Archive for July, 2009

– The latest UFC buyrate projection, based on data from multiple sources within the UFC and the cable industry, is 1.72 million. That is far and away the best domestic number for a mixed martial arts event, although it falls short of three high-profile boxing matches (Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather,... »

In his heavily hyped Friday press conference, UFC President Dana White announced news items that once again failed to live up to the billing. Nothing particularly crazy or unexpected was revealed during the chat with reporters, but White did confirm a number of rumored UFC tidbits. – UFC 100 did over 1.5 million buys.... »

The latest victim of WWE’s dreaded “future endeavors” announcement was The Brian Kendrick, and a PWInsider report sheds the first bit of light on the matter. According to the report, Kendrick’s release can largely be attributed to his backstage attitude and motivation as a performer. The internal feeling was that while Kendrick did what... »

PWInsider reported Friday that Total Nonstop Action Wrestling released two prominent backstage players. According to the report, Dutch Mantel and Savio Vega are no longer with the company. Mantel had been working on TNA’s creative team for several years; he represented one of the few wrestling veterans with creative control in the number two promotion. ... »

“Curb Your Enthusiam”’s Larry David finally revealed storyline plans for the seventh season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and the “Seinfeld” cast integration is just as many fans of the HBO comedy would have guessed. David confirmed that the “Seinfeld” leads–Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards–will appear in a handful of episodes as... »

As media outlets detailed the difficulty “Flight of the Conchords” members Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie had in producing content for the second season of the show, most operated under the assumption that the show would not continue past its sophomore year. McKenzie himself was responsible for fueling much of the speculation, telling... »

– Total Nonstop Action Wrestling issued a satirical press release on President Barack Obama’s much-talked about “Beer Summit,” using the event as an opportunity to hype Beer Money, Inc member James Storm. From the release: “How can they not invite America’s premiere beer drinker,” Storm asked. “Heck, I am doing an interview next week with... »

As networks begin to make their verdicts on summer series, decisions on HBO’s “True Blood,” “Hung” and “Entourage” have been anxiously awaited by fans. “True Blood” has become a legitimate hit for HBO, while “Entourage,” despite generating lukewarm reviews for the first few episodes of its sixth season, has been doing its best... »

– As more proof that buzz for Shaquille O’Neal’s RAW hosting gig boosted interest in this week’s RAW, the show opened with a rather strong 4.05 rating for the first quarter hour. While post-pay-per-view editions of RAW are known to draw increased viewership, none typically draw an opening quarter in that ballpark–it is... »

WWE.com’s latest release website announcement did not carry the weight of the recent Umaga or Ken Kennedy releases, but it still meant the end of someone’s WWE tenure and a WWE.com best wishes on his future endeavors. The company announced Thursday that The Brian Kendrick has been released from his contract. “World Wrestling Entertainment has come... »

After topping newcomer Demi Lovato to win this past album sales week, the Michael Jackson “Number Ones” album is set for another week on top. One-day sales data from Hits Daily Double forecasts that the late Jackson’s album will top next week’s charts with about 120,000 sales. That figure gives Jackson the lead over... »

Regardless of one’s opinion on whether Bryce Dallas Howard will serve as an effective replacement for the Victoria character that Rachelle Lefevre played in the first two “Twilight” films, Lefevre’s statement on the matter undoubtedly earned fan sympathy. Describing the “scheduling conflicts” as a ten-day overlap made the issue seem minor and thus... »

Due to what Summit Entertainment said was a scheduling conflict, the studio dropped actress Rachelle Lefevre from her role as Victoria in “Eclipse,” the third film in the saga. Summit announced that Bryce Dallas Howard would assume the role in “Eclipse; Lefevre still appears as the character in “New Moon,” the soon-to-be-released second film. “I was... »

– WWE has come under fire in recent months for airing full-length promo videos on pay-per-view, even when their broadcast results in key matches being cut short. The internal perspective on the matter is that WWE’s production team works very hard in developing the spots, and executive producer Kevin Dunn will consequently take... »

– Regarding the double-submission spot in the WWE Championship match at Night of Champions, the belief most have is that WWE initially decided to bring back the spot for the match as a way to build to the planned John Cena vs. Triple H Summerslam main-event. When the company opted against that match,... »

CM Punk was recently interviewed by The Sun in the UK where he spoke on WWE, as well as his former stomping grounds TNA. Here are some highlights: If he would jump ship back to TNA or any other company: “No, I’d not jump ship, this is the place to be, nowhere comes close and... »

– The WWE creative team is currently working under the impression that Edge will be out for the remainder of 2009. The best case scenario is said to be that he’ll be ready to return at Royal Rumble and build a feud with Chris Jericho for WrestleMania 26. – In an interview published by The... »

In another interesting chapter on WWE’s backstage frustration, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Chairman Vince McMahon has been described as “on edge” and “unhappy with the product now.” The lack of depth at the main-event, as proven by how limited WWE’s roster became once names like Edge and Batista went down to injury, is... »

The USA Network officially renewed summer ratings hits “Burn Notice” and “Royal Pains,” says a report by THR. The top series on the network, both have been dominant this summer, posting viewership numbers in the 7 million territory. With USA actively competing against rival cable networks like TNT, the dominance of the two shows,... »

– PWInsider.com noted that there is a degree of frustration moving through the RAW lockerroom regarding how the brand has been booked in recent weeks. The feeling is that despite gaining some potential players in the recent roster trade, RAW has stuck to its recurring Triple H/John Cena/Randy Orton main-event scene. Of interest to... »