— During a phone interview with WWE.com Thursday, Shawn Michaels lost his composure when faced with pointed questions pertaining to Triple H and The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII.

After being asked “If Triple H wins at WrestleMania, will he be better than you?” Michaels grew increasingly incensed in his response, saying he is the best in-ring performer ever and that he cannot help that the spotlight falls on him whenever he shows up. Before hanging up, he tells the WWE.com interviewer to leave him alone in his retired life.

— Thanks to interference from Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks drew a victory over Mason Ryan on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. It is his first televised singles victory since the March 17, 2011 WWE Superstars, where he beat JTG.

Other matches featured include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Jinder Mahal vs. Justin Gabriel. The episode is available here.

— WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves (a/k/a Sterling James Keenan) turns 28 years old Friday.

— Tuesday’s SuperSmackDown LIVE! show featuring a Champion vs. Champion match between WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan garnered a 1.7 rating with 2,326,000 viewers.

It is SmackDown‘s lowest rating since the September 16, 2011 show, which drew a 1.78.

— Following her actions involving John Cena and Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, Eve has turned over a new leaf. She wrote to Zack Ryder today on Twitter, “I miss you.”

— WWE.com is advertising a match between Justin Gabriel and Jinder Mahal for today’s episode of WWE Superstars. Other bouts taking place include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Mason Ryan vs. Tyler Reks.

— Mike Sydal, brother of WWE Superstar Evan Bourne, turns 28 years old today.

source: PWInsider.com

— A press conference Thursday to kick off WWE’s first-ever live event tour in Abu Dhabi “turned chaotic” when Kane attacked John Cena, according to WWE.com. Cena, however, put The Big Red Monster through a table in front of members of the media.

Video and photos of the incident are available here.

— Through Twitter, Marco Corleone has been lobbying Alex Koslov (a/k/a Peter Orlov) to return to EMLL following his release from WWE last week.

— Matches airing on today’s episode of WWE Superstars on WWE.com are Johnny Curtis vs. Yoshi Tatsu, Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel, Jack Swagger vs. Santino Marella and tag team action pitting Epico and Primo against JTG and Michael McGillicutty.

— In today’s birthdays, Shelly Martinez turns 32 years old while Madusa turns 49.

source: PWInsider.com

— Matches taped tonight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Jack Swagger vs. Santino Marella

* WWE Tag Team Champions Epico and Primo vs. JTG and Michael McGillicutty

— Brodus Clay squashed WWE developmental wrestler Damien Sandow in a dark match at tonight’s Raw SuperShow taping in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sandow was accompanied by Abraham Washington, who introduced him to the audience prior to the bout.

— A photo of Sheamus performing the High Cross on Chris Jericho at last week’s Royal Rumble is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Super Luchas.

— Matches taped Monday night in Corpus Christi, Texas for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Brie Bella vs. Kelly Kelly

* Evan Bourne vs. Michael McGillicutty

— Former WWE star Michael Tarver stated on Twitter that he has began training for a career in mixed martial arts.

— WWE will hold SmackDown live events at Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Michigan on March 10, 2012 and Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 11, 2012.

— Brodus Clay’s Raw SuperShow debut also marked as opponent Curt Hawkins’ first match on the program. The former WWE Tag Team Champion was drafted to Raw last April in the Supplemental Draft.

— Chris Jericho has continued to refute rumors that he is returning to WWE at tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Memphis, Tennessee. He tweeted a photo of himself and a friend snowboarding.

He wrote, “Beautiful day on the mountain! #bestJan2ever @speewee @holowatuk pic.twitter.com/eoPQZBj9.”

— Christian, who has been sidelined since November 9, 2011 due to an ankle injury, is now advertised for WWE’s annual post-WrestleMania tour of the U.K. in April. He is tapped to return to the ring no later than February.

— WWE will hold a Raw live event at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

— Michael McGillicutty won the WWE Magazine 2011 Fantasy Football League.

— Skip Sheffield defeated Michael McGillicutty in a dark match at tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Chicago, Illinois.

— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler is advertised to appear on the Rachael Ray Show this Friday. A listing for the talk show says she will be sharing her New Year’s Eve plans with actor George Clooney and her tips for staying slim.

— Beth Phoenix is advertised to appear at Motor Trend International Auto Show Baltimore Convention Center One West Pratt St. Baltimore, Maryland on February 11, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Paid Admission required. Event information is available here.

— Cable television ratings will be delayed this week due to the holiday weekend. The rating for last week’s SmackDown should be available Tuesday.

source: ProWrestling.net

— WWE Hall of Famer Superstar Billy Graham, 68, was hospitalized Monday in Phoenix, Arizona for pneumonia. He is on antibiotics and in stable condition.

“Billy had a bad cough last night when I spoke to him,” said his agent Scott Epstein. “He said he also had a low grade fever and was going to go to the ER as a precaution. Valerie (his wife) called me this morning to tell me he was admitted. She will update me later this evening.”

— Matches taped Monday in Liverpool, England for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty

* Curt Hawkins vs. Justin Gabriel

— Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso beat Derrick Bateman and Trent Barreta in a dark match at tonight’s tapings in Liverpool, England.

sources: 1Wrestling.com, ProWrestling.net

— As reported recently, WWE creative have brainstormed a program between Booker T and Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes. Plans are now in place for an angle between the two that would lead to the former World Heavyweight Champion’s return match. That angle may kick off as early as tonight’s SmackDown taping in Houston, Texas, Booker T’s hometown.

Part of the reason WWE is doing the feud is to promote their upcoming The Best of King of the Ring DVD set, which Booker T is hosting.

— Matches taped Monday in Austin, Texas for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston vs. JTG and Primo; Eve and Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella and Nikki Bella.

— Sin Cara beat Michael McGillicutty in a dark match prior to Monday’s television tapings.

sources: PWInsider.com, ProWrestling.net

— 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.

— Tyson Kidd feels his Twitter remarks regarding the Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara match at Hell in a Cell were taken out of context by websites labeling it as a jab. The SmackDown Superstar wrote, “Love when things get taken out of context. You know what happens when you assume.”

Kidd said of the match, “Best part about being either Sin Cara? Having the mask means you don’t have to show your face after that performance.”

— Matches taped tonight in Lafayette, Louisiana for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars were:

* Alex Riley vs. JTG

* Michael McGillicutty vs. Percy Watson

source: ProWrestling.net

— John Cena appeared in studio on The Johnny Dare Morning Show today to promote tonight’s Raw SuperShow at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Cena teased during the interview that a cage would hang above the ring at the venue. He also discussed films, cars and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cena stated that he does not want to turn bad because seeing the Make-A-Wish kids with his merchandise makes his day.

Meanwhile, the female sidekick auditioning for the morning show said she was former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman’s roommate in college. She also claimed to have one night stands with former WWE talent John “Bradshaw” Layfield and Al Snow.

— The Miz and R-Truth “invaded” this past weekend’s Raw live events. The same scenario took place at all three shows; the heel duo would jump WWE Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne immediately following their victory over David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. Company personnel would then escort the “fired” wrestlers away.

Ring announcer Justin Roberts announced at the start of all three shows that The Miz and R-Truth wouldn’t be on hand due to Triple H’s ruling last Monday on Raw.

source: ProWrestling.net

— Maryse is expected to return to WWE programming as early as next week after undergoing abdominal hernia surgery on August 24.

She provided a status update via Facebook the following morning, writing: “I am home now, and feeling good, still very tired from the anesthesia, but its normal, i will be posting pics of my tummy when they remove the bandages, my doctor did an amazing job and the scar should be very small in my belly button! be sexy.”

The former WWE Divas Champion last competed on the July 25 episode of Raw. She was advertised to compete in the following week’s No. 1 Contender’s Diva Battle Royal, but bowed out after determining days earlier that she would undergoing surgery.

— Michael McGillicutty stated on Twitter that he was pulled from Raw’s tour of Puerto Rico this weekend before he was to have taken his flight.

— A WWE SmackDown taping is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— WWE’s creative team has broached putting Zack Ryder in a new faction with David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty.

— Alberto Del Rio’s 23-year-old brother Memo Rodriguez is now living in South Florida and has began training with former ECW talent Pablo Marquez. Marquez briefly appeared in WWE as Tiger Ali Singh’s manservant Babu.

— Former WWE Superstar Finlay is advertised to wrestle at a Top Catch event, which takes place August 29 in Dinslaken, Germany at the Dintrab Arena. He will facing former WWE developmental talent Chris “The Bambikiller” Raaber.

— WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler is advertised to appear at a Legends Of Wrestling event in Harrison, Arkansas on August 20, 2011. Butch Reed and “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton are also slated to appear. Click here for event information.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— One night after Big Show and Kane retained the WWE Tag Team Championship against CM Punk and Mason Ryan at Over the Limit, the colossal due dropped the straps to other two members of Nexus, David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty.

WWE then coordinated an injury angle for Big Show which would indicate that he’s taking time off. Frustrated, he ran into the garage parking lot where he his leg was run over by a car driven by Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.

— Matches taped Monday night in Portland, Oregon for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:

* Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder

* JTG vs. Curt Hawkins

— In a rare occurrence, no dark match took place at last night’s Raw taping.

source: ProWrestling.net

— The official website of MTV has posted an article on its website celebrating CM Punk’s birthday, who turns 32 years old today.

The article makes mention of several MTV newsroom staffers being fans of professional wrestling who would have hard pressed to not acknowledge the WWE Superstar’s day of birth, especially with his love of music.

In related news, MTV Movie managing editor and personality Josh Horowitz recently sent us a link to a video short he shot with John Cena, Malin Åkerman and Elijah Wood. Those who missed the video can view it here.

— WWE.com has added Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty to its Raw Superstars page. Both generational wrestlers were inducted into The Nexus by group spokesman Wade Barrett last night on Raw.

Meanwhile, the website has yet to add Alex Riley to the roster page despite his appearances on Raw the past several weeks.

— A poll is ongoing on WWE.com for a new CM Punk T-shirt.

— As John Cena held Wade Barrett in the STF during their bout at last night’s Hell in a Cell, two mystery assailants stormed the ring — one distracting the referee while the other blasted The Champ in the head with a foreign object, knocking him out cold and giving The Nexus ringleader the duke. The attackers in question were NXT season two contestants Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty, reports f4wonline.com.

— World Wrestling Entertainment will be releasing a two-disc DVD set highlighting the legendary career of WWE Hall of Famer Bobby “The Brain” Heenan on Tuesday, December 28. Below is the title’s official synopsis:

“Fans loved to boo Bobby Heenan but despite their vocal displeasure with The Weasel, everyone acknowledges he’s the greatest manager in the history of sports entertainment. He guided members of the infamous Heenan Family to great heights in both the AWA and WWE, even occasionally stepping into the ring himself. He also further cemented his place in pro wrestling lore by becoming one of the great color commentators of all time, completely earning his 2004 induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Now, for the first time ever, fans can relive the Brain’s magnificent career in Bobby The Brain Heenan, a 2-disc DVD that tells the life story of Heenan as well as collects his most famous matches, interviews, and moments.”

— WWE returns to the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

(source: www.f4wonline.com)

— Many within WWE are predicting Michael McGillicutty or Alex Riley to win NXT Season Two. Meanwhile, it’s said that Husky Harris has unanimously impressed “everyone.”

— No Raw guest hosts are expected to be scheduled until after SummerSlam. Child star Bobb’e J. Thompson — who stars alongside Big Show in the upcoming WWE Studios film Knucklehead — and country music artist Toby Keith have been booked to host episodes of Raw in October.

— Two WWE Superstars celebrate birthdays today as Triple H turns 41 years old while Dolph Ziggler hits 30.

— 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.

— All eight season two NXT Rookies have opened accounts on Twitter. The links are as follows: Alex Riley | Eli Cottonwood | Husky Harris | Kaval | Michael McGillicutty | Percy Watson | Titus O’Neil