SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Dolph Ziggler Talks About His Career, His Match With Punk & More

    WWE United States Champion Dolph Ziggler was interviewed by The Miami Herald this week. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    Being Taken Off The Main Roster Twice: “It’s a little scary, no matter how good you think you are or no matter how much you’re progressing. Anytime you’re taken off the full-time roster, and you have to kind of start over and work on your craft some more, when you’re off TV, it’s scary. I told myself if I got another chance, if, then I would be 100 percent ready to go. I went to two practices a day. I was watching my tapes. I didn’t want to come back and have them say, ‘Hey, let’s give this guy a shot. Oh, he’s OK.’ I wanted, ‘Wow, this guy could be the best ever,’ and that’s what I’m striving for.

    “I was lucky enough to come back, and I’ve been lucky enough to prove a bunch of people wrong, and now I go out there and when I walk back to the locker room, and it’s tough [for those wrestling next on the show] to follow my match.”

    Learning from Rey Mysterio: “When I was working by myself, I got a good chance to get in the ring with Rey Mysterio, when I was virtually an unknown. I got a good chance to get in there and learn from him and actually got a chance to steal the show, even if it was mostly Rey Mysterio and everyone knowing him. I said, ‘From here on out, I want that reaction every single time.’ So every time I went back out, I couldn’t wait to out-do myself, until one day I was the main star in the ring and someone’s trying to hang with me.”

    His recent RAW match with CM Punk: “A lot of people enjoyed the match, and my family and friends liked it. Honestly, since last Monday, I haven’t been able to sleep that well, because I really wanted that match to be one of the best ever, and it wasn’t. So I have something to build toward, and hopefully we’ll get to do it on a big stage, and if we do, I know we will tear the house down. I know it.”

    Check out these highlights from Ziggler’s match with CM Punk from RAW last week:

  • Bourne Back In Action, Update On Cena’s New Look, WWE-Japan

    – After serving a 30-day suspension due to a violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy, WWE tag champion Evan Bourne has been cleared to return to action.  Bourne will be appearing in Kansas City, MO this weekend at the Hot Jamz 103 Toy & Food Drive.

    – Regarding John Cena’s “new look” that we featured here on the site on Thursday (view here) – we can all breath a sigh of relief, as it’s not a permanent change. Cena whipped fans into a frenzy when he appeared at WWE’s live event from Japan wearing red and white “Zubaz” pants – and set the record straight on Twitter:

    “Had a great time in japan. Second night was throwback night. All hail “the dangerous man” Doug Bloodstone!”

    Not sure exactly what the Doug Bloodstone reference is all about – let us know in the comments section below if you do.

    – Japanese wrestlers Yoshihiro Takayama and Nosawa were in attendance for the RAW live event in Japan yesterday. After CM Punk defeated Alberto Del Rio in the main event, Takayama raised Punks arm from the crowd.

    – Here are some key business metrics for WWE during October, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

    • Average Domestic Live Event Attendance: 4.607 people.
    • WWE’s website’s total unique visitors: 2.8 million (down 10.5% from October 2010)
    •  WWE’s shop website averaged 710 orders per day.

  • R-Truth Posts Status Update, WWE Stars Headed to Afghanistan

    — R-Truth, who was written off television last week via Skull Crushing Finale onto the Raw SuperShow stage, posted a message on Twitter regarding his whereabouts.

    “Hopefully today I will find out when the Doc will release me to return back to the ring,” he wrote.

    He then wrote the following in response to his followers remarks: “I see we got sum smart azz Lil Jimmy’s about..”

    — Vince McMahon, Kofi Kingston, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella, among others, will be visiting troops in Afghanistan next week. Footage from the trip will air on WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops special.

    — Giant Bernard (a/k/a A-Train), Kensuke Sasaki and Yuji Nagata were among those visiting WWE during their trip to Japan this week.

  • Matt Morgan Talks WWE Return, His TNA Contract & More

    TNA tag champion Matt Morgan answered a few fan questions on Twitter on Thursday and shed some light on his future in TNA and a possible WWE return.  Morgan revealed that he is under contract for two more years and replied to a fan who asked whether he’d return to WWE when he becomes a free agent. Regarding TNA, he said:

    “Happy where I’m at. Biz changes so often though,that’s why u keep options open.”

    When asked directly about whether he’d consider another WWE run, he said:

    “Yes. But I’m ecstatic where I am now,so…I’m good.”

    Morgan was also asked about John Morrison’s WWE departure:

    “JoMo has been 1of my best friends so I’d be happy4him.”

    Whether he watches WWE:

    “I DVR EVERY SHOW from any co.” .

    He stated that his best friend in TNA was Kevin Nash, but now it’s Ken Anderson. He also said that Zack Ryder is “killing it”

  • CM Punk Insults WWE’s Twitter Initiative, Kofi Loses To Primo

    — During CM Punk’s appearance on the latest edition of Colt Cabana’s Art Of Wrestling Radio podcast (available on WeLoveColt.com and iTunes), the reigning champion took a swipe at WWE’s Twitter initiative.

    “I am on Twitter at CMPunk; that is my satirical way of making fun of how the WWE has beat the living shit out of Twitter in the last couple of weeks,” he said.

    — With new allies Epico and Rosa Mendes in his corner, Primo earned an upset victory over WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. The episode can be accessed at WWE.com. Other matches broadcast include JTG vs. Santino Marella and Heath Slater vs. Ted DiBiase.

    — Former WWE Diva Serena Deeb has been announced for K & S Wrestlefest, which takes place this Saturday at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport 76 Industrial Hwy. Essington, Pennsylvania.

  • Vickie Guerrero Takes Shot At Karen Jarrett, Clay Working SD

    — Thursday night on Twitter, Vickie Guerrero posted a fan’s remark knocking TNA Wrestling personality Karen Jarrett, who has drawn comparisons to the temperamental WWE manager.

    The comment reads “@KarenJarrett = @ExcuseMeWWE #TNAAwful.”

    This is not Guerrero’s only taboo tweet as she posted earlier “just voted “The Undertaker and Michelle Mcool” on “Who is the best real life wwe couple.”

    — Brodus Clay, who is listed as member of the Raw roster, is advertised for this weekend’s SmackDown live event tour. Booker T is also advertised to compete at the events.

    — A WWE SmackDown taping will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington.

    source: ProWrestling.net

  • WWE.com Wants Title Redesigned, Bourne Returning To The Ring

    — WWE.com has published an article pleading for WWE to abandon the present “Spinner Title” design and return to the pride and tradition radiated by past WWE Titles. The article lists the prestigious replacements from which to pick and offers opinions from John Cena, The Miz and current strap holder CM Punk. “The Voice of the Voiceless” is very much in favor of change.

    “YES! [The current title] is old and passé,” said Punk. “It’s gaudy and ugly. It says “Champ” instead of Champion! That’s ridiculous. I need a dignified title, not a blinged out rapper accessory.”

    — WWE is advertising Evan Bourne for Saturday’s Raw live event at the Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is eligible to resume competing as his thirty-day suspension for his first violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program expired Thursday.

    — The Miz appears on Conan tonight on TBS. The program airs at 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m.

  • Pictures: John Cena Debuts New Ring Gear In Japan

    After recently ditching his jean shorts in favor of camouflage shorts, John Cena debuted a totally new look at Thursday’s WWE live event from Japan.

    Cena came to the ring wearing a long red and white pants and a silver jacket with the word “Ribera” on it – a nod to the local Ribera steak house, which has been frequented by wrestlers for decades.

    We’ll see if Cena returns to his camouflage shorts when WWE returns to the United States this weekend.

    Comment Below and tell us if you think Cena should keep this new look.

    Check out these pictures of John Cena’s new look:

  • WWE Vengeance Draws Second Worst Buy Number Of All-Time

    WWE Vengeance 2011

    WWE’s Vengeance pay-per-view event on October 23, 2011 garnered 130,000 buys overall—70,000 in North America and 60,000 overseas.

    With the exception of the disastrous December to Dismember pay-per-view event in 2006, Vengeance is the lowest-selling domestic pay-per-view event in WWE history—dating back to the infancy of pay-per-view in the 1980s.

    December to Dismember, which was technically branded as an ECW event, drew 55,000 buys in North America.

    Vengeance was headlined by Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match, Mark Henry vs. Big Show in a World Heavyweight Championship Match, and Awesome Truth vs. CM Punk and Triple H.

    (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Video: Scott Hall Is Back With “Last Call With Scott Hall”

    Former WWE star Scott Hall is back with the latest of his “Last Call with Scott Hall” video series.

    In this episode, Hall narrates over video game footage from the old school WrestleMania arcade game (circa 1995). Hall drops a doozy of a quote when talking about WWE’s drug testing policy in the mid 90’s when he says, Vince was drug testing the dog piss out of us, so all we did was drink and take pills.” Nice.

    Check it out here –

  • Original Plans For Del Rio’s Title Run, Sin Cara, Another Stable

    – Back when Alberto Del Rio won the WWE Championship at SummerSlam (after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase), the longterm plan was for him to eventually drop the belt back to Punk at Survivor Series – which eh did. Del Rio dropping the WWE title to John Cena at Night of Champions and then recapturing it a month later at Hell in a Cell was somewhat of an “on the fly” decision in hopes of spiking ratings – which it didn’t.

    – With Sin Cara out of action for 6-9 months following his recent knee surgery, WWE officials are said to be “beyond disappointed” with the situation. Especially with Rey Mysterio currently out of action – Sin Cara was the company’s only mask-wearing superstar at the time of his injury – and WWE had a ton of new Sin Cara merchandise about to be released (including the infamous “P-Shirt”).

    WWE also reportedly had a major stunt planned for Sin Cara at the 2012 Royal Rumble – but that obviously won’t be happening.

    – With Primo, Hunico and Epico recently aligning themselves together on SmackDown, there are plans to add Rosa Mendes to the new stable.

    Following the recent breakup of Awesome Truth and the Wellness violation of tag team champion Evan Bourne, Hunico and Epico are being groomed for a run with the WWE tag team titles.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Update On Jericho’s WWE Negotiations, Morrison’s Future

    Chris Jericho: Wrestler, Rock Star, Author, Sexy Beast

    – It has been confirmed that Chris Jericho’s negotiations with WWE about a return have stalled out. Believe it or not – one of the big issues that turned Jericho off was the fact that he wasn’t included in the new WWE ’12 video game, which would have brought him royalties in the “five figure” range. While its understandable how Jericho would be upset by the snub (and the financial loss), others believe that Jericho would be foolish to skip out on a huge WrestleMania 28 payday as a result. There are said to be other factors keeping Jericho from returning at this time, but most believe he’ll be back in WWE again some time in 2012.

    As we reported yesterday, there are conflicting theories in WWE s to whether the cryptic “It Begins” promo videos are hyping the return of Chris Jericho or the Undertaker. One source stated that WWE created the promos with Chris Jericho in mind, but will use them to reintroduce The Undertaker in the event that Jericho doesn’t sign a new deal by the new year.

    In related news, there is also some speculation that John Morrison will return to WWE next year at some point. Morrison will be taking time off from WWE to rehabilitate his various injuries and take a shot at acting.

    (Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • WWE Site Pulls “Biggest Turkeys” Article Following Complaints

    WWE.com has pulled last week’s controversial Thanksgiving-themed slideshow article counting down the seven biggest “turkeys” to ever trot the squared circle. The page is now inaccessible.

    The list was heavily scrutinized by fans and former talent alike who felt it was hurtful as well as hypocritical. Former WWE performers Vito LoGrasso (a/k/a Vito) and Nick Cvjetkovich (a/k/a Kizarny) both took to social media outlets to respond to being labeled turkeys. Vito stated the following Friday on Facebook:

    “A lot of people are upset with the WWE today. They spoke of me in a negative way which put the fans in shock. How would they post something like this on a holiday?! I have a family and the kids are all upset. I thought they had an anti-bullying policy.”

    LoGrasso stated in a subsequent interview that he planned to take the matter to GLAAD and TMZ, pointing out the hypocrisy in WWE bullying him when they have an anti-bullying campaign in place.

    Cvjetkovich shared similar sentiments regarding his former employer’s demeaning piece as he called it “a dick move” in a YouTube video. He added on Twitter, “So much for anti-bullying @WWE @JoeyStyles. Receiving tons of positive messages is the only thing that saved my Thanksgiving that u wrecked!”

  • Austin’s New Action Movie, Cody vs. Goldust, New Divas Stable

    – To update the story of a potential Cody Rhodes vs. Goldust ‘Brother vs. Brother’ match, WWE officials are said to open to the idea, although it might not happen at WrestleMania, as Goldust is pushing on Twitter.

    – WWE officials have discussed putting Kaitlyn in a heel Divas stable with Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Natalya.

    – Former WWE announcer Todd Grisham will be hosting an American Kennel Club special on ABC in January.

    – WWE shipped 265,000 DVD units in October 2011, up 6% from October 2010. The top shipped WWE DVD’s for the year so far are:

    • WrestleMania 27 (232,000 units)
    • Best of WCW Nitro (138,000)
    • History of WrestleMania (120,000 units)
    • DX One Last Stand (109,000 units)
    • Randy Orton’s DVD (102,000 units)

    – “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s new action movie, which is currently shooting in Vancouver and co-stars Steven Seagal, will be titled, “Maximum Conviction.” Austin and Segal will play soldiers guarding female prisoners from mercenaries that are trying to kill them.

    Check out these pictures of Stone Cold Steve Austin & Steven Seagal on the set of “Maximum Conviction” –

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Several Celebrities Announced For Tribute to the Troops

    NBC TO AIR “WWE TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS,” FEATURING MARY J. BLIGE, NICKELBACK, MARIA MENOUNOS, GEORGE WALLACE AND MISS USA ALYSSA CAMPANELLA ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 9 P.M. ET

    NBC will join forces with the WWE once again to honor the United States Armed Forces with the fourth annual holiday telecast of “WWE Tribute to the Troops.” This year, WWE’s biggest Superstars, Divas and special guest stars, will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for the hour-long special airing Saturday, December 17 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

    In the grand tradition of Bob Hope, the most patriotic holiday special of the year will feature performances by Grammy Award winning R&B sensation Mary J. Blige, Multi-platinum rock band Nickelback, comedian George Wallace, and WWE’s biggest Superstars and Divas for thousands of Fort Bragg military personnel and their families at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC.

    Miss USA, Alyssa Campanella will make a special appearance along with Extra’s Maria Menounos, who will lace up her boots and step into the ring for a special Diva’s match.

    The special will also include messages of encouragement and thanks from various celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Jackman, The Muppets, Robin Williams, Bradley Cooper and Nicole Kidman among others.

    In keeping with the spirit of “WWE Tribute to the Troops” and bringing a little piece of Americana to service men and women overseas, the special will also chronicle WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and Superstars Kofi Kingston, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella’s goodwill visit to troops in Afghanistan.

    This trip marks the ninth consecutive year that WWE will bring its Bob Hope inspired entertainment to our service men and women to thank them for their commitment to the country and recognition of their sacrifices.

  • Evan Bourne’s Suspension Ends, WWE Paying Tribute To Rebels

    — Evan Bourne’s thirty-day suspension for his first violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program has expired. Therefore, he is now eligible to resume performing for the organization.

    WWE announced on November 1, 2011 that the WWE Tag Team Champion had been suspended for thirty days due to his non-compliance with their drug testing policy.

    Bourne, who’s real name is Matthew Korklan, was suspended after reportedly testing positive for Spice, a synthetic marijuana brand.

    — WWE Classics On Demand pays tribute to rebel wrestlers such as Brian Pillman, Superstar Billy Graham, D-Generation X, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in January with “Rebel Rumblings.” Click here for a video preview.

    — Former WWE Diva Trinity turns 40 years old Thursday. She joined the revived ECW brand in June 2006 but was released a year later.

  • WWE Raw House Show Results From Yokohama, Japan (12/1)

    SEScoops.com reader Hiroaki Kawafuji sent in the following report from today’s WWE Raw house show in Yokohama, Japan:

    – Zack Ryder defeated Jack Swagger. The crowds chanted “Let’s go Ryder”. Ryder hit Rough rider for the win.

    – Santino Marella defeated William Regal. Santino hit the Cobra for the win.

    – Alex Riley defeated Primo. The crowds chant “Let’s go Riley”. Riley hit spinebuster and Hit The Showers for the win.

    – Dolph Ziggler defeated Drew McIntyre and Mason Ryan to retain the US Title. Ryan hit full nelson buster to McIntyre and tried to cover but Ziggler prevented. Ziggler cover McIntyre for the win. After the match, Ryan hit full nelson buster to Ziggler. The crowds chant “USA”.

    – Kelly Kelly pinned Beth Phoenix. Former WWE Superstar Funaki come out as special guest referee. Kelly Kelly rolled up for the win. After the match, The Miz come out to the ring and hit scale crashing finale to Funaki.

    – John Cena & Big Show defeated The Miz & Kevin Nash. Cena hit the Atittude Adjustment to Miz for the win. After the match, Cena and Big Show celebrated.

    – CM Punk defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the WWE Title. Punk hit GTS for the win. After the match, Punk did high-five with Takayama. Takayama raised up Punk’s arm on the air.

  • Maryse Talks About Her Release, The Divas Division & More

    Former WWE Diva and Divas Champion, Maryse, joins Diva Dirt for an exclusive interview to discuss her release from WWE, her upcoming project, House of Maryse and look back at her entire career. In a near one-hour audio, Maryse talks to us about her release from WWE, why she’s done with wrestling, whether she’d go to TNA, whether she’d pose for Playboy again and more. You can listen to the full interview here.

    Maryse opens up about her relationship with The Miz, the scary stalker situation earlier this year, and reflects on her career. We talk to the Sexiest of the Sexy about her time in WWE ranging from the Diva Search, learning English on the job, the development of her character, winning the Divas Title, suffering a dislocated kneecap, the Divas division and so much more.

    Here are some highlights of what Maryse said about:

    Her WWE Release: “I think it was more mutual. I wanted to leave the company for a while now because I have other projects I want to work on and it was impossible to work on those projects being under contract with the WWE. I had six fantastic years with the WWE. I had a really good run. Two actually, with my two Divas Championships. After six years, I was looking at it and I said, ‘I need to keep growing’. That’s why I decided to take a break from wrestling and to leave because I wanted to focus on my next project which is House of Maryse.”

    “Also, living in LA, I have other opportunities that I want to work on and I would love to be working on the big screen. I love playing different characters, and I would love to be playing different characters in movies or TV shows, instead of continuing my career with the WWE. I’m a business woman, I need to keep growing and reinvent myself, so that’s mainly the reason why I decided to be like, ‘Okay, I think it’s time to move on to the next chapter now’.”

    Fans being upset to see her go: “The way I see it is, you can be a character on a TV show for years, then the TV show gets cancelled and your favorite actress or favorite comedian, you don’t see them for a little while and then you see them back doing something else. You can still be enjoying them performing on TV. To me, the WWE was… I was a character that I played for six years and now I’m ready to play a different character. They’ll see me again on TV. Everything is fine.”

    The Evolution of Her Character: “They always saw me wrestle as a babyface when I was in developmental, so when I got to TV, I said that I wanted to be a heel. I said, ‘Just trust me. Just let me be a heel and I’ll show you’. To me, it’s just characters. It’s a little bit of you obviously, but it’s just characters. All of that happened little by little, especially in the live events, I would do something and the crowd would react to it like the hand gesture or the hair flip. One day I did that. I was feeling sassy that day and I said, ‘You know what, I’ll try this tonight’. I did it and the crowd just reacted well to it, so I kept it.”

    Downside of the Divas division: “I feel like right now, all the girls they have in the Divas division are really talented and have so much potential. They can do so much. I just wish the WWE would give them more. You need to be able to build a character, you need to have time, you need to have a microphone and be able to talk so people can relate to you. Without that, it was really, really hard to build yourself- build your character, so I just wish they would give them more time and they would be more involved with the women’s division. They deserve it. There’s a lot of potential there, but you need to give a little bit to see that.”

  • Alex Riley Talks WrestleMania & Who He Wants To Feud With

    WWE superstar Alex Riley was recently interviewed by Jeff Wilen of JAWBreaker. Riley spoke about his experience at WWE developmental (FCW), his former mentor The Miz, his “A-Ri” nickname and more. Here are some highlights of what Riley said about:

    Q: Your latest feuds have been with Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. What feuds would you like to see in your future?

    A: “It’s very hard to predict what’s going to happen. It all kinds of changes month to month. I’ve been in the ring with The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Rowdy Roddy Piper. I’ve worked with guys at the top of the business. I expect to be there. I’ve been able to work with legends. I hope to be WWE champion one day. I’d love to see CM Punk in my future, but things are going good for him now. I expect to be in feuds with Christian and Mark Henry.”

    Q: Who would you want your WrestleMania match opponent to be?

    A: “I’d love to face John Cena one day. He’s a 12-time champion. He has made a mark at the top for so long, and he’s done it better than anyone. He’s kind of the measuring stick for me.”

    To check out the full interview, head over to Go386.com.

  • JR Blog: Cena Heel Turn, Undertaker-WM28, Morrison

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update at JRsBarBQ.com. JR wrote about a number of topics, including CM Punk’s popularity, whether Shawn Michaels is really retired, whether the Ultimate Warrior could get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, The Rock’s return to the ring at Survivor Series and much more.

    Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

    John Cena Turning Heel:“There is a large part of the beloved WWE Universe who enjoys booing Cena and like to see John in less than positive situations. So, what would said change be exactly? Cena would get the little kids and the women to boo him? Come on, and forgo all that merchandise that he sells? That makes zero sense to me. Cena’s in ring, TV persona is somewhat reminiscent of Bret Hart’s TV persona during a point in time of his WWE run. The Cena ‘turning into a full fledged villain role’ as some fans constantly encourage seems over thought in my opinion. ”

    The Undertaker’s Return: “There is rampant speculation as to when the Deadman will return, who he will wrestle at WM28, who wins, who loses in Miami, how many matches that Taker is planning on having before he retires and even more on his current hair style … The Undertaker is WWE’s most enduring star and ‘The Streak’ is as big a part of Wrestlemania as any thing on the card in the eyes of many fans. Adding the Undertaker to the WM28 mix, say after the first of the year, will add needed momentum to the April 1, 2012 event.”

    John Morrison’s Future With WWE/TNA: “Upon further review, it might make more sense than many John Morrison fans think for John to step away from WWE now that his WWE contract has expired. John has had a few injuries that rest and physical therapy will help greatly. Plus, he’s free to enjoy the holidays. I can see John taking a few months, perhaps even a year, off, heal, recharge his batteries and then return to WWE. Of course the obvious question from many fans is when will Morrison turn up on another company’s wrestling, TV show? Personally, I don’t see that happening but that’s merely one guy’s opinion. John is a talented athlete and certainly wish him the best.”

  • Jim Ross Thinks Steve Austin Will Wrestle One More Match

    Stone Cold Steve Austin

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross believes his longtime friend Steve Austin will compete in one more match – but it won’t be at WrestleMania 28.

    “I think he still has the itch to do one more match,” Ross said Wednesday during an appearance on 1560 The Game. “His health is better—there’s certain things he may not be able to do physically —but he’s in great shape.”

    “A year ago, I would have said there would be no more Austin matches. I’ve loosened my stance on that a little bit now. I think somewhere down the road—I don’t think it’s WrestleMania 28 because those attractions are pretty well in place with Rock and Cena—it would not surprise me to see Austin back for a farewell, one-time off situation.”

    J.R. also talked about John Cena’s appearance on “Piper’s Pit” Monday where WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper grilled Cena on the increasingly hostile reaction from WWE Universe members.

    “I’m not sure what they accomplished at the end of the segment, but I listened to every damn word of it,” Ross said. “So, they captivated my attention, but it was like the crazy uncle trying to reason with the defiant nephew about Cena’s reaction to the crowd.”

    Ross said he is often asked whether Cena should turn heel. He doesn’t think it’s necessary since Cena is a heel to one group of fans, but garners strong support from another.

  • Backstage News On Sin Cara’s Status and Questionable P-Shirt

    Vince McMahon is not as down on Sin Cara as had been feared immediately following Survivor Series, where he was suffered a ruptured patella tendon. It was pointed out to McMahon that accidents happen, and that, in fact, the WWE CEO himself tore both quads running to the ring at the 2005 Royal Rumble.

    Company officials are disappointed with the masked grappler’s twist of fate since a slew of merchandise was set to be released over the next few weeks not to mention that they were hopeful that he would face Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXVIII—WWE was looking to set the world record for most masks worn in one place at one time. It is believed that match will still take place sometime in 2012.

    Meanwhile, when the questionable Sin Cara T-Shirt surfaced this week, some people within the organization joked that even his T-Shirts were botching spots.

    (source: F4WOnline.com)

  • Steve Austin Interview: Wrestling CM Punk, Tough Enough, DVD

    In this month’s edition of the free online magazine The Wrestling Press, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin discusses his acting career and ideal opponent if he were to return to WWE’s squared circle.

    Here’s what he had to say:

    On wrestling CM Punk: “So yeah I hear the stories, if the stars aligned and all things worked out to benefit us all I’d say that he is the guy I’d pick to face. I could get another match out of this carcass of mine sure.”

    On filming a comedy: “Comedy, no one has asked really, I have a script in progress, kind of a spoof of the action genre and I do want to do that.”

    On his new DVD: “Looking back like that lets you see things you would change if you could go back. Early in my career I was in Ric Flair mode… I was really treading water for a time.”

    On Tough Enough 2: “I hear there will be a second series, I’d say there’s a 95% chance of it right now. I really did enjoy doing it.”

    TWP also has interviews with Bobby Roode and Japanese sensation Dick Togo. As well as many other original features, such as; Survivor Series, the forgotten PPV – Home Town Pride (how lack of territories have killed the fans passion) – Star Ratings debate – Super Dragon returns to PWG – The Impact of DG:UK – First ever SMASH champion (Exclusive!) – and much, much more. The magazine is available here.

  • The Latest On “It Begins,” Former Diva Returning, Chris Jericho

    – We’re hearing conflicting reports as to the meaning of the recent “It Begins” promos from RAW. While some believe the cryptic videos are hyping the return of Chris Jericho, another reliable source has informed us that the video is actually for the Undertaker’s return. Some are speculating that WWE hasn’t even decided yet on who will be the returning superstar. If Chris Jericho re-signs with WWE – they videos could be for him. If not, they’ll be for the Undertaker.

    – WWE is close to bringing back a former Women’s Champion to feud with Beth Phoenix and Natalya. No word yet on who that might be.

    It’s worth noting that former WWE diva Amy “Lita” Dumas was working with WWE today conducting an interview for an unspecified project.

    – Chris Jericho will be attending Metallica’s 30th Anniversary shows in San Francisco, California next week. He wrote on Twitter:

    “Shot a quick vid for next weeks Metallica 30th ann shows at the Fillmore.I’ll be there on Mon…such an honor to be invited! #metalupyourass”

    – Speaking of Chris Jericho, American Idol alum (and huge wrestling fan) James Durbin will be appearing on Jericho’s Rock of Jericho show this Saturday at 5pm EST on XM channel 164.

    (Partial source: f4wonline.com)

  • RAW Ratings: Viewership Plummets In Hour 2 Again

    — The November 28, 2011 episode of the Raw SuperShow scored a 3.2 cable rating, with 4,483,000 viewers. The show saw a significant drop in viewers as the first hour drew a 3.33 before plummeting to a 3.07 in the second. The show lost 296,000 viewers over the course of the second hour.

    By comparison, most network programming aired repeat episodes and Monday Night Football, which scored a 10.73 cable rating, was a blowout in the second half.

    — Former WWE performer Maryse Ouellet is scheduled for an autograph signing at Maryland Championship Wrestling’s show on Friday, December 30, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event is located at 2401 North Pount Blvd. Dundalk, Maryland 21222.

    — Jerry Lawler will be interviewed Thursday on The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius/XM (XM 121/Sirius 205).

    — The Great Khali is promoting THQ’s WWE ’12 video game on Saturday at Oberoi Mall in Mumbai, India.

    source: PWInsider.com