— WrestleMania XXVII host Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is scheduled for Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN. His appearance airs this Thursday at 9:00 p.m.
In January, the talk show filled the time slot formerly held by Larry King Live.
— The cast of Tough Enough are scheduled to appear at WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta, Georgia. They are also scheduled for the following night’s Monday Night Raw taping.
— The WWE website has posted new studio photos of SmackDown Diva Kaitlyn.
During an interview with Associated Press sports writer Dan Gelston, RAW superstar John Cena talked about how badly he wants to wrestle The Rock and what his return to WWE means to the overall WWE product.
When asked about when we’ll see him get a shot at The Rock, Cena said, “I have been willing to do anything for that match. I will do anything for that match. If I have to talk more trash about The Rock, I’m your guy.”
Cena also praised the impact The Rock’s recent return has had on the company.
“I can’t tell you how much it plugs our product back in,” he said. “It’s like getting hooked up to defibrillators. It’s the one little jump-start we needed.”
Cena put over WrestleMania, saying “WWE will always be the greatest show you’ll ever see.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke to Associated Press sports writer Dan Gelston this week about his return to WWE, the build to WrestleMania and beyond. The most newsworthy part of the interview, which you can read at Sports.Yahoo.com in its entirety, is that The Rock is more open to wrestling another match than he’s been in the past several years.
“I’ve never said never,” Rock said. “I’m open to it. For years when I was asked that, I kept my emotions very close to my sleeve.
“I would say, ‘No, I don’t see myself wrestling a match,’ because I didn’t want to leave that open too much. I wanted to make sure I was concentrating solely on my goals in acting.”
Rock thinks he can handle his movie career while still making appearances for WWE, which would include getting back in the ring.
“It’s ‘The People’s Era’ that’s getting ready to happen,” he said. “It’s just beginning.”
The USA Network issued the following press release today:
THE ROCK®, JOHN CENA® AND THE MIZ® TO FACE OFF LIVE ON RAW® NEXT MONDAY ON USA AT 9/8c
Final Raw Prior to WrestleMania® XXVII
STAMFORD, Conn., March 23, 2011 – After their war of words, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will finally confront WWE Superstar John Cena® and WWE Champion The Miz®, live in person, March 28th on Monday Night Raw at 9/8c on USA Network. The verbal sparring was ignited when The Rock triumphantly returned to WWE last month. The fireworks will emanate live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL.
The Rock will be The World’s Most Electrifying Host in Entertainment at WrestleMania XXVII on Sunday, April 3rd at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, live on pay-per-view. The Rock is expected to lay the SmackDown® on all the pomp and festivities that make WrestleMania the world’s greatest, annual pop culture extravaganza.
For all the latest updates, ‘Like’ The Rock at www.facebook.com/DwayneJohnson or follow him at www.twitter.com/TheRock.
WrestleMania XXVII will be broadcast in more than 100 countries around the world. Check with your local cable operator or satellite provider to order the pay-per-view on Sunday, April 3rd. For more information on WrestleMania and WrestleMania events, please visit www.wrestlemania.com.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in negotiations to star in Snitch, an action thriller set to begin filming in June.
The Rock would star as a suburban father who is hit hard when his teenage son is sentenced to 30 years under mandatory minimum drug laws. In order to reduce his son’s sentence, the father goes undercover to serve up a senior drug dealer.
The Rock, who has been going between family-friendly movies and fast-paced blow-’em-up action flicks, most recently starred in CBS Films’ Faster and will be appearing in the latest Fast and Furious movie, Fast Five, alongside Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.
– The Rock wrote the following on his Twitter on Monday following RAW:
“Great ending on RAW tonight….I promise RAW in CHICAGO next week will be electrified like you haven’t seen in years…in years.”
– John Cena tweeted that he was cut open on RAW when the Miz scratched his face:
“CeNation. Fear in the eyes of the miz tonite. He now knows WM will not be a Gimmie. Rock at Raw next mon live. Do not miss it. Yes miz tried to scratch me. A tactic uses mostly in cat fights. he was given a haymaker for his efforts. Then he ran. Dauwsh.”
– WWE fans who are attending the Fan Axxess convention during WrestleMania weekend are being invited to participate in focus groups to evaluate various parts of the WWE product. Fans who give feedback are being given free tickets to the final Axxess session and a private meeting with a WWE Superstar.
– Former WWE Diva Angela “Savannah” Fong is currently in the running for Maxim’s Hometown Hottie contest, representing Tampa, Florida.
Prior to his WWE return last month, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had stated publicly in several interviews that his in-ring career was likely forever. Fast forward to 2011’s red-hot feud with John Cena and The Great One appears to have changed his tune.
The Rock is on the cover of the latest issue of WWE Magazine and tells them he’s ready to throw down in the ring once again.
When asked how many of his old ring outfits he still has, Rock said, “I still own it all. It’s still with me in my house. It was never going away because I knew I would one day use it again.”
That sounds like he’s talking about wrestling again, so The Rock was asked, “So does that mean you’re coming back to fight as well?”
He responded,”Making movies is something that I love to do, and I know that it brings a lot of people joy, which in turn brings me and my soul great gratification. Being in the ring and entertaining the audience and kicking ass physically brings me and my soul great gratification as well. I can guarantee that I can always do both.”
RAW superstar John Cena was recently interviewed by Anthony Castellano of Newsday.com and spoke about his current feud with The Rock.
“The fact that he tried to pick a fight with the toughest guy in the place, that’s kind of his style,” Cena said. “But you know me, I don’t back down from anyone. I think it’s going to make some good television.”
So far The Rock is only committed to be the host of WrestleMania, but Cena wants to face The Great One in the ring, and not just once either.
“I think we’re on to a point if this continues, something physical is going to happen. He’s supposed to host. That’s all I know. When he came back on that first night he said he was back for good. I can only hope that’s the truth because I would certainly like to have many, many matches with him.”
Cena put over his WrestleMania 27 opponent The Miz, saying, “He proved in the last few weeks that he is the champ. He needs to be respected as such.”
Cena also commented on the possibility of trying to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak in the future if Triple H is unable to do so this year. While a Cena-Undertaker WrestleMania match is something a lot of people want to see, Cena doesn’t sound interested.
“Nooooo, he just doesn’t lose. That’s not a profitable night for anyone.”
As previously reported, The Rock will be appearing live at the final WWE RAW before WrestleMania. Rock posted the following on his Facebook wall on Friday afternoon:
“Get ready CHICAGO…The Rock is Bringin’ It and we’re “Puttin’ Our Boots to Candy Asses” LIVE on RAW and ELECTRIFYING THE WORLD…3/28/11.”
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will make a guest appearance on the upcoming season of Tough Enough, reports EW.com.
In the episode, the multi-time champion works out with the contestants, judges a challenge and demonstrates his own skills in the squared circle.
— TNA Knockout Tara said on her Twitter account that she’s excited for the John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler and Lay-Cool match at WrestleMania XXVII.
When asked to give her reaction to the announcement of the match, she stated that she is “super excited.”
“I’m a huge Jersey Shore fan and Trish is my girl,” she wrote.
— WWE Monday Night Raw on August 8, 2011 will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
— According to reports from the Tough Enough set, Luke Robinson is considered the early favorite on the show. He stands out as a star and is considered a good wrestler that possesses charisma. Show host Steve Austin was so impressed by Robinson that he is privately working out with him.
Robinson is a 26-year-old independent wrestler from Maine who performs under the name “Golden Boy” Bobby Robinson. His USANetwork.com bio reads: “For him, WWE combines all his passions rolled into one: performing, marketing, athleticism and traveling. Luke proved his athleticism as captain of his high school’s varsity soccer, hockey and baseball teams, competing all four years, before moving on to getting his BA in Business Administration from University of Southern Maine.”
— WWE developmental talent Su Yung (a/k/a Sonia) tried out for Tough Enough but failed to make the cast. The Seattle based wrestler signed a contract with WWE last year and is currently listed on the official Florida Championship Wrestling website as a Diva.
Jerry Lawler, 61, revealed in a recent interview with Fighting Spirit that he is dating Yung, who is 21 years old.
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is featured on the cover of the April 2011 issue of WWE Magazine.
sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Torch
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next scheduled live appearance on Raw takes place March 28 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. He is also scheduled to appear on the Raw after WrestleMania on April 4 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
— Bret Hart has changed his Twitter handle to brethart.
— Snooki is expected to receive a huge payday from WWE for her match at WrestleMania XXVII considering she’s receiving $30,000 for appearing at night clubs.
— FOX8 in Australia will air Tough Enough beginning in April. Also, Mark Henry is headed to the country for a promotional tour.
The boy who appeared in the segment with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson that kicked off Raw is YouTube sensation MattyBraps. He is eight years old. Check out this video of him rapping:
– Several cable companies are advertising Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ‘firing back’ at John Cena on tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. “The Great One” revealed his involvement with tonight’s show on Twitter.
He wrote, “I won’t be live on RAW.. BUT, John Cena and I had a much needed heart to heart talk this weekend at my home. U will see it tonight on RAW…”
— The March 11 episode of WWE SmackDown on Syfy scored a 1.93 cable rating, slightly down from the previous week’s 1.97 figure. The show averaged 3,072,000 viewers over the course of two hours.
— WWE.com has added Drew Carey to its Hall of Fame inductees section. The Price Is Right host was announced today via press release as the latest inductee into the Hall.
— Several cable companies have the following preview listed for tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW:
“Guest star Snooki from the ‘Jersey Shore’; The Rock fires back at John Cena & The Miz.”
– The Rock has made no mention of appearing on tonight’s RAW, but has wished his Twitter followers a happy Pi day:
TheRock
Team Bring It – today is “Dominate Pie Day” (or strudel pending your gender or preference..)..nothin’ like warm pie though..
– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart tweeted this about Jeff Hardy’s situation:
HitmanBretSHart
Getting asked a lot about Jeff Hardy. Know very little about it. I will say that TNA fans deserve better than what they got last night.
– Trish Stratus tweeted the following on Monday in anticipation for her WWE return tonight on RAW:
trishstratuscom
Can’t wait to go cougar hunting… after looking forward to delivering Stratusfaction tonight!!! ~T
— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been well-received amongst the WWE locker room. One WWE employee noted that everyone in the company should be pleased he’s appearing at WrestleMania because it means more money for everyone.
— WWEShop.com has marked down all Kofi Kingston merchandise by 50 to 75%. Also note, WWE has not released new Kingston merchandise in several months.
The reigning Intercontinental Champion did not appear on this week’s episode of SmackDown.
— Former WWE Women’s Champion Lita appears from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frank & Son Collectibles (located on 19649 San Jose Ave. City of Industry, California) on Saturday, April 16.
— The night after WrestleMania XXVII is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next advertised appearance on Monday Night Raw. However, a company source is under the impression that he will appear live the week before the pay-per-view extravaganza.
— Alex Riley is touring with the Raw brand for the second consecutive week since his on-screen dismissal. At last night’s show in Springfield, Missouri, he beat Yoshi Tatsu in a singles match and competed in a battle royal.
— A World Heavyweight Championship Match between Edge, Alberto Del Rio and Wade Barrett is advertised for WWE’s WrestleMania Revenge Tour events in England on on April 17 and 18.
— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars featured 16 minutes and 57 seconds of in-ring action, down from 17 minutes and 40 seconds the previous week.
— Joey Styles announced on Twitter on Thursday that The Rock will be live in Atlanta’s Philips Arena for WWE Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania, Monday April 4. For more information on the event, visit WWELiveTour.com.
— Jim Ross was asked by a fan on Twitter whether WWE signing 22-year-old diva Tenille Tayla is a sign that WWE is turning a proverbial corner and now concentrating on “beautiful women who just happen to be wrestlers” rather than “beautiful women, now let’s try to make them wrestle”? Jim Ross wrote:
“I really don’t know their direction as it relates to the women they hire other than they generally want them to be beautiful and athletic. Time will tell if WWE is changing or tweaking their hiring philosophy regarding their Divas. I just don’t know.”
– In response to a fan question on Twitter, RAW superstar Randy Orton had this to say about the John Cena vs. The Rock feud:
RandyOrton
I think the Rock is awesome. But get em in the ring together on live tv? John would OWN him.
– Christian made his return to WWE television this week, defeating newcomer Brodus Clay in a tough match. Despite the satisfaction of finally being back on RAW, the highlight of Christian’s night actually came backstage:
Christian4Peeps
Good 2b back on Raw..but highlight 4me was b4 show meeting Jesus a cool kid who was w/ make-a-wish.His 1st WWE show &Im sure he had a blast
– William Regal, who is now part of the NXT announcing team, had this to say about his first show on Tuesday night:
RealKingRegal
Just finished my announcing debut on NXT.It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I have a long way to go.
Former WWE Diva Lilian Garcia, who is currently working on her second music album, recently spoke with the Miami Herald. Here are some highlights of what she said about:
Returning To WWE One Day: “I say, ‘Never say never,’. Look at The Rock now. It is something that I’m definitely tied to. Once you are in the WWE for a length of time, it’s a family base. You are tied in, no matter if you leave and take a break. Sometimes you come back; so you never know.”
The Rock’s WWE return: “I really didn’t think he would come back. I really thought with his movie career and all. I don’t blame him, though. It had been seven years. When he was making movies, he didn’t have that experience being with the fans and feeling that electricity from the fans. He thrives on that. It was having that experience again. People were tweeting me telling me how much they missed the interviews with me and The Rock. It was just such great chemistry that he and I had with those interviews. As soon as I saw him on TV again, it brought back memories of those days. It was just really cool.”
— Tonight on RAW, John Cena has promised a “final knockout” in his ongoing feud with The Rock, who will not be at the show in person. The Rock tweeted the following on Monday afternoon about what Cena has planned for tonight:
TheRock
to “the MILLIONS..”. Cena and CeNation is delivering their “final knockout blow” to us tonight. We cant wait YABBA DABBA BITCHES BRING IT!!
— WWE announcer Todd Grisham incorrectly tweeted the following on Monday, saying Jersey Shore star Snooki will be on RAW tonight:
todd_grisham
Snooki and Stone Cold on Raw tonight? Wonder if he’ll stomp a grease hole in her.
Both WWE and Snooki have confirmed that the reality star will be hosting RAW NEXT week, not tonight.
— Following the announcement that Snooki will be hosting RAW next week, Zach Ryder has challenged her to a tanning contest:
ZackRyder
I challenge @Sn00ki to a TANNING CONTEST on Raw. I was WOO WOO WOOing long before MTV’s Jersey Shore…thus, I have the experience advantage
— Zach Ryder isn’t the only person who wants a piece of Snooki. Natalya Neidhart tweeted:
NatbyNature
Snooki hosting Raw? I smell a sharpshooter!!!!!
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 said about:
Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara in WWE: Is there room for both Rey and Sin Cara in WWE? Absolutely. Why not? Do some feel that because both are Hispanic, masked stars that they cannot both be major assets in WWE at the same time. I think not. WWE is lucky to have both men. Rey is an established main event star and a future Hall of Famer while Sin Cara has a huge upside but has to prove himself to the WWE fans.
Michael Cole: “I agree with many emailers that Michael Cole is the type of antagonist that one legitimately wants to see get beat up and humiliated. He has Cornette-like heat hearkening back to the Mid South days where fans lined up in droves to see somebody, anybody humiliate the manager of the Midnight Express. Same emotion elicited by the late Andy Kaufman in Memphis. BTW most fans don’t realize that the Lawler-Kaufman issue lasted well over a year.”
The Rock Back On WWE TV: “I am personally ecstatic that The Rock is back in WWE for WM27 and no matter Rock’s role he’s going to positively add to the event in multiple areas. Rock is a huge star on several fronts and his promo ability is as good as it gets. People ‘over think’ Rock’s return as in what’s going to happen when he’s not on TV? How does he make Cena/Miz look? What happens if Rock steals the show in Atlanta, etc?”
“All talents throughout the Raw and Smackdown rosters need to step it up to attempt to get on Rock’s level. Competition is great for everyone. If Rock, Austin, etc make the incumbents dig a little deeper to perform at a higher level then everyone wins especially the fans.”
“I have no idea what Rock is going to do at WM27 but I can assure you that it will be impactful. His interactions via Twitter, @The Rock, directed to Cena, etc have been entertaining.”
– MTV.com has an article looking at Triple H’s friendship with Lemmy of Motorhead, Triple H recently took part in VH-1’s documentary on the rock star.
– The Rock will be on the cover of the May issue of WWE Magazine, available at newsstands in April.
— With the huge amount of news coverage WWE has received in Mexico due to the recent signing of Mistico, last week’s WWE’s television ratings in Mexico are through the roof.
Last week’s SmackDown! drew a 9.6 and Monday’s RAW drew a 9.3.
By comparison, last week’s CMLL drew a 2.6 and AAA’ sshow drew a 2.8.
According to a correspondent who knows the Mexican market well, it appears CMLL and AAA see WWE as a major threat to their business and the companies plan to work together more in the coming months to “rescue Lucha” from WWE.
