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WWE Bringing Back Old PPV Name?, Hulk Hogan Comments On Inducting Randy Savage

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– WWE recently applied for a trademark for the term “Bragging Rights.” Fans of WWE may remember that the company held a pay-per-view event called “WWE Bragging Rights” in 2009 and 2010, which some consider a possible sign that they are bringing back the pay-per-view name.

– WWE legend Hulk Hogan posted the following on his official Twitter account regarding being selected as the person to induct “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the WWE Hall Of Fame during WrestleMania 31 weekend this year.

Backstage Update On Cesaro & Tyson Kidd’s Tag-Team, Both Working Hard Together

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As noted recently, the new WWE tag-team of Cesaro and Tyson Kidd have been working together on some new double-team moves at the non-televised weekend live events.

The double-team powerbomb-blockbuster finisher that they’ve been using, including at last week’s RAW where they attacked Big E. and The New Day during the match with Adam Rose where they were unveiled to be two masked members of “The Rosebuds,” is now being called “The F(act) Bomb.”

In addition to trying things out at the live events, Cesaro and Kidd have been spending time at the WWE Performance Center working on coming up with a series of new double-team moves, a sign many consider to be one that shows the two are taking their new tag-team seriously.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

News On WWE Network Success In Canada, Recent WWE Attendance Figures

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– The WWE Network deal that Rogers finalized with Bell Canada officially starts on January 15th, and is expected to increase subscriptions for the digital service as Bell customers have reportedly requested the WWE Network in droves.

In a related note, the Rogers launch of the WWE Network has been viewed as a success thus far, and by all accounts, the Bell launch will likely be as well.

– Below are some WWE attendance figures from this month:

January 9th in Chattanooga, TN drew 4,600 fans
January 10th in Montgomery, AL drew 5,300 fans
January 10th in Sacramento, CA drew 6,000 fans
January 10th in Fort Pierce, FL for NXT drew 500 fans
January 11th in Mobile, AL drew 2,500 fans
January 11th in Shreveport, LA drew 4,000 fans
January 12th in New Orleans, LA for RAW drew 9,500 fans

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Forced To Change Their Original Plan For AJ Lee’s Return

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While WWE Diva AJ Lee is advertised to return at the WWE live events during Royal Rumble weekend later this month, there was initially a plan to bring her back at the first edition of WWE RAW of 2015.

WWE was hoping to bring Lee back during the first RAW of the year as a surprise return on January 5th, however due to her neck injury, she was unable to make the appearance.

Last weekend, AJ updated fans on why she’s been off WWE television since dropping the Divas Championship Nikki Bella at TLC last month, denying she’s pregnant:

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Identity Of The Ascension’s Opponents, The Rosebuds & Dean Ambrose’s Doctor From RAW

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As noted, independent pro wrestler Mike Dell was the performer used as the “psychiatrist” for Dean Ambrose on this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Dell is a Louisiana independent wrestler who often works for Luke Hawx’s “WildKat” promotion.

Several other talents from the local indy promotion were featured on RAW as well, as WildKat wrestlers Spade, Wild Card J, Curt Matthews and Purple Haze were used as part of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” on RAW.

Finally, the two “local wrestlers” who The Ascension squashed on RAW this past Monday night were Socoro and Bu Ku Dao, two more performers from the WildKat promotion.

It’s worth noting that Bu Ku Dao was under a developmental deal with WWE last year, but was ultimately cut from the roster. He was the member of the tag-team against The Ascension that took the bigger bumps on RAW this week.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE RAW Rating: Daniel Bryan’s Return & Randy Savage/HOF Announcement Help Numbers

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The Monday, January 12th edition of WWE RAW scored a final cable rating of 2.71, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 2.71 final draw marks a decrease compared to last week’s show, which delivered a 2.8 final number.

With the stiff competition this week from college football (which drew 33.25 million viewers on ESPN), the number is considered a positive, and one that many are attributing to the return of Daniel Bryan and the heavily promoted announcement of “Macho Man” Randy Savage being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

The hourly breakdown in terms of viewership for this past Monday’s RAW is as follows:

Hour One: 4.10 million viewers
Hour Two: 3.90 million viewers
Hour Three: 3.72 million viewers

Plans Back On For John Cena vs. Rusev At WrestleMania 31?, News On WWE’s MSG Return

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It was reported a while back that WWE officials were contemplating doing a John Cena vs. Rusev feud for WrestleMania 31. The idea at that time was to have Rusev cost Cena his chance at recapturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

As of right now, WWE is advertising a tag-team main event of John Cena and Randy Orton vs. Rusev and Seth Rollins for the live event in Madison Square Garden on February 27th. Some view this as a possible sign that WWE is going forward with their original plans for Cena vs. Rusev at WrestleMania.

Thus far, there has been no interaction between Cena and Rusev that would indicate that match being booked. Some are of the opinion that Cena and Rusev is simply a live event program for WrestleMania season, possibly because Brock Lesnar doesn’t work non-televised events.

In related news, other matches advertised for the aforementioned 2/27 live event at MSG include Daniel Bryan vs. Kane, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro and an appearance by Chris Jericho.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE To Fight Against WrestleMania Weekend Competition, Note On WM31 Opening Time

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WWE is planning on opening the doors for WrestleMania 31 at Levi’s Stadium as early as 1:30pm local time. One of the main reasons for this is because WWE is looking to combat the other independent wrestling events in the afternoon in the area.

In related news, WWE is looking to secure venues in Dallas, Texas in 2016 for WrestleMania 32, once again as a way to prevent outside promotions from attempting to piggy-back on the WrestleMania hype in the area.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Latest News On Plans For Additional Matches At This Year’s WWE Royal Rumble PPV

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As things stand right now, aside from the 30-man over-the-top Royal Rumble match itself, there are only two matches that have been officially announced for the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, those being Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow for the WWE Tag-Team Championship.

It appears that Nikki Bella vs. Natalya for the WWE Divas Championship will be added, and with the Rumble match itself being such a lengthy match, and one with so many competitors involved, there’s a good possibility that only one or two additional matches will end up being added to the card.

Matches such as Roman Reigns vs. Big Show and Ryback vs. Rusev were being pushed, however three of those four are announced as Rumble participants, and nothing can be officially booked for Ryback until WWE wraps up the “firing” angle from last week’s RAW.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

IZOD Center Likely Shutting Down This Month, SummerSlam Changing Venues

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The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey is expected to shut down later this month, according to a report at NorthJersey.com. The venue was scheduled to host SummerSlam 2015.

An official from Governor Christie’s administration said all events scheduled for February and March will be moving to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. All events beyond March 31st (including SummerSlam on August 23rd) can check the scheduling of the Prudential Center or go elsewhere .

Wayne Hasenbalg, the President of the local sports authority, said the decision was a matter of economics.

“Just about everyone in New Jersey and the region has great memories of big-name concerts, basketball or hockey games or other family entertainment at the arena,” he said. “Times have changed, however, and this should be viewed as a new opportunity for the entire Meadowlands entertainment complex, as interested parties – including the owners of American Dream Meadowlands – look at ways to rejuvenate and reintegrate the arena for optimal use, value and long-term success.”

The IZOD Center, formerly the Meadowlands Arena and Continental Airlines Arena, has hosted numerous WWE pay-per-view events over the years (SummerSlam 1989, 1997 and 2007, King of the Ring 2001, No Mercy 2004, Extreme Rules 2014) as well as numerous RAW, SmackDown and live events.

Assault Charges Against Kevin Nash Dropped, nWo Plans Back On For RAW Reunion Special?

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WWE legend Kevin Nash noted on social media on Wednesday evening that as of today, the assault charges against him stemming from the issues with his son during the holidays have been dropped.

Nash was suspended by WWE due to their policy on that subject, however now that the charges have been dropped, it is expected that his suspension will be lifted.

Nash was originally scheduled to take part in an nWo reunion angle alongside Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall on the RAW Reunion show in Dallas, Texas next Monday, however when he was suspended by WWE, he was pulled from the show. Now that his suspension may be lifted, there is a chance that the door will be open for him to be included in the special.

Below is the tweet Nash posted on Wednesday evening regarding the assault charges against him being dropped.

Backstage Update On WWE TV Announcing Changes, Jerry Lawler Being Phased Out?

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As noted recently, WWE switched up their television announce teams, with RAW now featuring Michael Cole, JBL and Booker T, and SmackDown with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton. For those curious, the announce team for WWE pay-per-views, for the time being, will still feature Cole, JBL and Lawler.

The feeling within WWE is that the move of Lawler to SmackDown is the beginning of WWE phasing him out of the picture, as the company is age-conscious when it comes to their on-camera broadcasters, particularly for their key programs.

The idea of phasing Lawler out has been floating around for a while, however when he suffered a heart attack, it was pretty much a lock that they couldn’t make the move just yet.

When WWE moved SmackDown from Friday’s to Thursday’s, which begins this week on the SyFy Network in North America, it seemed like the perfect excuse to finally pull the trigger and make the transition of having Lawler move from RAW to SmackDown.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

VIDEO: Triple H Talks Seth Rollins’ Future, Royal Rumble, SmackDown On Thursday’s

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The latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly WWE.com sit-down video interview, which features Triple H this week, is now online.

In this week’s interview, “The Game” talks to the WWE announcer about WWE SmackDown moving to Thursday night’s beginning this week on the SyFy Network, as well as the Daniel Bryan vs. Kane match scheduled for the show.

HHH also discusses Monday’s RAW, noting that Seth Rollins proved he belongs in the ring with the likes of John Cena and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, as his Curb Stomp of both men showed why he is referred to as the “undisputed future of the WWE.”

While HHH gave credit to Cena and Lesnar as two of WWE’s key players in the present day, he claimed that Rollins is “something different altogether.”

Triple H concluded the interview by reminding fans that Rollins is still in possession of the “Money in the Bank” briefcase, which ensures him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at any time of his choosing.

“If you don’t skin a cat one way, you’ve always got a briefcase in your hand that says you can skin them any time you want,” said Triple H.

You can check out the complete Michael Cole sit-down video interview with Triple H above.

First NXT Live Event Outside Of Florida Announced, Video Of WWE’s New Pinball Game & More

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– WWE has announced that NXT will be running a live event outside of Florida for the first-time ever on Thursday, March 5th from Columbus, Ohio at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion. Tickets go on sale January 23rd via Ticketmaster.

– Sunday’s episode of Total Divas drew 1.295 million viewers, down from the 1.411 million viewers the previous week.

– ArsTechnica.com has published a feature looking at the new WrestleMania pinball game from Stern Pinball, including video footage of the game in action.

– Dean Ambrose’s doctor was played by indy wrestler Mike Dell.

Viewership From Monday’s WWE RAW (1/12)

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Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, which featured Daniel Bryan’s return to New Orleans and WWE’s Randy Savage Hall of Fame announcement, averaged 3.90 million viewers, up from last week’s 3.76 million.

Here’s the hourly breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 4.095 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.897 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 3.722 million viewers

RAW was the second most-watched show on cable for the night behind the College Football championship, which drew over 30 million viewers.

Ken Shamrock Confirmed For Bare-Knuckle Boxing Match On PPV

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At age 50, “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock is preparing for yet another return to competition, as the UFC Hall Of Famer is scheduled to compete in a bare-knuckle boxing match on pay-per-view later this year.

On his official website, the MMA pioneer explains why his upcoming match against Irish bare-knuckle brawler James Quinn McDonagh will be “groundbreaking” and “as real as it gets.”

Below is an excerpt from Shamrock’s official statement:

“To have the chance to reconnect with my roots and compete for self-fulfillment and entertainment is truly a gift. Many are asking why I have chosen to enter the lesser-known sport, Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB). If you haven’t yet noticed, I like being at the forefront of upcoming combat sports.

I was the first heavyweight Pancrase champion in Japan; created the first MMA team (Lion’s Den); first to submit opponents with leg-locks; first MMA fighter to go into WWF; first fighter in MMA history to capture a championship in two countries. Likewise, I want to get in on the rise of bare knuckle prizefighting.”

Just under three months ago, Shamrock spoke with our official MMA sister-site — MMANews.com — and explained why he would never rule out a return to active competition. For those who missed the interview, you can check that video out by clicking here.

Stephanie McMahon Explains Why WWE Discontinued Elimination Chamber

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WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T appeared on the the Wrestling Compadres Slamcast podcast at Nerdist.com.

One of the most interesting topics discussed was WWE’s decision to discontinue the annual Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, which is being replaced by a new event this year, Fast Lane.

Stephanie said that it was mostly related to the logistics hanging the chamber structure, which weighs 10 tons. Many arenas across the United States have been adding elaborate high-tech scoreboards above where the ring is set up. It’s become increasingly hard to hang the chamber in those arenas.

She assured the hosts that Fast Lane will still be an exciting event as the last stop on the road to WrestleMania. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We will deliver.”

Highlights From WWE Investor Conference: WWE Network, TV Viewership & More

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WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Chief Financial Officer George A. Barrios did in a presentation at the 17th Annual Needham Growth Conference for investors in New York City on Tuesday. A .PDF of WWE’s presentation can be found at Corporate.WWE.com. Here are some highlights:

– WWE is looking to launch the WWE Network in several new markets over the next few years, including Italy, Germany, India, Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. There are 98 million ‘WWE broadband homes’ in the world. If they can get 3-4% of those homes to subscribe, the WWE Network could potentially have 3-4 million active subscribers.

– Monday Night RAW has been averaging 4.6 million viewers a week, with SmackDown doing 3.0 million.

– WWE TV rights fees have increased from $78 million in 2004 to $171 million as of September 2014. With WWE’s TV deals locked in through 2018, WWE’s annual revenue is expected to increase by $100 million by 2018.

– In addition to television production, social media and live event successes were both touted, including a live event revenue rising from $62 million to $114 million.

News On TNA Positioning Themselves As A True Alternative To WWE

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With TNA’s move to Destination America, the company is in the process of changing a lot of things about the Impact Wrestling show as well as the overall philosophy of the company.

As part of this new era, TNA officials are working on several changes to the product in an effort to position themselves as a true alternative to WWE.

TNA President Dixie Carter has said in recent interviews that the changes to Impact will be rolled out over the next several weeks, so the show will continue to evolve and will eventually have a very different feel than it did on Spike TV.

(Information from PWInsider.com was used in this report)

Big Match Announced For RAW, Kevin Nash Comments On His WWE Future

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– Daniel Bryan will face Kane on Monday’s “RAW Reunion” show from Dallas, Texas. If Bryan loses, he will lose his spot in the Royal Rumble. The match was announced at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings.

– Kevin Nash tweeted the following on Tuesday night about his future with the company:

Nash was originally scheduled for Monday’s “RAW Reunion” show, where he would have reunited with his nWo co-founders Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan. He was pulled from the show after he and his son were both arrested last month following a domestic incident.

Previews For Tonight’s NXT & Lucha Underground Shows

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WWE NXT preview for tonight:

  • NXT champion Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville.
  • Finn Balor vs. Tyson Kidd.
  • Bull Dempsey vs. Baron Corbin.
  • Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte and Natalya.

Lucha Underground preview for tonight –

  • Lucha Underground champion Prince Puma defends his title for the first time.
  • Chavo Guerrero confronts Blue Demon Jr.
  • Drago vs. King Cuerno.
  • Cage vs. Angelico vs. Aerostar vs. Argenis.

Royal Rumble: New Title Match & Entrants Announced

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Following Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings, here’s the updated lineup for the 2015 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which takes place Sunday, January 25th from Philadelphia, PA:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match:

  • Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins

WWE Tag Team Championship Match:

  • The Usos (c) vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow

30 Man Royal Rumble Match

  • Daniel Bryan
  • Roman Reigns
  • Rusev
  • Bray Wyatt
  • Bad News Barrett
  • Dean Ambrose
  • Big Show
  • Kane
  • Goldust
  • Stardust

Main Event Pulled From The WWE Network

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WWE announced on this week’s episode of Main Event that the show will not be airing next week due to “contractual commitments.” In its place will be a Royal Rumble lottery special hosted by Santino Marella.

The reason for Main Event being pulled until further notice is because Sky has exclusive rights to air Main Event in the UK, where the Network is officially launching next week.

Since that the UK gets the same WWE Network feed as the United States and WWE does not currently have the ability to air different live content in separate geographic regions, WWE will have to work something out with Sky before Main Event gets back on the air.

WWE Network Is Live In The UK Almost A Week Early

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We’ve received word from several fans based out of the UK that the WWE Network is currently live in that region almost a full week before the official January 19th launch date.

It’s possible that WWE pushed the Network live in the UK a few days early as a “soft launch” to test out it in an effort to ensure things are smooth next week.

The @AskWWENetwork Twitter account says the official launch date is still January 19th at 9am UK time, but that hasn’t stopped fans from signing up and viewing.

If you’re in the UK, comment below and tell us if you’ve had any luck connecting to the WWE Network.

Ashley Massaro Fires Back At Sunny For Alleging She Works As An Escort

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On Monday night, WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch went on Twitter, denied that she has been working as an escort, but called out former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro for having experience in that department.

(Read Sunny’s tweets here).

Since then, Ashley has responded, defending herself and firing back at Sunny as the one who has been “selling herself” to fans.

Ashley tweeted on Tuesday morning:

She then tweeted a very explicit photo of Sunny, which we won’t post here. Ashley continued:

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