– Booker T’s comment about Owen Hart on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW has been edited out of all of the replays for the show.
– As seen this past Sunday night, WWE pulled Daniel Bryan from his scheduled match on their Extreme Rules pay-per-view. According to PWInsider.com, the company made the call on Friday to have Bryan stay home.
– Former WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam is featured in the third trailer released for the new medical marijuana documentary. Check out RVD in the new trailer for “The Emporer, The President & The King,” which is currently in production now, below. For updates on the project, and other productions from Hollymood Entertainment, subscribe to their official YouTube channel at YouTube.com.
Booker T has apologized to fans who may have been offended by a comment he made on Monday’s WWE RAW about Owen Hart.
During Neville’s match with Luke Harper, JBL commented that Neville could become the first “high-flying” King of the Ring. “Of course Owen was a high-flyer, but not like this,” JBL said.
Booker T then responded, “He couldn’t defy gravity,” a reference to Neville’s ‘man who gravity forgot’ moniker.
A lot of fans criticized Booker T on Twitter for the comment, noting that it was insensitive due to Owen’s tragic fatal incident. In response to the backlash, Booker T tweeted:
I would never say anything to disrespect the legacy of Owen Hart. If I did offend anyone, I apologize.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently appeared on Main Event Radio’s Ryan Rider about a number of topics, including Samoa Joe in WWE, the talent he enjoyed working with in TNA, how Impact Wrestling can get to the next level and much more. Here are the highlights of what he said about:
The WWE-WCW Invasion Angle: So many different components play out in a situation like that. A lot of guys were under contracts, a lot of guys were making money; a lot of guys had families. It was a difficult time for most. A lot of guys sat it out and got that pay check before they decided to come over. It was only a few of us that decided to stray away – I walked away from a lot of money, six figures, to keep my momentum going. I thought I was in a position where I could make the money back and keep my legacy going. That’s why the invasion angle didn’t work – it was the timing, it just wasn’t right. I had experienced life, overcame life. I was prepared for WCW folding and then having to go to another company and having to rebuild myself. I always knew nothing would last forever and there were turns in the road, life goes in seasons. I knew when that time came I knew it was time to move on.
Was he disappointed in his lost to Triple H at Wrestlemania 19: Honestly, even with my 35 championships it’s never really been about titles for me. The fans were disappointed but I didn’t go back to my room upset that I didn’t win. For me it’s always been about performing. People really wanted me to win – and it was a great match, we left everything in the ring. I can always respect HHH, that he was able to take it just as much as he could dish it out. Me not winning, I would not take that as a black mark on my career or anything like that. A lot of people were disappointed, a lot of office people came up to me and said you should have won. But it just wasn’t meant for me that night and we move on.
Memories of his time as “King Booker”: Being able to create and show people that it’s all about the entertainment factor and making people feel a certain way when they saw it. People remember King Booker because they felt a certain way. It was acting at its finest form. I always feel like I will be the greatest King of the Ring champion there will ever be. 100 years from now they will have to pull up footage of King Booker when they look back at all the great wrestling kings.
Retirement: I’m one of the lucky ones who made it to the other side and are able to enjoy the fruits of the labor. I’m finished. I’m never going to put my boots on again. I’m like a war veteran. I’m done. I’m going to sell all my stuff on ebay. I’m getting rid of everything. [Laughs] Seriously though, I’ve gone through that stage of my life, I’m over it. I don’t get that itch to get out there and do it. I train with my students every week at my wrestling school but to get in there again there is no reason too. I’ve done it all, I’ve won all the titles, and I’ve been all over the world. I like to watch the young guys do their thing.
Some of the talents that he enjoyed working with in TNA:Working with AJ [Styles] was cool. Working with Bobby Roodewas even cooler. That kid had really really good talents. He could perform at a grand stage. Working with Samoa Joe in Houston, Texas where he bloodied me up in front of all my students to show was performance really is. I had a great time working with certain guys there. I really wanted to do more and I felt my talent was misused. I felt that I could have helped the young guys get to the next level of performance. My run there wasn’t as sweet as I wanted it to be but I had fun. It was a great time.
What changes does he think TNA Impact Wrestling needs to make in order to get to the next level: Focus and direction which is something in 2006/2007/2008 they had direction with the 6-sided ring, the knockouts, and the X division. It got clouded, going back to the four-sided ring and it had to be readjusted, re-geared, re-branded. And now they’re rebranding again with a new network. Staying the course first and foremost is what they need to do. Their young guys were their course, because those guys built it. It is a young person’s generation.
On whether he hopes to see Samoa Joe in WWE: He can make some waves with WWE: He can make some big waves with the WWE roster; he can come onto the NXT roster and make waves there. WWE is a proving ground. You don’t just come into WWE and say put me on the main roster because I’m Samoa Joe. You gotta take your knocks. I’m no different than anybody else. When I came to WWE I was a 4x Heavyweight Champion, 6x Television champion, U.S. Champion, 10x tag team champion but I started at the bottom all over again to make my rise. These young guys out there coming into WWE won’t have to go through anything that I haven’t gone through myself.
WWE has an article on their official website updating fans on the physical condition of the WWE RAW announce team.
The article states that Michael Cole, JBL and Booker T will all be back at next Monday’s RAW following their “injuries” sustained in the attack by Brock Lesnar at this past Monday’s post-WrestleMania 31 edition of the show.
According to the story, Cole was diagnosed with a bulging disc and is battling severe neck, back and shoulder pain. JBL was diagnosed with an abdominal wall tear, and Booker T suffered contusions and soreness.
– For those who missed it, Stephanie McMahon announced that Brock Lesnar is “suspended and fined” after attacking the RAW announcers and a WWE camera man at Monday’s post-WrestleMania 31 edition of RAW.
– Speaking of Lesnar’s attack, it was announced later on during the show, and again on WWE’s official Twitter account, that while JBL and Booker T were stretchered to the back, Michael Cole was hurt and was rushed to a hospital. The company tweeted the following during the show.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T interviewed Seth Rollins during the WrestleMania Today special that aired on the WWE Network on Thursday evening. Below are video highlights from the interview.
– WWE issued the following press release today:
WWE® AND FACEBOOK LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE WRESTLEMANIA® EXPERIENCE
MENLO PARK, Calif. and STAMFORD, Conn., March 27, 2015 – WWE and Facebook are providing fans with exclusive content before, during and after WrestleMania 31 on Sunday, March 29, featuring WWE Superstar ring entrances, match clips, interviews, locker room commentary and training videos. The “Facebook Trending Experience” for WrestleMania will also allow fans to see comments and posts about WrestleMania 31 from celebrities, WWE Superstars and Divas, news outlets, influencers and friends. During the telecast, WWE’s on-air announcers will encourage fans watching WrestleMania on WWE Network and pay-per-view to participate in the experience, and fans attending live will be able to check in at Levi’s Stadium to join the conversation.
This marks the first time that WWE and Facebook have teamed up on WrestleMania to deliver fans near real-time event highlights, collaborate on in-venue activations, and drive fans to a social experience during a live event telecast. Additionally, WWE Superstar Zack Ryder will lead a “Hide and Like” promotion later today where fans will have the opportunity to find him in the San Jose area for a chance to win tickets to WrestleMania 31, WrestleMania Axxess and the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
“We are thrilled to partner with WWE to help connect the millions of WWE fans on Facebook with the excitement of what’s happening around WrestleMania 31 this weekend, whether they are at Levi’s Stadium, watching the telecast, or in line at the grocery store,” said Dan Reed, Facebook’s Head of Global Sports Partnerships. “From exclusive WWE video content on Facebook, to creative integrations of the fan experience both in-venue and for TV viewers, we think this partnership with WWE will bring the social conversation around WrestleMania 31 to a whole new level.”
“Facebook is a global leader and innovator in driving social conversation with the ability to reach a massive audience,” said WWE Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon. “Our social experience during WrestleMania will create opportunities for fans to further engage with WWE and provide them with more access to our Superstars than ever before.”
In addition to the “Facebook Trending Experience” for WrestleMania, Facebook has partnered with WWE during WrestleMania Week to give back to the local community. Yesterday, representatives from Facebook’s global policy and safety division were in attendance at WWE’s Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) anti-bullying rally at Joseph George Middle School in San Jose, Calif., to discuss the tools that Facebook offers in order to combat cyberbullying.
– There was speculation that the segment where Triple H “fired” Booker T on Monday’s RAW was unscripted, however the word is that what happened in the segment went down exactly how it was written in the final script for the show, and that Booker T was well aware that it was coming.
– The second ever NXT live event outside of Florida will take place tonight in Cleveland, Ohio.
– Bo Dallas has somewhat of a new look. Below is a photo of he and Tyler Breeze from this week’s WWE television taping which shows Dallas sporting a beard.
Triple H is once again the guest on this week’s sit-down interview with Michael Cole, which you can watch above.
Michael Cole asks whether or not Sting is starting to get under Triple H’s skin. HHH says Sting is good, just like he was in WCW. He mentioned his “firing” of Booker T on RAW and spoke about how no one in WCW could control Sting. He says there’s a reason Sting never came to WWE, and that’s control. He said sometimes you have to show that you still have control.
Cole asked HHH about the problems within The Authority, noting that he appears to be preoccupied as of late. HHH says that when you’re a parent, sometimes you have to let the kids battle things out among themselves. He said when RAW went off the air this week, everyone seemed to be getting along and he doesn’t have a problem letting them work out their issues by themselves.
When asked about WWE and NXT going to Ohio for the Arnold Classic this coming weekend, HHH spoke about his International Sports Hall Of Fame induction and said it’s an honor and having Arnold Schwarzenegger induct him is huge.
– Several NXT stars worked this week’s WWE television tapings. Tyler Breeze worked the post-show dark match, teaming with Bo Dallas, losing to fellow NXT stars The Lucha Dragons. NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks also worked the taping, losing to Natalya in a pre-show dark match.
You can read full WWE Main Event spoilers for this week by clicking here.
– The official WWE website has a new article up with comments from several stars who worked with Sting in WCW in the past. Below are some excerpts.
Big Show on Sting’s heroics: “To fight evil, sometimes you have to become evil. That was a brilliant move to embrace that darker side. You still knew the good Sting was there, the guy you grew up with and cheered for, the guy with the big smile. But you saw this other guy that had all this anger toward the nWo; he really exemplified a character that, in a superhero kind of way, could stand up at the plate and take everyone on by himself. A lone wolf kind of deal. And with the unique ways he would enter the ring, dropping down from the ceiling or blackouts before he would show up, he kept the element of surprise. I think the thing about Sting today is he hasn’t changed. Though his character has developed, the core value of who he is and what he represents hasn’t changed. He’s got a fan base from so many years of being someone you can depend on, kind of like John Cena. He’s been through so many trials and tribulations, and been able to stick to his guns. That’s what we respect in a hero.”
Booker T on Sting’s aura: “He’s an enigma. He’s mysterious and lurked in the shadows for many, many years. It’s an aura that draws you to him. Guys like that, they’re one of a kind. People have wanted to see him here in WWE for many years. I think people are intrigued by him. I think Triple H knows what he’s in store for. He’s conquered the business, putting himself in power as COO of a money-making company. That right there says a lot about his drive and determination. I don’t think he’s going to underestimate Sting. It’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight. However, I know since 1998, when DX invaded Nitro, Sting has wanted to get even. WrestleMania’s going to be a war.”
You can check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– Part two of Roddy Piper’s interview with Colt Cabana is featured on this week’s edition of the “Piper’s Pit” podcast, which you can download at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE will be airing a new special called “WWE 24: Booker T: Sentenced to Greatness” on the WWE Network immediately following tonight’s edition of RAW. Below is a preview for the special.
– Below is this week’s “After Total Divas” web episode.
– There is said to be talk going around once again lately of inducting Kevin Nash into this year’s class of the WWE Hall Of Fame.
– Booker T’s special guests on his “Heated Conversations” radio show will be Rob Van Dam and actor Omar Dorsey. You can tune into the show at SportsRadio610.com.
– John Cena is scheduled to appear on the popular NBC program, “Parks and Recreation” next Tuesday at 8pm EST.
– WWE stock ended up closing at $16.59 per share on Friday, which was up 15.53%. The high for Friday was $17.00 per share and the low for the day was $14.36.
– Various cable TV providers are teasing that Sting might answer Triple H’s challenge for a face-to-face meeting at Fast Lane tonight on RAW. It’s unknown whether Sting will accept in person or if they will air a taped statement.
– The next episode of WWE 24 on the WWE Network will debut on Monday, February 23rd after RAW and will focus on WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. The episode is titled, “Sentenced To Greatness.”
– WWE’s latest Canvas 2 Canvas video features artist Rob Schamberger new NXT painting:
The following is the final advertised lineup for tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which takes place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and airs live on the WWE Network.
WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Show
– Big E., Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro, Tyson Kidd & Adam Rose
– Booker T interviews Shawn Michaels
WWE Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View
– The Bella Twins vs. Paige & Natalya
– The Ascension vs. New Age Outlaws
– The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow (WWE Tag-Team Championship)
– 30-man over-the-top Royal Rumble match
– Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Make sure to join us here at the website tonight for the best WWE Royal Rumble live play-by-play results coverage on the web!
As we noted recently, Booker T will be conducting a “special interview” with Shawn Michaels during this Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Show. HBK is not expected to be at the Rumble in person, however, as the interview with Booker T was taped this past Monday at RAW Reunion in Dallas.
Also taped this past Monday in Dallas is the latest edition of “The JBL Show,” which features an appearance by JBL’s former A.P.A. tag-team partner, Ron Simmons. You can check out the full show below.
– Below is a video of former WWE Diva Sharmell talking to Title Match Wrestling about running Reality of Wrestling with her husband — Booker T — as well as his new gig as one of the announcers for RAW. The interview was taped prior to Jerry Lawler being moved to SmackDown. Sharmell thanked Vince McMahon for giving Booker the opportunity and said WWE has always been good to her family.
– Below is the elaborate Royal Rumble statistics video that aired on this past Monday’s RAW Reunion show.
Although WWE initially announced a 30-minute Royal Rumble Kickoff Show for this Sunday night, the WWE Network is currently advertising a one-hour pre-show.
Speaking of the pre-show, Booker T mentioned on social media that he will conduct a special interview with Shawn Michaels this Sunday before the pay-per-view begins. Also set for the Kickoff Show, as announced on RAW on Monday, is a six-man elimination tag-team match with The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Adam Rose.
Finally, the WWE Network is advertising a 15-minute Royal Rumble Fallout post-show, which is listed as beginning at 10:45pm EST. on Sunday. As is the case with most pay-per-views, the Fallout post-show will likely be dropped if the pay-per-view itself runs long.
– On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, which was both the Royal Rumble “go-home” show and the “RAW Reunion” special, the “expert panel” for this Sunday’s pay-per-view was announced. Hosting the official Royal Rumble “Kickoff Show” this Sunday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will be Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves and Booker T.
– Below is the video package WWE aired at the beginning of Monday’s RAW to honor the Martin Luther King Jr. day holiday.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T has a new radio show with CBS Houston, which debuted on Saturday night. The show airs on SportsRadio610.com, as well as on radio stations in the local market. The people involved with the show are still working on coming up with a name for the program, which is scheduled to air every Saturday at 7pm local time.
– Ryback is working his “firing” angle on social media, as he posted the following on Friday evening.
As noted recently, WWE switched up their television announce teams, with RAW now featuring Michael Cole, JBL and Booker T, and SmackDown with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton. For those curious, the announce team for WWE pay-per-views, for the time being, will still feature Cole, JBL and Lawler.
The feeling within WWE is that the move of Lawler to SmackDown is the beginning of WWE phasing him out of the picture, as the company is age-conscious when it comes to their on-camera broadcasters, particularly for their key programs.
The idea of phasing Lawler out has been floating around for a while, however when he suffered a heart attack, it was pretty much a lock that they couldn’t make the move just yet.
When WWE moved SmackDown from Friday’s to Thursday’s, which begins this week on the SyFy Network in North America, it seemed like the perfect excuse to finally pull the trigger and make the transition of having Lawler move from RAW to SmackDown.
– WWE broadcast team member Scott Stanford will be back on the official WWE RAW pre-show on the WWE Network tonight. Stanford will join the regular RAW pre-show hosts Byron Saxton and Alex Riley in place of the usual third member of the team, Booker T.
– Ryback posted the following tweet to follow up on the “firing” storyline from last Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.
WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T announced that he and his former WCW tag-team partner Stevie Ray, who together were known as “Harlem Heat” during their time in the now defunct WCW promotion, will be reuniting for one night only.
The Harlem Heat tag-team will be working a match together for Booker’s “Reality of Wrestling” promotion, as the duo will challenge the new version of another popular tag-team from the past, “The Heavenly Bodies.”
The show that this match will take place will be on Saturday, February 21st at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.
Tickets for the event officially go on sale to the general public on Sunday (January 11th) at noon.
You can check out a video promo for the Harlem Heat reunion at the Reality of Wrestling promotion above.
– As noted earlier this week, WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry Lawler was hospitalized with diverticulitis, which is why he was replaced by Booker T on commentary at this past Monday’s RAW. Lawler was reportedly released from the hospital on Monday, January 5th and is said to be doing a lot better right now.
– Also reported recently, Dolph Ziggler was pulled from the WWE live events scheduled for this weekend as a way to continue the “firing” storyline from RAW. Since then, it has been revealed that both Ryback and Erick Rowan, who were also “fired” on Monday, will not be working the live events this weekend as well.
Last night’s Raw was the first of 2015 and the company started the year not with a bang but with a whimper. The show was held in Corpus Christi, TX, and it’s unclear whether the audience was drugged prior to filming, because it was probably the most silent crowd I’ve ever heard at a WWE event. Without further ado, here are the pros and cons from last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Pros
The clear highlight of the night was the Ambulance Match between Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt. As always, the two worked pretty well together and delivered a few memorable spots. The ending felt just a bit sloppy, but the rest of the match more than made up for it. In all, it was good to see Wyatt come out on top, as he needed the win more than Ambrose. This program has been one of the only good things going over the past few weeks, so it’s kind of sad to see it come to an end.
Another clear highlight was the Intercontinental Championship match. It was a good way for the Authority to exact revenge against Ziggler, and the 2-out-of-3 falls swerve was decent. It’s also nice to see that the company still has confidence in Bad News Barrett, and this hopefully means that Ziggler will move into the main event picture permanently.
It was nice to see the program actually have an intro and pryo again. This is a minor complaint, but the intro-less format felt really cheap, with it simply going to a lifeless Michael Cole saying, “Welcome to Raw” while panning over the crowd. Unfortunately, the intro and pyro will probably be gone next week due to budget cuts.
Adding Seth Rollins to the main event at the Royal Rumble was brilliant. With Rollins essentially having two chances to win the title in a few weeks, it provides many booking possibilities. My interest level in the main event went from nonexistent to moderately intrigued in a matter of seconds.
Booker T on commentary was a nice change of pace. Hopefully King is well soon, but they really need to shake up the commentary team. I wouldn’t mind seeing Booker become a regular at the table again.
The Kane/Rollins vs. Ryback match was somewhat entertaining but nothing to write home about. The double Curb Stomp was at least a decent finish.
Finally, it was nice to see the company giving guys more time to cut backstage promos. Rusev, Reigns, Ambrose, Wyatt, and possibly a few superstars whom I’m forgetting all received promo time last night. Good to see the company letting the talent speak instead of filling that time with ads or plugs for the Network.
Bad News Barrett took to Twitter soon after defeating Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the two-out-of-three falls match that opened up the first edition of WWE RAW of 2015.
Barrett paid homage to Booker T, noting that he was a “five time, five time, five time, five time, five time” champion, before quickly turning back heel and rubbing his victory in the faces of Ziggler fans.
As noted earlier today, WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry Lawler, who was recently hospitalized with diverticulitis, will not be appearing on tonight’s edition of WWE RAW.
Booker T, who will be replacing Lawler on commentary for the show, posted the following on his official Twitter account on Monday afternoon.
No #RAW pre or post show for me tonight. Don't worry though, you can get your Booker T fix on RAW! I'm doing commentary! DIG THAT SUCKAS!