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NXT Women’s Champion Paige Tops NXT’s First Power Rankings List

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WWE NXT revealed their first-ever Power Rankings this week, with NXT Women’s champion Paige grabbing the top spot in the inaugural list:

  1. Paige
  2. Corey Graves & Adrian Neville
  3. Bo Dallas
  4. Sami Zayn
  5. Scott Dawson & Alexander Rusev

NXT explained the decision to decision to rank Paige at #1 on their official Facebook page:

“We can’t even remember the last time NXT Women’s Champion Paige lost a match in NXT! The moment the NXT Women’s Championship tournament was announced the NXT Divas division was all about Paige. Her dominance of the division puts her at #1 in the NXT Power Rankings. Will the recent betrayal by Sasha Banks, or #1 contender cause Paige’s first loss in months? For now The Diva of Tomorrow remains NXT Women’s Champion & number 1 on the list.”

NXT will post their weekly power rankings every Sunday on Facebook.

WWE Provides An Update On CM Punk’s Condition

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WWE has provided an update regarding CM Punk’s condition, after reporting on Monday night that he was injured after being slammed through a table by Ryback on RAW.

WWE.com posted the following update from Dr. Amann on Wednesday regarding CM Punk’s condition:

“Fortunately, he is feeling a lot better,” Dr. Amann told WWE.com.

“Punk’s injuries do not seem to be as severe as we initially anticipated, so we did not have to do any additional studies or imaging. It looks like it’s mostly just bumps and bruises, and we are going to keep on monitoring him. His status is day-to-day.'”

As noted earlier, Punk was not hurt during the table spot on RAW, but has been working through several nagging injuries and had his knee taped up on RAW.

Jim Ross Blogs About Monday’s RAW: Bryan, Punk, Heyman, Rhodes Family & More

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross updated his blog late Tuesday night, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about Monday’s RAW:

Daniel Bryan: Daniel Bryan is red hot. It’s SO time to harness that elusive emotion. Bryan’s in ring skills & his viable 2nd gear are money. Fans want him to succeed. Hope they get their wish.

The Main Event: 11 on 3 mismatch in the favor of the ‘good guys’ was most unique. It actually ended up well. Spotlight on Bryan but others got some positive minutes too. Exceeded my expectations for the concept.

CM Punk: CM Punk had an awesome night in his hometown. He felt more like Stone Cold than I can ever recall. Home field advantage didn’t hurt.

Paul Heyman: Who’s a better wrestling villain than Paul Heyman? The line between good & evil is more blurred than ever on WWE TV. Except for Heyman.

Rhodes Family: The personal issue involving the Rhodes family certainly is fun to follow. The ability for any wrestling creative entity to provide fans w/ personal issues is an elusive skill. Bill Watts was great at it back in Mid South days.

As always, you can buy JR’s amazing line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com.

* Listen to JIM ROSS On STEVE AUSTIN’s Podcast Here

Main Event Mafia vs. Aces & Eights 6-Man Tag Match Added To Impact

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TNA just announced that a 6-man tag match between the Main Event Mafia and Aces & Eights has been added to Thursday’s live episode of Impact Wrestling from Little Rock, Arkansas.

With that match set, here’s an updated preview for the show:

– Fallout from Dixie Carter’s heel turn last week. How will IMPACT General Manager Hulk Hogan react?

– Sting, Samoa Joe and Magnus vs. Knux, Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco

– Can Bully Ray maintain control of Aces & Eights?

– X Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Sabin

– Eric Young, Knockouts Champion ODB & Joseph Park vs. The Bro Mans (Robbie E and Jessie Godderz) & a Mystery Knockout.

*Spoiler* Stipulation Added To WWE Battleground Title Match

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Warning: The following contains a minor spoiler for Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

At Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings, it was announced that Rob Van Dam’s upcoming World Heavyweight title match against Alberto Del Rio at WWE Battleground will be fought under hardcore rules.

The announcement was made during a backstage segment with Triple H and Vickie Guerrero.

With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE Battleground:

WWE Championship Match
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

World Heavyweight Title Match (Hardcore Rules)
Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam

CM Punk vs. Ryback

Ryback Talks About His Feud With CM Punk, Ryback To India This Weekend

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WWE Superstar Ryback recently spoke with SunHerald.com to promote next week’s episode of WWE RAW from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Here are some highlights of what he said about:

His Feud With CM Punk: “What better way than to take out C.M. Punk. He was the guy who started my downfall. That’s what you strive for: being the guy who everything revolves around.”

His Road to Success in WWE: “I had a lot of setbacks and negativity early in my career. There was a lot of criticism. You have to brush it off. It all helped me become the man that I am today. Each and every day, I wake up wanting to do my best. I’m taking it one day at a time.”

Speaking of Ryback, he won’t be on tour with WWE this weekend because he’ll be in India promoting the new WWE 2K14 video game in Mumbai.

* TRIPLE H Leaving WWE TV Soon (Full Details)

Triple H Has A Proposal For The Rhodes Family, Axel Hits Milestone & More

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WWEShop.com is running a 1-day sale, with 25% Off vintage “Outside the Ring” t-Shirts.

They are also selling new Superstar coffee mugs and water bottles (view here).

– Yesterday (Tuesday) marked 100 days that Curtis Axel has held the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

– This afternoon, WWE COO will once again sit down with Michael Cole for another exclusive interview. Michael Cole just tweeted that Triple H will have a proposal for Dusty, Cody and Dustin Rhodes. Video of the interview will air this afternoon on WWE.com.

Final Rating & Viewership From Monday’s WWE RAW

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Monday’s 9/23 edition of WWE RAW drew a 2.81 cable rating, down approximately 5% from last week’s 2.96 (the night after Night of Champions. Like RAW’s viewership, the rating for Monday was the lowest in over 3 months.

RAW averaged 3,739,000 viewers, down almost 300,000 viewers from the previous week.

Here’s the hourly breakdown:

  • Hour 1: 3,603,000
  • Hour 2: 3,795,000
  • Hour 3: 3,820,000

RAW was up against stiff competition on Monday, including Monday Night Football and the season premieres of The Voice and Dancing With The Stars.

WWE SmackDown Preview For Friday

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The following is a spoiler-free preview for Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown:

* WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. The Miz.

* World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth.

* United States Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler.

* The Real Americans vs. The Prime Time Players.

* Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Cameron.

* Santino Marella and The Great Khali vs. 3MB.

Also appearing are Triple H, The Shield, Paul Heyman, Rob Van Dam and more.

WWE NXT & Main Event Previews For Tonight

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WWE Main Event Preview For Tonight:

* The Usos vs. Big E Langston and Fandango

* Big Show vs. Damien Sandow

* Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel vs. Justin Gabriel

NXT Preview (Hulu/International TV):

* A big announcement from Triple H

* #1 Contenders Tag Team Turmoil Match: The Ascension vs. Colin Cassidy & Enzo Amore vs. CJ Parker & Tyler Breeze vs. Scott Dawson & Alexander Rusev

* Sasha Banks vs. Bayley.

* Aiden English vs. Bull Dempsey

* Sami Zayn vs. El Local

Also appearing are NXT champion Bo Dallas, Sylvester LeFort and more.

(Spoilers) WWE SmackDown Taping Results For This Week

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The following are ongoing results for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which is being taped on Tuesday night, September 24th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

WWE SmackDown (Airing on Friday, September 27, 2013)

-The WWE COO Triple H opens the show. HHH talks about how WWE Superstars are blaming management for their own shortcomings, bringing up the “what’s best for business” talk, as usual. The Miz comes out and interupts him. The two talk back-and-forth about the last two weeks of RAW, where Randy Orton attacked him in front of his parents, and Big Show knocked him out, per orders of Stephanie McMahon. The main event is confirmed as Miz vs. Randy Orton for later tonight.

-Alberto Del Rio (c) def. R-Truth. This was said to be what amounted to basically a glorified squash match. After the match, which Del Rio won, he slapped the Cross Armbreaker on Truth and refused to let it go. This led to Rob Van Dam coming out to make the save. Ricardo Rodriguez through RVD a chair and Van Dam used the chair on Del Rio. The crowd was very hot for RVD in Milwaukee.

-The Real Americans (Jack Swagger & Antonio Cesaro) def. The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O’Neil). This was said to be a pretty good back-and-forth match, with the finish coming when Young tapped out to Swagger’s Patriot Lock.

-Dolph Ziggler def. Dean Ambrose (c) via Disqualification. Ziggler got the win via DQ, so Ambrose retained his WWE United States Championship. After the match, Triple H set up a six-man tag match between Ziggler, RVD and Kofi Kingston and all three members of The Shield (Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns).

-The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) def. Dolph Ziggler, Rob Van Dam & Kofi Kingston. This was said to be a good match that the crowd was very much into. The finish came when Rollins picked up the pinfall victory over Kingston.

-AJ Lee (c) vs. Cameron. AJ retained her WWE Divas Championship by hitting a flying knee on The Funkadactyl member. AJ also supposedly debuted a new sidekick, although we don’t have much more details than that.

-Paul Heyman came out and cut what was said to be a very, very good promo. We don’t have a ton of details on the promo, although Heyman did talk about how he will topple CM Punk at the upcoming WWE Battleground pay-per-view on October 6th, and that he will always be the man standing over Punk. This was said to be easily one of the highlights of the evening thus far.

-Santino Marella & The Great Khali def. 3MB. Apparently they played a flute during the match to “bring the Cobra” to life. This was mostly a comedy match, which the babyfaces won when Santino picked up the pinfall victory over one of the 3MB members.

-Randy Orton def. The Miz. Miz was nursing his storyline injuries still throughout this match. Orton exploited them, and really laid a good beating on Miz for the majority of the match. Orton ended up getting himself disqualified by the referee. Triple H came back out and restarted the match, pointing out that Orton was intentionally trying to get disqualified. HHH said Orton must win by pinfall. The match was restarted, Orton continued beating the crap out of The Miz, and ultimately finished him off with the RKO for the pinfall victory.

HUGE *SPOILERS* & NEW Matches CONFIRMED For WWE Battleground — CLICK HERE!

(Spoilers) WWE Main Event Results For This Week

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The following are results for this week’s edition of WWE Main Event, which was taped on Tuesday night, September 24th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dark Match:

-Brodus Clay & Tensai def. Bo Dallas & Sami Zayn. Dallas didn’t get much of a response coming out. Zayn, however, received a lot of “Ole'” chants for his entrance. Regardless, both guys ended up getting squashed by Tons Of Funk, with the finish coming when Tensai got the pin.

WWE Main Event:

-The Usos def. Big E. Langston & Fandango. This was said to be a really fun match for the live crowd. The Usos were really over with the Milwaukee crowd.

-Big Show def. Damien Sandow. Big Show basically mauled Sandow for the majority of the match, which didn’t last long. The finish came when Big Show landed his knockout punch on Sandow.

-Curtis Axel (with Paul Heyman) def. Justin Gabriel. Not a lot of details for this one, but Axel did pick up the victory in the headline match for this week’s WWE Main Event show.

Huge *SPOILERS* For The Upcoming WWE Battleground PPV — CLICK HERE!

WWE RAW Viewership Details For This Week

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The Monday, September 23rd edition of WWE RAW drew 3.74 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

RAW on Monday did hours of 3.60 million viewers for hour one, 3.80 for hour two and 3.82 for the third and final hour.

The final rating, which should fall somewhere around a 2.7 or a 2.8, should be available soon.

HUGE WWE Battleground PPV News & SPOILERS For Oct. 6th — CLICK HERE!

Magnus Speaks On Dixie Carter Noticing His Talent, Looking Up To Angle/Sting/Hogan

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The following are highlights from a recent interview with TNA Impact Wrestling star Magnus:

On talents he looked up to before getting into the business: “I looked up to Kurt in particular when I decided to be a pro wrestler, and Sting and Hulk Hogan are both characters that captured my imaginations as a kid, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be working alongside them by the time I made it to a high enough level.”

“I always dreamed of wrestling Kurt Angle, but even that was a pipe dream. So the fact that I’ve wrestled Sting and Kurt and appeared with Hulk is still surreal to me and means so much. But then to hear them publicly endorse me is one of the most gratifying feelings I have ever had. Sting was the first major name to speak up for me, and Kurt has been a supporter of mine for a long time. He’s a wonderful guy and I am so appreciative of all he has done for me and the business.”

On Dixie Carter seeing something in him early on: “Dixie saw something in me before anyone else, so in terms of how things are going for me now, I’m proud of myself and forever grateful for her for her support. I was determined not to let her down. Anytime someone takes a chance with me, I will do my absolute best to return on that faith. It was the same thing when Richard Woolfe [the former head of Sky 1] saw something in me for Gladiators that the other producers did not. And it will be the same for anyone else that sees something in me: I’ll deliver.”

Check out the complete interview online at Mirror.co.uk.

HUGE WWE Battleground News & SPOILERS For Oct. 6th — CLICK HERE!

Rock Tweets Stephanie McMahon, JR Talks Rhodes Family Angle, HHH Promotes DVD

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-Part-time WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently tweeted a happy birthday message to WWE’s Stephanie McMahon, who as previously reported, turns 37 today. The Rock wrote:

@StephMcMahon Happy Birthday boss lady! Hugs to the girls and grunting John Wayne hug to Trip.

-WWE COO Triple H promoted the release of his new DVD documentary, “Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come,” which as previously reported is released in stores today:

My new DVD “Thy kingdom come” out today…….if you get it, let me know what you think. pic.twitter.com/82Ij26DMUn

-WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross tweeted his thoughts on the current Rhodes Family storyline today. JR wrote:

The reason most fans care about the Rhodes Family story on #WWERaw is because it’s a PERSONAL ISSUE & there’s an emotional investment.

FULL Story On JR/WWE Situation + MAJOR TNA Names LEAVE THE COMPANY [>>]

Jim Ross On Steve Austin’s Podcast, Undertaker Breaks Character & More

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– Steve Austin’s latest “Steve Austin Show” podcast with special guest Jim Ross is now online and can be heard at Podcastone.com.

Steve Austin Talks About Wrestling Again & Jim Ross’ Future

– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley appeared on Monday’s episode of the Adam Carolla Show podcast, which you can listen to at AdamCarolla.com.

– According to a few fans who have already watched the new Triple H “Thy Kingdom Come” DVD (released today), The Undertaker is featured in a rare out-of-character interview talking about his relationship with Triple H over the years.

WWE Suffers Legal Setback In Lawsuit By Former Producer

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PR-BG.com posted the following announcement today about WWE suffering a legal setback in the ongoing lawsuit filed by a former WWE producer:

WWE TOSSED FROM FEDERAL COURT

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was thrown for a loss last week when the United States District Court in Arizona rejected WWE’s efforts to transfer a lawsuit filed by one of its former road producers to the federal court.

On September 18th, United States District Judge G. Murray Snow, held that the lawsuit, filed against WWE and star wrestler Paul Wight, known as “Big Show,” should be returned to the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, where it was originally filed in April 2013.

The suit charges that WWE road producer Andrew Green suffered damages when Big Show attacked him, without provocation, as Mr. Green was trying to arrange to have Big Show appear for a scheduled on-camera interview.

That assault was captured on videotape and posted by WWE on the Internet. WWE moved the lawsuit to the federal court in Arizona shortly after it was filed, claiming that the allegations by Green involved issues of federal copyright law.

Green and his wife, through their counsel, Hartley Bernstein, disagreed, arguing that the claims against WWE and Big Show centered on the injuries suffered by Green as a result of the assault, and the mental harm, humiliation and emotional injury he suffered when the video was placed on the Internet. In rejecting WWE’s efforts to move the case into federal court, Judge Snow held that the rights Green (and his wife) are struggling to protect are “freedom from ridicule and emotional distress,” which are “{qualitatively different from copyright rights.”

He went on to explain that “this additional element of emotional harm, due not to unauthorized use but widespread humiliation, changes the nature of the action from a copyright claim to a separate state-law tort claim.”

The Greens are represented by Hartley Bernstein of the New York law firm, Bernstein Cherney LLP and George Mueller of the Mueller Law Group, P.A. in Phoenix Arizona.

* Early WRESTLEMANIA Plans For Cena, Bryan, Punk, Lesnar & … Hulk Hogan?

CM Punk Injury Update, First Look At The Shield In WWE 2K14

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– As noted earlier, WWE.com reported that CM Punk was injured on RAW, suffering “multiple bruises and scrapes” on his back after Ryback slammed him through a table.

Punk was fine after the table bump, however, he continues to work through several nagging injuries. Punk’s knee was taped on RAW and he’s also dealing with a sore elbow and ankle.

– Here’s a first look at The Shield in the new WWE 2K14 video game, which hits stores on October 30th:

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(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

AJ Comments On Her Confrontation With Stephanie, RAW Backstage Fallout & More

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– WWE Executive Stephanie McMahon Levesque turns 37 years old today.

– Speaking of Stephanie, AJ Lee tweeted the following about their confrontation on Monday’s RAW, where Stephanie “got in her personal space:”

“When Boss Lady talked about finding love then moved in close to my face, I thought that entry in my dream journal was about to come true.”

– Here is the latest WWE Backstage Fallout video from Monday’s RAW:

“World Champion Alberto Del Rio addresses his attack on Rob Van Dam and The Bella Twins discuss being strong Divas in addition to their uncomfortable interaction with Randy Orton, all on this edition of Backstage Fallout.”

Los Matadores’ First Feud & Video Of Their Promo Hyping Next Week’s Debut

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– WWE aired a promo on last night’s RAW hyping that the new Los Matadores’ tag team will be debuting next week.

Los Matadores’ first feud will be with against Zeb Colter’s Real Americans, Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro. Colter tweeted the following after it was revealed Los Matadores will be at next week’s show:

“@WWELosMatadores coming to #RAW. WTH? @AntonioCesaro @RealJackSwagger…we’ll be watching. Idiotas¡¡¡”

Here’s the video hyping their debut:

Former Diva Backstage At RAW (Pic), Who Was Left Out Of WWE 2K14

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– With 2K Sports announcing the complete WWE 2K14 roster on Monday night, here are several of the WWE television regulars who are not included in the game:

  • Rob Van Dam
  • Fandango
  • The Wyatt Family
  • The Uso’s
  • Curtis Axel
  • The Bella Twins

Among the WWE legends not included in the “30 Years of WrestleMania” mode, Roddy Piper stands out as one of the top names not featured in the game. WWE was reportedly hoping to feature the WrestleMania 1 main event in the game, Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorf. 2K Sports reached out to Mr. T, but they could not reach an agreement, so WWE decided to scrap the match.

It’s still possible that Roddy Piper and the other main roster stars not included in the game will be released as downloadable content at a later time.

– Former WWE Diva Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria, Tara in TNA) was backstage at Monday’s WWE RAW from her home town of Chicago. She tweeted the following photo of herself with Paul Heyman and Layla:

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* JOHN CENA To Be Out Longer Than Expected & Plans for CODY RHODES & GOLDUST

WWE Says Punk & Miz Were Injured On RAW, Orton vs Miz On SmackDown

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WWE.com reports that both CM Punk and The Miz were injured at Monday’s RAW from Chicago.

The story notes that Miz suffered some bruising around the jawbone after getting hit by Big Show’s knockout punch.

WWE Dr. Chris Amann also said that CM Punk suffered “multiple bruises and scrapes” on his back after Ryback slammed him through a table. The storyline-driven article says Punk was advised to get additional treatment and X-rays, but he refused.

– In addition to Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler, WWE is now advertising Randy Orton vs. The Miz for Friday’s SmackDown.

Historic Wrestling Venue Getting Big Upgrade, New CM Punk T-Shirts & More

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– Long Island, New York’s Nassau Coliseum will be undergoing a $220 million renovation. There has been talk over the past few years of the arena being demolished, but local legislature voted on upgrading the historic venue. The Nassau Coliseum has hosted countless classic wrestling shows over the years, including WrestleMania 2, the first Saturday Night’s Main Event and SummerSlam 2002 (Brock Lesnar defeating The Rock to become the youngest WWE Champion ever, at the time).

– The National Diversity Council has named WWE’S Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Development, Jane Geddes as a recipient of its “2013 Most Powerful and Influential Women Awards.”

– WWE has released a pair of new CM Punk t-shirts. The first is a “Best Since Day 1” shirt, with an image of CM Punk’s taped fist holding arrows. (Buy Here)

The second is special edition “Crimson X” t-shirt, with a drawing CM Punk’s taped fists on the front and “Best in the World on the back.” (Buy Here)

Triple H: “Thy Kingdom Come” DVD/Blu-Ray (Buy Here)

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WWE released the new “Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come” DVD/Blu-Ray set today. WWEShop has them on sale here:

Detailed Post-RAW Notes Involving CM Punk Battling With Heyman/Ryback/Axel

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Following the televised portion of Monday’s WWE RAW show from Chicago, Illinois, the hometown boy CM Punk came out and did the “Yes!” chant to Daniel Bryan and patted him off. Afterward, Punk cut a promo about how he felt like garbage, but that he was still here and still wanted to fight. He challenged anyone to come out to take a Chicago-beatdown from him.

Paul Heyman, Ryback and Curtis Axel all came down and surrounding the ring. Jerry “The King” Lawler then assisted Punk by handing him a kendo stick. Punk beat up Ryback and Axel with the kendo stick and then held Heyman down with his foot. He managed to blast Heyman with two shots to the back with the kendo stick before Ryback and Axel came to his rescue.

Ryback went to throw Axel into Punk in the corner of the ring, but missed, and Axel went flying out to the floor. Punk kicked Ryback down to the mat and then grabbed a steel chair. Punk hit Ryback with two hard chair-shots to the back before Ryback fled the scene.

After that, Punk set his sights on Axel. He threw Axel into the ringside barricade. The crowd then began chanting for Punk to hit Axel with his GTS finishing move. Punk blasted Axel with a steel chair and then played to the crowd before ultimately hitting him with the GTS spot that they so badly craved.

Additionally, a fan threw Punk a Chicago White Sox hoodie. Punk made a frown-face, shook his head, and threw it back. Another fan threw Punk a Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews jersey, which he accepted.

LIVE SD! *SPOILERS* Tonight + Ken Anderson Is DONE w/ TNA – Will He Go To WWE? [>>]