Source: Roger Ealey of the Herald Citizen
This past week, we had the Royal Rumble, and now there is more talk about what occurred outside of the ring than inside. Many people have been speculating that Jim Ross may be about to leave again as an announcer for the WWE.
These rumors started after J.R. did not call the Royal Rumble match. Jerry Lawler joined Michael Cole and JBL to call the match. Ross even addressed the rumors late in the week saying that there was nothing to it and he loved his work and planned to be with the WWE on a full-time basis until further notice.
I tend to believe him, as I think he has done enough for Titan to be able to pretty much call his own shots on his future.
With Wrestlemania just around the corner, the list of Hall of Fame candidates will start to be released. The first on the list appears to be the Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika, who will be inducted together. Many older fans will remember the Samoans as one of the greatest tag teams of their day.
It is said that the WWE wants to induct Muhammad Ali in to the Hall, as well. That is still in the planning stages, and it is not known if it can pull that one off this year.
In some ratings news, Raw has drawn its biggest rating in several months with a 4.2 last week. The Rumble and the lack of competition from Monday Night Football are seen as major factors. ECW had a 1.7 rating for its show last Tuesday and TNA did a 1.0 on Spike last Thursday. I am a little surprised that that rating is not a little higher with the roster that company is building.
In a related story, there is said to be friction between the old guard at TNA and the up-and-coming stars. The mood behind the scenes is said to be tense. Both sides need to take a moment and realize they need each other to try to compete with the WWE.
In an update on Konnan, he has been released from his hip replacement surgery and was told not to wrestle for six months. He is still very much in need of a kidney transplant. To date, more than $8,000 has been raised; however, another $27,000 is needed.
There is going to be a benefit show for Konnan in a couple of months, and, in a nice gesture, the WWE has agreed to allow Rey Mysterio to wrestle at the event. You can find out more about Konnan or make a donation through Pay Pal by visiting GetWellKonnan@aol.com.
I had a solid night of picking the Rumble as I went 4-for-5 in my picks, missing only the tag-team match. Now it will be interesting to see what they do with Wrestlemania. Undertaker is 14-0 at the event and has a championship match. Vince McMahon once said that “The Deadman” would never hold another title again.
One thing is for sure, The Undertaker will be more than a part-timer for at least two months as he appeared on all three WWE shows this past week.
