Jamie Noble Attacked, TNA for Sale and Top WWE News from Week of October 1

The array of WWE news stories we see every week is always a mix of good, bad and everything in between, and this week is no exception.

Jamie Noble Attacked and Hospitalized

In one of the more unfortunate stories from the past week, WWE's Jamie Noble has been hospitalized following an attack outside his home.

According to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, the backstage producer was followed home by three men who claimed Noble had cut them off while driving.

The argument turned physical, and "at least" one of the men ended up stabbing Noble twice in the back. Thankfully, the wounds were not fatal and he was treated at a local emergency room.

The report did not state whether any suspects had been named, but the most important thing is Noble will recover from his wounds and be just fine. 

Noble's last run on television saw him team up with Joey Mercury to form J&J Security, a popular duo that was in charge of Seth Rollins' protection under orders from The Authority.

TNA's Future Uncertain, WWE Possibly Interested in Purchasing the Company

If you even casually follow wrestling news, odds are good that you have heard about all the drama in recent weeks surrounding TNA and a possible sale.

According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc.), WWE is one of the groups interested in purchasing the struggling promotion.

One of the biggest issues happening with TNA right now is the funding of Sunday's Bound for Glory pay-per-view and the next set of TV tapings.

Were WWE to end up purchasing TNA's assets, it likely would not continue running the company, but would instead focus on using the video library to produce new DVDs and documentaries about talents who have worked for both companies.

AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode and Booker T are just some of the names working for WWE who had prominent runs in TNA. Were Vince McMahon and Co. to acquire the company, it could finally start recognizing the history many Superstars have beyond WWE.

TNA has been considered the No. 2 wrestling promotion in the United States for a long time, but the past few years have seen the ratings slide and many of the company's veterans leave for greener pastures.

On top of that, other companies like Ring of Honor and Lucha Underground have chipped away at their audience.

TNA was originally founded by Jerry and Jeff Jarrett, but Dixie Carter took over running the company in 2003. Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan is now running things, and he is said to be one of the potential buyers if WWE passes on purchasing the promotion.

It's never good to see hardworking people lose their jobs, so hopefully things work out well for everyone involved.

Teams Announced For Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

WWE is bringing back the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and WWE.com has already confirmed a number of teams participating in the tournament.

NXT tag teams TM-61, The Revival and DIY will be joined by several other NXT talents and competitors from the recent Cruiserweight Classic.

The Bollywood Boys, Hideo Itami and Kota Ibushi, Andrade "Cien" Almas and Cedric Alexander, Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger, and the team of Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli will also be competing.

The tournament will consist of 16 duos, so WWE still has to find another eight teams to fill up the bracket. Unless officials brings in teams from the main roster, we could see outside talents recruited like we did for the CWC.

The first tournament was won by Finn Balor and Samoa Joe before Joe turned heel and won the NXT Championship. As of this writing, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and The Revival will be the only two teams that will have competed in both tourneys.

Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson to Appear on Raw

As seen during Monday's Raw, The Ranch and That 70's Show stars Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson announced they will be appearing on Monday's Raw to confront Chris Jericho.

Y2J mentioned Kutcher in a promo a few weeks ago, purposely mispronouncing his name as "Kutchner." This small indiscretion is apparently what set all this in motion.

Kutcher and Masterson are no strangers to pro wrestling. That 70's Show featured The Rock, Ken Shamrock and The Hardy Boyz in an episode that saw the gang attend a wrestling show.

Considering the second season of The Ranch is set to premiere on Netflix on October 7, it's clear this is a cross-promotional stunt to hype the show and bring in a couple of celebrities to create some buzz for Raw.

For those who don't know, The Ranch features Kutcher and Masterson playing brothers on, well, a ranch. Their parents are played by Hollywood legends Sam Elliott and Debra Winger. The show holds a 7.5-star rating on IMDB, indicating the majority of fans enjoyed the sitcom.

WWE Raw Draws Lowest Ratings Ever

Last Monday's Raw faced stiff competition from the first presidential debate and Monday Night Football, and it led to the show suffering in a big way.

According to Mitch Metcalf of Showbuzz Daily (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), Raw drew the lowest ratings in the show's history, bringing in less than three million viewers. Fortunately for WWE, ratings are no longer as important as they were during the Monday Night Wars.

Ratings are taken into account when advertisers are purchasing ad space, but thanks to DVRs and social media scores, there are a lot more factors to consider.

WWE is still one of the most socially active shows on television every week, and many fans likely choose to watch at their own convenience rather than sitting for three straight hours to watch the show.

Ryback in Talks With Bellator

In what might be the strangest story of the week, Ryback is reportedly thinking about a career in MMA. The former WWE Superstar appeared on X1075 in Las Vegas and told the hosts he is interested in fighting and has been speaking with Bellator.

Ryback has done some martial arts training since leaving WWE, but he is about as experienced as your seven-year-old cousin who quit doing taekwondo before reaching yellow belt.

The Big Guy has power on his side, but anyone who has ever trained to fight will tell you power is not everything. It's all about speed, stamina, strategy and anticipating what your opponent is going to do.

There is no denying the buzz a former WWE Superstar would bring to the second-biggest MMA company in the U.S., but after CM Punk's loss at UFC 203, there might not be as much interest as there would have been a year ago.

Regardless, anyone who is willing to step into a cage with a professionally trained fighter has to be given credit for being brave enough to risk being injured.

What do you think? Should Ryback try his hand at MMA, or should he just continue wrestling?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.