On Wednesday’s Dancing With The Stars results show, Chris Jericho & his partner Cheryl Burke were announced as safe from elimination this week. They now move onto week 5 of the competition and will dance again on Monday night.
The duo scored 23 points out of 30 this week after dancing the Paso.
Check Out: VIDEO: Chris Jericho on Dancing with the Stars (Week 4)
The ratings are in for Monday’s episodes of WWE RAW and WWE Tough Enough – and both shows are down from the prior week’s post-WrestleMania shows.
– Monday’s WWE RAW drew a 3.45 rating, down 10% from last week’s 3.82.
This week’s 2-hour broadcast averaged 5.45 million viewers, down only 3% from last week’s 5.60 million viewers.
This week’s first hour drew a 3.37 rating (5.34 million viewers) and the second hour drew a 3.52 (5.56 million viewers).
– Monday’s episode of Tough Enough in the new 8pm timeslot (before RAW) drew a 1.81 rating, down 27% from last week’s premier, which drew a 2.51.
This week’s viewership was 2.79 million viewers, down 16% from last week’s 3.33 million viewers.
Overall, not a bad showing this week for for WWE. A slight drop from the post-WrestleMania shows was expected, but the numbers held on pretty strong.
(Source: Pro Wrestling Torch)
As we confirmed here on Monday night, Edge is in fact retiring from the squared circle and has almost certainly wrestled his last WWE match ever. Edge has stated publicly in recent interviews that he planned to retire in two years, but had told others in WWE that he felt like he could go for another five years. Now that we know how bad his neck really is after last week’s MRI (with doctors saying they could never medically clear him to wrestle again), it’s frightening to think that Edge had a ladder match coming up in a few weeks and almost certainly would have done even more damage to his neck in the coming months and years.
With reality setting in that Edge’s in-ring career is over, it’s time to start looking ahead. It’s said that Edge has some writing projects that he will be working on and his next set of life goals do not have much to do with wrestling. The feeling in WWE that Edge will always remain on good terms with the company, but he probably won’t be working full time behind-the-scenes as an agent. This is despite many of his peers saying on Twitter that Edge has a great mind for the business and could still contribute without stepping foot in a ring.
Regarding Edge and the World Heavyweight Title, there was some confusion at RAW last night as to why WWE didn’t put Alberto Del Rio over at WrestleMania 27 if they knew there was even a small chance that Edge would be leaving soon.
While WWE’s announcement notes that Edge got his MRI results the Monday after WrestleMania, sources indicate that he’s been feeling more intense pain for a few weeks now but didn’t think he would be forced to retire. Had WWE known Edge would have to retire soon, more emphasis would have been put on “his final WrestleMania match.”
Like Edge said on RAW.. It’s very unfortunate that his still-promising career has been cut short, but we cannot overlook the fact that he could have been left paralyzed if he kept wrestling. He’s not walking away on his terms entirely – but he had one hell of a career and dodged a bullet by leaving before it was too late.
– Vince McMahon was said to be furious about Sin Cara’s botched entrance on RAW last week, when he barely cleared the top rope after jumping off a trampoline at ringside. (VIDEO)
Last night on RAW, there was another big botched spot with Sin Cara that took place when he had Primo in the corner and both men were standing on the top turnbuckle. Sin Cara was setting up for a C4 suplex, but Primo fell before the move could be executed and Sin Cara was thrown to the floor outside. Sin Cara got back in the ring, kicked Primo in the head and hit the impressive top rope move – but many WWE stars were watching the match backstage and were joking around that “that was it” for Sin Cara and Primo would probably get released for blowing that big spot.
– The feeling at RAW last night was that John Morrison would have got R-Truth’s spot in the WWE Title Triple Threat at Extreme Rules if it weren’t for the heat on him right now for his actions towards Trish Stratus.
– With Edge set to surrender his World Heavyweight title on SmackDown, the future of the championship belt is currently up in the air. One idea discussed for tonight’s SmackDown tapings is for Edge have Christian to take his place against Alberto Del Rio in the Ladder Match, with the winner being crowned the new champion.
— CM Punk missed last night’s Monday Night Raw taping in Bridgeport, Connecticut. While the reason has yet to be disclosed, the matter was resolved with company officials ahead of time.
— Former WWE talent Tony Anthony (a/k/a T.L. Hopper) celebrates his 51st birthday today.
– There has been talk of putting The Corre in a multi-man match at Extreme Rules with Wade Barrett’s Intercontinental Title on the line and Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater’s Tag Team Titles on the line.
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)
WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke with SunSport and shared his thoughts on WrestleMania 27. The Hitman said overall, he was disappointed with the show and despite all the buildup, found it “anti-climactic.” Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Rock’s Involvement:
“I was hoping The Rock would be a little more interesting than he was. I would have had him involved in the John Cena v Miz match right off the bat. My initial thinking about two months ago was that Rock was going to be working with Cena and somehow Miz would be involved, and it would be a triple threat type of match. I thought Rock needed to be in the match, not just talking about it. Don’t get me wrong — Rock is a great talent. Just looking at him, I think he is ready to get back in the ring. I’m sure he could have wrestled at WrestleMania and he should have done so. The excitement going in to WrestleMania this year was all tied in with Rock and when he didn’t actually do anything but stand around and be a mouthpiece all night, that didn’t really work. To me as a fan, if I want to see him be a mouthpiece then I’ll watch one of his movies. I wanted to see him do some wrestling. I guess I just expected a little bit more.”
Sheamus-Bryan Getteing Bumped & Cole vs. Lawler:
“I also had to scratch my head and wonder how the WWE could pull the Sheamus v Daniel Bryan match and let Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole go for 30 minutes. It just seemed really crazy to me. My biggest disappointment was that two of the best wrestlers in the company, Bryan and Sheamus, didn’t get a chance to show what they can do on a WrestleMania. I thought Lawler v Cole was built up really well, with most fans wanting to get their hands round Cole’s neck by the time WrestleMania came. But I don’t know why they went so long. It’s not a match that needs to go very long. Michael Cole clearly can’t actually do anything. That’s the part I don’t get. It should have been about four or five minutes long max. Sadly going so long, meant they really took all the light away from the other wrestlers that earned it through the year.”
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton:
“He (CM Punk) has got a really good ring presence. Better than anyone else, CM Punk understands his wrestling persona. He’s very serious about that character, and I like that passion that he has. It comes across in how he is day-to-day, just being around him. He’s a very committed, serious professional. His match with Orton, I thought, was really credible. To put together the match the way they did I thought it complemented both wrestlers, and they really told a good story. I liked the story, I liked the finish. It had a lot of twists and turns, you weren’t quite sure what was going to occur. I found myself going along with it all the way through and not knowing what was going to happen next — and to me that is a good wrestling match.”
To read more on what Bret Hart thought about WrestleMania 27, check out his interview over at SunSport.
Ring Of Honor sent out the following today:
On the heels of a week of phone calls, e-mails, and meetings with Shane Hagadorn, ROH officials have finalized the paperwork for Eddie Edwards’ next World Title defense on May 7th when Ring of Honor returns to The Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto. His opponent: “That Young Knockout Kid” Chris Hero!
As one of only two men who have pinned Eddie Edwards since his “Survival of the Fittest 2010” win, Chris Hero has not challenged for the World Title since “Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2” in April 2010 when he fought Tyler Black. Now, with the fire of recently losing the World Tag Titles in his heart, Hero comes after Edwards with a vengeance.
“Hagadorn did his job well.” stated Hero, “And soon it will be time for me to do mine. Eddie Edwards, you felt the force of my elbows in Plymouth and you know what it feels like to be rendered unconscious by me! Hold that title tight for the little time you have left with it, because in Toronto…the city where I beat Lance Storm, the city where Claudio and I slaughtered The Briscoes… in Toronto I will bring your championship dreams to a brutal conclusion!”
“Chris Hero thinks he knows me.” stated Eddie Edwards, “He thinks he has my number after pinning me in Plymouth. Watch the tape Chris, and look at what it took to put me down that night. Look at my fight with Roderick and look at what he put me through, but look at who took the belt home that night. Chris, this championship is everything to me, and there is nothing you can possibly do that will put me down for the count.”
May 7, 2011 in Toronto, ON, Canada; Eddie Edwards vs. Chris Hero, ROH World Title on the line! Ring of Honor is coming off a huge weekend in Atlanta and we’re going to carry that momentum into a weekend of “Revolution”! Join us in Dearborn & Toronto and revolt against the norm as ROH creates an uprising in true pro wrestling. Get your tickets now at this link!
The wrestling world is still reeling from the announcement that WWE superstar Edge is being forced into retirement due to ongoing issues with his neck. Here is what some of Edge’s peers are saying about the end of his storied career:
Christian: “I’ve shed my tears..And from here on out I choose 2celebrate 1 of the greatest careers in WWE history..Cant wait2 induct u in the HOF #Edge.”
Bret Hart: “I remember training w/both Edge & Christian in a ring @ my house back in ’97 & he’ll always be one of my guys. Such an abrupt end to a great career saddens the entire wrestling world. Cheers to the rated-R Superstar.”
Shawn Michaels: “Have had contact w/Edge & he is looking 4ward 2what the future holds. It will b great, good things happen 2 good people & he is just that.”
Kurt Angle: “It’s sad to see my friend Edge Retire from WWE. Edge was one of the Best. Your Fans will miss You dearly. I know I will. Luv u Edge!!!!”
Jim Ross: “Edge will always be one of my favorites. I’m so grateful I was in a role to help him launch his wwe dream. Dreams do come true. Edge=HOF!”
“Gonna miss Edge. Have 2 think WWE will utilize Edge’s mind & teaching abilities. Great integrity.”
Matt Hardy: “Heard Adam is retiring because of physical issues that won’t allow him to safely continue wrestling. He’ll be missed, we’ve certainly had our fair share of issues.. Both good and bad. But I tip my hat to Edge who is one of the greatest I’ve ever been in the ring with. Adam resides in NC now-sure I’ll run into him down the road. Glad that him & I are in a good place. We came in as friends, & went out that way.”
Chris Jericho: “Edge is a great performer and 1 of my favorite opponents. He’s also got an incredible MIND for the business. Congrats on an amazing career”
Samoa Joe: “A Little late but I just heard about Edge’s Retirement. Good People, GREAT wrestler, and will sorely be missed in the ring.”
Tommy Dreamer: “My motto has always been I wrestle every single match like it is my last, cause 1 day I know it will b. Thanks Edge 4 everything u hav done”
Charlie Haas: “EDGE will be missed. It was an honor to share the ring with him, and compete against him. Truly one of the best. Stay in touch Edger”
Hulk Hogan: “if any of the guys like me,Flair,Hardy,Andre,AA,Blanchard,orndoff,Henning would have listened to doctors we would have quit15yrsago, but I don’t know Edges working environment because they are a media company not a wrestling company. HH wrestlers work hurt!”
“What about Foley! I bet EDGE still wants to keep wrestling,he’s one of the boys big time!!! HH”
“my take is with a unfixable neck injury it’s over ,but he’s one of the boys and it will be hard to keep him down,he’s 4life HH”
“I’m not saying anything bad about Edge but he’s a real wrestler,Stone Cold and Cena had neck surgery and u couldn’t stop em,Or Edge it’s in Edges blood,he lives for this business he’s a real wrestler,he a lifer,he’s one of the real boys,he’s hard to hold down,that’s all. HH”
Kevin Nash: “the loss of Edge is a sad day 4 the WWE great in ring,but such a special guy out,he still has years left to give.”
Taz: “Edge, 1 of the GREAT guys in the biz. Awesone talent & awesome guy! I live the numbness in arms due to neck issues also, scary.Be well bro.”
Kelly Kelly: “Thank you Adam for everything.. you’ve been such a great friend your an amazing person, n inspiration and I had the honor of working with u!”
Joey Styles: “In wrestling you make many acquaintances and few friends. Edge is a friend. My friend, seeing you was always a pleasure and never a chore.”
Eric Bischoff: “Best of luck to Edge. Class guy and a great talent. He will find success in anything he pursues.”
Wade Barrett: “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Edge. A great career and a great human being.”
Gail Kim: “Thank u Edge for everything u have given to the business and ur friendship. We r sad 2 c u go but grateful 4 ur health.also can’t wait 2 c christian induct u to the HOF”
Howard Finkel: “Thank you Edge for everything that you gave and meant to this industry, and personally speaking, thank you for your friendship!”
Yoshi Tatsu: “I can’t believe it. I’m very sad. But thank you very much Edge.”
Eve Torres: “An emotional night for sure. #ThankYouEdge. One of the most creative, hard working, passionate, & helpful men in the WWE. We’ll miss you!”
Vickie Guerrero: “I’m so sad to see Edge leave…I’m honored I got to learn so much from him. He will be missed.”
Natalya Neidhart: “My thoughts are with Edge, and thank you so much for the wonderful memories. You’re a real, true friend and ill never forget it.”
Michelle McCool: “Didn’t catch raw but heard about most important part. I love you Edger! Thank you all you’ve given to a biz I have always loved! Mad respect. Goes out to all you’ve done not only for your fans, but for us as well. I am so blessed to call u a friend! Thx for always helping me!”
The Rated R superstar Edge announces that injuries are forcing him into retirement:
WWE Champion The Miz spoke with The Miami Herald this week and had this to say about the following topics:
Fans’ reaction to him: “The fans always cheer me at events like Axxess or the press conferences. Then at live events they boo me, but show me the respect I deserve. They didn’t do that three years ago, when they literally hated me and couldn’t stand me. They changed the channel, when I was on TV. Now I think I’m starting to earn their respect, which is good.”
The Rock: “The Rock was my favorite growing up. He has always been my favorite. I was able to get in there and upstage him and literally show him that I’m better. It’s like when you see an icon or someone you idolize when you are younger. Then you are in the ring with him and are able to show him up. To show everyone you are better than your idol, there is nothing better than that.”
WrestleMania 28 in Miami: “I will still be the main event. I plan on still being the WWE champion. I plan on being the longest reigning WWE champion of all time. It’s just the type of person I am. I am always aiming to be number one and the best. So I will be the champion, the main event and everything everyone else isn’t.”
Here is WWE’s official announcement on Adam “Edge” Copeland being forced into retirement due to injuries:
Less than a week after his successful title defense against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII, World Heavyweight Champion Edge has been forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injury. The unexpected news brings to an end a storied WWE career spanning 13 years and consisting of 11 World Title reigns.
The Rated-R Superstar had been suffering numbness and uncontrollable trembling in his arms and hands. This is not the first time Edge has experienced these symptoms of nueropraxia. An MRI in Atlanta last Monday was sent to Dr. Joseph Maroon, a renowned neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery at The Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After careful examination of the MRI, it was determined that Edge would never be cleared to compete again, and thus, he is forced to retire.
In 2003, Edge underwent a two level spinal fusion of the discs between his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae. After being cleared to compete, The Rated-R Superstar returned to the ring, resulting in stenosis of the spine, or a narrowing of the spinal column, above and below the fused discs. This narrowing resulted in less and less of the vital fluid needed to protect the spinal cord. Medical professionals cannot clear Edge to compete ever again in WWE since doing so could result in paralysis or even death.
This is what’s being said about Edge on Twitter:
On Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, World Heavyweight champion Edge announced that he is retiring from the squared circle.
According to sources in WWE, Edge’s retirement announcement is 100% legitimate and not a television storyline.
Edge said that he recently had his neck checked out and the results were not good. This is also a legitimate issue and not a storyline.
From what we’re hearing – Edge was told he could go out in the ring and say whatever he wanted.
It was announced on RAW that Edge will forfeit the World Heavyweight title on Friday’ SmackDown. At this time – there’s no word on what will happen with the belt.
We’ll have a lot more on this story during the week, new details are coming in already. Stay tuned.
(Credit to pwinsider for some of the information used in this report)
The following press release was issued today:
“KNOCKOUT” family action film stars Steve Austin
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Phase 4 Films is pleased to announce the Blu-ray, DVD and VOD release of “Knockout” on April 26, 2011. “Knockout” stars wrestler-turned-movie-star Steve Austin (“The Expendables,” “Damage,” “The Longest Yard”), a pop culture icon with a huge fan following from his vital role in the World Wrestling Entertainment arena.
The direct-to-DVD and VOD film brings Steve Austin back to the ring to train a rising boxing star, played by Daniel Magder (“Life with Derek”). “Knockout” is an inspiring story in the vein of under-dog classics such as “The Karate Kid” and “Rocky.”
Outsider and new kid Matthew (Daniel Magder) desperately wants to join his high school´s boxing team, but resident bully and boxing champion Hector stands in his way. Facing constant torment, Matthew finds an unlikely ally in Dan (Steve Austin), the school´s janitor and one-time amateur boxer. Despite Matthew´s overprotective parents and unimposing size, Dan sees potential in him. Together, they train for the biggest boxing match of Matthew´s life and discover what it truly means to be a winner.
Phase 4 Films will release “Knockout” on April 26, 2011. The Blu-ray and DVD are available for $29.99 SRP at all major retailers.
Credit to SEScoops.com reader Kevin McGuffy for this recap of The Rock on Ellen:
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show today. She began by asking him, “Is it Dwayne or are you still The Rock.” He said both, “I will always be The Rock but I am Dwayne too.”
They talked about Wrestlemania 27 Rock says it was incredible because he had 70,000 people chanting “If you smell what The Rock is cooking.” Rock says there is no other platform to get that kind of response.
Ellen asked since it had been 7 years were you rusty. He said no it is just like riding a bike you slip right back into it. There is nothing like performing in front of a live audience.
She mentioned you are getting in the ring again, he said in his hometown of Miami next year at Wrestlemania 28 he will be kicking ass and taking names. The funny thing is he never mentioned John Cena.
They showed a clip of Snooki and he said celebrities always want to be a part of Wrestlemania but she took it seriously and trained her butt off.
She asked about Team Bring It, he explained the concept behind it saying Regardless of whatever challenge you face, you always take it head on and never be afraid. Ellen read three responses from Rock’s Twitter says how the Team Bring It had helped them
After a commercial they talked briefly about Fast 5 and then played a True or False game.
Question 1: I am afraid of spiders, roller coasters and miniature horses- Ellen said False and the answer was True
Question 2– I appeared in an episode of Star Trek- Ellen said False but again that answer was True
Question 3– I appeared in the first video of Lady GaGa- Ellen said False and it is False
Question 4– I wanted to join the FBI- Ellen said True and it is True
Question 5– I am fluent in both French and Hebrew- Ellen said False and it is False. Although Rock said he does kiss that way.
Question 6– I can tap dance- Ellen said True, however the card said False but Rock said of course he can tap dance.
Question 7- I am a New York Times Best Selling Author- Ellen said False and of course that answer is True.
Question 8: I can make my pecs dance- Ellen said Yes and Prove It. So Rock does just that. (Video below)
Overall great interview where they actually talked more about wrestling than his new movie.
Check out this video clip of The Rock’s appearance on Ellen:
WrestleMania 27 is in the books and the overall feeling we’ve been hearing is that the show had the “big time” WrestleMania feeling, but the booking of several of the top matches was executed poorly.
We reported shortly before and in the days following WrestleMania that Vince McMahonwas said to be “frantic” backtage and several aspects of the show were re-written just hours before it went on the air.
WWE has been examining the broad from top to bottom in hopes of and taking a look at what could have been done better – and two matches in particular are standing out – John Cena vs. The Miz main event and the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler special attraction match.
Many think that the double countout finish of the WWE title match was a disaster and not a satisfying finish for the main event of WrestleMania, despite the fact that the entire thing was approved by Vince McMahon the day of the show.
There is also some heat on WWE agent Dean Malenko for the way he laid out the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler match. While this one seemed like a no-brainer to book, anybody who saw the match would agree that Michael Cole’s was given way too much offense, which killed the energy of the live crowd.
(Source: f4wonline.com)
Notre Dame collegiate wrestling champion Derek Foore recently told The Medina Gazette that he’s been offered a chance to train at WWE developmental. WWE talent scout Jerry Brisco recently saw Foore wrestle at a national competition back in March and invited him to be evaluated at Florida Championship Wrestling.
Foore told Ohio’s Medina Gazette that he’s very excited at the prospect of becoming a future WWE superstar:
“Of course I’m going to jump on the opportunity. When I get down to Tampa, though, it’s business, straight business. I’m going there to get a contract. I’ll do whatever it takes to sign on the dotted line. I’m willing to learn. In order to walk, you have to crawl. I think the chances are really good, but I won’t count my eggs before they hatch. I’ll take nothing for granted. I’ll expect the worse, but I’ll be confident I can work toward what I want. They’re not allowing me to ride my bike with training wheels. I’ll take my bumps and bruises along the way. I never thought it would happen. Words can’t describe what I’m thinking.”
Check out this video of Derek Foore competing:
– WWE Tough Enough will move to it’s permanent timeslot tonight at 8PM (Eastern) on the USA Network, one hour before RAW. John Cena will be featured on tonight’s show, which is titled “Five for Flinching.”
Steve Austin wrote on Twitter over the weekend that Bill DeMott “totally destroys everthing in his path” on tonight’s show.
– Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As of early Monday afternoon, no matches have been announced yet for the show. With WWE’s next pay-per-view, Extreme Rules, just 3 weeks away, there’s a good chance we’ll find out that show’s RAW brand main event tonight.
The advertised dark match main event will see John Cena and Randy Orton teaming up against WWE champion The Miz and Nexus leader C.M. Punk.
WWE United States Champion Sheamus likely will not be on RAW tonight, as he was overseas in Qatar on Sunday promoting WWE’s upcoming show there. Considering the WWE crews are flying out for Europe later this week, it would be unlikely for them to make him fly back from Qatar to the United States for RAW tonight and then back out to England this week.
Unfortunately for fans of The Rock, he won’t be at RAW tonight, as he’s currently in Brazil promoting his new movie, Fast Five.
– Chris Jericho will continue on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars tonight. He wrote the following on Sunday:
“Had the best week of rehearsals w @cherylburke yet! Really stoked for tomorrows performance. In otherwords, it’s time for maximum DANSOSITY!”
– WWE announced on Monday that WrestleMania XXVIII travel packages will go on sale “during the summer months.”
– A number of gossip websites are reporting that former WWE Star Chris Jericho is responsible for the latest reality television romance between former American Idol contestant Pia Toscano and Dancing With The Stars contestant Mark Ballas. Jericho and Toscano are said to be friends and it was Chris Jericho who passed along a note from Ballas to Toscano, which led to their first date last week.
– As we reported yesterday, Shane McMahon appeared at Sunday’s Masters golf tournament and was briefly shown on camera during the broadcast. For those wondering what Shane was doing there, he is currently sits on the Board of Directions for International Sports Management – which represents several top golfers, including Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.
Check out this picture of Shane McMahon from The Masters:
(Partial source: pwinsider.com)
— Scott Hall has made his first public comments since his latest public incident on Friday night. Hall tweeted on Monday @ScottHallNWO:
“At the hospital in New England! Doing good. Thanx for all your well wishes & support! The Bad Guy!”
– WWE Tough Enough contestant Miss USA Rima Fikah told The Detroit Free Press this weekend that she regrets using so much colorful language during last week’s premiere episode. Fikah said:
“I don’t want younger girls to think it’s OK to say bad words. But I do want younger girls to know you have to stand up for yourself.”
– Former WWE NXT Rookie Aksana defeated AJ Lee to become the new FCW Divas Champion at this past Thursday’s WWE developmental tapings in Florida.
– The Rock is scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel on April 19th.That night’s show will also feature that week’s eliminated contestant from ABC’s Dancing With The Stars show – so there’s a chance that Chris Jericho could be appearing on that same show with The Rock, should he be eliminated that week.
– Hulk Hogan tweeted on Monday that former WWE star Chris Jericho will be appearing on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday night. Hogan wrote:
“HULKAMANIACS watch Chris Jerhico Wednesday night on the Tonight Show he’s going to tear it up.”
– NFL star and former RAW guest host Ben Roethlisberger tells Pittsburgh’s Post-Gazette.com that is looking for a new place to host his wedding reception after unsuccessfully trying to rent the Consol Energy Center – due to a live WWE event being booked for the venue that same day.
– The Hollywood Reporter has posted a review of the latest WWE Studios film That’s What I Am, starring Ed Harris & Amy Madigan, and featuring Randy Orton in a supporting role. Regarding Orton’s big screen debut, THR wrote:
“The film was produced by WWE Studios, which explains the casting of third-generation wrestling personality Orton in a decent acting debut as Carl’s manipulative dad. That this meathead is such an able negotiator, even with someone as sharp as Madigan’s principal, stretches plausibility. Too often, Pavone’s screenplay slaps contemporary perspective onto characters whose behavior doesn’t seem entirely true to their time.”
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter over the weekend regarding his announced match against The Rock at next year’s WrestleMania:
“CeNation. This is a new year. From 26 to 27 wasn’t exactly a banner year. Which means it time to dominate the whole f+cking game. NEVER GIVE UP. Miz. Id watch yourself if I were you. It may not be tomorrow …but u will NOT defeat me again.”
– WWE reached a milestone on Facebook this weekend – as the company’s official fan page has over 5 million “likes.” Less than 50 companies have that many fans “liking” them on Facebook.
5 million followers .. big friggin’ deal – we’ve got almost 5,000 fans on Facebook! If you are not already a fan of the SEScoops Facebook page, click here and join the SEScoops Facebook revolution!
Top Rope Promotions owner Steve Ricard sent us the following statement regarding the Scott Hall incident on Friday night:
Top Rope Promotions has been holding family oriented wrestling shows for 30 years now, and on our 30th Anniversary event, we brought in one of the biggest names in pro wrestling, Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon).
We drew a packed house and a good majority of them were there to see Hall. Hall and his people down in FL had all claimed he was clean and good to go. His flight and hotel were pre paid, and his appearance fee was demanded upon arrival at the airport (which he asked for within 3 min of being picked up).
Hall had arrived in a wheel chair with 3 bottles of prescription pills in his posession. Hall had performed an interview with our local newspaper The Herald News around 6 PM on Thursday night, saying how much he was looking forward to coming to the show, and how he was clean. Less then 24 hrs later, he showed up in the state he was in, demanding his appearance fee. Right off the bat, we were in a bad situation.
Having Hall at the building, already pre paid with his appearance fee, hotel, flight, etc. He even harassed my driver in the process. Hall was persistent to appear on the show. His heart was in the right place, unfortunately I can’t say the same about his mind or his body.
Throughout the night he made threats to numerous members of my staff, as well as myself demanding more money, demanding to go to the ring when he wanted to etc. He was also threatening to kill me if I “screwed” him over. I’m 31 years old and I should be in no circumstances, babysitting someone in there 50’s.
Hall made at best, an embarrassing performance in the ring and for the fans who came to see him, trashing matches that were on the show before him and addressing the crowd as if we were in England.
Neither Hall, nor anyone who helped line up the date, or any of his close friends or agents have called to apologize or offer a refund for his “less then stellar” appearance. He showed his true colors and who he was this past Friday night. If he’s upset that we’re airing a stream of this atrocious appearance, maybe he should issue an apology to the fans, the promotion, and the workers of the company. One would only assume that no one that night got what they paid for, myself included.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
The Rock vs. John Cena at WM28:
“No…I do not think that @TheRock vs. @JohnCena should happen before Wrestlemania 28. Let’s put that matter to bed. It isn’t going to happen before WM28 in Miami. As comedian Ron White would say, “Let it go.”
“Love how many crystal ball possessing, wrestling creative valedictorians already know that the long range plan for Rock-Cena isn’t a good idea. For you that have this all figured out, can you also provide me some lead pipe cinch, stock tips or the National Champion of College Football winner for the upcoming season?”
Paul Heyman:
“I guess one should never say never, but I never see @HeymanHustle returning to the pro wrestling world on a full time or regular basis. Never. I get asked this question weekly it seems.”
Wrestling Territories – A Thing Of The Past:
“No…wrestling territories are dead and will likely stay that way. The key to a territories success is getting local, strong TV clearances with a slick produced TV show that airs weekly. That isn’t going to happen. It’s not affordable nor does the majority of fans want to see largely unknown wrestlers. Most investors, who haven’t lost their sanity, would never invest in obtaining TV clearances and upgrading TV production values notwithstanding funding a wrestler payroll. Weekly territories are a thing of the past and will never be seen again to the level that they once were or even close.”
“On the flip side, having viable, successful territories did more to develop main event level talents than any thing ever and nothing that can be created in today’s marketplace will ever supplant that concept. New talents can and will be developed but it will have to be in a much different way than back in the territory days where a different audience could be utilized to watch a gambit of wrestlers evolve and learn their craft. Being able to relocate to a variety of territories with differing creative philosophies and audiences/fans helped many wrestlers become stars. “
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross wrote the following about Scott Hall’s recent troubles:
“Didn’t mention scott hall’s recent incident over wk’end. Don’t know any details. Feel bad 4 scott & pray 4 his good health. Really talented.”
– TNA executive Eric Bischoff posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Just watched the video of Scott Hall’s appearance in New England. Wish I knew how to help him. I know that others (including Vince McMahon) have tried recently. He was such an amazing talent, and deep down inside, a great person. His demons are killing him.”
– Kevin Nash also wrote about Scott Hall’s Friday night incident and asked people to support his friend during this tough time:
“Scott is in the hospital up north,I’ll be at the airport when he lands and taking him to my home when he lands. Please don’t judge Scott on what you just saw.He would give any of you a kidney. to the motherf—– that made a joke who would want his kidney lol send me your address and lets see how funny it is. he’s my brother we will get through this. To Scotts fans thank you 4 your love you’re as special as he is”
As we’ve been covering here on the site, Scott Hall appeared at a live event for Top Rope Promotions on Friday night and was in “no condition to perform.” Hall could barely walk or stand up on his own and had to be held up by several people.
Ryan Drew from Top Rope Promotions sent word that Hall showed up to the building in the afternoon under the influence of something and was “belligerent and incoherent.”
There was an autograph signing and Hall fell asleep during it and when he was awake, his signature consisted of a line, not a name. Drew issued the following statement to pwinsider.com regarding Hall’s latest episode:
“Unfortunately, Top Rope Promotions does not own the footage, the iPPV company does. And they plan on running the iPPV as planned with Scott Hall segment intact. TRP would like to issue an apology and would urge fans not to order the iPPV, as the Scott Hall footage is disturbing. He needed several people to get him in and out of the ring. And he even fell over in the ring. Please pray for the guy. We wish him the best.”
– With WrestleMania 27 in the history books, there is talk within WWE about when the company will hold this year’s talent draft. There had been talk a few weeks ago that there would be no draft this year, but we have not heard anything concrete about the draft being scrapped. If the draft does take place , it will not be this month as in previous years, but would likely take place in June, when WWE will be holding two 3-hour episodes of RAW.
– CM Punk made some interesting comments on Twitter this week after watching the premiere episode of Tough Enough. About Miss USA Rima Fakih, Punk tweeted:
“So far this rima broad needs to take her padding and cover her weird face.”
He also wrote the following about Ariane Andrew, the first contestant to be eliminated this week:
“I know this Arianne as, “tampon girl”. Maybe I’ll tell the story…”
– It’s worth noting Triple H vs. The Undertaker was the only match at WrestleMania 27 to last over 15 minutes. which went almost 30 minutes. John Cena vs. The Miz went just under 15 minutes before it was re-started and after the second fall, it went 15 minutes and 20 seconds.
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)