Jay Bradley, who briefly competed as Ryan Braddock on SmackDown in 2008 and 2009, spoke with Steven Muehlhausen of SportsTownChicago.com about his time with WWE.

On WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, Bradley said, “John is a master politician. He is a very good, cunning businessman. He runs WWE like it’s his company. Which I think is why Vince has him around for so long. Because he’s good at what he does. He takes the heat off of Vince. I couldn’t answer what he’s doing on TV, but if he’s playing a bit of a jerk, yeah its probably close.”

Bradley was also asked what WWE needs to do to recapture a “boom period.”

“Blow up Vince McMahon’s jet with him in it,” he laughingly says. “The whole upper echelon of WWE, which pretty much dictates this industry, needs to go.”

The former WWE Superstar also discusses joining Chicago based promotion Resistance Pro Wrestling. The entire interview is available here.

– The Rock tweeted a few messages to Zack Ryder this week – and took another jab at John Cena in the process:

“@ZackRyder If you don’t stop using my tweets and phrases – I’ll be forced to drop #ThePeoplesWooWoo on you.”

“@ZackRyder Btw, sorry to hear about your girl and John. Been told his breath smells like a dog’s anus. #DontSweatItBro.”

– Zack Ryder’s latest Z! True Long Island Story is now online, marking the 1 year anniversary of the show. Episode 53 includes a cameo from a recently released WWE superstar:

– SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia has announced plans to hold a series concerts in the near future. She tweeted Thursday:

“Excited 4 tonight!! Have my first band rehearsal w my NEW Band!!! Gearing up 4 concerts! Yay!” Garcia just released her second single, Ur Girl (Til the End of the World), following the first release, U Drive Me Loca, both produced by Grammy nominated producer, Oh, Hush!, off her upcoming sophomore album.

– During an interview with MTV to promote his new Journey 2 movie, WWE star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed that he will be filming the 6th and 7th installments of the “Fast And Furious” movie franchise this summer:

“We were going to try shooting them together. It would make sense while we have the same crew and everybody in one place. But I think we’re dealing with some weather issues, so from what I know we’re going to shoot ‘Fast 6’ first, and then worry about ‘Fast 7’ a little later.”

Here is video of The Rock talking to MTV:

– John Cena is not the only WWE star with ties to NASCAR. The Rock is listed as the Executive Producer of the upcoming documentary “Racing Dreams,” which debuts on PBS on February 23rd at 9PM ET. The documentary will follow one year in the lives of three young adults who aspire to become NASCAR drivers and has been described as “Talladega Nights meets Catcher in the Rye.”

— WWE Senior VIP Ron VanDeVeen recently revealed that prior to securing New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium for WrestleMania 29, WWE was originally in negotiations to bring Summerslam to the venue. He stated this week:

“We originally were talking about Summerslam coming to the stadium, then Giants Stadium, and we morphed it into let’s talk about how do we make this even bigger and does WrestleMania work.”

– WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at BrokenSkullRanch.com. In this entry, Stone Cold told a story about his early days int he wrestling business – and how Dutch Mantell once yelled at him after he had a bad match:

“This ass chewing session was a 9.9 out of 10. I think he actually invented a few new cuss words to use on me. The Dutchisms were relentless, ruthless, and certainly unparalleled at this point in my life.”

Austin said that Mantell instructed him to watch every match on the card:

“I got it. From that point on for the rest of my career I watched damn near every match of every card my whole career. Obviously, when I was white hot in the WWE I did not have time to watch as much, but I’ll never forget that night… Thanks to Jerry Jarrett for the job. Thanks to Dutch for all the advice and help while I was there. And, most of all…Thanks for cussing my ass out, it was the best advice I ever got.”

Peter Rosenberg from New York City’s Hot 97 hip hop radio station is back with another round of exclusive interviews with WWE superstars from this week’s WrestleMania 29 press conference.

John Cena talks about WrestleMania 29, New York’s rich history as city that loves pro wrestling, NBA sensation Jeremy Lin, and a potential new rap album:

The Rock talks hip hop music with Peter Rosenberg:

Peter Rosenberg interviews the Celtic Warrior Sheamus:

– WWE Champion CM Punk has been nominated for a “Most Metal Athlete’ award in at the upcoming Revolver Golden Gods Awards. The awards show takes place on April 11th and will be hosted by none other than Chris Jericho.

No word yet on whether CM Punk will be there in person, but considering their current feud, it would be  be interesting to see whether these two could peacefully co-exist at the same event.

For more information, visit RevolverMag.com.

– One of the top stories of the week is that former Ring of Honor wrestler Chris Hero finally made his debut at WWE’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. Hery, who is now known as Kassius Ohno, is one of several new who joined the FCW website’s talent roster this week. Besides Ohno, here are the other new FCW talents:

• Garrett Dylan (Jody Kristofferson)
• Paige (UK diva Britani Knight)
•  Adam Mercer
• Aiden English (Actor Matt Rehwoldt0)
• Sonny Elliott

Earlier this week, it was reported by the Wrestling Globe newsletter that Brodus Clay’s “Funkasaurus” character is being put on hold because WWE officials feel his in-ring work is not yet up to par.

Brodus Clay has since responded to that report, Tweeted the following message on Thursday night:

“Don’t believe the hater hype plant funk still in orbit ya dig!”

Somebody call his mama!

The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s WWE SmackDown on SyFy:

* Battle Royal to determine the final entrant in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber.

* World champion Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus.

* Tag Team champions Epico & Primo vs. The Usos.

* Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett vs. Big Show & Great Khali.

* Ezekiel Jackson vs. Jinder Mahal.

* Hunico vs. Ted DiBiase.

* Divas champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs. Tamina Snuka & Alicia Fox.

• *SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight

WWE’s early 1990’s classic arcade game WrestleFest is coming back next week to Apple iOS Devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod). However – instead of a simple re-release of the game, THQ has remade the classic with updated graphics, smoother gameplay and an updated roster.

The roster for the game will feature legends from the early 90’s (including Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Big Boss Man), Attitude Era superstars (Steve Austin, The Undertaker) as well as today’s stars like John Cena, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Randy Orton.

The game will will feature a multiplayer mode, a steel cage match, multiple arenas and “extensive downloadable content,” which will likely include additional playable characters, ring gear, etc.

WWE WrestleFest will be released in the Apple App Store on Tuesday, February 21.

Check out these images from the upcoming WWE WrestleFest game:

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon talk about WrestleMania 29 coming home to the New York area:

MFeenz TV was at the WrestleMania 29 press conference from the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday and got exclusive interviews with The Rock and John Cena.

The Rock will be at Wrestlemania XXIX, but he would not confirm if will wrestle:

John Cena says he’s hoping for snow at WrestleMania 29:

— Kassius Ohno, formerly known as Chris Hero, debuted at Thursday’s Florida Championship Wrestling television taping in Tampa, Florida. Ohno laid Xavier Woods out after losing to the former TNA World Tag Team Champion in a singles match. Ohno was said to have looked “really good” in the bout.

— Lilian Garcia has announced plans to hold concerts in the near future.

She tweeted Thursday, “Excited 4 tonight!! Have my first band rehearsal w my NEW Band!!! Gearing up 4 concerts! Yay!”

Garcia just released her second single, Ur Girl (Til the End of the World), following the first release, U Drive Me Loca, both produced by Grammy nominated producer, Oh, Hush!, off her upcoming sophomore album.

— There is talk within that WWE that WWE.com is being re-designed for a relaunch following WrestleMania XXVIII.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

— WWE.com has posted this week’s episode of WWE Superstars and it is highlighted by United States Champion Jack Swagger forcing Mason Ryan to tap out to the Ankle lock.

Ryan had not lost a televised singles match via pinfall or submission in nearly a year. His last such loss took place on the March 14, 2011 Raw to Randy Orton.

Other matches are Superstars include Aksana vs. Maxine and WWE Tag Team Champions Epico and Primo vs. Alex Riley and Santino Marella. The episode is available here.

— News of Chris Hero’s FCW ring name caused a surge online among wrestling fans Thursday as Kassius Ohno briefly trended on Twitter not to mention that the official Florida Championship Wrestling website slowed to a crawl for hours.

— WWE developmental wrestler Byron Saxton has resumed competing following shoulder surgery, reports the Wrestling Globe Newsletter.

— According to the official website of WWE developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling, the wrestler known as Chris Hero has been officially named Kassius Ohno.

His newly added profile page can be viewed here.

The independent wrestling circuit standout recently reached a developmental contract agreement with WWE after passing a field of medical tests. Hero and tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli were offered contracts last summer after participating in a private workout with company officials. Castagnoli signed but Hero did not due to naturally elevated testosterone/epitestosterone levels, according to the Wrestling Observer. WWE won’t sign individuals who test positive for steroids in their drug testing.

“It took forever and a ton of testing to prove the reading was actually natural and it was quite the process,” the Observer wrote of WWE signing Hero.

— The lone Evan Bourne T-Shirt on WWEShop.com, which is an Authentic T-Shirt, has been marked down 68%. The premium T-Shirt is now available for $7.99.

WWE premiered an updated intro on Monday’s Raw SuperShow and the over two-year-old shot of Bourne performing Air Bourne was noticeably removed. He is currently serving a sixty-day suspension for his second violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program.

– The Rock announced at Thursday’s WrestleMania press conference from the MetLife Stadium that he will be appearing at next year’s WrestleMania 29 – making it his third consecutive WrestleMania appearance.

The Rock is scheduled for the April 2nd RAW Supershow, the night after WrestleMania 28. There has been talk of The Rock participating in a match at SummerSlam as well, schedule permitting. Even if SummerSlam does not work out, The Rock is expected to work at least one more pay-per-view in 2012.

– “The Sports Guy” Bill Simmons takes aim at Triple H in his latest mailbag column for ESPN affiliated website Grantland.com. When asked if the recent surge of New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin is the NBA’s equivalent of CM Punk this past summer, he instead sounded off self-proclaimed “King of Kings.”

“Does this mean Carmelo is going to be Triple H — the egotistical, overrated star who couldn’t handle that something good was happening without him, so he interjected himself into the storyline and ended up throwing a wet blanket on all the momentum? I sure hope not.”

– Despite rumors to the contrary, there are currently no solid plans for WWE’s Legends House to air on SyFy.

– WWE Hall of Famer was Harley Race was in Tampa at WWE developmental on Wednesday, according to pwinsider.com.

— Nickelodeon has announced The Kids’ Choice Awards 2012 nominees and Kelly Kelly is up for “Favorite Butt Kicker.”

Nickelodeon says of the “sexy, smart and powerful” WWE Diva, “Beauty and buffness, that’s a tough combo, to say the least. This WWF star Kelly Kelly is so hardcore that she has double the power of other ladies, and double her first name! But can she go up against Hollywood’s elite?”

Her competition is Jessica Alba, Tom Cruise and Taylor Lautner. Voting begins February 24.

— Vickie Guerrero announced on Twitter that she is on Facebook at Vickie Guerrero Fan Mail. The page is located at www.facebook.com/MyVickieGuerrero. She noted getting ready for a photo shoot with WWE Magazine next month.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stated on Twitter that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is Warner Bros.’ second biggest opening of all-time in China.

WWE.com has published a pseudo-shoot interview with Eve regarding her abrupt kissing session with John Cena in front of Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow as well as the backlash on Twitter.

“I never intended for anything bad to happen to Zack,” Torres said. “How this turned out is not how I intended. I acted in the moment – we all make mistakes. I can’t really say I’m sorry, but isn’t it better to be honest than to lead Zack on?”

• VIDEO: Eve Makes Out With John Cena On RAW

Torres received an avalanche of angry messages on Twitter, many of which are “not suitable for publishing on WWE.com.”

“It’s been a hard adjustment for me, reading my Twitter timeline,” she said. “But, people need to realize that there’s more than one side to people. I always try to put my best foot forward both inside and outside the ring. But I have emotions, and that goes for anyone – sometimes emotions just take over.”

Torres also stresses that she’s “only human.”

The full article is available here.

WWE issued the following on Thursday:

WrestleMania(R) to Hit New York/New Jersey Region and MetLife Stadium

Week-long Festivities to Feature WWE(R) Superstars and WWE’s Biggest Event of the Year at Home of New York Jets and New York Football Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Feb 16, 2012 — New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and WWE WWE announced today that its annual pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania XXIX, will come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7, 2013 with events throughout the New York/New Jersey region.

Governor Christie was joined by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, New York Football Giants President and CEO John Mara, New York Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson, NYC & Company CEO, George Fertitta and WWE’s Senior Vice President of Special Events John Saboor to make the announcement at a press conference held earlier today. WWE Superstars John Cena(R), Triple H(R), Sheamus(R), Mark Henry(R), Brie and Nikki Bella(TM) and special guest Dwayne “The Rock(R)” Johnson were also on hand at MetLife Stadium for the historic announcement.

“We are excited to be hosting WrestleMania XXIX in the great state of New Jersey,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Having WWE’s preeminent international event here will strengthen both the regional and local economies and continue to showcase MetLife Stadium as a world-class venue for sports and entertainment. Fans will travel from around the world to enjoy and participate in the WWE’s biggest event of the year.”

A week-long celebration, WrestleMania has generated more than $200 million in cumulative economic impact for its past four host regions. The 2013 event will mark WrestleMania’s fifth trip to the metropolitan area with past visits in 1985, 1986, 1994, and 2004.

“WWE would like to thank Governor Christie, the New York Jets, the New York Giants and NYC & Company for rolling out the red carpet to host WWE’s biggest event of the year,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to making history and adding MetLife Stadium to the list of iconic venues that have hosted WrestleMania.”

“When WrestleMania comes to town, related activities will occur throughout the New York and New Jersey area, but we are looking forward to hosting the main event,” said New York Jets Chairman and CEO, Woody Johnson. “We are confident that both the Superstars and fans of WWE will feel at home in MetLife Stadium.”

“WrestleMania has long been considered one of the most successful sports entertainment events in the world,” said John Mara, President and CEO of the New York Giants. “We are thrilled to welcome the highly-anticipated 29th installment to MetLife Stadium.”

WrestleMania Week activities will occur throughout the New York/New Jersey region including: the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; WrestleMania Axxess, WWE’s interactive fan festival; Make-A-Wish Pizza Party hosted by John Cena; Monday Night Raw; the finals of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge and other community-based events.

“NYC & Company looks forward to partnering with New Jersey on another world-class event in the tri-state area,” said NYC & Company CEO, George Fertitta. “We invite all WWE fans to visit New York City for its unparalleled shopping, dining, cultural and entertainment options across the five boroughs that will surely make WrestleMania Week an unforgettable experience.”

The pay-per-view event will be televised in more than 100 countries and 30 languages. In 2011, a sold-out crowd of 71,617 fans from all 50 states and 30 countries converged on the Georgia Dome for WrestleMania XXVII. This year WrestleMania XXVIII takes place Sunday, April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. The main event will feature the highly-anticipated match between John Cena and The Rock.

— WWE Champion CM Punk nor World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan were on hand for Thursday’s press conference at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to announce that the venue will host WrestleMania XXIX on Sunday, April 7, 2013.

— Regarding rumors that WWE Legends’ House will premiere on Syfy rather than the WWE Network, nothing has been stated internally about that nor is it listed on Syfy’s programming schedule for April.

— The commercial Sheamus shot last month in Los Angeles, California was for Kmart. Independent women’s wrestlers Bugga Nova and Lizzy Valentine were on hand for the shoot.

— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler was spotted at Fashion Week and received a mention about being there in the AM New York newspaper.

source: PWInsider.com

– WWE headquarters is still in the process of undergoing major changes, with the office space being reorganized to reflect designated space for each department.

Joey Styles, who runs the WWE’s website, recently confirmed those reports when a fan asked him on Twitter if he works from home. Styles replied:

“I work in the newly renovated office space for TV Creative, Magazine and .com at WWE HQ.”

– As we reported earlier in the week, WWE corporate made several recent cuts last Friday that are being described as “shocking.”

The most notable cut was Jim Connelly, who served as the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products. He was with the company since 1999.

Dean Miller, who worked under Connelly as the Senior Manager of Home Entertainment, and Florence DiGiorgio, who was with WWE since the 1990s and most recently served as the Senior Director of Global Licensing, are also gone from the company.

The timing of WWE’s decision to gut the Consumer Products division is especially surprising, coming right before the last week’s big New York Toy Fair.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

One of this week’s top stories is that Randy Orton is injured once again, suffering what is believed to be another concussion at Monday’s RAW. During Orton’s match with the Big Show, Orton delivered an RKO Big Show and was seen getting up very slowly and grabbing his head. Orton was visibly on “spaghetti legs” and appeared disoriented.

WWE ran a storyline on the company website and at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings where Orton’s concussion actually occurred after his match with Big Show, when Daniel Bryan hit him in the head with the World Heavyweight title belt.

According to backstage sources who were at RAW, there was not any talk about Orton being injured. Orton will not wrestle at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view as a precautionary measure, but is not expected to miss much ring time beyond that.

Here is footage from Randy Orton’s match with the Big Show from RAW:

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– The final episode of ECW on SyFy aired on this date back in 2010. The main event saw Ezekiel Jackson defeat Christian in an Extreme Rules match to become the final ECW Champion.

– According to the latest polling for the upcoming Connecticut Senate race, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is currently trailing Democratic candidate Chris Murphy by 9 points.

– There is a strong feeling among WWE officials that today’s roster is lacking the main event star power of previous generations. While there are a handful of who carry themselves like stars and have major drawing power, overall – the locker room atmosphere is very different than what it was a decade ago.

During the tail end of the Attudie Era, WWE had guys like Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar as big draws. The next tier of talent included names like The Hardy Boyz, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and more who were hungry to climb the ranks and had the to make skills it happen. Today’s locker room and WWE’s developmental system are chock full of promising talent, but WWE has gone many years without effectively building mid-card talent and they are now paying the price.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in it entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Orton’s Elimination Chamber Replacement: “Saw on WWE.com where Santino was replacing Orton in the Smackdown elimination chamber bout. That’s a jaw dropper.”

Divas Division Picking Up Steam: “It seems as if the Diva division in WWE is slow beginning to be more significant. Beth Phoenix is evolving into an intriguing character while Tamina has been evolving steadily. Of course, folks are clamoring for a Kharma vs Phoenix match which will likely happen some day. Kharma only gave birth to her son on New Year’s Eve so her coming back full time is likely still a ways away.”

Undertaker Cuting His Hair: “Why did Taker cut his hair? Beats the hell of of me but I’m sure that matter will be addressed when the time comes. Until then, I, like many of you, will stay tuned. I’ve never gotten so many questions on one topic on Twitter as I have regarding Undertaker’s hair. Wow.”

American Badass Returning: “Is Taker coming back as the American BadAss character? I honestly do not know. I enjoy knowing less, enjoyng the TV shows more, and seeing how things organically play out. I don’t have the desire to know every detail of what’s going on in advance of it happening as do some.”

John Cena and The Rock are at it again. In a blog posted on JRsBarBQ.com on Wednesday, Jim Ross stated once again that there are legitimate bad feelings between the WrestleMania 28 main eventers. In response to fans who question him whether Rock and Cena’s heat is real, Ross wrote:

“For those who seriously think that Rock and Cena are pals, think again. Go back to 2008 and listen to Rock’s comments at the WWE HOF regarding John Cena. That was almost four years ago. These two stars are NOT on the same page and both have strong personalities and are game day players. Their one on one match at WM28 will be physical and competitive I can assure you.”

The Rock posted the following Valentines Day message for John Cena on Tuesday:

TheRock @WWE @JohnCena Happy Valentines Day John. You may not be my girl, but I do consider you my bitch. #BootsToCenasPinkParts

John Cena responded to The Rock with a god awful attempt at comedy that involves Cena branded tampons and .. feminine wash:

JohnCena Looks like my buddy Dwayne is headed to Metlife Stadium tomorrow for WrestleMania 29…I got nothing to do..see u there amigo. Saw Dwayne wished me happy valentines ……..For those that didn’t get the “pink part” thing he once again is re referencing my mangina. So I propose this… Cena tampons. “That time of the month got u feeling bad, just put a lil Cena inside ya :) he’ll make ya feel fine” #champaxOr Cena feminine wash. “Tough day south of the equator? Lather some Cena on there and they can’t smell you!” #massCENAgil :)that’s the late nite act kiddos. Be back for the morning show at Metlife Stadium tomorrow. See u then movie star.

After a Twitter user brought it to The Rock’s attention that Cena called himself a tampon, Rock responded:

TheRock Mission accomplished. (Easy mission btw)

WWE has released the official logo for next year’s WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view, which will take place on Sunday April 7, 2013 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and WWE will be holding a press conference on Thursday morning at the Metlife Stadium thatwill feature appearances from The Rock, John Cena, Triple H and Sheamus, as will several Divas.

Also in attendance will be New York Giants President and CEO John Mara and New York Jets Owner and CEO Woody Johnson, whose teams play at the Metlife Stadium.

The Wrestling Observer reports that Alberto Del Rio is disliked by some of his WWE colleagues due to how he carries himself and the belief that his position in the company is unwarranted.

The two-time WWE Champion is seen as off-putting behind the scenes as he portrays himself as a master backstage politician and struts around as a superstar. There is also a perception that he is not over to the level of his sizable push as his matches and promos garner tepid reactions from the audience. Company officials, however, are receptive to the Mexican grappler as they feel he has superstar potential because he’s bilingual, tall and has a “great movie star look.” His push is also fueled by the company’s need for Hispanic stars given the lack of clarity regarding the long-term futures of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.

Meanwhile, Del Rio admitted during an interview last week with Bay area sports radio station 95.7 FM The Game that he doesn’t like many of his WWE peers. When asked who he liked the least, the second-generation wrestler said that he hates The Miz.

“This is not part of the show. I really dislike that guy. I’ve tried to punch him in the face several times, not in the ring I mean outside the ring, but he’s just like a little girl, he’s always running away from me,” Del Rio said.

“There’s a big difference between The Miz and I, I’m a real athlete, he’s just a loud stupid little kid. He’s probably one of those guys that was bullied when he was in school, that’s the reason he’s now oh so loud and he wants to get attention from everybody, but in my case he’s the real deal.”

Del Rio capped off his Miz rant by saying that he doesn’t have many female fans because “he’s fat and ugly.”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)