WWE Pissed Off At Online Frauds, Rap Group G-Unit To WWE?, More

WWE has issued a press release announcing it is teaming with Ethoca, a company that works in online fraud management. WWE is apparently fed up with people buying merchandise on their website with fake credit cards and the partnership with Ethoca will help WWE reduce losses from accepting fraudulent orders.

Celebrity gossip site MediaTakeOut.com is now reporting that 50 Cent will not be alone when he accompanies Floyd "Money" Mayweather to the ring at WrestleMania. The site claims Tony Yayo and other members of 50 Cent's "G-Unit" crew will also be there. A person affiliated with the WWE tells MediaTakeOut.com, "50 will have more of a role in the event than just walking Floyd to the ring." Please remember this is the same website that broke the fake story that Eminem is straining for a WWE career, so consider this to be a rumor at this point.

WWE SmackDown! will be preempted on 4 Fridays in the coming months in New York. The New York Mets have released their broadcast schedule for 2008, and this year, for the last time on CW11 New York, Smackdown will be preempted on 4 Fridays this year on the following dates: 4/18, 6/27, 7/11 and 9/5. SmackDown's new home, MyNetworkTV, also airs New York Yankee games on Friday nights. There has been talk that SmackDown! will be moved to Thursday nights once they switch networks but if they remain on Friday nights, preemptions may continue to be an issue in New York.