SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • SPECIAL: Does Winning King of the Ring Really Help Your Career?

    Looking Back At WWE’s King of the Ring

    WHO WAS REALLY HELPED BY WEARING THE CROWN?
    by The Solomonster (thesolomonster@gmail.com)
    Podcast | Twitter | Facebook

    This Monday’s 3-hour edition of Raw from Philadelphia will mark the 19th installment of WWE’s King of the Ring tournament. The event actually began as a house show attraction all the way back in 1985, and it wasn’t until 1993 that it was promoted to pay-per-view status. In 2003, the company decided to abandon the tournament altogether due to declining PPV buys, but has resurrected it a few times since to boost TV ratings.

    The purpose of this editorial is to evaluate each of the KOTR winners from 1993 onward and where their career took them subsequent to their winning the crown. Did they move on to bigger and better things? Did they disappear off the face of the earth? Moreover, if they did move on to legendary status, can that be attributed to their victory in this tournament? Of course, there’s no way of knowing for sure, but it makes for an interesting look back as we prepare to crown a new king and is sure to spark some debate in the comments section below.

    Before we jump into things, let us not forget the notable names who donned the crown, wore the royal robe and carried the mighty scepter from 1985-1991 (there was no tournament held in ’90 or ’92). These names, in order, include Don Muraco, Harley Race, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana and Bret Hart. Some heavy hitters and Hall of Famers in this list, but I doubt anyone is going to attribute their victories here to their later success. Let’s begin!

    Bret “The Hitman” Hart

    1993 King of the Ring (Dayton, Ohio)

    In many ways, this was designed as a consolation gift to Bret after losing the WWF Title in ridiculous fashion a few months earlier at WrestleMania IX. After dropping the title to Yokozuna in the main event off interference by Mr. Fuji, Hulk Hogan ran down to check on the Hitman’s well-being (as if) and a few minutes later, was dropping the leg on the giant Samoan to claim his 5th World championship. It was a creative, yet ludicrous way to get the strap off one babyface and onto another in quick fashion and marginalized Hart as a main eventer. Instead of building towards a Hogan/Hart showdown at Summerslam for the title, Hulk put the kibosh on that and decided to drop the belt back to Yokozuna on this show. As such, Bret was put over strongly in this tournament, having good to great matches with Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect and Bam Bam Bigelow all in one night. The match with Hennig may actually be better than their Summerslam encounter a few years earlier, and the match with Bigelow is HIGHLY underrated. Of course, we all know that during Hart’s coronation, he was interrupted and assaulted by Jerry “The King” Lawler, igniting a feud that would last the better part of two years.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Bret went on to feud with Jerry Lawler for several months before co-winning the Royal Rumble with Lex Luger. He regained the WWF Title from Yokozuna at WrestleMania 10 and would win several more championships before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. A fine career, for sure, but did winning this tournament really have much to do with it? After all, he had already won his first World title (as well as the Intercontinental and Tag belts) before capturing the crown. Verdict: No.

    FUN FACT: Hart is still the only person to technically win this tournament twice, if you include his first non-televised victory in 1991 (defeating IRS in the Finals).

    Owen Hart

    1994 King of the Ring (Baltimore, Maryland)

    “The Rocket” had always played second fiddle to big brother Bret and was ready to step out of The Hitman’s shadow. So began a memorable sibling rivalry with Owen defeating Bret at WrestleMania 10 in shocking (clean) fashion. Later that same evening, pulling double duty, Bret won the WWF Title, which put Owen in an interesting position having beaten the new champion only a few hours earlier. He entered the KOTR tournament a few months later, running through Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid and Razor Ramon en route to the crown. In the Finals, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who had returned as a surprise guest in Bret’s corner for his earlier title defense against Diesel, returned to ringside and turned heel, attacking Ramon and assisting Owen. This led to a memorable coronation where Owen first referred to himself as the “King of Harts”, a name that would stay with him for many years afterwards.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Owen earned himself a shot at the WWF Title against brother Bret inside a Steel Cage at Summerslam only two months later, though that likely had more to do with his WrestleMania win in March. While he fell short in his bid for the belt, he did go on to hold multiple Tag Team titles and the Intercontinental championship. Owen’s untimely death in May 1999 leaves open the question of whether he would have one day won a World title, making his KOTR win one of the more prolific victories of his entire career. If nothing else, it gave rise to the “King of Harts” nickname. Verdict: Yes.

    FUN FACT: Retired football star Art Donovan, a local celebrity of sorts, was a guest announcer for the pay-per-view alongside Gorilla Monsoon and Randy Savage. He was atrocious. I mean, he makes Michael Cole sound like Gordon Solie in comparison. Even Monsoon and Savage began ignoring his incessant questions mid-way through the show. He would constantly ask, “How much does ‘dis guy weigh?” everytime a wrestler would appear, without fail. If you should see this man in public (yes, he’s still alive), avoid conversation at all costs.

    Mabel (of Men on a Mission)

    1995 King of the Ring (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

    Let’s not beat around the bush here. 1995 was not a kind year to WWE and this show completely sucked. There was not a single good match, not in the tournament itself, nor in any of the other pay-per-view matches, which featured Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler in a “Kiss My Foot” match and a tag team main event of Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Sid and Tatanka. Maybe it’s appropriate then that Mabel, the 568 pound baggy pajama-wearing half of the Men on a Mission tag team, would win this year’s King of the Ring. I mean, when Shawn Michaels is eliminated from the First Round, it’s really only downhill from there. Defeating both The Undertaker and Savio Vega (he received a bye in the Semi-Finals), Mabel took his place on the royal throne as his partner, now billed as Sir Mo, read a royal proclamation from a scroll, all the while being pelted by garbage from an angry crowd (well, it is Philly after all, what do you expect). What a waste this entire thing was.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    King Mabel was such a stupid character, it’s hard to imagine what Vince McMahon was thinking when he conceived of him as being the top heel in his company. As a result of winning KOTR, Mabel did earn himself a crack at Diesel’s WWF Title at Summerslam, so in that respect, he benefited from winning. However, he lost to Diesel and would never sniff the main event again in his career, later returning as Viscera, a member of Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness and, later, a love machine decked out in a Hugh Hefner robe. Thankfully, this was the highlight of his career. Verdict: Fuck no.

    FUN FACT: WWE actually had a custom King of the Ring title belt made for Mabel which is still in existence, though I don’t believe he ever wore it on television. To see pictures of the belt, designed by the great Reggie Parks, click here and here.

    “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

    1996 King of the Ring (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

    This was the first KOTR where only the Semi-Finals and Finals were shown on PPV, which eliminated the emotion of watching someone potentially having to wrestle three times in one night. Just one month after losing his manager, Ted DiBiase, Steve Austin was given a chance to shine on his own, engaging in a terrific battle with “Wildman” Marc Mero that saw him accidentally bust open Austin’s lip. After winning the match, Austin received 16 stitches backstage and returned later to defeat Jake “The Snake” Roberts in short order to take the crown. Then came… the interview. This was the first real opportunity Austin had to speak on his own since his debut on the Brother Love Show months earlier and he made it a memorable occasion. As the “born again” Jake Roberts was being carried out by officials, Austin spoke of John 3:16 and how “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!”, sparking a marketing movement the likes of which WWE had not seen since the days of Hulkamania. A star was born on this night.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Stone Cold actually floundered after winning this tournament, defeating Yokozuna in a match on the Summerslam pre-show after the two previous winners had gone on to battle for the World title on that show the last two years. But then came a career-making feud with Bret Hart and eventually the first of several World Titles. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Would he have become a big star without the “Austin 3:16” speech? Most likely. But that phrase came to define the Attitude Era and absolutely benefited Austin for the rest of his career. Verdict: Hell yeah.

    FUN FACT: Triple H had been pegged to win the tournament this year, that is until the infamous “Curtain Call” incident took place at MSG a month earlier and Hunter was made to be the scapegoat. Austin got the nod instead and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Hunter Hearst Helmsley

    1997 King of the Ring (Providence, Rhode Island)

    For the record, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels had a MUCH better singles match on this show than they did at WrestleMania 14. I mean, it’s not even close. People like to talk about how gutsy Michaels was at Mania, doing that match with a broken back, but that doesn’t mean it was a good match. Anyway, it may have been delayed by a year, but Triple H finally got his big KOTR win here, defeating Ahmed Johnson and Mankind. In fact, Hunter had actually LOST to Ahmed via DQ in their Quarter-Final match on TV weeks prior, but complained he was not properly instructed by WWF officials prior to the bout and threatened to sue unless he was given a second chance. He took the place of an injured Vader in a match with Crush and advanced to face Ahmed in a rematch in the Semi-Finals, which he won. So I guess we can trace his political maneuvering all the way back to this tournament.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    The only thing of note that came out of this tournament for Hunter was the start of a feud with Mankind, who he would feud with in various incarnations for years afterward. He lost to Foley in a Steel Cage match at Summerslam after this show, so much like Austin, he too did not get a crack at the WWF Title right away. It would actually be more than two years before he would win his first. He and Michaels would go on to form D-Generation X a few months later, but largely, his victory here meant little to his career. Verdict: Not really.

    FUN FACT: This was actually the fifth King of the Ring to emanate from the Providence Civic Center, with the first four held between 1987-91, giving them the honor of hosting the greatest number of tournaments.

    Ken Shamrock

    1998 King of the Ring (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

    This event is notable for two reasons, neither of which include Ken Shamrock’s tournament victory. Kane won his first WWF Title from Steve Austin in a “First Blood” Match while The Undertaker nearly killed Mankind in the most famous “Hell in a Cell” match to this day. Meanwhile, Shamrock defeated Jeff Jarrett and The Rock on this night to take the crown, and his match with The Rock was actually REALLY good. The two men had great chemistry stemming from their feud over the Intercontinental title earlier in the year and it showed here. Behind 1993, this is probably my favorite King of the Ring from top to bottom as it was a very noteworthy show with some great action.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    I never thought Shamrock realized his full potential in the WWF. He could have had a run with the World title, but the closest he ever came was a PPV man event with Shawn Michaels the year prior. Following this tournament, he went on to win the Intercontinental title and became a Tag Team champion with Big Bossman after joining Vince McMahon’s corporate faction. By 2000, he was back doing MMA, though he did become NWA Champion in the early days of Total Nonstop Action. Verdict: No.

    FUN FACT: Mick Foley can talk about how that second bump in the “Hell in a Cell” match was not scripted, but he’s full of shit. Do you really think they would climb back up on top of the cage without having another big fall planned? Plus, look at the light manner in which Undertaker chokeslams him (more like shoves him) and we’re supposed to believe he wasn’t meant to fall through? Puh-leeze.

    ”Badass” Billy Gunn

    1999 King of the Ring (Greensboro, North Carolina)

    Right in the thick of the boom period, and coming just one month after Raw scored its highest ratings EVER, the WWF decided to use this tournament for the right reasons, to help get one of their mid-card performers over. Unfortunately, they chose Billy Gunn. The guy had a great look and was a decent in-ring performer, but he wasn’t really a good promo and his work never really improved. I give credit to the company for trying, but much like Mabel, this was a wasted opportunity to spotlight someone with real talent. Gunn defeated Ken Shamrock, Kane ad X-Pac in a series of 5-minute matches to win the crown. Elsewhere on the card, Steve Austin lost to Vince & Shane McMahon in a Ladder Match for control of the company and Undertaker retained his WWF Title over The Rock. In a dark match, Meat (Sean Stasiak) defeated Kurt Angle a full five months before losing to Angle in Kurt’s TV debut at Survivor Series. One year later, he would be king. When Kurt is inducted into the Hall of Fame, let’s hope they make no mention of the fact he once lost to a man named Meat. Fuck you, Vince Russo.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Mr. Ass (who did have some catchy theme music) never did get a crack at the World title and the highest profile PPV match he had after this show was his singles bout with The Rock at Summerslam, which did more to bring Rock down a notch than it did to bring Billy up at all. That will forever be remembered as one of Jim Ross’s greatest calls as he exclaimed, “The Rock just put Billy Gunn’s face in that large woman’s ass!” Don’t ask. Verdict: Hahaha.

    FUN FACT: The next night on Raw, Steve Austin defeated Undertaker to win back the WWF Title. This would mark the second consecutive year that Austin won the World title the night after KOTR after having beaten Taker’s little brother Kane to do the same thing the year prior.

    Kurt Angle

    2000 King of the Ring (Boston, Massachusetts)

    Less than a year earlier, Angle made his WWF debut. In that time, he had captured both the European and Intercontinental titles. Here, he ran through Chris Jericho, Crash Holly and Rikishi on the same night to become King of the Ring. His star was solidly on the rise and this tournament was a mere stepping stone to greater things. Elsewhere on the card, The Rock won the WWF Title by pinning Vince McMahon in a 6-Man Tag (the third title change in as many months) and Pat Patterson fought Gerald Brisco in a Hardcore Evening Gown match. I can’t even blame Russo for this absurdity as he was already out of the company by this time.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Angle’s landmark first year would continue as he defeated The Rock to win the WWF Title just four months later at No Mercy. Before that, he was square in the middle of a love triangle storyline that also included Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Angle would win many more titles and wrestle 4-5 star matches with the likes of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and others. The crown was incidental in his later success, but it’s still a fine accomplishment to have on his Hall of Fame resume. Verdict: Maybe a little.

    FUN FACT: Val Venis defeated both Jeff Hardy and Eddie Guerrero during this tournament. A few weeks later, he defeated Rikishi for the Intercontinental title on Smackdown. I just felt like pointing this out to illustrate that the last big push Val Venis got was 10 years ago. I feel old.

    Edge

    2001 King of the Ring (East Rutherford, New Jersey)

    Before he was the “Rated-R Superstar” with 10 World titles under his belt, Edge was a lowly tag team wrestler. Admittedly, he had a certain look to him that made me think big things were in his future, and I like to still take credit for saying way back in 1998 that he would one day be the heavyweight champion. On this night, Team RECK (Rhyno, Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle) was divided amongst itself as they competed against each other in a pair of Semi-Final matches. In the end, Edge defeated Angle after Kurt had not only wrestled Christian, but also defeated Shane McMahon in a brutal 26 minute streetfight. The man is a freaking machine. In other action, Steve Austin retained his WWF Title in a Triple Threat Match against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. This was the match where Benoit didn’t really injure his neck as per the storyline (he already knew he would need surgery), but I’m sure this didn’t make it feel any better.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Instead of being propelled into contention for the World title, Edge continued teaming with Christian before his “brother” turned on him and they closed out the year feuding over the Intercontinental title. It would be 4½ years before Edge would win his first WWE Title, so I cannot credit this tournament with having anything at all to do with his later success. In retrospect, his Money in the Bank victory was bigger than this. Verdict: No.

    FUN FACT: Booker T made his WWE debut on this show as part of the WCW invasion storyline, attacking Steve Austin during the main event and planting him through the Spanish announce table. He also injured Austin legit on the move, which is not the greatest first impression to make.

    Brock Lesnar

    2002 King of the Ring (Columbus, Ohio)

    Has anyone ever had as successful a first year as Brock Lesnar? Kurt Angle comes close, but even he can’t match what Lesnar was able to accomplish since his April debut – winning KOTR, becoming Undisputed WWE champion, winning the Royal Rumble and main eventing WrestleMania (defeating Angle for his second title). With Paul Heyman acting as his agent, Lesnar steamrolled through Test and Rob Van Dam on the PPV to become king. In other action, Kurt Angle became the first man in memory to make a babyface Hulk Hogan cleanly tap out in the middle of the ring, while Undertaker and Triple H had one of the WORST title matches in company history. Omigod.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    How can you say he didn’t? I know I said earlier that Kurt Angle benefited “only a little” from winning the crown, but he had already won titles beforehand. This was Brock’s first major accomplishment in WWE and two months later, he was killing Hulk Hogan on TV and pinning The Rock at Summerslam to win the Undisputed belt. Verdict: Yes.

    FUN FACT: This was the show where Steve Austin was to have faced Eddie Guerrero, but Ric Flair took his spot after Austin walked out on the company over a week earlier. Ironically, this all stemmed from a dispute between Austin and WWE where Vince McMahon wanted Austin to lose to the future King Lesnar in a KOTR Qualifier on Raw. Not wanting to give such a big match away for free on TV with no build, Austin refused and the two sides could not reach an agreement.

    Booker T

    2006 King of the Ring (Phoenix, Arizona)

    This was the first televised KOTR tournament not to air on pay-per-view. Matches were held over a one month period, culminating in Booker T defeating Bobby Lashley at Judgment Day. From that point forward, until the end of his WWE career, he used the name “King Booker” with an annoying British accent and formed his own “Court” which included Queen Sharmell, William Regal and Finlay. Two months later, he would win the World title from Rey Mysterio. This was largely a forgettable tournament designed as a gimmick for Booker.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    As I mentioned, Booker went on to win the World title two months later, his last in WWE before departing for TNA later the following year. Much of his success had already come and gone before this tournament, but it was clearly designed to help get over the “King Booker” character. In that respect, it was a success and did wonders to freshen up his already stale character before it got over-the-top aggravating. Verdict: Yes, and we suffered for it.

    FUN FACT: This was the first and, to date, only King of the Ring tournament exclusive to the Smackdown brand.

    William Regal

    2008 King of the Ring (Greenville, South Carolina)

    After an absence the year prior, the KOTR tournament was resurrected on Raw in 2008, though unlike last time, it was open to stars from Raw, Smackdown and ECW. It was among the worst tournaments the company has ever hosted, with William Regal defeating Hornswoggle in under 20 seconds in the opening round. After a KO victory over Finlay in a short match, he went on to defeat CM Punk in the Finals in a disappointing four minute match. At the time, Regal was serving as Raw General Manager (remember when they weren’t anonymous?), enjoying a great amount of TV time and thriving in the role. After winning the crown, one would think even bigger things were in his future, perhaps even a run with the title. Think again.

    Did Thou Benefit From Wearing The Crown?

    Regal was a hit in the role of Raw GM and was garnering heat the likes of which would not be seen until Vickie Guerrero started getting over in that same role on Smackdown. After winning KOTR, as hot as he was, it’s not out of the realm of possibility WWE could have given him a run with the Raw title. Unfortunately, he promptly failed his second Wellness exam, resulting in a 60-day suspension from which he never fully recovered. I can’t blame WWE for not pushing Regal upon his return, he really has no one to blame but himself. Verdict: Never had the chance.

    FUN FACT: On this same edition of Raw, “Barack Obama” battled “Hilary Clinton” to a no contest. Sports entertainment at its finest, folks.

    AND THE 2010 KING WILL BE…

    [WARNING: Spoilers for Friday’s show are included.]
    The latest installment of the King of the Ring returns to Philly this Monday and will include an even spread of four stars each from Raw and Smackdown. Representing Raw will be Sheamus, John Morrison, Daniel Bryan and Ezekiel Jackson, while Smackdown gives us Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston. Without the benefit of knowing what the brackets will be, it’s tough to make a prediction. Despite the fact that Raw will once again have THREE HOURS to fill, I’m positive we’ll end up with a bunch of 3-minute matches, which is a shame as there is some great talent here that can really go. If I had to pick one name from each brand, I’d go with Sheamus and Del Rio. There have been a disproportionate number of heel winners dating back to 1994 (in contrast to the Royal Rumble, which shows the opposite pattern), so while not an indicator of anything definite, it’s always safer to go with a heel pick. If I had to narrow it down, I’d say Sheamus wins the entire thing even though I acknowledge they could very well bring back Triple H to cost him the tournament.

    Do you agree or disagree with Solomonster’s analysis? Who do YOU think will win the 2010 King of the Ring this Monday? Let your voices be heard in the comments section below!

    thesolomonster@gmail.com

  • Heenan Reportedly In Very Poor Health, Creative News, More

    — Bobby Heenan is reportedly in very poor health at a Florida hospital.

    Lanny Poffo, brother of Randy Savage, said on the Who’s Slamming Who podcast this week that he heard from a friend that the WWE Hall of Famer “might be on his last legs.”

    The wrestler formerly known as The Genius said Heenan has been “in and out of a coma” in a Tampa area hospital and is “not aware of anything.”

    Heenan has been in poor health in recent years due to surgery on his throat and reconstructive jaw surgery.

    This is obviously terrible news. We wish Bobby a quick and full recovery.

    — There was much second-guessing among those in WWE regarding the content of pay-per-view events compared to television programming. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    — The WWE website has added Jake “The Snake” Roberts and The Gobbledy Gooker to its Alumni section. Of talent released last Friday, Jillian and Tiffany were added to the page.

  • Bret Hart Talks About The Hart Dynasty Breakup,Hogan & Bischoff

    WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was recently interviewed by the UK’s Daily Mirror publication. You can watch a video of their interview with the Hitman at this link. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

    Wrestling With Tyson Kidd, DH Smith & Natalya Neidhart At MSG:

    Bret said working with them was incredibly rewarding. The Hart Dynasty wanted to be wrestlers their entire lives and working with them was one of the major things that brought him back to WWE. He wanted to give back to the younger generation and show them their hard work paid off. He thinks if Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith were around today, they would have wanted him to work with Natalya, DH Smith and Tyson Kidd.

    The Hart Dynasty’s Recent Storyline Breakup:

    “I personally think that their story has not evolved enough yet. There’s a real human interest story about their childhoods and growing up with wrestling that doesn’t need to be rushed.”

    “I wouldn’t be surprised if the timing is a little quick and – I don’t have any idea if this rift they have right now is going to be a permanent rift or going to lead to a huge storyline. Who knows, maybe it will tie me in somehow.”

    TNA Wrestling, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff:

    “I’m so unfamiliar with TNA. I don’t know what they’re doing. More so than ever, when they’ve tied themselves in with the genius of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, I immediately focus on something else. I’ve been there, done that. I know between the two of them, they don’t have a good idea in their head about wrestling.”

  • King Of The Ring Preview & VOTE On Who You Think Will Win

    This Monday night is the 2010 King Of The Ring tournament ..

    Previous winners include Bret Hart, Triple H, Steve Austin Kurt Angle, Edge and Brock Lesnar – with most of them going on to become main event stars and ultimately winning the WWE championship.

    We want to know what you think – who is gonna be crowned king?

    Vote below an tell us, then hit up the comments section below and tell us why you voted that way!

    [poll id=”25″]

  • WWE SmackDown Preview: 4 KOTR Qualifying Matches

    WWE taped tonight’s episode of SmackDown on SyFy on Tuesday night from Jackonville, Florida. Here’s a spoiler-free preview of what we’ll see tonight:

    – Kelly Kelly vs. Michelle McCool

    – A special Thanksgiving celebration

    – New developments in the Edge vs. Kane feud

    King of the Ring Qualifying Matches:

    – Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger
    – Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show
    – Drew McIntyre vs. MVP
    – Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

    *SPOILERS* SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

  • CM Punk News, Joey Styles’s Future, Bryan’s Favorite Matches

    – CM Punk joined the WWE announce table on Monday’s RAW and will remain a part of the announce team in the months to come. The main reason Punk was added to the announce team is because Vince McMahon has always been a big fan of 3-man announce teams. With Punk out of action for a few months due to his lower back injury, WWE officials wanted to keep him on television, so the announce team was a good fit.

    – As he’s stated on Twitter in the past few weeks, Joey Styles’s WWE contract expires today. According to a reliable source, Styles is expected to remain with the company and will likely sign a new deal soon.

    — WWE has released several Christmas ornaments, including John Cena and as a snowman and Rey Mysterio as a masked snowman. Other performers with ornaments include Miz, John Morrison, Undertaker, Triple H and the Divas Butterfly.

    – WWE went back to using R-Truth’s old “What’s Up” theme song because they didn’t believe his new song was catching on.

    – Daniel Bryan was asked on Twitter what his favorite independent matches were of 2010. He wrote:

    1) Me vs. Shingo from “Enter the Dragon” (order at DGUSA.tv), and…

    2) Me vs. Sawa from EVOLVE 5 (order at EvolveWrestling.com). Support independent wrestling this holiday season!!!”

  • Paul Bearer Thanks The McMahons For Saving His Life

    WWE performer Paul Bearer updated his blog on Thanksgiving and once again thanked the McMahon family for saving his life by paying for his gastric bypass surgery a few years ago.

    Bearer wrote on percyposts.blogspot.com:

    “I weighed 525 pounds at my highest, which the photo above certainly serves as evidence. I eventually lost a total of 240 pounds. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would died long before cancer took my wife Dianna from me, if I had not recieved that surgery, which by the way was paid in full by Vince McMahon and WWE. I have since regained in the neighborhood of 40 pounds, but after weighing what I did, no words are necessary, and will make no excuses for regaining one single pound.”

    “Although I bitch and complain about everyday aches and pains, I’m OK at 56-years old. The extensive test WWE put me through before they allowed me to returned proved that. The traveling I have been doing is a stress test in itself. However, I could be better, and as it’s been that way my entire life, that’s my own fault… but that’s just me.”

    “I could ramble on for pages here, but that old adage stands here… if you understand no words are necessary, if you don’t, not enough words will do. I will say that I would have NEVER expected to be doing what I am today again. I had put that part of my life on the shelve and kind of wanted it to stay there. But… I am truly blessed to be back at he top of the game I treasure so much, and has been a part of me almost all of my life. I thank The McMahon Family and Company, and a handful of dear brothers that made this return possible, no matter how long it lasts. It’s been a good thing for me.”

  • WWE Looking To Run Major Angle For WrestleMania XXVII

    The Undertaker had words with Brock Lesnar following the main event of last month’s UFC 121 pay-per-view event, with their brief exchange caught on camera and designed to get people talking in case a potential WWE match took place. WWE officials want Lesnar to appear in a featured role at WrestleMania XXVII, but the scenario appears highly unlikely due to UFC President Dana White insisting that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling. Nevertheless, the idea was more than a fantasy proposition to those in WWE.

    Vince McMahon was heavily invested in the idea in mid-October as he knew ahead of time that there would be a confrontation between the former wrestling rivals, though the number of people who were previously aware was small. Nobody on creative knew there would be a confrontation until after the pay-per-view, and within a few days, sans a possible referee assignment, it was believed to be a dead idea once White publicly said that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling.

    McMahon feels it will be difficult for WWE to score a grand pay-per-view buy figure for WrestleMania XXVII and therefore concocted at least three different major out-of-the-box ideas, one of which involved Lesnar. The other two ideas, while known to some in WWE, have not been reported yet.

    At this point, company officials are actively pursuing individuals not involved with the professional wrestling industry and doing an outsider angle to headline the show.

    source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • John Cena Set To Return As Mexican Cousin Juan Cena

    John Cena was forced to leave WWE after awarding Randy Orton the win in the main event of Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Cena said a tearful goodbye to the WWE Universe the following night on RAW, but Cena fans shouldn’t worry – as it appears Cena will be back on WWE television very soon.

    WWE returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 26th, the night after Christmas. The main event of that show is being advertised as new WWE Champion The Miz defending the gold in a Fatal Four Way match against Randy Orton, Wade Barrett, and …“JUAN CENA (JOHN CENA’s MEXICAN COUSIN)”

    Juan Cena is booked for triple threat matches against WWE Champion The Miz and Wade Barrett at WWE’s RAW live events on 12/4 (Las Vegas) and 12/5 (Ontario, California).

  • The Rock Talks About WWE, His Movie Career, Lesnar & More

    Former WWE star and Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson called in to Opie & Anthony’s satellite radio show this morning to promote the release of his new movie, “Faster.” Here are some highlights from the interview:

    – Johnson said he’s proud of Linda McMahon’s attempt to become a United States Senator.

    – He said he loves being an actor and plugged his new movie “Faster,” which co-stars Billy Bob Thorton. He gave a rundown of the movie and mentioned that Brock Lesnar was his last opponent in WWE. He said he’s the accomplished actor he is today because he worked with great coaches early in his acting carer.

    – When asked who owns the name “The Rock,” Johnson said he and Vince McMahon have co-ownership of the trademark. He credited his family’s long standing relationship with the McMahons as the reason Vince gave him co-ownership.

    – Johnson shared some memories from the WWE Attitude era and said it was a really special time to be involved with wrestling.

    – He spoke about Shane McMahon’s overseas business ventures and suspects that Shane has met with UFC president Dana White about working together. He said Shane always worked his butt of in WWE and will be successful at anything he does. O&A said Shane probably had no choice but to get involved with WWE due to his father’s influence.

    – He said Brock Lesnar was very passionate about wrestling when he first got started but the travel broke him down and he ultimately said forget it. He mentioned that his last WWE match was against Lesnar.

    * Picture of THE ROCK Looking Absolutely JACKED For His Next Movie

  • Reason For Cena Hugging Cole, Update On Swagger’s Eagle

    — Among those hugged by John Cena following the result of the WWE Championship Match at the Survivor Series was Michael Cole, which appears peculiar given the Raw announcer’s heelish persona. The two are close behind the scenes and was done to add realism to the storyline of Cena being fired from WWE.

    — It was reported over the weekend that WWE axed the mascot character accompanying Jack Swagger ringside in recent weeks, the Swagger Soaring Eagle. The mascot’s fate will be revealed on this Friday’s episode of SmackDown.

    — Tony Smith, a referee in Florida Championship Wrestling, worked this week’s set of WWE televised events.

    source: Pro Wrestling Torch

  • Angle Comments On WWE’s State, AAA Star Receives TNA Offer

    — Kurt Angle noted on Twitter that he is looking to film a “good vs. evil” movie alongside fellow TNA star Rob Van Dam. He also commented on the state of his former employer, World Wrestling Entertainment.

    “I truly look a wwe and it’s not the same without shawn, HHH, rock, austin and me. They have incredible talent like ‘Taker, kane and others. I thank GOD vince game me a chance, but any talent won’t be is HUGE as we were. I’m not trying to benefit Tna. I love Tna. But wwe needs upper talent. I hope they do it, but when I was in wwe, the talent was incredible. Rey mysterio, cena and orton picked up the slack. But is wwe like it was? Tna has Awesome talent. I Pray we can compete up against the Monster wwe someday. I will do my very best. I loved wwe when I was there-but tna is better for me. I Pray we both succeed incredibly. Kurt.”

    — AAA star Zorro noted in an interview with miluchalibre.com that he has been offered a two-year contract by TNA Wrestling. The deal would allow him to continue working for AAA as well. The Mexican wrestling promotion have given him permission to accept the offer.

    — Eric Young is accepting bookings via Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com. They are, however, subject to approval by TNA Wrestling.

  • Update On Riley Following DUI Arrest, Shad’s MMA Aspirations

    — It is said that Alex Riley’s on-air association with The Miz saved him from being let go following his arrest for driving under the influence last Wednesday in Tampa, Florida. He was said to be pretty nervous for several days, however. WWE did not officially announce any punishment and he worked the Survivor Series pay-per-view and Monday’s Raw.

    — John Cena is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam magazine.

    — A video of Shad Gaspard participating in mixed martial arts training surfaced online the day after it was announced that he had been released by WWE. A source close to Gaspard says the former Cryme Tyme member has friends in MMA and predicted before the video surfaced that he would attempt to launch a career in the sport.

    sources: f4wonline.com, Pro Wrestling Torch

  • Roy Nelson’s Reps Contact Jim Ross About WWE Job

    To update the story that UFC heavyweight fighter Roy Nelson wants to work with WWE, Jim Ross wrote in his most recent blog that Nelson’s reps recently contacted him about getting “Big Country” a job in WWE. Ross wrote:

    “A rep of Roy Nelson casually contacted me about the hard hitting MMA fighter wanting to get in the WWE at some point,” Ross said. “So the rumors of Nelson wanting to jump from MMA to WWE aren’t totally unfounded.

    “However, one has to wonder if this isn’t a case of leveraging or posturing to some degree by the big puncher. Roy Nelson might become a star in pro wrestling if he applied himself to it but so many athletes come into the wrestling biz thinking that it’s easy and takes little effort to be good at it. Nothing could be more wrong. For the record, I have not gotten involved in this matter and likely will not.”

    To read more on Roy Nelson possibly joining WWE, click below:

  • Update On Bret Hart’s WWE Contract Status & Future

    For those wondering about the status of WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, we can report that his WWE contract recently expired.

    The feeling within WWE is that it does not make sense to use Hart unless there is something “major” for him to do, so don’t expect him to appear on WWE television any time soon. If something does come up, there is always the option of signing him to another short-term deal.

    Hart remains on very good terms with WWE and him not appearing on television is not a sign that the two sides are on bad terms.

    Bret Hart will also continue to make occasional appearances when WWE holds live events in markets where Hart remains very popular. Hart appeared at live WWE events in New York City, Calgary and on WWE’s most recent European tour.

    Hart was married over the summer and is enjoying life with his new wife.

    * BRET HART Marries 27-Year-Old Hottie Stephanie Washington (PICTURE)

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

  • Joey Styles’ Contract Set To Expire, Bryan-Bellas & More

    — Joey Styles issued an apology last night on Twitter for spoiling the elimination result of the previous week’s episode of NXT.

    “I’m sorry I prematurely revealed Aksana was eliminated before it was streamed despite the fact that it happened three hours earlier. Period.”

    He then added that his WWE contract expires this Friday.

    “Are you fans sorry that my WWE contract expires this Friday? Goodnight and Happy Thanksgiving.”

    — Fans were prematurely let into the Amway Center Monday for Raw as Vince McMahon, Triple H, members of The Nexus, John Cena, The Miz, Randy Orton and several agents were seen in the ring rehearsing rehearsing what would be the show’s main event. Security personnel subsequently ushered the fans out of the arena area for 15 minutes.

    — Daniel Bryan commented on The Bella Twins advances towards him on Raw, writing on Twitter:

    “What’s the deal with the Bellas? I have absolutely ZERO idea.”

  • Jeff Hardy Rips On CM Punk In New Youtube Video

    A video has been posted on YouTube featuring TNA champion Jeff Hardy giving some strong criticism of WWE star CM Punk.

    It’s worth noting that the video was not posted by Jeff Hardy and there’s no date given as to when it was recorded. The video is choppy and contains some NSFW language, so you’ve been warned.

  • Latest Elimination From NXT, Additional Superstars Match Taped

    — The results of the latest NXT Poll were revealed on last night’s episode of WWE NXT and it was disclosed that AJ has been eliminated from the competition. Naomi and Kaitlyn are the remaining two contestants in the competition.

    Following the announcement, A.J. spoke on the mic and thanked everyone who voted for her. She began to cry while discussing the fans being ready for a Diva such as her. A.J. wants to represent all of the girls watching and be a girl the guys want to hang out with. She said it is not the last they have seen of her and that she will be back to accomplish her dreams.

    Next week’s show is the final episode of season three, where the winner will be determined.

    — A match pitting Curt Hawkins against Trent Barreta was taped Tuesday night in Jacksonville for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. Matches taped Monday in Orlando, Florida were Mark Henry vs. The Usos in a Handicap Match and Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Zack Ryder & Primo.

    — Tickets for the May 1, 2010 Extreme Rules pay-per-view at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida will officially go on sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. Tickets for the event are priced at $275 (including take-home chair), $95, $70, $45 and $20. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

  • Tough Enough Casting Call Details – Winner Gets WWE Contract

    WWE has begun the process of casting talent for the returning reality TV competition, WWE Tough Enough. The show is set to air on the USA Network in 2011.

    Here are some details from the casting call, which runs until January 22, 2011:

    Are you TOUGH ENOUGH to become the next WWE SUPERSTAR?

    WWE and the USA Network are bringing back the hit reality competition show Tough Enough! One competitor will earn a WWE contract and be the next WWE Superstar!!!

    Casting Producers are searching the world to find extraordinary men and women with the following qualities:

    – CHARISMA
    – PERSONALITY
    – ATHLETICISM
    – AGILITY
    – STAMINA
    – STRENGTH
    – And an INTENSE DESIRE to be the next WWE SUPERSTAR!

    If you believe you have what it takes to not only earn the contract, but excel in World Wrestling Entertainment… Apply now. Closely follow the application instructions.


    For more information on how to apply, check out the casting call information WWE sent to RealityWanted.com.

  • Alicia Fox’s Sister Caylee Turner Debuts At FCW (Pictures)

    WWE Diva Alicia Fox’s younger sister Christina Crawford made her WWE developmental in-ring debut this past week, wrestling at a Florida Championship Wrestling event as “Caylee Turner.” She lost a tag match, teaming with Rosa Mendes and Aksana against AJ Lee, Kaitlyn and Naomi Knight.

    Caylee Turner made her debut at an FCW live event on July 08, 2010 in a bikini contest.

    Here are some pictures of WWE’s newest developmental diva, Caylee Turner:

  • RAW Rating, Hot RAW Crowd, Morrison-Melina, Piper’s Pit At MSG

    – Monday’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW scored a 3.3 cable rating and averaged 4,850,000 viewers. The show did hours of 3.26 and 3.34 and is up a bit from last week.

    – WWE was very happy with the live crowd at Monday’s RAW from Orlando, Florida and regards the city as one of the best in the country. The city hosted WrestleMania 24 a few years ago, has a great relationship with WWE and is one of the front runners to host the discussed WWE Hall of Fame facility.

    – The backstage segment on RAW between John Morrison and Melina that resulted in Melina slapping Morrison’s butt was an acknowledgment of the couple’s real life romantic relationship.

    – Roddy Piper and his Piper’s Pit segment have been added to WWE’s return to Madison Square Garden on December 26th.

    (Sources: f4wonline.com, pwinsider.com)

  • John Cena Says He’ll Be At RAW Next Week From Philly

    Despite the fact that John Cena was forced to leave WWE after Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, it appears the former WWE champ isn’t going anywhere.

    Cena just announced on Twitter that he will be at next week’s WWE RAW:

    “Last night was tough. I am glad its over. On way to see niece. And moms bday tomorrow. Sorry i ran back in ring but i told Mr barrett that if he keeps taking short cuts it will come back to haunt him. Just got tix for raw in philly”

    The WWE website is also promoting him for next week.

    It’s worth noting that as per WWE storylines, Cena’s Superstar Profile has been removed from the RAW section and moved to WWE Alumni.

  • Beth Phoenix Update, Malenko Reportedly Suffers Heart Attack

    — Beth Phoenix posted the following on Twitter about her return to SmackDown this week:

    “I’m nervous and excited for SmackDown. I’ve got revenge on my mind and unfinished business to take care of.”

    — WWE producer Dean Malenko suffered a heart attack in recent months, according to Phil Mushnick. He has since recovered as he was backstage at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in Miami, where he resides. Mushnick adds that no mention has been made to anyone of his health problems. He contacted WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman regarding the matter, but received no response.

    – Randy Orton and The Miz were both trending topics last night on Twitter.

    — Matches taped for this Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars yesterday in Orlando, Florida were:

    * Mark Henry vs. The Usos in a Handicap Match

    * Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Zack Ryder & Primo.

    — Rey Mysterio is featured on the cover of the Holiday 2010 issue of WWE Magazine.

    — The Nov. 19 episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 1.73 cable rating, with 2,523,000 viewers. Viewership was slightly down from the previous week.

    (source: f4woOnline.com, pwinsider.com)

  • Matt Hardy Opens Up On Release, Why He Wanted to Leave

    Matt Hardy implied during an interview with AOL Fanhouse that WWE may have altered their Wellness Policy because of him.

    The former WWE Superstar admits to using muscle relaxant, but says he did not take anymore than his physician prescribed. He believes the company amended their drug testing policy due to the situation.

    He also noted that he was released two weeks before it was publicly announced by the company.

    The interview can be accessed here.

  • Nash Criticizes The Miz’ Title Win, Former WWE Stars Backstage

    — Kevin Nash, a former WWE Champion, remarked the following on Twitter regarding The Miz winning the WWE Championship on Raw:

    “WWE told the world that there sh*t is a work with the Miz as champ,” he wrote on Twitter.

    — Former WWE stars Haku and Harvey Wippleman were backstage visiting colleagues last night in Orlando, Florida.

    — This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the day The Undertaker debuted in World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE.com salutes his two decades of destruction with the following feature.

    source: PWInsider.com