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WWE RAW Viewership Drops Again For Monday’s TLC “Go-Home” Show

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Following last week’s slight rebound from the disastrous numbers for the November 23rd post-Survivor Series edition of RAW, viewership was back down again for this week’s WWE TLC “go-home” show on Monday evening.

Monday’s RAW averaged 3.054 million viewers, which is a slight decrease compared to last week’s show which drew 3.168 million viewers. The 11/23 RAW that caused NBC Universal to publicly comment on WWE’s ratings decline, was only a little bit lower than last night’s show, as the post-Survivor Series edition of RAW drew 2.964 million viewers.

The hourly viewership breakdown for the 12/7 RAW is as follows:

  • Hour 1: 3.270 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 3.042 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.850 million viewers

John Cena Speaks Out About Donald Trump During Today Show Appearance

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In an interesting move since he tends to try to go out of his way to keep from offending anyone, John Cena got political on NBC’s The Today Show this morning. He was asked for his thoughts on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s various comments on American Muslims, which included positive references to Japanese internment camps during World War II. During a roundtable discussion, Cena said this:

This is brash, this is bold, and this is brash. I’m with you, I don’t know how it works out. The last time we did anything like this was in World War II, and that was one of the more reprehensible acts by the United States of America. “We are the melting pot, except for you.” That does not go along with our DNA. Trump is being trumped, there’s no other way to say it.

(Hat tip to Danielle Matheson at Uproxx/With Spandex for spotting and transcribing this.)

Mick Foley Says All-Time Great Gail Kim Doesn’t Get Enough Credit

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Following an invite from TNA’s Jeremy Borash, WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently took part in Chef Robert Irvine’s live show at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York. After the show, Foley was inspired to write a new blog about Irvine’s wife, TNA Knockout Gail Kim.

Foley, who has been a big vocal supporter of the current Divas Revolution in WWE, focused his latest blog on the fact that Kim doesn’t get enough credit for being the all-time great talent that he considers her to be. He also shares his opinion on how he feels she wasn’t properly utilized during her time in WWE.

Below is the latest Mick Foley Facebook blog:

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER – and a woman we should never forget.

I had no idea what to expect when my old pal Jeremy Borash, invited me to Chef Robert Irvine’s live show at the Paramount theater in Huntington, New York. I certainly did not expect to end up handcuffed to the world-famous, and incredibly fit chef, as we worked together as a team to defeat two talented local chefs in an extreme cooking challenge. It was the rush of wrestling, combined with the terror of doing the big money round of Family Feud. Chef Irvine and I scored a decisive victory, and I sat down in my car for the drive home with a a feeling of elation and accomplishment, and the satisfaction a father feels when he knows that his adult daughter still likes hanging out with him.

But after a couple minutes behind the wheel, I started thinking about Chef Irvine’s wife, TNA Knockout Gail Kim – and her contributions to the wrestling business.

I have written quite a bit about women’s wrestling in the past year and a half – since I saw the Natalya/Charlotte match at ?#?NXTTakeover? that I absolutely saw as a game changer for women’s wrestling in ?#?WWE?. But in all that time, I think I only mentioned Gail Kim once. That’s a shame. For while it was the Natalya/Charlotte match that made me see the potential for women’s wrestling in WWE, Gail Kim had raised the bar years earlier with her classic TNA matches with Awesome Kong. I remember being blown away by their series of matches, and getting caught up in the emotion and excitement that pro wrestling is still capable of creating when things are done really well.

Gail Kim did so many things really well. No discussion of the best current female wrestlers in the business is complete without the inclusion of her name. In my opinion, no discussion of all-time great female wrestlers is complete without the inclusion of her name.

I will never understand why Gail wasn’t better utilized during her time in WWE. That’s the danger of working in a business as subjective as professional wrestling – sometimes the swift don’t always win the race.

I hope some of you will take the time to look up some of Gail’s great matches. She gave so much, for so long – and in my opinion, her contributions to our business are often overlooked. I’ve been guilty of overlooking them myself.

Thank you, Gail, for everything you have done. Funny how being hand-cuffed to your husband made me feel so much closer to you.

Howie Mandel Appearing At Tonight’s Tribute To The Troops Taping

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WWE issued the following press release today announcing that TV personality Howie Mandel will be appearing at tonight’s Tribute To The Troops taping. This year’s Tribute to the Troops special will air on the USA Network on December 23rd. We will have full results from the Tribute To The Troops and the SmackDown tapings later tonight here on SEScoops.com and the SEScoops app.

Here’s the full press release:

HOWIE MANDEL SET TO APPEAR AT WWE® TRIBUTE TO THE TROOPS

STAMFORD, Conn., December 8, 2015 – Actor and comedian Howie Mandel will join the 13th annual WWE Tribute to the Troops event being held tonight at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., for military personnel and their families stationed at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Naval Station Mayport and Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. Tribute to the Troops will air during WWE Week on USA Network on Wednesday, December 23 from 8-10 PM ET.

Mandel is best known for his work as the host of the popular game show Deal or No Deal and as a judge on America’s Got Talent. He was also the creator and star of the popular children’s cartoon Bobby’s World.

Click here to watch a promo WWE Tribute to the Troops featuring Howie Mandel.

In the tradition of Bob Hope, WWE brings together the best of sports entertainment and pop culture with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts for our servicemen and women, to honor their commitment and dedication to our country. Tribute to the Troops has become a holiday tradition and is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year. Mandel will join Grammy Award-winning rock band Train as the special guest performers for the event.

Related: Photos: WWE Stars Visit The Troops

Video: John Cena’s Appearance On TODAY

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John Cena appeared on NBC’s TODAY morning show on Tuesday to promote his role in the new movie “Sisters” starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Cena, who picked out the Morning Jam and went with Etta James’ classic “At Last,” explained, “There’s a young lady I haven’t seen in a while. I’ve been stuck in the woods, doing a show called ‘American Grit,’ and she’s across town. After I talk to you guys … this is the only song I dance to, and I’m saving a dance for her.”

He’ll will be on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon later tonight.

WWE Stars Visit The Troops, SmackDown & ‘Tribute’ Tapings Tonight

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WWE will be taping Thursday’s SmackDown and this year’s Tribute to the Troops special tonight from Jacksonville, Florida. SmackDown will feature the TLC IC title match contract signing with Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. Tribute to the Troops airs on the USA Network on 12/23. Check back later tonight for spoilers from both shows.

WWE talent is visiting the troops in Jacksonville this morning:

https://twitter.com/joeystyles/status/674236171413807104

Stardust Hospitalized After RAW For Possible Injury

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Stardust (Cody Rhodes) suffered an injury scare as a result of his brief match with Jack Swagger on Monday’s TLC “go-home” edition of RAW. Stardust noted via his private Twitter account that he was examined after the show for potential fractures at Roper Hospital in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Fortunately for Stardust, the news coming out of his hospital visit appears to be positive.

“Thanks to all the folks at Roper hospital for being so accommodating and efficient,” wrote Stardust on his private account, “No fractures.”

The Stardust-Swagger match was joined in progress when RAW returned from commercial and didn’t last long, as Swagger forced him to tap out to the Patriot Lock and then went on to his post-match segment with Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter.

John Cena On The Tonight Show Tonight, Becky Lynch Reacts To Charlotte/Paige RAW Segment

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– Becky Lynch is featured in the above RAW Fallout video from last night’s TLC “go-home” show. Lynch reacted to the Miz TV segment with her two former Team PCB members Charlotte and Paige, who will once again be competing against each other for the WWE Divas Championship.

– The official Twitter page for “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” posted the following tweet to promote John Cena’s appearance the show tonight.

– Speaking of Cena, in addition to his scheduled late night talk show appearance tonight with Jimmy Fallon, he also appeared on “The TODAY Show” once again this morning. Cena posted the following about his morning schedule thus far today.

– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans which championship belt needs a redesign. With over 45,000 votes cast, 53% say it’s the Divas championship that needs a makeover, followed by the WWE Tag Team titles (19%) and the WWE World Heavyweight title (12%).

Fans Leave RAW Before The Final Segment, How To Voice Your Dissatisfaction To WWE

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Last night’s episode of RAW is getting an overwhelmingly negative reaction from fans on social media. There are various reports going around that fans were leaving the arena prior to the final segment of RAW. With WWE RAW viewership taking a nosedive in recent months, you would think/hope that WWE would do some soul searching and seriously consider overhauling the product from top to bottom. Based on what we saw last night, it could very well get worse before it gets better.

Former WWE & WCW Superstar Shane Helms, who has seen his fair share of ups and downs in the wrestling business, gave his perspective on the quality of WWE programming these days:

Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch tweeted that fans can send their thoughts about the WWE product to [email protected].

https://twitter.com/thewadekeller/status/674079629993451520

Steve Austin Talks About His ECW Run, Paul Heyman’s Influence On His Career & More

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As noted, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appeared on The Taz Show: Bodyslams & Beyond” recently. In addition to the excerpts we posted last week, Austin also spoke about his time in ECW, evolving from The Ringmaster to “Stone Cold” in WWE and more. Below are some more highlights from the interview.

On ECW being just the place he needed when his WCW career was cut short:

“[ECW] was just a great environment at that point in my life,” Austin recalled. “[ECW] was just a hub of so much creativity and guys going through the refining process, trying things out, experimenting, and, of course, guys with great success with real cool gimmicks laying down some heavy stuff. So, it was a great learning process for me and a real eyeopener as far as the creative freedom that Paul E. [Heyman] harbored down there and you were able to do anything that you wanted to do to get over and that doesn’t exist in today’s system.”

On Paul Heyman playing a significant role in his success:

“I really value my days down there in ECW in Philly.” Austin continued, “it was a pivotal time in my career and I dare say that if I’d not made my stop through [ECW], I don’t know if I’d ever really [become] ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. I always give Paul Heyman all the credit in the world for helping me get to the level [to which] I got.”

On Heyman’s ability to get the most out of talent:

“That dude’s like Cesar Millan talking to a dog. Dude can just talk to a cat. I don’t even care if it’s a guy or a girl, but he’d get you in a frame of mind where he opens your mind up, or focuses you, or gives you confidence in yourself, or just sparks some kind of creative spark in your brain, but the dude just has a way to talk to talent to get them to crank out some bad ass stuff.”

Big E Says New Day Is Working On Some Wild Ideas For WrestleMania

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WWE tag team champion Big E recently spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News about the success of The New day and why fans did not buy into the group at first. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

WrestleMania 32:

“Honestly, the ideas that we said we can’t do right now are probably going to come at some point. We’ve got some wild ones for WrestleMania and obviously I can’t spoil any of that stuff. All the wild ideas that we have, there’s a chance that at some point we can fool someone into allowing us to do down the line.”

The success of New Day:

“What’s been really rewarding for us is knowing how hard it has been for us to get this off the ground,” Big E said. “We always believed we had the ability to move people the way we have as of late. It’s just a matter of being able to get that window. The last few months, 5-6 months, have been truly rewarding. Obviously, we’re having a blast and I think that shows.”

Fans not buying into the group at first:

“I get a lot of people’s lack of optimism at first,” he said. “When we were first met with the idea, we looked at each other and wondered how we were going to make this work. I think the biggest takeaway is being patient. I think a lot of times with our fans, I think a lot of people were very quick to dismiss what we were. And I get why. I think often times it’s just a matter of being patient with an act; letting it evolve, letting it grow and seeing what it becomes. We were glad we were given enough time to make it work.”

You can read the full interview at SportingNews.com.

New Matches, Stipulations Announced For WWE TLC

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On Monday’s WWE TLC “go-home” edition of RAW in North Charleston, South Carolina, new matches and stipulations were announced for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.

Below is an updated look at the lineup for this Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view, which emanates from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship TLC Match
– Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns

WWE Intercontinental Championship
– Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose

WWE Tag-Team Championship Triple-Threat Ladder Match
– The New Day (c) vs. The Usos vs. The Lucha Dragons

WWE Divas Championship
– Charlotte (c) with Ric Flair in her corner vs. Paige

WWE United States Championship Chairs Match
– Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger

Tag-Team Tables Elimination Match
– Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan vs. Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno & The Dudley Boyz

Make sure to visit SEScoops.com this Sunday evening for the best WWE TLC live pay-per-view results coverage on the web!

Contract Signing Set For SmackDown, WWE Tribute To The Troops Promo, More

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– WWE posted the above video preview for this year’s Tribute To The Troops special, which airs on Wednesday, December 23rd at 8pm EST. on the USA Network.

– On Monday’s WWE TLC “go-home” edition of RAW, a contract signing for the WWE Intercontinental Championship match between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose at Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view was announced for this week’s SmackDown. WWE will be taping SmackDown on Tuesday night at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

– Speaking of SmackDown, WWE aired the following promo for the show moving to the USA Network during Monday’s RAW. WWE SmackDown moves from SyFy to the USA Network on Thursday, January 7, 2016.

WWE Begins Alberto Del Rio & Zeb Colter Break-Up Storyline On RAW

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As we reported last week, WWE recently began working on creative plans to split up Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter, as they wanted Del Rio on his own for the beginning of the new year.

As seen on Monday’s RAW, WWE officially began the storyline when Del Rio tripped over Colter’s scooter during a segment with Jack Swagger. This led to Del Rio scolding Colter backstage and declaring he “doesn’t need” him anymore. The segment ended with Colter driving off in his scooter while Del Rio threw steel chairs at him.

Del Rio and Swagger will go one-on-one in a Chairs Match for the WWE United States Championship at this Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view. There is currently no word on Colter’s involvement in the match or what he will be doing going forward if he and Del Rio are officially done after tonight’s show.

Slammy Awards 2015 Promo, Donny Deutsch On RAW (Video), NXT TV Taping Note

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– WWE posted the above video, which premiered on Monday’s TLC “go-home” edition of RAW, for this year’s special Slammy Awards edition of RAW. The 2015 Slammy Awards take place in two weeks at the RAW show on December 21st in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

– NXT will return to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on Thursday, January 7, 2016 for the first set of NXT television tapings of the new year. Tickets for the show quickly sold out shortly after going on sale on Monday morning.

– As seen below via WWE’s official Twitter page, Donny Deutsch made a cameo during Monday’s RAW in a backstage segment with The Miz and Neville to promote his new USA Network show “Donny!” The show airs Tuesday nights at 10:30pm EST.

Video: Rhyno Returns On RAW Alongside The Dudley Boyz & Tommy Dreamer

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As alluded to by Bubba Ray Dudley on Sunday night, a fourth “Extreme Brother” made his WWE television return on Monday’s TLC “go-home” edition of RAW in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Bubba Ray Dudley teased an addition to the trio of The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer for their ongoing battle against The Wyatt Family on Twitter on Sunday evening, informing fans that he had just spoken to the mystery “Extreme Brother” on the phone before telling everyone not to miss Monday’s RAW.

Monday’s RAW opened up with the League Of Nations in the ring and The Wyatt Family coming out, followed by The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer. The extreme trio wasted no time in introducing their mystery fourth “Extreme Brother” — Rhyno.

Rhyno made his way to the ring with the trio and the four went on to compete in a Fatal Four Way Elimination match against The Wyatt Family, The League Of Nations and the team of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and The Usos. While The ECW Originals managed to eliminate The Wyatt Family during the match, they found themselves being the second team eliminated when WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus pinned Bubba Ray Dudley after hitting him with a Brogue Kick.

For complete WWE RAW results, click here.

WWE RAW Results – December 7, 2015

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WWE RAW Results (December 7, 2015)
From The North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina
Report by Jason Powell and ProWrestling.net

League Of Nations, The Wyatt Family, ECW Originals & Team Reigns Kick Off RAW

A video package focussed on the League of Nations… Michael Cole introduced the show and was joined on commentary by JBL and Byron Saxton. The stage was set up with tables, ladders, and chairs for the go-home show. The broadcast team hyped the TLC main event.

In the ring, Sheamus, Rusev, Alberto Del Rio, and King Barrett stood as music played. Sheamus spoke about how happy he is. The fans told him he looks stupid. He asked how he can be stupid when he’s the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Sheamus boasted over ending Reigns’ title run in five minutes and 15 seconds. Sheamus spoke about how they represent the greatest countries in the world. He ran through the countries and the fans chanted USA before he could get to his own. Sheamus said they couldn’t find anyone in America that was good enough to lace their boots. He said it’s 2015 and America doesn’t cut it anymore. Sheamus boasted that they are the best of the best of the best.

The lights went out and when they came back on The Wyatt Family were standing in the ring. There was a light “yes” chant. Bray Wyatt said they haven’t been properly introduced. He said his name and said the men with him are his brothers. He said he doesn’t care about nations because this is his world and he allows them to breathe in it. Wyatt said they weren’t there to talk, they were there for the chaos.

Rather than let the heels destroy one another, The Dudleys and Tommy Dreamer decided this would be a great time to make their entrance. Ugh. Bubba Ray Dudley said they see Bray’s chaos and raise him to the EXTREME!!! There was a mild pop. Wyatt cut him off and said they were outmanned and should not get in his way.

D-Von Dudley said Wyatt is wrong. He said that when you’re extreme, you don’t die (ain’t that the truth), you multiply. “Oh my goodness, it’s Rhyno!” Cole exclaimed. Yes, really. The ECW foursome headed toward the ring. They stopped in their tracks when they heard Roman Reigns’ music. Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and The Uso Brothers made their entrance through the crowd. Cole said hell was about to break loose… [C]

Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev, and King Barrett vs. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman vs. The Dudley Boyz, Tommy Dreamer, and Rhyno vs. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and The Usos

There was an obligatory tower of doom spot with Strowman underneath, and with Dreamer taking a leg to the head. Dreamer came back and eliminated the Wyatt Family by pinning Rowan in 5:00.

After the break, they had a Reigns and Rhyno moment and Cole spoke about how they both use the spear. The Dudleys got the better of League of Nations with Rusev taking 3D. They set up Sheamus for the Whassup spot, but Del Rio broke it up. Sheamus caught Bubba with the Brogue Kick and eliminated Team ECW in 11:30.

The match came down to League of Nations vs. Team Reigns. Cole noted that it’s Ambrose’s birthday. Ambrose got the better of Rusev and performed his top rope elbow for a two count heading into the break.

League of Nations isolated one of the Uso Brothers coming out of the break. Uso made the hot tag to Reigns, who worked over Del Rio to a mix of cheers and boos. Reigns dominated the heels and Ambrose performed a suicide dive onto Rusev on the floor. One of the Uso Brothers dove over the top and onto Barrett. Sheamus held onto Reigns’ leg on the ring apron and Del Rio caught him with a kick to take offensive control.

Del Rio applied the Cross Arm Breaker, but one of the Uso Brothers performed a top rope splash to break it up. Sheamus tagged in and mocked Reigns’ pre-spear. Sheamus went for his finisher, but Reigns speared and pinned him. Cole put it over big that Reigns “just pinned the champion.”

Winners: Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose & The Usos

Backstage Segments

The broadcast team hyped that there won’t be pinfalls in the main event on Sunday because of the rules of the TLC match… Ric Flair and Charlotte were shown talking backstage… [C] A commercial featuring Triple H and Stephanie McMahon taking pitches from the wrestlers about Smackdown moving to USA Network aired… Cole recapped the previous segment.

Renee Young Interviews Sheamus

[Q4] Backstage, Renee Young asked Sheamus if the outcome of that match is a sign of things to come. Sheamus said a great man once said there is no chance in hell. He said he’s not going to beat Reigns, he’s going to smash his face, rip his hair out, smash his face, and grind him down, and he may just do it in five minutes and 15 seconds. Young asked if there’s a lesson to be learned from tonight. Sheamus said he’s going to teach Reigns the lesson in the ring later tonight in front of the entire world.

Backstage: Stardust & Titus O’Neil

On the Stardust set, Stardust wore old school 3D glasses and included some Star Wars talk and worked Jack Swagger into it. Titus O’Neil was once again on the set. Titus told Stardust “you need to get you some.” He clarified by saying Stardust needs to get a good book and a strong bottle of wine so he won’t be talking about dark forces. Stardust said he won’t rest until the WWE Universe is eclipsed in an ocean of darkness. Titus told him to have it his way and said he would see him out there.

Joey Ryan’s Junk Goes Viral (Video), Cornette Not impressed

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https://youtu.be/GJPZzlOhBmA

Indy star Joey Ryan is going viral for his unique offensive maneuver during a recent match in Japan. Ryan wins a test of strength with his genital region and tosses his opponent en route to Internet fame.

A fan asked Jim Cornette on Twitter if he has seen the Joey Ryan video.

https://twitter.com/JoeyRyanOnline/status/673975167102545920

Ryan spoke to Sam Roberts about the situation.

https://youtu.be/VZdNmYaq5Rc

Stampede Wrestling Footage Pulled From The WWE Network

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Over the past week, the WWE Network has added a ton of archived footage from various defunct promotions, including the NWA, AWA, Mid-South, Smoky Mountain and Stampede Wrestling. By Monday, the four hours of Stampede Wrestling footage had already been removed.

It appears that WWE did not have the rights to all of the Stampede Wrestling footage that they were running on the Network. While WWE does own the Stampede Wrestling tape library, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart actually owns the footage for his Stampede matches. Unlike the rest of the library which they own, WWE would have to go directly to Bret Hart in order to license the footage containing his matches.

Source: PWInsider.com

Jim Ross Blog: Big SmackDown Changes Coming?, Twitter Hacking, RAW/TLC Thoughts

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog at JRsBarBQ.com, teasing “big changes” when SmackDown moves to the USA Network next month and giving his thoughts on tonight’s RAW, Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view and his Twitter account getting hacked over the weekend. Below are some of the highlights.

On his Twitter account getting hacked over the weekend:

“Someone hacked my twitter account @JRsBBQ early Sunday morning and then let the world know that I was dead. Well, I’m not but I am pissed and this matter isn’t over but we do hope to have our account back up and running today thanks to the efforts of the folks at @Twitter. Karma is a crazy thing and somewhere down the road whoever did this and facilitated an emotional day for my family and friends will have to answer to their misdeeds.”

On tonight’s TLC “go-home” edition of WWE RAW:

“RAW needs to be a hot show as it’s the last RAW prior to Sunday’s TLC event. Hopefully this show will display better match exclusivity and not have repeated, unique spots in different matches which means better overall quality control of the look and flow of the show. TLC matches don’t have to be a one dimensional, spot fest but instead should tell a compelling story and incorporate the TLC’s instead of solely depending on them to make their matches sound. For example, I don’t need to see the same ‘feigned’ injured knee or ankle spots in the same show as we saw last week on RAW. TLC should compliment what we are seeing in the ring and not be the only story of the night IMO.”

On this Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view:

“Shows like TLC actually should necessitate more planning by management personnel than most shows because it’s important the distribute the use of tables, ladders and chairs where, by the time the final main event rolls around, that we haven’t ‘seen it all.'”

On big changes apparently coming when SmackDown moves to the USA Network next month:

“Expect some noticeable changes to WWE Smackdown when it moves to the USA Network in January. Hopefully, RAW and Smackdown will be more episodically produced after they both start airing on the same network.”

Sami Zayn Returning To The Ring This Week

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Sami Zayn is returning to action later this week for NXT’s live tour of the UK. It will be his first time back in the ring since undergoing rotator cuff surgery back in May.

Zayn is advertised to compete against Finn Balor and Baron Corbin in the triple threat main event of Saturday’s show from Sheffield, England. Other matches announced for that card include Samoa Joe vs. Apollo Crews and NXT Women’s Champion Bayley vs. Emma.

It remains to be seen if Zayn will wrestle at next Wednesday’s NXT “Takeover: London” special that airs live on the WWE Network.

Brad Maddox On His Relationship With Triple H, WWE Not Using Talent

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Brad Maddox continues to do the media rounds following his release from WWE. Here are some highlights of his his recent interview with  Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog:

If he had a relationship with Triple H:

“I didn’t have much of a relationship with Hunter. He always feels like he’s one of the boys, yet he’s the boss. He was always accessible.”

WWE not using talents:

“Those are long days,” admitted Maddox. “If they don’t need you, they don’t need you. Every Monday and Tuesday, I tried to talk with Vince about an angle or something to do. It’s frustrating when you are not doing anything on TV, not contributing, not helping, and not feeling like a part of the locker room. I didn’t do anything when I was there, except go to catering and try to talk to people about future ideas.”

His skit with The Undertaker on The Tonight Show:

“I don’t know why I was picked. They were doing the overseas tour at the time, so I might have been one of the only guys left in the States. I had assumed I’d have a full turkey head, and it ended up being more like a hat, but I had fun with it. I got to go to 30 Rock, and even talked with Jimmy for a while when I was in my turkey suit. I said, ‘Jimmy, your turkey is here!’ And he laughed and said, ‘This is how you know you made it in show business.’”

Tyler Breeze On Billy Gunn Helping Him In NXT, His Transition To Main WWE Roster

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WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze recently spoke with The Charleston Post & Courier about the role Billy Gunn played in his development in NXT, his transition to the main roster and the legendary Gorgeous George being an inspiration for his current character.

On using wrestling legend Gorgeous George for inspiration:

“In the same vein, just modernized. He was a big influence as far as presentation and mannerisms. I watched a lot of his stuff when I tried to put this character together.”

On coming to the main roster from NXT:

“It’s been a big change for me. As much fun as NXT was, it totally took a different turn up here. Working in front of sold-out houses and at events like Survivors Series, and working with someone like Dolph Ziggler, makes it a real pleasure to come to work.”

On Billy Gunn playing a big role in his development:

“He showed me the character and showmanship part of it. He is so over the top and helped bring that out of me. I wasn’t very much like that before. I wanted to wrestle. I liked the wrestling moves and the athletic part of it. But I didn’t really know the showmanship part of it, and he helped bring that out of me.”

Video: Chris Jericho On Speaking Out Against WWE Creative, WWE’s PG-Era & More

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The folks at WhatCulture.com recently caught up with part-time WWE Superstar and Fozzy front man Chris Jericho. Below are some of the highlights from the interview, which you can watch in full via the YouTube player embedded above.

On when he finally decided to speak up against WWE creative and how to approach Vince McMahon in doing so:

“I’d say probably 2008 is when I could really start figuring out what I wanted to do and having a lot of say in my storylines because before that, you really just do what you’re told and if you don’t like it, you can f–k off and that’s basically it. And anybody that tells you differently is not telling you the truth because it really is, until you earn the respect of Vince McMahon, you don’t have any leverage.” Jericho continued, “it’s not so much standing up and being a rebel and saying, ‘this is what I’m going to do’, it’s more like, ‘okay, well, how can I make this as good as possible?’ And then, once you do that long enough, making everything good, then you earn respect. And then you can start kind of interjecting and saying, ‘well, here [are] my ideas. Here’s what I want to do.'”

On disagreeing with Batista and Mick Foley about WWE’s PG-Era being “too restrictive” on today’s talent:

“If you’re a good performer, you make it good no matter what the rules are. I don’t have to go out there and say, ‘son of a b—h’ and get color and dump outhouses full of s–t on Vince McMahon to get over. I don’t have to do that. And I think [Batista and Mick Foley] might feel that way, but I think they’re both great performers and they can make it work as well. Once again, your job as a performer is to take what you’re given and make it work and sometimes there are certain restrictions that you have and sometimes those restrictions aren’t there, but it really doesn’t matter. You still have to make it work. That’s your job.”

On if he prefers to work as a babyface or a heel:

“I’ve won the title six times as a heel and never once as a babyface, so I guess that tells you which I like better, maybe, if I had to really guess. But both are fun and both are very difficult to do. You really have to be able to understand what it is that the fans are looking for in either case.”

On what makes a true heel in the wrestling business:

“Being a heel, a true heel, you’ve really got to commit to it and a lot of guys don’t now. To be a real, true heel, is a hard thing and you really have to be into it.” Jericho added, “if you want to be a real heel, merchandise? What’s that? Magazines? Why would I ever want to be in a magazine or on a website feature as a heel? No interviews allowed. Nothing allowed because if I’m a real heel, I don’t want to talk to anybody.”

WWE Continues To Tease Charlotte Heel Turn, Kevin Owens Back At RAW This Week

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– WWE continues to tease a possible heel turn for WWE Divas Champion Charlotte. They wrote the following in their official preview for tonight’s edition of RAW:

“We’re seeing a different side of Charlotte lately, and it’s not one that agrees with the Divas Champion’s longtime friend, Becky Lynch. On Raw, the daughter of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair took a page out of her dad’s playbook when she feigned an injury to take Becky off her game and steal a victory over The Lass Kicker in what was supposed to be a friendly bout. Then, on SmackDown, a hot-headed Charlotte got Becky disqualified in her match with Brie Bella. Although Charlotte’s interference was in retaliation after Brie accidentally knocked the Divas Champion down at ringside, the second-generation Diva seemingly had no regard for how her actions would affect her friend. Are we now seeing the “real” Charlotte?”

– After being sent home last week due to a “bad flu bug,” WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens is expected to make his WWE television return on tonight’s RAW. Owens made his in-ring return at the WWE live event on Saturday evening in Fayetteville, North Carolina, losing to Dean Ambrose.

Make sure to visit SEScoops.com later this evening for live WWE RAW play-by-play results coverage!

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