– The stars of TNA Wrestling are heading back to high school.
The promotion announced four live event dates for January, and two shows are slated to emanate from high schools (in Arkansas and Tennessee). Adding to the uniqueness, tickets to the Tennessee event are being sold through a cupcake shop.
Details on these upcoming events, which includes a date at a community center in Arkansas, are as follows:
January 3: Batesville, Arkansas (Live Event)
Southside High School 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at Mark Martin Ford or online at www.ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 4: Jonesboro, Arkansas (Live Event)
Earl Bell Community Center 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at Front Page Cafe or online at www.ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 5: Jackson, Tennessee (Live Event)
Jackson Northside High School 6 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at HaliHannigan’s Cupcakery or online at www.ShopTNA.com/tickets
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
January 19: Albany, Georgia (Live Event)
Albany Civic Center 5 p.m.
Tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000
Tickets on sale Friday, December 6
– In this “#IMPACT365” former TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Brooke and her family celebrate “Twerksgiving.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLDsOBteloE
– Rockstar Spud, TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter’s Chief of Staff, is looking to impress his boss. He remarked the following on Twitter today: “Have been on several Black Friday shopping errands for Madam @TNADixie today! Hope she like the cream cake I bought for her #HailToTheChief.”
– It was revealed this week through social media that former WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn got engaged to bodybuilder boyfriend PJ Braun, who reigns as President of Prime Nutrition and Blackstone Labs. Speaking to WWE.com, the 27-year-old discussed his unexpected wedding proposal and the beginning of this exciting new chapter in her life.
Braun first noticed Kaitlyn when she was competing on the bodybuilding stage years ago, but they did not date until recently.
“We always joked that we would probably end up together someday,” said Kaitlyn, while also noting that their busy schedules and personal lives prevented them from taking things “to the next level.” “We didn’t start dating until this summer, which is funny because he lives in Florida and I was living in Florida for three years. I finally moved back home to Houston, and we started dating shortly after that. We lived a few hours from each other for three years!”
Braun popped the question following Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown taping at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. However, that wasn’t his original strategy.
“He was planning on asking me today [Friday] while we were in New York City, but when he got to Connecticut, he lost the ring in the airport,” Kaitlyn said. “So he sits me down in the big suite after SmackDown and we’re laughing and hanging out [with his family] and he’s telling me this ridiculous story about how he lost it and eventually found it. After that, he knew he had to ask me the very next time he saw me. I had no idea it was coming.”
Kaitlyn also discusses her ring and why her wedding ceremony will be anything but conventional. To read the full article, click here.
– John “Bradshaw” Layfield, who turns 47-years-old today, receives the ultimate happy birthday on the latest edtion of The JBL & Cole Show. Plus, Aksana asks JBL a question, Andy Kaufman stops by to say hello and “#CasualCole” does some green screen improv.
Promoting the release of WWE 2K14, Ultimate Warrior addressed a series of WWE-related topics in an interview with DigitalSpy.com, including the possibility of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“The simple answer is they’ve got to tell the right story. That’s a possibility. Being in the Hall of Fame – Ultimate Warrior being inducted into the Hall of Fame, or me standing there at the Hall of Fame participating in it – is not going to mean anything to my goals in my life and the kind of quality of life I’m going to have, what kind of things I’m going to do, how productive I’m going to be as I move on throughout my life,” remarked Warrior.
“I only get this one life, so I’m not going to sit in my own pile of poop and feel sorry that I’m not in the Hall of Fame. The Ultimate Warrior character relative to professional wrestling or WWE, he’s definitely a Hall of Famer. He’s a Hall of Famer whether he gets into the Hall of Fame or not.”
Warrior does not watch WWE programming, but says with the internet, “it’s impossible not to be aware of some of the top talent.” The former WWE Champion, however, reiterates that he will not return to the ring to face a premiere WWE Superstar.
“I’m one of the first guys in recent years that’s gone on the record and said to all my colleagues that were in the business at the same time I was that it’s time to pack your f**king gear bag and go home. Let the other guys have their chance and get your nose out of their business,” remarked Warrior.
“People will say Ryback – ‘What would Warrior have been like with Ryback?’ Or Goldberg. I know why they say those things – because of the intensity and body look, the aggression, the power. Those kind of matches tend to be f**king stinkers, you know? You want to work with somebody who’s got a different style. Wrestling is more than just being big.”
“Even when I was on the road and we traveled all over the world, I met so many big, huge guys, great-looking guys, guys that looked like they were carved out of stone. They thought that they could be in the business if they were just given a chance or devoted some time to doing it or learnt the basic moves. It takes much more than that. It takes more than a body or a physique to make it happen.”
Warrior says his toughest opponent was former rival “Macho Man” Randy Savage: “The toughest for me was the one that brought the best out of me, out of my character. That’s different from ‘Who’s the toughest guy, who’s the most badass opponent I ever faced?’.
“The toughest opponent for me would have been Randy Savage, the Macho Man, because his intensity paralleled mine. He became totally caught up in his character, which was a requisite to success in the business at the time.”
Warrior also weighs in on his creative promos and his legacy. The full interview is available here.
– The official WWE website has published an article highlighting the various Superstars and Legends who received their debut Mattel action figures this year, which includes The Shield, Bruno Sammartino, Antonio Cesaro, The Funkadactyls, Kaitlyn and Miss Elizabeth. One WWE Superstar admits to being weirded out by his toy.
“I stared at [my figure] for a couple of minutes, and then I put it down and said ‘I’m just going to pretend that this is a thing that doesn’t exist,’ because it weirds me out,” United States Champion Dean Ambrose. “It’s strange to see stuff like that.”
Cesaro added, “It’s got my trademark ‘Cesaro smirk.’ The first time I saw it was somebody on Twitter — that’s @AntonioCesaro by the way — sent a picture of me during an entrance, and I thought, ‘I don’t remember that.’ Then I realized it was my [Elite] action figure in front of a self-made WWE set. That’s how accurate these figures are nowadays.”
– Joyce Farhat, the widow of WWE Hall of Famer The Sheik (Ed Farhat), has passed away, according to SLAM! Wrestling and PWInsider.com.
Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Sabu, The Sheik’s nephew, stated on his Facebook page that Farhat passed away on Wednesday evening after being ill for a while. She had been on life support.
Joyce appeared as The Sheik’s valet and spoke on behalf of her late husband in 2007 at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
– Vince McMahon’s “Million Dollar Mania” giveaway, which saw the WWE Chairman give away his personal wealth to Raw viewers for three weeks in 2008, is now considered a misfire by WWE.
The official WWE website is polling fans on the greatest catastrophes in the history of professional wrestling and McMahon’s ratings-drawing strategy is listed as an option. Other choices include The Shockmaster’s debut, Papa Shango’s voodoo curse on Ultimate Warrior, the hiring of Mike Adamle, the Kennel from Hell Match, Sycho Sid speaking on the mic, the lights going out during the May 1996 In Your House 8: Beware of Dog pay-per-view, the Brawl for All tournament, the formation of The Dungeon of Doom, and Scott Steiner speaking on the mic.
– Yahoo! TV UK has published article speculating on The Undertaker’s return to WWE airwaves and what his involvement may be. Sam Moore feels the obvious choice involves the Wyatt Family.
“Bray Wyatt proclaims to be controlled by the Devil and it would make perfect sense if The Undertaker was indeed the higher power orchestrating everything,” wrote Moore. “The move would not only integrate the deadman into WWE’s most interesting storyline but also be a massive boost to The Wyatt Family who desperately need to be made to look as legitimate as possible. This role could also work well for The Undertaker because he wouldn’t have to get physical a great deal, just talk and put over some of the younger guys.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Greg “The Hammer” Valentine has been announced to appear at the Kentucky Flea Market taking place Dec. 28-31 at the Kentucky Expo Center 937 Phillips Lane Louisville, Kentucky.
– In a fallout match from the Survivor Series, Jimmy and Jey Uso take on the Real Americans on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. Plus, Zack Ryder squares off against Fandango. Courtesy of WWE’s YouTube account, here are highlights from both matches.
– WWE rookie Diva Summer Rae celebrated her thirtieth birthday on Thanksgiving Day.
“Being home & being able to spend time with my family made today a great birthday & Thanksgiving,” she wrote on Instagram. “Laying on the couch with the pups, watching movies with the fam, & eating a great meal. Oh & it wouldn’t be complete without my birthday candles in the pumpkin pie!”
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, Rob Van Dam will appear at the Frank & Son’s Collectibles Show tomorrow from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event takes place at 19649 San Jose Ave. City of Industry, California.
– One of the most feared moves in WWE is highlighted in this week’s edition of 30 Second Fury: Santino Marella’s Cobra.
– Alex Riley, who now appears a color commentator on WWE Superstars alongside Tom Phillips, recently tweaked his look for the show. The 32-year-old is sporting thick-rimmed glasses while calling the matches.
– Former WWE wrestler Tiger Ali Singh appeared as a guest speaker on Friday in Burlington, Ontario on behalf of the Halton Regional Police Services for their ‘Toys for Tots’ campaign launch. According to SLAM! Wrestling, Singh stated at the event, “There were lots of children in attendance and my message to them was a simple one… no matter what religion, colour or race you are, “sickness and poverty do not discriminate and neither should the spirit of giving.”
– Hulk Hogan currently has no plans to return to TNA Wrestling following the expiration of his contract last month.
Saturday night on Twitter, the WWE Hall of Famer responded to a fan question asking whether he will be returning to the company with the following: “yo Peri,I’m sorry I won’t be coming back. HH.”
– TNA Wrestling has announced that they will be publishing a “News & Notes” column on ImpactWrestling.com, which may run every Saturday. In one interesting tidbit, the column states that some familiar faces are expected to return to the promotion soon.
The column also notes that more matches will be announced in the coming days for One Night Only: Hardcore Justice (Dec. 29 in Lowell, Massachusetts at Lowell Memorial Auditorium) and One Night Only: #OldSchool (Dec. 30 in Poughkeepsie, New York at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center), and that an “Ask The Professor” feature hosted by Mike Tenay will be launched in the future. To read the full column, click here.
– In this “#IMPACT365” video, seven-time tag team champion Hernandez shows off his home workout.
– Speaking to Larry Nickel of CBS Sports 920 in St. Louis, Missouri, former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan admits that when he first joined WWE, he could not tell Brie Bella, who he’s now engaged to be married to, from her sister Nikki.
“Now, they are so different to me, I don’t even see how people think that they look alike. It’s crazy. They definitely look like sisters, but they’re no longer twins to me,” said Bryan.
Nickel tells Bryan that he can tell them apart for “different reasons,” leading the WWE Superstar to ask him to name them.
“Nikki had the…uh…yeah,” Nickel remarked, alluding to her sizable breast augmentation last year.
– WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee didn’t miss a beat after fainting during her match on Friday in London, England as she competed at tonight’s show in Minehead. Partnering with Tamina, the duo again lost to The Bella Twins.
Today’s show in Minehead marks as the eleventh day of WWE’s grueling tour across Europe, which has been described as exhausting by some wrestlers.
After successfully defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio at Friday’s WWE live event in London, England, John Cena spoke on the microphone and remarked that the city deserves to host WrestleMania 31. He then suggested that it take place at a nearby “big ass” stadium—implying Wembley Stadium. The 14-time world champion also addressed his critics, which led him to utter the term “heel.”
“Sounds like there’s a lot experienced members of the WWE Universe in the crowd tonight. Sounds by the tone, there’s a lot of grown men in the crowd here in London tonight. I gotta feeling these are the same grown men that bring their girlfriends, their wives and their families all the way across the pond and make just a loud noise at our WrestleMania events,” Cena says in response to the audience members who booed him.
While surveying the crowd for frequent WWE event-goers—who generally boo Cena—he states, “WrestleMania veterans…you are grossly outnumbered. I bet you guys came to this building tonight thinking, “This is the night that John Cena is gonna turn heel.” Ah-ah, no way. Not gonna happen.”
Moments later, he continues, “This is the night that John Cena is going to come back to London, see a bunch of super-excited fans, all the way up to the sky! And tell them that they were so loud tonight I could’ve sworn on my heart that every single one of you had been to WrestleMania because this is the noise I hear in that building and for that I thank you.”
The storied rivalry between WWE Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels reached its first tipping point on May 19, 1997 during an episode of Raw when Michaels made inferences to an affair between the married Canadian grappler and Sunny in a cryptic promo. The on-air remarked infuriated Hart, who got physical with Shawn Michaels three weeks later at a Raw taping in Hartford, Connecticut.
The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time, The Honky Tonk Man, who was working with WWE at the time as a non-wrestling personality, recalled the backstage altercation during an interview with Great North Wrestling.
“I saw Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels down on the floor in Hartford, Connecticut, they cannot deny it happened because it did happen. They were in the locker room down on the floor, pulling at each other’s hair. They had to be separated, and it had nothing to do with professional wrestling. It had to do with a personal vendetta that they had against each other. These were just two guys who could not co-exist anymore in the same locker room. It did finally culminate to the Montreal Screwjob,” said The Honky Tonk Man.
The New World Order and the legendary career of Hulk Hogan is currently being highlighted on WWE Classics On Demand as the video on demand service has posted some of his encounters as the leader of the outlaw faction, as well as an nWo-sponsored pay-per-view event he headlined against The Giant in 1997. The Legends Of Wrestling feature on the nWo is also currently airing. This week’s update is as follows:
The Big Event
* nWo Souled Out (January 25, 1997)
Classics Rewind
* The Legends Of Wrestling: nWo
* WCW Monday Nitro (January 5, 1998)
* Raw Is War (January 5, 1998)
* Tuesday Night Titans (March 21, 1986)
WWE Hall of Fame
* WWE Hall of Fame: Hulk Hogan
* Hollywood Hogan vs. “Macho Man” for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (WCW Halloween Havoc – October 27, 1996)
* Hollywood Hogan vs. Lex Luger for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (WCW Road Wild – August 9, 1997)
* Hollywood Hogan and The Giant vs. Kevin Nash and Lex Luger (WCW Monday Nitro – June 1, 1998)
* Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash vs. Ric Flair and Goldberg (March 15, 1999)
nWo vs. DX
DX vs. Chris Jericho and Mike Tyson (Monday Night Raw – January 11, 2010)
TV Classics
* NWA Championship Wrestling (August 13, 1988)
* Raw Is War (May 10, 1999)
– In this week’s edition of the “WWE Top 10,” the most memorable announcer table crashes are counted down. Mick Foley, Vince McMahon and Jeff Hardy, among others, are featured.
– In this WWE App video highlighting Tyson Kidd’s road to recovery, the Calgary native shows off his ring gear from the past, and takes a look at the old Hart Family Dungeon.
– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans who has the most devastating submission maneuver. With over 21,000 votes cast, Natalya leads at 32% with her Sharpshooter. She is followed by CM Punk’s Anaconda Vice (28%), Daniel Bryan’s “YES!” Lock (26%) and Alberto Del Rio’s Cross Arm Breaker (14%).
– It was reported this evening that WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee briefly fainted during her match (against The Bella Twins in a tag team match, teaming with Tamina) due to dehydration. Lee, however, is okay, as that is what she was telling her co-workers following the ordeal, according to ProWrestling.net.
Furthermore, in WWE.com’s notification of the incident, the front page headline reads “AJ Lee OK after scare.”
According to some attendees at the show, after Lee tagged out of the match, she fell off the ring apron and hit the floor. The match quickly ended as Brie Bella rolled up Tamina for the pinfall victory. Lee was tended to at ringside by medical personnel for a few minutes and subsequently assisted to the backstage area.
– WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena is scheduled to appear in New York City on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at the Kmart located at 250 W 34th St. It is not clear whether this will be an autograph signing, as Cena remarked on Twitter this evening, “Your #WWE WHC will be @Kmart Penn Station in #NYC on 11/26 … be there. #nevergiveup.”
WWE recently partnered with the discount store chain to present “Never Give Up by John Cena,” a selection of apparel, accessories and outerwear for boys.
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, Barbie Blank, formerly known as Kelly Kelly in WWE, is scheduled for an autograph signing at K & M All Star Sports at the Crystal Mall 850 Hartford Turnpike Waterford, Connecticut on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Call 860-772-2041 for more information.
– Tonight on SmackDown, R-Truth teamed up with The Prime Time Players to defeat The Union Jacks – the wrestlers usually known as 3MB – while The Great Khali beat Hunico and Camacho in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. This week’s “Backstage Fallout” features The Prime Time Players, R-Truth and Khali discussing their victories.
– WWE’s stock price continues to increase as it reached a 52-week high of 13.37 on Friday before closing at 13.32. The stock price improved 12 cents from Thursday.
– As seen on Monday’s Raw in Manchester, England, the show concluded with The Shield battling The Wyatt Family in a short-lived brawl before both parties turned their attention to the babyfaces. Despite what we saw on Monday, they are not expected to begin a full program together yet.
On this week’s SmackDown, video package aired highlighting the heated conclusion of Raw and the brawl is not shown. According to F4WOnline.com today, people within WWE feel it was a seed being planted that that will be touched again early next year. Meanwhile, Dave Meltzer stated in this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that creative had suggested they fight at WrestleMania XXX.
– As reported earlier today, WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee collapsed during her match at tonight’s WWE live event in London, England. The official WWE website has published a brief article on the unfortunate event, which at this time solely mentions the company’s official statement to the media on her status:
“Tonight in London, WWE Diva AJ Lee briefly fainted during a match with Brie Bella due to dehydration. She is currently being evaluated by WWE medical staff.”
TMZ.com is also covering the story, which adds that Lee walked to the backstage area on her own power.
– The return of Total Divas Sunday night on E! averaged 1.3 million viewers, according to a press release issued by the cable network. The was in line with the premiere episode in July, which averaged 1.343 million viewers. While the show has yet to be renewed for a second season, many people within the company feel it will be due to Sunday’s figure and kick off during WrestleMania season.
– In this “Rank’d” video, WWE counts down the most outrageous vignettes in company history. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Dusty Rhodes, Mr. Perfect, The Mountie, Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Steven Regal and Skinner are featured.
– WWE has launched a Twitter feed for UK fans at wweuk.
– Thursday’s episode of Impact Wrestling drew a 0.96 cable rating, up from 0.90 last week.
The program averaged 1.139 million viewers over the course of two hours, up 12 percent from 1.019 million viewers last week.
Thus far in 2013, Impact Wrestling has averaged 1.270 million viewers. The program, however, has not topped the yearly average since the most-recent special, No Surrender, on September 12.
– AJ Styles, who is planning to defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at an event presented by Wrestle-1, a promotion in Japan being run by Great Muta, is shown arriving to the country in this “#IMPACT365” video.
Styles is in possession of the belt that he took with him when he left TNA Wrestling, but has been technically stripped of the title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IohFt0Qqa5Y
– ShopTNA.com has released its 2014 TNA Knockouts Calendar, which features Brooke, Christy Hemme, Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell and Velvet Sky on the cover. Mickie James, who has since parted ways with TNA Wrestling, is also featured in the calendar.
– Ryback appears to be turning babyface after Paul Heyman dismissed Ryback as a potential “Paul Heyman Guy” on Raw on Monday. We can now confirm that WWE creative plans call for Ryback to feud with Brock Lesnar, with a match likely taking place at January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The storyline will be that Paul Heyman will enlist Lesnar to destroy Ryback, since he blames Ryback for CM Punk putting him in a wheelchair.
Meanwhile, while WWE officials would like to have Ryback face Goldberg at WrestleMania XXX, sources within the organization don’t expect the former World Heavyweight Champion to come on board since he would almost certainly be asked to job. Goldberg stated in an interview earlier this year that he would not return to the company to lose.
– This week’s edition of The JBL & Cole Show features never before seen bloopers, outtakes, and footage from the show. Renee Young hosts.
– Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are interested in having Shane McMahon make an appearance at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to F4WOnline.com on Friday. No word yet on whether the former wrestling executive is interested.
McMahon left WWE in 2010 to pursue other opportunities. In July, McMahon voluntarily stepped down as CEO of YOU On Demand, whilst remaining YOD’s principal executive officer and Chairman of the Board.
– In response to news of Mickie James appearing as a guest trainer for WWE’s female developmental talent at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida this week, Ohio Valley Wrestling trainer Rip Rogers says the fourteen-year veteran, as well as WWE trainer Sara Del Rey, should be teaching them before live audiences.
“Mickie James can wrestle better than most of the guys- divas b in for a rude awakening,” Rogers remarked. “[James and Del Rey] should be on the road wrestling and make the girl wrestle every day in the ring on the road.”
Rogers explains that it’s not beneficial for inexperienced talent to be work with each other. “The only way to get good is have 1000 matches with vets leading u to get better – green leading green does not work,” he said.
Former WWE Women’s and Divas Champion Mickie James sparked rumors of a possible return to WWE this week by rekindling her relationship with the sports-entertainment organization. The Virginia-native is training the organization’s developmental female talent at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for the week, and attended Thursday night’s NXT live event in Tampa. WWE.com caught up with James for an exclusive interview, as she discussed her trip to the Sunshine State, her recent endeavors and whether fans will see her return to the WWE ring.
In response to how her visit to the state-of-the-art facility materialized, James states, “I got a call from Talent Relations, and they asked if I would be interested in coming down, checking it out and working with some of the girls here. Of course, I jumped all over it; I was happy to do it. The place is amazing, it really is mind-blowing. We had all prayed for something like this [when we were] breaking in.”
In addition to teaching the girls how to wrestle, James focused on bringing their personalities out. She explains, “Mostly being vocal in the ring and being vocal while they’re working instead of just thinking about what their moves are and what they need to do in there. Actually being who they are.”
Though she came to Florida to assist WWE’s female developmental talent, James is still interested in returning the company as a performer.
“Of course, I would absolutely love that, but you never know,” James says in response to whether her visit to the WWE Performance Center means she’s coming back. “I’m just trying to take advantage of this opportunity. If I can pass a little knowledge of what I know, then hopefully that will do something, if not for me, then for the future of WWE and women’s wrestling itself.”
Should James return to WWE, she would be most interested in working with three particular Divas: Natalya, AJ Lee and Brie Bella.
“I would love to work with Natalya; we only had a couple matches when I was there. I would love to work with AJ Lee, and I think Brie [Bella] has really come a long way since I was in WWE, so I’d love to do some stuff with her,” remarked James.
James also recalls her career with WWE, including WrestleMania 22 and the “Piggy James” angle, and reveals which Divas at the WWE Performance Center stood out in her eyes. The full interview is available here.
– A Six-Man Tag Team Match highlights this week’s episode of WWE Superstars as The Usos and The Great Khali square off against The Prime Time Players and The Miz. Plus, The Funkadactyls go up against Alicia Fox and Aksana. Highlights from both matches are available here.
– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans which personality showcased the most infamous gimmick in [wrestling] history. The options are The Gobbledy Gooker, Doink the Clown, The Boogeyman, The Dynamic Dudes, The Red Rooster, The Mountie, Akeem, Disco Inferno, Glacier and Giant Gonzales.
TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter’s husband Serg Salinas, who reigns as Vice President of TNA Knockout Music Publishing and TNA Merchandising, posted an image on Twitter Thursday night of himself showing off a Confederate Flag license plate that states “DON’T MESS WITH DIXIE.”
Twitter user Nicole Jensen notified Carter of the image, stating, “Do you find it acceptable that Serg, an employee of yours, is promoting storylines on the confederate flag?” The TNA Wrestling President responded shortly thereafter via direct message, stating, “No way darlin. Wouldn’t allow that.”
– The official YouTube account of WWE has released a teaser clip previewing next month’s slate of Classics On Demand programming, which features a “Stone Cold Christmas.”
The synopsis reads, “All next month let WWE Classics On Demand warm you with “Season’s Beatings”. Get in the holiday spirit all December, with your favorite festive moments and matches. Highlights include a special “Stone Cold Christmas”, Tribute To The Troops 2012 and unforgettable holiday editions of Monday Night Raw, TNT, Prime Time and more.”
– In a scene that did not air on last Sunday’s return episode of Total Divas, Eva Marie approaches Brie Bella about becoming her new tag team partner after Nikki Bella suffers a leg injury (in June, Nikki suffered a stress fracture in her leg and did not return to action until last month).
Eva, who is “known for her unorthodox career tactics,” sees this as a major opportunity for herself and offers to fill in for Nikki while she recuperates. To watch the clip, featuring Brie’s response, click here.
– It was reported on Thursday that Major League Baseball was giving Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer WWE-style replica belts in honor of their respective achievements. MLB shared photos of the new Cy Young Award championship belts on Twitter, which appear as WWE Championship belts re-designed with a baseball theme.
WWE head Vince McMahon caught wind of the news and subsequently issued a message on Twitter stating that his company would send both men “the real thing.”
– Former WWE Women’s and Divas Champion Mickie James, who is training WWE’s developmental female talent at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida this week, attended Thursday’s WWE NXT live event in Tampa, Florida.
“The show was great! Proud of my girls this week. See you at 8:30am sharp miss ma’am!” James remarked on Twitter to Lana.
Bayley said of James’ involvement this week, “It’s been schweet training w/ @MickieJames this week! I think I’m winning her over. ?? #HUGLIFE.”
