– Taz’s latest podcast is now available, featuring a review of last night’s WWE Elimination Chamber PPV and a detailed breakdown of John Cena vs. Kevin Owens.
– WWE will be holding a NXT live event tonight at the Venice Community Center in Venice, Florida. If anyone is attending the show, feel free to send in a report.
– WWE is also holding a live event tonight at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The scheduled main event is John Cena vs. Rusev in a steel cage match, although it will likely end up being Cena vs. Kane in a cage instead due to the fact that Rusev is nursing an injury. As noted, Rusev’s status for Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber is still in question.
– Triple H showed off the next three days worth of food he plans to eat in a new photo posted on his official Twitter account. You can check out the picture below.
NXT World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Owens recently spoke with TheWhig.com to promote this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On a conversation he had with Sami Zayn: “I remember a conversation I had with Sami Zayn, it must have been around 2003. We were travelling to a little show in Quebec City, which is about two hours from Montreal so we were somewhere between Montreal and Quebec City at a restaurant and he was telling me how wrestling for WWE was his dream. And I told him, ‘Yeah, well me too, but it’s not really a dream, it’s a goal.’ And he was like, ‘What do you mean by that?’ I said, ‘Dreaming of something is nice, but having it as a goal I think is different. I know it’s going to happen.’ I told him that. I said, ‘I know I’m going to get there.’ And he was kind of blown away by that perspective and that outlook on it.”
On his first day with WWE: “My first day was pretty interesting because I got the call that I was hired. I was going to start full time August 25 at the Performance Center, but my first day was actually before. A couple of weeks before, they brought me in so that I could visit the Performance Center, there was an NXT TV taping that week so I stayed for that. I had to find a house, so I found a house for my family to live in in Orlando. My first day was technically not an official first day, it was just more a bit of a sample of what I could expect. I got in the ring with Norman Smiley in his class. And of course there was the NXT TV taping, I saw that whole process. I met Triple H and I met Stephanie McMahon. It was just a really surreal experience because those are people I’ve been watching for years and years and years. To now get to see them and to get to talk to Triple H, who was basically welcoming me on board. He’s telling me, ‘Thanks for coming, thanks for accepting the invitation, thanks for coming on board.’ In my head, I’m like, ‘Well thank you for hiring me.’ That was pretty cool.”
On developing a relationship with Triple H: “You know, I feel like I’ve developed a bit of a relationship with Hunter throughout these last few months. It goes beyond the ring. We’ll talk about our kids, we’ll talk about life. He’s very good to me. To have him take time out of a very busy day, he’s busy on Raw, and he took the time to tell me to just make sure you are who you are. And I know that’s kind of the advice he gives everyone, but to hear it from him, it really means something because ‘Make sure you stay who you are’ means that who I am, he’s got faith in. That’s a big thing.”
“I wanted to make my kids proud, I wanted to make my wife proud, I wanted to make my parents proud, and I wanted to make Hunter proud because he took a shot on me. I’m not the typical WWE superstar. He hired me anyway and he saw something in me. And I want to deliver for him. I want to pay him back for that by delivering the way he thinks I can and I think I did.”
On facing John Cena on Sunday: “There’s no denying how big it is. There’s not a whole lot of people that walk into WWE, show up on Raw, lay out the top guy in the industry for the last 10 years and get to wrestle him two weeks later at a major event like Elimination Chamber, but I get to do that. That will literally never be taken away from me, no matter what happens from here on out.”
Following the success of some recent matches and crowd reactions in NXT, there is some consideration being given to a women’s match headlining a major show.
It would require the right talent and the right feud, but top NXT officials are open to a female main event, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. UFC’s massive success from featuring Ronda Rousey in marquee matches has demonstrated the drawing power of women.
WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke with Thomas Feaheny about a number of topics. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On returning to WWE as a wrestler: “Physically, I am more than able to return. I don’t think that’s going to happen, Vincent Kennedy McMahon does not have me on the roster.”
On returning to WWE as a manager: “I would love that. I have been waiting on that for two years, but I don’t anticipate that happening now. I understand that they have so many young guys, people they want to get established, I have no problem with it, but I don’t think it will happen.”
On his daughter wrestling in NXT: “I think she is going to be one of the biggest stars in the female division… I don’t miss one of her matches. If I’m not there in person I am watching her on the network.”
On Triple H’s role in WWE and NXT: “I personally wish he was in the ring more because he is such a great performer. It’s hard to maintain that edge when you are working part-time. I think he is doing a phenomenal job. On a personal note, NXT is his baby and he has a lot to say about Raw and Smackdown, and he is doing a great job. When you wrestle part-time, the chances of injury can happen much easier.”
You can listen to the audio of the interview above.
TNA World Champion Kurt Angle recently spoke with The Mirror in the U.K. to promote the upcoming TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On if he thought he would struggle to return to the ring due to various injuries: “With my training I knew I would come back, I just didn’t know how quickly. A lot of times with ACL surgery it can take at least a year, but I was back within nine months. I was doing okay, I just had to take it easy when I first got back in there. I bounce back from injury, I’ve had my share of them. It’s been tough, but having injury isn’t always a bad thing because it makes you work harder, you keep that work ethic. I think the guys that have been injured understand how much work ethic you need to make it back 100% and it only makes you a better athlete.”
On his match with Ethan Carter III at the upcoming Slammiversary show: “Yeah, that’s one of the matches I was really looking forward to coming back and doing. I didn’t know what creative had in store for EC3, but I knew that he was going to win the world heavyweight title this year. The writing was on the wall, he was the guy that you wanted to put that title on, so it was a matter of time. I just didn’t know how they were going to get there. So I feel very blessed to at least be a part of that, because whether or not I beat or lose to EC3 in this match, I believe in this programme somewhere along the line he’s going to win the title. So what better way to win the title than beat Kurt Angle? I think that’s a great move on the company’s part and it’s also great for me because I get the chance to wrestle EC3, and it’s also great for me because I will probably be the one most likely to end his undefeated streak, so there are many things in that storyline that can be a lot of fun for both of us.”
On TNA hiring Billy Corgan: “You know what I got very limited access to Billy but when I did he really took, he adapted quickly, almost like he has been around this for a long time. We did some segments that he produced, promo segments and such, he took control of The Doll House, which you will see a lot of things change in the future with The Doll House, that are really cool. He’s added a lot of depth to the company, I like him, I think he’s going to be very good for TNA. I think it was a great move by TNA, a smart move, to sign him and I think he’s well in tune with what the audience want to see. He brings a different flavour to the table, no doubt about that. We’ve been so drawn into just hiring former wrestlers and former office from WWE and former WCW talent, and not going outside the box. Well we went outside the box with Billy and I think it’s working out. He did an incredible job, he produced a promo segment of EC3 and myself, which we’ll see in the next few weeks, which was hilarious. You’re really going to be entertained, he really stepped up. So those are the kind of things we can get from Billy.”
On saying he was going to sign with WWE to finish his career last year: “You know what, when it came down to it, I talked to both companies and it was an easy decision. From every perspective, from amount of dates, to the amount of money, to the amount of interest, it wasn’t a hard decision – TNA trumped the WWE. And for whatever reason, maybe the WWE didn’t think I could still go, maybe they just wanted to start grooming younger talent, although they’ve obviously hired Sting, brought in Batista and brought guys back like Jericho… I don’t know the full story, it could be anything, but when it came down to it I had my options open. I never said I was going to leave TNA and I never said I wouldn’t go back to WWE, but when I looked at the best scenario for me, hands down it was TNA. It wasn’t something I had to sit down and think about for hours, the writing was on the wall. It was TNA for one more year.”
On the rumors that he approached Vince McMahon instead of Triple H due to rumored differences he had with HHH: “I don’t think so, I don’t think that Triple H and I have any problems with each other, I’ve always liked him. He’s always treated me with respect and I’ve always treated him the same. No, I don’t think it was that. There was a point when my manager talked to them and I believe they did say ‘he would have to wrestle full-time’. That is not an option for me, not at this point in my career. So, whether that was part of it, honestly I just don’t think they had that much interest in signing Kurt Angle at that point. For whatever reason, it could have been my mishaps in my past, it could have been that they didn’t think I was healthy enough to go – and obviously I am – but we never got a full answer of why they couldn’t give me what I wanted. And it wasn’t just what I wanted, it was a reduced schedule, but there was no option.
“Dixie Carter gave me exactly what I wanted and it wasn’t a hard decision. I wasn’t upset, I was excited about signing another year with TNA. I think they did an incredible job this year. They had to refocus, they had to re-group, they had some issues in the past, and I think they’ve done an incredible job of making their way back. Are they back to what they were? No. But they’re on their way and they’re doing so many good things right now that make me excited about being part of the company.”
– WWE officials have begun planting seeds for a possible Triple H vs. Seth Rollins feud.
As seen Monday on Raw, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon threw a celebratory party for WWE World Champion Seth Rollins. During “Architect of a Dream,” Triple H said he sees the reflection of himself in Rollins. Between that line and Rollins adopting the Pedigree, there is talk of the two WWE Superstars clashing in the future (according to Dave Meltzer in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter).
– Samoa Joe appears on the This is Awesome Wrestling Show to talk about his debut in NXT, whether he will appear on Raw or SmackDown, leaving TNA Wrestling, his current state of mind, touring the independent circuit and more. The audio interview is available here.
– Former WWE Divas Ivory, Lita, Molly Holly, Trish Stratus and Victoria reunited on Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina at Master of Ring Entertainment’s “Lasting Legacy: A Tribute To Women In Wrestling” event.
Part-time WWE performer The Rock recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” site. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On being part of the “holy trinity” with Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan, but being the one to thrive in Hollywood: “It’s hard. It’s hard work. That’s the key, but it’s not that those guys don’t work hard. For whatever reason, it just kind of worked out for me. That’s the only answer I can give. I’ve had incredible matches with those guys and I’m good buddies with those guys, especially Austin. I know that they put their heart and soul into everything they do. Think about the matches and the tours I had with Austin. He is probably, if not the greatest of all time. There is a wiring in his head, which is, ‘I’m going out, I’m going to take it, and I’m going to be the best.’ He was my mentor, by the way, back when I was this young buck. With a top guy like Austin or Undertaker, you only get to work with them if they say it’s cool. For Austin to say it’s cool to have The Rock work with him is one thing, but he also wanted me to main event WrestleMania with him. He took me under his wing, taught me a hell of a lot, and I’ll never forget it.”
On Roman Reigns and the reaction he received at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view: “I wasn’t surprised by the reaction at all. That’s the beauty of Philly. I have felt that from Philly on both ends, as a heel and a baby face. Roman was getting booed in every city, and I just knew – we all knew – well, Philly was going to be worse.
“The only advice I gave Roman was that you just need to stay the course. It’s a unique dynamic and relationship that you have with the fans in wrestling. They’re passionate, just like you’re passionate, but they know it’s a work, just like you know it’s a work. It’s this fine balance you have to find between just staying the course and continue to cut your teeth every night by putting in good performances.”
On Vince McMahon and “San Andreas” director Brad Peyton: “This will be the only time that Brad Peyton’s name will ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Vince McMahon. Vince has been a mentor and a father figure to me. I met him when I was eleven years old. Even still today, I appreciate the relationship we have. It’s a real cool father-son dynamic, and especially as I get older, I can appreciate the relationship today better than when I was a punk 25-year-old kid. But here is the connective tissue between Brad Peyton and Vince McMahon – they come to work every single day like it’s their first day on the job and they will outwork every single person in the building. Vince’s work ethic at 70, or however old he is, is just crazy. He’s squatting 500 pounds at one o’clock in the morning. Not that Brad Peyton is squatting 500 pounds, but they both want to excel, raise the bar, and go beyond expectations.”
– The Thursday, May 21, 2015 edition of WWE SmackDown scored a final cable rating of 1.81, according to Nielsen Media Research, up from the previous week’s 1.79 rating. The show averaged 2.589 million viewers, up from the previous week’s 2.528 million viewers.
– A Divas singles match between Paige and Naomi is expected for Monday’s Elimination Chamber “go-home” edition of WWE RAW. As previously reported, Paige and Naomi will both be challenging Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship in a triple-threat match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view next Sunday evening.
– Triple H posted the following photo on Twitter, which shows him posing with Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson, who plays The Mountain on HBO’s “Game Of Thrones.” The photo was taken at this week’s NXT event.
TNA Knockout Gail Kim took a shot at WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon on Twitter in response to fans raving about the NXT Women’s Championship match at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable.
Kim praised Triple H for the way women are booked in NXT but doesn’t share the same feelings about Vince McMahon and his WWE Divas.
– Triple H reportedly held a backstage meeting after NXT Takeover: Unstoppable on Wednesday evening and praised the roster for keeping Samoa Joe’s debut a secret and not letting it leak out onto the internet.
– Tyler Breeze’s ring entrance at the NXT special last night peaked at 1,275 viewers on the Periscope app.
– Although TMZ reports that Tammy “Sunny” Sytch is close to signing a “monster porn contract,” the WWE Hall Of Fame Diva disagrees. Sytch addressed the porn rumors on Twitter with the following tweet:
to clear the air, I am NOT doing a porn… I have been approached by Vivid Entertainment, but nothing has been negotiated or put on paper
Samoa Joe, who finally made his WWE debut at the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable event on Wednesday, is expected to work tonight’s NXT television tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
For those wondering, Joe indeed agreed to a deal with WWE to work in NXT, and the effort to bring Joe in was said to be spearheaded by Triple H.
For now, Joe is scheduled to continue working existing and future independent dates that he has on the books. For example, Joe is still scheduled to work the JT Lightning Memorial Tournament this weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. Joe’s deal also includes a merchandise agreement.
While the deal could always grow into a full-fledged, exclusive-WWE deal, as of last night, it’s believed that Joe has not signed an exclusive deal with the company. While it is a new type of deal for WWE, they clearly thought Joe was someone that they could try this type of deal out with.
Speaking of Joe’s debut, he tweeted the following after appearing at the NXT special last night.
Wake up every morning KNOWING you are the Author of your own story. Your actions are the pen, make it interesting.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are reportedly big proponents of altering the way women are featured in WWE.
According to one source, the decision to change the way woman are used on WWE programming was very much based on Stephanie’s influence and the success that the UFC has had with Ronda Rousey.
It’s being said that while the two aren’t big UFC fans, they are fans of Rousey and when they saw her recent Sports Illustrated cover, among other accomplishments, it was a sign to them that the times have changed and that it’s a different era.
It’s worth pointing out that while Triple H and Stephanie are on board, Vince McMahon reportedly still sees women in the same role that they’ve always had on the WWE roster.
Samoa Joe made his NXT debut at the conclusion of Wednesday night’s NXT Takeover: Unstoppable live WWE Network special.
Kevin Owens was mercilessly beating down Sami Zayn as multiple referees and NXT GM William Regal getting involved. As Owens was getting ready to finish Zayn off with a chair, music began playing and out walked Samoa Joe. He was wearing a t-shirt that said “Samoa Joe” and the announcers referred to him as Samoa Joe, so he thankfully won’t be getting a new NXT name-generator ring name.
The crowd went apesh*t as Samoa Joe and NXT Champion Kevin Owens went face to face in what was truly a mark out moment. Owens eventually backed down, saying “not now” to a feud that could be the best thing WWE produces this year.
It’s worth noting that Triple H was asked about Joe signing with WWE earlier this week. He put Joe over as a tremendous performer, he said that he wasn’t sure if they would do business together or not.
Regarding the injury situation in WWE right now, the company is remaining very quiet in terms of disclosing information on the status of Daniel Bryan’s condition.
While specifics aren’t quite clear just yet, the word going around is that things are looking negative regarding Bryan’s future as an active pro wrestler. It’s been said that he is expected to be out a long time and it’s possible he may never be able to return, however as of May 18th there has been no definitive medical update on him.
Triple H acknowledged that Hideo Itami was injured during his conference call to promote the NXT Takeover: Unstoppable live WWE Network special, noting that he would be on the show in some capacity, but not actually wrestling.
It’s said that Itami’s injury was a fluke situation and not a case of wear-and-tear, which is said to be an issue troubling WWE these days among many of the wrestlers.
Steve Austin and WWE are officially back in business together, with his “Stone Cold Podcast” returning to the WWE Network on June 1st with special guest Paul Heyman.
The show will air on the night after the free month of May ends, as historically, the two most-watched shows in WWE Network history, aside from live pay-per-view events, were Austin’s two podcasts with Vince McMahon and Triple H.
Apparently Austin and WWE working together again came as a result of whatever issue Vince McMahon had being mended somehow.
One of the other reasons Austin is coming back is because of the busy schedule of Chris Jericho. Between hosting Tough Enough, doing house shows and touring with Fozzy, Jericho won’t be available to do podcasts on the WWE Network as often as might be necessary.
After Heyman, Austin’s next three guests on the WWE Network podcast will be Sting, The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan.
– Nikki Bella will be defending the WWE Divas Championship against Naomi and Paige in a triple-threat match at the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Sunday, May 31st in Corpus Christi, Texas.
– Following his conference call on Wednesday, Triple H will be hosting a Twitter Q&A this afternoon to promote tonight’s NXT Takeover: Unstoppable event.
– Speaking of tonight’s NXT event, NXT Champion Kevin Owens tweeted the following to hype his main event match against Sami Zayn.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog this week to promote the release of his new disaster-adventure film, San Andreas.
The Rock spoke about a number of topics, including his days as a college football player, his iconic Attitude Era rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and his cousin Roman Reigns’ climb to the top of WWE. He also commented on whether he’ll be getting back in the ring at next year’s WrestleMania 32, as WWE looks to draw over 100,000 fans to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“Myself, Vince, Triple H have talked about creating something that is amazing,” said Johnson. “Any time for me, going back into the WWE, especially if it’s a match – and these guys know this because of the open dialogue between me and Triple H – the question is, can we create, in terms of a promotional scale for the fans, something better than what we did in Miami and back-to-back in New York with John Cena? Can we put together something that’s different but equally, if not more, exciting?
So there’s a lot of elements involved that we continue to talk about and chop up. That’s the coolest part about the relationship I have with the McMahons, including Triple H.”
He added that he’s not ruling out the possibility of wrestling Triple H at next year’s Mania. “We continue to talk about it, and we’re still shooting each other text messages. He sent me a message from Dallas that said, ‘This could be us. The record is ours.’ So we’ll see.”
Triple H noted during today’s conference call that Sami Zayn has been cleared and will face Kevin Owens on Wednesday night at the NXT Takeover: “Unstoppable” live special on the WWE Network.
“The Game” also noted during the call that Matt Bloom has officially been promoted to head coach, which we had already pretty much known, and that Sara Amato will be the number two trainer as assistant coach, as well as working as an agent and producer.
– WWE Superstar Curtis Axel inducted his father — “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig — into the Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame at their 14th annual induction ceremony in New York this weekend. Others included at the ceremony were Rick Martel, Michael Hayes and more. Slam! Wrestling has a recap of the ceremony, which you can check out at Canoe.ca.
– In response to a fan on Twitter who commented about WWE taking NXT on the road for live tours outside of their home base in Florida, Triple H noted that they are “just getting started,” alluding to the fact that NXT will be doing more tours outside of Florida in the future.
– Following Monday’s post-Payback edition of WWE RAW, a quick five-minute “RAW Fallout” show is scheduled for the WWE Network. Additionally, fans will get to see a “First Look” special at the new WWE DVD on Jerry Lawler on the WWE Network this Monday night.
– In addition to the previously reported Chris Jericho vs. Finn Balor match scheduled for an upcoming WWE live event, Jericho is also officially booked to work a match against “King” Bad News Barrett at the San Diego live event on Friday, July 31st.
– Tommy Dreamer, who worked the NXT live events in Philadelphia and Albany this weekend, losing to Baron Corbin at both shows, acknowledged the fact that he appeared on a NXT show and a TNA show (Impact Wrestling) on the same night this past Friday. Dreamer compared it to Rick Rude appearing on RAW and Nitro on the same night during the Monday Night Wars. He tweeted the following:
I appeared on @IMPACTWRESTLING & @WWENXT last night. I'm just like Rick Rude minus the muscles & abs. What I'd like to have right now is..
– Speaking of the NXT Albany event on Saturday night, Triple H tweeted the following photo of Kevin Owens making his entrance for the triple-threat main event with Finn Balor and Tyler Breeze, which he went on to win via pinfall.
– Triple H will be hosting a conference call on Tuesday morning to promote Wednesday’s NXT Takeover: Unstoppable live special on the WWE Network.
– Speaking of Wednesday’s “Unstoppable” special, the pre-show is scheduled to begin on the WWE Network at 7:30pm EST. The hosts of the pre-show will be Renee Young, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. There is no post-show scheduled at this point.
– Tommy Dreamer announced that The Young Bucks and Rhyno will be appearing on his next “House Of Hardcore” event, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 18th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Following endorsements from Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, among several others, WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil has been named “Celebrity Dad of the Year” at the 2015 MEGA Dads Awards.
Below is an announcement made by WWE acknowledging the honor O’Neil received, as well as the reaction from O’Neil himself.
WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil named Celebrity Dad of the Year in 2015 MEGA Dads Awards
WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil has been named Celebrity Dad of the Year by everythingfordads.com! The announcement was made on the Everything For Dads Twitter @DadsExpo.
The second annual MEGA Dad Awards 2015 are being presented by Every Thing For Dads to honor the amazing work we see dads carry out that often goes unacknowledged. These awards are given to dads who are determined to change the landscape of fatherhood for the better and for the good of all.
O’Neil was up against actors Stephen Amell, Ashton Kutcher and Vin Diesel, and soccer stars David Beckham and Kaká.
Last year, O’Neil and his sons participated in WWE’s “Take Time to Be a Dad” public service announcements, and he is a regular fixture in WWE’s Community events, from Reading Celebrations to Be a STAR rallies.
Get complete details on the awards at everythingfordads.com/votemegadadsawards! The awards ceremony will take place June 13 in Winter Park, Fla., at the Winter Park Community Center.