— John Cena appeared in studio on The Johnny Dare Morning Show today to promote tonight’s Raw SuperShow at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Cena teased during the interview that a cage would hang above the ring at the venue. He also discussed films, cars and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cena stated that he does not want to turn bad because seeing the Make-A-Wish kids with his merchandise makes his day.
Meanwhile, the female sidekick auditioning for the morning show said she was former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman’s roommate in college. She also claimed to have one night stands with former WWE talent John “Bradshaw” Layfield and Al Snow.
— The Miz and R-Truth “invaded” this past weekend’s Raw live events. The same scenario took place at all three shows; the heel duo would jump WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne immediately following their victory over David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. Company personnel would then escort the “fired” wrestlers away.
Ring announcer Justin Roberts announced at the start of all three shows that The Miz and R-Truth wouldn’t be on hand due to Triple H’s ruling last Monday on Raw.
Former WWE star Chris Jericho was recently interviewed by Duane Doogan of the Wrestling Voice radio show. Jericho had some controversial comments regarding WWE talent stealing his moves & ideas and also responds to Vampiro recently calling him a liar. Here are some highlights of what Chris Jericho said about:
Wrestlers stealing his moves and gimmicks in WWE today and lashing out at CM Punk for doing so: “There seems to be a lack of respect for the forefathers who came in and did it first and it’s not just [CM] Punk, it’s a whole litany of guys from Miz to Cody Rhodes to Mason Ryan to Sin Cara to Kelly Kelly, everybody is stealing moves, looks, ideas. Brian Pillman once told me if you want to make it in wrestling you have to do something that nobody has done before and nobody is doing that and they are coming off as second rate copies of Chris Jericho, and that’s maybe why these guys aren’t striking and I watch it and think, ‘Seriously, again?’
“A couple of years ago you had ‘Miz 4, John Cena 0’, where did that come from? Conspiracy Theory, where did that come from? Best in the World, where did that come from? Wearing suits, talking slow, using big words, using certain moves, you know Miz used the word “troglodyte” a few weeks ago and I’m like seriously? If there ever was a word associated with Chris Jericho that would be it. These guys have to start thinking of their own stuff and some times I see some of them and I’m like oh come on. It’s not like it’s influenced. At least give credit where credit is due.”
Vampiro calling him out and labeling him a liar in a recent video: “It’s funny because I just recently complimented him on the documentary they put out about him, but Vampiro joins the long list of guys like Superstar Billy Graham, Larry Zbyszko, and Scott Hall who don’t like it when they are called out for being dicks at certain point in time, and everything I’ve written in each one of my books is true.”
There’s much more to the interview, which can be heard in its entirety below:
– Tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow takes place from the Spring Center in Kansas City, Missouri and is the “go-home” show for Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
SmackDown stars advertised for tonight include World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Christian, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara.
The dark match main event scheduled for after RAW will see WWE Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio.
– Former WWE superstar Edge recently returned to WWE for “Edge Appreciation Night” when SmackDown was in Toronto, but the word backstage is that Edge was not entirely interested in participating in the show and is not looking to be back on WWE television at this time.
– Former WCW star and WWE developmental trainer Billy Kidman recently announced on the WWE website that he’s now working as a WWE TV producer. Kidman took over the duties held by Hall of Famer Jerry Brisco, working with the director and producers of RAW and SmackDown to make sure that matches and segments fit into their allotted time slots.
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)
Posted September 26th, 2011 in News, WWE. Tagged: Edge.
WWE’s corporate website has updated the company’s Key Performance Indicators with the preliminary buyrate for this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view – and it’s not good news.
SummerSlam, which featured John Cena vs. CM Punk in the main event (and Alberto Del Rio leaving as WWE Champion after cashing in his Money in the Bank Briefcase) drew approximately 301,000 buys – way down from last year’s 350,000.
To give a little more context as to how badly WWE’s pay-per-view audience is shrinking, SummerSlam did 369,000 buys back in 2009.
As for the domestic vs. international breakdown, it appears around 174,000 buys came from in North America, with 127.000 being purchased internationally.
Here are some highlights from WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross’ latest blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com:
The Undertaker: Undertaker questions…we seem to get more and more of them…mostly the same questions daily. Final, final for now…I don’t know when the Undertaker will return but I expect it to be by WM28. I don’t know who Taker will face at WM28 but it will be someone of quality and the match will rival Rock-Cena for equal billing because the ‘Streak’ is that big in the eyes of many fans. I also don’t keep up with the Undertaker’s current choice of haircuts and when we do communicate it’s about college football and not haircuts.
Booker T: What are my thoughts on Booker T? Another question that we get a great deal. I always loved Booker’s work in the ring and when he was ‘on’ he was as good as any one especially when Booker was allowed to roll on the mic. As far as his announcing goes, I think Booker improves every week and that he’s attempting to master a new aspect of the business which some fans feel is easy to accomplish. It’s not. Booker is witty, has a distinctive delivery, and understands the business and if he continues to improve he will earn the same accolades as a broadcaster as he did as a wrestler in WCW and WWE.
Today’s Announcers vs. Previous Generations: “It isn’t exactly fair to compare any broadcasters of today with those of other generations because today’s commentators are asked to perform a different style than did their predecessors. Play by play, for example, has fallen by the wayside, by and large, and being a narrator/story teller has taken its place. Same essentially goes for the analyst role. Analysts don’t speak much on the affects of wrestling holds to any degree any longer and some even avoid talking in ring strategy.”
— Though Randy Orton is presently involved in a program with Mark Henry, there is talk of building up another match against Cody Rhodes due to the amount of attention their match on Friday’s SmackDown garnered.
— Saturday’s Raw live event at the El Paso County Coliseum in El Paso, Texas drew a sellout crowd. Furthermore, John Cena was not advertised for the event.
— Former WCW talent Carmel Macklin (a/k/a Ms. Jones, Nitro Girl Chameleon) made her first wrestling related appearance in several years at Saturday’s Signamania wrestling convention in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. In addition to acting, she now works as a Special Education Teacher in New York City.
— Following his victory over Alberto Del Rio at Saturday night’s Raw live event in El Paso, Texas, CM Punk paid tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero
Punk spoke on the microphone and said that when he thinks of El Paso, he thinks of Eddie Guerrero. He feels that even though Eddie is gone, if the people who were touched by him spread his legacy, then he will continue to live. He then blew a kiss to the arena ceiling in memory of Guerrero. Fans chanted “Eddie” with Punk to conclude the show.
Vickie Guerrero appeared at the event seeing as though it took place in her hometown. She accompanied Dolph Ziggler for his United States Championship Match against John Morrison and was jeered. A small “Eddie” chant broke out during the match.
— After losing on SmackDown, Daniel Bryan was left frustrated over Sin Cara shenanigans and not having won many matches since Money in the Bank. He vents his frustrations in the following video.
— WWE has had discussions of Booker T coming back to wrestle in a short program on SmackDown against an undisclosed opponent.
Booker T has competed in one match since assuming the SmackDown color commentator position in February. On the June 6 episode of Raw, Booker wrestled his first singles match for the organization in four years, gaining a victory over Jack Swagger via count out.
— Randy Orton’s gruesome post-match attack on Cody Rhodes on this week’s episode of SmackDown was eliminated from airings in the U.K. After The Viper strikes Rhodes with a rope-hung DDT, the international broadcast cuts to a backstage segment with Christian and Sheamus.
— WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes is scheduled to appear at Sunday’s WWE SuperShow in Lubbock, Texas. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio and Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton are the top advertised matches.
— Brie Bella answered a series of fan questions in her latest YouTube blog, including her words on “haters.”
“My words for haters are keep on hating. Yes,” she says. “My mother always told me growing up, if people are talking bad about you, it’s because you’re doing something right. So as long as people are hating, I guess I’m doing something right.
— Randy Orton caused Cody Rhodes to heavily bleed on SmackDown following an errant shot to the head with the ring bell. Cameras quickly cut to close-up shots of Orton’s face, with Rhodes’ back only being visible for the remainder of the segment. Personnel covered Rhodes’ head with a towel before Orton struck him with an RKO on the broadcast table.
The replay, however, showed blood streaming from the back of Rhodes’ head.
According to fans in attendance at Tuesday’s taping, pools of bloods were scattered around the ring following the segment.
— Florida Heavyweight Champion Leo Kruger was among the wrestlers gathered around the ring during John Laurinaitis’ address at the beginning of SmackDown. He worked a dark match prior to the taping, losing to Trent Barreta.
NXT talent also appeared ringside: Darren Young, Derrick Bateman, Maxine and Titus O’Neil.
— WWE will reportedly no longer air WWE Superstars via WWE.com and YouTube.com. Company officials pulled the program due to poor viewership. The series will continue to air internationally.
— Big Show, who was written of television at Money in the Bank, is advertised to appear at Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play tomorrow night. According to WWE.com, he will join Lebron James, Donovan McNabb, Abby Wambach, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony as one of the coaches for their Battle of the Nick Stars. The Raw Superstar will be paired with a team of Nickelodeon Stars to prepare them for a big obstacle course which will air in a 30-minute primetime special that evening.
— Referee Scott Armstrong stated on Twitter that he will be sidelined for at least one more week after suffering an injury to his ribs at Night of Champions.
WWE issued a survey yesterday regarding their planned WWE Network launch next year to select mailing list subscribers. The survey suggests that WWE’s “classic big 4” pay-per-view events would be included in the channel at no additional cost.
Imagine a 24-hour cable network that was run by The WWE. It featured a mix of WWE-made programs, including new shows, repeats of Raw and SmackDown from USA and Syfy and “classic” or “historical” programs featuring shows from different promotions like classic WWE footage, WCW, ECW, NWA, AWA, etc. from years past.
It would have two new weekly WWE live in-ring shows (wrestling), but not SmackDown or Raw.
It would have a daily live in-studio viewer interactive show similar to SportsCenter.
Additionally, this network would include WWE’s “classic big 4” pay-per-view events including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble to the lineup at no additional cost. Rather than having to pay for them, they would now be specials with the same match quality you’re used to seeing on pay-per-view for no additional cost. These 4 events would only be available on The WWE Network.
In addition to The WWE Network, you would receive approximately 30 additional channels including NFL Network, NBA TV, Biography Channel, Fox Business Network and Fuel TV.
How interested would you be in upgrading your service for an additional $7-$12 per month to a tier which would include the WWE Network described above?
— Matches scheduled to air on tonight’s episode of SmackDown are as follows:
* Sheamus vs. Heath Slater
* Justin Gabriel vs. Wade Barrett
* A.J. and Kaitlyn vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya
* Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
* The Great Khali vs. Jinder Mahal
* Daniel Bryan vs. Sin Cara
* Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston vs. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso
* Mark Henry defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Christian in a Lumberjack Match
— The Miz announced this afternoon on Twitter that he has launched a YouTube Channel. He posted a video of his first words about being fired by WWE, which was filmed Wednesday during his new Sirius XM Radio show, First and Awesome.
— After R-Truth and The Miz were fired on this week’s episode of WWE Raw SuperShow, WWE.com transferred their respective profiles to the Alumni section.
— WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan’s scheduled appearance this Sunday at the Wrestling Universe Store in Flushing, New York has been canceled. A press release issued by the business states that he “suffered a terrible fall.”
— The official WWE website has posted a photo gallery highlighting the most memorable moments of “The Attitude Era.” The pictures range from the fall of 1997 to WrestleMania X8 in 2002.
— Former WWE star Carlito appears at George’s Cards & Collectibles in the Oxford Valley Mall 2300 E. Lincoln Hwy Ste 220A Langhorne, Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 15 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visit www.georgescollectibles.com for more information.
— This week’s WWE Classics On Demand updates are as follows: Over the Limit (2011), Supertape Vol. 2, Prime Time Wrestling (5/15/89), Extreme Championship Wrestling (11/18/97), Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling 8/4/82.
Steve Austin offered a critical assessment of Randy Orton’s character performance during an interview for the latest issue of Power Slam, which was published this afternoon on SEScoops.com.
When asked to name which wrestlers he believes can evolve into “money-drawing players” for WWE, Austin said of The Viper, “His promos need work, and right now, he’s a little one-dimensional. The crowds are digging him, but there’s still another step on the ladder for him to climb to.”
Orton responded to Austin’s remarks this evening on Twitter with a vow.
He wrote, “Austin is right, there is still room for me to move up the ladder. And I will. Watch me.”
Austin echoed similar sentiments for the other World Title loser at Night of Champions, Alberto Del Rio.
“[He is] another one who needs to work on his promos-I don’t like them worth a shit right now-but he has great ability,” said Austin.
“He just needs to add a few pieces to the puzzle.”
Austin was shown the original article on Twitter and responded, “I dont believe I ‘ripped’ Alberto Del Rio…a Gino Hernandez comparison is a complement…and yes, his promos need work.”
— NYMag.com reports that Kevin Nash has been added to the cast of the male-stripper movie Magic Mike.
The website wrote: “Magic Mike continues to expand its beefcake roster. Now WWE Legends wrestler Kevin Nash has signed on for Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper extravaganza, perhaps adding some gruffness to the cast that includes Channing Tatum, Adam Rodriguez, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Mangianello, and the king of beefcakes, Matthew McConaughey.”
— Shares of WWE stock closed at $8.93 per share on Thursday after hitting a 52-week low of $8.67 per share at the beginning of the day. The stock price closed at $8.83 per share Wednesday.
— Former WWE star Ricky Ortiz is accepting bookings for wrestling appearances and autograph shows via showbis@aol.com.
Steve Austin spoke to Power Slam to promote his latest movie, Tactical Force. The discussion turns to present-day WWE and he is asked to name which wrestlers he believes can evolve into “money-drawing players” for the sports-entertainment organization. CM Punk heads the top of the list.
“Well, I love CM Punk. That guy is already a star, and he’s just breathed a much-needed breath of fresh air into the wrestling business,” Austin said. “He’s been working for over ten years. I’m a big fan of his—love his skills, love his promos.”
The WWE Hall of Famer then mentions Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan and the current Superstar most often compared to him, Randy Orton. Austin, however, feels “The Viper” still needs to work on his character and promo ability.
“Of the other guys, I’m still waiting for Wade Barrett to grab me by the throat and let me know who Wade Barrett is. Daniel Bryan could continue to move up the card,” Austin said. “I’m interested to see where Randy Orton goes next. His promos need work, and right now, he’s a little one-dimensional. The crowds are digging him, but there’s still another step on the ladder for him to climb to.
Austin also feels that Alberto Del Rio needs to work on his promos.
“Alberto Del Rio reminds me of Gino Hernandez from the old [Dallas] Sportatorium. [He is] another one who needs to work on his promos-I don’t like them worth a shit right now-but he has great ability,” said Stone Cold.
“He just needs to add a few pieces to the puzzle.”
Austin is also high on two SmackDown talents, including the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion.
“Christian is a hell of a performer in the ring, and he’s just had a hell of a run. He’s recently added a few exclamation points to his work and his promo style-but, again, there’s at least one more level for him to step up,” he feels.
“Mark Henry has finally put the pieces together. His Money in the Bank match with Big Show was not a great match in the ring. But I love the intensity Mark is putting into his work recently. This persona is really an extension of himself: he’s a big, mean, strong man, and they are presenting that well.”
— Dolph Ziggler stated Tuesday night on Twitter that he sustained a hairline mandibular fracture of his jaw from the punch Hugh Jackman struck him with on Raw and therefore would wear a mouth guard at this weekend’s live events. TMZ.com reports today that sources close to the WWE Superstar say he made the injury up.
TMZ adds, “There is no MRI and no fracture, although we are told Hugh really did pack a punch and Ziggler was in pain.
“We’re told the WWE wasn’t in on the scam.”
— Award-winning actor Hugh Jackman describes his most recent roles as a star on Raw SuperShow and new film Real Steel in an interview with WWE.com.
— WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel appears at tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling event at the FCW Arena 4535 S. Dale Mabry Hwy. Tampa, Florida. Belltime is 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.fcwwrestling.com for more information.
— Today marks the anniversary of the death of former WWE star Ray “Big Boss Man” Traylor, who passed away on September 22, 2004 at his home in Acworth, Georgia due to a heart attack. He was 41 years old.
Former WWE Diva Terri Runnels posted a message on Twitter remembering Traylor, her longtime traveling partner.
She wrote, “The anniversary of the passing of Big Bossman…my best friend, brother, father and yes, girlfriend! I miss you Ray!”
— Triple H is featured on the cover of the November 2011 issue of WWE Magazine, with the headline reading “IS HE REALLY IN CHARGE? THE GAME RESPONDS…” Features include: BEST OF THE ROCK – 15 Years of Layin’ The Smackdown!; SUPERSTAR CONSPIRACY THEORIES!; 10 BIGGEST NERDS IN WWE.
— A WWE Raw SuperShow is scheduled for Monday, February 20, 2012 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
CM Punk’s quest to resurrect WWE’s beloved ice cream bars continues.
During an interview with the WWE website, Punk talks about his new ice cream bar t-shirt, which he wore this past weekend at Night of Champions. Punk tells WWE.com that if the Good Humor ice cream company doesn’t want to bring them back – there’s other companies that do.
“I want the freakin’ ice cream bars back! I’m still working on that. But in the meantime, I’m going to keep shoving it down people’s throats. Because everyone likes ice cream, which goes in your mouth and then goes down your throat.
“You know what? There are other ice cream companies out there. Good Humor, we’re giving you a gift. We’re giving you an option here, and if you don’t want to take it, we will sell our wares elsewhere.
I love ice cream. What can I say? I’m a skinny fat-a**.”
Late Wednesday night, Punk wrote the following on Twitter:
“My day of hustling is over. Many steps were taken to get ice cream bars. Now it’s gym time. The future is bright and tastes like vanilla.”
Posted September 22nd, 2011 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
Thanks to SEScoops.com reader Bobby Hairston for the following TNA Impact Wrestling spoilers from last night’s tapings in Knoxville, Tennessee. These will air on October 13th, the Thursday before Bound For Glory:
* The show opened with Daniels, Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles and Rob Van Dam brawling leading to a tag match with the four. Great high flying match with AJ and RVD getting the win.
* Kurt Angle came out and called out Bobby Roode. Angle gave props to Roode for beating all his Fortune partners but then put himself over and questioned if Roode can get the job done without James Storm to help him out. Roode acknowledged that Angle is the best but said he has more heart and will be the World Champion. Roode says no Immortal and no Fortune at Bound For Glory, just them two going for the World Title. Kurt agreed but announced Roode vs. Jeff Jarrett and Gunner for tonight.
* Matt Morgan beat Samoa Joe. Joe went crazy after the loss and attacked Morgan until Crimson came out with a chair. Morgan vs. Joe vs. Crimson in a triple threat is on for Bound For Glory.
* Mexican America came out and cut promos on Ink Inc. Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore ended up coming out and they brawled. Christina Von Errie, I believe, made her debut and helped Ink Inc. out. Ink Inc. vs. Mexican America for the titles is set for BFG.
* Brian Kendrick and Jesse Sorensen beat Kid Kash and Austin Aries.
* Winter, Angelina Love, Mickie James and Velvet Sky come out, followed by Karen Jarrett with Traci Brooks and Madison Rayne. Traci and Velvet tripped Karen which led to a fight that security broke up.
* Mr. Anderson beat Scott Steiner. Bully Ray was at ringside and got involved. Abyss came down and went to hit Anderson but turned and hit Steiner. Immortal came down and attacked Abyss, and beat up Anderson, putting him through a table.
* Bobby Roode beat Gunner and Jeff Jarrett in a handicap match by making Gunner submit. Immortal ran down afterward and attacked Roode. James Storm came down but they took him out also. Jeff Hardy finally came down and cleaned house. Hardy celebrated with Beer Money to end it.
* Hulk Hogan and Sting come out to end the show for their contract signing at Bound For Glory. Hogan flipped the table over and cut a promo on Sting. Eric Bischoff came out and distracted Sting, allowing Hogan to hit him with a chair. Hogan took it to the floor and beat Sting up, leaving him lay to end the go-home show.
As noted before, Vince McMahon was apparently upset at Monday’s RAW because Alberto Del Rio mentioned his name on TV. The mood at this week’s RAW was described by some as the most negative environment they could recall. Vince McMahon was said to be in the worst mood.
Word is that Vince felt Del Rio gave away the end result of the Kevin Nash and John Laurinaitis storyline by mentioning him. Some say that Vince was in a bad mood before Del Rio name dropped him. It’s said that Stephanie McMahon and Triple H both took more of the brunt from Vince this week than others, as did the agents, mainly Dean Malenko and Arn Anderson.
The writers had to do the usual script changes this week but sources say it was worse this week than most others.
Regarding the Mark Henry and Jerry Lawler angle, they went back and forth all day on whether or not to have Henry put Lawler trough the table. Shortly before RAW started, they made the decision to put him through it. The table was supposed to be gimmicked so it would break easier but because of the late decision, somehow the table wasn’t gimmicked and Lawler was put through it the hard way.
Both Henry and Lawler were upset about the angle but Vince himself was said to be furious about it. After RAW ended, Vince called the agents and writers in for a meeting. Sources say Vince went into a “full-on red faced promo” where everyone felt they were being warned.
– UFC held a press conference this afternoon to promote Saturday’s UFC 135 pay-per-view. During the media event, Triple H’s recent comments were brought up, where Triple H said that UFC needs to adapt to keep pace with WWE. After UFC’s Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones called HHH’s comments, “ridiculous,” UFC president Dana White then chimed in. While said that Vince McMahon is finally letting Triple H talk, and once he gets some more experience in his new role , Triple H “will learn soon not to say stupid things.”
– On Monday’s RAW, we saw WWE COO Triple H fire both The Miz and R-Truth, whose [storyline] releases were later announced on the WWE website. The Miz wrote on Twitter this afternoon that he and R-Truth will address WWE firing them on Miz’s Sirius radio show “1st and Awesome.” The show airs tonight on Sirius 210, XM 87 from 5-6pm CT.
Vince McMahon was irate backstage at Monday’s Raw SuperShow after his name was mentioned by Alberto Del Rio during the live broadcast.
Many people within WWE believe McMahon got upset because he is returning to television soon and did not want his name mentioned. Del Rio and the creative writer involved in the segment were both yelled at backstage by Vince.
Stephanie McMahon, who was on hand for the event, attempted to calm her father down but was unable to do so. He remained temperamental for the rest of the night as he was yelling at colleagues throughout the show and making life miserable for those around him.
This week TMZ.com leaked police documents that stated Matt Hardy’s girlfriend Reby Sky called 911 last week on her boyfriend Matt Hardy, claiming he was “strung out on pills” and needed help. Now, Reby Sky is denying that story – claiming the only reason she led cops to Matt’s drug stash is because they “intimidated and threatened her.”
25-year-old Reby Sky tells TMZ that after Matt was rushed to the hospital for an adverse drug reaction – cops took her to the police station and questioned her about the incident. She claims that she was threatened with jail if she didn’t comply – and would have kept her mouth shut if she knew cops were gathering evidence to obtain a warrant.
Reby told TMZ.com, she “would never do anything to put [Matt] in a compromising position with the law.”