— WWE will be holding a live episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Friday, October 1st, 2010 during a Supershow event taking place that evening in Oklahoma City. WWE announced in April that SmackDown will move to Syfy starting October 1. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
— John Cena, who rarely questions WWE’s decisions publicly, said the following on Twitter regarding the names of the NXT season two competitors: “..and after a full 2 days to think about it, what is the story behind the names for nxt2 talent? I just don’t understand some things I guess.”
— Maryse and The Bella Twins have opened pages on the social networking site Spiffbox.com.
— John Cena served as Co-Grand Marshal along with the “Gillette Fusion ProGlide Believers” at yesterday’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 at Pocono Raceway. You can view an image of the WWE Champion chatting with NASCAR driver and past Raw guest host Joey Logano here.
— John Cena issued praise to one NXT Rookie in particular in a Twitter post yesterday. He wrote of Kaval, “After seeing profiles of nxt2. Keep an eye on kaval. I see somethin there.”
— Former WCW performer Vampiro was allegedly kidnapped Monday night while driving through the Mexican state of Michuacan in the middle of drug wars. He was reportedly held for 23 hours before being released.
— There has been talk of having Justin Gabriel team up with another babyface, possibly Matt Hardy. Many feel his talking ability is lacking and thus needs someone who can speak on his behalf.
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter last night about Evan Bourne:
“CeNation. Evan is for real. I have always felt he has been overlooked, and it was a privlidge to be his team mate.”
– Randy Orton was told over the weekend that he shouldn’t be wrestling for three weeks, according to f4wonline.com. Besides the attack from Edge last night, Orton isn’t expected to take many bumps over the next few weeks leading up to Fatal 4 Way.
– Jim Ross wrote the following on Twitter regarding last night’s RAW:
“Michael Cole entered Raw 2nite in Austin to what music? ‘BOOMER SOONER!’ Now THAT’S heat.”
“Sign Guy’s got front row seats @ Raw. Raw feels fresh 2nite. Like the newness. Truth’s elevating, Bryan’s excellent, Uso’s & Bourne…yes!”
— At the inaugural Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view, Jack Swagger will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against three former World Champions — Undertaker, Big Show and CM Punk — in a Fatal 4-Way Match. (Match preview)
— Bret Hart has posted a new blog on his Facebook page commenting on WWE offering him the role of General Manager of Monday Night Raw.
“So when the WWE offered me the chance to become the new general manager of Raw, I jumped at the opportunity,” Hart wrote. “I expect this will be one of the most interesting job titles I’ve ever had and I can assure all my WWE fans that I will do my best to be the most interesting and creative GM since the inception of general managers.”
He also praised Vickie Guerrero for the amazing job she’s done with the General Manager role in recent years on SmackDown.
Hart added: “As a note of interest, I’d like to say how proud I’ve been of Vicki Guerrero the last couple of years for doing the amazing job she’s done playing this role on Smackdown. I’m only learning it after one week that’s it’s a much more challenging role than people might realize and I can only hope to do as good of a job as she did.”
— It appears a new John Cena DVD is in the works. He noted the following on his Twitter account yesterday: “Other news I am deciding whether or not to include workout footage on a possible upcoming dvd. Thoughts? What would u guys like to see?”
– Add WWE Champion John Cena to the list of superstars injured at Sunday’s WWE Over The Limit pay-per-view. Cena posted on Twitter.com/WWEJCena this morning:
Morning CeNation. Spent last 3 hrs at dentist. Got a tooth knocked out at OTL. Mouth numb.
He later added that a fan suggested he do a “Cena after the dentist” video – a reference to the “David after the dentist” viral video. Cena replied, “Brilliant. Is this real life?”
In case you’re living under a rock and haven’t seen the “David After the Dentist” video (it’s got over 60 million views on YouTube), here it is .. Imagine Cena like that?
– The SyFy Channel sent out a press release this morning announcing that WWE superstar Cody Rhodes will be appearing on an episode of the show “Warehouse 13” in August. Rhodes will play character Joanne Kelly’s (Myka Bering) high school love interes. According to the press release:
“Rhodes guest stars as “Kurt Smoller,” the former captain of Myka’s high school football team. Charming and good-natured, Kurt shows up at the high school reunion looking better than ever and, in spite of complications brought on by exposure to an artifact, Myka finds herself romantically drawn to him.”
WWE champion John Cena posted a few messages on his Twitter page (Twitter.com/WWEJCena) this morning regarding Randy Orton’s shoulder injury, Batista “quitting” WWE, and Shawn Michaels’s retirement. Here’s what Cena said about:
Randy Orton’s Injury: “I do not know Randy Orton’s condition so I really don’t want to speak on his behalf although I do hope he is well. I have said it time and time again about him, he is one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
Batista “Quitting” WWE: “As for Batista, I never know how permanent ‘quitting’ really is. The only two I’ve seen quit, and truly not come back yet are JBL and HBK.”
After a number of fans jumped on Cena’s remark that Shawn Michaels “quit” WWE, Cena clarified his comment by saying, “Sorry, outpouring of tweets are correct. HBK did retire, which isn’t as angry as quitting.”
— Bret Hart canceled his appearance at the BTW WrestleFest convention yesterday in Fremont, California due to a scheduling conflict with his Calgary Hitmen hockey team. He noted on his official website that the Hitmen were in a semi-final game last night in Brandon, Manitoba with the championship game scheduled for today. Furthermore, he expects to be on hand for tomorrow night’s Raw in Toledo, Ohio, but as of yesterday, wasn’t completely sure.
Regarding the United States Championship, upcoming Raw live events list three-way U.S. Title bouts between R-Truth, The Miz and Ted DiBiase. It’s expected that one of the three will receive the belt once Hart’s run as champion concludes.
— Matches pitting John Cena against Edge with the WWE Championship on the line are advertised for upcoming Raw live events.
— The Blade has conducted an interview The Miz promoting tomorrow night’s Raw in Toledo, Ohio. He discusses the toll wrestling’s had on his body, the worst injury he’s suffered, and more. (Article link)
– WWE champion John Cena commented on Twitter about WWE’s decision to release Carlito this week:
“I am sad to hear the wwe has decided to release Carlito. I always thought he could, and should have accomplished more than he did. I wish him the best.”
– WWE Hall of Famer also commented on Carlito’s release in his latest blog at JRsBarBQ.com. Ross wrote:
“I was disappointed to hear of Carlito being released from WWE for apparent wellness issues. I don’t know all the details of this situation by any means but it seems apparent WWE felt that Carlito needed some help and Carlito didn’t agree. It’s back to the old adage that if one can’t solve a problem one has no choice but to eliminate it. I’m one that certainly believes that Carlito has the ability to be a main event level performer but no one’s professional life should ever be prioritized over their personal life and I sincerely hope that Carlito adjusts to these recent challenges and takes the necessary steps to put these negative issues behind him.”
— John Cena said today on his Twitter account that he was “sad to hear” about Carlito’s release from WWE. WWE announced yesterday that he was released due to a violation of the company’s drug testing program and subsequent refusal to attend a rehabilitation facility.
“I am sad to hear WWE has decided to release Carlito,” Cena wrote on Twitter. “I always thought he could, and should have accomplished more than he did. I wish him the best.”
Jim Ross also addressed Carlito’s release, writing on Twitter: “Too bad to hear Carlito got released 4 wellness issues. Talented young man. Hope he gets back on track. The ball’s n his court. Pulling 4 him.”
— R-Truth was unable to work WWE’s tour of Canada this past week because he is prohibited from entering the country as a result of receiving a citation a few years ago.
In December 2008, he was detained at the Canadian border upon his arrival in the country and subsequently sent home.
— Batista’s match with John Cena at Over The Limit was originally scheduled to be a “Loser Leaves WWE” match, but changed to an “I Quit” match in large part as a result of TNA holding the very same bout in Tara vs. Madison Rayne this past Sunday at Sacrifice. Company officials also felt that a “Loser Leaves WWE” match wouldn’t be good in case Batista decided to return sooner than expected.
Regarding Batista’s future with WWE, it is being kept a secret from almost everyone in the organization.
— To correct a story from last week, John Cena only passed 1,000 days as champion if you include his two World Heavyweight title runs with his WWE title runs. As of today, Cena sits at 915 days as WWE Champion and 105 days as World Heavyweight Champion. He would be in sixth place on the all-time list, not fifth, as Triple H has 1,148 days when both titles are included. Including both titles, Cena will pass Pedro Morales into fifth place on May 27. Morales held the WWE title for 1027 days.
— Creative writer Ed Koskey was the straight man in the mock Geico commercials promoting WWEShop.com on Monday’s Raw.
— One WWE source indicated that it would not be surprising to see the recently released Shelton Benjamin return to the organization.
Just before his termination last month, Benjamin returned to college. He will be receiving his degree at the end of this semester from the University of Minnesota.
— Matches taking place on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America are as follows:
* Christian vs. Dolph Ziggler
* Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Masters
* William Regal vs. Goldust
* Santino Marella vs. Vladimir Kozlov
— The latest issue of WWE Magazine is on sale now and features John Cena on the cover. Inside is a feature article determining whether there is any stipulation match he is vulnerable to.
— Beth Phoenix reportedly suffered a torn ACL that is expected to keep her out of action indefinitely.
The reigning Women’s Champion initially suffered the injury at last week’s SmackDown television tapings when she worked a match with Rosa Mendes for WWE Superstars.
As far as her Women’s Title is concerned, an angle will occur on tomorrow night’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown involving the belt.
— Just before his release last month from WWE, Shelton Benjamin had gone back to college. He will be receiving his degree at the end of this semester from the University of Minnesota. Benjamin was a two-time All-American wrestler before being recruited alongside Brock Lesnar by Gerald Brisco to join the promotion in 2000.
— Having passed 1,000 days as WWE Champion, John Cena is the fifth longest reigning champion in history, trailing Bruno Sammartino (4,040 days), Hulk Hogan (2,185), Bob Backlund (2,138) and Pedro Morales (1,027).
– In an interview with the UK Sun, RAW superstar Chris Jericho spoke about his love of music and what let to him perusing a full time career in wrestling over music. The most newsworthy item of the interview came when Jericho was asked about his future in WWE and whether he’s be leaving the ring for the stage any time soon. Good news for Jericho fans, as he responded, “I think now is the time to stay for a couple of years to help those around me. I want to help the young talent.”
– WWE champion John Cena has been answering fan questions on his new Twitter page (Twitter.com/wwejcena) and fired back at people who criticize his on-air character and WWE’s family-friendly PG programming. Cena wrote:
“Guys, I am sorry to disappoint but what u see on TV is what u get. That’s pretty close to me in real life. I’m sorry if u think I’m watered down, I’ve been called worse.”
Cena also responded to a fan who asked whether he’d considering bringing back his old “rapper” gimimck. Cena said it’s unlikely,
“Guys, I really appreciate the respect for the freestyle. It would have no home in today’s environment. It would be a weak, watered down, rehash of something that was very fun to be a part of while it lasted. I still freestyle all the time, it just wouldn’t be right for me right now, I really like the place where I am, and where WWE is.”
Visit PWTweets.com to follow John Cena and 80+ more wrestlers & divas on Twitter.
— Last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw averaged a 3.05 cable rating, the same number as last week. The show drew a 3.00 during the first hour and a 3.10 during the second. Overall viewership was slightly up as Raw averaged 4.41 million viewers compared to 4.33 million last week. (source: PWInsider.com)
— John Cena noted on his Twitter account today that he spent time in the recording studio this afternoon.
“Just finished recording a song with ‘Bumpy Knuckles’ for the movie Legendary,” Cena wrote. “It will be out in September. Was very good to be back in the studio making music. I am really thinking about doing another album. Time will tell.”
— After living in New York City for over a decade, former WWE Diva Lilian Garcia has announced that she is moving out west to Los Angeles, California. The former ring announcer of Monday Night Raw noted in a blog post that some opportunities have presented themselves to her and she felt the need to take a “leap of faith towards them,” hence the change of scenery. To read her comments, click here. She officially leaves on Thursday.
– John Cena announced on Monday’s RAW that the stipulation for his match with Batista at Over The Edge on 5/23 will be an I Quit Match. Batista is expected to leave WWE after the PPV to pursue a career in acting.
– The Miz announced on RAW that he’ll defend his United States championship against WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart on next week’s commercial-free RAW from Toronto. Miz lost a match to Tyson Kidd where if Kidd won, Miz would have to defend his US title against a member of the Hart Dynasty next week. Bret Hart has stated publicly that Monday’s RAW from Toronto will be his final WWE appearance for the foreseeable future.
– After being announced as the new RAW General Manager on Monday’s RAW, Vickie Guererro resigned from the position in the closing segment of the show after being stalked by Randy Orton. After Vickie screamed, “I resign! I resign!,” Orton dropped Edge with an RKO.
– WWE has confirmed that John Cena has joined Twitter – his account is Twitter.com/WWEJCena. Visit PWTweets.com to follow John Cena & 80+ wrestlers and divas on Twitter.
– WWE is holding back-to-back SmackDown tapings on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 in Corpus Christi, Texas and Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 in Laredo, Texas. The SmackDown superstars will then head down under for a week of shows in Australia and New Zealand. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)
– John Laurinaitis, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, will host a seminar at High Velocity Wrestling in Hendersonville, North Carolina on Sunday, June 13th. The HVW arena is located at 3515 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28792. Contact Gary Benfield at (828) 674-1378 for more information.
– Since his match at WrestleMania with Batista, WWE Champion John Cena has been suffering from back and knee problems.
– In addition to the neck problems Triple H is suffering from right now, one of The Game’s surgically repaired quads is giving him trouble. Right now, Triple H is scheduled to work only television and PPV events. He was kept off WWE’s European tour to rest up for his Street Fight with Sheamus at Extreme Rules.
– Rey Mysterio had to be assisted leaving Tuesday’s television taping in London, England following his show closer dark match with CM Punk.
– John Morrison may have suffered an injury during the company’s ongoing tour as he did not work Tuesday’s SmackDown taping. However, it should be noted that it is not 100% confirmed.
— WWE.com confirmed this week that Ezekiel Jackson underwent successful surgery to repair his torn quadriceps. According to WWE, the recovery process could sideline the final ECW Champion for up to six months. Tough break for the young star.
— In addition to issues with his neck, Triple H is also dealing with issues to his quadriceps, reports Figure Four Weekly Online. Hence, he’s being taken off house shows for the time being, though he will continue to work television. John Cena vs. Sheamus headlined most of the Raw live events this past week in Europe in with Cena going over after a referee bump and a three-count by outside-the-ring enforcer Bret Hart.
— The New York Times is reporting that WWE’s deal with Syfy to broadcast Friday Night SmackDown is for two years, with an option for a third year. WWE also confirmed to The Times that they’re shopping around NXT in anticipation of the show being bumped from Syfy in the fall. It’s also noted that WWE has had “informal talks” with NBC Universal to help launch a WWE-branded cable channel next year.
— John Cena is being advertised for an appearance on NBC’s Today tomorrow morning during the 7:00 p.m. hour.
Nickelodeon issued the following press release today:
JOHN CENA, VIVICA A. FOX AND WILLOW SMITH TO STAR IN ALL-NEW EPISODE OF NICKELODEON’S TRUE JACKSON, VP, AIRING SATURDAY, APRIL 3
Nickelodeon’s “Up All Night†Special Programming Event Kicks off at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with iCarly’s “iWant a World Recordâ€, Followed by New True Jackson VP’s “Pajama Partyâ€
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. – March 30, 2010 – It’s a fun-filled all-nighter for True, Lulu, Ryan and Jimmy as Nickelodeon premieres a brand-new, special episode of True Jackson, VP on Saturday, April 3 at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT), as part of the network’s “Up All Night†special theme night kicking off at 8:00 p.m. with an encore episode of iCarly “iWant a World Record.â€
True Jackson, VP’s “Pajama Party†features guest stars Vivica A. Fox as True’s mother, Willow Smith, reprising her role as young True and a cameo appearance by WWE superstar John Cena. In “Pajama Party,†Amanda (Danielle Bisutti) crashes True’s (Keke Palmer) slumber party, where their competitive sides turn a night of game-playing and secret-sharing into a battle of wills. Vivica A. Fox and Willow Smith make special appearances, playing True’s mother and young True, respectively. Meanwhile, Ryan (Matt Shively) and Jimmy’s (Robbie Amell) preview screening of John Cena’s new action movie turns into an all-night adventure when their hero Cena surprises the audience by showing up, giving Ryan and Jimmy the thrill of their lives when he brings them to the set of his next movie and later, to a celebrity hockey game.
iCarly’s “I Want a World Record†finds Carly (Miranda Cosgrove), Sam (Jennette McCurdy) and Freddie (Nathan Kress) setting out to break the world record for the longest continuous webcast. To get their names in the Jonas Book of World Records, they have to webcast though the night, uninterrupted for over 24 hours. When a possible gas leak and an attack of drowsiness threaten their efforts, they look to their new segments which include random dancing and Spencer’s masterpiece sculpture to keep them awake.
iCarly and True Jackson, VP rank among the top-rated programs with kids 2-11 and tweens 9-14. iCarly is the top live-action series year to date with kids 2-11 and was basic cable’s top tween 9-14 program in February. True Jackson, VP is the number-two program on Saturday nights on all of broadcast and basic cable television with kids 2-11 and tweens 9-14 (Source: NMR, Live + 7 Day data thru 2/28/10, Live + Same Day data through 3/14/10). True Jackson, VP follows True as she navigates work life, social life and love life adventures around the Mad Style offices with her best friends Lulu and Ryan. True navigates her very first job, battles real-world obstacles like competitive co-workers and corporate politics and builds new friendships, romantic interests – as well as her niche as a fashion maven. Nickelodeon star Keke Palmer recently garnered her third NAACP Image Award; this year for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program for her starring role on True Jackson, VP.
In an interview with Sky Sports, John Cena is asked to comment on WWE’s Wellness Program, which most notably includes drug testing. While he feels the creation of the program was the right move on the company’s part, he doesn’t feel it was a necessary one as WWE Superstars are regarded as entertainers rather than organized athletes.
“It’s nothing but a positive. I’ll be quite honest with you, it’s a company move that didn’t need to be made,” said Cena. “This is the entertainment industry, we’re not organized athletics. But the WWE made a positive effort to look after its athletes and I’m very, very happy. It was the right move.”
Cena is also asked to comment on his strenuous road schedule and whether it hurts to to “fight at least 250 times a year.”
“I guess it depends on how good you do,” he said. “On average, I would actually compare it to an American football game. It’s very intense. The action is in spurts. We fight every night. We fight Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. So, it’s like playing five American football games in five straight days. I’ve been doing it for eight years and I feel as strong as the day I started.”
To read the interview in its entirety, click here.
– Despite WWE advertising it yesterday, John Cena did not appear on last night’s NXT. Cena was scheduled to come out, open the show and address the NXT rookies.
– The dark main event after last night’s SmackDown tapings saw Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Edge and John Cena defeat CM Punk, Batista, Sheamus and Chris Jericho.
– WWE’s SummerSlam will be returning to Los Angeles this year. It was announced at last night’s tapings that tickets for this year’s show at the Staples Center go on sale this coming Saturday.
– WWE Studios will begin producing a movie about Hall of Fame Class of 2010 member Gorgeous George’s life and legacy in early 2011.
— 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.
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be appearing on Friday’s edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” It will be Johnson’s first time on the program. Musical star Pink, whose Grammy performance grabbed headlines last weekend, will appear as the music guest. For more information, visit Oprah.com.
– After Beth Phoenix made comments about Chyna this past Sunday night, she wrote the following on her Twitter yesterday:
“I’m told I hurt Chyna’s feelings with my comments. Oops!”
– WWE Studios will be holding open casting calls this weekend for the lead role in their upcoming “Big Red” movie. The part calls for a male between the ages 13-16. The casting calls take place in Los Angeles on Saturday and New York on Sunday. If you fit the bill and are interested, visit WWE.com.
– The official theme song for WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is Rise Up by Cypress Hill.
– John Cena will be appearing on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson VP soon.
– Triple H will be at the International Toy Fair in New York City next week to promote WWE’s new Mattel Toy line.