– Kevin Sullivan has been added to Alumni section of WWE.com.
– Today is “DDP Yoga” day at the WWE Performance Center after DDP received an invite from Triple H and Bill DeMott. He tweeted today:
today is @DDPYOGA day at @WWENXT lets see how well they do! @WWE @FullSail @WWEPerformCtr @BillDeMott
— Diamond Dallas Page (@RealDDP) November 22, 2013
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin announced on his podcast that Daniel Bryan will be a guest on his show in the next few weeks.
Here is TNA’s official preview for next week’s Thanksgiving edition of Impact Wrestling:
– IMPACT continues the longtime tradition of pro wrestling on Thanksgiving! After the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, join the rest of your family for a night of IMPACT WRESTLING! TNA President Dixie Carter will host the Thanksgiving special, and she promises a night to remember!
– Speaking of Thanksgiving tradition, the infamous TNA Turkey Costume returns on Thursday night! Who will be humiliated and forced to wear the Turkey Suit on the broadcast? Tune in and find out!
– The Main Event of the Thanksgiving broadcast will feature Team Angle vs. Team Roode in an 8 Man Elimination Match! As the war between Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode continues, who will they pick to join them in battle in the huge tag team match on Thursday night?
– After beating Bully Ray this past week and forcing the Aces and Eights to disband, Mr. Anderson is holding a public funeral for the end of the Aces and Eights on Thursday’s broadcast!
All this and much more on Thursday’s special Thanksgiving edition of IMPACT starting at 9/8c on SpikeTV!
TNA has announced that “Genesis” will not be airing on pay-per-view in January, as previously promoted.
Instead, TNA will tape a live “Genesis” edition of Impact Wrestling on January 16th from Huntsville, Alabama. After the taping, TNA will tape an additional episode of Impact, which will air on January
Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, Bobby Roode, Magnus and Mr. Anderson among the TNA stars advertised for the taping.
After the shows in Huntsville, TNA heads to Europe for the Maximum Impact tour, which will include another set of Impact tapings from the UK.
– Former WWE Champion Dave Bautista was backstage at Thursday night’s WWE NXT tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
– WWE Superstar Damien Sandow met with a teenage boy fighting a rare disorder in Louisville, Kentucky earlier this week. The teenager suffers from lesions and tumors across his body and says he’s inspired by Sandow. Here’s video of them together:
Hulk Hogan’s daughter Brooke is no longer engaged to Dallas Cowboys player Phil Costa.
The engagement was called off by Brooke a few weeks ago after she decided things were “moving too fast.”
Brooke says she wants to focus on her music career before getting married.
Brooke recently moved to Los Angeles to finish her new album and be closer to her mother, Hulk Hogan’s ex-wife Linda Bollea.
The story has been picked up by TMZ, Perez Hilton and other celebrity tabloid sites.
Earlier this week, we reported that Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards (former ROH tag champions The American Wolves) would be receiving another tryout this week at the WWE Performance Center.
Richards and Edwards wrestled at last night’s NXT tapings using the new ring name “The American Pitbulls.” They wrestled The Ascension. Their match will air on the December 18th episode of NXT on Hulu.
During the tapings, Davey Richards tweeted:
https://twitter.com/RichardsWesley/status/403700623063134208
WWE taped four episodes of NXT on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Here are spoilers:
Airing December 18th:
* Sami Zayn and Tyson Kidd defeated Antonio Cesaro and Leo Kruger.
* NXT Women’s Champion Paige defeated Sasha Banks with Summer Rae in a non-title match. Sasha accidentally kicked Summer while she was trying to provide distraction.
* The Ascension defeated The American Pitbulls (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) in a non-title match. After the match, Camacho and Hunico had a staredown with The Ascension.
* Howard Finkel came out to introduce the main event of NXT Champion Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville in a Lumberjack Match for the title. Bo won and retained his title after Tyler Breeze helped him avoid Neville’s finisher.
Airing December 25th:
* Lana and Alexander Rusev come out next. Kofi Kingston is out next to barely a reaction. Rusev dominated Kofi and got the easy win. Lana spoke in Russian after the match.
* Natalya vs. Emma in a #1 contenders match is next. Emma got the win and Natalya celebrated with her after the match. This was said to be a very good Divas match.
* There was a singing contest with Aiden English and Colin Cassaday. Cassaday sang “Danny Boy” and “My Girl” while Aiden sang his own songs. English attacked Cassady to end it.
* Tyler Breeze defeated Mason Ryan after Sylvester Lefort distracted Mason.
* Leo Kruger vs. Sami Zayn in a 2 of 3 Falls Match is up next. Zayn gets the first fall by pinfall and the second fall by submission.
Airing January 1st:
* Bayley with Natalya defeated Summer Rae with Sasha Banks in a quick match. This was described as another very good Divas match.
* Aiden English defeated Colin Cassady.
* Xavier Woods comes out for the next match but Director of Operations Kane interrupts. He congratulates Xavier on his RAW debut but is going to punish him for being part of the petition to bring Big Show back a few weeks ago. Kane brings out Alexander Rusev.
* Alexander Rusev with Lana defeated Xavier Woods.
* Kane watched the last match from ringside and ended up chokeslamming Sylvester Lefort in the ring.
* Tyson Kidd defeated Baron Corbin in a quick but good match.
* The Ascension vs. Hunico and Camacho in a tag team tornado match is up next. The Ascension get the non-title win.
Airing January 8th – 200th Episode:
* Adrian Neville defeated Tyler Breeze.
* CJ Parker defeated Jason Jordan.
* Bo Dallas defeated Mojo Rawley in a non-title match.
* Alexander Rusev defeated Kofi Kingston again. This may have been a re-tape for the December 25th episode.
* Antonio Cesaro defeated William Regal in what was called the match of the night. Cesaro hit an impressive Cesaro Swing on Regal.
The following is a non-spoiler match listing for this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which was taped on Tuesday night in Atlanta, Georgia.
– Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans
– Ryback vs. The Great Khali
– The Funkadactyls vs. AJ Lee (Handicap Match)
– Rey Mysterio & The Usos vs. The Shield
– Big E. Langston & Dolph Ziggler vs. Curtis Axel & Damien Sandow
– The Prime Time Players vs. 3MB
– Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper
For complete spoiler results, click ahead to page two …
TNA taped the following matches on Thursday night for the November 28th Thanksgiving episode of Impact Wrestling. The rest of the show will be taped this weekend. Here are partial spoilers for next week:
* Lei’d Tapa defeated Velvet Sky.
* Bobby Roode, Kazarian, Daniels and Chris Sabin vs. Kurt Angle, Magnus, James Storm and Gunner in an 8-man elimination match. It came down to Angle vs. all 4 members of Team Roode.
Team Roode won when Angle used a steel chair and got himself disqualified.
– Despite not working lately, word is that the official Sin Cara WWE t-shirts sold well among kids at the recent WWE European tour.
– Apparently WWE will not be offering former NFL star Shawne Merriman a contract. Merriman, who had a WWE tryout a few weeks ago, reportedly wasn’t that impressive in the ring and apparently got tired very fast.
– As previously reported, WWE and Triple H in particular are starting to focus heavily on their tag-team division. Triple H has reportedly been pushing the idea to have more tag-teams on the main roster as a way to bring up developmental talents who might not have otherwise gotten the call. In fact, WWE is talking about doing a three-day tryout camp next years exclusively for tag-teams.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– WWE agent Dean Malenko, who has dealt with heart issues in the past, was apparently sent home early from the WWE European tour due to chest pains. Malenko was first taken to the hospital and after being examined by doctors, was sent home.
– As previously reported, WWE Superstar Sheamus mentioned in a recent interview that his dream WrestleMania opponent would be The Undertaker. Apparently Sheamus is actually trying to push the idea of that match taking place internally, so he seems to be quite serious about it.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, recently released WWE NXT Superstar Kassius Ohno, aka Chris Hero, did himself no favors by complaining to some of his co-workers about his spot in the company.
The report claims that in confidence, Ohno told some of his co-workers that he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t being featured at the level of guys in the company that he thought he was better than. Apparently those same co-workers then went and told WWE management what Ohno had said, which reportedly sealed his fate with the company.
WWE was already questioning Ohno’s future in the company due to his age and the fact that they had no immediate creative plans or ideas for him on the main roster. Catching wind of Ohno’s complaints apparently made the call for the company to let him go an even easier decision to make.
TNA Wrestling was profiled by Sports Illustrated today, including an interview with TNA President Dixie Carter. Here are some highlights of what Dixie Carter said about:
The “Impact On The Road” Experiment: “We went on the road thinking if we could sell 1,500-2,000 tickets, we’d be good. We went in with a very conservative budget. We didn’t come out here thinking we’d sell out arenas. The truth is we exceeded those budget numbers. We hit our revenue numbers, but we overspent when it came to loading out of the Universal studio. There was a two-month overlap that cost us.”
“We have to try different things. Going on the road to see if this is the thing that changes the whole feel and vibe of the show, if it works, you stick with it. I think we’ve learned a lot from this. We learned that the show has to be shaken up, not the venue.”
Incorporating “Reality” Into TNA Storylines: “Fans want to see things they think they aren’t supposed to be seeing.” Specific to her heel turn, Carter said she and TNA Creative “thought it would be best to let a little more of the company’s reality bleed into the show.”
Talent That Was Released Due To Budget Cuts: “They didn’t resonate. They didn’t move the needle or the contract they wanted wasn’t something that was good for this company. Sorry, but this company has to be in business 10, 20 years from now. I have to run a company and grow it. I’m to the point right now where things have to be a certain way for us.”
Hulk Hogan: “I think Hulk has been worth it. He’s opened a lot of doors for us. When you’re about to lose a deal in an international territory and one phone call from Hulk Hogan makes a man who doesn’t even speak your language melt and you get your deal back, that carries a lot of weight. There’s not another guy out there who could do that.
“If we did anything wrong with him, we used him too much on television. If he stayed with us, you’d probably see less of him.”
Panda Energy: “Once we got on Spike, we changed a lot of things and our revenues grew. We’ve been cash flow positive for the last four or five years. After that point, Panda stopped putting money in the company. We’ve funded it with every dollar we’ve made and maybe that’s kept us from growing quite as fast.”
Surrounding Herself With People Who Know The Business: “That’s all any business is. You don’t have to know wrestling. You’ll know wrestling eventually, but business is about making good decisions, putting good people around you and managing them.”
Samoa Joe was also quoted in the article, saying this about Dixie Carter’s job running TNA:
“In some aspects, yeah, I think she might be (too nice). In other aspects, I think it’s refreshing. I don’t think she’s too nice in that she’s not aggressive and won’t do the things that need to be done. She sticks by people, maybe to a fault sometimes. I’ll give her that. What some people say is a character weakness, others will say it’s a strength. It just depends on how you perceive her.”
Also interviewed for the TNA profile were Jeff Hardy, ODB, Spike TV President Kevin Kay and others.
– WWE.com has published a statement regarding the passing of Hall of Famer “Mad Dog” Vachon earlier this morning.
– WWE.com also has a new “NXT 10 Count” interview up with developmental talent Scott Dawson.
– It appears that a “Best WCW PPV Matches” DVD set is in the works from WWE. Amazon.com
While still not officially under contract to WWE, word is that former top Ring Of Honor stars Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards will be appearing at the WWE NXT television tapings this Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
Both Richards and Edwards have yet to go through the drug testing and the medical testing that WWE requires when they sign new talents. Regardless, the decision has apparently been made to use Richards and Edwards at NXT this week.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio was apparently not ready to make his official WWE return at this past Monday’s edition of RAW. Apparently WWE officials asked Mysterio to come back since he wouldn’t have to do much on RAW, or at the ten-man match at Survivor Series.
At the SmackDown taping, Mysterio worked a six-man tag match but again only had to do a slight amount of in-ring work towards the end of the match.
At last check, the first 12 rows of ringside seats for WrestleMania XXX are sold out. These include the first few rows priced at $2,000 each and the rest of the ringside rows at $800 each. As of this past Tuesday, the only tickets left were for the $450 and $175 seats.
There were 7,013 tickets sold through the Stubhub service and most of those aren’t being sold that much higher than the original market price. However, to purchase a ticket through Stubhub for the first few rows, it looks like it will cost approximately $12,000 for a $2,000 ticket.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– There has been absolutely no discussion in TNA of signing Hulk Hogan to a deal, even one with limited dates. Hogan being gone is considered a cost-cutting move by the company, as they simply couldn’t afford his price.
– As of this past weekend, there has been no deal struck between Roderick Strong and TNA. At this point, Strong remains committed to Ring Of Honor. Apparently TNA executive Dave Lagana has been talking with Strong as well as other potential new talents. TNA seems to be interested in the best independent workers in the business, including those in ROH and some of the Americans in Japan.
– The November 7th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling from Cincinnati drew approximately 1,500 fans.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
According to sources, one group that was rumored to be looking to buy TNA, which was a company that circulated online but never the lead candidate, has pulled out.
A different group, which met with TNA executives a few weeks ago and has been the key party still interested, is still in play. While it may seem on the surface that the TNA sale is a non-issue at this point because nobody seems to know anything, and nothing new has popped up online about it, the main company is still in the mix and are talking positively about making the deal. This group is looking for complete and total ownership and apparently the key in finalizing the deal is whether or not they feel the asking price is fair.
There has been some talk that the Carter family is wanting to raise capital by selling a percentage and retaining a majority ownership of the company, but the aforementioned group still in the running is apparently not interested in a minority ownership.
Jeff Jarrett, who has reportedly picked up a considerable amount of power in TNA lately, would be expected to gain even more power if the sale takes place, since he’s more than likely a big factor in getting the deal going.
– Former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe will make his official professional wrestling debut for the UK-based Preston City Wrestling promotion on either their February 28th or March 1st show. Bowe will be facing Dave Rayne in his first legitimate match.
– The Superior Court in Ontario ruled against WWE Hall Of Famer Abdullah The Butcher on November 5th for the lawsuit filed against him by independent wrestler Devon Nicholson. Nicholson claimed Abdullah gave him Hepatitis C by using the same razor blade on both himself and Nicholson in a match. The court ordered Abdullah to pay $3,500 in court costs within 90 days.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– Independent pro wrestling star Colt Cabana was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida again this week for another tryout with WWE.
– Talks between New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Prince Devitt and WWE at this point are said to be informal. As of right now, Devitt has yet to receive a legitimate financial offer from the company and has apparently been telling people that he’s expecting to continue working in Japan in 2014. While Devitt’s official NJPW contract expires on January 31st, most expect him to stay with the promotion.
[Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter]
– Chris Jericho revealed on Twitter that his new “Talk is Jericho” will podcast will premiere on December 4th at PodcastOne.com. His first guest will be none other that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who also has a podcast at PodcastOne.
– Speaking of Austin’s podcast, his next guest will be fellow WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes.
– Hornswoggle has a cameo in the new ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ movie and is featured in the movie trailer, which you can view here (around the 1:27 mark):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=enf9eAQ8srw
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:
WWE Network Launch Rumors: “Excited to read all the rumors regarding the long awaited WWE Network which looks as if it will launch in 2014. It only makes sense to launch the network during WrestleMania season and take advantage of all the media opportunities to sell/promote both the network and WM30.”
“If that philosophy is accurate, that would have the Network launching in February or March. All that is TBD but it’s been an exhaustive, expensive work in progress for many individuals for a long, long time. If WWE’s PPV’s all move to the Network then the chances of this entity becoming a significant success early increase greatly.”
The Need For Heroes & Villains In Wrestling: “How many great movies or TV shows have you seen or how many books have you read to where there wasn’t a definitive hero or villain. Villains can take many shapes and forms whether it be war, disease, a bully, a coward, a cheat, etc. Great villains in the sports entertainment genre are people that a fan will pay to see them get their ass beat.”
“It’s a simple formula that is timeless.”
“In real life there is a fine line, in many cases, between good and evil. However, TV wrestling isn’t real life. It’s show biz and most every show biz presentation that you or I have ever enjoyed had a hero and a villain component.”
WWE Superstar Kane was at the WWE Performance Center yesterday.
As previously reported, the former ROH tag team champions the American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) were also there getting tryouts, as well as Colt Cabana, who is trying out to be a WWE announcer.
WWE NXT will have another TV taping tonight from Winter Park, Florida. The taping will include the 200th episode of NXT. There will be a pre-show meet & greet with Kofi Kingston, Natalya, Eva Marie and Jo Jo. The first 200 fans in the building will receive a free item signed by Sheamus.
Announced for the tapings:
– WWE will tape the December 2nd edition of RAW from from the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The advertised dark match main events are John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio and WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Big Show. It’s worth noting that aside from Triple H and the Authority, WWE is also advertising “The McMahons” will be appearing.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is this week’s guest on Colt Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast.
“Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of, if not, the most popular wrestlers of all time. Now, hes hanging out with Colt, talking shop like its no big deal. From WWF merchandise records to moving the fork lift, Steve makes for a great podcast. Oh Hell Yea!”
You can listen to the podcast at TSMRadio.com.
