Paul Heyman returned to WWE on Monday’s RAW to announce that Brock Lesnar has quit WWE. The original plan was for Lesnar to appear on last week’s RAW and quit himself – but the decision was made to bring Paul Heyman in instead.
It was widely reported that Monday’s RAW was rewritten several time throughout the day in the hours leading up to the show – and Heyman’s segment was one of the parts that was constantly being edited.
As for how the Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H storyline will play out, we can confirm that match is currently scheduled to be the main event of SummerSlam. Beyond that, there’s a lot of secrecy surrounding the feud, with only a limited few Vince & Stephanie McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Triple H and Brock Lesnar among those in the know. Even the WWE writing team is in the dark about how everything will fall into place.
— Alicia Fox, Dolph Ziggler, Hornswoggle, Kaitlyn and Johnny Curtis responding to questions on the worst movie of all-time and “most shocking” WWE moment of all-time in the latest edition of WWE Inbox
— Via Twitter, Paul Heyman was asked to give his opinion on the best female wrestler. He responded, “Easy answer. @TheBethPhoenix. And she could rock in MMA, too.”
— WWE will hold a live event at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota on Sunday, August 26.
— A photo of Brock Lesnar standing over John Cena is featured on the cover of the latest issue Power Slam.
– With WWE building towards a Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H match at SummerSlam, it’s been confirmed that plans for Lesnar to feud with Randy Orton have been scrapped.
– Another employee from WWE corporate has departed. International media distribution sales manager Marcos Milanez recently left WWE for a position in Turner Broadcasting.
– The feud over the Intercontinental championship between Cody Rhodes and the Big show is expected to culminate at next Month’s No Way Out pay-per-view.
WWE’s angle on RAW this week with Cody Rhodes running away from the Big Show and getting counted out is setting the stage for a cage match where Cody can’t escape and has to go toe-to-toe with the 7 foot giant.
(Sources: Figure Four Weekly, Pro Wrestling Insider)
– Paul Heyman was asked by a fan on Twitter whether he’ll be wearing his trademark baseball cap on WWE television. He replied, “Not a chance. I’m beautiful and I know it!”
Heyman has been re-tweeting several messages from fans and colleagues since returning on Monday, including one where a fan suggested a CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar feud.
– Continuing the feud from RAW between John Laurinaitis and the Big Show, Laurinaitis tweeted the following on Tuesday:
“Remember how I said I’d “consider” accepting @WWETheBigShow’s apology for making fun of me? I’m not quite sure he’s sorry enough.”
Considering Heyman’s strong ties to both men, it will be interesting to see the extent of CM Punk’s interaction with Heyman on television – and whether a Punk vs. Lesnar match will be the way WWE gets the title off Punk and onto Lesnar.
– WWE is advertising the following matches for their first-ever live event in Brazil (Sao Paulo on 5/23):
* CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho in a No DQ Match
* John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler
* Epico and Primo vs. R-Truth and Kofi Kingston
* The Miz vs. Zack Ryder
* JTG vs. Brodus Clay
* Alex Riley vs. David Otunga
* Kelly Kelly vs. Rosa Mendes
* Michael McGillicutty vs. Curt Hawkins
As we saw on Monday’s RAW from Greensboro, North Carolina, Paul Heyman made a surprise return to WWE as a representative of Brock Lesnar. In his first WWE television appearance since December 2006, Paul Heyman talked about how much things have changed since he last represented Lesnar 10 years ago, said the fans had betrayed Brock Lesnar and read a statement from Lesnar stating that he quit the company.
According to reliable sources, Heyman is scheduled to be featured on WWE television through August, leading up to a grudge match at SummerSlam between Brock Lesnar and Triple H. Paul Heyman will serve as Brock Lesnar’s on-air mouthpiece as a way to keep Lesnar a focal point of storylines without having to use up the limited dates on his contract.
As far as why he came back, it was described as a chance for him to do something new on a limited basis, get his name out, work with some close friends and make some money. At this time, there are no plans for Heyman to be involved in the creative process outside of Lesnar’s angles.
Heyman’s WWE return was put together in the last week and was not something that has been planned during Lesnar’s negotiations, which took place in March prior to WrestleMania.
– WWE wants to know what actions fans think the Board of Directors should should take against Brock Lesnar and John Laurinaitis. Tweet your message (and any other storyline suggestions…) with the hashtag #DearWWEBoard.
– Mason Ryan worked as Dolph Ziggler’s bodyguard over the weekend at WWE live events. While it’s not definite that he will be aligned with Ziggler on television, Mason Ryan was shown backstage on RAW along side Abraham Washington’s All World Talent Agency as they watched Ziggler’s match against Kofi Kingston.
Speaking of AW, he tweeted after RAW that he’s decided to hold off on invoking the WWE Tag Team Title rematch clause of Primo and Epico:
“#WWE Being the Mastermind that I am, I’ve chosen to not invoke my clients rematch clause as of yet. Only when the time is right.. #SunTzu”
AW also talked up All World:
“#AllWorld is the definition of #ELitism We are like the first stroke of the Mona Lisa.. The beginning of greatness.”
– WWE.com has posted an exclusive video interview with Paul Heyman, who states that Brock Lesnar is owed millions of dollars by WWE.
– Brock Lesnar’s superstar profile on the WWE website has been moved from the RAW roster to the Alumni section, to sell the storyline that he’s quit the company.
– After Monday’s RAW from Greensboro went off the air, John Cena appeared in front of the live crowd and defeated Kane with the Attitude Adjustment in the dark match main event. Kane tried using a chair during the match but Cena prevented him from using it.
Cena got a huge pop from the crowd and had appeared “from Tampa, Florida via satellite” earlier in the evening during RAW.
Brock Lesnar was extended an invitation to explain his assault on Triple H on last week’s Raw SuperShow, but was nowhere to be found Monday night. Instead, Brock’s representative, Paul Heyman, came out to the ring to read a statement.
Heyman said Lesnar has been underappreciated by the WWE audience since day one, and that holds true with corporate management. Heyman also said that as the only man to ever win the WWE Championship, the UFC Heavyweight Championship and an NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Lesnar felt betrayed because his contract demands were not met.
Heyman said Lesnar asked him to appear on Raw and read the statement. In the written address, Lesnar took shots at Triple H, saying the WWE Chief Operating Officer is jealous of him, and expressed anger at how he has been treated. Heyman concluded his statement by saying Lesnar has quit WWE and “will never be coming back.”
Late Friday night, illusionist Criss Angel tweeted a photo (below) of himself with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at his Believe™ show at Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, “The King of Kings” was conspicuously not wearing an arm sling after WWE.com announced earlier in the evening that he would require surgery following Brock Lesnar’s vicious application of the Kimura Lock on his left arm Monday night on Raw SuperShow.
To explain Triple H appearing uninjured alongside his wife and Angel, the official Twitter feed of the WWE Insider stated Saturday morning that he was wearing a brace on his left arm in the photo opportunity. However, the alleged brace is not visible as “The Game” has his left arm behind Angel in both photographs not to mention that he is wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Check out the picture here:
Meanwhile, Angel suggested a possible collaboration with WWE in his message as he hashtagged #Summerslam and said he planned to meet the couple on Saturday:
“Friends #tripleH #StephanieMcMahon #WWE #SummerSlam after #BeLIEve tonight. Great 2Cu. C u tomorrow.”
Following Brock Lesnar’s application of the Kimura Lock on Triple H’s left arm Monday night on Raw SuperShow, the Chief Operating Officer of WWE will require surgery, WWE.com reports.
After Lesnar erupted and targeted The Game’s left arm, the WWE Superstar could be heard saying “it’s broken” as he was helped up the ramp and out of the arena. X-rays later confirmed Triple H’s belief.
WWE adds: “Medical officials were initially optimistic that the fracture in Triple H’s left arm could be treated non-invasively, but further examination revealed that the break, in addition to severe ligament and tendon damage around the elbow, would necessitate surgical repair.”
WWE is advertising a follow-up to determine how the “Board of Directors will respond to this sinister assault or what consequences await the former UFC champion.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQcom. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Michael Cole’s Commentary: “I’ve been impressed with Michael Cole’s more balanced commentary recently. He’s the new voice of WWE w/o question. Our handshake at WM28 ended any personal issues that I may have had with him. End of story.”
WWE’s Tag Team Division: “I see WWE tag team wrestling taking positive steps forward in 2012. Go ahead, roll your eyes at will. The lack of overall talent depth, no territories, etc affects all areas of the genre whether some fans want to admit it or not.”
His Favorite Broadcast Partner: “Besides the King, my favorite broadcast partner, when looking at antagonists, is @HeymanHustle. He knew what buttons to push to get me to raise my game. I never played the role of an announcer and was always just myself, for better or for worse. Being real. Bobby Heenan was an amazing partner too but ‘The Brain’ was more funny than a villain. I’ve said it before, Bobby Heenan may well be the most talented, all around performer in the history of the wrestling business.”
Brock Lesnar: “Lesnar and WWE may be a marriage made in Hell but it’s a relationship that I, as a fan, want to follow. When we signed Brock back in the day we knew tht he was going to be a handful and he was. However, athletic freaks like him don’t grow on trees and, like many coaches, etc, we put in the time necessary to keep Brock headed in the right direction as best that we could. He’s stubborn, anti social, uber talented, and volatile. Time will tell where Lesnar’s latest foray into WWE life takes him but as for me, I’m staying tuned.”
The WWE website has a new storyline-driven article up that says the Board of Directors may take action against Brock Lesnar for his attack on Triple H this past Monday. However – the ‘contract demands’ made by Lesnar on the 4/23 episode of RAW and agreed to by John Laurinaitis protect Lesnar from liability.
“Adding one further wrinkle is the revised contract that Laurinaitis agreed to during the April 23 edition of Raw. Among the new terms approved by the GM was a clause that waived any future fines or disciplinary actions against Lesnar.
Triple H has already dismissed those additional contract perks as null and void, but could Lesnar’s camp pursue legal action in the event that the Board of Directors or Triple H comes down on Lesnar?”
The article also mentions that the Board of Directors is considering taking action against Jon Laurinaitis for his role in the whole situation.
– Brock Lesnar was informed several weeks ago that John Cena would be defeating him in their match at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
– Abraham Washington says former WWE Tag Team Champions Epico and Primo might be ready to sign with him after dropping the gold on RAW to Kofi Kingston and R-Truth. AW tweeted on Tuesday:
“After speaking with Primo and Epico last night the former #WWE tag team champions might be ready to sign on the dotted line… Even though Primo and Epico lost the battle, by signing with me they most certainly will win the RAW is WAR!!!!!”
– Yoshi Tatsu has deleted his Twitter rant where he said Lord Tensai’s ring name, which means “Lord Natural Disaster,” was offensive to Japanese people in the wake of last year’s devistating earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of people. To read his original rant, click here.
– Monday’s RAW Supershow drew a 3.3 rating with 4,880,000 viewers. The show did hours of 3.41 and 3.27, so hour two lost viewership once again.
– As we’ve been reporting here on the site, Brock Lesnar did throw a tantrum backstage after Extreme Rules, f4wonline.com is reporting that it was partially a ‘work’ on the locker room as a way to convince people that Cena going over was the right decision. Lesnar was upset about the finish, but “some, if not most” of the situation was not entirely legitimate.
WWE tried to have word leak out on Monday that Lesnar had quit the company, likely to get the “dirt sheets” reporting it so people would be surprised when Lesnar showed up on RAW. However, by the time that this was going on, it was already out there that Lesnar was at the arena and going to be at RAW.
As seen on Monday’s RAW, Brock Lesnar was written off television with his WWE contract status “up in the air” following the attack on Triple H. We reported on Monday that Brock Lesnar had a meltdown backstage after his loss to John Cena at Extreme Rules. Lesnar was said to be absolutely furious about John Cena’s post-match promo – because the original plan was for John Cena to get stretchered out and look “totally incapacitated” to sell the beating he took from Lesnar during the match. Lesnar felt that he was made to look weak and WWE officials double crossed him.
WWE’s new mentality with Lesnar, according to f4wonline.com, is that he’s getting paid a ton of money to work a limited schedule – so he should be used to put over their top talents. People in Lesnar’s camp were under the impression that WWE might have been testing Lesnar by changing plans without telling him and having Cena deliver the post-match speech to the live crowd.
Lesnar went nuts backstage in front of everyone, tearing things up and throwing a tantrum. Lesnar specifically yelled at Marc Carano, the assistant to John Laurinaitis, about how things are a mess and “everything is wrong” in WWE. Some felt that part of the tantrum was just an act by Lesnar to show to the locker room that he has more power than WWE and can walk away any time he wants.
During his backstage rampage, Lesnar also suggested that Cena intentionally pulled down the top rope at Extreme Rules, causing him to nearly blow out his knee in the bad spot towards the end of the match where they both tumbled out to the floor. Despite what Lesnar said about Cena pulling down the rope, Lesnar and Cena are believed to be on good terms and this could have also been Lesnar being overly dramatic and worked up.
Lesnar relationship with WWE remains complicated. WWE is going to have their hands full over the next year booking Lesnar due to his contract, which only requires limited appearances.
Following Lesnar’s attack on Triple H, it appears WWE is building towards a match between the two at SummerSlam. After that, Lesnar will almost certainly work the remaining “big” pay-per-views (Survivor Series, Royal Rumble) leading up to WrestleMania 29, which is will be his final match with the company.
The WWE website has an article up looking at possible consequences for Brock Lesnar following his brutal attack on Triple H on Monday’s RAW Supershow.
The article states that Lesnar was escorted from the building by security and may be suspended or fined for attacking the COO. Since Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract stipulates that he is only required to make approximately 2 appearances per month, this will be a way to get him off television for a few weeks.
As per the storyline, Triple H’s arm was placed in a hold that “created a tremendous amount of torque on his upper arm and elbow.” WWE doctor Dr. Chris Amann was quoted in the article:
“He has a non-displaced fracture of distal humorous. Fortunately, this is not something that needs surgery with pins and screws. We’ll be treating him with a sling for comfort and following with him in the next few days.”
According to WWE sources, Triple H is on the list of WWE superstars scheduled to wrestle Brock Lesnar over the next year.
Brock Lesnar’s match with John Cena at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view got rave reviews from most fans who saw the show, but Lesnar went ballistic backstage after the match and was screaming at WWE officials and ripping apart the locker room.
According to PWinsider.com, the huge blow-up took place because of the promo John Cena cut after the match.
The original plan was for Cena to be so badly hurt by Lesnar that even though he won, he would be stretchered out, which would keep Lesnar looking strong.
Lesnar perceived Cena’s speech as a double cross by WWE officials and totally lost it backstage.
The angle on RAW with Lesnar and Triple H and Lesnar’s temporary departure from WWE television was the plan all along, but relations between Lesnar and WWE are not good at the moment.
— Following an MRI and a battery of tests on his left arm Monday, doctors confirmed to WWE.com that John Cena sustained multiple muscle strains during his Extreme Rules Match against Brock Lesnar.
“The most obvious injury was the laceration to his head, which caused a substantial amount of bleeding,” WWE locker room physician Dr. Chris Amann said Sunday night. “He also suffered a shoulder injury.”
Cena is scheduled to appear on tonight’s Raw SuperShow.
— WWE.com takes a look back at ten of the greatest journeymen “who may not have scored many pinfalls, but all left an indelible mark inside the squared circle by achieving their dream of competing under the bright WWE spotlight.” (Full story)
— WrestlingFigs.com reports WWE Hall of Famers Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Koko B. Ware will appear for Pro Wrestling Syndicate on June 1 at the Rahway Rec Center 275 East Milton Ave. Rahway, New Jersey.
— During an interview with The Fight Club Chicago in November, Randy Orton was asked about Brock Lesnar being showcased in THQ’s WWE ’12 video game.
“I think its great. I’m a big Lesnar fan and I’ve always been. We came up together about 10 years ago now. Me and him were buds. We’ve lost touch over the years as you usually do with guys like that, but I wish him the best,” the SmackDown Superstar said.
“I know he’s had a few health issues as of late. But, hell conquer those just like he’s conquered every other obstacle that has come his way. I true l feel he’s one of the few human beings I’ve ever met that have been able too accomplish as much as he’s accomplished. He puts his mind, body and soul into it and he’s gunna get it done.”
– John Cena confirmed on Twitter this morning that he will be at tonight’s WWE RAW Supershow from Dayton, Ohio:
“Making medical rounds now to find out what is up. I will be on #RAW to let everyone know. #nevergiveup”
Brock Lesnar will also be there to react to his loss last night.
Speaking of Cena and Lesnar, the WWE website has an article up talking about how there is no “new face of WWE” –
“While the world waits to learn the fate of John Cena, who alluded to possibly “going away for a while” in the aftermath of the brawl on pay-per-view, the WWE Universe takes solace in knowing there will be no “new face of WWE.” On the contrary, in the fallout of Extreme Rules 2012, the face of WWE still features a tightly formed salute below the brim of a bright green hat. For now.”
WWE holds their fourth annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view event tonight at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The following seven matches have been announced for the show:
* John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules Match)
* World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (2-out-of-3 Falls Match)
* WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho (Chicago Street Fight)
* Randy Orton vs. Kane (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
* Intercontinental Champion Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes
* United States Champion Santino Marella vs. The Miz
– Several weeks ago, Batista teased on Twitter that he has a “major announcement” to make soon. Batista provided an update this week – stating that he’ll make the announcement in May – and that 2012 is about to get “real.”
Batista’s manager Johnny Ryan Jr. also tweeted the following this week:
“Closing these deals for @DaveBautista with the suits. Will be able to announce soon and it will be worth the wait!”
– Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter this week about why Brock Lesnar has returned to WWE:
“Brock Lesnar is back in WWE to: 1 intimidate 2 brutalize 3 earn BIG money NOT to 1 work on public speaking skills 2 make friends 3 lose”
“Fans that naively think that money & being able to physically dominate people didn’t affect Lesnar’s return to WWE aren’t being honest. Word”
– After being asked on Twitter this week who his favorite WWE Diva is, Steve Austin said it’s Kelly Kelly:
“She’s my fave Diva. Super nice young lady. Keeps improving in the ring. Very easy on the eyes.”
– WWE is still in the early stages of deciding who Brock Lesnar will fight at WrestleMania 29, with The Rock, The Undertaker and Steve Austin all under consideration. WrestleMania 29 will be the final match on Lesnar’s 1-year contract.
– WWE Superstar Percy Watson has changed his Twitter handle to @WWEPercyWatson. His account was hacked earlier this week.
– On Friday’s SmackDown, Hornswoggle was paired with Brodus Clay as his new comedic sidekick. There had been talk of pairing Hornswoggle with Santino Marella, but those plans were apparently scrapped.
– Mick Foley will be going on the road with WWE in a few weeks and will serve as the special guest referee for the main events of several upcoming live events.With Dean Ambrose also on the road with WWE recently, expect to see more between Foley and Ambrose.
– There has been talk of Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar headlining WWE SummerSlam in August. Whether or not the match actually takes place at SummerSlam, we can confirm that Lesnar is slated to feud with Orton when his feud with John Cena concludes.
As previously reported, WWE is also considering holding a Money in the Bank match at SummerSlam – if Wade Barrett [the rumored winner] is healthy to return by then.
– Earlier this week, independent wrestler Steven Walters did an interview talking about the planned Cruiserweights show that will air on the WWE Network when it launches this fall. WWE reportedly has a long list of wrestlers (200 pounds and under) in the United States and Mexico that
– The WWE website had 12.3 million unique visitors in March, down 13% from 14.2 million in March 2011. The WWE Shop website averaged 548 merchandise orders per day in March, down a sharp 58% from 1,300 orders per day in March 2011. WWE shipped approximately 246,000 DVD units for March 2012.
– Brock Lesnar is now being advertised for Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow from the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, the night after Extreme Rules. The arena website has the following teaser for RAW –
“See Brock Lesnar in Dayton for the FIRST TIME EVER in a WWE Ring. Witness this historic event the night after he faces John Cena at Extreme Rules!!!”
– The latest “local talent” to feel the wrath of Ryback at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was Justin Mane of the Midwest Wrestling promotion. Mane will be sacrificed to Ryback on Friday’s SmackDown.
– Here’s a new episode of WWE Inbox featuring WWE superstars and divas answering questions sent in via social media: