-While Nick Dinsmore, the former “Eugene” character in WWE, has not officially commented on his return to the company, he has been re-tweeting congratulatory messages from friends and co-workers on his official Twitter account. As noted previously, Dinsmore has been named head trainer of the WWE developmental territory. Dinsmore is expected to report to Orlando in the near future to begin his new job.
-WWE is running the Bret Hart Dungeon Collection on pay-per-view this month. Next month, WWE will be running the Mick Foley documentary on pay-per-view.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Gerald Brisco, who celebrates his 67th birthday today, will be undergoing surgery on his right hand today.
-Speaking of WWE Hall Of Famers, Mick Foley will be performing his comedy routine at the American Comedy Company in San Diego this coming Saturday night at 7:30PM. Foley will perform again on Sunday in Corona, California at the M15 Concert Bar & Grill.
-The television show “At The Movies” with David Stratton gave the film “Riddick,” which features former WWE Superstar Batista in a prominent role two stars. Film reviewer Margaret Pomeranz gave the film three-and-a-half stars.
-As reported previously, WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio is advertised for this weekend’s WWE live event in Hidalgo, Texas. WWE will run Hidalgo on both Saturday and Sunday night, with the Mysterio appearance being billed as “one night only” on the Saturday evening show. The advertised main event for Saturday’s event in Hidalgo is Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton.
-Part-time WWE Superstar and hardcore legend-turned-comedian Mick Foley is scheduled to take part in a community event in Westport, Connecticut on Wednesday night. Apparently the city of Westport is celebrating 90 years of the Westport-Weston Family Y.M.C.A. For more information, visit Westport.DailyVoice.com.
-As seen on WWE RAW on Monday night, WWE COO Triple H stripped Daniel Bryan of the WWE Championship. Bryan won the title from Randy Orton via pinfall at the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view on Sunday night. However, due to an alleged fast count by senior official Scott Armstrong, “The Game” decided to strip Bryan of the title and hold the title up until further notice.
-One WWE Hall Of Famer who won’t be surprised to hear about the aforementioned news of the WWE Championship being stripped from Daniel Bryan is Mick Foley. Foley wrote on Twitter prior to the start of Monday’s RAW show:
“Something tells me that last night’s 3-count will be called into question tonight on #RAW.”
-Former WWE Superstars Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Chris Jericho were all at the Comic Con event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Saturday night.
Speaking of Foley and Jericho, both guys performed in Montreal on Saturday. Foley had a comedy show, that was scheduled for 45 minutes, but went 90 minutes when Bret Hart was brought on stage for an impromptu question and answer session. Jericho and his band Fozzy played a rock and roll concert.
-Mick Foley performs another standup comedy show tonight in Boston, MA. at Nick’s Comedy Club at 8:00pm ET.
-Chris Jericho performs another show tonight at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
-At WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley’s comedy show in Boston this weekend, he was asked if there were any current pro wrestlers around that he felt could be the next Mick Foley. Foley said he thinks Dean Ambrose or Bray Wyatt could be the next Mick Foley.
-Former WWE Superstar John Morrison was featured in a brief appearance on the Adult Swim show STSF-SD-SUV last week playing an undercover version of the robot SAM.
-Former WWE Superstar Giovanni Roselli will be featured on the MTV show Nikki And Sara Life on Tuesday at 11:00pm ET.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently posted a blog on his official Facebook page where he shared his thoughts on the Goldust vs. Randy Orton match from Monday’s Night Of Champions “go-home” edition of WWE RAW in Toronto.
Foley wrote:
“Like many of you, I have found myself completely caught up in the trials and tribulations of the Rhodes family. From Cody’s heartfelt exit from WWE, to older brother Dustin’s ability to turn back the hands of time to participate in an outstanding, emotional match with Randy Orton, to the bitter disappointment displayed with his agonizingly painful post-match walk down the hallway: this Rhodes family saga has quickly catapulted from mid-card curiosity to must-see real life drama. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this scenario so captivating.”
-As noted previously, the daughter of Eddie and Vickie Guerrero, Shaul Guerrero, is training at the WWE Performance Center for a return to the ring. Shaul recently brought back her old Raquel Diaz character to NXT and Twitter.
Diaz wrote:
“Hello Raquetts! Thanks so much for all the love and support. Lets just say I’m coming back ULTRA fab, ULTRA sheek, the ULTRA DIVA #LoveIt”
– People.com reports that WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil is dating reality TV star Omarosa Manigualt (“The Apprentice”). The report notes that this is Omarosa’s first relationship since her fiancee [actor] Michael Clarke Duncan passed away last year.
– After reading negative feedback to Monday’s RAW, Mick Foley posted the following message on his Facebook page:
“DON’T DO IT, BIG SHOW!
I noticed that there was some negative feedback concerning last night’s Raw – some people feel like the Triple H/Orton/Shield faction has assumed too much power, too soon. But let me ask you this: how many of you found yourselves talking to your TV screen..actually TALKING to your TV screens, saying things like “no, Big Show, don’t do it!” I know I was..and I don’t talk to my screen all that often.
The look in Show’s eyes after he KO’s Daniel Bryan was just heartbreaking. I believe he, along with Daniel, Punk and Heyman, are all embarking on some pretty deep trips into the human mind. I don’t know where these trips will lead, or what they’ll find when they get there, but my guess is it’s going to make for some captivating television.”
-WWE Hall Of Famer Adam “Edge” Copeland will be hosting SyFy’s Ghost Mine on September 4th.
-The following is an excerpt from a new online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley, where he discusses AJ Lee’s promo from Monday’s RAW:
Yes, that was an amazing promo by AJ – primarily because she believed every word of it to be true..or at least it seemed that way to this 28 year wrestling veteran. After all, going back to the lessons I learned from Michael PS Hayes, a heel is always at their most believable and frightening and believable when they absolutely believe in their own words and actions. AJ’s words were convincing and seem to be the ones being embraced by the WWE Universe. I know many people look at Bri and Nikki and see two beautiful women who have been given their spot in the company due to their beauty and choice in boyfriends.
That’s not what I see when I look at Bri and Nikki. I see two strong, proud women who walked away from WWE in April 2012 following a legitimate business disagreement with the company. Bri and Nikki wanted to have more say in what they could and could not do outside of WWE. The company disagreed. I know that feeling. I’ve been there. The Bellas took a stand and walked away. I know that feeling too. But they didn’t do it the Mick Foley way – whining and complaining, and (ask Layla about this sometime) even yelling a little bit. They did it the right way. They took a stand, did everything they were asked to do, and left with their heads held high; earning a heightened respect from everyone they dealt with on their way out.
And when they returned, they came back with a piece of the puzzle that had been missing from the Divas division. They returned with “Total Divas” – the vehicle the entire Divas division has driven to new heights of acceptance and mainstream recognition. I’ve often wondered why AJ wasn’t part of the show. Obviously, she’s a unique character and an an extremely talented wrestler. I would have really enjoyed the opportunity to see her outside the ring – to see how much AJ the performer and AJ the character had in common. I could completely understand any hard feelings she might harbor against the Bellas in that regard. But the idea that the Bellas haven’t worked for everything they’ve received is just plain wrong from this Hall of Famer’s perspective.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Aaron Carnevale from Monday Night Mayhem sent along the following highlights from Mick Foley’s recent appearance on their radio show:
How his “Tales From Wrestling Past LIVE” differs from a typical “stand-up comedy”: “Well there are all kinds of comedians. Most people associate comedy with jokes, and I don’t really do many set-up punch line jokes. I try to take people on a journey, where they are laughing most of the time and intently listening some of the time. I also reserve the right to say stuff that is ridiculous.”
The WWE’s reaction to his comedy shows and the possibilities of making “Tales From Wrestling Past LIVE” part of a WWE Pay-Per-View weekend (the night before or right after the PPV): “They are giving a lot of positive feedback. I think this is the year that they (WWE) will see that they don’t need to take a giant leap into this form of entertainment. They just need to take a side-step, and they are there. I have been a little disappointed that WWE hasn’t embraced it yet, but I really believe in a year’s time they will make it part of SummerSlam Axxess.”
Why he enjoys “being on the outside, looking in” and his thoughts on the current WWE landscape with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk at the helm: “One of the fun parts of being on the outside looking in is I find out things when everyone else will. I think Daniel Bryan isn’t only responding with the best wrestling of his career, but he is also reaching emotional depths that he wasn’t reaching a few short years ago. I’m also a big fan of Punk’s storyline (with Paul Heyman) right now.”
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley will be performing his stand-up comedy routine at the Houston Improv on October 2nd at 8pm local time. Tickets are available at $25-35.
-Speaking of Foley’s stand-up, The Gainesville Sun out of Florida has a featured article up on their website about his tour. You can check that out online at Gainesville.com.
-The Douglas County Sentinel has a featured article up on their website about the old Dumont TV network and their inclusion of pro wrestling, as well as Gorgeous George. You can read that online at DouglasCountySentinel.com.
-The movie “Pain & Gain” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mark Wahlberg will be available on both DVD and Blu-ray this coming Tuesday, August 27th.
-As we reported earlier today, WWE was said to be furious at the Ric Flair ordeal during the WWE2K14 press conference on Saturday. Despite the fact the WWE side is not happy with Flair for his conduct during the presser, apparently the 2K Sports representatives weren’t upset at all about it.
For more information about the Ric Flair situation, and in-depth backstage details on WWE’s reaction to everything that went down, read the following exclusive article at 24Wrestling.com.
-Another note coming out of the presser, although it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone reading this, is that Mick Foley went on record guaranteeing the fans that he can never wrestle again, even if he wanted to.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley will be performing his stand-up comedy show at 9:30pm local-time at the Hollywood Improv next Sunday night after the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Because of the location of the show, expect a lot of WWE talent at the show in support of Foley.
-The Hall Of Very Good website has an article up today talking about WWE Superstar CM Punk using a steel chair to bat in Kerry Wood’s “Wiffle Ball Classic” at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday. You can read more about that story online at HallOfVeryGood.com.
-For those interested, the Rant Sports website has added a new photo gallery of April Jeanette Mendez, better known to WWE fans as WWE Diva AJ Lee. You can check those out online at RantSports.com.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley appeared on “The Morning Blend” on TMJ14 in Milwaukee to promote his upcoming comedy gig at the Mirmar Theater on Sunday at 7pm. Foley talked about his Christmas projects such as the movie “I Am Santa Claus.” Foley also discussed Mr. Socko and other random topics. You can check out a video of the appearance online at TheMorningBlend.com.
-The SLAM! Wrestling website out of Canada has a feature-piece on their website about the late Dutch Savage. You can check that out online at Slam.Canoe.ca.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Dory Funk sent along the following:
WWE Talent Scout, Jerry Brisco Coming to !BANG! TV Taping
Jerry Brisco will be in attendance at the next !BANG! TV Taping, Support Your Troops 95, “Friday Night Fight” at the !BANG! TV Sound Stage in Ocala, Florida. The event will take place Friday August 23rd Showtime is 7:00pm. Jerry Brisco will be here to scout wrestling talent for WWE.
Headlining the card will be a World Title Match featuring 3rd Generation Romero Youngblood (Champion) defending against the challenge of Triple Sport Star (Baseball, Football and Wrestling) Quinton “Drop-Back” Hitchcock.
Also on the card – Dory Funk Jr., Johnny Magnum, Shane Chung, Hollywood Heather, Claudia “The Claw” Reiff, Jessica “Power-House” Hill, Ryan “The Rogue” Passmore, Bulldog Bryson Michaels, Hector “Taino” Alicea and a Special Appearance by Noah “Spike” Mayser and more.
If you would like to become a professional wrestler, Visit Dory Funk’s Website at http://www.dory-funk.com or Call Now 352-895-4658 for Training Information.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley recently spoke to Red Eye Chicago to promote his ongoing comedy tour. Here are some highlights of what the hardcore legend said about:
The TV-14 rating is still discussed as something the WWE could possibly go back to. Do you think the PG rating was the right decision by the company?
I really do. With the TV-14 there were a lot of sponsors the WWE couldn’t bring in because of the rating. I think it was frustrating when they were doing gigantic ratings and couldn’t draw the sponsors during the Attitude Era. They did great business during a horrible economic time and continue to draw adults to bring their children to watch the product.
Who was/is the funniest wrestler you know?
Well some of the funniest guys backstage couldn’t translate that humor to the ring. There’s a fine line that guys use their humor for their character and guys that use their humor to define their character. I think every guy who has been successful has used humor to build their career. There was one moment in Milwaukee, where basically there were five guys in the Main Event match that could not control their upheavals of laughter. The Rock gave me an image the night before and when it was time to deliver my promo, I couldn’t get that out of my mind.
In the past you have mentioned Daniel Bryan as being one of your favorite wrestlers to watch. Do you think he can take the same spot that John Cena has currently?
He is just on fire right now. He is so much fun to watch. Right now he is the best combination wrestler since probably Edge was at his peak. Edge, at that time, was stealing the show whether he was wrestling or not. I love the fact that the two guys fighting for that top spot at SummerSlam is Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. I know Punk likes and respects Daniel but he will do his best each and every night. Stone Cold was on record saying he wanted to steal every show. He and I were good friends but we both stole the show at different times through the years. There has to be some unique marketing abilities for Daniel, and I have an idea or two I would like to pass WWE’s way. He would be one of the stars of my next children’s book if and when it gets published.
-Former WWE Superstar Matt Hardy recently posted a video clip of himself presenting his fiancee’ Reby Sky with her birthday present. You can check out the video at Facebook.com.
-All three members of The Shield, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns will be appearing at The Chicago Wizard World Comic Con on August 10th at 3pm. Roman Reigns promoted the appearance in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account on Tuesday. For more information, visit WizardWorld.com.
-Jim Ross recently noted on Twitter that he will be appearing at Homeland Stores on Lindsey Street in Norman, Oklahoma on Saturday from 1-3pm.
-Mick Foley posted a new tweet on Tuesday where he confirmed that Lisa Marie Varon, aka former TNA Knockout Tara and former WWE Diva Victoria, will be appearing at the WWE Hall Of Famer’s stand-up comedy show in Chicago on Thursday, August 8th.
-WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley performed another stand-up comedy show on Sunday in Atlanta. The part-time WWE Superstar was joined by fellow pro wrestling legends Diamond Dallas Page, Scott Hall and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Foley commented on the guys showing up for his performance on Twitter, writing, “An awesome time tonight in Atlanta. Loved reliving old times onstage with @DDPYoga @SCOTTHALLNWO & @JakeSnakeDDT.”
-WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus is taking questions from fans for another edition of “Fan Forum Five.” Fans interested in sending in questions for the former WWE Diva can do so at TrishStratus.com.
-Speaking of former WWE Divas, Candice Michelle recently noted on Twitter that she will serve as the special guest referee at the Wrestling Spectacular 2 event. Michelle will work the Women’s match featuring Angelina Love vs. Mickie James vs. Jillian Hall vs. Katie Lee Burchill vs. Rosita.
– Former WWE Women’s Champion Alundra Blaze (known as Madusa in WCW) has been added to the Alumni section of WWE.com.
– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley and his wife Collette recently bought the Design Consign Fashion store in Smithtown, New York.
– Former TNA referee Rudy Charles is now using the name Dan Engler as a referee in WWE NXT.
– WWE officials are trying to work out a deal with E! that would see some of their other reality TV show celebrities to make appearances at SummerSlam.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley was recently interviewed by Chicagoist.com to promote his “Tales From Wrestling Past” comedy show, which hits Zanies Comedy Night Club in Rosemont, IL on Thursday, August 8th. ( Show Info)
Here are some highlights of what Foley said about:
What His Audiences Are Like: “I would say 95 percent of the audience are wrestling fans, along with a brave few dragged out in support of significant others. I do get comedy club regulars who report to the owners that they’re happy. I recently did four shows in South Bend, Ind., and the club was full of regulars.”
His Show Getting Positive Reviews: “I’ve been very pleased by the reviews. I did shows at the Montreal Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe and Chortle, which is a respected UK comedy website that is notoriously tough in their reviews, made it a point to say “while he gives the fans the inside information they want to hear, he could do a little editing ” Another site, Broadway Babies, said my show was “great even for the loving dedicated spouse dragged against her will by husband.”
His Comedy Show Focusing On Wrestling: “I don’t often venture out from my comfort zone. Again, it’s because people aren’t coming out to hear me tell stories about non-wrestling issues. I do describe how my career in professional wrestling has given me a unique perspective on traveling abroad, politics and pornography, but I have a tether that pulls me back in.”
How Wrestling Helped Him Get Into Comedy: “It’s a double-edged sword, to tell you the truth. Name recognition does open doors but it doesn’t make it easy for people to walk through. I’m amazed by people who recognize me from Daily Show segments. I don’t try to force myself to do anything that isn’t comfortable. It’s like seeing Mick Jagger doing a solo show without playing any Rolling Stones tunes.”
– On Friday’s SmackDown broadcast (taped Wednesday in Corpus Christi, Texas), Rob Van Dam lost in under a minute to Alberto Del Rio after the ECW Original was distracted by the match official, leading the World Heavyweight Champion to strike him with brutal kick to the face. The reason for the match outcome was because Del Rio had broken a rib or ribs the night before in a match against Sheamus and was therefore unable to properly compete.
– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley was quite impressed with Bray Wyatt and Damien Sandow’s performances on Friday’s SmackDown broadcast.
“OK, good night for real this time. By the way, @WWEBrayWyatt is my new hero…with all due respect to @RRWWE. Intoxicating stuff, bro,” Foley wrote on Twitter following the show. “I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE! With all due respect to @WWEBrayWyatt, following the end of #Smackdown, it is @TheDamienSandow who is my true hero.”
“The Hardcore Legend” then wrote on Saturday, “I’ve been laughing to myself all day – thinking about @TheDamienSandow on #Smackdown last night. Can’t wait to see that match at #Summerslam.”
– WWE Hall of Famer George “The Animal” Steele is scheduled for an autograph singing today beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble 1565 Niagara Falls Blvd. Amherst, New York, as he signs copies of his autobiography Animal. Call 716-837-7209 for more information.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s latest guest on his podcast is popular TV comedian Adam Carolla.
– Mick Foley recently spoke to Florida’s New Times newspaper to promote his upcoming comedy tour and commented on what led to him retiring from the ring.
“There’s only so much punishment a human body can take. A lot of it wasn’t necessarily hardcore matches. It was just a very physically demanding style. My knees became arthritic very early because of that punishing style.”
– Monday’s 7/22 episode of WWE RAW drew a 2.9 rating and averged 4.01 million viewers, down slightly from the previous week’s post-PPV show. Here are the hourly numbers:
-Professional artist Rob Schamberger recently tweeted a link to a painting that he did of WWE Superstar Triple H to “The Game” himself. HHH saw the painting, and responded on Twitter by stating, “man, that is incredible.” You can check out the painting online at this link.
-New Times has a new interview up with WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley. Foley talks about his comedy show coming up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Check out the interview online at BrowardPalmBeach.com.
-WWE Superstar The Miz, who is apparently a fantasy football fanatic, recently did a podcast for Fox Sports where he looks at the upcoming NFL season. Check that out online at FoxSports.com.
– The official YouTube account of WWE has posted this video of Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and Mick Foley reflecting on the 2013 Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.
– This week’s WWE Classics On Demand updates are as follows: WWE Royal Rumble 2013, WWF at Madison Square Garden (July 23, 1984), Extreme Championship Wrestling (September 25, 1998), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (November 17, 1982), WWF Prime Time Wrestling (November 20, 1989).
– The official WWE website has a poll asking visitors whether Dolph Ziggler is better off without AJ Lee. Of over 16,000 votes casts, 76% say “Yes, AJ Lee was holding The Showoff back from his full potential” compared to 24% for “No, Ziggler was at his peak with the Divas Champion by his side.”
At this week’s San Diego Comic Con event, WWE announced a new partnership with publisher Papercutz to produce two new WWE-themed comic books.
The first comic book, currently titled, “WWE”, is scheduled to be released in December. You can see a preview of the working cover art to the right (click to enlarge).
A second series, geared towards children, will be launching in June 2014.
Both comic books will be written by WWE Hall of Famer and best selling author Mick Foley.
WWE posted the following video from Comic Con of Mick Foley announcing the new comic books:
– WWE Saturday Morning Slam will be returning soon, according to WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. Foley tweeted that WWE will resume taping the children’s show in a few weeks – and that he’ll be back as the General Manager.
– WWE NXT will be holding a live event tonight from the Tampa Arena in Tampa, Florida, with WWE Diva Rosa Mendes advertised to appear.
– Due to a scheduling conflict, the planned WWE SmackDown tapings on September 17th at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh has been cancelled. That night’s SmackDown will now tape from the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. WWE returns to the Consol Energy Center on October 7th for a live RAW taping. Here’s the official statement from the arena:
“All tickets purchased for the September 17 WWE Smackdown Event will be honored on Monday, October 7. Fans that cannot attend the rescheduled date should go to their point of purchase for refunds. World Wrestling Entertainment would like to thank all of our fans that have purchased tickets for this event.”