— WWE announced on its website this afternoon that Randy Orton has joined Twitter. His account is located at twitter.com/RealRKOrton.

Following Orton’s Triple Threat Match victory over Chris Jericho and Edge last night on Raw, “The Viper” was the No. 1 most-popular trend on Twitter for more than 15 hours. During this time, John Cena persisted Orton to join the social networking site.

“CeNation. I have told Randy about the overwhelming demand 4 him on Twitter. What he does now is up to him,” Cena posted this morning. Later that afternoon, Cena tweeted, “The Viper lurks. [Orton] is seriously considering joining very soon.”

— Regarding the John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase program, it is expected to be prolonged through at least September as tentative creative plans call for the two Raw Superstars to face off at Night of Champions.

— WWE has added a third show to it’s upcoming tour of Puerto Rico. The event takes place on September 4, 2010 at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Hato Rey. Tickets go on sale July 31, 2010. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

-If you thought the guest host concept was dead, think again. WWE has announced two new hosts, both appearing on Raw this October. Actor Bobb’e J. Thompson will host Monday Night Raw on October 18th in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Thompson stars in the upcoming WWE Film’s release Knucklehead with Big Show, set for release October 22nd.

In addition, WWE also announced that country singer Toby Keith will guest host on October 25th, the night after the Bragging Rights pay-per-view, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Keith is a huge wrestling fan who has appeared on TNA television in the past.

-Tommy Dreamer, presently entrenched in the ECW invasion storyline with TNA, posted a message of congratulations on his Twitter page yesterday to the new World Heavyweight champion, Kane: “Congrats to Kane. If anyone ever deserved being a world champion it is him. Even without knees. He is 1 of the best.”

Tonight on Raw, Randy Orton beat Edge and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match to earn a WWE Championship Match at SummerSlam. Orton is scheduled to face Sheamus at the annual summer pay-per-view.

Raw also saw Bret Hart make a surprise return as he aligned himself with John Cena. The Raw locker room will battle the season one NXT Rookies in a 7-on-7 Tag Team Match at SummerSlam.

The announced card is as follows:

WWE Championship Match
Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton

7-on-7 Tag Team Match
John Cena, Bret Hart, Edge, Chris Jericho, R-Truth, The Great Khali and John Morrison vs. Wade Barrett, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Darren Young and David Otunga

— Live tonight on Raw, three Superstars will compete in a Triple Threat Match to determine WWE Champion Sheamus’ opponent at SummerSlam. The match will feature Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge for the WWE Title opportunity.

— There were no serious injuries coming out of last night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, reports www.F4WOnline.com.

— Former WWE star Batista is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Ironpoy, a fitness, lifestyle and leisure magazine. The cover can be viewed here.

-WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, who will NOT be present backstage at tonight’s taping in Tulsa, just tweeted the following on his Twitter page:

“I’ll not be in Tulsa 2nite but will be watching. Surprise awaits”

For what it’s worth, Nexus member Wade Barrett also alluded to some sort of surprise on Raw tonight during his post-show promo last night when the Money in the Bank PPV went off the air.

— As a result of his World Heavyweight Championship victory last night at Money in the Bank, Kane becomes the first individual to the win the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship and the defunct ECW World Heavyweight Championship within the realm of World Wrestling Entertainment. Meanwhile, Big Show has also held all three belts, but his World Heavyweight Championship victory took place in World Championship Wrestling.

— A new WWE book entitled Rumble Road: Untold Stories from Outside the Ring is set for release tomorrow. The 208 page book is a compilation of road stories from such WWE Superstars as Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, John Morrison, The Bella Twins and Shad Gaspard. To view the complete listing of WWE stars with stories to tell, click here.

— WWE returns to the Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama on December 10th, 2010. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

— After Money in the Bank went off the air, they raised the cage and the rest of Nexus came to the ring. Wade Barrett cut a promo saying they are just seven young men chasing dreams and promoting loyalty, but the people in this crowd don’t understand that. He said Sheamus and John Cena need to watch out. (Thanks to Ben Williams)

— Jim Ross noted the following yesterday on Twitter regarding WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat’s health: “Ricky Steamboat still hospitalized. Stable, improving, & hopes 2 b out of hospital this week. More good days than bad.”

— Nikki Bella remarked the following on Twitter concerning posers on social networking sites: “Listen up everyone last time I want to say this NO myspace facebook or you tube! You want the real life of The Bellas… You’ll get it on twitter! :) RT! Gracias! Love you all! #BESOS! Nikki”

— The Friday Night SmackDown! taping on September 14th, 2010 will be held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets go on sale July 31st, 2010. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

Here are quick results from tonight’s frst ever WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri:

Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Kane def. Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show and Drew McIntyre after chokeslamming McIntyre off the ladder to grab the briefcase.

Divas Championship Match

Alicia Fox def. Eve Torres to retain the Divas Title after using her Axe Kick.

Unified Tag Team Championship Match

The Hart Dynasty def. Jimmy & Jay Uso to retain their Unified Tag Team Titles via submission after David Hart Smith used a Sharpshooter on Jimmy.

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Rey Mysterio def. Jack Swagger to retain the World Heavyweight Title with a huracanrana into a pin.

After the match, Swagger worked over Mysterio’s ankle before Kane came out and chased Swagger to the back.  He then returned with the briefcase he won earlier and cashed in his MITB shot.

Kane def. Rey Mysterio in under a minute with a Tombstone to become the NEW World Heavyweight champion!  This is Kane’s first World championship (excluding his ECW Title run in 2008) since his 24 hour reign as WWE champion in 1998.

Women’s Championship Match

Layla def. Kelly Kelly to retain her Women’s Title after reversing a sunset flip attempt into a pin.

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match

The Miz def. Evan Bourne, Edge, Chris Jericho, Mark Henry, John Morrison, Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton after knocking Orton off the ladder to grab the briefcase.

WWE Championship Steel Cage Match

Sheamus def. John Cena to retain the WWE Title after interference by The Nexus resulted in Sheamus climbing out to the floor.

Cena left three members of The Nexus laying (Darren Young, Michael Tarver and Justin Gabriel) to end the show.

(source: www.f4wonline.com)

— Current creative plans call for a top WWE star to be revealed as the mastermind behind Nexus. The main stars being pitched for the role are Triple H and John Cena. Triple H himself has wanted to turn heel for a few years but injuries to both himself and others have prevented WWE brass from pulling the trigger.

— Tonight’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event will determine next’s year WrestleMania, in part. Should tonight’s show be considered a success in terms of pay-per-view buys, the event will be brought back as a separate event next year. If it doesn’t do well, the bout would be kept to WrestleMania.

— Last night’s WWE live event in Omaha, Nebraska featured an eight-man dual brand main event pitting John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Big Show against Chris Jericho, Edge, Sheamus and Jack Swagger. The match was a ruled a no decision due to interference from Nexus.

— WWE newcomer Alberto Del Rio has already developed a bad reputation among those in the locker room, reports the Pro Wrestling Torch. He has complained to fellow wrestlers about the company’s decision to remove the mask he donned while working in Mexico. Many feel he should be thrilled with the push WWE officials have given him thus far rather than moaning.

— Eve Torres has opened a fan page on Facebook, which you can view at the following link. The WWE Diva also has plans to open an official website in the near future.

— Eliminated NXT Rookie Titus O’Neil (real name Thaddeus Bullard) said he chose his ring name because of its Biblical reference as Servant to God, not to mention that he’s a fan of NBA Superstar Shaquille O’Neal.

source: PWInsider.com

— As seen this past Friday night on SmackDown, Jack Swagger’s “father” appeared. He was portrayed by Jimmy Golden, better known as former WCW performer Bunkhouse Buck. Golden competed in World Championship Wrestling from 1994 to 1997 and is a former WCW World Tag Team Champion, having won the title in 1995 alongside Dick Slater.

— WWE’s upcoming three-disc DVD set on Chris Jericho has been re-titled Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho. It is set for release on September 21. Meanwhile, the “Best of Smackdown 2010” DVD will be a three-disc set with a run time of approximately eight hours. It is set for release in October.

— Sheamus appeared at the Kansas City Royals game on Friday night. Appearing on the big screen, the WWE Champion cut a promo at the start of the Major League Baseball game promoting tonight’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view and appeared again at its conclusion.

Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster talks Solomonster has the mother of all rants on TNA’s supposed “epic” invasion angle, thoughts on ECW’s one last stand, Money in the Bank predictions, Jim Ross removed from WWE’s opening montage, Cena or Triple H going heel to lead Nexus, Jericho possbly leaving WWE, the new Florida promotion and Ric Flair vs. Vader from Starrcade 1993!

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During an interview with Jon Waldman of SLAM! Wrestling, revealed her hopefulness for WWE’s higher ups to debut a female edition of NXT at some point.

“When they told all of us about the idea of NXT, for the Divas that was our first question — will there be women on the show?” Torres said. “[There’s] a lot of value that could add because we’re always pushing for more with the Divas and bring the Divas to the next level. People don’t really get to know as much as the other superstars because of the amount of time you see us on TV. So having something show what it means to be a Diva… I think that’s what NXT is about — what it means to be a superstar — and I think a female version would be awesome because it could help communicate that to the world.”

Regarding her development as a wrestler, Torres says that the mixed martial arts’ training she received from the famed Gracie family has helped a lot, though not necessarily in the way that would first spring to mind.

“It helped a lot — not so much with the actual techniques and moves though they can be applied — it’s more about learning how bodies move; how to be athletic, awareness of your own body and what we’re working with in the ring,” she says. “It’s really helped me with being athletic and moving well.”

Torres also pinpoints the time when she felt she had really made herself known in wrestling; she feels, however, that there’s still much to be seen.

“When I started working with Maryse is when I really felt like people can start to see what I stand for and who I am. They’ve seen other sides — the interviewer side and as a manager — that was all fun and I enjoyed that, but they didn’t get to see who I am. I still believe that the WWE Universe still doesn’t truly know who I am and I can’t wait for them to really find out. I think there’s a lot more to come and more layers that can be revealed and I’m excited to do that.”

In an interview with Fanhouse.com, Kofi Kingston noted that there’s pressure to come up with new spots for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

“It gets harder and harder every time,” Kingston told Brian Fritz. “I definitely do put a lot of pressure on myself to come up with something new and innovative. I think that’s what the WWE Universe looks forward to. I know they’re like ‘well, how are they going to top the last one’.

“It’s gotten to the point where everybody knows it’s going to be awesome but there’s definitely an expectation as far as new and innovative things. We’ll see what happens man. This Sunday there’s going to be a lot of that going on especially being that there is a Raw and Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match. We’re going to be competing which each other to try and put on the better show. People are definitely going to get their money’s worth.”

When asked to give his original thoughts on being moved to SmackDown, Kingston said, “I thought it was a very good opportunity to be honest.

“Smackdown was the only roster that I had never been a part of. I was with the Raw side, I was with ECW when I first came out. I had a few appearances on Smackdown but I never actually had a chance to be on the roster. So now that I am, I think it’s been an opportunity to be one of the main guys in there and be one of the guys, one of the flagship guys on the show. I thought it was an opportunity again to step up and kind of encounter a new frontier. It’s been very good so far and we’ll see where it all goes.”

The WWE Intercontinental Champion also commented on whether he expects Shawn Michaels to return for another match.

“I don’t know,” Kingston said. “He seems pretty adamant about not coming back. I don’t know. I guess you never say never but I’m leaning towards … Shawn is a really big family guy. He’s really wanting to spend a lot of time with his family and he’s earned that right. Yeah, I think that’s probably what he’s going to do. Who knows.”

The full interview can be read here.

— In an interview with SLAM! Wrestling, Drew McIntyre addressed his work visa issue that led to him temporarily being written off television last month.

“There was a process that had to be done, and a way it had to be done. It had to be done when it had to be done,” McIntyre told Greg Oliver. “I was always aware of the process that had to be done. It was blown out of proportion by so many people. … What you saw on TV was exactly the truth. It had to be done at that time.”

McIntyre also discussed his Money in the Bank match on Sunday, his recent wedding to fellow WWE performer Taryn Terrell (a/k/a Tiffany), and more.

— Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Mikey Whipwreck revealed on his Facebook page that WWE has offered him a job as a trainer.

— Bill Carr, a Northeast based independent wrestler, is currently in Florida Championship Wrestling. No word yet on whether he’s be signed to a developmental contract.

— There is talk of pairing Melina back with John Morrison upon her return from injury. This would lead to the two feuding with Maryse and Ted DiBiase.

— Madison Square Garden in New York City is advertising these matches for it’s Smackdown house show on September 25th, 2010 (thanks to Devin Cutting):

* Rey Mysterio vs. Kane for the World Championship

* The Hart Dynasty vs. CM Punk and Luke Gallows for the Unified Tag Team Championship

* Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship

* Christian vs. Jack Swagger

* Kelly Kelly and Tiffany vs. Lay-Cool

Also appearing are Big Show, Matt Hardy, MVP, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler.

— Last night’s edition of WWE Superstars on WGN America scored a 0.74 cable rating, with 795,000 viewers. The midnight replay drew a 0.24 rating, with 214,000 viewers.

— Matches taking place on tonight’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown! are as follows:

* Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes

* Christian vs. Drew McIntyre

* Kelly Kelly and Chris Masters vs. Layla and Trent Barreta

* Dolph Ziggler vs. Matt Hardy

— AAA Women’s Champion Sexi Star has had some contact with people in WWE about joining the organization, reports the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Sexi Star can be described as what Lady Gaga would probably look like if she became a wrestler as she is a blonde woman who wears masks and provocative clothing.

— Melina, Beth Phoenix, Howard Finkel and Joey Styles will be taking part in this Sunday’s Money in the Bank Live Chat on WWEUniverse.com. Click here for details.

-John Morrison graces the cover of the latest Muscle & Fitness magazine, which has a feature on his daily training routine. Right now on WWE.com, there is a video from the magazine shoot where former WWE champion The Rock makes a brief cameo. To watch the video, click here.

-NXT Season 2 rookies Kaval and Michael McGillicutty captured the FCW Tag Team Titles at the group’s show last night. They defeated Los Aviadores, the team of Tito Colon and Hunico. This is Kaval’s first title run since signing his WWE developmental deal and the former Joe Hennig’s fourth run with the tag belts.

-Regarding rumors of TNA having an interest in JBL, he is definitely not going there.  He and Dixie Carter are friendly, and they had previously courted the former WWE champion prior to their Monday night debut earlier this year, but Layfield has been happily retired since losing to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 25 in 2009.

There is a great deal of speculation about Chris Jericho possibly departing WWE, or at the very least taking a leave of absence, when his contract expires this September. His game show “Downfall” on ABC, according to Jericho’s twitter, will resume filming episodes this fall, and now he has also released a list of UK tour dates for his band Fozzy. As you can see, two of the shows fall on a Monday night and Jericho is (for now) a member of the Raw roster. Moreover, the schedule is extensive and would require him to be out of the country for an extended period in the month of October:

10th – Cardiff, Millenium Hall
11th – Sheffield, Corporation, a Monday night
13th – Edinburgh, Studio 24
14th – Belfast, Spring & Airbreak
15th – Dublin, Button Factory
16th – Manchester, Club Academy 3
17th – Leicster, Leicster Academy
18th – Norwich, Waterfront, a Monday night
19th – Southampton, Taylors
20th – Yeovil, The Orange

The last time Jericho left WWE in August 2005, he did not return to television until November 2007, having arguably the best run of his entire career.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— CM Punk is expected to be kept out of the ring for another month. He had floating particles in his elbow which was causing it to lock up. He underwent minor surgery as a result.

— WWE is currently working on a new theme song for MVP.

— Though Vince McMahon made the call to pull Finlay from television due to his advancing age, 51, he is being booked to appear on live events to work with younger talent. Many feel rookies working with rookies does no good, but Finlay, as well as Goldust, can be solid teachers in the ring at house shows.

— The July 2, 2010 episode of Friday Night SmackDown scored a 1.7 broadcast rating with 2,642,000 viewers. While the rating stayed the same from the previous week, viewership was down from 2,840,000 million viewers.

Melina spoke to Brian Fritz of Fanhouse.com to comment on her upcoming return to the ring. At the time of the interview, she was planning on having her first match back at Wednesday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event. She later backtracked, stating on Twitter yesterday afternoon: “Bad news peeps. I was just told I couldn’t wrestle tonight. My heart dropped. I’m sorry. But I will still be there & keep you posted.”

Here are highlights from the interview:

On her rehab: “Everything has been really tough. It’s been strenuous. I always get worried because I’m thinking I’m not getting better quick enough. But after a while, I’ve just accepted the fact that it’s going to take as long as it needs to take and I was really worried coming back this week to see what I can do.”

On her character shrieking: “I admit, back in the MNM days when I would do that scream, I loved it… Seriously, I don’t realize how much I do it. Sometimes, I annoy myself. It’s just a natural thing. When I do really put something into it, I really do just kind of scream. It’s just the way I throw a punch, like take this! I don’t know why I do it.”

On increasing her arsenal: “I’ve been brainstorming on certain things. I thought that this time around I’ll have a couple of new stuff but at the same time whenever someone asks me ‘what do you want to do’ I’m thinking I have so many things. (laughs) And I keep adding and adding and adding. I have in my arsenal so much that I can never put it all into a match.”

(credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

-The current plan is for a major name to be revealed as the person behind Nexus. The two names being pitched for heel turns are Triple H and John Cena. Hunter has long wanted to turn back heel, and if you go with Cena, how you then explain all of the beatdowns becomes a logic issue, but that’s never stopped them before.

-Triple H’s tendon tear, for which he underwent surgery last week, is said to have been a minor tear that will keep him out of action anywhere from 2-4 months. With him likely out of the Summerslam picture, other ideas being talked about include John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase, with Melina returning in Morrison’s corner to oppose Maryse, Big Show vs. Jack Swagger, and continuing the Harts-Usos feud for the Unified tag team titles.

(sources: www.f4wonline.com, PWInsider.com)

— It is not a guarantee that Undertaker will be healthy enough to return for SummerSlam as originally planned. Next week’s television tapings will determine whether or not he’ll be able to return in time for the event.

— Several WWE stars encountered travel issues when trying to arrive to Tuesday night’s SmackDown taping in Louisville, Kentucky. The issues dealt with the local airport.

— Michael McGroto wrote the following concerning a sign he brought to Tuesday’s SmackDown television taping in Louisville, Kentucky stating “Michelle McTaker”: “Just wanted to pass along the word about the Smackdown taping last night in Louisville that my “Michelle McTaker” sign had been confiscated by the WWE during the Layla/Baretta vs. Masters/Kelly Kelly match despite being held up several times throughout the night. Many of the superstars that were in the ring waiting for their match to begin or were on stage for NXT noticed my sign and either laughed or shrugged their shoulders nervously. Just shows the power of the WWE to hide relationships and the amount of power the Undertaker has backstage with the rest of the guys.”

Michelle McCool married fellow WWE performer Mark Calaway (a/k/a The Undertaker) on June 26, 2010 in Austin, Texas.

(sources: www.f4wonline.com, PWInsider.com)

— Melina was scheduled to compete in her first match in seven months at tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event in Orlando, but was informed today that she would be unable to compete. She wrote on Twitter: “Bad news peeps. I was just told I couldn’t wrestle tonight. My heart dropped. I’m sorry. But I will still be there & keep you posted.”

— Ryan O’Reilly, 30. has signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment to return to the company. He and his then girlfriend, now fiancée, Krissy Vaine both previously had WWE developmental contracts, both competing in its developmental territories Deep South Wrestling and Florida Championship Wrestling as well as appearing on house shows for WWE’s ECW brand, but requested to be released for personal reasons in October 2007. Both had made appearances on Raw and SmackDown prior to their release and O’Reilly, who had previously appeared on ECW on Sci Fi, was expected to join the regular ECW roster.

— WWE has signed Aaron Stevens (a/k/a Idol Stevens) to a developmental contract. Stevens was situated in the company’s developmental system for years, culminating with a brief stint on SmackDown in 2006. After being removed from the main roster when Michelle McCool was hospitalized in late 2006, Stevens returned to Ohio Valley Wrestling. He was ultimately released on August 6, 2007. He spent the past two years working for the Puerto Rican-based World Wrestling Council promotion.

Melina will be competing in her first match in seven months at tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event at the Orlando Armory. She has been sidelined since December due to a torn ACL suffered during a WWE live event.

The multi-time Women’s Champion has spent the past week at FCW’s headquarters shaking off ring rust. She tweeted the following on Monday concerning her return to the ring:

“This tweet is about my day at fcw. Everyone thinks I’m wrestling right now and I have to do some wrestling style therapy to see what I can actually do and if it’s safe for me. The wwe doctor still needs to talk to my doctor in LA, then get back to the fcw therapist. I admit, certain moves scared me. I’m not sure if what I feel at times is bad, normal or all in my head. We just have to wait and see. I will keep you posted each day.”

She is also scheduled to take part in an autograph signing before the show. For more information on the event and autograph appearance, click here.