Posts Tagged ‘Steve Austin’

Steve Austin Gives Speech About Business Talk With Vince McMahon, King Barrett, More

– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave a speech at the WWE 2K16 media event in New York City on Thursday night about Vince McMahon calling him about being the WWE 2K16 cover star. Austin noted that he was surprised, but didn’t want to talk himself out of the opportunity, as he admitted he has made a lot of bad career decisions in the past and he didn’t want this to be another one of them.

– King Barrett will be holding a Twitter Q&A today at 5pm EST. to promote this Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, where he will team up with Stardust to take on Neville and “Arrow” actor Stephen Amell. Fans can submit questions to Barrett using the hashtag #SummerSlam.

– Below are the “Top 10 WWE SmackDown Moments” for this week’s show, which was the SummerSlam “go-home” edition of the program.

Triple H NXT Conference Call, Waltman On Austin’s Podcast, SummerSlam

– Triple H will be holding his usual pre-Takeover conference call with the pro wrestling media on Wednesday morning to promote this Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Check back here later today for a recap of the call.

– Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman is the guest on the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast. You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– The latest edition of WWE’s “5 Things” web-series, which you can check out below, takes a look at five WWE Superstars who have never won at the annual WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Scott Hall Joins Steve Austin & Kevin Nash For WWE SummerSlam Weekend

Scott Hall is another one of several legends who are scheduled to travel to New York for this year’s WWE SummerSlam weekend.

As previously reported, WWE is bringing “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Kevin Nash to New York City for the big weekend. Austin will likely be co-hosting the WWE 2K16 video game event, while Nash is expected to appear at some of the panels and signings. Hall will now be joining him.

As is the case with Austin and Nash, Hall isn’t expected to appear on the actual SummerSlam pay-per-view itself, but there was some discussions of him attending the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event on Saturday night.

Both Nash and Hall are scheduled to arrive in New York City this Friday.

Video: WWE 2K16 Roster Reveal With Steve Austin

2K Sports has released a video of Steve Austin revealing additional names for the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game.

While preaching from The Book Of Austin (verse 3:4), Stone Cold rattled off the names of Superstars whose digital asses he’s ready to whoop – including The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley, Undertaker, Kane, Mr. McMahon, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar.

WWE 2K16 hits PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 27th in the United States and October 30th internationally.

Update: Steve Austin Vehemently Defends Dana White’s “Fake” Comments

On the latest edition of the Steve Austin Show – Unleashed! , Austin is joined by UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier. UFC President Dana White was brought up during the interview and in particular his comments last weekend regarding the WWE being “fake” which were made after a fan called out UFC PPV prices.

During the interview, both Austin and Cormier made some very interesting comments regarding the “no-no” word of “fake” in pro wrestling — and surprisingly enough — the person defending each side is the absolute opposite person you would expect, along with the reason behind their decisions.

You can read a full read of the appearance, or listen to the entire audio of the show, by clicking here.

Steve Austin On Dream Matches, Praise For John Cena, And More

Stone Cold Steve Austin was recently confirmed as the cover star for WWE 2K16, the next WWE video game which is due to be released in October on a number of platforms.

WWE.com recently spoke with the Texas Rattlesnake to promote the game, you can check out highlights from the interview below:

On being the cover star of WWE 2K16:

“It caught me completely off guard. I was very surprised when I got the phone call. You know, I figured I’d been gone for such a long time; it’s been a while.

I think it really speaks to how Austin and The Attitude Era resonated with the fans back then and, obviously, it resonated enough for 2K to pick a guy like me. I’m thankful to have had so many dance partners and so many Hall of Famers to work with. It was really an all-star cast of people in a 20-by-20 squared circle, entertaining people. At the end of the day, you really gotta thank the fans for being there for us. It’s an extreme honor.”

If there was any Superstar from his past who he would like to go one more round with:

“A guy that I’ve always had so much respect for and only got a chance to meet one time was Andre the Giant. So, I would like to play Andre the Giant as myself, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. And some of the new guys that they’re bringing into this game like Finn Bálor, who I think is an outstanding talent and a veteran who’s moved to WWE, but a guy who is probably one of the best wrestlers in the world. There are many dream matchups that I could sit and talk to you about all day.”

The amount of respect he has for John Cena:

“Man, John Cena. I got a lot of respect for that guy. You talk about a road warrior, a guy that works his tail off, shows up with a smile on his face every single day and adds himself to shows when he’s needed. Hell, even when he’s not needed, the guy just loves to get on the road, and he loves the company that much. He’s an absolute workhorse.”

WWE 2K16 is due to be released on October 27th, 2015, in North America and October 30th, 2015, internationally. Check out the full interview with Steve Austin at this link.

 

Video: Steve Austin Welcomes Arnold Schwarzenegger To WWE 2K16

WWE has uploaded a video of Stone Cold Steve Austin “welcoming” Arnold Schwarzenegger to the WWE 2K16 video game. Fans who pre-order the game (which you can do now at Amazon.com) will get two versions of Arnold’s T-800 from the Terminator movies as a playable character in the game.

Detailed Recap Of Paige On The “Stone Cold Podcast” On August 3rd

The following is a complete recap of Paige’s appearance on the “Stone Cold Podcast.” The show aired live on the WWE Network on Monday, August 3, 2015. The following report comes from Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net.

Steve Austin welcomed viewers and the volume of his mic shot way up whenever he raised his voice. Austin introduced Paige and asked what she thought of her match. She said it was “cool” yet said she’s her biggest critic. Austin said they both swear a lot and this should be an Unleashed show. Paige confessed she swears in the ring and has to apologize for it.

Austin noted that Paige is a ten-year veteran. A shot aired of a young Paige on the set’s video screen. Austin noted Pagie’s mother and father Ricky and Saraya Knight. A shot of Paige with her parents appeared on the screen. She noted that her brother wrestles and another brother is a referee. Paige said she was afraid of the violence because her mom was blinded six months into the business. She said she was one of the kids who tried to get inside the ring because she was so worked up.

Austin asked if Paige’s parents ever smartened her up. Paige said not when she was young, but eventually she told them she knows what it is. She said she got knocked out when she got in the ring, but she doesn’t remember what knocked her out. She guessed she didn’t tuck her chin while taking a bump. Paige said she wanted to be like Lita and Bull Nakano.

Paige spoke about being trained by her mom, and Robbie Brookside press slamming his mother.

Paige said she has scoliosis. She said she didn’t have any idea she had it until one of the trainers at NXT noticed it. She said she got an X-ray that showed she has a question mark-like spine. She said it could give her problems down the line.

Austin brought up the Youtube documentary on her family. She spoke about her family and said the idea was to show them leading up to her tryout and perhaps the film would have a happy ending if she got in.

Austin brought up Paige’s bartending and bouncing career. She laughed and talked about how her parents would go away and leave her in charge of the bar at age 15. She said she headlocked one guy, and pinned another guy up against a wall.

Paige said the best part of her family’s promotion is that American wrestlers would come over. She spoke about meeting Jake Roberts, The Bushwhackers, and Yokozuna.

Paige said she looked up to Bull Nakano and said she modified her finisher to use as her own. She also liked Lita, Austin, and Rikishi. She also mentioned Madusa/Alundra Blayze.

Austin noted that Paige was rejected by WWE after her first tryout. She said she couldn’t bush her hair or do her own makeup properly. She said she hated the way she dressed and was not confident. She said she was timid and passive. She said she busted the lip of her opponent open during the tryout match because she was so nervous. She said she was told maybe she could come back once she had more confidence.

Paige said she came back the next time and decided to be herself. She said Jamie Noble and Goldust ran the tryout. Following a network freeze on my end, Paige spoke about her early run in NXT. She recalled hitting Summer Rae in the cheek with a shoulder tackle.

Austin asked her about transitioning to Paige. She spoke about Dusty helping her by keeping her sane. She said the job is hard whether people believe it or not. Cody told her that Dusty liked to play with the broken toys, so Dusty spent a lot of time working with her. She said Dusty spoke to her about saving her money. She was also censored when she recalled Dusty telling her he wanted chicken dinner from one of her promos and she gave him chicken shit. She recalled Dusty taking her outside and talking with her on the steps of the Performance Center for 20 minutes and telling her that she has something special and can be a star someday.

Paige said she did promos, but she didn’t realize you could tell a story in a promo. She also laughed as she told stories about her father having her work through injuries when she was younger.

Austin brought up John Cena’s broken nose and how he kept doing. Paige said good for him. She said it’s awesome and he’s old school. She said she looks at it the same way. She recalled Daniel Bryan wanting to do the same and not being allowed to. She spoke about having a broken wrist and being knocked out and still continuing through matches when she was younger.

Paige spoke about her mother being a big influence after Austin praised her mother’s work. Paige said her mom would slow her down with a shot if she was working too fast. She said she would do the same in developmental and people would tell her you can’t do that.

Austin asked Paige why she asks people why they want her autograph. She said she thinks it’s more of a low self esteem thing. She said there are all of the gorgeous superstars and she’s a girl from a small town.

Paige recalled The Rock told her to stay humble and hungry. Austin told her that fans who ask for her autograph means she struck a chord with them and maybe they live vicariously through her. Austin suggested that Paige step back when she’s not on the road and realize what she’s doing and how powerful her presence is.

Paige said the message she wants to give people is to be themselves. She said people have told her she helped them get over their eating disorder and anxiety. She wanted to tell a story about Daniel Bryan meeting her family.

Austin brought up Triple H being an influence on her. She said someone stole her identity and she couldn’t pay for a surgery. She spoke about how great he was, and they looked at a photo of her winning the NXT Championship. She said she feels the Divas revolution started because of Triple H.

Paige said she believes Triple H and Stephanie McMahon started the Divas revolution in NXT. She recalled being told that she and Emma twenty minutes on the first NXT special and they were both pleasantly surprised. Austin asked if she opened the door for the revolution. Paige said she feels like “we opened the door” and then praised Sara Del Rey as a trainer. She also praised Fit Finlay and Dean Malenko.

Austin asked who she travels with. Paige said sometimes she travels by herself. She said she used to travel with Emma. She said they used to travel five or six to a car in England.

Austin recalled someone telling him to enjoy life. He asked if she is enjoying life. Paige said she has to have a life coming out of the shows. She said she will go out to eat and go to the bars. She looked like she was worried about being scolded for mentioning the bar.

Austin asked where she feels she is in the business. Paige said she’s still learning. Austin said it’s a benchmark in terms of putting it all together. She said she feels that way some days, but there are other days when she questions whether she gets it.

Austin asked about the transition from NXT to the main roster. Paige said it’s about being bigger. She said it’s entertainment and there are millions of people watching via the camera and thousands in the arena.

Austin recalled working in front of 15-20 people in a parking lot. She said she hears people talking about 1,800 people being a bad live event crowd, but to her it’s still a lot of people. Paige said she would go out there and put on a show even if there was only one person there.

The conversation turned to Tough Enough. Paige said apparently she’s the bad guy. Austin said he enjoys the hell out of the show and he’s not just saying it for a plug. Austin said it was met with some indifference initially this year because they made changes to the format. Paige said she’s received grief (death threats?) because of the way she interacts with the contestants. Austin said she’s being honest and helping them. “My parents did that to me,” she said. Paige said they did it to other people and recalled her mom working up a woman named Bethany who wouldn’t come out of her shell. Bethany slapped her mom, and her mom said that’s the intensity they wanted to see from her.

Paige spoke about Sara Lee cutting a promo on her in week three. Paige said she is happy she picked Sara Lee for the bottom three because she stood out when she fired back at her. She also spoke about the Patrick elimination. Paige said she put him in the bottom three and didn’t expect him to go. She said she got backlash for it, but she blamed the fans for not voting for him since they decide the fate of the contestants.

Paige said Mada looked great and could deliver a promo. Austin said Mada stood out and jumped off the television screen. Paige said she doesn’t have anything against Amanda, but she doesn’t think she should have been saved because Miz felt she was hot.

It was time for the story about Daniel Bryan meeting her family. She said she met him in roughly 2003. She said no one picked him up at the airport and he had to make his way to the locker room. She said Bryan saw her dad and his brother punching a guy and dangling a guy out the window. Bryan thought it was a British thing. Paige’s mom apologized. Bryan said it happens all the time in America, thinking she was referring to him working multiple matches on one show.

Paige said she drinks beer and whiskey and that she wants to make the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

They spoke about working in big stadiums. Austin said they thought they lost the crowd at Ford Field because of the sound in the building.

Paige they are heading back to Tough Enough after the interview. She closed by saying she doesn’t know what will happen now that The Miz is on the show. Austin closed out the podcast.

MSG Honors Roddy Piper, Ryback To Be Stripped Of The IC Title?

Deadline.com reports that the production workers strike at Steve Austin’s “Broken Skull Challenge” show on CMT has been resolved. The production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, has agreed to a health and pension benefits package with workers.

– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans if they agree with The Miz saying Ryback should be stripped of the Intercontinental Championship since he’s been out of action due to injury. With over 3,800 votes cast, 54% believe that Ryback should retain the title while he recovers from his staph infection.

– WWE is encouraging fans to submit questions for Paige and Steve Austin ahead of tonight’s Stone Cold Podcast using the hashtag #StoneColdPodcast.

– Madison Square Garden in New York City is honoring the late Rowdy Roddy Piper:

Stone Cold Podcast With WWE Diva Paige Still Advertised

Tonight immediately following RAW, exclusively on the WWE Network, WWE Diva Paige will be interviewed by Stone Cold Steve Austin as part of his podcast.

Following in the footsteps of Triple H, Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho and Stephanie McMahon, what will Paige have to say about the current divas revolution when she sits face to face with Stone Cold.

It has been speculated that following the death of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper that the podcast may be postponed to make way for a WWE Network special showcasing the life of the Hall of Famer.

Currently, at the time of writing, the schedule still shows that the podcast will follow tonight’s episode of RAW but this could change as the day progresses.

 

WWE To Postpone Monday’s “Stone Cold Podcast” With Paige?

There is still no word as to whether or not the “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and Paige will still be airing on the WWE Network immediately following this Monday’s RAW as scheduled.

There is an expectation that WWE will postpone the podcast, as a special on the life and career of the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is expected.

Hulk Hogan was originally scheduled to be Austin’s guest, however when the racism scandal broke, WWE made the last-minute decision to replace Hogan with Paige, so it’s likely that WWE won’t hesitate to postpone the Paige-Austin interview in favor of a Piper special.

Kurt Angle Talks About His Condition Following Neck Surgery, Austin/Lesnar, More

Kurt Angle recently took part in a Q&A with fans on his official Facebook page. Below are some of the highlights, courtesy of Angle’s official website.

On his weekly workout routine: “It’s simple: 4 days of weight training and 3 days of hard cardio. I train every day, but no longer than an hour. This is nothing compared to my 10 hour days of training for the Olympics, but it works for me.”

On what he does for cardio: “Nowadays, I only run 3-4 miles a day, but I run fast. I do hill sprints as well. It works for me, so I never get tired when I wrestle.”

Who was a tougher opponent according to you , in terms of in-ring skills – Brock Lesnar or Stone Cold Steve Austin? Lesnar and Austin. Who was tougher?

On who was tougher opponent in terms of in-ring skills — Brock Lesnar or Steve Austin, and who was tougher: “That’s a difficult question. Austin was aggressive and physical. He was always pressing me. Lesnar is a beast, an animal, a rare breed. They dominated in different ways. Both are rugged. But who frightens me more? Lesnar.”

On how he is feeling since his neck surgery: “I’m doing ok from my neck surgery. I had complications but I should be ready to go by early September.”

Jim Ross Q&A: Hogan Controversy, Austin/WrestleMania, Diva Revolution & More

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official Q&A section. Below are some of the highlights:

On the Hulk Hogan racism controversy: “As I said in my blog on this website, I never knew of Hogan to be a racist. He’s not unlike many top level stars, he can be problematic at times doing business but that goes for many, many talents.”

On the possibility of Steve Austin being involved at WrestleMania next year: “I think that they can and who said neither would definitely NOT be a part of the presentation? Hogan, I get, but Austin in a non wrestling role has not been eliminated.”

On the “Diva Revolution”: “I don’t really hae any take on the Divas in WWE at this time other than to say that the NXT additions will help the main roster greatly and the winning streak of Nikki Bella is a non issue to me personably. If the streak helps the overall product I say roll with it.”

On the biggest misconception about him: “That I have a contentious relationship with WWE which isn’t true. I don’t always agree with what they do philosophically but that doesn’t mean anything other than that.”

Check out more JR Q&A updates at his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Stone Cold Podcast Featuring Paige, Fans Asked To Stop Streaming, Kevin Owens

– As confirmed during last night’s RAW, Paige will be the next guest to appear on the Steve Austin Podcast on the WWE Network.

WWE shared the above promo for the Stone Cold podcast which will air next Monday (August 3rd) immediately following RAW.

– It was noted during last night’s episode of RAW that security had been confiscating Hulk Hogan signs brought in by a number of fans.

Wrestling Inc also note that they received a number of reports where security were asking fans to not stream anything on the Periscope app.

– This Thursday on SmackDown, former NXT Champion, Kevin Owens will be in action – as will Becky Lynch who will take on Nikki Bella in a non-title match.

“Stone Cold Podcast” With Paige Announced For Next Monday Night

On Monday, WWE announced that the “Stone Cold Podcast” with WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will soon be returning to the WWE Network.

WWE revealed that Austin’s live show will return to the WWE Network next Monday night, August 3rd, with special guest Paige. The show will air live immediately after next Monday’s RAW.

Make sure to check back here at SEScoops.com on Monday evening for a recap of Paige’s appearance on the “Stone Cold Podcast.”

John Cena On Wanting To Wrestle Steve Austin, Being On Total Divas & More

WWE United States Champion John Cena recently spoke with FOX 411 to promote his role in the new Judd Apatow film, “Trainwreck.” Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On if he is the next Dwayne Johnson: “There is only one Dwayne Johnson. What Dwayne has done is absolutely fantastic. He had a vision when he was here at WWE. He promotes like a mad man. We’ll see how I do with John Cena before I can be mentioned in the company of Dwyane Johnson.”

On if it is odd to have his personal life open for public consumption on Total Divas: “It is weird. When they came to us with the concept of “Total Divas” it wasn’t so accepted around [the WWE]. Those girls who chose to put their lives are some of the bravest. I wanted nothing but success for her.”

On why he is so loyal to WWE: “There will be a time when I won’t be able to perform in the ring. I’m 38-years-old. So, if I’m not in the ring I want to be involved in some way. I love it! I watch every single match because I enjoy it. It’s been 12 or 13 years now, the audience is so exciting and electric. It keeps me coming back.”

On if he could face off against any wrestler, who would it be: “Past: Stone Cold Steve Austin because he was truly inspiration to me. Our audience wouldn’t mind seeing that. In the same breath there are some present stars that I haven’t faced off with. Hopefully, down the line I look forward to facing those new faces.”

Check out the complete interview above.

Broken Skull Challenge Production Crew Goes On Strike

Deadline.com reports that the crew of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge show walked off the job on Wednesday morning. Production was underway on season 3 of the popular competition reality show on CMT.

The crew is demanding an IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) status, which would afford them health benefits, pension and other benefits of a union contract.

The Motion Picture Editor’s Guild and IATSE are representing both production and post-production workers on the show and are putting up a picket line outside the offices of show producers 51 Minds Entertainment.

No word yet on how close the matter is to being resolved, but we’ll post an update when it becomes available.

Jim Ross Q&A: Scripted Promos, Cesaro/Rusev, GFW & TNA Working Together

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official Q&A section, answering questions from fans on a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On if WWE will induct The Honky Tonk Man: “I have no idea. In my eyes HTM is certainly a WWE HOFer. All we can do is stay tuned.”

On Cesaro vs. Rusev from RAW: “Thought the match overachieved and was entertaining. No wasted motion. Happy for all involved.”

On WWE going with Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall at WrestleMania 18: “I have no idea as that’s been 13 years ago. The storyline featured the nWo, so that was the direction that was taken.”

On why there aren’t as many good mic workers: “Some guys have potential but they will be challenged to find their voice as long as their promos are scripted for them.”

On TNA and GFW’s working relationship: “I have no idea but anything is possible and the two organizations working together is a timely idea.”

On GFW having tournaments to decide their first-ever champions: “Time will tell, but having tournaments is the natural way to determine champions in a new promotion. I hope GFW succeeds. The titles will help establish the personalities.”

Check out more JR Q&A online at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Kevin Owens Talks Battleground, Neville/Stardust, Mundo On Austin’s Podcast

– Lucha Underground star Johnny Mundo (aka John Morrison) is the guest on the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which you can download right now at PodcastOne.com.

– On this week’s SmackDown Fallout videos, which you can view below, Kevin Owens predicts victory at WWE Battleground this Sunday, Neville calls Stardust a coward, Cesaro talks about defeating Rusev and Mark Henry offers advice to the WWE Tag-Team Champions, The Prime Time Players.

Roddy Piper Addresses Controversy Between Himself And Steve Austin

As promised, WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper addressed the controversy and rumors regarding issues between himself and fellow WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the latest edition of his podcast.

The controversy began when Piper had comedian and actor Will Sasso on his show doing an impression of Austin. As a result, Austin had Podcast One pull down the episode, noting that they brought up some personal things that he didn’t want out on the internet.

“There was a lot of love in it [the podcast], but I guess not for you,” Piper said while addressing Austin. “That’s my mistake then. Come Monday, when the episode aired, the company had taken down not only the podcast, but all of my podcasts and took me off the air because Steve, you were upset and you went and talked to them. OK, got it.”

Piper went on to reveal the fact that he spoke to the head of Podcast One, who informed Piper that his podcasts were taken down and that “The Hot Rod” could not talk about Austin anymore. Piper said that he felt that under those conditions he was being censored, and as a result, he didn’t feel like he wanted to work with Podcast One any longer.

“I didn’t mean to offend you in any way, and I still don’t see it,” Piper said to Austin. “However, I don’t need to. If you got offended by it, then I am sorry for whatever… I didn’t get it I guess, so I got out. It’s that simple. So for you, I’ve got all the respect in the world for what you’ve done. I hope you do all the things that you want to, and Hershey the Wonder Dog [laughs]. I don’t want to deal with it anymore. So I’m done with it, I didn’t lie about anything, and my heart’s in the right place in my life, and I’ve got my family on my side.”

Roddy Piper Hypes Upcoming Comments About Steve Austin Situation

WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will be addressing the rumors regarding himself and fellow WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on a new episode of his podcast that will be released on Monday.

Piper took to social media on Sunday to hype tomorrow’s podcast with the big Austin discussion. Below are Piper’s comments on tomorrow’s show.

Lucha Underground Producer Eric Van Wagenen Provides Update

On the most recent edition of the Steve Austin Unleashed podcast Lucha Underground producer Eric Van Wagenen was interviewed and spoke about the future of the show.

As of late, a second season of Lucha Underground has been unclear, talent have been unsure whether or not to take bookings for other show but it appears that all is well.

Lucha Underground Producer Eric Van Wagenen told Steve Austin:

“El Rey absolutely wants us back. They’ve given us an offer on the table, we want you to come back 40 more episodes, ‘we’d love to have you start airing in October. We want you back.’ Now, what we’re trying to do as an organization, is we want to maintain this certain level of production value.

There’s the amount of money El Rey is giving us, and then there’s this amount of money that we need to spend in order to keep the same level of quality that we’ve established. […] It’s a high production value, we put a lot of emphasis on the production value, we don’t cut any corners.

So now, what we are doing is, myself and the other El Rey executives and the investors and Mark Burnett and the people who work now at the United Artist Media group – there is a combined effort to bridge that gap, between the money El Rey is giving us and the money we need.

All options are on the table, whether that’s Netflix, or iTunes, or a secondary broadcast partner, or DVD sales, merchandise, you name it, every options on the table. The money guys are trying to close that gap, and once we have that gap closed, we’re announcing.”

To listen to the full interview on the Steve Austin Unleashed Podcast, click this link.

Backstage News On USA Network Being Upset With WWE Over Tough Enough

Sources at the USA Network indicate that officials in the network believe pro wrestling’s popularity is cycling downward, which is indicated by the recent decline in ratings.

USA Network reportedly feels that the format of Tough Enough being taped and live isn’t working because it doesn’t give the judges enough time to make fair decisions, and fans are only given a few minutes instead of a full day or full week to vote. They apparently feel this turns off the audience and leads to a poor word-of-mouth buzz.

Additionally, USA officials felt Steve Austin was a dynamic presence with charisma that carried the previous Tough Enough season, while Chris Jericho comes off as a game show host. They aren’t blaming Jericho for anything as much as they are blaming the format of the show. They feel Tough Enough comes off like a game show instead of a reality TV competition.

USA is also concerned with the fact that the last two Tough Enough winners — Daniel Puder and Andy Leavine — were released by WWE before ever amounting to anything in the promotion. The feeling is that winning the show means nothing, which is another reason why fans don’t seem to care about it.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Steve Austin, Roddy Piper Comment On Issues That Led To WWE Dropping Piper

As previously reported, WWE dropped Roddy Piper from his WWE Legends contract, according to Ric Flair, due to issues with Steve Austin over Podcast One.

The issues reportedly began when Piper claimed that Austin got Piper’s podcast booted off of Podcast One after satirical comments were made by comedian Will Sasso, who was impersonating Austin, on a Piper’s Pit podcast that took place earlier this year.

Austin noted earlier this week that at age 50, he has no time for “soap opera stuff.” Austin claimed he had nothing to do with Piper getting pulled from Podcast One. He said he contacted the President of Podcast One and was informed that Piper asked for a meeting with them to tell the company that he no longer wanted to do a podcast for them.

Austin said he is not to blame for Piper leaving and claimed Piper himself is the one who wanted to leave. Austin added that despite everything, he has no hard feelings towards Piper.

Piper plans to address the situation on his next podcast. “This will be cleared up and gone after my next Podcast,” said Piper. “I heard what Steve said! Respect! My Honor’s not for sale!”

WWE Drops Roddy Piper From His WWE Legends Contract?

WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair mentioned on the latest edition of his “Wooo! Nation” podcast that fellow WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has been dropped from his WWE Legends contract.

According to Flair, Piper was dropped from his WWE Legends deal as a result of his recent issues with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin over PodcastOne.com.

We don’t have a lot of specific details on this story yet, however stay tuned as we hope to have an update later today.