This week on Because Wrestling, we talk about Mae Young’s passing, this past week’s Raw events, give our predictions for WWE Royal Rumble, and update you on the WWE Network countdown!
TMZ Covers Brie Bella’s Bachelorette Party, Wedding To Be Filmed For Total Divas
TMZ has picked up the coverage of WWE Diva Brie Bella’s bachelorette party, which took place on Saturday night at the Prep Kitchen in San Diego, California. Bella, along with the rest of the bachelorette party, all wore “Daniel Bryan beards” during the festivities.
The article also notes that the wedding of Bella and Bryan will be filmed for the second season of WWE’s “Total Divas” reality show, meaning it’s a two-wedding season, as the Naomi and Jimmy Uso wedding was also filmed recently for season number two.
Check out TMZ’s coverage at TMZ.com.
MVP Denies Rumors That He Has Signed With TNA
Former WWE Superstar MVP recently addressed the rumors that he has signed a contract with TNA Wrestling in a new tweet posted on his official Twitter account.
MVP tweeted the following:
For the record, I am STILL very much a free agent and have not signed any contracts with anyone. That is official.
— MVP (@The305MVP) January 20, 2014
If I DO sign a contract with a wrestling company, you'll hear it from ME. No speculation necessary.
— MVP (@The305MVP) January 20, 2014
Jake Roberts Speaks On Ultimate Warrior’s HOF Induction, WMXXX, Old School RAW
The following are highlights from a Busted Open Satellite radio interview with WWE legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts:
On being proud of his Old School RAW return and dealing with sobriety: “Big time. Big time. You gotta deal with each moment; that’s part of sobriety. Is taking the hard stuff in the face and laying it out in front of you. And saying okay, here’s where I go from there. Before it was just an F that and got drunk, got high. And woke up three days later with more problems. That’s the funny thing about drugs and alcohol. There’s no problem that gets better when you get high. It will be back.”
On having to overcome changes in his life and heading in the right direction: “Yeah, man. Oh god brother, it’s–life is so wonderful, man. I mean it’s great to wake up in the morning and remember what you did the night before. It’s also great to wake up knowing that you have kids that love you and grandchildren that love you and they’re not ashamed of you anymore. And they don’t have to check in with you to make sure that you are in the visiting mode. Because there were a lot of days, man that I wouldn’t answer the phone. A lot of days that I didn’t want to talk to anybody. And a lot of days you didn’t want to see me. It was just a point for me where it got to; I took down all the mirrors in my house cause I didn’t want to look at my stupid ass. And what I became. But having said that; I’ve been to a lot of rehabs. Compliments of WWE. But I’ve also been to a few jails, but I never met anybody in a place who said you know what, Jake? When I was a kid, my dream was to grow up and become a drug addict or an alcoholic. Nobody dreams of that. Nobody wants that. But that’s the animal you invite into your house man, if you start doing the wrong thing. People often say, “Well Jake, why did you do drugs?” Cause I liked that stuff! I liked it! It was cool for a while. A short while. But at some point, it no longer became a choice to do that drug or drink. It was a necessity. And as soon as it became a necessity, it takes the life away from you and it owns your life. So guys and girls out there, don’t be a stupid snake and do that stuff. Because sooner or later, you’re gonna pay the piper. If you do the dance, somebody’s gonna pay the fiddler, okay? And that’s that. Okay, now let’s move on to happy shit.”
On if he ever thought he’d be walking down the aisle in WWE again: “No, god no. No, I’d already given up on that man. That was one of the hardest things about getting sober was looking at the carnage I’d created. And remembering some of these statements–oh my god! I must’ve been so F upped. But you know what a drug addict or an alcoholic can justify any sin. I can justify murder when I’m high. I can justify rape when I’m high. I can justify anything when I’m wanting my dope. And that’s the sickness. And some of the stuff I said about WWE and McMahon and anybody else up there, was just me lashing out because of my hate for myself. That’s not an excuse to do it. It shows me how big they are; not only to pay for rehab for an asshole that’s going out here and blasting the hell out of them, but they also–for them to open the door and say “Dude, come back.” And it’s like are you serious? Cause I had given up on that. I’d truly given up on them–I gave up on the Hall Of Fame, I gave up on everything. Like you know, what the hell man; Koko B. Ware’s there and I’m not? Are you serious? Geez. Warrior? Christ, man. That really hurts.”
On Ultimate Warrior’s Hall Of Fame induction and how he and Warrior’s careers can’t be compared: “I know, man! I know that. But maybe they’re taking in assholes and not great talent. I don’t know.”
On WrestleMania XXX being in New Orleans and wanting to get into the Hall Of Fame: “I know. If I was writing a book and I wanted a perfect ending; which I did write a book. About my life. It’ll be coming out about April 1st, man. Because of my career and life; it’s a trilogy. The first book is about the first 15-20 years of my life and career before I got to the WWE. And it’s the most interesting part, I think. And it’ll be coming out. There’s also a movie Diamond Dallas Page has been working on since I started this process; this resurrection if you will. It’ll be coming out soon. And I’ve got so many great things happening in my life right now that to be honest with you, I don’t know if I could fit that in! It’s fun to say no. Of course I wouldn’t say no (on being inducted to the HOF). Are you serious? I love wrestling, okay? I don’t love wrestlers cause there are a lot of them–just cause they have tights, don’t mean they’re wrestlers, okay? But there are a lot of assholes–they can take that stuff off, put it in a big pile and moving forward; their boots, burn it and never come back to wrestling. You’d be doing wrestling a favor. But no, I have a true passion for it. I’ve got a lot that I want to offer now. Will it ever happen on the level that I want it? I doubt it. Cause I’d certainly love to contribute to the product today. I would love to teach. I don’t know if there’s enough hours in the day to teach all the people I think I need to teach. But I would certainly try. I just love wrestling, man. Nobody understands it unless you’ve been there. I’m not talking about walking out and getting in the ring. I’m talking about being a guy that–wrestling is the only lover I never cheated on, okay? I screwed around on my wife but when it came to wrestling brother, I was there. If I was f’d up, I’d go to the ring and put in twice the time. If I was sick–to me, that’s the mark of a true professional. A true professional is somebody that at there physical and mental worst, they will go out and raise the bar and go above that bar. Because I felt guilty about if I got f’d up the night before oh man, you jerk! How dare you cheat these fans? And I’d go out and put in twice the time.”
On being deserving of a Hall Of Fame induction: “Well, whether you deserve it or not is not up to me man. And my life isn’t dependent upon that. If it doesn’t happen this year, maybe it’ll happen next year. I can only hope. I’m not going to let that take me down, man. Where as before, I could think of any reason to get high. ‘I didn’t get this; I didn’t get that; they screwed me over this; they screwed me over that.’ Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can fabricate any bullshit. But right now I’m just stating what’s the truth. The truth is I’m not in there and that’s okay. That’s okay. Look, I came back to Raw, brother! And I stole the f’ing show.”
On Diamond Dallas Page: “It’s real simple. That guy saved my life man. That guy is changing millions of people’s lives right now. If you don’t do his program, you’re an idiot. Bottom line. You’re a fricking idiot. And it’s fixed to get even grander and grander. Cause there’s more things in the works, and once they get sprung on the public man; it’s gonna blow your minds, man. I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with him. Not only because what he did for me but more so for what he’s done for all these other people. I mean it’s crazy the number of people he has effected. The number of people he has brought back to real life. The number of effected people who have dropped a 100 lbs; a 125 lbs; 200 lbs! We have a guy that’s dropped over 200 lbs and he’s still 400 lbs. And this guy is doing it! I don’t know how–he saves lives man. He is a constant; constantly on the move. Shaking and baking and meeting; talking. Everybody that buys his damn DVD; he calls them! Are you serious? This resurrection, this life is so good man. If you’re not happy with your life, it’s pretty simple: change it! Change it. If you’re not happy with your woman, toss her. If you’re not happy with your wife, divorce that and move on to the next one. It’s your choice. You can lay in that sh*t and live, if you want to call it that. That’s not living man; it’s existence. Or you can start making changes. I’ve dropped 75 lbs. I can get up and down. I can move now. I can wrestle again. When I retired two years ago, it left a big hole in my heart! I’m 58 years old and I’m in the best shape of the last 25-30 years. I’m so pissed off at myself. Why didn’t I do this sooner? Why didn’t I do this sooner? Because the program is not that hard. It is not hard. I’ll tell ya it is not hard to do. Anybody can do it. There’s adjustments you can make and modifications you can make in this program. There’s no–in a fricking wheelchair you can do this! So what’s your excuse? If Jake Roberts can be clean and sober, lose 75 lbs, return to wrestling and be victorious in his resurrection; what the F is your excuse? That’s all I got to say.”
On where he ranks the Old School RAW moment in his career: “I don’t know man cause it hasn’t really sunk in. I still keep waking up thinking, okay it didn’t really happen. Okay, that did not happen. I don’t know man. It was so surreal. It just hasn’t sunk in. It hasn’t sunk in. All this grandiosity and all that stuff man, it has not got into my bones yet. Because I denied it for so long. You understand? I said it wasn’t going to happen for so long even though it has happened, I don’t believe it. And maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe I’ll keep striving in the right direction. Having said that; they can’t take it away from me, so f— them! (Laughing)”
Check out the complete interview at Facebook.com/BustedOpenRadio.
AJ Styles Cuts A Promo On Dixie Carter, TNA Draws Another Small Crowd (Photo)
– Former TNA star AJ Styles wrestled at a live event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina over the weekend for the PWX promotional and mentioned TNA President Dixie Carter after his match.
Styles told the crowd that his TNA departure is not a storyline and he really is a free agent. After a positive response from the crowd, he told the fans he works for them and nobody else.
– TNA’s streak of poor live event attendance continued this weekend. They ran a show in Albany, Georgia that drew around 250-300 fans in an arena that has the capacity for 10,000 fans. The show lasted under two hours and only featured a few main event wrestlers.
Photo: Empty Arena At Friday Night’s TNA Live Event
Here’s a photo of the crowd from the TNA live event from Albany, Georgia:
WWE Posts Rare Batista Photos, NXT Star Hypes His Return From Injury & More
– Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website has published exclusive photos of Steve Austin at the WWE Network announcement from Las Vegas.
– WWE.com has published a photo gallery of “The Animal” Batista like you’ve never seen him before.
– NXT star Enzo Amore returns to action this weekend after recovering from a recent leg injury. He tweeted:
@WWENXT @WWE I should letchu know ahead I'm coming back on my worst behavior #NXT #CertifiedG
— Enzo Amore (@WWEAaLLday21) January 19, 2014
Video: Wrestlers React To Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman’s Promo
After last night’s NFL playoff game that saw the Seattle Seahawks defeat the San Francisco 49ers to advance to the Super Bowl, Seahawks player Richard Sherman did an interview that sounded a lot like a pro wrestling promo. WWE got a lot of mentions on Twitter after Sherman’s interview, with several wrestlers tweeting about it.
Guys. It wasn’t a good promo.You don’t need to scream. Plus he didn’t even say “let me tell you something”, “here’s the thing”, or “brother”
— Coach (@CMPunk) January 20, 2014
Also, loved the interview by @RSherman_25. Best in the game and not afraid to say it.
— Daniel Bryan (@WWEDanielBryan) January 20, 2014
#SuperBowl-bound @RSherman_25 stole the #NFL Playoffs with that post-game promo, didn’t he?
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) January 20, 2014
Final thought on @rsherman_25 promo after #NFLPlayoffs .. It was real…no script..human emotion. Actually refreshing. Love him or hate him.
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) January 20, 2014
Well @RSherman_25 seized the moment, but just turned the entire @Seahawks team heel in the process. Makes for a good #SuperBowl storyline.
— Mick Foley (@realmickfoley) January 20, 2014
Congrats to Seattle and Denver-going to Super Bowl and Sherman may have a match also at Royal Rumble. As @wwe NXT GM-I’m booking it!
— John Layfield (@JCLayfield) January 20, 2014
Richard Sherman intelligent Jew #Seahawks
Richard Sherman you never disrespect my lady the @ErinAndrews otherwise I suplex you and your fucking grandmother
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) January 20, 2014
— Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) January 20, 2014
Wow, Richard Sherman just made a #SNL skit… #goof
— Jeff Jarrett (@RealJeffJarrett) January 20, 2014
Congrats to Richard Sherman on winning the Biggest Idiot award. Well deserved.
— Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) January 20, 2014
Video: Hulk Hogan Says Returning to WWE Would Be A “Dream Come True”
TMZ caught up with Hulk Hogan once again over the weekend and asked him if the rumors of him returning to WWE are true. Hogan said it would be a “dream come true” to be back in WWE.
New Promo Art for Batista In “Guardians Of The Galaxy”
Marvel has released the following promotional art for the new movie Guardians of the Galaxy, featuring Batista as Drax The Destroyer:
WWE RAW Preview: Batista Returns, Brock Lesnar Appearing
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio and is the “go home” show before Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
After weeks of hype, former WWE Champion “The Animal” Batista returns. It will be his first WWE television appearance since 2010.
Here is WWE’s 5-Point Preview for the show:
1) Here Comes The Pain: Paul Heyman announced on Friday’s SmackDown that Brock Lesnar will be in attendance to address his Royal Rumble opponent, The Big Show.
2) Enter The Animal: Batista returns and his first order of business will be addressing Alberto Del Rio, who has been insulting every chance he gets over the past few weeks.
3) The Prodigal Son: Daniel Bryan will have to deal with Bray Wyatt after breaking free from the Wyatt Family last week.
4) The Prodigal Son: How will John Cena deal with Randy Orton after the WWE World Heavyweight champion viciously attacked his father last week?
5) Here Comes the Kane: WWE’s Director of Operations delivered a choke slam to CM Punk on SmackDown. “Might Punk’s anti-Authority mentality have resurrected The Big Red Monster?”
WWE Live Event Results From Kalamazoo, Michigan (1/19)
The following are quick results from Sunday night’s WWE Live Event from Kalamazoo, Michigan, courtesy of SEScoops discussion community member Just Sayin’ –
– Kofi Kingston defeated The Miz
– Bray Wyatt defeated Big Show in a Steel Cage match by escaping the cage door. Big Show was replacing Daniel Bryan, who is still out of action due to a concussion.
– Natalya defeated Divas Champion AJ Lee in a non-title match.
– A Mae Young tribute video aired.
– NXT star Tyler Breeze defeated Justin Gabriel via roll-up pin (holding Gabriel’s tights).
– Intercontinental champion Big E Langston defeated Damien Sandow.
– Bad News Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd.
– R-Truth defeated Fandango. Fans had a chance to vote on whether it would be a match (52%) or a dance off (48%).
– CM Punk defeated The Shield in a 3-on-1 Handicap match.
“All in all it was a pretty great show!”
Kane Working As A Babyface, Pat Patterson & R-Truth Note, More
– As previously reported, Daniel Bryan was taken off of his scheduled appearances at WWE live events this weekend due to the concussion he suffered at RAW on Monday. As noted, Big Show served as Bryan’s replacement in singles matches against Bray Wyatt. As a result, Kane, who was originally slated to compete against Big Show on the opposing WWE live event tour, ended up working as somewhat of a babyface against Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in two-on-one handicap matches.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Pat Patterson celebrates his 73rd birthday today. Patterson was born on January 19, 1940. Also celebrating a birthday today was current WWE Superstar R-Truth, who turned 42. Truth was born on January 19, 1971.
Jim Ross Q&A: WWE Divas Tag Titles, Hogan/WMXXX, Undertaker’s Streak, More
The following are highlights of a recent online Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On if he was surprised by the quality of past Undertaker-Batista matches: “Not really. Both are big money players. They had chemistry. Taker’s extraordinarily special. Dave’s a beast. Great combo.”
On The Undertaker’s streak: “I’m not a fan of a The Streak ever be broken. It’s not torch passing material.”
On Hulk Hogan’s participation at WrestleMania XXX: “I see Hulk in a tag before him doing a singles bout w/ a wrecked back.”
On the possibility of a WWE Divas Tag-Team Championship: “At the moment, I’m not overjoyed by the potential of a Divas Tag Championship but I’m willing to see how it evolves over time if it happens.”
Check out more JR Q&A online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Maryse Speaks On Wedding Plans With Miz, AJ Breaking Her Record, WWE Return
The following are highlights of a new interview from the official WWE website with former WWE Diva Maryse:
On her post-WWE life: “I live with The Miz in LA and we’ve been planning our wedding for a year. I want it to be perfect, but I’m pretty much done with all the planning. We’re all set to go. It’s coming in four weeks. I got my dream house in the Hollywood Hills and we’re building a huge extension to it, but I still need some more space because I’d love to have some mini Mizzes and mini Maryses running around. If you know Maryse and The Miz, you know we’ll need a lot of space. I’m also working for a real estate firm here in Los Angeles. It’s going really well and I love it. That’s the career path I’m in right now. I love everything related to business. That’s my field, besides entertainment, which I’m really good at.”
On her wedding plans with The Miz: “The wedding is Feb. 20, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. We’re going to have 100 people coming down there, which is pretty big for a destination wedding. I’m really excited about it, but it’s a lot of work. Planning a wedding seems easy, but there are a lot of details to think of. But overall, it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve really enjoyed it, especially because my man is really involved with all the planning. As a woman, it’s really fun to see your fiancée participate and really care. It makes it a lot easier and a lot more fun.”
On AJ Lee breaking her Divas Title record: “I’m actually really proud of AJ for doing that. Congratulations to her. It’s a lot of work to have the title for that long. I always loved AJ’s interviews. I think she’s really entertaining. I love people that can talk and have personality. Right now, my life is not focused on wrestling, but I’m proud of what I accomplished. No matter what, I’m still the most badass Diva of all time. You can’t take that away from me.”
On the possibility of making a WWE return: “Right now, the timing is not right. I’ve never been this happy in my entire life. I’m the healthiest and happiest I’ve ever been. My life is 100% like I want it. Never say never, but right now, no. Maybe one day in the future. If the timing’s right, why not?”
Check out the complete interview online at WWE.com.
Batista Comments On Tomorrow Night’s WWE RAW Return
WWE Superstar “The Animal” Batista, who makes his return to the company at RAW on Monday night in Dayton, Ohio, posted the following tweet on his official Twitter account regarding his long-awaited television return:
Made it 2 Ohio. Feels like I'm counting every second until I hit the ring tomorrow night. #dreamchaser
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) January 19, 2014
Poll: WWE WrestleMania XXX Main Event
WrestleMania XXX is less than three months away and we want to know what match you want to see headlining the show. With the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber still ahead of us and Brock Lesnar and Batista back in the main event mix, there are countless matchups that we could see for the WWE World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania.
Vote below and tell us what match you want to see headlining WWE’s biggest show of the year. If your vote is “Other” – give us your pick.
[poll id=”25″]
AJ Lee Turned Down Total Divas Offer (Video), Scotty 2 Hotty At NXT Show (Photo)
– WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee attended the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con late last year (along with Sheamus) and revealed that she actually turned down an offer to be part of the Total Divas reality show.
– Attitude Era star Scotty 2 Hotty, who returned as part of the Too Cool act at Old School RAW a couple of weeks ago, attended the WWE NXT event in Daytona, Florida. Scotty tweeted the following photo from the show:
At @WWENXT in Daytona with @RealBillyGunn @EmmaWWE @WWETensai pic.twitter.com/jLDbiI9Dv9
— Scotty 2 Hotty (@TheScotty2Hotty) January 19, 2014
WWE House Show Results (1/18): Cincinnati, Ohio
The following are results from the WWE live event in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event was held on Saturday, January 18, 2014.
– The Prime Time Players def. Ryback & Curtis Axel in a tag-team match to open the show. The finish saw O’Neil hit his Clash Of The Titus on Axel for the pin. As PTP headed backstage, they were attacked by The Real Americans. Zeb Colter, who was in a wheel chair, cut a promo.
– Alicia Fox def. Aksana in Divas action. This was the Fan’s Choice match. Finish saw Fox hit Aksana with her Watch Yo Face scissors kick for the 1-2-3.
– Xavier Woods def. Brodus Clay in singles action. This is the same match they’ve been doing for a while now, where Clay dominates throughout, gets cut off, eats a finisher and gets pinned in under two minutes.
– Goldust & Cody Rhodes def. The Real Americans to retain their WWE Tag-Team Championships. This was a solid 15-minute match that was said to be among the best in-ring action of the evening. The finish saw Goldust hit his sunset flip/powerbomb on Cesaro for the pinfall.
–Intermission–
– Luke Harper & Erick Rowan def. Kane in a two-on-one handicap match. Brad Maddox came out after intermission and announced that Big Show wasn’t here due to travel issues, so Kane should technically win by forfeit. Maddox says he knows Kane still wants a match, so he has surprise opponents for him. This led to Harper and Rowan coming out. They beat Kane up for the most part and Rowan pinned him for the win after Harper blasted him with his clothesline.
– Alberto Del Rio def. Sin Cara in the second-to-last match on the card. This was said to be a pretty good match. The finish saw Del Rio force Sin Cara to submit to his Cross Armbreaker finishing hold.
– John Cena def. Randy Orton via Disqualification in the main event of the show. This is the same exact match they’ve been doing around the country, with Orton purposely low-blowing Cena as Cena was about to beat him, strictly to avoid losing his WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Jim Ross Blog: Daniel Bryan’s Rise In WWE, JR’s “Ringside” Event, More
The following is an excerpt from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
‘RINGSIDE: An Evening with Jim Ross’ in NOLA on Thursday April 3 will now be two shows at 6:30 and 9:30 pm at the House of Blues. VIP tickets will be available for the Meet and Greets plus each show will include lots of Q&A time. Tickets will go on sale next week and I will release that info when I receive it but I’m sure that ticketmaster.com will be involved.
Back to Daniel Bryan, he’s white hot and has done what many wrestlers only dream of doing and that’s making a strong, emotional connection with the fan base. Bryan is SO connected or ‘over’ in rasslin’ vernacular and he’s still evolving well even without the WWE Title.
Will Daniel Bryan ever become the WWE World Title for a nice ‘run’ some day? I can’t see how it won’t happen. Question is when and it could be at WM30 if all the cards fall into place. Stay tuned.
Unfortunately, many will think that professional development should have happened ‘yesterday’ but I’m enjoying the ‘chase’ that Bryan is on while fighting for ‘respect’ and then, when the time is right, fighting for the Championship.
Patience.
Who is a more popular choice to win the Royal Rumble than Daniel Bryan?”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Jim Ross/WrestleMania AXXESS Note, Pre-Sale For RAW In St. Louis On 4/28
– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross was recently asked by a fan on Twitter what the chances were that he’d be appearing as part of WrestleMania AXXESS this year. JR replied, “Unlikely. Doing my 1 man show in NOLA 4/3.”
Speaking of JR, he has two shows planned for April 3rd in New Orleans. The WWE Hall Of Famer also has a show on the books for March 1st at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.
– Following a live event this weekend, WWE will be returning to St. Louis, Missouri for a RAW television show on April 28th. The pre-sale for tickets is going on now with the code WWESTL.
Press Release With More Details On Sandman vs. Tim Witherspoon Match
The following is the official press release for the previously reported Sandman vs. Tim Witherspoon “World Xtreme Entertainment” match:
GET IN ON WHAT EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT!
World Xtreme Entertainment Proudly Announces the Next Trend Setting Genre!
What:Hardcore stars of Pro Wrestling along with former Boxing Champions, MMA Fighters, Xtreme Sexy Battling Babes, and other combat sports combine for an evening unlike any other you have ever witnessed.
We invite you to the kickoff Press Conference (Thursday January 23 at 7:30 P.M. at Chickie and Petes 1526 packer ave in South Philadelphia) to be the first to learn about all the action and upcoming premiere show that will be taped for worldwide television and social media distribution.
Signed to Step in the Main Event, former ECW legend Sandman will go against two-time World Heavyweight Boxing champion Tim Witherspoon. They will battle it out in a 5-round-brawl with the winner crowned the very first Heavyweight champion of (World Xtreme Entertainment). To insure that no cheating ensues, Promoter Damon Feldman has retained the services of former Philadelphia Eagles’ Defensive Tackle Hollis Thomas as the special “enforcer referee.”
Feldman, a former Boxer and promoter of many high-profile Celebrity Boxing shows, will announce the date and venue of the first event at the Press Conference. Also the undercard matches will be revealed. I have several Hollywood Actors and Athletes on board to sign with this company this is novelty Boxing with great intense entertainment Im creating a Soap Opera in the Ring said Damon Feldman
“For the first time in history I have a ground-breaking fight,” Feldman said. “This is the first time anyone has promoted a tag team rules boxing match and it will be the semi-final match on our spectacular show! Believe me, no one has ever seen anything like this before! We’ll also have to title match for the Xtreme Battling Babes title, and six-other-blockbuster Matches!”
*** The Casting Call- We will be looking for female Models,Dancers, Professional Wrestlers Entertainers and Anyone who ever wanted and Dreamed of Stepping in the Ring this is your chance ** No Experience needed we will train you
When: Thursday January 23 at 7:30 P.M.
Where: Chickie and Petes 1526 Packer Ave South Philadelphia
Media info-484-318-6133
Latest Schedule For AJ Styles’ Post-TNA Tour, New Dates & Opponents
The following is the latest official tour-schedule for former TNA Wrestling star AJ Styles:
– Jan. 18: Magnum Pro in Cedar Falls, Iowa (vs. Jaysin Strife)
– Jan. 19: PWX in Winston-Salem, N.C. (vs. Cedric Alexander)
– Jan. 26: Smash Wrestling in Toronto (vs. Chris Hero)
– Feb. 1: Dreamwave in Chicago (vs. Christian Rose)
– Feb. 7: D.S.C.H. in Blue Ridge, Ga. (w/Cody Roberts vs. Corey Hollis & Shaun Tempers)
– Feb. 8: CZW in Voorhees, N.J. (vs. Drew Gulak for CZW Title)
– Feb. 15: House of Glory in Queens, N.Y. (w/Amazing Red vs. Young Bucks)
– Feb. 21: ROH 12 Anniv. Show in Philadelphia, Pa.
– Feb. 22: ROH TV tapings in Philadelphia, Pa.
– Feb. 23: Pennsylvania Premiere in Freeland, Pa. (vs. Tommy Suede)
– Mar. 1: PCW in Preston, England (vs. Lionheart)
– Mar. 8: The Big Event in Flushing, N.Y.
– Mar. 14: 2CW in Binghamton, N.Y. (vs. Eddie Edwards)
– Mar. 15: UWE in Harrisburg, Pa. (vs. A.R. Fox)
– Mar. 21: HTCW in Tallapoosa, Ga. (tag match)
– Mar. 22: ROH in Dayton, Ohio
– Apr. 19: ROH TV tapings in Baltimore, Md.
– Apr. 26: Remix Pro in Marietta, Okla. (vs. Facade)
Press Release: WWE Studios Signs Movie Promotional Deal
The following press release was issued on Saturday:
WWE® Studios, Relativity and Blumhouse Productions Partner on Intrepid Pictures’ Oculus
STAMFORD, Conn., Jan 18, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) — WWE Studios WWE +2.89% , Relativity and Blumhouse Productions announced today a partnership in connection to the release of Intrepid Pictures’ Oculus, the Mike Flanagan-directed supernatural horror film starring Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Not Another Happy Ending), Brenton Thwaites (the upcoming Maleficent,The Giver), Rory Cochrane (Argo, Parkland) and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Riddick). WWE Studios will leverage its extensive multi-platform reach to help promote the film that debuted at the Midnight Madness section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Oculus was developed and produced by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans of Intrepid Pictures, who co-financed with MICA Entertainment andis set for a wide theatrical release on April 11, 2014.
Oculus was directed by Mike Flanagan (Absentia, Ghosts of Hamilton Street), and produced by Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans (Safe House, The Strangers, The Raven). Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter, Limitless), Tucker Tooley (The Fighter, Limitless), Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious), Michael Luisi (The Call, Dead Man Down), Anil Kurian (Sahara, The Raven), D. Scott Lumpkin (Safe Haven), Peter Schlessel (Drive, Looper) and Dale Johnson (Stuck in Love) serve as Executive Producers. The screenplay is by Mike Flanagan & Jeff Howard based on the short film Oculus: The Man With The Plan, written by Mike Flanagan & Jeff Seidman.
Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home. Determined to prove Tim’s innocence, Kaylie tracks down the mirror, only to learn similar deaths have befallen previous owners over the past century. With the mysterious entity now back in their hands, Tim and Kaylie soon find their hold on reality shattered by terrifying hallucinations, and realize, too late, that their childhood nightmare is beginning again…
“WWE Studios is thrilled to be getting into business for the first time with Relativity and partnering again with Blumhouse on the release of such a superbly crafted, heart-pounding thriller as Oculus,” said Michael Luisi, President of WWE Studios.
Bradley Buchanan, SVP of Business Affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios.
About WWE Studios
WWE Studios produces a diverse slate of feature films for theatrical release, home entertainment and digital platforms through distribution partnerships with global entertainment companies. The WWE’s film division led by President, Michael Luisi, is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and continues to create content for audiences of all ages. Films recently produced by WWE Studios include The Call with Halle Berry and WWE Superstar David Otunga®, Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell and WWE Superstar Wade Barrett®, The Marine 3: Homefront with WWE Superstar The Miz® in the third follow-up in the explosive Marine adventures, 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded, the second installment in the action franchise, starring WWE Superstar Randy Orton®, No One Lives co-produced with Pathé Films and released theatrically by Anchor Bay Films starring Luke Evans and WWE Superstar Brodus Clay™, and Christmas Bounty, an action comedy starring WWE Superstar The Miz and Francia Raisa, which premiered on ABC Family during “The Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas” and released on Blu-Ray/DVD by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Upcoming films for WWE Studios include Scooby-Doo! WrestleManiaMystery which pairs WWE Superstars with Scooby and the gang releasing direct to home March 25, 2014 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; Leprechaun: Origins directed by Zach Lipovsky starring WWE Superstar Hornswoggle® will be distributed by Lionsgate in August 2014; See No Evil 2 starring WWE Superstar Kane® directed by the Soska Sisters will also be distributed by Lionsgate in October 2014; The Fall Guy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson releasing in 2015, and The Flintstones another Warner Brothers Animation feature releasing in early 2015 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment which joins Fred, Barney and the whole Bedrock gang with stone age versions of WWE Superstars and Divas.
About WWE
WWE , a publicly traded company WWE +2.89% , is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Munich and Tokyo. Additional information on WWE WWE +2.89% can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to https://www.wwe.com/worldwide/ .
Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television and pay-per-view programming distribution agreements; the need for continually developing creative and entertaining programming; the continued importance of key performers and the services of Vincent McMahon; the conditions of the markets in which we compete and acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; our exposure to bad debt risk; uncertainties relating to regulatory and litigation matters; risks resulting from the highly competitive nature of our markets; uncertainties associated with international markets; the importance of protecting our intellectual property and complying with the intellectual property rights of others; risks associated with producing and travelling to and from our large live events, both domestically and internationally; the risk of accidents or injuries during our physically demanding events; risks relating to our film business; risks relating to increasing content production for distribution on various platforms, including the potential creation of a WWE Network; risks relating to our computer systems and online operations; risks relating to the large number of shares of common stock controlled by members of the McMahon family and the possibility of the sale of their stock by the McMahons or the perception of the possibility of such sales; the relatively small public float of our stock; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition, our dividend is dependent on a number of factors, including, among other things, our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan (including alternative uses of capital), our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends, general economic and competitive conditions and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider relevant.
About Relativity
Relativity is a next-generation media company engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including film production; financing and distribution; television; sports management; music publishing; and digital media. Ryan Kavanaugh is the company’s Founder and CEO.
Relativity Studios has produced, distributed or structured financing for nearly 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box office revenue and earning 60 Oscar® nominations. Recent films include: Safe Haven, Act of Valor and Immortals, the latter two opening number one at the box office in their debut. Relativity’s other films include the eight-time Oscar® nominee The Social Network as well as Limitless and two-time Oscar® winner The Fighter. Upcoming films include 3 Days to Kill, starring Kevin Costner, Earth to Echo, Oculus and author Nicholas Sparks’ The Best of Me.
Relativity Television is one of the country’s largest suppliers of unscripted television and has recently expanded to produce scripted series. Relativity Sports is the industry’s fastest growing sports agency, providing more than 300 NBA, NFL and MLB athletes with services ranging from contract negotiation to custom film and television content production.
For more information, please visit relativitymedia.com.
About Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse Productions, founded by Jason Blum, is a multi-media production company that has pioneered a new model of studio filmmaking- producing high-quality micro-budget films for wide release. Since its launch, Blumhouse has produced more than 30 feature films including the highly profitable Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge and Sinister franchises, all of which significantly out-grossed their budgets on opening weekend. Blumhouse’s The Purge, its first production under its first-look deal with Universal Pictures, opened to more than $34 million on its opening weekend with a budget of just $3 million. Insidious: Chapter Two from FilmDistrict, grossed $41.05 million on its opening weekend with just a $5m budget. Blumhouse’s upcoming micro-budget wide releases include Oculus for Relativity, Jessabelle for Lionsgate, The Next Chapter of The Purge for Universal and Paranormal Activity 5 for Paramount. In addition, Blumhouse is working on both scripted and non-scripted television projects. Blumhouse executive produced Stranded for SyFy and The River for ABC, and is also working on projects with HBO and MTV.
About Intrepid Pictures
Founded in 2004 by Trevor Macy, Intrepid Pictures is a feature film production and co-financing company with a mandate to produce horror, thriller, action, and comedy. Intrepid has produced eleven pictures to date, including the $82 million worldwide box office hit “The Strangers”. Intrepid Pictures also produced and co-financed Summit Entertainments action film, “The Cold Light of Day” starring Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver and Henry Cavill; “The Raven,” starring John Cusack and directed by James McTeigue. Additionally, Intrepid developed and executive produced Universal Pictures project “Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, directed by Daniel Espinoza.
Tommy Dreamer Replacing Jeff Jarrett In TNA?, Borash On The Food Network
– ECW original Tommy Dreamer worked as an agent at the TNA Impact Wrestling television taping on Thursday. Dreamer filled the position left open by Jeff Jarrett when he resigned from the company.
– TNA personality Jeremy Borash appeared on the “Restaurant Impossible” show on the Food Network on Friday night. Borash appeared with Gail Kim’s husband, Chef Robert Irvine, in Santa Rosa, California.
Former WWE Superstar Says He’s Taking Time Off To Address Medical Issue
Former WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin recently posted a series of tweets on his official Twitter account to inform fans that he is going to be taking time off to deal with some medical issues.
Benjamin tweeted the following:
As of tonight Im taking time off from wrestling to take care of a long neglected medical issue. So I assure you all I will not be at the R.R
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) January 19, 2014
Basically I have a pinched Ulner nerve in my elbow that causes lose of sensation,motor function, muscle atrophy & eventually use of my hand
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) January 19, 2014
So before things get bad i gotta take quick pause. But after 12 years and no major injuries proWrestling this I consider very minor
— Shelton J. Benjamin (@Sheltyb803) January 19, 2014