– During a backstage interview at RAW that aired exclusively on the WWE mobile app, Paul Heyman told Matt Striker that Triple H is crazy to fight Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania under unknown stipulations. Heyman said “the game is on” and Triple H has been outplayed.
– As seen on RAW, WWE and Kmart are running their annual WrestleMania promotion where fans can buy a limited-edition WrestleMania 29 chair for “only” $79.99 when they purchase $30 worth of WWE merchandise at the store.
– Kevin Nash noted on Twitter that he is currently overseas in Venice, Italy shooting an episode for the A&E show Celebrity Ghost Stories.
– Here is the promo for The Call that aired on RAW featuring Halle Berry, David Otunga and Kane:
– The official WWE website has announced that Triple H will appear at this Monday’s Raw in Buffalo, New York.
“The Game” returned on Monday’s show to brawl with Brock Lesnar, who was about to attack Vince McMahon again after defending Paul Heyman from McMahon’s retaliations. WWE teases, “The Game’s plans are known only to him, but it’s only a few days until he lets the WWE Universe — and Lesnar — in on his next move. Be sure to tune in to Raw Monday at 8/7 CT on USA Network to see what happens!”
– Highlights from this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are now available online, with Brodus Clay and Tensai facing Primo and Epico, and Kofi Kingston facing David Otunga (match available here).
– Ryback is today’s featured Superstar on WWE.com.
– WWE wrestler David Otunga was interviewed by DreadCentral.com and shared an interesting story about getting on-the-job training from the LAPD and encountering a confused WWE fan during the filming of WWE Studios’ “The Call” starring Halle Berry:
“One of the funniest calls we responded to was that a guy had threatened to stab someone’s dog. So, we rolled up, and the victim comes out, and he starts staring at me, and he’s like, ‘Wait a minute, this is going to sound crazy, but aren’t you David Otunga?’ And, I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ And he’s like, ‘I watch you on WWE every week! Wait a minute; what are you doing with the cops? Are you a cop now?'”
– Tyson Kidd posted the following Tout video on Friday:
“Making advancements. Stability starts with the core. Loving physical therapy, building a better version #workhorse”
– WWE’s SmackDown brand will be touring South Africa this summer, with five shows running from July 30th – August 3rd. The following dates have been announced:
* 7/30 at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, Western Cape
* 7/31 at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, Western Cape
* 8/1 at the Westridge Stadium in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal
* 8/2 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, Gauteng
* 8/3 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, Gauteng
Superstars advertised to appear include Alberto Del Rio, Big Show, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow and of course, South Africa’s own Justin Gabriel.
– The following poster has been released for the upcoming WWE Studios movie “The Call” starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin and featuring David Otunga:
– Tickets for WWE RAW the night after WrestleMania 29 from East Rutherford, NJ will go on pre-sale week.
– R-Truth is headed to Qatar to promote WWE’s upcoming tour dates there. Truth has been out of action since December when he suffered a nasty gash on his knee during WWE’s TLC pay-per-view.
– David Otunga was on the field at Sunday night’s Super Bowl, where his wife, Jennifer Hudson, performed America the Beautiful. He posted this picture on Instagram with the caption, “So proud of Momma!”
– Here is this week’s edition “What Was Cut From Raw on Hulu,” courtesy of Kaleb Perkins:
– The video package showing Bob Barker hosting
– Kane vs. Damien Sandow
-Josh Mathews interviewing Brodus Clay about what Punk said about Clay on last week’s Raw.
– The video package on the contract signing with Mr. McMahon and Donald Trump for their Hair vs. Hair match at WrestleMania 23.
– CM Punk vs. Brodus Clay & CM Punk’s post-match promo
– The video package on the best vehicular moments on Raw.
– The backstage segment with Mick Foley and The Rock, which gets interrupted by Vickie Guerrero.
– Sheamus vs. 3MB )Over the Top Challenge match).
– Josh Mathews interviewing John Cena about his steel cage match with Dolph Ziggler.
– Miz coming out to hint who his guest would be on MizTV.
– The video package on Mike Tyson coming to WrestleMania, that Steve Austin interrupts and both men get into a brawl.
– Daniel Bryan vs. Cody Rhodes
– The video package showing Matt Striker interviewing Eve on the WWE Active app, with Eve “quitting” WWE.
– The backstage segment with AJ and Big E Langston on the weddings that happened on Raw, which includes a Dolph Ziggler promo on his steel cage match with John Cena.
– The entrance of Jim Ross coming to ringside to call the steel cage match
– David Otunga is interviewed in the new issue of WWE Magazine and had this to say about the success of the former members of Nexus:
“I think everybody has been doing great. We pretty much are the new top guys of WWE. We’re all here now. Ryback just contested a championship match, and he’s got another one coming up. Daniel Bryan has been a champion before and Wade Barrett is well on his way. Heath Slater has his own crew now. I just filmed my first movie with Halle Berry. I think it all turned out better than we planned.”
– WWE superstars Cody Rhodes and The Miz exchanged some trash talk on Twitter following Monday’s RAW. Rhodes Tweeted:
Not mad. I'll still be competing at #RAW30 all while Yoshi will still be pretending to not speak English, Miz still learning the figure-four
– Here’s an updated look at The Rock’s upcoming movie release schedule, courtesy of IMDB.com:
* February 22 – “Snitch”
* March 29 – “G.I. Joe”
* April 26 – “Pain and Gain”
* May 24 – “Fast 6”
* June 10 – “Empire State”
When you consider how many movies he has coming out in the coming months and how much promotional work he’ll be doing for each one, it’s amazing how many dates he’s committed to appear on WWE television in the buildup to the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 29:
– BlackFilm.com is reporting that the upcoming the WWE Studios film “The Hive”starring Halle Berry and features WWE star David Otunga, has been renamed “The Call.”
The movie also has a new release date, and will premiere in theaters on March 15th.
– Prior to WWE’s TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chair broadcast, JTG beat David Otunga via Da Shout Out in a dark match. JTG, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, the site of the show, received a good reaction from the hometown crowd.
The announced attendance for WWE’s first event at the Barclays Center was sold-out crowd of 15,748.
– WWE has released the trailer for its next pay-per-view event, Royal Rumble, taking place January 27, 2013. Advertising for the event is centered on the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who vowed to challenge for the WWE Championship.
– Josh Matthews issued the following Tout promoting tomorrow’s Slammy Awards edition of Raw.
– WWE Superstar David Otunga is visiting troops today in Virginia, visiting the USS Porter battleship and taking part in a dodgeball tournament with servicemen. Otunga got a trophy for being the MVP of the dodgeball tournament and posted a picture of himself holding the trophy at Twitter.com.
– Rob Van Dam is cautioning off an event-worn “Mr. Monday Night” singlet on eBay.com. The Buy It Now price is $1,000.
– Dr. James Andrews posted the following video on Tout about the knee surgery he performed on CM Punk earlier this week:
– This week on WWE Superstars, Zack Ryder comes up short to Tensai in their one-on-one encounter. The match concludes with the former Prince Albert catching Ryder on his Rough Ryder attempt and slamming him with the Chokebomb, then hitting the Running senton to capture the victory. It is Tensai’s first victory since the October 18 episode of WWE Superstars.
Brodus Clay also takes on David Otunga on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars.
– WWE Hall of Famer George “The Animal” Steele is writing an autobiography, entitled Animal. The book is scheduled for released next spring and WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bill Watts will be writing the foreword.
– Mark Henry is featured in the “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.. “The World’s Strongest Man” has been sidelined since May after undergoing shoulder surgery.
– WWE has released a special magazine chronicling 2012 in photos.
– WWE.com has a feature up looking at John Cena’s various t-shirt designs over his 10 year career.
– South Carolina’s PostandCourier.com has an article up looking at WWE’s David Otunga and Natalya visit to Mary Ford Elementary school on Tuesday for a “Be A Star” anti-bullying rally. Otunga, a 230 pound beast with one of the biggest physiques in WWE, told the students that he bullied as a child for being short, chubby, wearing thick glasses and being a good student.
The bullying eventually stopped after he told a trusted teacher about what was going on. The teacher held a meeting where Otunga could confront his bullies and explain the effects of the harassment. “They didn’t realize how their words affected me,” Otunga said. “The bullying stopped.”
As for critics who claim pro wrestling sells violence to viewers, Otunga replied that “the good always triumphs over the bad. If you watch the storylines from beginning to end, yes, there are bullies, but the moral of it is that they never win.”
– As reported last night, Thomas Latimer, who appears as Kenneth Cameron for WWE’s developmental league, NXT, was arrested late Thanksgiving Eve in St. Petersburg, Florida, on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly intoxication. He was taken into custody to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and released on $5,100 bail, with the battery charge costing $5,000 and the disorderly intoxication charge costing $100. According to PWInsider.com, he was released from his contract with WWE following the arrest.
– Highlights of this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, featuring Santino Marella vs. David Otunga, and Brodus Clay vs. JTG, are now online.
– WWE superstar The Miz attended Friday night’s NBA basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN.com. Miz was there to promote tonight’s Survivor Series PPV from Indianapolis.
– WWE stars AJ Lee, David Otunga and Alicia Fox volunteered at Gleaner’s Food Bank in Indiana over the weekend. Here are some Tweets sent out about the event:
Gleaner’s Food Bank: “@WWEAJLee all the volunteers made a huge difference in the lives of many children today! Thanks a ton again for comin out today AJ”
AJ Lee: “Food banks like @GleanersFBIndy have helped my family and I very much over the years. Good people. Felt amazing to give back even a little.”
David Otunga: “Giving is good for the soul! RT @nadjima69: @WWEUniverse@GleanersFBIndy David Otunga is really generous”
Check out these pictures of AJ, David Otunga & Alicia Fox volunteering at Gleaner’s Food Bank:
– After it was announced that the Hostess food company filed for bankruptcy, WWE superstar David Otunga went on a spree buying up all the Hostess Twinkies, coffee cakes and donuts he could find. He told TMZ.com, “I don’t want my son to go without Twinkies.” Fair enough. Check it out:
– In this week’s edition of “WWE Inbox,” Eve, David Otunga and others name which of their peers they could see in the White House. Also, Superstars share their most embarrassing pocket dials.
– John Cena is featured on the cover of the December 2012 issue of WWE Magazine. The headline reads – “JOHN CENA – Ultimate Main Event Superstar!” Also featured are the 25 Most Apocalyptic In-Ring Moments, Superstar Scars and Daniel Bryan’s “Startling Secret.”
– Matt Hardy will be the guest tonight live on “In Your Head” beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST. Listen and chat live www.IYHwrestling.com call in and talk to him yourself at 508-644-8503.
– WWE Champion CM Punk is set to appear in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving day parade in Chicago, which will air live on the WGN television network.
– WWE superstar David Otunga will be appearing on Oprah’s OWN network at 8PM tonight on the show LifeClass, hosted by Joel Osteen. The episode will focus on Otunga decision to give up his law career to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler. Oprah will also be appearing on the episode.
– As previously reported, John Cena has been wrestling Dolph Ziggler on WWE’s current European tour. According to fans who have attended some of the shows, their matches have been excellent, with both men having great chemistry together.
It hasn’t been announced yet, but they are expected to wrestle at WWE Survivor Series in 13 days.
Here’s a video clip of Dolph Ziggler hitting Cena with Sweet Chin Music during one of their matches from over the weekend:
– WWE returns to the Galaxie Hall in Amneville, France on April 24, 2013 at 8 PM.
– WWE is advertising the following two items for Monday’s RAW:
* Referee Brad Maddox will speak about his actions at Hell in a Cell, where he cost Ryback the match
* Vickie Guerrero will present video evidence of John Cena and AJ Lee’s affair.
– WWE officials are working to figure out how they can get David Otunga over. They are impressed with his ring work, his physique and his Hollywood connections, but he’s not connecting with live crowds and has been used only sparingly since he was aligned with John Laurinaitis earlier this year.
– As seen Monday on Raw, Wade Barrett complained to program General Manager AJ Lee about not competing on the show. He did wrestle earlier as he faced Tyson Kidd in a match taped for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars.
In a second match taped for the show, David Otunga took on Michael McGillicutty in a battle of former Nexus members.
– As reported earlier, one of the theme songs for WWE Hell in a Cell is “Sandpaper,” the lead single off of the Chris Jericho–fronted metal band Fozzy’s latest album, “Sin and Bones.” The song’s music video premiered tonight on WWE.com.
– WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia appears on The Nick and Artie Show tonight, which airs at 1:00 a.m. on DirecTV’s Audience Network.
– Mexican professional wrestler and WCW alumnus El Dandy turns 50-years-old on Tuesday.
– Jesse Neal, who is coming to Malone, New York on Saturday to sign autographs, is featured in a local newspaper and it notes that he’s interested in performing at WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops in honor of the friends he lost in the Navy. (Thanks to Kyle)
Neal served in the United States Navy from 1998 to 2002, where he reached the rank of petty officer. He was on board USS Cole when it was suicide bombed on October 12, 2000. Neal has a tattoo on his right forearm of the initials of his best friend, who was killed in the attack.
– According to WrestlingFigs.com, a commercial aired during Raw in the New York area confirming that WWE’s annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view event will take place Sunday, December 16 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tickets for the show go on sale Saturday, October 6 via Ticketmaster.
– WWE Divas Champion Eve and David Otunga met with Miss Connecticut USA Marie-Lynn Piscitelli and fans at the 10th annual Connecticut Women’s Expo over the weekend. WWE.com has published photos of their appearance.
– The official WWE website published an article Monday ranking the 20 most impressive physiques in WWE history. The late “Ravishing” Rick Rude tops the list, with the website noting that he “possessed the most chiseled physique in WWE history.”
The rankings are as follows: 20. Lance Storm, 19. Dolph Ziggler, 18. Antonino Rocca, 17. Shelton Benjamin, 16. Beth Phoenix, 15. Cody Rhodes, 14. Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, 13. “Sailor” Art Thomas, 12. Mr. McMahon, 11. R-Truth, 10. Brock Lesnar, 9. Goldberg, 8. Batista, 7. Rocky Johnson, 6. David Otunga, 5. Lex Luger, 4. The Rock, 3. Triple H, 2. John Cena, 1. “Ravishing” Rick Rude
An elated Glamazon commented on the ranking via Twitter: “To be the only Diva honored on @WWE .com’s Most Impressive Physiques in History topped by Rick Rude is surreal!! #allthesweatwasworthit.”
– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking whether there should be a limit on how long a person can remain General Manager. “No. A GM should be able to remain in power as long as they do a good job” is currently leading 65% to 35% for “Yes. A constant flow of new GMs would keep things fresh and fair.”
– Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.
– Jim Ross announced on Twitter Sunday evening that he and Michael Cole will call Monday’s Raw at Times Union Center in Albany, New York.
– The official WWE website has an article looking at seven classic factions and reimagining them with current Superstars and Divas. One dream sequence includes John Cena betraying fans to reform the nWo.
Article writer Kevin Powers states, “Who could possibly comprise the modern incarnation of the most notorious faction of all time? It would take a major betrayal of the WWE Universe akin to Hulk Hogan’s original collusion with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. The only Superstar capable of such an impactful move would be none other than John Cena.
“When Hogan deceived WCW, he was as polarized as Cena. Some still loved the classic red and yellow, others were tired of it. Judging by Cena’s reactions in various arenas all over the country, the same can be said for his creed of “hustle, loyalty and respect.” The Cenation leader could eventually just have his fill of “Cena sucks” chants, grab a can of black spray-paint and really give the WWE Universe something to “boo” about.”
Powers recreates the New World Order with Randy Orton and Christian in the role of a veteran tandem similar to The Outsiders, Big Show as a returning member, Michael McGillicutty following in the footsteps of alumnus and father Curt Hennig, David Otunga as a legal adviser, and Michael Cole fulfilling Eric Bischoff’s role as a loud and obnoxious mouthpiece.
Matches taped Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were Tyson Kidd vs. David Otunga, and The Prime Time Players vs. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso.
A taping was also held for WWE Saturday Morning Slam on The CW. Bouts taped were Sin Cara vs. Jinder Mahal, and Justin Gabriel vs. Zack Ryder.
A dark match was held before both tapings as Kofi Kingston beat WWE developmental wrestler Dean Ambrose following Trouble In Paradise.
