— WWE Champion CM Punk spoke directly to the WWE Universe at SummerSlam Axxess Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, California as he answered questions from fans during a promo. Todd Grisham also asked him the following question: “How can you speak your mind the way you do and still have a job at WWE?”

Punk replied, “That answer is very simple. I really don’t care if I get fired.” He continued, “If (WWE) decide to bench me and sit me at home, or fire me or suspend me, I really don’t care. Maybe that’s a horrible attitude to have in some peoples’ minds, but that’s the honest to God’s truth. That’s why I can get away with doing and saying what I want.”

To see the video, Alumni section

— Chris Masters, David Hart Smith, Joey Mercury, Melina and Vladimir Kozlov have been added to WWE.com’s Alumni section. Mercury remains under contract to WWE after disappearing from television last summer as he works as trainer in Florida Championship Wrestling.

*NEW* bikini photos of A.J. ->

Finlay, Joey Mercury and Paul Bearer have been removed from the SmackDown roster page on WWE.com.

Finlay, a one-time United States Champion, had appeared sparingly in the squared circle since the beginning of last year. Vince McMahon reportedly decreed removing Finlay as an active performer in the spring due to his age — now 51. He does, however, remain with the organization as a producer.

Bearer was written off television on the December 10 episode of SmackDown as the show concluded with Kane pushing a set of ladders over a railing, sending the longtime manager to the concrete floor below, thus injuring him. Bearer noted in a blog post days later that his original WWE contract was a short-term deal, but that it still had a “couple of months remaining.” He has not indicated whether he has parted ways with the organization.

Mercury’s tenure with the Straight Edge Society came to a halt in August as he underwent surgery on a torn pectoral muscle. He later began working as a trainer in Florida Championship Wrestling while recuperating from his surgery.

— Regarding WWE’s take on Awesome Kong being arrested last week after driving with a license that had been either canceled, suspended or revoked, sources claim they had issue with it. Her deal with the organization was finalized yesterday.

— Joey Mercury, who has been sidelined since September due to a torn pectoral muscle, is now working as a trainer in Florida Championship Wrestling.

— Ring announcer Justin Roberts celebrated his 31st birthday yesterday.

source: f4wonline.com

Joey Mercury will be out of action for several months after undergoing surgery over the weekend to repair a torn pectoral muscle. It’s considered a six month recovery process.

Despite the injury, Mercury is expected to remain on television since he had his arm on Monday’s Raw just days after surgery. Many feel that with Serena’s recent release, it wasn’t a good time to remove Mercury from television since the Straight Edge Society wouldn’t be much of a group with two people. However, Punk and Gallows broke up at the following night’s SmackDown television taping, so the injury may have been the catalyst to disband the group.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— Jim Ross announced on his official website that Ricky Steamboat has been released from the hospital. The WWE Hall of Famer is convalescing at a relative’s home in Florida and slated to return to Florida Championship Wrestling to continue training developmental talent in a month or so.

— While squashing the unidentified member of The Straight Edge Society on last night’s episode of SmackDown, Big Show unmasked him, revealing former Tag Team Champion Joey Mercury. Mercury re-signed with WWE earlier this year and had been working as the masked man of CM Punk’s group since April.

— Radio advertisements in San Antonio, Texas are advertising Monday’s Raw main event as Sheamus and Nexus vs. John Cena and Randy Orton in a Handicap Match.

– There has been talk of turning SmackDown star John Morrison heel in the near future. WWE is firmly behind the developing star and he’s still seen as having a ton of potential.

– Morrison’s former partner Joey Mercury is said to be returning to WWE shortly. While several sources are reporting that a deal has been signed, many people backstage at the Royal Rumble were not aware of his upcoming return.

– The feeling within WWE is that The Undertaker will work a very light schedule headed into WrestleMania. Undertaker is still in rough physical shape and there are plans to get the World Heavyweight title off him before WrestleMania. With Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels still looking likely for WrestleMania, the match has enough going for it that it doesn’t need a title on the line and WWE could probably get more drawing power in having a separate match for the World Heavyweight title.

(Partial Source: F4wonline.com)

— Rapper Foxy Brown mentions WWE Superstar John Cena in her new song “Let ’em Know.” Brown says she’ll “Slam A B**** On Her Back Like I’m John Cena.” No word on whether Foxy Brown also does the five knuckle shuffle.

— Tonight’s WWE house show at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA has been rescheduled to next Thursday due to the expected snow storm. Ring of Honor is running a TV taping tonight at the ECW arena (starting at 7:30pm) and has announced anybody who had tickets to tonight’s rescheduled WWE show gets into their show for free.

— It was recently reported that former WWE tag champion Joey Mercury is on his way back to the company. According to Mike Aldren, one idea currently being discussed by the WWE creative team is to have Mercury return on SmackDown as part of CM Punk’s Straight-Edge Society. Mercury was released from WWE back in 2007 after a well-documented battle with pain killer addiction, so the angle would be playing off real issues.

Three-time WWE Tag Team Champion Joey Mercury is set to return to World Wrestling Entertainment, according to multiple company sources.

Mercury, who has also worked as Joey Matthews, is perhaps best known for his partnership with John Morrison (then Johnny Nitro) as the team MNM, managed by Melina.

After being released from his WWE contract on March 26, 2007, Mercury continued working independents before retiring in 2008, reportedly due to injury issues.

Mercury is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the SmackDown roster.

(source: PWInsider.com)