According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Matt Hardy is “fine.”
Fayetteville Observer reporter Michael Zennie wrote the following on Twitter:
“The night shift captain said police received 25 to 30 phone calls to 911 to check on his well being.”
On Tuesday night, Matt Hardy posted an alarming video on Youtube that strongly implied Matt might harm himself.
– Tonight’s WWE Super SmackDown kicks off with hype for tonight’s matches and the Night of Championscontract signing between CM Punk and Triple H. We go to the normal SmackDown intro.
– And we’re live from Wichita, Kansas as Michael Cole welcomes us to SmackDown. We see the steel cage hanging high above the ring as Cole hypes tonight’s main event for the World Title.
– We go right to the ring and out comes John Cena.
– We go right to the ring and out comes John Cena. Cena hits the ring and welcomes us to Super SmackDown. Cena says the whole roster is here and takes a shot at the XFL. Cena says let’s talk about who’s going to get hurt and brings up Alberto Del Rio. Cena calls out the WWE Champion.
Del Rio’s music hits but out comes Ricardo Rodriguez instead. Ricardo has a message from Del Rio for Cena. Ricardo says Cena will have to wait just a little longer until Night of Champions to see Del Rio. Ricardo starts saying Del Rio’s name over and over, and over and over until Cena tells him to shut up. Cena sends Del Rio a message and drops Ricardo with a right hand. This brings out Cena’s opponent for tonight, Wade Barrett.
Wade Barrett vs. John Cena
Barrett comes out to the stage and says it’s impressive for Cena to beat up a fat ring announcer. Cena says if hewanted to beat up a fat ring announcer, he would beat up Tony Chimel. Barrett talks about the lessons he tried to teach Cena last year. Barrett isn’t trying buying Cena’s tough guy stuff. Barrett says Cena will feel just as pathetic as he did when he was Barrett’s personal slave, when he’s done with him tonight. Cena says what’s pathetic is Barrett taking his kindness for weakness. Cena says he owes Barrett some payback. Cena says Barrett will find out tonight that payback is a bitch. Barrett heads to the ring as we go to commercial.
Back from commercial and the bell rings. Barrett and Cena go at it, going to the corner. Cena stomps Barrett down to the mat and hits a big bulldog early on. Cena allows Barrett to regain his composure and a Cena chant breaks out in the crowd. They lock up and Cena takes Barrett to the mat with a headlock. Barrett tries to make a comeback but Cena drops him. Cena splashes Barrett in the corner and slams him down again. Barrett catches Cena with a big side slam for a 2 count. Barrett works Cena over now until Cena comes back with the shoulders and the big slam. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the Attitude Adjustment for the win.
Winner: John Cena
– We go backstage with Matt Striker and Mark Henry. Henry says he doesn’t care who wins tonight and becomes his opponent at Night of Champions. Either way, they will be a candidate for the Hall of Pain.
– Cole leads us into a preview for SyFy’s Ghost Hunters.
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan
We go to the ring and out comes Sin Cara for the next match. Cara does his entrance as we go to commercial. Back from commercial and out comes Cara’s opponent Daniel Bryan.
The bell rings and they lock up. Cara ducks a clothesline and takes Bryan down with hip tosses. Cara goes to an arm bar now. Bryan catches Cara in mid-air and kicks him out to the floor. Bryan runs and dives through the ropes, knocking Cara back into the fan barrier. Bryan brings it back in the ring for a 2 count. Bryan hits Cara with kicks while he’s on his knees. Bryan drops a knee and gets another 2 count.
Bryan drops Cara in the corner with a kick to the head. Bryan applies a surfboard submission and falls back on the neck. Bryan with more kicks. Cara ducks a kick and dumps Bryan out to the floor. Cara runs the ropes and flips to the apron as Bryan moves. Cara kicks Bryan away and hits a crossbody onto him from the apron. Cara brings Bryan back in the ring, hits a back splash for a 2 count. Cara with kicks and chops in the corner now. More counters until they collide in mid-air with crossbodies and go down.
Cara fires away with kicks. Bryan comes back with a series of rights and kicks. Cara ducks a roundhouse kick and hits a fall away slam. Cara springboards in with a senton and then moonsaults off the other rope for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sin Cara
– After the match, Cara and Bryan shake hands, while Bryan is still on his knees. Cara goes to leave the ring but turns around and kicks Bryan in the head.
– We go backstage with WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne. Matt Striker asks them how it feels to retain the titles after last night. Bourne says they’re going to ride the wave all the way. Kofi talks about being a singles champion compared to a tag champion. Kofi talks about Harlem Heat, The Rockers, Legion of Doom and says if anybody can fill shoes that big, it’s them – Air Boom. Striker does the “Boom Boom” gesture with them.
– Booker T hypes tonight’s contract signing. We see Sheamus making a recent appearance for the “be a STAR” campaign before taking another commercial break.
– We get highlights from the feud between Randy Orton and Christian. Christian is backstage with Matt Striker. Striker asks if he thinks he can beat Orton inside a steel cage. Christian says this is his night. Christian says he’s a fighter and always fights for what’s right, whether people like it or not. Christian calls the fans in Wichita losers. He says he doesn’t need the title to validate his career but he wants to be the champ. He says Orton will find out tonight that Christian always gets what he wants. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Aksana is in the ring. The light goes pink and jazz music plays in the background. She introduces Beth Phoenix and Natalya, who come to the ring.
Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox
Aksana introduces WWE Divas Champion and her partner Alicia Fox next. Kelly starts things out with Natalya and they go to the corner. Kelly slaps Natalya and ducks a clothesline. Kelly with a Thesz press. Natalya blocks amove and slams Kelly on her face before tagging in Phoenix for a double team move. Beth covers for a 2 count.
Kelly tries to fight back but Beth overpowers. Kelly slides out and tags in Alicia Fox. Alicia comes in and goes at it with Beth. Beth stops Alicia’s attack and hits the Glam Slam for the pin and the win.
Winners: Beth Phoenix and Natalya
– We see Teddy Long and Triple H walking backstage. Triple H is reading over the Night of Champions contract as we go to commercial.
– Back from the commercial and Teddy Long is in the ring with the table and chairs for a contract signing. Out comes WWE COO Triple H. HHH says after conferring with the Board of Directors, he canceled CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash last night and put him in the match against Punk. HHH says the Board was kind enough to let him take the suit off for one night to deal with Punk. Cult of Personality hits and out comes Punk.
Punk takes a seat and puts his feet up on the table, saying all this is unnecessary. Punk asks Triple H why they’re here. Triple H says last night was a bit unfair and he knows he caught Punk off guard. Punk says no, he did not catch him off guard. Nothing in WWE catches him off guard anymore. Triple H says Punk has disrespected him and his family. Punk tries to talk but Triple H tells him to shut up because he isn’t done talking. HHH says despite Punk disrespecting his family and holding WWE hostage with the title, he tried working with him. HHH says he bent over backwards to work with Punk but that still wasn’t good enough. Triple H asks Punk who he thinks got Living Colour to let Punk come to the ring to Cult of Personality. HHH says he got that done and paid the bill. HHH says he got Punk’s shirt approved that says best in the world. HHH says he gave Punk Nash last night and he still pushed his buttons. HHH says he’s trying his ass off to be the bigger man and the COO around here but he can only take so much. Punk has insulted him as a man, now he has to deal with him as a man.
Punk likes that. He says he wants to face Triple H, not the COO. Punk says the new Triple H sucks. Punk says Vince McMahon couldn’t separate personal issues between business issues and now Triple H is doing the same thing. Punk says he doesn’t hate WWE, he loves this place. If he hated it, he wouldn’t be here. He’d be at home a lot happier. Punk says he wants change. He recognizes when things suck and speaks his mind. Punk says he wants things to be better for everybody. Punk says he is dying for a change. We are dying for a change, he says. Punk wants to be the catalyst for that change. HHH says Punk wants to be the catalyst as long as it benefits him. HHH says about half of the people agree with Punk and the other half could care less what he says. HHH says some people actually like WWE the way it is. Could it be better? Sure, he says, and that’s why he’s here. HHH says Punk only wants change if CM Punk is on top. HHH says Punk is no different than anyone else who has been in this business, including him. HHH says he looked people in the eye and told them he was going to step on them. HHH says Punk is doing it the opposite way, the back door way. Punk says he isn’t trying to be a martyr and isn’t trying to step on anyone. Punk says he wants everyone to like what they see, not just half. Punk wants it to be fun again. Punk says right, he is doing this for himself. Punk says before he became a wrestler, he was a fan, and at his core he is still a fan. Punk says he will do what he knows is for the better and what will make WWE fun again. Punk says he says bad things about Stephanie McMahon because it’s fun but also to push Triple H’s buttons. Punk says Triple H failed, he is just like Vince McMahon. Punk says he thought Triple H and himself wanted the same things but it turns out that Triple H is the same ‘ol vindictive person. Punk says he’s seen it before.
Punk says this match has been a long time coming because they’ve never liked each other. Punk tells Triple H not to fine him or suspend him after he kicks his ass at Night of Champions. Punk signs the contract. Triple H says one of the differences between he and Punk is respect. HHH says he respects Vince McMahon for what he’s done and says they wouldn’t be right here tonight if it weren’t for Vince. HHH says comparing him to Vince is a huge compliment. HHH goes to sign the contract but Punk tells him to hold up. Punk goes on and says HHH has lost touch. He’s the guy who likes to point at his crotch and tell people to suck it. Punk says he wants change. Triple H says if Punk wants change, he’s going to get it. HHH says this is how he’s not like Vince and signs the contract. HHH says Vince would have got in the ring with Punk at Night of Champions and taken a beaten because it’s good for business. HHH says it’s not business between he and Punk, it’s personal. HHH says he’s going to kick Punk’s “skinny fat ass” and drops the mic. The NWO music hits and out comes Kevin Nash.
Punk gets up ready to fight as Nash heads to the ring. Triple H holds Punk back. Nash gets in the ring and they go at it. Punk fires away with kicks and backs Nash in the corner. Nash comes out and drops Punk with an almost-big-boot. Triple H shoves Nash. Nash pushes Triple H and he falls on his ass. Nash stands over Triple H and clutches his fist before walking out of the ring as the NWO music plays.
– Booker T hypes Sheamus vs. The Great Khali, which was originally Punk vs. Khali, as we go to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see a video from during the commercial where Matt Striker tries to get a word with Kevin Nash backstage. Nash just looks at him and keeps walking.
The Great Khali vs. Sheamus
We go to the ring and out comes The Great Khali with Jinder Mahal. Out next comes Sheamus. They lock upa nd Sheamus applies a headlock. Khali slams him and takes control. Khali with big chops in the corner as Mahal looks on. Khali beats Sheamus down and clutches his neck.
Sheamus fights back with double ax handles and kicks out Khali’s leg. Sheamus traps Khali in the ropes and wails away at his chest with forearms. Sheamus hits Khali with a big running knee on the apron. Sheamus goes up top now and connects with a shoulder block, taking Khali down. Sheamus readies to finish Khali but Jinder Mahal comes in the ring and attacks him for the DQ.
Winner by DQ: Sheamus
– After the match, Sheamus fights Mahal off but he and Khali take control and beat Sheamus down. They throw him out of the ring. Khali slams Sheamus into the ring post. Khali goes for a big chop but Sheamus ducks and he hits the ring post. Sheamus hits a Brogue kick but Mahal comes back over and beats him down. Mahal throws Khali back in the ring and comes in. Sheamus knocks him down and hits the Celtic Cross, sending Mahal out to the floor.
– More hype for the World Heavyweight Title match as we go to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get the trailer for Inside Out.
– The announcers hype tonight’s World Title match as the steel cage is lowered over the ring. Back to commercial we go.
Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Christian vs. Randy Orton
Back from the break and out comes Christian as Tony Chimel explains the rules of the steel cage match. Christian climbs to the top of the cage after entering. Out next comes the World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton to a big pop.
The bell rings and Christian strikes first and goes right for the cage door. Christian fights Orton off and goes to climb the cage. Christian comes off the second rope but Orton dropkicks him in mid-air. Orton with a 2 count as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and Orton connects with a big clothesline. More back and forth. Orton counters and hits Christian with a big back drop. Orton drops a knee drop for a 2 count. Orton ends up on the apron between the ropes and the cage with Christian working him over. Christian tries to climb the cage but Orton grabs his ankle. Orton counters in the corner and rolls Christian up for 2. Christian with a spinebuster for a 2 count.
Christian with a neckbreaker and another 2 count. Christian goes to leave through the cage door but Orton pulls him back in and fires away with right hands. Christian counters, drops Orton in the corner and goes to climb out of the cage. Orton stops him with right hands on the top turnbuckle. Orton superplexes Christian back down to the mat and both go down. Another commercial break.
Back from commercial and Christian is crawling out of the cage door. Orton pulls him back in and stomps. Christian charges but Orton throws him head first into the cage. Orton works Christian over, throws him into the cage again and hits a big powerslam. Orton goes for the second rope DDT again but it’s countered again. Orton tries to torpedo Christian into the cage but Christian counters with an inverted DDT for a 2 count. Christian climbs the cage again and Orton comes after. Christian knocks Orton to the mat from the cage wall and hits a huge frogsplash for a 2 count.
Orton drags Christian back into the ring again. Christian readies for a spear but Orton jumps over it. Christian blocks the RKO and connects with a spear for a close 2 count. Christian goes for a running kick in the corner but Orton moves. Christian climbs the cage again but Orton stops him. Orton pulls Christian off the corner and hits a big neckbreaker for a 2 count. Orton blocks Killswitch and connects with the second rope DDT. Orton goes for the RKO but it’s blocked by Christian. Christian climbs the cage again and almost makes it out but Orton pulls him back over. They sit on top of the cage and trade right hands. Christian tries to fall to the floor but they end up back in the ring on the top rope. Orton slams Christian’s head into the cage. Orton hits a RKO from the top rope for the pin and the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
– After the match, Mark Henry comes out and attacks Orton in the cage. Henry torpedos Orton into the side of the cage. Orton tries to fight back but Henry slams him hard to the mat. Henry lands on Orton with a big splash. Orton gets to his feet again and Henry throws him head first into the cage again. Henry hits the World’s Strongest Slam and drops Orton one last time as his music hits. Henry stands over Orton and runs his mouth. Henry snatches the World Title from Charles Robinson as SmackDown goes off the air.
— WWE.com has announced that tonight on SuperSmackDown, WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H and CM Punk will sign the contract for their match at Night of Champions.
Randy Orton vs. Christian in a World Title Steel Cage Match and John Cena vs. Wade Barrett are also advertised for the live Syfy special.
— Former WWE talent Mark Jindrak, who now competes as Marco Corleone in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), announced on Twitter that he will be trying out for the Mexican baseball league next spring.
“It’s official. I’m going to tryout in spring 2012, in the Mexican baseball league,” he wrote. “I’m going pro and I’m going to be a two sport athlete.”
— The August 29 episode of Monday Night Raw scored a 3.15 cable rating, up from 2.97 the week before. The first hour drew a 3.23 before decreasing to 3.06 in the second.
The program averaged 4,650,000 viewers over the course of two hours, up from 4,637,000.
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surpassed one million followers today on Twitter.
Regarding this momentous occasion, “The Great One” wrote, “Team Bring It – 1,000,000 strong! We’re just gettin’ started… #ProudToBringIt.”
His WrestleMania XXVIII opponent, John Cena, has 871,028 followers.
— An electric guitar autographed by Kevin Nash is up for auction here.
— The August 26 episode of A.M. Raw garnered a 0.44 rating with 498,000 viewers.
source: PWInsider.com
WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart appeared on Right After Wrestling with Arda Ocal and Jimmy Korderas (audio available at TheScore.com and iTunes). Highlights from the interview are as follows:
Jimmy’s recent projects in relation to the WWE – appearing at SummerSlam this past August with R-Truth: “Well I did WrestleMania this past year in Atlanta. Then I did something with Jim Neidhart and Nattie. And sometimes I pinch myself and say ‘do I really get paid to do this?’ Cause I still love to do this kind of stuff.”
Jimmy on the current crop of talent in the WWE: “The Miz – he’s so cool. I love The Miz, he’s one of my favorites. He’s so different. He’s got that ‘it-factor’ so he’s like the James Dean or Marlon Brando of wrestling. I’ve done stuff with CM Punk. I saw him three or four years ago in Chicago and I knew he was just something special. And Cena, man he’s so real. He’s always doing stuff with the Make-A-Wish foundation and he’s so dedicated. And of course Triple H, being up and down the roads with him over the years and now he has a real good spot with the company right now too.”
Jimmy’s ring gear and being a long time manager and the lack of managers in today’s product: “I kept all of my jackets from WrestleMania 1 and so on. And one day I might have a themed restaurant and put them all on display and you can get wings and visit the place. As far as being a manager and having different jackets for each guy, the managers role in the wrestling now is different. I only see Vickie Guerrero doing that role now – a manager/agent type role. The way things change in wrestling, you really don’t know. But there’s an old saying – ‘if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re gonna have what you’ve always had’. And if business is going well in the WWE without managers then you might as well keep doing it. And right now, everything the WWE touches seems to turn to gold.”
Other Topics
Jimmy being caught in the eye of the Hurricane Irene while recently traveling
His reaction to seeing CM Punk using the megaphone not along ago on WWE Raw
Jimmy on working with different charities such as Make-A-Wish
An detailed conversation with Jimmy Hart about his time with Andy Kaufman in Memphis
– Former WWE star Chris Jericho took yet another shot at CM Punk on Twitter. Jericho tweeted on Monday night after RAW:
“Another Raw, another stolen move. I expect that from a rookie or a diva, but et tu Punk? BACK OFF….”
Chris Jericho tweeted the following back on August 1st after CM Punk mentioned his name during a promo on RAW:
“Everyone is so excited that @CMPunk mentioned me on Raw. Newsflash…I don’t give a shit. Mind ur own business and stop rippin me off Punk.”
Last week, when CM Punk and Steve Austin were going back and forth talking trash on Twitter, Jericho wrote:
“It’s so cute reading @CMPunk and @steveaustinBSR ‘s lil cyber bitch-fights…”
It appears the seeds are being planted for an eventual CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho feud down the road once Chris Jericho returns to the company – which is just fine with us.
– For those wondering, it was in fact Hunico who wrestled as Sin Cara on RAW. According to a source who was backstage at RAW, the general feeling in the locker room is that Mistico is done with WWE.
– Two readers sent word that there was no Sin Cara merchandise for sale at last night’s RAW in Tulsa.
– In related Sin Cara news – in light of the recent backstage heat on Mistico, WWE seems to have scrapped the idea of bringing in Mexican wrestler Averno to work with Sin Cara. Before Sin Cara fell out of favor with WWE management, there had been talk of bringing in Averno, a formal rival of Mistico, into WWE so he had someone familiar to work with. (Source: PWInsider.com)
WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio was not at RAW last night (or at WWE’s weekend live events) due to issues with his work visa that have prevented him from entering the United States.
Del Rio had been scheduled to wrestle Sin Cara in a non-title match at tonight’s Super SmackDown special, but that match will likely not happen.
WWE had a video package ready to go on RAW to hype Del Rio’s match with Sin Cara, but decided against airing the footage due to this issue.
Del Rio’s name was also removed from an updated press release sent out on Tuesday hyping the live SmackDown special.
Del Rio is still being advertised for this weekend’s live events, so WWE is confident the matter will be resolved this week.
WWE issued the following press release on Tuesday morning:
WWE® Elects Stuart U. Goldfarb to Board of Directors
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–WWE (NYSE:WWE) today announced that Stuart U. Goldfarb has been elected to its Board of Directors. Goldfarb will also serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
Since June 2011, Goldfarb has been President and Chief Executive Officer at Atrinsic, Inc., a marketer of direct-to-consumer subscription products and an Internet search marketing agency. From 2001 to 2009, he served as President and CEO of Direct Brands, Inc. Under his leadership, the company grew to be the world’s largest direct marketer of music, DVDs and books, with household brands such as Columbia House, BMG Music, Doubleday Book Club and many more. Prior to that, Goldfarb was President and CEO of bol.com, Bertelsmann’s premier online international retailer of books and music. He has served as Vice Chairman of Value Vision International, a cable TV home shopping and e-commerce company, as well as held various executive level positions at NBC.
“Stuart is a great addition to our Board of Directors,” stated Vincent K. McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, WWE. “He brings broad marketing and operational experience across a wide range of distribution platforms, including cable television and the Internet. His proven international experience and overall business perspective will be very valuable to the WWE Board.”
Goldfarb also sits on the Board of Directors of Atrinsic and Vitacost.com. He graduated from Adelphi University with a Bachelor of Arts degree followed by a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University School of Law.
(Source: Corporate.WWE.com)
Former WWE diva Melina recently did a photo shoot for SNAPS Photography, and several images from the shoot are now online. Check out Melina Perez looking hot as ever:
On Monday’s RAW, we saw Kevin Nash challenge CM Punk to a match at Night of Champions, only to have the match changed to Triple H vs. CM Punk at the end of the show.
Company officials did plan for Nash to wrestle at Night of Champions, however those plans were scrapped after Nash’s recent visit to Pittsburgh for his physicals. While details are still sketchy, something about what the doctors observed made WWE decide against having him work a full match, even with a seasoned performer like Punk, who could take the majority of the bumps.
It’s expected that Kevin Nash will remain part of WWE storylines, perhaps as an enforcer/bodyguard for Triple H, but don’t expect to see him working singles matches any time soon.
The decision for Triple H to wrestle at Night of Champions wasn’t made until Monday afternoon.
Had Nash been medically cleared to wrestle at Night of Champions, the plan was for CM Punk to win their match.
(Source: PWInsider.com)
After Monday’s RAW went off the air …
The Miz, R-Truth, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler ran down to ringside and started beating down John Cena and Sheamus.
World heavyweight champion Randy Orton made the save, cleaned house and joined Cena and Sheamus to celebrate as the heels ran to the back and ended the show.
The advertised triple threat dark match main event between Del Rio, John Cena and CM Punk did not take place.
— WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H announced on Raw that Superstars from SmackDown will be joining Monday nights for the foreseeable future. The “new concept,” as described by Michael Cole, will be known as Raw SuperShow. According to PWInsider.com, the initiative has several wrestlers worried about their futures since it means less television time for those not in the upper crust.
— Brie Bella snapped WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly fifteen-match winning streak Monday night on Raw. The Jacksonville native had not lost since May 22, 2011, at Over the Limit. Brie’s victory also snapped her nine-match losing streak.
— WWE’s 2002 DVD titles on Triple H, Triple H: The Game and Triple H: That Damn Good, are being packaged together for release in Europe next month.
— Tyler Reks was backstage at Monday’s Raw in Tulsa, Oklahoma but not used. He wrote of his absence from the show: “Oh I’m here at the BOK Center…waiting patiently for an opportunity.”
source: PWInsider.com
— A match pitting John Morrison against R-Truth was taped Monday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars.
— Thanks to suggestions from fans, WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne have officially been named “Air Boom.”
— Alex Riley beat Drew McIntyre in the dark match prior to tonight’s Raw broadcast.
— WWE Studios’ Inside Out starring Triple will premiere on DirecTV Cinema on Saturday, September 10.
source: PWInsider.com
During a commercial break at Monday’s RAW, Zack Ryder came out and confronted World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton .. It didn’t go so well for Mr. Long Island Iced Z.
Ryder came out with a camera filming for his YouTube show. Ryder told Orton about how popular his show is, but he still can’t get on RAW each week. Ryder tried to get footage of Orton for his show and be his “R-K-Broski of the Week” – but Orton was not interested.
Ryder got too close to Orton, who laid out the Long Island bro with an RKO.
The following matches have been announced for Tuesday night’s Super SmackDown live special on SyFy:
* World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton vs. Christian in a Steel Cage Match
* John Cena vs. Wade Barrett
* CM Punk vs. The Great Khali
WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio had been booked to wrestle Sin Cara in a non-title match, however Del Rio has been experiencing difficulties with his work via and will be likely be unable to appear tonight.
– In what appears to be WWE’s brand split coming to an end, WWE’s Chief Operating Officer Triple H announced on RAW that “for the foreseeable future” the stars of Smackdown will be appearing every week on Raw.
With Tuesday’s Super SmackDown special featuring RAW superstars as well – it appears we might be seeing an end to separate talent rosters for RAW and SmackDown.
– At the conclusion of Monday’s RAW, WWE COO Triple H announced that the CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash at Night of Champions (made earlier in the show) was canceled – and he would be taking Nash’s spot! It will be Triple H vs. CM Punk at Night of Champions!
– WWE has launched a new page on Twitter, twitter.com/wweinsider, a “behind-the-scenes reporter for WWE.com and WWE Magazine, reporting LIVE from Monday Night Raw and PPV events.”
— John Cena is pictured in WWE’s advertisement for tomorrow night’s SuperSmackDown special on Syfy.
Some cable outlets are advertising a match between Cena and CM Punk for the live broadcast. WWE has not announced the match yet.
The synopsis for the event, which will feature talent from Raw and SmackDown, reads:
“The astonishing Sin Cara challenges WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio and Christian battles Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage.”
— The Miz announced on Twitter that he will debut a new T-shirt on tonight’s episode of Raw.
“Debuting the new Miz T-shirt tonight,” he wrote. “Buy it if your at the arena or go to wweshop.com. Cheap plug 2 of the night.”
— WWE stock closed at 9.59 today, up 0.53 from Friday.
– Rey Mysterio begins physical therapy and rehab next week after undergoing his latest knee surgery last Friday. He tweeted on Monday afternoon:
“Had my first check-up; knee was drained & needs 2 B stable, won’t start therapy until nxt week! Have to ice & rest..”
As we’ve been reporting, Mysterio is expected to be out of action until early 2012, with WWE hoping he’ll be healthy in time for WrestleMania in April.
– WWE’s writing staff is said to be extremely stressed out as of late. There is a ton of pressure from management to make Tuesday’s live SmackDown special a ratings success, since WWE reportedly wants to move SmackDown to Tuesday nights permanently.
– The release of Paul Heyman’s autobiography has been delayed once again. Due to scheduling conflicts this fall that would have prevented Heyman from doing a proper promotional tour, the book will now come out in early 2012.
(Source: PWInsider.com)
– The current word in WWE is that Kevin Nash has been brought in for a short run – not a full-fledged return. Nash has a WWE Legends deal and is still able to take independent bookings as long as it does not conflict with anything wWE has planned for him. Nash is said to be very happy working a program with CM Punk.
– Officials from the Dragon Gate USA promotion recently confirmed that WWE has expressed interest in signing several of their contracted wrestlers. DGUSA has stated that it will allow any of its wrestlers out of their contracts in the event that WWE wants to sign them. No word yet on which DGUSA stars WWE is interested in, but this does jive with our recent report that WWE is looking to bring in a number of cruiserweight-sized wrestlers.
– WWE Studios’ Inside Out with Triple H will premiere on DirecTV Cinema on September 10th.
(Source: PWInsider.com)
— WWE has released the cover of the October 2011 issue of WWE Magazine featuring a menacing looking CM Punk. The magazine appears to be going in a sensationalist direction as it advertises an “uncensored” and “shocking” interview with Punk which they were “told not to print,” as well as his WWE contract “revealed.” This direction is further emphasized with headlines reading “Insane Locker Room Rumors – Fights! Firings! Freakouts!” and “The Biggest Screw-up In Wrestling History!”
— Rey Mysterio posted an update on his health today after undergoing knee surgery three days ago. The procedure included a repair to two major ligaments in his knee and bone spurs removed.
He wrote on Twitter, “Had my first check-up; knee was drained & needs 2 B stable, won’t start therapy until nxt week! Have to ice & rest…”
Mysterio blew out his knee while attempting a baseball slide during a match against Alberto Del Rio on the August 15 episode of Raw. There is talk that he may not be able to return to action until WrestleMania XXVIII.
— Christian and Natalya are advertised to appear at Toys R Us 3150 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on Monday, September 12 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Call 905-785-3335 for more information.
Third generation WWE superstar Michael McGillicutty, grandson of Larry “The Axe” Hennig and “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, has been answering fan questions on Twitter over the past few days about why he does not wrestle as his real name, Joe Hennig.With such a prestigious family linage, it does seem somewhat baffling that he’s been stuck with the ring name “Michael McGuillicutty.”
Over the weekend, McGuillicutty re-tweeted a post from a fan that stated,
“Joe Hennig > Michael McGillicutty, RT if you agree, the Hennig name should still be remembered!”
He later followed up with the following messages – which seem to indicate that the former WWE tag champion might soon be returning to his roots and changing his ring name:
“For everyone tweeting about my name: The Hennig name will be remembered no matter what my name is.”
“Just get ready to witness the next generation and see why we ARE the greatest wrestling family of all time!”
“@xxDuke4Everxx: Just remember to never forget where you came from and who you are :)” NEVER
McGuillicutty also told fans to check out an unofficial fan site dedicated to him at Joe-Hennig.com.
Tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW takes place from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After last week’s RAW dipped below the 3.0 ratings mark, you can bet WWE management will be watching this week’s viewership numbers.
Much of the advertising leading into tonight’s RAW has focused on the Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena WWE title feud and their upcoming match at Night of Champions. The WWE website’s preview for RAW reads:
“After becoming No. 1 contender to Alberto Del Rio’s WWE Title, John Cena was savagely attacked by The Mexican Aristocrat. How will Cena retaliate against his Night of Champions opponent?”
World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Christian and Sin Cara have all been announced for RAW.
The dark match main event that will take place after RAW is scheduled to be a triple threat match between Alberto Del Rio, John Cena and CM Punk.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Rey Mysterio’s Recent Knee Surgery: “Get well wishes to Rey Mysterio who had knee surgery in San Diego this past Friday. Rey had ACL and MCL issues addressed and will be out of action for several months. This is the same knee that Rey has had multiple surgeries so his rehabilitation work will be even more magnified and important.”
Ric Flair’s Personal Issues: “Many have asked me via Twitter @JRsBBQ and in the Q&A Section of this site to comment on the ESPN/Grantland article regarding Ric Flair’s personal finances and other personal issues. Ric has been a friend for well over three decades and I was uncomfortable reading the piece. Ric has always enjoyed life to its fullest, and beyond, which, last I looked, wasn’t a crime. Lots of famous athletes and entertainers have had financial hurdles to overcome. If Ric has the issues that Grantland outlined, I wish Naitch well and he has my support.”
Samoa Joe: “Several people have asked me about Samoa Joe. I personally like Joe’s work and feel that his best days lie ahead. I do not know Joe. I’ve never conversed with him that I can recall. Bottom line is 1. he has a contract where he now works and 2. I am not involved in talent acquisition for WWE.”
Scott Hall Announcing: “Could Scott Hall fit in the announce booth as a color commentator? It’s not an easy transition for many former wrestlers to make the move from the ring to the announce table so it wouldn’t be automatic. However, Scott is a bright guy who is glib and he knows the genre well. If he put in the work that it would take to be an asset who’s to say that Scott Hall wouldn’t be a good broadcaster? I do know that it takes great focus, commitment and study to be as good as one needs to be in today’s world. I don’t know if Scott has an interest in this matter but it was a question from a Twitter follower.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went on Twitter over the weekend and spoke about his return to WWE, his feud with John Cena, appearing at Survivor Series in November and more. Here are some highlights of what The Rock said about:
His Return To WWE & His Feud With John Cena –
“A few years ago when Cena – inexplicably – started talking trash publicly, I knew then I could turn this into a…massive main event. One that could elevate the WWE to unprecedented heights. The timing had to be right though.”
“Wrestlemania 27: for me and the fans – the time was right. The build to Wrestlemania 28 will be like nothing the world…has ever seen before. The match itself will be historic.”
Why He’s Not Interested In The WWE Championship –
“I didn’t come back to the WWE to become champion again. I came back for these reasons: entertain the fans like no one else can. Elevate the WWE to new heights never seen before…Challenge and mentor some of the younger talent. Give the millions what they want which is to kick John Cena’s f’n ass.”
What He Meant When He Said He Would “Never Leave WWE Again” –
“I never meant to mislead or confuse the fans and I apologize if I did. The overall goal was to make…huge impact and elevate Wrestlemania. Shoot my movie commitments, then return again as soon as I wrap the film…and help elevate the WWE and the overall business of professional wrestling. Survivor Series, Mania etc.”
— WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart stated in an interview with The Cardboard Connection that he is looking to write a follow-up to his memoir, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling. However, he says it could “take years” for the book to come out. “I’m just waiting as my life continues to unfold,” Hart said.
Hart was also asked to name his favorite wrestling performers in the industry today and the first names out of his mouth were The Bella Twins, Brie and Nikki. “They’re getting better and better,” Hart said. “I like Daniel Bryan. I love his style. I love his incorporation of actual wrestling holds and submissions and his style. I’m a big fan of Cena. I’m a big fan of [Randy] Orton.”
The full interview can be accessed here.
— The Miami Herald reports that WWE will be hosting its WrestleMania XXVIII ticket kickoff party in early November in Miami, home to the 2012 version of the mega event. Further details were not disclosed.
— Former WWE stars Vladimir Kozlov and Jillian Hall have been announced for Legends of the Ring XIII, which takes place Saturday, October 8 at the Crowne Plaza in Monroe, New Jersey.
— Former WWE Diva Terri Runnels was accompanied by two large bodyguards for her appearance at Saturday’s sparsely attended K&S Wrestlefest event in Essington, Pennsylvania. It marks as her first public appearance since she filed a lawsuit against her former partner Jerome “New Jack” Young, accusing him of libel for what she calls a series of slurs he’s stated online about their sex life and her appetite for drugs and alcohol.
— WWE returns to the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 28, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)