After the Denver Broncos jobbed out to the Seattle Seahawks in one of the most lopsided Super Bowl squash matches in history, the Seahawks celebrated in the best possible way – by starting a YES! chant.
@wwedanielbryan In the words of one of @wwe's finest… #SuperBowlChamps pic.twitter.com/8CYq5yT4u6
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 3, 2014
WWE Superstar John Cena did not work at the live event in Kansas City on Sunday as scheduled. It was announced during the show that Cena is suffering from some type of eye injury. Refunds were offered to fans in attendance.
With Cena out, Daniel Bryan came out and challenged Randy Orton, Cena’s originally scheduled opponent, for the main event.
Here’s a photo of John Cena and Brie Bella, with Cena’s eye looking swollen shut:
https://twitter.com/KurtannaJPruitt/statuses/430123857283137536
– WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently spoke to Newsday about his smashing of a television set in protest of WWE’s usage of Daniel Bryan. When asked if it made him feel better, Foley replied:
“A little bit, but once the family forbid me to do it live, or in the house, the act lost most of its power. But technically, I did break a TV in protest — even if my swing lacked a follow-through, a habit developed through hitting thousands of fly balls to my son in our backyard — where a follow-through would have meant pulling the ball to left, into the neighbor’s yard.”
Check out the complete article at Newsday.com.
– Vince McMahon posted a new tweet on his official Twitter account congratulating Darren Young for his GLAAD Nomination for “Outstanding Talk Show Episode.” McMahon tweeted:
Congratulations @DarrenYoungWWE on your nomination for "Outstanding Talk Show Episode." http://t.co/aqGFUMB81Y
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) February 1, 2014
The following are highlights of a recent interview with WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan from TheClassical.org:
On his relationship with Brie Bella: We very rarely get time off, so for us, it’s mostly just recovering from wrestling. A lot of times, I’ll leave on Friday and I don’t get home ’til Wednesday, so then I have the rest of Wednesday, which I’m exhausted [for], and then Thursday, [for] which I spend a lot of the day packing for the weekend. We don’t go on a lot of dates per se. Our lives are relatively boring in comparison to what you would think.
But when we do get some time off, like for Valentine’s Day [2013], we had like four days off, and we went to Sedona, Arizona, which is like a little piece of Heaven. We did some stargazing. We went hiking. We went on this guided spiritual tour thing. It was so much fun. It was beautiful. It was out in the mountains and all that kind of stuff. That’s kind of the thing that we’re into.
On what wrestling can learn from MMA and vice-versa: Okay, so there’s a lot of things that wrestling can take from MMA. One of the things that MMA does very, very well—and boxing does this, too—is creating personality profiles leading up to big fights, like the 24/7 stuff and the UFC Countdownspecials—promoting people as personalities and how they’re training and how important this particular fight is for these fighters. I think they do an incredible job with that, especially given that they don’t have the hours of TV time that we do on WWE.
For example, if you would have seen [something on] me and John Cena, one of the interesting aspects is how different we are and the different lifestyles we lead and how we train. He’s very strong at doing the Olympic lifts. Whenever we go somewhere and we’re doing some Olympic lifts, people will always comment, one, on how strong he is, and two, on how great his form is. He’s worked extensively on his Olympic lifting—snatches, clean-and-jerks, all that kind of stuff. If he wasn’t wrestling and focused exclusively on that, [he’d] probably [be] world-class. For me, I do train with Olympic lifting and that sort of thing, but I’d rather be kickboxing and grappling. That’s how I train for wrestling. Those kind of personality profiles would really enhance the company [if they would] really get a look at people as they’re training for a big match.
What MMA can take from us is a lot, especially [with] fighters after they win. ‘Hey, is there anybody that you’d like to fight next?’ and when they’re just kind of like [apathetic voice], ‘Oh, you know, just whoever Dana White wants me to face,’ and that sort of thing. No, man! That’s a chance for you to get yourself over or to make a challenge. I think more and more guys are starting to get that now, especially with how successful Chael Sonnen has been with just using his mouth. Even somebody like Quinton Jackson was such a big talker. Any time that you can add something to yourself and make yourself more marketable, that’s going to help you in the long run, and that’s going to help whatever company that you’re fighting for, whether it be boxing, MMA or that sort of thing.
They could probably even take some stuff from having exciting ring entrances or fancier ring gear. You see that a lot with boxing. You get those awesome robes.
Check out the complete interview online at TheClassical.org.
– Jake “the Snake” Roberts will be returning to the ring in February on two shows for Jersey Championship Wrestling. Roberts is advertised for a six-man tag match on 2/21 (Union, NJ) and a singles match on 2/22 (Union City, NJ).
– Japanese wrestling star KENTA, who was training at the WWE Performance Center this week, will make a big announcement about the future of his career on Monday in Japan. KENTA was rumored for Thursday night’s NXT tapings but did not appear.
– A petition at WhiteHouse.gov pushing for Daniel Bryan to receive a WWE World Heavyweight championship shot at WrestleMania XXX has been removed due to a violation of their “Terms of Participation.” The petition had approximately 100,000 signatures before being pulled.
According to one source, it should be noted that Seattle, Washington was not the original plan for the upcoming WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view. WWE changing the location for the show, which is scheduled for May 4th, is most likely a sign that they are going to be building that show around Daniel Bryan.
According to reports, the call was made to switch the location to Seattle two weeks ago.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE is in the midst of one of the most eventful weeks in years – and the company’s existing storyline plans through WrestleMania could be scrapped entirely by Friday night.
WWE has called for all-day creative meetings on Thursday and Friday, according to a report by Wade Keller of PWTorch.com. A source says that “nothing is sacred” in terms of long-standing booking plans plans and “everything will be reevaluated.”
The roller coaster ride began on Sunday night when it became apparent to fans that Daniel Bryan would not be part of the Royal Rumble match. The strong negative reaction to Batista winning the Rumble, Daniel Bryan’s continuing popularity growth and the shocking departure of CM Punk from the company are all being cited as reasons for the shakeup.
We’ll have more details on this story later in the week, but it appears that things are going to get even more interesting by the time the week is over.
– Colt Cabana’s name continues to come up on a regular basis within WWE. Apparently the company feels Cabana could be used as a familiar face to work on some WWE Network-related projects. Cabana has been at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida several times in the past couple of months.
– Former WWE Superstar Bob “Hardcore” Holly celebrates his 51st birthday today. Holly was born on January 29, 1962.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin noted on Twitter today that on Monday he will be fielding phone calls to discuss the drama currently going on in WWE with Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and more. Austin tweeted the following:
Monday I will be taking phone calls to discuss the latest drama at @WWE and get your thoughts on DB, Punk, etc. Stay tuned…
#SAS
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) January 29, 2014
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On RAW and Daniel Bryan: “Enjoyed how RAW started and for all the Daniel Bryan conspiracy theorists that were very vocal Sunday night, Bryan’s inclusion in segment one and in the last segment of RAW should provide some anxiety relief for those thinking that no one in a decision making position is aware that Daniel Bryan is ‘over.'”
“Trust me, if WWE wanted to bury Bryan he would not have been in both the opening and closing segments of Monday Night RAW. I think that DB fans will be happy when this particular journey reaches its destination no matter how dysfunctional it may seem to be.”
On Brock Lesnar’s beast mode: “Lesnar was back in nasty, beast mode (is there any other kind?) and he and his advocate Happy Heyman made their presence felt. I wish Lesnar’s contractual matters would allow him to appear on more RAW broadcasts as that would help in maximizing Lesnar’s earnings along with Heyman’s share of the take.”
On the Elimination Chamber: “The Elimination Chamber scenario is a bit confusing as the main event, six man tag could have had much more drama around its presentation. The match itself wasn’t bad at all but for what they were fighting for it seemed under promoted.”
On Wyatt Family and The Shield: “I was hoping for a little more from Bray Wyatt after his victory at the Royal Rumble. Nonetheless Wyatt had a really nice 24 hours and has separated himself from the pack.”
“The ‘separation from the pack’ theory isn’t fool proof nor does it happen quickly. Hopefully, all the newer talents such as the Shield, Wyatts, Big E, etc will be fully rolling by WM31. That’s not to say that they can’t or shouldn’t make a contribution at WM30 but rather the point is that the process takes time and something that many younger talents and fans don’t have….patience.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
After the resounding negative reaction that WWE received at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, there have been significant changes to WWE’s upcoming storyline plans.
As of this week, there is talk of Daniel Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Bryan winning the title at Elimination Chamber would accomplish several things. First, it would likely pop a big rating the RAW rating the following night, with the WWE Network launching as soon as RAW goes off the air. WWE is already planning on bringing in several major names (including Hulk Hogan) the RAW the night after Elimination Chamber. Secondly, it would change the previously planned Batista vs. Randy Orton WrestleMania main event, which WWE now feels is at risk of getting a very negative reaction from the rowdy WrestleMania crowd.
If Daniel Bryan does win the WWE World Heavyweight title at Elimination Chamber, the scenario that’s being discussed is for Randy Orton to invoke his rematch clause at WrestleMania, making the main event a triple threat match between Bryan, Batista and Orton.
In protest of Daniel Bryan not being entered in the Royal Rimble, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley smashes his television set.
The following are highlights from a new online Q&A update posted by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On whether or not not including Daniel Bryan in the Royal Rumble will hurt his popularity: “How does one judge an entire storyline while it is still being played out? I’m not smart enough to do such. I do think that Daniel Bryan is more popular today and is getting much more fan attention than at any time in his career. I’m curious to see what WWE does with this matter. It’s far from over in my view.”
On if he’d like to see a special attraction six-man tag between The Wyatt Family and Hulk Hogan, John Cena & Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania XXX: “That might work. As usual, it all depends on presentation and execution. What sounds good on paper isn’t always a guaranteed hit.”
On if they should include Daniel Bryan in the WMXXX main event to avoid a bad crowd reaction: “You might be right but the landscape can change drastically between now and April 6. I’d consider closing the PPV with Undertaker’s match assuming that he’s working on WM30.”
On the school-letter grade he would give the Royal Rumble: “Overall…B- or a C+.”
Check out more from JR’s latest Q&A update at JRsBarBQ.com.
– As noted earlier today, the Daniel Bryan/Royal Rumble story was covered by the BBC News website in the United Kingdom. According to web statistics, the story was actually the most viewed article on the entire website at one point. As of right now, the article is the fourth most viewed on the site.
– Mick Foley continues to make his feelings about Sunday’s Royal Rumble known. The WWE Hall Of Famer changed his official Twitter bio to read: “Not happy with the Royal Rumble.”
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 said about:
Feedback He Got After The Royal Rumble: “I don’t think that I have received as much impassioned feedback on a WWE PPV event in recent memory as I have over the past several hours after the Royal Rumble ended. Many fans were downright pissed and shared their venom with yours truly.”
Daniel Bryan’s Exclusion From The Rumble: “Firstly, the vast majority of fans wanted Daniel Bryan to win the Royal Rumble so that he would be in line for a WWE World Title match at WM30. That did not happen. Yet. Obviously, Daniel Bryan has made an amazing connection with the WWE fans and I’d venture to say that today, 24 hours after the Royal Rumble, that Daniel Bryan has NEVER been more popular in his entire career.”
“At this point, Daniel Bryan becoming WWE World Champion would be great but it certainly isn’t definitively necessary for DB to be ‘over.’ Daniel Bryan is ‘over’ and his fans are seemingly rallying behind him in a verbal show of solidarity and support. If Bryan embraces this support, then a happier ending is more likely to occur. Will all this soap opera-esque content actually lead to happier days for Daniel Bryan fans? My guess is yes unless the sports entertainment business has changed even more than I perceive. However, I do think that patience needs to be infused here and that’s something that many of us aren’t long on.”
“Personally, I’m happy to stay tuned and enjoy the Daniel Bryan bullet train ride to wherever its destination may be. I am a firm believer that great talents cannot be suppressed permanently and that there is a method to what is perceived to be the madness that is on going. The Daniel Bryan phenomenon will likely result into a spirited and emotional Monday Night RAW that will also include a healthy TV rating. How WWE addresses the DB ‘conspiracy’ and creates an interest in the Elimination Chamber on PPV has my curiosity.”
Roman Reigns’ Big Night: “Huge night in Pittsburgh for Roman Reigns who set a record with 12 eliminations of which I guessed might happen. Of course, some think that I received inside info on that matter but if they only knew how little I communicate with anyone in WWE they would change their tune. It was a creative calculation that made sense to me. Today, it still makes sense. Reigns is a future star and if he had won the Royal Rumble that would have been just fine with me. However, Reigns, as a fan favorite, chasing either villains Orton or Batista would be money matches. Reigns era is rapidly approaching. The foundation is being laid.”
Bray Wyatt’s Performance: “Bray Wyatt was another of the younger talents who had a break through night and was a bigger star after the Rumble than before it. The 300 pounder with a 2nd gear athletically rose to the occasion vs. Bryan and then got more ‘stretch’ being involved in Cena’s loss to Orton.”
His Overall Thoughts On The PPV: “I’d give the PPV a B- or C+ grade and I paid retail for it just like most fans and I am not clamoring for a ‘refund.’ In hindsight, could things have been executed differently? Absolutely. But isn’t that the case with any show biz entity or even most sporting events?”
– Paul Heyman tweeted the following after Brock Lesnar’s attack on Big Show at the Royal Rumble on Sunday:
. @mmagamer1 EVERYONE saw the true BEAST inside @BrockLesnar last night. @DanaWhite @WWE #EatSleepConquerRepeat
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) January 27, 2014
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin noted he will be addressing the Daniel Bryan crowd reactions at the Royal Rumble on his next edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Austin tweeted:
I will cover a few topics about #RoyalRumble on #steveaustinshow. Frustrated with lack of Daniel Bryan push? Questions@steveaustinshow.com
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) January 27, 2014
Got a shit pile of emails regarding last nights #RoyalRumble. Y'all sound a little pissed off. Interesting development…Stay tuned. #WWE
— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) January 27, 2014
– Following his return at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Sunday night, WWE has already released new Sheamus t-shirts.
– The cast of Educating Yorkshire did the Daniel Bryan “Yes!” chant on stage this past week after winning an award at the UK National Television Awards Show.
– The entire crowd at the Michigan State vs. Michigan college basketball game this past weekend did the “Yes!” chant once again. It has become a tradition at Michigan State basketball games for the fans to do the “Yes!” chant.
The exclusion of Daniel Bryan in the Royal Rumble match on Sunday night continues to be a hot topic in the wrestling world. The following are some Twitter comments from current and former WWE Superstars giving their take on the subject:
Brie Bella:
Daniel Bryan should of been in the #royalrumble He should be going for the championship! We hear you… http://t.co/WxpNUxGQg9
— The Bella Twins (@nicoleandbri) January 27, 2014
Lance Storm:
I don't understand why everyone is so upset, considering they got exactly what was advertised and everyone predicted. #RoyalRumble
— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) January 27, 2014
Shane “Hurricane” Helms:
Hey WWE I’m not trying to be rude but the crowd seems to really want Daniel Bryan. Juuuuuuust MAFAKIN Saying!! Geez
— Gregory Shane Helms (@ShaneHelmsCom) January 27, 2014
Armando Estrada:
It amazes me how much a company constantly ignores the feedback/suggestions of its customers! #Terribleforbusiness
— Armando Estrada (@RealArmandoHaHa) January 27, 2014
– WWE.com has ranked the “5 Coolest Moments” from last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view:
– BBC.co.uk has published an article about fans being outraged at Daniel Bryan being excluded from last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view:
“A WWE star has apologized to fans who were disappointed he did not appear in the Royal Rumble main event on Sunday.
Daniel Bryan blamed organizers for his exclusion from the match in the US.
“Sorry guys, the machine wanted me nowhere near the Royal Rumble match. But I thank everyone for their support,” he wrote on Twitter.
Some fans at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh appeared upset when they realized he would not appear.
Many people have also expressed anger on social media, with the phrases #RoyalRumble, #WWE and Daniel Bryan all trending on Twitter.”
According to several live reports from fans who were in attendance at last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Rumble winner Batista mocked Daniel Bryan after the show went off the air. After the show ended, Batista was walking around the ring and fans were mercilessly booing him. Batista proceeded to “flip off” several fans, which WWE officials were not happy with:
When Batista got to the entrance ramp, he then mocked Daniel Bryan by doing the “Yes!” hand motion before heading to the back. Check out this photo, courtesy of WrestlingINC:
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan posted a pair of interesting tweets on his official Twitter account following Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Bryan tweeted:
Sorry guys, the machine wanted me nowhere near the Royal Rumble match. But I thank everyone for their support. YOU are the #YESMovement
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 27, 2014
They try to keep US down and away from the top spots, but they can’t ignore the reactions forever. Keep voicing your opinions. #YESMovement
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 27, 2014
– Former on-air WWE personality Ricardo Rodriguez will be handling the Spanish commentary for tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble broadcast.
– Daniel Bryan tweeted the following regarding his match against Bray Wyatt at tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view:
It’s snowing hard in Pittsburgh. Going to be a cold day in hell tonight and Bray Wyatt better be prepared for war #RoyalRumble #YesMovement
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 26, 2014
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has posted a new blog on Facebook and gave his thoughts on tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Foley says he’s hoping for a surprise appearance from Jake Roberts and purchased a ‘nice, new, red brick’ that he plans to throw at his television if Daniel Bryan doesn’t win the Rumble. Here’s what he wrote:
WHO’S READY TO RUMBLE?
With the exception of Mania, this is the most wonderful day of the year for this wrestling fan. The Rumble match ALWAYS delivers – with plenty of drama, some humorous moments, and a couple of crowd-pleasing surprises each year. Like many of you, I’m hoping for an entry from Jake the Snake this year.
This year’s Rumble takes on an added dimension however. This year’s winner doesn’t get to choose his opponent, and become a participant in ONE of the main event matches at Wrestlemania; he becomes a participant in THE main event at Wrestlemania.
There is another added dimension to this year’s Rumble as well. In no other year that I can remember has there been such a groundswell of good-will towards one particular participant. I still have that brick – that nice, new, red brick – I purchased just for the Rumble (it’s right here beside me) and if DANIEL BRYAN doesn’t win this Rumble, I’m going to take that nice, new, red brick…and throw it through my television set.
I don’t expect you guys to take out your frustration on an innocent television set, but I do think there will be an AWFUL lot of AWFULLY disappointed WWE fans leaving the building tonight in Pittsburgh, and turning off their televisions around the world.
I like my TV. Here’s hoping that the nice, new, red brick I bought will never need to serve its purpose.
– Daniel Bryan returned to action on Saturday night at the WWE Live Event from the Canton Civic Center in Canton, Ohio. Bryan was pinned by Bray Wyatt in the Steel Cage main event due to interference from the Wyatt Family. After the match, Bryan laid out the entire Wyatt Family to end the show with a loud “Yes!” chant.
– NXT star Alexander Rusev wrestled at last night’s WWE Live Event from Reading, PA last night and defeated Zack Ryder.
John Cena defeated Randy Orton in the main event by DQ when Orton low blowed Cena.
Former WWE Superstar Snitsky was also backstage at the show. Here’s a photo of him with Justin Roberts:
Rumored Royal Rumble Surprise Entrants
One of the highlights of the annual January pay-per-view is the Royal Rumble surprise entrants surprise entrants. Here are some of the people who could be filling some of the 10 unannounced spots in the Rumble.
Sheamus: He’s been out of action since August with a torn labrum and will be making an appearance at the World of Wheels Auto Show in Pittsburgh the day before the Rumble.
Chris Jericho: Jericho made a surprise appearance at last year’s Royal Rumble and will also be in town with Sheamus for the World of Wheels auto show.
Kevin Nash: Nash will be hosting a party just outside of Pittsburgh the night before the Royal Rumble. He tweeted a photo of himself after dying his hair and goatee. He claimed this was for a TV pilot he’s working on – but could we see the return of Big Daddy Cool Diesel at the Royal Rumble?
Jake Roberts: Jake shocked the world on RAW a few weeks ago when he made his first WWE television appearance since 2005. He’s been pushing for a spot in the Rumble for months – will Jake get one last chance to mix it up in a WWE ring?
2 Cold Scorpio: Sunday’s Royal Rumble takes place from Pittsburgh, just a few hours away from Philadelphia (the home of ECW).
Scorpio’s return would be presented as an ECW tie-in, playing of the ECW footage that will be available on the WWE Network.
Jimmy Wang Yang: Jimmy Wang Yang is a good friend of Batista and attended two WWE live events in the past week. He tweeted on Wednesday:
My last few days have been pretty interesting I got question what's everybody favorite number? I'll tell you mine Sunday
— Daddy Yang (@akioyang) January 22, 2014
The Godfather/Papa Shango: Wade Barrett tweeted on Friday that he has forfeited his spot in the Royal Rumble. He hinted that his replacement has ties to voodoo, which he’s done over the past few years:
I've given up my spot in this year's #RoyalRumble to make way for a WWE legend. It's top secret, but just between us, here's a clue: Voodoo.
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) January 24, 2014
The Godfather made a surprise appearance in last year’s Rumble.
Daniel Bryan: Daniel Bryan is probably the top WWE superstar who is not currently booked for the Rumble. Bryan did an interview this week stating that despite Triple H not wanting him involved, he’s still “working on” getting a spot in the match.
We will update this page as more details become available regarding Royal Rumble surprise entrants. Keep in mind that these are just rumors at this point, but this is what we’re hearing so far.
Be here Sunday night for our Live Coverage of the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble. We’ll have the chat room open at 7PM (Eastern) and will have live ongoing results for the entire show. If you are not ordering the Royal Rumble on pay-per-view, this is the very best way to experience the show.
For even more Royal Rumble news (including who is most likely to win), visit 24Wrestling.com.
(News from f4wonline.com was used in this report)
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan was interviewed by StraitsTimes.com and spoke about a number of topics, including the fact that he is not currently scheduled to participate in Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
His Yes Chant:
“It’s happening all over the world and it’s really cool. I think this is the biggest reason for my success. The coolest thing is how the fans have gotten behind me. How they’ve joined the ‘Yes’ movement. It’s just been crazy. People will just break out in chants at any given time during a show and they do it all around the world. I love what I do and what I do is fun. I’m very confident in my ability to go out there and perform.”
Not Being Booked For The Royal Rumble Match:
“As of now, I’m not in the 30-man Royal Rumble match, I’m trying to get involved in it. (WWE) COO Triple H doesn’t want me anywhere in the Royal Rumble match.”
Getting Over Without WWE’s Full Support:
“The company doesn’t neccesarily want somebody like me at the top. I’m not what they think a WWE superstar should look like, but because the WWE fans have been so loud and vocal in their support of me, they kind of had to put me at the top of the card because people want to see it,” he noted proudly. I’m just thankful every day for how awesome my fans have been.”