The question is, after the disaster that was the Battleground PPV…how many people will be turned off buying WWE PPVs altogether?

This past Sunday saw a major UFC PPV, with Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Del Santos, which likely got a lot of buys. Whether WWE chooses to admit it publicly or not, UFC IS a competitor for PPV dollars. In this tight economy, if fans are forced to choose, they are less likely to make the choice ofa PPV this coming weekend which ended with a non-finish over versus this past Saturday’s conclusion to a strong series of Heavyweight UFC matchups.

WWE may already be aware of this (this week’s Observer suggested as much) with a second Hell in the Cell match announced on last week’s RAW, with CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman.

WWE had better deliver on a clean finish, and presumably a Daniel Bryan win this coming Sunday. Otherwise, after three screw jobs and no real payoff to the Bryan storyline, they run the risk of permanently turning off fans, and certainly killing off Bryan, if last month didn’t already do that for them.

Meanwhile, down in Dixieland (both figuratively and literally speaking), the grand experiment of taking TNA TV tapings on the road appears to be over. Several TNA taping dates have been cancelled with abysmal ticket advances in some of the venues. Numerous sources report that TNA will be returning in mid to late November to the former Impact Zone in Orlando. The road tapings, while providing a better look for the product, did absolutely nothing to increase TV ratings and PPV buys, cost a significant sum of money, money that wound up not being paid on time to workers.

It’s late October, and the holidays are approaching,

Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year will soon be here. Your friendly not-so-local retail mega-store will soon be killing lots of trees to print advertisements to sell you and I all sorts of goodies. Holiday ads are already running on the shopping channels, and will soon be running on TV non-stop. People will maul each other to get this year’s “must have” for their kids or themselves.

But more in keeping with the actual spirit of the season, the wrestling community will reach out to those in need. Independent promotions hold a wide variety of events to benefit various food pantries, shelters, Toys for Tots drives. Over the years, promotions in my area ranging from the family-friendly United Wrestling Coalition to the hardcore themed Combat Zone Wrestling to indies of various sizes and types trough the United States and Canada. Even if you don’t have one in your own area this Holiday season, please take time to contribute to or volunteer with such organizations.

Five promotions have agreed so far to do Toys for Tots and charitable-themed shows during the Holidays (and shortly before):

Hoosier Pro Wrestling returns to the HPW Arena at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Columbus, IN on Saturday November 2nd! For its 15 Year Anniversary and Columbus Friemens Cheer Toy Fundraiser for the 9th straight year! Former WWE, WCW, ECW Memphis Legend Wild Eyed Southern Boy Tracy Smothers comes in for the show along with Indy Superstar Flash Flanagan, NWA Ladies Cahnpion Kacee Carlisle will battle Indy Diva Star Jessie Belle Smothers! PLEASE Bring a new or slightly used Toy to help Cheer Fund for kids in need at Christmas!

HPW Wrestling 15 Year Anniversary/Firemens Cheer Fundraiser takes place Saturday November 2nd at the 4-H Fairgrounds, Columbus, IN . Bell 7:45PM doors open 7pm
Tickets $15 kid 4 & under free.

Matches scheduled:

MaHPW Heavyweight Title Match
The Zombie Rob Ramer vs Dash Venture

Old School Tag Battle
Tracy Smothers & Flash Flanagan vs JKO & Sexy Shawn Cook

HPW Tag Titles 3 Way Dance
TVZ vs Blue Bomber & Chris Morrus & Damian Cole & Aaron Anarchy

Ladies Match
NWA Ladies Champion Kacee Carlisle vs Indy Star Diva Jessie Belle Smothers

24/7 Title Match
TJ Kemp vs TJ Powers

Plus, Cooter Clampett, JD Marioni w/Niki, Fiji Wildman, Stompin Steve, Ace Perry, Fast Eddie, Sign Guy and Firemen Mike Wilson, Bryan Bailey & Eric will compete on this Star Studded Show

Elkmania: Live Pro Wrestling takes place on Saturday, November 2nd at the Beverly/Salem Elks Lodge on 39 Bow Street in Beverly, MA. Doors Open at 7:00pm Bell Time 7:30 pm. Tickets cost $10.00 and are available at the door and at Harrison’s Comic’s on 252 Essex Street in Salem, MA. All proceeds from this event will go towards the Elks National Foundation which supports youth programs, veteran services and scholarships
Elkmania Matches:

Project Zero Wrestling Heavyweight Championship
Stevie James (c) vs. Derek Simonetti

Triple Threat Match for the Bay State Championship
“The Unequaled One” Todd Sople vs. Buddy Romano vs. “Dastardly” Doug Summers

1stRound Elkmania Tournament:
Richy Sic vs. Jon Wilson

1stRound Elkmania Tournament:
Joey Warner vs. “The Wrestling Machine” Tommy Corbin

Elkmania Tournament Finals
Sic/Wilson Winner vs. Warner/Corbin Winner

Open Challenge for the NCW Tag Team Championship
The Inglorious Dastards vs. ?????

Special Attraction
Anthony Stone vs. “Sensational” Scott Levesque

Fans Choice Match
“The Original Showoff” Mike Paiva vs. An opponent of the fans choosing

USA vs. UK
“Slam Master” Atlee Greene vs. Union Jack

Also scheduled to appear: Lumberjake, Firecat, Hunter Ward, and many more.

Slam Championship Wrestling presents WRESTLE FOR TOTS on Saturday, November 9 at Pinegrove Fire Hall, Gloucester City, NJ. Come out and see wrestling superstars, such as: The Patriot, Patch, Breaker Morant, Latin Connection, and Donnie Hart, and more…

Doors open 6:30/pm 7:30 pm. Tickets: Children under 12 and under $7, Adults $10. Bring a new unwrapped toy for a child, and get a FREE 8×10 picture of a WWE Superstar

First State Wrestling returns to Harrington, DE on November 16 for a pediatric cancer benefit show in a night featuring 3 Tables Ladder and Chairs Matches.

Here is your November 16th LINE UP for First State Wrestling goes EXTREME on CANCER

1- 1CW Tag Title Match
Champions Pretty Ugly vs WBDC in a TLC & Toilet Seat Match

2- 1CW Cruiser Champion Eric Chapel defends in a fatal 4way vs Chance Sevenfold vs Juan Montoya vs ?????

3- 1CW Hwt Title Champion Mark Harro defends against Christian York vs Justin Credible in a 3 way TLC Match

4- Black Wall St ( Drolix /Lennox& Solo) vs the Brotherhood of Brutality (Adam Flash/ Vinnie Damoochie & a NEW MEMBER)

5- Sinister X vs the Samoan Tsunami NUI

6- Muddy Waters vs the Funky White Boy

7- Country Force vs D& D Destruction Co (Sonny Deeds & Scott Dukes) in a TLC Match

8- SPECIAL SURPRISE TAG MATCH !!! ****

CZW and the Maven Bentley Association are teaming up once again. This time, there will be a food drive at “Night of Infamy XII” at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ on November 2. Our request of all fans attending the event is simple. Please bring at least one non-perishable food item with you. It could be a can of soup, a box of instant macaroni & cheese, a box of stuffing, etc. When the week of December 6th rolls around, the food donations will be taken to this year’s “Campout For Hunger” brought to the Philadelphia area by Preston and Steve of 93.3 WMMR-FM. Let’s all do our part to help those less fortunate as the holiday season approaches.

DJ Hyde has agreed and plans are underway for the annual Toys for Tots collection (in conjunction with the Marine Corps Reserve) to take place for the ninth year in a row to have Combat Zone Wrestling (and this year Women Supestars Unlimited), at the 15th annual Cage of Death at The Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak Road, Voorhees, NJ with a 7:30 pm bell time. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or online.

ECWA will be doing its second annual Toys for Tots show on Saturday, December 7 with Toys for Tots II in Newark, DE.

So as I ask promotions and readers each year, please e-mail any announcements about scheduled Holiday charitable-themed (fund-raisers for clothes, food pantries or Toys for Toys, etc.) wrestling or MMA events to bobmagee1@hotmail.com.

Until next time…

If you have comments or questions, or if you’d like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at the address above. If you’d like to add advertising on PWBTS.com (the flagship website of this column), banner ads are available for $400 for one year. These ads would appear on each newspage appearing on the newsboard. Cube ads are available for $200 for one year, which would be placed on the main newsboard page.

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