– WWE will be doing a lot of production upgrades in the months leading up to WrestleMania 29. One upgrade is that WWE will be purchasing the latest state of the art HD television cameras to replace the company’s existing equipment.

– There has also been talk of WWE once again experimenting with 3D technology. Last year WWE negotiated with Fathom Events about showing a 3D version of WrestleMania in movie theaters, but a deal with the events company was never reached.

– Steve Austin’s Redneck Island has been renewed for a third season. If you’re interested in appearing on the show, visit RedneckIslandCasting.com.

* Picture of STONE COLD’s New Beard

– Former WWE Superstar Edge tweeted the following about how his neck is doing after his recent surgery:

Listen to your doctor. They've made huge advancements in spinal surgeries. I'm back at full workout and mountain biking in 2 mths@zossy83

— Adam Copeland (@RatedRCope) January 16, 2013

– Mick Foley asked his fans on Twitter earlier today who they think should induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. After getting a ton of responses, Foley tweeted:

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/291650288610324480

– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is sporting a new beard. Austin tweeted the following photo and caption on Wednesday:

Shooting the shit with @freejessejames at the Fort Knox booth at the Shot Show. http://t.co/xajhJSId

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) January 15, 2013

WWE Hall of Famers “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels were rumored for Monday’s 20th Anniversary RAW from their home state of Texas, but neither man showed up. It turns out, both men were in Las Vegas. Here’s what they wrote about not attending RAW:

Hitting the hay in Las Vegas. Hope RAW was a fun show. I was already booked here at the Shot Show in Vegas, as I am every year. #hunting

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) January 15, 2013

RT: "@CraigACutler: Really upset @ShawnMichaels is not in the house tonight." — I was honest when I said I was in Las Vegas for SHOT show!

— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) January 15, 2013

Michaels said he won’t be at tonight’s SmackDown tapings from his home town of San Antonio and said it’s unfortunate that some WWE fans don’t appreciate that he has non-WWE commitments.

Jim Ross also tweeted about Austin and Michaels missing Raw:

@Quinnah @steveaustinBSR had a long standing commitment that prevented him gro being ar #RAW20. So di @ShawnMichaels. LIGHTEN UP.

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) January 15, 2013

WWE.com has published Part 2 of their recent interview with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Paul Heyman Being A Genius “I always give credit to Paul for helping me to understand what a promo was. And giving me a chance to cut them and giving me the confidence and the platform to cut promos. Man, if it hadn’t been for Paul Heyman offering me a job in ECW, I don’t know if “Stone Cold” would have ever been.”

“You look at those rosters they used to have down in ECW, and they had some damn good talent, and they also had a bunch of misfits. Damn near all of them? Damn good promos.”

“And that was a product of working with Paul Heyman, and Paul Heyman working — however he worked — with each individual talent. I can’t speak to that because I only know how Paul worked with me, but you look at all the great promos that came out of that territory, and I remember watching ECW when I could find it on TV and watching a lot of the old VHS tapes or whatever it was back in the day. Man, that was a badass show with a lot of energy, a lot of attitude and testosterone.”

“Paul Heyman — I give him that “G” word. I give him that “genius” word. I got nothing but respect for that guy. He’s an old buddy from back in the day, when we met in WCW and he was my manager and we drove down the road together.””

If John Cena Would Succeed In The Attitude Era: “Yeah, had he been placed in it, and been dealt with accordingly, the John Cena you see now — the face of the franchise, the leader of the pack? Not so much. But I guarantee if you’d have gotten him face to face with “Stone Cold” in an interview, and you know John cuts a good interview himself, if I slapped the s*** out of that son of a b****, I think we’re off and running to make a lot of money.”

“All he needs is to be poked and prodded in the right way. I think John Cena has a hell of a lot of fire and he needs to be in the ring with the right opponent, or the right cat, to bring that out. So in the current environment, you really don’t see that in him.”

“Place [Cena] back 10 years in the ring with “Stone Cold”? You’d have rung the cash register, big time.”

To read what Steve Austin said about working with Bret Hart, his thoughts on “Superstar” Billy Graham and his favorite moment in pro wrestling history, head over to WWE.com to for the full interview.

The official WWE website has an interview up with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin talking about the new WWE ’13 video game. Here are some highlights of what Austin said about:

Why He’s Considered The Face of the Attitude Era: “I guess I was just an entertaining guy. It’s hard for me to answer that question, because it’s cool to be that guy. But I’m not gonna sit here and blow smoke up my a**. I guess I just turned it up to be loud and aggressive, and I meant what I said and I did what I said.

I think the character of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, he was a pretty honest and straight-shooting cat, and he was digging and scratching and clawing to get to the top in the business that he loved and it showed in the work and in the persona I created.”

Did WWE Go Too Far with The Attitude Era? “No, no. I said, “a**,” “hell yeah” — stuff like that. And “a**” is about every other word that came out of my mouth back then, as it is in my current life. I happen to love that word. There is nothing I ever said that pushed the envelope too far from a language parameter.

You look at the time when Bret Hart flipped out and said, this is garbage. Everybody back in that dressing room knows that promo when he pushed Vince on his a** was further than anywhere I ever went within a language — I never went there.”

Who He Wish He Could Have Wrestled: “It’s always fun to think about what it would have been like if me and Goldberg had gotten into the ring, to see what would have happened if me and Hollywood Hogan got involved in serious matches, and not in a one-off match. It would have been fun to have worked with a guy like Ultimate Warrior, it would have been fun to do a bunch of matches with Randy Savage, or [Ric] Flair — I would have liked to work a high-profile series with him.

Hell, just because Bruno Sammartino just threw me under the bus a couple of months ago, it would’ve been to fun to work with him. You talk about the entertainment aspect, that’s what wrestling’s all about.”

* STEVE AUSTIN Talks About Being Healthy & Able To Wrestle Again

– Speaking to English digital publication Hooked on Wrestling, TNA Wrestling star Kurt Angle labeled WWE Hall of Famer and former rival “Stone Cold” Steve Austin “underrated.”

“One of the most underrated wrestlers – not entertainers, but wrestlers – in the history of professional wrestling,” said Angle of the 6-time WWE Champion. “He changed the face of wrestling. I wrestled him in my first year in the business, and I knew nothing. Austin carried me through every match that we had.”

– In Robbie E’s latest blog for Spike.com, the former TNA Television and X Division Champion offers tips on how to be a “bro.” One vital requirement concerns grooming.

“To be a proper bro, one must be properly groomed. Which consists of trimmed nose hairs, ears regularly cleaned, and so on,” wrote E. “And if I have to tell you to use a ton of product in your hair and keep your tan perfect, you should probably just stop reading now, because you’ll never be a bro.”

E has also re-launched his official website, Robbie-E.com.

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin was recently interviewed by Inside The Ropes and spoke about his WWE ’13 sit-down interview with CM Punk (hosted by Jim Ross) and why he feels wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has been so critical of the WWE product over the years. Here are some highlights, followed by audio of the interview:

His WWE ‘13 Sit Down Interview With  CM Punk, Hosted By Jim Ross:

“It was a lot of fun going back and being a part of WWE 13 the video game, hang out with my good buddy Jim Ross and CM Punk, a young guy in the business I really like, I really like what he’s bringing to the table and what he’s doing. To go back and play The Rattlesnake character was a lot of fun. You know we pushed the envelope a little bit there but we played it straight down the middle, but I would’ve loved to ramp it up and go full bore Stone Cold on him, but it just wasn’t that time. Who knows if there will be a time down the road, but I enjoyed being that guy. It’s a dynamic part of my personality. I enjoy the adrenaline.”

Bruno Sammartino Being Closed Minded:

“Bruno is a legend in the business and his opinion is his opinion. I think he’s very closed minded about the Attitude Era. One thing I think he’s missing out on is the fact that it’s the entertainment business. Speaking from a Stone Cold standpoint, I went out there and I entertained and I pushed the envelope but when it came time to ring that bell in that 20 by 20 ring, I wrestled my ass off. I brawled and I fought and I gave the fans every bit of their moneys worth. Bruno’s opinion is what it is. When you look back at where the business was, it was a little slow. I can appreciate that, but you fast forward all these years and it’s a little faster and either you like it or you don’t.”

The following press release was sent out today promoting WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s next DVD/Blu-Ray action movie, “The Package.”

Get ready to rumble when Steve Austin and Dolph Lundgren battle for THE PACKAGE

Beware of The German!

Coming to Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD February 19th

BEVERLY HILLS, CA Unrelenting action is the order of the day when superstars Steve Austin (The Expendables, Maximum Conviction) and Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables II, One In The Chamber) burn up the screen in Anchor Bay Films’ bone-crunching action epic THE PACKAGE, coming to Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack and DVD February 19th.

Directed by Jesse V. Johnson and written by Derek Kolstad, THE PACKAGE features Austin as Tommy Wick, a nightclub bouncer and enforcer for Seattle crime boss Big Doug (Eric Keenleyside, Dreamcatcher, Firewall). When Big Doug instructs Tommy to hand-deliver a secret package to the mysterious international crime lord “The German,” (Lundgren), he does so with the hopes that Big Doug will forgive the debt Tommy’S brother Eddie (Lochlyn Munroe, White Chicks, Freddy vs. Jason) owes.

Word of the clandestine delivery spreads and soon the package – and those who carry it – becomes the target of rival gang leader Anthony (Michael Daingerfield, The Messengers). Anthony will stop at nothing to ensure its capture. Facing incredible odds, Tommy races against the ticking clock and a small army of hit men, mercenaries, assassins and sadists — to complete delivery. But does The German have other ideas about what to do with the package?

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:

Sheamus: “@wwesheamus has many qualities as did Stone Cold…physically and mentally tough and loves to perform at a physical level that some opponents don’t embrace. Both were great examples of not accepting being denied stardom and continued to work through career challenge no matter what hand was dealt them.”

Steve Austin Says Sheamus Is “Not Ready To Be Champion Yet”

TLC: “TLC in Brooklyn is going to be cool. First WWE event in that awesome, new facility. These are the moments that I miss most as a broadcaster. I will be content to watch the PPV from home but it would be cool to be a part of the first ever event for WWE in that much ballyhooed arena. Plus, I’ve never been to Brooklyn.”

NXT: “Our next NXT taping will be interesting now that @WWERollins, the NXT Champion, is a member of The Shield. About a week out from traveling to Orlando I start looking forward to the trip as I truly enjoy working with the next wave of WWE Superstars.

“Don’t kid yourself, the future of WWE depends on the productivity in WWE’s Developmental Program. WWE has no more important department in the entire company then Talent Development.

“Our next taping @FullSail will be Thursday night December 6 starting at 6:30. Should be an eye opening, three hour affair. (Sounds like one of King’s past romances.)”

* NXT Star FIRED After Being ARRESTED For Assaulting A Cop & Disorderly Intoxication (MUGGSHOT PICTURE)

– On Wednesday, a video surfaced on YouTube featuring “hidden camera” footage of Rosa Mendes purportedly changing her clothes in a locker room. The video, which was created and labeled “The Brad Maddox Experience” by a scam artist, was quickly removed, with the WWE Diva angrily tweeting Brad Maddox under the belief that he made the video.

“Nice move to get more followers. You are a nobody and you will always be a nobody!” she wrote to the aspiring WWE star. “If ur going make a fake video find someone hotter!! I look nothing like that!! You are such loser! You burned bridges with the wrong Diva!”

Maddox addressed the matter on Saturday via Twitter, writing, “Dear Morons, Stop tweeting me crap about a youtube video put up by a mark. It is clearly and obviously not me. You are stupid. Love, Brad.”

– The following video was issued of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin congratulating WWE Games on two million Facebook likes.

– WWE announcer Josh Mathews turns 32-years-old on Sunday.

As noted earlier, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke to Canada’s CTVNews to hype the new WWE ’13 video game. You can read Hart’s quotes comparing today’s current generation to the main eventers of the 1980’s at our earlier report here.

Hart also spoke about the Attitude Era bringing about the evolution of Steve Austin and the Undertaker’s characters – and what it was like during the mid 1990’s when WWE transitioned from pushing one-dimensional bodybuilders like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior to technical masters like him and Shawn Michaels.

Wrestling Evolving From Bodybuilders To Technicians:“I don’t want to rag too much on Hulk Hogan but he’s pretty one-dimensional,” said Hart. “Very big guy. The great, magnificent body that he had — the 22-inch arms and all that kind of stuff. But after a while, after (The Ultimate) Warrior came, it was like, ‘Enough of the body-building, let’s go on with who can actually do a drop-kick and who can actually climb up on top and do stuff.’

“I think the wrestling really did change from these sort of dinosaurs to the guys who were really picking it up and doing the moves.”

Undertaker’s Evolution: “Whereas in the beginning, he was kind of like Frankenstein, kind of moving around slow and ponderous in the ring, and was very methodical. But times changed and by the mid-90s, Undertaker had revamped his whole character.”

Steve Austin’s Evolution: “I like to think I was carrying the flag for the whole company, where it wasn’t about the wrestlers being cartoon characters,” said Hart. “It was about the wrestlers being committed stars that were trying to get to the top.”

– WWE.com has an article up article looking at whether Ryback is ready for Survivor Series & his Triple Threat WWE title match against CM Punk and John Cena.

– Heath Slater noted on Twitter that his new finishing move is called the Smash Hit.

– Jim Ross has once again shot down the rumor of Steve Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 29, telling a fan on Friday, “Not likely.”

– Damien Sandow spoke with Brian Soscia of BeneathTheMat.com to hype Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Sandow also gave an update on the health status of his tag team partner, Cody Rhodes:

Arda Ocal of The Score Television Network and the Baltimore Sun spoke with WWE legend and film & tv star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Highlights:

– How he’s recovering from knee surgery and if he’ll ever compete again and the fact that he would be willing to entertain an offer from WWE and where exactly that process is at right now.

– Discusses the release of the WWE ’13 video game in which he is a focal point, and does it bother him that CM Punk is on the cover.

– Talks about the return of his reality tv series Redneck Island on CMT. “I consider myself the king of rednecks.”

– Why an Austin/Hogan dream match never happened. “I don’t think I just ever wanted to wrestle the guy I guess.”

– Finally Austin gives his opinion on the recent CM Punk/Paul Heyman “Fake Heart Attack” incident and if he thinks it crossed the line. “I believe in pushing the envelope in an aggressive fashion. But when a guy damn near dies at ringside, let it go.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksSmhedffcY

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman. The program airs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., visit www.facebook.com/bustedopen for more information. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Could he ever be medically cleared to wrestle again?: “It’s not even about being cleared. I’m 100 percent fine. Once I had my fusion done in 2000 and I went into the recovery phase and then got back in the ring, everything was fine and dandy. I was just running too hard towards the end and had a few issues. It was time to get out. Passing the physical isn’t the issue.”

Is CM Punk the only guy he would come back for to wrestle?: “I think John Cena would be a guy as well. I really like John. He is the face of that company right now and he has done a hell of a job and I got a lot of respect for him. You look at a guy like Triple H, that was one of my favorite guys to work in the ring with. Such a ring general and such a pro. Just an easy night at the office. Undertaker is kind of beat to shreds, kind of like me. Those would be a few guys off the top of my head. Would it just be CM Punk? No. Is CM Punk at the top of the list? Yes!”

The content listing for WWE’s “The Attitude Era” three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-Ray scheduled for release on Nov. 20 has been released.

The synopsis for the title reads: “In the late-90s, WWE was struggling for ratings survival while a cultural shift in the viewing audience’s taste was occurring. “Saying your prayers and taking your vitamins” had lost its luster amongst the rebellious masses who preferred “flipping the bird” and “laying the smackdown”… Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind and the notorious crop of edge and fearless Superstars who ushered in The Attitude Era. Now in this 3DVD set fans can own all the infamous moments from this controversial and revolutionary era that redefined sports entertainment for an entire generation. Over 8-hours of envelope-pushing content includes all the agression, antics and innuendos that proved to be the perfect cocktail for an explosion of popularity.”

Here is the listing, courtesy of WWEDVDNews.com.

DISC 1

Documentary:

The Birth of Attitude

Entrance Music

D-Generation X

Austin vs. McMahon

Long-Arching Stories

Innovations

New Demographic

Critics

Expansion

Comedy

Wealth of Talent

The World Was Watching

Watershed Period
Jim Ross interviews Goldust & Marlena
Raw – Nov 3, 1997

Steve Austin Throws the InterContinental Championship Off A Bridge
Raw – Dec 15, 1997

Soldier of Love
Raw – May 4, 1998

Mr McMahon Presents Mankind with the WWE Hardcore Championship
Raw – Nov 2, 1998

Jim Ross Interviews Triple H
Sunday Night Heat – July 25, 1999

An Evening At The Friendly Tap
SmackDown! – Jan 20, 2000

Mae Young and the Acolyte Protection Agency
SmackDown! – Jan 27, 2000

“The Jug Band”
Judgment Day 2000

Triple H Trains Trish Stratus
SmackDown! – July 27, 2000

Edges Totally Awesome Birthday
Raw – Oct 30, 2000

The Rocks Message to His Hell in a Cell Opponents
Raw – Dec 4, 2000

GTV

DISC 2

Mike Tyson Joins DX
Raw – Mar 2, 1998

A New Beginning For D-Generation X
Raw – March 30, 1998

Sable vs. “Marvelous” Marc Mero
Raw – May 11, 1998

Nation of Degeneration
Raw – July 6, 1998

Brawl for All Match
Bart Gunn vs. “Dr Death” Steve Williams
Raw – July 27, 1998

Four Corners Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The Undertaker & Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane & Mankind vs. The New Age Outlaws vs. The Rock & Owen Hart
Raw – Aug 10, 1998

Lions Den Match
Ken Shamrock vs. Owen Hart
SummerSlam 1998

Finals of WWE Championship Tournament
The Rock vs. Mankind
Survivor Series 1998

The Rock & The Undertaker vs. Mankind & Stone Cold Steve Austin
Raw – Dec 7, 1998

Austin Gives The Corporation A Beer Bath
Raw – March 22, 1999

The Undertaker vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Raw – June 28, 1999

The Debut of Y2J
Raw – Aug 9, 1999

DISC 3

Content still to be confirmed.

Special Features

(Expected Best Buy Exclusive)

GTV – Al Snow & Head

Mae Young Gives Birth
Raw – Feb 28, 2000

WWE Womens Championship Match
Lita vs. Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
Raw – June 12, 2000

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz
Raw – July 17, 2000

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES

King of Kings Match
Ken Shamrock vs. Triple H vs. Owen Hart
Raw – June 29, 1998

The Oddities w/ Insane Clown Posse vs. The Headbangers
Raw – Sept 28, 1998

The Truth About Sammy
Raw – Jan 18, 1999

The Unholy Union of Stephanie McMahon & The Undertaker
Raw – April 26, 1999

The Rock vs. Val Venis
SmackDown – Oct 7, 1999

Survivor Series Elimination Match
Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kane & Shane McMahon vs. Triple H, X-Pac & The New Age Outlaws
SmackDown – Nov 4, 1999

WWE Hardcore Championship Match
Al Snow vs. Crash Holly
SmackDown – June 29, 2000

The Hardy Boyz & Lita vs. Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero & Dean Malenko
SmackDown – Nov 30, 2000

Chris Jericho & The Dudley Boyz vs. Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian
Raw – Dec 25, 2000

– Season 2 of the CMT show “Redneck Island” starring WWE Hall of Fame “Stone Cold” Steve Austin premieres tonight at 9PM (EST). The episode will replay at midnight and at 2AM.

– With WrestleMania 29 tickets officially going on sale to the public this morning, WWE superstar The Rock tweeted the following message assuring fans that he will indeed be there:

Gave @WWE Universe my word I would "Electrify" Met Life Stadium @Wrestlemania like never before. Tickets on sale today..#TeamBringItStrong

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 10, 2012

– Speaking of The Rock, he’s currently in London filming scenes for the movie Fast Six and tweeted the following picture from the set. The Rock will be jumping off the roof of Wembley Stadium tonight for the movie and tweeted:

WEMBLEY STADIUM. Me & #Fast6 director Justin Lin. Tonight we make history. Yup.. #RockJumpsOffWembley pic.twitter.com/2iJo2XeL

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 9, 2012

The cover artwork for WWE’s The Attitude Era DVD and Blu-Ray has surfaced online and it features a collage of over 40 Superstars, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Sable, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Mike Tyson, Dude Love and Val Venis.

Here is the cover, courtesy of WWEDVDNews.com.

This three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-Ray is scheduled for release on Nov. 20. The synopsis reads: “In the late-90s, WWE was struggling for ratings survival while a cultural shift in the viewing audience’s taste was occurring. “Saying your prayers and taking your vitamins” had lost its luster amongst the rebellious masses who preferred “flipping the bird” and “laying the smackdown”… Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind and the notorious crop of edge and fearless Superstars who ushered in The Attitude Era. Now in this 3DVD set fans can own all the infamous moments from this controversial and revolutionary era that redefined sports entertainment for an entire generation. Over 8-hours of envelope-pushing content includes all the agression, antics and innuendos that proved to be the perfect cocktail for an explosion of popularity.”

– The episode of Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures featuring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will air tonight on the Outdoor Channel.

– The Rock tweeted the following about the casting call for his new reality TV competition show The Hero:

Blown away by all the amazing people – all walks of life – who've participated in open casting for my show The Hero. #Heart

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) October 29, 2012

– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown, Main Event and Saturday Morning Slam tapings will take place from the Crown Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The only match confirmed for the tapings is the big 6-man tag match for WWE Main Event: Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. Alberto Del Rio, Darren Young and Titus O’Neil.

* JOHN CENA’s Next Feud, Why BETH PHOENIX Is Leaving WWE & More

– This week on WWE Inbox, WWE Superstars place their bets on who would win if WWE Champion CM Punk and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin extended their ongoing feud to a match in the squared circle.

– WWE will hold a SmackDown live event at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday, December 28, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. as part of its Smackdown Holiday Tour.

– Sheamus is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

As Sheamus was making his ring entrance for his match against CM Punk on Raw Monday, WWE broadcaster and mouthpiece Michael Cole acknowledged WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Twitter remark to the WWE Champion on Saturday by taking it out of context.

“Go get em, kid. Always be a student of the game and keep working hard. Safe travels. #respect from the #BSR,” Austin wrote.

The statement was in response to Sheamus positively acknowledging Austin’s critical remarks regarding his performance level in a recent column for Fighting Spirit Magazine. The SmackDown wrestler tweeted, “Appreciate words from @steveaustinBSR – i strive to get better everyday fella & hard work is something i love.. See me bring Hell in a Cell.”

Cole instead branded the exchange as Austin taking the initiative to give the WWE Champion a ringing endorsement on Twitter, and Sheamus responding to it. The WWE Hall of Famer’s critical column remarks were not acknowledged on-air.

In the column, Austin offered his opinion on WWE’s World Titles and said Sheamus is not ready to be World Heavyweight Champion.

“Sheamus is a big talented dude, no doubt about it. Can he get to where the company wants him to go? That remains to be seen, and there’s a lot of work required from both him and the company in order to jump to that superstar level,” Austin wrote. “He’s doing fine for the amount of time he’s been in the business, and there is no disrespect intended, but there are so many aspects that go towards making a guy draw money with the title.”

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus has responded to WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin’s recent comments that he might not be “ready” to be a WWE main eventer carrying the company:

“Sheamus is a big talented dude, no doubt about it. Can he get to where the company wants him to go? That remains to be seen, and there’s a lot of work required from both him and the company in order to jump to that superstar level. He’s doing fine for the amount of time he’s been in the business, and there is no disrespect intended, but there are so many aspects that go towards making a guy draw money with the title”

Sheamus responded to Steve Austin on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wwesheamus/status/259811995413528576

Steve Austin has since followed up with this supportive message:

@WWESheamus Go get em, kid. Always be a student of the game and keep working hard. Safe travels. #respect from the #BSR

— Steve Austin (@steveaustinBSR) October 21, 2012

– “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who writes a column for Fighting Spirit Magazine, offered his opinion on reigning World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus during a recent issue while discussing WWE’s World Titles and how their importance level has never been lower. Though Austin considers the Irish grappler talented, he doesn’t feel Sheamus is ready to be champion.

Austin wrote, “Sheamus is a big talented dude, no doubt about it. Can he get to where the company wants him to go? That remains to be seen, and there’s a lot of work required from both him and the company in order to jump to that superstar level. He’s doing fine for the amount of time he’s been in the business, and there is no disrespect intended, but there are so many aspects that go towards making a guy draw money with the title.”

Austin also remarked that the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championships should be unified as soon as possible. An article on Austin’s comments is available here.

– John Cena, who is currently nursing an arm injury after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow on Sept. 18, tweeted Thursday on whether he will take part in WWE’s tour of Europe kicking off Oct. 31 in Strasbourg, France.

“And to all the @wwe folk wondering if I am traveling with #raw to Europe, I most certainly AM. See u there!” he wrote.

– Leading up to SummerSlam, WWE Games had an incredible opportunity to chat with the legendary Texas Rattlesnake, WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. Aubrey Sitterson went into the interview with a list of questions for the iconic Superstar, including his thoughts on WWE ’13, the “Attitude Era” and current WWE Champion CM Punk. Unfortunately, things took a different spin, as Austin took issue with Sitterson’s line of questions, tone and pretty much everything about the hapless WWE Games Community Manager.

Check out the WWE Games Community Exclusive video at wwe.thq.com, then be sure to follow WWE Games on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest on WWE ’13 – on sale October 30, 2012.

– The official WWE website has added Raven to its Alumni section. WWE says of the accomplished wrestler: “No competitor caused as much of a stir in the original ECW as the grungy sociopath from The Bowery known only as Raven. The loner toyed with both Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman before arriving in WCW and WWE.”

– Amidst reports of New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez allegedly flirting with a pair of women two rows behind the dugout during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the official WWE website has posted photos of his girlfriend, Torrie Wilson.

– WWE announced Wednesday that Rey Mysterio has been removed from SmackDown’s upcoming live tour of Egypt due to an illness. SmackDown Superstar Ted DiBiase will be added to the tour in his place.

– In the following video, Brodus Clay promotes Hot Pocket’s “Pocket Like It’s Hot” music video, available at www.facebook.com/hotpockets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGeQGfwT4Tg

– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is featured in the “Superstar Spotlight” today on WWE.com.

– Cable network CMT sent out a press release announcing the premiere date for Season 2 of Steve Austin’s reality show, Redneck Island. The show returns on Saturday, November 10 at 9pm (EST) and will be followed by the premieres of two new shows: Chainsaw Gang and Big Texas Heat. From the announcement:

REDNECK ISLAND returns for a second season with fourteen red, white and blue-collared Americans descending on Steve Austin’s tropical island for their chance to win a $100,000 prize. In the first episode, the contestants think they’re on easy street when they see that their living conditions are better than expected, but they soon realize the competition is serious during their first challenge, a game of human cornhole. New episodes of REDNECK ISLAND will premiere weekly at 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., ET/PT.

– Thanks to Devin Cutting for sending in this information regarding a “live” Super SmackDown broadcast on Tuesday, November 6th:

Super Smackdown returns to SyFy on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012 at 8 PM. It’s being advertised as a live broadcast, however WWE is in England that week, so Super Smackdown will actually be taped earlier in the day.

Since there is a Raw house show happening at the same time as the taping, this edition of Super Smackdown won’t involve the entire roster. A replay of Super Smackdown will air that Friday in Smackdown’s normal time slot.

– Mexican wrestler Hector Garza, who wrestled for WWE, WCW and TNA, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, according to PWInsider.com. Garza will undergo chemotherapy sessions and has been forced into retirement.