CM Punk apologized Monday evening on Twitter for telling a WWE fan who disagreed with his views on gay marriage to kill himself.

Expressing his disapproval with Amendment 1 Monday morning on Twitter, Punk wrote a message in support of gay marriage being legalized in the state of North Carolina. Amendment 1 is a controversial topic in North Carolina, as it will define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman, and would ban any other type of “domestic legal union” such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Punk wrote, “Amendment 1 is ridiculous. It’s an invasion of people’s rights. North Carolina, why do you care if somebody wants to marry who they love?” Same sex marriage should be legal. The fact that it’s illegal is embarrassing.”

He continued, “Divorce rate is at least 50% between men and women, so don’t give me the values angle. Making same sex marriage illegal is the same as having segregated drinking fountains. Embarrassing. The human race is embarrassing. #evolve.”

A British user disagreed with his beliefs, writing to the WWE Superstar, “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.”

Punk posted the message and then wrote “Kill yourself. He also advised another fan who disagreed with him to “drink bleach.”

Following Raw, the WWE Champion issued an apology.

“I was pretty worked up today. The amendment 1 situation had me all wound up. I stand by my thoughts on gay marriage 100%. How I defended that stance was 100% wrong. I admit it. You can’t stoop to others levels. Sometimes I fight fire with fire and it isn’t ways the best way,” he said.

“To @ezeekay: I apologize. I don’t want you to kill yourself. I want you to better yourself. Just as I want to better myself. “I’ll start by being the better man and once again, apologize for my harsh reaction to your opinion of homosexuals making you “sick.”

“Sorry y’all. If I let anybody down, I apologize. I’ll make it up to ya and move forward with a better understanding of others feelings.#pma.”

British news outlet The Mirror has published an article on WWE Champion CM Punk’s “chilling response” to a British fan who disagreed with his views on gay marriage on Monday.

Expressing his disapproval with Amendment 1 Monday morning on Twitter, Punk wrote a message in support of gay marriage being legalized in the state of North Carolina. A Twitter user hailing from Walsall disagreed, writing to the WWE Superstar, “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.”

Punk posted the message and then wrote “Kill yourself. He also advised another fan who disagreed with him to “drink bleach.”

The newspaper also acknowledged WWE’s affiliation with The Creative Coalition to promote the anti-bullying campaign ‘be a STAR,’ which Punk has represented.

Responding to a user that told Punk to ‘be a STAR’ after telling the British fan to kill himself, he wrote, “hey moron, don’t try to hide behind the be a star campaign. I am a star. I’m fighting bigots here. Zero tolerance.”

The Mirror says his beliefs contrast a homophobic slur he hurled at a fan last July at a WWE live event in Adelaide, Australia. Enclosed in the article is footage of Punk engaging in a verbal altercation with a fan and telling him that he has a “homo” haircut.

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– WWE taped the following matches prior to Monday’s RAW from Greensboro for this week’s Superstars:

– Santino Marella and Zack Ryder vs. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks

– Tyson Kidd vs. Hunico

– Former Nexus member Husky Harris appeared under the name Bray Wyatt in a pre-Raw dark match. He defeated former NXT Season 2 peer Alex Riley.

Harris debuted the Cape Fear-inspired character in WWE developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling in March. He debuted the crowd before the WWE audience at Raw live events over the weekend. Here’s a picture of the new Bray Wyatt character from a live event this weekend:

WWE Champion CM Punk spoke out on Amendment 1 Monday morning on Twitter as he strongly feels same sex marriage should be legalized in the state of North Carolina. The WWE Superstar subsequently told a fan on the microblogging website who disagreed with his beliefs to “kill yourself;” the message read, “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.” Punk was chastised for his harsh remark by another Twitter user, who reminded him of WWE’s anti-bullying campaign ‘be a STAR.’

“Telling someone to kill themselves? B A Star. How about creating a positive change instead of civil unrest? Ass.,” the Twitter user wrote to the WWE Champion.

Punk, however, disagreed, as he said he’s fighting bigotry. He responded, “Hey moron, don’t try to hide behind the be a star campaign. I am a star. I’m fighting bigots here. Zero tolerance.”

The WWE Superstar then poked fun at “dirtsheets” for reporting his earlier remark, writing, “Dirtsheets need to report that I have cilantro in my teeth. Then swallow tacks.”

Punk continued to stir the pot on the microblogging site as he then hinted at surprises for tonight’s Raw SuperShow.

“Trust me when I say this #RAW will be fantastic. #rumors #surprises #cilantro,” he wrote. “I love knowing stuff nobody knows.”

The WWE website has a new storyline interview up with Beth Phoenix. Here are some highlights of what the Glamazon said about:

Being pulled from the Extreme Rules Divas Title match:

“I was in a state of shock. I’d been told I would be allowed to compete regardless of the injury, but I guess when the doctor’s report came back it was a different story. It doesn’t matter. This is a road I’ve been down before. But I would have competed hurt – I’ve done that before too.”

Layla winning the title:

“Layla hasn’t earned anything. I mean, who’d she ever beat? No one should be No. 1 contender until I’m cleared. There shouldn’t have even been a Divas Championship Match at Extreme Rules. I know Layla was out for a year. Big deal! I had ACL surgery too, and I made it back in half the time. When I return, I’m not only going to beat up Layla, I’m going to bust her other knee, and make sure that she goes away and never comes back. She has no idea what she has gotten herself into.”

Eve Torres as Executive Administrator:

“Eve’s making a statement in her role. She’s flexing her muscles a little bit, and I respect that. Eve and I actually have a lot in common in that we’re both strong, powerful women wanting to get more in a man’s world. That said, I don’t like being talked down to, and I don’t like being taken for granted. If Eve ever challenges me, then she’s going to have her hands full.”

Warrior man is back with another video message. In this 2-part update, Warrior talks about ignoring doctors ad “listening to his body” when healing his torn bicep, his upcoming appearance on June 2nd at the Legends of the Ring convention in New Jersey and a new reality television project he’s working on.

— A “major” viral campaign will be starting imminently on WWE.com. It will be pushed strongly beginning next Monday.

— Everything taking place on tonight’s Raw SuperShow was approved at the last minute. The episode’s content had changed three times since creative heads arrived to Greensboro, North Carolina, the site of tonight’s show.

— WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase appears for 3XWrestling on June 8 in Grimes, Iowa and June 9 in Boone, Iowa. (Event details)

— Smith Hart remembered his late brother Owen via Twitter: “Today marks the anniversary of my brother Owen’s birth. I like to take this time to remember the wonderful moments we had together.”

source: F4WOnline.com

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be hosting his own reality game show on cable channel CMT called “Redneck Island.”

The 10-episode series will feature Austin as host and 12 Southerns compete for $100,000 on a remote island. Austin will “guide the contestants through a number of hilrious mental and physical challenges.”

The press release indicate that Austin has also signed a development deal with CMT, “Austin will look to produce additional series for CMT with his production company, Broken Skull Ranch Productions.”

Here’s the full press release from CMT:

CMT INKS DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH STEVE AUSTIN AND TAPS HIM TO
HOST NEW REALITY COMPETITION SERIES “REDNECK ISLAND”

LOS ANGELES – May 7, 2012 – CMT has inked a development deal with actor and former WWE superstar Steve Austin, tapping him as host of a new 10-episode series REDNECK ISLAND, it was announced today by Jayson Dinsmore, EVP, Programming and Development, CMT.  Produced by 51 Minds Entertainment, REDNECK ISLAND takes 12 red, white and blue-collared Americans out of the South – and far away from cold beer – dropping them in a tropical paradise where they will compete for $100,000.  The redneck-style competition series will debut in June, paired with a second season of CMT’s hit series MY BIG REDNECK VACATION.  As part of his development deal, Austin will look to produce additional series for CMT with his production company, Broken Skull Ranch Productions.

“Steve Austin is a true creative powerhouse, both in front of, and behind the camera, and we’re happy to be in business with him,” said Dinsmore. “In our first project together, he’ll serve as host to the ultimate competition reality series on ‘Redneck Island,’ where he’ll oversee a cast of characters who attempt to survive hilarious and unpredictable challenges in unique redneck fashion.”

“I am thrilled to join the CMT family and for the opportunity to work with them on future projects,” added Austin.  “I’m also excited to work with the great folks at 51 Minds Entertainment on REDNECK ISLAND.  If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to keep a bunch of rednecks in line.  And that’s the bottom line!”

REDNECK ISLAND begins with 12 men and women competing as teams in a fight for $100,000 cash.  From a remote location, Austin will guide the contestants through a number of hilarious mental and physical challenges designed to celebrate the group’s strengths and limitations.  At the end of each episode, teammates will send one competitor packing.

— WWE Champion CM Punk spoke out on the topic of same sex marriage and Amendment 1 Monday morning on Twitter. Amendment 1 is a controversial topic in North Carolina, as it will define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman, and would ban any other type of “domestic legal union” such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Punk wrote, “Amendment 1 is ridiculous. It’s an invasion of people’s rights. North Carolina, why do you care if somebody wants to marry who they love?” Same sex marriage should be legal. The fact that it’s illegal is embarrassing.”

He continued, “Divorce rate is at least 50% between men and women, so don’t give me the values angle. Making same sex marriage illegal is the same as having segregated drinking fountains. Embarrassing. The human race is embarrassing. #evolve”

One of Punk’s Twitter followers disagreed with his beliefs, writing to the WWE Superstar, “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.” Punk posted his message and wrote “Kill yourself” in response.

— Natalya and Hornswoggle paid a visit to Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Greensboro, North Carolina on Monday to promote WWE’s anti-bullying initiative ‘be a STAR.’ (Photo)

The SmackDown Diva admitted last month on Twitter that most of the bullying she has dealt with has occurred as an adult. Offering advice to a fan who is being bullied, she wrote, “Yes I have been bullied- mostly as an adult, ironically! Stand up for yourself and kill em with kindness.”

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Ezekiel Jackson, who prides himself in being “The Personification of Domination,” has struggled mightily since dropping the WWE Intercontinental Championship to Cody Rhodes in August. Once a protected figure in WWE’s midcard scene, the Guyanese grappler has been relegated to WWE Superstars and non-televised bouts since dropping the strap—the majority of which he has lost. After being left off SmackDown again last week, the WWE Superstar posted a candid YouTube video acknowledging his recent struggles. However, he vows to turn things around with a “new and improved Ezekiel Jackson.”

“So I just watched SmackDown and realized that, another week, no Ezekiel Jackson. It’s been eight months since I lost my title to Cody Rhodes and since then it’s been more of a downward spiral than anything. Had a few disappointments, more than I expect from myself. I haven’t been The Personification of Domination. I think that’s going to change. It’s definitely going to change,” he says.

“Beginning this week I’m going to invite you guys on a journey. Follow me, see what I’m about to do. I’m going to change everything about me, starting from the inside. I heard a quote by Deion Sanders and it said, “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good.” The pay I’m looking for is one of the major championships of the WWE. The feel I want is just that elation from the crowd when they see the new and improved Ezekiel Jackson.”

— WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston missed this past weekend’s WWE live events due to filming an appearance for Syfy program Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. United States Champion Santino Marella fill in as R-Truth’s partner in tag team matches.

— Paul Heyaman’s Heyman Hustle site has an exclusive photo gallery up of Brooke Adams and Lisa Marie Varon, which you can check out here.

— From Miss Elizabeth to Sensational Sherri, WWE.com pays tribute to the trailblazing ladies of the 1980s who proved that WWE wasn’t always a man’s world. (Full Story)

— WWE will hold a Supershow on July 8, 2012 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Bell time is 3:00 p.m.

— Hornswoggle accompanied Brodus Clay and his dancers at Sunday’s Raw live event at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

— Hornswoggle is promoting WWE’s anti-bullying campaign today in Greensboro, North Carolina. He tweeted, “Headed to a Greensboro Be A Star Rally. I always look forward to these as they hit close to home with me when I was younger being bullied.”

— A Kevin Nash autograph signing in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday drew over 200 people.

— WWEShop.com has released numerous WrestleMania XXVIII DVD and Blu-ray packages which include programs, T-Shirts and lanyards.

— WWE.com issued a poll Monday asking fans to name WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth. Voting options include Air Truth, Ka-Boom, R-Boom, Truth in Paradise and Air Jimmy

— Today would have been Owen Hart’s forty-seventh birthday. He died on May 23, 1999 when an equipment malfunction occurred during his entrance from the rafters of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri at the World Wrestling Federation’s Over the Edge pay-per-view event. Two WWE Superstars with ties to the late wrestler are remembering him on his birthday.

Natalya wrote on Twitter, “Remembering Owen Hart today on his 47th birthday. We are all just waiting today for some crazy prank from Heaven:) (Photo)

Tyson Kidd added, “I watched@BretHart vs @ShawnMichaels at WrestleMania 12 (my favorite match) thanks to Owen Hart flying me in as a guest of his #owenmemories.”

— Former WWE stars The Gymini and Bam Neely now work as bouncers at the Space Odyssey night club in Tampa, Florida. All three individuals no longer wrestle.

— Actor Dennis Haskins of Saved by the Bell fame attended Sunday’s Raw live event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He took a bow after being introduced to the audience.

— Matt Hardy appears for Xcite Wrestling on July 21 at the American Legion in Binghamton, New York. (Event details)

— A broken arm wasn’t enough to keep WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H down, who accompanied boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the ring for his highly anticipated bout against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday night, alongside singer Justin Bieber and rapper 50 Cent. Former WWE Diva Melina, who was posting messages on Twitter while watching the fight, remarked the following upon seeing “The King of Kings” on television:

“Maybe it’s the margaritas but I puked when i saw Bieber & Triple H. #TotalPukage #WhatTheWhat HHH=Pukepukepuke. Boxing at an an all time low.”

— Former WWE Superstar Perry Saturn won his first championship in over a decade on April 27 in Des Moines, Iowa as he beat Arik Cannon and Sir Bradley Charles in a Triple Threat Match to gain the 3XW Pure Wrestling Championship.

— WWE had audio issues at Saturday’s Smackdown live event at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Jey and Jimmy Uso’s theme song as well as a Kane promo that aired on the video screen was not audible.

– WWE.com has an article looking at Triple H’s appearance at Saturday night’s Floyd Mayweather fight in Las Vegas. The article states that Triple H has been wearing a “mechanical brace that offers various ranges of motion and, fortunately, versatile enough to remove for media photo opportunities while in attendance for the major boxing event.”

Triple H told the WWE website that there’s a lot of misinformation being reported about his injury.

— Selling Monday’s injury, Chief Operating Officer of WWE Triple H could be seen wearing a small sling over his broken left arm as he accompanied undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the ring for his highly anticipated bout against Miguel Cotto on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. Believing that Triple H decided to appear uninjured at the event, former WWE Superstar Carlito commented via Twitter: “I just saw triple h in mayweathers corner! Apparently his arm has already healed. Thank the lord for miracles!”

He added further, “Correction, triple h was wearing a sling…and not many people know that a sling works a lot better than a cast for a broken arm! Right?”

Mickie James spoke to Mike Buda of SportstownChicago.com promoting her match on June 30 against Melina at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. During the interview, the multi-time women’s champion commented on whether she would consider returning to WWE.

“In this business, it’s not one of those things where you can never say never. Right now, I’m having a great time at TNA and I’ve been enjoying it. I can’t say anytime soon,” she said.

James also addressed TNA Wrestling’s Knockouts division.

“We have a very strong division. The only difference is the style and the types of matches and the length of the matches that we have. It’s a rarity when a woman can main event the show and I’ve been fortunate enough to do that. I’m very blessed to be looked at as equal as someone who can hold that level at the end of the show. It’s an honor. We have Sarita, who’s very well known in Mexico and a main star in the Knockouts roster. Everybody is a little bit different,” she said.

The full interview is available here.

– The Rock posted a picture of himself with his 240 pound dog on Twitter:

“When 240lbs of Bone Crusher shows love – 270lbs of Rock gets down and shows is back. #LottaLovin http://pic.twitter.com/2tqxvEVp”

– “Rowdy” Roddy Piper posted the following on his Twitter account:

“Asked if I would shake hands with Hogan! YES I WOULD! I’m a MAN! Men are people that show the way! U can only tell a Man by his actions.”

– Jim Ross was rattled by a Twitter follower writing “stick to wrestling old man” after he posted multiple messages on the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto boxing match Saturday night:

“How about a little respect? Didn’t your parents teach you to respect your elders or are you a keyboard punk?”

– In this week’s Are You Serious? webisode, Road Dogg and Josh Mathews explain how WCW “ruined everything.” Their proclamation includes ninjas (Glacier), classical music (The Maestro), sharks (John Tenta portraying a shark character) and even titles (David Arquette winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship). Also mocked is a WCW vignette featuring Raven as a spoiled rich kid with hardcore wrestling icon The Sandman appearing as his preppy neighbor Jim at his childhood home’s pool.

— After the official WWE website transferred Dustin “Goldust” Runnels’ profile from the Raw Superstars section to the Alumni section on Friday, PWInsider.com confirmed that he was released from his contract with the organization last week. An undisclosed incident at the April 24 SmackDown taping in Grand Rapids, Michigan led to his contract being terminated. He had been working behind the scenes since suffering a shoulder injury in December 2010.

— F4WOnline.com reports Robert Zimmerman, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Media Relations, and Public Affairs, has left the company. Additional details on his departure have not been disclosed.

— Chief Operating Officer of WWE Triple H accompanied undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to the ring for his highly anticipated bout against Miguel Cotto on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was not the only WWE talent on hand for the fight as SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia also attended Saturday’s festivities. Click here to view a photo of the Decade Diva with Mayweather, Jr.

Throughout his career, CM Punk has consistently used the gimmick of being “Straight Edge,” a lifestyle he repeatedly claims to follow in his actual day-to-day life. In the latest issue of Power Slam, magazine editor Findlay Martin responds to a reader’s query as to whether Punk’s “Straight Edge” gimmick is just that, a ‘fictitious’ gimmick.

“That’s a vicious rumour, as far as we know,” Martin responds. “We have spoken to many people over the last eight years who have been to bars and nightclubs with Punk and/or traveled with him in Europe and the U.S. and Canada, and all report that Punk has invariably abstained from alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco.”

Martin, however, says that some wrestlers who worked with Punk during his path to the WWE main roster years ago found his drug-free proclamation to be phony. And upon reaching the main roster, he was shunned for living an alternative lifestyle.

“Since most wrestlers habitually use alcohol and/or drugs and are instinctively distrustful of fellow wrestlers, the assumption among most who did not know Punk when he was working on the independent circuit and treading water in WWE’s developmental system was that his teetotaler/drug-free claims were bogus,” Martin says. “When he reached WWE television and his fame and word spread that his ‘Straight Edge” gimmick was genuine, Punk was ridiculed and even ostracized by some wrestlers for choosing an alternative lifestyle to theirs.”

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Speaking to Emmy nominated entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet of WOIO in Cleveland, Ohio, Mick Foley was asked why he left TNA Wrestling last year.

“In my three years with Total Nonstop Action, I think exactly one person said, ‘Hey, you’re that guy from TNA.’ I’m a WWE guy. I went away from home for a while. There was no question. I was never one of those guys who said I’m never going back. I enjoyed my time away, but it’s still home.”

The Hardcore Legend was also asked about Brock Lesnar returning to WWE and his Extreme Rules match against John Cena.

“Oh, God,” Foley said. “I’ve watched a lot of pay-per-view and it had a room full of people who have watched a lot of pay-per-views reacting in a way that was completely different than anything I’ve seen before. It was really shocking. It was very dramatic.

“Honestly, I wish they would have stopped it. I think John Cena was hurt bad enough that they should have stopped it. I think it would have been an ending unlike anything I’ve ever seen in WWE – an early stoppage of a match due to injury.”

Foley said he was backstage at WrestleMania XXVIII and thought Undertaker vs. Triple H was the best match of the evening. He also noted received a standing ovation from wrestlers in the backstage area after his Mr. Socko and Cobra segment with Santino Marella at the Royal Rumble. Other topics broached include his comedy tour and WWE promoting his book unexpectedly.

– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Colt Cabana (32) and Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs (48).

– Christian returned to action this weekend at a SmackDown live event from Asheville, North Carolina, defeating Yoshi Tatsu. Christian played the heel and told the live crowd before the match that he wants “one more championship match” – a sign that his career might be winding down.

– Bo Rotunda, son of Mike “IRS” Rotunda, also worked the live event from Asheville, defeating Drew McIntyre with a roll-up. Drew McIntyre had wrestled (and lost to) the Great Khali earlier in the night.

– Bo Rotunda’s brother, Husky Harris, returned to action at Friday night’s RAW live event from Huntsville, Alabama. Wrestling as his new “religious” gimmick Bray Wyatt, he defeated Zack Ryder in what was said to be a good match. Live correspondents who were at the show said Wyatt looked to be in much better shape than the last time we saw him on WWE television as a member of Nexus.

Check out this video of Bray Wyatt’s debut promo and first match at Florida Championship Wrestling:

WWE star/executive Triple H walked Floyd Mayweather to the ring ahead of his boxing victory against Miguel Cotto on Saturday night from Las Vegas.

Hunter carried one of Mayweather’s championship belts and discretely wore a sling on his left arm, selling the storyline injury he suffered at the hands of Brock Lesnar on Monday’s RAW. He did, however, hold the title belt above his head at one point, which does conflict with the notion that his arm arm might be broken and need surgery.

Hunter and Mayweather are close friends, dating back to Mayweather’s involvement at WrestleMania 24. Back in 2009, Mayweather talked about wanting Hunter to accompany him to the ring for an upcoming fight:

“Triple H is one of the greatest guys in the world and represents a whole universe of WWE fans that appreciate what he does. He and his stature are huge and I can’t think of a better person to escort me to the ring for my return to boxing.”

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Shortly before Extreme Reunion, Shane Douglas appeared on Inside The Ropes to discuss TNA Wrestling, Sabu’s personal problems, Ric Flair almost joining ECW in 1998 and more. Highlights are as follows:

Wiping the mat with the WWF in the 1990s: “If we’d had a backer like Panda Energy or Ted Turner, I think….no I know we’d have wiped the mat with the WWF. Paul Heyman was that talented a booker and our dressing room was that talented. Vince McMahon ripped everything off from us. He’ll tell you he didn’t but it’s as blatant as the nose on my face.”

Sabu: “I remember in 1993, sitting in the back watching him, I’d never met him. He hit a triple moonsault, I jumped out of my seat as a fan, I’ve always been a huge mark for Sabu. I spent this past weekend with Sabu and he’s been going through a tough time recently with his family and his wife and things. I’ve heard all sorts of horror stories about Sabu that he turns up at shows not able to perform.”

How TNA Wrestling creatively handles their talent: “I look at Dixie’s dressing room and you have Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, they had Petey Williams. I’m a mark for those guys. That said, I’m anything but a mark…. I’m a critic for the way that talent has been used. I hope that in a year from now, I’ll be able to say I’m booking for the Bobby Roodes, AJ Styles and Samoa Joes as opposed to having to sit back and watch them being mis-used by a company that just doesn’t get it.”

Difference between ECW and TNA Wrestling: “Without going into my whole TNA rant, she’s over $150 million in the red, has nothing to show for it. Hasn’t produced one bankable star in 7 years. The original ECW on the other hand launched in 1993, spent $8.27 million dollars, and in 7 years how many bankable stars did ECW, Paul Heyman create? Dixie was onto a decent idea and then instead of going with what could have given her Dad some return on his money, she went with the whole Hulk Hogan/Ric Flair routine. My personal differences aside with those guys, the fact that in 2012, we’re still talking about the guys that headlined wrestling in 1984, is laughable at best, sad at worst.”

His promo work being copied by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Austin (obscenity laced spiels) and CM Punk (worked shoots): “Well to say it’s not true would be ignorant. The fact I’ve carved out a niche in the business and had an almost 30 year career and done well without competing at a WrestleMania is something I’m proud of. To be in a business that’s dominated by one guy and be able to do well without having to walk on that stage is great.”

Why he left his successful run in ECW in 1995 for WWF as Dean Douglas: “The way it was pitched to me isn’t the way it played out. It took 7 or 8 trips up there for me to sign. There was something in the back of my gut that told me it wasn’t the right fit. I no desire to leave ECW but in 95, I was reaching my mid 30’s I’d been the World Champ multiple times…I’d pretty much done everything in ECW, all I could do is repeat. That was one of the reasons I didn’t wanna miss an opportunity to make a living for my family. The last time I went there, I took my ex-wife with me, and I was working as a teacher 5 days making good money and making pretty good money the two nights a week working for ECW, she looked McMahon in the eye and said “What could you possibly offer my husband to make him leave all that and being home in bed with me every night?” and he leaned across the table and he stroked her hand and said “You have my word as a gentleman that I’ll make your husband a very wealthy man” He went on to tell me “its not uncommon for someone in the position we’re putting you in to earn $300,000 a year minimum base salary” I spoke to Piper, Hennig etc and they said Vince told them the same thing and they got rich. I called home one night and my wife said the cheques hadn’t been great and she said they all came to $1400 and I told her to add them up and she said that was them all added up.”

Whether he was comfortable with his feud with Ric Flair being put on television in 2000 in WCW?: “Hell Yeah. If a company is investing a seven figure income to me, which Bischoff did for me for three years, but I’ll go into any situation in the ring. I’m a professional.”

Ric Flair negotiating with ECW in 1998: “Flair had started discussions with ECW when he had his problems with Bischoff, about working with me. His concern to Paul Heyman was, that I would shoot on him. He wanted $150,000 for one match which we couldn’t possibly afford that. So I suggested to Paul, offer back to him, 3 shows, first one in Charlotte. I put him over, 55 minutes. Second, Pittsburgh he puts me over, same time frame. Third time in Philadelphia, I have no doubts that promoted well, we could’ve sold the Spectrum out.”

Quick Fire Thoughts

Triple H: An overachiever. He doesn’t seem to have the skillset to get to the position he’s at. But in saying that he’s a good ring general and I think he’s the one guy in the locker room that could’ve worked in the original ECW.

Bret Hart: He’s one of those guys, he’s the universe’s Ric Flair. When I met Flair, he fell far short of a hero or someone to look up to. When I met Bret, I was shocked at what a down to earth guy he was and just worked his tail to get to where he was.

Dixie Carter: Way out of her league.

Hulk Hogan: He’s the phenomenon that he’s believed to be. I do believe Hogan is as big an icon in our business. He always made sure he left time for the kids at Make a Wish Foundation.

– Here’s this week’s SmackDown “Backstage Fallout” video [sort of] featuring interviews with Damien Sandow, A.J. Lee and Intercontinental champion, Cody Rhodes:

This week’s episode of Santino’s “Foreign Exchange features Santino attempting to audition for other TV shows, including Man vs. Food and Ghost Hunters:

— WWE developmental talent Brian McGhee, who appears as DT Porter for Florida Championship Wrestling, denied posting a message on Facebook crying for help due to alleged mistreatment from camp officials. He claimed on the account that it was hacked.

The hacker’s statement reads: “Guys, I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. Every day is a constant struggle to keep my sanity. I love wrestling and it’s all I ever wanted to do. Already going crazy since I’ve been for like ten months now, but it gets worse. Every day a trainer goes out of his way to rib or disrespect me in front of the boys because I’ve been out so long. I can’t clear myself. I wanna wrestle more than anything, but I don’t even know who I am anymore. It’s so fucking hard. I just feel it just building inside of me and I don’t know how much longer I can contain it. I have daydreams of just fucking everyone up on some real shit. I’m not a kid. I’m a fucking man. But what do you do when the people in charge of helping you get to the main roster are the ones making your life the hardest. I’ve been drinking almost every day. It’s to the point to where I keep Vodka and Gin in my trunk. Help me!”

— Inactive WWE Superstar Sin Cara returned to his native country of Mexico to celebrate Children’s Day, and took time to meet with young fans. (Photos)

— WWE Hall of Famer Sgt Slaughter will appear at the Daytona Cubs game taking place June 29 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark 105 E. Orange Ave. Daytona Beach, Florida.

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Lilian Garcia and The Miz, who have both felt the brunt of bullying, spoke out on the subject in an interview with Jim Varsallone of The Miami Herald after appearing at a be a STAR anti-bullying rally at John F. Kennedy Middle School.

During his climb toward the top of WWE’s upper echelon, The Miz was dumped on by his peers in the locker room. Many of “the boys” did not want him in the company due to his notoriety as a reality television star and tried to bully him out of a job, as been told numerous times by the world champion grappler himself in media interviews.

“Nobody liked me, everyone wanted me fired and was trying to get me fired. I’m in the WWE, and everyone there and the WWE Universe hates me. It made me feel like I was walking on egg shells,” he recalled during an interview last year with Adelaide Now. “I got kicked out of the locker rooms, so I couldn’t find a place to change or shower. I remember one time going down the corridor to go to the (stadium’s public) bathroom and fans going `Oh my god, that’s The Miz’ – thanks, I’m going to the bathroom next to a kid that has my shirt on. It’s kind of belittling and humiliating. But it’s one of those things that made me stronger and made me realise I could take everything that anyone dishes.”

Though he portrays a villainous character on television, The Miz himself is not a bully in real life. He encourages children to rise above negativity: “There’s so much negativity in the world today. If you watch news, you see it on Twitter, you see it on Facebook. I try to challenge the kids to be more positive with their life. Complement one another, instead of doing all these negative posts on Facebook, or tweets, why not just make a positive realm about it? It makes you feel better as a person, it makes the other person feel better.”

The WWE Superstar continues, “So anytime we can do something in a neighborhood, any neighborhood, any city that we go to, we always try to hit high school, elementary school, middle school, any place we can get an audience of children because that’s where it starts. Why not nip it in the bud before it even starts?”

Many people find WWE’s anti-bullying initiative to be hypocritical considering that the sports entertainment organization was founded on settling arguments with physicality. The Miz stressed that the battles in the ring shouldn’t be taken at face value since WWE is an entertainment television program: “You watch WWE, watch it for the entertainment value; it’s a television show. But the issues children go through each and every day are real. They’re in the real world if you will. We try to basically say, “We’re a television show, it’s entertainment and when you go to school, literally, this is real life, this is how you deal with bullies and hopefully it works out well for everyone.”

Similarly to The Miz, Garcia has been subject to blustering ridicule in the WWE workplace. There have been numerous incidents during her time with the sports entertainment organization where she has been publicly derided. Mick Foley notably took offense online to WWE executive/wrestler Triple H humiliating Garcia with a crass internal joke aimed at her physical appearance during an April 2010 episode of Raw where she handled ring announcing duties on short notice.

“Why does someone like Triple H, one of the most talented, well paid guys in the business, do something so shallow and mean? Why would a multi-millionaire, with millions of fans around the world, feel the need (several times over the years) to say something that is only meant to hurt?” Foley wrote online after seeing Triple H insult Garcia. “I don’t get it. I don’t get why it’s done, I don’t get why it’s condoned, I don’t get what possible satisfaction anyone involved gets from demeaning someone like Lillian Garcia. I just don’t get it.”

The SmackDown ring announcer doesn’t believe in the theory that words never hurt. She also thinks that bullies are individuals with insecurities.

“I feel it’s so important to send a message and to tell people how their words are very, very powerful. That whole phrase of words will never hurt you, I don’t believe that. Because words are very, very powerful,” Garcia says.

She continues, “It’s important to send a message to them, to make them think twice and make them realize that it’s their own insecurities as to why they’re picking on somebody else.”