– Footage of CM Punk has been removed from Randy Orton’s Titantron entrance video.
– As previously reported, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was backstage at the Staples Center on Monday afternoon before RAW. Austin was there visiting friends and interviewed Zeb Colter for his Steve Austin Show podcast.
Austin tweeted the following photo of himself backstage with UFC legend Stehpan Bonnar:
– During a commercial break of Monday’s WWE RAW, Shield member Seth Rollins grabbed a microphone and responded to fans chanting “CM Punk” by asking them, “CM Who?”
He continued, “That’s Dean Ambrose the United States champion. The man every guy wants to be and every woman wants to be with.”
The Shield did a similar routine over the weekend, running down CM Punk at live events.
– The dark match main event that took place after RAW went off the air saw John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Batista defeat the Wyatt Family by disqualification. The finish came when Bray Wyatt and Eric Rowan attacked Batista, who had given Luke Harper a spear and was about to give him a Batista Bomb.
Cena and Bryan then chased Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper out of the ring, leaving Rowan alone with the babyfaces. Cena hit him with the AA, Batista hit him with the spear, and Bryan hit him with a running knee to end the show.
Chris Hardwick, the host of the Comedy Central show “@Midnight”, recently commented on CM Punk being pulled from his scheduled appearance this week.
Hardwick stated:
“As of right now, he’s pulled out of the show for that date. Punk’s a really great dude and I know the decision wasn’t made lightly. He’s my friend so I support whatever he feels like he needs to do. Worry not! I’m sure we’ll get him rebooked soon.”
Additionally, Hardwick noted that Chris Jericho will be a guest on an upcoming edition of the show.
The following are highlights from a new Live Audio Wrestling interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley:
On CM Punk’s WWE departure: “The last time I touched base with him was after the Rumble and I don’t want to discuss what he said exactly. I’ll just say I wasn’t shocked when he decided to leave because he and I – there is a deep, mutual respect there and we like each other. I would say to him after I watched him at a house show and I would say “geez, you don’t have to work that hard every night” and he would say “if I didn’t I wouldn’t be here” and I respect the work ethic and I understand if you’re hurt and you’re not enjoying yourself that it’s not the place to be.”
“I would hate to see CM Punk turn into what I did where my philosophy became “good enough is going to have to be good enough” and it wasn’t that philosophy that helped me succeed, to get me into the WWE Hall of Fame and I kind of regret going through a few years where things had to be that way. I don’t think Punk wants anyone to see him at anything less than his best and I know he’d been frustrated for a while. He’s a pretty outspoken guy and in the end he’ll make the decision that’s best for him. What I said and I’ll repeat for you guys, if he can reconsider one thing it’s not to let whether or not he’s officially the main event dictate how good his match is. If he had a big match coming up at WrestleMania I would encourage him to at least think about taking advantage of that. In 2006, in no way, shape or form were Edge and I the main event of WrestleMania but we had a great match…I didn’t walk away from that WrestleMania thinking it was any less special because we weren’t the feature so that’s the only piece of advice I’d give him, not to let those words “main event” dictate how important the match is but if your heart’s not in it, it’s not in it.”
On not being in the WrestleMania 15 main event and comparisons to Punk and Daniel Bryan: “There’s a piece of video, I think it’s been lost now, on the WWE (website) where I actually was asked about the match after I had lost the title to The Rock in February where it was obvious I was out of the WrestleMania main event picture and I didn’t realize how much it meant to me, what a blow it was and I broke down, I just started crying for real, on the interview. I didn’t realize it until that moment that “man, my one chance is gone”. I’ll be honest Daniel Bryan is more over than I ever was.”
“You have to seize these moments in time, I had confidence that even if that wasn’t my moment I was going to be okay and I had the ability, my character blended with a lot of guys in the ring. But I think this is a special moment and the WWE risks losing it if they don’t capitalize on it. I’ll be watching as a fan, I still love the company and by and large I still love the product, but I will be watching eagerly and hoping for the best possible outcome. I did receive confirmation that I will be involved in three or four events during WrestleMania week so I will be there, I will be part of the company that week and I want what’s best for the company and in my opinion that involves Daniel being a big part of that show.”
– The What Culture website has a new article called “WWE: 5 Reason Why CM Punk Will Be Back,” which exactly as the title says, looks at five reasons that CM Punk will eventually return to his old stomping grounds. You can check out the article at WhatCulture.com.
– SESCOOPS.COM reader Jorge Romero recently tweeted me the following:
– After still being listed on the WWE.com power rankings last week despite the new rankings coming out after his departure from the company, the new rankings, which came out recently, do not include Punk this time around.
– The Men’s Health website is currently running an article where they take a look at women wrestlers who can “kick your ass.” The article lists Aksana, Cheerleader Melissa, The Bella Twins, Gail Kim, AJ Lee, Taryn Terrell, Thea Trinidad (Rosita) and Rosa Mendes. You can check the article out at MensHealth.com.
– Part-time WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently revealed some details on his second autobiography via his official Facebook account. The Rock wrote:
“Amazing (and jarring) to go back and ‘experience’ my life again from 2000 to 2014. Writing my 2nd memoir w/ Joe Layden (who also wrote “The Rock Says” in 2000). Life of peaks and valleys (and a shot of tequila). Look forward to sharing it with you. Holidays 2014.”
– The Shield once again cut a promo about the CM Punk situation at a WWE live event. The trio spoke about Punk not being at the show in San Diego on Saturday night.
In a related note, fans who attended the show were offered refunds if they bought tickets to see Punk.
– CM Punk is no longer listed as an ‘upcoming guest’ on the Comedy Central show @Midnight. Punk had been scheduled to appear on the February 12th episode.
– Former WWE & TNA Superstar Ken Shamrock is sending out feelers to Ring of Honor about working for the company. He tweeted:
@ringofhonor who do I talk to about wrestling for ring of honor
– WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee appeared at the Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con on Friday for a Q&A panel. Prior to her getting on stage, the host told the audience not to ask questions about a “certain someone” who may not be with WWE anymore.
– As we’ve been reporting MMA fighter Jason David Frank (formerly the ‘Green Power Ranger’) has been challenging CM Punk to an MMA fight. Both men will be appearing at the upcoming Louisville Comic Con event on March 28th.
– The Rock noted on Twitter than celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels will be appearing on his new TNT show Wake Up Call. He posted this photo of them together:
Last week, we published a letter sent to f4wonline.com by an anonymous top WWE Superstar bashing internet fans. The mystery man has sent in another letter to be posted, this time bashing CM Punk for walking out of WWE:
“Honestly, Punk is being a little bitch. I liked him so much before his run leading to and after that Money in the Bank in Chicago. He’s a guy where you have to be really in his circle for him to I guess open up, which I understand, but being put in a feud with Kane and then with HHH at Mania is not a bad thing. Now I understand he feels this is his last Mania and he wants to main event and really, with the right storyline, that match could main event, but literally after the Tribute to the Troops incident he’s just been difficult. There are so many there that want his spot, that want to say, ‘I need a weekend off to go to UFC.’ I really and fully believe he’s a little jealous of the crowd reactions to Bryan and it’s getting to him—He’s just been such a dick lately. That interview with Ariel, he acted like he was the victim at the Troops taping when Michelle was just joking. Little bitch AJ took it to the wrong level. Do you really think AJ would have a ‘pipe bomb’ interview time or longest Diva champ BS if she wasn’t dating Punk? Punk really doesn’t want to be the face of the company. That’s BS. I hate hearing that shit. He says he does but this isn’t ROH or OVW. He would bitch so much if he had to do Michael & Kelly at 9 a.m., then fly to a different state (for Raw), do a Make-A-Wish at 1 p.m. and then RAW, then do SmackDown, then do something Wednesday to fly home Thursday to be on the road Friday or Saturday. No way he could handle that for four months. He may come back as soon as Monday or he may never come back, but if never comes back he better remember how many fans he’s fucking over right now, the same way he believes the WWE is fucking him over. And I’m not defending Vince or HHH. Especially HHH, because people are seeing that HHH taking over isn’t as cool as they thought it would be. Outlaws, Nash, X-Pac, Flair, HBK, Batista—yeah must be nice to be HHH friends.”
Posted February 8th, 2014 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
– Earlier this week, a report at WrestlingINC.com stated that Colt Cabana told a fan in India that ‘CM Punk walking away from WWE is not a work. Punk has been pissed off for a while and he probably won’t be at WrestleMania.’
Cabana is calling BS on the report, tweeting:
Some dude in INDIA has been lying about me talking about Punk. I’m sorry yall but Internets been lying. I think he’s dead.
– Stephanie McMahon was interviewed by Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV during Royal Rumble weekend and commented on controversial footage airing on the WWE Network, such as the 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view (when Owen Hart passed away) and Chris Benoit matches.
The Over The Edge pay-per-view will in fact be available on the WWE Network, but all references to Owen Hart will be edited out. As for Chris Benoit matches being included on the Network, she said:
“They are incredible challenging decisions to make. At the end of the day, we try to do what’s right for our fans and we try to give them exactly what they want to see.”
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On his first podcast: “Gearing up to have Steve Austin as my first Ross Report @PodcastOne guest that will drop to the world on Wednesday February 19. We plan on hitting the ground running! Slobber Knocker time and best of all the Ross Report will be FREE at PodcastOne.com and on ITunes. Looking at a variety of ways to make the shows fan friendly and interactive.”
On Edge and Beth Phoenix having a baby: “Congrats to friends Adam Copeland and his lady Beth on the birth of their baby daughter. I knew of this info a couple of weeks ago but sat on it until the proud Mom and Dad were ready to announce it. Everyone is healthy and happy as another happy citizen resides in Asheville, North Carolina.”
On WrestleMania XXX: “The speculation of what will or won’t be booked at WM30 is running rampant. I’m pleased that I have no dog in the fight and am more than willing to see how the card shakes out beyond the Elimination Chamber. I have a feeling that the final WM30 might not resemble what many folks think that it will be. I have actually been enjoying following WWE more now than I’m simply a fan who refuses to read spoilers or most other ‘leaks’ from the inside.”
On CM Punk: “I’ve heard nothing new on the CM Punk front. I’ve not reached to one of my all time favorite wrestles out in respect for his privacy. Let’s not over analyze this matter too. Punk’s burned out, he’s worn out and he’s not likely to return any time soon. However, I’d be remiss to speculate that he’s ‘done’ with the business for good.”
“So…it’s going to be interesting to see who steps up and wants to earn Punk’s ‘spot.'”
“Who’s got the courage and confidence to demand that prime, TV time and spotlight? This matter has much more to do with individual talent’s attitude than one might think. The WWE can’t simply wave a magic wand and create a star.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
– While Brock Lesnar is not currently advertised for the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 23rd, there is a lot of speculation behind the scenes that Lesnar will be there in some capacity.
The event takes place from Lesnar’s home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. With Lesnar declaring himself the #1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight championship, the rumor is that he will somehow take out one of the Chamber participants.
– CM Punk is not part of WWE’s advertisements for the upcoming RAW from Chicago on March 3rd. Brock Lesnar and Batista are among the wrestlers who will be appearing.
Here’s the promotional video for the March 3rd RAW from Chicago:
The following are highlights of a recent VOC Nation interview with Matt Striker:
On what it took to stay relevant in the WWE for 8 years: “The first thing is to check your ego. Some guys honestly believe that they either really won that match or that they really are the champion. Everyone has a blog now, everyone has a radio show or podcast now; people need to put their ego in check and realize that they’re not that important. The business has gone on before them and it will go on after them. (While everyone was focused on being) the next John Cena, I focused on being the best backstage guy and the best promo guy, and seeing how many hats I could wear.”
On the CM Punk situation: “I’ve known Punk since I started; he and I are good friends outside of wrestling. There’s no sense in trying to dive into someone’s head…you’re going to be wrong nine times out of ten anyway. Everyone has an opinion, but the only thing anyone knows (for sure) is what they read on the Internet, and none of the Internet pundits are walking around backstage; it’s all second and third hand information. The only person that knows for sure is (CM Punk).”
On WrestleMania being headlined by part-timers: “The whole view of the WWE is, ‘what is the stock doing today?’ That’s all anyone cares about. The Rock headlining Wrestlemania the last two years was a business decision and was about putting the most amount of money possible in people’s pockets. (Batista being involved) is (best for business). He’s going to be featured in a Marvel movie that’s going to be released right around Wrestlemania. He’s going to put new eyes on the product, which gets them to buy the product and buy the network, and the stock goes up and people make money.”
On the WWE Network: “I think that the medium that the network is based on is interesting and unproven. Now there’s so much technology that you can watch your computer on your TV. WWE (has the chance) to catch lightning in a bottle. When MTV put on the Real World, everyone said it was a mistake, and now you can’t find a music video on MTV. I think WWE is going to do just fine. The original programming will carry the new viewer, and the classic stuff will carry the people who love wrestling.”
Check out the complete Matt Striker interview at VOCNation.com.
UFC President Dana White spoke to FOX Sports 1 this week and commented on the rumors of CM Punk transitioning from WWE to the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Around the 5:30 mark, White is asked if CM Punk has asked him about joining the UFC. He says he and Punk have spent “plenty of time together” over the past couple months and the two were together “all night” at last weekend’s UFC 169 live event from Punk’s home town of Chicago.
Never once has Punk said to him that he wants to fight. The interviewer said, “oh, come on” and Dana White said, “I swear” – joking that he’s got the biggest mouth in the business and would have no problem telling her if he knew anything about Punk wanting to fight MMA.
Posted February 6th, 2014 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On the current CM Punk situation: “I know no more than any other fan. I know that I do not condone anyone walking away from their job or commitment no matter the situation unless one is completely physically and/or mentally unable to perform. Perhaps that’s the case in Punk’s situation but I don’t know. My guess is there’s nothing regarding this problem that can’t be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction including the most important people of them all in this equation and that’s the fans. Punk worked his entire, adult life building his body of work and embracing a loyal, fan base and those fans deserve to be a part of this particular chapter ending with the approiate closure.”
“I remain steadfast that at the end of the day the amazingly talented Punk and the WWE belong together.”
“Just as Steve Austin said on a recent podcast @PodcastOne, don’t leave money laying on the table no matter how much cash one has saved.”
“Like most things in our lives, it’s all about communication.”
On fans “hijacking” recent WWE events: “Fans pay their money to come to WWE events and have fun. Yelling, chanting, etc is a part of that process. I still remain firm in my opinion that the loudest chants are reserved for televised evens where the participants feel that they can make a bigger impact and garner more attention. “Hijacking” isn’t so commonplace it seems at non televised, live events. Organic, meaningful chants are not problematic but random, attention seeking chants started by a vocal, defiant minority doesn’t work for me. Just my two cents.”
On “The Big Cat” Ernie Ladd: “Really loved the Ernie Ladd video that aired this week on WWE programming. The Big Cat taught me so much about the fundamentals of the wrestling business while we were both working for Bill Watts in Mid South. Especially over those all night domino games in my hotel room after our TV meetings every other Tuesday night in Shreveport. Ernie taught me about psychology, in and out of the ring, how to better communicate with athletes, especially black athletes of that era, and life in general.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Regarding WWE’s top merchandise movers, John Cena is still far and away the number one guy in terms of overall sales. Interestingly enough, CM Punk is said to be a clear-cut number two when it comes to merchandise sales, and is number one when it comes to sales on the WWE Shop website. Daniel Bryan is reportedly the number four guy in terms of merchandise.
Two names that aren’t active on a regular basis — one of which is completely inactive — that are pretty high up on the WWE merchandise sales list are Sin Cara and The Ultimate Warrior. Both of their merchandise is reportedly selling well recently, both at live events and online.
– The latest episode of the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed is now online, with Steve Austin taking calls from WWE fans about the Royal Rumble, Daniel Bryan’s booking and the departure of CM Punk. Listen now at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE has added “The History of WWE” & “Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come” DVDs to Netflix for streaming.
– Radio host Sam Roberts has published the following video talking about CM Punk leaving WWE:
It appears as though CM Punk’s scheduled appearance on the Comedy Central show “@Midnight” has been cancelled.
A fan named John Carr tweeted Chris Hardwick and asked, “The question everyone wants answered: Is CM Punk still going to appear on @midnight next week?” Hardwick simply replied:
The “@Midnight” appearance was to be Punk’s first time appearing on television since his WWE departure, and would have likely been the first time Punk would be asked to address the situation publicly. As of right now, Punk’s only comments of any kind since leaving WWE came in the form of the tweet he posted the day the news broke. That tweet read, “Thanks for all the support. Keep being you guys, it’s pretty cool.”
As of right now, Punk’s appearance on the show has not officially been cancelled, and if it has, there is no word yet on if it will be rescheduled for a later date.
The following are highlights from a new Newsday.com interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On the current WWE locker room compared to the Attitude Era: “This whole locker room has a different feel to it, and a different — they’re not as edgy as the Attitude Era locker room. They’re not as competitive. I don’t know that they’re as hungry. But now, CM Punk is different. [Compared with] today’s corporate wrestler, CM Punk is a little bit of a rogue. And I don’t mean that in a negative way.”
On CM Punk: “Over the last two of three years, he’s been my favorite WWE performer to watch in the ring, without question. He would’ve been a huge star in the Attitude Era, without question. Here’s the deal: He’s a very cerebral guy, who has an old-school spirit, that really cares about every aspect of the business. I think that he needed time off, ample time off, to recharge his batteries. I think he has, for lack of a better term, a major case of burnout. And I think the problem should have been recognized and addressed much earlier than letting it get to a head and him being so frustrated and such a sense of hopelessness that he decided to go home. Walking away from a problem is never a solution. Never. Solve the problem.”
Check out the complete interview online at Newsday.com.
Between The Ropes interview with Jim Cornette
Host: Brian Fritz
Interview available at Betweentheropes.com
On his place in wrestling history: “I would eventually like to be remembered as the second best manager ever in wrestling next to Bobby Heenan. If I could get that, I’d be happy.”
On having any regrets or being too outspoken: “I’ve been cranky with people in the past. I get cranky because I always place more importance on the quality of what I was doing because I was a fan and all performers are insecure I guess. I was always a wrestling fan. If I was allowed in this business, I wanted to get it right. I wanted to be noted for being a great whatever I was doing at the time and that was more valuable to me than money. It was never a job to me. So, I’ve probably short-changed myself but at the same time I would not have had as many of the wonderful experiences that I have had if I hadn’t pissed some of the people off I’ve pissed off.”
On why there is still typecasting in wrestling when it comes to size of wrestlers and that hasn’t changed considering all of the changes in wrestling over the years: “I don’t ****ing know what the people looking for talent are looking for these days. It’s almost to the point where I hate doing a wrestling school seminar because if I tell a guy ‘you’re great, I’d hire you in a second’ that’s the kiss of death. I look for drive and passion for the business and aptitude, a certain amount of look but a certain amount of potential also for a look that you might have. And a guy who is a natural performer in the ring. I don’t know. As I always say for the type of people who like that type of thing, that’s the type of thing those people like.”
On CM Punk leaving the WWE: “I can totally identify with CM Punk. His body is beaten up, he’s been on the road for ten years, he doesn’t live big and I’m sure he’s got more money than the federal government and he doesn’t like what they’re doing with him and he’s just tired of the whole thing and he wants to go rest. And he said at a comic convention one of these days he’s going to go buy a cabin in the middle of nowhere and we’re never going to see him again. You know, I wish I could have been like that. I said I’ve made six-figure incomes most of the last 30 years but I never made a million dollars. And guys these days can make a million dollars. If I had made a million dollars in one year, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’d be in the castle but no one would ever see me again. All in all, ****, Punk, good for you! Go home and don’t come back until you want to. I love that. That is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.”
The following are highlights from a new Jim Ross Q&A update:
On why fans should take Randy Orton as champion seriously after losing multiple “non-title” matches: “It’s an old school philosophy. The champion losing non title bouts gives the impression that the title holder is vulnerable and ripe for the pickings.”
On his thoughts of a potential Daniel Bryan vs. Kurt Angle match: “If both were healthy and the match was creatively presented as it should, there is no doubt that those two wouldn’t have a great performance.”
On his thoughts on how WWE should handle the upcoming event in Chicago without CM Punk: “The show must go on and hopefully it will have enough good content to help some fans move on so as to not to negatively disrupt the broadcast to an unwatchable degree.”
On his thoughts of all the recent hatred from the fans towards Batista: “I’d guess it was merely the fall out of the Daniel Bryan situation and not directed directly at Batista.”
It has been reported on multiple occasions that actor Jason David Frank, who is most known for his role in the Power Rangers, has challenged CM Punk to a MMA fight several times.
After catching wind that Punk walked out on WWE, and that he has expressed interest in potentially fighting a MMA bout, Frank is at it again. The former Power Ranger recently posted the following message on his official Instagram account:
“So now that CM punk is out of his contracts and wants to do MMA. Why not me? He already said he fight me. I got this on video from a fan. Come on CM punk we could make this a awesome fight. Plus his weight is way down. This is a recent pic. I’ll make any weight to make this happen!! JDF @wizardworld”
You can follow Jason David Frank at Instagram.com/jdfffn.