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.
Online reports have indicated that there are a number of disgruntled wrestlers within the WWE locker room upset with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stealing the spotlight at WrestleMania XXVIII since he is not a full-time performer. Former WWE talent Shane Helms (a/k/a The Hurricane) added his two cents on the matter via Twitter and said those people should quit complaining.
“FTR, anybody in the WWE locker room that is bitching about The Rock’s involvement in WrestleMania needs to stop being a douche! He’s earned it!” the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion wrote Friday. “WrestleMania has always had celebrity involvement and if the the celebrity this year happens to actually be a GREAT pro wrestler, it’s a win!!”
Fellow former WWE star Lance Storm, who earlier said Johnson’s detractors should “shut up,” added, “If the dude will draw more money, he deserves the spot. Absolutely. And he WILL draw more money, end of story.”
Johnson caught wind of their statements Saturday morning. He wrote to them: “Incredible to me how many of the boys don’t get the “business” part of our business.”
— Online reports have indicated that there are a number of disgruntled wrestlers within the WWE locker room upset with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stealing the spotlight at WrestleMania XXVIII. Former WWE star Lance Storm weighed in on the matter on Twitter and said the complainers need to “shut up.”
When asked about Johnson assuming the WrestleMania main event spot over a full-time worker, he wrote, “I got bumped off Mania 19 for Miller Light Girls anyone bitching about getting bumped down the card 4 THE ROCK needs to Shut up.”
— Brodus Clay, who has not competed inside a WWE ring since the February 7, 2012 SmackDown taping, returns to action at tonight’s Raw live event at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.
Clay’s dancer Cameron Lynn tweeted, “Who is gonna b at the staple center tonight to see some WWE action ? Best part is u get to see yours truly…me and the funkasaurus.”
Online reports suggest Clay was removed from television due to Vince McMahon’s unhappiness with his ring work. Regarding said reports, WWE.com writer Kevin Eck tweeted, “I have not seen the real reason reported anywhere.”
– 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.
— 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.
— Although WWE.com stated Tuesday that Shaquille O’Neal would not be competing at WrestleMania XXVIII, the 15-time NBA All-Star appeared on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning Wednesday stating that he would.
— The USA Network will air a program profiling the rivalry between The Rock and John Cena on March 26 at 8:00 p.m. It will air again on March 31.
— Amazing Red and T.J. Perkins vs. Michael Elgin and Roderick Strong has been announced for the March 4 Ring of Honor event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
— Alex Koslov, who was released by WWE earlier this month, is available for bookings and appearances through Bill Behrens at showbis@aol.com. He is currently based in Tampa, Florida but expects to move to Los Angeles, California soon.
— A match involving the WWE Divas is expected to take place WrestleMania XXVIII although some company officials are against utilizing the women for the sake of it since the affair would take away time from the bouts people are most interested in seeing.
It’s also been suggested as the pre-show dark match.
— In light of her actions involving John Cena and Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, Eve addressed fans during an unaired segment at last night’s SuperSmackDown LIVE! show. The two-time WWE Divas Champion described herself as a “woman of class” and that she does not deserve the angry reaction she has been receiving. Eve admitted to using Ryder but that she is no different than everybody else.
To see her speech as well as Zack Ryder’s video response, click here.
— The February 18, 2012 episode of A.M. Raw scored a 0.64 cable rating with 755,000 viewers.
sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com
— WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw John Laurinaitis’s campaign to not only become the permanent Raw General Manager, but take over Theodore Long’s job as General Manager of SmackDown is expected to culminate with a winner takes all match at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, Florida.
The Wrestling Observer reports that a Laurinaitis captained team of heel WWE stars will likely face a babyface team captained by Long at the pay-per-view extravaganza with the winning captain becoming General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown. There is also talk that the bout would replace the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
— On behalf of ‘be a STAR,’ the anti-bullying alliance co-founded by WWE and The Creative Coalition, David Otunga paid a visit to German Valley Elementary outside Rockford, Illinois today to speak with students about the dangers of bullying.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety over at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Hell In A Cell At WrestleMania: “The Undertaker confronting HHH and subsequently pushing the appropriate buttons to get a vengeance oriented rematch at WM28 was captivating TV for me. Both men have more tenure than any others on the WWE roster that are still competing. They are truly is the last of a breed and now that it’s in Helll in a Cell, the game has changed. Stakes have risen and it going to be a tough act to follow in Miami.
“[WWE] will build a massive structure to not only hold the ring lighting grid but the HIAC as well. It will be impressive I assure you.”
John Cena’s Best Promo Ever: John Cena delivered the best promo of his career in my opinion when addressing the Rock and their long awaited WM28 main event. Cena spoke from the heart and I’m certain meant every word that he said. Cena’s words stepped away from the world of entertainment and squarely into reality or so it seemed to me.”
“Rock’s ‘rebuttal’ next week on Raw in Portland will be must see TV. The Rock/Cena issue has gotten personal as Cena touched some legit nerves with his remarks in Minneapolis.”
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania: “The injury riddled, #1 contender Battle Royal sees Chris Jericho getting his ticket punched to meet CM Punk for the WWE Title at WM28 in a bout that could be the best, pure wrestling match on the entire card on April 1.”
— 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.
– 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 Champion CM Punk nor World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan were on hand for Thursday’s press conference at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to announce that the venue will host WrestleMania XXIX on Sunday, April 7, 2013.
— Regarding rumors that WWE Legends’ House will premiere on Syfy rather than the WWE Network, nothing has been stated internally about that nor is it listed on Syfy’s programming schedule for April.
— The commercial Sheamus shot last month in Los Angeles, California was for Kmart. Independent women’s wrestlers Bugga Nova and Lizzy Valentine were on hand for the shoot.
— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler was spotted at Fashion Week and received a mention about being there in the AM New York newspaper.
WWE has announced that MetLife Stadium will play host to WrestleMania next year.
“For the first time, The Show of Shows is headed to New Jersey, as MetLife Stadium, home to the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants, as well as the New York Jets, will host WrestleMania XXIX on Sunday, April 7, 2013,” WWE.com states.
WrestleMania Week activities, including WrestleMania Axxess, the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Raw will take place across the New York/New Jersey area in the days leading up to the pay-per-view extravaganza.
An official press conference is scheduled for Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at MetLife Stadium, where Vince McMahon will be joined by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Giants President & CEO John Mara, New York Jets Owner & CEO Woody Johnson, and a slew of WWE Superstars, including John Cena, Triple H and Sheamus. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is scheduled for a “special appearance.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will hold a press conference Thursday at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to announce that WrestleMania XXIX will take place at the sporting complex in April 2013.
MetLife officials, who spent “more than a year” working with WWE to bring WrestleMania to the stadium, expect the event to draw 70,000 fans.
WrestleMania festivities will also take place in New Jersey as the IZOD Center will host Axxess and the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. WWE had initially planned to hold events in New York City but New Jersey state officials convinced them to hold everything in The Garden State.
The official announcement was originally scheduled for Wednesday but pushed back a day.
— A Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan rematch was announced for Friday’s SmackDown. The show tapes Tuesday night from Fresno, California.
— Friday’s SmackDown drew a 2.17 rating with 3,261,000 viewers. (Source: pwinsider)
— WWE Hall of Fame diva Tammy “Sunny” Sytch recently did a school girl photo shoot with longtime wrestling photographer Bob Mulrenin at HeymanHustle.com.
— The Undertaker is currently not scheduled for any WWE live events or any SmackDown TV tapings. The Dead Man is expected to make appearances on RAW in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 28.
– Alberto Del Rio appeared at this weekend’s SmackDown live events – but did not wrestle either night. Del Rio called out Sheamus and told the live crowds that he’s not ready to wrestle yet, but challenged the 2012 Royal Rumble winner to an arm wrestling contest – which Sheamus won. This led to a brawl between the two before Del Rio ran off, leaving Ricardo Rodriguez to take a Brogue Kick from Sheamus.
Del Rio is scheduled to return to WWE television tonight on RAW.
– WWE Superstar David Otunga was backstage at the Grammys last night with his fiancee Jennifer Hudson, who sang a moving tribute to Whitney Houston.
– An announcement on the WrestleMania 29 location is expected this week. New York Giants player Jake Ballard was asked on Twitter if he’s excited about WrestleMania coming to the MetLife Stadium next year. He replied, ” yes it’s going to be awesome!”
If these reports turn out to be true, Axxess and other WrestleMania-week events would be held in the New York City area.
It would also be a sign that WWE is breaking with the tradition of holding WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden every 10 years, as it’s unlikely New York City would get the event two years in a row.
— An official announcement concerning the venue for next year’s WrestleMania is expected to be made next Wednesday.
— In the second episode of Foreign Exchange with Santino Marella, the WWE Superstar goes in search for a Valentine’s Day date. See what lucky Diva will be chosen by the Milan Miracle. Justin Gabriel, Kaitlyn, Maxine, Natalya and Rosa Mendes appear.
— Friday would have marked as Louie Spicolli’s 41st birthday. The veteran of ECW, WWE and WCW died on February 15, 1998 at the age of 27 after overdosing on somas and wine.
— California based independent wrestler Joey Ryan is competing in a contest put on by Major League Baseball in which the winner moves to New York City for the upcoming season. The contest, which is determined by votes, has been narrowed down to 50 finalists and concludes on February 22. To view his video entry, which was filmed at the Ring Ka King tapings in India, click here.
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.
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.”
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.”
Sheamus was the last man standing at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, earning himself a title shot against a champion of his choosing at WrestleMania 28. While Sheamus winning the Rumble sets up a series of interesting scenarios for the next several months of WWE television, it was actually Chris Jericho who was originally scheduled to win the event.
Triple H, who has gained even more influence behind the scenes in recent months, made the call for Sheamus to win the Rumble just days before the event took place. The two have been close friends (and workout partners) since the Irish grappler’s promotion to the main roster in the summer of 2009.
In an interview with Power Slam magazine, Triple H singled out the Celtic Warrior as a wrestler with big potential:
“The closest to me is probably Sheamus, because we always train together on the road. But I try to watch all the young guys’ matches and give them advice, if they want to hear it. If they take advice to heart and really want to improve, then I’m wanting to help. As for seeing some of myself in someone? That’s tough. Sheamus just the other day showed up at a show he didn’t have to be at. He does whatever he’s asked to do without complaining, he goes to every show and is always wanting to work: he does it all, goes above and beyond. That’s what I was like.”
Randy Orton was also discussed as a potential winner of the Rumble, since he cleanly put over Mark Henry during The World’s Strongest Man’s rise as World Heavyweight Champion and the event was taking place in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Before the final call was made for Sheamus to win the Rumble, Chris Jericho was the favorite, which would have set up a WWE Championship showdown against CM Punk at WrestleMania XXVIII (a match that will likely happen anyways).
WWE officials contemplated last week having John Cena win the match due to the stipulation that “everyone was eligible” for the Rumble. Cena would win the match and subsequently make a tough decision: take the title shot and not face The Rock at WrestleMania.
— Cody Rhodes’ inclusion in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match at Elimination Chamber squashes the proposed bout against Goldust at the pay-per-view event. Though the brother vs. brother bout could still take place at WrestleMania XXVIII, Vince McMahon was against the idea as recently as a few weeks ago.
— GQ has named the WWE Championship one of the best sports trophies of all-time.
They wrote of the title: “When it comes to gaudy title belts, boxing has nothing on professional wrestling. Boxing’s look like something stolen from the uniform closet of a Third World dictator. WWE’s is modeled after the old-school solid-fake-gold title belt that Ric Flair used to rock. Wooo!!!”
— Jerry Lawler appears for Remix Pro Wrestling on April 7 at Marietta Middle School Gym 242 Seventh St. Marietta, Ohio. Visit www.remixprowrestling.com for more information.
— After Monday’s RAW went off the air, John Cena defaeated Kane via DQ in a bonus match for the live crowd in Kansas City.
Cena and Kane did the same house show match sequence of Kane attacking Cena with a steel chair for a DQ, hitting the chokeslam, and then returning to the ring to take an Attitude Adjustment from Cena to end the show.
— With the Royal Rumble (and the first RAW after the Rumble) in the books, here’s an updated look at the WrestleMania 28 card, including rumored matches that WWE storylines appear to be building up to:
* The Rock vs. John Cena
* Triple H vs. The Undertaker
* Sheamus vs. WWE Champion or World Champion
* CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho (Rumored)
* Beth Phoenix vs. Karma – (Rumored)
* MITB Ladder Match (Rumored)
– With WrestleMania 28 less than 3 months away, we can confirm that Mark Henry vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight title is a match that has been discussed by the creative team in the past several weeks.
While that match could still happen, Big Show will likely end up wrestling NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, who recently revealed during a radio appearance that he’s in talks to compete at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
– Actor Kris Kristofferson spoke with the Toronto Sun this weekend and had the following to say about his son Jody signing a developmental deal with WWE:
“I identify with him so much, because people thought I was just as crazy as he is when I decided I was going to Nashville. But he loves it and he’s committed to it just like I was with songwriting. And to be able to do what you love to do — you can’t get better than that.”
– After campaigning for a World Heavyweight Title shot against Daniel Bryan on Twitter over the weekend, William Regal responded to several fans that said he doesn’t deserve a shot:
“And for the divs who feel the need to bring up my past problems,I am what I am and don’t regret anything.It’s what makes me me.”
“I’m over 800 tweets in and the overall verdict(apart from a few faceless keyboard warriors)is that they would like this to happen.@WWE.”
