If you missed TNA this week, I recommend watching the re-broadcast Saturday at 10 AM (eh, TiVo it). The Main Event Mafia “took over” the show — the whole show. Angle booked absurd matchups (my favorite: Matt Morgan vs. Petey Williams in a classic “one arm tied behind Petey’s back” match); Scott Steiner was the ring announcer; Sharmelle took Lauren’s job as interview babe; Booker T did play-by-play (while seemingly doing his best Boomhauer impression); and Kevin Nash provided color analysis. It was pretty uneven, but the experiment was worthy and it was amusing just for the novelty of it all.

Sadly, the experiment collapsed when Mick Foley stormed the ring and took the show back. This marks the first time that a Foley entrance made a broadcast a little worse. I’m sure this will be the only time.

-Darrell

Most of us were aware that when Bobby Lashley made his sudden exit last year from WWE that he would pursue a career in MMA.

Since that time, Lashley has been making the rounds in the smaller MMA circuits. A skilled amateur wrestler, Lashley has the strength and talent to make it. So far, he’s had one TKO and has signed on for another two fights.

Having watched Lashley in WWE for a few years, I expect him to show the same dedication to the sport of MMA that he did to the sports entertainment world. It’s only a matter of time before Dana White signs him and we get to see Lesnar / Lashley headlining a UFC Title Bout..

For more on Bobby Lashley, check out this interview at Sherdog.

Man, Orton’s really bringing it now. His strategy to blame intermittent explosive disorder for his attack on Vince really brings a philosophical angle to the WWE. I mean, aren’t we all just slaves to our own chemistry? Isn’t free will nothing more than an illusion? We can’t actually control ourselves any more than we can control the weather — Randy Orton just has the insight to recognize as much.

Okay, I know there’s no chance they’d explore that idea (though maaaybe if it were a Jericho angle). It just got me thinking.

-Darrell

Rey Mysterio will never impress me again.

The internet is buzzing today with the big news that yes – Mickey Rourke will be appearing at Wrestlemania XXV. Need a confirmation? Google rourke wrestlemania, and take your pick.

In an interview, Rourke called out Chris Jericho. What all of this means, however, is still up in the air. Will he wrestle Jericho? Will there merely be an appearance and a brief altercation? Regardless of what actually happens, there will be a lot of hype and mainstream media attention.

My dream upon dreams is that WWE will get into contact with Ernest “The Cat” Miller, and book Randy the Ram vs. The Ayatollah. Vince – make it so.

…began in Detroit.

A few notes on last night’s Royal Rumble:

- Jack Swagger had a solid (and clean) victory over Matt Hardy, raising my suspicions that WWE has new plans for Matt – confirmed just a bit later in the night..

- Melina might deserve the WWE Women’s Championship, if only for the reason that she is so flexible that Beth Phoenix pulled the “why are you hitting yourself? stop hitting yourself” routine with Melina’s own foot to the back of her head. You had to see it.

- The writers missed the mark on a perfect match ending, when the referee stayed knocked out for just a bit too long after HBK superkicked both JBL and Cena. Though, to be honest, a JBL championship right now wouldn’t necessarily have been a good thing. Meh. By the way, did you see The Undertaker confront HBK? I smell a possible Wrestlemania matchup, and it could be an amazing “return” of The Showstopper!

- So yeah, the Heavyweight Title match. Jeff Hardy looked about as stupid as ever with his face paint, and he rightfully lost the title. Two interesting things in this match. 1 – Jeff nearly faceplanted on the side of the table when he screwed up a jump off the ladder. How does that even happen??? If anybody knows how to jump off of a ladder properly, I would think it would be that guy. 2 – Matt Hardy’s heel turn. I saw it coming, and I’m glad it happened. Lots of people were expecting Christian to make his WWE return during this match, but I like the Hardy vs. Hardy implications a lot more. Christian will be able have a solid impact, and it doesn’t have to involve the Hardys.

- Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble and nobody was surprised. The match itself did not disappoint, and was exciting as any other Royal Rumble main event. To make it even better, we divided up competitors at random and pooled together a cash prize for whoever had the most eliminations. I did not win. My team? Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase, The Miz, and The Brian Kendrick. Yeah, I know.

- BTW, make sure and check out the Divas photo shoot over on WWE.com. I need a tissue, to wipe up the uh, drool.

Jillian Hall’s singing during tonight’s episode of Raw made my dog get up and run to the other room. No joke.

The boy wonder, Todd Grisham, caught up with Mike Knox tonight, as Knox was on his way to wrestle Rey Mysterio tonight. In case you have missed it, Knox has brutally sneak attacked Mysterio several times over the past month.

Todd Grisham: I’m just wondering what it is exactly you have against Rey Mysterio.
Mike Knox: I don’t have anything against Rey Mysterio.
Grisham: Uh, okay. Then why do you continue to attack him?
Knox: You know, I don’t know. I really don’t have a reason.

Knox then proceeded to drop Rey like a fly, even countering the 619.

All that.. and he has a glorious, glorious beard. He’s won me over.

Mike Knox, the pride of IZW and Phoenix, AZ.

I know, this is old news. Last week on Raw, Jericho was “fired” by acting Raw G.M., Stephanie McMahon.

Well, I just noticed today that they have extended such storyline elements to the web, including the WWE Universe web site.

It has been noticed that previously fired employees have had their profiles shut down, citing a Terms of Service violation. Jericho’s account has been given the same treatment, even though we all expect him to be reinstated tonight by Vince.

Currently, a visit to http://fans.wwe.com/chrisjericho brings you to this screen:

Bravo, Joey Styles. I do like what you’ve been doing online.

WWE.com currently has a feature to welcome back Vince McMahon back to TV, called ‘Reality Checks’.

These are essentially Vince McMahon themed Chuck Norris facts.

There are some pretty good ones that people have submitted.

My contribution:

Vince McMahon was originally going to be the host of The Apprentice, but he fired everyone before they could even shoot the first episode.