– Kurt Angle appeared on the Talksport radio show in London this week and talked about his quest to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games next summer. Angle said that he really misses the competitive edge that olypmpic-level wrestling offers. Angle talked about his disappointments of not negotiating a deal to pursue a career in MMA. He mentioned that he will make the odd TV and pay-per-view appearances for TNA, but as of now he is training for the olympics.

– With the recent TNA return of Chris Harris, company officials had discussed reuniting Harris with James Storm to reform America’s Most Wanted – with Robert Roode moving on as a singles wrestler. After Harris wasn’t getting over as well as TNA hoped and is not in great shape, the idea was scrapped. There are still plans for Beer Money to split up in the near future.

– Jeff Jarrett has the person handling most of TNA’s affairs with Mexico’s AAA promotion. Jarrett is booking the current TNA vs. AAA storyline that’s currently taking place on AAA television and Jarrett is said to have some big ideas for AAA’s upcoming TripleMania show.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what Jim Ross said about:

Chris Jericho’s 3rd Book & WWE Return:

Chris Jericho is looking at doing a 3rd book! Amazing. I can’t even put a plan together to write one while wanting to stay away from a full blown autobiography at this time. Jericho is uber talented in many areas and has likely not wrestled his last WWE bout. The thing about Jericho is that he’s going to do things on his time line and that he enjoys doing. When or if he becomes ready to return to WWE he will. The Winnipeg native and Fozzy front man certainly doesn’t ‘owe’ any of us one more match.

Alex Riley Getting A Babyface Push:

– Yes emailer….Alex Riley has upped his game the past two weeks on Raw while beating up The Miz. The key to Riley’s rise to stardom and latching on to something tangible at the next level is his continued ability to shine and to get on a roll. The roll has started but how long will it be sustained? That’s always going to be the question no matter the talent. Riley-Miz has been some of my favorite, MNR content the past two broadcasts. It feels new and fresh.

The New WWE ’12 Video Game:

– The THQ rendition of the WWE12 video game is going to really be slick. THQ has some very educated and intelligent fans of the genre working on this game and I look for it to be the most ecstatically pleasing and exciting to play video game that THQ/WWE has done to date.

• Screenshots From The New WWE 12 Video Game

Mr. Long Island Iced Z, Zack Ryder is back with another installment of his Z! True Long Island Story series.

Sit back and enjoy Episode 16, BRO .. WWWYKI

TNA executive Eric Bischoff went on another rant against the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) on Wednesday night.

Bischoff tweeting the following in response to the “IWC smarks” who follow pro wrestling online and are outspoken about TNA’s product:

“Seems like 90% of the audience loves what the loudest 10% hates. So who really matters? The 10%er’s can’t get over the fact that they are irrelevant. Ratings don’t lie. Research doesn’t lie. IWC smarks need to get over it.”

Comment below and tell us what you think about Bischoff’s position. What do you think about Bischoff calling 10% of his audience “irrelevant” .. He points at TNA’s ratings as an example of why fans who criticize TNA on the Internet are wrong – when Impact’s rating hasn’t moved out of the 1.1 range in the past 5 years despite millions of dollars spent on marketing and expensive talent.

The ongoing saga between the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan continues.

• Catch up on everything that’s gone down so far at the Hogan-Warrior Beef page.

Following The Ultimate Warrior’s recent remarks that he’s going to expose Hulk Hogan for what he truly is, Hogan asks people to pray for Warrior:

“It’s awesome how such grateful positive people live in abundance and how they always try to help and pray for the lost negative people. his claim to fame was our match at WM,if he didn’t have that I’m not sure what he’s done.he’s just trying to keep his deal alive. only pray for him, just hope he stops attracting so much hate into his life. like attracts like.”

WWE issued the following announcement on its corporate website, announcing that Patricia Gottesman has been elected to WWE’s board of directors. The statement includes a statement from WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon:

WWE ELECTS PATRICIA A. GOTTESMAN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAMFORD, Conn., June 2, 2011 – WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced that Patricia A. Gottesman has been elected to its Board of Directors.

Gottesman is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Crimson Hexagon, a social media monitoring and analysis company. Prior to joining Crimson, Gottesman served as Founder and Principal for Omnibus PG, an international media and technology practice. Gottesman began her career with Cablevision Systems Corporation and held several senior executive positions during the 29 years she spent with the company including Executive Vice President, Digital Marketing and Commerce; Executive Vice President, Product Management and Marketing; and Senior Vice President, Development.

“We are pleased to have Patricia join our Board of Directors,” stated Vincent K. McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WWE. “She brings extensive cable industry experience and is an accomplished senior executive with more than 30 years of business and management expertise in a number of areas, including programming, product development and new media.”

Gottesman has served as a board member of Crimson Hexagon since December 2010. In addition, Gottesman serves in advisory roles for TechMahindra, America India Foundation, comScore, Inc. and Elucido Media.

Gottesman graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications.

– The Ultimate Warrior is now on Twitter and is wasting no time making with his controversial tweets. After releasing a scathing video earlier this week to Hulk Hogan for silencing his Warriors on Twitter, Warrior tweeted the following on Thursday, teasing “big news” coming soon:

“Thank you to all The Warriors out there spreading the word. Big news soon. Always Believe!!!”

Warrior has vowed to expose Hulk Hogan for the man he truly is, while Hogan maintains that Warrior is talking nonsense and is simply a negative person.

– Friday’s episode of SmackDown will feature a main event of Randy Orton defending the World Heavyweight title against Sheamus. The match was taped on Tuesday night from Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to the match taking place, a WWE fan jumped the ringside gate and tried jumping into the ring – but was caught by security and escorted out of the building.

– Following reports that Nexus leader CM Punk is strongly considering leaving WWE when his contract expires this summer, it’s worth noting that WWE’s live event website is only advertising CM Punk to appear at TV tapings and the Money in the Bank pay-per-view from July 6th through August 6th.

As reported over the weekend, masked Mexican wrestling star Averno is believed to have signed a contract with WWE. Averno was one of Sin Cara’s top opponents before Cara came to WWE and is expected to join the SmackDown brand as a familiar face that Sin Cara can have great matches with in the coming months.

Averno, who had a tryout match with WWE last October, puts his mask on the line in a match with La Mascara later this month at  CMLL’s next big show.

Averno was recently contacted by WWE after company officials asked Sin Cara who he would most like to work with. A number of WWE superstars have had a difficult time thus far adapting to Sin Cara’s lucha libre star and bringing in Sin Cara’s longtime rival from Mexico is a way to showcase both of their unique styles.

Averno headed to WWE has drawn a lot of negative press in Mexico, which has seen their top promotions business’ eroded by WWE recently establishing a strong presence in the region. Averno was interviewed in Mexico yesterday and basically did damage control, denying all of the WWE rumors – likely to keep fans interested in his final CMLL match later this month.

Averno’s father, who is an EMLL referee, confirmed in a separate interview that his son is headed to WWE.

Check out this match between Averno and Sin Cara from earlier this year at “CMLL FANTASTICA MANIA 2011” from Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall this past January:

Part 2:

Credit to SEScoops.com reader Eric for the following spoilers from last night’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings in Orlando, airing tonight on Spike.

* ODB and Velvet Sky kick things off with a fight which ODB wins. Miss Tessmacher tends to Velvet after the match.

* Mr. Anderson announced he will face someone from Sting’s past tonight.

* Eric Bischoff threatens to strip Beer Money of the tag team titles because Robert Roode is injured but Alex Shelley returns and will team with James Storm at Slammiversary to defend the belts against The British Invasion.

* Kazarian and Brian Kendrick go to a no contest in a #1 contender’s match for the X Division Title. They get more time past the time limit draw but Abyss comes out to make it a no contest.

* Crimson beat Matt Hardy and fought Samoa Joe after the match.

* Angelina Love beat Miss Tessmacher.

* Eric Young, dressed like The Great Muta, pinned Mr. Anderson. Gunner came out and interfered but backfired and allowed Young to spit green mist in Anderson’s face. Anderson and Gunner beat Young down after the match when Sting came out for the save.

* Brother Ray and AJ Styles go at it. A Falls Count Anywhere Match between the two is on for Slammiversary.

* Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner beat Matt Morgan and Kurt Angle.

* Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan come out and read a letter from the network’s lawyers. Hogan announces that Mick Foley has been fired.

Former WWE Champion Ultimate Warrior posted a video this evening calling out Hulk Hogan for censoring fans on Twitter. Some of his followers informed him that they were blocked by Hogan on the micro-blogging site for voicing their opinion. Warrior said,

“Hey Terry! Rumor has it that the Warriors trying to get into your social networking party over there are being shut out. What’s up with that, brotha?! And to think you used to be such the party animal. I mean what’s wrong, you don’t have the guts for the game anymore now that the playing field is level? That’s ashame. I was hoping to come through the front door, get a hug, one of those womanly handshakes. That’s okay, man. Me and the Warriors, we’re going to make our way through the wall! Hahahahahahaha!”

Pregnant WWE dvia Kharma has posted a blog in which she discusses her promo from RAW where she said Jim Ross told her a few years ago that she was “too fat” to make it in WWE.

• Related News: Jim Ross Responds To Kharma & Denies Calling Her “Too Fat” For WWE

Here’s what Kharma wrote about the situation:

“I’ve been told that a lot of people are taking pot shots at Jim Ross lately.

If @JRsBBQ hadn’t shot from the hip all those years ago, I wouldn’t of had the fire to succeed as much as I did. I wouldn’t of had the strength to sacrifice being with my family, my country, my native tongue to live in Japan for 6 years and learn this craft. I owe Mr. Ross a great gratitude. Not only for setting me on my path to success, but also being there with open arms at the end of my journey and escorting me to the finish line. Many of you may not know this but JR lobbied for my recruitment to WWE. We met at the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas and I became fast friends with him and his lovely wife. He had heard the noise I was making in the industry and graciously gave me kudos. You never have to worry about where you stand with JR. He’ll give you constructive criticism when you need it and praise when you’ve earned it. He’s no sycophant and that is something to be celebrated. I’m hoping you all send him a thankful salutation, I know I will.”

• Check Out: Pictures of KHARMA’s BOYFRIEND / “Baby Daddy”

(Source: kharmageddonblast.blogspot.com)

The ratings are in for Monday’s episodes of WWE RAW and Tough Enough.

– Raw did a 3.1 rating, which is down from last week’s 3.4. The did hours of 2.98 and 3.16 and averaged 4.7 million viewers for the 2-hour broadcast.

– Tough Enough did a 1.74 rating (up from last week’s 1.64) and had 2.4 million viewers.

THQ’s official press release on the new WWE ’12 video game that’s currently in development for a fall release .. Find out which WWE stars will be at the E3 gaming convention to hype the game and much more.

• Check Out: First Screenshots From The New WWE 12 Video Game

THQ Reveals A Bigger, Badder And Better WWE Videogame Experience With Debut Of WWE® ’12 At Electronic Entertainment Expo

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced development of WWE ® ’12, the electrifying rebirth of the renowned WWE flagship videogame franchise. Featuring a bigger game, badder presentation and better simulation-based gameplay, WWE ’12 will include long-awaited and critical core gameplay improvements, the most creative and extensive feature set to date and a visceral, edgy and polished presentation. WWE ’12 is currently in development for the Xbox 360 ® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation ®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii ™ system from Nintendo, with a scheduled release timing of November 22, 2011 in North America.

“With vital changes to core gameplay, innovative feature support and an incredibly striking presentation, the WWE simulation experience is back with WWE ’12,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ. “At E3 2011, this is the definitive WWE videogame experience you do not want to miss.”

WWE ’12 will be playable for the first time at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), booth #2001 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, from June 7-9, 2011. In addition, prominent WWE personalities are slated to attend E3 in support of the new WWE ’12 experience. WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio ™ and WWE Diva Kelly Kelly ® are currently scheduled to appear on Tuesday, June 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., while WWE Superstar The Miz ® is currently scheduled to appear on Wednesday, June 8 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All talent appearances are subject to change.

About WWE ’12

WWE ’12 will offer players the opportunity to engage in the WWE experience through the new Predator Technology ™ dynamic gameplay system, which is poised to deliver the most fluid, dynamic, authentic and action-packed WWE simulation experience to date. Included are the new Breaking Point submission system, new Attributes and control layout as well as significant improvements to other key gameplay systems, including Momentum and Stamina. WWE Universe Mode 2.0 will generate new and more impactful elements of unpredictability based on player decisions, while dynamic visual changes to gameplay presentation, including new animations, camera positions, lighting and improved rendering, will set the tone for delivering an exceptional simulation of WWE programming.

WWE ’12 will feature the franchise’s best-in-class creation suite, enabling players to develop and customize their own Superstars, entrances, finishing moves, storylines, Highlight Reels and other all-new capabilities to be announced later this year. As well, the popular Road to WrestleMania ® Mode will enable players to explore compelling new storylines and major gameplay improvements. WWE ’12 will also boast one of the largest rosters of WWE Superstars, WWE Divas and WWE Legends in franchise history, including cover Superstar Randy Orton, John Cena, The Miz and the debuting Alberto Del Rio.

For more information about WWE ’12, please visit wwe.thq.com, facebook.com/WWEgames and twitter.com/WWEgames.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

About THQ Inc.

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox LIVE logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.

THQ Forward-Looking Statements: The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the business of THQ Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “THQ”), including, but not limited to, expectations and projections related to the release and expected features of WWE ’12 are based upon management’s current beliefs and certain assumptions made by management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, business, competitive, economic, legal, political and technological factors affecting our industry, operations, markets, products or pricing. Readers should carefully review the risk factors and the information that could materially affect THQ’s financial results, described in other documents that THQ files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2010 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and particularly the discussion of trends and risk factors set forth therein. Unless otherwise required by law, THQ disclaims any obligation to update its view on any such risks or uncertainties or to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

WWE Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business and any new business initiative which we may undertake; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.

– Hulk Hogan’s ongoing beef with the Ultimate Warrior continues. To recap, Hulk Hogan buried Warrior during his recent interview on HDNet’s “The Voice vs.” show, saying Warrior was one of the many guys who was given the ‘magic bullet’ to kill Hulkamania, but was unable to.

• Watch It Here: The Voice vs. Hulk Hogan Sitdown Interview

Warrior fired back at Hogan with a scathing video of his own, saying he found that magic bullet and is going to post a video soon exposing Hulk Hogan for the man he truly is.

• Watch It Here: Warrior Calls Out Hogan, Says “Karma’s Coming To Collect”

Hogan has since responded to Warrior’s video, writing the following on Twitter:

“that what he’s programed for, some people love, help, laugh, create, have fun, he hates.warrior who? HH”

– Hulk Hogan also commented on the recent backlash against his friend Brian Knobs, who upset a lot of people by mocking Randy Savage at a wrestling convention on the day of his death. Hogan defended Knobs by saying:

“that’s what’s so crazy they are way cool, Knobs always jokes around though, maby somebody took Knobs joking and is trying to bury him H”

– Dakota Darsow, son of Barry Darsow (Demolition Smash, Repo Man), wrestled a dark match prior to Tuesday’s TNA Impact Wrestling taping from Orlando. Darsow, a former WWE developmental talent, lost to Texas wrestler Jesse Sorensen.

– Conspicuous by his absence at Tuesday’s TNA Impact Wrestling taping was Tommy Dreamer.

Dreamer, who just turned heel and is in the midst of a feud with Fortune, was scheduled to attend the tapings. No word yet as to why he wasn’t there, but his absence was a hot topic of discussion backstage on Tuesday, according to a report on pwinsider.com.

Their showdown at WrestleMania 28 is still 10 months away – but that doesn’t mean The Rock and John Cena’s beef is cooling off.

On Monday, The Rock posted a photo from his farm of him and his horse, Scoob. The Rock referred to the horse’s large teeth as “John Cena teeth.”

After RAW, Cena responded to The Rock on Twitter with the following:

“Hey dwayne. Glad u had fun on the farm. Would loved to have joined u and scoob…but I was at RAW looking for the guy who brings it…. Guess he decided he had better things to do…you know…like….hang out….on the farm…and stuff. :)”

– Pay-per-view provider iNDEMAND has released the official synopsis and promotional poster for WWE’s upcoming Money In The Bank event on Sunday, July 17th. The synopsis reads:

“A guaranteed championship match hangs 20 feet above the ring in a steel briefcase. One man will scale the heights and seize his destiny. Don’t miss John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars at WWE Money in the Bank live on pay-per-view.”

Here is the PPV poster featuring John Morrison, who will hopefully be back in action by mid-July following his recent neck surgery:

Money In The Bank PPV Poster

– Actor Kelci Jones, who played the character of “Big Jimmy” on RAW during the crowd segment featuring R-Truth, wrote the following on Facebook about his RAW appearance:

“Got to get sweated by R-Truth and be in the ring with Cena. And Vince McMahon likes my swagger…uh yeah life is good!!!”

– Maryse and Eve Torres took to Twitter and commented on Kharma’s announcement on RAW that she is pregnant and will be off WWE television until next year. Eve wrote:

“Didn’t expect that one! I respect @Kharma for BeliEVEing & following her dreams. Just not when it involved planting my face into the ground.”

Maryse had the following heel remarks for Kharma:

“I volunteer to give @Kharma a treadmill…its my baby gift to her”

“Btw for all haters, stop hating im a HUGE @kharma fan myself, ill buy the baby some awesome gap onesie… And also maybe some baby louis vuitton flats…”

Former WWE diva Joanie “Chyna” Laurer, who recently made her return to the national wrestling scene for TNA Wrestling, has had a colorful past few years that has included a stint on VH1?s Celebrity Rehab show as well as a short-lived career as an adult film star.

According to TMZ.com, Chyna is making a triumphant return to porn – in what they call an “EXTREMELY graphic porno.”

Steve Hirsch, president of the Vivid porn company, tells TMZ.com that Chyna approached him several months ago and demanded to work with the biggest male porn star in the business. Hirsch did her one better – and booked her with TWO porn stars, Evan and Lee Stone. The movie has already been filmed and is tentatively titled … “Backdoor Into Chyna.”

The follow-up to Chyna’s “horrifying” 2004 sex tape with Sean Waltman (titled “1 Night in China”) is set to be released in the coming months.

Chyna’s reps vehemently denied that she is returning to the world of adult film – but now the first images from the upcoming film have been released:

– After Byron Saxton was eliminated on last night’s WWE NXT, the final four are Titus O’Neil, Conor O’Brian, Lucky Cannon and Darren Young.

WWE has not yet announced when the next elimination or the season finale will take place.

– Former WWE champion The Miz was interviewed over the weekend to hype his appearance on this past Monday’s episode of Tough Enough. When asked about his future in WWE and what’s next for him, The Miz said:

“This whole process has been one long journey, chapters in a book, and once I succeed in one, I focus on the next. I want to be looked at as the guy who will take this company to the next level. I want to become the face of The WWE. I want people to think of The WWE and think of The Miz. I need to become bigger than John Cena, bigger than The Rock, bigger than Stone Cold. If you’re in The WWE and beating them isn’t your ultimate goal, you shouldn’t even be here.”

Love or hate The Miz’ television character, he does a phenomenal job of carrying himself like a champion. By constantly saying he wants to become the face of the WWE and be the biggest superstar of all time, he is putting himself in very good company and elevating his stature in the eyes of the fans.

– Chris Jericho made a few big announcements on Twitter this week. Jericho’s metal band Fozzy will be debuting their new music video next month:

“Tues, July 7 is the world premiere of the new @fozzyrock video “God Pounds His Nails” filmed live at the Golden Gods! Fozzyrock.com for info.”

• Check Out: VIDEO of Chris Jericho & FOZZY Performing “ENEMY” In The UK Last Fall

Following the success of his most recent book Undisputed, the New York Times Best Selling author confirmed that he’ is officially working on his third book:

“The contract is in the mail so its official…there’s gonna be a third book! It’ll be released via Penguin Publishing in 2013. GET READY!!”

WWE SmackDown on Syfy

Credit to SEScoops.com reader Fritz for these spoiler results for Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown on SyFy, taped from Des Moines, Iowa:

* Christian defeated Mark Henry. After the match, Christian requested to Teddy Long that he be added to the World Heavyweight Title match tonight between Randy Orton and Sheamus. Teddy made Christian the special referee.

* Alicia Fox and Tamina beat Kaitlyn and AJ Lee in a rematch.

* Cody Rhodes came out and talked about wanting to hurt Daniel Bryan.

* Jinder Mahal squashed Yoshi Tatsu. The Great Khali attacked Tatsu after the match.

* Another WWE Capitol Punishment promo with Obama.

* Ezekiel Jackson beats WWE IC Champion Wade Barrett by count out so he doesn’t win the belt. Jackson fights Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel after the match while Barrett walked off.

* Segment with Sheamus and Christian. Sheamus is playing nice. Christian isn’t falling for it and tells Sheamus he needs to focus on Randy Orton.

* Daniel Bryan beat Ted DiBiase with the LaBell Lock. Cody Rhodes came out with paper bags and teamed with DiBiase to beat Bryan down after the match. Sin Cara came out and cleared the ring for the save. Cara’s entrance was botched as they hit the special effects and his music too early.

* Randy Orton beat Sheamus with the World Title on the line and Christian as special referee. Sheamus knocked Christian down early. At one point Sheamus had Orton pinned but Christian went to selling his arm from Sheamus hitting him. Orton hits a nice RKO on Sheamus for the win. After the match, Christian lays out Orton with the World Title belt to end the show.

Details on the new WWE 12 video game

THQ Creative Director for WWE games Corey Ledesma was recently interviewed by the THQ website to discuss the new WWE ’12 video game.

Check Out:  First Screenshots From The New WWE 12 Video Game

Here are some highlights of the Ledesma interview:

Q: Take me through your thoughts on how SvR ’11 was received, and what you could/wish your team could have done better?

Cory: We have a lot of pride in the work we put out there, so the team felt very good about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 being a solid product that fans were going to thoroughly enjoy. We were able to introduce a new mode, called WWE Universe, that we think was a very solid foundation for the future and got a lot of people excited to play the game. Adding dynamic object physics to gameplay was also another major addition that we felt changed the way the game looked and played for the better. All in all, we were generally pleased with how the game was received. With that being said, there were some game areas we were not completely satisfied with and feel need significant improvement. Our fans are intelligent, recognize a lot of those shortcomings as well and let us know about them.

Unfortunately, some of the game areas or improvements we want to make can’t happen overnight and take a lot of planning, research and development and other resources to see to fruition. In those cases, we often create multi-year plans where those improvements are rolled out in phases so we can realistically achieve the quality we want each year while also rolling out new features and updates, updating the roster and balancing our development costs. To give you a little insight to our future planning, these are some of the key areas we are going to continue focusing on from a technical standpoint:

1.) Gameplay
2.) Online Lag and Cheating
3.) Animation Quality
4.) A.I.
5.) Sound
6.) Graphical Quality

These are the game areas where we can continue pushing the envelope and step our game up to the next level from a technical standpoint. You’ll start to see a significant amount of those improvements listed above in this year’s game. We are investing heavily in the future of this franchise.

On the design side, we weren’t happy with the execution of Road to WrestleMania. We liked the concept, but we just didn’t do a good job making that backstage area fun, keeping it populated, entertaining and engaging. We went back to the drawing board a bit on that one. We also had some disappointing bugs in gameplay that our creative team was a little disheartened by, but we’ll get a lot of those things cleaned up. Online also had several issues we are working hard to address. I want the fans to know that we are very aware of their criticisms and we are working as hard as we can to address them. Just know that in some cases the reason you might not see changes happen as quickly as you like because there are some difficult development challenges or hurdles we are trying to overcome just like any other developer, but we’re committed and we’ll get there!

Q: As the creative director of the team, what’s your opinion on the name change?

Cory: I absolutely love it, and I’ve been a key proponent of the change.

I’ve just felt for a couple of years now that the franchise has been getting stale and in need of a reboot. Not just with the name but also with the game experience. The name of the franchise evolved a couple of times over the years, and it has gotten to the point where the name doesn’t really mean anything. WWE currently doesn’t have brand wars, and the shows themselves are rarely competing against each other, so SmackDown vs. Raw as a name doesn’t really have a meaning. We started out as just being called SmackDown when that show made its debut for WWE back in 1999. Back then, we were releasing WWE products exclusively for specific platforms – SmackDown for Sony, Raw for Microsoft and Day of Reckoning for Nintendo. We then made the decision in 2004 to pool all of our resources together and make one great game, which is how SmackDown vs. Raw came together. Now, we are just WWE ’12, which is great because we just want to be known as the official, authentic WWE simulation product … period. All that encompasses what’s great about WWE live events and television is encapsulated and recreated in WWE ’12. It’s simple and to the point. I’m pumped about it because I’ve always wanted to re-launch this franchise the right way, and we are finally getting the opportunity to do it this year.

Q: Without giving any information, what area of the game are you most excited about in WWE ’12?

Cory: Gameplay, gameplay and more gameplay. Now, we aren’t changing the game entirely or completely ripping everything out to start over. That wasn’t the goal. What we are doing is taking the basic essence of what is good in the past games and making a new experience that feels fresh, fun, responsive, faster, smoother and is of higher quality. If you’re played the SmackDown vs. Raw games in the past, I have zero doubt you will notice the difference as soon as you pick up this year’s game. We are adding new gameplay systems, completely overhauling gameplay systems and improving current gameplay systems. The new animation system is giving us new capabilities as well. One quick is example is that you now have the ability to interrupt animations. For example, if John Cena is doing a five-knuckle shuffle in the game, you can knock him right on his butt in the middle of the move (something you’ve never been able to do in our game because the animation had to completely play out – and that goes for every single move in the game). We have several new capabilities like the one just mentioned that will change the dynamic of how the game is played. We didn’t want to completely throw everything out and build something from scratch. That would force us to take a major step back, probably cut out 80 percent of our moves/match types and also put us at risk to disappoint fans who love the current game. We wanted to find the balance between fixing what is broken and also delivering a brand new, high quality experience. I believe we are accomplishing that now, and fans are going to love this new WWE ’12 gameplay experience. We will be unveiling more about the changes to gameplay as time moves on.

Q: There has been a ton of game franchises that have taken on a new name. Is WWE ’12 just a name change? How will we know? What is your favorite (other) franchise re-invention?

Cory: WWE ’12 is far from just a name change. Our goal has been to create a brand new experience with a new, high quality animation system, a new renderer and a new strategic gameplay experience that will look, feel and play substantially better than its predecessors. When you play the game, you’ll notice right away that you’re spending less time on the mat mashing buttons and more time enjoying the action with a faster paced gameplay flow, simpler game controls and the most fluid and realistic animations the game has ever seen. This is a true franchise reboot and not just a name change. It’s also an investment toward the future of the franchise, giving us the opportunity to use our new technology to push the game to new heights never seen before.

Q: How far along in development are you on WWE ’12?

Cory: We started around the end of May 2010, so we are currently at the one year mark. We still have more months ahead for gameplay tuning and bug fixing, and then we are done. It feels like we never stop. One year bleeds into the next. With the multi-year plans, we are already planning for projects in the distant future.

– Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn were said to be “freaking out” backstage at RAW on Monday due to the technical difficulties that plagued the first fifteen minutes of the broadcast.

– This is interesting. The only time Alex Riley has ever appeared on WWE Smackdown after being drafted from RAW was on April 29th. He appeared in the opening segment and was immediately RKO’d by Randy Orton. Many forget he’s technically a SmackDown! superstar.

– The PWO Wrestling independent promotion released the following statement on Tuesday, announcing one of its top stars has signed with WWE:

Matthew Justice (real name Matt Hannan) was a longstanding competitor in PWO Wrestling, having been a part of the organization since its formation in the fall of 2007. Known for his high-octane aerial style, and calm, laid-back demeanor, Justice instantly stood out. After a three and a half year PWO career that saw many highs and lows, this past March, Matt agreed to terms to take the next step of his career, signing a developmental contract with WWE Inc. After his final ever PWO match, which aired two weeks ago on PWO TV on SportsTime Ohio, we said goodbye to Matt. This footage from when PWO TV went off the air was shown for the first time ever anywhere this past Sunday night on PWO TV. Check it out here:

Details on the new WWE 12 video game

As reported earlier, the “major announcement” that Jim Ross teased on Monday regarding the future of WWE video games has been revealed. WWE and THQ have announced that the “SmackDown vs. RAW” series is being retired in favor of annual “WWE” releases.

The new WWE ’12 video game will be released in North America on November 22nd of this year and in the UK on November 25th for all major platforms.

CHECK OUT: First SCREEN SHOTS from WWE 12

The following are among the big changes made to the game, according to IGN.com:

• The WWE video game franchise is being entirely rebooted. The first screen shots of WWE 12 resemble SmackDown vs. RAW, but the similarities end there.  THQ says it has “changed the game’s DNA” and the game “has been taken apart and put back together.”
• The previous control system of analog-stick grapples has been scrapped. The game has gone back to the retro format of grapple, strike, pin and finisher being controlled by the controller’s face buttons.  There are no strong and weak grapples — the moves you perform will be based on how worn down your opponent is.
• There’s a new animation system, new blending methods, something called “Predator Technology” — basically, they went under the game’s hood and ripped out all the old stuff that people hated and plugged in brand new parts to try and make the most fluid wrestling game around.
• THQ is going above and beyond to bring a brand new feel to the game and make it feel as close to WWE programming as possible. New on screen graphics, shading effects and depth of field and camera angles are being used for the game.
• A new limb targeting system has been created.
• There is a new “Breaking Point” submission system where players tap buttons in a tug of war mini-game.
• Players will now be able to attack and taunt their opponents from all new positions. For example, Randy Orton can pound on the mat prior to performing his RKO finisher.
• There is a new “dynamic comebacks” feature to give matches a more dramatic feel.
• Difficulty levels of the computerized opponents have been re-calibrated.

The “major announcement” that Jim Ross teased on Monday regarding the future of WWE video games has been revealed. WWE and THQ have announced that the “SmackDown vs. RAW” series is being retired in favor of annual “WWE” releases.

The first installment, WWE 12, will be released this fall. The game’s tagline, which is straight from the “New WWE” marketing playbook, is “Biggger, Badder, Better.”

• Check Out: First Screenshots From The New WWE 12 Video Game

Cory Ledesma, THQ’s Creative Director for WWE’s video game license, says THQ and WWE decided to drop the “Smackdown vs. Raw” franchise title because “the name doesn’t really mean anything.”

“WWE currently doesn’t have brand wars, and the shows themselves are rarely competing against each other, so Smackdown vs. Raw as a name doesn’t really have a meaning.”

Between WWE’s coveted video game franchise being renamed and the company scrapping it’s annual RAW vs. SmackDown PPV event Bragging Rights, it should be interesting to see how much longer WWE keeps the two brands separate on television.

Here is the first official trailer for the upcoming WWE 12 video game featuring World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton:

R-Truth may be getting his shot at John Cena’s WWE Championship at Captiol Punishment on June 19th – as per an announcement by the Anonymous RAW General Manager made after RAW went off the air.

Joey Styles tweeted the following after RAW:

“Raw’s GM has ordered R-Truth to apologize next week on Raw to earn a WWE Title Match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment. Video on WWE.com.”

Video of the post-RAW announcement by the RAW GM can be seen at here: