According to sources close to former WWE superstar Kaval, he was the one who asked to be released. He was not fired, as some readers originally assumed.
From what we’ve heard, Kaval was said to be “miserable” working the WWE schedule and did not see his career going anywhere. Company officials tried to talk him into staying, but were anable to do so.
Joey Styles wrote on Twitter, “If TNA doesn’t immediately sign Kaval (who won NXT based on wwe.com fans and wrestlers votes), I’ve no idea what they look for in wrestlers.” As was the case with the recent releases of Matt Hardy and MVP, top WWE officials are not worried about Kaval going to TNA – since stars like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson have done very little to help TNA’s ratings.
Kaval’s first post-WWE match has already been announced. He will be back wrestling as “Low Ki” when he wrestles former TNA X-Division champion The Amazing Red on January 28th for Impact Championship Wrestling in Queens, New York.
Posted December 24th, 2010 in News, WWE. Tagged: Kaval.
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 said about:
What’ Next For The Nexus: “What’s next for Nexus? Big question here on this site from a multitude of folks. It seems as if John Cena is moving on to CM Punk, which I personally think will be stout, but I can’t see Nexus evaporating. I predict that Nexus will return in some shape, form or fashion in the near future and how they address their internal issues could potentially be interesting TV.”
Vickie Guerrero Fat Jokes: “The volume of emails and Tweets that we have received regarding the ‘fat jokes’ directed toward Vickie Guerrero this week on WWE TV has been staggering. Not all were negative as many fans enjoyed the segments in question and called them ‘laugh out loud funny.’ Other, however, have expressed displeasure and some have provided us with some extreme analogies. One emailer scolded me as if he knew me because I said that the segment did not offend me and that it reminded me of a ‘TV Roast’ and it was the ‘good guys’ having fun with the villain (Vickie G.) The live audience loved the segment or so it seemed to me by what I was hearing and seeing. By endorsing the comedy bit, I’ve been accused of being the kind of person who causes incidents such as Columbine. Columbine? Really? Because I actually found the topic in question to be funny, I’ve also been accused of not having any ‘guts.’ I seriously doubt that individual would say to my face and often wonder if some seemingly obsessed fans are just as hellbent on the really important things in their lives as they are about a pro wrestling TV show. Hey, I get it if every one doesn’t like the same things that I do and I appreciate reading various points of view. However, to compare what happens on a pro wrestling show to a tragedy such as Columbine is ridiculous.”
Announcing With Randy Savage: “An emailer asked me how I liked broadcasting with Randy Savage. Savage was a little challenging not because he lacked skill or knowledge but because he was extremely unpredictable about what he was going to say and when he was going to say it. Macho Man certainly kept one on their toes.”
Smackdown’s Rating: “Great TV rating on Tuesday night for Smackdown. Biggest rating in years as best I know. That’s the difference in being on a network such as USA as opposed to their sister network, the fledgling Syfy Network. USA is a monster among cable networks and being on a lesser entity, as other wrestling shows are as well, is simply a daunting task.”
Taz’s New “Finishing School”: “Really happy to hear of the initial success that Taz’ dojo is having. Taz will coach up wrestlers with experience and remember this is not a dojo for beginners. I highly recommend that young wrestlers check Taz’ new biz out. It’s based in Long Island, New York as many of you already know. I really enjoyed working at the announce table with Taz in WWE.”
As always, visit JRsBarBQ.com to check out Jim Ross’ delicious line of BBQ products!
— Many within WWE feel that Triple H won’t go back on a full-time wrestling schedule upon his return to the ring as he’s transitioning into a corporate position with the organization. He’s had more authority at events in recent weeks. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
— Charlie Haas took to Twitter to comment on Kaval’s release from WWE today, calling the organization ‘classless’.
He wrote: “Sorry to hear the news of Kaval being released. Especially before Christmas. What a gift. Shows how classless WWE is. Low Ki ur better off … Anyways. Kaval is one of the best talents in the world. No doubt he will prevail else where. Much respect and love for him.”
— Torrie Wilson is auctioning off several clothing items from her time in WWE including bikinis and boots. To view her items, click here.
— Joe Anoa’i, who started as a defensive tackle at the University of Georgia Tech and is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Sika, is receiving high marks for how quickly he’s picking up wrestling in FCW—where he is known as Roman Leakee. He has also received praise for getting his weight down from 320 to 270.
— NXT Season 2 contestant Percy Watson is being touted as the best athlete in WWE’s developmental system.
— Michael Cole made a miscue at the beginning of last week’s episode of SmackDown as he referred to what happened on the previous Raw as “last night.”
Below are various Twitter reactions to Kaval’s release from World Wrestling Entertainment today:
John Cena: “CeNation. Behind as always. I guess wwe has released kaval. I have no clue why but this close to holiday would probally mean……. That it is pretty serious business.”
Jim Ross: “Kaval’s release from WWE surprised me. Don’t know the circumstances. Kaval won’t have any issues finding work. I wish him my best.”
Jeremy Borash: “Very grateful to be working for a company that gives out bonus checks at Christmas instead of walking papers.”
Shelton Benjamin: “I guess my question is would you rather see him as a jobber for Wwe or the Indy phenom that he had been.”
Beth Phoenix is interviewed in the latest issue of WWE Magazine and she discussed her difficult ACL injury earlier this year, the changing face of the WWE Divas, which former Diva she’d like to see return, and much more.
Regarding her ACL injury in May, she commented: “The weird thing was, when I got hurt, I felt fine. I was walking around and running, and I shrugged it off thinking it was just a tweak. But then my doctor told me I tore my ACL and I’d be out for six months. All I could think was, “I just won the title! Taking six months off isn’t even a possibility right now!” I had the option to wrap my knee and risk tearing it completely or have surgery. But I was a defending champion and wasn’t backing down or handing over my title without a fight.
“The Glamazon” was asked if she thinks she was instrumental in initiating the change to the Divas division becoming more athletic than ever.
“I would love to take credit for something as wonderful as that, but I think it’s a credit to the company for valuing women who are not only beautiful, but also athletic and smart,” she responded. “Take Eve, for example. She has a background in Judo. Then there’s Michelle, who has a college degree and a great head on her shoulders. Young girls can really look up to and emulate the Divas. I think I can take some of the credit, though, for introducing more voluptuous girls to WWE. I was one of the first Divas to prove that you didn’t have to be model-thin to be successful, that you could have muscles and still be beautiful.
Finally, she noted that she would like to see former WWE Women’s Champion Lita make a comeback in 2011.
“I’d love to have a match with her,” she said. “I never had the chance.”
Late this afternoon, WWE released the following on their website:
“World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of WWE SmackDown Superstar Kaval (Brandon Silvestry) as of today, December 23, 2010. We wish Kaval the best in all future endeavors.”
Kaval had wrestled as Low Ki for years on the independents, including Ring of Honor, and also competed as Senshi for a time in TNA. He was the winner of NXT season 2 and a member of the Smackdown roster.
— NorthJersey.com conducted an interview with Kane promoting next Thursday’s SmackDown live event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He discussed his mask, how long it took him to be comfortable to cut promos, his political blog, and more.
When asked if he missed working in a mask, he responded: “Oh sure. In fact I just was talking to someone the other day, a fan, and they were talking about how they thought the mask was cool. They hit it right on the head because [they said] it added a definite air of mystery, which is very true. Right now, we have Rey Mysterio with a mask. And up until Rey won the world championship, I think I was the only masked wrestler to ever win the world championship. … I definitely think it’s a trade-off. Certainly there were things about wearing the mask that were unique.”
— In an update on former WWE star Rico, he is currently working as an Airport Control Officer for the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority in Las Vegas. He retired from the wrestling industry in July 2005.
— Jamie Noble, who now works with WWE in a backstage capacity, turns 34 years old today. Also celebrating a birthday is The Great Muta, who turns 48.
Posted December 23rd, 2010 in News, WWE. Tagged: Kane.
— The preliminary buy figure for this year’s Survivor Series is in the 240,000 to 250,000 range, according to World Wrestling Entertainment’s corporate website. The number is up from the previous year, which drew 225,000 buys.
— Tuesday night’s live episode of SmackDown on the USA Network garnered a 2.5 cable rating, the program’s best mark since September 12, 2008.
— Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly vs. Lay-Cool is the only match being advertised by WWE.com for tonight’s episode of WWE Superstars. David Hart Smith vs. Zack Ryder and The Usos vs. Yoshi Tatsu and Darren Young will also take place on the show.
With WrestleMania 27 just four months away, WWE is already working on ideas of how to make this year’s show a success. According to a source within WWE,Vince McMahon is very determined to prove that WWE is still a powerhouse player in the pay-per-view industry due to the recent success of the UFC. The source told us:
“Vince is very focused on breaking a million buys globally for ‘Mania. He’s probably more focused than he’s been in several years.”
The company wants fresh match-ups and we’ve heard of a few big matches discussed for the show. While things could certainly change between now and April, here are some matches that have been discussed:
WWE Champion The Miz vs. Randy Orton
John Cena vs. CM Punk
World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Christian
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
FANTASY BOOKING: For you fantasy bookers out there, COMMENT BELOW and tell us what matches you want to see at WrestleMania based on current storylines. REGISTER HERE if you’re not already a member of SEScoops.com.
Triple H is expected to return to action soon and will certainly be in the mix for WrestleMania.
The Undertaker had shoulder surgery on his rotator cuff back in November and is currently “hit or miss” for Wrestleania. In the event that the Dead Man is not 100%, there’s talk that he could compete in a tag team match to keep his streak going.
Vince and WWE’s creative team have been brainstorming as of late trying to come up with a big mainstream celebrity that could be part of the company’s biggest show of the year. Talk of Brock Lesnar working WrestleMania has died down since UFC President Dana White made it very clear that Lesnar is under UFC contract and would be prohibited from doing anything physical for WWE. One name that WWE was interested in is NBA basketball superstar LeBron James.
James is a WWE fan, hosted Monday Night RAW earlier this year and has been mentioned by The Miz in several recent media interviews. Unfortunately for WWE, LeBron James’ Miami Heat team has a game in New Jersey that night, which basically puts any hopes of a WrestleMania appearance to bed. WWE is said to have a few other sports stars in mind, but most of them are long shots.
Former WWE Cruiserweight and Tag Team Champion Paul London pulled no punches in a lengthy interview published in the latest issue of Power Slam as he candidly discussed his five-year run with World Wrestling Entertainment, the wide array of characters he came into contact there, and much more.
During the interview, London discussed his real-life friction with former WWE colleague Matt Hardy and indicated that it is due to jealousy on Hardy’s part. He also explained why he pulled the YouTube video spoofing Hardy’s internet campaign to obtain a contract release from WWE.
I must ask you about Matt Hardy, whose name I mentioned earlier. You and Hardy have taken pot shots at each other for years. You clearly despise each other. Why?
[It’s all down to] jealousy. He realized that he didn’t have the goods, that women just didn’t like him, and that I was a sincere person who had charm, who attracted females, and he became jealous.
He’s just not a very good human being. He’s a phony. Anybody who adorns their home with nothing but pictures of themselves — that pretty much explains it, right there. He just couldn’t be a man about anything. He doesn’t know what it is to be a man. If he’s not at the forefront of something, he’s going to try to make himself the forefront.
Regarding Hardy: in September you posted a video of yourself online in which you spoofed Hardy’s internet video campaign to obtain a contract release from WWE. In your video, you poked fun at Hardy’s weight and made other serious accusations about him. Within days, you had removed the video. Was that because you regretted some of the things you’d said about him?
Erm, it wasn’t that I regretted it. Believe me, there were times that I wished I could have done a lot more. There were several occasions when I challenged him to a fight, and he backed out because he’s a coward. I was like, “I’m sick of this back and forth crap; let’s go outside right now.”
And he was, like: “Whoah! Whoah! I don’t have a problem with you!” I’ve never seen anyone with so many tails between their legs.
So the regret that I have in making that stupid video was… I was in a pretty dark place emotionally at the time. I wasn’t satisfied with myself. I’m an emotional guy. I take dips. I go up and down. That was never meant to really go out. The whole video was created merely out of boredom. I watched it back and I thought, ‘This is garbage. This isn’t how I want to represent myself at all. Why am I wasting my time on this?’ It was a bit of a wake-up call, actually. I regret doing it because of the way I portrayed myself, especially on a guy who is beneath me. I humiliated myself.
— According to WhatsPlaying.com.au, John Cena is being considered for a television adaption of the James Cameron film True Lies, which is currently being developed. The report doesn’t indicate that the WWE Superstar has been approached, just that he is on the production company’s radar.
— There had been some discussion regarding the health of WWE producer Dean Malenko, but his wife posted on Facebook that he suffered a heart attack. He had a stent placed in his heart, but many in WWE denied he suffered a heart attack.
— Last Saturday’s airing of Tribute to the Troops on NBC drew a 1.45 broadcast rating and 2.34 million viewers overall. The number is similar to last year’s show, which was a 1.43 rating and 2.39 million viewers.
The show finished in last place among the four networks by a wide margin, even with ABC and CBS airing rerun programming.
— Half Pint Brawlers, which aired on Spike TV a few months ago, has been picked up by MTV Australia. The program debuts next month.
— The conclusion to John Cena’s lengthy program with Wade Barrett was moved up from the Royal Rumble to Sunday’s WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view due to injuries sustained by Randy Orton, which limited his availability.
— The Los Angeles Times has a story on the surging popularity of Reby Sky, a 24-year-old Playboy model who hosts Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors on MTV2 and pro wrestling talk show Busted Open on Sirius 125/XM 241.
Sky wrote last week on Twitter that she had rejected a contract offer from World Wrestling Entertainment, which caused a spike in online searches related to her. Searches pertaining to Reby Sky broke the top 20 in Google Trends twice this week. The spike in interest caused her website to shut down due to capacity issues.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, indicated that she could not accept WWE’s offer due to her contract with MTV.
— As reported earlier, the Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio match scheduled for Sunday’s WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view was canceled and both men were moved into the World Heavyweight Title bout because they wanted all the major matches on the show to have adequate time. It has since been disclosed that WWE officials felt the Kane vs. Edge storyline “wasn’t clicking,” and would thus lead to a bad pay-per-view match.
— David Hart Smith has deleted his Twitter account.
— Matt Hardy will be the guest live tonight on In Your Head. Listen live starting at 8PM EST 5PM PST at www.inyourheadonline.com and www.justin.tv/jackiyh. To call in and talk to Hardy, dial 1-508-644-8503 between 8:30 and 9:00 PM EST.
— John Cena is being advertised to appear at several upcoming SmackDown live events.
— JTG filled in for R-Truth as Johnny Curtis’ WWE Pro on last night’s episode of NXT. The Raw Superstar wrote last night on Twitter that he is “back in action,” after being sidelined since last week due to a health scare.
— The Dec. 18 episode of A.M. Raw. scored a 0.23 cable rating, with 282,000 viewers.
— It was announced during last night’s episode of NXT that the first elimination of Season Four would occur on the Jan. 4 show.
— Derrick Bateman scored three immunity points via last night’s NXT Rookie Challenges; Wheelbarrow Race and WWE Trivia. He is trailed by Johnny Curtis (2), Byron Saxton (1), Jacob Novak (1), Brodus Clay (0), Conor O’Brian (0).
— Brodus Clay, Byron Saxton, Jacob Novak and Johnny Curtis all have win/loss records of 1-1 following last night’s episode of NXT. Conor O’Brian is 1-0 while Derrick Bateman 0-2.
— It was announced during last night’s episode of NXT that the first elimination of Season Four would occur on the Jan. 4 show.
Following John Morrison’s win over Sheamus in the #1 Contender’s match at Sunday’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, the main event of January’s Royal Rumble event is expected to be Morrison challenging The Miz for the WWE Championship.
Many within WWE saw his match against Sheamus at TLC as a star-making breakout performance. Some compared it to the TLC match that put the Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian “on the map” as top-tier performers. Despite his impressive performance, it really does come down to how WWE management pushes him and it’s not a sure thing that he will be treated as a main eventer in the long term.
On Tuesday’s special live edition of SmackDown, we saw a continuation of the Edge vs. Kane feud, so it appears that will be the likely World Heavyweight title match at the Rumble.
WWE has yet to announce anything for the Rumble on January 30th. However, they have added a basic preview for the 30-Man Royal Rumble match on the company website.
WWE Diva Melina has been getting a lot of feedback from her fans on Twitter, asking why she slapped Natalya on RAW and turned heel. First, she wrote:
“People are asking me why I slapped Natalya. That pink frilly dress was offending my eyes. I was about to slap myself but better her than me!”
After some of her fans still seemed really upset that she betrayed them and turned heel, she wrote the following to clarify the situation:
“U guys r all great. U crack me up. This will b fun. 4 the 5 people who believe what they see on the show is real, don’t trip sweeties. Im gonna goof on Twitter to joke but know that I’m still me & I’m not my character on tv. But let’s have fun with this. I love my girls on the show and am happy for their success & opportunities. Those people who were concerned are so cute & sweet. Thanks for tweeting.
For the rest that are Being supportive of me whether I’m a heel or face! You guys are amazing and I love you with all my heart. I was afraid more people would be hating. You guys are the best!!! That love & encouragement is the best Xmas gift I can possibly get.”
Posted December 22nd, 2010 in News, WWE. Tagged: Melina.
– Most of Tuesday night’s live WWE SmackDown broadcast was re-written Tuesday morning. There was a full show scripted over the weekend, but Vince McMahon and the WWE creative team decided to rewrite a lot of things to reflect what occured on Monday’s RAW the night before. (Source: f4online)
– The dark match before last night’s SmackDown & NXT tapings from San Antonio, Texas saw Trent Baretta defeat Abraham Washington. Washington cut a heel promo before the match and got a modest reaction from the crowd.
– In a dark match that took place after last night’s NXT tapings, World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeat Kane in a quick match after hitting Kane with a spear.
— Shawn Michaels was backstage at tonight’s SmackDown taping, which took place in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. He wrote on Twitter:
“Great to see everybody today. Great show & all had a blast. Fun just to be a spectator. Merry Christmas to the WWE family.”
— A tag team match pitting World Heavyweight Champion Edge and Rey Mysterio against Kane and Alberto Del Rio was announced for next week’s episode of SmackDown, which takes place on New Year’s Eve.
— For the second consecutive night, the term “Vickie” was a trending topic on Twitter.
— As we saw on Monday’s RAW and Tuesday’s live SmackDown, WWE has begun a new feud between John Cena and CM Punk. Original creative plans called for the Cena/Punk angle that kicked off on last night’s Raw to begin next month, but was bumped forward because the “Straight Edge” wrestler returns to action this weekend. The current plan is for the feud to continue through the Royal Rumble, with CM Punk getting the best of Cena, with the feud culminating at WrestleMania XXVII in April.
— Former WWE star Sean “X-Pac” Waltman commented last night during Raw that Michael Cole’s heelish persona isn’t really an act. He wrote on Twitter:
“Cole was such a whiney, smug, aloof person when I was there. I can only imagine how he is now.”
— Former WWE Diva Savannah is accepting appearance bookings and inquiries via angelafongdirect@gmail.com.
— Triple H will reportedly be more involved behind the scenes at television tapings in the coming weeks, a role took on during the company’s tour of Europe last month. The backstage environment was said to be far less stressful with him in charge than Vince McMahon. (source: f4wonline.com)
— Ted DiBiase, Maryse and Brodus Clay vs. Chris Masters, Byron Saxton and a mystery Diva has been announced for tonight’s episode of NXT. The Rookie Challenge will be a Wheelbarrow Race.
— John Cena is featured on the cover of the January 2011 issue of WWE Magazine, with the headline reading: “John Cena’s Biggest Year Ever?”
— WWE.com has announced that Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston will face Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger in a tag team match on tonight’s live SmackDown on the USA Network.
— Last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw scored a 3.27 cable rating, up from a 3.05 rating for the three-hour Slammy Awards show. It is also up from the 3.20 rating the show drew in its regular time slot.
— The term ‘Vickie’ was a trending worldwide topic last night during Raw.
— Former WWE Tag Team Champions Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas announced during intermission of Ring of Honor’s Final Battle iPPV that they had signed full-time deals with the organization. They said their goal is to become the ROH World Tag Team Champions.
— Triple H is being advertised to appear at several upcoming Raw tapings. However, he was advertised for last night’s show in Austin, Texas, but did not appear.
— Former WWE Women’s Champion Chyna has landed a role as a defense attorney in the independent film Code of Death. Filming begins in the spring.
