— Conspicuous by his absence tonight on Raw was that of Wade Barrett. Michael Cole continued in his role as mouthpiece for Raw’s still anonymous General Manager, announcing that the mystery GM will have a verdict on the season one NXT Rookies – who have taken to referring to themselves as The Nexus – on next week’s show. To explain Barrett’s absence, it was noted that he was conferencing with WWE officials to learn the fate of he and his group.
It should be noted that the season one NXT Rookies did run-ins during the main events of this past weekend’s Raw live events and Barrett was notably absent from the proceedings.
— Two WWE Superstars matches were taped prior tonight’s Raw broadcast in Philadelphia.
* Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust vs. Zack Ryder and Primo
* Nikki Bella vs. Jillian
Former WWE Diva Mickie James was interviewed by Alez Marvez of Scrippsnews.com last week and spoke at length about her wrestling and country music careers. James has spent the last year and a half working on her debut country music CD, “Strangers and Angels.” Here are some highlights of what Mickie James said about:
Her Country Music Career:“Wrestling has kind of taken a back seat right now,. This is a new passion of mine. I’m a very competitive person and very much a perfectionist. When I want something that badly, I’m willing to make sacrifices and do whatever it takes to make it happen.”
Getting Released By WWE: “It broke my heart. I admit it,” said James, who initially landed a WWE developmental contract in 2003 after spending four years on the independent circuit and in TNA Wrestling. “I had given so much of my life to this and sacrificed so much. I missed weddings, birthdays, my nieces being born. I starved on the road when I first tried to make it. I slept at rest stops because I didn’t have the money for a hotel. I wanted it that bad.
“When you get that call that you’re hired, it’s the greatest call in the world. It’s even better when you get the call that you’re coming to TV (tapings) and debuting. But when you get the call saying you’re gone … What bothers me is, I could see if I didn’t get a good reaction, but I would get the largest reaction of any female on the roster no matter who I was on the bill with. I still don’t understand why, but that’s life.”
Her Future in Wrestling: “For a while, I was going to say I didn’t want to wrestle at all because I’m still heartbroken (about WWE),” James said. “But I do love it so much. I intend to wrestle here and there and do the shows I really want to do, especially if it’s with someone who’s a friend of mine or someone I never got a chance to work with.”
– Rob Zombie, tonight’s RAW Guest Host, wrote on Twitter.com/RWZOMBIE that he’s “planning some big crazy sh*t for RAW.”
– The Chicago Sun Times has an article up about former WWE personality Mike Adamle, who talks about the brain damage he suffered while playing football earlier in his career.
‘I was on the air in 1999 when I had my first seizure. ‘One part of my brain was speaking, the other part was having a tidal wave,” Adamle said. ”There was deja vu. All kinds of flashing, loud ringing in my ears. Dizziness. My short-term memory was gone. There were tears in my eyes, thoughts of being a kid, thoughts of my grandfather. I was in the hospital for three days.”
Adamle said he has epilepsy from lesions on the left hemisphere of my brain and still has seizures. Adamle got a lot of criticism for his on-air gaffes during his time as a WWE announcer – and now we can see he’s been battling serious medical issues for years that explain his mistakes.
— Kelly Kelly was cleared to wrestle at last night’s SmackDown live event in Worcester, Massachusetts, so it appears her injury from the previous night was not serious. The SmackDown Diva’s bout with Layla was prematurely concluded by the referee after she took a bad shot to either the neck or shoulder.
— To correct an earlier report, R-Truth did not suffer a knee injury at Saturday evening’s Raw live event in Youngstown, Ohio, but rather a pulled groin. He is attempting to work through the injury. Like Kelly, his match came to an abrupt conclusion as a result of injury.
— Cody Rhodes, who took a bad hit to the head at Saturday night’s SmackDown live event in Portland, Maine, is apparently fine. He worked last night’s show in Worcester, losing to Kofi Kingston. It was initially feared that he had suffered a concussion, but it is now believed to not be the case.
– Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and will feature musician/director Rob Zombie as the guest host.
At this time, no matches have been announced for the show. The “anonymous” General Manager has promised that the Season One NXT rookies will face “appropriate consequences” as a result of their attack on Vince McMahon last week.
– Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter this weekend about Bryan Danielson:
“Daniel bryan became relevant in 13 wks which is a big win. Sure hope wwe gives Bryan a 2nd chance some day. The kid has ‘it.’ Size non issue.â€
– Speaking of Daniel Bryan, he is already back on the independent scene and worked a show in Michigan on Saturday night. Here’s a clip of Danielson addressing the crowd, talking about his future and why “PG” wrestling isn’t so bad:
– Current plans call for eight WWE Superstars to work each Money in the Bank Ladder Match at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, reports f4wonline.com. The Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match is expected to feature Randy Orton, Edge, The Miz, Evan Bourne and R-Truth as participants, among others.
– Bryan Danielson returned to action at Saturday night’s CHIKARA Pro event in Taylor, Michigan, defeating Eddie Kingston with a roll-up. Following the bout, Danielson spoke on the microphone to discuss his future. The transcript of his speech is as follows:
“I just want you guys to know – I can’t say a lot about what’s going on right now – but, when I came through that curtain and all of you people cheered and all of you people cared and all of you people cared enough to bring ties, it made me feel good,” Danielson said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with my career, but for the next little while while I’m on the independents, I have one goal and one goal in mind – to bring more people to independent wrestling.”
“Let me tell you about PG wrestling. CHIKARA does it at its very best. I kicked Eddie Kingston as long as I possibly could and that was PG. People came out here and mat wrestled as hard as they could and that was PG. When guys come out here and wrestle as hard as they can, that is still PG.”
— The official website of the Sprint Center, the venue holding next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, is advertising a WWE Championship Match between Sheamus and John Cena. The match is also being advertised to take place inside a Steel Cage.
— Today on Twitter, John Cena noted starting with WWE eight years ago today.
“Thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes,” Cena wrote. “Started something here eight years ago today, you are the reason I am still here. I will continue to give you everything I have, every night. I am truly grateful for all of you out there. You have no idea. This is my dream. Thank you for making it come true. Never give up. Eight years and going strong. They still can’t see us.”
Today is the eight-year anniversary of Cena’s debut match with WWE, which was broadcast on the June 27, 2002 edition of SmackDown!. He lost to Kurt Angle.
— David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd are expected to defend their Unified WWE Tag Team Titles against the Usos at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, reports www.f4wonline.com.
Solomonster delivers a PACKED show with thoughts on Chris Benoit, Michael Jackson, Fedor tapping out last night, Martha Hart’s lawsuit against WWE, Paul Heyman being courted by TNA, Bryan Danielson a class act, Raw’s anonymous GM and the Fatal 4-Way PPV from Nassau Coliseum!
— R-Truth reportedly tweaked his knee during his Triple Threat Match against The Miz and Mark Henry at last night’s Raw brand house show.
Immediately following the conclusion of the match, which saw Miz pin R-Truth, the referee threw up the “X” signal. The former United States Champion was assisted by medical personnel to the backstage area.
R-Truth was the third wrestler to require medical assistance Saturday night as Kelly Kelly and Cody Rhodes suffered injuries during their respective matches at the SmackDown live event taking place in Portland, Maine.
— As seen on Friday’s SmackDown, a pre-taped vignette was aired featuring an individual by the name of Alberto Del Rio, who claimed to be the “only real honest man.” Del Rio, who’s real name is Alberto RodrÃguez, has ties to some of the most well known Mexican wrestlers as he is the son of luchador Dos Caras, as well as the nephew of Mil Mascaras and Sicodelico. Del Rio previously competed in Mexico under the name Dos Caras, Jr., a masked wrestler. He reportedly signed a three-year contract with WWE last June and had been working non-televised matches since April, both masked and unmasked.
— Commenting on rumors concerning his status with World Wrestling Entertainment, Bret Hart claims he too is unaware of his status with the organizaiton. Hart wrote the following yesterday on his official website, also noting Martha Hart’s lawsuit against WWE:
“As far as the recent lawsuit filed by Martha, I’m working on a detailed response that I will post soon, but I think my fans might be a little surprised at my take on things. Aside from that, I know that the WWE Universe is more than curious to know what my status is anymore and the truth is nobody knows, including me. There are a lot rumors out there about me and all I can say is that they’re rarely true. I will have some major announcements forthcoming, but right now I’m going to keep the lid on things because I’m not looking for any distractions.”
— During last night’s SmackDown house show in Portland, Cody Rhodes apparently took a bad bump as a result of a double back suplex, courtesy of Kofi Kingston and Matt Hardy. The second generation wrestler would continue the match a few minutes later, but had to be helped out to the backstage area by trainers following its conclusion.
— WWE returns to the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts on August 29th, 2010 at 7 PM. Tickets go on sale July 10th, 2010 at 10 AM. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
— Kelly Kelly reportedly suffered an injury at last night’s SmackDown house show in Portland, Maine.
Facing WWE Women’s Champion Layla, she was injured receiving a dropkick to either the back of her shoulder or neck. The bout was prematurely concluded by the referee.
— Finlay, who is believed to be semi-retired from in-ring competition, is working this weekend’s SmackDown house show loop. Newcomer Alberto Del Rio pinned the former United States Champion at last night’s live event with his feet on the ropes.
— WWE will be returning to Puerto Rico in September of 2010. Here are the dates & locations:
* September 2nd – Manuel Iguina Coliseum in Arecibo
* September 3rd – Juan Pachin Vicens Auditorium in Ponce
The following matches have been announced for WWE’s inaugural Money in the Bank pay-per-view, taking place on July 18:
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger
SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Eight SmackDown Superstars to be announced
(Winner earns right to challenge SmackDown’s World Heavyweight Champion at any time, at any place, for up to one year)
— The official synopsis for WWE’s upcoming DVD set on Chris Jericho, The Highlight Reel, has been released:
“The WWE fans love to hate Chris Jericho. Throughout his remarkable career he has provided sports entertainment fans with amazing matches and astounding moments whether he was in Smokey Mountain Wrestling, ECW, WCW, and WWE. He’s also left his mark on the entertainment industry outside the ring, from his band Fozzy, writing a NY Times bestselling autobiography, through his appearances on VH-1’s “I Love…†shows and his role in the hit film “Magruberâ€. But his most famous moments are in sports entertainment, where Jericho has won multiple championships, including the WWE, World Heavyweight, a record number of Intercontinental titles, and the night when he defeated both the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin to become the first ever WWE Unified Champion. But Chris Jericho has never had his remarkable career highlighted in a DVD set until now. This 3-disc release will include a never-before-seen documentary on the life and times of Jericho featuring new candid interviews with Jericho and his rivals, as well as more than a dozen of his greatest matches.”
— Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars scored a 0.56 cable rating with 524,000 viewers. The number may be a record low for Superstars in its regular 8 p.m. time slot. The previous week’s episode, which aired late due to baseball, drew an all-time record low rating, a 0.35 with 308,000 viewers.
— WWE Magazine’s “Best of WWE 2010 Special Issue” features “1,001 answers to the WWE Universe’s most burning questions.” To read a few of the questions answered, click here. The issue hits newsstands this Tuesday.
— WWE developmental wrestler Richie Steamboat returned to singles action at Thursday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event in Tampa, Florida, pinning Donny Marlow. Last week, Steamboat teamed up with his father, WWE Hall of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, his first match since tearing a ligament in his knee earlier in the year.
— Fans can meet Brie and Nikki Bella as they will be appearing at today’s Forman’s Foundation 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Maderas Golf Club located in San Diego, California.
— Despite winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Sunday’s Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view, Rey Mysterio does not appear on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The reason for this is because he was given Tuesday’s television taping off so he could take his family on vacation to Hawaii. Mysterio’s contract with WWE gives him one weekend per month off from live events but he’s supposed to appear at all television tapings and pay-per-view events.
— As seen at last month’s Over the Limit pay-per-view, CM Punk had his head shaved after losing to Rey Mysterio in a Straight Edge Society pledge vs. hair match. Since this time, Punk has donned a mask to the ring in order to hide his shaven head. While Punk’s fully shaved head has yet to be revealed on WWE programming, an extra on the newly released Over the Limit DVD set shows Punk completely bald. The extra is a “G-TV-like” segment showing an upset Punk with a bare head in the locker room. However, Punk quickly gets over his loss (and lack of hair) as he engages in a group hug with The Straight Edge Society.
— WWE canceled it entire house show schedule for the weekend of July 4th due to poor ticket sales. The events have been rescheduled for December.
As reported Wednesday, ring announcer Savannah (Angela Fong, 25) was released from her WWE contract. She was recently replaced by Jamie Keyes as the ring announcer for NXT and instead moved to a backstage announcer role on Raw. It’s said her flubbing lines on last week’s Raw while interviewing Wade Barrett was the reason for her dismissal from the company.
Prior to entering the wrestling industry, Fong was a cheerleader for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League, as well as a bikini model. She tried out for the 2007 Diva Search and although she didn’t make the final cut, WWE would sign her to a developmental contract a few months later. It had been long rumored that Fong would be called up to the main roster in a wrestler capacity, but she instead made her WWE debut as a backstage announcer on ECW. She assumed the role of ring announcer following Lauren Mayhew’s departure from the company last November.
Fong reportedly garnered heat with some in the company over a topless scene she filmed for a direct-to-DVD movie called Ratko: The Dictator’s Son, a National Lampoon production. She filmed the scene before being hired by WWE, but company officials were unaware she had until video stills of Fong appearing topless surfaced online earlier this year.
– While no television outlet has been announced, WWE plans on holding a third season of NXT. The current season ends in late August, and they have the Syfy slot at least until the end of September.
– WWE is working on a DVD set entitled 100 Craziest Moments in WWE History, which is due out in December. A “Best of Friday SmackDown” 2010 DVD set has also been planned.
– The WWE SmackDown taping on September 7th, 2010 will be held at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Tickets go on sale July 17th, 2010 at 10 a.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
– Today is WWE Women’s Champion Layla’s birthday, who turns 32 years old.
(sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com)
Here are spoiler results for tonight’s WWE Smackdown, taped Tuesday night from the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH:
* The show opened with Tedd Long and Vickie Guerrero talking from the top of the ramp. Long announced there would be an eight man Money in the Bank ladder match at next month’s pay-per-view and the winner could cash it in for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Vickie Guerrero spoke before Drew McIntyre came out and ran down Long. Long informed McIntyre it’s his show and reinstated Matt Hardy. McIntyre vs. Hardy is announced for later.
* Following the Smackdown opening, Big Show comes out. Kane vs. CM Punk in a no disqualification match is announced for later. Jack Swagger comes out and says he’s protesting how he was treated at Fatal 4-Way and he’s exercising his rematch clause against Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank next month.
* Big Show b. Jack Swagger via disqualification after Swagger would not release an ankle lock despite Show getting to the ropes. The referee called for the bell as Show was carried to the back by several referees. The sight of the referees carrying Big Show drew a pop from the liv ecrowd.
* Footage of Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer over Christian & MVP is shown from last week.
* WWE Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston, Christian & MVP b. Curt Hawkins, Dolph Ziggler & Vance Archer in a 6-man tag team match.
* Backstage, Kane is talking to an empty casket. He says he’s going to take off the head of the Straight Edge Society tonight in his no disqualification match with CM Punk. Kane slammed the casket shut.
* Matt Hardy b. Drew McIntyre after hitting Twist of Fate. After the match, Teddy Long comes on the big screen and tells McIntyre because he didn’t win the match, his Visa has expired and he’s now in the country illegally. He says it’s time to send Mr. McIntyre back to Scotland. McIntyre is upset as the crowd chants him goodbye.
Cody Rhodes and Husky Harris out for an in-ring promo. Rhodes put over his looks.
* Backstage, Dolph Ziggler is telling Vickie Guerrero he is unhappy with their relationship. He demanded a title match before leaving.
* Kelly Kelly b. Rosa Mendes
* CM Punk vs. Kane doesn’t see a winner in a no disqualification match. Kane chokeslammed Luke Gallows into a table and threw Punk into the crowd. Punk left but Kane followed, continuing the match throughout the arena. Kane chokeslammed him through a table but Punk recovered to the point where he was able to run across the street as Kane went after him.
* Teddy Long came out and announced Jack Swagger vs. Big Show in a cage match in a post-Smackdown dark match main event.
Dark Match Main Event:
* Big Show b. Jack Swagger in a cage match
(Credit to Wrestling News World for these results)
— Quite like 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, Matt Hardy vows to make 2010 “the year of Matt Hardy.” The SmackDown Superstar released the following mission statement urging fans to “get ready for the biggest run of Matt Hardy’s career.”
— Making her first public comments since being released by World Wrestling Entertainment, Savannah remarked the following yesterday on Twitter: “It has been quite a day….my head hurts…need some sleep..I appreciate all the support and I will write tomorrow…i love my fans..gnite.”
— The latest addition to WWE’s Alumni section comes in the form of former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vader. You can view his page here.
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:
Chris Jericho’s New ABC Game Show: “Emailer…Yes I watched ABC’s Downfall with Chris Jericho and thought that the premise of the game show was unique and that Chris did a super job hosting the festivities. From what I hear ABC was pleased with the first episode although they hope that the ratings will increase next week and that they can hold more of the audience from the lead in program. Hopefully the broadcast creates enough of a buzz to up the ratings next Tuesday night as Downfall once again leads in to WWE’s NXT on Syfy. Jericho’s talents go well beyond the squared circle and it seems good for WWE that one of their biggest stars is doing well outside the envelope, so to speak.”
Returning to Broadcasting: “Emailer…Of course I miss broadcasting. One can’t do something that they loved doing for parts of four decades and then not miss it. I’m hopeful that Oklahoma University starts their own network some day and that I might be considered to be a part of it. I ‘never say never’ about broadcasting ever again on WWE TV but the chance of that is, as Gorilla Monsoon would say, “Highly Unlikely” especially on a weekly basis. However, I can see being a part of a special project occasionally. Stranger things have happened in the biz and if WWE ever needed me back at my old role they know that I’m ready to rock. But I do enjoy my new, less travel intensive role I assure you.”
Scouting Talent: “Emailer…No I am not going to be hiring the new wrestlers. I am going to FCW in July for a few days to observe. I will also be scouting/looking for viable, new wrestling prospects in a variety of areas. I’ve been in contact with some folks in the NFL. They look at a ton of great athletes and can only keep 53 on their full time roster.”
Linda McMahon’s latest United States Senate campaign ad takes a very different approach from previous ads, embracing (sort of) her experience as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment.
McMahon has previously downplayed her wrestling past, but since her political opponents have tried using her involvement with WWE against her, she’s embracing it and making it work for her.
Linda calls WWE a “soap opera” and says “It’s not real – but Connecticut’s problems are.”
Check out the video below and comment on what you think about the ad and Linda calling WWE a fake soap opera ..
— While Vince McMahon informed Bryan Danielson he was being let go from World Wrestling Entertainment due to choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie, some within the company believe spitting on John Cena was the real reason for his release. McMahon hates spitting and has banned it in WWE’s rings for the past several years. In addition to spitting, McMahon greatly dislikes people smoking cigarettes and sneezing as it’s been noted that if someone near him sneezes, he will lash out at the guilty part for it. On another note, it’s said to be guaranteed that Danielson didn’t spit on Cena without clearing it with him ahead of time. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
— Promoting WWE’s Saturday’s live event in Youngstown, Ohio, the Youngstown Vindicator conducted an interview with Evan Bourne. The high-flying wrestler was asked what the hardest part of transitioning from the independents to WWE was, commenting: “There was a huge learning curve understanding the scale of the company. It’s so massive and such a well-oiled machine. From a managerial standpoint, it’s run with an efficiency. I’’ve been around a lot of wrestling, and it used to be not as corporate as it is now, but the WWE is just jaw-dropping. I went to business school, and for me finding out how they operate from the business standpoint has almost been as intriguing as all of the wrestling skills I’ve acquired.”
The official WWE website made the following announcement this evening:
Savannah released
Written: June 23, 2010
World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of NXT season one announcer and WWE Diva Savannah as of today, June 23, 2010. WWE wishes Savannah the best in all future endeavors.
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:
Is He RAW’s Annonymous GM? “We have been hammered with emails from fans who think that I am the anonymous, Raw General Manager. Some are adamant and almost childlike in that if I am that I should tell them and tell them NOW because they HAVE to know. I like the idea of an anonymous GM but it does put some pressure to deliver a viable surprise when the day finally comes to reveal the mystery person or does it? The individual’s identity wouldn’t necessarily have to be revealed as far as I’m concerned.”
Martha Hart’s Lawsuit Against WWE: “Read on line about the Martha Hart lawsuit vs WWE. I am not a lawyer, have never played one on TV, and know zilch about this untimely legal matter. Nonetheless my personal opinion is that the timing of this legal posturing is questionable specifically as it relates to Connecticut politics. Plus, I have never recalled WWE ever doing any thing but honoring Owen’s legacy and certainly not ‘exploiting’ it in a negative light.
“Owen Hart is one of the most requested guys who fans want to see inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. We get dozens of emails off and on all year or whenever the HOF topic is discussed. Does this legal mindset mean that if WWE ever decided to induct Owen into the Hall of Fame that he so richly deserves that there would be more litigation? Should the threat of a lawsuit deprive Owen Hart of an honor that many feel that he deserves?”
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin: “Both Brock and the interim champion are one punch knock out type fighters and one would deduct that avoiding those clean, killer shots is a must in this fight. I still don’t think it will go five rounds and will end in a nasty, conclusive fashion. The primary reason that we are going to Las Vegas is to see our man Brock win a huge fight but I still feel this will be the former WWE champion’s toughest test, by far, to date. I was happy to read that Randy Couture had traveled to Minnesota to do some training with Lesnar which strategically makes a ton of sense.”
