– Today marks 4 years since the passing of former WWE superstar Umaga (Eddie Fatu). The Usos, Edge and several other wrestlers paid tribute to him today on Twitter.
– The Bella Twins tweeted that they’re headed to Los Angeles for a Make-A-Wish event.
– NXT star Scott Dawson tweeted that he’s been cleared to start training again after a recent injury:
Cleared to get back in the gym today. #DawsonRecovery 37%. Still the best even on one leg
The following is an excerpt from a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal interview with WWE Divas and co-stars of the Total Divas reality show, The Bella Twins:
On if they ever plan to fight in the UFC like other WWE Superstars have done:
Nikki: “That would be so cool. But in the end: No. I’ve broken bones, and the healing process on broken bones is horrible. I just came back from a stress fracture, and stress fractures are so fragile. It made me think about the rest of my life. If I have kids someday, I want to play with them without pain.”
Brie: “The Ronda Rousey arm bar doesn’t look too pleasant. I wouldn’t want to get stuck in a (UFC) cage with that.”
Nikki: “But I could break her arm.”
Brie:“You think you could break Ronda Rousey’s arm?”
– Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown drew an average of 2.641 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 2.641 million average marks a pretty significant decrease from the impressive 3.106 million viewers that the show averaged the previous week.
– As previously reported, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan appeared on the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which is available online right now. During the interview, Bryan revealed that he and his fiancee, Brie Bella, intend to get married during WrestleMania weekend in April of 2014. Bryan said the reason they are likely to tie the knot at that time is because it is a rare time when WWE Superstars actually get a break from their hectic travel schedule.
You can listen to the full interview with Bryan on Austin’s podcast online at PodcastOne.com.
– Two big pro wrestling-related weddings are now official for the early part of 2014. WWE Superstar The Miz and his fiancee, former WWE Diva Maryse are set to get married in February. WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan and his fiancee, current WWE Diva Brie Bella are set to get married in April.
– Many are unaware, but a little known fact about WWE Diva JoJo Offerman, who is also one of the stars of the WWE Total Divas reality show, is that she is the daughter of Major League Baseball legend Jose Offerman.
– Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins are in the process of opposing WWE’s registration of the trademark, “Bella Twins.” The team has requested an extension and have until February 12th, 2014 to file an opposition or request another extension.
– Former WWE Diva Eve Torres is featured in the latest “Gracie Breakdown” video with her fiancee Rener Gracie, discussing this past weekend’s controversial GSP vs. Hendricks fight:
– WWE.com has added the following preview for tonight’s edition of Total Divas on E!:
‘Total Divas’ ROUGH SKIES FOR NIKKI & CENA?
John Cena and Nikki Bella contemplate the future during an emotional exchange before Cena’s triceps surgery in this preview clip of the latest “Total Divas,” airing tonight at 10/9 CT only on E!
– As noted, country music band Florida Georgia Line have announced that they will be appearing on Monday’s “RAW Country” edition of the weekly WWE program. In their tweet announcing their appearance on the show, the band also joked about borrowing John Cena’s workout routine when joking about being “pumped” for their appearance. The current World Heavyweight Champion replied to their tweet, cracking a joke back about how the post-workout routine may involve the consumption of some moonshine. Cena tweeted the following:
– WWE ring announcer Tony Chimel got physically involved in the action at the WWE live event in Minehead on Saturday night. After defeating R-Truth to retain his WWE Intercontinental Championship, Curtis Axel demanded that Chimel give him the proper post-match announcement. Instead of doing that, Chimel kicked Axel in the gut and hit him with a “Stone Cold Stunner.” Following that sequence, The Bella Twins hit the ring and gave Chimel a big kiss.
WWE Superstar and current World Heavyweight Champion John Cena later joked on Twitter that Chimel may “owe Steve Austin” and that he may have lost his girlfriend, Nikki Bella, to Chimel.
WWE Superstar Zack Ryder has been rocking a goatee during his recent appearances on the WWE European tour. You can check out a photo of Ryder’s new look below:
-WWE Diva and co-star of the Total Divas reality show, Brie Bella, is said to have impressed WWE officials with the improvement of her in-ring work as of late. Many are crediting her real-life fiancee’ Daniel Bryan for her improvement, as Bryan and Bella reportedly spend two hours before each show in the ring working on various things together.
Speaking of Brie Bella, there is talk of WWE releasing some “Brie-Mode” merchandise soon. Fans of Total Divas will remember “Brie-Mode” as the name her twin sister Nikki gave her to describe her behavior when she is drunk and partying.
-According to reports, a new priority for the future in WWE is tag-team wrestling. Triple H is strongly behind the idea and will apparently put additional focus on tag-teams during the next set of WWE NXT television tapings, which is scheduled for November 21st at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
WWE Superstar and current World Heavyweight Champion John Cena recently took to Twitter to post some photos of his Halloween costume. Cena, who dressed up as Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars, posted the following pictures, including one with his real-life girlfriend and WWE Diva, Nikki Bella.
The following are highlights from a recent Miami Herald interview with WWE Superstar John Cena:
On returning from his injury and surgery: “”This one has just been about me getting back healthy, because I haven’t had a match in eight weeks, I really just want to be as strong and as ready to go as possible. When you’re in the element everyday and you can really be around your competition, that’s when you can come up with breaking it down a little more with your opponent. This will essentially be like the first game of the season for me. It just so happens to be with all the importance of the last game of a season. I’m really excited to be back, and I really think this Sunday is going to be special, and hopefully, I can shake that Miami jinx.”
On working with Alberto Del Rio in his return match: “Anyone who can be a champion at our level deserves respect. I tend not to be the guy who runs everybody down because I’ve had my share of wins and my share of loses…You can’t ignore the fact he’s the World heavyweight champion.”
On his personal real-life relationship airing on Total Divas: “That was difficult, but I’m glad I made the decision to do that, and a lot of that had to do with Nicole’s influence, obviously. I really wanted the show to be a success. I truly love Nicole, and I believe in her. It was a conscience decision for me to do it. I think our viewers will enjoy the second half of the first season that’s coming back in mid-November on the E! network. As the show grows, it gets better and more interesting to watch, and I think fans will enjoy it this time around.”
On doing movies: “Movies are a different animal. I love the live entertainment business. I love the live sports entertainment television business. I love live television period, just because it’s so honest, especially live television with an audience, because if that audience wants to say or do something, you can’t hide it from the viewers. Movies are a little bit different. It takes a lot more patience to be in a movie, to make a movie, to be active in a movie scene. I have patience, but I don’t know if I have enough.”
Check out the complete interview online at MiamiHerald.com.
– Former WWE star Sho Funaki was at a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling show trying to start up a working relationship between NJPW and his wrestling school in Texas.
– There has been talk of splitting up the Bella Twins, with Nikki turning heel and Brie playing the babyface. With a second season of Total Divas starting next month, some dissension between the twins could give them some fresh material to work with.
– Chris Jericho watched this past Sunday’s TNA Bound For Glory pay-per-view and had some strong praise for the Ultimate X match and Bully Ray’s performance:
Watched TNA Bound For Glory & it was great! Never been in Ultimate X match-looks amazing! @RealBully5150 is the real deal.. @IMPACTWRESTLING
According to one source, WWE is apparently puzzled as to why Brie Bella is not more over as a babyface right now. The general consensus is that she came off on the “Total Divas” reality show as a super-babyface, unlike her twin-sister Nikki Bella, who at times came off as a heel.
Considering the fact that she came off as such a babyface on the show, WWE reportedly failed to understand why she didn’t receive more sympathy from the fans during the beat down she suffered at the hands of Tamina Snuka and AJ Lee on this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.
Obviously, Total Divas represents a small percentage of the fan base that watches RAW, and the demographics are very different, however some in the company fail to make that connection.
Speaking of Bella, as noted previously, current plans call for her to challenge AJ Lee for the WWE Divas Championship at the upcoming WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
-In addition to previously reported reasons, the WWE Tag-Team Championship change on RAW on Monday night was done in part because Vince McMahon was reportedly upset that all of the WWE Championships were held by heels.
-Apparently plans are now in place for the Big E. Langston babyface turn. According to reports, Langston is scheduled for a potential run with Curtis Axel for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The match may be added to the undercard of the upcoming WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
-Other matches rumored to be added to the previously announced matches for the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view include AJ Lee vs. Brie Bella for the WWE Divas Championship and The Real Americans vs. Los Matadores.
– There is talk backstage in WWE that the ongoing Big Show storyline will lead to a singles match against Triple H at November’s Survivor Series pay-per-view from Boston.
-As previously reported, AJ Lee has been medically cleared to return to in-ring action following a recent concussion scare. According to one report, while AJ is unlikely to work a match at the upcoming Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, there has been talk of adding a match featuring AJ and Tamina Snuka against The Bella Twins
-WWE Superstar The Undertaker and his wife, former WWE Diva Michelle McCool, were in attendance at Saturday night’s HBO boxing pay-per-view fight between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manual Marquez.
-WWE Divas The Bella Twins held a “Pink Party” on Saturday night at the Vanity Supper Club in Providence, Rhode Island to raise breast cancer awareness. The Bella Twins posted the following photo on their official Instagram account from the party:
-Former WWE Superstar and Governor of Minnesota, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, has officially released his new book, “They Killed Our President: 63 Reasons to believe There Was a Conspiracy to Assassinate JFK.” For more information, visit Long-Island.Newsday.com.
-WWE Diva Brie Bella recently spoke to the Democrat and Chronicle website as part of her promotional duties for the second-half of the debut season of the E! reality show, “Total Divas.” Bella spoke about her engagement to WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan, as well as her thoughts on settling down, becoming a mother and starting a family. You can check that out online at DemocratAndChronicle.com.
It will be announced on this week’s WWE SmackDown that WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel will defend his title against R-Truth. Bray Wyatt also teased an appearance at Battleground, which will likely be the rumored match we reported on Tuesday with Wyatt taking on Kofi Kingston. That match, however, is still strictly a rumor at this point.
With that now known, here is an updated look at the official lineup for Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view from Buffalo, New York:
Vacant WWE Championship
-Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan
World Heavyweight Championship
-Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam*
WWE Intercontinental Championship
-Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth
WWE Divas Championship
-AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella
-CM Punk vs. Ryback
-Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns**
WWE Battleground Kickoff Show
-Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow
RUMORED Match:
-Bray Wyatt vs. Kofi Kingston
* – The Del Rio vs. Van Dam rematch will be contested under “Battleground Hardcore Rules.”
** – Dusty Rhodes will be in the corner of Cody & Goldust. If the Rhodes Family loses, all three men will never be allowed to work for WWE again. If they win, Cody and Goldust get their jobs back
Make sure to visit SESCOOPS.COM this Sunday night for the absolute best live results coverage of the WWE Battleground pay-per-view. The coverage will begin at 7:30pm E.T. with the WWE Battleground Kickoff Show, and will continue throughout the entire duration of the pay-per-view. Until then, stop by the SESCOOPS.COM Facebook Page and/or the SESCOOPS.COM Twitter Page to share your predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view!
Several new matches and stipulations were added to the WWE Battleground event on Monday’s “go-home” edition of RAW. WWE Battleground emanates from the First Niagra Center in Buffalo, New York this Sunday, October 6, 2013. Below is an updated look at the official lineup for the first ever Battleground pay-per-view.
Vacant WWE Championship
-Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan
World Heavyweight Championship
-Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam*
WWE Divas Championship
-AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella
-CM Punk vs. Ryback
-Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns**
WWE Battleground Kickoff Show
-Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow
* – The Del Rio vs. Van Dam rematch will be contested under “Battleground Hardcore Rules.”
** – Dusty Rhodes will be in the corner of Cody & Goldust. If the Rhodes Family loses, all three men will never be allowed to work for WWE again. If they win, Cody and Goldust get their jobs back
Make sure to visit SESCOOPS.COM this Sunday night for the absolute best live results coverage of the WWE Battleground pay-per-view. The coverage will begin at 7:30pm E.T. with the WWE Battleground Kickoff Show, and will continue throughout the entire duration of the pay-per-view. Until then, stop by the SESCOOPS.COM Facebook Page and/or the SESCOOPS.COM Twitter Page to share your predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view!
It was announced on Monday’s live edition of WWE RAW, the “go-home” show for Sunday’s WWE Battleground event, that there will be another “Kickoff Show” prior to the pay-per-view. The match announced for the “Kickoff Show” is a singles match between Dolph Ziggler and Damien Sandow.
Also revealed on RAW was the story we reported this weekend, that WWE Superstars and Total Divas co-stars Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella got engaged. The real-life engagement was revealed during a backstage segment with The Bella Twins, where WWE Superstar Randy Orton came in and warned Bella to schedule the wedding carefully because he is going to hurt Bryan.
Make sure to visit SESCOOPS.COM this Sunday night for the best WWE Battleground pay-per-view live results coverage, which will begin at 7:30pm E.T. with the aforementioned Battleground Kickoff Show.
-Although it is still unofficial, WWE is planning on holding a Fan Fest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania priorr to their Royal Rumble pay-per-view event.
-WWE Divas and Total Divas reality stars The Bella Twins are featured in the latest issue of Self Magazine.
-Former WWE Superstar and one of the nWo founding members, Kevin Nash, will be appearing at the Funkafied Wrestling Federation (FWF) event at the Elks Lodge in Brick, New Jersey on October 15th.
-WWE Diva and Total Divas reality star Nikki Bella recently updated fans on the status of her physical therapy in a new tweet posted on her official Twitter account. Nikki wrote:
“Gettin’ my grind on at Physical Therapy. Gettin’ stronger everyday. Nothin’ will b able 2 stop #TwinMagic soon! N”
-WWE Superstar and executive Triple H recently posted a tweet on his official Twitter account addressing tonight’s WWE NXT tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. HHH wrote:
“Headed to the @WWEPerformCtr and @FullSail for @WWENXT Tapings tonight. Always love seeing the future unfold….TONS of talent #brightfuture”
-The following are some more Twitter reactions to the news regarding Jim Ross:
Howard Finkel: “I wish nothing but the very best to @JRsBBQ. I’ve truly enjoyed my professional and personal association with him through the years!”
MVP: “@JRsBBQ Good luck JR. It was a pleasure to listen to you. It was an honor to have worked with you. Be well.”
Vickie Guerrero: “@JRsBBQ thank you JR for your friendship! It was an honor to work with you. I wish you the best in your career filled with blessings.”
Beth Phoenix: “Thank u @JRsBBQ for doing me the honor of calling my matches & sharing ur wisdom. I was truly one of the lucky ones to b able to work w/ u!!”
Lance Storm: “@JRsBBQ is the greatest announcer to ever call a match IMO. He’s made more matches better than any wrestler ever has.”
-The official E! website has posted a new video clip that features WWE Superstar John Cena, and his real-life girlfriend, WWE Diva and Total Divas reality star Nikki Bella, doing their stretching routine. You can check that out online at EOnline.com.
-Add The National to the list of mainstream outlets that covered The Miz’s recent WWE promotional trip to Abu Dhabi. You can check out their article on Miz’s trip at TheNational.com.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino recently announced via his official Twitter account that he will be appearing at The Feast of San Gennaro in New York from September 13-15. Bruno wrote:
I will be at Feast of San Gennaro in NY Sept 13 14 15 pic is from 2005 Feast in LA with two of my friends pic.twitter.com/YpIBm9vCIO
