Check out these new modeling pictures of SmackDown’s new ring announcer – Lilian Garcia.
Recent News About Lilian Garcia:
Follow Lilian on Facebook at Facebook.com/liliangarciafanpage.
— WWE brought Lilian Garcia back to the organization to permanently replace Tony Chimel as the ring announcer for weekly SmackDown tapings. Chimel, 50, will continue working for WWE at television tapings in the production office backstage. Company officials asked Garcia late last week if she wanted to return and a deal was reached Monday upon her arrival in Tampa, Florida.
Garcia, who turned 45 years old in August, retired from her job as Raw ring announcer in 2009, citing a wish to settle down with her husband and being burned out from WWE’s strenuous travel schedule. During her time away, she continued to pursue her music career, and hosted AfterBuzzTV.com’s post-shows for Raw and Tough Enough.
— Matches taped Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Florida for this week’s episode of WWE NXT are as follows: Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso vs. Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks; Darren Young and JTG vs. Percy Watson and Titus O’Neil; Johnny Curtis vs. Derrick Bateman.
Yoshi Tatsu beat WWE developmental wrestler Damien Sandow in a dark match prior to the taping.
source: Wrestling Globe Newsletter
2010 Miss USA Rima Fakih
WWE Tough Enough contestant and 2010 Miss USA Rima Fakih was reportedly WASTED when she was arrested for DUI over the weekend in Michigan.
According to the police report, Fakih was pulled over when officers noticed the her speeding and weaving through traffic in Detroit early Saturday morning.
Cops say Fakih “immediately identified herself as Miss USA” and then flunked two breathalyzer tests. Fakih blew a 0.19 and then a 0.20 – more than double Michigan’s legal limit of .08.
Police searched her car and found a half-empty bottle of wine behind the driver’s seat.
She was arrested on suspicion of DUI and If convicted, Fakih could face some serious jail time.
As previously reported, shortly after her arrest, Fakih denied the entire situation on Twitter – claiming she wasn’t even in Michigan, was not in jail and the person who was arrested was somebody else with the same name. The tweets were then deleted and Fakih’s attorney Donald Elder confirmed the arrest.
— F4WOnline.com reports there is going to be a “pretty good hint” about who WWE’s viral videos are teasing on the December 19 Raw SuperShow.
This week’s viral video is titled “Look Within.” A boy is shown in the video saying a “prophet” will “emerge to destroy the weak” and “it will be the end of the world as you know it.”
— Triple H was in charge of Monday’s Raw SuperShow due to Vince McMahon’s absence. The WWE CEO, as well as Kofi Kingston, Brie Bella and Nikki Bella, are in Afghanistan visiting U.S. troops. Footage from their trip will air during WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops special.
— A forum has been set up on Kelly Kelly’s newly launched website.
She tweeted, “The forum is up at http://www.wwedivakellykelly.com. I will be reading your posts! Hope you enjoy my new site :)”
source: F4WOnline.com
— WWE has launched a Facebook page for WWE Legends’ House, the new reality show for WWE Network premiering in 2012. The synopsis for the series reads:
“A reality series featuring many of your favorite WWE Legends, all forced to live under one roof. See what happens when the most colorful and combustive personalities in WWE history shack up, break bread, and bruise egos.”
— Kelly Kelly is scheduled to appear on The Bubba the Love Sponge Show on Friday, which airs on various Cox Radio and Beasley Broadcast Group stations.
— Lilian Garcia has released a behind the scenes trailer previewing her first music video, U Drive Me Loca. The SmackDown Diva’s music video will be officially released Friday via LilianGarcia.com.
– On Monday’s RAW, we saw the third installment of the “It Begins” video trailers, with this week’s promo titled, “Look within.” According to a report on PWInsider.com, insider sources continue to state that the person returning to WWE at the January 2nd edition of RAW from Memphis will be Chris Jericho.
Some had speculated that the “It Begins” videos were leading up to the return of the Undertaker, but the latest on his return is that he won’t be back until after the Royal Rumble.
– After The Rock claimed that his new “Boots To Asses” t-shirt was the best selling WWE t-shirt, CM Punk responded by re-tweeting the following message from one of his followers:
“The Rock comes up with another lie..Claiming his shirt is the most sold in WWE. We all know it’s the @CMPunk T-Shirt, that’s most sold.”
Punk also updated fans on the x-rays he had done on Tuesday, revealing that it was his right hand that might be fractured.
Punk posted the following picture of his x-ray – coincidentally doing one of John Cena’s hand gestures with the caption, “Hustle. Loyalty. Respect.”
— CM Punk stated Tuesday on Twitter that he was undergoing an X-ray examination today. He wrote, “Heading for X-rays, then gym. Because broke shit don’t stop me.”
He added, “Soon to be a dirt sheet headline: Punk gets X-rays.
“Going to go jump in a volcano then gym. Because hot lava don’t stop me.
“Soon to be dirt sheet headline: Punk jumps into volcano.”
— Tough Enough contestant and former Miss USA Rima Fakih is scheduled for a court hearing on December 21, 2011 in 30th District Court in Highland Park, Michigan due to her arrest Saturday on suspicion of drunken driving. If convicted, Fakih faces up to 93 days in jail, plus fines, court costs and the possibility of community service. (Article link)
— Lilian Garcia, SmackDown’s new, full-time ring announcer, has been added to the SmackDown Superstars page on WWE.com.
Randy Orton was recently interviewed by THQ to promote the new WWE ’12 video game. Here are some highlights of what Orton said about:
His Favorite Rivalry In WWE: “John Cena in ’09. I had a four month storyline where we exchanged titles. We had a memorable “Iron Man” match, and we traded wins and losses. I’m the anti-John Cena. If he’s kissing babies, wearing necklaces, then I’m doing the opposite. He’s a beast in the gym, and beast on the mic. He’s also in movies and everything, but I don’t see myself doing much more of that. I’m a WWE Superstar to the bone.”
His Health & When He’ll Retire: “I’d like to make it into my 40’s and compete and retire, but not because my neck is bad or anything like that, but so I’m able to go out on top on my own terms, like HBK. So many in the business can’t say that, but I want to finish on top and stay healthy. I’ve been using a lot of the advancements in preventative medicine more recently. I took a page out of John Cena’s book to do things for my muscular/neuro connection. I’m training specifically for what I do in the ring. Explosive movement or plyometrics. I just want all of my limbs stay in their sockets, so at the final bell, I can say that I did it all.”
His Dream Opponent From Any Generation: “My dad (“Cowboy” Bob Orton) got to wrestle his old man, but it’d be cool to do that as well. He was one of the best ring technicians, and everyone always had good things to say about my father. He was the innovator of a lot of moves, and he helped bring the business to where it is. I’d want to wrestle him in a straight up, babyface hour broadway.”
To read the full interview, head over to THQ.com.
— Regarding rumors of WWE changing the appearance of the WWE Championship, while some in the organization are pushing to get rid of the “spinner” strap, no official change is currently planned.
— The Sin Cara Goteo De Oro T-Shirt featuring the shape of a penis embedded in a gold design that was pulled within hours of being listed on WWEShop.com last week was briefly supplied by WWE’s Japan Shop (WWEJapanShop.jp) in very limited quantities. The Japan affiliate mailed out the shirt and one has surfaced on eBay.
— The pre-sale code for the April 2, 2012 Raw SuperShow in Miami, Florida is WMWEEKMIA. The pre-sale kicks off tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
— Monday’s Raw SuperShow was the No. 1 most-mentioned show on social media in all of broadcast and cable TV, according to trendrr.com.
source: PWInsider.com
Layla Backstage at RAW (12/5)
– WWE has been cracking down very aggressively on Twitter accounts that impersonate or parody their superstars and overall product.
With their huge push to integrate Twitter into the WWE Universe, the company is said to be overly-protective about fans being mislead by other parties trying to benefit from their intellectual property. Several Twitter accounts have been shut down in the past few weeks as a result of this new policy.
– WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was not backstage at Monday’s RAW, which is a rare thing. With Vince gone, Triple H was in charge of things backstage.
Among the WWE personalities backstage were AJim Ross, Sean Waltman, Layla and former diva Cherry.
– 1980s WWF star B. Brian Blair is recovering from appendectomy surgery. Blair was hospitalized for almost a week after his appendix burst and poisoned his intestines. Had the situation not been addressed when it was, he could have been facing severe medical complications.
(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)
Kharma's Wrestling Ring Engagement Ring
Pregnant WWE Diva Kharma is engaged to be married. According to TMZ.com, her fiance proposed to her several months ago – and presented her with a very unique engagement ring – it’s actually a wrestling ring with a diamond, set inside of a normal ring.
No official date has been set for the wedding yet but TMZ reports that Kharma is looking to tie the knot in June of 2012.
Kharma, who is currently out on maternity leave, is still a member of the WWE roster.
While most people expect her to return to WWE once she delivers her baby and recovers, there have been others within the company who are skeptical that a new mother will immediately go back to work traveling 4+ days per week.
It’s worth noting that Kharma was trending worldwide on Twitter during RAW, despite the fact that she hasn’t been on WWE television in many months.
After Monday’s RAW from Tampa went off the air, there was a 41-man battle royal with the winner getting a WWE Championship match against CM Punk immediately.
Dolph Ziggler appeared to be eliminated early in the match and it came down to Zack Ryder, Cody Rhodes and Jack Swagger. After Ryder eliminated Rhodes and Swagger, Ziggler snuck in an eliminated Ryder to win the match and get the shot at Punk.
Out came CM Punk to defend the title against Ziggler with Vickie Guererro in his corner. There were “Vicky sucks” and “we want ice cream” chants during the match. Punk hit Ziggler with a knee in the corner and followed up with the Anaconda vice to get the win.
– The main event of next Monday’s 3-hour Slammy RAW will be World Heavyweight champion Mark Henry vs. John Cena.
– The nominees for the 2011 WWE Superstar of the Year are:
– THQ’s WWE ’12 video game has reportedly sold over 350,000 copies in North America.
– The dark match before Monday’s RAW from Tampa saw The Usos defeat Tyler Reks and JTG, with Curt Hawkins in their corner.
– Matches taped before RAW for Superstars were:
– Lilian Garcia confirmed on Monday night that she is indeed returning to WWE. She tweeted:
“Yes! It’s true!! All happening so fast! I am returning to WWE as the SmackDown Announcer!! So excited!! And video trailer out tomro! Big wk”
– WWE tag champion Evan Bourne returned to WWE television at Monday’s RAW from Tampa. Bourne wrestled before RAW in a match taped for Superstars and was shown briefly backstage during RAW. He missed 30-days after his first violation of the company Wellness Policy.
– Big Show was reportedly not at RAW because because he was attending the American Country Awards in Las Vegas, which aired on FOX. Big Show did a comedy skit where he chokeslammed host Trace Adkins and then presented an award.
During Monday’s RAW, WWE briefly flashed the URL “Youtube.com/user/lookwithin2012” – which revealed the 3rd video in the “It Begins” Series. To view the first 2 videos in the series, click here.
WWE.com announced Monday that former Raw ring announcer Lilian Garcia is returning to the organization.
Returning to WWE full-time after a more than two-year hiatus, she will be SmackDown’s new ring announcer. It’s her first time joining WWE’s Friday night brand.
“I am here to tell you that I am back baby! This is awesome. I am actually back in the WWE. I’m going to be announcing SmackDown full-time,” she tells WWE.com in an interview at tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Tampa, Florida.
“I’ve been doing a lot, I got married since I left. I actually relocated from New York City to L.A. I have been recording—I’ve never stopped singing. I’ve been recording, got some new songs coming out, got a video coming out next week, so that’s exciting, I missed it though. No matter how much I did other things, I always missed this.
“I’ve continuously watched it and there was a time there that it was hard for me to actually watch it—I did have to step away a little bit just because I missed it. I would it watch it, and nostalgia, and I’d tear up and I’m like, ‘No, you did the right thing, you did the right thing’ and then no matter how much I tried to step away from it, it always like draw you in (laughs). It gets in your blood!”
She continues, “I’m excited about everything. I’m excited about singing again on the show, that’s going to be awesome, singing the national anthem again and every other opportunity that comes up with that. Oh my gosh, I miss the fans, so, so much. I miss you. And then the Superstars. Working with the Superstars was so incredible, I said it when I gave my goodbye speech, they are the best athletes in the world, so being back here, watching them, best seat in the house, is really terrific and it’s just so exciting and all the crew, everybody, behind the scenes, it’s just a great energy.”
Video of Garcia discussing returning to WWE is available here.
– The Miz is scheduled to appear on Thursday night’s edition of Conan O’Brien’s late night TBS talk show to promote the upcoming “Tribute To The Troops” special. The Conan website previews The Mizs’ appearance:
“The last time WWE Superstar The Miz came by, he gave Conan the nickname ‘The Ginja Ninja.’ We have a feeling our nickname would be “The Delicate Hypochondriac.” Which is not intimidating at ALL. Check out the actually-intimidating Miz in action on the WWE Tribute to the Troops special.”
– To update the health status of Barry Windham, he’s said to be doing much better – but still has a long way to go before he gets back to 100%. Windham suffered a heart attack last month.
– Maria Menounos, host of the celebrity news show “Extra,” tweeted the following about her her training for her celebrity bout at the WWE Tribute to the Troops taping next week in North Carolina:
“Started training for WWE Thursday p.m. and a.m. So bruised and beaten up. Trained in an outdoor ring during our mini L.A. hurricane…Gotta work really hard if I’m going up against Beth Phoenix and the gang. Nervous…ok terrified…can’t turn back now, can I?… I went through the basics the other night – hip toss, arm drag. etc. Will learn more this week!”
– Two of the top talents at WWE developmental are set to be evaluated by WWE producers, as FCW standouts Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley) and Seth Rollins (Tyler Black) will be appearing at live WWE events later this month.
Check out this match between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins from the September 18th episode of FCW television – an FCW 15 Championship Match with a 30 minutes time limit.
(Partial source: pwinsider.com)
Tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow takes place from Tampa, Florida at the St. Petersburg Times Forum.
Triple H was previously advertised for tonight’s RAW, but his name was pulled from the arena website – so take that for what it is.
No matches have been announced for the show as of Monday morning, however we reported earlier today that John Cena is vowing to recapture the WWE championship tonight.
WWE’s upcoming Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view is less than 2 weeks away – and we’ve yet to hear anything about the event on WWE television thus far – maybe, just maybe, they’ll start promoting that show tonight.
Smackdown talent advertised for RAW includes Randy Orton, Mark Henry, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Christian, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan, and Hunico.
The advertised dark matches for tonight’s Raw show are C.M. Punk vs. John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, and a 41-man battle royal featuring wrestlers from both brands.
WWE Network
The Sports Business Daily Journal published an article on Monday that includes many new details on the upcoming WWE Network, including a firm launch date, the scope of the channel’s distribution at launch lots more. Here are some highlights of what we now know:
– WWE is looking to launch the Network on April 1st, 2012 – the day of the company’s biggest pay-per-view of the year, WrestleMania XXVIII.
– WWE executives have told cable and satellite operators that it is expecting to reach 40 million homes at launch – a huge number for an upstart network.
– Comcast executives are representing WWE in its negotiations to get picked up by the nations other top providers, including Time Warner Cable, Cox and Bright House Networks.
– WWE also expanded its programming search beyond wrestling, which their sources indicated could include some professional team sports.
– WWE has leased space in South Norwalk, Connecticut (close to the company’s headquarters in Stanford) dedicated to the Network. WWE has not yet named a President of the WWE Network, although it’s said they are looking for somebody with reality-show experience. WWE has retained Sucherman Consulting Group to hire 200 employees to staff the network.
– WWE’s Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Wilson is overseeing the launch of the Network.
– The article states that “most, if not all” of WWE’s annual 13 pay-per-view events would migrate to the WWE Network. Early surveys by WWE indicated that the “Big 4” traditional shows (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series & the Royal Rumble) would air exclusively on the Network. Later, another survey indicated WWE had changed their mind on that plan and would have the “Big 4” remain on pay-per-view – with the other “off-brand” shows airing on the Network.
For much more on the upcoming WWE Network, check out our WWE Network News Page and SportsBusinessDaily.com.
— Tickets for the WWE’s third annual Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event go on sale Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster. Prices are set $20, $40, $70, $90 and $250.
Elimination Chamber takes place February 19, 2012 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
— Former WWE talent Harry Smith (a/k/a David Hart Smith) has changed his Twitter handle to @Brakuss. He is also referring to himself as “Brakuss” on the account.
— Click here for photos of former WWE Diva turned MoreHorror correspondent Shelly Martinez at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California. She also attended yesterday’s NWA Hollywood event and tweeted “I freakin love wrestling!!”
— Konnan and Raven have been added to WrestleReunion, which takes place January 27-29, 2012 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport 5400 West Century Blvd. Los Angeles, California.
WWE diva Rosa Mendes tweeted these new pictures of herself at the gym:
— Jim Ross says he has no interest in seeing the final days of Chris Benoit re-told in a new big screen ‘biographical thriller’, entitled Crossface. When asked for comment on the upcoming movie, he tweeted:
“No thoughts…no interest…too sad.”
When further pressed about the issue, Ross wrote:
“I was asked my opinion re: potential Beniot movie. I gave my opinion, did ‘man’ up. Have no interest reliving the tragedy. I lost 3 friends.”
As we reported over the weekend, SRG Films announced Saturday formal plans to produce a film based on the life of the deceased former wrestler, which will be adapted from Matthew Randazzo’s book Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry. Production is tentatively scheduled to begin next fall.
— Former WWE star Chris Masters is now on Facebook. He tweeted,
“Be sure to check out my FB page. Lots of updates! Christopher Mordetzky.”
John Cena says it’s time for him to get the WWE title back – and he plans to do so tonight on RAW.
WWE has not yet announced a WWE championship match for RAW – but Cena tweeted the following on Monday morning:
“Raw tonight. Going to bench now..then to st Pete times forum. Time to get wwe championship back.”
Based on what we’ve heard from reliable WWE sources, CM Punk’s next opponents are scheduled to be The Miz and Alberto Del Rio – with John Cena shifting gears to his feud with The Rock.
The dark match main event for tonight’s RAW will see WWE Champion CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio.
— Former WWE Diva Cherry stated on Twitter that she will be on hand for today’s Raw SuperShow in Tampa, Florida. She wrote:
“Raw in Tampa this Monday! So excited to see all my friends again! Although I still see them all the time anyway! I smell a party!”
Cherry also revealed that she met with Beth Phoenix yesterday.
We haven’t heard anything about Cherry returning to WWE, but we’ll post an update on this if it becomes available.
— WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes is on Twitter @DustyWWE. The account has been confirmed by his son, Goldust.
— Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis appears at Terryville Middle School, 21 North Main Street, Terryville, Connecticut this Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for an autograph signing. Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, Luke Robinson and Robbie E will also be on hand for the event.
Damien Sandow
— Damien Sandow, a top prospect at Florida Championship Wrestling, competed on this weekend’s SmackDown live event tour in matches against Tyson Kidd. Triple H is reportedly high on Sandow, who was signed last year after competing in Puerto Rico.
— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia announced on Twitter that she will be releasing the trailer of her new music video, U Drive Me Loca, tomorrow at noon via LilianGarcia.com.
— On this week’s episode of WWE Vintage Collection, today’s WWE Superstars and Divas weigh in with their inspirations from the past. Matches include Lex Luger vs. Sting (WCW Starrcade 1999), British Bulldog vs. Haku (WWF Prime Time Wrestling – May 7, 1991), Rey Mysterio vs. Tajiri (WWE SmackDown! – January 1, 2004), “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake (September 12, 1987).