In a recent interview with SkySports, WWE Raw superstar Kofi Kingston explains why he’s dropped the Jamaican gimmick and is now billed from his real birthplace, Ghana, West Africa.

“I was actually born in Ghana, West Africa,” Kingston said. “As far as the whole Jamaican thing is actually concerned, growing up I actually loved everything about Jamaica. I loved the food, the culture, the laid-back attitude. When I came to the WWE initially I wanted to come out to something that attributed both my love for wrestling and the Jamaican heritage.

“I wanted to come out to something unique and something people had never seen before. But at a certain point it becomes about being real and true to yourself, as opposed to playing a character. You look at guys like Triple H. When he first started out he was Hunter Hearst Helmsley and before that he was Terra Ryzing – I don’t know if a lot of people know that.

“Stone Cold Steve Austin was Stunning Steve Austin before he became Stone Cold. The Rock
was Rocky Maivia before he became The Rock. Shawn Michaels was a Rocker before he became the Heartbreak Kid. I think in wrestling and the WWE you see a trend of guys who make transitions. And I think for me I’m in that transition stage into coming into my own.”

To read the full interview, visit SkySports.com.

— The UK Sun is reporting that boxer Ricky Hatton will be guest hosting WWE Raw on 11/9 from the UK’s Sheffield Arena. Hatton will be the second boxer to host Raw after his recent opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr appeared held the job back in August.

— TNA president Dixie Carter has joined Twitter at Twitter.com/TNADixie. Her first post detailed an eventful day at TNA headquarters. “Celebrated the Hogan signing at staff meeting this morning with champagne and donuts” Carter called it “a new beginning for TNA!”

— Speaking of Twitter, former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy’s Twitter page is now back online at Twitter.com/jeffhardybrand. He has not added any posts yet. The page was taken down shortly after his drug arrest on September 11th.

Following the announcement that Hulk Hogan will now be working with TNA Wrestling, there have been some curious changes to WWE.com that are worth noting.

Both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair’s profiles have been removed from the Alumni section of WWE.com. Eric Bischoff, who will be joining Hulk Hogan in working with TNA, still has a profile on the Alumni page.

While its somewhat understandable why Hogan’s profile would be taken down now that he’s working for WWE’s top competitor, there hasn’t really been anything newsworthy with Ric Flair in recent days. While he is wrestling next month despite WWE’s grand sendoff last year at WrestleMania, this has been known for quite some time.

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hoganwas a guest on the Howard Stern SiriusXM satellite radio show on Wednesday morning. There was

– Hogan confirmed what we reported earlier this year, that he had talks with WWE about facing John Cena at WrestleMania 25. The match never happened because Hogan pulled his back out while training.

– Hogan claims WWE CEO Vince McMahon contacted him recently about hosting an upcoming edition of WWE Raw. Ironically enough, Vince wanted Hogan to host WWE Raw on November 16th from Madison Square Garden – the location where Hogan held a press conference this week to announce he’s signed with TNA Wrestling.

– Hogan also claimed Vince McMahon wanted to begin the Hulk Hogan retirement tour, similar to what they did for Ric Flair last year. Hogan said he still feels he has plenty of gas left in the tank and doesn’t want to retire.

– Hulk said the main reason he signed with TNA Wrestling instead of going back to work for WWE is because Vince wanted to own the rights to the Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania names – which he wouldn’t do. He told Howard that Vince is probably not pleased with his decision to sign with TNA.

Warning: The following contains *SPOILERS* for Friday’s WWE SmackDown:

At Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings, Chris Jericho defeated Kane to earn a spot in the Survivor Series World Heavyweight title match. Jericho joins the Big Show in what is now a triple threat match for the Undertaker’s title.

With that match in place, here’s the updated card:

WWE Title Triple Threat Match:
John Cena (c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat Match
The Undertaker (c) vs. Big Show vs. Chris Jericho

The 23rd annual WWE  Survivor Series PPVtakes place on November 22nd from the the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to reader Dave M. for sending in this live report from last night’s WWE Raw:

Last night’s crowd was really hot and into everything all night long.

-The arena was about 90%-95% full.

-The new RAW opening premieres next week. They had the crowd stand and scream “HEY” every time it came on the screen with the cameras panning the crowd.

-During commercials, Chris Jericho was ripping on the fans and the city…he was hysterical.

-Jamie Noble sucked up to the fans before his squash by Sheamus.

-Surprisingly the guest hosts got a huge pop. When they drove into the arena, the first car almost hit a cameraman who was right by the ramp. He stumbled a bit backwards and almost fell.

-Vince & the WWE must love Buffalo. In the course of 12 months we had: 2 Monday Night Raws, 1 PPV and now they are bringing a house show back in 2 months on 12/27 @ 5pm.

-At one point they turned the lights out and all you saw was a sea of green DX glowsticks…..an awesome sight.

-When Eve was guest ring announcer she was sitting and shaking from either nerves or impatience.

-The crowd had no clue what Hornswoggle was given or what Lawler was saying to him.

-The Kofi/Jericho match was awesome to watch & everyone was into all the false finishes.

-The crowd was into the beatdown of the Big Show for the main event. Evan Bourne got some major mid-air time! He was really high up.

-Dark match main event featured DX, Cena & Kofi “Johnson” vs. Orton, Legacy & Big Show. Legacy left Randy right after Big Show was tossed over the top rope leaving Orton with the 4 faces. Each one gave him their finisher. After the match HHH got the mike and did the usual DX stuff with Kofi & Cena. Everything finished up just before 11:30pm. They hung around with the fans at ringside for a few minutes as Justin Roberts (the girls sitting next to me were “swooning” over him all night long and kept saying why doesn’t he do a male diva thing….it was funny!).

Biggest Pops:
-Cena
-DX
-Kofi beating Jericho and trashing Orton’s car
-Evan Bourne-Flying through the air

Biggest Heat:
-Big Show
-Orton
-Jericho

Personal note: The signs are nice and sometimes funny….but not to hold up the entire night so the people behind you can’t see! I wish they would make a few announcements asking people to only show them when they ask you to. It is very annoying. I noticed one guy towards the front rows who was annoying as hell with his sign. Finally some guy had enough and he got clocked because his oversized sign kept blocking the view.

WWE returns to Buffalo on 12/27 with tickets on sale this Saturday.

— WWE has announced that rock legend and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon will be the guest hosts for next week’s WWE Raw from Worcester, Massachusetts.

— The 23rd annual WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view takes place on November 22nd from the the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. It was announced on Raw that new WWE champion John Cena will defend the gold against Triple H and Shawn Michaels at the event in a triple threat match.

— WWE newcomer Sheamus has been moved from ECW to the Raw roster. He defeated Jamie Noble in his impressive Raw debut.

• Related: Triple H reveals that Sheamus is his workout partner and says he has major potential

In a recent interview with Powerslam Magazine, WWE star Triple H spoke at length about a number of topics, including the downside of WWE’s success, retirement, his backstage power, WWE’s young talent and more. It’s a great read and we’ve got the highlights below.

Triple H says he could walk away from WWE at any time, but still feels that he’s popular with the fans and the next generation of stars aren’t ready to step up. “I’ve always said that I won’t be one of those guys still wrestling at 50 or 60. I look at the business now from the other side and, if I was Vince McMahon, I’d know when to tell me to step away. Right now, the talent’s not there: there is no depth. But, yeah, I do think about retiring: wrestling isn’t the only thing in my life, like it was when I broke in. If my family asked me to give up wrestling tomorrow, I’d do it in a heartbeat for them, and I’d never look back.”

Hunter is often criticized for having too much power backstage as a member of the McMahon family, but he says the power doesn’t go to his head. “People say the power I have puts me in a position of dominance but, if I lost that power, I’d be quite happy,” he said. “It’s all about what benefits the business for me. …The critics I listen to are the ones I can hear when I walk into the arena. When people aren’t caring about me anymore, I’ll know.”

He acknowledged that one of the negative aspects of WWE’s incredible success is that aspiring wrestlers don’t really have many places to learn their craft.  “When I was coming up, there were lots of places to work and learn your craft and, by the time you got called up to the WWE, you already had plenty of ability – whereas now, you achieve a bit of success and you come in before you’ve learned,” Hunter told boxing writer Danny Flexon in an interview for Powerslam Magazine. “There’s fewer places to send wrestlers where you can let them make mistakes. Guys used to say that WWE wouldn’t even look at you until you’ve had five years’ experience. But, now, we’re looking at guys who’ve had between six months and a year.”

Hunter was asked which younger wrestlers currently on the WWE roster he sees as having the most potential. “C.M. Punk is obviously already on his way to becoming a big star. Jack Swagger, I like. Sheamus. Evan Bourne is very good. Kofi Kingston,” Hunter said. “They are all moving up, but slowly, which is the right way.” He used the example of Steve Austin making himself a star at the 1996 King of the Ring and against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 to show how a good wrestler becomes a star. He said younger talent need to find a way to stand out.

At the end of the interview, Hunter singled out Sheamus as somebody with a ton of potential. “The closest (younger star) to me is probably Sheamus, because we always train together on the road. But I try to watch all the young guys’ matches and give them advice, if they want to hear it,” he said, almost if he had to defend himself for giving advice. “If they take advice to heart and really want to improve, them I am wanting to help. As for seeing some of myself in someone? That’s tough. Sheamus just the other day showed up at a show he didn’t have to be at. He does whatever he’s asked to do without complaining, he goes to every show and is always wanting to work: he does it all, goes above and beyond. That’s what I was like.”

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts about last night’s WWE Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View. Here’s what JR had to say about the top matches:

The 14-man Raw vs. SmackDown Match: Chris Jericho will likely continue to be the most despised man in WWE which is apropos and befits his ample skills. The SD team winning the 7 man tag, as I mentioned, surprised me but not in a bad way. Fans can choose to nit pick any 7 man tag all they choose but with 14 bodies in one, one fall match these massive tags are tough to navigate. The follow up, or fall out as it were, should make for some potentially intriguing TV. For any one who may think that 14 athletes are going to get “equal time” in a bout such as this isn’t realistic. The things that were top line issues got the focus they seem to need/warrant. I thought the 7 man tag delivered as expected, again in a challenging format. A Jericho/Big Show vs. DX issue looms one would assume.

World Heavyweight Title Match: “Fatal 4 Ways can only have so many agendas and the biggest thing to come out of the World Title Match was the Batista-Mysterio issue which should make for some interesting Friday Night Smackdown. The big, disgruntled bully against the smaller underdog seems to be a dog that will hunt.”

Cena & Orton’s Iron Man Match: “I throughly enjoyed the 60 Minute Ironman Match and that was the match that I would have most loved to have participated in from an old school perspective. Cena and Orton rose to the occasion, in a physically demanding environment and told a magnificent story to bring the PPV to the close it needed. Loved the physicality and intensity as ‘going the hour’ is a challenging piece of business. Cena is unquestionably and obviously the ‘Face of WWE’ which is no revelation but was certainly reaffirmed Sunday night. Orton has raised his game to an extraordinary level and he’s still not nearly as good as he is going to be considering his age and what lies ahead for the third generation wrestler. That’s a scary thought.”

To read what JR said about Miz vs. Morrison, the Divas Match and get an update on his MRI results, visit JRsBarBQ.com.

During last night’s Iron Man match at Bragging Rights, a spot where John Cena got busted open caused a lot of commotion backstage.

The incident happened when Randy Orton hit Cena with a microphone and started Vince McMahon ordered Cena to be cleaned up immediately after seeing the blood. WWE’s John Laurinaitis along with trainers rushed to ringside to clean him up, as WWE currently has a very strict “no blood” policy as part of their TV-PG programming initiative.

With their first attempt, Cena wasn’t aware what they intended to do so played babyface and mounted offence against Randy Orton. The cut was finally glued shoot and cleaned up after the next fall.

Cena and Orton were scheduled to work among the crowd and WWE wanted to ensure there was no health issue with a bloody wrestler among fans. If it were to have happened, the issue would have been taken seriously by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission and likely used as more ammuniton against Linda McMahon’s senate campaign.

As the blood was unplanned, WWE decided to stop the clock during the bout as it wasn’t known how long the clean up operation on Cena would take.

(Credit to PWInsider.com for some of the information used in this report)

— Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes from the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. The special guest hosts are NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. The advertised dark match main event is John Cena, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Big Show in a six-man tag. For the first time in months, WWE has 4 weeks to build to the next Pay-Per-View instead of only 3.

— WWE’s website has added Lex Luger to the “Where Are They Now?” section. Luger says, “One of the things I do is try to get a positive message out there in the local schools and tell my story,” Luger said. “I also do a lot of faith-based speaking, sharing my story and testimony, to help show what God has done in my life and what he can do in others’ lives.” For more, visit WWE.com.

— The WWE website has a tongue-in-cheek article about superstars who have hailed from “parts unknown,” which you can read here.

Shawn Michaels has no plans of retiring any soon. The Heartbreak Kid is likely to continue wrestling on a regular basis for another 2-3 years and is not giving the impression that his retirement is imminent, according to prowrestling.net.

Michaels currently works a lighter schedule than most of the WWE roster (he doesn’t appear on all house show events) and that  schedule may be scaled back even further in the next year or so.

It is believed that when the time does come for Michaels to call it quits, he will receive a spectacular sendoff similar to that of Ric Flair’s when he retired. Michaels has spent almost his entire career with WWE and is one of the few WWE superstars to never jump to WCW. He’s been one of Vince McMahon’s favorite performers for a long time and it’s possible his sendoff will be even bigger than Flair’s.

• Tell us what you thought about WWE Bragging Rights in the COMMENTS section below!

WWE bragging rights begins with a video package highlighting the main feuds heading into tonight’s PPV.

Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Todd Grisham welcome us to the show.  Apparently the winner of two out of three of the brand matches will win a Bragging Rights trophy.  Miz’s music hits, and one of the inter-promotional matches will be kicking us off tonight.

Match #1: Unites States Champion The Miz vs. Intercontinental Champion John Morrison

We get a video package between entrances, showing the history between these two men. Miz comes out first and gets a lot of boos. John Morrison is out next to a nice reception from the crowd.  Jericho and team Smackdown are shown in the back watching on the monitor, followed by Team Raw watching too. Morrison and Miz jaw at each other for a bit before locking up and starting out with some chain wrestling.  Miz makes it to the ropes when Morrison gets an advantage, forcing a break.  The two lock back up and Morrison quickly takes Miz down again.  Morrison locks in an arm bar, but Miz fights out, he quickly falls victim to a fireman’s carry from Morrison though.  Morrison hits a pair of shoulder blocks and locks in a headlock, tossing Miz into the corner.  Miz bails to the outside to a ton of heat from the crowd.

Miz makes his way back into the ring and he kicks Morrison in the midsection before taking him over into a side headlock.  Morrison fights his way out, but Miz comes back with a shoulder block.  Morrison connects with a hot shot before hitting a big standing shooting star press.  Morrison goes for the pin but he can only get two.  Miz backs Morrison into the corner and starts pounding down on him before sending Morrison to the outside.

Miz tries to bring Morrison back in with a suplex but Morrison comes in with a roll up instead.  Miz goes for a knee lift but Morrison fights out and clotheslines Miz over the top rope.  Morrison leaps through the ropes with a big kick that sends Miz to the floor.  Morrison sends Miz into the ring and goes for the quick cover, but Miz kicks out at two.  Morrison goes for a headscissors, but Miz throws him down to the arena floor instead.

Morrison makes his way back into the ring where he quickly falls victim to a side slam.  Miz goes for the cover but he can only get two.  Miz buries his knee in Morrison’s back and yanks back on his arm, trying for a submission, but Morrison fights his way out with a modified mule kick.  Miz sends Morrison into the corner and hits the big clothesline before pulling hitting Morrison with a big running knee to the head.  Miz locks in a sleeper hold and Morrison tries to fight out.

Morrison fights his way out and scores a couple of quick roll ups, but Miz is able to kick out at two.  Morrison and Miz trade kicks and strikes with Morrison getting the advantage with a running forearm.  Morrison connects with a big leg lariat and goes for the pin, but Miz kicks out.  Miz scores a quick roll up, but again he can’t keep Morrison down.  Morrison pounds on Miz until the ref breaks it up.  Miz tries for a clothesline, but he misses and walks right into a springboard kick.  Morrison goes for the pin but Miz gets his foot on the rope.

Morrison goes for Starship Pain, but Miz bails to the floor where he eats a corkscrew plancha from Morrison.  Morrison throws Miz back into the ring and goes for the pin but Miz is still able to kick out.  Morrison puts Miz on the top turnbuckle and he goes for a superplex but Miz is able to knock him back to the mat.  Miz connects with a double ax handle to the head.  Miz goes for the SCF, but Morrison fights out and hits a reverse Russian leg sweep.  Morrison goes for Starship Pain, but Mix sweeps his legs out from under him, goes for the pin, and the ref counts to three.

Winner: The Miz by pinfall

We get an update on the situation in Team Smackdown where R-Truth, Matt Hardy, Finlay and the Hart Foundation qualified for Team Smackdown over the old team.  They compare the two teams heading into tonight’s match.

Cody Rhodes is backstage saying that it’s pretty much going to be a clean sweep for Team Raw.  R-Truth tells him to hold up.  Rhodes says that unlike R-Truth, he was able to win his first qualifier, but Truth is a second rate competitor on a second rate team.  R-Truth says that the truth is that Cody’s dad is the only reason on Raw.  He says he wouldn’t be surprised if Cody makes a name for himself by being the one pinned tonight.  Big Show is behind Truth, he accuses him of taking cheap shots.  Show says he’s learned a lot from Jericho, but that’s not how they do things on Raw.  Show says that Raw will let their actions speak for themselves.

Match #2: RAW Divas vs. SmackDown Divas
Divas Champion Melina, Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim vs. Women’s Champion Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix and Natalya

Team Smackdown is out first, followed by Team Raw, and both teams get fairly decent reactions from the crowd.

Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim start out things for their respective teams with Beth showing her power right off the bat.  Kim is able to use her quickness to score a roll up, but she falls victim to an immediate clothesline.  McCool tags in and goes to work on Kim, but she eats a hurricarana and goes back to her corner to tag in Natalya.  Natalya takes down Beth with a couple of quick forearms and a big body slam, but she misses the elbow and a charge into the corner, leaving her open for a modified spear.

Kelly tags into the match and hits a big headscissors on Natalya, before getting hung up on the top rope by Natalya.  Natalya goes for the pin but she can only get two.  She backs Kelly up into her team’s corner before distracting the ref, allowing her teammates to work over Kelly.  Kelly fights out, but McCool tags herself in and stomps away at her.  McCool backs her up into the corner again and tags in Phoenix who hits a snap mare and goes for the pin, getting two.  Phoenix locks in a modified chin lock, but Kelly is able to fight out, although she can’t make a tag.

McCool makes her way back in and dominates Kelly, slamming her down to the mat before hitting a big knee life.  Beth tags herself in and slams Kelly’s head into the corner, but Kelly is able to hit a quick hurricana and a near fall.  Kelly is finally able to make the tag to Melina who comes in and cleans house on Beth Phoenix, hitting a big dropkick and a drop toe hold into the ropes.  Beth hits Melina with a suplex but Melina turns it into a roll up.  McCool flips it over, but it’s only good for two.

Beth connects with an implant buster type maneuver on Melina, and pins her for the three count.

Winners: Smackdown Divas by pinfall

DX is shown backstage watching the monitor.  They say that they have to win their match tonight.  Swagger interrupts and says does it really matter, the team is better because they have him.  Michaels says that Swagger needs to learn respect.  Hunter says as a team, Raw shouldn’t even be able to get along.  They talk about Mark Henry’s relationship with Mae Young, shoving McMahon into Big Show’s ass, and exposing Kingston as a fake Jamaican.  HBK says if Swagger wants to walk out on the team, he can, and HBK will replace him with the first person he sees.  Hornswoggle walks into the picture and Micheals says maybe not.  Triple H says tonight is bigger than a match, it about honor and pride.  Hunter says they have to win tonight, so he needs to know if his team is ready.  Micheals puts his hand in the middle and everyone else follows.  They all say Raw together, and it’s a very heartwarming moment.  Kinda like the Mighty Ducks.

Match #3: Four-Way Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Hvt. Champion The Undertaker vs. C.M. Punk vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio

Batista is out first to a huge pop from the crowd.  CM Punk is out to a somewhat mixed reaction.  Not a lot of people are cheering for him, but a small contingent is.  He talks smack to Batista before laughing in his face. Undertaker’s gong hits, the lights go out, and the crowd goes nuts.  CM Punk looks concerned and he whispers something in the referee’s ear as the Undertaker makes his way out.  The crowd goes wild when he steps out onto the stage. We get the formal introductions for everyone as they all stare each other down in their own corner of the ring.

Punk jumps Mysterio at the bell before bailing to the outside.  He comes back into the ring where he forces the Undertaker to hit Batista with a clothesline.  Punk pounds on Undertaker in the corner for a bit, but his advantage doesn’t last long before the Undertaker throws him over the top rope to the outside, where Mysterio hits a seated senton.  Batista and Undertaker square off for a bit with Undertaker coming out on top.  Undertaker then quickly dispatches Mysterio with a big boot before working over Batista’s arm.  Taker connects with old school on Batista and turns his attention to Mysterio for another old school, but he gets sent down by Punk.

Punk tries for a superplex, but Taker fights him off for a bit, Punk eventually connects and Mysterio goes for a quick cover but Punk breaks it up.  Batista comes back into the match, hitting a huge slam on Punk but he quickly falls victim to a big boot from Taker.  Mysterio tries for a hurricarana on Taker but Taker catches him.  Taker goes for the last ride but Batista connects with a spear.  Mysterio goes for the cover but Taker sets him up for the chokeslam.  Batista and Rey Mysterio hit a 619/spinebuster combo, but CM Punk breaks up Batista’s pin attempt.

Punk connects with a go to sleep on Mysterio but Batista breaks it up.  Undertaker locks in Hell’s gate on Batista out of nowhere but CM Punk breaks it up and pounds away at Taker.  Punk stomps away on Batista before connecting with his running knee in the corner on Taker.  Taker holds on though and hits the last ride on Punk, but Batista breaks up the pin.

Batista and Taker square off with big right hands, Batista gets the best of it, but Taker connects with a big chokeslam out of nowhere.  He goes for the pin but Punk breaks it up again.  Punk picks up Taker and starts to pound away at him, but Taker goes for the chokeslam.  Punk kicks away at his knees to break it up, but Taker sends Punk to the outside over the top rope.  Taker signals for the tombstone and he gets Batista up, but Batista fights out and connects with the Batista bomb, but Mysterio breaks it up and goes for a cover of his own.  Batista and Mysterio argue, and Batista shoves Rey down to the outside.  Undertaker connects with a chokeslam on Batista and he goes for the pin but Batista kicks out.

Taker goes for another chokeslam but Batista fights out and both men his simultaneous clotheslines.  Punk sneaks in and goes for a pin on both men but both kick out at two.  Punk gets frustrated and allows for time for Batista to send him to the outside.  Batista catches Mysterio and he throws his to the outside on top of Punk.  Batista turns around straight into a tombstone from Taker.  Taker pins Batista and the ref counts three.

Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: The Undertaker

Josh Matthews is in the ring after the match and he asks Mysterio how it feels to come so close to winning the World Championship.  Mysterio says that he and Batista did their best to help each other out, he apologizes to Batista and gives him a hug.  Mysterio says they were both close, but it didn’t work out tonight.  Matthews asked at what point he felt the match slip away from him.  Mysterio says whatever happened happened and tomorrow is another day.  Matthews asks Batista how he’s feeling.  Batista asks Rey and the fans if they think they were close.  Batista says he doesn’t think they were close, he thinks he was close, and that he’s tired of coming this close.  He also says he thinks he’s tired of his best friend stabbing him in the back.  Batista says he’s not playing, he says he’s going to rip his head off.  Batista drops the mic and stares down Mysterio before hitting a nasty lariat.  Batista sends Rey out to the floor, where he follows stomping away and screaming at him.  Batista screams in Rey’s face while Mysterio pleads with him to stop.  Batista launches Mysterio into the ringside barricade and the ref is in to stop things.  Batista attacks quickly again with another vicious clothesline and he leaves Rey lying.

We get a video package of fan opinions of who is going to win in the big tag match tonight, it’s pretty split, but it seems a bit more heavy for Team Raw.

14-Man Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown Bragging Rights match
Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Big Show, and Mark Henry vs. Chris Jericho, Kane, Finlay, Matt Hardy, R-Truth, DH Smith & Tyson Kidd

DX’s music hits and Hunter and Shawn make their way out to the ring first for their team.  to a huge pop from the crowd. The Raw music hits and the rest of the team make their way out to the ring (way to make everyone seem equal, huh?).

Chris Jericho’s music hits and he makes his way to the bottom of the ramp where he waits for his co-captain Kane.  One major difference between Team Raw and Team Smackdown is that at least the captains of Team Smackdown are wearing their shirts prominently.  Smackdown’s music hits and the rest of the team makes their way down the ramp.

All 14 men square off in the ring and the referee holds the Bragging Rights trophy high.  Cody Rhodes and R-Truth are going to start things off for their respective teams.  Cody hits Truth with a quick kick and it quickly devolves into a fight.  Truth hits a big back kick, but he gets caught with a big back elbow and Rhodes and Truth fight on the ground for a bit.  Big Show tags in.

Kane tags in for Smackdown and the big men square off.  Kane starts things off with some strikes and a kick, he avoids a Big Show splash in the corner and hits a lariat, but he falls victim to a big shoulder block and a leg drop from Show.  Show tags in Swagger who comes in and works over Kane while talking smack.  Kane comes back with a big right hand and tags in Matt Hardy.  Hardy comes in and smashes Swagger’s head into the turnbuckle and hitting a big lariat.  Hardy tries for a suplex but Swagger fights out.  Hardy pulls Swagger’s shirt up and pounds away at him, hitting a big boot and following it up with a second rop leg drop.

Swagger bails to the floor and Hardy follows hitting a big lariat.  all 14 men square off on the floor and the ref tries to keep things separate.  Hardy and Swagger make their way back into the ring where Swagger works over Hardy’s arm with a single arm DDT.  Swagger tags in Henry, who comes in and pounds on Hardy in the corner before continuing to work over Hardy’s arm.  Henry hits a big head butt on Hardy, but when he tries for an elbow drop, Hardy rolls out of the way.  Hardy can’t make the tag though before Henry flings him back across the ring and tags in Michaels.

Michaels chops away at Hardy before sending him into the corner.  HBK sends Hardy into the ropes, but he falls victim to a kick and a side effect from Hardy.  Hardy makes his way to his corner and tags in Finlay who comes in and quickly slams Michaels down to the mat.  Michaels fights back though, but not for long as Finlay sends him hard into the corner.  Finlay connects with a short arm clothesling and a quick European uppercut before pounding away at HBK in the corner.  Micheals sends Finlay into the corner but Finlay turns around and both men crack heads and go down.

Both men get to their feet at the same time, but HBK hits sweet chin music.  Smith makes a blind tag and they hit the Hart attack and go for a quick pin but HBK kicks out.  Smith tags in Jericho who smirks and throws his shirt in Michaels’ face.  Jericho locks in a modified sleeper but HBK is quick to fight back.  He fights his way out of the hold and he rolls up Jericho, but he falls victim to a quick lariat.

Jericho stomps on Micheals and tags in Kane who comes in and hits a low kick to HBK’s face.  Kane goes for the pin but Micheals kicks out at two.  Kane punches Michaels in the face before tagging in Smith, who locks in a sleeper.  The crowd gets behind Micheals, who makes his way to his eet and fights out of the hold, but Smith quickly retaliates with a side belly to back suplex, which is good for another near fall.  Smith slams Michaels down and tags in Kidd, who goes for a springboard elbow drop, but he misses.  Michaels is able to make the tag to HHH who comes in and cleans house on the Hart Dynasty and Finlay with a couple of big spinebusters.  He turns right around though into a big chokeslam from Kane.

Kidd pins Hunter, but Triple H kicks out at two.  Both men go for their corners.  Kidd tags in Jericho who comes in and hits a bull dog on Hunter.  Jericho goes for a lionsault but Hunter rolls out of the way.  Hunter tags in Kingston who comes in and works over Jericho with a big dropkick, lariat and boom drop.  Jericho blocks the boom drop though and almost locks in the walls of Jericho but Kofi fights out and is able to connect with trouble in paradise.  The Hart Dynasty comes in to break up the pin and things begin to break down.  All 14 men are fighting.  Swagger hits his gut-wrench powerbomb, but he falls victim to a big boot from Kane, who falls victim to a spear from Big Show.  Kofi goes up top and Big Show grabs him by the throat and hits a big chokeslam.  Show hits the knockout punch on Hunter and leaves the ring.

Jericho pins Kingston, and gets the win for his team.

Winners: Team Smackdown by pinfall

Smackdown celebrates with the trophy after the match.  They all hand it around to each other.

Kingston is shown backstage where he’s blamed by Rhodes, who calls him a weak link.  Rhodes attacks Kingston and throws him into the wall.

Match #5: Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship:
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena
* No DQ or Countout – Cena must leave Raw if he loses

A video package is shown with highlights from all the matches these two men have been in with each other.

Randy Orton is out first to a surprisingly warm reception from the crowd.  He makes his way (very slowly) to the ring. Cena is out next, to a very nice reception from this crowd.  He runs down to the ring where he poses for the fans.  We get formal introductions for both men, and this time around both men get a fair share of love and boos from the crowd.

Cena and Orton and lock up, Cena goes for an arm bar and turns it into a side headlock.  Orton backs Cena up into the corner where he fights out of the hold and pounds down on Cena.  Orton locks in a side headlock of his own, taking Cena down to the mat.  Cena is quick to fight out, sending Orton into the ropes.  Cena hits a big hip toss, but he’s sent into the corner by Orton.

Orton stomps away at Cena in the corner, but he takes too much time and he’s sent into the opposite corner by Cena.  Cena goes for a bull dog but Orton launches him across the ring instead.  Orton stomps away at Cena on the mat before rearing back and punching him square in the face.

q  Orton takes his time and stares at Cena for a little while, which leads to him falling victim to the STF.  Orton taps out quickly, and the first fall goes to Cena.

Orton – 0 : Cena – 1

Both men square off with right hands and Orton gets the advantage with a scoop slam.  Orton kicks at Cena’s shoulder before blatantly choking him.  Orton continues to wear down Cena, stomping away at him.  Orton sends Cena to the apron and suplexes him back into the ring.  He goes for the pin, but Cena is able to kick out at two.  Orton locks in a rear chin lock and takes Cena down to the mat.

Cena is able to get back to his feet, but Orton clamps down and Cena alls back to the mat.  Cena looks to be fading, but he once again is able to make his way back to his feet.  Cena fights out of the hold this time, and he’s able to kick Orton in the midsection and hit a quick blockbuster.  Cena goes up to the top rope and connects with the leg drop to the back of Orton’s neck.

Cena goes for the five knuckle shuffle, but when he turns around he’s surprised by an RKO from Orton.  Orton pins Cena and gets the three.

Orton – 1 : Cena – 1

Orton sends Cena to the floor and he follows out.  Orton slams Cena’s head into the steel stairs before dragging him over to the announce table area.  He slams Cena’s head into the apron and begins disassembling the announce table.  Orton grabs a monitor and he whacks Cena in the skull.  Orton goes for the pin but Cena kicks out.

Orton sends Cena back into the ring and he goes for a mic.  Orton hits Cena square in the head and he goes for another pin but Cena is able to kick out again.  Cena is actually busted open on the top of his head and Orton punches away at the wound.  The ref tries to get the medic to check out Cena’s cut and they stop the clock, but Cena attacks Orton and the clock starts again.  Cena launches Orton over the top rope and to the floor.  He follows out and slams Ortons head into the steel stairs, but Orton is able to reverse an Irish whip and send Cena into the stairs.  Orton goes for the cover but Cena kicks out.

Orton starts to stalk Cena and looks to be setting up for the RKO,but when he goes for it, Cena pushes him off and hits a duo of shoulder blocks and a side belly to back suplex.  Cena fires himself up and connects with the five knuckle shuffle.  Cena goes for the AA, but Orton counters into the RKO.  Both men’s shoulders are down and both have an arm across each other, and the ref counts three for both men.

Orton – 2 : Cena – 2

The medics continue to check on Cena and he tries to wave them off, but they insist on toweling the blood of Cena’s head.  Orton charges Cena when the match starts again but Cena avoids it and Orton’s shoulder connects with the steel ring post.  Cena puts Orton on the top turnbuckle and he looks to be going for a second rope AA, he connects, and both men are down.  Cena is able to cover Orton, and the ref counts to three.

Orton – 2 : Cena – 3

Legacy run down to the ring where they assault John Cena, beating him down.  Dibiase connects with the dream street and the drag Orton on top of Cena.  The ref counts three and that’s another fall.  Kofi Kingston runs down to the ring with a chair and chases off Legacy.

Orton – 3 : Cena – 3

Cena starts the next fall off with a quick high knee and both men are down.  Cena takes Orton down to the mat and he starts to pound on him but Orton bails to the floor.  Cena follows out and he slams Orton’s head into the guardrail.  Cena and Orton fight up the ramp, with Cena throwing right hands all the way.  Cena sends Orton into another guard rail on the other side of the ramp, but the third time Cena tries, Orton counters and sends Cena in instead.

Orton goes for a pin but Cena is able to kick out at two.  Both men fight over into the tech area.  Orton slams Cena’s head into some controls and some of the pyro on the entrance ramp goes off.  Orton sends Cena into some of the set lighting and there’s a big hokey explosion.  Orton pulls Cena back out and goes for the cover, the ref counts to three.

Orton – 4 : Cena – 3

Orton goes back over to the pyro controls and he starts pressing random buttons.  He follows Cena to the top of the stage, but he grabs a chair first, making sure to whack Cena upon catching up to him.  Orton drags Cena over the pyro strip, and goes back to the controls.  Orton presses down on the button, but it doesn’t work, so he slams down on the controls and sets off a whole load of other pyro.

Cena apparently rolled out of the way of the pyro and Orton is livid.  Orton pounds on Cena and beats him back down the ramp, stopping at the half-way point to pound on the top of Cena’s head.  Orton hits a big European uppercut and pounds on Cena.  Orton launches Cena into the steel ring steps with an Irish whip.

Cena makes his way to his feet, but Orton sends him right back down with another punch.  Orton picks up some of the stairs and he throws them straight at Cena’s head.  Cena’s able to get his hands up though, and when Orton goes for the pin, Cena is able to kick out at two.  Orton looks to be getting frustrated.

Orton punches away at Cena, putting him down on the ground and trying to wear away at Cena.  Orton grabs another chair and he whacks Cena across the back.  Orton goes for a pin but Cena is able to kick out at one.  Orton sends Cena back into the ring.

Orton picks Cena up, but Cena is able to lock in a small package.  Orton won’t break for the interval and he pounds away at Cena instead.  The ref is able to break it up and Orton bails to the outside.

Orton – 4 : Cena – 4

Orton throws a tantrum on the outside, but he’s slow to start at the next fall.  He stalks Cena from the outside, pulling him toward the ring apron.  Orton gets Cena in DDT position, and he sends Cena crashing down headfirst to the floor.  Orton pins Cena and the ref counts to three.

Orton – 5 : Cena – 4

Orton goes for another pin, but Cena is able to kick out at two.  Orton picks Cena up and sends him back into the ring. Orton stomps away at Cena’s limbs, working him over methodically.  Orton locks in a chin lock and pounds on Cena’s chest.  He goes for a cover but Cena kicks out at two.  Orton hits Cena with another big right hand and Cena falls to his back.  Orton goes for a pin but Cena is able to kick out again.

Cena makes his way back to his feet where Orton is waiting behind him.  Orton his yet another big right hand and he goes for the pin, but Cena kicks out at two.

Orton goes for another big punch, but Cena ducks it and connects with a right hand of his own.  Orton bails to the floor and goes all the way up to the top of the entrance ramp.

Cena follows Orton up the ramp and they meet at the top where Orton kicks Cena and works him over with punches and kicks.  Cena is able to fight back and Orton walks back down the ramp and into the ring.

Cena makes his way back down to the ring, but when he slides into the ring, Orton beats down on him.  Orton continues to wear down Cena with some nasty stomps.  Cena rolls out to the apron, and Randy Orton sets him up for the rope assisted DDT, but Cena fights out and goes for the AA.  Orton fights out of that and bails out into the crowd.

Cena follows Orton all the way to the top of the stairs of a section and he connects with a garbage can shot.  Cena sends Orton head first into a wall, and he stomps away at Orton.  Cena punches Orton and Orton stumbles down the stairs away from Cena.

Orton and Cena slowly make their way back to the ringside area, but the continue to fight in the crowd for a bit.  Cena sends Orton back over the guard rail with a hip toss and he goes for a pin, but Orton kicks out at two.

Cena sends Orton head first into some steel stairs and goes for the cover, but Orton is able to kick out again.  Cena beats Orton around the ring and sends him into one of the ringside barricades.

Cena sends Orton into the barricade again and Orton is down on the ground.  Cena picks Orton up, and he sends him through one of the barricades, just absolutely launching Orton.

Orton positions one of the sets of stairs next to the announce table.  Cena picks up another set of stairs and he rams them straight into Orton’s head.  Cena hangs on to the stairs, setting them on top of the other stairs he already put next to the table.

Cena dead lifts Orton up into body slam position and quickly tosses him up on his shoulders into AA position.  Cena climbs the stairs that he just set up and hits the AA on Orton through the announce table and the crowd goes nuts.  Cena pins Orton and the ref counts three.

Orton – 5 : Cena – 5

Cena goes for another pin as soon as possible, but Orton is able to kick out at two and Cena looks shocked. Cena begins looking under the ring and he grabs a table.  Cena slides the table into the ring, where he sets it up in the middle of the ring.

Cena picks Orton up to his feet, but Orton can’t stand.  Cena carries Orton and rolls him back into the ring. Cena lays Orton down on the table.  Cena goes up to the top rope and he dives off with a leg drop, but Orton is able to roll out of the way and Cena crashes through the table.

Both men are very slow to get up.  Orton punches Cena from his knees, and Cena retaliates.  They continue to trade punches, but both seem exhausted.  Both men are back to their feet, and they continue to punch away at each other.

Cena gets in a flurry of strikes and he connects with one shoulder block, but when he goes for another he connects with the ref.  Cena is distracted and when he turns around Orton hits a big RKO.  Orton calls another ref down and he goes for the cover but Cena kicks out at two.

Orton is upset and he attacks the other ref, sending him down to the mat.  Orton appears to be extremely upset.  Orton backs up and sets up for the punt, but Cena avoids it and is able to counter with the STF.  Orton tries to make it to the ropes and he looks up at the scoreboard.

Orton is finally forced to tap with four seconds on the clock and John Cena ekes out another fall.

Orton – 5 : Cena – 6

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: John Cena

Cena poses with the title for a bit in the ring and the announcer recap some of the bigger spots in the match.  Cena makes his way to the top of the ramp, and walks out tall with the title over his shoulder.  The PPV ends with Orton shown recovering in the ring.

Thanks to everybody who joined us for our live coverage of WWE’s Bragging Rights!

Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 87)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 18 minutes

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

| Bragging Rights preview, including Vince McMahon throwing a fit and changing Team SmackDown!

| Jim Ross suffers his third Bells Palsy attack, and the very LATEST update on his condition from JR himself

| Nigel McGuiness jumps to TNA and debuts against Kurt Angle, how it happened and why WWE isn’t to blame

| AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash each have blow-ups with TNA management this week

| Bound for Glory thoughts, and why Turning Point is shaping up to be quite an impressive card

| What is the greatest match finish in wrestling history?

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

Thanks to reader Jon Hewett for sending in this live report from last night’s SmackDown tapings:

– Batista & Mysterio vs. Jericho & Kane tonight.

– Chris Jericho starts things off. Bragging Rights hype. JTG interrupts, then Vickie Guerrero interrupts. JTG’s better on the mic. Eric Escobar comes out, then Dolph Ziggler, then Drew McIntyre. Finally, Kane. Kane & Jericho run down their team for not being ready and set up a 4 on 5 tag match, because Shad is sick. Different stipulation than Raw’s 5 on 5 match.  This time, if a member of Team Smackdown loses, the whole team is replaced.

– 1st Match – Eric Escobar, JTG, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. The Hart Dynasty, Finlay, Matt Hardy & R-Truth. Long match. Hardy pins JTG with a Twist of Fate after Finlay with a shillelagh hit.

– CM Punk, Scott Armstrong and Teddy Long are in the back talking about the screw job. Armstrong bails out, but runs into Vince McMahon.

– 2nd Match – John Morrison vs. Mike Knox. Morrison wins with Starship Pain.  Morrison gives a short promo after the match.

– Jericho & Kane congratulate Hardy and company on replacing all 5 of the old Smackdown team.

– Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Mae Young and Beth Phoenix promo. Young slaps the fool out of McCool.

– Batista & Rey talk backstage.

– 3rd Match – Batista & Mysterio vs. Jericho & Kane. Pyrofest 2009. Batista pins Kane with a spear after Mysterio scarifies himself to Kane on a chokeslam.

– Vince McMahon talks up tonight’s main event. Armstrong caved in. Taker-McMahon WrestleMania 26 foreshadowing here. Vince blackmails Armstrong by saying Bullet Bob could go in Hall of Fame this year if he cooperates.

– 4th Match – Mickie James vs. Layla. Mickie wins with a spin kick. And let’s just say she’s gotten the message from being moved.

– Captain Lou package.

– Cole & King hype Bragging Rights.

– 5th Match – CM Punk vs. Undertaker -  Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title. Punk and company come out with a Straight Edge promo. Great simple stuff from Punk. Taker wins with Hell’s Gate despite Punk’s attempts at another screwjob. Punk tapped way too quickly.

– Taker plays to the crowd to send us home happy.

This morning, Matt Hardy posted several items on his Twitter account regarding his brother Jeff’s future. Matt wrote:

“A year or so from now, Jeff will be a bigger star and celebrity than he’s ever been-we locked him into a major project this week.”

“Nothing is gonna happen to Jeff, he’s a victim of a corrupt scam-the truth is coming out, and will come out in it’s entirety in the future.”

Interestingly enough, the comments have already been removed.

While this news does seem pretty juicy, let’s wait and see if anything materializes. Knowing Matt, he’ll follow up with an “AHA!” post how we’re all idiots for thinking he was talking about Jeff HARDY, when he was actually talking about his neighbor Jeff Jones, who was wrongfully accused of painting his house the wrong color.

Jeff Hardy was arrested back on September 11th after a search of his Cameron, N.C. residence yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia. He was charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Related News:

• Rumor On What Led To Jeff Hardy’s Arrest
• Jeff Hardy News – Main Listing
  

Source: PWInsider.com

World Wrestling Entertainment has signed former tag team champion Lance Cade to a new contract.  He reported to Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s developmental territory, earlier this week.

Cade, who was trained by Shawn Michaels in Texas, is best known from his tag team with Trevor Murdoch. He had been in the midst of the biggeset push of his career, working as Chris Jericho’s second during a feud with Michaels when he was suddenly released in October 2008. WWE announcer Jim Ross reported at the time that Cade was let go after suffering a seizure on a flight that required emergency treatment. The belief at the time was that Cade’s seizure was the result of “something he had taken.”

Since his WWE releasse last year, he’s been working for the NWA in California as well as in Japan.

— The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Jim Ross’ voice sounds perfect, according to someone who spoke to him personally. Ross recently suffered his third Bells Palsy attack, but it looks like he won’t be setback as much as he was with his two prior attacks.

— Linda Hogan and her publicists are currently working a statement regarding her reaction to the first excerpts from Hulk Hogan’s book, and his comments about being close to committing suicide.

— The Ultimate Fighter last night did a 2.1 rating. Speaking of UFC, Brock Lesnar’s anti-Bud Light comments were edited from the newly released UFC 100 DVD. Also edited out was Lesnar flipping off the crowd and Dan Henderson’s comment about punching Michael Bisping again on purpose after knocking him out.

— Chris Jericho will be appearing tomorrow night at the Sacramento Horror Film Festival at the Colonial Theatre in Sacramento, California. They will be playing the movie Albino Farm, which Jericho acts in.

— Mick Foley headlines the Total Extreme Comedy show on November 2nd at the Gotham Comedy Club in Manhattan, NY. Colt Cabana, formerly known as Scotty Goldman, will also be there doing stand-up.

Advertisement: The following link is not part of SEScoops.com:
NEW PICS: Jeff Hardy with his shaved head, Torrie Wilson’s first pics after hospitalization, & more

The results are in for our second poll here at SEScoops.com and the results are not a good sign for WWE heading into Sunday’s Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View.

Over 3,000 SEScoops.com readers cast their vote when we asked, “Are You Looking Forward To 60 Minutes of John Cena & Randy Orton?

70% said, “NOOO – Not More Cena & Orton!!”

30% said, “Hell Yeah – These Two Have Great Matches”

There’s a new poll up now – let’s hear what you think about Nigel MGuiness signing with TNA Wrestling….

While on a Monday night flight from Oklahoma to Columbia, South Carolina for tonight’s SmackDown tapings, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Rosss suffered his 3rd Bells palsy attack. He was able to reach WWE doctors and they called in the medicines he needed to get started on to slow down the paralysis. He wrote on JRsBarBQ.com this afternoon:

“This isn’t my first challenge I’ve had to deal with and there are lots of folks that have much worse issues than do I that they contend with on a daily basis. My intention is to fight thru this and continue doing what I love.”

“The wrestling business and those that work in it have become such a huge part of my life and the way I see it this is just another bump in the road as I am far from “tapping out. With all the fans that have always supported me thru 35 years, I know I won’t be going thru this alone.”

Ross had planned to work tonight’s WWE SmackDown tapings alongside Jerry “Lawler,”  filling in for the recently married Tod Grisham. Those plans have now changed.

“It has been decided that I should not risk further issues by working tonight and I am in the process of arranging a flight back to OKC so I can see a neurologist on Wednesday.”

“I want to be a part of Bragging Rights but only time will tell if that will be physically possible. My passion and love for the game is in tact but I have to do what’s best for my long term health”

“Life is about facing the challenges we encounter so I am going to do all I can to get better and back at the announce desk asap. I wish I had more answers but I simply don’t at this time … Never count me out of the game as this isn’t the first mountain that I have had to climb. Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole will handle SD from Columbia. My thanks to every one for understanding this matter. Better days are on the horizon.

Ross said he’s grateful that WWE has been “tremendously supportive” of his situatiion.

We wish JR a full and speedy recovery.

Former WWE diva Torrie created a lot of commotion last week after she posted the following message on Twitter:

“Big scare for me tonight. I was in the emergency room. Thought I was heading up to Heaven for a minute there. Thanks for letting me stay a little longer, Jesus!”

Wilson spoke to the Houston Chronicle this week and shed some light on her recent hospitalization due to a bad reaction to medicine she took for a thyroid problem. According to Wilson, her “heart was starting to shut down” while she was in San Diego, California.

“By the time I reluctantly went to the doctor, I was rushed to the emergency room with numb arms and legs and blue hands,” Torrie told the Houston Chronicle. “I was extremely dizzy and nauseous. I still didn’t take this seriously until the doctor started freaking out on me.”

Wilson was surprised that her message on Twitter got so much attention online. “I had a horribly close call, and I’m ashamed to admit that I ‘Twittered’ about it hours after I was out of the hospital because I was so flabbergasted at what happened! I guess I forgot how many people actually pay attention to me.”

Torrie also shot down rumors that she was using abusing prescription pain pills or any other drugs. She’s has a history of back problems that forced her to end her wrestling career.

“I was not taking prescription pain pills and anything crazy – like the Internet rumors said,” she said. “My heart rate was 30 per minute and slowing when I finally got help. I will never take medication without doing research on possible adverse reactions. In a nutshell, that’s what happened.”

Scary stuff, but thankfully she’s recovering. To read the entire interview, visit Chron.com.

CM Punk was part of a brief chat at TheState.com today to promote tonight’s Smackdown taping in Columbia, South Carolina.  Punk was his humorous self, delivering mostly sarcastic answers during chat. You can read a full transcript here. Some highlights:

His dream Wrestlemania opponent:

“Last year, before I was in the MITB match, it was Rey.   This year, it’s still Rey.   Mania is a long ways aways right now, so it’s hard to say where i’ll end up….but I do need a haircut….”

Who he wants to wrestle in WWE:

“If you think about it, you haven’t really even seen me warm up….Cena, hbk, hhh….”

How long he plans to wrestle:

“I’ve been wrestling 12 years now non stop with a little pit stop for a fractured skull.   It’s hard to say when i’ll stop, but I don’t want to wear out my welcome OR do this forever.   There is life after wrestling.”

If he could wrestle anyone from the past, who would it be:

“Harley Race.   And he would kill me.   But I would come back from the dead.”

The new WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game is now available the PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, DS, PSPand PS2 consoles.

Video game site IGN.com has posted a review of the game and gave it an 8.5/10 – Great. Reviewer Gregory Miller had a lot of good things to say about this year’s installment, as there have been improvements in many aspects of the game.

You can check out IGN’s full reviews below:

• IGN.com SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Review
• IGN.com SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 Video Review

New features in this year’s installment include:

— The presentation of the game is better than ever, “practically nonexistent” load timess and plenty of small details (the WWE live logo, the end of show copyright, etc.) that make this feel like you’re watching a real WWE broadcast.

— The Royal Rumble match has been completely redesigned from the ground up and is more authentic than ever.

— WWE Story Designer is another brand new addition to the game this year. Players the ability to create their own original story.

— Created Superstars, highlight reels, created finishing moves, and screenshots can all be uploaded online and downloaded by other players.

— The characters models continue to evolve, looking “as good as ever”. The animations are smooth and everything seems to move fluidly.

— The new blood system is said to be a great feature, with cuts starting small and blood flow increasing as more damage is done.

BUY SMACKDOWN vs. RAW 2010 Below from AMAZON.COM – Best Prices Anywhere!

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross

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

Shane’s Departure From WWE: “No website has any definitive news on why Shane McMahon resigned from his family’s company, WWE, on Friday. Perhaps more news sites will elaborate on this matter come Monday as Friday is always the best day to drop big news as sometimes it gets somewhat lost on the weekend. Nonetheless no one knows why Shane seemingly abruptly decided to leave the family business and I don’t feel that any one will know the reason until he declares what his next venture will be. Shane has a great formal education not to mention years of “on the job” training since starting out on the ring crew as a teen during the summers. I know Shane has many interests and who’s to say that he simply wants to reassess where he is in his life and spend more time with his family which includes two sons? Until Shane himself makes an official statement as to what he is going to tee up next, then every thing any one can read, report or write about is pure speculation. Shane has excellent people skills and a unique skill set in a one of a kind genre that employs basic promotional and organization skills that should be transferable to many businesses.”

Wrestlers Leaving The Industry: I have always found it amazing when fans cannot understand when someone who is seemingly entrenched in the wrestling business decides to explore other opportunities. Both the Rock and Stone Cold have been dissed because they no longer have the desire to “wrestle” but have both said that they would be interested in making selected appearances at the right place and the right time. For some fans that isn’t good enough. I admire “wrestlers” or “wrestling people” who want to explore other opportunities. Life cannot become one dimensional and one cannot allow their own lives to revolve around one, singular entity. That mindset isn’t healthy or smart.  Unless one is in a very unique position, IE ownership, and that’s arguable, one should not allow the wrestling biz or any other biz to become their “life.” Those that due usually end up miserable and make those around them unhappy as well. I have great empathy for ex-wrestlers who have to or feel compelled to to hang on to whatever they can within the wrestling business under the guise of “loving the business” while it’s really all about not having any marketable skills to replace their income. This is just one of the reasons that I always encourage young wrestlers to be to get college degrees so that they will have something to fall back on in case becoming a wrestling star doesn’t’ work out….and it usually doesn’t. If 2-3 out of 100 prospect become legit, main event level wrestling stars then a company should feel fortunate.

Flair Wrestling Again: Speaking of “Naitch” he called me Saturday morning early to wish me good luck at the Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl which was a classy gesture. He’s excited to be going to Australia to wrestle but Flair vs. Hogan isn’t what I would book as it would be Flair and Hogan together against two, younger athletic guys. Ric going down under to make a big payday doesn’t bother me at all nor do I think it bothers HBK who a fan recently asked about in our Q&A section of this site.

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Jim Ross Previews WWE Bragging Rights PPV/Returning To The Western New York Area, Discusses His WWE Future/TNA Rumors (And Missing SmackDown Last Tuesday), Matt Hardy’s Recent Twitter/MySpace Comments, If He Sees Booker T Returning To The WWE, How Much Of An Impact He Sees “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson/Nigel McGuinness Having, & His Memories Of The Late Captain Lou Albano

WWE Hall Of Famer & the voice of WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown, Jim Ross, was the special guest on this weekend’s edition (10/16/09) of Monday Night Mayhem (presented by ReelWrestling.com), hosted by The Big Mosh, Blade, & “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent. You can feel The Mayhem live & in streaming audio every Monday night (at 8PM ET/7PM CT).
JR’s return to The Mayhem (as part of the “MNM Fall Tour ’09”) is now available for free in Windows Streaming Media, or via The Mayhem’s official Podcast on ITunes:

Jim Ross/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Streaming Audio): http://www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/waxfiles/101609.wax

Jim Ross/Monday Night Mayhem Interview (MNM Podcast On ITunes): http://www.mondaynightmayhemarchives.com/oct09/101609.mp3

Here are some of the highlights of JR’s exclusive interview, provided by The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson From New Jersey:

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We promised you some surprises as part of the “Fall Tour ’09” of “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio.” As World Wrestling Entertainment gears up for the Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View, as well as the company’s return to the Western New York area (Buffalo & Rochester), who else better than WWE Hall Of Famer & the voice of WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown, Jim Ross, to step inside the MNM squared circle.

JR thanked The Big Mosh, Blade, “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent for the return back to The Mayhem’s airwaves. After missing last week’s SmackDown tapings in Lexington, KY, the internet has been swirling with speculation about if this could mean “trouble in paradise” between him & the WWE. JR wished to clear up any speculation once & for all. “Yeah, I guess it was a slow news week. Every 16 years, you ask for a TV taping off, and it was a big weak for us for my wife & I (their 16th wedding anniversary). I’ll be back at work next week (in Columbia, SC), and it’s not a big deal. But everything is good. I enjoyed the time off, and I’m excited to get back to work.”

Next Sunday night will see the first-ever Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View from Pittsburgh, PA. The highlight of the event will see a 60-Minute, Anything Goes Iron Man Match between Randy Orton & John Cena for the WWE Championship. JR was asked about the PPV & what fans should expect from the show. “I think it should be an interesting show. Of course, the Cena/Orton match is going to be an hour, being an old-school like that. Those guys have a long-standing rivalry, and it looks as if it’s coming to an end. If it is being able to perform for an hour, that really gives those guys the opportunity to make their mark even more so than they already have.”

Back in the late ’90’s, JR was credited with the upswing the WWE experienced, due to his eye for talent & signing guys that brought “The Attitude Era” to the WWE. JR was asked by “The Chairman Of The Board” Todd Vincent about the new match of stars that he sees headlining WrestleMania in a few years. “I think the WWE has done a solid job of creating a nice young nucleus that’s on the cusp of moving to the next level. There’s several gyts that I enjoy watching do their thing. I think John Morrison has a good upside & so does Dolph Ziggler as well. I need to see more of guys like (Drew) McIntyre, (Mike) Knox, & some of those individuals. I think they have some potential without question. I think RAW has some good talent. I like Jack Swagger…he’s getting closer. I think The Miz is a very prolific antagonist, and his persona is very easy to dislike. I like Sheamus…he’s got a good upside. There are a lot of guys that I enjoy watching aspects of their game…It’s just a matter of getting more experience & opportunities. And somewhere along the way, you are going to see guys back through.”

The Matt Hardy news mill is still running regarding the cryptic Twitter & MySpace messages from several weeks ago. Blade asked JR about a possible crackdown on Internet usage for the WWE superstars & Matt’s future on SmackDown. “I can’t speak for WWE, and I don’t know how to Twitter. So, I don’t know what they are doing to do on that. I think anybody, whether it is in the NBA, NFL, WWE, or anywhere, you don’t want anybody communicating to the outside world in a negative or disgruntled fashion, if that’s the case. About the SmackDown superstar: “I think Matt has great potential…He’s had it for a long time. He’s come close to getting over the hump, and it seems like to thing or another deletes that. A lot of it is bad luck. I’ve always had confidence in Matt Hardy’s abilities, and I think the WWE has confidence in him as well.”

Two of JR’s former broadcasting colleagues, Taz & Mick Foley, left World Wrestling Entertainment for TNA Wrestling, and the latest news being speculated on is former five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion & Main Event Mafia Member, Booker T, could be making a return to the WWE at the end of his current contract. Does JR see Booker returning back to World Wrestling Entertainment? “I haven’t talked to Booker since he left the WWE. I think he is a good guy, and I’ve known him for years. I don’t know what WWE’s thoughts are about Booker T coming back or not. Now obviously, if he’s healthy, if he’s motivated, and he could manage the travel schedule at his stage of the game. I think he could be an asset.”

JR has come around the Western New York area throughout his WWE career, and World Wrestling Entertainment is returning to Buffalo & Rochester next week for the first set of TV tapings for RAW, ECW, & SmackDown after Sunday’s Bragging Rights Pay-Per-View. Mosh asked JR about his memories of the area & working there. “I came to buffalo with the (Atlanta) Falcons one year & did the sideline reporting in a sleet storm, which was not overly pleasant, but the Bills killed the Falcons. When I go to Rochester, I always think of Gorilla Monsoon, because he was from there, and he always talked fondly about his upbringing there.” JR also added his memories of the world-famous Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant in the Buffalo area, which was opened up by the famous grappler in the mid ’60’s, which is still owned & operated today by Ilio’s son, Dennis.

The absence of JR from SmackDown brought up questions regarding his contract status with the WWE & what his future holds…Could that include TNA? JR cleared up the situation exclusively on The Mayhem. “There’s no contractual issue with me. I just have to redo a deal. I have to come to terms on a contract, and I feel like it’ll be done. But if it isn’t done, I don’t need a telethon or a career eulogy. I’ve had a wonderful run; 35 years in the business…Are you kidding me? I’m a fan, I’m still a fan.”

Former WWE Head Of Security & The Mayhem’s very own Jimmy Noonan (of MNM’s “Noonan Speaks”) joined the interview & broke the proverbial bread with JR, whom he worked with for years in the WWE. Noonan brought up the “Class Of 2002,” which featured names like Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Batista, & others. He went on to ask JR about this time as a special time of wrestling, due to this special group of guys, and if we are seeing the “end of an era” with some of today’s stars drawing a close to their careers. “I think that was a special group, and our department was very fortunate in recruiting & getting those guys trained.” He continued, “It may be the closing of one era, but the business has been so resilient over decade over decade. You just have to reload. You have to recruit quality human beings that are athletic & charismatic and want to be in the business. If it is the closing of one chapter, we just have to start writing a new one.”

More is contained in his exclusive hour-long interview with Jim Ross on The Monday Night Mayhem Radio Network, as JR gives his candid thoughts & comments on the passing of the late Captain Lou Albano, the upcoming arrivals of “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson & Nigel McGuinness from Ring Of Honor, his thoughts on the current WWE travel schedule, & even some Oklahoma Sooners football. Truly one for the records, as “Your Home Of Wrestling Radio” gives one of the most in-depth interviews from JR you will ever hear. Log onto JR’s official website (located at www.jrsbarbq.com), and check out JR’s weekly blogs…required reading for any wrestling fan. While surfing the site, be sure to purchase some of the great products available, including JR’s original BBQ Sauce, Chipolte Ketchup, & 97% Fat-Free Beef Jerky.

WWE Presents Monday Night RAW: Monday, October 26th @ 8:15PM ET live from The HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. Tickets are $62.50, $42.50, $32.50, $24.50, & $17.50, which include $2.50 facility fee. Tickets can be purchased at The HSBC Arena Box Office, online at www.Tickets.com, as well as all Tickets.com outlets, including participating Tops Markets. All dates, acts, & ticket prices are subject to change without notice. For more information, or to charge by phone, call toll free at (888) 223-6000. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges (no service charge applies at The HSBC Arena Box Office).

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