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WWE To Release Several Wrestlers To Make Room For New Signees?

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As a result of all of the new independent wrestlers WWE has been signing to developmental deals lately, there is reports that claim the company may start making some releases in the near future.

As noted earlier in the week, WWE NXT wrestler Knuckles Madsen was released recently. Madsen was signed back in 2012 and had never been called up to television.

The feeling in WWE is that some of the wrestlers who aren’t at the point WWE would like them to be at might be cut as well in order to make room for the new developmental talents.

Breaking News: WWE Releases Richie Steamboat

  • [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

Several New WWE Developmental Talents Set To Begin Training In Orlando

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Multiple new WWE developmental talents are expected to begin training at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in early 2014.

“Trademark” Tommy Maclin of The Monster Factory, former football player Shane Taylor and independent wrestler Brian Tannen are three names confirmed to start their official WWE training after the new year.

  • Leaked WWE Memo Reveals Stuff That Is NOT Allowed To Be Done On TV

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Stephanie McMahon At WWE Holiday Party (Photo), JR On HBK’s In-Ring Return

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    – WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently shared his thoughts regarding the rumors of Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement to wrestle another match, and whether or not that would offend The Undertaker, who “sent him into retirement” by beating him at WrestleMania. JR noted, “I don’t think HBK is returning to the ring as a wrestler. If he did it would be at WrestleMania and I’d like to see him wrestle Daniel Bryan or CM Punk. Taker wouldn’t be offended whatsoever.”

    – Stephanie McMahon recently tweeted the following photo from the WWE Holiday party that was held in Stamford, Connecticut on Wednesday night.

  • How Much Does Stephanie McMahon Make Per Year? Find Out Here!
  • Big Plans For The Wyatt Family In The Near Future

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    According to reports, WWE is planning on putting the WWE Tag-Team Championships on Luke Harper and Erick Rowan at some point before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January.

    Harper and Rowan were already expected to become the WWE Tag-Team Champions before the WrestleMania XXX event in April, however it appears now as though WWE has moved those plans up and will do the title change earlier than originally planned.

    AJ Styles & TNA Negotiations: How Much Did They Offer?, Update On His Status

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    As noted in the past, TNA star AJ Styles was receiving somewhere in the neighborhood of $350,000 per year on his previous deal with the company. When that deal expired, TNA offered Styles approximately $200,000 per year, an offer which Styles subsequently turned down.

    Furthermore, the $200,000 deal that TNA offered Styles wasn’t even a guaranteed deal. It was more along the lines of a “per appearance” type deal, one that would see Styles make even less than 200k if the company scales back on their live events schedule, which is something they are rumored to be doing in 2014.

    Regardless, as noted earlier this week, TNA has finally offered Styles what he wanted, and it appears as though it’s only a matter of time until Styles returns to action with TNA.

  • Backstage Update On WWE Attempting To Lure Sting Away From TNA

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • More Backstage News On WWE’s Reaction To RAW Ending In Seattle

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    While the final segment of the Seattle-based RAW “go-home” show for the TLC pay-per-view received rave reviews online, apparently it ended up being nowhere near the way it was scripted to go. While WWE officials expected Daniel Bryan to receive a big pop in Seattle, given his Washington-based roots, they did not expect it to be as big as it ended up being.

    Following the segment, WWE officials apparently praised John Cena for his ability to pick up on the crowd reactions and adapt. They enjoyed Cena’s decision to incorporate the reaction, and Daniel Bryan himself, into his promo, but then ultimately bring the focus back to his TLC match against Randy Orton.

  • Leaked WWE Memo Reveals Stuff That Is NOT Allowed To Be Done On TV

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Backstage Heat On CM Punk Regarding His Decision To Tweet About Hockey

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    As covered in-depth the past week, there was an incident during the WWE’s “Tribute To The Troops” television taping in Washington involving AJ Lee and Access Hollywood co-host Michelle Beadle regarding Beadle’s comments to CM Punk.

    In addition to all of the heat on AJ for her role in the ordeal, apparently CM Punk garnered some heat on himself by his way of handling the issue.

    Punk decided to tweet about hockey on his official Twitter account, and WWE officials were apparently unhappy with that decision, as they felt he should be tweeting about something TLC-related instead of hockey.

  • WWE Makes Huge Changes To Their Drug Testing & Punishments

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • News On Roman Reigns’ Role At The 2014 Royal Rumble

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    According to current creative booking plans, Shield member Roman Reigns is going to have a major role in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match

    Originally, it was expected that Reigns would have a similar role as most large athletes in the Rumble match in the past, such as Kane or Diesel, where they make him look strong by having him eliminate multiple participants in the match.

    We are looking into further specifics, but the latest plans for Reigns’ role at the Rumble are even more significant than just a few weeks ago.

    (Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

    WrestleMania XXX News: Batista & Rob Van Dam To Return For The Show?

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    As previously reported, WWE is continuing to negotiate with Hulk Hogan for a return to the company for some involvement at WrestleMania XXX. In addition to Hogan, WWE is also thinking about bringing some other high-profile names from the past back into the fold for the biggest annual event.

    WWE is apparently interested in bringing Batista back into the company for a role at WrestleMania, as there is talk right now of working him into the show should he want to make a comeback.

    As far as Rob Van Dam is concerned, there are currently no plans involving him at WrestleMania, however that could change if Van Dam himself is interested in returning from hiatus to come back into the fold.

  • Rob Van Dam Talks About If & When He’ll Return To WWE (VIDEO)

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Latest On Negotiations Between Hulk Hogan & WWE For WrestleMania XXX

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    The latest in negotiations between Hulk Hogan and WWE is that while no official deal has been signed, both sides are still talking, and as far as WWE is concerned, they believe he will return to the company and have some kind of involvement at their WrestleMania XXX event in April.

    As far as wrestling an actual match, WWE does not feel that Hogan will be able to, as the feeling is he will be unable to pass the required medical tests needed in order for him to be cleared to compete. This would rule out Hogan vs. John Cena, or even the rumored Hogan and Cena tag-team match.

    As of right now, the feeling is Hogan will end up doing a run-in on a heel during the event and cut a promo of some kind.

  • Backstage WWE News On Shawn Michaels Possibly Wrestling Again

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Photos Of MLB Cy Young Winners With Their WWE Title Replicas

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    Back on November 14th, WWE CEO & Chairman Vince McMahon said that he’d be sending replica WWE Championship belts to this year’s MLB Cy Young Award winners. He tweeted:

    AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw tweeted the following photos, showing that Vince came through on his promise:

    12/27 SmackDown Taping Tonight, Extended Royal Rumble Commercial & More

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    – WWE will be taping next Friday night’s 12/27 edition of SmackDown tonight from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. Superstars advertised to appear include WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Mark Henry, Big Show, Damien Sandow and Alberto Del Rio.

    We’ll have full spoilers up on the site later tonight – so check back for those.

    – After an initial sellout, WWE has released additional tickets for RAW the night after WrestleMania XXX.

    – WWE has released an extended version of the “speed dating” Royal Rumble 2014 promo video:

    WWE Holiday Live Events Tour Schedule, Best ‘Big Man/Little Man’ Tag Teams

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    – With WWE’s tag team division heating up, WWE.com has published a feature looking at the best Big Man/Little Man tag teams of all time.

    – Here is next week’s WWE Live Events Holiday Tour schedule:

    * Thursday, 12/26: A-Show in New York City, NY
    * Thursday, 12/26: B-Show in Chicago, IL

    – Friday, 12/27: A-Show in Hartford, CT
    – Friday, 12/27: B-Show in Indianapolis, IN

    – Saturday, 12/28: A-Show in Newark, NJ
    – Saturday, 12/28: B-Show in Detroit, MI

    – Sunday, 12/29: SmackDown TV Taping in Washington, D.C.
    – Sunday, 12/29: A-Show in Hershey, PA

    – Monday, 12/30: RAW TV Taping in Richmond, VA
    – Monday, 12/30: A-Show in Toronto, Ont., Canada

    (Partial Source: PWTorch.com)

    TNA Impact Wrestling “Final Resolution” Preview For Tonight

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    The following is TNA’s official preview for tonight’s Final Resolution edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike Tv, featuring the finals of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament:

    – Tonight’s huge event will feature the FINALS of the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament, as “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy battles Magnus to crown a new champion! Who will emerge from Final Resolution as the new World Champion? Will Hardy reclaim the gold to become a multi-time World Heavyweight Champion? Will Magnus become the first British World Heavyweight Champion? A new champion will be crowned tonight!

    – Plus, the “Feast Or Fired” briefcases will be revealed. Which lucky superstars will earn World Title shots – and which UNLUCKY superstar will be FIRED from TNA? The following superstar claimed the briefcases in the Feast or Fired match – their contents will be revealed at Final Resolution:

    * Gunner
    * Chavo Guerrero
    * Ethan Carter III
    * DJ Zema Ion

    – Also, the war between Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode continues in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match!

    – Final Resolution will also feature the Knockouts in action, with Gail Kim and Lei’D Tapa battling the team of ODB and the returning Madison Rayne!

    *SPOILERS* For Tonight’s IMPACT – New TNA World Champion REVEALED

    Non-Spoiler: Confirmed Matches For WWE Superstars & WWE SmackDown

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    The following are confirmed matches for WWE Superstars:

    – Natalya vs. Aksana

    – Dolph Ziggler vs. Antonio Cesaro

    The following are confirmed matches for WWE SmackDown:

    – Big E. Langston vs. Jack Swagger

    – Brie Bella vs. Tamina Snuka

    – Sin Cara vs. Drew McIntyre

    – Brodus Clay vs. Tensai

    – Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan

    – Daniel Bryan, Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Wyatt Family

    – Damien Sandow vs. The Miz

    – Kofi Kingston vs. Fandango

    – John Cena & CM Punk vs. The Shield

    Full spoiler results of both shows are available right now on the newsboard.

    (Spoilers) WWE Superstars Taping Results

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    The following are WWE Superstars spoiler results from the taping held on Wednesday night in San Antonio, Texas:

    Dark Match

    – The Usos def. Ryback & Curtis Axel in a tag-team opener. The Usos picked up the win by pinfall after hitting a top-rope splash.

    WWE Superstars

    – Natalya def. Aksana in Divas action. The finish came when Natalya forced Aksana to tap out to her Sharpshooter submission hold.

    – Antonio Cesaro def. Dolph Ziggler in singles action. The finish came when Cesaro hit his “Cesaro Swing” on Ziggler, followed by his “Neutralizer” finishing move for the pinfall.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • Two RAW Locations For 2014, New WWE Developmental Creative Assistant, Goldust

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    – Mickie Keegan has officially been removed from the WWE NXT roster page. Keegan now works as a creative assistant for WWE developmental.

    – WWE has released their first new official Goldust t-shirt in years on there WWE Shop website.

    – WWE RAW will return to Memphis, Tennessee on March 10, 2014. RAW will also head to Birmingham, Alabama on April 14, 2014.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • CMT Picks Up “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s New Reality Show, Full Details

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    CMT issued the following press release on Wednesday:

    CMT Greenlights Production on Seven New Series

    Dog and Beth: On the Hunt, Guntucky Renewed for Second Seasons

    Seven new unscripted series will be premiering on CMT in 2014, network executives announced Wednesday (Dec. 18). The schedule also includes the premiere of the previously-announced Party Down South on Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

    The seven new series scheduled for production and premiere in 2014 include: My Big Redneck Family, Tattoo Titans, Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch, Death Valley, FNA USA, Tobacco Wars and My Dysfunctional Family.

    Additionally, Dog and Beth: On the Hunt, the highest-rated CMT series this past year, has been renewed for 11 one-hour episodes. Guntucky has been renewed for eight one-hour episodes. Both series are expected to run in the second quarter of 2014.

    My Big Redneck Family, premiering Jan. 18 for 13 half-hour episodes, marks the return of the Clampet family. This time, they’ll be hanging out in their hometown of Shreveport, La. The comedy follows the family’s everyday routines and parenting misadventures. From Jared’s awkward introduction to the world of temporary employment, to Doug’s relentless pursuit of intimacy with Wendy, it’s clear that the vacation is over, but their real life comedy has just begun.

    Tattoo Titans, television’s first ever self-contained tattoo competition series, inks up in early 2014 when four of the country’s best tattoo artists face off each week for a chance at $10,000 in cold hard cash. Three rounds, 10 hours, no compromises. Which artist can sling the best ink to take down the rest of the competition? The series will premiere in February for eight one-hour episodes.

    Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch, premiering in June for 10 one-hour episodes, is described as the “ultimate badass competition show” as Austin brings eight elite athletes to his Broken Skull Ranch in Texas to test their strength, stamina and endurance. In each episode, contestants go head-to-head until the last man standing earns the right to take on the toughest obstacle course in America, the “Skullbuster,” and the chance to win $10,000.

    Death Valley, a new docu-series, follows five residents in the California desert who brave the elements — and the perils of a lawless environment — in order to live their lives on their own terms. It premieres in the summer/fall of 2014 with eight one-hour episodes.

    FNA USA counts down the Top 20 riotous reasons America is the most badass, Olympic medal-winning, dictator-toppling, hot dog-eating superpower in the world. Based on the premise that Americans work hard and play harder than anyone else, FNA USA celebrates everything from six-packed babes to six packs of beer. It premieres in April with six one-hour episodes.

    Tobacco Wars is set in the high-stakes world of Kentucky’s dark fire tobacco industry, following the families of two fifth-generation tobacco men. In dark fire country, carefully guarded farming know-how and family traditions are passed down, and freedom is as essential as the air they breathe. It’s a high-stress world, but these folks blow off steam with ease, living their country life to the fullest with endless wagering and outrageous country-boy hijinks. Five one-hour episodes premiere in the spring/summer of 2014.

    My Dysfunctional Family centers on commando-turned-family-fixer Dave Vitalli, who pulls no punches as he comes to the aid of teenagers and parents in distress. Armed with lie detectors and years of experience navigating his way through warzones, Dave’s presence provides a wakeup call for the badly-behaving teens. Mom and Dad beware, however, as his no-holds-barred approach will put their behavior under as much scrutiny as their teen’s. No wonder Vitalli is dubbed the “Teen Whisperer.”

    In 2013, CMT launched more original shows than ever before, including such current series as Orange County Choppers, a second season of Swamp Pawn, a fourth season of Sweet Home Alabama and the previously-announced Win, Lose or Pawn, a game show premiering this month.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • NXT Divas Get New Names, Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards On NXT Special

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    – WWE NXT Diva Leah Van Damme has been given her official WWE ring name, which is “Carmella.” Also, Ashley Sebera has been given her official ring name, which is “Dana Brooke.”

    – The Ascension vs. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards match will indeed be airing on the special 200th episode of WWE NXT on Wednesday evening. The WWE NXT official Twitter account tweeted the following:

  • Rob Van Dam Talks About If & When He’ll Return To WWE (VIDEO)
  • WWE “Be A Star” Rally Highlights (Video), Kelly Kelly News, Jimmy Wang Yang

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    – Former WWE Diva Kelly Kelly is scheduled to appear at the Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) “Tag Wars 2K14” event in Joppa, Maryland on March 22nd.

    – WWE profiled former WWE Superstar Jimmy Wang Yang in their latest “Where Are They Now?” feature. For those interested, you can check it out online at WWE.com.

    – WWE recently added the following video to their YouTube channel of WWE Superstars holding a “Be A Star” rally. The video, which you can check out below, is accompanied by the following description: “Sheamus, Alicia Fox & The Prime Time Players visit youngsters at Hillside You Center at Joint Base-Lewis McChord for a Be a Star rally.”

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • Vince McMahon & WWE Stars Headed Overseas, HBK Music Video Update

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    – As noted earlier, WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels is featured in the new Colton James music video for his single “101 Proof.” For those interested in checking out the video, visit CMT.com. (Thanks to Carl Dantes for sending along the link.)

    – WWE CEO Vince McMahon, along with Big Show, R-Truth, Eva Marie and Alicia Fox, are all headed overseas to visit some of the U.S. Troops. No word yet on which country they will be visiting.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • CM Punk vs. Triple H PPV Match Likely, HHH Mocks Daniel Bryan, More

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    WWE.com has published the latest weekly sit-down interview between Michael Cole and Triple H.

    The interview this week focuses on a few different topics, including Randy Orton’s low-blow of Daniel Bryan during the RAW main event. The Game joked that Bryan “came up on the short end” in the match.

    He also addressed CM Punk’s comments about him on the show. Based on what we’re hearing, this is the start of a feud that will culminate in a match at WrestleMania.

    You can check out the complete interview online at WWE.com.

    Brooke Tessmacher Speaks On Breaking Her Jaw, Having Surgery To Fix Her Smile

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    The following are highlights from a recent blog entry by TNA Knockout Brooke Tessmacher:

    On breaking her jaw: “In 2010 I broke my jaw. The bone split down the center between my bottom two front teeth. There was no avoiding a traumatic jaw surgery. After that surgery my teeth still looked pretty good. In fact most people would have said I had a nice smile. But, things were not good behind the scenes. After my accident and surgery, my teeth did not align as they had before. My bite was off and this caused my upper and lower back teeth to collide and grind against each other. In no time at all the enamel began to wear away and that exposed extremely sensitive nerves. This made everyday life a painful trial. Biting, chewing and even drinking anything cold became a frightening experience. The pain was interfering with my wrestling career. I was so scared of getting it in the face that I was holding back in the ring. I didn’t want to smile on TV because I was so self-conscious. I knew that I needed to see a truly qualified dentist who could solve this problem for good. But, my old fears were holding me back.”

    On tooth pain following surgery: “Finally after living with daily pain for nearly 3 years I reached a point that enough was enough. I began to do research on who was the most qualified dental practice to handle a case like mine. I needed a cosmetic dentist but also a dentist trained in proper bite alignment and the mechanics of how the mouth works. (I’ve since learned this is called neuromuscular dentistry.) One name kept coming up again and again as I asked my friends, family and contact. That practice was Smile Texas. When I visited their website and saw their amazing gallery of before and after photographs, I was very impressed. Then, I read about the dentists training and how much experience they had with cases like mine. This convinced me to get over my fear and go see them.”

    On procedure she had to fix her smile: “It just took two visits, about two weeks apart, for Dr. Davis to complete the reconstruction of my smile. By building up my upper and lower back teeth, he was able to restore my bite to the correct alignment. Then they placed all-porcelain veneers on my front teeth to give me an absolutely stunning smile. It was so easy… I literally slept my way through the entire process!”

    Check out the complete blog online at ImpactWrestling.com.

  • TNA Knockout Brooke Tessmacher Imitates Miley Cyrus’ Twerking (VIDEO)
  • Jim Ross Q&A: WWE HOF Voting Process, WWE RAW On TNT?, Taker/HBK

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    The following are highlights from another recent Q&A update from WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:

    On if he would consider the WrestleMania 25 match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels as both of their best matches: “How does one quantify ‘best ever?’ I can’t. However, that match was spectacular.”

    On if he feels there is anything that could be done to make NWA a viable brand again: “LOTS of cash….national TV outlet…new stars. So…not too likely.”

    On the WWE Hall Of Fame voting process: “If it is an actual voting system, who are the people who get a vote? Used to be an informal committee making suggestions.”

    On how weird it would be to see WWE RAW on TNT since WWE is pursuing a new TV deal: “Any thing can happen when rights fees are being negotiated for proven TV content.”

    Check out more online at JRsBarBQ.com.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping
  • WWE Facing Another Trademark Issue Over CM Punk Moniker

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    Improv Comedy Club “The Second City,” which is famous for churning out several Saturday Night Live cast members, is preparing to oppose WWE’s registration of the “Second City Saint” trademark.

    WWE Superstar CM Punk has been using the “Second City Saint” moniker for several years, including points of his career prior to signing with WWE. The name was also used for Punk’s group with Colt Cabana and Ace Steele.

    In addition to the current “Fandango” trademark war, WWE will now prepare to battle over the trademark for “Second City Saint” with the famous Improv Comedy Club.

  • Rare Photo Of Vince & HHH Backstage Working At Live WWE TV Taping