As previously reported, CM Punk will be making his first television appearance since walking out on WWE, when he appears on AMC’s “Talking Dead” this Sunday night.

According to one report, there is a certain level of bitterness within WWE towards Punk for appearing on the show. The general consensus seems to be that if Punk is able to travel to Los Angeles to appear on that show, he should have been able to come to RAW in his hometown of Chicago to at least talk with someone in person.

Additionally, there’s apparently a feeling of uncertainty due to the fact that nobody knows what Punk will say, if anything, about his WWE status.

Former WWE Superstar and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock recently appeared as a guest on the “Asked with Riv & Landin” show. During the interview, Shamrock spoke about a number of WWE and MMA related topics, including the recent controversy surrounding CM Punk.

When asked for his thoughts on Punk possibly entering MMA, Shamrock noted that he would have no chance if he were to start off at the UFC level, and that he should start at the bottom due to the fact that he has no experience as a professional fighter.

Shamrock also spoke about Punk’s current situation with WWE, going as far as to call him a “spoiled brat” for walking out on the company when he didn’t get what he wanted, and claimed that he is suffering from “spoiled brat syndrome.”

“The World’s Most Dangerous Man” also spoke about Triple H, noting that Hunter dislikes him because he had to put him over several times during WWE’s “Attitude Era.” Shamrock claimed that “The Game” strongly dislikes putting other people over.

You can listen to the complete interview above.

The following is a list of the current merchandise sellers at the arenas in WWE.

1. John Cena
2. Daniel Bryan
3. CM Punk (down on the list because he’s been off TV and hasn’t been at the arenas)
4. Batista
5. Sheamus
6. Hulk Hogan
7. Randy Orton
8. Brock Lesnar

On the official WWE website, the list of top merchandise sellers is as follows:

1. John Cena
2. CM Punk
3. Daniel Bryan
4. Hulk Hogan
5. The Shield
6. Steve Austin
7. Brock Lesnar
8. Undertaker
9. Randy Orton

Notably absent from the list are Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio, both of whom have been among the top merchandise movers, especially Mysterio, who has been in the top tier list for several years.

Complete WWE RAW Results With Videos (3/10)

WWE #OccupyRaw (3/10)

Two Iconic figures of Professional Wrestling YES!

Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania XXX Announcement, John Cena & The Wyatt Family
Hulk Hogan starts the show announcing an Andre The Giant memorial 30 man Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans. Battle Royals have happened before at WrestleMania, with Andre The Giant winning the first ever Battle Royal at WrestleMania II. At Wrestlemania IV Bret Hart and Bad News Brown, both heels at the time agreed to share the trophy, well for a few moments. And who could forget the 19 man Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven. I don’t think anyone was expecting this, and at first I thought, the idea seemed silly, but this will get alot of talent on the card, and could be interesting to watch.

John Cena came out to have a Raw moment with The Hulkster. Dislike Cena all you want, he has been the top guy in WWE for the last 10 years. Buff Bagwell, made a ridiculous comment, that John Cena isn’t a Stone Cold Steve Austin, or a Rock, and that HE could have been John Cena, if he was pushed like Cena has been. That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Cena is a true star, and any way you slice it this was a Raw moment, to see Cena posing down with the Babe Ruth of professional wrestling.

Bray Wyatt doing his thing as John Cena and the legendary Hulk Hogan YES!

I enjoyed the Wyatt involvement, the challenge was issued by Cena, for a match at WrestleMania, Wyatt would later accept. Prior to the Royal Rumble, when the heavy rumor was John Cena vs Bray Wyatt, I was scratching my head. After months of excellent build up of Bray and the Wyatt Family, I can honestly tell you, I’m excited to see this match, and love the Wyatt Family. YES!

John Cena vs. Erick Rowan
Short match, between Cena and Rowan, with Rowan having the upper hand for a good portion of the match, Cena wins with a surprise pin. I’m not sure why he was so shocked. Hulk Hogan in Cena’s corner, makes me wonder if this will foreshadow some physical Hogan involvement in the match at WrestleMania XXX.  YES!

The Authority Address Daniel Bryan
I’m a huge Vince McMahon fan, I loved watching Vince McMahon verbally and sometimes even physically battle Stone Cold Steve Austin, back in the Attitude Era. Perhaps because I’m so over the last 7 months of beating Daniel Bryan to the ground, I just can’t stand Stephanie McMahon and Triple H as The Authority. When I say that, I don’t mean, “I can’t wait to see Daniel Bryan get his hands on Triple H.” I just can’t stand the way either of them are, at all.  Stephanie does all the talking in this segment, demanding Daniel Bryan apologize or face severe consequences. NO!

Cessaro griping a bit too tight for Jack Swagger YES!

Big E. vs. Jack Swagger / Real Americans Break-Up Tease # 395
This match was basically a filler to highlight the inevitable break up of Cesaro and Swagger. It’s a shame that Big E has been pushed to the back in all this, I had high hopes that the Intercontinental Title would finally get more prestige. That being said I am enjoying the break up of The Real Americans, because Cesaro is going to be a break out star.  YES!

In-Ring Segment: The Undertaker & Paul Heyman
This segment was pure brilliance, Paul Heyman with two amazing weeks in a row of fantastic promos. Playing the Chicago crowd expertly. Tying CM Punk’s departure into not being able to defeat The Undertaker, was a genius concept. I like how the story is now centered around Paul Heyman trying to get his revenge on The Undertaker. This could also set the stage for another CM Punk Undertaker encounter if he ever comes back and returns his ball. I’m cautiously optimistic for the Brock vs Taker match at WrestleMania XXX. YES!

 View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW 

Breaking Bad star and the lead actor in the new “Need For Speed” film, Aaron Paul, who appeared at the WWE RAW show in Chicago, Illinois last Monday night, recently spoke to the Chicago Tribune about his experience. That was fun,” said Paul. “I knew (the risk). I’m an outsider. I’m not part of the WWE family.”

Paul also spoke about the CM Punk situation in WWE. “Oh yeah, he’s the guy that quit a few weeks ago,” said Paul. “I think a lot of people think he’s going to show up tonight. I don’t think so.”

Dolph Ziggler was also interviewed and spoke about Paul winning over the WWE Universe. Ziggler said, “(WWE fans) don’t take too kindly to outsiders coming in, no matter how great your show is. They got the Pinkman chant going, and I go, ‘It’s hard to win these guys over, but when you do, they’ll love you forever.'”

Check out the complete interview at ChicagoTribune.com.

The following are highlights of a recent interview with former WCW star Buff Bagwell:

On John Cena: “I don’t think he’s a Rock, I don’t think he is a Sting, I don’t think he is a Goldberg, I don’t think he is a Stone Cold. But i think he’s bigger than a Buff Bagwell. I really do. Now mainly because of the way they’ve pushed him i give him credit than being bigger than me. When you lay out the facts, no he’s not as big as The Rock, no he’s not as big as Stone Cold, no he’s not as big as these other guys i’m talking about. Then again, you give me the same push i think i would be just as big as John Cena. He’s not that cornerstone guy. He’s not that super mega superstar that The Rock has become. He’s not that super mega superstar Stone Cold had become. He’s just WWE’s number one guy and with a little bit of help, a lot of guys could be that guy. He’s just got the look, he’s got the ability, and he was at the right place at the right time to be their poster child.”

On CM Punk: “He’s too small. That’s why they kept him and The Rock as far apart as they could until they had to wrestle because when you really stand Rock against CM Punk in the ring. They just don’t look like it fits. You’ve got a 260 pound guy in The Rock down to a buck 80-85 CM Punk. Nothing against being a buck 85 but you know TNA’s got a division called the X Division for guys like that. I think that’s a good thing to have, but as far as being the World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk should not be. He’s not big enough, he don’t look the part. He’s heard, i bet if you ask him and he told the truth, he’s heard a million times wow you’re not as big as i thought you were. That’s not good for Pro Wrestling. You’ve gotta be big you know? to make it believable, to make it more realistic. I don’t think he’s that. He just doesn’t carry that kind of power.”

On whether or not he thinks anything can save TNA: “No, I don’t think there is. That’s why i’m not mad they didn’t hire me. Hiring Buff Bagwell isn’t going to save TNA. Hiring The Rock isn’t going to save TNA. So why put out a couple more hundred grand a year when it’s not going to save the company. I understand their position but i still don’t understand keeping the show on television. Either shut it down or do hire a Buff Bagwell that may switch the channels a little more, may make something happen. It may make somebody want to come over. Then you got The Rock and Buff Bagwell, maybe a Goldberg on TNA. Now you’ve got some heavy players. You just can’t have match after match people going who’s this guy here? what’s that guys name? You gotta have name value and they don’t.”

“They (TNA) were at the Gwinett Center here about 6 months ago, and i just drove up there and walked in. They just ate me up and oh god you look great, looks like you haven’t aged a bit, you know all this stuff. Me and Eric did text back and forth and all of sudden guys started getting fired, it was the same ol story, TNA’s going under and it was over again. I just can’t imagine being in the wrestling business you’ve got Buff Bagwell living in Atlanta, you’re running a Gwinett show which is 20 minutes from my house. Why would you not have Buff Bagwell come in and get beat? Put me on TV, beat me, but why not put me on TV? People know me better than they know other guy they’re beating. So why not get a better rating and beat me. I’m not asking to win, I’m asking to be part of the show and help them build a product.”

Check out the complete interview at MoreLikeRadio.org.

CM Punk will be returning to television next Sunday night for the first time since leaving WWE.

Punk, referred to by his real name Phil Brooks, will appear on AMC’s “Talking Dead” on 3/16 at 10pm (Eastern).

The show is hosted by Chris Hardwick (“@Midnight”) and features a panel discussing the episode of “Walking Dead” that airs immediately before it.

“CM Punk” trended worldwide on Twitter following the announcement.

TMZ caught up with Hulk Hogan at a New York airport on Saturday and asked the WrestleMania XXX host about CM Punk’s recent departure from the company. Hogan said he hopes that Punk is only ‘on vacation’ and returns to WWE soon.

– According to one source, the three names that were initially listed internally for opponents for Batista at this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view were Daniel Bryan, John Cena or CM Punk. With Punk no longer actively working with the company, the latest word is that it will still be either Bryan or Cena facing “The Animal” in the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

– The latest word going around WWE is that there will not be a “brother vs. brother” match between Goldust and Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XXX.

– It was confirmed on Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown that The Undertaker will be appearing at Monday’s RAW in Memphis to address Brock Lesnar. Also confirmed for RAW, as we reported a few days ago, is Hulk Hogan, who will be making a big WrestleMania XXX announcement.

– Colt Cabana recently spoke to The Chicago Tribune and spoke among other topics, about receiving a lot of e-mails regarding CM Punk. “It’s a lot. It’s wrestling websites and promoters who want to book him. I ignore a lot of them or just say he’s nowhere to be found,” said Cabana.

You can check out the complete interview at ChicagoTribune.com.

The Debate

After CM Punk walked out on the WWE following this year’s Royal Rumble, it was pretty much universally accepted that he did so because he was fed up with the current state of booking, where the company relies upon full-time wrestlers to carry the load during the year, only to then turn to part-timers like Batista and The Rock to headline the biggest events on the calendar.

It is no secret that Punk wants to headline WrestleMania. In his documentary “Best in the World,” he expressed disgust at the fact that the WWE would turn to The Miz to headline the biggest event in pro wrestling, and I can all but assure you he was none too pleased to find out he would go into WrestleMania XXVIII as WWE Champion but not headline the event because The Rock had a new movie to promote.

WWE’s unwillingness to allow one of its biggest stars to headline its biggest event leaves one to wonder why they do not trust him. One of the few logical explanations is that they do not believe he can draw as much money as part-timers like The Rock.

Therefore, I thought it would be interesting to analyze buyrates to determine how well Punk draws. In order to do so, I felt it best to analyze the period between the 2011 Survivor Series and 2013 Royal Rumble when Punk held the title for 434 days, as well as the year prior to Punk’s reign and the pay-per-views since Punk was removed from the title scene.

I organized the statistics into three groups (Pre-Punk, Punk, and Post-Punk) in order to determine the average buyrate for pay-per-views during each period, and also to look at any increases or decreases in buyrates between periods.

The top selling pay-per-views of the year are always WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and the Royal Rumble. In order to not skew the statistics in one period’s favor, I ensured that each group featured only one WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble event. Therefore, the 2013 Royal Rumble where Punk dropped the title to The Rock is included in the Post-Punk period as it was his final night with the championship.

Pre-Punk

There is no denying that John Cena is the WWE’s cash cow. He has multiple endorsements, a clothing line, and his merchandise sells like no other, meaning they will ride him until he’s no longer able to stand.

This era could certainly be described as the Cena era, as he held the championship for a good portion of the year and was featured in the main event during 10 of the 12 pay-per-views. Punk also had a brief run as champion during this period, but lost the title a little less than a month after beating Cena at Money in the Bank.

During this 12 pay-per-view period (2010 TLC through 2011 Vengeance), the WWE sold a total of 3,439,000 pay-per-views, amounting to an average of 286,583 purchases per event. Worth noting is that of the three highest selling non-“Big Three” (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, and SummerSlam) events, two of them (2011 Money in the Bank and 2011 Elimination Chamber) featured Punk in the main event.

Punk

The 2011 Survivor Series was the start of Punk’s now-historic 434-day reign as champion after he forced Alberto Del Rio to tap out to the Anaconda Vice. Throughout his run, he would enter into feuds with various superstars, including Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, and Dolph Ziggler, among others.

Although Punk was not always featured in the final match of the night during his run, he was always prominently featured on the card and played a major role in the overall storyline.

During this 14 pay-per-view period (2011 Survivor Series through 2012 TLC), the WWE sold a total of 4,275,000 pay-per-views, amounting to an average of 305,357 purchases per event. Not only does this mark a 6.5% increase in purchases per event, but seven of the 11 pay-per-views between 2011 TLC (the month after Punk won the title) and 2012 Hell in a Cell recorded a higher buyrate than the previous year’s event.

Post-Punk

Punk dropped the title to The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble, thus ending his 434-day reign as WWE Champion. As previously mentioned, I included the Royal Rumble in this period despite the fact that it was Punk’s last night with the title in order to ensure the statistics remained stable.

During this 12 pay-per-view period (2013 Royal Rumble through 2013 TLC), the WWE sold a total of 3,619,000 pay-per-views, amounting to an average of 300,833 purchases per event. Following Punk’s departure from the title scene, buyrates plummeted, with Battleground registering only 114,000 buys – the lowest buyrate in years.

Without the strong sales from the 2013 Royal Rumble, which featured Punk in the main event, this period would have only registered 267,363 purchases per pay-per-view. Throughout the year, over half of the events registered buyrates that were lower than the previous year’s edition.

Conclusion

Based on the statistics, it is certainly possible to conclude that the 434-day period when CM Punk was WWE Champion was the most successful of the three periods in terms of pay-per-view sales.

After Punk won the title at Survivor Series, the average buys per pay-per-view significantly increased and nearly all of the events had a higher buyrate than the previous year’s edition. Following his departure from the title scene, buyrates have dropped and nearly all of the events have performed more poorly than their 2012 counterparts.

It is no surprise that Vince McMahon has chosen to not publicly bury Punk just yet and continues to try to court him into returning. He is well aware of the fact that Punk is a fan favorite, a terrific in-ring performer, and most importantly, McMahon knows that he brings in a boatload of cash.

– WWE Superstar Fandango was interviewed by the UK’s Sky Sports this week to promote WrestleMania XXX. He went in and out of character during the interview, talking about his ballroom dancer character, his influences growing up and more. When asked about CM Punk’s situation, he replied:

“It’s a tricky situation, I don’t really know a lot about it, but we are looking forward to WrestleMania coming up in April. Anything can happen. We’re looking forward to April 6.”

– WrestleMania XXX host Hulk Hogan tweeted the following today, hyping his big announcement on RAW:

Excited about RAW in Memphis next week,as the host of WM30 i will slowly reintroduce WWE Universe to the superpowers of HULKAMANIA brotherHH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) March 5, 2014

Monday’s WWE RAW from Chicago came and went with no sign of CM Punk. Despite a report from Dave Meltzer and online speculation from several people in the industry, there were no plans at any point for Punk to be at the show. Since leaving WWE, Punk has had almost no contact with WWE officials. While it’s possible he could return down the road, the general feeling is that he’s done with pro wresting.

Paul Heyman’s promo on RAW was done to write Punk off television without burying him, in the event that he does eventually come around. Heyman blamed the WWE Universe for Punk leaving as a way to get the anger heat of Punk leaving onto him and Brock Lesnar heading into WrestleMania.

Moving forward, CM Punk is being removed from all WWE marketing and publicity material, as well as video packages that air on television and at live events.

Ring Rust Radio with MVP
Host: Donald Wood
Audio available at Blogtalkradio.com/ringrustradio

MVP on the Lethal Lockdown match: “There’s a lot of emotion for me, first of all, and you’ve got two teams of four men locked inside of a cage with weapons, it’s going to be chaotic it’s going to be brutal it’s going to be fierce, but at the end of the day, BobbyRoode has some stake on the line and I’ve got wrestling operations on the line. I think the best thing we can do for the TNA fans and the wrestlers is to send Dixie back to Dixieland and let a wrestler run wrestling operations.”

The deciding factor between TNA and WWE: “I had a couple conversations with Triple H, but at the end of the day that WWE schedule is 250 plus days a year. And after spending so many years in Japan where I’d be on for a month, then I’d be off for a month, and that wasn’t necessarily something I wanted to give up.”

MVP on the CM Punk situation: “Let’s look at it this way. I had a year left in my deal and I asked for a release. I was ready to go. So, would I support? Absolutely, because you have to remember it is a business. In the case of the WWE: great product and powerful company, and they gave me the opportunity to do all that I have done so far for which I will be forever grateful. They’ve almost got a monopoly. They can do pretty much whatever they want. As a fan on the outside looking in, all you know is ‘hey, that’s the guy I want to see every week’ and not the intricacies of what goes on behind the scenes.”

Being a veteran in TNA: “One of the things that attracted me to TNA and why I chose to go there was that they did want to do somewhat of a reset and wanted to bring in fresh faces create new younger stars. They’ve already, to some extent, established that with the wolves and Magnus and some other talent that are on their wish list and they have been talking to. With my experience, I try to give it where it’s asked for. With guys like ECIII and the Wolves and some of the guys that respect the fact that I’ve been around and I am a veteran in the business, I try to give it. I just want to be the best every time I go out and I want to work with the best and I want everyone around me to want to be the best. If somebody comes to me and asks advice or for a criticism, I have no issue giving it to them because at the end of the day, we all win and the fans win, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Working in Japan affecting his style: “I’ll let you in on a secret. Going to Japan made me better, but I kind of laugh when people say, ‘MVP was so much better in Japan; he’s so much better now’. I could do all of that stuff before. If you go back and look at that series I had with (Chris) Benoit, I could do that. When you go to work, you do what your bosses tell you to do. If your bosses tell you to do something a certain way, you do it. If you get to a point where you don’t want to do it anymore, you either: do what they tell you to do or leave, which was part of the reason why I decided to go to New Japan. I wanted to do all of those things you saw me doing, but I wasn’t allowed.”

Complete WWE RAW Results With Videos (3/3)

WWE #HijackRAW (3/3)

They’ll never be another person as great as Paul Heyman. Brilliant performance. YES!

Paul Heyman Opens RAW, Brock Lesnar Attacks Mark Henry
Raw kicked off with a bang, CM Punk’s music hit and, naturally the crowd went wild. I’m sure most older WWE fans know this drill all too well. WWE loves pushing buttons (now called trolling). I fully expected to hear CM Punk’s entrance music hit at some point during the broadcast, it was inevitable.  However after about 30 seconds, it became clear there was no CM Punk, it was Paul Heyman. Paul comes into the ring, goading the crowd to cant their heads off for the voice of the voiceless. Paul then sat Indian style in the center of the ring, and began to talk about CM Punk, and ultimately said that the fans were to blame for his absence. Paul tied it into CM Punk losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, and moved towards Brock Lesnar taking on The Deadman in New Orleans. Brock then comes out, followed by Mark Henry who eventually gets an awesome F5 into the announce table. I loved this segment, this was exactly how you capture lighting in a bottle. Paul Heyman was simply brilliant. If I have one criticism on this segment, I would have placed it towards the middle of the program. I think the crowd should have been given a bit of time to try to “HijackRaw” with their CM Punk chants, and then WWE would strike back with their response.  YES!

WWE Tag-Team Championships
The New Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Usos
With a crazy night came this tag team match. I was pretty surprised that The USO’s won the contest and became The WWE Tag Team Champions. For some reason I thought we would have to wait till WrestleMania XXX to see The USO’s win the tag team championship, there is still 4 weeks before WrestleMania so as they say anything can happen. I’m happy for The USO’s they deserve the championship. YES!

The Real Americans Hugging it out… For now.

Big E. vs. Cesaro & Big E. vs. Jack Swagger
I’ve been seeing Jack Swagger interrupt many Cesaro matches. Earlier in the night Swagger again caused the DQ by attacking Big E during the match. Later Big E pulls double duty taking on Swagger Cesaro returns the favor. Obviously these two are destined for a breakup, but when? And how does Big E’ Factor into this match. I wouldn’t mind seeing the three of them go at it in a triple Threat Match at WrestleMania, where we can see Cesaro finally turn on Jack Swagger. YES!

The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
What an incredible match these 6 young up and coming SuperStars had at The Elimination Chamber PPV, This match was great too, with Seth Rollins proving he is not the weakest link in The Shield. Flying across the ring! I like Rollins walking out of the match to further the breakup of The Shield. I think The Shield vs The Wyatts much like The Rock vs Triple H will go down in history as two matches that should have taken place on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania. Still an awesome showing and a great way to keep the momentum for Bray Wyatt who got the pinfall. YES!

Renee Young Interviews Batista
BOOtista turning full heel on Smackdown! this past Friday night, now on Raw calls the Daniel Bryan #YesMovement the the dumbest thing he’s ever seen in his life. I like heel BOOtista. Well maybe I don’t. I didn’t like WWE trying to keep Batista a face when the crowd would have none of it. There’s your real change! We actually turned him heel. There was no other choice anyway, I don’t want to get my hopes up for the SEVENTH month in a row, but this seems to be heading towards what most of us are hoping to see at WrestleMania XXX.

Santino Marella & Emma vs. Fandango & Summer Rae
I’m still not sold on Emma. It must be because of Santino. Or that music just doesn’t feel big enough. Again I get it she was very over in NXT, but that arena holds 500-800 people. (I’ve been to a NXT Taping at Full Sail) Sometimes things don’t play as well on the big stage. I hear that music, and I hear a pin drop. Then again, this might be another Fandango in the making the night after WrestleMania XXX. NO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78HUkVvnLXg

To much talk, Daniel Bryan should have kneed them both. NO!

Daniel Bryan, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon & Kane Promo
So here’s the problem I have with Triple H vs Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX. I don’t want to see it. I want to see Daniel Bryan vs Batista vs Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I don’t want to see Daniel Bryan face Triple H even for a chance to be in that match. Why? Because I’ve invested wasted seven long months waiting to see the payoff from a story that began at SummerSlam. I attended SummerSlam, Hell-In-A-Cell, Survivor Series, and The Royal Rumble. I don’t want to see Daniel Bryan beat up Triple H the character. Although I might not mind Brian Danielson decking Paul Levesque, for this frustrating half year plus. I’m just not into seeing this match, I’m turned off. 2-4 months ago, I would have been into the idea of this match, and invested in it. Now all I want is for him to win to get put in the championship match at the end of WrestleMania XXX. It’s a shame too, because Triple H vs Daniel Bryan should be a featured marquee match, on it’s own. I just don’t see myself enjoying the match as much as I would if I didn’t have this bad taste in my mouth from the last seven months.

I hate when people compare Daniel Bryan to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Daniel Bryan is mega over right now, but back in the Attitude era Austin, the whole business was over way more. These hijack shows though are starting to offer up more of that attitude era feel, I will say though. The thing is with Stone Cold Steve Austin, he gave his blood his sweat and tears to be WWE Champion. He stopped at nothing and got physical along the way. I was not a fan of Daniel Bryan just standing there, taking abuse from Triple H and Stephanie. I wanted him to beat the crap out of both of them. If I were Daniel Bryan, I’d offer up the stipulation that we all expect to eventually happen. If he can Beat Triple H at WrestleMania, he gets inserted into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match. But I still don’t want to see the match at WrestleMania, too turned off from the last few months. NO!

I’m enjoying this story more and more each week. YES!

John Cena Addresses The Wyatt Family
I liked what John Cena had to say to the crowd, the CM Punk chants were beginning to get on my nerves by this point. I’m enjoying Bray Wyatt and what he has to offer, he could be a top Hollywood horror actor. It wouldn’t surprise me if after Mania he stars in a film. YES!

   View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW 

– As previously reported, the source of the news that claimed CM Punk was “expected” to make his WWE return at Monday’s RAW in Chicago was Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer Radio Show. Meltzer noted during the show on Sunday that a “top WWE Superstar” said he “100 percent expected” Punk to return at the show. After he didn’t return last night, Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio Show broadcast that the same source told him “I was lied to” immediately after RAW went off the air.

– Speaking of last night’s RAW, according to one source, Paul Heyman went off-script during his promo to open the show. Heyman switched up some of the stuff that was originally planned for his speaking role, but didn’t really go too far overboard and hit the basic points that were expected from him.

The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On Paul Bearer’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction: “Wonderful to hear that my old pal Paul Bearer also known as Percy Pringle was announced in Chicago as going into this year’s class of the WWE Hall of Fame. Very deserving honor and another product of the territory system to be honored. The loyal, Alabama football and George Jones fan will be smiling down from Heaven when he’s honored in NOLA.”

On the passing of Billy Robinson: “Condolences to the family, friends and fans of the UK’s Billy Robinson who passed away this week at the age of 74. Mr. Robinson was well known as one of the legit tough guys in the business and was the foremost expert in “Catch Wrestling” in the world. His work that can be found on You Tube is simply amazing.”

On fans not hijacking RAW: “Enjoyed many aspects of RAW Monday night. No Punk. No hijacking. The WWE folks steered the course just as I had suggested here and at on my show in NYC Saturday night. Seems like many in the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) were pulling for a disruptive show and I’m pleased that did not occur.”

On Paul Heyman’s RAW promo: “Great promo to start the show by Paul Heyman. Heyman has no equal on the mic in today’s business. Who has more animalistic presence than Brock Lesnar? I’ve got your answer….nobody!”

On Daniel Bryan: “Liked that the villains kept the heat turned up on Daniel Bryan who was featured prominently on RAW. So prominently, in fact, that it might actually quiet some vocal fans who, based on some tweets I’ve received @JRsBBQ and some emails here, don’t know as much about building a story line as they would like to believe that they do.”

“I still believe that Daniel Bryan will walk away from WM30 as one of the primary stars of the event in the Super Dome. Don’t bet against DB stealing the show in the Big Easy.”

On CM Punk possibly returning to WWE: “As Steve Austin said on my podcast, the Ross Report, which drops later today and officially on Wednesday, I’d still not rule out CM Punk’s return to WWE in time for a WrestleMania match but my gut feeling is that ship is about to sail. Perhaps it already has.”

Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.

The following are highlights of a recent Busted Open Radio Show interview with MVP:

On if he expects CM Punk at RAW tonight: “You’re asking me my gut….I really have no feel. He has been very polarizing. Fans watch the product and then take their position as fans with no knowledge of what goes on from a business standpoint. At the end of the day, even though we are fans of the product, we are businessmen. Punk had to stand up for himself from a business standpoint. One thing about the WWE, no matter how bad you mess up you can always come back as we have seen. Punk has a contractual obligation he has to fill out at some point. I’m sure he will be back at some capacity to honor the remainder of his contract at the very least. But will he back tonight? I can’t say.”

On how much creative pull he has in TNA: “Before I decided to go over to TNA, we had a long talk about where they were going creatively in the future and what they were doing with new talent and how they are doing a reset. John Gaburick, who I worked with in WWE and Dave Lagana who I worked with in the WWE, we had a good relationship and even though I’m not some creative genius, but I love pro wrestling and I love the creative aspect of it and they have been very open to my suggestions. I have lots of creative input. As a matter of fact, I’m encouraged to be given creative suggestions. It’s been real cool in that regard.”

On if he’s under contract to TNA: “As of this moment, we are still working out the crossing of T’s and dotting I’s so to speak. We have come to terms, but there is some minor legalities that still needs to be worked out. But as far as me and TNA are concerned, we are good. I’ve always wanted TNA to succeed, even when I was with the WWE. I said I had friends over there that I wanted to do well. The most prosperous times were the times of the Monday Night Wars. There were something like 12 million people watching wrestling. There were also guys too that I wanted to work with. Samoa Joe, I’ve been wanting to work with him since we were in the indies together. I don’t think you want to lace up the boots if you don’t want to work with Kurt Angle. I finally got a chance to work with Bobby Roode and I’m sure that’s the first of many to come. It’s a roster loaded with talent, I just think in the past there were some decisions that were made that probably weren’t for the best, but hopefully those mistakes were recognized and now will be rectified.”

On his thoughts of Dixie Carter: “She understands her role and she understands what we are trying to create. In order to have a reset and have a breath of fresh air concept, there has to be major changes. That why at Lockdown, if I win, I assume control of wrestling operations and Dixie is banished to the front office. Yes, she will still be a part of the company. She is the owner of the company. We are not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by saying ‘Dixie is gone forever’. No, she will still be around and I’m sure she will still be on tv periodically. You’re still going to see her relating to the company, but now it will be just the stuff she does well and that’s business.”

Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.

Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho noted on Twitter today that he “absolutely” expects CM Punk to return at tonight’s RAW in Chicago. Jericho tweeted the following in response to a question from a fan:

Absolutely. “@youngRBLX: @realmickfoley @IAmJericho Do you think @CMPunk will return to raw tonight?”

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) March 3, 2014

Jericho also revealed that his guest on this week’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast will be Rob Van Dam. Jericho tweeted the following on that:

My guest on @TalkIsJericho this Wed is one of a kind Rob Van Dam! We talk his career in Japan,ECW,WWE & the legalization of pot @TheRealRVD

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) March 3, 2014

The following are highlights from the latest Jim Ross blog:

On his “Ringside” shows this past weekend: “My sincere thanks to all the great people who helped make RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross in NYC a success. We had great crowds at the Gramercy Theater and everyone seemed to have fun. This is a new project for me and one that I’m endeavoring to make better every time out.”

“I know that we will never be able to make everyone happy but I remain diligent to do the best shows that I possibly can.”

On tonight’s RAW: “Should be an interesting RAW tonight from Chicago as it relates to continuing to build WM30. I’m still of the belief that the full card and the ongoing creative for WM30 will remain fluid through the last RAW of the build to the biggest event of the year in WWE.”

“Obviously, many fans are speculating that CM Punk will be back on RAW Monday night from his hometown in Chicago. Whether Punk is back or not, if I’m WWE I’m embracing the opportunity to produce a three hour show in front of one of the most passionate and enthusiastic audiences in the world.”

“Just let things unfold as they will and roll with it, would be my suggestion. To over think how any crowd will or won’t respond is fruitless to my way of thinking. If WWE tries to lead the audience, I’m thinking that will be a mistake.”

On shooting footage for the Paul Heyman DVD and the WWE Network: “Spent approximately three hours doing the Paul Heyman DVD interview in Stamford on Thursday plus some other really cool, WWE Network interviews.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Chicago, Illinois. Ever since CM Punk’s departure from WWE last month, it’s been speculated that Chicago be the night he returns. There was some buzz over the weekend that Punk will be on the show – and we want to know what you think. Vote below:

[poll id=”27″]

WWE legend The Undertaker has reportedly been added to Monday’s WWE RAW, which emanates from All State Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

Also scheduled for Monday’s RAW is a main event featuring The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield, Brock Lesnar’s reaction to last week’s attack by The Undertaker, celebrity guest host Aaron Paul and more.

As previously reported, CM Punk has also been rumored to make his return on the show. That, however, is not confirmed at this point.

• More On CM Punk’s RAW Return, Sting/WWE Update & MORE!

– MLB star Josh Reddick posted the following tweet of himself with WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar at the recent NASCAR race:

Me and the beast incarnate himself. Pleasure meeting @BrockLesnar at @NASCAR pic.twitter.com/6HnrbDUqvL

— Josh Reddick (@joshreddick16) March 2, 2014

– A fan recently asked WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross on Twitter what he felt the chances are that CM Punk will appear at Monday’s RAW in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. JR responded with the following tweet:

“@EdBetzel: @JRsBBQ if you had to put a % behind it what would you say the odds we see @CMPunk tomorrow on Raw?” 55/45 he’ll be there.

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) March 2, 2014

• More On CM Punk’s RAW Return, Sting/WWE Update & MORE!

CM Punk is expected to return at Monday’s WWE RAW show in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Dave Meltzer reports that a “top WWE star” told him that Punk returning on Monday is “100 percent certain.”

While the news can’t be confirmed at this point, the reported plans for Punk if he were to return at RAW on Monday would see him back in his rumored role against Triple H leading into WrestleMania XXX, or possibly being added to the Randy Orton and Batista match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

• More On CM Punk’s RAW Return, Sting/WWE Update & MORE!(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Multiple TNA stars have been asked to take less money once their existing contracts expire. In some cases with wrestlers who have time remaining on their current deals, they have been approached about restructuring their contracts for less pay.

One performer in the company noted that when Bruce Prichard was the head of talent relations for TNA, he approached several wrestlers about restructuring their deals for less pay (roughly half in many cases) before their contracts expired.

Apparently the same thing is happening again right now.

“Before you know it, they’ll be charging wrestlers to perform,” said one veteran TNA wrestler.

• Major Changes To WMXXX Plans, New Eva Marie Photos + CM Punk At RAW?!(Credit: ProWrestling.net)