After things looked like Kevin Nash would make it to the shows at Manville and Brick, his recovery from a staph infection is still ongoing and he has not been medically cleared to wrestle, according to the show's promoter.

Attempts to secure Scott Steiner as a replacement also were unsuccessful, so the NWS promotion is working feverishly to find a suitable big name competitor.

Will advise as situation develops.

Royal Rumble Winner Randy Orton opened Raw with an apology to Mr. McMahon and his family for "the trauma" he caused them last week when he kicked Vince's head, causing a concussion.

"My hope is that we can put this ugly incident behind us and move forward," Orton said.

Orton came to the ring with Legacy members and lawyers and even a therapist to back him up. Why the extras in his entourage? Well, Orton claims he has Intermittent Explosive Disorder, or IED, a mental disorder which causes him to lose control when provoked. He says the WWE knew of his condition and if he is fired for his actions, then he will sue. You know, and I thought it was the steroid abuse that caused him to act out.

(Seriously, this is a real disorder-not sure if Randy actually suffers from it, though- from MayoClinic.com: "Intermittent explosive disorder is characterized by repeated episodes of aggressive, violent behavior in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation. People with intermittent explosive disorder may attack others and their possessions, causing bodily injury and property damage. Later, people with intermittent explosive disorder may feel remorse, regret or embarrassment.")

At the end of the show, when Stephanie finally confronts Orton, Orton brings a new threst to the table before Stephanie can even say a word to him-- if he is fired, he will file an injunction to have Wrestlemania canceled. This clears the locker room, with everyone staring Orton down from the stage.

"Firing you would be too easy," Stephanie replies from Orton's begs to fire him. "We've got bigger plans."

Shane then walks down to the ring, ripping off his coat, as Stephanie and Orton's legal team exit the ring. Shane proceeds to attack Orton, with DiBiase and Rhodes doing their best to help Orton. Dibiase eventually helps Orton up the ramp, where Shane catches up to continue the attack, but the other Superstars are there to pull the four men apart and Orton flees scene, leaving Shane to look for him.

Mickey Rourke, star of The Wrestler, may have not won the Royal Rumble, but has a ticket to Wrestlemania, and last night at the SAG awards, he challenged Chris Jericho! Jericho doesn't think Rourke knows what he's getting into. Hey, I'm excited-- this may mean we won't have to suffer through another Big Show v. random athlete match.

Raw Results (1/26):
World Tag Team Championship Match- Cryme Time v. Champs The Miz and John Morrisson, Morrison pins Shad, The Miz and Morrison retain the titles
Elimination Chamber Qualifier- Kofi Kingston v. Kane, Kofi pins Kane
Elimination Chamber Qualifier for JBL- Shawn Michaels v. John Cena, Cena pins Michaels
Melina and Kelly Kelly v. Beth Phoenix and Jillian, Beth pins Kelly
Elimination Chamber Qualifier- Rey Mysterio v. William Regal, Mysterio pins Regal
Elimination Chamber Qualifier- CM Punk v. Chris Jericho, Jericho pins Punk

Thirty men will enter the ring tonight, 29 will exit by going over the top rope and one will most likely fall to his knees when he is the only one remaining and the only one with a ticket to Wrestlemania.

So, who's most likely to win? Well,according to the history lesson given every year by the WWE announcer, the 27th entrant has won the most times. We'll see who gets that lucky number later on tonight, but let's take a look at who we know will be entering that ring and who we think may fill in the nine still open spots.

The Past Winners
Stone Cold outlasted it three times. Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan each won twice. Can a previous winner do it again this year?
Triple H- Won in 2002. Could win again because not many big names in the match now, and needs something better than just be a thorn in Vicki's rather large backside. Probably won't win because of nepotism.
The Undertaker- Won in 2007. He almost has to be at Wrestlemania to defend his streak in his hometown. Could he be going for a title, too? Maybe.
Rey Mysterio- Won in 2006, in honor of Eddie Guerrero, who's death was still fresh on everyone's minds. Sorry, Rey, but I think you are the longest shot out of the three to win it.

The Newcomers
The Brian Kendrick- Is this a joke? I'm hoping he is eliminated immediately after entering the ring, getting or tying for the record. However, Ezekiel Jackson will probably be there to catch him at least the first time and toss him back in the ring so he gets to keep going.
Vladimir Kozlov- Apparently, the powers that be don't want him in a big-time one-on-one match yet, since every chance he gets turns into a Fatal Three-way or a Handicap. So, why would they let him win the Rumble?
Kofi Kingston- Big time energy, but I don't think he's getting his big time chance. He'll probably hold his own for long time, though.
Ted DiBiase- Has alot to prove to Randy Orton. If Orton is there until the end, DiBiase will help him get there and be one of the last few. Either that, or, well, I'll explain the other scenario under Orton/Rhodes.

The Others
Finlay- He loves to fight, but he's going to have to fight very hard to keep from going over the top rope.
Mark Henry- Everyone always attacks the big man as soon as he enters the ring, and eventually, collectively, they get him over the top rope. Yokozuma, who won in 1993, is the only big guy to win the Rumble for a reason- he entered the ring at Number 27.
CM Punk- The Intercontinental Champion has a shot a winning. Really. I can see a Cena v. Punk or JBL v. Punk match at Wrestlemania.
R Truth- I love R Truth, but he's not going to win.
Carlito- Another with no shot.
Big Show- Yet another big guy, and even though I don't want him to win because he bores me. He does have a shot because of the possibility of Edge winning the WWE Title. You know he would love to whoop his @$$.
Shelton Benjamin- Shelton impressed me Friday night. Maybe that match was to prove to us he could be a Wrestlemania headliner. He may have a better chance than some of these other guys, but I don't think he's winning.
Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes- Just like DiBiase, Rhodes isn't winning because of Orton-- his job is to help Orton win. Either that, or Manu and Snuka will find their way into the Rumble and eliminate Rhodes and DiBiase early on. Orton could win because of his back-up and it will help solidify The Legacy as a stable. Now, if he's fired before the match begins, that's a different story...
Chris Jericho- He's back. And he would love to prove to Stephanie he belongs there by winning it. He was, after all, the Superstar of the Year. He does have a chance of winning.
The Miz and John Morrison- Uh, no chance. In fact, I call Big Show choke slams at least one of them out of the ring.
Santino Marella- Wait, sorry. I forgot Santino was in this match. He's getting choke slammed out of the ring.
Kane- Hmm, I don't know about this one. This will be his 11th consecutive Rumble, and out those we know will be in the Rumble, he has been in the most. So, he could be the Susan Lucci of the Rumble, and this could finally be his year. (I just compared Kane to the actress who plays Erica Kane!)

The Wild Cards
As I said before, there are nine slots still available for surprise Superstars. I already mentioned Manu and Sim Snuka as possibilities, and I have a few more.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan- He won the first ever Royal Rumble in 1988. We love to see him make appearances, but, let's face it, 1988 was a long time ago. (Do I sound like a Legacy member?)
Mr. Kennedy- He should be ready to return for the Rumble.
Goldust- Really, can there be a Royal Rumble without him (that is, when he is employed by the WWE)? Even the computer on the video game always includes him.
Sgt. Slaughter- If he feels like doing it, I think he'll join in the fun.
Beth Phoenix- Chyna did it. Beth is the fist Diva since Chyna who I wouldn't be scared to see walk into to a ring with 29 men. I know, it's a long shot, but it is the 10th anniversary of Chyna's entry in the Rumble.
Matt Hardy- I predict he will lose in the ECW Title match, and then get a shot in the Royal Rumble (this kind of thing does happen from time to time). He'll win, and then everyone will think he's going after the ECW Championship for, oh, maybe two weeks. And then, we'll find out the truth, that he's been attacking Jeff, and the belt he wants is the WWE Championship!
Shawn Michaels- Okay, here's my other prediction- HBK gets in as the 30th entrant and wins. JBL, by the way, has somehow, possibly with HBK's help, won the World Heavyweight Title. JBL is pissed, Michaels says screw you, I quit. The two battle it out at Wrestlemania where HBK wins the Title in his home state!
Christian- (I'm beginning to sound like that "Clue" movie- And here's what really happens!) He surprises everyone and returns as the 30th entrant to the Royal Rumble! He even surprises the person he's been "helping" for the past couple of months attack Jeff Hardy...

(remember, this is all from me with no actual backstage knowledge, so if this comes out right, maybe I should be writing for the WWE...)

If you have any opinions/predictions, please post them!

For a WWE-televised program airing two days before a Pay-Per-View, Smackdoown was pretty smack-less. I know they had a plan for more action during SD broadcasts, but talking is part of the action. No, I don't want 30-minunte speeches from the Big Show-- nobody does, except maybe the Big Show. A little interaction does help put more intrigue in the matches.

For example, Undertaker v. Shelton Benjamin- awesome match. I was amazed how well Shelton handled Taker and actually thought he could possibly best the Deadman. I thought this could be Shelton's chance to no longer be lame and be an actual contender for the WWE Championship. But, I really didn't understand why we were watching this match. I mean, like two months ago, Shelton was getting on Taker's nerves, but why now?

And then we had Khali v. Chavo. What, did both need a match, had no one to wrestle and just decided to pair up?

We did have a JR interviewing Jeff Hardy segment in which we learned (well, it was officially revealed) the pyros from last week were tampered with and that Hardy thinks Edge is to blame for the attacks. Thank you Captain Obivious. (I still think it's Matt)

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just getting tired of the current storylines and desperately need Wrestlemania...

SD Results (1/23):
Shelton Benjamin v. Undertaker, Shelton submits to Taker
Chavo Guerrero v. Khali, Khali pins Chavo
Bella Twins v. Michelle and Natalya, match ends when Maria attacks Michelle
No DQ- Edge v. Matt Hardy,(Mark Henry and Jack Swagger interfere to weaken Hardy) Edge pins Hardy
John Morrison and The Miz v. Primo and Carlito, The Miz pins Carlito
Triple H v. Kozlov v. Big Show, Kozlov pins Triple H

According to the National Wrestling Superstars promoter, Kevin Nash is expected to wrestle in Manville and Brick next weekend after getting out of the hospital earlier this week.

Show sites are:
Manville VFW Hall, 600 Washington Avenue, Friday, Jan. 30 7:45 to benefit the Cub Scouts
Brick Elks Lodge, 2941 Hooper Avenue, Saturday, Jan. 31, 7:35.

Both shows are expected to have strong local cards along with the presence of Big Daddy Cool.

While Tuesday's ECW broadcast was mediocre at best, if offered some remarks from Matt Hardy that could be interpreted a couple of ways.

When asked if the attacks on his brother Jeff were an accident, Matt admitted that they were not accidents, then quickly added "but that's all I want to say about that," in true Forrest Gump fashion.

Is he just too hurt to talk about it? Or is Matt hiding the fact that he is the culprit? We'll see.

Just remember where you heard that theory first if it comes true.

Mr. McMahon's long-awaited return to Raw was a short one.

After showing up long enough to give a vote of confidence to his daughter Stephanie as Raw's GM, the chairman suffered a swift end to his triumphant return from his last "accident."

After Chris Jericho essentially begged for his job back (even watching Y2J do this demeaned us all), Randy Orton came out looking for an apology from Stephanie for a slap in the face earlier in the show. He received no such apology, and after calling Steph "useless now that she has popped out a couple of grandkids," he was chided by VKM.

Vince demanded an apology, but instead got a beatdown, as Orton punched the chairman, then kicked him in the face, and topped it off with a punt to the head, all this just as he was about to hear those famous words patented by Donald Trump.

Steph and several EMTs came out, and the billion-dollar princess was operating at Nancy Kerrigan-level drama over the injuries to her dad.

That whole debacle topped off a night that included yet another pointless match between Rey Mysterio and Mike Knox (why is he employed again?), another heart-to-heart talk between JBL, John Cena and Shawn Michaels about pride over money, and another beatdown on Melina courtesy of Beth Phoenix, her man-toy and their pet stalker.

If it wasn't for the pleasing but predictable end to the CM Punk-William Regal saga - with the hometown Chicago boy Punk adding himself to the list of IC champs - then the matches would have been a total throwaway on this night.

Truthfully, this actually was as intriguing as pre-PPV Raws get, considering that most of them are as interesting as B movies starring Roddy Piper that involve a boat in some way.

Look for ECW and Smackdown to pick up the slack in the "talk and clips show" department this week as the WWE marshals its forces for the Rumble this weekend, which I dare say will actually peak the interest of many.

More on the Rumble as it nears.

Raw Results (1/19):
Battle Royal- Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, Santino, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase- Winner is Orton
Kelly Kelly v. Beth Phoenix, Beth pins Kelly
No disqualification Intercontinental title match, CM Punk def. William Regal, becomes IC champ
Rey Mysterio def. Mike Knox by disqualification
Cryme Tyme def. Miz and Morrison, earns shot at tag titles
Melina def. Jillian

After what felt like an enternity of a commercial break after Edge came out to the ring for "The Cutting Edge," we finally got our "main event" of yet another accident for Champ Jeff Hardy. Jeff (sans make-up) came out for his interview with Edge, but a "pyro accident" prevented him from making his way down the ramp. Medics carried Jeff off on a stretcher without us getting to any damage done to his body...

Excuse me, it's bad enough I stumbled upon them online, did I really have to see the "nude" photos of Vicki on the air tonight? As a result, Triple H was punished with losing-streak MVP representing him in a Last Man Standing match against the Big Show for a spot in the Royal Rumble. Stipulation: No Triple H at ringside.

The match started as Big Show walked down the ramp when MVP attacked him from behind with a chair. MVP doesn't have the upper hand for long, and spends a lot of the match being tossed around the ring. When the action makes its way back to the top of the ramp and MVP is about to be chokeslammed off the stage, Triple H knocks out the Big Show with a sledgehammer. MVP, with Triple H's encouragement, makes it to his feet at the 9 count, as Big Show remains unconscious for the entire ten, and then some.

Vicki thinks she got Triple H since he interfered, but the Cerebral Assasin points out she said ringside, and the stage is not ringside, therefore he has his spot in the Rumble. Vicki answers back with a Triple H v. Vladimir Kozlov match next week.

By the way, in case you didn' think about with all the Triple H drama, MVP's losing streak is finally over!

I also want to say I pretty disappointed in the way Victoria was treated. Her match with Michelle was her last match and she is retiring. The only way we know this is because Tazz and JR were talking about it during the match. Now, I don't think she's really have ever been a face, but she's been around long enough and is former Women's Champion. I think she should have at least gotten a chance to get on the mic and say goodbye, or even get the "Earlier Tonight" footage of the Divas and others wishing her well. I'm not asking for Ric Flair treatment, just something more than what she got. That felt more like "I'm going to TNA" treatment.

SD Results (1/16):
Mark Henry and ECW Champ Jack Swagger v. Matt Hardy and Finlay, Hardy pins Swagger
R. Truth v. The Brian Kendrick, Truth pins Kendrick
Michelle McCool v. Victoria, Michelle pins Victoria

Kevin Nash himself confirmed that he went to the hospital this week and had surgery for an infection in his elbow. You can read his blog on his current health here.

As for his scheduled appearances at local shows in Manville and Brick on the 30th and 31st of this month, the promoter told me Wednesday that Nash is expected to heal by then and is a better than average shot to perform in those shows as scheduled.

The promoter told me that, if Kevin is not healthy by then, the show would book "another A list name" to replace Big Sexy.

More on this as the shows get a little closer.

With Jack Swagger winning the ECW title over Matt Hardy last night, maybe the WWE thinks a new champ can jumpstart what has been a lethargic show lately. In fact, Tuesday's show only included weak promos, a broken Tommy Dreamer who has been neglected by the bookers, and a match involving the Boogie Man crucifying someone on loan from FCW or Velocity.

This frees up Matt Hardy to possibly make a play for another title later on. Stay tuned....

Kevin Nash, a member of the Main Event Mafia in TNA wrestling, was pulled from Sunday's six-man tag team match and replaced by Kip James. Internet reports say Nash was admitted to a hospital, possibly with a staph infection, but this is unconfirmed at this time.

Nash is scheduled to wrestle twice in New Jersey in independent shows later this month. He is set to be at the Manville VFW Hall on Friday Jan. 30 and at the Brick Elks Lodge the next night, 1/31. No word yet on whether the illness/injury will prevent nash from competing in these shows. I will post information as it becomes available.

PS - Jeff Jarrett is a man's man to take the beating he did from Kurt Angle the other night. We'll see if Jarrett's in-ring career is over or if he has some more for the Olympic jackass.

With the Royal Rumble in two weeks, the road to Wrestlemania is being built with the events leading up the first Pay-Per-View of the year.

JBL told "Mr. Wrestlemania" that tonight was his Wrestlemania, but somehow, even though that was a pretty awesome match, I doubt that.

On a night with snow falling outside the arena, we found the Hall of Fame will be getting cold this year-- Stone Cold Steve Austin.

However, one man found out he reached a dead end, and we will have to wait to see if there's any turning back.

Chris Jericho told Stephanie McMahon he wasn't wrestling until he got his title match and that he doesn't give a damn any more about what she says because she's a "lame duck."

Her response?

"Well, maybe you'll give a damn about this-- YOU'RE FIRED!"

(Jericho was escorted out the building)

In other news, Manu and Sim Snuka brought Ted DiBiase back, thinking he was on their side, but painfully found out he was actually part of The Legacy. Perhaps Manu and Sim should have called Cousin Dwayne (The Rock to the rest of us) to team up with them instead...

Next Week:Intercontinental Title Match, Part 3, this time No DQ
Finally, Rey Mysterio v. Mike Knox
And, Mr. McMahon!

Raw Results (1/12):
The Miz v. Rey Mysterio, Mysterio pins Miz
Intercontinental Title Match- CM Punk v. Champ William Regal, Punk DQ'd for "low blow," Regal retains title
Kane v. Randy Orton, Orton pins Kane
Beth Phoenix and Jillian v. Kelly Kelly and Melina, match never starts, attack on ramp
Shawn Michaels v. John Cena, Michaels pins Cena

Key WWE injuries/absences:
Batista: concussion, hamstring surgery, return unknown
Evan Bourne: dislocated ankle and torn deltoid ligament, return by end of February
Mr. Kennedy: dislocated shoulder early August, return to action January or February

(Filmed last week in East Rutherford, NJ, so some of you may already know the results...)

Vicki Guerrerro's revenge on Triple H, Triple Jeopardy - in which Triple H competes in three matches in one night - started the show with the Tables match against John Morrison. Needless to say Morrison was thrown out of the ring through a table within ten minutes of the show's opening, but Triple H didn't leave the ring without being thrown threw a table himself, thanks to a surprise attack by Chavo.

At the mid point of the show, Triple H faced his next match, the Handicap match. This time, The Miz and Chavo were his opponents, but thanks to Chavo backing out of a tag, Triple H was able to pin The Miz and win his second match of the night.

The finale was the Last Man Standing match against the Big Show. If I counted correctly, the tenth time Triple H was down (slam onto announce table) was his last and Big Show won.

Other note: Boogeyman made an appearance to freak out MVP during his Lounge segment.

SD Results (1/9):
Undertaker v. Shelton Benjamin, Taker pins Benjamin
Michelle and Victoria v. The Bella Twins, a Bella pins Victoria, Michelle attacks Victoria
Tag Team Title Match- Primo and Carlito v. Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson, Carlito pins Kendrick


Key WWE injuries/absences:
Batista: concussion, hamstring surgery, return unknown
Evan Bourne: dislocated ankle and torn deltoid ligament, return by end of February
Mr. Kennedy: dislocated shoulder early August, return to action January or February
Ted Dibiase: shooting a movie (The Marine 2)

Okay, I'm calling BS on this one right now. Why?

1. Tonight's Smackdown was filmed last week as a doubleheader at an arena "just outside of New York City" (what? they can't say New Jersey?). Sure, there is a house show in Hot Springs, Ark. tonight. However, Tazz and JR appear to be wearing the same clothes in the NJ segments and the "tonight" segments (since there is a time stamp on the "police" video.)

2. Last night, the low in Cameron, NC was 37 degrees. And, it stayed in the thirties today. So why is Jeff's girlfriend, Beth, only wearing a tank top and short shorts? And why is the police officer wearing short sleeves? (By the way, it is 65 degrees in Hot Springs, Ark. right now.)

3. NO MEDIA OUTLETS IN THE AREA ARE REPORTING THE STORY! And, Beth needs to take some acting lessons.

I just want to take this moment to point out this futher backs up my theory of the twist with Matt being the one who attacked Jeff out of jealousy, since, you know, Matt lives in Cameron, too.

Well, Santa and his geeky elves have fixed my technical diffuculties and I’m back. Good thing nothing major happened, like the all-time greatest Women’s Champion making a guest appearance to be John Cena’s tag team partner or a major Superstar out for a hamstring surgery…

Randy Orton and Chris Jericho showed some integrity requesting JBL to be dropped from the title match at the Royal Rumble. Once told that wasn’t happening by Stephanie McMahon, the two requested Shawn Michaels not be allowed in the Rumble match. But, JBL had already planned that HBK’s sole duty at the Rumble was to be in his corner.

As a result, Stephanie decided to test Michaels’ integrity in a tag match with John Cena as hi partner against Orton and Jericho. Michaels passed, hitting Sweet Chin Music on both of his opponents, and his opponents only, before pinning Jericho for the win.

Beth Phoenix’s #1 fan, Rosa Mendez (or Mendes-seen both spellings), as I’m sure you have figured out by now, is employed by the WWE. She was in the 2006 Diva Search (the one won by Layla), came in fourth place and was signed to developmental contract anyway, like fellow contestant Maryse. Back then, she was Milena Roucka. Yeah, I remember thinking, there’s no way they’d have two Milenas…

Manu and Snuka are both officially out of the Legacy. Manu, however, did not leave without pointing out Leader Randy Orton wasn’t perfect either. In case you missed it, Orton v. Kane next week!

And, in two weeks, Vince is back! At least, this is what Chris Jericho reports.

Raw Results (1/5):
Goldust & Melina v. Santino & Beth Phoenix, Melina pins Beth
Intercontinental Championship Match- CM Punk v. Champ William Regal, CM Punk wins by DQ,but title does not change hands- Stephanie announces rematch next week, if DQ’d again, Regal will lose title
John Morrison & The Miz v. Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston, Morrison pins Rey
Kelly Kelly v. Jillian, Kelly pins Jillian
Cody Rhodes & Sim Snuka v. Cryme Tyme, Cody pins JTG


Key WWE injuries/absences:
Batista: concussion, hamstring surgery, return unknown
Evan Bourne: dislocated ankle and torn deltoid ligament, return by end of February
Mr. Kennedy: dislocated shoulder early August, return to action January or February
Ted Dibiase: shooting a movie (The Marine 2)