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Video: WWE Pays Tribute To Dusty Rhodes At NXT Live Event In Pittsburgh

Matt Boone
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WWE paid tribute to the late Dusty Rhodes, who passed away at age 69 this week, at the NXT live event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Thursday night. Prior to the start of the show, William Regal came out and they did a ten-bell salute for “The American Dream.”

After the ten-bell salute, the rabid NXT fans broke out into a loud Dusty Rhodes chant. Triple H posted a clip of the crowd chanting for Dusty last night, which you can check out below.

Final Lineup For Tonight’s GFW Debut Event In Jackson, Tennessee

Matt Boone
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Global Force Wrestling will be holding their first-ever live event tonight at The Ballpark in Jackson, Tennessee. Below is the advertised lineup for the show.

– Sonjay Dutt vs. Jamin Olivencia

– Lei’D Tapa vs. Thea Trinidad

– Tate Twins vs. Best Friends

– Kevin Matthews vs. Moose

– The Bullet Club (Gallows/Anderson) vs. New Heavenly Bodies

– Chris Mordetzky vs. Dustin Starr

* Jim Cornette is the special guest scheduled for the shows this weekend.

* A meet-and-greet is scheduled tonight featuring Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, The Bullet Babe, Chris “The Adonis” Mordetzky, Thea Trinidad and Dustin Starr.

If anyone is attending the GFW event tonight in Jackson, feel free to submit a live report to be published here on the website.

Dustin “Goldust” Runnels Talks About The Passing Of Dusty Rhodes

Matt Boone
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Longtime WWE Superstar Goldust (Dustin Runnels) shared his thoughts on the passing of his father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, on Friday.

Below is what Runnels wrote on his official Facebook page:

“Yesterday my father passed away with his four children, my daughter and his wife of 38 yrs. he was our hero and the greatest father in the world. He is the reason why I am who I am today. He taught me so so many lessons in life. He had 1 thing that he wanted to be and that was he wanted to be forever young. Now he is. Now he is dancing with angels in heaven. He was my mentor, my hero and a dad that I strive to be like. I love you dad. Thank you for all the overwhelmingly amount of love and support. He would have been on cloud 9 with this. Thank you all. Dustin Runnels”

Kevin Owens Talks About John Cena Being His Sons Hero, Stepping On U.S. Title

Matt Boone
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NXT Champion Kevin Owens recently appeared as a guest on the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On his success so far in WWE: “I went into NXT with no expectations. That’s what I was told when I was hired, have no expectations, just do the best I could, and that’s always what I’ve done for the last fifteen years. That’s what I did and you know it’s obviously working out pretty good.”

On wrestling his son’s hero and its influence on his signing with WWE: “My son’s a big John Cena fan and obviously a big fan of mine who is very proud of everything I’m accomplishing. A big reason why I signed with WWE in the first place was because my son wanted to see me wrestle in WWE and he wanted to see me wrestle John Cena. So now he gets to see it. I don’t know if he realized what it would entail, it would entail me beating up John Cena and John Cena trying to beat me up. I’m sure it is a bit of conflicting feelings here and there for him but he’s proud of everything that’s happening and he’s really loving you know seeing me on WWE TV every week.”

On stepping on the United States Title: “I think every single title in WWE means a lot. Me stepping on the United States Championship wasn’t meant to disrespect the title itself but I think that the title I have is the most important in WWE because I have it. Whether it’s the NXT title or the United States title or the Intercontinental title or the World title, if I have that title then that’s the most important one. That’s all I was trying to illustrate by stepping on the United States title. For me the NXT title is what it’s all about because that’s the one I have, that’s just the way I think. Who knows what’ll happen in the future, who knows what title I’ll be competing for a few months from now but whatever title I’m going for is obviously going to be the most important to me because that’s the one I’m trying to get.”

On John Cena: “Anybody who says that he’s not a very good professional wrestler and a very good performer all around is kidding themselves. I know he gets a lot of years a lot of hate from a lot of people for various reasons, but anybody who denies the talent, John Cena’s talent in the ring is really in denial. He’s a fantastic competitor and you know if it wasn’t made evident by the match and we had at Elimination Chamber it’s going to be made evident again by the match we have at Money in the Bank. I feel like we brought out the best in each other at Elimination Chamber and we’re going to do it again this Sunday but there’s no way I’m leaving Columbus as anything but a winner.”

Check out the complete interview at ChadDukesWrestlingShow.com.

TNA & ROH On Destination America Ratings Increase This Week

Matt Boone
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The viewership for this week’s TNA and ROH shows on Destination America on Wednesday night were slightly up compared to last week’s shows.

TNA gained nine percent in viewership this week and ROH was up ten percent.

Below is the viewership breakdown for this week:

ROH:

8pm — 161,000 viewers
11pm — 138,000 viewers

Total Viewers: 299,000

TNA:

9pm — 330,000 viewers
12am — 74,000 viewers

Total Viewers: 404,000

Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Could Cost Gawker $100 Million

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The Hulk Hogan sex tape that Gawker Media published back in 2012 could cost the company up to $100 million and force company founder Nick Denton to sell the company or seek outside investors, according to Capital New York and Business Insider.

Gawker published clips of a leaked sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem (then wife of his friend Bubba the Love Sponge). Hogan sued Gawker later that year.

In a meeting with the Gawker staff earlier this month, Denton said:

“I have way, way less money than people think! … I don’t have hundreds of millions of dollars to kind of bail the company out. If we are in an environment with higher business risk and higher legal risk, then the company is going to need somebody with deeper pockets and hopefully principles in order to keep it both commercially viable and editorially viable.”

Gawker founder Denton told Business Insider the likelihood of the lawsuit sinking his company is “unlikely but possible.”

The Hollywood Reporter has also published a story looking at why Hulk Hogan is likely to lose his lawsuit against Gawker.

Kevin Owens Reacts To Dusty Rhodes’ Passing

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NXT Champion Kevin Owens posted a heartfelt message on Twitter after the news of Dusty Rhodes’ untimely passing.

“Dusty…

These past few weeks, I kept telling myself that I had to find time to stop by the Performance Center and talk to Dusty. I wanted to thank him for all of his help in the last year and make sure he knew how grateful I was for the chance I got to work with him. But I’ve been very busy and just couldn’t find the time.

Well, today, I learned that Dusty Rhodes has passed away.

There are no words to express the sadness I feel, not only because I won’t get to see him or talk to him or laugh with him again, but because I didn’t get to tell him how special he was to me.

So today, I invite you all to make time to tell the people in your lives how much they mean to you…You never know what tomorrow will bring.

I can only hope that even though I didn’t get to tell him directly, Dusty knew how much I appreciated and valued his help, wisdom, support and friendship. He was unlike anybody I’ve ever met in this industry and to say that I will always remember him and be thankful for the honor of having known him is an understatement.

In the meantime, the entire NXT crew is on its way to Pittsburgh where we will do what we do best. And you can bet every single second of tonight and every other NXT show this week are dedicated to the memory of the legendary, one-and-only Dusty Rhodes.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time…especially his children. Your father was an incredible coach and an even better man. He will be greatly missed.

Dusty used to call us “his NXT kids”… Well, I think I speak for all of us at when I say that tonight and every other night from here on out, we will give it our all for you, Dusty.

We’ll make you proud, Dream.

Thank you for the memories…thank you for everything.

Much love,

Kevin”

WWE Tough Enough Videos: Triple H Walks In On Competitor Puking, More

Matt Boone
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WWE has uploaded several videos from Wednesday and Thursday’s WWE Tough Enough mini-camp at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Check out the videos below.

WWE Tough Enough finalists perform in-ring drills – WWE #ToughEnough

“ZZ” Loupe describes his eye-opening trip to the tryout – WWE #ToughEnough

WWE Tough Enough coaches address the final 40 – WWE #ToughEnough

Competitors are cut from the WWE Tough Enough tryout – WWE #ToughEnough

Booker T is excited to start coaching the Tough Enough hopefuls – WWE #ToughEnough

Tough Enough competitors reflect on day two of tryouts – WWE #ToughEnough

Triple H walks in on a horrible surprise – WWE #ToughEnough

Chris Jericho addresses the Tough Enough competitors – WWE #ToughEnough

Paul Heyman Remembers Dusty Rhodes

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Paul Heyman posted a series of tweets on Thursday reacting to the untimely passing of his long time friend, Dusty Rhodes.

Continue

Dixie Carter Confirms New Match For TNA Slammiversary 2015

Matt Boone
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TNA President Dixie Carter confirmed an official match for the TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view event from Orlando, Florida.

On Thursday, Carter tweeted the news to her followers, announcing Magnus vs. James Storm for the show, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 28th.

Also confirmed for the show is a World Heavyweight Championship match between Kurt Angle and Ethan Carter III.

Below is Carter’s tweet about the Magnus-Storm match.

WWE Announces The Signing Of Two New Wrestlers From India

Matt Boone
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WWE issued a press release on Friday to announce the signing of two new developmental talents from India.

Below is the official release with all of the details:

WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that two premier athletes from India, including former World Kabbadi League Champion Lovepreet Sangha and two-time Kushti National Heavyweight Champion Satender Ved Pal, have begun training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.

Lovepreet Sangha joins NXT® from Kabaddi, a sport with origins in ancient India. The 6-foot, 225-pound Singh was one of the top raiders in the World Kabaddi League in 2014 and was a member of the team that won the league championship.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 235 pounds, Satender Ved Pal is a standout in Indian wrestling. He is a two-time national heavyweight champion in Kushti, the traditional form of Indian grappling.

“The addition of two elite athletes from India to the NXT family underscores WWE’s global reach and popularity,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “Our talent roster is as diverse as our fan base, and we continue to build both at a rapid pace.”

Lovepreet and Satender join the latest class of international recruits at the Performance Center, who hail from Mexico, Australia, United Kingdom, Serbia, Germany, Canada and the United States.

The WWE Performance Center is the home of NXT, the developmental division for WWE. With seven training rings, a world-class strength and conditioning program and cutting-edge edit and production facilities, the Performance Center allows new recruits to hone their skills through a comprehensive program that includes in-ring training, physical preparedness and character development. Additionally, recruits will be immersed in WWE’s Professional Development program that focuses on four key pillars of development – Life Skills, Education, Wellness and Career Success.

Ric Flair Talks About The Passing Of Dusty Rhodes, Says He Was A Mentor

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair, who idolized Dusty Rhodes as a young wrestler getting into the business, wrote the following on Facebook about the passing of “The American Dream.”

“All I wanted to be in 1972 was Rambling Ricky Rhodes. The Dream told me “you can make it on your own.” He mentored me and taught me how to be a star. Dusty used to say “If you are going to pass by… why not in a Cadillac??” He’s the man who invented A Flair for the Gold and was a genius way ahead of his time. Much love to your family and more respect than can ever be measured. Love you Dream.”

Flair also released the following statement on the passing of Rhodes:

“Today I lost one of my greatest opponents and greatest friends. He was the definition of heart and soul and I’m honored to have shared the ring with him countless times.

He became the ‘American Dream’ because wrestling needed a hero they could respect, and he was the man for the job. Dusty Rhodes, I will miss you my mentor and friend.

Jeff Jarrett Says TNA Doesn’t Have The Vision Or Mindset He Does

Matt Boone
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Global Force Wrestling founder Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with the folks at Wrestle View about his new upstart pro wrestling promotion. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On the use of social media to promote the GFW brand: “I love it in a real positive way. Global Force Wrestling or Jeff Jarrett can touch the consumer, the viewer, the fan instantaneously and we don’t have to go through traditional channels. When I was growing up when I first broke in, you would have the local promoter come out. He’d write the story and it’d come out at the very best three or four days later. That is really best case scenario. Then as time went along you may get a live news hit, the sports guy come out and do a live news thing. Then you roll through time and you’ve got 500 digital channels and you’ve got streaming services – Netflix, Roku, Amazon, going on and on. YouTube. Social media. Instagram. Vine. Snapchat. That’s really where the fans are. You were on the field with us, tweeted the first pitch and the whole world saw it in 30 minutes? 15 minutes? I like that as a promoter. You can touch the fan base.”

On his reaction to TNA pulling Tyrus (former WWE star Brodus Clay) from live events: “Am I disappointed that George Murdoch can’t be part of it? Absolutely, but life happens. TNA, it’s very obvious that they don’t have the vision and don’t have the mindset that I do. That it was without question, you know, George, yep you’re going to be on our non-televised events. And that’s where we stand. He agreed to it. He was legally available for us and then whatever happened – I don’t want to speak for George. I don’t want to speak for TNA. I don’t know. He told me, “I can’t make it.” I’ll sort of leave it at that. When one door closes on a situation, that’s opportunity and the door is opened for other talents to come on. In the month of July we got a couple different announcements coming up. Some former World Heavyweight Champions (will) be part of the Global Force Wrestling roster.”

On when more details about GFW and a television deal is expected: “I release information when I feel the time is right. I think you guys have accepted that fact. I think it helps everybody, the anticipation. Professional wrestling is no different than the music business or other forms of entertainment. 15, 13 years ago, the CD is how the music business made its money. Then you went to .99 downloads or $1.29 downloads. Now it’s streaming. It’s a different form of how the consumer consumes content. My goal, Global Force Wrestling, I’m standing on global. We got alliances with 13 promotions on 5 continents and we are on a much smaller world than we used to be. My goal is to make sure that the content we produce is going to be able to be consumed on a global basis. The ‘TV deal’ – those details will be released at the appropriate time. Traditional forms of cable network television, they are definitely in the rearview mirror.”

Check out the complete interview at SoundCloud.com.

Jim Ross Posts Blog On The Passing Of Dusty Rhodes

Matt Boone
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WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently updated his official blog with his thoughts on the passing of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Below is an excerpt from the blog.

“Thursday wasn’t a good day. We lost a pop culture icon, a pro wrestling innovator and I lost a great friend. The Dream is dead.

As I was sitting in an office in Asheville, NC at Eblen Charities being interviewed by WWE for the upcoming Owen Hart DVD and discussing what May 23, 1999 meant to me my cell phone buzzed incessantly. It wouldn’t stop and interrupted our recording.

I needed to to take a break and collect my thoughts on a question that I knew was coming but that I still dreaded answering. I excused myself to the men’s room and eventually got around to checking my messages and to my horror I found out that my friend of over 30 years Dusty Rhodes had died at age 69 in Orlando, Florida.

The Dream and I talked about a week ago and he tried to convince me that he was “just fine.” I knew something was wrong when I saw him in San Jose at WrestleMania where I again questioned him about his health while sitting behind him at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Again, he declared himself fit and we talked of his significant weight loss. Then down in Orlando at a NXT taping the night before Mick Foley taped his comedy special for the WWE Network Dusty and I talked and he insisted that he was fine.

He was like John Wayne in his final movie ‘The Shootist’ who wanted no empathy from anyone and who wanted to go out on his own terms his own way.”

Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

TMZ Reports Details On Dusty Rhodes’ Cause Of Death

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WWE announced this afternoon that Virgil Runnels, aka “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, passed away today at the age of 69. Details have begun to surface regarding the cause of his death.

TMZ.com reports that emergency personnel responded to Rhodes’ home in Orlando, Florida at 5:56 a.m. Wednesday morning after he had taken a fall.

“Officials tell us … emergency personnel responded to Dusty’s home in Orlando, FL at 5:56 AM Wednesday morning after getting a call reporting a 69-year-old male had taken a fall.”

Rhodes was rushed to a nearby hospital where he passed away on Thursday morning. He suffered “numerous complications” due to the fall, which ultimately proved fatal.

Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer also reported on Rhodes having a fall, noting that his kidneys shut down and he became dehydrated.

Update On Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman’s Return, Lesnar’s Next High-Profile Match

Matt Boone
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In an update on the WWE status of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, both guys are scheduled to return at WWE RAW next Monday night in Cleveland, Ohio.

Lesnar and Heyman will be back again the next week in Indianapolis, and are both planned to be regulars on television at least through the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view.

Lesnar’s next high-profile match is scheduled to be at the WWE Battleground pay-per-view on July 19th, however he’s also booked fr the July 4th live WWE Network special from Japan, where he will be taking on Kofi Kingston.

It’s worth noting that the current plan is that WWE will not be promoting the 7/4 live special from Japan the same way they did with the recent Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

More Details On The Passing Of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes

Matt Boone
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As seen earlier this afternoon, longtime pro wrestling legend “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes has passed away.

While there aren’t a lot of specific details to report at this time, we can confirm that there are reports out that claim Rhodes suffered a fall at his house earlier today and his kidneys were shutting down as he started to get dehydrated.

We should have more information on this unfortunate story later today. Stay tuned.

Ryback Talks Finally Winning WWE Gold, What His Future Plans Are & More

Matt Boone
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WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback recently spoke with The State-Journal Register to promote this Friday’s WWE live event in Springfield, Illinois. Below are some highlights from the interview.

On how satisfying it is to finally capture WWE Championship gold: “I came into the WWE through “Tough Enough” (a WWE reality show competition) in 2004. … I learned right away how hard this is. I had trainers tell me that I didn’t belong in WWE, that I should quit. And when I got signed by WWE (in 2005) I was told they expected me to pick it up really quick. … They had very high expectations for me. I wouldn’t say I didn’t live up to those. … I just think sometimes people expected a little too much too soon. I had a couple of major injuries and big setbacks. But throughout all of that, the one thing I never stopped doing was believing in myself. I’ve always been very confident in my abilities in what I can do. Sometimes, that doesn’t always happen on the timescale I even have set for myself. But the main thing is I keep getting back up and I keep moving forward. And (the Intercontinental Championship win) was a culmination of all that hard work and dedication.”

On the character of Ryback and how its’ changed over the years: “The Ryback you’re seeing on TV right now is an extension of my personality. Obviously when I step inside the ring with the adrenaline going and that energy, I’m very, very intense. It’s the same intensity you saw when I came into the WWE in 2012. I think now, though, I’m much more comfortable not always having to be acting a certain way. I think sometimes people see you and if you have a certain look, they expect to always be angry or always be intense. What I’ve been able to do over the last couple of years is kind of just find my comfort zone in front of the cameras and in front of the WWE fans and communicate with them that I’m a real person and I’m just very, very intense when I’m in that fight mode inside the ring. … I’m very big on motivational-type stuff, the law of attraction and keeping a positive mindset. I say start full and end empty, always waking up each and every day and just being your best and giving it everything you’ve got. … At the end of the night you go to bed, say thank you and you wake up hungry the next day.”

On what’s next for Ryback: “The next step is now having a lengthy WWE Intercontinental Championship title reign and going out there and showing people that I’m worthy of carrying that title that greats like Bret Hart, the British Bulldog, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels and Triple H have held, living up to that potential and defending that title each and every week.

Check out the complete interview at SJ-R.com.

Dusty Rhodes Has Passed Away

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We are saddened to report that wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes (Virgil Runnels) has passed away. He was 69.

Here is the official statement from WWE.com:

“WWE is deeply saddened that Virgil Runnels, aka “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes — WWE Hall of Famer, three-time NWA Champion and one of the most captivating and charismatic figures in sports entertainment history — passed away today at the age of 69.

Runnels became a hero to fans around the world thanks to his work ethic, his impassioned interviews and his indomitable spirit. Moreover, Runnels was a dedicated father to WWE Superstars Goldust (Dustin Runnels) and Stardust (Cody Runnels), a caring husband and a creative visionary who helped shape the landscape of WWE long after his in-ring career had ended.

WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Runnels’ family, friends and colleagues.”

Update On Eva Marie Training At WWE Performance Center, Tough Enough Finalist Talks Elimination

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– Total Divas star Eva Marie revealed earlier this week on social media that she was training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The Total Divas star will actually be training at the wrestling school for a few weeks.

– Ava Knight-Salicka, a 26-year-old boxer from Las Vegas, Nevada, was among the 10 Tough Enough finalists eliminated on day one of the competition. Commenting on her elimination on Instagram, she said:

“Good luck to all the ladies on the show!! I was really impressed with the women and their drive and thought is surpassed the men by far. As a female athlete I love to see the women on top. My experience was great!! But I’m a boxer, a pure athlete. I’m not an actress, I’m not animated. I’m real and cutthroat about what I do and get things done without making a scene. Thanks @WWE and @WWEToughEnough for the experience.”

Steve Austin Explains Why He Uses Viagra

Matt Boone
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On the latest edition of his “Steve Austin Show” podcast, WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin made a very personal confession.

During the segment of the show where he answers questions from fans, “The Rattlesnake” shared his stance on erectile dysfunction medicine.

“[I] take Viagra. I also take Cialis, but you never take those things at the same time,” said Austin. “If you’re gonna take Viagra, you stick with the Viagra. If you’re gonna take Cialis, stick with the Cialis. You can’t flip-flop back-and-forth [because] it’s bad for you medically.”

The WWE Hall Of Famer continued, “Now, you say, ‘Steve, you can’t f*ck without no Viagra?!’ I can f*ck without Viagra or Cialis, but I f*ck better with Viagra than if I don’t take Viagra. So, at 50 years of age, I’m into reality and the reality is — at 50 — I’ve got more years behind me than I do in front of me. So, I wanna enjoy these next few motherf*cking years to the maximum enjoyment that I can enjoy.”

“So, therefore, I choose to take a P.E.D. (performance-enhancing drug) called Viagra or Cialis, because it makes me f*ck better, and when I f*ck, I’m pretty goddamn happy,” Austin concluded.

The “Steve Austin Show” podcast drops every Tuesday and Thursday at PodcastOne.com.

Betting Odds For Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank PPV

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The opening betting odds have been released for Sunday’s WWE Money in the Bank PPV. These odds are usually a strong indicator of who is scheduled to win their matches. Here are the odds, courtesy of 5Dimes and WWELeaks.org:

– WWE Champion Seth Rollins is a -900 favorite to retain over Dean Ambrose (+500).

– John Cena is a slight favorite (-160) against Kevin Owens (+120).

– Roman Reigns is favored (-510) against to win the MITB ladder match.

– Ryback is the strongest favorite so far (-1,850) to retain the IC title against Big Show (+900).

– New Day is the favorite (-420) to retain the tag titles against the Prime Time Players (+300).

– Nikki Bella is favored (-140) to retain the Divas Championship against Paige (+100)

– King Barrett is favored (-190) to defeat R-Truth (+150) on the Kickoff show.

Join us here this Sunday for our Live Coverage of WWE Money in the Bank.

Tyson Kidd Could Miss Over A Year Of Action Due To Spinal Cord Injury

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As noted last week, Tyson Kidd suffered a spinal cord injury during his match against Samoa Joe prior to WWE RAW. The latest update is that he might need to undergo surgery, which would keep him out of action for a year or more.

Since the recent concussion lawsuits, WWE has been very secretive on releasing detailed injury information.

Steve Austin and Edge have called him to give moral support and advice. There’s no word on if he’s getting a similar surgery to what Austin and Edge got but it was considered a possibility as of a few days ago.

The injury was said to be a fluke and not a result of how Joe executed the muscle buster.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe Next Week On NXT, Details On Upcoming Stone Cold Podcasts

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– Steve Austin revealed on this week’s Steve Austin Show: Unleashed podcast that he has 11 more Stone Cold Podcasts podcasts scheduled for the WWE Network. While the next show has yet to be announced, we know that The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan and Sting will be future guests.

– WWEToughEnough.com is posting updates from the ongoing Tough Enough tryout camp at the WWE Performance Center. As of this writing, the group of 40 participants has been reduced to 30.

– NXT General Manager William Regal announced on Wednesday that next week’s episode of NXT will feature Kevin Owens vs. Samoa Joe in the main event.

WWE Working On New Strategic Partnership With WWN, EVOLVE & SHINE

Matt Boone
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As reported last night, WWE is unhappy with Ring Of Honor and Figures Inc. releasing a Kevin Steen action figure before they could release their own Kevin Owens figure, and as a result, WWE is looking to create a pipeline to independent talent to come directly to NXT — with a merchandise agreement — before they can be scooped up by Ring Of Honor or TNA Wrestling.

WWE is reportedly working with WWN, the parent company of EVOLVE and FIP, and as part of their potential deal they would have WWN continue to sign top independent talents to deals that would now include licensing and merchandise agreements, this way WWE can bring the talent to NXT and they won’t have to worry about the hassle of trying to secure the different rights from other third parties.

There’s talk right now within WWE that if an independent talent has signed a third party merchandising deal with any kind of exclusivity, WWE wouldn’t be interested in signing them, however they are always exceptions to the rule for significant talent.

Additionally, WWE is looking to work with the Florida-based SHINE Wrestling promotion, WWN’s all-women’s wrestling company. The idea is that because WWE pushes the NXT Divas division, they are interested in having a pool of female talent that they can have “official access” to for potential use in NXT.

The basic idea is that WWE would be able to pick up and sign any WWN talents without outside hassles, although the deal is apparently nowhere close to being finalized and there’s no guarantee that it will go through, however talks are ongoing between both sides.

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

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