Destination America is not planning to air TNA Impact Wrestling past the third quarter of this year, according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Two main reasons were given for the cancellation of TNA shows. While Destination America officials considered the ratings for Impact Wrestling to be good, the numbers were not good enough to justify the cost of the programming. The other problem was that a number of the cable network’s advertisers specifically did not want to advertise during Impact Wrestling.
A public acknowledgment is expected to be made when the station reveals its 2015-16 television season prime-time lineup.
Following the March 13, 2015 episode of Impact Wrestling, which saw viewership sink to a new low, Destination America officials made the decision to cancel Saturday morning programming under the belief that eliminating the replay would help the Friday numbers—the only numbers they care about. Although there was a slight increase, all first-run programming with the exception of Impact Wrestling airing multiple times on Friday nights was axed due to the cable network’s difficulty in selling advertisement time.
For the May 8, 2015 “live” episode of Impact Wrestling, Destination America purchased an advertisement in the USA Today newspaper to promote the show, believing that additional advertising and it being almost live would lead to an increased rating. Instead, Impact Wrestling did its second lowest number on Destination America, and the replay, which is primarily watched by viewers in the West Coast, drew a record low.
According to Meltzer’s report, Dixie Carter was made aware of Destination America’s decision early last week although it doesn’t appear that most of the talent knew anything since word of this had not gotten around. Her knowledge of the cancellation may have played a part in Impact Wrestling moving to Wednesday nights, but that is uncertain. Carter didn’t respond to any questions on the subject from Meltzer.
Meltzer noted in his report that Destination America’s decision has not been finalized. Employees at the station, however, not been told anything new since a memo was issued to them informing them of the cancellation.
As announced on Friday, Titus O’Neil has been named Celebrity Dad of the Year in 2015 MEGA Dads Awards.
Batista, who O’Neil has credited with influencing him to try out for WWE in the late 2000s—he was immediately signed—congratulated him on the honor via Twitter.
Batista immediately followed-up the message with a swipe at WWE’s creative team.
He wrote, “WWE: “@TitusONeilWWE you’re everything a WWE star should be! Get out there and represent our company!! ” Titus: “Then why don’t you give me a push?’ WWE: “Sorry there’s nothing for you creatively” #sameoldbullshit.”
Batista has long felt that O’Neil is underutilized by WWE. “The Animal” said last August during an interview promoting Guardians of the Galaxy that he would like to work with him when he returns to WWE.
“I also have a really close friend, Thaddeus Bullard, who is Titus O’Neil and he’s actually a really close friend. I think there is a lot that remains to be seen from him and I don’t think they’re doing him justice, they aren’t really using him to his full ability and I’d love to be that guy that kind of brings him up to the next level, so if I could accomplish that, that would be great,” said Batista.
Fans can expect the heated verbal feud between The Young Bucks and Jim Cornette to play out inside the squared circle as Cornette has joined Global Force Wrestling.
Cornette has said that the animosity from the Bucks stemmed from his review of their match at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in January. Following a dust-up on Twitter, he was briefly blocked by the tandem on the social media platform.
“They blocked me on Twitter! They blocked me! I’ve never been so insulted,” Cornette joked on In Your Head Wrestling Radio in January. “No… I’ve been in riots. I’ve had a couple dozen people in my life try to kill and the Young Bucks think they’re going to hurt my feelings because they blocked me on Twitter.”
Speaking to Christian Rosenberg of AfterBuzz TV on Tuesday night, WWE Superstar and Tag Team Champion Big E discussed the creation of New Day’s entrance theme, the removal of ‘Langston’ from his WWE moniker and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
When asked about the creation of New Day’s entrance music:
“Originally when we found out or came upon what the idea would be, we were first given some music that was very old timey gospel. Sounded like it was made 60 years ago. We knew this wouldn’t really work for what we were trying to do so we went back we actually listened to Kirk Franklin and found a couple songs that we liked and then we sent them to Jim Johnston and the people that work on music, and they were able to come up with something you hear every week now.”
Big E talked about the experience he had being in Dolph Ziggler’s corner when he cashed in MITB to become World Heavyweight Champion:
“It’s something that I think if you pay attention and pan over the reactions, I feel like there were very very real emotions, very real reactions after he won the title and it really felt like there was no need to have to put on a smile or to be excited. AJ and I were very proud of him, very happy for him. It was something that was a long time coming. Unfortunately because of the issue with the concussions he never really had the kind of run that we thought he would have with the title right afterwards. But when you think about timed moments and think about big memorable moments and like i said as far as reaction is concerned, that’s one of the loudest that I can remember ever hearing. And it’s really cool even though I was just standing at ringside for that, it’s still cool to be a part of that and be around for it and even just to have one of the best seats in the house standing ringside for a moment like that, that’s something that I won’t forget anytime soon.”
The former Intercontinental Champion also talked about dropping ‘Langston’ from his name:
“The word I got was that Vince thought ‘Big E’ sounded more powerful without the last name so you show up and sometimes you know with what we do there’s a debate or a discussion or you talk more say so and it’s a little more hands on. And in this case it was a matter of me showing up and this is who you are now so you deal with it.”
Jeanie Clarke, Steve Austin’s one-time valet and ex-wife, appeared on In Your Head Wrestling Radio to talk about her time in the world of professional wrestling and struggle with drug addiction. Highlights from this candid interview are as follows:
Her recollections of the day Gino Hernandez passed away
“Oh man, I was there when that happened…I saw Gino the very day he died. He and I lived next door to each other in the same condo in Dallas called Lovers Lane; we were neighbors…I saw him in the parking lot maybe the latter part of the afternoon. He’d just gone out and he bought this peach pie and I said “Oh that looks good”… and he said “Yeah, yeah; well pop over in the morning and have a slice.”…He was going out that night and early in the morning, very early, I saw his Porsche and I noticed it was parked like the wheels were sort of turned funny…The latter part of the day, he hadn’t come out of his condo, and I actually knocked on his door and I looked in the window and I saw the peach pie sitting on his table but I didn’t see him. I left, and then the latter part of the night I knew he hadn’t moved his car because of the way the wheels were. I thought, hmmm, I wonder if he’s OK, and I went back and knocked on his door again and again I thought well he’s in, he’s not gone out, and the peach pie is still on the table. I said to my friend Vicki, “Something’s wrong; Gino he’s not left his apartment, he doesn’t seem in his apartment, it’s just really strange.” Then he didn’t show up at his match that night, and I knew something was wrong…He died. I saw them bring his body out and everything; it was just awful. I had to live right next door to where he died; it was so heartbreakingly sad because he was just such a good character and so funny…When all this happened with Gino, Chris (Adams) was in England and I had to phone him and tell him Gino had died. It was just surreal really, it’s just so sad.”
Is it true that she came up with the nickname “Stone Cold” for Steve Austin?
“Yes, I did, over a cup of tea…Basically, the concept was Steve’s, because Steve and I were just sitting watching TV, flicking channels, and this show came on called “The Iceman” about a killer, a hit man type guy. Steve just said, “I want a character like that”, meaning someone cold, and he called Vince (McMahon) and he said this is the character he wanted. The office, they were just sending all these faxes of these temperature-based names like Fang McFrost…they were so hokey. I remember Brian Pillman and Steve in hysterics over these names, but none of them worked for Steve. One day he was just kind of pensive, a little bit worried-looking, and I just said, “Drink your tea before it gets stone cold” and I went, “There it is, Stone Cold.” He got a big smile on his face, and he liked it, so that’s how it started, over that cup of tea.”
Why things started to go with her marriage to Steve Austin, and her subsequent struggles with drug addiction
“Well, a lot of it was my fault…I got really comfortable in Atlanta, and I had a lot of friends, so when Steve was gone a lot I was always doing stuff and going out for dinner with my friends and shopping and taking the kids to McDonald’s or something and stuff. Then Steve picked out Boerne, Texas, which is quite rural, which is what Steve likes, and I didn’t have any friends. So when he went on the road, I was very lonely, and I developed really bad addiction problems, which I’m going to just be honest about. I started with pain killers and sleepers, and you know how it is. He had a lot of pressure on him then because he was now Stone Cold so he had lots of T-shirts to do, and it just wasn’t good for him or me because he was under a lot of pressure and I was out of it really taking too many pills.”
“I was in rehab for six months, a long time…I have been clean for two years…I can just say that addiction is a very crafty thing because you can start off just taking a little bit, and in the beginning you do feel good, and as the tolerance grows then you still have something a little bit stronger and then you snowball out of control, your whole life goes out of control, and that’s what happened to me.”
Did your experience with addiction give you a better understanding of why so many wrestlers fall into substance abuse problems?
“Yes, absolutely; muscle relaxers and that because you’re really sore, and then you don’t get much sleep because you might have a flight that leaves at 6 A.M. and you have to get up at 3 to get to the airport to be at the airport two hours before the flight. You don’t get out of the arena until Midnight sometimes, so you’re getting two or three hours sleep and then the only feasible thing you can think of is sleep on the plane, but it’s easier just to take something to go to sleep, and then something to bring you back up to go to the gym. It’s just a cycle with the schedule being really difficult.”
Do you have a good relationship with Steve Austin today?
“Yeah, I do. We’re very amicable…As a matter of fact, after I was in rehab for six months I called Steve up and I said you know, I can actually see my part in it now because when you’re using you think everything else is everybody else’s fault and you get really secretive about how much you’re taking…You have another side to you that you don’t want anyone to know about your addiction or how bad it’s getting, so I did say to him this was my part in it and he appreciated that…I talked to him a couple of months ago and he was glad I was still clean.”
Other topics discussed included:
* Who was her favorite person to work with in WCCW?
* How did she and Steve Austin end up in WCW?
* Who in WCW came up with the name “Lady Blossom” and how did she feel about it?
* Why wasn’t her character allowed to talk more in WCW?
* What was her favorite time or role in professional wrestling?
Jayson Paul, who was known as JTG in WWE, appeared on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast to talk about his tell-all book, DAMN! WHY DID I WRITE THIS BOOK? (available for purchase here for $1.33).
During the interview, JTG talked about being an Alex Riley fan and shared some insight on Wrestler’s Court. JTG also talked about a dropped Muppets-inspired character that was approved by Vince McMahon until an unfortunate faux pas led to the gimmick being dropped entirely—the reason is revealed in his book.
JTG also talked about getting heat, his experience working with Bill DeMott and transitioning into acting since he appears in the upcoming movie Bad Night. Highlights from the interview are as follows:
JTG On Alex Riley
“When Alex Riley was active on the roster on Raw, I was a big Alex Riley fan and I thought he was going to be a big star. He probably still can be a big star but I thought the rug was pulled from underneath it,” JTG said.
“Not only does he have a great look, he’s also great on the mic. That guy could rock a mic and if given the opportunity on Raw I think in one night, if you give Alex Riley the mic, he’ll get the WWE Universe right under his belt rooting for him.”
JTG On Wrestler’s Court
“There was definitely some comedy [to Wrestler’s Court] it was entertaining to the locker room, you know, when you’re backstage for like 12 hours, the boys, they’ll find anything to get some type of entertainment. Stories, or would it be Wrestler’s Court. It was a joke and comedy to them, but to be on the stand it pretty very serious to me because the punishment would be very serious too, that would have been no laughing matter.”
JTG On Nixed Muppets-inspired Gimmick
“I thought I was a rich man. I’ll tell you how rich I thought I was. When Vince [McMahon] approved the gimmick, when he told me that he loved it, I took my wife out to Mr. Chow when I got home because I just saw money,” JTG said.
“It was my idea, the idea stemmed from this character I used to do in promo class. WWE Superstars, before Raw, some Superstars were called in early to the show—like maybe an hour early—and we would have hands-on classes with Vince McMahon and we did promo classes where it was kind of like improv and working on promos.”
“He would give us an exercise where he would say ‘say anything and you have to cut a promo on it.’”
“I can’t remember what word he gave me, but there was a few times where I started talking to myself and it was highly entertaining, and I created a new character with a double personality. His name was Self.”
“The idea was for the muppet to look exactly like me,” JTG said. “The premise behind the whole Self-Muppet idea was for it to be seen and heard by the WWE Universe, but not seen by anybody backstage. For example, if me and you were talking backstage, Self would be insulting you but you couldn’t hear him. Only me and the WWE Universe, he was kind of like my conscience.”
– One notable complaint from WWE Network subscribers is the lack of old footage being rolled out. According to F4WOnline.com, one major reason that WWE doesn’t add a ton of classic footage on a regular basis is because “almost nobody watches it.”
The most popular programs on the WWE Network are the specials and NXT. The most watched shows this past week were the WWE 24 episode on Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho’s chat with Stephanie McMahon. Jerry Springer Too Hot For TV and Tough Enough episodes from 2011 have also drawn strong viewer interest.
– While most wrestling fans would not consider Virgil a legend, according to WWE, he is.
Topps’ WWE 2015 trading card set features a legends category and Virgil is among those featured. Also included in the set are Bret Hart, Jimmy Hart, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Sting, Pat Patterson, Ric Flair, Bruno Sammartino, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Gerald Brisco.
– SportsOttawa.com has a story on former WWE Superstar Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, who is advertised to wrestle for Great North Wrestling Event on Saturday, May 30 at the Earl Armstrong Arena in Ottawa, Ontario.
– The Authority are officially scheduled for tomorrow night’s episode of Raw.
The TV Guide preview reads: “With WWE Payback looming, The Authority, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, return in attempt to stabilize RAW.”
Stephanie has been off television since the post-WrestleMania edition of Raw due to a trip she took overseas for the Eisenhower USA Fellowship, an international leadership exchange program for outstanding professionals.
– The latest WWE Special Editions issue available exclusively on newsstands recaps WrestleMania 31.
– In this newly released interview, Finn Balor talks about his time in NXT and the brand’s growth in recent years, what it’s like being backstage at WrestleMania, and some dream matches he’d like to have with WWE main roster talent.
As of Saturday, both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are scheduled to appear on this Monday’s Raw emanating from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stephanie has been off television since the post-WrestleMania edition of Raw due to a trip she took overseas for the Eisenhower USA Fellowship, an international leadership exchange program for outstanding professionals.
“I’ve never heard anything officially from WWE ever since I started wrestling,” Sabin said. “Honestly, I have never had a tryout with them or an official phone call.”
Sabin, who appears for Ring of Honor, also said that he does not have a contract with the organization.
“We have a handshake deal and both of us want to be there,” he said. “Not only did we agree to be there, but both of us want to be there. We think that the Ring of Honor tag team division is the deepest in wrestling. We have the best tag teams. So we want to be where the best are, so we can prove ourselves. It doesn’t matter how long we haven’t been a team. We have this uniqueness and synergy and this tag-team style we helped make popular that is still fresh and new.”
– Shane McMahon has been added to the intro for WWE Superstars. The latest show also featured an ‘In Memory’ graphic for Chyna.
– NXT Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan revealed Saturday on Instagram that he is engaged to be married.
Earlier today, NXT performers Brian Reid (a/k/a Tony Briggs) and C Denzel Freeman announced on Twitter that they had parted ways with WWE. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has released three additional developmental talents from their respective contracts: Dustin Mueller, Laszlo Vandracsek and Leyvonna Zakari. All three never wrestled before a live crowd.
Mueller is a bodybuilder from Chicago, Illinois who WWE signed last year. He had no wrestling experience prior to joining WWE. He made a few live event appearances as a security guard.
Zakari, a model and actress from California, joined WWE last April. Though she never wrestled, she handled ring announcing duties at a few non-televised NXT events.
Hungarian-born Vandracsek was a member of U.S. National Bobsled Team who WWE recruited late last year.
WWE has come to terms on the release of NXT performers Brian Reid (a/k/a Tony Briggs) and C Denzel Freeman. Both individuals announced Friday on Twitter that they were parting ways with the sports-entertainment organization.
Freeman, an amateur wrestler from the University of the Cumberlands, began training at the WWE Performance Center late last year. He never competed in a match before a live crowd. He stated:
I didn't make it. WWE contract, terminated. Thanks for the fun, but it's time to move on. One, final #Blaze
Briggs, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from California, signed with WWE in late 2013. He infrequently wrestled at NXT live events, and was squashed the two times he competed on television.
I would to thank #WWE and #NXT for my wonderful experience with the company. I learned nothing but amazing and priceless lessons and…
The WWE Fan Council issued the following survey to fans on possible DVD releases. Below is a list of potential titles under consideration.
Roman Reigns – Roman Reigns has burst on the scene to become one of the biggest superstars to date… but it’s no surprise as his historical lineage has set him up for greatness. Go behind the scenes with Roman as he prepares for the biggest match of his career – the main event of WrestleMania!
WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven – Tommy Dreamer and Raven had one of the fiercest rivalries in ECW… now get a chance to hear both sides as the two sit down with Joey Styles and discuss what worked, what didn’t worked and why their rivalry was so successful.
True Story of Tribute to the Troops – A behind the scenes look at what WWE calls the most important show of the year. Following its inception and with stories from those who traveled overseas each year and the importance of why it has lasted over a decade.
Booker T – An extended version of the network special – Booker T: Sentenced to Greatness. Get a behind the scenes look at Booker T, as he discusses his improbable rise from Prison to WWE Hall of Famer. PLUS a compilation of Booker T’s greatest matches, with commentary from the man himself.
Divas – The Women’s division in WWE has grown in leaps and bounds from the days of the Fabulous Moolah, to Sunny, to Trish Stratus, to Michelle McCool, and now to the future in Charlotte… hear from all the most important figures in history as they discuss how they changed the role of the female in a male dominated sport!
Lex Luger – A natural athlete, who played professional football in the CFL & USFL, then became one of the most popular wrestlers of the 80s and 90s, “The Narcissist” finds God and turns his life around, only to become paralyzed a short time later. Hear from the man himself as well as his friends and enemies as Lex’s remarkable story is told.
JBL: How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire – Follow a “day in the life” of JBL – a self-made millionaire, Texas born, New York refined. A former WWE Champion and currently a financial analyst, a political radio host, and commentator for WWE – JBL does it all, and now you can see and hear it all from the man himself!
Dudley Boyz Bio – Arguably the most successful tag team in the history of sports entertainment. Hear from Bubba Ray and D-Von as they discuss theirs trials and tribulations from the bottom to the top and what made they did that helped them become so successful.
OMG! ECW’s Top 50 Craziest Moments – OMG! It’s back and this time with by far the craziest moments to date, as ECW rears its head on this series. ECW was extreme and there is no shortage of OMG moments throughout its history. Hear exclusive interviews from ECW legends as they tell stories behind some of the craziest moments in ECW history!
Bruno Sammartino – For over 11 years there was no one better than Bruno Sammartino – WWE’s longest reigning champion of all time. Now hear from Bruno as he discusses his reign as champion in the ring and at home!
Sheamus Experience – Get a chance to follow Sheamus around on his daily routine to find out what makes the Celtic Warrior tick. Listen to him as he recalls growing up in Ireland as a fan, to beating John Cena for the WWE Championship in his first year in the WWE.
One Man Show: Stone Cold – Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the most popular athletes in one of the most exciting times in sports entertainment history, now hear from the man himself as he tells about his meteoric rise to the top. Steve discusses his life story in humorous fashion as only the rattlesnake can, live on stage!
Eric Bischoff – A rare look inside the man who ran WCW and almost put WWE out of business only to ultimately be defeated in the Monday Night War and become a WWE employee as told by himself and those closest to him.
WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Eric Bischoff vs. Vince McMahon – Sports entertainment was at its peak during the 1990s, and was dubbed the Monday Night War, as the two hottest brands battled in a ratings war for supremacy on Monday nights. Now listen as the head of both shows sit down and discuss this pivotal time period in the industry.
The Best of 1996: Twenty Years Later – WWE goes in depth with one of the greatest years in sports entertainment – N.W.O. takes over WCW; The Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12; Steve Austin’s rise as Stone Cold, The Rock makes his Debut; and ECW has some of best talent in the business like Mick Foley, Steve Austin and Chris Jericho, but lose them all to the bigger companies. Listen to all the important players from one of the most important years in sports entertainment history!
Hulk Hogan: Immortal – Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the most iconic figures in sports entertainment history – it is now time to make him Immortal! Hulk Hogan gets his face cast as his body will become a bronzed statue – living in Immortality in WWE lore forever. Hear from the Hulkster himself as he talks about his early days as a guitar player in a band, to his legendary prominence as Hall of Famer.
– Late Saturday night, William Regal posted multiple messages on Twitter stating that a person was calling his home and threatening his family. He noted that the phone number traces back to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Houston, Texas.
Someone calling from this number 713-757-1000 has just called my house and threatened to"Everything you love will be taken away from you".
– After returning to action at Tuesday’s WWE television taping in London, England, Layla is sparking rumors that she will be hosting a show.
The 37-year-old updated her bio on Instagram to list herself as a host, in addition to WWE Diva, dancer and actress.
– This week on WWE Superstars, R-Truth takes on Curtis Axel while Zack Ryder goes one-on-one with Heath Slater. Highlights from both contest are as follows:
– Celebrating birthdays today are The Brooklyn Brawler, who works behind-the-scenes for WWE, and WWE developmental talent Zahra Schreiber. The Brawler turns 54-years-old, whereas Schreiber turns 28 (according to her profile on ExploreTalent.com).
– Jim Ross addressed rumors that he is collaborating with WWE on a new project in a new blog entry on jrsbarbq.com.
“Regarding my potential involvement with the @WWENetwork, we are in the preliminary, talking stages but I’d love to participate with them at some point in the future if schedules, etc can be addressed. I’ve been a subscriber since day one and love the network and encourage all who haven’t to give it a try. So, nothing whatsoever is etched in stone but there is dialog ongoing and we will see where it goes over the next few weeks/months. It’s all positive which is where healthy negotiations begin.”
– The biggest breakups are counted down in the latest edition of WWE Top 10.
– WWE.com has issued a poll asking fans which current champion is representing their title best.
Melissa Hiatt, known to wrestling fans as Missy Hyatt, 51, was arrested on March 26, 2015 in Tallahassee, Florida—her hometown—for grand theft. She was booked into the Leon County Jail and released the following day. Additional details concerning her arrest have not been publicly released.
Hiatt’s arrest is recorded in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office’s “Daily Booking Report” for March 26, 2015 (view here), with the charge noted as “grand theft is $300 or more but less than $5,000.”
According to Florida theft laws, any property taken that carries a value of more than $300 can be considered grand theft in certain circumstances. The classification of this crime is a felony in the third degree, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Courtesy of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, here is Hiatt’s mugshot.
Lilian Garcia, who underwent surgery on April 10 to repair a torn meniscus in her right knee, estimates that it’ll be five weeks before she’s able to resume her ring announcing duties for WWE.
The longtime ring announcer of Monday Night Raw sustained the injury last November while on tour with WWE overseas.
“It was one of those crazy things where I was just packing, I got up and I felt the knee [go],” Garcia told WWE.com in an article published on Friday. “I felt it right away, I told [WWE officials] about it and [they] said, ‘Let’s keep an eye on it.’”
Rather than risk further injury, Garcia skipped WWE’s current tour of Europe and underwent surgery at the advice of WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann.
“Surgery went great,” Garcia said. “I am actually kind of ahead of schedule, which is great.”
Garcia has been keeping fans up to date on her recovery through Twitter, which includes two to three sessions per week with a physical therapist, as well as additional exercises at home. She released her latest update on Thursday.
– WWE.com has issued a poll asking fans which NXT Diva should move to the main roster following AJ Lee’s retirement. The options are Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Bayley, Alex Bliss, Becky Lynch and Carmella. Charlotte is currently leading the poll with 41% of the vote.
Raw ring announcer Lilian Garcia announced on Twitter through a video that she tore the meniscus in her right knee and will be undergoing surgery today.
Sparingly seen NXT wrestler Hugo Knox underwent surgery this week in Birmingham, Alabama for a ruptured bicep tendon. He posted this photo on social media today showing off his recovery equipment.
The surgery was performed by Jeffrey R. Dugas, M.D. at Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center at St. Vincent’s Hospital, who has performed surgery on multiple WWE performers including Batista, Edge and Kofi Kingston.
Knox, who’s real name is Stuart Tomlinson, is a former professional football goalkeeper from England who has been training at the WWE Performance Center since December 2013. He made his wrestling debut for NXT at a live event in November and has continued to make sporadic appearances at non-televised shows.
UFC is looking to squash rumors that UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is under contract to WWE after participating in an angle at WrestleMania 31 on Sunday.
The official Twitter account of UFC Tonight, the weekly news and information show of the UFC, issued this statement Wednesday night via Twitter:
Ronda Rousey does NOT have a deal with the WWE, her WrestleMania appearance was a “one-off”.
On Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, Rousey sat ringside for WrestleMania 31, and midway through the show made a surprise appearance in the ring with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson where she dispatched Triple H with a hiptoss and Stephanie McMahon with an armbar. Following the event, Rousey teased additional involvement with WWE.
The night: Historic.
The moment: Electric.
The Rock, Ronda &the WWE Universe: Magic.
We’re just gettin’ started… pic.twitter.com/mUOoBIFsaQ
TNA Knockout Brooke Tessmacher (a/k/a Brooke Adams) appeared on the In The Room podcast this past Tuesday with wrestling journalist Brady Hicks and former WCW wrestler The Stro, where she discussed the perception of being “hot,” her first impressions of wrestling for TNA, winning the Knockouts Championship, and more. Highlights from the audio interview, which can be downloaded at VOCNation.com and TheBradyHicks.com, are as follows:
On fighting the perception of just being “hot”:
“I had to give them that, because I [didn’t] know how to wrestle. So I have to at least be the sexy person with the big [butt] that bounces around with a pretty face. And now I have to go in and do double work to prove that I’m not only that. That’s what people want to see, because I’ve given them that, but it also tarnishes who I am as a wrestler.”
On her first impressions wrestling in TNA:
“In the beginning … I had no idea what I was doing … I was so scared. I didn’t do this in WWE. I’m afraid I’m messing up and then getting fired. I was just so nervous. Even coming from such a big company and already going through it once, it helped me a little bit, but I didn’t have the wrestling down behind me to back it up so it just made me very insecure as a wrestler.”
Winning the TNA Knockouts Championship:
“I think at the time they were like “Wow. She cares. She’s got some heart” … [Apart from] the few matches I had in the beginning, I came back and I was learning how to wrestle on my own and I was paying this guy to help me … I think they saw that and they wanted to give me a chance to flourish. And it happened to be a perfect time when we were going to be in Texas, my home state, so it all just worked out perfectly … They just saw that I wanted it. I was so hungry. I wasn’t tarnished at all from the business and being like “I’m old and grizzled. I don’t want to put [in] the workout.” I was like “You want me to jump off what?! What do you want me to do?! I’ll do it!”
All that, plus Brooke talks her disappointment from being taken off of TNA’s TV briefly; getting heat in WWE for her dog making too much noise backstage; learning from TNA’s women’s roster; being in Extreme Expose; and presenting more of a fun-loving character rather than being so serious.
The son of Eric Bischoff has not appeared for TNA since November 2013. His character was written off television after Mr. Anderson attacked Bischoff with a pile-driver in a measure of revenge on the Aces & Eights.
The latest episode of I’m With Spud is now online, titled “The Trial of Rockstar Spud vs. Robbie E Begins.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVc75I3rWYY
Gunner appears for Fusion Wrestling on Saturday, May 2 at Rappahannock High School 6914 Richmond Rd. Warsaw, Virginia. Click here for event details.
The Miz and Paige are set to star in Santa’s Little Helper, a WWE Studios film that will be released on Digital HD, Blu-ray and DVD this holiday season.
News of the film was announced today on WWE.com. Both The Miz and Paige tout the motion picture in these videos released on the official YouTube account of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, WWE Studios’ partner in the production of the film.
The official synopsis of the film is as follows:
After getting fired from his job, a slick, fast-talking businessman (Dax) is given an opportunity of a lifetime – become Santa Claus’s second-in-command. However, getting the job won’t be that easy – Dax must go head-to-head against an elf that feels she’s more deserving of the title. As the competition heats up, Dax learns the true meaning of Christmas…but ultimately who will become Santa’s Little Helper?
