– TNA President Dixie Carter made the following announcement on Twitter today:

“Just spoke to Dreamer. SABU is confirmed for HardCORE Justice this Sunday.”

– TNA star Hulk Hogan appeared at the Comedy Central roast of actor (and previous RAW guest host) David Hasselhoff. According to a fan report, Hogan ripped off his  Hulkamania t-shirt during the roast, revealing a “Suck it Hoff” T-Shirt. The event will air on Comedy Central in a few weeks.

Here is video of Hulk Hogan arriving on the red carpet for the Roast:

The New York Post has a special feature looking at the new action movie “The Expendables” – which they’ve dubbed the ‘manliest movie ever.’ The action movie, which hits theaters in the United States on August 13th, features an all-star action hero cast of Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Jason Statham, Steve Austin, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and more.  Austin was interviewed for the piece and had the following to say about:

His Favorite Action Movie: “I’d have to go with the first ‘Rocky.’ I saw that, got up the next morning, drank my eggs and was running down the street like an idiot.”

The Toughest “Expendable”: “The guys are all tough, but if you’re going to sit there and talk about a physical fight, I don’t think anyone will give you any argument that Randy Couture is that guy.”

His Last Real Fight: “I damn near got into a couple fights in the ring. When a guy snubs you a bit too hard, we call that a ‘potato.’ Depending on how good-natured you are, that dictates how many potatoes you want to take. When you’ve had enough, you send back what’s called a ‘receipt.’ Then it goes accordingly. Usually when you get a potato and send back a receipt, things settle down pretty fast.”

The Toughest Stunt He Did In The Movie: “My fight with Stallone. Being in a physical place with that guy and nothing but a brick and concrete floor with sand on it, and getting cut up and grinded. It was like rolling around on sandpaper. And on top of that, not wanting to throw the wrong punch and hit that guy, because that’s your star. It’s a moment of stress fighting with a guy like Sly, because I don’t care if you’re Steve Austin or not, you throw the wrong punch, you’re probably going to be gone.”

His Favorite onscreen kill: “I don’t even know. That’s a shame that I have to think about that. That only inspires me in my next endeavor to kill someone in such an extravagant fashion that we’ll have something to talk about next time.”

WWE and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) sent out the following press release this morning announcing that Triple H is the newest member of the MDA’s “Muscle Team” and will be taping part in a new campaign to raise awareness for the disease.

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today that WWE Superstar Triple H, a 13-time World Champion, is the newest member of MDA’s Muscle Team, a group of celebrity activists dedicated to building awareness for MDA. Triple H will begin appearing in print, video, radio and digital public service advertisements for MDA’s new “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” campaign in August.

As a proud member of the MDA Muscle Team (see his “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” print PSA; https://www.mda.org/news/100802tripleh-mda.html and video PSA; http://www.youtube.com/user/MySpaceMDA),  Triple H joins a diverse and growing group of celebrities including: Alison Sweeney, host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and “Days of Our Lives” star; Kurt Warner, former NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterback; Nancy O’Dell, Emmy-winning entertainment personality, author and entrepreneur; Booboo Stewart, star of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” movie; Wynonna Judd, country music recording artist; Ace Young, “American Idol” finalist; Brandon Barash, star of ABC’s “General Hospital” and Gold Medal Olympians Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, all of whom are dedicated to building awareness for MDA in 2010 and beyond.

“I am honored to partner with MDA in advancing their life-saving mission for those affected by debilitating muscle diseases,” stated Triple H. “As a member of the Muscle Team, I am truly inspired by the perseverance these adults and kids demonstrate every day in overcoming the challenges of muscular dystrophy.”

Joining Triple H in some of the PSAs is Max LaCaria, an 11-year-old from Arizona who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. While at the photo and video shoot for the campaign, Triple H presented Max with an official WWE Championship belt.

“There’s no discounting the importance of having Triple H as a member of the MDA Muscle Team,” said Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA President & CEO. “He’s already energizing fans as champions for MDA both in and out of the ring. And, while everyone is amazed by Triple H’s incredible physical strength, it pales when compared to the strength of his caring heart.”

Visit YouTube.com to see Triple H’s commercial for the MDA Muscle Team.

WWE star Drew McIntyre was recently interviewed by Slam Wrestling and spoke about the strong push he’s gotten so far and what it’s like being Vince McMahon’s “chosen one.”

McIntyre says despite the fact that he’s still one of the newer faces in WWE, he’s already got all the tools to be a top star and is rising to the top for a reason.

“There’s a lot of hype for a good reason,” McIntyre said. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but I believe in my head, but I feel that… when I was home in Scotland, I was watching some of the guys in TV talking about how they don’t get an opportunity, blah blah blah, Drew McInytre was the Chosen One, and he gets these opportunities. Then I think about it from my point of view. Wait a minute, and I honestly believe this, if an actor in Hollywood has been an actor for 20 years, and some new kid comes along, perfect for the role — he’s good-looking, he’s right, he’s good-looking, foreign, he’s got a sweet accent — this is the guy they’re going to want; we don’t know if he’s got the tools yet, but they’ll give him the opportunity to see how he does, and if he does well, fantastic. If he doesn’t, ugh.”

McIntyre says there’s pressure that comes from being Vince McMahon’s hand-picked “next big star,” but it’s nothing he can’t handle.

“I love pressure,” said McIntyre. “I work best under pressure. … It was pretty much what I’d been working for, for my entire life. This is all I’ve wanted, I worked hard at it since I was a kid. I worked hard in the gym. I’ve worked very hard to get that thumbs up from the boss himself. It was just justification in my head that all this has paid off. I get the opportunity to do what I always believed I was destined to do. … It just feels like it’s in my blood.”

Tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW was taped last week from San Antonio, Texas.

Here are the matches that we’ll see on tonight’s show:

* Edge vs. Wade Barrett

* Alicia Fox, Jillian Hall and Tamina vs. Natalya, Gail Kim and Eve

* Sheamus vs. Goldust

* John Cena vs. Chris Jericho

* Ted DiBiase vs. The Great Khali

* Randy Orton vs. The Miz

— Ever since Shawn Michaels was pinned by the Undertaker at WrestleMania and forced into retirement, there’s been a great deal of skepticism was to whether the Heartbreak Kid really could stay away from the ring. Michaels posted a message on Twitter over the weekend that addresses the situation and won’t make any of his fans happy. He wrote:

“I’m staying retired. Understand skepticism though”

– WWE recently registered the following trademarks:

• WWE Bragging Rights
• WWE Kids
• Hustle Loyalty Respect

– WWE will be celebrating the 900th episode of Monday Night RAW later this month on August 30th. Boston’s TD Garden, which is hosting the show, has announced that the dark match main event will see John Cena will face Sheamus and Randy Orton in a triple threat steel cage match.  Stars from SmackDown are also being advertised for the show.

This picture has surfaced online of TNA’s AJ Styles sporting a huge new tattoo:

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. In this update, JR talks about visiting WWE’s developmental territory over the weekend and scouting for new talent. He wrote:

“Enjoyed being around the 63 wrestlers who are trying out in Tampa this weekend and that ends Monday. Had an especially good time w/ Dusty Rhodes and the entire FCW crew who all do a great job teaching the fundamentals of the wrestling biz.

It’s hard for me to say how many prospects to be offered contracts but my best guess is that it will be in single digits likely between 2-5.

Really had a good time talking to many of the prospects Saturday and Sunday. I enjoy mentoring and helping these young people achieve their goals.

Mathematically, it’s tougher to earn a spot on a WWE roster than it is to make a 53 man NFL roster.

Goldust spoke to the group on Sunday and did anazingly well addressing the group and answering their questions. I heard R Truth also did a nice job addressing the group Friday. John Cena will neet w/ them on Monday morning.

As I understand it, WWE officials will award contracts to the most deserving candidates Monday afternoon. I wish them all good luck and hope that those who don’t leave w/ a deal stay positive and continue to chase an elusive dream.”

The promotional poster and synopsis for WWE’s Night of Champions pay-per-view event taking place on Sept. 19 has been released.

“On Sunday, September 19th, WWE brings you the one night of the year when every championship is on the line! Don¹t miss John Cena, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Randy Orton, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars as they battle for championship gold! Don’t miss “WWE: Night of Champions” on Sunday, September 19th, live on Pay-Per-View!”

— Former WWE Superstar Batista will announce his first post-WWE project tomorrow night on Monday Night Mayhem. The following synopsis was released: “In a “Summer of Mayhem 2010” exclusive, “The Animal” Batista will step into the MNM squared circle to announce his first post-WWE project. Rumors have been swirling about what the former six-time World Heavyweight Champion will be doing next, including a transition into the world of MMA with Strikeforce. The former WWE superstar separates fact from fiction only on Monday Night Mayhem.”

Chris Jericho will also join the program to give “his uncensored thoughts on the direction of TNA and the HardCORE Justice pay-per-view. Fans can listen to the show via www.mondaynightmayhem.com.

— The Sydney Morning Herald has a brief note on WWE Diva Kelly Kelly’s secret talent.

“I can burp the alphabet,” she tells the newspaper. “The burping comes out after a few drinks.”

— The documentary portion of WWE’s DVD release, Ricky Steamboat: The Life Story of the Dragon, will air on pay-per-view in September.

— Friday’s SmackDown broadcast in New York City on WWOR-TV will be preempted until 11:00 p.m. due to the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game.

— WWE announced at last night’s live Raw event in Daytona Beach, Florida that a Monday Night Raw taping will be held in Orlando at the Amway Arena on Nov. 22.

New promotional material from TNA for their No Surrender pay-per-view says that Kurt Angle will face Jeff Hardy. This year’s show takes place on September 5th from the iMPACT Zone in Orlando. Here’s the synopsis, main event and poster:

“For the first time ever on Pay-per-View, it’s Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy. Only one will survive. TNA Wrestling presents No Surrender Live! Sunday September 5th only on Pay-per-View. * Actual card subject to change.”