– The Friday, April 17th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Destination America drew 401,000 viewers for the much-hyped “Tag-Team Gold” special edition of the show. The 401,000 viewer figure is down from the previous week’s show, which drew 408,000 viewers. The replay edition of Impact Wrestling on Friday drew an additional 171,000 viewers, making for a total of 572,000 viewers for the most recent Impact Wrestling episode. Last week’s replay edition of Impact Wrestling drew 175,000 viewers.
– Former WWE Diva and TNA Knockout Mickie James recently took to social media to praise Dolph Ziggler. James posted the following tweet, sharing her belief that while Shawn Michaels is the best of all-time, Ziggler is as good as it gets these days.
WWE announced on Tuesday that the WWE 2K15 video game will be released on Windows PC this spring. 2K Sports claims they have taken great measures to ensure the PC version of the game includes everything that makes the console version great, including the “2K Showcase” and “My Career” modes.
Those who buy the PC version of the game on the first day it’s released will receive instant access to two versions of Sting and two versions of Hulk Hogan. DLC content for the game will be released for free later in the spring. DLC includes the NXT and WCW packs, in addition to the 2K Showcase modes, such as One More Match, Hall of Pain and Path of the Warrior.
WWE U.S. Champion and star of the cover of the game — John Cena — commented on the DLC content being available for free.
“One of the great bonuses of getting the game on PC is that you get nearly all of the downloadable content that was released after WWE 2K15 launched in October free, as part of the package,” said Cena. “That’s an incredible amount of content: 36 extra characters, 4 new managers, 26 matches, 46 entire single player stories and cut scenes in 2K Showcase, and a whole lot more. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that that’s a pretty awesome deal.”
The leader of the “Ce-Nation” also commented on the game finally coming to the PC.
“I grew up playing games on my PC. Texas Instruments, Commodore 64,” said Cena. “I was a huge PC gamer growing up, so this is big. Not only for our fans, but for me personally as well. Fans may not know this, but I was such a huge PC gamer that I bought a living room entertainment system just to play PC games back in the day. So don’t be surprised if you flash forward 50 years and yours truly is sitting in his living room playing computer games!”
Ring Of Honor has announced that The Briscoes will take on the team of Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of the “War of the Worlds Night One” event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 12th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 21, 2015
Additionally, ROH also announced for the event on 5/12 a match featuring AJ Styles against a mystery opponent. ROH is promoting the fact that Styles’ opponent for the show will be announced during the show itself.
WWE announced that the scheduled match between Daniel Bryan and Bad News Barrett for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view will only take place if Bryan’s health permits.
The company did not offer any additional details regarding Bryan’s health on Monday’s Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW.
It’s worth noting that Bryan is still advertised for tonight’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Providence, Rhode Island, however he was advertised for Monday’s RAW as well, but ended up not working the show.
– It was announced during Monday’s WWE Extreme Rules “go-home” edition of RAW that Kane will serve as the “gatekeeper” for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match between Seth Rollins and Randy Orton, a match where Orton’s “RKO” finishing move is also banned per the stipulations for the bout. This basically means Kane will be in charge of the cage door, and will be somewhat of the outside-the-ring official for the match.
– The WWE Tag-Team Championships will be on the line during the WWE Extreme Rules “Kickoff Show” on the WWE Network this Sunday as well, as Tyson Kidd and Cesaro will defend the titles against The New Day.
– Finally, a WWE Divas Championship match between Nikki Bella and Naomi was made official for the Extreme Rules pay-per-view this Sunday.
The following matches were taped prior to Monday’s RAW in Albany, New York for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.
– Bad News Barrett def. Jack Swagger in a short but solid match to kick off the evening. The crowd was having fun with chants during this one, which saw Barrett pick up the pinfall victory after hitting Swagger with his Bull Hammer Elbow.
– A cage is shown hanging above the ring, but is never used, as it is there for the RAW show that follows this Superstars taping.
– Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (with Natalya) def. Los Matadores (with El Torito) in tag-team action in the second of two matches taped for Superstars. This was a non-title affair. The crowd seemed to be behind Kidd and Cesaro more as babyfaces than the actual babyface team. In the end, Cesaro and Kidd picked up the “W” to close out the Superstars taping.
Tonight’s Raw was held in Albany, New York and was the final episode before this Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. The Viper was on the prowl all night, Rusev struck one more time, and The Miz and Mizdow battled over the rights to “The Miz brand.” Here are the pros and cons from tonight’s go-home edition of Raw.
Pros
Randy Orton kicked off the show with a solid promo. He talked about how he was going to drag Seth Rollins around by his “stupid blonde streak” and how he doesn’t “need the RKO” on Sunday. Rollins countered by saying, “I play this game of human chess better than anybody.” In the end, Orton said he would get the RKO out of his system by hitting Rollins, along with anyone else who got in his way, with the move. Overall, it was a good way to start the show and set up a final confrontation between the two at the end of the night.
Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose was the first match of the night, and it wasn’t a terrible way to kick off the in-ring action. It was nice to see the WWE remove the muzzle from Harper and let him say a few words, as this guy actually does have some skill on the mic. The action was strictly brawling in nature, with the action spilling into the crowd (something that doesn’t happen enough, in my opinion). It ended in a double count-out, and set up a street fight between the two on Sunday that shouldn’t disappoint.
Bray Wyatt cut a nice promo tonight. Much like previous weeks, he referred to himself as the “New Face of Fear” while vaguely threatening some unknown superstar. We all know there are going to be some shenanigans during the main event on Sunday, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Wyatt ruin another main event (much like he did at Hell in a Cell between Ambrose/Rollins) and cost Orton the match on Sunday, thus setting up a program between the two.
The Lucha Dragons and New Day worked really well together tonight. The match was basically a spot fest, but that was largely due to the Dragons putting on a great show. Some memorable spots included an amazing counter of a tornado DDT into a northern lights suplex by Kalisto, and also a double moonsault to take out the New Day at ringside. In the end, Xavier Woods cost the Lucha Dragons the match and earned the New Day their rightful spot on the kickoff show this Sunday. It is worth noting that the New Day were one of Orton’s numerous victims tonight.
Sheamus was supposed to square off with Zach Ryder tonight, but that never really happened after the Celtic Warrior brutalized and berated the Long Island Iced-Z. Sheamus plays the douchey heel so well, and even has the look after his recent makeover. Ziggler eventually interrupted the beating by coming to the ring to hit a Zig-Zag on his Extreme Rules opponent.
The backstage vignettes usually blow, but they were surprisingly good tonight. From Orton RKOing Heath Slater through a table to Rusev attacking Cena to Miz holding up his flop of a DVD, there was some good stuff tonight.
Even though Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler was obviously a vehicle to set up a confrontation between Rollins and Orton to end the show, they still put on a good show and it was nice to see a non-tag team main event for once. They held back a bit, but there were some good spots, including a big DDT from Ziggler, as well as a counter of the powerbomb into a sunset flip. Sheamus distracted Ziggler and cost him the match, but Rollins wouldn’t get to celebrate for long, as the show ended with The Viper striking and hitting a huge RKO. Also, it sadly looks like the reports were true and the Curb Stomp is gone for good. R.I.P. :(
Finally, John Cena cut an intense promo before issuing yet another open challenge. Kane was irked from earlier in the night and decided he would answer the call. These guys have worked together on numerous occasions before, so it’s not surprising that they had decent chemistry. There weren’t many wrestling moves utilized, but the brawling action was entertaining, with Cena eventually picking up the win after countering the tombstone piledriver into an AA.
WWE has announced that Stephanie McMahon will be the next guest on Chris Jericho’s WWE network ‘podcast.’
The episode will air on the WWE Network next Thursday (5/30) immediately following SmackDown.
Jericho and Stephanie have a storied history on WWE television, with Jericho frequently taunting WWE’s Chief Brand Officer. Jericho got some criticism for towing the company line during his recent WWE Network podcast interview with Triple H, so it will be interesting to see the dynamic between these two.
In a recent featured article with Rolling Stone, lgendary music producer and one of the founders of “Def Jam” — Rick Rubin — recently discussed his passion for pro wrestling and how it influenced one of his first acts, The Beastie Boys.
“There’s no question that, early on, the Beastie Boys were very influenced by pro wrestling,” Rubin said. “One-hundred percent. The idea of being bad-guy rappers, saying really outlandish things in interviews, that all came from a love of pro wrestling. We didn’t say it because it was true – we said it because it was entertaining.”
Rubin continued, “To me, it was performance art; we were as inspired by pro wrestling and Monty Python as we were music. I remember showing them videotapes of old matches, because I was the fan, and we’d laugh about the stuff on there.”
Rubin also spoke about how one wrestler in particular, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, influenced him with “the crazy things he’d say.”
“And at that time, there was a wrestling hotline, and we’d call and listen to prerecorded messages from Roddy Piper and get inspired by the crazy things he’d say,” Rubin added. “Kerry King [from Slayer] was really into wrestling, too. Later, I worked with Andrew Dice Clay, and he was a perfect heel.”
– “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” regular “Cousin Sal” is the guest on this week’s edition of Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit,” which you can download for free right now at PodcastOne.com.
– TNA star Bobby Roode will be the guest on the latest edition of “The Ross Report” podcast with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross. The show drops Tuesday night at approximately 9pm EST.
– WWE has added the “True Giants” documentary from 2014 to the “Beyond The Ring” section of the WWE Network. The documentary is now available for on demand viewing. The official description for the shows reads: “The bigger they are, the harder they brawl! True Giants is an in-depth look at sports entertainment’s most successful gargantuan Superstars.”
– WWE has added a new video to their official YouTube channel which features The Miz responding to Triple H’s Tough Enough announcement from earlier today. In the video, which you can check out below, Miz talks about being the most successful Tough Enough contestant of all-time.
TNA is planning on running live events in China on May 22nd, May 23rd and May 30th as part of an 11-day tour with two other international events outside of China.
On the advertisements issued to promote the event, Jeff Hardy, MVP and Gail Kim are the featured talents.
TNA talents are scheduled to leave the country on Wednesday, May 20th to head to China for the tour, however as things stand now, not everything is completely finalized, as some issues still need to be worked out.
It’s worth noting that TNA had discussions about running a tour in China several months ago, but those plans never came to fruition.
TNA wrestlers, as recent as this week, have been informed that they are still booked for that tour, and many will be disappointed because most count on those types of paydays due to the fact that TNA hasn’t had much work for their talents lately.
WrestleZone.com is claiming to have exclusive information regarding the WWE banning Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp finisher, as the report claims the company feels it is too dangerous to be performed on a weekly basis. There is no official confirmation on whether the news is actually legitimate, but the full text is below.
According to WWE sources, the company will be banning Seth Rollins from using the curb stomp finishing move.
WWE’s feeling about the move, which the WWE World Heavyweight Champion uses as his finisher, is that it’s too much of a direct liability and risk for a head injury. All of sports is trying to be more proactive when it comes to preventing head injuries and concussions, and this is the reason for WWE banning the curb stomp.
WWE reportedly doesn’t want its top star to be doing that move every night and they also don’t want to be showing it in past clips or videos anymore. This is why last week on RAW when Rollins came out, the video which played during his entrance was primarily just graphics of his name. The normal entrance video for Rollins features a compilation of clips, several of which are him performing the curb stomp.
Do you feel the Curb Stomp poses a higher risk than other moves? Should it be banned? Discuss the situation in the comments section.
STAMFORD, Conn., April 20, 2015 – Beginning today, WWE® invites anyone from around the world who believes they have what it takes to be the next WWE Superstar or Diva, to submit a video at WWEToughEnough.com to be considered for the upcoming reality competition series, WWE Tough Enough. The series premieres on Tuesday, June 23 at 8/7c on USA Network in a reimagined format with live elements.
“WWE Tough Enough is an opportunity for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar or Diva,” said Paul “Triple H®” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “WWE Superstars and Divas are dynamic entertainers who possess a unique combination of athleticism and charisma. We can’t wait to see who will emerge from this competition to earn a place alongside our elite performers.”
This season of WWE Tough Enough will combine the can’t-miss excitement of live television with reality-show drama as 10 men and five women vie for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a WWE Superstar or Diva. By the end of the season, one man and one woman will be crowned “Tough Enough” and will each earn a WWE contract.
Triple H announced on Monday afternoon that the casting is officially open for the new season of WWE Tough Enough.
Talents looking to apply to be a part of the cast can visit WWEToughEnough.com.
“The Game” confirmed that there will be ten men and five women selected to be part of the cast of the new season, which begins airing on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. The “WWE Universe” will choose the winner at the end of the season.
The official WWE Tough Enough states the following:
Are you tough enough? Show us why you have what it takes
WWE’s groundbreaking reality show returns to USA Network on June 23 in search of the next Superstar or Diva. Will it be you?
If you’ve got the grit, the guts, the skills, the look – if you’re “tough enough” – submit your video application now. Then share it across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or your social platform of choice using #ToughEnough. Make yourself stand out.
WWE Diva and Total Divas star Eva Marie recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald about working on improving her in-ring skills as well as her goal to become WWE Divas Champion by SummerSlam. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On going for the WWE Divas Title heading into SummerSlam: “I got my developmental deal first, and I got ‘Total Divas.’ Everything from there it just went, boom! I was living my life on reality TV. I had to perform for WWE, as well as show that to the whole world. For season four of ‘Total Divas,’ you are going to see my in-ring work. I’m going for that title heading into SummerSlam. Go big or go home.”
On working to improve her in-ring training: “If you follow me on social media you are going to see the clips of me training and progressing. Then you will see me back in the ring, hopefully in a few weeks. Triple H has definitely been helping me out, and I appreciate that. I bounce ideas off of him. Brian Kendrick is amazing. I’m asking him a bunch of different questions. Then when I get in the ring with him, I’ll improve my skills right there.”
Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.
After teasing a “Grand Slam” announcement on social media on Monday, Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Wrestling finally revealed what their big announcement is.
GFW issued the following press release today with the details:
Global Force Wrestling brings sizzle to hot summer nights at a ballpark near you
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – You might be able to buy peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and there’s sure to be a crowd. But this will be a whole new ball game.
The historic first Global Force Wrestling show will be held on Friday night, June 12 at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee. as part of GFW’s “MiLB Grand Slam Tour.” The tour will feature stops from Florida to California and several points in between.
It’s a grassroots approach building toward the first GFW broadcast event on Friday, July 24 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Minor-league parks operated by both private ownership and municipalities have agreed to play host to Global Force Wrestling shows when their baseball-playing tenants are out of town. It’s an easy win for the parks, which gain another great source for revenue. For GFW it’s a chance to build momentum, show off its roster and deliver on its mission statement to be the most fan interactive brand in sports entertainment.
“These ballparks are the center of attention in the summer in most of these cities, and we’re eager to get out there and mix with our fans and show them what the GFW brand is all about,” said Jeff Jarrett, Global Force Wrestling founder and CEO.
The stars of GFW will be appearing in such cities as Knoxville, Tennessee, Richmond, Virginia, and Clinton, Iowa. Dates for the summer ballpark tour are available on globalforcewrestling.com, and more will be added in the coming weeks.
“Global Force Wrestling presented us with a great plan, one that will be beneficial to us and all ballparks, teams and cities as well as to their burgeoning brand,” said Todd “Parney” Parnell, vice president and chief operating officer of the Richmond (Va.) Flying Squirrels. “We know GFW will generate a lot of interest and excitement, not only the night of the show but for weeks in advance.”
Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski is excited about the alliance of his profession and his pastime.
“Wrestling and baseball make a great tag team,” said Pierzynski, a wrestling aficionado. “And I’m thrilled to see so many minor-league parks, some of which I’ve played in, jump on board.”
Global Force Wrestling will roll out its talent roster in the next couple of weeks. It’s a lineup filled with speed and power, righties and lefties, starters and closers, sure to provide thrills at every ballpark.
Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling (GFW) promotion is scheduled to make an announcement on their “Grand Slam” events on Monday afternoon.
Up until recently, GFW had been teasing that the announcement would take place this morning, however a recent tweet now claims the announcement will be made later today.
Below is the tweet GFW sent out hyping the announcement:
WWE Divas and Total Divas stars The Bella Twins recently spoke with Bang! Showbiz about a number of different topics. Below are some highlights from the interview:
On a Total Divas spin-off:
“Brie and I definitely want to do a spin-off; a show which will focus on our family and also includes our men. I think it would be amazing. We have this group of girlfriends which we’ve kind of introduced to the world, but not really. Not only are they beautiful but they have personalities that you wouldn’t believe, they kind of remind me of Cameron Diaz’s character in the film ‘There’s Something About Mary’.”
On working with their significant others on television:
Brie: “Something Daniel and I have always said is that if something organically happens that would be great (to be on ‘RAW’ together). As of right now there’s nothing in the works, but you can never say never, because in the future, you never know. I know the fans love it when we’re together I think it could be good television.”
Nikki: “I think, as of now, they’re trying to keep John and I as far apart as possible, and have us both focus on our championships. That then makes ‘Total Divas’ something special to tune into because it’s the only show where you can see John and I together.”
TNA star Matt Hardy recently spoke with the folks at the TNA Mecca website about a number of different topics. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On returning to TNA and teaming with his brother Jeff Hardy: “Thank you! It was extremely exciting to return, especially to team with my brother again and show the world that we were still great as a tag team. In 2011, I needed to take some time away, I had to. I needed time to heal my body, mind and soul after busting my ass for 14 years straight as a full time pro wrestler. I’ve really learned how to pace myself as I’ve gotten older, especially from the perspective of optimizing my physical health. That’s one of the main reasons that Impact Wrestling is such a great fit for me. My schedule with TNA allows to me to recuperate enough so that I can continue to perform at the level that I expect of myself and that the 2015 wrestling fans expect of me. It’s a great time for me to be part of TNA. I know I have lots to contribute to the TNA brand, especially when Jeff & I ultimately become TNA World Tag Team Champions.”
On TNA moving in the right direction: “I think TNA is moving in the right direction. I think they’re doing a good job of telling strong stories that allow for worthy payoffs in the ring, in the form of a great wrestling match. One thing I think TNA needs to remember when dealing with these fans is that often the shows are taped in advance & when that is the case, you don’t want to ‘spoil’ your own product. You have to be careful how you word things, as not to insult your fans.”
On the TNA tag team division: “I think the current TNA Tag Team Division is strong; they have a stout roster of tag teams. I think it would be nice if there were 2 or 3 more sets of exclusive tag teams in the division, meaning strictly tag team guys. I think The Wolves are great, The Dirty Heels are awesome, James Storm has an interesting thing going with The Revolution and The Bromans are underrated.”
On Reby Sky possibly coming to TNA: “First and foremost, Reby’s priority is to be the best mother possible to our son. I do know that Reby enjoys wrestling and she had a blast doing TNA’s One Night Only (Knockouts Knockdown) PPV last May. I would certainly think it’s a possibility if everything goes well at home and we have a pretty good grip on our family life. I imagine that you could see Reby on a TNA television screen again one day in the future.”
Although it was initially reported that Daniel Bryan was sent home from the WWE European tour early due to concussion issues, WWE is claiming that is not the case.
Bryan was, in fact, sent home from the overseas tour prematurely. WWE described the reason he was sent home early was due to a “precautionary measure,” however declined to offer additional details on his physical condition.
While Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter was reportedly told that Bryan was indeed dealing with concussion issues believed to stem from a recent match he had with Sheamus, WWE is claiming otherwise, instead refusing to offer an explanation past the point of saying, “he’s banged up.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently posted a new blog entry discussing attending this week’s NXT tapings, the handling of former NXT Champion Neville now that he is on the main roster and more. Below are some highlights:
On attending this week’s NXT TV tapings: “Yours truly will head to Orlando this week to take in the NXT tapings at Full Sail University and then be a part of the Mick Foley Cheap Pops show along with @JCLayfield on Friday night at the NXT Arena.Tickets are going fast a www.me/LMJFs. I’m looking forward to seeing many old friends, the fans and watching the amazing, young talents perform in the ring on Thursday evening.”
On the way Neville is being used: “Some fans complaining about how Neville is being utilized but if he was driven down the fans throat they would spit him back up. There is a fine balance these days on how fan favorites are marketed and going the safer, more organic route appears to be best.”
On the many lawsuits currently being brought against WWE: “Seems like attorneys who work on contingency are spotlighting the wrestling biz these days. I’d be shocked if any of them made a dime on any of their law suits.”
On New Japan Pro Wrestling: “To be clear, New Japan was pleased with our broadcasting work back in January at Wrestle Kingdom 9 and I’d love to do more work with them in the future if tht materializes. Nonetheless there are much larger fish to fry for them to address as it relates to doing more North American,etc PPV presentations than who will be announcing their show. I still enjoy broadcasting and hopeful to more in various genres in 2015.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online (his beef jerky is my personal favorite), by going to WWEShop.com.
Former WWE Superstar Scotty 2 Hotty recently spoke with The Portland Press Herald about a number of topics. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On hw he got his nickname: “I had changed my name to Scott Taylor for wrestling. I was going to use “TNT” for my middle name but someone was already using that. In 1998 I became a tag team partner with “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher. I soon became known as Scott “Too Hot” Taylor. We became known as “Too Much” as a tag team. We were both renamed a year later. Christopher became known as “Grandmaster Sexay” and I became “Scotty 2 Hotty,” and it stuck.
“For the first six years I was in WWF, I was just another wrestler and got beat most of the time. I worked my way up and got an identity. Once you find a character that works, you stick with it. I would say I’ve been a good guy more than I’ve been a villain. I won three titles with WWF – two tag team titles and one light heavyweight title.”
On how many organizations he’s worked for: “Hundreds. I’m not working for any particular group right now. Basically I’m an independent contractor and hire myself out to wrestling companies. In the past year I’ve wrestled on both coasts, the United Kingdom, Australia, and last December I was in Japan. Every wrestler’s goal should be to make it to the WWE.
“Because I wrestled in the WWF, I’m able to do what I do now. Wrestling fans know me all over the world. At this point in my career, this is right for me. I’m having a blast 220 days a year. A lot of times I get to a location early and do some sightseeing. I wasn’t able to do that when I was with WWF. I wrestled in Fall River, Massachusetts, recently in the same building I started my career in 25 years ago.”
His current physical condition: “I feel I’m close to the best shape of my career. My weight is 190 pounds. The heaviest I’ve been in my career was around 205. I take better care of myself now, I eat better and I’m home more often. I’ve had neck and back surgerie the past. You kind of learn to work smarter, not harder.”