– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin announced on Monday night that he completed filming in Mexico for his new reality game show, “Redneck Island.” The show will premiere on CMT on Saturday, June 9 at 10pm (Eastern).
– In this week’s Raw “Backstage Fallout,” Beth Phoenix tells the WWE Universe she’s taking the Divas Championship back from Layla. Plus, why is David Otunga looking so smug after a crushing defeat?
– In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the latest promo video for WWE No Way Out featuring Daniel Bryan and AJ:
It’s been reported here on the site that the latest cryptic video hyping a “Revolution” coming to WWE featured former TNA star Matt Morgan.
While some fans are debating whether it’s really Matt Morgan or WWE Champion CM Punk featured in the promo – PWInsider.com is now reporting that the “Revolution” has nothing to do with a wrestler debuting or returning.
The new “Revolution is Coming” promo that’s been airing on WWE.com is actually leading up to WWE announcing a new video game release.
The announcement is expected to be made next week, prior to the upcoming E3 video game convention in June.
– Alex Shelley, whose contract with TNA Wrestling is set to expire, is reportedly jumping ship to WWE. This is according to former WCW broadcaster Mark Madden. He wrote on Twitter:
“Good luck to Alex Shelley, WWE-bound. A real talent. Let’s c if he’s used rite. Shame 2c MCMGs break up. Best tag team in U.S.”
– Today would have marked as Brian Pillman’s fiftieth birthday. A previously undetected heart condition, arteriosclerotic heart disease, led to his death on October 5, 1997.
Smith Hart remembered the late wrestler via Twitter, writing:
“Happy Bday to Brian Pillman. You are a brother in every sense to all of my siblings and are missed today more than you know. God Bless you.”
– WWE returns to the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for a Raw live event on December 30. A Ticketmaster.com pre-sale is ongoing through May 25 at 10:00 p.m. The password is WWE.
– CM Punk retrained the WWE Championship at Sunday’s Over The Limit pay-per-view in a match with Daniel Bryan that was far and away the best on the show. Punk’s title reign continues – but WWE officials almost decided to put the title on Daniel Bryan.
The topic of Bryan winning the WWE Title was being discussed a lot over the past few weeks. Apparently the talks got “pretty serious” but the decision was made in the past week to have Punk retain.
With the rave reviews that Punk vs. Bryan received, expect to see more matches between these two in the coming months. In his latest blog, Jim Ross called their match one of the best bouts he’s seen in years and floated the idea of them competing in a 30 or 60 minute Iron Man Match.
– Speaking of Daniel Bryan, he turns 31 years old today. YES! Today’s other wrestling birthdays include Husky Harris (25), former TNA Knockout Traci Brooks (37) & former WCW star Scott Putski (46).
– There was a lot of talk backstage at WWE’s Over the Limit pay-per-view about the quality of the Divas Title match with Layla and Beth Phoenix. The feeling was that Layla’s performance was a sign that her knee isn’t 100%.
— Starship-Pained.com conducted a Q&A with John Morrison on Saturday at the Motor City Comic Con. Regarding a possible return to WWE, Morrison stated, “Yes. Maybe a year or so.” The full interview is available here.
— Lance Storm, who placed No. 32 in WWE.com’s “Top 50 WCW Superstars” list, offered his thoughts on the list via Twitter:
“Don’t bother sending me the WCW Superstars list. I don’t care. Its one dude making a list, it means nothing.”
— Swagbucks issued the following statement regarding WWE’s official search engine:
“We regret to inform you that MyWWEsearch.com will be closing on June 15th. What does this mean for your current WWE Swag Bucks? Until June 15, 2012 the WWE Swag Store will remain active and we will be lowering the prices of all items in the store. After June 15th, all your WWE Swag Bucks will be redeemable at Swagbucks.com Swag Store where you can also continue to build your Swagbucks account. We are sorry for this sudden change, but will make sure that you still have the ability to earn and spend your Swag Bucks for the rewards you deserve.”
Former WWE and WCW star Ernest Miller recently spoke with Inside The Ropes Radio and says he’s pissed off over WWE’s Funkasaurus character.
“The Cat” says he knows Brodus Clay is just doing what WWE tells him to do – but thinks it’s a bunch of crap that the Funkasaurus is using his old theme music and “call my momma” catchphrase.
Here’s what Miller said about the situation:
“I haven’t watched it. I’ve nothing against him, he’s working for a company. I feel like someone told him to do it. He’s trying to make it work.
Many fans have said he’s not as good as me and it made me popular without being on the TV show. It’s a little more than dancing.
I was an athlete, I could wrestle. WWE had so many people afraid of their jobs, they never let me develop into what it could be. People like this guy out there dancing and saying call my momma, but he’s not the original.
I could’ve made it work so in other words, I’m a little pissed off about it.”
According to various online reports, former TNA Tag Team Champion and X Division Champion Alex Shelley has finished his run with TNA. F4Wonline.com suggests that he made the decision to leave the company when his contract expires soon.
Shelley is a former TNA X-Division champion and held the TNA tag team championships with his Motor City Machine Guns partner Chris Sabin.
With the news that WWE has been reaching out to Cruiserweight talent for an all-cruiserweights show on the WWE Network this fall, the timing of Shelley asking for his release would make him eligible to participate in the project.
Chris Jericho has been stating for months that he plans to leave WWE to tour with his metal band Fozzy – and we’ve got an update on his upcoming schedule.
Jericho is currently advertised for RAW live events through the RAW Supershow on June 4th. He will then hit the road with Fozzy in the UK from June 6-10th and will host the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in London on June 11th.
Jericho is then advertised for WWE live events again starting June 15th and through SummerSlam on August 19th – including No Way Out on June 17th and Money in the Bank on July 15th.
Jericho and Fozzy will participate in the Rockstar Uproar Tour from August 15th through September 30th. WWE is not advertising Jericho for any events after SummerSlam until October. He is also advertised for WWE’s overseas tour in late October.
Of course – cards are always subject to change and Chris Jericho is known to be elusive with his true schedule. However, it appears there’s a good chance that Jericho will be wresting for WWE for the next several months.
WWE made a huge error on Monday’s RAW and set of a firestorm of criticism from fans on Twitter. During RAW’s opening segment, John Laurinaitis announced that he had re-hired Big Show on Saturday, a day before he interfered at Over the Limit and helped Laurinaitis defeat John Cena. Of course, this directly conflicts with the stipulation of the Laurinaitis vs. Cena match – where anybody who interfered in the match would be fired.
According to f4wonline.com, the script for RAW included the error that Big Show had signed a new contract on Saturday.
WWE didn’t realize the error until fans went crazy on Twitter and pointed out the glaring storyline logic gap.
Later in the show, Michael Cole clarified that Big Show had “agreed in principle” to help Laurinaitis at Over The Limit, but didn’t actually sign his contract until Monday morning.
WWE posted the following “damage control” tweet, clarifying that Big Show was NOT under contract (and thus, could not be fired) by interfering at Over The Limit:
“It’s official! @WWETheBigShow had a verbal agreement with @WWERawGM, but didn’t sign a contract until AFTER #OverTheLimit! #OtungaLaw #WWE”
WWE may be teasing the return of Matt Morgan to the organization as the TNA Wrestling star is briefly shown in their latest viral video stating that “A Revolution Is Coming” on May 28.
The video features a close-up shot of Morgan from 2005, who last worked for the sports entertainment organization that year. Though Morgan’s contract with TNA Wrestling does not expire until October, he is believed to be a free agent after meeting his contractual obligations.
Morgan stated last month during an interview with PWTorch Livecast that while’s he loyal to TNA Wrestling, it would be difficult to reject going back to WWE if the opportunity presented itself. He added that WWE has expressed interest in acquiring him.
Here’s the picture revealing Matt Morgan is the man behind the Revolution:
– WWE developmental wrestler Dean Ambrose beat Alex Riley in a dark match before Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to the match, Ambrose cut a promo vowing that a dark storm cloud would soon cover the WWE Universe.
– The following matches were taped for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars:
* WWE Tag Champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs. JTG and Michael McGillicutty
* Zack Ryder vs. Heath Slater
– The May 18 episode of WWE SmackDown garnered a 1.81 cable rating with 2,803,000 viewers. The previous week’s show drew a 1.7 cable rating, with 2,530,000 viewers. (source: PWInsider.com)
Lilian Garcia denied rumors of an apparent argument with fellow ring announcer Justin Roberts before the live audience at Sunday’s Over the Limit pay-per-view event, saying it’s “news to (her).”
Roberts denied the rumor first Monday afternoon via Twitter, writing, “Hey @liliangarcia supposedly we had an argument last night…u know what they say-if its on the Internet it HAS to be true, right? Good2cu!” Garcia later responded to his tweet, writing, “LOL news 2 me!”
PWInsider.com reports there is a lot of heat on Garcia for her multiple errors on the show. During ring introductions for the participants in the Fatal 4-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Garcia incorrectly announced Sheamus’ billed weight as 227 pounds, rather than 267 pounds. In another glaring miscue, Garcia announced Hunico as a match participant seconds after Hunico proclaimed Camacho as wrestling. Broadcaster Michael Cole took the opportunity to once again denounce her ring announcing ability, say he wasn’t surprised by the mistake considering the source.
The SmackDown Diva acknowledged her announcing miscues via Twitter, writing “THKS!” to the following fan message: “It’s awesome how u deal w the mishaps. It really shows ur level of professionalism.”
— Cody Rhodes appears to be taking a hiatus from the squared circle after losing the WWE Intercontinental Championship to Christian on Sunday at Over the Limit. He stated Monday afternoon via Twitter, “Time off.”
— Rosa Mendes thanked fans for their support after she was involved in a multi-car accident in Las Vegas, Nevada Friday evening. She stated via Twitter:
“Just want to thank everyone for their texts, messages, and phone calls. Its nice knowing I have people that care me.”
Released from the hospital late Friday night, Mendes suffered serious whiplash but no other major injuries were reported.
— To promote the Mattel WWE Legends King Kong Bundy action figure (available exclusively at MattyCollector.com), WWE.com has released a video package on the man known as “walking condominium.” (View)
— WWE.com has shortened Lord Tensai’s name as he is now simply being referred to as Tensai. This is not the only character tweak as last week during his match against Tyson Kidd on WWE Superstars, he appeared sans robe, shoved Sakamoto and competed more aggressively.
— Mick Foley is advertised for Wednesday’s SmackDown live event in Poughkeepsie, New York as he will appear as the guest referee for World Heavyweight Champion Match between Sheamus, Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio. Also advertised is a No Holds Barred Match between Kane and Randy Orton.
— Independent women’s wrestler Jessicka Havok doesn’t think WWE will ever hire her. Responding to a fan on Twitter who feels she should be on the Divas roster, the reigning WSU Champion explains, “I’m sure I won’t b hired there. I speak my mind too much.”
Justin Roberts denied an online rumor that he had a heated argument with fellow ring announcer Lilian Garcia before fans at Sunday’s Over the Limit pay-per-view event.
He stated Monday afternoon via Twitter, “Hey @liliangarcia supposedly we had an argument last night…u know what they say-if its on the Internet it HAS to be true, right? Good2cu!”
The rumor originated from Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer, who said in today’s edition of Observer Radio that the two argued before the live audience. The incident reportedly stemmed from her mistakes.
“Something happened between Lilian Garcia and Justin Roberts where Lilian stormed off—live crowd could see it. And it had something to do with her botching something. It was the ring announcement of the Cody Rhodes/Christian match and they were arguing and she stormed off, I know that,” he stated.
PWInsider.com reports there is a lot of heat on Garcia for her multiple gaffes on the show.
– As noted before, Sin Cara returned to action for WWE over the weekend. He is booked for tonight’s RAW tapings and tomorrow’s SmackDown tapings.
– WWE has applied to trademark the phrase “RAW ACTIVE,” a phrase coined to describe the new interactive elements that will be added to Monday Night RAW when it expands to 3 hours on July 23rd.
WWE has also filed to trademark the phrase “RIP ‘EM” to be used for merchandise related to the upcoming DVD release of the 1980’s WWF movie “No Holds Barred” due out in July.
– WWE has posted a number of backstage videos from Sunday’s Over The Limit pay-per-view. One of the videos featured Big Show refusing to comment on why he turned on John Cena. Another video showed John Laurinaitis receiving a standing ovation when he returned backstage after his match against John Cena.
– The Miz will be starring on the new season of the Disney XD show Pair of Kings.
Speaking of the Miz, he likely won’t be on tonight’s RAW. He is scheduled to appear at tonight’s 2012 Cable Show Convention in Boston, Massachusetts as a representative of WWE & the USA Network.
— As noted earlier, Lilian Garcia had a rough night last night at Over the Limit as she mishandled no less than three ring introductions and was involved in a heated argument with ring announcer Justin Roberts in front of the live audience. PWInsider.com reports there is a lot of heat on Garcia backstage for her multiple gaffes.
— In addition to Kelly Kelly, Layla has made Maxim’s Hot 100, which is known as “the definitive list of the world’s most beautiful women.” She debuts on the chart at #95, besting Dominique Storelli, Poppy Montgomery, Anahí, Kat Dennings and Nadia G. To view the complete list, click here.
— In a battle of former WWE Superstars, Matt Hardy challenges Eric Escobar for the PRWA Heavyweight Championship this Saturday at Lajas Coliseum in Lajas, Puerto Rico.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some of JR’s thoughts on Sunday’s WWE Over The Limit pay-per-view:
CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan: “The WWE Title bout was the overwhelming show stealer in Raleigh. @CMPunk vs. @WWEDanielBryan had one of the best bouts that I can recall seeing in years … They were virtually seamless, had animalistic intensity, dehabilitating strikes, crippling and painful submissions and told an overwhelmingly compelling story … It would appear that WWE has found lightning in a bottle with the two, former independent grapplers who paid their dues time and time again for little money to earn the opportunity to play at the highest level in the business, the WWE. Was it better than WM28 Undertaker vs. HHH? Not in my view but it was damn close and considering the atmosphere at OTL compared to Miami that’s a viable compliment.”
“This rivalry has unlimited potential including the opportunity for an Ironman Match, 30 or 60 minutes, among many other show stealers.”
Sheamus vs. Jericho vs. Orton vs. Del Rio: “The Fatal Fourway at OTL was another outstanding outing where all four performers had their ‘moments’ and the match had many momentum swings. Sheamus is a big, tough lad who is getting more popular by the week and because of his tireless work ethic the Irishman deserves all the success that’s coming his way. I enjoy Sheamus a great deal because he comes to work with a lunch pail mentality and appears to truly enjoy physicality.”
Kofi Kingston & R-Truth vs. Jack Swgagger & Dolph Ziggler: “The tag title bout, without a great amount of fanfare going in, delivered, as well. Kofi and Truth are evolving and can hopefully continue to breath more life into the tag titles while Swagger and Ziggler are simply two of the most naturally gifted, athletic performers currently in WWE. Kofi in particular had some amazing moments during the latter stages of the tag title bout as his physical skills are significant. The talented Ziggler is Curt Hennig-like in some ways.”
From ring announcing gaffes to shoe related mishaps, Lilian Garcia’s second go-round with WWE has been rough at times. The veteran Diva had another bad night Sunday at Over the Limit as she mishandled no less than three ring introductions and was involved in a heated argument with a co-worker in front of fans.
During ring introductions for the participants in the Fatal 4-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Garcia incorrectly announced Sheamus’ billed weight as 227 pounds, rather than 267 pounds. In another glaring miscue, Garcia announced Hunico as a match participant seconds after Hunico proclaimed Camacho as wrestling. Broadcaster Michael Cole took the opportunity to once again denounce her ring announcing ability, say he wasn’t surprised by the mistake considering the source. Garcia also drew the ire of fellow ring announcer Justin Roberts for mishandling ring introductions for the Intercontinental Championship Match between Cody Rhodes and Christian. Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer explains in today’s edition of Observer Radio:
“Something happened between Lilian Garcia and Justin Roberts where Lilian stormed off—live crowd could see it. And it had something to do with her botching something. It was the ring announcement of the Cody Rhodes/Christian match and they were arguing and she stormed off, I know that.”
Garcia acknowledged her announcing slip-ups during a recent interview with The Sam Roberts Show. She stated that while she receives feedback regarding her gaffes from peers, they don’t make fun of her.
– After Big Show’s surprise turn against John Cena at Sunday’s Over The Limit pay-per-view, expect to see a singles match between Cena and Big Show at No Way Out next month. Expect to see John Cena vs. Big Show in a steel cage match.
– WWE Diva Kelly Kelly has WWE Diva has made Maxim Magazine’s Hot 100 list. She ranked #38 this year, way up from #82 last year. She tweeted on Monday:
“I couldnt be happier to be #38 on maxims hot 100 list!!!! Such an honor!!!!! I want to thank all the fans for the support love you guys xoxo”
– WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler “downloads” and dissects dance fail videos in Episode 17 of WWE Download:
Chris Jericho recently spoke toThe Sun about his current WWE run, touring with Fozzy this summer and more. Here are some highlights of what Jericho said about:
His Feud With WWE Champion CM Punk:
“It was a blast. It was the reason I came back. I went to meet with Vince in August to discuss working Wrestlemania with Punk. I knew we could do something with the ‘best in the world’ thing, and it amped up really well with the alcohol thing.
“It’s all about the storyline to get you to the match and I thought both matches were great.
“All that I care about is that I walked out of both of them feeling very vindicated and very happy with both. They were both excellent matches to add to my résumé.”
The Little Girl In His “End Of The World” Promo Videos:
“[Fans] were looking too deep into it — WAY too deep. It was just supposed to be a creepy thing. My idea was that it was the Mayan calendar in 2012 saying it’s the end of the world and I was going back and it’s the ‘end of the world as you know it’. It’s the end of the way that you used to live and it’s a new world.”
“The girl we just put in because she was creepy looking. There was never supposed to be a girl coming in with me — there wasn’t a change of plan. It was exactly what it was intended to be — a cryptic little cool thing that led to me coming back and doing what I did.”
Not Saying A Word When He Returned To WWE In January:
“That part was Vince’s idea. He was the one that suggested that and I thought it was great. I like to do something different that people don’t expect. That’s what I’ve always been about, in everything I do.”
– Today would have been the 45th birthday of Chris Benoit and the 48th birthday of Nancy “Woman” Benoit.
– WWE Divas Champion Layla got so many write-in votes for Maxim’s annual Hot 100 list that she might make the list. Maxim wrote about Layla:
“This British-born dancer, model and WWE Diva could easily knock any of us off of our feet. We feel a little light-headed just thinking about it.”
– After failing to capture the World Heavyweight championship in the fatal fourway match at WWE Over The Limit, Chris Jericho has now lost 5 consecutive PPV matches since returning in January.
The WWE website had an article up last week speculating whether Jericho would stick around if he did not win the title last night. Jericho is expected to finish up with WWE soon to begin touring with his metal band, Fozzy.
Tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow takes place from the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia with the fallout from Sunday’s Over the Limit pay-per-view.
After turning on John Cena and helping John Laurinaitis save his job at Over The Limit, “former WWE Superstar” the Big Show will explain his actions tonight.
Neither Triple H or Paul Heyman are advertised for RAW, but it’s possible Heyman will appear to keep Brock Lesnar on the WWE radar.
Michael Cole informed fans during Over The Limit that we’ll hear more details about RAW is expanding to 3-hours on a permanent basis starting July 23rd.
Smackdown stars scheduled to appear include Sheamus, Randy Orton, Alberto Del Rio, and Daniel Bryan. Chris Jericho is also advertised for tonight the night after coming up short last night and losing his 5th straight pay-per-view match since returning back in January.
Matches that are advertised locally include John Cena vs. Lord Tensai and John Laurinaitis in a Handicap Match and WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan in an Over The Limit rematch.