WWE Hall of FamerJim Ross has updated the Q&A section of JRsBarBQ.com once again. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Was the fan attacking Randy Orton in South Africa a “work” ?
“It was an overzealous fan who was sent to jail as best that I know.”
Will Kurt Angle ever return to WWE?
“Kurt Angle returning to WWE is largely up to Kurt Angle. I have no idea what his future plans are but his in ring days lessen each day. He’s a warriot but everyone has an expiration date when it comes to in ring work.”
Will Christian will get another run as World Champion:
“Christian is a valued resource within WWE. He’s been doing very well on TV as of late. His future is excellent but to get into specifics that I don’t know would not be honest or fair.”
– Despite being attacked by a fan at last night’s WWE live event from Cape Town, South Africa, a WWE spokesperson has confirmed that Orton is not injured and will perform at tonight’s show.
– Bill Goldberg hinted that he might be involved in the new WWE 2K14 video game. In response to a fan that said he wants Goldberg in the game, the former WWE superstar replied:
Careful what you ask for …RT @jaay_dasilva98: @WWEgames I want more than anyone @Goldberg
– 2K Sports will be releasing a special “Undertaker” edition of the new WWE 2K14 video game, which will include both his current character and the “American Badass” character from the Attitude Era.
Here’s a photo of the special edition of the game (click to enlarge):
The WWE fan who attacked Randy Orton in the ring at Tuesday night’s WWE Live Event from Cape Town, South Africa is 20-year-old pro wrestler Tshepo Sekhabi, known in the ring as “Jozi the Wrestling Machine.”
In an interview with South African news website ENCA.com, Sekhabi claims he quit his job in order to attend the event. The attack was premeditated – and he ended up with a black eye and a swollen face as a result of Randy Orton kicking him in the face as he was being pulled from the ring by security.
As for why he decided to jump the security gate, hit the ring and low blow Randy Orton, he told ENCA:
“I just don’t like Randy Orton, this was an opportunity for me so I got up there and made a name for myself.”
Contrary to previous reports, Sekhabi was not “formally” arrested but was given a five year ban from the casino resort where the WWE event was being held.
WWE was contacted about whether Randy Orton would apologize for kicking the fan in the face. They issued a statement, saying:
“Randy Orton was the victim in this incident and suffered an injured groin.”
Though Vince McMahon’s television character is portrayed as having a strong distaste for Daniel Bryan, in reality, the WWE Chairman and CEO thinks quite highly of the wrestler once known as the “American Dragon.”
In response to a rumor on the F4WOnline.com message board concerning McMahon’s relationship with Bryan, Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer revealed how the organization head perceives the wrestling standout. According to Meltzer, McMahon legitimately believes he taught Bryan “how to be a star.”
“Vince believes he took a guy who was very good technically but had no personality and taught him how to be a star,” wrote Meltzer. “If anything, he believes he was more right than anyone on him.”
As part of his Seven Summits mountain climbing expedition, WWE announcer JBL reached the top of the French Alps this week. Here’s a photo gallery from the climb – followed by some Tout videos by JBL:
D’Lo Brown appeared on VOC Nation, where he addressed his recent departure from TNA Wrestling, whether a return is possible, WWE, continuing to wrestle, and more.
On TNA’s financial problems and roster cuts: “Looking at things at 30,000 feet, I think that they’re going through some growing pains right now. They’re restructuring and trying to fortify their product. Taking the show on the road was a big financial burden. I think it’s part of the natural growing process of the company; (the roster cuts) were like pruning a tree.”
On whether TNA went on the road too soon: “Ready or not they had to go. It was time to move on. The crowds were becoming stale; they weren’t adding to the product, they were taking away from it.”
On whether his release was a surprise: “This was completely out of the blue. We just solidified a deal that Friday, and things changed over the weekend. It caught me completely by surprise.”
On a possible comeback to TNA: “The door is always open to return; we parted amicably. I felt like I did a really good job there and I received a lot of praise from the upper echelon. I’m open to a reconciliation.”
On whether he would entertain an offer from the WWE as a trainer: “Jobs don’t grow on trees, and those jobs are based on a need basis. If that opportunity ever arises, I’ll be ready for it, but in the meantime, I’ll do the things that I can do and have control over.”
On whether he will take wrestling bookings on the independent circuit: “Absolutely. I think that the match I had with Kurt Angle and then the next week with Joseph Park got the wrestling juices flowing again in me. I thought I was going to feel like hell and I actually felt good. I’m back in the gym killing it trying to get back into wrestling shape. I’ll be taking wrestling bookings and I’ll be out there having fun.”
As previously reported, WWE Superstar CM Punk was at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Tuesday night for the Cubs’ double header against the Milwaukee Brewers. Punk sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch and spoke to Chicago’s Sports Talk Live about a number of wrestling-related topics. Here’s what CM Punk said about the following WWE personalities:
Daniel Bryan:“Second best wrestler in the world.”
John Cena:“Company man.”
Brock Lesnar:“Challenging.”
Randy Orton:“Money in the bank.”
CM Punk:“I’d probably say a bunch of self deprecating negative stuff, he’s got a double chin, he’s kinda fat, he talks to much, his face is all scarred up.”
Paul Heyman:“Paul Heyman’s a bad egg. I’d like to see Paul Heyman try to run the bases.”
Former TNA Knockout Madison Rayne recently discussed her departure from TNA Impact Wrestling in a new blog posted online on Wednesday afternoon.
“Let me first reiterate, I was not released from my contract on bad terms, with any ill feelings, or with the slightest bit of regret for giving everything I had to Impact Wrestling for 4 1/2 years!” she began. “I’ve had what seems like an endless number of tweets lately telling me that I need to go wrestle elsewhere, and people cannot believe I got fired because I was pregnant.”
Rayne continued, “Y’all, as much as I appreciate the support and the fact that people were affected enough by my release to generate some sort of emotion, please don’t stress over it. I’m surely not. As cliche as it may sound, if I am meant to be back in a wrestling ring on television, God will put me back there. And I have this overwhelming feeling that He will, but for right now I’m so excited and so looking forward to being a mommy and bringing the next generation of Queen Bee into the world.”
Longtime Memphis pro wrestling announcer and promoter, Corey Maclin, died in an auto accident that took place at 11pm E.T. on Tuesday night in Panola County, Mississippi.
Maclin worked alongside the legendary Lance Russell for a long period of time, and even co-promoted events with WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler in the local Memphis area.
Maclin was 43 years of age, and married with six children at the time of his passing.
CM Punk was at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday night for the Chicago Cubs’ double header against the Milwaukee Brewers. Punk sang during the 7th inning stretch.
– WWE will release their latest quarterly earnings report tomorrow (Thursday). The report should include finalized financial results for WrestleMania 29 and an update on the WWE Network.
– WWE’s international tour continues, with the “RAW” crew finishing it’s tour of Australia and heading to Shanghai, China for a live event on Friday. The other crew continues its tour of South Africa today with a second show in Cape Town.
– 3MB member Drew McIntyre tweeted the following about why he’s not wrestling on WWE’s ongoing international tour:
– This month’s “Where Are They Now?” feature at WWE.com spotlights former superstar Dennis Knight, best known as Mideon. The article states:
Since leaving WWE in 2000, Knight has become a wizard in the kitchen, operating his own catering company and planning to throw his name in the hat for an upcoming season of the hit reality series “Food Network Star.”
– Ryback continues to get taunted with “Goldberg” chants at WWE’s ongoing International tour. At yesterday’s show, Ryback cut a promo before his match against John Cena – telling the crowd he’s sick of the chants. Of course – this led to the audience screaming Goldberg’s name at him.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. In this installment, JR wrote about Monday’s RAW and the premiere of Total Divas. Here are some highlights:
McMahon Family & Daniel Bryan: The end game for the McMahon Family conflict interests me especially considering that #1 contender for the WWE Title @WWEDanielBryan is in the middle of it. Where is this matter heading? I’m happy that I have no idea. If Daniel Bryan were to win the WWE Title at Summer Slam, how would that affect the ‘family’ dynamic? Hmmm”
Ryback: “Ryback had a good night even in a losing effort in the Tables Match vs. @JohnCena. Ryback seems to really enjoy his antagonist role and it fits him better and better each week. Being a great, wrestling villain is a skill that isn’t easily or quickly acquired. If Ryback had came along in the 70’s or 80’s, some promoter likely would have made him a ‘Russian’ or another non American to capitalize on a Nationalism story.”
The Wyatt Family: “I’d be remiss without noting that The Wyatt Family had a solid night on RAW and that their vignettes introducing them to the WWE Universe were more golden than many perceive. They had an identity before they ever showed up in person on RAW. Reminds me of how Bill Watts established the Rock ‘n Roll Express in the Mid South Territory using music videos before Morton and Gibson physically arrived in the 80’s.”
As always, you can buy JR’s amazing line of BBQ products from WWEShop.com.
As reported earlier earlier, Randy Orton was attacked by a crazed fan after his match against Big E Langston at WWE’s live event from Cape Town, South Africa, as Randy Orton.
TMZ.com has picked up the story and reports that the fan has been arrested.
WWE released a statement on the matter:
“Tonight Randy Orton was violently attacked from behind by a South African fan, who is currently being held in jail pending criminal charges. The extent of Orton’s injuries are unknown at this time.”
The fan leveled Orton in the groin with a “low blow” as he was standing on a turnbuckle, causing him to fall to the canvas. Orton retaliated against the fan as he was being dragged out of the ring by arena personnel by kicking him in the head.
The following are results from the WWE live event in Cape Town, South Africa. The event was held on Tuesday, July 30th.
-R-Truth defeated Fandango in a decent opening match.
-AJ Lee defeated Kaitlyn in a typical Divas match. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Pretty much what you would expect.
-Justin Gabriel defeated Titus O’Neil from the Prime Time Players with the 450 Splash. This one went over ten minutes and was a simple, but fun match for the live crowd. There were a lot of false-finishes leading up to Gabriel’s 450 Splash, so the crowd was hot for the finish.
-Randy Orton defeated Big E. Langston via pinfall after he hit him with the RKO. As reported in detail earlier, this is the match where a fan hit the ring. Read more details, and view a video of the actual incident at the following link: Randy Orton & Big E Langston Attacked By Fan In Cape Town, South Africa (VIDEO).
-Tons Of Funk & A Funkadactyl defeated Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes & Brie Bella in another fun match for the live crowd.
-Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger. Lengthy match, went about 15 minutes. Pretty good match, also. Finish came when Sheamus hit Swagger with the Brogue Kick for the clean pinfall victory.
-Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler in a No-Disqualification Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Another lengthy match, little over 15 minutes, but the crowd was into every bit of it. Del Rio picked up the win after he hit Ziggler with a sudden kick to the head. Fans were allowed to vote on the stipulation here, and they went with No-DQ, so kendo sticks and tables were used during the bout. After the match, Ziggler attacked Del Rio with a chair.
NOTES:
-WWE will be holding another event at the Grand Arena in Cape Town, South Africa during the current tour.
-The Grand Arena only holds approximately 5,000 people. WWE was doing special deals on tickets to help fill the building, and there were still many empty seats.
During Tuesday night’s WWE live event from Cape Town, South Africa, a crazed fan jumped into the ring after Randy Orton’s match against Big E Langston and attacked the WWE superstar and delivering a “low blow” attack to his groin.
-Upon hearing the news that WWE changed the name of their upcoming October pay-per-view show to “Battleground,” many fans had speculated that the old “War Games” match from WCW would be used at the event. While such a match would seem to be an organic fit on a show called Battleground, it appears that there will not be a War Games match on the card.
The seating chart for the building that the event will be held in was recently released, and did not include a set-up that would accomodate two rings. Additionally, the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view takes place after Battleground, on October 27th, and the idea of having two gimmick-matches in a steel cage on back-to-back WWE PPVs is highly unlikely.
-The Monday, July 29th taped-edition of WWE RAW scored a final cable rating of 2.87, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 2.87 final draw is down from last week’s 2.94 cable rating.
-Monday’s taped edition of WWE RAW from Laredo, Texas drew approximately 3.77 million viewers. That is down 6 percent from last week’s numbers.
The hourly breakdown for this week’s RAW went as follows:
Hour #1 (8pm-9pm E.T.): 3.66 million viewers
Hour #2: (9pm-10pm E.T.): 3.90 million viewers
Hour #3 (10pm-11pm E.T.): 3.75 million viewers
Depending on the number of viewers per home, the final rating should fall somewhere between a 2.7 and a 2.9. We will post the final RAW rating as soon as the number becomes available.
-The replay of WWE’s new reality show, Total Divas, which immediately followed RAW on the USA Network, drew 1.51 million viewers. The 1.51 figure is actually higher than the 1.34 million viewers that the debut episode drew on E! on Sunday night.
Despite the numbers coming in higher on USA on Monday than on E! on Sunday, Total Divas airing in the timeslot after RAW on USA was a one-time-only deal.
Earlier this week, former WWE Divas Kelly Kelly and Maryse went to a Soul Cycle exercise class together – and then went out partying. Check out these photos of the stunning ladies from Tuesday night:
TNA has released a third #August1Warning video, which they say arrived at the company’s headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.
In this installment, the mystery man says, “You speculate, I laugh.”
He adds, “I am not a rock star like Chris Jericho” and says, “I am not someone that 99% of you have never heard of.” There is a lot of audio distortion on the video – so see what else you can decipher below:
“At 12:00pm today (Tuesday), a third video arrived at the offices of IMPACT WRESTLING from the party claiming to be #August1Warning.”
Reddit.com user MAlsauce published a very interesting piece on Thursday – a “Where Are They Now?” look at the cast members of the first 4 seasons of the original WWE NXT show. Here’s a look at which wrestlers went on to greatness – and which ones got Future Endeavored.
Season 1:
Daniel Bryan-World Champ, US Champ, Tag Team Champ.
Wade Barrett-IC Champ, Winner of S1, Leader of Nexus.
Skip Sheffield-Now under the Name “Ryback”.
Darren Young-In the team of the Prime Time Players.
Justin Gabriel-Tag Team Champion.
Heath Slater-Tag Team Champion, Leader of 3MB.
Michael Tarver-No Longer Employed.
David Otunga-(Real life Lawyer) Tag Team Champion.
Season 2:
Kaval-No Longer Employed. Winner of S2.
Michael McGillicutty-Now under the Name “Curtis Axel”, IC Champ, Tag Team Champ.
Percy Watson-No Longer Employed.
Lucky Cannon-No Longer Employed.
Eli Cottonwood-No Longer Employed.
Husky Harris-Now under the Name “Bray Wyatt”.
Alex Riley-Color Commentator of WWE Superstars.
Titus O’Neil-In the team of the Prime Time Players.
Season 3:
Kaitlyn-Divas Champion, winner of S3.
AJ-Now under the Name “AJ Lee”, Divas Champion, RAW GM.
Naomi-Affiliated with Brodus Clay as one of the Funkadactyls, co-star of Total Divas
Maxine-No Longer Employed.
Jamie-No Longer Employed.
Aksana-Still Employed, butnot doing much.
Season 4:
Byron Saxton-NXT Commentator and Ring Announcer.
Johnny Curtis-Now under the Name “Fandango”, Winner of S4.
Conor O’Brian-In NXT Developmental.
Derrick Bateman-No Longer Employed.
Brodus Clay-In the team of Tons Of Funk.
Jacob Novak-No Longer Employed.
Numerical Statistics:
1 Contestant that became World Champion.
8 Contestants that became any Champion in the WWE.
5 Contestants that changed their Name.
9 Contestants No Longer Employed.
5 Contestants that are currently Faces in the WWE.
11 Contestants that are currently Heels in the WWE.
6 Contestants that competed at Wrestlemania.
0 Contestants that are currently in TNA. (I had to)
– In a landslide, Maxine won WWE.com’s poll asking fans which former Diva they would most like to see return to the sports-entertainment organization. She tabulated 68% of the over 282,000 votes cast, beating such starlets as Stacy Keibler, Trish Stratus and Kelly Kelly. The former WWE Diva, who is now representing herself under her real name, Karlee Leilani Perez, was informed of the poll on Twitter this week and subsequently re-tweeted a number of fan messages complementing her performances for the company as well as messages calling for her return. One such message vouching for her return reads, “the #wweuniverse had spoken they want u back over other #wwedivas u got 68% in the poll. Hope see #wweMaxine ‘s return soon!”
In response to a message insisting that she return, Perez wrote, “I would love to show people what I can really do!”
Perez parted ways with WWE in June 2012 due to her belief that she was not progressing in the company, she subsequently stated in a media interview. Since that time, the 27-year-old has been appearing as a promotional model and actress. She has not appeared for any independent wrestling organizations.
– Tito Santana recently spoke to Brandon Lewis of 1495 Sports at an Impact Championship Wrestling (ICW) ‘The Future is Now’ show where the WWE Hall of Famer reacted to competing at the event, seeing Lanny Poffo and meeting fans. He concludes the interview with his trademark catchphrase, “Arriba!”
– TNA Wrestling issued an e-mail to TNAOnDemand.com subscribers on Tuesday stating that the video on demand service will become temporarily unavailable as of Friday, August 2, due to a major transition. The message reads, “In the coming weeks and months, we will be making several changes and additions to our online Video Distribution services. TNAOnDemandcom is in the process of a major transition. As a result, the service will become unavailable.
“We thank you for your subscription to TNAOnDemand and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We are already in the process of issuing refunds to subscribers – all refunds will be completed by this Friday, August 2nd.
“You will also receive another email with a special discount code towards your next order at ShopTNA.
“In the meantime, we invite you to watch TNA videos and archives on our YouTube channel as well as iTunes, Xbox and Playstation. Thank you for your continued support of TNA and IMPACT WRESTLING.”
– A Champion vs. Champion match is scheduled for Thursday night’s episode of Impact Wrestling as World Heavyweight Champion Chris Sabin will go one-on-one with X-Division Champion Manik. The program will also feature Bound For Glory Series matches selected by fans on ImpactWrestling.com. Below is a video previewing the episode.
