– Cody Rhodes and Goldust continued their winning ways on SmackDown as the brother duo defeated Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, which marks as the first-ever loss for The Wyatt Family in WWE. On this week’s “Backstage Fallout” for SmackDown, Rhodes and Goldust react to their victory. Plus, The Prime Time Players and The Great Khali celebrate their victory over 3MB.

– WWE ring announcer Tony Chimel celebrates his birthday on Friday as he turns 52-years-old. Also celebrating a birthday today is former WWE wrestler Rikishi, who turns 48-years-old. Jey and Jimmy Uso wished their father a happy birthday via Twitter, writing, “Happy birthday to our pops @TheREALRIKISHI!! Out here in the middle east!! Don’t kno what time it is anymore!! Have a bless day dad!!”

WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch appeared on The Undisputed Wrestling Show on Thursday, where she discussed the start of her career in the professional wrestling industry, Chris Candido, Paul Heyman swindling her, her upcoming autobiography, and more.

Earlier this week, former WWE creative writer Court Bauer revealed on the MLW Radio podcast that senior producer Michael Hayes was unofficially suspended by WWE for being spotted consuming alcoholic beverages with Rosa Mendes shortly after the Diva performer returned to work following her completion of a rehabilitation program for issues with substance abuse—Mendes returned to the road in August after being sent home in April from a European tour for what was cited by WWE to multiple wrestling news outlets as “personal reasons.” Yesterday, WWE appeared to confirm the report by issuing the following statement to wrestling news outlets: “Michael is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons.”

Sytch, who too addressed her longstanding issues with substance issue in the past year, weighed in on the situation with the following: “I think he is way out of line. As a recovering alcoholic myself, the last thing you want is for somebody to offer you drinks when you are trying to stay sober. If he did that then shame on him.”

Sytch spoke for approximately 75-minutes (listen here). To visit their Facebook page, click here.

Baurer said of Hayes in his podcast, “Because of this lapse in judgment, he was told he’d be basically suspended from school for a few weeks. He’s not going anywhere; he’s still in the company. He’s still very much involved, so it’s not the end of Michael Hayes.”

– On this week’s edition of The JBL & Cole Show, Goldust has a “creepy interaction” with Hornswoggle. Plus, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, Michael Cole and Renee Young tour Niagara Falls while discussing some of WWE’s “greatest falls,” and Wade Barrett sends a message to fans.

– The Miz will appear in the ABC Family original action-comedy movie Christmas Bounty, premiering on Tuesday, November 26 at 7:00 p.m., as part of its annual “Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas.” The cable network issued a press release Friday offering details on the flick.

It states, “Former bounty hunter turned Elementary school teacher Tory Bell (Raisa) was ready for a new life when she left the family business behind and moved to Manhattan. But when an old enemy is released from jail and vows retribution on Tory and her loved ones, she returns to New Jersey to take care of him once and for all. When Tory’s upper-class fiancé, James, follows her home for Christmas, she tries to keep her bounty hunting ways a secret, but the plan backfires when James unwittingly becomes involved in the Bells’ mission. Further complicating matters, Tory must work closely with her ex-boyfriend, Mike (Mizanin) to bring down their target and keep James out of certain danger. But as Tory becomes further entrenched in her old life, she finds herself torn between whom she once was and her plans for the future. Will Tory choose her new life with James, or will the thrill of bounty hunting and unresolved feelings for Mike prove too powerful to ignore?

“Christmas Bounty” was produced in partnership with WWE Studios and was written by Claudia Grazioso and Andrew Black & Vivian Lee. The movie was executive produced by Michael J. Luisi, co-executive produced by Richard Lowell and Marc Bienstock, and directed by Gil Junger.”

Though initially pegged to be sidelined for as many as six months due to a triceps tear, John Cena will return to the ring after only two months on October 27 at Hell in a Cell to challenge Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. WWE.com spoke to the 11-time WWE Champion and two-time World Heavyweight Champion about his injury, how it feels to watch Raw at home, and more.

Cena says he’s not surprised about his rapid return to the squared circle, as he’s “happy with the way everything has gone.”

“I didn’t feel too bad when the injury happened,” states Cena. “It started to really be a pain in my neck about two weeks before SummerSlam. I had to tell the greatest surgeon in the world that I have a physical therapy team that I’m extremely familiar with. In doing therapy, it’s good to know that the therapist will push you. A lot of times, people are reserved or maybe scared of testing what your body is capable of. I’m not. I have complete faith in my surgeon. When it was time to test range of motion a little bit or test strength a little bit, a lot of people — if it’s their first surgery — they want to wait a few weeks before they do that. I kind of want to say, “Hey I got a new arm. Let’s see how it works.”

As a result of the recovery process, Cena can only catch up with Raw from the comfort of his own home as a fan. Cena, however, says watching the show as a fan “[is] something [he does] anyway.”

“It’s just in a greater capacity when you can no longer physically contribute,” said Cena. “At all Live Events, I’m watching somewhere, whether peeking behind a curtain or peering at a TV backstage. I watch just as much WWE as almost anyone, but I love to. It’s something I enjoy doing. I don’t force myself to watch. I get excited for Mondays. I get excited to see the show.”

Another question posed to Cena is whether his injuries will force him to alter his in-ring style. He says, “If you broke down my technique, it wouldn’t really take a rocket scientist to do so. I don’t know how you could take something so basic and do less [laughs].”

Much more is contained in the interview, as Cena discusses the recovery process, his upcoming match against Del Rio, going after the World Heavyweight Championship as opposed to the WWE Championship, learning Mandarin, and more. The full interview is available here.

– As seen Thursday night on Impact Wrestling Dixie Carter wanted Hulk Hogan to join “Team Dixie,” but the former Impact General Manager told her, “I Quit,” and walked out. Following the show, Carter wrote on Twitter, “You are so fired @HulkHogan!!!”. However, he is still listed as a member of the TNA Wrestling roster.

The WWE Hall of Famer considers that four-year chapter over. Following the event, he wrote on his official Facebook account, “One door closes, another one opens, and I’m ready for my next challenge. Life is good. HH.”

– TNA Women’s Knockout Champion ODB has been named the Knockout of the Month for October. In the following video, the 34-year-old recalls her path to the gold, and vows to stay on top.

“Who’d ever think I’d be named Knockout of the Month? It is great timing that I am Knockout of the Month right now. I just won the Knockout title. It was awesome. I’ve been reffing for four months-when I took that shirt off it felt so good. I knew I was destined to go for the gold,” said ODB.

She continued, “I’ve been here since 2007 and people have seen me change, get married…now it’s more of a serious ODB.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beg4NH3Fngs

Tonight at WWE Battleground, the Divas Championship will be on the line as AJ Lee defends the butterfly-emblazoned belt against Brie Bella. Promoting the bout on the WWE App, Natalya and Eva Marie spoke to Tom Phillips, where they announced that they are rooting for their Total Divas co-star in her match against Lee. During the interview, Eva Marie rattles the third-generation wrestler with her proclamation that she could be the No. 1 contender—Eva Marie has competed in one match thus far, a non-televised tag team bout at SummerSlam Axxess in August.

Natalya said, “I’m actually really excited to see what’s going to happen at Battleground. As much as I wanted to be the No. 1 contender for the Divas Championship, I’m happy that Brie is going to get a chance to make a stand against AJ and really put her in her place for all the things she’s done to us Total Divas. I am looking forward to AJ getting beaten.”

Eva Marie then remarks, “Now Nattie, I know you want to be No. 1 contender. I know you’re a little hurt that you’re not in Brie’s spot right now, aren’t you? I mean let’s be honest, I think I can be No. 1 contender, but I’ll be rooting for Brie.”

Natalya snaps back, “Yeah, you really could be No. 1 contender. I’d like to see you do a headlock takeover first.” Eva Marie responds, “Absolutely, no problem. I’m just being honest.”

Natalya then resumes talking about the match: “What we’re trying to say is that all us Total Divas are excited about seeing AJ Lee without the Divas Championship on Sunday at Battleground. If it’s Brie Bella that does it, then so be it.”

To watch the video interview, click here.

Promoting tonight’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view event, WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee addressed a series of topics in an interview published today on BleacherReport.com, including her scathing “#PipeBombshell” toward the stars of Total Divas, her recent heated interaction with Jerry “The King” Lawler at the announce desk and the meaning behind her tattoo.

In the lengthy interview, Lee reveals that she was asked to appear on the E! reality series, and declined. This led to the WWE Diva’s on-screen tirade towards the cast, since WWE chief Vince McMahon wanted her to explain why she was against the show. The New Jersey native, however, says her not jumping aboard the project was perceived the wrong way.

Lee states, “I give [the cast of Total Divas] credit. Of course on screen I’m not going to say any of that. (Laughs). I’m going to take jabs and stuff as part of the story. But I’m not a hundred percent against it.

“As a person, I couldn’t do it. The whole story is, they asked me to be on it and I told them no. And it was kind of received the wrong way. I was upset about it and there was a lot of friction between myself and the people who kind of wanted me to jump on board with this show.

“It’s not who I am. I don’t think it helps with what I’ve done so far either. It may be great for the girls who are kind of spokeswoman kind of women. That’s not my world.

“But me not jumping on board was kind of perceived the wrong way. I think Vince likes people who are really brave and quirky and like to take risks and stir the pot sometimes. And he was like “OK. She doesn’t want to be on it? Let her tell us all why.”

“No one really knew what I was going to say. So, that’s how that happened.”

Last month during an episode of Raw, Lee was involved in a heated spat with Jerry “The King” Lawler while commentating a Divas match—she sniped not being his type since she’s too young for him. The 26-year-old reveals that she doesn’t plan her on-screen remarks.

“The funny thing is I get a lot of “oh, I can’t believe they let you say that!” Everything that has been kind of controversial in the last couple of weeks has been 100 percent from my mind. It’s just been me saying “Let’s see how much trouble I can get in,” Lee said.

“When you do commentary you don’t really plan anything. I watch my matches back and Jerry Lawler rubs me the wrong way. The way he talks about the girls and me in particular. As a character I feel like she wouldn’t like him. So, I went out there thinking “I’m ready to fight any of you.

“You can’t really plan what you are going to say, but I’m kind of a smart a**. I like to jab. That’s who I am. I went out there and they were all sort of attacking me and I was not prepared for that. So I kind of went into smart a** mode. And it happened. (Laughs).

“We never talked about it, but I think it was fine. It was just a fun little jab I think.”

In early September, Lee tweeted an image of a tattoo she got on the back of her neck to commemorate the date she won the belt (June 16, 2013). Contrary to popular belief, the mark “wasn’t just about winning the title.” She explains, “I lived in a car. I lived on the street, I lived in a motel. My whole life I always believed I wouldn’t be in this situation any more. I’m going to be in WWE and I’m going to be the champion.

“That was the light at the end of the tunnel. That made me not lose my mind and not give up. To achieve those goals was all kind of dream sequence. To have the opportunity Kaitlyn and I did, a 20-minute match and everything so absolutely perfect. I had imagined it as a kid and it all came true in real life.

“I kind of made the tattoo look like a prison tattoo. I was like a prisoner serving time. To me it was like I finally accomplished something and it was time served. Fourteen years of trying to get here. I made it out of a dark past. That’s what it means to me. It just happens to be the date I won the title. That was the ultimate goal.

“I think that’s the only tattoo I’ll ever get. I probably won’t get a matching one the day I lose it. (Laughs).”

Lee also discusses the state of the Divas division, her move up the wrestling ranks, crafting matches, and more. To read the lengthy interview, click here.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross sees John Cena and Ryback as the top candidates to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. When asked on Twitter today who he believes may take on “The Deadman” at the pay-per-view event taking place next April in New Orleans, Louisiana, he stated the following:

@Ryback22 & @JohnCena on Short list.RAW5115: @JRsBBQ
Who do you think the first candidate to face the Undertaker at WrestleMania 30?!!”

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) October 6, 2013

Ryback has his sights set on ending The Undertaker’s famed undefeated streak, which he revealed last week during an interview with TribLIVE (to promote Monday’s Raw at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): “One of my main goals is ending The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak. It’s something everyone has their opinion on. Some people say it’s something that should never end. I say why not? I say I’m good enough to end it, and I’m very confident in myself. I know there are a lot of people that will say otherwise, but I could care less what they say. I’m the one who wakes up every day and knows how hard I’ve worked for this. It’s something, if I don’t believe I can do it, nobody else is going to believe it.”

Meanwhile, the official YouTube account of WWE has released this 30-second highlight video of “The Human Wrecking Ball” delivering the Shell Shock.

Lisa Marie Varon who appeared as Victoria in WWE and TNA Wrestling, spoke to VOC Wrestling Nation to discuss her restaurant, “The Squared Circle,” as well as other wrestling-related topics. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

On her new restaurant, “The Squared Circle”, opening in Chicago: “This is our third restaurant. We had one in Kentucky and one in Lombard, Ill; we sold both of those and ended up coming back to Chicago. It’s not just a pizza place; we do thin crust (Chicago style), we do brick oven, New York Style, and stuffed burgers. It’s a very, very unique menu.”

On the wrestling theme of her restaurant: “Our place is wrestling themed. I’m there every single night watching wrestling. I get to watch what I love, talk about my passion, eat awesome food, and mingle with the fans. Every night we have wrestling on and feature wrestling related guests. I even named a platter after Gail Kim.”

On her time in TNA and whether she would return: “TNA is out of the question. It wasn’t a good fit for me. I had a great run there, but it was very different from WWE. It made me appreciate WWE a lot.”

On her future in wrestling: “Never say never. I’m 42 and I’m still kicking ass and in better shape than when I was wrestling. It’s in my blood. I’m lucky that I live wrestling at my restaurant. I don’t think I’m done wrestling; I have a lot to give in terms of knowledge and helping other females.”

On working in front of the same crowd each week versus working on the road: “Its apples and oranges. I enjoy going on the road and working different towns. (At TNA) the audience wanted to get more camera time (than the talent). I ended up knowing most of the fans that went there in Orlando. Performing in Madison Square Garden is surreal. I hope some of the TNA talent that has never gotten to do that gets a chance to do it.”

On what’s missing with today’s female talent: “We had Fit Finlay as a trainer and agent. He made us and molded us. He got to know what made us tick, exposed that, and there was nothing we couldn’t do. Today, the girls pick and choose what moves they want to do. If Fit Finlay was around, that wouldn’t happen. We worked stiff. We made contact.

For more information on Varon’s “The Squared Circle” restaurant, TheSquaredCircle.biz. The complete audio interview is available at VOCNation.com.

Tonight at WWE Battleground, Santino Marella and The Great Khali will take on The Real Americans, Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro, in a tag team match. The official WWE website announced the bout this morning.

WWE teases, “Will the Real Americans finally be able to break The Italian Stallion, or will Santino’s unorthodox style —and Khali’s brute strength — overwhelm Zeb Colter’s patriotic pair?”

The updated line-up for Sunday’s pay-per-view event taking place in Buffalo, New York at the First Niagara Center is as follows:

* Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship Match)

* World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio vs. Rob Van Dam (Battleground Hardcore Rules Match for the World Heavyweight Championship)

* CM Punk vs. Ryback

* WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Brie Bella (WWE Divas Championship Match)

* Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns

* WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth (WWE Intercontinental Championship Match)

* Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt

* Santino Marella and The Great Khali vs. Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro

* Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow (Kickoff Match)

– Steve Keirn, who is still under contract to WWE after being removed from his post last year as president of the company’s developmental program, participated in a three-hour-long shoot interview on Saturday in New Jersey discussing the behind-the-scenes aspects of his career.

Rob Feinstein, who conducted the interview, indicated on Facebook that the former Skinner still possesses a managerial role with WWE. Following the interview, he wrote on Facebook, “Steve Keirn he’s such a great guy and so good for the business. The WWE has one of the best in charge. Young guys are blessed to have him as their teacher.”

– Eric Pankowski, who reigned as WWE’s Senior Vice President, Creative and Development from February 2012 through March, has been named executive producer of Arsenio Hall’s syndicated late-night show, The Arsenio Hall Show, according to Deadline.com. The former head of WWE’s creative department is replacing Neal Kendall, who stepped down from the position. Pankowski joined CBS TV Distribution in May to develop first-run syndicated programming and oversee current shows.

Pankowski, who was tapped to replace longtime creative head Brian Gewirtz, was removed from the position because according to PWInsider.com, he was not receptive to concepts beyond his own and that ultimately cost him allies within the organization.

Following a report last week in the National Enquirer (read here) that Stacy Keibler would consider a one night only return to WWE for a hefty payoff, TMZ.com is reporting the claim as false.

According to a source connected to the 33-year-old, while she feels very grateful to WWE for helping her launch her career, she believes that part of her life is over and wants to focus on other things.

The report had claimed that she was was solely interested in returning to WWE for financial reasons because she has refused to scale back on the luxurious lifestyle she became accustomed to while dating Hollywood actor George Clooney.

In 2009, the former Diva had her management team approach WWE about guest hosting an episode of Raw, but never heard anything back. She revealed in an interview with The Baltimore Sun that year, “No one has contacted me. I actually had my management contact them, and nobody ever got back to us [laughs]. So I guess they’re not interested.”

Following this, numerous rumors of Keibler returning to the organization surfaced. More recently, The Sun alleged in July that she was looking to return to the ring. WWE, however, denied the rumor, informing some online wrestling news outlets that organization officials were not speaking to her.

To read TMZ’s report, click here.

Raquel Diaz, the daughter of Vickie Guerrero and the late Eddie Guerrero, resurfaced at Thursday’s WWE NXT live event in Tampa, Florida, according to Diva-Dirt.com. It is her first appearance for the developmental league since last year.

In September 2012, it was reported that Diaz, whose real name is Shaul Guerrero, had requested and was granted a release from her developmental contract—she later confirmed her departure on Twitter. Last month, Vickie Guerrero revealed on the social network that her daughter was moving back to Orlando, Florida to report to the WWE Performance Center. Diaz subsequently reactivated her character’s account on Twitter and stated that she was “back.”

Leah Van Damme and Devin Taylor also appeared on the show. Van Damme, a former Los Angeles Lakers and New England Patriots cheerleader who reported to the WWE Performance Center last month, participated in a T-Shirt giveaway with other NXT Divas. Taylor, a former model and freelance television reporter, had been sidelined since suffering a dislocated knee in July; she shared ring announcing duties with Becky Lynch.

In a trivia note, Van Damme is the daughter of former professional wrestler Paul Vandale, who sporadically appeared as a preliminary wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s (coinciding with enhancement talent being phased out due to the promotion’s battle with World Championship Wrestling). According to ProFightDB.com, he did job duty in matches against Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Mr. Perfect, Razor Ramon, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka and Big Bossman, among others. Van Damme noted on her Twitter account recently that her dad faced Razor Ramon in his first television match for the WWF. The official YouTube account of WWE posted footage of that encounter on Friday, which can be viewed here.

After returning to WWE in March, The Bella Twins resumed their manipulative and malicious characters until just recently, as Brie has been portraying a smiling babyface character (with Nikki following her lead) in her battle against Divas Champion AJ Lee—which was then solidified due to her relationship with top babyface wrestler Daniel Bryan being acknowledged. However, on WWE programming, no clear indication was given as to what led to the twin duo’s sudden change of heart after portraying “mean girls” for months.

According to PWInsider.com, the twin duo technically turned babyface as a result of Lee’s scathing “#PipeBombshell” toward them and their Total Divas co-stars on the Aug. 27 episode of Raw. The WWE creative department’s idea was that since Lee portrays a Total Divas loathing villain, The Bella Twins and the other stars of the E! reality show are therefore de facto babyfaces.

It would appear that Brie and Nikki, as well as sidekick Eva Marie, didn’t receive a memo on the switch as their characters continued to appear in the same arrogant manner through the Sept. 16 episode of Raw-near the conclusion of the show, Brie was shown embracing Bryan backstage as he went out to the arena to face Roman Reigns. Brie began smiling after scoring the pinfall victory in the 10-Diva Tag Team Match on the Sept. 23 Raw, as she and her Total Divas peers celebrated the win together. Following the match, however, Nikki and Eva Marie labeled themselves as well as Brie as “Mean Girls” on Instagram, but haven’t against since.

To turn The Bella Twins babyface, Lee said the following: “Do you want to know what I see when I look in that ring? Honestly? Cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women. Women who have turned to reality television because they just weren’t gifted enough to be actresses. And they just weren’t talented enough to be champion.

“I have done more in one year than all of you have done in your entire collected careers…I have shattered glass ceilings and broken down doors. Why? So a bunch of stiff, ungrateful plastic mannequins can waltz on through without even as much as a thank you?…I gave my life to this and you were just handed fifteen minutes of fame…you’re all worthless excuses for women and you will never be able to touch me.”

– Before his Intercontinental Championship Match against Curtis Axel tomorrow night at WWE Battleground, R-Truth reflects on his career in WWE, including his partnership with Road Dogg, joining the “dark side” in 2011, and the strong message sent to him recently by Stephanie McMahon.

– Tomorrow night at WWE Battleground, Cody Rhodes and Goldust look to not only regain their jobs but also save their father’s, when they square off against WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. The wrestler formerly known as Black Reign, Seven and The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust, issued the following words of warning to The Shield via Twitter this morning.

“I wonder if @WWERomanReigns and @WWERollins realize what is coming their way. No, i don’t think they do! #WWEBattleground #RhodesFamily @wwe,” wrote Goldust.

– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans which signature maneuver they would like to see tomorrow night at WWE Battleground. With over 8,000 votes cast thus far, the Van Terminator is winning at 48%, and is followed by the “Yes!” Lock (28%), RKO (15%), Sister Abigail (4%), Trouble in Paradise (3%), and the Cross Armbreaker (1%).

Promoting Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view event, Roman Reigns appeared as a guest on Busted Open Radio, hosted by Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca (Busted Open Radio airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sirius 94 and XM 208), where he discussed his match against the Rhodes family and other WWE-related topics. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Going against the Rhodes family: “Not only with the rich tradition in my family but our group we have a lot of pride in what we do, we worked hard this whole year to set a standard and for guys like Cody (Rhodes) and Dustin (Rhodes) being Goldust. Cody ran his mouth when he shouldn’t and things happened. He got fired but on the flip side its crazy because Goldust got the opportunity and now they get a second chance so unfortunately there second chance is running head to head against the Shield and that’s a problem for everybody so I wouldn’t be surprised if this Sunday at Battleground, it will be renamed the Rhodes retirement party.”

The rise to the main stage: “It’s been a great opportunity. You put with me with a couple guys like Seth (Rollins) and Dean (Ambrose) and it just worked. They have so much experience coming in, they wrestled all over the country and parts of the world in independent promotions so to bring that kind of attitude and that kind of experience and being paired with a guy like me, I more like a thoroughbred and a natural and I don’t need too much experience, you can explain on what I might run into and I’ll have a plan for it. I didn’t need much time to set up to the occasion but it definitely helps when you have guys that have been doing it later then you. Seth and Dean have been wrestling longer then me but they are the same type of pedigree and they have the same kind of attitude, there alpha males, we want to rule the world as crazy as that sounds and that’s the type of attitude that we bring. We bow down to no man.”

Imagining the future: “Right now, we are building the foundation. We are just laying down the building blocks but the special stuff, that’s going too happened in a couple years. What we are doing now is really cool, it’s been exciting but there’s so much to do in the future, there’s so many ways to spin things, there’s so much competition like when the Shield breaks up then when competition bumped up a hundred percent because the type of guys that myself, Dean and Seth are, we are going to bring it to each other like we don’t know each other and like we are pure enemies and that’s how competitive we are as a group and then you make as individuals, it’s going to get worse. It’s been a special year and it’s still coming and if you’re into it now, just wait and keep watching. The plan after going undrafted in the NFL, going to the CFL and going to Florida: Going into the draft, I knew what I did. I saw my body of work as a defensive tackle. I know if I had the opportunity to get into a camp, going through OTA’s, do a full summer, be there for a full day of camp and go through all of the pre-season games, I knew that I was a good enough football player and teammate to make a team, I could had made the team better but I didn’t get that opportunity for certain reasons so I did take the chance to go up to Canada and prolong my football career but it just didn’t work. At that point, I was just kind of beat up and when it was over and just ready to move on. Before I played football, there was a point in my life where I wanted to wrestle. Then it became that I wanted to play football and if I don’t want to do that, I’ll wrestle. So it’s always been those two and now all I want to do is wrestle. That’s it! That’s all I want to do.”

The youth movement in the WWE: “I’ll say out with the old and in with the new. We are hungry; we are trying to do it. You get your chance, do your thing and expect a younger line to come after your pride and that’s what I’m doing. We are looking to take over the whole territory. We want to be the king of the mountain; you can look at it as harsh and be like: “Hell Yeah. Competition, we are going to get better” and if you don’t look at it like that then you might want to buy my shirt. But then again, you don’t have to buy my shirt, you don’t have to be a fan, I’ll spear you if you don’t like me, if you like me, if you love me, if you hate me, anybody can catch a spear.”

Growing up with a rich family legacy: “It’s funny there’s a lot of fans that were fans through the attitude era, the Monday Night Wars but for me, I’m only watching WWE, I’m not watching WCW. None of my family wrestlers over there so it made me a very specific fan and I’ve only been into the one company and I was right because our company won but it was a very interesting childhood when you have that many males in your family that are superstars and successful and they did there things, they were making towns, they were all over the world, we literally have ten men in my family that have seen the entire world, it’s a very blessed feeling. I’m from a very prestigious family and my goal is to not only to represent it but to push it, push the level and raise the bar of what this family can do.”

Any fan incidents with their introductions: “Actually somebody smacked the heck out of my arm the other night as I was coming down. It’s one of those deals where I get it, we are extremely pumped that the fans are excited to see us and they are part of the entrance and they get to feel us up close, it not like: “I’m like this guy” when you’re in the first row and you are watching the ring, you are fifteen feet away where you can’t really get a feel for a guy unless he is walking right past you and you can touch him so guy was a little too touchy and he really smacked my arm and the back of neck and he was just pumped and maybe had a little too much to drink or something, I don’t know but it was just a little too much but it did piss me off for a split second because I’m on the edge anyway when I’m going out there and I’m ready to take anyone out at that point.”

Talking about the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the WWE: “It’s one of the strongest things as a company that we are able to do to team up with Susan G. Komen to fight breast cancer if there is anything in the world that a man could do is trying to help women and trying to create a healthier woman for this world because without them, we are done, man. It’s a great opportunity for the WWE to help and to push the Susan G. Komen in the right direction. We touch so many lives across the world so many billions of people know about us so to have the opportunity to push the Susan G. Komen foundation out to our fans is a great opportunity.”

Coming full circle with Dusty Rhodes: “Anyone that has a relationship with Dusty (Rhodes) knows he’s a crazy character, man. He’s a good dude, he is one of the best of all time, he has helped all of us tremendously with his experience with his knowledge and he’s teaching but that doesn’t change the fact that I am going to beat the ever living crap out of his kids, it’s going to be “hard times”. We have a good understanding of the “American Dream” and we are thankful for him but its business as usual and what’s best for business is the Rhodes retirement party this Sunday at Battleground. It’s going down.”

It was recently announced that WWE had formed a tag team with MilkPEP—the same organization that presented the highly influential “Got Milk?” advertisements—to launch a brand-new campaign called Protein Fight Club. The partnership was launched in August at the world famous Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, New York, where MilkPEP introduced Protein Fight Club alongside Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Following the release of the official advertisement, the official YouTube account of the Protein Fight Club has issued a batch of videos of both WWE executives promoting the benefits of milk.

In this video message, the former WWE Women’s Champion explains how milk helps get her day started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuiTfWhMo4g

Also see: Coffee Smackdown | Eggs Benedict Smackdown | Bagel Smackdown | Skip Smackdown

Meanwhile, the WWE Chief Operating Officer touts milk’s benefits in his wrestler voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkVnQ6FZ7oA

Also see: Breakfast Burrito Smackdown | Orange Juice Smackdown | Omelet Smackdown | Portable Breakfast Smackdown

Touting the benefits of milk, McMahon explained to WWE.com at the August promotional event, “WWE partnering with milk is an incredible opportunity to spread the message about good nutrition and healthy living for kids. It’s an important message for working parents. It’s incredibly important to have milk as an easy way to ensure that our kids get all of the protein and nutrients they need to get them through the day.”

– Promoting Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection, available on DVD and Blu-Ray this Tuesday, the official YouTube account of WWE has released this 57-second video summing up the legendary career of Bill Goldberg.

In an interesting note, it is teased that fans may not have seen the last of Goldberg.

“The ride appears to have ended, but one has to wonder, if Goldberg gets the itch, who’s next?” states the narrator.

– Former WWE Champion The Miz announced the winner of a WrestleMania XXX VIP package at the CSE Sports Marketing Symposium in New York City at Crowne Plaza Times Square. To view photos from the event, click here.

– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans which Shield member they would most like to see Big Show KO Punch. With over 6,000 votes cast thus far, Roman Reigns is the most hated member of the nefarious group as he is currently leading the poll at 52%. He is trailed by Dean Ambrose (35%) and Seth Rollins (13%).

Mixed martial artist Ken Shamrock appeared as a guest on Busted Open Radio, hosted by Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca (Busted Open Radio airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sirius 94 and XM 208), where he discussed a number of WWE-related topics, including Triple H’s influence on the product. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Having every show being perfect: “If there was a WCW and if there was someone watching the ratings like when we were in it, there was not one time when you went on the show that the ratings were not sky high and that it wasn’t action packed. The reason why you don’t have shows that are action packed is because you have a changing in the guards now. Vince McMahon was a genius, he was an absolute genius. Then you got a guy that has a huge ego in Triple H who needs to have the spotlight on him and that’s why the shows aren’t going well there because he doesn’t see past himself. You have to be able to bring in all the other talents.

“How many people do they have on the roster? How do you not have every show action packed? How do you have the shows leading up to a big show with all the people you have at your disposal and not be able to put on a good show? If there was a competition out there with another organization, I promise you wouldn’t have these weak ass shows because that means you lost the ratings that week! Knowing Vince McMahon, he hates to lose, he hates to have anyone go over on him and he will be working day and night to make sure that every single one of those shows were a knockout and a home run because you do not have any room for a mistake.

“But since there is no competition and because there is no body pushing them, Vince is kind of laying back and allowing someone who has too big of an ego to run the show because he was actually a talent on the show and he was so hungry to be famous that he would do anything to do that which he has and now he’s in position to control the show and now that’s all you see is him and that’s the problem. You can’t let someone who has that big of an ego run the show.”

Having the current storyline getting Triple H over: “I promise you that Triple H wants to be Vince McMahon, he wants that charisma, he wants that control, and he wants that respect but the only way you going to get the respect by putting yourself a side and pushing other people. Now the only way anyone is going to get pushed is if Triple H has something to do with them, period. That right there is a problem. You can’t start an organization when you’re actually going to be running it and putting yourself in the limelight. Vince McMahon did not do that. Vince McMahon put over (Hulk)Hogan, McMahon put over Andre the Giant, and he was nowhere to be seen. Right now, you got a guy that’s pretty questionable on why he is there and then he makes it even more of a problem by putting himself in the limelight and everybody is going: “See, I told you so.'”

Triple H’s influence in the product and going back to the basis of the Attitude Era: “How long did it take him to do that? He had to listen to other people. He didn’t come up with this great idea on his own. It’s the fans screaming about it. It was when I came up and said, these guys are really soft and it’s not them personally. It’s the storyline. I’m sure these guys can do whatever you ask them to do but it’s the storylines and the direction that the company is going and if you get enough people screaming about it and then all of a sudden he goes: ‘Oh yeah, let me follow it.’

“That’s not the way Vince McMahon would do it. Vince McMahon would have already done it and he would not have to listen to what everybody is telling him to do, he would have already know what to do because he has his ear to the ground and he’s listening and watching to what everything is going on around him in the world, what people are looking at, what people are following, what peoples trends are and he would move the company in that direction before the fans start chanting: ‘Hey! We need more aggressiveness, we need guys to step up, we need the guys to start fighting, we need blood, etc.’ He’s behind the eight ball. How hard is it when you’re sitting at that position and you get enough people to scream and yell at you when you need to start making those changes. That’s not going to work. We need someone that’s going to watch everything that’s going on in the world and move that company in that direction knowing that this is what the people are looking for and that’s not what’s happening. It’s like you have to be instructed by what the fans are screaming for and you need to pay attention before you give the fans what they want before they know they want it.”

Relationship with Vince McMahon: “Obviously, I don’t know how he feels about me. I know we had our arguments but he has had his arguments with everybody that was with the WWF that was on the big stage with him. I don’t hold any personal grudges with him. I think Vince also puts up and he doesn’t just run his mouth. He is a genuinely tough guy and if he had to, he would stand his ground. I respect Vince McMahon for everything that he is but on the other hand with Triple H, it’s the opposite. I think he runs his mouth all the time and not necessarily in the public’s eye because they don’t get to see that part of it but he does behind the scenes and he can’t back it up.

“He followed the game plan and he got where he needed to be. He is where he’s at and there is no doubt that I’m not taking anything away from Triple H, he got to where he is because he’s a great talent. He got to the WWE because he is good at what he does, no question. Not taking anything away from this guy but to be in the position that he is in right now and being able to run something as big as the WWE, I don’t think he is ready for that yet. It’s too soon to be throwing yourself in there like your Vince McMahon.”

Today’s MMA guys in pro wrestling: “It’s fortunate for me because when I got there (WWE), I was one of their top guys. I was blessed in that sense where I can understand the difference whereas a lot of these guys that are just coming in, the first couple years are going to be an education. You got to understand that these pro wrestlers when they come in, you really need to check your attitude at the door. You have to bring it in because that’s who you are but you got to keep it out of the locker room and out of your work. It’s hard to do because you have to bring that attitude and person that you are to the people that you know as. In the ring and those guys across from you got to know that you are not going to kill them. It’s a hard adjustment and it’s not an easy one to do and in time, you’re going to see a little bit more of a cross over, I think people will get more of an understanding of how that business works and its ok to have an attitude but you have to make sure when you’re in the locker room, everybody knows who you are and what your there for.”

Go back to the WWE?: “In a heartbeat. The only problem with that is I don’t think Triple H wants me there but it is what it is. It’s sad because you got a big organization like that the fans would love to see me go back, love to have me in there and yet, I’m not allowed to go back there but not necessarily go back there but nobody talking to me about going back to the organization. It’s says a whole lot about what they feel about the fans and what the fans want and they are not looking at that. That’s when I tell you about ‘Having your ear to the ground. Listen to what the fans wants before they know they want it.’

“That’s what’s missing right now is that they have the opportunity to bring guys in, not just myself, but to bring guys in that give them that edge like Vince did. He brought me in and the single thought was to change pro wrestling and bring some realness to it and he got me to referee the I Quit Match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 which was tremendous. Those guys beat the crap out of each other. That whole scenario and being the referee and the match they put together that gave the Vince the opportunity and Vince had the vision. It’s not like Vince flipped the card over and said: ‘Ok, this is what we are going to go with.’ Vince had this in his mind. Vince was a genius to turn things around and he did that and they were getting killed in the ratings. All of their big stars went to WCW and all of the sudden all of these ratings wars were going on and Vince said: ‘This MMA is really taking off, I wonder if we can get someone in here that can give us that realness’ and they went out and got me and brought me in and really took a chance and who know if I could have worked or not.”

– As seen Thursday night on Impact Wrestling Dixie Carter wanted Hulk Hogan to join “Team Dixie,” but the former Impact General Manager told her, “I Quit,” and walked out. Following the show, Carter wrote on Twitter, “You are so fired @HulkHogan!!!”

The TNA Wrestling President continued to push her villainous side, as she corrected the grammar of a fan calling her “stupid.”

It's just you darlin! And it is DOESN'T. RT @AboutThatLife_1: Is it just me or is @TNADixie stupid and don't know a thing about business.

— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) October 4, 2013

– Abyss, who also portrays Joseph Park, turns 40-years-old today.

Ryback says he has two major career milestones on his radar – ending The Undertaker’s famed undefeated streak at WrestleMania and taking on former World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg.

Speaking to TribLIVE (to promote Monday’s Raw at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), the WWE Superstar considers it a “good thing” that the topic of a showdown with Goldberg is constantly discussed by wrestling fans.

“For me, I grew up watching the guy. He came in an era and dominated. I still remember to this day being in high school and him taking on Hogan. It was during my summer baseball tournament in Mesa, Ariz. All the guys went out and I stayed back. ‘Ah, I gotta stay back because I got stuff to do.’ I stayed in my hotel room to watch Nitro and watched Goldberg take on Hogan when he defeated him for the world heavyweight championship in Atlanta. The reaction that man got out of all those people, it takes a special person to do that. 

“I’d love to take on Bill Goldberg. I think it’s a match that’s going to make me a lot of money. It’s going to make him a lot of money. It’s a match the WWE Universe want to see. I said recently that if people keep chanting his name at me, they’re going to make me a ton of money. WWE’s going to want to bring in Bill Goldberg to face Ryback.”

Despite his interest in facing Goldberg, Ryback does not consider it his “dream match.” Rather, it is facing The Undertaker at WrestleMania and ending the streak.

“No, one of my main goals is ending The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak. It’s something everyone has their opinion on. Some people say it’s something that should never end. I say why not? I say I’m good enough to end it, and I’m very confident in myself. I know there are a lot of people that will say otherwise, but I could care less what they say. I’m the one who wakes up every day and knows how hard I’ve worked for this. It’s something, if I don’t believe I can do it, nobody else is going to believe it,” said the former Skip Sheffield.

“I talked to him (The Undertaker) last year at WrestleMania. He made a comment to me. We were down by the ring somewhere and he said ‘I hear you’re doing some interviews and saying you want The Undertaker.’ I said ‘You’re damn right I do.’ That’s all it was. Whether it happens this year or the year after, I don’t know.

“Whatever the WWE asks of me, I will do because they are my employer. I give them everything I have because I have a love and passion for this and there is no ego involved. The Undertaker is definitely another one for WrestleMania. There is no bigger for me. The streak has become its own attraction. If that’s a possibility, I’m there.”

Ryback also reveals what he would be doing if he wasn’t wrestling, his reaction to discovering he would be working alongside Paul Heyman, and what he plans to do to become WWE’s premiere Superstar. The full interview is available here.

A new match will be announced for Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view event during tonight’s episode of SmackDown (which has already aired in Australia) – this Sunday, Kofi Kingston will take on Bray Wyatt.

An angle setting up the match took place on Monday’s Raw, as Wyatt and his henchmen interrupted Kingston’s victory celebration over Fandango, prompting the four-time Intercontinental Champion to seize a steel chair.

The updated line-up for Sunday’s pay-per-view event taking place in Buffalo, New York at the First Niagara Center is as follows:

• Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton for the Vacant WWE Championship

• World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio vs. Rob Van Dam (Battleground Hardcore Rules)

• CM Punk vs. Ryback

• Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Brie Bella

• Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns

• Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth

• Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt

•  Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow (Kickoff Match)

SEScoops.com will have Live Results of WWE Battleground this Sunday night. The coverage will begin at 7:30pm E.T. with the WWE Battleground Kickoff Show, and will continue throughout the entire duration of the pay-per-view.

• Comment Below and share your predictions for this Sunday.

– WWE creative writers are considering giving “Mr. Money in the Bank” Damien Sandow a run with the World Heavyweight Championship in large part due to Rob Van Dam’s questionable future with the organization.

It has been reported that RVD has not agreed to a new contract with WWE. However, other organization sources claim he signed a deal where he continuously works three months and then takes three months off. Nonetheless, he is expected to disappear from WWE programming shortly after Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view event.

The reason the belt may wind up in the arms of Sandow is because it would instantly lead to a feud with Del Rio and creative wants the Mexican wrestler to be continuously featured in a top program. Another idea batted around is Van Dam winning the strap from Del Rio, with Sandow immediately cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase to claim the gold. However, some people in WWE feel this idea is unlikely to occur since it happened just two months ago at SummerSlam.

– E!’s Total Divas, which is currently on hiatus, will resume on November 17, 2013 with six additional episodes. Regarding the possibility of episodes beyond the next batch, many people within WWE expect the reality series to be renewed for a second season beginning shortly after WrestleMania XXX.

(source: F4WOnline.com)

– This Sunday, Daniel Bryan will face Randy Orton for the vacant WWE Championship at the inaugural WWE Battleground pay-per-view event. It appears likely that at least one more match between both wrestlers will take place as some people in WWE believe the Battleground finish will lead to a bout at Hell in the Cell on Oct. 27.

Regardless of the final outcome, current creative plans call for Big Show to return to the main event scene in a feud with “The Viper” in November and December.

– WWE.com has released a video playlist highlighting the most awkward moments in the company history. Some of the footage posted includes Theodore Long being ordered to rub oil on Antonio Cesaro during a photo shoot, D-X interrupting a yoga session between Trish Stratus and Triple H, Kurt Angle giving “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Vince McMahon a present, the debut of Mr. Socko, William Regal dancing with Cryme Tyme, and the ratings bonanza “The Rock, This Is Your Life” segment from 1999.

– Former WWE announcer and Raw General Manager Mike Adamle turns 64-years-old on Friday. He currently as a sports anchor and reporter at WMAQ-TV in Chicago, Illinois.

(source: F4WOnline.com)

– The Undertaker could return to WWE programming for Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble, depending on his health. He had agreed to appear at SummerSlam in a tag team match alongside Kane against The Shield, but was injured when the nefarious group slammed him through a table in a post-WrestleMania angle and has not appeared since. Some creative ideas were presented to him when he met with Triple H last week, but as noted, his return will hinge on how he physically feels.

As reported recently, both he and wife Michelle McCool recently paid a visit to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Of some who saw her, they feel she looks better now than when she regularly appeared for WWE.

– WWE fans in India showed up in droves to see Ryback at the Oberoi mall in Mumbai for the WWE 2K14 pre-order launch. The official YouTube account of WWE has released this video of the former Skip Sheffield receiving a rousing ovation.

– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans whether they would accept an invite to be a “Paul Heyman Guy.” Of the over 9,000 people who have voted, 57% say they would not accept an invite.

(source: F4WOnline.com)