After Monday’s WWE RAW in Chicago, Illinois went off the air, the WWE Network post-show opened with a look at Kane, Triple H and Randy Orton still in the ring standing over a beaten down Daniel Bryan. This led to both John Cena and Big Show coming out to make the save. Cena, of course, came to the ring with a limp, as he is continuing to sell his story line injury.
When the smoke cleared, Orton was left alone in the ring with Bryan, Cena and Big Show. All three guys hit their finishers on Orton and then led to the crowd in a big “Yes!” chant to end the show.
– The Usos defeated The New Age Outlaws in a WWE Tag-Team Championship match at Monday’s WWE RAW show in Chicago, Illinois. With the victory, The Usos became the new WWE Tag-Team Champions.
– It was announced later in the show that The Usos and The New Age Outlaws will be having an immediate rematch for the titles in the main event of Tuesday’s WWE Main Event show, which as noted will air live on the WWE Network.
– Another match that will take place during the live Main Event special, which was also confirmed at RAW, is a one-on-one match featuring Daniel Bryan vs. Kane.
– Also announced on RAW was the latest inductee into the 2014 class of the WWE Hall Of Fame. Legendary manager Paul Bearer will join The Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Amy “Lita” Dumas.
– WWE has added the “Christmas Bounty” film starring The Miz to Netflix. There was originally concern that WWE would be pulling their content off of Netflix due to their new WWE Network service, however the latest word is that they won’t be taking their stuff off of Netflix because it has been a solid source of revenue for the company.
– Speaking of WWE movie projects, there are rumors that the WWE Studios film “See No Evil 2” starring Kane will be released in October, just in time for Halloween.
Jim Cornette appeared on the Inside The Ropes radio show this week and spoke about working with Kane in 1997/98, here are the highlights:
On Jim working on helping establish the Kane character:
“Glen Jacobs, Kane, was a special talent. I knew he had a great upside and potential when Dutch Mantell called me one time in Knoxville in 1995 and said “I’ve got this kid, he looks great, he’s huge, he looks wonderful, he’s sick of being in Puerto Rico and wants to come back to the states, his name’s Glen Jacobs and I think he’s got a great upside” So we made him Unabomb back in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. The Unabomber was hot back in those days. So we booked him, I did, against The Undertaker, for his first time, down in Knoxville at the Superbowl of Champions in August of 95 and Undertaker came in and wrestled him and that was my idea. Here’s a huge guy who can draw big money on pay per view against The Undertaker. That was my sole purpose for pushing Glen Jacobs. So Undertaker went back to Vince and told him “this kid’s gonna be great” so of course he went through his bad gimmicks that Vince wanted to give people and just right as they were about to fire him they said “hey you know we’ve got this idea, Undertaker’s evil brother” And I ran with that because Glen deserved it and was a great talent. They gave me the opportunity, for a while, to get a guy over, unmolested. Russo didn’t see anything in him, so he wasn’t gonna fuck with it. We gave Kane the opportunity and Russo truthfully wanted…. the match in October 1997, Kane interfered in the Hell in a Cell with Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, that was my finish, that was my match, my idea. We were leading to the WrestleMania the next March. So then Russo says “how about we have him chokeslam Undertaker through a table next week on RAW?” and I said “No you fucking idiot, they can’t wrestle each other for six months, lets not blow it straight away, lets build it and have some patience” So for once, possibly the only time, I got my way, we were able to build it to WrestleMania, it was a great match and it established Kane and he has been one of the millionaires club, making seven figures a year since then, based on the fact he’s a tremendous talent, he had the look, the ability and the passion to sometimes overcome bad creative and make himself a star. I like the fact I had some part in establishing him but the rest of it’s been up to him.”
On the origins of the character of Kane:
“The thing that put Kane over the top is that he didn’t just appeal to the wrestling fan, he appealed to a mass audience because my original vision was….my favourite horror movie was Halloween, Michael Myers and that was my original vision for Kane when I was told that Kane would be the Undertaker’s evil brother who’s existed all this time. I thought what if he was like Michael Myers, the main character in Halloween, what if he was like the embodiment of evil. That’s the flavour that not just wrestling fans but everyone watching the show, they got. This guy is the embodiment of evil, he’s somewhat inhuman,he doesn’t feel pain, he doesn’t feel remorse. That was the thing that kicked Kane off and then later on we did the dipsy doodles with him but first and foremost it was that this is Michael Myers from Halloween come to life and everyone can identify with a spooky mother fucker that doesn’t feel pain and just seeks to destroy people. That was what I gave to him and everything else he’s done, there’s been some good creative, some bad creative but he’s a great fucking guy, he’s a great talent and he’s made the most of what he’s had to work with. But originally, it was that this guy is the star of Halloween, he’s a monster, he’s spooky and nobody knows quite how he got these powers. That was something that could appeal to everybody.”
To hear the full interview, check out other shows, upcoming guests and their VIP service, head over to http://www.insidetheropes.co.uk.
– As previously reported, Kane mentioned in a recent interview that Brock Lesnar will be at this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Apparently Kane misspoke, as Lesnar is not expected to be at the show. He is, however, scheduled to be at RAW. Paul Heyman is scheduled for Monday’s RAW as well.
– The Miz, Mark Henry and Rey Mysterio have been announced as the “expert panel” for Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view “Kickoff Show.”
– The WWE Studios film project, “Leprechaun: Origins,” which features Hornswoggle, has been pushed back to an August release date. The film was originally scheduled to come out in March.
– The official WWE website has published a new video playlist featuring a look at Batista sending his opponents through tables over the past several years. You can check that out at WWE.com.
– WWE Superstar Kane will be doing a rare personal appearance at the Mall Of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on Friday, February 21st at noon. Kane will be on hand to promote the upcoming Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event.
Entertainment news outlet Variety has published a new piece on WWE Studios, which includes details on two new sequel films as well as release dates for several other projects.
The Marine 4: The fourth installment of The Marine franchise will star The Miz and will feature WWE Diva Summer Rae in a supporting role. Will be co-produced with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Jingle All The Way 2: This is a follow-up to the 1996 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad. ‘Jingle 2’ will star Larry The Cable Guy and will also feature Santino Marella. Scheduled for a holiday 2014 home video release, it will be directed by Alex Zamm (“Tooth Fairy 2”) and will also be co-produced with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Mike Dunn, President of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, said:
“WWE Studios remains a valuable partner and we are pleased to continue to bring these films to their legions of fans across the globe. We’re excited to be launching the fourth installment of the tremendously successful franchise, ‘The Marine,’ and to have Larry the Cable on board for ‘Jingle All the Way 2,’ a perfect star for our first family comedy with WWE Studios.”
Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery: Will be released on home video by Warner Bros. on March 25th.
Leprechaun: Origins” Starring Hornswoggle, will be released by Lionsgate in August.
“See No Evil 2? Starring Kane, will also be released by Lionsgate in October.
The latest Triple H and Michael Cole sit-down interview, which we posted notes from earlier today, has been added to the official WWE YouTube channel.
The interview, which can be seen above, is accompanied by the following description: “The WWE COO addresses Kane’s actions toward Daniel Bryan and reveals Randy Orton will face Christian on SmackDown and John Cena on Raw.”
WWE has posted the latest sit-down interview between Triple H and Michael Cole on their official company website. As usual, “The Game” talks about a number of topics.
HHH spoke about the upcoming main event on next Monday’s RAW between Randy Orton and John Cena, referring to the match as an “epic main event.” He also noted that big things are expected for the match.
Regarding Kane’s attack on Daniel Bryan at this past Monday’s RAW, Hunter claimed Kane was just defending himself. He claimed that there will be an internal investigation to determine whether or not Kane made a mistake on the job.
Triple H also praised Bryan’s effort on Monday’s RAW and noted that he expected Orton to have a better performance.
You can check out the new HHH and Cole interview right now at WWE.com.
WWE has added their post-Royal Rumble video interviews, which features comments from a number of participants in the actual Royal Rumble match, as well as others involved in the pay-per-view on Sunday night.
The New Age Outlaws are interviewed about their WWE Tag-Team Championship victory in the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show. Kevin Nash talks about his return and gives his endorsement of Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman talks about what’s next for Brock Lesnar. Kane explains why he eliminated CM Punk after he was already eliminated from the match.
The playlist features comments from several other participants in the actual Royal Rumble match, including Dolph Ziggler, Fandango, Big E. Langston and The Usos.
Check out the post-Royal Rumble video playlist at WWE.com.
– As previously reported, Daniel Bryan was taken off of his scheduled appearances at WWE live events this weekend due to the concussion he suffered at RAW on Monday. As noted, Big Show served as Bryan’s replacement in singles matches against Bray Wyatt. As a result, Kane, who was originally slated to compete against Big Show on the opposing WWE live event tour, ended up working as somewhat of a babyface against Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in two-on-one handicap matches.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Pat Patterson celebrates his 73rd birthday today. Patterson was born on January 19, 1940. Also celebrating a birthday today was current WWE Superstar R-Truth, who turned 42. Truth was born on January 19, 1971.
– Despite some technical issues that fans experienced trying to purchase WWE Hall of Fame ceremony tickets during the online pre-sale, tickets still sold very well. Tickets are now on sale to the general public and the event is expected to sell out.
On RAW, we saw WWE announce The Ultimate Warrior as the first member of the Class of 2014. Despite the fact that WrestleMania is taking place in New Orleans, there are no plans for this year’s Hall of Fame class to have a “Mid-South Wrestling” theme. WWE is going to be focusing on “30 Years of WrestleMania” instead.
– WWE Superstar Kane was a guest this week on the KiddChris radio show based out of in Cincinnati, Ohio (WEBN). Kane hung up on the hosts early into the interview when they asked if they were speaking to Kane or his former “evil dentist” gimmick, Dr. Isaac Yankem. Here’s audio of segment:
– PodcastOne issued a press release this week stating that the Steve Austin’s “Steve Austin Show” podcast was named the best new podcast in the “Sports/Recent Debuts” category by the iTunes editorial team:
The editorial team of iTunes has selected … PodcastOne’s Steve Austin Show as the Top Pick in the Sports/Recent Debuts category. Chairman Norm Pattiz said:
“We thank the editorial team at iTunes for selecting these programs. We will proudly display the ‘iTunes Best of 2013’ badge prominently when presenting and promoting these programs. Our lineup of the best-of-the-best in podcasting is validated with recognition like this.”
– Chris Jericho noted on Twitter that his new “Talk is Jericho” podcast has received over 600,000 downloads since its premiere two weeks ago.
Wow, just found out @TalkIsJericho has had over 600,000 downloads in only two weeks!! Thanks to everyone who's listened so far!! @PodcastOne
WWE has once again changed the scheduled lineup for their final “Holiday Week” live events at the end of December.
The new main event for the WWE live event on December 28th in Newark, New Jersey is John Cena and Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio in a tag-team match.
Originally, WWE was advertising Cena vs. Del Rio as a singles match, and later Cena vs. Randy Orton as a singles match, but the latest advertisements are promoting the aforementioned tag-team match.
The new tag-team main event is an addition to a card that will also feature Big Show vs. Kane in a steel cage, with WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T serving as the special guest referee.
– As previously reported, WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee collapsed during her match on the current WWE European tour on Friday. Lee returned to action the following night in Minehead and worked a full match without any issues.
– The following is a video of Kane’s speech at the Liberty Political Action Conference back in September. Kane talks about the TSA and more.
– WWE has issued a statement regarding Reddit user Dolphins1925, who has been posting his monthly WWE pay-per-view predictions with astonishing accuracy. Mathew Altman, WWE’s Director of Communications, told Motley Fool this week:
“WWE believes in First Amendment rights, so anyone has the right to predict outcomes.”
The article also notes that WWE has made “no attempt” to discover the identity of Dolphins1925, which seems highly unlikely.
– WWE’s new Director of Operations Kane stood in for Triple H this week for the weekly WWE.com interview with Michael Cole.
WWE “Director Of Operations” Kane filled in for WWE COO Triple H in the latest sit-down interview with Michael Cole on WWE.com this week.
The focus of the interview this week was Kane’s character change from “The Big Red Monster” to a member of The Authority who now wears a suit and tie. Kane mentioned that he is still capable of unleashing “The Monster” if and when the situation calls for it.
“Mr. Cole, there is a monster deep inside all of us. The difference is for 17 years, I chose to allow mine to run amok, to promote chaos. But, make no mistake, I was always in control,” said the WWE’s new “Director Of Operations.” Kane continued, “Unlike you and everyone else, I accept the bestial side of my nature. Indeed, I relish in it. But, it is simply one facet of my personality. A tool, if you will, but not the only tool at my disposal. So, when the appropriate situation arises, The Monster will be utilized.”
You can check out the complete video interview online at WWE.com.
With WWE television tapings taking place overseas, the company is playing up “The Authority” (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) being on “vacation” to explain their absence from television.
WWE suggested that the new “Director Of Operations” Kane will be in charge of running WWE RAW from a storyline standpoint this week.
Make sure to check back here at the website later this afternoon for complete WWE RAW spoilers for tonight’s show.
– WWE Superstar Kane had his “first day on the job” as the “Director of Operations” for WWE during Friday’s live event in Brussels, Belgium. Kane came out in a suit and tie and interfered in the Randy Orton vs. Big Show match. Kane helped Orton get the win over Big Show and then called out The Shield to give Big Show a beatdown. Show ended up clearing house of all the heels and challenged Kane to come in the ring and face him one-on-one. Kane backed down and ended up leaving. After the show, Kane tweeted “First day on the job. #WWEBrussels.”
– For those keeping track of the Sheamus facial hair story, the former World Heavyweight Champion appears to be growing his beard back out.
Photo Of Sheamus Clean Shaven (No Beard)
Below is a photo of a recent personal appearance that shows Sheamus’ beard growing back in:
-It was announced at the WWE SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina that John Cena will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship in a rematch against Alberto Del Rio at the upcoming WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view on November 24th. The match had been expected for a while, but was not official until the announcement at SmackDown.
-As previously reported, Triple H announced that the new “corporate Kane” has been named the “Director Of Operations” for WWE. The announcement came as part of the latest sit-down interview that “The Game” did with Michael Cole for the official WWE website. You can check out the complete video interview online at WWE.com.
– 2K Sports has published the first “Entrance/Finisher” video for a character that is available exclusively via Downloadable Content – “Outsider” Kevin Nash.
Kevin Nash (Outsiders) makes his entrance and hits the Jackknife Powerbomb on Heath Slater in WWE 2K14. Available November 12, 2013, exclusive to the WWE 2K14 Season Pass!
Following the conclusion of the televised portion of Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Greenville, South Carolina, trainers and medical staff came out to check on the condition of Big Show, who was triple-powerbombed through the RAW announce table by The Shield.
Meanwhile, WWE COO Triple H, “one of the principal owners of WWE” Stephanie McMahon, WWE Champion Randy Orton, the new corporate Kane and all three members of The Shield faction celebrated and posed together at the top of the ramp.
World Heavyweight Championship: -John Cena (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio
-After the Big Show chaos died down, former World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio came out. Del Rio got on the microphone and demanded a title shot rematch against current champion John Cena. This led to Cena coming out. Cena did a mock-introduction for Del Rio before defeating him in the actual match. Cena picked up the win via pinfall after hitting Del Rio with his Attitude Adjustment finishing move.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: John Cena
And that was it from Greenville, South Carolina for this week’s RAW. Next up are the WWE Main Event and WWE SmackDown television tapings, which will be held on Tuesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently took part in a lengthy panel discussion at the Wizard World Comic-Con event in Nashville, Tennessee. Among many other topics, Bryan spoke about the most disappointing moment of his career, being trained by Shawn Michaels and William Regal, the Total Divas reality show, his dream match at WrestleMania and teaming with Kane.
You can check out the complete, 50-minute Daniel Bryan panel discussion from the Nashville Wizard World event below:
-Friday’s edition of the New York Daily News had a review in the entertainment section of the new WWE 2K14 video game. They gave the game a two-star review, and recommended it only for fans who want to get the same game every year.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley has a full schedule of comedy shows next week. On Wednesday, in Charlotte, Foley appears at The Comedy Zone at 8pm E.T. On Thursday, in Greensboro, Foley appears at The Comedy Zone at 8pm E.T. And finally, next Saturday, Foley will be appearing at the Terrace On The Park in Queens.
-WWE Superstar Glenn “Kane” Jacobs recently appeared on the Tom Woods podcast this week to talk about his libertarian background and other political topics. You can check out the complete interview below: