Former WWE superstar Dave Batista has been training for his professional mixed martial arts debut since leaving the company last year. According to MMAWeekly.com, Batista’s MMA debut is currently scheduled to take place in May – and the fight will not take place in the United States.
Several promotions have been trying to sign Batista for his first MMA fight, most notably Scott Coker’s Strikeforce promotion, but sources close to Batista have revealed the UK-based BAMMA promotion is the front runner and could sign Batista soon. BAMMA has an upcoming show (“BAMMA 6”) scheduled for May 21st Wembley Arena.
Batista reportedly has a movie scheduled to begin shooting in September and wants to have his first fight before then.
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:
Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara in WWE: Is there room for both Rey and Sin Cara in WWE? Absolutely. Why not? Do some feel that because both are Hispanic, masked stars that they cannot both be major assets in WWE at the same time. I think not. WWE is lucky to have both men. Rey is an established main event star and a future Hall of Famer while Sin Cara has a huge upside but has to prove himself to the WWE fans.
Michael Cole: “I agree with many emailers that Michael Cole is the type of antagonist that one legitimately wants to see get beat up and humiliated. He has Cornette-like heat hearkening back to the Mid South days where fans lined up in droves to see somebody, anybody humiliate the manager of the Midnight Express. Same emotion elicited by the late Andy Kaufman in Memphis. BTW most fans don’t realize that the Lawler-Kaufman issue lasted well over a year.”
The Rock Back On WWE TV: “I am personally ecstatic that The Rock is back in WWE for WM27 and no matter Rock’s role he’s going to positively add to the event in multiple areas. Rock is a huge star on several fronts and his promo ability is as good as it gets. People ‘over think’ Rock’s return as in what’s going to happen when he’s not on TV? How does he make Cena/Miz look? What happens if Rock steals the show in Atlanta, etc?”
“All talents throughout the Raw and Smackdown rosters need to step it up to attempt to get on Rock’s level. Competition is great for everyone. If Rock, Austin, etc make the incumbents dig a little deeper to perform at a higher level then everyone wins especially the fans.”
“I have no idea what Rock is going to do at WM27 but I can assure you that it will be impactful. His interactions via Twitter, @The Rock, directed to Cena, etc have been entertaining.”
— A Mixed Tag Team Match pitting Lay-Cool and Dolph Ziggler against Trish Stratus, Kelly Kelly and John Morrison is being discussed for WrestleMania XXVII.
— “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase is profiled this month on WWE Classics On Demand with the following matches: WWF World Tag Team Champions Money Inc vs. Nasty Boys (Wrestlefest 1992), Ted DiBiase vs. One Man Gang (Sam Houston Coliseum 6/7/87) Ted DiBiase vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (World Tour 1991), WWF Champion Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase (Boston Garden 7/9/88), Ted DiBiase vs. Hosssein Arab (a/k/a Iron Sheik) (WWF Championship Wrestling 11/13/79).
Also airing this month on WWE Classics On Demand: WCW Great American Bash 1995, Legends of Wrestling Roundtable: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper & Terry Funk, Tuesday Night Titans debut (5/29/84), Wrestlemania’s Greatest Hits video release, Wrestlemania IV, Hulk Hogan’s Unreleased Collector’s Series Part 5, Extreme Championship Wrestling (8/12/97), Monday Night Wars: Raw (6/1/98), Monday Night Wars: Nitro (6/1/98) and Prime Time Wrestling: (2/6/89).
— WWE returns to the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on June 4, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
– MTV.com has an article looking at Triple H’s friendship with Lemmy of Motorhead, Triple H recently took part in VH-1’s documentary on the rock star.
– The Rock will be on the cover of the May issue of WWE Magazine, available at newsstands in April.
— With the huge amount of news coverage WWE has received in Mexico due to the recent signing of Mistico, last week’s WWE’s television ratings in Mexico are through the roof.
Last week’s SmackDown! drew a 9.6 and Monday’s RAW drew a 9.3.
By comparison, last week’s CMLL drew a 2.6 and AAA’ sshow drew a 2.8.
According to a correspondent who knows the Mexican market well, it appears CMLL and AAA see WWE as a major threat to their business and the companies plan to work together more in the coming months to “rescue Lucha” from WWE.
— Kaitlyn has been on hand for all recent SmackDown tapings, but has been sparingly used. It is said that some of the veteran female talent have chastised Kaitlyn for not paying her dues, but ironically, its products of the Diva Search that have been complaining.
— The synopsis for April’s WWE Classics on Demand programming: “All April, we’ll take you on an “Island Adventure” as we feature the hottest action with Superstars from the Tropics.”
— WWE Hall of Famer Afa The Wild Samoan has returned with his column “The Way I See It” on PopTheCrowd.com and spoke about the return of his nephew The Rock to the WWE. He wrote “I was real pleased when I heard the news that my nephew Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was to appear on Raw, and happy for the fans that he will host Wrestlemania 27. Although Dwayne reached mega success in Hollywood, he never lost his love for this great sport and I know that he enjoys every opportunity to reach his fans! Our sport is all about giving your all to your fans and coming home every chance you get.” (Read Column)
Earlier this week it was announced that former WWE star Chris Jericho will be joining the cast of the upcoming season of the hit ABC show, Dancing With The Stars, which premieres on Monday, March 21st.
Jericho’s partner for the show will be DWTS alum Cheryl Burke.
Jericho tweeted this week about joining the cast and his partner:
IAmJericho
So ready to conquer DWTS! It’s been a long time comin And its gonna be KILLER! My partner is amazing-the best in the world at what she does
IAmJericho
So stoked to have @CherylBurke as my partner!! She rules! The time has come for both of us to become champions once again… #goTeamChericho
Burke, who appeared on the George Lopez Show this week to promote DWTS, had this to say about being paired with Jericho:
CherylBurke
So excited to be partnered up with @iamjericho! Let’s go team chericho! What do u guys think of our team name?
Here are some pictures of Cheryl Burke, Chris Jericho’s Dancing With The Stars partner:
– Forbes.com has an article looking at WWE’s stock, which they give a “Very Attractive” rating. The stock price has bounced back after the company’s forth quarter earnings report sent it crashing down and still offers a very attractive dividend for investors. To read the Forbes article, click here.
– WWE NXT rookie Derrick Bateman is dealing with a knee injury. He tweeted:
DerrickWWE
Heading to Birmingham to get my knee scoped. “It ain’t ballet.”
– Chris Jericho and Bret Hart tweeted the following about Jericho competing on the new season of Dancing With the Stars:
IAmJericho
So ready to conquer DWTS! It’s been a long time comin And its gonna be KILLER! My partner is amazing-the best in the world at what she does
IAmJericho
So stoked to have @CherylBurke as my partner!! She rules! The time has come for both of us to become champions once again… #goTeamChericho
HitmanBretSHart
So @IAmJericho will be on DWTS. He has balls the size of beach balls. When he wins, I hope his balls don’t show through his latex.
The Miami Herald recently interviewed TNA knockout Cookie .. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Getting Hired By TNA: “Vince Russo’s daughters love ‘Jersey Shore. They actually have him watching. I’m actually a huge fan myself, have been since the show started. The funny thing is I was doing a similar character [named Brooke Lynn] for an all-girls promotion called Wrestlicious, with Jimmy Hart. She was a loud-mouthed, bratty New Yorker, as opposed to being a loud-mouthed, rowdy girl from Jersey. It’s not that different. Rob got a tryout here, and TNA wanted to find a girl to put with him. Jimmy Hart and others from TNA that I’ve worked with before, were saying, ‘We got to get Becky.’ Two weeks I was there for a tryout. Two months later we were on TV.”
TNA’s Knockouts Division: “We are super lucky. They obviously put a lot of time and attention in the Knockouts division, where each one of us has a distinctive character. It’s not like, ‘I’m a happy go-lucky good girl.’ Or, ‘I’m a $#%^%y bad girl.’ We all have distinctive characters, and we get a decent amount of TV time where we are allowed to have different storylines going. There is me and Robbie against Traci [Brooks] and Frankie [Kazarian] or the Beautiful People and Winter and that whole dynamic. Then you have Velvet [Sky] and Sarita, with Rosita coming in. We are all different. We really get a chance to show our characters, have some fun and show ourselves. I couldn’t ask for a better locker room.”
Jersey Shore’s Angelina In TNA: “I kind of got my %$# kicked by JWoww. So we brought in Angelina, since her and JWoww have their little thing on Jersey Shore. We kind of brought her in, so I kind of have someone who has my back. You guys are going to have to watch the next two weeks of iMPACT! to see what Angelina does. She is very involved. Let’s just say that. You might see new Knockout tag champs in the future. I can’t wait for fans to see. Robbie, Angelina and I almost got booed out of the building. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. It was electric. We knew we had something to prove. We knew this was a big moment for us as a company to do the tapings on the road. It was a very long day. Especially with Angelina being there, but it was a wonderful experience. I couldn’t have asked for it to go better. I’m super excited for people to see these tapings. The fans brought it to a new level, and the performers brought it to a new level.”
— The February 28 Raw telecast drew a 3.82 cable rating, slightly down from last week’s 3.85. The show averaged 5.6 million viewers overall and drew hours of 3.80 and 3.84.
— The February 26 episode of A.M. Raw did a 0.62 cable rating, with 709,000 viewers.
— Cineplex, a motion picture exhibitor in Canada, will air WrestleMania XXVII live in their theaters April 3. The company website’s listing for the event displays a poster promoting WrestleMania XXVII with Batista and Chris Jericho pictured, as well as John Cena, Randy Orton and Christian.
— WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart has departed TNA Wrestling and will be returning to WWE to appear at the Fan AXXESS convention in Atlanta during WrestleMania weekend. Hart, who had been working behind the scenes in TNA since Hulk Hogan joined the company last year, reportedly upset Hulk by leaving.
— ESPN recently interviewed with Rey Mysterio, who was promoting the new WWE All Stars video game. To read the full interview, visit ESPN.com. Here’s what Mysterio said about The Rock’s recent WWE return:
“I want to say that maybe for a while, our fan base, the WWE Universe have been asking themselves for a very long time if The Rock is coming back, when is The Rock coming back. Now here he is, and I think everyone who had been wondering about that were very entertained. And I’m not going to lie to you, I was at home and I was entertained. But there was a big comeback from what The Rock said last Monday, so now it’s getting good because John Cena doesn’t have tape over his mouth. He can spit, and when he spits, he can get nasty, so it’s going to be good. That’s all I can say, it’s going to be good.”
“Anytime you get something new, or something old that was good that fans have been waiting to see but hasn’t been given to them, then boom, it’s back, it’s like wow, and everyone is on the edge of their seats. Here we go. And this year, I think fans are going to be on the edge of their seats for Wrestlemania, from the beginning to the end.”
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:
Sin Cara’s WWE Debut: “Not sure when he will debut but assume it will be after WM27. I know both Raw and Smackdown brands are keenly interested in the young, masked performer. He’s very talented and will dazzle many with his high flying skills. If you’re not familiar with Sin Cara go on You Tube and check out ‘Mistico.’ It’s amazing that so many experts have it figured out that WWE will not fully maximize Sin Cara’s abilities which at this stage of the process is a joke.”
Returning to WWE: “It’s amazing how many times a day I get Tweets @JRsBBQ or emails to this site asking me when I’m returning to WWE. I’ve been with WWE since 1993 but left the air due to health reasons in October of 2009 but never left the company. Am I coming back to work on a weekly TV show or on a PPV? That’s not my call folks. Would I like to? Of course particularly the PPV side of that equation. Some of you that follow up regularly must be getting tired of this too but apparently we are gaining new followers on Twitter and new visitors to this site daily. BTW I’m feeling great and my health is better than it’s been in a decade I’m blessed to say.”
Michael Cole: “No one in WWE has done a better job of developing a new persona than has Michael Cole over the past few months. His goal was to get people to see another side of him, he does have an outgoing personality, and to dislike him enough to want to see someone kick his butt. Cole has succeeded in that task. Does Cole rub me the wrong way on TV more often than not? Absolutely. He can be a tool.”
— A new promotional poster has been released for WrestleMania 27, which you can view here.
— Former WWE superstar Chuck Palumbo, probably best known as one half of the “Billy and Chuck” gay tag team that WWE featured in the early 2000’s, had the following to say about the storyline during an interview this week on the Busted Open satelite radio show:
“You know, honestly, I got to say that was one of my most fun times. You know first of all I got to work with Billy Gunn, who was a veteran and had been around a long time. He [Billy Gunn] was showing me the ropes number one. Number two I was getting some time. I was getting some TV time, so I was digging that you know. I got nothing against gay people, you know, ask Matt, they’re always making great gay jokes and making fun of people behind the scenes. I took it as a joke. I had fun with it. I mean I had a lot of fun with it.
“My only comment on that would be that I just wish, I felt like when it disbanded, it had a lot of miles on it. A lot of times there’s a reason why they disband things. I think at the time Billy Gunn was about done with his contract and you know they decided to let him go, but I think it had a lot more miles left in it. Than again when Vince [McMahon] put that together, he put that together for cable network ratings week you know what I mean, so he had a reason for it. He wanted to get that final rating on that smack down show, so I guess he did what he thought was right you know, but I thought it had more mileage left.”
— Apparently there’s a rumor going around that John Cena is dead. This is absolutely untrue, and Cena tweeted the following about it:
JohnCena
CeNation. Apparently last night I was shot dead by a group of thugs. I also was apparently owned by the rock. Both just internet rumor. :)
World Wrestling Entertainment announced a new partnership with retail giant Kmart on Tuesday, the company’s biggest sponsorship deal ever.
Effective March 1st, Kmart will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of all WWE live events for the remainder of the year, including all live events, television broadcast and pay-per-views (including WrestleMania 27).
According to Variety.com, the deal covers approximately 250 live events and is worth several million dollars (but less than $10 million.)
Kmart ads will air during all WWE television shows, pay-per-view events as well as on graphics and signage at live events, and all marketing materials, tickets, websites and in WWE’s magazines.
Kmart will promote WWE through sweepstakes and in stores. Kmart will also host 12 in-store appearances by WWE’s wrestlers.
WWE merchandise, including toys and clothing, are consistently top sellers at Kmart.
Kmart’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Snyder, tells Variety.com, “Kmart is excited to expand its relationship with WWE. This partnership will allow our customers to engage with an exciting entertainment brand and enjoy exclusive offers and promotions throughout the year.”
— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia is working with Grammy-nominated producer Oh Hush! this week for her upcoming music album.
— The John Cena Experience and Smackdown: The Best of 2009-2010 are featured this month on pay-per-view. WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time will air next month.
— Randy Orton was interviewed last month at the Santa Barbara Film Festival to discuss his role in the upcoming WWE Studios film That’s What I Am, which is scheduled for a brief theatrical run Wrestlemania weekend before its released on video May 10. “The Viper” discusses the movie’s plot as well as the differences between acting in WWE and in film. He also states that he would like to further his acting career.
WrestleMania 27 guest host Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared on Monday’s episode of RAW and responded to John Cena’s freestyle rap diss from the week before. Check it out:
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels also appeared on RAW and had this to say about the big Undertaker vs. Triple H match scheduled for WrestleMania:
Arda Ocal of The Score Television Network and Right After Wrestling sat in studio with the author of “Undisputed”, Chris Jericho. Highlights:
– On the emotions within the pages of ‘Undisputed’, particularly writing about the passing of his mother [1:00]
??- How it was trying to please Vince McMahon as a performer, the “audience of one” as he refers to it in “Undisputed” [1:53]?
– After making it in pro wrestling, having to pay his dues all over again as the lead singer of Fozzy [3:09]?
– The similarities of being a performer in professional wrestling and being the frontman while playing in his band [5:35]?
– Is Chris Jericho approachable to fans? [8:02]??
– What is his “winning the Intercontinental title” goal for Fozzy and his acting career? [9:30]??
Jericho on The Rock’s return: “It’s unfair to say ‘The Rock came back and he embarrassed everyone and he blew everyone outta the water’ – he always did! The only difference is in The Rock’s time, he has Austin, Foley, Jericho – there were guys that could hang at that level – some of the best promo guys of all time. It’s not that guys like Cena or Miz can’t hang at The Rock’s level, it just that he (The Rock) is so far above everybody else – he always has been…as a promo man, The Rock is the best of all time!”
– On RAW, it was announced that Michael Cole will wrestle Jerry “The King” Lawler. Michael Cole with be trained by Jack Swagger and there will be a special guest referee announced for the match in the coming weeks. WWE has reportedly decided on who the special referee will be, but the creative team has not yet decided on how they want to introduce the mystery referee.
– The planned WrestleMania match between rival factions Nexus and The Corre has been reportedly nixed, according to f4wonline.com. It’s now believed that The Corre will wrestle the Big Show on in some kind of match. This is not confirmed, but Kevin Nash has been discussed as a tag team partner for the Big Show.
– Speaking of Diesel, he spoke to the Miami Herald last week at the Miami Comic Con event .. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Leaving TNA for WWE: “I had a good relationship with [TNA President] Dixie [Carter] and enjoyed my time there. I have a lot of friends in TNA. It was just time for me to move on. There are so many more opportunities in a larger organization like WWE, especially outside of the ring, that it was pretty much a no-brainer.”
Whether He’ll Ever Be A Part of WWE’s Hall of Fame: “Not my call. I think everybody would [want to be inducted], especially anybody who’s put 20 years of their life into something, but I’m so happy for Shawn, and I’m looking forward to watching Shawn be inducted.”
– After Monday’s RAW went off the air, the advertised dark match of John Cena and Randy Orton vs. The Miz and CM Punk (with Michael Cole as guest referee) took place. Towards the end of the match, Michael Cole was chased off and Randy Orton hit RKO’s on Punk and Miz for the win. To end the show, Cena thanked the fans for coming and took some parting shots at The Rock. Cena and Orton greeted fans in the crowd to end the show.
– Triple H, The Rock, Evan Bourne and Alex Riley were among the wrestlers whose names were trending worldwide on Twitter during Monday’s RAW.
– Before getting attacked by WWE Champion The Miz last night, United States Champion Daniel Bryan was scheduled to face William Regal, according to the WWE website.
– It appears that Alex Riley might be done as The Miz’ sidekick following A-Ri’s loss to John Cena on RAW.
– Nexus member McGillicutty was written off RAW last night after a punt kick from Randy Orton.
During Monday’s RAW, WWE Champion The Miz claimed to make history by being the first WWE superstar to tweet while doing commentary during a live WWE broadcast.
WWE diva Maryse later corrected Miz and said she’d already done that. She wrote:
maryse0uellet
@mikethemiz first ever tweet in commentary..?!? Sweetheart, I ve done it way before u…but I guess ur learning from the best….be sexy
Miz replied to Maryse:
mikethemiz
Never seen u do it then again when I watch u I’m not looking at ur hands. RT @maryse0uellet: @mikethemiz first ever … http://tmi.me/7dYZg
Miz took the following picture of John Cena during the main event of RAW and posted it while RAW was still on the air … Say cheese!
Abdullah the Butcher confirmed on Monday’s episode of Right After Wrestling that he will be inducted into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class.
His unpredictable, ultra-violent style served as inspiration for numerous wrestlers and he still continues to compete on the independent circuit in a career that has lasted over fifty years.
During the interview, Abdullah cited fellow wrestling legend Terry Funk as the person he’d want to be inducted by. The Butcher also said that if he and Hulk Hogan were paired together in a feud today, they would draw money.
The full show podcast, also featuring an interview with Chris Jericho, is available here.
The current Hall of Fame class includes Shawn Michaels, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Bob Armstrong. Duggan will be inducted by “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Michaels and Armstrong’s inductors have yet to be announced.
“Bullet” Bob Armstrong, the patriarch of the Armstrong family, is the latest inductee to be announced for WWE’s Hall of Fame Class of 2011 (presented by THQ’s WWE All Stars, in stores March 29).
The announcement was made on WWE.com instead of Raw, likely due to time constraints.
The current Hall of Fame class includes Shawn Michaels, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Armstrong. Duggan will be inducted by “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Michaels and Armstrong’s inductors have yet to be announced.
— Alex Riley was challenged by John Cena on Raw under the stipulation that if he were to lose, he would be fired as The Miz’s apprentice. The Anonymous Raw General Manager decreed that the match would be contested via Steel Cage Match, with the only way to win would be to escape the cage. Despite assistance from the Miz, who promised not to interfere with the match, Riley lost when Cena forced his way out of the cage.
— As seen on Raw, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson rebutted John Cena’s remarks from last week’s show, mocking his rapping ability and denying his allegations that he doesn’t “love WWE.” “The Great One” took to Facebook to comment on tonight’s promo.
“I was passionate about my words tonight ’cause I meant them,” he wrote. “It’s not a joke to me. It’s my word. My family. My LOVE for my fans and WWE.”
— WWE returns to the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia for a Raw taping on July 25, 2011.
— CM Punk and Buffalo Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman engaged in a war of words yesterday on Twitter in regards to the NFL star encountering some WWE Divas during the Raw brand’s stay in Costa Rica. When reached for comment, The Straight Edge Superstar explained the matter to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“All I did was observe him walking around poolside, back and fourth, around in circles. I had no clue who he was, just knew that this guy was obviously trying to get noticed. When that didn’t work, he sent his publicist after the girls, which is the most lacking of testicles thing ever. That’s how we found out who he was.
“When THAT didn’t work I watched him run after them as they tried to leave. Dude clowned himself and all I did was report the facts and laugh about it. On the road, the WWE is a family. The divas are my sisters, and like any big brother, I don’t want creeps around my little sisters.”
— According to WWE.com’s results for tonight’s episode of Raw, Brie Bella won the Diva Battle Royal. Therefore, she is the No. 1 Contender to Eve’s Divas Championship.
Syfy issued a press release tonight touting the February 25 telecast of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
WWE Friday Night Smackdown® FEBRUARY 25 TELECAST MOST WATCHED EVER ON SYFY – AND MOST WATCHED Friday Night Smackdown IN MORE THAN A YEAR!
SEASON HIGHS OF TOTAL VIEWERS, ADULTS 18-49, ADULTS 25-54 AND HOUSEHOLD RATINGS
POWERS SYFY TO #1 AMONG ALL PRIMETIME CABLE TELECASTS AMONG ADULTS 18-49
NEW YORK – February 28, 2011 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown® established season highs in total viewers, Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and household ratings during its premiere on Syfy Friday, February 25, from 8-10PM (ET/PT).
This was also the most watched Friday Night Smackdown program since January 2010. SmackDown debuted on Syfy on October 1, 2010.
SmackDown leg locked 3.55 million total viewers, 1.36 million Adults 18-49 and 1.46 million Adults 25-54 while averaging a 2.3 HH rating. This was up 11% in Adults 18-49, 14% in Adults 25-54 and 9% in total viewers versus the February 18 telecast.
The program propelled Syfy to #1 among all primetime cable telecasts for Adults 18-49, as well as #1 in prime cable among Adults 25-54.
