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Jim Ross Blog: Sting vs. Seth Rollins, Bram’s Arrest, Hulk Hogan & More

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts and comments on a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights.

On Sting vs. Seth Rollins at Night Of Champions: “The Sting-Rollins NOC Title bout is intriguing to me on a variety of fronts. It’s great to see old friend Sting get to headline a major WWE event even thought as I write this he has yet to win a WWE bout if you’re keeping score at home. Perhaps tonight will change that piece of business unless WWE is ‘saving’ Sting’s next in ring appearance for NOC. Rollins is evolving into a top hand without question and it will be interesting to see how he and Sting compliment each other’s strengths on September 20 in Houston. I like the booking. I think the match will out perform some skeptics predictions and that it should be a significant night for young, Rollins. Or does Sting score the upset and Sheamus cashes in the MITB Contract to become the Champ? I assume any thing is possible but I see Rollins retaining.”

On Hulk Hogan: “I missed the Hulk Hogan on ABC appearance Monday morning and it will be interesting to see the fallout or lack thereof will be on this matter as the week progresses. I’ve never considered Hogan a racist but obviously his choice of words is unacceptable in any environment. Hopefully, his public will forgive him and he can get on with the business of being “The Hulkster” and earning a living of which everyone has the right to do. Forgiveness isn’t a foreign term and can still be done in today’s cynical world if the individual seeking forgiveness is sincere and I have every reason to believe that Hogan is sincere as his rant was embarassing and humiliating with the ability to completely wreck one’s career.”

On Bram’s arrest: “Sad to hear that TNA’s now suspended Bram has been arrested on two, felony counts of domestic battery in Florida. It might be challenging for the Brit to keep his credentials to stay in the USA under these circumstances considering that he has an existing arrest record that prompted him to get released by WWE. The entire matter is unfortunate as Bram aka Thomas Latimer is a solid talent? who I thought had a significant upside when I first saw him in WWE developmental. I’d be shocked if TNA retained his services if these charges are validated. Plus, one has to feel empathy for the alleged victim.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.

Charlotte Still Legally Married To Bram, Marriage To Be Dissolved This Month?

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As reported earlier this week, WWE Diva Charlotte was not the woman involved in the domestic incident this past weekend that saw TNA star Bram get arrested on charges of domestic assault by strangulation and false imprisonment. As noted, the woman involved was Bram’s girlfriend, Ashley Allen.

While it was reported on Monday that Charlotte and Bram quietly broke up a few months ago, they are still legally married. The two currently have a hearing scheduled in Florida on September 10th, which will be the final hearing for the dissolution of their marriage.

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

WWE Issues Statement Regarding Jimmy Snuka Being Charged With Murder

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WWE has issued the following statement regarding Jimmy Snuka being charged with murder in the 1983 death of his mistress, Nancy Argentino:

“WWE expresses its continued sympathy to the Argentino family for their loss. Ultimately this legal matter will be decided by our judicial system.”

Jim Ross Talks To Scott Hall About His Past Troubles, Cleaning Up & More

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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke with Scott Hall for a new FOX Sports article. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.

On Jake Roberts and Diamond Dallas Page offering to help him: “What did I have to lose? I was drinking myself to death. I don’t even know why I answered the phone when Dally and Jake called because I wasn’t answering any calls or talking to anyone. I guess it was fate. Jake was one of my professional heroes and Dally was always a great friend. It was just the two of them and me in Page’s home.”

On the lifestyle he was living: “I always wanted to be a main eventer in pro wrestling. I lived my dream but the excess of the ’80s and the huge money of the ’90s became a great temptation for many of us. After working in a main event, on the advice of one of my peers, I took my downers, Xanax was my drug of choice, before I stopped sweating and got into the showers. Then I’d have a few beers on the drive to the hotel and then hit the rack to make that 6 a.m. flight. Some nights we wouldn’t go to bed at all and hit the hotel bar and then hit a diner, eat and then get to the airport to sleep on the plane.”

On if he blames the business for his troubles: “Absolutely, not. Never. I just blame myself. If I want to know who the culprit is I simply look in the mirror. All my friends that died much too early have themselves to blame and no one else.”

On his legacy: “I love the wrestling business, but my Mom never named me Razor. That I did with the blessing of Vince McMahon but, at the end of the day, the wrestling business was always essentially about the money and the miles. My most important legacy is being a good father to my two children.”

“My life is like driving down a road. I occasionally glance in the rearview mirror but I’m not focused on the past or looking back anymore. That’s why the windshield is bigger than the review view mirror. I prefer to look ahead, make my short term goals, and focus on today. I’m where I’m supposed to be but not where I want to be. Thank God I’m not where I used to be. I’m OK and I’m on my way one day at a time. Help awaits everyone if they truly want it.”

Check out the complete interview at FOXSports.com.

Jimmy Snuka Charged With Third-Degree Murder & Involuntary Manslaughter

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WWE Hall of Famer “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka has been charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the death of his girlfriend more than 32 years ago.

In his 2012 autobiography, Snuka maintained his innocence and said Argentino’s death ruined his life.

“Many terrible things have been written about me hurting Nancy and being responsible for her death, but they are not true,” he wrote. “This has been very hard on me and very hard on my family. To this day, I get nasty notes and threats. It hurts. I never hit Nancy or threatened her.”

Back on May 10th, 1983, Snuka wrestled on a WWE TV taping from the Allentown Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. When he got back to his hotel room, he alleged that he found Nancy Argentino gasping for air and oozing yellow fluid from her nose and mouth. She died the following day from traumatic brain injures. She also had a number of cuts and bruises which suggested domestic abuse. The autopsy report stated her injuries were consistent with being hit with a “stationary object.”

The forensic pathologist suggested that the case be invested as a homicide, but no charges were filed until today. An investigation was reopened last year when Pennsylvania’s Morning Call newspaper published an in-depth story on the alleged murder, which led to a grand jury investigation that ultimately resulted in Snuka being charged.

Kevin Owens Talks About Finn Balor & Samoa Joe Joining The Main Roster, NXT & More

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Kevin Owens spoke to Mike Jones from DC101 in Washington, DC this week to promote WWE’s live event this Sunday at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. Here are some highlights of what KO said about:

Finn Balor & Samoa Joe Joining The Main Roster: “I think there’s a lot of people in NXT that are right on the cusp of being ready to come and make an impact on the main roster! Joe, Finn, Hideo Itami, when he’s healthy cause he’s still hurt right now, Enzo and Big Cass, who are probably my favorites in NXT right now, and that’s just to name a few.”

NXT Preparing you for WWE: “That’s the thing about NXT and the way they built NXT is it’s so good to get you ready for that moment. Triple H built it with that in mind, that once you get that opportunity you nail it and knock it out of the park. He did everything he could to make NXT basically a smaller version of RAW.”

Finally Making It To The Big Time In WWE: “It’s happened to me several times over the past few months and it still happens. I get in the elevator and it’s just me in the elevator, I’ll find myself staring at the reflection and thinking ‘How did you get here’ and it’s a way of reminding myself that this is what I’ve been waiting for forever.”

You can check out the whole interview at DC101.com.

DA To Announce Findings Of Jimmy Snuka Grand Jury Probe This Afternoon

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The District Attorney of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce developments in the ongoing grand jury investigation into the 1983 death of Nancy Argentino, the former girlfriend of WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka.

Snuka was considered a person of interest in the 1983 death of Argentino, who was only 23 at the time. Her autopsy found that she suffered more than two dozen cuts and bruises, a possible sign of “mate abuse.”

The murder took place at the former George Washington Motor Lodge, where Argentino was found. A forensic pathologist wrote at the time that the case should be investigated as a homicide, but Snuka was never charged.

If you’ve never read it, check out The Morning Call’s investigative report on the Snuka situation that launched the grand jury probe.

Stardust Polling Fans About Cody Rhodes, WWE Not Happy With Sunny & More

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– The Prime Time Players will be Chris Jericho’s guest this week on his Talk Is Jericho podcast over at PodcastOne.com.

– WWE officials are not happy with Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, according to f4wonline.com. Sunny has been selling “private Skype sessions with fans” and is dealing with a lot of legal issues at the moment.

– Stardust is asking fans on Twitter to vote on which persona they like bette – Stardust or Cody Rhodes, who mysteriously disappeared back in June 2014 and is rumored to be chained up in a remote cave somewhere off the coast of Parts Unknown.

Summer Rae In Iron Man Magazine: Behind The Scenes Video

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WWE Diva Summer Rae is featured in the September issue of Iron Man Magazine.

She spoke to WWE.com about the opportunity, noting that “‘Iron Man’ loved my message about having a healthy lifestyle … I got the shoot on my own, which I am very proud of.”

Aside from talking to the magazine about her physical fitness routine and life on the road with WWE, she also promoted a cause very near and dear to her, a charity her family started up entitled The Dean Thomas Moinet Foundation. The foundation is “for medically fragile children in North Carolina,” and aims to provide free residency for families during hospital stays.

The latest issue of Iron Man Magazine with Summer Rae is now available at newsstands everywhere.

Mark Henry Says He Is Considering Retiring Next Year

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During a recent interview with The Times of India, Mark Henry revealed that he is considering retiring from active competition next year – but it won’t be the last we see of him.

“I may retire next year,” Henry said. “It may be the swan-song of my wrestling career; but definitely not the end of Mark Henry!”

Henry, who made his first WWE television appearance back in March of 1996, says he’s already thinking about ways he can contribute to the business once he hangs up the boots once and for all.

“Well, I’ve done it all; won several championships. My ambition now is to be a part of finding the future talent of wrestling and open up the sport to countries like India.”

Henry also spoke about his work with the Special Olympics, being bullied when he was growing up for being “unusually big” and more.

Bayley’s Popularity, Update On Mika Rotunda’s WWE Tryout, Kanna Drops Title In Japan

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– NXT Women’s Champion Bayley’s popularity continues to climb, with a long-time WWE employee telling Bryan Alvarez of f4wonline.com that BBayleyailey is “so ungodly over, especially with little girls,” that if she were to start granting wishes through Make-A-Wish, “she will destroy John Cena.”

It’s also worth noting that Bayley’s t-Shirt is currently the highest-selling Divas merchandise at WWEShop.com.

– Japanese women’s wrestler Kanna, who has reportedly signed with WWE, relinquished the REINA World Women’s Championship this which, which she won from Syuri back in 2014. REINA has confirmed that she’s also leaving the promotion.

– Several weeks ago, Bray Wyatt’s sister Mika Rotunda was at the WWE Performance Center for a tryout. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair revealed on his Wooooo! Nation podcast that he was at the Performance Center when Mika was there – and she was trying out to be a ring announcer, not a wrestler. Flair sounded impressed with what he saw and said he wouldn’t be surprised if WWE brought her in as an announcer in the future.

In related news, Mika Rotuna was backstage at Monday’s RAW from Tampa:

https://instagram.com/p/7EPmNLy1Hr/

WWE 2K16 Roster Update: 21 More Characters Announced, New Screenshots

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In 2K’s fourth reveal for WWE 2K16’s ongoing Roster 3:16, 21 additional WWE Superstars and Divas have been announced for inclusion in the forthcoming franchise release on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 30, 2015 internationally.

This week’s additions to WWE 2K16’s extensive roster include Aiden English, Andre The Giant, Batista, Chris Jericho, Curtis Axel, Edge, Erick Rowan, Fandango, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, Luke Harper, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Natalya, Ravishing Rick Rude, R-Truth, Ryback, Santino Marella, Sergeant Slaughter, Simon Gotch, Stephanie McMahon, The Rock and Undertaker.

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K16 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and is in development for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

New screenshots:

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image-2015-08-19-18-07-34

Charlotte & Nikki Hype Their Divas Title Match, SmackDown Spoilers Tonight & More

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– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown and Main Event tapings take place from Miami, Florida. Dolph Ziggler and Lana on Miz TV has been announced for SmackDown. Join us here later tonight for live coverage of the SmackDown tapings.

– Total Divas synopsis for tonight: “Paige lands herself in hot water with the WWE; Nattie sets her sister up with Big E; and Bryan takes issue with Brie’s new sexy wardrobe.”

– On this week’s RAW Fallout videos, Charlotte talks about becoming #1 contender to Nikki Bella’s Divas Championship at Night of Champions and Nikki reacts:

Report: Philadelphia Submits A Bid To Host WrestleMania 34

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Philadelphia city officials have reportedly submitted a bid to host WrestleMania 34 in 2018, according to CrossingBroad.com.

Citing an anonymous WWE source, the site says that the city submitted a plan to host the event at Lincoln Financial Field, with NXT and RAW events held at the Wells Fargo Center, and a FanFest held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Larry Needle, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress, has done interviews with local newspapers in recent years expressing the city’s interest in hosting a WrestleMania event.

Wreslemania 32 is scheduled for AT&T Stadium in Arington, Texas in 2016 and WrestleMania 33 is rumored to be taking place from Minnesota in 2017.

*Spoilers* WWE Superstars Taping Results For This Week

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The following matches were taped prior to WWE RAW on Monday night for this week’s edition of WWE Superstars.

– R-Truth def. Adam Rose in the first of two matches taped in the Amalie Arena in Tampa for WWE Superstars this week. This match was said to be a pretty basic match that didn’t have a lot of crowd heat.

– Neville & The Lucha Dragons def. Stardust & The Ascension in six-man tag-team action to close out the taping. There was a lot of high-flying, fast-paced action in this one, which the babyfaces ended up winning in the end.

Bram Released From Jail, Photo Of His Mug Shot

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bram mug shot post

As reported on Monday, TNA star Bram (aka Thomas Latimer) was arrested for domestic battery and false imprisonment on Sunday in Gulfport, Florida.

Latimer was released on Tuesday on $5,000 bond for the domestic battery strangulation charge, and an additional $1,000 bond for the false imprisonment charge.

TNA announced that they have indefinitely suspended Bram while they work to “gather facts and obtain additional information related to the arrest.”

Below are details of Bram’s arrest courtesy of The Gulfport Police Department:

Professional Wrestler Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

Gulfport, FL—On 8/30 at approximately 6:00 AM, officers responded to a call about a disturbance in an apartment at 3205 58th Street South. There they encountered Thomas R. Latimer and a woman who identified herself as his girlfriend.

The officers observed evidence indicative of a physical altercation, and their investigation revealed that, after the couple had been arguing, the woman felt threatened and sought refuge in her bedroom.

Latimer followed her into the bedroom, closed the door, and refused to allow her to leave. He then pushed the woman onto the bed and was holding her down by her neck.

Latimer, who is a wrestler with TNA Impact Wrestling, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment. Both are felony charges, and he is currently being held in the Pinellas County Jail.

What Happened After RAW: Cena & Orton vs. Rollins & Sheamus

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After Monday’s WWE RAW from Tampa went off the air, the dark match main event took place featuring two top stars who weren’t on the show.

John Cena and Randy Orton defeated WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins and Sheamus. Cena and Orton hit their finishers on Sheamus to end the match, then celebrated to end the show.

Updated Card For WWE Night of Champions

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Following Monday’s RAW (Results), here’s the updated card for WWE Night of Champions on Sunday, September 20th:

WWE World Heavyweight Title Match
Sting vs. Seth Rollins (c)

WWE United States Title Match
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (c)

WWE Divas Title Match
Charlotte vs. Nikki Bella (c)

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena For U.S. Title Announced For WWE Night Of Champions

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At Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Tampa, Florida, another title match was made official for the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view in Houston, Texas in September.

During the main event segment, it was announced that every title must be on the line at the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view, so while Seth Rollins has a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Sting, he will also be defending his WWE United States Championship.

Challenging Rollins for the U.S. title at Night Of Champions will be the former champion, John Cena.

WWE Night Of Champions takes place on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Make sure to visit SEScoops.com on 9/20 for the best Night Of Champions live results coverage on the web!

Miz TV With Dolph Ziggler & Lana Announced For WWE SmackDown

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On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Tampa, Florida, a big segment was announced for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which will be taped on Tuesday night in Miami, Florida.

On a special edition of Miz TV with The Miz, both Dolph Ziggler and Lana will be the guests to sort out the business stemming from RAW.

During Monday’s RAW, a mystery angle happened involving Dolph Ziggler and Summer Rae, with Ziggler claiming innocence and Summer claiming Dolph made a move on her.

Make sure to visit SEScoops.com on Tuesday evening for live WWE SmackDown spoiler results coverage!

New Title Match For WWE Night Of Champions Announced On RAW

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A new title match for the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view in September was made official on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW in Tampa, Florida.

When Charlotte defeated Brie Bella in one minute and 41 seconds in the Divas “Beat The Clock Challenge” at RAW, she became the new number one contender and earned the right to challenge Nikki Bella for the WWE Divas Championship at the WWE Night Of Champions pay-per-view.

The other “Beat The Clock Challenge” match saw Becky Lynch defeat Alicia Fox in three minutes and 21 seconds. The third “Beat The Clock Challenge” match saw Paige and Sasha Banks run out of time, as the one minute 41 second mark hit and there had yet to be a decision.

WWE Night Of Champions takes place on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Make sure to join SEScoops.com on 9/20 for the best WWE Night Of Champions live results coverage on the web!

WWE RAW Results – August 31, 2015

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Sting Kicks Off RAW

This week’s show kicks off with a clip from SummerSlam that shows Seth Rollins holding up the WWE and U.S. titles. We then see a clip of Triple H promising to unveil the Rollins statue last week. Then, we see Sting crashing the party and attacking Rollins, leading to HHH making Sting vs. Rollins at Night Of Champions.

From there, the regular RAW opening video package plays and as promised, once we shoot live inside the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Sting’s music hits and “The Icon” makes his way to the ring to kick off Monday Night RAW.

Sting says the last time he was here he was wrestling at WrestleMania. He talks about Seth Rollins and the WWE World Heavyweight title. He says Rollins is no Triple H, and Triple H is the man he fought last time. He talks about all of the injustices he has seen in recent months. He says Rollins doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as legends such as Bruno Sammartino, Andre The Giant or The Ultimate Warrior.

“The Icon” talks about how he has won world titles all over the world but one has alluded him. He promises at Night Of Champions that will change.

Backstage: Seth Rollins & Stephanie McMahon

Backstage, Seth Rollins complains to Stephanie McMahon about what Sting said just now. Steph says Sting just spoke about how Rollins isn’t half the man Triple H is. She says she happens to agree with Sting. Rollins says with all due respect they build statues for legends. He asks where his statue is. She tells him to go ask Sting where his statue is.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev

After that, Dolph Ziggler’s music hits and out he comes with “The Ravishing Russian” Lana. Ziggler will go one-on-one with “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev in a SummerSlam rematch next. On that note we head to a commercial break.

When we return from the break, Rusev makes his way to the ring with Summer Rae. The bell sounds and here we go with our first match of the evening.

The two have a lot of back-and-forth action until we finally reach the finish of the match. The finish sees Rusev hit a big kick and then go for The Accolade. Ziggler escapes. Ziggler hits the Zig-Zag but Summer breaks up Ziggler’s pin attempt.

After the match, Lana comes in to fight Summer. Ziggler picks her up and Summer runs into a kick. Ziggler and Lana make out on the top of the ramp as Rusev and Summer watch on from the ring.

Winner via Disqualification: Dolph Zigglerr

Beat The Clock Challenge
– Becky Lynch vs. Alicia Fox

We head back to the ring for our next match of the evening, and it’s our first Divas “Beat The Clock Challenge.” Our first match features Becky Lynch from Team P.C.B. and Alicia Fox from Team Bella.

The bell sounds and here we go. We see that Nikki Bella will break AJ Lee’s record for the longest reign as Divas Champion in 14 days.

The action in the ring goes back and forth until finally Becky gets her Disarm-Her for the victory. The win came at the 3:21 mark of the match, so that is the time to beat.

Winner at 3:21: Becky Lynch

WWE Comments On Hulk Hogan Wanting To Return

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WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan made an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday morning to apologize for his racist comments from years ago that leaked online last month.

During the segment, Hogan said that he is not a racist but “never should have said what I said.”

“It was wrong,” he added. “I’m embarrassed by it.” He said WWE cutting ties with him was “devastating” he feels like they have completely erased him from history.

While Hogan is hoping to make a triumphant return to WWE one day, a WWE spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter:

“At this time, the WWE remains steadfast in its decision.”

Identity Of Shooter At WWE Performance Center Today Revealed

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The man involved in the shooting at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday was 29 year-old Armando Alejandro Montalvo.

WWE recently filed an injunction against a man with the same name to keep the person from trespassing on the WWE Performance Center property.

According to online records, Montalvo was arrested for trespassing after being warned to leave the WWE Performance Center back on August 4th.

The man was also arrested for battery on a man 65 years or older, violating a domestic injunction, fraud and assault on a law enforcement officer over the past few years.

As reported earlier today, police said the man was reportedly obsessed with one of the female WWE talents and that’s why he was there today, however she was not.

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

Update On The WWE Performance Center Shooting: Man With A Knife Was Obsessed With An NXT Diva

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More details are coming in regarding the shooting that took place on Monday afternoon at the WWE Performance Center. Orange County’s Sheriff department held a news conference and said deputies were sent to the WWE training facility after receiving a call about a trespasser.

– The trespasser is 29 year old Hispanic male who had been showing up to the Performance Center multiple times is “fixated” on an unnamed female NXT performer who was not present on the day of the incident. The suspect was arrested most recently on 8/24. He has a criminal record involving violence and robbery.

– WWE has had police officers at the facility in recent weeks but did not have anybody there today prior to the incident.

– WWE called the police this afternoon to inform them that the man had returned again and was “acting deranged” and was holding what appeared to be a knife. Two plain-clothes detectives responded. The suspect charged one of the detectives, Officer Steve Wahl, and assaulted him. The deputy backed up 75-100 feet and the suspect followed. When he did not follow instructions to stop, he was shot once. The shooting took place in the parking lot outside of the Performance Center.

– The suspect is currently in surgery with “life-threatening” injuries. He is not being identified due to his family not yet being notified of the incident. His official status is critical but stable.

– Today was the third time authorities had dealt with the suspect. WWE had taken out an injunction to prevent him from coming onto their property but he had not been served with it at the time of the incident.

– The suspect was not involved with WWE and had no relationship with anyone who trains at the Performance Center.