Syfy has released the trailer for a new Real Steel-like reality series hosted by Chris Jericho premiering Tuesday, February 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Each week, “Robot Combat League” will feature tournament-style battles between eight-feet tall, state-of-the-art humanoid robots controlled by human “robo-jockeys.”

Syfy describes the program as: “The idea of robots in battle has captured the imagination for generations. Now, through ground-breaking engineering, the fusion of a human’s fighting spirit with a powerful robotic machine built for destruction has become a reality. This extraordinary new series will feature twelve teams consisting of a fighter (a “robo-jockey”) and a robotics engineer (a “robo-tech”) from myriad backgrounds including a race car driver, an Olympic athlete, a National Guard helicopter pilot along with a mix of professional fighters and software engineers. Each team is paired with its own unique robot and will fight in a first-of-its kind competition using a high-tech exo-suit that translates their movements to their robot. Each fight consists of three rounds of intense action, with the winning team advancing in the competition.

In his role as host, Jericho will set up each week’s fight and provide viewers with a play-by-play commentary of the fighting action. Jericho began wrestling at age 19 and is one of the most popular champions in the history of the WWE. In 2001 he was crowned the first ever WWE Undisputed Champion and has been named one of the top five most charismatic performers of all-time. Jericho was also a popular contestant on season 11 of Dancing With the Stars and is the lead singer of the #1 charting hard rock band, Fozzy. The two-time NY Times best-selling author grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and now currently resides in Tampa, FL.

The robots of the Robot Combat League were designed and created by robotics expert, Mark Setrakian, a leader in the sport of robotic combat. In his distinguished career, Setrakian has developed life-saving robotic systems, and pioneered cutting-edge creature effects, animatronics and control technology for such films as Men In Black, The Grinch and Hellboy. Setrakian combines a keen study of biology with innovative engineering to create robots with uncanny organic movement, earning his reputation as the man who brings machines to life.”

Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho and The Shield member Seth Rollins engaged in some good old fashioned Twitter on Saturday. Here’s a summary of their exchange

Seth Rollins:#justicelives in our hearts. And we will not be held down another second. Believe in righteousness. Believe in hope. #believeintheshield

Chris Jericho @WWERollins What the hell are you talking about junior? #flashinthepan

Seth Rollins: @IAmJericho Not just talking, but actualizing. Changing the game that left you in the dust, senior. #believeintheshield #justicelives

Chris Jericho @WWERollins Learn how to cut a decent promo first, then come back and see me Henry.

Seth Rollins: @IAmJericho Ohhhh I’m the wannabe rock star now? I thought you had that role on lock Moongoose McCatchphrase.

Chris Jericho @WWERollins Wannabe rock star…debatable. Actual 6 time WORLD Champion…undeniable. Wannabe NWO…@TheShieldWWE

*SPOILER* MAJOR Title Change At Saturday Night’s RAW Tapings (Picture)

– This week’s edition of “Z! True Long Island Story” is titled “Best of Zack Ryder 2012,” with his many of his lowlights highlighted in a somber video package; losing the United States Championship to Jack Swagger, Kane’s numerous attacks including being chokeslammed through the Raw stage and wheeled off the stage, Eve making out in front of him with John Cena, Eve kicking him in the groin at WrestleMania XXVIII, suffering losses to The Miz, Damien Sandow, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan and Tensai, and getting beat down by 3MB.

Ryder admits 2012 “sucked,” but vows that 2013 will be “the year of the Broski,” not to mention “sick.”

– The official WWE website has posted a photo gallery chronicling AJ Lee’s dalliances of 2012, with Daniel Bryan, Kane, CM Punk, John Cena and Dolph Ziggler.

– Chris Jericho is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.

– With Alberto Del Rio flirting with a babyface turn, his romance with Rosa Mendes has been dropped.

– WWE has made the call to put the new Fandango gimmick on hold. No word on whether it’s been dropped entirely, but WWE is no longer running vignettes and there are no plans for him to debut any time soon.

– Chris Jericho recently contacted WWE about returning for a short run leading up to WrestleMania that would involve Jericho putting over young talent. The sides are still talking, but as we’ve seen in the past, the major issues holding up the deal are Jericho not being able to commit to a full-time schedule (due to his outside projects) and Jericho wanting full control over said outside projects.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE’s new stable Thie Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) made their in-ring debuts at Saturday night’s Supershow live event in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In a preview for tonight’s WWE TLC main event, they faced Ryback, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a 6-man tag match.

In typical Shield fashion, the trio jumped Team Hell No before the match began and used the numbers game to their advantage. That is – until Ryback ran out and evened the odds. The finish came after Ryback pinned Dean Ambrose after hitting him with Shell Shocked.

It will be interesting to see how the outcome of tonight’s TLC main event compares to what happened in Wilkes-Barre.

– As previously reported, Randy Orton was injured at last weekend’s Tribute to the Troops tapings. Originally it was believed that Orton suffered a wrist injury, but we’ve now learned that Orton actually dislocated his shoulder and will be out of action for around two weeks.

– Chris Jericho and Fozzy wrapped the 2012 leg of their Sin & Bones tour last night. They have visited 11 countries so far and promised to see fans in 2013. Jericho tweeted the following photo after last night’s show:

– In WWE’s latest Countdown video feature, WWE counts down the ten most shocking returns in company history. The Rock, John Cena, Vince McMahon and others are featured.

– Chris Jericho, who is currently working on his third autobiography covering his 2007 return to WWE and beyon, noted on Twitter Sunday that it is coming along “very slowly.”

– Friday’s episode of SmackDown on Syfy garnered 59,266 in social media activity, down 2% from the prior week’s show.

– The late Bad News Brown is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.

Twitter user @MattyWillo attended Wednesday night’s Fozzy concert from London and tweeted this picture of Chris Jericho and Fozzy rocking out –

– Chris Jericho’s metal band Fozzy will be playing in London, England tonight at the Electric Ballroom.

– Former WWE diva spoke to ESPN.com this week and commented on her time as a WWE Diva.

“Everything is a steppingstone. It was a great chapter in my life. I spent eight years touring the world and I have wonderful memories. I love my fans. But I’ve moved on to other things.”

– Here is the latest episode of WWE Inbox:

In this edition of “WWE Inbox,” AJ Lee, Zack Ryder and several others talk about which one of there fellow Superstars has the worst taste in music in WWE.

* The Latest On Who THE SHIELD Really Works For (Not CM Punk…)

Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho appeared on Wrestling Voice Radio with Duane Doogan (available on WrestlingVoiceRadio.com, iTunes and Stitcher Radio). Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Does he believe there is an attitude of ‘if you’re not with us, you’re against us’ within the WWE: “I don’t think it’s a vicious thing, I think there is just so much going on in the WWE at all times, so many angles, stories, it’s kind of out of sight, out of mind. If they had their way, I’m sure everybody who ever worked there would be working for them. If that was the case you’d have Steve Austin, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and every single person only working for them but guys move on and branch out and sometimes they support that, sometimes they don’t.”

How far did talks go about a recent return to WWE in early November?: “It wasn’t that much detail about it really, I called them and said I’D be interested in doing some shows over the next couple of months but we just couldn’t work it out because I really can’t commit to anything it was more like, if I had 2 weeks off I’d call them which I thought would be a great idea but they need to plan and figure things out… it’s like a river, you jump in, you float down the river and you jump out and the river keeps going and it’s very hard to jump back in. I’m not opposed to going back, there is just no plans of it right now.”

His feud with CM Punk and being left off the ‘Best PPV Matches of 2012’ DVD: “I thought it was a great storyline, I thought the matches were great, I would like do have done another month and have it be 3 matches and it’s funny you talk about ‘if you’re not with us’, they just released a ‘Best Matches of 2012’ DVD and neither one of the matches me and Punk had are on there and that’s just obviously just a political decision.”

If he could wrestle anybody, anywhere, any match, what would it be: “Funaki! In my basement, underwear match!”

Much more is featured in the interview including discussing being rated hotter than Lita but not as hot as Kofi Kingston by WWE, Fozzy’s tour, progress, inspiration by Dexter and their new album. You can also win a copy of Fozzy’s new album ‘Sin & Bones’ and a Fozzy t-shirt by commenting on the video with your favourite Fozzy song and why. Winner will be chosen at random on December 9.

– Promoting his ongoing Fozzy tour of the United Kingdom, Chris Jericho spoke to Staffordshire University broadcast journalism student Will Piper of the Staffordshire Newsletter. When asked about a potential return to WWE, the six-time world champion replied, “I’m not quite done with wrestling yet. Never say never.”

On performing before a sold-out crowd Tuesday night at “The Underground,” Jericho said, “Stoke was great last night, it was awesome to start the tour with a sold out show. I always get nervous, but it’s good to have that nervous energy. Stoke’s a great city and I’m glad to be back, it was a good show and thanks to everyone for coming out.” The full interview is available here.

– NXT will be holding its first live events outside of Florida next March. The shows take place on March 8 at the Rainwater Center in Valdosta, Georgia and March 9 at the Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia.

– 3MB members Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater are scheduled for an autograph signing at tomorrow’s NXT live event at Largo Minregg Hall 6340 126th Ave N, Largo, Florida. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

(source: PWInsider.com)

– Shield member Seth Rollins tweeted the following message this week, his first tweet since debuting on WWE television:

Breathing life into gasping lungs. We are here to right the wrongs. @theshieldwwe

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) November 27, 2012

– Chris Jericho’s metal band Fozzy will be performing tonight in Manchester, UK tonight. For more information, visit FozzyRock.com.

– Speaking of Jericho, he was recently interviewed by Wrestling Voice Radio:

During Fozzy’s European Tour in late 2012, frontman Chris Jericho sat down with Wrestling Voice Radio’s Duane Doogan to discuss a host of subjects from the band’s latest album, to touring, to his current WWE status and more.

The Syfy Channel sent out the following press release today officially announcing the new “Robot Combat League” series, hosted by former WWE superstar Chris Jericho:

SYFY’S ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE OFFERS RINGSIDE SEATS TO GROUNDBREAKING, HIGH-OCTANE CLASHES OF STEEL

WWE CHAMPION CHRIS JERICHO TO HOST

Series Debuts Tuesday, February 26 at 10 P.M. ET/PT

Pictures of CHRIS JERICHO With The ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUE Robots

NEW YORK, N.Y. – November 26, 2012 – Syfy announces a gripping new reality series premiering Tuesday, February 26 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT which reinvents gladiatorial combat for the 21st century. Each week, Robot Combat League will feature tournament-style battles between eight-feet tall, state-of-the-art humanoid robots controlled by human “robo-jockeys”. Hosting the series is Chris Jericho, the wildly popular WWE wrestler and multifaceted performer.

The idea of robots in battle has captured the imagination for generations. Now, through ground-breaking engineering, the fusion of a human’s fighting spirit with a powerful robotic machine built for destruction has become a reality. This extraordinary new series will feature twelve teams consisting of a fighter (a “robo-jockey”) and a robotics engineer (a “robo-tech”) from myriad backgrounds including a race car driver, an Olympic athlete, a National Guard helicopter pilot along with a mix of professional fighters and software engineers. Each team is paired with its own unique robot and will fight in a first-of-its kind competition using a high-tech exo-suit that translates their movements to their robot. Each fight consists of three rounds of intense action, with the winning team advancing in the competition.

In his role as host, Jericho will set up each week’s fight and provide viewers with a play-by-play commentary of the fighting action. Jericho began wrestling at age 19 and is one of the most popular champions in the history of the WWE. In 2001 he was crowned the first ever WWE Undisputed Champion and has been named one of the top five most charismatic performers of all-time. Jericho was also a popular contestant on season 11 of Dancing with the Stars and is the lead singer of the #1 charting hard rock band, Fozzy. The two-time NY Times best-selling author grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and now currently resides in Tampa, Fla.

The robots of the Robot Combat League were designed and created by robotics expert, Mark Setrakian, a leader in the sport of robotic combat. In his distinguished career, Setrakian has developed life-saving robotic systems, and pioneered cutting-edge creature effects, animatronics and control technology for such films as Men In Black, The Grinch and Hellboy. Setrakian combines a keen study of biology with innovative engineering to create robots with uncanny organic movement, earning his reputation as the man who brings machines to life.

Robot Combat League is produced by Smart Dog Media, with Craig Plestis serving as executive producer.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com ), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

– Chris Jericho is in London tonight for his first-ever “Spoken Word” event from The Garage. Jericho tweeted the following on Sunday:

LONDON!! Don't miss my first SPOKEN WORD SHOW and Q&A Nov 25 at The Garage!!
All info: http://t.co/N1fAzrlq #AskJericho

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 22, 2012

Have great ideas and a killer intro for tonights Spoken Word/Q&A show at the Garage in LONDON tonight! You DO NOT wanna miss this

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 25, 2012

For more information on tonight’s show, visit MeanFiddler.com.

– Sheamus is in Houston, Texas today appearing at the 53rd Annual “O’Reilly Auto Parts AutoRama at the George R. Brown Convention Center. For event information, visit YourHoustonNews.com.

– Deadline.com published its weekly YouTube rankings, with WWE coming in at #3 among all Youtube channels. WWE’s weekly views were up a sharp 113% from the prior week, with the WWE Fan Nation channel serving 6,398,886 views for the week of November 15-21. This spike in viewership included WWE’s Survivor Series pre-show.

Former WWE superstar Chris Jericho is returning to the SyFy channel, but not for WWE. Entertainment Weekly announced on Tuesday that Jericho will be hosting the Robot Combat League, which premieres February 26, 2013.

SyFy president Mark Stern told EW, “It has always been our desire — and it’s really come around perennially — to update and do Battle Bots for the new century. Can we do Real Steel? Are we at a place where you can do real bipedal robots? Every time we tried to to do it [the project] was stymied by the technology.”

The league will have 12 teams, each consisting of a fighter (the “robo-jockey”) and a robotics engineer (the “robo-tech”). The fighters and techs are from all different backgrounds, including an Olympic athlete, a National Guard helicopter pilot, a race car drive and Amanda Lucas, MMA fighter daughter of of George Lucas (“Star Wars”).

Fights consist of three rounds, with the winning team advancing to the next round. The winning team gets $100,000.

Chris Jericho will set up each fight and provide play-by-play commentary.

Check out these pictures of Chris Jericho and the Robot Combat League robots:

[nggallery id=71]

– The Rock noted on Twitter that he’ll be meeting two of his fans today on the set of Fast 6:

Big set visit this AM.. Meeting Carl (@MakeAWish) & Jack (Starlight Foundation). Easily the BEST part of my job. #MyLuckyDay

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 20, 2012

– Mick Foley, The Miz, Kofi Kingston and Natalya visited Saint Maria Goretti School in Westfield, Indiana on Monday to talk about the power of reading, and to kick off the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. A photo gallery of the event can be seen at Facebook.com.

– Chris Jericho was asked on Twitter who he would want to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. He replied:

I’ll never get in… “@hierkommtalex: @IAmJericho Who should induct you into the WWE HOF?”

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 20, 2012

– WWE’s official Twitter account noted that the @WWEThoroughbred account claiming to be NXT star Roman Reigns is a fake, despite the fact that the NXT website linked to it. WWE verified that Reigns can be found on Twitter at @WWERomanReigns.

Chris Jericho joined Inside The Ropes (www.facebook.com/theinsidenetwork) on Thursday night. Highlights are as follows:

Reason behind him not talking for a month on TV when he came back to WWE in 2012: “It was Vince’s idea for me to come out and not say anything and I knew when I came back people would be cheering me because I’d been gone for so long so I thought whats the best way to take away what the people want?People wanna hear this character speak So I thought what if I just don’t talk so it was Vince’s idea for me to not say anything and it went so well to the point where I said why don’t I just not talk for the entire month on the air or whatever and that’s kinda what we did.”

Thoughts on people posting spoilers online like the picture of him at Nashville Airport or news leaking that Brock Lesnar was in talks with WWE: “I think that people feel entitled nowadays because of the internet, they think they have the right to know what’s going on even before it happens and with that picture in Nashville, I was 250 miles away so who could say I would’ve been going to RAW? I could’ve been in Nashville or Atlanta but I think it peaked the fans interest. It’s funny though because that picture of me ended up being super imposed of me like walking down abbey road with The Beatles, I was standing at the JFK assasination, the pyramids of Egypt, all these funny things of like ‘Oh Where’s Jericho?’ …….I think if you don’t wanna read spoilers then don’t go online. I think there’s a small amount of people who watch every week that read the spoilers, just like a small amount that read Billboard Magazine if you’re a musician or Variety magazine if you’re an actor. But I think the majority of people don’t really give a shit and they just wanna watch and see how it unfolds. That’s the way I am. If i go to a movie, I don’t wanna know the ending or know the plot before I see it, I wanna watch it the way it was meant to be seen.”

How he almost quit the WWF the night he won the title from Triple H in 2000: “I remember the week before I lost to Viscera on Sunday Night Heat and I was like “This is it” I was pissed off, I was ready to quit. I showed up that day and i told one of the writers “I’m done, this is bullshit” At that point I wanted to go, nobody was forcing me to quit, I just wasn’t doing anything. Brian told me “Maybe you should wait before you go talk to him” He said “You’re gonna win the title tonight” I think it was a test to see what the crowd would do. I think if Vince knew how the crowd would react he might not have had me lose it later that night but it was the first test that I had that I passed with flying colours not just with Vince but with Triple H as well. It was the first time I’d had a great match in WWE. Even though I lost, I won that night. Thats what led to my last man standing match with Triple H.”

The content listing for WWE’s “The Attitude Era” three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-Ray scheduled for release on Nov. 20 has been released.

The synopsis for the title reads: “In the late-90s, WWE was struggling for ratings survival while a cultural shift in the viewing audience’s taste was occurring. “Saying your prayers and taking your vitamins” had lost its luster amongst the rebellious masses who preferred “flipping the bird” and “laying the smackdown”… Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind and the notorious crop of edge and fearless Superstars who ushered in The Attitude Era. Now in this 3DVD set fans can own all the infamous moments from this controversial and revolutionary era that redefined sports entertainment for an entire generation. Over 8-hours of envelope-pushing content includes all the agression, antics and innuendos that proved to be the perfect cocktail for an explosion of popularity.”

Here is the listing, courtesy of WWEDVDNews.com.

DISC 1

Documentary:

The Birth of Attitude

Entrance Music

D-Generation X

Austin vs. McMahon

Long-Arching Stories

Innovations

New Demographic

Critics

Expansion

Comedy

Wealth of Talent

The World Was Watching

Watershed Period
Jim Ross interviews Goldust & Marlena
Raw – Nov 3, 1997

Steve Austin Throws the InterContinental Championship Off A Bridge
Raw – Dec 15, 1997

Soldier of Love
Raw – May 4, 1998

Mr McMahon Presents Mankind with the WWE Hardcore Championship
Raw – Nov 2, 1998

Jim Ross Interviews Triple H
Sunday Night Heat – July 25, 1999

An Evening At The Friendly Tap
SmackDown! – Jan 20, 2000

Mae Young and the Acolyte Protection Agency
SmackDown! – Jan 27, 2000

“The Jug Band”
Judgment Day 2000

Triple H Trains Trish Stratus
SmackDown! – July 27, 2000

Edges Totally Awesome Birthday
Raw – Oct 30, 2000

The Rocks Message to His Hell in a Cell Opponents
Raw – Dec 4, 2000

GTV

DISC 2

Mike Tyson Joins DX
Raw – Mar 2, 1998

A New Beginning For D-Generation X
Raw – March 30, 1998

Sable vs. “Marvelous” Marc Mero
Raw – May 11, 1998

Nation of Degeneration
Raw – July 6, 1998

Brawl for All Match
Bart Gunn vs. “Dr Death” Steve Williams
Raw – July 27, 1998

Four Corners Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The Undertaker & Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane & Mankind vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. The Rock & Owen Hart
Raw – Aug 10, 1998

Lions Den Match
Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart
SummerSlam 1998

Finals of WWE Championship Tournament
The Rock vs. Mankind
Survivor Series 1998

The Rock & The Undertaker vs. Mankind & Stone Cold Steve Austin
Raw – Dec 7, 1998

Austin Gives The Corporation A Beer Bath
Raw – March 22, 1999

The Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Raw – June 28, 1999

The Debut of Y2J
Raw – Aug 9, 1999

DISC 3

Content still to be confirmed.

Special Features

(Expected Best Buy Exclusive)

GTV – Al Snow & Head

Mae Young Gives Birth
Raw – Feb 28, 2000

WWE Womens Championship Match
Lita vs. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
Raw – June 12, 2000

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz
Raw – July 17, 2000

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES

King of Kings Match
Ken Shamrock vs. Triple H vs. Owen Hart
Raw – June 29, 1998

The Oddities w/ Insane Clown Posse vs. The Headbangers
Raw – Sept 28, 1998

The Truth About Sammy
Raw – Jan 18, 1999

The Unholy Union of Stephanie McMahon & The Undertaker
Raw – April 26, 1999

The Rock vs. Val Venis
SmackDown – Oct 7, 1999

Survivor Series Elimination Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kane & Shane McMahon vs. Triple H, X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws
SmackDown – Nov 4, 1999

WWE Hardcore Championship Match
Al Snow vs. Crash Holly
SmackDown – June 29, 2000

The Hardy Boyz & Lita vs. Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero & Dean Malenko
SmackDown – Nov 30, 2000

Chris Jericho & The Dudley Boyz vs. Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian
Raw – Dec 25, 2000

– According to the latest issue of Power Slam, Carlito has an open offer to return to WWE, whenever he desires. The magazine, however, notes that the former WWE Superstar is enjoying the freedom of working independent groups.

The second generation grappler was released from his contract with WWE in May 2010 due to a violation of the company’s drug testing program and subsequent refusal to attend a rehabilitation facility for a reported addiction to painkillers.

– Promoting his tour this month of the U.K., Chris Jericho spoke to Glasgow radio station Radio Caley (@RadioCaley) and presenter Colin Stone (@Colin__Stone) where he discussed Fozzy’s new album “Sin & Bones,” whether he’ll return to WWE (13.08) and his matches this year with Dolph Ziggler (14.57). Plus, Jericho has some words for Drew McIntyre (10:34).

– Santino Marella and Layla appear at Smyth’s Toys, Unit 6&7, Shane Retail Park, Boucher Road, Belfast, Ireland, tomorrow beginning at 3:30 p.m. as they sign for the first 400 fans.

– The official WWE website has published an article ranking the 15 greatest ring entrances in sports-entertainment history.

“What’s more impressive, pulling up in an expensive sports car or walking through hellfire?” WWE states. “A calm walk through darkness or a mad dash to the ring?”

The list ranks 15. Ultimate Warrior, 14. Goldust, 13. Alberto Del Rio, 12. Glacier, 11. The Sandman, 10. The Rock, 9. Rey Mysterio, 8. Gangrel, 7. Goldberg, 6. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, 5. Hulk Hogan, 4. Kane, 3. Chris Jericho, 2. Triple H, 1. The Undertaker.

– Matches taped Monday in Birmingham, England for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were Jimmy Uso vs. Jinder Mahal and Justin Gabriel vs. Tensai.

In a pre-taping dark match result, Tyson Kidd defeated Michael McGillicutty.

– WWE developmental Briley Pierce turned 28-years-old Sunday. He is the younger brother of WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler.

– Injured WWE diva Tamina Snuka tweeted this update on Tuesday about her road back to WWE:

https://twitter.com/TaminaSnuka/status/263284275573579776

– Chris Jericho’s band Fozzy will be playing tonight in Albany, New York at Bogies, despite Hurricane Sandy. Tickets are still available and the show starts at 7pm.

– During a commercial break at Monday’s RAW, a video aired featuring US Champion Antonio Cesaro telling the crowd that they should stop chanting “USA” during his matches.

– Here’s the latest Backstage Fallout video from Monday’s RAW:

– Mark Henry is expected to be back on television soon, which has been the case for a while now. Henry has dropped a lot of weight since his last appearance on WWE television.

Recent Picture of Mark Henry Looking Skinny

– The severe stomach virus that Rey Mysterio was recently battling was due to a bad case of food poisoning. Mysterio is currently on very good terms with WWE, with the company giving him a lighter live events schedule to minimize the wear and tear on his body.

WWE is also very pleased with Mysterio’s efforts to help get Sin Cara over.

– Chris Jericho will be joining Diamond Dallas Page for the next Yoga For Guys DVD. Jericho has been a strong supporter of DDP’s program since he began using it during his stint on “Dancing with the Stars.”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE announced this week that it finally closed on the purchase of the Mid South tape library from the family of Bill Watts. After a basic agreement was reached back in June, the deal was finalized in the past two weeks. One sticking point that delayed the closing was that the Watts family wanted to to continue selling DVDs of the Mid South footage.

– Chris Jericho is expected to return to WWE down the road, when he has an extended break from touring/recording with his band, Fozzy. Jericho’s return earlier this year was when he didn’t have anything going on with music. His original deal was for six months but it was extended when Fozzy’s album release was delayed.

WWE is only interested in using Jericho if he can commit to them exclusively for extended periods and it was WWE that ended their most recent negotiations with Jericho.

Jericho recently stated that he won’t be at WrestleMania 29, as Fozzy will touring Australia in February and March.

* UNDERTAKER Not Wrestling At WM29 & When LESNAR Is Returning

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– There is a lot of talk that WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair’s WWE return could take place as soon as this Monday night, when WWE RAW returns to the heart of Flair Country – Charlotte, North Carolina. The feeling is that he could be brought in as the new RAW General Manager.

– The pre-sale password for the 12/17 WWE RAW show from Philadelphia is JOHNCENA. Tickets are on sale now. The advertised main event is John Cena and Sheamus vs. CM Punk and Big Show.

– Following up on his comments on the Busted Open radio show this week about WWE needing to put the WWE title on Ryback this weekend at Hell in a Cell to make the most out of his current momentum, Chris Jericho tweeted:

Let me clarify- @cmpunk is already a money drawing, ratings drawing, MASSIVE star. @Ryback22 is not. But a big win on Sun can make him one.

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) October 23, 2012

(Partial Source: PWInsdier)

Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho called Dave Lagreca and Mike Riker on Busted Open this week. You can hear Busted Open on Sirius 92, XM 208 and on Sports Zone on the internet. Here’s what Chris Jericho said about:

Chris Jericho on why he thinks Ryback should win on Sunday: “I don’t know anything and I don’t work for the WWE. I haven’t talked to Vince in about a month. But I personally think and this is something that obviously Busted Open Radio has very hardcore wrestling fans who are listening as we all are. The number one thing people bitch about is that there is nothing new and it’s the same old same old with John Cena. This is the chance to create a new guy. This is the chance to make a new star instantly, and I know tradition says you must build a star. There is no tradition in a case like this. The comparisons are to Goldberg. Most of the fans in this day and age have no idea who Goldberg is and don’t care. We do, but in the year 2012 Goldberg was over ten years ago. How did Goldberg get over? …. By beating everybody. There was no loss for Goldberg. As soon as he did lose, that’s when things started going downhill for him. Ryback is not a normal guy. This is not a guy that we see that builds his way to the top and fans get behind him slowly but surely. You want to pick a new guy? Have him beat CM Punk this week. Who gives a sh** about Punk’s title reign? It means nothing. Here is a chance to take a guy who people are getting behind. If he beats Punk at Hell in A Cell and after three hundred and thirty seven days or whatever and Punk is finally beaten, people are going to start to take notice of this guy. Those who don’t watch Raw are going to tune in to see what’s going on. Ryback beats everybody. Ryback faces Rock at Royal Rumble. What happens if a couple of weeks before that something goes on with Ryback and Undertaker got involved in the Rock match? What if Rock wins the title and goes on to face Cena we expected and what if its Ryback vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania? What if Ryback beats Undertaker at Wrestlemania? You have a new star for the next ten years to headline pay-per views and main events.”

Has CM Punk gone as far as he can go as a character? “He has gone as far as he can go. The Rock is the Rock. He comes from a different era. Undertaker, Steve Austin, that comes from a different era. Nobody will ever be a bigger star than those guys, because people in their heads…It’s like the old Batman TV show when we were kids. We thought it was the greatest show ever. You watch it back now and it sucks. But it has a certain place in your head that it will never be replaced. The band KISS in 1978 if you’re old enough to remember was thought of as the greatest band ever, even if they weren’t. Rock is a guy unto his own. Punk is as big of a star as he can be as a heel in WWE. Beating Ryback doesn’t make him a bigger star. It doesn’t.”

Can the injury to John Cena be a blessing in disguise? “It is a blessing in disguise. The biggest breaks I ever got in this business was when someone got hurt, or when someone went to make a movie. I won the undisputed championship because Triple H was hurt and Rock was leaving. Cena got hurt. What do we do? One thing about Vince McMahon is his motto is to take a negative and turn it into a positive. Vince knows how rare it is for someone to get over so quickly. Vince knows Ryback is not a money making star right now. But if he goes into Hell In A Cell and he destroys Punk and beats him, a hundred percent those fans are going to go bananas for Ryback. You have created a new star. Punk can come back the next night and bitch and complain and do what a heel does. Heels aren’t built to win. Heels are built to lose. That’s what heels do. The fact that Punk has held the title for three hundred and thirty seven days, it might mean something to you guys. I can tell you Punk doesn’t care. Punk wants to make money and if that means Punk and Ryback becomes the hottest feud and suddenly something happens where it goes to Ryback and Rock, that’s a match where suddenly you made a new guy. I would love to see Punk and Rock and I’m sure Punk would be disappointed if it didn’t work out. But this is business. If you have a chance to build someone that can put a company on his back, then you do it. The stop and start pushes that the WWE has been doing and infamous for the last ten years has got to stop and this is the perfect time for it.”

Does he think the WWE will pull the trigger and have Ryback become champion? “I do because of the reasons I’ve talked about. I’m not saying I know anything. I could be completely wrong. Maybe there would be a scenario where they can protect Ryback and still have Punk as champ. But for me what I like as a wrestling fan, when I was a kid, what I like as wrestling fan now even after doing it for 22 years is the element of surprise. I hate the same old same old. I worked in WCW for three years when guys were passed over. As hard as it is to believe at this point, Eddie Guerrero was the top heel in the company at certain points, but they never let him beat anybody. Billy Kidman was super popular. Probably one of the top two or three babyfaces in the company at certain points, but they never pushed him over the edge. There are guys for whatever reason, get over, even when they are not supposed to get over. If you take advantage of that and push it over the cliff, people will get behind it especially a guy like Ryback because we haven’t seen anyone like that in a long time. We haven’t seen a powerhouse come in and annihilate people. The last time might have been Batista but Ryback is more Neanderthal, more animalistic, more a beast. Batista is very well spoken. Ryback does remind me of Goldberg and like I said it’s not a copy of Goldberg. It’s like saying Jericho is a copy of Shawn Michaels. There are elements and lots of similarities but it’s a different guy and nobody has seen a guy like this in a long, long time. So I think if they do pull the trigger that it will work huge and it will create a superstar instantly. Someone that will be a money drawer, someone that people will tune in who are not watching now to see.”

Former WWE superstar turned heavy metal singer Chris Jericho did a Q&A with fans on Twitter over the weekend and talked about his WWE future, his allegiance to WWE, his next book and more. Here are some highlights of what Jericho said about:

Appearing at the 2013 Royal Rumble:

“Not likely.”

Is He A Paul Heyman Guy?

“No I’m a Vince McMahon guy.”

When His Next Book Will Be Published:

“Feb of 2014”

The Mystery Girl In His Return Promos:

“Nobody. Everybody read to much into it”

Would He Wrestle For Another Company Other Than WWE?:

“Always a chance.”

* DISCUSSION: How Would YOU Book The Finish of CM Punk vs. Ryback?