– The Rock tweeted some holiday cheer to his Royal Rumble opponent, CM Punk, over the weekend:

Hush little baby don't say a word..

It's just the beast.

Next @WWE Champion #TimesUpPunk pic.twitter.com/LARLznMo

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 23, 2012

He included a picture of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view poster, which you can view here.

– Jim Ross was asked on Twitter over over the weekend how many WrestleMania matches he believes the Undertaker has left in him. JR responded:

Not an abundance. Count them on one hand. “@CorderoEstrada: @JRsBBQ How many Wrestlemanias do you think Taker has left in him?#thestreak”

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) December 23, 2012

– Here’s the latest video from DDP TV, featuring a special reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas:

The Accountability Crib is full of Christmas cheer, and what better way to spread it than by a reading of the classic Christmas tale by two legends of the ring, and Louie, with a bit of a twist!

At Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown Supershow, Ryback told CM Punk that he wants his guaranteed WWE title match against Punk on the first RAW of 2013, which takes place on Monday, January 7th.

At the WWE RAW tapings that took place immediately after SmackDown airing next Monday night (Christmas Eve, 12/24), it was announced that the match will be a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match.

This will be the match that was originally scheduled to take place at this past weekend’s TLC pay-per-view before Punk underwent his recent knee surgery and will allow WWE to transition to CM Punk vs. The Rock the following week at the 20th Anniversary of RAW.

Tuesday night’s Super SmackDown special featured a few notable news items:

* Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara have been written off television after both men were attacked by The Shield. Rey Mysterio was attacked before the show went on the air and suffered a “serious neck injury,” while Sin Cara was attacked after his match by Cody Rhodes. Sin Cara has been working through an injury to his left knee and The Shield focused on Sin Cara’s knee during their attack on SmackDown.

* Ryback interrupted CM Punk’s promo on the show and said he wants his guaranteed WWE title match against Punk on the first RAW of 2013, which takes place on Monday, January 7th. There had been talk of the match taking place the following week, but WWE will wrap up the Punk vs. Ryback feud that night so Punk can transition to his feud with The Rock.

*SPOILERS* For NEXT WEEK’s WWE RAW: Taped Tuesday Night After SMACKDOWN

– WWE Champion CM Punk appeared on Chris Hardwick’s podcast at Nerdist.com and spoke about his recent knee surgery, saying he doesn’t want to ever undergo surgery again. He said his stitches are out and he’s now doing physical therapy to get himself back into ring shape. Punk also made fun of WWE fans that love to complain about the product but still watch the shows obsessively. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

If WWE Is Exploiting Jerry Lawler’s Heart Attack: “Lawler ran Memphis for years and years and years. If this was still Memphis, if we weren’t PG, I would have been claiming I killed Jerry Lawler with a heart punch. He would have been all over that and we would have built for some big CM Punk – Jerry Lawler cage match or something like that.

“People nowadays think that we exploited the heart attack. Yeah, of course we did, look [at] what we do.”

Where WWE Draws The Line: “That was a serious deal, I mean the guy did have a heart attack at ringside doing commentary right after I got done wrestling him… Everybody thought that was it, that was the last we were going to see of him. If it was a planned thing, I don’t think anything’s too silly. I think that if you don’t plan on going too far in a lot of ways in life, then you’re not going to go far.”

If Wrestlers Have To Constantly Turn Heel/Face To Stay Fresh: “You have to evolve, it’s just evolution of your character. I don’t think there’s been anybody who’s been on TV doing the same thing for a sustainable amount of years. I think the average career in WWE is like three years maybe? There’s a big turnaround.

“The guys who I think make it to the top and stay there are the ones who constantly evolve their character, and it’s not necessarily flipping from good to bad. There’s just changes, you know what I mean? The perfect example would be a guy like The Undertaker. He was like this total cartoon character when he started, he was essentially a zombie, that was the whole reason why I thought he was cool. He’s been here for over 20 years, he couldn’t have been that same guy that debuted in 1991 or whatever for 20 years. He evolved… You gotta evolve.”

Punk also discussed why he got into wrestling, his apartment, being a nerd growing up, his tattoos, his father being an alcoholic and much more.

– WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross praised Bill Goldberg on Twitter, saying that he’s still a fan and has much respect for the former WWE & WCW star. Goldberg responded to JR, tweeting:

@JRsBBQ I always liked you for some strange Okie reason!!..Happy Holidays!!

— Bill Goldberg (@Goldberg) December 18, 2012

Ross responded back, saying, wishing “Best to the Goldberg’s!”

– Mark Henry tweeted a video (view here) on Twitter with the caption, “Not ready but feeling like a beast.” In the video, Henry says he’s down in Tampa “working” (presumably at WWE’s developmental facility), which means it’s a good day for him – and a bad day for everyone else.

* Recent Picture Of MARK HENRY’s Amazing Weight Loss

WWE Champion CM Punk has been voted “Wrestler of the Year” for 2012 by the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.

It is his second consecutive year winning the award, which was instituted in 1972.

Here is the cover of 2012’s “Wrestler of the Year” issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated:

During a recent interview with Power Slam, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy was asked to give his thoughts on his polar opposite, WWE Champion CM Punk.

The two star wrestlers have been at odds in the past. Hardy was reportedly upset with Punk denouncing him on live television for his September 2009 arrest on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids, after a search of his North Carolina home yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. A little over a year later, a bizarre video surfaced on YouTube of a slurring Hardy bashing Punk’s drug-free lifestyle and proclaiming to have “made him.” These days, however, Hardy says he has no problem with the Straight Edge Superstar.

While on the subject of whether he was aware of Punk clocking a fan in the stands on the October 8 episode of Raw, Hardy responded, “I am working on some songs with this guy, and he sent me a text and asked me if I had seen it. I hadn’t seen it, so I don’t know what happened … But CM Punk is great, man: he’s so talented, it’s crazy. We’re just on different pages on our beliefs and our outlook on life.

“But, yeah, I’ve got to check that [footage of Punk striking the fan]: I heard it was pretty violent. This guy said, “He might be coming to TNA, LOL.” I don’t know about that. But CM Punk is crazy talented. We don’t stay in touch or have contact, but I have nothing bad to say about the guy … we’re just different.”

Following his recent “emergency” knee surgery, WWE Champion CM Punk is currently recovering and expected to be healthy to wrestle within a few weeks.

After the surgery took place, Punk was advertised for WWE’s post-Christmas holiday live events tour. Even though Punk was willing to return to action this month, WWE officials made the call to pull him from those year-end shows and will keep him on the sidelines through the New Year.

At this point, it looks like CM Punk’s next televised match will be against Ryback on RAW on January 7th or January 14th (the 20th Anniversary show).

CM Punk is still being advertised for tonight’s Tables, Ladders & Chairs match and is rumored to be joining the announcer’s table for the main event featuring Ryback & Team Hell No vs. The Shield.

* Planned Finish For Tonight’s RYBACK & HELL NO vs. THE SHIELD Match At TLC

– The Rock is going to have a very busy early 2013, with several movies to promote as well as many appearances for WWE and promotion his new “Hero” reality show that premieres on TNT in February.

The Rock is currently scheduled to appear at WWE RAW on January 7th, 21st and 28th, as well as the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber PPVs. The January 7th episode of RAW will be going up against the college football BCS Championship game, so WWE will be counting on The Rock’s appearance that to prevent the RAW rating from bottoming out again.

– With Ryback guaranteed a WWE Championship match against CM Punk in the coming weeks, there are conflicting reports as to when the match will take place. Originally, it was thought that CM Punk vs. Ryback would headline the 20th Anniversary of RAW episode of January 14th.

However, that leaves only 2 weeks to end CM Punk’s feud with Ryback and go full force with Punk vs. The Rock. There is now talk of CM Punk vs. Ryback taking place on the January 7th episode of RAW and immediately switching gears that night to Punk’s feud with The Rock.

* The Latest On RYBACK’s WrestleMania Opponent, Top WWE Superstar Talking About Retirement

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– Randy Orton reportedly injured his wrist at Sunday night’s Tribute To The Troops tapings, according to PWInsider.com. Orton wrestled a tag match with Sheamus against Big Show and Dolph Ziggler at the show.

Orton did not work Monday’s RAW as a result of the injury, but is still advertised for tonight’s SmackDown. We’ll post an update when it becomes available.

*SPOILERS*  WWE Tribute To The Troops Tapings Results

– With the planned CM Punk vs. Ryback match at TLC put on hold due to Punk’s knee surgery, WWE is now planning to present the match at the 20th Anniversary RAW special on January 14th from Houston, Texas.

– Tonight’s WWE television tapings take place from Bridgeport, Connecticut. The top match scheduled for WWE Main Event is Ryback vs. Alberto Del Rio.

No matches have been announced for this week’s Smackdown, but we’ll get the final hype for Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view and the Big Show vs. Sheamus World Heavyweight title feud.

The advertised dark match main events are a title match between Big Show vs. Sheamus as well as Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio. Considering the wrist injury Orton sustained on Sunday, it’s unknown whether this match will take place.

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

– WWE top star John Cena commented on his experience during WWE’s Tribute to the Troops weekend in Virginia:

Wonderful weekend at Naval Station Norfolk. Thanks to all involved. Steel horse headed to Newark for @WWE #Raw

— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 10, 2012

– Michael Cole is teasing “huge announcement” for his next show with JBL this weekend:

Also stay tuned to twitter all week. @JCLayfield and I have a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT concerning the jbl and cole show taping Sunday in Brooklyn!

— Michael Cole (@MichaelCole) December 10, 2012

– Former WWE susperstar MVP told one of his followers on Twitter that a match against The Rock was “on his bucket list.”

– The Rock was asked by a fan if there is “real-life heat” between him and his Royal Rumble opponent, CM Punk. Rock tweeted in response:

@CMPunk RT: @yogibthemc1: @TheRock Is there real life heat between you and punk?” Of course not my friend. I love Phillip & he loves me.

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 10, 2012

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

CM Punk vs. The Rock: “Already getting questions about what attraction will close the show at WWE Royal Rumble, @CMPunk vs. @TheRock or the Rumble match? I haven’t a clue nor do I care as either choice would be fine with me but if I had to guess I’d guess it would be the WWE Title bout. Again, don’t know and don’t care as I will be watching one of my favorite PPV events of the year.”

“My guess is that Punk will push Rock inside the ring from bell to bell unlike Rock has been pushed since, arguably, the @steveaustinBSR days. That’s not taking any thing away from @JohnCena who wrestles at a different pace that Austin did or Punk likes to. How does even an athlete as gifted as @TheRock prepare for what awaits inside the 20 foot ring? Cardio is great but nothing replicates wrestling long matches better than wrestling long matches.”

The Shield: “Who would have thought a month or so ago that three, young talents from NXT would be in a high profile. WWE PPV bout this coming Sunday? Not me but one of the primary reasons that I’m buying, yes I pay retail, the TLC PPV is to see how #TheShield performs. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns have found themselves in the right place at the right time. Many talents have waited an entire career for that to occur.”

NXT Star Kassius Ohno: “I’d be shocked if he’s not an key player on the WWE primary roster in 2013. The world traveler is a smart, strategic, focused athlete who seems to be fully invested in getting to the next level and staying there. “

– After undergoing immediate knee surgery Tuesday and being released from the hospital late in the evening, WWE Champion CM Punk was telling people close to him that he felt excellent. Punk contacted WWE officials and informed them he would be able to compete against Ryback at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs. Management, however, felt otherwise, stating it would be best if he did not compete at the pay-per-view event. They wanted him to bow out of the show and rest as to not jeopardize bigger, upcoming matches.

Punk will continue to appear on WWE programming while he heals.

– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be chatting with fans Sunday afternoon via Twitter.

“Inspiration, information & a good dirty joke. Been too long.. you & me LIVE! SUNDAY 1pm EST,” he announced Saturday.

(source: PWInsider.com)

– WWE Superstar David Otunga is visiting troops today in Virginia, visiting the USS Porter battleship and taking part in a dodgeball tournament with servicemen. Otunga got a trophy for being the MVP of the dodgeball tournament and posted a picture of himself holding the trophy at Twitter.com.

– Rob Van Dam is cautioning off an event-worn “Mr. Monday Night” singlet on eBay.com. The Buy It Now price is $1,000.

– Dr. James Andrews posted the following video on Tout about the knee surgery he performed on CM Punk earlier this week:

– The Undertaker reached out to WWE in the past week and told them that he wants to compete at WrestleMania 29. The Dead Man is currently training for his return and  reportedly pitched an opponent to WWE — it’s not Triple H or Ryback.

As we’ve been reporting, the current plan for the Undertaker at WrestleMania is for him to wrestle CM Punk in a “Respect vs. Streak” match.

– CM Punk will be appearing on WWE television in the coming weeks while he recovers from this week’s knee surgery. Punk is already able to walk around on his own power, but it’s expected that he’ll sell the injury by getting pushed around in a wheel chair, etc.

– WWE released the following video on Wednesday of superstars and divas wishing the WWE Universe a happy holiday season:

WWE Superstars and Divas express their holiday cheer by joining together for a group sing-along.

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

Following WWE Champion CM Punk’s knee surgery earlier this week, the unofficial timeframe for him to be healthy to return is approximately three weeks. We should have more information in the coming days.

Punk was dealing with a nagging knee injury for several weeks prior to surgery, with his knee locking up (due to meniscus damage) even when he was not pushing himself to the fullest. Punk did his best to work through the injury up until recently, when it became apparent he needed surgery.

Even after the knee surgery, there was a chance that Punk could have worked the TLC show, since there have been many professional athletes who have undergone the same procedure and gone back to work within a few weeks. However, WWE is being more cautious about this than they have in the past, especially since CM Punk is a top guy and they don’t want to risk further injury.

* WWE Diva LAYLA Is Now A BLONDE (Pictures)

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– A member of WWE’s creative team suggested this week that Brock Lesnar perform a run-in during CM Punk’s WWE Championship defense against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson next month at Royal Rumble. This would then lead to a match between Lesnar and Johnson at WrestleMania.

– General Motors and WWE salute the Achilles Freedom Team. See the following video message, featuring John Cena.

– Former WWE talent Shane Helms appears at The Wrestling Universe 34-29 Francis Lewis Blvd. Flushing, New York, on January 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Call 718-460-2777 for more information.

(source: F4WOnline.com)

Check out this chart from WWE.com of the past 25 years of WWE title reigns (click to enlarge):

– WWE.com has an article up looking at CM Punk passing John Cena’s 380-day WWE title reign, including an updated info-graphic showing CM Punk’s title reign compared to other champions of the past 25 years.

– Speaking of CM Punk, the WWE Champion was the #2 trending topic on Yahoo! on Tuesday night as a result of his knee surgery and the news that he won’t be wrestling at WWE’s TLC PPV next weekend.

– Injured WWE superstar Cody Rhodes tweeted a picture of himself with his dog Pharaoh. The usually-clean-shaven Rhodes is sporting a mustache in the image, which you can view below:

Check out this video from Survivor Series, which shows CM Punk grabbing his knee in pain after he and John Cena worked together to suplex Ryback through the announcers table. It’s unknown if Punk was dealing with a knee injury prior to this spot, but he was showing signs of a bad knee after this took place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LCRjZkgMnxU

John Cena has commented on CM Punk surpassing his longest WWE title reign and wishes Punk a full and speedy recovery from yesterday’s knee surgery. Cena tweeted on Wednesday morning:

Injured or healthy, today @CMPunk is the longest reigning @WWE champ in modern era, it would be hypocritical not to acknowledge + respect it

— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 5, 2012

Sometimes luck is as valuable as skill, but the record books will not say it was a 'lucky 381 and counting', it'll just say 381, + counting

— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 5, 2012

Cena also wished CM Punk a speedy recovery, saying that he’ll need to be 100% healthy for his upcoming match against The Rock:

I do wish @CMPunk a speedy full recovery. He will need EVERYTHING he has to even step into a ring with @TheRock. I know from experience.

— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 5, 2012

– The following are tweets from various people in the wrestling industry wishing CM Punk well after his knee surgery today:

https://twitter.com/storm_wrestling/status/276096809217179648

@CMPunk has many challenges awaiting him but toughness & perserverence aren't any of them. #healquickly

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) December 4, 2012

UH OH…. Let's hope ACE doesn't get Internal Prolapsed Hemorrhoids #SaveColtsFinger #SavePunksKnee #SaveAcesAss @CMPunk

— Colt Cabana? (@ColtCabana) December 4, 2012

Heard @CMPunk got hurt! Stay strong Champ. Take your time and get fixed. Don't rush it!

— Rowdy Roddy Piper (@R_Roddy_Piper) December 4, 2012

"@mattyms: RT: "…@CMPUNK is having knee surgery. SEND HIM A GET WELL CARD!"– I wish him a speedy recovery!!

— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) December 4, 2012

Best wishes to #BestInTheWorld @CMPunk on hi recent surgery! @wwe

— John Layfield (@JCLayfield) December 4, 2012

* Ryback & Undertaker’s Rumored WRESTLEMANIA 29 Opponents, The Latest On CENA vs. ROCK 2

– As noted earlier, Monday’s RAW had just 3.44 million million viewers. The show did a 2.55 overall rating, down from last week’s 2.72. This was the lowest number for RAW in nearly 15 years for a non-holiday show.

– Reader Dave Wilson posted the following video on Youtube of what happened after Monday’s WWE RAW went off the air. CM Punk gets carried out of the ring after getting beat down by Ryback at the end of the show:

* Backstage Reaction To CM PUNK’s Emergency Surgery & The Latest On RYBACK’s Rumored WrestleMania Opponent

WWE.com has provided another update on WWE Champion CM Punk undergoing emergency surgery earlier today.

Dr. Andrews successfully completed a scope of CM Punk’s left knee this afternoon and trimmed a cartilage tear in the knee. Dr. Chris Amann, a colleague of Dr. Andrews, issued this statement to WWE:

“CM Punk underwent knee surgery today to remove a piece of torn meniscus that had locked up his knee. The surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, went smoothly and CM Punk is expected to make a full recovery.”

WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper are among those to wish Punk a speedy recovery on Twitter.

Find Out If CM Punk Will Be Able To Wrestle At TLC Next Weekend

WWE broke the story today that WWE Champion CM Punk is undergoing “emergency” knee surgery today in Pensacola, FL. Immediately after last night’s RAW, Punk’s knee was examined Dr. James Andrews and the decision was made for him to undergo surgery today.

As for WWE’s upcoming Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, where Punk is scheduled to wrestle Ryback in the main event, Punk’s status for the show is questionable at best.

Dave Meltzer of f4wonline.com is reporting that Punk’s knee was worse than originally expected and he won’t be competing. A reliable source we spoke to on Tuesday says he thinks WWE will keep Punk off the show and let him fully recover for his match against The Rock at the Royal Rumble.  While it’s possible that Punk could work a gimmick match against Ryback just 12 days after surgery, expect to see changes to the TLC card.

WWE Champion is currently undergoing surgery on his knee in Pensacola, Florida, the official WWE website has announced.

WWE states that after Ryback drove Punk through a table on Raw, The Straight Edge Superstar took a late night flight to Florida for an emergency consultation with Dr. James Andrews. A review of his condition resulted in Punk undergoing immediate surgery today.

WWE will continue to report on Punk’s state as more details become available.

UPDATE: More On CM PUNK’s Knee Surgery & What It Means For His WWE Title Reign