Back in 2015 an incident occurred on WWE Network’s “Swerved” in which, allegedly,  Titus O’Neil got very upset after being shocked by WWE Superstar Paige, and proceeded to kick the camera out of cameraman Donald Anderson’s hand, injuring him in the process.

PWInsider reports that Anderson is filing a lawsuit against O’Neil and the WWE in the state of Florida, after finding success in transitioning the case out of California – where the lawsuit was originally attempted to be filed. He is seeking $15,000 in damages in addition to whatever punitive damages the Pasco County of Florida orders as well.

Originally, the lawsuit in California sought $1.2 million in damages – that’s an expensive hand. The lawsuit also claims O’Neil “was known by WWE as possessing significant anger management issues.” It should also be noted that the original lawsuit filed in California suggested Anderson received medical bills up to $150,000, while the new one in Florida mentions no such thing.

It seems that Chyna’s ex-manager, Anthony Anzaldo, has set up a GoFundMe account to raise money in attempt to land a Hollywood Forever Cemetary plot for the late former WWE Intercontinental Champion. The goal amount on the GoFundMe is $25,000:

“I have had the honor of sharing my home with Chyna’s urn for the past two years. Friday, April 20 is the 2 year anniversary of her passing. However, I think the time has come for all of her fans to be able to come and visit her. I would like to place her urn and lay her to rest in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA., I really think she would love it there. There are several celebrities buried there and placing her right next to Judy Garland would make Chyna happy I’m sure.

“She Loved The Wizard Of Oz. To be clear, 1/2 of Chyna’s ashes were laid to rest 3 miles due west in the Pacific Ocean off of Esplanade and Avenue A in Redondo Beach. 1/4 was given to her Mother and in this urn is another 1/4 of Chyna’s ashes. I am raising only the money to buy the plot and get the chapel for a 1 hour memorial. I would like to have this take place as soon as possible within the next 45-60 days. All donations (any amount) graciously accepted. This burial spot will be for the fans by the fans.”

Jan LaQue, Chyna’s mother, commented on the post and stated that Anzaldo has no legal right to be in possession of Chyna’s remains but admits she allowed him to keep 3/4 of them with the agreement they’d be spread in the Pacific Ocean:

“As CHYNA’s mother and sole beneficiary, technically and legally, I own these ashes that Anthony is talking about. And he has no right to even have them let alone decide how to dispose of them. I allowed him to keep 3/4 of them initially with the understanding and agreement on his part that all 3/4 of them would be scattered in the Pacific ocean. He was NOT supposed to keep any of them back. Obviously that didn’t happen. I have had enough dealings with Anthony Anzaldo to know that he could care less about Chyna’s fans.

“His sole interest is in himself, making money off of others, and making himself look good. Be ware of giving his campaign any money. Obviously I will be contacting go fund me and an attorney, if I need to, to shut this down. PLEASE don’t donate to this Go Fund me. IT IS A SCAM. Anthony was supposed to scatter all of the ashes that he had of my daughter’s in the Pacific Ocean. Obviously he lied about that. Technically and legally, any of the ashes he has now belong to me, as my daughter’s sole beneficiary.

“This is nothing more than a scam to get your money from you. I can tell you story after story about Anthony and my dealings with him and how he treated me and my attorneys. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GUY. He is a snake. He never really cared about CHYNA. Only what he could make off her – and now even in her death. I know for a fact that she fired him before her death. Save your money. Donate to a reputable animal rescue which Chyna would love.”

Anzaldo responded and doubled down by saying that he is not trying to scam anyone, and accused Jan of being hateful for reasons beyond him:

“This is not a scam. This is very real. This is both for Chyna and her fans. Her Mother, who didn’t see her for 30 years, is hateful for reasons beyond me. I will not engage, but I can assure everyone that I have the legal right to do with what I wish with the 1/4 remains that I have a permit to own authorized by the State Of California. 1/2 of her remains were spread in the Pacific Ocean and 1/4 his with her Mother. Those are the facts. Chyna would love to be visited by her fans next to one of her idols, don’t let the haters be the gate keepers.”

Jan fired back with an extremely lengthy response:

“In spite of what Anthony says, I can assure you that this is a scam. I have saved every single email from Joanie before she died and also spoken with a WWE wrestling star who told me directly that he knew that Anthony was fired by Joanie before she died. In fact, he told me that Anthony even told him that!!. She hated Anthony and would NEVER have wanted Anthony to do what he is proposing to do. I am not hateful. Actually I’m far from it. I just hate the idea that Anthony continues to try to scam others out of money by playing the “friend” role. It’s just not true. I have hundreds of emails to prove what I’m saying.

“Also, my attorneys, both here in NC and CA, have told me on several occasions what kind of person Anthony is and how horribly Anthony treated them. NOW – TO BE CLEAR, I have in several documents in my possession regarding Joanie’s remains. First is a cremation purchase receipt from Best Cremation Care of CA, in which there was a permit issued to cremate her remains. There was no permit issued for ownership to Anthony Anzaldo. In fact, also in my possession is a signed by me and notarized letter dated April 22, 2016, addressed to whom it may concern, which authorizes Anthony Anzaldo to make certain decisions with regard to Joanie’s remains including release of her body by the LA coroner, election of a cremation facility, and funeral/memorial services.

“The restrictions to these decisions are/were as follows: Anthony was to review any plan for cremation and funeral services with me prior to execution for family approval. In addition, Anthony was to arrange for Joan’s ashes to be sent to me in North Carolina. Further the letter of authorization extended to my daughter’s personal effects. Anthony was to gain access to Joanie’s living quarters and excess monies and personal affects be forwarded to me. This letter also clearly states that ALL decisions of Anthony Anzaldo shall be binding up me after my written approval of the decisions. Well, that never happened. Anthony just went on his merry way acting like he was this big shot, and calling all the shots and decisions without getting my approval in writing for anything.

“There was nothing ever in writing signed and notarized by me approving of any of Anthony’s decisions, including that celebration service he held for her in which he just made a decision to give away Joanie’s cello which, under CA law, was legally my property as I was/am her sole beneficiary. Nor is there anything in writing at this point with regards to his big GOFUNDME campaign now and his right to even have these ashes let alone make a decision on what to do with them. As usual, he is trying to pull something over on the fans. And for the record, anyone who wants to discuss anything with me regarding Anthony’s deceptiveness, has only to go on facebook and message me. I will certainly reply back. Also, for the record, I’m going to contact the police and file whatever I need to file with regard to Anthony’s latest actions and the ashes.”

Braun Strowman is perhaps the biggest fan-favorite on Monday Night RAW right now, but despite this, WWE continues to push Roman Reigns in the Universal Title picture. Strowman has challenged Brock Lesnar in the past and actually gave The Beast a run for his money – but ultimately the former UFC heavyweight champion retained.

Now Reigns is expected to be the one to finally dethrone Lesnar, and that could happen as soon as this Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. Per a report from Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer, there seems to be a difference of opinion amongst those in creative regarding Strowman.

Meltzer reports that some believe Strowman is better off not being champion right now. WWE officials know Strowman is their post popular guy and there are some people who think he should be champion and the one to defeat Lesnar.

He also speculated that perhaps WWE changes course and allows Strowman to be the one to defeat Lesnar, and Reigns needs to be a heel because he isn’t at the level of John Cena in regards to merchandise sales. Meltzer also noted he’s not a fan of the “lame” Get These Hands phrase, but admits fans are eating it up.

Discussion: Should WWE pull the plug on the Roman Reigns experiment and shift their focus on Braun Strowman?

Ambrose Still Rehabbing Injury

Former WWE Champion Dean Ambrose has been out-of-action since last December with a tricep tear. He was initially given a recovery time of 9 months. Ambrose was replaced at WrestleMania Axxess by WWE Hall Of Famer Sting and Ric Flair.

PWInsider is reporting that Ambrose was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama last week and is still undergoing physical therapy to return. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…

Discussion: What would you like to see Ambrose do upon his return from injury? Should he come back to RAW or SmackDown Live?

WWE Hall Of Famer At WWE Performance Center

PWInsider is also reporting that WWE Hall Of Famer Edge is in Orlando, Florida visiting the WWE Performance Center. There’s currently no word on what The Rated-R Superstar is doing at the PC, he could be helping talent or simply visiting, but we’ll let you know more as that news become available.

Earlier this month in New Orleans Brock Lesnar successfully retained his Universal Title at WrestleMania 34 against Roman Reigns. Many were expecting The Big Dog to take his place atop the WWE mountain and be the one to finally defeat The Beast. That wasn’t the case, as Lesnar hit a sixth F5 on a bloody Reigns to retain the strap.

Soon after it was announced that Reigns would get a second crack at the title inside a Steel Cage in Saudi Arabia at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Last night on RAW Reigns confronted Lesnar and vowed to return to the United States with the Universal Title.

There has been a ton of speculation on why Reigns didn’t win the title at WrestleMania. Some report that Vince McMahon called an audible in the middle of the match and decided to change the finish. Reigns was receiving a poor reaction in New Orleans and it’s believed the Saudi Arabian crowd will get behind him against Lesnar.

Whether this is the plan or not is still undecided, as Cageside Seats reports WWE has yet to decide if Lesnar or Reigns will walk out of the Greatest Royal Rumble with the Universal Championship.

Discussion: Who do you think will walk out of Saudi Arabia with the Universal Championship?

WWE Superstar Liv Morgan recently did an interview with NorthJersey.com prior to WrestleMania 34 earlier this month. Morgan first discussed her run in NXT and needing to prove herself before making the jump up to the main roster:

“I spent three years in NXT doing whatever I could to be better and be noticed. It was a lot of hard work and proving yourself. So, I don’t want to say it was quick. Looking back, it feels like it was a blink of an eye, and it’s amazing. It’s been amazing to come from WWE Performance Center and now to be on SmackDown Live. Thinking about that itself is insane, because it doesn’t feel real.”

Now Morgan has a home on SmackDown Live and is a part of the Riott Squad. Although currently with a faction, Morgan hopes to capture the SmackDown Live Women’s Title on her own one day:

“I want to be the SmackDown women’s champion. I want to be the longest-reigning SmackDown women’s champion. I don’t set a limit for myself. I want the respect. Who doesn’t want it all?”

Morgan had a rough upbringing after losing her father at a young age. She wants to be a role model to young girls the way WWE Hall Of Famer Lita was to her:

“I grew up in an unstable environment. If you look at my life on paper, I shouldn’t be here. WWE was the only thing that made me and my brothers happy. Watching Lita, I’d see this red-haired chick with baggy pants and sneakers, and she’s wrestling with the boys and is a tomboy. I was such a tomboy growing up. I liked baggy pants and sneakers. Even today, I wear tights and wear sneakers. Just looking at Lita, I felt like she could be my friend.

“She was someone I related to. That’s all I want to do for girls growing up. I want them to see me and think, ‘Liv can be my friend.’ So, if I’m anyone’s role model, it’d be very cool. I don’t try to be anything I’m not. I’m just myself. If I can relate to anyone, or they can relate to me, it’d make me very happy.”

You can read Morgan’s full interview with NorthJersey.com by clicking this link here.

Pete Gas, former member of Shane McMahon’s Mean Street Posse, recently did an interview with CBS Local Sports to talk about his WWE run. Gas first discussed taking heat for riding around in a limousine rather than driving from show to show:

“I got called in once. For one incident, I got called in probably like two or three weeks in a row. Got yelled at for doing something. It’s never fun, and I still claim innocence on it, but it doesn’t matter. We were in Memphis, Tennessee for training. So when we weren’t on television, we were there. We were told that we had to do all these shows in Memphis. So we had one loop where we had to go down to Louisiana through Mississippi.

“We had a huge loop on our off time. Then get back up to Memphis to travel. It was a lot of driving and I had a car that I didn’t want to put all the miles on. I had met this guy in a bar who had a limo service. He goes, ‘Hey, I’ve got this stretched Navigator. How about you guys hop in and I’ll drive you guys around? I’ll do it for nothing.’ He was just a wrestling fan, you know? Now we’ve got eight guys piled in. Actually, it was a bunch of guys from MCW, Memphis Championship Wrestling. Some of the guys were also doing developmental for WWE stuff, where they were on television as well, but they weren’t doing much. We all piled into this big stretched limo with cans of beer and stuff.

“We’d pull up to these shows and open up the limo door and literally have a couple cans of beer falling out of it. Kevin Kelley would pull up and he’d be doing commentary for us in Memphis. So, he’s pulling up in a Ford Taurus and we’re pulling up in a stretch and have all these cans. So word got back to the office that we weren’t paying our dues in driving on the road, we were driving in stretched limo. So, literally, I got called into the office. They literally yelled at me two to three weeks in a row, and talked to me. Said, ‘Do you understand why you’re doing that?

“You’re supposed to be paying your dues.’ I understood, but I also thought, it’s a free and it’s someone driving us. We don’t have to put the miles on the car. My theory was like, ‘I understand but the guy was doing it for free.’ The guy never took a dime or nothing, gas money, nothing. He was just happy to be driving us.”

As for Shane McMahon’s in-ring style, Gas still doesn’t believe that time is catching up to Shane O’Mac:

“No, I think that’s exactly why you saw what you saw out of him. Not to mention, he had an infection as well, which added to the fact of why he was in the hospital. He also has a hernia. Anyone who has ever had a hernia can understand what kind of pain the man was going through. But for the people who knocked the guy, I don’t know how you can. He puts it all on the line for the company and really gives an effort like no other.

“He does some crazy stuff for a guy who’s not a full-time wrestler. The guy’s in a lot of pain, but he’s not gonna allow that to stand in the way of performing at WrestleMania. He goes above and beyond. I know that he’s got some of those things fixed. I know that [for] a hernia alone, from what I understand, a normal person can’t do anything for six weeks, let alone wrestle.

“So I wouldn’t expect to see him in the ring doing anything for at least that amount of time. I haven’t spoken to him since right after Mania, so I don’t know what his intentions are. I know that he has a very high pain threshold, and he got through that match. He did a lot. Kudos to him for being able to do what he did.”

You can read Gas’ full interview with CBS Local Sports by clicking this link here.

Brie Bella recently did an interview with People to promote Total Bellas and discuss her sister, Nikki’s, recent break-up with John Cena after a six year relationship. Bella first offered an update on Nikki and how she’s doing:

“She’s good, they call her fearless Nikki for a reason,” Brie said. “She always puts on that brave face. My sister has more strength than any other woman I know, especially Wonder Woman. She’s bigger than that.”

She also noted how tough it was to step back from her twin sister on this season of Total Bellas, and allow things to play out

“I really had to take a step back and allow it and that was really hard on me because it’s my twin. I want to protect her from everything,” Brie admitted. “This has been the hardest season to film for me because all I want to do is protect her and keep everyone away, but this is what we do.

“I have to give a lot of credit to John and Nicole,” Brie responded. “They really opened up their lives and they really wanted to close the curtain and be like this is it, we’re done. My sister is really great with her fans in a way where she lets them connect with her. She lets them like go, ‘My life isn’t perfect and isn’t easy’ and lets them see the playbook of her life.”

Brie also noted that John and Nikki allow some very personal conversations to air on the show – some conversations that Brie wouldn’t let get out if they were between herself and Daniel Bryan:

“John and Nicole allow the fans to see some very personal conversations, that to be honest, I was mind blown about,” Brie responded. “[Daniel] Brian and I both said, ‘I don’t think we’d allow them to see those conversations’ but they do. I give them a lot of credit. You get to see where they’re at today and see that unravel.”

You can check out Brie’s full interview with People by clicking this link here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EeaLUHO0WA

Samoa Joe On Negativity In Social Media

WWE Superstar Samoa Joe, who recently moved from Monday Night RAW to SmackDown Live by way of the Superstar Shake-Up, took to Twitter to note the amount of negativity he always see on social media.

Joe noted that he doesn’t really care too much for the comments, but stated one day the people leaving those comments will have to explain them to people in their lives who actually care:

Every morning I wake up with my social media rife with hate, racism, etc. I can only shake my head when I realize at some point your going to have to explain those statements to people in your life that actually care.

— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) April 22, 2018

I think some of y’all think the last statement was to express “frustration” from me, it’s quite the opposite . Im good, I’m just amazed at how many of you self sabotage on social media. If anything it makes for great entertainment in ignorance

— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) April 22, 2018

Batista To Appear On Jimmy Kimmel

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Batista is set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel tomorrow night (Tues. April 24, 2018); alongside Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johannson, Danai Gurira and Tom Hiddleston, to promote the release of their new film Avengers: Infinity War. 

On the latest episode of WWE Hall Of Famer Edge and former WWE World Champion Christian’s podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, the pair discussed the recent passing of the legendary Bruno Sammartino. The Rated-R Superstar called Sammartino’s passing the “end of an era” and labeled him the greatest Superstar of all time:

“It feels like the end, the kind of end of an era in terms of, he’s the biggest star of the WWF/WWE ever. I mean, you can say ‘Stone Cold’ [Steve Austin] and you can say [Hulk] Hogan, but if you’re looking at MSG sellouts, if you’re looking at… I mean, Bruno, man, was champ I think you’re looking at, combined in two reigns, 11 years, like, 4,000 however many days. That doesn’t happen nowadays.”

Christian discussed how Sammartino transcended the sport and put him over for selling out Madison Square Garden as many times as he did:

“To be able to stay on top and in that position wouldn’t happen unless you’re drawing money, right? Christian added, “so it just goes to show you the type of star magnitude that he had, especially being able to sell out Madison Square Garden as many times, consecutively, as he did. Obviously, maybe the first true superstar maybe that even transcended the sport of wrestling maybe.”

Aside from the legendary career he had in the professional wrestling ring, Edge said Sammartino was a class act and all around nice guy:

“I think you had an entire culture, especially to Italians and immigrants coming over to this country, here’s a guy who came over without anything and really made himself.” Edge continued.

“It’s just a classic underdog, everyman story, but more importantly than whatever the accolades are in [pro] wrestling, which are obviously numerous, stack up better to anybody’s, to be honest, in meeting Bruno over the years, he was just a thoroughly classy, professional. He was just a classy, classy man and there’s just no other way to explain it.”

Edge also revealed that, following his second neck surgery, Sammartino actually called to check up on him:

“Bruno Sammartino found out I was in town and having neck surgery, got the number to my hotel room, and called me post-surgery to make sure I was okay. And it completely blew my brain.” Edge reflected, “I think that to me kind of exemplifies what kind of man he was.”

You can listen to E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness by clicking this link here.

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

Sasha Banks Posts Cryptic Tweet

There have been some reports going around recently indicating that Sasha Banks could’ve lost her big push due to her poor attitude with fans in public. The Legit Boss has a history of not being too happy with fans approaching her in public for photos or autographs.

Banks recently took to Twitter to issue out a cryptic Tweet, telling fans to “be patient” and it’ll be worth the wait. While it’s unknown if Banks is addressing these reports indirectly, the timing certainly is interesting:

Be patient; it will be worth the wait. #Raw

— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) April 23, 2018

Chris Jericho Runs Into “No Way” Jose

Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently posted a photo on Instagram of himself and current RAW Superstar “No Way” Jose. It turns out Y2J ran into Jose at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh6fwEXFIPx/?utm_source=ig_embed

Interesting Name Backstage For Tonight’s RAW

Monday Night RAW is live tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, and it’s the go-home show to the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. PWInsider is reporting that newly acquired SmackDown Live talent, Asuka, is backstage for tonight’s show. She could be making an appearance before moving to SmackDown Live full-time.

Jim Ross Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE In-Ring Debut

TMZ recently caught up with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross to get his take on ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s WWE in-ring debut. Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.

Ross had some high praise for The Rowdy One’s debut, calling it the most impressive thing he has ever seen in his 40-year professional wrestling career:

“I thought Ronda Rousey’s debut was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling in my 40-year career – best debut I ever saw.”

Bill Simmons, the producer of HBO’s “Andre The Giant” documentary, recently did an interview with ESPN to discuss the project. Here are some of the highlights:

You could tell in the documentary how much Andre meant to Vince, but you could also see that they didn’t part on the best terms and that still hurts Vince. It’s pretty heartbreaking. How aware were you of the relationship they had going into this project?

“We don’t make that movie if he’s not interviewed. We made that clear. He was obviously so protective of the Andre legacy and he had a lot of conflicted emotions of how it played out, and we talked about it even before we agreed to do the movie that he has to be interviewed. We can’t do it if you’re not in it. It’s tough. It’s all genuine and what he thought at the end was Vince used him. As soon as he couldn’t wrestle anymore it was like thanks and wrestling goes on. It’s pretty complicated.

“There’s also a lot of things that could have been in the doc, but I think the pace is important. It’s 86 minutes and there’s a bunch of other stuff we could have added but then it slows down, and you have to keep things moving. One of things that could have been in it after we did the interviews was Andre’s relationship with Stephanie [McMahon]. She’s a little girl at that point, but Andre was like a big brother to her. He was unusually tight with that family, which makes things a lot more complicated.”

Could you picture the arc of this movie and building it towards that iconic match between Andre and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III before you even started working on it?

“The whole time I thought this is one of the easiest docs for me to sell. Even when we were selling it to Vince, the arc of it was so clear — it had to build to WrestleMania III, and it had to have the part where wrestling takes off after Andre had already peaked but they need him for this match. Even though his body was breaking down and, oh by the way, they don’t know whether he has decided if he wants to lose or not. It was so obviously a great documentary arc and it’s really hard to find those.

“We did so many at 30 for 30 and I learned so much about the arcs and where it works and doesn’t work. We were able to do some without one at all. I thought the Bo Jackson one was good, people liked it, but it didn’t really have an arc. It was like this guy was great and then he got hurt and you work around that and tell a story and make it cool but ultimately there’s not the twists and turns that a movie would have.

“We had success at 30 for 30 with things like The Fab Five and The U, where you could jump in at any time. It really captured these iconic teams. Those worked and were super re-watchable and we loved doing those. When it’s something like this Andre doc there’s an extra layer you can get to because it plays like a movie and those are my favorites ones. This easily could be a movie even though it couldn’t be because you could never get someone to play Andre that was convincing, but the arc of it is a movie.”

You can read Simmons’ full interview with ESPN by clicking this link here.

WWE’s Chris Jericho recently did an interview with WSVN-TV Entertainment Reporter Chris Van Vliet in Orlando. The pair talked about several professional wrestling topics, including why Roman Reigns can’t seem to get over:

“I think he’s like a modern day John Cena. For years fans just booed Cena because they think it’s the cool thing to do. They’re not paying any attention to what he’s really doing and that’s what Roman is now. They just see Roman and they just start booing because it’s the in thing rather than just shutting up and watching this guy for what he is which is a great performer.

“And that’ll come. Obviously if he turned heel he’d get over, but if he turned heel all the people that booed him would start cheering him. I think it’s just a matter of time and staying the course and he needs some good heels to work with. Heels that want to be heels.”

Jericho revealed that there were plans to have he and Reigns work a program, and he pitched the idea to try and spit a fireball in his face. Y2J believes he could’ve helped get The Big Dog over:

“I had an idea that I wanted to do and I pitched it to Vince. I wanted to throw a fireball in Roman’s eyes and blind him, like an old school Memphis idea. Vince said he’d think about it. We were going to have a program and then it changed. If we had a long program, I probably could have got it done. So there’s a secret, exclusive for you.”

Y2J was recently replaced by Rusev to take on The Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia in a Casket match. Jericho explained that things constantly change in the WWE:

“I was announced for the Greatest Royal Rumble and then I got a text asking if I wanted to do a Casket Match and I said sure. Then I got a text a couple of days later saying you’re not in the casket match anymore and I said yeah, sure, no problem.

“That’s the thing with WWE, it changes constantly and you have to go with the flow. It’d be great to do a Casket Match, it’d be great not to do one. So who knows? I might get added back in 5 minutes before. That’s how it works.”

Jericho then divulged that he currently isn’t under contract with WWE as of May of last year:

“No, I’m not. Up until May of last year I was under contract and then the Fozzy tour cycle started. They call me from time to time but it’s just a one and done kind of thing.”

As for his work with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Jericho says that there’s currently nothing planned for him with the promotion at this time:

“Nothing planned. It’s a little bit old school. Leave with some heat brother. I lose to Kenny on a Sunday, beat up Naito on a Monday and if I never go back, I left with some heat. The thought process was to go back and we tried and it just didn’t work out. There’s a certain amount of finance and that kind of thing because that match made New Japan a lot of money. Like millions.

“So when you get that feather in your cap now they’re not taking a chance by using Chris Jericho, they know exactly what they’re going to get. And for me not to be in WWE, I have to be compensated at a high level or else it’s not worth it because WWE could just wake up one day and go ‘You’re with New Japan? We never want to use you again. See you later buddy.’ So that’s the risk I take.”

WWE Announcer Set To Cover NFL Draft

WWE’s 205 announcer Vic Joseph is set to cover the upcoming NFL Draft this weekend for SiriusXM and a few other networks. Prior to coming to WWE Joseph worked as a host and reporter for the Cleveland Browns. WWE posted the following regarding Joseph’s Draft Coverage schedule:

• Sunday, April 22: SiriusXM Fantasy Football Franchise Mode — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (10 p.m. ET)
• Thursday, April 26: SiriusXM Post Draft Show — airing on Sirius channel 210 or XM channel 87 (following that evening’s coverage of the 2018 NFL Draft)
• Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28: the Cleveland Browns Network
• Monday, April 30: Joseph joins NFL players Matt Finkes and Zach Boren to break down all seven rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft — airing on the EBSN Network

WWE’s Authority Figures Gallery

WWE has posted a gallery looking back at the authority figures in the company’s history. The list features figures from WWE, NXT, WCW, and other promotions. You can check it out here:

When it came to these bosses, Superstars had no choice but to RESPECT THEIR AUTHORITY! https://t.co/A3GobBS9lL

— WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2018

Chaotic Wrestling and Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Flip Gordon recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Gordon first discussed the exposure he received from “Being The Elite”:

“I’m very grateful to be part of ‘Being the Elite. The Young Bucks could make that show all about Bullet Club or The Elite, but they don’t. They’re looking at the big picture of professional wrestling. They’re constantly asking, ‘How can we give back? How can we make professional wrestling better?’

“They see the powers they have, and they’re able to help a guy like me get more exposure, more opportunity to showcase my character and make people more likely to want to see a match with me. It’s absolutely amazing. They’re not just thinking about themselves, they’re looking for what is best, long-term, for the business.”

Gordon then explained how much he’d love to be booked on the September 1st “All In” event in Chicago:

“I would love to be All In. That is the biggest show of the year. The best of the best in the world are going to be there. Look at the names that have already been announced: Cody, Kenny, Okada. Those are three of the biggest names in professional wrestling all in one building. If you’re not on this show, it just says that you’re not one of the top performers in this business, so I’ll do anything to get on this show.”

He then offered his goals that he has for himself as it pertains to his professional wrestling career moving forward:

“I would love to get an opportunity at a run as the Ring of Honor TV champion. I would also love to be a regular in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and I would love to be part of the Best of Super Juniors tournament this year. That would be a testament to how far I’ve come, but also a reminder of how much further I have to go. It would solidify me as a top indie guy.”

You can read Gordon’s full interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking this link here.

Seth Rollins’ Special Connection To Hooters Restaurant

WWE posted a video in which Seth Rollins re-visits a Hooters restaurant in Davenport, Iowa where he once used to watch WWE pay-per-view (PPV) events. Rollins noted his heroes such as WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels and how he’d watch them on TV each month.

As the years continued, Rollins considered this more of a film study. Check it out here:

Renee Young & Dolph Ziggler Interview The Avengers Cast

WWE’s Renee Young and Dolph Ziggler recently interviewed the cast of the upcoming Avengers film “Infinity War” in Beverly Hills, California. Young and Ziggler spoke to Don Cheadle, Pom Klementieff, and Batista.

The film opens on April 27th. There is currently no news on when Ziggler and Young’s footage with the cast will air:

You guys. @HEELZiggler and I just interviewed the cast of Avengers Infinity War and they’re all so so nice and lovely and you should go watch their movie next Friday. Also @XavierWoodsPhD Don Cheadle no sold my Captain Planet reference. ??????

— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) April 21, 2018

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2RYyKAbuy/

The question on everyone's minds ahead of @Avengers: #InfinityWar, "How would @Iron_Man do in an #IronManMatch?" @ReneeYoungWWE @HEELZiggler pic.twitter.com/8dPfAbwr96

— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2018

Earlier this week the WWE held tryouts in Saudi Arabia ahead of their Greatest Royal Rumble event. WWE announced eight participants who will continue to receive training as the Greatest Royal Rumble approaches. It was also announced that one of the eight will get a special opportunity – competing in the Greatest Royal Rumble match.

Here are the eight participants (per WWE.com):

– Hussain Aldagal, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder with a background in volleyball and bodybuilding

– Mansoor Al-Shehail, a 6-foot, 175-pounder who has trained under WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr.

– Faisal Kurdi, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound MMA fighter, amateur grappler and Muay Thai boxer

– Nasser Bawazer, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound champion in boxing, MMA and aikido

– Khalid Alhothali, a competitor in bodybuilding, as well as combat sports, including boxing and jiu-jitsu

– Abdullah Almagrabi, a 225-pound karate champion and boxing trainer

– Faisal Allabboudy, a 23-year-old whose athletic background includes competitive swimming, boxing and bodybuilding

– Asaad Alshareef, a 23-year-old Greco Roman and freestyle wrestler who has also trained in various martial arts

Visited the 4th day of #KSATryouts today. This week was a huge success due to the hard work of @WWE Talent Development, @WWEPerformCtr coaches and @WWENXT talent. #WWEGRR pic.twitter.com/u2MDgDHy3A

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 21, 2018

The Latest On Rey Mysterio’s WWE Negotiations

Since making his return at the Royal Rumble this past January, much has been made about Rey Mysterio’s WWE status. He has had at least one meeting with Triple H regarding negotiations since the Rumble.

There’s also indication that he’ll be making an appearance at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in less than a week in Saudi Arabia. A fan asked Dave Meltzer on Twitter about Mysterio’s WWE status, and he reports the former World Champion has yet to sign a deal:

He hasn't signed a contract at this point https://t.co/Wjr0CgY9f4

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) April 22, 2018

Several Legends Reunite At “Legends Of Wrestling” Event

Several professional wrestling legends reunited in Detroit for their “Legends Of Wrestling” event. Those legends include two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Road Warrior Animal, Mick Foley, Sting, Jimmy Hart, and The Nasty Boys. Here are some photos:

Q&A In Detroit! WOOOOO! #legendsofwrestling pic.twitter.com/lS7LAByb2K

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 21, 2018

Legends Of Wrestling! pic.twitter.com/bRphRM0wUf

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 21, 2018

In his latest WWE run, Hall Of Famer Goldberg had the opportunity to work with Brock Lesnar. After Goldberg was announced as the special playable character for the WWE 2K17 video game, a dream match against Lesnar was used as advertisement.

Eventually Goldberg and WWE struck a deal to make the bout a reality. The pair collided at Survivor Series in 2016 where Goldberg picked up the win with ease. Eventually Lesnar got his redemption at WrestleMania 33 when he took the Universal Title off Goldberg – a title he still holds today.

Goldberg recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated to promote his appearance on HISTORY’s “Forged in Fire: Knife or Death” series. During the interview he revealed what it was really like to work with Lesnar outside the ring:

“I know it’s hard to believe this, but Brock is a caring person underneath all that big giant monster’s body. The relationship he has with his sons parallels my relationship with my son, and I think Brock may have understood what I was going through. Maybe he put himself in my position, saw a little bit of himself later in life in me, and saw how much this meant to me. For that, I can never repay Brock.”

You can read Goldberg’s full interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking this link here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60u2A4Mv5iQ&t=6s

Former NXT stars The Authors Of Pain have been called up to the main roster, but after having a successful first outing on RAW they decided to drop longtime manager Paul Ellering from their ranks.

Much speculation began to swirl as to why this decision was made, the most common assumption being Ellering no longer wants to travel as much nowadays given his age. Ellering recently ditched that rumor on Twitter with an explanation of his own:

For the record…I love traveling.
I have seen this road before. My ? Algorithm for greatness stands the test of time. @WWENXT @WWENetwork @WWEUniverse #Champions pic.twitter.com/QbU5MZ252F

— Paul Ellering (@PaulElleringWWE) April 14, 2018

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reports that the Ellering/Authors Of Pain split had nothing to do with travel. WWE reportedly wants the Authors Of Pain on their own now and would prefer Ellering to stay on NXT and help younger talent.

Johnson added Ellering would’ve done anything WWE wanted, even if it meant traveling, but they decided to go this route instead.

Discussion: Was it a mistake to have Ellering split from the Authors Of Pain?

Mick Foley’s legendary Hell In A Cell match against The Undertaker back in 1998’s King Of The Ring pay-per-view (PPV) is one of the most historic matches in WWE history. On the 20th anniversary of the match, Foley spoke to Sports Illustrated to discuss the historic bout.

He admitted that had he walked on top of the Hell In A Cell earlier that day he might not have agreed to go through with the spot:

“I told Mr. McMahon two of the biggest lies of my life that day. I told him I had been on top of the cell earlier that afternoon, and I told him that I felt completely comfortable up there. Had I gone up there for a walk-through, there would be no twentieth anniversary because I would have realized that getting thrown off was a terrible idea.

“It was that that made me finally believe in my own mortality. That cleared the way for a very different Mankind character who feuded with and later teamed with The Rock. … I was really so caught up in preparation that I didn’t call home before matches, I always called home after matches. I did that on every occasion except for this one, but I thought I had a legitimate excuse for not calling home because I was unconscious.

“I later heard from WWE agent Dave Hebner, who said my family was very upset. When I did call, I got an earful from my wife, who wasn’t thrilled with my decision-making. I could have used a sympathetic ear, but what I really needed was someone to tell me that I couldn’t continue to do the things I was doing if I wanted to see my children grow.”

You can read Foley’s full interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking this link here.

Nikki Teases The Return Of The Bella Twins

Nikki Bella recently took to Twitter to respond to a WWE article that teased some Women’s Tag Team Titles coming to SmackDown Live with Paige now the General Manager. Nikki tagged Paige and teased she and Brie could return to challenge for the titles.

Nikki even threw in a subtle jab at The Iconics. Paige responded and Peyton Royce chimed in on the matter as well. Check it out below:

Women's #TagTitles? A championship that needs to be defended each week? This is just the BEGINNING of what we'd like to see @RealPaigeWWE instate as new #SDLive GM! https://t.co/wMgkPWyTaR

— WWE (@WWE) April 20, 2018

Hey @RealPaigeWWE ?????????????? Brie and I would love to put the SnapBack, Nike kicks, jersey, flannel, headband, and twin power back on in that WWE ring! Feeling pretty ICONIC…. ? N https://t.co/2N7csMewUr

— Nikki & Brie (@NikkiAndBrie) April 21, 2018

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/987860558811750401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F526412706.shtml

https://twitter.com/WWEPeytonRoyce/status/987733772434071552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F526412706.shtml

Jonathan Coachman Clears Up Rumors Regarding His Replacement

WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently announced that he’ll be returning to the RAW commentary team next week. This led to some rumors going around indicating that Booker could be replacing Jonathan Coachman at the commentary booth.

Coachman addressed these rumors on Twitter recently to clear them up. He revealed that Booker will only be replacing him for one week on commentary while Coachman does work for the Golf channel. Coach will return the following week for RAW in Montreal:

Yes. I laugh people think there are all of these conspiracy theories and made of stories. It’s no big deal. I have been talking about it for months. Me and @BookerT5x talked about this when I came back. It helps everybody. Head down and do work. That’s what we do https://t.co/XJCarrmxBH

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) April 20, 2018

Thank you kind sir. Tell your friends to check me out on Tuesday at @WorldLongDrive on @GolfChannel at 7p east. I don’t miss Raw unless there is a good reason. #crosspromotion #evolve https://t.co/tEuQPHJ0zC

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) April 20, 2018

I am not sure how to tell you this but no they didn’t. I am only missing this week. Will be back in Montreal. https://t.co/bClyaLxODq

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) April 21, 2018

I am not going to Saudi Arabia. But thank you. I am honestly shocked at people thinking if (god forbid) you miss one show that you are gone for good. This is a new day and things change. For me I love many things. Keeps my mind fresh. https://t.co/G4Ekpl2yM4

— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) April 21, 2018

Tenille Dashwood Forced Out Of Match

Former WWE Superstar Tenille Dashwood (also known as Emma in WWE) was scheduled to wrestle Britt Baker at a Remix Pro Wrestling event in Ohio this past Saturday, however, she was forced to pull out due to injury.

Emma showed up to the show and cut a promo, revealing her doctor would not allow her to wrestle and even advised she not go to the show at all – but she came anyways. Despite not wrestling, she did provide commentary for the event’s DVD release.

She also had a long line of fans waiting to meet her and was able to fulfill her meet and greet obligations.

Tenille is injured so she couldn’t compete. But at least she did commentary. pic.twitter.com/UAWcTuEmcY

— Pinecone Marketing (@PineconeSocial) April 22, 2018

Shelton Benjamin Shows Off A Nasty Battle Wound

WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin took to Instagram to show off quite a nasty battle wound. Above Benjamin’s right eyebrow a lump seems to have swollen up. Check it out here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh3DMs0H1ib/?utm_source=ig_embed

Vader Has Been Hospitalized Again

Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader recently underwent open heart surgery in Dallas, Texas and left the hospital last weekend to begin his rehab. Vader recently took to Twitter to offer an update to fans, and revealed that he’s back in the hospital with a case of pneumonia:

I Am officially out of the HOSPITAL and in rehab Its a long ROAD BK from here to the RING WISH ME LUCK!!!!

— Big Van Vader (@itsvadertime) April 13, 2018

Im in Rehab working hardStarting to feel like my old self THE HUMAN BODY IS TRULY A MIRACLE IT HAS AN AMAZING POWER TO HEAL https://t.co/GNg40ycWef

— Big Van Vader (@itsvadertime) April 19, 2018

Damn I have bad news Iam bk in the https://t.co/1oYCjG1pNF pain is thru the roof and they say I have pneumonia.Cant breath.But Iam still fighting VADER TIME

— Big Van Vader (@itsvadertime) April 19, 2018

WWE Files For Restraining Order Against Fan

Back in 2015 a series of bizarre incidents began to occur at the WWE Performance Center, involving WWE fan Armando Alejandro Montalvo. Montalvo would appear at the center in wrestling costumes while threatening staff.

He was also filmed begging to be trained by personnel and uttered inappropriate remarks. Back in August of 2015 Montalvo was taken into custody by Orlando police after being called to remove him from their premises – as he had developed an infatuation for one of the female competitors.

Instead of staying away from the facility, Montalvo returned on August 31st of 2015 and caused quite the commotion. He was encountered by armed deputies and was shot after trying to charge an officer.

TMZ reports that WWE is now filing a restraining order against Montalvo due to recent threats from him on social media. Per the documents obtained, Montalvo smeared some of his own feces on the walls of the Performance Center in July of 2015 – a month before his incident with the police.

Montalvo re-appeared at the Performance Center this past March and began harassing employees. While there, Montalvo made the comment “My new wrestling nickname is Generation Flex because my d**k and my balls is bigger than Generation Ex.”

It was also learned that Montalvo threatened to launch a biological attack using his own semen. On April 4th he posted a video on Instagram in which he said “Lord forgive me for what I’m about to do, [because] I know I’m a hundred percent real with it. And every single wrestler is gonna be saying their prayers by the time it’s all said and done. Because if you wanna know why, cuz I’m a wild man.”

He also recently addressed the restraining order by WWE in a recent Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhr3et4gBCs/