– Paul Heyman wrote the following on Twitter on Saturday night during UFC 126 regarding Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar:

“It’s funny. Vince McMahon hated when I called Brock Lesnar “The Next Big Thing!” HATED IT. WANTED ME TO STOP CALLING BROCK THAT NAME! I’ll tell that whole story … and a lot more … in the book this year. Brock comments on it in his book, too. It was a real war to get Vince to let me keep calling Brock “The Next Big Thing!””

– Chris Jericho wrote the following on Twitter last night  during the show – which is sure to get a rise out of MMA enthusiasts:

“Ok guess I’m the only “old school pro wrestler” to say it…screw UFC fighters. U could NEVER do what me and my brothers do.”

– Jim Ross was also tweeting during the UFC 126 pay-per-view, writing the following about Anderson Silva’s knockout win over Vitor Belfort in the first round of the main event:

“Good God Almighty what a front kick by Anderson Silva! He’s money. What a post fight promo. Everyone knows Anderson speaks some English. :)”

• Check Out: UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort Results

Wrestling journalist Mike Mooneyham, a longtime friend of Nature Boy Ric Flair, is reporting that Flair is owed a “considerable amount” of backpay by TNA Wrestling. TNA owing Flair money is said to be the reason for Flair’s dispute with company officials on the recent European tour.

According to Mooneyham, Flair felt disrespected by TNA on the tour and asked them for advance pay based on them owing him money for future dates on the tour and money unrelated to the tour.

After Flair was denied the money, he was told the reason management would not advance any pay to talent is because former TNA star Dustin “Goldust” Runnels took advantage of TNA by getting money advanced and they no longer do this. Flair was offended and asked, “Am I Dustin Rhodes? Is that my spot in the company?”

It’s been reported that Flair has been asking co-workers to borrow money at bars, which Mooneyham says is untrue.

TNA star Kurt Angle wrote the following on Twitter regarding this week’s TNA iMPACT!:

“The “Jarrett” segments on TNA Impact were appalling. It made me look like a dead beat Dad, which I am not (I can assure you). And it made Karen and Jeff look like the perfect American Family. MY kids were calling Jeff “Daddy Jeff”.

“NOBODY will ever replace me as the Father of my kids. You want me to look like the bad person? Don’t forget who wanted the divorce! I didn’t walk away from my family, Karen did. So keep your little “act” going on TV. It’s amusing to me, but don’t think for a million years that my fans are buying this crap.”

Footage has been posted online of Georgia Dome employees testing the pyrotechnics in preparation for April’s WrestleMania 27 event:

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsbarbq.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

CM Punk’s Character: “Is there a better wrestling villain on TV these days than CM Punk? Arguable question but for my sauce, Punk is right there at the top of the heap with a handful of his peers.”

Steve Austin Hosting Tough Enough: “Steve Austin is very excited about hosting the new season of Tough Enough. It will be interesting to see how much star power and expertise is put in place when the training staff is announced. My instincts say that Austin will have a strong team to help him with the trainees. This will be a great opportunity for Stone Cold to be Stone Cold and to re-engage his many fans on a weekly TV series of which I have great expectations for and will be watching and DVR’ing every week. I do not know the status of Tough Enough airing outside the USA for those that are asking.”

Sting: “The Sting stories that have been on line regarding him coming to WWE have taken a life of their own. Will Sting ever come to WWE? Does a 51 year old guy want to engage in an ambitious,  road schedule or any schedule? Could a deal be done and all the pieces be put in place before WM27? Is Sting even remotely interested in re-entering the squared circle on any level? I don’t know the answers to these questions nor, would I suggest, does anyone but Sting himself. Agreed, any thing is possible but what is feasible, doable, etc are questions that none of us can answer. I have seen Sting once in approximately 15 years and that was for about 5 minutes in Charlotte last year at the annual fan convention. I do know that he is a great human being after being around him for over two decades beginning when he came to work for Bill Watts as one half of the Bladerunner tag team with Warrior. They were known as Sting and Rock as I recall when they began their careers with the large Cowboy. Some of my best memories of calling wrestling bouts involved Sting back in the day in UWF and in WCW.”

Corre leader Wade Barrett was interviewed this week by Philadelphia radio host Brian Soscia. You can listen to an audio clip of the interview at MixPhiladelphia.com. Here are some highlights of what the former bare-knuckle boxer said about:

Why “Corre” Has Two R’s: “Corre Spelling: “We sent Heath Slater to the place to register trademarks and Heath isn’t the best at spelling. Then, we were set with Corre with two r’s.”

Nexus’s Debut: “We went through it that day exactly what we were going to do. We didn’t realize the kind of impact it would have,” he said. “We didn’t appreciate how it would look to the fans seeing the ring torn down. We knew it would be big, but we didn’t anticipate the reaction it would get.”

Rumors Of Him vs. Undertaker at WM27: “That’s not the case. I’ve had people Tweeting those rumors. I’ve certainly not heard that (from WWE). At the moment, certainly nothing has been organized,” Barrett said, while also indicating he would gladly accept the match if it were offered to him.”

* Wade Barrett’s MUGSHOT Picture: Arrested For DUI In 2008

(Source: MixPhiladelphia.com)

– John Cena is no longer being advertised for Saturday’s WWE live event from Rochester, Minnesota. Cena had been scheduled to wrestle CM Punk in the main event, but has since been replaced by John Morrison. No word yet on why Cena was pulled, but it’s not the first live event he’s skipped this year.

– Diesel has been added to the WWE Alumni page, including pictures from the former WWE champion’s storied career. It’s interesting to see how his look has evolved from when he debuted in the mid-1990s to his return to WWE at Sunday’s Royal Rumble, over 15 years later. You can check those pictures out here.

– Former Nexus member Skip Sheffield underwent a second surgery several weeks ago, this time to repair a trapped nerve in his injured leg. The trapped nerve went unnoticed during his first surgery and was causing severe discomfort and complications with his physical rehabilitation process. Sheffield is now off crutches and continues to rehab the leg. No word yet on when he’ll be back in action.

Thursday’s episode of TNA iMPACT! featured the big reveal of who “THEY” are – and it resulted in one of the highest ratings for the show ever. The 2/3 iMPACT! did a strong 1.31 rating with 1,953,000 viewers – making it one of the Top 5 highest rated episodes of the show ever.

• Check Out: Members Of TNA’s “THEY” Faction Revealed

Here’s what several TNA personalities are saying about the rating on Twitter:

Dixie Carter: “Last night was our 2nd highest rated Thursday night iMPACT! ever!! Thank you all so much!! Lots of great TV coming up… Stay tuned.”

Taz: “Another huge rating for TNA iMPACT! Awesome job by the  Talent,Agents,Production, Russo,Eric B, Matt! Last but not least, Dixie…Congrats!”

Matt Hardy: “Hulkster & Jeff brought me in & the ratings keep growin-Coincidence?I think not! FACT! .. Dixie, u can thank ME & Jeff 4 the ratings jump-just saying”

— With Shawn Michaels still the only confirmed name for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011, we can report that hardcore wrestling legend Abdullah The Butcher is also being strongly considered for this year. Triple H noted in recent interview that he suggested Abdullah to WWE management as a possible candidate for this year.

— Former WWE manager Armando Estrada was at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from the Nassau Coliseum Smackdown about a possible return to the company.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his ex-wife Dani recently sold their former home in Davie, Florida for a cool $1.2 million. For more in the sale, visit BizJournals.com.

— During an interview with Canadian radio station Fan 590 earlier this week, World Heavyweight champion Edge talked about being very happy with his current role in WWE and had positive things to say about young WWE stars Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, and Sheamus.

• Recent Picture Of The Rock Looking Absolutely JACKED

(Source: pwinsider.com)

After Jersey Shore star J-WOWW made an appearance for TNA Wrestling late last year, it appears another [former] cast member could be headed to Orlando in the near future.

• Pictures of J-WOWW At TNA iMPACT! (CATFIGHT!!)

TMZ reported last month that former Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick was in talks with TNA about wrestling a match. Michael Schweiger of CEG talent, which represents Angelina and other Jersey Shore stars, confirmed to Astheworldturnsleft.com that Angelina is indeed interested in wrestling with TNA.

“She has those aggressive tendencies,”Schweiger said. “It’s funny with these kids. They pretty much have an interest in anything that will get their face on the screen.”

Angelina was scheduled to compete in a celebrity boxing match back in December but the fight was nixed after she got into a fight with a woman who wasn’t her opponent before the event began.

A TNA spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny Angelina’s involvement, but did offer this statement:

“We were absolutely thrilled to host JWoww at the TNA ‘iMPACT Zone’ in October, and we’ve kept the door open for her or anyone else in the ‘Jersey Shore’ family to visit us anytime. Certainly JWoww and TNA Knockout Cookie have a little unfinished business they’d like to resolve.”

COMMENT BELOW: What do you think about Angelina in TNA? Would she add anything to the TNA product, or would be be a waste of TNA’s time and money?

TNA star Kurt Angle was interviewed this week by MMA announcer Mauro Ranallo on The Fight Show satellite radio show on Thursday. You can listen to the full interview at Radio.TheScore.com. Here are some highlights of what Angle said about:

His TNA Contract Expiring: “My contract’s up in August. I’m going to keep the option open. I like TNA. I like being there. I like that the company has built the last four-and-a-half years since I’ve been there. I don’t have any plans of leaving, but I don’t think Kevin Nash and Booker T had plans of jumping either.”

(COMMENT BELOW: Would you like to see Kurt Angle back in WWE? Can he handle the travel schedule?)

Nash & Booker T Jumping Ship: “They were actually, until a couple days before the (Royal) Rumble, signed with TNA. In essence, they asked for their release at the last second and TNA gave them their wish. I’m going to do what’s best for Kurt Angle and they’ve treated me well here.”

TNA’s Current Roster: “ “We have a stacked roster. We can’t put everybody on a TV show. So, you’re not seeing a lot of the talent week after week. I think they’re going to have to be more consistent about keeping the top talent in there.”

Angle also called his on-air storyline with Jeff Jarrett and Karen Angle a “touchy subject” and said his fiance Giovanna and their new baby are “doing fine” after her recent health scare landed her in the hospital and resulted in the baby being born sooner than expected.

• Pictures Of Kurt Angle’s 25-Year-Old Baby Momma Giovanna Yanotti

– Booker T has been confirmed as a trainer for WWE’s new Tough Enough show.

– During an interview with ClubWWI.com, former WWE manager Paul Bearer revealed that he was in talks with TNA about managing Abyss before the character debuted, but Bearer’s health issues during the mid 2000’s prevented it from happening.

– Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman was at last night’s Florida Championship Wrestling’s event in Tampa. FL.

– Dolph Ziggler will be appearing at an upcoming wrestling meet for Kent State University when they take on Ohio University on 2/11. Ziggler, who was a very accomplished amateur wrestler at Kent State, will doing a photo and autograph session after the meet.

(Source: pwinsider.com)

– Here are the average ratings for January for WWE’s top shows:

• RAW: 3.24
• SmackDown: 2.0
• Superstars: 0.54

– ChicagoBusiness.com is reporting more bad news for former WWE announcer and RAW GM Mike Adamle. Mike Adamle’s home in Evanston, Illinois is being foreclosed after he and his wife failed to pay off a $1.1 million loan that matured this past August.

This comes after Adamle’s wife divorced him last May and this past December, the IRS filed a lien against them for non-payment of $70,808 in taxes from 2008 and 2009. Last month, Adamle was arrested for DUI. Hang in there Mike!

– Paul Heyman’s book is currently scheduled to be released on September 13th of this year. The working title is “The Heyman Hustle: Wrestling’s Most Extreme Promoter Tells All.”

– As TMZ.com has been reporting as of late, former WWE star MVP is set to begin wrestling in Japan in the coming weeks for New Japan Pro Wrestling. There had been some speculation as to whether MVP would be able to use his WWE gimmick in Japan – he Tweeted this week that he will in fact be using the same gimmick.

• More On MVP Wrestling In Japan

– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter regarding Elimination Chamber and Jerry Lawler:

“CeNation. Very happy for king. I figured Sheamus and I will settle any differences in the chamber. I hate the chamber.even more than sheamus.”

– THQ revealed this week during their quarterly investor meeting that SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 shipped 2.7 million units during the holiday quarter, which is a strong number but down from previous years.

– Former WWE Diva Maria Kenellis has been teasing on Twitter that she’s working on a new project. The new project is an organic perfume line called Signature Creme. It will be available later this month. She did a photo shoot for the line yesterday.

• Recent Modeling Pictures of MARIA (So Hot)

– On Thursday’s iMPACT!, TNA’s much-hyped “they” group was revealed to be Fortune members AJ Styles, Kazarian and Beer Money, who turned on Immortal and Eric Bischoff. As previously reported, TNA had planned to feature Kevin Nash and Booker T’s in the group, but their returns to WWE at the Royal Rumble forced them to rewrite the entire storyline.

• Read More: Dixie Carter Talks About Kevin Nash & Booker T Leaving TNA

– TNA is now heavily promoting the March 3rd episode of iMPACT. Announced for that show is Karen and Jeff Jarrett renewing their wedding vows and the return of Hulk Hogan. Hogan was supposed to return on last night’s show but was not at this past week’s iMPACT tapings.

TNA covered up for Hogan not being there this week by saying that a “legal ruling” from a judge in Texas in the Hogan-Dixie Carter feud was preventing him from attending iMPACT.

– Jeremy Buck won a match on last night’s iMPACT to advance to an X Division #1 contender’s match at Against All Odds. The winner of Robbie E. vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Suicide on next week’s iMPACT will go to the pay-per-view to face Max Buck and Jeremy Buck in a three-way to crown a new #1 contender.

TNA’s official website has started a new feature where Dixie Carter answers fan questions from TNA’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Here are some of the more newsworthy items:

Q: do you plan on moving the Impact Zone to somewhere else. I believe that keeping it in Universal is crippling the audience numbers.

Dixie: There are no plans to move the production to another single facility. However, we are excited about taking the iMPACT! taping on the road to Fayetteville, NC on February 24th, and hope to do more iMPACT! tapings from different locations in the future.

Q: What has been the biggest mistake you’ve made so far running TNA? I know the list is long but narrow it to 1 if possible.

Dixie: The move to Monday nights. We have a loyal audience on Thursdays and that move proved that. Even the ratings of the Thursday replay (which did not force viewers to watch on Monday), were as high or higher than the debut telecast.

Q: Can you tell me how you felt when you saw Booker T and Kevin Nash at the Royal Rumble and realized your original plans for “THEY” were screwed?

Dixie: Booker was not available for any MEM angle. Kevin Nash was under contract with TNA and was just recently released for reasons I will not disclose. From the beginning, if we did a MEM angle it would not have been with the original group and it would have been a short-term story to get to something else. To see “THEY” tune in TONIGHT on SPIKE. I’m pretty sure the fans will be happy. I know I am.

Q: what’s the truth about the rumors that Sting has left TNA and joined WWE?!

Dixie: I have read these reports. I would really hate to see that happen.

WWE Diva Beth Phoenix was interviewed recently by Slam Wrestling.

• Check Out: Pictures of a Young (Pre-WWE) Beth Phoenix

Here are some highlights of what she said about:

Attending a WWE tryout years ago with Gail Kim & Traci Brooks:

“Gail Kim was signed that day and became women’s champion just a couple of months later. It was crazy how much talent came out of that area, and still is successful to this day, Gail being a WWE diva as well, a former TNA champion, women’s champion.“

Her relationship with Natalya:

“One really important thing for me while I was injured was Natalya. Natalya and I are very close, and have been for many, many years, and been there for each other through the thick and thin, the ups and downs of our jobs. She was a wonderful, positive influence on my life. She was going through a lot too with LayCool on television. We were kind of each other’s rock during the rough times. Even the Hitman [Bret Hart] has gone out of his way and given me a lot of encouragement. That meant a lot to me, because he was one of my childhood heroes. It was wonderful to have them motivating me along when the going got tough. That’s why me being able to come back at Survivor Series and share in her title victory meant a lot to me because it was a long road for both of us to get there.”

Awesome Kong in WWE:

“There’s been a lot of chatter around about her being signed by WWE. I think a lot of people, their first inclination is to think that it would be quite a clash to see us in the ring together. If we get that opportunity, it will be amazing. I look forward to it. She and I have never wrestled each other, not even on the independent scene or anything. I think it will be quite the spectacle to have Awesome Kong and Beth Phoenix in the same ring at the same time. Hopefully we’ll get to see that in the near future.

WWE’s Divas division:

“With our company, we have a moniker with the divas: Smart, Sexy and Powerful. Our company is really big on us not just being beautiful, not just being about our looks, but also presenting our girls as role models. Most of our divas are greatly educated and would be happy to talk to you about current events and important issues. I think that we all work hard to be something that little girls want to emulate — not just Barbie dolls, we’re more than that.”

WWE star Kevin Nash appeared on Tha O Show with Big Daddy Donnie this week and this to say about the following topics:

The huge reaction he got at the Royal Rumble:

“I wanted to take a steal chair and just sit in the middle of the aisle and take it all in because I said it’s going to be all down hill from here. It couldn’t have been more special. Thank god I was wearing a condom.”

His business relationship with Dixie Carter:

“If I had have walked into an office and went to Dixie and said this is what I want to do and this is what will make me happy, Dixie would have signed off on it in 30 seconds.”

Dixie’s reaction to him in the Royal Rumble:

“She was out of the country. I guarantee you she was happy for my response and happy I was happy.”

Triple H not working the Rumble:

“Paul had no desire at that point [to get in the ring]. He is working in the office and walking around with a clipboard. Vince and Steph feel the company needs his mind more than his body right now. Whenever he comes back though, it’s a game changer. When I found out he [HHH] wasn’t working, I asked if it was the buddysystem [not wanting to steal a pop from Booker T or Nash] and that’s how I took it.”

Whether he has one last run left:

“It’s up to creative. Every guy in the business thinks they have one last run, and the truth is, they do – if creative is in compliance with that. I told them I’d go as hard as I can for as long as I can until I break down.”

His current status:

“I could go back to TNA and wrestle for them tomorrow, they just can’t put me in a video game – oh wait, they don’t have one. They couldn’t do a doll, well they could. They could do a doll [like they did before] with a likeness that Vince owns. They [TNA] put out a doll of me with long brown hair. My contract with them said they would market my TNA likeness. I asked Terry Taylor to show me a picture of when I ever worked in TNA with long brown hair. Jakks said, ‘Sorry it was a dye problem from China.’ You have to look at the doll. Jakks had a 2003 Ruthless Aggression Diesel doll and they slapped a Nash logo on it with the same Diesel head, and it was just bogus man.”

His new WWE Legends deal:

“It has verbiage that says you are subject to wrestle. I looked at it as, I’m making a 5 year commitment that I’m not going anywhere else, and if I do they can’t market any part of me.”

Here is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown on SyFy:

* WWE’s new SmackDown announcer is revealed

* Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella in a non-title match.

* Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

* Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

* Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

* Wade Barrett vs. Big Show in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

* Edge and Kelly Kelly vs. Dolph Ziggler, Layla and Michelle McCool with the World Title on the line.

*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight

WWE SmackDown on Syfy

– Thanks to Red for the following WWE SmackDown spoilers from Tuesday’s tapings in Long Island, New York:

* Booker T comes out first in his new WWE role as announcer with Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.

* Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero open the show, talking about tonight’s match where the World Title will be on the line. Kelly Kelly came out and slapped Ziggler. Michelle McCool and Layla then come out, Edge comes out and cleans house.

* Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater beat WWE Tag Team Champions Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella in a non-title match.

* Drew McIntyre beats Kofi Kingston in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Alberto Del Rio came on the big screen, distracting Kofi, allowing Drew to get the win.

* Rey Mysterio beats Jack Swagger in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.

* Backstage segment with Edge talking to Kelly Kelly about their match.

* Hornswoggle, Rosa Mendes and Ricardo Rodriguez all come out. Rodriguez announces Alberto Del Rio and out he comes to celebrate. Hornswoggle ends up hitting Del Rio but gets attacked. Kofi Kingston comes to make the save but Del Rio applies his armbar finisher.

* Hornswoggle, Rosa Mendes and Ricardo Rodriguez all come out. Rodriguez announces Alberto Del Rio and out he comes to celebrate. Hornswoggle ends up hitting Del Rio but gets attacked. Kofi Kingston comes to make the save but Del Rio applies his armbar finisher.

* Kane wins a squash against Chavo Guerrero to qualify for the Elimination Chamber.

* Wade Barrett defeats Big Show to qualify for the Elimination Chamber. The Corre comes out to help Barrett when the referee goes down. After the match, Show tries to fight back but Ezekiel Jackson slams him.

* Edge and Kelly defeat Dolph Ziggler, Layla and Michelle McCool with the World Title on the line. Kelly pinned Layla. Vickie Guerrero comes out after the match and fires Kelly. Dolph vs. Edge with Vickie as referee is announced for next week for the belt.

Here are some highlights of what The Corre leader Wade Barrett talked about during a recent interview with Postcrescent.com:

Unscripted Promos: “A lot of the times we’re shoved out in front of the camera and I may be out there talking for 10 minutes straight or doing it back and forth with someone for 10 or 15 minutes. A lot of times you are having to ad-lib.”

“There’s no way anybody can memorize all the stuff we have to come out and say. Generally, I’ll have an idea of what’ I’m gonna say, but in terms of crowd interaction and things like that, sometimes the crowd will be chanting stuff at me, so I’ll want to say something in response to that. Sometimes whoever I’m talking with might throw me a curveball – like John Cena’s very good at ad-libbing. He used to throw a lot of curveballs at me when I was out there talking with him, so I have to be very much reactive to what’s going on around me.”

The Most Painful Move He’s Felt In WWE: “That would probably have to be Justin Gabriel’s 450 splash. It’s a spectacular looking move, but the velocity of him spinning around combined with the fact that he’s jumping 10-feet in the air or whatever it is, makes for a very heavy impact. That’s definitely one of the most painful moves I’ve ever had to take.”

Is It Easier To Be A Face Or Heel?: “I think it purely depends on the individual. I know I’ve always felt more comfortable being an antagonist and on the few occasions in my career when I’ve tried to go out and be the fan favorite, back in my days in the U.K., I just never did a good job with it. I was always very bad at getting the fans to get behind me and cheer for me and clap for me, so I knew very early in my career that I would be a better antagonist than protagonist. … Some guys are better fit for certain roles and I think I’m a better fit as a heel.”

• WADE BARRETT’s MUGSHOT Picture (DUI)

The USA Network issued the following press release on Thursday:

USA’S EXCITING SPRING LINE-UP BRINGS REALITY, DRAMA AND A PREQUEL

TOUGH ENOUGH and Burn Notice: THE FALL OF SAM AXE Premiere in April, Followed by

The Tenth and Final Season of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and the Fourth Season of IN PLAIN SIGHT in May

Are you TOUGH ENOUGH to survive the winter? Spring ahead with the return of USA’s fan-favorite dramas LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and IN PLAIN SIGHT and uncover the secrets of Burn Notice‘s Sam Axe before his mojito-filled Miami life. Don’t miss USA’s smoking hot spring line-up.

WWE TOUGH ENOUGH

Do you have what it takes to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva? A diverse group of men and women will live, train, eat and sleep under one roof in a house in Simi Valley, California. Each week the contestants will battle it out in a series of unique challenges designed to test for such characteristics as showmanship, creativity, athleticism and desire, just to name a few. Viewers will witness the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be one of the best in the world’s greatest sports entertainment organization. The grand prize winner will be awarded a contract with WWE. Hosted by WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin®, each episode will feature a current WWE Superstar, who will introduce the contenders to a quality that they must possess to make it to the top of the sports entertainment world. Along the way, viewers will witness the trials and tribulations of what it takes to be one of the best in the world’s greatest sports entertainment organization.

Premieres Monday, April 4 at 11/10c on USA Network immediately following WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW®, and then will move to its regularly scheduled slot in primetime, Mondays at 8/7c, starting on April 11.

Nexus leader CM Punk was interviewed on Thursday morning on Minneapolis, MN’s 93X Half-Assed Morning Show to hope Friday’s live event in the area. You can listen to the interview by clicking here (MP3).

Here are some highlights of what was talked about:

— The hosts asked Punk about his former “Chick Magnet” gimmick (the “CM” in CM Punk). He said when he was younger, he and his friends would watch WWE pay-per-views and would then hold backyard wrestling events. “That’s actually how I got into wrestling, Punk said. “I didn’t know of any wrestling schools or being trained or anything like that… It was the equivalent of me wanting to host a radio show and talking into tape recorder or something like that. I just went out and did it.”

– Punk said that breaking into the wrestling business was not easy. When he first started wrestling, he would wrestle for free at bars in front of two people. “That’s what you do to pay your dues,” Punk said.

— Punk put over the Miz saying he’s a buddy, come a long way, but he’s holding something that belongs to him and there’s a lot of other people that want that title right now. He also mentioned Santino as being a great comedy act and an example of what makes wrestling a different brand of entertainment.

— Punk was asked about the popularity of MMA and whether it takes away from WWE’s business, to which Punk argued that pro wrestling will always be popular.

— Punk and the hosts talked about how WWE storylines have always been great. Punk joked that he wouldn’t go that far, which got which got some laughs.

— Punk said he stole his GTS finisher from Japanese wrestler KENTA.

— He’s a huge fan of Japanese wrestling and a lot of his style is based on what he has learned from them.

(Source: 93x.com)

– The following matches are advertised TNA Against All Odds next Sunday 2/13:

• Last Knockout Standing Match for the TNA Knockouts Title: Mickie James vs. Madison Ryane vs. Mickie James
• Street Fight: Bully Ray vs. Brother Devon
• Samoa Joe vs. D’Angelo Dinero.

– Former WWE star Ken Doane (Kenny Dykstra) took a few shots at TNA on Twitter this week for the company’s “They” storyline:

“how did TNA know “THEY” were coming? think tna thought “THEY” would be in the WWE Rumble? LOL! Dont know why tna promos always have to remind us of wwe. wwe never reminds us of tna. Maybe tna’s version of “they” was the SQUAD! oh wait we pitched that to them and they didnt like it.”

– Christopher Daniels is back in TNA working at the masked wrestler Suicide. Daniels is still under contract to Ring of Honor, but both sides worked out a deal that Daniels can work for TNA as long as he wears a mask. Daniels will be working for both companies for the foreseeable future.

TNA is planning on beefing up the X Division over the next few months and they know a veteran performer and former division champion like Daniels will help with that.

• KEEP READING: TNA’s X-Division To Get A “Reboot” & Big Push Soon

TNA star Kurt Angle appeared on Canada’s The Fight Show on Thursday afternoon and revealed that his current deal with TNA expires in August.

This is consistent with Kevin Nash’s recent comments on ESPN radio earlier this week. Nash was asked whether he and Booker T returning to WWE could result in a new incarnation of the Main Event Mafia. Nash joked we could see it happen this summer, since Kurt Angle could be a free agent by then.

At this point, there have been no indications that WWE is interested in bringing Kurt Angle back. Angle has had favorable things to say about WWE in recent months, but he was having trouble keeping up with the WWE lifestyle back when he left several years ago and that would likely still be a big concern.