EUROPEAN TOUR NOTES A lot of fans in Florence, Italy on the 10/9 show went nuts during a three-way tag team match between The Dudleys, The FBI and Kenzo Suzuki-Rene Dupree. The FBI, given that they were in Italy, were over huge in the match. After the FBI had eliminated the Dudleys, they faced off with the champs. The champs cheated to win and the crowd booed heavily. Then Kenzo either jumped on the Italian flag, or pretended to, and the crowd got hostile, throwing garbage at the ring before FBI made a comeback and the crowd chilled out. A few people who were at the show said it was a scary scene.
Speaking of in-ring oddities, Undertaker had one at the 10/10 show in Turin, Italy. He was wrestling in a match with Heidenreich and went to the top rope. As he did, it snapped and he landed badly on the middle rope, hurting his neck. He worked through it and finished the match, and also did a post match spot against JBL and Orlando Jordan after the main event ended. Undertaker’s neck was said to be bothering him the next day at the Smackdown taping.
Eddie Guerrero is also pretty banged up, which is par for the course of late, but he keeps working through his injuries. More and more people I talk to on Smackdown say that the company needs to have him take some time off and heal up, whether he wants to or not.
At Monday’s Smackdown show in Nottingham, England, some of the talent was laughing that Fit Finlay once again did his patented "Fit Finlay spot", where he has a guy fake a serious leg injury (in this case it was Hardcore Holly in his match against Johnny Stamboli) only to come back and kick the guys butt. Finlay loves that spot and does it fairly often on house shows.
The problems with the Raw broadcast’s picture were definitely satellite related and had nothing to do with UK broadcast standards. We heard from a number of UK readers who told us that standards there are actually better than those here in North America.
The last estimate I heard was that WWE expected to gross at least five million dollars on the current European tour. I think that number will probably go higher. It’s no secret that is why WWE takes their show on the road as often as they do.
WWE had Miss Jackie selling the injury angle that they did on Smackdown by having her wear the cervical collar everywhere she has gone in Europe on the tour.
The mood on the overseas tour for both brands is largely very good. They have been doing great houses and gates (in the half million to million dollar range) and that will mean good bonuses for the talent when they get home. Given how bad house show business has been here in the States, that is enough to perk everyone up. It’s safe to say that the talent is definitely looking forward to getting home. Leaving directly from last week’s TV and flying to Europe made for a long tour.
Tyson Tomko still has a sore knee and has been limited in what he can do on the current tour. Shawn Michaels is also working through pain in his knee.
Mike Callahan sent word that at the 10/8 show in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Charlie Haas suffered an injury during his match with Heidenreich and when he couldn't continue, local legend and WWE agent Fit Finlay came down and took his spot in the match, much to the delight of the crowd.
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