– John Cena granted another wish for the Make-A-Wish Foundation prior to Monday’s RAW from Mephis. Cena met with 11 year old Wish Kid Luis and his family. You can see a photo of them Community.WWE.com.
– The latest plan for Alexander Rusev’s next WWE match is for him to wrestle at either WrestleMania or on RAW the next night, according to a report at PWInsider.com.
– Steve Austin is featured in the latest WWE video blog, where he shows off the trailer he’l be living in while filming his new ‘Broken Skull Challenge’ reality competition show for CMT.
WWE is reportedly planning on making a big push for Hulk Hogan merchandise and legends merchandise based on a “big four” of Hogan, The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior and Steve Austin. As part of this deal, WWE is wanting to get all four to appear at WrestleMania XXX in April.
As previously reported, Austin has mentioned that he had no interest in going to WrestleMania just to be there, and that he would only be interested in attending if he had a good reason. WWE reportedly wants to come up with a good storyline to bring Austin to WrestleMania this year in a non-wrestling role. The idea has apparently been pitched to Austin, however we have yet to hear of any kind of deal being reached.
The following is a list of the current merchandise sellers at the arenas in WWE.
1. John Cena
2. Daniel Bryan
3. CM Punk (down on the list because he’s been off TV and hasn’t been at the arenas)
4. Batista
5. Sheamus
6. Hulk Hogan
7. Randy Orton
8. Brock Lesnar
On the official WWE website, the list of top merchandise sellers is as follows:
1. John Cena
2. CM Punk
3. Daniel Bryan
4. Hulk Hogan
5. The Shield
6. Steve Austin
7. Brock Lesnar
8. Undertaker
9. Randy Orton
Notably absent from the list are Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio, both of whom have been among the top merchandise movers, especially Mysterio, who has been in the top tier list for several years.
WWE has added video previews for next week’s edition of “WrestleMania Rewind” and “WWE Countdown.” Tuesday’s edition of “WrestleMania Rewind” will take a look back at the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels main event from WrestleMania 14. You can check out the preview for that show, which will air exclusively on the WWE Network, below:
The latest edition of “WWE Countdown” will feature a list of the greatest finishing moves in history. The show, which also airs on Tuesday on the WWE Network, can be previewed below:
WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase Sr. recently took some time to participate in an exclusive in-depth interview with PWMania.com. DiBiase, now retired from active wrestling, serves the public as a minister for Heart of David Ministry and had a lot to say about his new profession, wrestling, his family and more including Vince McMahon, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, WCW and the attitude era. Here are some highlights from the interview:
Vince McMahon & The Million Dollar Man Character: “It all has to do with marketing. The greatest marketing is word of mouth. Nobody can disagree that Vince is extremely good at marketing. He has marketed WWE so well and even the name Wrestlemania is synonymous with events like the Super Bowl. Now, this past Super Bowl was terrible. But, it’s a brand, just like WWE is a brand. People will still watch that brand. Wrestlemania will sell out because of its strength as a brand.”
Grooming Steve Austin: “I was really happy for him. I told him when I managed him the reason Vince put me with guys is because he hoped I would groom them. I told Steve at the time to keep doing what he was doing because what it is believable. You may not get over as fast, but you will last longer than guys who get over real fast and then their popularity dies out. Once you get over, you can do whatever you want. I don’t think anybody expected his character would grow to be as big as it did.”
The Attitude Era & Steve Austin: “But, as far as still managing him if I was still there, I wouldn’t be with him. As a Christian, I had an issue with the Attitude Era. If Stone Cold’s character was the heel, I’d be okay with it. But because he was drinking beer, flipping the bird and cursing…and getting cheered for it? And he becomes a babyface? That sends a message to teenagers that it’s ok to do all those things. That didn’t sit well with me.. The same thing was true with the NWO because we were the bad guys. But the bad guys were becoming the cool thing to be. There are good guys and bad guys in wrestling and I feel the story that should be told is that the good guys in the end win. If we send that message to kids, we are sending the right message. The Million Dollar Man character always got his butt kicked in the end.”
The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Appearances: “Regarding his once-a-year Wrestlemania appearances, I can only think “Mark, how many times can you do this?” Every year I think he would be getting closer to the end. But the fact that he only makes this one-time appearance is great because fans of the Undertaker will be there and will look forward to seeing him. One of the reasons Elvis Presley was famous is because the only time you ever saw him was when he walked on stage. He would walk on stage, would perform and literally left the building. It adds to the mystique. The less you see something you like, the more you want to see it.”
“The Million Dollar Man” also spoke more on Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, his future plans, WCW, WWF/E, Ted DiBiase Jr., being a minister among several other topics. You can read the in-depth interview in its entirety at PWMania.com.
– Rey Mysterio was not at this week’s RAW or SmackDown tapings. His contract is expiring in a few months and there’s been some talk that he’ll be leaving WWE to work for the new AAA TV series that will premiere the El Rey Network later this year. Mysterio’s longtime friend Konnan is heavily involved in the project, which begins filming this summer in Los Angeles.
– This week’s SmackDown pre and post show panel will be hosted by Josh Mathews, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Booker T and Alex Riley.
– Steve Austin noted on Twitter that his new “Broken Skull Challenge” reality series on CMT begins filming this week.
– A bunch of new PodcastOne.com podcasts are now available. Part two of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on the new Jim Ross “Ross Report” podcast is available.
A new “Talk Is Jericho” podcast with Chris Jericho interviewing Ghosthunter star Jeff Belanger is up on his page.
Finally, the latest “30 Years Of WrestleMania” podcast featuring Renee Young interviewing Goldust and Cody Rhodes has been added.
You can check all of these shows out right now at PodcastOne.com.
– NBA star LeBron James recently bought his whole team WWE World Heavyweight Championship replica belts. He tweeted the following photo of his team with the belts on his Instagram account.
Always wanted to be the WWE Heavyweight World Champion so today I surprised my teammates with their… http://t.co/NmT44sSlVG
– Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he’s interviewing Trish Stratus later today for an upcoming episode of his Ross Report podcast. He’s encouraging fans to send in questions for Trish on Twitter using the hashtag #JR.
Part 2 of his interview with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin premieres tomorrow (Wednesday).
– One of the main technical difficulties fans have experienced with the WWE Network has been streaming footage from the Video on Demand library. WWE is well aware of the issue and has been working with MLB Advanced Media to get the issue resolved.
WWE tweeted that the issues are only affecting 20% of WWE Network users and everything should be resolved by 6pm (Eastern) later today.
– WWE Superstar Ezekiel Jackson is now seven weeks out from hernia surgery and has resumed working out. There is no real definitive word yet as to when Jackson will be making his WWE return.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin noted in a recent tweet that part one of his interview with William Regal will be available on tomorrow’s edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Austin tweeted the following earlier today:
– The First Second Books website has a new article up that takes an in-depth look at the new Andre The Giant graphic novel biography. The article includes photos of the cover of the book, some of the artwork inside it and more. You can check out their coverage at FirstSecondBooks.com.
– As previously reported, CM Punk was in attendance at the UFC 170 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night. Punk sat cage-side with UFC president Dana White, however he was never acknowledged during the broadcast.
Also in attendance at the UFC show on Saturday was WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Austin, who was acknowledged during the broadcast, sat next to top UFC contender Urijah Faber.
As noted earlier this week, Austin scheduled an interview with UFC Hall Of Famer Stephan Bonnar while he was in town for a future edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast.
– WWE is planning on running a large amount of live programming on the WWE Network during WrestleMania XXX week. Apparently the feeling within the company is that New Orleans, which is the city that will be hosting WrestleMania XXX, is a party city, so WWE wants to keep their talent as busy as possible to avoid any embarrassing incidents.
– The Rock noted in a recent interview for WWE Magazine that his rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, in his opinion, was cut short. The Rock said, “Ironically, WrestleMania was supposed to be the beginning of The Rock-Austin rivalry, as far pay-per-view storylines, television, etc. was concerned. After WrestleMania, things just started to change. The fans were behind me.”
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin noted recently that UFC Hall Of Famer “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar will be a guest on a future edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Austin tweeted the following:
Shooting the breeze w The American Psycho @StephanBonnar tomorrow for #SAS in a high rise hotel. One of us may take the window….
– As previously reported, long-time WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia recorded an in-studio interview for an upcoming “Steve Austin Show” podcast. Her interview on the show is set to air on next Thursday’s “Unleashed” podcast.
– Speaking of podcasts, WWE Diva Natalya’s appearance on Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” show is now available. You can listen to that interview at PodcastOne.com.
– WWE Superstar David Otunga recently spoke to TheYBF.com about being one of a few African American stars in WWE. “It feels really good to be one of the WWE’s African American superstars and to know there are little kids looking up to me. So it’s very cool to represent for everybody.”
– The latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which features Zeb Colter (aka Dutch Mantel) as a guest, is now available. You can check it out at SteveAustinShow.com.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper continues to campaign for a match at WrestleMania XXX on his official Twitter account. Piper recently tweeted the following:
#WWE put Piper in WMXXX! He promises, the fans will love it! Or is "What's good for biz" just a line a writer made for you!
After promoting Steve Austin’s podcast on RAW for the past several weeks, WWE has started plugging Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast on their official website as well.
As we previously reported, WWE has been looking at entering the podcast business after seeing the success that Austin and Jericho have had with their shows. Additionally, they seem to be allowing their talent to appear as guests on these shows.
WWE launched their own PodcastOne.com show a few weeks ago, “30 Years Of WrestleMania,” with two shows thus far, which featured Shawn Michaels and Edge talking to host Renee Young about their WrestleMania memories and highlights.
– The “expert panel” for the live WWE NXT “Arrival” pre-show on the WWE Network will consist of Renee Young, Kevin Nash, Paul Heyman and Bret “The Hitman” Hart. The pre-show for the live special is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm E.T.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin mentioned during a recent “Steve Austin Show” that WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia will be an in-studio guest on one of his upcoming podcasts.
– Speaking of podcast guests, WWE Diva Natalya will be the special guest on this Friday’s edition of the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which is hosted by former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho. Natalya recently tweeted the following about the appearance:
– WWE has applied for trademarks for “NXT: Arrival” and “Yes Movement.”
– The first episode of WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross’ new Ross Report podcast is now online at PodcastOne.com. His first guest is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who talked about his career, why a match with Hulk Hogan never took place and more.
Austin noted that while he was at last week’s RAW from Los Angeles, nobody from WWE mentioned anything to him about appearing at WrestleMania.
Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) has been tweeting today about his love for professional wrestling. RG3 spoke about being excited for the new WWE Network, and answered some questions from fans about his favorite wrestlers. Below are some recent RG3 tweets:
Big @WWE fan growing up. Looking forward to checking out @WWENetwork when it launches on Feb 24! #WWENetwork
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin praised the match between John Cena and Cesaro from Monday’s RAW. “The Rattlesnake” tweeted the following:
The latest episode of the Steve Austin Show podcast is now online with Stone Cold’s special guest, John Cena. Here are some highlights of what Cena talked about:
– He turns 37 in April and still feels like he can keep up with anyone in WWE.
“I’m doing the best I can. I feel great. I’ll be turning 37 in April. In your plea for longevity, you can’t be young in the ring all the time. So, I still feel as if I can keep up with anyone who comes through the door. I have a certain amount of stuff I do on a television basis, but every once in a while, I try to do some stuff that’s unique.”
– He admitted that WWE officials have created a “walking on eggshells” environment and wishes there was more positive reinforcement from management.
“A lot of this business is false motivation. They’ll pat you on the butt and go, ‘Oh, good match.’ Right when you come through Gorilla. I wish there was more motivational reinforcement. It’s just lack of confidence. The amazing thing is a lot of these guys are so confident once they’re in that box and the bell rings doing their thing. I’ve talked to a lot of guys – they have such great personalities.”
– Many WWE superstars are fearful for their jobs and are “not willing” to take the next step with their careers.
“It’s not that what we have isn’t good. I think we have a locker room full of very, very talented Superstars. But, I also think we have a locker room full of Superstars who are fearful for their employment. And, they’re not willing to take that one step. I don’t get a mad at a lot nowadays. What really frustrates me is when I see a guy with all of the tools or next to all of the tools who is afraid to take that leap of faith.”
– WWE is on the cusp of having a true all-star roster for the first time in a long time.
“I wish – and right now I’m very excited – we are on the cusp of getting a true All-Star line-up for the first time in a long time. I think you’ll see that (the chants) go away. And I’m objectively looking at it because when you have one dude and you’re trying to make Superstars off that dude, a majority of the audience only recognizes that one guy. It’s why when you have a feud with Daniel Bryan or The Rock, you don’t hear the ‘Let’s Go Cena / Cena Sucks’ as much. It’s cheer for one guy, boo the other guy. But, when it’s a one-man party out there, often times, the crowd gets attached to the one man.”
– There are big changes going on behind the scenes with how WWE will be presenting the product, moving towards more action and less talk.
– Cena talked about recently working with Cesaro at the Performance Center for a Muscle & Fitness photo shoot. Cena said he likes to get to know talents on a personal basis when WWE is ready to push them to the main event.
There’s much more to the interview, which you should absolutely go out of your way to listen at PodcastOne.com.
– John Cena will be Steve Austin’s guest on Tuesday’s episode of the Steve Austin Show on PodcastOne.com.
– Ring of Honor’s Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff appeared on the Live Audio Wrestling show with John Pollack on Sunday and made some pretty stunning comments about Matt Hardy and Reby Sky’s recent arrests after a domestic violence incident:
“It did appear on TMZ and it did happen. Of course, it happened so much earlier than it was finally reported. You know, I gotta tell you something, John, there was really not a lot about it. I saw the stuff on TMZ and I saw a couple of Facebook comments about Matt wrestling in Philadelphia. I think it was really not a big deal. I don’t have a position on that. I think that charges were dropped.
“You never want to get involved in domestic spats and domestic relationship and domestic disputes, but if a court of law or the judicial system could find no fault with it, I don’t feel that’s something we necessarily have to take a stance on. I’m not sherking that. I think the fact that C.M. Punk said he wasn’t going to wrestle for WWE or when that story came out right around that same time, I think it kind of overshadowed it… I think had the outcome had been different from a judicial standpoint or a charge standpoint, I can’t say, but really it was a domestic battle that got… You know, they’re two wrestlers, they’re probably two physical people.”
The official WWE website recently added a new interview with Joey Styles talking to WWE Hall Of Famers “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart about the WWE Network.
Austin was asked what the Network announcement was like for him, and he noted the following:
“I was actually a bit [ticked] off that I had to be there, because I had just gotten back from Texas, I was out of shape, I hadn’t really unpacked my bags from being at the ranch for two months. But I was so proud and happy that I went. Way back in the day when I started out in 1990, I would have never envisioned that the business would ever turn to this or someone would have the vision to do it. Vince McMahon was standing right in front of me, about two feet away, and I slapped him on the back two times and I said, “That’s impressive.” And I left that thing being extremely impressed with what WWE has come up with now.”
The following are quotes from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin from the latest edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast:
On advice to younger talent and John Cena wanting challenges for the top spot: “Let me tell you something, there ain’t nobody holding nobody down in WWE. Now it’s true that the powers that be do not believe in certain people. It is up to the talent to make management believe in them and give them a push. There is a pretty thin roster of talent in that locker room. There’s a lot of guys and gals, but when you talk about the cream of the crop, you’re talking about the best.”
“Vince McMahon will let anybody be a star that has the potential be a star. John Cena wants different dance partners. Triple H would love a different dance partner. Randy Orton would love a different dance partner. Daniel Bryan would love a different dance partner. C.M. Punk, if he comes back, would love a different dance partner. So, hey man, the doors are wide open, the ceiling is unlimited. I hear that all the time, man.”
On John Cena’s status as top dog and his work ethic: “John Cena is the top dog. He would love for someone to be in contention for that top dog status because he’s an alpha male, he’s a competitive cat and he wants to battle it out and fight for his job. All he does is keep going up and down the road, doing his best, giving it his all in the ring, and that’s all you can ask from a WWE superstar. All the cats I just mentioned are working their asses off and doing their deal. It’s gotta be up to the talent coming up to make some noise, not be afraid to go out on a limb and take a chance.”
On what current WWE Superstars should do: “You cats in the back who listen to my show in the back, do something, wake somebody up, grab that f—ing business, that company by the throat and say, ‘Hey, mother—-er I want a push!’ The sky is the limit, cats.”