Similar to the very popular Affliction brand clothing line, World Wrestling Entertainment has launched “WWE Top Rope” – a new premium line of t-shirts. While most of WWE’s t-shirts retail for $20-25, Top Rope shirts will go for about $45. It’s unknown at this point whether the shirts are better quality than the standard WWE shirts. The first two shirts in the Top Rope line are for Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Following in the footsteps of Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar, Triple H and other top wrestling names, new WWE RAW superstar Batista is featured on the cover of the September 2008 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine. The caption reads, “WWE Star Batista: An Animal in the Ring, a Monster in the Gym”. Batista looks freakin’ HUGE on the cover.
NZPWI.co.nz conducted an interview with Kofi Kingston during WWE’s tour Down Under last week. It’s a pretty good interview.
It appears that WWE really only had plans in mind for the top talent and not really the lower end wrestlers. Apparently, WWE didn’t plan ahead in regards to shifting lower card talent. From what I am being told, they are still contemplating a Supplemental Draft, but it isn’t a sure thing. It should be known by the end of the week if they go through with it or not, so stay tuned to WWE.com for a possible announcement. If they go through with one, whatever moves made were made just this week and weren’t planned too far ahead. Last year, they held a Supplemental Draft the Sunday following the television draft, so if it doesn’t happen by next Sunday, it won’t be happening at all.
The USA Network did a live cut-in to the arena for Raw an hour and ten minutes before the start time. Last night’s three-hour show was pushed strongly by the network yesterday as they were running commercials all day about the Draft and the Money Giveaway. Officials from the USA Network have been talking about how they can improve the first hour of the three-hour Raw broadcasts because it garners far lower ratings than the normal 9-11 p.m. time slot. Some people suggested that they run three-hour Raw nights from 9 to 12 instead of 8 to 11 because with the show starting at the normal time, they would likely keep the fans for an extra hour since they would already be tuned in and the overrun usually garners the highest rating during the show. Basically, USA wants to do this so they can win the prime time ratings battle, however, the time period for the nightly cable ratings race only counts from 8 to 11 p.m., so this idea is pretty much moot point.
We’re going to have MAJOR updates on why Cena wasn’t drafted, the Vince ‘death’ angle, and loads more draft news tonight on WrestleZone Radio. The show begins at 9EST so look for a listen live link here on the site around that time. Voice of Wrestling will also run a pre-taped draft special at 8EST leading you into the LIVE WZR.
