The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:
On where he feels WWE will end up on cable TV: “WWE should be so lucky as UFC has been with Fox when WWE signs their new, broadcast rights deal in America of which I fully expect to be an enhanced deal with NBC/Universal which will see RAW/Smackdown stay where they currently are. I do think that USA Network and their affiliates can do more to help promote WWE. I’d like to see Smackdown moved to Tuesday and go live. Going live with Smackdown on Friday night isn’t financially feasible or schedule friendly for WWE whatsoever.”
On having no desire to return to a weekly announcing gig: “I have no desire to return to weekly, pro wrestling announcing any where and especially where announcer’s are heavily produced and cannot be themselves. I don’t miss the travel or the politics. I also know that @MichaelCole @JCLayfield @Jerry Lawler don’t get the credit that they deserve under the philosophy currently utilized for their roles.”
On the fallout from Undertaker’s streak ending: “The Streak is dead. It isn’t being resurrected. Now the key is how WWE addresses Lesnar’s situation going forward and any future plans for Taker including when and where he goes into the WWE HOF. Those that are still in shock simply need to get over it and move forward. I did not like it either but I can see where the Streak ending can create unique opportunities on multiple, creative fronts.”
On the boxing documentary he narrarated for FOX Sports 1: “The video feature that I narrated for @FoxSports1 will air Monday night after their boxing event. It’s about the journey that the late, Tommy Morrison’s son Trey has embarked upon in pro boxing. The young, Oklahoman is attempting to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Many will recall that Tommy Morrison appeared in Rocky 5 and also defeated George Foreman to win the WBO heavyweight Title before lifestyle decisions helped end his career and eventually his life at the age of 44.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
– The official WWE website recently added a “Fantasy Warfare” feature that looks at some unexpected potential WWE showdowns. One of those included in the feature is a fantasy match between Undertaker and Sting. You can check it out at WWE.com.
– The latest edition of Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, which features an interview with Santino Marella, is now online.
The official description for the show reads as follows:
TIJ – EP33 – WWE’s Santino Marella & Fish Expert Ash Irvine
“All the way from Italy by way of a 20×20 squared circle – WWE’s own Santino Marella joins Chris! Unconscious Intercontinental Championships, the honk-a-meter, the cobra move, maserati clutch, and “The Price is RAW” – all covered! Plus, fish expert Ash Irvine talks sea monsters, and YOUR calls on what the heck was REALLY spotted in Lake Loch Ness.”
Despite reports to the contrary, it was not Undertaker’s decision to end his legendary undefeated streak at WrestleMania XXX this year. The belief, however, is that if he didn’t want to end the streak, he could have put up a fight and it probably wouldn’t have happened. Regardless, Vince McMahon made the call to have Brock Lesnar win the match.
Another interesting note is that the original plan for the match was for Undertaker to go over, however a few days before the show, McMahon changed his mind. The feeling is that McMahon knew of Undertaker’s physical condition and the chance that this was going to be his last match, and decided that if the streak was ever going to be broken, it was now or never.
As far as Undertaker’s reaction, as previously reported, there are conflicting reports. One friend of his said that he had to be talked into it, while another person who would likely know, said that he didn’t argue the decision at all.
As previously reported, WWE referee Chad Patton — who served as the official for the Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXX — was not informed ahead of time that Lesnar was going to be defeating Undertaker during the bout. There is, however, some who feel that Undertaker or Lesnar may have tipped him off while they were actually in the ring.
Prior to the match, Patton was pulled aside and told to count to three, as if the match were a shoot, if either guy had their shoulders pinned to the mat. He was told that the only exception would be if Undertaker applied his “Hell’s Gate” submission, to not count Undertaker’s shoulders down while doing that particular move.
The following are highlights of a new Jim Ross website Q&A update:
On WWE going to Saudi Arabia despite the fact that no women are allowed on the shows: “I think that you are over thinking this matter. Of course it’s all about the money. Whey was it not all about the money? Diversification has zero to do with a country’s laws or customs.”
On how he would book Brock Lesnar now that he has ended Undertaker’s streak: “I am a marketer. If fans get these Q&A’s for free hopefully they will reciprocate by buying some of our family’s products online. Lesnar should become untouchable until he passes the invisible torch at WM31 to the next big thing. I’d not beat Lesnar until WM31 and then only if it made sense and someone was ready to assume that role.”
On the toughest guys in the wrestling business: “The list is endless….so many former NCAA Wrestling Champions along with some legendary street fighters.”
On if he feels UFC guys could transition to WWE: “It’s certainly possible. It’s not an easy transition. More will fail than succeed.”
Check out more JR Q&A updates at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also purchase JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
The following are highlights of a new RossOwenWilliams.com interview with former WWE Superstar Bob Holly.
On Undertaker’s streak coming to an end: “I think it was the right move with the wrong guy. Brock is a part time guy who wrestles what? Three times a year? They could have used that slot to make somebody who is full time. I think people would have accepted that more and wouldn’t have been in as much shock if it had been somebody else.”
On Roman Reigns: “I think it would have been good to have Roman Reigns go over on Taker. I think they’re moulding their next big star there and it would have been perfect to have him work with Taker instead of Brock. That would have made Roman Reigns. Right into main event status. That would have made him and once he beat Taker, his next thing should have been Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan or John Cena. Go after one of those three.”
On Undertaker’s retirement: “You know, just because he lost at Wrestlemania, everyone is speculating that it was his last match. Nowhere does it say that it was his last match. He never came out and said “this is it”. That said, I don’t think a match with the part-timer was the way to go. If Taker had been in the ring with someone else, a guy who knows how to lead a match and tell a good story, I think that would have been a better fit for Taker, whether it was his last match or not.”
The Big Red Monster is back, and it appears he is on a collision course with Daniel Bryan. After reclaiming his mask last week on Raw, Kane vowed to take care of the WWE Champion and send him to the depths of hell.
In true WWE storytelling fashion, they had a Kane video package queued up and ready to go about five minutes later, leading me to believe that he will be featured prominently in the storyline in the coming weeks.
With Evolution set to take on the Shield at Extreme Rules and seemingly no other contenders in line, it appears that Daniel Bryan’s first pay-per-view title defense will be against his former tag team partner.
Kane has temporarily retired his suit in favor of his signature mask in an attempt to exact revenge.
The thought of Kane headlining a pay-per-view in 2014 and competing for the WWE Championship could leave some fans scratching their heads, but I believe it could work well if planned appropriately. With other storylines, particularly the Shield/Evolution program, eating up a good portion of the main event roster, creative was left with few options for Bryan’s matchup at Extreme Rules.
Randy Orton still holds a rematch clause but is fighting with Evolution, not to mention that Orton/Bryan headlined three pay-per-views last year and most fans would like something fresh. I think Brock Lesnar is being built up to eventually challenge Bryan for the title, but it would be too soon and neither superstar could afford a loss immediately following WrestleMania. Lesnar needs to continue winning to validate his win against the Undertaker and Bryan cannot lose the title just one month after finally winning it. A no contest would also leave the crowd unsatisfied with the outcome.
Therefore, I think Bryan and Lesnar will both be built up over the coming months to set up a blockbuster showdown at SummerSlam. Bryan’s first victim will almost assuredly be Kane. It is no secret that Kane is past his prime, but he can still put on a decent match if paired with the right opponent.
At the very least, the two have been involved with one another in the storyline over the past several months and creative can rely on that to tell a decent story. It certainly works a little better than randomly choosing someone like Sheamus or Alberto Del Rio to challenge for the title.
The following are highlights from a new online Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On feuds being rushed in WWE and “Even Steven” booking: “In general I think that most pro wrestling story lines today are rushed because it is perceived that many fans have shorter attention spans. Even Steven booking helps who? No one.”
On WWE fans being more negative than positive: “Unfortunately, it seems more fashionable to criticize virtually any thing rather than sing its praises. That goes for most walks of life.”
On The Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak being broken: “As I have said MANY times, I never thought the Streak would ever be broken.”
On people who think the Montreal Screwjob was a work and how cameras caught it for a documentary: “As I recall, a documentary was being filmed of Bret so the cameras were scheduled to be in Montreal all along and then they stumbled onto an amazing, unplanned conclusion for their film. However, you believe what you chose to believe.”
On Justin Gabriel: “Gabriel has all he needs to be a star. He’s only missing the right creative presentation over an extended length of time and he may be a better villian than a hero. TBD.”
On The Shield breaking up: “I think it’s best it ALL the Shield break up eventually but no time soon. Perhaps around the Royal Rumble build in 2015.”
Rock and roll band Rev Theory, who performed the song “Voices” live for Randy Orton’s entrance at WrestleMania XXX, posted the following photos from backstage at the show on their official Twitter account.
The following are highlights of a new Jim Ross online Q&A update:
On the WWE Network subscription number revealed by WWE: “I thought it was a good number but I’m no expert in that sort of data. I also feel that it will grow significantly in the future.”
On The Undertaker’s streak coming to an end: “I wasn’t ready for the STREAK to end. However, I also don’t know Taker’s physical condition.”
“I’m not sure how I or any one can realistically predict the long term affect on any matter. The Streak build to WM30 did not seem as impactful as I would have liked. WrestleMania should be built around the WWE Title more often than not unless someone really has dropped the ball.”
On his own heel run in ’96 and Daniel Bryan’s future now that he’s champion: “I was not a fan of my heel work as I felt i was not good at it. Bryan can stay hot if he stays in a good personal issue and the title is continued to be a priority.”
Check out more JR Q&A updates at his official website, JRsBarBQ.com.
As noted, Undertaker was legitimately hospitalized with a severe concussion sustained in his WrestleMania XXX match with Brock Lesnar. Undertaker was released on Monday, however, and was actually backstage at RAW. For whatever reason, the decision was made not to use him on the show.
Those who saw Undertaker backstage at RAW noted that he was limping around pretty badly, and appeared to be in rough shape.
Regarding the decision to end Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania, there is said to be a number of people in the company who were very unhappy about that decision, but couldn’t — and won’t — say anything about it publicly.
The decision was reportedly made by Vince McMahon, not Undertaker himself. There are conflicting reports regarding the call. Some “in the know” claim that McMahon had to talk Undertaker into it, while others, also “in the know,” say McMahon made the call and Undertaker simply went with it.
As previously reported, WWE referee Chad Patton, who served as the in-ring official for the Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXX, was not aware that Lesnar was going over in the bout. As noted, he was actually told that Undertaker was supposed to win.
As far as who else in the company knew ahead of time, that is hard to say. We can say for certain that Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, Paul Heyman, and likely Triple H and Stephanie McMahon all knew, but beyond that, it”s difficult to say.
On the actual script for the show, no finish was listed for the Lesnar-Undertaker match. However, that wasn’t unusual, as other matches on the card did not have a finish listed on the script as well.
According to reports, none of the agents who worked the show were aware that Undertaker was going to lose.
It should be noted, that despite the claim that not many were aware of the finish, enough people, or the right people, must have known. There were two major online betting websites that had Lesnar an unbelievable underdog, nearly 50-to-1 by some odds, that switched to him being an actual betting favorite when the match hit the ring, indicating that a ton of “smart money” came in once the finish was determined and told to whomever was in the loop to know these kind of things.
Apparently referee Chad Patton, who was the official in the ring for the Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXX, was not aware that Lesnar was going over in the bout. In fact, he was informed ahead of time that Undertaker was going to win the match.
The rule given to all WWE officials, which came into play in this match, is that if a wrestler does not kick out at two, you go ahead with the count as if it were a legitimate pin in a legitimate competition.
Another interesting note stemming from what will go down in history as one of the most famous matches of all-time, is that Lesnar privately whispered “thank you” in Undertaker’s ear following the three-count, expressing his gratitude for the honor that “The Dead Man” was bestowing upon him.
The following are highlights of a new Ring Rust Radio interview with Davey Richards:
On the legacy he wants to leave: “I want to be someone who tried to bring life to pro wrestling. There’s a lot of people who are just out for themselves and their characters and just people I wouldn’t consider good people and it’s good to see good people that work are come out on top like Bryan at WrestleMania or me and Eddie Edwards and there’s a bunch of others. I want to be someone who tried to help other people and who inspired people and things like that. If I can leave that I’m not concerned with how much money I make or how big of a star I become, more or less just someone who people could be inspired and motivated by I guess would be what I would like to leave behind when I’m gone.”
On choosing TNA over WWE: “I never really wanted to go to WWE. The tryout there was awesome. It was really fun and I can’t say enough good things and I learned a lot, but I told a few of the guys during the initial tryout with Eddie that this was not for me just because moving down to Orlando is not what I wanted to do and wrestling is not the only thing I want to do with my life. To give up everything and just live in that world is not my idea of a great life or a perfect life. TNA offered me to be able to wrestle with some of the best wrestlers in the world, I could be on television, I could go and entertain crowds but I could still come home and be Wes. I could be Davey, then I could be Wes. It was just better for me and I couldn’t be happier in TNA it’s been great.”
On Undertaker’s streak ending: “Records are made to be broken, that’s the biggest thing. I mean, when there’s any big change people just crap on it but I read something online that said he chose it and I mean, he looked like an old guy in the ring because the guy’s been around forever and has done everything. He’s made a ton of money, he has the legacy, apparently he’s got an awesome character that will live forever, so I doubt he went home and started crying, I’m sure he’s not at the court house; he’s loving life. I think they could have picked a better guy to end the record but I don’t work there so it doesn’t matter, it’s good for both of them.”
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin noted on his latest “Steve Austin Show” podcast that WWE legend The Undertaker has agreed to record an interview with him for a future edition of his show.
– Former NFL star Shawn Merriman, who was one of the members of the WrestleMania XXX pre-show panels, has signed a contract with WWE. JBL and Michael Cole noted during one of their recent podcasts that Merriman is “joining the WWE family” and will be reporting to the WWE developmental center in Florida.
The following are highlights of a new Jim Ross blog:
On Paul Heyman’s promo on RAW: “Speaking of Paul Heyman, Paul had a magnificent night on Raw delivering a home run on the Lesnar beating Taker promo. Heyman is the best talker in the business and continues to do amazing work and has to be considered as one of the greatest managers of all time on a short list that includes Bobby Heenan and Jim Cornette. Before all is said and done, Paul may be the best, pure manager to ever fulfill that role in the history of the business.”
On Paige’s main roster debut at RAW: “Paige has a significant upside and I can see her potentially having a Trish-Lita type rivalry with the talented AJ Lee who is still WWE’s most consistent, in ring diva. Both ladies have marketable, bell to bell skills and both can be aggressive in the ring which translates well to all audiences.”
On The Shield: “The Shield declaring their true colors as the show went off the air was significant. This gives WWE creative plenty of options going forward and the chance for Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins to take another step vertically not to mention when one or more of them ‘changes jerseys’ how big a deal that will be. I’d hope that metamorphous is not any time soon as the hotter The Shield becomes as fan favorites the more impactful they will be as antagonists when the time is right.”
The following are highlights of a new WOIO-TV interview with Hulk Hogan:
On the reason he called the Superdome the “Silverdome”: “I didn’t realize it until the second time I had said it. We have a thing called the Gorilla position and I was ready to go out. They pulled me for a quick interview and we talked about the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and I had a tough time a few days ago with that. My manager Jimmy Hart and I just stood and stared at the statue and when I looked at his face, I lost it and I was totally rattled for at least half that day. It really upset me, in a good way. So in that interview when we talked about the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and then I went straight out there I guess my mind was still thinking Andre. But the crowd sure let me know that I was saying the wrong name of the venue. So I apologized to them and I made sure that I tagged it at the end again with the Skydome. Oh man, the Superdome.”
On being part of WrestleMania I and WrestleMania XXX: “Well it’s huge. We started this thing out in Madison Square Garden, we were just a “rasslin” company and Vince McMahon had this crazy vision that he was going to take wrestling all over the world. Little did we know that when we brought Mr. T in that the ship would kind of point towards entertainment. So here we go, fast forward thirty years later and it’s the largest entertainment company in the world.”
On if he thought Undertaker’s streak would end: “No. No I didn’t. I thought that the streak would go on forever until he decided to rest in peace.”
On if he feels Daniel Bryan’s title run will last: “It’s his time, this is a new era. And last night in the Superdome the people really let everybody know what they wanted and who they wanted to be champion so I think everybody gets it.”
On his favorite WrestleMania moment: “For me it was Andre. In the Silverdome. Not the Skydome, not the Superdome (laughs). That was a huge moment. It was the largest indoor attendance record and it still stands today and I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get him up and slam him and I wasn’t sure that he was going to pass the torch. It was a very different time in sports entertainment and we were still pretty barbaric in our thinking. That was my favorite moment because if it hadn’t have been for him, I never would have been shot of a cannon like I was.”
On what made him leave TNA to come back to WWE: “It wasn’t what made me want to come back, it was that I needed to come back. This was my home. I mean I started here in the late ’70s with Vince McMahon Sr. and I was his guy, he brought me along and he named me Hulk Hogan. He gave me this super huge push way back in the day in Shea Stadium when I wrestled Andre The Giant. It just made sense. After all of the years that I’ve been gone and I wasn’t wrestling, with all of the surgeries I’ve had and when they told me that I wasn’t going to be able to walk again after the sixth back surgery. Finally after the ninth back surgery I’m on my feet and I’m running and it just made sense to come back. And for me to come back with the Network and to be the host of Wrestlemania 30 in the Superdome, the whole thing just kind of came together perfectly and I’m here to stay.”
– Among those backstage at WrestleMania XXX on Sunday night that didn’t appear on camera at any point during the event were Rob Van Dam, Alexander Rusev, David Flair and former referee Tim White.
– The official WWE website has an exclusive backstage interview with Paul Heyman, who immediately after Brock Lesnar ended Undertaker’s streak, explains why the WWE Universe shouldn’t be the least bit surprised. You can check that out at WWE.com.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross wrote a blog for FOX Sports sharing his thoughts on WrestleMania XXX, and the end of Undertaker’s streak in particular. “I assume the decision to end the Undertaker’s 21-0 winning streak is based on two factors,” wrote JR. “One, the physical status of the 49-year-old rugged veteran, who has been surgically put back together on multiple occasions and may be in more physical jeopardy than we know. Not even Dr. Frankenstein could reassemble The Deadman.”
Ross continued, “Secondly, it seems as if WWE is recommitting its marketing machine to better monetize the potential of the amazingly gifted Lesnar, who has never gotten on a roll since returning to WWE after being forced to retire due to issues with diverticulitis.”
As previously reported, there are reports coming out of New Orleans on Sunday night that claim The Undertaker suffered a concussion during his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. While we cannot confirm that he suffered a legitimate concussion, we can confirm that he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance immediately after the show.
The reason for his trip to the hospital, where we were informed he will remain overnight, was to run tests to determine whether or not he suffered a concussion, as well as concerns that he suffered an apparent neck injury of some kind.
Undertaker’s injuries came during a spot early into the match where he took a bad fall off of a single-leg from Lesnar.
As far as the finish to the match is concerned, Undertaker’s potential injuries played no part in changing the originally designed outcome. The match went off as planned, with Lesnar scheduled to go over.
We noted in our previous report that very few people behind-the-scenes in WWE were aware of the plan for Undertaker to lose, that might not be the case, as he went from a 40-to-1 favorite in betting websites to an actual underdog by the time the match hit the ring.
According to one report, The Undertaker suffered a possible concussion during his match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX on Sunday night. The report claims that Undertaker suffered the possible injury during the spot where he took a bump on the floor during the match, which will go down in history, as it ended up being the end of his undefeated streak at WrestleMania.
Additionally, it is being said that very few people behind-the-scenes in WWE were aware that Undertaker was going to lose to Lesnar on Sunday night. Obviously a few key people knew the planned finish in advance, and there are even reoprts that some “smart money” came in on online betting in favor of Lesnar, but apparently very few people knew that Undertaker was going to end his legendary streak in New Orleans.
As many expected, WrestleMania XXX turned out to be a memorable and newsworthy event on Sunday night. A number of legendary moments took place, titles changed hands and surprises unfolded throughout the evening. Below is a quick rundown of some of the notable moments from the show.
The show opened up with a “WrestleMania Moment” type segment, as Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock shared the ring for a promo segment.
The Undertaker’s legendary undefeated streak was broken. Undertaker lost via F-5 to Brock Lesnar, making his new WrestleMania record 21-1.
Daniel Bryan finally had his “big moment,” as he defeated Triple H in the opening match on the pay-per-view and would go on to defeat Randy Orton and Batista in the main event to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
The Real Americans broke up during the WWE Tag-Team Championship match on the WrestleMania XXX pre-show. After The Usos retained their titles, last eliminating The Real Americans, Cesaro ignored the orders of his manager Zeb Colter and attacked Jack Swagger.
Additionally, Cesaro pulled off an upset by winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He last eliminated The Big Show in what will go down as his first true “WrestleMania Moment” when he body slammed the giant — with ease — over the top rope.
WWE added the following “sneak peek” videos from Saturday’s WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony in New Orleans to their official YouTube channel. You can check them out below.