– The WWE Payback post-show on the WWE Network will only be a 30-minute show next Sunday night. WWE tried a one-hour post-show for the recent Extreme Rules pay-per-view, but ultimately felt like the show dragged on without a lot happening.
– The following is another clip of the new WWE “Greatest Factions” DVD and Blu-ray. This clip features former ECW faction, “Triple Threat.”
http://youtu.be/gbhs2_fuGUg
– The following is the latest list of the top ten most watched shows on the WWE Network for this past week:
1. Extreme Rules 2014
2. Legends House
3. RAW Pre-show
4. WrestleMania Rewind
5. WWE Countdown: Greatest Villains
6. Extreme Rules 2014 Fallout
7. WWE Main Event
8. ECW Hardcore TV
9. WWE NXT
10. WrestleMania XXX
– The National Entertainment Collectibles Association will be releasing a Bret Hart action figure as part of their new “The Simpsons 25th Anniversary: Celebrity Guest Stars” series. You can check out a photo of Hart’s action figure below.
The official WWE website recently added a new featured article on ECW original Sabu called, “An extreme revolutionary: How Sabu changed wrestling and everyone forgot.” The article features comments from Paul Heyman, Rob Van Dam, John Cena, Seth Rollins and others.
Below is an excerpt from the article, which features Heyman talking about whether or not Sabu gets the credit he deserves.
“To this day, the innovator is still the master of his craft. When Sabu was at his best, no one could touch him.”
“Whether Sabu gets the credit in history he deserves, the answer is no. But who do you blame for that? Do you blame the curator of the industry, WWE, for not acknowledging the contributions that Sabu made? Do you blame Sabu for not staying healthy enough to force history to acknowledge his contributions? Do you blame the audience who only sings the praises of Sabu crashing through tables, and not all the many other ways Sabu was so unique at his height?”
“The reality of history is that others will take snippets of the style, incorporate it into another groundbreaking presentation and then get credit for implementing a new way to bring sports-entertainment to the masses.”
You can check out the complete article at WWE.com.
Veteran pro wrestling journalist recently caught up with D-Von Dudley for an exclusive WWE.com interview. Below is an excerpt from the interview.
APTER: Paul Heyman was, of course, the extreme ringleader. He riled the troops up and got everyone in an extreme mood, didn’t he?
DUDLEY: He sure did. I met Paul after I had a tryout for ECW. He was at the Pelham, N.Y., production studio they used for editing and doing the commentary. I got in there, Paul was sitting down, and we wound up talking and hitting it off great. I will admit right now that I am a Paul Heyman guy! When a lot of us wrestlers back in those days were looking for work and were not looked at by WWE or WCW, Paul was the one who gave us a shot. He believed in us. He saw things in us that we didn’t know we had and it brought out the best in us. Paul knew how to get certain things out of us to make us better. I used to call him Dr. Frankenstein because he created so much talent that came out of ECW that no one else would have been able to create.
APTER: What do you think of the current Paul Heyman?
DUDLEY: It’s the real Paul Heyman! He does things that make you hate him, but a minute later you want to marry him and love him. [laughs]
APTER: Who do you consider extreme on the current WWE roster?
DUDLEY: Daniel Bryan, for one. Most people wouldn’t put him in that category because he is such a technician in the ring, but I can see him getting down and dirty. Sheamus could be in that category as well. Put Randy Orton there, too. We beat the hell out of each other many times. I know a lot of people cheer him and a lot boo him, but I would put John Cena on that list as well. I had many brawls with him when I was in WWE and he was working himself up in the ranks.
APTER: So much of your career was as a tag team competitor with your partner, Bubba Ray. What is your current view of the WWE tag team scene?
DUDLEY: I think it’s great that WWE is strengthening the tag team division. If given the opportunity to go back to WWE, I would love to have a partner to take on The Usos, Cody Rhodes & Goldust, Ryback & Curtis Axel, The Shield, The Wyatts.
Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.
Since the launch of the WWE Network, over 600,000 fans have subscribed to the service. While it’s a bit below the one million subscribers they were hoping for, it’s still an admirable number for a service that is still only available in the United States.
With live access to every pay-per-view and a vault containing every special event in WWE, WCW, and ECW history, it is safe to assume that most fans signed up in order to gain access to the special events, and at the reduced price of only $9.99 per month, who can blame them?
There is a lot more to the WWE Network than just a vault of old events and live access to each month’s pay-per-view, however. There is also a boatload of original content. Here is a list of some of the must-see original content on the Network.
5. Legends of Wrestling: Families – Watching a bunch of old-timers talk about the good old days is usually about as exciting as watching paint dry, but some of these are actually pretty entertaining. One of the best round-table discussions includes a panel consisting of Sergeant Slaughter, Jim Ross, Ted DiBiase, and James J. Dillon. The group discusses the importance and prevalence of families in the WWE. It is interesting to hear DiBiase discuss how having a father in the business influenced him to become a professional wrestler.
Daniel Bryan’s journey to WrestleMania is something most fans will be able to enjoy.
4. Journey to WrestleMania: Daniel Bryan – This is obviously one of the newest pieces of original content on the Network. It follows Daniel Bryan on his week leading up to this year’s WrestleMania and provides a number of exclusive interviews leading up to the event. It also discusses his rise to the top after initially being terminated from the company, with commentary from William Regal and Pat Patterson discussing how the company made a mistake in his firing. The most interesting parts of this documentary are the backstage scenes and hearing his fellow wrestlers praise him for his accomplishments.
The following are highlights of a new Burlington County Times interview with Rob Van Dam:
On the difference between ECW and WWE: “In ECW, the fans would warm me up. I’d walk around the ring and slap hands with everyone and get ready for the match. I’d feed of that energy, I would use that to create positive energy. In WWE, it’s different. It’s a timed show, everything is timed. We know when we get to the ring, we know when there’s a commercial. We have to do everything on a schedule, but I still find a way to connect with the fans.”
On preferring to stay home instead of travel consistently: “The 18-year-old me wouldn’t understand the 43-year-old me because then I wanted to travel and see the world. But I love being home. Some guys are on the road and can’t wait to get home, others are at home and can’t wait to get on the road. I’m definitely the one who wants to be home.”
On his wife of 15 years: “Right after we started going out, she came to (an ECW) show right outside Boston. So Sandman is making his entrance and his music is playing and he’s walking around the crowd and Sabu jumps off the stage and breaks a beer bottle over his head. BOOM! Then they’re fighting throughout the crowd, hitting each other with everything.”
“She was scared. I had people out there watching her, but she wasn’t a wrestling fan, she didn’t know any of this. But she stayed with me. It worked out. They say anyone who is married has to be OK because they found someone to put up with them.”
“My wife gets so mad at me, when we’re out driving in a parking lot and there’s a sign that says ‘no exit,’ she would never do it. But I do it. I don’t believe that rules are meant for me. But that’s what makes me who I am. I’m an individual who does what’s best for me.”
Check out the complete interview at BurlingtonCountyTimes.com.
– The official WWE website is currently running an article where former ECW announcer Joey Styles looks at what he considers the top five ECW pay-per-views that will be available on the new WWE Network. Styles’ list is as follows:
1. ECW One Night Stand 2005
2. Living Dangerously 1999
3. Heatwave 1998
4. Living Dangerously 1998
5. Barely Legal 1997
Check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– The following is WWE’s “Black History Month” video on current WWE Superstar Xavier Woods:
ECW Original Axl Rotten recently emailed us the following video where he challenges CZW founder John Zandig to a shoot fight. First, here are the comments from Zandig that prompted Rotten’s challenge:
And now here is Axl Rotten’s official challenge:
http://youtu.be/MwD5q_sjNh0
– The latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features Dave Millican, the man who makes a lot of the WWE Championship belts, is now available. You can check it out at PodcastOne.com.
– As noted, WWE had Byron Saxton appear on RAW on Monday night as the latest backstage interviewer. Saxton had previously worked on the main roster for the ECW on SyFy shows, and has worked most recently as part of the NXT roster.
– WWE is advertising John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Batista vs. Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio for the WWE RAW show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on March 24th.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Steve O’Neill sent along the following:
EXTREME LEGENDS ADDED SANDMAN, SHANE DOUGLAS, SABU, STEVIE RICHARDS, NJPW, LUCHA LIBRE AT FORMER ECW ARENA SATURDAY 3/1 FOR EXTREME RISING
EXTREME RISING PRO WRESTLING returns to the former ECW Arena (now 2300 Arena) for “SPRINGTIME BEATDOWN” Saturday, March 1st 2014 – 7pm Bell time, 6:30pm pre-show. Doors open 5:30pm. The Arena is located at 7 W. Ritner Street (Corners of Swanson & Ritner) Philadelphia, PA 19148.
T-minus 23 days, 9 hours, and change until…
“SPRINGTIME BEATDOWN”
THE SANDMAN returns to EXTREME RISING and home to the ECW Arena to drink some beers, smoke cigarettes, and to cane a few people. Raise your beer and wear your SANDMAN shirt on 3/1 to show your support!
THE FRANCHISE SHANE DOUGLAS has unfinished business of his own to attend to upon his return to the former ECW Arena where he reigned as ECW World Heavyweight Champion longer than anyone else in the history of Extreme Championship Wrestling.
STEVIE RICHARDS* will defend the Extreme Rising World Title, that is as long as he retains it against SABU 2/8 in Pittsburgh, PA at “Black, Gold, & Extreme”.
“International Warfare” SABU* vs. DAMIEN 666
“Hardcore Tag Team Match” BALLS MAHONEY & AXL ROTTEN vs. 2 TUFF TONY & MATT TREMONT
“Global Conquest 3” GREEK GOD PAPADON vs. TAKAAKI WATANABE (NJPW)
“Six Man Tag” BLK OUT vs. DA HIT SQUAD W/PITBULL GARY WOLF
“Wildkat Four Way” “The SituAsian” BUKO DAO vs. PURPLE HAZE vs. “Absoulte” RICKY STARKS vs. BOLT BRADY
More talent and matches to be announced…
Also scheduled to appear “Southern Stomper” LUKE HAWX, RICH “BEAST” ORTIZ, “Lonesome” JAY BRADELY, DEVON STORM, BLUE MEANIE, THOMAS “Inch Worm” RODMAN, AND MORE.
*Card Subject to Change if SABU defeats STEVIE RICHARDS for the Extreme Rising World Title, a rematch on 3/1 at the former ECW Arena will take place.
Order your tickets here, right now for fast, immediate, and FREE Shipping! http://www.extremetixs.com/index.php?cPath=2_12
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT ALL EXTREME RISING TICKET OUTLETS: You can purchase EXTREME RISING 3/1 tickets NOW in person in Northeast Philly at THE BEER BOX 3350 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114 Phone:(215) 673-7837, in Bucks County at GEORGE’S COLLECTIBLES 7755 New Falls Rd, Levittown, PA 19055 Phone:(215) 943-2475, or in South Philly at NOISE POLLUTION RECORDS 619 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone:(215) 627-7246.
Busted Open satellite radio show with Taz
Host: Dave Lagreca, Doug Mortman, and Mike Riker
Airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Sirius 92 and XM 92 from 2-4 ET
On if TNA is on the upward swing in 2014 after a disappointing 2013: “I think I can speak on behalf of most of the guys in the company, the roster, the creative team, production–I mean, I’m sure they all– it’s nice hearing someone say that probably. Look, you guys know TNA has been the whipping boy in the industry online for a couple of years now. I mean god, I’ve been here now five years and I’ve heard from where I came in, ‘you’re going out of business, the place is going out of business, yadda yadda.’ Ok yeah. Enough with that. They’re not going out of business. As long as you have a TV contract, you’re not going out of business. As long as you have a niche audience that you have with over a million people 52 weeks a year with original programming on world wide TV; you’re not going out of business.
“That’s for all you smart marks because you think you know everything and you really don’t. So that’s number one. Number two; I agree there was some–it was a rougher year maybe? You’re right, I kind of agree with you. Look, you have down times, you have up times. I mean that’s–same with WWE. Same, I’m sure with ROH.I remember when I was with ECW, it was the same with us. Everybody thinks that everything we did in ECW was the cat’s meow. And everything Paul (Heyman) touched was gold. No it wasn’t. Paul would be the first one to tell you not everything worked. For all of us. The wrestlers back then and the current wrestlers now.
“Listen, fans need to realize that our industry is the most unique because there is no down time. There is no off season. So you hear wrestlers or promoters or whomever in interviews say that a lot what I just said. There’s no off season like the NFL or the NBA or Major League Baseball, NHL. True, right? But put it in perspective and really think about that. There’s no off season. Therefore, these creative teams in TNA or WWE or wherever that get bashed and ripped by hardcore wrestling fans. Which are the fans that–believe me when I tell you behind the scenes we all truly love cause we know no matter what, through thick and thin, they’ll always be there. The thing is man it’s not an easy task to write 52 weeks of TV and stay fresh. With the most–an audience that is so fickle and that expects so much more and to top yourself every week. That’s an extremely, extremely ambitious thing to do.
“I’m telling you, I’ve been in creative meetings with the WWE. I’ve been in meetings with TNA and I’m not on the creative team but I’ve been part of giving input at times.–Guys, there’s so much more involved with it then you’ll ever, ever, ever, ever know. And how difficult it truly is. So to understand, I don’t want to speak for WWE but I think the industry as a whole that’s doing TV every week could understand that it’s a deal where–you gotta try to keep it fresh, keep it hot, keep doing stuff that keeps people talking. Keep your talent over. Get the guys and gals over that you’re trying to get over and hopefully they click and connect with the audience.
“You gotta do that every week! So you know there are times where TNA–yeah. We might have some shows that are horrible but then there might be some shows that are great. I can tell you those shows that were horrible; the intentions were for those shows to be great. Okay, so it’s like a baseball player. He gets to the box. He gets up to the plate. His intention is to make contact and get on base. His intention isn’t to hit a foul ball or foul out or strike out or hit a pop up. He wants to get on base. Okay. Same with us. We want every show to be a homerun. Every show. That’s the goal. That don’t always work. Look, I just wanted people to understand that that’s kind of the ebb and flow, the ups and downs of the industry.
His thoughts CM Punk situation: Ahh, great question. Great conversation. Love to talk about it. So. I’m old school, okay? I’m gonna kind of talk out of both sides of my mouth for a second and then I’ll sum it up. I’m old school in a sense that I feel that you’ve gotta complete your obligations. Okay? But I do understand the grind. And I know Punk personally. I haven’t talked to him in a couple of years but I consider him a friend.-We fell out of touch with each other. I respect his work. We’ve always had a good friendship in our time in WWE together. I was already retired from the ring but Punk was always a legit, cool dude. I’m a big fan of his in-ring style and a huge fan of his personality and his whole gimmick. Love it. Okay so I don’t have no problem with CM Punk; I’m a fan. But I understand that you have an obligation.
“You have to go through with your obligation and suck it up. And do your job. But this is about emotion. And Punk knows that more than most guys because he’s been extremely successful. And his promos are off his emotion. And when you start to lose some of that emotion, for whatever reason, it’s tough to perform. We are performers. We’re a hybrid. We’re an athlete, we’re a stuntman, we’re an actor. We’re a little bit of everything. So there’s a lot of things that go on. And when your emotions start to leave for whatever that reason is and it’s usually cause of business being done bad by you; it’s tough to suck it up and grind out. I would tell ya, obviously I’m not in the WWE.
“I was not in the locker room. I do not know what happened. I don’t know the details of why he left. But I could tell you, knowing CM Punk like I know him, like I used to know him. And knowing our industry and knowing Punk as a guy who respects our industry and respects the code of the wrestler. I’m sure this wasn’t a spur of the moment, impromptu thing where he just popped and left. This had to be a build up for him internally, in his body and in his mind and his soul, that he had enough of whatever is going on there and he had to bolt. So I can’t sit here and knock the man.
“Because there has been times for me in certain companies in this industry, that I love so much, that I’ve felt like I can’t take it no more and I‘ve had people kind of talk me off the ledge. I’m just saying that as an analogy. But I think that a guy like Punk kind of hit his boiling point for whatever was going on there and–look, my point is I don’t think he just said that’s it, I don’t like where you’re going creatively, I’m done, I quit. I don’t think that’s what happened. I think just knowing the business and being behind the scenes for a lot of years; it’s usually a build up. And quite frankly, what did he have left? Five and a half months? I can relate to that. In our business when you have five and a half months, that’s not really–I gotta be honest. That’s not a ton of time. So he had to be–again I don’t want to get into the guy’s psyche–but he had to be at a point where he was just not happy, that he couldn’t suck it up for another five and a half months. None of us know the details of his contract. We don’t know these ins and outs of his deal. It’s nobody’s business. So who knows? Who knows? Who knows what it was? Maybe it could have been something on their end; that they didn’t do on their end towards him.
“You don’t know. No one knows the details. It’s no ones business. Every contract too; let’s just talk about that real quick. 95 percent of the wrestlers, no matter what company it is, everyone’s kind of got different deals. Especially when you earn some respect and you’ve got some legitimacy and you’re credible. And you’ve been a world champ. Everybody has different little nooks and crannies in their contract. That’s what a lot of people don’t realize. This is not some standard hojo contract. So everyone’s got different type deals. So that’s something too. You don’t know what was in his deal. But look, he’s an emotional guy; that’s why he’s a successful guy. And I guess it just got to a point where maybe emotionally he was tapped out or mentally tapped out. You just can’t perform when you’re like that. And again I don’t want to speak for the man; I’m just trying to give you my perspective.”
On if there was any point when he was with ECW that he almost walked out: “Yeah. Absolutely. Many times. Many times. Like I said earlier man; it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It was great, don’t get me wrong. I wish I could redo that time, it was the greatest time of my life. It was awesome. I’m forever grateful to Paul Heyman and ECW. And guys like Sabu and Raven and The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer and Shane Douglas and RVD and guys that we all just drove that machine. And we all got each other over, no matter if we were friends or not. We all made each other stars. I’m forever grateful for that. But yeah, there were ups and downs. There were times where me and Paul were banging heads. And I didn’t agree where he was going maybe with me creatively. But quite frankly, the times that I was most angry with Paul were things that he was doing with the company or creatively with someone else that I was most angry about.
“I just differed with him on. And it wasn’t a thing where, ‘well Paul I think you’re pushing this guy to hard and you shouldn’t be.’ No sir. That was not my deal. I’d never get in the way of anyone’s push. But it was more of a deal where I was like, ‘Man I think you should go in this direction. Maybe market the company this way. Or you know what? Let’s give this guy the push.’ And we would just differ on it. I’m not saying I was right. But that was many years ago. So yeah there were times where I was disappointed in what he was doing with me creatively and what he was doing with the company. But dude, that’s any job. Any job. I don’t care where you work. People need to realize this is a job. We have jobs. We have a job to do. You know I say it all the time.
“You work at Burger King. Your manager tells you, ‘Alright. Make a whopper.’ No, you know what? Mr. Manager, I feel like making fish filets. ‘No, no, no. You’re making whoppers.’ No, no I’m gonna make fish filets. ‘Alright, you know what? You’re fired.’ (Laughter) That’s the deal. I’ve been saying that for years. That’s the best analogy that people can relate to. That’s what this is. It’s a fricking job. You gotta do what you’re told. You have some input. The more credibility you have at times and user put in and championships you’ve held. Yeah, you got some input; you got some leverage. You can talk up and give some input. You’re not a machine. I don’t want to exaggerate here. But at the end of the day, you gotta job to do. Same for me in TNA. There’s things I don’t agree with. I’ll give my opinion. We’ll discuss it. Majority rules. Alright, we don’t agree with you. Ok cool. Go that way. I supported that. I’m going to support that. That’s what you do on a team. A quarterback–if the receiver don’t agree with the play the quarterback and the head coach and the offensive coordinator call; the receiver is still going to bust his ass doing that play correctly, right or wrong?”
On what direction would he go if he had complete control of TNA: “I would bring MVP in to be the investor. (Laughs) If I was in complete control of TNA, I would do anything–if WWE right now was going left; I would go right. And if they started going right; I would go left. So that’s what I would do. I would try to be the complete opposite of WWE. That’s just my opinion. I don’t have millions invested. I don’t make tons and tons of money as an upper management guy. I don’t go in focus groups. I’m not part of that whole research team. I–this is just some blue-collared guy from Brooklyn that wrestled for a living that talks about wrestlers now giving you my opinion. Doesn’t mean I’m right. I’m probably wrong.
“But that’s just what I would do as a wrestling fan and a former wrestler; is try to be–look I think our show last night, it looked awesome. I mean hi-def, beautiful bright lights, awesome lighting grid, the whole nine yards. Thousands upon thousands of people. You know all of this stuff, it looks great on TV. The way its shot. Awesome camera work. All these camera shots. Tons of money going into the production. Me? I’m old school. Give us a couple of cameras, a spotlight over the ring, dark out the arena, let’s get after it. That’s my idea, you know? But that doesn’t draw millions. Or NWA would still be in business. And ECW. So what do I know? But that’s what I would do.”
On The Great Muta coming to Lockdown; how much has changed in a year: “I think that’s awesome. I mean, geez. Who doesn’t have mad respect for The Great Muta? Great Muta is just the bomb. I mean just a legend. Iconic figure in our industry worldwide. I mean no doubt about it. So I think that’s awesome. Very excited. I have not seen Muta in years. Looking forward to seeing him again. Last time I saw him it was in Tokyo, many years ago when I was wrestling there. But I’m looking forward to seeing him. And yeah a lot has changed from Aces and Eights being gone. I thought the Aces and Eights deal was a very cool concept. Some people loved it; some people hated it. I liked it a lot. Even if I wasn’t a part of the gimmick, which I was, I still would’ve liked it. I really liked it a lot.
“That was during a time where we had different heads of states in there running stuff. I thought it went a little long for my liking. A little long but I thought it was really cool. I thought it helped create some bars. I thought it was a cool gimmick. It think it really helped Bully Ray immensely. And now Bully Ray is at a point where he helps things. He don’t need things helping him anymore. And that’s kind of what our business is about; is you want to put a title on a guy to help make the guy. And once that guy’s made, let’s get it on someone to help him. And now once that guy is made, he can help someone else. It’s kind of like hot tag. You just tag in and out. And that’s kind of what happened with Aces and Eights with Bully Ray I felt.
“You know that really helped him, pole-vault him, really give him a platform to show the world who he is as a character. And he kicked ass on it. He did an awesome job on it. I think that you gotta tip your cap to guys like Eric Bischoff who were heavily behind the Aces and Eights concept. I thought he did a great job with it. And the rest of the creative team with Matt Conway and Dave Lagana. I thought they did a great job with that. There were a lot of guys in that thing at one point. It got a little crazy. But then it simmered down and all that stuff. And that was for a reason. Now Aces and Eights are a thing of the past. And that’s cool. We just move on. We keep evolving. So the whole investor angle, I’m not sure where it’s going. It’s really cool.
“You saw with Dixie Carter last night, she was kind of– her character was freaking out a little bit backstage. Nervous, oh my god the investor’s here now. Boom. Now we’re going to see the fallout, right? We’re gonna watch Impact this week to see what MVP’s gonna say. What he’s gonna do? How do The Wolves play a part of this? Who else is involved with this if anyone? What’s Dixie Carter’s reaction? Sorry, I’m giving you the whole announcers deal right here. Breaking it down for you. But those are the questions I think true fans would ask.”
ECW original The Sandman is scheduled to compete against former two-time heavyweight boxing champion Tim Witherspoon in a five-round match to determine the first ever “World Xtreme Entertainment” champion.
The Sandman-Witherspoon bout will include a special referee, as former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Hollis Thomas will serve as the celebrity ref for the match.
The WXE event will be promoted by controversial promoter Damon Feldman, who was involved in some of the celebrity boxing events in the past.
A press conference for the show will be held on Thursday at Chickie and Petes on 1526 Packer Avenue in South Philadelphia.
Feldman notes in the press release that several “Hollywood actors and athletes” are on board with the company, and that the first event will also feature a “tag-team boxing match” and an “Xtreme Battling Babes title match.”
– The “Tough Enough reunion” edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast is now online. The show features former Tough Enough host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin talking about the show with several of the cast members who appeared as contestants during the season. You can check that show out online at PodcastOne.com.
– The following is the trailer for the new Kayfabe Commentaries “YouShoot” release featuring a shoot interview with ECW original Balls Mahoney:
SESCOOPS.COM reader Phil Johnson sent along the following:
Former ECW Champion and WWE star Justin Credible has published a new online column. Credible talks about being clean and sober for one year, contemplating suicide at one stage, concussions on pro wrestling and more. Here are excerpts from his article:
“On Tuesday I was contacted by Bloomberg news for my opinion on CTEs and concussions in Pro Wrestling. It is a hot button issue in sports, and it’s something that pertains to all of us who step into the squared circle. Personally I have had over a dozen concussions in my 21 year career as a pro wrestler. The concern is what happens to us after the cheers stop, and we are a shell of our former selves.”
“This week is a very special week for me. November 19th marks one year that I have been clean, & sober. I will never forget the days leading up to that decision. I was lost. I was sick, and many times I even contemplated suicide. I’m eternally grateful that I had the WWE to lean on. For years I was trying hard to get clean. I attempted several times to quit “cold turkey”, but if you know anything about addiction, it doesn’t work that way.”
– Former WWE Superstars Ted DiBiase and The Godfather, along with former WWE Divas Kelly Kelly and Maryse have been announced for the Steel City Comic Con in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from December 6th through December 8th. For more information, visit TimesOnline.com.
– Former ECW tag-team “The Impact Players,” Justin Credible and Lance Storm reunited on the latest edition of “Pro Wrestling 101.” The two discuss understanding your character and how to “find yourself” as a wrestler. You can check that video out below:
The following are highlights from a recent WZRtv interview with former WWE Superstar Big Vito:
On the sale of TNA: “There is so much financial debt that I think they’re so consumed with that. They tried every different angle to change things. They haven’t had any success. When you change heads of the departments, you change the people who run it. It’s the same thing that happened with WCW and it’s the same thing happening all over. You change, change, change, change.”
On Dixie Carter: “From what I understand, [Hulk] Hogan and [Eric] Bischoff are out now [and] it’s Dixie Carter running it. Dixie Carter, she might be a nice lady [but] she’s not groomed in the wrestling business. She’s been talked to and talked around, ya know, manipulated in the wrestling business, but she doesn’t know the wrestling business. She’s not the Jarrett’s. She’s not Hulk Hogan. She’s not anyone who’s had that kind of pedigree. This has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. When you’re not brought up in the wrestling business from the bottom up and you don’t know, you’re going to spend a lot of money and do a lot of stupid things. I’m not saying she’s a stupid lady. I’m not saying she’s dumb. She’s probably very smart in other areas, but this is the wrestling business. If you’re not groomed in it from the bottom up and polished, how do you not know what kind of product to put out? Another knock against TNA is they’ve had the same talent for 10 and 12 years. There’s only a handful of guys that’s been with the WWE for 10 or 12 years.”
On Vince Russo: “Well from what I know, Vince Russo, me and him back in the day, I helped him start out in the wrestling business and he helped me get into WCW. When he was in TNA, I was there when he was there. When he left, you know, I left. And then really just a couple of phone calls here and there, but ya know, nothing of nothing. I mean, he mentioned me in his books, he mentioned me in a nice way. I appreciate it, but as far as friendship and all that other stuff, ya know, he’s his own man. He does things his own way. He never returns a phone call, just like a lot of guys, but you know that’s Vinnie Russo and I can’t say nothing bad about him. He gave me my chance in WCW, and people remember [this] — giving somebody a chance doesn’t mean they gave you a spot. When you get a spot you have to earn it and I carried the ball and I ran with it, just like I did in every organization. I never was on the bottom, I always rose to the occasion and came to the top. So anybody who thinks that somebody gives you something — they can put you in any spot in the business, but if you don’t carry the ball, then you ain’t doing nothing. I carried the ball in all my positions, in all my companies and I’m very happy and very proud of my time. Whether it was in ECW with Da Baldies as Vito Skull LaGrosso, or Big Vito in WCW, Big Vito in TNA or Vito “The Toughest Man To Wear A Dress” in WWE.”
On Johnny Stamboli and a WCW reunion show: “Johnny Stamboli is still wrestling. He’s doing his own thing and he’s got his private life. He’s doing very well. You know everybody still asks when are The Mamalukes coming back and you know that would probably be one of the best things to happen if they ever had a WCW reunion show.”
On the current WWE product: “I think that the gimmicks they’re putting on are interesting. The guys are doing a good job down in NXT developing these guys. They have a lot of new faces [and] they’re trying to make new stars, but at the end of the day they’re still going with the name guys. You have the big names and they’re making the angles around them and you can’t change that. People wanna see them.”
On the WWE return of Goldust: “They brought back Goldust for a reason, ya know? Not because he was Dusty Rhodes’ son, ya know, Cody Rhodes or whatever. That’s Goldust. He’s the best gimmick in all of wrestling. That’s one of my favorite gimmicks. He is a gimmick and that’s something you wanna watch.”
On John Cena: “You know everybody can say what they want about [John] Cena, but that guy is still drawing money. Whether you love him or hate him, he gets a reaction.”
On Ryback: “They brought Ryback in, you know? Ryback was up and then he was down. If I could work a program with him, you’d never hear Big Vito complain about how he ever got [hit] too hard. I would love to work with that guy because it’d be a hart-hitting thing.”
On the way wrestlers come up in WWE these days: “A lot of guys who they’re bringing up today, like the problem they had in the past, they don’t have that experience and they’re not polished. They’re pushing guys up and you can’t learn everything from wrestling school. You gotta go out there and earn it and do it and when they try to polish you up and put you out there before you’re ready, sometimes it doesn’t come off as good as it can be.”
For more information on the Big Vito Wrestling Academy, visit the official website online at BigVito.com.
You can check out the complete interview online at Justin.tv/wzrradio123/
Extreme Rising sent along the following to SESCOOPS.COM on Friday:
Extreme Rising Pro Wrestling is happy to announce that ticket sales for the Saturday, December 28th 2013 event “Unfinished Business” at the Arena (former ECW Arena) 7 W. Ritner Street (corners of Swanson and Ritner) in South Philly are selling extremely well –and quickly we should add. Bell time is at 7pm. www.extremetixs.com THIS EVENT IS A TV TAPING.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Saturday, December 28th 2013 – 7pm Bell time. Doors open 6pm.
Arena (former ECW Arena) 7 W. Ritner Street (Corners of Swanson & Ritner) Philadelphia, PA 19148
#1 – “World Title” – STEVIE RICHARDS will defend the Extreme Rising World Title. His challenger is to be announced.
#2 – “Extreme Lucha Libre: La Familia Warfare” featuring SUPER CRAZY & his nephew PESADILLA vs. DAMIEN 666 & his son BESTIA 666
#3 – “Extreme Rematch” RHINO vs. DEVON STORM
#4 – “Legend vs. Rookie” “The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal” SABU vs. “The Aerial Ninja” FACADE
More matches to be announced soon…
Also appearing on the card: MATT HARDY W/REBY SKY, BLUE MEANIE, GREEK GOD PAPADON, JOEL GERTNER, and more talent to be announced. Please note that there are a few select talents being booked for the 12/28 event at Arena that will NOT be announced to be utilized as surprise appearances during event.
Brett Buchanan of the Alternative Nation website recently provided additional details on the possibility of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan purchasing an ownership stake in TNA. Buchanan wrote the following this weekend:
“I have heard from a second hand source who is close to a key figure in the rumored TNA Wrestling sales discussions who has verified that Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is far along in his talks to purchase the company. This source went as far to say that he believes it is a “done deal” that Corgan will buy TNA, though the source didn’t know what percentage Corgan will be purchasing or the specifics of the deal. The source also says that Corgan has recently made a connection to somebody very wealthy, though it is not known if this party would have anything to do with the deal.”
Speaking of Billy Corgan potentially buying TNA, former ECW original Lou D’Angeli, who is a longtime friend of Corgan’s, tweeted the following on Saturday evening:
https://twitter.com/LDAngeli/status/396771298698747906
Is @billy set on buying @IMPACTWRESTLING??? I know he is pretty serious in at least partial, if not, majority ownership. #TNA
— Lou DAngeli ? (@LDAngeli) November 3, 2013
WHAT Will Be The Future Of TNA Under NEW Ownership?! — HUGE Backstage Details HERE!
-WWE returns to the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, the site of Sunday’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, on January 31st. The pre-sale password for tickets to the show is WWELIVE.
-On this day, 18 years ago, the famous fire incident in ECW took place with Terry Funk, Raven, Tommy Dreamer and Mick Foley in the original ECW Arena.
-Former WWE Superstar MVP celebrates his 40th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays in the world of pro wrestling today are Christy Hemme, Les Thatcher and Rocky Romero.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will be doing a live Q&A on November 14th in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as at Collector Mania in Milton Keynes, England on November 16th and 17th.
-TMZ posted an article today that noted Brian Wilson of the Los Angeles Dodgers dressed up as “Macho Man” Randy Savage at a Halloween party this past Saturday evening.
Randy Savage & Ultimate Warrior In The WWE HOF In 2014? — DETAILS HERE!
The following are highlights from a recent VOC Nation interview with Tommy Dreamer:
On building the House of Hardcore promotion: “The brand was actually contested by the pornographic world; I had to actually prove the definition of hardcore in terms of wrestling. (Thankfully) it all worked out in the end.”
On the state of pro wrestling: “There’s a lot of unhappiness with the current direction of wrestling, especially with the last few pay per views (from both companies). I was watching the last WWE PPV with fans at a restaurant, and the end of the show left a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouth. TNA has been doing that for a long time as well. I’m not knocking the product or the direction; wrestling is (in the eye of the beholder) and I just view it differently. I was the very first Paul Heyman guy; him and I used to argue about what was good for the show and the product, but we never lied or tried to screw over the audience. I watched (ECW) grow from a 35 person audience to selling out 1000+ seat arenas. It seems like most people in the wrestling industry are just take, take, take and I hate that. I’m trying to build something so everyone can work and prosper. I don’t have a money backer; this is my money. I’m not going to be the next WWE or TNA (overnight), I’m slowly trying to build something.
On his goals for House of Hardcore: “I would love for my company to be on a national level. I would love to be running a television show. I’m not going to rush things, I’m not going to force things. I have a business model and a game plan. There’s a lot of great talented men and women out there that don’t get a chance to show what they have to offer because of body types, politics, or things like that (I want to give those people a chance). I hope one day to be able to pay guys enough money where they can turn other people down and work for me every week.”
On working with Terry Funk: “This is the last time I’ll ever be tagging with Terry Funk. He just turned 69 years old and he’s still working and taking bumps. He’s going to Japan this week to work with his brother. Terry Funk is my wrestling father, and this is the last time we’ll ever walk down the aisle together. It’s going to be very special for me.”
On breaking Rosita into the business: “I remember seeing Lita for the first time in North Carolina. She did an amazing moonsault and I broke her into the business. As far as Rosita goes, a few years back, I saw a very attractive girl in the ring during an outdoor independent show. I told her that she needed to increase her ability in the ring (and she’d be a star). When I was in TNA they told be they were looking for somebody (female talent); I got her a tryout and she ended up earning a job. I’ve told her many times that she needs to leave wrestling and go straight to Hollywood. She is an amazing talent.”
Check out the complete interview online at VOCNation.com.
Huge *SPOILERS* For Tonight’s Edition Of WWE RAW — CLICK HERE!
-A lot of construction work is still being done to the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia. While the original plan was for the facility to re-open in October, it is looking more likely that it will be closer to January of 2014. Without the ECW Arena, the independent scene in Philadelphia has apparently taken a pretty big hit.
-Former ECW original Lou D’Angeli will be making a speaking appearance at the “Life Is Beautiful Festival” on October 26th in Las Vegas. D’Angeli will be talking about his time in the original ECW on the “Passion Before Paycheck” panel. For more information, visit LifeIsBeautifulFestival.com.
-Former WWE Diva and current Ring Of Honor star Maria Kanellis, along with Mike “The Prodigy” Bennett will be appeearing at the 2014 National Pro Wrestling Day events.
HUGE Update On Undertaker’s WWE Return + RVD FINISHED With WWE? [READ >>]
The following are highlights with ECW original Stevie Richards:
On becoming a certified DDP Yoga Instructor: “It’s done me a look of good and in a lot of ways has improved my overall fitness. It lets me help other people, do something very positive and productive, and helps me to monetize something that I’m already doing every day.”
On the benefits of DDP Yoga: “You can get cardio without impact, you can raise your heartrate into the exercise zone in a short period of time. I’ve broken my neck a few times, I’ve needed knee replacements. Because I’ve been doing DDP Yoga for the past few years, it’s prolonged my wrestling career and led to a healthy life.”
On how hard it is for the common person to follow the routine: “One you get immersed in the workout, you’re going to be hooked and you won’t want to put bad things in your body.”
On his future in wrestling: “I have no goals in wrestling. My goal is to continue to be booked, continue to be healthy, and continue to get paid to feed my cats. I have no delusions of grandeur that WWE or TNA is going to call and nor do I think at this point I would even be interested, considering the travel time versus the amount of money I’d make. Waiting for a call (from WWE or TNA) is one of the most poisonous things you can do to yourself because you’re not in control of the situation.”
Check out the complete interview online at VOCNation.com.
New Matches & *SPOILERS* For WWE Battleground + HUGE Update On Vince’s TV Return!
-In a rare turn of events when it comes to the recent Fan’s Choice voting segment of WWE live events where the options for Brie Bella vs. Natalya are a “Dance Contest” and a regular singles match, the fans actually voted for a regular match. As it turns out, it didn’t really matter, as they went ahead and did the same angle that they’ve been doing at all recent live events, with the two starting off in a Dance Contest, only for Bella to attack Natalya and turn it into an actual match.
-Wrestler birthdays for today include WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino’s son, David Sammartino, who himself is a former WWE wrestler. Sammartino turns 53 today. Also, former WWE Superstar and ECW original Yoshihiro Tajiri turns 43 today.
-WrestleReunion will be running the Dorman High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Saturday, October 19th for a Special Olympics fundraiser. Scheduled to appear are former WWE Superstars The Nasty Boys, Demolition, Jimmy Hart, Dr. Tom Prichard, Luke Gallows and other pro wrestling personalities. For more information, visit WrestleReunion.com.
-The film “Riddick,” which features former WWE Superstar Batista in a key role, fell to number 14 at the box office this weekend at $1.62 million. In Australia, it was number eight.
-Sami Zayn and Bo Dallas, both of whom have been working random WWE main roster live events recently, will compete for the WWE NXT Championship at the next WWE NXT live event in Tampa, Florida on Thursday, October 3rd.
SEVERAL *KEY SEGMENTS* For Monday’s RAW ALREADY REVEALED — Details Here!
ECW original and former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer will be putting on his third “House Of Hardcore” event on Saturday, November 9th at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. The promotion has released the latest commercial for the event on YouTube, which you can check out below:
The latest official lineup for the event is as follows:
-Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk vs. Sean Waltman & Lance Storm
-Rhino vs. Kevin Steen
-Petey Williams vs. Tony Nese vs. Alex Reynolds
-Stevie Richards & Lisa Marie Varon vs. Carlito & Rosita
Also announced for the event are: Matt Hardy, Reby Sky, Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes, MVP, Devon, The Beautiful People, Luke Gallows, Homicide, Sonjay Dutt, Lance Hoyt and Eddie Kingston.
For more information on Tommy Dreamer’s “House Of Hardcore 3,” visit the official website online at HouseOfHardcore.net.
MULTIPLE Segments For Monday’s RAW REVEALED In DETAIL — Click Here!
-On AXS TV on Wednesday night, their “viral video of the day” was the incident from the original ECW where WWE Hall Of Famer and ECW original Terry Funk got the fans to throw all of their chairs into the ring.
-Former WWE Superstar Lance Storm wrote a new blog on his official website where he talks about the current booking for WWE RAW each week. You can check that out online at StormWrestling.com.
-There will be another comedy roast tour of WWE Hall Of Famer Iron Sheik on November 6th in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, November 7th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and November 8th in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Among those roasting Sheik are comedian Gilbert Gottfried (a master of comedy roasts), comedian Mike Lawrence, as well as several pro wrestlers and Ontario-based personalities.
HUGE Spoilers For Monday’s RAW (SEVERAL Segments Revealed) — CLICK HERE!