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Update On NXT Stars In The Royal Rumble Match, Xavier Woods Injury News

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– WWE is considering the idea of having one or two NXT stars participate in Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match.

WWE surveyed fans asking which NXT stars they would most like to see in the Rumble, with the options being — Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami, Finn Balor, Kalisto, Tyler Breeze, Bull Dempsey and Enzo Amore.

– Xavier Woods has been out of action at recent WWE live events due to an injury. The New Day member was wearing a walking boot on Monday’s RAW and noted that his ankle is currently “out of commission.” Regardless, Woods is still advertised to wrestle in the six-man tag-team match against Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Adam Rose this Sunday night.

Total Divas Viewership For Sunday, Pete Rose/Wrestling Appearance, Ric Flair

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– WWE Hall Of Famer and baseball legend Pete Rose will be making his first wrestling convention appearance at The Big Event in Queens, New York on March 7th.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair is scheduled to appear at the Syracuse Crunch hockey game on February 7th in Syracuse, New York.

– This past Sunday’s edition of WWE Total Divas drew 1.253 million viewers, which was down from the previous week’s show, which averaged 1.295 million viewers.

Philadelphia Still Wants WrestleMania, Orton Advertised For Next Week’s SmackDown, More

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– The advertised dark match main event for next week’s WWE SmackDown television taping, which takes place in Boston, is John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Kane, Seth Rollins, Big Show and Bray Wyatt.

– WWE returns to Austin, Texas, which was the site of this past Tuesday night’s SmackDown taping, on April 6th for a live RAW show. The pre-sale code for tickets to the event is WWEAUSTIN.

Philly.com is reporting that the city of Philadelphia is still interested in hosting a future WrestleMania event. Philadelphia was unable to make a bid for WrestleMania 31 or WrestleMania 32 due to scheduling conflicts with local venues, but claims they will be bidding on future events.

Jim Ross Interviews Former WWE Diva, Top 10 Moments From RAW Reunion (Video)

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– Below is this week’s “Top 10 Moments” video for Monday’s RAW Reunion show.

– Former WWE Diva Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) is the guest on the latest edition of Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

TRR – Ep49 – Lisa Marie Varon aka Victoria

“Former WWE diva Victoria aka Lisa Marie Varon joins JR to talk about Chynna, her intro to pro-wrestling, learning the craft in Memphis, Survivor Series 2002, Wrestlemania 20, and being in the first Divas cage match on RAW. She also recounts her days at TNA, her troubled relationship with Dixie Carter, and shares her opinion on up & coming WWE stars Paige, AJ Lee, and Ric Flair’s daughter, Charlotte! Plus, hear about her Chicago restaurant “The Squared Circle,” and why she still considers herself “high maintenence” to this day!”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

Full Content Listing For WWE’s “The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories & Rare Matches From Y2J”

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Below is the official content listing for WWE’s new “The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches from Y2J” DVD and Blu-ray, which is scheduled for a March 10th release.

DISC 1:

I Don’t Take Time Off

A Big Title To Win

ECW World Television Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Pit Bull #2
ECW Hardcore Heaven • June 22, 1996

Wrestle & Romance

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Ultimo Dragon
WCW Bash at the Beach • July 13, 1997

The Chains Came Off

WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Dean Malenko
WCW Uncensored • March 15, 1998

A Really Tough Transition

Steel Cage Match
Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac
No Mercy • October 22, 2000

Scalding Hot Water from the Coffee Machine

Last Man Standing Match
Chris Jericho vs. Kane
Armageddon • December 10, 2000

Things Go By So Fast

WWE Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Special Outside Referee: Mick Foley
RAW • June 4, 2001

DiCaprio

WCW Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Booker T
RAW • July 16, 2001

DISC 2:

A Refugee Camp

WCW Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle
Rebellion • November 3, 2001

A Dastardly Finish

WWE Undisputed Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. The Rock
Royal Rumble • January 20, 2002

The George Harrison of WWE

Winner Faces Hulk Hogan for the Undisputed Championship
Chris Jericho vs. Triple H
SmackDown • April 25, 2002

The X-Factor

Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy
RAW • February 10, 2003

Injury-Prone

Chris Jericho vs. Edge
RAW • March 7, 2005

Because It Was There

Last Man Standing Match
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
RAW • November 10, 2008

DISC 3:

Dark Matches

Street Fight for the World Heavyweight Championship (Dark Match)
Chris Jericho vs. John Cena
Manchester, NH • December 29, 2008

That’s What Bullies Do

Mask vs. Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio
The Bash • June 28, 2009

This Is Where You Can Live Forever

Triple Threat Tag Team Match
Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. John Cena & The Undertaker vs. D-Generation X
RAW • November 16, 2009

Wardrobe Malfunction & Crowd Participation

Chicago Street Fight for the WWE Championship
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
Extreme Rules • April 29, 2012

I’m Your Guy

Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam
RAW • July 15, 2013

Something I Can Sink My Teeth Into

Steel Cage Match
Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt
RAW • September 8, 2014

Stairway to Heaven

Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
Night of Champions • September 21, 2014

Great Opponents; Great Moments

BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES:

Landing Butt-First

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho vs. Christian
Unforgiven • September 12, 2004

Band Collage

Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio
RAW • June 15, 2009

Pushed Out of the Nest

Chris Jericho vs. Evan Bourne
Fatal 4-Way • June 20, 2010

The Ultimate Violation

Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
Payback • June 16, 2013

RAW Reunion Attendance, Photos Of Dallas Cowboys At The Show, More

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Monday’s RAW Reunion show, which was held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, was a legitimate sellout, with announced attendance of 15,519 fans.

WWE will return to the arena in Dallas on Tuesday, April 7th for a SmackDown television taping. The pre-sale code for tickets to the event is DALLAS.

Speaking of RAW Reunion, below is a photo of several of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in attendance at the show this past Monday night.

Daniel Bryan Reveals His 15 Greatest Matches, Brock Lesnar On “Five Things” (Video)

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– Brock Lesnar is featured on this week’s WWE “Five Things” video, which you can check out below.

– The official WWE website has a new article up on Daniel Bryan where he reveals his 15 greatest matches of all-time. The list reads as follows:

15. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan — WWE Championship Match (SummerSlam 2013)
14. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton — WWE App Vote Street Fight (Raw; June 24, 2013)
13. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan — WWE Championship Match (Over the Limit 2012)
12. Daniel Bryan vs. Takeshi Morishima — Fight Without Honor (Ring of Honor Final Battle 2008)
11. Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins – WWE App Vote Match (Raw; June 10, 2013)
10. Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro (Raw, July 22, 2013)
9. Daniel Bryan vs. Nigel McGuinness (Ring of Honor Unified 2006)
8. Daniel Bryan vs. KENTA (Ring of Honor Glory By Honor 2006)
7. Daniel Bryan vs. William Regal (‘WWE Superstars’, November 11, 2011)
6. Team Hell No & Ryback vs. The Shield — Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match (WWE TLC 2012)
5. Team Hell No & The Undertaker vs. The Shield (Raw, April 22, 2013)
4. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan — 2-out-of-3 Falls World Heavyweight Championship Match (Extreme Rules 2012)
3. Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 30)
2. Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista — Triple Threat WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match (WrestleMania 30)
1. Robbie Brookside vs. Daniel Bryan — EWP Intercontinental Championship Match (EWP Gilde Wrestling Festival 2003 — Tag 3)

NXT Preview, What Happened After SmackDown Tapings, Austin Video

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– Tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network will feature the start of a tournament to crown a new #1 contender for Sami Zayn’s NXT Championship. The tournament finals will take place at the next NXT TakeOver live special on February 11th. Here’s a preview:

  • Finn Balor vs. Curtis Axel in a first round tournament match
  • Hideo Itami vs. Tyler Breeze in a first round tournament match
  • Wesley Blake and Buddy Murphy vs. The Vaudevillians in a #1 contenders match
  • NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks in a non-title match

*Spoilers* NXT TakeOver Main Event & Tournament Winner Revealed

– The dark main event that took place after Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Austin, Texas saw Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose defeat Kane, Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt.

– Steve Austin appeared on The Rich Eisen Show this week to discuss college football, Peyton Manning, wrestling finishing moves and more:

Segment Announced For Rumble Pre-Show, Notes On Royal Rumble Coverage On WWE Network

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Although WWE initially announced a 30-minute Royal Rumble Kickoff Show for this Sunday night, the WWE Network is currently advertising a one-hour pre-show.

Speaking of the pre-show, Booker T mentioned on social media that he will conduct a special interview with Shawn Michaels this Sunday before the pay-per-view begins. Also set for the Kickoff Show, as announced on RAW on Monday, is a six-man elimination tag-team match with The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Adam Rose.

Finally, the WWE Network is advertising a 15-minute Royal Rumble Fallout post-show, which is listed as beginning at 10:45pm EST. on Sunday. As is the case with most pay-per-views, the Fallout post-show will likely be dropped if the pay-per-view itself runs long.

Spoilers – Updated Card For The Royal Rumble (New Entrants)

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At last night’s WWE SmackDown tapings, 4 more wrestlers were added to Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match. Dolph Ziggler and Ryback won matches at SmackDown to earn their spots in the Rumble. Erick Rowan lost a match to Luke Harper and as a result, will not be a participant. WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos were also announced, bringing the total number of confirmed participants to 20.

Here’s an updated preview for Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship:
– Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins

Divas Tag Team Match:
– Paige & Natalya vs. The Bella Twins

– The New Age Outlaws vs. The Ascension

6-Man Tag Match:
– The New Day vs. Cesaro, Tyson Kidd & Adam Rose

30-Man Royal Rumble Match

  • Roman Reigns
  • Daniel Bryan
  • Dean Ambrose
  • Bray Wyatt
  • Bad News Barrett
  • Dolph Ziggler
  • Ryback
  • Big Show
  • Kane
  • Jimmy Uso
  • Jey Uso
  • R-Truth
  • Damien Sandow
  • The Miz
  • Fernando
  • Diego
  • Justin Gabriel
  • Goldust
  • Stardust
  • Rusev

TNA Impact Wrestling Viewership Increases For First Friday Airing On Destination America

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The Friday, January 16th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling averaged 387,000 viewers on Destination America.

This was the first week Impact aired in its new Friday night time slot.

Friday’s Impact Wrestling marked an increase of 28,000 viewers from the previous week, as last week’s show, which aired live on Wednesday night, January 7th, averaged 359,000 viewers.

WWE Responds To Class Action “Concussion” Lawsuit

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WWE has issued a statement in response to the class-action “concussion lawsuit” filed by former wrestlers Vito Lograsso and Even Singleton (Adam Mercer in developmental).

For more information on the lawsuit and what they are alleging, check out our initial report.

WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt issued the following statement in response to the lawsuit:

“This lawsuit is virtually identical to one filed by the same lawyers in Oregon, neither of which have any merit. WWE has never concealed any medical information related to concussions, or otherwise, from our Talent. WWE was well ahead of sports organizations in implementing concussion management procedures and policies as a precautionary measure as the science and research on this issue emerged. We will vigorously contest this lawsuit.”

Jim Ross Blog: Austin/Taker Returning For WM32?, Lesnar/Heyman Thoughts & More

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The following are highlights of the latest Jim Ross blog:

On Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman: “Brock Lesnar had a helluva night and looked like the big time investment that he is. Whether Brock stays with WWE past WM31 is still up in the air but it certainly adds to the overall mystique to the presentation of which I like. Very curious as to what role Paul Heyman will play in Sunday’s big event in Philly. @HeymanHustle won’t disappoint.”

On WrestleMania 32 and the possibility of Steve Austin and Undertaker returning: “Enjoyed spending some quality time this past weekend with Steve Austin in Los Angeles. He is looking great and would be a perfect fit, in my opinion, to return to the ring in Dallas next year for WM32. Perhaps I should say in Arlington, Texas as the Dallas Cowboys actually play their games in Arlington. I could see WWE adding a major Undertaker match to this potential record breaker of an event that is if Taker would be physicality good to go in 2016. As I outlined on one of my Ross Reports several months ago this booking is huge for WWE and AT&T Stadium could easily fit 100,000+ for WM32 if the card is what the fans want to see which is always any promoter’s goal. I love this building and saw the first ever college football game ever played there plus the Packers vs. Steelers Super Bowl game there. It’s a palace.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

New Royal Rumble Participants, WWE Stock Hits 52-Week Low & More

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– WWE has announced R-Truth, The Miz and Damien Sandow will be participants in Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble match. There are still over 10 spots open.

– WWE stock hit a 52-week low on Tuesday, bottoming out at at $9.82 before closing at $10.05 (down 2.43% for the day). Several fans joked on social media that the price of 1 share of WWE Stock was lower than the $9.99 WWE Network monthly subscription cost.

Investment website SeekingAlpha.com wrote this morning that WWE stock could be at risk of a dividend cut, which could have been a factor in today’s drop.

– Darren Young, Naomi and Sin Cara hosted an anti-bullying rally at Burnet Middle School in Austin, Texas earlier today.

WWE Tough Enough Casting Is Underway

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The following casting call was sent out earlier this week for the upcoming season of WWE Tough Enough on the USA Network.

No word yet on who the coaches will be.

WWE and the USA Network are bringing back the hit reality competition show Tough Enough! One competitor will earn a WWE contract and be the next WWE Superstar!!!

If you believe you have what it takes to not only earn the contract, but excel in World Wrestling Entertainment… Apply now.

Casting Producers are searching the world to find extraordinary men and women to be the next WWE Superstar with the following qualities:

  • CHARISMA
  • PERSONALITY
  • ATHLETICISM
  • AGILITY
  • STAMINA
  • STRENGTH
  • And an INTENSE DESIRE to be the next WWE SUPERSTAR!

Show Information:

WWE Tough Enough, is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and MTV wherein participants underwent professional wrestling training and competed for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV. A fourth competition was held in 2004, with only a single winner, but was integrated into UPN’s SmackDown!. In October 2010, it was announced that The USA Network will be reviving Tough Enough for a fifth season. It will be paired with WWE Raw. No premiere date scheduled.

Backstage Update On Jerry Lawler Moving To SmackDown, Lawler Comments

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While some claim the move of Jerry Lawler from the RAW announce team to the SmackDown announce team is one done by design to begin the process of slowly phasing “The King” off of his television role, other sources have a different take.

According to one report, one of the reasons Lawler was moved was to help boost the profile of SmackDown, with the idea that Lawler moving from RAW to SmackDown helps boost the credibility of the show, giving it its’ own “A-level announce team.”

Speaking of the move, Lawler tweeted out the following about his first week on the job.

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

Steve Austin Interviews DDP, Video Of The WrestleMania 32 Announcement

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– Diamond Dallas Page is the guest on the latest edition of Steve Austin’s podcast. The official description for the show reads as follows:

SASc – EP187 – Diamond Dallas Page

“Diamond Dallas Page sits down with his close, personal friend Steve Austin. DDP’s taking his “Resurrection of Jake The Snake” documentary to the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah! He’s talking about the finished doc, the new DDP Yoga performance center in Atlanta, Georgia, the new videos he’s shooting… and he’s telling some pretty fantastic wrestling stories – getting ribbed by Mick Foley, what Dusty Rhodes did for his career, and the promo he cut by phone to land a gig!”

You can download the show right now at PodcastOne.com.

– As noted earlier today, WWE announced that WrestleMania 32 will be taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, April 3, 2016. Below is a video of the announcement from the company’s official YouTube channel.

Cool Photo Of The Kliq At RAW Reunion, Triple H To Voice The Incredible Hulk

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– Triple H will be voicing The Incredible Hulk in the new Marvel Experience tour. He and Stephanie McMahon visited the Marvel Experience in Dallas, Texas prior to Monday’s RAW Reunion show. For more information on the Marvel Experience traveling attraction, visit TheMarvelExperience.com.

– Speaking of Triple H, below is a cool photo from prior to Monday’s RAW Reunion show that features all five members of the infamous “Kliq” hanging out in the ring. Pictured in the ring are the original nWo Wolfpac members — Sean Waltman, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, while the original D-X members — Shawn Michaels and Triple H, are pictured standing outside the ring.

WWE WrestleMania 32 Press Release, Vince McMahon Comments

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ARLINGTON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Arlington Mayor Robert N. Cluck, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the City of Arlington, the City of Dallas, The Dallas Cowboys, the Stadium Events Organizing Committee and WWE® are proud to announce that AT&T Stadium will host WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania 32, on Sunday April 3, 2016.

“We look forward to making history at WrestleMania, while adding AT&T Stadium to the list of iconic venues that have hosted our annual pop-culture extravaganza.”

Photos from WWE’s WrestleMania 32 Announcement

The historic announcement was made at a press conference held at AT&T Stadium. Mayor Cluck, Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson and three-time Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Ed “Too Tall” Jones joined WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events John P. Saboor in making the announcement. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan™, WWE Superstars John Cena®, Big Show®, Mark Henry®, WWE Divas Brie Bella™, Nikki Bella™, Natalya™ and Alicia Fox™ also made special guest appearances at the event.

“On behalf of the city of Arlington, we thank WWE for choosing AT&T Stadium to host their biggest event of 2016,” said Arlington Mayor Robert N. Cluck, M.D. “We look forward to fans from around the world converging on our beautiful city for WrestleMania Week.”

“The city of Dallas is proud to team with Arlington to bring WrestleMania 32 to AT&T Stadium,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “The week-long series of events will provide an economic boost to our region, while giving visitors a chance to experience all the great things Dallas has to offer.”

“On behalf of the entire Dallas Cowboys organization, we’re excited to welcome WrestleMania 32 and fans from around the globe to AT&T Stadium,” said Charlotte Jones Anderson, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of the Dallas Cowboys. “An iconic entertainment extravaganza like WrestleMania and its fans deserve a world-class venue like AT&T Stadium that will redefine the WrestleMania experience and set a new precedent for future events.”

“WWE thanks the city of Arlington, city of Dallas and the Dallas Cowboys for their tireless efforts to bring WrestleMania to AT&T Stadium,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We look forward to making history at WrestleMania, while adding AT&T Stadium to the list of iconic venues that have hosted our annual pop-culture extravaganza.”

WrestleMania is more than just a one-day event; it’s a week-long celebration that will stretch throughout the Dallas/Arlington region. In addition to WrestleMania 32, other activities will include: WrestleMania Axxess – WWE’s four-day interactive fan festival at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas; the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at American Airlines Center; Monday Night Raw® at American Airlines Center; Be a STAR™ anti-bullying rallies; hospital visits and other community outreach initiatives designed to give back to the host community. The event will be broadcast live on WWE Network and pay-per-view in more than 170 countries. Last year, WrestleMania 30 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome generated more than $142 million in economic impact for the New Orleans region. This year, WrestleMania 31 takes place Sunday, March 29 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

VIDEO: New Age Outlaws Talk About The Ascension, Cena On “Fired” WWE Stars

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Below are this week’s “RAW Fallout” videos. The first video shows The Authority, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, storming out of the arena after Sting showed up and helped John Cena win the main event, which allowed Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan to get their jobs back.

In the second video, the New Age Outlaws talk about The Ascension, who they will meet in the ring at this Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

And finally, here’s the third RAW Fallout video, which features Cena gloating about his friends getting their jobs back.

Photos: WWE WrestleMania 32 Announcement

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On Tuesday morning, WWE held a press conference to announce that WrestleMania 32  is coming to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016. Check out these photos from the event:

 

Latest On Randy Orton’s Status, AJ Lee’s Return, Backstage RAW Note

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– WWE has pulled Randy Orton from the advertisements for the live events this coming weekend, however he is still listed, including in new ads, for the 30-man Royal Rumble match on Sunday in Philadelphia, as well as next week’s RAW in Hartford and SmackDown in Boston.

– WWE Diva AJ Lee was backstage at the RAW Reunion show in Dallas on Monday, despite not being used on the show. It’s been reported for a while that AJ will make her return at the live events this coming weekend in her home state of New Jersey.

Update On Zeb Colter’s WWE Status, Shawn Michaels’ New Book

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– WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels has a new autobiography coming out on February 10th called “Wrestling For My Life.” HBK will be doing several book signings, including in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and other states. For more information, visit his official Facebook page.

– Zeb Colter, who has been off of WWE television dealing with an injury, recently posted the following update on his status on social media.

Spoiler: Backstage News From Monday’s RAW And Tonight’s SmackDown Taping

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WWE Superstars Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan were all backstage at the WWE RAW Reunion show on Monday night in Dallas, Texas.

None of the four stars were used on television, but are expected to be at tonight’s WWE SmackDown television taping in Austin, Texas.

Since Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan won their jobs back on RAW, it’s believed that they’ll make their official return and be used on tonight’s taping.

As far as Sheamus goes, he has been out with an injury, however he cut a promo that didn’t air on the television show, so his return is imminent as well.

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Goldberg Talks About Brock Lesnar/UFC Rumors, CM Punk Switching To MMA

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The following are highlights of a new Submission Radio interview with Bill Goldberg:

On if he believes Brock Lesnar would go back to the UFC and have another successful run: “I think so. I think if Brock….you know I haven’t trained with Brock. I don’t know exactly what he does, but if I were him I’d spend 75 percent of my time on stand up. I believe that if he does it properly he can go back and dominate, but if he doesn’t do it properly he’ll go back and the same thing will happen, you know [as] towards the end of his tenure. It’s all about growing. It’s all about being able to look at yourself in the mirror and look at your deficiencies, and be man enough, and be egoless to go out and put yourself in negative situations in training so that you could learn.”

On Jon Jones drug situation and thoughts on how the UFC handled it: “When I saw Dana White’s comment about “this is the best thing that could have happened” you know I was appalled. But once you sit back and think about it, for Jon Jones the person this is the best thing that could have happened. Do I like Jon Jones as a fighter? Was I cheering for Jon Jones against Cormier? No. Do I appreciate his ability? Do I think he is pound for pound the narliest MMA fighter on the planet? Absolutely. Can I appreiace the fact that he’s made it to that level by training his ass off, and being unique, and being innovate? Absolutely. Do I like him as a person on a post-fight interview? Absolutely not. Do I like the eye pokes and do I like the knee kicks? Absolutely not. I think that’s cheap.

I think he can be a much better fighter, and be a much better champion, and be a much better example for people to follow, if he sat back and just understood that some of things that he says and some of the things that he does need to be tweaked a little bit. And hey, I don’t know Jon, but I love him to death because he’s a guy that worked his ass off to make it to the top of his field. As a human being I want the best for Jon Jones. UFC on the other hand, what they did with this situation; until I get 100 percent of the information straight in front of me so I could look at it, I think passing judgement not really knowing everything, I think they dropped the ball. Because they’ve been fighting for what, 20 years to try and get a positive impression from everyone? From trying to get into New York state, from trying to get into these states that John McCain kept them out of years and years ago.

I think it would be in their interest to do the right thing. And you know the definition from the committee about in-season testing and what ‘in-season’ means is absolutely appalling. It’s ridiculous and it’s a technicality, and it’s something that if they would have pulled Jones from the fight, god knows how many millions of dollars they would have lost, and they would have had to refund. I can’t tell you how long it’s been that I have been wanting for a fight to happen such as Cormier and Jones. You know [Robbie] Lawler and [Johny] Hendricks I definitely wanted to see that one, but there’s other fights that you want to see. But if they would have taken that one off the plate then that was a huge loss for them in a lot of ways. So I understand from a business stand point why nothing was done, but it doesn’t look real good from the outside looking in. So I think something has to be done. I know Jon Jones is going to come back bigger and better, and look at it from a wrestling stand point; a lot of people though he was a dick beforehand, though he was a great fighter.

I made the analogy yesterday; it’s like I’m a car guy, I love muscle cars. And if I see a low-rider going down the street, and it’s perfect, immaculate, I’m gonna appreciate it, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. So I have a lot of respect for him, but I don’t like some of the things that he says and some of it, he’s like a little baby sometimes, you know? That’s not the way a champion is. And 90 percent of the time he’s a great champion, but there’s just some things that I’m not in favour of. But hey, it makes him look like a heel, and you need a heel. And does it show a character turn, and is this the thing that puts everyone back in his corner, and even the people that didn’t like him before put in his corner? Hey, absolutely. But at the end of the day none of that matters. We’re talking about one human being and their struggle with drugs, and I hope nothing but the best for Jon Jones.”

On if he would consider displaying his skills in at least an exhibition or amateur fight? “Abso-damn-lutely. That is in the back of my mind and it has been for the past couple of months, and you know, hey I’m 48 years old. The reality is that it’s not like I didn’t retire from the NFL because of injuries. So my body is torn to shreds, but I continue to have the desire to compete. I talked to Royce Gracie this morning, same thing with him. You know warriors never die, they just get older. And you know things change a bit, but you know the spirit never dies. Therefore every day I look for some type of physical test, and you know whether it’s putting myself against myself, which is my own worst critic and no question my biggest advisory.

You know if I can please myself, then I can guarantee you that I could go out there and have some fun with people. You know Rampage [Jackson] and I were supposed to train earlier in the week. He unfortunately has the flu. We’ve got a number of guys at the gym that like to trade punches. That’s a lot of fun. And we got a big autograph session at Magic City Comicon in Miami coming up this weekend, and I did an interview yesterday the Miami State and put it out there that I want to train some Muay Thai. American Top Team through an invitation out, you know a number of other people did. Hey man, I don’t have an ego. I’ve done more in my life than 90 percent of the people could ever imagine doing. And so I don’t have an issue.

Go on YouTube right now and have a look at the video that I posted of Jimmy Pedro the US Olympic Judo coach tossing me around like a doll. Well Jimmy weighs about 180 pounds, and if I had an ego and if I was worried about what people think, I wouldn’t put that online. But I thought it would be great, and I thought it would be killer to be able to feel that from a professional. From one of the best in the world. I have no problem training with anybody and getting beaten by anybody, because anytime you’re getting beaten in a brawl; you know the good ones are the ones who prosper from that, and they learn, and they get bigger, and they get better, and they grow in the knowledge department.”