During an interview with FOX 4 Kansas City, WWE portrait artist Rob Schamberger revealed that Brock Lesnar once watched him paint as he was getting ready for a match against Seth Rollins.
“While I’m in the back painting (during WWE Battleground 2015), I feel this presence behind me. I don’t see or hear anything. It’s just like a sixth sense. I feel it. I turn around, and it’s Brock Lesnar watching me paint,” Schamberger said.
“It turns out Brock is actually a bit of an art fan and just wanted to watch me paint while he was preparing for his match. He went out and just destroyed Seth Rollins.”
Schamberger, who hosts the popular Canvas 2 Canvas YouTube series and whose work is seen on countless pieces of WWE merchandise, began working for the company in 2014 after creating a piece celebrating WrestleMania.
“I debuted with WWE at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans,” Schamberger said. “I painted a 7-by-5 piece that was celebrating the 30 years of WrestleMania. No pressure at all, right? But it was really successful, and I feel like it was a good place to start.”
Schamberger’s passion for art and WWE has transformed him into somewhat of a celebrity. To the dream chasers, he says if you really want to make things happen, you have to stand out.
“There’s one of three things you have to do. You have to be the first, you have to be the best, or you have to be different than everyone else. If you can find one of those things, you’re going to do it. If you can get two, you’re going to be a raging success. That’s what worked for me, and it’ll work for anyone.”
You can check out the video interview with Schamberger here.
– Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss is not happy with having to team with Absolution tomorrow night on Raw.
WWE announced earlier today that the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match participants will square off in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match this week on Raw as Bayley, Sasha Banks and Mickie James take on Bliss, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville. In this video from backstage at tonight’s WWE live event in Prescott, Arizona, Bliss expresses her displeasure with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle making her team with Rose and Deville.
She said, “Tomorrow, he’s making me tag with Absolution; two girls that I’m competing against. First off, how is that fair? It’s not. And second, how do I know they’re not going to try to take me out to get a competitive gain?”
– It was 25 years ago today when Kerry Von Erich, a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, died.
On February 18, 1993, Von Erich committed suicide with a single gunshot to the heart with a .44 caliber pistol on his father’s ranch in Denton County, Texas. Earlier that week, a judge in Dallas issued an arrest warrant for Von Erich after he was charged with cocaine possession. Since he was on probation for a drug conviction in September 1992, this violation would have likely resulted in extensive jail time.
Kerry was the fourth of six brothers in his family to die in nine years and the fifth overall.
– WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior and her two daughters were in attendance at tonight’s WWE live event in Rio Rancho, New Mexico — they live in New Mexico. Here they are backstage with Natalya.
WWE has announced another match for this week’s episode of RAW. Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Mickie James vs. Alexa Bliss, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville in a six-woman tag match. WWE invades Phoenix, AZ at the Talking Stick Resort Arena for Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW. WWE has already announced that John Cena, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, Elias, and Intercontinental Champion The Miz will compete in a Gauntlet Match.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently did a Q&A on Facebook and commented on a number of interesting topics.
During the session, a fan asked if The Shield will reunite again. If you recall, late last year, the sports entertainment company once again put Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose together as a group. However, their reunion was cut short once Ambrose, unfortunately, went down with an injury. “The Shield has been dealing with a lot of setbacks and injuries. But they will unite again. Be patient”
Finally, the current General Manager of WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, was asked which move hurts the most to take as well as well as the lessons that he has learned from his career. “The Last Ride. It’s like getting shot in the chest. Undertaker is 7 feet tall…when he lifts you over his head you’re 8 feet in the air. It’s a long ride down to the canvas” “Don’t wrestle injured. Take your time, heal up, and THEN get back to it. I rushed back way too quickly in the past. I know better now. I hope the others’ will see this post also and take my advice. They will have longer careers”
While all of Rhyno’s tweets were deleted, it retained its verification badge and most of its 74,000 followers. Furthermore, after the hacker changed the account’s username, a WWE fan registered the original username for himself.
– WWE developmental wrestler Steffanie Newell, better known as Nixon Newell, is close to returning to action after sustaining an ACL tear in her knee last June. F4WOnline.com’s Dave Meltzer addressed her status in a tweet on Saturday, saying she should be back “fairly soon.”
Without having wrestled a single match, the injury came shortly after the Welsh grappler reported to the WWE Performance Center last year. Newell appears in this Ask the WWE PC video that WWE posted on Saturday where she reveals the first thing she did after being offered a WWE contract.
– WWE announced Saturday that the seven Superstars who will compete in the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match at WWE Elimination Chamber will face off in a Gauntlet Match this Monday night on Raw. Ahead of the Gauntlet Match, Finn Balor proclaimed in this video below that he’s not the underdog. Rather, he’s “over, dawg.”
Bates faced Deonna Purrazzo, Christi Jaynes, and Ryder’s girlfriend, Chelsea Green, in a Fatal 4-Way Match. During the match, Bates kicked Jaynes with the Broski Boot.
– There was a Four Horsemen reunion at Saturday’s Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) show in Joppa, Maryland with WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham and J.J. Dillon.
After signing autographs, the Horsemen spoke before a packed crowd at the MCW Arena. They shared fond memories of being back together, the good times they enjoyed in Baltimore and asked the crowd to enjoy the show.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfUmm_Rn7Ld/
Former WWE star Rosa Mendes, who was making her first appearance at an independent wrestling show, introduced the Horsemen. Before the show, she also met with fans.
WWE has announced a new match for next week’s episode of RAW.
John Cena, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, Elias, and Intercontinental Champion The Miz will compete in a Gauntlet Match on the show just six days out from when they compete in the Elimination Chamber Match to determine who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 34.
WWE invades Phoenix, AZ at the Talking Stick Resort Arena for Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
WWE have announced a new update for their PPVs after WrestleMania 34 in April. The main changes come in the form of having both brands feature every month at the same event. This contrasts previous years which had brand specific PPVs each month, with joint events for the “Big Four”.
“After WrestleMania, you’ll get the best of both brands – Raw and SmackDown LIVE – every month, on every pay-per-view. Catch every event streaming live on the award-winning WWE Network.”
WrestleMania 34 – April 8, 2018
WWE Backlash – May 6, 2018
WWE Money in the Bank – June 17, 2018
WWE Extreme Rules – July 15, 2018
SummerSlam – Aug. 19, 2018
WWE Hell in a Cell – Sept. 16, 2018
WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs – Oct. 21, 2018
Survivor Series – Nov. 18, 2018
WWE Clash of Champions – Dec. 16, 2018
Does the prospect of more dual branded PPVs excite or intrigue you? Or is this the beginning of the end when it comes to the brand split?
The other question that is being thrown around the rumour mills is how will WWE use the brand divided titles. Many suspect that 9 championship titles will be too much for the reduced calendar; however The Wrestling Observer also revealed that the new PPVs will be an hour longer! That means that the new events will be 5 hours long (including the Kick Off Show).
Is this a positive development, or a step backwards? Perhaps from a WWE perspective, this is just a change to keep things fresh and interesting, what do you think?
Longtime WWE superstar and former World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry gave his take on the potential return of Hulk Hogan to the sports entertainment company.
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the media outlet asked Henry what his thoughts were on Hogan coming back to WWE. Henry noted that he would be open to Hogan returning to WWE if he simply apologizes to the company’s current black superstars.
Hogan was fired from WWE in the summer of 2015 after racially charged comments from a sex tape came to light. Gawker alleged that Hogan only filed a lawsuit against them to prevent the racial statements from being released.
Hogan’s WWE return has depended on the company being reasonably sure that bringing him back won’t cause a big backlash due to his racist comments. It’s possible that WWE hires him in an Ambassador role.
UFC broadcaster, Joe Rogan, has been critical of wrestling in the past but admits he was a fan growing up. His frequent opening-act, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, is a big fan, however. You can catch Hinchcliffe and some of his fellow comedians from Los Angeles’ “Comedy Store” on their wrestling podcast “The Store Horsemen”.
Hinchcliffe recently appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and the two analyzed finishing moves often found in wrestling.
Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe Break Down Finishing Moves
Rogan admitted to liking Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka growing up but felt it was silly how he always ended up on the top rope to give to someone his flying splash. On the other hand, Rogan was a big fan of Bob Backland, whose style was more based in reality.
Figure Four Leglock: The general consensus here is this move would hurt but there is nothing stopping the other person from just getting up and getting out of the hold. The person could also reverse this by putting a heel hook on the wrestler putting the move on. They were using an HBK figure four leglock as an example, however.
John Cena’s STF: Real move and would totally mess a person up.
They discussed others but those were the only clear conclusions they reached.
– In the latest edition of their “Fantasy Warfare” series WWE posted a video teasing a potential match-up between Rey Mysterio and current WWE Champion AJ Styles. Check it out here below:
– Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman took to Twitter and revealed that he’s related to one of the victims of this week’s Florida high school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Waltman revealed that one of the 14-year-old victims was the daughter of his mother’s niece:
Ronda Rousey’s in-ring debut for WWE is expected to take place at WrestleMania 34. Reported plans have Rousey teaming with a mystery partner against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Sports Illustrated is reporting that there are four names that WWE is currently considering to partner with Rousey at “The Show Of Shows.”
Those names, in order of WWE’s preference, are The Rock, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon, and Seth Rollins. It’s also possible that top WWE officials already know who Rousey’s partner will be. WWE would like for The Rock to partner with Rousey as a way to continue on from the foursome’s encounter at WrestleMania 31. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more…
WWE Superstar Rusev recently did an interview with Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Bulgarian Brute” discussed what “Rusev Day” meant to him and the passion behind it:
“It’s more than just a catchphrase – it’s a mentality. t’s celebrating yourself; celebrating who you are. It’s more than just catchphrase. If you think about it, it’s Rusev Day. So it’s more than that. People understand that, and the passion behind it. That’s why people get behind it, and it’s just been amazing to see.”
Rusev also said that he feels very proud that the “Rusev Day” chant has really taken off with the WWE Universe:
“It just makes me proud. Every time I hear someone say ‘Rusev Day’, it makes me smile. The fact that I was a bad guy, a foreigner that never wanted – that wanted to get out of there , to be able to just have fun, to be ‘you’. It’s good, man. It’s a good feeling. It’s the best time of my career, the most fun of my career. Right along the time I was feuding with Lana.”
He also revealed that his initial pairing with Aiden English was meant to be a joke, but the pair ended up hitting it off:
“I have no idea whose idea it was. It was uh… it was supposed to be a joke, a one-time thing. But then we just hit it off. It was right; the chemistry – and we were playing off each other. The people started loving it since the beginning. So it was a no-brainer for us to be together, for us to keep doing magic.”
You can read Rusev’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.
Former WWE Superstar Rosa Mendes recently did an interview with Press Box Online to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Mendes opened up on her longtime friendship with former WWE Divas Champion Paige:
“Paige and I are soul sisters. She has a heart of gold. When friends go through hard times, it’s important to be there for them, but it’s also important to step away when they need space. If your friendship is strong enough to withstand obstacles, then I feel that those obstacles will bring you closer together. I’m so happy that her and I reconnected.
“When I was going through my own problems, [Natalya] was there for me, and I don’t know what I would have done without her at that time in my life. She’s been a true friend for so many years. That’s what being a true friend is all about — being there when someone needs you, not when their friendship can benefit you.”
Mendes also offered her thoughts on the current Women’s Revolution in professional wrestling:
“All of the girls are so unique and different that I can’t pinpoint one match and one particular moment, because I had so many great experiences. WWE female superstars are extraordinary women. WWE has done such an amazing job finding women that have the most unbelievably dedicated work ethic and knowledge. The sacrifices and hard work that it takes to become a superstar and to make it on TV, it’s more than a lot of the [fans] know about.
“I’m glad that Total Divas and Total Bellas can show them a bit of what it’s like behind the scenes. My favorite memories in WWE? I feel like I need to write a book, because I’ve had so many amazing memories and funny stories that I would love to share — 10 years of them! [Laughs]”
She was also asked about a potential return to the ring – to which she said she wouldn’t rule anything out:
“Never say never!”
You can read Mendes’ full interview with Press Box Online by clicking this link here.
– Per a report from Rajah, Rey Mysterio is expected to sign some sort of a deal with WWE soon. If it doesn’t happen this year then it’s expected it could happen in 2019. It’s very possible he could sign a term-style deal similar to Chris Jericho, which would also allow him to work elsewhere. While that would be an ideal scenario for Mysterio it’s unclear if WWE would want to do something like that, especially since everything needs to be approved by Vince McMahon.
– The Rock recently took to Instagram to post how important his time is to him now at this point in his career. Here’s what he had to say:
“Reached a point in my career where my most important currency, is my time.
If I’m giving you my time, then you get me at 100%, fully committed and a passionate SOB who’s going all in. So be protective of your time. It’s the one thing we can control where it goes and who gets it. Thank you to the multiple teams of people who worked so hard to make our Super Bowl launch of #SKYSCRAPER a success.”
NJPW wrestler, Michael Elgin, has filed a defamation lawsuit against a female wrestler who accused him of covering up an assault committed by a wrestler he was involved in training.
Elgin’s lawyer issued a press release regarding the filing of the lawsuit.
“It is really unfortunate it has come to this,” said Elgin’s lawyer, Steven Kratky. “Some claims *Name Removed* is making about my client are flat-out lies and misleading falsehoods. Mike really struggled with this decision, but ultimately realized that he had no other choice to conclusively establish the truth and clear his name,” the release continued.
Michael Elgin Leaked Text Messages
The party named in the defamation lawsuit posted several text messages from Elgin. These texts featured Elgin speaking poorly of her and his tag-team partner in the NJPW World Tag League, Jeff Cobb. Elgin has since apologized for his comments.
Elgin’s accuser claims he covered up a sexual assault involving a wrestler he was training.
“Look, Mike is only suing to establish the truth: that he is not an abuser, did not abuse Ms. Woodward, and did not cover-up a sexual assault,” Kratky said. “The only way to properly do that is through the judicial process.”
The press release continues:
“The lawsuit also alleges that *Name Removed*, has placed him in a false light by wrongly associating his name with men who sexually assault women and in opposition to the “Me Too” movement, and publicly disclosed private facts.”
Somehow, the mild-mannered mayoral candidate from Knox County, Glenn Jacobs, has booked both Kane and the Undertaker to appear at his fundraising event on March 1st, 2018.
The event page states this is the first time both Kane and the Undertaker have appeared together for a non-wrestling event. Tickets sold out in just hours.
Tickets for the event range from $50 dollars $150. Those who purchased tickets at $60 and above are also able to attend a live recording of the “Talk is Jericho” podcast with host, Chris Jericho.
From the Eventbrite page:
“Glenn Jacobs for Knox County Mayor is proud to welcome WWE Superstars Kane & The Undertaker. These men have served as the corner stones of WWE for over two decades. Both were highly decorated champions as individuals and were also members of the most prolific tag team in WWE history, the Brothers of Destruction.
This event marks the first time that the two have ever appeared together outside of the ring and we want you to be a part of this special occasion.”
Ric Flair has had a busy week. He spent the early week hanging out with his friend, Hulk Hogan. The pair was interviewed by TMZ reporters as Flair talked openly about the support Hogan has given him over the years. Flair also attempted to market “Space Mountain” contracts earlier this week until WWE asked him to remove the items from RicFlairShop.com.
Yesterday, the 16x world champion appeared on the morning rock radio show, Justin Scott & Speigel. Amongst other topics Flair spoke on, he named the guys he would most want to have in the 4 Horsemen if the group are still active today.
Talk of the 4 Horseman starts at the 3:55 mark in the video below:
Ric Flair Modern Day 4 Horseman
The first on Flair’s list is not much of a surprise. Dolph Ziggler has been compared to Flair and Shawn Michaels much of his career, as both were obvious influences on his style.
“The first guy I would take is Dolph Ziggler.” Flair stated. “The second guy would be Seth Rollins.”
Rollins is also a natural choice for the group but many fans won’t be happy with Flair’s 3rd choice.
“God I haven’t had too much fun with him, but I’m sure he’d be great Roman Reigns. Roman is a trooper. I got to be careful with what I say because God forbid anyone have any fun anymore.”
After Reigns, Flair announced Randy Orton would also be a natural for the group:
“Oh God, he would run from me but Randy Orton for sure. But he is so married now and so laid back and having a good time. Make no mistake Randy Orton right now is still the best wrestler in wrestling”
– It looks Ronda Rousey will have a big role at SummerSlam later this year.
On Twitter, ESPN.com senior writer Arash Markazi gave fans a look at the ticket he ordered and received for SummerSlam and Rousey is among the 16 WWE Superstars featured on the lenticular collector ticket.
The first look at a WWE SummerSlam ticket featuring Ronda Rousey. The event takes place August 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/Um9lfmVGsI
SummerSlam comes to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for a fourth consecutive year on Sunday, Aug. 19.
– After spending a romantic evening with Stephanie McMahon on Valentine’s Day, Triple H decided to work out. Here is his latest “Midnight Workout” clip.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfN6EpWll5S/
– Coming off WWE’s announcement on Monday that former Women’s Champion Ivory will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, the company uploaded a rare video of Ivory wrestling for the American Wrestling Association (AWA).
This clip is from an episode of AWA: All Star Wrestling, which aired on syndication on Aug. 25, 1989. Competing under the name Tina Moretti, she defends the Ladies Sports Club Championship.
– After pinning Akira Tozawa on 205 Live on Tuesday night, Mark Andrews will be a regular in the cruiserweight division going forward.
On Thursday, WWE added Andrews to the 205 Live roster listed on WWE.com. This also means he’s an official WWE Superstar since he’s listed on the current roster as well. You can view his profile here.
Andrews pinned Tozawa to advance to the second round of the 16-man Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. There is no word yet on who he will be facing.
– Stephanie McMahon is getting ready for WrestleMania. On Thursday night, the WWE executive and performer posted her latest “Midnight Workout” video, which shows her doing mini hurdle hops with a box jump and double banded TKE goblet squats.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfPpAc7B8Eo/
– Becky Lynch is trying to bring more attention to her real name, Rebecca Quin. The WWE star recently changed the name listed on her Twitter account (@BeckyLynchWWE) to her real name, Rebecca Quin. She also goes under her real name on Instagram, although she’s had it listed for a few years.
Impact Wrestling will be returning to pay-per-view in April. The company has announced plans to host “Impact Redemption” on Aprill 22nd, 2018 in Orland Florida.
There had been some talk of holding the event in Toronto, Impact’s home base, but ultimately the decision was made to return to Orlando. The promotion will also be airing several live events in March on Twitch TV.
BREAKING NEWS: Our first new tent-pole PPV event since 2005 – REDEMPTION – will take place in Orlando, FL on April 22nd. Make your plans now to join us for a huge night! pic.twitter.com/dBICjY9EqB
Impact wrestling has undergone several changes so far in 2018. The company’s new management team has stressed it will take some time for the promotion to achieve its new vision. They have also stressed they are hoping to give the brand a global feel, give freelancing wrestlers more freedom, and bring in wrestlers from international promotions.
Impact Wrestling’s 3-person leadership team now consists of Don Callis, Scott D’Amore, and Ed Nordholm.
Billy Gunn joined Steve Austin on his podcast, where they discussed the differences between today’s WWE and the company that was operating in the 90s. The main highlights from the episode revolve around the negative aspect of WWE from twenty odd years ago, which Steve Austin described as stone age compared to today.
Stone Cold describes how he was treated after a career defining injury during his match with Owen Hart:
“Back in the day, when I got dropped on my head, the thing with Owen, God rest his soul, and so anyway, that jacked me up. I mean, it was heavy duty, but I was like, ‘I’ve got to finish this match,’ but nothing would work! So anyway, you know the deal, I rolled him up, called it in the ring, and got out.”
Austin continued and explains how he never got paid when he was injured, or required surgery.
“I didn’t [get paid] either, not on my surgery in 1999, 2000, whenever I got fused up. This was before they would start paying guys. Let’s just say it was like the stone ages compared to now. These days, everything’s all covered. Back in the day, dude, when I had my neck surgery, I was gone for about a year. Zero. I got a royalty check every quarter, but I mean nothing.”
Furthermore, Austin reveals that no one from the company attended him to the hospital after the match.
“There I go, I get x-rayed and there were no MRIs. Nothing’s broken. I bruised my spinal cord. I’ve got a bunch of stuff going on. I walk outside the hospital, [and] ain’t nobody from the company come with me. I’m sitting there, I’m all messed up, and three girls had followed the ambulance to the hospital. I walked out to no support there! ‘Steve, do you want a ride back to the hotel?’ ‘Yeah!’ I got in the car with them. They took me by the liquor store. I got my 12-pack of Budweiser. They took me back to the Holiday Inn right by the Newark [New Jersey] airport there. You stay there, dude. And I remember, I was effed up.” Steve continued, “dude, I was traumatized! I just sat there and drank that 12-pack of beer. I’ll never forget it. I thought a lot of things about my career, but I drank that dang 12-pack and I was thinking, ‘holy s–t! That was a rough ride!'”
The other interesting topic that the two legends discuss is the exposure and use of drugs. While Stone Cold explains that alcohol was “his thing”, Billy Gunn detailed his battles with pills.
“I’m a recovering addict, so I’ve been clean for seven years, but when you hurt, you don’t think about it too much and there are easier ways to do it. If I just take this, I don’t have to worry about going and getting a massage or going to a chiropractor or going to a doctor. I just mask it with this. So then you mask it so long and then it catches up with you. But now, nowadays, that’s not an option […] you doctor hunt, you have scripts all over the place, you buy them from people you don’t even know and hope to God that they work because it was really bad. I had left the company. It was just everything was going awry. Like, it was one thing and all going downhill. All addicts do, in my case because that’s all I talk about, is I’m just trying to cover things up. I don’t want to think about them, but when I come out of that, they’re still there, so you just keep covering and they never go away and then it’s worse and worse and worse till your consumption goes more and more and more. I couldn’t keep pills around for [anything], like going through 100 somas in three days. That’s insane.”
Opinion:
These kind of insights show just how far WWE has come in terms of care for their talent. It’s shocking, yet fascinating to hear about the conditions. But it also begs the question, is there too much pressure within WWE, causing superstars to break moral (and now contractual) codes/rules?
WWE has announced the release of Rich Swann A statement at WWE.com notes that Swann and WWE “mutually agreed” on his departure.
The company wished him “the best in all of his future endeavors” – but still decided to release him on his birthday (February 15th).
The former Cruiserweight champion was arrested back in December for a domestic incident that included charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.
Those charges were dropped last month after Swann reconciled with his partner and there was insufficient evidence for police to continue pursuing the matter.
Upon the battery/kidnapping charges being dropped, Swann’s lawyer commented that he was hopeful about a WWE return.
