UFC is looking to squash rumors that UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is under contract to WWE after participating in an angle at WrestleMania 31 on Sunday.

The official Twitter account of UFC Tonight, the weekly news and information show of the UFC, issued this statement Wednesday night via Twitter:

Ronda Rousey does NOT have a deal with the WWE, her WrestleMania appearance was a “one-off”.

— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) April 2, 2015

On Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, Rousey sat ringside for WrestleMania 31, and midway through the show made a surprise appearance in the ring with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson where she dispatched Triple H with a hiptoss and Stephanie McMahon with an armbar. Following the event, Rousey teased additional involvement with WWE.

The night: Historic.
The moment: Electric.
The Rock, Ronda &the WWE Universe: Magic.
We’re just gettin’ started… pic.twitter.com/mUOoBIFsaQ

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) March 30, 2015

• WWE has big plans for Lana – details

– WWE staff members left from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this week to head to AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area to begin early work for next year’s WrestleMania 32 event.

– The reason there wasn’t as much pyro at this year’s WrestleMania is due to WWE being forced to deal with strict FAA rules as Levi’s Stadium is directly under flight paths to the San Jose International Airport.

– WWE officials reportedly enjoyed working with Dana Warrior during WrestleMania Week this year. As a result, it’s believed we will see her involved with WWE more in the future.

• CM Punk On WWE Stars Following Him Into MMA, Negative Reaction

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

WrestleMania 31 was a smashing success for WWE, setting the all-time live event gross record for the company as well as the attendance record for Levi’s Stadium. Despite ongoing criticism of creative direction, WWE demonstrated once again that they can still knock it out of the park when it counts. Here’s their official press release touting the show’s success:

WrestleMania Shatters Records

SANTA CLARA, CA – March 29, 2015 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) announced tonight that WrestleMania 31 became the highest grossing live event in its history and broke the attendance record for Levi’s Stadium. WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza grossed $12.6 million, as 76,976 fans from all 50 states and 40 countries converged on the home of the San Francisco 49ers.

The previous attendance record for Levi’s Stadium was 70,799, and WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium in 2013 held WWE’s prior record for gross revenue at $12.3 million.

“On behalf of the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose, we would like to thank all the fans that came from around the world to be part of WrestleMania 31,” said Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews. “We congratulate both WWE and Levi’s Stadium on their historic achievement.”

“We are thrilled that WrestleMania 31 has set the standard for all future events held at Levi’s Stadium. None of this success would have been possible without the support of Mayor Matthews, Mayor Liccardo and the San Francisco 49ers, as well as our public and private sector partners that worked tirelessly to support all of our regional WrestleMania Week activities,” said John P. Saboor, WWE Executive Vice President, Special Events. “We now turn our attention to the Dallas/Arlington region for what will surely be a historic WrestleMania 32.”

WrestleMania 32 takes place on Sunday, April 3, 2016 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, Ticket information will be announced later this year.

Top Ten All-Time Attendance Records at WrestleMania:

1. 93,173: WrestleMania 3, Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, March 29, 1987
2. 80,676: WrestleMania 29, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, April 7, 2013
3. 80,103: WrestleMania 23, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan, April 1, 2007
4. 78,363: WrestleMania 28, Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida, April 1, 2012
5. 76,976: WrestleMania 31, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California, March 29, 2015
6. 75,167: WrestleMania 30, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA, April 6, 2014
7. 74,635: WrestleMania 24, Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida, March 30, 2008
8. 72,744: WrestleMania 25, Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas, April 5, 2009
9. 72,219: WrestleMania 26, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, March 28, 2010
10. 71,617: WrestleMania 27, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 2011

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has arrived to California for tonight’s WrestleMania at Levi’s Stadium. A fan on hand for this weekend’s festivities in Santa Clara met the actor/sports entertainer this morning and posted this photo on Instagram.

https://instagram.com/p/00S76lR2dH/

Johnson acknowledged the fan on Twitter, thanking him for “waiting in the cold.”

@GuyInGreenWWE Pleasure bud. Thx for waitin in the cold. Enjoy Mania

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 29, 2015

• The Undertaker with Michelle McCool at the WWE hotel

WWE’s biggest show of the year takes place this Sunday, March 29, 2015, as WrestleMania 31 takes place live from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Below is the final lineup for this Sunday’s event, which we will be covering in-depth live right here at SEScoops.com:

WrestleMania 31 Kickoff Show Lineup

– Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

– Tyson Kidd & Cesaro (c) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos [WWE Tag-Team Championship]

WrestleMania 31 Lineup

– Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins

– Rusev (c) vs. John Cena [WWE United States Championship]

– AJ Lee & Paige vs. The Bella Twins

– The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

– Ladder Match: Bad News Barrett (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Stardust vs. Daniel Bryan [WWE Intercontinental Championship]

– Sting vs. Triple H

– Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns [WWE World Heavyweight Championship]

Make sure to join us here at SEScoops.com on Sunday, March 29, 2015 for the absolute fastest and most-detailed WrestleMania 31 live play-by-play results coverage on the web!

• PHOTOS: UFC Star RONDA ROUSEY Interviews ROMAN REIGNS For WWE!!

Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog has a new feature up with several WWE Superstars and legends talking about WrestleMania. Below are some highlights.

Sting:

“There is a large wrestling audience that doesn’t want to say goodbye to my generation. Guys like myself, Ric Flair, and Hogan, and the fans still appreciate us. And it goes both ways, absolutely, because it’s the same for me. It’s hard to walk away. I thought, in the beginning, my career would two, three, four, five years and then out and done. I never imagined, all these years later, I would still be in the ring and still wrestling. In March of 2001, I thought it was over with. It’s unbelievable how time flies, and it’s still a thrill for me. I want to give my fans something to remember.”

Bruno Sammartino on Hulk Hogan:

“I would never compare Hogan to any of the greats. He don’t belong, or deserve to be mentioned, in the same breath. No way.”

Daniel Bryan:

“I know the WWE is not looking for people like me to main event WrestleMania. It’s interesting, there have been a lot of people the company believed in right away that didn’t pan out to be anything. Guys with every superstar quality and can be on the cover of a magazine right away. I was never that guy. I’ve always enjoyed the process of earning people’s respect and earning my place. I’ve never asked to be handed anything.”

Roman Reigns:

“My whole life I’ve been fed by the WWE. My father was fortunate enough to provide for his family through wrestling. I’ve always been fortunate to have a seat at the table, but there’s a great deal of pride in being a provider. Now it’s my chance to sit at the head of the table. I respect what people before me have done, but my time is now.”

Check out the complete feature at SI.com.

• PHOTOS: UFC Star RONDA ROUSEY Interviews ROMAN REIGNS For WRESTLEMANIA 31!!

WrestleMania 31 main event challenger Roman Reigns addressed the negativity he’s received on social media in recent weeks during an appearance on FOX Sports’ “At The Buzzer” on Friday.

Andy Nesbitt acknowledged that a lot of people don’t think he’s ready to fight for the title. People cheer Daniel Bryan’s name during his matches and say awful things about him on Twitter. He asked Reigns to respond to the cyber bullies.

Reigns issued this somewhat sarcastic response to his haters:

“You’re hurting my feelings. Stop hurting my feelings (ends pretend hurt). It’s funny, I’ve been bullied and picked on by the Internet more than I think anyone right now. I’m like Enemy #1 on the Twitter machine. (looks to the camera) Twitter people, quit bullying me. Quit talking all that smack to me on the Internet. If you’re going to do it, do it to my face. I know you won’t, though.”

– WWE has published the latest “WrestleMania workout” video featuring Roman Reigns.

How do you prepare for a match against Brock Lesnar? Find out as WWE.com’s cameras grant you exclusive access into Roman Reigns’ workout as he gets ready for the fight of his life.

– WWE.com has published an interview with Jason Robinson, the man who designs the sets for WrestleMania. Here’s what he said about this year’s design:

“Expect something different from us. The atmosphere being West Coast and daylight presented some very unique challenges for us to overcome. The structure itself isn’t really tied to a particular thing like the city or arena, but we have this really unique thing where we can’t hide anything. We have to be open, [because] everybody’s going to see everything. I can’t do the theater magic and hide the bad parts. So we’ve had to work really hard. Everything had to tie in and feel like it was part of the image and the structure. It’s a unique set, a unique way of lighting the ring because of the sun. You’ll see some different search lights around there, and from a lighting point of view and the set, we’ve had to deal with having full sun on the set because you can’t hide anything. You’ll see it’s a different set from us this year.”

– NXT superstar Finn Balor tweeted this photo on Friday, teasing that he could be a Paul Heyman guy one day. Oh, the possibilities.

Tempting…. @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/Uhr1GbFcrB

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) March 27, 2015

Earlier this week, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin revealed on his Steve Austin Show podcast that he won’t be attending WrestleMania 31, but will be watching the show from the Broken Skull Ranch in Texas.

According to sources in WWE, the company was caught off guard by Austin’s announcement. WWE had plans to use Austin this weekend once he arrived in California.

No word yet on why Austin isn’t coming to Santa Clara, but we’ve heard that it’s been a hot topic of conversation amongst WWE staff this week.

– Hideo Itami is going to WrestleMania. He defeated Finn Balor in the finals of a 4-man tournament on Thursday night at the WWE WrestleMania Axxess event from San Jose, California. Itami will compete in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which has been moved to the WrestleMania Kickoff pre-show.

Good luck my friend
???????@HideoItami #Wrestemania31 pic.twitter.com/mTheqJBdj0

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) March 27, 2015

– Also at Axxess on Thursday night, WWE COO Triple H unveiled a statue of the late Ultimate Warrior in an in-ring ceremony that his widow and children were in attendance for. Triple H spoke about Warrior’s career, his intensity for life and how being with Warrior last year during WrestleMania weekend changed his life.

Dana Warrior also spoke about the incredible support from the WWE Universe over the past year and thanked Triple H for honoring her husband.

At #WrestleMania #Axxess @TripleH & @UltimateWarrior's wife and children unveil the Warrior statue! #thankyouwarrior pic.twitter.com/77aFl2Uj2g

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) March 27, 2015

We’ve got an updated look at Levi’s Stadium as WWE sets up for WrestleMania this Sunday from Santa Clara, California. While the previous photos we’ve seen did not reveal much in terms of how the stage will look, this one gives a much clearer look. Aside from the 4-post structure we’ve seen around the ring in recent years, we can now see that the stage will feature a huge LED video wall with a circle in the middle (probably for an animated ‘play’ button) and “WrestleMania” in a font that’s different from the official WrestleMania logo.

We’ll see if WWE does a ‘set reveal’ video as we’ve seen in recent years, but this photo gives a good idea of what to expect this weekend.

– Renee Young confirmed on Twitter that she will be working the WrestleMania 31 Kickoff Pre-show this year. She’s also expected to work the Hall of Fame Red Carpet special on Saturday night.

– We are sad to report that longtime WWE graphic designer Patrick McDarby passed away on March 14th at the age of 57. He had been battling cancer. McDarby designed more than 200 logos throughout his career, including the new WWE logo. Our condolences to his family and friends.

– WWE has published this video of Dean Ambrose’s journey to WrestleMania

– You can expect to see Lana by Rusev’s side when he defends the United States Championship against John Cena this Sunday at WrestleMania 31. Sandra Gray, a seamstress for WWE, mentioned on Twitter that she was making an outfit for “The Ravishing Russian” for the event.

She was asked on Twitter who she was making gear for the event and responded “stardust goldust Lana dolph.”

Lana has not appeared on television since the March 9 episode of Raw as she’s been off filming WWE Studios’ new film, Interrogation with WWE Hall of Famer Edge.

– Due to the recent death of her father, Trish Stratus will not be traveling to California for this weekend’s WrestleMania festivities. She was scheduled to appear at WrestleCon on Friday and Saturday and at WrestleMania Axxess on Sunday.

Due to her father passing away @trishstratuscom has informed us she will not travel to California and will not be @wrestlecon

— WrestleCon (@wrestlecon) March 24, 2015

The WWE Hall of Famer stated last week on social media that her father had passed away.

#RIPJohn Today I lost the man of my dreams. When I told my Dad my dreams, he said dream bigger http://t.co/xPrCh55QsH pic.twitter.com/wqzrAnVxlN

— Trish Stratus (@trishstratuscom) March 17, 2015

• Possible Spoiler For The Intercontinental Title Ladder Match At WrestleMania 31

Even more details are coming out about Brock Lesnar’s new contract with WWE. After making his big announcement earlier this week on Sports Center that he has decided to remain with WWE, Lesnar told the Associated Press that he re-signed for 3 years. According to WWE insider MetsFan4Ever, Lesnar’s deal is for $3 million a year and he’ll continue to work a limited schedule.

WWE writers have been working nonstop with Vince McMahon, Triple H and their inner circle to come up with multiple scenarios for the main event of WrestleMania. According to MetsFan, Vince McMahon is said to be on board with the idea of Lesnar retaining the title, although Lesnar winning is not a sure thing by any means. What’s interesting is that there is finally an understanding amongst WWE’s top brass that Reigns did not get over as they hoped he would.

Internally, there have been some comparisons to Lex Luger, who was pushed to the moon back in 1993 with the Lex Express before WWE ultimately went with Bret Hart. While WWE could still have Reigns win the title on Sunday, WWE is not oblivious to the fact that he’s not getting over like somebody in his position should be. While Luger was relegated to mid-card status after WrestleMania X before jumping ship to WCW, WWE has a lot invested in Reigns and we could see a big shakeup in his character in the coming months. He’s still got a very bright future ahead of him, but management is now more open to Lesnar going over.

MetsFan also says that Dean Ambrose is slated to get a strong push leading into SummerSlam.

John Cena appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC last night to hype his match against Rusev this Sunday at WWE WrestleMania 31.

Cena took on took on a much edgier persona than we’re used to seeing on WWE programming, marketing himself to the audience watching his late night appearance. Cena talked about his days working at a club bouncer in California before signing with WWE, as well as his movie career. Cena has been praised for his work in the upcoming Judd Apatow movie “Trainwreck” where he has a sex scene with comedian Amy Schumer, who used to date Dolph Ziggler.

Cena hard sold the patriotic aspect of his challenge against Rusev this Sunday, saying that he’s been eating apple pie, visiting WalMart and watched all of the Rocky movies to prepare for the match.

With Brock Lesnar re-signing with WWE for a three-year deal this past Monday, the door is now open for a WrestleMania 32 main event against The Rock next year in Dallas, Texas, as long as WWE can get The Rock to commit to the match.

As seen earlier this week, The Rock did an interview promoting the film “Furious 7” where he was asked about the possibility of facing Lesnar at next year’s WrestleMania.

The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar was originally the planned main event for WrestleMania XXX, however an injury prevented The Rock from being able to do the match.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar have been bringing up The Undertaker, The Rock and John Cena in recent weeks as a way of planting the seed for next year’s potential WrestleMania main event. In the case, of The Undertaker, that would require him winning this Sunday against Bray Wyatt, although that is expected to happen either way. As things stand now, in a perfect world, it’s said that Lesnar vs. The Rock would be WWE’s first choice.

• Brock Lesnar Reveals Specifics On The VERY LUCRATIVE Offer He Turned Down From UFC

WWE has published a video looking at Rusev’s training for WrestleMania titled, “Preparing for War.”

Step inside the gym with United States Champion Rusev and witness the brutal physical preparation he’s going through for his WrestleMania showdown against John Cena.

Roman Reigns appeared on ESPN 2’s Sports Nation with Michelle Beadle on Tuesday afternoon to hype WrestleMania 31 and was interrupted by Paul Heyman. Here are some highlights from the segment:

– Beadle asked about the “tug of war” segment with Brock Lesnar that ended Monday’s “go home” episode of WWE RAW. Reigns said he wanted to make a statement that he will walk right in and do what nobody else does – take the title right off Brock Lesnar’s. Reigns said that’s his goal this Sunday.

– Reigns said The Rock and his father have been the people who have influenced his career the most. When asked if he wants to crush Hollywood like his cousin, Reigns said he just wants to crush Brock Lesnar and bring the belt back where it belongs.

– When asked if he’s nervous to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, Reigns said he gets nervous before every performance. He said he’s been training for this moment and is ready to roll.

– Paul Heyman interrupted the segment and shook Reigns’ hand. Heyman introduced himself, gave Michelle Beadle a “Paul Heyman Girl” t-shirt and wished Reigns good look on Sunday. After they went to commercial, Paul Heyman joined the Sports Nation panel and talked sports.

WWE sent in the following on Tuesday evening:

We are excited to let you know that the official WWE WrestleMania App is now available!  Fans will have the ability to upgrade theirWrestleMania, AXXESS and WWE Hall of Fame experiences by downloading the ultimate guide to WrestleMania week in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The WWE WrestleMania App allows fans to:

• Be the first to get updates on Superstar signings at Axxess

• Tap into interactive maps to find your seat, merch locations & concession

• See NXT match lineups at Axxess

• Watch the latest WrestleMania videos

• Instantly share photos & join the social conversation

• Get schedules, event info, stadium details & much more

For more information on the WWE WrestleMania App, click here.

Vince Russo has added his name into the mix of WWE fans who were not satisfied with the “go home” segment of Monday’s RAW between WrestleMania challengers Roman Reigns and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

Russo didn’t only vent about the angle, but he took it a step further, declaring that Vince McMahon is completely out of touch and needs to step down as the man who has the final say over what airs on WWE television.

Russo wrote:

Three hour build-up all leading up to two men having a tug-o-war. No thanks . . . glad I watched Teen Mom premiere.

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) March 24, 2015

WWE should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for going into WM with lame !@#$% finish. Starts & ends w/Vince. You've lost it, boss. Sorry.

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) March 24, 2015

What would I book as main for Mania? Vince taking of his loafers, leaving them in the middle of the ring, and retiring.

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) March 24, 2015

To make clear-WWE problem IS NOT due to lack of effort of the talent's part-it's do to the Dr. Seuss mentality of writing/producing show.

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) March 24, 2015

Could you imagine STONE COLD having a tug-o-war over his Title? Even though ATTITUDE is gone, can somebody at least have a freakin' TEMPER!

— Vince Russo (@THEVinceRusso) March 24, 2015

– Jey Uso has been cleared to wrestle in the Fatal 4 Way tag team title match on the WrestleMania Kickoff show this Sunday, according to f4wonline.com. Uso suffered a shoulder injury last week, but with 8 men in the match, he’ll be able to limit his involvement while still participating.

– As of last week, the plan for the IC title Ladder Match at WrestleMania is for Daniel Bryan to emerge victorious. Of course, plans could change by Sunday, but he’s the clear favorite headed into this weekend.

– WWE Diva Eva Marie posted an Instagram video documenting her first week back in the ring. She wrote:

My first week back @wwe in #RING training. I have a long road ahead, but excited to put the work in, and be the best I can be for the amazing #RedNation – I’m going to post video updates so you guys can come along on this journey with me:) Thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement, it means the world to me #NowLetsGoToWork

WWE recently announced the VIP signing schedule for this week’s WrestleMania AXXESS festivities in California.

Below is a full schedule of AXXESS signings scheduled for the end of this week.

Thursday:
8:00 PM – Hulk Hogan PREMIUM VIP signing
8:00 PM – Roman Reigns PREMIUM VIP signing

6:00 PM – Ric Flair VIP signing

General admission signing: The Prime Time Players, Rusev, Jack Swagger, Erick Rowan, Booker T, Luke Harper, Lita, NXT talents and more.

Friday:
6:00 PM – John Cena PREMIUM VIP signing
8:00 PM – Triple H PREMIUM VIP signing

General Admission Signings: Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, Kane, Ryback, Jerry Lawler, Eva Marie, Scott Hall, NXT talents and more.

Saturday:
10:00 AM – Sting PREMIUM VIP signing

8:00 AM – Daniel Bryan VIP signing
1:00 PM – Randy Orton VIP signing
3:00 PM – Bray Wyatt VIP signing
6:00 PM – Dean Ambrose VIP signing
8:00 PM – Seth Rollins VIP signing

General Admission signing 8:00 AM Session: The Usos, AJ Lee, Cesaro, Tyson Kidd, Kofi Kingston, Rosa Mendes, Boogeyman, NXT stars and more.

General Admission signing 1:00 PM Session: Ryback, Bad News Barrett, Santino Marella, Adam Rose, Sin Cara, Paul Heyman, Summer Rae, NXT stars and more.

General Admission signing 6 PM session: R-Truth, Kane, Damien Mizdow, Goldust, Big E, Xavier Woods, Los Matadores, El Torito, NXT stars and more.

Sunday:
8:00 AM – Shawn Michaels VIP PREMIUM signing.

10:00 AM – WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart VIP signing.

General Admission Signing: The Bella Twins, Big Show, Trish Stratus, Rusev, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, Roddy Piper, NXT stars and more.

• PHOTOS: CM Punk’s First UFC Fighter Portraits Shoot (Punk In Gloves, Fight Shorts, etc.)

WWE WrestleMania 31 is less than a week away and we’ve got another look at The Undertaker as he prepares for his return to the ring against Bray Wyatt. While many of the recent Undertaker photos we’ve seen have not been very flattering, it’s good to see the Dead Man looking like he’s ready to whoop some ass.

– WWE has announced that Sting will open tonight’s WWE RAW and will address the WWE Universe ahead of Sunday’s WrestleMania 31.

– Samoa Joe was telling people at an indy show in Queens, NY this past Friday night that he is indeed headed to WWE and will be starting with them in jus a few weeks.

According to Reddit user MetsFan4Ever, Joe is expected to wrestle for NXT, since Triple H has shown a lot more interest in him than Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn.

– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle site has published a new bikini photo gallery of TNA Knockout Brooke “Tessmacher” Adams.

– 6 days out, here’s the latest look at Levi’s Stadium being set up for Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania 31 pay-per-view. Based on what we can see, it looks like there will once again be a large 4-post structure built above the ring.