The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:

On his upcoming autobiography: “We will officially start on my autobiography this month even though we have no book deal in place. I wanted to write a book that I felt was honest and a true representation of my career and not what some non, wrestling fan book agent stereotyped me into writing or how another entity wanted to edit it. The desire for salacious “dirt” from these people is uncanny. I expect the book to be finished by 2015 and then we will shop it around. There are plenty of suitors out there I can assure you. Bottom line is that I’m going to have the final say on the edit…for better or for worse ”

On Ronda Rousey appearing in WWE: “Yes, I’d love to see Ronda Rousey make an appearance at WM31 even though I know it’s a long shot at very best. Ronda could be in someone’s corner, a ref, or even compete with a female talent like Natalya or AJ Lee, for example, but please no intergender matches which anyone with a modicum of common sense can’t and won’t take seriously. Rousey is the hottest star today in UFC and is going to make a big splash in the film business sooner than later with multiple films in the can.”

On WWE postponing the return of Tough Enough: “WWE has postponed the taping of Tough Enough, according to Internet reports, until October from July. This had an impact on some projects that Steve Austin and I were going to do together which is unfortunate. Nonetheless we will circle our wagons and release more info when it’s timely.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

The new season of WWE Tough Enough, which was scheduled to air on the WWE Network, was to begin filming this weekend at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. According to reports, the filming has since been pushed back until October. The delay of Tough Enough production is said to be part of WWE’s recent budget cuts.

As noted recently, Vince McMahon ordered tens of millions of dollars in budget cuts across all over WWE’s departments. It has since been revealed that approximately $20 million is the figure that is expected to be sliced from the budget.

At last word, shooting of the new season of Tough Enough for the WWE Network was scheduled to begin this week, however due to recent budget-cutting, it’s said to be up in the air.

Apparently people involved got the directive to reduce productions costs on the project, and at last word it was not 100 percent as to whether or not they would even start filming as scheduled.

The following are highlights of a new In Your Head Wrestling Radio interview with Daniel Puder:

Do you feel that the name “Million Dollar Tough Enough” was misleading? “You know, the name wasn’t misleading, it was the actions upon some individuals that misled the people…If you tell somebody like myself (which I knew in the contract was the contract) but if you tell the general public that this is a big competition to get ratings and then you lie to the public because you offered that athlete, which was me, instead of a quarter million dollars a year four-year deal (actually guaranteed one year) you offer fifty thousand dollars for the second year, you’re basically backing out of your commitment to the fan base and the public. Personally, I knew what was going on, but if you want to lie to people that’s their decision.”

Kurt Angle mentions every three or four years going back to the Olympics and possibly going to MMA/UFC. Do you think he will ever do these things and if he did do you think he would have a good shot? “No, he wouldn’t have a good shot whatsoever. Number one he wouldn’t be able to pass a drug test, number two he’s an old man now, and number three I went to Dana (White) and we tried to put it together and Kurt chickened out. So at the end of the day, I’ve always said this, Kurt’s that guy that he’s the All-American. He drank his milk, ate his Wheaties, and married the girl next door, but the problem is was he married a girl and he lived next to a strip club and that’s how it works. He went down the tubes because he started doing other things and getting off-track with his life, and being a horrible role model for kids because he’s doing a bunch of drugs and trying to serve himself and his ego.”

Check out the complete interview above.

According to recent reports, things are said to be moving slowly in regards to the return of WWE’s “Tough Enough” reality a show, a program that the company noted would be part of the WWE Network package in the near future.

Filming for the show was reportedly supposed to begin during the first week of July at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, however it is being said now that the date could be pushed back.

Additionally, key talent WWE has under consideration for cast members of the show are not locked in yet and timing is starting to become an issue.

The following are highlights of a new blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

On WWE’s new deal with NBCUniversal and the WWE stock decline: “Many financial outlets writing gloom and doom for WWE after the announcement of WWE’s new rights fees deal with NBC/Universal which essentially keeps WWE on USA and SyFy for the next few years. The new rights fee was less than expected/predicted but I can certainly see light at the end of the tunnel. The key driver is to earn more fans and develop regular consumers of their core product. How is that done?”

“No mystery…develop new, hot stars that are embroiled in reality based, personal issue storylines on a consistent that all fans can emotionally invest in while watching easy to follow TV broadcasts. That process takes time, the right talents, plausible creative, and keeping the process simple but stimulating.”

“For the long haul and as the stock continues to descend likely for the next few days, I’m thinking that for many investors that the WWE stock is a viable consideration to invest in and that’s if one is a long term investor. I’m no stock analyst but I do think that the stock will rebound in time without question.”

“I also assume that the entire WWE/NBC/Universal package and business deal is still under wraps and more news will be announced in the near future but let me stress this is merely my speculation and not based on any inside info whatsoever.”

“Personally I think that Smackdown is best aired live on Tuesday night which fits the WWE production model because live TV, to me, is a better watch than a taped program that is talked to death all week online and via various social media outlets.”

“I experienced, while with WWE, some trying times in the mid 90’s that were far more challenging than today’s marketplace for WWE so I’m more interested to see who rolls up their sleeves and works smarter and harder in making the brand better over the long haul.”

“As always, the key to the genre is talent and television. Recruiting and training great, young talents plus producing consistent, episodically viable, weekly TV will always be the key. ”

“The WWE Network is still a great value and an investment that I am happy that I made so I can get my wresting fix whenever I choose at an affordable price.”

On Legends House rumors and Tough Enough: “Because I have been asked this often, I’d like to address this matter one last time. I am not a candidate to be included in the WWE Legend’s House if they do a second season. I have not been asked by WWE nor do I have any interest in doing the 6 week or so project. I’m too busy with a variety of other projects to invest the time. I would be interested in being involved in Tough Enough as I love spending time with the young prospects who simply want to live their dreams just as I was able to do.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

– As previously reported, a new season of Tough Enough is currently in the works and will air exclusively on the WWE Network. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, It’s believed that the new season of WWE Tough Enough will begin filming this June at the Performance Center in Orlando. There’s talk of limiting the participants on the show to talents that are already under developmental contracts, but have not yet appeared in NXT.

– Stephanie McMahon noted on Twitter that she was in California’s Bay Area on Wednesday to have talks about WrestleMania 31 at Levi’s Stadium.

Excited to be here in the Bay Area talking about #WrestleMania31 from @LevisStadium !!!! pic.twitter.com/Y5cZKPjBNt

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) May 7, 2014

– The latest WWE Inbox features WWE Superstars and Divas talking about Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s Streak:

Photo: BO DALLAS Posts Hilarious Tribute To His Brother BRAY WYATT

– International pro wrestling star Prince Devitt is officially done with New Japan Pro Wrestling at this point and reportedly still has a standing offer from WWE. It’s being said that Devitt joining WWE isn’t a “dead issue” just yet.

– As previously reported, WWE Tough Enough is scheduled to return as an original program on the WWE Network. The word going around is that the new season of Tough Enough will be filmed at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and will likely feature talent currently in the WWE developmental system that aren’t regulars on television.

– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson turns 42 today. The part-time WWE Superstar was born on May 2, 1972.

– As noted in the recap of Thursday’s WWE first-quarter conference call, the “Tough Enough” reality show is scheduled to return on the WWE Network. Former Tough Enough trainer Bill DeMott tweeted the following about the news:

The news is out @WWEToughEnough is coming to @WWENetwork – to say I am waiting for the call would be an (1/2)

— Bill DeMott (@BillDeMott) May 1, 2014

understatement! #nxtmeansbusiness (2/2) pic.twitter.com/oezhyARO3F

— Bill DeMott (@BillDeMott) May 1, 2014

WWE held their 2014 first-quarter conference call on Thursday morning, which features Vince McMahon, George Barrios and Michael Weitz talking specific WWE financials. Below are highlights from the call.

– Vince McMahon said that the key metrics, including WWE live events, were basically flat.

– McMahon said WrestleMania XXX is looking good based on the WWE Network count combined with pay-per-views.

– McMahon spoke of the XBOX ONE launch of the WWE Network and noted that smart televisions will be coming soon as well.

– McMahon noted that the company is in the middle of negotiations for India television rights. He mentioned that the domestic television deals will be finalized over the next few weeks.

– Barrios said that the 667,000 WWE Network subscribers translates to roughly $80 million annually, and said it’s more than they generally generated domestically from pay-per-view.

– Barrios spoke more of the WWE Network launch and mentioned an Amazon rollout in addition to smart televisions. He also noted that WWE Tough Enough will be returning as new programming on the Network.

– Corporate and other expenses increased $5.3 million to $37.7 million from the prior year quarter. It was listed as including “corporate overhead and certain expenses related to sales, marketing, and talent development costs.”

– WWE took an $8.6 million loss for the WWE Network launch costs that included customer service, programming and marketing.

– Barrios noted that the company is continuing to negotiate television rights deals in India and the United States. He said because negotiations are ongoing, they would not be answering any questions regarding that subject today.

– Barrios mentioned that the company is planning a WWE Network global launch for later this year. He noted that they also intend to report the subscriber count for the WWE Network on a regular basis.

– Barrios noted that the production costs for WrestleMania are included with the WWE Network financial numbers.

– A caller asked Barrios for a projected subscriber count for the WWE Network in 2015. He declined to comment but mentioned that they are targeting two-to-three million in general, without mentioning how long they plan to get to that point. He did say upon further questioning, however, that the two-to-three million subscriber estimate is just for domestic. McMahon chimed in and noted that the figure is a very conservative estimate.

You can read the full press release with all of the quotes and exact figures at 4-Traders.com.

– Thursday’s edition of TNA Impact Wrestling scored a final cable rating of 1.14, according to Nielsen Media Research. That is down from the 1.24 final rating that the show drew the previous week. As noted earlier, Thursday’s Impact Wrestling show averaged 1.421 million viewers, which was also down from the 1.481 million viewers that tuned in the week prior.

– WWE Tough Enough winner Andy Leavine recently expressed interest in working for Jeff Jarrett’s new pro wrestling promotion. Leavine recently tweeted the following:

@RealJeffJarrett if your looking for talent and there's an opportunity, where can I throw my name into the mix and EARN a spot!

— Andy Leavine (@AndyLeavine301) February 14, 2014

– Mick Foley has announced some details for the WrestleMania XXX rafle that we reported about on Monday. You can check out all of the information, including the prize packages, at RAINN.org.

– The song “Doomsday” by the band “Nero” will serve as the official theme song for the upcoming WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

– Former Tough Enough trainer Bill DeMott recently responded to a fan who asked him about the possibility of another season of the WWE reality show. DeMott tweeted the following response:

Fingers crossedRT @JTSisCENATION: @BillDeMott any chance of another Tough Enough competiton in the near future

— Bill DeMott (@BillDeMott) February 11, 2014

– The “Tough Enough reunion” edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast is now online. The show features former Tough Enough host “Stone Cold” Steve Austin talking about the show with several of the cast members who appeared as contestants during the season. You can check that show out online at PodcastOne.com.

– The following is the trailer for the new Kayfabe Commentaries “YouShoot” release featuring a shoot interview with ECW original Balls Mahoney:

-Cody Rhodes recently posted a tweet on his official Twitter account discussuing his father, Dusty Rhodes, returning to WWE television on tonight’s post-Night Of Champions edition of RAW. Cody wrote:

“Dream is my HERO, but I don’t concur with the decision to head to #RAW perhaps he & @StephMcMahon can avoid things going too far. #Outlaw”

-Speaking of Twitter, WWE Superstar and 3MB member Drew McIntyre tweeted about his wild flip over the top-rope spot during the Night Of Champions Kickoff show. McIntyre wrote:

“Why. So. Shocked? You can bet I have more than a flip over the top rope in my move set. I am the most complete sports entertainer #WWENOC”

-And finally, former WWE Tough Enough winner Andy Leavine tweeted about his upcoming participation in a Strongman Competition. Leavine wrote:

“Big week comming up, heavy endurance training! Countdown 5wks away #StrongmanNationals”

Backstage News From Night Of Champions + Major RAW *SPOILERS*

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin spoke to Variety.com this week to hype SummerSlam and the new WWE 2K14 video game. During the interview, Austin spoke about being “pissed off” that the show never got an additional season.

“When that show didn’t come back, I was pissed off,” Austin said. “It was a great show. The numbers were very good. We had a great time doing it. Why they didn’t bring it back still baffles me to this day because I loved doing that show. It was a great way to be in the business I know and love without having to be in the ring taking lumps.”

Steve also plugged his podcast which will feature Ric Flair as a special guest this week.

“Whether’s it one hour or six hours or whatever, he’s my favorite pro-wrestler of all time,” Austin said. “I had a wonderful career that I’m proud of, but when I look in the dictionary of pro-wrestler, I see the picture of Ric Flair. I’m looking forward to talking with him about his career in ring.”

* WWE Summerslam 2013 Results & SPOILERS Revealed

– Former Tough Enough judge and NXT head trainer Bill DeMott continues to tease that Tough Enough is returning soon. DeMott re-tweeted a message from the WWE Tough Enough account about the WWE Shop store doing Tough Enough merchandise giveaways next week. He also wrote:

https://twitter.com/billdemott/status/250768675655782400

– On Monday’s WWE RAW, Jerry Lawler appeared via satellite and told Michael Cole and Jim Ross that he’ll be returning to the announcer’s booth as soon as doctors give him clearance to do so.

The belief in WWE, according to PWInsider.com, is that Lawler will remain off television until early 2013. Following his massive heart attack just two weeks ago, the traveling and stress associated with being on the road with WWE is more than he should be doing for the time being.

* Picture of WWE’s New Masked Luchador Character (Ricardo Rodriguez)

Luke Robinson recently spoke wth WrestlingEnigma. Here are a few highlights of what Robinson said about:

When was the time when you realized that you wanted to be a professional wrestler?

When I was 15 years old I fell in love with professional wrestling. The Rock/Mankind fued is what drew me in – the story of the loveable loser standing up to the arrogant bully is something that resonates with a lot of people. Believe it or not, I associated myself with the Mankind character. I grew up on a riverside farm in Maine. I didn’t get the new Nike’s every season or the best equipment. I was raised to work hard and get noticed by talent & skill, not the price of your gear. That year, my friends and I started putting on shows in the basement with strobe lights, entrance musice, and costumes. We’d each play our favorite WWE characters, write story lines, and record/edit our shows. Everyone else saw it as something fun we did on the weekends, I saw it as job training. It was in 8th grade that I realied I wanted to do this for living and from that day forward everything I did was a conscious choice to reach that goal. I graduated college at the request of my trainer, WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas, made a name for myself on the east coast and the rest is history.

How did you feel when you were selected as one of the contestants on Tough Enough?

I was euphoric. It validated the past 10 years of my life. Every choice I had made up to that point was designed to get me to that point.

It was the moment; at Raw, you and Andy made your way out with the WWE Tough Enough Championships, and were waiting for the verdict. How was the complete experience on being on WWE’s top show?

That was a surreal but comfortable moment. As I walked out onto the ramp from the Gorilla position, I felt like this was “home.” This is what I was meant to do. I was nervous backstage, but felt totally confident as I strode down the ramp. I was embacing the hate from the fans. I had worked hard to position myself as a villian on Tough Enough and I was able to soak up the fruits of my efforts in that moment. Live on Raw. Living my dream.

As we all know, Andy Leavine won Tough Enough, much to the dismay of the so-called “WWE Universe”. Were you informed before that he had a contract with WWE’s development territory, FCW?

During the first episode, John Laurinitias pulled Andy and what’s her name of the bus we were on. It got leaked then, that they both have developmental contracts prior to the show. I was kinda shocked because most competitions wouldn’t allow someone who already had the “prize” to be in the contest. It was obviously a little bizarre and suspect.

How was the environment backstage with the other guys?

There were definite cliques within the house. Jeremiah and I pretty much stuck together, had fun, laughed a TON, and enjoyed the experience. A lot of the other guys were almost too focused. They were so uptight and square and didn’t even enjoy the experience because they were afraid that if they were having fun people would think they didn’t take the opportunity seriously. It’s pro-wrestling, it’s supposed to be fun. I don’t consider this a job. It’s something I love and I enjoyed every minute in the house.

What does the future hold for Luke Robinson now?

I have an incredible nutrition and fitness business called “WolfPack Fitness.” I teach people how to let food (and carbs) work for them instead of against them. It’s a true life-style change. Helping people understand that they don’t need to be miserable or torture themselves to get in shape has become my greatest joy and passion. I love what I’m doing and want to help reverse the obesity epidemic in our country.

* Crazy Theory About Where A.J.’s “Love Triangle” Storyline Is Headed

The decision to release Andy Leavine from his WWE developmental deal was made a few weeks back, according to f4wonline.com. WWE management felt that he was not improving in the ring and decided to cut their losses with him.

WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin, who was one of the judges on the Season of Tough Enough that Leavine won, tweeted the following regarding his release:

“Big Andy won Tough Enough. All day long and twice on Sunday. Thanks for your passion and opinions. Like it or not…He won. End of story.”

Andy Leavine, winner of the most recent season of Tough Enough, has been released by WWE.

Leavine had actually been signed to a WWE developmental contract before the 2010 season of Tough Enough. After winning the reality competition, he was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled as Kevin Hackman.

He was suspended for 30 days last August for violating WWE’s Talent Wellness Program.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

– Jim Ross is not currenrtly scheduled to call WrestleMania 28. He tweeted on Saturday:

“I’m not scheduled to broadcast WM28 at this time. Anyone in WWE who doesn’t want to contribute to WM28 should be future endeavored IMO.”

– Tough Enough coach Bill DeMott says there is still no word on the show getting a second season. (Twitter)

– WWE has joined Pinterest at Pinterest.com/wwe.

– WWE has announced that the WrestleMania Charity Golf Tournament will take place at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami on March 30th.

– Brodus Clay is also back on the road with WWE this weekend, picking up wins over Michael McGillicutty.

FCW star Xavier Woods also picked up another win over Curt Hawkins at Saturday night’s RAW live event in Ottawa.

At the Ottowa show, WWE officials have to stop and repair the ring mat after the co-main event of John Cena vs. Kane. The mat got ripped when Kane threw the steel steps into the ring.

Jeremiah Riggs, who appeared as a contestant on Tough Enough last year, believes he’s been blackballed from the professional wrestling industry after receiving no interest from WWE nor TNA Wrestling last year.

“I’ve been approached by a few wrestling promoters about coming in and doing some stuff. My manager even met with TNA several times but in the end politics won out. Am I blackballed in wrestling because of FCW? Probably, but it’s all good. I enjoyed wrestling but I’m not a wrestler. I’m a professional athlete,” he told www.hereisyourwinner.com in an interview.

In regards to FCW, a “notorious incident” with Dusty Rhodes and training staff led to WWE rejecting the Mississippi native.

“There were a lot of guys with the same look doing the same stuff trying to kiss ass and get ahead. That’s not me,” he says. “Some of the guys told me they thought it was great because I was myself and I didn’t sell out or kiss ass. I have nothing but respect for Dusty or Bill (DeMott), but I’m not a yes man. I will do whatever is asked of me and give it one hundred percent but I don’t do politics. What you see is what you get.”

Riggs now has his sights set on mixed martial arts. He will make his return to the cage on March 16, 2012 at Bellator 61 against the undefeated Trey Houston. To read his comments on the fight, click here.

Miss USA Rima Fakih

Tough Enough contestant and former Miss USA Rima Fakih was arrested Saturday morning in Highland Park, Michigan on suspicion of drunk driving.

WXYZ.com reports Fakih took a breathalyzer and blew a 0.20, more than twice the state’s legal limit. She spent most of Saturday in jail.

Fakih has reportedly been in touch with Triple H in recent months discussing a potential return to WWE in 2012. This probably won’t help her chances of getting re-signed.

• Miss USA Says She’s In Talks To Return To WWE

Fakih originally tried to deny that she was arrested by stating on Facebook and Twitter that it was actually someone else with the same last name. The posts were removed late Saturday and her attorney, Donald Elder, confirmed the arrest.

Elder told the Detroit Free Press Fakih was “very saddened and very apologetic for the situation that she is in right now.”

— As reported earlier, WWE is no longer advertising Mick Foley for the November 14 Raw SuperShow at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been removed from www.wwelivetour.com and www.tdgarden.com. Mick Foley claims in an interview published today that he has yet to hear from WWE regarding a possible return to the organization.

He told NewsDay.com, “Working a couple of days a week compared to all week is not problematic… Would not be a deal breaker at all. That’s assuming I get that phone call… I’m sure there’s a lot of people on that list. I might have to scale back on some things, but that would be OK.”

— Maxim’s “Salute To The Military” issue, which hits newsstands next week, features a two-page spread on Kelly Kelly. The spread features a brief interview with Kelly regarding WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops effort.

— G4 is airing a Tough Enough marathon today.

— The latest issue of WWE Magazine claims security personnel at television events have been ordered to keep an eye out for an individual who appeared on the last season of Tough Enough as he/she is threatening to intrude WWE programming.

“The Informer” says: “Insiders report that a certain Tough Enough loser feels he/she was wronged by being eliminated from the program. So much so that he/she is threatening a run-in on WWE programming!

“Arena security is on alert all over the U.S.”

— Daniel Bryan beats Heath Slater on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars, which resulted in WWE.com posting a headline reading “Bryan Finally Wins!” The sub-headline reads “Daniel Bryan snapped his losing streak on “WWE Superstars” with a victory over Heath Slater.”

Bryan had only been on a two-match losing streak: he lost to Sin Cara on August 30 and Christian on August 26. Excluding his victory over Drew McIntyre on the August 25 episode of WWE Superstars, Bryan last garnered a victory on WWE programming on the August 5 SmackDown in a win over Tyson Kidd.

— The official WWE website added Aksana to the SmackDown roster today. The former NXT Rookie Diva returned to WWE programming on the August 5 episode of SmackDown.

— Vickie Guerrero announced on Twitter that her official website, www.MyVickieGuerrero.com, will be launched tomorrow.

During a recent interview with the UK’s Daily Star newspaper, WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin revealed what has been speculated for quite some time – that a second season of Tough Enough is in the works. Austin also answered a few questions on this summer’s breakout superstar, CM Punk. Here are some highlights of what Stone Cold said about:

CM Punk’s Recent Push & SummerSlam Match:

“I really enjoyed it. It was like a breath of fresh air. He’s telling it like it is. He’s got himself a good contract now and they are treating him like the top guy that he is. You know when you’re going along with candy coated storylines, and something organic comes along, it’s a good chance to make a lot of money. They threw HHH in there, and I just hope they play their cards right. It was an interesting PPV (Summerslam) – I saw Del Rio coming but it will be interesting to see it working out.”

Rumors of he and CM Punk wrestling at WrestleMania 28:

“Look I’ve heard the same things and I’ve said that were I to do it CM Punk would be the man I would like to do it with. All the stars would have to align for that to happen – it would have to be good for me financially, good for me in terms of execution and storyline. Obviously it would have to be good for WWE and work out for CM Punk too. I’m not starting up anything here, but could it happen? Yes. Will it happen? I don’t know.”

To read the full interview, head on over to the Daily Star website.