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Steve Austin On Being On The Cover Of WWE 2K16, Future In Ring Plans?

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Yesterday, 2K confirmed that WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin would be the cover superstar on this year’s WWE game “WWE 2K16”.

Following the news many began to speculate whether or not this means that the Texas Rattlesnake could make a return to the ring at WrestleMania 32 at the AT&T Stadium next year.

Steve spoke with MTV UK and was asked that very question and he made it very clear that it doesn’t mean he’ll be returning to the ring.

“I remember I was talking to Bryce [Yang, Director of Brand Marketing – WWE at 2K] about being on the cover of the game and how big of an honour it is.

“I said: ‘You know, its been a while since I’ve been around so this may spark some rumours or speculation?’ And he goes: ‘You know, Steve, it is no different to when we put Michael Jordan on the cover of the NBA 2K game a few years ago.’

“I would put myself on the same level for the wrestling/sports entertainment industry as Jordan – but his appearance didn’t mean he was going to put the uniform on again.

“So I would go on record: don’t look forward to me putting on the trunks and knee braces to get back in the ring and stomp a mudhole in somebody and walking it dry. How’s that work for you?”

You can read Steve’s full interview at MTV UK at this link.

WWE Hires Adam Pearce As Full-Time Coach At WWE Performance Center

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WWE has hired Adam Pearce as a full-time coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Pearce has done multilpe guest-coaching spots at the Performance Center, which apparently led to a full-time gig.

Below is a photo of Pearce at his new place of employment.

https://twitter.com/WWEDrakeWuertz/status/618469408034410496

Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) Sold, New Owners To Be Announced Wednesday

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Danny Davis posted a blog on the official Ohio Valley Wrestling website to announce the sale of OVW. Below is an excerpt:

After 22 years in business and mentoring more than 150 athletes to professional wrestling’s national stage Ohio Valley Wrestling owner Danny Davis will immediately step away from the company he founded.

Monday Davis announced the completed sell of majority ownership in Ohio Valley Wrestling to a private investor. Davis said, “I have been searching for the perfect person to carry on OVW’s legacy and I believe I’ve found them.”

OVW launched in 1993 and eventually grew into the developmental training territory for both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) the two largest sports entertainment companies in the United States. Davis’ resume is unmatched. No other professional wrestling company in the world has helped more talent fulfill their dreams on the national stage. Davis played a vital role in coaching the biggest stars in the wrestling industry over the last two decades including John Cena, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Randy Orton.

“I want to thank the guys and girls who allowed me to play a part in their careers and the OVW fans for their unwavering dedication.” He said, “I’ve been mulling this decision for several weeks and the time is right for my family to begin a new chapter.”

Details On New E! Reality Show Featuring Former WWE Diva Kelly Kelly

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E! issued the following press release on Tuesday with details on the new reality show “WAGS,” which features former WWE Diva Kelly Kelly (Barbie Blank).

INTRODUCING THE “WAGS” (WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS OF SPORTS STARS) FROM E!’S NEW SERIES PREMIERING TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH AT 10:00PM ET/PT

Los Angeles, CA – July 7, 2015 – E! takes a wild ride into the world of some of today’s hottest professional athletes from the perspective of the women who stand by their side, otherwise known as WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends of Sports Stars). These WAGS are playing the most competitive sport out there: getting and keeping that pro-athlete man. As part of an elite, exclusive group, the WAGS are close friends who are bound together by a strict hierarchy, unspoken rules and plenty of drama – and those who have the coveted ring and a husband with a contract are the ones with all the power! As in sports, this game is all about getting that “W” and this pack knows how to play the field… Jump into the competitive, fast-paced, glamorous world of “WAGS” when the new series premieres on E! Tuesday, August 18th at 10:00pm ET/PT.

The WAGS life has plenty of perks, but the diamonds and mansions don’t come easy. These women are constantly strategizing and fine-tuning their playbooks to keep their place in the line-up among the other WAGS, and to maintain the high-profile celebrity lifestyle that comes along with that role. In this 8-episode series, E!’s WAGS are faced with tough decisions as players change teams, forcing some to decide whether or not to uproot their lives and move across the country. Additionally these women are constantly working to find ways to balance their own careers and interests with the demands of their partner’s sports schedules. And while one WAG is planning her magical wedding, another one’s fiancé is getting cold feet. E!’s WAGS are bonded together by long-time friendships, but rank has its privileges in this group and the competition to rise to the top and be “queen” of the WAGS brings plenty of drama.

Get the stats on E!’s “WAGS:”

Sasha Gates

Sasha is the queen WAG of the group, married to a 5-time All Pro Player from the San Diego Chargers who has a multi-million dollar contract. She was featured in music videos until she met her husband, but now she’s a doting wife and mother to a little girl with another one on the way. However, Sasha still has her own interests as she starts looking into a music career. She also has a children’s clothing line called Wittle Ones, with best friend/business partner Autumn Aijrotutu, which features cute football clothes for kids.

Autumn Ajirotutu

Autumn met Seyi Ajirotutu of the Philadelphia Eagles in college, and the two are now married with twin girls. After leaving the San Diego Chargers, Seyi recently signed with the Eagles and now Autumn is faced with having to decide whether to uproot her family and turn her life upside down to move to Philly. Autumn has always loved to party and is finding it difficult at times to transition from that life to being a new mom.

Barbie Blank

Barbie is engaged to Sheldon Souray (most recently of the Anaheim Ducks) and the two are actively planning their January 2016 wedding in Cabo! Barbie is a former WWE Diva known as “Kelly Kelly,” who made her debut at only 19 years old. She performed from 2006-2012, which included being the Diva’s Champion in 2011. As a former athlete herself, she’s not a “typical” WAG, but with the pending wedding, Barbie is very excited to move up the hierarchy chain and legitimize her WAG status.

Ashley North

Ashley North is a WAGS descendant (her father was a Major League Baseball player who played for the SF Giants, Oakland A’s and Chicago Cubs), who gets a lot of great advice from her dad on how to navigate this competitive world, including an emphatic warning not to date athletes! However, Ashley chose not to heed his advice – she has been with Dashon Goldson of the Washington Redskins for over 11 years and the two have a young daughter together named Charly. They have been engaged for a year, but Dashon’s hesitation with locking in a wedding date is a serious cause for concern. Outside of her “role” as a WAG and mother, Ashley is trying to balance her own career as a celebrity stylist whose clients have included Kevin Hart, Justin Bieber and J Cole among others.

Nicole Williams

Nicole has been dating Larry English of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four years now, and she is ready for that ring! She is a gorgeous, successful working model who is always on the road traveling for jobs, having modeled for Old Navy, Gucci, La Senza, Macy’s and more – she was even tapped to appear in Robin Thicke’s “Treats” video. While she prides herself with having her own life, Nicole tries to keep Larry on a short leash as she struggles with the “jersey chasers” who follow these NFL players everywhere they go!

Natalie Halcro and Olivia Pierson

Natalie and Olivia are gorgeous, cousins and best friends who launched a beauty and fashion blog together that proved to be so successful, they are taking it to the next level – but mixing family and business is always a challenge! Natalie’s boyfriend is Shaun Phillips who has played for the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. They have been together for 2 1/2 years and while Shaun is looking to take things to the next level, Natalie is very independent and has to figure out how to balance this relationship with her own career plans, especially now that she has reached “Instafame” with a million Instagram followers! Olivia is single and a hopeless romantic, but will only dates athletes. She has been linked to players from the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Clippers!

Don’t miss a minute of the action as E! gives you a front row seat to the real competition when WAGS premieres Tuesday, August 18th at 10:00pm ET/PT. And be sure to follow the show handle @WAGSonE and join the conversation using the hashtag #WAGS.

Jim Ross Blog: Cena/Cesaro Thoughts, Paul Heyman, Austin/WWE 2K16

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross has updated his official blog with his latest thoughts and comments. Below are some of the highlights.

On John Cena vs. Cesaro at Monday’s RAW: “Enjoyed John Cena vs. Cesaro on RAW Monday night. Cena is the consummate pro and Cesaro showed, again, that he’s ready for main events on a regular basis with no start and stop involved. Turn Cesaro loose. I’d love to see Cesaro vs Lesnar some day.”

On Steve Austin/WWE 2K16: “Amazing the publicity and positive response that WWE has garnered with the announcement that Steve Austin is on the cover of the 2K16 video game due out in October. Now the Austin wrestling at Wrestlemania Texas will commence again which simply isn’t happening. Sorry folks, the park is closed…said in the late, John Candy’s voice.”

On Paul Heyman: “Paul Heyman adds so much to RAW when he’s on the show especially, and obviously, with Brock Lesnar. Paul’s verbal skills are unparalleled in the business today and he seems to get better with time. Hope young talents every where are paying attention. Heyman does plan advocate for his client. He IS an advocate IE Paul is a natural extension of his real personality. Tough Enough participants need to especially be closely watching him. Lesnar, on the other hand, has animal magnetism that can’t be taught.”

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

Matt Striker Talks About Working Alongside Jim Ross, His Training & More

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Lucha Underground’s Matt Striker recently spoke with Marc Madison of The News Hub about a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On working with Jim Ross for NJPW: “When we got to Tokyo, we sat very quickly with the people from New Japan and their only direction to me was we want people who have never seen this before, we need you to educate the new fan so that’s what I did. I went out and I tried to and I went out and tried to explain this style and these wrestlers to the new fan. Then social media just, came out in droves with annoyance and utter hatred for me but I always like to talk to those fans and say I wasn’t commentating to you on that night. I was commentating to the new fan and sometimes it leaves a bad taste in their mouth that we want a 10 year old kid to know who Nakamura is but in this day and age, that’s where the money is.

I mean, when I was a kid I was the same way when people started knowing who Hulk Hogan and the Masked Superstar was I felt offended because in my own selfish narcissism I thought wrestling is mine. This is my little thing, you can’t know who that is. I understand the venom that comes from the fans. But that was the objective to educate the new fan, the first time fan and there were points in that show especially the last three matches where JR was nice enough to kind of let me drive the ship and for him to say kid, go on out there the Paul Brown giving Bill Landry analogy but that was really nice the great, the veteran the hall of famer, the voice Jim Ross literally with his hands said go, go, you do the thing. So during the Nakamura match and the Okada matches pardon the term, I’m losing my sh** because I’m dancing the fine line between fanboy and wrestler and I don’t dance that line well because I’m always going to be a fan.”

On his passion for Professional Hockey: “That’s a great question, I don’t normally get asked that. I was on the trajectory in my mind to go play in the NHL. I got as far as apple cores and did some tournaments up in Medicine Hat (Alberta) and Sue-Saint-Marie (Ontario) but being a kid from New York and unless your last name is Mullen it’s hard to really find to many opportunities so I didn’t have a lot of the same facilities and practice and I’ll be honest talent that some of these other kids had so as we went to play these tournaments up in Canada I was 18,19, 20 years old and these kids were 16 and just flying past me so my father said ‘listen get your degree because if this dream doesn’t happen you never know’.

Little did I know that the divine winds would blow and a teaching degree would lead me to my ultimate dream which was wrestling. I still play (hockey) and I play in a league once a night on Thursday’s and I’m an avid fantasy hockey players and very deep into the league. I love it. It’s a great game. I think between my love of hockey and my love of Rush I’d say I’m an honorary Canadian.”

On training under Johnny Rodz: “I always look back on this long strange trip and now hindsight is always 20/20 and you realize why you went through the things. But at the time, I walked into Johnny Rodz it was still a closed brotherhood they didn’t just let anyone in. So for the first say three months they literally beat me up and I didn’t know any better. My first month in I had torn tendons in my right ankle. I had cracked ribs, I had busted noses, eyes and then finally for a while they were alright. Now we’ll show you a trick or two and we’ll let you in on a little secret here and there so it was a great initiation because it prepared me for so many of the things that were to come. I loved it. It was a labor of love. I was there when they opened and when Luis the janitor mopping up at night shutting off the lights, he would say come on time to go. I was just enamored with the whole entire to do.

I didn’t know you could become a wrestler. I thought you were just born a Harley Race. I had no idea that you could go and learn this and I was working out in a gym in New York and I saw another guy wearing a wrestling t-shirt and this was before prowrestlingtees.com and everyone having a t-shirt so you’re drawn to it. Hey wrestling? I like wrestling too. A few days later that friend brought in a great crude print out when the internet was in its infancy. The third name down on the list of on the name of wrestling schools was Johnny Rodz. I was hey, I know that name. I went and I remember I drove past the place three times before I ever found the courage to go in. From there, again they didn’t just let anyone in, in that they didn’t want to just pull the curtain back and expose everything to everyone. So it was walking in with a handling of tender feet but that’s how I stumbled upon Johnny Rodz and again if not for the divine wind.”

Check out the complete interview at The-NewsHub.com.

Video: Fan Struck By Car Door Thrown By Brock Lesnar On RAW Last Night

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As noted earlier, during last night’s episode of RAW in Chicago, Brock Lesnar destroyed the new car given to J&J Security by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.

In the video shown below, as posted by Twitter user @BillNevilleNAI, while Lesnar tossed the car door to the side of the stage, a chunk landed in among the fans.

It was later reported that the fan was treated by WWE Security and paramedics but reportedly returned for the rest of the show and was said to be OK.

https://twitter.com/BillNevilleNAI/status/618247632000040961

Dusty Rhodes Tribute Clip, Eva Marie Training Video, WWE Contest

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– The following is a clip from the Dusty Rhodes tribute that aired on the WWE Network after Monday’s edition of RAW. In the clip below, Arn Anderson talks about Ric Flair’s rivalry with Rhodes outside the ring.

– WWE posted the following Total Divas preview clip, which shows Eva Marie training with Brian Kendrick.

– WWE and Mountain Dew are giving away two trips to this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with their new “#WWExDEW Sweepstakes.” Full details on the contest are available at WWE.com. Below is a video of Dolph Ziggler promoting the contest.

Joey Styles Praises WWE Talent, WWE App Downloads, More

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– WWE announced on Monday’s RAW that the WWE App has been downloaded 20,038,999 times.

– Joey Styles took to Twitter following Monday’s RAW to send praise to two WWE Superstars. Styles put over Cesaro as a future world champion and Titus O’Neil as a great color commentator. You can check out Styles’ comments below.

https://twitter.com/JoeyStyles/status/618259150699671552

– Fans can now vote on which WWE Superstars and Divas have done the most good in the new DoSomething.org “Athletes Gone Good” awards. WWE tweeted the following:

WWE Battleground 2015 Lineup: New Matches Added

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The following matches are confirmed for the WWE Battleground pay-per-view, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 19th at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

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

WWE United States Championship
– John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens

WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Ryback (c) vs. The Miz vs. Big Show

WWE World Tag-Team Championship
– The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day

– Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

Tyson Kidd Says 5% Of People Survive His Neck Injury

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Tyson Kidd tweeted a photo of his surgically repaired neck, showing off the 16 staples, 4 screws and rod that Kidd revealed that only 5% of people survive the injury.

WWE RAW Fallout Shows Dolph Ziggler After Rusev Attack, Tyson Kidd Update

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– WWE posted the following Fallout video showing Dolph Ziggler being taken into the back of an ambulance after being attacked by Rusev.

WWE.com posted an injury update which reads:

“Dolph Ziggler was rushed to a nearby medical facility after an attack by Rusev on Raw, WWE.com has learned. The Bulgarian Brute slammed a crutch across Ziggler’s throat, causing trainers to tend to The Showoff and take him out of the arena on a stretcher after the vicious assault.”

– Following his surgery on his injured neck last week, Tyson Kidd posted the following update on Twitter, while his wife Natalya shared a photo of the pair together on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/p/4z4ANzy1Fh/

WWE Provides Injury Update On J&J Security, Presale Code For Next Chicago Show

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– WWE’s website have noted that following their attack on RAW at the hands of Brock Lesnar, J&J Security, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury both suffered injuries.

After destroying their new car, which was a gift from Seth Rollins, both Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury approached Lesnar but were overpowered and ultimately injured.

WWE wrote: “Both Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury suffered injuries at the hands of Brock Lesnar during The Beast’s attack of the security twosome on Raw.”

“Noble, who was trapped in Lesnar’s Kimura Lock, suffered a broken arm, while Mercury, who was suplexed on top of J&J’s customized Cadillac, only suffered mild contusions as a result of the attack.”

– It was confirmed during the show that WWE will return to Chicago on the 12th of October for Monday Night RAW. The pre-sale password was confirmed as being CHICAGO.

Video: John Cena Full Of Praise For Cesaro, WWE Shows Cadillac Being Taken Away

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– As shown in the video above, after RAW went off the air last night, John Cena addressed the fans about his match against Cesaro and spoke about the city of Chicago.

Cena was full of praise for Cesaro and told those in attendance that he believes Cesaro should be in the main event every night adding that Cesaro gave him another memory he’ll never forget.

Various fans have reported that the speech was incredibly touching and some people were visibly emotional while Cena was speaking.

– After Brock Lesnar destroyed the cadillac that was given to J&J Security by Seth Rollins last week, WWE posted two videos showing the car being taken away once the show was over.

Fan Injured During Brock Lesnar Segment On RAW

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During last night’s episode of RAW from Chicago, Brock Lesnar took it upon himself to destroy the car Seth Rollins had bought for J&J Security.

As shown above, at one point, after breaking the windows, Brock pulled off the door and tossed it to the side where reports state that a fan was injured.

PWInsider reports that a piece of the door ended up in the crowd at the Allstate Arena and accidentally struck a fan.

They note that WWE Security and paramedics attended to the fan who was taken backstage briefly before being brought back to his seat. However the fan is said to be OK.

WWE Network Now Available In Italy

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WWE Network is now available in Italy. WWE issued the following to fans in Italy earlier today:

“WWE Network is now available for $9.99 (U.S.) per month, with all 12 annual WWE pay-per-view events LIVE, including WWE Battleground® on Sunday, July 19, where Brock Lesnar® will face Seth Rollins® for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. New subscribers to WWE Network receive their first month of service for free. WWE Network subscribers in Italy will have access to the U.S. English language version of WWE Network. In addition to all 12 WWE pay-per-view events, WWE Network gives subscribers 24/7 scheduled programming and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with more than 3,300 hours of content, including every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view.

Like other digital subscription services, such as Netflix and Hulu, fans are able to sign up online by going to WWENetwork.com and can watch WWE Network on their TV through connected devices such as Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku streaming devices as well as Smart TVs. WWE Network is expected to be on Sony platforms, including Sony PlayStation 3 and Sony PlayStation 4 prior to SummerSlam® on Sunday, August 23.”

Ric Flair & Others Backstage At RAW, Eve Torres Gives Birth?

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– UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey indicated on Instagram that former WWE Diva Eve Torres, who is now the wife of Jiu-Jitsu instructor Rener Gracie, has given birth to her first child. Rousey wrote the following: “She is so beautiful!!! Congratulations @evetorresgracie and @renergracie can’t wait to meet the newest Gracie!”

– Ric Flair, Goldust and Stardust are all backstage at WWE RAW in Chicago, Illinois tonight. The three are likely there for the post-RAW live tribute to “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

WWE RAW Results – July 6, 2015

Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman Kick Off RAW

This week’s show kicks off with Brock Lesnar’s theme music hitting. Lesnar and Paul Heyman make their way to the ring. Once in the ring, the fans break out into “Suplex City” chants.

Heyman gets on the mic and begins his promo. Heyman talks about what Lesnar did at the Beast In The East special this past weekend. He goes on to talk about Seth Rollins and what Lesnar is going to do to him.

As Heyman continues to talk, the fans are behind almost every word he says, until he brings up Lesnar conquering the streak. They boo, so Heyman tells them not to boo the advocate. He says they’ll cheer this one, as he proceeds to talk about Lesnar taking John Cena to Suplex City.

Finally, Heyman brings everything back around by guaranteeing that Lesnar will conquer Seth Rollins at Battleground and will take back his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. We head to our first commercial break of the evening.

Big Show vs. Ryback

When we return from the break, it’s time for our first match of the evening — Big Show vs. Ryback. The Miz is on commentary for this one.

The bell sounds and here we go. Early on, Miz won’t shut up, as he’s seated next to commentary but he’s actually just sitting there with a house mic yelling stuff at Big Show and Ryback in the ring.

Big Show nails Ryback with multiple chops to the chest, ones so hard that Ryback’s chest welted up and started to bleed a little bit. Ryback fires up as we head to a mid-match commercial.

We’re back from commercial and we see that Show has Ryback in a leg submission while Miz yells at him about retirement. Miz is on the apron yelling into the mic now. Show turns around from the distraction and Ryback scoops him but Show falls on top for a two count.

Big Show hits a big splash in the corner but Ryback takes his knee out. Ryback makes a comeback now. They trade shots in the middle of the ring. Ryback staggers Show with shoulders. He ducks a clothesline and knocks Show down with a shoulder. Ryback readies for the Meathook but Miz jumps on the apron.

Ryback swings and Miz drops down. Ryback hits the Meathook on Show, but only gets two on the pin attempt. Show rolls out of the way of a splash attempt by Ryback and counters with a chokeslam. Show hits a big elbow drop off the middle rope but Miz runs in and beats up Show, causing the DQ.

After the match, Show and Ryback corner Miz and trap him in the ring. Ryback hits the Shellshock on him. Big Show grabs him for a chokeslam. Ryback lays out Big Show to end the segment.

Winner via DQ: Big Show

The Bella Twins vs. Trish Stratus & Lita At WrestleMania?, Alicia Fox On SyFy Series

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– WWE Diva and Total Divas star Alicia Fox is scheduled to appear on two episodes of the SyFy television series “Dominion.” The WWE Diva will be appearing on the July 8th and July 16th episodes of the show.

– In addition to the highlights we posted earlier today, during an interview with Female First, WWE Diva Brie Bella revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes note about WrestleMania. According to the Total Divas star, there was talk of having Trish Stratus and Lita vs. The Bella Twins at WrestleMania. Bella noted that she would “love” if it happened, and noted that “it could happen.”

Video: Jeff Jarrett Talks GFW TV Tapings, Bobby Roode/GFW, TNA & More

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Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett recently checked in with a new video to update fans on a number of current noteworthy topics.

In the video, which you can view below, Jarrett talks about his recent TNA appearances, the announcement that Bobby Roode has signed with GFW, the upcoming GFW television taping and more.

https://youtu.be/AZsReUZLmh4

Natalya Reveals Conversation She Had With Triple H About NXT Women’s Division

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WWE Diva and Total Divas star Natalya recently spoke with the Miami Herald about a conversation she had with Triple H regarding the success of the NXT Women’s division.

“It was has been so interesting to watch this NXT division evolve because when you are in WWE we are all in the same tree,” said Natalya. “I feel like people on the main roster are not the only divas. The NXT divas are divas, too. I feel like we are all under this same umbrella. We are part of the WWE umbrella, so to be able to work with the girls of NXT on their show, it was awesome. Triple H and I actually had an in-depth conversation about this. Triple H believes that it’s the stories. The women are being allowed to tell stories. They are getting build and time to tell the story. It’s the story more than the wrestling.”

Natalya continued, “We don’t have control over a lot of things, but when we get time to wrestle and the chance to tell stories. Even if we only have two minutes on Raw, it needs to help tell a story. Whether it’s through social media, Total Divas, Raw, SmackDown, NXT or whatever, there is still the story. I think that is what Triple H does for the girls at NXT. It’s ground-breaking. We have this beautiful division of girls being allowed to tell a story and taking the ball and running with it. Not just anyone can tell that story.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

David Otunga Returns At WWE Live Event, SmackDown Ratings Drop

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– David Otunga, who has been under contract with WWE for years even though he hasn’t been used as a wrestler, returned to the ring at the WWE live event in Rockford, Illinois on Sunday evening. Otunga cut a quick pre-match promo, talking down to the fans in attendance for being out of shape. Otunga went on to lose to R-Truth via clean pinfall.

– The Thursday, July 2, 2015 edition of WWE SmackDown averaged 2.265 million viewers. The viewership was down this week, as last week’s show delivered a total average audience of 2.466 million viewers. SmackDown joined RAW, Impact Wrestling and ROH, all of whom saw their numbers drop due to the United States holiday week. Regardless, SmackDown was still the number one show on cable television for Thursday night.

Steve Austin Talks Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens & WWE’s Top Young Talent

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WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin just spoke with MTV UK to promote being on the cover of the upcoming WWE 2K16 video game. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Finn Balor, Kevin Owens and WWE’s Top Young Talent:

“I know Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Paige, Bad News Barrett [are all included]… but Finn Balor, I think, is going to be an interesting addition to the game. Here’s a guy from Ireland who’s been around for about 15 years, give or take – a guy with his experience and moveset and the different paint jobs he wears to the ring, he’s very entertaining guy and I’m looking forward to big things from him. I know this is the biggest roster they’ve ever had in this series of WWE games from 2K – but for me to speculate who could be on there, I have no idea. I have heard some very interesting rumours but I cannot speak to those rumours. But it should be a very cool and – if I might say so – completely badass roster!”

“I tell you what, first of all, I love Finn’s work. There have been some tremendous workers come out of Ireland and Northern Ireland over the years. I talked to him once on the telephone – and I’m a big fan of Fit Finlay – so he reminds me a little bit of Fit, but much more dynamic with his moveset and all of his experience in Japan. Man, the kid is just a walking highlight reel as a far as technical wrestling, a master. He’s just a good looking kid, he knows his business in the ring. And I’m a fan of the bodypaint he wears on special occasions. And then you put him across the ring from Kevin Owens… again, there’s a guy – probably, what a 13 or 14 year veteran? – and finally getting a shot here in the big leagues and for those two guys to go in there and have match in Japan, I think it is a good time to be a WWE fan. Some people consider these guys rookies on the big scene but they are veterans, have paid a lot of dues and are damn good workers so I think right now is a pretty exciting time as we see these guys develop further and get some more ring time, get more over than they are. But they certainly have all the tools, all the moves and all the talent to do so. I think the horizon is very bright for the upcoming in ring product as far as WWE is concerned.”

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins:

“There’s a guy who has got all the pieces put together right now, he’s on a roll and I think he’s an exciting guy, I think he’s representing very well. I think he has a pretty good repertoire right now. I might play him a little bit more aggressively than he performs in the squared circle, dial him up from that aspect and give him a bit more of a mean streak. But I think you’re looking at a guy who is a very well-rounded athlete. I know he loves crossfit for his training regime. All of these guys are so dynamic now.”

Movie Poster & Synopsis For “12 Rounds 3” Starring Dean Ambrose

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Dean Ambrose will be appearing in the upcoming WWE Studios film, “12 Rounds 3: Lockdown” – which hits theaters and on-demand September 11th.

Here is the updated synopsis and poster for the movie:

“Ambrose plays Shaw, a detective that returns to active duty after the death of his partner. When he uncovers evidence linking his fellow officers to a murder, they frame him for a homicide he didn’t commit. Trapped in his own precinct, Shaw will do whatever it takes to expose the dirty cops and clear his name. With twelve rounds in the clip and one shot at redemption, nothing will stand in Shaw’s way in this action-packed thriller.”

Dolph Ziggler’s WWE Future, Chris Jericho Returning To TV? Summerslam Plans & More