— The March 7 episode of Monday Night Raw continued the program’s streak of strong ratings with a 3.92. The number is up from last week’s 3.82 rating as well as the 3.85 on February 21.

Last night’s show averaged 5.79 million viewers over the course of two hours, up from 5.60 million viewers the week before. However, it is below the February 21 show, which drew 5.86 million viewers.

— During last night’s Raw telecast on Televisa in Mexico, Mason Ryan was constantly referred as “Batista 2” by the announcers.

— The introductory video package showcasing Sin Cara did not air during last night’s Raw telecast on Televisa in Mexico.

sources: Pro Wrestling Torch, f4wonline.com

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Batista vs. Ken Shamrock: “Yes I would watch a rumored Batista vs. Ken Shamrock MMA fight that is making the rounds on the ‘net. However, I’d love to see Kenny hang ’em up and simply train fighters but the name identity that Batista and Shamrock bring to the table would provide more than ample sizzle for any promoter. I’d watch this train wreck I’ll honestly admit. ”

Cyborg Santos To WWE? “Is Cris Cyborg leaving MMA/Strikeforce to migrate to WWE? Beats the hell out of me just as she would if she chose to but it is an interesting internet rumor. Seeing more athletic, hard hitting women compete in WWE is intriguing for me as a fan. Cris Cyborg is arguably the baddest women on the planet but she would need to learn better English and the art form of pro wrestling or she would run out of opposition in WWE just as she has seemingly done in MMA. Cyborg would be huge draw on a WWE event in Brazil, for example, or so I think. ”

Sin Cara’s WWE Debut: “The Mistico name is owned by the wrestling promotion CMLL in Mexico City which is why the athletes formerly known as Mistico is now known as Sin Cara. I expect Sin Cara to debut after WM27 so as to not get lost in the Wrestlemania shuffle so to speak. Right now it’s all about WM27 and not about introducing new people. Makes sense to me.”

* VIDEO of SIN CARA’s Best Wrestling Moves From Mexico

Former WWE superstar Dave Batista has been training for his professional mixed martial arts debut since leaving the company last year. According to MMAWeekly.com, Batista’s MMA debut is currently scheduled to take place in May – and the fight will not take place in the United States.

Several promotions have been trying to sign Batista for his first MMA fight, most notably Scott Coker’s Strikeforce promotion, but sources close to Batista have revealed the UK-based BAMMA promotion is the front runner and could sign Batista soon. BAMMA has an upcoming show (“BAMMA 6”) scheduled for May 21st Wembley Arena.

Batista reportedly has a movie scheduled to begin shooting in September and wants to have his first fight before then.

* New VIDEO of BATISTA’s MMA Training: HOLY $#!T

— The February 28 Raw telecast drew a 3.82 cable rating, slightly down from last week’s 3.85. The show averaged 5.6 million viewers overall and drew hours of 3.80 and 3.84.

— The February 26 episode of A.M. Raw did a 0.62 cable rating, with 709,000 viewers.

— Cineplex, a motion picture exhibitor in Canada, will air WrestleMania XXVII live in their theaters April 3. The company website’s listing for the event displays a poster promoting WrestleMania XXVII with Batista and Chris Jericho pictured, as well as John Cena, Randy Orton and Christian.

— It was reported earlier that Batista is in Thailand filming The Man with the Iron Fist, which also stars Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, and mixed martial artist Cung Le. Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer reports that the former WWE Champion is not slated to return to the United States until March.

— The Bella Twins performed as heels at last night’s WWE Supershow in Springfield, MA. The twin duo lost to Gail Kim and Maryse. Though Kim partnered with heel wrestler Maryse, she maintained her babyface persona during the match while the manager of Ted DiBiase portrayed a tweener. Maryse, however, reverted back to heel following the match by attacking Kim.

— Former WWE talent Nick Dinsmore (a/k/a Eugene) is holding a seminar in London, Kentucky on Feb. 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. It costs $50 and is limited to professional wrestlers presently licensed in the state of Kentucky with at least one year of experience. Visit www.ovwrestling.com for more information.

source: F4WOnline.com

– There are rumors that Awesome Kong will make her WWE debut at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. One scenario that’s been discussed is for her to interfere during the Divas Title match between Natalya and LayCool.

• Check Out: Awesome Kong’s MUGSHOT Picture

– There are still people in WWE that believe Batista will return to the company this year. Big Dave is known to be a fan of the “good life” – enjoying the luxury lifestyle that being a top-drawing WWE superstar brings. Batista has been pursuing his acting career, as well as training for his professional mixed martial arts debut, but his best chance to make big money is still with WWE.

While company officials remain optimistic that Batista has not wrestled his last match, the fact that Mason Ryan was brought in last week without changing his look (which most see as very similar to Batista’s) indicates that WWE is moving on without him, for now.

• Check Out: Batista Training For MMA Debut (Video)

— Bret Hart’s latest role in WWE is taking part in the “Legends Roundtable” series that airs on WWE’s Classics On Demand channel. Jim Ross noted on Twitter this week that he was at WWE headquarters this week with Bret Hart, Pat Patterson, Michael Hayes and Gene Okerlund working on new Legends Roundtable episodes.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— More than one person within WWE feels its only a matter of time before Batista returns to the organization. He’s currently in Thailand filming The Man with the Iron Fist with mixed martial artist Cung Le, his highest profile acting role to date. Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu also star in the movie.

— One WWE source feels the Royal Rumble match expanding from 30 to 40 men is not a good idea.

“When you have 30 guys who are not over and you add ten more guys, it isn’t special,” the source said. “It’s like adding vanilla to vanilla.”

— Today is WWE Diva Maryse’s birthday. She turns 28 years old.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

— Vince McMahon has been discussed for a major role on the revival of Tough Enough on the USA Network. However, it’s considered a long shot because the show will be filmed in Los Angeles and would take a major time commitment.

— The following two matches were taped tonight in Tulsa, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America: Chavo Guerrero vs. JTG, Chris Masters vs. Curt Hawkins.

— Tyler Reks beat Percy Watson in a dark match prior to tonight’s television tapings in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

— Six-time world champion Batista celebrates his 42nd birthday today.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

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

Kofi Kingston Winning the Intercontinental Championship:

“Congrats to Kofi Kingston on winning the IC Title. Kofi was on the cusp of something special when he had his issues with Randy Orton last year specifically their encounter at MSG which I thought was impactful. Let’s hope that Kofi gets right back on that roll. He’s a very athletic talent and a smart, educated individual.”

Whether He Is Still Writing A Book:

“No our book idea isn’t dead but we tabled it during the holidays as the decision makers in the book biz seemingly don’t work much after Thanksgiving through the end of the year. The project is still alive but I have to light a fire under my ample behind to get back in a creative mindset.”

Chris Jericho Or Batista Returning For WrestleMania:

“I do not know if either Chris Jericho or Dave Bautista will return to WWE for WM27. I’m not in that loop and don’t have a clue on the subject. Personally, I would be surprised if either returned for a special Wrestlemania appearance. Who knows?”

• Related: VIDEO of Batista’s MMA Training

Visit JRsBarBQ.com for Jim Ross’ great line of BBQ products!

— WWE announced on their official website Wednesday that John Cena is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis after suffering a hip injury at a Raw live event Tuesday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. In an update on the matter, while he won’t be wrestling much over the next few weeks, he is not expected to be sidelined for a lengthy period of time.

— Reigning FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Mason Ryan, who worked SmackDown live events this week, is expected to be called up to the main WWE roster and receive a large push from the onset. Organization officials reportedly want to utilize the Welsh grappler similarly to former WWE Champion Batista. He notably bears a striking resemblance to “The Animal.”

source: f4wonline.com

After stating in a recent interview that he wanted to have his first fight by March, it appears fight fans will have to just a bit longer to see “The Animal” inside a cage.

In an interview with Ariel Hawani of Fanhouse.com, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Batista is training hard for his first professional fight, which will take place for the Strikeforce promotion in the second quarter of 2011.

Coker said “there’s still dialogue” with Batista and they are hoping to have him fight on one of their shows between April and June of 2011.

There have been reports that Batista’s negotiations have taken longer than expected due to money issues. Batista is looking for a 3-fight deal from the promotion.

A sex tape has leaked online allegedly featuring the 18-year-old daughter of former WWE star Batista.

Snippets of Athena Batista, in very compromising positions with her reported boyfriend, have surfaced and were shown on various entertainment news websites on Tuesday.

According to a WWE source, Batista’s daughter’s sex tape is the main topic of disucssion at Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Lafayette, Louisiana.

— Many within WWE feel Batista isn’t coming back anytime soon since there has been no contact anyone is aware and the expectation is when he returns stateside. from filming Scorpion King 3 that he’ll be signing with Strikeforce.

Likewise, Chris Jericho is another name many within the company believe isn’t coming back anytime soon. It is unlikely at this point that he will be participating in a match at WrestleMania XXVII.

— Since last week’s Raw where Brock Lesnar’s name was mentioned multiple times during the broadcast, Vince McMahon has been telling creative team members and at least one top star that he believes there is still a good chance the former WWE Champion will appear at WrestleMania XXVII. Nonetheless, most feel there is no chance of it happening.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Regarding MVP’s departure from WWE last Thursday, those close to the situation say he asked for his release from the company so that it would not occur during a future talent purge. (source: f4wonline.com)

— Mania.com reports that former WWE Champion Batista is among the cast of The Scorpion King 3, which is currently being filmed in Thailand. He is playing a character named Agromael

The title is slated for release on DVD in early 2012.

— Joey Styles noted on Twitter that if he ever announced again, it would strictly be MMA.

“I don’t miss broadcasting WWE,” he wrote. “If I ever announce again, it will only be for MMA; nothing competitive to WWE. I love WWE.COM.”

He also noted that he despised WWE’s version of ECW and that his announcing career should have been concluded after the 2005 One Night Stand pay-per-view.

Batista Training at Cesar Gracie's MMA School

NFL legend turned MMA fighter Herschel Walker spoke to Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan over the weekend and hyped the possibility of Strikeforce signing former WWE superstar Dave Bautista.

Bautista, who has been negotiating with Strikeforce regarding an early-2011 MMA debut, has been training at Cesar Gracie’s MMA school out in California and sounds serious about his transition into the fighting game. Walker told Chad Dukes:

“I think that’s great for Strikeforce to sign a guy like that [Batista]. But I know Dave and one thing that’s great about him (is) he’s doing what I did. He went into a camp, people are talking about him fighting but they’re not talking about (how) he went into a camp. He’s over at the Gracie’s camp. He’s over there with Diaz, which I think Nick and Nate Diaz are absolutely incredible fighters. I love the way they fight. And what’s strange about it, this guy is over there training, he’s not over here talking about, “I want to be an MMA fighter,” but he’s not out there training. He’s out there training. So he’s going to be a beast. He was a beast as a professional wrestler, so he’s going to be a beast here. The guy is going to be pushing what, 265 pounds? He’s strong as an ox, so yeah, he’s going to be a beast.”

It’s been widely reported that one of Batista’s first MMA opponents could be fellow-former WWE star Bobby Lashley, who has fought twice for Strikeforce and is coming off a disappointing loss against relatively-unknown Chad Griggs back in August. Keep reading below for more on a possible Batista vs. Lashley showdown:

Related News:

• Details On Batista’s MMA Debut & Meetings With Strikeforce
• Batista Talks About Fighting Lashley, MMA, Leaving WWE
• Lashley Says He’d Fight Batista – But Batista Wants $500K
• Bobby Lashley Says He Wants To Fight Batista Next (VIDEO)

– Former WWE superstar Dave Bautista is currently training for his professional Mixed Martial Arts debut some time in early 2011, but that doesn’t mean his days inside the ring are over.  Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki’s IGF promotion has announced that Batista will be wrestling on their December 3rd show in Japan. We’re looking into this story and hope to have more details shortly.

– John Cena has not appeared at WWE live events as of late because he’s been in New Mexico filming Blood Brothers for WWE Studios.

– As we reported here earlier this month, Hollywood actor Freddy Prinze Jr. has returned to WWE’s creative team. Prinze was at Sunday’s WWE Bragging Rights pay-per-view and will be working with talent backstage producing interviews. (Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— According to a report on www.f4wonline.com, newly called-up WWE wrestlers as well as lower-card wrestlers are required to attend a weekly “promo class” directed by Vince McMahon where he instructs them on how to conduct promos. One person noted that the instruction varies from week-to-week as McMahon cannot make up his mind on what he wants.

— The official WWE website is promoting former WWE Superstar Batista’s appearance on NBC’s action-comedy series Chuck this Monday at 8/7 CT.

— The Great Khali was introduced Saturday as a contestant on the reality television show Bigg Boss, which is the Indian version of Big Brother. During an interview with rediff.com, the WWE Superstar explained why he took up the offer to appear on the program.

“I took it up because my wife wanted me to participate in the show,” he said. “Plus, people have always known me as a wrestler or an actor, not as a person. Through this show, I will reach out to my fans and they will know me as I am.”

He also stated he will miss his family while he’s away.

“I will miss my wife; I am so used to her being around. She manages my work and everything. So I will miss her every moment. Plus, my parents and friends, as they have been always there with me,” he said.

We’ve got some details on former WWE superstar Dave Bautista’s Mixed Martial Arts debut.

Bautista was backstage at Saturday’s Strikeforce MMA show in San Jose, California and met with several company officials, including CEO Scott Coker. According to various sources, Buatista is said to be very close to signing a deal with Strikeforce and plans to make his professional MMA debut in early 2011.

He has been training MMA full-time since leaving WWE earlier this year and is said to be very eager to show everybody what he’s capable of inside the cage.

There have been reports that Batista was looking to get $500,000 for his MMA debut. A name that’s been thrown a lot as a future opponent of Batista is fellow former WWE star Bobby Lashley, who is currently negotiating a new contract with Strikeforce.

Stay tuned for more on Batista’s venture into the world of MMA and check out these related videos:

• Video Of Batista’s MMA Training
• Bobby Lashley Says He Wants To Fight Batista Next

Former WWE star Dave Bautista recently spoke to Fight Magazine about a potential Bobby Lashley fight, the chances of him signing with the Strikeforce MMA promotion and why he’s not working with WWE at the moment.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Undertaker Retiring: “Where are all the rumors coming from regarding the retirement plans of the Undertaker? Some emailers are contacting us as if these rumors are fact and are etched in stone. These are the same, unfounded rumors that begin making their rounds after each Wrestlemania. My take on this matter is that Undertaker isn’t retiring after WM27 in Atlanta. I can easily see the Deadman competing for another three years or so if his schedule is well managed. If forced to speculate, and that’s all I’m doing, wouldn’t calling it a day after, say, Wrestlemania 30 make more sense? Bottom line is that Taker will retire when he’s damn well ready to retire plus I still stand by what I have always said that he will never lose a match at Wrestlemania.”

What He Thinks of TNA: “People ask me all the time to critique TNA which is a no win situation for me. First of all I don’t watch TNA regularly so for me to act as if I do and make across the board judgments of the brand would not be fair nor accurate. Secondly, I work for WWE so any thing I say good, bad or indifferent about TNA will be looked at as a biased opinion. Let it be known that I hope TNA becomes very profitable some day and wish them well. They have a nice, talent roster that needs to wrestle more and talk less but that could be said about the majority of pro wrestling entities over the past decade or so.  Bad acting is simply bad acting no matter what show it appears on.”

Batista Getting Into MMA: “Batista fighting for Strikeforce is a big deal if made such by the promotion and the network. Parlaying Dave’s global name identity and overall look can pay dividends if done throughly and with a big picture game plan. It seems that the former WWE Champion and the promotion are not exceptionally close on money as of yet based on how I interpreted a recent Batista interview. I actually don’t know if a Batista vs. Bobby Lashley bout is the best for both fighters as each man seems to have viable marketability and one beating the other only forward one man as a rule. MMA insiders say that Lashley is at a career crossroads and if that is true then that theory will be validated if Strikeforce signs Batista vs. Lashley for Batista’s first fight. If CBS/Strikeforce promotes a MMA contest between Batista and Lashley like another day at the office then my theory that the network doesn’t know how to properly promote a major fight is accurate. That’s akin to NFL legend Herschel Walker not fighting on Showtime or CBS during the NFL season so that Strikeforce can be promoted on CBS’s NFL games. Perhaps the pending December,  Walker fight will make CBS air on their coverage of the National Football League.”

Legendary hip hop star and Wu Tang Clan member The RZA has announced former WWE star Batista has joined the cast of his new movie, “The Man with the Iron Fist” starring Academy Award winner Russell Crowe.

RZA spoke to movie news site ComingSoon.net and had the following to say about Batista’s involvement:

“I would love to bring these worlds together. That’s what I’m striving to do. My budget is not as big as some of these movies, so I’ve got to pull a lot of favors. Another buddy who is on board is Dave Batista, the world wrestling champion who left and now he’s into Strikeforce and he’s going to be doing mixed martial arts. To have him come on as Glass Body, when I talked to him about it, he was like, “I always wanted to be The Toad in ‘Five Deadly Venoms,'” and I said, this isn’t The Toad but the character is very similar, and he said it would be his honor to do it. So to have him and Russell Crowe standing beside each other, two men, real men, is exciting. But I’m looking to make this an international thing that brings both worlds under one umbrella and get out a good piece of art.”

To read the full interview, visit ComingSoon.net.

– Shawn Michaels said on Twitter that he will be letting fans in on some news next week. For what it’s worth, Shawn said he is “getting back into work some.”

– Matt Hardy noted on Twitter last night that he was watching TNA iMPACT. Hardy wrote:

“I also really dig seeing my buds like Tommy Dreamer & Mickie James on Impact-they seem happy, less stressed.”

– NXT Diva Maxine noted on Twitter that her neck is “messed up” after being dropped on her head in the match with Aksana on this week’s NXT.

– Former WWE superstar Batista is be attending the “Strikeforce: Noons vs. Diaz” event this weekend.

– A new WWE’s Legends Roundtable episode featuring “Wrestling Families” will debut this Friday on WWE On Demand.

World Wrestling Insanity interview with Bobby Lashley
Host: James Guttman
Interview available at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com via ClubWWI.

One topic that both MMA and pro wrestling fans have been talking about is the prospect of a bout between Bobby and former fellow WWE star Dave Batista. Batista has stated that he wants to enter the fight scene now that he is no longer an active pro wrestler with Bobby Lashley named as his possible opponent. How does Bobby feel about the idea? Guttman asks and Lashley explains to ClubWWI.com members:

“I have to be honest. At first, I wouldn’t even think that he would consider it. Then again, with fighting, you never know who’s going to come over and do it. So when I heard Batista was training, I was like more power to him. Because a lot of these guys come in here and they have no experience either. But they take two jiu-jitsu classes, dye their hair blonde, and they’re automatically stepping into the fight industry.”

Lashley mentions the training that Dave has been doing in preparation for a debut and his respect for his decision. He also makes it clear that friendship or not, if it were to happen, it would be a fight.

“I’m completely open to fighting him. Friends or not, when you get in that cage and start throwing punches, the friendship goes out the window for a minute. Because I like Dave, but if we were to have a fight, we would have to close that cage door, forget about the friendship, and try to beat each other up. Then afterwards, we can shake hands and walk away.”

As the ClubWWI.com interview continues, James points out that the fight itself looks less and less likely due, in part, to Batista’s reported asking price of $500,000. He asks Lashley about this request and whether it’s a sign that Dave is thinking it might be a one shot deal given his age. Bobby responds:

“Yeah. I think it’s a measuring gauge for him. Go out there and instead of taking these small fights and working his way up, figuring ‘I’ll go out there and do the bigger fights, the more important fights, the fight the fans want to see. And of course, if I’m fighting the fight the fans want to see, I’m going to want a little more money than if I’m fighting Joe Schmo. Why not go out there and do that fight? See how I feel and if I feel healthy, if I feel strong, then I can continue on with my career. But if I go out and things don’t go the way I wanted, at least I have that big fight. I made a good amount of money and moved on.’ I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

James Guttman’s discussion with The Dominator isn’t limited to MMA. Bobby’s extensive wrestling career has seen him in both WWE and TNA, both of which he talks about including differences between the two companies and working alongside his wife on TV among other topics. Unquestionably, though, the biggest moment of Lashley’s sports entertainment career was his main event at WrestleMania 23. With Donald Trump in his corner, Bobby took on Vince McMahon’s monster Umaga. Since his last appearance on ClubWWI.com, Eki “Umaga” Fatu tragically passed away. JG brings up Lashley’s history with Eki and Bobby shares his thoughts:

“Man, you know. When he passed, when I heard he passed, it was a numbing feeling, man. There were a lot of guys who passed from when I was with WWE. One is enough but there were several and when I found out it happened again…It was hard. It was hard. It was very hurtful. That guy, I’ll tell you, was an incredible, incredible, incredible guy. Always in a good mood. Always had positive things to say. Always joking around.

“He was just like that big gentle giant, but at the same time, he was a big tough dude. We had so many memories of traveling around and just battling each other. Mexico. The whole feud. There are so many things I remember about that guy. Man, it’s hard because when I think about him, it makes me sad that he’s not here anymore. But by the same token, anytime I hear his name, it puts a smile on my face because of the person he was.”

Bobby’s two ClubWWI.com interviews equal over an hour and, alongside shoot interview with over 250 of wrestling’s biggest names ranging from Jesse Ventura to Jerry Lawler to Dan Severn, can be heard the minute you log in.

— According to the official website of the Hillsborough County Sheriff, former WWE performer Jim Neidhart remains incarcerated as he has yet to make $138,5000 bail on the charges filed against him Labor Day weekend in Tampa, Florida.

The father of WWE performer Natalya was found in possession of 55.6 grams of Oxycontin and 17.4 grams of methadone at a Tampa area gas station on Sept. 5. He was charged with two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of trafficking illegal drugs, one count of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and one count of third degree grand theft for property stolen between $300 and $5,000.

— On Twitter, a fan suggested to former WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James that she and former WWE performer Batista would “make a cute couple.” The fan added, “he’s a good guy. don’t judge anyone cause no one knows what’s going to happen in the future.” James said in response that she would rather run head first into a brick wall.

“I think I’d much rather run head 1st in2 a brick wall… Without judgment… Lmao!” she tweeted.

Regarding the former WWE Diva’s source of contention with “The Animal,” it was reported shortly after her departure from WWE earlier this year that she had a few backstage “run-ins” with him during her final few months in the company. Things become so heated that he reportedly threatened to quit the organization if she wasn’t terminated. The Undertaker attempted to defuse the situation by calming him down.

Additionally, former WWE performer Brian Kendrick noted during a recent shoot interview with Highspots.com that years ago, Batista printed out nude photos of Mickie and plastered them on the locker room walls after he became agitated with her.

– Former WWE Diva Chyna was reportedly bit by a poisonous spider this week and performed surgery on herself with a swiss army knife to treat the wound. According to TMZ.com, Chya was allegedly bitten by while changing in her bathroom. She went to her doctor, who recommended that she visit the emergency room – but because hospitalization was too expensive, she opted to perform surgery on herself. That sounds about right. You can check out the photos of Chyna’s spider bite at TMZ.com.

– Batista is the latest former WWE performer to land a role on the NBC show “Chuck.” Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello confirmed Thursday that Batista, Eric Roberts and Joel David Moore will appear in the upcoming season’s fourth episode as “Soldiers of Fortune who had a friendship with Casey dating back to the Clinton era.” According to the report, they have since gone rogue, and will be seeking revenge on their ex-comrade. Previous wrestlers who have appeared on “Chuck” include Steve Austin and Stacy Keibler. Austin will be reprising his role on the show this season as well.