The following was sent out yesterday morning by reps of Martha Hart, the widow of the late Owen Hart.
Widow of Deceased Professional Wrestler Owen Hart Files Lawsuit Against World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon & Linda McMahon
WWE continues to use Owen Hart’s Name and Image for Marketing more than 11 Years After he Was Killed in a WWE-sponsored Stunt; In Violation of Contract and Contrary to Family’s Wishes
HARTFORD, Conn., June 22 /PRNewswire/ — Martha Hart, the widow of the late Owen Hart, a professional wrestler who was killed in a May 1999 stunt orchestrated by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) today filed suit in the U.S. District Court here against WWE, Vince McMahon (current chairman and CEO) and Linda McMahon (CEO until 2009). The lawsuit alleges the WWE and the McMahons used Owen Hart’s name and likeness without right in dozens of commercial videos and other materials, violated a contract restricting the use of Owen Hart’s name, likeness and wrestling footage, and disregarded Martha Hart’s wishes against further association of her late husband’s name with WWE following his death. (Mrs. Hart and WWE settled a wrongful death lawsuit in 2000. Mrs. Hart established the Owen Hart Foundation later that year.)
“In the eleven years since Owen’s tragic and avoidable death, I have worked tirelessly to disassociate Owen’s name and likeness from anything related to WWE in order to protect our children from any reminder of the circumstances surrounding their father’s death, and to avoid any misplaced perception that I endorse WWE,†said Martha Hart in a statement.
“Unfortunately, even though WWE, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon were and are well aware of my wishes and desire to shield my children from WWE and its activities, I was shocked to learn earlier this year that they have been using Owen’s name and likeness in videos, websites, television programs and print materials. Given this callous, insensitive and irresponsible behavior, one must question the moral character of Vince and Linda McMahon and the manner in which they conduct their business.â€
According to the lawsuit filed today before the U.S. District Court in Hartford,
“Since Owen’s death, the WWE and McMahons have sought every available opportunity to further exploit Owen’s personality for their own commercial benefit. Their use of Owen’s name and likeness draws attention to the WWE’s ongoing violent and highly questionable theatrical activities that caused Owen’s death. Defendants’ use of Owen’s name and likeness is also in direct disregard of Martha’s and her children’s objections…The WWE’s wrongful use of Owen’s name and likeness, over Martha’s continuing objection to any association with defendants and in the absence of any legal right of use, creates the wrongful impression that Martha and the Estate now support, approve or condone the video (which they do not).â€
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the WWE from further use of Owen Hart’s name and likeness, and seeks unpaid royalties as well as damages for breach of contract, copyright infringement, unjust enrichment, accounting and unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Mrs. Hart is represented by the law firm Nixon Peabody LLP.
Note to Editors: A copy of the complaint can be found at www.marthahartsueswwe.com
Information on the Owen Hart Foundation can be found at www.owenhart.org
In the days following former Batista’s announcement that he’s becoming an MMA fighter, UFC Heavyweight champion and former fellow WWE superstar Brock Lesnar is weighing in on the story. Sort of.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com to promote his 7/3 fight against Shane Carwin, Lesnar was asked about Batista telling TMZ that he will be fighting for the Strikeforc MMA promotion and has a fight lined up already. Lesnar responded:
“Get in line, everybody and their dog wants to get into fighting. Next question. We’re talking about a heavyweight championship fight, not some wannabe.”
To follow up on Monday’s news that former WWE superstar Batista claims he’s signed with the Strikeforce MMA promotion and has his first fight lined up already …
– Strikeforce director of communications Mike Afromowitz toldMMAFighting.com that the company has not signed former WWE Champion Dave Batista.
– TMZ.com, which broke the original story of Batista headed to Strikeforce, caught up with former WWE & TNA star Booker T, who got into a legitimate scuffle with Batista back in 2006. Booker T says he doesn’t think Batista can “match up” with some of the big boys in Strikeforce. In fact, Booker says Batista wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the cage with Bobby Lashley or any of Stikeforce’s other heavyweight fighters.
What do you guys think – is Batista’s Strikeforce deal legit, and if so – does he have a chance of being successful?
While there is talk that he might be back by the end of the Summer, the NXT crew kidnapping him on RAW a few weeks back was WWE’s way of writing him off television – and he’s gone indefinitely.
Hart will be getting married for the third time this summer, which could be the reason for the hiatus.
Originally Bret was going to do a face-to-face angle at with the NXT Rookies at Fatal 4 Way, but when he didn’t make it to the show, plans had to be changed.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent the following letter to Vince McMahon this week, urging the WWE Chairman to rehire Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) – who is a vegan.
PETA is also urging their supporters to send a polite comment to WWE about bringing Daniel Bryan back.
Here’s the letter:
Dear Mr. McMahon,
On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the WWE fans among our more than 2 million members and supporters, I’m writing to toss our name into the ring as yet another proponent of the push to bring back Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson). I might not personally carry the same clout as other Bryan supporters like John Cena or Shawn Michaels (although I do consider myself “The Showstopper of PETA”), but I am, along with many of my colleagues, a huge Daniel Bryan fan, not only because he humiliated the Miz and Michael Cole a few weeks back on Raw but also because he’s vegan.
Lots of athletes, including baseball slugger Prince Fielder, the NBA’s Raja Bell, MMA fighters K.J. Noons and Mac Danzig, and Olympic Legend Carl Lewis, show that vegetarians often leave meat-eaters in the dust, gnawing on their greasy chicken wings as they wonder what hit them. But Bryan represents the quintessential vegan badass. He knows that unlike WWE superstars, animals beaten to a pulp by the meat industry don’t want to be there. The worst
Hell in a Cell match is nothing compared to what animals in slaughterhouses go through, such as having their throats cut and being scalded alive and dismembered, often while still conscious. Even Mick Foley couldn’t withstand that kind of abuse. Just by being vegan, Bryan saves more than 100 animals a year, a feat far more impressive than any of Jack Swagger’s “accomplishments.” Savvy athletes go vegan for the health benefits, too, as they slash their risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
So what do you say, Mr. McMahon? Bring back Bryan and let him prove that he belongs. And maybe there could even be a storyline romance between Bryan and the gorgeous vegan diva Tiffany! (Who, in your PETA fans’ opinion, deserves another shot at Layla.)
WWE star Chris Jericho spoke to Fanhouse.com to promote his new “Downfall” game show – which premieres tonight at 8pm ET on ABC.
Here’s what Jericho said about:
Jericho’s WWE Contract Expiring: “Yeah, it’s coming up fairly soon, it’s coming up very soon. It’s one of those things we’ve been talking about for a while to get it rolling again. Like I said, to me, I’ll leave the business when I’m ready to and I’m not ready yet. I still want to continue to work. I still have some things that I can offer. I still think I’m among the best in what I do, if not the best just because of the fact I have 20 years of experience which is a rare thing nowadays. You can’t teach experience. You can teach someone to do a promo kind of, you can teach someone to do a move but you can’t teach someone experience.
Attitude Era vs. TV PG: “PG, I think, is a great idea. To me, the Attitude Era was stupid. Hot Lesbian Action and Meat with a (expletive) (expletive) in his pants because he has a (expletive) and Mark Henry getting a (expletive) from a guy and necrophilia. That’s not entertaining by anybody’s standards. That’s just stupid and I never liked that stuff. For me, for them to go family oriented, I’m all for it. It’s family oriented but in this day and age where you can still go out there and have kick ass matches. It’s still edgy, there’s still great characters. I’ve got no problem with it. I like it much better than the Attitude Era because I thought the Attitude Era was just childish, dropping (expletive) on each another and stuff. C’mon, that’s not funny if you’re five years old.”
To hear what Jericho said about Batista’s MMA career and more, visit FanHouse.com.
– Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW will take place from the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As of Monday morning, no matches or guest host have been announced, although Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sejak had been rumored to host tonight. WWE is hyping fallout from the Fatal 4 Way event and the latest attack from the NXT Rebels. The dark match main event will be John Cena & Randy Orton vs. Edge & Sheamus.
– Chris Jericho wrote the following on Twitter last night after his match with Evan Bourne:
“Had the best match I’ve had in months tonight. Bourne is the real deal…and I must destroy him.â€
– WWE SmackDown Diva Beth Phoenix said in a WWE Universe chat during Fatal 4 Way that she is still about 3 to 5 months away from returning to the ring.
TMZ.com broke the story on Monday morning that former WWE superstar Dave Batista is becoming a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
The 6’5″, 290 pound Batista was in Hollywood over weekend and told TMZ that he’s headed to the Strikeforce MMA promotion, home of another former WWE superstar, Bobby Lashley.
Batista even told the TMZ camera guy that he already has his first fight lined up, but can’t comment on it just yet.
There have been rumors for months that the 41 year old Batista would be following in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. Now, its official.
A video package opens up WWE Fatal Four Way highlighting John Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Edge in a Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Championship and Jack Swagger (c) vs. Big Show vs. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio in a Fatal 4-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
A highlight reel from previous WWE programming showing Kane in search for Undertaker’s attacker is then shown.
Vince McMahon is out first. He announces that Bret Hart will not be at tonight’s pay-per-view. A video package from Team NXT’s attack on Hart from last week’s Raw is shown. Vince then says that he will be meeting with ‘representatives’ of Bret Hart to determine if he will be able to return to his duties as General Manager.
Drew McIntyre comes out to the ring but first shakes hands with Vince McMahon. His match against Teddy Long on last week’s SmackDown was highlighted in a video package.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Vince is shown on the screen getting in a limo outside.
Drew gets on the mic and tells Teddy Long that Vince McMahon said he must come out right now. Teddy Long’s music hits and he makes his way out to the ring while Long unleashes a verbal attack. Drew tells Teddy to sit at ringside while he wins back the Intercontinental Championship; when he wins, Teddy must hand him the belt.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston’s music hits and he appears from the backstage area.
Back in the ring, McIntyre got a two count, then applied an armbar. Kofi armdragged out of it, then slid under McIntyre, but Drew hit him with a shoulderblock. Drew stomped the arm, and Kofi tried to fight back, but Drew stomped him down in a corner.
Drew clotheslined Kofi twice in the corner. Drew went for a short-arm clothesline, but Kofi floated over it and hit a DDT. Kofi elbowed Drew, then hit some kicks to the legs. Kofi punched Drew in the head, then hit a series of chops and a dropkick. Kofi missed a clothesline, then Drew missed with one and Kofi rolled up Drew for a two count. Kofi hit a reverse bodypress out of the corner for a two count, but Drew hit the arm again and delivered a neckbreaker on the knee for a two count.
Drew went for a slam, but Kofi floated out of it and hit a legsweep. Kofi hit the Boom Drop legdrop, then began to clap. Drew backed away from the Trouble In Paradise kick, and backdropped Kofi to the ringapron. Drew hit some punches and went to back suplex Kofi into the ring, but Kofi shifted his weight and landed on top of Drew for a two count.
Drew picked up Kofi off the mat, but Kofi hit the SOS for a two count. McIntyre tripped Kofi into the turnbuckles, but Kofi grabbed a headscissors. Drew stood up in the headscissors and threw Kofi into the referee, knocking him out.
Drew threw Kingston shoulder first into the ringpost and hit the Future Shock DDT, but there was no referee to count. McIntyre tried to revive the referee, then went outside and threw Teddy Long in the ring, demanding he make the count. McIntyre even ripped the shirt off the unconscious referee and ordered Long to put it on. Long did so, and McIntyre made the cover. Long counted two, then stopped and shook his head no. The fans chanted for Long. McIntyre glared at Long, and backed him in a corner. McIntyre told Long he needs to count him, or he would “drop him.” McIntyre went to pick up Kofi for another DDT, but Matt Hardy ran in from the crowd and gave McIntyre a Twist Of Fate. Long just watched. Kofi then gave McIntyre a Trouble In Paradise kick and Long counted the pinfall for Kofi at the 17-minute mark.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Eve gave Maryse and Fox forearms and dropkicks. Fox and Maryse double-teamed Eve. Kim got on the apron and gave Fox a headscissors while Eve put Maryse in an armbar. Kim let go of her headscissors to break up Eve’s hold on Maryse. Kim put Maryse in an armbar of her own, then Fox broke it up and she put Maryse in an armbar. Maryse escaped to the floor. Eve put Fox in a camel clutch, while Kim put Fox a Boston Crab at the same time. Maryse tossed Eve and Kim out of the ring, leaving her to face off with Fox.
Fatal 4 Way Divas Champion Match: Eve (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Maryse vs. Alicia Fox
Eve and Maryse paird off at the bell, while Kim and Alicia did the same. Gail got kicked in the shin by Fox, who then hit a Northern Lights suplex, leading into a sequence where everyone was breaking up pins and going for covers. Fox gave Kim a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
They argued, then Fox shoved her. Maryse hit some forearms and a side kick for a cover, but Eve broke it up. Kim came in and dropkicked Eve and Maryse. Kim hit Maryse with a shoulderblock, then a missile dropkick for a one count, as Eve broke it up. Kim got yanked down off the apron by Alicia, who dropped her face first on it Eve gave Maryse a neckbreaker in the ring, then went to the top rope and hit a moonsault. Fox broke up the cover, throwing Eve to the floor, and Fox covered Maryse for the pin at the six minute mark.
Winner and new Divas Champion: Alicia Fox.
Evan Bourne vs. Chris Jericho
Bourne hooks Jericho’s leg and gets a two count. Both are laboring in the ring as we see a replay of the head scissors take over from Bourne onto Jericho. Jericho rolls through a great counter and applies the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring on Bourne.
Bourne is able to get to the ropes and Jericho is forced to release the hold. Jericho is very angry at the referee and pushes Bourne off the apron. Bourne hits his head on the announce table. Jericho follows Bourne to the outside and goes on the offensive.
Bourne takes Jericho down face-first into the steel steps in a counter. Bourne goes to the top rope but he’s being counted out. Bourne goes off with flying knees and gets a two count on Jericho. Chris kicks out.
Jericho starts to counter and hits a nice backbreaker into a two count on Bourne. Jericho goes for the Lion Sault but Bourne rolled out of the way. Bourne goes to the apron half way around the ring. He goes to the top but he’s taking a ton of time. He goes for the Shooting Star Press but Jericho moved. Bourne landed on his feet and ate the Code Breaker.
Jericho slowly goes for the cover and Evan kicks out! Jericho works on Bourne in the ring. Jericho beats away on Evan as he instructs him to stay down and calls him an idiot. Jericho whips Bourne into the turnbuckle, Bourne counters and rolls Jericho up for two. Jericho counters and goes for the Walls of Jericho again. Bourne counters again and hits a guillotine into a DDT. Bourne goes to the top again. Jericho is up as Bourne took too much time. Jericho goes for a superplex but Bourne fights him off.
Jericho counters as Bourne is stuck on the top rope. Jericho goes for the superplex again. Bourne counters, sending Jericho face-first onto the mat. Bourne lands the Shooting Star Press and pins Jericho for the three count
Winner – Evan Bourne
We return from a brief promotional piece to Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Matt Striker hyping tonight’s World Heavyweight Championship Fatal 4-Way match. Cue highlights from Smackdown where they recap the situation of what happened to The Undertaker.
Fatal 4 Way World Heavyweight Championship Match:Jack SWagger (c) vs. Rey Mysterio vs. vs. CM Punk vs. Big Show
The following match is a Fatal 4-Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Out first is the first challenger, Big Show.
CM Punk, the next challenger, comes out with Serena and Luke Gallows.
Rey Mysterio is the final challenger out to ringside alone.
Finally, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger is out with the World Heavyweight Championship around his waste. He poses at the top of the ramp and is no hurry on his way to the ring.
Tony Chimmel does the formal in-ring introductions. The first main to gain a pinfall or submission is the winner. All four men are in the ring at once. The bell rings and we’re off. Big four-man staredown to open the bout.
Show takes out Swagger first. CM Punk gets on Show’s back. Show dominates him to the mat, allowing CM Punk to hit kicks to his face. Now Show goes after Swagger as Punk tries to get Rey’s mask off him. Punk gets dumped over the top rope by Mysterio. Swagger tries to work over Big Show but he dumps the Champion out of the ring. It’s Show and Mysterio in the ring.
Punk is in control of the match. Swagger gets on the apron as Punk drags him into the ring and hits offense on him. Punk lands a kick on Mysterio in the corner. In the opposite corner, he hits a high knee on Swagger. Punk goes for one on Mysterio but he counters. Double German suplex from Swagger onto Punk and Mysterio. Swagger gets a two count on Mysterio then on Punk.
Mysterio regains control and goes for 619 on Punk but Show catches him on the outside and picks him up and bounces him off the announce table. Show clotheslines Punk and Swagger in the ring. He lifts Punk up and drops him down. Show whips Swagger into Punk then goes into them himself. Double clothesline from Show on Swagger and Punk. Everyone exits the ring. Show goes outside after Punk.
Mysterio kicked the steel ring steps into Show and Punk goes over the top onto Show. Swagger gets in the ring as Mysterio springboards off the apron into the ring. Mysterio tries to pickup the pace but Swagger counters. Punk comes in and gives Swagger the GTS. Unable to make the cover as Kane comes out with the casket.
Kane gets in the ring and takes out CM Punk. He takes him out of the ring and throws him in the casket. Punk tries to keep him from closing the casket as Luke Gallows gets involved. Gallows and Punk retreat to the back as Kane follows them. Mysterio and Swagger are in the ring. 619 on Swagger. Mysterio off the top and he pins Swagger. New champion folks!<br><br><b>Winner & new World Heavyweight Champion – Rey Mysterio.
Kane pushes the casket to ringside and hits the ring. Kane shoves Punk out and chokeslams him into the casket. Kane tries to shut the casket door but Punk puts his leg up. Luke Gallows comes down and drops Kane. Gallows helps Punk to the back. Kane chases off after them. In the ring, Mysterio hits 619 on Swagger and the senton for the pinfall, the win and the World Heavyweight Title.
Winner and New World Heavyweight Champion: Rey Mysterio
Backstage, Josh Mathews is with WWE Champion John Cena. Mixed reaction from the live crowd. Mathews asks him if he’s concerned about the NXT Rookies showing up and disrupting the match. Cena says they have solidified the line between ‘us versus them’. Mathews asks Cena about two championships changing hands. He asks him how he expects to leave the PPV still champion. Cena says this isn’t a match he’s going out there to win but he’s certainly not going out there to lose. Tonight whoever walks out the WWE Champion, they’re going to have to earn it.
United States Championship Match: The Miz (c) vs. R-Truth
The Miz comes out first with a mic. Miz says in a few moments R-Truth is going to come out doing his ‘What’s Up’ rapping. He says he’s made the rap more suitable with some new lyrics. Miz talks like Truth by using his unknown lyrics, replacing ‘Whats up’ with ‘The Miz’.”
They lockup after the bell with R-Truth sending The Miz down to the mat with a shoulder block. They have words as The Miz stands up. Lockup again as R-Truth applies a sideheadlock before sending Miz to the mat. Miz finally rolls to the outside. Truth follows.The Miz applies a submission maneuver on the challenger. He wrenches back but R-Truth battles out. He gets back to a vertical base and backs the champion down with elbows. The Miz counters his attack but R-Truth lands a high hip toss. Truth whips The Miz into the corner and ends up on the apron as he and Miz brawl. R-Truth sends The Miz down with a right hands. Truth turns his back on the apron and The Miz pushes him off. The referee begins the count out.
The Miz regroups in the ring as R-Truth barely beats the count back into the ring. Miz gets right back onto the attack with hard boots. The official checks on R-Truth to see if he can continue. The Miz runs into him and works him over into the corner. The Miz tries to back him out of the corner but Miz won’t listen. Finally he retreats before he’s disqualified.
The Miz hits a running clothesline in the corner and gets a two count on R-Truth. He applies a leg scissors submission on the challenger in the middle of the ring.
The Miz hits a high kick to the face of Truth’s face. He gets a two count. Little reaction from the crowd either way. The Miz applies a choke on R-Truth in the ropes. The Miz has to break the hold at four. The referee checks on Truth as he fights back with stiff right hands. Truth goes off the ropes but The Miz takes him down to the mat. Miz buries his foot in the side of the face of R-Truth.
The Miz attacks R-Truth as he is slow to get up. Truth hits a couple of right hands just to stay in the match. Miz whips him into the ropes and hits a shoulder block followed by a modified arm bar.
Finally some reaction from the crowd as R-Truth breaks the hold. Truth ducks a clothesline and hits a suplex. Both men are down but Truth goes for a cover. Two count.Finally some reaction from the crowd as R-Truth breaks the hold. Truth ducks a clothesline and hits a suplex. Both men are down but Truth goes for a cover. Two count.Finally some reaction from the crowd as R-Truth breaks the hold. Truth ducks a clothesline and hits a suplex. Both men are down but Truth goes for a cover. Two count.
Snap suplex by The Miz on R-Truth. The Miz is back in control after a brief counter by his opponent. Very good ring work by a much improved Miz. The Miz taunts the crowd as he continues his assault. R-Truth uses the taunt to his advantage and lands face plant suplex. Two count by Truth onto The Miz.
R-Truth hits a couple clotheslines then whips The Miz off the ropes and finally the Flatliner but only gets a two count. Truth kicks The Miz and hits a suplex/stunner combination. Two count for the challenger.
The Miz counters R-Truth again, targeting his midsection. Back/neckbreaker combination from The Miz but he only gets a two count on the challenger. The Miz runs at R-Truth in the corner but he gets out of the way. It’s R-Truth’s chance as he hits scissor kicks with The Miz pinned in the ropes. Truth puts an arm over Truth but The Miz grabs the ropes.
R-Truth attempts the pin again but this time in the middle of the ring. He only gets a two count. R-Truth goes to the top rope but The Miz stops him and they fight up top. Truth fights The Miz off. R-Truth goes off the top rope for the cross-body but The Miz dodges it. Truth rolls through a pin attempt and nearly wins. The Miz hits offense and gets rolled up again for another two count. Kick to R-Truth’s midsection and after a counter, The Miz is able to secure a roll-up pinfall for the victory.
Winner & still WWE United States Champion – The Miz
Backstage, Todd Grisham is with Edge. He asks him about the WWE Championship Fatal 4-Way match. Edge talks down Randy Orton for his separated shoulder. He says Sheamus on the surface is a powerhouse but deep down inside he knows he doesn’t belong with the three of his opponents. Edge says he’s facing three men that have main evented a dozen Wrestlemanias. Edge says The Rated R Superstar only has one thing running through his head – walking out the PPV the new WWE Champion.
Uso Twins & Tamina vs. The Hart Dynasty
The following is a 6-person mixed tag team match. Announcing first, the team of Tyson Kidd, DH Smith and Natalya. They’re facing Tamina, Jimmy & Jay Uso.
We start with Natalya and Tamina. Tamina works over the arm of Natalya as this is her main roster WWE debut. Natalya gets Tamina down for a quick cover. Tamina tags in Jay versus David Hart Smith. Smith gets a quick cover then works over Jay’s arm.
Side headlock from Smith onto Jay, he backs out of it but Smith hits a shoulder block. Hip toss try by Jay but Smith counters with a suplex and a quick cover. Smith tags Tyson Kidd and sets Jay up in the ropes in tree of woe position. Double team move.
Tyson Kidd applies a side headlock on Jay Uso but he tags in Jimmy. Jimmy with a scoop and a slam on Kidd. He uses a submission hold to try and tame the spark plug of The Hart Dynasty. Nice move by Tyson to counters out. Off the ropes into an elbow. Jimmy throws Kidd to the outside and gets heat from the crowd. Off the ropes he went for the suicide dive but Tyson Kidd hit a kick from the apron. Kidd covers Jimmy but Jay makes the save. Tyson and Jimmy work on the apron with Tyson eventually getting caught in a Samoan Drop as Kidd went for a DDT.
Jay, now the legal man, gets a two count on Tyson Kidd. Kidd gets to his feet and goes off the ropes. Jay hits a dropkick and gets a cover for a two count. He grabs Tyson then tags in Jimmy. Double team move, then another. Jimmy gets the cover for a two count. Another cover but two again. Snap suplex from Jimmy on Kidd. Jimmy Uso applies a face submission mat move on Tyson.
Jimmy dominates Kidd in the ring as Kidd desperately goes for the tag. Jimmy works Kidd into his corner as he gets a tag. Double team move followed by a couple two counts by Jay Uso on Tyson. Another hot tag as Jimmy goes to the top rope and drops a knee to the face of Tyson Kidd.
Jimmy applies a submission hold on Kidd but he counters out. Jimmy counters, sending Kidd to the mat. He throws Kidd into the corner and lands more offense. Kidd is isolated in the corner but Jimmy Uso takes too long and Kidd gets out of the way into the turnbuckles. Jimmy gets a tag and keeps Kidd from doing the same. Back body drop from Kidd as he tags in Natalya. Tamina has to come in now.
Natalya looks good with suplexes on Tamina. She nearly gets the win but Jimmy Uso makes the save. He and Smith go to work on one another. Kidd goes from the ring to the outside on the Uso brother. Meanwhile, Tamina hits a Samoan Drop in the ring on Natalya. Tamina goes to the top rope for her father’s finisher but Natalya gets out of the way. Natalya lands a clothesline and gets the cover for the pinfall.
Winners – The Hart Dynasty
Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Matt Striker hype next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. They roll a hype video for the Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Championship. Cue replays from Raw and the setup of the match.
Fatal 4 Way WWE Championship MatchJohn Cena (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Sheamus
The following is a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE Championship. Randy Orton is introduced first. Edge is announced next. Sheamus, the final challenger, comes to the ring as pasty as ever.
The WWE Champion – John Cena – was out last. Mixed reaction until he emerged – the cheers drowned out most of the boos.
“All four men are in the ring for the formal introductions under Justin Roberts. Jack Doan is the referee.
Doan holds up the belt and calls for the bell. Big staredown from all four. Cena goes for Sheamus, Orton goes right for Edge. Sheamus is dumped by Cena, Edge by Orton
Orton and Cena stare each other down. Michael Cole says he has goosebumps (not sure why) as they both just look at one another. Cena gets Orton up early for the Attitude Adjustment, Orton goes for the RKO out of a counter. Neither hit as Sheamus comes in and beats down Cena. Orton goes to the outside. Sheamus backs Cena down in the corner. Edge comes in and helps Sheamus with Cena.
Edge and Sheamus whip Cena into the ropes and both hit elbows on him. They beat him down in the corner. Loud ‘Cena sucks’ chants coming through. They take Cena down in the corner. The arena is now split. ‘Let’s go Cena’ and ‘Cena sucks’. Right hand from Sheamus on Cena. Cena no-sells a punch from Edge as Sheamus sends him to the mat. Edge rolls Sheamus up. We’re shown the WWE locker room watching from the back as Sheamus kicks out and goes on the offensive against Edge.
Cena gets back in the ring but Edge ends up tossing him out after fighting off Sheamus. Edge goes to the top rope but Orton gets back in and takes him down. Orton kicks Sheamus in the head and goes to the corner to work on Edge who is on the top. Sheamus joins the party up top and hits offense on Orton. He tries to powerbomb Orton off but Orton blocks. Edge goes off the top rope right onto Sheamus for a two count. Orton made the save and went after Edge.
Loud split crowd as Orton goes for more offense. Orton misses as Sheamus hits a big axe handle on Orton’s skull. Now it’s Cena and Sheamus. Cena gets in control and hits a fisherman suplex on Sheamus. He goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Sheamus blocks with an Irish Curse backbreaker. Sheamus gets a two count on Cena.
Sheamus goes for the High Cross. He gets him up but Edge goes for the Spear. Sheamus sidesteps it but it allows Cena to roll him up for a two count. Sheamus takes Cena down but Orton comes back in and lands offense on him. Orton works on Sheamus who is standing on the apron. Orton tries to viper Sheamus back in the ring. Now, he’s bringing Cena in with DDT as well. Double DDT as Orton pins Sheamus for a two count.
Edge gets back in and takes out Orton. Edge is the only worker on his feet in the ring as Cena is down in the corner. Edge waits for Cena to get up to attempt a Spear. He goes for it but Cena moves. Cena hits a couple shoulder blocks. Backbreaker onto the mat. Cena signals 5 Knuckle Shuffle. He connects.Orton comes in out of nowhere and hits a move that looked like a modified backbreaker on Cena. Edge back in, Orton powerslams him. It’s Orton and Edge. Sheamus comes in and tosses Orton out. Sheamus and Edge now in the ring. Sheamus stomps away at the WWE Champion. Edge rolls back in the ring as Sheamus is in control of the match. Cena dumps Sheamus to the outside but it takes a lot out of him.
Cena lands offense on Edge in the ring then brings Sheamus to the apron. Orton grabbed Sheamus when Cena had him, getting hurt as well. Edge knocks Orton off the apron with a shoulder. He turns his back to Cena. Cena looks in STF.
Edge is caught in the middle of the ring in the STF. Orton and Sheamus nowhere to be seen. Doan checks for submission. Edge nearly makes it to the ropes but Cena breaks and pulls him back then reapplies. Sheamus finally breaks it and gets a two count on Edge.
Sheamus works on Cena in the corner. He gets out of the ring and drops a couple elbows to Cena’s throat. Then another from the outside with Cena’s throat under the bottom rope. Sheamus gets back in and hits a clothesline on Edge. Two count on The Rated R Superstar.
Cena gets knocked off the apron when he tried to get back in it. Sheamus has Edge in the ring. Orton and Cena are both laid out. Sheamus goes for his finisher but Edge counters, taking Sheamus to the mat. Edge is alone in the ring but not for long. Attitude Adjustment attempt but Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere. Orton goes for the pin but Sheamus pulled the referee away. Orton kicks Sheamus out of the ring but walks into the Spear.
Stiff kick from Sheamus on Edge, sending him to the outside. Sheamus gets a two count on Orton then goes back to work. Cena down in the ring. Sheamus whips Orton into the ropes. Edge takes him to the outside. The fight goes to the outside. Here comes Sheamus. Orton sends him over the announce table. He attempts the RKO on Edge on the outside. They battle as we cut back to R-Truth, Bourne, Kidd and Smith watching the match. The NXT grads run-in and take them out.
We’re shown Bourne laid out as Cena is in the ring alone. Lawler and Cole retreat. Cena is in the ring looking around. Here come the NXT grads out to the arena. They take out production people and start to dismantle the set. They hit the ring and go after Cena.
No commentary as it’s chaos at ringside with the grads taking apart the main event. Sheamus sneaks in, pins Cena and wins the match. Sheamus hits the crowd but is the new WWE Champion.
Winner & new WWE Champion – Sheamus
The match is over as the NXT guys take out Cena with Wade Barrett leading the charge. Barrett hits his finisher on Cena. Gabriel lands the 450 splash on him. Sheamus is at the top of the ramp with the belt as they chase him off. Cena is down in the center of the ring knocked out. Edge is shown knocked out, outside the ring. Orton is out, outside the ring.”
The match is over as the NXT guys take out Cena with Wade Barrett leading the charge. Barrett hits his finisher on Cena. Gabriel lands the 450 splash on him. Sheamus is at the top of the ramp with the belt as they chase him off. Cena is down in the center of the ring knocked out. Edge is shown knocked out, outside the ring. Orton is out, outside the ring.
The pay-per-view ends early as Cena is left down in the ring.
Eric Bischoff opened Thursdays TNA iMPACT broadcast and announced that due to personal reasons, Scott Hall was no longer with the company and The Band were stripped of the TNA Tag Team Titles. A tournament is being held to determine who will face The Motor City Machineguns for the vacant belts at Victory Road.
TNA President Dixie Carter wrote the following on her Twitter about Hall’s release:
“Scott Hall and I talked and together decided he needed time to focus on some personal issues. I am proud of the action he is taking.”
Former WWE Superstar Dave Batista made his first public comments since leaving the company at last night’s Strikeforce MMA show in Los Angeles, California.
Batista said he left WWE because he didn’t like the direction the company was going in and that he does not plan on returning anytime soon.
Batista continues to workout at the Affliction MMA gym, but is more focused on his acting career than becoming a professional MMA fighter.
Batista’s final appearance on WWE programming was the May 24th edition of WWE Raw in which the company did an angle where he “quit” on-screen after losing to John Cena in an “I Quit” Match at WWE’s Over The Limit pay-per-view. In reality, his contract was up and he didn’t re-sign.
Sources from Batista’s camp have indicated he’ll be back to finish up his WWE career but based on Batista’s comments last night, those plans may have changed.
John Cena appeared on the Busted Open satellite this week, which airs Mondays and Wednesdays on Sirius 126 and XM 243 from 2-4 EST.
Visit Facebook.com/bustedopen for more information.
Here are some highlights of what Cena said about:
The “Spinner” WWE Title Belt: The spinner belt was a great evolution to the character, but I have plans every day to try to evolve the WWE Championship (belt) more. I’m just trying to get the right people to listen,” Cena said. “I think the championship itself is out-dated and gaudy. It was fine for the time, but it’s certainly not what we need right now. I’m pushing forward to the evolution of that another step.”
Evan Bourne’s Potential:“To be quite honest, one of my little pet projects is watching how [Evan Bourne] reacts to people and watching his energy in the ring. I think he has so much to offer to the business,” Cena said. “It’s not just what people do between the ropes. I want somebody to be able to walk the streets and be a proud representative of our company. And, when the bell rings, he’s one of the most entertaining people to watch on the face of the planet. I’m always watching everybody; every type of WWE-affiliated product, I’m always watching just to see people’s behavior. I think he is one of the many in the giant youth movement that we have in WWE that’s about to show some people that he belongs.”
His Hip Hop Character: “When I first started, they wanted us to do something to get noticed. The character was my own. I didn’t have anyone write anything for me and I do that today as well… As for the spinner belt, I keep trying to evolve the WWE Championship and I just have to get the right people to listen. I think the spinner belt is outdated and gaudy.”
Steve Austin’s Influence On Him: “Steve was always very brief with me.I was always star struck and unable to speak whenever I was around him. He would always bring me down to earth with humbling advice.” Cena added, “He’s the reason I keep working hard everyday. I owe a lot to Steve Austin.”
WWE’s Celtic Warrrior Sheamus recently spoke to Newsday.com’s Steel Cage blog to promote Sunday’s WWE Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view.
** BE HERE Sunday night for our Live Coverage of WWE Fatal 4 Way!
Here are some highlights from the Sheamus interview:
WWE Youth Movement: “I think it’s brilliant. I think itshows that WWE listens to the WWE Universe – the fans. I think that they know that no matter what industry you’re in, things change. There’s always going to be new people coming in. I think it’s created a whole new, fresh era. You saw back when they had “The Next Generation” with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels and Yokozuna was there. Then they did it again in the “Attitude” era. Austin stepped up. The Rock came in. I think every so often the whole climate changes. And right now it’s very exciting. I like to think that me becoming the WWE champion so quickly really set the ball rolling for this whole new wave of talent.
“And there’s a lot of exciting talent coming in. Drew McIntyre, myself, Wade Barrett… Of course you’ve got Bryan Danielson. You’ve got Kaval, who’s on the way in NXT. The son of Mr. Perfect, too, is coming in. It’s exciting times, fella. I’m just really happy to be involved at this time. Like I said, all these guys are coming in hungry – just as hungry as I was. That’s the whole thing… It keeps the product fresh. It drives the product forward. Every week we’re out there, everyone performs 110 percent. Because if we don’t, somebody is just going to step over you. So I think it’s good for everyone. Everybody wins. The audience wins. The talent wins. And the product itself – the WWE product – wins. So I think it’s very exciting.”
WWE’s New Themed Pay-Per-Views: “I think it’s a great business move. I think sometimes when people see the same things over and over again, it just becomes maybe a little bit repetitive. And I think these pay per views are separating each other. I mean you look at the Elimination Chamber pay per view we had in February. It’s not the greatest memory for me, personally, but it’s still a great concept. Mania is a big event. The Royal Rumble is a special event. And this Fatal 4-Way now – it’s two main events, world championship matches with eight of the top guys.
“You’re not seeing singles matches all of the time. I think it cerates that… anything can happen in a four way. There are so many variables that can happen in there, you know what I mean. It’s not your standard one-on-one. It’s the four top guys in each brand basically fighting to be the one. I think it creates a different scenario, a different backdrop, a different setting. To me, it’s exciting. I’ve been a fan all my life, too. I mean, this is all I ever wanted to do. And as a fan, even me, I find this intriguing. There are so many variables. You just don’t know who’s going to walk out – I know I’m going to walk out the WWE champion. But on the Smackdown brand, who’s going to walk out of there, with Swagger holding it, Big Show, Punk, Mysterio… There are so many different variables, and that’s why it’s going to make a great pay per view this month.”
WWE Champion was interviewed by Fanhouse.com this week about the recent release of Daniel Bryan. Despite the speculation that it’s all part of a storyline, Cena maintains that the release is legit – and he reveals why WWE had no choice but to take action against Bryan after he broke company policy. Here are some highlights of what Cena said about:
Bryan’s Release: “Well, the release is legitimate. It was something that I don’t understand. It’s something that a lot of people are upset about. This is one of those things where … you know, WWE is a business, and they chose to make a business decision. I think what is right for the WWE Universe to do is show that they have a bit of power. If they really feel so strongly about this subject — the consumer has the largest voice here, and if they were really serious they should organize their efforts and put forth some body of work.
Petitions to Reinstate Bryan: “I’ve even signed petitions to reinstate Bryan Danielson. But if they can get enough numbers to say, ‘Listen, we would like this person back on WWE.’ Like I said, they made a business decision, but at the same time, they can’t deny good business. So if you get 200,000 consumers saying, ‘Listen, we’d like to see this person on television,’ I don’t think the bean counters are gonna ignore the potential dollar signs. I just think all it takes is, all those people to organize under one roof and say, ‘Listen, this is how we want to act,’ because the uproar you’re talking about, I have no spectrum about how big the size is.”
WWE’s Rules Against Choking, Extreme Violence: “Well you have to understand, our programming across the board is TV-PG content, and anything that falls out of that TV-PG umbrella — we put a rating at the beginning of the show on our graphic that says TV-PG, so anything that even toes the line to being unacceptable from that, quite frankly needs to be removed from the program — because we pride ourselves on saying, for so long WWE has had the stigma of, ‘Yeah it’s fun to watch but I would never let my kid watch it.’ Collectively as a body, and as a business, we have taken the initiative to say, ‘You know what, I want your children and families to be able to come to our event because I truly believe we have the best value in entertainment. Jeopardizing all of that, it’s not worth doing something that falls outside the parentheses of TV-PG. That’s something that doesn’t fall in our lap, that’s something that has to do with the rating system.”
Again, you can (and should) check out the entire John Cena interview at Fanhouse.com.
– Former WWE superstar Batista was ringside at last night’s Strikeforce MMA event from Los Angeles, California. Several MMA news sites are reporting that Batista was telling people that he does not plan on returning to WWE and was unhappy there for a long time before leaving. Batista is a big MMA fan and has been training at various MMA camps across the country in recent months, but has his sights set on acting and has been auditioning regularly since leaving WWE.
– In related news, Bill Goldberg, Chavo Guerrero and Ernest Miller were also at Strikeforce last night.
– As we reported earlier this week, RAW superstar Edge will be starring in a new WWE action-comedy called “Chasing the Hawk.” The movie will begin filming this coming August from New Orleans, where WWE has filmed all of its recent movies.
– Tuesday’s episode of NXT Season 2 drew a 0.89 cable rating and averaged 1,306,000 viewers. The 0.89 rating is down 17% from last week’s 1.07, which was the season 2 premiere and the night after the NXT invasion angle.
TNA taped this week’s episode of iMPACT on Monday night from Orlando. Here are the results:
Xplosion:
* Daffney vs. Taylor Wilde. Daffney wins after using a chain while the referee wasn’t looking. Sarita is out complaining to the referee. Andrew Thomas restarted the match. Winner via quick roll-up, Taylor Wilde. After the match, Daffney attacks Sarita. Taylor Wilde stopped her and rolled her out of the ring.
* Brutus Magnus vs. Suicide. Winner via spinning TKO type maneuver, Brutus Magnus. Brutus gets on the mic and says he’s had 3 months off to reassess and refocus and there’s only one thing on his mind – championship gold. He accepts Rob Terry’s open challenge. Terry comes out and says the good news is he never backs out from a challenge. The bad news is Homicide went to Eric Bischoff first and took the challenge. Magnus says what really is happening is Terry is afraid of him. Terry comes to the ring and gets in his face. Magnus slaps him and bails.
iMPACT, Airing Thursday:
* JB takes over for Val as the ring announcer and Mike Tenay joins Taz at his regular broadcast position.
* Eric Bischoff on video in his office. He says being a part of TNA is an honor and a privilege. Due to actions outside the ring by Scott Hall, The Band is stripped of the titles and a tournament starts tonight. The winners of the tournament face the Motor City Machine Guns at the PPV.
* Semi tournament match of the tag tournament: The Band of Kevin Nash and Eric Young vs Ink Inc. Winner via Samoan drop/neckbreaker off the top combo, Ink Inc
* Ric Flair is out with his “Five Horsemen”. He says he’s going to make an announcement that changes the face of the greatest sport in the world. Flair says he’s reforming the four horsemen but is calling it Fortune. He says the Horsemen were the best because they lived, loved and breathed wrestling. Flair gets in each guy’s face and says what the horseman would do in their place. Flair says it’s not the Four Horsemen but it’s the same hand sign. Flair then asks AJ if he’s kidding me about Lethal last night? Flair says AJ committed suicide last night losing to a piss ant like Lethal. Lethal comes out in a suit and does his Flair impersonation. He asks if someone mentioned the Four Horsemen, the greatest group ever? He says it looks like they were here and took a dump in the ring. He says that they are not the Horsemen and it’s disrespectful to him and the Horsemen. Flair says Lethal is nothing and not Ric Flair. Lethal throws his jacket down and elbow drops it. They start doing woos back and forth and cutting each other off with Flairisms. Wolfe finally tries to cut off Lethal. He calls Lethal a cheap imitation. Wolfe challenges Lethal to a match later to prove himself. Lethal says Wolfe can’t control his woman. Lethal agrees to the match later tonight.
* Hernandez vs Samoa Joe. During the match Morgan gave Hernandez a low blow while the referee was distracted. Winner via exploder suplex, Samoa Joe
* Backstage AJ is talking to Desmond about his match. He says sure Chelsea is gone, but he needs to get his woman in order and focus on the match.
* Douglas Williams is out. He says the X Division is over and dead because he’s rendered everybody else and their moves irrelevant. From now on the X Division will be synonymous with the ground and pound style he uses and he’ll have a demonstration tonight on his opponent.
* Douglas Williams vs. Max Buck. Winner via jumping tornado DDT off the turnbuckles, Douglas Williams. Afterwards Williams started choking out Buck with a cravat. Brian Kendrick ran out for the save and choked out Williams.
* Angelina Love is out for a match. She says since being out with an injury she realized an athlete’s career could end at any time so she’s not wasting anymore time so tonight it’s her and Lacey Von Erich, next it’s Velvet Sky and finally at the PPV she’s getting her Knockout Title back from Madison Rayne.
* Angelina Love vs. Lacey Von Erich. Winner via DQ, Lacey Von Erich. Angelina brought a chair to the ring and DDTed Lacey on it
* Christy Hemme backstage with Jeff Hardy. Abyss vs. Hardy vs. Anderson for the #1 contendership spot. Hemme asks if Hardy can trust Anderson? Anderson interrupts and says people are trying to stir up trouble. It’s like when you were kids playing a game against your friends and afterwards still being friends. It’s just like that and Anderson will still be buds with Hardy afterwards.
* Tag team tournament semi final, Team 3D vs. Beer Money Inc. Brother Devon and Brother Ray are arguing before the match starts. Ink Inc. join commentary during the match. Winner via beer spit in the face of Devon and a schoolboy from Roode, Beer Money Inc. Devon went for a 3D but Bubba had left to attack Neal at commentary. Afterwards Devon and Ray argue. Ray slapped Devon in the back of the head and Devon shoves him down in response. Devon leaves and says he’s done with Ray.
* Desmond Wolfe w/Chelsea vs Jay Lethal. Tommy Dreamer is out in the crowd during the match. Just hanging out. Winner via a neckbreaker, Jay Lethal. Afterwards Wolfe attacks Lethal. Flair comes out and beats up on Lethal. Hogan’s music hits and he comes out for the save. Hogan says enough is enough. This is the reason TNA is on fire. Hogan says all the gimmicks, the Macho Man and the Flair stuff is hee hee ha ha, but the reason Lethal is in the ring is because he’s got the talent. He says Lethal has been running at main event level for months and is proving himself. Hogan then calls Flair out to hear this big announcement. It’s time for him to make a man’s dream come true. At Victory Road it will be Ric Flair vs. Jay Lethal.
* Jeff Jarrett is out. He calls Sting out because he has some things to get off his chest. Sting is out without the makeup on. Double J asks him to take his glasses off so he can look him in the eye and he knows that he not only hears but he can feel and see what he’s saying. JJ says Steve was the first person he called for his leadership, his ability, his professionalism and his true icon status. Even though they weren’t always on the same side of the fence, whenever paths crossed they treated each other with dignity and respect. That all changed after Sacrifice. That wasn’t a wrestling match, that was an attempt to end his career. He made a mistake though and left him standing. Now he’s got a rematch and has to deal with him. Sting is smirking and laughing at him. Jarrett says when this goes down he’s fighting for Bischoff, he’s fighting for Hogan and most importantly he’s fighting for the TNA fans. Sting leaves having never said a word.
* Abyss vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy for the #1 contendership. Tommy Dreamer is still sitting in the crowd. Match ends with a triple count out. No winner. Afterwards Abyss is angry so he beats up Hardy and Anderson. Abyss uses a kendo stick on them afterwards and also dumps a bag of glass in the ring. He Black Hole Slams Anderson into the glass. He’s lost his mind and is old Abyss again. The crowd turned on him and booed him.
Slam Wrestling has an interview up with former WWE & TNA star Booker T. Here are some highlights of what Booker T said about:
Dixie Carter: “The TNA family actually treated me very well, I was just going through a lot of personal things when I left. I am still close to Dixie Carter, who is a nice lady doing a lot of great things for the wrestling business and the wrestlers.”
Rumors of a WWE Return: “There is a lot of truth to those rumors. I was really close to going back to WWE. Things did not work out due to a lot of things. I can’t work 6 months out of the year, 160 days. That would be really hard on me. We got pregnant at the same time that negotiations were being talked about.”
Daniel Bryan’s Release and Chris Benoit: “Wow that is news to me. I didn’t know about the tie thing. That is really a weird thing to fire someone for. I have seen a lot of things a lot worse then choking someone with a tie. As far as the changes in the business… Chris Benoit was a good friend of mine who I had classic matches with.”
His Surprise Appearance at a Recent TNA Live Event: “It was really cool to get out there and mix it up with Rob Van Dam. We are really good friends but it was all about the title. A.J. Styles had flight problems and couldn’t make it in and they didn’t want to dissapoint the fans. It was 2 hours from where I live. I still got good relations with TNA. The TNA family actually treated me very well, I was just going through a lot of personal things when I left. … It was a great night not just for the fans but for myself to go out there and see if I still got it, the itch to be out there and doing it. The fans were going crazy which was totally unexpected. Rob and I went out and I gave him a black eye, he almost broke my jaw when he kicked me in the side of the head. All is fair in love and war when you are out there in the ring trying to deliver for the fans. That is what it was about. Man it was a great nightâ€
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsbarbq.com with a response to the rumor that Linda McMahon’s senate campaign was the mysterious “powerful figure” that demanded WWE take action against Bryan Danielson after the NXT invasion angle. Ross wrote:
“More specifically this unknown, unidentified person even went so far as to say that Bryan’s termination was dictated by the someone of authority in the campaign. First of all, if you knew Vince McMahon as I do you would know immediately how ridiculous that theory was. McMahon taking orders from some outsider? Right.
“I’ve heard some BS in my life and my share of conspiracy theories during my 4 decades in the wrestling business but this one ranks right up there with some of the stupidest theories I’ve ever heard… In all the years that I worked in the front office of WWE never once did Linda attend a booking meeting, discuss with me or my group who was being fired or hired or what was going to happen on TV.
“When she appeared on TV as a character on a fictional show, for the record, she played a role that was written for her. She was never overjoyed, as I recall, about being on TV in the first place much less when she had to kick me south of the belt line one faithful night in Corpus Christi. She did not like the assignment and neither did I but we both did our jobs as we were produced to do. It was show biz plain and simple.”
– Former WWE superstar Daniel Bryan posted a message on Twitter.com stating that it’s “still not the right time” to speak freely about his situation, but that he’s available for independent bookings. For those wondering, -anielson won’t be free to work for TNA until September.
Update: EVOLVE Wrestling has announced that Bryan Danielson will be appearing at their EVOLVE 4 event on 7/23 from Union City, NJ
The following night (7/24), Danielson will appearing at Dragon Gate USA’s anniversary show from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
– TNA star Tommy Dreamer wrote this on Twitter about his first week in TNA:
“The Impact Zone is really cool Great atmosphere live. A very fan friendly place. This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”
– Deadline.com reports that Eric Bischoff & Jason Hervey’s production company have signed an international distribution deal with Shine International, which already widely distributed the Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling show. The article notes that Bischoff & Harvey have several other projects in development and production with VH1, Spike TV, TruTV, A&E & Fuse.
USA Today caught up with John Cena this week at the Gillette Fusion ProGlide launch party and asked the WWE Champion if he’d ever follow in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar and make the jump to Mixed Martial Arts. “No way. I like the WWE badge,”
After watching his first full UFC pay-per-view last week end (UFC115), Cena says it “did nothing” for him.
“I appreciate what they’ve done business-wise,” he said. “They continue to grow. It’s very good to watch the progression of that sport because it reminds me of a then-young WWF, the NFL as they matured, the merger between the NBA and the ABA. They are at that juncture where they are still Wild West. They’re still in-your face. But they’ve made the steps they need to do grow.”
Despite the fact that MMA isn’t really his thing, Cena respects how much progress the sport has made in recent years. “You have to understand this is an entity that was pretty much banned from everywhere. Slowly, they’ve kind of gotten back into circulation.”
– RAW Superstar Edge is set to star in a new WWE movie called “Chasing the Hawk.” Edge will play a lawyer from New Orleans who loses a classic car and then goes out to find it. The movie will be an action comedy.
– John Cena’s Twitter handle has been changed to @johncena and is now accessible at http://twitter.com/johncena.
– Actress Florence Henderson, who played “Carol Brady” on the classic Brady Bunch television show, will be guest hosting the July 12th WWE Monday Night RAW from Lexington, Kentucky. No guest host has been announced for next week’s RAW, the night after no Fatal 4 Way.
