-Several mainstream media outlets have picked up on the story regarding Reddit user “Dolphins1925” correctly predicting the outcomes of every match on the last five WWE pay-per-view events. Yahoo! Sports and NESN both put articles up covering the subject, and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” also referenced the story by joking that “Dolphins1925” was the NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
-WWE Champion John Cena and Mark Henry vs. The Shield is advertised as the main event of the post-SummerSlam WWE live event in Ontario, California on Sunday, August 25th.
WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was recently interviewed by AfterBuzzTV.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Shield Breking Up: “They’re gonna break up The Shield one of these days after these guys get a little more seasoned…The guys are still great in the business and they have wonderful potential.”
John Cena: “Here’s the thing about John Cena…that guy’s walking on the edge of a razor blade. Some people love to hate him, some people love to love him. But let me tell you something about John Cena; they all respect him. That guy has done a tremendous job for that company. He’s a guy that always shows up, he’ll work in pain, he always has a smile on his face. He goes to the nth degree to promote that brand. I’ve got nothing but respect for that guy. Really the way the fans take him. Some people say, ‘Would you please stop pushing this guy down our throat?’ But they’re not. He’s the face of the company. What do you do? Make number one the Blistering Heel? I tried that back in the day and I was Stone Cold. I was that grey area between black and white. Cena’s the face of the company, you don’t do that. When you turn down the cameras, the lights…he’s the face of the company. John Cena is a young veteran. He’s been in the ring, he’s told some great stories, he’s had a lot of high profile matches. He’s a young man, but he’s a veteran. You gotta work smarter, not harder. John, take care of your body.”
Getting back in the Gym following Surgery: “Right now I haven’t been workin’ out too much. I had a few set backs, but to answer your question [I work out] usually 5-6 days a week. Normally, I’m in there for about an hour and if things are going well I will add in 30 mins of cardio. I live about 2 miles from Gold’s [Gym]. I’ve been training there for many years, but I started training at a little hole in the wall place when I was healing up my shoulder a couple year’s ago.”
After Monday’s edition of WWE RAW went off the air, WWE Superstar Mark Henry wrestled John Cena in the dark match main event. The finish came when all three members of The Shield came out and attacked both Henry and Cena.
Eventually, Daniel Bryan came out to make the save. Bryan, who worked three matches in approximately an hour straight on the televised portion of the show, was then added to the contest to make it a six-man tag match featuring Bryan, Cena and Henry against The Shield.
The match ultimately ended in a disqualification, with the babyfaces going over.
-Former WWE Diva and recently released TNA Knockout Lisa Marie Varon (aka Tara, aka Victoria) has been teasing fans about preparing for something on Twitter. In her latest tweets, Varon has fans speculating that she’ll return to her old stomping grounds as a WWE Diva in the near future. Fans are assuming this based on Varon’s usage of the following hashtag: “#WhatIsSheGettingReadyFor.” Fans have commented on numerous posts asking if “Victoria” will be making her return to WWE.
-WWE.com has an article up featuring comments from Mark Henry following this week’s SmackDown. On the show, Henry came out to make the save for The Usos, setting up the rumored SummerSlam six-man tag-team match featuring The Shield vs. Henry & The Usos. In the WWE.com article, Henry claimed that it’s time for The Shield to be inducted into the Hall Of Pain.
-Ric Flair’s ex-wife, Jacqueline Beems, turned herself into police at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office today. Beems was answering an arrest warrant issued which claimed she harassed Flair’s current girlfriend, Wendy Barlow Kidder (aka “Fifi The Maid”) in October of 2012.
Beems was wanted on a misdemeanor charge for allegedly making harassing telephone calls to Kidder. At the time, Flair and Beems were married.
-Mark Henry tweeted the following on Tuesday about The Shield attacking him on RAW:
This goes out to the wwe universe an anyone that knows the shield. I will hunt you down like dogs, if it takes me forever you ass is mine.
– The Shield explained their attack on Mark Henry from RAW during a backstage video that aired exclusively on the WWE App. US Champion Dean Ambrose said Henry could have been anything he wanted to be in WWE, but he’s a disappointment because he’s not hungry and has no heart. He says Henry doesn’t deserve another WWE title shot and his time in WWE is running out.
Roman Reigns called Henry an “old dog” and told him to go home and sit his big butt on the couch. Seth Rollins said The Shield are the most important thing in WWE and Henry is just a clog of injustice in a system that should have been shut down a long time ago.
– Chris Jericho tweeted the following about his match against Rob Van Dam on RAW:
Amazing match with @TherealRVD tonight on #raw. He’s back and better then ever! Always had great chemistry and always will…
In response to a fan who said it’s ‘scary’ that Jericho is probably in his prime right now at 42 years old, Jericho agreed and said, “2013 has been one of my favorite in ring years EEEVVVEERR!”
According to reports, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns of The Shield have had some backstage heat on them since their debut in WWE. Though there is some speculation, no definite reasoning has been brought to light as to what is causing the backstage heat.
There were talks at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view on Sunday night, which took place in Philadelphia, PA, of having Damien Sandow defend his briefcase against Cody Rhodes at this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.
Rob Van Dam took to Twitter following the Money in the Bank pay-per-view tweeting about having to recieve fourteen stitches after his match saying, “Always wanted a Frankenstein zipper.”
– In this week’s edition of Backstage Fallout for SmackDown, CM Punk consoles Paul Heyman after getting clocked by World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and the Usos continue their hot streak, remaining focused on The Shield and the WWE Tag Team Championship.
– On August 27, WWE will release Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden on DVD and Blu-ray as the organization’s greatest moments at the famous New York City-based venue are highlights. WrestlingDVDNews.com has revealed that the following matches and segments will be featured in the video release.
Andre the Giant & “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper & “Cowboy” Bob Orton
10th August, 1985
Stone Cold Stuns The Boss
Raw – 22nd September, 1997
1st Ever Tag Team Tables Match
The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz
Royal Rumble – 23rd January, 2000
Booker T Attacks Mr. McMahon
Raw – 25th June, 2001
Match for the Undisputed Heavyweight Wrestling Championship
WWE Champion, Bob Backlund vs. NWA Champion, Harley Race
22nd September, 1980
Intercontinental Championship Match
Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
29th December, 1991
Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon
WrestleMania X – 20th March, 1994
#1 Contender Triple Threat Match
Triple H vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho
Raw – 7th August, 2000
John Cena Returns in the Royal Rumble Match
Royal Rumble – 27th January, 2008
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has commented on speculation that Mark Henry will be retiring soon. In response to a fan asking about Henry’s possible retirement, JR tweeted:
“@jeannebrown1998: @JRsBBQ How do feel about Mark Henry Retirement?” I know nothing of any retirement plans. Stay tuned for facts.
WWE.com also has an article up sepculating whether Mark Henry’s recent cryptic tweets mean he’s retiring soon.
– WWE Superstars The Shield have been added to the upcoming “Wizard World Comic Con” convention in Chicago in August. Also appearing are CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Ricky Steamboat. For full details on their apperance schedules, visit WizardWorld.com.
Here are some highlights from WWE.com’s backstage interviews from Sunday night after WWE Payback:
– WWE doctor Michael Sampson commented on Dolph Ziggler’s condition, noting that Ziggler was checked out after his match and will continue to be monitored for post-concussion symptoms. According to WWE storylines, Ziggler’s in-ring status is up int he air until they get more results from Ziggler’s latest round of testing.
– Kane commented on his count-out loss to Dean Ambrose, promising that Dean Ambrose won’t escape him again.
– Paul Heyman said new Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel had the “perfect” victory at Payback and now has a bunch of “offers” coming in.
The Shield also gave WWE a hand-held video they shot backstage, mocking their opponents and declaring that The Shield dominated yet another pay-per-view event. Ambrose called WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns “the best tag team walking today” and said that The Shield are the leaders of a”new generation” in WWE.
WWE Superstar The Miz recently spoke with The Miami Herald to promote WWE’s upcoming live event from Sunrise, Florida. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
New Talent Getting Brought Up From NXT:
“I love having new talent come up. It’s great, and I think WWE is doing a great job bringing in new characters and new entertainment to the WWE Universe out there and new characters for me to play with out there. I mean now we have a guy that dances called Fandango and during one of my matches I’m wrestling, what does he do? He starts his music and starts dancing during my match. I’m sorry, but I’m the center of attention when I’m in the ring. Not Fandango. It’s been incredible to have all these new characters. It just makes it so much more fun.”
Antonio Cesaro, The Shield and Bray Wyatt:
“Antonio Cesaro is one of the toughest opponents I’ve had to face, and he was just a rookie at that time [when I worked with him. Imagine when he is a seasoned vet. He just keeps getting better and better and better. Then you have the Shield. The Shield hasn’t lost yet, whether it’s in a singles match or tag matches. They’re dominant. You look at this Bray Wyatt, definitely freaky and weird and interesting. I can’t wait for this guy to debut just to see what he [and the rest of the family] is all about. There is tons of up-and-coming talent, for me to pick a superstar to be the next Rock or the next [John] Cena, time will tell.”
The World Heavyweight Title:
“One of the things I haven’t had is the world heavyweight championship. So I think I need to go after that and grab that world heavyweight championship for once.”
His Fiance, Maryse:
“I have my dream girl. I finally found the one I’ve been looking for. It has been absolutely fantastic, but obviously with being on the road so much, it causes headaches because we want to see each other. So sometimes I bring her on the road with me, but she understands, and it’s great she understands with me being on the road and with me being with WWE. She knows I’m setting ourselves up for the life that we want.”
– In recent years, WWE has generally shied away from spotlighting wrestlers who succumbed to drug related causes as to not attract negative media attention. That is not the case today as the official website of WWE has added Test, who passed away on March 13, 2009 at the age of 33 as a result of an overdose of oxycodone, to its Alumni section. WWE says of the six-time title holder, “He’s best remembered as the Superstar who nearly married Stephanie McMahon before Triple H ruined their plans, but there was much more to Test than one disastrous night at the altar. A deceptively agile big man who could knock off opponents with a boot to the face or a top rope elbow drop, Test claimed pinfall victories over major competitors like Edge, The Undertaker and The Rock while collecting multiple singles and tag titles.”
Test’s death is not acknowledged on the page, with his final stint in WWE for the relaunched ECW brand in 2006 and 2007 branded as an “exclamatory ending to Test’s career and lasting proof that he was something far more than just a jilted groom.” To view his profile, click here.
– Ray Evans, who competed for various independent promotions in the Dallas, Texas area in the late-1980s and into 1990s, passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 49 following a long battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held on Saturday in Hubbard, Texas. (RIP: Ray Evans)
– Team Hell No’s battle with The Shield last week on Raw is spotlighted in this week’s “WWE Raw Slam of the Week.” (Watch)
– Injured WWE Superstar Tyson Kidd was asked by a fan on Twitter when he’ll be returning to action. He replied, “likely another few months.”
– Conspicuously absent from the past 3 weeks of WWE television has been Jack Swagger. Swagger is due back in court on June 25th from his pre-WrestleMania DUI arrest and is not advertised for any upcoming WWE live events until June 29th when WWE is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
– WWE is once again refocusing its efforts on rebuilding the tag team division. With The Shield recentlhy capturing the Tag Team Championships from Team Hell No, WWE is already building up the repackaged Uso’s as their first babyface challengers.
While it’s unknown whether Team Hell No will attempt to recapture their titles (and based on Daniel Bryan breaking out lately, they might not), expect to see more non-title matches from the Prime Time Players, Team Rhodes Scholars and other new tag teams made up of lower & mid-card wrestles.
The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Eric Rowan) will be debuting soon and Harper & Rowan will be another new team in the mix.
On Monday’s RAW, we saw somewhat of a reboot for The Uso’s tag team, sporting new facepaint, pyro during their entrance and an overall energized attitude. They picked up an impressive win over the Prime Time Players.
F4wonline.com reports that the team is being slightly repackaged in an effort to build them up as credible challenges to WWE Tag Team Champions, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns of The Shield.
The Usos tweeted the following after their win on RAW:
– Triple H will be in action tonight on Raw as the official WWE website has announced that he will face Curtis Axel. Also tonight, Randy Orton partners with Team Hell No to battle The Shield for the first time ever in a Six-Man Tag Team Match.
– The latest edition of WWE en Espanol is now online.
– The official WWE website has a poll asking fans how Curtis Axel will peak under Paul Heyman’s guidance; World Champion (39%), Intercontinental Champion or U.S. Champion (30%), Topflight competitor, but he won’t win a singles title (31%).
WWE United States champion Dean Ambrose recently spoke to the Poughkeepsie Journal. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
The Shield & Why They’re Different From Other WWE Superstars:
“I can tell you it’s been an ever-evolving process. I don’t think we knew where we wanted to go. Every week, it’s been a new idea. An on-the-fly idea. Coming out of the crowd was not a pre-planned, premeditated idea that someone came up with in a meeting room. Everything has kind of organically evolved. Instead of coming through the entrance way, we wanted to make a statement to people that what you see is not like every other WWE superstar, every other normal wrestler. It was done to separate ourselves. We’re not like everyone in the back. We’re completely different and more dangerous and something you’ve got to keep your eyes on. “Everything from the moves we do to the things we wear to the things we say, all of them have been on the fly. We’re making it up as we go along. If something feels natural, we do it. If somebody says a good line, it’s like, hey I like that line, let’s go with it. Or someone does a good move, hey I like that move, let’s do that again. It’s been an on-the job process. You’re watching it unfold with your eyes as much as we are and I think that’s one of the exciting things for the fans.”
His Promo Style:
“Cutting a promo has always come very naturally and it’s nothing I ever had to work on. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t have a particular process. You have to not be afraid to be yourself and let go and tap into how you really feel. You need to let loose. If you can do that, you can show people a different side of your personality. Get in front of the camera and be free. I enjoy being in front of the camera and I use it as an outlet. In real life, I’m a pretty private person. I’m not a flashy, attention-seeking, kind of guy. When the red light goes on, you have an opportunity to be whatever you want and let loose and use it as an outlet. I’m able to take a lot of aggression off my choice. I guess my best advice would be to just cut loose and not be afraid to just let your real self come out from inside. If you get intimidated by the camera, that shows through. Just enjoy cutting it loose.”
“Guys today, a lot of them only learned one way to do it. They came up in developmental or whatever and are told what to say and that’s the only way they know how to do it. I didn’t come up that way, fortunately. I don’t want anybody to tell me what to say. When you put words in my mouth, I don’t like that. With a promo, you have an opportunity to sell tickets and sell pay-per-views and create interest. Every single time, the camera’s on you, you have a chance to expand your bank account and puts (butts) in the seats and help your performance. It’s all a big part of a masterpiece of an angle or a story that climaxes in a match. It all ties together.”
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:
Former NXT Stars Stepping Up In WWE: “NXT is doing its work as many new faces from developmental are beginning to to occupy key, roster spots on RAW and Smackdown. Some incumbent talents on the main roster who are ‘peculating’ might want to glance over their shoulder. More, outstanding NXT prospects are pushing to be “next” on the call up list. Competition is on going and good for all. It will take time for all the ‘new’ to be facilitated which means that it will take patience of which many fans and some talents don’t have in an abundance. I see much of 1013 being a ‘transition year,’ of sort, which means fresh, new, and exciting times on WWE TV programming.”
Bray Wyatt & Family: “The Bray Wyatt Family vignette was spot on and after seeing them perform as much as I have in NXT I can attest that they will, without question, contribute positively to WWE once they arrive on RAW and/or Smackdown. Wyatt has success and athleticism in his blood and has that rare, second gear that most big men do not possess. I can’t stress how important that is. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are big, rugged dudes who, at times, remind me of a young Mick Foley or Bruiser Brody inasmuch as they are ‘brawlers’ who move well for being such big men.”
The Shield’s Recent Work: “The Shield continues to evolve and their unit is becoming one of the hottest entities within WWE in years. If they can stay healthy, which there are no guarantees, and continue to evolve and master their craft these three can be big time players in WWE for years to come. Hopefully, they will continue down their current path as I would like to see where that would take the trio at WM30 in New Orleans.”
Daniel Bryan: “For my money, no one on any WWE broadcast over shadows Daniel Bryan who is arguably the best technical wrestler in the business and his consistent performances week after week often times goes unmentioned. Bryan has the same skill set that Bret Hart had back in the day and that is making everyone that he’s in the ring with better. That is a true artform and is one that is battling to make a comeback in today’s world of sports entertainment.”
Following Monday’s RAW, here’s the latest backstage news heading into next month’s WWE Payback pay-per-view:
– Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett is expected to defend his championship against Fandango and The Miz in a Triple Threat Match. As noted earlier, Sin Cara is no longer in the title picture.
– On RAW, The Shied defended their respective titles against the former champions who they defeated at Extreme Rules. Ambrose retained the US Title against Kofi Kingston, while Reigns & Rollins successfully held on to the Tag Titles after a hard fought match against Team Hell No.
With those rematches already having taken place, it looks like The Shield will have fresh opponents
Seth Rollins does Cross Fit regularly, Roman Reigns is a beast .. Perhaps he was talking about Dean Ambrose? Hey – we can’t all be “body” guys like him!
– The final rating for Monday’s WWE RAW was a 2.96, essentially even with last week’s 2.92. As noted earlier, this week’s show averaged 4,227,000 viewers, up 4% from last week.
By comparison, last year’s post-Extreme Rules RAW drew a 3.33 rating and averaged 4.89 million viewers.
– Monday’s RAW had a Trendrr.tv social media score of 267,714, up 18% from last week. RAW was the most socially active show on cable for the night.
– Fandango’s dancing partner Summer Rae tweeted the following about The Shield capturing the WWE Tag Team & United States championships at Extreme Rules:
– WWE referee Charles Robinson tweeted the following about his decision to not count out John Cena and Ryback after their match-ending spot at Extreme Rules:
To those complaining about me not counting i was in shock of what happened and was more concerned about their safety. I did what was right.
-Ric Flair’s ex-wife, Jacqueline Beems, turned herself into police at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office today. Beems was answering an arrest warrant issued which claimed she harassed Flair’s current girlfriend, Wendy Barlow Kidder (aka “Fifi The Maid”) in October of 2012.