WWE Smackdown Live Tour In Thailand 2006

[Jai Dee]

WWE SMACKDOWN LIVE TOUR IN THAILAND 2006

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the private sector are thrilling Thai wrestling fans by organizing “WWE Smackdown Live Tour in Thailand 2006”. It’s not a very common occasion for this highly entertaining smack-fest to take place in Thailand. This year, the WWE, or the World Wrestling Entertainment, will only tour in Thailand and Japan.

The TAT is cooperating with RS Promotion, UBC, and Total Sport Asia in holding “WWE Smackdown Live Tour in Thailand 2006”. This exhilarating sport entertainment will set off on February the 2nd at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani, starting 17.00 hours onwards. One of the objectives of the show is to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

A press briefing on this wrestling tournament was held on December 7th last year at Dusit Thani Hotel, where TAT Governor Juthamas Siriwan chaired the event. The atmosphere was certainly lively as passionate Thai wrestling fans joined the press briefing to acknowledge the event’s details.

The TAT Governor said this is a very fortunate time for the WWE to decide to hold an ultimate wrestling show in Thailand rather than other countries in Asia. And this will show Thailand’s capability in organizing a world event, and in the long term, our kingdom’s image will also be more positive. As a result, Thailand will welcome more foreign tourists from all over the world. About 3,000 people across Asia are expected to come into our kingdom to primarily see this wrestling extravaganza.

As for the highly-rated WWE wrestlers who will display their agilities and powers in Thailand, some of the names include Batista, JBL, and Rey Mesterio. And this is just to name a few.

Earlier on January 15th, an event entitled “GET READY!!! SMACKDOWN TOUR IN THAILAND 2006" was held to acknowledge and heat up the Thai fans about the main event next month. Various fun activities were arranged on that day such as how to cheer for their favorite wrestlers during the actual show. Furthermore, famous Thai wrestling broadcaster named “Na Ting” (น้าติง) also attended the event.

At the show on February 2nd, there will be many other entertaining activities apart from the wrestling brawl itself. There will be WWE Playground, sales booths, and other wrestling-related activities. In addition, singers from the RS Promotion record will hold a concert to entertain the crowd, and souvenirs will also be given to the participants as well.

Wrestling fans and devotees out there should not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Interested persons can reserve their seats at Thai Ticketmaster booths nationwide or simply call them at 0-2262-3456. The ticket prices are 5,000 baht, 4,000 baht, 2,500 baht, 1,500 baht and 1,000 baht. In addition, check out the WWE website for other interesting information at www.wwe.com.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 25 January 2006

[jsat]

WWE SMACKDOWN LIVE TOUR IN THAILAND 2006

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the private sector are thrilling Thai wrestling fans by organizing “WWE Smackdown Live Tour in Thailand 2006”. It’s not a very common occasion for this highly entertaining smack-fest to take place in Thailand. This year, the WWE, or the World Wrestling Entertainment, will only tour in Thailand and Japan.

The TAT is cooperating with RS Promotion, UBC, and Total Sport Asia in holding “WWE Smackdown Live Tour in Thailand 2006”. This exhilarating sport entertainment will set off on February the 2nd at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani, starting 17.00 hours onwards. One of the objectives of the show is to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 25 January 2006

For those of us without acess to UBC, if you have a satellite dish you can watch the LIVE global feed every Tuesday afternoon at 1pm Thai time for FREE.

Also Smack Down is played out on Asiasat 3 on Saturdays eveings free To Air. All PPV events can also be viewed on the global feed as well. In this weeks Raw feed yesterday, all the promo's were about the upcoming Australian events and the next PPV, no mention of Thailand

[Wes Turner]

That I have to go and see,the wife even likes it so it will be a nice treat for her too.

Has anyone seen Hogan Knows Best on VH1? Hulk Hogan, a former WWF wrestler has got a show just like the Osmonds only its better.

[Amethyst]

lol Im not going to the match but will be partying day before the match & after the match with my group of friends hehehehe

Batista Injured , Undertaker will be joinning the tour

World Heavyweight Championship

Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry

Undertaker vs. Randy Orton

Chris Benoit vs. JBL (with Jillian Hall)

WWE Tag Team Championship

Psicosis & Super Crazy vs. MNM

Rey Mysterio vs. Orlando Jordan

Lashley vs. Simon Dean

Cruiserweight Championship

Funaki vs. Kid Kash

Matt Hardy & Road Warrior Animal vs. The Dicks

Paul London vs. Jamie Noble

Edited January 25, 2006 by tytus

[sriracha john]

A ringside review of the festivities from an obviously enthralled fan who plunked down 5,000 baht for the privilege:

February 3, 2006

Review of the Smackdown Live Show in Bangkok, Thailand (taped 3 Feb 2006)

I had front row seats (cost 5,000THB, or about 125USD) with a friend for the live Smackdown show in Bangkok. A bit dissappointing for the slummy atmosphere: no Titantron, no giant live projectors, and no commentators, old-style steal barricades covered with black cloth, and only a handful of signs. Basically, the production values of an indy show. Oh, they gave out glow sticks at the front door, as if this were a japanese Morning Musume concert.... geez.....

Key takeaways (no spoilers)

- In his first match since his reintroduction in the Royal Rumble, the Undertaker seems to have injured his left knee in what was a better-than-expected fairly technical match with JBL.

- Randy Orton had pneumonia, and was subbed by JBL in a match with the Undertaker

Key Results (here be spoilers; not in order)

- Matt Hardy and Road Warrior Animal defeated The Dicks in a forgettable match. 1 star.

- Finley defeated Paul London in a forgettable match. 1 star.

- Kid Kash defeated Funaki in a forgettable match. 1 star.

- Lashley defeated Simon Dean in a forgettable match. But nice delayed suplex, where Lashley waves to the crow for the heat while Simon was up in the air. 2 stars for good Lashley heat.

- Kid Kash defeated Funaki in a forgettable match. 1 star.

- MNM defeated the Mexicools in a forgettable match, that had some great heat though. This included the Mexicools grabbing the belts before the match began and pretended to jerk off with them. 2 stars for good Mexicools heat.

- Benoit defeated Jamie Noble in a good solid technical match. Great heat for the chops, and Noble was surprisingly technical. 2.5 stars for crisp technique and good heat.

- Rey Mysterio defeated Orlando Johnson in a good match with probably the best heat of the night match. Neat things included a 619 tease, and a fantastic post-match celebration/homage to Eddie. 3.5 stars for good psychology and fantastic heat.

- Kurt Angle defeated Mark Henry by DQ in a bullshit match when Davari hit Kurt Angle with a chair while he was ascending the top rope. My standards for Angle are so high that anything less than a great match is dissappointing. Mediocre match, with a nice Angle Slam. I'm loosing hope for Mark Henry transitioning into a Big Show-level of mediocrity. He's been around for years and has never improved. Vince should just suck up to failure and let him go. 0 stars for the bullshit ending and being so below expectations.

- Undertaker defeated JBL with a tombstone in a mediocre but better than expected match. Better than expected, with a borderline offensive rant to start things off by JBL, the typical super cool Deadman Entrance, JBL acting like a cowardly heal with great heat throughout, a very short rope walk, some brawling over the barricades in the front row, and some American Badass-style technical wrestling-lite. About 2/3rds into the match, Undertaker seemed to hurt his left knee. Not sure if it was poor psychology or a legit injury. The match ended, surprisingly with a tombstone, which should have hurt Undertaker's knee more than it hurt JBL. 2.5 stars for good heat and enough time for the face/heal psychology to work out.

Personal Favorite Moments

- After Rey Mysterio's match with Orlando Johnson, he picked up some signs from the crowd, including my own, "Viva La Raza! Rey's Going to Wrestlemania!!". Great "Eddie" chants.

- Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was at ringside during the first fights and shook my hand. I was in the front row.

- Funaki smiled at me from the ring after the match when I said "Say hello to Taka and Masa Michinoku for me". Smackdown's next stop is Yokohama. Taka is Taka Michonoku, formerlly Funaki's tagteam partner, and Masa Michinoku is the real name of The Great Sasuke, the founder of Michinoku Pro, where both Taka and Funaki debuted.

- There was only one Psichosis & Super Crazy sign in the front row (not mine) and the Mexicools loved it, picking up the kid that was holding the sign. Great crowd interaction. These guys would be much better if they were sold as faces.

Other Tidbits

- The turnup was disappointing, with plenty of empty seats, especially up in the bleachers. A whole army of physically handicaped people seem to have been given free tickets from Isuzu, one of the sponsors.

- The crowd was very dissappointed with the noshow by Batista. People didn't seem to realize (or maybe UBC, the local cable monopoly hasn't shown the episode yet) that he was injured.

- Benoit doesn't acknowledge the crowd. At all. Very stoic.

- Wrestlers who did the wai (Thai-style greeting/thanks/goodbye): Funaki and Undertaker from the ramp at the end.

Best Pops

- Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, Undertaker

http://patiwat.blogspot.com/

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Those tickets sound pretty expensive. Ringside seats when they came to Scotland were about 2,500 baht!

[Jai Dee]

Underneath the tough-guy exteriors and hot pants, just ordinary, sensitive men

The Dicks swagger into Impact Arena, flaunting their muscle-bulging bodies to the delight of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) fans. The crowd, packed densely into the bleachers, coos and waves glow sticks as the Dicks start to strip off their sequin-studded suspenders. Under their tear-away pants, the WWE tag team is left in black boots and ruby-red hot pants.

The WWE is the Broadway musical of sports, wrestlers are characters and their matches (though not completely fixed, they say) follow story lines. It isn’t only the athleticism that draws a large following, but also the drama. The beefy boy team conforms to their role; they roar at the crowd, stand on the wrestling ring ropes, shake their firm bums under colored spotlights, ready to kick start the Smackdown Live Tour Thailand 2006.

A couple hours ago they weren’t acting so haughty. The 20 or so WWE-branded wrestlers – including Rey Mysterio, the Undertaker, Kid Kash and Randy Orton among others – were at the Davis Hotel off Sukhumvit, soaking up what they could of Thailand during their 24-hour visit. After arriving at midnight, the superstars of the ring didn’t even have a chance to acquire jet-lag or get beyond The Emporium. They are all characters, but not quite the same ones profiled on the WWE website.

Clad in dress pants, a new fanny pack and a tight-fitting dress shirt, Chad Dick, of the Dick tag team, looked as distant from performing his signature wrestling move, the Veg-O-Matic, as a pig looks from going ballroom dancing. Chad Dick was searching high and low for a gift for his mother back in Iowa. “I want to bring her back something Thailand,” he says. “Are these Thailand?” he asks, pointing at earrings in the designer jewelry case on display. “Are these Thailand?” he inquires again, looking at purses in The Emporium department store. Umm...not really.

If the wrestlers had more time, they would love to see more of Thailand. Kristal, who used to be a model but “has really fallen in love with the business” and plans to have her first Diva match this year, would like to see some temples. Others, such as Paul London were resigned to their short visit and settled for shopping at The Emporium. London, who within hours would be wrapped in shimmering purple material and flaunting his innovative moves like the “dropsault” and “mushroom stomp,” had human cravings. He searched out the Thai food he knew from home. “I want pad thai,” he says. “Can I get pad thai here?”

The wrestlers embark on about eight tours a year, often staying only one night in each destination. Just enough time for a couple hours of training, a press conference, the show and maybe some shopping. At the packed press conference in Bangkok, three wrestlers shared a sofa. Big, bald Bobby Lashley, big-breasted Kristal, and big-headed Rey Mysterio answered collective questions – no individual interviews were permitted and especially no comments from The Undertaker, one of the most renowned of the crew. “He’s not good at interviewing,” explains the public relations representative. Her aim: keeping the image of the WWE brand. The other most famous wrestler, Randy Orton, whose impressively broad chest can be seen all over UBC adverts, unfortunately came down with the flu and could not comment.

The threesome did their best to answer questions. Rey Mysterio always wears a mask; it’s part of his shtick. He also wears a shirt with his likeness, mask and all, printed on the front. He’s a second generation WWE wrestler; he’s short and weighs only 165 pounds – considered small for a professional. Though wrestling seems to be all fun and games on television, Mysterio says it isn’t for everyone. “It’s a hard process,” he says. “Some have what it takes, some don’t. You have to have wrestling in your heart, a passion...not everyone can develop that.”

Those who have the passion must train to get as big and buff as the 130-kilogram Lashley. Lashley’s advice is rather simple. “Training in our business is smarter rather than harder,” he says. “If you know how to do it, then you can do it and we know how to do it.” Well said.

Lashley was a bit taken aback when asked if he thought he would make a better rapper than wrestler. “I don’t really do that,” he said after a long pause.

Some WWE wrestlers perform signature moves like the “mushroom stomp.”

The WWE does not advocate a message of violence; some would say there are positive lessons for the kids who watch these athletic actors at home, like how to overcome adversity. Mysterio used to be self-conscious about his stature, but now he uses it against his opponents. He focuses on his strengths – his speed and agility. He can use his compact legs like springs, bouncing off the ropes as if they were trampolines. “I ain’t scared of nobody,” he says, with his camouflaged hat perched atop his metallic bird-beaked mask. “I’ll fight anyone.”

Most of all, the wrestlers just want to put on a good show. They want to please the fans and be asked to come back for more. “We’re gonna leave them with a WOW,” says Lashley. “From the time we get in to the time we get out, we’re going to leave them with a wow!”

Wow them, they did. Fireworks exploded in the arena, agents of the team members went after opponents with folded metal chairs and the referee unwillingly entered one match, being picked up by a man three times his size and thrown toward the ropes. Full grown men were tossed, spun, dragged, flipped and flattened. The crowd got into it; in unison they chanted, “you suck, you suck” at the antagonist in each bout. But was it real? After multiple body slams, jaw-targeted punches and kicks to the groin, how can wrestlers still manage to stand?

Many contend that WWE wrestling is fixed, that the matches are all pre-determined before the contestants even step into the ring. Dick would say otherwise; he demonstrates by pointing to the scar running across the bridge of his nose. In defense of himself and the other wrestlers, Lashley says, “Would he have that scar if this wasn’t for real?”

Dick says he has wounds all over his body from various wrestling matches. He uses them as most people use snapshots – as memories of the places he’s been. A magician will never divulge the tricks of his trade, neither would the bulky men reveal the intricacies of their brawling ballet. Even boys who eagerly chased the wrestlers down to find out which brand of shoes they wear in the ring were sadly disappointed. “The shoes have three white stripes,” said the boys. “But the internet doesn’t even say what type they are.”

Reality isn’t what has people coming back for more anyway; it is the drama and action that has the crowd cheering, laughing and paying up to 5,000 baht for a ringside spot. Like teenagers at a Backstreet Boys concert, boys and girls alike go wild for Cruiserweight Champion, Matt Hardy’s sweat-soaked tank top. They wave hand-painted posters praising Lashley. He’s loved for his concentration and serious attitude. But when Lashley’s at the mall, he’s just Bobby. He has a smile and all he wants is a souvenir T-shirt.

Source: ThaiDay - 8 February 2006 15:05

[sriracha john]

"The Dicks swagger into Impact Arena, flaunting their bulging...."

the "WHO" did "WHAT?"

[chuchok]

Those tickets sound pretty expensive. Ringside seats when they came to Scotland were about 2,500 baht!

So they were empty then..

[ray23]

Those tickets sound pretty expensive. Ringside seats when they came to Scotland were about 2,500 baht!

So they were empty then..

No the place was packed and it was as advertised entertainment. Whiich is fine excatly what I expected. The down side to 5K seats unless you were in the front row, there were many times you couldn't see. But it was more fun watching my wife, so I would do it again. She wathces on T.V on average of there or four times a week and has her heros. I amazed that they did a well as the did if they were only here for 24 hours.

[chuchok]

Those tickets sound pretty expensive. Ringside seats when they came to Scotland were about 2,500 baht!

So they were empty then..

No the place was packed and it was as advertised entertainment. Whiich is fine excatly what I expected. The down side to 5K seats unless you were in the front row, there were many times you couldn't see. But it was more fun watching my wife, so I would do it again. She wathces on T.V on average of there or four times a week and has her heros. I amazed that they did a well as the did if they were only here for 24 hours.

I was taking the piss about scottish people forking ourt THB2500.....just amazing.