Paul Heyman’s Looking4Larry Agency presents this global exclusive! WWE Hall of Famer Good Ol’ JR (Jim Ross) interviewing the current reigning defending WWE Champion CM Punk and the single greatest superstar in WWE history, Stone Cold Steve Austin about their potential “biggest match of all time” … in the THQ WWE ’13 video game,of course. Or … ???
Just three days before WWE SUMMER SLAM 2012, on a closed set in Hollywood, California, THE LOOKING4LARRY AGENCY filmed a viral video as part of the promotion for THQ’s WWE ’13 video game that is destined to become a destination point of controversy for a long time to come.
The current reigning defending WWE Champion CM Punk and the single greatest Superstar in WWE history, Stone Cold Steve Austin debated each other in a forum hosted by “Good Ol’ JR” Jim Ross. The subject matter?
WHAT IF?
What if Punk and Austin actually fought? Whether in the Attitude Era, or in present day WWE, the question is quite intriguing, and one of the key components to the WWE ’13 experience is the fact you can make that match happen … in the video game, of course.
– WWE superstar Damien Sandow spoke to JacksonSun.com this week to promote Saturday’s WWE Supershow from Jackson, Tennessee. Sandow stayed in-character and spoke about his efforts to enlighten WWE’s audience.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has updated his blog at BrokenSkullRanch.com with a “Redneck State of the Union.” Here’s what Austin said about his physical rehabilitation after recent knee surgery:
“I will continue to rehab my knee down at the ranch,” Austin said. “Speaking of my knee, it is feeling great. I am slowly regaining size and strength in my left leg. I had a new ACL and PCL grafted in on July 2 and I am happy with how everything is progressing.”
– WWE Intercontinental champion The Miz will be appearing on an the TV Guide Network’s”Rove L.A.” show this Saturday at midnight (EST). Here’s a preview clip of the appearance, with Miz talking about his Miz persona, being hated everywhere he goes and the “Miztakes” who bully him on Twitter:
With WWE Champion CM Punk and WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin ramping up the trash talk in recent weeks, speculation has resumed that Stone Cold will finally get back in the ring.
Despite all the hype, there’s virtually no chance that Austin will be wrestling at WrestleMania 29. That leads to hopes of Austin and Punk headlining WrestleMania 30 in 2014, but according to people close to Austin, even that is considered a long shot.
Austin is currently recovering from major reconstructive knee surgery and some feel that his body (mostly his neck) is still a lot worse than he’s letting on.
In reality, the recent references that CM Punk and Steve Austin have been making about each other have been to hype the WWE ’13 video game, with the idea being that the video game is the one place where fans can pit the two against each other.
– WWE Champion CM Punk responded to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s one-minute videoon Tuesday referring to him as “a damn joke” and plan to address his dismissive remarks on Raw Monday in greater detail.
“I listened for broken glass,” Punk wrote on Twitter in response to Joey Styles plugging the video and writing, “LISTEN FOR THE BROKEN GLASS!”
Punk continued, “All I heard was a broken record. Speaking of broken records… #325.”
– Big Show will be appearing on the upcoming season of USA Network’s Psych premiering Wednesday, February 27, 2013.
– Mick Foley will be signing copies of his new children’s book, “A Most Mizerable Christmas,” at Barnes & Noble in the Cherryvale Mall 7200 Harrison Ste 5 Rockford, Illinois, on Thursday, Nov. 15 beginning at 6:00 p.m.
WWE Champion CM Punk continued to play up his ongoing feud with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on Raw Monday by once again slamming the legendary wrestler. The Straight Edge Superstar proclaimed that unlike Austin, he didn’t get to the top by doing things the easy way and beating up an old man in Vince McMahon. The WWE Hall of Famer issued a one-minute video stating that he’s not going to let Punk’s comments slide and that he will respond in greater detail soon.
“Hey, it’s Stone Cold Steve Austin, I’m coming to you from Mexico where I’m out here working on Redneck Island and I heard through word on the street that CM Punk has been running down Stone Cold Steve Austin on Monday Night Raw for the past two weeks. I heard that you’ve been running me down. I didn’t see the show, so I haven’t heard or seen the promos. But I’ll get on YouTube, I’ll watch ’em, I’ll respond accordingly on my website, BrokenSkullRanch.com. Or hell, if anybody up there in that organization, including you, got any guts or class you’ll send me the damn promos so I can respond accordingly. But you ain’t going to talk trash about me and I’m just going to let it slide,” said Austin.
“You call yourself the best in the world, you’re a damn joke and I ain’t going to get carried away here because I haven’t seen the promos, I just know that the words you had to say weren’t flattering. This is Stone Cold Steve Austin. You are looking, you are listening, to the best in the world and that’s all I got to say about that.”
The official YouTube account of WWE Games posted an eleven-minute video Thursday of Jim Ross moderating a sit-down discussion between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and CM Punk. The discussion, which was shot SummerSlam weekend, centered on Austin facing Punk in THQ’s WWE ’13 video game, while also teasing a real-life match between the two. The video, however, was removed within hours.
There are differing accounts on why the video was removed. According to PWInsider.com, the video was released prematurely. ProWrestling.net says it was “not the correct version,” according to a THQ employee. The video will be released again.
During the debate, the two discuss what would happen if Punk competed in the “Attitude Era” and Austin was wrestling today. Austin puts over Punk and John Cena as present-day Superstars worthy of hanging with “Stone Cold,” while dismissively labeling “the rest of the locker room” as happy to be on television. Punk says he would have been a champion during the “Attitude Era,” which causes Austin to laugh.
The interview concludes with a firm handshake and Austin proclaiming that he would defeat Punk in both the video game world and in real-life.
– RAW General Manager AJ Lee is doing promotional work for the WWE ’13 video game this week.
– Despite CM Punk talking trash about Steve Austin on RAW and Austin responding on Twitter, there is still virtually no chance that Austin will be wrestling at WrestleMania 29. The Rock, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker will be the special attractions of WrestleMania 29, with people in WWE still optimistic that Austin can be talked into wrestling one more match at WrestleMania 30 in 2014.
– WWE intends to continue building towards a CM Punk vs. Ryback match. The creative team is working on more segments between them for future episodes of RAW.
– Recently signed wrestling diva Mercedes KV has reported to WWE developmental. She did some ring announcing work at last week’s NXT live events.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin responded to CM Punk talking about him on Monday’s WWE RAW. Austin, who is currently in Mexico filming Season 2 of his reality show “Redneck Island,” tweeted this after RAW:
I was in a bar in Mexico watching the football game. Word on the street was some low end piece of trash was talking smack on #WWE RAW. #SCSA
– Former WWE Star Shawn Daivari tells TMZ.com that he saved a train full of people in Minneapolis after an unruly passenger began shouting racial slurs and threatened to kill everybody on board. Daivari says multiple people pressed the emergency button on the train, but nothing happened.
Davari told TMZ that he took matters into his own hands by throwing the guy down to the ground, putting him in a rear naked choke hold and threw him off the train at the next top. A witness who was on the train says the man peed his pants while being choked out by Davari.
The Metro Transit Rail told TMZ, “Metro Transit police responded after being alerted by the train operator to a fight on board. The investigation is ongoing.”
– Shane Helms interviewed fellow former WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley for his Highway 2 Helms show. The video interview is available here.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin issued an update on his recovery from major knee surgery in a video message Wednesday morning.
“I’m outta my brace for the most part, I put it on now and then when I have to do something kind of strenuous, when I’m working out or whatever,” stated the wrestling legend.
He also noted that he will travel to Mexico in approximately ten days to film the next season of Redneck Island on CMT.
– Matt Hardy announced today via Twitter that he had been “invited” to attend Saturday’s night’s Ring of Honor iPPV from Chicago Ridge, IL. He tweeted on Monday:
I WILL be at @RingOfHonor's PPV, I'll be doing a signing & have FULL access to the locker room & talent. Extremely interested in 1 match..
– Friday’s WWE SmackDown drew 2,954,000 viewers, up 300,000 the week before and the best viewership for the show since July 20th. Considering last week’s RAW took a big hit in the ratings from the prior week’s show, that has to be seen as a good sign for WWE’s blue brand.
– The official trailer has been released for Steve Austin and Steven Seagal’s new DVD/Blu-Ray action movie “Maximum Conviction”, which is available on November 6th and now on sale at Amazon.com:
– Tonight on Raw, Bret “Hit Man” Hart will step inside a WWE ring in Montreal, Canada, for the very first time since the infamous “Screwjob” at the 1997 Survivor Series. According to sources at the event, the WWE Hall of Famer is scripted to appear in multiple segments.
– As an homage to Sheamus banned finishing maneuver, WWE.com ranks the ten greatest kicks in WWE history. Topped by Shawn Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music, the list also ranks: #2 Randy Orton – Punt, #3 Rob Van Dam – Van Daminator, #4 Sheamus – Brogue Kick, #5 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Stompin’ a Mudhole, #6 Hulk Hogan – Big Boot, #7 Booker T – Scissor Kick, #8 Trish Stratus – Chick Kick, #9 Tajiri – Buzzsaw Kick, #10 Kofi Kingston – Trouble in Paradise. (Article)
– WWE returns to American Airlines Arena at Miami, Florida on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 for a SmackDown taping. Talent advertised to appear include Randy Orton, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Antonio Cesaro, Kane, Sin Cara and Natalya.
– WWE’s recent tour of Australia was a major success, with the three live events grossing roughly $3.3 million. The shows in Sydney and Melbourne were near sellouts, so expect WWE to make the rounds down under on a more regular basis.
* 8/30 in Brisbane, Australia did 8,000 fans for a $750,000 gate.
* 8/31 in Sydney drew 15,000 fans for a $1.3 million gate.
* 9/1 in Melbourne drew 14,000 for a $1.3 million gate.
– WWE diva Cameron is currently serving a 15 day suspension for her recent DUI arrest. She will be eligible to return after next Friday, September 14th.
– WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin is currently recovering from extensive reconstructive surgery on his knee with hopes of getting back to filming action movies in early 2013. There is virtually no chance of Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 29 – with a final match at WrestleMania 30 still looking like a faint possibility.
People close to Steve Austin say that he has no real desire to wrestle again and is very satisfied with the way he ended his career. It’s still possible that he will wrestle one final match the 30th WrestleMania in 2014, but only if he feels that he can perform at the highest level.
– The surgery that Steve Austin underwent last month was a major reconstructive procedure to repair his ACL and PCL. Austin will be unable to do any acting until 2013 and has been doing physical therapy 3 times a week hoping to be back behind the camera by January.
As Austin and Jim Ross have stated recently, there is virtually no chance of Austin wrestling at WrestleMania 29 next April. Especially with The Rock and Brock Lesnar already booked for the show, Austin’s first match in a decade deserves top billing and is more likely to take place at WrestleMania 30.
– Speaking of Austin, he had an interesting encounter with WWE Diva Cameron during this month’s SummerSlam Axxess festivities that took place in Los Angeles, Calfornia. Cameron, who was a participant on the most recent season of Tough Enough when Austin was a judge, pointed out to him that she was the first person cut from the show and was the only contestant still on WWE’s main roster. After cameron’s DUI arrest last week and the media attention it garnered online, she might have spoken too soon.
– Silvervision, WWE’s European video distributer, has released a four-pack DVD package featuring “Attitude Era” titles Austin 3:16 Uncensored, Three Faces of Foley, Chris Jericho – Break Down the Walls and Kurt Angle – It’s True! It’s True. According to reader Dan, the titles are unedited as the WWF logo is not blurred and WWF references are not cut out. Chris Benoit is also not edited from the titles; he’s featured in the Jericho and Angle pieces, and appears in bonus matches featured in both sets.
– PBS program My Generationfeatured a piece on Mick Foley’s work with Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The segment also features former WWE talent Sean “X-Pac” Waltman recalling being sexually abused as a child.
– Check into Raw tonight on GetGlue.com for a free Kofi Kingston Night of Champions Series sticker.
– WWE.com has compiled a list ranking 15 former Superstars that should make a one-night comeback. It reads: 15. Scott Steiner, 14. Honky Tonk Man, 13. Michelle McCool, 12. Steve Blackman, 11. JBL, 10. Mick Foley, 9. Edge, 8. Shane McMahon, 7. Goldberg, 6. Trish Stratus, 5. Shawn Michaels, 4. Bret Hart, 3. Batista, 2. Ultimate Warrior, 1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
– WWE has released a preview clip of a Saturday Morning Slam segment showcasing sports-entertainment’s history of dancers.
– Jim Ross complimented former WWE Women’s Champion Jacqueline via Twitter Wednesday, writing, “WWE never had a better pro, tougher Diva than Jackie Moore. She made all WWE Divas better.”
Amid online reports that WWE Hall of Fame “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be wrestling one final match at either WrestleMania 29 or 30, both Austin and Jim Ross have taken to Twitter to shoot down those rumors.
Steve Austin himself re-tweeted a message on Tuesday afternoon that stated:
Don't listen to any dirtsheet or bleacher report! @steveaustinBSR will say if and when he's wrestling again, and that's the bottom line.
– Paul Heyman’s future in WWE is up in the air after his appearance alongside Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam and Monday’s RAW. It has been reported for months that Heyman’s WWE deal was set to expire at or around SummerSlam. Especially with Brock Lesnar “quitting” WWE on Tout on Monday night, it remains to be seen whether we’ll see Heyman on television in the coming months.
– The recent sit-down interview that Jim Ross moderated between CM Punk and Steve Austin for the WWE ’13 video game was designed to be like the Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart “Greatest Rivalries” interview that was filmed last year.
Punk and Austin talked about who would win a match between the two of them and how that will come across in the WWE ’13 game. While Austin and Punk are believed to have a great deal of respect for one another in real life, the interview was said to be very heated at times, with with Jim Ross calling it a “classic” on Twitter over the weekend.
– Jim Ross tweeted on Friday that he “thoroughly enjoyed” conducting a sit down interview with CM Punk and Steve Austin on Friday for the new WWE ’13 video game. “It was respectfully combative. A classic.”
– Speaking of WWE ’13, the official roster reveal for the game takes place today from SummerSlam Axxess in Los Angeles. WWE Champion CM Punk, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Lilian Garcia will be among the WWE talent scheduled to appear. There will also be “special guests” in attendance.
– With WWE officially rebranding it’s developmental system “NXT” this week and dropping all references to “Florida Championship Wrestling” – the official FCW Twitter account has been changed to @NXTWrestling.
– Kaitlyn, Eve Torres and Dolph Ziggler and others are featured in the latest WWE Backstage Fallout from SmackDown:
– As previously reported, WWE is currently working on ways to bring John Laurinaitis back to television as a regular on-air character. Aside from possibly serving as a manager to Jack Swagger, another idea being discussed is for Laurinaitis to return to a position of authority, such as an “Executive Vice President”
– Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he and his wife are planning on attending Mick Foley’s comedy show on Sunday night in Los Angeles (after SummerSlam) at the LA Improv.
– Steve Austin is doing radio appearances this morning to promote his CMT show Redneck Island and will be taking part in a THQ video game shoot later today.
– WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin told his fans on Twitter that “knee rehab is going good” after recently undergoing surgery.
Austin also tweeted a photo of himself a stack of photos he signed for the “Austin 3:16 Collector’s Edition” of the upcoming WWE ’13 video game, in stores October 30th.
– WWE Diva Eve Torres touted a video this week announcing that she has earned the second stripe on her blue belt in jiu-jitsu. Eve also noted that she now has 500,000 followers on Twitter.
Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino recently appeared on the “Inside the Ropes” podcast and had some very negative things to say about fellow legends Steve Austin, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.
Audio of Sammartino’s comments can be heard below:
Kevin Nash appears in the trailer for The Newest Pledge, a Lionsgate production slated for release on August 28, 2012. In the film, “a hard partying fraternity decides to pledge a baby that they find on their doorstep the morning after their most decadent party of the semester.” Jason Mewes, Mindy Sterling and Andy Milonakis also star.
The film has a second wrestling connection as famous bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn, who has rejected multiple contract offers from top wrestling organizations, appears as a cop. He signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation in 1994, but was forced to renege due to his contract with American Gladiators. He appeared on WCW Monday Nitro in 2000 as part of a brief cross-promotional feud between WCW and Battle Dome. WCW officials wanted to sign him then, but he was unable to due to his commitments with Battle Dome. John Laurinaitis then had a WWE contract for him on the table in 2003 and 2004. He strongly considered the offer, but ultimately rejected it. Additionally, his ex-wife is former WCW valet Midajah and he appeared on the Hulk Hogan-hosted American Gladiators reboot on NBC. Steve Austin also noted last week via Twitter that he was “on the comeback trail” training alongside O’Hearn.
Jim Ross announced in his latest blog that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Mike Tyson are scheduled to attend this year’s Summerslam weekend function in Los Angeles. Ross wrote the following.
– THQ has recently updated the official roster for WWE ’13 video game. Here are the names revealed so far.
CM Punk
John Cena
Sheamus
Mark Henry
Steve Austin
Mike Tyson
Chris Jericho
Mankind
Big Show
Miz
Undertaker
Attitude era Mark Henry from the Nation of Domination
The game is slated for a October 30th release date.
– In addition the roster updates that was reported earlier, THQ has announced some other game features.
* WWE Live will let players experience the atmosphere of a live WWE event, including authentic sound effects, crowd participation levels and compelling commentary, as well as attention-grabbing “Spectacular Moments” – impressive maneuvers like ring breaks and barricade crashes captured with multiple camera angles.
* Predator Technology 2.0 will provide a gameplay experience that’s smoother than ever, with hundreds of new animations.