Home Blog Page 2272

Former WWE Star Big Bully Busick Undergoes Surgery For Cancer, Cameron/BET, JR

Matt Boone
-
10

– Former WWE performer Nick “Big Bully” Busick underwent surgery on Friday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for esophagus cancer. T-shirts are being sold at BullyStrongShirts.com to help with Busick’s medical costs.

– Jim Ross’ former on-air partner in WCW, Tony Schiavone, will be his guest on next week’s edition of the “Ross Report” podcast, which will be available on Tuesday night at 9pm EST. at PodcastOne.com.

– WWE Diva and off-and-on Total Divas star Cameron appeared on BET’s “Lift Every Voice” program with Fonzworth Bentley on Sunday morning to discuss her journey to success in WWE. Below is a photo of Cameron with the Bentley.

Photos & Video: NXT Stars Teach Tough Enough Cast How To Set Up WWE Ring

Matt Boone
-
4

Prior to this week’s NXT television tapings at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, some of the NXT talent taught the current cast of WWE Tough Enough competitors how to set up a wrestling ring.

Below are some photos and a brief video clip that shows that Tough Enough crew working on setting up the ring, which will likely air as part of next week’s episode on USA Network.

Jonathan Coachman & ESPN Coming To SummerSlam

Matt Boone
-
19

As reported on Saturday evening, former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman has been teasing an appearance at next Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Coachman, who worked in WWE for years before leaving to work at his current place of employment, ESPN, will be at the show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to cover the event for the sports channel.

After dropping hints on social media, ESPN’s P.R. team has confirmed that Coachman will be in Brooklyn covering the event for ESPN’s SportsCenter.

The belief is that while ESPN won’t be covering SummerSlam like a major “SportsCenter on the Road” type of coverage that they give other major sporting events, Coachman will be at the show specifically to cover it as a reporter for ESPN.

Whether or not he appears on the show in some form or fashion remains to be seen.

(Credit: F4WOnline.com)

Ring Of Honor To Tour Japan In 2016

Matt Boone
-
1

Ring Of Honor booker Delirious announced at the beginning of the final G-1 Climax show that ROH will be heading to Japan in 2016 for a multi-show tour.

While specific dates or other information is available yet, we can confirm that New Japan Pro Wrestling and ROH have been working on putting this deal together for months, and that they may be running a 2-3 show tour in the first quarter of the new year.

There will likely be additional information regarding ROH’s 2016 tour of Japan coming in the near future. Stick with us here at SEScoops.com for all of the updates.

DISH Network No Longer Airing ROH TV On Sinclair Stations, ROH Asks Fans For Help

Matt Boone
-
2

Ring Of Honor issued a press release this week announcing that DISH Network has discontinued all Ring Of Honor/Sinclair broadcasting. Below are the details.

DISH Network Discontinues Ring of Honor/Sinclair Programming

Call DISH now to get us back!

As a result of an expired agreement between DISH Network and our parent company, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Dish will no longer carry Sinclair stations or programming, including Ring of Honor. At this time, we do not know if or when Dish will resume carrying our content.

We regret the inconvenience this is causing to Dish Network subscribers who want to continue to watch Ring of Honor on Sinclair stations.

We wish to remind these subscribers that numerous other means exist for receiving Ring of Honor programming, including DirecTV and at least one cable television company, for free over-the air, and on rohwrestling.com. You can also catch Ring of Honor every Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET on the Destination America channel.

If you are affected by this situation, we suggest that you contact Dish Network by calling them at (855)-318-0572, or through their website at dish.com/contact, Facebook at facebook.com/DISH, or on Twitter at twitter.com/dish, and let them know you want them to carry these local stations and receive their popular programming, including Ring of Honor.

For more information, including answers to FAQ, please visit dishnetworkretrans.com

Jonathan Coachman Teases Appearance At WWE SummerSlam PPV

Matt Boone
-
20

It looks like a former prominent member of the WWE broadcast team during the infamous “Attitude Era” is teasing a possible appearance at next Sunday’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Jonathan Coachman, who was often affectionately referred to as “The Coach” during his run in WWE, dropped a hint on Twitter on Saturday evening, only hours later to basically outright confirm the news.

“So next weekend does anyone know of anything to do in Brooklyn,” Coachman wrote. “Don’t have anything on my schedule. No wait… Yes I do. #SS.”

From there, a fan asked if we would see “The Coach” on-air during the event, to which Coachman replied, “I’m not going just to be a spectator.” Coachman, who now works for ESPN as an on-air analyst, concluded with the hash-tag, “#SportsCenter.”

Check out Coachman’s tweets below.

Video: The Rock Talks New “Baywatch” Movie, Promises “Really Dirty, R-Rated Humor”

Matt Boone
-
5

MTV.com recently spoke with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson about the new movie he will be starring in, which will be based on the old hit television series “Baywatch.”

Above is a video of the interview. Below are some of the highlights.

On hiring the right people to ensure the movie is of quality: “We’ve all taken great care, and steps, into making sure that we do it right. We hired really great writers. We have a really director on board, Seth Gordon… he’s got a great vision.”

On what type of film fans can expect: “We want to make a big movie — a fun beach movie. [We want to] bring the beach movie back to the world, but also have something that has edge and has badass action and really dirty, rated-R humor, which is right in my wheelhouse.”

On the casting for the film: “The casting of ’Baywatch’ has become such a thing. We’ve cast Zac Efron, and now this is the fun thing about it. Who’s going to play C.J.? I can’t tell you the amount of calls we’ve been getting from the most gorgeous actresses and models in the world, from their agents and managers. They all want to be C.J.”

Kelly Kelly Talks Going From WWE To Reality TV, What To Expect On WAGS & More

Matt Boone
-
10

Former WWE Diva Kelly Kelly recently spoke with FashionStyle.com to promote the new E! reality show, “WAGS (Wives And Girlfriends),” which she will be co-starring in. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how it was transitioning from professional wrestling to reality TV: “They are both very similar, WWE is just like a soap opera but with wrestling, while Reality TV is just like that but the characters are real and the drama is real! The transition was very easy for me because I’m used to the cameras being around and I was very comfortable so I was able to be myself. I would have to say the biggest challenge was to not let myself get into my old wrestling character (haha), because when I would get into arguments with the other girls I would automatically turn into a WWE DIVA. So I had to remind myself how would Barbie react? Not Kelly Kelly — we are not in a wrestling ring! Even though sometimes I wish I could be with some of the girls!”

On how she met her fiancé: “I met him through a mutual girlfriend I was living in Tampa at the time. He had a hockey game that next day, so my girlfriend invited me to go to dinner with a bunch of people and he was there and immediately I felt sparks!”

On her reaction when she decided to join the cast of WAGS: “He has been nothing but supportive of me and my career. I honestly couldn’t have done it without his support, and when this opportunity presented itself he told me to go for it and have fun!”

On what fans can expect to see on season one of WAGS: “They can expect to see a lot of drama! Friendships go up and down and relationships go up and down. It’s a great look at what women in the WAG world go through on a daily basis, how we deal with our men being on the road, having our own identities and careers and lots more!”

Check out the complete interview at FashionStyle.com.

The New Day Talk About Vince Being Upset With Their Babyface Run, Being Taken Off TV

Matt Boone
-
38

The New Day — Big E., Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods — recently appeared together as guests on Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast. During their appearance on the show, a lot of behind-the-scenes information about Vince McMahon’s plans for the group and his reaction when those plans didn’t go as he expected them to are covered.

The following are some highlights and notes from their appearance on the show.

On how the idea for The New Day began: “So I’m working on that character, trying to get something going and then I’m kind of realizing that, ‘oh, [Big] E’s not doing anything, he’s kind of coming off his I.C. title run and starting to float, so, you know what? I like E, he’s one of my good friends, lets see if we can merge him into this,’ said Xavier Woods. “So we kind of start working on something, literally weeks at a time, and we’re going into pre-tapes, filming things, pitching ideas and then we’re thinking, ‘something is missing from this, like, we need one more thing.’

“That’s when we kind of thought, ‘maybe Kofi’, but it was kind of a heel thing. We’re thinking, ‘Kofi has never been a heel – I don’t know if [WWE] would let him turn heel’. After talking about it for a while, we kind of approached them with what we wanted to do and rather than being this group that everyone thought it was going to be, like three angry black guys, it’s like, ‘no, it’s three guys who come up from kind of the same background, that just want more from life, more from their jobs, more from their friends, more from everything around them’. So we tried to take that mentality and get it across TV as best we could and we did.”

On WWE taking The New Day off of TV immediately after forming the group: “We got taken off [TV] and then we basically had to reevaluate and come up with something different,” Kofi Kingston said. “We were told we needed to go in a kind of positive, uplifting type of direction and we would be going into Vince [McMahon’s] office, pretty much every week for probably months.”

On Vince McMahon changing the idea to a preacher gimmick, and their reaction: “We kind of got frustrated too and then we didn’t go back to his office for a little while and then he called us back in, like, a few weeks later, and he’s like, ‘you know, guys, it [has] taken me a long time to come up with this, but I think I got it: I want you guys to be preachers’ and all three of us are like, ‘oh my god,'” said Kingston.

Kofi would go on to explain that the preacher gimmick was the exact opposite of what they wanted to do, however Big E. saw it as an opportunity. The trio then decided collectively that if they were super over-the-top with the gimmick, it would become a heel stable, which is basically what happened.

From there, Kingston claimed McMahon told him he felt The New Day preacher characters would be “the greatest babyface thing ever.” Woods noted that McMahon looked visibly emotional when talking about the group failing to get over as a babyface faction.

You can listen to the complete interview at PodcastOne.com.

Plans For NXT Takeover: Brooklyn On WWE Network, Undertaker/Lesnar, SummerSlam

Matt Boone
-
0

– WWE has a 30-minute pre-show for next Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event planned for the WWE Network. The pre-show will air at 8:30pm EST. on Saturday, August 22nd, leading directly into the two-hour NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event, which is scheduled to begin at 9pm EST. on the WWE Network. Currently, there is no post-show scheduled for the NXT special.

– The latest edition of WWE’s “Canvas 2 Canvas” web-series features artwork on The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, both of whom will be headlining next Sunday’s SummerSlam event against each other.

– Speaking of next weekend’s SummerSlam pay-per-view, WWE released the following look back at the 20 greatest moments in SummerSlam history to promote this year’s event.

Finn Balor Talks About WWE Management Not Being Happy With His Promo Ability

Matt Boone
-
9

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s “Extra Mustard” blog to promote next Saturday’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On his verbal skills being the biggest knock from WWE coaches and Dusty Rhodes: “Dusty would say, ‘Finn, your work in the ring is up here, but you’re talking is down here – you’ve got to balance them out.’ He was always very straight to the point, and we had a great relationship together. I remember him saying one time, ‘Prince, you know I heard them talking about you before you came in here, and goddamn, I thought Lou Thesz was gonna walk in that door the way they talk about your work.’ I’ll never forget that, and I was very lucky to work with Dusty. He helped me incredibly with my communication, as he called it, and I learned a lot of lessons with him. ‘The Dream’ was someone who filled me with confidence the first time I walked in the door.”

On NXT being WWE’s best product right now: “Right now, NXT is the main roster. NXT is the hottest thing in wrestling. I’m not in any hurry to go anywhere else but take NXT to the next level.”

On possibly main eventing WrestleMania one day: “I started wrestling fifteen years ago, and my goal was to have just one match. I had one match, and then I wanted to have two. Then I wanted to wrestle in Japan, and I wrestled in Japan for eight years. Then I wanted to wrestle in WWE. Here I am, a year later, as NXT champ. So I don’t set long-term goals. The next goal is Brooklyn [against Kevin Owens at NXT Takeover]. But it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think, in another fifteen years time, the odds are highly stacked in my favor about WrestleMania some day.”

Check out the complete interview at SI.com.

Paige Talks HHH’s Influence On Divas Revolution, Which Diva She Thinks Has The Most Potential

Daniel Pena
-
5

Speaking to Doug Mortman and Larry Dallas of Busted Open on the Sirius XM Radio Network, Paige discussed a number of topics including Triple H’s influence on the “Divas Revolution,” which Diva she feels has the most the potential, how the women of Tough Enough may fare in WWE, and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows.

Triple H’s influence on the Diva’s Revolution

“Just seeing him come in and completely take what was then called FCW like under his wing and make it into this huge brand to the point where it sold out in Brooklyn – 15,000 people are coming to watch NXT – that’s MIND BLOWING … and it’s all because of that guy. He really wanted to make it a success and he really did, especially with the Divas. He really did give the Divas a chance in NXT – like me and Emma, the first network show that we did – he really gave us a chance on there and it just progressed. He killed it. He knocked it out of the park with it. We’re all extremely thankful for the opportunity that he gave every single one of us.”

Which Diva Paige feels has the most promise

“Even though she’s on the opposing team, I would say Sasha Banks. I’m a huge fan of hers. And I’ve always said it. I’ve always said Sasha Banks. She’s just the full package to me. She can promo, she can wrestle, she looks good … she definitely shows the most, I think.”

On whether she sees either of the remaining two Divas on Tough Enough becoming a big name in NXT and eventually the main WWE roster

“As much as I like Sara Lee, and everyone thinks I pick on her, I would have to say Amanda – and it’s not being biased because you know how I’m like with both of them, I’m brutally honest with both of them. Amanda is kind of the full package too – she can talk, she’s really starting to get things in the ring, and she’s really embracing that heel role that she’s got going on. She really doesn’t care what people think of her and that’s cool to me, I like that, she doesn’t care about being liked or not. She’s not afraid of being different, she’s not afraid to be herself. She does great in the ring. She takes control as well, especially with her and Sara’s match she really took control of it. That’s cool. I like that about her.”

On the winners of Tough Enough and their eventual transition to the NXT roster

“It’s definitely going to be hard transition for them because they’re going to have to start working extra hard … especially because there are a lot of people on NXT that have worked their whole lives to get where they are. To be honest with you, they DO work hard, but they’re doing it on a reality show and then they get handed the contract at the end of the day. I can see a few jealous people [in NXT] but everyone is cool and cordial and they’ll be fine.”

For more information on Busted Open, visit BustedOpenNation.com.

Video: DDP Shares Some Memories Of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Staff
-
2

Following his untimely passing, Diamond Dallas Page reflects and shares some stories on the late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

News On Post-SummerSlam Edition Of RAW, Past Stars Endorse British Bulldog For WWE HOF

Matt Boone
-
8

– The post-SummerSlam edition of WWE RAW at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, is officially sold out after another set of tickets for the show were released.

– ECW Originals Raven and The Blue Meanie have put their stamp of approval on the late “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith as a future WWE Hall Of Famer. The two posted the following videos endorsing the late wrestling legend.

Glacier Talks About Being Grilled By Eric Bischoff In WCW, Money Spent On His Character

Matt Boone
-
8

Former WCW character Glacier recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On who made the initial introduction to Eric Bischoff: “Dallas (Page) and I had become good friends. We would work out together at Main Event which was a gym that everybody was working out at then. I had mentioned that I was going to start using martial arts in ring and he mentioned that (Eric) was into all of that stuff. So we scheduled a meeting and in January I had literally a three hour meeting with him and he grilled me up and down. At the end of that conversation he said I want to sign you to a contract and he asked if I was wrestling on the Independent scene and I had been wrestling there a lot. I remember him saying to cancel all my bookings on the Independent scene and totally disappear and I remember saying I can do that and just totally disappear.”

On the work that went into creating the gimmick and the characters: “I got to know (Chris) Kanyon, Bryan Clark and I were already friends and I got to know Ernest (Miller) and we quickly all kind of gelled together as a unit. Chris and I became very good friends all the way up until he passed away. For Chris and I this was it, we may only get this one shot so we didn’t take it lightly at all and Page was assigned to oversee it all. We were at the Power Plant everyday, all day and then we would all meet up and watch the videos of the day and then be back at the Power Plant the next day and did that for months before we ever went on TV. We put a lot of hard work into that, just figuring out who the gimmicks were. Eric’s whole thing was it’s like a video game come to life but said I want you guys to play it very serious. At the end of the day did it become exactly what I thought it could be, no. But it was an unbelievable opportunity to break new ground in wrestling, the Glacier entrance broke new ground in wrestling, I was the first guy to wrestle with a colored contact and I was definitely the first guy to have arena snow when I came out.”

On the money spent by WCW to bring Glacier to life: “I tell people all the time, that armor all together weighs over twenty pounds. For an entrance it’s no big deal but for a three hour appearance it’s a big deal to wear it. I actually became friends with the head of AFX Studios, he was a young and upcoming artist and really creative, I introduced him to Eric and they decided to go with him for the persona’s of all four of the gimmicks and they spent a lot of money. I can confirm that I saw all the invoices he submitted to WCW and it was around $35,000 for the creation of the Glacier “look”. Keith Mitchell has looked me right in the eye and said that my entrance was close to $400,000 and almost $10,000 every time I came on TV. I’m glad I didn’t know all of that back then.”

On the impact made by Glacier and how has the WWE Network helped his legacy: “The costume, when I do appearances was built to be durable. Almost twenty years later I still have the full costume and when WCW folded they never asked for it back. I have one of the original masks that I got back then, one of the three I had originally got. Thank GOD I still look somewhat like I did on TV back in the day and am not the three-hundred pound Glacier. With the WWE Network and them replaying some of our stuff it’s a huge thrill for me now to be able to go out and make appearances and still be Glacier because a lot of wrestlers never get that opportunity, there gimmick comes and goes and is forgotten. I am so fortunate that people remembered it and still appreciate it.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

Chavo Guerrero Says He Taped Show With Piper Before His Death, Talks Eddie Guerrero

Matt Boone
-
0

Lucha Underground star Chavo Guerrero recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On what is The Chavo Show and what makes it different from other shows: “What I didn’t want to do is another wrestlers podcast. This is a different kind of interview show on the net and you know how the interest of fans go, so it’s a quick little twelve to nineteen minute video thing but it’s actually more then just a podcast with talking it will be something where you can see us interacting.”

On Roddy Piper taping the pilot episode of The Chavo Show: “The way it came about and it’s sad that we are even talking about it like that now but it was going to be my pilot episode. That actually was the fourth episode that I filmed but it was Piper, so he gave us some They Live stories and how that all came about, I’ve known the guy since I was five years old so just the camaraderie of us hanging out together really came through on camera and since things weren’t really ready we were wondering, do we scrap this episode but it was just so good and I want people to see Roddy the way I knew Roddy. It’s getting a great buzz and again Roddy Piper is getting ratings and stealing the show and thank GOD he was able to help me out so it’s kind of bitter-sweet. I am happy and proud it’s out there but I am missing my friend.”

On how do you handle working different characters and gimmicks when they are pitched: “A lot of times it was how things were done at TV and thinking about how you get on TV, so when they pitch stuff to you sometimes you say that’s something I probably wouldn’t pick for myself but if it was all up to us we would all be the Heavyweight Champion, the John Cena or the Batista. When they give you something it’s like, Ok let’s not knock it out of the park and let’s run with it. One thing that I’ve been told also is that I kind have shown on TV that I was able to do everything. I’ve been able to be a tag team wrestlers, a singles wrestler, a heel, a face, a different character making people laugh and cry and people hate me. So I’ve kind of been able to do a little bit in a sense, kind of do everything. Which is cool because that translates into Hollywood because they kind of start seeing different ones I play on TV and they start thinking wow this guy can do some stuff.”

On if being an accomplished performer has helped at Lucha Underground: “Being on Lucha Underground now it’s like a movie so you’ve got to be able to act a little bit. We go back there and the Director Skip Chasyn likes working with me because I can do things in a few takes so it’s kind of worked to my advantage.”

On Eddie Guerrero not being recognized by management while alive: “If you remember he (Eddie) went a long time with getting overlooked and passed over and told by WWF/WWE he was just a Cruiserweight and would never be THE guy. We all knew that Eddie was great. The fans knew that Eddie was great. But it’s like he wasn’t 6’10’ and he wasn’t 300 pounds, he was always the guy that could work and get those people over who couldn’t get themselves over. Eddie was in that spot for a long time and even after he was the World Champion in WWE he went back and he ended up working with Luther Reigns they wanted him to get this big (Kurt Angle’s) henchman over and Eddie was pissed. He was just coming off a World Champion run and now they wanted him to get a guy over when he should have been working with Triple H, with Shawn Michaels but they put him back with putting guys over. It took him a long time to get that recognition.”

On wrestlers similar to Eddie that don’t get the respect they should by management: “It makes me kind of angry a little bit. People always say he’s so good, well YES. Like CM Punk it was the same thing. He was really good, threatened leaving the company so they put the rocket on him for a little bit. Sometimes, the guys that are always held down are the guys that are the best ones at making everyone look good. They are so good at their craft that nobody else can make them look good so they are stuck in a rut just alway putting people over.”

On what made Eddie and Chavo, Los Guerreros so special as a team: “I think at that time and there were a lot of good tag teams that were at their best. The Hardyz, The Dudleyz, Edge and Christian were still around here and there but there was a lot of really, really good tag teams. But at that time as far as overall and as far as wrestling and performance and entertaining and kind of doing everything I feel that we were just in the zone. Teaming with Eddie was the best because we didn’t even have to talk matches. We knew each other so well, we’ve been doing this with the ring in the back yard since we were born it just came so natural to us.”

Check out the complete interview at Podomatic.com.

Paul Heyman Reveals Vince McMahon’s Pet Peeve, WWE Network Show Changes

Matt Boone
-
6

– In the past, Paul Heyman and Jim Ross have told stories about Vince McMahon having a pet peeve about sneezing. Heyman recently sent the following tweet to a fan, referencing the story again.

– As previously reported, the recent episode of the WWE Network show “Unfiltered with Renee Young,” which featured WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella, lasted 30 minutes. The show is now back to being a 15-minute program, starting with this week’s episode, which featured SummerSlam star and “Arrow” actor Stephen Amell.

Finn Balor Says He Doesn’t Want To Work On Main WWE Roster, Explains Why

Matt Boone
-
14

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently appeared as a guest on the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast to promote next weekend’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On hitting his head on a ceiling panel during a recent NXT live event: “I’ve been seeing stars, but I think they were actual stars after going through the ceiling. When I walked into the building, I looked at the ceiling and said ‘that ceiling looks a little low, I better be careful later on.’ But of course in the heat of the moment, that’s the last thing I’m thinking about when I’m looking below on Solomon Crowe laying on the mat. So I jumped up, I was lucky it was a drop ceiling—it wasn’t solid and I kind of popped through it—a little bit of dust went in my hair, I came crashing down. I think it looked a lot worse than it was, no one was hurt seriously and we all lived to fight another day.”

On his recent tease of working with Paul Heyman: “I’m a big admirer of Paul, and I’ve had a lot of conversations with Paul about what we could do potentially in the future but it’s all hypothetical at the moment. That was some incredible, incredible fan art that I’m very fortunate that people send me all the time and I like to publicize some of their work and that’s literally all that was. A lot of people read into it their own way, and I apologize for that. But who knows, I will be in Brooklyn for NXT Takeover, I believe SummerSlam is in Brooklyn the next night, I believe Raw is in Brooklyn the next night so I’ll be in Brooklyn. Who knows?”

On not wanting to go to the main roster: “What we’re doing at NXT right now is groundbreaking. It’s revolutionary. For me, it’s like a Renaissance period in wrestling, and I want to be involved in NXT, I don’t want to go to the quote-unquote main roster, I don’t want to get called up, so to speak, because I believe that we at NXT are building something together that is going to be looked back on in 10 years the same way that we looked back on the ECW period as being revolutionary at that time, and this is something that I want to be involved in.”

Check out the complete interview by clicking here.

Rumor Killer On Kevin Owens’ Weight Comments, Vince McMahon Praises Cena/Reigns

Matt Boone
-
16

– Longtime WWE executive producer Kevin Dunn was trending worldwide on Twitter earlier this week after online rumors spread claiming he was the one who ordered Randy Orton to make comments about Kevin Owens’ weight during RAW. The rumors turned out to not be true, as Dunn nor Vince McMahon had anything to do with it.

– Vince McMahon tweeted the following on Friday, congratulating John Cena and Roman Reigns for being included on DoSomething.org’s “Athletes Gone Good” list, which recognizes and appreciates their charitable efforts.

Finn Balor Talks Dream Match Against Undertaker, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn & More

Matt Boone
-
18

NXT Champion Finn Balor recently spoke with Channel Guide Magazine to promote WWE SummerSlam weekend and the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn event. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On being NXT Champion: “Life hasn’t really changed as far as who I am. You still have to carry yourself day-to-day a certain way, whether you are NXT champion or not. So not much has changed, but the schedule has been hectic. I’ll admit that, but it is part of representing the company and what we are doing at NXT. That’s my responsibility now, and I’m happy to do it.”

On his Ladder Match with Kevin Owens at Takeover: “I wouldn’t say there is a lot of added pressure. Obviously, what we did in Japan was viewed by a lot of people and was a great spectacle. For me personally, it was one of the highlights of my career. It couldn’t have gone any better. I spent eight years in Japan and made this unsure decision to actually move to WWE. That ran in my mind whether I should come. Then I went through a pretty difficult adaptation to not only the Performance Center, but Florida, U.S.A., WWE. It was all very uncertain. I kind of went through all that with Kevin.

“Then a year later we return to [Ryougoku] Sumo Hall, the same building I had my first match in New Japan Pro Wrestling and the same arena I had my last match in New Japan. I invited all my friends. A year later I am back there with WWE and the NXT championship on the line live on the WWE Network. That story could not have been written any better. For some reason, going into TakeOver, the match feels so much bigger this time. I think it’s mainly due to the fact that in Tokyo it was a WWE show where TakeOver is an NXT show. We sold more than 13,000 tickets in Brooklyn. It’s NXT. We don’t just have a match or an act on the show. We are the show. We are excited to be in Brooklyn as a team, and we have to deliver.”

On uncertainty when he first came to WWE: “There was a lot of uncertainty when I came here whether this was the right decision or wrong decision. There were some downs in the beginning and that swung around. I made my debut and got a little bit of my confidence back. Things have been on the up-and-up. Every child has played video games growing up and played WWE games. To be part of a video game, it’s an unbelievable experience. I got the opportunity to do all the motion capture with 2K. They were amazing. Then I’m shooting a game commercial with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I then get a call that I’m going to Comic-Con the next day. I get to Comic-Con, and they tell me we have action figures coming out. I didn’t even know I was meant to be in L.A. to be with Arnold. I flew to L.A. and meet Arnold Schwarzenegger and then go to Comic Con. They show me drawings of action figures they are doing this year. So to say things are surreal is a huge understatement. I’m almost pinching myself every day. I’m sitting here at home and there is one of my WWE NXT t-shirts sitting on my chair. I can’t even believe that. It’s been an incredible year, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

On NXT Head Coach Matt Bloom: “WWE realizes it can be difficult for foreigners to adjust to life here and have really been accommodating with that. I’m very grateful. I was helped by nearly everyone at the Performance Center, but one man I have to mention is Matt Bloom. We spent a lot of time together in New Japan. He came to Japan a few years prior to me. After his run with Tensai, he started coaching at the Performance Center. I must say if it wasn’t for him I’m not sure I would have lasted.

“He took me in and got me settled in. He helped me get my driver’s license. He helped me adjust to life in the United States. He is now head coach at the Performance Center. I can’t speak more highly of Matt Bloom and the help he gave me. With regards to in-ring work, Terry Taylor worked with me closely and helping me to adapt my style in NXT. I’ve had a lot of help top-to-bottom and am grateful for everyone.”

On a potential match against The Undertaker: “That would be a dream match for me to see Finn Bálor versus The Undertaker. It really doesn’t need to be explained more than that. I’ve been very fortunate to talk to Undertaker when I first came in here. We talked about entrances. He gave me a lot of advice that helps me to this day. So I’m very grateful for that. Maybe I’d play a couple of mind games with the Deadman. It would be a little bit fun.”

Check out the complete interview at ChannelGuideMagBlog.com.

WWE 2K16 Video Game Soundtrack Announced: Marilyn Manson, Run-DMC & Others

Matt Boone
-
11

WWE and 2K Sports issued the following press release to announce the official soundtrack for the new WWE 2K16 video game.

2K Announces WWE® 2K16 Soundtrack Fit to #RaiseSomeHell

Eclectic offering features spectrum of prominent artists across multiple music genres

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– 2K today announced the in-game soundtrack details for WWE® 2K16, the forthcoming release in the flagship WWE video game franchise. The soundtrack will feature 11 unique tracks from established and emerging artists that transcend multiple genres, including alternative, hip-hop, classic rock, heavy metal, country and electronic dance. The full WWE 2K16 soundtrack was revealed exclusively during Release on Beats 1 on Apple Music and is available now for streaming at http://apple.co/1DSFmcf. WWE 2K16 is currently scheduled for release on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 30, 2015 internationally for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems.

The WWE 2K16 soundtrack is scheduled to include the following artists and songs:

* Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell”
* Diplo (feat. Faustix & Imanos and Kai) – “Revolution”
* Fashawn (feat. Nas & Aloe Blacc) – “Something To Believe In”
* Kid Ink – “Hello World”
* Marilyn Manson – “Deep Six”
* MGK (feat. Victoria Monet) – “A Little More”
* Run-DMC – “It’s Tricky”
* Skid Row – “Youth Gone Wild”
* Twenty One Pilots – “Heavydirtysoul”
* Yelawolf – “Till It’s Gone” [Dan Heath Remix]
* Zac Brown Band (feat. Chris Cornell) – “Heavy Is The Hand”
* Zedd (feat. Logic and X-Ambassadors) – “Transmission”

“Building on the success of the in-game soundtrack curated by WWE Superstar John Cena® last year, we were enthusiastic about partnering with 2K to raise the bar higher for WWE 2K16 with a memorable list of world-renowned artists,” said Neil Lawi, Senior Vice President, WWE Music Group. “The WWE 2K16 soundtrack offers a diverse and exciting group of artists and songs including iconic tracks ‘Rebel Yell’ and ‘Youth Gone Wild,’ two of today’s most sought-after electronic dance masterminds Diplo and Zedd, and current ‘it’ artists Twenty One Pilots and Yelawolf.”

“Music plays a vital role in the WWE Universe, from WWE Superstar and Diva ring entrances to official pay-per-view themes, and inherently evokes WWE memories and emotions in all of us,” said Chris Snyder, Vice President of Marketing at 2K. “The WWE 2K16 soundtrack delivers a premium entertainment experience and is certain to raise some hell through its notable worldwide names and multiple music genres.”

Developed collaboratively by Yuke’s and Visual Concepts, a 2K studio, WWE 2K16 is not yet rated by the ESRB. WWE 2K16 is currently scheduled for release on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4™ and PS3™ on October 27, 2015 in North America and October 30, 2015 internationally. Consumers who pre-order WWE 2K16 at any participating retailer will receive two playable characters – each depicting global action film icon Arnold Schwarzenegger from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day films – at no extra cost on launch day.

For more information on WWE 2K16 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #WWE2K16 and #RaiseSomeHell or subscribe on YouTube.

Ryback Talks I-C Title And What’s Next, His Maximum Bench Press, SummerSlam & More

Matt Boone
-
8

WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback recently spoke with The Argus Leader to promote this Saturday’s WWE live event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On benching up to 550 pounds and lifting heavy Superstars: “There aren’t many guys that I’m not capable of picking them up. It’s a pretty incredible thing and I’m very thankful for it. It’s not easy; it’s a totally different ballgame lifting a human body like Mark Henry and The Big Show compared to a barbell or dumbbell. But the weight training has prepared me for opportunities like that.”

On respecting old school wrestling history: “Being a part of this (WWE), I’m thankful for everybody that has come before me. They laid the groundwork for what we have here now in the WWE. If it wasn’t for the (Fabulous) Freebirds, the Von Erich’s and guys of that nature who put their heart and soul into this, then we wouldn’t have the opportunity to be WWE Superstars.”

On returning to defend his title at SummerSlam and what’s next: “Obviously, being the Intercontinental Champion is a huge responsibility. The next step, and it’s solely on my shoulders now, is to take this momentum and carry it into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, eventually. So I’m taking it as a challenge, and I’m loving every second of it.”

Check out the complete interview at ArgusLeader.com.

Brie Bella Talks About Daniel Bryan’s Condition, Her Favorite All-Time Stars

Matt Boone
-
59

M Live recently spoke with WWE Diva and Total Divas star Brie Bella to promote Saturday’s WWE live event at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On how Daniel Bryan is doing: “He’s doing really really good. He feels great. His number one goal is to get back into the ring and he’s doing everything in his power to make that happen.”

On her favorite WWE wrestlers, past and present: “For past superstars, for a woman, I’d have to say Melina. She had the sex appeal and I loved the way she stood out in the ring. As far as past men go, I loved Jeff Hardy. He reminds me of my husband in a way. He’s quieter, but has a presence in the ring that’s like, wow.”

“For present superstars, Paige has been really amazing in our division. I love her aggression. She just has it. For men, besides my husband, who’s injured right now, I would say Dean Ambrose. He’s a maniac. Everything about him is great. He’s fun to watch. When his matches are over, I always wish there was a little more to watch.”

Check out the complete interview at MLive.com.

Bruce Hart Says NXT Is Developing “Crap,” Talks About WWE’s Big Mistake In The 1980s

Matt Boone
-
53

Bruce Hart, who is a member of the legendary Hart Family, recently appeared as a guest on “In The Room” on VOC Nation to talk about a number of subjects. Below are some of the highlights.

On WWE’s cut-throat practices in the 1980s: “One of the biggest mistakes [WWE] made, among others, was going to inordinate lengths to get rid of these promotions. I’m not sure if they were insecure or afraid of them being a threat to them or whatever. The promotions like Stampede Wrestling – and there were a number of other ones that I was fortunate enough to visit … – that was, and still is, one of the things that jeopardized the future of the wrestling business. Them going out of their way to eliminate the smaller promotions, that’s where all of the … talent was coming from.”

On WWE’s developmental system vs. the independent scene: “If you’ve got the best trainers and training facility in the world, which they don’t, I might add … in any other sport you still have to take raw material. In hockey, [you] develop it in junior hockey, in football you develop it in college or university or the CFL or wherever, in any other sport, even if you have the best talent at your disposal, and I might add that they don’t. Half the guys that I see them developing are crap … You show me the place for people to hone their craft and learn how to do the subtle things: learn how to interact with each other, learn how to interact with fans, all this other, they don’t have that. You take these NXT guys and it’s laughable that you always see guys who have come up supposedly from NXT or from the minors in the last decade or so. You do a little research and find out that they were kicking around … training or wrestling in small indie circuits before they went to NXT. That’s where they learned how to work.”

Check out the complete interview at WrestlingSmash.com.

Luke Harper Talks About His “Dirty Shirts,” Wyatt Family’s Start In NXT & More

Matt Boone
-
12

WWE Superstar Luke Harper recently spoke with the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show to promote this month’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On The Wyatt Family matches with The Shield: “The first run or match with The Shield always stands out to me, our matches, our wars. The feeling was electric before we even touched and it was my family looking down the line and I’m looking across at three guys that were on top of the hill, the big dogs, and we knew they need to be knocked down. Since we had come to WWE, the Shield and the Wyatts were always on a path to meet, a path to see who was better, and if you look at the results the Wyatt Family actually came out of those quite well and will do it again in Summer Slam and for as long as the Shield boys want to keep doing it. ”

On The Wyatt Family starting in NXT: “Basically, the Wyatt Family laid the bricks that the NXT house is now built on.”

On if the tank-tops that he wrestles in are clean: “Obviously, I’m not a Neanderthal, I do do laundry, I am a human being. I can just not do laundry. That’s utterly ridiculous. I have several different shirts. I don’t know if that’s going to disappoint anybody out there, but I was I have a very rigorous warmup where I get a good sweat going before a match to prepare for battle. That is what people see, that is what people mistake for dirtiness.”

Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

1...2,2712,2722,273...3,104Page 2,272 of 3,104