Category: WWE

  • Batista Update: Why He Left WWE, Training MMA & Acting

    Former WWE Superstar Dave Batista made his first public comments since leaving the company at last night’s Strikeforce MMA show in Los Angeles, California.

    Batista said he left WWE because he didn’t like the direction the company was going in and that he does not plan on returning anytime soon.

    Batista continues to workout at the Affliction MMA gym, but is more focused on his acting career than becoming a professional MMA fighter.

    Batista’s final appearance on WWE programming was the May 24th edition of WWE Raw in which the company did an angle where he “quit” on-screen after losing to John Cena in an “I Quit” Match at WWE’s Over The Limit pay-per-view. In reality, his contract was up and he didn’t re-sign.

    Sources from Batista’s camp have indicated he’ll be back to finish up his WWE career but based on Batista’s comments last night, those plans may have changed.

  • Cena Interview: Dislikes The Spinner Belt, Bourne’s Potential

    John Cena appeared on the Busted Open satellite this week, which airs Mondays and Wednesdays on Sirius 126 and XM 243 from 2-4 EST.
    Visit Facebook.com/bustedopen for more information.

    Here are some highlights of what Cena said about:

    The “Spinner” WWE Title Belt: The spinner belt was a great evolution to the character, but I have plans every day to try to evolve the WWE Championship (belt) more. I’m just trying to get the right people to listen,” Cena said. “I think the championship itself is out-dated and gaudy. It was fine for the time, but it’s certainly not what we need right now. I’m pushing forward to the evolution of that another step.”

    Evan Bourne’s Potential:“To be quite honest, one of my little pet projects is watching how [Evan Bourne] reacts to people and watching his energy in the ring. I think he has so much to offer to the business,” Cena said. “It’s not just what people do between the ropes. I want somebody to be able to walk the streets and be a proud representative of our company. And, when the bell rings, he’s one of the most entertaining people to watch on the face of the planet. I’m always watching everybody; every type of WWE-affiliated product, I’m always watching just to see people’s behavior. I think he is one of the many in the giant youth movement that we have in WWE that’s about to show some people that he belongs.”

    His Hip Hop Character: “When I first started, they wanted us to do something to get noticed. The character was my own. I didn’t have anyone write anything for me and I do that today as well… As for the spinner belt, I keep trying to evolve the WWE Championship and I just have to get the right people to listen. I think the spinner belt is outdated and gaudy.”

    Steve Austin’s Influence On Him: “Steve was always very brief with me.I was always star struck and unable to speak whenever I was around him. He would always bring me down to earth with humbling advice.” Cena added, “He’s the reason I keep working hard everyday. I owe a lot to Steve Austin.”

  • WWE Asking For Feedback On Bryan, Masters On Twitter, More

    — WWE is asking for feedback on whether the recently released Daniel Bryan should be brought back to the company. The following message was posted on the company’s Facebook account: “It’s been the hottest topic for the WWE Universe in recent memory, so let’s talk about it. Here’s your LIKE/DISLIKE of the Day: “WWE should re-sign NXT Season 1 Rookie Daniel Bryan. (Click LIKE to agree, or click COMMENT to tell us why you disagree.)”

    — Dubbed “Operation Summer Slam,” law enforcement agencies including Tampa police, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Temple Terrace police teamed up Tuesday morning to make arrests on hundreds of outstanding warrants. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is no stranger to professional wrestling as numerous grapplers have wound up in their jail cell over the years including Wade Barrett, Eddie Guerrero, Andrew Martin, Santino Marella, and Ted DiBiase, Jr., among others.

    — It has been confirmed that Chris Masters has an account on Twitter. You can visit his page here.

  • *Spoiler* On Undertaker Angle, WWE Divas Comment On TNA

    – In regards to Undertaker’s “vegetative state” storyline, current plans call for Kane to be revealed as the culprit. A casket match between Taker and Kane is tentatively set for SummerSlam, reports f4wonline.com.

    – Indian wrestler Tiger Raj Singh is now training in WWE developmental and is using the name Jinder Mahal.

    – WWE Divas Layla and Vickie Guerrero both commented on TNA on Twitter yesterday.

    Layla wrote: “Cuz all of the tweets about this subject For the Record I do Not watch TNA So copy cat thing… kinda NOT!! This is All I will say Done!!”

    Vickie wrote: “TNA – no way will I watch or support it…enough said!”

  • Cena Says Bryan’s Release Is Legit & WWE Had No Choice

    WWE Champion was interviewed by Fanhouse.com this week about the recent release of Daniel Bryan. Despite the speculation that it’s all part of a storyline, Cena maintains that the release is legit – and he reveals why WWE had no choice but to take action against Bryan after he broke company policy. Here are some highlights of what Cena said about:

    Bryan’s Release: “Well, the release is legitimate. It was something that I don’t understand. It’s something that a lot of people are upset about. This is one of those things where … you know, WWE is a business, and they chose to make a business decision. I think what is right for the WWE Universe to do is show that they have a bit of power. If they really feel so strongly about this subject — the consumer has the largest voice here, and if they were really serious they should organize their efforts and put forth some body of work.

    Petitions to Reinstate Bryan: “I’ve even signed petitions to reinstate Bryan Danielson. But if they can get enough numbers to say, ‘Listen, we would like this person back on WWE.’ Like I said, they made a business decision, but at the same time, they can’t deny good business. So if you get 200,000 consumers saying, ‘Listen, we’d like to see this person on television,’ I don’t think the bean counters are gonna ignore the potential dollar signs. I just think all it takes is, all those people to organize under one roof and say, ‘Listen, this is how we want to act,’ because the uproar you’re talking about, I have no spectrum about how big the size is.”

    WWE’s Rules Against Choking, Extreme Violence: “Well you have to understand, our programming across the board is TV-PG content, and anything that falls out of that TV-PG umbrella — we put a rating at the beginning of the show on our graphic that says TV-PG, so anything that even toes the line to being unacceptable from that, quite frankly needs to be removed from the program — because we pride ourselves on saying, for so long WWE has had the stigma of, ‘Yeah it’s fun to watch but I would never let my kid watch it.’ Collectively as a body, and as a business, we have taken the initiative to say, ‘You know what, I want your children and families to be able to come to our event because I truly believe we have the best value in entertainment. Jeopardizing all of that, it’s not worth doing something that falls outside the parentheses of TV-PG. That’s something that doesn’t fall in our lap, that’s something that has to do with the rating system.”

    Again, you can (and should) check out the entire John Cena interview at Fanhouse.com.

  • Heat On NXT Rookie, Ziggler Reacts Negatively To Bryan, More

    — WWE has registered a trademark on the name “Showtime Percy Watson.” Speaking of Watson, the NXT Rookie already has heat on him for something he did backstage at television last week, reports www.f4wonline.com.

    — In response to being asked to sign a petition to bring Daniel Bryan back to WWE, Dolph Ziggler retorted the following on Twitter: “Why would i sign a petition to bring back someone who never even made it to the WWE roster??? Idiots….”

    — Jinder Mahal and referee Ryan Tran have been added to Florida Championship Wrestling’s online roster.

    Under the name “Tiger” Raj Singh, Mahal worked in Canada for the PWA and Stampede Wrestling promotions. He held titles in both groups before signing with the WWE earlier this year. He was trained at the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo.

    Tran began in FCW a few months ago following Aaron “Goose” Mahoney’s promotion to the main roster and an injury suffered by Justin King.

  • Batista Update, Edge Movie Update, NXT Rating Drops

    – Former WWE superstar Batista was ringside at last night’s Strikeforce MMA event from Los Angeles, California. Several MMA news sites are reporting that Batista was telling people that he does not plan on returning to WWE and was unhappy there for a long time before leaving. Batista is a big MMA fan and has been training at various MMA camps across the country in recent months, but has his sights set on acting and has been auditioning regularly since leaving WWE.

    – In related news, Bill Goldberg, Chavo Guerrero and Ernest Miller were also at Strikeforce last night.

    – As we reported earlier this week, RAW superstar Edge will be starring in a new WWE action-comedy called “Chasing the Hawk.” The movie will begin filming this coming August from New Orleans, where WWE has filmed all of its recent movies.

    – Tuesday’s episode of NXT Season 2 drew a 0.89 cable rating and averaged 1,306,000 viewers. The 0.89 rating is down 17% from last week’s 1.07, which was the season 2 premiere and the night after the NXT invasion angle.

  • Whatever Happened To Shad?, Kelly Kelly Appearing In Florida

    — Conspicuous by his absence is that of Shad Gaspard, who last appeared on WWE programming on the May 14th episode of Friday Night SmackDown in a win over a local competitor. It appears he has since been sent to developmental as he has been appearing on Florida Championship Wrestling shows in recent weeks.

    — Fans have the opportunity to meet Kelly Kelly at tomorrow night’s Florida Championship Wrestling show in Ft. Myers as she will be taking part in a meet and greet before the event. There will be another meet and greet autograph session with WWE Legends and their offspring — Ricky Steamboat with Richie, Mike Rotundo with Husky Harris and Bo Rotundo, Haku with Donny Marlow, Jerry Brisco with Wes Brisco, and Jimmy Snuka with Tamina. Visit www.fcwwrestling.info for more information.

    — A number of WWE Superstars and Divas were on hand for THQ’s Take No Prisoners party in Los Angeles last night at The Standard Hotel. Former WWE Diva and frequent partygoer Stacy Keibler also attended the event.

  • Tonight’s “Superstars” Delayed, Divas Comment On TNA, More

    — As a result of Chicago White Sox baseball, tonight’s episode of WWE Superstars will air at 10:00 p.m. EST instead of its usual 8:00 p.m. time slot. The replay is still scheduled to air at midnight.

    Matches taking place on tonight’s episode are as follows:

    * Kofi Kingston vs. Trent Baretta
    * Yoshi Tatsu vs. Primo
    * Mark Henry and Goldust vs. Jey and Jimmy Uso

    — Apparently in response to accusations of Lay-Cool copying TNA act “The Beautiful People,” WWE Women’s Champion Layla remarked the following on Twitter: “Cuz all of the tweets about this subject For the Record I do Not watch TNA So copy cat thing… kinda NOT!! This is All I will say Done!!”

    Meanwhile, Vickie Guerrero made the following remark concerning TNA on her own Twitter account: “TNA – no way will I watch or support it…enough said!”

    — John Cena is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. You can view the cover here.

  • Complete Listing For Raw: The Beginning Seasons 1 & 2 DVD Set

    Silvervision has released the content listing for the WWE’s upcoming four disc DVD set, Raw – The Beginning: Seasons 1 and 2. This title is set for release on August 10, 2010:

    Disc 1

    Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna
    January 11, 1993

    The Undertaker vs. Damien Demento
    January 11, 1993

    Loser Leaves the WWE
    Ric Flair vs. Mr. Perfect
    January 25, 1993

    10 Bell Salute to Andre the Giant
    February 1, 1993

    Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight
    February 1, 1993

    Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake vs. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
    February 15, 1993

    The Megamaniacs
    February 22, 1993

    Bret Hart vs. Fatu
    March 1, 1993

    Doink the Clown Pie-Faces Elvis
    March 1, 1993

    Crush on the sands of Hawaii
    March 1, 1993

    Mr. Perfect vs. Rick “The Model” Martel
    March 8, 1993

    Doink the Clown vs. Kamala
    March 22, 1993

    Lex Luger vs. Crush
    April 26, 1993

    Mr. Perfect attacks Shawn Michaels
    May 10, 1993

    Lumberjack Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
    “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Shawn Michaels
    May 10, 1993

    The Kid vs. Razor Ramon
    May 17, 1993

    Intercontinental Championship Match
    Marty Jannetty vs. Shawn Michaels
    May 17, 1993

    King of the Ring Tournament Qualifying Match
    Mr. Perfect vs. Doink the Clown
    May 24, 1993

    Special Features
    1993 Disc 1 Extra
    The Smoking Gunns ride into the WWE
    April 26, 1993

    Disc 2

    Shawn Michaels vs. Russ Greenberg
    June 7, 1993

    2 out of 3 Falls Match
    Marty Jannetty vs. Doink the Clown
    June 21, 1993

    Yokozuna Body Slam Competition on the U.S.S. Intrepid
    July 5, 1993

    Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
    July 26, 1993

    Jim Cornette arrives in the WWE
    August 2, 1993

    “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Doink the Clown
    August 2, 1993

    1-2-3 Kid vs. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
    August 16, 1993

    The Quebecers are new Tag Team Champions
    September 13, 1993

    Doink the Clown vs. Corey Student
    October 4, 1993

    Intercontinental Championship Match
    Razor Ramon vs. Rick “The Model” Martel
    October 11, 1993

    Crush hires Mr. Fuji as his new manager
    October 18, 1993

    “Macho Man” Randy Savage attacks Crush
    November 8, 1993

    Bret Hart is Wrestler of the Year
    November 29, 1993

    Razor Ramon vs. Diesel
    November 29, 1993

    1-2-3 Kid vs. Shawn Michaels
    December 6, 1993

    Gorilla Monsoon throws out Bobby Heenan
    December 6, 1993

    Thurman “Sparky” Plugg is ready to race
    December 20, 1993

    Jeff Jarrett vs. P.J. Walker
    December 20, 1993

    Special Features
    1993 Disc 2 Extra
    That’s Double J, Jeff Jarrett
    December 13, 1993

    Disc 3

    Is Yokozuna afraid of the casket?
    January 17, 1994

    WrestleMania X Coin Flip
    January 31, 1994

    Bret Hart vs. Tom Prichard
    February 21, 1994

    World Tag Team Championship Match
    The Quebecers vs. Razor Ramon & The 1-2-3 Kid
    February 21, 1994

    Shawn Michaels Locker Room Interview
    February 28, 1994

    WWE Championship Match
    Yokozuna vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
    February 28, 1994

    “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase buys front row seats
    March 28, 1994

    Lex Luger vs. Rick “The Model” Martel
    March 28, 1994

    10-Man Tag Team Match
    IRS, Jeff Jarrett, Rick “The Model” Martel, & The Headshrinkers
    vs.Tatanka, The 1-2-3 Kid, Thurman “Sparky” Plugg, & The Smoking Gunns
    April 4, 1994

    Debut of The Heartbreak Hotel
    April 4, 1994

    Jerry “The King” Lawler is dropped on his head
    April 11, 1994

    Razor Ramon vs. Jeff Jarrett
    April 25, 1994

    World Tag Team Championship Match
    The Quebecers vs. The Headshrinkers
    May 2, 1994

    Sumo Match
    Yokozuna vs. Earthquake
    May 16, 1994

    King of the Ring Qualifying Match
    Owen Hart vs. Doink the Clown
    May 23, 1994

    Duke “The Dumpster” Droese makes his Raw debut
    May 23, 1994

    The King’s Court with Bret Hart & Diesel
    May 30, 1994

    Not-So-Rowdy on The King’s Court
    June 6, 1994

    The King’s Court with Duke “The Dumpster” Droese
    June 20, 1994

    The King’s Court with The King of Harts
    June 27, 1994

    Special Features

    1994 Disc 3 Extras
    Go get him Champ!

    It’s only 9 o’clock
    April 11, 1994

    Disc 4

    WWE Championship Match
    Bret Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid
    July 11, 1994

    Intercontinental Championship Match
    Diesel vs. Lex Luger
    July 18, 1994

    $10,000 Challenge Match
    Tatanka vs. Nikolai Volkoff
    July 25, 1994

    Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano
    August 1, 1994

    Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon
    August 1, 1994

    Owen Hart vs. The 1-2-3 Kid
    August 15, 1994

    The Undertaker vs. Kwang
    September 12, 1994

    Mr. Backlund demonstrates The Chicken Wing
    September 19, 1994

    Intercontinental Championship Match
    Razor Ramon vs. Yokozuna
    October 24, 1994

    Jeff Jarrett vs. The British Bulldog
    December 5, 1994

    Bob Backlund vs. Doink the Clown
    December 12, 1994

    The British Bulldog vs. Tatanka
    December 24, 1994

    The King’s Court with WWE Champion Diesel
    December 24, 1994

    The Undertaker vs. The Brooklyn Brawler
    December 24, 1994

    Special Features
    1994 Disc 4 Extras
    King Kong Bundy
    September 26, 1994

    IRS taxes the dead
    October 31, 1994

    Jeff Jarrett does Vegas
    December 12, 1994
    Christmas at the Heartbreak Hotel
    December 19, 1994

    Bret Hart wishes everyone a Happy New Year
    December 26, 1994

  • Booker T Interview: Dixie Carter, WWE Return Rumors, Bryan

    Slam Wrestling has an interview up with former WWE & TNA star Booker T. Here are some highlights of what Booker T said about:

    Dixie Carter: “The TNA family actually treated me very well, I was just going through a lot of personal things when I left. I am still close to Dixie Carter, who is a nice lady doing a lot of great things for the wrestling business and the wrestlers.”

    Rumors of a WWE Return: “There is a lot of truth to those rumors. I was really close to going back to WWE. Things did not work out due to a lot of things. I can’t work 6 months out of the year, 160 days. That would be really hard on me. We got pregnant at the same time that negotiations were being talked about.”

    Daniel Bryan’s Release and Chris Benoit: “Wow that is news to me. I didn’t know about the tie thing. That is really a weird thing to fire someone for. I have seen a lot of things a lot worse then choking someone with a tie. As far as the changes in the business… Chris Benoit was a good friend of mine who I had classic matches with.”

    His Surprise Appearance at a Recent TNA Live Event: “It was really cool to get out there and mix it up with Rob Van Dam. We are really good friends but it was all about the title. A.J. Styles had flight problems and couldn’t make it in and they didn’t want to dissapoint the fans. It was 2 hours from where I live. I still got good relations with TNA. The TNA family actually treated me very well, I was just going through a lot of personal things when I left.  … It was a great night not just for the fans but for myself to go out there and see if I still got it, the itch to be out there and doing it. The fans were going crazy which was totally unexpected. Rob and I went out and I gave him a black eye, he almost broke my jaw when he kicked me in the side of the head. All is fair in love and war when you are out there in the ring trying to deliver for the fans. That is what it was about. Man it was a great night”

  • JR Blasts “Ridiculous” Daniel Bryan – Linda McMahon Rumor

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsbarbq.com with a response to the rumor that Linda McMahon’s senate campaign was the mysterious “powerful figure” that demanded WWE take action against Bryan Danielson after the NXT invasion angle. Ross wrote:

    “More specifically this unknown, unidentified person even went so far as to say that Bryan’s termination was dictated by the someone of authority in the campaign. First of all, if you knew Vince McMahon as I do you would know immediately how ridiculous that theory was. McMahon taking orders from some outsider? Right.

    “I’ve heard some BS in my life and my share of conspiracy theories during my 4 decades in the wrestling business but this one ranks right up there with some of the stupidest theories I’ve ever heard… In all the years that I worked in the front office of WWE never once did Linda attend a booking meeting, discuss with me or my group who was being fired or hired or what was going to happen on TV.

    “When she appeared on TV as a character on a fictional show, for the record, she played a role that was written for her. She was never overjoyed, as I recall, about being on TV in the first place much less when she had to kick me south of the belt line one faithful night in Corpus Christi. She did not like the assignment and neither did I but we both did our jobs as we were produced to do. It was show biz plain and simple.”

  • Cena Says He’d Never Do MMA & Didn’t Like UFC 115

    USA Today caught up with John Cena this week at the Gillette Fusion ProGlide launch party and asked the WWE Champion if he’d ever follow in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar and make the jump to Mixed Martial Arts. “No way. I like the WWE badge,”

    After watching his first full UFC pay-per-view last week end (UFC115),  Cena says it “did nothing” for him.

    “I appreciate what they’ve done business-wise,” he said. “They continue to grow. It’s very good to watch the progression of that sport because it reminds me of a then-young WWF, the NFL as they matured, the merger between the NBA and the ABA. They are at that juncture where they are still Wild West. They’re still in-your face. But they’ve made the steps they need to do grow.”

    Despite the fact that MMA isn’t really his thing, Cena respects how much progress the sport has made in recent years. “You have to understand this is an entity that was pretty much banned from everywhere. Slowly, they’ve kind of gotten back into circulation.”

  • Edge To Star In WWE Movie, Another RAW Guest Host Announced

    – RAW Superstar Edge is set to star in a new WWE movie called “Chasing the Hawk.” Edge will play a lawyer from New Orleans who loses a classic car and then goes out to find it. The movie will be an action comedy.

    – John Cena’s Twitter handle has been changed to @johncena and is now accessible at http://twitter.com/johncena.

    – Actress Florence Henderson, who played “Carol Brady” on the classic Brady Bunch television show, will be guest hosting the July 12th WWE Monday Night RAW from Lexington, Kentucky. No guest host has been announced for next week’s RAW, the night after no Fatal 4 Way.

  • RAW Rating, Michael Jordan Backstage At RAW, Kozlov Liked

    – Monday’s episode of WWE RAW with actor Mark Feuerstein as guest host did a 3.42 cable rating, up from last week’s 3.09. The show averaged 4,883,000 viewers and did hours of 3.36 and 3.5.

    – NBA legend Michael Jordan was backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW from Charlotte, reports PWInsider.com. It’s been rumored for some time that WWE wants Jordan to host an upcoming episode of RAW, so you can bet the idea was pitched this week.

    – With next year’s WrestleMania 27 still 9 months away,WWE officials are already working with city officials from Atlanta, Georgia, the host city.

    – WWE source says Vladimir Kozlov is well in the WWE locker room. While nobody sees him as a top worker in the ring, he is a nice guy who works hard and has a good attitude with the comedy skits WWE creative writes for him.

  • Money In The Bank PPV Poster & Rumored Match

    WWE’s new Money in the Bank pay-per-view takes place on Sunday, July 18th from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

    Event Synopsis: “On Sunday, July 18th, a heart-pounding WWE match-up will take place 20 feet above the ring…in a steel briefcase! Don’t miss one second of the action as Jack Swagger, John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Rey Mysterio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars battle it out in “WWE: Money in the Bank! Catch it live on Sunday, July 18th, on Pay-Per-View!”

    There is currently talk of doing a Money in the Bank ladder match featuring the NXT Season 2 rookies, with the winner getting a WWE contract.

    Cable provider iNDEMAND has released a second promotional poster for the event, featuring Kofi Kingston.

    Here are the two PPV posters for WWE Money in the Bank:

    https://www.indemand.com/shared/indemand/189678_lg.jpg?100608113317802

  • What You Didn’t See On RAW: Dark Matches & More

    Here are some live notes from last night’s WWE RAW, which took place from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC.

    Superstars Tapings:

    – Primo wrestled Yoshi Tatsu. Primo was the heel and has new entrance music.

    – The Uso Twins (with Tamina) wrestled Mark Henry and Goldust.

    Live Notes:

    – The building was around 90% full and the crowd was hot all night.

    – The NXT crew had a lot of heat.

    – Guest host Mark Feuerstein was very over with the crowd. The crowd popped big when he did the worm during his tag match.

    – At the end of RAW when the NXT guys kidnapped and beat up Bret Hart backstage, the WWE Superstars who were guarding the stage area simply watched the whole thing on the Titan Tron and didn’t run back to help Bret.

    Dark Match Main Event:

    – After RAW went off the air, John Cena defeated Sheamus in a quick match to send the crowd home happy.

  • WWE RAW Results: June 14, 2010

    – Tonight’s RAW kicks off with a recap video of the NXT invasion angle last week. There is some footage of Daniel Bryan but none of the tie incident with Justin Roberts.

    – WE go to the arena where Wade Barrett is standing in the ring. The crowd boo’s him big time. Barrett introduces himself, for those that don’t know him, he says. Barrett says he’s in the ring now because RAW’s GM Bret Hart demanded that he come and apologize for his actions last week. Barrett invites the rest of the Season 1 Rookies to the ring and out they come, through the crowd. There is no sign of Daniel Bryan.

    Cole and Lawler get up and walk away as they feel uncomfortable. Barrett asks Heath Slater to apologize first. He says no, he would do it again. Barrett asks Justin Gabriel next. He won’t apologize either. Barrett asks Skip Sheffield next and he has on apologies and no regrets. Barrett asks Tarver if he’s feeling apologetic. Tarver said the look of fear on everyone’s face made his dreams and there’s nobody in WWE who can make him apologize. Barrett asks Darren Young to apologize and he says no chance. Barrett asks David Otunga next. Otunga says after the way they were treated, WWE needs to apologize to them. Barrett says it’s unanimous, no apologies. Barrett says they were treated like animals on NXT and now they’re behaving like animals.

    Barrett says WWE officials tried to make a joke out of them but after RAW last week, nobody was laughing. Barrett says they destroyed RAW last week and impressed everyone. Bret Hart’s music hits and out comes the General Manager. Bret says they all look pretty proud of themselves. Bret says 8 guys on 1 makes you a coward, not tough. Wade Barrett brings up Daniel Bryan and says he had remorse like Bret does. Barrett says this is why you will never see Daniel Bryan again. Barrett says they have no problem with anyone in the WWE locker room, it’s between them and management. Barrett says it’s time to get down to business. He has a WWE contract and a WWE Title shot at a pay-per-view of his choosing. Barrett says the other Rookies have demands.

    Otunga takes the mic and says they all want guaranteed WWE contracts, their own private dressing rooms and first-class travel accommodations. Otunga says if WWE fails to comply with even one of their demands, last week will be just the beginning. Barrett reminds Bret that Vince McMahon told him weeks ago that he would have tough choices as RAW GM and this is one of them. Barrett says he and the Rookies are young polished athletes who are ready to fight. He says Bret could change history by giving them contracts. Bret’s answer for them is no. The crowd likes this. Bret says he isn’t signing any of them. Barrett interrupts and says Bret is making a big mistake. Bret says they are the ones making big mistakes. Bret says Barrett can forget about getting a WWE Title shot on pay-per-view because… you’re fired. Bret fires Barrett. Bret tells the rest of them to get out of the ring now or he will call police and have them removed for trespassing. Bret says they are all done.

    The Rookies just stand in the ring. Sheffield says it’s their time and they’re not leaving. We go to commercial.

    Fatal 4 Way Match for the WWE US Title: R-Truth vs. John Morrison vs. Zack Ryder vs. The Miz

    Back from the break and we’ve got a Fatal Four Way match for the WWE United States Title. Out first comes the United States Champion, R-Truth, who is from Charlotte. Out next comes John Morrison followed by Zack Ryder and finally The Miz. The bell rings and Ryder goes at it with Morrison while Truth and Miz go at it. Morrison dumps Ryder to the floor and dropkicks Miz. It’s down to Morrison and Truth. They lock up and go back and forth. Truth with a 2 count.

    Ryder comes in and takes out Truth. He comes over the top rope onto Truth but lands on the floor. Miz comes over and takes out Ryder. Miz and Morrison go at it on the apron. Morrison powerbombs Miz from the apron onto Ryder and the floor. We go to commercial.

    Back from the break and Morrison lays out Miz for a 2 count. Another 2 count by Morrison. Morrison drops Ryder on the top rope and they fight it out in the corner. Morrison goes for a superplex but Ryder blocks it. Truth comes over and powerbombs them both off the top. Truth covers Miz for a 2 count. Truth goes for three more consecutive pin attempts. Truth beats down Miz and Ryder then drops Morrison on his face. Truth hits the scissors kick on Ryder for a 2 count as Miz makes the save. Miz clears the ring and it’s him with Ryder. Miz hits a big clothesline in the corner on Ryder. Miz goes to the floor and Morrison drops him with a huge clothesline. Truth hits the flying forearm on Ryder in the ring but only gets 2 as Morrison breaks the pin. Morrison and Truth go at it. They dump Miz to the floor. Morrison misses a springboard attack. Truth hits a nice cutter type move for a 2 count as Ryder stops it.

    Ryder hits the Ruff Ryder on Truth for a 2 count. Morrison makes the save and dumps Ryder. Morrison hits Starship Pain on Truth. Miz comes over and throws Morrison out of the ring. Miz covers Truth for the pinfall, the win and the title.

    Winner and New WWE United States Champion: The Miz

    – We go backstage with Josh Matthews and Randy Orton. He asks Orton about the status of his shoulder for Sunday’s Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view. Orton says anything can happen in a fatal four way, just wait and see. Josh asks Orton his thoughts on last week’s NXT invasion. Orton says part of him has to respect the Rookies but an even bigger part of him thinks they’re nothing but a bunch of punks. Orton says they deserve to be fired or beaten up. We go to commercial.

    – Back from the break and we get a preview of Big Show on this Thursday’s Royal Pains on USA Network. Show and Royal Pains star Mark Feuerstein are tonight’s RAW hosts. We go backstage with Mark and The Bella Twins. Mark says the Bellas would be perfect fits for his TV show. He plugs Thursday’s show with Big Show. Ted DiBiase walks in with Virgil. Ted says he might have a brand new car for Mark if he makes him co-host of RAW tonight. Mark says he has integrity and tells Ted no. Big Show appears behind Virgil and Ted as Mark insults Ted. Ted tells Virgil to handle it and they finally see Big Show. Show proposes himself and Feuerstein vs. Virgil and Ted in a tag team match. It’s agreed on and Ted walks off with Virgil. Mark jumps into Big Show’s arm and it confuses The Bella Twins, who walk off.

    – We see John Cena walking backstage as we take another commercial break.

    Chris Jericho vs. Evan Bourne

    Back from the break and out comes Chris Jericho to the ring. Out next comes his opponent, Evan Bourne. The bell rings and Jericho unloads on Bourne. Bourne counters with a headscissors and a dropkick to the face. Bourne with a 2 count. Bourne kicks at Jericho. The announcers play up Jericho’s losing streak and how he’s been upset. Jericho fights back and backdrops Bourne, taunting him. Jericho chokes Bourne in the ropes. Jericho with a headlock now.

    Bourne fights back with kicks and a big flying kick. Bourne with a sunset flip but Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho. Bourne counters and rolls Jericho up for a close 2 count. Jericho hits the Codebreaker but Bourne kicks out at 2. Jericho wails away on Bourne now with kicks and punches. The referee tries to get him off. Jericho pulls his fist back at the referee and is disqualified.

    Winner by DQ: Evan Bourne

    – After the match, Jericho is pissed. He goes to bring Bourne into the ring for an attack but Bourne kicks him in the head. Bourne nails Air Bourne from the top and celebrates with his music.

    – Lawler says that John Cena will be out next to address what happened last week. We go to commercial.

    – Back from commercial and out comes the WWE Champion John Cena. Cena says he was given the night off tonight by Bret Hart but after what happened last week, he has to handle things the only way he knows how. Cena thanks Bret for not caving in to the Rookies’ demands. Cena says some of him admires what the Rookies did last week. Cena says their plan was almost brilliant. He says their problem is with WWE management but they solved it by taking RAW away from the WWE Universe. Cena says they just made themselves 5 million new enemies. Cena says they destroyed a WWE ring, which is considered sacred ground. Cena says all WWE Superstars want the Rookies’ heads on plates. Cena says Wade Barrett was fired but that doesn’t solve anything. Cena says the Rookies aren’t worried about getting arrested. Cena says they’ve been thrown out tonight and he knows they’re not in the arena, but he is. Cena says he is going to Fatal 4 Way and will be on RAW the next night. Cena says he will demand every night that the Rookies come out and end this. Cena says they have all been fired from WWE but he will not press charges if they fight. The Rookies start coming through the crowd and stand at ringside behind the fan barrier.

    The Rookies come over the barrier at ringside. William Regal, Santino Marella, R-Truth, Jerry Lawler and Evan Bourne come to the ring. They all come to the ring. Mark Henry comes down and gets involved. Randy Orton comes down next. Edge comes down and spears Barrett on the floor. The WWE Superstars are winning the fight. Sheamus comes down with a steel pipe and fights them off. The Rookies start retreating through the crowd. Santino punches them as they go over the barrier. The Rookies run off out of the arena with Santino and Truth chasing them. We go backstage where Henry, Orton and the other Superstars are chasing the Rookies out of the arena and into the parking lot. We go to commercial.

    – Back from the break and we get a replay of the WWE Superstars chasing the NXT Rookies out of the building. Justin Roberts catches up with Sheamus backstage and asks him why he helped John Cena just now. Sheamus says he’s not letting the Rookies hurt his WWE Title match and if anyone is going to take out Cena, it’s going to be him.

    – We get a replay of the Divas Battle Royal at last week’s Viewer’s Choice RAW.

    Eve Torres and Gail Kim vs. Alicia Fox and Maryse

    We go to the ring where the WWE Divas Champion Eve makes her way out. Out next is her partner, Gail Kim. Alicia Fox is out next followed by her partner Maryse. It’s announced these four will compete at the Fatal 4 Way pay-per-view for Eve’s title. Eve and Maryse start the match off and go at it. Maryse backs Eve into the ropes but gets kicked. Eve drops Maryse but gets hit in the back of the head by Alicia. Eve turns around to a spin kick from Maryse and a 2 count.

    Alicia comes in and they double team Eve some. Alicia with a bridged suplex for a 2 count. Alicia rubs her knee into Eve’s face now. Alicia with a headlock. Maryse comes back in and continues to beat up Eve. Alicia comes right back in on a tag and knocks Gail off the apron. Alicia rams Eve back into the corner and Maryse tries to choke her. Alicia accidently kicks Maryse to the floor. Eve hits a neckbreaker on Alicia for the win.

    Winners: Eve and Gail Kim

    – Lawler announces that it will be John Cena and Randy Orton vs. Sheamus and Edge in the main event tonight. The Miz vs. R-Truth is announced for Fatal 4 Way. We see Big Show and Mark Feuerstein backstage getting ready as we go to commercial.

    Big Show and Mark Feuerstein vs. Ted DiBiase and Virgil

    Back from the commercial and out comes Big Show first. Big Show takes the mic and introduces who he calls his best friend. His partner, actor Mark “Main Event” Feuerstein is out next. Out next comes Virgil and Ted DiBiase, who is wearing the Million Dollar belt. Show and Ted start the match off. Ted goes behind Show to start but Show fights him off and drops him with a headbutt. Show puts his weight down in Ted’s face in the corner. Big chops by Show.

    Show picks Ted back up and gives him another huge chop in the corner. Ted hits a thumb to the eye and goes to work on Show. Show knocks Ted back into the corner. Ted tags in Virgil. Virgil goes to the floor but Show pulls him in the ring by his head. Virgil rolls back out to the floor holding his back. Virgil tries to leave but Feuerstein throws him back in the ring. Show bodyslams Virgil again and it looks like it hurts. Show walks over Virgil’s chest and throws him into the corner. Show nails huge chops on Virgil. Show hits Virgil with a big chokeslam and tags in Feuerstein. He does the worm and then drops a big winding elbow on Virgil. Ted just looks on as Feuerstein covers Virgil for the win.

    Winners: Big Show and Mark Feuerstein

    – After the match, Show and Feuerstein celebrate going up the ramp. Ted stands over Virgil looking disappointed. Ted goes to leave the ring while Virgil is laid out but he stops. Ted takes a $100 bill and stuffs it into Virgil’s mouth. Ted goes to leave again but stops again. Ted goes back and picks up the $100 bill, then leaves the ring with his Million Dollar belt. We go to commercial.

    William Regal vs. Santino Marella

    Back from the break and Santino Marella is in the ring with William Regal. The special guest referee is introduced next and it is… Vladimir Kozlov. Kozlov takes off his robe to reveal a referee shirt. Kozlov yells for the bell and here we go. Santino stalls to start the match. He tries a slow back kick and Regal drops him with a right. Regal drops a knee on Santino and slams him back down. Regal works on Santino’s arm now.

    Santino turns a backdrop into a roll-up and Kozlov is slow to get down to the mat. Kozlov counts the 1-2-3 and Santino gets the win, with a handful of trunks it looks like.

    Winner: Santino Marella

    – After the match, Regal argues with Kozlov. Bret Hart’s music hits and he asks Kozlov, Regal and Santino to join him on the stage. Bret says he has asked all the RAW Superstars to join him on the stage so history doesn’t repeat itself. The entire RAW roster, except for Cena, Sheamus, Edge and Orton, comes out on the stage to stand with Bret. We get a graphic for the main event and go back to commercial.

    Edge and Sheamus vs. Randy Orton and John Cena

    Back from the break and the entire RAW roster is on the stage. Out first comes Edge followed by his partner Sheamus. Out first for his team comes Randy Orton to a nice reaction. Finally out comes the WWE Champion John Cena to a big pop. Mark Henry and The Great Khali salute Cena as he stops on the stage. Cena starts the match off with Sheamus.

    Cena puts a headlock on Sheamus and they go to the mat. Sheamus gets to the ropes and Cena has to break the hold. Sheamus goes for a kick but Cena dodges it. Cena applies a full nelson but Sheamus gets to the ropes. Cena tags in Orton and Orton kicks Sheamus in the gut and applies a headlock of his own. Orton takes Sheamus to the mat hard. Sheamus comes back and knocks Orton into the corner. Edge is tagged in now. Edge works Orton over until Orton fights back. Orton goes for the RKO but Edge counters and slides out to the floor. We go to commercial.

    Back from the break and Cena is going at it with Edge. Cena with a fisherman’s suplex and a 2 count. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Edge counters and misses a clothesline. Cena clotheslines Edge and goes for a cover but Edge is on the ropes. Cena knocks Edge out to the floor. Edge comes back in and drops Cena’s neck over the ropes. Edge tags in Sheamus for a bit of double teaming. Sheamus stomps away on Cena now. Sheamus drops Cena with a right hand for a 2 count. Sheamus hits a running knee to Cena’s jaw and lays him out. Sheamus distracts the ref while Edge chokes Cena. Sheamus stomps on Cena in the corner now and tags back in Edge.

    Edge continues the attack on Cena. Cena counters a suplex and hits a suplex of his own on Edge. Sheamus is tagged in again. He stops Cena from tagging in Orton. Sheamus chops Cena in the chest on the apron and Cena falls to the floor. The referee is distracted as Edge stomps Cena on the floor. Sheamus comes out and rams Cena back into the fan barrier. Sheamus brings Cena back into the ring and covers him for a 2 count. Sheamus hits Cena with a big clothesline for another 2 count. Sheamus applies an arm submission now but Cena fights back to his feet. Sheamus tightens the hold and drops to the mat with his arms locked around Cena’s neck. Cena gets to his feet with Sheamus on his back. Cena walks to Orton with Sheamus on his back but can’t make it as Sheamus drops back to the mat for a 2 count. Edge comes in. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Edge counters it. Edge gets ready for a spear now. Edge charges but Cena moves out of the way and Edge hits the turnbuckle. Sheamus and Orton come in at the same time. Orton with clotheslines and a big scoop slam. Orton kicks Sheamus and brings him back into the ring with the second rope DDT. Edge comes from behind on Orton but Orton hits the RKO on him. Orton turns around to a big kick to the face from Sheamus. Sheamus with a big backbreaker on Orton and a 2 count.

    Sheamus drops knees on Orton now as the crowd chants RKO. Orton tries to fight back but Sheamus knocks him to the mat for another 2 count. Sheamus drags Orton back to the corner and tags in Edge for some double teaming. Edge wails away on Orton with right hands. Edge stomps and drops knees on Orton. Orton fights back on Sheamus and Edge. Sheamus hits the floor. Edge drops Orton and continues hitting him with rights. Orton finally tags in Cena and here he comes. The camera cuts backstage where the NXT Rookies are destroying everything. Barrett and Sheffield drag Bret Hart over. Otunga rips his shirt off. They load Bret into a black limousine and tell it to drive off. The limo speeds out in reverse, crashing into another limousine. The limo backs up and hits another limousine. It continues to back up and smash another car. The limo stops and the Rookies open the door, yelling at Bret. They tell the car to start again. It speeds up and continues to ram into other cars. The Rookies drag Bret out of the limousine and set him on the ground. Wade Barrett says they want an answer by Sunday about their contracts. The Rookies run off. RAW goes off the air with Bret Hart laid out up against the crashed limousine.

    Report by Marc Middleton

  • Punk Mocks Daniel Bryan’s Release, JR At FCW, T-Reks

    – CM Punk made reference to the incident that led to Daniel Bryan’s WWE release at Sunday night’s SmackDown live event from Hampton, Virginia. Before his match with Kane. Punk entered the ring and forced ring announcer Tony Chimel into the corner of the ring. Punk grabbed Chimel’s neck tie and looked back and forth between the tie and Chimmel’s face, threatening him.

    – Tyler Reks is back on road with the SmackDown crew, losing to Christian at this weekend’s live events. Reks cut heel promos before the matches, referring to himself as “T-Reks.”

    – Jim Ross will be spending some time looking at talents at WWE’s developmental territory FCW in Florida soon.

    – WWE’s roster page says that Curt Hawkins and Vance Archer have earned their SmackDown “contracts” after “several acts of squared circle chaos.” In what looks to be a cheap shot at TNA, Archer’s bio says he used to wrestle for a “regional promotion in Florida” before joining WWE. As you may know, Archer used to wrestle as Lance Hoyt in TNA, which runs the majority of its shows out of Orlando, Florida.

  • John Cena Comments On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release

    WWE Champion John Cena has posted a message on Twitter regarding Daniel Bryan’s release from the company. Check it out below, and then VOTE HERE & tell us if you think Daniel Bryan’s WWE release is legit or just a storyline.

    Cena wrote on Twitter.com/WWEJCena:

    “I am very upset to hear about the release of bryan danielson. Social networks were formed so people would have a voice, and an opinon. I know you all have your own, theories and whatnot. I respect that. I have never asked any of you to feel a certaint way about me. But Bryan left a lasting impression on the wwe universe in a very short time, and although it came at my expense, I agree with the majority of you who are caught off guard by this choice.

    I know I’m not exactly appreciated by all, nor do I care to be, but I believe what I believe. I would like bryan to come back to the wwe. I would like to sign your petition to bring him back. I was taught to stand up for what I beileve in. I tried and failed, so I could use some help. Tell me how to sign and I will. If for nothing else, to at least have a chance to have a match with him after what was done I know that seems a bit more fair. Give me a chance to have a fair match with him, and give him yet another chance to prove that he does belong with us.

    Sorry for the long message, I know I am probally way out of line, I am sorry if I have offended anyone. But like me or not, that is what Hustle. Loyalty. And most importantly Respect means to me.”

  • Full Story On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release (POLL)

    [poll id=”20″]

    Bryan Danielson

    WWE announced on Friday that NXT season 1 rookie Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) was released effective immediately and wished him the best in all future endeavors. People in WWE, including the creative team, were told that Danielson was fired for his conduct during the NXT Invasion angle on last week’s RAW. He was shown choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie during and spit on WWE champion John Cena during the heated angle.

    The industry buzz is that a very powerful person outside of WWE complained to Vince McMahon about Danielson’s choking of Justin Roberts and deemed it too violent for WWE’s PG audience. There’s talk that Danielson broke a company protocol that was put in place after the Chris Benoit tragedy that nobody is to use ropes or other objects to choke opponents. Exactly who made the complaint isn’t known. but there’s speculation that it could be someone from Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign.

    Read More: Jim Ross Comments On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release & Future

    The within WWE is that Bryan Danielson is being thrown under the bus. The company apparently does want to bring him back once the whole thing blows over. He has a 90-day no compete clause, but after that time would be free to join TNA.

    For what it’s worth, Danielson has been described as having a great attitude backstage during his brief WWE run and was liked by most.

    Bryan Danielson changed his Twitter account from to Twitter.com/bryandanielson. He wrote on Saturday:

    “Just changed my twitter name to Bryan Danielson. The winds of change are stirring.”

    On Sunday, he followed up with:

    “Biding my time, waiting for the right moment to speak.”

    Update: WWE Champion John Cena has posted a lengthy message on Twitter regarding Danielson’s WWE release. Check it out here: John Cena Comments On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release

  • WrestleMania DVD Sales Tumble, Lucky Cannon, Quinton Jackson

    (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    — Early sales figures for WWE’s WrestleMania XXVI DVD are low to say the least. After its first two weeks on the market, the DVD set has sold 24,810 units. To compare, WrestleMania XXV sold 106,427 units within its first two weeks, while previous years were in the 150,000 to 200,000 range.

    — NXT Rookie Lucky Cannon wasn’t given his developmental name, Johnny Prime, because the company doesn’t want anymore “John’s” on the roster.

    — Quinton Jackson was popular backstage at Raw once everyone saw how much enjoyed being around wrestlers.

  • WWE Trademarks “The Network,” NXT News, Haku’s Son

    – WWE recently trademarked the term “The Network” – which will likely be used for the company’s planned cable network.

    – Despite the fact that the NXT Season 1 rookies were all portrayed as heels on Monday’s RAW during the NXT invasion, Justin Gabriel wrestled at Thursday’s FCW tapings as a babyface and did not wear his NXT black armband. David Otunga wrestled on the same show, worked as a heel and wore the black & yellow “N” armband the NXT crew wore on RAW.

    – Former WWE and WCW star Haku (Meng) was also Thursday’s FCW tapings. Haku’s son, Donny Marlow, was recently aligned with the Uso Twins and Tamina before they were called up to the main roster.

    Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Sound Off 112: Mourning The Loss Of Vince McMahon’s Grapefruits

    Solomonster Sounds Off

    DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
    Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 112)

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    Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 10 minutes

    Solomonster raves about the NXT angle on Raw, then rants on the firing of Bryan Danielson, plus thoughts on the resurrection of Survivor Series, making title belts mean more and the Sound Off’s new home on FACEBOOK!

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