WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan is front and center on the official pay-per-view poster for Extreme Rules 2014.
Extreme Rules takes place on Sunday, May 4, 2014 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
– E! will not be airing a new episode of WWE’s Total Divas next Sunday, April 6th. Instead of airing the show in its’ usual time slot, which would mean going head-to-head with WrestleMania XXX, the network decided to air the movie “No Strings Attached.”
– Speaking of Total Divas, The Bella Twins wrote the following on Twitter regarding tonight’s episode:
Nothing like wedding planning with the one you love. You can check it out only on #TotalDivas Tonight… http://t.co/dbwVTgVqx3
— The Bella Twins (@nicoleandbri) March 30, 2014
WWE recently issued a survey to fans regarding new potential WWE video games that could be released online in the future. Details on those games are as follows:
1. Trouble always seems to find a way to the WWE Universe! Play as either John Cena or Daniel Bryan and go off on an adventure to rescue the Bella Twins, who have been kidnapped by the evil Mr. McMahon. Venture through 50 stages to rescue the Twins, grabbing extra powers and goodies over land, water, air, and fire along the way!
2.A turn-based combat role-playing game where you can assemble and lead teams of Superstars and Divas-your mission is to protect the WWE Universe from the clutches of evil wrestlers from another dimension!
3. You’re the boss! Manage the ultimate team of WWE Superstars. Pick your wrestlers, train them, and have them fight your friends and other opponents in the ring!
4. The WWE Universe is way too big for just one Superstar! Collect a series of WWE Superstar action figures, each with unique abilities that unlock certain challenges and portals, and bring them to life on the big screen via your game console. Only you can put the right Superstar against the right challenge to save the WWE Universe. Put the action figures “in the ring” and let the adventures begin!
5. Join an epic adventure with the Angry Birds in the WWE Universe! Use your favorite wrestling moves and slingshot your way through an action-packed journey from WrestleMania to Royal Rumble, facing the biggest WWE Superstars of all time! Can you become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion with the help of the Angry Birds?
– WWE Network cameras are scheduled to follow several WWE Superstars during WrestleMania XXX weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the guys who will be followed, Daniel Bryan, noted in a recent interview that the camera crew will be filming what he does to get be prepared for WrestleMania.
Generally this type of footage is shot for the “WrestleMania Diary” features, which used to air on WWE.com, however this year they will be airing on the WWE Network.
– John Cena missed the WWE live event in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday evening because he was scheduled for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
Cena referenced his scheduled awards show appearance earlier in the day on Saturday by writing the following on Twitter:
Fun day planned with @nicoleandbri quite an unorthodox 'date' as we head to the slime filled @NickelodeonTV #KCA lets have some FUN!!!
— John Cena (@JohnCena) March 29, 2014
– The latest edition of WWE’s “Top 10” looks at the ten greatest WrestleMania entrances. You can check that out below:
– WWE has also added a new YouTube video looking at “The Story of the ‘Yes!’ Movement.” You can check that one out below:
– Finally, check out the latest edition of “SmackDown Fallout” below:
The following are highlights of a recent Jim Ross Q&A update:
On Michael Cole filling his spot as lead announcer: “Absolutely. Cole’s working his tail off being all things to many masters. hardest working broadcaster in WWE by far.”
On old-school announcer Boyd Pierce: “Boyd was a true character with a terrific sense of humor. Loved the business passionately. Good man.”
On who should induct Paul Bearer this year and Undertaker when he finally goes in: “I’m anxious to see who does the inducting, etc at the WWE HOF. I have no idea. Curious though. I think that Vince McMahon should introduce Taker when that day comes.”
On Taz: “Taz is doing great and we still keep in touch. I will attempt to get him on my podcast without question.”
On if he’ll have Daniel Bryan on his podcast: “Perhaps. Not sue that he would want to be on or if I could get it cleared.”
Check out more JR Q&A updates at JRsBarBQ.com.
The following are highlights of a new Between The Ropes interview with Daniel Bryan:
On getting into a main event spot at WrestleMania XXX: “I’ve never gone up to anybody and said ‘hey, look at what I’m doing, I should be a main guy here’. I’ve always let my work speak for itself and I’ve always let the fan reaction speak for itself and make it so they don’t have a choice but to do what they do with me right? It’s not me pushing for me to get this opportunity. It’s the fans who have been pushing for it and them saying no, this is what we want. We want this at WrestleMania and WWE has to listen to them. And that to me is pretty cool. People have so much more power than they think and not just in wrestling, in the world in general. A lot of these building have got like 14,000 people in this building compared to a couple people backstage who run the WWE. And that’s pretty much the ratio of people in the world and people in power. You know what I mean? We have a lot more power that we think. So it’s pretty cool.”
On whether or not he feels like a person who is the face of WWE: “It’s interesting because I don’t feel any different that I did six months ago really. I’m just kind of me, I just do my thing. People ask me to do different stuff and now they ask me to do more stuff and that’s pretty much it. It’s strange because Total Divas is following us around now but next week the (WWE) Network is going to be following me around just to follow me around and see what I do to get prepared for WrestleMania and all that kind of stuff. I don’t feel like a cover guy or anything like that but people are asking me to do more stuff!. (laughs).”
Check out the complete interview above.
– With almost all of the key wrestlers on the WWE roster figured into the main card at WrestleMania XXX, it looks as though whatever matches they plan on adding to the two hour pre-show will be comprised of NXT talent.
– Current online betting odds for WrestleMania XXX, which at this point don’t mean a whole lot past educated guessing until the “smart money” comes in during the day of the show, have Daniel Bryan as the favorite to end the show as WWE World Heavyweight Champion at -270. This means if you bet $270, you clear $100 profit, making Bryan basically a near three-to-one favorite to walk out of the show as champion. Randy Orton is +400 to end the show as champion, Batista is +250 and Triple H is +1500.
Other odds for the show include Undertaker as a 60-to-1 favorite over Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan as a 27-to-1 favorite over Triple H and Bray Wyatt at -350 (a little over three-to-one) over John Cena.
– A fan recently uploaded a video of Daniel Bryan, who didn’t appear on RAW this week, to the show on Monday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. You can check that out at Instagram.com.
– Speaking of Monday’s RAW, there’s a video on Instagram of celebrity guest Joe Manganiello doing his “Macho Man” Randy Savage impersonation backstage at the show. You can check that out at Instagram.com.
– WWE fans were reportedly unhappy with the absence of Daniel Bryan on Monday’s RAW in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to being advertised locally for the dark match main event, it was outright mentioned on Friday’s edition of SmackDown, as well as the RAW pre-show on Monday night that Daniel Bryan would be on RAW.
It’s worth noting that Bryan is also excluded from the advertising for tonight’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Boston.
– Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman recently teased a possible WWE return on Twitter. The Coach tweeted the following on Tuesday afternoon:
Hey all you @wwe fans. Have a really cool announcement in the next month or so about something happening this summer. Stand by.
— Jonathan Coachman (@TheCoachESPN) March 25, 2014
– Early betting odds for WrestleMania XXX favor Bray Wyatt over John Cena, Undertaker over Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan over Triple H.
– The following is the latest edition of Zack Ryder’s “Last ReZort” YouTube show:
The following are highlights of a new Shining Wizards interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley:
On his WrestleMania Dream Raffle: “If someone is not a wrestling fan, they can just call and say I want to go to Disney, or they can say I just want to explore New Orleans for those four days and then go to Disney and give my (Wrestlemania) tickets to someone else. But I think we are getting some people who are supporting RAINN because it’s a great cause. It’s the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization, and because it’s a difficult subject to talk about, it’s often pushed away, and by doing this raffle, it gets the word out there and it allows people to know that in addition to going to www.rainn.org for the raffle, there’s a great place to reach out and get help if you need it. So it’s a way for me to make a difference and in the last few weeks it’s really picked up.”
On his reason for making the raffle so good: “Part of the reason I made the raffle so good, to be honest with you, is because that for a while it didn’t look like Mania was getting much enthusiasm, and had I known that the shows were going to turn around and the card was going to start shaping up to be so good, I probably wouldn’t have added the Disney vacation, and who knows, I may not have got on the phone and asked Gabe Sapolsky if he wanted to participate. I talked to Court Bower from Ring Of Honor, and so they’re in, and The WrestleCon… Everyone that I’ve spoken to, including Velvet Sky who’s signing that unbelievable poster of her in The Yankees shirt, and I don’t care if you hate The Yankees, this is the greatest baseball-themed poster of all time, and a hug from Velvet, and Diamond Dallas Page- it’s really unbelievable- and lunch with Brie Bella and some divas, breakfast with me. Honestly, if you’re not a fan of mine, and you want to call up and have me sleep in, I’ll forgive you for it. There’s just so much going on and it’s only $10 to enter and little by little using the strength in numbers theory, we are really making a difference in helping out a great cause.”
On Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania: “It looks like it could actually happen. I think all of us, including myself, forgot what a great heel Triple H could be, because up until Monday night, especially going back a few weeks ago, when Daniel Bryan was asking for the match with HHH, it looked like he was trying to sell people something they weren’t interested in buying and then after Monday night, which was a brutal, but really effective way to close the show, I think people see that this is the match you want to see and if he wins, and I’m going to hope he does, he’s going to be hurting and so he’ll be entering the main event at Wrestlemania as one of the great underdog stories in history. Who knows how it’ll end, but the potential is there to have a really emotional scene. I for one, and as much as I like Stephanie McMahon as a person, I believe she needs to be slapped by a female, and I think there is a good candidate who would like to slap her. I just think there’s a potential scenario for some great joy at the end of mania, and it’s almost like really built up because I’d say since Hell in a Cell the shows haven’t had that joyful feeling. So let’s hope we all get that release again at Wrestlemania.”
Check out the complete interview at ShiningWizards.com.
Bray Wyatt refers to himself as “The Eater of Worlds.” After his first few months with the company, he could also easily refer to himself as “The King of the Promo” and not many would object.
No character in recent memory has used the promo to build up his character as well as Wyatt. Starting with a series of haunting videos preceding the stable’s debut, the Wyatt Family were able to build the foundation that would allow them to become one of the top heel groups in the company.
After a perfect debut (minus the Husky Harris chants) and successful feuds with Daniel Bryan and the Shield, it was revealed that Wyatt would be entering a program with John Cena during the WrestleMania season.
http://youtu.be/x7QJruEbKL4
Many cringed at the thought of Wyatt battling Cena at WrestleMania. I personally thought the match would result in nothing more than the WWE further elevating its biggest star while taking one of the hottest superstars in the company down a notch.
After all, Cena isn’t exactly notorious for putting over stars at WrestleMania, although he has put over the Miz and the Rock in the past. I am not here to make predictions regarding the matchup, but to instead discuss how the two have used masterful promos to build the fight into possibly the most anticipated match on the card.
The Rock is the only man to ever pin Cena clean at WrestleMania? Will Wyatt be able to defeat Superman?
Cena has discussed how his legacy is at stake at WrestleMania, while Wyatt has criticized Cena for being primarily concerned with selling merchandise and achieving fame. This is certainly not a new line of criticism directed at Cena.
In fact, Daniel Bryan levied the same insults at Cena during their build-up to SummerSlam, where he said Cena was in the WWE for fame, while he (Bryan) was there because he loves to wrestle.
Bryan’s rebukes never really felt personal though, largely due to the fact that he had to hold back because he was a face. Wyatt, on the other hand, has not held back one bit, criticizing Cena for living in a castle with his plastic girlfriend during his latest promo (seen above), which is also quite possibly his best yet.
The following are highlights of a new Boston Herald interview with Bret “The Hitman” Hart:
On his classic Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania: “We both made that a classic match that will never, ever lose its shine. I remember there was a certain point when I had to be setting up a move with exactly five minutes left in the match. I remember setting up on the second rope and looking at the score clock, and there was exactly four minutes and 59 seconds left in the match. There’s no wasted moves, and there was precision in every move.”
On his classic WrestleMania match with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin: “They ended up throwing me and Steve together and it was kind of an ice-cold story line,” said Hart. “That was a big disappointment, at first, for Steve and me. We’d just fought months earlier at the Survivor Series, and even though we loved working together, he was looking for someone new to work with and I was looking for Shawn.”
“The match with Austin was pro wrestling’s version of the best MMA fight,” said Hart. “Steve even calls me once in a while and goes, ‘I got our match on.’ He always tells me it’s his favorite he’s ever had, and it’s the same for me.”
“I’ve always felt that Steve was good enough to make it on his own anyway, but I do like to think I played a role in helping him.”
On how he would book WrestleMania XXX: “I hope they give Daniel Bryan his chance to win the belt at WrestleMania. He earned it a long time ago, but it wouldn’t surprise me — like Charlie Brown with the football — if they pull it away from him one last time. I really hope they give him his proper run, as he hasn’t had the opportunity yet to be the champion he deserves to be. Hopefully this year at WrestleMania, it will be a crowning achievement for Daniel Bryan.”
On the CM Punk situation: “When you look at it closely, Punk’s burned out. He’s always given 100 percent in all his matches, and delivered some of the best pay-per-view matches in the past 10 years. And it’s not easy when there are legends who only work part-time, and guys like Punk and Bryan do all the work, and watch someone like Brock Lesnar walk in and take those big matches and big paydays without having to be on the road all the time. I think that had a lot to do with his decision, and rightfully so.”
“One of Vince McMahon’s favorite sayings is, ‘Life’s not fair.’ I don’t see Punk being a factor at WrestleMania, but he still has a lot of greatness left in him. As a fan, I hope he comes back, and as a wrestler, I have a lot of respect for him, too.”
Check out the complete interview at BostonHerald.com.
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On WWE talent scouting: “Big few days in OKC with the NCAA Division 1 National Wrestling Tournament in town which will air on ESPN. Heading up soon to catch up with Jerry Brisco of WWE to watch the kids he’s been recruiting. in the meanwhile, we’re burning daylight…”
On the WrestleMania XXX pre-show: “Anxious to see how the two hour pre game show for WM30 turns out. I think the pre and post game shows can be a legit asset for WWE if they are smartly produced and the talents step up and deliver provocative content. The upside of these programs are limitless.”
On the passing of Lorenzo Parente: “One of the great old school wrestling villains passed away this week as Lorenzo Parente who I first saw in the 60’s on Lee Roy McGuirk’s Championship Wrestling was a true wrestling heel who was rugged and believable. Parente had a great series of matches for theh NWA Junior Heavyweight Title vs the Legendary Dan Hodge.”
On the Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H feud: “The WWE has told a magnificent Daniel Bryan/HHH/WWE Title scenario story. Now the challenge is to get other story lines at or near the same level. The history of any WrestleMania is that most cards are essentially a 2-3 bout show and the best one’s are where a non main line, main event match over delivers and steals the show. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle is a good example of such. The early Money in the Bank Ladder matches fit that description as well.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
Mick Foley posted a new blog on his Facebook page discussing Triple H destroying Daniel Bryan at the end of Monday’s RAW:
“FOR ME, RAW WAS JUST RIGHT
Following the brutal beatdown of Daniel Bryan by Triple H on Monday’s RAW, I received many questions on social media, asking if I thought WWE had gone too far, with many pointing out the beating’s resmeblance to the one I took at the hands of The Rock in the 1999 Royal Rumble. No, I don’t think they went too far. I think they went just far enough.
A few weeks ago, when Daniel Bryan challenged Triple H, and tried to engage the crowd in a “Yes” chant, it seemed half-hearted at best, to the point where I said out loud, in the Foley living room, “he’s trying to sell a match that no one wants to see.” Well, following Monday night, that match has gone from being simply the obstacle Daniel Bryan had to hurdle to get to the main event into a match I now I feel like I need to see.
Yes, it was brutal, yes it was tough to watch at certain points – but it served notice to all of those who had forgotten, that Triple H was one of the best bad guys of his generation – and Stephanie, with her recent work on the microphone, has become an abslolutely compelling authority figure – as effective as I’ve ever seen her; seemingly channelling her inner Vince. I’ve known Stephanie a long time, and somewhere in the McMahon/Helmsley home, she still has the pot-holder my daughter made for her many, many years, ago. No matter what happens in business, she is someone I will always consider a friend. But man, do I want to see her get what she has coming to her? Maybe a WWE Diva who might happen to have a close connection to Daniel Bryan to smack the taste out of her mouth. Any candidates?
Imagine me as Goldilocks, surveying the lay of the WWE land, looking at angles from the past – far past, and recent past, trying to figure out which one is the perfect fit when it comes to selling a match – really, truly turning a match into something that the WWE Universe feels they need to see. That Rumble I did with Dwayne The Rock Johnson with the 11 unprotected chairshots? Too much. Most of what we see in the PG era? No matter how good the wrestling (and much of it is really, really good) – it’s just a little too soft. But what I saw on Monday night? As brutal as it may have been, as tough as it may have been to watch, I thought it was just right.”
The wedding between Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan) and Brianna Garcia-Colace (aka Brie Bella) is scheduled to take place on April 11th, which is just five days at WrestleMania XXX. Their wedding will be shot as the focus of the final episode of season two of WWE’s Total Divas reality show.
According to one report, there’s a decent possibility that both Bryan and Bella will win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Divas Championship at WrestleMania. The general consensus is that there’s no great reason not to, considering many expect Bryan to win the title anyways, and since the Divas title doesn’t have any real connection in terms of drawing money, it might as well be used as a prop to at least tell a good story.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
– The latest edition of WWE’s “30 Years Of WrestleMania” podcast, which features Renee Young interviewing “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, is now available. You can check that out at PodcastOne.com.
– The latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features Austin fielding questions sent in by the fans, is also available. You can check that one out as well at PodcastOne.com.
– It’s being said that Triple H’s line about “not taking your ball and going home” directed at Daniel Bryan at RAW on Monday night was a shot at CM Punk. Obviously the fans in San Antonio picked up on that fact, as it sparked a “CM Punk” chant in the building.
WWE.com posted the following regarding Daniel Bryan suffering an injury during RAW on Monday night:
Daniel Bryan suffers shoulder injury on Raw
WWE.com can confirm that Daniel Bryan suffered a shoulder injury as a result of being handcuffed and attacked by WWE COO Triple H in the final moments of last night’s Raw.
WWE medical sources confirm that, as a result of the COO’s attack, Bryan’s previous shoulder injury stemming from several matches with several Superstars was severely exasperated, including a dislocation and potential ligament tears. The level of damage cannot be determined until the swelling reduces, though Bryan has since left the hospital and will receive an MRI once that swelling has gone down.
Stay with WWE.com for more updates on Bryan’s condition.
After hitting John Cena with a running knee that came from out of nowhere (no Michael Cole/RKO pun intended), Daniel Bryan pinned the champ and the crowd erupted into a deafening “YES!” chant. Many believed that the Bryan era had begun in the WWE, until Orton’s music hit seconds later and basically everyone knew where it was going from there.
Since then, Bryan has been involved in a long, occasionally meandering feud with the Authority. Along the way, Bryan defeated Orton at Night of Champions to regain the title before having it stripped away the following night, battled Orton to a no contest at Battleground, got screwed out of the title by Shawn Michaels at Hell in a Cell, and has been involved in countless minor storylines along the way.
Some have complained that Bryan’s Authority program has been too drawn out and that there should have been some sort of payoff months ago. I admit that I was once in this camp. The night following Hell in a Cell, the Wyatt Family attacked Bryan, pulling him away from the main event scene for multiple months while allowing for the Big Show and John Cena to feud with Orton.
Bryan took a vicious beating on RAW this past week. Can he overcome the Authority at WrestleMania?
It seemed impossible to think that Bryan could maintain momentum and stay relevant without directly battling the man holding the strap. In fact, the WWE’s WrestleMania plan originally did not even include having Bryan anywhere near the main event, as it was originally rumored that he would battle Sheamus. And then Pittsburgh happened.
With the WWE banking on Batista returning and being one of the top faces of the company, the Pittsburgh crowd chewed him up and spit him out like a piece of cheap, undercooked steak. Had the crowd cheered Batista that night, there is little doubt that he would be headlining WrestleMania with Orton alone. Instead, they rejected the garbage product they were being served and could have potentially altered WWE history.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently noted on Twitter that he’s looking for questions from fans for an upcoming edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Austin tweeted the following:
On location at #brokenskullchallenge. Will be answering questions for Tuesday #SAS. Send to questions@steveaustinshow.com.
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) March 16, 2014
– WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan gave props to the man he “borrowed” the “Yes!” chant from, UFC fighter Diego Sanchez, following his fight at UFC 171 on Saturday night. Bryan tweeted the following:
Watched last night’s UFC. @DiegoSanchezUFC inspires me every time he fights, win or lose. The original YES man. Legs, Lungs, HEART.
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) March 16, 2014
– There appears to be plans to bring back the Los Matadores into the main tag-team scene in the near future. Following their victory over Ryback and Curtis Axel at WWE Main Event, the Los Matadores were pushed as possible tag-title contenders due to the win.
– During recent promos, NXT star Adrian Neville has been knocking his physical appearance and making fun of his own accent. Apparently the creative idea for Neville is for him to be somewhat of a NXT version of Daniel Bryan.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
Rumors persist that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will be returning to WWE television in the next few months.
In what could be another subtle hint Stephanie McMahon neglected to mention her father on Monday’s RAW during her heated Daniel Bryan and the “occupy RAW” segment.
She talked about her great grandfather and grandfather building the company she now runs, but Vince was conspicuously omitted.
– Apparently part of the motivation behind the Daniel Bryan segment at this past Monday’s RAW, as well as the reason the company referred to it as “occupying RAW” instead of “hijacking RAW” was because the company was making fun of how the fans failed at “hijacking” the recent RAW show in Chicago.
– The plan going forward is for WWE to run RAW dark matches (which they haven’t been doing as of late due to the WWE Network) featuring John Cena and Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
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.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)