Archive for the ‘WWE’ Category

Identity Of Fan CM Punk “Saved”, Another Possible Release

— As seen last night on SmackDown, CM Punk followed up on his promise to “save” a member of the WWE Universe. A fan identified only as James was the chosen one. Assuaging James of his fears, the “Straightedge Savior” shaved his head, initiating him into the straightedge society. The identity of the fan is OVW star Ted “The Trailor” McNailer. Click here for more information on this young grappler.

— The official website of Florida Championship Wrestling has removed WWE developmental wrestler Lift Sawyer from its talent page — the lone modification to the section.

However, it should be noted that he may not have necessarily been released as he could be getting repackaged, or considering he has very little wrestling experience, perhaps getting more seasoning for an eventual return to the roster. Though he was listed on the FCW talent page, he sparingly competed at live events.

Sawyer, whose real name is Aaron Reed, is a 6 foot 8 inch, 295 pound former bodybuilder the company signed to a developmental contract this past June. He is based out of Las Vegas.

— WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ proposed trip to Ohio Valley Wrestling this past week to scout prospective talent ended up being canceled. They did, however, sign OVW wrestler Asher Knight to a developmental contract at Tuesday’s SmackDown/ECW tapings in Louisville, reports f4wonline.com. He’ll be heading to Florida soon.

WWE Couple Reportedly Engaged, The Miz Gets Misinterpreted?

— ECW General Manager Tiffany (Taryn Terrell) and Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway) are officially engaged, reports PWInsider.com. Terrell and Galloway plan to wed in May.

— The Miz may have been misinterpreted as according to FreeTranslation.com, the French to English translation of “Je suis gai, tu me veux” — what he said to Maryse this past Monday night on Raw — is “I am cheerful, you want me.” It’s been noted that he said, “I am gay, you want me.” With that being said, this is likely a case of a word having multiple connotations. (Thanks to Peter Nieto)

— InsideCostaRica.com has an article on Rosa Mendes returning to her Costa Rican roots when WWE tours the country next month. (Wrestling Diva Returns To Her Costa Rican Roots)

Stephanie Profiled, WWE Releasing New Entrance Theme Album

— The latest issue of Continental magazine has a feature article on WWE being run by a few women, particularly Donna Goldsmith, chief operating officer; Michelle Wilson, executive vice president of marketing; and Stephanie McMahon, executive vice president of creative development and operation. According to the article, they are “the day-to-day drivers behind this $500 million-plus marketing engine” that is World Wrestling Entertainment.

It’s also worth nothing that WWE wants everyone to know that what they do is not “wrestling,” but rather, “entertainment” — according to the article. Secondly, talent are to be referred to as “Superstars” and “Divas,” not wrestlers.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

— WWE announced on its Twitter account that next week, WWE.com will be releasing exclusive news concerning the release of the company’s next compilation album, WWE: The Music Vol. 10.

What The Miz Said On Raw, Maryse Battling The Flu, Melina

— This past Monday night on Raw, United States Champion The Miz spoke to Maryse in French following her match with Brie Bella. He said, “Je suis gai, tu me veux,” which according to www.f4wonline.com translates to “I am gay, you want me.”

— Maryse noted on her Twitter account she’s battling the flu.

“On my way to Boston, awww will miss L.A. warm weather, better not be freezing over there! I have the flu AGAIN. What’s the best medicine?” She continued, “Well Nebraska is white, I’m so looking forward to a hot chocolate! Used a box of Kleenex and two packs of Halls already, nose is like rudolf!”

— Melina will be appearing at the Dallas Market Center in Dallas, Texas on Friday, February 19nd from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

— ECW General Manager Tiffany will be appearing on behalf of Comcast today from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, located in San Jose, California.

Rumble Participants To Be Announced, Elimination Chamber

— World Wrestling Entertainment will begin announcing participants for the twenty-third annual Royal Rumble next week on Monday Night Raw as well as on the company website.

— WWE’s second pay-per-view of the year, Elimination Chamber, will go head-to-head with an United States vs. Canada Olympic hockey game on February 22nd. The feeling is this will significantly affect pay-per-view buys in Canada.

— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America scored an 0.8 cable rating.

Batista Appearing In Upcoming Movie, Hall of Fame Ticket Info

— Dave Batista will be taking part in the independent film Blood Out, which is slated to begin filming next month in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.

According to a report on 2theadvocate.com, the film is described as an action/western focused on “a small-town sheriff who goes undercover to avenge his brother’s death.”

The film is being directed by Jason Hewitt, who worked as a producer on Wrong Side of Town, which features Batista as well as former WWE performers Rob Van Dam and Nelson Frazier (a.k.a. Big Daddy V).

According to IMDB.com, Batista will be playing the role of Michael King in the movie.

— Tickets for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony go on sale next Saturday at 10 a.m. MST/noon ET. Tickets cost $55. For more information, click here.

Alicia Fox is today’s “Daily Diva” on WWE.com while John Cena is the “Superstar of the Day.”

WWE Releases Former ECW Star

source: PWInsider.com

World Wrestling Entertainment released former ECW performer Steve Lewington (a.k.a. DJ Gabriel) today.

Lewington was split from Alicia Fox last April as a result of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, leaving the English grappler to fend for himself. Creative apparently had nothing for him considering he was soon shipped off to developmental. He never returned to the main roster.

Lewington had been under contract to WWE since April 2006.

There may have a few other releases in developmental today, but they have yet to be confirmed.

Big Show Says WWE’s Young Talent Has To Step Up

In an interview with the UK Sun, WWE’s Big Show says that with all the talk of young talent being elevated in WWE, it’s not going to be handed to them.

“I want to let you know flat out there’s not anybody good enough to take my position,” Show said. “And I’m certainly not going to give my position up just because I’ve been on top for a while, and nor would anyone else.

He  added, “If there’s another giant that can walk in and take my position, then good for him. He can run with it and I’ll retire. Until then I’m going to work on top as long as I can, make as much money as I can and entertain the fans as much as I can. It’s up to the younger generation to come to the locker room, step up and be leaders.”

Big show singled out John Cena for his tremendous work ethic, saying that one of the the reasons he’s the face of WWE is because of how bad he wants it. He also named Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes and The Miz as stars of the future — adding, “Talent will get you so far, but work ethic is the key. That’s the thing that the guys on top have. We don’t complain about flights. We don’t complain about not going home. We don’t complain about having an hour’s sleep and then doing interviews at 5am.”

Bryan Danielson Headed To WWE Developmental

Back in the fall, WWE signed one of the top free agents around, former Ring of Honor champion “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. At the time, it was widely reported that Danielson, a seasoned performer, would bypass WWE’s developmental system and be called up straight to television. Months have passed and we’ve yet to see Danielson’s debut.

At Thursday night’s Florida Championship Wrestling event in Tampa, Florida, it was announced that “International Superstar” Bryan Danielson will make his FCW debut at next week’s TV taping. According to PWInsider, Danielson is actually the one who requested some time in WWE Developmental.

Danielson wrestled a dark match before Monday’s RAW from Dayton, Ohio, reportedly felt some ring rust and wants to sharpen up his timing before moving onto RAW, SmackDown or ECW.

Survivor Series Buyrate Down 30% From 2008 – OUCH

WWE’s corporate website has released some new financial information for the fall and the disturbing trend of pay-per-view buyrates dropping continues.

Survivor Series 2009 back in November drew only 225,000 buys, down a sharp 29.5% from Survivor Series 2008, which did  319,000 buys. Compared to 2007 (when the event drew 341,000 buys), this year’s show is down a whopping 34%.

Survivor Series 2009 was headlined by two triple-threat matches, Cena vs. HBK vs. HHH and Undertaker vs. Jericho vs. Big Show. The buildup for the PPV was lackluster to say the least, with Triple H and Shawn Michaels even joking in promos leading up to the PPV that they were not taking the match seriously.

Why The Rock Can’t Host RAW, Steamboat Jr. At Developmental

– As previously reported, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turned down an offer from WWE to host the January 11th edition of RAW due to a scheduling conflict. Johnson will be in Mexico next week promoting his new movie, “The Tooth Fairy.” There are still hopes within WWE that he’ll come in to host some time before WrestleMania.

While he has been using The Rock name in advertising for the movie, he said it’s not because he’s going back to the name but because there is a line in the movie trailers that says, “Get ready to be rocked” and they are using The Rock name as a play on words. Johnson says it doesn’t matter to him one way or the other if The Rock name is used. He will be appearing on several shows over the next few weeks to promote Tooth Fairy including Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, Good Morning America, Today, Regis & Kelly, ESPN, BET and the NFL Network.

– Ricky Steamboat Jr. arrived in Tampa this week and will be starting with WWE’s developmental territory FCW shortly.

– WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper will be shooting an episode of CBS show Cold Case later this month. The episode will have a pro wrestling theme and air in February or March.

– Michelle McCool hasn’t been wrestling that much as of late because she is still having problems with her knee.

Royal Rumble Plans: Surprise Entrants, Matches & More

2010 WWE Royal Rumble

2010 WWE Royal Rumble

WWE’s next pay-per-view event is the 2010 Royal Rumbe on January 31st. Here are a few news items heading into the annual winter classic:

– It’s likely that John Cena vs. Sheamus will be a match at the Royal Rumble as reported yesterday.

– Next week’s ECW on SyFy will see the ECW Homecoming Over-The-Top-Rope Challenge with the winner receiving a shot at Christian’s ECW Title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The participants will be CM Punk, Shelton Benjamin, Evan Bourne, Matt Hardy, Kane, Vance Archer, Ezekiel Jackson and Yoshi Tatsu.

WARNING: The following contains a potential *SPOILERS* for the Rumble match:

– There are tentative plans for Shawn Michaels and Triple H to be the last two participants in the Rumble match. It would certainly be an interesting twist but hasn’t been confirmed yet. Michaels’ has of course challenged The Undertaker to a WrestleMania re-match, while there was also previous talk of a Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H match at the pay-per-view.

– Booker T may return to WWE as a surprise entrant in this month’s Royal Rumble match at the pay-per-view.The former World Heavyweight Champion has had discussions with WWE officials in recent weeks regarding a return to the company.

(Credit to F4Wonline.com & the PWTorch Newsletter for the information used in this report)

WWE Management Change: New Head Of WWE International

WWE sent out the following press release this morning.

WWE(R) Promotes Whitaker to Head WWE International

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Andrew Whitaker will take on additional responsibilities and head up WWE International effective immediately.

In his new role as Executive Vice President, Whitaker will be responsible for determining the strategic direction for WWE’s business outside of the U.S. across all revenue streams. He will report directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and has been named an Executive Officer of the company. Whitaker will relocate back to WWE’s global headquarters in Stamford.

Whitaker joined WWE in 1987 as part of the team delivering television syndication and developing WWE’s pay-per-view business. He moved to WWE’s international division in 1991, working in live events, international television and the pay-per-view business from WWE’s London office, where Whitaker negotiated the largest international television contracts in the company’s history. In November 2007, Whitaker began managing several of WWE’s regional business units internationally and his role was expanded in January 2009 to include all areas outside of the U.S.

“Andrew has been instrumental to WWE’s international growth. We are confident that he will continue to expand the breadth and depth of opportunities for WWE internationally,” said Vince McMahon.

Whitaker commenced his career at NBC in New York, working on shows that include NBC News, Late Night with David Letterman, The Today Show, Saturday Night Live and The Cosby Show. He sits on the international program advisory board for the Banff World Television Festival and nextMedia, International Interactive Media Festival and is also a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

About WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

Update On The Rock & Steve Austin Hosting RAW

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has udpated his JRsBarBQ.com blog with his thoughts on whether WWE legends Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Stone Cold Steve Austin would return for a night to guest host an episode of RAW.

Regarding Johnson, Jim Ross said he was under the impression that The Rock was going to guest-host an episode of Raw in January, but scheduling conflicts “eliminated that opportunity.” Johnson’s new “Toothfairy” movie comes out this month, which would have been the promotional tie-in for Johnson to guest-host. Commercials for Johnson’s “Tooth Fairy” movie have been seen during all WWE shows over the past two weeks.

Johnson said two months ago that he was working on a TV project with WWE beyond just guest hosting RAW for 1 week. Johnson has yet to provide an update on the status of the project.

As for Steve Austin, JR also said he “assumes” Steve Austin will guest host RAW, possibly in March to help promote Austin’s new straight-to-DVD film “Damage” (and of course, WrestleMania).

Edge Update: Will He Be Healty To Return By WrestleMania?

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about the health of Edge and whether he’ll be ready to return in time for WrestleMania:

“Received a nice text from Edge during the holidays from his mountain retreat in the Carolinas and it is my understanding that Edge is still questionable as it relates to him being physically ready to compete at WM26.”

“I do understand that Edge is healing well from Achilles tendon surgery but it has always been a photo finish as to whether or not Edge will be able to wrestle at the end of March. I hope so and would hope that it would be Edge vs. Jericho. I’m certainly not counting Edge out of WM26 but Mother Nature has more to say about this matter than any one else.

“Edge returning prematurely and not being 100% would make no sense.”

WWE Not Happy With RAW Rating, WWE vs. UFC Next week

WWE officials are unhappy with this week’s Raw rating. Though TNA provided competition, they felt Bret Hart’s return to the company would have garnered at least a 4.0.

The show finished with a 3.6 cable rating, the same number as last week. The show drew hours of 3.51 and 3.73 with the first hour scoring 5,441,000 viewers and hour two pulling in 5,773,000. Raw averaged 5,600,000 for the broadcast.

Despite talk that Bret Hart was only brought in to help World Wrestling Entertainment for the “Monday Night Wars”, there was talk between Hart and WWE long before Hulk Hogan signed with TNA. Whether Hogan had joined TNA or not, the Bret Hart hosting RAW gig and angle leading into this year’s WrestleMania would still have happened.

However, the move to secure Mike Tyson for next week’s RAW, which goes against UFC, is a much more direct move on WWE’s part. The idea that the company wasn’t concerned against competition couldn’t be further from the truth. The situation with Charlie Haas demonstrated WWE’s reaction to any competition. He was of course offered an improved contract amid speculation he may leave for TNA, even though the company had no creative plans for him.

UFC President Calls Vince McMahon A “F*cking Animal”

Following this past weekend’s UFC event, President Dana White was asked about UFC’s Fight Night special going head-to-head with WWE RAW next Monday night.White claims that Vince McMahon is overreacting by bringing in Mike Tyson as the Guest Host of Raw and is a “fucking animal” when it comes to playing fair with his “competition.” White said:

“I mean we’re not trying to go against him. That night is the night Spike wanted the fight. Spike wanted the fight that night, so that’s the night they called for it and Vince goes into (expletive) war mode. He’s calling up (Mike) Tyson. He’s bringing this guy back and the Rock might come back. I love it. He’s a (expletive) animal. You’ve never heard me say we’re going to kick the (expletive) out of Monday Night Raw. You’ve never heard me say that. I think we’re two totally different, pro wrestling is totally different than the UFC and mixed martial arts. And I respect this guy. I like Vince McMahon. I’ve had breakfast with him. He’s a good guy, but he is a (expletive) animal. I’m not trying to beat him on Monday night. I don’t think we would beat them. Those guys pull killer ratings. It’s been like the highest rated show on television forever. We’re just putting a fight on Monday night because Spike wants us to.”

Sound Off 96: Ratings & Thoughts From Monday’s “Skirmish”

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Solomonster Sounds Off

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Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 96)

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Est. Runtime: 47 minutes

| The ratings are in and TNA should be feeling really happy right about now

| Thoughts on Bret Hart’s return, Jeff Hardy’s shocking defection, Ric Flair and MORE!

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RATINGS for WWE RAW Featuring Bret Hart

Monday’s WWE RAW featuring the return of Bret Hart drew a 3.4 rating with an average of about 5.6 million viewers.

With TNA iMPACT!’s drawing a healthy 1.5, it looks like TNA took a chunk out of WWE’s audience and offset the return of Bret Hart.

More soon.

What You Didn’t See On RAW: Bret Hart Celebration (VIDEO)

WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart

WWE Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart

After Monday’s Raw went off the air, Bret Hart’s music played as the entire Raw roster (except for Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Hornswoggle) came to the ring to cheer for Bret. The Hart Dynasty was a part of the celebration.

Hart was put on their shoulders and paraded around the ring. The roster returned to the stage, leaving Hart in the ring alone Hart took his time going around to ringside fans before waving goodbye and exiting up the ramp.

UPDATE:  VIDEO of the Celebration at WWE.com

JR Blog: Hardy & Flair In TNA, Bret’s Return, Angle-Styles

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

Jim Ross is back with another blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on last night’s RAW and iMPACT. Here are some highlights:

Bret Hart & HBK: “The dialog between HBK and the Hitman sounded so natural that I thought I was eavesdropping on two old rivals’ conversation. They were simply being themselves. Their handshake made the night complete for me but remember that I lived through the debacle of ’97 and was just a little immersed in it and spent many, many hours “talking wrestlers off the ledge” so to speak for hours after the controversial incident.”

Bret Hart & Vince McMahon: “The McMahon-Bret confrontation was well done especially planting the seed early and keeping me hooked until the end of the show for the payoff plus adding some spice to the dish in between. The Mr. McMahon persona is so easy to dislike and the Chairman got the last word and the final act of physicality in the exchange with his longstanding adversary and left me wanting to see more and wondering how Bret will respond next Monday night? Or will he? This issue has new, fresh legs.”

Jeff Hardy in TNA: “It surprised me to see Jeff Hardy on Spike TV Monday night which I am sure will get some fans talking and critics/pundits asking a great deal of questions. I’m a Jeff Hardy fan and I wish him well. Jeff had a great tenure in WWE and considering that I signed him and his brother Matt to their first WWE contracts I will always consider the Hardy brothers as being special. As Hall of Fame Coach Barry Switzer once told me, “Once you recruit a player you recruit them for life.”

Ric Flair in TNA: “Knowing how much Ric Flair still enjoys wrestling I was not shocked to see Ric on another channel Monday night. The WWE gave Ric the greatest send-off/retirement presentation that I have ever witnessed but nonetheless “Naitch” has wrestling running through his veins and he’s going lace ’em up until he simply can’t do it any longer. Ric Flair has been my friend for about 30 years and I wish him well in what ever he does in his career.”

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle: “Former WWE Champion Kurt Angle, another one of the guys that I signed to their first WWE contract, and A.J. Styles had a truly excellent wrestling match that I got glimpses of Monday night.”

January 4th MONDAY NIGHT WAR Feedback

January 4th proved to be an eventful night. TNA Wrestling had a good showing on its first live Monday night show, with Hulk Hogan, Jeff Hardy, Ric Flair, Eric Bischoff, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett and many other familar faces laying the groundwork for the “new” TNA. On RAW, we had the surreal return of Bret Hart – who made peace with Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, only to have the WWE chairman leave him laying after a nasty kick to the stomach.

We want to know – What did YOU think of RAW and iMPACT!  Which show was better?

Leave a comment below. If you haven’t signed up for an account already, REGISTER HERE.

WWE RAW Results (1/4): Bret Hart Returns

Report by Kendra

Tonight’s groundbreaking RAW starts with a Bret Hart video. From his childhood and up through the Montreal Screw Job! Video of the MSJ and Vince saying – black eye and all – that Bret screwed Bret. Then to HBK telling Vince to bring Bret back and only good things will happen.

Justin in the ring announces Bret Hart with all his accolades. Bret’s music and finally he comes out onto a WWE stage for the first time in 12 years! Jean shorts, black leather jacket, Bret Hart shirt. King’s in awe of Bret being back. The fans are hot! Wilder than I’ve seen WWE fans in along time. Bret grabs a mic and waits. Off come the sunglasses. Bret says he guesses hell froze over. Many people wonder why he’s there and why now. He’s had a long time to think about things, 12 years. It’s an amazing feeling. He’s found a way to come back. He’s wanted to be back, but Vince always blocked him. Feels great to be here and talk to the WWE Universe. “Welcome back!” chants. He says it’s great to be back. He wants to thank the fans for never letting him be forgotten. He owes it all to the WWE Universe for not being forgotten. He’s flooded with millions of memories, great memories. He won his first KOTR there! At the end of the night King jumped him and… Hey King, nice to see ya! There’s another reason to be there. He has 12 years of things to get off his chest. First thing he wants to do it call out HBK! HBK comes out to the ring. HBK gets right up close to in Bret’s face. Bret says he’ll call him Shawn. He wants to burry the hatchet and call for a truce! HBK grabs a mic and says before Hart gets his closure, there’s something he’s been waiting 12 years to say to him. The fact is, Bret deserved what happened 12 years ago in Montreal. He disrespected HBK and his business. Yes, he did have a hand in what happened that night. “You screwed Bret!” chants. Bret says he rests his case. HBK says there’s a big part of him that doesn’t regret a bit of it. But there’s another part of him that knows in the last 12 years a lot of things have changed. a lot in his life change. He always respected Bret, but never felt respected. There were times he couldn’t stand the sight of Bret and knows Bret feels the same. When he thinks of Bret he doesn’t think of Montreal. He thinks of California and an Iron man Match. The match no one wanted to see, especially on PPV. They went out there and changed things. Bret’s not the only one to carry this around for 12 years. He’s not the only one ready to burry the hatchet. He just wants to make sure Bret is sure and ready. Bret says HBK wasn’t the easiest to love back then. But their careers shouldn’t be tagged by Montreal. He thinks it’s a good time to do this. Bret says they need to take this time to say they can be friends. Bret extends his hand in friendship, he wants to burry it right now. Bret extends his hand and HBK shakes it! HBK goes to leave the ring and comes back. They warmly hug. They obviously were no bullshitting this! HBK leaves the ring and puts the mic on the steps on the way out. Bret then calls out Vince! Bret says, come on Vinnie, don’t keep the people waiting! Vince didn’t come out and announce moved to the matches slated for the show.

– Commercial

Backstage Josh stops Vince outside his office. Josh asks about what Bret said. Vince said he just left a meeting, didn’t know what was going on. Vince says no one calls him out. Bret doesn’t call him out. If Bret wants to talk, then Vince will call Bret out later.

Announce talks about how Melina was injured in Manchester, NH. They’re having a Tournament for the title. Starting now.

Maryse out to the ring for the first round of the Tournament. Brie Bella will face her, but both out to the ring.

They lock up and Maryse backs her to the ropes. Maryse then runs for cover in the ropes. Maryse poses and Brie grabs her. Maryse face first into a corner but pushes Brie off. Brie works over Maryse with a number of well worked moves. Maryse from the ring. Nikki sends Maryse face first into announce. In the ring Maryse fights back sending Brie back off the ropes for two. Maryse uses Brie’s hair to slam her around, but then the Bellas switched. Maryse saw the switch and hit the French kiss for three.

Winner: Maryse

Video of the switch and finisher. Brie in to tend to her sister. As Maryse lease the ring Miz’s music hits and he stops her on the stage. He said if she wins the Tournament he might call her back. He speaks French to her and she giggles at him. He says he’s heard her says that 2010 is the year of Maryse. He says this year, decade and every moment moving forward belong to him because he’s the Miz and he’s awesome. Maryse leaves as Miz heads to announce.

Out to the ring comes MVP. Swagger out to the ring to face him.

– Commercial

MVP is down on the mat. Swagger stomps MVP while Carlito watches. Henry was slammed head first into the ring post during the break. Miz talks about his title and how all these people are up and comers, not up to his level. Swagger pins Carlito for two. MVP broke up the count. Swagger works over MVP and pins, Carlito breaks that count. Miz talks about Spencer Pratt. Swagger splashes Carlito, MVP was in that corner too, but ducked out. Henry in and goes at it with MVP. Head butt to Carlito. Henry has Carlito up and uses his feet to take down Swagger. Bear hug on Carlito. Swagger attacks Henry. Henry gets Swagger up in the rack ala Luger! MVP takes Henry and Swagger down. Henry tossed from the ring. Carlito tossed out. MVP hit’s the playmaker on Swagger for three.

– Winner: MVP

MVP over to announce side of the ring and motions for Miz’s strap. Video of the end of the match. Miz talks himself up as MVP backs up the ramp.

Backstage Jeri-Show talk about their match. Big Show talks about how this is it. He doesn’t want Jericho to be tossed off RAW. Jericho says he has a deal Hart can’t pass up. Jericho says he’s not leaving RAW. Big Show says he doesn’t want him to go.

– Commercial

Backstage Bret’s talking wrestling to someone. Jericho comes in and talks about training at the Dungeon and perfected the Walls on Bret’s brother Keith. He knows the real Bret Hart and knows he despises HBK. He has some ideas about that. Bret asks what Jericho has in mind. Jericho says Bret should be the guest ref. when he locks the walls on HBK he can ring the bell. Bret says he wants to put it all to bed. He’s done with it. Jericho says this is all an act, right? Bret says he doesn’t want to be anything like Jericho and be thought of as a hypocrite by the WWE Universe. Bret says the way he remembers things at the Dungeon, it was Jericho who screamed the loudest and scared the cats in the top part of the house. Bret smiles widely as Jericho left.

Backstage Hornswoggle is playing with the new Mattel line that came out this week. They talked about some of the big names that came out. HHH slaps Hornswoggle’s hands and told him he can’t play with them until they win. HBK comes in and tells HHH not to talk to him like a child. HHH says he’s an innocent child. Hornswoggle grins. HBK says he has a beard, not a child. HHH says he’s been working on their match when HBK was out with Bret. HHH says Jericho’s name. out comes Santino dressed like Jericho and talking like Jericho. HHH told him to stop. HHH said to Hornswoggle to attack and Hornswoggle attacks fake Jericho. Hornswoggle really works over Santino. HHH and HBK talk and then leave. They go back as HHH calls to Hornswoggle like he’s a dog. He offers a cookie and says Hornswoggle will do anything for him. Santino sticks his head up and says good luck on the sucking and falls back behind the sofa with the wig flying.

– Commercial

Justin announces it’s time for the Unified Tag Team Championship Match. Out comes DX, including Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle runs to the ring and in. All three in the ring crotch chopping to in ring pyro. Jeri-Show out to face them.

Jericho pushes Big Show to start. Hornswoggle under the ring. HBK slammed into a corner and big chops. Head butt to HBK. HHH got the tag. DX tried to double team Big Show, but he double suplexes them!

– Commercial

HHH down on the mat, Jericho taunting the fans. “Triple H” chants. Big Show tags in but HHH in control until Big Show hit’s a sidewalk slam on HHH. Big Show taunts HHH, drops a leg and pins for two. Big Show taunts HBK. Head butt to HHH. Jericho tags in and stands on HHH’s shoulders as he’s draped over the second ropes. Head/arm lock on HHH in the center of the ring. HHH fights his way up and out. Spinebuster on Jericho. Both down. Jericho tagged out at five and Big Show in with a boot to the back of HHH’s skull. Big Show up on the second ropes and tries to splash HHH, but HHH moves. HHH tags out and HBK on Big Show with chops. Flying forearm to Big Show’s face, then again! Low dropkick to Big Show’s knee. HBK takes Jericho out as he tries to get in. HBK up top but Jericho knocks him to sitting painfully. Hornswoggle out, into the ring, slams down on Big Show, then out the other side and back under. HBK pins Big Show for two. HBK starts tuning up the band. Big Show grabs HBK and chokeslams him to the mat. Big Show pins for two. The fans are wild! Jericho in hits lionsault, but HBK gets his knees up. Jericho reverses into walls, or tries, but HBK gets out. HHH tags in and pedigrees Jericho. HHH pins Jericho, but Big Show breaks it up and grabs HBK for a chokeslam. HHH pedigrees with HBK’s help. Big Show rolls out of the ring. Jericho in and pushes HHH into HBK. HBK flies out of the ring and Jericho rolls up HHH, with tights, but HHH gets out. HHH to his feet and eats a code breaker! Both are down. Jericho crawls and pins HHH, but HBK breaks the count. Hornswoggle in and tunes up the band. Jericho takes Hornswoggle down with a big boot. HHH tries to pedigree but Jericho reverses it. HBK hits sweet chin music on Jericho. HHH pins for three.

– Winners: DX

DX can barely get to their feet, Jericho still prone on the mat. Video of high points in the match. DX poses over Jericho, then leave the ring. Big Show into the ring. HHH grabs a mic and tells Jericho he’s finished on RAW, so long, bye bye! HBK grabs a mic and say if Jericho’s not down with that, they have two words for ya… Big Show glares down at Jericho like he smells bad, then leaves the ring. Jericho rolls over and looks lost. It’s like he realized it’s over. The fans start singing a bit. Jericho rolls from the ring. HHH in the ring waving and the singing gets louder. Jericho slowly up the ramp, head cocked over his right shoulder, singing and jeers from the fans. On the stage Jericho looks around as he backs out. DX’s music plays for the guys in the ring.

Backstage a knock on Vince’s door. Vince opens and asks what he wants. He has a lot of nerve knocking on his door. Camera backs up to show Orton. Orton says he has an offer for him. He doesn’t know what he plans on doing to Bret. Vince says what Bret did, walking out, spitting in his face, is nothing compared to what Orton did to his family. Orton says Vince works with people he doesn’t like. Vince gives the word and Orton will punt Bret. Vince wants to know what Orton gets out of this. He wants to be #30 in the RR. Vince says he has his own security and to never confront him again. Then he walks up on Legacy and wants to know what they want. Cody says Orton did so much sitting ringside last week. So they’re going to sit ringside for Orton’s match. If Orton doesn’t beat Kofi, they’ll kick Orton out of the group.

– Commercial

Promo for Mike Tyson to host RAW next week.

Video from last week when Sheamus pulled the ref to the mat to DQ Sheamus and screw Cena. Sheamus beat the heck out of Cena with a couple big boots to Cena’s head.

Sheamus out to the ring. Sheamus says last week Cena couldn’t beat him. Cena can make all the excuses he want, but the last image of 2009 was Sheamus standing over Cena’s body, still WWE Champion. He’ll defend at RR, but not against Cena. He’s done with Cena, he wants a new defender. Bret was right saying he’s the best there was, but Sheamus is the best there is and there ever will be. Evan Bourne’s music cut Sheamus off. Evan went out the other side and grabbed a mic. He says the only reason Sheamus has the title is he was given the opportunity. He knows given the same opportunity, he could beat Sheamus. He wants that opportunity now. Evan threw the mic the to Sheamus who almost couldn’t catch it. Sheamus says if Evan can beat him tonight, then the title will be on the line at RR.

Evan’s fast feet come out flying. Kicks galore and Evan over the top. Evan lands on the apron, climbs and hits airborne for long two. Evan back in the ring and Sheamus really beats him down by catching Evan in the air and slamming him to the mat. Sheamus hit more with stomps and then a kick to Evan’s head. Sheamus hits his finisher and it’s over for Evan.

– Winner: Sheamus

Sheamus grabs his title belt. Video of Evan flying, then Sheamus in control.

Cole and King talk about the loss of Dr. Death Steve Williams. Then a still up with a picture of Williams, RIP.

– Commercial

Video from the Montreal Screw Job. Startling with Bret winning the title and then to SS when Bret faced HBK. Vince’s interview about how Bret screwed Bret. Then an old interview with Bret about the MSJ. Bret said he’d always stand by what he did. Vince said he had no sympathy for Bret.

Kofi out to the ring.

– Commercial

Orton out to the ring. Cody and Ted are sitting in chairs set up by announce. King said they told him if Orton loses they’ll give him the beating of his life.

Kofi with a knee to Orton’s gut. Forearms to Orton’s face then Kofi off a corner with a flying forearm to Orton’s face. Orton shoulder blocked Kofi to the mat. Kofi came back with a high elbow to Orton’s face. Orton into a corner then splashed by Kofi. Kofi then clotheslines Orton from the ring then dropkicks Orton through the ropes. Ted and Cody just watch. Kofi throws Orton back in, but then Orton tries to DDT Kofi into the ring. It doesn’t work and Orton again tossed from the ring.

– Commercial

Ted and Cody watching closely. Headlock on Kofi. During the break Orton pushed Kofi off the corner – up top – and Kofi landed on the barrier! Orton stomps Kofi’s gut over and over. The fans give Orton heat and he talks back. Kofi slammed face first into a corner. Punches to Kofi in a corner. Orton slingshots Kofi up into the bottom ropes. Orton pins for two. Headlock on Kofi in the center of the ring. Kofi starts wiggling around and out of the hold. Both try for a cross body and both are down hard. They both get up and exchange blows. Kofi seems to gain the upper hand and slams Orton down. Kofi mounts Orton on a corner. Upper cut to Orton and then Orton’s slammed to the mat. Kofi hit his double leg drop. Orton flees the ring, Kofi flies through the ropes at him. In the ring Kofi climbs and hit’s a cross body for a long two. Orton tries to send Kofi out, but he bounces off the top ropes and hits his SOS, but Orton somehow kicks out. Orton tries for the RKO, but it’s reversed. Orton blocks trouble in paradise. Orton then hit’s the RKO and pins Kofi for three.

– Winner: Orton

Cody and Ted don’t look very happy about this. Cody and Ted just glare in at Orton. Video of the high points of the match. Orton leaves up the ramp then glares back at Ted and Cody.

Backstage Vince is heading for the ring.

– Commercial

Justin announces Vince McMahon to the ring. Vince comes strutting out. Vince let out a sigh on his way to the ring. Less swaggering and looking more nervous that usual. He wishes everyone a Happy New Year. There’s no reason for him to call out Bret. Bret and HBK buried the hatchet, so he feels the same way. He wants to thank Bret for being the guest host. Next week’s guest host is Mike Tyson. Bret comes out on the stage and walks down the ramp to the ring. Vince rolls his eyes. “Bret” chants. Bret gets in the ring and immediately the leather jacket comes off. Vince says he thinks he know what Bret’s thinking and what the fans want to see. They want to see Bret apply the sharpshooter. He hopes Bret will be the bigger man. He’d like to hear what Bret has to say. He’d also like to get a few things off his chest. He really does think you screwed you. He’ll never forget Bret spitting in his face. He’ll never forget Bret sucker punching him. He’ll never forget Bret disrespecting him the night he was inducted into the HOF. He’s slandered Vince in every publication since then. He hopes Bret starts with two words. He hope Bret says he’s sorry. He’s not trying to provoke Bret. Bret grabs a mic. He says he can think of a lot to say to Vince, but not the two words he expects. He says he came to level things, and is half way there. They want the same thing. They want to find peace and closure. Vince says he thought he wanted to come out and kick Bret in the guts. In the interest in being honest, putting it behind them. He does want it as badly as he does. He remembers Bret’s for WM. Bret faced Andre. he knew Bret was the future then. He went from being a tag team Champion to being the Champion. He fought, scratched and kicked his way to the top. One of the reasons the Montreal thing was so personal was Vince was like a father figure to him. That’s why it hurt him so badly. Talking about Stu, he’s why so many people broke into the industry. He wants to personally induct Stu into the HOF. Bret says it will mean a lot to the family and the fans that Vince finally does this. Vince thanks Bret for all of Bret’s contributions, every thrilling moment he gave to the WWE Universe. He wants to thank Bret for being who he is out there tonight. Thanks for being the best there was, the best there is, the best there ever will be. They shake hands. Vince threw his mic off. Vince grabbed Bret’s mic and threw it off. Then Vince raised Bret’s arm to all four sides. Then Vince kicked Bret in the gut. Bret crumbled to the mat in pain. Vince left the ring while Bret tried to regain himself. Vince to the stage and Bret back to his feet. Bret glared up at Vince.

Biggest pop
Bret Hart
DX
Kofi

Biggest heat
Vince McMahon
Jericho
Orton

Rock Hosting Raw Update, Money In The Bank News & More

– Word is that WWE offered Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson the guest host spot for the January 11th RAW but the offer was turned down. WWE then offered the gig to Mike Tyson, who has been confirmed to host that night.

– WWE contacted the USA Network over the weekend and requested 20 minutes of extra TV time past the normal 11:00PM for tonight’s RAW. No word yet if USA will grant the request

– The advertised dark match for tonight’s RAW in Dayton, Ohio is DX and Kofi Kingston vs. Legacy.

– WrestleMania 26 in March will once again feature a Money in the Bank ladder match with a #1 contender’s contract on the line. Raw superstar Kofi Kingston was slated to win the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania this year but sources say now that those plans may have changed.

Hulk Hogan Responds To CM Punk Trash Talking Him

Hulk Hogan has responded to negative comments made about him by WWE superstar CM Punk about him this morning on the BJ Shea Morning Experience show in Seattle. You can listen to an MP3 of the interview at this link.

Hogan listened to the comments and said, “Well, you know, it’s kind of like the law of attraction. He’s probably going to attract more of that negative stuff to his career because, you know, if you’re functioning on that level, that’s probably what you are going to attract, but at the end of the day, you know, I was selling out Madison Square Garden when that kid was pooping in his diapers, so you know, you’re going to see what I’m all about. I’m not there to wrestle. I don’t have a contract to wrestle. I’m there to run this company. Make it better, like I said, give the talent a choice. All the talents that are locked in there…I’m sure Vince McMahon is giving CM Punk the big push but paying him crumbs, because I know how that goes, because I’m giving the fans a choice, and the talent a choice and I’m going to prove to this negative guy that he’s wrong.”

When asked about Punk making a personal attack on him, Hogan said, “That’s cool. I understand he’s surrounded by negative stuff up there and I can see why he’s jaded in his opinion. One of the things that I learned a long time ago is that you can’t judge anyone. You can’t judge a book by it’s cover. Some of the craziest looking, weirdest people seem to be the nicest people and the most honest people in the world. I would never judge anyone before I meet them. Some day down the road, CM Punk and I are probably going to work together and I would never judge him under any preconceived notions. I would judge him on the type of person he was when I met him. It’s all good, brother. I am vibing so high brother. I am going to reward those who are with me and those who aren’t my friends, I am going to win them over and make them my friends.”

** JEFF HARDY Says He’ll Be At TNA iMPACT! Tonight – Full Details