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Tag: Alberto Del Rio

  • Mark Henry Heading To Raw?, Gunn Celebrates Sobriety, JTG

    – Could Mark Henry be heading to Raw? The official website of the Thompson-Boling Arena is advertising the SmackDown star vs. John Cena in a Special Challenge Match for a Raw live event taking place at the venue on May 5. All other talent advertised for the show are members of the Raw roster. A Triple Threat Match featuring Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk and Chris Jericho is also scheduled.

    – Former WWE star Billy Gunn celebrated one year of sobriety last week. His wife wrote Saturday on his Twitter account:

    “*HACKED BY YOUR WIFE* Congrats on your ONE YEAR Sobriety! One day and one step at a time! you got this baby!! love you!”

    Gunn, whose real name is Monty Sopp, has admitted to drug use in interviews. His lengthy tenure with WWE ended in 2004 following a visit to a rehabilitation facility.

    – Seldom seen Raw Superstar JTG is on the road this week with WWE. He did job duty to Ryback (a/k/a Skip Sheffield) at Raw live events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

  • Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis, Del Rio’s Return, NXT

    – The new Cosmopolitan Magazine features an article on Divas in pro wrestling and includes quotes from Eve Torres, Alicia Fox and former diva Torrie Wilson, who is now dating New York Yankee star Alex Rodriguez.

    – WWE NXT began airing on the WWE website one year ago from today, 3/8/11. There is still no word on when the never-ending season of NXT: Redemption will conclude.

    – Alberto Del Rio was backstage, but was not used at television this week after returning to the ring over the weekend.

    Del Rio is expected to participate at WrestleMania 28 in the rumored Team Long vs. Team John Laurinaitis match. That match and its participants are scheduled to be announced on Monday’s RAW.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Who Brodus Clay May Feud With Upon Return, Del Rio Not Used

    — WWE creative have talked about Brodus Clay feuding with The Miz if or when he resumes appearing on television again.

    The Funkasaurus has appeared at recent Raw live events. He was reportedly removed from television last month due to Vince McMahon’s unhappiness with his ring work.

    — Alberto Del Rio was backstage at this week’s television events but not used. He returned to the ring at this past weekend’s SmackDown live events after sustaining a groin tear during the tag team main event of the December 19, 2011 edition of Raw SuperShow.

    — The Raw live event on March 2 in Cornwall, Ontario drew 2,500 paying $70,000. Raw on March 3 in Ottawa, Ontario drew 3,500 paying $155,000. Raw on March 4 in Bangor, Maine drew 5,500 paying $175,000. Smackdown on March 3 in Albany, Georgia drew 4,200 paying $135,000. SmackDown on March 4 in Macon, Georgia drew 5,000 paying $140,000.

    source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Rock’s History Lessons, Mysterio-WM28, Backstage At RAW

    – The “History Lesson” promos featuring The Rock that aired on Monday’s RAW were actually shot on Sunday, according to PWInsider.com. The Rock came arrived in Boston on Saturday and was backstage all day at the TD Garden.

    – Rey Mysterio featured on one of the official Wrestlemania t-shirts, another indication he’ll be involved in the event in some capacity.

    – Alberto Del Rio and developmental star Dean Ambrose were backstage at Monday’s RAW. Del Rio returned to the ring over the weekend and is ready to return to television whenever the creative team has something for him. Ambrose worked SmackDown’s live events over the weekend and is also waiting to get called to television.

    (Props to pwinsider.com for some of the info used in this report)

  • Del Rio Disliked By Colleagues – Details On His Heat Backstage

    The Wrestling Observer reports that Alberto Del Rio is disliked by some of his WWE colleagues due to how he carries himself and the belief that his position in the company is unwarranted.

    The two-time WWE Champion is seen as off-putting behind the scenes as he portrays himself as a master backstage politician and struts around as a superstar. There is also a perception that he is not over to the level of his sizable push as his matches and promos garner tepid reactions from the audience. Company officials, however, are receptive to the Mexican grappler as they feel he has superstar potential because he’s bilingual, tall and has a “great movie star look.” His push is also fueled by the company’s need for Hispanic stars given the lack of clarity regarding the long-term futures of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.

    Meanwhile, Del Rio admitted during an interview last week with Bay area sports radio station 95.7 FM The Game that he doesn’t like many of his WWE peers. When asked who he liked the least, the second-generation wrestler said that he hates The Miz.

    “This is not part of the show. I really dislike that guy. I’ve tried to punch him in the face several times, not in the ring I mean outside the ring, but he’s just like a little girl, he’s always running away from me,” Del Rio said.

    “There’s a big difference between The Miz and I, I’m a real athlete, he’s just a loud stupid little kid. He’s probably one of those guys that was bullied when he was in school, that’s the reason he’s now oh so loud and he wants to get attention from everybody, but in my case he’s the real deal.”

    Del Rio capped off his Miz rant by saying that he doesn’t have many female fans because “he’s fat and ugly.”

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Alberto Del Rio’s TV Return, WWE ’13 News, Tamina Snukka

    – Former WWE champion Alberto Del Rio was backstage at Monday’s RAW from San Diego, despite not appearing on television. Del Rio returned to WWE this weekend on the SmackDown brand’s live events from California, but competed in arm wrestling challenges with Sheamus because he’s not medically cleared to return to the ring.

    – Video game publisher THQ is already doing motion capture work for the WWE ’13 video game, due out this fall.

    Jim Ross noted on Twitter recently that he’ll be doing commentary with Jerry Lawler in the game, a welcomed change to last year’s Cole-Lawler team.

    – WWE diva Tamina is now known as Tamina Snuka. She’ll get a shot at Beth Phoenix’s Divas championship this Sunday at Elimination Chamber.

    (Partial source: pwinsider.com)

  • Alberto Del Rio Returns, WM29 Location Update, Otugna

    – Alberto Del Rio appeared at this weekend’s SmackDown live events – but did not wrestle either night. Del Rio called out Sheamus and told the live crowds that he’s not ready to wrestle yet, but challenged the 2012 Royal Rumble winner to an arm wrestling contest – which Sheamus won. This led to a brawl between the two before Del Rio ran off, leaving Ricardo Rodriguez to take a Brogue Kick from Sheamus.

    Del Rio is scheduled to return to WWE television tonight on RAW.

    – WWE Superstar David Otunga was backstage at the Grammys last night with his fiancee Jennifer Hudson, who sang a moving tribute to Whitney Houston.

    – An announcement on the WrestleMania 29 location is expected this week. New York Giants player Jake Ballard was asked on Twitter if he’s excited about WrestleMania coming to the MetLife Stadium next year. He replied, ” yes it’s going to be awesome!”

    If these reports turn out to be true, Axxess and other WrestleMania-week events would be held in the New York City area.

    It would also be a sign that WWE is breaking with the tradition of holding WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden every 10 years, as it’s unlikely New York City would get the event two years in a row.

  • (Audio) Del Rio Says He Legitimately Hates The Miz

    WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio appeared on San Francisco’s 95.7 radio station to promote his return to the ring this weekend against Sheamus. Here are some highlights of what Del Rio said about:

    His Groin Injury: Del Rio said he “completely tore” his groin. He called it the worst injury a man can suffer and said they had to reattach a muscle from his leg to his hip. “Now I’m running, jumping, and ready to roll into the ring.”

    Not Liking Other WWE Wrestlers: Del Rio said he doesn’t hang out with many wrestlers outside of the ring. “To be honest, I don’t like most of the guys,” Del Rio said with a laugh.

    Legitimately Not Liking The Miz In Particular: Del Rio was asked which wrestlers don’t get along or that he doesn’t like. “The Miz,” Del Rio said. “I hate The Miz. This is not part of the show. I really dislike like that guy. I’ve tried to punch him in the face several times, not in the ring, I mean outside the ring. He’s like a little girl. He’s always running away from me … There’s a big difference between The Miz and I,” Del Rio said. “I’m a real athlete. He’s just a loud, stupid little kid. He’s one of those guys who was probably bullied when he was in school and that’s the reason now that he’s so loud and he wants to get attention from everybody.”

    Del Rio also had some interesting comments about wrestling groupies. “They’re interesting,” he said. “That’s all I’m going to say .. There are some ladies who really enjoy wrestling and they enjoy wrestlers.”

  • Christian & Del Rio’s Returns, WWE In Abu Dabi, Orlov’s Release

    – Fans of Christian and Alberto Del Rio should be excited to hear that both superstars are scheduled to return to action very soon.

    Christian has been advertised for a match against Sheamus this weekend at WWE’s SmackDown live event from the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The Cow Palace’s preview has since been updated, with Alberto Del Rio now scheduled to face Sheamus in a special “RAW vs. SmackDown Challenge match.”

    Del Rio is also advertised for Sunday’s SmackDown live event from Bakersfield, California.

    As for Christian, it’s unclear whether he’ll be returning to action this weekend, but multiple sources have confirmed he’s ready to return.

    – The WWE RAW crew has landed in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. for the company’s first international tour of 2012. The company will hold a press conference prior to their three-show tour, which begins on Thursday and ends Saturday. The RAW crew will then return to the US, heading to San Diego, California for RAW on Monday.

    – Former WWE developmental wrestler Peter Orlov (Alex Koslov) confirmed his WWE release on Twitter:

    “It is true. I have been granted free agent-ism. John (Laurinaitis) confused me when he used a variation of his infamous ‘future endeavored” line.”

  • Rock Confirmed For Another RAW, Del Rio-Rumble, Twitter

    – The Rock is being advertised for the March 12th RAW Supershow from Cleveland, Ohio. This is the second upcoming RAW that The Rock is officially being advertised for. The Rock will also be appearing on the final RAW prior to WrestleMania 28, from Atlanta. Expect to see regular appearances from The Rock on WWE television in the weeks leading up to his match with John Cena WrestleMania 28.

    – Do not expect to see Alberto Del Rio at Sunday’s Royal Rumble – that is, if his personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez is to be trusted. Rodriguez tweeted on Tuesday:

    “If Mr Del Rio wasn’t hurt he could easily win the Royal Rumble again this year. He did win the biggest Royal Rumble match ever after all! :)”

    – Fans may have noticed that Monday’s RAW did not feature any Twitter mentions or on-screen graphics promoting trending topics. WWE sources have indicated this was no coincidence, as the company is said to be re-evaluating its affiliation with the social networking service.

  • Randy Orton On Who He Wants To Face, Axxess Pre-Sale Issues

    — The February 2012 issue of WWE Magazine features an interview with Randy Orton and he is asked how 2012 will fare differently from 2011 for The Viper.

    Orton responds, “I’d like to have the opportunity to compete with Alberto Del Rio. I haven’t done that yet. I’d also like to work with Kane now that he’s back in his mask. The last few matches we contested have been kind of odd due to how the WWE Universe percieved our personas at the time. But I know that it would be really interesting for us to go at it now.”

    — The official Twitter feed of WWE stated Monday that Ticketmaster is experiencing some technical issues for the WrestleMania Axxess tickets, which on sale this morning via pre-sale.

    WWE adds: “Ticketmaster is working hard to resolve them. We will get back to everyone once Ticketmaster is back online.”

    — WWE will hold a Raw live event at McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Sunday, May 6, 2012. The show begins at 5:00 p.m.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Del Rio’s Status For The Rumble, WWE Conducting Focus Groups

    – With the Royal Rumble less than two weeks away, we’ve gotten a number of emails from readers asking about the status of last year’s Rumble winner, Alberto Del Rio. The most recent reports we’ve heard are that Del Rio will not be back in time to win back-to-back Rumbles.

    Del Rio suffered a groin tear in late December. The WWE website reported he underwent surgery that would keep him out of action 4-6 weeks.

    – WWE has been conducting focus group studies on males & females ages 12-17. RAW ratings have plummeted for this demographic in the past several months and WWE is trying to figure out why these viewers are tuning out.

    – Here are some recent WWE attendance figures, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsltter:

    * RAW on January 13th in Yakima, Washington drew 4,800 fans for $115,000
    * RAW on January 14th in Sacramento, California drew 6,500 fans for $190,000
    * SmackDown on January 14th in Vancouver drew 4,000 fans for $140,000
    * RAW on January 15th in Oakland, California drew 5,500 fans for $200,000
    * SmackDown on January 15th in Prince George, BC drew 4,000 fans for $125,000

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • The Rock Advertised For Upcoming Raw, Hall of Fame Update

    — The official website of the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia is advertising The Rock for the March 26, 2012 Raw SuperShow.

    This will be the final Raw before WrestleMania XXVIII.

    — It was rumored at last night’s Raw SuperShow in Anaheim, California that Shawn Michaels and Triple H would together induct The Four Horsemen—Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, JJ Dillon, Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard—into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent lobbied for the Horsemen to be inducted into the Hall.

    Meanwhile, Alberto Del Rio is internally expected to induct his uncle, Mil Mascaras.

    — Ken Shamrock and Sid Vicious have been announced for Wrestlereunion, which takes place January 27-29, 2012 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport 5400 West Century Blvd. Los Angeles, California.

    source: PWInsider.com

  • Participants For Raw Elimination Chamber Match, Del Rio News

    — Participants for WWE’s annual Raw Elimination Chamber Match are tentatively scheduled to include Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, Kane, R-Truth and The Miz. The outcome of the bout is expected to based on whether Cena’s match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII will have the WWE Championship on the line.

    — When Vince McMahon told Alberto Del Rio to work stiffer and appear more aggressive in the ring, it was indicated that he was due for another WWE Championship reign in 2012.

    Del Rio is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks after suffering a torn groin during the Six-Man Tag Team Match on the December 19, 2011 Raw SuperShow.

    — Darryl McDaniels, founding member of the hip hop group Run–D.M.C., was seated among the audience at Tuesday’s Raw live in New York City. McDaniels has past history with WWE as he performed the “Wrestlemania Rap” at WrestleMania V.

    source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • Ryder Reportedly Demoted Due To Low Rating, Chimel Resurfaces

    — Dave Meltzer stated on the Dec. 27 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Zack Ryder being placed in a romance storyline with Eve Torres and away from the main event scene stems from the staggeringly low quarter hour rating for last week’s Raw SuperShow main event, which saw Long Island Iced-Z, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan stand tall against The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler.

    The main event garnered a 2.67 cable rating (2.55 for the first half of the bout), which was the lowest-rated main event on Raw in 2011 and possibly the lowest since Dec. 8, 1997 for a non-holiday show in its regular time slot. The overrun gained 59,000 viewers, which is considered terrible.

    The Ryder/Torres storyline is slated to continue for at least a few weeks.

    — Tony Chimel resurfaced at Tuesday’s WWE television tapings in Indianapolis, Indiana as the ring announcer for WWE NXT and WWE Superstars. He takes over for Eden Stiles, who parted ways with the organization last week. Chimel was removed as SmackDown ring announcer earlier this month due to Lilian Garcia’s return to the company.

  • Del Rio Needs Surgery & Will Miss Weeks, Knockout At RAW

    – TNA Knockout Tara is backstage at tonight’s RAW in Chicago. She wrote on Twitter:

    “WWE Raw is in Chicago tonight. Can’t wait to see some of the gang! Super excited to see @EveMarieTorres . I miss her so much. SLUMBER PARTY!!!!”

    – The Miz vs. WWE Champion CM Punk in a steel cage match is the new main event for tomorrow’s RAW live event in New York City.

    – WWE’s website has a new article up on Alberto Del Rio’s injury from last week’s RAW. Del Rio has a groin tear and will need surgery. WWE doctor Chris Amann told the website:

    “We were able to look at an MRI, and it appears as though he has a groin injury that’s severe enough to require surgery. Fortunately for Alberto, the surgery is minimally invasive and the recovery time is usually four to six weeks.”

  • WWE Considering Taking Title Off CM Punk Due To Poor Ratings

    F4WOnline.com reports that WWE officials are considering taking the WWE Championship off CM Punk due to ‘terrible ratings patterns’ for his weekly segments on Raw.

    The matter was broached prior to Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view event, which saw Punk ultimately retain the strap in a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match against Alberto Del Rio and The Miz. The trend of lackluster ratings for his segments continued the following night on Raw as the program’s overrun, which saw the Straight Edge Superstar, Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder overcame The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler, only gain 59,000 viewers.

    Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer analyzes: “That’s almost impossible given people tune in to see the following show, which basically meant wrestling fans must have been tuning out in droves (they were during the first half of the match but then started gaining at 11 p.m., but hardly gained anything).”

    The main event garnered a 2.67 cable rating (2.55 for the first half of the bout), which Meltzer says is by far, the lowest-rated main event on Raw in 2011 and possibly the lowest since 1997 for a non-holiday show in its regular time slot.

    sources: F4WOnline.com

  • Del Rio Removed From Show Line-ups, Undertaker In High School

    — Alberto Del Rio has been removed from WWELiveTour.com’s talent line-up for Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Chicago, Illinois and the entire Raw Holiday Tour. He was advertised for three-way bouts for the WWE Championship with CM Punk and The Miz.

    Del Rio suffered a groin injury during the main event of Monday’s Raw SuperShow and is being given time off to recover. He is not expected to be sidelined for too long.

    — FoxNews.com has published photos of wrestling stars before they were famous including The Undertaker’s high school yearbook photo. Others highlighted include The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Bill Goldberg, John Cena, Kurt Angle, Mick Foley, Jesse Ventura, Randy Orton, Vince McMahon, Randy Savage and Stephanie McMahon.

    — Maria Kanellis said on Afterbuzz she will be wrestling Jillian Hall at an independent event next year. Kanellis is advertised to face Tara in her return to the squared circle on February 25, 2012 for New York City based promotion Family Wrestling Entertainment.

    source: F4WOnline.com

  • The 50 Best Professional Wrestlers Of 2011 Named

    For the eighteenth year, Power Slam magazine presents The PS 50, which ranks the 50 best-performing wrestlers in the industry. Rankings in The PS 50 are basted on grapplers’ in-ring showings over a 12-month period (December 1, 2010 through November 30, 2011).

    1. Hiroshi Tanahashi
    2. Randy Orton
    3. Davey Richards
    4. Prince Devitt
    5. Shingo Takagi
    6. Christian
    7. Kurt Angle
    8. C.M. Punk
    9. Kota Ibush
    10. Takashi Sugiura
    11. KENTA
    12. Go Shiozaki
    13. PAC
    14. Akira Tozawa
    15. Hirooki Goto
    16. Eddie Edwards
    17. BxB Hulk
    18. Tetsuya Naito
    19. AJ Styles
    20. Shinsuke Nakamura
    21. Masaaki Mochizuki
    22. Bobby Roode
    23. Rey Mysterio
    24. Kenny Omega
    25. Sheamus
    26. Antonio Cesaro
    27. CIMA
    28. Katsuhiko Nakajima
    29. Masato Yoshino
    30. Chris Hero
    31. Dragon Kid
    32. Jay Briscoe
    33. Ricochet
    34. Mark Briscoe
    35. Kevin Steen
    36. Yuji Nagata
    37. James Storm
    38. Dolph Ziggler
    39. Daniel Bryan
    40. El Generico
    41. Alberto Del Rio
    42. Ryusuke Taguchi
    43. Austin Aries
    44. Jeff Jarrett
    45. Kofi Kingston
    46. Bully Ray
    47. Christopher Daniels
    48. The Miz
    49. John Morrison
    50. Kenny King

  • What Vince Wants From Del Rio, New WWE Network Details

    – Vince McMahon has been pushing Alberto Del Rio to show more “ruthless aggression” in the ring and work a more physical style.  This is the reason Del Rio has been working stiffer in recent weeks.

    RAW is lacking strong heels, with The Miz not being seen as a legitimate tough guy at this point. Vince thinks Del Rio has the size, toughness and gimmick to be a permanent main event heel, but he needs to come across as more dangerous in the ring.

    Del Rio recently injured his groin on a recent episode of RAW. He was able to finish his match, but had to be helped out of the ring and was checked out backstage. Despite his pain, the injury is not believed to be serious.

    – WWE is in talks with Shed Media, the company behind Tough Enough, to help produce new reality programming for the WWE Network.

    With WWE looking to run new reality-based programming, the company is to film television episodes the week that they are set to air on television. This is unlike what most reality shows do (ie. UFC’s Ultimate Fighter), which is to film the entire season before the first episode airs. Filming the whole season at once allows producers to see where storylines are going and produce the show accordingly.

    Booking the show on a week-to-week basis will hurt their ability to tell long-term shorelines, which some have joked is similar to how WWE television is written.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Beth Phoenix & Alberto Del Rio Injured at RAW (Pictures)

    Alberto Del Rio and Beth Phoenix were both injured at Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow from Philadelphia.

    Del Rio was carried out of the building by trainers after Raw went off the air. There was some fear that he may have suffered a groin injury, but after being checked out by WWE trainers, he’s said to be doing alright. He’s not expected to miss any ring time, despite some soreness.

    Beth Phoenix has a nasty lump on the side of her face following her match with Alicia Fox. At this time, it’s unclear at what point in the match the injury takes place, but it looks like she has a golf ball sticking out of her right temple. She tweeted:

    @AliciaFoxy tried her hardest to destroy my face. There will be hell to pay for trying to tarnish my beauty.”

    “After hours in the trainers room, I broke a lot of mirrors with my fists.

    Phoenix’s partner Natalya tweeted a message of support:

    “@TheBethPhoenix i am sorry to see what happened on Raw…But we are still UNBREAKABLE.”

    Check out these pictures of the lump on Beth Phoenix’s face following RAW:

  • Del Rio’s Stock Down, Divas Of Doom, Legends House

    – Beth Phoenix and Natalya are seen as the only two Divas  in the company who can actually work.

    – Del Rio’s stock has fallen behind in WWE. While he was pushed as WWE champion just a few months ago, he’s now viewed as upper mid-card at best and not somebody who can be the top heel on RAW.

    – The latest word on WWE’s Legends House program on the new WWE Network is that the show will tape from Tampa.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Batista Appearing On Sexologist’s Show, Spike Airing WWE Film

    — Former WWE performer Dave Bautista is scheduled for international sexologist Dr. Susan Block’s radio show, The Dr. Susan Block Show, this Saturday night. He will be joined by adult film star/motorcycle stunt rider Destiny Dixon, Playboy Cyber Girl Angela Sommers, Penthouse Danni Girl Samantha Saint, adult star Victoria White and webcam girl Daisy Delight. The show airs live from 10:30 p.m. to midnight PST via http://tinyurl.com/RadioSUZY1.

    — Spike TV will air WWE Films’ The Marine 2 on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. The direct-to-DVD movie features Ted DiBiase playing Sgt. Joe Linwood, a Marine Force Recon sniper.

    — Eve Torres and Rosa Mendes stated on Twitter that they will be on hand for WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops events, which takes place Friday through Sunday in North Carolina. The Tribute to the Troops taping will be held on Sunday at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.

    — Alberto Del Rio is scheduled to appear at Kmart 250 Floresta Blvd. San Leandro, California on Sunday, January 15, 2012 beginning at 10:00 a.m.

  • WWE Vengeance Draws Second Worst Buy Number Of All-Time

    WWE Vengeance 2011

    WWE’s Vengeance pay-per-view event on October 23, 2011 garnered 130,000 buys overall—70,000 in North America and 60,000 overseas.

    With the exception of the disastrous December to Dismember pay-per-view event in 2006, Vengeance is the lowest-selling domestic pay-per-view event in WWE history—dating back to the infancy of pay-per-view in the 1980s.

    December to Dismember, which was technically branded as an ECW event, drew 55,000 buys in North America.

    Vengeance was headlined by Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match, Mark Henry vs. Big Show in a World Heavyweight Championship Match, and Awesome Truth vs. CM Punk and Triple H.

    (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

  • Original Plans For Del Rio’s Title Run, Sin Cara, Another Stable

    – Back when Alberto Del Rio won the WWE Championship at SummerSlam (after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase), the longterm plan was for him to eventually drop the belt back to Punk at Survivor Series – which eh did. Del Rio dropping the WWE title to John Cena at Night of Champions and then recapturing it a month later at Hell in a Cell was somewhat of an “on the fly” decision in hopes of spiking ratings – which it didn’t.

    – With Sin Cara out of action for 6-9 months following his recent knee surgery, WWE officials are said to be “beyond disappointed” with the situation. Especially with Rey Mysterio currently out of action – Sin Cara was the company’s only mask-wearing superstar at the time of his injury – and WWE had a ton of new Sin Cara merchandise about to be released (including the infamous “P-Shirt”).

    WWE also reportedly had a major stunt planned for Sin Cara at the 2012 Royal Rumble – but that obviously won’t be happening.

    – With Primo, Hunico and Epico recently aligning themselves together on SmackDown, there are plans to add Rosa Mendes to the new stable.

    Following the recent breakup of Awesome Truth and the Wellness violation of tag team champion Evan Bourne, Hunico and Epico are being groomed for a run with the WWE tag team titles.

    (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)