— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted a link to a YouTube video on Saturday of a woman expressing her love for cats. He added, “If John Cena was a woman he’d be this chick – U can hug all the cats you want fruit loop!”
Cena responded on Sunday with the following: “Hey dwayne. Sorry I didn’t see your message until now. I was busy at WWE live events. I know u don’t have any idea what im talking about… Its ok. I don’t expect u to understand. Enjoy your web surfing. Sounds like u have plenty of time to look up some real cool stuff. :)”
He also retweeted comments from followers knocking The Rock.
— The June 10 episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 1.77 cable rating, the same number as the previous week.
SmackDown averaged 2.7 million viewers, also the same as the previous week. This extends the program’s streak of less than 3.0 million viewers to six consecutive weeks.
Prior to the program’s ratings downturn, the show was averaging 3.06 million viewers per episode in 2011.
— Michael Tarver announced this weekend on Twitter that he has changed his user handle to his real name.
“Hello everyone my name is Tyrone Evans (michael tarver) and I have changed me screen name to my real name,” he wrote. “michael tarver belongs to wwe TYRONE EVANS xB2.0x belongs to GOD and im about to ATTACK ,,,GOD HELP US ,,,,stay tuned……….”
Tarver, who has sparingly appeared on WWE programming this year, is still listed as a member of the Raw roster on the company website. He has continued to appear for Florida Championship Wrestling during his hiatus.
— John Cena spoke to students at Baker High School in Baldwinsville, New York on Friday prior to a WWE live event in nearby Syracuse. While there, he discussed how he markets himself in the business world and how he conducts his life away from it.
“I think, in this day and age, too many athletes say ‘I play a game for a living.’ They have to realize millions of people are watching and following them…their every move,” Cena said.
— WWE Superstar Mark Henry celebrates his 40th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays today are former WWE stars Jerry Lynn (48) and Terry Taylor (56).
– WWE Champion John Cena is working through a number of physical ailments, including neck, hip and elbow problems. Despite what he’s going through, Cena rarely complains.
– World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton recently moved into a large new home in a suburb of St. Louis. The news was picked up by a local community newsletter, which asked neighbors to respect the sports entertainer’s privacy.
– As WWE continues to expand its business internationally, another market the company has its sights on is Brazil. Rio de Jeneiro is seen as an emerging economy and will be hosting two huge international events in the coming years – the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic games.
— Deadline Hollywood reports that Dwayne Johnson is in negotiations with Paramount Pictures to play the Roadblock character in the G.I. Joe sequel Cobra Strikes.
— WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart announced today on Twitter that he will appear on WWE’s upcoming tour of South Africa.
“Yes, I will be a part of the WWE tour in South Africa. Always thought Cape Town was a beautiful city. Was last there in ’97. Very excited,” Hart wrote.
The Smackdown brand tours South Africa July 6-10.
— John Cena is featured on the cover of the July 2011 issue of WWE Magazine.
Their showdown at WrestleMania 28 is still 10 months away – but that doesn’t mean The Rock and John Cena’s beef is cooling off.
On Monday, The Rock posted a photo from his farm of him and his horse, Scoob. The Rock referred to the horse’s large teeth as “John Cena teeth.”
After RAW, Cena responded to The Rock on Twitter with the following:
“Hey dwayne. Glad u had fun on the farm. Would loved to have joined u and scoob…but I was at RAW looking for the guy who brings it…. Guess he decided he had better things to do…you know…like….hang out….on the farm…and stuff. :)”
– Pay-per-view provider iNDEMAND has released the official synopsis and promotional poster for WWE’s upcoming Money In The Bank event on Sunday, July 17th. The synopsis reads:
“A guaranteed championship match hangs 20 feet above the ring in a steel briefcase. One man will scale the heights and seize his destiny. Don’t miss John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and all your favorite WWE Superstars at WWE Money in the Bank live on pay-per-view.”
Here is the PPV poster featuring John Morrison, who will hopefully be back in action by mid-July following his recent neck surgery:
R-Truth may be getting his shot at John Cena’s WWE Championship at Captiol Punishment on June 19th – as per an announcement by the Anonymous RAW General Manager made after RAW went off the air.
Joey Styles tweeted the following after RAW:
“Raw’s GM has ordered R-Truth to apologize next week on Raw to earn a WWE Title Match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment. Video on WWE.com.”
Video of the post-RAW announcement by the RAW GM can be seen at here:
— Creative plans as of this past weekend were for R-Truth to confront John Cena tonight on Raw. This is a strong sign that Capitol Punishment will feature a match between both Raw Superstars.
— Vickie Guerrero remarked last Thursday on her Facebook account that her boyfriend, who was also her personal trainer, cheated on her with a married woman. She also made the news public on Twitter.
Guerrero wrote, “I did change gyms, my trainer/boyfriend was cheating on me with a married woman who has kids. She continued, “Its all good, the truth will always come out, karma will bite you #cheaters.”
— Though Triple H is being advertised for tonight’s Raw taping Omaha, Nebraska, it should be noted that the advertisement was done months ago. It is unlikely that he will be appearing at tonight’s show.
— John Cena drew criticism on Twitter on Saturday after posting a pro-America remark.
He wrote, “CeNation. I know most have a long weekend this week. While you’re having fun remember those who have kept this country free.”
Hours later, Cena retweeted an expletive-laden remark directed towards him. He wrote in response, “CeNation. Welcome to my life. You don’t love it…leave it man. I damn proud of all those men and women. On memorial day weekend. Classy. Very classy. Sorry guys. We all have our limits. That sent me over the line.”
He then retweeted another one of his follower’s remarks: “@shmikemike You’re pathetic. You’re right John Cena sucks big time and is a ****** performer, but no need to insult our troops like that.”
Cena self-deprecatingly wrote in response, “You see. That is the way to insult someone. Not bad mr knight. I’ve heard much worse but not bad. :)”
— Vickie Guerrero remarked last Thursday on her Facebook account (shortly after plugging the account on Twitter) that her boyfriend, who was also her personal trainer, cheated on her. She wrote the status update in response to her friends’ hearsay.
A steamed Guerrero wrote, “Enough of the private messages, of he said/she said!!! Im going to set things straight!! I am single now and it was my decision! (name withheld)…aka trainer/”boyfriend” was cheating on me with (name withheld). I was disgusted to know that she is married with kids! Been there, lived it before, and I am done with that bullshit…period!”
— John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio is advertised for the July 30 Raw live event show at the Rockford MetroCentre in Rockford, Illinois. CM Punk, however, is not advertised for the show taking place in his home state. The Straight Edge Superstar has not renewed his contract with WWE, so it appears that if he does indeed leave the company, it would be by then.
— Randy Orton, Alicia Fox, Jinder Mahal, The Great Khali and Sheamus, among others, were trending on Twitter last night during SmackDown.
— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars featured 23 minutes and 45 seconds of wrestling action, up from the 21 minutes and 59 seconds the week before.
— WWE developmental wrestler Tyler Black celebrates his 25th birthday today while Kamala turns 61 years old. WWE Diva Natalya turned 29 years old on Friday and former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro turned 32 years old on Saturday.
Here are some highlights of what WWE Champion John Cena spoke about during a recent interview with Boston.com:
His character: “I don’t market myself as the coolest guy out there or the most edgy guy out there. Sports and entertainment have become such a business of branding. You have a lot of people watching your every action, and I’m proud of that. I take a lot of pride in how I present myself.”
The Attitude Era: “The Attitude Era was when the fans became teens. The Attitude Era was really generation-specific. I’m not taking anything away from that — it was 18-to-35-year-old males, and now we’re a broader audience, really more like it was in the ’80s.”
WWE’s All Stars Video Game & Andre the Giant: “The game is unreal. If you just look at the timeline; those people loved the WWE, and they are my age and a little bit older, and they are starting to have family, and all of those young kids are getting interested in the program. He (Andre the Giant) made such an impression on me. He is the one guy that I would have loved to show what I could do.”
– WWE is considering holding a steel cage match at the upcoming Capitol Punishment pay-per-view from Washington, D.C. on June 17th. The cage match would either be for either the WWE championship or the World Heavyweight title.
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter after RAW about:
Punk’s Ring Attire: “It was a tribute to randy savage. It was f’n awsome. I was proud to be out there with him.”
Alex Riley Attacking The Miz: “Kudos to Alex Riley for finally growing a set. Good fighting tonight kid.”
– Kofi Kingston’s ring gear on RAWwas created by a 6-year-old fan named Luke from Canada. Luke was the winner of a WWE Magazine contest where the readers were invited to design ring gear for a WWE superstar, with the winner’s design getting used on television.
– Chris Jericho wrote the following on Twitter last night about R-Truth, who has been great lately on the mic:
“Here’s a Jericho prediction: @RonKillings is gonna be the next big thing in the WWE. And I have a better track record than Harold Camping”
– After Monday’s RAW came off the air, The Miz came out and called out Alex Riley. When Riley didn’t come out, John Cena then grabbed the mic and said to The Miz, “So, as much as Portland hates to hear you talk, how about saying those two words again, not I’m awesome, but I Quit.”
Cena and Miz had a quick scuffle, which led to the Miz receiving an Attitude Adjustment from Cena and then a 619 from Rey Mysterio.
Cena then locked in the STF on Miz and held the mic to Miz’s face .. Miz screamed “I Quit!” in pain about 5 times, which got a huge pop from the crowd.
Cena and Mysterio celebrated in the ring to send the crowd home happy.
– Monday’s RAW featured a strange in-ring segment where Kharma came down to a ring full of WWE divas. Instead of beating the divas down as we’ve seen in recent weeks, Kharma sat down in the middle oft the ring and began to cry, which got a negative reaction from the crowd. Several readers sent in word that the segment continued into the commercial break, with many fans booing and chanting “bullsh*t.”
– Among the WWE-related topics that were trending on Twitter during RAW were Randy Savage, CM Punk, Bret Hart, Michael Cole, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre and Evan Bourne.
According to a reliable WWE source, Nexus leader CM Punk is currently slated to be the next challenger to John Cena’s WWE Championship after Cena’s feud with The Miz is over.
Cena is said to be a big fan of CM Punk and went to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon asking to work with Punk.
We reported a few weeks ago that CM Punk is said to be unhappy behind the scenes in WWE with his lack of push and is strongly considering leaving WWE when his WWE contract expires at the end of the summer.
WWE is still hoping to re-sign Punk and a main event feud with John Cena (as well as another possible title run) could be used as a way to show Punk that he is a highly valued member of the WWE roster.
Even if we do see a program between John Cena and CM Punk, it’s no guarantee that Punk will stick around. Aside from being unhappy with how his character has been booked in recent months, Punk is said to be burned out from the hectic WWE road schedule and might have already made up his mind to take at least a few months off.
— Randy Savage was honored during this afternoon’s New York Yankees vs. New York Mets game at Yankee Stadium as an “In Memory Of” graphic displaying the years of his birth and death was shown on the video screen. “Macho Man” by the Village People played during the tribute.
— Steve Austin guest hosts Sixx Sense on XM Satellite Radio channel 164 on Monday and Tuesday.
— United States President Barack Obama is featured on the official pay-per-view poster for WWE’s upcoming Capitol Punishment event, which takes place on Sunday June 19th from the Verizon Center in Washington DC .. Check it out:
After Monday’s RAW from Knoxville, TN went off the air, The Miz came out and challenged John Cena to a match for the WWE Championship. Cena accepted and won the match. Cena then sang the song “Rocky Top” – which was popular with the Tennesse crowd. Michael Cole came out to insult the crowd and caught an Attitude Adjustment from Cena to end the show.
Footage has been posted online of John Cena singing for the live crowd after RAW went off the air – check it out:
– Entertainment magazine Variety is reporting that WWE Studios has changed the name of John Cena’s upcoming movie Blood Brothers. The project will now be known as “Family Reunion.”
– The Rock has been nominated for the “Biggest Ass Kicker Award” at this year’s Spike TV Guys Choice Awards. His most notable challenger for the prize is actor Mark Wahlberg. Voting is currently underway at Spike.com.
– ECW original Nunzio was back working as a WWE referee last night on RAW.
– With the official WrestleMania 27 DVD / Blu-Ray on sale today -it’s worth noting that WWE has edited out the Johnny Cash song “Ain’t No Grave” (Undertaker’s entrance theme) and Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (one of Triple H’s entrance songs). What’s interesting is that the Nas song “Hate Me Now” remains on the DVD – apparently the licensing rights were not too bad for that song. (Source: WWEDVDNews)
– The official synopsis has been released for WWE’s upcoming DVD/Blu-ray “The 50 Most Shocking, Surprising and Amazing Moments in WWE History” – which is in stores on August 23rd of this year. It will be released via three-discs on DVD and two-discs on Blu-ray. The official synopsis reads like this:
“The 50 Most Shocking, Surprising, Amazing Moments in WWE History counts down the most outrageous moments in the history of WWE. What moments will make the cut, the top 10, and what is the greatest moment of all time? Is it the King of the Ring tournament where Austin 3:16 was born? Mick Foley’s devastating fall of the top of the Hell in a Cell cage? The Montreal Screwjob? The explosion that consumed Mr. McMahon’s limo? This three-disc set is the perfect release for fans that love to debate which moments were their favorites.”
– After last night’s RAW from Knoxville, TN went off the air, The Miz came out and challenged John Cena to a match for the WWE Championship. Cena accepted and won the match. Cena then sang the song “Rocky Top” – which was popular with the Tennesse crowd.
Michael Cole came out to insult the crowd and caught an Attitude Adjustment from Cena to end the show.
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter after last night’s RAW:
“Got to punish a ry. Set and I quit match for over the limit with miz. But nothing beat the fist pumping broski. Thanks for the lesson zack.”
– John Morrison, Zack Ryder, Melina, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio were among the WWE-related items that were trending on Twitter last night during RAW.
— WWE.com has announced that John Cena’s challenger for Over the Limit will be determined tonight on Raw. The following statement was issued:
“Earlier today, an email from Raw’s anonymous General Manager stated that WWE Champion John Cena’s fate for WWE Over the Limit will be determined live tonight on Monday Night Raw at 9/8 CT. In what type of match will Cena defend his title?
— Steve Austin is being advertised for the June 13 Monday Night Raw taping at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York.
His scheduled appearance coincides with the end of Tough Enough season, which concludes the week before. The June 13 Raw is the first of back to back three-hour shows.
Speaking of Austin, he posted a the following video promoting tonight’s episode of Tough Enough.
— The official website of the Key Arena is advertising an I Quit Match between WWE Champion John Cena and The Miz for Over the Limit. The pay-per-view event takes place May 22, 2011 in Seattle, Washington.
Other WWE Superstars advertised for the event include Randy Orton, Christian, John Morrison, Big Show, Alberto Del Rio, “The All-American American” Jack Swagger, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston and “Highflying” Rey Mysterio.
— Promoting an upcoming SmackDown taping in Philadelphia, WWE Superstar Justin Gabriel discusses his past with the Soscia Network. The audio interview is available here.
— Today would have marked as Owen Hart’s 46th birthday. He died on May 23, 1999 when an equipment malfunction occurred during his entrance from the rafters of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri at the Over the Edge pay-per-view event.
– Vince McMahon’s appearance on Monday’s RAW and the special video tribute that aired during The Rock’s birthday celebration were kept secret from The Rock.
– During today’s investor conference call to discuss first -quarter WWE earnings for 2011, Vince McMahon revealed that WWE will soon be unveiling two brand new “live event” TV programs “in the not too distant future”. McMahon also stated that finding a network for those shows “would not be a problem.”
– WWE is currently discussing a summer program between new WWE Champion John Cena and RAW newcomer Alberto Del Rio, with a match between the two stars planned for SummerSlam in Los Angeles.
– Matches booked for upcoming WWE RAW live events include John Cena vs. The Miz, Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio, R-Truth vs. John Morrison and CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston.
– John Cena and The Rock will be using Twitter over the next 11 months to keep their feud heading into WrestleMania 28 next April.
– According to a WWE source, Sin Cara’s new merchandise is selling better than expected.
While in Florida for Monday’s episode of RAW from Miami, WWE champion John Cena was interviewed this week by Bright House Network’s Rock Riley. To see video of John Cena’s interview, head over to BayNews9.com. Here are some highlights of what Cena said about:
Preparing For Life After Wrestling: “I have an extreme realist concept about me living this dream. I know that it’s entertainment and everything has an end point,” Cena said.
“Cena said he believes developments in this area have to do with the wrestling industry coming out of the dark ages decades behind advancements made by the NFL, MLB, and NBA in the area of protecting their players.
“Nowadays, we have talent given financial advisement, we have advisement on health care, they have to pass health exams, they’re drug tested. “You’re pointing talent in more of a direction to say, ‘Listen, this is the entertainment business. You have what you have while you’re in it and there will be an end point, so we’re preparing you for after that end point.'”
Edge’s Retirement: “This is the decision – I know Adam very well and he lives wrestling and is one of the best – but, if this were 1980, he would still be wrestling,” Cena said.
“Now, he got the advice, he said this is not the way for me to go, and on the spot, said, ‘I’m retiring.’ It was a decision that came out of nowhere, but there were some health risks involved and it was, ‘Listen, do you want to keep doing this and never walk again or do you want to live a normal life?’
“The obvious decision with the help of the doctors and WWE is, ‘I’m going to retire.’ That’s an example of how far the talent has evolved.”
Being A Role Model For Kids: “It’s a PG program, so I know a lot of kids watch our programming and in a world where role models are fleeting… I know where I’m at. I know WWE looks at me to be that guy. I was a team leader in college. I know what responsibilities you assume when you become a leader.”
— WWE’s official Twitter page has announced that The Miz will invoke his rematch clause against WWE Champion John Cena tonight on Raw.
— Rap musician Pitbull and the Miami Heat dancers are scheduled to perform on Raw.
There is also a giant birthday cake backstage at Raw reading “Happy Birthday Rock.”
— Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia appeared on today’s episode of the daytime syndicated medical/talk show The Doctors. A segment aired where Garcia’s husband Chris, who was sitting in the audience, volunteered to get manscaped and waxed. She was shown laughing while the procedure took place.
— WWE pulled the YouTube video of John Cena announcing to the Extreme Rules audience last night that U.S. troops “captured and compromised” Osama bin Laden. His speech will air tonight on Raw, WWE announced via press release.
It is fitting that WWE celebrate this historic day in our country’s ongoing fight against terrorism, as WWE SmackDown® was the first public assembly after the tragedy of September 11th, taking place live from Houston on September 13, 2001.
As part of tonight’s show, WWE will replay Superstar John Cena® announcing the news about Osama Bin Laden to the crowd at last night’s Extreme Rules® pay-per-view in which the crowd spontaneously chanted U-S-A.
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.
— Former TNA X Division Champion Jay Lethal is returning to Ring of Honor for the first time since 2008. The organization issued a press release today to announce that he will appear on the Best in the World online pay-per-view on June 26.
— The Huffington Post posted an article regarding John Cena announcing to the Extreme Rules audience that U.S. troops “captured and compromised” Osama bin Laden.
— An image of The Undertaker giving the Tombstone piledriver to Triple H is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam.
— WWE.com has posted new studio photos of Beth Phoenix.
