The Final Cut

– The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that last Tuesday’s SmackDown taping at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio drew 3,200 fans, with only 1,600 paid. An official for the venue says the report is incorrect as the event drew a paid attendance of 3,889.

Following the event’s poor advance, WWE only sold tickets facing the camera so the Huntington Center would appear full on television. Almost all of the camera side was tarped off, along with a large part of the upper bowl, including all of the seats in the end zone.

– “THQ Tank”, the Global Community Manager for THQ’s WWE video game line, stated today on Twitter that there are fourteen playable characters in WWE ’12 that have yet to be announced, including six Divas.

He wrote, “Someone asked on our boards, I will happily confirm/clarify, 6 of the remaining 14 mystery spots on our roster left are @WWE Divas.”

Divas announced thus far for the upcoming game are Beth Phoenix, Eve, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maryse, Michelle McCool and Natalya.

– Melina is returning to her roots as she has been announced for Wrestling All Star Pros’ upcoming tour of Mexico. The multi-time champion is of Mexican descent.

Other former WWE talent scheduled for the tour taking place Nov. 4-20 include Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Masters, Tommy Dreamer, Carlito, The Boogeyman, Super Crazy, Eugene, Trevor Murdoch, Jillian Hall, Serena, Mr. Aguila and referee Marty Elias.

– “Future Legend” Melissa Anderson (a/k/a Alissa Flash and Raisha Saeed) has launched a page on Facebook.

– David Hart Smith will be at the Big Time Wrestling events in Newark, California on Oct. 14, 2011 and Dec. 9, 2011.

Former WWE developmental wrestler Teddy Hart appeared on Live Audio Wrestling to discuss Next Generation Stampede Wrestling, which premieres this Friday night in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The third generation discussed the promotion’s concept, some “out of the box” ideas he has, members of the Hart family, issues with CM Punk, and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

How Next Generation Stampede Wrestling is different: “We have trampolines and we have skateboarders, we have all sorts of things that we want to do. I really like the X-Games, and I’m trying to get guys that are in the X-Games to transfer over into this new sport of wrestling that I’m creating. Certain things to look for in the future – you might end up getting a key instead of winning a fall, because all the falls are 2 out of 3 falls, we’ll be wrestling a Mexican Lucha Libre style on that. Instead of winning a belt or something, you might win a key which will unlock a certain weapon that you can use, which may be like a skateboard, or a trampoline, or a special pair of boots that have magnets on the bottom so you can do some things that have never been possible before. Also, the turnbuckles are robotic for the new ring that we’re designing. This may be six months away, but guys can adjust the height while they’re up there.”

Ideas he would like to see in the promotion: “I’d like to see mechanically altered weapons and things like that. Chairs that change sizes, ladders that get longer, so you can be on a ladder and press a button and it gives you another three feet or five feet if you want to go higher. Higher is ratings. If you can have the fans all typing into their phone, and you want to see Ted Hart go an extra five feet in their air, everyone’s got 30 seconds to type a code into their phone. If the code is in, and I get my combination from the referee, I climb up another five feet.”

Working with pets to incorporate into wrestling: “I’m training cats to come out to the ring with me, and I’m also trying to train animals to get involved in matches. I’m trying to get safety animals, like a dog, to basically pull the referee’s leg before the count of three, little things like that. Or my dog will be carrying a weapon for me, and I would get it off his neck. Potentially if I had a female manager, and she has a cat, and the cat is maybe a good way of getting couple kids out of the audience, and I lure the kids out of the audience and the kids cause a disqualification to happen so I don’t have to lose the belt, or something like that.”

- WWE returns to the Civic Center in Florence, South Carolina on December 10th, 2011.

- Christian and Natalya will be appearing at the Toys R Us on Argentia Road in Mississauga, Canada today beginning at 6pm.

- The Miz wrote on Twitter that Sirius got such good feedback on he and Nathan Zegura’s Fantasy sports show last week that they’re doing it again this week. The SiriusXM Fantasy Sports radio show with Nathan Zegura airs at 6pm EST on Wednesday.

- WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper is undergoing surgery for a broken neck in California today at 10am. Piper has been experiencing neck problems for a long time now and was diagnosed with a broken neck. Piper wrote that he went in for a MRI and when his doctor say the results, went into “911 mode.”

- CM Punk spoke with The Toronto Sun to promote tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow. Here are some highlights:

People’s view of him:
“There are some people who think CM Punk would have been a mid-carder in the Attitude Era. They have this predetermined assessment of me. I don’t know if it’s jealousy. I don’t have six-pack abs and I can’t benchpress 400 pounds. I can’t believe I have to step over people to get their attention. They have an antiquated way of seeing things. I’m trying to save this business.”

His mic work:
“When I talk, my design is to piss somebody off. I’m not just saying, ‘you’re bald,’ or ‘you’re ugly.’ Doing this is ingrained in my DNA. It’s 100% mine, all me. Half of the stuff I know off the top of my head, the other half I come up with when I’m out there. The best stuff is always the kneejerk reaction. It helps when you get somebody great to work with. I don’t know if it’s something you can teach. (As a kid) I didn’t walk around with a pretend plastic microphone, but I was never afraid of talking back. I used to get the crap beat out of me. But people would tire out from punching me in the face before I would stop talking back.”

What’s left for him?
“I’m running out of goals. No. 1 with a bullet would be main eventing Wrestlemania. Winning a Royal Rumble would be a feather in my cap. And I’ve never won the U.S. title, so look out Dolph Ziggler.”