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        Impact tonight on Spike at 9 p.m.:

*Suicide vs. Pope D'Angelo Dinero in a street fight

*Taylor Wilde & Sarita vs. ODB & Tara in a Knockouts tag title match

*Samoa Joe vs. Daniels vs. Homicide for the X title

*Matt Morgan & Hernandez vs. Kurt Angle & Eric Young

*Bobby Lashley vs. Jethro Holiday

*Booker T & Scott Steiner vs. Abyss & Mick Foley for tag titles

        Plus we get the answer to who destroyed the photo of Foley & Jeremy Borash.  And if you like swerves, why we've got a whole 2 hours full of those.   

        Superstars tonight at 8 p.m. on WGN America:

*Primo vs. Chris Masters

*Goldust vs. William Regal

*Maria & Melina vs. Layla & Michelle McCool

*Matt Hardy vs. Kane   

        Tonight on Spike before Impact has Unleashed headlined by Georges St. Pierre vs. Frank Trigg and Karo Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz.  They will also air Ultimate Fighter again after Impact.

        The 2009 Hall of Fame issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, one of the largest issues in our history and what is traditionally the best selling issue of the year, will be out Monday to print readers and is available right now on the web site.

        The main focus of the double issue is a look at the six new members of the Hall of Fame as voted by reporters, historians, and people both in the current business and people with long histories of being in the business.  Because of the size of the bios, we only have bios of three of the six new acts in this week's issue, and there will be bios in upcoming weeks of the other three new members which span periods from the 1930s through modern times.

        We look at what the Hall of Fame is, how people get in, a complete rundown not only of the final voting but also the top ten in each different category and an explanation as to how each guy got voted in, as well as a detailed look at why others who came close didn't reach the magic 60% mark.  We also have notes on people who will not be on next year's ballots, as well as who will be added to next year's ballot.

        We look at the close calls, including three top active stars who almost made it and what kept them from getting in.  We look at who made the biggest strides as well as the biggest drops, as well as look at the first year on for Edge.

        We evaluate all the new members and talk about those on next year's ballot for the first time.

        The highlight is our lengthy bios which talk about three very different and distinct eras in wrestling and some very unique individuals that made it in.

        We also have the updated list of everyone in and the year they were put in, divided into several different categories.

        We also look at Saturday night's UFC 103, the head-to-head battle with boxing and different numbers that are out there.  We look at the business of the show, what came out of the show, and full coverage of the event.

        We also have an update on the first week of Linda McMahon's run for the U.S. Senate.  We look at her strategy in running, as well as in the first week what stories have come out regarding pro wrestling and her candidacy.  We look at financing her campaign, as well as a political strategist evaluates her chances.

        We also look at the retirement of Quinton Jackson, the ratings of the first episode of Ultimate Fighter and how they rank among other big shows in the history of the show.  We look at Jackson's complete statement, an update on other fighters who have said similar things and what has happened, and perhaps a reason why these things happen.

        We look at how the show fared in Males 18-34 this past week, as well as how the Fight Night show did, and a look at how season 10 is stacking up.

        We also look at the return of MMA to CBS with the Fedor vs. Brett Rogers Strikeforce match, as well as a look at the signing of Herschel Walker to an MMA deal, his expected debut, and more on plans for the CBS show.

        We've got the most detailed look at what is going down politically in TNA, including the departures of Jim Cornette and B.G. James, the hiring of Ed Ferrara, and how everything is intertwined, including reactions from many in the company.

        We also look at Batista's move to Smackdown and the move being rushed, the return from suspension of Rey Mysterio, one of the biggest stars in company history in talks, feelings on the booking of three Hell in a Cell matches on one show, Hardys update, Lilian Garcia's future, Jim Ross pushes for someone who is a surprise to get into the WWE Hall of Fame, Miami bidding for Wrestlemania, notes on the 10th anniversary Smackdown show, Injury updates, Jericho talks his character, Pat Patterson's 50th anniversary of being in the business, a new signee as well as details on the WWE weekend shows.

        We've got a rundown of TNA's No Surrender show, including why it doesn't look like it will do well on PPV.  We look at the wrestling, the booking, and match-by-match coverage with star ratings.

        We also have a look at CMLL's biggest event of the year, the 76th anniversary event at Arena Mexico with the Mistico putting his mask up against the hair of Negro Casas main event.

        We also have tons of updates on Hulk Hogan's promotion and Hogan promoting the events.

        We also have a look at the ratings for all the major pro wrestling shows on television over the past week, including the Batista return to Smackdown and Cedric the Entertainer on Raw battling against Monday Night Football.

        We also have our usual weekly features such as the results of the biggest matches of the week and rundown of the major television shows.

         The Wrestling Observer ranges from 25,000 to 40,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA all over the world.

        Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sites and has the most complete look at the business as a whole anywhere.

        The Observer is now in its 27th year of being the leading insider pro wrestling publication in the world. The biggest and most influential names in the pro wrestling industry as well as the MMA industry, from bookers, to promoters to Hall of Fame wrestlers and fighters to the biggest current names, both on camera, and behind the scenes, along with thousands of readers in all 50 states and 30 countries subscribe.  Many have subscribed as long as 20 years or more straight. They get the most detailed and inside coverage of what is going on all over the world and an accuracy from having the most inside sources that can't be found on the web.  Everyone from Wall Street to the major offices to the TV networks in U.S. and Japan turn to the Observer for what is going on in the business. If you are a new subscriber ordering 24 or more issues, you can get one free classic issue of your choice sent to you today. With a 40 issue subscription, you can get two free classic issues sent to you today. Just send your Visa or Master Card order with your name, address, phone number, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can order by faxing that information to 408-244-3402. You can also subscribe via paypal at www.paypal.com and using the This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it address or subscribe via check, cash or money order, as well as credit card, by mail, by sending to Wrestling Observer Newsletter, P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228.

     Also in this week's issues:

--Jushin Liger in Mexico including his first singles match with Mistico and what it is building to

--A somewhat major star jumping promotions

--A major star who announces he is leaving just days before he was supposed to be in a big show major stipulation match

--GHC tag team title change

--Former WWE star disappears

--Update on TNA's Bound for Glory show

--Update on members of the TNA creative team

--Tons of news from the next few weeks of TNA television tapings

--Randy Couture's contract

--Chuck Liddell on Dancing with the Stars

--Anderson Silva's elbow injury

--Several new UFC matches

Rates are:

For the United States, it is $12 for 4 issues, $29 for 12, $55 for 24,$91 for 40 and $118 for 52. In Canada and Mexico, rates are $13.50 for 4, $33 for 12, $61 for 24, $101 for 40 and $131 or 52.  In Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For the rest of the world, rates are $15.50 for 4, $41 for 12, $78 for 24, $126 for 40 issues and $163 for 52 .

--WWE renewed its Canadian television contract with The Score for three-years.  The station will continue to air Raw, Smackdown, Experience and Vintage Collection. 

--Last night's Ultimate Fighter did a 2.2 rating, which would be the second highest rated episode in the history of the show, trailing only last week's 2.9.

--Jerry Lawler is going to court after being excluded from the next Memphis mayoral debate.  The next debate, hosted by WREG television, The Memphis Commercial Appeal and Mpact Memphis, decide to only invite the top four finishers in a poll, which were A.C. Wharton, Carol Chumney, Myron Lowery and Charles Carpenter.  Carpenter got 3% and Lawler got 2% in the latest poll.  Story is at http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=11188086

--Quinton Jackson wrote a long piece on his web site saying UFC treated him much better than Pride, and how UFC postponed Hughes vs. Serra so he doesn't understand why it was a big deal he wanted the fight postponed (he also wanted the date in Memphis postponed).  He's mad that White knocked him for his choice and said he feels disrespected.  He then cut a promo on Rashad Evans.  "Rashad remains to be a boy under me.  He wins a few fights, and some of them I thought the judges fell asleep during the fight and woke up and saw him playing with his nipples and guessed he won."  "Now I'm not saying whether or not I would have beaten Machida, but I wouldn't have went out like a bitch like the way he did." 

--Dana White on Strikeforce signing Herschel Walker on the mma.fanhouse.com site:  "I think it's ridiculous.  People think we're anti-competition?  We're anti-dumb competition. Doing stupid things like this, putting a 50-year-old guy in the Octagon for the first time, and then going out there are putting out a press release like it's a big deal because you signed a 50-year-old Herschel Walker?  Are you serious?  Which athletic commission is going to let this guy fight?  Who the fuck are they going to find to fight Herschel Walker?  A guy in a wheelchair?  It's completely disrespectful to the sport.?   

--A couple of TV notes for tomorrow.  Strikeforce will air tomorrow night at 11 p.m. Eastern with a Challengers series show on Showtime headlined by Tim Kennedy vs. Zak Cummings and Ray Sefo vs. Kevin Jordan, and featuring the MMA debut of Daniel Cormier, one of the country's best wrestlers of this decade, a five-time national champion who in U.S. competition only had one point scored against him between 2005-2008 in winning four national titles.  Also, tomorrow night at 3:30 a.m. on the East Coast and 12:30 a.m. is the K-1 Grand Prix first round from Seoul, South Korea, live on HDNet.  The K-1 World Grand Prix is usually an awesome show.  Vitaly Klitschko fights Chris Arreola for Klitscho's piece of the boxing heavyweight title on HBO on Saturday night.

--K-1 lineup:

Badr Hari vs. Zabit Samedov

Peter Aerts vs. Alistair Overeem

Jerome LeBanner vs. Musashi

Semmy Schilt vs. Daniel Ghita

Ewerton Teixeira vs. Singh Jaideep

Ruslan Karaev vs. Kyotaro

Errol Zimmerman vs. Glaube Feitosa

Remy Bonjasky vs. Melvin Manhoef

Taiei Kin vs. Catalin Morosanu

--Sunday may be the final NOAH sellout ever at Budokan Hall with the Mitsuharu Misawa Memorial show with this card:

*Tamon Honda & Junji Izumida vs. Kentaro Shiga & Kishin Kawabata

*Akihiko Ito vs. Genba Hiraynagi - winner goes into Jr. tournament in October

*Atsushi Aoki vs. Kento Miyahara - winner goes into Jr. tournament in October

*Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Taiji Ishimori & Ricky Marvin

*Bison Smith vs. Shuhei Taniguchi

*KENTA & Takeshi Rikio & Mohammed Yone vs. Jun Akiyama & Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Sugiura

*Kensuke Sasaki & Takeshi Morishima & Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Yoshinari Ogawa & Kotaro Suzuki

*Keiji Muto & Akira Taue vs. Kenta Kobashi & Yoshihiro Takayama

*Go Shiozaki vs. Akitoshi Saito for the GHC heavyweight title

--Story on Al Sharpton hosting Raw in Albany next week is at http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/storyPrint.asp?StoryID=845177  Sharpton did the show in exchange for being able to talk about education reform. 

--Linda McMahon's campaign is already spending.  She had an ad last night in prime time on the New York Fox station, which is something because her race is in Connecticut and not New York (the station does reach Connecticut, but the vast majority of the viewers being paid for can't vote in the election) and it's not for months. (thanks to Josh Guarino)

--WWE is doing a survey mailer asking fans to choose from the following five names for a February PPV show that would be headlined by an Elimination Chamber match every year.  Names are Battle Chamber, Elimination Chamber, Heavy Metal, Chamber of Conflict and No Way Out (the current name).  

--Tickets for the CBS debut of Strikeforce on 11/7 at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates IL go on sale Monday at Ticketmaster.  Live show starts at 6 p.m. with two hours of prelims.  CBS begins airing at 9 p.m.

--Do you think Quinton Jackson will fight Rashad Evans at some point next year

Yes 77.0%

No 23.0%

--Who was the best of these wrestlers?

Chris Benoit 65.0%

Jack Brisco 12.5%

Andre the Giant 9.4%

Bob Backlund 9.2%

Fred Blassie 2.6%

Bobo Brazil 1.3%

--Who was the best of these wrestlers?

Ted DiBiase 58.3%

Bruiser Brody 26.0%

The Destroyer 6.8%

Dick the Bruiser 4.3%

Abdullah the Butcher 3.1%

The Crusher 1.6%   

--It took some time, but the TNA special taped on 1/4 at the Tokyo Dome will air on 10/8 at 11 p.m.

--ROH in Boston and New York this coming weekend.  Boston tomorrow night as Bryan Danielson vs. Davey Richards, Nigel McGuinness vs. Roderick Strong, Austin Aries & Rhett Titus vs. Kenny Omega & Colt Cabana, Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards in an anything goes match, El Generico vs. Chris Hero vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Petey Williams and Delirious vs. Sonjay Dutt.  Danielson vs. McGuinness headlines Saturday night at the Manhattan Center. The show is sold out for both men's final ROH appearance.  Bret Hart also appears at both shows.

--New ROH matches are Roderick Strong vs. Kevin Steen on  10/9 in Collinsville, IL and Petey Williams vs. Claudio Castagnoli on 10/10 in Indianapolis  

--Strikeforce announced that all Strikeforce events from this point forward will air live on the American Forces Network starting with tomorrow night's show headlined by Tim Kennedy, a Special Forces soldier who has served tours of duty in the Middle East.

--Jonathan Snowden interviews Kennedy at http://www.heavy.com/post/tim-kennedy-interview/502/  He wants Mayhem Miller.

--Kimbo Slice vs. Roy Nelson headlines The Ultimate Fighter show on Wednesday night.  It is being promoted as the biggest fight in the history of the sport.  Also in the preview is "Ex-NFL giant Marcus Jones causes trouble for Rampage."

--Kid Kash vs. Bob Holly headlines a TV taping on 10/10 at the Fairgrounds in Nashville for Showtime All-Star Wrestling.  This is the pilot for the show Jerry Jarrett wants to stop around. 

--A note on The Shockmaster action figure talked about in yesterday's update, it's not coming out, it's actually been out for several weeks. (thanks to Allen Davidson and many others) 

--David Wolf has a story on same-day weigh-ins at http://mmapayout.com/2009/09/weight-watchers/

--Dexter Hardaway and wife/valet Talon were on the Jerry Springer show yesterday where Dexter asked for a divorce and she wanted to work things out.  I guess they can continue that act on your indie show at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

--Hoosier Pro Wrestling on 10/3 in Columbus, IN at the 4-H Fairgrounds with Ronnie Vegas vs. Pastor Pain managed by Koa Marie (who is on the upcoming Hulkamania tour of Australia)

--Tommy Rich, Bob Armstrong, Steve Armstrong and Road Dogg headline for Alabama Wrestling Federation on Saturday night in Lucedale, MS at the George County Fairgrounds.  I was just talking with someone Tuesday night about the night that the late Lester Welch (who was running the Georgia office) got mad at Bill Watts when Watts was supposed to beat Bob Armstrong, and Watts told Armstrong they were changing finishes and Bob was going over because he saw how over Bob was.  That was 37 years ago.

--Deep South Hardcore Wrestling on 10/3 in Brunswick, GA at the Howard Coffin Park Gym 

--AIW on 10/10 at McCarthys Downtown in Cleveland for an all woman's show with Sara Del Rey Jennifer Blake, Brooke Carter and more, and 10/23 at McCarthy's Strongsville with Faith in Nothing vs. Shiima Xion & Jimmy Demarco

--New York Wrestling Connection on Saturday night at the ELKS BPOE Lodge 2138 in Port Jefferson Station

--Straight.com is listing Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling as the best place to witness a bodyslam in its best of Vancouver issue at http://www.straight.com/article-259718/sports-and-fitness

--FIP on 10/3 in Crystal River, FL at the National Guard Armory with Davey Richards vs. Kenny King for the FIP title in a cage match and Erick Stevens & Roderick Strong vs. British Lions for the tag titles also in a cage match, Shane Twins vs. Dark City Fight Club, Rhett Titus vs. Brad Attitude, Chasyn Rance vs. Chris Jones and more

--Liberty Wrestling Organization on 10/2 in Elmwood Park, NJ at the Elmwood Park American Legion 

--Bret Hart appears tomorrow on the Toucher & Rich sports talk show on 98.5 radio in Boston (thanks to Steven Higney)

--C4 Wrestling on 10/16 in Ottawa at the Knights of Columbus Hall headlined by Kevin Steen vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Tyson Dux vs. Michael Von Payton

--NWA New Jersey Dennis Coraluzzo Invitational on Saturday night in Wayne, NJ at the PAL features an induction ceremony to put Coraluzzo in the NWA Hall of Fame, plus Warlord, Barbarian and Jim Powers wrestle, and a New Jersey title tournament with first round matches of Rob Eckos vs. B-Boy, Danny Demanto vs. Dan Maff, Pappa Don vs. Judas Young and Crowbar vs. Justin Corino