As noted in our recent NXT injury report, NXT star Corey Graves is currently on the sidelines after suffering his second concussion.
According to some backstage talk going around in WWE, Graves is pretty much done as an in-ring performer and WWE executives are working on figuring out another role in the company for him.
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
There is said to be a feeling within WWE right now that the company is no longer viewing Daniel Bryan as someone that should be used in the main event picture right away. When it was announced that he would be making his first appearance since getting stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Money In The Bank Kickoff Show, many felt that if it were someone like John Cena, Batista or Triple H, it would never happen on a pre-show.
As unfortunate as it sounds, there is also said to be a feeling from the higher-ups in the company that Bryan got injured when they needed him, so they’re hesitant to rely on him to run with the ball in the future.
Many still point to the fact that prior to CM Punk walking out on WWE, as he was supposed to work with Triple H at WrestleMania XXX, that Bryan was only going to be working with Sheamus at the biggest show of the year, despite his growing connection to the WWE Universe with the “Yes! Movement.”
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with Steve Austin:
The concept for his new show: “I loved doing ‘Redneck Island,’ but there is a lot of drama on the show and how you get voted off the island is actually a vote. I wanted a competition show that involved challenges, and when you leave the ranch, it’s because you lose something. So that’s how the original concept was born. Through my body of work as the ‘Toughest S.O.B. in WWF’ and the Broken Skull Ranch, one of the toughest places in Texas, the ultimate thing was to have a competition show on my ranch with the baddest and toughest athletes in the United States. We came up with the concept of three rounds of competition with eight people and end up with one. Next day that one takes on my obstacle course called the “Skullbuster”. We drew from the world of CrossFit, Spartan racers, Tough Mudder, MMA (mixed martial arts) and pro wrestling. We’ve got some of the best athletes in the United States doing head-to-head competition at my place, and that’s what I like, a tough, no BS competition. No frills. Nothing fancy.”
Now being an exciting time for WWE fans: “For a period there was a pretty good gap of great new talent that was going to be able to sell tickets. With The Shield and the Wyatt’s, Cesaro and a couple of other guys, they’re going to move the needle. It’s refreshing. I remember back in the day when I was still around. John Cena is a very good friend of mind and has been a top guy for 10 years. I have so much respect for him, but their houses have kind of fallen off. I want the business to go back to the way it was when we were selling out every night. I think with this new depth of talent they have rising out of the ranks of NXT, developing these new stars. They continue to gain more momentum and get the business where it was back in the day.”
The Shield splitting up: “I wanted them to remain together for a little bit longer. So at some point they would have had to fly on their own, and they chose the time to do that. I don’t know if it’s a lack of depth. I know they have a lot of guys on the roster, but guys that are going to be these potential superstars are few and far between. They are the ones booking it, so we will see how it unfolds. Was it premature or not? I would have liked to see them stay together longer, maybe about three to six months.”
The WWE World Heavyweight Title situation: “Triple H has had it enough. Cena has had it enough. You need a fresh face, so you might as well take advantage of a bad situation, which is Daniel Bryan’s neck and make a new superstar. With Cesaro having [Paul] Heyman in his corner, he would be a great choice because of Heyman’s advice. His credibility, Cesaro’s in-ring ability speaks for itself. He is going to be a badass. Bray Wyatt I like as a heel even though the crowd is trying to switch him to babyface. Really, I don’t know. Maybe Roman Reigns is my favorite to take that belt. I think the crowd is ready to get behind him. He’s missing a little bit of his game, but he is going to be a mega star very quickly. So either way you go with that, I think it’s going to be fine. It’s put up or shut up, and you have to take the football and run with it. I think whichever guy gets that belt, he will do that….”
“I’m just wondering if Brock Lesnar is going to come in there and smoke whoever has the belt and then have a monster run until WrestleMania next year. Then drop the belt to somebody who is really good at carrying it. So will this guy be a sacrificial lamb or will they give them a run with the belt? I just want Daniel Bryan to get well because he was coming into some good money working on top and worked his ass to get there. He has been around a long time at the lower level. Now he is at the top of WWE. I just want his neck to get well, so he can continue making money and be the top guy because he earned it.”
Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.
The following is the final card for tonight’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view:
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
(WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
– John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton vs. Cesaro vs. Kane vs. Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
(Briefcase For Title Shot Up To One Year)
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Bad News Barrett*
WWE Tag-Team Championship
– The Usos (c) vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan
WWE Divas Championship
Paige (c) vs. Naomi
Divas Match
(Special Guest Referee: Fandango)
– Summer Rae vs. Layla
Tag-Team Match
– Goldust & Stardust vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel
Singles Match
– Rusev vs. Big E.
* – Barrett suffered a separated shoulder during the SmackDown taping this past Tuesday, however WWE has yet to announce whether or not he has been pulled from his match.
Make sure to join us here later tonight for the absolute best live play-by-play results coverage of the fifth annual WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view!
The following are highlights of a new USA Today “For The Win” interview with Mick Foley:
Do you miss performing in the ring, or does this show fill the void for you?
Mick Foley: That’s exactly what it does. I love it because performing on stage gives me a chance to feel all the things that I felt when I was in the ring… without the late-night emergency room visits. It’s the great upside without the physical beating that I used to take.
It’s a little bit like cutting a promo, isn’t it?
Yeah, yeah, I’m afraid there’s going to be a flood of guys going ‘wait a second! We’ve got stories too!’ There are times actually when I’ll go into promo mode. I’ll tell a story and the story will include a promo, and people really enjoy it because I had three distinct characters as a wrestler [Dude Love, Cactus Jack and Mankind]. They enjoy the idea that I can go into vintage 1997 Mankind, and it takes them back to their childhood when I terrified them.
Speaking of the late-night trips to the hospital, how do you feel, health-wise? Do you have any regrets about how hardcore your career was?
I’ll just coin the phrase from We’re the Millers. No regrets. R-A-G-R-E-T-S. If I said I regretted any of it, then I’d have to say I regretted all of it because the things I did made me who I was. I guess I could go and section off a certain time period where I wished I had the wisdom to call it quits earlier than I did. I wished I had resisted the urge to return, long after mother nature and father time rang their warning bell.
Which match do you consider your finest?
My finest match is probably in 2004 against Randy Orton at Backlash. It was a personal triumph for me, I had come back after four years out of the ring and I kind of let myself down. I had the perfect opportunity [before Backlash] in Madison Square Garden teaming up with The Rock against Evolution, and I just kind of dropped the ball. I didn’t give the performance that I should have, and the next month I came back and redeemed myself. It was a match of personal redemption. It’s not one that I talk about very often on stage, but that’s my personal favorite.
If you could book a match to headline WrestleMania, with any two wrestlers past and present, who would you choose?
I would like to see that Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan match. I’d like to see CM Punk and Stone Cold. I guess I’m saying I’d like to see Stone Cold make a return one last time. I’d like to see me and Hulk Hogan, just so I could say I did it.
Speaking of CM Punk, you two have a history. Do you think he’ll come back?
There’s no telling. He marches to the beat of his own drummer. I will say he doesn’t respond to me. I used to be able to reach out to him. I think he’s just cut off all communication with people from the business, and if he comes back, it’ll be on his own terms, and I respect that.
Who are your favorite wrestlers in the WWE right now? Is there anyone that reminds you of Mick Foley?
There are a few people. Bray Wyatt reminds me of myself. He’s one of my favorite guys. He’s really a mesmerizing interview, and he makes great use of his physical talents. He definitely makes the most out of his unusual frame. Love to hear him cut a promo. I love CM Punk’s work on the microphone and in the ring. Daniel Bryan has just been a phenomenon, I hope he heals up and comes back at 100%. Dolph Ziggler, he’s unheralded, hopefully he’ll get another run. There’s so many good wrestlers on the rise. I just saw an NXT match between Natalya Neidhart and Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte that was just off the charts.
What’s the biggest problem WWE faces right now?
I think the biggest problem is letting the rest of the world catch up to them from a technological standpoint. This Network is so vastly different from anything that’s been attempted on such a major scale that not everyone has caught on. Like, I’m 49 and I have to have my 11-year-old get me on the Network. I can’t those two extra steps involved with an Xbox or a PlayStation. I patience will definitely be a virtue. There was a lot of stock speculation, as soon as I saw that drop I put my money where my mouth is and I bought a lot of stock. I’m bullish on WWE, so I may not agree with everything I see on TV but it’s a great company.
Any predictions for Money in the Bank next week?
I think if Bray Wyatt wins we’re looking at a brave new world in WWE, and I hope that happens. I’m picking either Cesaro or Bray Wyatt, and each of them would take WWE in a unique direction.
Check out the complete interview at USAToday.com.
The following are highlights of a new Boston Herald interview with Stephanie McMahon:
Crediting Boston University for her success, where she studied communications at: “From film production to television production to creative writing to public speaking to marketing to advertising, BU is basically a school to help prepare you for all of the many facets of WWE.”
Her father Vince McMahon’s contributions to the business: “My father coined the phrase, ‘sports entertainment.’ Vince let the world in on that, yes, this is actually predetermined and, yes, we are having fun. He was the one who created this live action-adventure soap opera.”
The new Connor’s Cure charity: “This is all about developing and donating for pediatric brain and spinal cancer research. We’re trying to help fund the research to help stop the cancer.”
Being excited to unveil the future of the business: “WWE continues to grow and expand at a rate faster than anyone can possibly imagine. We have over 360 million social media followers, and we have over 12 million downloads of our app. But I have to say, even given all that, we’re just getting warmed up.”
Check out the complete interview at BostonHerald.com.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart and his wife were backstage at the WWE live event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Friday night. They were just there visiting friends and hanging out at the show.
– The latest edition of “WWE Top 10,” titled “Crashing the Bank,” is now available. The video looks at the top ten biggest “crashes and burns” in Money In The Bank history. You can check that out below.
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
Winner: Stardust and Goldust by pinfall
The WWE Network will be airing a new one-hour special on Vickie Guerrero next Tuesday night.
The show, which will be called “Excuse Me! – A Cougar Countdown,” includes the top ten most memorable moments of her run in WWE.
The special is scheduled to air at 9pm ET., immediately following WWE Main Event.
– TNA star Jessie Godderz noted on Twitter recently that Kai Greene, who is one of the bigger names in bodybuilding, was at the Impact Wrestling show on Thursday. Godderz tweeted the following:
Having a blast at @IMPACTWRESTLING with @RobbieDurand and @KaiGreene @FLEX_Magazine @muscle_fitness pic.twitter.com/hfzYaDblV7
— Shawn Perine (@shawnperine) June 27, 2014
Speaking of Godderz, he recently made headlines on TMZ for doing 40 pull-ups on a street traffic light. He tweeted the following about that, which contains a link to the video:
VIDEO of me on @TMZ doing 40 PULLUPS OFF A STREETLIGHT! I'm PEC-Tacular AND BACK-Tacular! @ShawnPerine #TNANYC #BB16 http://t.co/R0AOVoWx6E
— Mr. PEC-Tacular™ (@MrPEC_Tacular) June 27, 2014
There are some in TNA who claim Dixie Carter suffered a back injury as a result of the power bomb she took from Bully Ray through a table on Impact Wrestling.
Regardless of her physical condition following the table spot, the point of Dixie going through a table was reportedly done by design as a way to write her character off of television for the time being.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
Early advertising for the WWE Battleground pay-per-view, which is the next show following Sunday’s Money In The Bank, has been released in the local Tampa market and may have already spoiled two of the matches planned for the show.
According to the ads in Tampa, Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton and Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose will be taking place at Battleground.
Also advertised to appear at Battleground are John Cena, Bray Wyatt, Kane, RVD, Sheamus, Cesaro, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Bad News Barrett and Kofi Kingston.
It’s been reported for months that former Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA is signing with WWE and would be training at the Performance Center this summer.
Japan’s Tokyo Sports is now reporting that WWE will officially announce that KENTA has signed with the company during their tour of Japan next month, with a press conference scheduled for July 12.
Gunner joined TNA in 2010 but his story goes back to 2001 when he began wrestling but a year later he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner and reached the rank of lance corporal serving in the Iraq War.
The 32-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, is a one-time TNA tag team champion with James Storm and a one-time TNA Television Champion.
We caught up with Gunner to talk about working with the Nature Boy Ric Flair, his dad being involved in story lines, wanting to become TNA Champion, plus much more.
Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?
I’ve been a wrestling fan since the age of five and I started wrestling in 2001, and i joined the marine corp 2002 to 2006. I was wrestling before i went to bootcamp and during my time in the marine corp I would travel 20 hour round trips or so every weekend I could to wrestle on certain shows, so I was juggling both at the same time. I’m just living my dream.
Q. Who were some of the wrestlers that you enjoyed watching whilst growing up?
I could sit here and talk to you about that all day, some of the ones that come to mind are; Macho Man Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Ric Flair. The main one for me was Macho Man, I was a massive fan of Randy Savage.
Q. What has it been like getting to work with guys you enjoyed watching like Kurt Angle and Ric Flair?
They are both very knowledgable guys, so it was great for them to pass their knowledge on to the younger guys like myself who are the future of the company and the future of the business.
Ric managed me for a while so he would be at ringside for my matches, and just him knowing how to tell a story and paint a picture was amazing. Kurt Angle is a machine, anytime you’re in the ring with him you are going to have to work, but that is great, it has taught me the never say die attitude.
Q. What has it been like in the TNA dressing room with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian all leaving the company?
Professional wrestling is a business and like anyone that works in any business we are all expendable. All of those guys that have left the company are off still doing great things, and even though it’s a shame to lose top guys like that it gives the younger guys in the locker room the opportunity to step up to the plate. Those are big boots to fill, nobody is going to be the next Sting or AJ Styles but it gives us a chance to build new characters and new stars.
Q. Your rivalry with James Storm saw some real life elements brought in the the storyline, was that something you enjoyed?
James and I have our differences and we just don’t like each other, but he is still an amazing performer, he can fight and he knows what he is doing in the ring. Those matches I had with James enabled me to step up even more, and it has given the fans the opportunity to invest in my character.
Bringing my father into the storyline was a great experience that I enjoyed. Wrestling is totally different now to when I was a kid, when everything was larger than life and seemed as though it had just come out of a comic book, the guys could still work but now the fans want to know what the wrestlers are like in real life.
Q. What is your next target?
I’ve got my eyes on the big prize, the TNA Heavyweight Title. I feel like I was robbed on the last TNA tour in the UK when I wrestled Magnus for the title and James Storm interfered. I think I’m ready for another title shot, Eric Young is the champion and we have a friendship but when it comes to business we both want to be world champion. Obviously he doesn’t want to lose it, but I want to win it, that is my main goal to be champion.
For more information you can follow Gunner on Twitter @TNA_GUNNER
The following are TNA Impact Wrestling tapings results from the Manhattan Center in New York City, airing Thursday, August 14th. Thanks to Tom for the live report:
– Bully Ray comes to the ring. He cuts a promo and thanks the fan for helping him put Dixie Carter through a table. Devon joins Bully and Team 3D gets a big pop. They’re interrupted by Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy. Matt Hardy said it was the first time they had all been in the same ring in over a decade. He congratulated them on their Hall of Fame induction. They cut promos. Bully said it sounds like the fans want one more match between the two teams and we’ve got Team 3D vs. The Hardys for later tonight. It will be a TLC match.
– Eric Young, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries vs. MVP, Kenny King and Bobby Lashley is next. Lashley’s team gets the win after MVP knocked Aries off the top rope with one of his crutches. Lashley speared Aries for the win.
– Rhino, Rockstar Spud and Ethan Carter III come to the ring for a promo. Rhino is wearing flip-flops and Ethan has his head bandaged from the Thursday night injury. Spud is sporting a black eye it looks like. Kurt Angle interrupts them to a big pop. Angle has all three of them surrounded by officers from the New York City Police Department. They resist and get taken down by the cops and arrested. Apparently these were House of Hardcore students dressed as police. Angle had them arrested because they refused to wrestle.
– Mr. Anderson vs. Gunner is next, as a result of something that happened between the two on the 8/7 episode. The crowd gets bored during this match, chanting for John Cena and Rusev. They also sing Adam Rose’s theme song. The match ended when Shaw came out and attacked Anderson. Fans thanked Shaw for ending the match.
– The Wolves defeated Robbie E and Jessie Godderz.
– Abyss comes to the ring and calls out Bram and Magnus. Bram is still in possession of Janice. They announce a Hardcore Ladder Match between Bram and Abyss for “next week” which is the next set of tapings in August. Janice will be hanging above the ladder.
– Low Ki vs. Tigre Uno vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Homicide vs. DJ Zema Ion vs. Manik in an X Division Scramble match is next. This may be to crown a new #1 contender. There are two wrestlers in the ring at a time while the others wait in their own corner for a tag. The match came down to Homicide and Low Ki. Ki gets the win.
– Team 3D vs. The Hardys in a TLC match is next. This was described as an awesome match and the match of the night. Team 3D got the win. Both teams embraced after the match and celebrated together to end the show. Bully Ray called The Wolves to the ring for a promo. They may have been building to something between the teams at Bound For Glory.
The following are highlights of a new WWE Magazine interview with Cesaro:
On who he would like to “swing” the most: “There are many Superstars—past and present—I would love to get in the Swing. But with that said, I’m going straight to the top. That means you, Mr. McMahon. Who would be better or more satisfying?”
On what was going through his mind when eliminating Big Show at WrestleMania XXX: “In such a huge moment like that, all you’re thinking about and concentrating on is the adrenaline running through your body, and the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I do remember thinking afterward: That was phenomenal.”
On the worst aspect of Twitter: “You shouldn’t say things on social media that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. People hide behind fake names to Tweet negative comments and I hate that. If you have something to say, own up to it.”
As noted earlier in the Impact Wrestling taping results, former TNA X-Division Champion Austin Aries surrendered his title in order to receive a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Bobby Lashley at the Destination-X show.
As a result, the title became vacant and was put on the line in a mini-tournament. Samoa Joe, Sanada and Low Ki would all go on to win their qualifying matches, leading to a triple-threat match that will air on the August 7th edition of the show. That match took place tonight, and Samoa Joe won, marking his fifth reign as X-Division Champion.
TNA star Ethan Carter III was hospitalized and required stitches after taking a bad shot during his hardcore match at the Impact Wrestling television tapings on Thursday night in New York City.
Speaking of the Impact Wrestling tapings, it’s said that last night’s set of tapings were among the best shows in quite a long time. The show was also sold out with people turned away at the door. Tonight’s set of Impact Wrestling television tapings are reportedly sold out as well.
According to one source, up until the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view poster with John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar featured on it leaked out earlier this week, the plan was for Cena to win the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
It’s being said now that with the poster leaking, and with WWE pushing Cena-Lesnar hard in a “news blast,” which we wrote about here on the website earlier today, that there’s a good chance that the originally intended finish for this Sunday’s main event will be changed.
It should be noted, however, that the talk going around is that regardless of what happens on Sunday night, WWE is likely still going to run with a Cena-Lesnar main event for this year’s SummerSlam.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
The following are highlights of a new Boston Herald interview with Mick Foley:
The WrestleMania XXX seats he and his family received: “I loved going to this past WrestleMania. But essentially my family and I sat watching a huge screen while the wrestlers appeared to be of ant-like proportion in a ring 100 yards away from us. At the Kowloon, we’re up close and personal.”
Meaning to send a text to Brie Bella and accidentally sending it to Vince McMahon: “I was sending a text message, one I thought I was sending to Brie, and I told her I was going to get in touch with (WWE CEO Vince) McMahon. I rarely interfere in the course of WWE events, but when I do, I like to think my opinion carries some weight. I sent what I thought was my message to Brie, saying, ‘Give Daniel a hug and tell him how wrong I think this whole thing is.’ I was pretty new to the iPhone. My son looked at my phone and said, ‘Dad, you just sent that to Mr. McMahon.’ My next message was, ‘Oops.’”
Check out the complete interview at BostonHerald.com.
The following are highlights of a recent TribLive.com interview with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin:
Tell me about “Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge” debuting on July 6 on CMT. It sounds like redneck Cross-fit.
Austin: The idea of this show was born off of “Redneck Island.” That’s a competition show, but you’re voted off. There’s a lot of drama. I love that show. While we’re doing that, I was thinking to myself there’s gotta be another show that’s straight-up competition. Just through all my athletic endeavors, whether it’s football, baseball, track and field or the ranks of professional wrestling — I’m an extremely competitive person. I wanted to set the table for athletes to come to my ranch, compete against each other. No drama, well there’s drama, there’s some injury, there’s some storylines, but it’s all about the competition. Each week, eight athletes come to my place and at the end of the day, one is left standing. That one person takes on my obstacle course which is called the “Skull Buster” the next day. When I designed the “Skull Buster” I designed it to whip a man’s ass. You better be a badass to come to my ranch and beat my course.
Just a few days ago was the 18-year anniversary of the Austin 3:16 speech . Does it feel like it was 18 years? And I guess a little thanks always has to go to Jake Roberts, who you were cutting the promo on, and religion was such a big part of his deal because without him, Austin 3:16 may have not been born.
I can’t believe it’s been 18 years. I had so many people send tweets to my Twitter account @SteveAustinBSR, reminding me it was the 18-year anniversary. It was a long time ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. Anytime I’ve ever talked about the birth of Austin 3:16, I’ve always given one of my favorites of all time, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, credit for that. Had it not been for Michael “P.S.” Hayes telling me about the promo when I stepped out of the ambulance that would have never happened either, because I didn’t know. It was just one thing after another that led me to Milwaukee, getting kicked in the mouth by Marc Mero, another thing that set the whole table for me. And let’s go back to the (Madison Square) Garden where the Kliq hugged, because Triple H was going to be the guy who was going to win that event and they put the screws to him. When you look at all the things that had to line up for me to win that event and cut that promo, it was like it was pre-planned.
WWE Network is the new hot thing this year. Have you got to experience the network? With pay-per-views and DVDs going straight to the network, is this going to be a game-changer on a financial standpoint with how guys structure their business?
Obviously this is going to be a big financial changer because you’re not going to get all those buy rates. I’ve had a brief experience with the WWE Network. I signed up for it. I’m not a real gadget guy. I’ve had an iPad for damn near two years, but I hardly ever use it. I put the WWE Network on there, and I typed in certain matches, they didn’t have certain things from NWA or WCW. So I’ve been going more to YouTube. I think they need a little bit more original content. I need to get on there more to familiarize myself with it. One of the things I’ve enjoyed is the old Garden stuff and from World Class (Championship Wrestling). I think it was smart to come out with the network. I think it’s going to catch on more in the next two or three years, and that’s when it will pay off.
Check out the complete interview at TribLive.com.
As noted earlier today, Bo Dallas was the latest WWE Superstar to tie the knot, as his sister Mika Rotunda confirmed the news via social media. Mika had the following to say about her brother’s marriage:
“I am blessed, honored, joyed, FREAKING ecstatic to announce Mr and Mrs. Taylor Michael Rotunda! I have a beautiful new sister in law and can’t wait to watch these two shine through life together and take this world by storm!”
Dallas married former NXT Diva Sarah Backman. You can check out a photo of the two together on their wedding day below.
The Thursday, June 26th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV scored a final cable rating of 0.9, according to Nielsen Media Research. The marks a decline as compared to the 1.01 final rating that the show drew last week.
As noted earlier, Thursday’s Impact Wrestling show drew 1.136 million viewers, which was also down compared to last week where the show drew 1.330 million viewers.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features part two of an exclusive interview with Paul Heyman and Edge, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP51 – WWE’s Paul Heyman & Edge Pt 2… & Egypt Returns
“It’s Round 2 with Chris Jericho, Paul E. Heyman, and Edge! And this time it’s WWE Smackdown vs Raw, ECW, Liza Minelli (WTF?), and Paul E.’s departure from WWE. They also talk Sabu, Raven, Cesaro, and fav matches! And… it’s the return of Egypt! He & Y2J are predicting WWE’s upcoming Money In The Bank PPV Event!”
You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.
– The latest edition of The JBL & Cole Show is now available. You can check out episode 83 of the weekly web-series below.
– Roman Reigns new solo theme song is now available on iTunes. For those interested, the song is called “The Truth Reigns.”
– As noted earlier today, this day marks the 12-year anniversary of John Cena’s WWE television debut on SmackDown, where he accepted an open challenge from Kurt Angle. Cena tweeted the following earlier today about the big milestone:
Started 12 years ago with an idea #nevergiveup here we are #12yearsstrong fueled by love/hate/passion/defeat/victory pic.twitter.com/HAxBQbCUd3
— John Cena (@JohnCena) June 27, 2014