Archive for the ‘WWE’ Category

Jericho “Victim” Challenges Him To Thumb Wrestle

Mr. Lobo, the goof that Chriss Jericho taunted on stage at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, isn’t satisfied with Jericho’s lackluster apology and now wants to get physical with the WWE superstar.

Lobo rants about “drunken celebrities embarrassing themselves and/or other people in public” and challenges Jericho to “wrassle” him – with his thumb – “anywhere, anytime.”

JR Blog: WWE Cable TV Channel, Grisham & Striker, WM26

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Some highlights:

A WWE Cable Channel: “As I wrote earlier in the week, the potential of a WWE Channel is another positive. There are virtually unlimited ways to create new programming notwithstanding the Legends Roundtables, watching DVD releases w/ the talents involved with the production, daily blocks of World Class, AWA, ect has credence. Producing internet “radio shows” along the line of ESPN’s Mike and Mike, etc would work. Producing a specfic number of hours of daily programming and then repeating it seems doable. The potential is really limitless.

WrestleMania 26: “It will be interesting to see how Wrestlemania 26 gets out of the box for Phoenix. It’s a great time to be a fan. There will be several days of activities for fans making the trip to the valley of the sun. I’ve attended a Fiesta Bowl there and the facility is incredible.

New Smackdown Announce Team: Grisham and Striker are beginning to mesh as a solid broadcast duo and their efforts will continue to be a work in progress which is to be expected. I like their potential. Their progress may see yours truly assume another role TBD upon my return which works for me. I feel that I’m fortune to be able to help the team in a variety of ways. All of that is up in the air and is pure speculation until I’ve been medically cleared. Maybe there is a there man booth in my future especially on selected PPV’s. Who knows but I for one am not concerned. Just anxious to get back in the game.

Lilian Garcia Assaulted In New York – Attempted Mugging

During the Yankees World Series victory parade in New York City on Saturday, former WWE ring announcer Lillian Garcia was assaulted. She was thrown to the floor after somebody tried to grab her cell phone.

She was not harmed, but was shaken by the ordeal and grazed her elbow during the fall. Police hope to catch the culprit from CCTV footage after Garcia filed a police report.

“I just had a punk kid try and steal my phone,” Garcia wrote on Twitter. “Luckily, I held on tightly and he didn’t get it, but now be fore he threw me to the ground. As reported, Garcia mentions she has filed a report and is doing OK.

Lillian Garcia is concentrating on her music at present and is not currently accepting any new convention bookings.

Slammy Awards Announced, PPV Dropped But Prices Increase

— WWE Issued a following press release today announcing that comedian Dennis Miller will host a special 3-hour edition of WWE Raw on December 14th. The 3-hour broadcast will take place from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX and will feature the 2009 WWE Slammy Awards. 2009 Slammy Award categories will include: WWE Superstar of the Year, WWE Match of the Year, and WWE Diva of the Year.

Read more: WWE Press Release.

— A WWE memo sent out to various Pay-Per-View providers reveals that World Wrestling Entertainment will be eliminating one of its June PPV events in 2010, bringing the annual total down to 13. While this does seem like a step in the right direction, WWE will be making up for that lost PPV revenue by increasing the suggested retail price of its other PPV events (excluding WrestleMania), by $5.00, to $44.95. According to the memo, this will be the first price increase for non-WrestleMania events since 2006. The suggested retail price for WrestleMania will remain $54.95.

JR Blog: Jeff Hardy, Declining PPV Buyrates, WWE TV Channel

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted another blog update with his thoughts on the sharp decline in Pay-Per-View buyrates revealed in yesterday’s 3rd Quarter 2009 financial results (more on that), whether Edge will be healthy in time for WrestleMania in March and an update on Jeff Hardy’s legal woes. Some highlights:

WWE’s Declining PPV Buyrates: “PPV’s coming at us fans with such frequency is challenging to. process, prioritize and to afford. However, with the PPV business being such a vital part of any wrestling organization’s bottom line, I would be surprised to see the number of PPV’s decrease. So, it will come back to providing the consumer with what they are willing to and can purchase which will always be attraction driven fueled by button pushing creative which is no exact science.”

Jeff Hardy’s Legal Situation: I see the continuance of the Jeff Hardy legal issue as positive news for Jeff. I’m not an attorney nor do I play one on TV but one can make an argument that if the authorities thought that they had an overwhelmingly strong case that they would not be interested in postponing the proceedings. I strongly feel that Jeff Hardy is NOT a drug trafficker whatsoever and that he will be vindicated. I am also not unbiased in this matter as I am a Jeff Hardy fan and have been since signing Matt and Jeff to their first WWE contracts.

A WWE Cable TV Channel: “WWE TV Network…to me it seems as this is a logical progression for WWE in the future. If I had to place a bet, I would bet that WWE having their own TV channel on cable and satellite would happen sometime Sooner than later. I don’t know when this channel would launch but I do know that WWE has plenty of programming to help start a network. Plus new, non live event programming can be facilitated much like ESPN has done with their, seemingly, zillion hours of original programming that they produce for their multiple platforms.

As always, there’s plenty more to the blog, which you can read at JRsBArBQ.com in its entirety.

Mickey Rourke Wants To Wrestle, Piper Hosting Raw Soon

— WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is expected to host Monday Night Raw when it emanates from Madison Square Garden later this month.

— According to a report today by The Sun, Mickey Rourke says he would like to wrestle for World Wrestling Entertainment after being disallowed from competing at WrestleMania XXV earlier this year. The Academy Award-nominated actor says in his new book, Wrestling With Demons, that a clause in his contract for the Iron Man 2 prevented him from taking part in a one-on-one match with Chris Jericho due to the possibility of injury, which would delay filming.

Rourke says he walked away from WrestleMania “disappointed” due to his limited involvement with the event, which saw him punch Jericho following the WWE star’s handicap elimination match with Hall of Famers “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka. Rourke says he wanted to put his wrestling skills to the test after training for the lead role in The Wrestler. To read The Sun’s report, click here.

— Tuesday’s episode of ECW on Syfy drew a 1.0 cable rating, the same number as last week.

— John Cena, Big Show, Evan Bourne, MVP and several other WWE stars paid a visit to the National Guard’s Marseilles Training Center in Illinois in September. Click here to see photos from their visit.

(Credit to f4wonline.com and pwinnsider.com for some of the information used in this report)

Jeff Hardy Skips Court Date, WWE-THQ Deal Renewed

– Jeff Hardy did not show up for a scheduled court hearing on Wednesdayf or a probable cause hearing stemming from his September 11th arrest on multiple drug charges. The Fayetteville Observer reports that Hardy’s lawyer Jeff Van Camp told them that Hardy originally intended to attend the hearing, but decided not to show up because some of the drug test lab results had not come in yet.  As a result, the next hearing is has been set for December 2nd.

For more on Jeff Hardy’s legal situation and the multiple felonies he’s facing, click here.

— Last week, video game publisher THQ announced in a press release was set to expire at the end of the year and that WWE had given them until December 31st to decide whether to renew their licensing deal. During THQ’s quarterly conference call on Wednesday night, THQ CEO Brian Farrell announced that THQ and WWE have agreed to extend their partnership through 2014. Included in the five-year deal will be the continuation of the “SmackDown vs. Raw” franchise, new WWE games specifically targeting Asian markets and more focus ononline play.

Jericho Apologizes For Homophobic & Racist Remarks (VIDEO)

Chris Jericho is apologizing  for some recent comments he made at a film festival that many would consider to be racist and homophobic.

Jericho took part in a “Q&A” session at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival a few weeks ago following the screening of his movie, Albino Farm. Jericho referred to the session moderator as “Hadji”, a racial slur used against Middle Easterners. After the host jokingly checked Jericho’s drink for alcohol, the WWE Superstar used a gay slur towards him.

TMZ.com has footage of the incident, which you can view below.

Warning: The video contains some colorful language.

Jericho has since apologized and told TMZ.com, “After seeing the video I realize some inappropriate comments were made and I apologize if I offended anybody. Just know that everyone on stage was having a blast and we all shared a drink and a laugh after! The good news is I got my wish of being posted on TMZ.”

The Miz Says It’s Time For WWE’s Young Stars To Shine

WWE United States champion The Miz spoke to Brian Fritiz of the Orlando Sentinel’s “Between The Ropes” blog this week and says now is time for younger wrestlers to get their chance in WWE. “I think right now we’re at a time where a lot of the veteran WWE main-eventers are starting to get a little older and we’re starting to realize that they’re not going to be here for the next 10, 15 years and they need to start bringing up a new crop of new WWE superstars.

Miz said despite the progress he’s made since coming to WWE, some of his peers still have trouble getting past his background as a reality television star. “That’s always a topic of conversation,” he said. “People always ask me how does the locker room like you and the locker room has always hated me. I’ve never had too many friends in the WWE whether it was jealousy, whether they just didn’t like me because I came from the reality world.

“I find it amazing that WWE fans but also the locker room will take in MMA stars, they’ll take in football players, they’ll take in seven-foot tall people, you know. But a reality star comes in and oh, low and behold, he can’t fight. He can’t come into our business. I’m there just to prove everyone wrong, to prove to all those people that said he’s not supposed to be here, he’s just from a reality show. Let him host something. Let him host a Diva thing or something. I can actually wrestle and I can actually mean business and do what I say I am and actually be the best in the business.”

Miz also talks about Shane McMahon leaving WWE, WWE Raw’s celebrity guest host gimmick and lots more. It’s a great read – you can read the entire interview at OrlandoSentinel.com.

WWE Announces Q3 2009 Financial Results

World Wrestling Entertainment has released its third quarter of 2009 earnings report. Below is a summary of the report – you can view a more detailed breakdown at Shareholder.com. Through all the ups and downs, the bottom line is that Net Income was up 68% from last year.

WWE(R) Reports 2009 Third Quarter Results
November 5, 2009

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov 05, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009. Revenues totaled $111.3 million as compared to $108.8 million in the prior year quarter. Operating income was $14.5 million as compared to $7.9 million in the prior year quarter. Net income was $8.9 million, or $0.12 per share, as compared to $5.3 million, or $0.07 per share, in the prior year quarter.

“We are pleased with our solid performance. During the quarter we achieved an 84% increase in our operating income and managed a 26% increase for the first nine months of the year,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Entering the year, we established clear goals to reduce our cost structure and to improve our operating efficiency. Our results to date, including significant and sustained improvement in our profit margins, demonstrate our ongoing commitment in meeting these objectives.”

“Looking ahead, we believe WWE can achieve meaningful growth by taking advantage of our strategic opportunities and maintaining our focus on managing costs. Our portfolio of businesses exhibit significant operating leverage and, through disciplined cost management, we expect that leverage to drive future earnings growth.”

Rumored Names For The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010

With WrestleMania 26 already less than four months away, we’re already starting to hear some talk regarding who is being considered for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Names that keep coming up lately for the Class of 2010 include Ted DiBiase, the Road Warriors, Demolition, Ron Simmons and Slick.

Other names that are being discussed but are a little less likely are Ultimate Warrior, Lex Luger and The Honky Tonk Man.

Out of all these names, Ted DiBiase is considered to be the most likely possibility.

(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for some of the information used in this report)

WWE Changes Their Business Outlook – More Cost Cutting

Following the release of WWE’s third quarter financial results, the company issued the following statement this morning:

WWE, Inc. Announces 2009-12 Business Outlook
Expects 15% to 20% Earnings Growth

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov 05, 2009 — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today issued a revised business outlook, targeting average annual earnings growth between 15% to 20% over the 2009 through 2012 period. The revised outlook is based on a comprehensive review of the Company’s operations.

Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We believe we can achieve meaningful growth by strengthening our global expansion and television distribution, leveraging our new partnership with Mattel and continuing to improve operating efficiency. Through disciplined cost management, we expect our operating leverage to deliver outstanding earnings growth with even moderate increases in revenue.”

George Barrios, Chief Financial Officer, added, “WWE’s projected earnings growth reflects our focus on producing superior economic returns on the capital invested in our business and thereby creating value for our shareholders.”

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

Notes: The outlook above does not include the impact of any future merger or unplanned restructuring charges, the impact from sales and acquisitions of operating assets and investments, or the impact of taxes on the above items, that may occur from time to time due to management decisions and changing business circumstances. The Company is currently unable to forecast precisely the timing and/or magnitude of any such amounts or events.

PPV Buyrates For SummerSlam, Breaking Point, NOC

World Wrestling Entertainment has announced its 3rd Quarter 2009 financial results. You can read read the full report at Shareholder.com. The report is chock full of financial news that we’ll be covering here throughout the day, but here’s some data on WWE’s pay-per-view buyrates from the third quarter:

  • WWE Summerslam 2009 drew 369,000 PPV buys, down from 477,000 in 2008.
  • WWE Breaking Point reported 169,000 buys. Last year’s Unforgiven PPV, which Breaking Point replaced this year, did 211,000 buys.
  • WWE Night of Champions reported 267,000 buys, up from the 196,000 buys that The Bash did in the same quarter last year.

Overall, WWE made $14.5 million in PPV revenue during this year’s third quarter, down 10% from Q3 2008.

Kofi Talks Dream Opponent, Jamaican Gimmick, Orton Feud

In an interview with TheSun.co.uk, WWE Raw star Kofi Kingston was asked in a UK Sun interview says he was one of the last people to find out that he’d be feuding with Randy Orton. “This whole development has been pretty recent, I still don’t know what’s in store, except that there’ll be some high-quality matches. You pick a fight with Randy Orton, you have to step up to the plate. I’m going to step up and try to hit a home run.”

When asked about dropping the Jamaican gimmick, Kingston said WWE legends like Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H all had gimmicks before they broke out. “I think this is about me making a transition, a progression to the next level.

Kingston also spoke about his dream opponent “There’s a few, but growing up, Shawn Michaels was a big influence on why I watched wrestling and why I got into wrestling … It would bring my career full circle, because he got me into wrestling, and now here I am pursuing my lifelong dream.”

Jeff Hardy In Court Today Over Multiple Felony Drug Charges

Jeff Hardy is scheduled to be at the Moore County Criminal District Court in Carthage, North Carolina today for a probable cause hearing stemming from his September 11th arrest on multiple drug charges. The charges include:

  • Felony possession of cocaine.
  • Felony drug trafficking of opium
  • Two counts of felony possession with intent to redistribute a Schedule III drug
  • Maintaining a dwelling for drug use and/or distribution (also a felony)
  • Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia

If it is determined that a crime was committed and Jeff Hardy is probably the party who committed the crime, the cases move on to a Grand Jury. Upon review of the facts and evidence, the Grand Jury can criminally indict Hardy.  If Jeff Hardy gets indicted, the cases are transferred to Superior Court.

We’ll have more on this story later today.

RAW Rating, WWE Legends To TNA, Lance Hoyt Debuts

— This week’s WWE RAW hosted by Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne dropped to a 3.45 cable rating. Considering it was up against Game 5 of the World Series and Monday night football, the number is not so bad. Unfortunately for WWE, viewerhip declined as the show progressed, with hourly ratings of 3.5 and 3.4.

— Former TNA star Lance Hoyt made his WWE television debut this week on ECW as Vance Archer. He had been billed a Lance Archer in Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental territory.

– As previously reported, former WWE Tag Champion Jim Neidhart worked last night’s TNA iMPACT tapings, defeating Jay Lethal. Neidhart is part of a new storyline where Jay Lethal faces off against various wrestling legends. The storyline is something that was planned before the Hulk Hogan signing and more legends are expected to be used in the coming weeks.

Hulk Hogan Says He Taught Vince The Business, He’ll Run TNA

Hulk Hogan spoke to Minnesota’s City Pages newspaper this week and made some interesting things to say about his relationship with Vince McMahon in the 1980s, how much power he’ll have in TNA and what it meant to announce his partnership with TNA at Madison Square Garden. To read the whole interview, visit Citypages.com.

Hogan claims that Vince “didn’t really understand the business” after buying the company from from his father, Vince McMahon, Sr. “I moved in next door to him in Connecticut and taught him all about lifting weights and riding motorcycles and partying like a mad man; and then I taught him about the wrestling business and making money,” Hogan said. “And now I’m doing that again with TNA Wrestling.”

Hogan also talked himself up as the savior for TNA. He said the company agreed that he could have a “Vince McMahon role” calling the shots for TNA. Hogan says he will be “unofficially” running the promotion and will have the same if not more influence than he had during his run in WCW.

“All I told these guys was that they should give me a chance. If they didn’t like what I was doing they can tell me to take a hike, but let me have the chance to come in and take a shot at it,” Hogan said. “Let the fans and the other wrestlers take a look and decide for themselves what they’re in to and I’m confident that I will get this thing rockin’.”

Hogan is already crediting himself with generating the most buzz for TNA in its history and explains the significance of announcing his partnership with TNA Wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“The proof is already out there. In the course of a few days we’ve got more buzz going for TNA Wrestling then it’s had in seven years. For example, no other wrestling organization had ever been able to get into Madison Square Garden in New York for like, 100 years, because Vince owns it and his family owned it before him. So I came in and was like, ‘Watch this.; And we did a press conference at Madison Square Garden.

Next Week’s Raw Guest Host, ECW & SmackDown Matches

– WWE has announced that principle photography wraps this week in New Orleans on their next movie, Knucklehead. The movie stars Big Show, Mark Feuerstein from Royal Pains and Melora Hardin from The Office. Fight promoter Memphis Earl (Feuerstein) is in debt and thinks his luck is about to change when he comes across the 7-foot lifelong orphan, Walter Kronk (Big Show). He tries to convince Kronk to wrestle professionally and Kronk finally agrees to wrestle on behalf of his fellow orphans, setting up a road trip. The movie is currently scheduled for a theatrical release in the Spring of 2010. Click here to see a picture from the set.

– As reported here last week, boxer Ricky Hatton will be the guest host of next week’s WWE Raw from Sheffield, England.

– Tonight’s edition of ECW on Sci Fi will feature ECW champion Christian & Yoshi Tatsu teaming together against Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson. Also, the Hurricane will take on Paul Burchill.

– Batista vs. Matt Hardy has been announced for Friday’s SmackDown.

– This week is “WWE Week” on MyNetworkTV. In addition to Friday’s SmackDown, the network will be featuring two WWE-themed episodes of the “Deal or No Deal” gameshow on Tuesday night and will air John Cena’s action movie “The Marine” on Thursday night.

Ric Flair Training Hard For In-Ring Return & Austin Movie News

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here’s what JR said about:

Ric Flair: “Ric Flair called me Saturday as I was pulling into Owen Field in Norman about two hours before the Sooner game. Ric is staying very busy and the state lottery, promotional endorsement that he’s doing may be growing to other states outside the old, Mid Atlantic Territory area. Ric told me he was working out twice a day, when he could, in preparation for the upcoming Australian tour on which he’s booked. After talking to ‘Naitch’ it’s obvious to me that he still has the passion and the fire to perform inside a wrestling ring which should come really as no shock or surprise and I don’t think that his passion to perform will ever wane. Mother Nature might cause Ric more ‘female problems’ but Ric’s will to compete and perform can’t be deterred.”

Steve Austin: “Steve Austin called me Sunday afternoon during the Packers-Vikings game and most of our discussion centered on football and how I was doing battling my ‘little friend’ Bells palsy #3. Steve is preparing to head up to Vancouver to film another action/adventure movie that is going to be largely done outdoors in the beautiful terrain of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Texas Rattlesnake expects to encounter plenty of ‘weather’ including ample rain which apparently is what they want for the film to have the organic grittiness to fit the script. I don’t know the release date but one can assume some time in 2010 nor do I know the title. I obviously don’t know much but as I said we talked football and not work.”

Linda Responds To Illegal Campaign Contribution Allegations

The Connecticut Democratic party has filed a formal complaint against Linda McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment, alleging that WWE executives provided an illegal “in-kind campaign contribution” by having several embarrassing videos removed from YouTube.

“If Linda McMahon is going to talk glowingly about her role as CEO of the WWE, then she also must answer for the kind of female-degrading, sexually-exploitive, steroid-fueled programming it’s become known for,” said Nancy DiNardo, chairwoman of the Connecticut Democratic Party.

After Linda McMahon’s political rivals drew attention to some of the more outrageous segments featured on WWE programming in recent years (including the infamous scene of Triple H simulating sex with a Katie Vick’s corpse), WWE officials immediately had the videos removed from YouTube and claimed they were protecting their content from piracy. Democrats allege Linda McMahon’s campaign violated federal law when WWE had the videos taken off YouTube.

“WWE has selectively enforced its rights only insofar as they benefit Ms. McMahon’s candidacy. The facts demonstrate that WWE made expenditures in connection with an election, in clear violation of FECA,” the complaint says. “WWE expended its corporate resources – including the time of Mr. Zimmerman and other corporate personnel, and its attorneys – all used in the service of Ms. McMahon’s campaign to force YouTube to remove only the videos that reflected poorly on Ms. McMahon, while ignoring the multitude of other WWE-owned material still hosted on YouTube.”

For more on the Democrats’ complaint, visit Courrant.com.

Linda McMahon’s spokesman Ed Patru calls the Connecticut Democratic party’s formal complaint a “baseless accusation” and says McMahon has complied with rules and regulations established by the federal government.  “This latest attack from Chris Dodd speaks volumes about just how worried he is about Linda’s campaign,” Patru said. “It’s troubling that Chris Dodd’s political apparatus seems more concerned with watching wrestling videos on the Internet than restoring trust in government.”

For more on Linda McMahon’s response to the Connecticut Democratic party’s complain, visit TPM.com.

RAW Preview, Shad Gaspard Swine Flu Update, WWE Week

— Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon will be the special guest hosts. The advertised main event is John Cena, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Big Show. This is expected to be a dark match, as its the same match that took place after last week’s Raw went off the air.

— After writing on Twitter that he has “Officially recovered from the Swine Flu!,” WWE star Shad Gaspard has changed his tune and says he never had the illness. He now says, “I was just sick no swine flu…Cryme Tyme has the dopest fans!” When questioned about the conflicting Tweets, he said, “I don’t and and never did have the swine flu.”

— This week is “WWE Week” on MyNetworkTV. In addition to Friday’s SmackDown, the network will be featuring two WWE-themed episodes of the “Deal or No Deal” gameshow on Tuesday night and will air John Cena’s action movie “The Marine” on Thursday night.

Jim Ross Says WWE Needs To Overhaul Its Recruiting Process

In an interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross spoke at length about how important it is for WWE to overhaul its recruiting process and find the next generation of superstars.  “It’s just a matter focusing on recruiting and finding world class athletes and encouraging them to have the aptitude and desire – and maybe more importantly, be fans of the product – to try this profession.”

Ross continued, “It’s imperative. The scouting and the whole process has to be accelerated and maintained and improved upon every single day. As long as they have that mind-set, they’re going to continue to find good young guys that have potential. And then about one or two out of 10 will make it. It’s going to be an interesting future, but I don’t perceive it to be bleak whatsoever.”

Ross also commented on fellow Oklahoman Jack Swagger’s strengths and weaknesses. “Swagger’s got a blessing and a curse,” Ross said. ” He has the blessing of having so much God-given physical ability as a natural 6-5 or 6-6 kid that’s 260, so he has good size. He has an amazing athletic background. He’s been wrestling since he was in elementary school.  He wrestled in a Division I program [at Oklahoma] with good success. But he’s one of those guys that is so good that he can put it in a little above neutral and be better than most. What he has to find is the fire inside him that’s going to drive him internally to get to the next level and the next level after that.”

To read the full interview, visit BaltimoreSun.com.

Hulk Hogan Rips Vince McMahon & Hypes His Return

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune newspaper, Hulk Hogan pulled no punches when talking about his relationship with WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Hogan admits that his return to wrestling is partially motivated by money, but says the desire to help the industry and compete with Vince are also factors.

“Some people say Vince made wrestling and some say it was Hulk Hogan,” Hogan said. “We both did it together. I thought it would be cool to see who has more juice right now.” He added “I still have reasons to go do this, and it’s not just because I need to make money — which I do. I still love it. I still love it, man. I don’t know what else to say.”

Hulk explained that he wears his WWE Hall of Fame ring to cover up a tattoo of his ex-wife’s name, but any value the ring has is purely sentimental. “I think Vince McMahon paid $20 for it. My high school ring was better than this thing.”

Despite the expectations that he’s coming to TNA to wrestle, his true motivation is to get people excited about wrestling again. “It’s all about having fun and making the crowd go crazy and I think I can still do that, man. I might limp a little and might have to pull myself up by the ropes to get up, but I won’t know until I get in there,” he said. “If I really do embarrass myself to the point where fans are laughing at me, I’ll leave.”

Hogan also talked about his unsuccessful attempts to join the rock bands Metallica and the Rolling Stones. To read the entire interview, visit ChicagoTribune.com.

VIDEO: Flair Cuts A Promo About His Return To The Ring

Spooky Sound Off 88: The Orange Goblin Has Come To TNA!

solomonster

Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 88)

*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 69 minutes

Some of the topics discussed in this edition of the Sound Off include:

| A 30-minute discussion of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff signing with TNA, and the BIGGER announcement that has yet to be made

| Bragging Rights thoughts, including a very good Iron Man Match (but far from the greatest of all-time)

| Main events for Survivor Series are set and, of course, it’s more of the same

| WWE Films developing a movie project for The Undertaker (and an ORIGIN STORY at that!)

*Just want to note that I had so much stuff to talk about, I forgot to mention the Randy Orton/Kofi Johns….err Kingston angle from Raw, which I thought was AWESOME. How they follow it up will be key, but Kofi showed main event potential in his promo ability on Monday night. Big hopes for him!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to THESOLOMONSTER@gmail.com.

Wanna subscribe to the Sound Off via iTunes? CLICK HERE!

Visit The Solomonster on Twitter @ twitter.com/solomonster