Matthew Bloom, who previously wrestled as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train for WWE, denied on Twitter on Saturday that he has signed a contract to return to the promotion after WrestleMania XXVIII as he will be appearing for New Japan Pro Wrestling on their next tour. He also said that he does not know how the rumor got started, calling it “comical.” Regarding the rumor, four WWE sources have said within the past week that he is returning to the organization, with one saying it has been assumed for two months that is was happening. Furthermore, numerous WWE performers were talking about his pending return at Friday’s live event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada after being informed by management of the news.
A source close to creative says he is set for “a big push” upon his return to WWE programming in April as a villainous henchman for Raw Interim General Manager and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. F4WOnline.com reported that there has been talk of Bloom feuding with John Cena since the Raw Superstar does not have a post-WrestleMania XXVIII program in place at the moment. However, the note of Bloom possibly feuding with Cena has since been deleted.
Bloom, who will turn 40 years old in November, previously competed for WWE from 1999 to 2004 as a mid-card wrestler. He tore his rotator cuff in June 2004 and was released from his contract before returning from the injury. He would go on to achieve greater success in Japan as Giant Bernard in a tag team partnership with Karl Anderson.
– Chris Jericho responded to a fan on Twitter this week and said the wrestler(s) he wanted to wrestle but never got a chance to were Owen Hart and Bret Hart. Jericho also joked about online reports saying his match will open WrestleMania 28, writing:
– Following The Rock’s concert on RAW (VIDEO), a fan asked him on Twitter about “keeping kayfabe” when Cena has not been. The fan told Rock that he’s still owning Cena, despite Rock working within the “limitations” of keeping things kayfabe. Rock replied with the following:
”Breaking kayfabe” is easy, cheap and never entertaining. Boys who are desperate do it all the time.”
John Cena replied with the following:
“Agreed @therock People should stick to the difficult stuff like mom jokes, sexuality, and making light of someones appearance. #WM28?
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels says The Rock and John Cena’s feud getting personal is a good thing for business and something that wrestling has been missing for a while.
Michaels called in to ESPN Radio on Thursday to promote WrestleMania. Around the 31-minute mark, he said this about Rock and Cena having legitimate heat:
“Sometimes I feel like the WWE has lost that in a lot of respects. John and Rock have brought back what somebody like me used to do on a regular basis back in the day. I think it’s refreshing. It’s good, it’s good for business, and good for them to bring out the best in each other. There’s nothing wrong with making it personal… that’s better business whether people like it or not.”
When asked about a possible return to the ring, Michaels says he’s retired and is not tempted to wrestle again.
— Multiple sources have confirmed to the Pro Wrestling Torch that there is legitimate tension between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena, which reflects in their war of words. Furthermore, Vince McMahon is doing nothing to stop it as he and those in upper management love the conflict.
As in the past, McMahon enjoys seeing top stars challenge other. He feels the audience will sense real friction between two wrestlers, thus furthering interest in the match he’s trying to sell. In the case of Johnson and Cena, the top circle likes that fans are sensing their friction and believing that they may legitimately come to blows at WrestleMania XXVIII.
— WREG-TV in Memphis, Tennessee profiled “The Ugandan Giant” Kamala on his career and health issues. After having is leg amputated late last year, the legendary wrestler now uses a wheelchair and is learning to use a prosthetic leg. However, he doesn’t want his fans to feel sorry for him.
“Don’t think of me as oh, please help me. I want them to think of me as uplifting,” he says. “That’s the way I want them to think of me.”
Kamala also discusses his character and pay discrepancies with his WWF opponents. The video piece is available here.
– Could Mark Henry be heading to Raw? The official website of the Thompson-Boling Arena is advertising the SmackDown star vs. John Cena in a Special Challenge Match for a Raw live event taking place at the venue on May 5. All other talent advertised for the show are members of the Raw roster. A Triple Threat Match featuring Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk and Chris Jericho is also scheduled.
– Former WWE star Billy Gunn celebrated one year of sobriety last week. His wife wrote Saturday on his Twitter account:
“*HACKED BY YOUR WIFE* Congrats on your ONE YEAR Sobriety! One day and one step at a time! you got this baby!! love you!”
Gunn, whose real name is Monty Sopp, has admitted to drug use in interviews. His lengthy tenure with WWE ended in 2004 following a visit to a rehabilitation facility.
– Seldom seen Raw Superstar JTG is on the road this week with WWE. He did job duty to Ryback (a/k/a Skip Sheffield) at Raw live events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
— WWE relaunched WWE.com on Sunday. Among the numerous features is a revamped Superstars section and a Classics section dedicated to the history of WWE, WCW and ECW.
The latest redesign had been planned for several months, to coincide with WrestleMania season. However, some company employees are not fond of the project due to the high cost and the fact that it was redesigned just a year ago.
— GameBandits.com has published an article on former WWE talent Angela Fong (a/k/a Savannah) and Harry Smith (a/k/a David Hart Smith) providing motion capture character portrayal for THQ’s WWE ’13 video game. Sean Morley (a/k/a Val Venis) and Cassidy Riley have also motion capture action.
— WWEShop.com has released a Wrestlemania XXVIII Cena vs. Rock Augmented Reality Adult T-Shirt.
— WWE developmental wrestler Seth Rollins defeated Drew McIntyre at Saturday’s SmackDown live event in East Lansing, Michigan. He previously toured with the main roster in late December as he beat Tyson Kidd in singles matches at three consecutive SmackDown live events.
— Mick Foley commented on the reaction to his public concern for WWE’s on-screen treatment of Eve.
“Not everyone agreed with my comments, but from time to time I feel like a should add my voice to certain subjects,” he tweeted.
Foley wrote this week that WWE is sending a “mixed message” with the name-calling toward Eve since it contradicts their anti-bullying campaign ‘be a STAR’ and John Cena’s motto to “Rise Above Hate.”
After Eve declared on Raw SuperShow two weeks ago that she’d taken advantage of Zack Ryder’s feelings to further her own career and planned on doing the same with John Cena, she quickly became the recipient of great scorn. Cena proclaimed on the same show that he lost a “broski” for a “hoeski;” this has led to the WWE Diva being inundated with the derogatory name at live events and through social media outlets. Legendary wrestler Mick Foley, a friend of Eve’s, is not fond of this uncomplimentary storyline and is voicing his concern through Twitter.
Foley initially played up the storyline on the micro-blogging site by saying Ryder should give Eve another chance. A follower of Foley’s disagreed, writing, “Once a #Hoeski, always a #Hoeski.” He responded by saying both Ryder and Cena should apologize to Eve for calling her that name.
“Sorry, @LizBDecker, but @ZackRyder should take @EveMarieTorres back AND apologize for calling her that name. @JohnCena should apologize too,” Foley wrote. “It’s important to be able to disagree without being disagreeable. @ZackRyder should just say #noski when it comes to using the word #hoeski.”
Foley adds that WWE is sending a “mixed message” with the name-calling since it contradicts their anti-bullying campaign ‘be a STAR’ and Cena’s motto to “Rise Above Hate.”
“I wouldn’t be so uneasy with the name-calling if not for Be a Star and @JohnCena rising above hate. Mixed message,” he wrote in response to the following comment: “How does John Cena accusing Eve of being a skank and of being diseased fit with the Be a Star campaign?”
Foley continues, “I think @zackryder can come out of this looking good, but not if he gives into something as cheap and easy as name-calling.”
He was also asked whether the storyline is a product of lazy writing or indicative of a blatant sexism problem within WWE.
“I really love what WWE is doing with it’s anti-bullying campaign – but the “hoeski” thing did strike me as the lazy way out,” Foley responded.
This is not the first time where Foley has publicly taken a stand for a female being demeaned on WWE programming as he took offense online to Triple H belittling ring announcer Lilian Garcia with a hurtful behind-the-scenes joke during a 2010 episode of Raw. He acknowledged then that speaking out against the WWE head may have cost himself professionally down the road, but vehemently felt he had to take a stand.
With just 3 1/2 weeks to go until their epic encounter at WWE’s biggest pay-per-view event of the year, things are heating up fast between The Rock and John Cena. Their interactions are intensifying and the current plan is for Rock and Cena to finally get physical the March 26th RAW Supershow, the final show before WrestleMania 28.
After WrestleMania 28, The Rock will be filming Fast Six, Pain & Gain and Hercules back-to-back, which will keep him very busy until the end of 2012. Rock has several other projects lined up after that (including Ciudad), so it is unlikely we will see him on WWE television on a regular basis.
Vince McMahon stated months ago that Rock had agreed to do participate in multiple pay-per-view events this year and there has been talk of him doing something at SummerSlam. At the WrestleMania 29 press conference, Rock said he will be participating in next year’s show as well.
– John Cena posted a thank you message to his fans on Twitter who sent him supportive messages regarding his younger brother, who is battling cancer:
“Thanks to all those with messages of support for my bro. #livestrong”
Cena cut an emotional promo after RAW revealing that his brother has been undergoing various treatments for a brain tumor and is doing better in recent weeks.
Cena also talked some trash about The Rock and sounds like he can’t wait for Monday’s RAW:
“And on another note..has anybody seen @therock ? Because the guy who shows up looking like him really sucks. Prep school thug will be ready for cleveland. Hope great one has is notes right. I meant musical notes…not notes on his hand.”
– Rapper Machine Gun Kelly was interviewed by WWE Magazine about his hit song Invincible being used as one of the theme songs of WrestleMania 28. Here’s what MGK said about John Cena embodying the song’s message:
“Like me, I consider John Cena to be an underdog; The Rock is like this flashy Hollywood guy. You can’t give him a song like “Invincible” because no one would believe it. John Cena is all about being loyal to the fans, and so am I. I just dig him as a person. I saw the video they made, and the whole thing was intense. I loved all of it.”
— Regarding the relationship between Dwayne Johnson and John Cena behind the scenes, while the two are cordial with each another, they are not the best of friends. There is genuine tension between both stars, which was said to have intensified in the weeks leading up to Survivor Series.
One former WWE insider who has worked with both Johnson and Cena said of their relationship: “They aren’t buddy-buddy, that’s for sure. I’ve heard they’ve disagreed about a lot of things. They aren’t big fans of one another personally, but they are willing to carry on with business.”
— SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia announced on Twitter that she will be appearing at Planet Hollywood Times Square (1540 Broadway — 45th Street) on Wednesday at noon for a Q&A session with fans.
— Ring of Honor has released a two-disc DVD set highlighting Bryan Danielson’s (a/k/a Daniel Bryan) career with the organization.
As we reported late Monday night, John Cena cut an emotional promo after RAW went off the air from his home town of Boston, MA.
Cena revealed to the audience that the last time he was in Boston, he received a text message from his brother after the show explaining he had an inoperable brain tumor. Cena said that through chemotherapy and treatment, the tumor is shrinking.
Check out this video from after RAW went off the air:
– Jim Ross tweeted the following message about the tremendous amount of pressure put on the shoulders of The Rock and John Cena if they are indeed the last match to go on at WrestleMania:
“Think of the pressure @JohnCena & @TheRock must feel if they are, obviously, called upon to follow everything at WM28 especially HIAC.”
Hit up the comments below and tell us who should go on last at Wrestlemania and how WWE should structure the card’s lineup.
– Zack Ryder mentioned on Twitter that he’s headed to the UK today to do promotional work for WWE.
– The security guards on RAW last night that escorted John Laurinaitis and David Otunga out of the building were independent wrestlers Mark Shurman, Max Bauer, Matt Taven and Andy McKenzie. They train at Boston’s New England Pro Wrestling Academy.
– WWE is heading to Brazil in May with the following live events:
May 23rd: Sao Paulo, Brazil (Ibirapuera Gymnasium)
May 24t: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (Maracanazinho Gymnasium)
– According to Joey Styles, the upcoming ECW DVD that is set to be released this summer will NOT feature any content from WWE’s revived version of ECW. Styles Tweeted:
“I’m being asked by many if WWECW will be included on this Summer’s new ECW home video release. The answer is OH MY GOD NO! Original ECW only”
– During one of the “History Lesson” segments that took place on Monday’s RAW, The Rock made fun of John Cena’s WWE merchandise, including a garden gnome dressed up like Cena. For the readers who emailed in asking if such merchandise exists – yes, WWE does sell garden gnomes. The WWE Shop websites has 4 different WWE-themed garden gnomes for sale – but none of them feature John Cena. The ones available for purchase include Hornswoggle, Triple H, Steve Austin, and… ait for it… The Rock. You can view the gnomes at WWEShop.com
– Michael McGillicutty and Curt Hawkins were stopped by police in Rhode Island last night but let go due to their status as WWE Superstars. Hawkins tweeted:
“So @WWEMcGillicutty & I just got pulled over by Rhode Island State Troopers. They recognized us from #NXT …They let us slide.”
– WWE Champion CM Punk appeared on Boston’s WAAF radio station on Monday to promote RAW. During the interview, Punk revealed that he’s pulling for John Cena to defeat The Rock at WrestleMania. Punk talked about his upcoming WWE DVD set – and said it might not get released in September like WWE wants because he has full control over what content goes on the DVD. You can listen to Punk’s radio appearance here:
– The feeling among most people backstage at RAW in Boston last night was that John Cena once again got the upper hand on The Rock, in terms of who was better on the mic.
– Brodus Clay was backstage at last night’s RAW Supershow in Boston but once again, was not used. Clay has been off television for several weeks and returned to action this weekend at the RAW brand’s live events, defeating Michael McGillicutty.
– All episodes from the first season of Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures are now available for “VIP members” on MRAHunting.com.
– To follow up on the news of FCW Diva Irena Janjic (Leah West) moving on after getting released by WWE, Janjic recently returned to Australia where she’s back working for the Impact Pro Wrestling promotion.
— It was announced at Monday’s Raw SuperShow at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts that Night of Champions will take place at the same venue on September 16, 2012. There will be a pre-sale this week on Ticketmaster.com with the code WWENOC.
— Triple H will compete at WWE’s Road to WrestleMania event at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 2012 as he teams up with CM Punk and Randy Orton in a Six-Man Tag Team Match against Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler.
Also announced for the show: World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry; John Cena vs. Kane in a Last Man Standing Match; R-Truth vs. The Miz; Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder.
— WWE Champion CM Punk shot footage for his upcoming DVD Monday in Boston, Massachusetts.
“Oh hey. Day 1 of filming for this little DVD thing I’m doing. No time like 5:30 AM to capture my true crabby essence,” he wrote on Twitter. “Man. This DVD is going to be so great. #LWF #MAW #SDW #IWA #IWC #ROH #OVW #WWE.”
— With next week’s Raw SuperShow emanating from the city of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio, a special event will be presented: The Rock in concert and John Cena rapping.
— The Miz lost in short order to Big Show on Monday’s Raw SuperShow via WMD. This extends the former WWE Champion’s losing streak to nine consecutive losses in televised singles matches. He has not won a televised singles match since the December 5, 2011 Raw.
— SportsCenter anchor Robert Flores was in attendance at Monday’s Raw Supershow in Boston, Massachusetts.
— The announced attendance for Monday’s Raw SuperShow at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts was 16,286.
– After Monday’s RAW from Boston went off the air, John Cena cut a promo and revealed some very personal information – that that his youngest brother has cancer and is recovering from recent surgery.
Cena said he’s so happy that his brother is doing better that he would drink Jack Daniels and eat some Kung Pow Chicken. Cena’s hometown crowd popped huge for the feel-good moment.
Back in December, John Cena wrote the following on Twitter regarding personal issues he was going through:
“Very difficult month for me,personally. It’s times like these that I see truly how much I love wrestling. I am truly thankful for what I do. Adapt. Overcome. And now, more than ever before Rise Above Hate. I f’n love you guys. Even the ones that hate my guts. U get me thru each day..thick and thin. Thank u. For everything. Thank you.”
– Next week’s RAW from Cleveland, Ohio will feature a face-to-face confrontation between the Undertaker and the man who will referee his Hell in a Cell match against Triple H at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels.
– WWE will be releasing a new DVD set on the “Biggest Matches in ECW History.” Amazon.com has the release date listed as June 5th – and the project will feature a countdown of the Top 25 Matches in ECW history.
– WWE’s upcoming DVD set on CM Punk is still in production and content is still being filmed for it.
– John Cena and Zack Ryder are booked to challenge Primo & Epico for the WWE Tag Team Titles on May 11th at WWE’s live event from Glens Falls, New York.
Also on that show, Dolph Ziggler will challenge CM Punk for the WWE championship in a Best of 3 Falls match.
— WWE developmental wrestler Xavier Woods, who formerly competed as Consequences Creed for TNA Wrestling, appeared before a WWE crowd for the first time at Friday’s Raw live event in Cornwall, Ontario. He defeated Curt Hawkins in a singles match.
Woods signed a developmental contract with WWE in July 2010 and has appeared for Florida Championship Wrestling ever since.
— Prior to Eve’s victory over Natalya on Friday’s SmackDown, the third generation wrestler confronted Eve to give her opinion on the situation with Zack Ryder. The dueling Divas have extended their feud to Twitter. Natalya wrote of Eve’s actions, “After SD last night I’m more disgusted than ever by @EveMarieTorres’ behavior toward both @ZackRyder and @JohnCena. #TeamZack.”
Eve responded, “And I’m disgusted by… you @NatbyNature. I wouldn’t expect u, or any of these people to know how it feels to be beautiful & have to use it.”
— WWE will hold a Raw live event at Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia on July 27, 2012. It was originally scheduled to take place on May 6, 2012.
WWE legend Mick Foley tweeted the following on Monday night regarding The Rock and John Cena’s segment that closed the show:
“That promo felt kind of uncomfortable to watch. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
Former WWE announcer Jack Korpela wrote:
“@TheRock is simply on a different level. Makes @JohnCena and @CMPunk look amateur. What does @wwe have to do to build a new Rock? @TheRock proved again tonight why he is among the top three @wwe superstars ever. @HulkHogan @steveaustinBSR and @therock made this business”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross seems to think there could be legit heat between The Rock and Cena:
“@JohnCena calling @TheRock a “SOB” tonite shocked me & made me uncomfortable. Sounded more personal than in a professional context…IMO.”
“It’s getting personal…@JohnCena & @TheRock…legit. Guaranteed. No BS.”
When asked directly by a fan whether there is legit heat between Rock and Cena, JR replied :
“If there wasn’t before tonight, there certainly seems to be now.”
The Rock tweeted the following after RAW:
“Team Bring It: Tonight we made history. Dominated Twitter. #TheRock #Boots2Asses #CenasMissingBalls.”
He later added:
“Portland, Oregon: THANK YOU for a historic & unforgettable night. An honor to entertain you on RAW. #TeamBringItStrong.”