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Live Report From NXT’s Final Show At The Former FCW Arena In Tampa

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WWE NXT held their final show at the former FCW Arena in Tampa, Florida last night. Here are some live notes from the show:

– It was a packed house and one of the biggest crowds they’ve drawn in Tampa in a long time..

– There was an autograph signing with most of the main roster around the ring prior to the show.

– Norman Smiley kicked off the show and talked about his history in Tampa, starting with FCW and helping to train the future stars of RAW and SmackDown.

– Solomon Crowe (with his new hacker gimmick) is now making the lights go out during his matches. Kalisto was about to defeat him, but the lights went out and when they went back on, Crowe was pinning Kalisto for the win.

– Santa Claus and several Divas handed out gifts. Aiden English cut a heel promo on Santa but Nick Dinsmore (“Eugene”) came to Santa’s aid.

– Emma and Bailey defeated Sasha Banks and the returning Raquel Diaz after Diaz turned her back on Banks. After the match, Diaz she smeared lipstick all over Banks’ face.

Hot Photos of Raquel Diaz’s Crazy New “Nikki Minaj” Gimmick

– NXT Champion Bo Dallas defeated Billy Gunn in a No DQ match for the main event. There were a lot of weapons and interference during the match.

– After the main event, Billy Gunn cut a promo and thanked everyone for their support of WWE developmental. He brought out trainers Norman Smiley, Steve Keirn and Terry Keirn, thanking them for everything they have done. Steve Keirn was presented with a plaque. Th

The NXT roster came back out and surrounded the ring as Keirn spoke. He said Vince McMahon told him when FCW started that they wanted two people each year to be on the main roster but in six and a half years, over 100 people have came from FCW to make it to the main roster. He thanked everybody and the show ended.

* Big Plans For The WYATT FAMILY (Next WWE Tag Champs?)

Update On Richie Steamboat’s Release, El Locals’ New Masks, Top Moves Of 2013

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– Yesterday, we reported that WWE recently released second generation NXT star Richie Steamboat. It was actually Chris Hero (formerly Kassius Ohno in NXT) that broke the news in an interview.

Steamboat had back surgery late last year and there was speculation in recent months that he might not be able to wrestle again.

– WWE.com has published a new Top 10 video looking at the Best Moves of 2013.

– Los Matadores defeated El Locals (Ricardo Rodriguez and Tyson Kidd) prior to last night’s WWE TV tapings from Corpus Christi, Texas. El Locals debuted new masks at the show, which you can see here:

The Rock Supporting UFC’s Ronda Rousey, American Wolves Update & More

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– John Cena granted two Make-A-Wish wishes for Cole and Jesus before Monday’s WWE RAW from Dallas.

– Former ROH tag team champions Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards made their NXT debuts on this week’s show, wrestling as the American Pitbulls against The Ascension.

PHOTOS: Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards Debut On NXT

Commentators Tom Philips and Tensai acknowledged their backgrounds on the independent scene during the match. Tensai put them over, playing them up as “serious contenders.”

– The Rock is endorsing UFC star Ronda Rousey ahead of her fight at UFC 168 next Saturday. UFC and The Rock tweeted this photo:

Santa Claus Is A Paul Heyman Guy, John Cena ESPN Video, Fandango On WWE Inbox

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– Paul Heyman re-tweeted this photo of his most high-profile supporter to date:

– Here’s the latest WWE Inbox video:

‘Fandango dishes on the worst dancer, his own reflection and if he will replace Summer Rae this winter.’

– John Cena is featured on the latest Outside The Ring video:

“WWE Superstar John Cena steps from the ring to behind the desk where the leader of Cenation shined as a guest co-host of ESPN’s hit show, ‘SportsNation’.”

What Happened After Last Night’s Tapings, Original Sin Cara Still Wearing His Mask

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– The dark match main event that took place after Thursday night’s WWE SmackDown tapings from Corpus Christi, Texas saw John Cena defeat Randy Orton by disqualification.

The WWE World Heavyweight championship was on the line. During the match, Orton did Hulk Hogan’s “listen to the crowd” pose, yet another reference to Hogan at the tapings. The finish came when Orton hit Cena with the WWE title. After the match, Cena gave Orton an Attitude Adjustment to end the show.

– Despite the fact that he’s been replaced by Hunico on WWE television, the original Sin Cara has been tweeting photos of himself from his gym in Mexico wearing his WWE Sin Cara mask.

https://twitter.com/TheSinCaraWWE/statuses/413529024120762368

WWE SmackDown Preview For Tonight

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The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

– Big E. Langston vs. Jack Swagger

– Brie Bella vs. Tamina Snuka

– Sin Cara vs. Drew McIntyre

– Brodus Clay vs. Tensai

– Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan

– Damien Sandow vs. The Miz

– Kofi Kingston vs. Fandango

– John Cena & CM Punk vs. The Shield

There is also another big match that takes place as the result of one of these matches ending in a brawl.

*SPOILERS* For Tonight’s Episode of SmackDown

WWE SmackDown & Main Event Previews For Next Week

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The following is a non-spoiler list of confirmed matches from the WWE Main Event television tapings in Corpus Christi, Texas on Thursday, December 19, 2013:

– Goldust vs. Jack Swagger
– The Bella Twins & Natalya vs. AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka & Aksana
– Kofi Kingston vs. Fandango

The following is a non-spoiler list of confirmed matches for the December 27th edition of WWE SmackDown:

– Luke Harper & Erick Rowan vs. The Usos
– Cody Rhodes vs. Antonio Cesaro
– Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. The Prime Time Players
– Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler
– Daniel Bryan vs. Damien Sandow
– Big E. Langston vs. Dean Ambrose
– Mark Henry vs. Roman Reigns
– John Cena vs. Seth Rollins

For those interested, both the WWE Main Event and WWE SmackDown television taping results are up on the main newsboard right now.

*Spoilers* WWE Main Event Taping Results (12/25)

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The following WWE Main Event tapings from Corpus Christi, TX, airing December 25th:

Dark Match

– Los Matadores def. Los Locales (Tyson Kidd & Ricardo Rodriguez) in tag-team action.

WWE Main Event

– Goldust def. Jack Swagger. Cody Rhodes was in Goldust’s corner, Zeb Colter and Antonio Cesaro was in Jack Swagger’s corner. Goldust hit his finisher on Swagger for the pin and the win.

– The Bella Twins & Natalya def. AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka & Aksana in a six-Divas tag-team match. The finish came when Nikki rolled up Tamina for the 1-2-3.

– Fandango def. Kofi Kingston. The finish came when Summer Rae distracted the referee, setting up Fandango’s top-rope leg drop on Kingston for the pin.

Backstage Update On CM Punk’s TLC Match, Roman Reigns’ Future & More

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The reason CM Punk was booked to win against The Shield at the recent WWE TLC pay-per-view was for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, WWE had already booked John Cena and Daniel Bryan to lose their matches at the TLC show, and the feeling was all three couldn’t lose on the same pay-per-view.

Another reason WWE gave Punk the win was because it added to the drama surrounding The Shield currently, since they decided to have Roman Reigns spear Dean Ambrose, setting up the eventual pin for Punk.

This past Monday night on RAW, WWE had Roman Reigns get the win on Punk with the idea that Reigns is eventually going to be the real “golden boy” of the company, since he has the look and the sports background that WWE officials prefer, as opposed to Punk and Bryan, both of which will never fully get past the size and look issues that WWE has.

Additionally, Punk was considered to be “protected” from the loss with the feeling that having him do a promo segment with Shawn Michaels before the match would leave a larger impression on fans than Punk actually getting pinned.

WWE To Debut A Brand New Company Logo Soon

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WWE will be debuting a new company logo soon, the first major overhaul in well over a decade.

WWE introduced the “Attitude Era scratch logo” in November 1997 and used that until May 2002, when WWE “got the F out.” Since then, the real “face of the company” has been a modified version of the Attitude Era scratch logo. For better or worse, WWE has evolved and a new logo for this current “WWE Universe” era is long overdue.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there’s a strong possibility that the new logo will be completely different than the current version as well as the rumored WWE Network logo that we saw at the WrestleMania 31 press conference.

WrestleMania 31 Press Conference: WM31 & WWE Network Logos Revealed

As of this week, the company has still not settled on a new logo. There is an image circulating of 15 ‘mock’ logos designed by WWE’s graphics department (you can view it in the comments section below) – but none of those logos are getting good feedback from fans online.

There’s speculation that the new logo will be revealed on January 8th as part of of the “ground breaking” WWE event at the the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tammy “Sunny” Sytch Updates Fans Following Cancer Surgery

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WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch recently updated fans on the status of the surgery she just underwent as part of her cancer treatment.

Sytch posted the following updates on her official Twitter account on Thursday:

Edge Speaks On Being Forced To Retire, His Early Contract Talks With Jim Ross

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As previously reported, WWE Hall Of Famer Adam “Edge” Copeland appeared as the second guest on Chris Jericho’s new “Talk Is Jericho” online podcast. The following are some highlights from the interview:

On being forced into retirement: “I really thought I would relax whenever that is, but with it being sped up a couple of years with the last injury, it was then like, ‘Now what?’ Kevin Dunn called the ‘Haven’ people because they had been looking to have a tie-in with Smackdown. ‘Listen, we have this guy retiring. I think he could fill a good spot on your show.’ That’s kind of how that fell into place.”

On details of his WWE contract when he first signed with the company: “I got called up to J.R.’s office and he goes, ‘We have a deal for you.’ It was for $210 a week.’ Because after the currency exchange, that worked out to 300 Canadian. They said just keep working. There was no farm system; they said, ‘Keep getting booked.’ I got signed at the end of ’96 and then I kept working. They said, ‘We’ll call you when we’re ready for you,’ and I kept going wherever I could. But now, I had $210 or 300 bucks to at least eat. It was like, ‘Here’s a little morsel so you can keep doing your thing.'”

Check out the complete interview online at PodcastOne.com.

  • Details On WWE’s Planned SURPRISE ENTRANTS For The 2014 Royal Rumble Match

    • Jim Ross Q&A: Orton vs. Lesnar At WMXXX, Opponents For Steve Austin, Punk

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    The following are highlights from yet another Q&A update from the official website of WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

    On the possibility of John Cena vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania: “I’d like to think that some day that match will occur at WrestleMania. Time will tell. Don’t see it this year though for some reason.”

    On if he’d be willing to call one final match for WWE at WrestleMania XXX: “That isn’t a decision that is up to me. That’s 100% a WWE call.”

    On opponents he’d like to of seen “Stone Cold” Steve Austin wrestle had his career not been cut short due to injury: “Punk, Bryan, HHH, Orton, etc. Lots of likely candidates.”

    On why we don’t see Booker T in the ring anymore: “I don’t know but it’s likely a mutual decision or Book may have injury issues to address.”

    On if CM Punk should be a babyface, heel or a ‘tweener’: “I’m not a big ‘tweener’ guy.”

    On whether or not Paul Heyman’s recent tweet about Randy Orton is a tease for an Orton vs. Brock Lesnar match at WrestleMania XXX: “Heyman knows how to play the fanbase. Obviously, Lesnar will be back soon as WM30 approaches but in what role, I don’t know.”

    Check out more JR Q&A online at JRsBarBQ.com.

  • Jim Ross In Negotiations To RETURN As A Pro Wrestling Announcer

    • Survivor Series Preliminary Buyrate The Lowest In Over A Decade

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    WWE released its monthly business figures on Thursday, including a preliminary buyrate for the 2013 Survivor Series pay-per-view.

    Based on WWE’s averaged data for the 4th quarter, Survivor Series did approximately 179,000 buys, making it the least-ordered Survivor Series of the past 4 years by a long shot.

    Survivor Series featured Randy Orton vs. Big Show and followed four consecutive pay-per-views where Daniel Bryan was effectively screwed out of the WWE Championship.

    Here are the past 10 years of WWE Survivor Series buyrates:

    • 2013 – 179,000 buys (early estimate)
    • 2012 – 208,000 buys
    • 2011 – 281,000 buys
    • 2010 – 244,000 buys
    • 2009 – 225,000 buys
    • 2008 – 319,000 buys
    • 2007 – 325,000 buys
    • 2006 – 383,000 buys
    • 2005 – 400,000 buys
    • 2003 – 325,000 buys

    Looking back even further, this appears to be the least-ordered WWE Survivor Series dating back to the early 90’s. Based on this trend, it becomes even more apparent why WWE is looking to move PPV events to the WWE Network and minimize their reliance on declining PPV revenue.

    The final buyrate will be revealed when WWE reports the official Q4 2013 earnings results in early 2014.

    WWE Releases Richie Steamboat From NXT

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    We can confirm that WWE has officially released Richie Steamboat from his developmental deal with the company.

    Steamboat, who is the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, had been out of action for a while with a back injury.

    WWE quietly released Steamboat at some point in the past week.

    WWE TLC Attendance Notes, Details On Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy, More

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    – This past Sunday night’s WWE TLC pay-per-view ended up being a legitimate sellout. The reported attendance of the show was 14,120 fans, however The Toyota Center in Houston actually had about 12,000 fans in the building.

    Former WWE Superstar Big Vito sent along the following:

    Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy (phone number: 813-409-0469)

    All those who have wanted to be a pro, Big Vito’s Wrestling Academy is the place to train. 23 years of experience. You’re trained by me. ECW, WCW, XWF, TNA, WWE, JAPAN, MEMPHIS, EUROPE, PUERTO RICO, INDIA. The kind of credentials you want when picking the best academy around.

    Be the best and not like the rest. Go to www.bigvito.com

  • WWE Makes Huge Changes To Their Drug Testing & Punishments

    [Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • TNA Officials Expect Big Number For “Final Resolution” Edition Of Impact Wrestling

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    Apparently officials within TNA are expecting a big number for Thursday’s “Final Resolution” special-edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV. The company feels that with it being a PPV-themed edition of the show, combined with the fact that it’s the first time in a while they are going unopposed to NFL’s Thursday night football, the number will be up as compared to the last several weeks.

    Tonight’s “Final Resolution” edition of Impact Wrestling will feature Magnus vs. Jeff Hardy for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode in a two-out-of-three falls match, ODB & Madison Rayne vs. Lei’D Tapa & Gail Kim, plus the revealing of the “Feast or Fired” briefcases.

  • Backstage Update On WWE Attempting To Lure Sting Away From TNA

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • WWE To Release Several Wrestlers To Make Room For New Signees?

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    As a result of all of the new independent wrestlers WWE has been signing to developmental deals lately, there is reports that claim the company may start making some releases in the near future.

    As noted earlier in the week, WWE NXT wrestler Knuckles Madsen was released recently. Madsen was signed back in 2012 and had never been called up to television.

    The feeling in WWE is that some of the wrestlers who aren’t at the point WWE would like them to be at might be cut as well in order to make room for the new developmental talents.

    Breaking News: WWE Releases Richie Steamboat

    • [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    Several New WWE Developmental Talents Set To Begin Training In Orlando

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    Multiple new WWE developmental talents are expected to begin training at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in early 2014.

    “Trademark” Tommy Maclin of The Monster Factory, former football player Shane Taylor and independent wrestler Brian Tannen are three names confirmed to start their official WWE training after the new year.

  • Leaked WWE Memo Reveals Stuff That Is NOT Allowed To Be Done On TV

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • Stephanie McMahon At WWE Holiday Party (Photo), JR On HBK’s In-Ring Return

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    – WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently shared his thoughts regarding the rumors of Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement to wrestle another match, and whether or not that would offend The Undertaker, who “sent him into retirement” by beating him at WrestleMania. JR noted, “I don’t think HBK is returning to the ring as a wrestler. If he did it would be at WrestleMania and I’d like to see him wrestle Daniel Bryan or CM Punk. Taker wouldn’t be offended whatsoever.”

    – Stephanie McMahon recently tweeted the following photo from the WWE Holiday party that was held in Stamford, Connecticut on Wednesday night.

  • How Much Does Stephanie McMahon Make Per Year? Find Out Here!

    • Big Plans For The Wyatt Family In The Near Future

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    According to reports, WWE is planning on putting the WWE Tag-Team Championships on Luke Harper and Erick Rowan at some point before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January.

    Harper and Rowan were already expected to become the WWE Tag-Team Champions before the WrestleMania XXX event in April, however it appears now as though WWE has moved those plans up and will do the title change earlier than originally planned.

    AJ Styles & TNA Negotiations: How Much Did They Offer?, Update On His Status

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    As noted in the past, TNA star AJ Styles was receiving somewhere in the neighborhood of $350,000 per year on his previous deal with the company. When that deal expired, TNA offered Styles approximately $200,000 per year, an offer which Styles subsequently turned down.

    Furthermore, the $200,000 deal that TNA offered Styles wasn’t even a guaranteed deal. It was more along the lines of a “per appearance” type deal, one that would see Styles make even less than 200k if the company scales back on their live events schedule, which is something they are rumored to be doing in 2014.

    Regardless, as noted earlier this week, TNA has finally offered Styles what he wanted, and it appears as though it’s only a matter of time until Styles returns to action with TNA.

  • Backstage Update On WWE Attempting To Lure Sting Away From TNA

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • More Backstage News On WWE’s Reaction To RAW Ending In Seattle

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    While the final segment of the Seattle-based RAW “go-home” show for the TLC pay-per-view received rave reviews online, apparently it ended up being nowhere near the way it was scripted to go. While WWE officials expected Daniel Bryan to receive a big pop in Seattle, given his Washington-based roots, they did not expect it to be as big as it ended up being.

    Following the segment, WWE officials apparently praised John Cena for his ability to pick up on the crowd reactions and adapt. They enjoyed Cena’s decision to incorporate the reaction, and Daniel Bryan himself, into his promo, but then ultimately bring the focus back to his TLC match against Randy Orton.

  • Leaked WWE Memo Reveals Stuff That Is NOT Allowed To Be Done On TV

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • Backstage Heat On CM Punk Regarding His Decision To Tweet About Hockey

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    As covered in-depth the past week, there was an incident during the WWE’s “Tribute To The Troops” television taping in Washington involving AJ Lee and Access Hollywood co-host Michelle Beadle regarding Beadle’s comments to CM Punk.

    In addition to all of the heat on AJ for her role in the ordeal, apparently CM Punk garnered some heat on himself by his way of handling the issue.

    Punk decided to tweet about hockey on his official Twitter account, and WWE officials were apparently unhappy with that decision, as they felt he should be tweeting about something TLC-related instead of hockey.

  • WWE Makes Huge Changes To Their Drug Testing & Punishments

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

    • News On Roman Reigns’ Role At The 2014 Royal Rumble

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    According to current creative booking plans, Shield member Roman Reigns is going to have a major role in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match

    Originally, it was expected that Reigns would have a similar role as most large athletes in the Rumble match in the past, such as Kane or Diesel, where they make him look strong by having him eliminate multiple participants in the match.

    We are looking into further specifics, but the latest plans for Reigns’ role at the Rumble are even more significant than just a few weeks ago.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

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