– When asked on Twitter what his plans are for Monday’s “Old School” edition of WWE RAW from Baltimore, Maryland, Jim Ross replied, “watch it on TV.”
– WWE legend Jake Roberts also noted on Twitter that he hasn’t been invited to Old School RAW.
– WWE will be releasing a DVD on March 8th titled “Signature Sounds: The Music of WWE.” Here’s the official synopsis:
“Music has been integral in WWE history, especially anthems for all the greatest WWE Superstars. Since Sgt. Slaughter first made his entrance to the Marine Corp hymn in the early 80’s music themes have become synonymous with the Superstars themselves. Just hearing the first few notes brings the crowd to their feet. They are the songs that let the WWE Universe know that business is about to pick up. Now, get behind the music and learn the inside story behind the timeless anthems of WWE and the superstars. “
WGD Weekly with Ken Shamrock
Hosts: Steve & The Scum
Interview available at Facebook.com/WGDWeekly
Ken on his feelings of MMA and how his legacy is viewed today: “I helped create this sport; it’s almost like a child of mine. Just like many of the other guys who were in it in the beginning they cherish it and nurture it also. So I understand the comments that were made by some people who feel they don’t get the respect they deserve because they have been there in the beginning.”
Ken on his childhood and how he got started in MMA/Wrestling: “Well I started in juvenile hall I ended up getting stabbed at the age of 10, went back and forth in placements then got adopted by my father at the age of 12 who was Bob Shamrock who passed away 10 years ago. He was the one who drove me to become the man I am today. He instilled in me my passion …I was able to become a world champion because of the desire and the non-quit that he instilled in me.”
Ken feelings on Brock Lesnar and how he would go about facing him in the octagon: “I felt that when Brock Lesnar was brought into the UFC he was brought in wrong. I thought if they would have given him time to nurture and dealing with the media and onslaught of main event fights. I thought that some of the matches that he did lose he would’ve lost if he was able to go against guys at his level. The way I would attack is taking him into the later rounds. I think that he has two left feet when it comes to his stand up. He really does have real good technique, he’s slow…make him use a lot of energy with his punches and keep moving.”
Ken Shamrock also discuss his thoughts on refereeing the WrestleMania 13 match (Bret vs. Austin), the prank that Owen Hart pulled on him, feelings on Dana White, who’s ankle he shattered in the UFC during a fight and much more in this exclusive 2hr interview.
– As previously reported, CM Punk was booed by some fans after his match against The Shield at the December 26th WWE live event from Chicago.
The boos came after Punk apologized to the Chicago fans for not being able to wrestle on the previous year’s holiday show from Chicago because he was out with a knee injury.
When some fans booed, Punk said he doesn’t care what they think about him and asked the crowd if they’d rather see John ‘Cena vs. Randy Orton’ instead of him.
– WWE.com has published an article looking at which NXT talents will be the next breakout stars, including NXT Women’s Champion Paige, Aiden English, Alexander Rusev, Enzo Amore, Sami Zayn, NXT Champion Bo Dallas, Emma and The Ascension.
– Here’s the latest WWE Backstage Fallout video from Friday’s SmackDown:
“Big E Langston and Nikki Bella comment on their nights at SmackDown.”
Former ECW & Intercontinental champion Ezekiel Jackson announced on Instagram that he’s undergoing another surgery this weekend:
“This is what I look like one day before surgery, and was limited in what I did in the gym… what will I look like when I’m completely healthy? Being HOME and HEALTHY for 10 months became a problem because all I did was weight train. I tried a few different methods and techniques which I’ve adopted to create something extremely special (more on that coming #soon… stay tuned)…. I trained and trained and trained and got strong as an ox because of increased flexibility, healthier joints and and healthier muscles due to smarter training, stretching and warming up which I owe all to joe defranco @DeFrancosGym (really good dude and extremely knowledgeable). It didn’t matter how much stretching and warming up I did my body found a way to slow me down. I’ve developed 2 hernias which has SLOWED my training down for the last 6 to 8 weeks. I am finally having surgery today my 3rd (procedure, mountain, stumbling block, distraction) in 4 years. BUT in 2 weeks, I’ll be starting over and #SOON I will be back better than ever. #prayformyjourney #trulyblessed #freakofnature #freak #Zfreak #beastmode #damyth #WWE #RAW #smackdown #superstars #MainEvent”
WWE will be releasing a new DVD/Blu-Ray on the career of the Ultimate Warrior on Tuesday, April 1st, 2014.
Aside from a collection of the Warrior’s most memorable matches, the project will also feature “documentary style interviews with Ultimate Warrior” and new interviews with other wrestlers of the era. With Warrior rumored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, the timing of the new DVD looks like another indication that Warrior could be a part of the event after all.
Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of WWEDVDNews.com:
“He is one of the most colorful and intense Superstars of all time, the Ultimate Warrior! Now for the first time ever, WWE honors his illustrious career with this ultimate collection of bone-crunching matches. Feel the power of the warrior – featuring battles against his biggest rivals such as Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, Ravishing Rick Rude, Sgt. Slaughter and more!
WWE fans have long awaited another Warrior DVD since the controversial release of 2005?s ‘Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior’. Finally, with over 7 hours of matches from this larger than life Superstar, this action on this home entertainment release is truly OUT OF CONTROL!!”
WWE will be releasing a RAW “The Best of RAW: After The Show” DVD/Blue-Ray set on April 22nd.
Here’s the official synopsis, courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com:
“For 52 weeks a year, the WWE Universe is glued to their seats for 3 hours of pulse pounding action on Monday Night Raw. But what happens after the cameras stop rolling? Now, in this new DVD/Blu-ray set, The Best of Raw: After the Show, fans get a unique perspective of WWE’s flagship show, with never-before seen footage of Raw’s aftermath. Traditionally, Raw has continued on into the night purely for the enjoyment of the live audience. Now, no one is left in the dark as all the top Superstars in Raw history are presented in rare form.
Get a heavy dose of WWE’s most colorful Superstars- The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, DX, John Cena – and more, showing off their larger than life personalities, often times shedding their on camera personas for the sake of pure fun. From Austin beer bashes, birthday celebrations, humorous improv, crowd interaction, and dark matches sure to please the hardcore fan, these are the moments that can only happen in WWE.”
WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose recently spoke to The Fairfax Times about being compared to WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper:
“I don’t see how you could not take that as a compliment,” Ambrose said. “He was a legend and a hall of famer. He was a guy who stirred the pot and drew a good amount of money. I feel like I haven’t really done anything yet. Not that I’m holding back — right now I’m just working as hard as I can in the role that I’m in. I still feel like I have a LOT of stuff in my back pocket that when the opportunity strikes … there’s a lot more to me than people have seen yet.”
He also talked about the impact The Shield has had in WWE since their debut, calling them the “backbone” of the company:
“We feel like we’re the backbone of the company,” he said. “We go out there every night and show off the work ethic that rubs off on everybody we work with. We go out there every night to have the best national show — whether it’s one or two matches, you got to work twice or whatever it is — we never take a night off.”
Here are some highlights of what Antonio Cesaro said to the Baltimore Sunduring a recent interview:
2013: “Well, I started the year as the United States champion, and now I am not the United States champion. But I’d say I’m part of the most entertaining group in the WWE, and the best tag team right now, the Real Americans.”
Working with CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan on the Independent Scene: “We’ve been on the road with each other for a long time. I’ve been with guys like CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan for almost 10 years now. It’s definitely a bond because we all know where we came from. We know we performed in front of 20 or 30 people in some old, rusty building, and now we’re performing on the biggest stage. There’s definitely a pride in that. There’s definitely a bond in it as well.”
Chris Hero’s Release: “It certainly was disappointing. When we signed with this company, we both knew what we were getting into. We both made each other a promise that we would work as hard as possible, whether it’s as a team or singles competitors. I know he’ll wind up on his feet, and he probably already is, and he’ll continue wrestling all over the world.”
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has published a blog on Facebook talking about Daniel Bryan joining the Wyatt Family. Here’s an excerpt:
“For the record, I am a huge daniel Bryan fan. I thought a Bryan win would have been best for business at “Hell in a Cell”. I think Bryan winning the Royal Rumble, and the potential of 75,000 strong in New Orleans chanting “YES” at the conclusion of Wrestlemania – providing an image for the ages….and sending people home HAPPY – will be what’s best for business in April. But could this recent turn of events with Bray Wyatt be what’s best for business now?
It could be.
Personally, I see the WWE World heavyweight Championship in Daniel Bryan’s future. But in the meantime, he has a chance to do something almost as important and prestigious; he has a chance to help MAKE somebody.
Last month, I mentioned that Bray Wyatt (yeah, I know I called him Way Bryatt on the TLC PPV) had that “IT” thing – those tricky two letters that can spell the difference betweeen a talented performer and a star, between an asset to the company and a main eventer. But even a peformer with that “IT” factor needs something else to get them there – a bridge of sorts to get lead them on that next step of the journey. Every performer in our business needs that intense personal issue, that rivalry, that FEUD that truly puts them on the main event map.”
– The live TNA Genesis edition of Impact Wrestling on January 16th from Huntsville, Alabama will feature:
* Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode in a Steel Cage
* Sting vs. Ethan Carter III
– Jeff Jarrett will be a free agent on Monday, January 6th. He and his wife Karen are expected to work the independent scene.
– Many people within TNA think that Jeff Jarrett’s departure from TNA was one of the final straws that led to AJ Styles ending his negotiations with the company and working with Ring of Honor. Styles makes his ROH return this Saturday from Nashville, Tennessee.
Question 3 Now, we are going to randomly assign you 3 Superstars. Please tell us how you would like to see the below Superstars involved with WWE in the future (You can select more than one for each):
Wrestling regularly on Raw/SmackDown
As a regular commentator on Raw/SmackDown
Starring on a WWE reality show Starring on a WWE highlights show
Wrestling at WrestleMania or SummerSlam
Involved in the Raw/SmackDown storylines
Involved in the WrestleMania or SummerSlam storylines
Do not want him involved with WWE in future?
Question 4: In your household, how many kids ages 4 or older are fans of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)?
Comment Below and tell us how you think the Legends & Superstars listed should be used – if at all.
(Thanks to SEScoops correspondent Noah Mark for sending in this info)
Happy New Year everyone! Noah Mark is back with his the latest installment of “The YES! & The NO! of WWE RAW.” Comment below and tell us if you agree with this week’s picks.
Alright everyone, I’ve been sitting on writing this article to give all of us enough time to digest what we saw on Monday. I didn’t want to make a knee jerk reaction to what I saw. So hopefully here is my calm observation.
Daniel Bryan Takes On Luke Harper – YES!
Daniel Bryan Joins The Wyatts: Daniel Bryan is an incredible wrestler, he’s got a likable personality, and he’s good on the mic. Shawn Michaels definitely taught him well, but Bryan has that extra ingredient needed to make a star, that unteachable “it” factor. You either have it, or you don’t. Bryan has it, and it has developed over the years to something a massive audience can get behind. We are in in a time where WWE has failed to match the caliber star power and top new talents of the decades before it. So partly due to John Cena’s injury Daniel Bryan is given the ball. The crowds love him, and are behind him. Daniel Bryan headlines Summer Slam with Cena, followed by the next 3 Pay-Per-Views with Orton. The Pay-Per-View buy rates were down from the previous year. It shouldn’t rest squarely on Bryan’s shoulders, there is an incredible short shelf on top stars, with practically all of them on John Cena’s level either retired or part time. Look at Survivor Series, headlined by Big Show vs Randy Orton, drawing one if not the lowest Survivor Series buy rates in the PPV’s history. I could argue that Daniel Bryan in the main event SAVED the prior three pay-per-views from a similar dismal buy rate.
Erick Rowan vs Daniel Bryan – YES!
Nonetheless, back down Daniel Bryan goes on the card, he becomes the scapegoat, pun intended! Bryan’s been in a feud with the Wyatts since the end of October. My anger and frustration has clouded my appreciation for the Wyatts, and this story line. So let me look at it just from the perspective of the story line alone. The Wyatts have a great persona, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan can hang with the likes of just about anyone in the ring. I feel Bray Wyatt is the weakest wrestler out of the group, but wrestling isn’t the most important talent needed for this, Bray could easily fit in a horror movie, he looks the part and is competent enough. So after two months of mostly Daniel Bryan getting the short end of the stick, on this past Monday’s Raw Bryan is given a chance to go one on one with Bray Wyatt. All Bryan must do is defeat Luke Harper and Derrek Rowen.
Daniel Bryan Joins the Wyatt Family. YES!
After the two matches Bray comes in the ring, the match starts, Erick and Luke join in on the attack. Bray tells Bryan he’s afraid this is where their story ends. He says he has no mercy left to give. He says this is his fault. Bryan says you’re right, you were right all along and joins the Wyatts. (View Full Details here) So within the story line itself. I’m okay with this, in fact I’m totally fine with this scenario, provided Daniel Bryan is out of this “spell” by The Royal Rumble. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, in this day in age, with people wanting instant gratification, binge-watching full seasons of TV shows in a sitting, I can’t wait 16 weeks for WrestleMania XXX for Daniel Bryan to come out of his spell. Doing so may inflict permanent damage on his popularity. So if Daniel Bryan is “following the buzzards” for four weeks, I’m on board. YES!
CM Punk takes on Seth Rollins on an “Off Night” – NO!
CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins: Everyone has an off night, Seth Rollins and CM Punk didn’t work. there were a few botches, CM Punk tried to cover by turning a move off the ropes into a small package, but it was sloppy. I would imagine most of the heat goes on Seth Rollins, but it takes two to tango. CM Punk on Twitter knew it was a stinker NO!
“@RMB316: @CMPunk IM sure you hear this a lot. Good match on #Raw really enjoyed it. Keep it up all the best in 2014” it was garbage.
As previously reported, WWE was originally planning on a Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The idea came about when Show was feuding with The Authority.
Apparently the plan was for Big Show to go through Randy Orton and The Authority, although he would never win the title, yet he would come out of the program as a solid main eventer. This would set up Show looking strong, making Lesnar look strong for a match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX when he beat Show at the Rumble.
Speaking of Taker vs. Lesnar, there appears to be some concern over a few different issues. One is the physical style that Lesnar has in recent years. Lesnar’s rough style, mixed with the bad physical shape Taker is in, is causing some concern.
Another issue is that many, if not all of Taker’s opponents the last several years have secretly worked out their match with extensive practice before it actually took place. There is some concern within WWE as to whether or not Lesnar would be willing to put in that amount of time preparing for the match.
At this point, most in WWE feel that Hulk Hogan will be involved at WrestleMania XXX in some form or fashion.
WWE is considering a number of ideas on how to use Hogan at the big event. One idea has Hogan teaming with John Cena in a tag-team match against The Real Americans.
WWE officials are also discussing bringing in “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for WrestleMania XXX. Ideas involving Piper include Cena and Hogan against Piper and another heel in a tag-team match, Hogan and Piper together against The Real Americans, or a “Legends Match” featuring Hogan vs. Piper one-on-one.
– Regarding CM Punk’s recent tweets, where he seems to be giving the impression that he is frustrated and tired of traveling, the feeling within WWE is that Punk always talks about leaving when he gets frustrated. Regardless, WWE doesn’t seem to think Punk is leaving the company at any point in the near future.
– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:
December 26th event in Chicago drew 10,000 fans
December 27th event in Hartford drew 7,000 fans
December 27th event in Indianapolis drew 5,500 fans
December 28th event in Newark drew 8,000 fans
December 28th event in Detroit drew 6,500 fans
December 29th event in Hershey drew 4,900 fans
December 29th event in Washington, D.C. drew 9,000 fans
December 30th event in Toronto drew 7,000 fans
December 30th event in Richmond drew 8,000 fans
According to reports, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards will not be returning at the next set of WWE NXT television tapings, nor will they be offered a contract by WWE.
Apparently Triple H didn’t want to sign the two after their recent WWE tryout due to their size. The feeling within WWE right now is that the company has enough talent that isn’t very big, but can “go” in the ring. Because of this mindset, the company was looking for guys who fit a different description in the most recent tryout camp.
A lot of people reportedly went to bat for Richards and Edwards, saying that not only should WWE sign them, but should immediately push them to the main roster. Ultimately, WWE decided not to sign the two.
– With The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar currently planned for WrestleMania XXX, it’s worth noting that The Undertaker has specifically asked to work with Daniel Bryan in a match at the show. Whether or not WWE runs with that idea remains to be seen, but obviously if Taker himself is requesting it, it will carry a lot of weight during the decision-making process.
– Rey Mysterio’s leg is said to be getting stronger and he is reportedly trying to work his way back into top ring shape.
– According to one source, John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt is still being discussed as a potential top match for WrestleMania XXX.
– People who are considered to be “in the know,” who were aware of Chris Jericho’s previous WWE returns, say they have heard nothing about Jericho returning any time in the near future. Basically, Jericho seems to be telling the truth when he says he has no plans to return to the company at any point in the forseeable future.
– WWE legend The Ultimate Warrior is expected to have some type of role at WrestleMania XXX. Many expect Warrior’s role to be an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
– A lot of people in WWE apparently feel the company is being hypocrites by inviting Ric Flair to the Old School RAW show next week, and not Jim Ross. You may recall, JR was basically forced out of WWE due to his inability to “handle” Flair during the infamous WWE 2K14 symposium, yet the company invited Flair to Old School RAW, and as of Wednesday, had not extended an invitation to “Good Ole’ JR” to appear.
– Speaking of Old School RAW, as previously reported, WWE Hall Of Famer Mae Young was invited by the company to appear being being hospitalized recently. We noted earlier that Young is out of the hospital and back home. Her condition is described as “stable” and she is able to speak again, although her voice apparently sounds weak and tired.
– WWE will make their “groundbreaking announcement” next Wednesday, January 8th at the International CES at the Wynn Hotel, which is expected to be the official announcement of the WWE Network. Vince McMahon will be on hand to make the announcement, along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, John Cena and others.
– The 2014 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view is slated for both a DVD and Blu-ray release in February.
– According to The South Florida Business Journal, former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is having a $4.5 million home built in Broward County, Florida. Check out the full story online at BizJournals.com.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler noted on Twitter recently that he spent his New Year’s Eve at Hogan’s Beach in Florida. Lawler tweeted the following photo of himself with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart:
– TNA star Sting recently posted the following tweet. Before any rumors get started, Sting is referring to the the TNA storyline regarding Jeff Hardy, not Jeff Jarrett.
Dixie you drove off Jeff… I am still here and I am getting what I want tonight. Impact 9pm Spike.
