– WWE is advertising both John Cena and Triple H for the April 9th SmackDown taping from Boston, MA. Triple H appearing at a taping just 2 days after WrestleMania 29 could be another indication that he’ll be wrestling Brock Lesnar at WM29.
– The following matches will take place on tonight’s episode of WWE Main Event:
* Cameron and Naomi vs. Aksana and Tamina.
* Cody Rhodes vs. Sheamus.
* Damien Sandow vs. Daniel Bryan.
– Chris Jericho is headed down under to Australia from 2/23-3/4 to tour with his metal band, Fozzy. After Jericho gets back, he’s scheduled for almost all RAW and SmackDown tapings through WrestleManai. He then heads overseas to Europe for another Fozzy tour that begins on April 11th and runs through the end of the month.
– It was announced on RAW that Jack Swagger’s ankle lock submission finisher will now be known as the Patriot Act.
– Vickie Guerrero announced on RAW that she is the reason Brock Lesnar is back on WWE television. She revealed that she re-signed Lesnar to impress Vince McMahon, hoping that he would make her the permanent General Manager of RAW again.
– During a recent interview with the Phoenix New Times to promote last weekend’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Ryback spoke about his “Big Hungry” nickname, noting that he is the one that came up with it, but Vince McMahon ultimately banned it.
– WWE is currently hiring several corporate positions, including an Executive Vice President of International Business, a new Vice President of Marketing and a Vice President of Social Media.
– In conjunction with the buildup to WrestleMania 29, Brock Lesnar will be appearing on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
– The dark match main event advertised for next week’s WWE RAW from Atlanta, GA will see John Cena & Ryback teaming up against CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler.
– WWE Champion The Rock is currently not scheduled to be at next week’s RAW. This is one of the only shows he is not advertised for through WrestleMania.
– Following his return to WWE television and his attack on Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar is confirmed for next week’s RAW.
Lesnar is also confirmed to appear at the February 25th RAW from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on Monday’s RAW. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Bo Dallas: “Loved that Bo wears a black glove much like his WWE HOF family members, Grandpa Blackjack Mulligan and Uncle Barry Windham.”
Chris Jericho’s Return “The return to WWE for whatever the over discussed term of his contract may or may not be for @IAmJericho has been a shining light beginning on Sunday at the Rumble and Monday on RAW. Chris Jericho can make whoever he competes with better which is an artform that isn’t in abundance in today’s mat world. Great ‘get’ by WWE.”
Brock Lesnar Attacking Vince McMahon: “Dramatic conclusion to Raw with the in ring confrontation of Mr. McMahon and @HeymanHustle which I knew would be a highlight of the night but I never dreamed it would become THE highlight of the broadcast. Great, organic chemistry between two men who have had plenty of experience ‘debating’ the other over the years. My black hat is off to both as it was the show closing moment that Raw needed and it delivered. The shocking return of Brock Lesnar was something that I did not expect to see Monday night and I certainly did not foresee the “Psycho Viking” F5’ing the Chairman of the Board. Freighting moment, in my view, taking all elements into consideration.”
– Monday’s WWE saw a huge spike in social media activity. RAW Roulette from Las Vegas, Nevada had a Trendrr.tv social media score of 389,815, up a staggering 87% from the previous week. RAW matched the social media score from the recent 20th Anniversary RAW (389,756) and ranked #1 on cable for the first time this year.
– WWE.com has provided a storyline update on the injuries sustained by Vince McMahon at the hands of Brock Lesnar on RAW. The WWE Chairman reportedly suffered a “broken pelvis” in a storyline that will undoubtedly lead to Triple H’s return to television.
It’s worth noting that Stephanie McMahon also at Monday’s RAW from Las Vegas and was one of the people accompanying Vince McMahon to the back while he was stretchered out after the show went off the air.
Brock Lesnar made a surprise return to WWE at the end of Monday’s WWE RAW, just as Vince McMahon was about to fire Paul Heyman.
Vince’s decision to fire Paul Heyman came after video footage was uncovered showing Heyman admitting to hiring Brad Maddox and The Shield to attack WWE superstars on behalf of CM Punk.
Lesnar delivered an F-5 to McMahon to end the show, as Paul Heyman looked on and screamed, “What have you done?!”
Lenar was last seen on WWE television at SummerSlam, where he defeated Triple H in the main event. He then quit WWE via a tout video [View Here].
This will likely set up Triple H’s return to television and the eventual WrestleMania match between Triple H and Lesnar.
According to a reliable source, Brock Lesnar has reportedly come to terms with WWE on a deal that will keep him with the company for 2 more years, through WrestleMania 31.
Lesnar has been working on a 1-year limited-appearance deal that called for approximately two appearances per month. With Lesnar off WWE television since the summer, WWE has been saving up the remaining dates on his current deal and plans to feature Lesnar prominently on television in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 29.
Lesnar’s new contract would presumably include similar terms and opens up a slew of new storyline possibilities in the months ahead.
During Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 6 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White revealed that Brock Lesnar agreed to return to the UFC last year to fight Fedor Emelianenko in a heavyweight megafight that would have taken place at Cowboys Stadium Sadly, Emelianenko’s father passed away and the fight fell apart.
White told the media on Saturday night:
“I told you guys that story before, we were in deep talks with [Fedor] we were that close to signing him. No [we were close to signing him] recently, right before his dad died…we were right there. When I was talking about doing that big Dallas Texas stadium show it was going to be Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor. Remember when I met with him and I said it didn’t get well? It actually did go well. It went well and then Fedor’s dad died, he wanted to fight Fedor….Fedor was done, he said ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with my family.’ We were negotiating for months. And then after his dad died he said, ‘That’s it I’m done,’ or whatever and then Brock said, ‘I’m done too.'”
As for Lesnar’s future, White doesn’t believe he’ll ever fight in the Octagon again.
“From what I understand, he has absolutely, positively made his decision not to fight ever again from what I understand, but I mean, anything’s possible. You know, when the guy says he wants to retire, you’re never going to see me chasing a guy that says he wants to retire. If you want to retire, you should retire.”
“He’s going to do his stint in the WWE and then go away. He’s got a big farm up in Canada. He loves to farm and he loves to be with his family out in the middle of nowhere.”
With Brock Lesnar’s current WWE contract expiring after WrestleMania 29, WWE is eager to sign the former UFC Heavyweight champion to another 1-year deal with similar terms (several million dollars for limited appearances).
WWE recently offered Lesnar the extension and the feeling is that there’s a good chance he’ll be back for another year.
As for who Lesnar’s feuds would be against, the top two opponents for him are rumored to be CM Punk and Randy Orton.
WWE officials have offered Brock Lesnar a new contract, according to a report in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Lesnar’s current deal expires right after WrestleMania 29 and the company is eager to lock him in for another year. The new contract would be very similar to his current arrangement, which pays him several million dollars to work a very limited schedule that includes a few high-profile pay-per-view matches and several WWE television appearances in the weeks leading up to those fights.
It’s believed that Lesnar will not make a decision on the contract extension until the last minute, which is how he’s done business in the past.
Regarding a potential Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match, WWE officials are skeptical if it could ever take place, due to mileage on Taker’s body. That said, the two opponents WWE has in mind for Brock Lesnar in 2013-2014 are the Undertaker and reigning WWE Champion CM Punk.
– With WrestleMania season just around the corner, one match that appears to be set in stone is a SummerSlam rematch between Brock Lesnar and Triple H. Lesnar will be returning to WWE television in late February and will be making regular appearances on RAW to build up to his high-profile match on April 7th.
Lesnar signed a 1-year deal with WWE last year after WrestleMania and his contract expires right after WrestleMania 29. At this point, it’s unknown whether he will be willing to sign on for another year, but WWE will probably make him a strong offer at that time – as they were very satisfied with the box office performance and quality of his matches with John Cena at Extreme Rules and Triple H at SummerSlam. Paul Heyman’s prominent role on WWE television can’t hurt the chances of Lesnar sticking around for another year, but likely won’t be the deciding factor in his decision.
In the event that Lesnar does not want to wrestle again after his match with Triple H, WWE will once again be faced with the annual “WrestleMania hangover” dilema of their special attraction talents (Lesnar, The Rock, The Undertaker, Triple H) leaving.
– A member of WWE’s creative team suggested this week that Brock Lesnar perform a run-in during CM Punk’s WWE Championship defense against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson next month at Royal Rumble. This would then lead to a match between Lesnar and Johnson at WrestleMania.
– General Motors and WWE salute the Achilles Freedom Team. See the following video message, featuring John Cena.
– Former WWE talent Shane Helms appears at The Wrestling Universe 34-29 Francis Lewis Blvd. Flushing, New York, on January 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Call 718-460-2777 for more information.
– On Monday’s RAW, it was announced that the main event of Survivor Series will be a traditional 5 on 5 elimination match featuring Team CM Punk vs. Tem Mick Foley. Mick Foley won’t be wrestling, but will bei n the corner of his team. Paul Heyman and Ricardo Rodriguez will be in the corner of Team Punk. To read WWE’s official match preview for Team Punk vs. Team Foley, visit WWE.com.
– The United States Marine Corps. are trying to block WWE’s trademark for the upcoming WWE Studios film, “The Marine: Homefront.” The Marines were very outspoken when Randy Orton, a former Marine that was dishonorably discharged after going AWOL, was originally cast as the lead character. The Marines were granted a 90-day extension to file an opposition back on September 4th and have until December 12th to file the opposition.
– As reported last week and over the weekend, WWE was tossing around a lot of ideas regarding how to book the finish of CM Punk’s Hell in a Cell title defense against Ryback. One proposed scenario would have been for Brock Lesnar to make a surprise appearance and cost Ryback the match. This idea was nixed because WWE is still planning for a Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H rematch and did not want to set up a Lesnar vs. Ryback feud with the Triple H angle still in play.
– Paul Heyman, who is gaining more creative influence within WWE, recently proposed a faction consisting of WWE Champion CM Punk, Brock Lesnar and Antonio Cesaro, according to SuperLuchas.net.
– World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus appeared on WPRI-TV’s morning show Tuesday promoting the evening’s SmackDown event in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Video of his appearance is available here.
– Triple H is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
– WWE has no live events scheduled before Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
UFC President Dana White says Brock Lesnar will never return to the UFC, despite recent talks about the former Heavyweight MMA champion returning to the Octagon.
White called into the “Dave and Mahoney” show on X107.5 in Las Vegas on Tuesday and confirmed, “He’s done. He called me a couple of days ago. He’s never coming back.”
After two life-threatening bouts with the intestinal disease diverticulitis, White said, “His body can’t take it.”
Lesnar is current under a 1-year contract with WWE that includes a limited number of remaining dates.
“[Brock] said he can wrestle, but he can’t fight,” White said. “He was contemplating coming back.”
UFC President Dana White was interviewed for StarTribune.com this week and spoke about the possibility of Brock Lesnar fighting in the Octagon again.
When asked directly if he’d bring Lesnar back, White responded, “Sure, I’d bring him back. He was the one who wanted to retire, and then he hooked back up with the WWE and did some stuff over there.”
Lesnar is currently under a 1-year contract with WWE and is expected to be offered another contract before his deal expires around WrestleMania 29.
Despite reports that Lesnar and Dana White’s face-to-face meeting earlier this year did not go well, Dana White says he still sees money in the former UFC Heavyweight champion.
“If Brock called me tomorrow and said, ‘Hey I’d like to come back,’ I’d work with him,” White said.
– This week marks the 15th anniversary of Kane’s debut in WWE. To celebrate, the official WWE website takes a look back at one moment from each year of his career, including setting The Undertaker’s casket on fire and breaking up the wedding of Edge and Lita. (Article)
– The final SmackDown taping of 2012 takes place Sunday, Dec. 30 at The Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia.
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, Dolph Ziggler has been announced to appear at the New York Comic Con on Saturday at the Javits Center 655 W. 34th St. New York, New York. Other wrestling stars appearing at the four-day event beginning Thursday includes Booker T (Saturday), Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, the former Bella Twins, Rosita (Saturday and Sunday), “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (Saturday and Sunday), Vader (Thursday and Sunday), Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Kevin Nash (Friday and Sunday).
– Brock Lesnar is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
– It’s been speculated for some time that WWE will offer Brock Lesnar a new contract when his current deal expires around WrestleMania 29 in April 2013. Following the news that SummerSlam 2012 (Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H) was the most-ordered SummerSlam since 2008, it’s virtually guaranteed that Lesnar will be offered another contract.
– As reported earlier this week, Ricardo Rodriguez wrestled a dark match at Tuesday’s Saturday Morning Slam tapings against Sin Cara as the masked luchador “El Lo Cal.” Rodriguez is expected to wrestle more in the coming months and company officials feel that he brings out the best in Sin Cara.
Silvervision.co.uk has released the trailer for WWE’s upcoming Brock Lesnar video release, Brock Lesnar – Here Comes the Pain!. The majority of the content will be the same as the 2003 DVD of the same title, but updated with new footage and interviews to reflect Lesnar’s 2004 departure and return to the organization.
The synopsis for the product reads: “The night after WrestleMania XXVIII, Brock Lesnar made a shocking return to the ring and leveled John Cena with an F-5, sending a message that after eight years, the pain is back! In 2002 and 2003, The Next Big Thing brought it to the biggest and baddest competition in WWE, becoming the youngest WWE Champion of all time and a household name virtually overnight. His awe-inspiring physique, amateur championship pedigree and affinity for punishing opponents made him an unstoppable force in the ring. Now, after years of dominating the MMA scene, Brock is back and looking to steamroll the biggest Superstars of today. This rerelease of the 2003 DVD, Here Comes the Pain, includes the original documentary that chronicles Brock’s meteoric rise to fame, as well as six hours of additional matches not included on the original DVD! Plus, here Brock’s controversial comments upon his return to sport entertainment! . Fans can experience classic matches against Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton and many more!”
Brock Lesnar – Here Comes the Pain! will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 30, 2012.
Paul Heyman weighed in on weather Brock Lesnar should be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, and if he should ever compete in the octagon again. Now it’s time to tell us your thoughts! Be sure to leave a comment below.
Paul Heyman spoke with MMA Junkie about his on screen protegee Brock Lesnar. Here are the highlights:
– Brock Lesnar has main evented 3 consecutitive Pay-Per-Views with an impressive million buy rate each. Competing in less than 10 MMA bouts and with a 5-3 record, does Lesnar belong in the UFC Hall Of Fame?
“Of course he is [a UFC Hall of Famer],” “Listen, here’s the thing: Look at the three that he lost to, number one. Number two, what if Brock Lesnar did what everyone else did and said, ‘Feed me a guy every other month for three years so I’ll get six victories a year. I’ll be 18-0 before you put me in there with a Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, or Randy Couture and the legends of legends in UFC.'” “But he didn’t do that. He walked in and said give me your best.”
– Would Brock Lesnar make a UFC return?
“I think Dana White would love to have Brock Lesnar back,” he said. “I think Lorenzo Fertitta would love to have Brock Lesnar back. Does Brock Lesnar want to go back? I don’t think Brock has anything to prove in the UFC anymore. He’s 35 years old. He made a lot of money in the UFC.
“His house and his farms and his cars and everything that he owns is paid for. Why would he go in and risk injury and concussions and risk any kind of physical damage when he doesn’t need to? That’s the thing you have to understand. How hungry can a fighter be when he has millions and millions of dollars in the bank? What’s there for him to gain? Another run as UFC heavyweight champion? Why would he do that?”
UFC president Dana White sat down with Ariel Helwani of Fuel TV and addressed whether he’s be receptive to Brock Lesnar wanting to return to the world of MMA for one more dream fight.
White got a lot of people buzzing by asking fans if they’d want to see a fight between retired former MMA champions Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelienenko. Despite the excitement over this potential dream fight, the UFC boss says he was merely guaging fan interest and it’s highly unlikely that Lesnar and Fedor will ever go face to face in the octagon.
“The crazy thing is everyone is asking me to make this fight when you know Fedor is retired. The guy retired,” White said. “I couldn’t get him when he was fighting. Now I’m such good terms I’m going to pull out of retirement?”
– As we reported earlier this week, WWE is currently looking for Triple H’s next match to take place at WrestleMania 29. While things could change between now and next April, the current plan is for Triple H to get his rematch against Brock Lesnar at the show.
– One of the wrestlers that received a tryout with WWE last week was NWA Hollywood wrestler Nick Madrid, who was trained by Lance Storm. WWE has already signed six other students from Storm’s wrestling school to developmental contracts.
– Chris Jericho will be appearing at J&R Records in New York City tonight with his band Fozzy from 5:30-6:35pm. The band will be signing copies of their new album, “Sin and Bones.”
Jericho posted the following video on Tout last night promoting the appearance:
– WWE superstars Ryback and Sheamus are currently in the midst of winning streaks, with Ryback at 25 consecutive wins and Sheamus at 14 (televised matches).
– Part of WWE’s booking of the Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H storyline has been done to keep the door open for a potential Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker matcha t WrestleMania 29.
– The WWE website has an article up looking at Triple H’s condition, with Road Dogg BG James talking about
“Our whole wrestling careers I’ve known Triple H. His arm was literally broken in the same place that it was months ago. I don’t know if you come back from an injury like that at his age. ‘The Perfect Storm’ may have just done it. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him yet.”