WWE has posted the following photo on Instagram hyping the upcoming season of Total Divas, which will feature Summer Rae joining the cast:
– WWE has published the following video featuring Dolph Ziggler and Big E talking about what they’re excited to watch on the WWE Network:
– With the WWE Network launching next week, we’ve heard that 2 users will be able to use the same WWE Network account at the same time.
– In what appears to be a response to Goldust tweeting that he and his brother Cody will not be wrestling each other at WrestleMania XXX, Cody tweeted:
Don't let anybody tell you what is or isn't gonna' happen at @WrestleMania / bottom-line it aims to be the best of the best.
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) February 17, 2014
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was spotted at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport last week [literally] picking up his girlfriend, WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee.
– ESPN cameras was at the WWE Performance Center over the past few days taping footage for an upcoming episode of E:60.
– Tickets for WWE’s upcoming Extreme Rules PPV at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey go on sale this Saturday. There will be an online pre-sale later this week and we’ll post the details when they are available.
– Next Thursday’s “NXT: Arrival” event on the WWE Network will feature a 30-minute pre-show. Renee Young will host a legends panel during the pre-show, which will likely feature Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, who are advertised to appear.
Satellite TV provider Dish Network has pulled all advertising for Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
The show is no longer listed on the Dish website Sports & Wrestling Events page or the Dish channel guide. TNA pay-per-views are still listed. Based on this information, it appears that Dish Network is dropping WWE pay-per-views ahead of the launch of the WWE Network next week.
With WWE bundling their pay-per-view events on the $9.99/month Network, there has been a lot of buzz in the cable/satellite TV industry that top providers will be retaliating against WWE by no longer covering their events. Following the announcement of the WWE Network, a spokesperson for DirecTV told the Los Angeles Times:
“Clearly we need to quickly re-evaluate the economics and viability of their business with us, as it now appears the WWE feels they do not need their PPV distributors.”
They added that sales WWE PPV events “have been steadily declining, and this new low-cost competitive offering will only accelerate this trend.” DirecTV still has Elimination Chamber listed on their website as of this writing.
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Denver, Colorado at the Pepsi Center.
The only match currently advertised for the show is WWE World Heavyweight champion Randy Orton vs. Sheamus.
The show will also feature the final hype for Sunday’ WWE Elimination Chamber PPV, including The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family and Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio.
Join us tonight for our live coverage of the show.
As previously reported, Scott Hall recently added to the rumors that he will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year when he pointed out that his Twitter account became “verified” at the same time as Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Ultimate Warrior and Lita.
Since then, Hall has back-tracked and is seemingly denying the rumors via Twitter. He recently tweeted the following:
@BBPACK Sorry…it’s news to me. Not sure I’m popular enough in Stamford, CT
— Scott Hall (@SCOTTHALLNWO) February 15, 2014
ATTENTION: I’ve made no commitments to appear in New Orleans at this time. I’m a businessman and am welcoming offers. Thanks #BadGuy
— Scott Hall (@SCOTTHALLNWO) February 15, 2014
The following are highlights of a recent VOC Nation interview with Scotty Riggs:
On his current status: “I’ve retired from wrestling due to injuries. The final straw was a fractured ulnar bone in my left arm. 13 screws and 2 steel plates to fix it, and after 2 surgeries it’s still not right.”
On the American Males theme music: “That was the creative genius of Jimmy Hart. He and Michael Hayes did a lot of the music over the years in WCW. (Jimmy) saw in me and Marcus, a mix of the Fabulous Ones, the Fantastics, and the Rock and Roll Express. His passion for those three tag teams came overflowing through that song. The first time we heard it, Jimmy was all excited, and (Marcus Bagwell) and I looked at each other and our jaws dropped. (I thought) ‘Oh my god it’s horrible but it still works.”
On whether or not he could have been a main event talent: “I don’t know; to be honest with you, there’s always a main event run in somebody. I just didn’t play the BS politics game. It really got heavy and deep. Everyone coming in had creative control in their contracts. I was the 47th hire in WCW and creative control didn’t exist back then. I had many influential friends, so I could have played that card, but that’s just not me.”
On Eric Bischoff: “Eric Bischoff never had the final say so in what was being done. Vince McMahon has the final say so. There were too many chiefs in WCW and not enough Indians. Eric was a great business man when it came from going from Saturday night shows to getting us on (primetime) TV. He was never groomed as a booker. He was never groomed to understand the inner workings of an angle or storyline. The booking committee was getting things done for him; he left things in the control of people like Kevin Sullivan and Arn (Anderson).”
On Vince Russo: ““Vince Russo came in and tried to turn WCW into another WWE. He didn’t care about wrestling; he cared more about his ‘crash TV’. He had skits and promos longer than the matches.”
On Bischoff versus Vince McMahon: “Eric saw everything in the short term. There was no long term agenda. Vince has a long term agenda. In terms of Wrestlemania, everything (all year) builds toward that one big event. Bischoff ran things week by week, and you can’t be successful without that vision.”
On the eye patch: “It was real. It was a chair to the eye. When the chair landed the wrong way up, the corner of the chair caught my eye. I had a bruised eye and it became part of the character.”
Check out the complete Scotty Riggs interview at VOCNation.com.
The following are highlights of a recent DNAIndia.com interview with WWE Superstar The Big Show:
On what makes him keep going: “For me, it’s the performance part of it. I have a room in my house that is full of boxes, championship titles and memorabilia, but I told my wife not to put it up because I’m still looking forward to the next match, the next performance for I love doing what I do. I have four years on this contract then I’m going to retire at 46. Healthy or not, I’m done at 46. so between now and 46, I just want to enjoy my work. I have a full schedule, just like when I started out.”
On being a champion and his current role: “Sometimes people think it’s cool to be a champion, but being a champion is a lot more work actually. Yes it’s an ego trip to be a champion, but there is a lot more involved in it. My role now is to establish the younger guys and help them find out who they are as a talent.”
On how WWE has evolved over the years: “The business has completely evolved. when I started in 1995, it was like rock and roll. We couldn’t do anything wrong. The arenas were sold out. Our boss took good advantage of that and started building for the future. WWE went from teenage material to young adult to more family oriented which I think is a great move for our company. Nowadays it’s hard to get families together to watch a programme. Our product is something that everyone can watch. I like to shake my big butt and make the kids laugh. it’s a good feeling.”
On the comaraderie outside the ring: “It’s just like any other job. You don’t necessarily like everybody you work with. There are some you just don’t. Some guys are you’re bitter rivals on the television but in real life your just good friends. At the same time, there may be someone in the ring that you high 5, and he may be my tag team, but after the show, we’re enemies. The great thing is that we don’t let our personal differences come in the way of our profession.”
Check out the complete Big Show interview at DNAIndia.com.
WWE Superstar Ryback continues trolling the Internet with his new “Internet Legend” ring gear:
WWE.com has provided an update on Naomi’s eye injury, which was sustained earlier this month during a match with Aksana on RAW.
WWE’s Dr. Chris Amann told WWE.com this week:
“After Naomi went home she had increasing swelling and pain, which prompted a visit to a local doctor there, who performed a CAT scan. The CAT scan result showed a small, minimally displaced fracture of the eye socket or orbit on the medial wall, which is the inside part of the socket next to the nose. She is being followed closely and the swelling is being controlled at this point with oral medication.”
After visiting a specialist this past week, it was determined that surgery will not be required because “neither the nerve nor the eye muscles are trapped in the fracture itself.”
However, due to “the break that she has off the medial or inside wall of the orbital bone, [there is] communication between her sinus cavity and the back of the eye socket.”
Noami will not be permitted to return to the ring for an estimated 4-6 weeks.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated the Q&A section of his website, JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights:
Did He Ever Watch The GLOW Promotion?
“I followed Glow back in the day but haven’t seen the [Netflix] documentary.”
Will Wrestlers Ever Unionize?
“Old question…same answer…no. Most wrestlers don’t trust each other to manage their professional matters and I don’t think a union will ever be seriously considered.”
Can WWE Save SmackDown From Being A “Filler” Show?
“Smackdown is not a filler show but the overall roster isn’t as deep as it used to be with main event level talent but as you can see that matter is being addressed but it’s not an overnight fix.”
What Can TNA Do To Generate More Interest?
“A blue print is costly and isn’t free but it’s there to do. I hope that they get hot. That helps the overall business.”
– The upcoming ‘Marine’ sequel from WWE Studios starring The Miz and Summer Rae has been titled, “The Marine: Moving Target.” The film is scheduled for a March 2015 release, during WrestleMania 31 season.
– Connecticut’s Fairfield Daily Voice has published an article looking at WWE’s annual WrestleMania Reading Challenge.
– Batista tweeted the following on Saturday after his return to action at the WWE live event from Phoenix, Arizona:
Tonight is what I missed about wrestling. I love house shows! Thank you Phoenix. #WWEPhoenix
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) February 16, 2014
– WWE.com has compiled a list of 10 rare wrestling action figures.
– Batista returned to action last night at the WWE live event from Phoenix, Arizona. Batista defeated Alberto Del Rio by disqualification In his first singles match since 2010.
Batista dominated most of the match. The finish came when Alberto Del Rio hit him with a steel chair. After the bell, Batista made a comeback and laid out Del Rio with a Batista Bomb.
In the main event of the show, Randy Orton defeated John Cena in a steel cage match to retain the WWE World Heavyweight championship.
Here are some highlights from Jim Ross’ latest blog:
Next WWE Hall Of Fame Inductee: “Rumor mills are working OT regarding as to who will be the next inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. I think that it’s cool that the HOF induction ceremony will air live, as I understand it, on the WWE Network. Hopefully the live audience will mind their manners and not feel compelled to display their defiance and disrupt the show for any reason. Cheering and classy displays of support are awesome however wise ass, look-at-me chants aren’t.”
Cesaro: “If Cesaro can’t be put into a position, either as a fan favorite or a villain, to be an impactful talent in WWE, it will be a real, head scratcher. I see Cesaro as a fan favorite moving forward. If not, how well could Cesaro do associated with Heyman after Lesnar takes his leave again?”
Kurt Angle in WWE: “I’m hearing that Kurt Angle did NOT have ACL surgery and only had a clean up ‘scope procedure. I’d love to see Kurt get healthy in all phases of the veteran wrestler’s life and finish his storied career in WWE. I also don’t think that Angle should be wrestling that much these days and if he is utilized strategically then his matches will have much more validity and interest. In my view, Kurt is a future WWE Hall of Famer and will, in a perfect world, have one, last, great match at a future WrestleMania. By planning ahead, this could theoretically be facilitated for WM31.”
Check out the complete blog at JRsBarBQ.com.
The highly anticipated Paul Heyman WWE DVD set is scheduled to be released in August of this year.
Speaking of which, the following is the updated schedule for this year’s WWE DVD projects:
February 25th – Royal Rumble DVD and Blu-ray
March 11th – WCW’s Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Vol. 1 DVD and Blu-ray
March 18th – Signature Sounds: The Music of WWE DVD
March 25th – Elimination Chamber DVD
March 25th – Scooby-Doo: WrestleMania Mystery DVD and Blu-ray
April 1st – Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Warrior DVD and Blu-ray
April 22nd – Best of RAW: After The Show DVD and Blu-ray
May 13th – WrestleMania XXX DVD and Blu-ray
May 27th – Greatest Wrestling Factions DVD and Blu-ray
The official WWE website recently added a new interview with Joey Styles talking to WWE Hall Of Famers “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Bret “The Hitman” Hart about the WWE Network.
Austin was asked what the Network announcement was like for him, and he noted the following:
“I was actually a bit [ticked] off that I had to be there, because I had just gotten back from Texas, I was out of shape, I hadn’t really unpacked my bags from being at the ranch for two months. But I was so proud and happy that I went. Way back in the day when I started out in 1990, I would have never envisioned that the business would ever turn to this or someone would have the vision to do it. Vince McMahon was standing right in front of me, about two feet away, and I slapped him on the back two times and I said, “That’s impressive.” And I left that thing being extremely impressed with what WWE has come up with now.”
Check out the complete interview at WWE.com.
– WWE Hall Of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund has recently opened a new official website. Okerlund noted that he will be posting weekly blogs on the site, which you can check out at TheGeneOkerlund.com.
– There is some speculation online that Scott Hall’s induction to the WWE Hall Of Fame will be announced this coming Monday night during RAW.
– MMA training camp “American Top Team” recently presented Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with his USWA and WWE Championships. The Rock commented on the gesture:
“BLOWN AWAY! Received the actual two most important titles of my wrestling career as a gift (USWA, WWE) THANK YOU, MMA’s AMERICAN TOP TEAM for welcoming me to your family. Coach Libo, Lambert, Teixeira, Lawler & the entire #ATTNation Truly an honor to walk thru your doors and a privilege to work with all of you. #Family #Champions #UFC #TeamBringIt #ChasingGreatness #Respect”
– The following is another preview clip from the upcoming “Mr. WrestleMania” DVD based on Shawn Michaels:
http://youtu.be/8r9E4r5MGrI
– WWE Hall Of Famer Adam “Edge” Copeland will be appearing at the WrestleCon event on April 5th in New Orleans during WrestleMania XXX weekend.
– The WWE Divas match between Eva Marie and Alicia Fox that was taped on Tuesday for this week’s SmackDown ended up not airing on Friday night. There is no official word as to why the match didn’t make the cut, however those in attendance noted it was a pretty bad match, to the surprise of almost no one.
– WWE shot an angle at the NXT event in Largo, Florida on Friday night where Cody Rhodes came to the aid of his real-life wife Brandi (Eden Stiles). Rhodes ended up laying out Aiden English with his Cross-Rhodes finisher.
– WWE Superstar Big Show held an anti-bullying rally for approximately 200 students in Mumbai, India earlier today.
– In addition to the celebrities we already reported about being in attendance at this past Monday’s WWE RAW show in Los Angeles, Blake from Workaholics was also there, as was Charlie Saxton from BETAS and porn star Alexis Amour, who apparently dressed up as Miss Elizabeth.
– WWE’s new main roster backstage interviewer Byron Saxton and new WWE Diva Emma have been added to the “meet and greet” for tonight’s NXT live event in Orlando, Florida. Ticket information is available at NXTTickets.TicketForce.com.
– The following are the Blu-ray extras for the upcoming WWE DVD release, “WCW: Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Vol. 1,” which is scheduled for a March 11th release:
Thunderdome Match
Ric Flair & Sting vs. The Great Muta & Terry Funk
Special Guest Referee: Bruno Sammartino
Halloween Havoc • October 28, 1989
Jean Paul Levesque vs. Alex Wright
Starrcade • December 27, 1994
Dennis Rodman vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Road Wild • August 14, 1999
Billy Kidman vs. Hulk Hogan
Special Guest Referee: Eric Bischoff
Slamboree • May 7, 2000
– Former WWE Diva Kaitlyn recently tweeted the following regarding a RF Video shoot interview she recently took part in.
Wow I talk a lot. I just finished a long interview with rfvideo. It's coming soon! It's my Valentine… http://t.co/SFEIMOTo4f
— Celeste (@KaitlynWWE) February 15, 2014
– WWE has added the latest edition of their SmackDown “Backstage Fallout” series to their official YouTube channel. This week’s show, which features The Miz, can be viewed below:
WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E vs. Jack Swagger has been added to the upcoming WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Swagger won a 4-man #1 Contender’s match to earn the title shot.
WWE is billing the match as Big E’s “stiffest title threat to date.” Believe it or not, this will be Big E’s first televised Intercontinental title defense of 2014.
With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE Elimination Chamber 2014:
Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship:
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus Cesaro vs. Christian
Factions Collide:
The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
The Animal Returns To Singles Action:
Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio
Intercontinental Championship:
Big E (c) vs. Jack Swagger
The following matches are confirmed for the upcoming TNA vs. Wrestle-1 One Night Only PPV taping, which takes place on Sunday, March 2nd from Japan’s Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena.
– TNA World Champion Magnus vs. Kai
(KAI won a 1-night 4-man tournament to earn his shot).
– TNA Tag Team Champions The Bromans vs. Shuji Kondo & Kaz Hayashi
(Kondo & Hayashi won a #1 contenders match to earn the title shot.)
– TNA X-Division Champion Austin Aries vs. Seiya Sanada.
(Sanada won a 20-man Battle Royal to earn his title shot.)
Other TNA stars advertised to appear on the show include Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, The Wolves, Bad Influence, Abyss, Gail Kim and Madison Rayne.
The show will air live in Japan and will air in the United States later this year as a Friday night One Night Only PPV special.