SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • *Spoiler* Undertaker’s WWE Return & Possible WM27 Opponents

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

    SmackDown star The Undertaker, who has been out for several months following shoulder surgery after Survivor Series, made a surprise appearance backstage at Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Alabama.

    Taker was mainly there to visit his wife Michelle McCool, but also was there to watch the segment where Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Ezekiel Jackson joined Wade Barrett in a new Nexus faction.

    Both Jackson and Barrett have been talked about as possible WrestleMania 27 opponents for Taker, with Kane also being named as a candidate. Jackson and Barrett are likely opponents if due to his health, Taker can’t perform like he has in recent years with Shawn Michaels.

    If the Undertaker is healthy enough to compete at Mania, and at this point it’s looking good, the main objective is to have him continue the streak. There are no expectations for him to have a classic match, as we’ve seen the past two years.

    (Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

  • Video: Val Venis Blasts The Hardy Boyz, X-Division Rumor Killer

    – TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on Twitter today in response to online reports (not reported here) that TNA officials were considering doing away with the X Division:

    “Not sure where you’ve heard the X Division is going away but it’s not true at all. I’m working to beef it up with both familiar & new faces.”

    From what we’ve heard, TNA is actually working on ideas to feature the X-Division more prominently in 2011.

    – Former WWE & TNA star Sean Morley (Val Venis) has some choice words for fellow co-workers Matt and Jeff Hardy in this video he posted online this week:

  • Evan Bourne’s Return Date, Miz Attends Fozzy Show, Christian

    – SmackDown star Christian, who is currently recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, will be appearing at tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling show in Port Charlotte, Florida. He will be doing a ‘meet and greet’ session before the show begins.

    – WWE is advertising that Evan Bourne will be wrestling at the March 19th RAW live event from Madison Square Garden. Bourne had shoulder surgery back in October to repair a torn rotator cuff.

    – WWE Champion The Miz attended Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy’s Wednesday night show in Los Angeles, California. Miz watched the show from the VIP section of the Whisky A Go Go nightclub and signed fans for many fans who spotted him. Following the Fozzy show, Miz wrote on Twittter:

    “No matter what stage [Jericho] is on he knows how to make him the star n give every1 else there props. Great concert Fozzy!”

  • Miz Talks About WWE Unifying Titles, Tough Enough, Michael Cole

    WWE Champion The Miz was recently interviewed by video game website IGN.com. Here are some highlights of what Miz said about:

    Unifying The WWE Title & The World Heavyweight Title: ” I would love to take on the World Champion, Edge at WrestleMania and combine the titles. I don’t know what they’re going to do. You never know. That’s the best part about WWE. They’re all about shock value. You never know what’s going to happen next.”

    Tough Enough Returning: “It’s great, right? I mean, I’m the first, official Tough Enough Champion. It’s nice to see that they’re bringing back that whole thing because that’s what I came from. That’s the show that got me my WWE contract. So, you never know. We might find another future WWE Champion.”

    Michael Cole’s Major Push: “Love it! I think Michael Cole gets to be himself now. Before he was too worried about pleasing everybody else. Now he’s all about pleasing himself. Which is great. I think Michael Cole is doing a tremendous job. And it’s about time that an announcer actually puts me over and says I’m great for once rather than people telling me that I’m crap, I shouldn’t be here, I don’t belong yada yada yada. Because that’s all I used to hear every time I was on Smackdown. So it’s good to have someone behind me.”

  • Hulk Hogan Returning To TNA iMPACT! Next Month

    TNA Wrestling has skipped a couple weeks on their promotional machine and is promoting the February 3rd edition of Impact which will feature the return of Hulk Hogan. Below is the official preview from the TNA website:

    PREVIEW THE HUGE FEBRUARY 3RD TNA IMPACT BROADCAST ON SPIKE TV

    Thursday, February 3 is going to be one of the biggest “iMPACT!” broadcasts in TNA history!

    – It will feature the return of Hulk Hogan to iMPACT, and according to Eric Bischoff, Hogan plans on regaining his power from TNA President Dixie Carter! What will happen when the biggest name in pro wrestling returns on Feb. 3?

    – Plus, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line as titleholder Mr. Anderson defends against former champ Jeff Hardy of Immortal!

    – And THEY are coming??…but who this time?! More info to come…

    More matches for the huge February 3rd broadcast will be announced in the coming weeks at TNAwrestling.com

    Don’t forget to watch Total Nonstop Action Wrestling every Thursday night starting at 9/8c with iMPACT! If you can’t watch it Thursdays, make sure to set your DVRs to record it!

    TNA Wrestling returns to Pay-Per-View on Sunday, February 13 with “Against All Odds” live from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida!

  • Video: Kurt Angle On ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition

    TNA star Kurt Angle appeared on a recent episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Olympic Gold medalist pays a visit to the new home gym of the Lampe family, whose house just got a major renovation as part of the show.

    Here’s the video, courtesy of ABC:

  • Bret Hart Looks Back On His Eventful 2010

    WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has a new blog on his Facebook page where he reflects on his eventful 2010. Here are some highlights of what Bret said about:

    His Return To WWE in January 2010:

    “There was some great television moments I had with both Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon. Coming back and doing Monday Night Raw was such a blast from my supposed broken leg by the limo on the ramp to my sister Alison storming out to be a lumberjack at Wrestlemania in Phoenix. It was great returning to WWE and some of my favorite wrestling cities from Austin to Boston and everything in between. To have had the thrill of being in the ring cutting promos with Stone Cold, Undertaker, Shawn, and even Vince again was a dream come true as much for myself as it was for my fans around the world.”

    Winning The US Title & One Last WWE Title Run?

    “I think back to what a thrill it was winning the US Title in Toronto and the wild after hours party with Jericho and Dibiase, Steph and Beans, old pal Don Kolov and his “Russian Mafia” in the wings. The decision to forfeit the US Title came to me that night; the celebrating nearly killed me.

    Today, when I see the Miz as the newly crowned WWE champion, the thought doesn’t escape me that if I technically beat him to win the US title last spring, could I not come back and try one last time against all odds and somehow take that WWE world title back again? Ahh, that’s the beauty of pro wrestling. Never stop dreaming; anything is possible.”

    Working With The Hart Dynasty & Other Great Memories:

    “I smile at the memory of the Hart Dynasty winning the tag titles in April and Natalya fullfilling her childhood dream of winning the Divas title. Summerslam 2010, Madison Square Garden tagging up with the Hart Dynasty against Nexus being cheered on by my granddaughter Kyra, oldest daughter Jade, her boyfriend Kyle, and my lovely wife Steph, for me this was one of 2010 real highlights. I thank everyone in New York who came, especially WWE, for this night in particular. I’d also like to thank all of the wrestlers for letting me join them on the tours in Europe this year.”

  • John Cena & Triple H’s In-Ring Returns, HDNet, Kmart

    – John Cena returns to the WWE house show circuit this weekend, which is a good sign his leg injury is no longer an issue. Cena will be wrestling tonight in Chattanooga, Tennessee and on Saturday in Beaumont Texas.

    – WWE has also begun promoting Triple H’s return to the ring, with his next scheduled match advertised for March. Triple H will be wrestling Sheamus in a Street Fight at the 3/19 Madison Square Garden show, so his return to television is imminent.

    – With cable channel HDNet ending its relationship with Ring of Honor in April, a source within HDNet has informed us that there are no immediate plans to air another wrestling show.

    – Starting in March, most of the WWE live events will be sponsored by KMART.

  • VIDEO: First Footage From Trish Stratus In Bail Enforcers

    Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus is starring in a new action-adventure movie called “Bail Enforcers,” set for release some time in 2011.

    The movie is about “a team of down-on-their-luck bounty hunters who run into trouble when they are confronted with the moral dilemma of a local mob boss wanting the team to turn a bail jumper over to him for the price of a million dollars.”

    Trish has been posting various previews for the movie on her website, including a new video that contains a first look at footage from the movie. Check it out the video:

  • Nash Says He’ll Attend The HOF & Is Not Part Of “They”

    Former WWE and TNA star Kevin Nash answered a fan question on Twitter this week about whether he will be part of the revived “they” angle in TNA. Nash, who parted ways with TNA in the fall after the two sides were unable to agree on money, wrote this:

    “Not going back to tna. I’m retired. Wasn’t it leaked from tna office that I signed a month ago and I wasn’t?”

    Nash gave Shawn Michaels a warm congratulations earlier this week and says he’ll be at the Hall of Fame ceremoney in April to see HBK’s induction. Nash wrote:

    “I’ll be at HBK’s hof, if I’m not shooting a film in Costa Rica for 2 months. If I’m at the hof, I’ll be at Mania. Check @DavidHerro for info”

    To read the latest tweets from people in the pro wrestling business, visit SEScoops.com/tweets (beta).

  • Triple H Interview: His Return, New Opponents, Retirement

    The February 2011 issue of WWE Magazine features a lengthy interview with Triple H, who had this to say about the following topics:

    His Upcoming return: “If I can’t do this the way I feel like I should be able to, then I want to be done. And I don’t want to come back here and tarnish that. I don’t want to do the nostalgia run where I come out and say I’m the greatest in the world.”

    Top WWE Stars Leaving & New Guys Coming Up: “I’d been in the ring a million times with a lot of the guys who left. Now, when you look at Wade Barrett or The Miz, these are guys that I’ve never been in the ring with. Do I know them? Sure, I see them all the time, but from an in-ring standpoint, I just know them the way everybody else knows them. I’ve never had my hands on them.”

    When He Will Retire: “There was a time when I would have argued that I was the best in the business. When I don’t feel like I can perform at that level, I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want to be just a guy in the ring. I want to be the guy in the ring.”

    How his next run will differ from his previous runs: “In the past, my goal was just becoming WWE champion or World Hvt. champion. But, there’s a certain time when you get beyond that. Shawn moved beyond that… I don’t have to be contending for a championship. Undertaker doesn’t have to be in contention. We’ve moved beyond needing a title to prove that we’re the best. That’s where I am now. (John) Cena will eventually be there.”

    Triple H also talked about how he and The Undertaker are the last two veterans left in the WWE lockerroom, which is a sharp contrast from when he entered the business. When he first got to WWE, it was “20 veterans and three green guys” on the roster. “Now, you walk into our locker room and there are 30 green guys and two veterans.”

    (Credit to PWTorch.com for this interview transcript)

  • Vince McMahon Calls HBK WWE’s Best In-Ring Performer Ever

    WWE issues a press release on Thursday regarding Shawn Michaels’ upcoming inducting into the company’s Hall of Fame as part of WrestleMania weekend.

    Many people in the wrestling industry have been congratulating Michaels this week, including former rival Steve Austin, who called him the best in-ring worker he’s ever seen. As part of today’s press release, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon echoed Austin’s opinion, with this strong endorsement:

    “Shawn Michaels was the best in-ring performer in the history of WWE.”

    The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 2 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA, the evening before WrestleMania XXVII.

  • UFC Campaigns For MMA In NY & Wants 2 MSG Shows A Year

    UFC held a press conference in New York City on Thursday to raise awareness about their campaign to get the sport of Mixed Martial Arts legalized in New York.

    New York remains one of only six states where professional MMA events are outlawed, and UFC makes a strong case for getting their way. Come on New York, you’ve got to “legalize it” …

    Here’s the UFC’s official press release:

    UFC® CHAIRMAN AND CEO LORENZO FERTITTA AND UFC PRESIDENT DANA WHITE COMMIT TO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, PLAN AT LEAST TWO ANNUAL UFC EVENTS IN NEW YORK ONCE SPORT IS REGULATED IN THE STATE

    New Economic Impact Study Finds Regulating Mixed Martial Arts in Empire State Would Bring Hundreds of Jobs, More Than $20 Million Annually

    New York, N.Y.– UFC® Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White today unveiled plans to bring at least two UFC events to New York within the first year the sport is regulated in the state, including one to be held at Madison Square Garden. Joined at a press conference at the world’s most famous arena by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, and Scott O’Neil, President of Madison Square Garden, White expressed his desire to finally bring UFC to the Empire State. Watch the press conference

    “It’s time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York and Madison Square Garden,” White said. “We already know that New York is filled with UFC fans who want to see live UFC events in their home state. With the economic benefits that UFC would bring to New York, it’s time for UFC to do Madison Square Garden.”

    “We are thrilled that Dana and the UFC are so committed to New York,” O’Neil said. “UFC and its passionate fans have a home here at the Garden and we look forward to welcoming them as soon as possible. We have no doubt that UFC will rival some of the most historic sporting events ever held at the Garden.”

    In addition to announcing plans to hold two annual UFC events in New York, UFC officials released the findings of a new economic study today.

    “We’ve done similar economic studies in major cities such as Boston, Las Vegas and Philadelphia and each showed the substantial positive impact hosting a UFC event has on the local economy,” Fertitta said. “This study shows that by regulating MMA, New York can reap the economic benefits statewide.”

    The study found that holding two UFC events in the state (one at Madison Square Garden and one in Buffalo) will create roughly $16 million in new spending. Additionally, the study found smaller MMA operators will likely hold events that would bring an additional $4 million. In total, $20 million of annual new spending and hundreds of new jobs will be created in the local economy by regulating MMA.

    Many UFC fans travel from surrounding states, stay for extended periods (at least one night at a hotel), and often arrive hours early for fights, which boosts merchandise and concession sales. New York-based MMA gyms and related industries are also expected to see an increase in revenue from the regulation of the sport. Likewise, local businesses will benefit greatly from MMA bouts, particularly outside of New York City where the economic influx is proportionally greater. This trend follows that of surrounding states which currently regulate MMA fights.

    “By bringing UFC events to New York, the state will see a positive financial impact,” White said. “The arenas will get to host major UFC events and local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses will attract new customers. They’ll look forward to the times we bring UFC to New York.”

    “I grew up in New Jersey, so fighting in New York City at Madison Square Garden has always been a dream,” Edgar said. “Some of the greatest sports events ever have been held at MSG and it would be an honor to fight in New York. I know the fans here are hungry for it.”

    The full economic impact study is available at http://www.mmafacts.com/econstudy.

    Legislation to allow the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate MMA was included in the Executive Budget, passed the State Senate, and passed the New York Assembly Tourism Committee and Codes Committee for the second year in a row. Currently 44 other U.S. states regulate MMA, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, where UFC will host an event at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 19.

  • JR Blog: HBK In The HOF, Lesnar Hosting TUF, Scouting At FCW

    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:

    HBK In The WWE Hall of Fame: “I agree w/ a recent Kevin Nash Tweet that if WWE had a physical Hall of Fame that Shawn Michaels should have a statue erected in his honor. Was anyone in the modern age of wrestling ever a better all around performer? Only Ric Flair is likely in the same zip code considering years of service at the top of the card. As great a fan favorite as HBK was, I think his best work was as a villain.”

    Scouting Talent At FCW This Week: “Good to visit w/ Arn Anderson Wednesday in Tampa @ FCW. I hope the trainees learned some useful info as both Double A and I enjoy interacting w/ the rookies. Thursday night FCW will tape three, one hour TV shows .. The rookies are evaluated daily which is why it’s imperative that they come to work each day and give 100% of themselves mentally and physically. I’ve encouraged them all to read plenty of wrestling books and self help/financial books. Financial planning is so important for individuals who potentially have shorter ‘shelf lives’ than those in other vocations.”

    Brock Lesnar’s Next Fight & Hosting TUF: “Really surprised to read of the great ‘get’ of Brock Lesnar and his next opponent Junior Dos Santos as the next coaches for the UFC’s TUF series. This will not only build to a mega fight w/ the two heavyweights but will also afford Brock the opportunity to promote his upcoming biography and his clothing line.”

    “Some ask what motivated Lesnar to commit to several weeks of taping the program away from Minnesota and living in Las Vegas for approximately 6 weeks. The answer is marketing opportunities, building a PPV, and helping the company that the former WWE Champion works for to continue to build their brand. Bottom line….it’s a win/win for all involved. Again, a great ‘get’ for Dana White and company. But I’m still surprised.”

  • TNA iMPACT! To Air Live From North Carolina Next Month

    For only the second time ever, TNA Wrestling is taking iMPACT! on the road next month – with a live episode set to take place from the Crown Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina on February 24th. Fayetteville is the home town of Matt and Jeff Hardy.

    Dating back to 2004, virtually single episode of iMPACT! has taken place from Orlando, Florida – with the one exception being a live special from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas a few years back.

    While taping every episode of iMPACT! in Orlando keeps costs down for the company, there are many drawbacks to not taking iMPACT! on the road. One of the best ways for TNA to get fan feedback on how the product is doing is by the reaction of live crowds. Since the number of fans who actually attend iMPACT! shows is very limited and tickets to iMPACT! tapings are given out for free, the company and its talent are missing out on essential product feedback.

  • Tough Enough Contestants, How WWE Views RAW & SmackDown

    – Casting is underway for the return season of WWE’s reality competition, Tough Enough.

    The show will premiere on Monday, April 4th, the night after WrestleMania, immediately following WWE RAW on the USA Network. The following week, it will move to its normal timeslot of 8pm (Eastern), as the lead-in to RAW.

    According to a  WWE source, the company is planning to introduce the cast of Tough Enough either at WrestleMania or on RAW the next night.

    – In what seems to be an interesting indicator of how WWE views the RAW and SmackDown brands, WWE charges more for RAW live event tickets than it does for SmackDown shows. RAW tickets range from $20-75, while SmackDown seats go for $15-60.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki underwent gall bladder surgery earlier this month. He’s recovering well but is scheduled to remain hospitalized until next week.

    – There is a band called “Owen Hart” that has an album coming out next week on Vitriol Records.

    – Wrestler Brandon Barker, a graduate of Lance Storm’s wrestling school, is scheduled to start with WWE developmental soon once he gets his US work visa. Barker was signed to a developmental deal back in October.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Michael Cole To Take Bumps, WWE Hires New Psychiatrist

    – In recent weeks, WWE announcer Michael Cole has been the special guest referee for the dark matches that take place after WWE RAW goes off the air. WWE wants to have Cole take bumps during these matches and there are plans for him to start in-ring training.

    Some have also speculated that Cole’s in-ring training will be to prepare him for a match at WrestleMania 27, with his rumored opponent being fellow RAW announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler.

    In any case, if Cole training means he’s going to be taking more RKO’s and Attitude Adjustments, we fully support this initiative.

    – WWE has hired Dr. Mark Unterberg as the company’s new Wellness psychiatrist. Unterberg is currently the team psychiatrist for the Dallas Cowboys and involved in the NFL Players Program of Substance Abuse.

    – WWE legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts will be retiring later this month, with his final match taking place on January 29th at the Pro Wrestling Guerilla show in Los Angeles. Roberts will be facing Sinn Bodhi, formerly Kizarny in WWE.

    Fellow legend Terry Funk is also having a (yet another) retirement match on that show.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Rey Mysterio’s Return, Alex Riley In Court Today, MVP

    – Rey Mysterio’s in-ring return is currently scheduled for the SmackDown live event from Philadelphia on February 6th. Myterio, who has been out with injury, is scheduled to face Wade Barrett on that show.

    -Former WWE performer MVP left the company on relatively good terms, but had some heat on him prior to his release due to some racial comments he made. Following Michael Tarver and Darren Young being dropped from Nexus, MVP pointed out to a few people that the African American wrestlersdup how all of the African Americans were kicked out of the group quickly, except David Otunga obviously.

    – Alex Riley, protege of WWE Champion The Miz, will be back in court today (Thursday, 1/13) for a hearing on his DUI charges from this past November.

    (Credit to Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Big Update On Names Considered For WWE’s HOF Class Of 2011

    With Shawn Michaels locked in as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011, several other big names have been considered – and many of them have strong ties to WCW.

    Among those considered for this year’s ceremony include Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Madusa and The Honky Tonk Man, who turned it down last year because he had a prior commitment that paid better.

    Vince McMahon reportedly wants to induct former rival Ted Turner, but most within WWE do not expect Turner to accept the invitation.

    WWE officials will make a push for Sting to be inducted if he doesn’t re-sign with TNA, but he’s expected to stay with TNA for another year.

    As previously reported, Bill Goldberg’s name has also come up – for the Hall of Fame and a possible match.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • New Pictures Of Trish Stratus From “Bail Enforcers”

    Former WWE Diva Trish Stratus is starring in a new action-adventure movie called “Bail Enforcers” – set for release some time in 2011.

    The movie is about “a team of down-on-their-luck bounty hunters who run into trouble when they are confronted with the moral dilemma of a local mob boss wanting the team to turn a bail jumper over to him for the price of a million dollars.”

    Here are some promotional shots of Trish from Bail Enforcers:

  • Steve Austin Calls HBK The Best Ever, Flair Wrestling This Month

    — WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin congratulated Shawn Michaels on Twitter for his upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame. Austin, who defeated Michaels to win his first WWE championship in the main event of WrestleMania 14, wrote on @SteveAustinBSR:

    “Congrats to Shawn Michaels going into HOF. He is the greatest in ring performer I have ever seen.”

    — Ric Flair will be returning to the ring once again later this month during TNA’s UK tour. Flair will wrestle Douglas Williams at the Wembley Arena in London on 1/29.

    — It’s also worth noting that Jeff Hardy is being advertised for TNA’s UK tour, which begins on 1/21, the day after he is scheduled to plead guilty to at least one of the drug charges pending against him.

  • Brock Lesnar To Host UFC Ultimate Fighter, Next Fight Announced

    Junior Dos Santos

    During a media conference call on Tuesday, UFC President Dana White announced that former Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and top heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos will be the coaches for the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter. This season, which airs in March, will be 28 Welterweights fighting for a UFC contract and will begin taping shortly.

    Brock Lesnar will face Junior dos Santos in June with the winner earning a UFC Heavyweight Championship match against Cain Velasquez.

    After Cain Velasquez steamrolled Brock Lesnar in the fall and captured the title, he was scheduled to face #1 contender Junior Dos Santos. Unfortunately for Dos Santos, Velasquez injured his shoulder while training in December and will need surgery, which would keep him out for up to 9 months.

    After the Ultimate Fighter announcement, Dana White ruled out the possibility of Brock Lesnar appearing for WWE at WrestleMania.

    “There was no wheeling and dealing about the WWE,” White said. “I think everybody knows how I feel about that. He’s under contract with me…

    “It’s very rare in this sport that we actually get to announce (stuff) that doesn’t get announced before we announce it,” White said. “I actually liked all the rumors going around.”

  • Gregory Helms Bashes Shawn Michaels Again, Jericho Responds

    Last month, former WWE wrestler Gregory Helms made headlines with a scathing attack against Shawn Michaels, calling him a druggie and one of the biggest hypocrites in the history of the pro wrestling business. Helms blamed Michaels for hurting families by holding people back in WWE and questioned Michaels’ Christian faith.

    Helms is now back with another rant against Shawn Michaels, who was named as the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 earlier this week. Helms wrote on Twitter:

    “The HOF is great but I take more pride & comfort in the fact that I’ve never “screwjobbed” ANYONE in life or the biz! $$$ isn’t everything.”

    Former WWE star Chris Jericho came to Michaels’ defense, calling him the greatest performer of all-time. Helms re-tweeted Jericho’s message, saying Ric Flair is actually the best of all time:

    “BS! Flair did more & got more people over.”

    Helms didn’t stop there. He continues to back Ric Flair as the greatest of all time, appears to take a shot at Chris Jericho in the process and compared Shawn Michaels to … Hitler?!

    “If u got something to say, say it public. Enough ass-kissing. He wasn’t the greatest when he was cussing u out in catering.”

    “Flair got over people that absolutely SUCKED!! Shawn hadn’t gotten over anyone but himself in the last decade!!”

    “I’m sorry being honest comes off bad on Twitter, I’m not hating, I’m stating FACTS!! Facts that I would swear by on my life.”

    “And wearing a cross doesn’t make u right. Hitler wore one too! Don’t be FOOLED by a TV persona!! I’m always honest. NO ONE can accuse me.”

  • *SPOILER* New Heel Stable To Debut In WWE Very Soon

    * WARNING: The following contains a major SPOILER for Friday’s SmackDown:

    A new Nexus faction was formed at Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings.

    Following Wade Barrett’s match with the Big Show that took place at the tapings, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater joined Wade Barrett in beating down the Big Show. The four men banded together and made it known they are now working as a unit.

    WWE has been teasing Jackson’s SmackDown debut for weeks with video promos, but up until this week’s tapings, there had been no indication he would be aligning himself with Wade Barrett.

    Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel were apparently kicked out of CM Punk’s Nexus this past Monday on RAW after they couldn’t accept their initiations.

    CM Punk’s Nexus now consists of himself, Husky Harris, David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty.

    Wade Barrett’s new incarnation of Nexus is made up of himself, Ezekiel Jackson, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel.

  • Dave Lagana Talks ROH On HDNet Ending, Matt-TNA, HBK-HOF

    Former WWE writer and current Ring of Honor producer Dave Lagana has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at IWantWrestling.com. Here are some highlights of what Lagana wrote about:

    ROH On HDNet Ending “It was a surprise to everyone and one that leaves a lot of questions about the future of ROH. HDNet was a great partner and honestly, without them, I don’t know if my career in wrestling would have continued after my time in WWE. I was given the chance to really spread my wings and produce the ROH on HDNet show.  It was that trust that really exemplified the spirit of ROH.  Ring of Honor has always been a place for great talent to showcase their ability and I believe it will continue that same mission into the future.  Things will obviously change, but doesn’t progress require it?”

    Matt Hardy’s TNA Debut: “When Dixie Carter tweeted about a mystery person backstage but didn’t name Hardy by name, people questioned if they wanted people to know why not simply promote he was going to be on the PPV to motivate buys?  If you wanted it to be a secret, why not keep Hardy hidden so that when he walked out for the match, it would have caused a huge wave of momentum and discussion.  Since it leaked early, it was like a slow release of air out of a balloon and so when it popped, no boom.”

    HBK Ready For The Hall Of Fame? “While some might question if it’s too early for Shawn to go into the Hall of Fame after finishing his in-ring career this past year at Wrestlemania, it was quite the moment.”