Hulk Hogan was recently interviewed by Radio Yorkshire to promote his upcoming one-man show in the UK. The WWE Hall of Famer, who famously turned heel in 1996 with the NWO, was asked if he thought John Cena could pull off a major heel turn of his own. Here’s what Hulk had to say:
“Yeah, I mean, God, I hate to keep saying it, “Never say never.” With Vince McMahon’s machine and the WWE and the writers and John Cena’s talents. With his talent alone, if he were to turn heel and WWE let him go, let John go and pull that edge out of John. Ooh boy, he’d be a good heel!”
With WrestleMania 32 less than 5 months away, let’s take a look at where the card stands in light of a bunch of recent developments.
Originally, the top few matches were slated to be:
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
The Rock vs. Triple H
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
The Rock will not be competing at WrestleMania due to his movie schedule and more specifically, movie studios having major concerns about whether they’d be able to get insurance for The Rock if he was to get back in the ring. Then things were looking like this:
Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
At some point the decision was made to jump right into Lesnar vs. Undertaker at Hell in a Cell, apparently with the assumption that Vince McMahon had decided on alternate opponents for both men. Of course, Seth Rollins’ ACL/MCL surgery will keep him out of action well past WrestleMania, so he’s out of the mix now as well.
As of this week, these are the top two matches currently planned for WrestleMania 32 (via the Wrestling Observer Newsletter):
– The Judd Apatow comedy Trainwreck starring Amy Schumer will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday. John Cena got rave reviews for his role as one of Schumer’s ‘romantic conquests’ in the film and his audition for the movie has surfaced online:
– After taking some time off to deal with multiple injuries, it appears that former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella is set to join the current WWE U.K. tour. Nikki posted the following on Instagram today:
WWE is currently planning The Undertaker’s match for WrestleMania 32. PWInsider reports that the company is trying to put together a match between the Deadman and John Cena. If the match goes through as planned, it will be one of the two top matches at the company’s biggest PPV of the year. The other big match in the planning stages is The Rock vs. Triple H.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported Saturday that WWE’s original plans for Cena and ‘Taker had been changing throughout the week. He also noted, “There are ‘Mania plans in place, but Seth Rollins’ injury changes at least two matches.”
WrestleMania 32 takes place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
WWE announced on Friday that John Cena will be returning to NBC’s Today Show this coming Monday at 9am EST.
In response to the news of Seth Rollins’ knee injury this week, there have been reports that WWE is reaching out to major stars to appear on Monday’s RAW. With Cena scheduled to be in New York City on Monday morning, that essentially rules out the possibility of him making a surprise appearance on Monday’s RAW from Manchester, England.
Cena is taking a hiatus from WWE for “personal reasons” and is rumored to be filming a TV project for the Fox network during his absence.
– The actual numbers for the recent WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California were 14,184, which was a sellout, and a $1,324,625 gate. That is a great number for a WWE “B” pay-per-view, but with ticket prices being raised, the gates across the board have been up even with similar attendance.
– Speaking of attendance, with John Cena and Randy Orton out, from a talent name and depth standpoint, this week’s European tour is the weakest WWE European tour on record, but the brand should draw since the spring tour was up from past years and that lineup wasn’t loaded with name talent either.
– Former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone and wrestling reporter and historian Mike Mooneyham are the guests on the two newest episodes of Ric Flair’s “WOOOO! Nation” podcast. You can download both shows at Play.it.
During his recent appearance alongside Bo Dallas and Neville on WWE Network’s “Table For 3” original series, veteran wrestler and NXT star Samoa Joe spoke about working with a young John Cena in UPW and how Jim Ross told Joe he wasn’t what WWE was looking for back then.
“That’s where John started,” said Joe. “Actually, I worked with him a ton. He was dedicated back then, so anyways, John got the [WWE] deal. I met Jim Ross at the time and Jim Ross said, ‘you know, maybe you’re not really what we’re looking for right now’.”
Joe also spoke about working international territories and ultimately making it to WWE.
“Contrary to wisdom back when I first started out, way back when, I find myself here in WWE.”
Samoa Joe also spoke about the reason he was brought to NXT, and how he still has aspirations of joining the main WWE roster.
“I was kind of brought in to add to the momentum that NXT has going. I mean, obviously, I think we all want to go win the big one, but I also wouldn’t mind helping NXT be part of a bigger thing.” Joe added, “it’s a real unusual kind of time, to kind of be a part of this process and a very unique position for me, kind of, coming in, so, I don’t know, man. I’m kind of laying back and seeing what cards are dealt and playing the best hand.”
“Table For 3” featuring Samoa Joe, Neville and Bo Dallas is available on the WWE Network right now.
– The following is the latest trailer for The Masked Saint, which is scheduled for a January 8th release next year. The movie features WWE Hall Of Famer Roddy Piper in what appears to be his last-ever theatrical release.
– The Hard Knocks South Gym out of Tampa, Florida posted the following photo of John Cena today. The photo features Cena squatting a new personal record of 611 pounds.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans who would they rather have as a Survivor Series Team Captain – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Bray Wyatt or The Undertaker. With over 8,000 votes cast, The Undertker leads the pack with 32%, followed by Roman Reigns (25%) and John Cena (18%).
– John Cena tweeted the following on Tuesday. Cena is currently out of action until late December and is rumored to be filming a new fitness-themed reality show for the FOX network.
So far, testing week, has been more problematic than successful. Hopefully today turns the corner. #NGU
– Nikki Bella has provided an update on the injury that kept her off television on Monday night, revealing that it’s a neck injury that she’s dealing with.
– John Cena isn’t slacking off at the gym during his hiatus from WWE. Cena tweeted this video on Wednesday showing that he can still bench as much as the NFL’s top athletes.
As noted, John Cena is currently on hiatus from WWE. He is advertised to return at the December 26th WWE live event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and will be working the annual post-Christmas tour.
According to F4WOnline.com, plans as of this week call for Cena to return at the December 13th WWE TLC pay-per-view from his hometown of Boston. The idea is to have Cena return and face Alberto Del Rio for the WWE United States Championship in a rematch from Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
While plans could always change, that is what WWE has in store for Cena’s return as of this week. We will keep you posted if any additional information becomes available.
– Featured above is a preview for tonight’s episode of WWE Rivalries on the WWE Network. The latest episode features a look at the rivalry between John Cena and The Rock.
– The man who played the security guard for Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae’s “V.I.P. Section” on Monday’s RAW in San Diego was California-based independent wrestler Alexander Hammerstone.
– WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins tweeted the following regarding his upcoming title defense against the new number one contender, Roman Reigns.
This is the one I've been waiting for. #RollinsVsReigns Time to train til I die.
– There is speculation regarding Nikki Bella potentially taking time off with boyfriend John Cena following last night’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. Part of that speculation stems from the fact that Bella wrote about needing to “regroup” and promising that she’ll “be back” in the following tweet.
You put up a tough fight @MsCharlotteWWE Hold on 2 that title bc my journey isn't over I feel as if I lost it all Time 2 regroup I'll b back
– New WWE United States Champion Alberto Del Rio noted via Twitter that he is back where he belongs. He posted the following on Twitter and Instagram today.
Tonight’s post-Hell In A Cell edition of WWE RAW takes place live from the Valley View Casino in San Diego, California.
John Cena is not advertised for the show tonight, however the new WWE United States Champion Alberto Del Rio, along with Zeb Colter, are expected to be there.
As noted earlier today, WWE broadcast member Rich Brennan alluded to the fact that Del Rio and Colter would be at tonight’s show, and according to WWE’s RAW Five Point Preview, we may find out what brought Del Rio back to WWE.
Other talent advertised for RAW tonight include Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, The New Day, Kevin Owens, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt and The Dudley Boyz.
While no matches have been advertised for tonight, WWE is hyping the following “five points” in their official RAW preview.
* What does Wyatt want with The Undertaker?
* What brought Del Rio back to WWE?
* Who‘s next to spin into contention in the Divas Revolution?
* What will happen to WWE without the Director of Operations?
* Is Roman ready to reign?
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com later this evening for live RAW results coverage.
As seen at WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view on Sunday night, Alberto Del Rio made his return during the show.
Del Rio was introduced by Zeb Colter during the show and went on to defeat John Cena in his “U.S. Open Challenge” to become the new WWE United States Champion.
Del Rio, who is now affiliated with Colter in the current storylines, tweeted the following after his return last night:
I'm grateful for a 2nd chance to come back to @WWE#hellinacell and I'm happy to be performing again
To the surprise of the WWE Universe, Alberto Del Rio returned after being introduced by the returning Zeb Colter during Sunday night’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
WWE U.S. Champion John Cena came out to kick off the pay-per-view with his “U.S. Open Challenge” and welcomed any challenger to come out. Zeb Colter came out on a motor scooter and introduced Alberto Del Rio, who went on to challenge Cena for his title.
Del Rio ended up blasting Cena with a super kick after a back-and-forth match to pick up the 1-2-3 and the WWE United States Championship.
There is still no confirmation from within WWE regarding who is scheduled to answer John Cena’s “U.S. Open Challenge” at tonight’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, however the strongest rumor making the rounds is that Samoa Joe will be the man to challenge Cena.
At last word, Joe was in Sacramento, California for the NXT events at the Aftershock tour, but it would only take a quick flight to get him to L.A. for Hell In A Cell if necessary.
Tyler Breeze is another rumor, as it would set up Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler for the U.S. title, which has been talked about.
With that being said, multiple WWE sources have claimed James Storm, Tyler Breeze and Samoa Joe will not be the ones to answer Cena’s “U.S. Open Challenge” this evening.
Another rumor is Sheamus, as Sheamus vs. Cena is currently being advertised for the WWE live events that Cena is booked to appear on after returning from his scheduled hiatus.
Finally, there has been talk going around that Daniel Bryan could be the man to answer the challenge, as he is rumored to be in Los Angeles today, and is rumored to be officially cleared to return to the ring.
Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com later this evening for WWE Hell In A Cell live coverage.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his latest thoughts and opinions on a number of current topics. Below are some of the highlights.
On John Cena’s U.S. Challenge on Sunday: “WWE has a golden opportunity, no pun intended, to do some water cooler talk-like business this Sunday at the HIAC event in Los Angeles in the US Title Open Challenge offered up by the title holder John Cena. The table is perfectly set for a challenger to take a giant step in becoming much more relevant if they defeat John Cena for the United States Title. Cena is and will remain WWE’s biggest, full time star no matter the outcome of Sunday’s US Title match but what Cena can do is elevate a talent into the much needed main event sphere of WWE. With Cena stepping away from WWE for a few weeks to apparently tape a new TV show for Fox, or so I’m hearing, giving another wrestler the ‘rub’ elevates the new champion and gives Cena a destination, if desired, when he returns.
I’d love to see WWE take a bold more on this matter come Sunday notwithstanding taking other calculated risks to move additional talents up the ladder. It’s not an impossible feat if one has the courage to pull the trigger and try a new, creative approach. How about Samoa Joe getting the valued, Cena ‘rub?'”
On Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar this Sunday: “Been asked a lot about the outcome of the Lesnar vs. Taker match inside HIAC Sunday and I see Brock winning. Could there be a strong piece of creative waiting in the wings for this match? Will another competitor, or more, get involved? Could Lesnar AND Taker both be left down at the end of Sunday’s show or does that simply defy logic? That could help ‘make’ multiple heels to a large degree. If Lesnar wins and there is an opportunity, do the two warriors shake hands at the end of their battle? No matter the extracurricular stuff than may transpire, I’ve got Lesnar winning the match.”
On Tyler Breeze’s SmackDown debut: “Enjoyed antagonist, Tyler Breeze’s debut Thursday night on Smackdown and the Lance Storm Wrestling Academy product has some viable, old school traits that WWE should be able to monetize. Would WWE be so bold as to have Breeze upset John Cena to become the new WWE Champion Sunday in LA? Stranger things have happened in the biz over the years.”
On Jesse Ventura’s recent comments about him: “Been asked to comment on Jesse Ventura’s recent statements on “Busted Open Radio about working with me. I dropped the ball on that matter and I’m man enough to admit it. I was jealous and frustrated over what Jesse was earning for a few hours of work a week while I was hitting it hard multiple days a week and earning less than half of what he was earning. Just reading that sentence back is embarrassing as I was unnecessarily pissed at the wrong guy. Jesse and I did not have the chemistry that he had with Vince McMahon or Gorilla Monsoon and I did not have the mojo with the Governor that I had with the King, Paul Heyman, Bob Caudle, Jim Cornette and others. I wish we had done better for the fans sake but the failure to do so is on me. I was burning out and the stress and pressure of WCW politics was getting the better of me I’m sad to admit. As a result of that scenario, I soiled the sheets. Life Lesson learned.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
WWE United States Champion John Cena appeared on Tuesday night’s ESPN SportsCenter and spoke to a familiar face to WWE fans, former WWE broadcast team member Jonathan Coachman.
During the show, Coachman gave the top one-liner award for Monday’s RAW in Austin, Texas to The New Day for their dig at the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Cesaro was given the top move award for his running uppercut train on Sheamus. Finally, the top post-match award went to the kendo stick attack Dean Ambrose delivered to Braun Strowman where Braun retaliated by slamming Dean on the floor, leading to a big Roman Reigns dive spot.
Cena spoke about his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, noting that those moments mean the world to him. They also touched on WWE’s partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and NXT, with Cena calling NXT the future of WWE. Cena took time to talk about the importance of NXT stars making sure to find themselves before joining the main roster, noting it would make stage fright less likely for the performers.
After telling Coach not to be a stranger, Cena thanked ESPN for their support.
You can check out videos of Cena’s appearance on the show here and here.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his latest thoughts and opinions on a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights.
On John Cena possibly losing U.S. title: “Big question is will John Cena anoint someone in the US Title Open Challenge? Great spot to do so with Cena leaving for several weeks after Sunday’s show. Cena will be on ESPN tonight with Jonathan Coachman at 9/8CT.”
On expectations for Hell In A Cell dropping: “This event Sunday has lost a fair amount of luster over the past several weeks build to it but that means that expectations are likely lower than expected which means it could be a sleeper show at the Staples Center.”
On Randy Orton’s injury: “Sorry to hear of Randy Orton’s shoulder issues but he’s had those lingering problems with his shoulder for years. Hopefully Randy can get it repaired in a more permanent manner even if it puts him on the sideline for a while which isn’t a bad thing.”
On Brock Lesnar’s appearance on Stone Cold Podcast: “Thought the Austin-Lesnar piece of business after RAW was good stuff. Both men very natural and at ease with each other which indicates significant mutual respect between to mega stars. If you heard it you heard both Austin and Lesnar being themselves which was refreshing. Organic, pro wrestling presentations are fleeting these days or so seems to me. Good conversation between two of our greatest signees. Great insight as to who Brock Lesnar the man truly is.”
WWE Tag-Team Champion Kofi Kingston recently spoke with Men’s Journal to promote Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights.
On keeping your trainers close: “I’ve always been involved in sports, but I don’t have all the answers. The capoeira is something Eddy Gordo in Tekken would do. I’m a big video-game guy. He did all these different motions, and before you know it, you won by not doing anything at all. But to actually try and do that stuff in life is really complicated. [My capoeira trainer] Marrese Crump is very knowledgeable in that aspect, and if I could learn a tenth of what he knows, I would know so much more I did before. And I have a trainer too, Rob MacIntyre. He’s the same guy who’s been training John Cena his whole life. I go to people who have the knowledge I need to make myself better.”
On the importance of sleep: “It’s definitely important to find the time to fit sleep in. If I have a free moment, I’ll just crash. I don’t have a problem sleeping on planes or car rides or wherever. I try to get a few eight-hour sessions in on the weekends on the road or between shows. I am not the best example for somebody who gets enough sleep. The rest is almost as important as the actual workout. A lot of people run themselves into the ground, but you need that rest time to recuperate and recover.”
– WWE announced that “Corporate Kane” has been suspended by The Authority. WWE posted the following just before this week’s edition of RAW:
The Authority suspended Corporate Kane for tonight’s Raw earlier today after a series of closed-door meetings, WWE.com has learned. Last week on Raw, the Director of Operations scheduled a Lumberjack Match between Demon Kane and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, defying The Authority’s instructions. It is not yet clear, however, whether Corporate Kane’s suspension is directly related to his actions last week.
– Also announced just before RAW goes live tonight is a six-man tag-team match thatg will feature John Cena & The Dudley Boyz vs. The New Day.
Make sure to join us right here at SEScoops.com for live WWE RAW play-by-play results coverage this evening!
John Cena will be making an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter Tuesday (10/20) night. The appearance will be for WWE’s new weekly segment, hosted by Jonathan Coachman.
John Cena was present in Tampa, Florida on Thursday evening as his girlfriend Nikki Bella gave a speech to The Helen Gordon Davis Centre For Women.
Nikki spoke about empowering women, establishing herself in a male-dominated industry and how her ultimate goal is to give back and help other women who aspire to achieve success in their given fields.
The official Facebook page of The Helen Gordon Davis Centre For Women features the following write-up of her appearance, complete with a full photo gallery.
Additionally, you can check out social media posts from both Cena and Bella regarding the appearance.
“In a rare speaking appearance, Nikki Bella Professional Wrestler with the WWE, talked about empowering women tonight at The Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women. She spoke about her experience in becoming established in her field of work that is male dominated and how she earned her respect in a dream-come-true job for her. Nikki’s goal is to give back and help other women find success in their respective fields. She spoke to about 50 people, participants in the Centre’s Women Building Futures (WBF) program which helps women to learn the construction trades, another non-traditional field for women, along with supporters and sponsors of WBF.
What helped her get her success in wrestling and in business, the motto “Never Give Up” She said growing up, her inspirations in her life were her Grandfather, Nana and Mother. And together with her sister they have been successful, both in the ring and in business.
Her longtime boyfriend John Cena – WWE Universe attended Nikki’s motivational speech, he is the current WWE United States Champion.
– The following is a behind-the-scenes video of John Cena’s breast cancer awareness PSA. In the clip below, Cena does the “whip and nae-nae” with breast cancer survivor Ashlee Hunt.
– ESPN anchor and former WWE broadcast team member Jonathan Coachman posted the following on social media regarding what ESPN and WWE hope to accomplish with their new working relationship.
Thank you. We expect to have a lot of fun and bring some fans to espn and hopefully take some sports fans to WWE. https://t.co/BAUIpPtWl8