SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • WWE Announces The WWE Universe Website Is Shutting Down

    WWE announced on Wednesday that the WWE Universe community website is shutting down after Friday. Here’s the official announcement:

    We’ve had a great run WWE Universe … but all good things must come to an end.

    I’m writing to you all today to let you all know that WWEUniverse.com will be closing its doors this Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011.

    While the site is going away, some of the site’s most popular features will live on:

    * The popular Monday Night Raw and pay-per-view Live Chats, hosted by WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel, will move to a new location on WWE.com’s main site (WWE.com/social/livechat).

    * Finkel’s weekly blogs, as well as The Ross Report from Hall of Famer Jim Ross, will move to their Facebook pages.

    * Our make-your-own-highlight-reel video creation factory known as “Smash-Ups” will be added to WWE.com in the near future.

    While the site is going away, the WWE Universe will continue to live online. Please consider joining us on our popular outposts on the following social networks:

    * Twitter: twitter.com/WWE

    * Facebook: Facebook.com/WWE

    * YouTube: YouTube.com/WWE

    Our WWE Universe Twitter account, @WWEUniverse, will continue to provide answers to your fan questions, re-tweeting the best comments from our followers, Superstars and Divas, and provide live coverage and pictures from select WWE events.

    In parting, I just want to say thank you to all the dedicated long-time members of this site that participated, contributed photos, blog posts, and comments in the Forums.

    WWE appreciates your support over the past two years, and I hope you enjoyed your time on the site.

    Thank you all for supporting WWEUniverse.com. We’ll see you on Facebook and Twitter.

    Sincerely,
    Corey Clayton
    WWE Online Community Leader

  • John Cena Injured: New Details On What Happened & His Future

    John Cena Suffers Leg Injury at 12/28 WWE Live Event

    We’ve got more information on the leg injury that John Cena suffered at Tuesday night’s WWE live event from Wilkes-Barre, Pennstylvania.

    During the steel cage main event between Wade Barrett and John Cena, Barrett hit his Wasteland finisher, which most believe is when the injury took place. Barrett began climbing the cage to escape but stopped as if he were waiting for Cena to come stop him. Cena used the ropes to get up as Barrett pretended to have his leg stuck in the cage wall. Barrett’s motions were described as slow motion as he waited for Cena.

    As Barrett was on the cage, WWE trainers came down from backstage and were yelling into the ring. Barrett came down and Cena countered a punch, put him in a submission and Barrett tapped out immediately.

    SEScoops reader Rick was at the event and sent in this recap of what happened:

    “When Barrett was climbing the cage and Cena was down, the trainers came running down from the dressing area. I was on the far side and could see one of the trainers yelling into the ring. Right after that is when John hit Wade with the submission hold. Wade didn’t even last one second.”

    SEScoops reader Dave, who was also at the show, wrote:

    “I don’t know if it was a work but it looked pretty serious to me. In the main event of Cena Barrett, Cena looked like he may have suffered a very serious injury. My wife even said to me the refs are yelling end it end it. Cena could barely stand and even addressed the crowd at the end of the show.”

    After the match, John Cena grabbed a microphone and told the live crowd that he suffered an injury but was going to walk out on his own and did not want to be carried. Fans who sent in live reports said that Cena looked to be in a lot of pain as he exited the ring.


  • Miz Talks About JBL Hazing Him, Working With Daniel Bryan

    WWE Champion The Miz was interviewed this week by Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun. Here are some highlights of what The Miz said about:

    Reports That JBL Hazed Him Backstage When He First Joined WWE:

    “It’s funny with JBL,” Miz said. “In front of all the boys back in the day he would always be making fun of me or saying [imitating JBL’s voice], ‘Miz, I look forward to your amazing work. You’re a gift from God.’ But whenever no one was around, he would come up to me and say, ‘You’re doing a good job.’

    “He’d always give me a little pat on the back. Most people think he was really, really bad to me and this kind of stuff – and, granted, there were times – but there were also times when he sat me down and said, ‘Listen, you’re doing a good job. This is what you’re doing wrong. This is what you have to do to get to the next level.’ So he has helped me as well.”

    Whether He’s Had His “Austin 3:16” Career Defining Moment Yet:

    “I think there are defining moments in everything. If you asked me a year ago, I could find a defining moment. But as of right now my defining moment was Money in the Bank. It kind of set the tone that I’m the next main-eventer, I’m the next “future of this business,” and it set the tone for me winning the WWE championship, which then became the next defining moment in my life. Not many people get to say “I’m a WWE champion.” It’s pretty incredible just to hear those words coming out of my mouth. But as for what happens next, there are going to be so many defining moments in my career. My career is just getting started.”

    His Time Working As Daniel Bryan’s NXT Coach:

    “We were very cordial with each other, but you could tell on the inside that we were both trying to one-up one another because I thought I was better than him and he thought he was better than me,” said Miz. He also went on to say, “I thought I was better than him just because I’ve been in WWE for four years now and how long had he been in WWE? Zero time. He basically performed in front of 25 people at a bingo hall and was called the best in the world…”

    You can check out the full interview at BaltimoreSun.com.

  • Watch This Week’s Episode of WWE NXT Here (VIDEO)

    NXT Season 4: Week 3

  • *SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

    WWE taped this week’s Smackdown tonight from the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Thanks to Wrestling News World for this live report:

    WWE Smackdown (Airing Friday on WGN America SyFy):

    * The show opens with WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler out with Vickie Guerrero. Excuse me, there’s so much heat her words are nearly inaudible. They talk down John Cena as Vickie says she has vertigo. Kofi Kingston interrupts and talks about their match at WWE TLC. Jack Swagger comes out to join the two. Ziggler and Swagger get into it but Kofi ends up cleaning house. Teddy Long comes out and announces a triple-threat rematch for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

    * Big Show b. “Dashing” Cody Rhodes. Rhodes walked out on Show, getting himself counted out.

    * Drew McIntyre vs. Trent Baretta ends when McIntyre flips Baretta over the top ropes to the outside. Baretta never got up and the referee called for the bell. Referees and trainers came out to check on Baretta but McIntyre pushed them out of the way and hit his finisher.

    * World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Rey Mysterio b. Kane & Alberto Del Rio. The finish saw Mysterio hit the 619 on Del Rio followed by a spear by Edge.

    * WWE Divas Champion Natalya & Beth Phoenix b. LayCool. The finish saw Natalya lock Layla in the Sharpshooter when Michelle McCool came in to break it up. Beth ended up getting tagged in and getting the pin.

    * WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler b. Jack Swagger & Kofi Kingston in a triple-threat match to retain the title.

    * Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio in a 2 out of 3 falls match and World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Kane in a Last Man Standing match are announced for next week’s show.

    * Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero wearing jingle bells do a New Year’s singalong in the ring. Rey Mysterio comes out and hits a 619. Big Show comes out and hits a chokeslam. Edge gets out and hits a spear on Ziggler. Big Show gets on the mic and starts singing “goodbye” to Vickie with the crowd. He wishes everyone a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. They all three beat up on Ziggler and celebrate.

  • JR Blog: Lesnar Leaving UFC, Hardy Pleading Guilty, Punk-Nexus

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

    Rumors Of Brock Lesnar Leaving UFC: “Lots of crazy rumors floating around the MMA message boards about Brock Lesnar these days. Some fans feel that Lesnar is looking to leave UFC and return to WWE. That decision would floor me. It doesn’t seem to make sense at this time for Lesnar to leave UFC as there is too much Octagon money on the table for Brock to walk away at this time. I just can’t see the athletic freak going back on the WWE road for any significant length of time especially with young children at home and Brock being most comfortable when he is in the Minnesota woods enjoying family life and hunting. Don’t get me wrong, as a fan I would embrace a Lesnar return to WWE and it ‘might’ happen on a sporadic basis some day but not any time soon.”

    CM Punk Joining Nexus: “The CM Punk/Nexus affiliation is intriguing. More questions than answers which is good. There is strength in numbers and it certainly puts the ‘hero,’ John Cena, in an uphill struggle. Punk is excellent both in the ring and on the mic and I look forward to seeing how the Cena-Punk scenario plays out over time. If they don’t get it on until the Royal Rumble match, I wouldn’t be offended. Sounds like Cena-Punk could theoretically be a solid WM27 attraction. Time will tell.”

    Jeff Hardy Pleading Guilty To Drug Charges: “An emailer asked me what I thought about former WWE star Jeff Hardy’s ‘plea agreement’ to a variety of charges filed against him in North Carolina. I know only what I occasionally read on line about this unfortunate matter but if a plea agreement can bring this issue to an end and Jeff can move on with his life then it might be a good idea. Those types of decisions are better made by lawyers and the individuals involved and not by folks, like me, who are on the outside looking in.”

  • Brock Lesnar Reportedly Wants Out Of His UFC Contract

    According to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo Sports, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is looking for an “exit strategy” to get out of his UFC contract, which most believe currently has one fight left on it. Lesnar “badly” wants to work WWE’s WrestleMania 27 pay-per-view in Atlanta next year and has been talking with WWE officials about how a deal can be reached..

    In what sounds like a very telling piece of information, Brock Lesnar has not talked with anyone from UFC or answered Dana White’s phone calls since losing the UFC Heavyweight Title to Cain Velasquez last month. Sources also say that Lesnar has not been in the gym once since his devastating loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.

    It’s said that Lesnar has lost some interest in MMA and has been been re-considering his future in the sport after his loss to Velasquez and the beating he took in the win against Shane Carwin before that.

    The MMA world has been buzzing about this story since Dave Melzer broke the news on Monday night. Meltzer said on his radio show that the fight with Velasquez has changed Brock’s attitude on fighting and he is at the stage in his life where he doesn’t want to get injured. He’s very well off financially and the business man in him apparently knows that it may be time to move on.

    Lesnar, who is known for being unbelievably competitive, does not seem like the kind of guy to just walk away from MMA after such a crushing loss without trying to get revenge or end his career with a win. On the other hand, he may have realized that the gap between his abilities and those of new champion Cain Velasquez is too big to overcome.

    Lesnar has been hunting and hasn’t even thought about his next fight. Lesnar apparently wants to do WrestleMania “badly” and will earn an estimated 2 million dollars for 30 minutes of work.

    Its widely known that Lesnar was miserable with WWE’s brutal travel schedule and vowed to never be on the road with WWE 200 days a year again. With the mainstream success he’s had in the UFC and the insane drawing power he’s displayed during his time there, he could make a truckload of money working WrestleMania and a few other limited appearances.

    COMMENT BELOW: What do you guys think – should Lesnar try to get out of his contract and return to WWE? Has he proven himself in the MMA world yet and earned everybody’s respect  – or would this be another move that MMA fans would heavily criticize?

  • What You Didn’t See On RAW & Next Week’s Main Event

    – After Monday’s episode of WWE RAW went off the air, Randy Orton and John Cena beat The Miz and Sheamus in tag team action with Michael Cole as the special guest referee. The win came when Cena made Sheamus tap out to the STF and Orton hit an RKO on Miz. Orton and Cena posed together to send everyone home happy.

    – Matches taped for this week’s WWE Superstars before RAW were The Usos vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Darren Young and William Regal vs. David Hart Smith.

    -The dark match before Monday’s RAW saw Primo defeat Abraham Washington, who cut a heel promo before the match.

    – It was announced on RAW that the main event of next week’s show will see WWE Champion The Miz defending against former tag team partner John Morrison in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

  • Elimination Chamber PPV Poster Featuring Randy Orton

    Pay-per-view provider iNDEMAND has released the official promotional poster for WWE’s Elimination Chamber event. The show takes place on February 20th, 2011 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. It will be the final pay-per-view event before WrestleMania 27 in April.

    Here’s the poster:

  • CM Punk Joins Nexus: Joey Styles & Nexus Comment

    At the end of Monday’s WWE RAW from Albany, the Nexus crew attacked John Cena and beat him down badly. Out came CM Punk, who gave Cena the GTS, took a chair and sat in the middle of the ring. He took a Nexus “N” armband, put it on and saluted the rest of the Nexus crew on the stage – appearing to join the group.

    It should be interesting to see how CM Punk and Wade Barrett co-exist together with John Cena as their common enemy.

    WWE employee Joey Styles commented on Twitter about Punk joining Nexus, writing:

    “Nexus merchandise sales are ringing up on wweshop.com as we speak. CM Punk has just taken over Raw! Straight Edge Rules!”

    @TheNexusWWE, the official Twitter account of the Nexus group, wrote this after RAW:

    “SURPRISE!!! You just got “PUNKED” @JohnCena!!”

    We’ll have more on what led to CM Punk joining Nexus and where the angle is headed here on SEScoops.com later this week.

  • Two Matches Announced For Tonight’s Episode Of WWE RAW

    WWE employee Joey Styles posted on Twitter on Monday afternoon and announced two matches for tonight’s episode of RAW.

    – In a rematch from their RAW main event bout a few weeks ago, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawlersquare of against WWE champion The Miz. This will be a non-title match. Lawler pinned Miz last week in the main event six-man tag match.

    – Also in action, Randy Orton will face Sheamus. Both men were recently in the WWE title hunt and will have to go through one another to get back on top.

  • WWE Stars Tweet About Traveling Through The Big Snow Storm

    Several WWE superstars and divas have gone on Twitter to share their adventures traveling through the major snow storm that hit the North East United States over the weekend. Here are some highlights of what they said:

    John Cena: “So much snow,” Cena wrote. “MSG [Saturday] night was unreal. We got stuck in the show for a while, but we made it to Albany. Ready for Raw.”

    Ted DiBiase: “Guess who drove 10 hrs in this blizzard from Harrisburg PA to Albany? …. This guy did!! And now up doing some media letting you all know.. The show WILL go on!!!”

    “I had some near death experiences last night, but everyday we are more near to death than the last.. Enjoy this one. By watching RAW on USA!”

    “Just FYI, a 3 1/2 to 4hr drive extended to a 10 hr drive. It was bad. If you can avoid driving in it.. Don’t! It’s sooo much fun!! Unlike NFL, we have no off season and we DO NOT reschedule RAW!””

    Bella Twins: Nothin’ like gettin’ stuck in snow & then pushin’ your car out in lace tights & pencil skirt…. And the skirt splits!!

    Christian: “Last flight home frm holidays.Delays+missed flights=Brutal.& all the recycled air cant b good better antioxidize whn I get 2 CasaDeCharisma”

    Natalya Neidhart: “Its a long story- but I made it to Chicago by the hair of my chinny chin chin! Four re-routed flts later- just in time to kick some butt!!”

    Melina: “Running thru the snow like a kid… Kinda like I do in the rain. It was so much fun! Then I kicked some snow & the wind blew it in my face!”

    “Biggest snow storm I ever seen in nyc .. The sky just felt on us … Trying to make it to Albany, NY. ??? The road s INSANE. Saw over 20 accidents, we got stuck in snow few times! Unbeleivable.”

  • Jeff Hardy To Plead Guilty To Drug Charges At Next Hearing

    TNA Champion Jeff Hardy will plead guilty to the drug charges pending against him when he appears in court on January 20, according to Moore County district attorney Maureen Krueger.

    Hardy was arrested back in September 2009 after police raided his home in Cameron, North Carolina. He has been free on bail since his arrest.

    According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office police report, police found 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia during the raid. Hardy was hit with a long list of charges – including:

    * Conspiracy to traffic in Opium
    * Trafficking in Opium by possession
    * 2 counts of possession with intent to distribute
    * Felony possession of cocaine
    * Felony maintaining a controlled substance in a vehicle/dwelling/place
    * Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia

    District Attorney Krueger declined to comment on whether Hardy would be offered a deal or would avoid jail time in exchange for his cooperation.

    For more on this story, visit FayObserver.com.

  • Cena Buys ’67 Camaro, WWE Live Attendance Down & More

    – As 2010 comes to a close, lots of statistics are coming in regarding WWE’s business performance throughout the year. One key indicator of the company’s business is live event attendance. WWE had 11 shows draw more than 15,000 fans this year – down from 2009, when 20 shows drew more than 15,000 fans. This year had the lowest number of events drawing over 15,000 fans since 2007. (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsleter)

    – Former WWE and ECW star Nunzio worked Saturday night’s Madison Square Garden house show as a referee. Nunzio, who lives in the NYC area, was backstage visiting and was asked to fill in for the referees who didn’t make it to the show due to the snow storm that hit the North East this weekend.

    – Former NXT Rookie Percy Watson participated in a battle royal at Sunday night’s SmackDown live event in Chicago with a shot at Dolph Ziggler’s Intercontinental Title on the line. Ezekiel Jackson, who was recently moved to SmackDown, also worked the battle royal. The other FCW talent who worked the Chicago live event was Naomi Knight, who teamed with Layla to lose to Natalya and Beth Phoenix.

    – John Cena was recently purchased a black 1967 Chevrolet Camaro at the Jackson Car Auction in Las Vegas. Cena reportedly paid $50,000 for the classic muscle car. Check it out:

  • Weekend WWE Live Event Results From MSG & Chicago

    If you attend a live WWE or TNA event, be sure to send in a recap of the show to SEScoops@gmail.com.

    • WWE Live Event Results From Madison Square Garden (12/26)
      (Sent in by SEScoops.com reader Vinny)

    As we reported over the weekend, several Florida-based WWE talents including Heath Slater, Alicia Fox, Gail Kim and Sgt. Slaughter were unable to fly in for the show due to hazardous weather conditions.

    * Tyson Kidd def. David Hart Smith

    * WWE Tag Team Championship: Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov def. Husky Harris & Justin Gabriel to retain.

    * The Bella Twins def. Melina & Maryse

    * Zack Ryder won a 12-Man Battle Royal to face Daniel Bryan later in the evening for the United States Championship

    * United States Championship: Daniel Bryan def. Zack Ryder to retain

    * WWE Championship: The Miz def. Randy Orton to retain

    * Randy Orton def. Alex Riley

    * New York Street Fight: John Morrison def. Sheamus

    * John Cena def. Wade Barrett in a Steel Cage Match when Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment off the top ropes when Barrett tried to escape.

    • WWE Live Event Results From The Allstate Arena In Chicago, IL (12/27)
      (Sent in by SEScoops.com reader Pike Miller)

    * Kofi Kingston won a battle royal to get a WWE Intercontinental Championship shot later in the show.

    * Drew McIntyre b. JTG

    * Chris Masters b. Jack Swagger

    * Dolph Ziggler b. Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship

    * Chavo Guerrero b. “Dashing” Cody Rhodes

    * Beth Phoenix & Natalya b. Layla & Naomi

    * Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio ended up as Big Show & Mysterio b. CM Punk & Del Rio.

    * World Heavyweight Champion Edge b. Kane in a Steel Cage Match to retain

  • RAW Preview For Tonight & An Update On Blizzard Travel Issues

    – Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW will take place from the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.

    No matches have been announced yet, but local advertising for the show has been promoting John Cena and Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett and The Miz with Michael Cole as the special guest referee as the dark match main event.

    Over the weekend, WWE creative discussed Nexus and Wade Barrett returning to television tonight. They were kept off last week’s show to sell the beatings they too at the hands of John Cena at the TLC pay-per-view.

    One issue that may come into play tonight is the massive blizzard that hit the North East on Sunday and whether all of the RAW superstars will be able to make it to the arena. Several superstars and Divas were unable to make Sunday’s WWE live event at Madison Square Garden, which resulted in a bunch of last-minute substitutions. WWE’s production trucks are reportedly at the Times Union Center already, but all of the talent getting there is a different story.

    (Partial Sources: f4wonline.com, pwinsider.com)

  • Google Data On The Most Popular Wrestling & MMA Stars Of 2010

    Google has released data for the most-searched for pro wrestling and mixed martial arts personalities of 2010. Here’s the list:

    1. John Cena
    2. Brock Lesnar
    3. Georges St. Pierre
    4. Anderson Silva
    5. Edge
    6. Jeff Hardy
    7. Batista
    8. Randy Orton
    9. Hulk Hogan
    10. Triple H
    11. BJ Penn
    12. Kimbo Slice
    13. Cain Velasquez
    14. Shane Carwin
    15. Rey Mysterio
    16. Shawn Michaels
    17. Matt Hughes
    18. Chuck Liddell
    19. Rampage Jackson
    20. Undertaker
    21. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
    22. Tito Ortiz
    23. Steve Austin
    24. Dana White
    25. Rashad Evans
    26. Randy Couture
    27. Bret Hart
    28. Frank Mir
    29. Chael Sonnen
    30. Fedor Emelianenko
    31. Big Show
    32. Gina Carano
    33. Urijah Faber
    34. The Miz
    35. Herschel Walker
    36. Chris Jericho
    37. Jon Jones
    38. Lyoto Machida
    39. James Toney
    40. Ric Flair
    41. Dan Hardy
    42. Matt Hardy
    43. Sheamus
    44. Forrest Griffin
    45. Rich Franklin

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • JR Blog: Royal Rumble, TNA vs. WWE, Booker T, Younger Stars

    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:

    Who Will Win The Royal Rumble: “My early pick to win the 2011 Royal Rumble would have to be John Cena.”

    WWE’s Future & Developing New Stars: “The long term future of WWE appears to be bright to me. The company has a strong infrastructure manned by some intelligent, hard working professionals and have continued to take positive steps in putting their footprint around the Globe.  As in any other entertainment or sports entity for that matter, the development of the next wave of superstars who can transcend the biz is imperative. WWE is an attraction oriented business and when new, main event level, attractions evolve and become established then ‘business will pick up’ without question.”

    Whether TNA Ever Seriously Compete WWE: “Some fans of TNA have asked me when I predict the time line that TNA will over take WWE in the marketplace. Without coming off as a tool but simply being totally realistic, the answer is never. But wait, there’s more….does it matter? I would suggest to you that TNA has all they can say grace over making their brand stronger and are likely, if they are smart, not even trying to compete w/ WWE but only with trying to make themselves better. WWE is the NFL and no other football league will ever touch the NFL. Period. End of story. That certainly doesn’t mean that another league can’t make money and be viable in their world. I’ll never wish TNA or any other company ill will but IMO this is the reality of the matter and the answer to a question we seemingly get all the time. I can assure you that I want our on line biz to grow but I don’t fixate on other similar sites but instead try to think of ways to make our site better.”

    Booker T’s Potential As An Announcer: “I do think that Booker T could be an effective broadcaster on  a wrestling TV show if paired with the right partner and given some time to establish his body of work and timing with his partner. I could also see Booker being a great manager, if the manager role, which would be new in today’s world, was brought back. “

  • Kaval Reportedly Miserable In WWE & Asked For His Release

    According to sources close to former WWE superstar Kaval, he was the one who asked to be released. He was not fired, as some readers originally assumed.

    From what we’ve heard, Kaval was said to be “miserable” working the WWE schedule and did not see his career going anywhere. Company officials tried to talk him into staying, but were anable to do so.

    Joey Styles wrote on Twitter, “If TNA doesn’t immediately sign Kaval (who won NXT based on wwe.com fans and wrestlers votes), I’ve no idea what they look for in wrestlers.” As was the case with the recent releases of Matt Hardy and MVP, top WWE officials are not worried about Kaval going to TNA – since stars like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson have done very little to help TNA’s ratings.

    Kaval’s first post-WWE match has already been announced. He will be back wrestling as “Low Ki” when he wrestles former TNA X-Division champion The Amazing Red on January 28th for Impact Championship Wrestling in Queens, New York.

  • JR Blog: Cena-Punk, Nexus, Vickie Fat Jokes, Savage, Taz & More

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

    What’ Next For The Nexus: “What’s next for Nexus? Big question here on this site from a multitude of folks. It seems as if John Cena is moving on to CM Punk, which I personally think will be stout, but I can’t see Nexus evaporating. I predict that Nexus will return in some shape, form or fashion in the near future and how they address their internal issues could potentially be interesting TV.”

    Vickie Guerrero Fat Jokes: “The volume of emails and Tweets that we have received regarding the ‘fat jokes’ directed toward Vickie Guerrero this week on WWE TV has been staggering. Not all were negative as many fans enjoyed the segments in question and called them ‘laugh out loud funny.’ Other, however, have expressed displeasure and some have provided us with some extreme analogies. One emailer scolded me as if he knew me because I said that the segment did not offend me and that it reminded me of a ‘TV Roast’ and it was the ‘good guys’ having fun with the villain (Vickie G.) The live audience loved the segment or so it seemed to me by what I was hearing and seeing. By endorsing the comedy bit, I’ve been accused of being the kind of person who causes incidents such as Columbine. Columbine? Really? Because I actually found the topic in question to be funny, I’ve also been accused of not having any ‘guts.’ I seriously doubt that individual would say to my face and often wonder if some seemingly obsessed fans are just as hellbent on the really important things in their lives as they are about a pro wrestling TV show. Hey, I get it if every one doesn’t like the same things that I do and I appreciate reading various points of view. However, to compare what happens on a pro wrestling show to a tragedy such as Columbine is ridiculous.”

    Announcing With Randy Savage: “An emailer asked me how I liked broadcasting with Randy Savage. Savage was a little challenging not because he lacked skill or knowledge but because he was extremely unpredictable about what he was going to say and when he was going to say it. Macho Man certainly kept one on their toes.”

    Smackdown’s Rating: “Great TV rating on Tuesday night for Smackdown. Biggest rating in years as best I know. That’s the difference in being on a network such as USA as opposed to their sister network, the fledgling Syfy Network. USA is a monster among cable networks and being on a lesser entity, as other wrestling shows are as well, is simply a daunting task.”

    Taz’s New “Finishing School”: “Really happy to hear of the initial success that Taz’ dojo is having. Taz will coach up wrestlers with experience and remember this is not a dojo for beginners. I highly recommend that young wrestlers check Taz’ new biz out. It’s based in Long Island, New York as many of you already know. I really enjoyed working at the announce table with Taz in WWE.”

    As always, visit JRsBarBQ.com to check out Jim Ross’ delicious line of BBQ products!

  • VIDEO: Watch This Week’s Episode Of NXT Here

    We are going to start posting each week’s episode of WWE’s NXT shows at SEScoops.com.

    Here’s Week 2 of Season 4 (original air date 11/21/10):

  • Hulk Hogan Recoving From 10-Hour Back Surgery

    Poor Hulkster.. RadarOnline.com is reporting that Hulk Hogan is now recovering smoothly following a grueling 10-hour back surgery on Tuesday. A source told the website:

    “It was a pretty lengthy surgical procedure. Doctors did some fusion work and rebuilding and restructuring of the spine. But he’s recovering smoothly.”

    Hogan has undergone too many back surgeries this year to count. He checked himself into a local Tampa hospital on Tuesday morning after experiencing more debilitating pain. Hogan is currently bedridden and will get checked out by a physical therapist soon to see when he can return home. RadarOnline‘s source added:

    “We hope he’ll be able to leave the hospital relatively quickly. He’s always taken very good care of himself and in very good physical shape.”

    Hogan was married just last week to longtime girlfriend Jennifer McDaniel in a beachfront ceremony at their home in Clearwater, Florida.

  • WWE Planning For WrestleMania: Matches, Celebrities & More

    With WrestleMania 27 just four months away, WWE is already working on ideas of how to make this year’s show a success. According to a source within WWE,Vince McMahon is very determined to prove that WWE is still a powerhouse player in the pay-per-view industry due to the recent success of the UFC. The source told us:

    “Vince is very focused on breaking a million buys globally for ‘Mania. He’s probably more focused than he’s been in several years.”

    The company wants fresh match-ups and we’ve heard of a few big matches discussed for the show. While things could certainly change between now and April, here are some matches that have been discussed:

    • WWE Champion The Miz vs. Randy Orton
    • John Cena vs. CM Punk
    • World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Christian
    • Money In The Bank Ladder Match

    FANTASY BOOKING: For you fantasy bookers out there, COMMENT BELOW and tell us what matches you want to see at WrestleMania based on current storylines. REGISTER HERE if you’re not already a member of SEScoops.com.

    Triple H is expected to return to action soon and will certainly be in the mix for WrestleMania.

    The Undertaker had shoulder surgery on his rotator cuff back in November and is currently “hit or miss” for Wrestleania. In the event that the Dead Man is not 100%, there’s talk that he could compete in a tag team match to keep his streak going.

    Vince and WWE’s creative team have been brainstorming as of late trying to come up with a big mainstream celebrity that could be part of the company’s biggest show of the year. Talk of Brock Lesnar working WrestleMania has died down since UFC President Dana White made it very clear that Lesnar is under UFC contract and would be prohibited from doing anything physical for WWE. One name that WWE was interested in is NBA basketball superstar LeBron James.

    James is a WWE fan, hosted Monday Night RAW earlier this year and has been mentioned by The Miz in several recent media interviews. Unfortunately for WWE, LeBron James’ Miami Heat team has a game in New Jersey that night, which basically puts any hopes of a WrestleMania appearance to bed. WWE is said to have a few other sports stars in mind, but most of them are long shots.

  • Talk Of iMPACT! Going On The Road, Celebs Contact TNA

    – Once again, there is talk within TNA about taking iMPACT! on the road and filming episodes outside of the iMPACT! Zone in Orlando, reports f4wonline.com. Most iMPACT! shows would still take place from Orlando, but the company wants to strengthen its fan base in other markets and the occasional show would be held in small arenas in other cities.

    TNA knows that one of the best ways to get feedback on their product is to judge the reaction of a live crowd – and having the same batch of fans in the audience every single week is not an ideal situation.

    – TNA President Dixie Carter wrote on Twitter this week that several celebrities are interested in supporting the company’s anti-bullying campaign. She wrote:

    “Several celebrities have been in contact with TNA about taking part in our Eliminate The Hate campaign – great to hear so many want to help!”

    – Former WWE and TNA star BG James is now on Twitter at @BGRoadDoggJames.

  • TNA iMPACT! Preview For Tonight: Christmas Edition

    TNA issued the following press release:

    IMPACT AIRS EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT ON SPIKE TV STARTING AT 9/8c – DON’T MISS YOUR FAVORITE TNA WRESTLING SUPERSTARS IN ACTION!

    It’s Total Nonstop Action every Thursday night exclusively on SpikeTV! Can’t watch it Thursday? Make sure to set your DVR to record it!

    iMPACT features all of your favorite TNA Wrestling Superstars, including World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan, AJ Styles, The Motor City Machine Guns, Velvet Sky and the sexy TNA Knockouts and so many more!

    It’s the special Holiday Christmas edition of iMPACT tonight on SpikeTV!

    – It will be the Finals of the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament to crown new champions, as The Beautiful People face Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne and Tara

    – TNA World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns will defend the gold in an eight-man bout! It will be Team Guns vs. Team Money – The Guns and Matt Morgan and Rob Van Dam vs. Beer Money, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy and Abyss!

    — TNA Television Champion Douglas Williams will defend the gold against former titleholder against AJ Styles in an Ironman Match!

    — Plus, it will be Kazarian vs. Robbie E. Max Buck vs. Jeremy Buck to determine the new #1 contender to new TNA X Division Champion Jay Lethal!