As noted previously, WWE is promoting special guests and surprises for next week’s “Hulk Hogan Birthday Celebration” on RAW. This has led to speculation that there might be a possible New World Order reunion at the show, with Hogan’s former nWo buddies Kevin Nash and Scott Hall rumored for the show.

Hall tweeted the following about the subject, further adding fuel to the rumors of an nWo reunion next week:

Somebody say sumthin bout an nWo reunion….. #RAW

— Scott Hall (@SCOTTHALLNWO) August 4, 2014

Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier Comment On WILD Brawl (You Won’t BELIEVE What They Say!!)

– The WWE Network will premiere in the United Kingdom on October 1st.

– Hulk Hogan’s appearance next week on RAW will be a Birthday Celebration with special guests. Hogan turns 61 next Monday.

– After Monday’s WWE RAW from Austin, Texas went off the air, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H left before the ring was cleared and The Bella Twins helped to the back.

The dark main event saw Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Big Show defeat Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins in a six-man match.

This is the second consecutive week that Big Show wrestled after RAW.

• VIDEO: Huge BRAWL Erupts At UFC Press Conference Between Jon Jones & Daniel Cormier

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk hogan is returning to RAW next Monday, August 11th. Hogan tweeted on Monday:

I will be at RAW next week in Portland Oregon brother HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) August 4, 2014

WWE.com also posted the following announcement:

“Hold on to your red and yellow bandanas, WWE Universe. The immortal Hulk Hogan tweeted Monday morning that he will return to the Aug. 11 edition of Monday Night Raw!

What will the WWE Hall of Fame icon have to say to the likes of The Authority? Roman Reigns? Bray Wyatt? Most importantly: Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on WWE’s flagship program?”

IGN.com has revealed exclusive details regarding the “Hulk Hogan Special Edition” of the upcoming WWE 2K15 video game, which will be available on Playstation 4 and XBox One for $99.99.

Here’s a breakdown of what the special edition includes:

• A copy of WWE 2K15
• Premium packaging
• Collectible art card hand-signed by Hulk Hogan
• Exclusive Funko “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan vinyl figure
• An actual piece of the ring canvas from Hogan’s Monday Night Raw appearance on March 10th, 2014
• Two playable pre-order launch exclusive Hulk Hogan characters
• Two playable pre-order launch exclusive Sting characters

Only 25,000 copies of the special edition will be released.

PRE-ORDER WWE 2K15 NOW To Get STING As A Playable Character

Pre-Order WWE 2K15 NOW From Amazon.com

– WWE has announced Steve Austin will host the WWE 2k15 roster reveal at Club Nokia LA during SummerSlam weekend on August 16th.

Cesaro, Sheamus, Hulk Hogan, John Cena and Roman Reigns will also be appearing at the roster reveal.

– WWE will be releasing a special “Hulk Hogan Collector’s Edition” of WWE 2K15. According to Best Buy, it appears the special edition game will only be available for Playstation 4 and Xbox One. No word yet on what the “special edition” will entail (possibly all versions of Hogan unlocked immediately), but Sting will also be available as a pre-order character in the Hogan special edition.

– As previously reported, IGN.com will be covering WWE 2K15 all month and will be releasing gameplay videos and details on the roster.

• STING Featured In New WWE 2K15 Promo Video

WWE Hall Of Famers Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart appeared at a meet and greet event in New Jersey on Saturday and revealed a couple of newsworthy notes during the appearance.

Hart mentioned the Hogan on RAW rumors, claiming he didn’t want to spoil anything, but that Hogan fans should watch RAW every week, especially next week.

Hogan himself spoke about training lately to possibly make a return to the ring, noting that John Cena would be the person he would most like to work with if he is able to wrestle another match.

Huge RAW *SPOILERS* For Monday — Hulk Hogan’s Return + Nation Of Domination!

– Both Prince Devitt and KENTA were backstage at the NXT show on Friday night, although neither appeared in front of the live crowd. There was, however, some talk of putting KENTA on camera last night, but for whatever reason they decided against it.

– Hulk Hogan was featured on TMZ today for trashing Brooke Hogan’s former fiancee’. You can check out the coverage at TMZ.com.

MMANEWS.COM: Trash-Talk Between Jon Jones & Daniel Cormier Heats Up [READ >>]

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan:

On Brock Lesnar and John Cena: “Well, Brock is a phenom. His credibility is over the top, but you got to realize John Cena is the man. He’s the foundation of the whole company. He’s the guy that they bet on and his attitude is he loves the company. He loves being on the road, he’s got wrestling in his blood. And for him to be so graceful when he’s tired and there’s no sleep, no food and these Make-A-Wish kids come to him even for five minutes, he’ll spend a whole day with them. His priorities are in order. No matter what whether he wins or loses he’s still the man. To me, I’ve been around for a long time and I’ve done a lot to help this business, but it fails in comparison to what John Cena has done. In my opinion, John Cena is the greatest WWE champion of all time. If Brock Lesnar was to beat him, creative storyline wise yeah you have something there. I hope he knows he’s got huge shoes to fill. I don’t think Cena’s going anywhere. I may go out there and hit Brock with a chair just so he doesn’t win.”

On Sting wrestling in WWE: “He made his debut at Comic Con and that’s all well and good. I ran into him at the airport because we’re all on the same flight. I said to him that he needs to wrestle and this is something that needs to be done. He’s never established himself on the big stage. No disrespect to his accomplishments, but he was always a southern type of wrestler and always was with NWA or WCW. He has to make that statement. He’s still got it and he can still do it and he’s still over. If it’s not The Undertaker, he needs to wrestle Cena. That’s the match. You gotta get in there and have to make your mark. It can’t be just a game or an action figure.”

Check out the complete interview at BustedOpenNation.com.

Several MAJOR WWE Stars To Get FIRED?! + Update On TNA’s Future On Spike TV!

– Mick Foley recently wrote the following on his official Facebook page about Dean Ambrose and Monday’s RAW:

“But for me, the show-stealer was the Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro match. My concern for Ambrose when The Shield split went down, was that as good as he was, he wasn’t exactly the most sympathetic character in the world. But he tells an amazing story in the ring with the his movements and his facial expressions – and has certainly touched a chord with the fans. It’s going to be interesting to see what the future holds in store for Ambrose.”

– Following their appearance at the San Diego Comic Con, Hulk Hogan tweeted the following about Sting and WWE:

Sting in the WWE UNIVERSE changes everybody's game,believe he could be anywhere. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 25, 2014

MMANEWS.COM: UFC On FOX 12 Coverage, Jim Ross To UFC? Carano-Rousey …

It looks like Hulk Hogan will be used in some fashion at this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. As noted in the past, Hogan is scheduled to appear on the August 11th “go-home” edition of RAW, as well as the August 16th live event the night before the pay-per-view in San Jose.

Apparently something will be happening on the 8/11 RAW show that will lead to Hogan’s involvement at SummerSlam.

Ric Flair will also be part of the 8/16 house show in San Jose, as both he and Hogan will be “co-hosting” the event.

MMANEWS.COM: Jim Ross To UFC?, Carano/Rousey Update, Lashley’s MMA Return

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE announced Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair as “co-hosts” for an upcoming non-televised live event in San Jose, California.

The show, which takes place on August 16th, will feature the kick-off of ticket sales for WrestleMania 31.

Already scheduled for the card are the following matches:

– John Cena vs. Kane [Street Fight]
– Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
– Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt [Ric Flair as Special Referee[
– Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

MMANEWS.COM: Jim Ross To Work For UFC? Is Brock Lesnar Retired From MMA? [>>]

The official Twitter account of The Moda Center in Portland, Oregon posted the following tweet on their official Twitter account today:

Watcha gonna do when the hulkamania runs wild on you?’ #wwe #wweraw #hulkamania Hulk Hogan to host WWE presents Monday Night RAW August 11!

— Moda Center (@TheModaCenter) July 16, 2014

This will be the final RAW before WWE SummerSlam and Hogan’s 61st birthday.

MMANEWS.COM: TOP UFC Star Training At WWE + HUGE TNA Star Jumping To MMA!

– WWE NXT Diva Becky Lynch debuted a new theme song and new ring gear at the NXT live event this past weekend. Lynch has been appearing more often on NXT shows as of late.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan tweeted the following about tonight’s RAW:

Pumped up for WWE RAW TONIGHT, I have a whole new respect for Cena after watching him work in Japan,can't wait to watch him tonightBrotherHH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 14, 2014

HUGE NEWS: Sting WILL Be On RAW TONIGHT! In What Capacity? FIND OUT HERE!

– Hulk Hogan recently tweeted the following regarding an earthquake that happened while he was in Japan:

Wow what a crazy morning 4:22 am an earthquake made my bed roll around the room,I thought Andre was trying to wake me WWE style brother. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 11, 2014

– WWE recently posted the following WWE Network “#RunningWild” video on their official YouTube channel:

MMANEWS.COM: HUGE UFC Star To JUMP-SHIP To WWE? + Ronda Rousey/WM31 Update!

– The Big Show will be returning to WWE television later this month. He’s been away taping the WWE Studios film Vendetta.

– WWE is sending several top stars to the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con event later this mont onOn Thursday, July 24th.

At 10:15 am, Hulk Hogan, Daniel Bryan, Paul Heyman and Michael Cole will be hosting a panel to promote the WWE Network and WWE’s Mattel toy line.

At 7 pm, WWE Studios will host a panel to promote See No Evil 2 and Leprechaun: Origins. Kane and directors Jen and Sylvia Soska will talk about See No Evil 2, while , Hornswoggle and director Zach Lipovsky talk Leprechaun.

The following are highlights of a new interview with Brian Shields, the author of the new “30 Years of WrestleMania” book:

On his new book ‘The 30 Years of WrestleMania: “ ‘The 30 Years of WrestleMania’ is a concept that is really, really cool and it was great for me to be able to work with WWE and DK Publishing again. This is the history of each WrestleMania, really, from both sides of the ring ropes so to speak; we talk about the matches and we talk about what happened behind the scenes. We talk about the goal of the vision Vince McMahon had in just getting this event off the ground and the incredible risk the McMahon family took just to get the first WrestleMania off the ground. The other reason why the book is so great is it really shows the progression of the company and the progression of WrestleMania with each chapter, which I think people are really going to enjoy.”

Getting to speak with figures like Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan: “The cool part about working with WWE is that when you need something, they get it for you. When you’re writing a book with them and if need to talk with somebody, it’s made available and actually this first person that I interviewed for the book was around this time last year and that was Linda McMahon. I had the pleasure of actually going to her office in downtown Stamford, Connecticut and she spent almost two hours with me, which I just couldn’t believe. I met her and Mr. McMahon for the first time at WrestleMania 25, before the WrestleMania event when the first Encyclopedia came out. It was amazing to me that she remembered meeting me and it was just one of those kind of things that really; it’s amazing the attitude that the McMahon family has; when you’re working for them and when you’re doing work with them, they really feel like you’re part of their family and it’s remarkable

To be able to speak to incredible individuals, luminary superstars, divas, hall of famers, legends was just unreal. You’re speaking to people you’ve admired for as long as you’ve watched WWE, professional wrestling, sports entertainment, so it was amazing for me to be able to speak to so many people and their quotes are in the book. I mean, I interviewed; I don’t even know what the final count was of the people I interviewed, I should probably tally that up but it was really unbelievable. I mean, you’re getting direct access; thank to WWE, I was given access to backstage RAW and Smackdown, it was unbelievable; that’s probably the best way to say it.”

His favorite interview in doing the book: “I don’t know if I have a favorite, but there were so many that there were times I was like ‘Wow, I’m interviewing Bret Hart’ for now the fourth time for this book; that was unbelievable. When talking to the McMahons, when you’re talking to someone like Basil Davito, who has been for so many years been such a large part of WWE and the marketing and branding of WWE and WrestleMania; he was the first person hired to really head up WWE marketing a few months after the first WrestleMania in 1985. A lot of those conversations, it was just unbelievable to be able to speak to so many different people about so many different things yet they all found their way in the book.

One of the things I really like about the book is there are special tribute sections so there are beautiful layouts celebrating the Undertaker and his WrestleMania streak, celebrating Shawn Michaels, and the Hall of Fame. One of the coolest things is that the foreword of the book was actually written by Shawn Michaels and that’s something where, and this is going to be a stretch, but I’m going to try and get it to the point where we’re like tag-team partners, which I know will be ridiculous. Even something like that, when I got the call from WWE saying that Shawn would be writing the foreword for the book; they took something that couldn’t be any better and somehow raised it another level; it was really very special.

I think that’s the biggest thing with the book, in general, is 30 years of WrestleMania and the history of each event; you get the idea very quickly from every person at WWE, to the men and women in interviewed for the book, just how special this event is and that’s something where it really is such a big honor to say that I wrote the book and work with WWE and DK (Publishing).”

His feelings on ‘The Streak’ ending at WrestleMania XXX: “I was in complete shock and there’s part of me that still is in shock. I really didn’t think, as a fan, that was ever going to happen and maybe this is a little bit selfish on my part as a fan; I didn’t want it to end. But yeah, I was just in shock and clearly that was most people’s reactions, was utter shock and awe that that took place.

I think if you watch the event back, I would have said on TV but nowadays however you watch things, either the WWE Network or TV or a laptop, that that’s completely accurate; you had over 75,000 people pretty much just stunned and shocked. It’s funny, the way that that has been described is similar to how people have described when Bruno Sammartino lost the WWE Title to Ivan Koloff at Madison Square Garden for the first time; even though that was a smaller venue and not a WrestleMania, but just the comparisons of the shock and awe that consumed the building. People were, from what I was told back then, was complete shock; you could hear a pin drop, people were speechless and motionless and I think when you look back at WrestleMania XXX, I think that’s what people felt and I think you could tell even from the announcers; I think they were the ones who started the standing ovation. I think you could tell the emotion came over them as well. It’s something people will never, ever forget, that’s for sure.”

His views on the WWE Network and if he feels it’s successful: “Oh god, I love it. I think it’s awesome; I think it’s so well done. I watch it through my AppleTV and just the user experience through my AppleTV and other shared devices are phenomenal. As far as the content that’s on it, I can’t talk about it enough; I love it. I love being able to watch so many different things and the new content, I think, is really cool. The Countdown shows, the specials; there’s going to be more of these documentary specials that are coming. So, as a fan, I think it’s awesome; I think that it’s just a great way to be able to watch not only sports entertainment and pro wrestling’s past but it’s present as well, which is really amazing, it really is.

I think a lot of people in the entertainment and television industries were and have been looking at it because of WWE’s success. I think it’s really impressive that within three months the network has close to like 700,000; I don’t know the exact numbers but almost 700,000 subscribers within a few months of launching. So, I just think it’s going to get better. I watch it every day, I mean there’s so much great content on the network and I also like how it’s set up and configured because I do thin, and perhaps this goes back to my days in the video game business, but the user experience is very important. We all know the cliché that ‘Content is king’ and it totally is and the content on there is phenomenal and I think it’s just going to get better because there’s just going to be more stuff added to it, but the user experience has to be there and for me, it’s been great and been a huge help for me in researching what I had to do, so selfishly the timing worked out for me so I might be a little biased when I say ‘Oh it was great when it came out when it did.’”

His thoughts on the Wyatt Family and their rise in popularity: “I think what they’re doing is awesome and I think it’s another one of those things, like the Shield, where to me it’s one of the best things WWE has done in a while and it’s only going to get better. I think during our discussion last time I used the comparison where Bray Wyatt had the presence and the eloquence, at the time, of Robert DeNiro’s character from Cape Fear. And, to me, they’re another example of they just get better every week and that build to WrestleMania (XXX) with Bray Wyatt and John Cena and that moment on RAW where the children’s choir came out and I was thinking to myself ‘He’s now eclipsed this’; there’s certain personalities, if you go back into wrestling history that were frightening and intimidating in a different way, as opposed to the 6’85 300-lb powerhouse. To me, I think classic Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts or classic Kevin Sullivan, whether it was in the NWA or Florida and all the great stuff he did with this eerie darkness and they were so great on the microphone; so to me, when the children’s choir came out, that was a turning point to me for the Wyatts and specifically Bray Wyatt in getting to another level; I think it was great. The matches they’re having I think have also been great and that really makes it all complete and I think when you’re talking about the success of the Shield and the continues success of the Wyatt is that it’s complete in terms of great presence, great skills on the microphone and then making it complete in terms of being able to tell great stories in the ring; I mean even their entrance, it’s just really well done.”

His favorite part about visiting the WWE Warehouse: “Oh, I mean, the front doors?! I mean, it was just remarkable; I don’t how else to say it. I was there several times thanks to WWE and the WWE Archivist and I mean it was one of those things where I made it almost awkward, like they had to kick me out almost like every single time that I was there because I wanted to be there, conveniently, all day and they were so great in allowing that. There was one of the cool things that I saw right way was there was a framed photo; it’s a huge, huge poster sized that Liberace signed for Vince and Linda McMahon, thanking them for WrestleMania, and when I saw that; that was one of the first things that I saw during my first trip. So, when I saw that; and I just thought it was really cool because Linda McMahon was my first interview, to get the interviews started, and now I’m back in Connecticut at the Warehouse and one of the first things I see would be in any museum, any Hall of Fame exhibit in entertainment and it’s the great Liberace signing something for Vince and Linda McMahon thanking them for WrestleMania and I thought ‘Wow, this is a great thing to see in my first 20 minutes here.’ And then, there’s part of me going, ‘Well, what else is here?’ So yeah, that would probably be the first thing that came to mind; I mean, they just have so many amazing things and the WWE Archivist just does an incredible job in not only cataloging and preserving but continuing to add to what they have there so it’s just incredible. It’s everything you’ve heard and more.”

Check out the complete interview at WildTalkRadio.com.

MMANEWS.COM: Top UFC Fighter Talks CM Punk/WWE Situation, Ronda Rousey At SSlam?!

– Former TNA Knockout Rosita (Thea Trinidad) has been used recently on WWE television. She has been playing the role of one of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds,” and considering how prominently she was featured at Money In The Bank and RAW recently, there is a good chance that WWE will be signing her to a contract. Many have commented that she looks like a young Trish Stratus.

– As far as Hulk Hogan’s current deal with WWE is concerned, it is said to be for a substantial guarantee, as well as a high-dollar per-appearance rate. Hogan also has the ability to accept outside bookings, however WWE always has the right to book him first on any date they choose.

MMANEWS.COM: UFC 175 Coverage THIS SATURDAY! Click Here!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with Kevin Nash:

Hulk Hogan’s nWo heel turn and heels today: “[Hulk] was watching the show, and he saw the momentum really shifting. He saw Scott and I as heel personas were perceived as being cool. He thought if there was a time to switch, it was now, because he could see the momentum going with Scott and I. So when he jumped, it was a shock, but it was a tsunami that pushed the thing for almost three years. It’s so hard. You look at John Cena. He plays the guy in the white cowboy hat. Our society has gone with the anti-heroes probably since Brandon Lee in ‘The Crow.’ Times have changed. It’s no longer waving the flag as much as it was. There’s a lot of disgruntled people in society. When you look at the demographic, you ask, ‘Where’s the money at?’ Well, the money’s in this kind of tweener guy — a bad guy with a cool persona. One thing about Hulk. If he smells dollar signs. it doesn’t take him long to make a decision. He saw the way it was going and made the decision.”

The nWo and DX in WCW and WWE: “They both had members of the Kliq. DX is what really made Triple H. He was playing the blue blood, and then Triple H went away from that persona and kind of took over DX, and that’s when Paul Levesque got to be himself. That’s when I think he really took off because he’s got an incredible sense of humor, a really fun loving guy. They kind of took our [nWo] formula. They [DX] were younger guys, and they made it a little hipper. Anytime WWE produces anything it’s going to be produced better.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

Steve Austin Calls TOP UFC Champion A “Hypocrite,” Says He’s ANNOYING! [Read »]

– The Usos successfully retained the WWE Tag Team championships against Luke Harper and Eric Rowan at last night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The feud is expected to continue, according to f4wonline.com, with a possible rematch taking place at Battleground on July 20th.

– WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan congratulated John Cena on his WWE World Heavyweight championship win at Money in the Bank. He tweeted:

Congratulations to my favorite wrestler John Cena "the champ is here" thank God,now he can keep things straight in the WWE,for a change. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) June 30, 2014

Yo Cena if you need anybody to do your dirty work around there we can always call HOLLYWOOD, "HHH/HollywoodHulkHogan4Life" brother. HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) June 30, 2014

WWE is advertising that a “major Japanese superstar” will be signing with the company at the July 12th live event from Osaka, Japan.

As reported last week, Japan’s Tokyo Sports has already confirmed that the superstar in question is none other than former Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA.

Video: KENTA’s Final Pro Wrestling NOAH Match & Farewell To The Fans

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is also being advertised for the tour.

Gunner joined TNA in 2010 but his story goes back to 2001 when he began wrestling but a year later he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner and reached the rank of lance corporal serving in the Iraq War.

The 32-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, is a one-time TNA tag team champion with James Storm and a one-time TNA Television Champion.

We caught up with Gunner to talk about working with the Nature Boy Ric Flair, his dad being involved in story lines, wanting to become TNA Champion, plus much more.

Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?

I’ve been a wrestling fan since the age of five and I started wrestling in 2001, and i joined the marine corp 2002 to 2006. I was wrestling before i went to bootcamp and during my time in the marine corp I would travel 20 hour round trips or so every weekend I could to wrestle on certain shows, so I was juggling both at the same time. I’m just living my dream.

Q. Who were some of the wrestlers that you enjoyed watching whilst growing up?

I could sit here and talk to you about that all day, some of the ones that come to mind are; Macho Man Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Ric Flair. The main one for me was Macho Man, I was a massive fan of Randy Savage.

Q. What has it been like getting to work with guys you enjoyed watching like Kurt Angle and Ric Flair?

They are both very knowledgable guys, so it was great for them to pass their knowledge on to the younger guys like myself who are the future of the company and the future of the business.

Ric managed me for a while so he would be at ringside for my matches, and just him knowing how to tell a story and paint a picture was amazing. Kurt Angle is a machine, anytime you’re in the ring with him you are going to have to work, but that is great, it has taught me the never say die attitude.

Q. What has it been like in the TNA dressing room with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, AJ  Styles, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian all leaving the company?

Professional wrestling is a business and like anyone that works in any business we are all expendable. All of those guys that have left the company are off still doing great things, and even though it’s a shame to lose top guys like that it gives the younger guys in the locker room the opportunity to step up to the plate. Those are big boots to fill, nobody is going to be the next Sting or AJ Styles but it gives us a chance to build new characters and new stars.

Q. Your rivalry with James Storm saw some real life elements brought in the the storyline, was that something you enjoyed?

James and I have our differences and we just don’t like each other, but he is still an amazing performer, he can fight and he knows what he is doing in the ring. Those matches I had with James enabled me to step up even more, and it has given the fans the opportunity to invest in my character.

Bringing my father into the storyline was a great experience that I enjoyed. Wrestling is totally different now to when I was a kid, when everything was larger than life and seemed as though it had just come out of a comic book, the guys could still work but now the fans want to know what the wrestlers are like in real life.

Q. What is your next target?

I’ve got my eyes on the big prize, the TNA Heavyweight Title. I feel like I was robbed on the last TNA tour in the UK when I wrestled Magnus for the title and James Storm interfered. I think I’m ready for another title shot, Eric Young is the champion and we have a friendship but when it comes to business we both want to be world champion. Obviously he doesn’t want to lose it, but I want to win it, that is my main goal to be champion.

For more information you can follow Gunner on Twitter @TNA_GUNNER

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley published the following on his Facebook this week, explaining why he’s a fan of Hulk Hogan:

WHY MICK LIKES HULK

Yes, I like Hulk Hogan – and here’s why. With each passing year, I think I gain a better perspective on what’s really important in life. There was a time – a period of many years – where Hulk’s name would bring up some negative feelings for me. He was the guy who made far more than I did with a style that was the antithesis of mine.

But for the past several years, whenever I see Hulk Hogan, all I can think of are the words Shane Douglas shared with me about Hulk Hogan and the kindness and warmth with which he showered the kids facing life-threatening challenges, who seemed to find strength and inspiration in Hulk’s larger than life physique and personality. I’ll never forget those words Shane told me, “Those kids would just be beaming.”

Those words are all I think of when I see Hogan, People can take issue with his wrestling style…as they often do with mine. But, when it’s all said and done, Hulk Hogan used that oversized personality, and really big heart to ease so much suffering that he saw around him..

In the bigger picture, does anything else really matter?

Hulk Hogan has a special message for the men’s USA World Cup soccer team ahead of their big game with Germany this afternoon.

5 FIFA World Cup Stars and Their WWE Counterparts

The following is a transcription of a recent Ring Rust Radio interview with Rob Van Dam:

Mike Chiari: Since returning to WWE for your latest stint you’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the company’s fastest rising stars, specifically Cesaro and Bad News Barrett. As a veteran performer do you take pride in helping some of these younger stars get over and reach their fullest potential?

Rob Van Dam: Yes and no. I place no focus on that. If somebody is willing to take some advice, then I have some, and that’s just life in general. A lot of people don’t want to hear anything. These guys, and everybody at WWE right now, is so good that the standard of the pro wrestler compared to maybe 10 years ago: night and day difference. I came back last year and I was so impressed. Guys that come up now through NXT, a lot of them, maybe most of them, seem to be growing up in the business and with only four or five years’ experience. They’re already 10-12 year veterans. I’m more happy, with the caliber rising, that I can still get in there with my style and ability and still be relevant with the new age of wrestlers coming up just like it was back then.

So, are they getting a rub from wrestling with me? Probably so, but these guys, I don’t feel like they need me. These guys have a great future and are heading to the top with or without wrestling Rob Van Dam, they just might have a few more bruises after wrestling me.

Brandon Galvin: Many fans relate Money in the Bank to being the summer version of the Royal Rumble. Since you’ve competed in many Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble matches, which do you find more exciting to participate in?

Rob Van Dam: The battle royals are usually among my least favorite matches. Of course the Royal Rumble is a very anticipated and popular pay-per view and it’s very important in setting up what happens that year with WWE, but for my personal participation, I like to keep the spotlight on me more.

Single matches, I feel, have always been the ones where I can shine more. Three-way, four-way, you have to split your attention with some other guys, and it can be totally great, but when you get into a battle royal with 20 or 30 other guys, it’s just so different from what your agenda is when it’s one on one competition. My preference is from the perspective of the guy putting the boots on, but really, if it works, it’s good. If the fans love it, I love it.

Donald Wood: The Money in the Bank pay-per-view is scheduled for Sunday, June 29, in Boston and on the WWE Network. As the winner of the 2006 edition of the match, you know first hand how a victory in the ladder match can change your career. How do you approach this event now that you’re a little older and a little wiser?

Rob Van Dam: The experience that I have goes with not only knowing what it takes to pull off a match like that, but also experience in knowing myself and knowing what I can do and how far out there my comfort zone is. I love a match like Money in the Bank, I love a hardcore match, and that’s what the Money in the Bank ladder matches are. Throw the rule book out and let out your imagination. Usually, you have to be among the tougher [Superstars] to enjoy a match like that because you are going to be hit with steel and cement and there’s most likely going to be some blood—even though they want to stop it with the current policies with the WWE, some people might get busted open. I wish they would bring the hardcore title back, that would make me happy.

Mike Chiari: You obviously have a long history with Paul Heyman dating back to ECW, and you’ve once again had an opportunity to work with him during your feud with Cesaro. If a situation were to arise at some point that would allow you to join forces with Heyman again is that something you might be interested in?

Rob Van Dam: Possibly, you know, there’s a lot of factors to consider. Of course, whenever I’m working with him to any degree, I have to consider the possibility that some writers may be thinking of that idea just like you are. I would be open to considering anything, but I really do enjoy being a fan favorite, someone that gets the positive energy from the fans and all the love from those who are wrestling fans: guys my age, kids, women, whatever. I like that I have that appeal, and I like the love. That would be something, even within the parameters of entertainment, switching to bad guy, that those guys would put up with. All the negative energy that would occur if I were to switch. That would be something that has value to me, but besides that, of course I’d love to work with Paul.

Brandon Galvin: You’ve always been one of the most exciting and unique wrestlers in and out of the ring, which makes it difficult for fans to ever boo you. However, have you ever thought about playing the role of a villain again or do you think your in-ring style would make it too difficult for fans to turn on you?

Rob Van Dam: I don’t know. I actually started as a bad guy in the original ECW, back in ’96, because I was wrestling Sabu, who all the fans loved and treated like a god. With the thumbs pointing at myself, that was done in an arrogant manner to draw heat from the crowd and they seemed to love it, they seemed to love my moves.

I don’t know if my style makes it hard to get fans to not appreciate me, but I do think that the traditional hero is something that is old fashioned in somewhere like the Deep South. I remember wrestling in Georgia, and as a good guy—to get the audience behind me—you just walk out and clap your hands, you get the fans to clap with you and you smile. When I first went up to Philadelphia, if I tried that stuff up there, they would boo me out the door. So that kind of anti-hero or that more adult approach has taken over.

The Attitude Era, ECW, everything together has come to make wrestling not so old fashioned, which I could say was cheesy by my standards and had to evolve, so now the fans tend to be drawn more toward what they find entertaining, which is subjective.

Donald Wood: When you returned to the WWE, there were a lot of reports about your contract with the company. While it appears you won’t be going for the major titles in the company as a part-time wrestler—at least right now—you have much more free time to explore other ventures outside the ring. Has it been difficult trying to adapt to the new style of part-time wrestling with the WWE?

Rob Van Dam: I have never been one of the guys that goes crazy at home. I can’t even imagine what that’s like. I need the balance. WWE knows I walked away from them in 2006, [that] I stayed away for six or seven years [and] that I’m capable of that without question. The other wrestlers, they have a few days off and they go nuts.

I remember, even when I was injured, I had my knee surgery and was home for 12 months, but I wasn’t just sitting around, I had a lot of conventions and things, but I would get phone calls from some of my friends from wrestling saying, ‘Rob I know you’re going crazy at home, but you’ll be back on the road in no time,’ and that’s when I realized how different they are from me. I love my time at home. I need that balance. That’s why I left before, and that’s why this schedule is what works perfect for me, so I don’t have to adjust to the busy times.

We just did 17 matches in 23 days in my last run when we went to Europe and I did NXT in Florida as well as Raw and Smackdown. That kind of time for me is when I count the days until I get a break, always have, and some of the other guys have nothing waiting for them at the apartment anyways. They’re young and they’re looking to show people what they’ve got, I’ll let them have it. I’m happy with my position and the way WWE is treating me right now.

Mike Chiari: You’ve faced most of the top stars in the business over the past two decades, but who is someone who you either haven’t wrestled at all or have only wrestled sparingly that you’d like to work an extended program against in WWE?

Rob Van Dam: Hulk Hogan. Bring Hulk Hogan back, I want to work with him.

I don’t really worry about those things. When people ask me about guys I don’t say yes or no, but I go where the money is. Any chance I have to be a main event at a pay-per view, like main eventing WrestleMania, is that important to me? At this point, it’s something that would be really nice.

Brandon Galvin: Not many fans know about your roles outside the ring as an actor. One of my personal favorites was when you appeared on City Guys in the late 90’s. With the success of WWE Studios, would you be interested in appearing another film?

Rob Van Dam: Yeah, totally. I actually have several projects back in LA that are on the table. Some of them are movie projects, some of them documentaries, some TV shows. And to me, for that stuff to happen is like letting out 50 balloons in the air and seeing which ones make it back down.

I regularly sign letters of interest with people who have given me offers and, nine out of 10 times, the projects don’t see the light of day. Sometimes they do. When they do, it usually takes a lot of years before they come to fruition. I like to be on the creative side of that also, helping create the story and produce it.

As much as I like the entertainment business, I hate doing auditions. I don’t do them. So when you don’t do auditions, you’re not going to get a lot of parts. I did plenty of auditions, but I’m at a point now where my time is limited, and I don’t enjoy doing auditions, so now I take parts when they’re handed to me. So there are a lot less projects for me, but I love to do them.

For those interested, you can listen to the complete interview above.

HILARIOUS Clip Of Jerry Lawler Staring At Paige’s Butt On RAW! [MUST SEE >>]

The following are highlights of a new In Your Head Wrestling Radio interview with Harley Race:

What are your thoughts on Hulk Hogan as a wrestler? “Well, no matter how you want to word it or how you want to say it, if you’re good enough to get to all the places that Hogan was at you’ve got to be way the hell above average…Hogan gets good and bad raps virtually on a daily basis, but the end product was he was who he was and he would not have gotten there were he incapable of handling the process of getting there and then handling it once after he was there.”

What was the feeling like when you beat Lou Thesz’ record for the number of world title reigns? “Well, it was a reign that had stood for…a long time, and everybody knew that Lou Thesz, no matter who beat his record was not going to take away anything from his name. I was very very proud to be the person that was capable of doing that, and I made sure that Lou’s name stayed right where it was at even though I had bettered it.”

Check out the complete interview above.

HILARIOUS Clip Of Jerry Lawler Staring At Paige’s Butt On RAW! [MUST SEE >>]