by Rick Scaia
Exclusive to OnlineOnslaught.com

But since only the Immolator filed a new column for the weekend, I figure I'd best brave a mighty hangover and the traditional lack of news that comes with a holiday weekend.  The result will be... well, probably a bit short, but hopefully not without some merit.

Let's go:

• I didn't see SmackDown! last night -- pie and then the holiday family board game took precendence.  And unlike last week, I also completely forgot to set a tape.  So I'll be waiting with baited breath for The Cubs Fan's SD! Recap...
   
  I can't even tell you what the show did in terms of an overnight rating; whether due to the holiday or some other snafu, overnight numbers for UPN are not available as I write this.
   
  
• Sting and Lex Luger made their first wrestling appearances in a long, long time yesterday.  I don't believe either has been active since the demise of WCW (Turner-owned version) in spring, 2001, but both are a part of the World Wrestling All-Stars tour of Europe that kicked off in Ireland yesterday.
   
  Sting and Luger teamed up in the main event to defeat Buff Bagwell and Malice (each of whom has worked more recently for TNA).  Sting, by far, got the biggest pop of the night, and I gather looked pretty much the same as he did on his last night on Nitro.  Luger -- who did not bring along his better half, Liz -- was said to be finally showing his age a bit.
   
  Other developments to start the tour:  Sid Vicious was replaced as "WWA Commissioner" by Mike Sanders, who announced that a new WWA Champ would be crowned at the tour-ending event in Glasgow (which is being taped for PPV).  Of course, Scott Steiner had been the WWA Champ, but has since moved on to WWE.
   
  Best match of the night was said to be Sabu's three-way dance win over Perry Saturn (who inherited Midajah as his valet) and Simon Diamond.  Notably absent was the Godfather, who was hyped as being on loan from WWE for the tour; however, soon-to-be WWE developmental talent Nathan Jones was on the show (looking subpar in a tag match)
   
  As the WWA tour of Europe continues, I'll be sure to pass along any additional notes of interest that overseas readers mail in...
   
  
• Sean "X-Pac" Waltman has released a public statement about the end of his relationship with NWA-TNA... basically, he refutes the TNA press release that made it sound like Waltman was fired for unprofessional conduct (notably not showing up as scheduled for an event a couple weeks back), saying that he was sorry about the one no-show and had decided to leave the company because he felt like he'd been lied to about Vince Russo's involvement with the company.
   
  Waltman stated that he was working for TNA for about half of his market value, in an effort to try to help launch the company, and was happy to do so as long as Russo -- who he ripped for not respecting the WRESTLING -- and he did not have to work directly with each other.  Waltman found it unacceptable when Russo re-emerged as a major force and an on-screen character last week, and essentially gave notice to TNA that he was quitting.
   
  However, Waltman was willing to work one last date, since he wanted to make good for his admittedly-unprofessional no-show.  For some reason, though, he felt the only match he wanted to do was a one-on-one match with new NWA champ Jeff Jarrett; something about doing "the right thing" for the new champ on his way out, although such a match would also have almost HAD to include Russo's involvement (in an on-screen capacity), so that doesn't really make much sense to me.  When TNA decided they didn't want to do that match, Waltman decided he wasn't going to be a part of this week's show.
   
  I have no idea whether or not this convoluted mess will in any way affect Scott Hall's relationship with TNA...  then again, after a promo Russo cut Wednesday's TNA show (which referenced Waltman), who the hell knows if this whole thing might not just be his idea of another brilliant work-the-smarts sort of campaign.  If it is, I think there's been a miscalculation:  it's not like a ton of fans give a crap whether or not Sean Waltman works for TNA...
   
  
• Jim Ross filed his weekly WWE.com column early (no doubt to accomodate Thanksgiving plans)...  a handful of items of note included:
   
  Scott Steiner will be booked for a few SmackDown! brand house shows in December, and then on a few RAW brand shows in January;  sounds like they plan on milking this free agent thing even longer than I would have guessed....  in addition to Booker T (who was actually hospitalized), Lance Storm, William Regal, Al Snow, and Steven Richards were also ill upon their return from India...  JR mentioned the resolution of Steve Austin's legal troubles and wished him and Debra well as they get their lives back together; no real mention was made of WWE pursuing Austin for an in-ring comeback, though...  Ross took a couple of shots at internet reporters who slagged him for being visible in a backstage shot on last week's SD! (despite JR being a RAW-brand performer);  the shots were plenty justified, since the whole issue seemed like one of the most ludicrous cases of fabricated drama in recent memory to me when I heard about it...  
   
  
• Following up on something from Wednesday:  I mentioned a news item about a UK court ruling that all old WWF-branded videogames were ordered off shelves, as the World Wildlife Fund sought to claim not just all present rights to the WWF initials, but also all past rights, apparently.
   
  With a new round of games either out or due out soon, I didn't think there'd be much financial impact on WWE or its licensees due to out-dated games being pulled, but I did mention that the case could set a very obnoxious precedent.
   
  Half-jokingly, I mentioned a fear that all old WWF-era footage would have to be altered or dubbed-over to remove all mentions of "WWF"... but OO Reader Chris Ingersoll wrote in and said that if you look closely on those "RAW Retro" clips they've been showing, the Fed actually has blurred out instances of the WWF logo on turnbuckle pads and such.  
   
  I hadn't noticed that, but dammit, this is exactly the kind of BS I was talking about.  I've got nothing against mother nature, but between the wildlife fund and the UK courts making some of the most dunder-headed interpretations of how the laws should be applied in this case, I'm ready to go throw rocks at a panda just on general principles...
   
  
• Oh, and while I'm reviewing the e-mails I got after Wednesday's column...  sorry to all fans of Detroit football.  Your team is the Lions -- not the Tigers, as I foolishly wrote.  I'll own up to the typo/brainfart, and beg your understanding.  But I won't retract my contention that the team really isn't very good.
   
  
• And on that flame-mail-inducing note, I'll wrap it up for today.  Enjoy the continuation of the holiday weekend, and I'll see you again on Monday, with RAW preview and other news...

E-MAIL RICK SCAIA
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Rick Scaia is a wrestling fan from Dayton, OH.  He's been doing this since 1995, but enjoyed it best when the suckers from SportsLine were actually PAYING him to be a fan.

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