JR's Blog Update

Jim Ross has posted on his personal website JRSBarBQ.com. Here are a few highlights:

JR comments on Mr’ Kennedy’s release from WWE: Sorry to year that 33 year old Mr. Kennedy was released at the end of the week by WWE. Kennedy got the old “future endeavored” send off that has happened to many. If Kennedy can remain healthy, one would like to think that he his string of injuries is behind him, and can continue with his career in the relatively near future many feel Kennedy has the skills to be a main eventer on a consistent basis. Kennedy is a studious guy and likely won’t find it difficult to secure work. Sometimes a fresh start is good for a wrestler and I hope that’s the case for Kennedy or what ever his next wrestling name will be.

JR thinks Trish Stratus looks like Angelina Jolie: Trish Stratus is my all time favorite Diva for many reasons and I recently saw a photo of her with dark hair and at first glance I thought it was Angelina Jolie. For the record, if Angelina and Brad Pitt are having marital problems I would suggest that they talk to The King who is a great listener but he seemingly listens better when the women are 25 or under but then again I could be wrong. Jerry would make an exception for Angelina wouldn’t he?!

JR remembers John Tolos: Our condolences to the family and friends of former wrestling great John Tolos who passed away at the age of 78 a day or so ago and who is considered one of the best hands on the mic ever and especially in his hey day. Tolos is famous for his run in Southern California and his 70’s rivalry with WWE HOF’er Classy Freddie Blassie. Neither man was ever considered to be a fabulous in ring performer but all they did was sell tickets because what they did they did well and both could verbalize and paint vivid word pictures that enhanced the all important emotional investment from the paying customers and sold tickets. Wrestlers who can verbalize and especially those that can ad lib and be spontaneous on the mic greatly enhance their opportunities to become stars. That art form seems to be fleeting which is not a good thing.

Read the complete blog JRSBARBQ.COM.

Mr Kennedy Released from WWE?!?

Mr. Kennedy released

World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of Raw Superstar Mr. Kennedy (Ken Kennedy) as of today, May 29, 2009. WWE wishes Ken the best in all future endeavors.

Kind o bizarre if you say so, Kennedy has just returned to this passed Monday Night Raw from an long injury ad he also wrestled in the main event.

Another thing noted is that WWE named him as Mr. Kennedy (Ken Kennedy) is not his real name.

Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboats WWE Status??

The July 8th WWE house show event in Japan, WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will come out of retirement to compete in a singles match against with recent rival Chris Jericho.

Vince McMahon HHH/HBK Creative Problems

Vince McMahon and his creative team currently feel that the quality of the Monday Night RAW is strong. Vince wants there to be differences in the content between his various TV shows, and one company source sees silver lining in this by pointing out that SmackDown is able to have such quality wrestling because RAW is Vince’s sports entertainment variety show. The problem, is that RAW is the company’s flagship show and is usually how the general public judges the company.

This week’s episode of RAW was mostly straight from Vince McMahon, to the point that one source says he essentially dictated the direction of the show to the creative team.

For months now, some colleagues have been crediting Triple H and Shawn Michaels for trying their best to weed out some of the campy stuff Vince and lead writer Brian Gewirtz produce. Even people who don’t like HHH backstage are saying that he should soon be taking the reigns from Vince as the creative head of the company. Triple H is seen as the most likely candidate for the job due to his family ties, but sources within the company also acknowledge that Triple H does have a good understanding of what the fans want and who their target audience really should be.

Triple H has been at the recent RAW shows, but one backstage observer notes that he isn’t as emotionally attached or involved in the show when he’s not wrestling. In other words, he might be saving his ideas for when he returns to television.

Sources: ProWrestling.net, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

New PPV, Mickey Rourke and a WWE Supershow

WWE recently sent out a survey asking the WWE Universe what the company should call a new submission-themed Pay-Per-View. WWE.com now lists the 9/13 PPV as "Breaking Point" on the Canadian events schedule page. The event is still listed as "Unforgiven" on the main page and elsewhere on the site, but this could be a sign WWE is going with "Breaking Point."

Warning: The following contains a minor *SPOILER* for Friday's SmackDown:

"WrestleMania 25 guest celebrity Mickey Rourke was ringside at last night's SmackDown tapings from Los Angeles, California. Chris Jericho acknowledged Rourke in a promo that he cut during the show. Rourke was also backstage before the show visiting with friends."

WWEShop.com is currently selling WrestleMania Commemorative Plaque with John Cena and The Undertaker.

The following matches have been announced for the July 24th WWE Supershow at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland:

* John Cena and Rey Mysterio vs. The Big Show and Umaga
* ECW Title Match: Christian vs. Finlay vs. Jack Swagger
* US Title Match: MVP vs. The Miz
* CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin

NEW Match for WWE Extreme Rules 2009

ECW Champion Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer (Triple Threat Hardcore Rules Match)

Smackdown **Spoilers** For This Week

The show opens with Rey cutting a promo and being interrupted by Jericho. Jericho then sees Mickey Rourke at ringside and tells him off. Jericho then tells Rey that he'll take his mask off and they brawl.

Tonight's main event is Jericho and Edge vs. Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy. Next up is R-Truth and the Great Khali vs. Dolph Ziggler and Mike Knox.

R-Truth and Khali beat Dolph Ziggler and Mike Knox.

Melina is shown walking in the back. It's Melina vs. Alicia Fox up next.

Melina defeated Alicia Fox.

Backstage interview with John Morrison about his match with Umaga. Shelton Benjamin interrupts his promo.

Jeff Hardy is shown walking backstage.

Jeff Hardy cut a promo about ladder matches and his upcoming ladder match at Extreme Rules. Umaga vs. John Morrison is up next.

John Morrison beat Umaga by DQ. After the match, Umaga beats down Morrison until CM Punk made the save. CM Punk cuts a promo in the ring where he talks about the rules of his match with Umaga at Extreme Rules.

Haas and Benjamin beat Cryme Tyme.

Eve beat Layla.

Edge and Jericho talk backstage before the main event, which is about to begin.
Jericho attacks Rey during his entrance and tries to take off his mask, but Jeff Hardy makes the save.

The main event turns into Edge and Jericho against Jeff Hardy in a 2 on 1 handicap match. Edge and Jericho beat Jeff Hardy after Edge hit Hardy with a spear. After the match, Edge attacks Hardy with a ladder.

That ends Smackdown! The dark match saw Edge beat Jeff Hardy in seconds.

John Cena beat the Big Show in another steel cage dark match.

WWE Superstars Confirmed Matches & **SPOILERS***

WWE Superstars: (Airing Thursday 5/27)

*Carlito & Primo defeated Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin to retain the Unified WWE Tag Team titles.

*Jack Swagger defeated Finlay.

* Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole are out to call the match.

* John Cena b. Ted DiBiase
- Cena got the win following an Attitude Adjuster.

Raw Show Review for 25th May 2009

-Mr. McMahon confronted Denver Nuggets owner “E. Stan Kroenke”; Superstars scuffled before Raw’s 5-on-5 main event

-Kelly Kelly def. Divas Champion Maryse by disqualification

-Kofi Kingston def. Matt Hardy and William Regal in Triple Threat Match to earn a U.S. Title Match on the next Raw

-Ric Flair called out Randy Orton; Mr. Kennedy announced he will return in tonight’s 5-on-5 main event

-Santino Marella & Mickie James def. Chavo Guerrero & Beth Phoenix; Miss WrestleMania Vickie Guerrero and Santina to battle in a Hog Pen Match at Extreme Rules

-Goldust & Hornswoggle def. The Brian Kendrick & Festus

-John Cena, Batista, United States Champion MVP, Jerry “The King” Lawler & Mr. Kennedy def. WWE Champion Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Big Show & The Miz

NEW Match for WWE Extreme Rules 2009

Miss WrestleMania Vickie Guerrero vs. Santina Marella (Hog Pen Match)

Ric Flair's WWE Future

The big topic of debate this week is the return (or potential return) of Ric Flair to the wrestling ring.

Ric Flair Returns

Will he return?

That's the big question that has been on the minds of every wrestling fans over the last few days. The Nature Boy is once again the topic of interest in professional wrestling.

At the Judgment Day pay per view this past Sunday, WWE managed to surprise the fans with an unannounced return of Ric Flair, the legendary former NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Ric Flair made a surprising appearance to save Batista, who was being pummeled by the Legacy trio of Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, and Randy Orton.

The surprise appearance was accompanied almost immediately by reports that Ric Flair had come to an agreement with WWE to make a short comeback.

Return Rumors

Rumors have been flying around that Ric Flair has developed the itch to return to the wrestling ring; the very same ring that he said goodbye to in March of 2008.

Ric Flair reportedly contacted WWE about returning to the ring. He stated that he would like to start wrestling again if he had the blessings of certain people in the company (one of whom is Shawn Michaels).

The company decided to listen because they'd much rather have him wrestling in WWE than in another company.

Ring of Honor and TNA would both love to feature a match with Ric Flair. The marketing potential behind that would be enormous.

There are also wrestling promotions from around the world that have expressed interest in doing a match with Ric Flair (interestingly enough, Sean Waltman is being considered as a potential opponent).

The latest rumor right now has Ric Flair signing a deal to return to WWE for a few months as a wrestler.

Tarnishing Things

A lot of people are against the idea of Ric Flair wrestling again because they're afraid that he's going to tarnish things by doing so.

I take a slightly different approach.

We all know that Terry Funk has returned from retirement at least a dozen times (a month). These returns have done nothing to tarnish my memories of him. In fact, these returns have become a part of his legacy.

If Ric Flair returned to the ring, it won't tarnish his legacy either. He's still going to be one of the greatest world champions of all time. He's still going to be regarded as one of the most entertaining guys of all time.

The thing that will get tarnished is that retirement celebration that WWE threw for him.

If you're really worried about that being tarnished, keep in mind that Ric Flair has publicly stated that he didn't choose to retire. The company forced it upon him. They wanted to use it as a marketing tool.

Closing Thoughts

I might not have a popular opinion on this, but I think that if he wants to return, Ric Flair should return. He's earned the right to make that choice.

The NEW Hart Foundation

High Hopes For The Harts

When WWE decided on bringing up David Hart Smith and pairing him up with Tyson Kidd and Natalya Neidhart, they weren't expecting much.

They were pleasantly surprised.

The crowd reaction to David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd attacking Finlay last week simply was a lot better than what management was expecting. It actually caught a few people off guard.

Management now hopes that the three of them can develop enough chemistry and momentum so that they can eventually be moved to Raw or Smackdown.

With Natalya Neidhart being able to actually take bumps, she should be pretty effective as a heel manager. Tyson Kidd will be the mouthpiece for the trio, and David Hart Smith will provide the muscles.

Closing Thoughts

I think management might have put too much stock into one arena's reaction. That one incident alone should not have been enough to have changed their minds. Things would be a lot more promising if WWE actually had a tag team division for these guys to work in.

Next Weeks Raw **Main Event**

WWE.com has announced an HUGE main event for this Monday’s Raw at the Staples Center.

WWE’s “answer to the Lakers vs. the Denver Nuggets” featuring WWE Champion Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase & The Miz & Big Show vs. Batista & John Cena & Jerry Lawler & WWE United States champ MVP & a “fifth player to be named.”

WWE Superstars Confirmed Matches & **SPOILERS*** 5/21

The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s showing of WWE Superstars on the WGN.

-CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

-William Regal vs. Kofi Kingston

-Tommy Dreamer vs. ECW Champion Christian for the ECW Title

SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>

* CM Punk b. Chris Jericho
- CM Punk got the win via a rollup. After the match, Jericho hit Punk with the Codebreaker.

* Kofi Kingston b. William Regal

* Tommy Dreamer vs. Christian for the ECW Championship.
- The match ends in no contest as Jack Swagger runs out. Christian & Tommy Dreamer double team Swagger and then shake hands. They have a tug-of-war over the title belt.

NEW LOCATION - Next Weeks Raw

The May 25th edition of Monday Night Raw vs. Game 4 of the Western Finals Nuggets host the LA Lakers have finally come to an conclusion.

According to Los Angeles NBC affiliate KNBC that World Wrestling Entertainment has finally selected the LA’s Staples Center to host next weeks Monday Night Raw. The network is reporting that WWE will be holding a press conference later today to announce the move.

The LA Staples Center will also host SummerSlam 2009 PPV on August 23.

There is no word on how WWE will handle the ticket situation, but fans will likely get an refund or honor the tickets for an later date. There is no listing on TicketMaster for the event.

Shawn Michaels Update

The Show Stoppa, Shawn Michaels recently told the WWE that he’s looking to take more time off than originally planned. Michaels believes he’s financially set for life and his children are at that certain age where they lwould like their dad at home and he knows that’s you only get once chance in life at this.

Original plans that was set called for Michaels to return at SummerSlam, but he’s looking to hold his return off until late this year or even an return as early as 2010 for an WrestleMania storyline. With this being an set plan, anything could happen depending on Micheal current situation in life or if any of the major Superstars come down with an injury.

If you recall, back in 2007, Michaels talked about staying out longer to help heal his current knee problems. Then John Cena tore his pec and his wife joked that he would be getting a phone call soon. He received the phone call the next day and was back in the ring sooner than he expected.

Michaels is unsure about his long-term future in the wrestling business, as he’s made it clear in interviews about retiring next year at WrestleMania. But then he feels he can makes appearances long into his fifties such as Hulk Hogan and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Once his children reach teenages he feels he won’t be an priority to his children and he can spend more time on the road.

EX-WWE Diva Gives Birth to Baby Daughter

Congrats to Dawn Marie, who has given birth to her second child, a baby daughter named Katie. She wrote on her Facebook, "We are both healthy and doing well. Thank you for all of your support."

Everyone at WWEAdikt hopes that Dawn and Baby Katie are doing well and continued Good Health to the pair.

WWE Extreme Rules Card PPV **Spoilers**

Here is the updated WWE Extreme Rules PPV card:

- Samoan Strap Match: Umaga vs. CM Punk
- Submission Match: The Big Show vs. John Cena
- No Holds Barred IC Title Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho
- World Title Ladder Match: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
- Steel Cage WWE Title Match: Randy Orton vs. Batista

This card is identical to Judgment Day with added stipulations.

Smackdown **Spoilers** For This Week

WWE taped this week’s edition of SmackDown at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. Special thanks to Wrestling News World. If you are attending a future WWE television taping and would be interested in sending us live text-message updates, please email your name, mobile number, and show date to WWEAdikt@live.co.uk Thanks for your support!

* A WrestleMania video package is shown.

Dark Match
* Sheamus b. Jimmy Wang Yang
- Sheamus drew a lot of heel heat. Crowd was behind Jimmy Wang Yang.

SmackDown (Airing Friday 5/22)

* A recap of Judgment Day is shown. The opening pyro hits.

* Edge is out first. He cuts a promo saying that there is no more debate, he is the face of SmackDown. He criticizes Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, & CM Punk for their loses at Judgment Day. The fans are cheering hard for Hardy to come out. Teddy Long comes out to the ring. He announces that Edge will take on Jeff Hardy in a rematch at Extreme Rules. Jeff Hardy comes out to the ring. He asks the crowd want to see that match tonight. Jeff will take on Edge tonight and the winner will pick the stipulation for their match at Extreme Rules.

* Ricky Ortiz cuts a heel promo dogging Cincinnati for their sports teams.

* Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, & Ricky Ortiz b. Cryme Tyme & John Morrison
- The World’s Greatest Tag Team start the match off working on JTG’s shoulder. JTG finally tags out to Morrison. Everyone gets in the ring and begins fighting. The referee separates everyone and Morrison hits Starship Pain on Charlie Haas for the win.

* Melina is backstage with Josh Mathews. She talks about the number one contender match between Michelle McCool and Gail Kim. She says she ran through Raw and now it’s time to see what SmackDown has. Alicia Fox comes in and says that McCool says to warm the titel up for her. Melina smacks her.

* Michelle McCool w/ Alicia Fox b. Gail Kim to become the #1 Contender.
- Quick match. Fox tries to get involved but Gail hits her face on the ring post. McCool connects with a Styles Clash for the win.

* Rey Mysterio is shown getting ready for an interview.

* A preview for next week’s Raw is shown; Ric Flair calling out Randy Orton.

* Rey Mysterio is interviewed backstage. He says that he’s moving on from Jericho to give some of the young guys a chance. He wants to bring back some honor to the title. He then talks about past Intercontinental Champions, wanting to become the greatest, the history of the mask, and more.

* CM Punk b. Chris Jericho
- Before Punk comes out, a recap from WWE Superstars is shown. Jericho plays the crowd up and takes control of the match. Jericho & Punk continue to go back and forth both connecting with their finishers. Umaga comes out of the crowd and attacks CM Punk. He gets on the mic (yes,in English) and challenges Punk to a “Samoan Strap” match at Extreme Rules.

* Ricky Ortiz & Maria are shown backstage talking. He says he is going to rally up. Jeff Hardy walks by and Maria ditches Ortiz. She tells him he did a good job at Judgment Day. They then talk about Extreme Rules. Hardy leaves and Ortiz tells Maria she is looking for love in all the wrong places. He tells her to “keep your head up and rally up” then gives her his rally towel.

* A SmackDown rewind of the Dolph Ziggler/Great Khali feud is shown.

* Dolph Ziggler b. R-Truth
- Ziggler gets the win with his finisher after R-Truth dominates the majority of the match. After the match Khali comes out and chases Dolph back into the ring where Truth hits him with a spinning elbow.

* A replay of the Eve & Layla feud is shown. Eve vs. Layla is announced for next week.

* Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio in a No Holds Barred match is announced for Extreme Rules.

* Jeff Hardy b. Edge
- Jeff Hardy comes out to a huge pop. Edge dominates early on and draws a ton of heat. Hardy is down on the outside. The crowd is trying to “bring him back” but Edge does the duty instead. Hardy gains control and hits Whisper in the Wind for a two-count. Jeff Hardy then misses two Twist of Fates but eventually hits a third for the win via pinfall.

Todd Grisham asks Hardy what the stipulation at Extreme Rules will be and he says a “Ladder Match.” This ends this week’s SmackDown.

Dark Main Event
* Rey Mysteiro b. Chris Jericho to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a Steel Cage Match.

ECW **Spoilers** For This Week

WWE taped this week’s edition of ECW at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. Special thanks to Wrestling News World. If you are attending a future WWE television taping and would be interested in sending us live text-message updates, please email your name, mobile number, and show date to WWEAdikt@live.co.uk. Thanks for your support!

ECW On Sci-Fi (Airing Tonight)

* Josh Mathews & Matt Striker come out to ringside.

* Jack Swagger opens ECW in the ring with a chair and a microphone. He says he’s not leaving until Tiffany comes out and gives him his title back. He says she’s only temporary and he’ll be around a lot longer than she will be. Tiffany tells him to get out of the ring and meet her in her office. She apologizes and introduces Christian for the first match. Swagger pushes him off the ramp on his way to the ring.

* Christian b. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lea
- Burchill starts the match working on Christian’s leg. Christian kicks him off the top rope and throws him into the stairs. Single leg Boston Crab. The crowd is behind Christian. Christian gets the win via pinfall after connecting with the Unprettier. After the match Josh Mathews interviews Christian who challenges Tommy Dreamer to a title match at Extreme Rules.

* Tiffany & Jack Swagger are shown backstage. Tiffany tells Swagger he can have the night off.

* Zack Ryder b. Local OVW Jobber Adam Green in a squash match.

* A video from last week is shown where DH Smith, Tyson Kidd, & Natalya attack Finlay. After the video they cut a promo. Smith says he’s better than Bulldog ever was.

* Vladimir Kozlov cuts his normal promo at the top of the ramp following a video clip of last week’s squash in WWE rewind.

* Gregory Helms announces that Christian will take on Tommy Dreamer on this week’s WWE Superstars.

* DH Smith w/Tyson Kidd, & Natalya b. Finlay
- DH Smith comes out to the ring first with a new version of the old Hart Foundation music. Finlay comes out next. The match starts off slow. Lots of submission holds. Smith hits Finlay with Natalya’s shoe and follows with a back drop while Kidd distracts the referee. He gets the win via pinfall. This ends this week’s ECW.

WWE Vs. the NBA Update

ESPN's Mike and Mike on ESPN 2, and they discussed the WWE vs. the NBA deal this morning on their show. They played sound bites of Vince McMahon's interview on ESPN news from last night, and joked that Vince is taking full advantage of the publicity and that he is a sound bite machine. Mike and Mike both agreed that WWE was in the right in this situation, as they booked the venue in August and were given the go by Stan Kroenke to begin selling tickets in April. The guys then put over the success of the WWE and discussed their favorite wrestlers, mostly guys from the 1980s, played "Real American" and read tons of favorite wrestling names that the fans mailed in. They were both having a really good time. They also played an audio clip, proposing that they play the basket ball and Raw at the same time, which ended with HHH taking out Kobe Bryant, distracting the referee and the Undertaker pinning Kobe. Overall this was a very positive piece for WWE, as both guys supported their position and spoke positively about WWE and wrestling as a whole.

The Associated Press has a story up on the WWE/Denver Nuggets conflict. According to the story, the NBA has left it up to WWE and the Pepsi Center to settle the issue. The article also features Vince McMahon criticizing the Denver Nuggets owner Kroenke Sports. Vince also promises to send WWE's trucks to Denver on Monday and assuming RAW will happen at the Pepsi Center, even if the Nuggets keep their game scheduled for the same time. He says he will hold the show in the parking lot if he has to.

MGH-TV in Denver interviewed Vince McMahon over the issue with the Denver Nuggets and the Pepsi Center. During the interview, McMahon held up Lakers gear and said that's what he thinks of Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke. McMahon said that Denver is a great city but that WWE is being thrown out. "Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25th date for a potential playoff game," McMahon said.

ESPN and the Hollywood Reporter have also picked up the WWE/Nuggets story. Here is a video of The Coach interviewing Vince McMahon last night on ESPN.com:

Ric Flair's WWE Future

According to sources, Ric Flair is expected at Raw tonight to start a short-term program with the company. Flair has been in communications with the company about a return, as he wants to get back into Wrestling.

The reason Flair is being brought in is because WWE wants to keep HHH off of TV a while longer, and with ratings down, Flair is a historical draw and the company believes that he can boost ratings.

There was also talk at Judgement Day Sunday night that Flair would be back in the Ring at either the Extreme Rules PPV or 'The Bash' PPV.

Flair worked an indie on Friday night in Lincolnton, NC and was on Saturday night at the NASCAR All-Star race as a celebrity guest of Coca Cola. The crowd and the announcers were doing the "Whooo" when they showed him doing it.

WWE Issues Press Release on Double Booking Debacle

WWE issues press release on double booking for the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday, May 25th.

WWE VS. NBA
May 18, 2009

STAMFORD, Conn., May 18, 2009 – World Wrestling Entertainment®’s live, internationally televised broadcast, WWE Monday Night RAW®, (USA Network, 9:00 PM ET) to take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver next Monday, May 25th is in jeopardy of being cancelled by the Denver Nuggets. The WWE and Denver Nuggets are currently at an impasse in resolving a scheduling debacle by the team and the Pepsi Center. A sell-out crowd is expected to attend the WWE show at the same time the Denver Nuggets are slated to square off against the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. WWE has held the May 25th date with the Pepsi Center since August 15, 2008.

“Even though the Denver Nuggets had a strong team this year and were projected to make the playoffs, obviously Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke did not have enough faith in his own team to hold the May 25th date for a potential playoff game,” said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

Media Contacts:
Robert Zimmerman
203-359-5131
robert.zimmerman@wwecorp.com

Kevin Hennessy
203-352-8657
kevin.hennessy@wwecorp.com

Adam Hopkins
203-352-8675
adam.hopkins@wwecorp.com

Investor Contact:
Michael Weitz
203-352-8642
michael.weitz@wwecorp.com

"Submission" Match Announced for Extreme Rules 2009 PPV

Submission Match

John Cena Vs. Big Show

First Match Announced for WWE 2009 Extreme Rules PPV

WWE Championship Match in a Steel Cage

Randy Orton (c) Vs. Batista

Raw Results for 18th May 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Less than 24 hours after Judgment Day and the entire Raw roster was already looking toward Extreme Rules. Monday night saw two huge matches made for the pay-per-view, as John Cena & Batista took on WWE Champion Randy Orton and his Legacy in the main event. Things looked grim for The Animal when he was left to face the multi-generational Superstars by himself, but the tables turned on “The Viper” when WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair once again rushed to Batista’s aide against The Legend Killer.

-Ric Flair interrupts WWE Champion Randy Orton to reveal that The Legend Killer will defend his title in a Steel Cage Match against Batista at Extreme Rules, causing a brawl to break out between Legacy, Flair, Batista and John Cena

-Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero set WWE Champion Randy Orton & The Legacy vs. John Cena & Batista as the night’s main event; Kelly Kelly won a Diva Battle Royal to earn a future Divas Championship Match

-Santino Marella def. Chavo Guerrero

-Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo def. The Brian Kendrick & Goldust

-The Miz once again called out John Cena, and claimed he is now 5-0 in spite of Jerry Lawler challenging his logic; Big Show revealed that he will face Cena again at Extreme Rules in a Submission Match

-United States Champion MVP def. Matt Hardy

-Vickie Guerrero def. Santina Marella to become the new Miss WrestleMania

-John Cena & Batista def. WWE Champion Randy Orton & The Legacy in a match that saw involvement from Big Show and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair

WWE to Create a NEW PPV

-World Wrestling Entertainment sent out an survey to WWE Universe fans mailing list today, asking fans to respond to questions pertaining to naming a future event that would feature submission matches “for all main events on the card.”

The potential names for the event were:

*WWE Total Submission
*WWE Submission Sunday
*WWE Breaking Point
*WWE Submit & Quit

Source:PWInsider

Matches Announced for Monday Night Raw

-WWE United States champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy

-Divas Battle Royal for a title shot against Divas Champion Maryse.

Breaking News.... Ric Flair Returns to the WWE

Ric Flair returned to WWE at last nights Judgment Day pay-per-view at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Flair came out and interfered during the Batista vs. Randy Orton match, saving Batista from Legacy.

As noted earlier, Ric is interested in a return to the ring but has said it would have to be OK with Shawn Michaels first. It certainly appears he's coming back.

WWE Judgement Day PPV Results

CM Punk vs. Umaga
Umaga dominated the beginning of the match for the first ten minutes or so. Crowd was quiet. Punk was able to turn it around after Umaga missed a splash. Crowd really turned around once Punk gained control. Punk went for a GTS but Umaga kicked him into the corner, hit a flying knee into the corner and finally the samoan spike to get the 3 count. Good opener.
Winner via pinfall: Umaga

ECW Championship Match
Christian (c) vs. Jack Swagger
Good match that went back and forth with Swagger reversing Christian's attempts at the kill switch. The finish saw Christian simply roll Swagger up and grab the tights to get the win.
Winner and still ECW Champion: Christian

Shelton Benjamin vs. John Morrison
Charlie Haas accompanied Benjamin to the ring. Morrison did a shooting star type press onto Benjamin outside of the ring early on, which looked spectacular. Benjamin gained the advantage shortly after and held onto it for awhile. Morrison was able to get the victory after hitting the starship pain. Morrison looked really impressive here, good match.
Winner via pinfall: John Morrison

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Chris Jericho
Mysterio went for the 619 early but Jericho went outside of the ring. Loud 'Y2J' chants. The story of the match was Mysterio continually going for the 619 and Jericho either reversing it or moving out of the way. At another point, Jericho tried to unmask Mysterio.

At one point, Jericho moved out of the way of a 619 and went for the Walls but Mysterio got out. Mysterio then went for the 619 again but Jericho caught him and got him into the Walls of Jericho successfully. Mysterio rolled it into a small package but only got a two count.

Mysterio threw Jericho into the corner and finally nailed Jericho with a 619 and then a splash to get the win. Really good match.
Winner and still WWE Intercontinental Champion: Rey Mysterio

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (c) vs. Batista
Batista got a massive reaction coming out. Batista got the advantage in the opening moments, but Orton turned it around and dominated the early part of the match. He continued to dominate until he went for the punt, but Batista countered it into a spear and regained control.

Batista continued to work Orton over with power moves before Orton rolled out of the ring and asked for the referee to count him out. Batista followed him out and got him back into the ring. Orton then got a chair to get himself disqualified, but Batista managed to get rid of it.

Batista continued to dominate and Orton again went out of the ring, grabbed his belt and then tried heading to the back but Batista got him again and brought him to the ring. Orton tried to use the belt, but Batista reversed it into a spinebuster and got a two count. Orton then went for an RKO, but Batista reversed it. They messed up the ending, because Orton was supposed to charge into Batista and then into the referee, but the referee barely got hit so he no sold it. Orton then slapped the referee to get DQ'd. Super lame finish.

Winner via disqualification: Batista

Legacy then hit the Ring and worked over Batista until Ric Flair's music hit and he came into the ring to save Batista. Batista and Flair cleared the ring of Legacy and celebrated.

A promo for 'WWE Extreme Rules' aired.

Big Show vs. John Cena
Dueling "Let's Go Cena" / "Cena Sucks" chants early. Big Show took control early with punches and kicks. Cena kept selling like he was injured.

Big Show continued to dominate the bulk of the match until Cena was able to gain control with a tackle. He hit the five knuckle shuffle. Big Show quickly went for a chokeslam, but Cena turned it into a DDT for a two count. Show nailed Cena with a clothesline to regain the advantage. He landed a splash from the second rope onto Cena and only got a two count.

Show then went for a second splash but Cena rolled out of the way and tried for the STF, but couldn't get it and was kicked out of the ring. Cena kicked Show in the head and hit a legdrop from the top onto Show and went for a STF again, but once again couldn't get it. Show then got Cena up for a powerbomb, but dropped him backwards. Show signaled for the big punch but missed, and Cena got him up and nailed the Throwback for the pin. Another good match.

Winner via pinfall: John Cena

A promo for the Terminator: Salvation game aired.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Edge (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy took control early with a variety of high risk moves. Edge gained the advantage after Hardy missed a whisper in the wind.

Later in the match, Jeff Hardy hit a sunset flip from the top rope but only got a two count. Jeff Hardy then mule kicked Edge outside of the ring and placed him onto a table. Hardy ran on the security wall, but Edge turned it into a huge spear on the outside! Edge got back in the ring to try and get the count out victory, but Hardy got in at nine.

Back in the ring, Hardy hit a twist of fate and went for the pin, but Edge got his foot on the ropes. Hardy hit the whisper in the wind, but only got two. Edge rolled outside the ring and Hardy followed and did a flying dive onto Edge, using the ring steps as a spring.
Edge got back in the ring, and as Hardy was trying to get back, Matt Hardy nailed him from behind with the cast.

Edge got Hardy back in the ring and only got a two count. Edge missed a spear and Hardy went for a swanton but was stopped and Edge turned it into a superplex / DDT from the top to get the win. Another really good match.

Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: Edge

The Undertaker Backstage News

As reported on earlier this week, The Undertaker is pretty banged up right now and wasn't used at WWE TV tapings for the last two weeks. Initial sources stated that he needed surgery on his hip, while another source stated surgery was needed for his knees. Both parts of his body are in bad shape and have been for quite some time right now. The plan as of right now is that he will be getting arthroscopic hip surgery done. This will keep Undertaker out of action for a little more than two months through the summer. The hope internally was that giving him the time off right now will help him rest his knees and they hope to have him back for TV by July allowing for a build towards SummerSlam in August. There is said to be something significant planned in creative for Undertaker at SummerSlam, but it is possible that may not be in play with his injuries forcing him off TV for the time being. The biggest hope is that Jeff Hardy will stay with WWE through the summer with Undertaker being out as Hardy would be considered the top babyface on Smackdown with Undertaker's absence. It should be noted that some are fearing that once he gets the surgery that they may discover some serious problems that will keep him out of action even longer since he has worked through injuries for so long.

Melina Breaksdown YET Again, Y2J's Fued with Mysterio

>>As seen on Smackdown in recent weeks, Chris Jericho has started a program with Rey Mysterio. The two are feuding because Jericho requested working with the high flying superstar. The feud actually started during the company's tour of Europe last month with Jericho "accidentally" unmasking Mysterio in various matches. Jericho is very hands-on when putting his programs together, and given his track record, this feud looks to have great potential.

>> WWE Women's Champion Melina reportedly broke down twice - both in the ring - when she was drafted from Raw to Smackdown during the 2009 WWE Draft. While Melina and John Morrison, who dated in the past and are now reportedly a couple again, requested to be on the same brand, the impression by Melina was that it would be on Raw and not on Smackdown. One of the biggest reasons she was pushed to Smackdown was to regain the Spanish language demographic that the show lost a year ago. While Rey Mysterio is obviously the key to that move, the company feels Melina could help as well.

The COMPLETE WWE Judgment Day P-P-V Card

World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Jeff Hardy

John Cena vs. Big Show

CM Punk vs. Umaga

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Batista

ECW Champion Christian vs. Jack Swagger

Intercontinental Champion Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho

Shelton Benjamin vs. John Morrison

Jillian Gets Engaged!!!

WWE Diva Jillian Hall is apparently engaged. She issued the following note on her MySpace account (www.myspace.com/jillianhall1) this morning: "finally got the ring!" Hall is engaged to wrestler Tank Toland (a.k.a. former WWE star "Chad "), who she managed in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Everyone at WWEAdikt would like to Congratulate Jillian and Tank Toland on their Engagement!!!

Jim Ross on Judgement Day

Jim Ross has posted his thought’s on WWE’s next pay per view Judgment Day this coming Sunday May 24th. Here are few snippets:

-Batista will not win the WWE Title Sunday at Judgment Day. Want to know why?

And the reason that Batista won’t win the WWE Title at Judgment Day is … FOCUS. The Animal is so focused on maiming Mr. RKO that I see Big Dave making a tactical error that costs him big time Sunday. However, I also see Batista beating Randall Orton up like a government mule, too. Could actually get nasty.

-WWE.com is posting HUGE numbers, and many may try and impress the WWE Board of Directors by taking credit for WWE.com’s success. But let’s be honest about this matter. The success of WWE.com can be easily contributed to four people. The men behind the success of this ever-growing venture are: Al Gore, who, as we all know, discovered the Internet, newsman/TV personality Bill Kurtis who has made the Internet cool with his TV ads, WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel who is really the “big toe” of this entity, and, of course, Dr. Joe E. Styles who keeps every one on point and motivated with the occasional and unpredictable streak through the office embellished by the shrieking of “CATFIGHT” from time to time. Congrats, gentlemen, for a job well done.

-Jeff Hardy’s chances of beating Edge for the World Title at Judgment Day may be akin to a basketball team who lives and dies with their three-point shooting. As Marv Albert might say, while wearing men’s clothing, Jeff wins by going “Downtown!” This title bout should be spectacular, but I see Edge retaining his title. But remember that I am rarely correct in these predictions, but it does make it easier for me to write a blog on PPV weeks.

-C.M. Punk returns to his hometown to face The Samoan Bulldozer and surely, I know … don’t call me Shirley, Punk won’t lose in his hometown, will he? I think it will be an uphill struggle for “Chicago Made,” but if he does lose, he’s still got his Money in the Bank contract that he can cash in whenever he chooses and why not in his hometown??

Joey Styles on Announcing and THAT Aprils Fool

JIM VARSALLONE of the Miami Herald has an recent interview with Digital Media Content for WWE.com Joey Styles.

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

Missing his announcing gig:

“Not one bit. I called matches for 10 years, and I feel like I’m contributing to the company more now. I don’t want to give away too much, but I think you’ve seen changes in WWE.com over the past year, and mostly in terms of video and television programming that can be distributed on the web.

“The next two years are going to be mind blowing and revolutionary the same way pay-per-view itself was revolutionary to television. What’s going to happen between the relationship television content and the Internet — IPTV as its called — is going to be revolutionary once again, and I’m so happy WWE.com is trying to stay in front of it.”

Involvement on Aprils Fool’s day Joke where Vicki Guererro got pregnant:

“The April Fool’s joke that we went with was not my idea. I got over-ruled. I wanted to go with a different one. We had three options. They all got approved by management. I wanted to go with an interview with Khali who speaks perfect English — like with Matt Striker, five-syllable words, but they went with Vickie pregnant instead. I don’t know if we fooled anybody, but it was fun.”

‘I was like, `Let’s not do the pregnancy. The pregnancy has been done to death, and they never turn out well, and nobody’s going to believe it.’ Nobody believed it.”

WWE Signs New British Diva

The Sun.Co.UK has an interview with Rachael Carr, who is currently training in WWE’s develpmental Florida Championship Wrestling in Florida. Carr used to an an body double for Britney Spears.

Carr was approached by WWE recruiter Lou Maggio, who asked her to audition.

Rachel Carr goes to FCW to train for 5 days a month to help perfect her soon to be wrestling skills.

“You train for between six months and two years before you’re ready to move up.

“I was so excited to go over there and meet everybody, but I was also scared.

“On my first time over, watching the girls throw themselves around, I thought I couldn’t do it.

“I’ve only just begun the training so I’m not doing too much of the physical stuff at the moment.

“But because I can dance I think I’ll manage.

“They want me to be a cutie. Because I’m quite small and little, they want the whole angel thing coming over.

“Hopefully it will go well, I’ll perfect my wrestling and my character and I’ll end up with a full time WWE contract.”

Carr later comments,

“When I was first offered the job I was like, ‘What???’

“But since then it’s become my dream to become a WWE Diva. I love it!

“As for the guys – I would love be around them all the time¿ they’re my kind of men.

“Hell yeah!”

Smackdown **Spoliers** for 15th May

The following results from tonight’s SmackDown taping in Dayton, Ohio. Wich will air this coming Friday 5/15:

Smackdown starts with John Morrison & CM Punk vs. The World’s Greatest Tag Team! Punk and Morrison win when Morrison hits the twisting split legged moonsault on Haas for the pin. Punk and Morrison mug for the camera like they’re best friends and totally forget their huge feud from last year.

Out comes Chris Jericho to talk about the “conspiracy” against him. After a lengthy promo, he calls out Rey Mysterio only to get Edge instead. Edge berates Jericho about being the ‘face’ of Smackdown. Both verbally jockey for authority of the ring and who gets to call out their opponent at Judgment Day. Out comes Teddy Long to shut them up and sets up Jericho vs. Edge tonight.

Next up is Jeff Hardy. But first a recap of last week’s PG 13 show sponsored by…Men’s hair coloring? A lot of kids will use that stuff!

Jeff Hardy vs. Ricky Ortiz and…Ortiz wins!! Just kidding. Hardy gets the win with a Swanton after a WAY too competitive of a match. Josh Matthews comes in to interview Hardy. Hardy points out Edge wins then loses at every PPV and Hardy plans on keeping that pattern intact at Judgment Day.

Divas tag action is next. Alicia Fox & Michelle McCool vs. Gail Kim & Melina. Could we please get a Triple Threat with Melina, McCool and Kim? It could rival the Wrestlemania match with Stratus, Jazz and Lita. Melina pins McCool with her version of the Code Red.

Next up is Jimmy Wang Yang (who still has Deuce and Domino in his entrance video) vs. Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler wins with his reverse Paydirt.

The Great Khali comes out to exact some revenge from last week. Ziggler takes a powder and we go to commercial.

Cryme Tyme is back stage stirring the pot between Eve and Layla. Eve is now inspired to start a cat fight with Ms. El at the makeup table. Cryme Tyme “break up” the fight.

R-Truth vs. Mike Knox - R-Truth goes over after a spinning flying forearm shot.

Josh Mathews interviews Rey in the back to promote the IC match with Jericho this Sunday. They went to Grisham & JR in the ring to shill the PPV some more.

Edge vs. Jericho - Both cheated like crazy and the audience didn’t know who to cheer for (but leaned more towards Edge). Both hit their submission moves and both got to the ropes. Edge wins after Jericho brings in a chair. Edge tries to use the chair on Jericho but Hardy comes down and hits the Swanton on the chair then takes out Jericho with a tope from the top rope to the floor. Then out comes CM Punk. The crowd erupts! Just as he’s about to cash in the briefcase Umaga attacks, but Punk ducks and clocks him with the briefcase. They powder and fight into the crowd. Meanwhile Hardy attacks Edge in the ring again to the crowd’s approval. Jericho slowly backs away up the ramp and is then promptly attacked by Mysterio. This is where the show probably ends.

Dark Main Event is a cage match between Hardy and Edge for the world title.

A View at Gail Kim's Return to WWE

Now that we have a clearer picture of Gail Kim's return to WWE, we're going to dissect it.

Gail Kim's WWE Return

In the fall of 2008, reports began circulating that Gail Kim's contract with TNA was coming to an end. The first ever TNA Knockouts Champion was considering a return to WWE.

This stirred up a lot of excitement with WWE fans. Gail Kim is superior to most of the female wrestlers that were already on the WWE roster.

For those that hate TNA, this bit of news was appealing because WWE would take away one of the centerpieces of their female division, which was widely regarded as being superior to the WWE female division.

Gail Kim spent several weeks as the hot topic of discussion among wrestling fans.

Despite TNA owner Dixie Carter making a personal pitch to have Gail Kim stay with the company, the former WWE Women's Champion decided that it was time to head back north.

Gail Kim decided to return to WWE.

Underutilized

One of the reasons why wrestling fans were concerned about Gail Kim going back to WWE is how the company was going to utilize her.

TNA made her the centerpiece of a division, and she came through. Along with Awesome Kong, she had built up a credible female division for TNA that far surpassed what most people had expected.

Thanks to the success that she found in TNA, wrestling fans began to take notice of Gail Kim. Many were calling the top female performer in the United States.

A fear among wrestling fans was that WWE was signing Gail Kim just so that they can weaken the competition (which was the same belief wrestling fans had when Christian left TNA).

There were concerns that WWE wasn't going to push Gail Kim when she returned.

The Verdict

After seeing Gail Kim back for a couple of weeks now, the early verdict is that her return has been lackluster.

She made a couple of appearances on Smackdown that most fans have probably already forgotten. The 33 year old diva didn't exactly make a big splash in those appearances.

Gail Kim was then thrown into the divas battle royale at Wrestlemania 25, but she didn't play a vital role. The entire battle royale was basically used to set up the punchline for another Santino Marella joke.

After the WWE Draft Lottery brought WWE Women's Champion Melina over to the Smackdown brand, that leaves Gail Kim in an even worse position. She is a babyface stuck behind a babyface champion.

What's Next?

Even though WWE chose to pass up the opportunity to give Gail Kim a push to ride the momentum that she received from returning, it's not exactly impossible for them to give her a proper push.

To do that, WWE is going to have to put her right smack into the title scene. They're not going to help her much by having her feud with the likes of Layla El or Alicia Fox.

A feud with Michelle McCool over the WWE Women's Championship would be a good thing. Turning Melina or Candice Michelle into a heel could provide other options for Gail Kim as a champion.

None of these storylines are going to match what she was able to accomplish with Awesome Kong, but she can still be pushed.

Closing Thoughts

I really thought that WWE was going to use Gail Kim's newfound success to help elevate their own female division, but I guess I was wrong. They're more focused on using the division to help get Santino Marella over.

Replacing Jeff Hardy

With Jeff Hardy still intent on leaving in a few weeks, WWE is currently looking around for options on his replacement.

Replacing Jeff Hardy

As most of you know by now, Jeff Hardy is planning on leaving WWE when his contract expires in a few weeks.

Since he's one of the most popular superstars in the entire industry, it's going to be pretty difficult for WWE to fill in the void that will obviously be left by his departure.

While it's highly unlikely that the company is going to be able to find a replacement that will be as popular as Jeff Hardy, the company still needs to put someone in his position.

#2 Spot on Smackdown

Everyone knows that the Undertaker is the biggest babyface on the Smackdown brand (perhaps even in the entire WWE). As long as he's around, he'll own that spot.

It's the #2 babyface spot that's going to be difficult.

Jeff Hardy is widely regarded as the #2 babyface on Smackdown. He's leaving, which means that WWE now has to elevate someone else on the roster into the spot.

The Candidates

Members of WWE management right now are looking through the roster to see how they can fill the #2 babyface spot on Smackdown.

Below are the possible candidates.

• Rey Mysterio
  
  Rey Mysterio's popularity is undeniable. However, Vince McMahon is hesitant to push him as the #2 guy because of injury concerns.
  
  
• CM Punk
  
  Despite the fact that he has a couple of enemies in management, CM Punk is regarded as someone that is capable of filling that #2 spot. Management will try to push him in the upcoming weeks to see what he can do.
  
  
• John Morrison
  
  Management recently turned John Morrison into a babyface. They think that he could possibly be built into the #2 spot (and potentially the #1 spot).
  
  
• Batista
  
  Management is seriously considering sending Batista back to Smackdown to fill that role. He's a good choice in that he can fill the #1 spot as well if Undertaker is injured or taking time off.
  
  
• Big Show
  
  WWE is toying around with the idea of turning Big Show back into a babyface and sending him back to Smackdown. The seeds are there for a full blown feud between Edge and the Big Show.
  
  
• Matt Hardy
  
  Even though he's been pretty good as a heel, Matt Hardy is still a potential choice to go back to Smackdown as a babyface. Turning him wouldn't be that difficult. He just has to make up with Jeff Hardy. WWE really should put Matt Hardy in the #2 spot to see if he can actually do it or not.

Closing Thoughts

It's not going to be easy to replace Jeff Hardy, but it's also not impossible. If one of these guys don't take over the spot, then someone else will rise to do so.

NEW Match for WWE Judgement Day 2009

Intercontinental Championship Match
Rey Mysterio (c) Vs. Chris Jericho

WWE Rebuild

The next few months in WWE have been described as a rebuilding period where the company will try to make new stars. The expectation in the company is that as this takes place they are expecting ratings to drop a little. There are said to be plans in place to bring in more developmental Wrestlers from FCW and start them with a purpose as opposed to just putting them on TV and hoping it works out.

There has also been discussion about setting a rule where respective creative writers are to only worry about a limited amount of wrestlers on the brand they work for so that it will allow them to do more things with newer talent. Whether or not that will take place remains to be seen.

One big expectation is that with four TV Shows a week (Raw, ECW, Superstars and Smackdown) and the possibility of a fifth being added is that more of the shows will become very wrestling-heavy.

Melina Update

While Melina has worked hard to repair her image in the locker room over the past few years, some Wrestlers are still leery of her as they feel she is overly dramatic and often tries to make herself the center of attention.

As noted, Melina caused several wrestlers to roll their eyes in reaction to her recent complaints about being moved from Raw to Smackdown. The WWE Women's Champion is once again dating John Morrison as the couple was spotted slow dancing together throughout the night at the annual post-WrestleMania party. With the draft coming up at the time, the two reportedly asked to be placed on the same brand together. Nonetheless, she was complaining to other wrestlers about being moved to SmackDown and got rather emotional following news of the switch on the Draft show.

Backstage, many feel she had to know that WWE weren't going to place her and Morrison on the same brand as Batista given the past issues the three have had. Batista noted in his 2007 autobiography, Batista Unleashed, that he had a physical relationship with Melina during their time together on SmackDown.

Batista wrote, "My wife thought I was sleeping with Melina right off the bat, while we were still married. It wasn't true, but it did make me feel guilty about being friends with her.

"Since then, as I've said, Melina and I have gotten closer and our relationship has become physical. That's caused a bit of controversy, but I don't give a sh*t. She's my friend, and I love her very much."

"It's not like she's been an angel all these years," said one former co-worker regarding the situation. "She's disposable. It's not like she's in a position to bitch."

Many company sources believe Melina has yet to actually complain to management regarding the switch to SmackDown.

Another source referred to her complaints as "eye-rolling" and said most people have taken a "Who gives a s***?" approach to the drama.

Batista set to Turn Heel??

It looks as though Batista might be set for an upcoming heel turn in WWE. The spot to set up the likely turn in the future was done at the Backlash pay-per view, where Batista almost used a chair and got his team disqualified (which would have cost Triple Hthe title based on match-stipulations) but instead it distracted HHH and set him up for the finish of the match and the injury spot with Randy Orton.

Obviously when Triple H returns he'll be working with Randy Orton, as that is the immediate ready-made program, but it looks as though there will be a second feud with Batista. The only question at this point is who would turn heel, with the likely candidate being Batista.

Batista has been questioned, in character, on TV at RAW about the aforementioned spot at Backlash, and said he feels for HHH and the McMahon family, but put off a certain smugness that is likely the very early build towards a heel turn.

Current WWE Judgement Day Card!!

World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Jeff Hardy

John Cena vs. Big Show

CM Punk vs. Umaga

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Batista

ECW Champion Christian vs. Jack Swagger