– Former WWF champion Yokozuna will be announced for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame class, according to a report on Wrestlezone.com. Yokozuna, who passed away back in 2000 at age 34, was related to WrestleMania main eventer The Rock.

– There continues to be a lot of talk about WWE holding WrestleMania 29 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

– Former WWE/WCW wrestler Diamond Dallas Page says his DDP Yoga program helped Chris Jericho get into the physical shape required for him to make a return to WWE.

DDP told Steven Muehlhausen of The Fight Club Chicago radio show this week:

“Jericho gave a testimony saying, ‘DDP Yoga changed my life,’ after one of our workouts. [Doctors] said Chris Jericho had a herniated L4 and he was done and he came back with my workout… He did not think he was going to be able to come back. Within two weeks, he was already feeling, ‘Wait a minute, I think I’m gonna be able to do this.'”

DDP says Jericho is now “completely pain free” and several other members of the WWE locker room (including Santino) want to try his yoga program. He also mentioned that he recently signed a WWE Legends contract.

– Brodus Clay was interviewed backstage after RAW after making his debut as the Funkasaurus. Clay says despite his fun-loving demeanor and sweet ass dance moves, rest assured – the WWE locker room should take him seriously and if you have any questions about that, ask [what’s left of] Curt Hawkins. The video can be seen at WWE.com.

– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is ironically featured in a new political ad attacking Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. McMahon, a staunch Republican, is featured in an ad by the Democratic National Committee mocking Mitt Romney’s gaffe from this week where he said he likes firing people. Not only are the McMahons both Republicans, but Linda publicly endorsed Mitt Romney for President and Vince McMahon donated $2,500 to Romney’s campaign back in November.

Footage of various television shows and movies are shown with people saying “You’re Fired” and Vince McMahon appears at the end, check it out here:

– On this day back in 1993, WWE Monday Night RAW debuted on the USA Network. The one-hour show featured The Undertaker defeating Damien Demento in the main event.

– Mick Foley’s appearance on Celebrity Wife Swap will air on Tuesday, January 24th at 9pm EST on ABC.

– Bret Hart congratulated Edge on his WWE Hall of Fame induction and says he hopes to be there for the ceremony. The Hitman wrote:

“Congrats to the inductees so far to the WWE HOF, esp. Edge. He’ll always be one of my crew & I hope 2 be there 2 shake his hand that night”

– Goldust noted on Twitter yesterday that WWE is seriously considering a match between he and brother Cody Rhodes for WrestleMania 28.

– Former WWE star David Hart Smith appeared on the Major League Wrestling podcast this week and had the following to say about his time with the company:

“We had a good title run with Tyson Kidd. I was kind of disheartened that more didn’t happen with my time in the company. I felt that i certainly had enough talent… It’s not exactly in my short-term plans to go back there. We’ll put the bookmark in this chapter read on and maybe go back to it sometime. It was definitely hot/cold with the company. When it was good it was good, and when it was bad it was like WWE isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

TNA World heavyweight champion Booby Roode was recently interviewed by the UK’s SportsVibe.co.uk and had this to say about the following subjects:

Becoming TNA World Champion: “My dream when I got into this business was to become World Champion and that I am. I’m at the pinnacle of my career and it’s a moment I’ve waited for and worked for, for a long time so I’m going to make the most of it, take advantage of this opportunity and hopefully the gold will be around my waist for a long time. I’m enjoying being the bad guy again and really like the way my character is being portrayed right now; I feel right at home with it. For the most part I well and truly enjoy being on this side of the fence.”

The State Of TNA’s Tag Team Division: “There are always changes in wrestling. At the time when James and I became a tag team we just kind of took off straight away and basically became an overnight success. At the time, Team 3D were still going strong and Motor City Machine Guns were a young team, but a really good team as well. All three teams were given a lot of television time and the people in the offices were taken aback. We really made them write for us – which gave us TV time – and the tag team division had more of a focus on it then. Things have changed a little bit now, but we still have an opportunity to have some great tag team matches here in TNA and when the time is right the focus will be put back on the tag team division.”

Hulk Hogan Saying He’s Not Ready to Be Champion:  “The comments that Hogan made didn’t bother me in the slightest. People in this industry say a lot of things and you learn to take it with a pinch of salt. Honestly, I think what Hogan said has worked in my favour, it gave the little extra fire I needed and look where I am now, I’m the face of TNA.“

Jeff Hardy’s Return To TNA: “It has been well documented that Jeff has come back to TNA and has turned his life around. His passion for wrestling and the business is back stronger than ever before and his matches over the past couple of months have proven that.  There are still going to be some doubters, but I think that now Jeff is back to being the old Jeff Hardy and where my character is at – and with the top prize in the company at stake – I think the story we are going to tell and the match we are going to have will be great.”

To read the full interview, including Bobby Roode’s favorite wrestlers when he was growing up, getting to work with Ric Flair and more, head over to SportsVibe.co.uk.

– Zack Ryder was “seriously injured” at the hands of Kane on RAW, according to a new storyline article on the WWE website.
Ryder is recovering from injuries and it’s unlikelyhe will be able to defend the United States Title on next week’s RAW.

Ryder will reportedly undergo “further evaluation” at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California before next week’s RAW.

– The backstage reaction to Brodus Clay’s debut was overall very positive. While many are taking a “wait and see” approach to how the character develops over the coming weeks,he got a lot of praise for pulling off the gimmick well and coming off as believable.

– Another moment that went over well at RAW was the announcement of Edge’s induction into the Hall of Fame. Edge is still very well liked in the WWE locker room and even though he will be the youngest person ever inducted, nobody was saying he doesn’t deserve it.

– WWE Tag Team champion Kofi Kingston noted that he was home for the first time on a Tuesday night in a long time so he and Evan Bourne won’t be in action together on this week’s SmackDown.

(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)

UPDATE: Ring of Honor sent out an announcement today regarding another new market that will now be airing their weekly television show.

ROH fans in Providence, Rhode Island can check out ROH TV on  WLWC starting on Saturday February 4th at 10:00pm.

Here’s ROH’s announcement from Monday announcing 6 new markets:

RING OF HONOR WRESTLING CLEARS ADDITIONAL MARKETS

(January 9, 2012 – Baltimore, MD) Ring of Honor Wrestling is proud to announce the first additions of 2012 to it’s growing lineup of affiliate stations across the United States. ROH now airs on over 50 Sinclair Broadcast Group stations in 42 markets reaching a total of 25% of US households. As our station lineup continues to grow in 2012 we want to thank each and every ROH fan that views our weekly one-hour program on these great affiliates. We look to continue to provide some of the best and most exciting pro wrestling action anywhere.

Look for Ring of Honor on these stations:

Salt Lake City, Utah
KUTV (CBS) began airing Ring of Honor on January 7th, 2012 – Saturdays 1:30am
KMYU (MYTV) began airing Ring of Honor on January 7th, 2012 – Saturday 9pm

Austin, Texas
KEYE (CBS) began airing Ring of Honor on January 7th, 2012 – Saturdays 12:30am

West Palm Beach, FL
WTCN (MYTV) began airing Ring of Honor on January 7th, 2012 Saturday 8-9pm
WTVX (CW) began airing Ring of Honor on January 7th, 2012 – Saturdays 11pm-12M

Medford, Oregon
KTVL (CBS) will air Ring of Honor starting on January 16th, 2012 – Saturdays 11:30pm

Grand Rapids, Michigan
WWMT (CBS) will air Ring of Honor starting on March 3rd, 2012 – Saturdays 12:30am.
WWMT.2 (CW) will air Ring of Honor starting on March 3rd. 2012 – Saturdays 11pm.

Lansing, Michigan
WLAJ (ABC) will start airing Ring of Honor on March 3rd, 2012 – Saturdays at 11pm.
WLAJ (CW 100+) will start airing Ring of Honor on March 2nd, 2012 – Fridays at 2am

About Ring of Honor

RING OF HONOR WRESTLING is the absolute best pound-for-pound professional wrestling in the world today! Airing across the country on the Sinclair Broadcast Group family of television stations, ROH has been delivering the cutting edge of pro wrestling for ten years. ROH prides itself on cultivating innovative stars, such as Davey Richards, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Eddie Edwards, Kevin Steen, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, and Jay Lethal that are unlike any wrestlers you have experienced anywhere else! Watch as RING OF HONOR WRESTLING redefines your expectations of what professional wrestling could be starting Saturday nights on Sinclair Broadcast affiliates across the country, and every Monday at ROHWrestling.com!

For more information on RING OF HONOR WRESTLING, visit www.ROHWrestling.com.

WWE released the following list of 2012 pay-per-views. The second Otcober event Vengeance has been dropped and we are now back down to 12 shows.

• January 29: Royal Rumble
• February 19: Elimination Chamber
• April 1: Wrestlemania
• April 29: Extreme Rules
• May 20: Over the Limit
• June 17: Bragging Rights
• July 15: Money In The Bank
• August 19: Summerslam
• September 23: Night of Champions
• October 28: Hell in A Cell
• November 18: Survivor Series
• December 16: TLC

— Monday’s WWE RAW drew a 2.87 cable rating (4 million viewers), down from last week’s 3.1 cable rating (4.44 million viewers viewers).

Once again, the show lost viewership in the second hour. The hourly ratings were 2.96 in hour one and 2.77 in hour two, a loss of around 176,000 viewers.

The BCS Championship game on ESPN did a 16.22 cable rating (24.21 million viewers) – down 15% from last year’s BCS game. The game was a blowout, so it’s unlikely RAW’s second hour was affected by the competition.

— WWE taped the following matches Tuesday night from Loredo, TX for this week’s Superstars:

* Evan Bourne vs. Michael McGillicutty

* Brie Bella vs. Kelly Kelly

* Wade Barrett vs. Yoshi Tatsu

WWE SmackDown on Syfy

Credit to WrestlingINC.com and Tano Rodriguez for the following spoiler results from Tuesday’s WWE Smackdown taping from Laredo, TX:

* Daniel Bryan comes out and cuts a promo. He’s interrupted by Mark Henry, who says he’s banned from ringside but stated that he’ll get a title match next week.

* Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater.

Cody Rhodes cut a promo.

* Cody Rhodes defeated Ezekiel Jackson.

* Ted Dibiase defeated Drew McIntyre. Hunico did commentary during the match.

* Sheamus defeated Jinder Mahal.

* David Otunga defeated Santino Marella.

* Brodus Clay squashed Tyson Kidd.

* Tamina defeated Natalya.

* Wade Barrett cuts a promo. He will face Sheamus next week.

* The Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan w/ AJ. AJ took a bump from Show during the match and is stretchered out. The match is ruled a no contest.

Dark Match:

* Mark Henry called out the Big Show. Show laid out Henry with one punch and got the win.

— Randy Orton’s physical rehabilitation on his back appears to be going well, as the Orton family is headed on a vacation this week. Orton tweeted on Tuesday:

“Alanna’s passport just came so we are ready for our family vacation! Tomorrow we’re off to the Bahamas!!”

— Former WWE star Shane Helms underwent another surgery on this morning morning. Helms tweeted:

“Still groggy and can barely see the keyboard, but surgery was successful. On my way home now.”

Helms has undergone several surgeries since he was injured in a motorcycle accident on May 5, 2011 and noted on Twitter that he hopes today’s surgery is the final one. He stated in a recent interview with prowrestling.net that he plans to return to the ring later this year.

— As previously reported, FCW wrestler Calvin Raines made his WWE debut at Sunday’s SmackDown live event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Raines partnered with Drew McIntyre in a tag team match against Ezekiel Jackson and Trent Barreta. Some background information on Raines, he is a former student at Team 3D’s wrestling academy. He was actually released at one point for showing up late to FCW events and getting new tattoo work without first getting clearance from WWE.

• Picture of Calvin Raines – WWE’s Newest Superstar

United States Senate candidate Linda McMahon is being accused of plagiarizing an op-ed piece that she ran last week on a Connecticut news site.

In the piece, which can be read at CTNewsJunkie.com, McMahon writes the following about of TransCanada’s pipeline:

“Keystone XL stands ready to put some 13,000 Americans to work to construct the actual pipeline. These would be pipefitters, welders, mechanics, electricians, and heavy equipment operators, among others.”

Compare McMahon’s quote to the following text from the TransCanada website:

“TransCanada is poised to put 13,000 Americans to work to construct the pipeline — pipefitters, welders, mechanics, electricians, heavy equipment operators, among other jobs.”

McMahon also wrote:

“Another 7,000 manufacturing jobs would be created across the U.S. What’s more, thousands of additional spin-off jobs likely would be created by the increased demand for local goods and services along the pipeline route.”

Compare that with what’s on the TransCanada site:

“… in addition to 7,000 manufacturing jobs that would be created across the U.S. Additionally, local businesses along the pipeline route will benefit from the 118,000 spin-off jobs Keystone XL will create through increased business for local goods and service providers.”

McMahon’s office on Tuesday defended the language:

“These are factual statements widely used by advocates for the Pipeline,” said McMahon spokeswoman Erin Isaac via email to HuffingtonPost.com. “In researching the project and arguments both for and against it, the most compelling language revolves around job creation. These stats are repeated by respected industry experts and across multiple sources including TransCanada’s website, which we should have cited in our piece. Ultimately, this project represents thousands of jobs and it remains unacceptable that this administration would continue to put up roadblocks when millions of Americans are still looking for work.”

— Beth Phoenix tweeted the following regarding her status at Monday’s RAW:

“For those wondering I was backstage ready to walk out to face @EveMarieTorres on Raw last night when Kane’s entrance went off…there are few things quite like the aura and fear Kane’s brings. So if he wanted @EveMarieTorres I wasnt gonna get in the way. Sorry @ZackRyder.”

— Jim Ross answered more fan questions from Twitter on Tuesday. When asked how Flair can be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame (agian) as part of the Four Horsement, Ross responded:

“Easily. It would indirectly get TNA more publicity. Already has.”

Regarding the debut of the “Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay, Ross wrote:

“I’m a Brodus Clay fan. Been around long enough to not judge anything on its 1st appearance. He’s going to apparently be a fan fav. Relax.”

• VIDEO of BRODUS CLAY’s Debut From RAW

Whether Christian will induct Edge into the Hall of Fame:

“That would be my guess. Makes sense.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was asked on Twitter today whether he will be calling the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania 28 this year. JR responded @JRsBBQ:

“Not up to me. Im ready if called upon.”

– ESPN’s financial expert Michele Steele tweeted on Tuesday that John Cena was worth $106 million in retail value to WWE in 2011.

No further details were given to explain Cena’s direct impact on WWE’s business, but the figure likely includes John Cena merchandise and an estimate of Cena’s impact on PPV buyrates, live event ticket sales and ad revenue from WWE programming featuring Cena.

With that kind of money rolling in due to , its understandable how WWE would be hesitant turning him heel and disrupting a formula that is working very well.

• Pictures of WWE’s New CENA SUCKS T-Shirt

TNA Impact Wrestling

TNA taped Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Tuesday Night from Orlando. Credit to Eric for these results, set to air Thursday, January 12th:

* Mickie James beat Madison Rayne in a cage match.

* Bobby Roode comes out and talks about beating Jeff Hardy at Genesis. Roode calls out Hardy to shake his hand but Sting comes out and announces Hardy vs. Roode for the title tonight.

* Matt Morgan and Crimson beat Robbie E. and Robbie T. in a non-title match. Samoa Joe and Magnus attacked the tag champs after the match.

* Eric Bischoff comes to the ring and talks aout his son Garett. Garett eventually comes out and says he’s proud to be in TNA. The segment ended with Garett grabbing Eric by the collar and shoving him to the corner.

* ODB beat Winter.

* AJ Styles calls Kazarian to the ring. AJ wants to know why Kaz turned on him but Kaz doesn’t know why. Daniels comes out. AJ and Daniels end up fighting with Kaz pulling Daniels out of the ring and to the back.

* James Storm comes to the ring to talk about Kurt Angle, who also comes out. Before he can talk, Storm knocks the mic out of his hands. Storm cuts a promo on Angle and wants a rematch. Angle says he is moving onto the World Title when Sting comes out. Storm vs. Angle in a #1 contender’s match is announced.

* James Storm beat Kurt Angle to become the new #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title. Another solid match from these two.

* Bobby Roode retained the World Title against Jeff Hardy as they fought to a No Contest when Bully Ray ran out and pulled the referee from the ring when Hardy was going for the win.

– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown and NXT tapings will take place from the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. Confirmed for Friday’s SmackDown are:

• No DQ / No Count Out Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Title
• Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal

– Brodus Clay, Donny Marlow, Epico, Mason Ryan and AJ Lee have been removed from the FCW website’s roster and are now featured on the main WWE roster. Hunico’s enforcer Marlow, the son of WWE legend Haku, is now known as Comacho.

– WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper noted on Twitter that he’s headed to Hollywood to film “Breaking In” on FOX.

“I am on way to Hollywood to do a show called Breaking in! on Fox! Have not seen show, hear it’s a good one!! Do you know?”

Piper also wrote the following late last night, which fans have speculated was a dig at the WWE Hall of Fame videos from RAW:

“They sure throw out the legends word out and the Icon word. Seems like they call everyone that! But when things get HOT, those legends, gone”

Tim Tebow Cruisin' for an Ass Whoopin' From Stone Cold?

NFL quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos has risen to national prominence in the United States over the past several months and is well known for his religious faith. Tebow, who has referenced the bible verse John 3:16 several times during interviews, has coined the phrase “Tebow 3:16” – a phrase wrestling fans might lead some wrestling fans to claim gimmick infringement on a certain Texas rattlesnake.

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who quoted Austin 3:16 when delivering beatdowns to his opponents during his legendary WWE run, spoke to TMZ.com this week about Tebow using “3:16.” Austin says he wouldn’t mind passing down the “3:16” to Tim Tebow – on one condition. Austin told TMZ.com:

“Austin 3:16 still rules. If Tebow can throw for 316 yards again this weekend then hell, he can have the numbers and I’ll have no problem with it.”

“A guy named John was using it before me … so if Tebow can do it again, more power to him! I wish him all the luck in the world. I’m not a Denver fan but Tim’s a great role model for kids.”

2012 WWE Hall of Famer Edge spoke with Arda Ocal of The Score on Monday night. The full interview can be listened to at TheScore.com. Here are some highlights of what the Rated R Superstar said about:

His Hall of Fame Induction: “It seems a bit early for him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but he considers it a major accomplishment. He said WWE officials informed him that he is the youngest person to ever be inducted.

His Neck: His neck is doing well and he’s learning what bothers it and what doesn’t. Eventually he will have to get neck surgery and taking flights over 2 hours leave his neck sore the following day.

Edge says he hikes, bikes and plays records every day. He’s planning on appearing on the next season of the SyFy show Haven as well.

Regarding his upcoming WWE DVD, he picked the matches that would be featured on it and he’s very happy with the advance copy he saw.

WWE RAW

Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow opens up with a look back at last week’s show where Kane came from under the ring to attack John Cena and Zack Ryder.

– And we’re live from the arena as pyro goes off and the lights go out. Kane’s music hits and out he comes to the ring.

Kane says he hears everyone questioning why he embraces hate. Kane says everyone is predictable and in denial. Kane starts talking about how everyone hates their wife, kids and jobs. Kane goes on and brings up John Cena. Kane says when the fans say Cena sucks, they’re really saying they suck. Kane brings up Zack Ryder now and says the fans made him a star but that proves nothing. Kane says he was seconds away from dragging Ryder to the depths of hell last week but Cena stopped that. All Cena did was delay the inevitable, Kane says. Kane always gets what he wants and he wants consequences. Consequences for refusing to embrace hate. John Cena’s music hits and out he comes.

Cena rushes down the ramp and they start brawling. They fight to the backstage area and Kane takes control until they take the fight outside. Cena goes down and comes back up but Kane is nowhere to be seen. We go to commercial with Cena looking around.

Santino Marella and Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett and Jinder Mahal

Barrett and Jinder keep control of the match early on, working Santino over and keeping him down on the mat. Sheamus finally gets the tag and comes in with forearms on Jinder. Sheamus with a splash in the corner and several shots to the chest. Sheamus slams Jinder and knocks Barrett to the floor.

Sheamus hits the Brogue kick on Jinder and lays him out. Santino gets the tag and puts the Cobra on. Santino hits Jinder with it and gets the pin for the win.

Winners: Sheamus and Santino Marella

– The Miz is backstage talking to John Laurinaitis about how unfair the R-Truth attacks have been. Laurinaitis says Miz brought this on himself. Miz wants a private security force protecting him at all times. Laurinaitis says Miz can find his own permission, he’s fine with that. Laurinaitis says he’s not little Jimmy, he’s big Johnny and laughs with David Otunga.

– Still to come tonight, CM Punk vs. Jack Swagger. Also, the first inductee into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame. Back to commercial.

– WWE announces Edge for the 2012 Hall of Fame with a nice video package.

– We see The Miz backstage trying to talk Mason Ryan into protecting him but Ryan isn’t interested.

– Zack Ryder is on the phone with his dad, talking about being scared of Kane. Eve Torres walks up and he acts tough. Ryder flirts with Eve and wants a date. He wishes her good luck in her match with Beth Phoenix tonight and they walk off. Kane comes from behind a door and we see that he was listening the whole time. Back to commercial.

Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan

Back from commercial and out comes one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston. The World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is out next for this non-title match.

The bell rings and they lock up, trading holds. More back and forth and they trade pin attempts. Bryan comes off the top but lands on his feet. Kofi with an elbow and a crossbody from the top. Bryan catches the crossbody and applies the LaBell Lock. Kofi taps out for the quick win.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

– After the match, Bryan goes to ringside to celebrate with fans. Big Show comes out and is all smiles. Show goes to talk and Bryan cuts him off. Bryan says he hated how the World Title match ended on SmackDown when Mark Henry got involved. Bryan says the title is too prestigious for the match to end in a DQ. Bryan says he will give Show a World Title match whenever he wants. Show says Teddy Long agrees as well and the rematch will happen on SmackDown and it’s a No DQ, No Countout match. Show wishes Bryan good luck and they shake hands. Show exits the ring as Bryan looks on.

– Still to come tonight, Chris Jericho as well as CM Punk vs. Jack Swagger. We see a dressing room with Brodus Clay’s logo on it. Up next is his debut. Back to commercial.

Brodus Clay vs. Curt Hawkins

Back from the break and Brodus Clay gets a nice introduction from Justin Roberts. Clay is introduced as the Funkiest something. Disco music hits, two dancers come out and then Brodus Clay returns. Clay is dancing and dressed in an Adidas jumpsuit. Clay hits the ring with his dancers and they dance. Curt Hawkins looks on disapprovingly.

They lock up and Hawkins goes behind. Clay moves his hips around and Hawkins breaks the hold. Hawkins smacks Clay. Clay unloads and overpowers Hawkins. Clay hits a big overhead suplex and dances around. Clay hits a big splash in the corner and then a big splash in the middle of the ring for the win.

Winner: “The Funk-asaurus” Brodus Clay

– Zack Ryder is backstage talking to himself in the mirror, excited about getting a date with Eve. Ryder runs off scared about Kane being behind him.

– The Miz is talking with Primo, Epico and Rosa Mendes about protecting him but they aren’t interested either so they walk off. CM Punk walks by and laughs at Miz before heading to the ring. Back to commercial.

Jack Swagger vs. CM Punk

Back from the break and out comes Jack Swagger with Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler. WWE Champion CM Punk is out next to a nice pop from the crowd.

John Laurinaitis comes out and announces that if Punk wins tonight, Vickie and Swagger are banned from ringside for the Dolph vs. Punk match at the Rumble. Laurinaitis also announces Ziggler vs. John Cena for tonight. The bell rings and Punk locks up with Swagger. Swagger takes Punk down and works on the arm. They trade holds and go back to the ropes.

Swagger keeps in control of Punk in the corner. Punk breaks out and slams Swagger before going to the top. Punk calls for the big elbow drop but Swagger rolls out of the ring to re-group. Swagger comes back in and beats Punk down with forearms and right hands. Punk ducks a clothesline, and another, then hit a crossbody for 2. Punk with a high elbow and more right hands to the face. Swagger counters and applies the ankle lock. Punk kicks out of it but Swagger goes back to work on his knee. Swagger runs Punk over with a shoulder block and he goes down. Swagger with knees in the corner now. Swagger takes Punk back to the mat.

Punk tries to counter but Swagger rolls him up for 2. Swagger tosses Punk to the floor. Ziggler wanders over but Laurinaitis stops him from attacking. Punk comes back in and clotheslines Swagger out to the floor. Punk runs and dives through the ropes, taking Swagger out. Punk grabs Swagger and picks him up as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Swagger is in control. Swagger with a big slam and a 2 count. Punk finally fights back with kicks and a shot to the jaw. Punk with more offense and a big neckbreaker. Punk hits the high knee in the corner and goes for the bulldog but Swagger pushes him off and hits the Swagger Bomb for a 2 count. Swagger takes back control of the match and gets another 2 count. Punk slides out of the gutwrench powerbomb but Swagger blocks GTS. Swagger ducks a kick and hits a belly to belly on Punk for 2.

Swagger takes Punk to the top but Punk fights him off and headbutts him to the mat. Punk comes back and hits the big elbow from the top. It looks like Swagger kicks out at 2 but the referee calls for the bell. Even Punk and Cole thought Swagger kicked out.

Winner: CM Punk

– After the match, we see a replay and Swagger definitely kicked out.

– We get a replay of the Kane and Cena brawl from earlier. Cena is backstage talking with Zack Ryder now. Ryder is freaking out about everything. Cena brings up Ryder passing The Miz in Twitter followers this week. Cena tells Ryder to keep it together and walks off. Ryder keeps looking over his shoulder for Kane. Back to break we go.

– Back from the break and The Bella Twins are arguing backstage. Ricardo Rodriguez walks up and asks why they wanted him to come from Mexico. They want to tell Alberto Del Rio something but The Miz interrupts. He orders Ricardo to go to the ring and call out R-Truth. Miz wants Ricardo to say something offensive to draw out Truth and he will do the rest. Ricardo says that’s not going to happen. Miz threatens him. Ricardo asks The Bellas to join him in the ring and they say no before walking off. Miz orders Ricardo to the ring and he goes.

– WWE announces Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Tully Blanchard as The Four Horsemen for the 2012 Hall of Fame with a nice video package.

– We go back to the arena and Ricardo Rodriguez is in the ring. He’s scared but starts firing off weak insults at R-Truth. Truth’s music hits and out he comes smiling.

Truth comes to the ring and doesn’t know why Ricardo would pick a fight with him. He says he’s a good R-Truth. Truth says asks the little Jimmys if he should let Ricardo go and they say no. Ricardo calls for Miz to come help him. Truth gets Ricardo to sing “La Cucaracha” and Ricardo really gets into it. Truth wants Ricardo to sing it again but he knocks the mic down. This angers Truth and he drops Ricardo with his finisher. The Miz rushes the ring and attacks from behind. Miz drops Truth and kicks him in the face. Miz with knees to the head now. Truth fights back and tackles him. Miz runs back through the crowd as Truth looks on from ringside.

– Still to come tonight, Cena vs. Ziggler. Up next, Chris Jericho is ready to talk. Back to commercial we go.

– Back from the break and Justin Roberts introduces Chris Jericho as the only man to ever beat Steve Austin and The Rock to become the first-ever Undisputed Champion. The lights go out and Jericho makes his way down to the ring.

Jericho hits the ring and gets the fans to pop. He goes back out to the floor and slaps hands with the fans around ringside, just like last week. Jericho goes back in the ring to soak up the love from the fans before taking a mic. His music stops and the crowd starts chanting Y2J. Jericho hits the turnbuckles to pose for the fans. Jericho asks himself “why?” as the crowd cheers for him.

Jericho acts like he’s going to start crying as the crowd continues to cheer. Jericho is doing a bad job of crying now as he sets the microphone down and his music plays. Jericho exits the ring, too overcome with emotions to speak. Jericho stops on the stage and shoots the crowd a thumbs up, all while still crying. Back to commercial.

Eve Torres vs. Kane

Eve Torres comes out for tonight’s Divas match. Justin Roberts announces her opponent and it’s…. Kane! Kane’s music hits and pyro goes off as Eve gets ready, going to the floor. Zack Ryder runs out and hurries Eve off to the back as Kane’s music continues to pay. They run out to the parking lot and Ryder puts Eve in a car. The tire is flat so Ryder has to change the tire. Ryder starts changing the tire as Eve is freaking out in the front seat.

– Up next, John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler in the main event.

– Back from the break and Ryder is still trying to change the tire.

Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena

Dolph Ziggler is waiting in the ring as John Cena makes his entrance for the main event.

The bell rings and they lock up. Ziggler applies a headlock. Ziggler ducks two clotheslines and shows off a bit. They go at it again and Cena overpowers Ziggler. It doesn’t last long as Ziggler takes it to the corner and beats Cena down again. The match goes on until we see Kane attacking Zack Ryder on the big screen. Kane chokeslams Ryder off a ledge and onto a stack of pallets. Cena deals with Ziggler in the ring and rushes outside to the parking lot. Kane attacks Cena as he comes through the door. Kane lays Cena out with the move he’s been using. RAW goes off the air with Kane standing over Cena.

– A new WWE Network show “Countdown” was announced during a promo on RAW. The show was described as, “We List ‘Em, You Rank ‘Em
You Decide What’s #1.”

WWE Network Launch Reportedly Being Pushed Back To The Fall

– WWE has announced the first four participants for the 2012 Royal Rumble:

• Jinder Mahal
• Sheamus
• Santino Marella
• Wade Barrett

On Monday’s RAW, it was announced that former WWE superstar Edge and legendary stable The Four Horsemen will be part of the  WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

Edge’s induction corresponds with the releases of his WWE Studios film, Breaking The Rules and a DVD set on his career.

• Edge Comments On His HOF Induction & Neck Problems
• Edge Reveals Who He Wants to Induct Him

The Four Horsemen as a group will be inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame class from Miami, Florida. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham will be inducted as the group. No word yet if Flair will be there for the induction.

WWE Network

WWE will reportedly be pushing back the launch of the WWE Network several months to the fall, according to a report on PWInsider.com.

WWE had been planning to launch the WWE Network the day of WrestleMania 28, April 1st. However, the tremendous amount of work involved in creating a new television network from scratch as well as the issue of securing clearances from the big television carriers was too much to get done by 4/1.

WWE recently decided pushing the Network back several months would be their best chance for the Network to be a success.

Despite the delay, projects that were being produced will still go on as planned.

– Next Monday will be a very hectic one for the WWE crew. RAW takes place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California – one day after the Professional Bull Riders will hold an event at the venue. The Bull Riders event takes place at 2pm Sunday afternoon – and all of the dirt that is brought into the arena won’t be removed until 1pm on Monday afternoon The RAW crew typically starts setting up for shows early in the morning – so they’ll have way less time to get ready next week.

– Antonio Cesaro from FCW teamed up with Michael McGillicutty again at last night’s RAW live event in Texas. They lost to the team of Mason Ryan and Alex Riley again. One reader sent word that the matches haven’t been squash matches as previously reported but the heels, Cesaro and McGillicutty, actually controlled most of the match before losing.

– Both Wade Barrett & Ted DiBiase have hinted at getting new theme music on their Twitter accounts. Barrett, who is using the “End of Days” theme that was used by Corre, posted the following:

“New entrance music: Imminent.”

DiBiase responded to a fan on Twitter that suggested getting a new theme from a band called Son Soul with the following:

“They just did! Not finished yet tho.”

— There was speculation on SmackDown Diva Tamina’s heel or babyface status after she recently turned on Natalya during a SmackDown episode. Tamina has been working WWE live events as a babyface Diva so it looks like that’s the role she’s playing after turning on Natalya.

WWE’s website has a new article up looking at their fathers – Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, and how they relate to the Tamina vs. Natalya feud.

— WWEDVDNews reports that WWE has removed the planned Triple H feature from their internal DVD release schedule. The set was previously confirmed for a March 13th release and even assigned catalog/UPC numbers plus a synopsis but for some reason, it looks to be canceled or postponed for the second year in a row.

– Rapper Rick Ross was at Sunday night’s TNA Genesis pay-per-view. Ross was shown on camera before the start of the TNA X Division Championship Match. He stayed for most of the show and was backstage visiting prior to the event going live.

– TNA has issued the following statement about the European tour in late January:

“The IMPACT WRESTLING World Tour events in Essen, Leipzig and Neu-Ulm, Germany, have been canceled. Tickets can be refunded at point of purchase.”

TNA issued the following message on the company’s German Facebook page regarding the Germany shows being cancelled:

“Unfortunately we have just reached an unpleasant message from Shooter Promotions, the organizer of the Maximum Impact tour 2012th Due to the unexpectedly poor clearance sales, the planned three TNA Wrestling shows are canceled. The already purchased tickets can be returned to the respective box offices.”

– TNA has released an official preview video for next month’s Against All Odds pay-per-view on Sunday, February 12. TNA is advertising Hulk Hogan and Rob Vam Dam for the event. Hogan has not been featured in TNA storylines since October.

The official list of talent advertised for the show includes: “Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode, Rob Van Dam, Kurt Angle, ‘Cowboy’ James Storm, A.J. Styles, Velvet Sky, Gail Kim, Mickie James, the high-flying superstars of the X Division, and many more!”

– Tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow takes place from Corpus Christi, Texas at the American Bank Center. Advertised for tonight’s show are WWE Champion CM Punk, John Cena vs. Kane and a special appearance by Chris Jericho.

SmackDown stars advertised for tonight include World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes, Big Show, Mark Henry, Wade Barrett and Sheamus.

– Husky Harris returned to WWE’s main roster at Sunday night’s WWE live event from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Harris teamed with Drew McIntyre and lost to the team of Ezekiel Jackson and Trent Baretta.

• Husky Harris Debuts New Gimmick At FCW (PICTURES)

– Continuing her feud with television host Chelsea Handler, Beth Phoenix tweeted over the weekend that she wants to wrestle Handler at WWE’s upcoming live event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on 2/24.

Based on Handler’s responses to Phoenix, it doesn’t sound like a match between the two will ever happen.

– Jack Swagger will be appearing at the FCW show on January 27th from the Charlotte Harbor Events Center in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Madusa Trashes The WWF Women's Title

Former WWE Women’s Champion Madusa who wrestled in WWE during the “New Generation” mid-90’s era as Alundra Blaze, says she wants to wrestle Beth Phoenix for the WWE Womens championship that she threw in the trash on Monday Nitro in one of the more memorable moments of the Monday Night War.

Madusa, who still owns that championship belt, says she wants to wrestle Beth Phoenix for it to crown the true women’s wrestling champion.

She admits that Beth may be the best women’s wrestler today, but says WWE is “stifling her” from reaching her true potential.

Below is Madusa’s video message to Beth Phoenix