– Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW drew a 3.23 cable cable rating and averaged 4,800,000 viewers. This show did hours of 3.12 and 3.34.

– Joe Francosi finished up with the WWE creative team at last week’s tapings in Bakersfield, California. Francosi was hired earlier this year in February and appeared on RAW when Jon Lovitz hosted earlier this year. Francosi was the man who pulled his eye-ball out in a talent skit with Ted DiBiase and Virgil.

Francosi was also the man who suggested the “spoken word” segment that RAW host William Shatner did months back. Francosi actually suggested the Shatner segment while interviewing with WWE trying to get the job. Francosi previously worked as a producer for UPW and was the man behind Mick Foley & Colt Cabana’s comedy tour.

– WWE is looking for Divas between the ages of 18 and 25. They ran a tryout cap last week at Florida Championship Wrestling and out of the 60 or so people that showed up, about 50 of them didn’t even belong there. It usually costs people $1,000 to tryout for WWE.

Credit to f4wonlien.com for some of the info used in this report

– TNA Wrestling conducted its latest round of drug testing prior to Tuesday’s iMPACT! tapings from Orlando. Wrestlers were subjected to physicals, blood work and drug screening.

– Abyss has been battling food poisoning this week.

– Several TNA regulars were not at Monday’s iMPACT!, including Rob Terry, Hernandez,Knockouts champion Taylor Wild, Lacey Von, Eric, Sarita and more. The word backstage was that the Sandman no-showed.

– Matches scheduled for tonight’s iMPACT! tapings, set to air next Thursday (9/2):

* Fortune vs. EV2.0 8-man elimination match.

* Jeff Hardy & Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle & The Pope

* Abyss vs. Stevie Richards

Credit to prowrestlingnet for some of the info used in this report

Serena was reportedly let go by WWE due to her rowdy behavior on the road ..

Check out these pictures of her while out partying:

– ROH Champion Tyler Black has changed his Twitter name from ROHBlack to WWEBlack. Black recently signed a WWE developmental deal and is expected to start full-time at FCW in September.

– Michelle McCool and Layla are confirmed for next Monday’s 900th episode of RAW. LayCool will be there to make an offer to Divas Champion Melina.

– WWE will return to the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington on October 15th at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale September 11th at 10am.

– WWE has released the first Ted DiBiase t-shirt that says “Everyone Has a Price.”

– WWE developmental wrestler AJ Lee worked a match with Layla at Sunday’s SmackDown live event in Odessa, Texas. The prospective Diva came up short in her match with the WWE Women’s Champion as Layla hit her with the “Lay-Out” neckbreaker for the victory.

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has updated his Facebook blog with his thoughts about working the main event at WWE SummerSlam against Nexus. Here’s what Bret wrote about his experience:

Summerslam has come and gone and, in so many ways, it all seems like a crazy dream. Tagging up with John Cena was a personal pleasure and it was more than a treat to sit down with him before the match and watch him lay down the strategies of our team from start to finish. Despite my so-called bout with Vince McMahon at WrestleMania, this scenario at Summerslam would be much closer to the types of matches I had 12 years ago.

Luckily, six other wrestlers on my team would be doing the brunt of the work. It was great for me to sit in with my team and listen to Cena methodically lay down our strategy: to hit ‘em hard and to hit em’ first. I was more than impressed with how he dissected different moments like a true ring general, reminding me of how I used to do the same. He gave every one of us a broad overview on exactly how we would overwhelm Nexus once and for all. All I can say is what a rush! The match seemed surreal right from the start and I can’t help but smile at the memory at both Chris Jericho and Edge on the apron battling together with the rest of us, Cena, to me, clearly stood out as our biggest asset and, despite Team WWE, eliminating two Nexus wrestlers, they rallied right back and evened things out.

Nexus soon found out what a tough scrapper Jericho is when he’s pushed into a corner when he came off the second rope with a punishing dropkick right square in the kisser of a Nexus goon and then it all just slows down for me like a movie in slow motion. Jericho gives me the hot tag, I haven’t made a good wrestling comeback in at least 12 years. As I feel the slap of skin, ducking through the ropes my head feels lightheaded; the fiery redheaded Heath Slater has tagged and coming right at me. Then like a blast of technicolor, I block his punch and begin my pounding of my big rubber hammers off his head. Hard thumps to his ribcage, he falls back into a corner and, like days of old, I pull myself up to the second rope and begin a barrage of fat-fisted carnage. As this punk from Nexus finds out the hard way that you can take the Hitman out of the fight but you can never take the fight out of the Hitman. I got him reeling as I fire him crisply into the ropes. He stumbles off wondering if it’ll be a Goldberg kick or an elbow, but at the last second, I step aside and place a meaty fist right into his gut taking his breath away. I pull myself up but I feel my energy slipping. I snatch him quick and hoist him up and dropping him with a vicious front ass-bump, popping him up in time to club him down with a Hitman clothesline.

My tank is holding steady as I hold him by the heels and step through for my coup-de-grace, the Sharpshooter. He’s done for. I glanced down in time to see Nexus leader, Wade Barrett, slide a steel chair underneath the bottom rope. At this point I decide to go seal-hunter on him, only to intercept the bald musclehead Skip Sheffield with no time to spare. I had to protect myself. With a bash in the guts, I bent the big meathead over and smash the chair over his backside. The smash feels electrifying and so does the crowd. The Staples Center goes bananas. The ref frantically waves me out, I’m disqualified. I can’t believe it. Barrett brought the damn chair in. My L.A. fans chant and I remember my stroke and my wheelchair, I picture my mom sighing in relief, Stu with Owen and Davey close by as I high-five some beaming and exasperated kids. Luckily, Cena would eventually pull this one of the fire for Team WWE. As for me, my heart would fill up on the moment. Slaps on the back at the Gorilla position, grins bigger than mine. I made it back to Summerslam and held my own. Anything is possible as the Hitman makes everyone believers one more time, even himself. Next dream will be Madison Square Garden on September 25th. Can’t wait!

– Despite his illness, Tommy Dreamer worked last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings in Orlando and appeared on camera. Dreamer has been suffering from flu-like symptoms and has had a fever and vomiting.

– As noted before, former WWE Diva Katie Lea Burchill wrestled a tryout match with TNA at last night’s tapings, losing to Madison Rayne. Jeremy Borash wrote the following on Twitter regarding her tryout: “The fmr Katie Lee Burchill did great in her TNA dark match tonight. Future KO?”

– Independent women’s wrestler Christina Von Eerie was backstage at last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings but did not wrestle in front of the crowd, according to live reports. There’s talk of using her as the new valet of Ink Inc.

– TNA Knockout Christy Hemme is now on Twitter at @chemme.

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW show was taped last week, as the RAW crew is currently overseas in China. Here’s a spoiler-free preview of tonight’s show:

– Edge vs. R-Truth.

– Chris Jericho vs. The Great Khali.

– John Cena vs. WWE U.S. Champion The Miz.

– Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. The Usos.

– Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase.

Plus, we’ll find out who Sheamus will defend his WWE Championship against at Night of Champions.

Read More: *SPOILERS* WWE RAW Results For Tonight

TNA star Kevin Nash has confirmed that his friend Scott Hall is back in a substance abuse rehabilitation facility.

Nash wrote on Twitter.com/RealKevinNash:

“Scott is under care in the WWE’s wellness program. God bless Ann and Vince for taking care of my friend.”

There had been some confusion lately as to whether Scott Hall had been hospitalized or was in rehab after statements were issued by independent wrestling promoters claiming both scenarios.

Much to its credit, WWE has an ongoing policy where it pays for drug treatment programs for any current or past superstar that asks for the help.

Best of luck to Scott Hall in getting himself together.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog over at JRsbarbq.com with some commentary on the following topics:

Bobby Lashley’s First MMA Loss: “Bobby Lashley lost for the first time Saturday night by technical knockout in an ugly effort that exposed Bobby’s lack of MMA technique specifically Lashley’s ability to utilize submissions. Bobby did not look good, seemed to fatigue, and was too heavy/thick from this fan’s observation. I still think that Lashley has a shot at a successful MMA career but he’s got lots of work to do in a high level training center and to mentally commit 100% to his new vocation. He also needs to physically downsize.”

“Lashley was hospitalized over night in Houston Saturday but has apparently since been released.”

“If Bobby decides to have one more go at it and loses again, I would be surprised to see him remain in MMA. That’s pure, individual speculation.”

Batista in Strikeforce: “If Strikeforce now signs Bautista and Dave then would fight Bobby Lashley then the fight would be nothing more than merely an “attraction fight” and will obviously not be a highly skilled MMA contest between two, finely tuned and experienced MMA fighters. Notice that I did not say that the fight wouldn’t garner a TV rating or create a buzz within the MMA community and in the TV world if promoted properly. I don’t see it as a PPV fight but perhaps not a bad choice for CBS, if they are still in play.”

“BTW…Bautista has no deal at this time with Strikeforce and as I understand it Dave is still healing from injuries from his last WWE bout even though he has apparently began some MMA training. The one thing that is obvious when it comes to MMA training is that it makes all the difference in the world what camp one trains in as it relates to how successful most fighters can become. Camps are every where but it seems that only a handful of MMA training camps produce ‘money ball players.'”

WWE’s First Event In China: “WWE had a successful, 90 minute show (that time was requested by local officials) in China that went well by all accounts. A WWE TV crew was in China to get footage of the trip and the first ever, WWE China event. Obviously this was a long, grueling trip for the travelers but everyone from what I understand really enjoyed the history making experience.”

Tonight’s WWE RAW was taped last week because the RAW crew is currently overseas for WWE’s first live events tour of China. Here are Spoiler results for the show:

The anonymous General Manager announces Sheamus will sit on a throne and watch a series of matches tonight. He’ll get to hand pick his opponent for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions. The opponent that impresses Sheamus the most will get the title shot.

* Edge b. R-Truth after hitting the spear. He gets on the mic and tells Truth he’s been beaten by the Rated R center.

* John Cena vs. The Miz is announced for later tonight.

* Chris Jericho b. The Great Khali by submission when Khali tapped in the Walls of Jericho. After the match, Jericho states his case to Sheamus. He tells him not to listen to Edge and choose him.

* WWE Divas Champion Melina b. Jillian Hall to retain the title. Melina got the win after hitting her sunset flip powerbomb. LayCool come up on the big screen and say they’ll be there next week for the 900th episode of Raw.

* Josh Mathews interviews The Miz. He talks about Daniel Bryan and Sheamus getting beat down and how Cena put Team WWE at risk by choosing Bryan over him.

* The Nexus come out. Sheamus greets them but he’s cut off by the anonymous General Manager. They announce the titles ban on The Nexus is over. Wade Barrett says consider our truce over.

* John Cena b. The Miz by count out. The Miz backed down the ramp but Daniel Bryan tossed him back in the ring after the bell ring. Cena got out of the ring and Daniel put a submission hold on him. After the break, The Miz gets slowly up to his feet and leaves the ring only to be attacked by Bryan again and the submission hold reapplied.

Vladimir Kozlov & Santino Marella b. The Usos w/Tamina when Vladimir makes the pin. Santino locks eyes with Tamina and she blows him a kiss.

* Randy Orton b. John Morrison & Ted DiBiase w/Maryse in a triple threat match. Orton hit a sick RKO on Morrison who was diving off the top rope towards him. After the match, Orton hit an RKO on DiBiase.

* Josh Mathews is backstage with Sheamus. Sheamus says he didn’t need to see the triple threat match and he’s already made his decision.

* Sheamus comes out to the ring. He says despite last week he is still the Celtic Warrior and he will defend the WWE Championship right now instead of at Night of Champions. Sheamus announces Zack Ryder as his opponent.

* WWE Champion Sheamus b. Zack Ryder with a big boot to the face and retains the title. After the match, Sheamus says due to WWE rules and regulations he doesn’t have to defend the title again for 30 days. Wade Barrett comes out and says per his WWE NXT win, he gets a title match. It will be a 6 pack challenge – Sheamus vs. Barrett vs. Y2J vs. Orton vs. Edge vs. Cena. Jericho, Edge, Cena, Orton and Sheamus beat up Barrett then each other with Orton hitting the RKO on Cena last.

Bobby Lashley getting pounded out at Strikeforce: Houston

Bobby Lashley was handed the first loss of his MMA career Saturday night by Chad Griggs at Strikeforce: Houston from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Bobby Lashley started off strong and dominated the fight early with impressive takedowns and ground control. Unfortunately, Lashley appeared to tire himself out and Griggs caught on that Lashley’s gameplan was to take him down every time. Griggs stuffed a few of Lashley’s takedowns and caught him with a brutal uppercut in the second round that visibly shook the former WWE superstar. Griggs unleashed a fury of strikes as the second round was coming to a close and the referee stopped the fight after the bell rang.

Lashley’s MMA record now stands at 5 wins, 1 loss. Griggs has 9 wins, 1 loss.

Lashley’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son , Kristal Marshall, wrote the following on Twitter following the fight:

“Shake it off and come back harder! We love you and are always in your corner!”

Update: Lashley Hospitalized After Loss, Jim Ross Comments

Former WWE superstar and Strikeforce MMA heavyweight fighter Bobby Lashley (5-0) spoke to MMAFighting.com to hype his Saturday night fight on Showtime. Lashley was asked the question on a lot of people’s minds lately – will he fight fellow wrestler-turned-fighter Batista?

Lashley says he’s heard the rumors, he keeps getting asked about it .. He knows its a fight people want to see .. He would rather focus on the Heavyweight title and fight guys with better records than him – so if he fought Batista, it would have to be his next fight .. He spoke about pro wrestling for a few minutes, including whether he’d ever return.

It’s a good interview – Lashley starts talking about Batista around the 9:25 mark.

SmackDown *SPOILERS*

Thanks to reader Adam Woods for sending in this live results from Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings:

Tony Chimmel welcomes us and introduces Jaime Keyes

Opening Dark Match:

Tyler Reks beats Trent Barretta( Tyler Reks is a heel portraying some kind of a wildman gimmick

Smackdown Taping

-Rey Mysterio comes out and lets everyone know that he is glad his name was cleared in the Undertaker saga and say that he knew all along who was responsible for taker’s vegitative state. He is interupted by Alberto Del Rio who tells Rey that he is from a well known familly in Mexico and while in Rey’s bloodline are no deeper than a common Tijuana bario steetrat. Del Rio sticks his chin out berating rey daring him to hit him. They start going to to blows when Rey gets the upper hand and hits the 619 it’s annouced that later tonight we’ll have Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio.

Intercontinental Championship match

– Kofi Kingston beats Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrerro by DQ. Ziggler attack Kofi after the match and beats him down so bad that he needed to be helped to the back.

We are treated to backstage footage of C.M. Punk and his Sraight Edge Society.

Punk feels that his group is unraveling and after watching what the Nexus did with one of their own he lets Gallows and Sereena that if they don’t with their match against Big Show and Kelly Kelly that they will be ousted from the S.E.S.

Sereena and Luke Gallows beat Kelly Kelly and Big Show

-Christian beats Drew McIntyre with dashing Rhodes ringside. After the match both Rhodes and McIntyre gang up on Christian which leads to an injured Matt Hardy comming in to make the save which doesn’t happen as Drew and Cody run roughshed on Hardy’s injured ankle/foot. Cody and Drew servey the damage and look at each other pleased with themselves that hint that there might be a potential alliance between these two.

-Kane explains why he put his brother in a vegitative state. So to sum it up Kane feels that Taker’s ego contributed to his untimely foreboading as he spent years and years pineing until the time was right for him to lead into a false sence of security so he can stake claim as hell’s number one demon and World Heavyweight Champion.

– Alberto Del Rio beats Rey Mysterio clean via submission with a spinning armbar variation. Del Rio was perfect in his role as a better than thou heel complete with his own ring announcer (who introduced him en espanol), Gold tunk/white pattened leather boots and Pyro which is simular to Chrisitian’s when he first broke away from Edge after Edge won the King of the Ring.

Dark Main Event

Steel Cage Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title

Kane beats Jack Swagger and Rey Mysterio to retain. Before Kane could get out of the ring lights go dark and we get to see Taker who made his way to the ring. As Taker is walking towards ringside Rey leaves the cage with a fallen Jack Swagger and Kane in the ring. Taker and Kane exchange blows Swagger gets up and helps Kane. They double team Taker untill Taker gets the upper hand and Kane steps out the cage leaving Swagger alone with Taker who hits the chokeslam and tombstone piledriver and kneals with one knee and stikes his pose then leaves.

Biggest Pop:

1. Undertaker
2. Rey Mysterio
3. Kofi Kingston
4. Matt Hardy
5. Big Show

Biggest Boos:

1. Kane
2. Alberto Del Rio
3. C.M. Punk/Straight Edge Society
4. Dolph Ziggler/ Vickie Guerrerro
5. Alex Riley ( Who is the best new heel since the Miz)

Bad news for Nexus member Skip Sheffield ..

The Nexus standout was reportedly injured at Wednesday’s WWE RAW live event from Honolulu, Hawaii. Several fans sent in word that it appeared Sheffield was injured during his tag match with David Otunga against WWE tag champions the Hart Dynasty.

Sheffield laid face-down in the ring after the match with an apparent leg injury. He was unable to walk by himself, could not put any weight on his left leg and had to be helped out of the ring and to the back.

Sheffield’s left ankle is broken and he will be out of action for quite some time, according to the Wrestling Observer.

Sheffield had been positioned as the #2 star in Nexus behind Wade Barrett .. With the previous departures of Daniel Bryan and Darren Young and now Sheffield being injured, the Nexus is down to only 5 members. There has been talk of bringing some of the Season 2 rookies into Nexus, including Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty.

Which Season 2 rookies do you think would be a good fit for Nexus? Comment below and tell us.

On Thursday’s TNA “iMPACT!, Eric Bischoff announced that due to injuries sustained at the hands of Abyss’ attack last week, Rob Van Dam has been stripped of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

An 8-man tournament is being held determine a new titleholder, with the Final Four established on “iMPACT!” that will battle at the “No Surrender” Pay-Per-View on Sunday, September 5.

At No Surrender, it will be Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson vs. The Pope in the semi-finals. The winners of those matches will advance to the Finals at “Bound For Glory” on Sunday, October 10 to determine a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion!

Thanks to Michael for these WWE NXT spoilers, set to air next week on August 24th:

* Cody Rhodes challenged MVP to a match later on.

* They did a Rookie Challenge. Kaval won over Alex Riley and Michael McGillicutty.

* Cody Rhodes defeated MVP in a long match.

* Warning: The following contains a possible *Spoiler* for upcoming WWE storylines:

The main event for October’s WWE Hell in A Cell pay-per-view will be Sheamus defending the WWE title against Randy Orton, according to local advertising in Dallas, Texas.

Also discussed for the show is a match between The Undertaker and Kane.

WWE Hell in a Cell takes place on Sunday, October 3rd from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas and airs on pay-per-view.

– Reigning Ring of Honor champion Tyler Black reported to Florida Championship Wrestling this week. He participated in this week’s training sessions and is expected to finish up with Ring of Honor next month.

– TNA Wrestling has released former X-Division and Tag Team champion Homicide. Homicide wrote on Twitter:

“my tna days is over, thank u for the staff members and the boys and girls in the locker room, had a great run, bbllaattt187 for life.”

He also noted he would be taking the next month off to rest his body before announcing his next move.

-  After being forced to pull out of a scheduled independent show on 8/28 due to WWE commitments, Daniel Bryan will be making it up to the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) by appearing at their 9/11 show.  NYWC sent out the following today:

WWE’s Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) is confirmed for Sept 11

We here at the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) are pleased to announce that Bryan Danielson who is currently known as Daniel Bryan in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will be appearing at “Never Back Down” on September 11, 2010 at the Sports Arena in St. James, NY. Bryan felt terrible about canceling his prior scheduled appearances with the NYWC and the WWE has allowed him to compete for us on September 11th. We would like to thank Bryan and WWE for going above and beyond for our fans to make his appearance possible. Make sure to purchase your tickets right away because this event will sell out fast! Tickets to “Never Back Down” are available now at NYWCWrestling.com.

Credit: PWInsider.com

Former WWE superstar and concussion awareness champion Chris Nowinski recently spoke to New England’s NECN news show about the WWE work environment.

Nowinski, who is a Harvard graduate and wrestled for WWE from 2002-2004 before having to retire after a head injury, paints an ugly picture of WWE encouraging steroid use, widespread use of pain pills and more.

Steroid Use In WWE: “The WWE rewards the guys who use them.”

The Unsafe Work Environment: “They have an environment where it’s absolutely unsafe to work in that ring. They have no oversight into what actually happens in the ring. And they are encouraging steroid use,” he said, citing the enormous physiques of recent champions such as Triple H and Batista. “It’s garbage that they’re not using stuff,” he said. “They absolutely know what’s going on.”

Painkiller Use In WWE: “They’re taking pain killers because they’re working 200 nights a year and getting hit unlike anyone in the history of the wrestling business — it wasn’t like that in the ’80s, it wasn’t like that in the ’70s” he said. “I used to go through tables for four days a week.”

Linda McMahon Saying She “Might Have Met”Lance Cade: “That’s complete garbage. Just kicking dirt on the guy’s grave.”

Here’s video of Nowinski’s interview:

Former WWE Diva/RAW ring announcer, Lilian Garcia, was the special guest on this week’s live edition (08/16/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem.

Lilian Garcia Discusses Her WWE Departure, Her Expectation Level When Starting With World Wrestling Entertainment, How She Almost Chose To Not Show Up To Her WWE Audition, If She Initially Thought She Would Have Lasted As Long As She Did With The Company/Been As Successful As She Was, Why Tony Chimel & Howard Finkel Were Instrumental In Her Success, The Criticisms Given To Justin Roberts/WWE’s Other Ring Announcers, The Impact Of Singing “America The Beautiful” On SmackDown After The 9/11 Attacks, “The People’s Strudel,” Why She Wants More To See More TV Time Given To The WWE Divas, The Transition Into The Next Phase Of Her Life/Career, The Details Of Her Forthcoming Album, & Her Appearance At This Weekend’s Chicago Comic Con.

CLICK HERE to listen to Lilian’s appearance on Monday Night Mayhem (MP3)

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

Why, in the end, she decided to leave World Wrestling Entertainment last September & what/whom she misses the most: “There’s nothing like having that one-on-one interaction with them: every time we’re out there, being able to hi-five & hug people. It’s just an amazing feeling. I miss some of the travel, I’m not crazy about all of the travel. Some of the places we went to were a lot of fun, especially when went overseas. I love Europe, and I love to experience different cultures, so I would definitely take advantage of the sightseeing. What I don’t miss is the airports & the hauling of the luggage. That kind of stuff wears on you, and when you do it ten years straight, it does wear on you. That’s why I have a lot of respect for all of the Superstars, because I didn’t have the grueling schedule that they would had of 300+ days a year, so I have respect for those who can do it and be away from their families. I really missed being away from my family, and that was one of the decision I made. When my contract was up, I was like do I sign on for a new contract, or do I really want to take the time to be with my family & my new husband, and I just made that decision that it was time.”

Her transition into the next phase of her life/career & the reason as to why she wanted to take time off: “It’s been a year since I left. It almost feels like right around the corner, and I can’t believe how time flies. So much has happened since I left. Actually, after I left on the 21st of September, I got married on the 28th of September, which was on a Monday, so it was ironic that I got married on a Monday. I went on a long amazing honeymoon and spent time with the family. I just took time off because I had been on the road for ten years straight. I did some work in Los Angeles, and a lot of doors starting opening up for me in L.A., so we made the decision to move to Los Angeles from New York, and we left in May. It’s just a fresh start & a new chapter in my life.”

Her expectation level when she started working for the WWE in 1999, how she almost chose to not show up to her WWE audition, why Tony Chimel & Howard Finkel were instrumental in her success, and if she initially thought she would have lasted as long as she did/been as successful as she was in World Wrestling Entertainment: “No, not at all. I’ll be honest with you, I had no idea what I was walking into, and I almost didn’t do the audition. I was called to New York to audition, and I looked at him and said ‘Are you kidding me…wrestling?’ He didn’t tell me what it was for, because the WWE didn’t tell him. I auditioned for a backstage interviewer for Super Astros, which was going to be on Univision, but I didn’t get it. It wasn’t until six months later that I got another call back, and they remembered me, and they needed people for SmackDown before it premiered. I auditioned again, and they called me, and they wanted to try me on for 1-3 months, and that I could leave at any time, and I was thinking I had nothing to lose…I’ll try it out. I went to my first show to find out that I was ring announcing that night, and Tony Chimel was there, and he sat with me and told me what I supposed to say. Between Chimel & Howard Finkel, I can’t thank them enough, because they could have easily sabotaged me, but they were so helpful, and I will never forget that.”

If she ever felt that the WWE Divas were not utilized properly during her time in the company & why she would like to see the Divas get more time on WWE television: “I always wished the Divas had more time on the show, because a lot of times, they get one match on the show. I see them working so hard, and they live & breathe this business just has much as the guys do. It depends on the writing, and the storylines, and ratings, and all of that. I could say that I wish they had more time, but I’m also partial to them too. I think it’s a great job they do week in & week out, and it’s not easy to write all these storylines & all these different ideas. I think the WWE does a good job on that, but of course personally, I would love to see more of the Divas going against each other.”

The bonds she formed during her time in the WWE, which WWE Diva she classified as her “best friend” (that she was sad to see go after her departure), & her reaction to the passings of Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit: “I guess every situation in different for everybody. I never felt outside the loop, or because I didn’t take bumps, I didn’t have anyone to comfort. I had a great camaraderie with all the superstars and especially all the divas. We had an amazing locker room throughout the years, and I saw a lot of people go in & out, which is sad, because I would form these really big bonds with a lot of them. Trish Stratus would be an example of one; we would travel together, and we were best friends, and when she left, I think I cried more than she did. I always felt like I had someone there, and I remember when we got the news about Eddie Guerrero & Chris Benoit, it was sad, and it was like a family atmosphere, and I remember hugging everybody. I had a great relationship with everyone.”

More is contained in this exclusive interview with the WWE’s first & only “Decade Diva,” including her candid thoughts/comments on returning to the company for one night only this past April, the criticisms given to Justin Roberts & the newer ring announcers since her departure, her relationship with Dawyne “The Rock” Johnson/the memorable “People’s Strudel” backstage vignettes, singing “America the Beautiful” on SmackDown after the 9/11 attacks, her top moments/matches from her time in the WWE, an update on her forthcoming musical projects (including when fans can expect to see the release of her new album), & how she plans on celebrating her birthday this Thursday. For all of the details on how you can meet Lilian Garcia this weekend in “The Windy City” for the Chicago Comic Con, be sure to log on to her official website (located at www.LilianGarcia.com), and be sure to follow Lilian on her official Twitter page (located at www.Twitter.com/LilianGarcia).

Ring of Honor return sto the Manhattan Center in New York City on September 11th for the Glory by Honor IX Internet PPV.

The following “triple main event” has been announced:

*ROH champ Tyler Black vs. Roderick Strong.

*ROH Tag Team champions The Kings of Wrestling vs. Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas.

*Kevin Steen & Steve Corino vs. Colt Cabana & El Generico – Chain Match.

For more on this show, visit ROHWrestling.com.

Credit to prowrestling.net for these spoiler results:

Dark Match

1. Robbie T (w/Cookie) defeated Max Buck (w/Jeremy Buck) vs. Robbie is doing a Jersey Shore gimmick. Get it: Cookie/Snookie. Cool gimmick. Robbie won after Cookie distracted Buck. Finish was a combo russian leg sweep neckbreaker for the pin in just over three minutes.

TNA Impact Taping (Airing 8/19):

Eric Bischoff opened show and vacated the title due to RVD’s injuries. There will be a single elimination eight-man tournament starts tonite and ends at Bound for Glory. He said the show must go on. Lovely. He holds Ric Flair accountable.

Fortune is out. New entrance (like Evolution) with cool music. All in suits except “big bad Doug”. Dixie Carter came out with EV2. She gave them all TNA contracts. Tonight is A.J. Styles vs Tommy Dreamer, and they promise to get Abyss. Dixie asked EV2 not to get physical during the promo.

Mick Foley cut a promo on Flair to set up future match.

1. Jeff Hardy defeated Rob Terry in a tournament match. Hardy was selling an injury. Terry is God awful. We’re talking Brakkus or Khali. Terry blew his spin kick so bad he redid it.

2. Mr. Anderson defeated Jay Lethal in a tournament match in 4:11. Anderson won with the Mic Check. He helped Lethal up after the match.

3. Angelina Love (w/Velvet Sky) defeated Madison Rayne (w/mystery biker chick) to retain the TNA Knockouts Title. It was a marathon of a match that ended at 1:37 with a big boot to the kisser (a la Barbarian).

4. Kurt Angle defeated Douglas Williams in a tournament match in 4:52. Praying for a head bobble from big bad Doug. Angle won when Doug tapped to ankle lock. Great physical match with two bobble heads from Williams. Angle handed Doug the X Division strap post match.

Jeremy Borash said to get ready for two people who haven’t teamed in a while. I got excited and thought it was Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. I jumped the gun. It was actually Sting and Kevin Nash.

Sting and Nash said they were about to tell the truth about the cancer in TNA when Jeff Jarrett came out on the ramp and threatened to beat them up. Hulk Hogan came out with Jeff Jarrett. They headed to the ring and there was a big staredown. The lights went out and when they came back on, Fortune beat down everyone. (Actually, when the lights went off, Hogan and Jarrett just laid down in the ring. Hogan was slow.) Fortune celebrated and then left.

5. D’Angelo Dinero defeated Matt Morgan in a tournament match in 4:46. Pope delivered a double knee to the back of Morgan outside the ring into the post and then rolled him up for the pin.

It was announced that you could get photos taken with Generation Me for $25. No thanks.

6. A.J. Styles pinned Tommy Dreamer in 6:37. Tommy bled. Fortunate walked onto the ramp, but they were jumped by the EV2.0 faction. Abyss snuck inside the ring and slammed Dreamer to set up the finish. There was a big brawl on the ramp to end the show.

The following is scheduled to take place on tonight’s episode of TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV:

* Major update on the status of TNA Champion Rob Van Dam.

* TNA X-Division champion Douglas Williams vs. Kurt Angle.

* Ken Anderson vs. Jay Lethal.

* TNA Knockouts champion Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne.

* Tommy Dreamer vs. AJ Styles.

* Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Terry.

*Pope Dinero vs. Matt Morgan.

Also appearing are Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Kevin Nash, EV2.0, Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett.

Related News: *Spoilers* TNA iMPACT! Tapings Results For Tonight

Former WWE superstar Rene Dupree, who held WWE gold as part of “La Resistance” tag team, recently spoke to Slam Wrestling about the latest chapter in his career, wrestling in Japan and Europe. Dupree had some very harsh things to say about his time in WWE and Vince McMahon in particular.

“I was miserable the last three years I was in WWE, I was miserable, I hated it, because it’s all politics,” Dupree said. You have to kiss ass. In Japan, all you’ve got to do, is you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to look good, and that’s it. And that’s what wrestling is all about. It’s about the performance. It’s not about how big you are, or how good of a promo you can cut. It’s about if you can deliver in the ring.”

Rene Dupree has dramatically changed his look since we last saw him in WWE. He’s now sporting a goatee and is covered in tattoos on his chest, arms, shoulder and back.

“I’ve always wanted tattoos, ever since I was a little kid. Mind you, when I was 18 and I signed with WWE, and they had a strict policy, ‘Oh no, you can’t have tattoos without permission. Oh no, you can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ Basically, when you sign a contract with WWE, you sell your soul. You can’t take a sh*t without asking their permission. That’s the bottom line, that’s the truth. The hell with that shit. No. Here in Japan, I get a new tattoo, and the boys are like, ‘Oh, sugoi (which means awesome), new tattoo.'”

He also had some choice words for Vince McMahon.

“I don’t care how much money Vince McMahon has, Vince McMahon put my father out of business, for a lot of people. That was a very, very hard time in my life. That is very hard to forgive, very hard to forgive.”

Check out this (pretty shocking) “then” and “now” picture of Rene Dupree:

We’ve got an update on the Undertaker following his return to WWE  at Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Many readers who saw the Undertaker’s return at SummerSlam noted that the Dead Man seemed to be out of shape and less muscular than the last time we saw him. SEScoops can confirm that the Undertaker received medical clearance to get back in the gym just a few weeks ago, which explains that. Taker has been nursing a broken orbital bone, among other injuries. He was still experiencing vision problems as recently as last month but is expected to fully recover from the vision problems.  He also suffered a concussion in the match where Rey Mysterio broke his orbital bone.

Undertaker will be feuding with Kane over the World Heavyweight title over the next few months, with current plans calling for matches at Night of Champions in September as well as Hell in a Cell in October. The first Undertaker vs. Kane match (of this chapter of their feud) has been booked for WWE’s return to Madision Square Garden on September 25th.

Here’s the updated card for the 9/25 MSG show:

• Kane vs. Undertaker for the World Title
• Bret Hart and The Hart Dynasty vs. Nexus
• Christian vs. Matt Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler for the IC Title
• Big Show vs. Jack Swagger
• CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston
• MVP vs. Cody Rhodes
• Kelly Kelly & Rosa vs. Michelle McCool & Layla.

Other names scheduled include Alberto Del Rio, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters, Drew McIntyre and Teddy Long.