Nowinski Donating His Brain, TNA Interested In Ric Flair?, Ventura, SD!, More

Former WWE star Chris Nowinski is seeking brains from athletes for the purpose of concussion study. Nowinski's Sports Legacy Institute announced that former New England Patriot football player Ted Johnson has agreed to donate his brain upon death while having his brain monitored regularly until death to study the effects of concussions after a career. He retired three years ago due to issues caused by concussions that have led to memory problems and depression. Nowinski will also be donating his brain to a research center upon his death.

TNA is interested in acquiring Ric Flair as they have sent out feelers through part-time announcer Hermie Sadler, who runs the UWF indy promotion, which often books TNA talent. However, Flair signed a one-year non-compete clause when he got his release from WWE with it pretty much meaning that he couldn't jump to TNA.

MyNetworkTV sent out the following press release this afternoon: MyNetworkTV Presents a One-Two WWE? Punch All-Star Kick-Off of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown?" & "WWE WrestleMania? ? The World Television Premiere" NEW YORK, N.Y., September 29, 2008 ? MyNetworkTV presents a one-two WWE punch beginning on October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with "WrestleMania ? The World Television Premiere" leading up to the October 3rd all-star network premiere event of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) announced Greg Meidel, president of MyNetworkTV. In making the announcement, Meidel stated, "WWE ? THE sports entertainment powerhouse is launching on MyNetworkTV in big-way ? complete with the biggest Superstars, historic broadcast television matches, and back-to-back nights of powerful programming." The MyNetworkTV debut of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown" begins with a Superstar-studded night. For the first time ever on broadcast television, it will be a night of Champion vs. Champion including a "Triple Threat Match" between WWE Champion Triple H?, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho? and ECW? Champion Matt Hardy?. In addition to the "Triple Threat Match" the following matches, comprised of WWE Superstars from all three WWE television brands (SmackDown, RAW?, ECW) are scheduled for the premiere episode of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown:" – Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Rey Mysterio?, Batista?, Jeff Hardy? and Finlay? vs. Kane?, MVP?, JBL? and The Brian Kendrick? – WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella? vs. WWE United States Champion Shelton Benjamin? – WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix? vs. WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool? – World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes? & Ted DiBiase? will square off with the newly-crowned WWE Tag Team Champions Carlito? & Primo? – WWE Chairman Vince McMahon added, "The WWE and MyNet will become the tag team champions of Friday night television." In anticipation of the debut of "WWE Friday Night SmackDown," MyNetworkTV will present "WrestleMania – The World Television Premiere" the night prior to launch. Viewers can re-live the action and excitement from WrestleMania XXIV. Now, for the first time ever, MyNetwork TV and WWE invite you to enjoy that same exhilaration on broadcast television in an innovative presentation combining the high impact action of the WWE scored to music from some of the industry's biggest stars including U2, Metallica, Three Doors Down, Three 6 Mafia, and Kid Rock. About MyNetworkTV? MyNetworkTV is a primetime general entertainment broadcast television network. Reaching over 97% of the country and targeted to Adults 18-49, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of diverse programming Monday through Saturday, including "Celebrity Expos?," Langley Productions' "Jail" and "Street Patrol" and debuting in October 2008, "Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed," "The Tony Rock Project" and "WWE Friday Night SmackDown?." For more information, please visit www.mynetworktv.com. About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

truTV, formerly CourtTV, announced that former Minnesota Governor and WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura has signed on to host a new series: Governor Jesse Ventura Working on New Project for truTV to Investigate Conspiracy Theories NEW YORK, Sept 29, 2008 — Pilot From A. Smith & Co. Productions Begins Shooting Next Month Jesse Ventura, a man who has lived a dangerous life, is about to explore mysteries behind the most compelling modern day conspiracy theories for truTV. Production of a pilot featuring Ventura begins in October. The project comes to truTV from A. Smith & Co. Productions. Ventura will travel across the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics to make a final determination about a theory's validity. Ventura embodies truTV's promise to bring viewers real-life, high-stakes action and fascinating characters. Ventura was a U.S. Navy frogman/SEAL; a famous professional wrestler; mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minn.; and governor of Minnesota. All the while, Ventura maintained his reputation as a rebel and free-thinker. Ventura is passionate about the world of conspiracy theories and holds non-traditional opinions on many of them. He has no qualms about questioning authority and seeking truth. No matter how dangerous, who is involved or what is uncovered, Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces. Ventura stated "I've been a mayor; I've been a governor. Now, I get to be a detective, and seek the truth." "We are thrilled to be working with Jesse Ventura and with our production partners at A. Smith & Co.," said Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager at truTV. "Jesse is a savvy, high-energy and highly intellectual person. Above all, he's someone who is as real as they come." "This show will tackle some of the most popular conspiracy theories. Who better than Jesse Ventura to get to the bottom of each and reveal the truth?" said executive producer Arthur Smith of A. Smith & Co. "There is also no better place to exhibit the show than on truTV, which has an audience prepared to join Jesse on each of his investigations." The pilot will be executive-produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Frank Sinton of A. Smith & Co. and by Michael Braverman and Barry Bloom of the Braverman/Bloom Co. Ventura will serve as producer. For truTV, Robyn Hutt is the executive in charge of production. David Schiff, A. Smith & Co.'s vice president of production and development, will oversee the project for the company. Founded by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed in 2000, A. Smith & Co. Productions generates some of the most innovative, highly rated and high-quality unscripted programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Since its launch, the company has created over 500 hours of programming and developed and produced the number one show in America an astonishing 12 times and a top five show over 50 times. The company's current production slate includes the Emmy(R)-nominated hit show Hell's Kitchen, as well as Kitchen Nightmares with Chef Gordon Ramsay, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Trading Spaces with host Paige Davis, the critically acclaimed documentary series American Gangster and UFC Countdown. truTV is television's destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households and enjoying more than a year of solid and consistent ratings growth, truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can't normally experience. Among truTV's primetime fan favorites are the original series Smoking Gun Presents; Most Daring; Speeders; Ocean Force; Principal's Office; Forensic Files; and Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name IN SESSION. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.