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Chris Jericho On Vince’s “Brass Ring” Speech, Savage/WWE HOF, His WWE Return

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights of a new U.K. Mirror interview with Chris Jericho:

On WWE inducting Randy Savage into the Hall Of Fame: “Well, absolutely it’s one of the guys that needed to go in there to make it a legitimate Hall of Fame. They’ve done a great job over the last few years, putting in those last few guys like Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino, Bret Hart, and now Savage, those were the holdouts that needed to be in there to give that Hall some semblance of credibility. Now that Savage is going in, it’s kind of closing the book on the outstanding that needed to be in there – like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame needs to put Deep Purple in there before I can ever take it seriously. Until they do, it’s kind of a joke to me. The fact Savage is finally going in is great.”

On returning to WWE for the next two months, but not working TV or PPVs: “Just for January and February, working the live events – no TV matches, no pay-per-view matches. I happen to have January and February off because in March I’m going back to the UK with Fozzy, so it was a good time to go back to WWE for a few matches. It’s based around Fozzy’s schedule, and it’s been that way since 2010. You see me come and go for a month here, a month there, that’s why I didn’t want to do any TV this year in January or February because it’s too short of a timeframe. Considering it’s WrestleMania time, there’s really no reason to come back [on TV] because I’m not available for WrestleMania, nor do I want to be around just for a couple of months. It’d be too quick.”

On Vince McMahon’s “brass ring” speech: “I grabbed it so I don’t really have … he’s right, it’s all up to him, and whatever mood he’s in and whoever he decides has it at the moment will get a chance. It’s Vince, he says things and whatever is in his head. When I’m not in WWE, I don’t watch a lot of WWE. There’s guys there grabbing the brass ring and others will over time, and there’s people you never expected to make it huge that will make it huge – that’s the nature of the business. Look at Daniel Bryan, the company never expected him to get as big as he got and probably didn’t even want him to get as big as he got, but some guys just do.”

Check out the complete interview at Mirror.co.uk.

Daniel Bryan On When He Found Out He Could Return, Royal Rumble Entry & More

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan:

On when he received medical clearance to return to the ring: “The day I announced I was coming back for the Royal Rumble is actually the day I got cleared to wrestle. I started healing in November, as far as thinking, ‘Wait a second. Things are starting to turn around for the better.’ It was that December episode of Raw I went on to say I was finally able to be cleared by WWE where they said, ‘You’re ready to go.'”

On not regretting the fact that his Royal Rumble entry won’t be a surprise: “Had I just come out during the Royal Rumble, I don’t know if it would be as impactful. To me it’s more impactful to give fans something to look forward to. If it happened at the Royal Rumble and that night, it would have been great. Though I like the idea of building toward something, so I’m happy with the way we’ve done it.”

Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.

Triple H On Wrestlers Who Died Young, Randy Savage In The WWE HOF & More

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights of a new Permission Granted podcast interview with Triple H:

On the various hats he wears and the title at the top of his list: “Dad,” he said. He eventually tied it into the fitness DVD and said all the hats that he and his wife wear made them realize how difficult it is to find workout time. He said he and Stephanie rush home to see the kids before they go to bed, and it’s ten at night before the head downstairs to their home gym.

On what he looks for in a wrestler: Triple H said charisma because it’s the one X Factor that you can’t teach. “All the other things can be brought out of somebody,” he said. “That’s a tough one.” He mentioned Mick Foley as being a guy who didn’t fit the typical WWE wrestler mold, but “he is charismatic, when you watch him you can’t help but be drawn into him. He’s intelligent, he speaks well, he’s humorous.”

On WWE Network: “We took the gamble and we’re ahead of the curve on a lot of this,” he said. He noted that others are following in their footsteps. He said Netflix has their model, but they don’t have the live stream like WWE Network does. He said it takes a while to condition fans to break from their patterns. “We’re thrilled with the progress, we’re thrilled with where it’s at, and we’re just starting to scratch the surface of where it can go.”

On wrestlers who have died young: “To me, everybody makes personal choices in their life,” he said. “Even some of my closest friends, my best friends, made personal choices of how they wanted to live their life that I never chose, that I never went down those roads. And I will put the physicality of my career up against anybody. The majority of those guys made personal choices to live a certain way and you can’t live that way forever. It’s a short run, it’s fast and furious, and it’s a short run. Did it affect me? Absolutely. I’ve watched a lot of guys that I was close to and that I was friends with… There’s a certain point and time when even as your friends, you try to stop them, you try to talk them into it, and there’s no… And that’s not just in our business, that’s in any business. People are responsible for their own lives, their own personal decisions, how they live their life outside of a sport or a job or anything else. We try to protect our talent now in a way like never before with our wellness programs and our ability to try to stay ahead of them to see if there are problems or they are headed down a path or anything, but the reality of it is people have to be responsible for their own lives. I’ve seen this company tell guys listen, we can’t work together unless you get some help or whatever and they say, okay, great, I’m just going to leave then and I’m just going to go because this is more important to me. You can’t live somebody’s life for them and it’s tragic, and I’ve had to come to terms in my with that with some guys that were close friends of mine, but that’s just the way it is, unfortunately.”

On Randy Savage entering the WWE Hall of Fame: “One of the biggest stars ever in the industry,” he said. “It’s so well deserved and a long time coming. I think for a lot of fans it feels like a long time coming and they are just so overwhelmed that it’s happening and I know we are and his family is. It’s just a great thing to celebrate a career like that.”

Check out the complete interview at Soundcloud.com.

Robbie E Interview With Vince Russo: Talks Jersey Shore Gimmick, Focusing On His Character, TNA

Daniel Pena
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Vince Russo hosted his podcast “The Swerve” from England via www.pyroandballyhoo.com. Robbie E of TNA and The Amazing Race was the special guest this week, and the highlights are below (audio audio available here):

Robbie spending 10 years on the indy scene before being discovered:

“I started wrestling at 16 and signed with TNA at 26. 10 years. I went through college. There wasn’t a moment when I slowed down. 2-3 shows a week. I did some WWE extra work: jobber matches, dark matches, tryouts, developmental systems. There were a lot of times where I was led on to believe I was going to sign a contract but it never happened…Other guys my size were getting signed. During that time, I was 160 lbs and I was very young when I was trying out, so I guess it wasn’t the right place or the right time.”

Robbie on starting with the Jersey Shore character:

“I wasn’t doing it period. I wasn’t doing it until you told me to spike my hair up. I never did a character until that afternoon. Never did one remotely related to Jersey Shore. I zero never remotely liked Jersey Shore; granted my real life was kind of like Jersey Shore probably. Wrestling character: I never had my hair up, never fist-pumped, nothing.”

Robbie on younger wrestlers not focusing on character as much:

“They forget the wrestling they watched when they were a kid. I don’t get why they do that. Everyone when they were younger had characters that were larger than life and polka dot shorts. I don’t know why people forget about that. Polka dot shorts is normal. It’s pro wrestling.”

Robbie on teaming up with Zema:

“Zema was an X-Division guy that did a lot of that stuff. Now that he’s our DJ, doesn’t wrestle as much and has more character, he said the last year of his life has been the best year of his life, in wrestling. He’s having the time of his life, appreciating it more so much and loving it so much more – being full character, goofing off as opposed to having an X-Division match and remembering so many things, getting knocked out.”

Listen to or watch the full podcast and interview where Robbie E talks a lot more about “Character vs. Wrestling”, teaming with Zema and Jessie, his TNA contract status, and much more.

During the free podcast this week, Russo also talks about Macho Man Randy Savage going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year and whether Hogan inducting him is a genuine gesture on Hogan’s part or the biggest rib in wrestling history.

The bonus video shoot interview with Robbie E, exclusively for the VIP section, has Russo questioning Robbie about The Amazing Race, how Robbie picked up Brooke Adams, why they broke up, and more. Vince Russo’s VIP section on www.pyroandballyhoo.com/vip has 20+ video shoot interviews and new weekly podcasts, video podcasts, blogs and content including Russo re-booking WCW 2000 every week.Use discount code BLACKPUDDING to gain VIP access for just $2 your first month!

Robbie E is @RobbieEImpact on Twitter. Impact Wrestling is on Destination America every Fridays at 9pm EST.

Rusev slips and falls during match (VIDEO)

Rosa Mendes Nervous About Certain Things Airing On Total Divas, Talks WM31 & More

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights of a new Latin Times interview with WWE Diva and Total Divas star Rosa Mendes:

On WrestleMania 31: “I am looking forward to WrestleMania 31 with Fandango; I am hoping that I will have a mixed tag match with him. I love working with him, he has totally different wrestling skills, and he has been wrestling for 15 years so I lean a lot by being his valet. He is incredibly athletic in the ring, and I look forward to working with him at WrestleMania 31 in March.”

On being nervous about certain things airing on Total Divas: “Absolutely, because even though the cameras are around, things still happen, many embarrassing, awkward and private moments occur with the cameras rolling. In addition, I sometimes forget that the camera is there, and I relax and obviously I am just being myself but then when I watch it back on E! I end up learning a lot about myself. I learned how to NOT act on dates, I never realized how I sounded, and I thought ‘Wow. Maybe I shouldn’t have said all that, maybe I should have been a touch more mysterious.’ So overall I learned a lot from watching myself during the third season.”

Check out the complete interview at LatinTimes.com.

WWE Confirms Tough Enough Is Returning

Matt Boone
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It was revealed at Thursday’s Critics Association Winter Press Tour event in Los Angeles, California that WWE and the USA Network are working together for a reboot of the popular WWE reality show, Tough Enough.

The Tough Enough reboot will feature a completely new format, with elements that will make the show more live and interactive with the fans. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon tweeted on Thursday:

It was reported a few months ago that WWE was planning on bringing Tough Enough back, only for the news to surface later that those plans were nixed due to WWE making budget cuts at the time.

The Rock Talks SmackDown Night Change, WWE Hypes Daniel Bryan’s In-Ring Return

Matt Boone
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– Part-time WWE performer The Rock wrote the following on his official Instagram page today regarding WWE moving SmackDown from Friday’s to Thursday’s.

“It’s official… #Smackdown has moved to THURSDAY NIGHTS. It’s also official that since the show was created in my honor I’ll be happy to “Lay the Smackdown” on anyone’s candy ass on any day that ends with “Y”. Enjoy the show.. #Smackdown #ThursdayNights #WhereRockJokesLike #BottleOfSmirnoffShovedUpYourPutin #AndChewbaccasHairyBeanBag #WillAlwaysBeWelcomed #PeoplesChamp”

– Speaking of SmackDown, which airs in its’ new Thursday time slot for the first time tonight on the SyFy Network, WWE posted the following video to hype Daniel Bryan’s return to the ring, as he battles Kane on tonight’s show.

Jim Ross Shares Memories Of Randy Savage, Talks About His WWE HOF Induction

Matt Boone
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In his latest website blog, legendary announcer Jim Ross shares his memories of “Macho Man” Randy Savage after learning of his upcoming induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Below is an excerpt from the blog:

“I did not know Savage extremely well even though I worked with him in the broadcast booth many times in my early years in WWE. Honestly, I’m not sure who REALLY knew Randy Savage as he was a complex man in many ways who seemed to remain in ‘guarded’ mode more often than not. At WM9 Savage, the brilliant Bobby Heenan and I comprised the three man team that broadcast the event outdoors at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. (No, I did not mind wearing a toga nor do I still have the rented costume.)

Heenan was always a piece of cake to work with as he had impeccable timing and a ‘feel for the game.’ Savage, on the other hand, was generally unpredictable, irreverent, but always distinctive with his unique pipes and unique sound bytes.

Randy never really trusted me, or so I think, and much of it was because I was the voice of the enemy, WCW, for many years therefore he and I never really connected. We actually did some nice work together including the King of the Ring Tournament in 1993 and a memorable RAW in 1994, I think, when Bret Hart wrestled X-Pac Sean Waltman.

Like myself, Macho Man was seemingly never totally pleased with his on air work and was a perfectionist to say the least. There’s nothing wrong with being ones own worst critic such as I’ve been for 40 years. Nonetheless, because of the self imposed pressure that Savage put on himself he often times was testy and wound tight.

When I first arrived in WWE, many could not wait to tell me a litany of Savage stories of his days with Miss Elizabeth, one of the great combinations in wrestling history, and how paranoid and untrusting Randy was at it related to his then wife. I wasn’t there to see it so t’s all folklore to me but those that did live it said it was challenging. I looked at that matter as ‘none of my business material’ and never really spoke to Randy about it but knew it was a touchy subject with him and I had no desire to raise the ire of the Macho Man. We even lived in the same building in Stamford, Ct for a while and I never even realized it. We’d work together much of many days and nights and I did not even know that we lived in the same apartment building.

The point that I’m making is that Randy Savage and I were never close pals but I had immense respect for his in ring work and his mic work as well. He was one of the best all around performers ever in the biz….bar none….case closed. With that said, today is a day for celebration for all those who, like me, enjoyed Randy’s game especially his bell to bell exploits in WWE and before. The match Savage had with Ricky Steamboat at WM3 is a classic but putting the match together was extremely taxing according to the Dragon himself. Again, Savage was a perfectionist and his arch rival Hulk Hogan was set to defeat the incomparable Andre the Giant on that same show so Randy wanted he and Steamboat to “steal the show.” Many say that they did even though WM3 will always be know primarily for the Hulk-Andre match.

We were set at one time to bring Macho Man into the Mid South territory and even had the introductory vignettes done and ready to air until Savage decided to forgo the opportunity to work with Cowboy Bill Watts and instead go to WWE which was the better decision as it made Randy rich and famous on a global basis. I’ve often wondered how Savage and Watts would have coexisted and how long their relationship would have lasted until it imploded. Perhaps, I’m now being too negative as maybe the Cowboy and the Macho Man would have gotten along famously until one of the two C’s (Cash & Creative) intervened.

My congratulations go out to the family, friends, and fans of the late Randy ‘Macho Man Savage’ Poffo for this well deserved honor. Better late than never and WWE got it right.”

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

WWE NXT Report Card (1/14)

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The WWE’s next generation was back in class last night, meaning it’s time to grade their performances. Matches will be graded based on usual factors such as workrate, in-ring psychology, crowd involvement, and overall impact on the storyline. Important promos will also be graded based on entertainment value, believability, and originality.

Without further ado, here is this week’s NXT Report Card.

Tyson Kidd vs. Finn Balor

This week’s show kicked off in a big way, as two of the most talented athletes in NXT locked up. Balor came out firing, going for the diving double foot stomp just seconds into the match.

Kidd eventually took control and slowed the match to a methodical pace, at one point driving Balor through the barricade into about the third row. Balor eventually turned it around after hitting the move Alex Riley so eloquently described as a “floating, spinning neckbreaker of some kind.”

After delivering a kick to the head and hitting a somersault over the top rope to the floor, Balor dominated the rest of the contest (aside from a minor Kidd offensive), eventually picking up the victory after hitting a diving double foot stomp.

Result: Finn Balor wins via pinfall

Analysis: Most importantly, I think it’s awesome that Tyson’s gimmick is basically a guy who loves cats and Beats headphones. With that said, these two worked very well together. The action was fast paced for the most part, and it was nice to see Balor get the win. He definitely needed the win more, and as much as I love seeing Balor and Itami together, I’m hoping he starts his solo career in the near future.

Grade: B+

WWE SmackDown Preview & Spoilers For Tonight

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The following is scheduled for Thursday’s WWE SmackDown, taped Tuesday night from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

– Daniel Bryan vs. Kane

– The Miz, Damien Mizdow & Alicia Fox vs. The Usos and Naomi

– A promo from Paul Heyman

– Divas Champion Nikki Bella vs. Natalya (Non-title match)

– IC Champion Bad News Barrett vs. Sin Cara

– Daniel bryan, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins, Kane & Big Show

Continue reading on Page 2 for complete spoiler results.

WWE Issues Statement On IZOD Center Shutting Down, New Venue For SummerSlam PPV

Matt Boone
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As reported here on Wednesday evening, the IZOD Center arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which was scheduled to host this year’s WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view, is possibly being shut down.

Because SummerSlam was set to emanate from the building, WWE issued the following brief statement regarding the subject:

“WWE is currently looking at alternatives and we are confident that we will come up with an equivalent, if not better, option for Summerslam.”

Jim Ross Negotiating To Return As Full-Time Wrestling Announcer For Lucha Underground?

Matt Boone
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Mexican wrestling legend Konnan mentioned on a recent edition of his online podcast that Jim Ross has been in back-and-forth negotiations with the El Rey Network and AAA regarding announcing for Lucha Underground.

Konnan noted that he wasn’t sure if J.R. would rotate with Matt Striker and Vampiro for two-man broadcast teams, or if all three would work together as a trio if he were to come to terms with the promotion.

It’s also worth noting that Lucha Underground officials have shown interest in the past of trying to secure Ross as a full-time announcer for the promotion, as well as an announcer for the English-language version of the AAA pay-per-view events.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Bringing Back Old PPV Name?, Hulk Hogan Comments On Inducting Randy Savage

Matt Boone
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– WWE recently applied for a trademark for the term “Bragging Rights.” Fans of WWE may remember that the company held a pay-per-view event called “WWE Bragging Rights” in 2009 and 2010, which some consider a possible sign that they are bringing back the pay-per-view name.

– WWE legend Hulk Hogan posted the following on his official Twitter account regarding being selected as the person to induct “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the WWE Hall Of Fame during WrestleMania 31 weekend this year.

Backstage Update On Cesaro & Tyson Kidd’s Tag-Team, Both Working Hard Together

Matt Boone
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As noted recently, the new WWE tag-team of Cesaro and Tyson Kidd have been working together on some new double-team moves at the non-televised weekend live events.

The double-team powerbomb-blockbuster finisher that they’ve been using, including at last week’s RAW where they attacked Big E. and The New Day during the match with Adam Rose where they were unveiled to be two masked members of “The Rosebuds,” is now being called “The F(act) Bomb.”

In addition to trying things out at the live events, Cesaro and Kidd have been spending time at the WWE Performance Center working on coming up with a series of new double-team moves, a sign many consider to be one that shows the two are taking their new tag-team seriously.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

News On WWE Network Success In Canada, Recent WWE Attendance Figures

Matt Boone
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– The WWE Network deal that Rogers finalized with Bell Canada officially starts on January 15th, and is expected to increase subscriptions for the digital service as Bell customers have reportedly requested the WWE Network in droves.

In a related note, the Rogers launch of the WWE Network has been viewed as a success thus far, and by all accounts, the Bell launch will likely be as well.

– Below are some WWE attendance figures from this month:

January 9th in Chattanooga, TN drew 4,600 fans
January 10th in Montgomery, AL drew 5,300 fans
January 10th in Sacramento, CA drew 6,000 fans
January 10th in Fort Pierce, FL for NXT drew 500 fans
January 11th in Mobile, AL drew 2,500 fans
January 11th in Shreveport, LA drew 4,000 fans
January 12th in New Orleans, LA for RAW drew 9,500 fans

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Forced To Change Their Original Plan For AJ Lee’s Return

Matt Boone
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While WWE Diva AJ Lee is advertised to return at the WWE live events during Royal Rumble weekend later this month, there was initially a plan to bring her back at the first edition of WWE RAW of 2015.

WWE was hoping to bring Lee back during the first RAW of the year as a surprise return on January 5th, however due to her neck injury, she was unable to make the appearance.

Last weekend, AJ updated fans on why she’s been off WWE television since dropping the Divas Championship Nikki Bella at TLC last month, denying she’s pregnant:

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Identity Of The Ascension’s Opponents, The Rosebuds & Dean Ambrose’s Doctor From RAW

Matt Boone
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As noted, independent pro wrestler Mike Dell was the performer used as the “psychiatrist” for Dean Ambrose on this past Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Dell is a Louisiana independent wrestler who often works for Luke Hawx’s “WildKat” promotion.

Several other talents from the local indy promotion were featured on RAW as well, as WildKat wrestlers Spade, Wild Card J, Curt Matthews and Purple Haze were used as part of Adam Rose’s “Rosebuds” on RAW.

Finally, the two “local wrestlers” who The Ascension squashed on RAW this past Monday night were Socoro and Bu Ku Dao, two more performers from the WildKat promotion.

It’s worth noting that Bu Ku Dao was under a developmental deal with WWE last year, but was ultimately cut from the roster. He was the member of the tag-team against The Ascension that took the bigger bumps on RAW this week.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE RAW Rating: Daniel Bryan’s Return & Randy Savage/HOF Announcement Help Numbers

Matt Boone
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The Monday, January 12th edition of WWE RAW scored a final cable rating of 2.71, according to Nielsen Media Research. The 2.71 final draw marks a decrease compared to last week’s show, which delivered a 2.8 final number.

With the stiff competition this week from college football (which drew 33.25 million viewers on ESPN), the number is considered a positive, and one that many are attributing to the return of Daniel Bryan and the heavily promoted announcement of “Macho Man” Randy Savage being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

The hourly breakdown in terms of viewership for this past Monday’s RAW is as follows:

Hour One: 4.10 million viewers
Hour Two: 3.90 million viewers
Hour Three: 3.72 million viewers

Plans Back On For John Cena vs. Rusev At WrestleMania 31?, News On WWE’s MSG Return

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It was reported a while back that WWE officials were contemplating doing a John Cena vs. Rusev feud for WrestleMania 31. The idea at that time was to have Rusev cost Cena his chance at recapturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

As of right now, WWE is advertising a tag-team main event of John Cena and Randy Orton vs. Rusev and Seth Rollins for the live event in Madison Square Garden on February 27th. Some view this as a possible sign that WWE is going forward with their original plans for Cena vs. Rusev at WrestleMania.

Thus far, there has been no interaction between Cena and Rusev that would indicate that match being booked. Some are of the opinion that Cena and Rusev is simply a live event program for WrestleMania season, possibly because Brock Lesnar doesn’t work non-televised events.

In related news, other matches advertised for the aforementioned 2/27 live event at MSG include Daniel Bryan vs. Kane, Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro and an appearance by Chris Jericho.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE To Fight Against WrestleMania Weekend Competition, Note On WM31 Opening Time

Matt Boone
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WWE is planning on opening the doors for WrestleMania 31 at Levi’s Stadium as early as 1:30pm local time. One of the main reasons for this is because WWE is looking to combat the other independent wrestling events in the afternoon in the area.

In related news, WWE is looking to secure venues in Dallas, Texas in 2016 for WrestleMania 32, once again as a way to prevent outside promotions from attempting to piggy-back on the WrestleMania hype in the area.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Latest News On Plans For Additional Matches At This Year’s WWE Royal Rumble PPV

Matt Boone
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4

As things stand right now, aside from the 30-man over-the-top Royal Rumble match itself, there are only two matches that have been officially announced for the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, those being Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow for the WWE Tag-Team Championship.

It appears that Nikki Bella vs. Natalya for the WWE Divas Championship will be added, and with the Rumble match itself being such a lengthy match, and one with so many competitors involved, there’s a good possibility that only one or two additional matches will end up being added to the card.

Matches such as Roman Reigns vs. Big Show and Ryback vs. Rusev were being pushed, however three of those four are announced as Rumble participants, and nothing can be officially booked for Ryback until WWE wraps up the “firing” angle from last week’s RAW.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

IZOD Center Likely Shutting Down This Month, SummerSlam Changing Venues

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The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey is expected to shut down later this month, according to a report at NorthJersey.com. The venue was scheduled to host SummerSlam 2015.

An official from Governor Christie’s administration said all events scheduled for February and March will be moving to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. All events beyond March 31st (including SummerSlam on August 23rd) can check the scheduling of the Prudential Center or go elsewhere .

Wayne Hasenbalg, the President of the local sports authority, said the decision was a matter of economics.

“Just about everyone in New Jersey and the region has great memories of big-name concerts, basketball or hockey games or other family entertainment at the arena,” he said. “Times have changed, however, and this should be viewed as a new opportunity for the entire Meadowlands entertainment complex, as interested parties – including the owners of American Dream Meadowlands – look at ways to rejuvenate and reintegrate the arena for optimal use, value and long-term success.”

The IZOD Center, formerly the Meadowlands Arena and Continental Airlines Arena, has hosted numerous WWE pay-per-view events over the years (SummerSlam 1989, 1997 and 2007, King of the Ring 2001, No Mercy 2004, Extreme Rules 2014) as well as numerous RAW, SmackDown and live events.

Assault Charges Against Kevin Nash Dropped, nWo Plans Back On For RAW Reunion Special?

Matt Boone
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WWE legend Kevin Nash noted on social media on Wednesday evening that as of today, the assault charges against him stemming from the issues with his son during the holidays have been dropped.

Nash was suspended by WWE due to their policy on that subject, however now that the charges have been dropped, it is expected that his suspension will be lifted.

Nash was originally scheduled to take part in an nWo reunion angle alongside Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall on the RAW Reunion show in Dallas, Texas next Monday, however when he was suspended by WWE, he was pulled from the show. Now that his suspension may be lifted, there is a chance that the door will be open for him to be included in the special.

Below is the tweet Nash posted on Wednesday evening regarding the assault charges against him being dropped.

Backstage Update On WWE TV Announcing Changes, Jerry Lawler Being Phased Out?

Matt Boone
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As noted recently, WWE switched up their television announce teams, with RAW now featuring Michael Cole, JBL and Booker T, and SmackDown with Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and Byron Saxton. For those curious, the announce team for WWE pay-per-views, for the time being, will still feature Cole, JBL and Lawler.

The feeling within WWE is that the move of Lawler to SmackDown is the beginning of WWE phasing him out of the picture, as the company is age-conscious when it comes to their on-camera broadcasters, particularly for their key programs.

The idea of phasing Lawler out has been floating around for a while, however when he suffered a heart attack, it was pretty much a lock that they couldn’t make the move just yet.

When WWE moved SmackDown from Friday’s to Thursday’s, which begins this week on the SyFy Network in North America, it seemed like the perfect excuse to finally pull the trigger and make the transition of having Lawler move from RAW to SmackDown.

(Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

VIDEO: Triple H Talks Seth Rollins’ Future, Royal Rumble, SmackDown On Thursday’s

Matt Boone
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The latest edition of Michael Cole’s weekly WWE.com sit-down video interview, which features Triple H this week, is now online.

In this week’s interview, “The Game” talks to the WWE announcer about WWE SmackDown moving to Thursday night’s beginning this week on the SyFy Network, as well as the Daniel Bryan vs. Kane match scheduled for the show.

HHH also discusses Monday’s RAW, noting that Seth Rollins proved he belongs in the ring with the likes of John Cena and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, as his Curb Stomp of both men showed why he is referred to as the “undisputed future of the WWE.”

While HHH gave credit to Cena and Lesnar as two of WWE’s key players in the present day, he claimed that Rollins is “something different altogether.”

Triple H concluded the interview by reminding fans that Rollins is still in possession of the “Money in the Bank” briefcase, which ensures him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at any time of his choosing.

“If you don’t skin a cat one way, you’ve always got a briefcase in your hand that says you can skin them any time you want,” said Triple H.

You can check out the complete Michael Cole sit-down video interview with Triple H above.

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