Prior to Sunday’s WWE Vengeance pay-per-view event, former co-workers Michael Cole and Jim Ross threw a few verbal jabs back and forth on Twitter.

Michael Cole threw the first punch – tweeting the following about JR:

“Thrilled to report @JRsBBQ will not be part of #Vengeance tonight. Management felt he’d be too busy crying about OU’s loss yesterday.”

A fan responded to Cole’s tweet, coming to the defense of Jim Ross. “@MichaelCole shut up man ur just jealous bc @JRsBBQ is more popular than u! @JoeyStyles”.

Joey Styles responded, asking to be left out of Cole and JR’s drama:

“Please leave me out of JR vs. Cole.”

Jim Ross then followed up with a zinger of his own:

“Leave me out of JR/Cole, too..and 3 man announce train wreck.”

• Related News: WWE Doing More Online Angles

Jim Ross posted several pseudo-shoot remarks this morning on Twitter after being summoned to last night’s Raw SuperShow in Mexico City, Mexico. He says quitting WWE is not an option for him and that play-by-play announcing in WWE is dead.

“Found out about mexico city late Thursday. Not happy to miss OU game but EVP talent & Co could care less. Nice way 2 go out on wk’ly TV.”

“I’m under contract to wwe. Well paid by team I helped build. Quitting for me not an option. Those that suggest such I feel for.”

“Do I like Raw GM silliness? No. If inclined could I handle that role? Sure. Am I interested? Nope.”

“Leaving Mexico City. Mon’s Raw could well be my last but who really knows? John L & his higher ups know. Hope u tune into Raw Mon nite.”

“4 the record, play by play in WWE’s dead. Funkhauser,the GM, enforces ‘story telling’ on Raw. Holds don’t exist. WWE board needs counseling.”

“If Laurinaitis & his corporate cronies feel Cole is the ‘voice of Raw’ then they are more out of touch than I thought. Fans want wrestling.”

“Funkhauser/ Raw GM is available for speaking engagement for schools for the hearing impaired. Contact @CMPunk 4 more info. This is too easy.”

“When announcers speak of something. TOTALLY unrelated 2 what viewers are seeing on TV screen it’s disconnect. Does GM&cronies not get that?”

“The naive fan thinks some announcers can solve perceived WWE broadcast issues. News flash…THEY CAN’T. Announcers being ‘Funkhausered’.”

“Note to Laurinaitis & peer hungry cronies: over mgmt of all broadcasters akin to putting a bit in a horse’s mouth. It’s all about control.”

“Funkhauser, hello. Doing English speaking, in ring promos to Spanish speaking audience=no reaction. Duh. Oh, wait my bad, WWE’s ‘global.’

“My financial status isn’t anyones business. I know the drill for me in OKC. I’m a big boy & realistic. Raw is a tv show not my life.”

“I can assure anyone who cares or thinks they need to know the dirt. I have zero booking ahead for WWE weekly or PPVs. Believe what u choose.”

— Jim Ross expects Jerry Lawler to return to television next week after being slammed through the announce table by Mark Henry on last week’s Raw SuperShow. He wrote today on Twitter, “1. I expect king back for Raw & ‘perhaps’ HIAC..TBD.”

He also addressed Michael Cole’s statement on last night’s show that Lawler suffered anal bleeding as a result of the attack.

“The ‘anus’ line was Cole being cute therefore no anus updates are coming from me,” Ross explained.

— CM Punk discusses his expectations for his triple threat encounter this Sunday at Hell in a Cell.

— The September 24 episode of A.M. Raw scored a 1.02 cable rating, with 1,172,000 viewers.

source: PWInsider.com

– As seen on RAW last night, Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks appeared on RAW in a backstage segment with Wade Barrett. The two hinted at forming a team and will hook up this Thursday on Superstars to take on the team of Percy Watson and Titus O’Neil.

Reks, who has had fans rally for him on Twitter for a few weeks now with the hashtag #WeWantReks, wrote the following on Twitter last night:

“Thanks Rekking Crew! Your support is heard! Keep tweeting #WeWantReks #ReksAndHawkins”

Hawkins, who has also been in the news after he tweeted about wanting more WWE TV time, wrote this last night after RAW:

“Thanks for the love tonight. More too come… Be sure to check out @WWE Superstars this week to see myself & @Tyler_Reks in action.”

– Prior to suffering a lacerated kidney and being forced to surrender the FCW Heavyweight Title last week, WWE developmental talent Bo Rotunda was scheduled to be brought up to the main roster.

– Word backstage is that Vince McMahon was feeding Michael Cole more lines than usual on commentary last night during RAW.

• Related News: Jim Ross Says He’ll No Longer Argue With Cole On RAW

(Source: f4wonline.com)

Joey Styles took to Twitter to comment on the incessant bickering by Michael Cole and Jim Ross on the Raw Supershow, writing: “Can we have @MichaelCole vs. @JRsBBQ with the loser leaving Raw? Their bickering has me turning down the volume and reading the live chat.”

Ross said from this point forward, he will no longer bicker with Cole during WWE television broadcasts.

“@JoeyStyles my on air bickering days w/ Cole ended Mon Nite. I’m tapping w/ my end of unnecessary psycho babble. I’ll focus on the talent,” Ross wrote.

Ross also provided a definitive answer to fan questions regarding the possibility of The Undertaker facing Sting at WrestleMania XXVIII.

“For the love of all that’s holy, there will be NO Undertaker vs. Sting match at WrestleMania 28,” Ross wrote. “Come on, man…or woman! Let it go.”

A fan said “that’s the match everyone wants to see.” Ross responded, “Not everyone. Sting’s 52 years old and is contracted to another company.”

– The WWE crew member that Kevin Nash shook hands with backstage on RAW last night as he was walking down the hallway was Cal Cole, son of WWE announcer Michael Cole.

– The Miz and R-Truth will be working together as a tag team in the coming weeks. According to a WWE source, their team name is going to be “Awesome Truth.”

Following Evan Bourne & Kofi Kingston’s tag title win on RAW, Awesome Truth looks to be one of the new contenders in WWE’s revamped tag team division.

• Related News: Triple H Plans To Rebuild WWE’s Tag Team Division

– “Jack Tunney” was trending worldwide on Twitter last night during RAW after the mention from CM Punk. Longtime WWE fans will remember Jack Tunney as the storyline “WWF President” in late 1980s-early 1990’s.

– Aaron sent word that Vendetta Pro Wrestling wrestlers from California that got WWE tryouts last week were Jody Kristofferson, AJ Kirsch and Dylan Drake. Referee “Goggles” Goldstein also got a tryout.

– WWE has released commemorative tickets for the John Cena vs. CM Punk and Randy Orton vs. Christian matches at Summerslam.

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

— Reuters has published an article stating that actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who attended WWE’s SummerSlam VIP Kick-Off Party last Thursday at the Andaz Hotel in Los Angeles, California, broke one of Hollywood’s unwritten rules: No dancing.

The article notes that the Hollywood starlet danced for over an hour at the event. She was also seen dancing with Hornswoggle.

— Though not officially announced, Michael Cole will be a playable character in THQ’s upcoming WWE ’12 video game.

— Money in the Bank is released today on DVD. Click here to view the artwork, which is an image of CM Punk celebrating his championship victory over John Cena.

— D.H. Smith (Harry Smith), who was recently released by WWE, is now accepting bookings for independent wrestling events. Requests can be sent to Kirk White of Big Time Wrestling via e-mail at Whiteklt@sbcglobal.net or via phone at 510-494-9648.

Diana Hart Smith, the outspoken mother of recently released WWE talent Harry Smith, continues to lash out at Michael Cole via Twitter after calling the WWE broadcaster effeminate on Monday. She wrote the following messages on the microblogging site on Thursday, including calling creative writer Michael Hayes a transvestite.

* “Does the reMARKable Michelle Cole have rabbies or perhaps mange. Just wondering because he is such a dog for a diva. That’s what he is, right?”

* “When Michael Hayes wrestled in Germany in late 70s as a transvestite, was his name Suzi Sykes or Suzy Sails? Any1 know?. He was quite the lady.”

* “Michelle Cole=reMARKable 2 staff&Vince 2.? wuld pedigree Harry b w/whores like MC. Recall early days gttng wedgied by HHH/DX & he cried on live TV.”

The former wife of “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith also noted during her diatribe that Harry is heading to Japan at the end of the month for the Inoki Genome Federation.

Harry, meanwhile, apologized for his mother’s critical remarks. He says he has no ill will towards Michael Cole nor WWE.

“In regards to my Mom’s twitter remarks about Michael Cole and the WWE, these are only her opinions she’s expressing. I hold no ill feelings towards the WWE, and I don’t want it to look like I’m influencing these posts in any way shape or form,” he wrote on Facebook. “I’m a man of honor and integrity and try to be like my Grandfather Stu Hart. If I have something to say to or about someone I’ll say it to their face. I really dislike twitter, so I can’t post this myself on there.”

The self-proclaimed “Voice of WWE” did Smith no favors during his lone broadcast booth appearance on an episode of Raw last year as he criticized the third generation wrestler’s verbal ability and lack of charisma.

— Diana Hart Smith, mother of recently released WWE Superstar David Hart Smith, took aim at Michael Cole yesterday on Twitter as she called the WWE broadcaster effeminate.

“Michael Cole is such an expose of garbage wrestling–MC is brutally effeminine,” she wrote to a follower. “Oh well. On another level, STRIKEFORCE=HARRY SMITH.”

For what it’s worth, the self-proclaimed “Voice of WWE” did Smith no favors during his lone broadcast booth appearance on an episode of Raw last year as he criticized the third generation wrestler’s verbal ability and lack of charisma.

— Reader SirWombat sent word that WWE.com’s bio on referee Mike Chioda makes mention of deceased wrestler Chris Benoit, who is considered persona non grata within the organization.

It reads: “Chioda also distinctly remembers Nov. 29, 2004, when he and a fellow official declared contrary decisions in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship; Chioda saw Chris Benoit pinned for the three-count while Edge tapped out simultaneously. It’s a moment in his career that’s nearly impossible to replicate.”

Monday’s episode of RAW was newsworthy to say the least ..

– The show opened with the finals of the WWE Championship tournament – which saw Rey Mysterio defeat Rey Mysterio to win the WWE Championship.

– Triple H gave his “State of WWE” address and announced that Mysterio would defend his newly won championship later in the show against John Cena.

– Jim Ross returned to the RAW announcer’s table, in one of the first changes to WWE by the new CEO, Triple H.

– John Morrison returned and attacked R-Truth. Morrison had been sidelined since May after undergoing surgery to correct a pinched nerve in his neck.

– Zack Ryder got his first win on RAW, defeating Michael Cole in a quick match set up by Triple H.

– John Cena defeated Rey Mysterio in a PPV-caliber match to become new WWE champion, ending Mysterio’s hour-long reign.

– CM Punk returned at the end of the show (with new theme music) and had a Champion vs. Champion staredown with John Cena.

It looks like we’ve got our SummerSlam main event.

– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin wrote the following on Twitter on Monday regarding his new WWE DVD set, which is being billed as the “final” Austin DVD:

“WWE film crew to come down to the Broken Skull Ranch in a few days. Filming last SCSA DVD. Please send your questions to my twitter acct. “

“Also send any suggestions on matches you would like to see from WCCW, USWA, WCW, ECW, and of course WWE. Thanks for the help. Gonna be good.”

– WWE Tough Enough winner Andy Leavine, who was profiled on Monday’s RAW, is currently training at Florida Championship and wrestled on last Saturday’s show from Fort Meyers, where he lost to Peter Orlov.

– RAW announcer Michael Cole is the latest WWE personality to appear on Shawn Michaels’ hunting show on the Outdoor Channel. Michaels tweeted the following about tonight’s episode:

“Just reviewed [tonight’s] MRA show. I sure hope everybody has a sense of humor. @MichaelCole is gonna b hated in the outdoor biz as well:-)”

— Alicia Fox appears as a guest on tonight’s episode of The Mo’Nique Show at 11:00 p.m. on BET. The former Divas Champion will chat with the Academy Award-winning comedienne on the critically acclaimed late night talk show.

— Michael Cole returned to NXT: Redemption last night for a one-night-only appearance. He filled in for William Regal on commentary, who was absent.

— WWE will be airing the documentary portion of the February 2011 DVD release The Big Show: A Giant’s World beginning July 4.

— Former WWE star Big Bully Busick celebrates his 57th birthday today.

— Joey Styles announced on Twitter that Michael Cole will be making a historic announcement tonight on Raw.

He wrote, “TONIGHT on #WWE Raw: The Voice of @WWE & self-proclaimed “Mr. @WrestleMania” @MichaelCole promises a historic announcement!”

— Former WWE Diva Michelle McCool will be participating in an interview on next week’s episode of AfterBuzz TV: Tough Enough—available at www.ustream.tv/afterbuzztv. Her official fansite, www.MichelleMcCool.net, released the following statement concerning her scheduled interview:

“Marking her first appearance since leaving WWE, Michelle McCool will be featured as an upcoming special-guest on next week’s episode of AfterBuzz TV: Tough Enough, hosted by former WWE Divas, Torrie Wilson, Lilian Garcia, and Candice Michelle, otherwise collectively known as “TLC”. The ladies host a web show/radio program where they not only discuss the shenanigans of USA’s Tough Enough, but everything far and in-between. It should be interesting to see what sort of scoop they’ll manage to get out of Michelle, and we’re absolutely looking forward to it! AfterBuzz TV: Tough Enough airs Monday nights after RAW, 11:15pm ET/8:15PT.”

— WrestleMania XXVII is now available on iTunes. It is priced at $17.99 for HD and $14.99 for SD. The per match cost is $2.99 (HD) and $1.99 (SD).

— The ongoing Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler program is slated to continue through at least WWE Over the Limit, which takes place May 22, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. A singles match between both personalities is expected to occur.

— CM Punk suffered numerous scrapes on his back during his Last Standing Man Match against Randy Orton last night at Extreme Rules.

— Jim Ross said on Twitter following last night’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view that a leather strap had to be attached to his wrist due to his broken hand; he couldn’t make a fist or grip the strap.

The injury occurred last Monday on Raw when Cole’s tooth made contact with the bone of J.R.’s fist.

— Les Thatcher has written the foreword for Tough Enough trainer Bill DeMott’s autobiography, which is scheduled for release in a few months.

source: PWInsider.com

– Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Rock returns tonight to celebrate his birthday with his home town fans. What will happen when new WWE champion John Cena and The Rock are on the same show for the first time since making their WrestleMania 28 match official?

SEScoops.com will be on hand for tonight’s RAW and will be posting some exclusive pictures and videos from the show – keep an eye out for those later in the week.

– Get ready for another chapter in the ongoing feud between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. Current plans call for the two to square off at WWE’s next pay-per-view, Over The Limit, most likely in a singles match.

— The following matches will be featured on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown on Syfy:

* Jack Swagger vs. Sin Cara

* Big Show and Kane vs. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater for the WWE Tag Team Championship

* Mark Henry vs. Rey Mysterio

* Layla vs. Michelle McCool

* Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay vs. Christian and Randy Orton

— Matches pitting Sin Cara against Sheamus for the WWE United States Championship and Jerry Lawler against Jack Swagger with Michael Cole in his corner are booked for upcoming WWE live events.

— Vickie Guerrero is scheduled for tonight’s Florida Championship Wrestling live event in Gainesville, Florida. Its is likely that she will be participating in an angle with her daughter, who performs as Raquel Diaz.

source: F4WOnline.com

— Alberto Del Rio has been described by WWE sources as a master politician behind the scenes because he has figured out how to navigate the organization’s cutthroat environment quicker than almost anyone.

— Current plans call for Jim Ross to remain on WWE programming throughout the duration of Michael Cole’s ongoing storyline. His segments have performed strong quarter-hour numbers, which could factor into the company’s decision to keep him on television. Also note, there are no plans for Ross to permanently return to announcing.

— The August 1 Monday Night Raw taping will be held at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tickets go on sale May 14, 2011.

— The pre-sale code for the June 27 Monday Night Raw taping in Las Vegas, Nevada is CENA. The pre-sale is ongoing via Ticketmaster.com.

— This week’s episode of NXT featured 16 minutes and 30 seconds of in-ring action compared to 16 minutes and 12 seconds the week before.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

– Regarding “The Language of WWE” memo that we posted a few weeks back, it should be noted that none of the banned words were given to the English language announcers nor have they been told that some of those words were banned. However, it is known by them to not use some words like “wrestling” and “wrestlers” but some of the words on the list still get used on English language broadcasts.

Check Out: “The Language Of WWE” – List Of Allowed & Banned Terms

– Tough Enough producers Shed Media and the USA Network were hoping for Miss USA Rima Fakih to win WWE Tough Enough, knowing her winning the competition would bring the show a great deal of mainstream media exposure and build momentum heading into the second season. As the show went on, it became clear that Rima had little chance of winning and she was ultimately eliminated last week.

Related News: Miss USA Talks About Her Tough Enough Elimination & Rib Injury

– Sin Cara vs. Sheamus for the WWE United States Title and Jerry Lawler vs. Jack Swagger with Michael Cole in his corner is booked for upcoming WWE live events.

– The idea right now is for Jim Ross to remain on WWE TV for as long as the Michael Cole angle goes on. JR’s segments have done very strong quarter-hour ratings so that may play a factor in WWE keeping him around longer. With that said, at least for now there are no plans for Ross to return to announcing full-time.

– Speaking of Jim Ross and Michael Cole, the injuries they sustained on Monday’s RAW will not prevent them from wrestling at Sunday’s Extreme Rules PPV, but JR’s hand injury may limit what he’s able to do in the match.

(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for some of the info used in this report)

It was announced tonight on Raw that the Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Jack Swagger and Michael Cole match at Sunday’s WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view is a Country Whipping Match. Presumably, it is a strap match.

The updated line-up for Extreme Rules is as follows:

WWE Championship Triple Threat Steel Cage Match
The Miz (c) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison

World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match
Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio

Last Standing Man Match
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

Country Whipping Match
Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Jack Swagger and Michael Cole

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

— The Raw crew concludes their near two-week long international tour today and tomorrow in Qatar. The shows, however, will be without the “Sexy, Smart and Powerful” WWE Divas as they are prohibited from wearing clothing that doesn’t cover their legs or shoulders in public. Qatar is an Islamic country with strict dress laws.

Eve Torres and The Bella Twins, among others, have already flown back to the United States.

— Michael Cole had his Extreme Rules tag team partner, Jack Swagger, join him as a woman, who looked vaguely like the Queen of England, enter the ring and knight him on this week’s episode of Raw. The entire segment was cut from the encore telecast on Sky Sports in the UK, as well as most references to it.

This was not the only segment cut from the replay as R-Truth smoking a cigarette was also edited out.

— Donald Moore (a/k/a Dr. Cable Jones), who was released from his developmental contract with WWE in November, is considering resuming his wrestling career on the independent scene after undergoing major shoulder surgery. (Thanks to Don Tintle)

source: PWInsider.com

— WWE.com has announced the following for Raw: “New Nexus will be barred from ringside tonight on Raw when Randy Orton clashes with CM Punk in a rematch to their thrilling bout at WrestleMania XXVII. Also, tune in to see Michael Cole’s knighthood ceremony in the United Kingdom.”

— The Greensboro Coliseum is advertising John Cena for the April 26, 2011 SmackDown taping in Greensboro, North Carolina.

— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler appears on MondayNightMayhem.com tonight at 7:40 p.m. for an interview.

SESCOOPS will be doing LIVE COVERAGE of EXTREME RULES

Following Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings (set to air this Friday), here’s the updated card for Extreme Rules:

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship
The Miz (c) vs. John Cena vs. R-Truth

Ladder Match for the Vacant World Heavyweight Title
Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio

Tag Team Match
Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole and Jack Swagger

WrestleMania 27 is in the books and the overall feeling we’ve been hearing is that the show had the “big time” WrestleMania feeling, but the booking of several of the top matches was executed poorly.

We reported shortly before and in the days following WrestleMania that Vince McMahonwas said to be “frantic” backtage and several aspects of the show were re-written just hours before it went on the air.

WWE has been examining the broad from top to bottom in hopes of  and taking a look at what could have been done better – and two matches in particular are standing out – John Cena vs. The Miz main event and the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler special attraction match.

Many think that the double countout finish of the WWE title match was a disaster and not a satisfying finish for the main event of WrestleMania, despite the fact that the entire thing was approved by Vince McMahon the day of the show.

There is also some heat on WWE agent Dean Malenko for the way he laid out the Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler match. While this one seemed like a no-brainer to book, anybody who saw the match would agree that Michael Cole’s was given way too much offense, which killed the energy of the live crowd.

(Source: f4wonline.com)

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is teasing an announcement for Raw tonight.

“Team Bring It – I have a very special announcement tonight on Raw,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “The People’s Champ to The People.”

WWE is advertising The Rock to interact with WWE Champion The Miz and John Cena after his role in the finish of their match at WrestleMania XXVII.

— DirecTV’s feed of last night’s WrestleMania XXVII pay-per-view event halted during the Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole match.

— In the following video on WWE.com, Michael Cole proclaims himself the new “Mr. WrestleMania” after his victory over Jerry Lawler last night at WrestleMania XXVII.

— There have been discussions all week about whether to close Sunday’s WrestleMania XXVII pay-per-view event with John Cena vs. The Miz or Triple H vs. The Undertaker. The latter match was scheduled to close the show last week, but Vince McMahon is going back and forth this week on what to do.

— WWE Champion The Miz and WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight on ABC at midnight Eastern Time.

— The reason “The Cole Mine” was constructed is because Michael Cole will resume his role as a mere commentator following WrestleMania XXVII and creative wants to keep him and Jerry Lawler apart.

source: F4WOnline.com