– WWE recently took out a $200 million line of credit with JP Morgan Chase Bank to finance the planned WWE Network and help the company expand its digital library.
– At this time, WWE has not yet finalized exactly what will air on the network. Of course, the backbone of the network will be WWE’s massive library of television footage spanning multiple decades from almost every major national wrestling promotion in history. There’s also the WWE Studios films that WWE can air at very little additional cost. Beyond that, several ideas have been discussed, including reality shows and scripted sitcoms starring current and past WWE superstars.
– WWE will be pushing hard to have the network launched by the end of 2012.
– WWE has been working on trademarking the name “The Network” – a name that was actually considered for the Nexus faction at one point.
In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the official promo video for the WWE Network:
– Mick Foley has launched his official website at RealMickFoley.com. Foley is expected to return to WWE in the coming months.
– Canadian independent wrestler Anthony Fiasco received a WWE tryout before the show in Ottawa this past week.
– A new horror film is in the works titled, “Zombies vs. Wrestlers” and will feature Shane Douglas in one of the starring roles. Zombies vs. Wrestlers is said to be a “serious horror movie” and not satire. Douglas is also listed as a producer for the film, which is currently seeking additional funding.
– There have reportedly been several departures from WWE in recent weeks, including:
Joel Satin (Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis)
Jen Bloodsworth (former NXT head writer and WWE website contributor)
Sirius XM’s Busted Open Interview: Beth Pheonix
Hosts: Doug Mortman and Mike Riker
Busted Open can be heard Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Sirius 94, XM 208
Beth on working with Goldust: I have nothing but great things to say about Goldust, and really what he brings to us is the time that he spends working with us. He has such a wide variety of opinions and experience on the business, things that like, you know he’ll come to me with advice that I never really would have seen it that way you know. And he has a completely different perspective, and he has really, really put in so much effort and cares about the divas division and I have nothing but glowing things to say about him. If you see what you want to see and your liking what you are seeing, Goldust is a big part of that.
Beth on CM Punk vs. HHH: Well this match, you know, maybe has as much meaning for all of us on the roster as it does for the WWE Universe. Because if HHH loses, he is no longer the COO of the company. And on the other hand, CM Punk has kind of been the one guy to stand up and step up for all of us who have felt pushed aside or under-appreciated, so it really is kind of a conflict of heart. Because I like what HHH has been doing as the COO, he has really you know made some changes in the company that have affected us in a positive way. So um, you know, I understand Punk’s gripes, but at the same time me as a talent, I really like what HHH has done so it’s really a toss up. I think it could go either way, and it’s really going be the match I want to see the most.
Beth on her relationship with Natalya: Myself and Natalya have been longtime best friends in the wrestling business, you know we respect each other and we have very similar stories. I grew up really, you know, idolizing her family so we have a lot of, um, our mission is really what we have in common aside from other things, but you know we are our own thing. It’s unfortunate what happened with Karma because I would have loved to have her as an opponent at some day, at some point, but right now like I said it’s just all about me and Natty and that’s all we are really worried about.
Beth on CM Punk giving buzz to the wrestling world: I think there’s like a feeling of kind of like an anti-establishment growing, you know like a revolution. I think there’s like, there’s a feeling that, you know, that we got back when Stone Cold was standing up to Vince McMahon. I would make comparisons back to that because, you know, CM Punk has basically stepped outside the box and stopped being a nice guy and said what’s on everyone’s mind. But rather than being villainized for it, we all kind of support him on that and saying like wow, thank you, thank you for being the one to stand up and say something. So, there are a lot of us that, certainly over the summer it was probably the hottest topic in wrestling in years, and um I feel like going forward this match is going to be a determining factor in where the company goes as a whole.
Beth Phoenix and CM Punk have been rumored to be romantically linked. In fact, many believe Beth Phoenix was drafted to RAW this year so the two could travel together. Check out this video of Beth Phoenix giving CM Punk her finisher back in July when WWE was in New Zealand and Punk was allegedly “leaving WWE” .. Beth Phoenix finally gets her payback on Punk after he gave her his Go 2 Sleep finisher at the 2010 Royal Rumble!
After receiving several WWE tryouts this year, Ring of Honor star Claudio Castagnoli has reportedly signed with WWE.
Castagnoli, one half of the ROH tag team “The Kings of Wrestling” (along with Chris Hero), has already reported to WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.
Castagnoli will be known as “Antonio Cesaro.” He has already changed his Twitter name to Antonio Cesaro (@AntonioCesaro) and his Twitter account description reads:
“The official twitter of Very European Antonio Cesaro. Swiss world traveler, FCW Superstar and coffee connoisseur. Universal European Uppercut Master”
At this time, there’s no word on the WWE status of Chris Hero. Both men impressed WWE officials during their tryouts and the most recent talk was that they’d be brought in together as a tag team.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. JR previews Night of Champions and had this to say about the following topics:
Whether The WWE Title & The World Heavyweight Title Will Ever Be Unified:
“No , I never see one, major champion in WWE meaning that I don’t think that the WWE/World Heavyweight titles will ever be united which essentially means that I don’t see the brand split going away any time soon.”
“Will the WWE title belts ever be redesigned? Beats me. No idea and I’m really not a ‘belt guy’ as it relates to what they look like. We get this question all the time.”
What he thinks of Brock Lesnar returning to the Octagon in December?
“My instinct says it may be too early. I’m surprised that Brock is returning to headline a UFC PPV so soon after surgery and especially against an opponent like Overeem who is a world class striker. I’m a Lesnar fan without question and hope that he can take Overeem down and avoid a knockout.”
Will Batista and/or Chris Jericho ever return to WWE?
“Again, I have no info on such but my guess is that yes they will at some point in the future and likely for a limited time engagement. Perhaps that’s just my wishful thinking and I could be dead wrong. Both would help score a bigger Wrestlemania 28 number of PPV buys, IMO.”
As always, check out JRsBarBQ.com for Jim Ross’ amazing line of BBQ products!
During a recent interview with MovieFone.com to promote his new movie Inside Out, WWE star Triple H was asked about the differences between pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. Specifically, he was asked, “How do you think WWE and pro wrestling needs to evolve as UFC and MMA grows in popularity?
Triple H answered with the following response, saying that it’s actually UFC that needs to evolve right now, not WWE:
“I don’t think we have to evolve. It’s two totally different things. I think now especially there’s this thing like, “oh it’s very similar.”
“I don’t see us needing to evolve to what UFC does because quite frankly sometimes the fights are long and boring, guys lying around and sometimes the fights are fast and over in five seconds. I’ve always thought one of the things about us, if you look at us solely from a sports standpoint, is that we always give you a good show. We’re never going to give you a crap game.”
“I think if anybody needs to evolve, it’s them. Give more of an entertainment standpoint. Give more form; they just have fighters who walk in in T-shirts and shorts and just stand there and then they fight and then they win and then they go “thanks, I’d like to thank my sponsors” and then they leave. The whole world was up in arms when Brock was flipping people off and was cussing at the beer company because they didn’t give him any money and everyone thought, “oh my god, he’s disrespectful,” — the whole world was talking about it. They couldn’t wait to see him get beat up. And then he did well, and he beat some guys and then people jump on his bandwagon going “Brock’s the greatest.” I’m good friends with Floyd Mayweather and Floyd would be the first to tell ya, “I make the most money in boxing and I have the biggest buyers because I have the biggest mouth.” He’d be the first guy to tell you that. That’s what it’s about. Sports is entertainment.”
Many people are shaking their heads at the ineptitude of Triple H’s remarks, including his Night of Champions opponent, CM Punk. Punk tweeted the following on Thursday:
“”@arielhelwani: RT @MMAFighting Triple H: UFC Needs to Evolve More Than WWE aol.it/qVzzuK” RIDICULOUS!!!!! Laugh out loud ignorance.”
DISCUSSION: What do you guys think? Is Triple H off his rocker when he says that WWE is doing just fine right now and it’s actually UFC that needs to alter its company strategy? Hit up the comments below and tell us what you think.
Video footage has been released of Shawn Michaels and Triple H hunting for alligators in Florida from “Shawn Michaels’s MacMillan River Adventures” show. The full episode aired earlier this week on Outdoor Channel and replays on Saturday night. Part 2 of the DX gator hunt airs on next week’s show:
During the interview, Triple H was asked about wrestling legend Ric Flair and his infamous partying ways. Triple H had this to say about Ric Flair, who is still going hard after all these years:
“Ric is one of my best friends. Ric doesn’t know when to walk away. Ric doesn’t want to be told to walk away. And Ric can’t afford to walk away. Ric has lived every day of his life like it’s the last for almost the fifty years he’s been in the business. In Ric’s mind, it’s still 1982, he’s on top of the world, he’s young, he’s got a lot of money. Ric has never questioned spending.”
“We have a term on the road where if you go out and you have a crazy night that you spent a ludicrous amount of money or you just lose it one day and you can’t go through another airport and you’re trying to get a jet instead, we call it ‘Naitching.’ Ridiculously spending money for no point is called ‘Naitching.’”
Triple H also spoke about the competition between WWE and UFC – which is leading many to say that Triple H is stuck in the “WWE bubble” and out of touch with reality. To read what Triple H had to say about WWE vs. UFC, hit the link below:
Credit to SEScoops.com reader Eric for the following TNA Impact Wrestling spoilers from Wednesday night’s tapings in Orlando. These will air in two weeks on September 29th:
* Sting and Robert Roode open the show. Sting puts over Roode and calls him the next World Champion. AJ Styles comes out and talks about being World Champion which brings out Kurt Angle. Angle says it’s going to be Styles vs. Roode tonight.
* Brian Kendrick beat Zema Ion, Kid Kash, Jesse Sorensen and Alex Shelley in a Ladder Match to become the new #1 contender for the X Division Title. It will be Kendrick vs. Aries at Bound For Glory.
* Karen and Jeff Jarrett come out. They call out Traci Brooks and Kazarian. Jarrett talks about how Kazarian owes him for giving him work. This goes on and they all get into it. Jarrett is about to make Kaz and Traci’s life hell. Gunner comes out and lays out Kazarian to end it.
* Backstage segment with Mexican America. Ink Inc. show up to give Anarquia a new tattoo but they attack the tag champions. Jesse Neal hides the camera while Shannon Moore gives Anarquia a tattoo. Anarquia is screaming bad. Ink Inc. go to the arena for a match but get jumped and laid out by Mexican America.
* Madison Rayne beat Tara in a qualifying match to join Winter, Velvet Sky and Mickie James in the Knockouts Title match at Bound For Glory.
* Crimson calls out Samoa Joe and they cut proms on each other. Crimson meets Joe on the stage and they go at it, fighting back to the ring where Joe slaps on the figure four. Matt Morgan comes out for the save but Joe escapes.
* The Pope beat Mr. Anderson. Devon’s kids ended up getting involved and pushing Anderson at ringside. Devon came out and wasn’t happy with them. Bully Ray ran in and laid out Anderson with a kendo stick, letting Pope get the win.
* Robert Roode beat AJ Styles by submission. Styles raised Roode’s hand after the match.
* Hulk Hogan came out and talks about Hulkamania, selling out Madison Square Garden and more. He says Hulkamania could live forever. Hogan talks about being grateful for being able to help TNA and puts over some of the stars. Hogan then puts over the fans for sticking by him and says this is it for him. Hogan says his run in wrestling is over and it’s time for guys like Robert Roode and James Storm to shine. Hogan invites everyone to Tennessee next week for a special announcement about his final time entering the ring.
TNA star Hulk Hogan announced on Twitter this week that he would be making a special announcement on the September 29th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling.
Hogan’s announcement was that he would be wrestling his last match ever at TNA Bound For Glory. Hogan said his time in the spotlight has passed and it’s time for the younger generation of stars like Robert Roode and James Storm to take this industry to the next level. Hogan said he would give more information at TNA’s next Impact taping on September 21st from Knoxville, Tennesse – which will air on Spike TV on October 6th.
Hogan is currently scheduled to wrestle Sting at Bound for Glory, but it’s been said that this match will almost certainly not take place as a singles match and at least one more competitor will be added to make this a triple threat match or a tag team match.
At this time, there’s no confirmation as to whether Hogan is actually retiring at Bound For Glory or if this is just a work. Hogan and Eric Bischoff’s contracts with TNA are set to expire this fall and it will be interesting to see how things go after that. There’s a feeling backstage that Hogan has been looking to leave TNA for some time now to focus on other projects.
The following is a preview for tonight’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV – featuring a match between two of the greatest rivals in pro wrestling history:
– The Pope, Brother Devon, Tara & Brooke Tessmacher vs. Mexican America
– Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky
– Samoa Joe vs. Matt Morgan
– Kazarian vs. Robert Roode
– Jerry Lynn & Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson in a Handicap Match
At Monday’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando, Ric Flair wrestled Sting in a match that’s been discribed as a “disaster” by one reader who was at the show and sent in a live report. The match was so bad that many have said it has no place airing on television, considering the classic encounters between both men and what most fans will be expecting from a ‘Flair vs. Sting’ match.
Ric Flair reportedly injured his left arm during the match. Flair had TNA officials worried during the match after he clutched his shoulder and rolled out of the ring to re-group. Flair was icing his arm backstage after the match.
Regarding who is to blame, Flair was rusty from not wrestling lately and is in his 60’s, Sting appeared to have forgotten a few spots in the match as he’s been known to do, but at the end of the day, TNA are the ones who have the ultimate say and decided to book the match.
As reported earlier, former WWE and TNA wrestler Matt Hardy was arrested at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport once again this week in North Carolina and charged with DWI (Driving While Intoxicated).
TMZ.com has published the police report (.PDF) from Matt Hardy’s arrest and the details are just unbelievable.
Matt Hardy was at the airport on Monday afternoon when police received several phone calls from concerned drivers who said Matt’s car “almost hit two drivers three separate times.”
When an airport police officer spotted Hardy, the wrestler’s car, “swerved into the curb and then back onto the road.”
Once Hardy was pulled over, the officer claims Hardy was asked to step out of the vehicle. Matt proceeded to open his door and get out of the car – WITHOUT PUTTING IT IN PARK. The police report reads, “The vehicle rolled forward and I yelled for him to put the vehicle in park.”
Matt Hardy was observed to have “slow and slurred speech, sleepy eyes and a very lackadaisical demeanor.”
Hardy was asked to walk in a straight line but – “after taking two steps, Mr. Hardy lost his balance and failed to stay on the line.” He was given a second chance but only made it “two or three steps” before failing to remain “heel-to-toe” and lost his balance again. Hardy took another field sobriety test where he had to stand on one leg. “He was unable to hold his leg up past 1 second.”
Hardy took a breathalyzer test – which showed that he had zero alcohol in his system. [SEE? HE WASN’T DRINKING! HE’S BEING FRAMED! Oh wait …]
Cops then called in a “Drug Recognition Officer” to perform even more tests – and they determined Hardy was under the influence of “Central Nervous System depressants” and arrested him on the spot. Hardy’s blood was taken for drug testing – and those results are not in as of this writing.
Hardy is due back in court [for this offense] on November 30th.
Shortly after the arrest, Matt Hardy’s girlfriend Reby Sky tweeted, “F*ck this.”
WWE officials are reportedly trying very hard to get The Rock to wrestle at Survivor Series in November.
Original plans called for The Rock to appear at the 25th anniversary show and participate in some sort of angle, but not wrestle until WrestleMania 28.
Something has changed in the past 2 weeks and now WWE is ready to jump the gun and give away Rock’s in-ring return 6 months before his showdown with John Cena next April.
As previously reported, there has been talk of doing a best of 3 series between Rock and Cena.
Whether or not The Rock will wrestle at Survivor Series has been a controversial topic behind the scenes in WWE this past week.
As reported earlier, former WWE and TNA wrestler Matt Hardy was arrested once again this week in North Carolina and charged with DWI (Driving While Intoxicated).
According to police, Matt was arrested on Monday, September 12th. He was arrested by Airport Police at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
He tweeted on Tuesday that there’s some sort of conspiracy against him – claiming he was framed and apparently has a “bulls eye on his head.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was asked on Twitter what he thinks about Matt Hardy’s latest DWI arrest. Ross responded:
“Really, what’s left to say?”
Matt Hardy now has several court dates scheduled stemming from three separate incidents.
The first on September 28th for his August 20 DWI arrest that led to his release from TNA. That arrest brought charges of Driving While Impaired and Exceeding Safe Speed.
Next he has a court date on October 11th, from a different incident, where was charged with Reckless Driving – Wanton Disregard.
Finally, from Monday’s latest arrest, he appears in court on November 30th to face charges of driving while impaired.
In an interview with BoxingScene.com, heavyweight boxing contender Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett announced that he’s heading to train at WWE’s developmental territory at the end of October.
Barrett, whose professional record is 35-9-2 (with 20 knockouts), recently scored a unanimous decision win over rival David Tua last month, will be heading to Florida Championship Wrestling in Tampa for two weeks next month and will later return for a two month period. Barrett told BoxingScene.com:
“I gotta call [WWE senior director of talent relations] Ty Bailey this week and go through some of the particulars, but I know whatever it’s gonna be, it will be a lot of hard work. I told him I will commit 110% and put my best foot forward with everything that I do.”
The 40-year-old Barrett is a friend of John Cena and recently told Boxing Scene that he’s interested in fighting David Tua once again at WrestleMania 28 – and would do so inside a steel cage.
Former WWE and TNA wrestler Matt Hardy has reportedly been arrested again during the past week in Raleigh, North Carolina on another DWI charge. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 30.
Hardy’s arrest has been confirmed with police officials, according to prowrestling.net.
To clarify – this is a separate incident from last month’s DWI in Moore County, North Carolina.
Matt Hardy tweeted on Tuesday @MattHardybrand:
“For the first time in my life, I was framed.. 0, 0, and O.. I’m truly appalled. This will not go down without a fight! Looks like I’ve got a bull’s eye on my head.”
Matt did not clarify what he was appalled about or being framed for – but it appears now we now.
The Miami Herald has published Part 2 of their interview with Triple H, which you can read at MiamiHerald.com in its entirety. Here are some highlights of what Triple H said about:
His Future Inside & Outside Of The Ring:
“In the ring, listen, it’s a young man’s business. I love being able to get in there occasionally and still perform. We [WWE] have the greatest fan base in the world, the most rabid fan base in the world. Anytime I can get out in front of them and perform, as long as they still want to see me, I’m excited to do it, but at the same point, I don’t want to be doing it everyday.
I enjoy the [TV] role I have right now, with being able to go out on the show, but to be quite frank, I enjoy the behind the scenes just as much. To me, it’s just as thrilling to help a young guy like a Sheamus or a Miz or somebody like that, help them with something and then see them go out there and do it and be successful, see it click for them. It’s just as exhilarating to me as being out there and doing it myself. So that part of it is a thrill for me to be behind the scenes and hopefully watching the business continue to thrive.”
SmackDown Moving To Tuesdays?
“I’m sure if you ask Syfy, they would say, ‘Yes.’ I think that’s certainly on the board. The beautiful thing about WWE is we truly are a fluid product, because we’re live, and we can do it from just about anywhere. We can moves things around and switch things around, and it’s what makes us such a valuable partner to people and networks like USA and Syfy. If USA or somebody needs a number to help them get over the hump in the ratings war, we can do a special and put them over the top. We can do a Tuesday live show and give somebody a kick. We can do all these different things, and that’s a very valuable commodity. I’m sure they’re looking, as well as everybody else is looking, to use that commodity in the best possible way they can.”
Credit to TNAInsider.com for these spoiler results from Tuesday’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings, airing September 22nd:
* Sting came out to start the show, clipboard in hand. He says he beat Ric Flair last week like he said he would and now gets his shot at Hulk Hogan. To make things fun, let’s bring Hogan out. Hulk Hogan joins Sting in the ring and says that this is insane and he’s not medically cleared to wrestle. Sting laughs at that and says come on Hogan. He shows a video package of Hulk using a chair multiple times on him and says he looks fine in this video. Hulk kicks the bottom rope and then holds his back as if it hurts. Sting says this match is happening whether he likes it or not.
Eric Bischoff’s music hits and comes out immediately saying this isn’t happening. Sting punches Bischoff in the face and knocks him out. Sting gets face to face with Hogan and says he’ll see him at Bound For Glory and stares him down. When Sting leaves the ring, Bischoff is coming to and Sting knocks him out again.
* Backstage, Karen Angle tells Mickie James and Brooke Tessmacher that they’re wrestling tonight and the winner goes on to face Velvet Sky. Karen asks Brooke if she’s wearing that to the ring. Brooke says she is and Karen says good, she doesn’t want her wearing any of her revealing clothing or any of her girations. She then turns to Traci Brooks (who is wearing a shirt that has a big hole in the middle to show off her cleavage) and says she needs to dress more professionally and she looks like she works in a whore house. Frankie Kazarian comes up and has some unkind words for Karen Angle and leaves with Traci.
* Mickie James b. Brooke Tessmacher with the Last Kiss Goodnight
* Ink Inc. are backstage and they are talking to each other, when at some point they are joined by a controversial girl with a pass to ask for an autograph, Moore and Neal are happy to put their signatures on a book, which happens to be a copy of the Book of D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
* TNA Champion Kurt Angle comes to the ring and invites Bobby Roode out with him. Angle says he’s not the one that Roode has to worry about, his partner is. James Storm comes to the ring and gets in Roode’s face. He asks if Roode thinks he’s out here because he sold out to Immortal and turned his back on him. Roode says no, he knows him better. Storm says he’s his own man and makes his own rules and does what he wants. And he says the problem isn’t with Roode, the problem is with Angle. He gets in Angle’s face and says he doesn’t listen to what he says and that if Angle wants a fight, he’s got one, with him, tonight. Sorry about your d— luck.
* For the X Division Title, Austin Aries beat Jesse Sorenson with a schoolboy
* Christopher Daniels comes to the ring and says he will not face Bobby Roode like Kurt Angle wants. He is his own man and showed that when he beat AJ Styles. AJ Styles comes to the ring and asks what Daniels’ problem is. Chris said he doesn’t have one as he beat AJ and is moving on to bigger things. After an exchange of words, Daniels and Styles begin brawling. Security tries to break it up but they keep breaking free. They fight to the backstage area and invade the Direct Auto Insurance office that’s set up. They eventually come back to the ring and Kazarian comes out to break things up. While Kazarian is calming down Styles, Daniels kicks him square in the groin. Daniels takes off while Styles is on the mat in agony.
* James Storm vs. Kurt Angle went to a no contest as two referees got knocked out.
The ratings are in for Monday’s episode of WWE RAW – and it might be time to hit the panic button.
After last week’s Labor Day edition of RAW drew only a 3.0 rating, you can bet WWE and the USA Network were hoping this week’s show would rebound. Unfortunately – RAW was up against Week 1 of the NFL’s Monday Night Football franchise – and took quite a beating.
Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow from Ontario, Canada did an alarming 2.71 cable rating with only 3.86 million viewers. This was the lowest rated non-holiday RAW in almost a year and the worst rating RAW has done up against Week 1 of Monday Night Football in the past 5 years.
Not only is Monday’s 2.7 rating a bad sign heading into Sunday’s Night of Champions pay-per-view, but it shows that WWE’s audience is not very engaged int the current product and RAW might have a rough time this fall up against Monday Night Football.
Matt Hardy posted the following video to Youtube this week – looking at his brother Jeff’s latest art project. The video caption reads, “Go deep inside Jeff Hardy’s mind, abilities, and artwork”
– After Zack Ryder did not appear on Monday’s RAW Supershow, the WWE website noted that Ryder was scheduled to team with Jerry Lawler again in a rematch against Otunga and McGillicutty, but was injured last week on SmackDown after being attacked by Mark Henry.
Ryder actually wrestled prior to RAW against Drew McIntyre in a match taped for Thursday’s Superstars show.
– Jerry Lawler suffered a busted nose on RAW last night in the match where he teamed with Sheamus to take on Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga.
– WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom are scheduled to be in action at tonight’s SmackDown tapings from Toronto.
– This year’s Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view takes place on December 18th from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on December 18th. WWE announced on RAW last night that tickets go on sale this Saturday, September 17th.