— Zack Ryder was announced as the WWE Internet Champion at today’s Raw live event in Melbourne, Australia and had a replica belt with him that he successfully defended against Primo.
— CM Punk’s current storyline was continued at yesterday’s Raw live event in Sydney, Australia. Ring announcer Tony Chimel announced at the start of the show that Punk was suspended by WWE but had agreed to fulfill his contract and appear at the event. Punk trashed the McMahon family, among others, before his mic was cut off. He then lost to Rey Mysterio in the show’s opening match.
— In today’s birthdays, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart turns 54 years old, WWE referee Charles Robinson turns 47, former WWE star Scotty 2 Hotty turns 38 and former WWE Diva Amy Weber turns 41.
— Jerry Lawler is advertised to appear at the Norfolk Tides minor leagus baseball game at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday, July 24 at 6:15 p.m.
For all the broskis out there, Mr. Long Island Iced Z himself, Zack Ryder, is back with another installment of his online video show, the Z! True Long Island Story. This week’s show was taped on Monday, after the Monday Night RAW show from Long Island that he was left off. WWWYKI:
After WWE failed to book Long Island native Zack Ryder on Monday’s episode of RAW from the Nassau Coliseum, WWE star Dolph Ziggler went on Twitter and said the company “kicked [Ryder] in the nuts.”
Former WWE star Chris Jericho is the latest person to speak out about Ryder being left off television in front of his hometown crowd. Jericho tweeted on Tuesday:
“So LAME that WWE didn’t include @ZackRyder on Raw last night. No reason not to!! Wrestling is supposed to be FUN remember? Time to riot…”
Zack Ryder commented on the situation, but was careful not to come off as bitter .. He wrote:
“I wasn’t on Raw…(besides all the Ryder signs and chants)…but you can catch me this Thursday on WWE Superstars.”
Wade Barrett showed support for Ryder as well on Tuesday, tweeting, “WWWYKI.”
COMMENT BELOW: What do you think about WWE not booking Zack Ryder on Monday’s RAW from Long Island?
– Earlier this week, WWE released five people from the company, including two NXT originals and three talents from the Florida Championship Wrestling developmental territory.
It now appears that second generation star Wes Brisco is also on his way out of the company, as his profile was removed from the FCW roster page. Brisco is the son of WWE Hall of Famer and former Mr. McMahon stooge Gerald Brisco.
– Many WWE fans were left scratching their heads after Monday’s RAW from Long Island, wondering why the hometown star Zack Ryder was not used on the show. WWE star Dolph Ziggler went on Twitter after RAW and expressed his frustration with WWE failing to give Ryder a much-deserved moment on the three-hour broadcast:
“You didn’t rib ‘the kid’ tonight, you ribbed the fans, Long Island, and the boys in the back. And kicked him in the nuts. #RyderOrRiot”
Zack Ryder was interviewed by Newsday.com‘s Alfonso Castillo to promote tonight’s WWE RAW from Long Island, NY. Here are some highlights of what Ryder said about:
How His “Z! True Long Island Story” YouTube Show Came About:
“What happened was that about three months ago I was sick of just not being on TV, sick of just sitting in the background on the sidelines. So I created my opportunity. I created my own Youtube account. My parents got me a Flipcam for Christmas. And I started to make my own shows. And 16 episodes later, more than a million views, it’s starting to pick up… All my days off is basically doing that show. It’s thinking of things and messing around with my friends. They’ll help me film stuff, like the Superstars General Manager—just things to create controversy in a funny, light hearted way… I think I had no creative output before, so they really didn’t know who I was. I had a couple matches here and there, but I never really had a chance to show who I really was, my personality and show how charismatic I was. Now this show has taken off. Guys like John Cena, The Miz, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Chris Jericho are all praising me on Twitter and stuff like that. I wrote the bonus forward to Chris Jericho’s book. It’s just unbelievable. I think everyone is starting to notice.”
Whether He’s Gotten Heat From WWE Management For The Show:
“At first, I was afraid too. I thought, ‘Am I going to get in trouble?’ But I’m not trying to cause any problems. I just want to get my name out there and create my own opportunity, and make some money for the company and for myself. Now they’re really getting behind it. Like you said, there are signs every single week. My T-Shirts are selling out, and I’m not even on television. It’s unheard of. So, I think they have to get behind it.… As far as I know, I haven’t been punished. But before I started the Youtube show, I was at the bottom of the card—the bottom. How much worse of a position could I have dropped to, you know? So it had to go up. That was my mind set. I was just sick of being at the bottom, knowing I could be so much more. It was all or nothing, basically.”
Working His Way Up The WWE Ranks:
“I guess I am grateful that I have a job in WWE, but that my plan my whole life. So, it’s kind of expected for me. So I’m not satisfied with my spot on the card. I definitely want to move up. And that’s what I’m going to do. Or at least I’m going to try my best and go out swinging. I’m not going to just sit back and say, ‘Oh, I should have done that,’ or ‘I should have done this.’ When my time comes to an end, I know I’ll have no regrets… I’ve been under contract for five years. I’ve been on television for four. So that’s a pretty long time. So many people come and go in four years. But I have all the time in the world. I’m only 26. I’m one of the youngest guys on the roster. I’m not going to stop until everyone in this world knows who Zack Ryder is.”
Mr. Long Island Iced Z himself, Zack Ryder is back with another installment of the Z! True Long Island Story.
In this edition, Zack Ryder pays tribute to the “Macho Man” Randy Savage, highlights the Zack Ryder signs that made it onto WWE television this week and more.
— Zack Ryder’s online promotional efforts have not gone unnoticed by WWE officials as he is expected to receive an increased presence on television going forward.
— K&S Wrestlefest will be holding a women’s wrestling themed convention on Saturday, August 28 at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Names announced thus far for “Hot Summer’s Night” are WWE Hall of Famer Wendi Richter, former WWE Women’s Champion Rockin’ Robin, Isis the Amazon and former TNA Knockout Sojo Bolt. Former WWE star Finlay will also be on hand for the event as a vendor guest. More information is available at www.kandswrestlefest.com.
— Kane is scheduled to appear the Kmart located at 13200 Aurora Avenue North in Seattle, Washington this Sunday beginning at 10:00 a.m.
— Melina posted a blog on her official website, RealMelina.com, updating fans on John Morrison after he underwent surgery to correct a pinched nerve in his neck.
“The first week after surgery is the most painful,” she wrote. “He hates not helping out and carrying his own weight. He stubbornly tries to do little things and I understand that I can’t baby him but I worry. I want to do everything for him so he can just rest.
“I have taken him on mini walks so he can get out of the house… he can’t stay out for very long because he starts to ache. I wish I could do more. During the day he has to sit, but he can’t sit for long because his neck starts to hurt… then he can’t stand for too long either because the same thing happens. His body gets tired because its hard for him to rest. At night he wakes up every few hours and gets out of bed because his neck is sore. For some reason he thinks I sleep through him bumping into stuff in the dark, on his way to the kitchen. He says coconut gelato is the only thing that makes his neck feel better at 5am. Bless his heart.”
She continued, “I hate to see him in pain. He won’t tell me a lot of the times but you can just see it. It breaks my heart because he’s my Honey, but he always tries to smile. I admire him for being so positive, being strong and making me laugh. I wouldn’t blame him if he just vegged and sulked a bit… but instead he keeps his chin up and Smiles… even if it hurts.”
— WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is the first guest to be announced for WrestleReunion 8 at the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton-Toronto Airport April 13th-15th, 2012.
— WWE Superstar Zack Ryder celebrates his 26th birthday today. Also celebrating birthdays are Big Van Vader (54) and Robert Fuller (60).
— For tonight’s episode of SmackDown, WWE.com is advertising Christian addressing the WWE Universe after losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton last week. Matches scheduled to take place are as follows:
* Daniel Byran vs. Sin Cara
* Kane vs. Wade Barrett
* Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase
* Christian and Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry and Sheamus
— Former WWE Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder reunited on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. Hawkins assisted Ryder in garnering a victory over Vladimir Kozlov. This was followed by an in-ring celebration.
“The Broskis Are Back @TheCurtHawkins & @ZackRyder WWWYKI,” Ryder wrote on Twitter.
Hawkins added, “Thanks for the support, it’s just the beginning & we’ll need all your help. I like #MajorBroskis but Broskis of Destruction made me laugh.”
— Former WWE star Jimmy Wang Yang celebrates his 30th birthday today.
– After last night’s RAW from Knoxville, TN went off the air, The Miz came out and challenged John Cena to a match for the WWE Championship. Cena accepted and won the match. Cena then sang the song “Rocky Top” – which was popular with the Tennesse crowd.
Michael Cole came out to insult the crowd and caught an Attitude Adjustment from Cena to end the show.
– John Cena wrote the following on Twitter after last night’s RAW:
“Got to punish a ry. Set and I quit match for over the limit with miz. But nothing beat the fist pumping broski. Thanks for the lesson zack.”
– John Morrison, Zack Ryder, Melina, Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio were among the WWE-related items that were trending on Twitter last night during RAW.
Mr. “Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder is back with another episode of the Z! True Long Island Story.
In Episode 12, Zack Ryder names the Broski of the Week, talks about the The Rock’s birthday celebration, searches for the “brass ring” Vince McMahon talked about on RAW and helps his Mattel action figure work on its tan. Check out, BRO:
— WWE has dubbed the wrestler formerly known as Awesome Kong, “Kharma.”
A vignette aired tonight on Raw showing her squeeze a doll, which resulted in its head being popped off. She chuckled as she looked at the remaining portion of the doll in her hands. The camera showed her full face this time. “Harm” flashed on the screen before turning to “Kharma.” Back live, Josh Mathews noted that things will change upon her debut.
— Zack Ryder wrote the following on his Twitter account tonight during Raw: “Hopefully I get drafted from Superstars to either Raw or SmackDown.”
— The announced attendance for tonight’s Monday Night Raw taping at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina was 13,954.
— WWE ordered O2 Arena security to confiscate all signs from fans relating to Zack Ryder at yesterday’s Monday Night Raw taping at in London, England.
The Raw Superstar has been encouraging fans to bring Ryder related signs to WWE events, such as “Broski of the Week.” He often goes on Twitter acknowledging Ryder signs shown on television. He asked for an image of the “Zack Ryder = Ratings” sign that briefly appeared on Raw. That too was confiscated.
Ryder was backstage at last night’s show, but was not used.
— Regarding next Monday’s 2011 WWE Draft, changes are not expected to go into effect until May 2, the night after Extreme Rules.
Creative has overhauled the script for the May 2 Raw due to panicking and bumping the annual Draft from June to next week.
— WWE developmental wrestler Maxine celebrates her 25th birthday today. The former NXT contestant currently reigns as the General Manager of FCW.
— Reunited for the first time in nearly a decade, Edge and Christian used their veteran skills to achieve victory over Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay on SmackDown. “Captain Charisma” took to Twitter to comment on the reunion.
“Thanks 4 all the gr8 feedback on Edge&Christian reuniting on Smackdown after 10yrs,” he wrote. “Hopefully u wont have 2 wait another 10 to see it again.”
— Select WWE Divas filmed a cameo appearance for Tough Enough last week.
— Zack Ryder announced on Twitter that WWEShop.com will begin selling headbands bearing his insignia soon. “The Long-Island Iced-Z” has pushed WWE to manufacture more Ryder merchandise.
— Referee Aaron “Goose” Mahoney was among those cut by WWE Friday. His release, however, was not officially announced.
— Vance Archer and Tiffany took to Twitter to comment on their respective releases from World Wrestling Entertainment.
“It is what it is. I ain’t done by a long shot. Bet that,” he wrote. “ThankU to all for all the support.”
Meanwhile, Tiffany added, “Thank you WWE for an amazing journey. I am saddened by the news but forever grateful for the experience. Blog to come later today. Thank you to all my supportive fans. You are wonderful.”
— The recently revamped WWEShop.com features an Alumni section and Raw Superstar Zack Ryder is listed among the likes of Jake Roberts, Kamala and Rick Rude. The company recently released its first clothing merchandise on Ryder, a “Basics” T-shirt.
— World Wrestling Entertainment is expected to rush through the current season of NXT with the final episode airing on October 1 just before the premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on Syfy. The third season of NXT will feature five episodes.
While company officials adore NXT and have vowed it will continue, they have been unable to land a new home for the show. With that being said, there was a discussion this past week of moving the show to WGN America. Vince McMahon said that ideally, they would keep both NXT and WWE Superstars.
— In regards to Sheamus’ eleven second win over Zack Ryder on last week’s Raw being the shortest WWE Championship Match in history, it is not. It is believed that the shortest WWE Championship Match in history was Diesel’s victory over Bob Backlund on November 26, 1994, which lasted eight seconds. The shortest WWE match in history is believed to be The Rock defeating Big Bossman in four seconds at the 1998 Survivor Series.
— Jerry Lawler’s Memphis Wrestling television program scored a 0.7 local rating on August 21, which equals approximately 11,000 viewers.
— A dark match pitting Zack Ryder against MVP took place before tonight’s live Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view broadcast. Ryder pinned MVP after striking him with the Zack Attack.
— Maryse suffered a wardrobe malfunction during the Divas Championship Match at tonight’s Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view. The malfunction, which was captured on camera during the live broadcast, occurred when Fox went to pin Maryse.
— Bryan Danielson was over with the live audience at the Nassau Coliseum’s for WWE’s Fatal 4-Way event as fans reportedly chanted for “Daniel Bryan” just prior to the show going live on pay-per-view. His name could also be heard during the conclusion of the show when the NXT season one Rookies stormed the ring during the WWE Championship Match.
— A number of WWE stars trended tonight at various points on Twitter including Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, Alicia Fox, Chris Jericho and Evan Bourne.
— Mickie James will be holding a CD release party promoting her highly anticipated country music album, Strangers & Angels, on Thursday, May 20 in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will be held at the Red Rooster Bar & Music Hall (located on 1530 Demonbreun Street) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Those interested in attending the event should contact Don at don@absolutepublicity.com.
— April Hunter wrote on her Facebook page that one of the “big two” wrestling companies contacted her this week. However, problems arose when they requested she get medical clearance first.
“So, one of the “big two” wrestling companies contacted me this wk,” Hunter wrote. “But I was asked to go to my own doc & get medical clearance first (they wont cover that). Most “healthy” wrestlers wouldn’t be given medical clearance 4 the GYM, let alone in ring the way lawsuits work in the USA. Don’t have a doc. I use Robitussin…prolly wouldn’t need a job if I could afford health ins in the 1st place.”
— In today’s wrestling birthdays, Zack Ryder 25, Big Van Vader turns 53, and Robert Fuller turns 59.