– NXT stars Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn have been added to the upcoming WWE tour of Japan.
– Ric Flair and Chris Jericho have been added to the upcoming WWE tour of Australia in August.
– There will be no RAW post-show this coming Monday night. Instead, the debut edition of “The Monday Night War” weekly series will air following RAW on the WWE Network.
Chris Jericho will not be working WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan. Instead, he will be on the July 13th show in Wildwood, New Jersey and July 12th event in Madison Square Garden, where he is scheduled to do a Highlight Reel segment.
Speaking of the upcoming WWE MSG show, the main event will feature John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a Lumberjack Match, with Ric Flair and Triple H as the leader of the two teams of lumberjacks. Also on the show will be a triple-threat match for the WWE United States Championship, with Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio.
– Regarding Ric Flair, he has yet to be given a start up date for WWE television, however he is still scheduled to work the Madison Square Garden show on July 12th as a baby face manager.
– WWE recently promoted Mark Kowal, the Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller to the company’s Principal Accounting Officer. Kowal, 38, has been with the company since 2001 in various executive roles.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
UPDATE: According to one source, the former World Champion returning at RAW tonight is none other than Chris Jericho.
Initially, the person was thought to be The Miz or Ric Flair, but it appears that Jericho returns tonight, and he’s also expected at the SmackDown taping tomorrow night.
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
Original story …
As previously reported, WWE is hyping up the return of a former World Champion who has achieved success both inside and outside of the ring for tonight’s post-Money In The Bank edition of RAW.
According to one source, the former champion could be The Miz, who has been at television the past few weeks but has had his return held off. The gimmick he has been using at non-televised live events as of late is that of a heel who thinks he’s a movie star.
Additional speculation is that it could be Ric Flair, however there are those who feel that he wouldn’t be advertised as a “former World Champion” as much as he would be a “legend” or a “WWE Hall Of Famer.”
Of course there is always the chance that it could be both, as Flair is rumored to work with Miz upon returning as a regular character on WWE television.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
Gunner joined TNA in 2010 but his story goes back to 2001 when he began wrestling but a year later he joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner and reached the rank of lance corporal serving in the Iraq War.
The 32-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, is a one-time TNA tag team champion with James Storm and a one-time TNA Television Champion.
We caught up with Gunner to talk about working with the Nature Boy Ric Flair, his dad being involved in story lines, wanting to become TNA Champion, plus much more.
Q. How did you first get into the sport of professional wrestling?
I’ve been a wrestling fan since the age of five and I started wrestling in 2001, and i joined the marine corp 2002 to 2006. I was wrestling before i went to bootcamp and during my time in the marine corp I would travel 20 hour round trips or so every weekend I could to wrestle on certain shows, so I was juggling both at the same time. I’m just living my dream.
Q. Who were some of the wrestlers that you enjoyed watching whilst growing up?
I could sit here and talk to you about that all day, some of the ones that come to mind are; Macho Man Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Ric Flair. The main one for me was Macho Man, I was a massive fan of Randy Savage.
Q. What has it been like getting to work with guys you enjoyed watching like Kurt Angle and Ric Flair?
They are both very knowledgable guys, so it was great for them to pass their knowledge on to the younger guys like myself who are the future of the company and the future of the business.
Ric managed me for a while so he would be at ringside for my matches, and just him knowing how to tell a story and paint a picture was amazing. Kurt Angle is a machine, anytime you’re in the ring with him you are going to have to work, but that is great, it has taught me the never say die attitude.
Q. What has it been like in the TNA dressing room with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Sting, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian all leaving the company?
Professional wrestling is a business and like anyone that works in any business we are all expendable. All of those guys that have left the company are off still doing great things, and even though it’s a shame to lose top guys like that it gives the younger guys in the locker room the opportunity to step up to the plate. Those are big boots to fill, nobody is going to be the next Sting or AJ Styles but it gives us a chance to build new characters and new stars.
Q. Your rivalry with James Storm saw some real life elements brought in the the storyline, was that something you enjoyed?
James and I have our differences and we just don’t like each other, but he is still an amazing performer, he can fight and he knows what he is doing in the ring. Those matches I had with James enabled me to step up even more, and it has given the fans the opportunity to invest in my character.
Bringing my father into the storyline was a great experience that I enjoyed. Wrestling is totally different now to when I was a kid, when everything was larger than life and seemed as though it had just come out of a comic book, the guys could still work but now the fans want to know what the wrestlers are like in real life.
Q. What is your next target?
I’ve got my eyes on the big prize, the TNA Heavyweight Title. I feel like I was robbed on the last TNA tour in the UK when I wrestled Magnus for the title and James Storm interfered. I think I’m ready for another title shot, Eric Young is the champion and we have a friendship but when it comes to business we both want to be world champion. Obviously he doesn’t want to lose it, but I want to win it, that is my main goal to be champion.
For more information you can follow Gunner on Twitter @TNA_GUNNER
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is now medically cleared to return to WWE and will be managing his daughter, NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte, at WWE live events next month. While there have been rumors that Flair would be returning to television on tonight’s RAW, he was not part of the script that was being worked on over the weekend.
– Savio Vega has been added to the Alumni section of WWE.com.
– The “Legends’ House Reunion” special will air this Thursday on the WWE Network at 8pm (Eastern). The reunion show was taped last year in Florida.
– In related WWE Network news, tomorrow’s Wrestlemania Rewind will focus on Kurt Angel vs. Eddie Guerrero from Wrestlemania 20.
(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. As always, you can check out JR’s amazing line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Daniel Bryan Being Stripped Of The WWE Championship: “Feel bad about Daniel Bryan’s injury that has necessitated him being stripped of the WWE World Title. The past couple of months has been the best and the worst of times for arguably the best, pure wrestler in the world. It certainly sets up the opportunity for WWE to craft an amazing comeback story for DB and the opportunity for him to perform all phases of his comeback superbly which could get Bryan more over than he ever was. I’m curious to see how this potentially amazing story will be told and executed.”
Kurt Angle Appearing On His Podcast: “Tuesday night I interviewed Kurt Angle and we went deep into his drug and alcohol addiction, the fact that Kurt has been 11 months clean and sober and his desire to sign one last contract to finish out an amazing, Hall of Fame career. Plus, we talked in depth about the infamous ‘shoot’ amateur workout that Kurt had with Brock Lesnar in South Dakota back in the day before a WWE TV taping that damn near got me fired…again. Other topics discussed was Chris Benoit, Shane McMahon, Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, CM Punk, The Undertaker, training with Dory Funk, Jr. and Tom Prichard, WM19, Impact Wrestling’s up’s and downs and so much more.”
Ric Flair Returning To WWE: “Read online where Ric Flair got cleared by WWE medial personnel to return to the road but is that a great idea? Can Ric add to TV presentations? Absolutely. Does a 65 year old man need to be on the road full time? No. Flair is an iconic figure who needs to not be over utilized and should remain special. I’m all for Naitch appearing on TV in the right role and at selected live events if his appearance is made to be a major, promotional item but putting Ric back on the road full time like one of the boys isn’t wise. Having said all of this, I will admit that I don’t know what WWE has planned for Ric as it relates to his booking schedule and I do applaud WWE for having Ric medically checked from bumper to bumper before doing whatever it is that WWE has planned.”
“If WWE has a plan for Flair to become a red hot, heel manager then all I can say to that is good luck. Flair is beloved and his Woo’s are a part of pop culture. I assume that it could be done but it certainly won’t be easy. I’ve heard that some want Ric to manage the Miz but I’m not feeling that one.”
2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is now advertised to appear at WWE’s upcoming live event from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, July 12th.
Daniel Bryan, who had been advertised to wrestle Triple H in a Street Fight on the show, has been removed from the lineup.
With those changes, here’s the updated lineup for the 7/12 WWE MSG show:
Ric Flair and Triple H will also be in attendance.
Tickets start at only $25. For discounted seats, visit Ticketmaster.com and use the code “Slam”.You can also contact Cameron Nichols at (212) 631-5238 and cameron.nichols@msg.com.
As previously reported, WWE Hall Of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair recently went to Pittsburgh to take the required medical tests needed to return to WWE as a regular television performer. Word has come back that Flair passed those tests, so he should be back on television in the near future.
There is a possibility that Flair could return at next week’s edition of RAW, as it is in The Miz’s hometown of Cleveland, and Flair has been rumored to be aligned with Miz upon his return.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
The Miz returned to action at Saturday night’s WWE live event from the Veterans Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin, losing to US Champion Sheamus.
Even though he got a big babyface pop when he came out, he cut a heel promo when he came out and quickly turned the fans against him. Throughout the match, he acted cowardly and even grabbed the mic to demand that Sheamus not hit him in his ‘money-making’ movie star face. Sheamus won with the Brogue Kick.
Miz was away filming the WWE Studios movie “The Marine 4” and is expected back on television as soon as Monday’s RAW.
He’s rumored to be paired with Ric Flair as his manager when Flair is medically cleared.
The following are highlights of a new interview with former WWE Diva Debra:
Where did the “Queen of WCW” gimmick originate from? “Well, at the time I was actually married to (Nitro announcer) Steve “Mongo” McMichael…and my background was I’m an actress and I studied in New York with Lee Strasberg. So they brought me in over there because of my acting and I’m athletic, and I had also won Mrs. Illinois America and Mrs. Texas USA, and so Eric Bischoff was like ‘Why don’t we make you Queen Debra?’…Eric wanted a real bitchy, debutante Queen Debra, and I am from the South as you can certainly tell by my voice, and I’m definitely a pageant winner. I remember my first interview or the first time on TV he helped me a little bit, but then after that I knew the direction I wanted to go in and what they wanted and what the fans wanted, so I just would write my own stuff.”
You were involved with The Four Horsemen during your run in WCW. What was it like being around “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair? “Oh man, he was so much fun. You would never know what he was going to do, because you’re out there, you’re on live TV, and you just knew you had to go with whatever he was going to go with…We would all end up back at the hotel after the show, all of us, and it would be just everybody laughing, talking about the show, and then The Nature Boy, oh my gosh; you know he does like to just dance on tables without…he likes to take his robe off and there’s nothing up underneath it, but you just don’t even pay any attention, it’s like ‘That’s just Ric being Ric’…It was a good time
back then.”
Check out the complete interview above.
The following are highlights of a new Niagra Falls Review interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair:
On his daughter Charlotte getting into wrestling: “I didn’t encourage her, she just went to Wrestlemania with me. She was making a real nice living running a personal training center. John Laurinaitis saw her and said, ‘Why aren’t you wrestling?”
On The Undertaker’s streak ending: “I wanted to see The Streak go on, but I understand. Times change, it is what it is. You saw how quiet the fans got. They weren’t ready for that, so obviously they didn’t foresee that.”
On internet fans: “I don’t pay any attention to that. The internet thinks they’re smarter than we are, but they’re not. If you read the internet, it’s like watching Fox News, you don’t know what to believe. They all want to predict what they think will happen, but nobody ever knows for sure. As an example, 42 years in the business and I never thought Daniel Bryan would win that match (at April’s Wrestlemania XXX). I didn’t think he was going to beat Hunter, and I’m attuned to it!”
Check out the complete interview at NiagraFallsReview.ca.
WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair finally made the trip to Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania this past Monday (June 2nd) to undergo the required WWE medical testing.
If Flair passes the tests, he is expected to return to WWE television as a regular character.
As noted in the past, ideas for Flair have ranged from being the possible new RAW General Manager, managing The Miz and managing Dolph Ziggler — an idea that was reportedly turned down by WWE.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
As of this past Monday, WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair had yet to travel to Pittsburgh to take his required WWE medical tests.
According to one source, Flair could potentially be dealing with the blood clot in his leg that he has suffered with for a while. WWE does not allow performers to use blood thinners, so that could be an issue with bringing Flair back.
For what it’s worth, Flair noted in a recent interview with Mike Mooneyham and claimed that his blood clot issue has been “cleared up.”
As noted previously, “The Nature Boy” was backstage at the WWE SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, however there is no update yet on his official status in terms of a full-time return to television.
(Credit: PWInsider.com)
2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was interviewed by Mike Mooneyham of The Post and Courier this week. The article covers Flair’s experience breaking into the business, his love of nightlife, his current relationship with WWE and his daughter Ashley (NXT Diva Charlotte), who was crowned NXT’s new Women’s Champion last night at NXT Takeover.
Flair, who hasn’t wrestled since August of 2012, is itching to get back on television. He’s scheduled to wrestle for a Japanese promotion in September. “I’m down to 228 now, and I’m in the best shape I’ve been since TNA” he said. “I’m excited. I’ve got so much energy, it’s ridiculous.”
While he almost certainly has wrestled his final match in a WWE ring, he’d welcome the chance to manage a WWE superstar. Specifically, he’d like to manage Dolph Ziggler. “I think he’s awesome. He’d be a great guy to manage. He looks like a million bucks. He just can’t find his gimmick. He needs to work on his entrance. I could help him with that.”
When asked about his 28-year-old daughter Ashley (NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte), Flair gushed with pride. “She will be the greatest Flair of all time. Her credentials speak for themselves. I’d put her resume up against anybody.” Ashley boasts an impressive athletic background, as a gymnast in high school as well as a four-time All-American cheerleader. As a college volleyball player for Appalachian State, she was a two-time state champion and player of the year in North Carolina. “She’s Rey Mysterio but bigger,” Flair joked. “She is going to be the greatest female wrestler and the most famous diva in the history of the WWE.”
Through all the highs and lows he’s experienced in his life, the Nature Boy sounds like he’s in a great place. “I couldn’t be better. Do I feel like I’m 65? No. I feel like I’m 15. That’s my problem. I’m trying as hard as I can to act like I’m 65, but it’s very difficult.”
– After Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Atlanta ended, The Shield defeat The Wyatt Family in a 6-man tag match. Roman Reigns hit a Superman punch on Bray Wyatt and a spear to Luke Harper for the win.
– Several WWE Hall of Famers were backstage at the show, including Ric Flair, Jake Roberts and Scott Hall, who was joined by his son Cody. Jake Roberts tweeted:
N atl atSmackdown visiting and shaking some hands. Such an awesome feel just to walk thru these men and women!!! Makes me dream sweet dreams
— JakeSnakeDDT (@JakeSnakeDDT) May 28, 2014
Scott Hall tweeted this photo from the show:
https://twitter.com/scotthallnwo/status/471508620824551424
This Thursday night at 8pm (EST), WWE presents “NXT Takeover” – the developmental promotion’s second live special on the WWE Network.
The night before, a special “NXT Takeover Preview” show will air on the WWE Network at 10pm (EST). Hosted by Renee Young, the show will feature interviews with WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Bret Hart, previewing the NXT Women’s title match between Charlotte and Natalya.
Prior to Thursday’s big 2-hour event, there will be a 30-minute pre-show show on the WWE Network.
It’s also been announced that NXT Takeover will then kick off with Adam Rose and the Exotic Express.
– Ryan Katz, Becky Lynch, Simon Gotch and Braun Stowman from NXT were scheduled to be at RAW tonight to be part of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” entourage.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Nature Boy” Ric Flair is scheduled to attend the SmackDown television taping on Tuesday night in Atlanta, Georgia. As noted, WWE has been in talks with Flair about bringing him back as a regular TV character.
(Credit: F4WOnline.com)
– The Miz returned to action on the final shows of WWE’s European tour and could be back on television this week. Miz was away filming The Marine 4 and is rumored to be paired with as his manager Ric Flair soon.
– John Cena and Cesaro celebrated the end of WWE’s European tour last night in Berlin by drinking beers together in the ring. The WWE crew is traveling back to the United States for tomorrow’s RAW from Knoxville, Tennessee.
– The original Sin Cara (Mistico) is now wrestling in Mexico using the ring name El Misterioso (‘The Mysterious.’) After leaving WWE, he had been telling the media that he would be retaining the Sin Cara name.
Additional sources have recently confirmed our previous reports regarding plans for Ric Flair’s role on WWE television upon his upcoming return.
As noted, Flair requested to work with Dolph Ziggler. In a bit of an update, while it was noted previously that it would be unlikely, it can now be confirmed that the idea of Flair working with Ziggler was shot down by WWE.
We noted that there was a strong possibility that Flair would return and work with The Miz again, and it appears that those two will indeed be paired up again.
Flair is scheduled to undergo WWE medial testing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will soon-after be brought back to WWE television to return as a regular weekly character.
Paul Heyman and other “surprise guests” have been announced for the NXT Takeover pre-show next Thursday night.
The NXT Takeover pre-show will be hosted by Renee Young, and will also feature “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Rob Van Dam. Flair, as noted in the past, will be in the corner of his daughter Charlotte for her NXT Divas Championship match.
NXT Takeover airs on Thursday, May 29th, live on the WWE Network. The pre-show begins at 7:30pm EST.
– Sheamus granted three wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the WWE live event in Dublin, Ireland this past Thursday.
– Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase Sr. and others will be on hand at the Big Time Wrestling event on May 31st in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The following are some preview clips for this week’s edition of WWE Total Divas, which airs on E! on Sunday night:
WWE’s original plan for the Natalya vs. Charlotte match for the vacant NXT Women’s Championship at the WWE Network live special, “Takeover,” on May 29th was to have Bret Hart and Ric Flair in their respective corners for the match.
Apparently Hart had an issue that made it impossible for him to appear at the event, so the plan now is just for Flair to be in Charlotte’s corner. There was some discussion that Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Natalya’s father, would be used in Hart’s role, however most believe that it won’t happen.
On a related note, “The Hitman” has yet to sign a new Legends contract with WWE.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE has had an offer on the table for Ric Flair to return as a regular television character, which recently led to Flair getting scheduled for a full cardiovascular physical before the company would use him on TV. Flair has been working out, currently weighing around 230 pounds, and wants to get down to 225 lbs. before his TV return.
As far as what role Flair will play when he does return, there’s been some discussion of putting him with The Miz. The feeling is that Flair could help elevate Miz to becoming a top-tier performer for the company, although some are of the belief that pairing Flair with Miz would be wasting Flair’s value.
Flair himself has reportedly requested to manage Dolph Ziggler, although WWE hasn’t seemed to want to push Ziggler lately, so it’s considered unlikely that they will go with a Flair-Ziggler duo.
It’s worth noting that Flair’s deal with WWE requires the company to approve all of his appearances, which has led to some issues recently with Flair reportedly being involved with negotiations to actually return to the ring for an overseas non-WWE wrestling tour. Many are of the belief that those negotiations will not actually come to fruition, as many assume WWE will never allow it.
(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall did not appear at the Big Time Wrestling convention this weekend in Newark, California as scheduled. Hall was supposed to attend the convention and then manage his son Cody Hall at the Big Time Wrestling event, which was also scheduled to feature Ric Flair, The Godfather, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and others.
Hall reportedly sent a text to promoter Kirk White and informed him that he was in a dark place and that he refused to get out of bed for Cody or Diamond Dallas Page, both of whom tried to get him to fulfill his bvooking committment.
Hall ended up taking to Twitter, tweeting out the following comments regarding the situation:
Medical problems will prevent me from appearing in Newark, CA tommorow . I apologize to all the fans. Thank you
— Scott Hall (@SCOTTHALLNWO) May 17, 2014
Thank you to everyone for all your concern and support.
— Scott Hall (@SCOTTHALLNWO) May 17, 2014