The Tokyo Sports website in Japan has an article up that claims Japanese pro wrestling legend Genichiro Tenryu could soon be entering the WWE Hall Of Fame, based on comments from WWE Japan officials.

Tenryu has worked a few big matches in WWE in the past, including a tag-team match against Demolition at WrestleMania VII in 1991, as well as appearances in the 1993 and 1994 Royal Rumble matches.

Whether or not Tenryu will go in the WWE Hall Of Fame in this year’s class remains to be seen.

• PHOTOS: Several HOT Pics Of RONDA ROUSEY In Sports Illustrated’s SWIMSUIT ISSUE!!

As seen on Monday’s RAW, Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns is now set as the main event for the February 22nd WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view, with the winner going on to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.

Prior to the Royal Rumble backlash, the original plans for Fast Lane was to have Reigns defeat a top heel, possibly Big Show, in the main event on the show, while Bryan was likely to lose to Bray Wyatt in order to keep Wyatt strong for The Undertaker.

Regarding booking for Bryan, WWE originally wanted to put him in a match with Sheamus at WrestleMania 31, however Bryan himself requested that he work with Dolph Ziggler instead. It’s worth noting that it’s considered possible that Bryan still ends up working with Sheamus, although it is considered unlikely at this point.

• VIDEO: Young Girl KOs Older Man, Claiming To Be Ex-UFC Fighter, With Vicious Punch

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Regarding Justin Gabriel quitting WWE a few weeks ago, word is that he made the decision to do so at the final RAW before the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Gabriel showed up to RAW that day like he would any other, and was once again told that they had nothing for him that evening. At that point, Gabriel made the decision to leave the arena in the middle of the day.

One person informed WWE officials that Gabriel left to go sight-seeing, while another claimed he left the arena to go sky-diving.

Gabriel returned to the building a few hours later and was again told that WWE officials had nothing for him that night. He decided right then and there that he didn’t want to work for WWE any longer.

From there, Gabriel booked his flight home and while he was in between connecting flights, he received a phone call from the WWE head of talent relations, Mark Carrano. Carrano reportedly told him at that point that WWE had booked a segment for him on RAW, but that no one could find him anywhere in the arena to tell him that. It was then that Gabriel made his departure official, as he informed Carano that he had left the building and was quitting the company.

WWE officials were said to be unhappy with the way Gabriel handled the situation, but ultimately a few days later, they granted his release request.

• VIDEO: Young Girl KOs Older Man, Claiming To Be Ex-UFC Fighter, With Vicious Punch

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

The latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly sit-down video interview with Triple H is now online.

In this week’s installment, the two talked about the recent “Stone Cold Podcast” interview this past Monday night on the WWE Network, where HHH claims that his appearance on the show drew 40 percent more viewers than Vince McMahon’s interview on the show.

When talking about the controversy stemming from the Royal Rumble, “The Game” explained that “backing Roman Reigns into a corner” on Monday’s RAW was done in an attempt to make things fair, as he feels they didn’t get a fair result to the Rumble match this year and the changes they made now makes things fair.

HHH complained some more about The Rock and Sting interfering in his business in recent weeks. He says The Rock is always welcome in the WWE, but not in a way where he interferes in his business. He points out that Rock and Sting are not WWE Superstars.

He continued on the subject of Sting, bringing up their upcoming “face-to-face confrontation” at this month’s Fast Lane pay-per-view. He promises to put an end to their problem if Sting shows up at the pay-per-view, and if he doesn’t, Sting is the coward that he always thought he was.

You can check out the complete interview below.

• VIDEO: Young Girl KOs Older Man, Claiming To Be Ex-UFC Fighter, With Vicious Punch

Monday’s February 2nd edition of WWE RAW, the first traditional arena version of the show since the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, averaged 4.292 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Monday’s RAW was actually down from last week’s show, which was mostly a studio show with interview segments, as well as a re-airing of the Royal Rumble match and the triple-threat WWE World Heavyweight Championship match from the pay-per-view, as that show drew 4.42 million viewers.

The hourly viewership breakdown for Monday’s RAW is as follows:

Hour One: 4.466 million viewers
Hour Two: 4.403 million viewers
Hour Three: 4.008 million viewers

The final rating for this week’s show will be available in a few hours.

• PHOTO GALLERY: UFC Champ JON JONES Does D-X “Crotch Chop” w/ HHH & STEPH At The SUPER BOWL + MORE!

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania opponent is now uncertain.

WWE COO Triple H announced on RAW that due to the controversy surrounding the Royal Rumble as a result of The Rock’s involvement, Roman Reigns will have to fight for his chance to main event WrestleMania.

At WWE Fast Lane on February 22nd, Reigns will face Daniel Bryan to determine who challenges Brock Lesnar. Bryan defeated Seth Rollins on RAW (with help from Reigns) to get the match.

– The new season of WWE Tough Enough on the USA Network will feature several NXT wrestlers who have not yet appeared on TV, according to verified WWE insider ‘MetsFan4Ever.

During a recent WWE tryout camp at the Performance Center, several executives from the USA Network were in attendance scouting potential Tough Enough cast members. It’s believed that third-generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard was one of the people the USA Network was interested in.

– Vince McMahon and several other top WWE officials flew out to Denver, Colorado (site of tonight’s RAW) on Sunday morning due to the snow storm that hit the Northeast last night and today. Many flights out of the Northeast were cancelled today, so this proved to be a smart move from Vince & company.

– The Authority has announced on Twitter that Triple H will kick off tonight’s RAW with his big announcement about the Royal Rumble controversy.

Per the Office of The Authority: @WWE COO @TripleH will make his announcement at the beginning of #Raw this evening.

— The Authority (@WWEsAuthority) February 2, 2015

In a new blog posted on his official website, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross shared his thoughts on tonight’s “Stone Cold Podcast” with Triple H, the controversy surrounding Roman Reigns, CM Punk in the UFC and whether or not WWE should sign Bubba Ray Dudley.

Below are highlights:

On tonight’s “Stone Cold Podcast” with Triple H: “Hopefully, the HHH podcast with Steve Austin won’t be the best part of my Monday night WWE viewing as the two former rivals have a tough act to follow after the Austin/McMahon podcast of a few weeks ago. I’m curious to see what twists and turns this interview takes as it should be a revealing and entertaining hour or so of programming. Austin and Jericho are the beneficiaries of having the WWE Network behind them with their respective podcasts.

IMO the more original @WWENetwork programming WWE can create the better in my view. Things like Austin/HHH should be good for the network and is relatively inexpensive to produce.”

On the controversy surrounding Roman Reigns: “Some never say die fans are still complaining about Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble but I’d guess by next week it won’t be such a big deal to the vocal minority. None of us know what shape of the WM31 card is going to resemble in it’s final rendition. I’m happy to wait and see as I can’t affect the card any more than anyone reading this.

Plus, my guess is that many who say that they won’t watch WM31 will be unable to resist temptation especially for $9.99.

Question…do you think that most vocal wrestling fans are as passionate regarding other, more important aspects of their lives as they are about pro wrestling? Just curious….”

On CM Punk in the UFC: “After talking with several MMA aficionados over the past several days they agree that it is ignorant for those MMA purists to diss CM Punk for getting into MMA w/ UFC including the fact that Brock Lesnar may well stick is toe back into UFC waters. It’s all about the cash and bringing press to the brand in a positive manner. What it actually is would be a no brainer to sane individuals.

No one in MMA, boxing or pro wrestling has enough box office attractions even if said attractions turns out to be a one hit wonder. That’s why now is a good time to take calculated risks.”

On Bubba Ray Dudley to WWE: “From a creative standpoint, I could easily see Bubba Dudley returning to WWE if for no other reason to allow Bubba to work with the younger talents on the road at live events. Young talents cannot improve working with those who have the same or less than them skill sets.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

• PHOTOS: UFC Champ JON JONES Does D-X “Crotch Chop” w/ TRIPLE H & STEPHANIE MCMAHON At The SUPER BOWL!

Bubba Ray Dudley, fresh off of his surprise appearance at the WWE Royal Rumble last Sunday night, spoke to the folks at Busted Open Radio about his appearance in the 30-man match, the reaction he got from the fans in Philadelphia, not being with TNA as part of their rebirth on Destination America and more.

Below are highlights from the interview.

On his appearance in the Royal Rumble and if we are going to see more of him in the WWE: “It’s really up to the WWE Universe. I think that fans have more of a voice now then they have ever had in pro wrestling and I think that’s good because it forces pro wrestling to stay on their toes. You know; wrestlers, creative people, everybody. So my answer is if the WWE Universe wants to see me or me and my brother, Devon, they need to be as vocal as possible. And you know, let them know. Whether that be on social media or with signs (at live events). And if management wants us back, then we’ll make that decision. But as far as the Rumble is concerned, it was a one night stand alone and it was really exciting. It was just a lot of fun.”

On the pop he got from the crowd in Philadelphia: “It was awesome. It was not anything I haven’t experienced before but I hadn’t experienced it in a while. So it was good. And I said to myself before I walked out, I wonder if I’m gonna have that surreal moment where I kind of black out for a minute and I went out there and I soaked it all in. I really enjoyed it.”

On the fans becoming more vocal if they are displeased or pleased with the product: “I mean, yeah. It’s obvious. I don’t like it when fans try to hijack a show, so to speak, just for the sake of doing it. Just because they want to be cool or because they want to go on someone’s social media and go hey look what I did. But if they are dissatisfied with the product or unhappy with the level of entertainment that any company is giving them; I think because of the world we are living in today that they have more of a voice and they should speak up. Listen, if you’re paying your hard earned money to go to a show and you’re not enjoying yourself, then why shouldn’t you speak up? If you went to a restaurant and ordered dinner and you didn’t like dinner, you would speak up. If you went to go buy a car and the car didn’t run the right way when you got it home, you would speak up. If you went to a rock and roll concert and they decided to play all B-Sides, you’d speak up. You’d be pissed. So wrestling is no different.”

On if it would mean more to him to have a single’s run in the WWE or to return with Devon to the tag team division: “I think both can be done. And I think people would like to see both. I’m really torn on the idea. As far as me and Devon doing it together, I think it’s a very easy fit. People have always been supportive of us and if we were to go back there together, I think that they would welcome us back open arms and it could definitely, definitely work. They have some really quality teams up there that me and Devon would love to work with. The Usos, big fan of Damien Mizdow and The Miz, maybe we would get in there with The Ascension. Hell, maybe a nostalgia match with Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. That’s easy. As far as by myself is concerned, that would be interesting because people always ask me about the Bully Ray character and the WWE.”

On if him not being with TNA is affecting their rebirth over on Destination America: “They’re going through their—uh, I don’t know what the right word is; I don’t want to even say growing pains. I think that they are beyond the growing pains stage. And when it comes to Bully Ray and TNA, I have done so much there. Especially over the last 3 years, so I think taking a break from each other might have been a good idea. But you know like they say in wrestling; you never know. You never say never. I wish them—most of all I wish the boys the best of luck because at the end of the day, that TNA locker room is a hard working bunch of guys who have a lot of passion and a lot of drive. And I would like to see really great things happen for the wrestlers in the TNA locker room.”

MMANEWS.COM: CM Punk/UFC Update, Backstage News On Brock Lesnar’s Future & MORE!

Mick Foley recently published a new Facebook blog addressing this year’s Royal Rumble match, Vince McMahon writing Roman Reigns’ promos and more.

Below is Foley’s latest blog:

RUMBLE BLUES

Remember how caught up in the ?#?RoyalRumble? I got last year? I sent out that tweet asking whether WWE hated their own audience, smashed a TV set, and texted all the powers that be – telling them how badly I thought they’s messed up. It’s safe to say that I was pretty mad last year.

I’m not worried about this year’s ?#?Wrestlemania?. I can envision a number of scenarios in which Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar can have an epic confrontation. My suggestion to WWE in this match would be to step aside and let the fertile fields of Paul Heyman’s mind run free and allow Lesnar and Reigns to create the most exciting, physical match possible.

No, I’m not worried about Wrestlemania. But I m worried about the Rumble.

I wasn’t mad after this year’s Rumble. Instead, I was sad. Sad, because the Rumble, which has been one of the most entertaining ?#?WWE? events of the year for so long, might just be in danger of becoming “just another show”, and going the way of “Survivor Series” as a good idea that runs it course and ceases to be relevant. I didn’t see this year’s Rumble, and with the exception of the final few minutes I caught on WWE Monday Night Raw, I don’t envision myself doing so. But I didn’t need to see the Rumble or know the outcome to know what a disappointment it was. All I had to do was watch the people. I dropped 3 of my kids off at the Wells Fargo Center at 6:30, and showed up on Broad Street, just a few blocks from the arena at 10:45, just as the crowd was letting out. No one saw me in my vehicle. But I saw them, and could tell, just by the way people were walking- by the way children were dragging their signs, and shuffling slowly, by the way adults held their heads down, with limited verbal interactions – that there was no joy in Philadelphia.

Let me quote a story I wrote about Zack Ryder several months ago here on Facebook, and hope that the right people in WWE read it – because I think they are on the verge of losing some fans in the fallout of the Rumble. It wasn’t just that one of their favorites didn’t win – it was the brevity of their appearances, the lack of imagination in their involvement and the unceremonious way in which they were eliminated.

“Eventually people get tired of finding out that the WWE Superstars they have supported with their cheers, their purchases, their signs, their follows and their likes aren’t real Superstars – and little by little, those fans lose interest in WWE, find other interests, and become former WWE fans.”

I have no intention of becoming the “anti-WWE guy”. I’m going to take a little break from ?#?Raw? and ?#?Smackdown? for the next couple of weeks, and see what the landscape looks like, heading into the next PPV. I really do think WWE is going to turn out a great Mania, and I’ll be in the crowd watching. But I fear for the Rumble. What was once the start of “The Road to Wrestlemania” has now become a roadblock to the good will and excitement needed for a truly memorable Wrestlemania atmosphere.

One more thing. I’ve heard rumors that Mr McMahon is personally writing the recent Roman Reigns promos. If that’s true, I’d like to personally address Mr McMahon.

Dear Vince,

Please stop – you’re killing the poor guy,

Sincerely,

Mick Foley

• Irish UFC Trash-Talker CONOR MCGREGOR Gives His Take On CM PUNK Joining UFC!

There is a lot of speculation surrounding Bray Wyatt’s cryptic promo from this past Thursday night’s live edition of WWE SmackDown. The belief is that Wyatt was referring to The Undertaker when talking about being afraid of nothing, “living or dead.”

The official WWE website appears to be adding fuel to the fire, as they recently wrote the following while promoting Monday’s WWE RAW:

“Following a dominant performance in the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, lasting more than 45 minutes and eliminating six Superstars, Bray Wyatt delivered a bizarre message on Thursday’s SmackDown that was even more cryptic than his usual proclamations. Asking “what makes you smile?” Wyatt claimed that he fears “nothing, living or dead.” He then promised that after what happens next, “it will be hard for you to ever smile again.” To whom was Wyatt speaking, and to what was he referring?”

Additionally, WWE.com wrote the following about Daniel Bryan, further hyping up the rumored match between he and Dolph Ziggler for this year’s WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view:

“But where will Bryan’s journey take him? Based on his interview on last week’s Raw, the leader of the “Yes!” Movement still has his sights set on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but his unceremonious ousting during the Royal Rumble Match by longtime nemesis Bray Wyatt has seemingly denied him his return to the WrestleMania main event. Will Bryan seek retribution against Wyatt for dashing his dreams for WrestleMania? Will Bryan’s social media exchange with Dolph Ziggler about a friendly match at WrestleMania 31 lead to a Show of Shows dream match for the two fan-favorite Superstars? Perhaps we’ll learn more about The “Yes!” Man’s next move on Raw.”

• Irish UFC Trash-Talker CONOR MCGREGOR Gives His Take On CM PUNK Joining UFC!

On Monday’s RAW, WWE COO Triple H will make a major announcement regarding the controversy surrounding last weekend’s Royal Rumble match.

With Triple H teasing that the announcement could shake the foundation of WWE to its core, WWE is now hinting that Dean Ambrose could be involved. WWE posted the following on Instagram:

How will @tripleh announcement tomorrow on #Raw affect #DeanAmbrose? #Unstable #WWE

A photo posted by WWE (@wwe) on Feb 1, 2015 at 8:22am PST

– Tampa Bay Online has published an article noting Hulk Hogan’s Beach club venue in Florida has been forced to stop running large concerts due to noise complaints from neighbors in the community.

– Curtis Axel continues to claim that he won the Royal Rumble match, since he technically was never eliminated. He tweeted:

So @TripleH says there was a "controversy" at the #RoyalRumble? Damn right there was! I won and I want my #WrestleMania match! @WWE

— Joe Hennig (@JoeHennig) January 30, 2015

– Dolph Ziggler tweeted the following about Triple H making a huge announcement on RAW regarding the Royal Rumble controversy:

https://twitter.com/HEELZiggler/status/561726192433131520

As I sat down to write this week, I felt a sense of disappointment.  It wasn’t because I didn’t know what to write about (in fact, I’d hoped I could have written about my amazement with the Royal Rumble).  It wasn’t because I had nothing to say.  The reason I felt a sense of disappointment was because I knew that I was not going to be able to write the article I wanted to.  This past Sunday was the Royal Rumble, a once a year event that would be under-described if one were to refer to it as “can’t miss.”  True to form, I made a point not to miss it; I cancelled plans, I changed my workout schedule, I did everything I could to make sure I was front and center for the event, because I knew if WWE delivered, I wouldn’t have to think for a second about what to discuss.  My hopes were that I could deliver to you, my top five moments from the event, and indeed, I probably still could.  After all, Lesnar / Cena / Rollins was easily one of the best triple-threat matches I’ve ever seen, both from a wrestling and storytelling perspective.  Bubba Ray Dudley and others appearing from the woodwork to make a few surprise appearances was awesome.  For the most part, WWE really did deliver with the event.

However…

When it mattered the most; when the biggest prize of the night was up for grabs, WWE not only let us down, they insulted us.  Again.  For the second year in a row, WWE ignored the pleas of the crowd; they ignored the wishes of the millions of fans across the universe who united as one loud clear voice under the banner of “Yes.”  While it was more than obvious the fans wanted Daniel Bryan as the man to win it all, WWE had other plans for the finish.  When the lights went off and the smoke settled, Roman Reigns, a man who many feel was not ready for such an honor, was the last man standing.  Unsurprisingly, the rowdy Philadelphia crowd, much like it’s rival fan base in Pittsburgh did the previous year, held nothing back in letting the WWE know what they thought of the decision, and as ticket holders, they had every right to.  Outside of the arena, the internet exploded with negative criticism.  Things like #CancelWWENetwork were trending worldwide on twitter.  Reddit’s top wrestling community, /r/SquaredCircle was buzzing about not just the ending being bad, but the entire match.  Fans were so frustrated, in fact, that they jokingly begun the trend known as #Axelgate, in reference to the fact that the man who came in at number 6, Curtis Axel, technically never entered the ring, and thus was never eliminated, demanding that he be allowed to go in and try to eliminate Reigns.  Even a surprise appearance by The Rock, which clearly was planned as damage control, could not get the crowd to side with WWE, as Reigns was booed out of the building, even as his arm was raised by the great one.  It was obvious, from the moment Bryan’s feet hit the floor, that the turnout was not going to be positive, really no matter what happened.

However, what might not be so obvious was the real reason behind the booing; the reason that shakes every wrestling fan to their core, and genuinely makes us question one of our favorite forms of entertainment.  While it might seem at the surface like petty fans acting like babies for not getting what they want, the truth runs much deeper.  Ultimately, the fans booing Reigns is not a rejection of the man, himself. It’s not a rejection of the possibility of Reigns becoming one of the future stars. It’s not even a rejection of a super baby face who might one day be seemingly untouchable. Instead, it is the response to being ignored; to being told “You don’t know what you want” over and over again. It is the only way fans can express their frustration with booking decisions that lead WWE down a road fans don’t want to go. Booing Roman Reigns is a symbol; one which represents the fans booing McMahon himself, for having the audacity to tell us that we decide who goes over, and then giving us the exact opposite of what we say we want.

Former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz continues to contribute to WWE creative on a consistent basis. Gewirtz, who now works as a consultant for WWE, was backstage at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this past Sunday night.

Gewirtz worked full-time for WWE beginning in the late 1990s, soon after Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara jumped-ship from the company to take jobs with the now defunct WCW promotion during the infamous “Monday Night Wars.”

Gewirtz was removed from his head writer position in WWE in late 2012, however he continues to have a hand in the creative direction of the company.

• Vince McMahon FURIOUS Over Mistake During Royal Rumble + Chris Jericho TURNS DOWN WWE Offer!

(Credit: ProWrestling.net)

In his latest website blog, WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross shares some more random thoughts about the controversy stemming from this past Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, as well as thoughts from Thursday’s live WWE SmackDown broadcast.

Below are highlights:

On some more random Royal Rumble thoughts: “No one was booing Roman Reigns at live events prior to the Rumble. People booed Reigns because Daniel Byran did NOT win the Rumble match and not because Roman DID.

In hindsight, like Orton, and Sheamus, Daniel Bryan should not have been booked in the Rumble match.

I still feel that the next several WWE TV broadcasts will hold new and provocative content as it relates to the Rumble matters leading into WM31.

Fans often times forget that there are multiple, ‘right’ ways to do something regarding storylines, etc in the biz. It’s been that way since I can remember.”

On the casket match at SmackDown: “Daniel Bryan got a key victory over Kane on Thursday night Smackdown but I still am leery that most fans won’t like who DB faces at WM31 unless it’s in a title bout or should I say it’s in THE title bout.”

On Roman Reigns and Triple H’s announcement on next week’s RAW: “While many still question WWE’s decision to postilion Roman Reigns where he’s headed apparently, I applaud the long term planning component of the process. I do agree with many that Reigns is a work in progress but he’s got a great upside IMO.

I love this, any time a villain says he’s going to put an end to a particular controversy, it generally means he’s going to add to said controversy.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

• PHOTO: BROCK LESNAR Sporting A “TRAMP STAMP” Tattoo!

Triple H is the guest on the latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly sit-down interview for WWE.com.

In this week’s interview, Triple H talks to Michael Cole about the following topics:

– Weather issues resulting in the cancellation of Monday’s post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE RAW, resulting in WWE airing SmackDown live in Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday night.

– The WWE Network reaching one million subscribers, becoming the fastest growing digital streaming subscription service of all-time.

– WWE offering another free month of the WWE Network in February.

– Triple H appearing as the second guest on the “Stone Cold Podcast” live on the WWE Network next Monday night immediately following WWE RAW.

– The next NXT Takeover live special on the WWE Network on Wednesday, February 11th.

– The controversy stemming from last Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view and his big announcement coming up on next Monday’s edition of WWE RAW.

– His challenge to meet Sting face-to-face at the first ever WWE Fast Lane pay-per-view on Sunday, February 22nd.

Check out the complete Triple H and Michael Cole sit-down video interview at the top of this page.

• PHOTO: BROCK LESNAR Sporting A “TRAMP STAMP” Tattoo!

Triple H kicked off this week’s live edition of WWE SmackDown from Hartford, CT. addressing the controversial WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view from this past Sunday night.

HHH spoke about the Rumble controversy with Roman Reigns winning and then showed footage on the big screen to refresh the fans memory. He then promised that he is going to put an end to the controversy on this coming Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Denver, CO.

Triple H went on to say that the announcement on Monday’s RAW would likely “shake the WWE Universe to its’ core.”

Make sure to join us here on Monday night for live WWE RAW results coverage.

• PHOTO: GINA CARANO Back In The Gym — Training For MMA Fighting Return?!

– When Paul Heyman got a big pop from the fans in Philadelphia during his backstage segment with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view this past Sunday night, the decision was made to not introduce him in the arena before the WWE World Heavyweight Championship triple-threat match.

– The Bunny from Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” group may be gone from WWE. There were plans at one point for a Bunny vs. Adam Rose exchange during the Rumble match, but as seen last Sunday night, that never happened. Additionally, The Bunny hasn’t appeared on WWE television in quite a while.

– The 2015 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view drew an advanced sellout of just under 14,000 fans at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WWE announced during the show that 17,164 fans were in attendance.

• PHOTOS: WWE Diva LANA Poses In Maxim Magazine!

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

As noted, Titus O’Neil’s four second elimination at the WWE Royal Rumble match this past Sunday night was supposed to be a one second elimination to tie Santino Marella as the shortest Rumble reign in history. Due to a timing issue between O’Neil, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, he wasn’t eliminated until the four second mark. Vince McMahon was said to be furious over the mistake, as it was the only spot in the match that was supposed to be timed perfectly.

Speaking of the Rumble match, WWE contacted Chris Jericho on January 19th about being a surprise entrant in the match, however he declined the offer. Jericho is working some non-televised live events for WWE lately, but doesn’t want to return on-camera unless it has meaning and value behind it.

• PHOTO: BROCK LESNAR Sporting A “TRAMP STAMP” Tattoo!

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

– WWE Diva Emma recently took part in a Q&A on her official website. During the Q&A session, Emma noted that her favorite matches of all time were her NXT matches against fellow WWE Diva Paige. Emma also noted that her WrestleMania dream opponent would be Paige. You can check out more from Emma’s Q&A at TenilleDashwood.com.

– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features a Royal Rumble review from Jericho and a new interview with WWE Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett, is now online. The official description for the show reads as follows:

TIJ – EP112 – Royal Rumble analysis & WWE IC Champ Wade Barrett

“Y2J’s protege, Wade Barrett’s in the hot seat, but at least he’s not getting big-leagued like the first time they met! That story, details on their NXT pairing, and the tale of his WWE tryout all covered. You’ll also hear the evolution of Bad News Barrett, and the Patrick Swayze movie that gave Wade his name! Plus, Y2J and Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter break down last Sunday’s Royal Rumble! And yes, Chris is throwing his support behind Roman Reigns & you’re gonna have to listen to find out why!”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

• PHOTO: BROCK LESNAR Gets A New “TRAMP STAMP” Tattoo!

The following are highlights of the latest blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On WWE Royal Rumble criticism: “The negativity that I’m receiving on our Q&A’s and on Twitter @JRsBBQ regarding the Royal Rumble is getting silly. If someone asks my take on the WWE Royal Rumble and how it ended and I don’t agree exactly with their opinion then I’m a WWE sycophant. I am stating facts from my 40 years in the business and not knee jerking my way into being incoherent. It’s mighty easy to book pro wrestling storylines after the fact. As easy as it is to make a wrong turn it’s just as easy to get back on the right path. I learned years ago that there are multiple ways to do the right thing while compiling wrestling storylines and it’s just as easy if not easier to pick virtually any idea a part. To say that wrestling creative is subjective might be the understatement of the year.”

On TNA Impact Wrestling: “Good to hear that TNA is improving their TV audience as all wrestling fans should be pulling for ALL groups to do well. The issue there is that Destination America is in a smaller amount of homes than, say, Spike TV, and the chances of @ImpactWrestling to exceed their Spike numbers will be extremely challenging. Nonetheless, the brand has several talents that like and at one point in my career with who I would have loved to have worked. Check these folks out on Friday nights, which actually is another challenge as Friday nights are tough as most TV producers will tell you.”

On the build to WrestleMania 31: “In wrestle speak, having 60 days to build to a card such as WM31 is a lifetime in today’s grappling world. I’m motivated to go along for the ride WWE will provide us and see, at the end of the day, how all this will work out building to the biggest event of the year and one, ironically, that many promotions and wrestling entrepreneurs will gravitate to to earn monies off the fans that WM31 will attract….and that includes yours truly as well.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

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Bubba Ray Dudley was interviewed by the official WWE website about his surprise appearance in Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When asked how the appearance came bout, Dudley said, “WWE called me about a month ago and said, ‘Would you like an opportunity in the Royal Rumble?'” And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ I showed up here today and they said, ‘We want you to be a surprise.’ I thought that was great, and I hid all day.”

Dudley also spoke about the chances of returning full-time either as a singles competitor or as one-half of the Dudley Boys tag-team alongside his longtime partner, D-Von Dudley.

“If the WWE Universe and the WWE higher-ups want to see us here, then yes, hopefully there is a future,” said Dudley. “I really say it’s up to the fans. By the reaction tonight, I’d say the fans would love to see us back. And hopefully we can do it.”

Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.

• Details On A Major Botched Spot During Sunday’s Royal Rumble Match!

WWE had several notable names backstage at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Sunday. The company was hoping to swerve the internet by having so many names at the show, with the thought being some of those names would leak.

Among those in attendance at the show were Chris Jericho and Nikolai Volkoff. Sean Waltman was rumored to be backstage at the show as well, although that has yet to be confirmed.

One WWE performer who was scheduled to work the Royal Rumble match but didn’t was Alex Riley. Riley was taken off of his normal job as part of the pre-show panel so that he could work the match, but for whatever reason he wasn’t used.

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(Credit: PWInsider.com)

– Kevin Nash will again be hosting a WrestleMania weekend party this year. Nash will host this year’s Pro Wrestling Report V.I.P. Party at Shenanigan’s in San Jose, California on Friday, March 27th. The music for the party will be hosted by TNA performer D.J. Zema Ion, and stars such as former WWE Diva Melina and former TNA Knockout Rosita (a.k.a. Thea Trinidad) are scheduled to appear. V.I.P. tickets are $149.99 and include a red carpet meet-and-greet, food, drinks and more. For more information, visit EventBrite.com.

– The 2015 WWE Royal Rumble DVD and Blu-ray is scheduled for a February 24th release. The DVD and Blu-ray are both available for pre-order right now at Amazon.com.

– The latest edition of the Steve Austin Show podcast, which is available right now, features “Stone Cold’s” review of this year’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. You can download the show at PodcastOne.com or listen here:

• Details On A Major Botched Spot During Sunday’s Royal Rumble Match!