New Match to Open TNA's Lockdown PPV, Rumor on Christy Hemme's New TNA Deal

For what it's worth, The Honky Tonk Man wrote on Facebook that Christy Hemme's new three-year deal with TNA is worth $175,000 a year, far more than the other TNA Knockouts are earning. Honky's Facebook says that Eric Bischoff played a big part in getting Hemme her new deal. Honky also claims that Hemme's new deal with TNA has left some of the other Knockouts upset.

- The opening match for this Sunday's TNA Lockdown pay-per-view will be James Storm vs. Rob Van Dam. The winner of the match will get the "numbers advantage" for his team in the Lethal Lockdown main event

WWE Smackdown Is Moving To SyFy

According to a report by The Los Angeles Times, WWE Smackdown is leaving MyNetwork TV and heading to SyFy. The deal will fully be announced later this week, but the report noted that SyFy will be paying $30 million a year for the show, up from the $20 million the company was getting for the show. WWE was free to shop the show around to new channels, but had to move the series to a network owned by NBC-Universal on cable. Smackdown will continue to air on MyNetwork TV until late September or early October. SyFy formerly hosted ECW, and now airs WWE NXT.

Sheamus Works as Face, Cody Rhodes Update, Swagger/Mysterio

Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger for the World Title is being advertised for the main events of the SmackDown shows in Tennessee on May 1st and 2nd.

- Cody Rhodes has been wearing amateur wrestling head gear during the WWE European tour, to go along with the punt kick he received from Randy Orton at WrestleMania.

- After the RAW live event in Dublin this weekend, John Cena cut a promo on the hometown hero Sheamus following their match that Cena won. Cena put Sheamus over as a WWE Superstar and handed him the WWE Title. Sheamus then cut a babyface promo to the hometown crowd, laid the WWE Title down in the ring and said that was for them. The crowd popped big for Sheamus as he celebrated with the fans to end the show.

7 eleven & WWE

"This is much bigger for us than what we did in the first film," he tells Marketing Daily. "For the first, it was about Slurpee; this includes Big Gulp, so it's about 10 different cups." He says retail elements include front-of-store and window banners. There is also a separate promotion with Reese's candy, which is sold at 7-Eleven.

Brody says films are just one part of the company's promotional strategy, which includes sponsorships around gaming, sports and TV programs.

"We have had success with anything that's exciting; in the case of blockbuster films, it's something where excitement is building well before the premiere," he says, adding that 7-Eleven has programs with WWE Summerslam, and a big promotion planned around a video game. "But films do very well -- no question about it. There is so much support as well from studio and distributors. It really gives lots of buzz to a property

Details Behind Lance Cade's Departure From World Wrestling Entertainment

As reported earlier, Lance Cade was released again last week by World Wrestling Entertainment.

He was re-hired this past October, but was conspicuously never used sans a one-off appearance in developmental. In an interview last week with PWInsider.com, Cade said John Laurinaitis told him last December they were going to call him up to the main roster, but he was having problems going through pain killer withdrawal and it was keeping him awake.

He said that led to getting hooked on sleeping pills, so he called the office and asked to be put into rehab. Cade completed four weeks of rehab and in early March, talked to his mentor, Shawn Michaels. He claimed HBK told him "he's done" and would never be used a top guy.

During the interview, Cade expressed his displeasure with being let by WWE as he couldn't understand why they would fire him for asking to go to rehab considering that everyone else is given an ultimatum to take up rehabilitation assistance or have their contract terminated. He felt he was doing the right thing by addressing the issue and asking to enter rehab, especially considering that his ongoing pill problems stemmed from working for WWE.

He then said he doesn't want to be part of a company that says they want to help wrestlers with their issues, but then turn their backs on them when they ask for help. He also feels it sends a bad message to the wrestlers in the locker room that if they get injured and take time off, they'll lose their spot. Or, if they have issues medication and ask for help, they'll be fired. Additionally, Cade implied during the interview that there are top guys doing stuff much worse than he had done, saying WWE's drug testing policy "doesn't apply to everyone.

" Cade was previously released from WWE on October 14, 2008. Jim Ross later stated on his official website that "he made a major league mistake while utilizing bad judgment" and that it was instrumental to his departure. J.R. also made reference to Cade having a seizure on a plane and needing emergency medical care.

Latest on the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame, Note on WWE PPV Increase

- Since WWE started the pay-per-view price increase with the Royal Rumble in January, they have not suffered any significant hit on pay-per-view buys.

- Because WWE in general wasn't happy with this year's Hall of Fame ceremony, they have been working on next year's event in advance. Names currently being discussed include Bill Goldberg, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger and The Steiner Brothers. Sting is also being talked about but his status with TNA will always play a factor, obviously.

While it probably will never happen, two people in the company brought up Ted Turner's name this past week. It's said that Goldberg and Simmons are likely a lock for next year's class.

EDGE AN INTEGRAL FIGURE IN MONEY IN THE BANK

Every Money in the Bank 'cash in' so far has involved Edge in some form.

1st - Edge beats John Cena
2nd - RVD beats John Cena after interference by Edge
3rd - Edge beats Undertaker
4th - CM Punk beats Edge
5th - CM Punk beats Jeff Hardy after a match with Edge
6th - Jack Swagger beats Chris Jericho after Edge beats up Jericho

Also, this was the fourth year in a row that the MitB winner beat the Smackdown champion when they cashed in the briefcase.

EXTREME RULES, MICHAELS ON JANNETTY, CHRIS JERICHO IN CHITOWN

Chris Gabbard sent this item. ... On Thursday, I saw a commercial for Backlash on my cable provider in the Detroit Market. Obviously, Extreme Rules is the WWE PPV in April so WWE must of sent the wrong video for April to promote the PPV.

Steven Fernandes reporting. ... WWE.com has excerpts from Shawn Michaels interview in the latest WWE Magazine, where he talks about making up with Bret Hart, the original Monday Night Wars, and Marty Jannetty being used as an example of how a career can go wrong (during the Miz/Morrison feud).

You can read it by clicking here.Terri Bey sent word that Chris Jericho is doing a signing on 4/6 at the FYE at 26 E. Randolph Street Chicago , IL 60601 at 2 p.m. I called the store myself and confirmed it. You have to buy the Fozzy CD. The store opens at 8:30 a.m.

Former TNA Star Backstage At Raw, NXT Rookie Suffers Food Poisoning, More

Recently released TNA star Sean Morley was backstage at Monday's Raw, which emanated from his hometown of Phoenix. He was simply visiting friends.

Morely worked for TNA as recently as February before parting ways with the organization to compete in Mexico. He wrote the following note on his Facebook account regarding his experience: "Just got back from visiting old friends at Raw here in Phoenix. Drive to the arena with my buddy Matt(Atrain). It's always great to see old friends again."

-- NXT rookie Skip Sheffield noted on his Twitter account this past week that he was suffering from food poisoning. He said he vomited three times and had very high body temperature. He's blaming his sickness on Burger King and said he will never eat there again.

-- Today marks the twenty-year anniversary of the historic Champion vs. Champion match between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI.

Vince McMahon's "Mr. McMahon" Character Reportedly Finished

Vince McMahon was privately saying over the past week that his match with Bret Hart at WrestleMania would be the blow-off to the evil "Mr. McMahon" television character.

He noted that the "Mr. McMahon" character was spawned by the aftermath of "Montreal" in 1997 and that WrestleMania was the right time and perfect angle to finish the story and put the character to rest. It should be noted that McMahon, who is of the belief that television is for younger faces and having an aging look is death to the promotion, has said in the past that he felt he was too old to be a performer. However, an angle would come up, ratings would come down and he'd get the itch to return.

McMahon was originally pegged for a match with Undertaker at WrestleMania before the angle with Hart was put together. His absolute destruction at the hands of the Hart family was meant to signify the end of the character, to blow off all the heel heat off the character, and for the character to ultimate be turned babyface. However, many noted amusement that the scenario he chose to turn babyface completely failed.