More news.

Ring of Honor has announced Bret "The Hitman" Hart will be making his first appearance for the company on July 24th in Toronto, Ontario. It should also be noted that Ric Flair is also scheduled to appear on the ROH shows in Canada that weekend.

As noted this morning here on the website, The Undertaker is suffering from both knee and hip problems and wasn't brought to last week's SmackDown/ECW duel taping as a result. At the show, there was talk he would be undergoing minor surgery on his knee, but nobody seemed to know for sure. There was also a feeling that his knee could have more serious damage when opened up. The long-term uncertainty on both Undertaker and Jeff Hardy is one of the reasons company officials sped up the planned John Morrison babyface turn and made sure that CM Punk would be perceived as a top star on the brand from the onset.

During last week's episode of Raw, John Morrison and The Great Khali were advertised to take part in a Scramble Match on SmackDown with the winner facing Edge for his World Heavyweight Championship at Judgment Day. Come Tuesday, the match was changed to a No. 1 Contender Fatal Four Way Elimination Match featuring Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy and Kane. Both Morrison and Khali were dropped from the match.

As noted, the reason for Morrison being dropped from the match is because the company immediately plans on pushing him as a babyface and didn't want to risk getting a negative reaction from the MSG crowd.

As far as Khali is concerned, Vince McMahon doesn't see him as a headliner anymore. Furthermore, his removal would improve the quality of the match.

During last week's episode of Raw, John Morrison and The Great Khali were advertised to take part in a Scramble Match on SmackDown with the winner facing Edge for his World Heavyweight Championship at Judgment Day. Come Tuesday, the match was changed to a No. 1 Contender Fatal Four Way Elimination Match featuring Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy and Kane. Both Morrison and Khali were dropped from the match.
the match.

The Necro Butcher has been nominated for the "WTF Moment" for this year's MTV Movie Awards. Butcher's scene from The Wrestler, where he and Mickey Rourke use a staple gun in a "CZW Hardcore match" is what was nominated. The MTV Movie Awards will be taped during the last week of May, and air on May 31st.

There is no word on Tyler Black's participation at ROH shows this weekend. As of today he is booked on the shows, but he cancelled his FIP appearance over the weekend due to a neck injury.

Sonjay Dutt and Ricky Reyes return to ROH this weekend.

Joey Ryan debuts with ROH this weekend.

Holy double info, Batman!

I know they're irrelevant to the story, I didn't think it was going to be a super crucial plot element to an Award winning movie.

You'd better not be making a CAW.

LOL not that either. Just sudden, and extreme curiosity.

I don't do CAW's actually, and I certainly wouldn't do that one.

Damn it damn it damn it! another opportunity to see ROH missed! if only they would tour somewhere else this time, instead of TO again.

next, that kinda sucks for Smackdown, losing Taker and perhaps Jeff Hardy. two WWE stars down. also, on the Raw side, Trips isn't due back until either at or after Judgement Day.

next, CZW is garbage wrestling, and i could care less if one it's wrestlers gets recognized for anything, but that's kinda cool that's it's got to do with 'The Wrestler' movie. i kinda want to see the movie more, just to see what that fuss is about

Morrison as a face, BIG FREAKIN' WHOOP! but that is lame that he and Khali got cut from the match

Morrison not being in that match is great. It means he didn't have to job to someone, because he certainly wasn't going to be winning it anyway. It also would have overloaded the match with faces.

I like Morrison, can't wait to see if WWE actually creates a long time star that I can actually tolerate.

New Botchamania is out on youtube, btw (#75), for those of you who haven't subscribed.

I hope this isn't considered spam...it's just awesome wrestling goofiness I get a kick out of, and I figure I shouldn't post it outside of this topic.

Botchamania rox, I need to remember to subscribe.



I agree that CZW is shit but if you're not familiar with Necro Butcher then you don't know what you're missing out on. He's the best brawler since Brody. And one of the best things going on the US indy circuit in my opinion. In fact if I had to make a prediction on his future I'd say I can foresee a WWE stint.


Sonjay Dutt? Joey Ryan? lolroh
And why do people still care about listening to Bret Hart's whining? "Did I ever tell you whippersnappers about the time I got screwed over by Vince, and HBK, and Russo, and Bischoff, and Hogan, and..."

man, wrestling has just been so bland lately. They really need to stop this whole Orton v McMahon thing. Hopefully with Shane gone, it will finally end.

also, there is no tag division, the secondary titles are meaningless and the women's division is a joke. Really is a shame

I'm blaming the entire reason for these lame boring shows lately to be because it's being more kid-friendly than anything.

Seriously, I agree with you in ending the whole Orton vs McMahon. This psychotic attitude he has going with him right now is just... getting really old.

Not to mention the fact that Santino has become a great wrestler who could have had the potential of actually becoming a heavyweight championship around his waste, is now more of a joke than anything. Really, I don't care if people find this funny, but I for one think that this is just completely stupid. The past three weeks he wrestled just the females... really...

I've been a wrestling fan since I could remember, and how the show greatly declined from being the ONLY thing I would talk about to where I could give a rat's ass about it is sad. I mean I just changed the channel yesterday and didn't bother watching the rest of the show. It was after where Santino and Chavo were talking was when I changed the show to the Cubs winning.

Does anyone feel this way? I still love wrestling, but lately it's just a joke show. I mean, there has not been one show where I just watched the entire thing and not get side tracked. That's horrible.

lol @ the Bret Hart reference! he's actually said once that he's willing to move on, from the whole "Montreal Screwjob" but one wonders cause it seems to be the main subject that keeps coming up in interviews, that and if he'll forgive Shawn Micheals by inducting him into the HOF.

i've not seen much of CZW but from what i've read and seen it's garbage plain and simple and the only star they got is Necro Butcher, and i'm not overly familiar with him, just his reputation from those who mention him on this board and in magazines like PWI, etc. but if he is as good as everyone says, he should leave CZW for greener pastures while he can

Necro Butcher is what now...? Please... That's nonsense. He is entertaining solely to a small niche of people, that is absolutely not included in the WWE target audience.

CZW has other stars aside from Necro Butcher. Chris Hero ("Wifebeater"), El Generico, Kevin Steen, etc spent just as much time in CZW as they did in PWG or anywhere else. But whatever, shit promotion, mostly shit roster of talent. In all fairness they do give young guys coming up a chance to be seen, but yeah, in order to see much worth watching you have to trawl through a lot of garbage.



WWE employs a lot of talent who are uninteresting to their target audience. And pushes the bejesus out of them. But what's relevant to WWE's target audience is interesting characters above all else.

Well, who's more colorful than the Butcher? He's like redneck hobo Chandler Bing meets Cactus Jack. He's also really, really good at portraying that; you try to convince people that he's actually quite intelligent (which he is) and they won't have it, most people swear black and blue he really is the character he plays. Plus, Necro is willing to take the stupid and ungodly bumps that other people won't, which WWE fans love. So yeah. Necro Butcher is a lot more relevant to WWE's target audience than Mike Knox or Charlie Haas or Zack Ryder or whoever. And he cuts a promo reasonably well too.

Also, his matches might not be pretty, but they're not supposed to be. They make sense, are on the whole pretty realistic, and do a great job of keeping your disbelief suspended (largely because Necro doesn't pull his punches much and gets hardway color every match, lulz). His matches with Ki, Joe, Homicide, etc are some of the most memorable US matches of this decade to the people who saw them.

This is all a lot more than you could say about a great deal of the guys who come through WWE. Necro Butcher: ECW champion in 2012. Believe it.

wow, someone's clearly a fan! do you have a pic of the dude by chance? i don't recall ever seeing him before, but if i got a look at a picture, maybe he might ring a few bells

Just Google him...

... and no, I totally agree with Zentile. This guy is not what WWE is about right now, not at all. This will never happen, and the guy is already in his mid 30s.

Yeah i'm with Zentile on this one to the guy to me is really only good for his hardcore matches.

I've seen him a number of time preform and nothing has wowed me.

But the man is great at his hardcore matches tho and the things he does are unbeliveable.

That's Necro Butcher... In his ring attire, haha. He does looks like a backyarding hobo, but he's supposed to.

I know WWE is trying very hard right now to appear child friendly, but if they ever decide they need a brawling wildman, Necro is their guy. Even so, he can be incredibly camp. But at the least, I'd say he has more of a chance of making it to WWE in any capacity than anyone else in ROH right now except maybe Danielson, because Necro is the only real standout gimmick on the independant circuit (other than Delerious, who's a tiny, tiny midget).

Ironically I don't like his deathmatches/hardcore matches at all. I just love his regular matches because they look like bar brawls and they tie in so well with his persona. He's just a whole heap of good old fashioned fun in my opinion. And okay, I suppose I wouldn't bet the house that WWE would sign Necro, but Vince is enough of a hairbrained lunatic to sign anyone. If he can find it in his infinite "wisdom" to sign Marty freakin' Wright, I'm sure there's a chance he could consider signing the best gimmick going.


Just throwing it out there as a differing point of view to consider really, liven up the thread a little.

Evan Bourne owned last night. His entrance music is so awesome.

I agree icebaby I usually get tired or bored and fall asleep or watch King of the Hill on Cartoon Network. It's really boring now and this week was the first time I watched the whole show in months. Me n my girlfriend were watching it but I was a little bored.

wow, ok, not what i was expecting! gees i think i'm with Zent and the others, this guy would have zero chance in WWE. i think he's better off in the Indies, ot maybe TNA. WWE would likely turn him into a joke or something

He looks like the hardcore wrestler in "the Wrestler"

Did that mak sence?

Necro Butcher is essentially hardcore. Right now, ECW is as hardcore as WWE gets. Which isn't hardcore at all.
No, WWE won't hire him. He doesn't have an interesting look (there's a difference between unique and interesting), he's NOT an outstanding promo, and he's just not marketable, especially to WWE's new kid-friendly audience.

The WWE could hire guys like Sandman, because Sandman can just get in there and hit people with bamboo and leave, and he actually looks like a wrestler and has a both unique and interesting look.

so Necro = poor-man's Sandman?

He is the hardcore wrestler from the Wrestler.



Well, we'll have to agree to disagree (or disagree to agree to disagree) on Necro not being marketable. And having to wrestle hardcore matches. And being less interesting/useful than Sandman.