• Wrestling News & Wrestling Rumors – WWE & TNA

- WWE Hall of Famer “Superstar” Billy Graham has been released from his $2,000 monthly consultant job in a cost cutting measure. The feeling was that Vince was just giving him the paycheck out of respect, rather than because he was contributing to the show.

- To compare live attendance figures between the big three companies, here is the latest data courtesy of the Wrestling Observer:

ROH
4/17 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: 450 fans.
4/18 in Markham, Ontario, Canada: 600 fans.

TNA
4/17 in Elmira, NY: 1,500 fans.
4/19 in Philadelphia, PA (Lockdown PPV): 4,500 fans (3,500 paid).

WWE
4/15 in Dublin, Ireland: sellout of 9,000 fans.
4/16 in Dublin, Ireland (second night): sellout of 9,000 fans.
4/16 in Cologne, Germany: 10,000 fans.
4/17 in Glasgow, Scotland: 6,500 fans.
4/19 in Nottingham, England: sellout of 9,000 fans.
4/19 in Vienna, Austria: sellout of 10,000 fans.
4/20 in 17,176 fans (Raw taping): 17,176 fans.

When TNA came to the UK it drew its highest attendance of 8,000 in London, which is on par with WWE’s lower gates. ROH is totally off the map, although in the past they’ve pulled 4,000+ fans.

- For immediate release:
Wrestlers Rescue (http://www.wrestlersrescue.org) would like to thank to the WWE (http://www.wwe.com) for their generous contribution of an encased replica World Title Championship belt (like the one shown here: http://www.wweshop.com/Product_detail.asp?cat=cat-Belts-Heavyweight&productId=06-00663 ) signed by Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, John Cena, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes with a Letter of Authenticity of the signatures. This unique, rare item will be up for charitable auction on (4/24/2009), at http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/dr.deathcampaign, and the starting bid will be $200.00 plus Shipping and Handling. This is one of many pieces of sports entertainment/professional wrestling memorabilia that would be a great addition to fans and collectors alike all over the world. Proceeds (payment information will be available on the previously stated web site link) of the auctions running currently will be used in the campaign to purchase a “hands-free” voice box for cancer survivor and former WWE, WCW, and world renown wrestler, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams (http://www.myspace.com/drdeathsw).

Former WWE/ECW Diva and Lead Organizer of Wrestlers Rescue, Dawn Marie, is facilitating fundraising efforts on behalf of Steve “Dr. Death” Williams via the Wrestler’s Rescue organization. Williams needs approximately $20,000 for a “hands-free” voice box.

After his 2004 cancer diagnosis, Steve Williams endured a series of major surgeries that removed his vocal chords, larynx — and a golf ball-sized tumor — from his person, the 48-year-old survivor now uses his hands as a necessary means to communicate.
“I have a stoma; it’s a big hole about the size of my thumb that goes straight to my lungs,” Williams said. “When I take a deep breath into that hole, the air goes back … it brings up the voice where I vibrate the walls of my to get a voice out — I don’t have any vocal chords or thyroid or nerve to my deltoid, they reconstructed my whole vocal battery. To describe it better, it’s like a whistle. A whistle has two holes and a ball in it and when you blow, it makes noise.”
Williams discussed his odyssey from the gridiron to the squared circle to the operating table in detail in his 2007 autobiography, “How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life.” He continues to wrestle sporadically on the independent circuit with a protective scarf around his neck, which ensures dirt doesn’t fly into the device that allows him to breathe.

For questions and latest news about Wrestlers Rescue and the “Dr. Death” Steve Williams Campaign, please visit http://www.wrestlersrescue.org or email at wrestlersrescue@aol.com.