source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Bobby Heenan’s health has improved in recent months as he is doing a lot better. The WWE Hall of Famer is still having to relearn to talk clearly, but he’s improved enough that he’s planning on attending a spring training baseball game soon. In December 2007, Heenan had reconstructive surgery on his jaw, after the first surgery was unsuccessful. Heenan was placed in a medically induced coma which he was slowly brought out of about a month later. His jaw then had to be reconstructed.

— Recently released WWE wrestler Val Venis is heading to New Japan Wrestling. Venis and the newest Black Tiger (Tatsuhito Takaiwa) start on the company’s next tour as the newest members of a heel faction featuring Giant Bernard (former WWE star A-Train) and Karl Anderson.

— Former TNA wrestler Matt Bentley has left the wrestling business and is now playing guitar for a rock band called “Lost in Chaos” in the Tampa and Orlando area. His band was recently nominated for Florida’s Best Band on a local rock station website. Bentley had a tryout at WWE’s developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling last spring, but was not offered a contract. He also made an appearance on the episode of SmackDown following WrestleMania XXIV in a squash match, losing to Vladimir Kozlov in his debut.

— Ernest Miller recently talked about his role in The Wrestler, saying he had to spend his own money to fly to Los Angeles for the movie. The former WCW wrestler said his character in the movie is 52, while he’s 44, so he was told to gain 20 pounds in the stomach region to look like an out of shape former professional wrestler. “I gained about 20 pounds and when I say gain pounds,” Miller said, “I put it on eating hamburgers and doughnuts. I kind of overdid it!”

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