SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • RAW Rating Holds Up Well Against Very Stiff Competition

    Monday’s episode of WWE RAW scored a 3.05 rating, virtually idential to last week’s rating. The show did hours of 3.0 and 3.1.

    RAW averaged 4.60 million viewers over the two-hour broadcast, with the first hour doing 4.55 million viewers and the second hour doing 4.65 million viewers. Overall, the show was up around 100,000 viewers from last week.

    While a 3.05 rating does not sound like anything to celebrate, there was fear within WWE that the rating was going to dip below 3.0 due to the stiff competition that RAW faced from the BCS Championship college football game on ESPN, which was the most-watched show in cable history. The BCS game drew a 17.8 rating and averaged 27.3 million viewers.

    (Source: PWTorch.com)

  • Cena Fined For Bad Language, Bad Sign For RAW Rating & More

    — John Cena issued an apology on Twitter for using the word “ass” on RAW, claiming he was fined for the non-PG language. Cena wrote on Twitter.com/JohnCena:

    “Lots of posts about my language last night on Raw. I do apologize. It was out of line and I was indeed fined. If I have offended anyone it was not my intention.”

    “I was very frustrated about being hurt and not able to compete. I lost my cool. I am sorry. Next time I will use something more creative like ‘whoop yer crap locker’ or ‘whoop yer dump box.’”

    This is almost certainly a storyline and Cena actually being fined is highly unlikely.

    Cena’s gotten a lot of criticism for his childish insults (such as using the word “poopie”) – so please John, let’s stay away from “crap locker” and “dump box.”

    — When the rating is announced for last night’s episode of WWE RAW, it likely will not be pretty. Monday’s BCS National Championship game on ESPN (between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers) drew a staggering 16.1 overnight cable rating, according to TVByTheNumbers.com. If that number holds up, it would make that game the most-watched show in the history of cable television. The record is currently held by an NFL Monday Night Football game on ESPN between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings (10/5/09). That game did a 15.3 rating with almost 22 million viewers.

    – WWE is now selling the new Nexus “Uprising” shirt that CM Punk and Nexus wore on RAW.

    – Tyson Kidd’s bodyguard Jackson Andrews didn’t appear with him on RAW, the second week in a row that Kidd went to the ring alone. Andrews was with Kidd at this past weekend’s RAW live events, but it looks like WWE is unsure of whether to keep the two together.

  • JR Blog: HBK In The Hall Of Fame, Punk As Nexus Leader, Lawler

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

    Shwan Michaels Joining WWE’s Hall of Fame:

    “HBK is SO deserving and is arguably the greatest in ring performer of all time and let me tell you folks that statement covers a lot of ground.”

    “HBK was a ‘natural’ for the wrestling biz. He was a life long fan. He was a very good athlete. He had a natural swagger and loads of confidence, some critics would likely say too much confidence, once he stepped inside the ring. HBK knew that he was going to be great because he was willing to put in the work and study to get there.”

    “Congratulations Shawn. You are special in so many ways. The man you have grown to become is admirable. I am so proud of you for a multitude of reasons but nothing as much as you becoming the wonderful husband and father that you are.”

    Jerry Lawler’s Recent Push On RAW:

    “Outside of John Cena, Orton, and John Morrison, perhaps, Jerry Lawler is on as nice a protagonist roll as any one on Raw. Good for Jerry and perhaps this will necessitate the King finally getting his long awaited, highly desired wrestling match at WM27.”

    CM Punk As The Leader Of Nexus:

    “CM Punk is ultra talented and in the span of a couple of episodes he has given me reasons to reinvest in Nexus again as I am curious as to how the Punk leading Nexus business plays out over time. More importantly, I’m curious as to what young athletes will ‘breakout of the group in time as individual stars.”

    As always, visit JRsBarBQ.com to check out JR’s great line of BBQ products!

  • VIDEO: Shawn Michaels Returns To WWE On RAW

    On RAW, it was announced that the one and only Shawn Michaels will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April as part of the Class of 2011.  Michaels returned for an in-ring segment with SmackDown star Alberto Del Rio .. If you didn’t catch it on Monday – here’s a clip of what went down, courtesy of WWE’s YouTube channel:

  • Next Week’s RAW Main Event: John Cena vs. CM Punk

    The main event of next week’s episode of RAW from Little Rock, Arkansas will see John Cena return to action against the new leader of Nexus, CM Punk.

    Based on Cena wrestling next week, he could be healthy and past his injury, or WWE could have an angle planned that would allow an injured Cena to participate in a match with limited physical requirements.

    Cena vs. Punk is a huge match to give away on RAW, another indication that we won’t get a full match between the two RAW headliners.

  • Sean Waltman Comments On HBK’s HOF Induction

    After it was announced that Shawn Michaels will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 2nd, longtime friend Sean “X-Pac” Waltman wrote the following on Twitter.com/TheRealXPac:

    “I have no words right now to describe how happy I am for Shawn,” Waltman wrote.

    “No one deserves it more. I will be there to see him inducted if I have to f—ing hitchhike to get there… I would love for the Wolfpac to be in attendance that night. I’m trying to think of the last time The Kliq were all together. 2002?”

  • HBK Comments On HOF Induction, Two More “Big Ones” TBA

    — Shawn Michaels was announced tonight on Raw by Jerry “The King” Lawler as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2011. He took to Twitter to comment on the honor, writing: “Surprise! Surprise! Seriously, thanks to all of u for making my career such a joy. I will carry those moments w/me all my life. Thx 4 sharing it w/me.”

    The term “HBK HBK HBK” topped Twitter’s worldwide trend list shortly after the announcement. “Shawn Michaels” and “Sweet Chin Music” also trended.

    — F4WOnline.com reports that tonight’s WWE Hall of Fame inductee announcement is one of “three big ones” that have been finalized.

  • New Trailer Released For Triple H Film, Double Date Announced

    — WWE has released a new trailer previewing The Chaperone via Facebook.com.

    As reported earlier, the film is slated for a brief theatrical run beginning on Feb. 18. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Mar. 8.

    — It was announced tonight on Raw that Derrick Bateman and his NXT Pro, Daniel Bryan, will be going on a double date with The Bella Twins on tomorrow night’s episode of NXT.

    — The bodyguard of Tyson Kidd, Jackson Andrews, did not accompany his associate for his match on tonight’s Raw. It is the second consecutive week in which Andrews was MIA for Kidd’s televised match. Andrews, however, accompanied Kidd for his matches against David Hart Smith at live events over the weekend.

  • Shawn Michaels Leads WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2011

    — On Monday’s RAW, Shawn Michaels was announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011. No announcement was made regarding who would induct Michaels. This year’s ceremony will take place at the Phillips Arena from Atlanta, Georgia on April 2nd during WrestleMania 27 weekend. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10:00 A.M. EST via Ticketmaster.

    Related News:

    — An 8-Man Tag Team Match was taped tonight in Nashville, Tennessee for this Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars pitting Yoshi Tatsu, David Hart Smith, Primo and Darren Young against Zack Ryder, William Regal and The Usos. Also taped was a match between Gail Kim and Alicia Fox.

    — John Cena is featured on the cover of the latest issue of WWE Kids Magazine.

  • Undertaker Surgery Update, SmackDown Rating, HOF

    — To update The Undertaker’s health situation, the dead man began physical therapy following recent rotator cuff surgery. He was backstage at the TLC pay-per-view last month and was said to be in good spirits and good physical shape.

    WWE and The Undertaker remains optimistic about his chances of working WrestleMania 27, although him being healthy by then is a “best case” scenario. As has been discussed before, the possibility exists of the Undertaker working in a tag match if he’s not able to wrestle singles.

    — Last week’s episode of WWE Smackdown on SyFy drew a 1.95 cable rating and averaged 2,845,000 viewers for the 2-hour broadcast.. That is the show’s best rating since moving to Syfy.

    – Former WCW World Television Champion Arn Anderson is now considered a lock to be inducted individually into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class WrestleMania weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. WWE officials previously contemplated inducting him into the Hall as part of a group with the Four Horsemen, but the idea is now considered dead.

  • Triple H Movie Details: Website Launched, Release Date

    World Wrestling Entertainment has been issuing copyright claims to YouTube regarding the trailer for WWE Studios’ upcoming Triple H themed movie The Chaperone in an effort to have it vanquished from the video sharing website. Company officials were reportedly upset over the version that hit the web, feeling that it is of poor quality. WWE, however, launched a website featuring the very same trailer as well as a promotional photo for the film. The website is www.TheChaperone.com.au.

    The Chaperone is slated for a short theatrical release starting the weekend of February 18th. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 8th. This is the same strategy WWE went with for Big Show’s “Knucklehead” movie, with a limited release prior to the DVD release.

  • RAW Preview, New WWE TV Deal & Lots Of FCW News

    – Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. No matches have been announced for the show, but we can expect more on CM Punk assuming the role of Nexus leader and more build towards the Royal Rumble on January 30th.

    The dark match main event that’s being advertised has John Cena and Randy Orton teaming up against The Miz and CM Punk with Michael Cole as referee. With Cena’s health still not 100% and reports that he will be taking it easy until then, his involvement tonight is up in the air.

    – Former Nexus member Michael Tarver is ready to return to action full-time now after recovering from a groin injury that kept him off television for several months. He has been working at Florida Championship Wrestling.

    – WWE developmental talent Wes Brisco recently underwent knee surgery with Dr. James Andrews in Alabama. Brisco, son of WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, was scheduled to be called up to the main roster before getting injured.

    – Former WWE NXT Rookie and FCW Divas Champion AJ Lee is now working as a full heel in WWE developmental.

    – WWE has extended its ten year relationship with Sky Deutschland in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for another three years, taking the partnership through the end of 2013. The new distribution agreement, starting in January 2011, sees Sky Deutschland broadcasting the full length versions of WWE’s flagship show “RAW” for the first time, as well as WWE’s 13 annual pay-per-views.

    The deal also brings NXT and highlight shows, “Experience” and “AfterBurn”, to Sky Deutschland’s more than 2.5 million homes across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For the first time ever WWE’s weekly programs will air in HD on Sky Sports.

    For more on the new TV deal, visit WWE’s corporate website at Corporate.WWE.com.

  • Anderson Considered Lock For HOF, “Chaperone” Site Launched

    — Former WCW World Television Champion Arn Anderson is now considered a lock to be inducted individually into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class WrestleMania weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. WWE officials previously contemplated inducting him into the Hall as part of a group with the Four Horsemen, but the idea is now considered dead.

    — World Wrestling Entertainment has been issuing copyright claims to YouTube regarding the trailer for WWE Studios’ upcoming Triple H themed movie The Chaperone in an effort to have it vanquished from the video sharing website. Company officials were reportedly miffed over the version that hit the web, feeling that it is of poor quality. WWE, however, launched a website featuring the very same trailer as well as a promotional photo for the film. The website is www.TheChaperone.com.au.

    — Marcus “Buff” Bagwell turns 41 years old today while former WWE Tag Team Champion Brian Christopher turns 39.

    source: Pro Wrestling Torch

  • JR Blog: Batista & Jericho At WM27, Kofi’s IC Title Win & More

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com: Here are some highlights of what JR said about:

    Kofi Kingston Winning the Intercontinental Championship:

    “Congrats to Kofi Kingston on winning the IC Title. Kofi was on the cusp of something special when he had his issues with Randy Orton last year specifically their encounter at MSG which I thought was impactful. Let’s hope that Kofi gets right back on that roll. He’s a very athletic talent and a smart, educated individual.”

    Whether He Is Still Writing A Book:

    “No our book idea isn’t dead but we tabled it during the holidays as the decision makers in the book biz seemingly don’t work much after Thanksgiving through the end of the year. The project is still alive but I have to light a fire under my ample behind to get back in a creative mindset.”

    Chris Jericho Or Batista Returning For WrestleMania:

    “I do not know if either Chris Jericho or Dave Bautista will return to WWE for WM27. I’m not in that loop and don’t have a clue on the subject. Personally, I would be surprised if either returned for a special Wrestlemania appearance. Who knows?”

    Visit JRsBarBQ.com for Jim Ross’ great line of BBQ products!

  • What Happened After Genesis, WWE Star Trends Due To Hardy

    — Following tonight’s TNA Genesis pay-per-view broadcast, Mr. Anderson and referee Earl Hebner celebrated and played to the audience.

    — TNA Genesis was a trending worldwide topic tonight on Twitter. Matt Hardy, who debuted at the event, also trended, but only amongst U.K. users. Tyler Reks began trending worldwide immediately following Hardy’s debut, apparently because Hardy’s new look drew comparisons to the WWE star.

    — TNA will be taping episodes of iMPACT! and Xplosion Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

    — Nothing is official yet regarding the host city for Lockdown.

    (source: PWInsider.com)

  • Reason For WWE Pulling Movie Trailer, Punk Replaces Barrett

    — It was reported earlier that World Wrestling Entertainment laid a copyright claim on the trailer for WWE Studios’ upcoming Triple H themed movie The Chaperone, which surfaced on YouTube Thursday. Regarding this, it is said that company executives hated the version of the trailer that hit the web since it was bootlegged with very poor video quality. They also didn’t want to give off the impression that it is a low-budget independent film.

    — CM Punk is being advertised in place of Wade Barrett for the (dark match) main event at the Jan. 17 Raw taping at the Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is slated to partner with The Miz against John Cena and Randy Orton.

    — WWE returns to Mexico for a Raw live event tour this May. Dates and locations are as follows: May 11th – Multi-Purpose Center in Hermosillo; May 12th – VFG Arena in Guadalajara; May 13th – Sports Palace in Mexico City; May 14th – Arena Monterrey in Monterrey.

    Tickets go on sale Feb. 7.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Details On WWE’s New DX DVD, Del Rio & R-Truth Continue Feud

    — WWEDVDNews.com has confirmed that World Wrestling Entertainment will release a video on D-Generation X titled Final Conflict on April 5 in North America. It will be released on both DVD and Blu-ray.

    The three-disc set will pick off where the 2007 set left off with matches from their rivalries with The Legacy and JeriShow. It will also contain brand new interviews with Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

    — Continuing their angle from Monday’s Raw, SmackDown Superstar Alberto Del Rio lost to R-Truth in a singles match at Friday’s Raw live event in Augusta, Georgia. He lost to the former United States Champion for the second consecutive night at Saturday’s SmackDown live event in Lexington, Kentucky.

    — Chris Masters celebrated his 27th birthday Saturday.

  • Why WWEUniverse.com Was Shut Down, Ezekiel Jackson Update

    — Joey Styles revealed Saturday on Twitter why World Wrestling Entertainment shut down its social networking site, WWEUniverse.com: “We closed wweuniverse.com b/c facebook.com/wwe grew so incredibly large so incredibly quickly.”

    The other reason why WWE’s answer to MySpace was shut down was because it was expensive to run, both in hosting costs and in man hours needed to monitor the site.

    — Yet-to-debut SmackDown talent Ezekiel Jackson beat Tyler Reks in a squash match at Saturday night’s SmackDown live event in Lexington, Kentucky. WWE has been running “Coming Soon” vignettes of Jackson since the Dec. 17 SmackDown.

    — WWE developmental wrestler Percy Watson beat Chavo Guerrero at SmackDown’s live event in Lexington, Kentucky.

    sources: PWInsider.com

  • Teenager Discusses Lawsuit Naming The Rock, Triple H & WWE

    Ronnie Basham, the Kentucky teenager who filed a lawsuit Thursday against World Wrestling Entertainment, Paul Levesque (a/k/a Triple H) and Dwayne Johnson (a/k/a The Rock) over an incident at WWE’s 2000 Judgment Day pay-per-view event, talked to NBC’s Louisville, Kentucky affiliate WAVE 3 to discuss the matter.

    Basham, now 18 years and a senior at Clarksville High School, claims he was injured when Levesque and Johnson took their match over the crowd barrier on May 21, 2000 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville.

    “After The Rock got into it with one of the spectators, bodies were just coming towards me,” Basham told WAVE.

    Ronnie’s mother, Lisa Lanham, says someone shoved a woman on top of her son, who was standing on a chair.

    Basham’s attorney Harris Berman continued with what the family says happened next.

    “He (Basham) fell down and his legs were caught between the two chairs and the lady then fell on him and crushed his right knee,” the attorney said. “It really resulted as an assault on a 7-year-old kid.”

    Mother and son claim the injury got worse as he underwent multiple surgeries over the years, racking up $37,000 in medical bills. His attorney said they no had plans to sue until WWE refused to pay for anything, including the boy’s ride in the ambulance to the hospital.

    When asked if suing WWE was the right thing to do, Berman replied, “Yeah for the pain and taking away a kid’s childhood, because that’s the best part of anyone’s life is their childhood.”

    While the alleged injury occurred over a decade ago, the Statute of Limitations in Kentucky extends for minors to age 18. The suit seeks compensation and a jury trial.

    For more details on the story and to view the video interview, click here.

  • Match Announced For SmackDown, Punk Working Live Events

    — Wade Barrett vs. Big Show was announced last night on SmackDown for next week’s show. Earlier in the evening, the former leader of The Nexus attacked Big Show, preventing him from winning the Fatal 4-Way No. 1 Contender’s Match.

    — CM Punk made his live event debut as a member of The Nexus at last night’s Raw house show in August, Georgia. With assistance from his new allies, he defeated Mark Henry in a singles match. The faction continued beating Henry down following the match until some babyface Raw Superstars made the save.

    — Jim Ross said on Twitter he’s heading to Florida Championship Wrestling’s Tampa facility next week to work with WWE developmental talent.

    — Tickets for the Apr. 5 SmackDown taping at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina go on sale Jan. 22 at 10:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Weather To Affect WWE Tour, “Screech” Accepting Bookings

    — This weekend’s WWE tour of the Southeastern United States is expected to be greatly impacted by bad weather.

    Four to seven inches of snow is expected to hit most of the South, as well as ice, and is predicted to be the biggest snow storm in that part of the country since 1992.

    Jon Holder, a television weather forecaster in Alabama, said all flights are expected to be canceled Sunday through Tuesday. Monday’s SmackDown live event in Birmingham and Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Huntsville are believed to be in jeopardy. Monday’s Raw taping in Nashville as well as a live event in Knoxville tomorrow will also be impacted.

    — Dustin Diamond, best known as Screech on Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, is accepting wrestling bookings via bookings@sheikshow.com. The 34-year-old actor has performed on a few independent shows over the years and appeared on Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling on CMT.

    — Melina appears today from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Silicon Valley International Auto Show in San Jose, California (located at San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 West San Carlos Street).

    source: f4wonline.com

  • New Intercontinental Champ Crowned, WWE Stars Top Twitter

    — Kofi Kingston reclaimed the Intercontinental Championship last night on SmackDown, defeating Dolph Ziggler with a high cross body off the top rope. Moments later, Ziggler attacked the new champion, inspiring SmackDown’s Official Consultant Vickie Guerrero to call for her boyfriend’s immediate title rematch. Kingston defeated Ziggler a second time with Trouble in Paradise to retain his newly-acquired championship.

    With General Manager Theodore Long absent, Guerrero used her temporary authority to add Ziggler to the scheduled Triple Threat Match — set to decide the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship — making it a Fatal 4-Way Match. It culminated with Ziggler hitting the Zig Zag on Cody Rhodes for the pinfall victory.

    — Following the Intercontinental Title swap on Friday’s SmackDown, both Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston were the top trending topics on Twitter.

    — Paul Bearer, who is still listed on WWE.com’s SmackDown Superstars page, is accepting independent bookings via PercyPringle.com.

  • MVP Attends FCW Show, WWE Pulls HHH Movie Trailer, More

    — Former WWE talent Hassan Hamin Assad (a/k/a MVP) sat ringside amongst the audience at Thursday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event in Tampa, Florida. He booed some of the WWE developmental talent.

    — World Wrestling Entertainment laid a copyright claim on the trailer for WWE Studios’ upcoming Triple H themed movie The Chaperone, which surfaced on YouTube yesterday. Similarly, WWE had the trailer of Legendary removed from YouTube and IMDB.com when it initially surfaced early last summer.

    — WWE Monday Night Raw on May 2, 2011 will be held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Tickets go on sale January 22, 2011.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Backstage News On Triple H & Stephanie McMahon

    Stephanie McMahon has been less involved with the creative content of WWE programming than many expected her to be at this point. She took maternity leave following the birth of her third child in August and has largely worked via telecommuting since that time. One company source said Paul Levesque (a/k/a Triple H) appears more creatively involved than he has ever been after his promotion in the fall to Vince McMahon’s Senior Advisor.

    Though Levesque does not attend creative meetings, he is more involved in the creative process and has a lot of stroke in producer meetings. He also filled in as a show runner when Vince McMahon missed a few recent television tapings.

    “I would say Vince McMahon is the executive show runner and Hunter is the associate show runner,” said one WWE source. “He’s the apprentice.”

    source: Pro Wrestling Torch

  • WWE Courting Sting, Backstage Quip On Kong Joining WWE

    — The Sun has posted an article claiming that WWE is plotting to swoop the multi-time World Champion from TNA Wrestling. They say with WrestleMania taking place in WCW’s former home of Atlanta this year, Vince McMahon wants Sting to be a part of the show and inducted into the Hall of Fame.

    Though still listed on the TNA Wrestling website, Sting is presently a free agent after his contract with the organization expired late last year.

    — The news of Awesome Kong’s recent arrest in Hillsborough County, Florida for driving without a valid license led one company source to quip, “Since Kong got arrested in Tampa I’d say that’s proof she got a WWE gig, because you have to get arrested in Tampa to work for WWE.”

    — Last night’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America, which featured Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry vs. Ted DiBiase and Tyson Kidd in the main event, garnered a 0.58 cable rating with 588,000 viewers. Last week’s show drew a 0.67.

    The midnight replay did a 0.16 with 166,000 viewers.

    sources: F4WOnline.com, PWInsider.com