– Last week’s SmackDown drew a 1.82 cable rating (down from 2.0 the week before) and averaged 2.63 million viewers.
– The Extreme Rising promotion will return to Philadelphia’s National Guard Armory on Saturday, November 17th. The card will see the first ever Extreme Rising Champion crowned and a steel cage match featuring fan voting. PWInsider.com reports that the show will be a “blow off” event that will see the culmination of ER’s top storylines. A pe-show fan interaction event is scheduled for noon that day.
– AW and Kofi Kingston continue to go back and forth on Twitter regarding AW’s Prime Time Players walking out on the 8-man tag match at Monday’s RAW. After RAW, AW tweeted:
Tonight on Syfy at 8pm (EST), WWE will present a special live Great American Bash Super SmackDown show from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Teddy Long will serve as tonight’s Interim General Manager. Here’s a preview of what to expect:
– 20-Man Battle Royal, with the winner acting as the Interim General Manager of next week’s SmackDown. Announced participants include WWE Champion CM Punk, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, John Cena, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, Kane and Chris Jericho.
– More Money in the Bank Qualifying matches. After not qualifying last week, Cody Rhodes has been petitioning WWE’s Board of Directors for a spot in the match, so he could be in one of the qualifying matches tonight.
– WWE Divas Champion Layla and The Great Khali vs. Aksana and Antonio Cesaro.
– Dolph Ziggler seeks to redeem himself after he and Vickie Guerrero to Sheamus and AJ on RAW.
Advertised locally is a handicap match featuring John Cena vs. Big Show and John Laurinaitis.
– Wade Barrett is finally healthy and ready to return to action. Barrett was scheduled for a huge push before undergoing surgery for dislocated his elbow back in March and is expected to get that push once WWE comes up with a storyline to bring him back to television. Back then, it was rumored that WWE wanted Barrett to win Money in the Bank and challenge for the World Heavyweight title, but he’d have to return to action on tonight’s live SmackDown in order to qualify.
– Alberto Del Rio squashing Sin Cara so decisively on RAW has many wondering about Cara’s standing with the company. After recently being repackaged with a new look and scoring a series of television wins, getting destroyed on RAW is not a good sign regarding where WWE views him on the roster hierarchy.
– A new DVD documentary about ECW is in the final stages of production, according to PWInsider.com. The documentary will feature interviews with ECW wrestlers, fans and personalities dating back to 2001 (when ECW shut down) and will look at the events that have transpired in the decade following ECW’s demise.
WWE Diva Eve Torres has been named Woman of the Month by “Made Woman.” An article at MadeWomanMag.com looks at the Colorado native’s road to WWE as well as her outside projects, namely, philanthropy (through WWE, Make a Wish, Tribute to the Troops) and teaching Mixed Martial Arts to women.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, Eve teaches self defense classes at the Gracie Academy, where a smaller, weaker person could defeat a larger attacker. “There are subliminal insecurities that come with being weaker.”
In addition to the women’s Jiu-Jitsu classes that she teaches, she was also asked by the Gracie family to appear in the “Women Empowered” series of training videos on self-defense. Eve says that getting to teach young girls self-defense is one of the biggest accomplishments in her career.
They also wrote that she hasn’t drank alcohol in 3 years and is very protective of her image. She said, “I stopped drinking three years ago and have had to turn down sponsorships because they don’t fit my brand.”
– It’s been announced that tonight’s Great American Bash Super Smackdown will feature a Battle Royal to determine next week’s SmacDown interim General Manager. This most likely means that next week’s shows will have two separate interim GM’s.
We’ve heard that WWE has been reaching out to a few big names to come in for a one-night shot as the interim GM, so we could see a big return on next week’s show.
– WWE officials are said to be very high on AJ Lee. Just last week, Jim Ross called her the breakout star of the year.
– Following her release from TNA Wrestling over the weekend, there is already talk that WWE is interested in signing Angelina Love.
– Rey Mysterio was reportedly backstage at Monday’s RAW from Laredo, Texas, but did not appear on television. After serving a 60 day suspension for his second violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy, he has been cleared to return to action for the past two weeks. He has yet to appear at any WWE events since his suspension ended and is not advertised for any upcoming shows.
– AW tweeted the following after RAW about having his Prime Time Players team walk out on yet another match:
– Several new wrestlers started at Florida Championship Wrestling on Monday, according to FCW head trainer Bill DeMott.
– WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper will be launching his “Rod Pod” podcast soon after hyping it for several months. Piper tweeted that the postcast will be “NO RULES!!!”
– WWE released the following comedy video promote RAW’s expansion to 3 hours starting July 23rd:
– DDP tweeted the following about his appearance on Monday’s RAW, sounding excited about the experience and noting that he got 10 more WWE superstars to try out his DDP Yoga program:
What a RUSH 2Nite! Hangin with The Boys! 10 more SuperStars on @DDPYOGA! Walking OUT LIVE! Getting that POP! Pretty Sweet Thanks Laredo #DDP
He also spoke to WWE.com and said he’s looking forward to the 1,000th episode of RAW.
– Another WWE Legend is scheduled to return to RAW next week for the ongoing storyline with Heath Slater. There will reportedly a big payoff to the angle, most likely at RAW’s 1,000th episode celebration on 7/23.
The following are live notes from Monday night’s WWE RAW Supershow taping from Laredo, Texas:
– Dean Ambrose defeated Michael McGillicutty the opening dark match.
– Matches taped for this week’s WWE Superstars were:
* Alex Riley vs. Antonio Cesaro
* Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger.
– After RAW went off the air, John Cena defeated Big Show and Tensai in a handicap match. The finish came when Big Show accidentally laid out Tensai and then Cena hit Big Show with the Attitude Adjustment.
John Laurinaitis then came out with a steel chair and hit Cena with it. He went for a second shot, but Cena blocked the chair and hit Laurinaitis with the Attitude Adjustment to end the show.
– Paul Heyman announced on Monday night that Brock Lensnar will deliver an in-person response to Triple H’s SummerSlam challenge at the 1,000th RAW Celebration on July 23rd.
– WWE tag team title holder R-Truth returned to action on Monday’s RAW in an 8-man tag team match. He was out of action for several weeks with a foot injury.
– Eve Torres returned to WWE television on RAW. She had been away filming the new NBC reality show “Stars Earn Stripes.”
Interim General Manager Teddy Long told Alberto Del Rio on RAW that the Board of Directors has declared him the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight title and will wrestle Sheamus at Money in the Bank.
With that match set, here’s the updated card for the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view:
WWE Championship Match:
CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
* Special Referee: A.J. Lee
World Championship Match:
Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio
MITB Match (WWE Title Match Contract On The Line)
John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. Big Show vs. Kane
MITB Match (World Title Match Contract On The Line)
Christian, Tensai, Damien Sandow, Santino Marella, Tyson Kidd
* More participants to be named
WWE Money In The Bank 2012 takes place on Sunday, July 15, 2012 from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Former WWE star Armando Estrada has announced that he was released from his WWE contract last week. He issued the following statement on Monday and acknowledged that many fans were probably not even aware that he had been working for WWE for the past year and a half.
“Espérate … Espérate … Espérate …
Everybody, listen to me!
I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone in the wrestling world know that on 6/27/12, I was released from my contract with WWE.
What’s that you say??? OH, you didn’t know (Road Dogg) I was under contract to WWE? Apparently, a lot of people (including members of creative) were not privy to that information. I have been “working” with World Wrestling Entertainment for almost 18 months. I was only used once during that time period, making a brief cameo as Tyson Kidd’s manager in May of last year. I was told I did a great job and to be patient. I have been patient for quite some time now while sitting at home “waiting for the call”.
It’s not fun, trust me. Numerous creative ideas/scenarios were submitted during my tenure and unfortunately nothing materialized for me. And although my talents were not utilized this time around, should I decide to return to WWE in the future, I firmly believe that door will be open. Timing is everything, not just in showbiz, but in life. Thank you to everyone in WWE!
For those promoters that would like to utilize my talents, believe me when I say, I am the MOST ENTERTAINING individual to step foot into the wrestling industry in the last decade (toot-toot)! If you would like to book me for wrestling shows, autograph signings/appearances, please do so at bookarmando@yahoo.com (serious inquiries only). I will show up on time, in shape, and ready to perform for your audience.
You can also follow me on Twitter @RealArmandoHaHa. Thanks for your time….Oh yeah, 1 last thing. My name es ARMANDO ALEJANDRO ESTRRRADA and I will be making an #Impact soon………HA-HA! “
– WWE.com has an article up looking at “15 Patriotic Moments We Salute” Hulk Hogan is featured in 5 of the 15 moments, which also include John Cena announcing the death of Osama Bin Laden and WWE’s Tribute for the Troops.
– WWE Hall of Famer Tito Santana will be touring Saskatchewan, Canada with High Impact Wrestling later this month on the following dates:
* July 16th – Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium in Yorkton
* July 17th – Victoria Club in Regina
* July 18th – German Concordia Club in Saskatoon
– Here is a preview of tomorrow’s live SmackDown, featuring the Great American Bash battle royal:
The WWE Legend appearing on tonight’s RAW in a match against Heath Slater will be Diamond Dallas Page. After the DDP Yoga Facebook page teased that DDP was headed to Texas (RAW is from Laredo Texas), DDP is now telling fans on Twitter to “Watch Tonight.”
– Christian recently spoke with the Corpus-Christi Caller to hype Tuesday’s live Smackdown from the city and spoke about the recent ankle sprain that kept him out of action for months and forced him to miss WrestleMania 28:
“After talking with a couple different doctors, they said that on a scale of 1-10 of the severity of the sprain, it was a 10. It was as bad as it could have possibly been,” Christian told the Corpus-Christi Caller newspaper promoting Tuesday’s live Smackdown taping. “It was a little bit frustrating to say the least, but it’s just one of those things where you got to get through it.”
Christian also said he hopes to hold the World Heavyweight championship again before he retires.
– In Episode 23 of “WWE Download” with Dolph Ziggler:
“Dolph Ziggler explores Kieth Apicary’s dating methods and admits that Zack Ryder might be a little less of a nerd. #WWEDOWNLOAD”
– Thursday’s IMPACT Wrestling will feature Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm in a Bound for Glory series match, the latest in the Styles/Dixie storyline, more new X-Division talents debuting and more.
– Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, and Miss Tessmacher will be doing a signing on July 6th from 2-4PM at Direct Auto Insurance on 2110 Greenridge Road in Charleston, SC.
– If you enjoy watching TNA’s Impact Wrestling live on Thursday nights, you can email Spike TV at spike-feedback@spike.com and tell them you want Impact to remain live every week after the summer.
– WWE.com has a poll up asking what will Brock Lesnar’s response be to Triple H’s SummerSlam challenge tonight on Raw.
As of Monday afternoon, 75% think Lesnar will accept the challenge while 25% think he will reject the challenge due to his ongoing storyline lawsuit against WWE.
– Randy Orton is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam magazine.
– WWE talent will be at San Diego Comic-Con on July 12th along with Mattel toy designers Bill Miekina, Derek Handy and Mattel’s director of marketing Enrique Ruvalcaba.
– John Cena attended a New York Mets MLB baseball game last week.
– To update the news of Brock Lesnar responding to Triple H’s SummerSlam challenge tonight on RAW, WWE is now advertising that Lesnar’s “camp” will respond on his behalf.
As noted earlier in our RAW preview, neither Lesnar or Triple H are advertised/expected to appear live tonight.
– As the Interim General Manager of this week’s RAW and SmackDown shows, Teddy Long wrote on Twitter that he’s been granted access to the @WWERawGM Twitter account this week. The account has been inactive since John Laurinaitis was fired last month.
– The final part of “Cut That Promo” featuring former WWE superstar John Morrison and TNA Gutcheck reject Joey Ryan is now online. The footage was originally Filmed on June 7th during the 10th Annual Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival at IO West. The earlier parts can be viewed at host Christian Rosenberg’s Youtube channel. Here’s the 6th and final part:
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Pro Wrestling Bias: “I strongly dislike this unflattering trait that many in our society have. Perhaps that’s why acting, for some wrestlers, is a viable alternative for performers leaving the business. Society isn’t geared to afford many other opportunities for former wrestlers without them having a marketable skill set and especially without an education. ”
WWE’s Wellness Policy: “I’m not against two strikes and out being the benchmark.”
Austin, Goldberg & Batista Returning To WWE: “I get these Tweets daily, will @steveaustinBSR or @Goldberg ever return to WWE? I’m wondering why those asking don’t Tweet the talents themselves. Not everyone that has had a wrestling career wants to return to the grind. It’s not that glamorous. Same goes for @DaveBautista who’s also building a film career.”
As always, you can check out JR’s amazing line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com.
– WWE will be holding a RAW brand live event from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on January 13th, the same venue that will host Tuesday’s Great American Bash live SmackDown show. Tickets will go on sale at Tuesday’s show. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart is 55 years old today. He was born on July 2, 1957.
Hart was asked by a fan on Twitter if he’ll be appearing at the upcoming RAW 1,000th episode celebration. He replied:
@ATweetFromScott Haven't heard from them yet, but I expect a call soon
– There was talk in recent weeks of Cody Rhodes winning the SmackDown brand’s upcoming Money in the Bank match. Cody did not qualify on Friday’s SmackDown, but he is currently protesting WWE’s Board of Directors for a spot in the match. With more qualifying matches taking place on Tuesday’s live SmackDown special, expect to see Rhodes qualify tomorrow night.
– As reported earlier in our RAW preview, expect to see at least one more wrestler added to the RAW brand’s Money in the Bank match. WWE.com is teasing:
“Thus far, John Cena, Big Show, Chris Jericho and Kane are the only competitors announced for the contest, but we’d be surprised if a former champion or two didn’t rear his head from an unexpected location and throw his hat (so to speak) into the mix.”
– WWE Tag Team Champion R-Truth hinted on Twitter over the weekend that he could be on RAW tonight. Due to an injury, Zack Ryder replaced R-Truth and tagged with Kofi Kingston at this weekend’s live events.
With WrestleMania 29 approximately 9 months away, WWE officials continue to lay out plans for the card’s top matches, including who current WWE Champion CM Punk will wretle.
CM Punk has been pushing hard behind the scenes to wrestle WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin, but the latest is that there are no guarantees the match will take place.
Austin has been very outspoken over the past year about the fact that he’s healthy to wrestle again – and if he did return, he’d want to wrestle CM Punk.
That said, it’s far from a lock that Austin will return to the year. In fact, a WWE source recently stated that the possibility of Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 29 next year is still “more likely a no than a yes.”
– Alberto Del Rio attacked his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez at this weekend’s live events after losing to Sheamus.
– Following Tensai’s recent attack on Sakamoto a few weeks ago on RAW, appeared that Tensai dropping Sakamoto was part of his character being repackaged.
Sakamoto was back with Tensai on Friday’s SmackDown when Tensai qualified for Money in the Bank.
– In recent weeks, we’ve seen Dolph Ziggler job to World Heavyweight champion Sheamus several times. While this might seem like WWE is not entirely sold on Ziggler as a main eventer yet, WWE sources indicate that WWE has big things planned for Ziggler in the second half of 2012 and he is viewed as one of the top WWE superstars with breakout potential.