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NXT Star Getting Called Up Soon, Backstage Issues With WWE’s False Advertising

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– According to sources within WWE, Alexander Rusev, who is currently being pushed as a monster in NXT and is currently paired with NXT Diva Lana, is considered a lock for a spot on the main WWE roster in the near future.

– There is said to be a lot of distress within WWE regarding recent scheduling conflicts and advertising issues on the current WWE European tour that has resulted in many talents being advertised to appear in one city, when they are actually booked to work in a different city.

  • CM Punk Makes Fun Of Roman Reigns In Front Of WWE Fans (VIDEO)

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Michaels Discusses Being A Drug Addict While Holding WWE Gold, MLB Awards Players WWE-Style Belts

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    – While speaking before 500 middle school and high school students at North Way Christian Community in Pine, Pennsylvania, Shawn Michaels admitted to being a drug addict while reigning as WWE Champion in 1996.

    Then 30-years-old, his former girlfriend (who briefly became his wife two years later) often had to pick him up in the shower when he fell and drag him to bed from the sofa so she wouldn’t have to sleep alone.

    “I was doing everything I could to kill myself except put a loaded weapon in my hand,” Michaels said.

    Michaels’ issues with substance abuse continued for years, and as stated in his 2005 autobiography, Heartbreak & Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story, he became drug free in 2002 after his 2-year-old son struggled to wake him up following a binge on painkillers. To read the full article, click here.

    – To honor Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, the official Twitter account of Major League Baseball has released images of WWE-style belts given to the standout pitchers. WWE re-tweeted the image of Kershaw’s belt.

    This follows the National Football League’s Washington Redskins selling a WWE-style belt through their online store.

    WWE Star Dating Former TNA Knockout Set To Retire?, Tensai Celebrates Birthday

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    – Current WWE NXT wrestler Mickey Keegan may be done with the company. Keegan has been out of action for a lengthy period of time with a bad neck injury. He had an MRI done recently that showed a narrowing of his spinal column, often referred to as spinal stenosis. The current impression many in the company have is that the WWE doctor’s will not be clearing him to wrestle.

    Keegan has been dating former TNA Knockout Roxxi, who herself recently announced her retirement from the pro wrestling business.

    – WWE Superstar Tensai celebrates his 41st birthday today. Tensai was born on November 14, 1972. Another wrestling birthday today is former WCW wrestler and Mexican wrestling legend La Parka, who turns 48.

  • Proof That Another Top WWE Star & WWE Diva Are Dating (PHOTOS)

    [Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • WWE To Re-Sign Famous Actor’s Son?, Another WrestleMania XXX Pre-Sale Code

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    – WWE Diva Summer Rae recently revealed an additional WrestleMania XXX pre-sale code on Instagram. That code is GRAM30. As we previously reported, the other codes for Thursday’s online WrestleMania XXX pre-sale are SAINTS, WWEVIP and WM30TW.

    – As reported during the summer, WWE released Jody Kristofferson, the son of actor Kris Kristofferson, from his developmental deal with the company. According to reports, Jody was overheard telling fans at the recent Roland Alexander Memorial Show this past weekend that he expects to be back working for WWE in early 2014. Kristofferson used the name Garrett Dylan while working in the WWE NXT developmental system.

  • Current WWE Diva Changes Her Look — Guess Who!! (PHOTO)

    [Partial Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Backstage Update On Recent WWE Firings, Major Executive Changes In WWE

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    As previously reported, WWE made some drastic changes to the executive staff at WWE Headquarters last week. These changes resulted in the release of Peter Leone and Randy Helms, both of which were Triple H’s top assistants. Nobody seems to know why they were released, especially in the case of Leone, who was Triple H’s top confidante in the company.

    Leone was Triple H’s right-hand-man, to the point that he was almost always on the telephone with him if he wasn’t traveling with him and working with him directly. Leone was responsible for organizing all of Triple H’s travel arrangements, including scheduling his business meetings and handling security.

    The other top executive who was released, Randy Helms, was mainly responsible for coordinating the schedules for both Triple H and Vince McMahon.

    Jane Geddes, who many WWE fans have seen in a number of appearances on the Total Divas reality show, formerly worked as the Senior Vice President and Head of Talent Relations, but is now Triple H’s new key assistant. Sean Clearly, who used to work as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, has replaced Geddes in her previous role of Senior V.P. and Head of Talent Relations.

    Apparently Clearly has virtually zero knowledge of the product, and is basically a typical clean-cut younger looking executive type that WWE likes to hire. The idea behind moving Clearly into the role is to capitalize on his general business knowledge, and have Triple H teach him his style of wrestling as he works his way into the new role.

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

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • Jimmy Hart Says Hulk Hogan Will Be At WrestleMania XXX

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    Hulk Hogan, who is currently a free agent following the expiration of his contract with TNA Wrestling last month, told friend and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart that one way or another, he will be at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans, Louisiana. During an interview with Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday to promote WWE’s upcoming History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment release, Jimmy Hart said:

    “Hogan knew I was doing this press tour with WWE promoting the DVD. He told me to say exactly this: Hulk Hogan will be at WrestleMania if he has to buy a ticket and sit at ringside.”

    Hart continued,

    “I think he can step into the ring one more time. We have a school in Florida, and he stepped into the ring there and did some stuff, and he looked great. As his friend, I’d be the first one to say, ‘Listen Hulk, do us a favor, just go out to the ring to Real American, say OK Brother, rip the shirt, do the pose, sign a bunch of autographs and people will still be just as happy,’ … but he does have a couple of good matches left in him, he really does. I’ve got my fingers crossed we see something at WrestleMania.”

    Hart also named Cena as the WWE star fans surveyed at Hogan’s Beach Shop want to see Hogan wrestle at the show.

    Hogan himself told Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate at an autograph signing last week that he “would love to be at WrestleMania XXX.”

    “I would love to have a ringside seat. But, the truth is I need a job. I quit TNA. I’ve just been hanging out on the beach. Never say never.”

    WWE In Discussions About Bringing SummerSlam PPV To London

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    There has been some internal talk within WWE recently about the possibility of taking their next SummerSlam pay-per-view to London, England.

    The company presented SummerSlam in London back in 1992, which didn’t work out as well as expected from a pay-per-view standpoint, although the live attendance was obviously through the roof.

    There is no real word at this point regarding the seriousness of the discussions, but it has been mentioned during the current WWE European tour to some people with major business connections in the European market as something being legitimately considered.

  • Current WWE Champion Gets Married (PHOTOS OF THE WEDDING)

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • John Cena Working In Tremendous Pain, WWE European Tour Attendance Figures

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    – According to WWE reports from the current European tour, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena is said to be really hurting wrestling on a nightly basis due to the fact that he returned to the ring from surgery earlier than advised. Cena was working as if he were hurting on RAW recently as well.

    – The following are some attendance figures from the current WWE European tour:

    * November 6th in Belfast, Northern Ireland drew 5,500 fans
    * November 6th in Columbia, S.C. drew 2,500 fans
    * November 7th in Dublin, Ireland drew 7,600 fans
    * November 8th in Glasgow, Scotland drew 3,700 fans
    * November 9th in Nottingham, England drew 9,000 fans
    * November 9th in Munich, Germany drew 3,500 fans
    * November 10th in Cardiff, Wales drew 4,200 fans
    * November 10th in Glasgow, Scotland drew 4,200 fans
    * November 12th in Newcastle, England drew 8,000 fans

  • Another Top WWE Superstar Injured, Photo Proof Surfaces Online

    [Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]

  • William Regal Talks About The Future Of WWE, Survivor Series Theme

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    – WWE pushed an article earlier this week featuring several top superstars, as well as Triple H, talking about their respect for William Regal. They have now published an interview with the man himself. Here’s what William Regal said about the future of the business:

    “WWE NXT is something incredible and special. It’s just great to see the fellows get there and work hard and do everything that they’ve got to do. You get to see them flourish. When it gets down to brass tacks, the same people who are making it now, if they had been around in my generation, would have made it just the same.”

    “I’m not one of those guys that goes knocking everything and everybody saying, ‘Back in my day … ” I can safely say at this point in my career that I’ve done as much, if not more, than anybody in this job. But there’s nothing I hate worse than all that nonsense. The ones who make it now; they earn it. They all earn their spots. They all work hard, they all create. They all have to be really good at this. You could coast through this a few years ago by just looking a certain way or genetics, but not anymore. You look in that ring now and these fellows can all go, and go as good as anyone.”

    – The official theme song for WWE Survivor Series is “How I Feel” by Flo Rida. WWE has publishd the following video of past Survivor Series highlights featuring the song:

    R-Truth On Not Aging & Little Jimmy’s Whereabouts, Piers Morgan Tweets About Missing WWE UK Tour

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    – Speaking to WWE Magazine, R-Truth answered questions on his favorite pay-per-view event, the whereabouts of Little Jimmy, and whether it’s harder to move around as he gets older.

    R-Truth, who turns 42-years-old in January, says he’s in excellent shape. “It all comes naturally to me, and it’s almost like muscle memory when I’m out there now. In a way, it’s easier than before. I’m in as great a shape as I’ve always been, and now, I’ve got the experience to back it up,” said R-Truth.

    R-Truth’s showdown with John Cena at Capitol Punishment ranks as his favorite pay-per-view event to participate in. Regarding the event, he said, “It felt like it was my show. I was up against John Cena for the WWE Title so it was one of the biggest moments of my career. All eyes were finally on me and I made sure to give the audience something worth watching.”

    On the whereabouts of Little Jimmy, which was the brainchild of WWE head Vince McMahon, R-Truth states, “Man, that kid’s back with his mom! I needed a break from him, we weren’t getting along too well. Good riddance if you ask me!”

    – Piers Morgan, host of CNN’s highly-rated Piers Morgan Live, posted a message on Twitter relaying his disappointment in missing WWE’s ongoing tour of the United Kingdom.

    WWE Issues Statement About Dolphins1925, Michael Cole Interviews Kane

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    – WWE has issued a statement regarding Reddit user Dolphins1925, who has been posting his monthly WWE pay-per-view predictions with astonishing accuracy. Mathew Altman, WWE’s Director of Communications, told Motley Fool this week:

    “WWE believes in First Amendment rights, so anyone has the right to predict outcomes.”

    The article also notes that WWE has made “no attempt” to discover the identity of Dolphins1925, which seems highly unlikely.

    – WWE’s new Director of Operations Kane stood in for Triple H this week for the weekly WWE.com interview with Michael Cole.

    WWE Makes Changes To Wellness Policy: How Talent Can Remove Past Violations

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    WWE has issued some new provisions to the company’s Wellness Policy, including details on how a talent can remove one of their violations if he/she has two previous violations and is in danger of being terminatated following a third violation:

    A WWE Talent may request a Therapeutic Use Exception (“TUE”) for a prohibited drug under the Policy if (i) such use is for a legitimate medical purpose given pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed and treating physician of the WWE Talent; (ii) the use of such prohibited drug is required for more than sixty (60) consecutive days; (iii) the medical need for the prescription and for the prescribed dosage is documented in accordance with standards and practices commonly accepted within the United States medical community; and (iv) the medical need is confirmed by the Medical Director. A WWE Talent in need of a TUE must immediately notify, or cause his/her issuing physician to notify, the Medical Director of the existence of a prescription for a prohibited drug and the medical need for the TUE. Whenever requested to do so by the Medical Director, the WWE Talent shall provide, or cause his/her issuing physician to provide any and all documentation supporting the issuance of the prescription. If requested by the Medical Director, a WWE talent will be examined by physicians/consultants designated by the Medical Director with an expertise in the specific area covered by the prescription. Following the review of all documentation provided by WWE Talent and his/her medical team and, if necessary, the results of any medical exams/tests performed by physicians/consultants designated by the Medical Director, the Medical Director shall make a determination as to whether or not a TUE should be granted to a WWE Talent. The Medical Director shall report his determination to the WWE Talent, the PA and WWE.

    A TUE shall be effective for no more than one (1) calendar year (or the remainder of the calendar year then in effect) from the date the WWE Talent first notified, or caused his/her issuing physician to first notify, the Medical Director of the need for a TUE and the existence of a prescription for a prohibited drug. The TUE shall not be effective for any use or possession of a prohibited drug prior to that date. After initial issuance, a TUE may be renewed annually, upon request of the WWE Talent, if (i) the WWE Talent is in full compliance with the terms of the previously issued TUE; (ii) the WWE Talent provides updated medical documentation necessary to support the continued need for a TUE, and (iii) the WWE Talent submits to any additional medical tests or exams required by the Medical Director to confirm the continuing need for the TUE.

    A urine sample which is found to contain a prohibited drug will not be deemed a positive test result if such sample was provided by a WWE Talent with a valid and effective TUE for that prohibited drug. A WWE Talent with a TUE for a prohibited drug does not violate the Policy by possessing or using that prohibited drug.

    A WWE Talent who is determined not to qualify for a TUE may not challenge a determination that he/she violated the Policy by contending, in connection with a “no fault or negligence” defense or otherwise, that he/she believed he/she would qualify or had qualified for a TUE.

    – Any WWE Talent, who is arrested, convicted or who admits to a violation of law relating to use, possession, purchase, sale or distribution of drugs will be in material breach of his/her contract with WWE and subject to immediate dismissal.

    – In the event of a positive test for alcohol, the WWE Talent shall be fined Two Thousand Five Hundred US Dollars ($2,500.00) per positive test, which shall be deducted from the WWE Talent’s downside guarantee.

    – A WWE talent who has “two” violations under the Policy may, subject to Medical Director approval, enter the Redemption Program. The Redemption Program is an eighteen (18) month process that requires the following:

    An initial assessment conducted by the Medical Director (or, as the case may be, an addiction specialist recommended by the Medical Director) who will analyze the addiction related issues and health related concerns then being experienced by the WWE Talent, develop proposed treatments, therapies and/or support programs that may assist the WWE Talent in managing these issues/concerns and determine initial entry date for the WWE Talent into the Redemption Program; Compliance with the assessment recommendations made by the Medical Director (or, as the case may be, an addiction specialist recommended by the Medical Director) for the duration of the eighteen (18) month program; Mandatory unannounced follow-up testing as set forth in Section 8(C) (1) of the Policy; and No violations under the Policy for eighteen (18) consecutive months after initial entry into the Redemption Program.

    Upon successful completion of the Redemption Program, the WWE Talent shall request the PA, with the approval of the Medical Director, to delete one (1) of the two (2) violations of record for such WWE Talent. In the event the PA determines in favor of the request, the violation record for such WWE Talent will then be amended to reflect the reduction of a violation leaving the WWE Talent with only one (1) violation under the Policy.

    – Pain medications, and other substances prohibited by this Policy, may be abused at times and can become addictive. A WWE Talent who believes he/she may have a problem with substance abuse is encouraged to self-report and request assistance. No penalties are imposed on WWE Talent for voluntarily acknowledging a problem to the Medical Director prior to a drug test being performed herein and WWE will assist in securing rehabilitation services in such situations. The rehabilitation process can be engaged by a WWE Talent notifying the Medical Director, the PA, WWE Ringside Physicians or the WWE Wellness Coordinator that he/she has a problem and needs assistance.

    TNA Impact Preview, X-Division Xscape Match Announced For Hardcore Justice

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    – TNA has annnounced an X-Division Xscape match for its 12/19 One Night Only TNA Hardcore Justice PPV taping from Lowell, Massachusetts. Here is the updated card for the show:

    Full Metal Mayhem Match:
    – Abyss and Eric Young vs Kazarian and Christopher Daniels

    X-Division Xscape Match:
    – Samoa Joe vs Chris Sabin vs Austin Aries

    – Here’s TNA’s offical preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:

    – The World Heavyweight Championship Tournament continues on Thursday, with Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle battling Austin Aries in a Submission Match! Which superstar will join Jeff Hardy in advancing in the tournament?

    – Also on Thursday, we’ll find out the match types for the Bobby Roode vs. James Storm and Samoa Joe vs. Magnus tournament matches when Dixie Carter spins the Wheel Of Dixie! Both tournament matches will take place at the November 21 “Turning Point” IMPACT Special on SpikeTV!

    – Backed by her juggernaut bodyguard Lei’d Tapa, TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim issued an Open Challenge this past week for any Knockout to step up and face her! Who will answer the challenge to try and knock Gail from the top spot in the division?

    – Plus, Mr. Anderson will battle Bully Ray at the November 21 “Turning Point” special, but will all hell break loose before they get there?

    *SPOILERS* For Tonight’s Episdoe of IMPACT WRESTLING

    *Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Taping Results For November 14th

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    The following are results for the Thursday, November 14th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling.

    Impact Wrestling Results (Airing on November 14)

    – The show begins with an in-ring segment with the Aces and Eights. A lot of the same stuff we’ve been hearing for a while now. They announced a match between Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson for the Turning Point edition of Impact Wrestling on November 21. The stipulation for the match is if Anderson loses, he leaves TNA. If Ray loses, the Aces and Eights must disband. Anderson said he wanted to fight a member of the Aces and Eights right now.

    – Mr. Anderson def. Knux via the Mic Check. Lots of brawling all over the place in this one, which ended when Anderson hit Knux with his finisher for the victory.

    – Ethan Carter III def. Dewey Barnes & Norv Fernum in a Handicap match.

    – Christopher Daniels def. Joseph Park. Daniels ended up getting the win after hitting Park with a low-blow and rolling him up for the 1-2-3.

    – Gail Kim def. ??? in a squash match.

    – Dixie Carter came to the ring and cut a heel promo. The crowd was all over her throughout this segment. Carter revealed that the tournament match on November 21st will be a No Disqualification match.

    – Kurt Angle def. Austin Aries in a Submission Match to advance in the TNA Tournament. Angle picked up the win with a crossface. This was reportedly a very good match.

    – Mr. Anderosn came out after the Angle-Aries match and asked the crowd if they wanted another match. He offered to piledrive Garett Bischoff on the stage. He ended up doing exactly that. Bischoff was stretchered out afterwards.

    Xplosion Results

    – Magnus def. Robbie E. with a Sharpshooter-style submission hold.

  • Huge Update On The TNA Sale + News On Hulk Hogan/WWE Negotiations
  • WWE House Show Results (11/12): Newcastle, England

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    The following are results from the WWE live event in Newcastle, England. The event was held on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

    – Kofi Kingston def. The Miz in a decent match that the crowd seemed to be into. Miz again appeared to be playing heel during the match.

    – Los Matadores def. The Real Americans in tag-team action. Lots of comedy spots throughout the match. Zeb Colter cut a heel promo before things got started.

    – Alicia Fox def. Aksana in Divas action. The match was said to be pretty awful. Apparently a loud “this is wrestling” sarcastic chant got started up during the match.

    – Santino Marella def. Fandango in a dance-off competition as voted by fans on Twitter. After winning, Santino kissed Summer Rae.

    – Big E. Langston, Goldust & Cody Rhodes def. The Shield in a six-man tag-team match. This was said to be pretty awesome and garnered a ton of reaction from the fans in Newcastle.

    –Intermission–

    – Wade Barrett def. Zack Ryder. Barrett got the win in this one with his Bull Hammer Elbow.

    – Damien Sandow def. Dolph Ziggler in a good match. Prior to the bout, Sandow cut a promo again talking about how he is the “uncrowned champion of WWE.”

    – Randy Orton def. Big Show to retain the WWE Championship in the official main event of the evening. After the match, The Shield came out and beat up Big Show until he powered up and cleaned house. Kane and Big Show also teased a showdown before Kane walked away.

  • Backstage News On WWE’s Major Plans For Roman Reigns
  • WWE Stars Remember Eddie Guerrero On The Anniversary Of His Passing

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    The following are some new tweets from current and former WWE Superstars who paid tribute on Twitter to the anniversary of the passing of WWE Hall Of Famer Eddie Guerrero:

    Kane Replaces Triple H In Latest Michael Cole Interview, Talks About His New Role

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    WWE “Director Of Operations” Kane filled in for WWE COO Triple H in the latest sit-down interview with Michael Cole on WWE.com this week.

    The focus of the interview this week was Kane’s character change from “The Big Red Monster” to a member of The Authority who now wears a suit and tie. Kane mentioned that he is still capable of unleashing “The Monster” if and when the situation calls for it.

    “Mr. Cole, there is a monster deep inside all of us. The difference is for 17 years, I chose to allow mine to run amok, to promote chaos. But, make no mistake, I was always in control,” said the WWE’s new “Director Of Operations.” Kane continued, “Unlike you and everyone else, I accept the bestial side of my nature. Indeed, I relish in it. But, it is simply one facet of my personality. A tool, if you will, but not the only tool at my disposal. So, when the appropriate situation arises, The Monster will be utilized.”

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

  • Backstage News On WWE’s Major Plans For Roman Reigns + The Shield Breaking Up?
  • Press Release: TNA Star Lands Hosting Job On ESPN

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    TNA issued the following on Wednesday:

    “IMPACT WRESTLING” Superstar MR. PEC-Tacular Set to Co-Host College Arm Wrestling Championship

    NEW YORK CITY, Nov. 13, 2013 – “IMPACT WRESTLING” Superstar and five-time CBS “Big Brother” star, Jessie Godderz, known to his fans as Mr. PEC-Tacular, has been tapped to co-host NYC Brand Production’s new co-ed College Arm Wrestling League Championship, “CAWL to Arms” which pits teams of students from rival colleges in exciting and grueling matches to determine the most powerful male and female college arm wrestlers in America. “CAWL to Arms” will air on ESPNU and ESPN2 beginning in 2014.

    According to “CAWL to Arms” creator and executive producer Rob “Bucky” Buchalter, “Mr. PEC-Tacular is the perfect choice to co-host our new College Arm Wrestling League Championship. He is the youngest two-sport professional athlete in history, and just a year after his ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ debut, Mr. PEC-Tacular and his wrestling partner Robbie E. recently won the ‘IMPACT WRESTLING World Tag Team Titles at Bound For Glory, one of wrestling’s biggest Pay-Per-View events of

    the year. Jessie’s a real rising star, and we are thrilled to have him join us as a co- host.”

    The first “CAWL to Arms” match-ups include students from Penn State versus students from Rutgers and students from University of Connecticut versus students from Syracuse University. The winning teams from those match-ups will face each other in a final Sudden Death round to determine the 2014 “CAWL To Arms” Grand Champions. The winning team members will share a $10,000 cash prize.

    Filming for the competition takes place Nov. 17-18, 2013 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. Admission to the event is free. To obtain the event schedule or register to attend, visit http://cawltoarms.com/home/invitation-to-cawl-to-arms/.

    ABOUT TNA ENTERTAINMENT, LLC:
    TNA Entertainment, LLC is a privately held sports entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee that specializes in events, products, numerous TV properties, merchandise and music, as well as, the management and promotion of professional wrestlers. The roster features such greats as Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Sting, AJ Styles, James Storm, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, the lovely and lethal Knockouts and many more through its highly successful TNA IMPACT WRESTLING weekly broadcasts on SPIKE TV. In addition, TNA produces monthly PPV events and more than 100 live shows a year. The product is the world’s most innovative experience in professional wrestling and is broadcast in more than 120 countries. For more information, please visit www.impactwrestling.com.

    About NYC BRAND PRODUCTIONS:
    NYC BRAND PRODUCTIONS, LLC is a New York-based, privately held full-service company dedicated to producing high quality, original television, Internet, video and live theatrical shows. For more information on NYC BRAND PRODUCTIONS visit http://nycbrandproductions.com. For more information on “CAWL to Arms” visit http://cawltoarms.com.

  • Former TNA Knockout Talks Lesbian Storyline + Update On The TNA Sale
  • Heyman Rumor Killer, Billy Gunn Wrestling For NXT, WWE Stars Talk Tampa Gym

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    – Despite the fact that Amazon UK currently has a listing for a Paul Heyman autobiography being released on November 30th, there is no such book.

    – A WWE NXT live event is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Tampa, Florida. The main event for the show will feature Billy Gunn and Bo Dallas teaming up to take on Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn.

    – Former WWE Superstars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ric Flair and Torrie Wilson are featured in a new Tampa Tribune story about The Boddy Shoppe Gym in Florida. You can check out the piece, which features comments from all three, at TBO.com.

  • Backstage News On Who The Next Possible “Paul Heyman Guy” In WWE Will Be
  • Former TNA Knockout Speaks On Lesbian Storyline, Her Weight Gain & More

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    The following are highlights from a recent Ring Belles Online interview with former TNA Knockout Taeler Hendrix:

    On the TNA Gut Check segment and being mad at Joey Ryan: “It was all real – that was my real reaction, and nobody told me about Joey Ryan either [who hopped the railing and demanded another Gut Check after losing the previous one]… I was really mad at him because I didn’t know that was going to happen. He was ruining my moment – I didn’t know if I was going to be signed and this could be my last moment on television.”

    On not getting direction on how to develop for a potential call-up to television: “I was told one thing, then I was told something else and something else, and Taryn Terrell was signed and I was like, ‘well, I’m here, I could have been the ref.’ At the time it was very discouraging… I didn’t know if I had to change my look or change the way I wrestled.”

    On her weight gain: “Health is more important. I would rather be beautiful and healthy. I was 108 pounds and for someone who’s 5’7”, it probably wasn’t healthy.”

    On her lesbian storyline with Heidi Lovelace in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW): “If it’s controversial, I want in. Bette Davis is my role model and would take the most controversial roles in Hollywood that they would not want women to play. She would play them and won Oscars for them. That’s what I want to do, so it wasn’t weird for me at all playing a same-sex love storyline. Plus, we were on the Christian Network and sponsored by Papa John’s which is a family company. It was very interesting to see how far we could play it and how much we could do.”

    On the origins of her heel character in OVW: “The character I portray now is emulating a girl who bullied me from elementary school. I take her and remember how I felt when she cut my hair, put gum on my feet and when I got jumped. When I decided to take this Taeler Hendrix character and run with her I drew a lot of inspiration from things like Pretty Little Liars.”

    Check out the complete interview online at RingBellesOnline.com.

  • Backstage News On WWE’s Major Future Plans For Roman Reigns
  • DDP Speaks On Status Of Jake Roberts & Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan/WrestleMania XXX

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    The following are highlights from a new Busted Open Radio interview with former WWE Superstar Diamond Dallas Page:

    On working with Scott Hall and Jake Roberts: “Jake (Roberts) and I were talking about this when Scott (Hall) was first ready to come up and we knew that Jake is going to go down and get him and have a sit down which was on DDPTV and I looked at Jake and I thought to myself: ‘Can you imagine if you and Scott both get sober in the same house in the same year’ and we started laughing and thinking: ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ I didn’t do anything and that’s honestly how I feel. All I did was supply my buddies with really a positive place that they weren’t going to be judged and I was going to get them to understand when I talk about my eating place and I’ll never use the word diet because you know what the first three letters in the word diet are.

    They don’t work, lifestyles do. I put movies in front of them like food, Inc. and genetic roulette and then they can see on how the food has been so changed that it will depress you, it will put weight on you that will drag you down emotionally and once they got that out of there system, they start to feel better and they haven’t done anything yet! (Chris) Jericho said it first and he’s really the first who put DDP Yoga on the map and the best part about it and you say: ‘Well, what kind of conditioning can I get with my DDP Yoga?’ and I said ‘How about this?’ Jericho who was completely pain free in three months and headlined WrestleMania two years ago and continues to work a few months, take a couple months off and then goes tours with Fozzy for six months like every night playing out and he is not wrestling, he is only doing one work out and he shows up at the Royal Rumble in the number two spot and wrestles for forty seven minutes and fifty three seconds, unheard of!

    But it gave my program legitimacy on a different level plus there are about sixteen guys in the Rumble that are doing DDP Yoga so it was a really cool thing and he opened up the doors to guys like Goldust and how good is Goldust looking right now and Ryback as well. Then Scott saw Jake when he was laying in his bed when he went through that really tough time where he was in the hospital bed for that week and that one kid, who is almost like an angel, because it said: ‘No visitors!’ But this one kid who is a fan came in and he has it on his IPhone and he says: ‘Scott, look what Dallas did with Jake, maybe he can do it with you.’ Scott’s looking at him like: ‘Oh my God.’

    It was putting my two buddies in an environment that was caring, loving and everyone in my house is positive and you’re not allowed to work for me with a negative attitude and it won’t be tolerated and you work out and eat great food because I only buy real food and our food is delicious. I’m doing a workshop in Atlanta and it’s the only time when I do what is called: ‘The Ultimate Workshop’ and there are only fifteen people that do this but we have a pretty big crowd for the overall workshop where we do three hours and its starting and stopping and it’s not like a three hour workout but you really learn how to break everything down and then we do an hour and ten minute workout at the end and I make it where everyone can do it and after that, those fifteen people come over to my house. We break it down and we have all the food made and we show them how to make everything and they leave with menus. I want people to understand that healthy food doesn’t have to taste bad.”

    On concerns he has for both guys when the leave: “Jake is going to be Jake no matter what. When people say: ‘Man, I love what you did to Jake’, I tell them: ‘I didn’t do anything, Jake did all that’ and Jake Roberts is still Jake Roberts. But I never saw this Jake Roberts. When it came time for him to leave the crib, he made that decision. It wasn’t me because he could have lived with me forever and I told my girl before she moved in: ‘Baby, Jake is Uncle Jake and he isn’t going unless he says I’m out of here’ and always being his little brother in scenarios when I go: ‘Jake, that’s not cool to say things like that’. I got sick of saying that to him because he’s my mentor, he’s one of my closest friends on the planet and he knew it was starting to wear me out a bit. I think he is in the best spot that he has ever been in and he really has a chance, if it’s not this year then next year but it should be this year because he has done so much in his career but he should be in the hall of fame but he should have been in the hall of fame twenty years ago. Then he put it out that: ‘I’m going to be in the Royal Rumble’ and it got a lot of buzz but it’s like: ‘Yo, shut up about the Rumble’.

    No one is going to know. If they are going to put him in the Royal Rumble, he won’t know until its four days out. He will absolutely be the last one to know. There was an article about Bradshaw and Bradshaw has some really good writing on his site and there’s another guy that has done a lot after wrestling and he is an amazing cat and he does so much for kids around his summit and the mountain climbing that he does, its crazy shit to me. He eats it up and it’s the challenge and there was article on his site that talked about how it would really be smart and really beneficial to the WWE to have one guy that is not going to be a surprise because there would be so many fans, passionate fans about just hearing his music and walking out.

    It would make people cry and there would be goose bumps with the twenty-two thousand people at the Royal Rumble and all he needs to do is be real limited and it won’t matter, its Jake. It’s such a tradition of people coming out and people won’t know what’s going to happen. Jake has been clean for over a year, it was October when we brought him in, so it’s a little over a year of being completely cocaine and crack free and that was a big deal! He did that cold, there were no morphine shots and whatever shots they do to get people off heroine or whatever, and we did none of that. We test him once in a while too, it was a surprise test. It was like: ‘Here Jake, we are taking you down to the clinic.’ He said: ‘I got my first passed drug test’, he even framed it and we did it a couple times.”

    On Hulk Hogan leaving TNA in time for WrestleMania XXX: “He’s Hulk Hogan bro. I have offered my services to him before and that’s when I was in Los Angeles. I would help him any way I could because he really helped me when you get to that one spot when you there. Hulk Hogan walks up to me in Germany and this is around 1994 when Kevin is the champ and I’m wrestling Jim Duggan. I get the curtain jerk match, the first match every night. It was the fifth or sixth night and we are in Berlin and when I walk through the curtain and Hogan is there and he grabs me and he pulls me over and he says: ‘How are you doing it?’ I go: ‘Doing what, Hulk?’ He goes: ‘Getting some much better.’ I go: ‘Wow, thanks man.’ He goes: ‘I’ve been watching your matches the last couple nights and I don’t see you on TV that much but when you’re on, you are always doing something a little different and this is the way they are getting you to learn your craft. They are putting you on the road.’

    I said: ‘No, there not. I haven’t been on the road for three months. The only reason why I’m on this card is because my real last name before I changed it to Page was Falkinberg and the crowd loves its Germans and I have a smoking hot wife that accompanies me to the ring. That’s the only reason why I’m here.’ He goes: ‘How are you getting so much better?’ I said: ‘I go to the Power Plant.’ He really didn’t understand that because in his day, you went from one territory to another to another and that’s how you got better and they can camouflage you, change your name and whatever. I figured out and this applies to anyone, this is a lesson in life and I went down to the Power Plant because wrestling is a lot like playing the guitar meaning you can’t get any good unless you play all the time. I went back to the Power Plant and I started to train the young guys and I realized that the more you teach someone, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get.

    Hulk goes: ‘However you’re doing it, whatever you’re doing, you need to keep doing it because it may not be today, next year or the year after but somewhere down the line, you have the ability to draw huge money with me’ and he walked away. Let’s manifest that four years later, Hulk is on the stage of the ‘Tonight Show’ with Hulk and (Dennis) Rodman being interview by (Jay) Leno and (Karl) Malone and I walk out with the chairs over our heads. The number two leading scorer of all-time in the NBA, Karl Malone has my ‘Diamond Cutter’ shirt on, we throw the chairs down and throw up the ‘Diamond Cutter’ sign and do ‘The Bang’ and we face off with those guys and shoot our angle which was the biggest angle ever for WCW as far as money, super coverage across the planet in the biggest show in the world and it wasn’t a wrestling show. We are shooting an angle on the world’s stage, the ‘Tonight Show’. It was crazy.”

    Check out the complete interview online at Facebook.com/bustedopenradio.

  • Huge Backstage Update On Negotiations Between Hulk Hogan & WWE
  • Sheamus Shaves The Beard Off Again (Photo), WWE Main Event Preview

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    – WWE Superstar Sheamus recently appeared at the Folsom Elementary School in Thomotosassa, Florida on Tuesday to serve as a “reading buddy” for a WrestleMania Reading Challenge winner. “When I’m traveling I always have a book with me,” said the WWE Superstar. “Reading is an important part of my everyday life.” You can check out a photo of a clean-shaven Sheamus reading at the school below:

    sheamus reading 001

    – The following matches are confirmed for tonight’s edition of WWE Main Event:

    AJ Lee (c) vs. Natalya [WWE Divas Championship]
    Tyson Kidd vs. Justin Gabriel
    The Prime Time Players vs. 3MB

    For those interested, we have full WWE Main Event spoilers up on the newsboard right now.

    Former WCW Star Talks Benoit Tragedy, Turning Down WWE, Pre-Famous HHH

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    The following are highlights from a recent WGD Weekly interview with former WCW star Alex Wright:

    On the Chris Benoit tragedy: “Benoit was a very tough wrestler, very hard in the ring, a lot of intensity, but I liked that kind of style…It was very sad hearing about Benoit. It was shocking, you know, because I met a person that was totally different, you know, and so it was kind of unbelievable that this had happened.”

    On working with Triple H before he was a big star: “Triple H, or at that time, Jean-Paul Levesque, he was very cool and a very nice guy. I had a lot of fun working with him and there was no real competition between us. We were both young and we both wanted to do our best and we both wanted to show the veterans, and of course Bischoff, that we can do it and that we have the right to be on the pay per views and the shows…(There are always) haters and jealous people, but when I met him and I’m sure it is still the same, he loved the sport, just like I did…if you look now at WWE, you see the new WWE Performance Center, and that just shows how Triple H wants to secure the future for the sport and the upcoming talent.”

    On turning down WWE: “When Vince McMahon bought WCW, he couldn’t buy my contract and what WWE offered for a buyout was not enough for me to say, ‘OK, I’ll go to WWE’…WWE approached me afterwards twice and I was very honored for that and actually very happy, but on the other side, I told them thank you very much…but right now, I’m not able to do that, what you want from me. I’m a guy when I step in the ring, I want to give 180 percent, for the promotion, for the fans, and for myself also and if I can’t do that, I will not step in the ring…at the time, going straight on the road for so long, plus the backstage politics…I was married, I wanted to have kids…I said, if I don’t now use the time to regenerate, mentally and physically, I most likely will end up like some of my other colleagues…that’s why I said no to WWE.”

    Low Attendance At WWE TV Taping, Wade Barrett TV Note, Steiner’s/Hall Of Fame

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    – The entire upper deck was said to be tarped off at the WWE television taping on Tuesday night in Manchester, England, so this would be among the lowest selling TV tapings the company has ever done overseas. RAW on Monday night in the same building was legitimately packed.

    – WWE Superstar Wade Barrett met with Preston North End striker Kevin Davies this past week. Their meeting will air on Match Of The Day Kickabout this Saturday, November 16th at 7:45 a.m. on CBBC in the U.K.

    – Both Rick and Scott Steiner will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall Of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. The Steiner Brothers were announced as inductees for the 16th class inductions on July 18th and July 19th. Another former WWE Superstar, Diamond Dallas Page, will be receiving the Frank Gotch Award during the presentation as well.

  • Update On Plans For The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield & New Survivor Series Matches
  • The Rock Signs On For Another Movie, WrestleMania XXX Pre-Sale Password

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    – Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson has signed on to play Nick Scuyler in the movie “Not Without Hope” – an adaptation of the story of several friends who become stranded at sea when their boat capsized while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

    – The upcoming “History of WWE” documentary lists footage from Global Wrestling Federation (early 90’s promotion that aired on ESPN), as well as the Gerogia Championship Wrestling library.

    – There will be a Wrestlemania XXX online pre-sale tomorrow morning, starting at 11AM (Eastern). The pre-sale password is WM30TW.