This week’s episode of TNA Impact Wrestling drew 331,000 viewers according to Showbuzz Daily. The episode featured Jeff Hardy winning a Gauntlet Match in the main event, and was the second week in a row that Impact viewership increased. The episode was up 8% in viewers from the previous week’s episode, which averaged 307,000 viewers.
However, the replay fell 52 percent, giving Impact a combined audience of 390,000 viewers, down nine percent from last week’s audience of 430,000 viewers.
This week’s show was ranked #127 on the Cable Top 150, up from last week’s #129 ranking.
Eva Marie recently did an interview with the E! channel to promote the current season of Total Divas. During the interview Eva addressed criticism from fans, saying she’s happy with her in-ring progress so far.
“We are in the entertainment business so the fans are everything and without them I pretty much don’t exist,” Eva Marie said. “They mean the world to me, but at the same time I’m actually very happy that they’ve seen my progress from when I first came in to where I’m at now. It’s just also one of those things like to put out there to any little girl or boy, anybody, that if you want something bad enough you have to just keep knocking down those doors and go for it, regardless of what anybody…whether it’s a colleague, family member or whomever is telling you, ‘No.’ Just don’t listen to that.”
She said she’s happy with her time in WWE so far, and takes a moment to thank Triple H and WWE chairman Vince McMahon.
“It’s awesome,” she revealed. “I’m really thankful for Triple H and our chairman Vince McMahon because when I came back from my surgery I basically was like, ‘I want to be the face of this company and I want to bring something to the table.’ And luckily we have NXT, a phenomenal developmental program, so I had asked to go back and train so that I could be the best I possibly could be.”
Kevin Owens recently spoke with Mike Jones of DC101 to promote WWE’s live event in Washington, DC on Sunday. Owens said he’s looking forward to watching Shane McMahon & The Undertaker’s Hell In A Cell match at WrestleMania 32, and that he can’t imagine what type of “insane” things Shane has planned.
“Shane McMahon has done some really insane things when he wasn’t in as high profile a match as this one, so I can’t imagine what he’ll be ready to do or go through at Wrestlemania, but you’re right about Wrestlemania being synonymous with The Undertaker,” Owens said. “You’ve got two guys that will be ready to leave it all in that cell.”
Owens was also asked about recently-retired WWE star Daniel Bryan. Owens regrets that he didn’t spend much time in the ring with Bryan, but says he still learned a lot from him outside the ring.
“I didn’t have the chance to be in the ring with him as much as I wish because I feel like he’s someone I could have learned a lot from,” said the WWE Intercontinental Champion. “He is someone I learned a lot from just from watching and listening to outside of the ring, but I wish I could have shared the ring with him many more times than I had the chance to.”
Kevin Owens will defend the IC title in a seven-man ladder match against Stardust, Sin Cara, The Miz, Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 32 on April 3.
Former WWE creative team member Freddie Prinze Jr has a lot to say about his days with the company. In a recent interview with Mick Rouse of GQ Magazine, the actor went in detail about working with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, their creative process, and much more. Here are some highlights from the article:
– Prinze said the writers sit down together and spitball ideas. If there’s an idea that’s really out there, the writer will get some crap for it. After a while, you learn to filter the ideas and start small. Otherwise, you’ll be out of the company in 3-4 months.
– For example, let’s say they decide to put the WWE Championship on Kevin Owens. They’ll start with that ending and then work backwards, deciding what his journey will be and what challengers he will face on his way up. The agents decide how the actual matches will go, not the writers. “I would write segments out in advance. Like, full-out dialogue. Not everyone would do that, but I would really try to paint a full picture because what I was pitching was weird stuff, even for wrestling.” he said. When they have most of the angle mapped out, they’ll pitch it to the boss.
– Once the writers get to TV, pitching ideas is a different process. The script outline is complete and the writers are told how much time they get to fill. From there, it’s a round-robin style approach, with the writers, the agents, the ‘people behind the cameras’ getting a chance to contribute before Vince gives it the final “Yay” or “Nay.”
– Regarding what it was like working with Vince McMahon, Prinze said, “Oh, Vince is like a kid who just opened his toy box. I don’t mean that in a crappy way, but these are his toys and this is his toy box and he takes great care over them. He has certain ones that are more special than others at certain times, and you can see that on TV, but that’s his right. It’s his toy box.”
– By the time CM Punk’s frustrations with WWE were public knowledge, it was already too late. “All those promos that him and Vince McMahon would have in the ring together, that was all real stuff,” he said. “That wasn’t anything that anyone wrote, that was them debating in the ring. And people knew it was real! They knew they were saying real things and that it wasn’t a TV show right there anymore.”
You can read the full interview here, where Prinze also discusses how he came to work for WWE in the first place.
Hulk Hogan was on Wednesday’s episode of Good Morning America to discuss his civil trial victory over Gawker. Hogan says the trial was never about the money, but rather to expose Gawker, and talks about his fantasy of getting Gawker publisher Nick Denton alone in a ring with him.
“At about the middle of the trial I walk in the men’s room, and it’s me and Nick Denton [Gawker publisher] by ourselves in the restroom, with nobody,” Hogan revealed. “My first thought was: What if he just falls down and holds his neck or something, who are they going to believe? My second thought was: If this was WrestleMania and he was in the ring with me, and it was just me and him, wouldn’t it be fun?”
When asked if he feels that he was set up by his friends, like Bubba The Love Sponge, he kept his answer short: “Yes, yes I do.” You can watch his interview here:
A fan brought a “Bring Back Titus” sign to RAW on Monday in Philadelphia, and the sign has been acknowledged by not only Titus O’Neil but also a WWE Hall of Famer. O’Neil, who is currently suspended from WWE for doing something unscripted on RAW, was joined by Scott Hall in commenting on the sign on Twitter.
– The latest word on Randy Orton is that he’s on track for a WWE return in late April or early May. Orton is scheduled for a VIP WrestleMania Axxess on Sunday, April 3 in Dallas, and then is scheduled for the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Dubai from April 7th to April 9th.
– Former WWE star Chris Nowinski was backstage at Tuesday’s SmackDown TV taping visiting friends. Thursday’s episode of SmackDown was taped on Tuesday in Boston, MA at the TD Garden arena.
The March 24th, 2016 episode of WWE SmackDown was taped in Boston, MA at the TD Garden arena. Here’s what happened at the taping:
– Sasha def. Charlotte: Sasha countered the Figure Eight with a roll up for the win in a non-title match. Becky came out and beat them both down after the match.
– Sheamus def. Kofi Kingston: The New Day and The League of Nations cut promos on each other before the match. Back and forth action until Sheamus won with a Brogue Kick after an assist from King Barrett and Rusev.
– The Usos def. The Ascension: The Usos won in a quick match with a double superkick to Viktor. After the match, The Usos hit a top rope splash through the tables on Konnor and Viktor
– Renee Young interviews The Dudleys backstage. They trash The Usos, Rikishi and The Wild Samoans. Roman Reigns interrupts and tells Bubba Ray Dudley he wants a fight tonight.
– Sami Zayn and Dolph Ziggler defeated The Miz and Kevin Owens: Owens tried leaving the ringside area but Stardust, Sin Cara and Zack Ryder stopped him. Miz brings Owens back in the ring then hits the Skull Crushing Finale, but Zayn came out of nowhere and hit Miz with a Helluva Kick for the win. After the match, they all brawl and hit their finishers until Ryder is left standing after dropping Owens.
– Roman Reigns vs. Bubba Ray Dudley – Double count out: The match went to the outside in the opening moments and quickly turned into a ringside brawl for the double count out. D-Von ran in for the save but Reigns laid him out. Bubba came back in the ring and Reigns laid him out with a spear before heading to the back.
– Sin Cara and Kalisto are cutting a promo in the back when Ryback interrupts. They talk trash to each other about their upcoming WrestleMania 32 match.
– AJ Styles def. Tyler Breeze: AJ got the pinfall victory after hitting the Phenomenal Forearm in what was described as a quick match.
– Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar come to the ring for a promo on Dean Ambrose to end the show. The Wyatt Family interrupts first and surround the ring, then Ambrose’s music hits and he hits the ring. Lesnar and Ambrose work together to beat down The Wyatts. Ambrose then attacks Lesnar with a kendo stick. Lesnar lays out Ambrose with a clothesline then hits the F5 to end SmackDown.
Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle says that while expects to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame one day, leaving the company “high and dry” in 2006 when he quit and joined TNA may hurt his chances. In an interview with The World According to Wrestling, Angle theorizes that WWE is hesitant to work with him due to his past.
“Well, for one, I don’t want to go back [to WWE] right now. Two, between 2008 and 2013, I got four DUIs,” Angle said. “As a publicly traded company, it doesn’t matter if you’re Kurt Angle, Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Undertaker, when you get involved in that kind of trouble consistently, that’s the last thing they need. So when I did try and go back a year and a half ago, I think they were thinking “Let’s see how he pans out, let’s see if he can stay clean, let’s see if he got his shit together” so I think that’s part of it. I don’t blame them for that. I actually knew ahead of time that they were most likely going to say no. And I knew it was because of my own actions. But being clean now for three years and abiding by what I have to, I know that there will come a time where I will go back.”
Angle says whether WWE does or doesn’t induct him into their Hall of Fame, he’s good with it either way. Earlier this year, Angle was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame for his amateur wrestling accomplishments.
“Honestly? It’s not that important. I mean if they don’t induct me, that’s not going to kill me. To be honest with you, I would find it very hard to believe that they are not going to [laughs] especially with my talent, but it will come,” Angle said. “Either way, I’m good with it. You have to remember that not only did I have those troubles in the past but I left the company high and dry. Now, I did it for my own reasons and I did it for health reasons. And I’m glad I did it because I don’t know where Kurt Angle would be right now if I had’ve stayed. So I did the right thing. And whether they understand that or not is up to them but the thing is I know that a lot of fans want me to go back and finish up where I started. And I think that just about every wrestler has been able to do that. I expect it to happen. For me, I don’t want to do it this year. I’m not even sure if they want to do it this year. But eventually it’s going to happen.”
Looking back at his decision to quit WWE, he cites several reasons including his painkiller issues and being moved to the ECW brand.
“There are a lot of reasons. The main reason was the work schedule. I was probably on the road over 300 days a year. I was getting injured quite a bit. I did have a problem with painkillers. When they brought me into ECW, I felt like it was a demotion. Even though it wasn’t. I don’t think they planned it to be. They didn’t mean to, but they set that company up to fail. And I felt like I was part of it.”
Angle is currently a free agent and is planning to return to pro wrestling next year.
A fan was escorted out of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia after reportedly striking Strowman in the face during the dark match main event at Monday’s RAW. Strowman kept his cool and pointed security towards the fan, who was quickly pulled from his seat and taken away.
After several fan incidents in 2015, WWE stated their policy is to try and press charges for all incidents like these.
With less than two weeks to go until Wrestlemania 32, WWE returns to Philadelphia, PA tonight for Monday Night RAW.
– Stephanie McMahon comes out to address the crowd to open up the show. She cuts a promo on Roman Reigns, which brings out the former WWE champion. Reigns comes out to the ring and takes the mic from her. He says he’s going her to beat her husband and take his title back at WrestleMania. Steph goes to slap him but he blocks it and heads to the back.
– Kevin Owens def. AJ Styles: Owens starts off trying to keep Styles grounded. Styles dropkicks Owens to the outside and they brawl around ringside. Back in the ring, Styles hits Owens with some strikes and a reverse powerbomb for a 2-count. AJ misses a Pele kick, and Owens misses a cannonball in the corner. Styles hits a fireman’s carry into a backbreaker on Owens for another 2. Styles misses a hurricanrana off the top, and Owens hits a big frog splash for a 2 count. AJ hits a Pele kick and both men are down. AJ gets Owens in the Torture Rack and spins him around into a slam for another 2 count. AJ hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Owens for yet another 2 count. AJ sets up for the Phenomenal Forearm but Jericho comes out on the mic and distracts him. Owens rolls him up in a School Boy for the 1-2-3. Styles chases Jericho to the back after the match.
– While Owens is still in the ring, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz interrupt and argue about who deserves an Intercontinental Title shot at WrestleMania. Sami Zayn comes out next and says he wants his shot at Owens. Owens says none of them deserve a shot, but if they fight each other first, the winner can face him at WrestleMania for his title belt.
– Dean Ambrose is cutting a promo at a bar when he’s interrupted by Terry Funk. Funk gives him a chainsaw, which prompts an ‘ECW’ chant from the crowd. Ambrose starts it in the bar and chops up a table.
– Backstage, Stephanie McMahon tells Kevin Owens she approves of his idea for a triple threat match to determine the #1 contender for his WWE Intercontinental Championship.
– The League of Nations and The New Day come out to the ring to cut promos on each other. This leads to the two teams brawling and The New Day clearing the ring.
– Big E vs. Rusev: Big E dominates the match in the opening moments. Rusev gets in some offense but Big E hits a series of belly to belly suplexes. He goes for a big splash but Rusev gets his knees up and hits a spinning heel kick for a 2. Rusev goes for the clutch but Big E lifts up Rusev and drops him. Sheamus gets on the apron and argues with the ref so Rusev spears him to the outside. Back in the ring, Big E hits the Big Ending on Rusev for the 1-2-3.
– Backstage, The Wyatt Family cuts a promo about new beginnings.
– The Big Show comes out and cuts a promo about the Andre The Giant memorial battle royal at WrestleMania, but he’s interrupted by The Social Outcasts. They tell The Big Show he’s in serious trouble and they hit the ring and beat down Big Show. Kane comes out for the save and lays out The Outcasts. Big Show hugs Kane and yells “Kane’s the man.” Big Show climbs the turnbuckle to celebrate, and Kane chokeslams him off.
– They air a video package about Stan Hansen joining the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
– Chris Jericho def. Fandango: Jericho starts the match off by pummeling Fandango to the ground and chopping him in the corner. Jericho yells at him that he is a “stupid man.” JBL says Jericho is “the greatest Canadian of all time.” He goes to lock Fandango in the Walls of Jericho, but AJ Styles comes out and distracts him. Fandango goes to roll up Jericho, but Jericho gets out and hits the Codebreaker for the win.
– AJ hits the ring after the match, and Jericho retreats to the back. On the way back he uses a WWE production crew member as a human shield. AJ gets on the mic and challenges Jericho to a match at WrestleMania 32.
– They show a video about the upcoming Shane McMahon vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania. They interview Renzo Gracie and Shane’s other training partners, and show some of the history between Shane and Vince.
– Kevin Owens comes out to introduce the competitors in the triple threat match for the #1 contendership for his Intercontinental Championship. He first introduces Stardust first, Sin Cara second, and finally Zack Ryder.
– Zack Ryder vs. Stardust vs. Sin Cara – No Contest: Sin Cara and Stardust throw Ryder to the outside early on, and Sin Cara gets a 2-count over Stardust after a springboard hurricanrana. Sin Cara hits a springboard moonsault to the outside onto Stardust and Ryder at ringside. Sami Zayn, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler out and confront Kevin Owens. Owens throws Ryder down to the ground which makes the match a disqualification. All 7 men at the ring area start brawling, but eventually stop when they realize Owens has retreated to the back.
– Backstage, Stephanie McMahon is on the phone saying she feels uneasy about Roman Reigns. Kevin Owens interrupts and complains about having 6 men attacking him. She says he will now have to defend his Intercontinental Title against all 6 of those guys in a ladder match at WrestleMania 32.
– Triple H picks up Stephanie in a limo in the back and they go to leave. As the garage door pulls up, it shows Roman Reigns standing there. He pulls Triple H out of the limo and beats him down. Triple H fights his way back into the limo and they pull off.
– Charlotte def. Natalya: Natalya controls the opening moments, but Charlotte comes back and hits some of her father’s signature chops to the chest in the corner. Natalya hits a sit down powerbomb for a 2 count. Natalya gets the sharpshooter but Charlotte reaches the ropes. Charlotte hits the Natural Selection for the win.
– Bubba Ray def. R-Truth: Bubba controls the match early on. R-Truth comes back with a flying forearm and a splash in the corner. D-Von distracts R-Truth from the apron and turns back around to walk into a big boot from Bubba. Bubba gets the pinfall victory. Goldust comes out for the save, but instead receives a 3-D. The Usos come out and lay out The Dudleys with superkicks. The Usos throw a table in the ring, but The Dudleys escape and head to the back.
– Vince McMahon struts down to the ring to make an announcement regarding his son’s Hell In A Cell match at WrestleMania against The Undertaker. Vince says his “former son” Shane is the most formidable opponent Undertaker has ever faced at WrestleMania. Vince reminds people that, as Shane said, The Undertaker is his “bitch.” Vince says if Undertaker doesn’t beat Shane then WM 32 will be Undertaker’s last WrestleMania ever.
– Braun Strowman def. Dean Ambrose via DQ: Paul Heyman joins the commentary team for this one. Strowman keeps Ambrose grounded in the opening moments, but Ambrose gets in some offense including a stiff slap to the face. Ambrose hits a suicide dive on Strowman to the outside. Back in the ring, Ambrose hits a series of flying forearms on Strowman. He goes for the Dirty Deeds, but Strowman reverses. Ambrose grabs a steel chair from ringside and goes to work on Strowman. Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds onto Strowman onto the chair.
After being awarded $115 million in damages on Friday from a lawsuit against Gawker, Hulk Hogan wants to get the rest of his life back together. Hollywood Life reported on Monday that Hogan is looking to return to his previous position in WWE. Hogan was released by the company on July 24, 2015 when it was revealed one of his sex tapes contained a racist rant.
“Hulk Hogan is beyond pleased with the results and is looking to get his life back in order,” a source told Hollywood Life. “And he would love his job back with the WWE.”
All mentions of Hulk Hogan were removed from WWE’s websites after the racist comments were made public. In January, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that there was speculation within WWE that the company would be open to using Hogan again. Meltzer reported that if any of WWE’s big sponsors had an issue with bringing The Hulkster back, it would likely put an end to the idea right away.
Jim Ross recently spoke on WWE’s current broadcast team, and believes that Byron Saxton is in a good position to get over big with the fans. In an interview with Wrestle Rant Radio, Ross says Saxton should take advantage of all the TV time he’s currently getting.
“In WWE, more so than in most broadcasting, look is important, so that’s why Byron Saxton has such a presence, he’s on both shows. He’s getting a tremendous amount of exposure and an amazing opportunity to really break through because he’s got a great look, he’s intelligent and he’s well-spoken,” Ross said. “He needs to be becoming a star right now because he’s got an opportunity on two prime time television shows a week to get over. And he’ll get over by getting talent over.”
The WWE Hall of Famer also talked about his time doing commentary for NXT. Ross says he enjoyed working with the younger talent without the “politics” of WWE’s main brands RAW & SmackDown.
“I enjoyed doing the work down there because it was pure,” Ross said of NXT. “It was a situation where it was all about the product. The politics were melded away, there wasn’t a lot of pretense. It was very straightforward and positive. The kids were bright-eyed they wanted to learn, their minds were open. They saw opportunity awaiting them, so it was a very refreshing, positive environment to be around. I’ll tell you that in my last several years in WWE, my favorite thing to do was go to Florida and work with the NXT kids because that’s the future of the business. WWE has no investment in their company more important than their Performance Center. WWE runs on two things: talent and television. Without a stream of new stars being developed, they’re in big, big trouble. I had a great time down there and loved being around that environment.”
Bobby Roode and Eric Young are officially gone from TNA. The two reportedly asked for their releases on Saturday night due to pay issues.
Roode, who is now a free agent, spoke with The Peterborough Examiner about his decision to leave the company.
“It felt like it was the right time,” Roode explained. “After almost 13 years in a wrestling company I felt like there was nothing really left for me to do there. I wanted to mutually part ways. I have nothing negative to say about TNA Wrestling. They treated me very, very well. It was just a matter of me being in a part of my life where I’m not sure TNA was the right fit for me anymore.
“The brand has been stale for the last little while and the growth wasn’t there as it was in the early years. I’m a free agent so I can do anything I want as far as wrestling goes.”
Roode and Young are both currently free to negotiate with companies like WWE and NJPW.
WWE is releasing a DVD & Blu-Ray set about Scott Hall on July 4th, 2016 in the UK and July 5th in the U.S. The set is titled Living on a Razor’s Edge – The Scott Hall Story, and will feature a biography on the life of Hall. Hall will candidly discuss his life and career, and the set will also look at some of his greatest in-ring moments.
Here is the entire content listing for the set:
Disc 1
MAIN FEATURE (DOCUMENTARY):
A Life-Changing Event
Back in Orlando
A Storybook Life
Moving to Florida
Second-Degree
Getting His Start
AWA Experience
It Ain’t New York City
Razor Is Born
Another Level
Humble Superstar
A New Situation
Making Things Bigger
Falling Apart
A Dark Place
Fighting On A Daily Basis
Just What I Needed
One Place To Go
Bad Times Don’t Last
Back in the Family
Disc 2
DEBUT VIGNETTES:
From The Gutter
El Jefe
Chicas Are For Fun
Taking What You Want
Cleaning The Table
Beach Bully
Making A Wish
Forget The Past
Razor Ramon Outtakes
STORIES:
Just As Big As The Wrestlers
The Oz Mask
Scott Ramon
Let Them Be Kids
Don’t Ever Leapfrog Again
Weekend in ECW
Wake Up Call
WrestleMania 31
MATCHES:
American Starship vs. Inferno #1 and Inferno #2
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling • December 25, 1984
Scott Hall vs. Michael ‘P.S.’ Hayes
AWA Championship Wrestling • November 19, 1985
$100,000 Battle Royal
AWA Championship Wrestling • November 28, 1985
“In This Corner” with Scott Hall
AWA Championship Wrestling • December 20, 1985
AWA Tag Team Championship Match
Scott Hall & Curt Hennig vs. The Long Riders
AWA WrestleRock • April 20, 1986
The Diamond Studd vs. Tommy Rich
WCW Clash of the Champions XV • June 14, 1991
The Diamond Exchange vs. Brian Lee & Chris Sullivan
World Championship Wrestling • December 7, 1991
Razor Ramon vs. Paul Van Dale
Superstars • August 8, 1992
WWE Championship Match
Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. Razor Ramon
Royal Rumble • January 24, 1993
Razor Ramon vs. The Kid
RAW • May 17, 1993
Intercontinental Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon
Saginaw, MI • September 1, 1993
Intercontinental Championship Match
Razor Ramon vs. Rick “The Model” Martel
RAW • October 11, 1993
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels
WrestleMania X • March 20, 1994
Disc 3
Intercontinental Championship Match
Razor Ramon (w/ Walter Payton) vs. Diesel (w/ Shawn Michaels)
Longtime TNA performers Bobby Roode and Eric Young are officially gone from the company after asking for their releases on Saturday night. According to the PWTorch VIP, Roode and Young made their decision because of pay issues.
Roode and Young reportedly quit the company after asking TNA management for pay raises and were both turned down. Roode and Young had been with the company since 2004. Both are now free agents and can negotiate with other companies.
TNA has reportedly had issues with paying talent over the last couple years, but it’s not known if Roode or Young are among those wrestlers owed money.
Despite an earlier report from TMZ claiming that Sting was retiring from the ring, The Icon himself clarified his current status in a video over the weekend.
When asked by TMZ Sports, Sting said his neck is “okay” and denied that he is officially retired just yet.
“I’m not officially retired,” Sting said in a brief video interview with TMZ Sports. “There are a lot of rumors out there, but I’m not officially retired.”
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion didn’t elaborate any further, and could just be delaying his official announcement for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. He has not wrestled since being injured in s match with Seth Rollins last September and being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis.
When asked, Sting declined to comment on Hulk Hogan’s recent court victory over Gawker.
Dixie Carter, Eric Bischoff and Taz are among members of the wrestling world who’ve written congratulatory messages to Hulk Hogan after his lawsuit victory over Gawker. As David reported earlier, the jury found for Hogan on all counts and awarded a total of $115 million in compensatory damages. Below are some reactions to Hogan’s win, including from the Hulkster himself.
The El Rey Network issued a press release on Friday promoting Rey Mysterio’s first televised match for the company on March 23rd. The episode was taped back in December, and we have spoilers for Mysterio’s debut match here. Here’s an excerpt from Friday’s press release:
LEGENDARY AAA HALL OF FAMER REY MYSTERIO MAKES HIS GRAND ENTRANCE IN THE NEWEST EPISODE OF ‘LUCHA UNDERGROUND’
Notorious AAA Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio, steps into the Boyle Heights Temple for the first time in an all-new episode of “Lucha Underground,” this Wednesday, March 23rd at 8:00PM ET/PT on El Rey Network. Mysterio has captivated fans with his high-flying moves for over 25 years and this week he’s showing the luchadors why he is a force to be reckoned with. Still want more action? The Aztec Warfare match brings twenty of the temple’s finest masked heroes and villains to compete for the Lucha Underground Championship in an adrenaline-charged match unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. This is sure to be a mind-blowing match for the books! Don’t miss new one-hour episodes of the lucha libre wrestling series from Emmy Award®-winning producer Mark Burnett Wednesdays at 8:00PM ET/PT.
Mysterio’s first on-camera appearance for the company saw him speaking in a segment on the February 3rd episode. He is under contract with Lucha Underground for two seasons, until Summer 2017.
The March 17, 2016 edition of WWE SmackDown averaged 2,260,000 viewers on the USA Network. This is up from the previous week’s 2,186,000 viewer average.
SmackDown was airing against March Madness games and was ranked #7 in the Top 150 cable shows for the night. This is down from last week’s #6 ranking due to the competition from college hoops.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was recently joined by former WWE writer Vince Russo on episodes #303 and #305 of The Steve Austin Show. The two talked about the current state of WWE, and Austin revealed some details about his interview show on the WWE Network.
“A lot of the time, I hold back because I’m one of the boys and I’ve got to show up every damn month for a podcast,” Austin said of criticizing WWE TV. “It’s not my goal to run anybody down [or] run anybody down that’s in control. I love the [professional wrestling] business, but it is what it is. I have my opinion. Sometimes, believe me, I’m holding back when I’m talking about my opinions because I don’t want to shoot a hole in anybody.”
The WWE Hall of Famer says he does have some restrictions on what he can talk about on his WWE Network podcast, and that there’s a “line” he can’t cross.
“Sometimes, in talking, quite frankly, with WWE talent, you can’t go certain directions.” Austin continued, “there’s a line that is drawn that you really can’t cross over because they can’t bury themselves [and] they can’t talk about certain things, so, sometimes, it just is what it is.”
You can listen to Austin’s non-WWE Network podcast, The Steve Austin Show, here.
Paul Heyman is doing press to promote WrestleMania 32 on April 3rd and his new deal with Yahoo Sports. In an interview with AwfulAnnouncing.com, the former ECW owner spoke about his role as Brock Lesnar’s advocate, and how Lesnar’s current WWE run differs from his first one.
“There’s nothing different about being with Brock Lesnar day-to-day now than it was 14 years ago when we were first together in WWE except we’re both a little older and wiser and we both have more children than we did 14 years ago when we started together on television,” Heyman explained. “The run we’re having now to me is based on the credibility that comes along with the fact that when he left WWE he didn’t just go do odds and ends, he became the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world, knocking out Randy Couture and going on to becoming a three-time defending undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship of the world. He didn’t knock out some schlub, he didn’t knock out an interim champion, or someone who just fell into the division without a lot of competition – he knocked out Randy freaking Couture. Along with that comes an awful lot of credibility and with that comes authenticity and legitimacy that WWE can then exploit. So when we come into this run, you don’t have to imagine “wow, what would happen if this guy fought in UFC?” You know what would happen if he fought in UFC – he would take over the heavyweight division like he did. Now WWE fans have bragging rights, that’s the baddest dude on the face of the planet.
Heyman says he comes from a long line of insomniacs and enjoys his work, which includes managing Brock Lesnar and now producing content for Yahoo Sports.
“I work about 22 hours a day and I enjoy every moment of it,” Heyman claimed. “I don’t sleep that much, I come from a long line of insomniacs. I enjoy my life too much. I don’t have time to turn off the switch. If I’m sleeping I hope I’m dreaming of what project I’m going to be launching the next morning. This is too much for me. There’s too much enjoyment in what I do. I am genuinely exhilarated every single morning when my feet hit the ground because I truly enjoy the plethora of jobs that I have.”
On the subject of WrestleMania 32 being right around the corner, Heyman said the annual “mega-event” is “only getting bigger.” You can read the full interview here.
Samoa Joe turned 37 years old on Thursday. Joe fought Finn Balor at Thursday night’s live event from Coral Gables, a preview for their upcoming showdown at NXT Takeover: Dallas. Joe didn’t get the win on his birthday – but he did get a St. Patrick’s Day-themed birthday celebration courtesy of the NXT Champion.
Balor led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the Samoan Submission machine after their match. He then sang a classic Irish song in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Several readers sent word that there’s a restaurant in Monterrey, Mexico named “John Cena Burger & Taco.” The restaurant is obviously not affiliated with WWE. Menu items are named named after Cena, Batista, The Great Khali, Kane, Umaga and others. Despite the flagrant trademark violations, they have a decent 6.9 out of 10 rating on Foursquare.
Steve Austin says despite Dean Ambrose losing to Triple H in the main event at Roadblock, he feels Ambrose looked good in defeat. On the recent episode of The Steve Austin Show, Austin also said that Triple H performed so well at Roadblock, that if the WrestleMania 32 main event is a dud it won’t be The Game’s fault.
“I think [Ambrose] shined so much as a wrestler, as a performer, that this match got him over more in my eyes than he was before this match and I liked Dean Ambrose to begin with.” Austin explained, “this match elevated Dean Ambrose. Dude, someone who books can argue that point with me, but I stand by the fact that someone had to get beat and the right guy got beat and he got beat in the right way and it’s going to make him stronger and that kid’s got a great future. He did before this match [and] he really does now. He went out there on a big stage with a top guy and threw down.”
“Now, the stakes are high because Roman Reigns has got to go our there on the biggest stage of all with Triple H and Triple H is not going to crumble. [Reigns] is going to have one hell of a game plan and he’s going to be ready for the moment. Roman Reigns has got to go out there and execute now and do something just like [Ambrose vs. Triple H at Roadblock]. The stakes will be higher, there will probably be a few more bells and whistles involved, but, now, man, it’s put up or shut up time for Roman.”
Austin explained that he feels there is “big money” in the team of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, and that the sky is the limit for ‘Big Cass.’
“Enzo has a ton of energy and is very charismatic. ‘Big Cass’, talk about a guy that is 7 foot there. And I like what Enzo says. He’s talking about, ‘you can’t teach that’ and that’s a great catchphrase and it happens to be true. This kid’s 7-foot, good looking kid, and pretty damn athletic. A real bright future for both of these guys, but, in particular, when you look at ‘Big Cass’, there is no ceiling for this guy if he keeps catching on like he has.”
