WWE issued the following press release this morning:

DREW CAREY TO ENTER WWE HALL OF FAME

WWE is proud to announce the newest member of the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame — comedian and game show host Drew Carey. The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony presented by THQ’s “WWE All Stars” will take place at the Phillips Arena on Saturday, April 2 and the one-hour TV special will air Monday, April 4 at 8/7c on USA Network.

Drew Carey is the latest member of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Pete Rose, Bob Uecker and William “Refrigerator” Perry. Other members of the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Class include “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, “Bullet” Bob Armstrong and the original WWE Diva, Sunny.

Carey established his place in WWE history as a surprise entrant in the 2001 Royal Rumble. However, Carey’s fortunes quickly turned, when the massive WWE Superstar Kane entered the ring, prompting Carey to eliminate himself from the match.

Carey, a former United States Marine Reservist, is the host of “The Price Is Right” and star of “The Drew Carey Show” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”. Carey will lead a cast of improvisation all-stars, including Ryan Styles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood and Kathy Kinney, in the new series “Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza,” which premieres April 11 at 8 pm ET/PT on GSN. Each episode will showcase a half-hour of improvised sketch comedy complete with audience participation.

– RAW superstaer Sheamus declared at a WWE live event over the weekend that he will no longer be known as “King Sheamus.” Sheamus cut a promo before a match with Yoshi Tatsu and said ever since he won King of the Ring, he has been on the biggest losing streak of his career. He declared, “Long Live the Celtic Warrior.”

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was the ring announcer for the Randy Orton vs. The Miz WWE title match at yesterday’s RAW live event from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Miz got the win after Alex Riley hit Randy Orton with his briefcase.

– Speaking of Alex Riley, on that same live event from Oklahoma City, he competed in a match with John Morrison, with the stipulation being that he’d get a spot on the RAW roster if he won. Riley lost the match, so he’s still in limbo.

— Today marks the second anniversary of the passing of former WWE talent Andrew “Test” Martin, who succumbed following an accidental overdose of the painkiller oxycodone. WWE Diva Kelly Kelly, who was involved in a two-and-a-half year relationship with Martin, posted a remembrance on her Twitter account.

“Forever and always in my heart Andrew Martin not a day goes by I don’t think of you,” she wrote. “I know he’s in heaven watching over all of his jobbers @thetommydreamer :) thinking of all the great memories we had today.”

— A fan asked Beth Phoenix today on Twitter if she’ll ever pose for Playboy. She responded, “Never ever.”

— Tomorrow’s Raw taping at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. is not sold out but all the floor and second row seats are gone. After WWE had not sold out a show in months, (sans the Royal Rumble), Raw has sold out three consecutive weeks.

source: f4wonline.com

Details are still coming in on this story, but a hot topic behind the scenes in WWE is that Rey Mysterio recently asked to be released from his contract.

Mysterio reportedly  told company officials that he would retire if they did not let him go.

The situation occurred before WWE’s big Sin Cara press conference two weeks ago in Mexico City.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

— Ric Flair was unable to make a scheduled appearance for WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race’s World League Wrestling promotion yesterday because his morning flight to Missouri was canceled and he failed to board a later one. World Wrestling Entertainment sent Raw Superstar Ted DiBiase on short notice to replace Flair at Race’s event.

— SoCal Val interviews Sarita and Rosita backstage before tonight’s TNA Victory Road pay-per-view event. The duo will challenge Angelina Love and Winter for the TNA Knockout Tag Team Championship. (Video link)

— The TNA Genesis DVD is on sale this Tuesday at major retailers and ShopTNA.com.

— Generation Me member Max celebrates his 26th birthday today.

source: PWInsider.com

— WWE Champion The Miz announced at last night’s Raw live event in Wichita, Kansas that he has rehired Alex Riley, who was dismissed as his apprentice two weeks ago on Raw. The duo partnered against John Cena and Randy Orton in a tag team match, which they lost.

— Triple H spoke to children and their fathers Friday at a “Fatherhood and Mentoring Rally” held at the Boys & Girls Club in Stamford, Connecticut. He was also promoting the video release of The Chaperone.

— At a cost of $10, Walmart is selling The Chaperone packaged with WWE’s 2008 DVD title on Triple H, King of Kings.

— The Miz vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship is advertised for WWE’s upcoming WrestleMania Revenge tour of Ireland in April.

source: PWInsider.com

After saying that a behind the scenes player in TNA Wrestling was defecting for World Wrestling Entertainment, which was later confirmed as Jimmy Hart, The Honky Tonk Man is claiming that Hulk Hogan is on his way out of the organization. He wrote the following on his Facebook account:

“HTM has been told Hogan will bolt to WWE if asked. Sources within TNA have said Hogan will leave (Eric Bischoff) behind like a rat. Hogan is on his way out of TNA. Dixie has had to advance Flair money to pay his debts. Strange things are happening at TNA! Hogan’s TNA contract is results and incentive based. Either party can walk anytime. HTM said it first Hogan is on the way out.”

Regarding Jimmy Hart, he is not expected to be in Jerry Lawler’s corner for his match against Michael Cole at WrestleMania XXVII. Hogan backed off his prior claim, saying on Twitter that it was “just a guess” and that he hadn’t talked to Hart in over a month.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been well-received amongst the WWE locker room. One WWE employee noted that everyone in the company should be pleased he’s appearing at WrestleMania because it means more money for everyone.

— WWEShop.com has marked down all Kofi Kingston merchandise by 50 to 75%. Also note, WWE has not released new Kingston merchandise in several months.

The reigning Intercontinental Champion did not appear on this week’s episode of SmackDown.

— Former WWE Women’s Champion Lita appears from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frank & Son Collectibles (located on 19649 San Jose Ave. City of Industry, California) on Saturday, April 16.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Multiple TNA sources indicate there were no real discussions between Steve “Sting” Borden and WWE. Any talk of Sting being tied to the ‘2-21-11’ vignettes are false, although some within TNA insist company president Dixie Carter is or was convinced that to be the case. People within TNA were predicting that he wouldn’t join WWE due to the comfort level he has with the Nashville based organization and wrestlers he counts on to carry him in the ring.

— MAIN EVENT, Australia’s pay-per-view event channel, has released the promotional poster for WWE Extreme Rules.

The third annual WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event takes place Sunday, May 1 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— The night after WrestleMania XXVII is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next advertised appearance on Monday Night Raw. However, a company source is under the impression that he will appear live the week before the pay-per-view extravaganza.

— Alex Riley is touring with the Raw brand for the second consecutive week since his on-screen dismissal. At last night’s show in Springfield, Missouri, he beat Yoshi Tatsu in a singles match and competed in a battle royal.

— A World Heavyweight Championship Match between Edge, Alberto Del Rio and Wade Barrett is advertised for WWE’s WrestleMania Revenge Tour events in England on on April 17 and 18.

— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars featured 16 minutes and 57 seconds of in-ring action, down from 17 minutes and 40 seconds the previous week.

source: f4wonline.com

— Following Rey Mysterio’s victory over Drew McIntyre on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes emerged, wanting an answer to his challenge for a match at WrestleManie. Mysterio accepted.

— The March 10 episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America garnered a 0.5 cable rating, with 500,000 viewers. The midnight replay did a 0.17 cable rating, with 149,000 viewers.

— The SmackDown taping on May 24, 2011 will be held at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington. Tickets go on sale March 19, 2011. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

— WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young celebrates her 88th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays today are former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Nunzio (39) and inaugural Tough Enough winner Nidia (31).

source: PWInsider.com

— The Undertaker is still rehabilitating his torn rotator cuff after it was surgically repaired late last year. He’s been working aggressively to rehab the injury in hopes that he won’t be severely limited for his match against Triple H at WrestleMania XXVII. The damage from his latest injury was bad enough that it is expected to confine his mobility in the long-term.

While there has been much speculation that his in-ring career is coming to an end, multiple WWE sources believe that he could at least appear at WrestleMania events for years to come as long as he keeps himself in shape, is able to perform his signature maneuvers, and can work around his physical limitations.

— A Monday Night Raw taping will be held at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon on May 23.

— WWE.com has posted new studio photos of Michelle McCool.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Last week, the Smart Wrestling Fan podcast released the match lineup for WrestleMania XXVII, which was then verified as legitimate by one of our WWE sources: The Undertaker vs. Triple H; The Miz vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship; Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship; Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole with Steve Austin as the Special Guest Referee, Randy Orton vs. CM Punk; Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes, John Morrison, Kelly Kelly and Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool and Layla; The Corre vs. Big Show, Christian, Kane, Kofi Kingston; Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus, and another match featuring the Divas.

While the card appears legitimate, company sources have stated that the match lineup has not been finalized as changes may still be made to matches that have not been announced. The latter four matches have yet to be made official.

— According to sources within WWE, the revival of Tough Enough is being labeled as a reality television show about individuals who want to become WWE Superstars rather than a reality show about professional wrestling. People within WWE who were against the original premise of the show because they felt it exposed the industry are in favor of it being character driven.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Darren Young, who was selected as one of six former NXT contestants to return to the show in its fifth season, NXT Redemption, was listed as a member of the Raw roster upon its premiere. He had been largely relegated to WWE Superstars in recent months but is now competing for a spot in the sixth season of NXT.

— Former WWE creative member John Piermarini said on his Twitter account that Brodus Clay was originally tapped for the role of Ted DiBiase’s bodyguard last year. The role, however, went to Virgil.

— WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper said on Twitter that he’s filming a piece for Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week.

— The March 5 SmackDown live event in Albuquerque, New Mexico drew 6,000 fans and gate of $170,000. The March 6 show in Waco, Texas drew 4,000 fans for a gate of $120,000.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Former WWE Superstar MVP, who is currently wrestling over in Japan, has been posting updates on Twitter regarding the massive earthquake that hit the country last night and has already claimed hundreds of lives.

Here are just some of the tweets from MVP during the aftermath of the quake:

The305MVP It’s 10pm here in Tokyo. 8 am on the east coast. I’m having a beer on the 43rd floor of the Tokyo Dome hotel.

The305MVP I’m literally on top of the WORLD right now. (Cue Joe Walsh “Life’s Been Good”)

The305MVP I just experienced my 1st Japanese EARTHQUAKE!!! WOW!!! Aftershocks are pretty strong. I LOVE IT HERE! #Kokujin Gojira

The305MVP “@GiantBernard: I’m shaking. LOL.” “This is Awesome! Clap clap clapclapclap” lol. Aw hell we ain’t dead

The305MVP When these Japanese people went running & screamin I thought they were afraid of ME! Kokujin Gojira! http://yfrog.com/h72fkxhj

The305MVP @angiebabynz Angie my heart goes out to all of those in Christchurch NZ who are victims of the quakes there! No more joking. This is serious

The305MVP So I heard Sendai, where I debuted for NJPW was the epicenter. 7.9 is no laughing matter. I hope there were no fatalities! Positive vibez!

The305MVP “@IAmTakachi: @The305MVP Are you OK?” I’m ok 4 now. Thank you 4 checking on me! Apparently Tokyo hasn’t felt anything like this in YEARS!!!

The305MVP @BarackMcBush We all gotta go eventually. If I go today I checked some personally important stuff off of my bucket list! I’m good baby!

The305MVP @Robverbs News reporter said nuclear plant “should” be safe. They think …

The305MVP On the 19th floor Tokyo Dome hotel. It’s swaying noticeably atm but just another way less severe after shock. Stand Still traffic outside!

The305MVP Reporter just put current death toll at 44. I’m sure there will be many more to come. RIP

The305MVP NHK (news) showing local damage. Serious infrastructure damage. Roads SPLIT & DROPPED several feet in some places. Another after shock now.

The305MVP @KyraCNN Phone lines are down & cell lines are congested. BBM & twitter are my only means of communication. Good luck catching a fone convo!

The305MVP AIRPORT?! Call me crazy but I’m not going home until they SEND me home. It’ll take more than a disaster 2 derail my dreams! I LOVE JAPAN!

The305MVP The Japanese are a very strong people. They will mourn & grieve & then bounce back ! I will entertain them as long as they’ll have me! #NJPW

The305MVP “@TheRealXPac: @The305MVP man, I was watching that live and all I could think is if u r ok. Come home safe my friend”. I’ll do my BEST!

The305MVP Another after shock. The hotel is swaying pretty good! Some people pay good money for a thrilling ride like this. SCARY ! Humor > Fear

The305MVP Ok now I’m just getting pissed off. Everytime I’m JUST about to fall a sleep ANOTHER aftershock rocks the hotel just enuff to wake me!

The305MVP 1 time for all the New Zealanders & Chilenos who know this drill. And enuff with the fake sensitivity! It’s ok to use humor to get u thru!

WWE SmackDown on Syfy

WWE taped this week’s episode of SmackDown on Tuesday night from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Credit to Wrestling News World and reader Trey Grant for this report:

* The show opens with World Heavyweight Champion Edge calling out Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio comes out with Brodus Clay and a fight ensues. Christian makes the save and gets a tremendous pop. Teddy Long comes out and sets up a tag team match to headline the show.

* Kane b. Wade Barrett via disqualification because of involvement from The Corre. Big Show hits the ring with a chair. Teddy Long comes out and changes the match to Big Show & Kane vs. Wade Barrett & Heath Slater with The Corre banned from ringside.

* Big Show & Kane b. Wade Barrett & Heath Slater via disqualification because The Corre came out and got involved. After the bell, Show landed a chair shot on Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson.

* “Dashing” Cody Rhodes b. JTG in a squash match

* Michael Cole conducted an in-ring interview with John Cena. Jack Swagger comes out and a melee breaks out. Cole narrowly escapes the Attitude Adjustment but Cena hits Swagger with it.

* A vignette airs for Sin Cara.

* Layla b. Kaitlyn. Michelle McCool join in a post-match beat down of Kaitlyn after the bout.

* Rey Mysterio b. Drew McIntyre. After the match, “Dashing” Cody Rhodes wants an answer about his match against Mysterio at Wrestlemania XXVII. The match is set.

* Triple H comes out for an interview. He talks about how he will end “the streak” at Wrestlemania. The Undertaker comes out and confronts Hunter. Hunter gives him the DX crotch chop and Undertaker responds with the throat slash.

* World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Christian b. Alberto Del Rio & Brodus Clay

— Shelton Benjamin worked a dark match prior to this week’s SmackDown taping in Houston, Texas, beating SmackDown Superstar Curt Hawkins. The feeling is that based on how well he performed and the solid reaction he received from the hometown crowd, he will receive an offer to return to the organization after WrestleMania XXVII.

Follow the match, Benjamin said on Twitter that he ‘may or may not be returning to WWE’.

— A joke going around WWE regarding Vince McMahon’s doctrine that The Undertaker’s match with Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven never happened, is that the SmackDown star’s undefeated streak should be 17-0.

— According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE developmental wrestler Su Yung (a/k/a Sonia) is among the cast of Tough Enough. However, her profile remains on the official website Florida Championship Wrestling, which would indicate that she is not. Former WWE developmental talent Christina Crawford (a/k/a Caylee Turner) and Andy Leavine (a/k/a Kevin Hackman) are contestants on the show and their respective profiles were removed from the site last month.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Joey Styles announced on Twitter on Thursday that The Rock will be live in Atlanta’s Philips Arena for WWE Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania, Monday April 4. For more information on the event, visit WWELiveTour.com.

— Jim Ross was asked by a fan on Twitter whether WWE signing 22-year-old diva Tenille Tayla is a sign that WWE is turning a proverbial corner and now concentrating on “beautiful women who just happen to be wrestlers” rather than “beautiful women, now let’s try to make them wrestle”? Jim Ross wrote:

“I really don’t know their direction as it relates to the women they hire other than they generally want them to be beautiful and athletic. Time will tell if WWE is changing or tweaking their hiring philosophy regarding their Divas. I just don’t know.”

* 30 PICTURES of The Absolutely Gorgeous TENILLE TAYLA (Direct Link)

Former WWE champion John Bradshaw Layfield was interviewed by the WWE website this week and had this to say about the following topics:

Returning To RAW on Monday: “What bothers me is when other great champions come back, like The Rock, “Stone Cold” or Roddy Piper, when these guys return they’re not treated like that. And I was the greatest champion of all time. You got the best [Superstars] from the ’80s and ’90s coming back for WrestleMania, and I had to reiterate to my fans, because they love me so much, that JBL was the greatest champion. So, when something like this happens it’s just a matter of complete disrespect by a guy like Steve Austin. I hear he’s very successful in movies – God bless him – but that’s where he should stay.”

What He’s Being Doing Since Retiring: “I invested in a really good beverage company, New Leaf Beverage (newleafbrands.com). We’ve got about 18 brands, including four lemonades and four iced teas. We’re in about 35 states, and sales have been pretty good. It’s been a good investment; I’ve spent a lot of time with that. I spend a lot of time in Bermuda. I can do my investments anywhere, so I spend about 4-6 months a year there. It’s only an hour-and-a-half from New York, so it’s an easy commute.”

Meeting Alberto Del Rio at RAW: “I’m thrilled they got to see the greatest champion to ever come back. Also, I got to meet Alberto Del Rio, and I cannot tell you how proud I am of the young man. I knew his dad. I knew his uncle. And one thing we agree on, Rey Mysterio is not a good role model for kids. You want to look up to people like Alberto Del Rio and me, both great champions, both very successful financially.”

Sunny was announced Monday night on Raw as the latest inductee for WWE’s Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Sunny, who’s real name is Tammy Sytch, has since made several remarks on her Facebook account concerning the matter.

She stated Tuesday night that people whom she considered her friends in the wrestling industry who have yet to congratulate her on her honor are jealous.

“It’s so funny…people whom I thought were my friends in this business I havent heard a peep from regarding my induction…and those whom I never knew were good friends have messaged me and/or texted me. HMMMMM can you say ‘jealous much?” Isn’t it ironic…..”

She then asked that people to not compare her to the current crop of WWE Divas because she isn’t a wrestler.

“To not take away from any current girls: do ya’ll know I’m not a wrestler?????? Ummmm hello??? Please do not compare me to what these gladiators are doing…accept me for what I am…Gratzi.”

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the announcement of Sunny’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame on Monday’s Raw gained 219,000 viewers, outdrawing everything else on the program sans the return of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Viewership immediately plummeted following the tribute video as the Divas Championship Match between Eve Torres and Nikki Bella that followed it lost 610,000 viewers. Reacting to the news, Sytch exclaimed she still has drawing power fourteen years later.

“HOLY CRAP! 14 years later and I STILL have drawing power!! Post this everywhere!!”

She then criticized wrestling websites bashing her for her induction into the WWE Hall of Fame while simultaneously contacting her agent for interviews.

“I find it HYSTERICAL that internet wrestling websites who are currently bashing me for my induction, are also the ones who are contacting my agent/webmaster for INTERVIEWS!!!! You guys are so pathetic!! You actually think I need your press?? Monday night’s press was good enough! A**holes……”

She also urged her Facebook followers to send hate mail to a writer who posted a negative article on her on BleacherReport.com. The writer feels her WWE run was too brief to warrant induction into the Hall of Fame.

“These assholes need hate mail…and NOW!!”

She then added, “it’s not about length people…it’s about IMPACT!!”

Later, a person mentioned Sable on her page and she said the “S word” is not allowed on her page. She added that anyone who mentions her name again will be removed as her Facebook friend.

With the debut of WWE Tough Enough just a few weeks away (the night after WrestleMania), we’ve got some new details on the men and women who will be competing on the show.

WWE issued a press release a few weeks ago announcing that there would be 12 contestants, but recent commercials on the USA Network say that there will be 14.

Here are the first 9 confirmed contestants:

Rima Fakih: Current Miss USA and a longtime WWE fan who hosted RAW last year.

Matt Cross: Known on the independents as M-Dogg 20 and has worked for years on the independents for Ring of Honor and others. Debuted in 2001 and worked a tag team match against Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins on a 2010 episode of WWE Superstars.

Christina Crawford: Former FCW Diva and sister of RAW Diva Alicia Fox.

Bobby Robinson: Known on the Maine independent scene as Golden Boy. Word is that he can be seen in the Tough Enough commercial saying he will do whatever it takes to get the contract.

Erik Watts: A California independent wrestler with the nickname Big Nasty.

Juliet The Huntress: 22-year-old independent wrestler based out of Chicago. She’s Puerto Rican and made her pro wrestling debut back in 2005.

Ryan Howe: Known as “The Rock ‘n Rebel” Diamond Steel – He is the guy with long blonde in the Tough Enough promo commercial who Steve Austin says he doesn’t like his hair.

Andy Levine: 23-year-old former lineman for Florida International University and priority agent with the Miami Dolphins. Has wrestled on the independent scene.

Mickael Zaki: 26-year-old from New Jersey (now living in Tampa) with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a degree in criminal justice. He has spent the past two years competing on the independent wrestling circuit.

WWE held a ‘media day’ at the Tough Enough house, with reporters from newspapers, magazines and other media outlets present. IGN’s Matt Fowler noted on Twitter that yoga was being used in the Tough Enough warm up sessions, which is likely inspired by trainer Trish Stratus, who has her own yoga studio in Toronto.

In an interview with the UK Sun, Kurt Angle says he will never be back in WWE and plans to stay with TNA until he retires. Here are some highlights of what Angle said about:

His Future In Pro Wrestling: “My contract comes up in August/September. I’m going to re-evaluate. But I am NOT going anywhere else. I will stay in TNA, I just need to see how much I’m going to be wresting for them, whether part time or whatever amount of time, but I’m very happy in TNA. A lot of my fans have been asking ‘When are you going back to WWE?’ but I will retire here.”

He added, “I’m very excited about the product, the company keeps growing and I like to think I’ve been a small part of it. I’m going to stick around and hopefully I’ll do something part time when my contract is up. I think Dixie Carter and myself need to sit down and work it out. I’m not against even working every PPV. I just know that I can’t continuously go on the road and wrestle hundreds of days a year. I’m not able to any more. Not if I’m to be able to perform the way they want me to.”

The Rock Back In WWE: “I think it’s great. I honestly believe that Rock misses wrestling. He loves the fans. He comes back partially to promote his movies, but the other part is his passion for the fans. He loves being out there and doing things live.”

“He actually performs better when he is out in front of a crowd live. That’s The Rock. I heard he cut a promo on Cena and I texted him saying I heard about it, and heard it was great. He’s always been the best promo guy I’ve ever known.”

* Pictures of KURT ANGLE’s 24-Year-Old Fiance, GIOVANNA YANOITTI (Direct Link)

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

No Money In The Bank at WM27: “It looks as if a MITB Ladder match at WM27 appears to be a long shot. Before I would think about joining those that have already indicted the unannounced under card I think that I will reserve my opinions until I actually see the card. Appearing on the WM27 under card is a big deal in my eyes and provides talents with valuable minutes to maximize on the biggest stage of their professional lives and this can be accomplished in something other than a flying, crash fest.”

Regal On NXT Commentary: “William Regal did a nice job for his first outing as the new color commentator on NXT along side Todd Grisham. It’s obvious that WWE is looking at various combinations at the announce table in preparing for the future. Smart move by WWE but everyone has to realize that chemistry takes time and that it may never happen for some broadcast teams. Also, all announce talents need to understand that they have to invest more time on their job away from the actual taping of the programs that they appear on than they do on ‘TV day.'”

Triple H vs. Undertaker: “Why hasn’t WM17 been mentioned in the build up of the anxiously anticipated HHH vs. Undertaker match at WM27? I don’t know nor does it adversely affect how I am looking forward to this match. Who’s to say that WM17 won’t be mentioned before WM27? I don’t know that info. At the end of the day, is it that big an issue? I’m much more interested to see what the two future WWE HOF’er do in the Georgia Dome that what they did a decade ago in the Astrodome.”

JBL Not Back Full Time: “Looks like my friend JBL was only in for a cameo on Raw Monday night. It would take a mighty nice offer/role for John Layfield to leave the golf course and resume any travel of merit.”

NFL legend and current Strikeforce MMA fighter Herschel Walker was backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW and took part in an interview for the WWE website. Regarding the possibility that we could one day see him in a WWE ring competing, Walker says it very well could happen.

“I’ve watched these guys for a long time and I respect them a great deal,” Walker said. “If Vince McMahon wants me in there, then maybe I could do it.”

Walker says being a pro wrestler is a lifelong dream of his and he named The Rock as one of his favorite WWE performers of all time.

“I watched wrestling before I even knew what football was,” he said. “In fact, I always wanted to be a wrestler,” Walker said. “That’s the way I got to be around my father a lot on Saturdays: My younger brother and I sitting at his feet watching Rocky Johnson and all of those guys.”

As previously reported, former WWE superstar Shelton Benjamin made a surprise appearance prior to Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Houston, Texas. Benjamin defeated Curt Hawkins in a dark match that got solid reviews from fans in attendence. Benjamin reportedly received a good reaction from his hometown crowd.

Following the match, Benjamin wrote on Twitter:

Sheltyb803 just got home from a completely unexpected day. Got to see some friends i haven’t seen in awhile. The WWE FANS.

Sheltyb803 for now all i can say is i may or may not be returning to wwe, but tonight was a good time.

Benjamin was released from WWE last April after a 10-year run with the company that included 3 Intercontinental title reigns, two WWE tag title reigns and a United States title reign. In recent months he’s been working for Ring Of Honor as a tag team with Charlie Haas.