Here are some highlights of what various WWE personalities wrote about Sunday’s Vengeance pay-per-view on Twitter:
Vickie Guerrero: “At the end of the night, at least I still have some Gold….great job @HEELZiggler for US Champion”
Natalya: “I guess I’ll be watching @TheBethPhoenix backstage – I’m so mad. Kelly is such a whiner. Thanks for ruining my night @RealKellyKelly”
Zack Ryder: “Sorry Broskis…”
Jim Ross: “Amazing impact! San Antonio crowd came alive. Show & Henry both down. So is the ring. Looks like Henry-Show might be a no decision. Chaos..”
“ADR beats Cena to retain WWE Title…w/ help from Miz & Truth. Very physically intense match. Two Sore dudes tomorrow”
“Nasty crash by HHH thx to super sized power bomb from @RealKevinNash. Cringe worthy.”
“US Title means less when commentary veers off course. Could someone be feeding Cole those untimely, lame JR jokes? Nah.”
— The November 2011 issue of Maxim features an article on CM Punk (who dubs him wrestling’s “next megastar”) and it is publicly acknowledged for the first time that Beth Phoenix is his girlfriend. “The Glamazon” is quoted in the piece as she recalls the reaction backstage to his scathing on-air speech on the June 27 Raw concerning the way in which WWE is run and its owner, Vince McMahon.
“I was in the dressing room,” recalls Phoenix, “and everyone sprinted over to see what would happen when he came backstage. Would he get fired on the spot? Would there be some sort of fight?”
Punk entered a side door backstage, coming up behind the mob of wrestlers and personnel. They formed a circle around him. “Then, legit, everyone began to hug me,” Punk recalls. “I’m talking cameramen, guys who work the boom backstage, everyone.”
— Bobby Lashley is advertised for a special appearance at Family Wrestling Entertainment’s November 5 event at The Hall at St. Paul on 59th and 9th in Manhattan. He will also be participating in a meet and greet prior to the show. Visit www.fwewrestling.com for more information.
— After parting ways with WWE and the professional wrestling industry three years ago, Cherry now works at SeaWorld.
She wrote on Twitter, “So the most asked question is what have I been doing since wrestling…..I’m a tour guide at Sea World!!!! Love u @NatbyNature and @KiddWWE.”
— Darren Young, who is currently serving a thirty-day suspension due to his first violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program, made a surprise appearance at Saturday’s Independent Wrestling Federation event in Woodland Park, New Jersey. On behalf of “the boys in the back,” the IWF graduate presented promotion head Kevin Knight with a plaque recognizing his fifteen years of service to the professional wrestling industry.
“The nicest thing anyone ever did for me was Darren Young flying in for tonight’s IWF event and come to the ring to surprise me and the fans,” Knight wrote on Facebook. “The man who trained me 15 1/2 years ago Rik Ratchet was there. Original IWF Commissioner AJ Sparxx & Biggie Biggs on the card! ALL FOR THE FANS!”
— WWE developmental wrestler Tito Colon was brought on the road this weekend for an evaluation. At last night’s WWE Supershow in Corpus Christi, Texas, he partnered with Primo, his real-life cousin, and lost to Jey and Jimmy Uso.
Prior to Carlito’s dismissal from WWE, creative plans were in place for Tito to be promoted to the main roster and form a three-man stable.
— Zack Ryder announced on Twitter that he is holding a Broski Halloween Costume Contest. He wrote, “Tweet me a pic of your Zack Ryder costume by 11/1. Winner will received package of signed ZR merchandise! 4 Runner ups will receive signed Zack Ryder 8×10. Happy HalloWOOWOOWOOeen!”
— Bill DeMott and Alicia Fox were at Florida Championship Wrestling’s headquarters in Tampa last week mentoring WWE’s female developmental talent.
— John Cena stated on Twitter that he will be on hand for Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Houston, Texas.
— WWE Network’s planned reality series that will follow the Divas on a private tour bus will be titled WWE Divas Heels on Wheels. The program is described as “a reality show that welcomes you aboard the private Divas tour bus as it travels from venue to venue. Cameras will roll 24/7, capturing the unscripted bonds, battles, and behind-the-scenes drama that only our WWE Divas can deliver when their public and private lives merge on the open road.”
— Zack Ryder stated on Twitter that WWEShop.com will no longer sell the “Take Care, Spike Your Hair” T-Shirt.
— WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales turned 69 years old on Saturday.
Jim Ross answered a series of fan questions Saturday on Twitter including whether he’d ever consider joining TNA Wrestling, why Chris Benoit and Owen Hart have not been enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame, why SmackDown isn’t live, and more.
Matt Hardy returning to WWE: “Matt Hardy should get clean and sober & not worry about wrestling until his life isn’t an embarrassment & being put at risk.”
Why SmackDown isn’t live on a weekly basis: “Smackdown isn’t live because of exorbitant, increased tv production costs of keeping production crew on road all week.”
If reports of him penning an autobiography are true: “Not true..more Internet dirt. I’m not in process of writing a book. ‘maybe’ some day.”
If he’d ever join TNA Wrestling: “I’m a WWE guy plus TNA has excellent announcers & they don’t need my services.”
Why Owen Hart is not in the WWE Hall of Fame: “Owen Hart has not been inducted because of potential legal issues w/ his estate, etc.”
Why Chris Benoit is not in the WWE Hall of Fame: “Why #ChrisBenoit not yet inducted to #HOF?…. You can’t be serious.”
The fan replied, “Benoit was a GREAT wrestler, you’ve got to give him credit for that.”
Ross responded, “No one ever said Benoit wasn’t a great wrestler did they? The last few days of his life precludes his HOF status.”
— Jim Ross tweeted an update on Gerald Brisco’s health Friday after the WWE Hall of Famer suffered a “mild stroke” on Wednesday as he was being driven to the airport to scout amateur wrestlers for WWE at the Pan American Games.
Ross wrote, “Jerry Brisco is home from a Tampa hospital. Feeling better. Still has more tests to under go. My friend’s a fighter.”
— Michelle McCool will be chatting with fans on November 18, 2011—seven years to the day of her WWE debut. The chat will take place on MichelleMcCool.net.
“In our first-ever live chat with Michelle, you’ll have the opportunity to chat with the former WWE Diva; whether it is asking follow-up questions from her two-part audio exclusive with us, sharing random observations that have always been on your mind, to just sharing your day, this is your opportunity to express yourself, and even get an instant reply!”
Heath Miller, who WWE suspended Monday for 30 days due to his first violation of their Talent Wellness Program, issued a statement Friday concerning the event. “Mr. Excitement” wrote:
“As most of you already know, I am going to be out of the WWE spotlight for the next few weeks. Of course everyone is going to form thier own opinions on why that is but I don’t feel the need to explain myself to all the SLATER HATERS out there running thier mouths. There R plenty going to focus all my efforts on being the best Superstar I can be – MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY… TO MYSELF, MY FRIENDS, FAMILY AND TRUE FANS.
“I am truly sorry to have disappointed you. I made a simple mistake… everyone does once in a while. But trust me when I say I will NOT be making this one again. I PROMISE upon my return you will see a more determined, fearless, confident and improved person. Im going to be THE MAN I WANT TO BE. So let the countdown start…”
CM Punk is in “top consideration” for the WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania XXVIII since company officials are leaning against the title being on the line in the match pitting John Cena against The Rock.
The heavily hyped bout is not expected to be for the title because WWE brass feel the finish would be too obvious since fans don’t expect The Rock to leave WrestleMania as champion.
Cena will reportedly be removed from the title picture following Sunday’s Vengeance pay-per-view, which would indicate that Alberto Del Rio will retain the title in their Last Standing Match. Cena will begin building towards his partnership with The Rock at Survivor Series while Del Rio is expected to enter a program with Punk.
— NBC announced their lineup of holiday programming for 2011 and it’s noted that WWE’s annual Tribute the Troops special will air Saturday, December 17 from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. EST.
The press release states: “The network will once again honor the United States armed forces as World Wrestling Entertainment in conjunction with NBC, will air the fourth annual holiday special ‘WWE Tribute to the Troops.’”
— Big Show is currently in Japan promoting WWE’s upcoming Raw live events at the Yokohama Arena. He participated in an interview with wwe.co.jp and discussed his return to the ring, whether he prefers competing as a singles wrestler or in a tag team, his favorite Japanese food, and more.
— WWE Hall of Famers Pat Patterson and Tito Santana have been added to K & S Wrestlefest, which takes place Saturday, December 3 at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport 76 Industrial Hwy. Essington, Pennsylvania.
As we’ve been reporting here on the site – former WWE diva Stacy Keibler is dating Hollywood megastar George Clooney. After keeping their romantic relationship private for several weeks – the couple is now making public appearances together.
Keibler joined George Clooney on the red carpet at the Paris premiere of his new film “The Ides of March” earlier this week (10/19) .. and suffered a good-old-fashioned wardrobe malfunction.
Check out these pictures of Stacy Keibler and her new beau, George Clooney, at a movie premiere in Paris from earlier this week:
Former WWE and TNA star Travis Tomko posted bail on Thursday and was finally released from jail, according to the St. Augustine Record. He’ll be headed to WWE-sponsored drug rehab immediately.
Tomko’s attorney James McCune told the newspaper:
“He’s very grateful for all the support he’s received from his friends, family and fans around the world. Mr. Tomko realizes he is struggling with an addiction and with the support of his family and the WWE, he is voluntarily checking himself into an undisclosed treatment facility to receive the help he needs for a successful recovery.”
Tomko was arrested earlier this month after robbing a CVS pharmacy of oxycodone pills and getting caught in the bathroom of a Chili’s restaurant injecting over a hundred melted-down pills.
For much more on Tomko’s arrest, check out our Tomko News Page.
Earlier this week, we reported that Chris Jericho is telling friends and former colleagues that he’s in talks with WWE officials about returning to the organization in time to set up a match at next year’s WrestleMania 28.
WWE’s first-ever Undisputed champion has acknowledged the report – and wrote the following on Twitter on Thursday night:
“After discussing this with my colleagues,my response to today’s rumor is: a) false b) true c) maybe d) all of the above e) none of the above”
Several weeks ago, we heard from a reliable WWE source that a Chris Jericho vs. The Miz match is being discussed for WrestleMania .. There’s no doubt WWE could use as much star power as they can get headed into WrestleMania – and with Jericho reportedly interested in returning to WWE at some point – a WrestleMania showdown with The Miz sounds pretty damn good to us.
The Hollywood Reporter calls The Reunion a “lame action-comedy” that’s best suited for late night cable television, when viewers are half asleep and zoned out. They suggest that Cena, who already has a few movies under his belt (The Marine, 12 Rounds), is probably best off spending his time in the wrestling ring and not on the movie set. From the Hollywood Reporter review:
“Latest effort from WWE Studios is pinned to the mat.”
“There’s one thing to be said about WWE Studios — they’re consistent. Every one of their movies designed to showcase their stable of popular wrestling stars has been a critical and commercial disaster. The latest example is The Reunion, a lame action-comedy that seems ready made for undiscerning late-night cable viewing. This John Cena starrer receiving a token theatrical release provides further evidence that perhaps films are not the company’s forte.”
“But mainly the proceedings revolve around the expected action sequences, leavened by attempts at comedy, that fall flat in both areas. Needless to say, Cena is an imposing physical specimen, but after this and such previous efforts as 12 Rounds and The Marine it may be time for him to concentrate on the ring.”
Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel’s Roger Moore has reviewed WWE Studios’ The Reunion with John Cena and has some negative things to say about WWE’s latest effort. Moore gave the movie one star (out of 4) and had the following to say:
“Now Mike Pavone’s last picture for WWE comes out, “The Reunion,” a split personality action comedy that fails to please either impulse. The action is wan, the laughs hard to come by. They spent the money, as they often did under Pavone, on surrounding a wrestling star with decent actors (Amy Smart, Ethan Embry, Michael Rispoli). But an incoherent script gives them too little to do.”
“Wrestler John Cena has become a comfortable screen presence, within a certain range. He’s OK as a cop on disciplinary leave forced to form a sort of bounty hunters business with his siblings in order for them all to receive an inheritance.”
“Coming at the end of a string of flops, “The Reunion” makes one wonder about the motives and business model for this whole enterprise.”
WWE taped Friday’s episode of SmackDown on Sunday night from Mexico City, Mexico. Credit to SEScoops.com reader [Little] Jimi for this report:
* WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio opens up the show and talks about it being a historic SmackDown. Del Rio isn’t up to wrestling tonight. Teddy Long comes out and announces Big Show vs. Del Rio for tonight.
* Mark Henry defeated John Morrison with the World’s Strongest Slam.
* Teddy Long announces Sheamus vs. Christian and Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler for the United States Title at Vengeance. The Tag Team Title match must have changed.
* Wade Barrett defeated Daniel Bryan in a great match.
* Sheamus and Zack Ryder beat Christian and Dolph Ziggler in an excellent tag match. Ryder and Sheamus were both over big time.
* Cody Rhodes comes out with his baggers to cut a promo on Randy Orton and their match at Vengeance. Randy Orton comes out and ends up hitting the RKO on one of Cody’s workers.
* Sin Cara Blue defeated Sin Cara Black in a Mask vs. Mask match. The original Sin Cara used the La Mistica for the win in a great match. Both were over with the crowd. After the match, Black Cara’s mask had to be removed by force. Another report suggests that Blue Cara won by submission.
* Mil Mascaras came out to a big ovation. Triple H was joined by Carlos Cabrera in the ring to announce Mascaras for the 2012 Hall of Fame. This appeared to be an off-camera segment.
* WWE Divas Champion Natalya and Beth Phoenix come out to talk about Vengeance. Beth’s opponent Eve Torres comes out. Eve ends up hitting Beth before fleeing the ring.
* Big Show defeated Alberto Del Rio by DQ in the main event after Ricardo Rodriguez interfered. Mark Henry came out pissed but Big Show stopped him from entering the ring and they stared each other down to end the show.
* Dark Match Main Event: Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton go at it until Cody Rhodes interfered. Blue Sin Cara ran out and saved Randy Orton and the two celebrated to end the show.
— WWE has applied for registrations on two trademarks, Ryback and Avalanche.
The registration of the Ryback trademark suggests that Skip Sheffield will be repackaged with a new character upon his return from injury. Prior to assuming the cowboy persona in WWE’s developmental system, he appeared as Ryback, an indestructible “Terminator” style character billed from “The Future.”
— Shelly Martinez is advertised to appear at Super Megafest, which takes place November 19 and 20 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts. She will also be appearing at an afterparty on November 19 at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Boston. Click here for event details.
— Tough Enough winner Daniel Puder is promoting an anti-bullying event. The event takes place Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Burbank, California at the AMC-16 at the Burbank Promenade.
Speaking to SunSport, Gail Kim described WWE’s fickle approach to what wrestling maneuvers the female performers were permitted to perform in a “PG” environment.
“I heard many times that they want the Divas to be girly,” Kim said. “They didn’t care about the heel girls getting any heat. We just didn’t understand.
“They did everything in their power, it seemed, to take everything to give us a good match, for the heels to get any heat. It was no kicking one week, or no punching the next. No this, no that. It was at the point where I was asking whether we could do anything at all. Every week the rules would change.”
Kim also stated her belief that WWE officials keep tabs on TNA Wrestling more than they let on. She said, “Everyone in the office acted like they had never seen our stuff, which makes me laugh because Johnny hired me back for a reason.
“It’s funny how people in the office act like they never watch TNA, follow TNA or know anything that’s going on with TNA. In my opinion they are all lying!
“They all knew who Kia was after what she and I did in TNA. They hired me back for a reason. If I was doing nothing during that time I don’t think I would have got hired back.”
WWE is looking to launch the WWE Network as soon as April – which is much earlier than many were expecting. By launching around the time of WrestleMania, WWE can take advantage of the increased exposure WrestleMania will bring to the product.
As you can imagine, there will be a very aggressive marketing campaign leading up to the network’s debut.
WWE has been conducting a number of online surveys in recent months – asking fans to name WWE shows, whether they’d switch cable providers in order to get the WWE Network and if they want to see WWE PPV events aired for free on the network.
Originally, WWE discussed having the Big 4 pay-per-views (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series) – but the latest plan is for the secondary events to air on the network and to cut the PPV schedule from 13 to 4 (the Big 4). WWE makes around $25 million in revenue from WrestleMania and giving that away for free would likely be a disaster for the company. If WWE gave away the Big 4 events free to subscribers of the network – it’s unlikely anybody is paying $45-55 for a Vengeance PPV.
Shows discussed publicly so far for the WWE network include WrestleMania Rewind, a “Legends House” show where former WWE superstars live together, a Divas Bus Tour show following their life on the road and a Monday Night War recap show.
During the piece, Scott Hall reconnected with his estranged son Cody – and teaching his son the art of pro wrestling. According to a report on TMZ.com – that family reunion was short lived – as Scott Hall’s substance abuse already caused another major falling out between them.
Boston’s TD Garden website, which will host a 3-hour episode of WWE RAW on November 14th, has posted the following preview – hyping The Rock’s appearance and the WWE television return of Mick Foley:
FINALLY THE ROCK COMES BACK TO BOSTON!
A SPECIAL THREE HOUR EDITION OF WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW SUPERSHOW AT TD GARDEN. NEW START TIME OF 7:15 PM.
What will happen when seven time WWE Champion, “the most electrifying man in all of entertainment” The Rock and 10 time WWE Champion John Cena meet in Cena’s hometown?
John Cena, Randy Orton and CM Punk vs. The Miz, R-Truth and Mark Henry in a 6 man tag team match. Also, a special appearance by Mick Foley!
Also see all of your favorite WWE superstars including:
– Randy Orton
– Mark Henry
– Sheamus
– Christian
– Dolph Ziggler
– Kofi Kingston
– And More!!!
– The Federal Election Commission has ruled that Linda McMahon violated election laws in 2010 by appearing in a WWE commercial for the Make-A-Wish-Foundation. No action will be taken against McMahon and it will not affect her run for Senate in 2012.
Linda’s political opponents in the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee alleged that WWE coordinated corporate contributions with Linda’s 2010 Senate campaign. One of the accusations was that WWE held their Fan Appreciation Day in the state of Connecticut just three days before the election. The commission found no issue with this as Linda’s name, her opponent’s name and her campaign period wasn’t mentioned during Fan Appreciation Day. It was probably just a coincidence ..
– This year’s Tribute to the Troops special will be taped on December 11th from the Crown Colliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The show will first air on the USA Network on 12/13 as a 2-hour special and will then air later that weekend on 12/17 NBC.
Considering the fact that Tribute to the Troops has performed poorly on NBC in recent years, some believe WWE airing the show first on the USA Network can be WWE’s excuse if the rating on NBC bombs again this year.
– While WWE was on tour in Mexico, 7 stars from the CMLL promotion received tryouts at Sunday’s SmackDown tapings from Mexico City.
As we reported here on the site over the weekend, a number of stars from the AAA promotion as well as a few other independent wrestlers received tryouts at Saturday’s RAW tapings.
– Black Sin Cara will debut a new theme song on Friday’s Smackdown called “The Curse.”
– Former WWE announcer Todd Grisham, who made his ESPN debut over the weekend, is also a correspondent for the ABC show America This Morning.
(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for some of the information used in this report.)
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is said to have a love/hate relationship with the divas division as of late. While Vince has mandated that both RAW and SmackDown each feature at least one divas segment each week, he often thinks it’s a waste of time and instructs Michael Cole to talk about unrelated topics during the diva matches.
– Expect to see more storylines begin and progress online – through the WWE website and Twitter. Friday’s “Mask vs. Mask” match between the two Sin Caras are an example of an angle being announced online but not pushed on television.
– WWE United States Champion Dolph Ziggler is getting praised backstage regarding how he comes across like a star in his interviews. Additionally, Ziggler recently got some backstage praise for carrying Mason Ryan to a good match.
– This year’s Tribute to the Troops special will be taped on December 11th from the Crown Colliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The show will first air on the USA Network on 12/13 as a 2-hour special and will then air later that weekend on 12/17 NBC. Considering the fact that Tribute to the Troops has performed poorly on NBC in recent years, some believe WWE airing the show first on the USA Network can be WWE’s excuse if the rating on NBC bombs again this year.
– After WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was fired on Monday Night RAW 2 weeks ago by John Laurinaitis, many (including Jim Ross) were surprised when Ross was booked for the following week’s show from Mexico City.
The decision to bring Jim Ross back to RAW so quickly was made after WWE evaluated the television ratings from the show where Ross was fired. An analysis of the minute-to-minute ratings revealed that ratings plummeted immediately after Ross was fired. Additionally, WWE received a ton of negative feedback online via social media. As for JR’s future on WWE television, the belief is that anything is possible at this point.
– This week’s inside joke is that even though Randy Orton is currently the man scheduled to win the 2012 Royal Rumble, those plans may change as soon as Vince McMahon realizes the Rumble takes place from Orton’s home town of St. Louis. As evidenced by the way Jim Ross was fired when RAW took place from Oklahoma, WWE has a track record of burying people in front of their home town crowds.
– WWE’s stock price has rebounded to the $10/share level this week after recently dipping below. Part of the reason for the rebound is that a few financial publications classified the stock as a “buy” – since the company is still very profitable. $9 The stock pride which was below $9 for a while, is now up to $10.10 afer an article listing WWE as a bargain because of how low the price had gotten and that they are still turning a profit.
– Congratulations go out to Jack Swagger, who is now a father. Swagger and his wife Catalina White, a former Maxim model and developmental wrestler, had a baby boy on 10/17 named Knox Stribling Hager.
– As part of CM Punk’s new WWE contract, he gets first class plane tickets, which is one of the perks reserved only for a few top talents. Punk also now has his own tour bus.
– Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown will be appearing at next Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Houston, Texas.
– As previously reported, WWE will be airing another live episode of WWE SmackDown on Tuesday, November 29th from Charlotte, North Carolina. The show will replay several days later in SmackDown’s usual Friday night timeslot. The last time WWE aired a live SmackDown on a Tuesday night, the show did its best ratings in years – and this upcoming live Tuesday SmackDown is another experiment to see whether the show should be moved to Tuesdays permanently.
– WWE recently filed for a trademark for the name “Supercharge” – which is a possible name for a future television show.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen a babyface turn and renewed push for one of the most physically jacked-up wrestlers to appear on WWE television in years – Mason Ryan.
According to sources in the WWE locker room, there is a great deal of skepticism about WWE pushing a guy who has a physique that’s virtually impossible to maintain naturally. With WWE’s strict Wellness tests, the superstars know what they can get away with and what they can’t.
Mason Ryan has the body type that looks straight out of the late 80’s & early 90’s – and these days, the general feeling is that he wouldn’t even have a job with the company if he didn’t look the way he does, let alone get a huge push.
WWE went a long time without any Wellness suspensions – then we had Sin Cara, Mike Chioda, Darren Young and Heath Slater all get suspended for drug use. Many are questioning the decision to give a big push to a guy whose main selling point is his body.
