SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Christopher Daniels Talks About Leaving TNA For ROH

    Former three-time TNA X-Division Champion, former six-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, & former two-time ROH World Tag Team Champion, “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, was one of the special guests on this week’s live edition (06/07/09) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel The Mayhem live every Monday night (at 7PM ET/6PM CT), exclusively at MondayNightMayhem.com.

    You can listen to an audio clip of the Christopher Daniels interview here (MP3). Interview highlights below courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson From New Jersey:

    The transition from TNA to Ring of Honor over the past several months & if he ever felt he would see himself in ROH full-time once again: “I always thought Ring of Honor was a great place to wrestle, especially if you enjoy wrestling like I do. It’s usually the place where the top talent in the world goes to wrestle, so I’m thrilled to be back there again with guys like Jim Cornette & Adam Pearce heading the ship. You look at the roster they have, and just to be included in that roster, it’s really for a lack of better term an honor. The guys that are going to be on this Pay-Per-View (Death Before Dishonor VIII) are some of the best wrestlers in the world. I always hoped that I would be wrestling and holding my own with the best in the world, so yeah I’m happy to be there.”

    The lowdown behind his TNA departure & if he anything publicly to say to those within the TNA organization: “I don’t really want to discuss what happened between me & TNA; that’s in the past, and I’m just gonna go wrestle where I can wrestle. I’m happy to work for a company that appreciates me being there, and right now that’s Ring of Honor, Triple A, & other companies around the world. I’m just concentrating on staying busy and trying to stay at that competitive level.”

    What he feels TNA could have done differently with him creatively & how the company could have utilized his persona & character more effectively: It’s easy to look back in hindsight and say ‘They should have done this,’ or ‘I wish they could’ve done that.’ Every wrestler in the world has probably looked at whatever company they’ve been in and said ‘I could’ve been pushed better,’ but the truth of the matter is, creative teams, whether TNA, ROH, or even WWE, there’s a bigger picture that they deal with. The decisions that are made, while they may not be as beneficial to me as a single, in the end they are trying to make the whole roster move forward and be better. What could they have done different? They could have put the World Title on me, but they didn’t. They decided to do what they did, and that’s something we all have to deal with.”

    What the fans can expect in his “Pick 6” Contenders Series Match vs. Kenny Omega at Death Before Dishonor VIII in Toronto: I lot of people are happy that I’m back in Ring of Honor in the sense that get a chance to see me live. Coming back after three years of being in Ring of Honor, I get the opportunity to have matches that I haven’t had before, and one for example is Kenny Omega. Kenny has done a lot of good stuff on the independents, both in Ring of Honor & PWG, as well as going overseas. There is a lot of buzz around Kenny Omega, and so, there’s a lot of anticipation for the first time ever that he & I will ever wrestle each other.

    How different the ROH product is from TNA right now: “The similarities are of course that the rosters are made up with guys that are hungry for bigger & better opportunities. Being with ROH from the beginning, along with mostly being TNA from the beginning and watching both companies grow from where they were in 2002 to now. Both companies have always been that ‘little engine that could,’ and the differences are in the opportunities that come to both companies. TNA has had better opportunities & breaks in terms of their television situation, but at the same, ROH has had a little more freedom internationally and dealing with talents around the world & with other companies. TNA has tried to be its own entity. It all goes back to the talent and the talent that is hungry for trying to become bigger & better and try to make whatever company we’re talking about more successful.”

    More is contained in this worldwide exclusive with “The Fallen Angel”, including his candid thoughts on who he looks forward to competing with in his return to the Ring of Honor roster, how he’s still learning (both in & out of the ring) after many years in the business, how he prides himself in being in the best shape of his life right now, his current relationship with Low Ki/his comments on the highly anticipated debut of “Kaval” in Season II of WWE NXT, plus Daniels’ thoughts on CM Punk taking the opportunities given to him by the WWE (along with his most recent run with The Straight Edge Society). Say your prayers Mayhem Nation, as Christopher Daniels breaks his silence in his first post-TNA interview…found only on “Your Home of Wrestling Radio.” Log on to http://www.ROHWrestling.com & http://www.Tickets.com to purchase your tickets to Ring of Honor’s return to the Buffalo, NY area (at the Erie County Fairgrounds Agri-Center) next Friday night, June 18th, along with ROH’s “Death Before Dishonor VIII” iPPV in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (at The Ted Reeve Arena) next Saturday evening, June 19th. Unable to be a part of DBD VIII in person? Purchase the event right now on http://www.GoFightLive.tv for only $14.95!

  • WWE SmackDown Preview For Tonight

    The following is scheduled for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

    – Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger.

    – Layla w/Michelle McCool & Kaval vs. Tiffany w/Kelly Kelly.

    – Christian vs. Dolph Ziggler.

    – Big Show vs. CM Punk.

    Plus, more on the Undertaker’s condition and appearances by Teddy Long, Kane, Drew McIntyre and more.

  • *Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

    SmackDown *SPOILERS*

    Credit to reader  Shannon Sylvia and Wrestling News World for this live report from Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown! tapings from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Bay, Florida:

    WWE SmackDown (Airing Friday)
    * SmackDown opens with a recap of The Undertaker being found in a vegetative state where Kane vows there will be vengeance. Rey Mysterio is then shown winning last week’s Battle Royal match for Undertaker’s vacant spot at WWE’s upcoming Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view.

    * Big Show will take on CM Punk while Jack Swagger will take on Rey Mysterio. Fatal 4-Way participants compete with Mysterio and Swagger kicking off this week’s edition of SmackDown.

    * Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger
    Rey comes out and talks about last week’s show where he won the SmackDown battle royal and says it’ll be his World Title. He’s cut off by Jack Swagger’s music. Swagger comes out and tells Rey to capitalize on the misfortune of The Undertaker. He then mocks Mysterio where he says he was winning in. Lots of 619 chants. Rey thinks all that education went to a waste and says he’s proud of his heritage. CM Punks comes out with SES and says “Malcom X got JFK in 1963” and this time he fell victim to the Season One NXT rookies. Punk then talks about how he’ll be a four time straightedge World Heavyweight Champion.

    Rey Mysterio tells CM Punk that he is daring to take his mask off after Punk had his head shaved. Big Show comes out and says he will take care of business where he’ll beat three competitors and walk out the World Champion. Big Show then mocks Punk by saying he looks good bald. He can’t help but wonder if Kane’s responsible for Undertaker’s demise. When Kane finds out who did it someone will end up in Taker’s casket. Kane says it could be four people that did it and promises their will be vengeance.

    Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger finally begins with a few back and forth moves. Swagger holds Rey to the ground until Rey rolls out of it and hits a move that sends Jack flying from the ring. Swagger smashes Mysterio into the turnbuckle. Rey hits a 619 and a frog-splash for a two-count. Rey is shocked. The two go at each other with Rey hitting a few moves until he tosses Jack back into the ring. Rey gets thrown out of the ring as Swagger stands tall until; he goes out of the ring and beats him up. Swagger goes for a submission move but Rey fights back until Swagger hits a clothesline for a nearfall. Swagger tries for a suplex off of the turnbuckle for a nearfall but ultimately gets heat from the fans. Rey makes a comeback and gets the win after reversing the gutwrench powerbomb into a 619.

    After the match Swagger attacks Rey until Kane comes out and takes both of them out.

    * Layla w/Michelle McCool & Kaval b. Tiffany w/Kelly Kelly
    Lay-Cool came out and tell the crowd to be quiet and said they are there to get a famous flawless makeover. Michelle McCool starts teaching Kaval a lesson. The match was fairly short with Michelle distracting the referee. Layla got the win after a sloppy neckbreaker.

    * Christian b. Dolph Ziggler
    Vickie Guerrero comes out and introduces Dolph Ziggler after Christian came out to the ring. The match starts with Vickie watching. Dolph dominates the first part of the match even hitting a stunner on Christian. Christian eventually gains control over the match and gets the win with a rollup pinfall. After the match Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer make a statement. Dolph then puts Christian in a sleeperhold and then he walks out with Vickie.

    * Kane is shown looking over the casket with dead roses on top. He says that his soul is empty and he will lead vengeance into hell.

    * Drew MacIntyre comes out and demands that Teddy Long comes out. Long comes out and Drew tells him to watch what happened to him last week on Raw. He says that Matt Hardy is suspended from all WWE programming. Drew then gets in Teddy’s face. Kofi Kingston comes out and says he earned the Intercontinental Championship like a man. Kofi and Drew exchange blows until Kofi finally takes him out.

    * Teddy Long is then shown on the phone. Drew comes into his office and says next week he’ll be taking him on. If Long loses, he’ll be fired according to Mr. McMahon.

    * Big Show b. CM Punk w/SES via DQ
    CM Punk and Big Show start out doing their boxing moves. Punk then goes for a kick and climbs until Show dares him to give him a KO punch. Show tries to rip off Punk’s mask followed by some chops. Show goes for the chokeslam and once again tries to remove Punk’s mask. SES and a ‘hooded’ individual come in the ring and take out Big Show. Kane comes out and cleans house. He takes Big Show out with a chokeslam. This ends this week’s edition of SmackDown.

    Dark Match Main Event

    – Big Show & Rey Mysterio beat Jack Swagger & CM Punk w/SES in a dark steel cage main event match.

  • Carlito’s Father Says He’s Off Pills & Updates His Future

    Last month, Carlos Colon, father of former WWE superstar Carlito, made headlines when he stated that Carlito had a problem with prescription pain pills and left WWE after refusing to enter rehab.

    Read More: Carlito’s Dad Says Carlito Has A Problem With Prescription Pills

    Carlos Colon spoke to Peurto Rico newspaper “El Nuevo Dia” this week and gave the following update on Carlito’s situation:

    – Carlito did not enter rehab program, but is no longer on pills and is no longer in pain. The time away from WWE has helped his body recover.

    – Carlito is back in the gym and training again after taking some time off.

    – Carlito lives with his mother in Texas.

    – Carlos thinks Carlito should wrestle in Puerto Rico for a while before going back to the demanding WWE schedule.

    – Carlito asked for time off from WWE on several occasions, but WWE rejected his requests.

  • Jarrett Interview: Kurt & Karen, iMPACT! Back To Mondays?

    TNA founder Jeff Jarrett was interviewed this week by Fanhouse.com to promote Sunday’s TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view. Here are some highlights of what Jarrett said about:

    His Role in TNA: “I have zero to do with that (creative). It’s a breath of fresh air for myself because it’s a consuming job. At times, it completely consumes your life where it’s almost like you can’t see the forest through the trees. It not only takes up a lot of time but it takes up, I guess you could say, a lot of mental space.”

    Being Engaged to Karen Angle & His relationship with Kurt Angle: “Me and Kurt are good and that’s a private matter and I’ll definitely leave it at that. I don’t discuss things like that. But it’s a very good, thriving relationship.”

    The Possibility of iMPACT! Ever Returning To Mondays: “This sounds real clichéish but if the time was right, absolutely we would. But you know what, the timing, and I’m not talking about just internally on TV, I’m talking externally with Spike and different things with momentum going and different marketing plans and different dollars being invested and how we’re going to advertise as well as in the show with storylines to have it all make sense. Let’s just say the stars would certainly have to align but if they did align without a doubt.”

  • Cena Breaks His Silence, Viewers Choice Voting Legit & More

    – WWE Champion John Cena has posted his first message on Twitter since the brutal beatdown he suffered at the hands of the NXT rookies at the end of RAW. Cena wrote:

    “CeNation. Sorry for delay. Checked out fine. Mild concussion and some back and hip trouble, but I am in 1 piece. Thank u for your concern.”

    Read More: John Cena & Wade Barrett To Feud

    – The fan voting at Monday’s Viewer’s Choice RAW was legitimate. While the writing of Monday’s show did push fans to vote for particular people, they had plans in place for each scenario in the fan voting didn’t go as the company hoped for.

    – WWE’s website had 12.4 million unique visitors for the month of April. The WWE Shop website averaged 633 orders per day and shipped 277,000 DVDs for the month, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

  • WWE’s New Company Direction, NXT Invasion Kept Secret

    -There is a new movement in WWE’s overall booking philosophy to feature more realistic programming and to push younger, smaller stars. The NXT invasion on RAW and the recent storyline with Daniel Bryan vs. Michael Cole are examples of angles that are “out of the norm” for WWE.

    WWE also knows that stars like The Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio and Big Show won’t be around forever. Some of today’s top young talents (The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, Daniel Bryan, Kaval) are smaller than the current breed of main eventers and the company realizes that the smaller guys need to be portrayed well. Evan Bourne in particular is in line for a big push and has the endorsement of John Cena, but it remains to be seen how committed WWE is to the push.

    – As we reported earlier this week, the reaction backstage after the NXT invasion on RAW was very positive. The angle was kept a secret from almost everyone in the company and wasn’t even listed on the show’s script.

    Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • John Cena & Wade Barrett To Feud, NXT Ratings, Lay Cool

    – Following the NXT invasion on RAW, there are plans for John Cena to feud with Wade Barrett for the WWE championship this summer. The match could headline a summer pay-per-view and would be another example of WWE shooting another young star to the top in a feud with John Cena, ala Sheamus.

    – Speaking of John Cena, he is still scheduled to appear at this week’s live WWE events, but WWE will likely want to sell the beatdown he suffered on RAW – so he may not wrestle this week.

    – Tuesday’s WWE NXT Season 2 premiere did a 1.07 cable rating with 1,529,000 viewers. Viewersihp was up 8% compared to last week’s Season 1 finale.

    – WWE creative is currently happy with the Michelle McCool – Layla tag team, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. While some saw them as a “Beautiful People” knockoff at first, Lay Cool is seen as a hot act with a lot of potential.

  • Flair & Hogan’s Futures In TNA, Surprise At Slammiversary

    – The creative team in TNA has been told to make sure Hulk Hogan appears on every episode of Impact, even if its just for a moment. Others in the company feel that Hogan should be used more sparingly, so his appearances have more of an impact.

    – Ric Flair’s TNA contract was for 52 dates over a one-year period. Since he has appeared on virtually all of TNA’s television and pay-per-view events, the comany will likely have to sign him to a new contract soon. One bargaining chip for TNA in the negotiations is their ability to bring in Ric Flair’s son, Reid.

    – TNA President Dixie Carter posted a comment on Twitter that TNA has a “nice surprise” for fans at Sunday’s TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view. We haven’t heard anything yet about what the surprise may be, but TNA has built a nice track record of delivering on their surprises and “major announcements” – so this could get interesting.

    Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

    – According to Dave Meltzer, the creative team in TNA has been told to make sure Hulk Hogan appears on every episode of Impact, even if it is just for a brief moment. There are some thoughts that he should be on television less, so when he does appear, it means more.

    – Ric Flair’s TNA contract was for 52 dates over a one-year period. Since he has appeared on all the TV/PPV events, they are likely going to have to sign him to a new contract soon. It’s possible that TNA will bring in Flair’s son Reid so he won’t ask for more money when it comes time to sign a new deal.

  • NXT Invasion Continues: Another Beatdown At FCW Show

    The NXT Invasion storyline continued at last night’s WWE developmental show in Florida.

    The main event was scheduled to be The Miz and Daniel Bryan vs. Christian and Heath Slater – but that match never happened. The Miz’s music played before the match but nobody came out. Christian came out next and talked about what happened on RAW, then called out Heath Slater. Slater talked about how everything started off fine between them – but then Christian wouldn’t give him the answers so they lost the competition.

    Daniel Bryan then ran out and attacked Christian from behind. The Miz came down next and helped Christian fight off the NXT rookies. Miz grabbed a microphone and proposed that they switch partners – and instead have a Pros vs. Rookies match. Miz and Christian worked as babyfaces during the match.

    As Miz and Christian were about to hit their finishing moves on the Rookies, the rest of the NXT Season 1 Rookies rushed the ring and beat down Miz and Christian

    As we saw on RAW, the Rookies destroyed the ringside area and tore down the FCW ring -  before Bryan kicked Miz in the head and Slater hit the Killswitch on Christian. The Rookies left with the Pros laid out.

    The NXT Invasion angle looks like it’s here to stay. Considering the  strong feedback we got here on the site and the overall buzz in the industry this week, WWE has finally gone back to basics with a captivating wrestling angle that might just keep fans tuned in this summer.

  • VIDEO: Death Before Dishonor Main Event Preview

    Ring of Honor’s upcoming Death Before Dishonor online pay-per-view is just over two weeks away – taking place on Saturday, June 19th from Toronto.

    Here’s the current card for the event, including a must-see video hyping the main event.

    Death Before Dishonor Card

    * ROH Champion Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards

    * ROH Tag Team champions The Kings of Wrestling vs. The Briscoe Brothers

    * Christopher Daniels vs. Kenny Omega

    * Kevin Steen vs. El Generico

    Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards preview:

  • Vince McMahon Shows Up To Work With 2 Black Eyes

    WWE Chairman Vince McMahon showed up at WWE’s television tapings this past week with two black eyes and a cut over one eye that went to his forehead, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    Nobody seemed to know what happened. Everyone was talking about it privately, but as you can imagine, nobody wanted to be overheard speculating about how Vince got so banged up.

    Vince never addressed the situation publicly and if he did tell anybody what happened – they’re not talking about it.

    Our source says it looked like Vince got into a fight or car accident. Most figured he was in an accident, because if it were a fight, it would be hard to keep that quiet.

  • Prominent Political Pundit Disses Linda McMahon

    Reader Gary C from Springfield, MO (SEScoops member “GCMissouri”) sent in this report:

    Conservative pundit Ann Coulter wrote in her weekly column that she hoped that Sarah Palin would endorse McMahon’s Republican Primary opponent Bob Simmons because otherwise the Republicans would be “kissing the possibility of a major upset in Connecticut goodbye.”

    Coulter described Linda as a “professional wrestling impresario” and expressed disappointment that those who attended the GOP caucus in CT last month endorsed Linda due only to the fact that “offered to spend up to $50 million of her own money on the campaign.” Coulter said that “any half-wit knows” that people in CT would not vote for her.

    Coulter outlined in 19 of 20 instances where a candidate said they would spend a great deal of their own money… those candidates did not win. She argued that if McMahon is nominated that Republicans would blow a big opportunity for them to pickup a U.S. Senate seat vs. the Democrat candidate Richard Blumenthal, who was strongly criticized for recently lying about his Vietnam War service last month.

    Coulter is an influential conservative writer and commentator that is quite popular among Republican voters at the grassroots level and Tea-Party members, so this cannot be good news for Linda.

    The article can be seen at AnnCoulter.com.

    Promenant

  • TNA iMPACT! Preview: Hardy, Angle & Anderson In Action

    Here’s a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of TNA iMPACT! on Spike TV, the final episode before Sunday’s Slammiversary pay-per-view:

    * Jeff Hardy, Ken Anderson, Jay Lethal & Abyssvs. AJ Styles & Desmond Wolfe & Beer Money

    * Kurt Angle vs. The Amazing Red.

    * The Beautiful People’s Velvet Sky & Lacey Von Erich vs. Roxxi & Rosie Lottalove.

    Also scheduled to appear are TNA champion Rob Van Dam, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Matt Morgan, Team 3D, Hernandez and more.

  • *Spoilers* TNA iMPACT! Tapings Results For Tonight

    SEScoops reader Ray R. sent in these live tapings results for tonight’s TNA iMPACT!:

    A.J. Styles, Kazarian, Desmond Wolfe and Beer Money came out without Ric Flair.  Styles said he is now in charge with Flair not there.  Styles said they are in an eight-man tag match but there are five of them, so he said Kazarian will sit out .  Jay Lethal came out cutting a Flair-like promo saying how Styles will never be the man, Ric Flair is the man, and he said, “right now you’re looking at a wrestling God.”  Lethal then introduces his team, himself, Abyss, Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy.

    *Roxxi & Rosie Lottalove defeated Velvet Sky & Lacey Von Erich.  The heels laid out the babyfaces.

    *Matt Morgan is in Eric Bischoff’s office wanting to know who his new tag team partner is.  Hulk Hogan cuts a promo, calling Morgan the biggest crybaby in the industry.  Hogan said how Morgan backstabs every partner he’s ever had.  Morgan came out but Hernandez attacked Morgan, who did a stretcher job.  The Band came out and said Morgan was scheduled to wrestle Eric Young, so Young pinned him on the stretcher.

    *Jesse Neal called out Brother Ray.  Team 3D came out but security held everyone apart.  Neal told Ray to say whatever he had to say to his face.  Devon kept trying to keep the piece but when Shannon Moore butted in, he wanred Moore this was none of his concern.  Bubba went after Neal and security pulled them apart.

    *Kurt Angle beat Amazing Red.

    *AJ Styles & Desmond Wolfe & Beer Money defeated Jay Lethal & Abyss & Ken Anderson & Jeff Hardy when Styles pinned Lethal. They held up four fingers.  Sting attacked RVD and they brawl.  Hogan shows up to help RVD and it ends with RVD splashing Sting.

  • Undertaker Has Surgery, Heat On Jericho, Europe Tour A Bust?

    – The Undertaker underwent surgery this past week on his damaged orbital bone. As we reported earlier this week, the Undertaker is expected to be off television until SummerSlam. When he returns, there are plans for a program with World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger – a sign that Swagger’s title is safe for now.

    – Attendance figures are in for WWE’s recent European tour are in and the numbers are not good. This tour averaged 6,600 paid fans per show while last year’s tour averaged 8,100 paid fans per show – a decline of 18.5%. Considering the fact that WWE has relied on the strength of its international business when business has been down in the United States, this is something to be concerned about.

    – Chris Jericho’s new gig as a game show host for ABC network’s “Downfall” show has been a major topic of discussion backstage in WWE for the past 2 weeks.  The company was unable to talk Jericho out of doing the show. Jericho is under contract with WWE until this Fall and his new gig has caused many to fear he’ll get others in the entertainment business that would cause him to take another hiatus from WWE.

    Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Bischoff Interview: His TNA Status, Young Talent, Knockouts

    Monday Night Mayhem radio with Eric Bischoff
    Hosts: Big Mosh, Blade, Todd Vincent
    Recap by Paterson from New Jersey
    Available at www.MondayNightMayhem.com.

    Here are some highlights of what Eric Bischoff said about:

    His recent cryptic Facebook posts and his current TNA status: “Things are fine; things are no different from the last time we spoke on this show. As far as my page being cryptic, I’ve been on my Facebook page for a long time, and I was suggesting to fans that as much as I like to have an open forum and have people comment and have constant communication, there’s just a couple of things I don’t want to see on my Facebook page.

    “I don’t want to see profanity and just stupid crap. One of the problems I have had with the Internet Wrestling Community is brain dead commentary and the same kind of redundant comments and statements over and over again, and when I started on the site, I really wanted to raise the bar and have conversations and even be critical without being abusive. It just got to the point where I didn’t want to spend anymore time editing my page, so I made a statement a couple of times and just got sick of it and said enough was enough and I pulled the wall posting.”

    “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels leaving TNA and his response to the fact that fans may perceive that he had something to do with Daniels’ departure: “I don’t really have a side. I’m a fan of Chris, and I was excited to meet him when I came to TNA. We talked a few times creatively about some character development for him and things like that, and I think he’s a phenomenal talent. But honestly, I can’t take a side when I’m not really on the inside of any of the discussions and issues as it relates to Chris. All I know is that there are a lot of people in TNA that think highly of him, and that’s all I know. There are a lot of misconceptions on my role in TNA, Hulk Hogan’s roles in TNA, and the day-to-day operations. It’s understandable; we are very high profile and out in front as story lines go, but I’m a really big fan of Chris and probably will be and hope we see him back in TNA in the near future.”

    Why he sees Jay Lethal and Brian Kendrick as two of the most promising young talents in TNA right now and potentially as being major players in the industry in the years to come: “It’s so hard to say, and this is going to sound so political and such a kiss-ass answer, but there is a lot of good young talent there, and not only do they have talent, but they have attitude…and when I say attitude, I mean the desire, passion, and focus with an open mind, which I think is critical in this business especially with young talent. Young talent are so influenced (when it comes to learning) that unless they keep a very open mind, they tend to get very pigeon-holed.

    “In TNA, there are a lot of guys that fall into that category. Jay Lethal is the obvious one, and I could take up a whole show talking about Jay Lethal. (Brian) Kendrick is another guy. I’ve been watching him for years, and I think he was in the WWE when I was there, and I saw him in TNA, but no one really spent the time with him, and he never had the opportunity, but because he had the drive to approach me and say ‘Hey, this is what I’m thinking, and this what I feel,’ and as I’m listening to him, I’m thinking there is something there. There’s a lot of guys and girls just like him in TNA.”

    His response to those that feel that TNA always puts former WWE superstars in the main event matches/storylines, as opposed to TNA’s “homegrown” talent: “First of all, I have to say this, and this piss off some people in TNA, but I hate the term “homegrown talent.” We’re not selling vegetables here or freshly-made pies. This is about creating awareness. Our survival, our ability to grow our audience, and appeal to a broader audience isn’t about appealing to the same people who’ve been watching this, and quite frankly, the audience hasn’t grown all that significantly over the last 4, 5, or 6 years, or you probably wouldn’t be talking to me right now.

    “This is about growing and expanding the audience. You gotta grow the brand, and you do that by bringing in people (whether they’re movie stars, television stars, or anything else) who have a broader appeal because they have been out there in front of other people in a bigger, broader audience than perhaps the talent you already have on the show. That’s not a knock at all on the talent that TNA currently has, but it does reflect the need that in order for TNA to grow, you have to bring in people that have a broader appeal worldwide. By bringing some of those people in, it benefits the talent that hasn’t been anywhere outside of TNA.”

    The current status of TNA’s Knockout Division: “We got hit with a rash of injuries a few weeks ago, along with some contractual issues. But I think what you are going to see is the Knockout division getting back on track in very short order. Everyone in TNA is proud of the Knockouts division, and I look at the division and look at anything else that has been done before, I think the Knockout division is consistently one of the better women’s divisions that I’ve ever seen in any promotion. I think there is a lot of commitment to it, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

    More is contained in the return of “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff,” including what he looking forward to seeing at Slammiversary this Sunday evening, along with his candid thoughts on the “tweaks” that he has installed in the last few weeks to TNA iMPACT, the likelihood of see the company go live on Thursday nights in the foreseeable future, the expansion of TNA on the road, what one thing he would change to the promotion right now if he had complete control of TNA, plus more of your calls/Facebook questions! Due to the continued overwhelming response, “The Hot Seat With Eric Bischoff” (flavored by Sizzlin Sauces) will return LIVE once again on Monday night, July 5th (beginning @ 7PM ET/6PM CT) leading into TNA’s Victory Road…exclusively on Monday Night Mayhem!

  • Jeff Hardy Drug Trial Update: New Charge Added

    Jeff Hardy's 9/11/09 Mugshot

    Earlier this week, we reported that it appeared most of the drug charges against Jeff Hardy had been dropped, since the North Carolina courts website had updated the public records of Hardy’s case – stating that he was now only being charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Opium.

    Unfortunately for Jeff Hardy and his fans – news of any charges being dropped was an error by the The Moore County Superior Court. Hardy was in court on June 3rd, but time ran out and there was no time for his case to be heard. When the court listed Hardy’s next court appearance for July, most of the charges against Hardy were no longer listed (the erorr).

    North Carolina’s Pilot Newspaper spoke to District Attorney Maureen Krueger, who stated:

    “His charges are still pending. In fact, a new one was added.”

    The new charge against Hardy is Conspiracy to Traffic Opium, a felony.

    To recap Hardy’s legal situation ….

    Jeff Hardy was arrested on September 11th, 2009 after police raided his home in Cameron, North Carolina. A joint investigation conducted by officers with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the search.

    According to the police report, a search of his residence yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia.

    He was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

    If convicted of all charges, Hardy faces upto 14 years in prison.

  • VIDEO: First Look At The New “WWE ALL STARS” Video Game

    Video game website Gamespot.com recently met with THQ and got a first look at the all-new WWE All Stars game. WWE All Stars will be a “larger than life” arcade-style game featuring the superstars of today as well as legends from past eras. The characters in WWE All Stars are super-sized and look like action figures. The game is more fast-paced than the other WWE video games and is being described as a hybrid of a wrestling game and a fighting game.

    Button combos will play a big part of the player’s offense and a “juggle system” will let you string together multiple slams and throws in a row. During these juggle combos, the game uses slow motion technology. In the gameplay footage shown (which you can see below), The Rock’s People’s Elbow has him jumping high into the air as does the Rock Bottom, with lots of visual effects to emphasize the move.

    WWE All Stars is set to be released in early 2011 and is being developed by THQ San Diego, which also worked on the TNA iMPACT game.

    The video below contains an interview with one of the developers from THQ and some gameplay footage of a match between John Cena and The Rock.

    Here’s the video:

  • VIDEO: First Look At WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011

    Video game website Gamespot.com recently sat down with THQ and got a first look at WWE’s SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 video game, set to be released this Fall. Here are some of the new features in this year’s game, followed by a video of Gamespot’s interview with THQ and some gameplay footage.

    – The game will feature a new physics system that will make all objects look more realistic. The TLC match especially will be enhanced. For example, instead of just crashing through a table, the table might break in different ways than you’re used to. Ladders will also bend and break depending on where they are impacted.

    – You will also be able to lean the ladders up on the ring and in the corners, among other places.

    – New effects with a steel chair will let you throw the chair at your opponent.

    – You will be be able to have as many as six tables in a match

    Here’s the video:

  • RAW Rating, New NXT Ring Announcer, Season 2 Format

    NXT Ring Announcer Jamie Keyes

    – Monday’s three-hour Viewer’s Choice episode of WWE RAW drew a 3.1 cable rating. The show did a 3.3 rating for two final hours, RAW’s usual timeslot.

    – The dark match prior to Tuesday’s NXT and SmackDown tapings saw JTG defeat Dos Caras.

    – The new WWE NXT ring announcer is developmental Diva Jamie Keyes.

    – WWE has announced that the new season of NXT on SyFy will last 12 weeks. The first fan vote will take place in 3 weeks and the first Rookie elimination will take place in 6 weeks. Fans will be able to vote for the next “breakout WWE Superstar” on the WWE website. The other votes will come from the NXT Pros.

  • Jim Ross Blogs About The NXT Invasion, UFC 115 & More

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

    The NXT Invasion On RAW: “The NXT wrestlers collective assault on all that is WWE including wrestlers, announcers, the ring announcer, time keeper, security, etc was a complete shocker. Raw’s ending from Miami was one of the best conclusions of any Raw episode in years. This incident was completely out of the blue and poses many more questions than answers which is the life’s blood of producing episodic TV. The follow up to this matter certainly has my interest and I am more than curious to see where this NXT issue goes. I can only assume that it will be addressed tonight in some form on the 2nd season premier of NXT on Syfy.”

    Saturday’s UFC 115 PPV: “It’s hard to pick a winner in Saturday’s UFC PPV in Vancouver in the Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin main event which is another reason that UFC PPV’s are so much fun to watch. I’m an ‘Iceman’ fan but one always wonders how much fuel is left in the tank of a veteran like Liddell. We know that Chuck’s passion and his will to compete will always be in place but are his physical skills still in tact to win an other UFC main event? Insiders speculate that Franklin is nearing the end of his run and that he has confided in some folks that he’s about ready to call it a career. That’s merely hearsay as far as I know but it certainly adds to the intrigue of this fight. It’s arguable that both Liddell and Franklin won’t be fighting that much longer as neither athlete strikes me as the type of fighter that will allow themselves to stay too long. There is no way that the judges will influence Liddell vs. Franklin Saturday night from where I sit. Vancouver is a great city, one of my favorite places to visit from my days of weekly, WWE travel, but their politicos seem to be having a knee jerk reaction to UFC/MMA regarding what I’ve read as being ridiculous requirements for insurance, etc. It’s too bad that uneducated politicians often times perceive UFC to be something that it isn’t and that these decisions then adversely affect the fans who live in the community. I can assure you that the many businesses in Vancouver will covet the UFC being in town this week.”

    The Undertaker’s New DVD Set: “The Undertaker’s ‘Deadliest Matches’ is out today on DVD and is a really fun DVD to watch. It covers the true evolution of the Undertaker persona through multiple eras and with a wide variety of opponents and unique matches. I enjoyed it and think that it’s a must have for all Undertaker fans. It certainly brought back plenty of fun memories for me as a broadcaster.”

  • Triple H’s WWE Hiatus, New WWE Video Game & Lots More

    – As we reported earlier, Triple H is currently in New Orleans filming his first WWE movie, The Chaperone. The Game will in New Orleans for the next three weeks filming and will be off television for a while to sell the beatdown he suffered at the hands of Sheamus at Extreme Rules last month. There is talk that Triple H will be returning in time for SummerSlam in August.

    – Actress Yeadley Smith, best known as the voice of “The Simpsons” character Lisa, wrote the following on Twitter about working with Triple H on WWE’s “Chaperone” movie:

    “He’s the sweetest, most delightful wall-of-man I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Sure, not his persona on the WWE, but He. Is. Wonderful. Today the “heat index” in New Orleans put us at 105%. I almost died. Haha! It warranted white wine & pretzels for dinner. I’d probably lose weight, if not for the wine. Btw, I LOVE Triple H! He is a dream pie!!”

    – WWE recently filed a new trademark for “WWE All-Stars”, which is said to be for a new videogame franchise that will feature current WWE superstars and legends from past eras. Jim Ross recently blogged that he and Jerry “The King” Lawler had been working with THQ on voice-over work for the game.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. had emergency neck surgery yesterday to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve that had been causing him pain in his arm and shoulder. DiBiase is hoping to be out of the hospital on Tuesday or Wednesday.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat has been working at Florida Championship Wrestling as a trainer. WWE is still looking for another trainer to work at developmental.

    Partial sources: f4wonline, pwinsider

  • Cena Behind Evan Bourne’s Push, Jericho’s Game Show & More

    – WWE officials are reportedly upset with Chris Jericho over his new role as the host of a new game show on the ABC network. Apparently WWE told Jericho last week that they wanted him to back out of the show,  but Jericho would not back down talked them into letting him take the gig.

    Read More Chris Jericho To Host ABC Network Game Show “DOWNFALL”

    – Evan Bourne’s recent push came about after John Cena went to Vince McMahon and basically told him that the company was dropping the ball by not fully getting behind Bourne. Another reason behind Bourne’s push is that with Daniel Bryan and Kaval being brought up to the main roster, WWE wants to condition fans to accept smaller superstars as viable main eventers.

    – WWE’s on air talent was told not to mention UFC on last night’s RAW that featured UFC star Rampage Jackson as one of the guest hosts. The Bella Twins did a skit backstage where Jackson was simply referred to as an MMA fighter with no mention of the company he works for.

    – As noted earlier, Mark Feuerstein of USA Network’s Royal Pains will be the special guest host of next week’s RAW. SmackDown Superstar the Big Show will be hosting with Feuerstein next week. Show will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Royal Pains and in the upcoming WWE Studios film Knucklehead.

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

  • NXT INVASION: Backstage Reaction & Details On What’s Next

    On Monday’s RAW, WWE began a major storyline featuring the NXT season 1 Rookies.

    The angle began when Wade Barrett appeared on the ramp during the show’s main event between John Cena and CM Punk.

    As Barrett made his way to the ring, his fellow Season 1 Rookies – Daniel Bryan, David Otunga, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Darren Young, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel – all appeared from the crowd and surrounded the ring. Each of them wore a black armband with a yellow “N” on them.

    The Rookies proceeded to destroy everything in sight – including John Cena, the Straight Edge Society, the WWE announcers and ringside crew members, the announcer’s table and the ring. According to live reports sent in from fans who were at the show in Miami, the crowd was very into the angle and the NXT crew had a ton of heat. Many compared the invasion to the early nWo back in WCW in the late 1990s.

    After the NXT Season 1 rookies returned backstage, they received a lot of praise for WWE management for the way the angle played out. According to f4wonline.com, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Michael Hayes are really liking the recent NXT angles the Michael Cole vs. Daniel Bryan feud, the NXT Season Finale episode and last night’s invasion.

    The fact that Michael Cole was the only WWE crew member to escape the NXT beatdown could be a sign that he’s part of the storyline, as there has been talk of moving turning Cole heel.

    Expect tonight’s WWE NXT Season 2 premiere to feature fallout from last night’s angle. There’s also been talk of Season 1’s rookies being featured regularly on Season 2.

    Read More: Wrestlers Comment On The NXT Invasion Angle From RAW