— The unique manner in which Daniel Bryan is being promoted on television — as a “nerd” character — is the brainchild of Vince McMahon. When Michael Cole chastises the United States Champion over commentary, it’s largely the WWE Chairman feeding Cole lines than Cole developing his own insults.

— Evan Bourne is hopeful to return to the ring in time for WrestleMania after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. He is expected to be sidelined until at least February.

— Jerry Lawler’s flight to Minneapolis for Bragging Rights caught on fire and had to make an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York. The WWE Hall of Famer made mention of it during the pay-per-view broadcast.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

BUY IT HERE: SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 (Amazon.com)

The hosts of the Monday Night Mayhem Internet radio show sent in the following recap with THQ’s Bryan Williams, a developer of the new Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 video game:

THQ’s Bryan Williams Discusses The Release Of WWE’s SmackDown vs. RAW 2011, The Changes & Improvements From Last Year’s Game (Highlighted By The All-New “WWE Universe” & “Road to WrestleMania” Modes), The Feedback Received From WWE Superstars Thus Far, Which Match Was Focused On The Most (From A Game Designer’s Perspective), Taking The Royal Rumble Online For the First Time Ever, & Which Potential Additions Could Be Made As Part Of The Forthcoming DLC Release Later This Fall

THQ’s Bryan Williams was a featured guest on this week’s live edition (10/25/10) of the award-winning Monday Night Mayhem. You can feel the “MNM Fall Tour ’10” every Monday night (at 7PM ET/6PM CT).

• Listen Here: THQ’s Bryan Williams/Monday Night Mayhem Interview

Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:

The changes & improvements that THQ made from last year’s game (SmackDown vs. RAW 2010) to this year’s game (SmackDown vs. RAW 2011) & why the Hell in a Cell Match, from a game designer’s perspective, was focused on the most:

“Where do you start? We’ve added so much new content to 2011, which is a major feat, because SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 had a wealth of content as well. We added dynamic physics into the game for the first time and added it to all the objects in the game: tables, chairs, & all the objects that reside under the wrestling ring. It makes all the matches, like TLC or Chairs Match, or any match involving weapons that much more lifelike & representative of what you see on Pay-Per-View or weekly television. We also revamped the Hell in the Cell Match. Fans have been asking us for years to update that experience and for good reason. It was the match that needed the most attention. We enlarged the cell and made it more of the scope of the structure.”

Taking the Royal Rumble Match online for the first time ever:

“We redid the Royal Rumble match in 2010, and this year we brought it online. You could have up to 12 human players in the match, and I gotta tell you, it’s fun as hell. Even if you get eliminated, you’ll still be able to control a Superstar coming in from the 30, so you never have that feeling like you’re just watching the match and waiting to play.”

The feedback THQ has received from SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 thus far from the WWE superstars & which ones in particular will go as far to play the game as themselves:

“Yes, they play as themselves. That’s why they get so upset when their attributes are on the lower side of things. There’s a couple of guys that I know for a fact play the game, Kofi Kingston plays the game a bit, Dolph Ziggler plays the game, Evan Bourne plays it. Those are the guys I know for a fact plays the game, and Kofi is pretty good at it.”

Which potential additions could be made as part of the DLC (downloadable content) for SmackDown vs. RAW 2011, in addition to what’s being released later this fall & which one superstar he would love to see sooner vs. later into the game itself:

“I can’t really say. There has been some talks about maybe doing another one, but a decision hasn’t been made one way or another. I think what we’re gonna do is take a wait & see approach and see how the first couple of packs do, and if there’s success, and we get a lot of people downloading the DLC’s, I think that will definitely help & urge us to do a fourth pack. I would like to do another so we could get Daniel Bryan in the game, but all these decisions are not mine to make. I could only voice my decisions and hope & pray.”

Much more is included in Bryan’s highly-anticipated Mayhem return, including his thoughts on the game’s all-new “WWE Universe” mode, what fans can expect in this year’s “Road to WrestleMania” mode, the creation upgrades from SmackDown vs. RAW 2010, plus much more! Follow The Mayhem right now on Twitter (at www.Twitter.com/FeelTheMayhem), as one lucky Mayhem follower/listener will score a copy of the game for the Nintendo Wii this coming weekend! Eight more giveaway copies are coming your way throughout the rest of the “MNM Fall Tour ’10” leading through our “2010: Year In Review” special on December 27th. Log on to the official website of SmackDown vs. RAW 2011 (located at community.smackdownvsraw.com), and be sure to follow the “SD vs. RAW” franchise on Facebook & on Twitter right now (located respectively at www.Facebook.com/WWEGames & www.Twitter.com/WWEGames).

— There was talk coming out of Raw to continue portraying Daniel Bryan as a “geeky guy” who women find attractive. It would also allow Michael Cole to continue lambasting the United States Champion over commentary

— WWE.com is advertising The Nexus to make their first appearance on WWE Superstars tomorrow night. Also advertised for the show is a match between Darren Young and William Regal. Other matches taped for the broadcast include: Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Masters and MVP; Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov vs. Jimmy and Jey Uso.

— The “go home” show before WrestleMania XXVII, SmackDown on Apr. 1, will be similar to the past two years and feature cutaways from WrestleMania Axxess.

— There was talk coming out of Raw to continue portraying Daniel Bryan as a “geeky guy” who women find attractive. It would also allow Michael Cole to continue lambasting the United States Champion over commentary

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Daniel Bryan behaving as a “Ladies’ Man” may be integrated into his on-screen persona. The WWE Divas and Bryan celebrated with dancing following their respective scuffles with Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler.

— Though it was teased last night on Raw that Tyson Kidd could be turning heel following The Hart Dynasty’s latest loss, creative plans as of today were for him to remain babyface.

— The next special edition issue of WWE Magazine will be a 2011 Divas Calendar with the Divas in swimsuits. Among those featured on the cover include Michelle McCool, Eve Torres, Rosa Mendes and Kelly Kelly. The magazine officially hits newssstands next Tuesday.

source: www.f4wonline.com

Former WWE star Charlie Haas went on a rant last night on Twitter/charliehaas following Sheamus’ destruction of Daniel Bryan on RAW.

Haas, who has been on the wrong side of WWE’s hit-or-miss booking, said:

“WWE creative is a joke. Way to kill off Daniel Bryan. Your brightest youngest star. Michael Hayes must have written this sh**. Please retire.”

Responding to a fan who challenged Haas’ comments above, he wrote:

“Don’t be a mark. They all have a say in the writing. Hayes is the most powerful of them all. He can change anything on any show.”

Haas followed up with the following, saying WWE has a deep roster, but creative only focuses on building up a handful of stars.

“There is great talent in WWE, they just don’t know how or refuse to write for them all. When the Monday night wars were going on, everyone on the roster had a story line. From Crash Holly to Stone Cold. Its an easy formula. Look at ROH everyone on the roster has a story line and is used. Not to be biased, but facts are facts. Every wrestler is unique and brings something to the table, that is what is great about the pro wrestling business.”

“As much as my passion was suppressed at WWE, my desire to prove all wrong burns .. I’m not done. But am done talking about WWE creative. New chapter. A lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for WWE time and the WWE fans.”

Don’t forget to follow SEScoops on Twitter at Twitter.com/sescoops.

– Reigning Ring of Honor champion Tyler Black reported to Florida Championship Wrestling this week. He participated in this week’s training sessions and is expected to finish up with Ring of Honor next month.

– TNA Wrestling has released former X-Division and Tag Team champion Homicide. Homicide wrote on Twitter:

“my tna days is over, thank u for the staff members and the boys and girls in the locker room, had a great run, bbllaattt187 for life.”

He also noted he would be taking the next month off to rest his body before announcing his next move.

-  After being forced to pull out of a scheduled independent show on 8/28 due to WWE commitments, Daniel Bryan will be making it up to the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) by appearing at their 9/11 show.  NYWC sent out the following today:

WWE’s Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) is confirmed for Sept 11

We here at the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) are pleased to announce that Bryan Danielson who is currently known as Daniel Bryan in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will be appearing at “Never Back Down” on September 11, 2010 at the Sports Arena in St. James, NY. Bryan felt terrible about canceling his prior scheduled appearances with the NYWC and the WWE has allowed him to compete for us on September 11th. We would like to thank Bryan and WWE for going above and beyond for our fans to make his appearance possible. Make sure to purchase your tickets right away because this event will sell out fast! Tickets to “Never Back Down” are available now at NYWCWrestling.com.

Credit: PWInsider.com

In his latest blog update, WWE superstar Daniel Bryan discusses his surprise return to WWE at SummerSlam.

“Even though I love the independent scene, being the surprise 7th member of Team WWE at SummerSlam was by far the biggest opportunity of my career. Coming out in the Staples Center and walking past The Miz to go fight with Nexus was an amazing experience and something I’ll never forget. And though I always feel I can do better, I was thrilled to be able to tap out two Nexus members before I was eliminated.”

He continued:

“I know I still have a long way to go to reach my dream and I still have many naysayers (mainly The Miz and Michael Cole, but there are others), but I’m thankful for all of you who have had my back during an uncertain period in my life.  The WWE Universe is unreal and I will work my hardest to try to entertain some of the most loyal people on the planet.  See you at the arenas!”

Daniel Bryan also urged fans to support their local independent wrestling promotions, where you can see the Superstars of tomorrow learning their craft.

Daniel Bryan will begin working RAW live events on August 28th in Wildwood, New Jersey in a match with John Cena and Chris Jericho vs. Nexus. He was originally booked for a NYWC independent show on that date in Long Island, New York. Before returning to WWE at SummerSlam, Bryan had been booked for several independent shows in the coming weeks. He will be fulfilling the obligations that do not conflict with his new WWE schedule, but won’t make that NYWC show.

Bryan has changed his Twitter name once again to Twitter.com/WWEDanielBryan.

— Scotland based newspaper The Sunday Mail ran a piece on Tiffany’s arrest last week in Los Angeles, California following a domestic incident involving husband and fellow WWE performer Drew McIntyre at their hotel on August 8.

Regarding the incident, McIntyre said it was a “complete misunderstanding.” He added, I can’t say anything else until it’s cleared up, which will be very soon.”

— WWE’s upcoming DVD set on John Cena has been titled The John Cena Experience
. The three-disc set will be released on Nov. 16.

— The official WWE website has deleted the article prematurely announcing Daniel Bryan’s surprise appearance at SummerSlam.

– Some of the celebrities at WWE’s SummerSlam Kickoff party this weekend included Lou Ferrigno, Verne Troyer, Lauren Storm, Joe Manganiello of True Blood fame, former RAW host Clark Duke, Carmen Electra and Booboo Stewart of Twilight fame, who is also a TNA website columnist. Rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri was the DJ for the party.

– WWE was taking signs from fans as they entered the Staples Center for last night’s SummerSlam event. WWE usually takes signs before the show goes on the air in the crowd. WWE confiscated all Daniel Bryan or Bryan Danielson signs and had pre-made signs to give to fans in exchange for any signs they had that WWE didn’t want in the crowd. Fans noted that there was a big stack of Daniel Bryan signs that were taken at the door.

– According to our sources, the decision to bring Daniel Bryan back for SummerSlam was made a few days ago. The talk backstage last night is that Bryan will get a United States Title shot against The Miz at WWE’s Night of Champions pay-per-view.

– As of Monday morning, Daniel Bryan is the 6th most searched term on Google.com. (Google’s Hot Trends)

– Former WWE Diva Candice Michelle was backstage at SummerSlam visiting friends.

The official WWE website spoiled a surprise set for tonight’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event as an article titled “Daniel Bryan Returns at Summerslam!” was posted before the NXT season one rookie’s return took place.

Here is the article in its entirety:

Daniel Bryan returns!
Written: August 15, 2010

LOS ANGELES – The Miz really milked it. The United States Champion and Mr. Money in the Bank thought that he had Team WWE by the short and curlies. Before the 7-on-7 Tag Team Elimination Match, Miz even insisted on John Cena and Bret Hart begging him to join them.

While Cena did appear on the TitanTron to address Miz, he wasn’t there to stroke The Cleveland Screamer’s ego. Instead, he informed the entire WWE Universe that Team WWE’s seventh man would be none other than a former member of The Nexus, Daniel Bryan.

A humiliated Miz, Bryan’s former WWE Pro on season one of WWE NXT, went apoplectic at being slighted and let everyone within earshot know of his dissatisfaction. As for Bryan, he had one word to describe the development: Awesome

(source: www.f4wonline.com)

— Shawn Michaels, who believed Bryan Danielson’s termination from WWE to legitimate, was said to be furious upon learning the news. For those unaware, Michaels is Danielson’s original wrestling trainer.

— Shad Gaspard, who hasn’t appeared on WWE programming in over a month, has in fact been sent down to developmental. Officials intended to push Gaspard as a top heel on SmackDown due to his size and speaking ability, but his failure to get over resulted in the demotion.

— Tough Enough 3 winner Matt Cappotelli now holds a job as a personal trainer at the Ideal Fitness center in Louisville, Kentucky.

— WWE is asking for feedback on whether the recently released Daniel Bryan should be brought back to the company. The following message was posted on the company’s Facebook account: “It’s been the hottest topic for the WWE Universe in recent memory, so let’s talk about it. Here’s your LIKE/DISLIKE of the Day: “WWE should re-sign NXT Season 1 Rookie Daniel Bryan. (Click LIKE to agree, or click COMMENT to tell us why you disagree.)”

— Dubbed “Operation Summer Slam,” law enforcement agencies including Tampa police, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Temple Terrace police teamed up Tuesday morning to make arrests on hundreds of outstanding warrants. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is no stranger to professional wrestling as numerous grapplers have wound up in their jail cell over the years including Wade Barrett, Eddie Guerrero, Andrew Martin, Santino Marella, and Ted DiBiase, Jr., among others.

— It has been confirmed that Chris Masters has an account on Twitter. You can visit his page here.

— WWE has registered a trademark on the name “Showtime Percy Watson.” Speaking of Watson, the NXT Rookie already has heat on him for something he did backstage at television last week, reports www.f4wonline.com.

— In response to being asked to sign a petition to bring Daniel Bryan back to WWE, Dolph Ziggler retorted the following on Twitter: “Why would i sign a petition to bring back someone who never even made it to the WWE roster??? Idiots….”

— Jinder Mahal and referee Ryan Tran have been added to Florida Championship Wrestling’s online roster.

Under the name “Tiger” Raj Singh, Mahal worked in Canada for the PWA and Stampede Wrestling promotions. He held titles in both groups before signing with the WWE earlier this year. He was trained at the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo.

Tran began in FCW a few months ago following Aaron “Goose” Mahoney’s promotion to the main roster and an injury suffered by Justin King.

[poll id=”20″]

Bryan Danielson

WWE announced on Friday that NXT season 1 rookie Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) was released effective immediately and wished him the best in all future endeavors. People in WWE, including the creative team, were told that Danielson was fired for his conduct during the NXT Invasion angle on last week’s RAW. He was shown choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie during and spit on WWE champion John Cena during the heated angle.

The industry buzz is that a very powerful person outside of WWE complained to Vince McMahon about Danielson’s choking of Justin Roberts and deemed it too violent for WWE’s PG audience. There’s talk that Danielson broke a company protocol that was put in place after the Chris Benoit tragedy that nobody is to use ropes or other objects to choke opponents. Exactly who made the complaint isn’t known. but there’s speculation that it could be someone from Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign.

Read More: Jim Ross Comments On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release & Future

The within WWE is that Bryan Danielson is being thrown under the bus. The company apparently does want to bring him back once the whole thing blows over. He has a 90-day no compete clause, but after that time would be free to join TNA.

For what it’s worth, Danielson has been described as having a great attitude backstage during his brief WWE run and was liked by most.

Bryan Danielson changed his Twitter account from to Twitter.com/bryandanielson. He wrote on Saturday:

“Just changed my twitter name to Bryan Danielson. The winds of change are stirring.”

On Sunday, he followed up with:

“Biding my time, waiting for the right moment to speak.”

Update: WWE Champion John Cena has posted a lengthy message on Twitter regarding Danielson’s WWE release. Check it out here: John Cena Comments On Daniel Bryan’s WWE Release

Despite the fact that that many within WWE still think Daniel Bryan’s release is a work and part of an angle, all indications are that he has indeed been released.

For those who haven’t been following the story, Bryan was released after a (still unknown) powerful figure complained that Bryan’s conduct during the NXT invasion on RAW went beyond what the company allows on television. Bryan choked ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie and spit on John Cena, which WWE management considered grounds for releasing him.

WWE officials have told everyone in the company about Bryan’s release – from executives to the marketing department. Bryan is already seeking work on the independent scene. The final decision to release Bryan was made early Friday and he was informed shortly before WWE announced it on the company website.

WWE gave Bryan the impression that they would work together in the future, but for now – he’s a casualty of company politics.

Danielson’s last match with WWE was on Wednesday night at the FCW event in Florida where he took part in a continuation of the NXT invasion.

Obviously the invasion angle will be hurt now with his departure as he was considered the most well-rounded star of the group.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on Daniel Bryan’s WWE release this week.

“I was surprised to get up Saturday morning and to read that Daniel Bryan or Bryan Danielson had been released from WWE,” wrote Ross. “I am not sure of the exact circumstances and until that information is confirmed it’s hard to make any definitive comments. Bryan is a talented wrestler who is not going to have any trouble finding work. His in ring style is unique, the young man has certainly paid his ‘dues,’ what ever that means now days, and he’s arguably the most talked about performer on NXT.”

Ross acknowledges that Daniel Bryan is in a unique position to capitalize on the strong push he’s had in recent weeks, culminating with him laying out WWE champion John Cena in his final WWE appearance.

“Certainly Bryan leaves WWE with momentum and with more fans knowing his name than at any point in his career,” Ross said. “Plus, who is to say that Bryan will never return to WWE? There may be a great deal more to this matter than any of us know or, honestly, need to know at this time.”

(Credit to F4Wonline.com for some of the info used in this report)

People in WWE, including the creative team, were told that Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) was fired for choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie during the NXT invasion angle on RAW this past Monday.

The shot was edited from replays of the angle and was described as being too violent for what WWE allows on it’s programming.

There’s talk that a very powerful person (either in WWE or from the USA Network) complained to WWE officials about the angle, claiming that Bryan’s choking of Justin Roberts was way too extreme for the children who may have been watching.

The feeling within the WWE locker room is that Daniel Bryan is being uused as a scapegoat. WWE apparently does want to bring him back once the whole thing blows over.

For what it’s worth, Danielson has been described as having a great attitude backstage and “the type of person you would want your locker room filled with.”

WWE made the following announcement on their official website late Friday night:

“WWE has come to terms on the release of NXT first season rookie Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) as of today June 11, 2010. We wish Daniel Bryan the best in all future endeavors.”

After checking with our sources in WWE, it appears the release of Daniel Bryan is legit. WWE executives Donna Goldsmith and Michelle Wilson were informed of Daniel Bryan’s release before the news was made public.

While it’s still possible that this is part of a storyline and this could be another example of  WWE’s new initiative feature more realistic elements in their storytelling, the fact that WWE executives were informed of the release first leads us to believe it’s legit.

– After the Undertaker suffered a broken orbital bone during his match with Rey Mysterio on the May 28th edition of WWE SmackDown, WWE ran a storyline on last week’s show to explain the Dead Man’s absence from television.

Teddy Long opened the show to announce The Undertaker was found by Kane in a vegetative state over the weekend.  Druids come out signing and walking with a casket to the ring. Kane came out and said The Undertaker is gone from WWE. He vows to find out who did this to his brother and says he will hunt them down and make them pay. Later in the show, Rey Mysterio won a battle royal to earn the Undertaker’s vacated spot in the World Heavyweight title match at Fatal 4 Way later this month.

The Undertaker is expected to be out for several months due to this injury. The latest talk is that SummerSlam is an optimistic return date for the Undertaker’s return, but other plans will be made in case he needs more time off.

WWE NXT rookie Daniel Bryan has updated his WWE Universe blog .. Here’s what Bryan said about:

Michael Cole’s Commentary: “I’m fascinated by Michael Cole’s commentary. For all of his talk of me being a computer geek, I suspect I spend less time on the Internet than just about anyone in the WWE, including him,” Bryan said. “I am probably some sort of geek/nerd…but more of the classic book reading, record listening, don’t know anything about what’s going on in popular culture type nerd.”

This Week’s Keg Carry Contest: “I did not do well in the keg carrying competition this week. I’ve never carried a keg in my entire life nor do I expect to carry one ever again. But, if you judge the competition by who held onto the keg the longest, I clearly won,” Bryan said. “I don’t have any idea how keg racing has any relation to wrestling…but such is life. Perhaps next week we can have a Scrabble competition inside a steel cage with Diva lumberjills on the outside to make sure nobody interferes.

He also revealed that his signature maroon tights were a gift from William Regal after the two trained together back in the early 2000’s.  It’s a good read from one of NXT’s top stars.

WWE NXT rookie Daniel Bryan has updated his WWE Universe blog with his thoughts on Shawn Michaels’ retirement, as well as people backstage in WWE who do not think he’s got what it takes to be a star.

Bryan, who was trained by Shawn Michaels’ Texas Wrestling Academy school a decade ago, says he spoke with his former teacher following WrestleMania. “I was able to speak with him briefly Sunday night, and he told me that it was my time now and if I ever needed anything to just let him know. Words cannot express my gratitude for the great training he gave me, and for his support. I’m sure he will miss wrestling, but wrestling will miss him even more.”

Bryan, who broke into wrestling through Shawn Michaels’s TWA training school ten years ago, also talked about not being liked by “some backstage” and continued to play up the TV storyline where his perceived lack of charisma and size is an issue.

“I know I’m not what WWE usually looks for in a Superstar. It’s quite obvious by Michael Cole’s commentary that he doesn’t think I have what it takes and I know there are even more people in the back who think the same thing. They doubt my mic skills and they doubt whether the WWE Universe can get behind someone who looks as plain as I do…but none of them doubt my in ring ability,” Bryan said.

“I may not be what the WWE looks for when they’re recruiting, but most of the people they recruit don’t have the passion for this business that people like Shawn Michaels have. I do, and I’ve proven it over the last ten years. I will outwork, outsmart and outclass 99.9% of the muscleheads and pretty boys that they think have the right ‘look.'”

— Local advertising in the Richmond, Virginia area is promoting the Apr. 26 edition of Monday Night Raw at The Richmond Coliseum as a three-hour WWE Draft spectacular. The show will mark as the 2010 roster draft with Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown changing sides. Ticketmaster.com is running a pre-sale for the event through 10:00 p.m. tonight. The pre-sale code is DRAFT.

— Eve Torres and WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel are in Phoenix today doing media and making appearances to promote WrestleMania. Torres noted on her Twitter account that she will be throwing out the first pitch at today’s Los Angeles Dodgers spring training game at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix. She will also be taking part in an autograph signing with Finkel today at 2:30 p.m. at Food City (located 9020 W. Thomas Rd. Phoenix, Arizona). Finally, both Torres and Finkel will be on 101.5 JamZ tonight with the SuperSnake at 5:00 p.m.

— Daniel Bryan has been sparring with David Hart Smith as of late, working on European Catch-style takedowns. The Hart Dynasty member has been training this particular style in recent months. (source: PWInsider.com)

*SPOILER* on the 10th Money in the Bank participant ->

— WWE diva Maria Kanellis has been released. Maria had been with WWE since competing in the 2004 Diva Search competition (she placed 5th) and was voted the 2009 Diva of the Year.

– Daniel Bryan wrote the following on Twitter regarding the NXT premiere:

“Finally saw the NXT debut. I was proud of my performance but definitely saw areas I could improve. I need a better mentor!”

Follow Daniel Bryan & 80+ Wrestlers & Divas at PWTweets.com.

sources: PWInsider.com, Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— WWE has reportedly purchased the Ultimate Pro Wrestling video library.

The California-based UPW — which is now defunct — was often used as a training ground for prospective wrestling talent as it was stepping stone in the development of many past and present mainstream performers including John Cena, Samoa Joe, Chris Masters, Tara (a/k/a Victoria), Christopher Daniels, Jon Heidenreich, The Miz, Melina, Sim Snuka, Mike Knox, SoCal Val and Lena Yada.

— Vince McMahon was reportedly pleased with Daniel Bryan’s performance on last night’s premiere episode of WWE NXT as he felt they made him “a star” in one night as a result of his interaction with The Miz and match with Chris Jericho.

— The final episode of ECW drew a 1.14 cable rating with 1.45 million viewers, up from its final weeks.