– WWE stock took a big hit today, falling 6% to $14.39. The stock opened the day at $15.47, which was the 52-week high.
– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans to vote 2013’s Rookie of the Year. Here are the current results, with over 9,000 votes cast:
– Here’s the latest “After Total Divas” video:
Alicia Fox and Renee Young break down all the action from this week’s episode of “Total Divas”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
If He’ll Be At Tonight’s RAW From Oklahoma: “Been asked a great many times if I was going to be on or at RAW in OKC tonight and the answer is no but I will be watching from our home in Norman, Oklahoma. I hope WWE has great success in my home state and RAW, especially, gets a much needed ‘win.'”
Hulk Hogan At WrestleMania: “Another frequently asked topic concerns the potential of Hulk Hogan at WM30. I brought this up several weeks ago when his TNA contract expired as feel that Hulk could add to WM30 if strategically utilized and that doesn’t mean in a wrestling match. That would not be an option for me but there are endless, creative ways in which to use one of WWE’s all time biggest stars at their biggest event of the year and most earmarked WrestleMania since WM20.”
WWE Title Unification: “If the WWE and World Title are unified prior to WM30, apparently that is what is going to happen at the TLC PPV, then the biggest match currently, on paper at least for me at WM30 would be the Undisputed Champion vs. The Undertaker in a Title vs. The Streak match. Perhaps something else will get hot between now and April but as of today, unless more alums are brought back meaningfully, that seems to be the best main event available on the current roster.”
“There are many ways for one to book WM30 that doesn’t include that idea especially if one knows all the available parts for New Orleans and the creative trigger is pulled to begin the process to build ample anticipation for an event that cannot be just a luke warm success.”
“I’d strongly suggest that the absolute unification of the two, major titles in WWE happen at WM30 especially if the unified title is to mean all it can mean.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross will be doing a series of one-man shows in 2014, dubbed “Jim Ross: RINGSIDE!” – with the first 2 shows officially announced.
Jim Ross’ first two shows will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from the Gramercy Theater in New York City, which holds approximately 500 people.
There will be a 4pm show and an 8pm show. General admission tickets will cost $27.50 and there will be a VIP meet and greet event taking place before each show.
Ticket information will be released by Live Nation later today – and tickets will go on sale later this week.
We’ll post additional information regarding the next round of shows when it becomes available.
– The following are some figures from some of the latest WWE Studios projects:
“The Marine: Homefront” sold $2,570,365 worth of DVD units and $730,820 in Blu-ray units since March.
“12 Rounds: Reloaded” sold $919,421 worth of DVD units and $584,831 in Blu-ray units since June.
“The Call” sold $8,513,782 worth of DVD units and $3,142,841 in Blu-ray units from June 30th through August 4th.
“Dead Man Down” sold $3,418,711 worth of DVD units and $1,824,178 in Blu-ray units from July 14th through August 4th.
– WWE released the latest edition of “After Total Divas” for this week, which you can check out below:
– WWE also released the following video preview for next week’s edition of Total Divas:
– WWE Hall Of Famer Gerald Brisco was scouting talent at a wrestling show that featured several mixed-martial-arts fighters in Madison Square Garden this past weekend.
– As seen on WWE Total Divas on Sunday night, WWE Diva Cameron is working on her music career. Cameron revealed the artwork for her first single “Bye Bye,” which is scheduled to be released on iTunes. Cameron tweeted the following:
So you got to hear a sneak peek of my song called “bye bye”. Stay tune for my single/album coming soon #ByeBye pic.twitter.com/nBc10zJECL
— Ariane Andrew (@WWECameron) December 2, 2013
A video has surfaced online of WWE Hall Of Famer Tony Atlas indulging his foot fetish with former WWE Diva Jillian Hall. You can check out the clip below:
http://youtu.be/b18FNt3SWzU
Davey Richards recently released the following statement to the wrestling media regarding rumors of his current issues with Ring Of Honor.
“I guess I could be pretty upset about ROH pulling my farewell match.
A company I’ve given literally everything in my body for time and time again, driven crazy amounts of hours to save the company money on flights, worked for reduced payoffs when the houses were down, etc.
It’s wild man, it’s such a different place now than when I started- not saying better of worse- just different.
So here we are- at the end of the road. I gotta be honest- though it’s pretty crappy to me and the fans to not get a farewell match I really can’t be anything but thankful for my time spent in that ring.
Truth is, ROH fans have been the only family I’ve had for the past 6 years.
What you saw is what you got with me. For better or for worse I bore my soul to you all. You All were there during the worst days when my grandparents died unexpectantly, my divorce, my home being taken. You didn’t even know it but you all saved me. That ring was my therapy.
Sometimes people have good days, sometimes very bad ones, sometimes they do things they’re very proud of, sometime they make mistakes and do things they’re regretful of. No one’s perfect and I’ve been though all of those moments right in front of the ROH fanbase.
I recovered, grew, learned, matured in that ring. I want so bad to kiss it goodbye bc it was the only familiar thing I knew for so long.
But I can walk away. I’m ok. If for no other reason that I know is from day one to my last match I gave you all 100% of everything I had in my body and heart. You always hear people say, ” leave it all in the ring”. Well I can honestly say I did that. So in that I have closure.
Whether you like me or hate me I’ve always been honest ( often times perhaps too honest). But that’s me. I don’t believe in lying to people I consider family- and like it or not I considered y’all family.
ROH wanted to tell you all I was injured for Final Battle. Yes my neck is banged up, but I could have been there and wrestled by then. I didn’t want y’all being fed lies so I took the Initiative to tell you the truth.
I don’t wanna slander anyone or speak badly of anyone.
Instead of thinking about this situation I’d rather think that I got to see one of my best friends go from an illegal immigrant barely getting on a preshow to a main eventer, I got to see a guy everyone wondered why I chose to tag with become far better than ill ever be, I got to share the ring with the guys I looked up to starting out, I got to see the new crop of amazing athletes come into they’re own.
I got to find a reason to live when I had none.
You all gave me so many good time and great memories ( hello Colt:) ) that I can only hope I gave you all some.
There was an aura, a surreal felling that company once had that I hope they find again.
ROH is about heart. I hope they find theirs again.
Please continue to watch them, support them, go to the shows bc the guys in that locker room and in that ring have more desire, heart, and dedication than can be measured.
Thank you all for everything, hope to see you all somewhere else down the road. But if not, you all meant the world me and I am forever in debt.
Wesley Richards”
In Demand recently released the promotional poster for the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The poster is accompanied by the following description, which is pretty interesting when considering the upcoming WWE TLC pay-per-view main event stipulation:
WWE: Royal Rumble
PPV Premiere: Sunday, January 26, 2014
Don’t miss John Cena, CM Punk, The Shield, and all your favorite WWE Superstars as they compete for the right to face the WWE or World Heavyweight Champion in the ultimate battle at WWE Royal Rumble, Sunday, January 26, at 8PMET/5PMPT.
It should be noted that this could always be a case of dated promotional materials, however many are speculating that when the WWE TLC pay-per-view concludes in two weeks, there will still be a WWE and a World Heavyweight Champion.
This week on Because Wrestling, it’s time for our Survivor Series recap!
– WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and his wife Sharmell Sullivan were at the Houston Texas vs. New England Patriots NFL game on Sunday.
– Speaking of Booker T, his former “Harlem Heat” tag-team partner Stevie Ray is scheduled to join him at the Reality Of Wrestling event in Houston, Texas on December 14th. Also scheduled for the event, which is being dubbed “Christmas Chaos VIII,” is former WWE Superstar The Boogeyman.
– WWE Hall Of Famers Jim Ross and Gerald Brisco were at the Oklahoma State vs. University of Oklahoma wrestling match in Norman, Oklahoma on Sunday. Also in attendance, serving as a guest coach for the Sooners, was wrestling legend Danny Hodge.
The following are highlights from a recent WOIO-TV CBS-19 Cleveland interview with WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler:
On the most underutilized Superstar in WWE: “Tyson Kidd, Heath Slater, Alex Riley I’m a big fan of his work. There’s a million guys that don’t always get the spotlight… I’ve worked 100 jobs in my life and I’ve never been with more hard working people that aren’t just in it for themselves, they’re in it for the fans and for the respect of their peers. There’s one or two probably that got under my radar that aren’t the hardest workers in the world, everybody else wants what’s best for the company. They want what’s best for themselves. We’re there to help the company and there’s so many other names on that list, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder those guys that have been fans since they were 5-years old.”
On Nicky of The Spirit Squad or Kerwin White’s caddy was a better gimmick: “It depends, because they both kinda sucked. Let’s see, which one was more heartbreaking to hear about? Actually, the Kerwin White caddy thing was pretty cool… you’re going off with Chavo Guerrero, this name that’s synonymous with awesome history for years. We don’t have too many Attitude era guys that are still around, or before that, who can take people under their wing, and I got that chance. That was amazing. But also in the Spirit Squad, losing every night – which is kinda my thing anyway – but sharing the spotlight with 5 guys… I had a blast with those guys by the way, working with DX, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, everybody you could possibly name and we had a blast. So both ended up being pretty cool.”
On his diet and workout routines: “I would say 70% of the time I eat moderately healthy and 30% of the time I eat whatever the hell I want because I work out so hard. Because I know that every Monday, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday I have to be in a pair of underwear trying not only to be in OK shape, but I want the boss to say ‘that guy can be my champion’, so I have to look like a million bucks every single day…. Every morning no matter what, six days a week if not seven I force myself up and on that treadmill or elliptical and get your body going… Eat and enjoy yourself, we’ve got too many nerdy people who are weighing turkey slices. Get out of here, you know what’s good and you know what’s bad. Eat what you like and be moderately healthy but go kill it in the gym.”
As reported recently, WWE’s newly released History of WWE DVD and Blu-ray features a peculiar edit as the historic WrestleMania III match pitting Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant is strictly shown from a singular camera angle (there is also no commentary present in the match). According to WrestlingDVDNews.com, there is a “major reason” for this oddity.
The website, which receives firsthand and leaked news from sources within WWE concerning video releases, is claiming that according to a “reliable source,” the bout is being shown from the “hard cam” point of view due to the presence of former ring announcer and behind-the-scenes worker Mel Phillips in the background.
For those unaware, Phillips was exposed as a pedophile who frequently took advantage of underage males he supervised setting up rings at live events, who came from broken homes and troubled backgrounds. Tom Cole, who worked for WWE as a ring attendant in the 1980s and 1990s when he was underage through young adulthood, hurled charges against his former employer that resulted in the resignation of three longtime employees and helped fuel a sex scandal that plagued the company for years. He went public in 1992 with claims that wrestler-turned-front-office employee Terry Garvin attempted to seduce him two years earlier when he was nineteen and that he had been sexually harassed at the age of thirteen by Phillips. WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart claimed in his 2007 autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, that both Garvin and Phillips, as well as Pat Patterson, resigned in March of that year, “as a result of the allegations of sexual conduct.” Only Patterson was ever re-hired.
Stating the following as a rumor, the website is claiming that one alleged victim of Phillips continues to watch WWE programming today and says he suffers “flashbacks” when seeing his face again in old footage. It is said that this individual has threatened a lawsuit against WWE if Phillips isn’t removed from future presentations of old footage. Phillips, who appeared as a ring attendant at WrestleMania III, sat ringside during the Hogan vs. Andre match and can been seen on camera during the original airing. It was suggested to the website that WWE opted to feature the match from the “hard cam” so that Philips is not visible.
Cole addressed his past as recently as 2011 in an interview with Mike Mooneyham of The Post and Courier, where he recalled Phillips having an unhealthy fascination with his feet.
“When you’re twelve or thirteen-years-old and you think this guy is wrestling with you, and then he grabs your foot, maybe part of you doesn’t want to believe it or part of you wants to block it out,” Cole said. “I just didn’t have an answer for it. Who would have told you at that age that some guy wants to play with your feet?”
Cole also noted of Phillips in this interview with Wrestling Perspective, “When you started getting older, he started calling less. Once that happened, he started calling less, but I still went to the shows at [Madison Square Garden]. I’d just show up. But he was like trying to get rid of you. He liked the younger kids who couldn’t give him a problem about it or didn’t realize that there was something wrong with it.”
In the interview with Mooneyham, Cole also discussed declining Garvin’s sexual advances, as he recalled spending a night freezing in a van after doing so. “Listen Terry, I came from nothing and I can go back to having nothing,” Cole recalled telling Garvin. “If this is what this job entails, then I don’t necessarily need the job. And I didn’t have the job after that.”
Garvin died in 1998, while the whereabouts of Phillips are currently publicly unknown. Phillips was in the news as recently as 2008 as it was reported on some websites that Hulk Hogan’s former WWF Championship belt, which Mr. Perfect destroyed on a 1989 episode of Saturday’s Night Main Event, was being auctioned off on eBay due to a Phillips estate sale.
As previously reported, Davey Richards will no longer be appearing at the Ring Of Honor “Final Battle” event on December 14th at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Richards confirmed this news in a statement he released this weekend, where he also revealed that as of right now he is officially done with ROH for good. Richards wrote:
“With a heavy heart I can announce I announce that myself and ROH have parted ways for good and I will not be at Final Battle. Please continue to support them and the incredible talent they have. Thanks for the memories. It was an amazing ride.”
Apparently Richards was let go from ROH and removed from his final scheduled booking with the company at the 12/14 event in NYC due to some comments he made in a recent Total Wrestling Magazine interview in the United Kingdom. Richards talked bad about the importance of the ROH titles and the iPPV issues ROH has been having not being his concern.
Richards reportedly made a point to apologize to the guys in ROH in the locker room at a recent show, and noted that the aforementioned magazine comments were taken out of context.
[Credit: F4WOnline.com]
According to various reports, former NWA Champion Adam Pearce is scheduled to appear at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida this coming week to serve as a special guest trainer.
Pearce spoke about the gig in a recent message posted on his official Twitter account. Pearce tweeted:
SAN-ORL. The next chapter begins. #Thankful
— Adam Pearce (@ScrapDaddyAP) December 1, 2013
– WWE NXT Champion Bo Dallas is scheduled to defend his title against Adrian Neville at the WWE NXT live event on December 5th in Tampa, Florida.
– The Kentucky.com website has an article up promoting Mick Foley’s upcoming one man show at The Mall in Lexington Green on December 4th. You can check that article out online at Kentucky.com.
– WWE has added a nearly four-minute clip on YouTube from the latest Michael Cole and Triple H interview from WWE.com. The clip focuses on Triple H revealing that he wants there to be one undisputed champion in WWE. You can watch the clip below:
– WWE RAW will be facing tougher competition than usual on Monday night as they go head-to-head with one of the most talked about Monday Night Football games of the season when the New Orleans Saints battle the Seattle Seahawks.
– WWE is attempting to get their fans to vote for Halle Berry for the “Best Dramatic Actress” in the People’s Choice Awards. Berry starred in the WWE Films movie “The Call.” Fans interested in voting for her can do so online at PeoplesChoice.com.
Classics On Demand, WWE’s subscription video on demand television service featuring the company’s vast archive of footage, will indeed cease on January 31, 2014, as had been previously reported. The official Twitter feed of WWE Classics made the following announcement on Sunday.
January 31, 2014 will be the last day of WWE Classics On Demand service. Please visit http://t.co/N4UBIoMn4N for more information.
— WWE Classics (@WWEClassics) December 1, 2013
While a spokesperson for WWE had recently confirmed the conclusion of the service to various media outlets (in response to news of multiple cable providers informing subscribers that the service was ending in 2014), this is the sports-entertainment organization’s first official announcement.
In the message to the media, the WWE spokesperson stated, “Beginning February 2014, WWE will no longer offer WWE Classics On Demand, our subscription video-on demand content delivered through cable television providers, as we are focusing our resources on other initiatives. As communicated on our recent earnings call, we continue to aggressively pursue launching a WWE Network; however, no launch date has been set.”
WWE Classics on Demand will not reach its tenth anniversary; it was launched on November 2, 2004, originally as WWE 24/7 On Demand.
– As recently announced, Raw and SmackDown tapings are slated to take place at The O2 Arena in London, England next May. Advertising for the event in an area publication, however, features two errors, as John Cena is being promoted as Ryback while CM Punk is labeled as Alberto Del Rio.
– The official WWE website has issued a poll asking fans who is the most talented “Total Diva.” With over 2,000 votes cast thus far, Natalya is winning the poll at 41%. She is currently trailed by Brie Bella (17%), Nikki Bella (16%), Naomi (9%), JoJo (7%), Eva Marie (6%) and Cameron (4%).
– Former WWE Diva Trinity turns 42-years-old on Sunday. Now a stuntwoman and roller derby player, she came out of retirement for one night only in the spring for TNA Wrestling.
With “Black Friday” in the books, Austin Aries, Ethan Carter III and Mr. Anderson weigh in on the annual event in these “#IMPACT365” videos. Aries and EC3 are especially critical of “Black Friday.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxtBZ0pL2RY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3muhRT9hIlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXJtCiV-AtY
– WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper released an update on the status of WWE Legends’ House, a reality show produced by WWE starring the legendary wrestler, as well as “Mean” Gene Okerlund, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Jimmy Hart, Hillbilly Jim, Pat Patterson, Tony Atlas and Howard Finkel.
Production for the show began in January 2012, with ten episodes shot in Palm Springs, California over a 21-week period, including post-production. The show began filming in early February at the former house of Harpo Marx. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has repeatedly stated that the show will likely wind up on the WWE Network after Syfy executives declined to pick it up.
– Here is the official synopsis for tonight’s episode of Total Divas airing at 10/9 CT on E!: “Get That Chingle Chingle: Ariane pushes Vincent to try out for the WWE; John Cena’s house doesn’t quite feel like home yet to Nikki; and Trinity’s relationship with Jon is affected when her dad arrives for an extended stay.”
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston and Kaitlyn have joined Instagram.
– WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels is appearing at the Autorama at the George R Brown Convention Center 1001 Avenida De Las Americas Houston, Texas, today from noon to 3:00 p.m.
– Actor Paul Walker, best known for his roles in the Fast and the Furious action movies, died on Saturday in a car crash in Southern California, his publicist announced. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson commented on his co-star’s passing.
“All my strength, love & faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time,” Johnson wrote on Twitter. “We find our strength.. in his light. Love you brother.”
The latest installment of the movie franchise, Fast & Furious 7, was recently filmed in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The movie is scheduled for release next year with Walker involved.
– In honor of The Miz’s new ABC Family movie Christmas Bounty, 30 Second Fury takes a look at his devastating finishing manuever, The Skull Crushing Finale.
– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is scheduled to appear at two events in Indiana on Sunday. At 11:00 a.m., he will be participating in an autograph signing in Cincinnati at the Moeller High School Thanksgiving show and at 8:00 p.m., he will be holding a comedy show at the Laughter House in Muncie.
– Former top Ring Of Honor star Davey Richards recently posted the following message on his official Facebook page:
“With a heavy heart I can announce I announce that myself and ROH have parted ways for good and I will not be at Final Battle. Please continue to support them and the incredible talent they have. Thanks for the memories. It was an amazing ride.”
– The official TNA Twitter account posted the following tweet, which includes a link to video footage of TNA Knockouts Gail Kim and Christy Hemme doing a lower-body workout for Muscle & Fitness Hers:
Christy Hemme and Gail Kim New Lower Body Workout Video for Muscle and Fitness Hers http://t.co/PvV0pzkbTn
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 1, 2013
– WWE RAW is scheduled to return to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on February 10th. Before that show, WWE will be running events in Oakland, California on February 7th and San Jose, California on February 8th.
– WWE Superstars Big Show, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio are being advertised to work at the December 30th WWE live event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the live RAW on the same night (December 30th) in Richmond, Virginia. WWE Superstar John Cena is also being advertised for the WWE live event in Toronto on December 30th, so if those advertisements are true, he will not be appearing on RAW that night in Richmond.
[Credit: F4WOnline.com]