– The Undertaker’s time away from the ring has included surgeries on both his shoulder and hip. He was lighter than ever before when he showed up backstage at last week’s Raw SuperShow, estimated at 275 to 280 pounds. The belief that he would retire following his WrestleMania XXVIII encounter with Triple H is largely gone since it’s not being hinted. Peers expect him to continue wrestling for a few more years if he’s able to compete once annually.

– WWE officials have expressed interest in acquiring Jay and Mark Briscoe, but they are both under contract to Ring of Honor.

– Last Friday’s Raw live event at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California drew 9,000 paying $360,000. Saturday’s Raw show in Ontario, California drew a near sellout with 9,000 paying $275,000. Sunday in Eugene, Oregon drew 5,000 paying $165,000. Smackdown’s tour of Central America opened on Thursday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with 2,500. Friday in Panama City, Panama drew 4,000. Saturday in Guatemala City, Guatemala drew 2,000.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Jim Ross has published a new blog entry on his official website. Highlights are as follows:

Are some WWE Superstars jealous of The Rock’s return to WWE and headlining WrestleMania XXVIII?: “Probably, but I’ve not spoken directly to any that express that sentiment however jealousy isn’t anything new in the genre or in any locker room. For one to think that it isn’t is being naive. @TheRock returning to WWE is about BUSINESS and the bigger the pie the bigger the slice for everyone.”

If he wants to wrestle Michael Cole at WrestleMania XXVIII: “Absolutely, not. And not any where else either. That hand has been played. Time to shuffle the deck and deal new cards. Cole and JR don’t need to be taking valuable TV time that should be used by young talents who are expected to be the stars of the future.”

Whether Owen Hart will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame: “My assumption would be yes but not any time soon due to circumstances beyond WWE’s control.”

Whether Jeff Hardy will return to WWE: “My absolute guess would be no. At best, highly unlikely. TNA’s schedule likely fits Jeff best. I still remember his bout on TV vs the Undertaker. Great, WWE TV moment.”

The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania: “I never said Undertaker’s Streak at WrestleMania would end in the ring. I’ve actually said the contrary and that I did not think it would happen. That’s simply my opinion but it can only be determined in the ring. Obviously, the Streak will end some day when Taker retires which I do not expect to be this year. That decision is entirely up to Undertaker and how his body is holding up after years of combat.”

Ross also weighs in on The Rock/Cena rivalry, Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII, WWE developmental talent, Ric Flair and more. His post is available here.

– The Undertaker appeared on Monday’s Raw SuperShow and did not remove the hood covering his head. WWE officials plan to have the iconic wrestler remove his hood and display his altered appearance for the first time when he faces Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII. Though he shaved his head bald last year, he has maintained the look since then and therefore will not appear similar to his “Big Evil” persona of 2002 and 2003 when he had short hair.

As far as why The Undertaker went through the radical change, it is said that he considered the hair too be too much trouble to deal with on a day to day basis.

– Dragon Gate USA referee Jason Harding has signed a developmental contract with WWE. He is regarded as one of the best referees on the independent wrestling circuit.

– The Ticketmaster.com pre-sale password for Raw SuperShow on April 23 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan is SUPERSHOW. Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

(source: Pro Wrestling Torch)

— During a phone interview with WWE.com Thursday, Shawn Michaels lost his composure when faced with pointed questions pertaining to Triple H and The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII.

After being asked “If Triple H wins at WrestleMania, will he be better than you?” Michaels grew increasingly incensed in his response, saying he is the best in-ring performer ever and that he cannot help that the spotlight falls on him whenever he shows up. Before hanging up, he tells the WWE.com interviewer to leave him alone in his retired life.

— Thanks to interference from Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks drew a victory over Mason Ryan on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. It is his first televised singles victory since the March 17, 2011 WWE Superstars, where he beat JTG.

Other matches featured include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Jinder Mahal vs. Justin Gabriel. The episode is available here.

— WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves (a/k/a Sterling James Keenan) turns 28 years old Friday.

– To follow up on CM Punk and singer Chris Brown exchanging insults on Twitter over the weekend, Punk re-tweeted a comment from a fan that stated Punk and Brown should compete in an MMA fight with 5 minute rounds.

• Read CM PUNK & CHRIS BROWN Talk Trash To Each Other

– The segment on Monday’s RAW between The Undertaker and Triple H ran 8-9 minutes longer than it was scheduled for, which led to WWE taking time away from the Divas tag match and John Cena’s ring entrance.

– Ezekiel Jackson was recently considered for another push, but it appears those plans have been nixed. After losing clean to David Otunga on RAW, Jackson has lost 5 straight televised matches and has yet to win a televised match this year.

(Sources: PWInsider.com, f4wonline.com)

— WWE interviewed more than 75 Superstars, Divas, and Hall of Famers in anticipation of WrestleMania XXVIII, asking them all one question: “What is your WrestleMania moment?” Kelly Kelly, however, says she’s still waiting for her’s.

“I’ve never contested a singles match at ‘Mania—I’ve always been in either Lumberjill bouts or a Battle Royal. I’m praying that, in years to come, I will have that tag bout or singles match or whatnot,” she says in their WrestleMania XXVIII issue.

“At The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, we had Torrie Wilson, Jackie Gayda and Molly Holly come in. They’re Divas I used to watch when I was younger, so it was really cool just to be in the same ring with them. I’ve rewatched the match, but I’m still waiting for that moment.”

She continues, “I make sure to keep all of my outfits, though; they’re in a big suitcase. But they’re little outfits, so they don’t take up much room.”

— WWE.com has published a photo gallery of every wrestler to fall victim to The Undertaker at WrestleMania.

— Aksana and Hornswoggle will appear at the March 11 Columbus Blue Jackets game taking place at Nationwide Arena 200 W. Nationwide Blvd. Columbus, Ohio. Game time is 6:00 p.m.

– The Undertaker returned to RAW for a confrontation with Triple H. The Undertaker appeared with a hood covering his head, covering up the haircut we saw him give himself during last week’s promo video.

According to a report at PWTorch.com, the current plan is for Undertaker to remove his hood for the first time at WrestleMania 28.

• Picture of The UNDERTAKER With A BALD Head

– After Monday’s RAW Supershow went off the air, WWE Champion CM Punk defeated Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler wrestling in the dark match is a good sign he was not injured during the nasty bump he took on the announcer’s table when Big Show eliminated him from the battle royal.

– Among the names who were backstage at RAW were former WWE/WCW star Perry Saturn and AWA star Greg Gagne.

(Source: PWTorch.com)

– Triple H finally agreed to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania – on the condition that the Undertaker agreed on a stipulation – Hell in a Cell. Undertaker did not give a verbal response to the challenge, but showed smiled as he walked away from the ring.

– The main event of Tuesday’s live SmackDown special on SyFy will be WWE Champion CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan.

– Ron Simmons has been announced for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

— Ron Simmons appeared on Busted Open Monday and stated WWE will announce his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame on tonight’s Raw.

It has been reported that John “Bradshaw” Layfield will induct his longtime tag team partner into the Hall.

— Ticketmaster.com is currently holding a pre-sale for the August 27, 2012 Raw Supershow at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The code is: WWERAW. Once the pre-sale concludes this week, tickets won’t go on sale until June 30.

— Lilian Garcia stated on Twitter that she’s in Chicago, Illinois today recording a new song with producer Oh, Hush!.

— The latest issue of WWE Magazine hits newsstands tomorrow. The issue will feature four different covers—The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena and The Rock.

sources: ProWrestling.net, PWInsider.com

– As we reported over the weekend, the April 23rd RAW Supershow from Detroit, Michigan will be a 3-hour show. There are tentative plans for this show to feature the 2012 WWE Draft.

– Arda Ocai has a new article up at TheScore.com looking at the chances that it could snow in New Jersey next year on April 7th, when WrestleMania 29 takes place from the open-dome Metlife Stadium. Looking back at the weather on April 7th over the past 10 years, the average temperature has been 47.7 °F (9 °C). The high has been 58.71 °F (15 °C) and the low has been 37.79 °F (3 °C).

– There is speculation backstage that The Undertaker will show up on RAW tonight either bald or with a very altered appearance.

— WWE has published a video of The Undertaker with a message to Triple H. The Deadman says he will write the end to Triple H’s ending tomorrow.

— Hunico beat Alex Riley in a dark match prior to tonight’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event.

— The announced attendance for Elimination Chamber at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was 15,306.

It was announced at the event that Raw would be held at the venue on August 27, 2012.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in it entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Orton’s Elimination Chamber Replacement: “Saw on WWE.com where Santino was replacing Orton in the Smackdown elimination chamber bout. That’s a jaw dropper.”

Divas Division Picking Up Steam: “It seems as if the Diva division in WWE is slow beginning to be more significant. Beth Phoenix is evolving into an intriguing character while Tamina has been evolving steadily. Of course, folks are clamoring for a Kharma vs Phoenix match which will likely happen some day. Kharma only gave birth to her son on New Year’s Eve so her coming back full time is likely still a ways away.”

Undertaker Cuting His Hair: “Why did Taker cut his hair? Beats the hell of of me but I’m sure that matter will be addressed when the time comes. Until then, I, like many of you, will stay tuned. I’ve never gotten so many questions on one topic on Twitter as I have regarding Undertaker’s hair. Wow.”

American Badass Returning: “Is Taker coming back as the American BadAss character? I honestly do not know. I enjoy knowing less, enjoyng the TV shows more, and seeing how things organically play out. I don’t have the desire to know every detail of what’s going on in advance of it happening as do some.”

— The Undertaker was shown cutting his hair during a vignette on Monday’s Raw SuperShow. The iconic wrestler shaved his head bald last year and appeared to don wear a wig for his return two weeks ago.

Regarding the Raw vignette, the official WWE website wrote, “Then, Undertaker appeared on the TitanTron, revealing a shocking moment, taking a razor to his hair and proclaiming “vengeance will be mine.”

— Tamina will be known as Tamina Snuka going forward. WWE is pushing her as the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka.

— WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin is in Canada shooting scenes for the action film The Package. Dolph Lundgren co-stars.

— Jim Ross was spotted last night by the bench of the Oklahoma University women’s basketball team for their game against the Connecticut.

— During tonight’s Raw SuperShow broadcast in the Philadelphia area, WWE advertised The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels for the March 19 Raw emanating from the Wells Fargo Center. The advertised main event is WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler.

The Undertaker is also advertised to appear on the following Raw shows: February 20; March 5; March 12. Michaels is scheduled for the March 5 and March 12 shows.

— The Bella Twins are holding a contest through their official website on who can serenade them best with a poem.

Nikki and Brie write, “On Valentine’s Day we will pick the best poem and the winner will receive our silver sparkly bikini’s that we are wearing on the front of our website. Please submit to nicoleandbrianna@gmail.com.”

— Shawn Michaels returns to Raw tonight as a guest of Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis, and according to “Mr. Excitement” via WWE.com, the WWE Hall of Famer is coming with a message for Triple H.

WWE.com states in an article: “Although the WWE Universe remains in the dark as far as what Michaels will tell The Game, the timing of his arrival is conspicuous, coming as Triple H wards off The Undertaker’s challenge for a WrestleMania rematch. Given the volumes of history shared by these three Superstars, it would make sense for The Showstopper’s words of advice to pertain to his friend’s involvement with The Phenom, and his legendary WrestleMania Streak.”

— GulfNews.com has published an article on WWE’s debut at the United Arab Emirates last week. The company plans to tour the country once per year going forward.

— The February 21 WWE SuperSmackDown Live special will air live in Canada on The Score at 8:00 p.m.

source: PWInsider.com

— Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, which has already aired overseas, premieres a tweaked intro. The Undertaker is noticeably absent from the intro, which closes with Randy Orton performing the RKO as opposed to a shot of the iconic wrestler. His profile remains on the SmackDown Superstars page on WWE.com.

— WWE will hold a Raw SuperShow at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 14, 2012.

— While promoting last night’s airing of The Marine 2 on Spike TV, WWE star Ted DiBiase alluded to rival company TNA’s Impact Wrestling show. He tweeted, “Marine 2″ will be on Spike TV tonight!! Check it out!!! Comes on after some wrestling show ;) And don’t forget to watch Smackdown tomorrow!”

— Former WWE Diva Shelly Martinez celebrated her birthday Thursday. Photos of her night out are available on her Facebook page.

Dead Man On Fire

The March 2012 issue of WWE Magazine is now on sale, featuring four different “WrestleMania” covers – featuring The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena and The Rock.

As if Triple H and Undertaker on the covers was not a strong enough sign that this match is all but official, the headline for the Triple H cover reads “Can The Game End The Deadman’s Reign?” while the headline for the issue bearing The Undertaker reads “Will “The Streak” Survive?”

The Undertaker cover was apparently designed to conceal his lack of hair, as his head is surrounded by photoshopped fire, with no hair visible.

• Picture of The Undertaker’s SHAVED Head

Many people have speculated that the iconic wrestler donned a wig in his return to television last week after a photograph surfaced online last summer in which he appeared bald.

We have independently confirmed that that The Undertaker had indeed shaved his head.

— Updated advertising for the March 12 Raw SuperShow at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio confirms a bout pitting The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania. The description on the official website of the Quicken Loans Arena says, “What will HBK have to say about the confrontation between his long-time friend (Triple H) and WrestleMania foe (The Undertaker)?”

— Former WWE performer Dave Bautista (a/k/a Batista) will be playing the role of Diaz in the upcoming Chronicles of Riddick 2 movie starring Vin Diesel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He will appear in “9/10ths of the film” once filming and editing is complete.

— Christian wrote the following on Twitter about an individual claiming to be Edge for a scheduled appearance in New York later this year:

“If ur planning on going 2 meet Edge @ autograph session @ Omega Sports, Queensbury, NY Apr 21 he WON’T be there..Unfortunately owner of store was fooled by someone claiming to represent Edge.. Hopefully something like this doesn’t happen again.”

— The official website of the Quicken Loans Arena is now advertising The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels for the Raw SuperShow taking place at the venue on March 12, 2012.

The Rock and Triple H were previously announced for the event. A double main event is also scheduled: John Cena vs. Kane and CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship.

— WWE Hall of Famer Superstar Billy Graham has been released from the hospital after being admitted on Sunday for pneumonia and leg infection. He is on heavy antibiotics right now. Graham believes he caught a virus at a wrestling convention last week in Los Angeles, California.

— Wednesday would have marked as the 54th birthday of WWE Hall of Famer “Sensational” Sherri Martel. She died on the morning of June 15, 2007 at her mother’s residence in McCalla, Alabama. The toxicology report stated that Martel died of an accidental overdose with multiple drugs in her system, including a lethal concentration of oxycodone.

source: F4WOnline.com

– After Monday’s RAW from Oklahoma City went off the air, John Cena wrestled Kane in the scheduled dark match main event. The crowd was very hot, with the “Lets Go Cena” chants drowning out the “Cena Sucks” chants. Cena won by DQ after Kane hit him with a chair. Kane chokeslammed Cena and started to leave, but he came back when Cena was announced as the winner. Cena countered a Tombstone attempt with the Attitude Adjustment to send the fans home happy.

After the match, John Cena tweeted the following, taking yet another swipe at The Rock:

“Just finished the advertised main event in OKC. Sorry match didn’t make RAW..but sometimes..ya just gotta be there. Dwayne u know what im.. Actually…sorry. wrong guy. See you soon movie star.”

– Despite not appearing on television, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was at Monday’s RAW. JR tweeted the following after RAW, revealing that he’s working on a new project with longtime partner Jerry “The King” Lawler:

“Enjoyed visiting w/ friends @ OKC Raw today. Worked w/ King on new project that’s still under wraps. Nice crowd of appx 7000. WWE Tulsa Tues”

– The Undertaker is being advertised locally for the February 20th episode of WWE RAW from Memphis, TN. As announced on RAW, Shawn Michaels will be at next week’s show.

(Source: PWInsider.com)

Sting appeared on 97.9/105.5 KISS-FM on Thursday to promote Impact Wrestling at Wembley Stadium. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Which wrestler he’d like to face that he hasn’t yet: “I’d have to say the top one… Undertaker. I think wrestling fans have wanted to see Sting vs. Undertaker for years. I think between his gimmick and mine, it could be pretty cool. We could do some pretty cool stuff.”

If he has any regrets over not joining WWE: “Yes and no. Who wouldn’t want to say that they’ve done at least one WrestleMania? I’m not going to lie to you, I wish I had done one of those. I’ve had great conversations with him [Vince McMahon] over the years and been real close on three or four different occasions. There was always a need met or desire of mine met with WCW or with TNA, so I stayed.”

When was the last time he almost joined WWE: “Last year… we were very, very close.”

The audio interview is available here.

– WWELiveTour.com is reporting that Triple H is advertised for every RAW SuperShow through WrestleMania.

The only upcoming RAW that the Undertaker is currently advertised for is the February 20 RAW Supershow from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The official website of the Target Center advertises:

“The Phenom” The UNDERTAKER will be live in Minneapolis to confront “The Game” TRIPLE H for the first time in over a year since their last meeting at WrestleMania 27!”

– CM Punk and Daniel Bryan’s “Champion vs. Champion” match from Monday’s RAW Supershow got rave reviews from fans and wrestlers alike. Several superstars and announcers took to Twitter to praise the work of WWE’s two top champions:

Jim Ross: “Punk vs Bryan is a broadcaster’s dream. They’re making great music. Amazing match.” “What I would have given to call that one. Had to stand ti watch it”

Bret Hart: “Kudos to both @CMPunk and @WWEDanielBryan. Good match”

Joey Styles: “OK. I’ll admit it. I would come out of retirement to call @CMPunk vs. @WWEDanielBryan. #BestInTheWorld”

William Regal: “Hello from lovely Omaha Nebraska. Very proud of @CMPunk and @WWEDanielBryan. Good lads.I hope my twins marry such lovely fellas.”

Lance Storm: “@CMPunk and @WWEDanielBryan Thank you for giving me some great wrestling on my Sports Entertainment show.

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:

Edge In The Hall of Fame: “Is Edge going into the WWE HOF ‘too early?’ Not in my view. I don’t know that a waiting period even exists, I’d suggest there is none, for going into the WWE HOF after retirement. It certainly didn’t apply to the King and I who both went in the HOF in 2007 while both still active. Edge is extremely deserving and when one examines his total body of work, it is incredible.”

Brodus Clay’s Debut: “Thought on Brodus Clay’s Raw debut? It certainly wasn’t what many fans obviously thought it was going to be. I think much too much has been made of it from a negative point of view. It was only week one and we were exposed to the new, updated ring persona for what, 6-8 minutes? I’m not smart enough to stamp something yeah or nay after 6-8 minutes but I do like Clay’s physicality and big man athleticism. How he is ‘gift wrapped’ is subjective but what he does bell to bell is always what counts most in my eyes. I’d suggest fans exhale and see how the persona evolves before continuing all the knee jerking. For the record, I am a fan of Brodus Clay.”

Flair At The Hall of Fame: “Do I think that Ric Flair will attend the WWE HOF Ceremony to join the Horsemen? Absolutely. I’d bet on it. This is merely my personal opinion but knowing Naitch as well and for as long as I have, I don’t see him missing this night no matter if he works elsewhere or not.”

Undertaker At WrestleMania: “I still feel Taker will defend his Streak at Wrestlemania in Miami. I still feel that the Streak will be next to impossible to end. I don’t know when Taker will return to WWE TV but I’d merely suggest 4-6 weeks before WM28 would be a viable window…but I do not know. I also don’t know who will face the Deadman but remain steadfast that The Streak is as big an element as any thing that can or will be booked at WM28 so one could assume that the opponent will be significant.”

— It was reported Sunday that Randy Orton, who is out of action after suffering a herniated disc on the L4-L5 level on the left side, would be returning on Jan. 16 Raw SuperShow in Anaheim, California. He is now scheduled for all SmackDown events beginning on Jan. 17.

— A photograph circulating online of The Undertaker and Michelle McCool arriving at an arena parking lot is being inaccurately depicted as being taken today in Memphis, Tennessee. The photo is over a year old as it was taken in September 2010.

— The Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, appear at the In Your Face Wrestling Academy 3 Mcelwain Ave. Cohoes, New York this Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

— Jerry Lawler headlines AAW Wrestling’s event on Feb. 24 in Merrionette Park, Illinois at 115 Bourbon Street. Visit aawrestling.com for more information.

Michelle McCool has been greatly criticized over the years for taking the fast track to WWE glory. After entering an intimate relationship with The Undertaker in late 2007 (who she married in June 2010), many critics attributed her position in WWE to her influential partner rather than her ability to perform. Speaking to Inside Wrestling, the four-time champion is asked why she has received so much flack.

Dan Murphy asks McCool, “I know you like to keep some things private and this was never announced, but you did marry The Undertaker. He’s obviously a veteran and icon in the business with a lot of influence. Was it the Diva Search background or having the relationship with someone like him that’s responsible for the heat and resentment you got?”

She responds, “Bottom line: People in our business are always going to look to find reasons to see the negative in somebody and to become resentful. I don’t really know where it began: probably with me getting the tag as “Diva Search reject.” But I don’t know anybody who, if they had an opportunity like the Diva Search, they wouldn’t jump at it. If they didn’t jump at it, they’d be idiots.

“People can say what they want to say, but at the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror. I know how hard I fought. I know how many storylines I pitched. I know how hard I worked in the ring. I can’t tell you the number of times I was one of the first people at the arenas or at TV, constantly trying to better myself. I can honestly say that my hard work paid off. My resilience paid off. My persistence paid off. That’s all there is to it. People are always going to say what they want to say and believe what they want to believe, but that’s the bottom line.”