– WWE announced on Monday that WrestleMania XXVIII travel packages will go on sale “during the summer months.”
– A number of gossip websites are reporting that former WWE Star Chris Jericho is responsible for the latest reality television romance between former American Idol contestant Pia Toscano and Dancing With The Stars contestant Mark Ballas. Jericho and Toscano are said to be friends and it was Chris Jericho who passed along a note from Ballas to Toscano, which led to their first date last week.
– As we reported yesterday, Shane McMahon appeared at Sunday’s Masters golf tournament and was briefly shown on camera during the broadcast. For those wondering what Shane was doing there, he is currently sits on the Board of Directions for International Sports Management – which represents several top golfers, including Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.
Check out this picture of Shane McMahon from The Masters:
— It was reported earlier that former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro no-showed the K&S Wrestlefest “Super Saturday” event in Essington, Pennsylvania. She was also scheduled to film a “shoot” interview for Highspots.com.
The former Playboy was in regular contact with event organizers until the week of the show, at which point both of her contact numbers were disconnected. She posted a few messages on her Twitter account yesterday and made no mention of the situation. She did, however, reveal that she is engaged.
— No match at WrestleMania XXVII went over 15 minutes sans Triple H vs. The Undertaker, which lasted approximately 30 minutes. John Cena vs. The Miz went 14 minutes and 43 when it was ruled a draw. The restarted match lasted 35 seconds.
— Goldust celebrates his birthday today as he turns 42 years old. Also celebrating birthdays are WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race (68) and Balls Mahoney (39).
– The Rock is scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel on April 19th.That night’s show will also feature that week’s eliminated contestant from ABC’s Dancing With The Stars show – so there’s a chance that Chris Jericho could be appearing on that same show with The Rock, should he be eliminated that week.
– Hulk Hogan tweeted on Monday that former WWE star Chris Jericho will be appearing onNBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday night. Hogan wrote:
“HULKAMANIACS watch Chris Jerhico Wednesday night on the Tonight Show he’s going to tear it up.”
– NFL star and former RAW guest host Ben Roethlisberger tells Pittsburgh’s Post-Gazette.com that is looking for a new place to host his wedding reception after unsuccessfully trying to rent the Consol Energy Center – due to a live WWE event being booked for the venue that same day.
“Superstar” Billy Graham stated in an interview with the Ottawa Sun that he wants out of the WWE Hall of Fame. The former wrestling star, now 67, is demanding he be removed from their list of inductees because he is appalled at the inclusion of Abdullah the Butcher.
“It is a shameless organization to induct a bloodthirsty animal such as Abdullah The Butcher into their worthless and embarrassing Hall of Fame and I want the name of Superstar Billy Graham to be no part of it. WWE and their Hall of Fame is disgustingly embarrassing, I want out,” Graham said.
Graham, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, sold his ring on eBay two years ago.
Graham is also upset with Jericho, who, in his book, Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps, took issue with comments made by the WWE Hall of Famer following Chris Benoit’s double murder suicide.
“Jericho, you have made a huge mistake. You call me an egotistical idiot. If you walked by right now, I would beat the living hell out of you, then spit on your grave for trying to destroy my reputation in your phony little book,” Graham said.
When contacted for a response, Jericho said: “God bless him and best of luck in all he does in the future.”
– The Hollywood Reporter has posted a review of the latest WWE Studios film That’s What I Am, starring Ed Harris & Amy Madigan, and featuring Randy Orton in a supporting role. Regarding Orton’s big screen debut, THR wrote:
“The film was produced by WWE Studios, which explains the casting of third-generation wrestling personality Orton in a decent acting debut as Carl’s manipulative dad. That this meathead is such an able negotiator, even with someone as sharp as Madigan’s principal, stretches plausibility. Too often, Pavone’s screenplay slaps contemporary perspective onto characters whose behavior doesn’t seem entirely true to their time.”
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter over the weekend regarding his announced match against The Rock at next year’s WrestleMania:
“CeNation. This is a new year. From 26 to 27 wasn’t exactly a banner year. Which means it time to dominate the whole f+cking game. NEVER GIVE UP. Miz. Id watch yourself if I were you. It may not be tomorrow …but u will NOT defeat me again.”
– WWE reached a milestone on Facebook this weekend – as the company’s official fan page has over 5 million “likes.” Less than 50 companies have that many fans “liking” them on Facebook.
5 million followers .. big friggin’ deal – we’ve got almost 5,000 fans on Facebook! If you are not already a fan of the SEScoops Facebook page,click here and join the SEScoops Facebook revolution!
— A vignette teasing the arrival of the wrestler formerly known as Awesome Kong aired during tonight’s episode of FCW Wrestling on the Bright House Sports Network in Florida.
The promo was brief and showcased her eyes.
It was reported late last year that she had signed a contract with WWE. The internationally renowned wrestler has not competed since that time.
— Bail Enforcers, starring Trish Stratus, premiered yesterday at the Actionfest Film Festival in Asheville, North Carolina. Edge, as well as Tara of TNA Wrestling, were on hand for the festivities. Edge, who resides in Asheville, was trying to be low key and didn’t seem to want attention. Tara, however, seemed to enjoy the attention she received. The theater was about 40% full and consisted of fans of wrestling and action movies. According to an attendee, the storyline isn’t original and some of the acting is wooden, but the action is decent and Stratus presents herself well. The movie is not for children as the dialog is profane.
Following the premiere, Stratus participated in a Q&A session with the cast and director. She was asked if she garnered heat within WWE for participating in a movie not affiliated with the organization. Status said no, and that WWE had agreed to promote the film.
Former WWE creative team member John Piermarini stated in a blog post earlier this year that Vince McMahon believes John Morrison “can’t kick anyone’s ass in a real fight” and therefore won’t achieve the success many have pegged him for.
But that’s not the only criticism being levied towards “The Prince of Parkour” as the Pro Wrestling Torch reports that many people within WWE feel he comes off as if he’s performing in his matches, as opposed to fighting. This holds him back, as does his relationship with Melina and the belief that his promo ability is subpar.
Character aside, it’s been said that McMahon doesn’t respect Morrison as a man. Years ago, he allowed Melina to engage in a sexual relationship with former WWE star Batista while the two were dating. Morrison opted to be professional instead of confrontational and therefore lost brownie points with the WWE CEO.
Trish Stratus appeared on Sirius XM Radio’s Busted Open on Friday and politely buried Morrison by indicating that he wasn’t too smart in his decision making for their match at WrestleMania. She confirmed online reports that he wasn’t interested in listening to her suggestions for their bout, and that when she went to hug him during the post-match celebration, he cold-shouldered her. The feeling is that his unprofessional behavior will set himself back politically since Stratus is highly regarded amongst company personnel.
— WWE originally planned for Triple H to ride a Clydesdale horse to the ring for his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII. During a test run, the horse fell through the trap door on the WrestleMania stage, with Hunter riding it. The horse was spooked and went wild. Plans for the ring entrance were immediately scrapped.
— Shane McMahon was not on hand for last week’s WrestleMania festivities. Vince and Linda McMahon still see his children, and he still has a good relationship with Stephanie, but the belief is that he has no plans on ever returning to WWE.
The Pro Wrestling Torch speculates that Shane, who was at one point pegged as Vince’s successor, mainly parted ways with the organization last year because he has absolutely no interest in dealing with the corporate politics.
It was announced last August that McMahon had signed a deal to become the new CEO of China Broadband Inc., a provider of cable broadband services, as well as other digital and analog related services, in the Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
The Rock vs. John Cena at WM28:
“No…I do not think that @TheRock vs. @JohnCena should happen before Wrestlemania 28. Let’s put that matter to bed. It isn’t going to happen before WM28 in Miami. As comedian Ron White would say, “Let it go.”
“Love how many crystal ball possessing, wrestling creative valedictorians already know that the long range plan for Rock-Cena isn’t a good idea. For you that have this all figured out, can you also provide me some lead pipe cinch, stock tips or the National Champion of College Football winner for the upcoming season?”
Paul Heyman:
“I guess one should never say never, but I never see @HeymanHustle returning to the pro wrestling world on a full time or regular basis. Never. I get asked this question weekly it seems.”
Wrestling Territories – A Thing Of The Past:
“No…wrestling territories are dead and will likely stay that way. The key to a territories success is getting local, strong TV clearances with a slick produced TV show that airs weekly. That isn’t going to happen. It’s not affordable nor does the majority of fans want to see largely unknown wrestlers. Most investors, who haven’t lost their sanity, would never invest in obtaining TV clearances and upgrading TV production values notwithstanding funding a wrestler payroll. Weekly territories are a thing of the past and will never be seen again to the level that they once were or even close.”
“On the flip side, having viable, successful territories did more to develop main event level talents than any thing ever and nothing that can be created in today’s marketplace will ever supplant that concept. New talents can and will be developed but it will have to be in a much different way than back in the territory days where a different audience could be utilized to watch a gambit of wrestlers evolve and learn their craft. Being able to relocate to a variety of territories with differing creative philosophies and audiences/fans helped many wrestlers become stars. “
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross wrote the following about Scott Hall’s recent troubles:
“Didn’t mention scott hall’s recent incident over wk’end. Don’t know any details. Feel bad 4 scott & pray 4 his good health. Really talented.”
– TNA executive Eric Bischoff posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Just watched the video of Scott Hall’s appearance in New England. Wish I knew how to help him. I know that others (including Vince McMahon) have tried recently. He was such an amazing talent, and deep down inside, a great person. His demons are killing him.”
– Kevin Nash also wrote about Scott Hall’s Friday night incident and asked people to support his friend during this tough time:
“Scott is in the hospital up north,I’ll be at the airport when he lands and taking him to my home when he lands. Please don’t judge Scott on what you just saw.He would give any of you a kidney. to the motherf—– that made a joke who would want his kidney lol send me your address and lets see how funny it is. he’s my brother we will get through this. To Scotts fans thank you 4 your love you’re as special as he is”
Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer has corroborated our earlier report of members of the WWE women’s locker room being upset with Trish Stratus, as well as Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.
Several WWE Divas weren’t happy with the originally planned multi-women’s tag team match being nixed from WrestleMania XXVII, leaving a scant few to participate in skits, and only Lay-Cool competing. This led to heat on Stratus and Polizzi as some felt they “took their spots” because unlike them, they’re on the road all year long.
The originally planned multi-women’s tag team match was actually cut due to timing constraints, not due to Stratus and Polizzi’s involvement with the pay-per-view event. Kelly Kelly, however, can attest to being “victimized” by Stratus and Polizzi since she was originally penciled in for the mixed tag team match. She concurred with Nikki Bella stating on Twitter that Snooki learned something from the Jacksonville native for her WrestleMania match, writing, “Heck ya pic tell em!!!”
Stratus appeared on Sirius XM Radio’s Busted Open yesterday and politely criticized John Morrison for his decision making as she indicated that he wasn’t smart. She confirmed online reports that he wasn’t interested in listening to her suggestions for the match, and that when went to hug him, he gave her the cold shoulder.
Some people within WWE are attributing Morrison’s unprofessional behavior to Melina, since she is his girlfriend and was left off WrestleMania XXVII. The backstage belief is that he either holds Stratus in contempt for taking Melina’s spot on the card, or had to portray himself as such so that she would believe he was mean to her. Melina is one of the women’s wrestlers upset with Stratus and Polizzi for “taking their spots.”
— Goldust, who is currently nursing a shoulder injury, stated today on his Twitter account that he may retire soon.
He wrote, “Guys i think im gonna retire pretty soon.”
He added, “Listen i love all of our roster….they work their #!@%*#es off and they r getting faster and stronger and better each day…very proud of all of em.”
— Internally, there is said to be a lot of criticism and second guessing regarding Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVII pay-per-view event. Many of the items fans were critical of, such as the conclusion of the show and the Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole match, were the same criticisms officials had.
— Chris Jericho appears on That Metal Show tonight at 11:00 p.m. on VH1 Classic. The episode replays several times over the next week.
– With WrestleMania 27 in the history books, there is talk within WWE about when the company will hold this year’s talent draft. There had been talk a few weeks ago that there would be no draft this year, but we have not heard anything concrete about the draft being scrapped. If the draft does take place , it will not be this month as in previous years, but would likely take place in June, when WWE will be holding two 3-hour episodes of RAW.
– CM Punk made some interesting comments on Twitter this week after watching the premiere episode of Tough Enough. About Miss USA Rima Fakih, Punk tweeted:
“So far this rima broad needs to take her padding and cover her weird face.”
He also wrote the following about Ariane Andrew, the first contestant to be eliminated this week:
“I know this Arianne as, “tampon girl”. Maybe I’ll tell the story…”
– It’s worth noting Triple H vs. The Undertaker was the only match at WrestleMania 27 to last over 15 minutes. which went almost 30 minutes. John Cena vs. The Miz went just under 15 minutes before it was re-started and after the second fall, it went 15 minutes and 20 seconds.
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed on his Twitter account that he’s flying to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil tomorrow morning. The worldwide premiere of his latest film, Fast Five, takes place in the city next Friday, which would indicate that he won’t be on hand for Monday’s Raw.
Fast Five will be released in the United States on April 29.
— WWE will hold three-hour episodes of Monday Night Raw on June 13 and June 20. The June 13 show will be held in Long Island, New York, while the June 20 show is set for Baltimore, Maryland.
— Former WWE Women’s Champion Lita is scheduled for an autograph signing tomorrow from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at George’s Cards & Collectibles 7755 New Falls Road Levittown, Pennsylvania. Visit www.GeorgesCollectibles.com for more information.
— The season finale of WWE’s Tough Enough is scheduled for June 6 at 8:00 p.m. on the USA Network.
— WWE Hall of Famer Sunny claimed earlier this week on her Facebook account that a WWE Diva is engaged to a chef on the Food Network. It’s being speculated that the engaged couple is Gail Kim and Robert Irvine, who appears on a variety of Food Network programs. Irvine sat with Kim at the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday.
Regarding the rumor, Kim commented on Twitter, “Why is every1 saying I’m married? Lol! P.s. I don’t talk about my personal life…thanks for the kindness and respect.”
— WWE Hall of Famer Greg Valentine has been announced for the Motor City Comic Con, which takes place May 13 – 15 at Suburban Collection Showplace 46100 Grand River Ave. Novi, Michigan.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus is on a promotional tour this weekend promoting the much anticipated release of Ball Enforcers. She appeared on the Busted Open satellite show this morning and notably confirmed reports that John Morrison gave her the cold shoulder during their post-match celebration at WrestleMania XXVII. She also confirmed reports that he passed over suggestions she had for working together.
Here are some highlights of what Trish said about:
Trish Stratus on John Morrison snubbing her at Wrestlemania: “I got a bit of cold shoulder action, correct. John Morrison himself is amazing. He’s a great athlete. I was really looking forward to working with him. I thought it would be cool if we could do some stuff together. He didn’t think it would be that cool. It happens.
“Hey whatever. It happens. You know he’s into his thing and just didn’t think that I should part of his thing I guess, but I still admire him as an athlete, as a performer. I think he does a great job out there. Cold shoulder? Yeah I felt it. I was shunned. Some people are not smart maybe? You know they wrestle well, but maybe they’re not smart. I don’t know.”
On John Cena’s persona, and could she teach him how to wrestle? “Yeah because he has no idea right? I mean if he could only learn how to wrestle he’d really learn how to come along in this business. So you would like to have his character developed further. You would like to get to know him a little bit more? Maybe that’s all he’s got. What can I say?”
On working with Snooki: “The first move she ever did when she was on Raw that one time was a ‘crotch drop,’ and then she did the ‘butt bump’ (at Wrestlemania). It works. It’s kind of cool because this is what I do as a tough enough trainer. I had to access these kids. Right? So I had to say what is your athletic background? If you’re an athlete? Boom. You’re already in. That’s the first thing I look for. Forget the charisma because I’ll see if that’s there, but initially I need to know in order to do what we need to do in this business you need to be an athlete.
“Number one she told me she came from a cheerleading background as well as being a gymnast. A partier does not qualify. Well you know we went to New Jersey her and I. Yeah so I saw the New Jersey side of things. Pretty interesting. She had some moves. The ‘bitch slap.’ I don’t know if that’s really a move, but that works, but that’s what I had to do. I had to access what she can do. Basically we play up her strengths. We play up what she can do.
“She did this crazy triple Lindy back flip thing. That worked awesome. I think she surprised everyone. I tell you the coolest thing that Snooki went out there and the fans did not like her. She’s on the good guys’ side and they booed the heck out of her. She just took it in though. The minute she did those flips the crowd was like ‘that’s cool.’ Okay, we’re down with that. So she swerved 70,000 fans in an instant, which is pretty awesome.”
– With WrestleMania XXVII in the books, a number of people are expected to be released from WWE in the very near future. In most previous years, the company has let go several mid-card wrestlers as well as members of the office staff as part of a “spring cleaning” to cut costs and free up roster space.
When WWE announced its 2010 year end financial results a few months ago, the fact that the company’s adjusted net income was down several million dollars from 2009 made the argument for “cost cutting” even stronger this year. Especially with the great deal of young talent WWE has been cultivating through NXT, Tough Enough and its developmental system through Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE has more of a need than ever to make cuts. Expect the cuts to begin as soon as next Friday.
– As for the future of Superstars – now that it’s television run on WGN America has ended, the show will live on internationally and on WWE’s YouTube channel.
– The USA Network issued a press release this week touting the factt that Monday’s 4-hour block of programming (Hall of Fame Ceremony, RAW, Tough Enough) drew over 12 million unique viewers. This year’s Hall of Fame broadcast was the most-watched ever – a good sign that we’ll see it air on Monday night prior to RAW once again next year.
– WWE is considering various animated projects (either a web series, comic books or a television show). One idea discussed would be to base the projectaround Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara. WWE’s new “Rumblers” action figures made by Mattel might also be used in an animated project.
– On Monday’s series premiere of Tough Enough, trainer Steve Austin told the bottom 3 contestants a story of the time he ‘went to the bathroom’ on himself while wrestling former WWE champion Yokozuna. A clip of Austin’s storytelling was shown on the E! network show The Soup this week.
– Actor and former WCW champion David Arquette was interviewed by IGN.com this week to promote his new movie Scream 4 and had this to say about winning the WCW championship:
“It was surreal. To be able to be a part of that world and be a fly on the wall and see the workings of the circus, it was a dream come true. I know people joke about the guy from Hollywood winning the title, but I have nothing but respect for wrestlers. I got a chance to live in their world. It was an opportunity be play cops and robbers as grownups.”
It was reported earlier this week that former WWE star Scott Hall had been hospitalized due to a drug overdose. Hall’s reps over at Lightening Entertainment issued the following statement on Thursday night disputing the original report:
For Immediate Release
New York, NY
Recent rumors regarding wrestler Scott Hall following a drug overdose were denied by Scott Hall’s rep Geena Jinev Anac of Lightening Entertainment. “I just spoke to Scott, he is at home, doing fine in Orlando FL.
“Late last night Scott was at the hospital due to extremely low blood pressure & his doctor changed his blood pressure medication. Scott never overdosed last night, he is still recovering from last summer’s double pneumonia & is being treated for heart. Scott regularly visits the hospital for blood work & checkups.”
“All these rumors on the media are completely untrue & fabricated. “Scott is thankful to all his fans for their continuous support through thick and thin and looking forward in his future appearances throughout the states.” Concluded Geena Jinev Anac
For Press & Media,
Please Contact:
Lightninginc1@aol.com
– Last night’s WWE Superstars broadcast was the final episode that will air on WGN America.
– Prior to her first WWE match at WrestleMania XXVII on Sunday, Jersey Shore star Snooki had been saying that she planned to become a full-time WWE diva when MTV’s Jersey Shore ended. On Tuesday, Snooki changed her tune – telling TMZ.com that her wrestling days were over.
It’s now come out that the reason for her change of heart is that Snooki and Jersey Shore co-star JWoww, who appeared for TNA Wrestling last year, are getting their own spin-off show on MTV. Snooki’s representatives have made it clear that there will be no more appearances for WWE in the near future.
I know you guys were REALLY hoping for more Snooki in WWE ..
– Sunday’s WrestleMania 27 from Atlanta’s Georgia Dome was the second highest live gate in WrestleMania history – bringing in $6.6 million for the company. This includes ticket and merchandise sales – not pay-per-view buyrates. WrestleMania 27 ranks second only behind WrestleMania 25 from Houston, Texas, which brought in a staggering $7.2 million live gate.(Source: f4wonline.com)
WWE has high hopes that this year’s WrestleMania will break 1 million buys.
– Tammy “Sunny” Sytch wrote on Twitter this week that a current WWE diva was getting married soon a celebrity chef, but did not reveal who the lucky lady was. We’ve learned that the diva in question is none other than Gail Kim, who is marrying celebrity chef Robert Irvine. The engaged couple were at WrestleMania 27 weekend together and Irvine sat with Gail Kim at Saturday night’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Check out these exclusive pictures of WWE diva Gail Kim from the WWE AXXESS fan fest last weekend in Atlanta, courtesy of photographer Bob Mulrenin:
It’s worth noting that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Shawn Michaels, who long harbored animosity towards each other, crossed paths during WrestleMania weekend. WWE.com published a photo of Johnson and Michaels sharing a laugh shortly after HBK had appeared on stage at WrestleMania XXVII to commemorate his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. According to F4WOnline.com, their past animosity was actually settled in 2008 when Johnson inducted his father, Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Johnson’s issues with Michaels dated back to when he was a teenager. He long harbored animosity towards Michaels because he felt he was disrespectful to his maternal grandmother (Lia Maivia) at a wrestling show she was coordinating for Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling. His disrespect towards her incensed Johnson, and nearly led to an altercation.
Their issues persisted several years later when Johnson was a rookie starting out in WWE. Bret Hart wrote in his 2007 autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, that Michaels and Triple H disliked Johnson “intensely.” Both resented him because he was talented and Hart, a political foe, had taken a shine to him. Many believe they were out to sabotage Johnson so that Hunter would ascend to the top before him, since they were both viewed as the future of the company at the time.
Michaels and Hunter conspired to obstruct Johnson’s push in March 1997, who was the Intercontinental Champion at the time. Michaels suggested to Vince McMahon that Johnson lose the title to Hart on an episode of Raw. Meanwhile, Hunter insisted to Hart that he beat Johnson. Their suggestion would serve two purposes — sabotage Johnson’s push and take Hart out of the world title scene. Hart, however, refused to beat Johnson. Hart felt it wouldn’t build heat for his newly launched heel turn, not to mention that it would undermine Johnson. Instead, Hart insisted on a DQ finish, which infuriated Michaels and Hunter.
By 1999, Johnson had ascended to the top of WWE, going beyond nearly wrestler, including Hunter. Meanwhile, a back injury had forced Michaels to retire and he was relegated to sporadic appearances. Nonetheless, Michaels attempted to politically undermine Johnson by lobbying to McMahon that he be replaced by Hunter in the main event at WrestleMania XV. His suggestion fell on deaf ears.
Johnson stated years later in a 2005 interview with WWE.com that he never had interest in working with Michaels — when asked if he would have liked to.
In an interview with Comcast’s XfinityTV to promote the new season of Tough Enough, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin dropped a very newsworthy quote – saying his body is in good enough shape that he could actually get back in the ring and wrestle a full-time schedule for about two more years. You can read the full interview here.
Here are some highlights of what Austin said about:
Nexus Leader CM Punk: ” I really like C.M. Punk. I think he’s one of the top workers in the ring. I love his promos. I love his style. There’s no smoke and mirrors. I like the straight-edge lifestyle stuff he does. You want to start pairing that against the beer-guzzling “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, I think you’d have an interesting feud to say the least. He would push me to the limits, I would teach that kid a thing or two, and there would be some wonderful promos going back and forth. I like him a lot.
How Physical He Got While Shooting Tough Enough: “One of the kids was pretty mechanically inclined, so I got in there with him…and shoot, I guess that means I haven’t been in the ring in seven or eight years…but I took a few bumps from him, gave him a few bumps, it was a lot of fun. I think if we do it again, I think I’ll be even more active and get in the ring a lot more.”
A Possible Return to the Ring: ” I could still, you know if I was in a bad situation, I could still get two years out of my carcass on a full-time basis.” He then added, ” But I’m happy where I’m at. And in ten or twenty years I still want to be doing the things I’m doing with my hunting and fishing. I want to continue to do that in a pain-free fashion. And right now I’m living a pretty pain-free lifestyle.”
It was reported yesterday that there is backstage heat on John Morrison and Melina as a result of their behind the scenes treatment of Trish Stratus. It was claimed that either he or Melina, his girlfriend, felt Stratus took her spot at Wrestlemania XXVII. Morrison rejected various ideas Stratus had for the match and was said to be very difficult to work with. During the live performance, Morrison appeared visibly cold to Status, not making eye contact with her and dodging her following its conclusion. Morrison’s treatment of Stratus reportedly hurt her feelings. Word quickly spread amongst the locker room, garnering heat for both himself and Melina among some circles.
Regarding the validity of the story, former WWE talent Sean Waltman (a/k/a X-Pac), who was on hand for the WrestleMania festivities in Atlanta, wrote yesterday on Twitter that a participant of the Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match did not behave in a professional manner. He wrote to Stratus, “It was wonderful seeing you this weekend. You are a true professional, unlike someone else in your match and I don’t mean Snookie.”
He then added that he was very surprised and disappointed by the person’s unprofessionalism.
According to a friend of Melina’s, the Raw Diva is legitimately upset with Stratus. Melina has privately said that her source of contention with Stratus is not because she herself was snubbed from WrestleMania due to her, but because many of the Divas were. She’s upset that many of them were snubbed from the grand event when they’re on the road throughout the year, unlike her. Melina also said that she’s not the only girl upset with Stratus for “taking their spot.”
Meanwhile, Melina wrote a message on Twitter Tuesday defending her Diva peers, and that she will fight for them.
“I was eliminated from TE…Look how far I’ve come. I’m not the best but God knows I try my best! Thru all the h8 I’m still standing strong!”
“I don’t care what ANY1 says, WWE Divas CAN wrestle. We prove it when we get time. I believe in them. I will fight 4 them until U see what I C.”
“Thank you everyone. We have a strong group of women in the WWE. A roster that I’m proud to & be a part of.”
— Maryse said a homophobic remark late last night on Twitter, writing, “Ur sooo gay…….”
It appears the WWE Diva blundered sending a private message as it was directed to no one in particular on her timeline. The tweet was deleted a short while later.
WWE has come under fire from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in recent weeks, which took issue with ‘homophobic taunts’ John Cena directed towards Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on the February 28 episode of Monday Night Raw, as well as a homophobic slur Michael Cole tweeted to Josh Mathews on March 26. Cena’s unsavory verbiage prompted WWE to issue an apology and form a partnership with the organization on an anti-bullying campaign. WWE addressed Cole’s conduct by alerting GLAAD of the situation and announcing that he would partake in a training session.
— Santino Marella vs. Ted DiBiase is advertised for tonight’s episode of WWE Superstars, which marks as the final broadcast on WGN America. The show is expected to continue as an internet property due to the company’s overseas television commitments. However, no official announcement has been made.
Other matches scheduled to take place include Tyson Kidd vs. Yoshi Tatsu and Drew McIntyre vs. JTG.
— David Otunga celebrates his 31st birthday today.