WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on Hardcore Sports Radio this week and discussed TNA Wrestling challenging WWE on Monday nights. Despite the fact that Austin is aWWE guy through and through, he says “competition is great for the business” and hopes TNA can give WWE a run for its money.

“I wish the TNA people all the luck in the world because it means more of the boys have jobs and it gives fans an alternative” Austin said.

TNA has a lot of the WCW pieces in place (Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, Sting, The Band), but Austin doesn’t know if TNA will ever be able to reach WCW’s popularity peak. “I don’t know if we’ll ever re-create that Nitro-Raw war,” he said. “WCW kicked our ass for two years, then we smoked their ass and never looked back and put them out of business.”

Even though he wishes good luck for TNA, he knows it will be close to impossible for them to realistically push them to the brink like WCW did. “I don’t think anyone will ever come close to really giving true competition to WWE because they’re so far ahead of the game, they’re rooted in their system, and they’re a winner.”

(Quotes transcribed by TheSun.co.uk)

– Batista was legitimately busted open last night by Kofi Kingston during their match on RAW.

– The following matches were taped before Monday’s RAW for this week’s WWE Superstars show:

* Bella Twins vs. Jillian Hall & Katie Lea
* Christian, Mark Henry & Yoshi Tatsu vs. Jack Swagger
* Zack Ryder and William Rega

– During the commercial break before the Bret Hart & Vince McMahon WrestleMania contract signing, CM Punk came out and challenged Rey Mysterio to a match that would take place after RAW went off the air. When RAW concluded, the two wrestled a 10 minute match and Mysterio earned the win with the 619. Mysterio celebrated with the fans after the win.

– Batista was legitimately busted open last night by Kofi Kingston during their match on RAW.

– The following matches were taped before Monday’s RAW for this week’s WWE Superstars show:

* Bella Twins vs. Jillian Hall & Katie Lea
* Christian, Mark Henry & Yoshi Tatsu vs. Jack Swagger
* Zack Ryder and William Rega

– During the commercial break before the Bret Hart & Vince McMahon WrestleMania contract signing, CM Punk came out and challenged Rey Mysterio to a match that would take place after RAW went off the air. When RAW concluded, the two wrestled a 10 minute match and Mysterio earned the win with the 619. Mysterio celebrated with the fans after the win.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Ross reveals that after months of negotiations, he’s come to terms with WWE for a new contract and will be signing it this week. Plus, Ross discusses Gorgeous George being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and more. Some highlights:

His WWE Contract Status: I will be signing another contract extension this week with WWE to allow us to get past Wrestlemania and to give us more time to finalize our newest agreement which will hopefully see me remaining with WWE for the long term future. At least, that’s the goal for all involved. I’m going into this negotiation with a positive frame of mind and hopeful that all will work out to everyone’s mutual happiness at the end of the day.

Talking With Steve Austin Over The Weekend: I talked with Steve this weekend and he was really excited about being back on Raw and feeling that live audience, adrenaline rush that one experiences. I cannot name any wrestler who better connected with their audience than did Stone Cold Steve Austin and I’ve seen a few in my day. I even think Steve was going down from LA to San Diego on Sunday, he’s still old school, to be ready to rock the house Monday night. Obviously, WWE will be promoting the film “Damage” starring Stone Cold that will be out on DVD on March 23 which is only 8 days from now.

Gorgeous George in WWE’s Hall of Fame: WWE announcing Gorgeous George as a new inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame is a cool thing for the business. When I first got in the wrestling biz in 1974, my boss, Lee Roy McGuirk, was a former wrestling star who had crossed paths with Gorgeous George on many occasions. I heard numerous GG stories from McGuirk who was a former NCAA Champion at Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State) and was considered one of the toughest men in the business. McGuirk was a old school guy with a “jock mentality” and he wasn’t crazy about the show biz aspect of the Gorgeous George persona but McGuirk always said that George Wagner was much tougher and more skilled in legit wrestling than people would ever give him credit for being.

Gorgeous George

WWE sent out the following press release this morning announcing that wrestling legend Gorgeous George will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame later this month:

Gorgeous George Enters Hall of Fame

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–World Wrestling Entertainment® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Gorgeous George, the man often credited with creating American pop culture and who set the standard for future WWE Superstars and influenced such greats as Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Bob Dylan, will be inducted into the WWE® Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010. His 96 year-old former wife, Betty Wagner will accept the honor on his behalf. The Hall of Fame ceremony will be broadcast that night on USA Network at 11 PM ET from the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.

“A mighty spirit. Crossing paths with Gorgeous George, was all the recognition and encouragement I would need for years to come.”

“Gorgeous George’s was a pop-culture innovator who took risks pushing the social envelope and did things that no other performer had ever dared to do,” said CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon. “He was a cultural tour-de-force who set the standard that many in the world of sports and entertainment still emulate today.”

The significance of Gorgeous George’s legacy led WWE Studios to option the rights to his story for a major motion picture slated to begin production in 1Q 2011.

Muhammad Ali, whose notorious boastful and arrogant style derived from George, stated, “I made up my mind after meeting Gorgeous George to make people angry at me…I saw 15,000 people comin’ to see this man get beat. And his talking did it. I said this is a good idea.”

Bob Dylan, the music poet, said, “A mighty spirit. Crossing paths with Gorgeous George, was all the recognition and encouragement I would need for years to come.”

Gorgeous George, born George Wagner, single-handedly changed the dynamics of not only wrestling, but entertainment and sports in the 1940s-1950s. His character was an arrogant aristocrat dressed in silk, lace and chiffon robes who spoke in a braggadocio style, often referring to himself as “The Toast of the Coast” and “The Sensation of the Nation.” Audiences around the country came to see Gorgeous George perform live, and tuned their TV sets in to see what he would say or do next, making Gorgeous George one of the biggest celebrities of his day, and an influence on pop culture for generations to come. As popular as Lucille Ball and Bob Hope, media observers believe more Americans purchased televisions to watch Gorgeous George perform than to see Milton Berle.

Others to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame on March 27 include Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase Sr., former Women’s Champion Wendi Richter, Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon and Japanese legend Antonio Inoki.

Heyyyyo!

Check out the latest episode of Last Call With Scott Hall ..

This week .. Scott Hall watches TNA iMPACT! with WCW Monday Nitro announcer Larry Zbyszko, who has a lot to say about “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Appearances by Chasyn Rance, Mister Saint Laurent, and Richard Young (ECW’s Ricky Ortiz) ..

Heyyyyo!

Check out the latest episode of Last Call With Scott Hall ..

This week .. Scott Hall watches TNA iMPACT! with WCW Monday Nitro announcer Larry Zbyszko, who has a lot to say about “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Appearances by Chasyn Rance, Mister Saint Laurent, and Richard Young (ECW’s Ricky Ortiz) ..

Thanks to reader Jody for sending in the following ….

Former Trish Stratus recently attended the launch of the winter issue of Top Choice Magazine, which she’s on the cover of.

Related: Trish Stratus on the Cover of Top Choice Magazine

Stratus showed up with a “new” look, having colored her hair blonde the way it was almost a decade ago in her early WWE days .. Check her out, lookin’ hot as ever:

Ring of Honor star Colt Cabana was a guest on the UK Sun’s One Sided Ring Podcast this week and spoke about his short stint in WWE last year. Cabana said his character was never given an identity, he never won any matches and many of the people in WWE didn’t even know who he was. “It was almost like there were two different types of people in WWE. There was the people who knew who I was, and the people who had no clue who I was,” Cabana said. “The people who knew who I was were the ones that liked me doing commentary, were the ones who fought to get me my own Internet show. I was never able to develop as a wrestler or a person. It was upsetting and ignorant.”

He says he likes WWE’s new NXT concept and thinks he would have been a perfect candidate for the show if he was still under contract. “Timing is everything. I think that show was made for me. I think I would have been on that list. A guy like Heath Slater who has been around there forever, they are constantly giving him darks [tryout matches] and bringing him up and they don’t know what to do with him. It’s a perfect scenario for these guys they don’t know what to do with. Just let them go on TV and be themselves. A little bit of me is like ‘man, what I could do with that’. But when I saw that opportunity for NXT and I knew I wasn’t in it, that kinda hit me in the heart a little bit.”

You can listen to the entire interview on iTunes: (One Sided Ring Podcast)

(Credit to TheSun.co.uk for transcribing the quotes)

Ring of Honor star Colt Cabana was a guest on the UK Sun’s One Sided Ring Podcast this week and spoke about his short stint in WWE last year. Cabana said his character was never given an identity, he never won any matches and many of the people in WWE didn’t even know who he was. “It was almost like there were two different types of people in WWE. There was the people who knew who I was, and the people who had no clue who I was,” Cabana said. “The people who knew who I was were the ones that liked me doing commentary, were the ones who fought to get me my own Internet show. I was never able to develop as a wrestler or a person. It was upsetting and ignorant.”

He says he likes WWE’s new NXT concept and thinks he would have been a perfect candidate for the show if he was still under contract. “Timing is everything. I think that show was made for me. I think I would have been on that list. A guy like Heath Slater who has been around there forever, they are constantly giving him darks [tryout matches] and bringing him up and they don’t know what to do with him. It’s a perfect scenario for these guys they don’t know what to do with. Just let them go on TV and be themselves. A little bit of me is like ‘man, what I could do with that’. But when I saw that opportunity for NXT and I knew I wasn’t in it, that kinda hit me in the heart a little bit.”

You can listen to the entire interview on iTunes: (One Sided Ring Podcast)

(Credit to TheSun.co.uk for transcribing the quotes)

If you read the *Spoilers* For Next Week’s TNA iMPACT! you read that Eric Bischoff got his head shaved.

At the tapings, Bischoff told Mick Foley that they’d be shaving his head and beard to “make a citizen out of him.” When the time came for Foley’s makeover later in the evening, Foley got physical with Bischoff, delivered Mr. Socko and shaved the boss’ head.

Bischoff will likely shave the rest of it off – and we should get a gipse at a fully bald Bischoff on the next live iMPACT! on March 22nd.

If you read the *Spoilers* For Next Week’s TNA iMPACT! you read that Eric Bischoff got his head shaved.

At the tapings, Bischoff told Mick Foley that they’d be shaving his head and beard to “make a citizen out of him.” When the time came for Foley’s makeover later in the evening, Foley got physical with Bischoff, delivered Mr. Socko and shaved the boss’ head.

Bischoff will likely shave the rest of it off – and we should get a gipse at a fully bald Bischoff on the next live iMPACT! on March 22nd.

TNA has posted Rob Van Dam’s new entrance video and theme song to YouTube, check ’em out:

– Jeff Hardy made his return to TNA on Monday’s live iMPACT after signing with the company just over a week ago. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, we know that TNA officials were looking for lock Hardy up for at least a year, with up to 100 dates – including TV, PPVs and live events.

– In related news, Jeff Hardy’s close friend Shannon Moore signed his TNA deal around the same time. It is expected that Moore’s relationship with Hardy will be acknowledged on television. There has even been talk of them teaming together while also

– Following the news that Monday’s TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.0 compared to RAW’s 3.4, the USA Network’s Vice President of Program Research wrote the following on Twitter:

“No much of a Monday Night “War”. RAW trounced TNA by 275% w/ total viewers. Also Impact much lower than the test Monday ep in early Jan”

– Jeff Hardy made his return to TNA on Monday’s live iMPACT after signing with the company just over a week ago. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, we know that TNA officials were looking for lock Hardy up for at least a year, with up to 100 dates – including TV, PPVs and live events.

– In related news, Jeff Hardy’s close friend Shannon Moore signed his TNA deal around the same time. It is expected that Moore’s relationship with Hardy will be acknowledged on television. There has even been talk of them teaming together while also

– Following the news that Monday’s TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.0 compared to RAW’s 3.4, the USA Network’s Vice President of Program Research wrote the following on Twitter:

“No much of a Monday Night “War”. RAW trounced TNA by 275% w/ total viewers. Also Impact much lower than the test Monday ep in early Jan”

WWE RAW drew a 3.4 cable rating (down from last week’s strong 3.7) and averaged 5,091,000 viewers.

TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.0 cable rating (down from Thursday’s 1.1 rating) and averaged 1,361,000 viewers.

More details are coming in shortly.

WWE RAW drew a 3.4 cable rating (down from last week’s strong 3.7) and averaged 5,091,000 viewers.

TNA iMPACT! drew a 1.0 cable rating (down from Thursday’s 1.1 rating) and averaged 1,361,000 viewers.

More details are coming in shortly.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog with his thoughts about last night’s Monday Night War, what he thinks about women’s wrestling and WWE’s new Shawn Michaels DVD set. You can check out that full blog as well as JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about:

RAW vs. iMPACT!: I am not going to analyze the Monday night wrestling sagas of last night for many reasons. One, I’m not unbiased and two, there is PLENTY of analyzing going on from wrestling websites that do that sort of thing for a living. It can be said, however, that those fans who are yearning for longer matches and more matches in general on TV are likely still yearning. Plus, and finally, some people forget apparently that they are producing ‘episodic’ television.

Women’s Wrestling: We’re still getting emails from peeved fans about my stance on women’s wrestling. For those who love to rant, not read and not pay attention to what I have said, let’s try this again. I am a fan of women in wrestling. I hired some major, female stars in my time. You can ask any female that ever worked on our roster and they will tell you that they were never disrespected by me. But, still, it is what it is. Women are currently positioned in the wrestling biz in a support role and one could easily make an argument that women in the wrestling biz, as a whole, are somewhat underutilized.

WWE’s New Shawn Michaels DVD: Fans of HBK or wrestling in general should grab the new Shawn Michaels DVD that is available today (Tuesday). I’ve seen it, I love it and it brings back a truck load of memories. I only wish I had been available to be the one interviewing Shawn for this project but that apparently wasn’t an option. Buy the DVD and I promise that you will love the amazing array of bouts that, arguably, the best in the biz today, performed in on a high level even when he was a hot headed kid. I remember Shawn from his first territory and even remember the big Cowboy fining Shawn right after Shawn made his Mid South debut for inadvertently missing a TV taping because he did not know that EVERYONE came to TV whether their name was on the booking sheet or not.

* BUY The New HBK DVD Here from Amazon.com for only $22.49

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog with his thoughts about last night’s Monday Night War, what he thinks about women’s wrestling and WWE’s new Shawn Michaels DVD set. You can check out that full blog as well as JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about:

RAW vs. iMPACT!: I am not going to analyze the Monday night wrestling sagas of last night for many reasons. One, I’m not unbiased and two, there is PLENTY of analyzing going on from wrestling websites that do that sort of thing for a living. It can be said, however, that those fans who are yearning for longer matches and more matches in general on TV are likely still yearning. Plus, and finally, some people forget apparently that they are producing ‘episodic’ television.

Women’s Wrestling: We’re still getting emails from peeved fans about my stance on women’s wrestling. For those who love to rant, not read and not pay attention to what I have said, let’s try this again. I am a fan of women in wrestling. I hired some major, female stars in my time. You can ask any female that ever worked on our roster and they will tell you that they were never disrespected by me. But, still, it is what it is. Women are currently positioned in the wrestling biz in a support role and one could easily make an argument that women in the wrestling biz, as a whole, are somewhat underutilized.

WWE’s New Shawn Michaels DVD: Fans of HBK or wrestling in general should grab the new Shawn Michaels DVD that is available today (Tuesday). I’ve seen it, I love it and it brings back a truck load of memories. I only wish I had been available to be the one interviewing Shawn for this project but that apparently wasn’t an option. Buy the DVD and I promise that you will love the amazing array of bouts that, arguably, the best in the biz today, performed in on a high level even when he was a hot headed kid. I remember Shawn from his first territory and even remember the big Cowboy fining Shawn right after Shawn made his Mid South debut for inadvertently missing a TV taping because he did not know that EVERYONE came to TV whether their name was on the booking sheet or not.

* BUY The New HBK DVD Here from Amazon.com for only $22.49

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis was interviewed by Eric Cohen of About.com this week to promote her role on the upcoming “Celebrity Apprentice” NBC show and reveals that Donald Trump himself invited her to participate. “I actually met Donald Trump when he came to the show to do some work with Vince McMahon. He asked me if I wanted to do it and I said that I would love to and it all started from there.”

Maria was also asked whether she’d be open to joining TNA, or if she’s fully moved on from the wrestling business.  “I’m not sure yet to be honest,” she said. “I probably had seven different phone calls from companies across the country asking me to come here or go there. I haven’t decided. It’s such an exciting adventure to be on. It’s like I’ve been born again or something. I’m really trying to figure out what’s best for me, what’s best for my future, and then go from there.”

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis was interviewed by Eric Cohen of About.com this week to promote her role on the upcoming “Celebrity Apprentice” NBC show and reveals that Donald Trump himself invited her to participate. “I actually met Donald Trump when he came to the show to do some work with Vince McMahon. He asked me if I wanted to do it and I said that I would love to and it all started from there.”

Maria was also asked whether she’d be open to joining TNA, or if she’s fully moved on from the wrestling business.  “I’m not sure yet to be honest,” she said. “I probably had seven different phone calls from companies across the country asking me to come here or go there. I haven’t decided. It’s such an exciting adventure to be on. It’s like I’ve been born again or something. I’m really trying to figure out what’s best for me, what’s best for my future, and then go from there.”

Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam and Chris Jericho posted the following messages on Twitter about last night’s Monday Night War battle:

Jeff Hardy: “ILoveSomeTNA..trust me my fans…I’m in an amazing place..believe in me&I refuse 2 let you down! This is a movement my fans…please join me where I am & let’s make history together because I…we can’t do this on our own..we need your commitment…I’ve always been cool with you…so I ax4 you to be cool with me now. Dixie is a badassBoss..LoveHer!”

Rob Van Dam: “Harmoniously, the world came together, as one, and chanted RVD Motherf$cker!”

Chris Jericho: “The beat down of RVD 20 seconds into his debut in TNA was mind boggling. I dont understand how so many talented people can be so clueless.”

Visit PWTweets.com to follow 80+ Wrestlers and Divas on Twitter

Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam and Chris Jericho posted the following messages on Twitter about last night’s Monday Night War battle:

Jeff Hardy: “ILoveSomeTNA..trust me my fans…I’m in an amazing place..believe in me&I refuse 2 let you down! This is a movement my fans…please join me where I am & let’s make history together because I…we can’t do this on our own..we need your commitment…I’ve always been cool with you…so I ax4 you to be cool with me now. Dixie is a badassBoss..LoveHer!”

Rob Van Dam: “Harmoniously, the world came together, as one, and chanted RVD Motherf$cker!”

Chris Jericho: “The beat down of RVD 20 seconds into his debut in TNA was mind boggling. I dont understand how so many talented people can be so clueless.”

Visit PWTweets.com to follow 80+ Wrestlers and Divas on Twitter

Next week’s RAW Guest Host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has ordered that his show feature a “Wrestlemania Re-wind” theme and the following matches:

– John Cena vs. Big Show in a rematch from Wrestlemania 20.

– World Heavyweight champion  Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels in a rematch from Wrestlemania 19

– Triple H vs. Randy Orton in a rematch from Wrestlemania 25.

Austin will also preside over the WrestleMania 26 contract signing between Vince McMahon vs. Bret Hart.

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Comment below and tell us what you thought about the first night of the new Monday Night War.