– Prior to WWE’s TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chair broadcast, JTG beat David Otunga via Da Shout Out in a dark match. JTG, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, the site of the show, received a good reaction from the hometown crowd.
The announced attendance for WWE’s first event at the Barclays Center was sold-out crowd of 15,748.
– WWE has released the trailer for its next pay-per-view event, Royal Rumble, taking place January 27, 2013. Advertising for the event is centered on the return of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who vowed to challenge for the WWE Championship.
– Josh Matthews issued the following Tout promoting tomorrow’s Slammy Awards edition of Raw.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
CM Punk vs. The Rock: “Already getting questions about what attraction will close the show at WWE Royal Rumble, @CMPunk vs. @TheRock or the Rumble match? I haven’t a clue nor do I care as either choice would be fine with me but if I had to guess I’d guess it would be the WWE Title bout. Again, don’t know and don’t care as I will be watching one of my favorite PPV events of the year.”
“My guess is that Punk will push Rock inside the ring from bell to bell unlike Rock has been pushed since, arguably, the @steveaustinBSR days. That’s not taking any thing away from @JohnCena who wrestles at a different pace that Austin did or Punk likes to. How does even an athlete as gifted as @TheRock prepare for what awaits inside the 20 foot ring? Cardio is great but nothing replicates wrestling long matches better than wrestling long matches.”
The Shield: “Who would have thought a month or so ago that three, young talents from NXT would be in a high profile. WWE PPV bout this coming Sunday? Not me but one of the primary reasons that I’m buying, yes I pay retail, the TLC PPV is to see how #TheShield performs. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns have found themselves in the right place at the right time. Many talents have waited an entire career for that to occur.”
NXT Star Kassius Ohno: “I’d be shocked if he’s not an key player on the WWE primary roster in 2013. The world traveler is a smart, strategic, focused athlete who seems to be fully invested in getting to the next level and staying there. “
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who challenges for the WWE Championship on January 27, 2013 at the Royal Rumble, is scheduled for two Raw broadcasts leading up to the show.
According to F4WOnline.com, Johnson will appear at the January 7, 2013 Raw in Tampa, Florida, and the January 21, 2013 Raw in San Jose, California. WWE nor the event venues are advertising Johnson yet. He is also scheduled for post-Royal Rumble in Las Vegas, Nevada.
– Lilian Garcia made her first televised WWE appearance since being stuck by an automobile in late October in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday’s episode of WWE Main Event on ION Television as she handled ring announcing duties. Prior to the broadcast, she acknowledged her return ringside in a Twitter message, writing, “Yay!! I’m back!! Made my return last nite in my US home state of SC! Watch @WWE #MainEvent 2nite & #Smackdown on Fri!”
– On last night’s episode of WWE Main Event, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro and Wade Barrett. Here is the video package that aired of Cesaro prior to the contest.
– With WrestleMania 29 just 5 months away, creative planning for next year’s mega-show from the MetLife Stadium in the NY/NJ area is well underway. It’s said that most of WWE’s plans for their top storylines are solid through the Royal Rumble, but the top matches for WrestleMania are still not locked in.
According to sources close to the writing team, several of the ideas pitched for this year’s top matches included controversial finishes.
– Smackdown announcer JBL shot the first episode of his new internet show “The JBL Show” on Tuesday. His first guests include John Cena, AJ Lee and Michael Cole. JBL tweeted the following behind-the-scenes picture from the first episode.
His tweet says the show premieres “next Friday” but it actually airs this coming Friday, December 1st. Michael Cole replied to JBL’s tweet below and said, “hey goof the show airs this coming Friday!”
With CM Punk retaining the WWE Championship against Ryback and John Cena at Survivor Series on Sunday, thereby likely solidifying an expected match with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at Royal Rumble, the sports-entertainment organization’s creative team has discussed a scenario where The Straight Edge Superstar would defeat The Great One at the annual January pay-per-view event. This would subsequently lead to Punk defending the title against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXIX, and Johnson facing Cena in a non-title re-match at the same event.
Original creative plans called for Johnson to defeat Punk at the Rumble, leading to a match against Cena for the title—which could still occur. Creative has given thought to how Johnson winning the WWE Championship would impact the product since there would be no titles defenses at houses shows for over two months, and also add a new issue of whether he would defend the title at the February pay-per-view event, Elimination Chamber. Not awarding Johnson would rectify this problem.
Though the importance of the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship has diminished in recent years, one of the primary reasons that creative has yet to unify the belts is because they feel a title match should close out all house shows.
– WWE has quietly dropped the storyline where General Managers AJ Lee and Booker T are depicted as incompetent, leading chief Vince McMahon to fire them both and have both shows overseen by one individual. Some people desired that Ric Flair being place in the role, but the company’s current lawsuit with TNA Wrestling over business practices had made that possibility feasible at this time.
The company also quietly dropped the storyline where announcer Josh Mathews threatened to sue both General Managers for an unsafe working environment.
– WWE chief Vince McMahon has nixed the idea of holding a thirty-minute “UFC-style” countdown show just prior to the Royal Rumble on January 27, 2013. He is, however, interested in holding such a show for WrestleMania XXIX.
– Independent wrestlers Ethan HD and Jorel Nelson both received tryouts at WWE’s talent evaluation session in Tampa, Florida earlier this week.
WWE has announced its WWE Home Entertainment 2013 DVD/Blu-ray release schedule, which confirms several rumored titles. In addition to pay-per-view events, the sports-entertainment organization will be releasing compilation videos on WCW Monday Nitro, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, In Your House, Goldberg, ECW, War Games, WWE Divas, Triple H, Money in the Bank and Raw, among others. A History of WWE title is also scheduled.
WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2012 – 01/15/13
Best of Raw & SmackDown 2012 – 01/29/13
The Best of Nitro Volume 2 – 02/12/13
Royal Rumble 2012 – 02/26/13
Bret Hart Unreleased Matches – 03/05/13
Elimination Chamber 2012 – 03/19/13
Mick Foley Biography – 04/16/13
The Best of In Your House – 04/30/13
WrestleMania 29 – 05/14/13
Top 25 Rivalries – 05/28/13
Extreme Rules 2013 – 06/18/13
Goldberg – 06/25/13
TBD PPV – 07/16/13
ECW Unreleased Vol. 2 – 07/30/13
Money In The Bank 2013 – 08/13/13
Best of MSG – 08/27/13
Best of War Games – 09/10/13
SummerSlam 2013 – 09/17/13
Top 20 Divas Countdown – 09/24/13
Triple H Biography – 10/08/13
Night of Champions 2013 – 10/15/13
Money In The Bank Anthology – 10/29/13
Over the Limit 2013 – 11/05/13
History of WWE – 11/19/13
Hell in a Cell 2013 – 11/26/13
Raw 20th Anniversary Box Set – 12/03/13
Survivor Series 2013 – 12/24/13
Best WWE PPV’s – 12/31/13
– WWE officials were impressed with Billy Gunn and his interactions with Shawn Michaels on Raw 1,000 and the belief is he’ll receive at least one match on a future televised show. Meanwhile, many backstage feel Sean “X-Pac” Waltman didn’t appear in great shape on the milestone episode so it is unlikely that he’ll be brought back for a match.
Some people were surprised that with WWE’s TV-PG directive and Linda McMahon running for United States Senate, officials had no problem having Waltman appear on television despite his involvement with a sex tape years ago. Some people backstage were also joking about how friendly Gunn was with everyone considering that he challenged Triple H and Shawn Michaels to a “shoot” fight years ago.
– After AJ Lee was named General Manager of Raw last week on Raw 1,000, her first act in the position was to grant Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson a WWE Championship Match at the Royal Rumble. The angle, however, was nixed due to time constraints and Johnson announced that he would face whoever the WWE Champion is at the pay-per-view event.
WWE plans to downplay Johnson’s upcoming title shot until after the Survivor Series on November 18 as to not draw attention away from any of the other shows they have to promote in the meantime. Officials also want Royal Rumble, which takes place in Phoenix, Arizona, to be sold out by November.
– Nicole and Briana Garcia known in the WWE as the Bella Twins issued the following press release:
Ciao, Bella! Nicole and Briana Garcia Take Chicago Comic Con! The dynamic duo, Brianna and Nicole Garcia, known best as former pro wrestlers “The Bella Twins,” make being smart, sassy, and sexy look easy. The former WWE Divas Champions, who were discovered at the International Body Doubles Twins Search in 2006, have surprised the world with their fun-loving personalities, immense physical abilities (and attributes) and hot-blooded charm. Check them out at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, Friday through Sunday, August 10-12.
– WWE issued a press release that Tout, a social media app that they have invested in, climbed up toward the top of the charts after being featured on Raw. The app downloaded 30,000 in the hours after RAW and climbed to #6 from #37
WWE listed itself as “an investor and strategic marketing partner” in Tout
Tout.com’s CEO Michael Downing:
“The partnership with WWE has proven that when you give enthusiastic fans the ability to easily share and interact with real-time video status updates, they will jump at the chance. WWE’s passionate fan base and tremendous reach across a variety of media assets create an extraordinary opportunity to engage fans and followers. We are uniquely positioned to provide this technology, and look forward to rolling it out across a diverse range of media and brand properties.”
– The 2013 Royal Rumble will take place Sunday, January 27th 2012 at The US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Now through Thursday, July 19 at 10:00pm you can purchase pre-sale tickets with the password: WWELIVE
As part of WWE’s First Quarter 2012 earnings report announced on Thrusday, the company released pay-per-view buyrate information for this year’s Royal Rumble and Elimination chamber events.
The Royal Rumble drew 443,000 buys, down from 446,000 buys in 2011, and 462,000 buys in 2010.
Elimination Chamber did 178,000 buys, down from 199,000 buys in 2011 and 285,000 buys in 2010.
Even though the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber both did fewer buys in 2012 than they did in 2011, revenue was essentially the same due to more viewers ordering the high-definition feeds of the events, which are more expensive and made up the lost revenue.
As for WrestleMania 28’s buyrate, the official numbers will not be reported until WWE announces its Second Quarter 2012 results in a few months, but WWE CEO Vince McMahon did say that the buyrate is expected to be “nearly 1.3 million pay-per-view buys globally,” indicating the final number might be less than the 1.3 million estimate WWE previously touted.
– We reported on Wednesday that WWE is interested in several top talents from Ring of Honor, including the Briscoe Brothers and Adam Cole. It’s believed WWE sent out “feelers” and expressed interest in them, but they are all under contract to ROH and until they become free agents, it’s a non-issue.
– WWE its monthly “end of month” business figures for February this week and one of the more newsworthy items is that the 2012 Royal Rumble drew approximately 438,000 pay-per-view buys.
272,000 of the 438,000 buys were domestic (from the United States, while 166,000 buys were international.
This year’s 428,000 buys is down from 446,000 in 2011 and the 462,000 in 2010.
– Early estimates for the 2012 Royal Rumble pay-per-view are around 250,000-285,000 buys in North America. Hard numbers will be out in early March.
– With the WWE Network launch delayed, there has been talk of the Legends House reality series airing on Syfy starting Tuesday, April 17th. Many people have found it surprising the company could not get USA Network to carry Legends House.
— Matches taped tonight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:
* Jack Swagger vs. Santino Marella
* WWE Tag Team Champions Epico and Primo vs. JTG and Michael McGillicutty
— Brodus Clay squashed WWE developmental wrestler Damien Sandow in a dark match at tonight’s Raw SuperShow taping in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sandow was accompanied by Abraham Washington, who introduced him to the audience prior to the bout.
— A photo of Sheamus performing the High Cross on Chris Jericho at last week’s Royal Rumble is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Super Luchas.
Sheamus was the last man standing at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, earning himself a title shot against a champion of his choosing at WrestleMania 28. While Sheamus winning the Rumble sets up a series of interesting scenarios for the next several months of WWE television, it was actually Chris Jericho who was originally scheduled to win the event.
Triple H, who has gained even more influence behind the scenes in recent months, made the call for Sheamus to win the Rumble just days before the event took place. The two have been close friends (and workout partners) since the Irish grappler’s promotion to the main roster in the summer of 2009.
In an interview with Power Slam magazine, Triple H singled out the Celtic Warrior as a wrestler with big potential:
“The closest to me is probably Sheamus, because we always train together on the road. But I try to watch all the young guys’ matches and give them advice, if they want to hear it. If they take advice to heart and really want to improve, then I’m wanting to help. As for seeing some of myself in someone? That’s tough. Sheamus just the other day showed up at a show he didn’t have to be at. He does whatever he’s asked to do without complaining, he goes to every show and is always wanting to work: he does it all, goes above and beyond. That’s what I was like.”
Randy Orton was also discussed as a potential winner of the Rumble, since he cleanly put over Mark Henry during The World’s Strongest Man’s rise as World Heavyweight Champion and the event was taking place in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Before the final call was made for Sheamus to win the Rumble, Chris Jericho was the favorite, which would have set up a WWE Championship showdown against CM Punk at WrestleMania XXVIII (a match that will likely happen anyways).
WWE officials contemplated last week having John Cena win the match due to the stipulation that “everyone was eligible” for the Rumble. Cena would win the match and subsequently make a tough decision: take the title shot and not face The Rock at WrestleMania.
This Sunday night, WWE presents the Royal Rumble live on pay-per-view. The show will feature two big title matches and John Cena squaring off with the demonic Kane, but the real focus is of course, the beloved 30-man battle royal.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is said to be a “major twist” planned for the 30-man Royal Rumble match this year. The twist is said to have something to do with this year’s unique stipulation, where “every superstar is eligible” for the match.
A example of the type of “twist” could take place – the 1994 Royal Rumble finish is a good example, where Bret Hart and Lex Luger were both eliminated at the same time and declared co-winners.
A bit of fantasy booking here – a possible scenario could be that towards the end of the Rumble, when it’s down to the final entrant, the ring is completely emptied – making whoever comes out as #30 the automatic winner. Since all WWE superstars are eligible, it would be a very suspenseful minute or two from the time when the ring is empty until the “automatic winner” #30 is revealed.
Comment below and share your own fantasy booking scenarios for who could win the 2012 Royal Rumble.
– WWE announced on RAW that for the first time ever, every Superstar will be eligible to be in this year’s 30-man Royal Rumble main event – including WWE Champion CM Punk.
– Chris Jericho and Mick Foley have been confirmed as participants in the Royal Rumble match.
Jericho finally spoke on RAW and said that “the world as we know it will end” on Sunday at the Rumble, playing off the cryptic videos that hyped his surprise return on January 2nd.
– After losing to R-Truth on tonight’s RAW Supershow, The Miz earned the #1 spot in this Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble main event.
WWE’s 25th anniversary Royal Rumble is just days away – and we’ve got an insider scoop on possible surprise appearances.
According to a source in WWE, employees at WWE headquarters were recently polled an asked what former WWE superstars they think would make a big impact at the Rumble like Kevin Nash (as Diesel) did last year.
Surprisingly, most of the names brought up were legends, including Hall of Famers Ricky Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes. Hacksaw “Jim” Duggan is also a possible legend that could enter the Rumble. Duggan has a biography coming out in the coming months and WWE plans to reintroduce him on television in the coming weeks to promote the upcoming release.
As far as who could win the Rumble, three names we’ve heard from reliable sources are Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler.
– Jim Ross was asked on Twitter this week whether The Rock will be done as an in-ring performer after WrestleMania 28. JR said it’s “absolutely” realistic that The Rock will be done after his match with John Cena.
– Matches booked but not yet announced for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view include: John Cena vs. Kane and a triple threat match between Daniel Bryan, Big Show and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight title.
Cody Rhodes vs. Goldust was also discussed for the Rumble, but it’s still up in the air as to whether WWE will go through with this one.
– A new video on Scott Hall’s YouTube channel features a message about Hall’s status in rehab:
“Quick update on Scott Hall, he’s doing very well in rehab and will be evaluated for his release soon. WWE has been monitoring his stay so you may see him on another channel soon.”
– While this is most likely a long shot, Japan’s Inoki Genome Federation are trying to put together a pro wrestling match between Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko. Don’t hold your breath on this one.
– We’ve got an update on who is being discussed to win the Royal Rumble. While Randy Orton was considered the front runner to win the event in his home town of St. Louis, more recently, talk has shifted to Chris Jericho winning the Rumble.
Chris Jericho will likely be wrestling CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 28. WWE creative recently proposed the idea of Jericho remaining silent until after he wins the Royal Rumble. Jericho would give his big victory speech on RAW the next night and issue his formal challenge to Punk.
– Google and Twitter have been at odds this week over a new Google feature where the search engine displays results from its own Google + social networking service above search results of Twitter.
Twitter reps have used search results for “@WWE” to show their concern for Google’s new feature.
— WWE will release a DVD and Blu-ray chronicling the life of Edge on April 10, 2012. It is titled “You Think You Know Me – The Edge Story.”
Several WWE employees as well as peers not affiliated with the organization were interviewed for the documentary portion of the release.
— Tickets for WWE’s annual Hall of Fame ceremony, which takes place March 31, 2012 at American Airlines Arena, go on sale this Saturday via Ticketmaster. Prices range from $93.65 to $41.40. An online pre-sale will be held Thursday. The password has not been publicly disclosed.
— The official theme song for the 2011 Royal Rumble is “Dark Horses” by Switchfoot.
CM Punk will defend the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler at the Royal Rumble – with interim RAW General Manager John Laurinaitis serving as the special guest referee.
Laurinaitis announced the match on RAW after CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler’s match.
The WWE championship match and the 30-man Royal Rumble main event are the only matches announced for the card so far.
– Aside from WWE announcing that January’s Royal Rumble match will be returning to the traditional 30-man format, John Cena vs. Kane is also confirmed for the event.
– Regarding Chris Hero and WWE, the company is said to still be interested in bringing him in, despite reports that he did not pass a WWE physical due to elevated testosterone levels.
Hero will be undergoing more medical tests in January and if things go as expected, he will be signed. Hero’s most recent round of physicals took place in September.
– WWE appears to have abandoned plans to re-introduce Brodus Clay. Last we heard from Brodus Clay, he tweeted that he was going to destroy John Morrison on his final night with the company. Clay would not have tweeted that if he wasn’t told he’d be on RAW that night, but Morrison wound up getting laid out by his former tag team partner The Miz – with no mention of Clay on WWE television since then.
– Skip Sheffield has been told that he’s returning with a push in early 2012.