– Reports surfaced online this week stating that WWE officials pulled Christian from television since he’s expected to appear at next month’s TNA Hall of Fame ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona as part of an agreement the rival wrestling organizations reached to allow Ric Flair to appear at Wrestlemania XXVIII. According to PWInsider.com, the reports are incorrect.

Multiple WWE sources state that Christian requested time off from the road since there were no major storylines planned for him and to also rest his ankle. He is still having trouble with his ankle, which sidelined him late last year and at the start of the year.

It is not known when he will return to the ring although he was at one point scheduled for next week’s television events in Canada.

– Following her latest dramatic episode on Monday’s Raw, General Manager AJ Lee addressed her mental state before announcing that WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart will be returning to Raw in Montreal for the first time in 15 years, this Monday at 8/7 CT.

Katarina Waters, known as Winter in TNA Wrestling, has parted ways with the organization.

According to K-Waters.net, her official fansite, Waters parted ways with the organization after her contract was not renewed. The website stated Thursday, “Just wanted to make an update and let everyone know Kat’s contract with TNA is officially up! Which means she is free to do DVDs, bookings, iPPVs, and whatever else! If interested please send emails to infamousbookings@hotmail.com.”

Waters was expected to leave the promotion after she was advertised last month to appear on iPPV for Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s subsidiary female promotion, B.L.O.W. Wrestling, on October 11—event taking place at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey. Though contracted TNA Wrestling talent are permitted to appear for independent wrestling promotions, they are prohibited from appearing on shows which are broadcast.

Following her release from WWE on April 22, 2010, Waters debuted in TNA Wrestling in October of that year as Winter. During her first year in the promotion she managed to win both of the promotion’s women’s championships, teaming with Angelina Love to win the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship in December 2010 and winning the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship in August 2011. However, her role was greatly deemphasized after Bruce Prichard took over the promotion’s creative reins in October 2011 as she was sparingly used from that point forward. Her last televised appearance occurred five months ago on the April 6, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling.

Waters is the third former TNA Women’s Knockout Champion to leave the promotion this year, trailing Angelina Love and Velvet Sky.

– The official WWE website is advertising Randy Orton for this weekend’s SmackDown live event tour of Ontario after “The Viper” was briefly pulled from listings. He will also appear at a non-televised Raw and SmackDown event on Sept. 15. It will be his last live event appearance until November since production for his latest film role, 12 Rounds: Reloaded, begins Sept. 26 and will go through the month of October. He is, however, advertised to appear at all SmackDown tapings in the meantime.

– All Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Kevin Nash will appear for the promotion at their Sept. 23 event in Yokohama as he partners with Keiji Mutoh (a/k/a Great Muta) in a “Special Tag Match” against Seiya Sanada and Taiyo Kea. The match would mark as an nWo reunion, with Nash being a member of the original New World Order faction and Mutoh being a member of nWo Japan.

– In the biggest match of her career, WWE NXT season three winner Kaitlyn faces her friend, and Divas Champion, Layla, at Night of Champions on Sept. 16. Regarding the upcoming bout, Kaitlyn tweeted Thursday, “2 years of Workin hard behind the scenes and flyin under the radar… It’s MY time at #NOC. let’s make this #NightOfKaitlyn @WWEUniverse.”

– WWE.com takes a look back at the influential career of Scott Hall with his addition to its Alumni section: “Who’s the WWE Alumni that climbed to the top of WWE and helped revolutionize sports-entertainment as a founder of The New World Order? Survey says: Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon). Check out The Bad Guy’s new profile page with exclusive photos, videos and more.”

WWE also notes his reputation within the professional industry with the following sentence: “The talented performer wasn’t always in prime condition, but few were better than Hall when he was on his game.”

– Eve Torres posted a Tout message Wednesday concerning the safety of the WWE Superstars.

“I firmly believe that the safety of the WWE Superstars is the most important thing there is. And I’m fully confident that Booker T will make the right decision on SmackDown,” she said.

– WWE Divas Champion Layla is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com. Click here to view her photos and videos.

Bill Goldberg joined Washington Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker and ‘Weight Loss Champion’ Chuck Carroll this week on 4th & Pain.

The two-time World Heavyweight Champion touched on how he would have ended his undefeated streak differently. He didn’t seem upset that the streak ended, but he would have made one major change to the finish—he would have used a real Taser.

The group also touched on how his undefeated streak began, who was responsible for it and how it will never be replicated.

Goldberg revealed he once played for current Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett in the World Football League. In addition, Goldberg predicted “nothing by happy times” ahead for the Washington Redskins. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

The Streak’s Beginning:

“I think between Tenay and Bobby Heenan, it was something they came up with. In all honesty, the character development, the crowd reaction, the squash matches, that all just came to be. I see what other companies are trying to do to emulate the streak and the reality is it’s hard to really duplicate something like that that actually came about by chance, by accident. It all kind of happened as it was going on. I don’t believe it was a preplanned being to give me an undefeated streak for a year or however long a period of time it was. It just gained momentum week after week after week and they just rode it out. I was lucky in the right place at the right time. Six or eight months after I got in the business I had the belt around my waist.”

The Streak’s End:

I’m upset because they wouldn’t let Scott Hall hit me with the (Taser) with the barbs in it. Because that’s what I want. I figured if I’m going down, I want you to stick me for real. But, it is what it is. A few weeks after Kevin Nash was put on the booking committee, Kevin Nash gets to beat me first. But hey, it is what it is.”

Seriously?! Real Barbs?!

“Absolutely! Adam (Carriker) can tell you… d-lineman are a different breed. I truly believe that even 20 years past me playing football, I have the same mentality as I did back then. I’m sure Adam has it. You have to. You gotta be a little nuts.

“The reality is, I wanted it as real as humanly possible. And if means me taking two barbs in my chest on national TV to make it look real, then damn! Let’s do it! I’m all for it.

“Right when they knocked on my door, I didn’t fake head butt every door and every locker in every training room that we were at. I went full bore. I was in it to win it, that’s for sure.

Favorite matches

“I always liked working with the Steiner Brothers. I loved working with them.

“Dallas Page… the match Dallas and I had at Halloween Havoc one year and he wanted me to spear him like 15 times in the damn match. It turned out to be a pretty darned good match. I ended up knocking myself out when I ended up spearing him, but was able to finish the match.

“The Hogan match at the Georgia Dome. That night at the Georgia Dome was the coolest thing in the world. Not because I was able to win the World Championship, not because it was in front of 44,000 people. But it was in front of the crowd that used to cheer us on as the Falcons.

“At the end of the night Jessie Tuggle, Chuck Smith… all the guys came out to save me. For that one second the guys that I revere, the guys that I respected, that I looked up to, the guys that make it All-Pro, the guys that are able to start every week and just kick ass wanted to be where I was. And so for me, that was really the coolest moment of my professional life, because the people that I looked up to wanted to be me and that was just a really cool feeling.”

Goldberg also noted that he would be interested in wrestling Steve Austin and The Undertaker and would “love” a rematch against Brock Lesnar. The full podcast is available at 4thandpain.com.

– WWE is currently running storylines where both RAW and SmackDown’s General Managers are having major problems with their jobs. AJ Lee’s angle is that she’s unstable and incompetent, while Booker T is being sued by one of his announcers. There is speculation that the General Managers being unable to handle their brands will lead to Vince McMahon firing them both and bringing in a big name to both shows.

– Matches for today’s WWE Superstars include:

* Layla vs. Natalya
* US Champion Antonio Cesaro vs. Justin Gabriel
* Damien Sandow vs. Alex Riley
* Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Primo & Epico.

– With Devon parting ways with TNA and expressing interest in returning to WWE, sources are not optimistic that he’ll get signed as a wrestler. WWE management was very fond of Devon back when he was one of the Dudley Boyz (more so than Bully Ray), but he has a much better chance of getting brought in as an agent or a trainer at developmental. Devon and Ray’s Team 3D wrestling academy has produced several promising young talents, so that will only help his chances of working behind the scenes.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– Following WWE’s announcement this week that the company will be holding it’s first-ever live events from Egypt later this year, PWInsider.com repoerts that WWE actually ran a few shows in Egypt back in the 1980’s.

– WWE.com has picked up the story of Triple H cutting off all his hair – and speculates whether this means that his days in the ring are in fact over. They also have a poll up asking who had the best haircut of 2012 – Triple H or his WrestleMania 28 opponent, The Undertaker.

Pictures of Triple H’s Buzzed Head – Totally New Look

– Earlier this week, CelebrityNetworth.com published a list of the richest pro wrestlers in the world and each top star’s net worth.

View Here: The Richest Pro Wrestlers In The World

Matt Hardy, who was not on the list, says the list is not accurate:

Saw a list @PWTorch posted from "Celebrity Net Worth" about the 'net value' of wrestlers. I can say with 100% confidence it's wrong. LOL

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) September 6, 2012

– Late night television host Jimmy Fallon’s production company, Holiday Road, recently pitched a pro wrestling-themed sitcom to NBC. The show, tentatively called Slammed, is written by one of Fallon’s writers and takes place behind-the-scenes at a pro wrestling promotion.

– NXT Champion Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes have been feuding via social media this week. After Rollins took offense to The Miz calling Cody the “Future of WWE” on RAW, the second generation superstar issued a challenge to Rollins at the upcoming NXT show from Fort Pierce, Florida on Friday, September 14th.

Seth Rollins has accepted the challenge in this Tout video:

* PICTURES of TRIPLE H’s Buzzed Head – Totally New Look

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

– WWE developmental talent Leakee has a new gimmick – Roman Reigns, a successful, expensive suit-wearing businessman.

– Here are some recent SmackDown live events figures:

* 9/1 in Des Moines, Iowa did 4,800 fans for a $145,000 gate.
* 9/2 in Madison, Wisconsin drew 3,000 fans for a $80,000 gate.

– Developmental wrestler Guillermo Rodriguez, the younger brother of Alberto Del Rio, is getting bad reviews for his work thus far. He has little to no experience training to be a wrestler and it shows. He’s not in danger of being cut from the program yet, but he has a very long way to go.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE Champion CM Punk is said to be very pleased with his character turning heel. Punk had a great run as the #2 babyface in WWE behind John Cena, but it was apparent that Cena is WWE’s “superhero” and he can have a greater impact as the top villain.

– Randy Orton remains adamant that he wants to wrestle as a heel. WWE is not yet comfortable with Sheamus being able to carry the load on SmackDown as the top drawing babyface, which has kept them from letting Orton return to his preferred role.

There was talk at this week’s tapings was that by the time Orton finishes filming the WWE Studios film 12 Rounds, Dolph Ziggler might  cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and win the World Heavyweight Title from Sheamus. This would set up a Orton vs. Ziggler World Heavyweight Title feud.

– As of this week, WWE is still set on having Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 29. John Cena vs. The Rock is still being discussed for the show, but their rematch could happen at the Royal Rumble. WWE is aware that the top 2 matches at WrestleMania 29 being rematches could hurt the show’s box office appeal.

* PICTURES of TRIPLE H’s Buzzed Head – You’ve NEVER Seen Him Look Like This!

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

– WWE’s recent tour of Australia was a major success, with the three live events grossing roughly $3.3 million. The shows in Sydney and Melbourne were near sellouts, so expect WWE to make the rounds down under on a more regular basis.

* 8/30 in Brisbane, Australia did 8,000 fans for a $750,000 gate.
* 8/31 in Sydney drew 15,000 fans for a $1.3 million gate.
* 9/1 in Melbourne drew 14,000 for a $1.3 million gate.

– WWE diva Cameron is currently serving a 15 day suspension for her recent DUI arrest. She will be eligible to return after next Friday, September 14th.

View Here: Cameron’s DUI Mughsot

– WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin is currently recovering from extensive reconstructive surgery on his knee with hopes of getting back to filming action movies in early 2013. There is virtually no chance of Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 29 – with a final match at WrestleMania 30 still looking like a faint possibility.

People close to Steve Austin say that he has no real desire to wrestle again and is very satisfied with the way he ended his career. It’s still possible that he will wrestle one final match the 30th WrestleMania in 2014, but only if he feels that he can perform at the highest level.

* Pictures of Triple H’s Buzzed Head

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

The name has been the same, but that attitude, quite different. Triple H recently cutting off his trademark long hair, clearly indicates he is committed to this new chapter of his life. We want to know your opinion! Which version of Triple H do you prefer the best? Give us your answer, then leave a comment below!

Related Articles
Photos: Triple H Shaves His Head

[poll id=”6″]

– WWE is currently working on lining up names for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013. As of this writing, the only person who is considered a lock is Mick Foley.

Following up on our report earlier this week that WWE is interested in bringing in Floyd Mayweather, Mr. T, Pete Rose and Jenny McCarthy for WrestleMania 29, Mr. T is considered a likely inductee to the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame, playing off his connection to the New York City area and his involvement in Wrestleania 1 from Madison Square Garden.

– WWE officials remain very frustrated and with the string of DUI arrests in the Tampa area involving their performers, with Brodus Clay’s dancer Cameron being the latest offender. When WWE has talked about moving its developmental system from Tampa to Stamford, Connecticut, one selling point to this scenario is that Stamford is much less of a party city and the feeling is that talent will have less of a chance to get into trouble there.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

On Monday’s RAW, we saw masked luchadors Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara join forces as a tag team. According to a report at PWInsider.com, WWE is looking forward to having the two superstars wrestle each other at WrestleMania 29 next April.

WWE originally planned a Mysterio vs. Sin Cara match at WrestleMania 28, with the idea being that WWE would hand out Mysterio and Sin Cara masks to the audience and set the Guinness World Record for the most masks worn in a public gathering. Both wrestlers were injured prior to the pay-per-view, which put those plans on hold. WWE has not given up on this spectacle.

The Mysterio & Sin Cara pairing is also being done because Mysterio is not 100% healthy right now and they want to use Mysterio to strongly endorse Cara, get his fans to follow the young grappler and pass the torch to him as WWE’s next great Mexican hero.

There is a good chance Mysterio and Sin Cara will win the WWE tag titles prior to breaking up and wrestling at WrestleMania 29. Current plans call for the Prime Time Players to get a run with the gold, which would lead to Mysterio & Sin Cara chasing them this fall.

UFC president Dana White sat down with Ariel Helwani of Fuel TV and addressed whether he’s be receptive to Brock Lesnar wanting to return to the world of MMA for one more dream fight.

White got a lot of people buzzing by asking fans if they’d want to see a fight between retired former MMA champions Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelienenko. Despite the excitement over this potential dream fight, the UFC boss says he was merely guaging fan interest and it’s highly unlikely that Lesnar and Fedor will ever go face to face in the octagon.

“The crazy thing is everyone is asking me to make this fight when you know Fedor is retired. The guy retired,” White said. “I couldn’t get him when he was fighting. Now I’m such good terms I’m going to pull out of retirement?”

Here’s the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7twO86SGjmI

– Former WWE talent Adam Copeland (a/k/a Edge) appeared on a Canadian morning radio show Wednesday promoting his upcoming appearances on Syfy’s supernatural drama series Haven. He explained that he cut his signature locks last spring prior to his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame because he didn’t want to be a 40-year-old with a ponytail and there were no tables, ladders and chairs in his life. The 14-minute interview is available here.

– WWE developmental talent Joe Anoa’i, brother of former WWE Superstar Rosey and WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna, recently changed his ring name in NXT from Leakee to Roman Reigns. His new character is a successful businessman who dons three piece suits and hits just as hard outside the ring in business negotiations.

– Former WWE talent Maryse Ouellet will host a launch party for House of Maryse, her jewelry line, at the Lily Bar & Lounge at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 15 beginning at 11:00 p.m.

– Ticketmaster.com is currently holding a pre-sale for the Dec. 28 Raw at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island with the passcode WWENASSAU. A match pitting John Cena and Kane against CM Punk and Daniel Bryan is being locally advertised for the event.

– Former WWE talent Maryse Ouellet will host a launch party for House of Maryse, her jewelry line at the Lily Bar & Lounge at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 15 beginning at 11:00 p.m.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Jim Ross responded to allegations that he’s racist for publicly slamming Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and Oklahoma State alumus Dez Bryant—Bryant recently agreed to strict guidelines from team officials regarding his conduct away from the field.

Ross wrote in his latest blog post, “Because I came down hard on the immature, amazing athlete Dez Bryant, some called me a racist. Everyone can express their opinions, more power to them, but using phony keyboard warrior names is cowardly. First of all I’m not a racist and I do think that it’s sad that a grown man, regardless of his race, has to be babysat like the Cowboys are doing Dez. Without question, Dez is potentially a great football player with amazing God Given gifts but he needs to grow up. I hope that he does.”

Elsewhere in Ross’ post, he noted that WWE will hold a tryout camp this November during the organization’s tour of England: “I’m making plans to travel to Birmingham, England this November for a sanctioned, invitation only, WWE try out camp.”

As reported Wednesday by TMZ.com, WWE COO Triple H has cut off his signature locks as he was spotted sporting a brand new haircut outside WWE Headquarters. Regarding this, Ross wrote, “Getting amazing amount of traffic on Twitter @JRsBBQ regarding HHH getting a haircut. It’s approaching the Undertaker haircut level. Next thing you know @HeymanHustle getting his back waxed will be trending.”

Ross also weighs in on wrestlers he truly feels are retired from the squared circle, WWE’s new CM Punk DVD, The Miz joining the broadcast booth on Raw Monday, developmental talent and more. His post is available at www.jrsbarbq.com.

– NBC has decided against going forward with its commitment to a drama pilot about 1980s professional wrestling involving Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as an executive producer and Jerry Bruckheimer’s production company, reports PWInsider.com. The option for the series was not renewed last month. Since NBC purchased the series and guaranteed a pilot episode would air, the network is believed to have paid a penalty for dropping the project.

– Former WWE Superstar Paul London, a working actor, recently filmed a television commercial for Domino’s Pizza that will air regionally on the West Coast. London and his brother have been pitching a “sword and sorcery” style project in Hollywood.

– WWE.com has published an article asking whether AJ Lee is fit to rule Raw following her in-ring meltdown on Monday’s show.

The article notes, “Although Vickie was clearly in the wrong for taking advantage of AJ’s vulnerability and striking Ms. Lee knowing full well there would be no retaliation, the Raw GM’s resultant in-ring meltdown no doubt raised more than a few eyebrows among members of both the WWE Universe and the WWE Board. Upon examining AJ Lee’s savage, chair-throwing tantrum, WWE.com asks the question: Is AJ truly the right choice to serve as Raw General Manager?”

– Shelly Martinez has launched an eStore at www.ShellyMartinezShop.com. It features shirts, DVDs and soon, limited edition photos.

– In Thursday’s birthdays, WWE Hall of Famer Wendi Richter turns 51-years-old, one-time WWE Divas Champion Jillian Hall turns 32, and Low Ki, winner of the second season of WWE NXT, turns 33.

– EOnline.com has published an article on WWE Diva and Stars Earn Stripes winner Eve Torres’ admiration for noted American politician, commentator and author Sarah Palin, who she met during filming of the NBC reality show—Palin’s husband Todd was a contestant on the show.

“She was really a lovely woman,” said Torres. “We didn’t talk politics, but she was excited for me when I won. She was proud that I did it for the girls out there. She was really sweet.”

Torres also had dinner with the Palins. “At the end of the day, she’s a mom and a nice woman,” Torres said.

– Booker T has been announced to appear at an NXT live event taking place Friday, Sept. 21 at Charlotte Harbor Event Center 75 Taylor Road, Punta Gorda Florida 33948. The SmackDown General Manager will participate in a Meet and Greet before the show.

– In attendance figures for last week’s Raw brand tour of Australia, the Aug. 30 show in Brisbane drew 8,000 paying $750,000. Aug. 31 in Sydney drew a near sellout of 15,000 paying $1.3 million. Sept. 1 in Melbourne drew a near sellout of 14,000 paying $1.3 million.

SmackDown on Sept. 1 in Des Moines, Iowa drew 4,800 paying $145,000. The following night’s show in Madison, Wisconsin did 3,000 paying $80,000.

TMZ has announced and WWE has confirmed that WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, Paul Levesque AKA Triple H has cut his trademark long hair.  TMZ has released a photo of Hunter and fans posing in front of WWE Headquarters showing off his look. Check out these pictures, courtesy of TMZ:

[nggallery id=60]

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart will be appearing at Monday’s RAW from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada – the site of the infamous Montreal Screwjob.

Bret tweeted this about his homecoming:

Yes, I was asked by WWE to be in Montreal this Monday and I'll be there. That's one off the bucket list.

— Bret Hart (@BretHart) September 5, 2012

WWE announced Wednesday that for the first time, the organization will hold events in Egypt. The following press release was issued:

WWE to Make Live Event Debut in Egypt

LONDON, September 5, 2012 – WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced that, for the first time, it will bring WWE World Tour to Egypt for three nights from Thursday, October 18 through Saturday, October 20, 2012 at the Cairo Stadium Complex. With its debut in Egypt, WWE continues to expand the reach of its business, including live events in six new countries in 2012.

This Egyptian tour comes on the heels of a successful WWE Raw® World Tour in Abu Dhabi this past February, where more than 16,000 fans packed the International Tennis Complex within the Zayed Sports City. The WWE World Tour will bring some of WWE’s biggest Superstars to fans in Egypt, including Sheamus®, Alberto Del Rio®, Zack Ryder®, Kofi Kingston® and Dolph Ziggler®*.

WWE will be working with Egyptian live events promoter, Creative Design, to bring WWE World Tour to local fans. Creative Design previously brought WWE to Doha, Qatar last year.

“WWE is one of the largest names in family entertainment, and it’s a great honor to hold such an enormous event in a wonderful country like Egypt,” said Assem Al Sheikh, Chairman of Creative Design.

“We’re thrilled to announce this three-day, live event tour in Egypt,” said Ed Wells, Managing Director and Senior Vice President of WWE International. “These shows in Cairo are further testament to the strength and popularity of the WWE brand throughout the MENA region and build on our efforts to expand our business internationally.”

Tickets are on sale starting September 8 and can be purchased from http://Ticketsmarche.com and the Tickets hotline: +2 01008425387 (+2 0100tickets)

*Talent line-up subject to change

Former WWE superstar Dave Bautista will be participating in an upcoming youth outreach event:

Press release:

Former WWE champion Bautista to visit area youth Friday to advocate non-violence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 5, 2012) – Six-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion David Bautista will team up Friday with the City of Providence in a Town Hall-style setting in an effort to remind area youth of the importance of making responsible decisions and peaceful conflict resolutions within the community.

Friday’s Town Hall Meeting, which will also address the value of physical fitness and education, will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at The Madeline Rogers Recreation Center, located at 60 Camden Ave., in Providence and will be open to the public.

The Town Hall Meeting hopes to bring attention to Project Night Vision, a new program in Providence aimed at providing at-risk youths with a safe learning environment through athletics and team-building. Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare and members of the Providence and State Police Departments, including Col. Steven O’Donnell, will also be in attendance.

Friday’s festivities will kick off the official countdown to Bautista’s Oct. 6 mixed martial arts debut at The Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Following the Town Hall Meeting, Bautista will participate in a special autograph signing beginning at 5:30 at Cerrone Chevrolet GMC Buick, located at 68 Washington St., in Attleboro, Mass.

Bautista’s tour will conclude with an exclusive appearance at Vanity Restaurant & Lounge, located at 566 South Main St., in downtown Providence, beginning at 10 p.m. All events Friday are open to the public.

Bautista, an actor, wrestler and former bodybuilder, will make his professional debut against heavyweight Rashid Evans (1-2) of New York. The show, titled “Real Pain,” is presented by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports in association with June Entertainment and 4zero1 Entertainment Group. Tickets are priced at $20.00, $35.00, $55.00, $75.00, $125.00 and $250.00 and can be purchased at www.cesmma.com or www.ticketmaster.com. The show will also air live on Direct TV Pay-Per-View.

* Pictures of BATISTA’s MMA Training – Damn!

– In the midst of Cody Rhodes’ “obsession” with unmasking Sin Cara, WWE.com has published photos of the high-flying Superstar with his mask removed. His face, however, is not visible in the photos.

View Here: Pictures of SIN CARA Unmasked – See His Face

– WWE will hold a SmackDown taping at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Tuesday, November 20. Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 15 at 11:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com.

– Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis has been announced to appear ringside for CHIKARA Pro’s King of Trios tournament September 14-16. She will be in the corner of Mike Bennett and the Young Bucks when they take on The Warlord, Barbarian and Meng.

– Lex Luger is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.

Cable television network TNT has announced that WWE superstar and Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has signed onto star in a new “action-packed competition series that will set out to find the next great hero” – coming Summer 2013.

Here is the official announcement from the TNT Newsroom:

High-Impact Series Showcasing Ordinary People in Extraordinary Situations, With Viewers Casting Votes for the Ultimate Hero

The Hero to Utilize Social Media Like Never Before in a Competition Series

TNT has given the greenlight to The Hero (working title), a new reality-competition series that will set out to find the next great hero. TNT has ordered eight episodes of the series from Ben Silverman‘s multimedia entertainment studio Electus and its 5×5 Media exclusive producers. The Hero will be headlined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will executive-produce with his producing partner, Dany Garcia. The series is set to premiere on TNT in summer 2013.

The Hero will bring 10 ordinary people together in a house and then assign them various missions that will test their brains, their brawn and even their morality. The show will challenge the competitors to prove they’ve got what it takes to be heroes, pushing them to the limits to see what they are willing (and able) to overcome, undergo or sacrifice for the sake of their fellow contestants. Johnson will serve as The Hero‘s mentor and motivator, encouraging the contestants to reach far beyond their personal limits. In the end, one player will rise above the others, overcoming obstacles he/she never thought possible in order to become a true hero.

In a unique twist on the reality-competition format, The Hero will incorporate social media into every facet of the show, from pre-production and casting to on-location shooting and live broadcasts. Through the show’s interactive digital platform, viewers will be able to vote each week for the contestant they consider to be the most heroic. The series will also leverage the power of Johnson’s enormous social-media following, which includes more than 10 million fans through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“Dany and I couldn’t be more excited to enter into our first official foray in TV production,” said Dwayne Johnson. “The Hero speaks to everything I believe in when it comes to challenging ourselves, to becoming better people every day and to making the right choices while growing from the wrong ones. Bridging the digital and physical world on the small screen in a way that’s never been done before will enable fans to use social media and on-screen decision making to determine the fate of the show’s contestants, and our goal is to make each TV moment impactful and exciting.”

“The Hero is a great fit for TNT’s drama fans, whether they enjoy stories with a lot of action, suspense and danger, or stories that offer inspiration through the heroic actions of everyday people,” said Michael Wright, President, Head of Programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “We’re also very excited about the extensive social-media aspect of The Hero, which will engage viewers on an entirely new level and develop a strong emotional investment in the competitors and challenges.”

“The Rock is the embodiment of The Hero and an inspirational superstar with an unwavering moral compass,” said Ben Silverman, Founder and Chairman of Electus. “The Hero will deliver on his brand as an incredible action-filled series that test the limits of real people in extraordinary circumstances while also activating the Rock and Turner’s audience with seamless digital and social media tie-ins. TNT is the ideal platform partner, with incredible characters and heroes from the worlds of fiction and sports, as well as a unique capacity to deliver an enthusiastic audience of drama fans.”

Johnson has become a worldwide entertainment brand with a multi-hyphenate global reach as a successful actor, sports entertainer, social media maven, film and now, television producer. Johnson’s upcoming film credits include G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain, Empire State and The Fast and The Furious 6, with past credits including Journey 2: Mysterious Island, Fast Five, The Other Guys, The Game Plan, Gridiron Gang, Walking Tall and The Rundown. Johnson’s television credits include guest appearances on Family Guy and Saturday Night Live, plus regular appearances on WWE Monday Night Raw. Johnson is represented by WME Entertainment.

As a celebrity influencer, Johnson has established unparalleled social-media engagement with more than 10 million fans worldwide to date across the Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms. He holds an unprecedented 38% re-tweet rate and has a consistently expanding fan base that averages more than 8,000 new followers/fans per day on both Twitter and Facebook. At last year’s 5th Annual Mashable Awards, Johnson won as a “Must-Follow Actor or Actress on Social Media.” Additionally, over the past month alone, Johnson’s Facebook posts have received more than a quarter million “likes,” reaching upwards of 5 million fans with a single photo and message.

The Hero was created by Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk of the Emmy®-winning 5×5 Media (Survivor, Fashion Star, TBS’s upcoming King of the Nerds), along with Charles Wachter (Fashion Star, Food Revolution) and Electus’ Ben Silverman (Fashion Star, The Biggest Loser, The Office). The series is executive-produced by Electus (Ben Silverman, Chris Grant and Jimmy Fox); 5×5 Media (part of the Electus studio system led by Craig Armstrong and Rick Ringbakk); Charles Wachter; Dwayne Johnson; and Dany Garcia. Electus International, Electus’ global distribution arm, will retain all international distribution rights.