Overnight Smackdown Rating, Mathews getting a chance, more Submitted by Matthew Tremley on Friday, September 20, 2002 at 12:31 PM EST
Despite being up against very solid competition from not only a re-airing of the Friends season finale but the season premire of the new Survivor on CBS, last night's Smackdown managed to score a 4.6 overnight rating with a 7 share. A very solid number considering what it was up against. The final number should be out later today.
Not too sure how many caught this but last night on Smackdown, the tag rope returned to the WWE. The tag rope is there to be held by the partner waiting on the ring apron when he isn't the legal man in the ring. When that person goes to make a tag to his partner, he must be holding the tag rope while doing so. The WWE had stopped using the ropes for quite some time though occasionally they could be seen at certain house shows.
Credit: 1wrestling.com
Josh Mathews: Tough Enough after all One of the three male finalists of the original Tough Enough along with Maven and Chris Nowinski, Josh Mathews probably thought his opportunity had passed once he was cut on the last episode of the show. But as fate would have it, things took an unexpected turn not long after.
Roberts joins WWE ring announcing team He's just 22 years old, but Jason Roberts, the newest addition to the WWE ring announcer team, has six years' experience in the business. Roberts started ring announcing at small, independently promoted shows when he was 16. He has worked for the FX "Toughman Contest" team for the last two years.
The story of the indy wrestler, the Messiah, who was brutally attacked in his home by two unknown men will air on America's Most Wanted this Saturday, September 21st, on Fox.
America's Most Wanted Correspondent/Producer Tom Morris, Jr., and Show Consultant (and WWE writer) Keith Greenburg are involved in the story; which is reported to contain footage including an interview with New Jack and the now famous incident when they showed up at the offices of Extreme Associates, the pornography company owned by XPW owner Rob Zicari, and found the doors to the offices and warehouse mysteriously closed during a business day.
It is also reported that America's Most Wanted may reveal major new information about the case, including possible news on forensic information related to the case, and news related to identification of the possible suspects.
America's Most Wanted airs on FOX network on Saturday, September 21st, at 9:00 pm EDT/PDT.
It was reported on Melbournes No 1 Radio Station that W.W.E. wants to quadrupal its fee for Foxtel to show Smackdown in its cable network. Foxtel said that is rediculous and wont pay it. W.W.E. officials were in Australia trying to push the 4 commercial networks to take it. Wrestling does not work on free to air T.V. as they bury it after a few weeks and don't play it in sequence going by when it was on free to air years ago. Foxtel has RAW on contract until the end of June 03. After that there may not be any Wrestling at all on Australin T.V. soon. This is after the EXTREMELY successful tour recently.
