— Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar is scheduled to appear on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon next Monday.
He will be promoting The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos, which debuts the following Wednesday on Spike.
— RGV Vipers radio voice Alex Del Barrio sent Jim Ross well wishes on Twitter in regards to the WWE Hall of Famer not landing the play-by-play job for Oklahoma University football.
“Thanks, man,” he replied. “I’m disappinted in not getting the OU PXP gig but felt all along I was a long shot. Still love #BoomerSooner!”
— The official Twitter account of the Georgia Dome said yesterday that WWE crew members have arrived in Atlanta to begin preparation for WrestleMania XXVII.
Brock Lesnar’s upcoming autobiography, Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Amazon has posted an updated synopsis for the book, which is co-authored by Paul Heyman and will be released on May 24th:
“Brock Lesnar has been, and is one of the most popular – and polarizing – figures in sports and sports entertainment. Whether fans love him or hate him, they never miss an opportunity to watch Brock when he squares off with an opponent. He is a celebrity of the first order, but disdains fame, avoids the media, and remains intensely private. Now, for the first time, Brock tells his incredible story in his own words.”
“Brock relives his long journey to become the best college wrestler in the country, his meteoric rise in World Wrestling Entertainment, and what lead him to walk away from fame and fortune when he was at the top. He talks openly about the accident that derailed his plans to play in the NFL, his professional wrestling comeback in Japan, and his transformation and rebirth as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Fans will get an insider’s look at Brock’s career in the UFC – the training, the competition and what it takes to be, and to remain a champion.”
“Brock will also talk about the illness that nearly killed him, his will to survive, and what he really values and aspires to be. Powerful and real, this remarkable memoir is the story of Brock’s determination and domination, and the making of a true champion.”
– Paul Heyman wrote the following on Twitter on Saturday night during UFC 126 regarding Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar:
“It’s funny. Vince McMahon hated when I called Brock Lesnar “The Next Big Thing!” HATED IT. WANTED ME TO STOP CALLING BROCK THAT NAME! I’ll tell that whole story … and a lot more … in the book this year. Brock comments on it in his book, too. It was a real war to get Vince to let me keep calling Brock “The Next Big Thing!””
– Chris Jericho wrote the following on Twitter last night during the show – which is sure to get a rise out of MMA enthusiasts:
“Ok guess I’m the only “old school pro wrestler” to say it…screw UFC fighters. U could NEVER do what me and my brothers do.”
– Jim Ross was also tweeting during the UFC 126 pay-per-view, writing the following about Anderson Silva’s knockout win over Vitor Belfort in the first round of the main event:
“Good God Almighty what a front kick by Anderson Silva! He’s money. What a post fight promo. Everyone knows Anderson speaks some English. :)”
Contrary to Brock Lesnar’s public dismissal last week of the long-standing rumor that he was interested in participating in this year’s WrestleMania event, the latest issue of Power Slam reports that according to multiple sources, he did attempt to persuade UFC officials to allow him to work a storyline with World Wrestling Entertainment that would culminate at the annual wrestling supershow.
The proposed deal stems from his mini-confrontation with The Undertaker following UFC 121 on October 23.
According to the magazine, Lesnar had agreed in principle to a three-appearance deal with WWE: he would have appeared on two episodes of Monday Night Raw in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania XXVI, culminating with a final appearance at the April 3 pay-per-view extravaganza in Atlanta, Georgia.
WWE officials are willing to pay Lesnar a seven-figure sum for the three appearances. However, the deal would require approval from UFC because Lesnar is under contract to the mixed martial arts organization.
UFC officials reportedly denied Lesnar’s request to return to WWE.
Earlier this week, UFC heavyweight fighter Brock Lesnar set the record straight on his involvement at WrestleMania 27, telling Yahoo! Sports that there was no truth to the rumors that he was interested in working the show.
During a media session that took place on Tuesday to promote the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, commented on the Undertaker attending his most recent fight and their face-to-face confrontation that sparked the WrestleMania speculation.
“The other fellas that wanted to come, like Stone Cold and The Rock, and Goldberg, those guys had all said, ‘I’m coming to watch you, good luck.'”, Lesnar said. “This guy (Undertaker) shows up every time I seem to lose (laughs) so he’s like my black cloud. And we’ve got some history. I’ve worked with him, but I don’t really care for him.”
There’s more to it – check out the interview with Lesnar below:
In his first interview since losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Cain Velasquez last October, Brock Lesnar dispelled the long-standing rumor that he had been interested in participating in this year’s WrestleMania event.
“That thing just took on a life of its own,” Lesnar told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. “I’m a fighter. There wasn’t anything there. I never pursued anything, no.”
Lesnar added that he doesn’t spend much time online and wasn’t initially aware of the abundant rumors.
While Iole made note of his encounter with WWE Superstar The Undertaker at UFC 121 in the article, Lesnar apparently didn’t comment on the matter during the interview.
On the same day two weeks ago (January 12) that UFC President Dana White shot down online rumors of Brock Lesnar appearing at WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta, Georgia, he met with Vince McMahon in New York City. It was largely assumed that McMahon would make a proposition for Lesnar to appear at WrestleMania XXVII. It is said that while their encounter was cordial, nothing changed regarding the former WWE Champion appearing at the annual pay-per-view spectacular.
Of those talked to regarding the matter, no one within WWE believes Lesnar will be allowed to appear at the event.
“I don’t think he thought it was as hard as it turned out to be,” one company source stated regarding McMahon’s attempt to land Lesnar for WrestleMania XXVII.
It was not the first time McMahon and White have met. White said in a June 2008 interview that he had breakfast with the wrestling kingpin weeks prior to the interview. White has always been publicly respectful of McMahon, and one source feels that the UFC President notices similarities between himself and the WWE Chairman as promoters.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
HBK In The WWE Hall of Fame: “I agree w/ a recent Kevin Nash Tweet that if WWE had a physical Hall of Fame that Shawn Michaels should have a statue erected in his honor. Was anyone in the modern age of wrestling ever a better all around performer? Only Ric Flair is likely in the same zip code considering years of service at the top of the card. As great a fan favorite as HBK was, I think his best work was as a villain.”
Scouting Talent At FCW This Week: “Good to visit w/ Arn Anderson Wednesday in Tampa @ FCW. I hope the trainees learned some useful info as both Double A and I enjoy interacting w/ the rookies. Thursday night FCW will tape three, one hour TV shows .. The rookies are evaluated daily which is why it’s imperative that they come to work each day and give 100% of themselves mentally and physically. I’ve encouraged them all to read plenty of wrestling books and self help/financial books. Financial planning is so important for individuals who potentially have shorter ‘shelf lives’ than those in other vocations.”
Brock Lesnar’s Next Fight & Hosting TUF: “Really surprised to read of the great ‘get’ of Brock Lesnar and his next opponent Junior Dos Santos as the next coaches for the UFC’s TUF series. This will not only build to a mega fight w/ the two heavyweights but will also afford Brock the opportunity to promote his upcoming biography and his clothing line.”
“Some ask what motivated Lesnar to commit to several weeks of taping the program away from Minnesota and living in Las Vegas for approximately 6 weeks. The answer is marketing opportunities, building a PPV, and helping the company that the former WWE Champion works for to continue to build their brand. Bottom line….it’s a win/win for all involved. Again, a great ‘get’ for Dana White and company. But I’m still surprised.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog with his thoughts about former WWE superstar turned UFC fighter Brock Lesnar’s new book. Ross wrote:
“[Lesnar’s] new book about his life and times that’s co-written with Paul Heyman is due out April 19. It will be interesting to see how many book signings the intensely private Lesnar does but as the old saying goes, “A signed book is a sold book.” Most MMA insiders think that Lesnar will next fight in July for UFC. With Lesnar off the radar and with nothing currently, publically established for his return, many die hard MMA fanatics seemingly have used that opportunity and Lesnar losing the UFC Heavyweight Title to start ‘hating on’ Brock again. Amazing. Lesnar will never fully live down his time in WWE to many MMA purists. “
Speaking of Brock Lesnar’s book, he posted a video on YouTube this week explaining that the book will be about his life story and his fight to the top of WWE and UFC, despite all the doubters. Here’s the announcement:
Several pro wrestling and MMA news websites have been buzzing this week following comments by Dave Melzer that Brock Lesnar is looking to get out of his UFC contract so he can return to World Wrestling Entertainment. Dave has since clarified his remarks and UFC part owner Lorenzo Fertitta has also commented on the situation.
Following the huge reaction to his initial comments that Brock Lesnar wants very badly to appear at WrestleMania for a big payday, Melzer clarified that Lesnar is not leaving the UFC and believes that Brock Lesnar will not only fight twice in 2011. He emphasized that Lesnar “is looking to make as much money as possible next year” – which indicates that Lesnar may want to appear at WrestleMania in addition to his professional fighting career.
MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani tweeted on Wednesday regarding Brock Lesnar’s ability to appear at WrestleMania:
“UFC boss Lorenzo Fertitta says flatly Lesnar cannot participate in WWE event. ‘He’s under exclusive contract with us.'”
UFC President Dana White was very outspoken about Lesnar appearing at WrestleMania shortly after the Undertaker confrontation that went down following Brock’s loss to Cain Velasquez in October. Interestingly enough, those close to Vince McMahon report that the WWE remains optimistic and thinks there’s a chance they can work out a deal that would allow Brock to wrestle at WrestleMania.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Rumors Of Brock Lesnar Leaving UFC: “Lots of crazy rumors floating around the MMA message boards about Brock Lesnar these days. Some fans feel that Lesnar is looking to leave UFC and return to WWE. That decision would floor me. It doesn’t seem to make sense at this time for Lesnar to leave UFC as there is too much Octagon money on the table for Brock to walk away at this time. I just can’t see the athletic freak going back on the WWE road for any significant length of time especially with young children at home and Brock being most comfortable when he is in the Minnesota woods enjoying family life and hunting. Don’t get me wrong, as a fan I would embrace a Lesnar return to WWE and it ‘might’ happen on a sporadic basis some day but not any time soon.”
CM Punk Joining Nexus: “The CM Punk/Nexus affiliation is intriguing. More questions than answers which is good. There is strength in numbers and it certainly puts the ‘hero,’ John Cena, in an uphill struggle. Punk is excellent both in the ring and on the mic and I look forward to seeing how the Cena-Punk scenario plays out over time. If they don’t get it on until the Royal Rumble match, I wouldn’t be offended. Sounds like Cena-Punk could theoretically be a solid WM27 attraction. Time will tell.”
Jeff Hardy Pleading Guilty To Drug Charges: “An emailer asked me what I thought about former WWE star Jeff Hardy’s ‘plea agreement’ to a variety of charges filed against him in North Carolina. I know only what I occasionally read on line about this unfortunate matter but if a plea agreement can bring this issue to an end and Jeff can move on with his life then it might be a good idea. Those types of decisions are better made by lawyers and the individuals involved and not by folks, like me, who are on the outside looking in.”
According to Dave Meltzer of Yahoo Sports, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is looking for an “exit strategy” to get out of his UFC contract, which most believe currently has one fight left on it. Lesnar “badly” wants to work WWE’s WrestleMania 27 pay-per-view in Atlanta next year and has been talking with WWE officials about how a deal can be reached..
In what sounds like a very telling piece of information, Brock Lesnar has not talked with anyone from UFC or answered Dana White’s phone calls since losing the UFC Heavyweight Title to Cain Velasquez last month. Sources also say that Lesnar has not been in the gym once since his devastating loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121.
It’s said that Lesnar has lost some interest in MMA and has been been re-considering his future in the sport after his loss to Velasquez and the beating he took in the win against Shane Carwin before that.
The MMA world has been buzzing about this story since Dave Melzer broke the news on Monday night. Meltzer said on his radio show that the fight with Velasquez has changed Brock’s attitude on fighting and he is at the stage in his life where he doesn’t want to get injured. He’s very well off financially and the business man in him apparently knows that it may be time to move on.
Lesnar, who is known for being unbelievably competitive, does not seem like the kind of guy to just walk away from MMA after such a crushing loss without trying to get revenge or end his career with a win. On the other hand, he may have realized that the gap between his abilities and those of new champion Cain Velasquez is too big to overcome.
Lesnar has been hunting and hasn’t even thought about his next fight. Lesnar apparently wants to do WrestleMania “badly” and will earn an estimated 2 million dollars for 30 minutes of work.
Its widely known that Lesnar was miserable with WWE’s brutal travel schedule and vowed to never be on the road with WWE 200 days a year again. With the mainstream success he’s had in the UFC and the insane drawing power he’s displayed during his time there, he could make a truckload of money working WrestleMania and a few other limited appearances.
COMMENT BELOW: What do you guys think – should Lesnar try to get out of his contract and return to WWE? Has he proven himself in the MMA world yet and earned everybody’s respect – or would this be another move that MMA fans would heavily criticize?
UFC President Dana White recently spoke to Fanhouse.com’s Ariel Helwani about the changes of Brock Lesnar working at WrestleMania, The Undertaker’s face-to-face confrontation with Brock Lesnar following his last fight and his relationship with WWE chairman Vince McMahon.
Regarding the Undertaker – Lesnar confrontation, Dana White said:
“It’s funny you are asking me that because Undertaker called me to apologize for that.”
White mentioned that he has a “great relationship” with Vince McMahon and gets along well with many of the past and present WWE guys.
White was asked about whether he would allow Brock Lesnar to work with WWE, as has been rumored for next year’s WrestleMania. White’s response is not going to make any WWE fans happy:
“No… No. He is under contract with us … I don’t want to blur those lines. First of all, him coming over and making the choice to leave the WWE and come over here, we gave him that shot. It was a big risk on our part. The guy was 1-0 but he’s done incredibly well. What the guy’s been able to accomplish with no experience in such a short amount of time, I don’t want him going to WWE and blurring the lines of what’s real and what’s not. I think it happens to us sometimes now.”
— Many within WWE feel Batista isn’t coming back anytime soon since there has been no contact anyone is aware and the expectation is when he returns stateside. from filming Scorpion King 3 that he’ll be signing with Strikeforce.
Likewise, Chris Jericho is another name many within the company believe isn’t coming back anytime soon. It is unlikely at this point that he will be participating in a match at WrestleMania XXVII.
— Since last week’s Raw where Brock Lesnar’s name was mentioned multiple times during the broadcast, Vince McMahon has been telling creative team members and at least one top star that he believes there is still a good chance the former WWE Champion will appear at WrestleMania XXVII. Nonetheless, most feel there is no chance of it happening.
– As we saw on Monday’s King of the Ring episode of RAW, footage was shown of former WWE star Brock Lesnar. Lesnar’s name was also mentioned several times throughout the broadcast. According to f4wonline.com, some people within WWE believe Lesnar being mentioned on RAW was a way of getting people talking about the possibility of Lesnar participating in some capacity at WrestleMania. While most have acknowledged that the chances of Lesnar being able to wrestle are virtually impossible due to his UFC contract, Vince McMahon remains optimistic and thinks he can still pull it off.
– Jerry Lawler, The Miz and Michael Cole were all trending topics (worldwide) on Twitter last night during RAW.
– Former WWE star Shawn Michaels continues to hype some “special announcements” he’s going to make on Twitter. HBK wrote this week:
“Hope 2 have a few “special” announcements coming in the very near future. We’ll see:-)”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
CM Punk Joining The RAW Announcing Team:
“Yes…I do feel that CM Punk has the potential to become an entertaining and informative color analyst on WWE TV. The key is going to be for Punk to put in the same amount of effort into becoming a skilled broadcaster that he did in becoming a wrestler. We saw Punk evolve from beginner to Indy star to World Champion in WWE. It is arguably easier for a beginning broadcaster to become proficient in a two man booth as opposed to a three man booth but it can be done.”
Brock Lesnar’s UFC Status & Next Fight:
“Read on Yahoo Sports where UFC President Dana White and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar haven’t spoken since Brock’s last fight. Not sure what to read into that except it is somewhat unusual for the head honcho and one of his company’s biggest attractions to not be communicating directly. Knowing Brock, he’s probably in the woods in some isolated place hunting deer or some other big game.”
“Both Lesnar and White are unique individuals with strong personalties but I would think that they will be speaking sooner than later about Brock’s long term future and next opponent … To me Brock Lesnar’s next opponent is a no brainer. It should be Frank Mir who is as good as they come in verbally selling a PPV fight in UFC. Mir hung Lesnar’s first loss on Brock to which the Minnesotan avenged evening their personal score at 1-1. Why not have the ‘rubber match?’
Monday’s King of the Ring Tournament:
“Yes…I am very anxious to watch Raw this Monday and see how the King of the Ring Tournament goes. Looking at the qualifiers it would seem that several could theoretically win the tourney. Somehow, King Sheamus has a ring to it but so does King Morrison. The bigger question may be who gets the nod, a Raw wrestler or a Smackdown wrestler? I just hope that none of the matches are rushed”
Visit JRsBarBQ.com to read more blogs from Jim Ross and to check out his excellent line of BBQ products – great for the holidays!
The Undertaker had words with Brock Lesnar following the main event of last month’s UFC 121 pay-per-view event, with their brief exchange caught on camera and designed to get people talking in case a potential WWE match took place. WWE officials want Lesnar to appear in a featured role at WrestleMania XXVII, but the scenario appears highly unlikely due to UFC President Dana White insisting that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling. Nevertheless, the idea was more than a fantasy proposition to those in WWE.
Vince McMahon was heavily invested in the idea in mid-October as he knew ahead of time that there would be a confrontation between the former wrestling rivals, though the number of people who were previously aware was small. Nobody on creative knew there would be a confrontation until after the pay-per-view, and within a few days, sans a possible referee assignment, it was believed to be a dead idea once White publicly said that Lesnar is prohibited from wrestling.
McMahon feels it will be difficult for WWE to score a grand pay-per-view buy figure for WrestleMania XXVII and therefore concocted at least three different major out-of-the-box ideas, one of which involved Lesnar. The other two ideas, while known to some in WWE, have not been reported yet.
At this point, company officials are actively pursuing individuals not involved with the professional wrestling industry and doing an outsider angle to headline the show.
Following a stream of outrage from UFC fans on his Twitter page, UFC president Dana White now says a rubber match between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir might not be the best idea after all.
White also revealed that UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson is currently unable to fight due to contractual “issues” with another fight promotion.
Here’s a clip of Dana White at the UFC 122 press conference, courtesy of Fighters Only:
Former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (5-2) took a beating at the hands of new champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 last month, but he’s already looking ahead to his next fight in the octagon.
According to f4wonline.com, Lesnar his sights set on the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, Roy “Big Country Nelson (15-5)
Nelson was set to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 125, but Carwin had to pull out of the fight, leaving Nelson off that show.
Despite the fact that Lesnar has asked Dana White for a fight with Nelson, there are still may in the UFC who see big money in a third and final fight between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir (14-5).
Mir tapped Lesnar out in Lesnar’s UFC debut back in February 2008. Lesnar returned the favor at UFC 100 back in June 2009, smothering Mir with his wrestling / ground-and-pound offense, unifying the UFC heavyweight title.
Who do you want to see Brock Lesnar fight next? Comment below and share your thoughts.
Despite widespread speculation about Brock Lesnar returning to WWE to wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27 in April, UFC President Dana White says its not going to happen – and it’s because the former UFC Heavyweight champ is still under a UFC contract.
The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar had a face-to-face confrontation at Saturday’s UFC 121 pay-per-view following Lesnar’s UFC Heavyweight title loss.
Dana White tells TMZ.com:
“Brock Lesnar is still under contract with the UFC … he is not going to wrestle in the WWE. He cannot wrestle, box or fight anywhere else.”
There remains the possibility that Lesnar could appear in a non-physical capacity, but so far there’s no word out of Lesnar’s camp as to whether he is interested in working with WWE again.
The Undertaker, his wife Michelle McCool, Paul Heyman and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper among the wrestling personalities in attendance at UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez on Saturday night. After Lesnar was knocked out by Cain Velasquez, he was walking through the crowd and had a confrontation with former WWE rival The Undertaker. (Video)
Taker was being interviewed by MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani when Lesnar walked right by him. ‘The Dead Man’ asked Lesnar, “Do you want to do it?” The two men had a brief staredown but Brock kept walking without responding to Undertaker’s challenge. When asked about the brief exchange, Undertaker admitted that it was personal but wouldn’t go into specifics.
Check out this video of the confrontation:
Later in the evening, UFC President Dana White responded to the confrontation and addressed rumors that WWE is pushing hard to have Brock Lesnar face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 27. Dana White denied knowing anything about Lesnar returning to WWE.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, WWE has already contacted Brock about wrestling at WrestleMania, but Lesnar’s current UFC deal does not allow him to wrestle for WWE.
Several people from pro wrestling are speaking out on Twitter about Brock Lesnar’s loss at UFC 121:
Paul Heyman: “That’s the “real sports” biz … You win AND you lose. I want my kids to grow up respecting a performance like Cain’s victory, not resenting it. My most sincere congratulations to a great champion in Cain Velasquez!”
Kurt Angle: “Well, we can’t win them all. Brock lost. I give Cain credit. He came to fight. Brock will bounce back:)”
Chavo Guerrero: “Mexicans are to Lesner what kryptonite is to Superman!! 1st Eddie now Velasquez! Wow!!still stunned! Drink a corona and eat a burrito now mother Fu$&er! If only Velasquez would have done the Eddie shoulder shimmer at the end!”
Shannon Moore: “Congrats to the new champ. That’s what’s so good about UFC. From bottom to top the best man wins. It’s all about the man that is better that night.”
Shane Helms: “Upsets make sports EXCITING!! sports “Entertainment” PLEASE pay attention!! Not that hard of a thought process!!”
Matt Morgan: “Cain was great tonight. Brock will get that title back though. Both guys were humble in post fight promos too. Hard to hate Cain,class act.”