– Essence Magazine just released their Sexiest Men of the Year list. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was listed at #7.
– Following his recent release from WWE last month, it’s come out that John Morrison had been planning to leave the company for several months before his contract expired, going as far back as July. Morrison’s body has been banged up for a long time and still plans to break into acting.
– Road Dogg Jesse James has changed his Twitter handle to @WWERoadDogg. As a WWE producer, he’ll be backstage at all television and pay-per-view shows.
– SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia mentioned on Twitter that she will be filming a new music video next week.
– John Morrison is reportedly asking $5,000 to make appearances at indy shows and autograph signings. Morrison has been approached by several top indy promoters and turned down solid offers that were less than $5k.
– The Newman Times-Herald is reporting that former WWE star Finlay’s son David is planning to get into pro wrestling once he graduates from high school. David is currently a standout high school wrestler and plans to train in Japan.
– New Jersey independent wrestler Dante Dash has been added to the WWE developmental roster on FCW’s website. You can check out his bio here.
– 80’s musician Stan Bush, who performs the song “The Touch” that was featured in CM Punk’s John Laurinaitis video tribute, tweeted the following about his song being used on RAW:
“@CMPunk Thanks for spinning The Touch on Raw! It’s the tune that never dies! #YouveGotThePower”
“The pro-wrestling world has been pretty kind to me in 2011! First it was @CHIKARApro now it’s @WWE – “The Touch” and wrestling work pretty well together!”
“Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad they played it – even for Johnny Ace!”
— The I.P.A. Network is now accepting autograph signing bookings for former WWE star John Morrison. Contact Steve Woolf at celebritysignings@sbcglobal.net (951) 780-9611.
— Tough Enough contestant Rima Fakih appears on MTV’s MADE Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
— At the conclusion of the 2011 Slammy Awards, Kane reemerged, once again masked. The Big Red Monster locked his hand around the neck of John Cena and left him laying with a devastating chokeslam.
One reason for Kane resurfacing with a mask is because WWE officials are looking to set a new Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering of people wearing costume masks” at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, Florida. Original plans called for the record attempt to take place during a Rey Mysterio vs. Sin Cara match, but with both superstars currently injured, Kane is WWE’s next best bet.
The current record was set May 10, 2011 during a Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim when roughly 25,000 fans donned red Lucha masks during a designated ten minute time period.
Former WWE superstar John Morrison has posted his first video on YouTube since departing the company last month. Morrison says he’s at a point in his career where he needs to take time off to heal.
Morrison says there will be more videos coming – and he’s going to dish some dirt on his least favorite people in WWE:
“sup JoMoSapiens, check here for updates on what’s going on with me- check back next week for a list of people in WWE that I don’t like, and reasons why… haha!”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update at JRsBarBQ.com. JR wrote about a number of topics, including CM Punk’s popularity, whether Shawn Michaels is really retired, whether the Ultimate Warrior could get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, The Rock’s return to the ring at Survivor Series and much more.
Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
John Cena Turning Heel:“There is a large part of the beloved WWE Universe who enjoys booing Cena and like to see John in less than positive situations. So, what would said change be exactly? Cena would get the little kids and the women to boo him? Come on, and forgo all that merchandise that he sells? That makes zero sense to me. Cena’s in ring, TV persona is somewhat reminiscent of Bret Hart’s TV persona during a point in time of his WWE run. The Cena ‘turning into a full fledged villain role’ as some fans constantly encourage seems over thought in my opinion. ”
The Undertaker’s Return: “There is rampant speculation as to when the Deadman will return, who he will wrestle at WM28, who wins, who loses in Miami, how many matches that Taker is planning on having before he retires and even more on his current hair style … The Undertaker is WWE’s most enduring star and ‘The Streak’ is as big a part of Wrestlemania as any thing on the card in the eyes of many fans. Adding the Undertaker to the WM28 mix, say after the first of the year, will add needed momentum to the April 1, 2012 event.”
John Morrison’s Future With WWE/TNA: “Upon further review, it might make more sense than many John Morrison fans think for John to step away from WWE now that his WWE contract has expired. John has had a few injuries that rest and physical therapy will help greatly. Plus, he’s free to enjoy the holidays. I can see John taking a few months, perhaps even a year, off, heal, recharge his batteries and then return to WWE. Of course the obvious question from many fans is when will Morrison turn up on another company’s wrestling, TV show? Personally, I don’t see that happening but that’s merely one guy’s opinion. John is a talented athlete and certainly wish him the best.”
Interim RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis was interviewed backsage after RAW and said Morrison’s days in WWE are over.
“I truly wish you the best,” he said. “Your contract was coming up in the next couple weeks anyway, and, looking at your win/loss record, I really wasn’t going to sign you anyway. That being said, it’s kind of a win/win for WWE and John Morrison. I hope you take some time to get your mind and body in order. Get well soon.”
Laurinaitis stated that The Miz will not be punished for his brutal attack on Morrison due to their match’s “falls count anywhere” stipulation and gave a big smile and thumbs up to the camera at the end of the segment.
With John Morrison said to be on his way out of WWE – we want to know what your favorite moment of his career was. Comment Below and tell us what you’ll remember most about JoMo’s WWE run.
Here’s our pick .. From the 2011 Royal Rumble, John Morrison channels Spider Man and shows off his unearthly athletic ability:
– WWEShop.com has pulled a newly released Sin Cara T-shirt which featured the shape of a phallus embedded in a gold design. The shirt’s description read:
“Roughly translated, ‘goteo de oro’ means ‘dripping with gold.’ Featuring Sin Cara in his silver and gold colors, this 24 karat t-shirt is going to make you look like money!”
According to our WWE sources, no one within the company can comprehend how the product made its way through several stages of approvals before being put on the website and going on sale to the public.
People who ordered the T-Shirt during the few hours it was available were notified that their order would not be processed and would have the option of receiving credit or a full refund.
No one within WWE knows how the product made its way through several stages before being put on the website. According to people who ordered the T-Shirt during the few hours it was available, they were notified that their order would not be processed and would have the option of receiving credit or a full refund.
– Brodus Clay stated Sunday on Twitter that he will destroy John Morrison tomorrow night on Raw. The message was quickly deleted.
– Christian, who is currently sidelined indefinitely with an ankle injury, attended Saturday night’s Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers game in Tampa, Florida. According to a fan in attendance, he was not limping.
F4WOnline.com reports today that John Morrison is done with WWE when his contract extension expires Wednesday. His original contract with the organization expired earlier this month but he agreed to an extension to appear at events he was advertised for. It is not known whether he will be making a farewell appearance at Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Columbia, South Carolina.
Meanwhile, Melina absolves all blame that Morrison’s once promising WWE career went up in smoke due to their relationship. Rather, she feels WWE is to blame for holding him and others back from achieving greater success.
She wrote Wednesday on Twitter via direct message, “The rumors aren’t true. John has been talking to WWE and all these things are between them and has nothing to do with me.
“You have seen a number of wrestlers such as Gail, Bourne, John, Zack and so many more held back from what they deserve and are capable of. That’s proof that it’s not me. It’s the WWE doing it to a number of phenomenal young talent.
“The rumors are FALSE. Please see that. I’m no one special that the WWE would care about.”
— Regarding John Morrison’s contract status with WWE, his original deal has expired. He agreed to an extension through the end of November. His last announced appearance takes place at next Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Columbia, South Carolina.
Dave Meltzer indicated during Sunday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Morrison’s feelings towards WWE are somber. “His heart is broken,” said Meltzer.
— Among those in attendance at the Survivor Series were Michelle Beadle of SportsNation, Judah Friedlander of 30 Rock, mixed martial arts writer Ariel Helwani, This Is Hell lead singer Travis Reilly and This Is Hell guitarist Rick Jimenez. Mick Foley was backstage at the event.
— Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart appears at The Whole Scoop 1149 North Railroad Staten Island, New York on Saturday, December 17 from noon to 2:00 p.m. Call 347-992-0038 for more information.
Despite Zack Ryder’s recent campaign to get a United States title shot against Dolph Ziggler, it’s John Morrison who will challenge for the title this Sunday at Survivor Series. Ryder has dubbed the snub the #ManhattanScrewjob – and got some support from John Cena on Twitter this week. Cena tweeted:
“Follow @ZackRyder No disrespect to Morrison but @ZackRyder deserves that match at MSG.”
John Morrison replied and said he agreed, proposing a Triple Threat between he, Ryder and Dolph Ziggler. Right after that, Morrison made the following comments:
“You should know better than anyone, sometimes deserve’s got nothing to do with it.”
“No disrespect Cena, but if you really think Zack deserves a match at MSG all you need to do is text your buddy @WWERAWGM and he will get one”
— John Morrison’s current contract with WWE expires at the end of November, the Wrestling Observer reports. It is not known whether he has re-signed with the organization.
He was pulled from advertised for WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan, which takes place November 30 and December 1, 2011 in Yokohama. His last announced appearance takes place at the November 28, 2011 Raw SuperShow in Columbia, South Carolina.
— WWE.com has added Sean Waltman to their Alumni section. The multi-time champion is listed as Sean Waltman despite never actually performing for WWE under his real name.
The official Twitter feed of Mick Foley’s UK Stand Up Comedy tour wrote the following Wednesday, “Lots of talk about @TheRealXPac from @WWE today. What could it possibly mean? #TwoWordsForYa.” Waltman retweeted the post.
Waltman is loosely affiliated with WWE as he scouts and evaluates talent for Florida Championship Wrestling, their developmental league.
It was announced at Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Bridgeport, Connecticut that Dolph Ziggler would be defending the United States Championship this Sunday at the Survivor Series. It was originally reported that John Morrison would challenge Ziggler for the strap on Sunday. However, other reports stated Ryder would be the challenger.
WWE.com announced Wednesday that Ziggler will defend the United States Championship against Morrison at the pay-per-view event.
Upon the news breaking, a distraught Ryder tweeted, “This Sunday Night…NEW YORK CITY…MSG…SURVIVOR SERIES…@HEELZiggler defends the US title against……..@TheRealMorrison? #makesnosense.”
BE HERE TONIGHT For LIVE COVERAGE of WWE SURVIVOR SERIES!
ThNEVER BEFORE - NEVER AGAIN!
The staff of SESCOOPS – Mike, Noah Mark & The Solomonster – will be at SURVIVOR SERIES tonight! Keep it locked to the SEScoops & the SEScoops Facebook Page for our first-hand LIVE coverage!
Here’s the final card for Sunday’s pay-per-view:
The Rock’s First Match In 7 1/2 Years
John Cena and The Rock vs. The Miz and R-Truth
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show
WWE Championship Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Tag Team Match
Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sheamus, Mason Ryan, Kofi Kingston and Sin Cara) vs. Team Barrett (Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Hunico and Dolph Ziggler)
Divas Championship Lumberjill Match
Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Eve
United States Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. John Morrison
John Morrison is no longer being advertised for WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan, which takes place November 30 and December 1, 2011 in Yokohama. Kevin Nash is now advertised for the two-date international tour.
WWELiveTour.com is not advertising Morrison for any events after the November 28, 2011 Raw SuperShow in Columbia, South Carolina. He was advertised for a Raw live event taking place on January 6, 2012 in Jackson, Mississippi, but pulled last week.
PWInsider.com reported in August that Morrison’s contract with WWE would expire at the end of the year.
— John Morrison says he will discuss his future following his final advertised appearance on tonight’s Raw SuperShow.
“I’ll post more about the future next week,” Morrison tweeted Sunday night. “Right now I’m planning on tearing the house down at RAW tomorrow in Columbia SC!”
— A Memphis Street Fight between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler is being locally advertised for the January 2, 2012 Raw SuperShow in Memphis, Tennessee.
— Former WWE Superstar Rob Conway turns 39 years old Monday. He placed second in the Kentucky Bodybuilding Championships on November 5, thus qualifying for the NPC National Bodybuilding, Figure, Bikini and Men’s and Women’s Physique Championships in Miami, Florida.
— Since parting ways with WWE in August, Melina has been highlighting messages on Twitter which suggest that her relationship with John Morrison is not picture perfect. She retweeted the following recently:
“I haven’t met Mr. Right yet. But I have met Mr. Fake, Mr. Rude, Mr. Wrong & Mr. Player.”
She then wrote regarding the message, “But I pray 1 day I’ll meet Mr Right!”
— A character depicting Lex Luger appeared on a recent episode of the stop motion animated television series Robot Chicken. The clip can be accessed here.
— Former WWE star Luke Gallows suggested on Twitter that he’s now a tattoo artist. He wrote, “Just gave my first tattoo in Melbourne, Australia!”
– The WWE wbsite has an article up looking at the recent losing streak of John Morrison titled, “Has JoMo lost his mojo?”
In case you hadn’t noticed how bad Morrison has been jobbing as of late – the article states that Morrison hasn’t won a match since August and has been “smashed” by Cody Rhodes, “squashed” by Mark Henry, “creamed” by Wade Barrett, “dismantled” by Alberto Del Rio and has been “tasting the bottom of Drew McIntyre’s boot” on WWE Superstars.
There have been various reports that Morrison is in the ‘doghouse’ – but Morrison says his losing streak can be attributed to the fact that he returned to action (following a neck injury) sooner than he should have:
“I came back a little bit too early. Physically, I’m here. Spiritually, I’m out of my mind. I’ve got all these things going on in the periphery.”
“What I need to do is cut everything off and go back to square one. What was it that made me want to get into this business as a little John Morrison? I’ve lost touch with that. And for me to be a success I need to get it back.”
— Hindustan Times has an article on The Great Khali stating that he is preparing for a WWE event slated to take place in India early next year.
“Since it is in my country, this will be my first wrestling before my countrymen, I don’t want to be unprepared for the historical event,” Khali said.
WWE.com announced Khali suffered a fractured fibula following a brutal attack by World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry on the September 30 SmackDown. The angle was conducted to remove the former World Heavyweight Champion from television since his contract is set to expire and will likely not be renewed. He is, however, expected to maintain a relationship with WWE.
— Matches taped Monday night in Atlanta, Georgia for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were Drew McIntyre vs. John Morrison and Tyson Kidd vs. Yoshi Tatsu.
Jey and Jimmy Uso beat Primo and Tito Colon in a dark match prior to the event.
While watching John Morrison suffer another loss on the Raw SuperShow Monday, former WWE talent Sean Waltman attributed The Prince of Parkour’s recent struggles to his dismissive treatment of revered women’s wrestler Trish Stratus at WrestleMania XXVII.
Waltman wrote on Twitter, “Eventually they will take Morrison out of the dog house. He brought it on himself with the way he treated Trish Stratus at WM.”
In response to a remark that Morrison’s days with the sports-entertainment league are coming to an end, he wrote, “If he was smart he’d ride out the storm. HHH was in the doghouse forever & now look.”
While promoting the release of Ball Enforcers in April, Stratus confirmed reports that Morrison behaved in disregard to her during their post-match celebration at WrestleMania XXVII. She also stated that he passed over suggestions she had for the bout.
“I got a bit of cold shoulder action, correct,” Stratus said in response to an interview question that Morrison snubbed her following their match against Michelle McCool, Layla and Dolph Ziggler at the event. “John Morrison himself is amazing. He’s a great athlete. I was really looking forward to working with him. I thought it would be cool if we could do some stuff together. He didn’t think it would be that cool. It happens.”
She continued, “Hey whatever. It happens. You know he’s into his thing and just didn’t think that I should part of his thing I guess, but I still admire him as an athlete, as a performer. I think he does a great job out there. Cold shoulder? Yeah I felt it. I was shunned. Some people are not smart maybe? You know they wrestle well, but maybe they’re not smart. I don’t know.”
According to the Pro Wrestling Torch, friends of Morrison were shocked by his cold behavior towards the legendary female performer. The assumption of many within WWE is that Melina, his significant other, was in his ear earlier because she believed Stratus was taking “her spot” at the annual pay-per-view extravaganza.
WWE sources say as Stratus was presenting match suggestions to Morrison backstage, he said things such as “I’m not feeling that” (a phrase coined several years ago by Hulk Hogan in World Championship Wrestling) and “I don’t want to look at you.”
— The official website of Florida Championship Wrestling has added Jake Carter to their roster page. He is Jesse White, son of former WWE star Vader. He signed a developmental contract with WWE in April following a tryout at the organization’s developmental facility in Tampa, Florida.
White, 25, originally committed to the University of Oklahoma and was touted for the National Football League, but retired following a hip injury. He then followed his dad’s footsteps to the world of professional wrestling.
— Theodore Long kicked off Friday’s SmackDown by announcing that the first match of the night would feature 41 Superstars in the largest Battle Royal in WWE history. Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis then revealed the winner would earn a title match against the champion of his choosing.
Randy Orton won the 41-Man No. 1 Contender’s Battle Royal, last eliminating The Miz. Battle Royal elimination order is as follows: 1. Cody Rhodes, 2. Johnny Curtis, 3. JTG, 4. Michael McGillicutty, 5. Derrick Bateman, 6. Yoshi Tatsu, 7. Titus O’Neil, 8. Matt Striker, 9. William Regal, 10. Percy Watson, 11. John Morrison, 12. Dolph Ziggler, 13. Trent Barreta, 14. Jey Uso, 15. Ted DiBiase, 16. Tyson Kidd, 17. Daniel Bryan, 18. Tyler Reks, 19. Curt Hawkins, 20. Drew McIntrye, 21. Justin Gabriel, 22. Mason Ryan, 23. Primo, 24. Santino Marella, 25. Alex Riley, 26. Kofi Kingston, 27. Zack Ryder, 28. David Otunga, 29. Jimmy Uso, 30. Ezekiel Jackson, 31. Heath Slater, 32. Sin Cara (Negro), 33. Christian, 34. R-Truth , 35. CM Punk, 36. Sheamus, 37. Wade Barrett, 38. Jack Swagger, 39. Jinder Mahal, 40. The Miz.
— Ultimate Warrior is advertised to appear in costume on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at Sound Check Hollywood 8872 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California. T-Shirts, photos, figurines, posters and other merchandise will be available for purchase. Visit Soundcheckhollywood.com for more information.
— Various cable providers have Gail Kim’s name mistakenly listed as Gayle King in the information page for her appearance on today’s episode of Family BrainSurge on Nickelodeon. The names of John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, The Miz and Eve are correctly listed.
A fan wrote to Kim on Twitter, “How transparent can WWE be?” She responded, “of course it does. Pathetic. Lol. I wish I was oprah’s bff.”
– Fast Five, which features The Rock in a lead role, is currently the top selling DVD in the United States.
Following Monday’s Raw in which John Morrison was defeated by Christian in approximately a minute and subsequently assaulted by Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Jack Swagger, a man wrote to Melina on Twitter accusing her of killing his WWE career.
He wrote, “Will you stand trial for killing your bf’s career? #prayforJoMo.”
The former WWE Diva responded via private message, “The WWE did it. I never did anything but stand by him through thick & thin. We should all be so lucky as to have someone like that in our lives.
“John worked his ass off and did EVERYTHING he was told. The blame shouldn’t be put on me. Blame the WWE.”
Many internally believe that Morrison will soon part ways with WWE. Company personnel speculated to Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer that while Morrison has not upset management, he, like Drew McIntyre, is paying the price for his significant other’s actions.
Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis made similar allegations during last week’s Raw discussion show for AfterBuzzTV.com after co-host Lilian Garcia pondered why McIntyre and Morrison are not receiving greater pushes.
Maria said of McIntyre, “I have a feeling he’s paid for someone else’s sins, problems, because Drew’s really good. I’d love to see him do more stuff, but it’s unfortunate that that happens.”
Maria then said of Morrison, “I think it’s a lot of complications of outside stuff. I think that a lot of times they go with who’s going to be there, who’s always going to be there, who’s going to be the easiest. He’s very easy and I love him to pieces, but I think it’s outside complications. I think that’s why.”
— The official Twitter feed of the WWE Insider issued the following statement this afternoon: CONFIRMED: The Board has approved @WWERawGM’s request to have @CMPunk and Triple H face @MiketheMiz and @RonKillings at #Vengeance.”
The match has yet to be announced by WWE.com.
— Eve, Gail Kim, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, The Miz and kids from the Boys & Girls Club of America appear on Nickelodeon’s “Family BrainSurge” Thursday at 6 ET/5 CT. WWE.com has published photos of their appearance.
— Former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro is advertised to appear at the Boston Super Megafest at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel 1657 Worcester Rd. Framingham, Massachusetts. The event takes place November 19-20. Visit www.supermegafest.com for more information.
