RockNSock5230 sent along the following highlights of a recent Christopher Daniels interview:

His excitement for the upcoming TNA ‘Lockdown’ PPV: “Yeah, absolutely. I’m always excited for TNA Pay-Per-Views and this one is no different. And there’s a special sort of excitement because I’m not quite sure what I’m doing yet. I know I’m going to be part of the show, but with all the hub-bub going on with Bobby Roode and Dixie Carter and MVP; you know the obvious choice would be having my main man Francois (Kazarian) and myself as Bad Influence being part of Team Roode but Bobby, right now, seems to have had his confidence shaken for some reason, so we’re still debating whether or not we’re going to be a part of Team Roode at Lethal Lockdown. So, we’re going to find out, hopefully soon.

No matter what happens, the most entertaining part of the show is going to be ‘The Secretary of Offense’ Frankie Kazarian and ‘The Man with the Rear that Makes the Women Cheer’ Christopher Daniels, no matter what we do; no matter who we are wrestling. It’s possible we might just be standing on the ramp, watching the show, waving to people as stuff happens, it doesn’t matter; whatever happens we’re going to be the most entertaining part of the show, so you can take that to the bank, if you like.”

On the recent changes within TNA, like MVP coming in: “I think it’s a great time to be a TNA fan, because when you see guys like MVP come to TNA; you see guys like Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards (The Wolves) entering TNA, you just got to be happy with the possibilities, the unseen match-ups that so far haven’t been seen and you’re going to get a chance to see them. Not long ago Bad Influence and the Wolves had their first match on television. I told everyone after the fact, on Twitter, that that wasn’t going to be a one-and-done; I’m sure there’s going to be more opportunities for us to try our best against Davey and Eddie and the winner of that match is definitely going to be the fans. They are going to be watching some of the best tag-team wrestling in the world when Frankie and myself get our hands on Davey and Eddie once again. And now that they are the World Tag Team Champions, I foresee gold in our future once again.”

Their recent changes challenges for the TNA Tag Team Titles: “Well I mean, you’ve seen the last couple of times we’ve even had the opportunity to wrestle for the belts; it wasn’t like one-on-one or one team versus one team. It was three teams involved or four teams involved; we had to go through a Gauntlet to even be involved in Bound for Glory and you can see how that worked out for us. I mean, they’ve stacked the odds against us because they know one-on-one, two-on-two, we’re the most dominant team and the best tag team in the bus-i-ness, and they understand this, so the powers that be, the people who want the titles around other people’s waists, they don’t want them around our delicious waists; if they did all they’d have to do is sign a match with just us as the challengers.”

If TNA is moving in a positive direction: “I absolutely think TNA is moving in the right direction. I feel like we’ve been on a roll ever since we’ve gotten back from the U.K. All the television that we’ve been doing, the stuff taped overseas went very well so far, so it’s going very well especially with Bad Influence in the fold. Like I said, we’re the most entertaining part of this roster and as long as we’re doing that dance down the aisles, you can be assured that TNA is the television that you should watch.”

The recent TNA overseas tour of the UK: “It was a very difficult tour in the sense that logistically in that we were traveling a lot. We had very little time down time; we arrived in Dublin, had a show the next day, and then the next day flew right to Scotland and went right from the airport to the building to hit our show in Glasgow. Then, that night, we drove from Glasgow, Scotland to Manchester, England and spent many hours on the bus, got in late and got up early the next day to do the show in Manchester, then drove to London to do Wembly, so we spent a lot of time on the bus and did a lot of traveling to get from place to place and get those five shows done in five days but the good thing about is we were all together. We definitely, as a team, put out some great television and did some great shows and had a great response from the UK crowds which is one of our most ardent support groups, the UK fans.

Absolutely, every time we go over there, they’re some of the most enthusiastic fans that we wrestle in front of, and the chance we get to go and do TV in front of them again, like we did last year, it definitely adds to the presentation of our product. So, I feel that’s always been a highlight for our year, to go over there and do the UK tour.”

His upcoming Japan trip with Wrestle-1: “We’re going over for Wrestle-1; we leave Friday and our show is on March 2nd. Bad Influence has been announced to be grappling against Minoru Tanaka and Koji Kanemoto; two of the greatest Junior Heavyweights in all of Japanese wrestling history. So it’s going to be one of the best matches on the show, I assure you.”

Who he may like to see come in to TNA and his view on the current roster: “Oh wow. Nobody comes to mind; I think we have a really good roster right now. I feel like guys like Manik and Kenny King haven’t been on television in a while who are still part of our roster. So, I’m actually hoping for more returns than actual new faces but, at the same time, I’m always happy to see new talent in TNA. I always welcome new talent, and when I heard guys like Davey and Eddie were coming in, I was very happy to know that we’d get an opportunity to work with those guys. I’m looking forward to working with MVP in that same respect. But nobody off the top of my head that I could name; if I knew that question was going to be asked, I’d have done my homework. I did not study for this particular test no one gave me the syllabus so I wasn’t quite sure what I’d need to study for this particular test so I fail in that respect.”

His favorite Throwback Thursday incarnation: “I’d have to say the Legion of Boom was my favorite. Actually, the truth is the only one I had any say in terms of coming up with it was that one. All the other ones have come from the fertile mind of Francois Kazarian. But I definitely enjoyed the Legion of Boom; I was really happy we got the chance to do the Left Coast Bulldogs in England. For those of you who don’t get the chance to watch Explosion, go on Youtube now and look it up. It’s actually playing today on Explosion on Challenge TV overseas but for those of you who have access to Youtube and not access to Explosion, you can watch it now. I’d say it’s one of my finer moments.”

His TNA Impact365 videos: “I felt like when we were given that opportunity when they came to us in the TNA Roster and told us they were going to start this Impact365 venture, I saw an opportunity to show people an entertaining side you might not be able to see on Impact and Frankie and I both sort of dove into it head-first. Frankie and I both still have some ideas, some stuff in the works that we’re going to put up on the Impact365 site soon. So, stay tuned because we’re not done with this yet.”

If he enjoys the fan interactions and being in Miami for Lockdown: “Always. First of all, going to a new market; this is the first time TNA has been in Miami, at least for a pay-per-view. It’s always cool to be able to wrestle live for a group of new fans and bringing a pay-per-view extravaganza to Miami is going to be a big deal for everybody.

Fan Interaction is always fun to give the opportunity to see our most fervent fans live; when you get an opportunity to meet-and-greet the fans, that’s a big deal for them and a big deal for us to know we have the support of these guys and they’re the reason we are able to continue to do what we love for a living.”

Check out the complete interview at WildTalkRadio.com.

– TNA president Dixie Carter will be the special guest for TNA’s “InterActive” second-screen experience for this Thursday’s edition of Impact Wrestling.

– TNA stars Samoa Joe and Rob Terry are expected to be added to the TNA “One Night Only: Outbreak” show in Japan, which is a co-promoted pay-per-view with Wrestle-1.

– The following is the latest edition of the IMPACT podcast, which features MVP:

http://youtu.be/0swD-BddJiw

• Reigns Leaving The Shield Soon, Kurt Angle Returning To WWE? + Sting/WWE Update

TNA star MVP was interviewed by Josh Modaberi of Wrestling101.com during TNA’s recent UK tour and explained why he joined the promotion.

“Part of the reason why I chose to go to TNA was because it’s not good for the fans or for the industry when there is just one conglomerate and nowhere else to go.”

“I would like to try (to) help facilitate, creating a situation where WWE has to recognize TNA as a potential competitor. And if you know like I do, WWE holds all the marbles then for the artists, the talent it’s not good for our business, competition is good for business,

Speaking of MVP, he will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Jim Ross’ Ross Report podcast at PodcastOne.com. The episode was recorded this week.

There was said to be a lot of bonding among the guys in TNA during their recent United Kingdom tour. Regarding the speech Samoa Joe gave on a bus trip, which we reported about last week, it’s being said that Joe informed the talent that they are all in a fight and everyone needs to band together to try and turn things around. Apparently nobody from creative was present, just the wrestlers.

Joe and MVP are seemingly considered the locker room leaders in TNA now that so many of the veterans are no longer with the company.

Regarding Jeff Jarrett’s new potential promotion, many are taking a wait-and-see approach, with the belief that nothing is for sure until something concrete is presented. Many in the company have loyalty to Jarrett for giving them their first big national break, however many are equally loyal to TNA feeling that while it has been rumored to go out of business many times in the past, it’s been around for 11 years and has survived each potential disaster thus far.

The following are highlights of a new Busted Open Radio interview with Jim Ross:

On MVP in TNA and if he’ll have an impact on the company: “You know, well I’d like to think so. I like the guy. I think he’s has around a million with life experiences cause his path to get into the business is certainly…unique. To say the least. I always thought he was a real sharp guy. He had a great head for the business. So if he’s given the opportunity to take over a leadership role or if he has the mindset to become a leader in that locker room; then he should be able to help him. He’s a good man. I’m glad that he’s back in the loop and I think that he has a lot to offer. He’s just a really cool guy. And I’m happy for him.”

On backstage politics in wrestling bleeding into storylines: “Well it’s a unique phase without question. I’m not–I don’t know if I like it or I don’t like it. I like it if it leads to outstanding in-ring content. Just the face to face–or talk or whatever; I’m not so sure how much I like it. And not speaking of anything specifically. I’m an old school guy, for better or for worse. I still believe that personal issues that make common sense are very marketable. I still believe that there is and are a good versus evil. I know there’s lines of grey and that line allegedly between good and evil becoming more and more thin; and all that good stuff. But I mean I have people; there’s people in my life that I encounter that I like a whole lot less than others. So they’d be on my heel list. So I still think we are creatures of habit and our human instincts are gonna be what they are. We’re gonna like some people and we’re not going to like some people. But I think that wrestling should have villains and heroes for various reasons. And I’m not a big based guy. I think you gotta be either black or white. I’m not big on earth tones. I think you gotta have a divinity. And a lot of the guys, unfortunately because they just don’t have the experience, nor have they had, they don’t have–some of them don’t have the instincts. A lot of guys actually don’t know how to be a heel or a villain. And hopefully that is something that will continue to be reinforced and taught as time goes on.”

On the CM Punk situation: “Well, I had that happen. Stone Cold did that and went home. And he regrets it to this very day. Because he just–you never get into a situation where–there’s a couple of basics things here. One is that you don’t want to get into a situation where it becomes easy for you as a professional or in private life to start breaking commitments. And a contract is a commitment. I think that the other thing is that you never get–you never save enough money nor can you live a starkness existence. The way you got all the money you’re ever gonna need and you live good money laying behind. I personally don’t believe in that. And I think a lot of the wrestlers over the years would say the same thing. So I’m not a fan of anybody in any walk of life exiting before it’s time. But I also don’t know all the information. This may have been a situation where Punk needed to take his leave and recharge his batteries a long time ago. I don’t know. I haven’t been there. And I have observed his privacy by not reaching out to him in several weeks.”

“We used to text every now and then just to shoot the breeze and see how he’s doing. And mostly just friendly stuff. It wasn’t too deep. So I haven’t talked to him. But I know what it’s like to see burn out and hit the wall. And it’s a tough business. The one night stands, the taxing on your body, the mental strain of–especially when you’re a perfectionist like he is. Where you really analyze creative. And creative has a hard time keeping guys like Punk happy because he’s so demanding and he’s got such a great head for creative in a large sense. Austin did too. Austin could tell you what he didn’t like. He wasn’t great at telling you what the solution is but he had such amazing instincts that he could tell you what was going to work or what wasn’t going to work. But he didn’t know exactly why. It was a feel thing, which is a great gift quite frankly. So I wish the guy had not hit the wall. But I can understand it. I can understand hitting the wall. I just felt like the timing of it was–is there ever a good time for these type of circumstances? Probably not but I’m not a big fan of leaving your post so to speak. Especially when his contract was up–I guess it’s gonna be up in July.”

“So he was coming down the home stretch anyway. So if it were me, being the overt capitalist that I am, I wanna stick around and make the money. Now the other thing that we don’t know and I certainly don’t know; I don’t know about you guys but we don’t know physically how he is. He obviously mentally is burnt out. He’s done. But I don’t know physically how bad he’s hurting. And if he’s hurting badly enough that he’s not safe in the ring or he’s jeopardizing his health; then most definitely he should not be in the ring. But we don’t know all that data so all I know is he’s one of my favorite guys in the business, outside of the ring or inside of the ring. I wish things had worked out differently but look. He spent his whole life to get here and to get in that main event level area and make big money. He did that. He has a lot to be proud of and he’s had a lot of accomplishments. Live the dream. I don’t think the dream is over. I just think that he needs to step away for a while. And I don’t know what a while is. He might not be back for a year. He might not be back for six months. I would give him as long as he needed. Because there’s no sense in coming back when you’re half-ass ready. Come back when you’re ready to roll. But I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him. But we may have seen the last of him this year.”

On fans hijacking shows: Well, I think overall it’s good. I think there’s the defiant, vocal group that likes to express themselves. I have no issue with the fans chanting things that make sense. Indiscriminate or ill-timed chants, just off the wall BS, just to draw attention to yourself; I’m not a big fan of that. But you know you pay your money, you come in–the tickets aren’t exactly cheap. So you come in, you pay your money, you sit down and then you can–it’s like you go to a football game or–hey I’ve had, I’ve been pissed off at Oklahoma football fans for booing the team. At home. I don’t like it. But you know they paid their money and they came so they express themselves.”

“I do think that there are some of these chants that are individually, ego-centrically based. I don’t think it’s a matter of just executing one’s freedom of speech. I think it’s to draw attention to themselves. And then some of these people sitting around and chanting; I don’t think they even know why they’re chanting. It’s kind of just the fun, cool thing to do. So I don’t think that the relationship is horrific or anything but I do the fans in our society are more outspoken. And more defiant. I have season tickets to the OU women’s basketball games with Jack Nicholson type seats. You know front row. I’m near the pep squad and the cheerleaders and all that. And what some of the pep team; the men and women, they’re called rough necks. What they chant to the opposing women’s basketball teams sometimes can be uncomfortable. It’s like you’ve got to be kidding me. They’re girls. I’m a grandfather. I’ve got two granddaughters.”

“So I think it’s partially a societal thing. I don’t think it’s a wrestling deal. But I do think that wrestling fans have a little bit more knowledge. They’re a little braver. They’re a little bit more defiant. But that kind of goes along with society so I don’t look at it as a huge deal. The bottom line is always this: If you give the fans what you perceive that they want; more often than not most of them will be happy. But we live in a society guys where today, you’re never going to make all the fans happy. Back in the day, you didn’t know if you were making them happy or not cause it was all based on ticket sales for live events. Now there’s a million ways to measure it and who’s trending and all this other stuff. It’s just a whole different ball game. So I don’t look at it as a wrestling issue as much as society has a say. And it’s just the way it is. So it’s not an issue to me. I don’t like the hijacking–cool term of, we‘re ‘hijacking’ a show. We’re taking it over. And by god you’re gonna book what we want or you’re gonna hear from us. Really? Well ok. Where does it stop? Where does it go? We could talk about that a lot. It’s interesting.”

Check out the complete Jim Ross interview at Facebook.com/BustedOpenRadio.

The following are highlights from a new website Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On Antonio Cesaro: “Cesaro is a star who’s underutilized and is a stalwart in the locker room. Fans like him out of respect for his in ring work. Flip a switch on him and it’s done.”

On Justin Gabriel: “Not sure why Justin Gabriel hasn’t made more of an impact. Something is missing from the equation.”

On the possibility of Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns headlining a future WrestleMania: “Sure, it’s possible. Time will tell. All must remain healthy and avoid issues.”

On whether or not Hulk Hogan has one match left in him: “If true, it’s a great idea but I don’t need to see Hulk attempt to wrestle.”

On MVP working in TNA: “He’s a positive, fresh face that should help TNA if they plan long term, utilize MVP’s skills and lessen Dixie’s presence on their show. ”

On the WWE Network: “I’m WAY out of the WWE Network loop. I’m not aware of how they will deal with the many issues that are likely to pop up for the start up. I’m hopeful that the Network is successful for many reasons even though some fans will find things wrong with it just because that’s their usual MO.”

On Kurt Angle returning to WWE: “Lots of things have to happen for Angle to return to WWE including extensive medical, etc testing. His in ring days are very limited.”

Check out more from JR’s latest website Q&A update at JRsBarBQ.com.

New TNA star MVP recently appeared on the v2 Wrestling Podcast. The following are some highlights from the interview:

On his goals in TNA: “WWE is a spectacular company, and their market saturation and visibility is monstrous, but the most prosperous time during the history of wrestling was during the Monday Night Wars when WWF was going head-to-head with WCW. You had 12 million people a week tuning in to watch wrestling, and the fans benefited as well as the wrestlers. TNA is a smaller company and doesn’t have the outreach and audience that WWE does, but I’d like to try, along with some of the other guys, to move the needle a little bit, and try to create something where fans can go ‘Hey, this is really cool, there’s something going on over here that we can watch as well,’ because I firmly believe that there’s room for two big dogs in the yard.”

On the TNA departures of Hulk Hogan and Sting: “While it’s sad to see them go, it’s also tremendously exciting to see that void filled by new stars who are stepping up and working hard to try to become legends in their own right.”

On Chris Benoit: “When I got signed, we travelled together, we trained together, and he was hugely responsible for my success. Of course, you can’t condone what he did, but I tell people all the time, there’s an issue with mental illness. There’s a stigma attached to it. If someone has cancer, we feel sorry for them, but if somebody has a mental breakdown, we don’t feel the same way. All those negative connotations make people sometimes not want to get help if there’s something going wrong. What Chris did was horrible, it was tragic, but I knew him personally, and I knew that he loved his wife and child, and I had been to that home and I had interacted with them personally.”

On WWE airing Benoit footage on the WWE Network: “I think that’s a good thing, because regardless of what happened out of the ring, he is without question one of the best in-ring technicians that ever existed. So, if you’re a fan of wrestling then you have to be a fan of Chris Benoit the wrestler, and maybe not so much Chris Benoit the tragic murderer.”

Check out the complete MVP interview at v2Journal.com.

TNA recently added the following “#IMPACT365” videos to their official YouTube channel.

#IMPACT365: MVP’s advice on money management and investing

http://youtu.be/a_nFnMvGp70

#IMPACT365: MVP’s thoughts on Pro Wrestling and his career

http://youtu.be/MbST80TpLMU

#IMPACT365: MVP talks about his time in prison and how he dealt with it

http://youtu.be/jyQc5r6-fG8

• Another BIG WWE Return Coming, STING’s WWE Debut Info + WMXXX Rumors

TNA “investor” MVP recently spoke to TheAmerican.co.uk about his TNA debut, what TNA stars he wants to work with and more. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Working For TNA Without a Contract:

“I still don’t have a signed contract, our lawyers are working out the last little bit of the deal so I’m here on a handshake. But I expressed to the company, when I did make my debut I wanted to do it on the UK tour.”

What TNA Stars He Wants To Wrestle:

“I made the stipulation very clear, if I were to come to TNA I would absolutely have to work with Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode at some point. Those are the guys that are on my list. Fortunately I had my first match with Bobby Roode the other night at Wembley and we had probably about nine minutes, so it was a chance to test the water, I definitely like his style, I like his work. Kurt Angle is a legitimate legend and Joe and I have been friends for a long time, he is a guy I’ve wanted to face for years going back to the Indys. Those are just a few of the guys I’m looking forward to working with, one of the things that attracted me to TNA is the overall roster – they have top tier talent.”

His TNA Theme Song, “Return of the Ronin”:

“For those that don’t know, a Ronin is a Japanese word for masterless samurai and in the wrestling industry that is how I see myself. I serve no master, that is why I have been able to go from WWE to NJPW and TNA.”

– MMA fighter and TNA star Rampage Jackson was interviewed by MMAMania.com. Jackson took issue with people who say pro wrestling is “fake” and said he has a lot of respect for pro wrestlers.

“I really respect those guys. A lot of people hate on pro wrestling. They say ‘that’s fake.’ It’s not really fake. It’s entertainment. It’s not really fake, but if they want to hate on pro wrestlers and call it fake then they shouldn’t watch any action movies at all. Action movies are the fakest things.”

He added that he wouldn’t mind getting hit with steel chairs, however he doesn’t plan on doing anything “crazy” like getting put through tables off the top rope.

– TNA star MVP tweeted the following on Friday morning about TNA’s UK tuor:

A huge thank you to Glasgow, Manchester & my home away from home, London, for the humbling reception! It feels great to be back! #TNA #UK

— MVP (@The305MVP) February 7, 2014

And of course a word of thanks to the TNA family, both talent & crew for the warm welcome. I’m looking forward to working with you. #TNA

— MVP (@The305MVP) February 7, 2014

– According to backstage reports from the recent TNA U.K. tour, changes were being made during the Impact Wrestling television tapings as they were being filmed.

– As of this past weekend, MVP had yet to sign an official contract with TNA. He did, however, reportedly reach a verbal agreement with the company and has a deal in place. According to some, MVP actually debuted for TNA on television without ever signing a contract.

– MVP’s new TNA theme song is a song he recorded himself called “Return of the Ronin.” You can check it out on iTunes at iTunes.Apple.com.

– There are a number of reports going around noting that Kurt Angle is dealing with a number of injuries, and appears to be pretty banged up during the current TNA U.K. tour. Angle is reportedly dealing with a potential broken ankle, along with a number of other nagging injuries.

Former WWE Superstar MVP was revealed as TNA’s new mystery investor on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling from Glasgow, Scotland.

As for his contractual status with TNA, MVP says he is working on a “handshake” agreement and has not signed with the company:

Well the cat is out of the bag. I still haven't "signed" though. LOL Some of you are happy. And as expected some are not. I LOVE wrestling!

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 30, 2014

Still no contract signed. But a handshake will do for now! RT @AzzaG_A1: @The305MVP you've signed a contract ??

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 30, 2014

Former WWE Superstar MVP is set to debut on tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling from Glasgow, Scotland.

The Ballin’ Superstar is currently backstage at the tapings and is expected to be part of the TNA Investor storyline.

MVP tweeted on Thursday afternoon:

A decision has been made. It's final. All systems go!

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 30, 2014

– Former WWE Superstar MVP will be making his official TNA Wrestling debut at next Thursday’s Impact Wrestling television taping in Glasgow, Scotland.

– Roderick Strong is off of the Ring Of Honor show in Pittsburgh on Saturday due to the neck injury he sustained in his match with AJ Styles a few weeks ago. Strong will be at the ROH taping, however, doing commentary for the television show.

– The following is a new “#IMPACT365” video where TNA president Dixie Carter discusses the contract situation regarding The American Wolves:

http://youtu.be/elxzczAoE9E

– MVP continues to deny the rumors that he is going to TNA. MVP posted the following tweet after the latest internet rumors came out:

I suppose the internet speculation & rumors can be fun if you dig that, but I haven't lied to you guys yet. I'm not signed anywhere.

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 23, 2014

– It’s believed that the reason Sting worked two rare non-televised live events for TNA last weekend is because he owed the company two dates on his existing contract, which is expiring.

As previously reported, the impression within WWE lately is that Sting will finally be coming into the company in the near future.

– The talks between former WWE Superstar MVP and TNA have reportedly gotten serious. The company is expecting him to sign a contract in the near future if he hasn’t already, and he may debut at one of the upcoming Impact Wrestling television tapings in the United Kingdom.

Former WWE Superstar MVP recently addressed the rumors that he has signed a contract with TNA Wrestling in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account.

MVP tweeted the following:

For the record, I am STILL very much a free agent and have not signed any contracts with anyone. That is official.

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 20, 2014

If I DO sign a contract with a wrestling company, you'll hear it from ME. No speculation necessary.

— MVP (@The305MVP) January 20, 2014

– John Cena told local media in Pennsylvania this week that his father lost 50 pounds using his new ‘My Body Change’ fitness program.

– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is headed to the UK for a “An Evening with Shawn Michaels” tour in April. Tickets for his April 29th show in Manchester, England can be purchased at Eventbrite.co.uk.

– Former WWE Superstar MVP posted the following “lost footage” of an interview he did with Low Ki in Japan last year:

http://youtu.be/ArLyAgNJ9ZQ

Noah Mark is back with his the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.

Complete WWE RAW Results (12/9)

WWE RAW (12/9): The “YES!”

Daniel Bryan

The Star of Raw Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan, winning three Slammy Awards competing in a match, appearing in the Championship Ascension Ceremony, was without question the star of the show. His hometown crowd chanting YES! YES! YES! and DANIEL BRYAN! throughout the beginning of the Championship Ascension Ceremony. Going back earlier in the night to his first Slammy win for Superstar Of The Year. On stage The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. He announces the Superstar of the year is Daniel Bryan. We were all expecting fireworks to occur during that interaction. HBK even exited stage right a perfect set-up for a “surprise” superkick from out of nowhere! But there was no Sweet Chin Music. Just a humble acceptance speech by Bryan for his Slammy Award which he refereed to as The “HB Swizzle”  award, Michaels naming it that just before presenting the award. Bryan did mention if it wasn’t for Shawn he wouldn’t be in the WWE. Likewise if it wasn’t for his interference at Hell-In-A-Cell he would be the WWE Champion. Although there was no physical interaction here, that wouldn’t be the last time these two interacted on the show.

See this is why I can’t shake off fighting the Daniel Bryan cause, he belongs in the main event. Heck this article uses his YES! and NO! and lord help us all if Daniel Bryan ever appears in a “NO!” portion of this article.  Some people might say, he was in his hometown and had an extra kick of support. There may be a bit of truth to that, but I feel that there are just some hot wrestling towns. Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and apparently Seattle. After what transpired later in the show who knows what will happen the next few months. I’m excited! YES!

Championship Ascension Ceremony

John Cena showing why he is in fact the face of WWE.

Former World Heavyweight and WWE Champions appeared all in the ring for the Championship Ascension Ceremony. As I said earlier the crowd was going crazy for Daniel Bryan. While Triple H was talking up the match, and the championship, the Seattle crowd chanted YES and Daniel Bryan to the point where Triple H gave them what seemed like at least a minute of chanting and Yessing and clapping. This crowd was on fire for Daniel Bryan. Triple H introduced both Orton and Cena. The crowd did not want to hear what Orton had to say. There were boos and boring chants. Then Cena took the mic. More boos and cheering mix. Then Cena begins to speak and prove why he is the face of the WWE. These days with everything being very planned and scripted, Cena played to the crowd and included Daniel Bryan in the conversation, he compared Randy Orton’s rise to success to Daniel Bryan’s. The idea was Bryan didn’t have a father and grandfather to get him in to the WWE, he did it by working. Cena turned practically the entire crowd around and behind him., shouting out his past opponents, HBK, CM Punk, and putting over that the only fair shot Daniel Bryan had was the one with him.  Brilliant, this is why he is where he is. The end was something I haven’t seen in the WWE in a long time. It was an awesome chain of events excuited perfectly. Cena and Orton shake hands as the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship are hoisted up. Orton gets in a cheap shot, the two are down on the mat fighting. Orton and Cena get pulled apart to their corners. CM Punk gets shoved by Orton causing CM Punk to start attacking Orton. Triple H throws down CM Punk, who retaliates with a knockdown of his on on The Game. HBK Superkicks CM Punk, setting up Daniel Bryan to

The Authority and John Cena look over A fallen Randy Orton. A great segment to end raw.

WWE Reminding us what they are capable of, a Powerful and compelling end to Raw.

deliver his running Knee on HBK. Orton tries to RKO Bryan but instead gets shoved into Stephanie McMahon knocking her down. Triple H runs to Stephanie’s aid, and then gets up and pedigrees Randy.  The show closes with The Authority and John Cena looking disappointed over Randy Orton on the mat. What a great segment. This is what WWE used to do on a regular basis. Twists and turns, these chain-reaction action segments. YES!

Quick Mentions

Dean Ambrose vs CM Punk – Ambrose vs CM punk was a Pay-Per-View quality match with a great dissension in the ranks tease when Dean Ambrose wanted Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to head to the back so he could finish the job by himself. Punk gets the win shortly after that exchange, although Punk loses out to the numbers game and gets a great spear from Reigns. YES!

The Wyatts – With a chip on my shoulder because of Daniel Bryan’s demotion, I don’t think I appreciated Bray Wyatt’s amazing performances over the last few weeks.  They are great, and compelling. YES!

Hit up Page 2 below for the “NO!” of this week’s WWE RAW:

– Despite some speculation, there are currently no plans for CM Punk to feud with Daniel Bryan. They will not be wrestling each other at WrestleMania, as some sites reported in recent weeks.

– Former WWE star MVP has been tweeting about training but says it’s for a North American Grappling Association event. He wrote:

No, I'm not training for a WWE return. I have a NAGA tournament next weekend. I am returning soon tho. The "where" is still in discussion.

— MVP (@The305MVP) December 2, 2013

– The official Twitter account of the WWE Studios film “See No Evil 2” starring Kane wrote the following this week:

Hope everyone is ready to see @KaneWWE tear shit up in #SeeNoEvil2! A @twisted_twins, @WWEStudios & @lionsgatehorror film!

— SEE NO EVIL 2 (@SeeNoEvil2Movie) November 29, 2013

The movie is scheduled for a 2014 release.

• View Here: CHRIS JERICHO’s New Tattoo Work – Posing With 2 Hot Girls Covered In Ink

– We reported yesterday that former WWE Superstar MVP was tweeting about the possibility of signing with TNA and the potential dream matches he could have with guys like Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode and Austin aries. MVP tweeted this follow-up:

The good news is all options are open. A return to NJPW, or WWE is possible, and yes, even TNA is possible. It feels good to have options.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

Relationships are the key to doing business in pro wrestling. Your brand is YOU. Work hard and do good business. Don't burn any bridges.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

– WWE COO Triple H tweeted this photo of the WWE Corporate jet he was flying home in after Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Atlanta:

Headed home……#norestforthewicked pic.twitter.com/PzfenhxpvU

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 20, 2013

– Former WWE superstar MVP is teasing the possibility of signing with TNA. He tweeted on Tuesday afternoon:

Joe, Angle, Styles, Roode, Anderson. All new potential foes for me with a less rigorous schedule. I won't lie. It's intriguing.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

He added that it would also be “very appealing” to wrestle Austin Aries.

Also very appealing. RT @mundoluchas: @The305MVP and @AustinAries ?

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

He replied, “LOL!!!!” to a fan who said, “You’re biggest foes there would be logic, common sense and business acumen.”

LOL!!!! RT @JannettyHotTag: @The305MVP You're biggest foes there would be logic, common sense and business acumen.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

As for working with some of WWE’s top stars, he wrote:

I do regret not getting to work with Randy. That RAW match we had was on point. Called in the ring mostly. Good chemistry! Future HOF'er.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

American Dragon has always been THAT DUDE! Huge fan of his body of work! Japanese style flow would be this biz.

— MVP (@The305MVP) November 19, 2013

– Kevin Nash tweeted a photo of himself, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman with the caption, “Rat Pack pre Glasgow dinner. “Wolfpac style.”

Rat Pack pre Glasgow dinner. " Wolfpac style" pic.twitter.com/3uOzqahPvJ

— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) November 19, 2013

Jim Ross tweeted a “Good luck” message to them, to which Hall replied:

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/402868793867010048

-WWE returns to the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, the site of Sunday’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, on January 31st. The pre-sale password for tickets to the show is WWELIVE.

-On this day, 18 years ago, the famous fire incident in ECW took place with Terry Funk, Raven, Tommy Dreamer and Mick Foley in the original ECW Arena.

-Former WWE Superstar MVP celebrates his 40th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays in the world of pro wrestling today are Christy Hemme, Les Thatcher and Rocky Romero.

-WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will be doing a live Q&A on November 14th in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as at Collector Mania in Milton Keynes, England on November 16th and 17th.

-TMZ posted an article today that noted Brian Wilson of the Los Angeles Dodgers dressed up as “Macho Man” Randy Savage at a Halloween party this past Saturday evening.

Randy Savage & Ultimate Warrior In The WWE HOF In 2014? — DETAILS HERE!

– As seen last night at WWE Hell in a Cell, AJ Lee successfully defend the WWE Divas Championship against Brie Bella. Attempting to kick Lee, Brie inadvertently leveled Nikki as she combated Tamina, knocking her twin off the apron and onto the ringside floor. The miscue was enough to open the door for Lee to put her in the Black Widow. Nikki is taking the blame for Brie’s loss, as she wrote on Twitter, “”Another Divas Championship match I have ruined. So sorry Brie 4 distracting u again. I promise u will get it next time! N #SisterlyLove”

Brie responded on Instagram, “It wasn’t you Nikki…it was me! I might of let the #bellaarmy down tonight, but I won’t stop till I’m Champ. As long as you all stand behind me, I won’t give up! #briemode.”

– WWE and The Pearson Foundation recently set a world reading record for Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record!” The official YouTube account of WWE released a promotional video on this, which features Sheamus reading to children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIvW20SSRag

– Former WWE Superstar MVP turns 40-years-old on Monday. On Twitter, he posted some messages concerning this milestone day, including, “Well, I don’t FEEL any different.”