The Honky Tonk Man, who held the Intercontinental Championship for a record 454 days, is back with WWE.

The 60-year-old announced Thursday that he has come to terms on a multi-year contract with the sports-entertainment organization.

“I am honored to be back with the WWE and am very excited to be teaming up with WWE again for some more Shake, Rattle and Roll,” said The Honky Tonk Man in a message released via his representative on Facebook.

The Honky Tonk Man personally added on Twitter, “HTM back in the game. Inks multi yr. WWE deal. Never say Never in #WWE.”

The Honky Tonk Man last appeared as a regular character for WWE in 1997, as a manager and color commentator. After competing for several years on the independent circuit, he resurfaced on last month’s “Old School” episode of Raw. Following a match pitting Brodus Clay and Tensai against 3MB, the legendary wrestler smashed Heath Slater over the head with a guitar. He then danced with Clay and Tensai to his signature “Cool, Cocky, Bad” theme song.

– All four members of the McMahon family are now on Twitter, with Shane McMahon coming on board the social networking outlet. The former WWE Superstar and executive launched his account yesterday at @theshanemcmahon. In his first tweet, he posted this picture of himself acknowledging his all-grey hair.

Thus far, all of the 1999 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Rookie of the Year’s messages have concerned WWE and WrestleMania. He has answered some fan questions, and is also conducting a WrestleMania ticket giveaway.

McMahon parted ways with WWE in 2009 after resigning from the position of Executive Vice President of Global Media. He currently serves as the chief executive officer and chairman of YOU On Demand.

– In three days, WrestleMania will take place near AJ Lee’s hometown of Union City, New Jersey. Speaking to WWE, the lifelong wrestling fan is recalling her journey to the big show as she shows off her massive collection of Converse sneakers.

“I have probably more than 40 or 50 pairs of Chucks, which is probably unhealthy … I should see a doctor,” said Lee. “Chucks are cooler when they’re dirty. I actually stepped on somebody’s the other day because they were too clean.”

– This Sunday, WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett will defend his strap against The Miz at WrestleMania in the Interactive Pre-Show Sunday, airing at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT., exclusively on WWE.com, Yahoo!, facebook.com/wwe, YouTube.com/wwe and the WWE App. Today, rumors persist around WWE’s hotel base in Manhattan that a second bout may be added to the pre-show event.

PWInsider.com speculates that it may involve numerous talents not yet advertised for the show, such as a Lumberjack Match.

– In the following video, the “Hybrid Diva,” WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn, explains what sets her workout routine apart from other WWE Divas.

– Hulk Hogan spoke to NewsDay.com promoting “Hulk Hogan: Uncensored,” which takes place Friday at the Beacon Theatre stage in Manhattan. The event will offer fans the opportunity to pick the legendary grappler’s brain on highlights and controversy from his career.

The appearance will occur as TNA Wrestling presents an event nearby at NYCB Theatre at Westbury. WWE will also hold events in the area this weekend at Madison Square Garden and MetLife Stadium, which “begs the question of whether TNA and Hogan are making themselves look small by comparison.”

“Oh, my God, brother, that whole WWE is a monster,” Hogan responds, while also noting that TNA is still in its relative infancy compared to WWE. “That’s a whole other universe, a whole other entity.”

Since he is no longer an active wrestler, Hogan’s primary role with TNA is to draw attention to the promotion. The publication asked Hogan whether he will succeed as an executive, “or face the Michael Jordan curse of a legend who hasn’t transferred his playing field skills to the board room?”

“When the business is in your blood, I don’t know what to tell you — I’m not worried about what Michael Jordan did, or what Vince McMahon is,” Hogan said. “I just worry about my own thing, bro. So, I don’t know what their deal is, but I’m still having fun.”

– TNA’s “IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE” is coming to Tupelo, Mississippi, on Thursday, May 9 at the BancorpSouth Arena live at 7:00 pm. While in the city, Joseph Park decided to take in some of the sights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwMaIZ3_ho

Answering fan questions via SLAM! Wrestling and TrishStratus.com, 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Trish Stratus revealed that she would have liked to have faced record-setting five-time Women’s Knockout Champion and fellow Canadian Angelina Love in a match.

“From the TNA girls, Angelina Love,” she replied in response to which female wrestlers she would you have liked to work with, past or present, excluding those affiliated with WWE. “I think she’s awesome in the ring and I think the fans would like to see Angelina Love vs. Trish Stratus. (I may be partial because I’m Canadian.) Maybe it could be Angelina vs. Nattie vs. Trish? Maybe have Sherri Martel manage me? I would’ve loved to have her manage a heel Trish. We could’ve done some awesome stuff together. If I could’ve been in the mix in the ’80s, being with Wendi Richter in a tag team and managed by Cyndi Lauper would’ve been cool. It would’ve been like Rock and Hogan!”

During Trish’s heyday, the Divas division featured women who trained to be professional wrestlers as opposed to models WWE hired to train to become wrestlers. Stratus is asked if it is “hard to see what the Women’s Division has become” since her departure.

“I still have hopes for the Women’s Division,” she responds. “A lot of people are down on it, and to be honest there is a comparison. Go back to the era where each woman could work in the ring and be unique — we were all keen to it. Remember that I was gone, then Amy [Lita] was gone then Mickie was gone, so you were really starting from scratch. I do think there hasn’t been a proper rebuilding time; if you look at the current division, you have Kaitlyn, AJ’s fantastic — she’s a firecracker, you’ve got Tamina, Nattie… you’ve got Layla who gets it. If you look at the division, it has the talent. I think we’re at a good point where you can build the next golden era.”

Stratus then reveals that if WWE offered her the opportunity to work behind the scenes as a creative member or trainer for its Divas, she would relish it.

“You saw that on Tough Enough, we were finding the next WWE superstar and Diva, and they had to bring in a woman. There’s just some stuff that we know and it was a little hit and miss out there, and it’s different than what works and doesn’t work for the men,” said Stratus. “I’d love the opportunity to work with some of the up-and-coming Divas. We had Fit Finlay — he just got it. I’m really keen to work on creative and that would be an amazing opportunity.”

Stratus also answers questions on WWE retiring the Women’s Championship in favor of the Divas Championship, her brutal Hardcore Match with Victoria at the 2002 Survivor Series, which wrestling moves she would have liked to have performed, her entrance theme, working with The Rock, and more. The full interview is available here.

Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner will appear on this Monday’s episode of Raw, USA Network announced via press release.

The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player will be promoting The Moment, the new USA reality series that gives individuals the opportunity for a second chance at their dream career. A “sneak peek” of the show will air following Raw.

The synopsis for Raw reads, “The Superstars and Divas from the World Wrestling Entertainment® Universe take the stage live in front of thousands in attendance at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ and millions watching at home. MONDAY NIGHT RAW continues to be the most watched regularly scheduled year-round program on basic cable television. RAW Superstars include John Cena, CM Punk, AJ Lee, Daniel Bryan, Kane, The Miz, Eve and Zack Ryder. Special guest appearance by legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, host of USA’s new reality series THE MOMENT.”

USA also confirmed that Tuesday’s television broadcast of the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be centered on Bruno Sammartino and Donald Trump. During Raw, a commercial promoting the broadcast indicated that the inductions of Sammartino, Donald Trump and Trish Stratus would be televised.

The synopsis for the Hall of Fame broadcast reads, “WWE Superstars and fans pay tribute to the legends of the past at the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in front of a sold out crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The ceremony will include the induction of “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino and Donald J. Trump. Sammartino is a two-time WWE Champion and the longest reigning WWE Champion in history, holding the title for a combined 11 years. Trump has been a part of WWE’s most popular events and storylines dating back to WrestleMania® IV in 1988 and WrestleMania V in 1989 when he hosted the pop-culture extravaganzas in Atlantic City. In his most famous WWE storyline, Mr. Trump challenged Mr. McMahon to a “hair vs. hair” match at WrestleMania XXIII, resulting in Mr. McMahon’s head being shaved at the hands of “The Donald.”

– Speaking to XFINITY by Comcast, Dolph Ziggler revealed that he is none too pleased with WWE opting to utilize part-time talent in the premiere matches at WrestleMania instead of regulars—four of the six wrestlers advertised in the top three billed bouts are part-timers. When asked whether he is annoyed or inspired by this fact, he replied “it’s both.”

“It really pisses me off,” Ziggler noted. “But, it also is good business. Every year a part timer comes back, but there’s a reason that they’re back. Whether it’s the fans want to see them, if they’re a draw, if they’re a movie star, there’s a reason that they’re back. They’re not back just to do it. There’s business to be had. And it pisses me off and it motivates me a hundred percent. It makes me want to be that guy that they’re begging to come back. I appreciate it, it’s just good business. When people come to Wrestlemania to see the Rock and the Undertaker and they leave that Wrestlemania thinking, “Wow, that Dolph Ziggler stole the show. I can’t wait to tune in to ‘Raw’ to see what he does next.” That’s how I’ve lived my entire career.”

• Related: CM Punk Also Not Happy About Part-Timers Main Eventing WrestleMania

“The Show-off” also offered his two cents on his affiliation with Big E Langston and AJ Lee, saying it’s “crazy” that he’s now a locker room veteran assisting young talent.

“As the roster is changing and we have less guys from the late 90s, unless they’re on a light schedule, I’m good enough to be giving back to young up and comers,” said Ziggler. “And it’s really cool to have someone like an AJ and a Big E. I really appreciate that they want the best, they want to know what’s going on, they want to know why I did things in a match. It helps that they were childhood fans. AJ’s dream as a child was to be a WWE Superstar. I was five-years-old and I wanted to be a Superstar. We have that bond. It makes it that much more rewarding. And we’re just getting started. Once Wrestlemania comes and goes we’ll have more time to settle in and I think you’ll see a nice trio of great talent that could be the future of the business.”

Ziggler also discusses hosting WWE Download, the wear and tear of the Money in the Bank briefcase, who he idolized growing up, and more. The full interview is available here.

– As reported today, Reid Fliehr, better known to wrestling fans as “Reid Flair,” son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, was found dead in a hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday morning. WWE issued a statement via its official website acknowledging the 25-year-old’s passing.

“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Reid Flair, son of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair,” WWE states. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Flair family and friends.”

– Renee Young, who hosts various minor shows for WWE, made her SmackDown debut on tonight’s show in a backstage segment interviewing Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show. Reacting to her debut, she wrote on Twitter: “Wow!! Seriously, thanks for all the tweets about making my debut on #Smackdown. Very cool! Let’s all hug in a totally friend-zone kinda way.”

– Former WWE Divas Champion Maryse Ouellet will in New Jersey during WrestleMania weekend as she has been announced to appear at WrestleCon at the Meadowlands Expo Center 355 Plaza Dr. Secaucus, New Jersey. The event takes place the day of WrestleMania from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

– On this week’s “Backstage Fallout” for SmackDown, John Laurinaitis reacts to his appearance on the show. Plus, Kaitlyn explains why she was happy to be Daniel Bryan’s tag team partner despite their differences.

– In 1992, Marvel Comics released the first issue of WCW: World Championship Wrestling a comic book featuring the biggest WCW biggest stars of the time including Sting, Lex Luger, The Steiners, Paul E. Dangerously’s Dangerous Alliance and PN News. The official WWE website has published an article examining ten of the best moments from the first four issues.

– Former WWE Superstar Vader has been announced to appear at the “Wrestling Spectacular 1” taking place May 18 at the Middletown Market 128 Dolson Ave. Middletown, New York. (Event Details)

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has published his latest blog, which includes thoughts on WrestleMania and whether TNA Wrestling stars Sting and Kurt Angle will ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Highlights from the post are as follows:

What WrestleMania match is he looking forward to most? “Several have my interest and ALL are important for those involved on a variety of levels. I certainly look forward to the Shield’s 6 man tag in their debut at the ‘Big Event.’ Very curious to see how @TripleH and Brock Lesnar engage. I love these physical, hellbent for leather type of matches. The Streak is a WM highlight and no element in WrestleMania history has been more significant than the Undertaker going 20-0 at the Super Bowl of WWE. As one who had a hand in signing both @JohnCena and @TheRock I am proud that they are going to close the show, again, but also am nervously anxious to see how they follow all that precedes them. Big time players step up and play when the game’s on the line and closing a WrestleMania event is akin to the game being on the line.”

Where he’ll be during WrestleMania week: “Yes I am going to WrestleMania and will be appearing at the WWEShop Super Store Friday afternoon from 1-3 signing and taking photos, as I understand it. The Super Store which is located just inside the MetLife gate at the Stadium is going to be a big hit and they will be stocking all JR’s products Thursday-Saturday and everything but the Beef Jerky on Sunday but I’m hoping that we well out of Jerky by Sunday.

“I have one AXXESS appearance. It is Saturday morning 8-10 at the Legends booth. Autographs and photos as usual there and I hope we have a big crowd. Bring your JR’s products Saturday morning and I will be happy to sign them.”

Has WWE considered releasing a Jim Ross DVD? “WWE has never discussed doing a JR DVD featuring my favorite matches and updated interviews with many of the stars involved but that’s not to say that it won’t or can’t happen some day. Might be a nice idea for WWE.com visitors and fans to vote an select their choices.”

Whether Sting or Kurt Angle will ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame: “Do I think that Sting or Kurt Angle will ever be inducted into the WWE HOF? Absolutely, is my best educated guess. When? I have no idea but I hope I’m around to see both inductions.”

To read the full post, which includes more thoughts on WrestleMania, click here.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department has confirmed that Reid Flair, the 25-year-old son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, was found dead Friday in a Charlotte hotel.

According to a press release issued by police, officers received a call for service in reference to an unresponsive individual at a room at the Residence Inn in SouthPark. Police identified the person as Richard Fliehr (his real name), and he was pronounced dead.

Police say there didn’t appear to be foul play involved in his death.

Ric Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, issued a statement on Facebook: “We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric’s son, Reid Fliehr, has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, NC.

Ric Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, issued the following statement on Facebook concerning Reid’s passing: “We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric’s son, Reid Fliehr, has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, N.C.

“The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing. Reid was 25 and an incredible son, brother, friend, and professional wrestler.

“No words can describe the grief that Ric and his family are experiencing and they do request privacy during this devastating time.”

CharlotteObserver.com has a report on Flair’s death.

– The official WWE website has posted an article listing ten wrestlers who were “ahead of their time.” This list includes Dynamite Kid, Gorgeous George, Brian Pillman, Nick Bockwinkel, Bad News Brown, Goldust, Sabu, “Superstar” Billy Graham, Raven and Antonino Rocca.

WWE compares Pillman to CM Punk, stating, “Before CM Punk broke the fourth wall with his unforgettable “pipe bomb” tirade in June 2011, Pillman regularly cast his wild eyes right at the camera’s lens and unleashed bold messages that captured the unbridled emotion of The Attitude Era. Despite Pillman’s relatively short career, his body of work — including rivalries that took deeply personal turns — continues to influence a new generation of performers.”

– Highlights from this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are now online, which features Natalya going one-on-one with Aksana.

Also featured is Kofi Kingston squaring off against Primo.

Seven-time WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus joined “The Rack” Thursday night she discussed her pending Hall of Fame induction, what will she be wearing to the ceremony, the poll from her website about her top 10 favorite outfits, who are some of the people she wished she could have faced, her feelings on the state of the current Divas division, her iconic match at WrestleMania 22 vs Mickie James, how does someone come down from the highs of WrestleMania, possibly getting a Mattel Trish Stratus Barbie, an update on her yoga studio, who would she like to see as the next female inductee to the Hall of Fame and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Her reaction to entering the WWE Hall of Fame: “I’m super excited; oh my gosh. The call was like ‘Oh my God, seriously?!’ That was my first reaction. But I mean I’m actually honored; I know I keep saying this but I felt like ‘it feels like a little bit too soon’ but then I realized I have been retired for seven years. I don’t know, I think I have such an active role in the company at this moment that I don’t feel like I’ve been away from it for that long, you know? But I’m just, I’m thrilled, I’m very honored and when I heard the class this year, it’s just like wow; I’m just blown away. And as the fan, I feel like it’s amazing. I’m really looking forward to that weekend.”

Who is someone she wished she could have faced in the WWE today: “I feel like I’ve been saying it a lot but I mean the two women that really did some awesome stuff after I left was, well, one thing I say is I was so satisfied when I retired because I felt like I worked with just about everyone I wanted to work with, right? And then, all of a sudden, there was this wonderful burst of Nattie and Beth and it was the ‘Divas of Destruction’ and it was just this awesome stuff that they were doing and I’m like ‘I want a piece of that’. That is something I would like to go back to because it was good wrestling again. And Beth, thankfully, I had a chance to go back and wrestle with her, and you know Nattie is just, and we both say it, I would just love the opportunity to work with her, I think. And when I say work with her, I mean partner or even I would, it would be my pleasure to kick her butt. So, you know, we both being a Canadian mix of things and I just see some double Sharpshooter action; I just see some good stuff that would be really good. But you knows? It’s kind of like who is on my wish-list. “

Her thoughts on the current state of the Diva’s Division: “I think what is missing is I think everyone has the right tools. I think we’re seeing; listen, when you look at, and it’s funny, I fell in Kaitlyn because I loved her quirky attitude and she reminds me of me and I like that a lot, and there’s that afraid to not be silly and I just think that the fans don’t know that side of her, or know as much as we do on the inside, right? So, what I think is missing overall, and it’s something I’ve said for years, is the development of the characters.

So, everybody’s got the right tools, everybody has the skills to wrestle and definitely I think we have distinct personalities out there, even someone like Rosa Mendes. To me, the lost art is the valet to full-time wrestler transition and I think the more we see of Rosa in her valet role, it allows us to really get to know her and develop her character, right? And for her, and I hope she realizes, it’s one of the best places to be to really understand and to get wrestling. Like, I know when I was ringside watching the guys wrestle and watching every movement and what evokes and emotion and you kind of watch what works and what didn’t work, it made me when I got in the ring, it made able to draw on that, those experiences, and really bring that into the ring and be a better performer. So, I think everyone’s got the capabilities, certainly everyone’s been wrestling more and I think there’s some great wrestling technique going on now and characters for sure. I think now, we just have to sort of look at the division as a whole and it would be awesome to just think ‘Ok, how do we position each person a little differently and make these storylines?’ because everyone’s kind of wrestling with each other but there’s no storylines. And it’s like, what’s the direction, what’s the storyline, why are they wrestling, why do they hate each other? And I want it to be more than ‘You’re a girl’ and ‘I want the title’ it has to be more than just the title because obviously, that’s what we’re all going for, that’s the purpose of being in wrestling and why you compete in your division but there’s got to be an underlying storyline and that’s usually what stems from your characters. “

On the quality of matches given by Divas today: “That’s the thing, these girl’s matches are great; they’re actually having really good matches, to be honest. Tamina is fantastic in there, I mean and it’s like everyone happens to be under the radar because they’re like ‘Yeah, that was a good match’ but it’s true. It’s like, you need that storyline, there’s no way around it. You see they deliver the good, they just need something to fuel them in there, so when they’re there it’s like I care what that kick means, or why that cheat means so why I hate her for that cheat. So, that’s one thing missing, that’s for sure.”

Who would she like to see next inducted into the Hall of Fame, female wise: “I mean, I think Lita would be a great pick. She and I obviously sort of have this parallel our entire career. She’s a great friend of mine, I respect her and our career was a real special thing that we had; the relationship and our character’s relationship as well; I think she would be deserving. But, at the same time, you know it’s a long list. There’s some great women; I know one thing I kept hearing was Luna Vachon; why is Trish Stratus going in before Luna Vachon and I concur. You know, I think Luna, to me it would be great to see her go in but there’s so many women who’ve contributed to the overall of what women and how women are perceived in wrestling, but these women will all get in at some point. It’s not a matter of will they, it’s a matter of when.”

To listen to the audio interview, click here.

Reid Flair, the 25-year-old son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, has been found dead on Friday, according to multiple sources.  Details concerning his passing have not been disclosed.

With his background, Flair was hailed as future wrestling star dating back to high school as he was an accomplished amateur wrestler who achieved numerous awards. His career, however, was sidetracked in 2009 due to a slew of personal issues, including an arrest that found him in possession of black tar heroin.

Following a hiatus from the squared circle, Reid made his in-ring debut for All Japan Wrestling in January, replacing his sick father in a tag team match due to the WWE Hall of Famer suffering a blood clot in his leg. Last month, Reid competed in All Japan’s Excite Series tour, wrestling undercard tag team matches. On March 15, Flair wrestled his first singles match in All Japan, causing Yasufumi Nakanoue to submit with the Figure Four Leglock.

In recent months, there was talk of Reid joining WWE developmental along with his sister, Ashley (NXT Diva Charlotte). WWE did take a look at him, but he was never signed to a contract.

He was scheduled to make independent appearances in Maryland this weekend with his father.

Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Reid Flair.

– Monday’s Raw saw the return of The Bella Twins to WWE, who appeared in a backstage segment with Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and Kaitlyn. The twin duo had been in contract negotiations with officials from the sports-entertainment organization for approximately two months, with offers triggered by the feeling of lacking depth among the Divas ranks and talent in developmental not being ready to be promoted. Contract offers have also been made to Maryse Ouellet and the former Kelly Kelly, Barbie Blank. Both starlets rejected the company’s overtures, but are believed to still be in negotiations.

• Discussion – What former Divas should WWE bring back? Comment below.

– Promoting Friday’s theater release of WWE Studios’ The Call starring Halle Berry, David Otunga spoke to Arda Ocal of The Baltimore Sun. The WWE Superstar, who plays young gun police officer Jake Devans in the flick, discussed Berry’s sense of humor, loving acting, whether he wants to continue acting, initial impressions from the locker room concerning his Harvard Law degree, head honcho Vince McMahon “hating lawyers,” and more. Regarding his experience filming the movie, Otunga states:

“We shot for a little under two months. The days were great, you get there and they just call you in when you have to do a scene so you get a lot of down time. But you’re in a trailer for a long time, your scenes are laid out for you so you know your lines already, which is a new thing going in for me. In WWE we’re sometimes handed something at the last minute, like ‘here you go to pages’ or ‘oh we’re changing our minds,’ so with this we had the scenes for months. I was comfortable so when it was time to do our scenes they would come and take you to set, we’d knock it out and when you were done you got to go home. It’s easy.”

The full interview is available here.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– Antonio Cesaro passed the 200-day mark as WWE United States Champion on Thursday, thereby making him the fifth longest holder of the WWE version of the strap. He trails MVP—who the belt for a record 343 days in 2007 and 2008-Chris Benoit, The Miz and Shelton Benjamin.

– Amy Dumas, known in WWE as Lita, appears in a newly released music video from JD & The FDCs. The song, “From The Shadows,” features the former WWE Diva in a spoken word portion that she specifically wrote for the song.

– Jerry “The King” Lawler has been announced to appear at this spring’s Chiller Theatre convention, which takes place April 26-28 at the Sheraton Parsippany in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Former multi-time X-Division Champion, multi-time Tag Team Champion and one half of “Bad Influence” ‘The Physical Fascination’ Frankie Kazarian joined “2012 Award Winning Best New Show” the Rack Thursday Night. In a nearly 20 minute interview, he discussed his upcoming three-way tag team championship match this weekend at the Lockdown PPV, what his favorite Lockdown memory is, if being part of Bad Influence is the most fun he’s had in wrestling, TNA going on the road and where he might want to go in the future, if he has a fond memory of the Impact Zone, his thoughts on the One Night Only events, his love for comics and comic fans including Spiderman and Iron Man, his feelings on the ‘imposter’ team of Roode and Aries, if he has his sights set on singles gold in the future and more.

If they are looking forward to this weekend’s Lockdown PPV: “Of course, because we get the chance to become the World Tag Team Champions of the World for the third time, which we’re going to do and we’re going to do it on one of the biggest stages that Impact showcases every year and that’s Lockdown, this time in San Antonio. So, of course we’re psyched because we’re going to be there and, spoiler alert, it’s going to be great. “

His favorite Lockdown memory: “Lockdown, to be honest, is not one of my favorite PPVs simply because it is a very brutal Pay-Per-View in the past. Anytime you are in a steel cage environment, it presents a lot of dangers and I’ve done a lot of different types of matches: I’ve done X-Division Escape style matches and I’ve done numerous Lethal Lockdown matches. I don’t know if I have a favorite, but the year that Fortune defeated Immortal, which I believe is 2011 at Lockdown, was a very successful year for Fortune as a group and individually and it was a great way to close out the show that night and bring an end to that feud, so I guess I’d have to go with that one. Coincidentally, it was right when Christopher Daniels returned to the company so it was great to have him back.”

If being in ‘Bad Influence’ is the most fun he’s ever had: “Oh, absolutely; it’s F-U-N and what you see is what you get, you know? The good thing is it’s just us being us, it’s not us just trying to pretend or play somebody else; it’s just us being us. Everything we say, everything we do comes from our heads and we’ve been given a lot more creative freedom than in the past, which is awesome and we’re both very grateful for. Yeah, we’re absolutely having fun and it’s great to be doing this with Chris because I’ve known him the better part of 15 years and we’ve been very, very good friends; he’s been my best friend outside of the business so we obviously have a chemistry inside of the ring as well. Individually, we’ve both had a lot of success in TNA and now collectively, so it’s awesome and it’s a lot of fun. We always try to outdo whatever we’ve done in the past; we always try to one-up each other and I’ll be honest, he’s hard to keep up with. He’s so quick witted on the mic and in the ring, he can do such incredible things that I’m always trying to stay on an even keel with him, and even go a little above. But it’s awesome; I’m definitely having one of the funnest times in my career right now.”

What he thinks about TNA going on the road for Impact starting next week: “Psyched. You know, being a guy that’s been here since day one, that was one of the goals, one of the huge, way far down the road goals that we had set out when we just a little tiny company, struggling every week in the Fairgrounds in Nashville at the Asylum. That was one of the ‘Wow, wouldn’t that be great if we had a television show?’ and then ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a weekly television show in primetime?’ and then it was ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we were on the road?’. That’s where we are right now, this dream has become a reality; not just for the company but us as individuals and us as performers. So I’m psyched! Nervous? Not at all, just psyched; just really, really excited to bring our brand of pro wrestling to the people and just to give them an alternative, you know?

These people in Orlando have been: “I don’t know if they realize how lucky they’ve been to see the matches and the entertainment they’ve seen over the last nine years because we’ve given them some incredible stuff here in Orlando and it’s only fair that the rest of the country, and the rest of the world for that matter, get to see what the guys and gals of Impact can do. So, I’m psyched; it’s just super cool to be on the road and to be in different cities and to hear the hateful shouts from people in different cities, as opposed to just Orlando. These Orlando folk are getting a little bit stale, I want some new hate. I want to hear some new haters.”

If he has a fond memory of the Impact Zone: “All joking aside, I could joke and say ‘I can’t wait to get out of here’ and part of that is true, but this place has been our home for many years and I have a lot of memories; good, bad and indifferent here. I’ve suffered a couple of bad injuries here, which is some of the bad memories, you know what though, just being here for the first time, walking into the building and wrestling one of the first ever matches in this building; winning numerous X-Division titles and wrestling main events and television main events and just going live for the first time; there’s just so many memories, it would be hard to condense it into just one. So, it’s a little bit bittersweet; I feel like the fans here to a certain extent have been spoiled but at the same time I know the do appreciate what we do but hopefully they see this as part of TNA’s growing process and this is what we have to do; the little bird has to leave the nest. So, the Impact Zone has been great, it’s been our home for nine years and it was a really cool wrestling venue. I think when it’s all said and done, the Impact Zone will be one of those like ECW Arena-like venues, the intimate venues that was known as a really cool place to see pro wrestling.”

You can follow Frankie Kazarian through his Twitter (@FrankieKazarian) for all the latest on his news and notes. You can also see Kazarian and his ‘Bad Influence’ partner Christopher Daniels weekly as part of TNA’s IMPACT Wrestling, Thursday Nights at 8 pm Eastern on Spike TV, check your local cable listings for channel availability and location. And, as always, you can follow Kazarian and all the stars of TNA IMPACT Wrestling though their Twitter (@ImpactWrestling) and their website (www.impactwrestling.com) for all the information on their weekly television programming and up to the minute news and matches listings for the upcoming “Lockdown” PPV this Sunday, March 10th, call your local cable provider for information and ordering details.

Audio of the interview is available here.

Former WWE agent and trainer, Dr. Tom Prichard, has a brand new website up at DrTomPrichard.com. In the coming months, Dr. Tom will be adding many new features to the site, but as always, he’ll continue posting his regular blogs that have become quite a popular attraction in the past year.

Dr. Tom just posted his latest blog about the untimely passing of his friend, Bill Moody (aka Paul Bearer). Here is a small snippet of the column:

“And now he’s gone. I have to admit I heard about Percy’s death Wednesday morning when my wife woke me up telling me it was all over Facebook. I couldn’t believe it. There’s no way! He’s too important to too many people. This can’t be happening! All the good guys are leaving.

I was warned. This may be the last time to get to see some of these guys? But certainly I’ll see Percy again! He’s getting the Lou Thesz award at the Cauliflower Alley club next month!

I texted a friend to find out if he knew what happened. Seems a blood clot was the cause. I was still in a state of shock. He just had the flu. We can’t lose another one. There’s not many left who loved the business the same way. Percy was a fan growing up watching and dreaming. His dreams became a reality and surpassed anything anyone could imagine. He was a great guy with a great heart.

His wife Dianna had passed away years ago and by his posts and messages it was obvious he loved and missed her dearly. I don’t know where or what brings some people to have such strong faith but it was evident with Percy. There are more than enough people who profess one thing and do another but William Moody practiced what he preached. He didn’t beat you over the head with his beliefs but he did walk the walk.

It’s funny and enlightening at times when I encounter people I worked with or had an acquaintance with over the years. We seem to have that unspoken bond of going through the same experiences in different ways. We traveled the same roads but had different spots on the card. Some guys liked to segregate then as well as now, while others understood we all traveled the same distance to get where we are and there was no reason to be a dick about it! Percy and the Undertaker were always class acts.”

To read the full blog: visit DrTomPrichard.com. Also, Dr. Tom is available for appearances and interviews by emailing DrTom@DrTomPrichard.com.

It would appear that the wrestler known as El Generico will be going forward without his popular character in WWE as he competed sans mask at tonight’s NXT event. In his debut match last month for the organization, he sported the mask and attire. The renowned grappler competed under his real name, Rami Sebai.

Here’s a picture of Rami Sebai competing at Thursday night’s NXT show:

– TNA Wrestling revealed this week to VIP ticket holders that a Knockouts-exclusive pay-per-view event will be taped on Sunday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m. at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. In addition to current stars, organization officials will apparently be utilizing former female talent as Angelina Love revealed on Twitter Thursday that she was contacted to appear at the “One Night Only” series event. She, however, has declined to appear.

The five-time TNA Women’s Knockout Champion was asked if she will be on hand for the show and responded, “They asked me but I politely declined.”

In addition to the event, TNA will tape TNA 10 Reunion that day, which is billed as a “celebration of the stars from the first 10 years of TNA.”

– ODB, who has not appeared on Impact Wrestling in recent weeks, revealed on Twitter that she will be on hand for tonight’s show.

She wrote, “buisness men r such dicks,I get it u wear a suit n tie,anyways headin to Orlando 4sum @IMPACTWRESTLING 2 stand by my man @ShowtimeEY #BAM.”

The following is courtesy of WrestlingEpicenter.com: Check out our latest show with an exclusive interview with TNA Gut Check’s Lei’D Tapa! This young lady, the niece of legendary WWF/WCW performer The Barbarian of the Powers of Pain and Faces of Fear, opens up about her athletic background, her love of our business, and her aspirations for the future. If ou enjoyed her on Impact, you’ll love this interview.

Plus, Chris Yandek returns to pay tribute to his fallen friend, WWE Legend Paul Bearer.

All of this is available for free at WrestlingEpicenter.com. You can download the MP3 or watch the youtube video 100% free of charge. We do ask, though, that you check out our store and help us going so we can continue to do this for you all free of charge!

LEI’D TAPA:

– Lei’D Tapa joins Patrick and James after Chris Yandek is off the line. Yandek had joined us to dedicate the show to the memory of Paul Bearer.

– Lei’D Tapa says getting the chance to be on Impact Wrestling’s TNA Gut Check was like a dream come true. She says when she started only 2 years ago, everyone said it would take several years to get a chance at being on TV. She knows her chance came sooner than expected and does not take it for granted.

– Getting a chance to be on Impact Wrestling made her desire that much stronger to make it all the way to the top. “All I have on my mind right now is going all the way to the top!”

– She feels her unique look does both help and hinder her. She feels that people looking at what she can do in the ring and liking her as a “beast” is a plus but of course the modern age of wrestling calls for a different type of female performer than in years gone by.

– James compares her to Awesome Kong AKA Kharma. Tapa says that is an honor but it isn’t her goal to borrow from her. But, they certainly do share the power game. But, she feesls Kong’s style is much more dominating.

– Tapa’s athletic background is extensive. She played all major sports when growing up but says she specialized in track and football. In fact, she played for the Independent Women’s Football League as a member of the Carolina Queens. She played Middle Linebacker and Tight End. She streeses this is real tackle football, not the Lingerie Bowl.

– For the first time ever, a woman tried out for the NFL at the NFL Combine last week. The NFL described her efforts as a publicity stunt. Tapa says she believes a woman could play in the NFL but that woman would have to be built for it. She thinks it is a great thing for the sport to have a woman try to break into the ranks and would have liked to have seen what she could have done had she not gotten injured when attempting her first place kick.

– Back to wrestling, Barbarian had a good long talk with her, his niece, prior to her entering wrestling. When he knew she was serious, he sent her down to train with Geore South. He told her “Don’t give up!”

– She feels wrestling is a much harder thing for the wrestlers to learn than anyone who hasn’t trained realizes. She says there is so much more to it than just learning how to perform simple moves. She stresses that learning the ropes as she has done has given her an incredible amount of respect for every wrestler who trained this way because it is not easy.

– Backstage at TNA, it was extremely cool for her. As the niece of the Barbarian, she was backstage at the WWF/E and WCW at some of his matches and as a little kid, looked up at guys like Sting like they were giants. Now, she had a chance to work on the same show they were on and says she’s nearly as tall as they are. She says nobody remembered her but she always just kept to herself as a kid and saw them at the food area. James remarks that it is incredible that guys that Barbarian worked with, like Hulk Hogan, Chavo Guerrero, Sting, and so on and so forth, are there for her to work along side with.

– She teared up during the video package because the night prior to her match on TNA, she worked out with the Barbarian. He had a heart to heart with her and says that conversation just touched her and when doing the interview for TNA, she remembered the things he said and it made her well up.

– Team Tapa, her fans, have been incredibly supportive in her time learning the ropes and in helping her with the TNA Gut Check. She is so grateful for everyone helping her – Her husband, wrestler and fan alike, and welcomes everyone to find her on Twitter and Facebook. Just give a search for Lei’D Tapa. She is not hard to find!

Buff Bagwell appeared on 4th & Pain where he cleared up rumors that Eric Bischoff spoke with him about returning to TNA Wrestling. The multi-time WCW Tag Team Champion says the conversation never took place, but he did speak with Sting about returning to the promotion.

Bagwell also weighs in on whether TNA’s decision to take Impact on the road will help grow the brand or prove to be the undoing of the company.

Most sensationally, Bagwell also reveals he essentially forfeited a $120,000 payday to join WWE immediately after Vince McMahon purchased World Championship Wrestling.

Bagwell also talks in depth about the seizure and car accident that nearly took his life.

– It was reported in January that WWE’s creative team had plans for Randy Orton to turn heel following numerous requests on the part of The Viper. F4WOnline.com reports Wednesday that plans for Orton to become a villain again are still in place and it is expected to take place soon after WrestleMania.

– WWE officials announced Wednesday that Damien Sandow will replace Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez at the Friday, March 15 NXT live event in Immokalee, Florida.

**Sandow to Replace Del Rio at NXT Live Event**

Immokalee, Fl – March 6, 2013
WWE NXT officials have announced that due to scheduling difficulties, Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez will be unable to attend the NXT Live Event in Immokalee, FL. However, officials are proud to announce that WWE Superstar Damian Sandow will now be making a special guest appearance to meet and greet with fans in attendance prior to the show. The session highlights what will be a historical night as NXT travels to Immokalee for the first time.

Nicknamed “The Intellectual Savior of the Masses,” Sandow burst onto the scene in the WWE last year and hasn’t looked back since. Vowing to raise the moral value in the organization, Sandow has stood face-to-face with WWE greats like John Cena, The Rock and D-Generation X. Damien Sandow has quickly become one of the most recognizable faces on WWE’s Flagship programs, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown

The appearance of Damien Sandow is in conjunction with the WWE NXT Live Tour, which takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Immokalee, FL. Bell time is 7:30pm while doors open at 6:30pm. Eight action packed matches are slated for the card that will feature over twenty NXT Superstars and Divas. NXT is the official developmental system for the future stars of WWE.

Tickets range from $10 to $35 and will be available at Buddy’s Home Furnishings (1097 W Main St) in Immokalee, FL Tickets and additional information on the shows are available at NXTWrestling.com. NXT Live is sponsored by Buddy’s Home Furnishings and Brand Source Printing.

QUICK GLANCE

WHAT: NXT Live with WWE Superstar Damien Sandow

WHEN: Friday March 15, 2013
Seminole Casino – Immokalee
506 South First Street
Immokalee, FL 34143

TIME: Autographs 6pm VIP, 6:30pm All others Bell Time is 7:30pm

INFORMATION
For more information please login www.fcwwrestling.com

– After news broke Tuesday evening that Bill Moody, famously known as Paul Bearer, had passed away, there was a push among some WWE circles to posthumously induct the legendary manager into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

Bearer addressed the topic to Chris Yandek of www.cyinterview.com in an interview in January, stating, “I know that I will [be in the WWE Hall of Fame]. So that’s all I need to know. Whether it’s next year or whether it’s five years from now, I know the time’s coming. … I’ve been very, very blessed in professional wrestling because I’m just a Alabama kid, from the Alabama Gulf Coast that grew up watching local territory days wrestling. … I have been all around the world. I performed in all 50 states, 28 countries and I got a paycheck every week.”

– The USA Network announced via press release Wednesday that Big Show will guest star on the next episode of Psych, which premieres Wednesday at 10:00 p.m.

– With conservative commentator Glenn Beck refusing to associate with WWE after publicly speaking out again Tea Party-inspired villains Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter, the sports-entertainment organization has nixed plans to draw attention to him.

(source: F4WOnline.com)

– It was announced on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event on ION television that Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman will be on hand for Monday’s Raw in Indianapolis, Indiana, to respond to Triple H’s challenge for a match at WrestleMania 29.

“Apparently, Lesnar and Heyman are looking forward to addressing The Game’s challenge live on Raw,” the official WWE website teases. “What will unfold during Lesnar’s first appearance on Raw since being attacked and injured by The Game on the Feb. 25 edition?”

– Promoting WWE Studios’ much-anticipated DVD and Blu-ray release of The Marine 3: Homefront, The Miz spoke to movie news outlet I AM ROGUE in the following video interview.

– Former WWE wrestler Marc Mero is currently on a speaking tour in Georgia advocating youths on the dangers of drugs, suicide, bullying and peer pressure. He will be speaking Thursday at the J.J. Daniell Middle School in Marietta at 9:30 a.m., noon and 1:45 p.m., Friday at the Simpson Middle School in Marietta at 1:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m., and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. at Piedmont Church in Marietta for a free community outreach event.