SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Undertaker vs. Kane Feud Planned, RAW Rating, Orton’s Tattoos

    – Monday’s episode of WWE RAW scored a 3.3 cable rating and averaged 4,660,000 for the 2-hour taped broadcast. The show did hours of 3.17 and 3.39.

    – There is talk of having the Undertaker wrestle Kane at Night of Champions on September 19th and then a rematch at October’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. The Undertaker has been out of action for several weeks and is expected to appear at SummerSlam next weekend.

    – Randy Orton posted a message on Twitter last night saying that he may be appearing on an upcoming episode of the  TLC reality TV show “LA Ink” and get a tattoo from Ms. Kat Von D.

    – This week’s Friday Night SmackDown will be pre-empted until 11pm in New York City due to the Yankees game.

    Credit to f4wonline.com for some of the info used in this report

  • Shane Douglas Talks About Sunday’s Hardcore Justice PPV

    Shane Douglas was interviewed by Brian Fritz of Fanhouse.com this week and discussed Sunday’s TNA Hardcore Justice pay-per-view.

    Related News: Shane Douglas Wants Ric Flair This Sunday At Hardcore Justice

    Here’s what Douglas told Fanhouse about:

    Appearing at Hardcore Justice: “I was offered to be on the show. I would love to be on the show. I put one stipulation forward — that I get Ric Flair. It’s come to my understanding that Ric, rather than talk about his illustrious career or the Four Horsemen or his infamous run-ins with Dusty Rhodes and Hulk Hogan, he decided to talk about me and say some things that my lawyers consider to be bordering on slanderous and libelous. This is no work, this is no joke. I want to get this guy in the ring so I can knock him around a little bit for my own satisfaction and I’m sure the fans would like to see it as well.”

    ECW Guys Still Mistreated: “I would hope that ECW fans would see fit to tune out of this show as opposed to tune in whenever they consider that guys like Ric Flair are paid a half-million dollars a year, Sting’s been paid God knows how many millions of dollars over the past five years, Hogan’s been paid 750 this year. But then they’ll throw Axl Rotten or Balls Mahoney or some of these other brothers of mine $500 a night or a $1,000 for the weekend. To me, that’s repugnant.”

    The Final Chapter For ECW? “I would love for it to be the final epitaph for ECW. If I felt for one second that TNA was going to do it right then a) the pay they’re offering out to the guys is telling me they’re far from doing it right, and b) the storylines and lack of promotion, true promotion — true, real push for the show … I’ve been around the business for almost three decades now. I know (the difference between) a show being pushed and not being pushed. This show is far from being pushed. I haven’t seen an ad any place outside of TNA’s website. So, I don’t know if Dixie is trying to get Spike (TV) over her back for Paul Heyman or if she’s trying to pull a smoke-and-mirrors with ECW fans.”

  • Transcript Of Vince McMahon’s Investor Conference Call

    Credit to TheStreet.com for this transcript of Vince McMahon’s address to WWE investors at this week’s conference call..

    Click Here for more on WWE’s 2nd Quarter financial results.

    Basically, we had a lousy quarter, and I think that it was sort of like a perfect storm, if you would, we had quite a number of negatives as it relates to the Icelandic volcano situation, which our troops were stranded over there for quite some time.

    Notwithstanding that, another perfect storm as it relates to talent and intellectual property and the use of them at the end of WrestleMania, the remaining of those really our top talents, some of them retired, which one of them we knew was going to another we did not.

    In addition to that there were considerable injuries that booked a number of our performers on the sideline as well, Undertaker, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels retired, Batista, unexpectedly, took a hiatus, Triple H injured. These are some of the stalwarts that we rely on.

    These are some of the star, which that we are relying on to for pay-per-view numbers, rely on for live events, and that’s really my major barometer in terms of where the business is going. All live events is for those pay-per-view numbers, because the pay-per-view is no different than really a live event that’s simply televised.

    So, those two are numbers that were indicative of the lousy quarter in terms of pay-per-view and the lack of attendance, but all of that of course relates to WWE not giving the public the performance in terms of attraction that they want to see.

    And again, that’s because of the perfect storm-type situation that we’ve never had in the business in terms of all of these talents leaving and injured all at the same time.

    We did have a couple of strengths in terms of home video somewhat up. Our tour launch with Mattel, and Mattel as a partner is tremendous and we will continue to have very positive impacts.

  • *Spoilers* SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight

    – Thanks to Eric for the following WWE SmackDown spoilers from last night, which will air on August 6th:

    * The show opens with Rey Mysterio. Rey says he did not take out The Undertaker. Drew McIntyre comes out and says he’s going to take out Mysterio just like he did to Christian last week. Rey accepts Drew’s challenge for the main event.

    * Cody Rhodes defeated Matt Hardy.

    * A backstage segment with Layla, Michelle McCool and Teddy Long. Teddy demands they give up one of the belts and Michelle does. LayCool argues and break the other belt.

    * Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Ziggler got help from Vickie Guerrero in the match. Kofi attacks Dolph after the match and beats him up bad.

    * CM Punk, Serena, Joey Mercury and Luke Gallows come out. Punk shows footage of them beating up Big Show last week and brags about it. Punk cuts a promo on his fellow SES members.

    * Punk, Gallows and Mercury defeat the team of MVP, JTG and Chris Masters. Good match here with Gallows getting the win for his team.

    * Teddy Long and Jack Swagger had a backstage segment. Swagger blamed all his troubles with Kane on Teddy. I think this may have been a segment for arena viewers only since they referenced the dark main event.

    * Rey Mysterio defeated Drew McIntyre in the main event with a rollup. This was the best match for SmackDown of the night.

    * After the match Kane comes down and there’s a casket. Rey escapes from Kane and says he didn’t take out Undertaker and reveals that Kane was the attacker. SmackDown ends with Kane staring up to the sky for a long time, crying or laughing to himself.

  • WWE Releases Second Quarter Earnings Results

    WWE released its second quarter earnings results today. Overall the results were not good, as they were below analysts expectations and last year’s Q2 results.  The main points:

    * Revenues for the second quarter were $106.8 million with an opening income of $10.3 million and a net income of $6.3 million. The second quarter last year included WrestleMania, which was in the first quarter this year. When removing WrestleMania, second quarter results last year were $106.6 million in revenue, with $13.1 million in operating income and $10.2 million in net income.

    * WWE cited the soft economy as well as “recent changes in our talent base” as the major reasons for the disappointing performance.

    “In the second quarter, our performance fell below management expectations as trends weakened in the latter part of the quarter. Although we believe the continued softness in the economy played a part in our results, recent changes in our talent base may have also impacted key operating metrics, particularly domestic pay-per-view buys and live event attendance,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, our profitability was negatively affected by the reduction in revenue from high margin businesses and by the logistical costs related to the Icelandic volcano. We view some of these factors as temporary and, looking ahead, we remain confident in our ability to address these challenges by producing compelling content and cultivating consumer demand. On a positive note, the second quarter reflected improved results in our Home Video business and our continued success in managing our expenses.”

    * Revenues in North America dropped 32% while revenues outside of America increased 3%, compared to last year. When excluding WrestleMania from last year’s second quarter, revenues dropped 5% in North America and increased 11% outside of North America.

    * North American TV revenue was way down, from $103.5 million last year to $70.5 million this year.

    * Home video revenue was up, from $8.6 million last year to $11.5 million this year.

    * WWE.com revenues were down from $4.5 million last year to $3 million this year.

    * WWEShop revenues were down from $3.4 million last year to $2.4 million this year.

  • Mickie James Talks About Working For TNA & Her WWE Relese

    Former WWE Diva Mickie James was interviewed by Fanhouse.com this week and spoke about her music career, her WWE release and whether she’d work for TNA Wrestling again.

    Here are some highlights of what she said about:

    Her WWE Release: “It definitely was heartbreaking and it was out of the blue for me. It totally blindsided me and I didn’t see it coming. But, you know, hindsight is 20-20. Perhaps if I wasn’t so passionate … I don’t know, it’s one of those things that I think I would’ve never cut out on my own because I did love my job and I loved WWE and I loved my fans so much that I would’ve given anything. And I intended to be able to do both, to still wrestle 250 days out of the year and, in the meantime, if we’re in Savannah, Georgia, do the show that night and then maybe go to a bar and even if it’s like a little acoustic set, do a mini-acoustic set afterward and then hit the radio stations the next morning … I had this whole plan. So it kind of totally hit me out of left field, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise because now I can really concentrate on the music, and kind of cherry-pick when I’m gonna wrestle and what I’m gonna do and rebuild my plan of what I want to do and where I want to go.”

    Her Music Career Being Her Top Priority: “Here’s the deal — I think that I’ve made my mark in the industry and I’ve made a legacy in the business, and granted there’s a lot more that I wanted to do, but it kind of fell short. So now it’s just a moving forward thing. I don’t think that anything that I could do in the industry right now on this level, in the wrestling industry, would ever compare to wrestling in front of 90,000 people. Unless it’s right and it’s the perfect thing, my focus is on the music. My heart and soul, that’s where I’m at right now, all my focus is on that.”

    Working For TNA: “Well certainly I’ve entertained the thought and it’s one of those things … there has to be this beautiful marriage between the two. Obviously my music right now is in the forefront, and if there’s a way to be able to do it and still … you know, because TNA’s schedule is certainly less demanding, maybe what, 100 dates out of the year? Obviously it would give me a lot more time, but it would also give me that platform to be able to be there for my wrestling fans and hope that they would support me with my music.”

  • Eric Bischoff Hypes Hardcore Justice, Talks TNA, McMahon

    TNA’s Eric Bischoff was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/02/09) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem radio show. For details on the show, visit MondayNightMayhem.com.

    During the appearance, Bischoff Discusses Why TNA Is Not Trying To Recreate ECW, If He Feels The Angle Is Overshadowing TNA’s Current Crop Of Stars, The Recent Spike In Ratings For TNA iMPACT (And The Locker Room’s Reaction To It), His ECW One Night Stand Experience (And Whether Or Not He Was Truly Scared For His Life That Night), If Turning Heel Is Just Around The Corner For Him, How “The Whole F’N Show” Spike TV/TNA Special Could Mirror WCW’s Clash Of The Champions, The Beer Money/Motor City Machine Guns’ “Best Of Five” Series For The TNA World Tag Team Titles, & The Reasons Why He Believes That Vince McMahon Would Not Induct Him Into The WWE Hall Of Fame…Even If He Were Not Under TNA Contract.

    Click Here to listen to an MP3 of Eric Bischoff’s appearance on the show.

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

    Why the recent “extreme” revival in TNA/this Sunday night’s HardCORE Justice Pay-Per-View “is not ECW” & why TNA is not trying to recreate it: “Let’s make a couple of things really clear. This is not ECW. ECW was around on TNN for 12 months…that’s it. I know it’s grown in mythology and in the minds of people, but it lasted on TNA for 12 or 13 months. It found a home because it found a niche. It was a very violent, gritty, & very cool in many respects, and I’m not cutting it down in any way because it was different. To Paul E’s credit, he found a way to make what he was doing and the limitations he had to work with, and he was able to make a product that was different, and fans liked it because it was different. TNA, or WWE, or anyone that has to make money with a brand isn’t going to be able to resort to the level of violence & the presentation that they got used back on TNN. It’s just not possible. I want to make clear that this is not ECW, and we are not trying to re-create ECW. People that are getting so hung up on this ECW comparison are getting lost in their own mythology.”

    Why he is in favor of the ECW angle at this point & whether or not the current crop of TNA stars are being overshadowed as a result of it: “I don’t know if it’s taking any money out of Sting’s pockets, or taking money out of Jay Lethal’s pockets, or anybody’s pockets. Jay Lethal is probably enjoying one of the better stages of his career as of late. I don’t think you’ll hear Jay Lethal complain about it. It’s a great story, it’s great for TNA, and the ratings are up, which is good for everybody. It’s good for business, and when business is good, everybody prospers.”

    The morale of the TNA locker room & the reaction from Spike TV after the most recent iMPACT ratings were made public: “Other than Vince Russo, who I speak to daily, I haven’t really talked to anybody since the rating came out. I’m sure that everyone is excited. I’ve had several conversations with the folks at Spike TV, and I know everyone is excited. In terms of the talent, I really haven’t had a chance to talk to them.”

    Why he believes that Vince McMahon would not put him into the WWE Hall of Fame, even if he was not under contract to TNA right now: “I don’t. I like Vince, and I respect Vince, but he’s his own unique animal, and there’s certain parts of history that neither he or some of the key people around him will ever forget, and I think that history, even if I wasn’t with TNA, would probably preclude me from being involved. I’m sure I’d get an invitation to come, but I don’t think Vince McMahon would ever, under any circumstances, give that spotlight away.”

  • Shane Douglas Wants Ric Flair This Sunday At Hardcore Justice

    Shane Douglas posted the following on his official website, FranchiseFanSite.com, calling out TNA for using his likeness to promote Hardcore Justice when he’s never agreed to appear. Douglas says he’s willing to appear on the show, but only if he gets a shot at Ric Flair, “face to face.”

    Douglas and Flair have had bad blood for many years, dating back to the early days of ECW, when Douglas would cut very harsh promos about the Nature Boy, who was in WCW at the time. Flair has taken some cheap shots against Shane Douglas in recent interviews, bringing up the fact that he currently works at the retail store “Target.”

    From The Franchise:

    After seeing, the ECW promo piece put out by tna, and being deluged by texts & emails from friends AND fans, I felt, very strongly, that I should put out a clarification about that less-than-honest video from tna.

    Firstly, MOST organizations would NOT wish to mislead any potential customer(s)! CLEARLY, this video intended to mislead wrestling fans, most certainly ECW fans! That said, I have to question tna’s motive(s) in placing ANY shot of me in their promotional pieces?! tna is overly aware that we have NOT come to terms for any participation by ECW’s centerpiece “Franchise” in “Hardcore Justice”!

    So, either they are trying to deceive potential ppv buyers (namely ECW fans), or they must be willing to meet my only demand for the event- Dic Flair on a silver platter! This was the biggest angle, teased to our loyal fanbase, that never came “to a head” in ECW. Unless I’m missing the mark, I feel VERY STRONGLY that this IS a match our fanbase, and tna’s, would tune in to see. Too bad, thus far, tna seems to be following their now-tired trend of ignoring their fans’ desires!!!

    I stand prepared to take part in the “final bow” of this great organization. I only demand that our fans get what they deserve- Dic Flair and The Franchise, face to face, for their enjoyment!

    To be fair and certain, it would seem Dic would want the same thing, judging from his recent comments about me. SURELY, “the, ahem, man” isn’t afraid of a guy who “works retail”, right DIC?

    Balls in your, and tna’s (Dixie?) court! What do you fans think? Or, more importantly, what do you fans want? Surely, the Carter’s want to aim to please… RIGHT?!

    Not hiding behind someone’s blouse, are you, Dic?!?!
    I’m waiting…

  • Heyman Update, Team 3D’s Contracts, Hogan Retired

    – With TNA’s HardCORE Justice pay-per-view just a few days away, sources in TNA say there’s little to no buzz backstage about Paul Heyman appearing at the show. While Heyman has met with TNA management in recent months, things seem to have died down as of late.

    – Don’t expect to see Hulk Hogan back in the ring any time soon. In recent comments made to prowrestling.net, Eric Bischoff gave an update on the condition of Hulk Hogan’s health following recent back surgeyr.  “I don’t know for sure,” Bischoff said. “I don’t even ask him anymore because I know what his reaction would be. He’d say he’s feeling perfect.” Bischoff said Hogan feels that if he verbalizes something positively, it will come true, which is why he takes that approach with his back. When asked whether Hogan’s in-ring career is over, Bischoff said, “I don’t see him wrestling again. I’d be disappointed and there would probably be a physical moment backstage because I would try to stop him.”

    – Team 3D is currently negotiating new TNA contracts, as the current deals are set to expire in the next few months. For what it’s worth, neither Brother Ray or Devon are happy about the latest ECW revival in TNA.

  • Kurt Angle Compares His & John Cena’s New Movies

    TNA star Kurt Angle posted a few messages on Twitter.com/anglefoods1 comparing his new movie “Beyond the Mat” to WWE star John Cena’s “Legendary.” Both are about amateur wrestling, but Angle says Cena’s movie lacks realism.

    “I heard that “Beyond the Mat” comes out in Jan. Legendary comes out next month. The difference is realism. Legendary is not true to real wrestling. Beyond the Mat, it has me, Ken Shamrock- all world class athletes who know how to succeed.”

    His next comment got cut off, but said the “dark horse” movie would be the movie of 2011.

    12-hours later, Angle followed up by complimenting Cena’s work on Legendary and says Cena’s movie is good for the sport:

    “But I heard Cena did a great job in Legendary. Thanks for pushing the sport of amateur wrestling John. It’s great for the sport.”

    Angle plays an amateur wrestling coach in “Beyond the Mat”, which will be in theaters February 2011.

    Angle also said he’s got two more movie projects this year. He’s currently shooting “Death From Above” and will begin working on “Madman Marz” in a few months.

  • Hardcore Justice News: More Confirmed Stars, bWo Appearing?

    – TNA president Dixie Carter posted a message on Twitter this week announcing that Brother Runt, C.W. Anderson, and The FBI will be at Sunday’s HardCORE Justice PPV.

    – Despite the fact that TNA has used video clips of him to promote Hard Justice, former ECW champion Shane Douglas is telling people he does not plan on being at the show.

    – Former ECW manager and referee Judge Jeff Jones recently appeared on Low Blow Radio and said he’s like to appear at Hardcore Justice, but never got an invitation. He’s reached out to friends in TNA about getting booked for the show, but there does not appear to be any interest.

    – Stevie Richards taped a few backstage segments wearing a bWo (Blue World Order) t-shirt at last week’s TNA iMPACT! tapings, a sign that we’ll see him reunite with fellow bWo members Nova and The Blue Meanie this Sunday.

  • Updated Preview For Sunday’s TNA HardCORE Justice PPV

    Hardcore Justice LIVE COVERAGE: This Sunday Night
    If you’re not ordering the show, BE HERE for our detailed Live Coverage!
    Detailed updates every minute so you don’t miss any of the action

    Confirmed Matches:

    * Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

    * Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven
    (with Mick Foley as the referee)

    The following ECW originals are also confirmed for Sunday’s TNA HardCORE Justice PPV:

    – Sabu
    – Team 3D
    – Rhino
    – Stevie Richards
    – Simon Diamond
    – Al Snow
    – Axl Rotten
    – Johnny Swinger
    – Brother Runt
    – C.W. Anderson
    – Members of The FBI

    More matches and appearances are expected to be announced before Sunday – stay tuned.

  • Cena Praised Backstage, Angle Planned For RAW, Feud Scrapped

    – John Cena has gotten a lot of praise backstage lately for his work with the Nexus crew, both on television and at WWE live events. While most of the Nexus stars are seen as “green” (except Wade Barrett, who management is happy with), Cena has helped them look like legitimate stars.

    – We’ve heard that WWE is working on a big angle for Monday’s RAW, the final show before SummerSlam on August 15th. Monday’s RAW will be headlined by John Cena and Bret Hart vs.  Edge and Chris Jericho.

    – A source in WWE says plans for a John Morrison and Melina vs. Ted DiBiase and Maryse feud have been put on hold and might be resumed after the summer.

    – The Great Khali has been walking around with a bad limp lately. He’s not expected to miss any ring time, but is pretty banged up.

    Credit to f4wonline.com for some of the info used in this report

  • Shane McMahon Named CEO Of China Broadband, Inc.

    Former WWE executive Shane McMahon has been named the new CEO of China Broadband, Inc. Here’s the official press release:

    China Broadband, Inc. (“China Broadband” or “the Company”) (OTCBB: CBBD), a provider of cable broadband services, and publisher of digital and analog program guides in the Shandong Province of China, is pleased to announce that it has closed a private placement financing with institutional and accredited investors with aggregate gross proceeds of $9.625 million to fund the simultaneous acquisition of Sinotop Group Limited, (“Sinotop”), through which China Broadband will provide integrated value-added services (VAS) solutions for the delivery of Pay-Per-View (PPV), Video-On-Demand (VOD), and enhanced premium content for cable providers in China.

    Marc Urbach, President of China Broadband stated, “We are excited to announce the completion of our private placement and acquisition transactions. This has been a very positive reflection of the support from our existing and new shareholders, and we believe this signals the vitality of our new business and commitment as leaders in the premium content space.”

    Simultaneous with the private placement and the acquisition of Sinotop, China Broadband appointed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Executive, Shane McMahon, as its Chief Executive Officer.

    Mr. Urbach further stated, “Mr. McMahon has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and we are honored to have one of the most seasoned veterans of PPV and premium sports entertainment in the world join the China Broadband team. His highly skilled background in marketing and promotion will be instrumental in moving us forward. In addition we look forward to working with some of the most prestigious and established media companies in China to advance the development of a sophisticated content platform. With the acquisition of Sinotop, our goal is to become the leading provider of VOD and PPV services in China.”

    The private placement involved the sale of (i) $3.125 million of common units, at a per unit price of $0.05, with each common unit consisting of one share of common stock and a warrant for the purchase of one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05, (ii) $3.5 million of Series A units, at a per unit price of $0.50, with each Series A unit consisting of one share of Series A Preferred Stock (convertible into ten shares of common stock) and a warrant to purchase 34.2857 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05, and (iii) $3.0 million of Series B units, at a per unit price of $0.50, with each Series B unit consisting of one share of Series B Preferred Stock (convertible into ten shares of common stock) and a warrant to purchase ten shares of common stock.

    Chardan Capital Markets LLC acted as placement agent for the transaction.

    For a more detailed summary of the material provisions of the Financing Agreements please see the Company’s current report on Form 8-K that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission today and is available at www.sec.gov.

    About China Broadband

    China Broadband’s flagship operation is Jinan Jia He Broadband, also known as Jinan Broadband, the fifth largest broadband operator in China and the second largest broadband service provider in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan. Through its Shandong Group affiliate, China Broadband publishes digital and analog television program guides, newspapers and entertainment magazines. It holds the exclusive license to publish television program guides in Shandong Province, one of the largest regional economies in China. For more information, visit http://www.chinabroadband.tv.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward looking statements.” All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are “forward-looking statements.” These forward looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

  • Tommy Dreamer Hypes Hardcore Justice, Paul Heyman Is Invited

    Former two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Tommy Dreamer, was one of the special guests on this week’s edition (08/02/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem radio show. Dreamer Says “There Is An Invitation Out There” To Paul Heyman For This Sunday Night’s HardCORE Justice PPV, Discusses The Reaction From Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff At The Revival Of ECW (And Getting “The Rub From “The Hulkster” On Last Thursday’s IMPACT), The Reaction By Critics (Who Feel That ECW Is Once Again Being Prostituted & Bastardized), Those In The WWE, & Several Former ECW Stars (Who Chose Not To Participate), How Long He Has Been Planning This Pay-Per-View Concept, The Importance Of Authenticity For This Show, Just How Close We Were To Seeing the PPV At The Former ECW Arena Or The Hammerstein Ballroom, What The Fans Can Expect From Him In TNA After His “Final Showdown” With Raven, & The Legacy Of ECW.

    Click Here to listen to an MP3 of the entire interview.

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

    How supportive has Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff been about the ECW revival in TNA/the concept of the Hardcore Justice Pay-Per-View & the Hardcore Originals getting “the rub” from “The Hulkster” in the ring on last Thursday night’s iMPACT: “I was at WrestleMania with my dad. I was at WrestleMania II. For anyone to say anything about Hulk Hogan, he walks slowly and has a bit of a limp from all the surgeries. He has given so much to this business. To be in the ring with him, and the fan in me & the kid in me, they kept showing me & D-Von, and we were flexing, almost doing the Hulk Hogan pose as Hulk was coming to the ring. In regards to Dixie Carter giving us her 100% blessing, I don’t really know the guys’ personal feelings towards it, but I don’t think if Hulk Hogan didn’t like what he saw, I don’t think he would be out there. He has that stroke to say ‘No, I don’t wanna do something.’ I don’t know Eric Bischoff’s personal feelings towards it. Obviously, they are going forward and giving whatever Pay-Per-View matches they were gonna do for Hard Justice; they are gonna do the following Thursday, which is great.”

    The Paul Heyman/TNA rumors & the “invitation” being extended to Paul for this Sunday night’s Pay-Per-View: “I have spoken to Paul, and there is an invitation out there. I would love for him to be there, but I understand if he’s not. He’s also doing stuff for Brock Lesnar. Paul is Paul, and if he does come in, I think he could definitely help. If he doesn’t, the business moves on without him. He’s very, very talented, and I think it would be cool to get people to drink his Kool-Aid again. If he does come to terms, I think it would be a good deal for Paul, and hopefully it would be a good deal for TNA as well.”

    His thoughts on the refusal of several former ECW stars (such as “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, Mikey Whipwreck, & Lance Storm) choosing not to appear at HardCORE Justice: “Number one, there are only so many matches that you can truly have. I also don’t wanna throw a bunch of people into Battle Royals just for the sake of throwing people into the show. Yes, I did reach out to Lance Storm, and he said ‘Thanks for thinking of me, but I had my closure in 2005, and it was the perfect scenario for me.’ He had some personal issues with TNA, but that didn’t affect our friendship. Mikey Whipwreck has some serious health issues, and talking to Mikey he said ‘Hey, when I sneeze, my fingers go numb, and I gotta get my neck worked on.’ He also did not want to go out there and embarrass himself, and to me, if you can’t go out to that ring, you shouldn’t go out there anymore. If you’re there, you’re there. If you’re not there, I respect that.”

    His reaction to the critics who think this PPV is being done to only make money for TNA & those that feel that the ECW legacy is being bastardized/prostituted yet again and the response he has received from World Wrestling Entertainment (including his long-time friends & colleagues who still work there): “I’ve gotten so many texts & phone calls from people who do work in the WWE congratulating me and wishing me tons of success. This was never about bashing the WWE, or we’re better…that’s not the case. My plan was to create a buzz for TNA. I’ve done that, and created some ratings for TNA, and we’ve done that too. After this, my goal is to help all that in TNA. I do have a different perspective, not saying that it’s 100% right, but these are ways I could prove to other people that if this is a success, that we are on the right track here. Bastardizing it and all that stuff, no. Bottom line, this is a television show. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it. Everything I have tried to do in my short time I’ve been in TNA, and trust me when I tell you: this is for TNA & for the future of this business. I wish I could have Joey Styles call the Pay-Per-View, but I can’t, because he’s under contract. If Chris Jericho was available, I would have Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, but I can’t. The surprises I have in store I hope are good surprises for people, and I look at this as a celebration of guys who are getting another shot, and you’ll never see us together again.”

    What can the fans can expect from him in TNA (both inside the squared circle and/or behind the scenes) after his “Final Showdown” with Raven at HardCORE Justice: “My goal is to contribute to TNA in any role given to me and to continue to contribute in the wrestling business that I love so much. I have a list of men & women that I have seen on the indies that are television ready, and I have a list of people that should go to a developmental system that I’ve seen them work live, and if I have the opportunity to introduce these new people to the world, I would love to do that. It’s going out there and having to wrestle AJ Styles, finding a partner and wrestling Beer Money, wrestling Samoa Joe, or helping with a promo in the background behind the scenes, or helping on creative. Giving my experiences that I learned to show what I feel to help you take it to the next level. Just continue to contribute to the TNA product, as well as contribute to the business that I love.”

    More is contained in Tommy Dreamer’s highly anticipated/first-ever appearance on the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, including the actual origins of the HardCORE Justice Pay-Per-View concept, the importance of authenticity for this show, just how close we could have been to seeing the PPV at the former ECW Arena or The Hammerstein Ballroom, & so much more! Call your local cable or satellite provider and demand HardCORE Justice: The Final Stand! While counting down the days until Sunday night’s PPV, we strongly encourage you to check out Tommy’s official website (located at www.TheTommyDreamer.com), and follow “The Innovator of Violence” right now on his Twitter page (located at www.Twitter.com/TheTommyDreamer).

  • Chris Jericho Talks About Leaving WWE & Calls TNA Horrendous

    Former six-time World Heavyweight Champion, WWE superstar, the lead singer of Fozzy, & the host of ABC’s Downfall, Chris Jericho, was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (08/02/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem live every Monday night (at 7PM ET/6PM CT) at MondayNightMayhem.com.

    Click Here to listen to an MP3 of the full Interview

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

    What has been the most rewarding part of the release of Fozzy’s fourth album, Chasing the Grail and what it has been like for the band to be embraced band by their peers within the rock/metal scene & the music industry: “I think how the band started, it was a fun thing playing a lot of covers, and that’s how we were signed by the guy that signed Metallica & Anthrax. We really didn’t understand it, but we did it, and then to morph out of that into a “real band,” playing all original stuff, especially our last two records. Just to see the shift in attitudes from people who understands the band, it has become a viable, kick-ass rock n’ roll band with great songs. I think an example of the most rewarding part was when we played in BB Kings in New York; we had four-fifths of Anthrax there, Avenged Sevenfold joined us on stage, Vinnie Paul from Pantera was there. Just a huge cavalcade of guys from the business there, and it was just cool to say that we have respect from our peers, which is so important.”

    His upcoming seven-on-seven Elimination Tag Team Match at SummerSlam (Team WWE vs. The Nexus), why the angle with The Nexus has generated so much positive buzz, & why he believes the fans have been intrigued thus far: “This match is cool, because obviously they created a great angle using guys who have never had matches on TV before basically, which I don’t think has ever been done before, and to have such a talked about storyline. Seven guys who have proved nothing as far as being main-event draws, but it goes to show that when you have a good storyline, a good idea, and promote it the right way. I’m just excited about it, and I’m happy about the storyline leading up to it. I think people are really intrigued by the whole situation, and that’s the best thing you could do, and to me, that’s the most important thing has always been the story. The match is important, but it’s the story that gets you there.”

    The evolution & growth of Jericho’s rookie from NXT Season I Wade Barrett, why Chris knew that he saw himself with “the winner” as soon as they were paired up together, & why he would have been a great star in the WWE whether The Nexus was created or not: “There really hasn’t been much growth…he was good from the moment that he appeared. You could see his presence & his promo ability right off the bat was tremendous, his whole look & ambiance, so he was a star right off the bat, and as soon as I was paired up with him, I knew I was with the winner, because he’s got it more than these other guys do. Work wise, we really haven’t seen much from him. Is he a great worker? Is he a good worker? Does he suck? I don’t know, I think he’s a good worker and has room for improvement, and that’s because he doesn’t have a lot of experience in WWE arenas. But he, by far, is the most talented of the group, the biggest star of the group. Whether they created Nexus or not, he would have been a great star in the WWE. The only thing we need to work on with him is his actual matches, because we haven’t gotten to see much, except for a couple of three-minute matches. But other than that, I think he’s the total package of what we are looking for in the WWE at this point.”

    The comparisons of The Nexus to the original NWO, along with the recycling of old angles in professional wrestling & sports-entertainment: “There’s only so many ideas you could think of, and there’s only so much talent out there. The bottom line is there’s so many new guys on the shows nowadays, so you have to use that to your advantage, or you have to go back to your old faithful. I don’t see this being the NWO, because the NWO wasn’t like this. The NWO began with three guys that were all World Champions and big huge stars. So you have Hall, Nash, & Hogan who everyone had known & seen before, and that was part of the shock. The Nexus, we don’t know any of these guys or seen any of them before. They have never drawn a dime anywhere, and that’s the difference. This pack that are working as a well-oiled machine that’s done nothing before…that’s the real surprise. As far as what TNA is doing with ECW, why not?

    Why he sees TNA as being a “vanity project that’s been treading water for the last four years,” why he sees their booking being “horrendous,” why the HardCORE Justice could spike their PPV buyrates, & why bringing in Tommy Dreamer could be just what the company needs: “They got nothing else going on, their booking is horrendous, and I say that with the utmost respect for those guys and I most desire to see them succeed, but it’s crap. You know it’s crap, they throw stuff up against the wall, and it’s so hard to watch when it doesn’t have to be. They’re doing 10,000 buys on Pay-Per-View, so let’s bring back The Sandman & Sabu, and maybe they could do 30,000 buys. Go for it; maybe they can do something out of it. Having a guy like Tommy Dreamer involved behind the scenes might be what they need. Get rid of the same old stuff that they have been doing over & over, and bring in someone with a new perspective, and maybe that will help them get their heads out of there asses and just making some money instead of doing this as sort of a vanity project that’s been treading water for the last four years.”

    How Chris stays in shape with all of his WWE commitments, his duties as the host of ABC’s Downfall, Fozzy, & other projects: “Crystal Meth. No, I have a lot of drive & passion for the things that I do, and I don’t take on stuff that I can’t completely nail. I’m not as busy as I could be, I still turn down quite a lot of things. Obviously with the band I’ve been playing music a lot longer than I have been wrestling, so this is something I have always wanted to do. As far as the other things, Downfall was a huge opportunity for me, and I would be crazy not to do that. Am I busy sometimes? Yeah, but it all balances out, and when it’s my time off, it’s my time off.”

    What does Chris have left to give to the wrestling industry if he decides to stay with the WWE when his contract expires this fall & his response to the Internet rumors that foresee him leaving World Wrestling Entertainmeny being a mere certainty: “Just keep giving what I’ve been giving for the last 20 years, which is performing at the highest level that I can, and I think the stuff I have been doing over the last three years is the best work of my career. So there’s no reason for me to walk away from the WWE at this point, because I think I could perform at the level I have been doing for the last three years because you can’t teach experience. The company has a great future ahead of it, and guys are starting to break through that I’m really proud of. A guy like me, who has been doing this for 20 (and I’m only 39 years old), I could keep doing this another five or six years if I want to, so when it’s time for me to walk away, I’ll know, but as for now, I still enjoy it. I love speculation…that’s what I love about the Internet. Somebody writes something, so it becomes the gospel truth and written in stone.”

  • NXT Preview, Ex-WWE Stars Wed, Melina Trends On Twitter

    – The following matches were taped last week for tonight’s “Rookie Challenge” episode of WWE NXT:

    * Kaval vs. Husky Harris
    * Alex Riley vs. Percy Watson
    * Michael McGillicutty vs. Lucky Cannon, with the winner facing The Miz in the main event.

    – Former WWE stars Stacy “The Kat” Carter (the ex-wife of Jerry Lawler) and Nick “Kizarny” Cvjetkovich were married over the weekend. Congratulations to those two.

    – Following her return to WWE RAW last night, Melina was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

    – WWE is currently working on several books for children that will be released next year. The projects include an Ultimate Guide to WWE, Mad Libs and books on the Brothers of Destruction (Undertaker and Kane), among others.

  • Triple H Has A New Look – Pictures From His New Movie

    Pictures have surfaced online of WWE superstar Triple H sporting a new clean-shaven look. The pictures come from the set of his new movie, “The Chaperone,” which was filmed in June in New Orleans.

    It was recently reported that Triple H underwent surgery to repair a torn biceps.  He’s not expected to be back in the ring until October at the earliest and could be out as long as December. There’s been talk of Triple H turning heel and aligning himself with the Nexus.

    Here are the pictures:

  • WWE RAW Results: August 2nd, 2010

    Report by Ben Balentine, Edward Gonzales, and ProWrestling.net

    WWE Monday Night Raw Taping Results from San Antonio, Texas

    Opening video and pyro went off. The main event was advertised as Randy Orton vs The Miz.

    Edge came out to open the show. After saying he doesn’t trust his Raw team. Edge challenged Wade Barrett to a match. R-Truth came out and told Edge he needs to stop thinking about himself and get with the team. Edge threatened Truth with a spear.

    The anonymous general manager chimed in. Cole stated the general manager wanted R-Truth to exit the ring for the next match, which was Edge vs. Barrett, Truth told Edge, “Good luck, you are on your own.”

    1. Edge fought Wade Barrett to a no-contest when Nexus interfered. Barrett nearly took the spear, but he got out of the ring and called for his Nexus teammates. Edge escaped through the crowd and ran right by correspondent Edward. Edge stared down Nexus from the crowd.

    2. Alicia Fox, Jillian Hall, and Tamnia defeated Natalya, Eve Torres, and Gail Kim. Fox pinned Natalya to win the match. Fox got on the mic and said she’s the best Divas Champion ever. Melina’s theme hit and she ran out and beat up Fox. Melina did the splits and then posed for the live crowd.

    Backstage, Cena found Edge and said they have to fight together in order to win at SummerSlam. Edge said Cena would have to win without him because he quit the team.

    Jericho came to Cena and said Cena is the one who really needs to quit. He challenged Cena to a match for later in the show. The loser of the match leaves the SummerSlam team. Cena said no at first, but Jericho convinced him.

    John Morrison and Great Khali were shown talking backstage. Morrison left and the Nexus arrived. They said they didn’t attack Khali last week because they respect him and want him to join them. It was announced that Khali would face Ted DiBiase Jr. later in the show.

    3. Sheamus pinned Goldust. Sheamus said what a difference a year makes. He said he became champion in one year and didn’t need a briefcase, nor did he take as long as Orton did to win his first title. He said Orton couldn’t beat Triple H, whereas he ended Hunter’s career.

    4. John Cena defeated Chris Jericho in a loser leaves Team Raw match. Cena won the match with the STF. The live crowd was really into this match. Afterward, Cena told Jericho he didn’t want him to leave the team. He said Jericho is still the best at what he does, and said they could taken on Nexus together. Jericho shook his head no and walked out on Cena, so it looks like he’s off the team.

    Backstage, Edge and Chris Jericho agreed that Cena needed them, but they don’t need him. The Raw general manager chimed in and announced that next week, Edge and Jericho will face Cena and Bret Hart. The Nexus members will serve as lumberjacks for the match.

    Justin Roberts interviewed Randy Orton, who responded to Sheamus’s promo by saying he gave Triple H a six-week vacation by kicking him in the skull. Orton invited Sheamus to ringside to watch his match against Miz. He said the good news for Sheamus is that he will beat Miz so bad that he won’t be able to cash in his MITB contract. He said the bad news is that it will be Sheamus’s turn for the beating in two weeks.

    5. The Great Khali defeated Ted DiBiase. Wade Barrett and Skip Sheffield came to ringside and distracted DiBiase by grabbing his Million Dollar Title belt, which led to Khali getting the win via the Vice Grip.

    The Miz came out and said Randy made a mistake. He said he will be champion if he cashes in on Orton or Sheamus, because he’s The Miz and he’s awesome.

    6. Randy Orton defeated The Miz. Sheamus watched the match from the stage. Randy pinned Miz after hitting the RKO. Sheamus rushed the ring, but Randy saw it coming and struck the Viper Pose, which stopped Sheamus dead in his tracks. This may end up being the point where the television show will go off the air.

    Cena came out while Sheamus, Miz, and Orton were still at ringside. Nexus came out and told Sheamus to leave because they have a truce. Mark Henry came out with the Raw crew to fight off Nexus. The Raw crew successfully chased off the majority of Nexus and then roughed up Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater. The Raw crew stood tall as Cena’s music played to end the show.

  • Hollywood Stars On RAW, Cena At FCW, New Talent

    – Several cable providers list the following description for tonight’s WWE RAW:

    “Guest appearances by Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Plus, is Team Raw disintegrating”

    Update: The Bella Twins just wrote the following on Twitter:

    “Make sure to tune into RAW tonight, we were hangin’ with our friend Will Ferrell talkin’ about his new movie The Other Guys, which is a must see & absolutely hilarious!”

    Wahlberg and Ferrell star in the new movie “The Other Guys” along with Samuel L. Jackson and WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

    According to WWE.com, RAW isn’t scheduled to have a guest host until October.

    – John Cena is at Florida Championship Wrestling today on the final day of WWE’s scouting weekend.

    – Several FCW talents are expected to be offered contracts developmental this afternoon.

    Related News: Jim Ross Talks About Scouting At WWE Developmental Over The Weekend

  • Sabu Confirmed for Hardcore Justice, Hogan Roasts “The Hoff”

    – TNA President Dixie Carter made the following announcement on Twitter today:

    “Just spoke to Dreamer. SABU is confirmed for HardCORE Justice this Sunday.”

    – TNA star Hulk Hogan appeared at the Comedy Central roast of actor (and previous RAW guest host) David Hasselhoff. According to a fan report, Hogan ripped off his  Hulkamania t-shirt during the roast, revealing a “Suck it Hoff” T-Shirt. The event will air on Comedy Central in a few weeks.

    Here is video of Hulk Hogan arriving on the red carpet for the Roast:

  • Steve Austin Hypes His New Movie “The Expendables”

    The New York Post has a special feature looking at the new action movie “The Expendables” – which they’ve dubbed the ‘manliest movie ever.’ The action movie, which hits theaters in the United States on August 13th, features an all-star action hero cast of Sylvester Stallone, Randy Couture, Jason Statham, Steve Austin, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and more.  Austin was interviewed for the piece and had the following to say about:

    His Favorite Action Movie: “I’d have to go with the first ‘Rocky.’ I saw that, got up the next morning, drank my eggs and was running down the street like an idiot.”

    The Toughest “Expendable”: “The guys are all tough, but if you’re going to sit there and talk about a physical fight, I don’t think anyone will give you any argument that Randy Couture is that guy.”

    His Last Real Fight: “I damn near got into a couple fights in the ring. When a guy snubs you a bit too hard, we call that a ‘potato.’ Depending on how good-natured you are, that dictates how many potatoes you want to take. When you’ve had enough, you send back what’s called a ‘receipt.’ Then it goes accordingly. Usually when you get a potato and send back a receipt, things settle down pretty fast.”

    The Toughest Stunt He Did In The Movie: “My fight with Stallone. Being in a physical place with that guy and nothing but a brick and concrete floor with sand on it, and getting cut up and grinded. It was like rolling around on sandpaper. And on top of that, not wanting to throw the wrong punch and hit that guy, because that’s your star. It’s a moment of stress fighting with a guy like Sly, because I don’t care if you’re Steve Austin or not, you throw the wrong punch, you’re probably going to be gone.”

    His Favorite onscreen kill: “I don’t even know. That’s a shame that I have to think about that. That only inspires me in my next endeavor to kill someone in such an extravagant fashion that we’ll have something to talk about next time.”

  • Triple H Working With The Muscular Dystrophy Association

    WWE and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) sent out the following press release this morning announcing that Triple H is the newest member of the MDA’s “Muscle Team” and will be taping part in a new campaign to raise awareness for the disease.

    TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today that WWE Superstar Triple H, a 13-time World Champion, is the newest member of MDA’s Muscle Team, a group of celebrity activists dedicated to building awareness for MDA. Triple H will begin appearing in print, video, radio and digital public service advertisements for MDA’s new “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” campaign in August.

    As a proud member of the MDA Muscle Team (see his “Make A Muscle, Make A Difference” print PSA; https://www.mda.org/news/100802tripleh-mda.html and video PSA; http://www.youtube.com/user/MySpaceMDA),  Triple H joins a diverse and growing group of celebrities including: Alison Sweeney, host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and “Days of Our Lives” star; Kurt Warner, former NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterback; Nancy O’Dell, Emmy-winning entertainment personality, author and entrepreneur; Booboo Stewart, star of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” movie; Wynonna Judd, country music recording artist; Ace Young, “American Idol” finalist; Brandon Barash, star of ABC’s “General Hospital” and Gold Medal Olympians Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, all of whom are dedicated to building awareness for MDA in 2010 and beyond.

    “I am honored to partner with MDA in advancing their life-saving mission for those affected by debilitating muscle diseases,” stated Triple H. “As a member of the Muscle Team, I am truly inspired by the perseverance these adults and kids demonstrate every day in overcoming the challenges of muscular dystrophy.”

    Joining Triple H in some of the PSAs is Max LaCaria, an 11-year-old from Arizona who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. While at the photo and video shoot for the campaign, Triple H presented Max with an official WWE Championship belt.

    “There’s no discounting the importance of having Triple H as a member of the MDA Muscle Team,” said Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA President & CEO. “He’s already energizing fans as champions for MDA both in and out of the ring. And, while everyone is amazed by Triple H’s incredible physical strength, it pales when compared to the strength of his caring heart.”

    Visit YouTube.com to see Triple H’s commercial for the MDA Muscle Team.

  • Drew McIntyre Talks About Being Vince’s “Chosen One”

    WWE star Drew McIntyre was recently interviewed by Slam Wrestling and spoke about the strong push he’s gotten so far and what it’s like being Vince McMahon’s “chosen one.”

    McIntyre says despite the fact that he’s still one of the newer faces in WWE, he’s already got all the tools to be a top star and is rising to the top for a reason.

    “There’s a lot of hype for a good reason,” McIntyre said. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but I believe in my head, but I feel that… when I was home in Scotland, I was watching some of the guys in TV talking about how they don’t get an opportunity, blah blah blah, Drew McInytre was the Chosen One, and he gets these opportunities. Then I think about it from my point of view. Wait a minute, and I honestly believe this, if an actor in Hollywood has been an actor for 20 years, and some new kid comes along, perfect for the role — he’s good-looking, he’s right, he’s good-looking, foreign, he’s got a sweet accent — this is the guy they’re going to want; we don’t know if he’s got the tools yet, but they’ll give him the opportunity to see how he does, and if he does well, fantastic. If he doesn’t, ugh.”

    McIntyre says there’s pressure that comes from being Vince McMahon’s hand-picked “next big star,” but it’s nothing he can’t handle.

    “I love pressure,” said McIntyre. “I work best under pressure. … It was pretty much what I’d been working for, for my entire life. This is all I’ve wanted, I worked hard at it since I was a kid. I worked hard in the gym. I’ve worked very hard to get that thumbs up from the boss himself. It was just justification in my head that all this has paid off. I get the opportunity to do what I always believed I was destined to do. … It just feels like it’s in my blood.”

  • WWE RAW Preview For Tonight: Cena-Jericho, Miz-Orton

    Tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW was taped last week from San Antonio, Texas.

    Here are the matches that we’ll see on tonight’s show:

    * Edge vs. Wade Barrett

    * Alicia Fox, Jillian Hall and Tamina vs. Natalya, Gail Kim and Eve

    * Sheamus vs. Goldust

    * John Cena vs. Chris Jericho

    * Ted DiBiase vs. The Great Khali

    * Randy Orton vs. The Miz