– The Rock will be on The Tonight Show tomorrow night to promote his new movie Hercules, which opens this Friday.
– Chris Jericho’s father Ted Irvine was sitting ringside at last night’s Battleground pay-per-view along with Jericho’s son.
– Newly signed WWE developmental star KENTA was interviewed by Renee Young over the weekend upon his arrival at NXT:
With the help of his translator, former WWE Superstar Funaki, Kenta tells Renee Young what it feels like to leave Japan behind and what the WWE Universe can expect from him in the ring.
The following are highlights of a new CBS-19 Cleveland interview with The Rock:
Does he think Sting will be in WWE? “I do, yeah. And I know a guy or two so we’ll just put it like that. I do think he’s going to come back and I think it’s going to be great.”
If The Rock returns to WWE will it be for one match or a series of matches? “It’s all of the above. The one match three or four years ago that I started talking about with Vince then turned into a three year run. So who knows? I would love to go back and figure it out. After last year’s WrestleMania the idea was I was going to set up a great match with myself and Brock Lesnar but then I got hurt so that plan got cancelled. He is now in plans to do something with ba da da da which I’m not going to say (laughs) but it should be a cool match. So whenever I do go back, if it is a match it’s just got to be right in terms of who is the marquee value player that really makes sense and at that time when I went back John Cena was the number one guy in the world so we have to see.”
Would a match against Roman Reigns make sense? “I don’t know if that match makes sense now because he’s not their top heel right now, so you would look at that. Unless I went in as a heel and he was a babyface.”
How he kept his appearance at WrestleMania XXX a secret: “By me not posting anything (laughs). I came in literally hours before and it’s one of those things where it was a very last minute decision. It was an amazing night and there’s no greater feeling as a performer than that connection with an audience.”
– Sheamus will be a guest star on this coming Tuesday night’s edition of “Royal Pains” on the USA Network. Below is a preview of the show.
– The Rock recently posted the above Hercules movie clip on his official Instagram account:
“I asked the prop department to lock me in with real steel chains that I couldn’t break, so the performance would be real. When HERCULES finally accepts his fate of being the son of Zeus, it’s THE epic moment of the mythology – and our movie. We shot this scene 8 times – I blacked out every time. Down to my knees. Well worth the fun pain.. this moment is iconic. Im excited for you to see it… #HercDontLikeBlackingOut #HappilyDoItAgain #HERCULESMovie”
– In addition to The Rock, former WCW star Buff Bagwell was in attendance at the ESPY Awards earlier this week.
– Former WWE Superstar CM Punk is scheduled to appear on Chris Hardwick’s “Nerdiest Podcast Live!” on July 26th in San Diego, California.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Diamond Dallas Page and Jake “The Snake” Roberts, is now available. The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP57 – DDP & Jake The Snake Roberts + Fozzy New Album Preview
“DDP & Jake The Snake Roberts together in-person with Y2J. They sat down at DDP’s Accountability Crib in Atlanta, and talked about EVERYTHING! Jake’s descent into drugs & alcohol, his resurrection, his WWE comeback & Hall of Fame induction, working the sober program with Scott Hall, and how Jake really feels about all those snakes!”
– WWE has launched a new Slam City game for children. You can check that out at WWESlamCity.com.
The preview for the game reads as follows:
“John Cena is late for work in WWE Slam City! He straps on a jet pack and needs your help to avoid The Finisher and get to the auto shop across town before his boss notices! Can you get Cena to work? Play WWE Slam City Launch today!”
– The following is a video of The Rock’s recent appearance on ESPN’s “Sports Nation” show.
WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday morning to promote his new movie “Hercules” which hits theaters next Friday, July 25th.
The main topic of conversation was LeBron James’ decision to leave Miami Heat and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rock also talked about his days playing college football for Miami University.
He then answered a bunch of wrestling-related questions from fans sent in from Twitter.
When asked if he’ll ever return to WWE for another match, The Rock said, “Possibly, sure.”
As noted previously, Levi’s Stadium, the host of next year’s WrestleMania, recently revealed artwork for WrestleMania 31 that featured Brock Lesnar, The Rock and Batista.
– It’s looking unlikely that The Rock will be able to appear at WrestleMania 31 next year, as he is booked all over the globe a few weeks before the big event to promote Fast 7.
– Steve Austin’s new “Broken Skull Challenge” reality show on CMT was filmed somewhere in Southern California, not at his actual “Broken Skull Ranch” in South Texas.
– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website has an exclusive gallery of 2014 World Cup models, including former WWE OVW Diva Bobbi Billard.
– After Monday’s WWE RAW from Montreal went off the air, the Wyatt Family entered the ring and attacked John Cena and Roman Reigns. Cena and Reigns quickly fought them off, cleared the ring and celebrated to end the show.
The advertised dark match main event (Cena/Reigns/Ambrose vs. Orton/Wyatt/Rollins) didn’t take place.
– John Cena tweeted the following on Tuesday morning:
The following are highlights of a new Rodolfo Roman interview with Scott Steiner:
On not getting the chance to feud with The Rock: “I wrestled everyone. The first time I went to the WWE back in 2003 I wanted to go against The Rock. That never happened. He is one of the top guys of all time. The box office shows that. He was one of the most talented wrestlers there is. That’s the one guy I wanted to start off with. Vince brought all of the WCW guys up but basically Vince basically treated us like shit…treated us all the same. But they destroyed everything… me Goldberg, Nash were all treated the same way.”
On The Rock’s critics: “Who can talk bad about The Rock. He’s entertaining. He puts asses in the seats. He proved that but moving up to bigger and better things.”
On WWE’s current product: “That PG shit is hard to watch. It doesn’t make sense. You got South Park serving up a storm. You got all these shows. Wrestling was the first natural reality show. We created that genre. That was reality TV live. It started with RAW in the Manhattan Center.”
Many are saying it will be interesting to see how WWE’s decision to phase out their pay-per-view business in favor of the WWE Network will affect big returns, such as The Rock, for future shows.
In his last two WrestleMania appearances, the financial side of The Rock’s deal with WWE depended heavily on the percentage of revenue he would garner from the pay-per-view intake, a source of revenue that doesn’t really exist anymore with WWE bringing in less and less money from pay-per-view.
The Rock noted in recent interviews that while he would be willing to come back to WWE for another match or two, it would depend on whether or not it was with the right person, and if the money was right.
– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart is scheduled to appear at next week’s WWE RAW from Montreal and Tuesday’s Smackdown tapings from Ottawa, Ontario.
– The Rock noted on Twitter that he finished his work on “Fast & Furious 7” yesterday.
Variety.com is also reporting that Paramount has Jonathan Lemkin (“The Longest Night”) to write the script for G.I. Joe 3, which hits theaters in 2016. The Rock will be reprising his role of Roadblock in the third installment of the series.
– Connecticut’s WWLP local news ran a report earlier this week covering WWE Diva Emma’s arrest for shoplifting. You can watch the report at WWLP.com.
Speaking of Emma’s arrest, former WWE Superstar JTG tweeted:
The Rock is featured in the latest Forbes list of the “Most Powerful Celebrities.” The article notes that since June 2014, Rock has earned $52 million from movie projects.
The article wrote the following about the part-time WWE Superstar, who they ranked at #23 on their list:
“With ensemble movies like “G.I. Joe” and “Fast and Furious,” Johnson has transcended his wrestling days to become a true movie star. Now he’s graduated to leading man. With “Hercules” and 2015’s earthquake disaster film “San Andreas,” The Rock is carrying movies on his sizable shoulders. A smart businessman, he’s also branching out into TV. “The Hero” was his first stab at reality TV. Now he’s moving up to the big leagues with the HBO comedy “Ballers.” Johnson is executive producing and starring in the comedy about a group of football players.”
The following are highlights of a recent Live Audio Wrestling interview with Curt Hawkins:
On WWE release: “I was with the WWE for eight and a half years, and I saw so many guys get let go and just sit around and feel sorry for themselves, and I feel like nothing good comes of that. To me, wrestling is wrestling. It’s what I love to do. If I was able to do it that weekend, why wouldn’t I? I was thrilled at the idea that…you know, originally I would be sitting home as a WWE employee like I was doing, collecting a check but not really having any fun. So I was like, “Woo! Alright, sweet.” Hit the ground running, you know?
For one, it’s been like a weight has been lifted. It was just going nowhere, and I sensed that, and I’m thrilled to be back being my own boss and actively wrestling every weekend, which is really just what I want to do. That’s all I can ask for. I’m a desperate hopeless romantic for pro wrestling since I was five years old, I just love it. I’m happiest in the ring; I don’t care whose ring it is or who owns it, I just want to be in there performing and I’m happy. And I know I’m a sucker in that sense, because it’s a business, but that’s what makes me happy and that’s the truth. What really happened, in my opinion, is when I got hurt in late summer 2012 – I tore my PCL and meniscus, and that was the first time I had to actively stop. I had to have surgery. Ever since then, I never was put on a full road schedule again. It was almost a year and a half of just sitting home and they’d randomly call me for something. It was just bizarre, it never got going again. I think a lot of it was a cost-cutting thing to keep a lot of talent off the road because they weren’t going to be used.”
On working with The Rock for his comeback matches: “That started for his comeback match, the Survivor Series match in 2011. I got a call from John Laurinaitis one afternoon, and that’s never a good thing, so I’m like “Oh sh*t, what could this be about?” It was a conference call with me and Joe Hennig on the line, and he basically explained that Rock needs guy to train with to get ready for his matches, and he’s not gonna be at every TV and whatnot. We were basically like his punching bags for whatever he wants to do, whenever he wants to do it. It wound up being incredible. Basically, I could be at home at any point and someone from the office would call me and say, “Hey, Dwayne wants to train tomorrow in Miami, we’ll send you the information” and WWE would basically set up a ring, they’d send a ring crew guy and a ref. They’d set up a ring in a warehouse near wherever he was filming. We did it in Miami, we did it in New Orleans. At the drop of a hat, my daily commute would be Miami and back in one day just to get a workout in with Dwayne. It was a blast. Honestly, he could not have been cooler. From jump street, he was the coolest guy.”
– The official WWE website has recently added a new article looking at the 15 greatest Superstar entrances of all-time. The top ten of the list reads as follows:
#10. Rey Mysterio
#9. Gangrel
#8. The Rock
#7. Hulk Hogan
#6. Chris Jericho
#5. Bill Goldberg
#4. Triple H
#3. Kane
#2. Ultimate Warrior
#1. Undertaker
You can check out the complete article at WWE.com.
– The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” YouTube show, which features Triple H, is available below.
The following are highlights of a new Philly.com interview with John Cena:
On his career and his future: “A lot’s happened. Physically, I’m just getting started. There’s plenty left to do. Every day is another opportunity. So it’s been a long and great ride.”
On if he’d like to follow in The Rock’s footsteps after his WWE career: “Oh, no. Dwayne? There’s only one Dwayne Johnson. I’d like to be myself, so I’ll find a path doing something. I don’t know if it’s going to be filling his shoes. He’s set the bar pretty high.”
The following are highlights of a new interview with The Rock:
Switching agents and publicists in 2011 after The Tooth Fairy: “It was incredibly difficult because you develop a friendship over the years. But it just dawned on me: Change has to happen.”
Going from wrestling to acting: “I was told that I had to conform to a standard in Hollywood that would beget me more work, better roles. Which meant I had to stop going to the gym, which meant I couldn’t be as big, which meant you had to distance yourself from wrestling. You essentially had to deconstruct yourself. Then that started to not feel good to me. It reached a point of, ‘I’m not feeling authentic.'”
Regarding a WWE return, The Rock noted that the event and the pay must be equal or bigger to his return in 2013 for him to consider it. He spoke about how he continues to work with WWE from time-to-time, but that his primary focus is his acting.
You can check out the complete interview above, or by going to HollywoodReporter.com
It’s being said that the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage is closer to going into the WWE Hall Of Fame right now than ever before. The company is working on a new DVD/Blu-ray project for the deceased WWE legend, complete with a full documentary that is expected to have participation from Savage’s brother, former WWE Superstar “The Genius” (aka “Leapin'” Lanny Poffo).
As things stand right now, the guys rumored to be part of next year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class the most are Savage, The Rock, Kevin Nash, Rikishi and either Victoria or Mickie James in what has become an annual-Diva addition.
During the summer of 2001, the WWE was under attack and at risk of a hostile takeover. After finally winning the Monday Night Wars, the WWE had to find a way to integrate the influx of talent that was acquired with the purchase of WCW.
Their first attempt at doing so would come in the form of the Invasion storyline, which saw former WCW and ECW employees “invading” the WWE in an attempt to take over the company. If this sounds a bit like the nWo’s plot to conquer WCW, well that’s because it is essentially the same story.
Ultimately, the program forced the WWE to fend off the intruders by forming a coalition to battle Team Alliance, which was led by Shane and Stephanie McMahon, the respective on-screen owners of WCW and ECW at the time.
Many fans have cited the Invasion storyline as one of the most entertaining periods in recent WWE history, as it featured a number of matchups that had previously been unimaginable. However, there were many aspects of the storyline that could have been handled better, resulting in a program with great potential that was squandered by poor booking. Here are ten reasons why the Invasion storyline was not as memorable as some fans recall.
– The Rock recently noted on Twitter that the trailer for his upcoming “Hercules” film was the number one most popular trailer on all of YouTube. “The Brahma Bull” tweeted the following:
When it comes to Batista’s latest run, one could argue that management hit him with a bait and switch. He was promised that he would win the Royal Rumble and go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Instead, he was practically booed out of the building after winning the Royal Rumble and ended up tapping out to the Yes Lock at WrestleMania to allow Daniel Bryan to win the championship.
As most probably know by now, Batista “quit” on this past week’s Raw, as he will be taking a few months off to promote his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Upon return after a several year hiatus, Batista represented what many feel is wrong with the current state of the WWE.
Batista did not win a title after returning, but he was involved in a memorable feud between Evolution and the Shield.
Instead of relying on the guys that work day in and day out to headline the biggest pay-per-views of the year, the WWE has instead relied upon part-time superstars such as the Rock and Brock Lesnar to headline their biggest events. The reliance on part-time superstars is one of the reasons a certain someone (*cough* CM Punk *cough*) decided to pack his bags and head home.
However, despite all of the criticism Batista has received since returning, one has to wonder if he earned the respect of fans. In my opinion, I think it is fair to say that he did just that.
In the end, Batista was promised the world but was basically handed a half-empty bag of peanuts. Following the Royal Rumble, which featured an extremely hostile Pittsburgh crowd, it became apparent that Batista’s wishes would not be granted. The company was quickly forced to turn him heel, which messed with the dynamics of the WrestleMania main event, which featured a heel champion in the form of Randy Orton.
WWE recently signed three new Divas to developmental contracts: Dasha Kuret, Savelina “Lina” Fanene and Dani Jackson. Savelina Fanene is actually a cousin of WWE legend The Rock. Her grandfather and The Rock’s great grandmother were siblings. Lina, who is from California, has a background in sports and is friends with WWE Diva Layla.
She attended WrestleMania 28 in Miami (John Cena vs. The Rock) and The Rock’s mother Ata Johnson reportedly encouraged her to get into pro wrestling. She started training at a wrestling school in California and impressed WWE officials during a recent tryout camp.
