Looks like The Baltimore Sun’s Kevin Eck was spot on. Reports are surfacing that Knockout Gail Kim has indeed parted ways with TNA and will be heading to WWE.

Gail reportedly met with WWE talent relations exec John Laurinaitis on Thursday afternoon, and is on the verge of signing with the company. Rumors suggest that Gail’s decision to jump ship from TNA was financially motivated, and that she is leaving TNA on good terms.

While Gail has not yet addressed her career move on her MySpace page, she upgraded her “mood” from “sad” to “optimistic” today.

Gail Kim’s final TNA match will air on Spike TV tonight.

Apparently there’s no love lost between WWE superstar Randy Orton and not one, not two, but three former ECW wrestlers. Orton “singled out Bubba Ray Dudley, Test and Hardcore Holly as being selfish and stiff in the ring,” according to The Sun.

Speaking of Bubba Ray Dudley, Orton told The Sun:

I never liked him. I never liked what he did because he only thought of himself. In the match my foot was broken, it was his fault… Bubba Dudley is the most out of shape, fat, non-work-ethic-having person I ever knew. And you had just a bad taste in your mouth when you met him. (via LOP)

Ouch. Them’s fightin’ words, Brother Ray!

Just sayin’.

WWE released another ECW original today with the usual tedious “best in all his future endeavors” blurb: Stevie Richards. Hopefully this was a mutual decision, and not just the WWE kicking another wrestling legend to the curb. Here’s what Stevie Richards’ long time friend Joey Styles had to say on his blog today:

“World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of ECW Superstar Stevie Richards. WWE wishes him the best in all his future endeavors.”

In my seven and a half years with the Original ECW and 2 and a half here at WWE, I have read these announcements at least one hundred times. I think we all become somewhat callous to these announcments because people being fired from their places of employement are common occurances and just an everyday part of doing business.

However, Stevie Richards and I have been friends for over fifteen years and I and followed his painful quest to continue his dream of wrestling for a living through a broken neck and subsequent throat surgeries to repair a severed vocal cord as a result of the initial fusion of the vertebrae in his neck. In fact, earlier this year I interviewed Stevie on television about his painful surgeries and love of wrestling which kept him from retiring despite doctors’ reccomendations.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/superstars/joeystyles/styles/122807mep

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/vms/ecw/2008/february1-7/6389974?zone=ecw_joeystyles

As I finish my blog for this week, I know that if ECW Original, Stevie Richards decides his future endeavors will include continuing to wrestle, then it shall be.

Joey Styles

Stevie Richards (real name: Michael Manna) has a number of other gigs, including his prolific blogging and podcasting on the T4 tech blog. As a blogger, he puts me to shame with the number of weekly posts he manages to write, and he’s a stand-up guy who emailed a “thank you” when we linked to T4 a few months ago. We even forgive him for being an Apple fan boy.

Whether Michael Manna decides to shed the Stevie Richards persona to work in other media, or continues his wrestling career with TNA or the indies, his options are far from limited so I’m sure he’ll find success. Good luck, man!

Finally, a completely valid wrestling-related excuse to post a photo of Tila Tequila.   Awesome!  Layla, formerly of ECW and currently appearing on Raw, was seated just behind Tila Tequila at a taping of America’s Best Dance Crew:

image: Layla El Fan

In related (and more important) news, Video Uncensored has videos of Tila Tequila naked.

This is 100% unconfirmed rumor, but too juicy to skip over. Mick Foley is heading to TNA when his WWE contract expires on September 1, 2008, a close friend of Foley’s told The Sun. Foley confirmed a few days ago that he is unlikely to renew his WWE contract, and that the commentator gig isn’t really working out for him, according to the Long Island Press.

Jumping to TNA will be a win-win move for Mick Foley and WWE’s struggling competitor. Just lending his name to the TNA brand will be reason enough for longtime Foley fans to tune in, and will help legitimize TNA with wrestling viewers who still perceive it as a second-tier promotion.

What does Mick Foley stand to gain? TNA offers a significantly reduced travel schedule, one I’m sure Foley can negotiate down to just a few appearances a month. And of course, it’s likely that TNA will dig deep into their pockets to snag a legend like Foley.

Less travel, a lighter schedule, and decent money, plus more opportunities to do independent appearances without the clearance of WWE management? Sounds like a no-brainer for a 43-year-old guy with a wife and kids. Let’s hope the rumor mill churned out a bit of truth this time.