

In a similar case involving sales of T-shirts bearing the likenesses of the Three Stooges comedy troupe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last January that a portrait artist must pay the Stooges' heirs $75,000 in profits plus $150,000 in legal fees.

Christensen enjoys watching the current crop of WWE wrestlers, and she stood and screamed with the young crowd when her favorites were introduced in Seattle, bathed in flashing lights and pulsating music.

"They're unbelievable guys," she said with a grin.

The largest of the current WWE behemoths, "Big Show" Paul Wight, is listed at 7-foot-2 and 500 pounds.

Christensen had no doubts about who would win a match between Andre the Giant and Big Show.

"Oh, I know my dad could take him," she said.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Backstage RAW News: Hardy Punished, New Agent, more


Jeff Hardy's on-air punishment carried over from last week and again took place on last night's RAW. Apparently that was the reason for him having to stand there and take a verbal beating of a lifetime from Eric Bischoff without being able to say anything to keep himself status quo. That was also the reason he was pretty much squashed by Big Show for the second week in a row, only getting the win via countout.

Don't know what to think of the situation, but Terry Taylor was backstage at last night's RAW again this week. He received an agent tryout spot and was backstage at all of last week's shows, but I do not think his tryout was extended to this week. Whether or not this means he got the job is anyone's guess.

Overall WWE management was pleased with last night's show. The constant raving about "shut up and wrestle" from internet media, a column on WWE.com, and Jim Ross in his Ross Report got through to WWE pretty good as they put 8 matches on last night's show as opposed to the normal 5 or 6. WWE thought the Kane victory was well done as well as the continued push of Randy Orton.