WrestleMania Axxess 2012

WWE sent out the following press release on Wednesday announcing the various attractions that will be taking place at the WrestleMania Axxess fan fest at the end of the month in Miami:

Cenation Action Zone – NEW FOR 2012! Visit the CeNation for fun, interactive opportunities to show your hustle, loyalty and respect. Test your trivia knowledge for your chance to win great prizes! Plus, record your own Cena-inspired entrance music, pose for the camera at the Cena vs. Rock photo shoot, climb the “Rise Above Hate” rock wall and more!

Inspired. Electrifying. Dominant. The Rock Experience – NEW FOR 2012! Take an epic journey through the historic life of The Rock and trace the path from his influential wrestling lineage and championship football career to WWE superstardom and Hollywood success.

Money in the Bank – NEW FOR 2012! Here is your shot at the Money in the Bank briefcase and winning a future WWE Title bout – take a photo and share with your friends and family!

WWE Universe Open Casting Call: Marine: Homefront Presented by WWE Studios – NEW FOR 2012! The WWE Studios team is looking for talent right here at WrestleMania Axxess! You have a shot at auditioning for a role in WWE Studio’s upcoming film, Marine: Homefront. Your audition will be posted on WWE’s YouTube channel for all to check out…do you have what it takes?

Out Think the Fink Game Show Presented by WWE Magazine – NEW FOR 2012! Have what it takes to stump the Fink? Here is your shot at winning an authentic Replica WWE Title.

Welcome Mat – Get what you need at this out-of-the box welcome center. Fans will be offered literature and assistance at this entrance feature.

The Main Event – Live matches and Q&As featuring WWE Superstars, plus a ton of contests where you could win prizes.

Superstar Signings – Get an autograph with your favorite WWE Superstar or Diva at stations located throughout WrestleMania Axxess.

Legends Signing – Get an autograph with your favorite WWE Legend at this station.

Superstar Entrance presented by Syfy – Fans can act out their favorite WWE Superstars’ ring entrance while being announced into the ring by a WWE announcer and download their experience at home to show off to their friends.

WWE Broadcast Center – On Thursday night be part of a special taping at WrestleMania Axxess to air the following night on SmackDown…and you may be on TV!

VIP Superstar Signing – Get the full VIP experience at Axxess – skip the line at several Axxess attractions, get ringside access at Main Event and a special autograph with a top WWE Superstar of your choice, including John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Edge and more!

Concessions – Take a break from all the excitement that WrestleMania Axxess has in-store for you at this eating area where you can enjoy a quick bite to eat and an ice cold beverage.

WWE Memorabilia – Experience WWE history while walking through the memorabilia area showcasing authentic WWE memorabilia from our Hall of Famers to our current Superstars, plus check out the new WrestleMania timeline showcasing the greatest moments in WrestleMania history. This year will feature more than 200 items, nearly twice the number of items from last year.

WWE Vehicles – Check out Stone Cold Steve Austin’s 4×4 that he rode to and around the ring at WrestleMania 25 for the ultimate beer bash and Vince McMahon’s infamous limo.

WWE Championship Titles – Get up close and personal with these memorabilia displays. Fans will check out past and present WWE Championship titles.

WWE Photo Shoot – Get a photo with your favorite WWE Superstar and Diva!

Undertaker’s Graveyard – Experience your dark side; walk through the cemetery with tombstones featuring the Undertaker’s 19 WrestleMania victims.

WWEShop – Fans of all ages will be enticed to purchase the hottest WrestleMania 28 gear and products with the option of purchasing on-line products at nearby kiosks.

Cover Shoot presented by WWE Magazine – Have your photo taken and inserted onto the cover of a WWE magazine.

Superstar Ink – The world is divided into two kinds of people; those who have tattoos and those who are afraid of people with tattoos; which one are you? Get painted in this authentic tattoo parlor.

National Guard – National Guard is the proud presenting sponsor of WrestleMania Axxess 2012! Stop by the National Guard Autograph Station to meet your favorite Superstars and Divas, race against a friend on the AMA Simulator, test your strength at the pull up and push up station, or get your photo taken aboard National Guard military vehicles.

Mattel’s WWE Display – Fit for a Champion! Experience the electrifying action of WWE with Mattel’s latest action figures, on display in some of the most amazing set-ups to date!

We are saddened to report that WWE Diva Kharma (Kia Stevens) did not deliver her son on December 31st, despite what she told friends.

TMZ.com is reporting that Kharma revealed to them that her baby passed away before she was able to give birth.

Kharma said she initially lied to friends about the child being healthy because she was incredibly emotional and afraid to tell the world the truth after announcing her pregnancy on WWE TV.

Kharma is planning on starting a charitable foundation for women who have experienced the same tragedy.

The Hulkster

Oh boy. A sex tape starring Hulk Hogan is currently being shopped around to the major adult film studios, according to a report at TMZ.com.

TMZ says they have seen part of the “grainy footage” – which shows Hogan getting undressed while a naked, unidentified brunette lays on the bed.

The woman is reportedly not Hulk’s ex-wife Linda or his current wife Jennifer McDaniel.

• Hulk Hogan’s Lawyer Responds To Sex Tape Reports

According to TMZ, the clip they saw shows Hogan taking his shirt off and bragging to the girl about how he’s started to work out again.

The “best part” of the footage they saw was Hulk Hogan’s thong-shaped tan line.

Vivid Entertainment President Steve Hirsch, one of the top executives in the porn business and the man responsible for Chyna’s latest WWE Royal Rumble-themed adult movie, says he was approached with the tape very recently by a third party.

No word yet whether offers were made to buy the sex tape, but it’s out there, brother.

Here are the NXT and Superstars results from Tuesday’s WWE tapings from Uncasville, Connecticut:

Dark Match:

* Xavier Woods defeated Hunico

WWE NXT:

* Tamina Snuka defeated Maxine

* Johnny Curtis defeated Yoshi Tatsu

* Darren Young defeated Jimmy Uso

* Percy Watson defeated Titus O’Neil.

WWE Superstars:

* Kofi Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler.

* Justin Gabriel defeated Heath Slater.

* Jinder Mahal defeated Ted Dibiase.

— WWE e-mailed a general schedule to people attending WrestleMania Axxess and former WWE Diva Lita will be among the stars on hand for the festivities. The former WWE Women’s Champion is advertised to appear at the event on WrestleMania XXVIII morning at 8:00 a.m.

— Matches taped Tuesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel

* Jinder Mahal vs. Ted DiBiase

— On behalf of ‘be a STAR,’ the anti-bullying alliance co-founded by WWE and The Creative Coalition, David Otunga spoke at an anti-bullying rally in Springfield, Massachusetts on Monday.

“Most people know me as being a WWE superstar in this larger than life character with muscles, larger than life, even arrogant character, but they don’t know that when I was a kid I was just like them,” Otunga told www.wwlp.com. “I was insecure, I was short I was picked on, I had thick glasses and I was smart, that didn’t help, because everyone called me a nerd.”

— Matches taped Tuesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut for this week’s episode of WWE NXT Redemption are as follows:

* Maxine vs. Tamina Snuka

* Johnny Curtis vs. Yoshi Tatsu

* Darren Young vs. Jimmy Uso

* Percy Watson vs. Titus O’Neil

WWE developmental wrestler Xavier Woods, who formerly competed as Consequences Creed for TNA Wrestling, competed in a pre-taping dark match. He defeated Hunico in a singles match.

Woods appeared before the WWE audience for the first time at Raw live events over the weekend. He defeated Curt Hawkins on all three shows.

— Regarding the relationship between Dwayne Johnson and John Cena behind the scenes, while the two are cordial with each another, they are not the best of friends. There is genuine tension between both stars, which was said to have intensified in the weeks leading up to Survivor Series.

One former WWE insider who has worked with both Johnson and Cena said of their relationship: “They aren’t buddy-buddy, that’s for sure. I’ve heard they’ve disagreed about a lot of things. They aren’t big fans of one another personally, but they are willing to carry on with business.”

— SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia announced on Twitter that she will be appearing at Planet Hollywood Times Square (1540 Broadway — 45th Street) on Wednesday at noon for a Q&A session with fans.

— Ring of Honor has released a two-disc DVD set highlighting Bryan Danielson’s (a/k/a Daniel Bryan) career with the organization.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

As we reported late Monday night, John Cena cut an emotional promo after RAW went off the air from his home town of Boston, MA.

Cena revealed to the audience that the last time he was in Boston, he received a text message from his brother after the show explaining he had an inoperable brain tumor. Cena said that through chemotherapy and treatment, the tumor is shrinking.

Check out this video from after RAW went off the air:

– The “History Lesson” promos featuring The Rock that aired on Monday’s RAW were actually shot on Sunday, according to PWInsider.com. The Rock came arrived in Boston on Saturday and was backstage all day at the TD Garden.

• VIDEOS from RAW: Watch The Rock’s Hilarious “History Lessons”

– Rey Mysterio featured on one of the official Wrestlemania t-shirts, another indication he’ll be involved in the event in some capacity.

– Alberto Del Rio and developmental star Dean Ambrose were backstage at Monday’s RAW. Del Rio returned to the ring over the weekend and is ready to return to television whenever the creative team has something for him. Ambrose worked SmackDown’s live events over the weekend and is also waiting to get called to television.

(Props to pwinsider.com for some of the info used in this report)

– The next live episode of SmackDown on SyFy will air the week after WrestleMania 28 on Tuesday, April 10th from Hampton, Virginia. As WWE has done with the previous live Tuesday SmackDown specials, the show will likely replay in its usual Friday night time slot. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

– As seen on Monday’s RAW, WWE is running a promotion with K-Mart where anybody that buys $30 worth of WWE merchandise at K-Mart can purchase a limited edition Wrestlemania 28 chair for “only” $75.

– The Trendrr.com Social Media Score for Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow dropped compared to last week. Monday’s RAW had a total activity score of 188,683 – down from 197,659 last week.

RAW fell to the #3 ranked cable show (in terms of Social Media activity) this week after spending 2 weeks at #1.

(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)

The official WWE Youtube channel has posted the latest episodes of WWE Download and RAW Backstage Fallout.

– In Episode 6 of WWE Download, Dolph Ziggler deals with some seriously unsocial networking:

– In the latest Backstage Fallout video, Jack Swagger, Zack Ryder and John Laurinaitis react to the events that took place on Monday’s RAW:

– Jim Ross tweeted the following message about the tremendous amount of pressure put on the shoulders of The Rock and John Cena if they are indeed the last match to go on at WrestleMania:

“Think of the pressure @JohnCena & @TheRock must feel if they are, obviously, called upon to follow everything at WM28 especially HIAC.”

Hit up the comments below and tell us who should go on last at Wrestlemania and how WWE should structure the card’s lineup.

– Zack Ryder mentioned on Twitter that he’s headed to the UK today to do promotional work for WWE.

– The security guards on RAW last night that escorted John Laurinaitis and David Otunga  out of the building were independent wrestlers Mark Shurman, Max Bauer, Matt Taven and Andy McKenzie. They train at Boston’s New England Pro Wrestling Academy.

– WWE is heading to Brazil in May with the following live events:

• May 23rd: Sao Paulo, Brazil (Ibirapuera Gymnasium)
• May 24t: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Maracanazinho Gymnasium)

– According to Joey Styles, the upcoming ECW DVD that is set to be released this summer will NOT feature any content from WWE’s revived version of ECW. Styles Tweeted:

“I’m being asked by many if WWECW will be included on this Summer’s new ECW home video release. The answer is OH MY GOD NO! Original ECW only”

Former WWE superstar Edge appeared on The Big J Show radio show (KRSQ Hot 101.9) this week to hype his upcoming movie “Bending The Rules” and his induction into the WWE’s Hall of Fame. Here are some highlights of what Edge said about:

Bending The Rules movie: “It stars me and Jamie Kennedy who, like me, is a complete idiot. It was an interesting process. I had done stuff before, but nothing to this extent where I was like one of the stars of the movie. I don’t look at myself as an actor. I never took classes, all my experience came from LIVE WWE. Both aspects are fun, but I gotta say I live is better, but a lot of that is I grew up wanting to be a wrestler.”

Christian Inducting Him: “It’s been a strange year. It’s been a surreal year. This time last year I was preparing to perform on Wrestlemania and not even a year later I am being inducted into the Hall of Fame and all kind of unexpected. It’s been a very cool year, but a lot of changes this year. They asked me who I wanted to induct me and I told them Christian because that’s the no-brainer. That was the last thing I said about it. I think it needs to be him.”

The Rock’s Return to WWE:  “Rock is a huge star, he should come back and be a huge star. The guy didn’t HAVE to come back. If you’re good enough, you’re not going to lose a spot. If you lose a spot, guess what, you’re not good enough. You shouldn’t be able to be taken off a show. My mentality was if guys came back I don’t care what they do, I know what I’m going to do and I’m going to get on that show. So if you don’t get on the show it’s your own fault.

– During one of the “History Lesson” segments that took place on Monday’s RAW, The Rock made fun of John Cena’s WWE merchandise, including a garden gnome dressed up like Cena. For the readers who emailed in asking if such merchandise exists – yes, WWE does sell garden gnomes. The WWE Shop websites has 4 different WWE-themed garden gnomes for sale – but none of them feature John Cena. The ones available for purchase include Hornswoggle, Triple H, Steve Austin, and… ait for it… The Rock. You can view the gnomes at WWEShop.com

– Michael McGillicutty and Curt Hawkins were stopped by police in Rhode Island last night but let go due to their status as WWE Superstars. Hawkins tweeted:

“So @WWEMcGillicutty & I just got pulled over by Rhode Island State Troopers. They recognized us from #NXT …They let us slide.”

– WWE Champion CM Punk appeared on Boston’s WAAF radio station on Monday to promote RAW. During the interview, Punk revealed that he’s pulling for John Cena to defeat The Rock at WrestleMania. Punk talked about his upcoming WWE DVD set – and said it might not get released in September like WWE wants because he has full control over what content goes on the DVD. You can listen to Punk’s radio appearance here:

– The feeling among most people backstage at RAW in Boston last night was that John Cena once again got the upper hand on The Rock, in terms of who was better on the mic.

• Videos from RAW: Watch The Rock & Cena’s Latest Showdown

– Brodus Clay was backstage at last night’s RAW Supershow in Boston but once again, was not used. Clay has been off television for several weeks and returned to action this weekend at the RAW brand’s live events, defeating Michael McGillicutty.

– All episodes from the first season of Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures are now available for “VIP members” on MRAHunting.com.

– To follow up on the news of FCW Diva Irena Janjic (Leah West) moving on after getting released by WWE, Janjic recently returned to Australia where she’s back working for the Impact Pro Wrestling promotion.

(Partial source: f4wonline.com)

Several people within the industry were tweeting during this week’s RAW .. Here’s what the following people wrote on Monday night:

Chris Jericho on His Feud With CM Punk:

“Jericho-3 Punk-0 #raw #iamthebestintheworld”

Zack Ryder on his Kiss with Eve:

“@EveMarieTorres kissed me…on the lips. #WWWYKI“

“I kissed a girl and I liked it“

“I don’t know what happened tonight. @EveMarieTorres kissed me. I don’t know what to think. Should I trust her?“

“I have re-watched @EveMarieTorres kissing me like 100 times. #yummylipgloss“

After Losing The US Title to Santino, Jack Swagger Wrote:

“I was robbed tonight by a imitation GM!!! I am the all American american,the greatest US champion Ever!@WWERawGM #EVER”

Teddy Long wrote:

“@WWERawGM @DavidOtunga How’s the weather out there, playas? #Holla“

John Laurinaitis on getting thrown out of the Arena:

“I think we can all agree that @DavidOtunga and I were victims of great injustice at the hands of @GMSmackDown tonight. This isn’t over. #Raw“

David Otunga added: 

“Teddy thinks he can kick me out of @WWE #RAW at TD Garden? Hmph! Harvard is just down the street. All will be rectified on#SmackDown“

Mick Foley wrote the following regarding Wrestlemania 28 and Santino’s US title win:

“..it looks like the chances for me being part of Mania are looking somewhat limited. Running out of options.” and “It’s a @milanmiracle ! Santino, Santino, Santino! Congratulations, my friend!”

William Regal Talking About The USA & England’s History in Boston:

“A lot of British bashing by The Rock on #Raw.He wants to not worry so much about John Cena and worry about getting a dry slap from me.”

R-Truth vs. Kane

US Title Match: Jack Swagger vs. Santino

Big Show vs. The Miz

Alicia Fox vs. Eve

CM Punk & Sheamus vs. Chris Jericho & Daniel Bryan

Eve kisses a stunned Zack Ryder

The Rock educates John Cena at historic locations throughout Boston

Shawn Michaels reveals he is the guest ref for Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania

The Rock and John Cena engage in a WrestleMania war of words

— It was announced at Monday’s Raw SuperShow at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts that Night of Champions will take place at the same venue on September 16, 2012. There will be a pre-sale this week on Ticketmaster.com with the code WWENOC.

— Triple H will compete at WWE’s Road to WrestleMania event at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 2012 as he teams up with CM Punk and Randy Orton in a Six-Man Tag Team Match against Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler.

Also announced for the show: World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry; John Cena vs. Kane in a Last Man Standing Match; R-Truth vs. The Miz; Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder.

— WWE Champion CM Punk shot footage for his upcoming DVD Monday in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Oh hey. Day 1 of filming for this little DVD thing I’m doing. No time like 5:30 AM to capture my true crabby essence,” he wrote on Twitter. “Man. This DVD is going to be so great. #LWF #MAW #SDW #IWA #IWC #ROH #OVW #WWE.”

source: PWInsider.com

— With SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long taking control of Raw Supershow Monday night, he announced last Friday on SmackDown that David Otunga would face The Great Khali in a singles match. The match did not take place despite his announcement and being advertised on WWE.com. Instead, Otunga accompanied John Laurinaitis ringside for the United States Championship Match between Jack Swagger and Santino Marella while Khali squashed Curt Hawkins in a pre-show dark match.

— The Miz debuted a new T-Shirt on Monday’s Raw SuperShow prior to his encounter with Big Show. The shirt, which is labeled The Miz Onslaught of Awesomeness Augmented Reality Authentic T-Shirt, is available for purchase on WWEShop.com.

— WWE.com has published a photo gallery highlighting Lex Luger’s career with World Championship Wrestling.

— Former WWF star Killer Khan turns 65 years old Tuesday while former WCW United States Heavyweight Champion David Flair turns 33.

— With next week’s Raw SuperShow emanating from the city of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio, a special event will be presented: The Rock in concert and John Cena rapping.

— The Miz lost in short order to Big Show on Monday’s Raw SuperShow via WMD. This extends the former WWE Champion’s losing streak to nine consecutive losses in televised singles matches. He has not won a televised singles match since the December 5, 2011 Raw.

— SportsCenter anchor Robert Flores was in attendance at Monday’s Raw Supershow in Boston, Massachusetts.

— The announced attendance for Monday’s Raw SuperShow at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts was 16,286.

– After Monday’s RAW from Boston went off the air, John Cena cut a promo and revealed some very personal information – that that his youngest brother has cancer and is recovering from recent surgery.

Cena said he’s so happy that his brother is doing better that he would drink Jack Daniels and eat some Kung Pow Chicken. Cena’s hometown crowd popped huge for the feel-good moment.

Back in December, John Cena wrote the following on Twitter regarding personal issues he was going through:

“Very difficult month for me,personally. It’s times like these that I see truly how much I love wrestling. I am truly thankful for what I do. Adapt. Overcome. And now, more than ever before Rise Above Hate. I f’n love you guys. Even the ones that hate my guts. U get me thru each day..thick and thin. Thank u. For everything. Thank you.”

– Next week’s RAW from Cleveland, Ohio will feature a face-to-face confrontation between the Undertaker and the man who will referee his Hell in a Cell match against Triple H at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels.

– The Rock has signed on to star in two more upcoming movies, according to entertainment industry publication Variety.

The Rock will star as Hercules in director Bret Ratner’s upcoming Hercules movie, which begins this production this October in New Zealand.

Rock has also signed on for a movie called Ciudad. Rock will play a black market mercenary who was hired by a Brazilian drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

– Friday’s episode of WWE Smackdown did a 1.97 cable rating with 2.9 million viewers. This is up from the previous week’s live show on Tuesday, which drew a 1.7 and averaged 2.32 million viewers.

Partial Source: PWinsider.com

More Videos From Monday’s RAW Supershow (3/5)

Shawn Michaels will referee Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28

– Shawn Michaels announced on Monday’s RAWe that he will be the special guest referee of the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania between Triple H and the Undertaker.

– Santino Marella is the new WWE United States champion after defeating Jack Swagger on RAW. John Lauranaitis, who was ringside with David Otugna, tried to overturn the title change, but Teddy Long came out had them removed from the building by security. Santino had an emotional celebration in the ring.

— Jack Swagger will be defending the United States Championship against Santino Marella on tonight’s Raw SuperShow.

“Big title match tonight vs jack swagger, I have something for him that starts with “Co” and ends with “bra!” Marella tweeted.

Big Show also teased a possible match against The Miz. He tweeted, “Would anyone like to see me knockout @mikethemiz tonight on raw?”

— Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Kelly Kelly granted her first wish backstage at Monday’s Raw SuperShow.

She wrote, “Just did my first ever @makeawish, it was an amazing honor, and Jerry is such an incredible young man. http://pic.twitter.com/y0BYm2Q3.”

— Eve Torres posted a blog on her official website saying she plays a character on WWE programming.

“I know all of you have been tuning into Monday Night Raw every Monday on USA, but here is a brief recap of some of the recent developments in my character,” she wrote. “How can anyone blame me for my actions?? This is the beginning of a new era for Eve Torres, and I don’t regret a thing!”

Kelly Kelly responded to her post via Twitter, “So you really don’t use people? Good to know after reading this blog that your acting as a “character.”

— SmackDown Diva Alicia Fox will be competing on tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Boston, Massachusetts.

“I’m pumped for the show and feeling ‘Foxy’ as usual. Time to blow the roof off the Gardens diva style #DivaDuty!!!!” she tweeted.

— WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan appeared at the Variety Club telethon in Iowa this past weekend. He has appeared at the event in the past.

source: F4WOnline.com