partial source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
-- In WWE's '15 Years of Raw' special magazine that was released on newsstands this past Tuesday, they put out a list on the top 15 -- or bottom 15 -- curtain jerkers to appear on Raw.
When you turn to the page in the magazine, ironically there's a big photo of Damian Demento jumping right at you. Demento did a rant on YouTube about WWE putting up his picture on their website because he thought they were making fun of him and making him out to be a loser or a "jobber," although they really weren't. WWE.com asked fans to choose their most memorable "one-hit wonder" in Raw history. With 40 percent of the vote, the fans chose Damien Demento. They said while his contribution to Raw may not have been long-lasting, he still managed to make an impression on the show. However, in the list they just put out, they do insult him in their description of him in the magazine, which ironically, likely hit the printers before his rant on WWE started making waves on the web. Their description of Demento reads: "Wonder who was Raw's first main eventer? HBK? Hulk Hogan? Try Damian Demento. This weirdo fought the Undertaker at the Manhatten Center and was sent to the mat in due course. Looking like a disciple of Lord Humongous, Demento arrived in WWE from the "Outer Reaches of Your Mind," and was quickly banished after a brief stint of looking at the ceiling." Anyway, here is their list:
15 Curtain Jerkers - The Hardest Working Jabroni's In Raw History: Making it in WWE is no easy task. Just ask these guys who spent more time staring at the lights than an electrician.
15. Damian Demento
14. Shinobi
13. Duane Gill
12. The Spiders (a.k.a. The Headbangers)
11. Salvatore Sincere
10. P.J. Walker (a.k.a. Justin Credible)
09. Skull Von Crush (a.k.a. Vito)
08. Matt and Jeff Hardy
07. Barry Horowitz
06. Scott Taylor (a.k.a. Scotty 2 Hotty)
05. Reno Riggins
04. "Iron" Mike Sharpe
03. Freddie Joe Floyd (a.k.a. Tracy Smothers)
02. The 1-2-3 Kid
01. The Brooklyn Brawler
-- WWE's official website has posted up some new photos of SmackDown backstage interviewer Anastacia at this link. They also put up a link to the Diva Search photos of the new SmackDown backstage interviewer Lena Yada on the front page of the website. No word yet if they actually plan on having two female backstage interviewers on SmackDown or if someone's making a move elsewhere.
-- The 12/27 Raw brand house show in East Rutherford, NJ drew 16,000 fans, which would be the biggest U.S. regular house show attendance number since a sold out Raw brand house show took place in the very same building right after Christmas in 2006. Here are some other attendance numbers for house shows that took place after Christmas: 12/26 Raw drew 6,500 in Nashville; 12/27 SmackDown/ECW drew 3,000 in Chattanooga; 12/28 Raw drew 8,000 in Atlanta; 12/28 SmackDown/ECW drew 6,000 in Hershey, PA; 12/29 SmackDown/ECW drew 5,500 in Baltimore; 12/30 Raw drew 4,300 in Raliegh.