Several of WWE’s top developmental prospects from Florida Championship Wrestling debuted on Week 2 of the new season of WWE NXT from Full Sail University.
Former FCW Champion Seth Rollins (former ROH World Champion Tyler Black) wrestled in the opening contest and efeated Jiro. Rollins cut a promo after the match and said he has arrived in NXT and plans to “change the world.”
South African wrestler Leo Kruger, another former FCW Champion, cut a promo and called himself the “Alpha Male Lion.” He later defeated Aiden English via submission in a match that he dominated from bell to bell.
Richie Steamboat was the third FCW alumnus to debut in NXT, defeating Rick Victor. After the match, Steamboat celebrated with his father, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Richie Steamboat vowed to take the Steamboat name to new heights in WWE.
Check out these pictures of the new FCW Arena at Full Sail University:
WHIP Temple Update with guest Matt Hardy Hosts: John Corrigan and James Seltzer Airs Weekdays at 10 a.m. EST
Working for Vince McMahon: “Vince is a very intimidating, dominating character and personality. I’ve seen Vince come up with some of the smallest ideas that don’t seem like much and then you go, ‘Oh my god, this is a stroke of genius.’ He really gets the most out of all the little things. That’s one thing I learned when I worked hand in hand with him. When I describe Vince, I call him a psychotic genius. I have seen times when he was a maniac and chewed people out for no reason. He’s not afraid to do anything. He has done it all…he’s had his head shaved, did embarrassing things with girls. There isn’t anything that he would ask his talent to do that he wouldn’t do.”
His relationship with brother Jeff: “I see him every day that he is at home. Myself and my girlfriend Reby Sky have been raiding his and his wife’s pool everyday; it’s been nice. Jeff is doing great. He is still an enigma to a degree but he has went from being one of the most unpredictable enigmas that you ever met to being the most responsible human being that I know, especially with him being a father now. He is at a great place in his life, and I am, too. I don’t think our relationship has ever been stronger than it is right now.”
Why tag team wrestling has fallen off the radar: “We came along during a very special time in the business…the height of the Attitude era. Stone Cold was white-hot and The Rock was a huge megastar. Ratings were great and those guys were selling out arenas everywhere. Management was able to put the top guys on cruise control because they didn’t have to worry, so they had extra time to focus on the tag team division or the women. At the point they’re at now, they’re still scrambling for the white hot guys. John Cena is the face of the company right now but there is no one setting record TV ratings or selling out arenas on a consistent basis. Once they find those one or two top guys that are the franchise players, they can dedicate their attention to tag teams again.”
Other Interview Topics
-His physical and mental health after the past couple of years
-Which tag teams inspired the Hardys
-What he has in store for Extreme Rising on Saturday in Philly
– Lilian Garcia finished the final song for her upcoming music album this week. She will begin taking pre-orders on July 1st at her official website, LilianGarcia.com. The CD is due out in August.
– This Saturday’s Florida Championship Wrestling live eventfrom the Lance Armory in St. Augustine, Florida has been rescheduled and will now take place on July 20th. The event that had previously been scheduled for July 20th at the Volusia County Fairgrounds in DeLand, Florida will now take place on July 15th.
– The WWE Smackdown taping on Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 will be held at the I Wireless Center in Moline, Illinois. (Thanks to Devin Cutting.
Check out these incredible pictures of John Bradshaw Layfield climbing Russia’s Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe, for his Seven Summits adventure for charity:
– WWE’s Prime Time Players tag team was at the University of Florida on Thursday to film an upcoming episode of WWE’s Outside the Ring YouTube show. Titus O’Neil is a UF alum and graduated in 2000.
– WWE Hall of Famers Jim Ross and Gerald Brisco will be attending the upcoming George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame weekend in Waterloo, Iowa. Ross and Brisco will be evaluating talent at a tryout camp that will be held that weekend.
– In the latest Outside The Ring, WWE announcer Booker T plays golf at last weekend’s Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament in Connecticut. Booker T sings a song with his celebrity partner, singer Michael Bolton. Also (briefly) interviewed, legendary actor Bill Murray:
Sean “X-Pac” Waltman posted the following messages on Twitter on Thursday night, requesting that fans show up to his scheduled court appearance this morning, defending former WWE developmental wrestler Wes Brisco and talks about opening his own wrestling school:
“I’ll be in Kissimmee Court, 3rd fl Dwntn Kissimme at 8:30 this AM court case. WHoever shows up to support I’ll stay & snap pics w everyone”
“Whoever at FCW were that shit on Wes Brisco. Just shows either jealousy, incompetence,& bs politics. pathetic. He was doing great.”
(Note: Wes Brisco, son of WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, was released from his developmental deal back in September 2011)
“You are the people I call paracytes on the wrestling business.”
“If you’ve never done shit in our business, yoou have no business running or teaching pro wrestling to anyone. You dont know it yourself.”
“You, in most cases, must have been a star to teach someone else how to be a star. Im not even going to name the elite in this biz Ive taught”
“Im thinking Tampa, Vegas, LA, NY, or MN. Maybe spend time teaching in each city. Fact: I can teach you how to be a star,not just moves&spots”
Former WWE superstar Dave Bautista’s major announcement is that he’ll be appearing in the upcoming Kung Fu movie “The Man with the Iron Fists.” Academy Award winner Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu and MMA fighter Cung Lee will also be appearing.
“Iron Fists” was produced by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Wu Tang Clan rapper RZA and was written by Eli Roth and RZA.
– It was announced on WWE Superstars that next week’s “Great American Bash” live Tuesday SmackDown will feature a Battle Royal. The participants will be WWE Champion CM Punk, World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Big Show and Alberto Del Rio.
The other match WWE is hyping for the show is Divas Champion Layla and The Great Khali vs. Aksana and Antonio Cesaro.
– As previously reported, WWE taped 6 matches for this week’s Superstars, which is more than usual. The matches that aired on this week’s show saw Kofi Kingston defeat Michael McGillicutty, Darren Young defeat Epico, The Usos defeat Hunico & Camacho and Kane defeat Heath Slater in the main event.
The other two matches that were taped were Sin Cara vs. Antonio Cesaro and the Primetime Players vs. Primo & Epico. Those matches could air next week or they might have just been dark matches.
– WWE released the following video from Wednesday night’s “Be A Star” anti-bullying rally at the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball game. Zack Ryder, Mark Henry, Lilian Garcia and Natalya were in attendance:
On Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, it was announced that the upcoming Destination X pay-per-view will feature a one-night tournament to crown a new X Division champion. The first two participants will be Sonjay Dutt and newcomer Rashad Cameron. Here’s the updated card:
TNA World Title Match:
Bobby Roode (c) vs. Austin Aries.
Last Man Standing Match:
A.J. Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
Bound For Glory Series Match:
Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe
X Division Title Tournament
Sonjay Dutt and Rashad Cameron announced so far
TNA Destination X takes place on Sunday, July 8th from Orlando, Florida.
The following has been announced for next week’s Impact Wrestling show:
– Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm (Bound for Glory Series match).
– Knockouts Title Match: Miss Tessmacher vs. Gail Kim.
– Two more X Division tournament qualifying matches to determine who will compete at the Destination X tournament to crown a new X Division champion.
– An update on Chris Sabin’s condition.
Dixie Carter also announced on Twitter that the location for Bound For Glory 2012 will be revealed, and it will be a city TNA has not held a show at before.
– Christopher Daniels and Kaz recaptured the TNA Tag Team championships from Kurt Angle and AJ Styles on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling
– Sunjay Dutt returned to TNA on Thursday night and is now in the hunt for the X division title. The wrestler he defeated, Rubix, is indy worker Jigsaw from ROH, DGUSA & Chikara.
– Hulk Hogan tweeted the following announcement about Bound For Glory Series matches now having a time limit:
Spoke with BFG Series guys to let them know a change. Going forward all BFG Series matches will be 15 minute time limit. HH
Florida Championship Wrestling sent out the following on Thursday announcing that WWE legend the Undertaker will be appearing at an upcoming FCW on 8/1:
UNDERTAKER AT FCW!
The Dallas Bull in Tampa, Florida will be hosting a live FCW event on Wednesday, August 1st with special guest The Undertaker!
This is an all-ages event. Doors open at 5:30pm.
Gold Circle tickets (including a meet & greet with The Undertaker and an up-front seat) are $50, VIP tickets are $25 and general admission is $15.
To purchase tickets, call Tammy Williams at (727) 243-8293.
– WWE Studios has signed on to co-produce and co-finance the thriller movie, “The Hive” starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin.
“The Hive” is the story of an emergency call center operator (Berry) who takes a call from a teenage girl (Breslin) who has been abducted and locked in the trunk of a car.
The film begins shooting this summer in Los Angeles.
– Full Sail University sent out the following press release on Thursday announcing that the next WWE NXT taping on July 12th will be open to the general public:
NXT RETURNS
Don’t miss the WWE NXT throwdown inside Full Sail Live on July 12, 2012. The night will include former WWE & World Heavyweight Champion Kane and Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. On the same night, the WWE Divas will be in the ring and we also welcome WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross to call all the action.
As July marks our independence as a nation, we would like to honor those who have fought for our freedom. WWE and Full Sail University will be providing discounted tickets for all active and retired military personnel. Simply show your military I.D. at the box office to receive a 50% discount off the General Admission price. We encourage all audience members to proudly wear their patriotic colors and show support for our military on this night.
Tickets – Available on a first come, first serve basis only:
FREE for Full Sail Students with student I.D. (Limit 2) $5.00 for Full Sail Staff and Active or Retired Military with valid I.D.
$10.00 for General Admission tickets
Tickets are only available at the Full Sail Live Box Office, 141 University Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32792.
TNA Wrestling held a media conference call on Thursday afternoon to hype the upcoming Destination X pay-per-view. During the call, three new matches were announced for the show:
Last Man Standing Match:
A.J. Styles vs. Christopher Daniels
Bound For Glory Series Match:
Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe
Ultimate X Match:
Participants TBA, Winner Will Be The New X Division Champion
These matches are in addition to the previously announced main event of TNA Champion Bobby Roode defending against Austin Aries.
TNA Destination X takes place on Sunday, July 8th from Orlando, Florida.
As part of his Seven Summits adventure to climb the highest mountain on each continent, JBL is currently in Russia attempting to climb Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe.
Earlier this week, JBL revealed startling details about what he’s going through, including a near death experience. Due to a major storm on the mountain, JBL suffered the effects of frostbite and hypoxia (a condition where your body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply) and declared that he was “lucky to be alive.”
On Thursday, JBL checked in with the following video, announcing the disappointing news that he will be unable to reach the top of the mountain due to weather conditions:
– The Rock recently finished shooting his scenes for the movie “Empire State,” co-starring Liam Hemsworth. Deadline.com has a picture of The Rock from the movie sporting a new clean-shaven look.
– Speaking of The Rock, his next movie, Fast 6, begins filming in late July and will run through November. It’s been known all along that The Rock’s schedule would be monopolized by his movie schedule for most of the summer and fall. That said, WWE is hopeful that he’ll be able to make at least one more television appearance this year before he returns in early 2013 to begin the build for WrestleMania 29 and his quest to reclaim the WWE Championship one last time.
– Pre-orders for the upcoming WWE ’13 video game are said to be through the roof, even better than last year’s WWE ’12 game, which sold very well. As of last week, they were up 171% (up 170% on Xbox, 189% on PS3 and 84% on Wii.)
The strong demand this year can be attributed to the “Revolution is Coming” Internet campaign, CM Punk being the “face” of the game, the Attitude Era feature, Mike Tyson’s involvement and WWE & THQ’s strong social media push.
– After being released from his TNA contract earlier this month, we can confirm that Flair’s contract had a non-compete clause and he is currently unable to sign with WWE. No word yet on how long he is prohibited from signing with WWE.
During the court proceedings of the ongoing TNA vs. WWE lawsuit, WWE told the court that they have no interest in signing Flair, but most believe he’ll be back in WWE at some point.
– Austin Aries has a mixed reputation behind the scenes in TNA, liked personally by some but also disliked by others. Management is a fan of his work, as evidenced by him being in the main event of the upcoming Destination X pay-per-view.
– Abyss has been pulled from the upcoming AAA tapings in Mexico on June 30th. TNA will probably send other talent instead and AAA has expressed interest in using Robbie E and Robbie T.
– TNA’s Ring Ka King promotion in India has been such a success that the company is considering another spinoff promotion in Argentina. TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrett has had preliminary talks with the Endomol, an international television production and distribution company, about the project. Endomol is the company that helped TNA bring Ring Ka King to India.
– Sting will be off television for several weeks as a result of last week’s attack by three mystery men. TNA has not yet decided who will be revealed as the masked attackers and it’s possible that TNA will not immediately follow up on the angle. The general feeling is that the segment did not come across well on television, but was done to explain why Sting is not part of the Bound For Glory series.
– During a recent interview with MMAJunkie.com, Bellator MMA & TNA Wrestling star “King” Mo Lawal said he’ll be reporting to Ohio Valley Wrestling (TNA developmental) in approximately two months. Lawal says his injured knee should be close to 100% by then.
He also revealed that he’ll be training with WWE Announcer Booker T in the coming weeks and wants UFC fighter Rampage Jackson to be his tag team partner in TNA. Jackson is one of many UFC fighters that has expressed interest in a pro wrestling career once his MMA fighting days are over, but we have not heard anything about Rampage talking with TNA (or WWE, for that matter).
– TNA Knockouts champion Miss Tessmacher did not compete in this year’s Hooters pageant last Saturday, despite being advertised. Instead, she worked a TNA live event from Orlando.
– Tonight’s live Impact Wrestling will feature Tag Team Champions Kurt Angle and AJ Styles vs. Daniels and Kazarian.
The show will also feature more Bound For Glory Series matches and another Gutcheck segment with an evaluation of independent women’s wrestler, Taeler Hendrix.
– Speaking Hendrix, management was not very pleased with her match against Tara last week or her look. Al Snow has some heat on him for selecting Hendrix as the latest Gutcheck contestant.
– TNA President Dixie Carter announced on Twitter this week that Bound For Glory Series matches will begin airing next week exclusively on Xplosion in the UK and Australia.
– There is talk behind the scenes in TNA that Hernandez has signed a new contract.
– It was revealed on last week’s Impact Wrestling that Dixie Carter and A.J. Styles have been sneaking around to help a recovering addict who has been waking up in hotel rooms with strange men. The women who played woman was an actress TNA found at a local talent agency.
The angle played out as planned from the beginning, but TNA was said to be disappointed in her performance last week.
TNA has also released the following “original, unedited” phone conversation between AJ & Dixie about why they were sneaking around:
http://youtu.be/M34k4lRwKV8
– TNA Champion Bobby Roode continues to get a lot of praise behind the scenes from management. Most TNA wrestlers enjoy working with him and the writing team (particularly Bruce Prichard) enjoys writing for him.
– Here are some recent TNA attendance figures:
* The Basebrawl event on June 22nd in Buffalo, NY drew 800 fans
* June 23rd in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada drew 2,000 fans
* June 24th in Hamilton, Ontario drew 750 fans
— As previously reported, WWE diva Eve was scheduled to return to Monday’s RAW after a several week hiatus, but did not appear on television. The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Eve was at the show, but no word yet on why she wasn’t used.
WWE officials were said to be pleased with her role of John Laurinaitis’ Executive Assistant.
— WWE footage was once again featured on the E! Network show The Soup this week. Host Joel McHale showed a clip of Del Rio attacking Sheamus with the cross armbreaker from SmackDown and then made fun of Ryback’s victims’ names (Arthur Rosenberg and Stan Stansky).
— With Chris Jericho now back in action after serving his 30 day suspension, WWE is advertising Fatal Fourway matches for the WWE Championship featuring CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan at several upcoming live events, including the July 8th WWE Supershow in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
– WWE recently announced that a new weekly television show will debut on the ION network this October, WWE Main Event. There has been a lot of concern in WWE over the WWE product getting over exposed, especially with RAW expanding to 3-hours on a weekly basis starting next month. Two new hours of WWE programming each week carries risk, however WWE is poised to make millions of dollars per year in TV rights fees from the new shows.
Because the extra hour of RAW and the new WWE Main Event show will be filmed during nights when WWE already is running television tapings, the cost to produce RAW’s third hour and WWE Main Event is minimal.
Even though Ion is ranked as the 8th most popular broadcast network in the United States, millions of fans who do not have cable television will now have access to Main Event. Between that additional exposure and the TV rights fees, WWE is confident the new show will be successful.
– WWE Hall of Famer Sunny revealed on Twitter that she has two new shoot interviews coming out soon with Kayfabe Commentaries and RF Video.
– WWE taped the following Superstars matches this week:
* Kofi Kingston vs. Michael McGillicutty
* Epico vs. Darren Young
* Kane vs. Heath Slater
* Antonio Cesaro vs. Sin Cara
* Camacho & Hunico vs. The Usos
* Primo & Epico vs. Darren Young & Titus O’Neil.
Because WWE taped so many matches this week (and Epico wrestled twice), it’s likely that these matches will air over the next two episodes of Superstars.