Monday’s RAW featured Triple H’s first night in charge as well as the surprise return of WWE title holder CM Punk.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there were actually six different scripts written for RAW – one of which would have resulted in Triple H laying out CM Punk with a pedigree.
Although the obvious scenario would be for WWE to capitalize on CM Punk’s recent popularity and push him to the moon, most of the scenarios presented for Monday’s RAW were not to get Punk over, but to emphasize Triple H’s new role as Vince McMahon’s successor.
Prior to WWE settling on what we saw unfold on Monday night, the original plan for CM Punk’s return was for him to get attacked and pedigreed by Triple H. Alberto Del Rio then would have come out, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena at SummerSlam.
While this would have certainly put Triple H over as a major heel and led to an eventual program with a babyface CM Punk cooler heads prevailed and the angle of Punk getting squashed on the night of his return was scrapped.
– WWE’s “new CEO” Triple H turns 42 years old today.
– Reader Stan sent word that Monday’s RAW featured 40 minutes and 6 seconds of in-ring action, up a bit from the week before.
– The Miz will be on MTV tonight hosting “MTV’s The Challenge: Rivals.” After that, at midnight (EST), Miz will be appearing on George Lopez’ late night TBS show, Lopez Tonight.
– Following CM Punk’s return to WWE on Monday’s RAW his new theme song “Cult of Personality” skyrocketed on the iTunes sales charts, breaking the Top 200.
– Tyler Reks wrote the following on Twitter last night in response to fans that commented to him about an apparent babyface turn this week after he was seen celebrating with Rey Mysterio on RAW:
“Lotta talk about me celebrating Rey’s win with everyone last night. Bottom line is that Rey is my friend & I wanted to say congrats. No crime in that.”
– WWE will tape tonight’s NXT and this week’s SmackDown from Philadelphia, PA tonight. Confirmed for TV is an appearance by Triple H and more on Mark Henry’s recent devastation. Advertised locally is Randy Orton vs. World Heavyweight Champion in a Street Fight.
– Last week’s July 22 episode of SmackDown scored a 1.89 cable rating, the program’s best mark since May 20—also a 1.89.
SmackDown had not scored in the 1.80 range since May 27, with the number fluctuating between 1.63 and 1.77 during that time.
Friday’s show averaged 2,821,000 viewers over the course of two hours.
— Tyler Reks, who has portrayed a sinister heel character since debuting last October on the SmackDown brand, was among the numerous babyfaces celebrating Rey Mysterio’s WWE Championship celebration last night on Raw. To add further confusion, he performed as both a babyface and heel at this past weekend’s live events.
(Credit to PWInsider.com for the SmackDown ratings data)
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia and will feature the finals of the WWE Championship tournament between Rey Mysterio and The Miz.
After his return to WWE television last week, Triple H is also being advertised for tonight’s RAW.
Former WWE champion CM Punk is currently on hiatus, but he’s still being advertised for tonight’s show by the Hampton Coliseum website. One might assume that the RAW preview that advertises an appearance from Punk is outdated, but it has actually been updated to the news of Vince McMahon stepping down:
“He had a Vision … and created an Empire, a Global Phenomenon … but, for Vincent Kennedy McMahon, it’s … All … Over. This Monday, the Game has changed and HHH is in Charge. In The WWE Championship Tournament finals, The High-Flying, Ultimate Underdog, Rey Mysterio Battles the Self-Proclaimed most must see Superstar, The Miz. Who will be the first WWE Champion in the post McMahon Era? Also there: John Cena, CM Punk, Money In The Bank Winner Alberto Del Rio, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, “The All American-American” Jack Swagger, Dolph, Ziggler, Santino Marella,Vladimir Kozlov, Kelly Kelly, The Bella’s, Zack Ryder and MANY, MANY MORE!!!*Card subject to change”
— Days after being suspended by WWE for a violation of the organization’s Talent Wellness Program, Sin Cara has been removed from all SummerSlam promotional material. His image is no longer featured on the promotional poster, nor the microsite.
Regarding the masked grappler’s status with WWE, many employees are under the impression that management “had decided to cut bait on him.” Creative wasn’t informed until a day or two prior to Money in the Bank that he needed to be written off television and were also told to not “put any thought into any scenarios for him going forward.” A final decision regarding his immediate future has not been made.
— Triple H attended Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s wedding, which took place Saturday in Ohio Township, Pennsylvania. “Big Ben” is a huge wrestling fan, and guest hosted an episode of Monday Night Raw in October 2009.
— Former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson turns 36 years old today.
CM Punk crashed the joint Mattel/WWE panel—WWE: Past, Present and Future—this afternoon at the San Diego Comic-Con, featuring Triple H, Rey Mysterio and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.
Punk announced himself via bullhorn and then, with the WWE Championship in hand, sauntered to the designated question-asking microphone and began to speak. The Straight Edge Superstar took exception to WWE attempting to crown a new champion on Raw and then challenged Mysterio, or anyone else who wanted to be champ, to head out to Chicago to take him on.
Punk then asked Triple H and creative writer Brian Gewirtz why Zack Ryder wasn’t on television. Triple H, in what appeared to be a kayfabe response, told Punk that things had changed on Raw and there was a new regime. He told Punk to give him a call. Punk responded by telling Hunter that he was certain Stephanie had his number.
As you’ll notice – Punk is once again wearing a Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt, another sign that Punk is hoping to eventually get Austin to come out of retirement for one more match.
— A commercial aired during tonight’s episode of NXT: Redemption promoting next week’s episode of Raw as the first show of the “post-McMahon Era.”
Also advertised is the final round of the WWE Championship Tournament as Rey Mysterio and The Miz will face off to determine the new title holder.
— Two days past his title victory over Randy Orton, Christian defeated The Viper once again in a dark match at tonight’s SmackDown taping in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The eight minute long championship match concluded with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase distracted Orton, allowing Christian to roll up his opponent.
— Former WWE talent Sean Waltman stated last night on Twitter that the final few minutes of Triple H and Vince McMahon’s segment on Raw was “the real deal.” Waltman has since clarified his remarks.
— The July 16 episode of A.M. Raw on the USA Network garnered a 0.67 cable rating, with 821,000 viewers overall.
— Darren Rovell, a sports business reporter for CNBC, noted on his Twitter account that last night’s angle on Raw in which Vince McMahon was relieved of his duties of WWE chief and replaced by his son-in-law, Triple H, may cause issues with WWE stock.
“The No. 1 material risk against WWE stock is Vince McMahon leaving the business,” Rovell wrote. “Tonight’s plot could be an SEC violation.”
— Tough Enough contestant Ivelisse Velez was among those backstage watching Vince McMahon’s announcement on a monitor at the start of Raw. It is not publicly known if she has signed a contract.
WWE developmental wrestler Percy Watson was also spotted amongst the crowd.
— Former WWE star Eric Escobar has launched a Twitter account.
In the final round of the WWE Championship Tournament, Rey Mysterio and The Miz meet next week on Raw to determine the undisputed title holder.
Vince McMahon announced at the top of the show that eight of the top Superstars would compete in a WWE Championship Tournament and that a new titleholder would be determined that night. Before Mysterio and The Miz could compete in the final round of the WWE Championship Tournament, McMahon demanded that the ring be cleared due to important business he had to conduct. Triple H then informed McMahon that he had been relieved of his duties as WWE Chairman and that he would be taking his place.
WWE Championship Tournament Results
* The Miz defeated Alex Riley in the first round of the WWE Championship Tournament
* R-Truth defeated Jack Swagger in the first round of the WWE Championship Tournament
* Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio in the first round of the WWE Championship Tournament
* Rey Mysterio defeated Dolph Ziggler in the first round of the WWE Championship Tournament
* The Miz defeated Kofi Kingston in the second round of the WWE Championship Tournament
* Rey Mysterio defeated R-Truth in the second round of the WWE Championship Tournament
— Shawn Michaels noted on his Twitter account that Triple H will appear on an upcoming episode of his new television series Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures (airing Tuesdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel). Michaels and “The King of Kings” filmed an alligator hunting episode today in Florida.
— Randy Orton appeared on 98KUPD’s Real Rock on Tuesday promoting this week’s SmackDown tapings in Arizona. During the interview, one of the hosts said Ziggler, who resides in Phoenix, went on a date last week with adult film star BiBi Jones. He said Ziggler met Jones at a recent Britney Spears concert.
— The Bella Twins stated on Twitter that they will be launching their official website, NicoleandBrianna.com, on Friday.
— WWE Hall of Famer Sgt Slaughter appears at the Salem Red Sox game on Friday, July 8 at LewisGale Field 1004 Texas St. Salem, Virginia. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Call 540-389-3333 for more information.
WWE star Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon, now WWE’s Executive Vice President of Creative Development and Operation, were recently interviewed by financial news company Bloomberg to discuss WWE’s global appeal and international expansion being a core part of the company’s business.
Triple H and Stephanie were interviewed by Bloomberg’s Melissa Long for a company profile that will air in its entirety on television this Wednesday on Bloomberg’s cable channel at 9:00 p.m (Eastern).
In another video, Stephanie McMahon tries on the mask Triple H wore at WrestleMania XXVII.
— Stephanie McMahon, WWE’s executive vice president of Creative Development and Operation and her husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque discuss why wrestling has a global appeal with Bloomberg’s Melissa Long in the following video. The full episode airs this Wednesday on Bloomberg Television at 9:00 p.m.
In another video, Stephanie McMahon tries on the mask Triple H wore at WrestleMania XXVII.
— Tyson Kidd appeared as a babyface at last night’s SmackDown live event in Hidalgo, Texas. He defeated Heath Slater, who was accompanied by Justin Gabriel.
— Layla celebrated her 33rd birthday yesterday. She is expected to be sidelined until next year due to tears of the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in her knee.
– As noted yesterday, Kharma is denying that former WWE developmental wrestler Byron Wilcott is the father of her child. A fan commented on Wilcott’s Facebook page last night and Wilcott replied with the following:
“Andrew please support my family in this trying time The truth and proof will be shown in the very near future . Right now all I can say is thank you for ur support as we sort out a few issues”
– With Triple H as the head of WWE’s new talent development division, a major overhaul of WWE’s developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling is expected in the coming months. While nobody is sure exactly when the changes will take place, a lot of people expect Triple H to bring in Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman to handle the day-to-day operations of working with the young talent.
– WWE has discussed changing the format of WWE Magazine to digital-only format as a cost-cutting measure.
Five-time WWE Tag Team Champion Road Dogg appeared on Busted Open with Doug Mortman and Dave LaGreca, which airs Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sirius 92 and XM 207. Highlights from his interview are as follows:
R-Truth’s current push: “If you ask me, the WWE is about ten years too late. They had this guy ten or twelve years ago. I actually kind of recruited him to be my tag team partner cause Billy (Gunn) had just blown his shoulder out and was gonna have surgery and he was gonna be out for a year. I saw Ron Killings perform in Memphis when I was on break from WWF at the time and I saw him perform and I just thought ‘Man, this guy is great’. I saw something in him…and the next thing I know, we were tagging together.”
“I know they switched it up a little bit and turned him heel and it’s working for him man, so I say you work it girl….he’s doing great. I don’t follow the show as closely as I probably should, but I do turn over when I hear my brothers reffing or Ronnie Killings is on. I love to watch him work, he’s a great athlete, he looks great, he’s a great guy and I love him. Nothing but love for Ronnie Killings.”
Triple H’s role within in WWE: “He’s a really level headed guy. He’s not very emotional. He’s not going to let his emotions rue the day whether he hired somebody because he doesn’t like them. If somebody is talented, they’re going to get an opportunity and that’s how he is. And I think he’s always kind of had a knack to get over. Even if it was being attached to somebody that was gonna get over, bringing a faction together that was gonna get over. He always knew what to do from very young in his career. He knew who to get with, who to hang out with, and what to say and what to do. As far as a skill set to be in that position he definitely has that.”
“Now that’s not saying that he didn’t marry the boss’s daughter and that all helped him along the way. I’m not saying that he got married because of the gig. I’m saying that that may have helped him achieve the ultimate goal of getting where he is now. One day, him and Steph are going to run that company, and that’s just the bottom line. Vince always held things tight to his vest and handled things himself, and I think Hunter and Stephanie will do the same thing in the future. I think the right guy is in the right spot, and I think he’ll continue to make good decisions as far as making WWE profitable.”
Working with Chyna: “To be quite honest with you, and I’m sure steroids are no secret in this business. I’m sure that she was probably on some steroids because she was a monster. I saw her train and it was just incredible to watch her and see how she grew and everything. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time. I know she’s had her own demons that she’s dealt with and so I hope she’s doing well. I didn’t see her on TV when she was on there. Billy (Gunn) talked to her when he was down there in Orlando when they filmed that TV and he said she’s doing really well.”
“She was a great girl. She was really one of the guys without trying to saying anything, everybody always ribbed her about being a guy. She wasn’t a guy, she was a girl. She definitely had the attitude and camaraderie. She had a great sense of humor, she was funny. I’m sure she still is, but we all become someone other than ourselves when we use drugs and use too much alcohol. Before that all happened to her, I think the wrestling world brought it out in her because she wasn’t like that at first. She wasn’t eccentric at all. She wasn’t like that. She was really level headed and fun to be around and so I hope she’s doing well now.”
— Creative plans as of this past weekend were for R-Truth to confront John Cena tonight on Raw. This is a strong sign that Capitol Punishment will feature a match between both Raw Superstars.
— Vickie Guerrero remarked last Thursday on her Facebook account that her boyfriend, who was also her personal trainer, cheated on her with a married woman. She also made the news public on Twitter.
Guerrero wrote, “I did change gyms, my trainer/boyfriend was cheating on me with a married woman who has kids. She continued, “Its all good, the truth will always come out, karma will bite you #cheaters.”
— Though Triple H is being advertised for tonight’s Raw taping Omaha, Nebraska, it should be noted that the advertisement was done months ago. It is unlikely that he will be appearing at tonight’s show.
— Triple H is advertised for WWE’s upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, which takes place July 17 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. He’s listed amongst the advertised talent in an email sent out by WWE.
— Former ECW talent James Maritato (a/k/a Nunzio) has signed a talent contract with WWE after working a few months as a referee at various events.
— John Cena, Randy Orton and Big Show vs. CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio is advertised for this Saturday’s WWE Supershow at the Yakima Valley SunDome in Yakima, Washington.
— Rey Misterio, Sr. (Miguel Lopez, uncle of WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio) is scheduled to introduce a new Rey Misterio, Jr. at a CMLL live event on Friday, May 27 in Tijuana, Mexico. Misterio, Sr. has trained the young upstart and is said to have a lot potential. Rey Mysterio, the original Rey Misterio, Jr., has given the wrestler his blessing.
Often times in Mexico, a famous wrestler will allow a junior to assume his persona in exchange for a percentage of their earnings.
— The original wrestling ring from Killer Kowalski’s Institute of Pro Wrestling in Massachusetts is up for auction on eBay. A number of notable wrestlers learned the ropes in this ring including Triple H, Chyna, Perry Saturn, Kazarian, A-Train and John Kronus.
— Raw Superstar Skip Sheffield, who hasn’t appeared on television since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, issued his first public comments since suffering the injury yesterday on Twitter.
“First and last update here since so many of you have been kind to ask. Things have been extremely complicated with the injury and it was much more than just a broken ankle and leg,” he wrote.
“It has been the most positive experience of my life and I promise you I will return very soon bigger and badder than anything you have ever seen. Nobody is going to stop me from achieving what I have set out to do.”
— The Undertaker, Triple H, Sean Waltman and members of WWE’s creative team were at Florida Championship Wrestling’s Tampa based facility on May 4 scouting talent.
— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars featured 19 minutes and 46 seconds of in-ring action, down from 26 minutes and 3 seconds the week before.
The first superstar signed by Triple H is Sin Cara. While WWE has high hopes for Sin Cara and see him as having the potential to be this generation’s Rey Mysterio, there were some botched moves in his first few WWE television appearances.
As a result, the decision was made by Triple H to draft Sin Cara to SmackDown, which is a taped show – where any botched spots can be edited off television.
WWE sources indicate that Triple H is taking his new role in WWE very seriously, but is nervous about his first “project” – Sin Cara.
WWE star Triple H was interviewed by Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun at the recent “BA STAR” anti-bullying campaign red carpet event in Washington, D.C.
“See, here’s the thing. I think a lot of people misunderstand what we’re saying. When we say we’re just going to be ‘WWE’ now and not ‘World Wrestling Entertainment,’ I think people think we’re walking away from our core product. That’s not it all,” Triple H said.
“We just do so many things very well. We’re a live event production company that does live events probably better than anyone else on the globe…We do live event touring probably better than anyone else in the world. We do merchandising and marketing as well, if not better, than anyone else in the world. There are abilities for us to take those core competencies and offer them to the outside world in addition to what we do.”
Eck also spoke with Stephanie McMahon and former WCW champion David Arquette at the event. Arquette was asked about his infamous WCW title win, to which he said, wrestling fans were upset but anybody who was a lifelong fan like him would have a hard time turning down that opportunity to be part of wrestling history.
— Former TNA X Division Champion Jay Lethal is returning to Ring of Honor for the first time since 2008. The organization issued a press release today to announce that he will appear on the Best in the World online pay-per-view on June 26.
— The Huffington Post posted an article regarding John Cena announcing to the Extreme Rules audience that U.S. troops “captured and compromised” Osama bin Laden.
— An image of The Undertaker giving the Tombstone piledriver to Triple H is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam.
— WWE.com has posted new studio photos of Beth Phoenix.
-It’s no secret that WWE star Triple H is one of the most powerful players behind the scenes in WWE. Along with this wife Stephanie, Triple H will have a great deal of influence over the company’s direction in the coming years.
Triple H was recently named the head of WWE’s new talent development program, with Sin Cara being the first superstar he signed. The latest performer Triple H is working with is former TNA Knockouts champion Awesome Kong. On Monday’s RAW, we saw the first promo video hyping the upcoming debut of Kong. (VIDEO)
According to sources, the vignettes that WWE has aired for Sin Cara and Awesome Kong are part of Triple H’s (somewhat old-school) philosophy of wanting to build up fans’ anticipation for new characters, as opposed to just having them show up on TV out of the blue.
Aside from wanting to get fans buzzing about a new superstar or diva prior to their debuts, Triple H is also said to be adamant about not bringing new talent to the main roster before they are ready.
In recent years we’ve seen dozens of superstars brought to the main roster before they were “ready for prime time” – it quickly become apparent that they’re totally green and their characters are damaged to the point where they’re never taken seriously.
COMMENT BELOW and tell us what you think about Triple H’s approach to introducing new talent .. Do you think he’s right? Is this something WWE has been missing for years – or are these “slow build” promo videos unnecessary?
— WWE originally planned for Triple H to ride a Clydesdale horse to the ring for his match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII. During a test run, the horse fell through the trap door on the WrestleMania stage, with Hunter riding it. The horse was spooked and went wild. Plans for the ring entrance were immediately scrapped.
— Shane McMahon was not on hand for last week’s WrestleMania festivities. Vince and Linda McMahon still see his children, and he still has a good relationship with Stephanie, but the belief is that he has no plans on ever returning to WWE.
The Pro Wrestling Torch speculates that Shane, who was at one point pegged as Vince’s successor, mainly parted ways with the organization last year because he has absolutely no interest in dealing with the corporate politics.
It was announced last August that McMahon had signed a deal to become the new CEO of China Broadband Inc., a provider of cable broadband services, as well as other digital and analog related services, in the Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado.
It’s worth noting that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Shawn Michaels, who long harbored animosity towards each other, crossed paths during WrestleMania weekend. WWE.com published a photo of Johnson and Michaels sharing a laugh shortly after HBK had appeared on stage at WrestleMania XXVII to commemorate his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. According to F4WOnline.com, their past animosity was actually settled in 2008 when Johnson inducted his father, Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Johnson’s issues with Michaels dated back to when he was a teenager. He long harbored animosity towards Michaels because he felt he was disrespectful to his maternal grandmother (Lia Maivia) at a wrestling show she was coordinating for Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling. His disrespect towards her incensed Johnson, and nearly led to an altercation.
Their issues persisted several years later when Johnson was a rookie starting out in WWE. Bret Hart wrote in his 2007 autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, that Michaels and Triple H disliked Johnson “intensely.” Both resented him because he was talented and Hart, a political foe, had taken a shine to him. Many believe they were out to sabotage Johnson so that Hunter would ascend to the top before him, since they were both viewed as the future of the company at the time.
Michaels and Hunter conspired to obstruct Johnson’s push in March 1997, who was the Intercontinental Champion at the time. Michaels suggested to Vince McMahon that Johnson lose the title to Hart on an episode of Raw. Meanwhile, Hunter insisted to Hart that he beat Johnson. Their suggestion would serve two purposes — sabotage Johnson’s push and take Hart out of the world title scene. Hart, however, refused to beat Johnson. Hart felt it wouldn’t build heat for his newly launched heel turn, not to mention that it would undermine Johnson. Instead, Hart insisted on a DQ finish, which infuriated Michaels and Hunter.
By 1999, Johnson had ascended to the top of WWE, going beyond nearly wrestler, including Hunter. Meanwhile, a back injury had forced Michaels to retire and he was relegated to sporadic appearances. Nonetheless, Michaels attempted to politically undermine Johnson by lobbying to McMahon that he be replaced by Hunter in the main event at WrestleMania XV. His suggestion fell on deaf ears.
Johnson stated years later in a 2005 interview with WWE.com that he never had interest in working with Michaels — when asked if he would have liked to.