As we reported earlier this week, the rant CM Punk made towards the fan in the front row on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW was completely unscripted, and was a legitimate emotional reaction on the part of Punk himself.
According to fans at the event, while the individual who received Punk’s verbal venom on Monday was being obnoxious in his heckling of the WWE Superstar, he didn’t seem to say or do anything over the top to warrant such a visceral response.
The word going around backstage at RAW on Monday was that Punk was said to be in a particularly bad mood, which isn’t completely out of the ordinary, as Punk has a reputation of being grumpy at times.
It should be noted that while WWE doesn’t necessarily condone such behavior from babyfaces specifically, there was said to be no heat on Punk for the outburst. In fact, the general consensus was that due to the response elicited from the crowd, and the fact that Paul Heyman was quick enough on his feet to use the situation during his speaking points, it actually added to the segment and the eventual showdown with Curtis Axel later on.
-WWE is advertising a main event of Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at the upcoming live event in Montreal on September 6th. The semi-main event of the card features CM Punk vs. Curtis Axel in a no disqualification match. Also advertised to appear are Rob Van Dam, Big Show, Mark Henry and The Shield.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Phil Johnson sent along the following:
-Former ECW Champion Justin Credible has posted a new blog. This week Credible talks on Darren Young “coming out,” Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam, Monday’s Raw, being 9 months sober, among other topics. Jason Knight is this week’s special guest on Justin Credible’s Pro Wrestling 101 video series. Here is an extract from “The Justin Credible Report:”
“What a week for the WWE. Summer Slam is in the books, and there is so much to talk about. First leading into the PPV in LA, Darren Young comes out to TMZ that he is gay.
As you know WWE got a ton of free mainstream press heading into their second biggest PPV of the year. I’m happy for Darren, and I applaud his courage. On the other hand, there is no way that this was just a spur of the moment statement. I have been told that this was carefully thought out, and Darren and the WWE had this planned the whole time. There is just no way that Darren was conveniently asked that specific question and he just happened to decide now is as good a time as any to come out.”
You can read “The Justin Credible Report” in its entirety at PWMania.com.
The following are interview highlights with wrestling legend “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan:
On which current WWE Superstars he feels has the ‘It Factor’ right now: “I think everybody likes Dolph Ziggler, you know I seen him back in the Spirit Squad days. You see that kid, he’s got the blonde hair and a lot of white teeth, good body, good-looking young guy. He’s the kind of guy, a marquee player that WWE looks for, like John Cena, Hulk Hogan, somebody of that nature. I think Ziggler fits that bill. Kind of an unknown hero is McGuillicutty (Curtis Axel). I think Curt’s boy, third generation wrestler, he’s got a lot to show.
On second and third generation WWE Superstars: “I think guys that grow up in the business are just a little more polished than guys like myself who came into wrestling blind. I had no idea what to expect. I think, like Jake the Snake Roberts, Ted Dibiase, your second generation wrestlers, we see even more in Cody Rhodes and Ted Junior, that they grew up in the business and have a better understanding of the show.”
On the upcoming Mid-South DVD and the territory days: “Mid-South was a great wrestling territory, as you know many of the WWF stars came out of Mid-South. It was a great training area, not only did you learn how to do your work in the ring, but you learned how to do your interviews.”
“A lot more guys were making a living wrestling and it was a great time in the business. Of course, the WWE, WWF days was better for a few unique guys but for overall wrestlers, it was good in the territory days.”
Check out the complete interview online at ChaddukesWrestlingShow.com.
-As of this writing, there are no concrete plans for WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel as far as a match at the upcoming WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. It is possible that Axel will be added to the SummerSlam pay-per-view pre-show, as the company has recently been putting title matches on the “PPV kickoff” specials.
-Despite the fact that he has not yet been officially cleared to return to in-ring action, WWE Superstar The Big Show is expected to be ready to return to the ring in time to follow-through on SummerSlam booking plans. Current plans feature a two-on-three handicap match between all three members of The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) and the big-man duo of The Big Show and Mark Henry.
Additionally, Big Show is expected to return at the WWE RAW show on August 5th to shoot the angle for the aforementioned pay-per-view match.
– Curtis Axel spoke to the Phoenix New Times this week to promote that August 26th episode of RAW from Phoenix. In response to criticisms that his promo work needs improvement, he said:
“I don’t know where that comes from. I just never really have a chance to talk. Now that I’m shown more on TV, I’ll have more of an opportunity. People say what they want just from one little rumor, so I don’t pay attention to any of that crap, what people say about me. I just do my thing and I know what I can do and I do well, and I don’t let that stuff worry me.”
– Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler will appear on tonight’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on NBC. Also on the show tonight are Jeff Bridges and John Stamos, who will be reuniting his band “Jesse and The Rippers” from the TV show Full House.
– Rob Van Dam is being advertised for the first two episode scheduled for the first two WWE RAW shows after SummerSlam (8/19 from Anaheim, CA & 8/26 from Phoenix, AZ). He’s also booked for WWE’s upcoming live events tour of Australia, so he appears to be working a pretty active schedule.
-WWE Superstar Damien Sandow, who is now referring to himself as “Sir Money In The Bank,” spoke with The Austin Chronicle recently about his plans on cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase. “I will wait for the perfect moment, and I assure you that once I get the title, I plan on retiring with it,” said Sandow. “If I revealed my strategy, that wouldn’t be very smart, would it?”
-As previously reported, Chris Jericho finished up his current run with WWE at the latest SmackDown taping. Jericho will now go back on tour with his rock band Fozzy. According to one source, Jericho will be gone from WWE for at least several months, and his return may come as another WrestleMania XXX surprise.
-At one point, the plan was for Daniel Bryan vs. Curtis Axel to take place at SummerSlam. Instead, the two will likely compete in an upcoming RAW or SmackDown match in the next few weeks.
-The following is the latest “30 Second Fury” video which highlights the top Money In The Bank ladder match moments:
-WWE Superstar Chris Jericho recently tweeted the following about his match against Curtis Axel on SmackDown, as well as share his opinion on who the future of WWE is:
“Another great match w @RealCurtisAxel on #Smackdown! Add in @WWEBrayWyatt, @ryback22, @TheShieldWWE, @AntonioCesaro etc, future looks BRIGHT”
-Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman celebrates his 41st birthday today.
– Speaking to Saint Cloud Minnesota News, Larry “The Axe” Hennig offered his thoughts on his grandson being remolded as Curtis Axel, which pays homage to the legendary AWA wrestler as well as “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (son of Larry Hennig and father of Curtis Axel).
“He’s no overnight sensation,” said Hennig. “He’s been working hard the past five years to get where he’s at. And he deserves it.”
Hennig believes WWE would have cut ties with his grandson if he didn’t possess the talent necessary to become a player for the sports-entertainment organization.
“He’s representing a billion dollar company. You have to be good or you’re going to be gone. They can’t afford any misfires there,” said Hennig.
As for Larry himself, he and his wife run a real-estate business in St. Cloud, Minnesota, “Larry Hennig Auction and Realty.” To read the article, click here.
– WWE Classics On Demand’s Hall of Fame retrospective for July will chronicle the career of “The Original Diva,” Sunny. The official YouTube account of WWE has posted this clip of Sunny from early in her professional wrestling career supporting her client ‘Primetime’ Brian Lee.
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will appear at the Days of the Dead Convention taking place next Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Wyndham Indianapolis West, 2544 Executive Dr. Indianapolis, Indiana.
– WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will be inducted into the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame this weekend in Fairhaven, Massachussetts, the third Hall of Fame she’ll be a part of.
Here are some highlights from WWE.com’s backstage interviews from Sunday night after WWE Payback:
– WWE doctor Michael Sampson commented on Dolph Ziggler’s condition, noting that Ziggler was checked out after his match and will continue to be monitored for post-concussion symptoms. According to WWE storylines, Ziggler’s in-ring status is up int he air until they get more results from Ziggler’s latest round of testing.
– Kane commented on his count-out loss to Dean Ambrose, promising that Dean Ambrose won’t escape him again.
– Paul Heyman said new Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel had the “perfect” victory at Payback and now has a bunch of “offers” coming in.
The Shield also gave WWE a hand-held video they shot backstage, mocking their opponents and declaring that The Shield dominated yet another pay-per-view event. Ambrose called WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns “the best tag team walking today” and said that The Shield are the leaders of a”new generation” in WWE.
– Gambling lines for tomorrow night’s WWE Payback pay-per-view event have skyrocketed in recent days, with Alberto Del Rio being favored 17 to 1 to defeat Dolph Ziggler in the World Heavyweight Championship Match. Betting odds are also in favor of Curtis Axel claiming the WWE Intercontinental Championship from Wade Barrett in a three-way affair also including The Miz, as well as AJ Lee defeating Kaitlyn for the WWE Divas Championship. In the Three Stages of Hell Match, Ryback is favored to win the Lumberjack Match, with John Cena taking the Tables Match and subsequent Ambulance Match to retain the WWE Championship.
– WWE counts down The Shield’s most brutal attacks since the group’s inception in this “Top 10” video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT9hKBiIbWg
– Six years ago today, WWE Hall of Famer “Sensational” Sherri Martel died at her mother’s residence in McCalla, Alabama. A toxicology released later that year stated that she died of an overdose with multiple drugs in her system, including high amounts of oxycodone.
Former NWA World Women’s Champion Tiffany Roxx posted this message in remembrance of Martel, “RIP Sensational Sherri. You were one of my biggest inspirations and I’m still learning from your work.”
– According to this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Triple H’s ongoing angle with Curtis Axel was originally scheduled to climax at SummerSlam. However, with recent Raw episodes indicating it will lead to a match between both individuals at this month’s Payback pay-per-view event, the storyline was promoted ahead of schedule due to WWE’s decision to combat potentially low ratings at all costs. This decision, however, was not fruitful as Monday’s Raw was the lowest-rated episode of the year going head-to-head with TNT’s presentation of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
– In an effort to combat ratings competition from the NBA Playoffs, Vince McMahon wants WWE’s live event booking staff to schedule Raw events in “hot” wrestling cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City for Mondays when late round Game Sixes and Sevens may take place. He believes if Raw viewers witness a hot crowd in the opening segment at 8:00 p.m., they will be less likely to tune out once the game starts.
– Curtis Axel’s theme song “Perfection” is now available for download on iTunes.
– WWE.com has compiled a list of the Top 10 wrestlers to never compete in WWE, including the Midnight Express, Abdullah the Butcher, Nikita Koloff, Magnum T.A., New Jack and of course, Sting. Here’s what the article said about Sting:
“There is no doubt that if Sting had ever decided to ply his trade for Mr. McMahon, the results would have been phenomenal. Because of his immense success throughout the industry, The Stinger would have been a great fit for the pageantry and spectacle of WWE. Of course, the one Superstar that the WWE Universe would clamor to see Sting face would be The Undertaker. Perhaps if there was one person who could have upended The Deadman’s WrestleMania Streak, it would be Sting himself. “
– With WWE Payback less than 2 weeks away, f4wonline.com reports that original plans called for Brock Lesnar to have his 3rd and final match with Triple H on the show. However, due to The Rock’s injury and CM Punk taking time off after WrestleMania, the decision was made to jump right into that match at Extreme Rules. There has been renewed talk of Lesnar feuding with CM Punk later this year.
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 wrote about:
McMahons Return To RAW: Thoroughly enjoyed the start of RAW with the quasi, McMahon Family reunion including the surprise appearance of Stephanie McMahon. RAW started the night with established and new ‘feeling’ star power. The hook established in the early moments of RAW were brought forward strategically throughout the broadcast calumniating with HHH leaving the arena.
Daniel Bryan Stealing The Show: @WWEDanielBryan was the star of RAW. This is not the first time I’ve written this. No matter the role or task at hand, Bryan delivers. He’s as good as anyone in the business right now, for my money. Anyone who has had training from such men as Billy Robinson, William Regal, Shawn Michaels, and Robby Brookside and who has Bryan’s desire and professionalism can’t be any thing but good. Bryan stole the show from 5 other very talented performers in the 6 man tag and Bryan had one of Ryback’s best bouts ever.
Curtis Axel: Loved Curtis Axel’s aggressiveness vs. John Cena. The young, 3rd generation talent showed no hesitation competing against WWE’s top star. One can’t be too aggressive in the ring as a rule and Axel is hungry and it shows. Hopefully, the “I want it now” facet of the fanbase will be patient and allow the Minnesotan to evolve in his new, enhanced role.
– “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has announced that Canadian WWE Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Trish Stratus will be the next guests on his Steve Austin Show podcast:
– World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler delivered a special message to the WWE Universe during RAW in a segment that aired exclusively on the WWE App. You can view the video at WWE.com. Ziggler says he misses showing off – and tells Alberto Del Rio that he’ll be seeing him soon.
– WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin will be interviewed by Michael Schiavello for “Austin vs. The Voice.” The interview segment will premiere on AXS TV (formerly HDNet) on July 12th.
– After Curtis Axel won yet another RAW match by count-out last night, a WWE fan edited his Wikipedia profile page and added “The Count Out” as one of his finishing moves:
– Triple H will be in action tonight on Raw as the official WWE website has announced that he will face Curtis Axel. Also tonight, Randy Orton partners with Team Hell No to battle The Shield for the first time ever in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
– The latest edition of WWE en Espanol is now online.
– The official WWE website has a poll asking fans how Curtis Axel will peak under Paul Heyman’s guidance; World Champion (39%), Intercontinental Champion or U.S. Champion (30%), Topflight competitor, but he won’t win a singles title (31%).
– WWE personalities Natalya, Tensai, Brodus Clay and Naomi did the media rounds on Tuesday to promote last night’s SmackDown tapings. Cameron noted on Twitter that she’s been sick lately and has visited her doctor 4 times in the past week.
– Paul Heyman’s newest client, Curtis Axel, has changed his twitter handle to @RealCurtisAxel. He tweeted the following after RAW:
Do you see me now??? Curtis Axel has arrived! I am the GAMEchanger!
As seen by his entrance video on RAW, Axel was originally supposed to go by the name “Curt Axel,” however, there were people in WWE who felt the name was too similar to Kurt Angle, so they went with Curtis as his first name instead. Whatever you call him – Curtis Axel has strong allies in WWE, with Triple H and The Rock both supporting him behind the scenes.
– Injured WWE superstar Evan Bourne tweeted the following photo of his latest foot x-ray:
– WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter will be appearing at an MDA fundraiser today in Charlotte, N.C. today.
– WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler tweeted the following apology after suggesting that Triple H might have suffered a stroke during his match with Curis Axel on RAW:
– Here’s the latest installment of WWE Backstage Fallout, featuring WWE superstars reacting to Paul Heyman announcing Curtis Axel as his newest client:
On Monday’s RAW, Paul Heyman introduced his newest client to be Curtis Axel (Joe Hennig). Here are some reactions from various WWE personalities regarding Axel’s debut:
Proud & excited for the debut of #CurtisAxel! He’s been waitin for this his whole life. Somewhere Mr Perfect is smiling his mischievous grin
[heyman2extreme]Michael McGillicutty returned on this week’s RAW as the newest client of Paul Heyman. Heyman hyped the debut as a “YouTube” and “SportsCenter” moment, encouraing fans to set their DVR’s. Hennig’s new ring name is Curtis Axel, which pays homage to his father Curt Hennig and his grandfather Larry “The Ax” Hennig.
Discussion: Comment below and tell us what you think about the debut of Curtis Axel – including, Paul Heyman’s introduction, his interactions with Triple H and whether this character “reboot” will help him breakout as a top WWE superstar.
