The following are highlights of the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On NXT Takeover: R Evolution: “Enjoyed Thursday night’s NXT two hour special a great deal. The two hour show buzzed by quicker than a hiccup in one of the best produced wrestling shows I’ve seen in a long while. The show had a great start with the debut of Kevin Owens and ended with a startling and shocking close with Owens turning on his long time friend from Quebec Sami Zayn moments after new NXT Champion Zayn won the title from Adrian Neville in a helluva wrestling match.
There was nothing on the show that I did not enjoy for what role they each talent filled on the broadcast. There was a purpose in every segment and the talents worked smart and hard to maximize their valuable minutes.”
On Kevin Owens: “Owens is a keeper and has a uniquely, physical style that I like. Finn Balor had as memorable an entrance as I can recall in years. Neville vs Zayn could well challenge any thing we see at TLC….I hope the main roster was watching. Competition is knocking on their door. Charlotte vs. Sasha was crisp and well executed. Charlotte is getting so good that it could be scary in time. Sasha has a natural ‘attitude’ which is marketable. Great stuff from start to finish of this show.”
On Corey Graves: “I especially thought the announcers were excellently prepared and did a superb job all night. Nice to see Corey Graves get an opportunity to contribute as a broadcaster considering that concussion issues have curtailed his wrestling career. Cory got off to a great start and complimented his partners well. I admit that I’m often times too critical of pro wrestling announcing but Thursday night was a pleasure with which to listen.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
With injuries forcing him to retire from in-ring competition, Corey Graves received the surprise of a lifetime from Triple H at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution.
NXT Takeover: R Evolution Results Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida December 11, 2014
– Corey Graves announced that his in-ring career was over and that he was retiring due to concussions. However, it was revealed that he is joining the NXT announcing team. He makes his debut tonight.
– Kevin Owens def. C.J. Parker in the opening match on the show. The fans were heavily into Owens throughout the match. Owens ended up getting busted open pretty badly near the end of the match, likely from a palm strike from Parker. It looked like he may have suffered a broken nose. In the end, Owens picked up the win with a big power bomb for the 1-2-3.
– The Lucha Dragons def. The Vaudevillains to retain the NXT Tag-Team Championships. This was a fun match with a lot of high-spots and high-flying offense. The finish saw Kalisto hit the Salida del Sol on Simon Gotch for the 1-2-3.
– Baron Corbin def. Tye Dillinger in a quick squash. The fans did the routine where they count from the opening bell. The count died down when it got past 30, although the match didn’t last much longer than that. Corbin hit Dillinger with the End Of Days for the pinfall victory. After the match, he and Bull Dempsey, who was in the front row, had a long staredown.
– Finn Balor & Hideo Itami def. The Ascension in an awesome tag-team match. Balor’s entrance alone garnered “this is awesome” and “marking out” chants from the fans at Full Sail University. He had the head gear and the full-body paint, etc. The finish in this one saw Balor and Itami both hit a double-foot-stomp off the top, with Balor scoring the pinfall.
– Charlotte def. Sasha Banks to retain the NXT Women’s Championship. This was an excellent NXT Women’s match that had a lot of positive chants from the fans, such as “this is wrestling!” In the end, Charlotte hit the Natural Selection for the pinfall victory to retain the title.
– Sami Zayn def. Adrian Neville to become the new NXT Champion in the main event of the evening. This match tore down the house, exactly as you would expect. Zayn hit his big running boot to the face in the corner for the pinfall victory after a bunch of teases with ref bumps, which at one point actually led to the fans chanting “this ref sucks.” Lots of cool spots throughout this one and lots of intensity from the fans in attendance. After the match, the entire NXT roster, including Pat Patterson, came out to congratulate Zayn. They put him up on their shoulders and it was a big, giant celebration.
As Zayn was at ringside taking in the moment, Kevin Owens came out to congratulate his friend once again. He then viciously attacked him, reigniting their classic rivalry. Owens power bombed the new NXT champion onto the ring apron and the show closed with Zayn selling the attack.
Overall, an excellent show that showcased NXT’s unbelievably talented top stars.
Corey Graves is set to make a “major announcement” regarding his future on the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special this Thursday.
Graves has suffered from multiple concussions in the past and has not been allowed to train for quite a while, although he has remained with the promotion in a backstage capacity.
Make sure to visit the website this Thursday night for complete NXT Takeover: R Evolution coverage.
WWE has announced an official WrestleMania 31 On-Sale Party for Friday, November 14th from 6pm until 9pm at the Intel Plaza inside Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the host of next year’s show. Tickets for WrestleMania 31 go on sale to the public the next morning.
Superstars scheduled to appear at the party include Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett, Charlotte, Tyler Breeze, Rosa Mendes, Booker T, Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart. The event is scheduled to be hosted by NXT’s Corey Graves and Fan Axxess emcee Christian Litke.
Additionally, a DJ will be playing throughout the night and fans in attendance will have their first opportunity to get official WrestleMania 31 merchandise.
Jim Varsallone of The Miami Herald has added several new videos from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida to his official YouTube channel. Below are a few of them.
Trainer/Producer Sara Amato at WWE Performance Center 2014
“Sara Amato is breaking ground in sports entertainment as the first female trainer in WWE. A world-renowned wrestler who traveled the globe for more than a decade as Sara Del Rey, Amato trains the women at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. She is molding and shaping them into NXT’s Divas with the ultimate goal for them to become successful WWE Divas. Hard working, professional, talented, tough and beautiful, Amato could have focused on being the next WWE Diva but opted to train aspiring WWE Divas.”
Charlotte, Sara Amato, NXT Divas at WWE Performance Center 2014
“NXT Divas champ Charlotte works out with other developmental talent at the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando. They are the future of WWE’s Divas Division, being trained by Sara Amato (former wrestler Sara Del Rey), the first female trainer in WWE. She is preparing the lovely and talented ensemble for sports entertainment via NXT shows that are featured on WWE Network.”
Nick Dinsmore, NXT Superstars at WWE Performance Center 2014
“WWE developmental talent work on their in-ring entrance at the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Nick Dinsmore (former WWE superstar Eugene) is one of the trainers as part of a Dream Team of coaches, trainers, producers and staff at the center. He helps establish and transition today’s NXT superstars into the company’s sports entertainment genre via NXT shows on WWE Network from Full Sail Live at Full Sail University in Winter Park, near Orlando.”
NXT Corey Graves at WWE Performance Center 2014
“NXT superstar Corey Graves is a solid talent on the roster. Don’t let this long-time wrestling fan go under the rader. He’s worked well against members of The Shield, Bray Wyatt & The Wyatt Family and Adrian Neville. A former NXT tag team champion, Graves has an edgy look, complete with plenty of tattoos. Willing to learn all facets of the business, he is an alum of the Funkin Conservatory under the guidance of WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. in (Central Florida) Ocala.”
As noted in our recent NXT injury report, NXT star Corey Graves is currently on the sidelines after suffering his second concussion.
According to some backstage talk going around in WWE, Graves is pretty much done as an in-ring performer and WWE executives are working on figuring out another role in the company for him.
In addition to the many injuries plaguing the main WWE roster in recent weeks, the developmental talent in NXT are starting to fall victim to the injury bug as well.
NXT wrestler Marcus Louis is currently out of action with a leg injury, while Cal Bishop is also on the sidelines — possibly up to seven-or-eight months — due to a torn rotator cuff.
Outside of those two talents, the following is a look at some of the guys in NXT that are currently dealing with various injuries:
– Tyler Breeze (broken finger)
– Corey Graves (second concussion)
– Kendall Skye (broken wrist)
– Dana Brooke (leg injury)
– Veronica Lane (leg injury)
– Marcus Louis (leg injury)
– Cal Bishop (torn rotator cuff)
– The former Sterling James Keenan, WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves, teased an appearance in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match since it will emanate from his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsyvlvania.
– Luis Ignascio Urive Alvirde, who originally portrayed Sin Cara, turns 31-years-old on Sunday. Also celebrating a birthday today is former WWE performer Drew Hankinson (formerly known as Festus and Luke Gallows), who turns 30.
– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has been announced to appear at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo taking place April 25-27, 2014 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
– WWE has signed a business deal with Flair to distribute The Bridge Direct’s WWE construction sets in the UK and Ireland.
Casey Collins, Executive Vice president of Consumer Products for WWE, said, “We are proud to be working with The Bridge Direct and GP Flair to launch this new chapter for WWE merchandising. We have had tremendous success by teaming with The Bridge in the US and have the perfect distribution channel with Flair to reach millions of WWE fans in the UK and Ireland.”
WWE NXT wrestlers Enzo Amore, Judas Devlin and Scott Dawson are currently sidelined with major injuries, PWInsider.com reports. Details on their respective injuries, as well as an update on Corey Graves, are as follows:
– Enzo Amore has been sidelined with a broken leg and will be out for approximately six months. For those unfamiliar with Amore, his WWE.com bio states:
“Dubbing himself “Jersey’s finest,” Enzo Amore reps the Garden State “like 225 on a barbell, 10 pounds of hair gel, steadily working on his swell.” The realest guy in the room everywhere he goes, Enzo Amore is a straight shooter. He speaks his mind at all times, and at an incredible rate.”
In recent months, Amore has been appearing as the eccentric mouthpiece and tag team partner of Colin Cassady.
– There has been fan speculation on the whereabouts of Judas Devlin, who has not appeared on WWE NXT since March. He remains under contract to the sports-entertainment organization, but is currently sidelined with a spinal injury. According to his WWE.com bio:
“[Devlin] is one of the more deranged, oddly intellectual NXT Superstars. Standing at 6’5” and covered in colorful tattoos, this modern day Aristocrat uses his intellect to confuse and break down his opponents mentally before ever stepping foot in the ring.”
– Scott Dawson, who recently disappeared from WWE NXT programming, is currently sidelined with a torn ACL. His bio reads:
“Scott Dawson has been a survivor his entire life. Forced to grow up fast, Dawson overcame adversity and became the “man of the house” at an early age. Dawson cut his fighting teeth through bouncing in local clubs — developing his take-no-guff attitude and strong jaw. Now, Dawson is looking to take on some new challengers — in the squared-circle of NXT.”
– The former Sterling James Keenan, Corey Graves, has returned to action after suffering a concussion last month.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com.
As always, you can buy JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com.
Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Dolph Ziggler’s Concussion:
WWE World Champion Dolph Ziggler has a serious concussion which may be a redundant statement because what concussion isn’t serious? There’s no timeline as to Ziggler’s return as WWE will be particularly cautious in dealing with any injury but especially a head injury.
WWE’s New Performance Center:
The new, WWE Performance Center will always have a full time trainer on hand, ready access to medical personnel and a full time Strength and Conditioning coach who will help the athletes get stronger and more fit as that will help prevent some injuries. New talents coming to WWE go through a through, extensive process including through medical evaluation before they are allowed to report to work.
@WWEBrayWyatt and @WWEGraves will be on the next WWE, live event tout this weekend as the NXT representatives get the opportunity to gain more experience with the main roster. Both men are keepers and Wyatt especially has some special traits that one cannot teach. He’s a near 300 pounder who has the valued and rare, second gear and has a natural gift of gab much like his grandfather, the legendary Blackjack Mulligan, WWE HOFer.
@JakeSnakeDDT is earning remarkable success in his battle to gain sobriety and change his life. It will be a daily battle until the day that he dies that I pray he will endure and succeed and the same for @ScottHallNWO. Even though I truly believe that both men can add value to ANY creative process and have the skills to help many young talents, the focus of them regaining their health has to remain their top priority which it seems to be.
– NXT stars Corey Graves and Conor O’Brian were backstage at last night’s RAW from Nashville, according to f4wonline.com. Both men worked this past weekend’s WWE live events and are expected to be called up to the main roster soon.
– Rey Mysterio, who has been pulled from Sunday’s Elimination Chamber PPV to sell the effects of Mark Henry’s attack last week, tweeted the following during RAW:
Missed being @ Raw tonight! WSM Did sum damage on me last week, but been through much worse and have come back! 619 luv
– Here’s the latest edition of WWE’s Backstage Fallout:
In the Raw edition of “Backstage Fallout,” Chris Jericho tells the WWE Universe why he’s going to have an epic night in the Chamber. Plus, what does Jack Swagger have to say to his critics?
– Big Show did not appear at Sunday night’s SmackDown live event from Louisville, Kentucky. Wade Barrett filled in for him, losing to Alberto Del Rio in the champion vs. champion match.
– With Rey Mysterio still out of action, Sin Cara continues to team with the Great Khali at SmackDown live events.
– NXT star Conor O’Brian wrestled at last night’s live event in Louisville, losing to Brodus Clay.
– Speaking of NXT stars working WWE live events, NXT’s Corey Graves wrestled at all 3 of this weekend’s RAW live events from Missouri (Poplar Bluff, Springfield & Cape Girardeau). WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts tweeted that he was impressed by Graves’ work over the weekend.
Graves tweeted this picture on Sunday of himself on the way to the ring with the hashtags #FilthParade & #StayDown:
– NXT Corey Graves is close to getting called up to the main roster. Graves’ gimmick is that he’s a cocky outcast who is a product of the underground music scene. He wrestled at this weekend’s WWE live events and was backstage at RAW.
– The “fans” who CM Punk spoke to at ringside during his promo on RAW were independent wrestlers “Adorable” Anthony Andrews and “Marvelous” Michael Stevens. They are local wrestlers work for RPW, AWN, and the Anarchy promotion.
– Now that the WWE vs. TNA lawsuit has been settled, a former TNA talent rumored to be headed to WWE is Amazing Red. The former X-Division Champion got a WWE tryout prior to WWE’s No Way Out 2012 pay-per-view, but the pending lawsuit kept WWE from signing him. The tryout reportedly went very well and Red has a few friends in WWE, including Matt Striker. He was recently pulled from TNA’s “One Night Only: X-Travaganza” PPV taping, which has added some momentum to this story.
– WWE will be taping Main Event and Smackdown tomorrow night from Jacksonville, Florida.
– NXT star Corey Graves worked this weekend’s WWE live events, losing to Brodus Clay. Graves be at tonight’s RAW from Atlanta, Georgia.
– WWE ran an angle over the weekend where Alex Riley lost to Tensai three times in the same segment, once by a dance contest and twice by pinfall. Riley tweeted the following about his
– The dark main event after Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from North Charleston saw Sheamus defeat Big Show by disqualification.
– There were reports on several other sites that independent wrestler Don “D.C.” Drake had passed away. These reports are incorrect and Drake is alive.
– NXT Champion and The Shield member Seth Rollins tweeted this on Wednesday:
Headed back to Tampa with the wrongs firmly on the right track. #WWETLC is just the beginning. We're takin' over this town. #CFH
– TMZ.com is reporting on the photos that surfaced online of John Cena attending former WWE Diva Nikki Bella’s ten-year high-school reunion in Scottsdale, Arizona last week. TMZ notes that Cena was “getting up close and personal” with Nikki on the dance floor. Regarding their relationship status, the website states, “It’s unclear if Cena and Bella are “officially” an item … but they definitely weren’t shy with the PDA at the reunion.”
Nikki’s sister Brie also attended the function with Daniel Bryan, her boyfriend.
– WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves (f/k/a Sterling James Keenan on the independent circuit) competed at Friday’s Raw live event in a “Special Attraction Match” against Zack Ryder.
The NXT star mocked Ryder’s social media presence during his ring entrance as he vowed to become famous the old fashioned way: By embarrassing people like Ryder. He then said he created a new hashtag for Ryder: BooHooHooGravesJustKickedMyAss. Ryder won the bout with the Rough Ryder.
– Former WWE Diva Trinity turns 41-years-old Saturday.
– WWE officials are high on developmental wrestler Corey Graves, formerly known as Sterling James Keenan on the independent circuit. He is expected to gain the NXT Championship following the promotion of current belt holder Seth Rollins to the main roster.
– A backstage segment featuring Darren Young and Titus O’Neil was cut from Friday’s SmackDown episode.
– Colt Cabana has released his latest Creative Has Nothing For You webisode, entitled “REJECTED SCRIPTS ILLUSTRATED.”
– Mick Foley is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
– “Backstage Fallout” for Monday’s Raw is now online. Here is the synopsis: “Aksana tells the WWE Universe why she went after Kaitlyn at Night of Champions and later at Survivor Series. Plus, see how The Prime Time Players are recovering after being double-teamed. Check out these interviews only in the Raw edition of “Backstage Fallout.”
— WWE NXT wrestler Corey Graves (formerly known as Sterling James Keenan on the independent wrestling circuit) issued the following warning on Twitter following Survivor Series: “My turn.”
– WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel lent his vocal talents to the Strike 3 Foundation’s First Pitch Gala, serving as emcee at the fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. The official WWE website has posted photos from the event.
— During a phone interview with WWE.com Thursday, Shawn Michaels lost his composure when faced with pointed questions pertaining to Triple H and The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII.
After being asked “If Triple H wins at WrestleMania, will he be better than you?” Michaels grew increasingly incensed in his response, saying he is the best in-ring performer ever and that he cannot help that the spotlight falls on him whenever he shows up. Before hanging up, he tells the WWE.com interviewer to leave him alone in his retired life.
— Thanks to interference from Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks drew a victory over Mason Ryan on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. It is his first televised singles victory since the March 17, 2011 WWE Superstars, where he beat JTG.
Other matches featured include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Jinder Mahal vs. Justin Gabriel. The episode is available here.
— WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves (a/k/a Sterling James Keenan) turns 28 years old Friday.
