WWE announced Big Show vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship as the main event of the upcoming WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday, November 24th in Boston, Massachusetts.
Also announced on RAW for this week’s WWE television taping on Tuesday night are Curtis Axel vs. Big E. Langston for WWE Main Event on Wednesday, as well as Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper for WWE SmackDown on Friday. Both shows will be taped on Tuesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The following are highlights of a recent Busted Open Radio interview with former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho:
On a return at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view: “I can post a picture of me and the Pope on Instagram or Twitter and the first three thousand comments will be: ‘When are you coming back to the WWE?’ People are so obsessed with that. My response is that I don’t know. I talked about this the last time I was on the show in New York for Fozzy. I don’t have any plans. Not to say that I won’t but as you can see there are a lot of really cool projects that are going on under the Chris Jericho brand umbrella and I think that just adds to me being an asset to the WWE and spreading my wings as much as I can and gaining the biggest fan base I can. I’m not retired from wrestling, I never said that. The time has to be right and soon eventually it will be right. I came back to the Royal Rumble last year and to come back at the Royal Rumble this year, it would be like: ‘We’ve been there and done that’. I have to see what’s going on and figure out another cool way to make it work when the time is right.”
On the next major star in WWE: “I think anybody can be the face of the company if the fans dictate it. I think sometimes the powers-that-be may have different opinions but the thing about Daniel Bryan is that his rise is very organic. It happened basically in spite of the way he was getting pushed. I think if I had to pin point a moment that it happened, it was during that eighteen second loss at WrestleMania last year where people were legitimately angry that the company could treat him that way and started to really get behind him as a character. I think when everybody is chanting his name and the guy goes out there as possibly the best wrestler in the world and a great character and a great performer, why not? You need something different to replace the one that’s on top as we saw when they were trying to replace Hulk Hogan for so many years until Bret Hart stepped up. I think he can be the face of the company if they so desired.”
On the rise and the falls being a test from within: “If you are a conspiracy theorist, you would think that. All I know is from my experiences and if you look how I came into the WWE in 1999, it was the biggest thing in a long, long time. You look at the timeline of that, two or three weeks later, I was losing to Stevie Richards on Sunday Night Heat. There is always a growing process and if you remember the famous title match I had with Triple H where I beat him for the title back in 2000 and then was forced to give it up a few minutes later and what people forget about that is at the end of the show, I got pinned by Hunter in a six man tag team match, clean, 1-2-3. You always wonder that sometimes they do the opposite of what you would expect to happen as far as the way you would book things.”
“I think that there is kind of a test, can this guy get over? Can he sink or swim? What’s going to happen if we pull a swerve on him? Will he have a bad attitude? Will he stop working hard? You never know. My response to that is all you can do is the best you can do with whatever situation you are given. If you get too far with it, you got to make a stand and say something. Before I won the title that time at State College, Pennsylvania against Triple H, I was on my way to Vince’s (McMahon) office; it was like the movie Slap Shot: ‘Who owns the Chiefs? Pay me or I will leave’ sort of thing. I’m done! I lost to Viscera. I lost to the Godfather and this was a waste of my time. I’m done. The writer at that time was Tommy Blacha at the time and he said: ‘Listen, before you go to Vince, I have to say something.’ I said: ‘There is nothing you can say that’s going to change my mind.’ He said: ‘You’re going to win the World Title tonight.’ And that changed my mind. You just got to hold on and Eddie Guererro’s told me that his dad used to say: ‘The cream will always rise to the top. If you can wrestle, you will always have a job and you will get to the top.’ I still believe that. Whatever kind of politics or dipsy doodles may happen, all you got to do is keep performing to the best of your ability and sooner or later you are going to get that shot.”
On the possibility of Shawn Michaels returning to the ring: “Honestly knowing Shawn (Michaels), I don’t think so. That’s my opinion. He could but you look at the way he went out, in one of the greatest matches of all time at WrestleMania in the main event with this huge reception. The performer of Shawn Michaels caliber and his ego, and I say that in a good way because we all have egos, he is not going to come back for anything for less than that. I don’t think you are going to get anything bigger than that. Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels, in my opinion, were the two greatest matches ever. What can compare to that? My gut feeling says no, of course I don’t know but if you ask me, I’d say no.”
“The reason why Taker and Shawn worked is that you have two guys that are on the same exact level, iconic performers that no one can really touch. Maybe Shawn versus Triple H is something that maybe they would do but I don’t think that’s even big enough. I think that door is closed for Shawn and I think he is happy doing what he is doing and I think that’s the same for Steve Austin. I think he very satisfied with his career, I don’t think he feels the need to comeback. Sometimes it happens. As much as the wrestling fans demand it, sometimes if you feel that you did everything that you wanted to do and you’re happy, then why mess with it.”
On whether or not Big Show is hotter now than he has ever been in the past: “I only know from what I read in the reports. I haven’t had the chance to watch a lot of the shows because I have been busy on the road and I find with the Big Show has been around for so long and has performed at the highest level in some many different angles, in so many different personas, I think he is one of the most taken for granted performers in the history of the WWE. He can do anything, he can have a great match every single night but when he is motivated, he goes to a totally different level.”
“I think all you have to say to Show is that: ‘You are going to be involved in the main event storyline (Randy) Orton and Hunter and I think that’s all that Show needs to turn it up some more. I think that Show at eighty percent is better than eighty percent of the roster. But when he is motivated, there are not a lot of performers that can touch him. I think he is very underrated. I think he is taken for granted by the fans and by the company. If I was going to start my own wrestling company, Big Show would be in the top 5 easily, easily, and easily.”
-The official WWE website has added the latest Michael Cole interview with WWE COO Triple H. In the interview, “The Game” explains why he didn’t save his best friend, Shawn Michaels, from the attack by Daniel Bryan on RAW on Monday. Additionally, HHH reveals that Big Show is “banned for life” from WWE. You can check out the new interview online at WWE.com.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke with Cotton of Music Geeks about his past and future in pro wrestling, as well as other business-related projects he is working on. Below is a video of the new interview:
-As previously reported, the plan for the upcoming WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view is to book Randy Orton vs. Big Show for the WWE Championship. The reason it seemed like WWE was pushing a Big Show vs. Triple H match once again on Monday’s RAW is because the plan is for that match to headline the WWE TLC pay-per-view in December. Obviously plans could change as time goes on, but as of right now, that is what’s scheduled to happen.
-For those asking why Vince McMahon did not appear on RAW on Monday night, apparently there were two scripts for Monday’s show. One script had McMahon written into the show, while the other didn’t. WWE apparently went with the script that didn’t have McMahon appearing, despite the fact that he was heavily advertised locally. The plan is for McMahon to still return sometime in the near future, with Big Show planting the seeds for his return by referencing him in an around-about way in promos.
– According to the official WWE website, WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have filed a restraining order against Big Show stating that he must remain 100 yards away from American Airlines Arena, the site of tonight’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, at all times tonight. If the giant grappler does not comply and breaks the order, he will be arrested on sight.
– Promoting tonight’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event, Stephanie McMahon issued the following message.
The countdown is on for #HellInACell Shawn Michaels guarantees there will be a winner and a new WWE Champion! #BestForBusiness
– The official WWE website has released a Hell in a Cell edition of “Out-think The Fink,” which quizzes fans on their knowledge of the pay-per-view event. To play the game, click here.
The following are highlights from a recent BetweenTheRopes.com interview with Big Show:
On if he’s always had the ability to cry on command: “No! (laughs) It’s funny because I didn’t come about being able to do that until I did the movie ‘Knucklehead’. It was funny I did my movie ‘Knucklehead’ there was a scene where I had to get upset in the bathroom. I just screwed a bunch of things up and look in the mirror and for my character it was a real stressful moment and I was trying to cry and I didn’t know how to. How the hell do you just cry? Hit my thumb with a hammer or what? One of the other actors gave me some advice, think about something emotional. Think about something that would take you take that feeling and then bleed off that feeling. Everybody was real supportive and I did the scene and the director said it was good and what he wanted. Then I went to my trailer and then for about 45 minutes in my trailer I could stop balling. And I called my buddy was like dude was is wrong with me? Did I break something? I’m blowing snot bubbles, crying, hyperventilating. What is wrong with me? He said that’s what actors do. When they create a channel to that emotion, then they can tap into it and use it at any time. The weird thing is I’m a seven foot, 430 pound killer monster giant but to show an emotional side is actually a different dynamic for my character.”
“Was I happy about doing it every week? No. I was like oh geez I have to cry again? I was getting sick of it but it worked out. Now we’ve flipped full circle and we’re rocking and rolling the other way so its good.”
On John Cena’s early return from surgery: “Surprised but not surprised. I knew John was going to come back early. I didn’t know he would come back this early. I’ve known him for a long time. Since day one when he walked in the door his work ethic and the bar that he sets is a lot higher than everyone else. We’ll fly 16, 18 hours to Australia to the Middle East, Abu Dhabi or something like that. After an 18 hour plane right, the only thing I was to do really is get something to eat, have a nice shower and go to bed. John hits, right away he goes to the gym. No matter how little sleep he’s had, he goes to the gym everyday. He has that work ethic. His drive and his commitment, the things he does for the community and outside things we do for this company like Susan G. Komen and Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics and all the things John does. The guy constantly goes. I think one time someone told him he was like 77 or 78 days in a row without a day off. Like he did something every single day. Most of us go bat nuts crazy after 15, 16 days in a row. We all need to be cooled off and sent home so we can keep our mental faculties. He’s just got that drive and work ethic so I knew he would be back.”
On Daniel Bryan’s rise in WWE: “I think it’s fantastic. I got to work with Daniel when he first came in. I did some stuff with him and he was just very talented in the ring, really good at being a guy you can depend on. That’s the thing about having a long-term career in this business is the dependability factor and relatively injury-free. A lot of guys are great talents but are prone to injuries. Daniel is not prone to injuries knock on wood. He’s one of those kind of guys that no matter what the situation you put him in, he’s going to deliver in it well. When you get that kind of reputation, the only place you can go is up the ladder. That’s why it’s funny now they’re telling him he’s not the face of the company and that whole storyline where a guy like Daniel Bryan is exactly what you want in a locker room leader and a so to speak face of the company because it’s a tremendous work load being that face of the company. There’s a lot of outside things that you have to do and you have to have the ability to step up to the plate and really execute on all levels. That’s something Daniel does very well. I’m happy for him because he’s very humble, great guy, great sense of humor.”
-Former WWE COO Donna Goldsmith and ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Steve Levy will be headlining a Sports Media and Business Professionals panel at the Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit. The event will take place on November 6th at Oswego State University of New York at the Waterman Theater. For more information, visit Oswego.edu.
-WWE returns to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on Thursday to tape another set of television episodes for WWE NXT. Scheduled as the special guest for this month is currently “fired” main-roster WWE Superstar Big Show. Additionally, other main-roster WWE Superstars and WWE Divas are scheduled to take part in the taping. We should have a full report from the tapings up on the website on Friday.
– The first WWE RAW of 2014 will take place on January 6th from the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The pre-sale begins on 10/31.
– The 2013 WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view will be sponsored by Kmart and WWE’s new Power Slammers toys.
– On Monday’s RAW, we saw Big Show make several “unauthorized” appearances on the show, including driving a truck into the arena during the Hell in a Cell contract signing between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. According to f4wonline.com, Big Show’s actions are likely leading to the television return of Vince McMahon. Vince is expected to be back on television before Survivor Series.
-The following is episode number 47 of The JBL & Cole Show, which features an appearance by Los Matadores and Tensai attempting to re-create the Miley Cyrus wrecking ball madness. Watch it below:
-WWE RAW General Manager Brad Maddox appears to be selling the affects of his “concussion” from the knockout punch he received from Paul Wight (formerly known as Big Show) on Friday’s SmackDown. Maddox recently tweeted the following incoherent message:
Just got back froce thir hospistlr. ., id doing preyty goos 'thaensk bigshnow#
Following Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, some new items have been revealed for this coming Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.
RAW on Monday is scheduled to feature, among other things, an official contract signing between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan for their Hell In A Cell match for the vacant WWE Championship at the WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels, who will serve as the special guest referee for the aforementioned Orton-Bryan title match, will also be appearing on Monday’s RAW.
Also announced for RAW on Monday, as we reported previously, is Triple H “dealing with the Rhodes Brothers” for winning the WWE Tag-Team Championships from The Shield’s Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns on last week’s show, as well as more information on “The Game” stripping Big Show of his name.
Finally, WWE will follow-up on the storyline concussion that RAW General Manager Brad Maddox suffered after being on the receiving end of a Big Show knockout punch on Friday’s SmackDown.
WWE has posted week-seven of their sit-down interview series with Triple H. The interview, which was once again conducted by WWE announcer Michael Cole, featured a few newsworthy items.
Triple H discussed the WWE Tag-Team Championships changing hands on Monday’s RAW, noting that he will “deal with the Rhodes Brothers,” after they won the belts from The Shield with help from Big Show.
Speaking of Big Show, according to Triple H in the interview, he has stripped Big Show of his name, and he is now simply Paul Wight after being “fired” on RAW recently.
You can check out the complete video interview online at WWE.com.
– 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 announced Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler for Ambrose’s WWE United States Championship as the main event for WWE Main Event on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.
WWE Main Event will be taped on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Kansas.
-Also on RAW this week, it was announced that in a “rare appearance,” CM Punk will be on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which is also taped on Tuesday night in Kansas City.
-And finally, the WWE Tag-Team Championships changed hands on Monday’s RAW, as Cody Rhodes and Goldust defeated Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns to capture the titles. The Rhodes Brothers picked up the victory via help from Big Show, who interfered on their behalf in the main event of the show.
– WWE is running a storyline that NXT Superstar Xavier Woods created an online petition last week urging the WWE Universe to sign and demand that “The Authority” #BringBackBigShow immediately. John Cena, Zack Ryder and the Bella Twins are among the WWE stars who have signed the petition and encouraged their Twitter followers to do so as well. For more information, visit WWE.com.
– WWE issued the following announcement on Monday announcing the company’s next presentation of quarterly financial results:
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced that it will report its 2013 third quarter results on Thursday, October 31, 2013, before the opening of the market. The Company’s Chairman and CEO, Vincent K. McMahon, and senior management will host a conference call beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss the results.
All interested parties are welcome to listen to a live web cast that will be hosted through the Company’s web site at corporate.wwe.com. Participants can access the conference call by dialing 855-993-1400 (toll free) or 630-691-2763 from outside the U.S. (conference ID for both lines: WWE). Please reserve a line 15 minutes prior to the start time of the conference call.
The earnings release and presentation to be referenced during the call will be available at corporate.wwe.com. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the conference call concludes, and can be accessed on the Company’s web site.
Due to a depleted talent roster, WWE was forced to shuffle things up a bit during their recent three-event tour of Abu Dhabi this weekend. The following is a breakdown of things you wouldn’t necessarily have seen if the company had a more complete roster to tour with.
-WWE used Hall Of Famer Booker T as a special guest referee for the Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan main event matches.
-Big Show, who was “fired” in storylines on last Monday’s WWE RAW show, was included on the tour. The explanation given to fans in attendance was that Big Show was given a “one night contract” to compete against The Shield.
-WWE NXT wrestlers Bo Dallas and Sami Zayn worked in matches on all of the shows this weekend. However, both guys have been included in several recent non-televised live events.
-WWE RAW General Manager Brad Maddox, who is not typically used to wrestle, worked on the undercards in actual matches this weekend.
For those interested, we have results of every WWE live event from this weekend up on the site right now.
-Several WWE Superstars have recently been tweeting a link to an online petition for WWE to “re-hire” Big Show, who was “fired” by Stephanie McMahon on this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. You can check out the petition online at Twitition.
-WWE Superstar John Cena, who as revealed on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW will be returning at WWE Hell In A Cell on October 27th, has begun counting down the days until his pay-per-view return. The following is the latest tweet from Cena:
-The official WWE website has added a new video feature highlighting the best “firings” laid down by “one of the principle owners of WWE,” Stephanie McMahon. You can check out the feature online at WWE.com.
-As previously reported, WWE Superstar Hornswoggle, who stars in the new WWE Studios film project, “Leprechaun: Origins,” will be taking part at the WWE Studios booth at the upcoming New York Comic Con event. Hornswoggle, who will be flying to New York City on Sunday, tweeted about the upcoming appearance, which you can read below:
Flight to NYC for #NYCC2013 tomorrow for a @WWEStudios panel, can't wait! Hopefully going to do some exploring, any muppet stuff at all?
-Apparently the WWE television storyline where Triple H bought Big Show’s house was taken from the CM Punk DVD that the company produced. On the documentary portion of the DVD, a real-life story was told where Joey Mercury was facing financial problems due to some personal issues he was experiencing, and as a result, Punk bought Mercury’s house for him.
-It’s said to be unlikely that WWE Superstar Wade Barrett’s new gimmick will be the “Bad News Barrett” character that we see on the weekly JBL & Cole Show that appears on the official WWE YouTube channel. Many in the company feel it would be surprising if the higher-ups chose to use anything that is featured on YouTube on their actual television storylines. Regardless, the rumors are true that the company is planning on repackaging Barrett, simply because the feeling is the roster is lacking depth in the heel department.
-According to one source, WWE was originally going to focus on a Big Show vs. Randy Orton feud following the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view on October 27th. Apparently, the new plan is for WWE to promote a three-way program that features Big Show vs. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan.
-Several people within WWE are of the opinion that ever since Eric Pankowski left the company before this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, the creative direction has gone downhill.
After a lengthy career in Hollywood, Pankowski was hired by WWE in February of 2012 as the Senior Vice President of Creative and Development. Many credited Pankowski with the great creative run that WWE experienced over the past year, and feel that direction has suffered since his departure from the company.
– Following Big Show’s knockout punch to Triple H on RAW, WWE.com has posted a video of “30 Knockout Punches in 30 Seconds.”
– The latest Steve Austin Show podcast is now online with his special guest, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman.
– With the WWE crew currently overseas in Abu Dhabi, several WWE superstars have been partaking in some extreme sports. Justin Gabriel noted on Twitter that he went skydiving int the Dubai Desert while Antonio Cesaro spent the day jet skiing in the Persian Gulf. Here’s a photo that Gabriel tweeted during one of his two skydiving jumps:
WWE announcer Michael Cole has issued a storyline-driven video statement exclusively to WWE.com explaining why WWE COO Triple H will not be participating in their weekly sit-down interview for the site.
Michael Cole says Triple H declined to be interviewed this week as a result of the Big Show knocking him out cold on RAW. Cole says Triple H suffered a concussion and is at home resting with his wife and children.
He said the injuries could be even more serious, with Triple H possibly suffering a broken jaw, which would require his jaw to be wired shut.
Cole said that Triple H was unconscious for 3 minutes and 31 seconds at RAW.
After speaking with a source at the Pittsburgh police department (“off the record”), Cole said the police might issue an arrest warrant for the Big Show on charges of criminal trespassing and assault.
We’ll get an update on Triple H’s condition this Friday on SmackDown.
According to one source, the reason for the sudden storyline change in attitude and confidence in Big Show this week on RAW is likely because of Vince McMahon’s rumored return to television, which is expected in the near future.
The storyline surrounding Big Show lately has seen him say “how high” when Triple H and/or Stephanie McMahon say “jump,” until he was fed up with their abuse and defied their orders with his actions in the main event at WWE Battleground on Sunday. This led to his overly confident attitude when being dressed down by Stephanie McMahon in the opening segment of RAW on Monday.
Apparently the reason for that is Vince McMahon, who is scheduled to return to television earlier than originally planned due to recent extreme dips in television ratings and other business projections, will come back as a babyface that will defend Big Show. This would allow Big Show to be confident, as we saw on Monday, despite the fact that his superiors, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, are threatening his job.
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On John Cena’s early in-ring return to WWE: “John Cena returning so soon from his latest surgery surprised me. It’s a no brainer why WWE needs their top star back as quickly as possible but is Cena returning too soon? Perhaps Del Rio travels to Florida and takes Cena out prior to the HIAC but not likely. Sounds like an old, Watts angle.”
On Stephanie McMahon and Big Show: “Thought the opening segment was a hit. Stephanie McMahon had control of her promo and it did not sound un-organic. Talents who memorize their ‘lines’ and then present them as such ruins it for me. Yep, I might be too old school for today’s product but I tune out and disconnect when I feel someone is talking to me from any place other than their heart.”
On CM Punk and Paul Heyman: “Significant albeit surprising opportunity for R Truth tagging with CM Punk vs. Heyman’s duo. Yes, it sets up a match for Smackdown but what else down the road? I don’t feel Punk’s angst toward Heyman was much as I did a few weeks ago. Is that just me?”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Following the televised portion of Monday’s WWE RAW, which ended with Big Show knocking out WWE COO Triple H, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan continued his celebration. Bryan went as far as to steal the suit coat off of HHH’s back and wear it as he continued his celebration standing on top of the announce table to a loud “Yes!” chant from the crowd. Bryan also took JBL’s hat and put it on.
After that, the post-RAW dark match took place, which featured Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton. The following are results from that bout:
-Daniel Bryan def. Randy Orton. Bryan picked up the victory over Orton, and after the match, The Shield ran in to beat up Bryan. This led to Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Goldust coming out to make the save.
-Monday’s WWE RAW, the post-Battleground edition of the show, opened with Stephanie McMahon calling out Big Show to explain his actions in ruining the WWE Championship main event between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton at Sunday’s pay-per-view. Big Show acted nonchalant about his actions and refused orders to beg the WWE Universe for forgiveness. Additionally, Big Show revealed that he knocked out Bryan per orders of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, and knocked out Orton and the returning senior official, Scott Armstrong, because he had enough. As a result, Stephanie McMahon slapped Big Show in the face multiple times and then “fired” him from the company.
-Also on Monday’s RAW, WWE Hall Of Famer Bob Backlund made an appearance. As noted recently, Backlund appeared at some of the recent WWE non-televised live events, including Friday’s show in Syracuse, New York. Backlund appeared as one of three WWE Hall Of Famers who the WWE Universe could vote for as the special referee for the WWE Hell In A Cell main event between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan.
