Trust me when I tell you it takes a lot to kill a crowd of 15,000 strong (sold out) in Albany, NY for RAW and WWE sure did it last night. That show was atrocious. I’ve been to WWE events in Albany for years and me and several buddies left before the main event. Keep in mind this is my full-time job.
WWE not using blood at Wrestlemania is seen as a sign the product is conforming to a younger audience.
They did continue to Paul Burchill/Katie Lea storyline though in a Sunday Night Heat taping last night in Albany, NY. Burchill picked up the win over D.H Smith and cut a promo before the match calling him a ‘mut’.
According to a report by PWInsider, the lawsuit filed against World Wrestling Entertainment and The Sandman by Karlene Boutwell, who alleged the former WWE wrestler committed assault and battery on her during an August 8, 2006 ECW on Sci Fi taping in Nashville, TN, was settled and dismissed on March 26 in the United States District Court in Nashville. The suit was dismissed “with prejudice” according to reports. The plaintiff, Boutwell, was ordered to cover all court costs. The court also noted that quote “all matters have been compromised”, which sounds like WWE was able to get the suit thrown out and have Boutwell be ordered to pay costs to prevent any further attempts to get the suit going again. Boutwell had been seeking $100,000 in damages where she alleged The Sandman “while bleeding from a self-imposed wound to his head, grabbed her, picked her up, and threw her, not only injuring her back and aggravating pre-existing injuries, but also exposing her to blood and humiliating her.” WWE provided footage from the event in previous attempts to get the lawsuit dropped. The company also stated that since Sandman was an independent contractor for the company, they were not liable for any “attack” on a fan. The lawsuit had been filed in April 2007 and was set to go to trial on November 4.
