SD! Rating, Hogan, Backstage Lawler/WWE News, More

Former WWE and WCW champion Hulk Hogan is currently in the Bahamas for the Anna Nicole Smith funeral which was held yesterday where about 100 guests showed up. Smith met Hogan at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida while attending the James Toney vs Sam Peter boxing match on 1/6. That is the same hotel in which she was found dead earlier last month. Smith posing with Hogan made it on several celebrity gossip websites and magazines.

Ian Hamilton sent in word that WWE's DVD European distributor Silver Vision has stopped rental rights of any of the titles for the foreseeable future. This means that movie rental retailers and their online counterparts will not be able to rent any kind of DVDs that sports the WWE logos. Silver Vision also put the ban on their Pride FC titles. European online rental company LOVEFiLM is urging its customers to contact WWE about this decision, saying that they will do all they can to have the decision reversed even though they have not been able to convince WWE of the benefits of renting their titles to fans who may not be in a position to buy the product. (thanks to Colin Vassallo)

Last night's Friday Night Smackdown scored a 2.9 fast national rating, based on data compiled by Nielsen Media Research.

When Jerry Lawler was asked who he wanted to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, he said Lance Russell. According to reports, WWE staff panicked and Kevin Dunn had to talk him out of it saying that no one knows who Lance Russell is. For those unaware, Russell was a legendary wrestling announcer for Memphis Wrestling.

As noted earlier, Mick Foley will be appearing at the WWE TV tapings following WrestleMania 23. Foley will be at Monday Night Raw on April 2 in Dayton, Ohio and then the Smackdown taping in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 3.