WWE News (Page 16)

• The surprise appearance by The Rock on RAW was put together by Brian Gewirtz, who is one of the few people in the company that stays in touch with him. The whole thing was un-scripted.

• Steve Austin’s promo on WWE RAW was put together by Stephanie McMahon.

• There is quite a bit of frustration within WWE that the McMahon-Trump deal isn’t getting more media coverage. McMahon was expecting another wave of coverage after RAW, but it didn’t meet his expectations. The only stuff out was a business wire story that WWE wrote itself that nobody picked up.

WWE issued the following press release today confirming that all future "B" pay-per-views (Backlash, Judgment Day, etc.) will feature talent from all three brands:

WWE Pay-Per-Views To Follow WrestleMania Formula

STAMFORD, Conn. - In the spirit that has made WrestleMania the premier brand in the pay-per-view industry, every future World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-views will feature talent and storylines from all three WWE programs: Monday Night RAW, Friday Night SmackDown, and "ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Starting with Backlash on April 29, WWE fans will see all their favorite Superstars on every pay-per-view. This is a change from 2005 and 2006, when only four of WWE's 16 pay-per-views featured talent from more than one WWE brand.

"We have seen over the past two years that WWE pay-per-views have significantly better buy rates when more than one WWE brand is involved," said Kurt Schneider, Executive Vice President, Marketing. "WrestleMania, with an average of one million buys per event over the past three years, is the perfect example. This new direction will give our fans more of what they want in every one of our pay-per-views."

Schneider said that the tri-branded WWE pay-per-views will benefit from promotion on all three WWE prime time programs - Monday Night RAW, (USA, 9/8C), Friday Night SmackDown, (CW, 8/7C)and ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling (Tuesdays, SCI FI, 10/9C). WWE has had the No. 1 prime time shows on USA, SCI FI, and The CW each week in January and February among households and total viewers, compared to programs with two or more telecasts.

Army Spc. Timothy Lott gripped his walking cane as he prepared to meet some of his lifelong heroes.

“I’ve been a wrestling fan for 27 years,” he said at the Verizon Center’s posh Coach’s Club here yesterday evening.

Lott was one of about 40 injured veterans Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Wounded Warrior Project brought here for a reception and the Monday Night RAW event hosted by World Wrestling Entertainment.

WWE and the Wounded Warrior Project are members of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which highlights the public’s support for the nation’s troops and their families.

Lott was injured traveling in a convoy in Afghanistan. To avoid an accident with an errant civilian car, the driver of Lott’s vehicle hit the brakes.

“It threw me forward, slammed me back,” he said, “and caused a severed disc in my back and extensive nerve damage in my right leg.”

The invitation to see his wrestling heroes wage war was a thrill for Lott.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

According to a reporter for the Calgary Sun, Ted Annis (a/k/a Teddy Hart) will be signing with WWE “after his MTV contract runs out.”

There has been a lot of talk within the company of this happening for a while now. If Annis does indeed sign, the plan would be to team him up with Harry Smith and Nattie Neidhart to create a new Hart Foundation since they are all members of the legendary Hart family.

• This week’s edition of ECW on Sci-Fi earned a 1.7 cable rating with a 2.9 share. This is the show’s best rating in awhile. Much credit on the number is given to the appearance by Stone Cold Steve Austin.

• Former WWE/WCW Champion Bill Goldberg will be a honorary pit crew member for Greg Biffle at the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 on March 11th in Las Vegas. Goldberg will be promoting his new television show, Bullrun, which will air on SpikeTV.

• The Chronicle Herald in Canada ran a story yesterday on former WWE Diva, Trish Stratus. The article talks about how she will be the host of the new reality series in Canada The Second City’s Next Comedy Legend. In the article, Stratus reminds everyone she has retired from professional wrestling.

Allen Coage, better known to wrestling fans as "Bad News" Allen or "Bad News" Brown, died today. Coage was rushed to Rockyview Hospital in Calgary after experiencing chest pains and passed away early this morning. He was 63.

Coage, a bronze medal winner at the 1976 Olympics in Judo, was a major star in several promotions including Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling as well as New Japan Pro Wrestling. He entered the WWE in the late 80's and had a few stand out moments that fans still remember him by.

It was Coage who double-crossed Bret "Hitman" Hart at the end of the over-the-top-rope battle royale which opened Wrestlemania 4 so that he could go on to win the prize trophy. Brown also feuded with Rowdy Roddy Piper, leading to their match at Wrestlemania 6 where Piper painted his body half black. One of his last feuds in the WWE before leaving the company was with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, where he tried to pit his "Harlem Sewer Rats" vs. Jake's snake Damien. Coage even had a few matches with Hulk Hogan.

At the time of his passing, Coage was working as a security guard and had just signed a "Legends" deal with the WWE to produce a Classic Superstar action figure of himself. He was also scheduled to appear at the Legends of the Ring convention on April 28th, 2007 in New Jersey.

We wish his family the best.

• Eric Bischoff recently rejected a storyline proposal for a short-term role on WWE RAW. Details on the storyline idea are unknown.

• Mick Foley is on the receiving-end of lockerroom heat for being "too honest" about backstage happenings in his "The Hardcore Diaries" book. The heat is playing a role in a backstage push to keep him off the WrestleMania 23 card.

• Steve Austin recently appeared at Wizard World in Los Angeles to promote his upcoming film The Condemned. During Tuesday’s ECW/SmackDown tapings the trailer for the movie was shown; however, the crowd gave little reaction to Austin. This might not bode well for the plan of installing Stone Cold as the guest referee in the Umaga/Lashley match.

• WWE hardcore legend Mick Foley was sitting in the front row of the Net-Wizards NBA game Tuesday night. The commentators never mentioned his name, but he was shown on camera many times.

• A match between Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler taking place for the Memphis Wrestling promotion may take place, if Jimmy Hart has anything to do with it. According to sources, Hart is doing his best to make the match happen.

• It’s expected that there will be around 78,000 fans present at Ford Field in Detroit for Wrestlemania 23.

• Triple H will make his return to the ring around August and should be back in time for a role at SummerSlam.

WWE superstars will step outside the ring this weekend.

Scheduled to appear on this Sundays on NBC’s Deal or No Deal are Randy Orton, Edge, WWE champion John Cena and ECW World champion Bobby Lashley.