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Artist Rob Schamberger Speaks On Being Part Of WMXXX, His Project With Foley

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RockNSock5230 sent along the following…

Acclaimed and exhibited artist, painter of the Champion Portrait series and portrait maker of your favorite wrestling stars as seen on the likes of WWEAuctions.com and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Rob Schamberger joined “Multi-time Award Winning” the Rack Thursday Night. In a nearly 25 minute interview, he discussed how he got started and how we got connected with WWE, his work being displayed at WrestleMania and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, his feelings to having work sold through WWE Auctions, who were his favorite wrestlers, what is his favorite medium to use: watercolor or acrylic, what is the biggest complement he’s gotten for his work, teaming with Mick Foley for his work with RAINN, the use of social media and how it has affected his art for the positive, his tips for other up-and-coming artists, his thoughts on the upcoming WrestleMania XXX card and so much more.

How did he come about working with the WWE: “It’s actually my first official WrestleMania with them (WWE), but I started about three years ago. I was looking at doing something different with my art; I’d been working primarily with comic books and illustration and it didn’t ever quite fully happen, you know; I’d still have a day job and everything. I just wanted to do something different and I realized that no one had ever done a serious collection of portraits of wrestlers. So then I thought, ‘Oh, it’d be cool to do every one of wrestling’s world champions going all the way back to George Hackenschmidt and that’s all where it kind of started.

Then, there was Kickstarter about three years ago, where I raised $20,000 dollars in a month to pay for studio space and everything to help make that break into doing art full-time and then just built off it from there and it’s been a wild ride.”

His work being featured through the WWEAuctions.com site: “They actually came to me; Jim Ross had told them that that it would be a good fit for us to do business together, which is neat. I might actually be the last person that Jim Ross brought into the WWE; kind of a neat lineage to be part of. But we started talking about half way through last year and towards the end of the year we launched our first auctions together, right around Black Friday time and we’ve been doing it fairly consistently since then. It’s been phenomenal, I mean I have my own page on WWE.com and I don’t even have to take bumps in the ring.”

When did he start to like professional wrestling: “I got into it when I was 18. Like every other 18-year-old who lives on his own, I was at my parent’s doing laundry on a Monday Night and my step-father who’d been a fan back in the 60’s and 70’s was flipping through the channels and landed on Ric Flair doing a promo on Nitro, this would have been about 1998, and I was just hooked right then. The next week, I was just looking for wrestling, because at the time I didn’t know the difference between the shows or anything, and I landed on RAW and back in 1998 they were just killing it; everyone was firing on all cylinders and I’ve been a fan since.”

Why he chose wrestling as a subject for his art: “I wasn’t finding a whole lot of success with other subject matters, since what I ran into with, say, comic books is that there are other really talented comic book artists out there and made all the connections and put all the work and practice into honing their craft and I was just never going to be the guy to draw Batman; so I thought ‘Ok, so well, I’ll focus on my gallery work.’ And I was doing pretty well with that; I was doing like pin-up like stuff but at the end of the day, I was just another guy doing pin-up stuff. And no matter how good I got, I would never be Jennifer Janesko or any of those guys, you know, doing really well in that genre. So, I was looking around for work to do saying, ‘What can I do?’ and yeah, wrestling fit perfectly.”

Who were his favorite wrestlers when he started watching: “Well, obviously, when I first started watching it would have been Austin and the Rock, you know; especially the Rock at this time. Also, Chris Jericho and right around then was when Edge debuted with WWF, at the time, and pretty much watched his whole career. The really neat thing is through doing his painting when I did my big Champions Collection portrait of Edge, he really liked it and we started talking and we’ve become pretty friendly since then, which I wouldn’t have pictures back in 1998 when I was watching ‘rasslin at my folks place.”

Why he chose wrestling as a subject for his art: “Yeah, it’s been great. Like Edge, for instance; he and Beth (Phoenix), the gym that they have in their house is decorated with various paintings of mine. When I did the Kickstarter and announced that I was going to do every World Champion a lot of people jokingly asked me ‘Oh, so are you going to do David Arquette?’ and I said ‘Yeah, man. I’m going to do them all.’ So, just on a whim, I tweeted out to David ‘Hey, when I get to yours, which kind of outfit are you going to want?’ And for some reason, he took a look at my stuff and really liked it and he’s got his portrait hanging up in his living room, which is pretty dang neat. I was at the PPV with the Triple Cage where he was defending his title (Slamboree 2000) and everything; it was here in Kansas City. So yeah, all these people that I has watched as a fan and just as a spectator, now they’ve got some of my stuff and that’s pretty neat.

His involvement with WrestleMania XXX this year: “This is such a cool opportunity that WWE has given me here; my display is going to be right inside the front doors for Axxess at the Convention Center. I’ll be set up right outside the Superstore. We’re going to have over 100 paintings on display for people to be able to purchase. I’ll also be doing live art there for all four days and this isn’t just for the Axxess sessions; like the doors open around 11:00 am or noon each day and that part is free to the public and yeah, I’ll be doing a giant 8’x4’ painting there that I’ll be working on all four days; there’s more details about exactly what is going to be on that painting, but it’s going to be really, really cool. A lot of the watercolors you’ve seen me put up lately are one’s I’ve made getting ready for the show, so there will be a lot of bigger pieces as well and even some of the Champions pieces I’ll even have there.”

His upcoming project in conjunction with Mick Foley: “Yeah, this is another one of those things that I couldn’t quite believe came together as easily as it did. Turns out, Mick has been a fan of my work for a while but he didn’t know about me; he just recognized the paintings he saw. But he’s just so busy and has so much information coming in over time, he never knew who the artist was doing this stuff. When I saw the raffle fundraiser that we was doing for RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), I really wanted to be a part of that, because giving back to those less fortunate and to various causes is very important to me. Through my art last year, I was able to raise $10,000 for various charities and it’s something I also wanted to do this year; thank you to all the people who made that happen.

I saw he was doing that, so I e-mailed him and introduced myself and said I’d like to donate a painting of the winner’s choice; well, actually at first I said I’d donate a painting of him (Mick) and he came back saying ‘Well, if somebody wins this and I might not be their favorite wrestler, so let’s keep it open to them.’ So, I’ll do a portrait of whoever their favorite wrestler is; along with all those other awesome prizes in there: the trip to WrestleMania and the Hall of Fame, JR’s show, I think there’s even a Disney World prize in there and you get a tour from Scotty 2 Hotty.

He was so energetic about it, so excited; as soon as I e-mailed him, I went to bed shortly after because I think it was during RAW that I e-mailed him and when I woke up he’d already tweeted it out before we’d even fully spoken together, he was so excited to have this be part of it. Yeah, it was just so neat and he’s as genuine and cool of a guy as everyone tells you he is.”

On his work being a permanent part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: “Yes, giant, giant honor. It’s such a great organization and the physical building itself in Waterloo, IA is incredible. There’s a bucket list of things that true wrestling fans need to experience: WrestleMania, of course, the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion in Las Vegas and I put the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony up there as well. It’s one of the most meaningful things that I’ve done and they responded so well to my art; this year will be the third year that I’ve displayed there and last year they started displaying some of the stuff permanently and it’s in their collection now. I’m also going to be doing new stuff with them going forward as well. Kyle Klingman, who runs the museum, is a great, great guy and a great friend to wrestling as a whole.”

What is the biggest compliment his work has gotten so far:“There has been a few family members of wrestlers that have passed away that have reached out to me, you know to have me do a painting or to sell a painting that I have done and they tell me how important that was to them to see it and some of them will even, like at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame last year, where I did a piece on one of the guys being inducted and his family started tearing up when they saw it and that was important.

Probably the number one thing would be last year I did a fundraiser show for the Make a Wish Foundation where I was able to fully adopt a kid’s wish, so I paid for him to go to Disney World and to be in a position to do that and through my art was an incredible experience that I want to have over and over again.”

Check out the complete interview at WildTalkRadio.com.

  • MAJOR TNA Star Headed To WWE? *CLICK HERE* For Details!

    • Bret Hart Speaks On CM Punk Situation, Daniel Bryan/WMXXX, HBK, Steve Austin

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    The following are highlights of a new Boston Herald interview with Bret “The Hitman” Hart:

    On his classic Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania: “We both made that a classic match that will never, ever lose its shine. I remember there was a certain point when I had to be setting up a move with exactly five minutes left in the match. I remember setting up on the second rope and looking at the score clock, and there was exactly four minutes and 59 seconds left in the match. There’s no wasted moves, and there was precision in every move.”

    On his classic WrestleMania match with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin: “They ended up throwing me and Steve together and it was kind of an ice-cold story line,” said Hart. “That was a big disappointment, at first, for Steve and me. We’d just fought months earlier at the Survivor Series, and even though we loved working together, he was looking for someone new to work with and I was looking for Shawn.”

    “The match with Austin was pro wrestling’s version of the best MMA fight,” said Hart. “Steve even calls me once in a while and goes, ‘I got our match on.’ He always tells me it’s his favorite he’s ever had, and it’s the same for me.”

    “I’ve always felt that Steve was good enough to make it on his own anyway, but I do like to think I played a role in helping him.”

    On how he would book WrestleMania XXX: “I hope they give Daniel Bryan his chance to win the belt at WrestleMania. He earned it a long time ago, but it wouldn’t surprise me — like Charlie Brown with the football — if they pull it away from him one last time. I really hope they give him his proper run, as he hasn’t had the opportunity yet to be the champion he deserves to be. Hopefully this year at WrestleMania, it will be a crowning achievement for Daniel Bryan.”

    On the CM Punk situation: “When you look at it closely, Punk’s burned out. He’s always given 100 percent in all his matches, and delivered some of the best pay-per-view matches in the past 10 years. And it’s not easy when there are legends who only work part-time, and guys like Punk and Bryan do all the work, and watch someone like Brock Lesnar walk in and take those big matches and big paydays without having to be on the road all the time. I think that had a lot to do with his decision, and rightfully so.”

    “One of Vince McMahon’s favorite sayings is, ‘Life’s not fair.’ I don’t see Punk being a factor at WrestleMania, but he still has a lot of greatness left in him. As a fan, I hope he comes back, and as a wrestler, I have a lot of respect for him, too.”

    Check out the complete interview at BostonHerald.com.

  • MAJOR TNA Star Headed To WWE? *CLICK HERE* For Details!

    • WWE Bans Baby Oil, WMXXX AXXESS Schedule, WWE Slam City Update

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    – As previously reported, WWE Diva Emma was recently interviewed by The Herald in Australia. During the interview, it was revealed that a note has been pinned up on the notice board at the WWE Performance Center informing talent that baby oil has been banned at all events. Apparently the reason behind this is the mindset within WWE that baby oil doesn’t look good on Superstars and Divas on HDTV.

    – WWE has updated their schedule of events for WrestleMania XXX AXXESS. You can check out the complete listing at Ticketmaster.com.

    – The WWE Slam City book series for children will begin being released by WWE starting in August.

  • MAJOR TNA Star Headed To WWE? *CLICK HERE* For Details!

    • Reason For Missing PPVs On WWE Network, Chris Jericho Interview Note

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    – Apparently one of the reasons for some of the missing pay-per-view events on the WWE Network is due to some copyrighted music issues, as well as some other editing that needs to be done to certain events.

    – Chris Jericho recently noted on his official Twitter account that he filmed an interview for the upcoming “Blood Sucking Freaks” Blu-ray. Jericho wrote:

  • MAJOR TNA Star Headed To WWE? *CLICK HERE* For Details!

    • Goldust Upset Backstage At Monday’s RAW, Promo For Jake Roberts’ Live Show

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    – Goldust was apparently slightly upset backstage after his match on Monday’s RAW because he was busted open by Fandango. He ended up receiving minor medical attention to close the cut.

    – The following is a promotional video for Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ live show scheduled for WrestleMania XXX weekend:

  • MAJOR TNA Star Headed To WWE? *CLICK HERE* For Details!

    • Lei’D Tapa Announces She’s Gone From TNA

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    Lei’D Tapa, niece of the former WWE Superstar The Barbarian, is done with TNA. She lost to Gail Kim on Thursday’s Impact in what turned out to be her final match with the promotion. She tweeted:

    “When One Door Closes another door opens! Thanks @ImpactWrestling for the opportunity to share with the world my passion for what I enjoy doing! To all of my fans I love you all & thank you for your Loyal support from day 1!! Forever grateful and blessed!! Looking forward to the future & great things to come!! Keep supporting Queen Of Rings we bout to takeover!! To the top we go!!! #BowDown” 

    Emma Interview: Making It To The Main Roster, Handling The Schedule & More

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    WWE Diva Emma was recently interviewed by Australia’s Herald Sun. Here are some highlights of what she said about:

    Making It To The Main Roster: “It’s crazy, I feel amazing even though it’s still completely surreal. I’m very lucky to be able to live the life that’s everything I ever wanted, to have made that possible for myself, and to be actually doing it.”

    Her Television Character: “The best wrestling characters are an extension of your real-life personality, and I’ve always been a bit of an attention seeker. I’m all about having a laugh, having fun, loving being around people who are like that, who give off that positive vibe. I just try to be that person and it’s easy because I love doing what I’m doing … if you are happy in your job, it shows.”

    Handling WWE’s difficult schedule: “Being in this industry isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure. Wrestling consumes your whole life … for me that’s fine, it’s what I want, but for others not so much. Being in this industry means being at the Performance Centre five days a week, sometimes from morning until night, then doing shows on the road the other days of the week. I’ve only been home (to her Orlando apartment) twice a week for the whole of this year.”

    Beautiful People Reform, Bobby Roode Ambushes Bully Ray & More

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    – The ‘TNA Talent Meeting’ advertised for the show was actually a setup for Bobby Roode ambushing Bully Ray at TNA headquarters.

    – The Beautiful People re-formed featuring Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. Love invited Knockouts Champion Maidson Rayne to join, but she turned down the offer. Later in the show, the Beautiful People beat down Rayne backstage.

    – James Storm attacked Gunner’s father on the show, setting up James Storm vs. Gunner for next week in a re-match from Lockdown.

    – Magnus retained the TNA World Title over Samoa Joe in the main event.

    – The BroMans retained the TNA Tag Titles against The Wolves and Sanada & Tigre Uno in a three-team tag match.

    WWE Surveys Fans About Potential New WWE Network Reality Shows

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    WWE sent out a survey to fans on Thursday to gauge interest in potential reality shows on the WWE Network:

    – WWE Rescue – WWE talents visit to the homes of “super fans” to help with their personal and business challenges.

    – NXT: Behind the Scenes – Following the NXT talents trying to make it out of the Performance Center and to the main roster.

    – WWE Ultimate Challenge– WWE’s version of CBS’ Amazing Race with a 12-hour extreme scavenger hunt in different cities.

    – Xtreme WWE Collector – Starring “Super fan” Michael Patterson – WWE’s version of Travel Channel’s Toy Hunter.

    – Pros vs. Joes – Similar the old Spike TV series, pitting WWE talents against average people in physical and non-physical challenges.

    – WWE Around the World – Following WWE stars as they take part in some of the scariest stunts and attractions around the world, such as shark diving and eating strange foods.

    – WWE Dirty Jobs – Like the Discovery Channel show, WWE talents performing unpleasant jobs, including going into Chicago sewers and picking up garbage in NYC.

    – WWE Prankdown – A practical joke show that features WWE stars pulling tricks on unsuspecting “superfans.” An example was John Cena and Randy Orton both wanting to buy an expensive car and getting into a fight at the dealership.

    – Blackman’s Bounties – Following former WWE superstar Steve Blackman, who now has a bounty hunter firm based out of Harrisburg, PA.

    (Spoilers) WWE SmackDown Taping Results For This Week

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    The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown:

    – Fandango vs. Fernando

    – Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow

    – Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. 3MB vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. The Real Americans

    – Big E. vs. Alberto Del Rio

    – The Bella Twins vs. Summer Rae & Natalya

    – John Cena vs. Luke Harper

    Check out the complete spoiler report on page two …

    Update On Jeff Jarrett’s New Promotion: CMT TV Deal?, Kurt Angle Rumors

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    The belief among many, and this is just locker room talk, is that Jeff Jarrett’s new promotion will start in January and CMT would be their cable television home.

    The CMT rumors come from the fact that Toby Keith, who is rumored to be a big part of the financial backing of the company, has close connections with that network.

    The rumors going around TNA is that Kurt Angle could likely be the lead star of Jarrett’s new promotion. While Angle and Jarrett have obviously had their issues in the past, the two are said to be on good terms right now.

    Angle’s contract with TNA is set to expire in the fall. Because of what happened with other high-paying contracts in TNA, such as Hulk Hogan, Sting and AJ Styles, many feel that Angle staying without taking a dramatic pay cut is unlikely.

    One of the key ideas of Jarrett’s new promotion is to introduce a lot of new faces to the U.S. national scene. Jarrett has been doing a lot of talent scouting at independent wrestling events, as well as looking at videos of guys that people are recommending to him, including a lot of international talent.

    Finally, there is talk that the promotion would open with a Jeff and Karen Jarrett reality show, a vehicle designed to build to the launch of their television show and the promotion itself a few months later.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    • Backstage News On Bad Morale In TNA, Fear Of Losing Spike TV & More

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    Apparently many people within TNA are outwardly rooting for Jeff Jarrett and his new promotion to succeed. Not only is it because of the fact that it would open up more jobs for talent in the business, but as a safety net as well.

    With every week that passes without an announcement from either Spike TV or TNA about a new television deal, as the current contract between the two is set to expire in the fall, concern grows.

    Morale within TNA was said to be high during their recent U.K. tour, as the guys felt like they were part of a major league promotion, when the company failed to draw a decent crowd for Lockdown, their second biggest pay-per-view of the year, the mood changed.

    For the most part, faith in TNA creative, as well as Dixie Carter and John Gaburick, is low right now. There’s also a belief that Vince Russo is secretly involved in the creative process, which doesn’t help morale as the feeling is Russo hasn’t led any company to legitimate success since he left WWE nearly 15 years ago.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    • Backstage Update On The WrestleMania XXX Lineup

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    The WWE Tag-Team Championship match at WrestleMania XXX on April 6th will now feature current champions The Usos defending in a three-way match against both The Real Americans, as well as the team of Curtis Axel and Ryback.

    Originally, Axel and Ryback were going to be part of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The change was made, however, at the last minute to move them over to the tag-title match instead.

    Another match that is reported to be added soon, but has yet to be officially announced, is a match featuring The New Age Outlaws and Kane against all three members of The Shield.

    Apparently The New Age Outlaws wanted to work a program with The Shield before they split up. It’s also being reported that they will likely serve as the new henchmen for The Authority.

    There is expected to be eight matches on a four hour WrestleMania show, which would leave plenty of time for the top matches to run long, giving the guys an ample opportunity to have a number of great pay-per-view style matches.

    Additionally, there is expected to be at least one match on the pre-show, which as announced on Wednesday, will be a two hour hype show. While nothing is official, the match will likely feature some of the odd men out of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal match, or an NXT match of some kind.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    WWE Films WrestleMania XXX Intro, Jim Ross To Do “A.M.A.” Reddit Chat

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    – WWE recently shot the intro video for WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans. The theme of the intro was a Mardi Gras parade. The WWE Superstars that were reportedly in attendance include The Big Show, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Fandango, Summer Rae and The Bella Twins.

    – WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross will be taking part in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” chat on March 28th at 11am EST.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    (Partial Credit: ProWrestling.net)

    • Angelina Love Speaks On Her TNA Return, Velvet Sky, The Beautiful People & More

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    The following are highlights of a new ImpactWrestling.com interview with Angelina Love:

    On what it was like returning to TNA: “It was magical, it felt so great to be back in front of the fans in an Impact Wrestling ring! This is my life, this is what I do and I felt right at home.”

    On if we will see the good or bad Angelina Love: “Well it’s good being bad isn’t it?! Lol! You can believe the rumors out there if you want. But this time around, you will be seeing a smarter, wiser and more BEAUTIFUL Angelina. I got to explore some of my other passions; competing in two fitness competitions and filmed a TV show called “Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds”. I really had time to relax and open up my spirit and take better note of what is beautiful & important in life. My growth has been outstanding and my eyes view the world much differently now.”

    On what it was like being in the ring with Velvet Sky last week: “It was amazing of course! We share a bond closer then sisters; no matter how much time & space come in between can separate that. The Beautiful People is a part of myself & Velvet together, always has been, always will be. She has done amazing on her own since my departure and I’m so proud of her. I feel that so much time has gone by and if we were able to put the Beautiful People back together… it would start a new era in the Knockouts Division… a beautiful one!”

    “The Beautiful People changed not only TNA but women’s wrestling when we debuted. Look at the number of copycats that popped up when we were on top. Often imitated but never duplicated. In 2014, I look at who is out there… and there isn’t anyone who can touch what Velvet and I can do together. I just hope Velvet makes the right decision this Thursday!”

    Check out the complete interview at ImpactWrestling.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Colt Cabana Speaks On Things Not Working Out With WWE, Jim Cornette, ROH

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    The following are highlights of a new Baltimore Sun interview with Colt Cabana:

    On what happened between he and Ring Of Honor: “They were bought by a corporation and the owner wasn’t aware of a lot of the wrestlers of the past. So when new management came in and wanted to shuffle some people out the door, nobody was really aware of my past history with the company so it wasn’t a big deal to them, and I wasn’t asked to come back.”

    On Jim Cornette’s recent A.M.A. chat comments about him: “Yeah, a lot of people tweeted it towards me. I think he is entitled to his opinion. You can’t fault people for having an opinion. Luckily for me, I’ve never been put in a position to hire and fire people, and he was in that position and he can’t hire everybody. I’m one of the people that Jim Cornette didn’t want. Obviously the people that he didn’t want aren’t going to be happy about it. That’s life. I could hold a grudge, but I don’t. I understand that you have to hire and you have to fire and the ones that you fire aren’t going to be happy. It’s about going on and moving on. Luckily, I’ve done way bigger and better things since leaving Ring of Honor. Maybe it was a mistake by them for letting me go, and maybe it wasn’t if they’re happy with the direction that they’ve gone. I don’t hold any grudge against Jim. I’m almost kind of thankful that I was able to go on to better places in my career.”

    On what happened between he and WWE: “Well, it didn’t work out because management said creative didn’t have anything for me. Then I went out and did a web series mocking the answer that they gave me. It was maybe with the big corporate structure that I got lost underneath the pile of people (laughs), that doesn’t sound good, piles of people. But I spent two years under contract with WWE. After about a year and three months I was brought up to the main roster [in 2009]. When I was brought up, I wasn’t brought up in a predominant role at all. I was kind of brought up as a guy really to lose matches. Which was weird because they don’t have contracted enhancement wrestlers, for the most part every contracted wrestler they have is “a superstar.” Of course, that’s an interesting fact when some of the guys like myself and Gavin Spears and Ryan Braddock are just kind of brought up to lose. But that was a different time back then and now I think they’ve seen the errors of their ways from that generation. A lot of us took a bullet but I’m glad that because of the way they handled developmental at that time that they have a good grasp on it now. You can see the great things their doing with some of the guys and the way they bring people up with the NXT talent. So maybe we were part of an experimental process in developmental. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be one of the guys on NXT or whatnot, but luckily enough for me, because of my past, people are able to succeed in that system.”

    Check out the complete interview at BaltimoreSun.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Kofi Kingston Speaks On Turning Heel, Andre Memorial Battle Royal & More

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    The following are highlights of a new Bleacher Report interview with Kofi Kingston:

    On the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: “I would love to get involved with that. Any type of Royal Rumble or battle royal I always look forward to because I usually get to do some pretty cool things. And then on top of that, just to be involved with a match dedicated to a man with the profile and the caliber of Andre the Giant, I mean, when you think about that it’s awesome. I mean how cool would it be to be the first guy to win it? I think it would be really, really cool. (…) I haven’t been officially announced into it but I am assuming that I’m going to be involved in it in some way, shape or form. When you’re not (part of WrestleMania), it definitely is a blow to your ego because it’s almost like you set out to be something that you didn’t do. But it’s also eye opening and motivating for the next year because you remember where you were at that point and you try to not end up there again. Hopefully with this battle royal situation I’ll be able to get back in there and do what I love to do, because as WWE Superstars all you want to do is be on WrestleMania.”

    On wanting his “WrestleMania moment”: “I think at WrestleMania you definitely want a singles match and not have to share the spotlight with other guys. Money in the Bank was awesome and (created) some of the cooler moments in my career, and it’s awesome to make some memorable moments. But I think the ultimate goal is to have that singles match where it’s just you and your opponent, all eyes on you two, and you’re just telling a story and you’re out there just tearing the house down.”

    On turning heel: “I’ve been clamoring at that for a while now, but the situation has to be right and the timing has to be right; everything has to be right. I wouldn’t want to just do it for the sake of doing it because you might get lost in the shuffle that way. If the situation was right, it would give me a chance to do something completely different and show people a side of me they have never seen before, which I think would be great and I think would be fun.”

    Check out the complete interview at BleacherReport.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Cody Rhodes Speaks On Bringing Back Old I-C Title, The Mustache, HHH & More

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    The following are highlights of a recent Hartford Courant interview with Cody Rhodes:

    CTNow: You’ve been through so many persona changes in a relatively short period of time compared to some other guys. I can think of at least four different versions of you. Was there any one of those personas — “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, Legacy Cody Rhodes or even the one when you first debuted with Bob Holly — that you wish you would have spent more time with, or one that was particularly your favorite? Do you ever miss things, like the mask or the mustache?

    CR: I don’t miss the mustache. It was a wonderful talking point at signings, and I felt very much like an ’80s professional wrestler with the mustache. It was like, you’d see me in the airport and know I did something silly. I think if there’s one [character] in particular that I miss — I didn’t realize I was ever going to take the mask off, which was kind of stupid because I was 27 when I had it. You’ve got a lot of career [left]. You haven’t even entered your prime yet. This may not be the endgame, but I really enjoyed being under that thing. There was this side of me that it brought out. There was also this eerie confidence I had with certain elements of my game. I say I miss it, but the truth is that mask is under the ring at every WWE show. I guess it’s a bit of a spoiler, but at some point in my career, I wouldn’t be surprised if I pulled the apron up and then put it on one more time, that’s for sure.

    CTNow: There’s a story floating around online about you paying for the Intercontinental title to be brought back in in its old form. At what point did you decide to go through with that, and what point did management start backing you and say that they’ll reimburse you for it?

    CR: Sometimes, stuff happens. Sometimes, there’s no plan. Sometimes, you’ve got to be ready for that red light to turn on and have a new look or something about you. I had been going to WWE management about the Intercontinental title for five, six weeks, and I was met kind of roughly individually each time. But to me, it’s because they weren’t my age. It wasn’t because they thought I was stupid. I think it’s initially because they didn’t connect with my generation because they aren’t part of my generation. Three weeks in, I was very confident that I was going to get them to say yes on it out of pestering them alone, so I went ahead and followed through in getting it made for that reason. I wanted them to see it and maybe they could feel it. Sometimes, your passion isn’t always there when your ideas are shared, so I went directly to them with my passion, and the rest is history. At [WWE Hell in a Cell 2011 in] New Orleans, I pulled it out of some velvet bag, and it’s there forever, and I hope it stays the way that it is.

    CTNow: Let’s say you get the chance to design your own storyline. What kind of thing would you do? Is there anybody on the roster you’re really itching to work with that you haven’t had much interaction with yet?

    CR: That’s a good question because there’s only so many guys who are at the top of their game. For me, I’d probably like to finish something that I left off. [At] Battleground, we got rehired, and we got right into a war with the Shield. Next thing you know, we’re kind of a little new renaissance of tag team wrestling, but it all began with Triple H firing me in the first place. I’ve always had this goal ’cause my father a long time ago gave me this cheesy nickname, the Prince of Pro Wrestling, and I always thought, ‘Well, what would it be like it if you have the Prince of Pro Wrestling versus the King of Kings, and what kind of movie-like-quality dramatics can I provide the audience?’ Before he’s done with the in-ring element of the career — and he’s long from done — I’d like to find myself across the ring from Triple H one more time.

    At the root of my professional career with my brother, I think I’m better than Goldust, and in his heart, he thinks he’s better than I am. We love each other, and we’re brothers, and that’s great, but at the root of all that, you kind of want to find out who’s right, and I certainly hope that at some point you get to see that match as well.

    Check out the complete interview at Courant.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Former WWE Announcer Speaks On WWE’s Top Star, WWE Network & More

    Matt Boone
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    The following are highlights of a new VOC Nation interview with former WWE backstage interviewer and commentator Ken Resnick:

    On his work after leaving WWE in 1987: “After I left WWF, I was out of wrestling for a bit. I did the LPWA, which was a women’s league that foreshadowed today’s “divas”. It was a little ahead of it’s time; program directors back in that day weren’t warm to the idea of women beating up other women. I also did roller jam for a little while.”

    On being back on TV with the WWE Network Archives: “A lot of people have reached out to me on Facebook, reminding me of things that I had long forgotten. Someone recently reached out to me about work that I did on commentary with Gorilla Monsoon; that was a nice trip for me down memory lane.”

    On whether talent should be paid when they appear in WWE Network archives: “I thought about it just a little. I don’t have a copy anymore of the contract I signed back then, but I’m guessing that residuals aren’t in there because it wasn’t (relevant) back then. I give credit to our former Governor here in Minnesota (Jesse Ventura); he was really the only one who went head to head with Vince and beat him on residuals. At some point maybe that will resurface.”

    On WWE going against the cable companies: “Showing the PPVs on WWE Network means that they aren’t going to have to share the revenue with the cable systems, who typically got fifty percent. They’re going against the grain, challenging cable providers who relied on that revenue stream from WWE; it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.”

    On the differences between WWE and AWA: “Everything we did in the WWF was so focused on promoting the next house show, TV show, or merchandise. Vince was focused on bringing that revenue stream to the forefront (of production). In the AWA, we just went (week to week with no focus on marketing).”

    On the differences between the 1980s and today: “Everything we did, there was so much spontaneity both in the ring and on the microphone. That part of the business is gone. On the other hand, some of the high impact moves that are part of today’s shows, the guys (in the 80s) wouldn’t have had the conditioning to do that.”

    On the current product: “I didn’t like the bit between Triple H and Daniel Bryan, where Hunter was beating him up while he was handcuffed. The crowd was just watching; they weren’t really into it or reacting to it. The people writing aren’t in the business. The whole angle was a direct takeoff from Occupy Wallstreet. I just kind of scratched my head a little bit (at the choice of storyline).”

    On watching the WWE grow: “The WWE has truly gone from a wrestling company to an incredible television production entity, producing 6 new shows a week, 52 weeks a year. That is truly astounding.”

    On the lack of places for talent to work: “Not only is there nowhere else to go, but there’s nowhere else to go where they can come close to making what they make in WWE. Talent in the past had options, and because of that, they had a voice in the direction of their character. Because of the (WWE being a monopoly), the talent has no voice.”

    On the WWE’s top star following Wrestlemania 30: “I would have thought Daniel Bryan, but based on the way they’ve handled him, it doesn’t look like he has the respect within the company that he probably should. If I was going to put money on it, I would say John Cena. I don’t know of anyone else that they’d feel (comfortable) with.”

    Check out the complete interview at VOCNation.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Michael Cole Sit-Down Interview With John Cena, New Austin & Cornette Podcasts

    Matt Boone
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    – The official WWE website has added new sit-down interview with Michael Cole speaking to John Cena. You can check that out at WWE.com.

    – Steve Austin’s 100th episode of the “Steve Austin Show” podcast is now available. You can check that out at PodcastOne.com.

    – Also new in the podcast world is a new episode of Jim Cornette’s “The Jim Cornette Experience,” with his special guest, Lisa Marie Varon (aka Victoria/Tara). You can check that one out at MLW.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Jim Ross Blog: WWE Talent Scouting, Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan, WMXXX Pre-Show

    Matt Boone
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    The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

    On WWE talent scouting: “Big few days in OKC with the NCAA Division 1 National Wrestling Tournament in town which will air on ESPN. Heading up soon to catch up with Jerry Brisco of WWE to watch the kids he’s been recruiting. in the meanwhile, we’re burning daylight…”

    On the WrestleMania XXX pre-show: “Anxious to see how the two hour pre game show for WM30 turns out. I think the pre and post game shows can be a legit asset for WWE if they are smartly produced and the talents step up and deliver provocative content. The upside of these programs are limitless.”

    On the passing of Lorenzo Parente: “One of the great old school wrestling villains passed away this week as Lorenzo Parente who I first saw in the 60’s on Lee Roy McGuirk’s Championship Wrestling was a true wrestling heel who was rugged and believable. Parente had a great series of matches for theh NWA Junior Heavyweight Title vs the Legendary Dan Hodge.”

    On the Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H feud: “The WWE has told a magnificent Daniel Bryan/HHH/WWE Title scenario story. Now the challenge is to get other story lines at or near the same level. The history of any WrestleMania is that most cards are essentially a 2-3 bout show and the best one’s are where a non main line, main event match over delivers and steals the show. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle is a good example of such. The early Money in the Bank Ladder matches fit that description as well.”

    Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Footage Of Stacy Keibler’s Wedding, CM Punk On WWE Slam City Poster (Photo)

    Matt Boone
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    – People.com has added video footage of Stacy Keibler’s wedding. You can check that out above, or by going to People.com.

    – The following is a photo of CM Punk’s likeness on the new WWE Slam City promotional poster:

  • Update On The Shield Splitting Up, Sting At WMXXX & Kurt Angle’s WWE Return…

    • Top 5 Most Undeserving WWE Champions

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    Last week I threw out the names of five deserving candidates who never had the opportunity to hold the WWE’s top title. I suggested names such as Hennig, Piper, and DiBiase, while readers suggested other wrestlers who were stiffed by the company, including Roberts, Steamboat, and Rude.

    It is now time to look at the other side of the coin and discuss five wrestlers who never should have been anywhere close to the WWE Championship, yet somehow managed to snatch it away from more talented competitors.

    Sycho Sid
    Sycho Sid

    5. Sycho Sid

    Sid isn’t the worst competitor on the list, but there were much more deserving wrestlers who never had the same opportunities. I have always been a Sid fan for one reason. No, not his in-ring work, nor his ability to captivate an audience, but instead for his unintentionally hilarious promos.

    There has never been a wrestler who was worse on the mic than Sid. He compiled a vast collection of hilarious promos throughout his career that are more memorable than his actual matches.

    John Bradshaw Layfield
    JBL

    4. JBL

    I know there are many JBL supporters out there, but I am certainly not one of them. I was never really impressed with his in-ring ability, his promo skills, or his character. The fact that he held onto the belt for a relatively long period of time is surprising to me, even if he was on SmackDown at the time and the title did not mean as much as it does now.

    His recent commentary stint reinforces the fact that he just isn’t very entertaining, and he also seems like he would be a pretty negative person off-camera as well.

    Rey Mysterio
    Rey Mysterio

    3. Rey Mysterio

    Mysterio has held both the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship during his career. At roughly 175 pounds, Mysterio is the lightest competitor to ever hold the crown and many have argued that it is unrealistic to have Mysterio defeat someone as large as the Big Show. I won’t make that argument, but do feel like he should not have held the WWE Championship, mainly because it was a pointless, half-hearted title reign.

    He won the title against the Miz on RAW, only to have John Cena steal the glory moments later and win the championship on the same night.

    TNA Holding A Talent Meeting Today In Nashville

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    The following statement was posted at the TNA website on Thursday, which could very well be part of a storyline:

    “Since Lockdown two weeks ago, Dixie Carter has not been seen in the offices of TNA in Nashville; with most communication with the TNA President being done via email and phone.

    This morning in a memo, written by Dixie’s assistant, staff was informed of a sensitive talent meeting taking place in the office with Dixie this afternoon.

    Dixie’s assistant requested that staff work from the TV Production offices from 12pm to 3pm to allow privacy for the meeting.

    ImpactWrestling.com has not been able to confirm on who this talent is or the subject of the meeting. We will have more details as this story develops throughout the day.”

    Bo Dallas Issues An Open Letter to The WWE Universe

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    Former NXT Champion Bo Dallas has issued the following open letter regarding his recent title loss:

    DEAR NXT UNIVERSE,

    I’d like to apologize to all my Bo-Lievers for what took place on Thursday night, Feb. 27, 2014. In case you missed it, Adrian Neville found a way to defeat yours truly and capture my coveted NXT Championship. I’ve had several weeks to digest the events of this tragic day, and if it weren’t for all my loyal Bo-Lievers, I don’t think I would have made it this far. You have truly been the wind Bo-neath my wings. I will never forget that day as long as I live.

    When I looked up and saw Adrian Neville holding my championship as he stood atop that ladder, I was filled with a flood of emotions. I was sad, heartbroken, alone and empty. I felt like a piece of me had been ripped from my soul and to make matters worse, I looked and saw each and every one of you. I saw children wiping their tears away, I saw husbands consoling their wives, wives consoling their husbands and even production crew members mourning the loss of their one and only true champion. It was in that moment that I realized a hero had fallen and that hero was me.

    You know, they say a man is only as good as his accomplishments, and on Feb. 27, I feel like I failed. I chose to write this letter because I’ve decided I can’t allow myself to be a failure and I won’t allow you to have a failed hero. The desire and fire inside of me has never been stronger. I’ve realized that a true champion fights when the chips are down so you can celebrate when they stand back up. To quote my longtime idol and mentor, John Cena: NEVER GIVE UP. I, BO DALLAS, will never give up.

    Bo-Lievers, on this day, I proclaim to you, you will never see someone fight as hard as I’m gonna fight and you will never see someone push as hard as I’m gonna push to one day once again become your NXT CHAMPION. Because I’m not only doing this for me, I’m doing this for the UNIVERSE.

    I love each and every one of you and I promise to never let you down again.

    Sincerely,

    BO

    P.S. Your Champion FOREVER…

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