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Vince Softening His Stance On Using TNA Talent, Details On Joe & Storm’s Roles

Eric Lynch
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With TV ratings declining and Vince McMahon taking full control of his company once again, it appears he is opening up to the idea of putting TNA wrestlers on WWE TV. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vince has softened his stance on bringing in TNA talent, which as of earlier this year was that it would not be done.

Related: Vince McMahon Back To Micro-Managing WWE As Ratings Decline

With Samoa Joe and James Storm appearing on NXT, it appears the company is using the WWE Network-exclusive show as a platform to transition wrestlers from “TNA guys” to “WWE guys.” Storm is still appearing on TNA on cable TV, as the matches were taped back in July.

Joe and Storm are reportedly there to help add some experience to the upcoming NXT tours. You can expect to see them continue to be paired up with more inexperienced wrestlers in the ring. The two former TNA stars have yet to be earmarked for the main roster.

Jeff Hardy Says His Knee Injury Is Career-Threatening, Frustrated Over TNA’s Lack Of Success

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TNA star Jeff Hardy spoke to The Daily Star to promote TNA’s 2016 UK tour. During the interview, Jeff spoke candidly about his knee injury (torn PCL) and hoping it will not require surgery to fix:

“I have a torn PCL [posterior cruciate ligament] in my right knee and it’s been torn ever since I broke my tibia. They put a rod in my tibia, so after all the swelling went down I knew something was wrong with my knee. I finally went to the doctor, and I had an MRI, and found out it was a torn PCL.”

“I just started physical therapy last week, it’s been really tough. Hopefully that is going to work and I can avoid surgery. Fingers crossed.”

Hardy knows that major knee surgery could prevent him from working the in-ring style he’s pioneered over the past two decades. In the event that he can’t perform at the level fans are used to seeing for him, he might retire from active competition.

“I think a lot of it is psychological. The thing is, my style, I’m the kinda guy who if I feel I can’t wrestle the style that I always have, then I’m not going to want to wrestle at all.”

There is no timeframe for a return, Jeff says, but he is working as hard as he possibly can to get back to doing what he loves, and what fans the world over love to see.

Video: Jeff Hardy Knocked Out After Ridiculous Steel Cage Spot

Jef also commented on TNA’s lack off success over the years and expressed frustration with the company not taking off light it should have.

“I just don’t understand it and I never will because I’ve watched so many TNA shows that are just great. Drew Galloway is awesome. I love watching him wrestle, and cut promos. EC3 is right there, he is the top dog. Yeah, it’s frustrating to wonder why, and understand why it has not taken off like it rightfully should have.”

You can read the full interview at DailyStar.co.uk.

WWE To Feature Bayley’s Number One Fan On NXT Kids Show?

Matt Boone
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A pilot for the NXT Kids show was leaked this past August, which sparked interest in regards to casting for the upcoming television show. There is speculation that a second pilot is set to be shot with different kids due to the fact a new casting call was sent out this past week.

It’s said that the premise of the show is set to be something along the lines of Saturday Morning Slam. For those who may recall that would be one or two matches per episode, and kids conducting interviews with wrestlers during a 30 minute show. The pilot shows a lot of kids in the crowd shots during matches.

According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a source in WWE claims that this may all be a vehicle for the little girl shown during Bayley’s matches named Izzy. The young girl is always shown in the front row during NXT shows, and most recently she is seen in the front row at NXT tapings as well.

The original NXT Kids trailer was pulled after leaking back in August, however to get an idea of what the show may be like, watching a clip of Saturday Morning Slam from a few years ago would give you the best idea.

Dolph Ziggler Possibly Turning Heel Soon Due To Lana/Rusev Engagement News

Eric Lynch
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With Dolph Ziggler on his own again after separating from Summer Rae in WWE storylines, WrestlingObserver.com reports that a heel turn is likely in his near future.

The TV storylines saw Summer Rae thinking of leaving Rusev for Ziggler, before proposing to Rusev on the 10/5 episode of RAW. News of the real-life engagement between Lana and Rusev hit the web the same week Summer Rae proposed to Rusev on Raw. In the eyes of WWE management, this “screwed up” their storyline. WWE.com interviewed Ziggler before this week’s Raw and seemed to indicate that Ziggler was done with the Summer Rae storyline.

Related: Photos: Lana & Rusev Engaged To Be Married

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vince McMahon was not happy the real-life engagement news hit the web, even though he knew TMZ would eventually cover it. Fans were able to figure out the engagement before the TMZ story because photos got out on social media showing Lana with an engagement ring on her finger.

Ziggler will be feuding with Cena for the U.S. title, and with Cena only having two TV dates left before taking time off, it appears he will drop the belt to Ziggler on one of those two dates. According to WrestlingObserver.com, one idea being tossed around is that Summer Rae may help Ziggler win the title to kick start his heel turn. They could then feud with babyface Rusev and Lana.

Related: Backstage Update On John Cena Filming New TV Show While Away From WWE

Backstage News On The 2016 Hall Of Fame, WWE TV Demographics

Eric Lynch
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— WestlingObserver.com reports that talk within WWE these days is that The Fabolous Freebirds will in fact be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in Dallas. The Freebirds have a rich history in Dallas because of their feud with the Von Erichs, and it’s likely that Kevin Von Erich will be the man to induct them.

Related: Austin Speaks Out On Wrestlemania 32 Boycott Rumors

— Ray Stevens is reportedly removed from plans for the Hall of Fame. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vince McMahon doesn’t like to remind people that so many wrestlers have passed away at young ages. Stevens passed in 1996 at the age of 60.

— According to viewership data, the average Raw viewer is 40 years old, while the average SmackDown viewer is 50. Only 47% of the people 18-34 who watch Raw also watch SmackDown.

Paul Orndorff Interview: Piper, Hogan, Vince, Early WrestleMania Years & More

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WWE Hall of Famer “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff recently appeared on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling. Here are the highlights:

What he learned from working with Rowdy Roddy Piper:

“Roddy actually was in the business longer then I was and started sooner than I did and Roddy was a smart guy. I used my body and Roddy used a lot of his brains. I wished that I could do interviews and do the stuff the way he did and I really did. I tried to be like him when I did interviews but I had that fire in my heart that I was one of those type of guys that whatever I did I was going to do it better that anybody else and I feel like I pretty much have done that in  a lot of cases.”

Hulk Hogan’s current issues and their relationship:

“Let me tell you something right now. I don’t care and I don’t know what he did. When it comes down to him, I love him like a hated brother. We all have brothers that some of them we love and some of them we don’t but I don’t hate him now for nothing! He made me and helped make me. I was more to him then he was to me but I took him to a whole new level when it came to the matches because he never had anybody that had the intensity and had the body that I had.”

The rumor that he was a stand in for Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 3:

“To be honest, I truly don’t remember. I probably was. If you heard that then it just depends where you heard it from and who started it. My memory isn’t real good now because of the cancer and the chemo and the radiation it messes with you. But I would have done whatever they wanted me to do.”

How hard did he work on the “Mr. Wonderful” physique:

“The good lord gave me something and he gave me intensity. He gave me a body and he gave me the work and how hard I worked the body the way that it was. I went to the gym six days a week, three hours a day and it was part and it was my life. It wasn’t all about the money it was just that I was one of those guys that was a gym rat and a guy named Harry Smith in Tampa, Florida is the one that got me in and I used to train at his gym and Harry took a liking to me in High School. I had a pretty big name in High School from football and track and anything else I did. I worked out with him for fifth-teen years and I kept getting bigger and bigger.”

Working for Vince McMahon Sr. and Vince McMahon Jr:

“I worked for Vince Sr. (Mr. McMahon) for two or three years and then Vinny came in and just took off. He was and is so smart and he loved the business too and he knew how to treat people and had that kind of a personality. Vince McMahon helped make me and I helped make him.”

Wanting to be a part of the expansion of the WWF:

“Vince’s father was a very smart man as well but Vince (Jr) was a whole new era. He took it to a whole new level and I was a part of it and I went with it. I fought for it because I wanted to be a part of it because I knew that I was different than anybody else. There wasn’t anyone like me at that time. There was nobody with that energy, aggressiveness and the body that I had. I could have been Mr. America if I wanted to be but I chose wrestling. I could have played pro-football but I chose wrestling.”

The infamous WrestleMania 1 training vignette (Orndorff and Orton shoot on a bystander):

“It was a shoot. When I hit him, I hit him. He went down. If it was planned I didn’t know about it. That was a whole different ballgame back then and it isn’t like it is now, now it’s a joke.”

Did he like switching from a heel to a baby face:

“No. I like being a bad guy. But the people were cheering me being a bad guy. I am not bragging it may sound like it but there was nobody in this business that had the aggression and had the body that I had, nobody! To this day there hasn’t been one. This is the one and only and that’s why I was the only one. I’ve seen guys that have the bodies but they didn’t have the ability because I was a worker. I worked every night and I’d go 25,35,45 minutes and that is what made me and that is that I knew how to work and I knew how to work the people.”

Here’s the audio:

Italian City Honors Bruno Sammartino With Surprise Parade, Sammartino/WWE Network

Matt Boone
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On October 6th in Pizzaferto, Italy, the town that Bruno Sammartino was born in, they had a surprise celebration downtown for the WWE Hall Of Famer with approximately 1,500 residents and the Mayor in attendance.

As the story goes, they called Sammartino at home without him knowing about anything, and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to the wrestling legend on his 80th birthday. The story ended up making some of the local newspapers in Italy.

Speaking of Sammartino, the WWE icon recently spent around 15 hours filming interview footage for upcoming WWE Network specials, as well as future WWE DVD and Blu-ray releases.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Nia Jax Debuts In NXT (Video)

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Nia Jax made her NXT in-ring debut this week after months of vignettes hyping her arrival. The cousin of The Rock and Roman Reigns showed off an impressive ‘big woman’ move set and displayed a commanding ring presence while making quick work of indy wrestler Evie.

With the recent arrivals of Asuka and Nia Jax, the NXT Women’s division is thriving once again despite the recent ‘graduations’ of Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch.

WWE Iron Man Matches This Weekend, ESPN’s Top WWE Moments (Video)

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– This week’s WWE live events from Texas will feature 30-minute Iron Man matches for the WWE United States Championship championship. The shows in Lubbock and Abilene will both be headlined by John Cena defending against WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

– Here is this week’s ESPN SportsCenter Top WWE Moments hosted by Jonathan Coachman. The segment will air every Tuesday night during the 9pm EST airing of SportsCenter.

Lucha Underground Producer Reveals What’s In Store For Season 2

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Lucha Underground Executive Producer Eric Van Wagenen spoke with The Richest website to promote the upcoming second season of the show.

The Temple will be resurrected next month with the first round of season 2 tapings beginning November 14th. It’s been reported that the season will run fewer than 39 episodes and they will be working with a scaled-back budget.

Here’s what Van Wagenen said about what we can expect when Lucha Underground returns in January:

“I think one of the more interesting ones that I think will be what will happen with the Dragon Azteca character and with the Dragon Azteca mask. Who will carry the mantle? One of the legendary myths that we play with is the idea of the seven Aztec tribes. Clearly one of those tribes is Dragon Azteca tribe and will they now seek revenge with Dario Cueto and Black Lotus? That obviously comes to mind.

“Mil Muertes and Catrina taking over the temple and possessing all of the original Aztec gold is obviously a major storyline. Dario Cueto on the run and what that means for the temple and his future makes for a great storyline.

“Obviously everyone’s favorite Pentagon Jr., who has been unleashed and on the loose and how we handle that – especially with his relationship with Vampiro. That is definitely something that a lot of people are going to want to know, and we’ll be addressing that in the early episodes as well.”

You can read the full interview at TheRichest.

Updated Standings For TNA’s World Title Series (Week 2)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPnKeDcfCMU

Following this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling, the following are updated standings for TNA’s World Title Series to crown a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion:

Originals Group: Abyss (3 points), Bobby Roode (3 points), James Storm (0 points), Eric Young (0 points)

Champions Group: Ethan Carter III (1 point), Bobby Lashley (3 points), Mr. Anderson (0 points), Austin Aries (1 point)

Tag Team Specialists Group: Eddie Edwards (0 points), Davey Richards (0 points), Robbie E (3 points), Matt Hardy (3 points)

Knockouts Group: Gail Kim (0 points), Madison Rayne (0 points), Awesome Kong (3 points), Brooke Tessmacher (3 points)

X Division Group: Tigre Uno (0 points), Manik (0 points), DJ Zema Ion (0 points), Mark Andrews (0 points)

Future 4 Group: Crimson (0 points), Jessie Godderz (0 points), Micah (0 points), Eli Drake (0 points)

Wildcard Group: Kenny King (3 points), Mahabali Shera (3 points), Crazzy Steve (0 points), Aiden O’Shea (0 points)

UK Group: Rockstar Spud (3 points), Drew Galloway (3 points), Grado (0 points), Bram (0 points)

New NXT #1 Contender, NXT Tag Team Teasing Breakup

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– Apollo Crews won the Battle Royal on this week’s episode of NXT to become the #1 contender to Finn Balor’s NXT Championship. Crews was interviewed after his win and said he’s only been in NXT for 2 months and he’s already climbing his way to the top. He told everyone he came to NXT to be champion and now he has that opportunity. He said Apollo Crews vs. Finn Balor sounds like a good matchup and NXT gold is coming to the Apollo Nation.

– NXT tag team Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins might be on the outs soon. As seen in this video below, Fulton talks about being tired of losing and looking like a fool after their loss to Tag Team Champions The Vaudevillains on this week’s show:

RVD Takes Credit For Extending The Life Of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomp

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Rob Van Dam did a chat on Periscope last week and said he took Seth Rollins’ since-retired Curb Stomp finisher better than anyone else.

RVD referenced a RAW match from summer 2014 where Rollins defeated him with the move. Rollins later told RVD that WWE was on the verge of banning the move, but RVD took it so well they were able to convince WWE officials to keep it around longer.

WWE ended up pulling the move this past spring after WrestleMania 31 when Rollins won the WWE World Heavyweight Title. It was reported by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the move was said to be “on hold” until WWE’s concussion lawsuits are gone or no longer a threat.

Rollins told fans at a Q&A in May that he was no longer using the move and that the Pedigree would be his main finisher going forward.

Steve Austin Advertised As Appearing At Monday’s Raw; Is He?

David Bixenspan
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This past Monday night, there was some confusion about whether or not Steve Austin was appearing live in front of the crowd at next week’s show in Dallas, Texas. He was not shown on the slate with photos of the other legends who are appearing even though he will be in attendance to do his podcast with Brock Lesnar.

Within a few hours, Austin chimed in with this:

In spite of this, the WWE.com blurb for this Monday’s Raw now includes a photo of Austin and makes it explicit that they’re saying he’s appearing live (emphasis ours):

As Brock Lesnar’s Go to Hell Tour winds its way toward Los Angeles, The Beast Incarnate’s infernal caravan will make a stopover on WWE’s flagship show, where a few Legends and Hall of Famers will join the ride.

WWE.com can confirm that the Oct. 19 Raw, scheduled to emanate live from Dallas — the home city of WrestleMania 32 — will not only feature a live appearance by Lesnar, but also WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Ric Flair, as well as Lesnar’s Hell in a Cell opponent, The Undertaker.

When I asked Austin if he’s aware of a change, he replied quickly:

Looks like we (Austin included) all have to wait until Monday to figure this out.

Ethan Carter III Talks Potential WWE Return, TNA’s Future & More

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skcf0rNE2FI

Former TNA World Champion Ethan Carter III hosted a Q&A session on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon to commemorate the opening of his new website, TheRealEC3.com. Here are the highlights:

If TNA closes shop, will Derrick Bateman be returning to the WWE?

EC3: Derrick Bateman died in a horrific Fireworks factory explosion.

What do you really think can get TNA to the top? Besides yourself of course.

EC3: To the top is not the goal. To be consistently enthralling and an alternative I think keeping the path.

Is there any chance of you returning to the wwe? If so do you see yourself at the top of their company?

EC3: I believe I could be at the top of wherever I am, and right now that is TNA and my only focus.

Any chance I will ever see you in NJPW? Not a tna hater, the opposite actully, just a dream to see you there.

EC3: I loved the Japan. I don’t know if that could happen though.

Matches Announced For GFW’s Next TV Tapings (10/23)

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https://youtu.be/alMLd9zPLAU

Global Force Wrestling sent us the following on Wednesday hyping next Friday night’s GFW TV tapings from Las Vegas:

The card is set for GFW Amped in Las Vegas. Get ready as we crown four champions. Who will strike gold on October 23rd? You can be there live and in person for this historic television taping. We will be crowning the first-ever NEX*GEN, Tag Team, Women’s and Global Champion! Tickets for GFW Amped on October 23 are available now. The card:

NEX*GEN Championship Finals

PJ Black vs. Virgil Flynn vs. Jigsaw vs. TJP

NEX*GEN Contenders match

Sonjay Dutt vs. Seiya Sanada

Bestia 666 vs. Cielo Escorpian

Women’s Championship Final

Christina Von Eerie vs. Amber Gallows

Tag Team Championship semifinal

Reno Scum vs. Teaze N Sleaze

Tag Team Championship semifinal

Bollywood Boyz vs. Whirlwind Gentlemen

Global Championship contenders match

Brian Myers vs. Kongo Kong (w/Henry Maxwell) vs. Kevin Kross

PLUS! A new GFW Global Champion will be crowned!

Also appearing: Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Nick Aldis, Bobby Roode, Chael Sonnen, Chris Mordetzky and The Masked Saint.

Join us on October 23 in Las Vegas at The Orleans Arena!

More On Myzteziz’s Departure From AAA, Alberto El Patron’s Involvement

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As noted earlier this week, Myzteziz (formerly Mistico and “The Original Sin Cara”) is no longer with Mexico’s AAA promotion.

Myzteziz, (real name, Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde) actually showed up unannounced at last Friday’s CMLL’s Arena Mexico show, which had a lot of people wondering exactly what was going on. Alvirde was reportedly telling people at the event that he was looking to finish up his obligations with AAA and then return to CMLL.

AAA tweeted a statement on Tuesday afternoon, noting that Alvirde is gone from the company and they will be maintaining ownership of the Myzteziz name moving forward.

Myzteziz will likely go back to using his popular Mistico character, which has since been passed on to another performer.

It’s also worth noting that the Wrestling Observer reported this week that one of the main reasons Alvirde decided to leave AAA is because of issues with Alberto El Patron. The two recently exchanged some words on Twitter, with Alberto threatening to beat up Myzteziz.

Alberto El Patron In Spat With WXW Over Cancelled Booking, “Subhuman” Flight Arrangements

David Bixenspan
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Li5G9ePY4

Since his departure from WWE last year, Alberto El Patron, the former Alberto Del Rio, has become one of the top acts on the independent scene. Unfortunately, he’s also one of the most controversial, having had at least a few high profile incidents where he no-showed bookings either without any notice or without insufficient notice. The latest issue was with Germany’s Westside Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) and Swiss Wrestling Entertainment (SWE).

WXW issued a statement in German explaining that they had booked the dates and the Economy Plus airline seats all the way back in December after a previous cancellation by Alberto. Six days out from the events, Alberto’s manager demanded the flight be changed to Business Class airfare from a different location in Mexico than originally arranged. This would have cost WXW a $7,000 premium. WXW offered to cancel the flight, have Alberto pay the cancellation fee, and allow him to rebook a flight himself where Alberto would use his frequent flyer miles to upgrade it over what WXW was covering. That was refused and the booking was cancelled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCGh0CJqGgM

Alberto, for his part, tweeted out an official statement that didn’t help his cause in some eyes because he referred to the non-business class airfare as “subhuman.” That’s als considering that WXW has an excellent reputation for how they treat the wrestlers (especially the fly-ins) and Alberto’s reputation has been less than sterling. Here’s the whole statement, transcription courtesy of my friend Keith Harris at Cageside Seats:

As you know, I hardly reply to comments against me in Social Media but this time my fans are affected.

WxwGermany tried to hire me under a third party under totally different agreements than I usually do. Obviously, I did not approve and we agreed on the normal terms. Terms that are always the same. Why do they want to be treated differently? Over a year of doing [the] Independent circuit and all the promoters have agreed to [the] same terms (fees, hotel & transport, and business class).

I am deeply thankful to them.

WxwGermany take the physical challenge and please tell me/fans what promoter has flown me coach and not Business. Inquiring minds want to know.
Why is it after they have sold tickets and just a couple [of] days away from [the] event they want to cling to old agreements? How is my manager to blame? Threats of screenshots and emails. Nowadays this is easy to falsify. Let’s be professional.

Speaking of professionalism; they also did NOT supply us with a tangible itinerary or concrete information. Where was I going to stay, where and when was I to travel and match info??? More importantly where is my Working Visa papers? Were they ever prepared?

I love this sport but let’s not be fooled. Flying in a small seat for 16 hours is not comfortable. I will not be bullied by promoters into working conditions I did not agree. Not all promoters are the same. I speak against those that treat us wrestlers like subhumans. I will never bow my head to this type of treatment, but you already knew that.

Thank you to my true fans in Switzerland and Germany.

Dignity and Respect

Alberto

Charlotte & Bram’s Divorce Almost Finalized

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WWE Divas Champion Charlotte’s divorce from (suspended) TNA star Bram is almost finalized and we’ve got some interesting details regarding their settlement agreement, courtesy of ProWrestlingSheet.com.

Both Charlotte and Bram agreed that money earned from their respective wrestling careers is ‘off limits’ from the other party. Additionally, Charlotte forfeited any rights to proceeds from Bram’s acting career:

Each party waves any right, title or interest in the wrestling career of the other party, including but not limited to, all entertainment, promotions, movies, advertising, etc. now and in the future. The Wife specifically waives all right title and interest in the known movies of the Husband, including but not limited to, “Best Buds”, “Blind Tag”, “Of Mice and Men, the Musical”, “The Adventures of William Strickland: Chick Magnet”, “Dragons of Camelot”, and “Crazy Lake”.

The settlement agreement also states Charlotte will be keeping the home they lived in, which she owned before they were married, as well as a 2013 Mini Cooper.  Bram will keep his 2000 Ford Mustang.

The former couple have another court date later this month to finalized the divorce.

Hulk Hogan: Media Was “Abusive” In Covering Racist Comments

David Bixenspan
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To promote his upcoming U.K. speaking gig, Hulk Hogan appeared on BBC Radio 5’s Sarah and Dan’s Extra Edition. Not surprisingly, he was asked about his leaked racist comments that were on on a sex tape shot without his permission. He’s changed his tune a little from the stock answer he  was using on his apology tour. Here’s what it said:

Why did I say it? I don’t know why I said it. Biggest mistake I’ve ever done. Biggest mistake I’ve ever made. It’s kind of like The Rock said, ‘Everybody talks smack once in a while.’ I was in a bad place, and it doesn’t even matter that it was said in private. I never should have said it, I feel horrible for it.

The WWE, what they did, that was just…they had to do what was best for their business. At the time, that was their choice.

Yeah[, it affected my career]. It’s been a crazy ride the last couple months because at first, everybody knee-jerk reacted and kind of went crazy, then went ‘Wait a minute, we know who this guy is!’ and they thought about it and realized what the situation was. That this one thing doesn’t define what we feel or what we think about Hulk Hogan. Then, a lot of the critics and the media who beat on me so hard, they actually got sympathy on me. People actually feel bad that the media’s been so abusive.

So it’s been a crazy couple months, but everybody out there knows who I am and I’m really good right now.

[..]

These people I hurt so bad, I apologize for. But I think that once it sank in, they went ‘He said this where? And it was in private? And it was eight years ago? And he apologized? I haven’t changed the way I feel about Hulk Hogan, he just made a huge mistake, and he’s very upset about it. I think the people had a chance to think through it, and like I said, they know who I am, so everything’s really good. [beat] If you wanna talk about wrestling, I’d love to keep talking with you.

After the interview was edited into the show, one of the hosts joked that it was “a legal minefield.”

More Notes On WWE Signing Josh Gad To Write Gorgeous George Movie

David Bixenspan
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLqq1EyWhPE

Earlier, Eric noted that late last night, Variety reported that WWE Studios (in conjunction with Great Point Media) has hired Josh Gad and writing partner Ryan Dixon to write a script for a biopic of WWE Hall f Famer Gorgeous George. Gad has written before, mostly for TV, but he’s best known for voicing Olaf in Frozen and currently co-starring with Billy Crystal in “The Comedians” on FX.

The Gorgeous George project has been floating around within WWE for several years. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in March of 2010 over WrestleMania weekend. A few weeks later in April, Deadline first reported that WWE Studios had optioned the 2008 book Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture. Written by John Capouya, it’s a heavily researched look into the life and career of George Wagner, the man behind the Gorgeous George gimmick. Much of it is sourced from his interviews with Wagner’s ex-wife Betty (who accepted his HOF induction), and it’s about as detailed as you could ever hope a book about wrestling from the early television era could be.

Before long, the project was turned into a documentary, with WWE even soliciting relevant home movies and memories from locals in the paper of record in Wagner’s old home town, the Houston Chronicle. Not long after that, Betty Wagner passed away, and it seemed as if the projected had been permanently shelved. That was the last anyone heard until last night. While projects with big name writers can still fall apart, this news definitely shows a renewed commitment on WWE’s part.

The Blue Meanie Talks Filming For WWE Network, 20th Anniversary Of The Blue World Order

Matt Boone
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Former ECW star The Blue Meanie (Brian Heffron) recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast to discuss his work with WWE Network, as well as the 20th anniversary of the Blue World Order (BWO). Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On approaching the twenty year anniversary of the BWO: “Me, Nova and Stevie were just talking about that at Chikara and were like “can you believe this”? It’s just insane. When I happened to wrestle JBL on Smackdown in 2005 we were sitting in JBL’s limo about to come out and Nova just quipped and said that it’s like thirteen years later and the BWO is still around and the nWo is not. It’s a little bit of a funny thing between the three of us but he had a good point.”

On how did the BWO get so over with the ECW fans: “Todd (Gordon) and Paul (Heyman) saw the crowd reactions and I think they just saw dollar signs and realized they could make t-shirts. The crowd just took to it. The ECW crowd is kind of like “A Night at the Apollo” where you go out there and the crowd could make you or they could kill you. If they don’t like you, you will know in about five seconds. I was fortunate that that rabid ECW crowd took to us and I think that is because we weren’t trying to be like everybody else on the card. Stevie is super talented, Nova is super talented and I did the comedy stuff and I think we all brought a different element onto the show, we were a little bit light hearted.”

On where does he draw the comedic elements from in the Blue Meanie: “My two loves growing up were wrestling and comedy. I loved Ricky Steamboat and I loved George Carlin. A lot of my facial mannerisms are an inspiration from George Carlin when he would overly sell a face.”

On filming the infamous “Christmas in Times Square” vignette: “There’s this video going around where this guy made a hip hop video on like a $396 budget or something like that and they are showing how he put it all together and I’m thinking, I did that in ECW. In the movie business they call it “run and gun” where you go and film and leave to get around permits. The Santa Claus wasn’t a wrestler, he was just a street performer. We walked around all day just filming stuff and saying what should we do and this guy taps us on the shoulder wearing a Santa suit with a Spanish accent and said that he wanted to be on TV and the funny thing is about that Stevie-kick. That was second one he gave him. He did the “Nestea-plunge” on the concrete and we were selling it like is he getting up?”

On being a part of recent WWE Network projects and ECW DVD releases: “I knew WWE was coming to town for Smackdown in October 2014 and I hadn’t been backstage in about ten years and I’ve got friends that still work there and I did the right thing and I got permission to stop by and I saw JBL. Even though we had our beef back in the day we are cool now and he included me on his web show. After, I was talking to a producer and said you guys have the network and you have these countdown shows so if you need somebody to talk about ECW, so I gave him my card. They called me the next afternoon and said they were doing an ECW DVD and it created another opportunity.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

WWE To Make Changes To New Owen Hart DVD?, Update On New U.S. Title DVD

Matt Boone
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As noted, WWE may be releasing a two-disc DVD and three-disc Blu-ray set on the United States Title in 2016.

According to WrestlingDVDNews.com, WWE’s “Best of the United States Championship” is the working title for the project and it has been reported that it may be swapped out with another DVD as release time gets closer. Details will be made available as they come in.

Reports have also surfaced that claim WWE’s “Owen: Hart of Gold” artwork for both the DVD and Blu-ray on Owen Hart could possibly be changing before the scheduled release on December 8, 2015. Other changes have yet to be specified, but will be posted as they are confirmed. The current artwork for the Owen Hart DVD and Blu-ray can be viewed below:

https://twitter.com/MoviesTVAzUS/status/652928011365281792

WWE Announces Tribute To The Troops Taping For 12/8 In Jacksonville, FL

Matt Boone
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WWE announced their official plans for this year’s Tribute To The Troops special, which will be taped on Tuesday, December 8th at Florida’s Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena for military personnel and their families. Here is the official announcement:

WWE Tribute to the Troops comes to Jacksonville

WWE announced that the 13th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Florida’s Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena for military personnel and their families stationed at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Naval Station Mayport and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. Tribute to the Troops will air on USA Network on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 8 p.m. ET.

In the tradition of Bob Hope, WWE brings together the best of sports entertainment and pop culture with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts for our servicemen and women, to honor their commitment and dedication to our country. Tribute to the Troops has become a holiday tradition and is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year.

While in Jacksonville, WWE Superstars and Divas will spend time giving back to those who serve and their families with Be a STAR anti-bullying rallies, hospital visits and military outreach at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Naval Station Mayport and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said, “We can never thank our veterans and military members enough for their brave service to our nation. It is important to frequently honor our American heroes for the sacrifices they have made to keep our families safe. Florida remains the most military friendly state in the nation and we are proud to host this year’s Tribute to the Troops celebration.”

“WWE has gone above and beyond the call of duty in supporting the men and women of the U.S. Navy,” said Rear Adm. Mary Jackson, Commander, Navy Region Southeast. “We are very fortunate to have the upcoming Tribute to the Troops right here in Jacksonville, home to more than 22,000 Sailors and their families. I am hearing lots of excitement and energy about this event! This is also a special time for us to say thank you to WWE!”

“It is a privilege for WWE to entertain our military as a way to thank them for their commitment and sacrifice for our country,” said WWE Chairman & CEO, Vince McMahon. “Everyone at WWE looks forward to this annual celebration, and we are proud to partner with the U.S. Navy and Governor Rick Scott to put smiles on the faces of the servicemen and women and their families.”

Hogan Speaks On His Expendables 4 Role: There Should Be Less Young Actors

Eric Lynch
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Variety reports that The Expendables 4 will film next year, be released in 2017, and feature none other than Hulk Hogan.

Despite Hogan admitting that he thinks his acting career “sucked,” he has some input for the upcoming action flick: Less young actors.

“There is one hope I have for the fourth film, it is that they stop populating these movies with young actors,” Hulk told Sports Illustrated. “Like Kellan Lutz or Liam Hemsworth. Nothing against them, but aren’t Stallone, Arnold, Statham, and the more seasoned actors worth the price of admission alone? They are the draw of this series, not the young kids they try to bring in!”

Hogan previously commented on reports of his involvement in the movie at a Q & A session in England back in May of 2015:

“Was talking on the phone with Sly [Stallone] about doing The Expendables 4. We’re trying to figure out a way to maybe turn me into the most evil man in the world. Y’know, Stallone gave me my first break and he’s been a great friend for all these years … We had a great conversation, talking about the possibilities. Can I still run, can I still jump? Well, not as fast or not as high, but I think Hollywood could find a good stunt man to help me out.”

How much screen-time Hogan will actually get is unclear, but his pre-existing relationship with Sly bodes well for his chances of landing a good role in the film. Stallone has previously brought in former co-stars Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Wesley Snipes (Demolition Man) and Antonio Banderas (Assassins) to play key characters the franchise’s past films. The Hulkster and Stallone shared the screen in Rocky III back in 1982.

Related: Hogan On WWE Status: It’s So Sad That I’ve Been Taken Out of the Hall of Fame

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