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Video: Sean Waltman On The Kliq’s Early Impression Of Triple H, Why They Wanted Him

Matt Boone
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https://youtu.be/ZvkPG1oUAb0

Former WWE Superstar and member of The Kliq, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, recently appeared as a guest on WrestleTalk TV. In the latest clip released from the interview, which is featured above, Waltman talks about The Kliq’s initial impression of Triple H when he first came to WWE. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

According to Waltman, The Kliq knew Triple H was destined for greatness. He offered the following comments regarding HHH’s early days in WWE.

“Obviously we didn’t predict exactly what would (happen), but immediately it was like, ‘let’s gobble him up.’ He was riding with Killer Kowalski every night, who was his teacher. He was trying to be cool to Walter (Kowalski). We were like, ‘you gotta drop Walter, you’re coming with us.’ We needed a designated driver anyway.”

While the group might have enjoyed the fact that he could be a designated driver, Waltman admitted that they saw a number of positive qualities in Triple H straight out of the gate.

“Level-headed, focused. His determination, drive. His learning curve, his aptitude. When he first got there, he was still the student, but the way he soaked up all the knowledge and got better, it was really light years ahead of how most people do it.”

Mick Foley Blogs About His Son Dewey Joining WWE’s Creative Team

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WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has issued a statement regarding the news that his son Dewey is joining WWE’s creative team. The news came as a surprise to many since Foley has been extremely critical of WWE’s creative direction over the past several weeks. He posted the following on Facebook early Friday morning:

SON OF A GUN

So it seems that my son Dewey’s hiring by WWE has caused some people to question the honesty, or intentions of a few of my recent Facebook posts. From what I can gather, the criticism has fallen into one of two camps.

1) I was critical of WWE’s recent creative direction in order to open up an opportunity for my son to join the creative team.

OR

2) I praised the past episode of WWE Raw as some sort of thank you gesture for hiring my son.

I also received several messages on social media pointing out the perception of nepotism involved in WWE’s decision to hire my son – as if I had arranged for some type of high-paying, piece-of-cake job for him with the company.

Here is the truth. My son was hired two months ago by WWE creative, and will begin working with the company in January. He would have started earlier, but he and I both felt it was important for him to fulfill the commitment he made to the college that employed him as the director of a residence hall. He could have merely explained that this was his dream job, and possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he chose to stay because it was the right thing – and because I told him that deep down, Mr. McMahon would respect him as a man of his word. My son was not given this job because of his last name. He earned it. He earned it by working for hundreds of hours in solitude, with no compensation, to prove his writing skills and mind for the business. There are no piece-of-cake jobs in WWE. As ESPN’s Jonathan Coachman said of his time with WWE, “you are expected to bring it every day.” My son will do his best to “bring it” every day. He will be working long hours, in a thankless, difficult job, for entry level money – the way it should be. There has also been talk of my daughter joining WWE as a backstage interviewer. I certainly hope that turns out to be the case – but as of now, as far as I know, it’s just talk.

The hiring of my son in September by WWE has had no bearing on any of my posts about the company – be they negative or positive. I am both puzzled and insulted to think that some wrestling fans have become so jaded and cynical that they could read a few of those heartfelt Facebook posts or listen to my podcast with stone cold Steve Austin, and doubt the sincerity of my words. Not everything – in wrestling or life – is an angle, or a work.

I love WWE. I really do. I literally began a meeting with Triple H two years ago by saying, “I love this company. I love it now – and no matter what happens during the course of this meeting, I’ll love it when I walk out this door.”

So I guess, when I write something that is critical of WWE, I convince myself that I am showing them “tough love” – that the right people will read what I have to say (I I have it on good authority that the right people DO read my posts) and that my thoughts will be taken into consideration. But these past few days have made me re-examine my priorities. Maybe I should do the right thing as a parent and stop being so critical of the company in such a public way. His job will be tough enough without his dad throwing obstacles in his way. I think I will start using the text option on my phone when I feel like Mr. McMahon, Triple H or Stephanie need to hear my opinions or feedback. Maybe I’ll get fewer likes on my Facebook page. But I’ll probably sleep better at night.

Have a nice day.
Mick Foley

The Rock’s Production Company Announces New TV Show On Fuse, Rock Comments

Matt Boone
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The Rock’s production company, Seven Bucks Productions, issued the following press release on Thursday to announce the official details of their new show on the Fuse Network.

SEVEN BUCKS PRODUCTIONS AND 44 BLUE PRODUCTIONS TEAM UP FOR NEW SERIES GREENLIT BY FUSE NETWORK

New York, N.Y. and Los Angeles, Calif. – December 3, 2015 – Seven Bucks Productions, co-founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, in partnership with Emmy-nominated 44 Blue Productions today announced ‘Hard Corps’ (working title)(8×30) has been greenlit by Fuse. The network will add the new series to its slate of programs with Hiram Garcia serving as an executive producer for Seven Bucks Productions and Rasha Drachkovitch as the executive producer for 44 Blue Productions.

‘Hard Corps’ is a high octane docu-soap set in the competitive world of Drum Corps International. This cadence is set as the series follows two all-star teams, one in Pennsylviania and one in Northern California, who for the last 20 years, have been battling it out for the championship. Eat, sleep, band – repeat! Production began in November at locations throughout the United States as cameras capture the excitement, struggle and dedication of marching music’s major league. The series will culminate at the world championships in Indianapolis, Ind. August 2016.

“The entertainers have incredible tenacity, drive and a hard core commitment to excellence. Viewers will be on the edge of their seats seeing who comes out on top,” noted Johnson. “At Seven Bucks we are passionate about shining a light on the hardworking and the talented. This group of performers fall into both of those categories,” said Garcia.

Said Fuse Media President Bill Hilary, “The energy and competitive edge of Drum Corps is the perfect backdrop to celebrate music and performance with our rapidly expanding audience of culturally diverse New Young Americans.” He added, “‘Band on the run’ will have a whole new meaning once ‘Hard Corps’ hits our air. We look forward to working with Seven Bucks Productions and 44 Blue Productions on this series.”

‘Hard Corps’ will showcase the exciting intersection of music and sports,” said Rasha Drachkovitch, executive producer and co-founder/CEO of 44 Blue Productions. “With the complex routines and high stakes pressure of competition, this series is part ‘Bring It’ and part ‘Hard Knocks’ – with the intensity of ‘Whiplash’ — it will be sure to entertain and inspire.”

Impact Wrestling Viewership Down In First Week On Post-ROH Destination America

Eric Lynch
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhXgDfGgxK0

The December 2nd episode of Impact Wrestling on Destination America did 221,000 viewers. This is down from last week’s 312,000 viewers, and the previous week’s 280,000.

The replay did 73,00 viewers, down slightly from last week’s 78,000.

This the first episode since Ring Of Honor’s final episode on Destination America. TNA switches to Pop TV on January 5th.

Graphic Video: Matt Hardy Busted Open By Botched Guitar Shot

Eric Lynch
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We’ve all seen Jeff Jarrett successfully execute his patented guitar shot to the heads of his opponents many times. This is what it looks like when it’s not successful. On Sunday we showed you what Matt Hardy’s head looked like in the aftermath of this, and now you can watch the actual incident take place in the video above.

As previously reported, Matt Hardy took a nasty hit with the edge of a guitar in a match with Jeff Jarrett at WrestleCade IV in Winston-Salem, NC. The guitar didn’t break on impact as usual because it was off-center. Instead, Hardy took the corner of the guitar right to the top of his head.

As a result, Hardy was hospitalized and received 38 stitches. He won’t miss any time from the ring.

Mick Foley Confirms WWE Has Hired His Son Dewey

Eric Lynch
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WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has confirmed our exclusive report from earlier this week – his son Dewey will be joining WWE’s writing team after the holidays.

The news came as a surprise to fans, since Foley has been highly critical of WWE’s creative direction in recent weeks.

Foley has made a lot of great points about what’s wrong with WWE programming, but it’s certainly a relevant detail that his son is joining the company’s writing staff.

In an update to this situation, Mick Foley has released a lengthy blog addressing the situation, which you can read below:

Viewership For Sheamus’ ESPN Appearance, HHH & Stephanie Workout Clips, More

Matt Boone
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– The November 24th “Off The Rope” ESPN segment featuring WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus drew 99,000 viewers. By comparison, WWE Divas Champion Charlotte’s ESPN appearance the previous week drew 78,000 viewers.

– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:

* November 11th in Rome drew 8,890 fans
* November 12th in Bologna, Italy drew 7,096 fans
* November 28th in Kansas City, MO dew 9,000 fans
* November 29th in Huntington, WV drew 3,200 fans
* November 30th in Pittsburgh for RAW drew 8,500 fans

– Triple H and Stephanie McMahon tweeted the following video clips of their latest late-night workout at the gym.

(Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

TNA Launching New Weekly YouTube Show About Their Formative Years In Nashville

Matt Boone
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6

https://youtu.be/bDudGz_Vu-A

TNA announced this week that they will soon launch a new weekly YouTube show about their formative years in Nashville, Tennessee.

The official description for the show, which premieres on December 3rd at 7pm EST. and will air every Thursday night from 7-8pm EST., reads as follows:

“It is the foundation on which Impact Wrestling was built. The Tennessee State Fairgrounds near Impact Headquarters in Nashville, TN was our home in those early years. Now, every Thursday night from 7PM to 8PM EST you can relive the “Asylum Years” live! We will start from the very beginning and you can watch along with the current stars of Impact Wrestling as they relive those early moments with you.

Every Thursday night we will rollout another classic episode from The Asylum Years on our official YouTube channel. Don’t miss a second of reliving the moments that we still celebrate to this day and some moments we all might want to forget! Starting this Thursday, December 3rd at 7PM EST.”

Kevin Owens Talks About Being A Family Man, Taking His Son On The Road & More

Matt Boone
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WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens recently spoke with WWE.com about his family and bringing his son Owens on the road with him. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On doing what he does for his family:

“I enjoy every second I get in the ring. But there’s a bigger picture now and a much bigger purpose to everything and it’s to take care of my kids and my wife and make sure they have a good future. Everything I do really is for my family. It’s not just a line. I leave Friday morning to go on the road to wrestle for WWE to make money so I can come back Wednesday morning and have money to provide for my family. Everything I have to do in-between is what I have to do to make that happen.”

On bringing his son on the road with him recently:

“I took him out for a whole week before school started. He was with me at every show. He was there all day backstage and everybody got to know him. It was really cool to see him develop relationships with people I work with and people I look up to. It was crazy and hectic, but that extra time with my family is invaluable.”

Steve Austin: Concerned About Finn Balor On Main Roster, What’s Missing Today

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was a guest on The Taz Show: Bodyslams and Beyond earlier this week and spoke about various issues related to the state of the pro wrestling industry. Here are there highlights..

Austin continues to voice his opinion that promos are entirely over-scripted, which stifles creativity and prevents the wrestlers from fully getting over.

“I don’t like to be the bitter veteran that complains about the system, but, I don’t believe that promos should be scripted,” Austin said. “A couple of bullet points, yes, to point a cat in the right direction, but you’ve got to be out there and be able to feel at home and believe with conviction and your heart and your soul with everything that you’re saying and if you’re just trying to be an orator or someone who delivers a speech, that’s not effective in my opinion. And to me, to draw money, you’ve got to be able to reach people’s heartstrings and reach some kind of guttural response or just anything that resonates with them.”

Despite the limitations of a stale creative environment, Austin says today’s WWE Superstars are athletically superior to the generations that proceeded them. That said, it’s not just about bouncing around in the ring and current performers need to focus on selling and telling a story.

“These guys are a step above our generation and the generations before us, athletically. What they can do in the ring is amazing and they’re great athletes, but I can give you Flair/Windham from ’87 or ’86 and those guys are working at today’s pace, but they’re selling everything, they’re not telegraphing anything, they’re not foreshadowing the next sequence of moves. It’s about 50-50 or 70-30 called in the ring and so it feels spontaneous and it feels different. It feels like a shoot. So there’s a real fine line between taking all that athleticism and you’re going to set up a little bit of stuff, but when it looks like you’re just going through the motions, you’re just going through the motions and people can see that. And you’ve got to be able to feel and really get behind a character and a personality and the human that’s doing that. I mean, that’s the money level.”

NXT Champion Finn Balor was also a recent guest on The Taz Show and explained that he’s in no hurry to join the main roster. Stone Cold also has some concerns about Balor getting called up and whether his character will connect with the WWE Universe. Austin put over Balor as a great human being and a hellacious worker, but it’s all about getting the fans behind your character.

“I’m wondering if he’s going to get lost in the shuffle a little bit [on the main roster]. He does that crawl to the ring and sometimes it takes so long. It’s a little disconcerting because I’ve seen the kid. Good looking kid, worked for many years in Japan, and he’s very technical from Ireland or wherever he’s from. Great kid! Great kid! Hell of a worker. Ten times the worker I ever was, but he [has] got to connect with those people. And so hopefully that gimmick allows him to do that. And it’s a great look. You can make a lot of action figures off of it, but put all the pieces together. People [have] got to care about him to become emotionally invested in him, but a great human being and a hellacious worker.”

He added that he’s not totally sold on Balor’s elaborate ring entrance because he finds it unrealistic that his opponent will stand in the ring waiting while Balor takes his time crawling to the ring. If Austin would have been in the ring waiting for Finn Balor to finish his ring entrance, “I’d have to go stomp a mud hole in him and walk it dry when I’d have the opportunity because that’s what ‘Stone Cold’ would do.”

Jim Ross Blog: Mick Foley’s Rants About WWE Product, TNA Announcing Rumors, More

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog at JRsBarBQ.com where he addresses Mick Foley’s recent rants about the WWE product, rumors of his return to announcing and more. Below are some of the highlights.

On Mick Foley’s recent rants about the WWE product:

“Getting lots so of questions regarding Mick Foley’s recent comments on his Facebook account. Not sure what folks are looking for from me. I can only be honest. I love Mick like family, I really do. Mick is SO passionate about a variety of things which I find amazingly admirable. Mick loves WWE, the company that helped him earn a great deal of wealth and he’s simply telling us how he feels about the ‘home team.’ I sincerely respect Mick’s opinion whether I agree with him or not. For the most part, however, I do agree with him inasmuch as WWE talents need to be allowed to be more of themselves and not what someone in creative perceive them to be. I also agree, and have said it here many times, that 50-50 booking needs to disappear. It helps no one. How could it? Bottom line is Mick Foley is a good, decent man who is merely expressing himself and I hope those that should be listening are doing so.”

On Foley’s son Dewey joining WWE creative team:

“Congrats to Mick Foley’s kids Dewey and Noelle who, according on-line reports, are preparing to go to work with WWE. Dewey will apparently be a member of the creative team while the lovely Noell is going to be an TV interviewer. If these rumors are true I hope that the Foley kids have long, productive careers. Happy for them.”

On his own thoughts on the state of the industry:

“Here’s a cold hard fact…the pro wrestling business is going through a challenging time and one of the reasons is and always will be creative but is isn’t the only reason. Talents need to look in the mirror, too. Change your game….expand what you do….known your role….add to your repertoire…study the game and never take your eye off the prize of being better today than you were yesterday in all areas of your life.”

On announcing return rumors:

“Rumors of me returning to the announce table are overtly premature. If it’s true, I wish someone would let me in on it. Going on the road every week and enduring the travel regime isn’t on my radar.”

On TNA announcing rumors:

“Whoever started the ‘JR to TNA’ rumors must have WAY too much time on their hands. Last I looked Josh Mathews and The Pope were handling the announcing on TNA just fine. Plus, isn’t the stellar Mike Tenay still on TNA’s payroll?”

WWE Reportedly Interested In ROH Champion Jay Lethal

Staff
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WWE is reportedly interested in signing ROH World Champion Jay Lethal, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lethal’s ROH contract expires soon and he would be brought in to enhance the NXT roster.

With WWE expanding NXT’s touring schedule heading into 2016, Lethal would be a tremendous addition to the already-deep NXT roster, which features many competitors Lethal has worked for other promotions across the world. Last week, Lethal tweeted:

Videos: John Cena In ‘Sisters’ Starring Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

Staff
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Several preview clips have been released featuring John Cena in the upcoming comedy movie Sisters, starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

Sisters is about two siblings looking to relive their glory days by throwing one final party before their parents sell the family home. Cena plays a heavily tattooed drug dealer who crashes the party and tries to get everybody wasted. Sisters hits theaters on December 18th.

John Cena got rave reviews for his role in Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” earlier this year and appears to have a bright future ahead of him in Hollywood if that’s a route he wants to continue pursuing.

WWE Network Adds Stampede Wrestling & USWA Texas Shows

David Bixenspan
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2

The parade of territory footage on WWE Network keeps rolling on this week with more additions tonight: Stampede Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation. Well, sort of.

Stampede Wrestling started in the ’50s in Calgary, Alberta, and was Stu Hart’s promotion that started all sorts of future stars: His sons, Junkyard Dog (as Big Daddy Ritter), Jake Roberts, the British Bulldogs (in North America at least), Brian Pillman, even Hiroshi Hase. A small territory with a lot of financial restrictions, they started shooting a lot of matches in progress, essentially editing the shows live.. As low-budget as it was, the wrestling was great, with a lot of “before they were stars” moments and all sorts of interesting matchups you couldn’t see elsewhere.

Also tonight, WWE Network has added a new category for the Global Wrestling Federation, which only contains USWA shows so far. The whole thing is a bit confusing. WCCW in Dallas was renamed the USWA in 1989, though their video libraries split in two in 1988, when Jerry Jarrett came into the promotion. In 1991, the GWF started and took over the USWA’s TV deals, seemingly also getting the USWA library in the process, but the USWA name was used for Jarrett’s Memphis-based territory until it folder in 1997.

Anyway, so far they’ve been adding shows from 1990 to 1991, as well as three “GWF Presents the Best of the USWA” home videos that I believe were released in the United Kingdom. The key to these shows is probably the footage of Steve Austin as a rookie, especially his great feud with trainer Chris Adams. There’s plenty more, though, including some great Jeff Jarrett vs. Eddie Gilbert and Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk matches on Best of the USWA Vol. 1.

Visit WWE.com to subscribe to the WWE Network.

Brad Maddox Talks More About His WWE Release, Being Frustrated In WWE

Matt Boone
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Former WWE Superstar Brad Maddox recently spoke with F4WOnline.com about his WWE release and being frustrated while in the company. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On if using the word ‘prick’ in a dark match promo got him fired:

“It was because of that…That particular night was a bad decision on my behalf…I didn’t think anything of it, but Vince wasn’t happy about that. I don’t know if it’s a generational word that maybe used to be worse than it is now….I didn’t really think it through, but I should have been more careful in that moment because I knew Vince was watching. I tend to take chances at stupid times.”

On being frustrated in WWE:

“It has been a long couple of years for me, working on angles and ideas trying to get (back) in. I’ve always wanted to wrestle…Absolutely, I wanted to wrestle from the get go…I could have talked to Vince more than I did, rather than sitting around in catering hoping that the writers were coming up with something for me.”

On practicing promos with Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon:

“I’ve got to do some cool stuff. Going over promos with Vince in his office, or the bathroom of his office – for some reason! – with him and Daniel Bryan and Stephanie.”

Tag-Team Title Match Confirmed For NXT TakeOver: London, Updated Card

Matt Boone
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WWE confirmed two new matches for NXT Takeover: London on this week’s episode of NXT TV. NXT Tag Team Champions Dash and Dawson will defend against Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy and Asuka will square off against Dana Brooke. With those matches set, here’s the updated card:

NXT Championship
– Finn Balor (c) vs. Samoa Joe

NXT Tag-Team Championship
– Dash & Dawson (c) vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady

NXT Women’s Championship
– Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax

– Emma vs. Asuka

– Baron Corbin vs. Apollo Crews

NXT Takeover: London takes place on Wednesday, December 16th and airs live on the WWE Network.

Rumored Name For Roman Reigns’ New Stable, WWE’s Amsterdam Debut, More

Matt Boone
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– WWE might be giving the name of “The Family” to the stable with Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and The Usos. The group is currently feuding with The League Of Nations — Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev and King Barrett.

– There was a Chet Mix ad campaign being filmed at the WWE Performance Center on December 2nd.

– WWE recently announced their debut in Amsterdam for April 15th, as well as an April 21st event in Brussels, for their next major European tour. WWE will be running the Ziggo Dome, which holds 17,000 fans, for their debut in Amsterdam. It’s worth noting that WWE has no television in Holland.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Already Talking About Breaking Up Alberto Del Rio & Zeb Colter

Matt Boone
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Right now the partnership between Alberto Del Rio and Zeb Colter is not being looked at within WWE as a long-term storyline.

According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is already talk in WWE regarding what they plan to do with Del Rio after he is broken apart from Colter.

It’s worth noting that nothing is definitive given the fact that WWE changes their minds on things like this on a daily basis, however as things stand right now, the company does have a 2016 direction in mind for Del Rio that does not include Colter.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Alberto Del Rio & Kalisto Have Issues During WWE Title Tournament Match On RAW

Matt Boone
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Apparently there were some issues during the Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto WWE World Heavyweight Title Tournament match on RAW.

According to the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, on the Spanish feed that was mic’d differently, Del Rio was audibly very unhappy in Spanish, which luckily nobody in WWE is aware of.

While there aren’t many specifics regarding what Del Rio was upset with during the match, it is said that whatever was bothering him was something to do with Kalisto, who understood exactly what he was saying while upset.

We hope to have more details on this story in the coming days. Stay tuned to SEScoops.com for updates.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Kevin Owens Suffering From Bad Flu Bug, Notes On Sami Zayn’s Return & NXT Tour

Matt Boone
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1

– WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens missed WWE television this week due to being ill. Owens was in Pittsburgh on Monday night, but had a bad flu bug and was sent home as a result. The expectation is that Owens will be okay by the weekend.

– Neville has been added to at least some of the upcoming NXT shows on their upcoming tour. The tour runs from December 10th until December 16th and thus far, Neville is advertised for the first two shows, which includes the opening night in Newcastle, where he is from.

Sami Zayn is advertised for the entire tour. He has been back training as of late and his return was being pushed on NXT TV this week. At this point, it is unclear if Zayn will just be appearing or wrestling on the NXT tour.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Note On WWE’s Interest In Bringing Back Rey Mysterio & Maria Kanellis

Matt Boone
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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the fact that the official WWE website recently ran articles on Rey Mysterio and Maria Kanellis is a notable sign of their interest in both talents.

In the case of Mysterio, it’s well known that WWE would like to get him back under contract both because they’re looking for top Hispanic stars and to prevent him from going to Lucha Underground.

As far as Kanellis is concerned, her Ring Of Honor contract, along with the ROH contracts of Michael Bennett and Matt Taven have expired. The Observer notes that it’s an interesting situation with these three, based on the fact that you have to factor in interest from New Japan Pro Wrestling, ROH and WWE, and which of the three talents those promotions would be interested in.

Layla and Former WWE Wrestler Get Married (Photos)

Daniel Pena
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Layla El married fellow former WWE performer Richard Young (Ricky Ortiz) at Christ Temple in Glendale, Arizona this past week.

Photos of the former WWE Diva in her wedding dress popped up on Instagram over the weekend from friends who attended the ceremony.

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El announced her engagement to Young in July in a Periscope video and retired from professional wrestling shortly thereafter, prompting her departure from WWE after nine years.

Young is best known for his time with WWE performing under the ring name Ricky Ortiz. He wrestled for the company and its developmental promotions from 2006 through August 2009, when he was released from his contract. Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Young spent time in the XFL, the Canadian Football League, the Arena Football League and the National Football League.

El and Young have been in a relationship since 2014. They briefly worked together on the SmackDown brand in 2009, which included an in-ring skit and El appearing on Young’s short-lived WWE.com show.

WWE Network Adds AWA & World Class Championship Wrestling TV Shows

David Bixenspan
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1

Right on the heels of adding new programming buckets to “The Vault” for Mid-South Wrestling and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, more old-school weekly TV shows continue to go up on WWE Network. They are the AWA (both their syndicated “All-Star Wrestling” show and the “Championship Wrestling” show that aired on ESPN) and World Class Championship Wrestling.

The AWA was long one of the best drawing and best paying promotions in the United States, with the luxury of a light schedule as well. The only caveat was that they were based out of Minnesota’s Twin Cities and a lot of wrestlers were not fans of the weather. However, the TV shows added to WWE Network so far are all from 1988 so far, which is near the end of the promotion and after they stopped running a full-time schedule, existing primarily to tape TV. The shows added so far feature Shawn Michaels as part of The Midnight Rockers.

WWE Network already had a World Class Championship Wrestling (or WCCW) section going back to its launch with mostly chronological shows starting in 1982. Aside from a one-off 1985 show added for Black History Month, the section of Dallas-based shows hadn’t been updated since April 2014, the point where WWE gave up on retro content for an extended period of time. While it initially looked like WWE was adding 1986-1987 shows (a low point for the promotion)  because of the presence of The Ultimate Warrior as The Dingo Warrior, they added a 1985 show this morning. That show has Shawn Michaels as a job guy against One Man Gang.

So far, it seems like they’re mostly adding shows with big name WWE legends: Jim Duggan in Mid-South Wrestling, Chris Jericho in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Shawn Michaels in the AWA and WCCW, Ultimate Warrior in WCCW, and guys like Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and so on in the Jim Crockett Promotions World Championship Wrestling shows.

Video: Rusev & Lana Talk To Cole About Engagement, Wedding Plans

Matt Boone
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17

Featured above is Michael Cole’s latest weekly sit-down interview, which this week features real-life engaged couple Rusev and Lana.

During the interview Cole brings up Lana not “going all the way” with Dolph Ziggler, which Lana says is true, noting she has always been a “good girl.” She mentioned that her father, a Russian minister, raised her to “save herself for marriage,” which she claims is exactly what she’s doing.

Cole also asks about Rusev “going all the way” with Summer Rae, noting he has a source that claims Rusev wasn’t being honest, as he did “go all the way” with Summer on more than one occasion.

The two talk about their real-life engagement, which is now being used in the current WWE storylines. Lana mentions that she tried not to show it when they were fighting, but she always loved Rusev. Rusev said he loves Lana with all his heart and that he might have done some things wrong in the past, but they’ve talked it over and are moving on.

Finally, Rusev and Lana mention that they will be having two weddings. One will be in September in Bulgaria, and the second one will be a three-day wedding in Russia. Rusev says their American friends are invited, but their ceremony will not be televised and won’t be on the WWE Network.

Scott Hall Injured, Another Past ECW Star Returning In WWE?, More

Matt Boone
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– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans to vote on their favorite forgotten ECW stars. The options are Joel Gertner, Kronus, Roadkill, The Sinister Minister, Hack Myers, Cyrus, 911 and Chilly Willy. Leading the pack with 32 percent of the vote is The Sinister Minister, followed by 18 percent for Joel Gertner and 17 percent for Roadkill.

– Speaking of ECW, following Tommy Dreamer’s return on Monday’s RAW, there is talk of another past ECW star joining Dreamer and The Dudley Boyz in their scheduled battle against The Wyatt Family at the WWE TLC pay-per-view in Boston, Mass. on Sunday, December 13th.

– WWE Hall Of Famer Scott Hall took to social media on Wednesday to announce that he is pulling out of his scheduled bookings for this weekend after suffering an injury while working out in the gym this morning. Hall tweeted the following:

https://twitter.com/SCOTTHALLNWO/status/672083311129436161

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