– As reported earlier, Vince McMahon made a surprise live appearance during Monday night’s RAWactive experience. During his brief appearance, the Chairman of the Board took the opportunity to denounce Josh Mathews’ announcing abilities after replacing Jim Ross on the broadcast.
In response to Matt Striker asking him his thoughts on the show, McMahon responded, “I think, generally speaking, everything is pretty good about Raw, except one particular announcer.” Striker then asks, “That Josh Mathews has to go, doesn’t he?” The WWE chief responds, “Yes, he does.”
– On Facebook, Madusa was asked to give her thoughts on Nora Greenwald, better known as Molly Holly in WWE. Greenwald has stated in interviews that she felt Madusa didn’t personally like her since she was rigorous training her at the WCW Power Plant. Madusa admits to being tough on her then, but that she always liked her.
“I personally have ALWAYS BEEN HER FAN.. have always stuck up for her,” wrote Madusa. “She may not think so or have reservations on some of my tactics training her in wcw or working with her however I truly thought she was the last of the greats…..”
Madusa also responded to the rumor of Beth Phoenix leaving WWE: “If so, it’s a loss to the WWE…”
– Mickie James announced Tuesday on Twitter that a music video promoting her forthcoming album will be shot soon. Magnus, her boyfriend, as well former WWE rival Trish Stratus, will be appearing in it.
“So excited!!! I can’t wait!!! Everybody get their knees out! @juddfilms @magnusofficial I hear that @trishstratuscom makes a mean cocktail!” she wrote.
– “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who infamously struck “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka on the head with a coconut, has written the foreward for the Fijian wrestler’s autobiography. Mick Foley also penned an introduction for the book, which is scheduled for release in a few months.
– Former WWE Superstar Rikishi appears for Dreamwave Wrestling event this Saturday at the LaSalle Knights of Columbus 209 Gooding St. LaSalle, Illinois.
Following Monday’s Raw broadcast in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a Champion vs. Champion match took place, replacing the advertised match between CM Punk and John Cena. Cena did not appear at the show since he is still recovering from arm surgery two weeks ago.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus faced WWE Champion CM Punk. The Celtic Warrior won by disqualification after being struck by Punk with the WWE Championship.
After the match, Vince McMahon appeared before the live audience to resume Jim Ross Appreciation Night. The WWE chief kindly spoke of Ross, dubbing him the best announcer ever, “including Gordon Solie,” and noted his dedication to the business, from recruiting talent to “joining a certain club” in Oklahoma City.
Triple H then appeared and made remarks similar to McMahon. He stated that “every boy in the back” wants J.R. to call his match. He then brought out Danny Hodge and Bill Watts, who spoke kindly of their friend. Pre-recorded messages from Jerry “The King” Lawler and University of Oklahoma football head coach Bob Stoops then aired on the TitanTron.
Triple H was then joined by the locker room, who gave Ross a standing ovation. Sheamus presented Ross with a glass sculpture declaring Ross as the “Voice of WWE.” The crowd chanted “Thank You J.R.” and he became teary-eyed.
Ross gave a speech about being a fat kid from Oklahoma who worked nineteen years to get to the top of his game and encouraged all kids staying out late on a school night to follow their dreams and passionately do what they love.
– As seen Monday on Raw, Wade Barrett complained to program General Manager AJ Lee about not competing on the show. He did wrestle earlier as he faced Tyson Kidd in a match taped for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars.
In a second match taped for the show, David Otunga took on Michael McGillicutty in a battle of former Nexus members.
– As reported earlier, one of the theme songs for WWE Hell in a Cell is “Sandpaper,” the lead single off of the Chris Jericho–fronted metal band Fozzy’s latest album, “Sin and Bones.” The song’s music video premiered tonight on WWE.com.
– WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia appears on The Nick and Artie Show tonight, which airs at 1:00 a.m. on DirecTV’s Audience Network.
– Mexican professional wrestler and WCW alumnus El Dandy turns 50-years-old on Tuesday.
– The official WWE website has published an article highlighting eight past and present WWE Superstars “who weren’t supposed to make it.”
“Then there is another breed of WWE Superstar, altogether. These are the Superstars for whom WWE glory was anything but a given. For a variety of reasons — ranging from health setbacks to unfair stigmas — these Superstars were, at one point or another, cast aside and written off “unlikely,” writer John Clapp states. “Determined to prove themselves, these underdogs and overachievers refused to quit, no matter what the naysayers said. They all have unique stories, and the trajectories of their careers are far from ordinary. These are the Superstars who shouldn’t have made it.”
Those listed include Daniel Bryan, Tommy Dreamer, The Miz, Mikey Whipwreck, William Regal, Zach Gowen, Steve Blackman and Mick Foley.
– As seen on Raw tonight, Dolph Ziggler debuted a T-Shirt that reads “Stealing The Show.” The shirt is available on WWEShop.com, and also comes in Youth and Women’s styles.
– SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia performed the national anthem prior to Sunday’s New York Jets game at MetLife Stadium. The Diva also gave a halftime show in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Day. WireImage.com has published photos of her appearance.
– The Sept. 28 episode of WWE SmackDown drew a 1.83 cable rating, down from 1.95 rating the week before. The program averaged 2.625 million viewers over the course of two hours, down from 2.861 million viewers the week prior.
The 1.83 figure the program’s lowest rating since July 13. This comes days after Raw drew its lowest rating of the year.
– WWEShop.com has released two Daniel Bryan and Kane Authentic T-Shirts. One shirt depicts Bryan as a goat and Kane as a bear, and the shirt comes in red and states “I AM THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.”
– The official WWE website has published photos of various Superstars and Divas donning pink ribbons to show their support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, kicking off breast cancer awareness month.
– Former WWE Superstar Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart appears at the Frank & Son Collectible Show 19649 San Jose Ave. City of Industry, California this Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
– There has been a lot of talk this week within WWE that tonight’s Raw broadcast may be the least watched non-holiday episode in fifteen years. Facing stiff competition in Monday Night Football on ESPN, last week’s show had the fewest viewers since July 4, 2011 and was the smallest audience for a non-holiday episode in over five years. The Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game did 16.167 million viewers, and tonight’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears is expected to eclipse that figure.
– One of the theme songs for WWE Hell in a Cell is “Sandpaper,” the lead single off of the Chris Jericho–fronted metal band Fozzy’s latest album, “Sin and Bones.” The music video for “Sandpaper” will premiere tonight on WWE.com.
– The official WWE website has announced that a live event will take place in Lodz, Poland at Atlas Arena on Saturday, April 27, 2013. John Cena, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and The Miz will headline the event.
– Adam “Edge” Copeland and Tommy Dreamer appear at Dave and Busters 325 N Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Click here to view the event flyer.
– Brittney Savage, who has competed for numerous Northeast-based independent wrestling promotions, was among those trying out for WWE at an evaluation session in Tampa, Florida over the weekend. She has appeared for WWE in the past as an enhancement wrestler as she lost to Beth Phoenix on the November 6, 2009 episode of SmackDown. She also competed in a tag team with AJ Lee when the now-popular Diva was an independent wrestler. The Raw General Manager wished Savage well in her tryout, tweeting, “Go kick some ass.”
– THQ has released a 30-second television commercial for WWE ’13, slated for release in North America on Oct. 30. WWE Champion CM Punk is featured in the spot as he proclaims that “The revolution is coming.”
– John “Bradshaw” Layfield, who was successful in scaling the tallest mountain in Africa last week, Mount Kilimanjaro, stated on Twitter that he will not be commentating tonight’s Raw broadcast.
After joking today that was awaiting his plane in Africa to head to tonight’s show, he clarified, “Not trying to ‘work’ anyone. I’m NOT at Raw tonight. In middle of Africa. Space shuttle is retired, like me, but it couldn’t get me there.”
– Zack Ryder tweeted a photo Monday of his new T-Shirt, a purple V-Neck featuring a drawing of Ryder-style sunglasses.
– SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia performed the national anthem prior to Sunday’s New York Jets game at MetLife Stadium. The Diva also gave a halftime show in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Day. The official WWE website has published photos of her appearance.
– WWE will hold a Raw and SmackDown SuperShow on Saturday, Dec. 15 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Talent advertised to appear include John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Big Show and Daniel Bryan.
– This week marks the 15th anniversary of Kane’s debut in WWE. To celebrate, the official WWE website takes a look back at one moment from each year of his career, including setting The Undertaker’s casket on fire and breaking up the wedding of Edge and Lita. (Article)
– The final SmackDown taping of 2012 takes place Sunday, Dec. 30 at The Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia.
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, Dolph Ziggler has been announced to appear at the New York Comic Con on Saturday at the Javits Center 655 W. 34th St. New York, New York. Other wrestling stars appearing at the four-day event beginning Thursday includes Booker T (Saturday), Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, the former Bella Twins, Rosita (Saturday and Sunday), “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (Saturday and Sunday), Vader (Thursday and Sunday), Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Kevin Nash (Friday and Sunday).
– Brock Lesnar is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
Rob Feinstein of RF Video, who coordinates wrestler appearances at trade shows, posted a lengthy blog on his Facebook page detailing his recent negotiations for the former Kelly Kelly, Barbie Blank, to appear at next month’s “Legends of the Ring” convention in Monroe, New Jersey. The former Diva’s agent verbally agreed to a deal six weeks ago, but it fell through Friday after Feinstein was informed that her asking price to appear at independent events had increased to $10,000.
Feinstein writes, “I make it a rule to NEVER bury anyone in the wrestling business publicly if a deal goes wrong. Well in this case I want to inform anybody who might be a fan of Barbie Banks (FKA Kelly Kelly) on how her manager conducts business. To say I am pissed is a understatement. This is no way reflect Barbie Banks FKA Kelly Kelly.
“About 6 weeks ago we struck a verbal deal to bring her into Legends of the Ring. We were told by her manger that she was going to be able to do outside projects while she was still under WWE contract. It really made no sense but she told me that she was in the progress of getting her a new deal that would allow this. She told me that we had a done deal and we agreed on terms. We just never signed a deal because she wanted to wait until she got a new contract which I was told would be a week.
“A week went by and than I was told that because of the holiday labor day I would have to wait another week. When that week passed I was told that Barbie had to do something personal and we would have to wait another week to see if she was medically cleared to make it to our show. To me that is when things got fishy. I informed her manager that two weeks ago you told me we had a deal and we were just waiting for the paper work to go thru. Now things seemed fishy. Well later that week I was informed that she was not going to be able to make it because WWE at the time was not giving her another contract. Honestly none of this made sense to me but I thought that maybe it was true because I have heard she was trying to get a new deal to do outside projects.
“So after 3 weeks or so of being put on hold finally her agent told me the deal was dead and we would have to wait until March to book her. We left everything on great terms even though I was pissed for being put thru the windmill for 3 weeks.
“I went out and booked Shane Helms instead which is great.
“On Friday I get a call from her agent again out of the blue asking me if its to late to book Kelly for Legends of the Ring and now she was able to do it. I told her I only had two weeks now to promote this and I wanted a better rate. I also had to talk to the promoter of Legends of the Ring and get his approval since I once already told him I had her and than had to tell him I lost her. I called up James who is always professional and told him that I could get her again and that I would feel more comfortable if he talked to her agent with me to confirm everything.
“We had a three way call and we came to terms on money, the times and everything. All we needed to do was sign off on the deal. She than asked me for the address of the venue and the times and everything you would put into a contract. I told her I would sign it as soon as I looked it over and we agreed on the phone I would be able to announce this today.
“A hour after we talked I was informed by the agent that someone called with in the hour that we struck our deal and offered Kelly more money that weekend for another event. She than basically tried to hold me up for more money asking well cant I match the deal and I told her no way we already verbally comitted to a deal.
“The professional thing to do here was to tell the other party you already stuck a deal for that date and you would work with them in the future. That is how you conduct proper business in wrestling. A deal is a deal and especially in this business you stick to your word.
“She than told me she had to talk to Barbie and she would call me back. Well with in 4 minutes I got a text no call…..just a text saying that she talked to Barbie and that Barbie decided to go with the other guy. It was obvious she never talked to her as many people in that circle told me that it was so wrong to do. I also want to point out that I had given her at least 10 other dates at the time. For the record her asking price is 10k a shot…you do the match….We had alot of money on the table over the next 7 months with her.
“I informed James of the situation and to say he was not happy was a understatement. James texted her and tried to get her to call him but she refused saying that we never had a deal which was a total lie.
“We had a deal, we agreed and everything was set. Like I said in wrestling when you verbally committ and tell someone your drawing up a contract its a deal. I told her agent that I have worked with everyone from the Rock which I had at my store before, to every big name in the business and that this was a first. Of course she did not reply and I just wanted to let everyone know that because of this the fans of her will not be getting to meet her at the upcoming legends convention.
“I will never work with her agent again unless she gives us the proper apology and does business the right way.
“I never like to work with agents in wrestling for this reason. They do not understand the wrestling business and usually end up costing their clients money, in this case ALOT of money.
“I was not going to pay her full price because we had a deal set because of all the dates but now that is all off the table. So if you book her beware of what your getting yourself into.
“Again this does not reflect on Barbie just the person taking her bookings.”
– The official WWE website is no longer advertising John Cena for Raw tomorrow at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He appeared with his arm in a sling on last week’s show after undergoing surgery on Sept. 18 to remove bone chips in his elbow. The prognosis for his recovery was announced as six to eight weeks.
– The Miz guest stars on Pair of Kings on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD. WWE has released a video clip of the Intercontinental Champion’s appearance. (Watch)
– SmackDown ring announcer and songstress Lilian Garcia, who performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and at halftime during today’s New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers game at Metlife Stadium, is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
Jerry “The King” Lawler, who suffered a heart attack while announcing at a WWE event in Montreal Sept. 10, made his first public appearance on Friday at an independent wrestling show that took place at the Mid-South Fair in South Haven, Mississippi.
Before his heart attack, Lawler, 62, was scheduled to wrestle in two matches. Instead, he met fans and served as a ringside commentator.
Speaking to Action News 5 is Memphis, Tennessee, Lawler said WWE head Vince McMahon assured him to take as much time off as he needs. Lawler, however, is targeting November for his full-time return to the squared circle and broadcast booth. He originally wanted to return to the ring and booth this month, but McMahon felt it was “too soon.”
Before making his full-time return, Lawler will appear at the October 16 SmackDown taping in Memphis, Tennessee.
– Santino Marella suffered a knee injury at Friday’s Raw live event in St. Joseph, Missouri, leading to a brief stoppage of his match against Tensai. He was examined by a medical trainer before resuming the bout and picking up the victory.
WWE developmental wrestler Dean Ambrose competed at the event, losing to Michael McGillicutty.
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who as reported earlier this month is in the process of divorcing his fourth wife, is now dating his former valet from World Championship Wrestling, Wendy Barlow, better known as “Fifi the Maid.”
– Pro Wrestling Syndicate has announced that “The Original Gangsta” New Jack will debut for the promotion next April in Rahway, New Jersey during WrestleMania weekend.
– Pro Wrestling Blitz on Saturday, October 27 at St Joe’s Park Joliet, Illinois will be headlined by Billy Gunn vs. Jay Bradley.
– This week’s episode of Foreign Exchange continues the competition between Johnny Curtis and Yoshi Tatsu to determine Santino Marella’s international correspondent. The two infrequently seen WWE Superstars duel in a donut-eating contest, an interview contest and a finger-slapping contest. Aksana and Alicia Fox also appear. (Watch)
– Gimmick matches from the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-’90s are highlighted on this week’s episode of WWE Vintage Collection on The Score: Earthquake vs. Yokozuna (Sumo Match, WWF Monday Night Raw – May 16, 1994), Henry O. Godwinn vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Hog Pen Match, WWF In Your House: Seasons Beatings – December 17, 1995), Howard Finkel vs. Harvey Wippleman (Tuxedo Match, WWF Monday Night Raw – January 9, 1995), “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith vs. Ahmed Johnson (Arm Wrestling Match, WWF Monday Night Raw – April 8, 1996), Goldust vs. The Undertaker (Casket Match, WWF In Your House: Beware of Dog – May 28, 1996).
– The Sandman is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
TNA Wrestling has released a preview for next week’s episode of Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV.
IMPACT Preview: King Mo Debuts, Who Joins Team TNA vs Aces & 8s?
Preview Thursday’s LIVE IMPACT broadcast on SpikeTV at 8/7c as the road to “Bound For Glory” Pay-Per-View continues! Remember – if you can’t watch IMPACT on Thursday night, make sure to set your DVR to record all the action!
– The fight between Aces and 8s and Team TNA is set for Bound For Glory! “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan will not be allowed to enter the fight – so who will represent TNA in the battle? Don’t miss Thursday’s broadcast for details!
– Also on Thursday’s huge event on SpikeTV, King Mo makes his IMPACT WRESTLING debut after being announced as the special enforcer for the Bobby Roode vs. James Storm match at Bound For Glory!
– Tensions continue to rise between “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy and World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries as their main event match at Bound For Glory draws closer! What will happen when champion and challenger cross paths on Thursday’s IMPACT?
– Plus, IMPACT will feature Knockouts Tag Team action as Knockouts Champion Miss Tessmacher teams with ODB to battle Tara and Gail Kim
All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING on SpikeTV LIVE at 8/7!
– After Big Show defeated Randy Orton on SmackDown and hit him with the WMD, Alberto Del Rio took advantage of the situation by assaulting The Viper. The two-time champion battered Orton as a measure of revenge after being on the receiving end of an RKO earlier in the night. Video of the attack has been posted on WWE.com.
The official WWE website suggests Orton will be sidelined, stating: “While the extent of Orton’s injuries is unknown and it appears he may have lost more than just the No. 1 Contender’s Match, the WWE Universe is well aware that WWE’s Apex Predator is rarely down for long.”
The angle will likely be used to explain Orton’s absence from WWE programming while he films scenes for “12 Rounds: Reloaded” in Vancouver. Though he will be busy filming through at least the end of October, the multi-time champion will continue to appear at SmackDown tapings in the meantime. He is not scheduled for next Tuesday’s show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but will resume appearing at the following week’s event in San Jose, California.
– WWE has plans to release a Paul Heyman T-Shirt featuring the tagline, “I’m A Paul Heyman Guy.” The tagline stems from CM Punk referencing himself as a “Paul Heyman guy” during his infamous speech last year chastising WWE brass. To vote on three potential designs, click here.
– Per a huge announcement by SmackDown General Manager Booker T, Kane and Daniel Bryan will defend the WWE Tag Team Championship on Oct. 28 at Hell in a Cell against the winners of an eight-team tournament.
The bracket revealed on SmackDown showed the following first-round match-ups: Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) vs. Jimmy and Jey Uso; Santino Marella and Zack Ryder vs. Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd; Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O’Neil); and Epico and Primo vs. Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.
– This week on “Backstage Fallout” for SmackDown, The Miz addressed the chaos on “Miz TV,” which resulted in the show’s host being punched in the face by World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus. Wade Barrett also boasted about his dominance after defeating Zack Ryder. Plus, Big Show talks about becoming the No. 1 contender to World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at Hell in a Cell. (Watch)
– WWE has announced that on the premiere episode of WWE Main Event, WWE Champion CM Punk will face World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus in the main event.
This will be the first-ever televised meeting between the two wrestling heavyweights. WWE Main Event debuts this Wednesday on ION Television at 8/7 p.m. CT.
– Following her release Friday from WWE, Kelly Kelly changed her Twitter handle to @TheBarbieBlank. The former Divas Champion is now representing herself as Barbie Blank, with her official website located at BarbaraBlank.com. She is now listed as an alumnus on WWE.com, and her WWE-sanctioned Facebook page with over one million “Likes” has been deleted.
Blank is happy after parting ways with WWE. She noted celebrating with her boyfriend Friday evening via Twitter, with the hashtags “#lovinglife” and “#freedom.”
– In Saturday’s birthdays, David Sammartino turns 52-years-old while Yoshihiro Tajiri turns 42.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler appeared on WREG-TV in Memphis, Tennessee, Friday promoting an independent show he was appearing at in South Haven, Mississippi. During the appearance, Lawler stated that had he suffered his recent heart attack anywhere but where he was—at a WWE event near paramedics—he would likely have died.
Lawler intends to return to the ring and plans to make his WWE return at the October 16 SmackDown taping in Memphis, Tennessee.
Video of his appearance is available here.
– This week’s episode of WWE Superstars is now online via WWE.com, featuring a Raw rematch between Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. Also see Yoshi Tatsu battle Heath Slater, Layla take on Divas Champion Eve, and Ted DiBiase competes against Michael McGillicutty.
– WWE Hall of Famer Edge joins Jack Encarnacao on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show at 10:00 a.m. Saturday on NBC Sports Radio 1510 AM in Boston, Massachusetts. He will talk about his life after WWE, who the smoothest person he’s ever wrestled, how different his character would be coming up in WWE today, and more.
Kayfabe Commentaries released a preview of their “YouShoot” with WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch on Thursday where the trailblazing Diva revealed that she had an affair with “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith while the two worked together years ago in the World Wrestling Federation. Georgia Smith, the daughter of the late wrestler, addressed Sytch’s allegations Friday via Twitter.
“I have been contacted/tweeted about the whole Sunny “Affair” regarding my dad… I don’t want to give this topic any attention. But that is complete lies and with what my brother, my mother and what my family have been through, she should have more respect,” she wrote.
“Also, I don’t know What she gets out of boasting/bragging about sleeping with thousands of wrestlers? That is pretty sad/pathetic.”
She continued, “Don’t worry people. I’m not letting it get to me. :) But I am aware of her comments and… She’s got problems and likes attention!”
– WWE announced Friday afternoon via WWE.com that the organization has come to terms on the release of former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly. According to F4WOnline.com, the departure was mutual. The organization granted the former Divas Champion a leave of absence in May in hopes that she would remain and sign a new contract. She briefly returned in August, but indicated then that she would not be returning on a full-time schedule anytime soon since she was pursuing endeavors outside the organization. With Kelly still cold this week on returning, both parties decided to part ways.
– While the Divas locker room digs for Kaitlyn’s blond attacker, the official WWE website has published a photo gallery highlighting fair-haired Divas of past and present. Those featured include Natalya, Beth Phoenix, Rosa Mendes, Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, Terri Runnels and Michelle McCool.
– SmackDown ring announcer and songstress Lilian Garcia participated in a media blitz Friday in New York City promoting her performance during halftime at Metlife Stadium this Sunday when the New York Jets battle the San Francisco 49ers.
– Former WWE star Steve Blackman turns 49-years-old Friday. He currently operates a self-defense school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania called “BlackmanMMA.”
– Contrary to earlier published reports, F4WOnline.com states Friday that Shaul Marie Guerrero (a/k/a Raquel Diaz) remains under contract to WWE after the third-generation grappler asked for her release.
Her bio was removed from the Divas roster page of WWE’s official NXT website, FCWWrestling.info, suggesting that she had parted ways with the sports-entertainment organization. Vickie Guerrero, her mother, then stated Friday morning via Twitter, “Asked to be released from WWE for personal reasons. Im grateful to WWE for the support & love toward my family.”
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been confirmed to star as the lead character in the Lore film, which has been described as a “hybrid of traditional narrative and graphic novel.” Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the Men in Black trilogy and the two Addams Family flicks, will direct the movie. Johnson addressed his upcoming role via Twitter Friday, writing, “Just connected w/ the great Barry Sonnenfeld. We & Warner Bros’ promise you a helluva ride. #LORE.”
– The official WWE website has released a poll asking whether United States Champion Antonio Cesaro should have broken up with Aksana last week on SmackDown. “Absolutely” is currently leading 66% to 34% for “No way.”
It was reported Friday that WWE may have canceled, or at least delayed, its scheduled DVD and Blu-ray release, WWE: The Attitude Era, based on the title’s removal from internal video release schedules for both the United States and Australia. This report is false.
WWE spokesman Adam Hopkins contacted this website to debunk the report. The title will be released as scheduled on November 20, 2012.
Here is the official synopsis for WWE: The Attitude Era, “In the late-90s, WWE was struggling for ratings survival while a cultural shift in the viewing audience’s taste was occurring. “Saying your prayers and taking your vitamins” had lost its luster a month the rebellious masses who preferred “flipping the bird” and “laying the smackdown”… Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind and the notorious crop of edge and fearless Superstars who ushered in The Attitude Era.
“Now in this three-DVD set fans can own all the infamous moments from this controversial and revolutionary eta that redefined sports entertainment for an entire generation. Over 8-hours of envelope-pushing content includes all the agression, antics and innuendos that proved to be the perfect cocktail for an explosion of popularity.”
WWE announced Friday afternoon via WWE.com that the organization has come to terms on the release of former Divas Champion Kelly Kelly.
“WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Diva Kelly Kelly as of today, September 28, 2012. WWE wishes Kelly Kelly the best in all her future endeavors,” their statement reads.
Minutes after the announcement, Kelly wrote on Twitter:
“Had an amazing 6 years with wwe made great friends and have the most loyal and amazing fans in the world thanks for the never ending support. Have exciting things in the works can’t wait to share them with you stay tune.”
After taking a hiatus in May, it was rumored that Kelly was looking to part ways with the organization to pursue modeling and acting endeavors. WWE officials attempted to sign her to a new, longer contract, but no agreement was reached.
Initially a catalog model, Kelly debuted on WWE’s ECW brand in June 2006, with the character of an exhibitionist. She became a popular wrestler in the ensuing years, culminating with a Divas Championship victory in June 2011. After taking time off in May, she made a few WWE appearances in August before disappearing again.