By Mike Mooneyham

Sept. 17, 2006

Can’t get enough of pro wrestling? Want to relive classic wrestling moments and enjoy the exploits of your favorite superstars from yesteryear?

Then you may want to give WWE 24/7 a try.

Comcast, expanding on its on-demand library, is now offering World Wrestling Entertainment’s 24/7 video-on-demand service locally.

WWE 24/7 On Demand, set at $7.99 per month, provides Comcast Digital Cable subscribers with 40 hours of wrestling-related programming each month in a variety of categories, including classic matches, behind-the-scenes coverage, wrestler profiles and more. The programming is updated monthly and includes originally produced shows and never-before-seen footage from WWE and other leading brands.

It’s the ultimate wrestling experience, according to Comcast vice president and general manager Bill Watson.

“We really think WWE 24/7 is a great enhancement to our video-on-demand service,” says Watson. “It’s what you want to watch when you want to watch it. It’s a really neat service.”

The service gives subscribers instant access to the world’s largest wrestling library of more than 75,000 hours of content from WWE, WCW (World Championship Wrestling), NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling), AWA (American Wrestling Association), OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling), Smoky Mountain Wrestling and other archives.

The service has been available locally since Aug. 15.

“The response has been good,” says Watson. “It’s great programming. WWE does a very good job.”

– WWE fan Jason Wilson is proceeding with his case against Spirit Squad leader Kenny (Ken Doane). The wrestler was served with warrants at a recent Raw in Charlottesville, Va., on charges of assault and battery and vandalism, stemming from a July incident.

Wilson, 27, said last week that he remains a fan of the company despite allegations that Doane, 20, caused him bodily injury following a July 2 WWE event at The Scope in Norfolk when he pulled at Wilson’s poster while the wrestler was in a car stopped at a red light.

The poster had been signed by former WWE women’s champ Mickie James, 26, who was in the car with Doane, her real-life boyfriend.

When the traffic light turned green, Wilson claims that Doane held onto his sign and pulled off, allegedly causing Wilson to fall and his sign to tear. He claims he strained his left shoulder during the incident.

“I was in the lane beside her, and I asked Mickie nicely for an autograph and she obliged,” says Wilson. “There were no other cars behind them in that lane. I told her how much I supported her, and she thanked me for the compliment. I told her she was a role model. We were nice to each other the whole time.”

Wilson claims Doane was pleasant initially, but that his mood changed when he took a further look at the poster.

“As she was in the middle of signing her autograph, Kenny recognized that DX was on the other side of my poster,” says Wilson. “He went into character mode when he saw the DX initials, and told me that he didn’t like DX and that I’d be lucky to get my poster back. I told him nicely that it was poster and my property, and that I had to get it back.”

Wilson said James told Doane not to rush her when the wrestler asked her to hurry up signing the poster.

“I told Mickie thanks for the autograph and she told me to take care. She was very nice the entire time. Kenny, though, became rude and disrespectful when he saw the DX initials on my poster.” Wilson said he suffered a strained muscle when Doane yanked the poster and additional strain when he lost his grip.

“As the light turned green and I told her goodbye, that’s when he stuck his left hand out the window and held on to my poster. Mickie had already passed it over. I was holding it with my left arm tight, and he was yanking it in my direction. He was trying to take it from me, but I wouldn’t let him. It all happened in a matter of seconds.”

The poster tore to pieces, but Wilson has the autograph from James, which he says he plans to use in court.

WWE’s Gary Davis, vice president for corporate communications, was quoted in July as saying that the company backed Doane 100 percent and that WWE offered Wilson autographed photos but Wilson refused and asked for money, which led to WWE requesting a written report. Wilson, however, claims he never asked a WWE representative for money, but instead “wanted to take it to court and handle it the American way. I didn’t want to handle it on the street.”

“Autographs don’t make up for injury and destroying somebody’s property. But I never asked for money,” says Wilson.

Wilson says Davis told him that the company would check out the incident report, but Wilson said he got tired of waiting for a reply and took his claims to a magistrate. Doane was later served at a WWE event in Charlottesville.

Wilson, a seasonal restaurant worker who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, says WWE withdrew its offer when it became a legal matter.

“It shouldn’t have taken two or three weeks to investigate a report,” says Wilson. “I sent an 18-page written report and pictures of what Kenny did to my poster and the site where it happened. I also sent medical records and a copy of the doctor’s bill. I did the right thing.”

Wilson said he has been taking medication for muscle aches and wants his doctor’s bills paid.

“This happened because of him (Doane). It’s not my fault. I think he was playing his character, but he went about it the wrong way. I don’t think he intended for my shoulder to get hurt, but it happened by him doing what he did, and he needs to pay for what he did. A wrestler should never do that to a fan’s property.”

The case goes to court Oct. 12 in Norfolk.

No matter what happens, Wilson says, he’ll continue to be a WWE fan.

“I’ve always loved Mickie James and Vince McMahon. I don’t want what Kenny did to come between me and WWE.”

– George’s Sports Bar, 1300 Savannah Highway, will air WWE’s Unforgiven pay-per-view at 8 p.m. tonight. Cover charge is $7.