SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Triple H Talks Retirement, His Injury, Returning, New Baby

    WWE star Triple H was interviewed by RXMuscle.com’s “Heavy Muscle Radio” show earlier this month and spoke to host Dave Palumbo about a number of topics. You can listen to an MP3 of RXMuscle’s interview with Triple H by clicking here. Here are some highlights of what Triple H talked about:

    — He guaranteed that he will not want to be like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, who wrestle into their 60s. Hunter said he and Shawn Michaels agreed to tell the other when it was time to hang it up, and he said he never had to have that conversation with Shawn.

    — Regarding his in ring return, he said, Hopefully the goal is sometime in the spring to come back.”

    — He spoke about his new daughter, Vaughn Evelyn Levesque. After 3 girls, he does want a boy and says he and Stephanie have a graet name planned, but wouldn’t’ share it. Originally, Stephanie wanted five kids and he wanted two. He said they’re not sure about having more children.

    — He currently does not have a lot to do with WWE’s creative process, but has been in charge of running a few WWE shows.

    — Consistent with what’s been repoted recently, Triple H said that father-in-law Vince McMahon has been pushing him to take a bigger role in WWE’s front office, “to learn the other side of the business.” He is at the WWE office in Stanford for the majority of the week and attends many of WWE’s televised shows.

    — Hunter also revealed details on how he injured his biceps, which has kept him out of action for months. His doctors initially believed it was nerve damage related to a neck injury. The injury occurred during a light workout, just weeks into filming a movie for WWE. WWE doctor Dr. James Andrews looked at the injured arm and said he could not finish shooting hte movie without having surgery first.

  • Kong’s WWE Debut, Batista Expected Back In WWE & More

    – There are rumors that Awesome Kong will make her WWE debut at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. One scenario that’s been discussed is for her to interfere during the Divas Title match between Natalya and LayCool.

    – There are still people in WWE that believe Batista will return to the company this year. Big Dave is known to be a fan of the “good life” – enjoying the luxury lifestyle that being a top-drawing WWE superstar brings. Batista has been pursuing his acting career, as well as training for his professional mixed martial arts debut, but his best chance to make big money is still with WWE.

    While company officials remain optimistic that Batista has not wrestled his last match, the fact that Mason Ryan was brought in last week without changing his look (which most see as very similar to Batista’s) indicates that WWE is moving on without him, for now.

    — Bret Hart’s latest role in WWE is taking part in the “Legends Roundtable” series that airs on WWE’s Classics On Demand channel. Jim Ross noted on Twitter this week that he was at WWE headquarters this week with Bret Hart, Pat Patterson, Michael Hayes and Gene Okerlund working on new Legends Roundtable episodes.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • HBK Wants Flair At HOF Ceremony, McCool-Undertaker

    – When WWE legend Shawn Michaels is inducted into the Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend, he reportedly wants longtime friend Ric Flair to be at the ceremony. While there’s no word yet on whether Flair will appear, feeling is that WWE would have no problem with Flair attending, but they likely would not show him on camera. It remains to be seen whether TNA would have a problem with Flair attending a WWE event.

    – Michelle McCool was back on the road for WWE live events this past weekend, indicating that The Undertaker is doing well recovering from surgery.

    As noted earlier this week, it’s now expected that he will work WrestleMania 27 this year. McCool had been given time off from live events to stay at home and tend to her husband, The Deadman.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Gorgeous George & Bruno Sammartino Movie Details

    – We’ve reported before about WWE’s has plans plans to make a feature film on the life of WWE Hall of Famer Gorgeous George. There’s now talk of making a DVD set on the flamboyant superstar’s career in an effort ot make him more relevant to today’s generation of fans.

    Vince McMahon is said to be a huge fan of the Gorgeous George story and wants to push him as the originator of “sports entertainment” and wrestling’s “Babe Ruth” character. Gorgeous George was a tremendous star in his day, achieving international fame during the early years of television. Many famous athletes have named Gorgeous George as an influence, including boxing great Muhammad Ali.

    – The Italian Tribune News reported recently that the movie based on the life of WWE legend Bruno Sammartino will begin filming in April in Italy. The movie is also expected to film in Tokyo, New York, San Francisco and Pittsburgh.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Goldust Injury Update, Retirement Talk & Rumble Pick

    Late last month, WWE superstar Goldust wrote on Twitter that he will be out of action for the first half of 2011 following shoulder surgery. Right before New Years, the Golden One wrote,  “Recovery is like watchin paint dry…but me as an impatient person…has to watch it dry…shoulder will be better than ever in time.”

    Goldust was interviewed this week by Detroit’s WDFN 1130 AM radio station and confirmed that he will be not be wrestling again until June at the earliest. Goldust said his shoulder had been working with a banged up shoulder for several months, when he decided to get the surgery. He is planning to return this summer, wrestle until the end of 2012 and then retire.

    Goldust, who recently released his “Cross Rhodes” WWE autobiography, said that WWE is panning to release a DVD set on his career soon, although he does not have details on when it would be coming out.

    Regarding Sunday’s Royal Rumble and his pick to win, Goldust had this to say:

    “You know, I kind of like – if Triple H is coming back, which I think he might be, but I’m not sure. If he does, I would have to pick him. If not him, I would have to say probably Alberto Del Rio.”

  • WWE’s PPV Schedule, WM27 Sponsor Still Needed, Summerslam

    As we touched on yesterday in our post about the Diva Search Competition would be returning this year (details), WWE held a web conference to entice potential advertisers to promote their products with WWE. WWE’s Senior Vice President of Partner Sales Joe DelGrosso hosted the event.

    Aside from the news that the Diva Search competition would be returning, the following things were also discussed:

    — WWE will not be cutting back from 13 pay-per-view events a year. 13 pay-per-views is actually the “minimum” going forward, implying that more pay-per-view events may be added in the future.

    — WWE is hoping to have SummerSlam take place from Los Angeles, California every year. WWE regards SummerSlam as the second biggest show of the year and the company likes hosting it out in LA, where they have access to celebrities.

    — WWE is still looking for sponsors for WrestleMania in April. Sponsors can come aboard for a 5 week promotional period (Feb 28th-April 3rd).

    — WWE pushed that 7-Eleven, Slim Jim and Twix have all enjoyed very successful sponsorship campaigns with the company.

    Mr. DelGrosso closed the presentation by showing a slide which highlighted the Ad Age endorsement of WWE as “the hottest brand of 2010.”

  • Planned WrestleMania Main Event, Celebrity Contacted & More

    — According to a person who spoke directly to Vince McMahon this past week, Wade Barrett vs. The Undertaker is currently penciled in as the main event for WrestleMania XXVII. Barring a setback in recovery, it’s now considered a lock that The Undertaker will work the show. As reported earlier this week, the Undertaker will be appearing at WWE’s Axxess event, which takes place the day before WrestleMania.

    — Starting with the Royal Rumble, all future WWE Blu-ray releases will include the DVD version. There will be a price increase of $5.

    — WWE officials have been negotiating with representatives of Duane Chapman, best known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, about an appearance at WrestleMania. The talks took place a few weeks ago and it’s said that Chapman’s people were asking for way more than WWE initially offered.

    — While numerous seats remain available for WrestleMania XXVII, WWE officials are said to be happy with ticket sales thus far. Tickets for the Hall of Fame ceremony have been selling especially well, with only balcony seats remaining as of early this week.

  • TNA Invites Chad Ochocinco To Wrestle His Coach In A Steel Cage

    TNA Wrestling sent out the following press release today, inviting controversial NFL superstar Chad Ochocinco a chance to wrestle his coach, Marvin Lewis, inside a steel cage at the upcoming Lockdown pay-per-view on 4/17:

    CHAD OCHOCINCO VS. HEAD COACH MARVIN LEWIS IN A STEEL CAGE MATCH?

    Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling offers to host the bout at the “Lockdown” Pay-Per-View event on Sunday, April 17

    As the NFL’s Super Bowl draws near, one of the year’s major football news stories has been the ongoing rivalry between Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and his head coach, Marvin Lewis.

    The ill-will between the head coach and his star player has reportedly been an ongoing issue, and now Ochocinco has challenged Lewis to put an end to their differences once and for all – not on the gridiron field of the NFL, but inside a steel cage!

    On Monday, Ochocinco posted the following message to his Twitter account (twitter.com/ochocinco), responding to Adam Schefter of ESPN: “Me and Marvin Lewis in a cage match, set it up, I’ve earned my stripes on my helmet it’s time to fight then play”

    As a result, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has offered to host Ochocinco vs. Lewis inside a Steel Cage at their annual “Lockdown” event on April 17, which will air live on Pay-Per-View!

    “Lockdown” features every match contested inside a 15-foot reinforced steel cage, making it the only all-steel cage Pay-Per-View event in professional wrestling.

    If Ochocinco and Lewis agree to settle their differences, TNA Wrestling officials will work with their representatives to sanction the bout, as well as train both combatants in the weeks leading up to the match.

    Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling is the world’s most innovative experience in professional wrestling, airing in over 120 countries worldwide. Join Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, Mr. Anderson, the lovely and lethal TNA Knockouts and the no-limits X-Division every Thursday at 9/8 on SpikeTV in the United States. For more information, visit www.tnawrestling.com

  • POLL: Who Will Win Sunday’s ROYAL RUMBLE Match?

    [poll id=”26″]

  • The Briscoe Brothers Sign New Contracts With Ring Of Honor

    (Bristol, PA- January 25, 2010) ROH officials are happy to announce that the 6-time ROH World Tag Team Champions Jay & Mark Briscoe have signed a new contract which is an extension to the contracts finalized in the fall of 2010.

    Heading into Los Angeles where Mark Briscoe will challenge for the ROH World TV Title against “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels and Jay Briscoe will take on Colt Cabana for the first time in singles competition, the two veterans look forward to cementing their legacies as ROH legends.

    “This is our home.” stated Jay Briscoe, “Ring of Honor is the place that made me and Mark the men we are today. If it wasn’t for ROH, we wouldn’t be half the wrestlers we are and we wouldn’t be six time champions. All we can say is thank you to ROH, thank you to the fans, and maybe 2011 will bring these two Delaware boys title number seven!”

    Both Jay and Mark will be in competition on Los Angeles at “WrestleReunion 5” THIS Friday night, and tickets can still be purchased here.

  • Brock Lesnar Says He Doesn’t Care For The Undertaker (Video)

    Earlier this week, UFC heavyweight fighter Brock Lesnar set the record straight on his involvement at WrestleMania 27, telling Yahoo! Sports that there was no truth to the rumors that he was interested in working the show.

    During a media session that took place on Tuesday to promote the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, commented on the Undertaker attending his most recent fight and their face-to-face confrontation that sparked the WrestleMania speculation.

    “The other fellas that wanted to come, like Stone Cold and The Rock, and Goldberg, those guys had all said, ‘I’m coming to watch you, good luck.’”, Lesnar said. “This guy (Undertaker) shows up every time I seem to lose (laughs) so he’s like my black cloud. And we’ve got some history. I’ve worked with him, but I don’t really care for him.”

    There’s more to it – check out the interview with Lesnar below:

  • *Spoiler* Change Made To Royal Rumble Title Match

    * Warning: The following contains a spoiler for Friday’s SmackDown:

    At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings (Spoilers), it was announced that World Heavyweight champion Edge has been banned from using his spear finishing move during his title defense against Dolph Ziggler.

    If Edge spears Ziggler, he’ll be automatically disqualified and stripped of the belt.

    The ruling came from Vickie Guerrero, who is in charge of SmackDown now that Teddy Long is out of action.

    KEEP READING: Lots Of Royal Rumble News Headed Into Sunday

  • Ric Flair Expected To Continue On TNA’s UK Tour

    As previously reported, Ric Flair had a major falling out with TNA management while on tour with the company overseas. While in Dublin, Ireland, Flair reportedly demanded a money advance from a company official. When his request wasn’t granted, Flair allegedly tried to play hardball, refusing to get on a bus that was taking personnel to the airport for their flight. A decision was made to leave Flair behind.

    It’s worth noting that there was no official decision to send him home, but the company chose to move on as scheduled and could not hold up the entire roster due to Flair’s tantrum.

    To update this situation, it’s said that the tension between Ric Flair and TNA had been building up for weeks, although nobody could point to the exact reasons why.

    TNA and Flair have apparently worked things out as he is expected to be at TNA’s live event in Scotland tomorrow.

    Flair is one of the top attractions of the tour, which has been dubbed the “Maximum Wooo!” Tour.

    (Source: f4wonline.com)

  • Mason Ryan’s Hometown Disappointed With WWE

    WWE newcomer Mason Ryan (real name Barry Griffiths) was born in Gwynedd, Wales, however WWE bill him as being from Cardiff, Wales. According to the UK’s Daily Post newspaper, Ryan’s hometown isn’t happy about being snubbed by WWE.

    The chairman of Porthmadog Town Council calls WWE’s decision to not acknowledge them as a great disappointment. “We are very proud of him and all he has achieved in his profession, so it is a great disappointment that he is not being promoted as from this area.”

    Ryan’s father Malcom also expressed disappointment, but understands why WWE decided to bill him from Cardiff.

    His dad Malcolm Griffiths said the geography blip was a shame. He said: “It is disappointing because I am sure he would have liked to have been promoting his home village.

    “It is a shame but there are not that many people in America who even know Wales, and of those most will only know Cardiff. I suppose this is why they’ve done that. He was born and bred in North Wales but spent 18 months in college in Cardiff.

    What do you guys think – would you be offended if your hometown hero changed the city he was billed from?

    At least it’s not as bad as Kofi Kingston, who is from Ghana, claiming to be Jamaican! Or Santino Marella, who is Canadian, being billed from Italty. Or the late Yokozuna, who was Samoan, being billed as a Japanese sumo wrestler.

  • Ricky Steamboat Talks Classic Matches, Hogan & More

    WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat spoke with ESPN.com this week to promote the new WWE All Stars video game. Here are some highlights of what Steamboat said about:

    Did He Instantly Know That His Matches With Flair & Savage Were Classics, Or Did It Take Time For That To Sink In?

    “I like to listen to the crowd, I really do. The crowd helps give me that extra boost of adrenaline. When I take a moment and listen to the wrestling fans and they’re shouting, “C’mon Ricky, you can do it!” It helps me in my heart to know that there are people out there who paid good money to watch guys like us go out there and perform. The fans have always played a major role for me and have helped me do what I need to do in the ring. Ultimately, when you dig down deep, if you did it to a silent movie, I know I wouldn’t have the same response as when I have thousands of people cheering. The fans can bring a better match by getting more involved. So when a match is over, they might be talking about how good the match was, but little do they know, that great match was elevated because of them. They’re helping me out. Look at Wrestlemania III. You had 93,000 fans screaming. That’s probably a major reason why that match turned out so good.”

    His WWE Return Last Year & His Great Match With Chris Jericho:

    “I’ll be 58-years-old next month, approaching that big 6-0. We’ve had a lot of guys who wrestled when I wrestled and made appearances — Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper — and you watch them in the ring and remember how they were. I would watch and go, “Oh man, that’s not the same kind of guy.” I didn’t want that to come across with me so I really trained hard. I had been out of the ring for about 14 years at that point, hitting the ropes so to speak, but never having a match. Then we had the match at Wrestlemania and everyone was so surprised to see me, but the fans were singing, “You still got it! You still got it!” Next thing you know, Vince McMahon came up to me and told me he was going to put me in a match against Jericho one-on-one. That’s when I really picked up my training. I was happy just being able to pull it off at my age. The bones still hung together. It was a great moment and it really felt good.”

    Why He Never Got A WWE Title Shot Against Hulk Hogan

    “Timing. A lot of times when you find out you’re going to get a shot at the World Championship, it has to do with the situation of the company and you need to be there at the right time for it. I think my time would have come up, but then I went to the other company that we don’t want to mention. Then I came back, but it was just wrong place, wrong time. I’ve had fans ask me that a lot, “How come you were never WWE Champion?” It was just bad timing.”

  • Jesse Ventura Sues TSA Over Airport Body Scans

    WWE Hall of Famer and former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) over the extra-friendly body searches that have been taking place at airports across the United States. Ventura argues that the searches violate his Fourth Amendment rights, which which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures when the searched party has a “reasonable expectation of privacy.”

    Here’s the full story from the Associated Press:

    MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura sued the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration on Monday, alleging full-body scans and pat-downs at airport checkpoints violate his right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

    Ventura is asking a federal judge in Minnesota to issue an injunction ordering officials to stop subjecting him to “warrantless and suspicionless” scans and body searches.

    The lawsuit, which also names Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA Administrator John Pistole as defendants, argues the searches are “unwarranted and unreasonable intrusions on Governor Ventura’s personal privacy and dignity . and are a justifiable cause for him to be concerned for his personal health and well-being.”

    According to the lawsuit, Ventura received a hip replacement in 2008, and since then, his titanium implant has set off metal detectors at airport security checkpoints. The lawsuit said that prior to last November officials had used a non-invasive hand-held wand to scan his body as a secondary security measure.

    But when Ventura set off the metal detector in November, he was instead subjected to a body pat-down and was not given the option of a scan with a hand-held wand or an exemption for being a frequent traveler, the lawsuit said.

    The lawsuit said the pat-down “exposed him to humiliation and degradation through unwanted touching, gripping and rubbing of the intimate areas of his body.”

    It claims that under TSA’s policy, Ventura will be required to either go through a full-body scanner or submit to a pat-down every time he travels because he will always set off the metal detector.

    Ventura, who was Minnesota governor from 1999 through 2002 and is now the host of the television program “Conspiracy Theory,” did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

    Napolitano said in December that the new technology and the pat-downs were “objectively safer for our traveling public.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately return an e-mail message seeking comment Monday.

    The TSA’s website says there are nearly 500 full-body scanners in use at 78 airports. The scanners show a traveler’s physical contours on a computer screen that’s viewed in a private room. Faces aren’t shown, and the person’s identity is supposedly not known to the screener reviewing the images.

    Not all travelers are selected to go through the scanners, but the TSA requires people who decline to submit to pat-downs that include checks of the inside of their thighs and buttocks.

  • Lots Of Royal Rumble News, WWE Cuts Coming Soon & More

    – As of this past weekend, WWE’s creative team reportedly did not have the finish booked for Sunday’s Royal Rumble match.

    – Nexus member Mason Ryan and SmackDown stars Jack Swagger and Drew McIntyre confirmed as participants for Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view last night on RAW. This brings the total number of announced participants to 28 (19 from RAW and 9 from SmackDown), with 12 spots remaining open.

    Expect several more names to be announced on Friday’s SmackDown, but WWE will almost certainly leave a few “mystery” spots open to get people talking about possible surprise entrants.

    – Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas speculated on the Right After Wrestling podcast that WWE including 40 men in this year’s Rumble match could be a sign that roster cuts are on the way.

    WWE sometimes features a battle royal at WrestleMania as a way of giving as many wrestlers as possible an extra pay-per-view payday, so that payday may be coming early for some before they are let go. The company usually does “spring cleaning” after WrestleMAnia and the company’s recent disappointing earnings estimates and declining stock price are a gloomy sign for many in the company.

    – Husky Harris & Michael McGillicutty will be getting another shot at the WWE tag team champions very soon, either at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view or the next night on RAW.

    (Partial source: f4wonline.com)

  • Nexus vs. Corre Plans, Wellness Update, Screech, JR

    – On Monday’s RAW, we saw the first face-to-face confrontation between CM Punk’s Nexus and Wade Barrett’s Corre group. Following the main event of RAW, members from both groups will be part of Sunday’s Royal Rumble match. According to a WWE source, WWE’s current plans are for the two groups to feud well beyond WrestleMania.

    – Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas said on the Right After Wrestling podcast that WWE recently sent out their annual Wellness Policy letter to former talents offering to pay for drug or alcohol rehabilitation treatment, if anybody feels they need the help.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross wrote on Twitter that he would be doing some ring announcing for the upcoming WWE live event in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Sunday, 3/13.

    Ross also mentioned that he is taping interviews related to Ted DiBiase Sr. and Gorgeous George this week.

    – Dustin “Screech” Diamond of Saved by the Bell fame (and Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling) will be appearing for the AAW indy promotion on 2/15 from Merrionette Park, Illinios. Screech has issued an open challenge to the AAW roster.

    (Partial source: f4wonline.com)

  • What Happened After RAW, Nunzio Referees Again & More

    – Prior to Monday’s RAW from the Joe Louis arena in Detroit, former NXT star Percy Watson defeated William Regal. Former ECW original Nunzio was the referee for the match.

    This is Nunzio’s second time refereeing a WWE event in the past month and a sign that WWE might be considering hiring him full time. Nunzio refereed a few matches at last month’s Madison Square Garden live event after the snowstorm prevented most of the other referees from making the show.

    — After Monday’s RAW went off the air, Nexus member David Otuga was the last man left in the ring with the RAW and SmackDown babyface stars. They all took turns beating up Otunga hitting him with their finishers.

    After Otunga fled, the Big Show grabbed him, took him back into the ring and gave him one more chokeslam to end the show and send the fans home happy.

    – Also following Monday’s RAW, WWE Divas Champion Natalya went on Twitter and responded to comments made about her by Michael Cole during the show. She wrote:

    “He can call me “hefty” all he wants- but this diva is built in the front, stacked in the back and proud of every inch!!!”

  • SmackDown Main Event & More News For Tonight’s Tapings

    WWE will tape tonight’s NXT and this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown from Cincinnati, Ohio.

    As of Tuesday morning, no matches have been announced for NXT.

    It’s been announced that the main event for Friday’s SmackDown will be feature World Heavyweight champion Edge teaming with Randy Orton to take on WWE Champion The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. Edge and Randy Orton were a tag team several years ago on the RAW brand, wrestling as “Rated RKO.”

    Wade Barrett vs. Big Show has also been booked for tonight’s SmackDown tapings, so expect to see that on Friday night as well.

    These will be the last tapings before WWE’s Royal Rumble, so expect more Rumble participants and likely another match or two to be announced.

  • RAW Results: What Did You Think? Share Your Comments

    COMMENT BELOW: Tell us what you thought about Monday’s episode of WWE RAW.

     
    Tonight’s WWE RAW opens with Michael Cole welcoming us to the show from Detroit, Michigan. We get hype for Natalya vs. Melina and The Miz vs. Edge later tonight. We go to the ring and out comes the World Heavyweight Champion Edge.

    – Edge talks about not liking to wait and won’t wait for The Miz tonight. Edge calls out The Miz but is interrupted by the RAW General Manager’s e-mail alert. He has arranged a special exhibition right now. Whichever Superstar throws him over the top rope, they earn the #40 spot in the Royal Rumble. Out first comes Jack Swagger. Edge spears him. Drew McIntyre runs in next and Tyson Kidd. Edge fights them all off and throws Kidd over the top. Drew kicks him in the head with a big boot and tries to eliminate him. Swagger runs over and gets eliminated by Edge. Drew tries for the elimination now but Edge dumps him. Edge outlasts all three. Edge takes the mic and thanks the GM for getting his juices flowing. Edge says he’s going to the back but wants to do something first. Edge talks about destroying the GM’s laptop and teases it.

    – Edge goes for the laptop but Michael Cole steps in front of him. The Nexus music hits and out comes CM Punk, David Otunga, Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris and Mason Ryan. Punk talks about the 40-man Royal Rumble match. Punk says he adapts to change. Punk talks about Mason Ryan and says he handpicked him to be in Nexus. Punk introduces Ryan and the crowd boo’s him.

    Ryan says he has only one thing to say… faith. Punk repeats the word. Punk says the members of Nexus are bonded by faith and unlike John Cena and the “poor man’s Nexus on SmackDown”, their faith will be rewarded at the Royal Rumble he says. Punk says they will unite for one common good, to see him be the winner of the Royal Rumble. Punk says he will go on to main event WrestleMania and the new Nexus will be the most powerful group WWE has ever seen. The Corre’s music hits and out comes Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel.

    Barrett says they are nothing like Nexus, they are equals. Jackson says they will unite at the Rumble to make sure Punk is eliminated. Ryan stands in between Punk and Jackson. The e-mail alert goes off. The GM says if he is going to invite SmackDown stars to RAW, they must obey the rules. It’s announced that Wade Barrett will take on CM Punk tonight. Whoever loses will be out of the Royal Rumble match, as will their whole team. The special referee for Barrett vs. Punk tonight will be John Cena. The crowd pops at this. RAW goes to commercial with The Corre and Nexus arguing.

    John Morrison and Mark Henry vs. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio

    Back from the break and out comes John Morrison followed by his partner Mark Henry. Out next comes Sheamus. Ricardo Rodriguez begins speaking next from ringside and introduces Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio comes driving into the arena.

    Del Rio and Morrison start the match off, going to the corner with Del Rio in control. Del Rio works Morrison over and tags in Sheamus. Sheamus goes to slam Morrison in the corner but gets countered. Morrison with a headscissors and a dropkick for a 2 count. Del Rio comes in and Morrison unloads on him as well. Sheamus and Del Rio retreat to the floor as Henry and Morrison look on from the ring. Back to commercial.

    Back from the break and Del Rio has control over Morrison. Del Rio stomps away on Morrison’s back and covers for 2. Morrison goes for a tag but Del Rio stops him and tags in Sheamus. We see Michael Tarver watching the match backstage on a monitor. Sheamus clotheslines Morrison and shows off for the crowd. Sheamus continues to work over Morrison and gets another 2 count. Sheamus goes for the big kick but Morrison ducks it. Morrison drops Sheamus with a kick to the jaw.

    Henry and Del Rio get tagged in at the same time. Henry lays Del Rio out with headbutts and a big splash. 2 count by Henry as Sheamus breaks up the pin. Henry drops Sheamus with a headbutt. Henry clotheslines Del Rio but Sheamus attacks. Morrison comes in and takes Sheamus out of the ring. Del Rio comes back in and locks on the armbar for the win on Henry.

    Winners: Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus

    WWE Divas Title Match: Melina vs. Natalya

    Back from the break and out comes Melina to the ring first. Her opponent WWE Divas Champion Natalya is out next. The bell rings and they lock up, going into the ropes. Melina charges Natalya and knocks her out of the ring. Melina brings it back in the ring and goes to work, slamming Natalya’s face into the mat. Melina with a 2 count.

    Melina applies a pretzel like move on Natalya’s back. Natalya powers up to her feet and rams Melina back into the corner. They go at it until Natalya locks on the Sharpshooter. Melina won’t tap so Natalya pulls way back on the hold and makes her tap for the win.

    Winner: Natalya

    – After the match, Layla and Michelle McCool come out. They run down Natalya. LayCool announce that they’re bringing the Divas title back at the Royal Rumble. Back to commercial.

    – Back from the break and we get highlights from Punk vs. Cena last week where Mason Ryan made his debut. We go backstage with Punk and Nexus. Punk talks about everyone deserving to be in Nexus. Punk says he sacrificed himself last week. Punk says Ryan will sacrifice himself this Sunday at the Rumble and although Husky gave up his chance for the Rumble, he can still ensure that Punk wins. Husky doesn’t look happy. Husky questions what happens if Punk comes out #1 and someone else from Nexus comes out #20. Ryan interrupts him and says Punk won’t be eliminated. McGillicutty asks what about John Cena. Punk tells them to just have faith. Punk tells them to take a knee. They all hold their fists up to end the segment.

    – Josh Matthews is backstage with John Cena. Matthews asks him about being the special referee in tonight’s main event. Cena says if Punk wins tonight, he will eliminate all of Nexus from the Rumble. If Barrett wins, he will take out The Corre. Alex Riley and The Miz walk up, interrupting Cena. Miz says winning the Rumble match might be the worst thing for Cena because he has to face Miz. Miz threatens Cena. Cena lays out a scenario where Miz doesn’t make it to WrestleMania and says they both smell like sewage and walks off. Miz dismisses Matthews now. Miz asks the fans if they think Randy Orton will win at the Rumble and they do. Riley plays footage of Miz and himself attacking Orton on last week’s RAW.

    – We go ringside and Michael Cole is ranting about how everyone needs to respect The Miz.

    The Miz vs. Edge

    We go to the ring and out comes the WWE Champion with Alex Riley right behind him. Out next comes the World Heavyweight Champion Edge to a big pop. Before the bell, Dolph Ziggler’s music hits and out he comes with Vickie Guerrero.

    Ziggler joins commentary as we get ready to go. The bell rings and Edge takes control early on, working Miz over in the corner. Miz fires back and they return to locking up. Back and forth action until Edge clotheslines Miz over the ropes and to the floor. We go to commercial.

    Back from the break and Edge covers Miz for a 2 count. Miz runs the ropes and drops Edge with a knee to the gut. Miz stomps away on Edge now and kicks him in the head for a 2 count. More back and forth action. Edge goes for a spear but Miz rolls out of the ring. Edge follows and they go at it. Edge counters Miz and tosses him into the fan barrier. Edge brings it back in the ring and goes up top. Miz meets him with right hands. Miz goes for a superplex but Edge fights him. Edge knocks Miz back into the ring and hits a big crossbody for a 2 count.

    Edge beats Miz down in the corner. The referee gets involved and Miz makes a comeback. Miz drops Edge’s ribs over the ropes. Edge falls on the apron and Miz looks on as we go to commercial again.

    Back from the break and Miz lands a 2 count on Edge. Miz applies a bodyscissors on Edge in the middle of the ring. More back and forth action. Edge makes a comeback and gets a 2 count on Miz. Miz goes for the clothesline in the corner but Edge dodges it. Edge rolls Miz up for a 2 count. Riley interferes and lures Edge out to the floor. Edge comes in and Miz rolls him up for a quick 2 count. Edge ducks a right hand from Miz and knocks Riley from the apron to the barrier. Edge hits the big DDT on Miz. Edge goes for a spear but Dolph Ziggler pulls him by his feet. Dolph comes in the ring and begins to attack but Randy Orton runs down and goes crazy. Orton powerslams Ziggler and chases Miz outside of the ring. Orton catches Miz and unloads with right hands and an uppercut. Back in the ring and Orton hits the RKO on Riley and Ziggler. Miz takes out Orton with a briefcase shot to the leg. Miz retreats to the stage with his belt. Back to commercial.

    – Josh Matthews is backstage with Wade Barrett. Matthews asks what’s the difference between Corre and Nexus. Barrett says he became obsessed with the WWE Title and John Cena, causing him to lose Nexus. Barrett says he’s a member of The Corre now and is joined by his friends. He says Corre has no leadership issues. Barrett wishes Teddy Long a speedy recovery. Barrett says Punk won’t make it to the Royal Rumble match and knows that John Cena doesn’t respect him but hopefully one day will. Barrett says he respects Cena.

    The Bella Twins and Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase, Maryse and Alicia Fox

    We go to the ring where The Bella Twins are with WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan. Out next come their opponents Ted DiBiase, Maryse and Alicia Fox. Ted and Bryan start things out. Bryan takes Ted down first after some back and forth action. Maryse slaps Ted’s back and tags herself in. Brie comes in and goes at it with Maryse. Nikki is kissing Bryan on the apron, which distracts Brie. This allows Maryse to roll her up for the win.

    Winners: Ted DiBiase, Maryse and Alicia Fox

    – After the match, the Bellas argue at ringside as Daniel Bryan tries to come in between them. Maryse runs her mouth to Michael Cole and we get ready for another commercial break.

    – Back from the break and we see the Bellas arguing backstage. Michael Tarver sees them, laughs and walks off. They open up Daniel Bryan’s dressing room to find him on the couch making out with Gail Kim. Bryan introduces her as his girlfriend and says they’ve been dating for the past 6 months, keeping it quiet. Gail says Bryan has been hanging out with the Bellas because he felt bad for them. They get into it and Gail slaps Brie. The Bellas and Gail go at it. Referees come in and take away the Bellas.

    Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella

    Nexus comes out before the break. Back from commercial and out come the WWE Tag Team Champions for the next match. Santino and Michael start the match off. McGillicutty takes control early on and tags in Husky, who stomps away on Santino.

    Husky continues beating on Santino, getting a 2 count. Husky breaks a submission of his own and clotheslines Kozlov off the apron. Santino tries to make a comeback and sidesteps Husky in the corner. Santino mounts an offense and calls for the Cobra. Santino chases McGillicutty off the apron and turns around to a big shot from Husky. Husky lays Santino out with his finisher for the pinfall and the win in this non-title match.

    Winners: Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty

    – After the match, Nexus gets in the ring and Otunga takes the mic. Otunga puts over Nexus and the Royal Rumble then introduces their leader CM Punk. We see John Cena backstage heading out to special referee as we go to commercial.

    – After the match, Nexus gets in the ring and Otunga takes the mic. Otunga puts over Nexus and the Royal Rumble then introduces their leader CM Punk. We see John Cena backstage heading out to special referee as we go to commercial.

    CM Punk vs. Wade Barrett

    Back from the break and CM Punk waits in the ring with Nexus as Wade Barrett and The Corre make their way out. The two groups face off as John Cena’s music hits and out he comes to special referee. Before the match starts, Cena orders the members of Nexus to go backstage. Punk protests but Cena isn’t hearing it. Nexus leaves while The Corre is allowed to stay, or so it seems. Cena acts like he’s about to start the match but orders Corre members away from ringside.

    The bell finally rings. Cena shoves Punk back into the corner first thing. Cena then slaps Barrett and dares them to hit him. Punk attacks Barrett and here we go. Punk beats Barrett down in the corner. Punk tosses Barrett out to the floor and argues with Cena. Punk turns his back and Cena tosses him over. Punk comes back in and argues with Cena. Barrett comes in and attacks Punk from behind and goes to work on him. Barrett goes for a pin attempt but Cena goes outside to sign autographs for fans. Cena comes back in and Barrett argues. Punk attacks from behind and they go at it. Cena calls for the bell and goes to ringside to explain the decision. Both are disqualified for excessive use of profanity because this is a PG show. It’s announced as a double DQ and both The Corre and Nexus are out of the Royal Rumble match.

    Cena celebrates at ringside and heads to the back as Punk and Barrett protest in the ring. The e-mail alert goes off in the arena. The GM calls what we just saw a blatant abuse of power but he can’t change the referee’s decision but he can change the consequences. It’s announced that Punk, Barrett and both of their teams will compete in the Rumble. In addition, if Cena doesn’t go in the ring and apologize to both of them right now, Cena will be out of the Rumble.

    Cena heads to the ring and gets in between Punk and Barrett. Cena attacks Barrett and Punk. The Corre and Nexus run down to the ring but Cena is already outside ready to fight. Nexus attacks when Big Show’s music hits. Show runs down with the entire WWE roster. The ring fills up quick with Superstars as everyone goes at it. RAW goes off the air with chaos in the ring.

  • WWE All Stars Box Art, Body Scans Of Hogan, Warrior, Savage

    Video game developer THQ has released the following images for the upcoming WWE All Stars game, set to be released on March 29, 2011:

  • Bret Hart Interview: Inducting HBK, Luger-Rumble, More (Video)

    WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart was interviewed over the weekend by The Score in Canada. The topics Bret spoke about include:

    – Being a spokesperson for the March of Dimes as a stroke survivor

    – Whether he would induct Shawn Michaels into the Hall of Fame

    – Seeing something special in The miz

    – John Morrison using his gimmick of giving away his sunglasses to a kid at ringside

    – The 1994 Royal Rumble finish with he and Lex Luger touching the floor at the same time

    – Whether he would return to WWE on camera or as an agent/producer behind the scenes

    Check out the interview here:

  • Shad Gaspard Calls Lance Cade A Backstabber, Talks TNA & More

    Final Bell Radio Recap with Shad Gaspard
    Host: Agahzi Giorgis
    Available at www.finalbellradio.com

    What caused heat between Cryme Tyme and the team of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch: “Well, I mean, anybody who knows Lance Cade God rest the guy’s soul. Lance was a great guy personally. Great father to his kids, great guy to hang out with and chill with. Lance Cade the person and Lance Cade the wrestler are two totally different people. Lance Cade the person is a guy that I would fight for in a bar. Lance Cade the wrestler is a guy that would stab me in the back, stab me in the gut, and who has stabbed several of his friends to keep his career going. That’s what he was taught to do, so that’s what he did.”

    Related News:

    His pay-per-view match with JTG and how it affected his push: “The outcome at the pay per view match kinda got messed up because we weren’t given information that was vital to our match. It’s one of those things where certain people don’t give you information for good reason in their opinion. And the good reason is, the pay-per-view match would have put me over big and would have set off a chain of events that would have led to me being number one contender for the WWE title eventually but certain people decided not to chime in and tell me what was going to happen in the match.”

    Whether he’s talked to TNA: “I’ve talked to several wrestlers that work for TNA about me coming over. I was actually supposed to go to TNA show a couple of times with a friends of mine but I was still with the company(WWE) so I didn’t want to have a Highlander moment… I like TNA but I’d want to do something different if I came to TNA. I would want to make a boom rather than be like everybody else.”

    Name association:

    Shawn Michaels: “Ha (chuckles)….that’s about it.”

    John Cena: “Ha (chuckles).”

    Chris Jericho: “My mentor and my brother.”

    Vince McMahon: “Workhorse.”

    Other topics include the house show incident with Cade and Murdoch that got Cryme Tyme released, deciding to audition for Tough Enough, Cryme Tyme’s participation in Lita’s sendoff, who came up with the Cryme Tyme gimmick, whether he was really pulled from a Royal Rumble match, and how he figured out that he and JTG wouldn’t be getting the tag team titles.

  • RAW Preview For Tonight, News On Bret, Hogan, Jericho

    – Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW from the Joe Louis arena in Detroit, Michigan will feature a blockbuster Champion vs. Champion main event. WWE Champion The Miz will take on  World Heavyweight Champion Edge.

    – Cody Rhodes wore a nose guard at this weekend’s SmackDown live event to sell the angle with Rey Mysterio from Friday’s SmackDown. Before his match with Percy Watson, Cody brought a WWE doctor to the ring and said his nose was broken from SmackDown. Their match ended when The Corre ran down and attacked Percy while Cody ran off.

    – Even though he’s featured on the cover art of the upcoming WWE All Stars video game, there had been some rumors that Hulk Hogan had been removed from the game. After checking with a source, we’ve heard that Hogan will remain in the game because his deal with TNA allows for him to do outside licensing deals. Ric Flair, however, will not be appearing in the game.

    – Chris Jericho noted on Twitter that he’s been working on a new Fozzy album. He wrote:

    “Been writing lyrics over the last few months for the new Fozzy record. Got some REALLY cool stuff! Bunch of diff subjects and another epic!”

    – Bret Hart dropped the puck at this weekend’s Toronto Marlies hockey game in Canada. After the game, Bret also signed autographs for fans.

    – WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston will be appearing today at KMart on Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio from 6pm. There is a wristband policy in effect for the first 300 customers. WWE did a signing with The Miz at KMart in Youngstown, Ohio this weekend where the wristbands were sold out well ahead of time.