WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan made a cameo during a 1980’s themed Superbowl Commercial for Radio Shack. Fellow WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter is also in the commercial, along with Jason (Friday the 13th), Chucky (Child’s Play), Dee Snyder (Twisted Sister), Alf, The California Raisons, Kid & Play, Olympian Mary Lou Retton and more.
The 80s called … they want their store back. 80s celebrities invade a RadioShack to take back their old stuff and make room for the RadioShack of the future.
The Raw after the Royal Rumble saw action, matches set up for The Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View and more. Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW Comment below and tell us your thoughts.
The Royal Rumble: Everyone who watched The Royal Rumble, or heard about it, know that the crowd was completely upset that the 10 or so unadvertised spots did not go to Daniel Bryan. Loud Boos directed at Rey Misteryo who was number 30, and Batista (who I will from now on refer to as #Bootista) who won the 2014 Royal Rumble were heard loud and clear. I know this because, I was there. Yes I few out to the 2014 Royal Rumble in frigid Pittsburgh, PA to watch that Pay-Per-View live, and yes Daniel Bryan wasn’t scheduled to be in the Rumble, but not only did everyone want him in the thing, they wanted him to win. Congrats to the live crowd for making their voices heard. Hopefully this will induce change, because I dare the WWE to put on Batista vs Orton in the main event at WrestleMania XXX and not get booed out of the building.
Triple H and Daniel Bryan Face to Face. YES!
The Authority, Daniel Bryan With the largest story out of the Royal Rumble being Daniel Bryan not being in the Royal Rumble, WWE Raw kicked off right away with The Authority, and Daniel Bryan. Daniel talking about the #YesMovement and how he wanted to be in the Royal Rumble but The Authority wouldn’t let him. Daniel Bryan then gets in Triple H’s face and demands to be in the Elimination Chamber Match. Triple H then brings out the shield to beat down Daniel Bryan. Sheamus and John Cena make the save. I would have liked Raw to start with Daniel Bryan calling out The Authority, also I would have liked Daniel Bryan to beat the crap out of Triple H, the second The Sheild’s music hit. But for what it was, it was okay, and at least the segment didn’t end with Daniel Bryan being killed.It doesn’t happen often, but did you see Seth Rollins slip on his entrance?YES!
Bad News Barrett Segment You know it’s funny, I was in Pittsburgh with 13 other insane wrestling fans, some who like me flew in for The Rumble, and one my friends does a great Wade Barrett impression, and he was hilarious. “I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.” I heard that BNB used to be a fixture of the JBL & Cole show, and he was hilarious. I’ve come to the realization, that there are three main reasons I HATE Bad News Barrett on WWE Raw. NO!
What happened to this man? NO!
Three Reasons I hate Bad News Barrett
1. Yelling I know he’s in the arena, but I don’t think he needs to yell as much, I think it’s annoying. If he did it more soft spoken, even if it was backstage being shown to the crowd, it would come across better.
2. Podium & Gavel The podium and gavel is just plain silly and stupid. Is he a judge? Is he a preacher?
3. The Material So generic dising a local city, and their sports team. Wade Barrett can cut a great promo, we’ve seen it years ago in The Nexus and The Coree, why is he wasting time with cheap heat? Dumb!
#BOOtista, Orton and Brock Lesnar, on Raw. NO!
In-Ring Segment: Randy Orton, #BOOtista, Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman I said it already once, but I dare WWE to put Randy Orton vs #BOOtista in the Main Event at WrestleMania XXX. Daniel Bryan chants ring though the arena, even though Daniel Bryan is not supposed to be involved with this segment. Brock Lesnar and Heyman come out to challenge Batista or Randy Orton, tonight on raw. But if you think you’re going to get a free Brock Lesnar match on TV, you must also believe the tooth fairy, was the one who gave you the five bucks under your pillow. NO!
Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz The battle of Cleveland as these two are locals, I couldn’t help wondering how WWE was going to screw both of them, being WWE loves to beat guys in their own hometown (See: Jim Ross). Dolph wins it, and maybe his punishment is over? Probably not. YES!
WWE Tag-Team Titles
Brock destroys the Rhodes Brothers. YES!
New Age Outlaws (c) vs. Goldust & Cody Rhodes
Some trash talking from The Road Dogg before this matche gets underway. I’m okay with NAO as the WWE Tag Team Champions. I’m assuming they will defend them at WrestleMania and lose it to a good team like The Usos. Brock Lesnar comes out destroys the Rhode’s brothers, which I was also okay with. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW and our Overall Raw Rating
Batista Returned to WWE and it’s the go home show before the Royal Rumble, but was it enough for us to say YES! Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us your thoughts.
The Animal Is back, with the world’s tightest pants! NO!
The Authority, Randy Orton & Batista I wasn’t exactly thrilled with this segment. Randy Orton Triple H and Stephanie McMahon is just boring me. Orton is way more whinyer these days as well. This isn’t the cold-hearted viper, we all know and love. This is an annoying whimpy sometimes self-doubting viper. Batista comes out wearing a pair of ridiculous tight Jeans. That outfit is what I would expect someone to put on him as a joke in the WWE 2k14 video game, with a diva’s dancing entrance. He’s back to win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans to become the WWE Champion. Part of me want’s to say YES! because Batista is awesome, maybe I’m being to hard on the guy? But if I’m rating the segment by itself I have to go with NO!
Goldust, Cody Rhodes & Big E. Langston vs. The Shield WWE has won me over on tag team wrestling, plain and simple. I enjoy it, I love wathcing Cody and Golddust out there. I think it’s rediciolous that these two are defending their championship on the Royal Rumble pre-show. They deserve mid-card of the Pay-Per-View. Some would arugue, that if you put a solid match on the pre-show that will get people on the fence to buy the PPV. I get it, but still I think this is an attraction worthy of the actual event. Especially because I feel The New Age Outlaws could very well win the titles.YES!
Daniel Bryan is back YES!
Daniel Bryan & Bray Wyatt Great to see Daniel Bryan on Raw, especially since SEScoops.com broke the news a day after last week’s Raw that he had suffered a concussion last week. As a precaution he was pulled of the weekends live events and underwent impact testing to make sure he was good for this Sunday. He’s facing Bray Wyatt in a 1 on 1 match. Currently he is not scheduled to compete in the Royal Rumble. If he doesn’t show up in the Rumble and win it, I will be pretty disappointed, this is his year to win it. Do the right thing WWE, you have a major star on your hands. YES!
Xavier Woods vs. Fandango Fast forwarded this match. I think Fandango won. I have no idea why. Meaningless. NO!
CM Punk vs Billy Gun I didn’t catch Smackdown! on Friday, but I enjoyed The Road Doggs explinatinon here on commentary. The New Age Outlaws aren’t heel’s per se, more like tweeners. I would expect them to win the Tag Team titles to further along a breakup with Golddust and Cody Rhodes. Billy Gun looked a bit blown up in the match with CM Punk, but good match. YES!
Batista gets his revenge on Alberto Del Ro before the Rumble. Now What? – NO!
Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio Another fast forward delight, back in the day before DVR’s and dare I say VCR’s We would change the channel watching this thing live. Truth be told, I fell asleep during this very match live on Monday, and caught up Tuesday. Batista comes out and attacks Alberto Del Rio. Now I thought I was going to have to pay to see Batista get physical with Del Rio? Why give it away on Raw? I can only guess that Alberto Del Rio will cause Batista to be eliminated at the Rumble. We saw Batista destroy him, so something else needs to happen. Perhaps Ricardo Rodriguez comes back and they both get Batista out? Who knows. All I know is I give the match and aftermath a NO!
Brock Lesnar should be Fearless – NO!
Big Show, Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman Brock Lesnar shouldn’t be afraid of anyone at any time, period! I did like the Big Show this week, more serious, more business, calling out Brock Lesnar. I thought it was silly watching Brock backup from the ring, not wanting to get in there with Big Show. Getting thrown out and then throwing a temper tantrum. Brock is going to win this match at the Royal Rumble, a match I am looking forward to. But this segment was silly. I liked Big Show’s impression of Paul Heyman though. NO!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW and our Overall Raw Rating
With two weeks before the Royal Rumble, Noah Mark is back with his analysis of the second raw of 2014. Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us your thoughts.
Daniel Bryan & Bray Wyatt Kick Off Raw vs The USO’S – YES!
The Usos vs. Bray Wyatt & Daniel Bryan (Part 1) Raw starts off with the match advertised last week of Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. The USO’s were in the ring at the start of Raw ready for the match. The lights blacked out for the Wyatts entrance, and came back on 30 seconds later to reveal Daniel Bryan and The Wyatts already in the ring. I liked the quick entrance. The match was good with Daniel Bryan in a more aggressive style. Luke Harper and Derek Rowan, interfered just before The USO’s were about to get airborne on Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. This prompted another DQ on the Wyatts in their second week in a row with Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan drops to his knees to receive a Sister Abigail from Bray Wyatt. As I said for the last two weeks, I’m okay with this story in it’s context, provided it doesn’t go 16 weeks to WrestleMania. YES!
Damien Sandow holding his own against John Cena – YES!
Damien Sandow vs. John Cena I was fortunate to be in the crowd at Raw in Orlando, FL the night after The Hell-In-A-Cell Pay-Per-View. It was on that night that Damien Sandow cashed in his Money-In-The-Bank briefcase on John Cena. Although he didn’t win the match then, it was a great competitive match with Cena, and this episode of Raw was no different. There is a great chemistry between Sandow and Cena, and proof that Sandow should have a much more elevated status in WWE. All the things about Damien Sandow I enjoy are stripped away, no more robe, no more witty promos, he’s seemingly just an angry body. Where’s the man that would sign autographs with a quill pen? Why do we get “Sandow-Gimmick-Light”? I question this especially, because when he is called upon he delivers. Match was great. Don’t throw away Sandow after this. YES!
Kane & Brad Maddox, No Triple H or Stephanie. Kane and Brad get into it backstage, and Mr Maddox comes up with a Bray Wyatt & Daniel Bryan vs The Uso’s rematch in a steel cage for the main event. With Kane adding that he will personally chain the cage door shut. I thought this would spell disaster for Daniel Bryan, with some ulterior motive for his former Co-Tag Team Champion.
I did like the fact that Triple H and Stephanie were not on the show this week. Although they seem to back Orton, promoting him as the face Of WWE, they haven’t been targeting John Cena, like they did Bryan, with beat-downs and impossible handi-cap matches. YES!
Left – Intense Big Show to confront Brock Lesnar 1/6 YES! Right – Jolly Big Show eventually Beating Up Zed NO!
On an unrelated note, is Kane injured? Kane is one of the longest tenured Superstars on the roster, I know he has been working several holiday house show matches, however I don’t recall him having a TV match since that aforementioned Orlando Raw I was at where, on that show he shed his mask, this was after returning from filming a See No Evil sequel. It looked like he had a noticeable limp coming down the aisle way.
Big Show vs. Jack Swagger I don’t like smiling big show. I liked hoodie and skull cap wearing, intense Big Show from last week. I want all business Big Show. I want a focused Big Show that is going to seriously take on Brock Lesnar. Big show almost has John Cena-itus. Big Show should learn from his mistakes. Smiling Big Show ended 3-4 Raws this fall, then lost the Big One. Big show can smile his way to another loss at the Royal Rumble. I like Zeb Colter, but for some reason I DON’T want to see him hurt. I like Paul Heyman, but I DO want to see him get hurt. NO!
Moments before The New Age Outlaws, pull back their hands and walk out on CM Punk – NO!
CM Punk & The New Age Outlaws vs. The Shield I’m hoping after The Royal Rumble, CM Punk will move away from The Shield. I love Roman Reigns but If the Shield were to break up, I don’t think he should be put against CM Punk one on one, yet. I like the idea of him building up his singles resume, perhaps with a Big E, Dolph Ziggler, a returning Jericho, maybe even Daniel Bryan, before we see CM Punk vs Roman Reigns in a big time match. I love the New Age Outlaws, and I don’t want to boo them. I haven’t checked out the Smackdown Spoilers (They are scheduled to take on Cody Rhodes and Golddust) so I’m curious to see if they are “bad guys” now. They both appear to be in great shape, and would love to see them, hang around till WrestleMania, but not at heels. Besides, book him however you wish, but at WrestleMania XXX they will no doubt be faces one way or another. NO!
Meaningless win for AJ. Waste of talent – NO!
The Funkadactyls vs. AJ Lee & Tamina Snuka Throw-a-way match, AJ being underutilized. AJ hasn’t had many title defenses, the belt isn’t as special, not because of the person, because of the booking. She taps out and pins people left and right, then a silly beat down afterwords. If you’re going to give her a clean win, why bother, having the faces beat her down after the fact, they lost. This is why there is a huge drop off in star power in WWE, because you have someone like an AJ Lee who can cut a dynamite promo, you can cultivate that, make people want to see her, and let her flourish! Instead of losing her in the shuffle of 20 Total Diva® tag matches. NO!
WWE Hall Of Fame 2014 Inductee The Ultimate Warrior will Headline The 2014 Hall Of Fame. Ironic I watched a DVD about how he was horrible person to work with, held up Vince McMahon for money at SummerSlam 1991, and “self destructed” But as the saying goes Money Talks, and there is a lot of people who remember the guy you see below and could care less about what was hapening behind the curtain. So for that (and because our Webmaster is a huge fan of the man from Parts Unknown) we say YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW and our Overall Raw Rating
Noah Mark is back with his analysis of Old School Raw! Check out The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.
Orton playing the generic Bad Guy, he’s much better than this. NO!
Ric Flair, Randy Orton, & John Cena PromoOld School Raw kicked off with the 16 time “Nature Boy” Ric Flair out first. He was quickly interrupted by former Evolution partner. Randy Orton. Randy Orton said he respected Ric Flair, but he needed the time more to address the one on one rematch putting himself vs John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at The Royal Rumble. Ric chimes in saying he’s not as good as he thinks. Orton threatens Flair, Cena ends up making the save.
For me this segment fell flat, and seemed forced. Orton was seemingly going through the motions, with “I respect you, but….” going into generic heel mode. This is not The Viper I know and enjoy. I feel some people don’t give Randy Orton the credit he deserves for his promo and character skills, he makes great facial expressions, and conveys a cold-hearted disposition. Well normally he does, this promo didn’t do Orton any favors. Clearly Ric Flair is getting order, or he had a few in the back, because he sounded marble mouth in this segment. Cena didn’t offer anything to this segment either. One month ago Cena may have delivered the best promo of his life in Seattle. Here, I felt the whole thing was boring. NO!
NO!
Jerry Lawler Health Update: Earlier in the day we reportedBreaking News Jerry “The King” Lawler was hospitalized. Of course with Jerry’s Heart Attack last year during Raw, your first thought would be another heart issue. Thankfully it seemed to be a stomach virus or food poisoning. however that didn’t stop the WWE from sensationalizing by directing viewers to turn to the WWE App to get an update on Jerry Lawler. NO!
Daniel Bryan…er Wyatt. So far okay. YES!
Luke Harper, Erick Rowan & Daniel Bryan vs. The Usos & Rey Mysterio Our first chance to see Daniel Bryan on TV as a Wyatt. First the original Wyatt trio appeared for their normal entrance, followed by the fourth Daniel “Wyatt”. Daniel Byran came out looking like he was in a Janitor or prison jump suit. A blank stare on his face, as he teamed up with Rowan and Harper to take on The Usos and Mysterio. I enjoyed this, I thought Bryan looked good with the group. They ended up losing the match due to Harper getting rolled up after a brief disagreement with Bryan as to who should come into the match when Rowan tagged both men. I would have preferred The Wyatts to win clean in this match. Their first week out and they’re arguing, I think an eventual separation from Bryan would be more effective if they were on the same page to start. But I’m still okay with this story line, provided I don’t have to wait 15 more weeks for Bryan to “Snap out of it”. YES!
Too Cool & Rikishi just 3 of the Old School Legends at Raw YES!
WWE Legends On Old School Raw:I was happy to see some of my old school favorites on Raw. Everyone had a good role on the show and for older fans this definitely was a great nostalgia feel. I will say that over the past few years we’ve seen a crop of “usual” legends. Most of which were not actually on a whole lot of episodes of WWE Raw. I would love to have seen a Raw with more attitude era and post era stars. Some of them are still affiliated and working for WWE. Perhaps WWE held a few back for a Royal Rumble appearance. There was also no “old school” diva on this show. I know Mae Young was originally scheduled to attend this show, however Mae Young experienced health issues and was unable to appear. With Brock Lesnar, in attendance this seemed like a perfect time for Sable to make an appearance in the show. YES!
Piper’s Pit – Piper’s still got it plain and simple. His interaction with The Shield, the hottest faction, group, whatever you what to call them. Piper pinching Roman Reigns cheek put goosebumps on my arm. I saw Reigns neck throbbing, great moment! People have compaired Dean Ambrose to Piper in the past, it was great to see Ambrose get to interact with a Legend. This would not be his only legend interaction on this episode of Old School Raw. I enjoyed seeing CM Punk and The New Age Outlaws come in to save piper. YES!
View Page 2 to find out more YES and NO from WWE RAW Old School and our Overall Raw Rating
We can confirm two more legends that will be appearing on tonight’s Old School edition of WWE RAW.
WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter and The Godfather are both in Baltimore, Maryland and are booked to appear on tonight’s show.
It’s also worth noting that WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is being advertised for tomorrow night’s SmackDown tapings from Philadelphia, PA, so there’s a good chance we’ll se him on RAW as well. Foley is advertised to be the special referee of the Randy Orton vs. John Cena dark match main event that will take place after the SmackDown tapings.
We’re hearing that there will be even more surprise returns tonight that are not currently being advertised by WWE, so keep checking back during the day for the latest.
– When asked on Twitter what his plans are for Monday’s “Old School” edition of WWE RAW from Baltimore, Maryland, Jim Ross replied, “watch it on TV.”
– WWE legend Jake Roberts also noted on Twitter that he hasn’t been invited to Old School RAW.
– WWE will be releasing a DVD on March 8th titled “Signature Sounds: The Music of WWE.” Here’s the official synopsis:
“Music has been integral in WWE history, especially anthems for all the greatest WWE Superstars. Since Sgt. Slaughter first made his entrance to the Marine Corp hymn in the early 80’s music themes have become synonymous with the Superstars themselves. Just hearing the first few notes brings the crowd to their feet. They are the songs that let the WWE Universe know that business is about to pick up. Now, get behind the music and learn the inside story behind the timeless anthems of WWE and the superstars. “
The following are highlights from a Baltimore Sun interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Sgt. Slaughter:
On the way WWE is treating Daniel Bryan: “I don’t think he’s being treated fairly. [The people at WWE] are making him work awfully hard to be successful and he’s not letting them down. He’s working harder than ever. He’s like a giant slayer. He takes on the biggest and the best. Kind of like Dolph Ziggler — he’s another talent I thought he wasn’t being used right, and I brought it up in several production meetings that they shouldn’t do his character as they were.”
On Randy Orton’s rise through the ranks: “…A guy like Randy Orton, there wasn’t much to teach him inside the ring. I wrestled his grandfather and his father. All the teaching for him was done outside the ring. He was a tough nut to crack. He had a mind of his own, and still does. He’s another talent that exceeds and has so much ability.”
On helping name The Undertaker in WWE: “We would have meetings after shows to talk about what happened and plan things out creatively. The topic turned to Mark [Calloway] and Vince [McMahon] said he had an idea for a character name and he brought up the name Paul Bearer. The next day I went to Vince and I said I didn’t really care for that name for Mark in particular. I thought he looked different than that, and Vince said ‘like an Undertaker?’ and I said yeah! Maybe we should do Paul Bearer as his manager.”
Check out the complete interview online at BaltimoreSun.com.
-There will be a number of adult WWE Halloween costumes set for release this year, including WWE Hall Of Famers “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, The Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
-WWE Superstar Rob Van Dam gave an interview to NHL star Patrick Kaleta in the Buffalo Sabres locker room to help promote Sunday’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view in the city. Fans interested in checking that out can do so at DieByTheBlade.com.
-According to one source, WWE is said to have interest in signing New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Prince Devitt. The company has apparently had interest in Devitt for a while, as William Regal brought a tape of a Devitt vs. Pac match to Triple H, which resulted in Pac getting a job (he’s now known as Adrian Neville). WWE has apparently wanted to sign Devitt ever since, and his name keeps coming up in meetings when the company discusses bringing in new talent.
-WWE Hall Of Fame Sgt. Slaughter celebrates his 65th birthday today. Slaughter was born on August 27, 1948. Also celebrating birthdays today is current WWE Superstar The Great Khali (41) and former WWE Diva Jazz (40).
The following are highlights from the latest online Q&A from the official website of WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On whether Backlash or Extreme Rules is a better follow-up to WrestleMania: “It all depends on the attractions….the talents invovled.”
On if anyone can match Shawn Michaels in his prime: “NXT will continue to make major contributions to the WWE primary roster over time. Some really good, potential stars there.”
On if RAW and SmackDown should go back to the elaborate stage set ups: “I haven’t given that much thought. Not big on my radar.”
On WWE switching talent from heel to face too often, specifically Alberto Del Rio: “Decision makes, due to the lack of main event depth, are constantly looking for the best roles for their top guys. ADR as a fan favorite was an experiment in my view but he’s a better villain.”
On which wrestling schools are the best: “Start with Lance Storm’s Academy in Calgary and take it from there.”
On if we’ll see the return of “The Stooges” Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco in the current HHH/Vince McMahon power struggle: “Highly unlikely.”
Check out more Jim Ross Q&A online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) of the Baltimore Sun and Layfield Report (@layfieldreport) spoke with WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter. Highlights:
– Originally being cast in the new GI Joe films in the position that Bruce Willis eventually took and why it didn’t work out
– Before Jack Swagger took on a villainous character, Sarge reveals that he was going to be Swagger’s manager as a hero and explains the scenario
– Calling out to Alberto Del Rio and saying he can help on WWE TV. Sarge reveals he always has his gear packed and would be ready for an on camera role
In an interview with theScore’s Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) WWE legend and current official WWE Ambassador Sgt. Slaughter reveals that he was originally talked about to play a part in the newest GI Joe movie, along side Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In the interview, Slaughter divulges that the character played by Bruce Willis was originally going to be Sgt. Slaughter, with he as the leading candidate to play the role. Slaughter was featured in an animated GI Joe movie in the 1980s.
Other topics discussed in the interview include how close he was to not portraying an Iraqi Sympathizer in the WWE, the iconic promo where he burns Hulk Hogan’s shirt and how the original idea was to burn the American flag and Slaughter’s reaction, and more.
– On SuperSmackDown LIVE: The Great American Bash, a fight between Damien Sandow and Zack Ryder left Eve—wearing a white dress—completely covered in punch. Backstage Fallout caught up with Eve to get her reaction to the party mishap. Tyler Reks also reacts to whether he feels guilty for Ryback’s massacre of Curt Hawkins. Also offering comments on SmackDown events are Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter.
– Lilian Garcia will sing the National Anthem on Sept. 30 prior to the NFL game between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
– Former WWE announcer Todd Grisham is in Las Vegas, Nevada covering UFC 148</em. and will be interviewing company president Dana White for MMA Live on ESPN.
– Following his appearance on Raw SuperShow, Diamond Dallas Page has been added to the Alumni section on WWE.com.
– Kenn Doane (a/k/a Kenny Dykstra) was asked on Twitter whether John Cena was good or bad to him during his time in WWE (which lasted from 2006 to 2008). Recalling a negative backstage encounter with Cena:
The encounter would have occurred on November 15, 2011 when he faced Justin Gabriel in a dark match before a SmackDown taping in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Doane has not attended a WWE show since.
– Counting down to nine days remaining on his thirty-day WWE suspension due to denigrating the Brazilian flag at a WWE live event in São Paulo on June 14, Chris Jericho tweeted Thursday:
Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9. Number 9…..
– WWE Hall of Famer Sgt Slaughter appears at next Thursday’s Newark Bears game at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey. He will meet and greet with fans, sign autographs and take pictures before and after the 6:35 p.m. game. Click here for more information.
— WWE developmental talent Brian McGhee, who appears as DT Porter for Florida Championship Wrestling, denied posting a message on Facebook crying for help due to alleged mistreatment from camp officials. He claimed on the account that it was hacked.
The hacker’s statement reads: “Guys, I don’t know how much longer I can handle this. Every day is a constant struggle to keep my sanity. I love wrestling and it’s all I ever wanted to do. Already going crazy since I’ve been for like ten months now, but it gets worse. Every day a trainer goes out of his way to rib or disrespect me in front of the boys because I’ve been out so long. I can’t clear myself. I wanna wrestle more than anything, but I don’t even know who I am anymore. It’s so fucking hard. I just feel it just building inside of me and I don’t know how much longer I can contain it. I have daydreams of just fucking everyone up on some real shit. I’m not a kid. I’m a fucking man. But what do you do when the people in charge of helping you get to the main roster are the ones making your life the hardest. I’ve been drinking almost every day. It’s to the point to where I keep Vodka and Gin in my trunk. Help me!”
— Inactive WWE Superstar Sin Cara returned to his native country of Mexico to celebrate Children’s Day, and took time to meet with young fans. (Photos)
— WWE Hall of Famer Sgt Slaughter will appear at the Daytona Cubs game taking place June 29 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark 105 E. Orange Ave. Daytona Beach, Florida.
— Live Audio Wrestling says Survivor Series is expected to take place on Sunday, November 18 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
— Mick Foley has been announced to appear on WWE’s “Old School” themed live SmackDown episode on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. on Syfy. Other legends appearing include Dusty Rhodes, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Hillbilly Jim, Howard Finkel, Jimmy Hart, Mean Gene Okerlund, Pat Patterson, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and Tony Atlas.
Foley said of the appearance Friday on Twitter, “I WILL be on Super Smackdown, where Hacksaw Jim Duggan and I will prove, once and for all, that we are not the same person.”
Piper added, “I’m also going to do Smackdown on Tuesday!! I think it’s time to step up to the plate!”
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE.com profile is now listed among both Raw Superstars and WWE Alumni.
— Dusty Rhodes, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter and The Honky Tonk Man will not be appearing on WWE Legends’ House. “Hacksaw” Jim Jim Duggan, “Mean” Gene Okerlund and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper have been confirmed to appear on the program. The show began filming last week at the former house of Harpo Marx in Rancho Mirage, California.
WWE officials contemplated having Sheik appear on the reality program due to the perception that he is funny but a doctrine is in place for the show to not appear “sad.”
— CM Punk and John Cena “are neck-and-neck” as the top merchandise sellers in WWE. Punk, however, is ahead in the adult male demographic. Zack Ryder is also among the company’s top merchandise sellers.
— Ring of Honor World Champion Davey Richards will challenge Prince Devitt for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on March 10 in Japan.
— “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Jimmy Snuka and Sgt. Slaughter were on the original cast list for WWE Legends’ House, a reality show premiering in 2012 on the WWE Network that will put eight to ten ‘Legends’ under one roof. Production for the show will begin soon in California.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mean” Gene Okerlund are confirmed for the show. Stephanie McMahon was quoted as saying in Entertainment Weekly that Dusty Rhodes and Iron Sheik would be on it as well.
— During the Friday morning edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter, Robert Flores mentioned the nWo while conducting highlights of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat game. The Heat donned all-black uniforms, which Flores described as “Miami rocking the nWo uniforms, the black and white. For Life.”
— Legendary ring announcer Howard Finkel stated on Twitter that former WWE Superstar Pete Gas has joined the micro-blogging website. His account is located at twitter.com/iampetegas.
— Speaking to The Celebrity Cafe, former WWE Women’s Champion Chyna says she has not retired from the professional wrestling industry. Chyna said:
“In the wrestling world, as long as people keep me in their hearts, then I will never truly be retired from wrestling. If the opportunity arose to step back in the squared circle, I think I have one more match in me.”
Chyna also discusses her upcoming New Year’s Eve party and what’s in store for her in 2012.
— Chris Jericho tweeted on Friday that his rock band Fozzy will be recording a new album from January to March. Take that for what you will.
— Sgt. Slaughter has been announced to appear at the Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C. on February 1, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
— Kelly Kelly and WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter appeared on Miami’s 560 WQAM Sports Radio Friday promoting the on-sale date for Wrestlemania XXVIII tickets. Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who co-hosts the show, recalled watching Dusty Rhodes when he was growing up in Florida. The segment concluded with Kelly explaining her how ring name was created.
“My first day, my wrestling name was going to be Kelly. Then, I came back the next week and Vince (McMahon) had this wonderful idea, ‘Let’s call her Kelly Kelly. Let’s just give her two first names; we’ve never done that before,” she said. “So, there you go.”
— The legendary career of WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is highlighted on the latest episode of WWE Vintage Collection. The episode featured clips from the following matches and segments:
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff vs. Hulk Hogan and Mr. (WrestleMania), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Cowboy” Bob Orton vs. Paul Orndorff and Andre the Giant (WWF live event – August 10th, 1985), Piper’s Pit vs. The Flower Shop (WWF Superstars – September 27th, 1986), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper destroys The Flower Shop (WWF Superstars – October 4th, 1986, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Adorable” Adrian Adonis (WWF live event – February 15th, 1987), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania VIII), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (WCW Monday Nitro – February 9th, 1999), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Ric Flair vs. The Spirit Squad (WWE Cyber Sunday – November 5, 2006), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper rescues Bret Hart from The Mountie and Jimmy Hart (WWF live event – January 17th, 1992), “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. The Mountie (WWF Royal Rumble – January 19, 1992).
— The latest issue of WWE Magazine says they have obtained a short list of candidates for induction into next year’s Hall of Fame class and it features past Superstars estranged from WWE.
The Informer wrote in his monthly column: “A trusted source managed to sneak me the short list for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame, and I can tell you that a lot of old wounds are about to be reopened!”
— WWE has released seven-inch refillable lighters featuring six legendary Superstars: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, British Bulldog and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. The lighters, which also include a bottle opener, are available at select convenience stores.
— WWE.com has added Buff Bagwell to its list of WCW Competitors. His picture, however, links a New World Order photo gallery.
— Mason Ryan returned to action at Friday’s Raw live event in Jackson, Mississippi. The Welsh grappler beat Zack Ryder in the second match of the night.
Ryan has been sidelined since late June due to an undisclosed injury.
— WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio will face Sin Cara in a non-title match this Tuesday on SuperSmackDown.
— WWE ring announcer Eden Stiles participated in her first angle at Friday’s Raw live event in Jackson, Mississippi as she was attacked by The Bella Twins. This led to Divas Champion Kelly Kelly and Eve hitting the ring to fend off the twin duo. Kelly and Eve beat Nikki and Brie in a subsequent match.
— The Great Khali turns 39 years old today while WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter turns 63. Also celebrating a birthday is former WWE Women’s Champion Jazz, who turns 38.
— Former WWE talent Amy Dumas (a/k/a Lita), who was romantically linked to Matt Hardy from 2001 to 2005, released a statement on Twitter regarding her ex-beau’s unfortunate twist of fate.
“Been out of the loop down here in Nicaragua,” Dumas wrote. “Just read up on Matt and I am absolutely sick. Really hoping he can find inner peace.”
Hardy was arrested Saturday in Moore County, North Carolina for driving while intoxicated, after crashing into a tree. He was also later charged with reckless driving, with a hearing scheduled to take place Oct. 11. Four days later, Hardy was rushed to an emergency room, after falling down in his house.
— Gail Kim, who remains under contract to WWE, is advertised to appear for IWC Wrestling on Saturday, Nov. 19. The event takes place at the Meadville Area Senior High School Gymnasium, located on 930 North Street Meadville, Pennsylvania.
— WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter, who celebrates his sixty-third birthday on Saturday, has launched a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SgtSlaughterOfficial.
— The Miz, who held the WWE Championship for 160 days, has been named number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s “PWI 500” list for 2011. The list, which is now in its 21st year, ranks the top 500 professional wrestlers in the world.
The official announcement has not yet been made, but PWI’s website displays the cover with the news.
The evaluation period for the “PWI 500” is from June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011.
— WWE developmental wrestlers Aksana, Naomi and Percy Watson could be spotted during Rey Mysterio’s WWE Championship celebration on Raw.
— WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter is advertised to appear at the Bowling Green Hot Rods game at Bowling Green Ballpark 300 8th Ave. Bowling Green, Kentucky on August 17. Game time is 7:05 PM. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. Visit www.bghotrods.com for more information.