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Mick Foley Reacts To Ric Flair’s Recent Comments About Him

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Mick Foley has responded to recent comments made by Ric Flair on a recent episode of his WOOOOO! Nation podcast. In response to Mick Foley’s critcism of WWE creative, Flair said:

“The problem I have is [Foley is] not there. Like, to me, Mick has become a Monday morning quarterback. He’s only observing what he’s watching on TV. Do you know what I mean? And I don’t think it’s fair to the company to be ostracized or scrutinized by someone that’s not there…[Foley]’s just saying ‘this can happen’, but if [he is] not there on top of it, watching it take place or unfold or come together, whatever the terminology would be, it’s just hard for me to understand how you sit back and critique it.”

Mick Foley has since responded to fans asking him about what Flair said about him. Foley issued the following response on Facebook on Tuesday morning:

BEING FAIR TO FLAIR

Based on the cavalcade of comments I received beginning with the words “Did you hear what Ric Flair said?”, I thought I would eventually have to respond. But there’s no story here. Ric’s criticism of me was mild at best; besides he’s Ric Flair. He’s pretty much earned the right to speak his mind about anything he wants in the wrestling world.

I had the right to criticize WWE, which I did…

Ric Flair had the right to criticize my criticism of WWE, which he did…

But when we get to a point where I start criticizing Ric Flair’s criticism of me criticizing the WWE, the whole thing starts to sound pretty silly, doesn’t it?

So let’s not go there.

Instead of addressing a situation that isn’t actually there, let me share a little Foley-Flair story with you: following the Natalya vs Charlotte WWE NXT match at NXT Takeover on May 29th, 2014 – the match I still consider to be THE game-changer in?#?WomensWrestling? in WWE – I spent several hours (more hours than any writing project I’ve done in the last three years) trying to express just how meaningful that match had been. I received a message from Charlotte telling me how much she appreciated my words, and I wrote back “You know, your dad and I might not agree on much…but we both believe in you.”

WOOOOO!

Rey Mysterio Explains Why He Signed With Lucha Underground Instead Of Returning To WWE

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Rey Mysterio recently appeared on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast and commented on why he decided to join Lucha Underground instead of returning to WWE.

“This is the style that I grew up (in), the style that I started training, this is my base, my fundamental,” Mysterio said. “I never dreamed of going to WWE or WCW, my dream was always making it to CMLL because AAA didn’t exist back then. And then, next thing you know AAA started, the opportunity came.”

“My base was always high-flying. I always wanted to get the opportunity to show the world what I can do. So there was no other company out there that was displaying that but Lucha Underground. When I saw the first season, I was blown away.”

Rey made his Lucha Underground debut at Saturday night’s Season 2 TV tapings.

King Barrett Injured Again, Steve Austin Reviews WWE TLC PPV, “Happy Holidays” From WWE

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https://youtu.be/eIkU9Si2pTQ

– WWE posted the above video to wish the WWE Universe “Happy Holidays.”

– King Barrett is suffering from an injury of some kind, which is why he was noticably absent from Monday’s RAW. Barrett was at the TLC pay-per-view on Sunday, but was reportedly already dealing with the injury. The severity of the injury isn’t clear, although F4WOnline.com is reporting that more details regarding Barrett’s injury should become available soon.

– On the latest edition of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast, which is available now at PodcastOne.com, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is joined by Wade Keller of PWTorch.com for an extensive review of Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view. The official description for the episode reads as follows:

“Wade Keller of PWTorch.com fame breaks down the WWE “TLC” Pay-Per-View with Steve Austin. Hear their take on the Usos opening match, Lana & Rusev, Ryback, Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger, the 8-man tag team elimination match & why Bubba Ray Dudley was the key to it all, Ric Flair’s appearance, Charlotte & Paige, and Sheamus vs Roman Reigns. Steve also has a special shout-out for Triple H & Stephanie McMahon, and a prediction for what might happen at Wrestlemania 32 in Texas.”

Finn Balor On Who He Thinks Will Be Next Main Roster Call-Ups From NXT

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NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Kerrang.com to promote the ongoing NXT U.K. Tour and Wednesday’s NXT TakeOver: London special. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his fsvorite all-time wrestling entrance:

“Stone Cold Steve Austin, when the glass breaks. It just gets you every time, doesn’t matter if it’s a small house show or a big-bang show, just once the glass breaks it gets everyone riled-up, so that’s easy!”

On his picks regarding who WWE will call up to the main roster next from NXT:

“I think there’s some very obvious ones, like Apollo Crews, but two for me that have really started to stand out in recent times are Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, as a tag team. I think someone who I don’t think gets enough credit is Aiden English, and I think in the future he’s definitely one of the unsung heroes of NXT – and I think he has a very bright future, be it as a tag-team wrestler, as he is currently, or as a singles wrestler in the future.”

On what fans should expect from an NXT show:

“Well I always like to describe NXT as more of a rock’n’roll wrestling show. It has that kinda underground, indie feel that I was so accustomed to in the independent circuits that I loved so much. So, for me, it’s been a beautiful coming together of working with the WWE but also still having that raw organic feel of being an independent, so that’s the one thing that makes NXT so different than anywhere else. It’s kinda having the hybrid of both very different styles.”

Photo: Roman Reigns’ Face After Stephanie McMahon Slap-Fest On RAW

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Prior to capturing the WWE World Heavyweight championship on RAW, Roman Reigns first had to go through one of his toughest challenges to date – the McMahons. The opening segment of the show saw Reigns go face to face with The Authority’s Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie unleashed a barrage of bitchslaps to the former Shield member that began to swell up immediately.

Later in the show, Reigns would get kicked in the nuts by the Chairman of the Board, Vince McMahon.

WWE posted the following on Instagram of Reigns’ face shortly after getting slapped around by Stephanie.

@stephaniemcmahon left her mark on #RomanReigns! #WWE #Raw

A photo posted by WWE (@wwe) on

AJ Styles Says He Hasn’t Been Contacted By WWE, But Would Like A WrestleMania Moment

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AJ Styles appeared on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast to clear the air about the rumors of his injuries keeping him from competing at ROH’s Final Battle and New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 10. Other topics discussed include whether or not he’s been contacted by WWE, the infamous Claire Lynch angle in TNA, if he would work for Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling and much more. You can listen to the full episode at Podomatic.com. Here are some highlights:

Has there been a pursued interest by WWE to get you into NXT and join both Samoa Joe and James Storm:

“I haven’t had a call from someone who wants to hire me so nothing really and I’m okay with that and that’s not a big deal to me. I think it’s more of the fans wanting something like this to happen than what I am wanting to happen. I want to be able to retire in a couple of years so I am going to go wherever that takes me. But I have no problem doing the Independents, I love it. I have a great time on the Indies. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to wrestle a lot of great wrestlers.  Also doing Ring of Honor and Japan that’s a good combination. ”

Before you retire do you even want a full time spot in NXT since that seems to be the gateway to superstardom in the WWE: 

“Like I said before, I want to support my family and I am going to go wherever that takes me. Would I like to have a “WrestleMania moment”? Sure. But I am very content with having a “Wrestle Kingdom moment” in front of 60,000 fans. I think that is pretty awesome walking down that long ramp of the Tokyo Dome in probably one of the bigger matches on the show. There is probably a couple other people out there that want to do the same thing.”

On the botched and now infamous Claire Lynch Saga in TNA:

“You’ve got to understand that it was going to be a great storyline and the little things that needed to be in the story to make it work weren’t. “Claire” had to be the niece of Dixie Carter, that was very important. Because why would AJ care? I would never stick my neck out for someone who was a family friend because what’s that got to do with me? Why would you just help them. Where if it was her (Dixie’s) niece that the key would be to keep her from bad publicity and I’ll make sure that no one knows about it. That was a big deal and also Claire had to be smoking hot. I mean unbelievably hot, to the point where you go “wow, if AJ did have sex with her I don’t blame him”. That’s what we needed to have but it was quite the opposite. So it was the little things that destroyed that momentum that we had and people thought I may be with Dixie and it was a great thing and we had all that momentum and “this Claire” comes out and screws it all up.”

How he approached the Hogan/Bischoff ERA in TNA and his reaction to Hulk Hogan’s lack of enthusiasm to promote TNA on outside media appearances: 

“First of all, I just tried to stay positive. Pretty much anything Hulk Hogan touched at least at the beginning turned to gold. But it didn’t obviously because I don’t think he knew the roster that was in front of him and that was the problem. The names, the people who were the “brand names” of TNA that they had no idea who they were. If they didn’t know who they were they just did whatever they wanted with it. They wanted me to dye my hair blonde and be “Little Ric” and just because they didn’t know me. Instead of being Ric Flair I needed to be AJ Styles with Ric Flair. Being with Ric I’ll hopefully get the rub from Ric there is no doubt about that and Fortune could have been great but they broke up Fortune a little bit too early and we were really getting some steam and they broke us up and noting came about it. It was things like that that got weird and Hogan seemed like he didn’t have much to do with TNA and seemed like he was embarrassed of the show because he never said anything about TNA at all. Even when he was on shows he just never mentioned it. I believe that he was ashamed of what was on TV. I believe if TNA were doing a lot better he would have been a lot more gung-ho about saying a lot more about it but he didn’t say a word and it bothered me but thinking back I understand it now.”

Has Jeff Jarrett approached AJ about joining Global Force Wrestling and his relationship with Jeff:

“It’s a good relationship. I think a lot of Jeff. He put me on top in TNA, we’ve had our weird moments with Jeff being the boss but for the most part it’s very positive and I’ll never forget what Jeff has done for me and gave me an opportunity and gave me a stage to make AJ Styles a name. We had talked about it (competing in GFW) when it was first getting started but with Ring of Honor and New Japan I had no time for pretty much anything else. Just schedule wise it never really came about that I could be on it. ”

AJ Styles full career is chronicled in a FULL ONE HOUR interview with TMPToW. He covers all his feuds in TNA, NJPW, ROH and so much more. 

Full Details On The 2015 Slammy Awards: Voting Now Open

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WWE SLAMMY AWARDS VOTING NOW OPEN THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

STAMFORD, CONN., Dec. 14, 2015 – WWE’s 2015 Slammy Awards will be held during Monday Night Raw next Monday, December 21, live at 8pm ET/PT as part of WWE Week on USA Network.  WWE’s version of the Oscars, the annual fan-voted awards honor the best of the year with their own golden statue in 18 categories.  For the first time in Slammy Award history, voting will take place exclusively through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram beginning tonight during Monday Night Raw for 10 of the categories including:

  • WWE Superstar of the Year, every WWE Superstar on the roster is an eligible nominee for the first time
  • WWE Tag Team of the Year
  • Hashtag of the Year
  • Celebrity Moment of the Year
  • “Tell Me You Didn’t Just Say That” Moment of the Year
  • Best John Cena United States Championship Open Challenge Match of the Year
  • Rivalry of the Year
  • Double Cross of the Year
  • Surprise Return of the Year
  • Best Original WWE Network Show

On Monday, December 21, fans can vote for the remaining eight categories exclusively through the WWE App during The Slammy Awards, live during Monday Night Raw on USA Network, where nine awards will be handed out, including the coveted WWE Superstar of the Year honor.  Additional awards to be handed out that evening include:

  • Match of the Year
  • WWE Diva of the Year
  • Breakout Star of the Year
  • LOL Moment of the Year
  • Extreme Moment of the Year
  • “This is Awesome” Moment of the Year
  • The OMG Shocking Moment of the Year
  • The Hero Award presented by Coca-Cola

During the day on Monday, December 21, WWE.com will the reveal winners in the following categories:

  • WWE Tag Team of the Year
  • Hashtag of the Year
  • Celebrity Moment of the Year
  • “Tell Me You Didn’t Just Say That” Moment of the Year
  • Best John Cena United States Championship Open Challenge Match of the Year

Before Monday Night Raw kicks-off, winners in the following four categories will be unveiled on WWE Network during the Slammy Award Pre-Show at 7:30pm ET:

  • Rivalry of the Year
  • Double Cross of the Year
  • Surprise Return of the Year
  • Best Original WWE Network Show

For voting guidelines and nominees, click here.

Monday Night Raw on USA is the most-watched, regularly scheduled, year-round program on cable, with a live three-hour block every Monday night, 52 weeks a year.  RAW has been a cable mainstay for more than 20 years and is consistently a top ten show on television.

Mauro Ranallo On Michael Cole Helping Him Get WWE Job, If He’ll Change His Name

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The new lead voice of WWE SmackDown, Mauro Ranallo, spoke with The Sporting News shortly after the announcement was made that he had signed with WWE. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how he got the WWE announcing job:

“Yeah, this has been an expedited process to say the least. About a month and a half ago, maybe even less, it’s been a whirlwind, I was contacted by Michael Cole. In addition to being the voice of the WWE, he also oversees all of the on-air talent. He emailed me to gauge my interest in working for the company which I found to be flattering and very surprising that at this stage of my career. Needless to say, I said I was very interested because anyone who knows me and has followed my career knows how much sports entertainment — WWE — has been a big part of my life as a fan. Even in my combat sports commentary, the myriad of references I’ve made to my first love are very evident. After I contacted Michael Cole and talked to him in person and understood exactly what they were offering and what they wanted me to do with the company, it really took off from there.”

On if we will see his same persona in WWE:

“Fair question and I think it begins with the fact that I will be known as Mauro Ranallo on SmackDown. I understand why they want to change people’s names and want to give them their own identity but the fact that they respect my breath of work and respect what I’ve done over the last 30 years as a broadcaster already puts me in a proper mindset. I’m going to call WWE like I call everything. Yes, I’m going to be passionate. Yes, I’m going to be excited but at the same time I’m hoping to get better as a storyteller and I’m hoping to complement the people I work with who have been doing this a lot longer than I have. “

Seth Rollins, Sheamus & More React To Roman Reigns Winning The WWE Championship

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Here are sone Twitter reactions from WWE talent following Roman Reigns’ championship win on RAW.

https://twitter.com/ReneeYoungWWE/status/676615445227692033

Video: Roman Reigns WWE Title Celebration After RAW

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After Monday’s WWE RAW from Philadelphia, PA went off the air, Reigns’ cousins The Usos and Dean Ambrose came to the ring to celebrate with Roman Reigns.

The new WWE World Heavyweight champion cut a promote talking about what a wild ride it’s been this year. He said he’s come along way since being rejected by fans after winning the 2015 Royal Rumble back in January and that reaction inspired him to work harder and push himself to greatness.

Reigns wished his daughter happy birthday once again and celebrated with fans to end the show.

Roman Reigns Wins WWE World Heavyweight Title (Video)

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After being screwed once again at the WWE TLC pay-per-view on Sunday night, Roman Reigns received one final chance to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion on Monday night.

Thankfully, that’s all it took, or he’d be out of a job right now.

Roman Reigns defeated Sheamus on Monday night’s post-TLC edition of RAW in a match made by Vince McMahon that included a stipulation that would see Reigns “fired” from WWE if he lost.

McMahon made his return on RAW, interrupting a live match between R-Truth and Bo Dallas and simply telling them to get out of his ring. He then proceeded to address the Reigns attack of his son-in-law, Triple H, at TLC.

It was at this point that fans got to see some vintage “Mr. McMahon,” and it eventually led to Reigns coming to the ring and the two having a bit of an old Austin-McMahon type of RAW segment. Eventually, Reigns punked McMahon with old age jokes until he agreed to give him a title shot tonight.

For detailed WWE RAW results from Monday night, click here.

WWE RAW Results – December 14, 2015

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WWE RAW Results (December 14, 2015)
From the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Report by Jason Powell and ProWrestling.net

Stephanie McMahon & Roman Reigns Kick Off RAW

The post-TLC edition of RAW opens with a lengthy video package focusing on Roman Reigns snapping and attacking Triple H at last night’s PPV. From there, Stephanie McMahon’s music hits and she makes her way down to the ring as the announcers welcome us to the show and talk more about Reigns’ attack of HHH last night.

Stephanie said powerful women are still viewed as cold and ruthless. She said she’s just like the fans if you take away the money and the education. She spoke about not knowing what to tell her children when their father was spitting up blood in the hospital all night. Stephanie said Reigns left her no choice.

Roman Reigns’ music interrupted Stephanie and he made his way through the crowd and to the ring while Cole questioned whether this would be the last time we see him on Raw. Cole and JBL agreed that Reigns crossed the line by attacking “the boss.” After a staredown, Reigns said he is a father and today and his daughter’s birthday. He looked into the camera and told his daughter that he loves her and he can’t wait to see her. Reigns then said he doesn’t feel bad about kicking Triple H’s ass.

Stephanie asked Reigns how it would feel for his wife to look into his girl’s eyes and explain a beating that he took. Stephanie told him he better have something sharp to say because she’s ready. Reigns said he’s a little short on time and said if she is going to fire him, “then fire me, please.” Stephanie told Reigns to accept responsibility for his loss. She called him a failure and a disgrace. Reigns laughed off the idea of Stephanie calling him a disgrace. Reigns said the entire McMahon family is a disgrace. The fans chanted “Yes!”

Stephanie slapped Reigns, who smiled at her. She slapped him again and he smiled. Stephanie slapped Reigns repeatedly. He didn’t smile. Stephanie said “just one more thing.” She slapped him again. Stephanie said she’s not going to fire Reigns because her husband asked her not to, but she said there’s someone on his way to the the building who just might – Vincent Kennedy McMahon…

The broadcast team spoke about the segment and then hyped new Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose in action after the break.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose

When we return from the break, Dolph Ziggler’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Out next is his opponent for this evening, the new WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose.

The crowd was hot for Ambrose, who was in control heading into a break. [C] Ambrose leapt off the ropes and into a dropkick from Ziggler, who scored a near fall moments later. Ziggler went for a superkick, but Ambrose avoided him and then face planted him. Ambrose performed a missile dropkick and followed with a clothesline and a bulldog for a two count.

[Q3] With both men down, Kevin Owens entered the ring and threw Ziggler to ringside. The referee called for the bell.

Winner: No Contest

After The Match: The Action Continues

After the match, Owens attacked Ambrose and put him down with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Owens walked to ringside and grabbed the IC Title belt, then returned to the ring and looked at it while standing on Ambrose’s hand. Owens picke dup Ambrose and gave him another Pop-Up Powerbomb. Ziggler returned and attacked Owens, who cut him off with a kick to the knee. Ambrose picked up Ziggler and powerbombed him onto Ambrose.

JoJo Interviews Kevin Owens

Backstage, JoJo interviewed Kevin Owens, who said he doesn’t have to justify himself to her or anyone. Owens said it was only the beginning. He said he won’t stop until he drives Ambrose insane and puts him in an institution, and takes back his Intercontinental Title…

Team ECW Backsrtage Promo

Backstage, Team ECW delivered a promo. They spoke about getting knocked down and how they always keep fighting. There were ECW clips of each man shown throughout the segment. Bubba Ray Dudley told Bray Wyatt to bring his family and they will bring their family. Devon said they are going to take this city to the extreme… [C]

Trailer For New Chris Candido Documentary, Tammy “Sunny” Sytch Lashes Out At Candido Family

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A documentary on the life and career of the late Chris Candido is set to be released sometime in 2016, and an extended trailer is now available above. Mick Foley, Balls Mahoney and Shane Douglas are among the wrestlers interviewed for the project.

Following news of the project, Candido’s long-time girlfriend Tammy “Sunny” Sytch lashed out at the Candido family on Twitter. She was not asked to be part of the documentary.

Sytch accuses Candido’s brother of being a drug addict, and claims she has never used a recreational drug in her life. She went on to say that “no one loved [Candido] more than [her].” Her claims contradict numerous first-hand stories from wrestlers on YouTube (1, 2, 3, 4) about her cheating on Candido, sometimes in exchange for recreational drugs.

Here’s what she had to say on Twitter:

In addition to her Tweets, Sytch also took to her Facebook to air out her frustrations with being excluded from the documentary:

a message to all of Chris Candido’s family and friends: Go watch the trailer, that his drug addict of a brother made.. it is all bullshit. They NEVER supported him, in anything he did, unless they could gloat about his WWF status… and get free tickets…. I WAS THERE! I lived it with him for 16 years. I was there for the good and bad, and horrible… He died doing what he loved to do. And for 10 years now, I get blamed for not getting him to the hospital soon enough, while the doc reassured me there was nothing I could do. Shame on me. Fuck you all who think otherwise… those who know me, and him, know the REAL story.. so go support a false documentary about his life….and make the family that didn’t give a shit about him, money…..sad bastards, the are. If you remember correctly, I have NEVER tried to profit off of his death, while many others have… MANY! So many “memorial shows”..where did that money go?? not to me!! not to pay his outstanding bills??!! Nowhere, but to the ‘promoter’s pocket’ I wasnt even given an option on his burial… i was told he was being cremated, and had no say b/c we weren’t legally married,,, yeah, that was my “family”.. fuck them all…. Tamara Lynn Sytch

After overcoming his addictions and signing with TNA, Candido passed away in 2005 when a freak in-ring injury lead to a blood clot in his leg.

Sheamus On Forming The League Of Nations, Becky Lynch’s Future & More

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WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus recently spoke with Mike Jones of DC 101 about the TLC pay-per-view, Becky Lynch’s future in WWE, forming the League Of Nations faction and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On putting it all on the line at TLC:

“It’s the most important prize in WWE, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. You’ll do anything and everything to keep it and to get it and that includes putting your body on the line and doing whatever it takes. That’s what happened last night, I did whatever it took to walk away champ.”

On Becky Lynch’s future in WWE:

“She’s a bit lost there with Charlotte because they’re mates but trust me, I’ll have a word with Becky to toughen her up, that she has to stand up for herself. Becky Lynch is a future WWE Divas Champion, there’s no doubt about it. She’s been wrestling for years, she’s got great passion, great technique, she’s a great technical wrestler, and she’s tough as nails as well.”

On forming the League of Nations:

“There’s a lot of heavyweights in there, in terms of gold and honor, and we all share the same interests. We’re tired of fighting against each other when we should have been fighting together.”

On why Roman Reigns didn’t see the Money In The Bank cash in coming when he won the title:

“Everything around you just disappears. The crowd disappears and all you focus on is that one thing. You set yourself a goal and keep going for it, you don’t reach it, you don’t reach it, and you finally do. Everything else becomes invisible, and he was lost in the moment.”

John Cena Talks Retirement, Molding Talent & More

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John Cena recently spoke with the Wall Street Journal to promote his role in the new comedy movie Sisters.  Cena has been away from WWE television since Hell in a Cell back in October and commented on his eventual retirement from the ring.

During the final stretch of his WWE career, Cena is looking to change gears and spend as much time as he can molding younger talent. After that, he says he’d be interested in sitting behind the announcer’s desk.

“I’ve always sworn to myself that if I can’t keep up with the current level athletically, it’s my time to take another role, whether that’s commentating on the matches or stepping behind the curtain and molding younger talent,” Cena said.

“I always want to do whatever I can to help the industry. I see firsthand how happy we make kids and families. When you get a kid to sit down and have a conversation with [their] Superman, it’s the coolest thing. It makes their day. That’s a pretty cool, unique thing.”

Cena also talked about his transition from action films to comedies like Sisters and Trainwreck.

“You run from explosions, beat people up. I do that now with 20,000 people cheering me on every night,” Cena said of the action roles “not making much sense” to him.

NXT Live Events Announced For Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit & More

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Road trip! On Monday, Triple H announced five NXT live events that will take place ‘on the road’ next month. Here’s the schedule:

  • January 14: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Turner Hall Ballroom)
  • January 15: Green Bay, Wisconsin (Shopko Hall)
  • January 16: Chicago, Illinois (Portage Theater)
  • January 29: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Stage AP)
  • January 30: Detroit, Michigan (Royal Oak Music Theater)

Tickets for all of these shows are on sale this Friday (12/18) via Ticketmaster.com.

Jim Ross Blog: TLC Fallout, WWE Signing Mauro Ranallo

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog over at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on last night’s TLC pay-per-view. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus:

“Sheamus and Reigns went strong style in the WWE Title Match with TLC Rules. I’d certainly hope that logic prevails and neither wrestle tonight especially if Reigns is forced to wrestle in a handicap match for punishment which seems to be worn thin. The post match execution and presentation focusing on an outraged animal, Reigns, was the best Roman has arguably ever looked as a fan favorite. Hopefully, Reigns won’t wrestle tonight on RAW especially in the handicap, punishment matches that are often used or made to do any long promos on RAW. Think Eastwood, a badass dude who lets his actions do most of the talking.”

Reigns Destroying Triple H:

“HHH sold magnificently for what was being done to him. Text book example of how important ‘selling’ is today and forever in the wrestling business. The Reigns vs. Authority storyline feels a great deal like Austin-McMahon back in the day, but that formula worked because it was organic, logical and well executed. Can Roman and the Authority replicate with comparable success? If they can they that will solve many creative debates. The follow-up on TV with Reigns is imperative Monday night on RAW. No room for error after last night. Momentum can be lost as quickly as it is earned.”

WWE Signing Mauro Ranallo:

“Congrats to my pal Mauro Ranallo for nabbing the lead Smackdown broadcaster role beginning in January when Smackdown moves to the USA Network. Mauro is a great broadcaster who will immediately enhance the sound of SD and make for a more unique audio especially if he’s paired with Jerry Lawler and Booker T. Excellent hire by WWE and I wish my friend a wonderful run in WWE. I couldn’t be happier for all involved.”

Tommy Dreamer No Longer Appearing On WWE TV

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Tommy Dreamer has announced that his brief return to WWE television is over. He teamed with Ryno and the Dudley Boyz last night at TLC, losing to the Wyatt Family.

As noted last week, Dreamer will still be appearing on WWE live events through January 17th. He tweeted on Sunday night:

Attendance For Last Night’s TLC PPV, Former WWE Superstar Backstage, More

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– WWE’s TLC pay-per-view on Sunday was a sellout at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The arena was set up to seat 13,800 fans.

– Former WWE superstar Chris Nowinski was backstage at last night’s TLC event. Nowinski lives in the area, and his Concussion Legacy Foundation works with WWE wrestlers in addition to other athletes with concussions. Nowinski retired from wrestling in 2003 due to concussions, after making his debut only one year earlier.

– Roman Reigns tweeted the following today, in response to fans in attendance at last night’s PPV who chanted “thank you Reigns” after he beat down Triple H:

Finn Balor On Main Roster Possibly Being A “Step Back” From NXT, His TNA Office “Crotch Chop”

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Finn Balor recently appeared as a guest on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast to promote Wednesday’s NXT TakeOver: London live special on the WWE Network, where he will be defending the NXT Championship in the main event against Samoa Joe. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On the photo of him doing the D-X “crotch chop” to the TNA offices:

“Everyone kind of took it for what it was and it was just a bit of fun. It was literally a complete potluck. We arrived in Nashville, they dropped us off at a gym because we [had] four hours to kill, [and] the gym was below the TNA office. By coincidence, the bus pulled up right outside the sign. I was like, ‘that’s the TNA sign!'” Bálor added, “all the boys were busy pulling their bags out from under the bus and stuff and I had one thing on my mind: retweets.”

On the “too sweet” hand gesture and why he continues to use it in WWE:

“It was something that when I came here, I thought, like, ‘I’m not going to do that anymore’ and [Triple H] threw it up one time, so I was like, ‘oh, I’ll give it to you.’ And then I consciously stopped doing it in the ring, but so many fans are throwing it up, so I was like, ‘I’ll give you one here. I’ll give you one there.'”

On why moving to the main WWE roster might be a step back from being in NXT:

“I really believe that what we’re doing here in the [WWE] Performance Center [and] what we’re doing with NXT is something that’s going to be remembered for years. I feel like to get quote, unquote called up to the main roster would be, maybe, like a step back for my career right [now]. Obviously, instant gratification, you get called up to the main roster, that’s great, but I think what we’re doing here in NXT will stand longer in history as kind of like a revolutionary period and to kind of pull myself out of that would be detrimental to my career in the long term.”

Mick Foley Blogs On Tommy Dreamer At TLC, Teases Response To Ric Flair

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WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley took to social media after the WWE TLC pay-per-view to comment on seeing Tommy Dreamer “back in the WWE spotlight” on Sunday night.

He also posted a teaser for a blog he will write later today in response to WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, who has been critical of Foley’s recent WWE creative rants.

Foley posted the following on his official Facebook page:

TAKES A LICKING, KEEPS TICKING

What a pleasure to see TOMMY Dreamer, back in the WWE spotlight last night at ?#?TLC? . Tommy’s a workhorse and a credit to the wrestling business. This photo was taken 20 years ago, after TOMMY had come to my aid to stop a good old-fashioned ECW beating – and it’s one of my favorite Tommy Dreamer moments. What’s your favorite Dreamer moment?

Also, I will address the recent criticism from Ric Flair tomorrow here…RIGHT HERE on my Facebook page.

The ?#?FiftyYearsOfFoley? tour hits ?#?CHARLOTTE? ?#?GREENVILLE? SC ?#?DENVER? CO and ?#?SaltLakeCity? & ?#?OGDEN? UT in January, then stops by ?#?IRVINE? ?#?BREA? & ?#?LANCASTER? CA in February. Get tickets and information at http://realmickfoley.com!

Movie Spoiler: John Cena Makes Cameo Appearance In Major Comedy Film

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WWE Superstar John Cena makes a surprise cameo appearance in the new holiday film, “Daddy’s Home,” which hits theaters on December 25th starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlerg.

Ferrell and Wahlberg’s characters in the movie have to battle it out to determine who the better dad is to two children and it ends up being revealed that Cena is, in fact, the father of the kids.

Former TNA Knockout Taryn Terrell is also featured in a small role in the movie, playing a cheerleader who gets hit in the face with a basketball by Ferrell during the game.

WWE Officially Announces Mauro Ranallo As New Lead SmackDown Announcer

Matt Boone
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As reported on Sunday night, WWE has hired well known MMA, boxing and pro wrestling announcer Mauro Ranallo as the new lead announcer for WWE SmackDown.

On Monday, WWE issued the following press release to make the announcement official.

MAURO RANALLO JOINS WWE® AS THE NEW VOICE OF SMACKDOWN®

STAMFORD, Conn., December 14, 2015 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that veteran announcer Mauro Ranallo will be the new voice of SmackDown beginning Thursday, January 7 when the show moves to its new home on USA Network at 8 pm ET. Ranallo brings nearly 30 years of broadcasting experience, and is currently the play-by-play announcer for Championship Boxing on Showtime and former lead announcer for the Strikeforce MMA promotion.

Earlier this year, Ranallo called the international feed for the historic Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight. Ranallo is the only sports broadcaster to call every major combat sport on national television, including boxing, kickboxing and MMA, as well as helping to launch New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV.

“Joining WWE has always been a lifelong dream of mine,” said Ranallo. “I am thrilled to add my voice to the SmackDown broadcasts as the show moves to its new home on USA Network.”

With more than 800 original episodes, SmackDown is the second longest-running weekly episodic program in U.S. television history, only behind Monday Night Raw®. Over the past 15 years, SmackDown has been broadcast from 170 different venues, in 148 cities, in seven different countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Iraq, Japan, Italy and Mexico. Now the exclusive cable home to WWE’s flagship programs, USA Network will air SmackDown every Thursday night beginning January 7. USA also airs Monday Night Raw live 52 weeks a year.

Prior to joining Showtime, Ranallo was the voice of the Pride Fighting Championships, and spent six years in Toronto where he hosted Canada’s first TV show dedicated to MMA while also hosting a daily combat sports radio show.

Ranallo lives in Los Angeles where he is a social advocate for mental health, an avid hiker and voice artist for commercials, books and film.

Video: Dean Ambrose Talks Winning WWE Intercontinental Title From Kevin Owens At TLC PPV

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In the video featured above, Dean Ambrose talks to Renee Young about his WWE Intercontinental Championship victory over Kevin Owens at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view in Boston.

Ambrose spoke about past champions such as Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Pat Patterson and Bret Hart being the workhorses of their prime and the I-C title being the workhorse title of the company.

He said people in WWE today, such as Owens and Sheamus, like to cheat and he doesn’t feel those past champions he named would approve.

“That’s why I’ll go to every nook and cranny in this country, every town in the United States, every arena all over the world and I will defend the Intercontinental Championship like it was my own child, like it’s the only thing in the world that mattered to me,” Ambrose said. “Because that is what being champ is all about.”

Preview For Tonight’s WWE RAW: Fallout From TLC, Kevin Owens, & More

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WWE RAW takes place in Philadelphia, PA tonight at the Wells Fargo Center and will feature all of the fallout from last night’s WWE TLC 2015 pay-per-view. Here’s the official synopsis for tonight’s episode from WWE.com:

* With a little help from The League of Nations, Sheamus escaped WWE TLC with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship — a stolen victory that sent Roman Reigns into a destructive rampage that not only laid out The League of Nations, but WWE COO Triple H. After the frustrated Big Dog brutalized The Game last night, will Reigns face severe consequences tonight from The Authority?

* Despite being well versed in the art of furniture smashing, the ECW Originals are no doubt a little worse for wear after suffering a defeat in their Tables Match against The Wyatt Family at WWE TLC, one night before Raw returns to the haven of hardcore and the birthplace of ECW, Philadelphia.

As The Dudley Boyz, Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno reel from their loss to The Eater of Worlds and his macabre followers, will they make an appearance in the City of Brotherly Love tonight?

* Kevin Owens might still be calling himself a prizefighter after WWE TLC, but the “prize” portion of that moniker is a little less applicable after WWE TLC, where Dean Ambrose earned a decisive victory over the brawler to become Intercontinental Champion for the first time.

The Lunatic Fringe surely has big plans as he brings his newly won title to Raw, and there’s a good chance Owens won’t like any of them. Grab some popcorn and a soda, WWE Universe: The most unstable Intercontinental Championship reign in history is just beginning.

The dark match for the evening is being advertised as a tag match featuring Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens. Tonight’s show will also likely feature an announcement about the main event for Royal Rumble.

Stay tuned to SEScoops.com and the SEScoops app tonight for live coverage of RAW, and all of the latest backstage news surrounding the show.

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