– John Cena and Nikki Bella will be attending the ninth annual Sunscreen Film Festival on May 1st at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida. The film, “Confessions of a Womanizer,” which features The Bella Twins, will be screened. Total Divas cameras are also expected at the event to film possible footage for a future episode.
– The official WWE website recently added a feature looking at the top 50 talkers in pro wrestling history. The top ten looks like this:
10. Chris Jericho
9. Hulk Hogan
8. Bobby Heenan
7. Mick Foley
6. Paul Heyman
5. Dusty Rhodes
4. Steve Austin
3. Roddy Piper
2. The Rock
1. Ric Flair
– WrestleMania is already the fifth most searched topic on the internet today. The show is expected to the top trending topic on Twitter, and for internet searches in general, following the conclusion of the event later tonight.
– Speaking of WrestleMania interest, ESPN ran a feature on the big event on SportsCenter on Saturday.
– The following is a photo of Ultimate Warrior and Dusty Rhodes together backstage at the WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony on Saturday night.
WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes is promoting a one-night wrestling event called “Superstars of Wrestling” for the Miami-Dade County Fair in Miami, Florida, a fair that regularly features pro wrestling. The event will take place on Friday, March 14th at 8pm EST.
Booked for the “Superstars of Wrestling” event is Dusty Rhodes himself, Carlito, Wes Brisco, Jesse Sorensen, Kenneth Cameron and several local independent wrestlers.
The event will be available for free with the price of fair admission.
– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:
January 10th live event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania drew approximately 4,000 fans.
January 11th live event in Buffalo, New York drew approximately 6,800 fans.
January 11th live event in Glens Falls, New York drew approximately 1,800 fans.
January 12th live event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada drew approximately 4,500 fans.
January 12th live event in White Plains, New York drew approximately 2,500 fans.
January 13th WWE RAW show in Providence, Rhode Island drew approximately 9,000 fans.
– WWE Superstar Yoshi Tatsu recently tweeted about some props he received from WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes:
The following are highlights from a new SLAM! Wrestling interview with WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes:
On not being pressured to go into wrestling by his family: “Wrestling was something I always wanted to do, maybe not all I ever wanted to do, but something I definitely wanted to do. I really had no pressure from my family.”
On his father Dusty Rhodes’ early advice: “When I told my dad I wanted to give wrestling a shot, he told me, after a good 10 minutes of silence, ‘If you’re gonna do it, you gotta do it to be the best.’ But wrestling is such a great thing. There’s no way to hide from getting the fans reaction. It’s really special.”
On who helps him backstage in WWE: “Sometimes, my dad’s advice is biased because he’s too close to the project. I usually stay away from getting advice from my family. My dad thinks I’m the best and this is not what’s gonna help me get better. Guys like Fit Finlay, JBL, Arn Anderson are the ones I ask for advice.”
On what led to his teaming with Goldust: “Nothing was supposed to lead this way. It’s just one of those things that caught fire. The thing you need to know about Dustin is that before his return, he had a behind-the-scene success. He’s a healthier person now. As Goldust, he has the best matches of his life. It’s like a Benjamin Button kind of story.”
“It’s a real trip. We both have a different style, but I really love it. It’s a very positive thing. I never thought it would happen. He started his career when I was a kid. We are closer together now and try to make it up for the lost time.”
“It’s an opportunity for us. We actually don’t talk that much of the ring when we are not in the ring.”
There was reportedly a lot of talk about WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes appearing at Old School RAW in Baltimore, Maryland this past Monday night. For those who watched the show, he obviously did not appear.
Rhodes hasn’t been featured on WWE television since his involvement in the storyline where his sons Goldust and Cody Rhodes got their jobs back late last year. The reason for this is Rhodes went off script during a promo on RAW with Stephanie McMahon, going as far as to put his hand in her face and not letting her get the better of him. Ever since that segment, there is said to be heat on Dusty with WWE management.
2K Announces New WWE® 2K14 Downloadable Content Items Available Today
WWE Hall of Famers Bruno Sammartino and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes headline third content pack, adding to greatest roster in franchise history
New York, NY – January 7, 2014 – 2K today announced availability of new downloadable content for WWE® 2K14, the latest release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. Featuring a selection of notable WWE Hall of Famers and more, the downloadable content offering* via the Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system includes the following items:
WWE Legends and Creations Pack
WWE Hall of Famers: Bruno Sammartino and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes;
Legendary WWE Superstars: “Ravishing” Rick Rude and Jake “The Snake” Roberts;
Playable Superstar: WWE Manager and pop culture icon Virgil;
Custom Superstar Heads: 14 new Superstar heads to utilize for the most creative freedom in WWE Games history:
WWE Legends and the Creations Pack is available for a suggested purchase cost of $8.99;
Virgil is available free of charge.
The WWE Legends and Creations Pack is also available to players through the WWE 2K14 Season Pass Program. For a one-time purchase cost of $19.99, a savings of more than 25 percent versus individual content purchases, players will receive the following items:
Season Pass Program Exclusive: Playable “The Outsiders”-themed Superstars: Scott Hall and Kevin Nash; nWo Pack:
Playable New World Order (nWo)-themed Superstars: Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Syxx, Curt Hennig, Scott Steiner and The Giant;
Accelerator: Enables players to unlock all in-game items, as well as customize individual WWE Superstar attributes;
WWE Superstars and Moves Pack:
WWE Superstars: Fandango and Big E Langston;
WWE Divas: Brie Bella, Nikki Bella and Summer Rae;
Moves Pack: More than 30 new moves and taunts, including the Black Widow (made popular by AJ Lee) and the Koji Clutch (made popular by CM Punk);
WWE Legends and Creations Pack: as outlined above;
Online Badges: over 10 exclusive options.
* Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account and Internet connection required. Copy of WWE 2K14 required to play.
Developed by Yukes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, WWE 2K14 features the greatest roster in franchise history and is the most electrifying, authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. WWE 2K14 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Fans who pre-ordered WWE 2K14 received Ultimate Warrior at no extra cost on launch day.
For more information on WWE 2K14 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, facebook.com/WWEgames and @WWEgames on Twitter.
2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair and WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes recently spoke to the Tampa Tribune about second generation wrestlers. The following are some highlights:
Ric Flair on pushing his children away from pro wrestling: “I never pushed any of my kids into it. I pushed them away from it because I know how difficult it is.”
Flair on his son David Flair’s wrestling career: “It just wasn’t for him. One thing about this business is that you better love it because it is hard. He is happier now than he ever was when he was part of it.”
Cody Rhodes on people wanting him to be like Dusty Rhodes: “A lot of people preferred me to pander to those fans. They wanted me to dye my hair blonde like my dad, do his moves like the jab and the elbow, and talk like him.”
Check out the complete interview online at TBO.com.
– Chris Jericho revealed on Twitter that his new “Talk is Jericho” will podcast will premiere on December 4th at PodcastOne.com. His first guest will be none other that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who also has a podcast at PodcastOne.
– Speaking of Austin’s podcast, his next guest will be fellow WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes.
– Hornswoggle has a cameo in the new ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ movie and is featured in the movie trailer, which you can view here (around the 1:27 mark):
– The return of Total Divas Sunday night on E! averaged 1.3 million viewers, according to a press release issued by the cable network. The was in line with the premiere episode in July, which averaged 1.343 million viewers. While the show has yet to be renewed for a second season, many people within the company feel it will be due to Sunday’s figure and kick off during WrestleMania season.
– In this “Rank’d” video, WWE counts down the most outrageous vignettes in company history. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Dusty Rhodes, Mr. Perfect, The Mountie, Duke “The Dumpster” Droese, Steven Regal and Skinner are featured.
– WWE has launched a Twitter feed for UK fans at wweuk.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes posted an interesting tweet on his official Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon. Rhodes wrote the following, “If the dots were all that matter[ed], then I wasted 44 years. Where would The Rock be, any many others? Statement made!”
Rhodes is referring to the infamous polka dots he wore during his WWE run in the early 1990s. The ring attire was considered a “rib,” or an inside joke by Vince McMahon to Rhodes, as Rhodes competed against WWE for so long in the original NWA. Rhodes saying, “where would The Rock be?” was apparently a statement regarding the influence his infamous “bionic elbow” had on The Rock, who later popularized his own “People’s Elbow” as a finishing move in many of his WWE matches. Evidence of this can be seen in the conversation following the tweet, as a fan replied by saying, “The ‘People’s Elbow’ [was] inspired by ‘The American Dream’ brotha!” to which Rhodes replied, “so true.”
You can view Rhodes’ initial tweet below:
@WWE If the dots were all that matter then I wasted 44 years , where would The Rock be and many others . Statement made !
– WWE is looking to hire a Vice President of Digital Video Strategy, according to a new tweet posted on the official WWE Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon. WWE tweeted the following:
-WWE Diva Summer Rae is apparently patterning herself after legendary women’s wrestler Missy Hyatt. Rae reportedly studied several mid-1980s tapes of Hyatt’s work in the UWF promotion, and while their characters are different, she has used a very similar style with her own work in WWE and NXT. WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes is apparently aware of this, which is why she was given the name “First Lady Of NXT” after Hyatt’s old “First Lady Of Wrestling” moniker.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mae Young was recently in attendance at the WWE live event in Columbia, South Carolina.
– Daniel Bryan spoke to SiriusXM personality Sam Roberts, host of The Sam Roberts Show podcast, at Ringside Fest in New York City on Saturday. In the interview, he discussed his size, his favorite opponent, headlining pay-per-view events, whether he’s happy with his current role, and more.
In response to whether he pays attention to WWE’s cable television ratings, he responded, “I pay attention to that stuff, but I’ve always paid attention to that stuff. And I don’t pay attention to it any more than normal. Really, all you can do is go out there and do your best. Whether people are watching or whether people are not watching, you always hope that people are going to love this, but I can’t make people’s minds for them.”
– The official WWE website has released never-before-seen photos of John Cena defending the WWE Championship against CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger inside Hell in a Cell after a Raw in September 2011 went off the air. Cena successfully defended his title, pinning Swagger following an Attitude Adjustment.
– Tonight at WWE Hell in a Cell, Cody Rhodes and Goldust will defend the WWE Tag Team Championship against the team of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, as well as Jey and Jimmy Uso. Addressing the match Goldust, wrote on Twitter, “Prepared and focused! Odds are stacked! #TheBrotherhood go to war!” WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes added, “cody , goldust , heii in cell ! come away knowing you gave your all!”
– The latest issue of WWE Magazine features an interview with Zack Ryder, who is asked whether he feels he receives credit for launching WWE’s “social-media revolution.”
“The members of the WWE Universe give me credit and always have. They know the deal. That I worked so hard to get myself where I was and didn’t give up. If other people are in denial, that’s fine with this Internet champion,” said Ryder.
Ryder, who is now 28-years-old, also reveals that he is looking for a change of scenery. In response to what he definitely wants to do before he turns 30: “Buy a house. I need a big boy home because the college dorm/bachelor pad that I’m in now isn’t doing it for me anymore. And not to be predictable, but it will definitely be in Long Island.”
– In this week’s edition of 30 Seconds “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and his infamous “Bionic Elbow” is highlighted.
-As previously reported, the Funk brothers are headed back to Japan. WWE Hall Of Famers, Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr., are scheduled to appear on the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) show at the Tokyo Sumo Hall on October 27th.
-As noted, today is the birthday of WWE Hall Of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, who turns 68. Also celebrating birthdays today in the world of pro wrestling are Stan Hansen (64), Rodney Mack (43) and Karen Jarrett (41).
-Former WWE manager The Grand Wizard (Ernie Roth) passed away on this day in 1983. Roth was 54 at the time of his passing.
-Also on this day, in 1992, WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart won his first WWE World Championship against fellow WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in Saskatoon.
-The front page of the Tampa Tribune featured a piece by Paul Guzzo on the history of pro wrestling in the Tampa market. The story includes quotes from current WWE personalities Dusty Rhodes and Roman Reigns, as well as other pro wrestling figures, such as photographer Josie Ritter, Eric Solie (the son of the late Gordon Solie) and Tonga Fifita (aka Haku/Meng). Fans interested in checking out that article out can do so online at TBO.com.
-The horror film, “Self Storage,” which features former WWE Superstar and ECW original Tommy Dreamer, has been added to the “Instant Viewing” section of the Netflix website. “Self Storage” is a horror film that was released this year, which is set at a self storage business. Fans who are subscribed to Netflix that are interested in checking that out can do so online at Netflix.com.
– The official YouTube account of WWE 2K14 has released clips previewing the entrances and finishers of Batista and Antonio Cesaro.
The video game will be released on Oct. 29 in North America and Nov. 1 in Europe.
– WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes was born on this day in 1945 as he turns 68-years-old. “The American Dream” issued the following message on Twitter on Friday thanking his “dream fans”: “just a note to my fans, u guys have never left me, and I love u for that. Keep on keeping on.”
– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans what was the bigger Rhodes family victory this week, defeating The Shield at WWE Battleground or beating the undefeated Wyatts on SmackDown. With over 2,000 votes cast, their pay-per-view victory is seen as more important (73%).
-WWE Hall Of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair is once again accepting independent pro wrestling bookings. Following the SummerSlam fiasco, WWE wanted Flair to get help, which led to him canceling all of his existing bookings. Flair told promoters that he was dealing with a reoccurring problem and hospitalization with blood clots in his legs. Flair told some of his close friends that he was staying in Florida with his daughter,, resting up and staying off of the road for a bit.
-As noted previously, WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes upset Stephanie McMahon during their recent in-ring segment on WWE RAW. In addition to Rhodes putting his hand in Stephanie’s face, it is said that he was going off the planned script quite a bit, and Stephanie was trying to steer him back on track.
The following is a new blog written by Mick Foley on Goldust’s recent WWE comeback:
“Just yesterday, I posted on Facebook about my 10 year old son’s prediction that the Goldust/Cody vs Shield match was going to steal the show at Battleground. He even prefaced it by saying “I know Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton are going to have a great match, but…”.
Last night, Goldust proved to me that his match with Randy Orton was much more than just a flirtation with greatness. As a guy who knows a little something about making comebacks, I thought, following that amazing effort against Randy Orton that Goldust may have had just enough passion and commitment to have that last great match of his career. But last night’s match at Battleground proved to me that Goldust has something even more important than the passion and commitment needed to have that one last great match. What he has is gas in the tank!
As much as i loved the match with Orton, Dustin seemed to be running on fumes those last few minutes. He clearly had worked himself into the best physical condition I’d seen him in for many years, but being in “gym shape” and “ring shape” are two entirely different animals. But what a joyride the Rhodes family took us on last night! From that pre-match promo that had proud Poppa Dusty unable to contain his composure, to the crisp execution of every move, to the finish that had the Foley family literally jumping for joy in the living room, (I didn’t get much air, but I DID momentarily leave my feet) the victory over The Shield reminded me of everything I love about wrestling. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride of epic proportions!
With the Orton match and last night’s triumph to his credit, Goldust has proven to me that he has what it takes for one more run in WWE.”
For more blogs and updates from Mick Foley, visit the WWE Hall Of Famer’s official Facebook page.
The official WWE website posted a series of video interviews following Sunday’s WWE Battleground event in Buffalo, New York. The interviews feature several WWE Superstars reacting to everything that transpired during the event. Here is a breakdown of what is covered:
-WWE RAW General Manager Brad Maddox reacts to the controversy over the outcome of the WWE Championship main event between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan. Maddox also sells the fact that he was warned by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon over the phone that if anything went wrong, he would be to blame.
-CM Punk reacted to his victory over Ryback, continuing his claim that he will not rest until he gets his hands on Paul Heyman. Punk went as far as to say because he did not finally get his hands on Heyman, he was not satisfied with his performance at Battleground.
-The Rhodes Family reacted to their emotional victory over The Shield, which guaranteed Dusty Rhodes his job as a WWE trainer in Florida, and also resulted in both Cody Rhodes and Goldust being re-hired by the company.
-R-Truth vented his frustration for continually coming up short in matches recently after he failed to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship in his pay-per-view match against Curtis Axel.
-Alberto Del Rio gloated about his victory over Rob Van Dam in the pay-per-view opener, and the fact that he is still the World Heavyweight Champion.
You can check out all of the aforementioned video interviews online at WWE.com.
-WWE manager Ricardo Rodriguez posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account Sunday night after the WWE Battleground pay-per-view in Buffalo, New York:
You try to do the right thing. Loyalty to Del Rio after three years didn't work and loyalty to RVD backfired…Well I guess that's it…
-The official WWE Tout website put up a post-match backstage interview with the Rhodes Family following their victory over The Shield at Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view. Fans interested in checking that out can do so online at Tout.com.
-WWE “newbie” Diva and Total Divas reality show star Eva Marie recently posted a tweet on her official Twitter account revealing the fact that WWE is filming some footage for the next half of season one of the E! reality show prior to tonight’s WWE Battleground show in Buffalo, New York. Eva wrote:
All ready for some #TotalDivas @eonline filming before #WWEBattleground
-Cody Rhodes posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account on Sunday:
I legit don’t work here, so they can’t be mad. EXCLUSIVE @WWE shirt, diff version for @FirstNiagaraCtr also
The tweet was accompanied by a link to a photo of a special Rhodes Family t-shirt, which you can see pictured below:
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On the Rhodes Family storyline: “Loved the Rhodes Family in ring interaction Monday night and am amazed at how it is to still easy to create a meaningful, personal issue if it is largely based on logical and common sense.”
“This vehicle will hopefully elevate Cody Rhodes to the next level when all is said and done and I expect Sunday’s tag bout vs. The Shield to be really good. If it isn’t, then all involved have missed a great opportunity. The table is set.”
On wanting Daniel Bryan to win at WWE Battleground: “I saw an online poll where 70+% of those voting hope that Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Title Sunday. I’d agree. The underdog can only remain an unsuccessful underdog for so long until the fan base begins to slowly migrate away and to someone who they feel can achieve the success the fans crave.”
“No one in the biz is better at this time, bell to bell, than Daniel Bryan plus his promo work has greatly improved over his tenure in WWE. Bryan’s time is now, to steal a phrase from John Cena.”
On Sunday’s WWE Battleground PPV: “Perhaps Sunday will be a PPV that WWE performers will enhance their own professional sense of urgency and raise their games no matter their role or the time in which they have to appear on the main stage. I’d like to see more talents take a firmer grasp on the ownership of their own personas and, please, don’t tell me that has every thing to do with their ‘push.’ It doesn’t.”
“WWE Battleground Sunday on PPV is a crucial event for WWE to build momentum and to forward some very crucial storylines. Next up then is the Survivor Series and then it will be Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 30 before you know it. It’s crunch time for game planning.”
On the current WWE RAW announce team: “I have great admiration for the RAW announce team, they are all men that I respect and consider to be friends. Michael Cole does what few men, if any, in the lead role could do in today’s world of sports entertainment. Cole’s responsibility to decimate info and the amount of info is startling. Could JBL be more of an antagonist? John could for my taste but John is a great addition to the broadcast team with his intelligent and topical references. The King is The King….a WWE HOFer. However, when these men are encouraged to talk about matters that are unrelated to any significant to what I’m seeing on the screen it becomes a disconnect for me. If I am watching the TV and my eyes are processing what I am seeing but audibly I am hearing another story then which source of info do I process and retain?”
“I know times have changed since my ‘heyday’ but I feel, rightly or wrongly, that some fundamental matters don’t change. When the video and the audio combine to create that memorable ‘tag team,’ then a sports entertainment/pro wrestling broadcast creates ‘moments’ and lasting memories. Actually that goes for any entity including NFL and UFC.”
On Joey Styles’ appearance on the Steve Austin podcast: “The Steve Austin podcast with Joey Styles is very good. I’d strongly suggest that you check it out. Steve’s podcasts are one of the highlights of my week. If you haven’t checked them out you’re missing out on some great stuff. Joe was really entertaining on part one of his time with Austin. Steve’s interview skills are evolving excellently.”
On writing an autobiography: “Beginning to go through years and years of notes, especially from my time with Bill Watts and in WWE as I casually prepare to think ‘autobiography.’ This book getting done is largely dependent on the ‘Deal’ and me having the final say on the edit. I never realized that I had SO many notes from meetings, telephone calls, emails, etc so I assume that me being a ‘data hoarder’ isn’t such a bad thing now. Many yellow, legal pads to sift through.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes is famous for going to the ring and cutting promos completely on his own, without the use of a pre-written script by the WWE creative team. Apparently, this style has caused some friction backstage recently.
On recent editions of WWE RAW, Dusty was cutting promos without a script, and even cut Stephanie McMahon off a few times, to the displeasure of the bosses daughter.
Additionally, Dusty did the dreaded “face-palm” to Stephanie during a recent promo, which was also something that was not scripted. Stephanie apparently had no idea it was coming, and was not happy about it at all.
It will be announced on this week’s WWE SmackDown that WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel will defend his title against R-Truth. Bray Wyatt also teased an appearance at Battleground, which will likely be the rumored match we reported on Tuesday with Wyatt taking on Kofi Kingston. That match, however, is still strictly a rumor at this point.
With that now known, here is an updated look at the official lineup for Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view from Buffalo, New York:
Vacant WWE Championship
-Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan
World Heavyweight Championship
-Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam*
WWE Intercontinental Championship
-Curtis Axel (c) vs. R-Truth
WWE Divas Championship
-AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella
-CM Punk vs. Ryback
-Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns**
WWE Battleground Kickoff Show
-Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow
RUMORED Match:
-Bray Wyatt vs. Kofi Kingston
* – The Del Rio vs. Van Dam rematch will be contested under “Battleground Hardcore Rules.”
** – Dusty Rhodes will be in the corner of Cody & Goldust. If the Rhodes Family loses, all three men will never be allowed to work for WWE again. If they win, Cody and Goldust get their jobs back
Make sure to visit SESCOOPS.COM this Sunday night for the absolute best live results coverage of the WWE Battleground pay-per-view. The coverage will begin at 7:30pm E.T. with the WWE Battleground Kickoff Show, and will continue throughout the entire duration of the pay-per-view. Until then, stop by the SESCOOPS.COM Facebook Page and/or the SESCOOPS.COM Twitter Page to share your predictions for this Sunday’s pay-per-view!
