— The WrestleMania XXVII match that garnered the most attention backstage was Triple H vs. The Undertaker.
— Abdullah the Butcher’s Atlanta area “House of Ribs and Chinese Food” restaurant ran out of ribs Saturday afternoon due the numerous wrestling fans in town.
Following WrestleMania XXVII, the WWE Hall of Famer set up a makeshift merchandise table in the lobby of the WWE hotel to hawk merchandise and photos.
— Jim Ross said on Twitter that he would be appearing at a show next weekend in Sand Springs, Oklahoma for fellow WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race.
— The official program for WrestleMania XXVII is billing the Triple H vs. Undertaker match as “Nothing Else Matters.” That is also the name of a Metallica song. The official Twitter account of the heavy metal band tweeted yesterday that Triple H would be using one of their songs at Wrestlemania XXVII.
— Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger is in attendance at tonight’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia. It is his first appearance at a WWE event since bolting for World Championship Wrestling in 1995.
Former WCW stars Diamond Diamond Dallas Page and Nikita Koloff are also on hand for the event.
— WWE Hall of Famers Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jimmy Hart are scheduled to appear on Hillbilly Jim’s “Moonshine Matinee” show at 2:00 p.m. on Channel 63 on Sirius Satellite Radio.
At this morning’s WrestleMania Axxess Q&A session, Shawn Michaels teased involving himself in The Undertaker vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania XXVII tomorrow.
When asked about Triple H ending “The Streak,” Michaels said, “I’m not sure I can let him do what I couldn’t.”
He then commented on whether he plans to interfere in the match, saying, “I’ll do everything I can not to stick my nose in. Maybe.”
He added, “Do you ever find that you’re meanest to the people you love the most? If I ruined his chances of ending The Streak, I’m sure he’d beat the tar out of me at that moment, but I’m sure he’d forgive me eventually.”
Michaels’ role in the match has not been announced by WWE.
— A meeting was held yesterday where it was agreed that the organization would no longer be referred as World Wrestling Entertainment due to Vince McMahon’s decree to eliminate the term wrestling from the product. The company will be solely branded as WWE. Multiple sources indicate the meeting ended with this directive.
— Attempting to capitalize on American Idol contestant James Durbin’s noted wrestling fandom, World Wrestling Entertainment sent him a custom made spinner WWE “Spinner” belt. It was displayed on last night’s show with the name “Crazy James” engraved.
— Triple H attended the Georgia state legislature’s WrestleMania Proclamation yesterday with wife Stephanie McMahon.
— Marty Jannetty, who rose to fame as the tag team partner of Shawn Michaels, was asked if he would be attending his former colleague’s WWE Hall of Fame induction on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia.
He responded, “I want to be there but the cab ride from where I am is over 22 dollars and 23 cents, give or stank a dolla.”
— Last night’s Florida Championship Wrestling television taping was cancelled due to a power outage as a result of tropical storm. The event will take place next Thursday.
— Triple H is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Power Slam.
— Seven-time WWE Champion Randy Orton celebrates his birthday today as he turns 31 years old.
It was revealed at today’s WrestleMania XXVII press conference in New York’s Hard Rock Café that Triple H would be inducting Shawn Michaels into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia.
Triple H was introduced by Stephanie McMahon, the event’s presenter. He kissed her upon his entrance and announced that he would be inducting Michaels, his friend, into the WWE Hall of Fame. He then vowed to end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak on Sunday.
Michaels said recently in interviews that he narrowed the list down to two candidates to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The WWE Hall of Fame Induction ceremony airs this Monday prior to Raw on the USA Network.
— Last night’s SmackDown taping in Columbus, Ohio was the “go-home” show for the brand heading into WrestleMania XXVII because no taping is scheduled for next week. The episode, which takes April 1, 2011, will consist of footage from WrestleMania Axxess at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia and video packages.
— WWE Niagara Falls, a retail establishment located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, is scheduled to be closed down effective March 31, 2011. The facility opened on August 1, 2002.
— Triple H will be signing copies of WWE Studios’ The Chaperone at Sam’s Club in Elmsford, New York this Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. The autograph session is limited to the first 300 attendees.
— According to sources within WWE, a change is expected to be made to a top tier WrestleMania match over the next few days. Many are speculating that Christian will be added to the World Heavyweight Championship Match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio.
— As of yesterday, creative plans called for Triple H vs. The Undertaker to conclude WrestleMania, with no career ending stipulations.
— WWE Champion The Miz is scheduled to appear as a guest on this Wednesday’s episode of Conan. The show airs at 11:00 p.m. on TBS.
— WWE Champion The Miz announced at last night’s Raw live event in Wichita, Kansas that he has rehired Alex Riley, who was dismissed as his apprentice two weeks ago on Raw. The duo partnered against John Cena and Randy Orton in a tag team match, which they lost.
— Triple H spoke to children and their fathers Friday at a “Fatherhood and Mentoring Rally” held at the Boys & Girls Club in Stamford, Connecticut. He was also promoting the video release of The Chaperone.
— At a cost of $10, Walmart is selling The Chaperone packaged with WWE’s 2008 DVD title on Triple H, King of Kings.
— The Miz vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship is advertised for WWE’s upcoming WrestleMania Revenge tour of Ireland in April.
— Shelton Benjamin worked a dark match prior to this week’s SmackDown taping in Houston, Texas, beating SmackDown Superstar Curt Hawkins. The feeling is that based on how well he performed and the solid reaction he received from the hometown crowd, he will receive an offer to return to the organization after WrestleMania XXVII.
Follow the match, Benjamin said on Twitter that he ‘may or may not be returning to WWE’.
— A joke going around WWE regarding Vince McMahon’s doctrine that The Undertaker’s match with Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven never happened, is that the SmackDown star’s undefeated streak should be 17-0.
— According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE developmental wrestler Su Yung (a/k/a Sonia) is among the cast of Tough Enough. However, her profile remains on the official website Florida Championship Wrestling, which would indicate that she is not. Former WWE developmental talent Christina Crawford (a/k/a Caylee Turner) and Andy Leavine (a/k/a Kevin Hackman) are contestants on the show and their respective profiles were removed from the site last month.
– With The Undertaker and Triple H headed for a showdown at WrestleMania in just over 3 weeks, we’ve got an interesting backstage news item to pass along regarding the match. As most are aware of, Triple H has already tried to end “The Streak” – ten years ago at WrestleMania 17 back in 2001.
According to a WWE Source, company officials have ordered that the WrestleMania 17 match not be acknowledged at all, because there’s a feeling it will take away from the marketability of the match and fan perception that Triple H actually can end the streak.
– There is a rumor that the 2012 version of WWE’s SmackDown vs. RAW video game will feature a mode where you can have your newly created Superstar compete in NXT challenges and matches.
–WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross had this to say about Jersey Shore star Snooki hosting RAW next week:
“Lots of old school wrestling fans are squealing like a pig stuck under a gate w/ the announcement that Jersey Shore’s Snooki will be the guest host of an upcoming Monday Night Raw. Obviously, WWE is simply trying to get her appearance noticed in outside media outlets which is timely with WM27 getting closer. It’s a PR move folks so I wouldn’t make any more of it than that. Snooki’s time on MNR likely will be of the ‘cup of coffee’ variety but will also get TMZ-like exposure that reaches non wrestling fans. “
— In honor of Women’s History Month, WWE is honoring those who inspire females across the globe. WWE.com’s feature features the Divas revealing who inspired them outside the ring, past Divas such as Candice Michelle and Dawn Marie discussing their legacies, art submissions, and more.
— The much anticipated DVD and Blu-ray release of WWE Studios’ The Chaperone starring Triple H is available beginning today via Walmart.com.
— An introductory video package showcasing Sin Cara’s mask and unprecedented aerial ability aired during Raw. WWE developmental wrestler Peter Orlov appeared as his stand-in opponent in the video, which was filmed two weeks ago in Los Angeles, California. Check it out:
WWE superstar Triple H spoke to the New York Post this week to discuss the release of his new movie, The Chaperone. Here are some highlights of what The Game said about:
Being Part of the McMahon Family: “Vince McMahon runs the WWE. I’m married to his daughter seven years. We live in Connecticut with three girls — 4½, 2½ and 6 months … Both McMahons love the grandchildren. Come around all the time. Take them to school. Their house even has sleepovers. ”
Linda McMahon In Politics: “I did appearances and campaign rallies for my mother-in-law. She’s [Linda] great and staying politically involved. Lieberman’s not running again so she can try once more in 2012.”
The Toll Wrestling Takes On The Body: I’m 41. Still wrestling. It’s very physical. I’ve had injuries, like torn quads off my biceps and thighs. People believe the sport’s fake and nothing hurts. Listen, it [hurts] when a 350-pound guy jumps on you. Ten years from now I want to be able to pick up my kids.
His Role In WWE & Wrestling In General: “I’m also a WWE executive. I’m a wrestling fan. As a boy I watched it on TV with my father. At 20, I met a guy and the rest is history. Right away you get a flashy trick name so you’re a superhero come to life. Nobody pays $20 to see his next-door neighbor. Wrestling’s made me rich. Very. But everyone’s surprised that a wrestler can be not only talented but also articulate. Listen, we’re theater actors. Bad guy versus good guy. It’s a show. We’re onstage telling a story through our actions.”
– MTV.com has an article looking at Triple H’s friendship with Lemmy of Motorhead, Triple H recently took part in VH-1’s documentary on the rock star.
– The Rock will be on the cover of the May issue of WWE Magazine, available at newsstands in April.
— With the huge amount of news coverage WWE has received in Mexico due to the recent signing of Mistico, last week’s WWE’s television ratings in Mexico are through the roof.
Last week’s SmackDown! drew a 9.6 and Monday’s RAW drew a 9.3.
By comparison, last week’s CMLL drew a 2.6 and AAA’ sshow drew a 2.8.
According to a correspondent who knows the Mexican market well, it appears CMLL and AAA see WWE as a major threat to their business and the companies plan to work together more in the coming months to “rescue Lucha” from WWE.
WWE’s website has officially announced that The Undertaker will put his streak on the line at WrestleMania 27 against Triple H.
At this time, there is no stipulation mentioned, just that the match will take place.
We’ve reported in recent weeks that there’s been talk of Triple H putting his career on the line against the Undertaker’s streak.
Addtionally, there’s been talk that former WWE star Shawn Michaels will be added to the match as a guest referee or enforcer. Michaels was interviewed last week by WDFN.com and had this to say about the rumors that he’ll be part of the Undertaker vs. Triple H match:
“I’ve heard all the rumors. As of right now, I’m doing one thing and one thing only at WrestleMania, and that’s the Hall of Fame. I don’t think The Undertaker and Triple H need Shawn Michaels to deliver a spectacular match or make this incredibly interesting. Those two can do that on their own. Right now, as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to be there watching it like everyone else.”
– As Triple H continues to assume more duties behind the scenes in WWE, one area he’s been focusing on lately is recruiting new talent. Many people are interested to see what type of wrestlers Triple H sees as having future potential and whether his vision of what a superstar should be differs from Vince McMahon’s. Triple H is in favor of slowly developing talents and not calling them up to the main roster until they are fully ready.
– The Undertaker made his return to WWE on Monday’s RAW and will be working a WrestleMania program with Triple H, but the he will not be working a full-time schedule in the coming months. Shortly after WrestleMania 27, WWE will be headed back overseas for another European tour and the Dead Man is not currently scheduled to appear, despite being one of WWE’s top draws.
– MVP will be taking part in New Japan’s upcoming tournament and will face Karl Anderson in the first round on March 6th in Tokyo. If MVP wins, he will face the winner of Togi Makabe vs. Satoshi Kojima on March 19th.
– As we reported earlier in the week, MVP’s original tag team partner for his New Japan debut was arrested prior to their match for stealing a taxi. MVP wrote the following on Twitter about NOSAWA and his troubles:
“Best wishes to my man @NOSAWARONGAI187 ! He’s a good guy that allowed alcohol to influence him to make a bad decision. Ganbatte kudasai!”
We’ve got a major update on what WWE’s got planned for WrestleMania 27, which is now just over 5 weeks away:
Money In The Bank: There’s still no decisive word on whether WWE will be holding a Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania. While the company’s new Money In The Bank pay-per-view that was introduced last year seems to be a reason not to hold the match at WrestleMania, the match is still seen as an effective way of including lots of mid-cart talent (guys like Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Drew McIntyre and Christian) on the WrestleMania card.
If WWE does not have Money in the Bank at WrestleMania, expect to see another multi-man match (such as a 10-man tag match) on the card.
WM27 Ticket Sales: WWE has already sold over 50,000 tickets for the Georgia Dome and company officials are confident they’ll sell the remainder of seats in time for the show.
Undertaker & Triple H: Triple H and The Undertaker have been given creative freedom with their WrestleMania program, with WWE’s writing team having very little input.
Original plans called for the Undertaker to face Wade Barrett and Triple H to wrestle Sheamus, but Triple H and the Undertaker decided that a “dream match” between the two of them would be most marketable scenario.
HBK’s Involement: Shawn Michaels is still expected to be introduced into the Undertaker vs. Triple H storyline, possibly as a referee or ringside enforcer. The idea behind HBK’s involvement would be that Triple H is going to try to end Undertaker’s stream as payback for ending his best friend’s career.
Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler: Vince McMahon is loving this current storyline and has been feeding Michael Cole much of his on-air insults towards Lawler. It’s said that Vince is using Jerry Lawler’s feud with comedian Andy Kaufman and his inspiration for this angle.
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus: WWE officials are building towards a feud between Sheamus and United States Champion Daniel Bryan. They are expected to have a match for the title at WrestleMania 27.
Announcing Team: With WWE announcers Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole involved in a heated feud that will likely culminate at WrestleMania, it seems unlikely that the two of them will work side by side calling the show. There’s been talk that Jim Ross will be brought in to call the show, which would certainly give the show a “big time” feel.
(Credit to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for the information used in this report)
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:
Ending The PG Era: “Can we stop with the TV14 questions? For some reason, folks think that because Rock and then John Cena got edgy with their in ring promos in recent RAWS that perhaps WWE is going back to a more risque presentation ala a TV14 format. I don’t speak for WWE but going all the way back to TV14 would shock me. I’m not a guy who lives or dies by a TV rating but rather judges a wrestling, TV show by what I see in the ring headlined by high quality, physical wrestling action and not by the use of edgy language even though I do enjoy that too when effectively utilized. I will admit that in the past two weeks that I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the verbiage on MNR. I have grandkids and I would have had no issues with them watching Raw with me. “
Undertaker & Triple H’s Confrontation: “It’s been years since I witnessed a more effective TV segment on any wrestling program where not a word was said as I experienced Monday night between the Undertaker and HHH. Amazing stuff for this old schooler as the two, future WWE Hall of Fame icons sold tickets and PPV’s with their eyes and well earned reputations. This segment was so good that I went back and watched it again and then had to show the ‘moment’ to my wife when she arrived home. ”
Michael Cole’s Comments About Jerry Lawler’s Mother: “Did Michael Cole step over the line Monday night when he spoke of Jerry Lawler’s recently deceased mother? Many of you think that he did. I was very uncomfortable with the remark but my wife gasped when she heard it. It would seem to me that specific subject matter will likely not be revisited in upcoming weeks but if it is it won’t be without controversy. Very touchy subject matter, without question.”
– Aside from Shawn Michaels and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, other names The Road Warriors – Hawk and Animal, Abdullah The Butcher, Sunny and Bullet Bob Armstrong. Armstrong going into the Hall this year is the reason that WWE hired referee Scott Armstrong back over the weekend.
– Steve Austin wrote the following on Twitter last night about Tough Enough:
“it was a rough day at Tough Enough…lots of stuff going on…trainers are working hard with every one…it has been a lot of fun.”
– Several readers in the California area sent in word that a promo aired on RAW last night during a commercial saying that Sheamus and Triple H will wrestle in two weeks.
Triple H, who made a surprise return to WWE on Monday’s RAW, appeared on G4 Network’s “Attack of the Show” last week to promote the limited-engagement release of his new WWE studios film, The Chaperone.
Triple H spoke about working with his co-star Arielle Winter, what it’s like being the only male in his house (he and wife Stephanie McMahon recently welcomed their third) and more. Hunter tells some funny stories from the set of the movie and takes a few cheap shots at The Miz. Check out the appearance below:
On Monday’s episode of RAW, both The Undertaker and Triple H made their returns to WWE television after several months on the shelf. The two legends had a memorable face-to-face confrontation and teased a match between the two at WrestleMania 27. Check out the video:
On Monday’s RAW, both The Undertaker and Triple H returned to WWE on RAW and had a face-to face confrontation.
The two men stared at the WrestleMania 27 sign and taunted each other for several minutes, until the show went to commercial.
An SEScoops.com correspondent who is at RAW live has informed us that Triple H left the ring first and posed on the ramp. Undertaker then left the ring and saluted the crowd before heading backstage.
According to our source, Triple H received the biggest reaction of the night.
Another thing fans didn’t see on television – the Undertaker missed his cue and came out before his music began. He quickly went back off camera and did the entrance over.
On Monday’s RAW, both The Undertaker and Triple H returned to WWE after several months off.
The Undertaker was revealed to be the man behind the cryptic 2/21/11 videos we’ve been seeing in recent weeks, after a 1-hour countdown clock that began at the start of the show expired.
As soon as The Undertaker did his intro and made his way to the ring, Triple H’s music hit and he went face-to-face with the Dead Man in the ring.
The two men stared at the WrestleMania 27 sign and taunted each other for several minutes, until the show went to commercial.
Based on that confrontation, it looks clear that a Triple H vs. Undertaker WrestleMania match is a go.
WWE Studios’ The Chaperone starring Triple H drew virtually no business during its ‘limited engagement’ this weekend.
BoxOfficeMojo.com’s chart listing the top grossing films for the weekend of February 18-20, with the bottom movie making $1,670 in one theater, did not rank the The Chaperone.
Furthermore, the bottom five movies played in less theaters than the WWE produced film — ten.
The Chaperone will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 8.
Triple H’s new movie “The Chaperone,” produced by WWE Studios, hits theaters today on a limited release. The film will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on Tuesday, March 8th. First reviews are coming in, with most critics giving it unfavorable reviews. RottenTomatoes.com, which aggregates critic reviews, currently gives the movie a rating of 21% off reviews.
Here’s a sample of what some mainstream publications are saying about The Chaperone:
Variety: “Presumably there’s an audience out there for old-fashioned, poorly written, unevenly thesped, family-friendly tales of redemption starring beefy wrestlers and a bunch of kids, but it’s difficult to imagine who.”
Hollywood Reporter: “This lame WWE produced family comedy isn’t likely to turn wrestling star Paul “Triple H” Levesque into a household name.”
Los Angeles Times: “Like last year’s “Legendary” and “Knucklehead,” which didn’t exactly slam moviegoers to the mat with their entertainment chops, this haphazardly clichéd comedy-drama about redemption similarly suffers.”
New York Post: “Stephen Herek’s “The Chaperone” is dreadful enough to make you wish Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was still making family movies. Wrestling champ Paul “Triple H” Levesque is a fairly painless screen presence, but his taste in scripts may be even worse than former WWE colleague Johnson’s.”
Roger Moore: “As funny as these guys can be when they work themselves into a purple-faced rage yelling at the TV camera, none of the current generation of wrestler-actors seem to have the charisma or comic gifts of a Hulk Hogan or Dwayne Johnson.”
Filmcritic.com: “If WWE is going to continue to insist on placing its stars in ill-fitting projects like this, the least it could do is spring for some livelier material.”
New York Observer: “As long as the poker-faced “Triple H” is the centerpiece, The Chaperone is not without moments of genuine sweetness. Best of all, he is the most unpretentious and least flamboyant human juggernaut to ever hit the screen.”
Posted February 18th, 2011 in News. Tagged: Triple H.