This week on Because Wrestling, we talk Kassius Ohno’s release, Iron Shiek calling out Toronto mayor Rob Ford, Miz turning heel, the WWE main event picture, big WrestleMania XXX rumors, and this week in WWE!
Photos From The Big Event In Flushing, New York (11/9/13)
Check out these photos of wrestling legions reunited at Saturday’s “The Big Event” convention in Flushing, New York:
Videos From WWE In Cardiff, Wales (11/10/13): The Shield, Big Show Promo, Randy Orton
SEScoops.com reader Josh Wilding attended the November 10th WWE Live event in Cardiff, Wales and sent in the following videos:
At the end of the WWE Championship match between The Big Show and Randy Orton at WWE Live in Cardiff, Kane came out and distracted Big Show, allowing Orton to RKO him and pick up the win. Minutes later, The Shield attacked Show, and this is what happened next:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lic9VQ6jj4w
After dealing with Randy Orton, Corporate Kane and The Shield, The Big Show thanked fans for attending WWE Live in Cardiff on November 10th, 2013.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4etKiXiEq4g
Three WWE NXT Wrestlers Sidelined With Major Injuries, Corey Graves Recovers From Concussion
WWE NXT wrestlers Enzo Amore, Judas Devlin and Scott Dawson are currently sidelined with major injuries, PWInsider.com reports. Details on their respective injuries, as well as an update on Corey Graves, are as follows:
– Enzo Amore has been sidelined with a broken leg and will be out for approximately six months. For those unfamiliar with Amore, his WWE.com bio states:
“Dubbing himself “Jersey’s finest,” Enzo Amore reps the Garden State “like 225 on a barbell, 10 pounds of hair gel, steadily working on his swell.” The realest guy in the room everywhere he goes, Enzo Amore is a straight shooter. He speaks his mind at all times, and at an incredible rate.”
In recent months, Amore has been appearing as the eccentric mouthpiece and tag team partner of Colin Cassady.
– There has been fan speculation on the whereabouts of Judas Devlin, who has not appeared on WWE NXT since March. He remains under contract to the sports-entertainment organization, but is currently sidelined with a spinal injury. According to his WWE.com bio:
“[Devlin] is one of the more deranged, oddly intellectual NXT Superstars. Standing at 6’5” and covered in colorful tattoos, this modern day Aristocrat uses his intellect to confuse and break down his opponents mentally before ever stepping foot in the ring.”
– Scott Dawson, who recently disappeared from WWE NXT programming, is currently sidelined with a torn ACL. His bio reads:
“Scott Dawson has been a survivor his entire life. Forced to grow up fast, Dawson overcame adversity and became the “man of the house” at an early age. Dawson cut his fighting teeth through bouncing in local clubs — developing his take-no-guff attitude and strong jaw. Now, Dawson is looking to take on some new challengers — in the squared-circle of NXT.”
– The former Sterling James Keenan, Corey Graves, has returned to action after suffering a concussion last month.
Big Show Working Injured, Paul Heyman’s Return, Kidman As Heyman’s Physician
– The Big Show is currently working through an injury and was seen limping at yesterday’s WWE live event from Glasgow, Scotland. No word yet about the severity of the injury but he’s not expected to miss any ring time. Reader Andy sent in the following live report describing Big Show’s injury:
“At the live event in Cardiff (Wales), Big Show is not 100 percent. He was heavily limping on his way to the ring, looked in pain, and was stretching his right leg a lot as well as running the ropes during Randy Orton’s entrance for the main event.
Before the match, Show gave a hand signal to someone ringside implying he was 50/50. It’s his left side or leg, but the pain was clear to see.”
– British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside is now working as a trainer for WWE at their Performance Center. Previously, he had been working with WWE scouting European talent and he will continue those duties as well.
– WWE producer Billy Kidman has been appearing at WWE’s overseas live events tour, acting as Paul Heyman’s personal physician in segments where CM Punk attacks Heyman.
Speaking of Heyman, he might be returning to WWE television on tonight’s RAW.
WWE RAW Taping This Afternoon From The UK: Early Preview
WWE will tape tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW this afternoon from the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England.
As of this writing, no matches have been confirmed for the show, but WWE.com’s 5-point preview focuses on the following items:
* Will CM Punk & Daniel Bryan join forces to stop the Waytt Family?
* John Cena has his hands full with Damien Sandow and Alberto Del Rio.
* Footage from WWE 2K14 will air featuring The Undertaker and the man who fans voted as his greatest WrestleMania opponent, Kane.
* The Big Show continues to feud with The Authority.
* The latest from WWE’s new Director of Operations, Kane.
We will have live spoiler coverage here on the site around 2pm (Eastern), so check back later for those.
Backstage Photo: Heyman, Punk, AJ & Axel Eating Together
A photo has surfaced online of CM Punk having lunch with his arch-nemesis Paul Heyman, as well as Divas Champion AJ Lee and Heyman client Curtis Axel, backstage at a WWE live event in Europe.
The image comes courtesy of Scottish wrestling fan Brendan McEleny, who secured the shot at yesterday’s live event in Glasgow at Glasgow Braehead Arena.
McEleny says he did not sneak into the venue, as he managed to snap the picture while on public property.
Royal Rumble 2014 PPV Poster Featuring CM Punk
Check out this artwork for the 2014 Royal Rumble. This is not official from WWE or iNDEMAND but has been circulating online this week:
Jim Ross Blog: Brock Lesnar’s Role At WrestleMania XXX, Chris Benoit’s Son & More
The following are highlights from the latest online blog by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On Chris Benoit questions: “Funny how Chris Benoit questions to me run in spurts. I haven’t changed my take on the Benoit into the WWE HOF quandary. Chris doesn’t belong there. End of story. If inducted, it would all be about the last few, horrific hours of Chris’ life and that would not be fair for the family’s that were affected, the other inductees, or the fans. For those fans who loved Chris’ in ring work, and I consider myself one of those, then watch him on You Tube, etc and call it a day. I do not speak for WWE on any topic but I’d be surprised to see Chris any more prominent on WWE content in the future than he is now.”
On Chris Benoit’s son getting into pro wrestling: “As for Chris’s son wanting to get in the pro wrestling business, I have mixed emotions. My gut says stay away, learn a trade, get educated and lead a normal, productive life. One the other hand, I’m not big on telling anyone to not attempt to live their dreams just as I did.”
On Brock Lesnar’s role at WrestleMania XXX: “I look for Lesnar to play a major role in WM30 in New Orleans but in order to max out Brock’s box office appeal his TV persona really needs structured attention and to get ‘hot’ before April. Not overexposed….just get the Hereford Bull hot.”
Check out the complete blog online at JRsBarBQ.com.
Big Show Apologizes For Daniel Bryan’s Absence, Travel Channel Films Hogan
– Camera crews from The Travel Channel were at Hogan’s Beach Shop in Clearwater, Florida on Saturday evening filming footage of WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan for a future piece on their channel.
– As previously reported, WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan did not appear at the WWE live event in Birmingham, England on Saturday. As noted in our complete live report from the event, WWE Superstar Randy Orton jumped on the microphone during the main event and told the fans who were boo’ing and chanting Bryan’s name that he was not in attendance, and to basically get over it.
Apparently WWE Superstar Big Show, who was Orton’s opponent at the show, got on the microphone after the match to thank the fans and apologize to them for the absence of Bryan.
Luke Harper Makes WWE History, WWE Hall Of Famer At Auto Show In Tampa
– WWE Superstar Luke Harper became the first man in 2013 to wrestle on WWE RAW, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event and WWE NXT in the same week. Harper lost to CM Punk on RAW this past Monday, lost to Daniel Bryan by disqualification on SmackDown this past Friday, teamed with Erick Rowan and defeated The Prime Time Players on Main Event on Wednesday and defeated Kassius Ohno on this week’s edition of WWE NXT.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be making an appearance at the Tampa Bay International Auto Show on November 23rd from 1pm until 3pm at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday, November 23rd.
Backstage Photo: Vince McMahon & Triple H
A backstage photo of Vince McMahon and Triple H at the “gorilla position” of a recent WWE television taping has leaked online:
Zack Ryder Debuts A New Look (Photo)
WWE Superstar Zack Ryder has been rocking a goatee during his recent appearances on the WWE European tour. You can check out a photo of Ryder’s new look below:
Bully Ray Boasts Being “Talk Of The Wrestling World,” Dixie Carter/Jonny Fairplay
– The following is a new tweet from the official Twitter page of TNA wrestler Bully Ray. In the following tweet, Bully Ray talks about being the “talk of the wrestling world” following his appearance at Tommy Dreamer’s “House Of Hardcore 3” event on Saturday night in Poughkeepsie, New York:
Once again, I'm the talk of the Wrestling World. https://t.co/k5kA3tkrdb. Tix on sale this Fri. Mid Hudson Civic Center. #OldSchool
— Bully Ray (@REALBully5150) November 10, 2013
– Speaking of TNA Twitter updates, the following is a new tweet from the official Twitter account of TNA president Dixie Carter. In the following tweet, Dixie responds to reality television star Jonny Fairplay attempting to drum up interest in a return to TNA.
Hmmmm RT @JonnyFairplay: Loved the tease & VIP return of PacMan @TNADixie I think @IMPACTWRESTLING fans want the same for @JonnyFairplay RT!
— Dixie Carter (@TNADixie) November 8, 2013
Buff Bagwell Speaks On Meeting With TNA This Year, His WWE Run, WCW/nWo
The following are highlights from a recent WGD Weekly interview with former WCW star Buff Bagwell:
On TNA and his talks with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff this past summer: “I went down to the Burnett Center when they were here; I just wanted them to see me. I called Eric and said ‘do you mind if I come down to see you guys at TNA,’ he said, sure, come on down. So, I walk in the back…looking like I’m looking, looking like Buff Bagwell again…I walk in and Hulk Hogan walks all the way over to me and I feel eyes burning holes in me, and Hulk walks up and goes to me, ‘why are you not working for us?’…I said, ‘well, that’s kind of why I am here’…He said, ‘Dude, you’re one of the only few guys left that we could bring in and not have any heat, and he didn’t realize what he had said. I said, ‘Do you know why that is?…Because I don’t have any friends, he started laughing and he said, ‘you know, you’re right…if we brought in you, nobody would complain about it. I said it’s because I don’t have any friends in the business, I have a few friends, but none that would get heat for it. So he said, dude, who has got your number? I said, Eric Bischoff has got my number, so I got texts on my phone right now, that I could send you…Eric Bischoff texted me, and he was excited, and I was excited…then the Main Event Mafia thing started happening, I thought I’d fit into that or Aces and Eights possibly and I have heard nothing and they knew exactly where I am at and exactly how to get in touch with me…Eric was saying positive things…I don’t get it…just let me go out and be over again, I can be the biggest heel or the biggest babyface if they would just let me, but they won’t let me and I don’t know why.”
On his brief run in WWE: “I was the first match of the Invasion…why would they put Booker T. versus Buff Bagwell in Tacoma, Washington…we’re main event on Raw…and it ain’t good. They could wait seven days and put this in Atlanta…instead we got booed out of the building in Tacoma, Washington and we had a bad match, double whammy, you know…If you’re asking me, they already knew that they were done with WCW, they just were gonna make us the sacrificial lambs to end it…all they had to do was wait a week and Booker T and Buff Bagwell get over in Atlanta, instead we got buried in Tacoma…they had a gold mine with WCW, forget Buff, they had a gold mine…Sting, Luger against the Rock, Stone Cold, it was endless…you could’ve gone on and on with that for wrestling fans, for wrestlers, you could’ve gone on and on, but instead they just beat us all and sent us home.”
On his WWE release: “They waited to fire me in Atlanta, why even make me come down there? Make me drive down to Phillips Arena to fire, my god, how brutal is that? I don’t know if they hadn’t figured it out totally or what, I think they had…I think they already knew they were done with us and were gonna put us on the shelf and they did so.”
On the backstage scene in WCW during their final year in business: “It was absolute mayhem, it was just a bad train wreck that nobody could fix when Russo came in…Russo had everybody going in different directions and then they figured out that Russo didn’t know what he was doing and they bought Bischoff back, and then they tried getting Bischoff and Russo to work together…Bischoff had his guys…and Russo had his guys…and you could always tell who was running things by who was getting pushed…I got to visualize it all when it went down and there was just nobody that was gonna fix it.”
On returning from a broken neck as a heel instead of a babyface in 1998: “It was a gigantic deal, they could’ve made me the next biggest babyface in the world, dude, I had 50,000 letters sent to me in the hospital, I had Desert Storm guys would touch my picture before they went out to battle…I was over, big time…they could’ve made me the next biggest superstar, instead they turned me heel and the people didn’t like it, it burned them. My parents were physically upset about it…I knew what they were doing was wrong, but …they pay my bills, I can’t tell Eric, ‘hey, Eric, I’m not gonna do that,’ but it was Eric’s idea and he wanted to turn me heel and basically it took a crap on 50,000 people that were praying for me.”
On joining the nWo and becoming “Buff” Bagwell: “Kevin Nash is the first one to speak up for me. Eric Bischoff was not a big fan of mine at first, he kind of didn’t like me…Eric wasn’t with it at all, he said I don’t get it, you all are crazy…in Salisbury, we had a Nitro and they had me come out and join the now and it was a big deal, bro…on the flight home we were trying to figure out a name …and of all people it was Nick Patrick…he said what about Buff, and everybody just stopped and went ‘that’s it, that’s perfect, so that was it Buff Bagwell it was born, it was created and there it went.”
You can check out the complete Buff Bagwell interview from the WGD Weekly show below:
VIDEOS: Behind-The-Scenes WWE Footage Leaks Onto The Internet
– A YouTube user has recently uploaded some leaked behind-the-scenes WWE footage. Below are the videos. The first video features Josh Mathews, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz and Big E. Langston preparing for a segment on the WWE App.
http://youtu.be/Z4fvuREjf70
– The second video features WWE announcers Michael Cole, Jerry “The King” Lawler and JBL preparing for the WWE RAW broadcast from Greenville, South Carolina.
http://youtu.be/X4tYFGlQ9u8
WWE House Show Results (11/9): Munich, Germany
The following are results from the WWE live event in Munich, Germany. The event was held on Saturday, November 9, 2013.
– The Prime Time Players def. Hunico & Camacho in a tag-team match to open the show.
– Ryback def. Justin Gabriel in singles action. Gabriel got in some offense, but for the most part Ryback dominated the offense.
– Brie Bella def. AJ Lee in a Non-Title Divas match. Brie had Nikki in her corner, while AJ had Tamina Snuka in hers.
– Antonio Cesaro def. The Great Khali in a one-on-one match.
– CM Punk & Daniel Bryan def. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan of The Wyatt Family in tag-team action. The crowd was hot for this match.
– The Usos def. 3MB in another tag-team match on the card.
– R-Truth def. Curtis Axel via Disqualification. Due to the DQ, Axel retained his WWE Intercontinental Championship.
– John Cena def. Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the evening.
TNA House Show Results (11/9): Toledo, Ohio
The following are results from the TNA live event in Toledo, Ohio. The event was held on Saturday, November 9, 2013.
– Magnus def. Garett Bischoff via the Cloverleaf submission in the opening match of the evening.
– Lei’D Tapa def. ODB in a Knockouts match. Earl Hebner was the referee for the match, which featured a ton of comedy spots.
– Ethan Carter III def. Dewey Banks. The match was made by TNA president Dixie Carter, which resulted in EC3 squashing Banks.
– Chris Sabin def. Austin Aries to retain the TNA X-Division Title. Sabin rolled up Aries and held the ropes for the pinfall.
– Eric Young & Joseph Parks def. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in tag-team action.
–Intermission–
– Mr. Anderson def. Knux via his Mic Check finisher.
– James Storm def. Bobby Roode in a Last Man Standing match. This was the main event of the show, which saw Storm win with his Last Call kick.
House Of Hardcore 3 Results (11/9): Poughkeepsie, New York
The following are results from the House Of Hardcore 3 event in Poughkeepsie, New York. The event was held on Saturday, November 9, 2013.
– Sonjay Dutt def. Ben Ortiz via a back-flip into a double-stomp for the pin in the opening match.
– Matt Striker def. Lance Anoa’i when Striker rolled up Anoa’i and held the tights for the 1-2-3.
– Carlito & Rosita def. Stevie Richards & Tara when Rosita nailed Richards with a moonsault, which led to the pin.
– Vik Dalishus won a Hardcore Rules Battle Royal that featured pinfalls, submissions and over-the-top-rope eliminations.
– MVP def. Luke Gallows via the shining wizard.
– Devon & Matt Hardy def. Homicide & Eddie Kingston in tag-team action. The finish came when Devon set up a ladder with Hardy and nailed a double-uranage through a table.
– Rhino def. Kevin Steen via the gore for the 1-2-3.
– Tony Nese def. Alex Reynolds and Petey Williams via a 450 splash on Reynolds for the pinfall victory.
– Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk def. Sean Waltman & Lance Storm when Funk hit the airplane spin with the ladder on Waltman and Storm.
– Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray came out after the main event finish and beat up both Funk and Dreamer. Ray challenged Dreamer to a match on December 30th for TNA’s “One Night Only: Old School” event. Ray said the match would be an “Old School Street Fight” where falls count anywhere. Devon came out and joined Bully Ray, as both hit the 3D on Dreamer. After that, The Sandman came out and beat everyone up with his cane.
Eva Marie On Sky (Photo), David Letterman Mentions WWE, Montreal Screwjob Anniversary
– On Friday’s edition of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant was mentioned. While talking to Tom Brokaw, Letterman referred to New York Mayor Billy DeBlasio as “Andre The Giant.”
– Saturday marked the 16th anniversary of the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” match between WWE Hall Of Famers Shawn Michaels and Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
– WWE Diva and co-star of the Total Divas reality show, Eva Marie, recently tweeted about her appearance on Sky TV in Germany. Marie tweeted the following:
Thank you so much for having me @SkyDeutschland @SkyWrestling @WWE I had a blast! Until next time #WWEMunich pic.twitter.com/Bj9fTziyEC
— Eva Marie (@natalieevamarie) November 10, 2013
Total Divas Returns Tonight, Ryback Turns 32, Reason Cesaro Missed WWE Live Events
– The WWE “Total Divas” reality show returns with the second-half of their first season on the E! cable channel tonight. The official preview for the show hypes the fact that Eva Marie’s popularity threatens Nikki Bella. For more information, visit EOnline.com.
– WWE Superstar Ryback celebrates his 32nd birthday today. Ryback was born on November 10, 1981.
– The reason WWE booked Jack Swagger vs. Fernando of the Los Matadores tag-team in singles matches on the last two WWE European live events is because Swagger’s Real Americans tag-team partner Antonio Cesaro was doing some promotional work for the new WWE 2K14 video game. Cesaro returned at the WWE live event in Munich, Germany on Saturday evening.
Ken Shamrock On Vince McMahon vs. Dana White, WWE Title, Being Snubbed By UFC
The following are highlights from a recent interview with former WWE Superstar and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock:
On Vince McMahon versus Dana White as businessmen: “Vince McMahon is the type of guy that if you’re doing business for him, he’ll pat you on the back and be nice to you, but you know where you stand. Either you’re making money for him or you’re not. And that’s the way it is. He never lied to me, not that I know of… You can take someone that Vince didn’t like, If he found a way to make money with him, he’d put him on the show. It was about business. He would find a way to make it work. Like he did with Bret Hart. They didn’t get along for the longest time. But Vince knew he could use him to make money and Bret knew he could make money. So even though at times they weren’t on the same page, they still did business. That’s what Dana lacks. He doesn’t know how to put aside his feelings and not take everything personal and do business even with people you don’t like.”
On why he was never WWE Champion: “To this day, I don’t know. I thought when I was doing the angle with the Rock… and he went on after I ended up getting the (intercontinental) belt, he ended up going on and facing Stone Cold and some of the other guys and ended up getting the belt, I thought I would move up and go after him because of what we had done prior to that… it just never flourished. It seemed like I went in the other direction. I thought I did everything right, that I was in a good position to make those moves. I really don’t know.”
On being snubbed by UFC regarding their 20th anniversary: “There’s a lot of guys not involved. If you look at the history of the UFC prior to Zuffa, it’s almost like they’re banished… Just look at some of the guys out there that were really fighting four times in one night, bare-knuckled, no rules. It really made the UFC and the grounds of the UFC to be what it is today. Today, it’s a little more sanctioned, but really was raw and it really was guys that were put in there, putting it all on the line, for no money. But you don’t see any of these guys being recognized. You don’t see any of these names- I saw Don Frye at a fight the other night, and he was sitting out in the audience. He wasn’t even inside the cage. It breaks my heart when I see these things because all these promoters walk around with these nice little suits on, acting like they’re big shots, and they’re inside the ring. And you have some of these young fighters, who are up and coming, in there trying to promote the next fight, you’ve got celebrities on the inside, all the fine ladies on the inside. Then you got guys like Don Frye, myself, and a few other guys, sitting outside the cage… none of these people would be walking around thinking they’re big shots if it wasn’t for those guys who put it all on the line, because they loved what they did. But we don’t show them any love. It’s like they completely forget about the past and move forward. They suck it dry, keep doing the things they want to do, but don’t remember the past.”
Check out the complete interview online at ShiningWizards.com.
Kurt Angle Training With His Kids (Video), VIP Packages For TNA’s Orlando Return
– The following is a new tweet from the official Twitter account of TNA Wrestling:
A limited number of VIP Packages remain for #IMPACTLive in Orlando on Nov 21, 22 & 23. Celebrate our return with us! http://t.co/ZBmtMTtO3C
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) November 10, 2013
– The official TNA YouTube channel has added a new “#IMPACT365” video called, “Kurt Angle Shows How They Train in the Angle House,” which features footage of Angle working out with his kids. You can watch the new video below:
http://youtu.be/lswjUP9ie-M
Michael Cole Suffers A Black Eye (Photo), A Video Message From Sunny, Cryme Tyme Reunites
– While shooting footage for The JBL & Cole Show, Michael Cole suffered a black eye. The injury occurred while the WWE announcer played rugby at Huddersfield Stadium in West Yorkshire, England with professional player Eorl Crabtree. John “Bradshaw” Layfield posted this image on Twitter of Cole’s accident.
Check out @michaelcole 'a black eye! A little rugby today at Huddersield with @bigeorl pic.twitter.com/gUYqwgOnyR
— John Layfield (@JCLayfield) November 10, 2013
– WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch recorded this message today promoting her upcoming appearance at the Classic Grand Rock Club in Glasgow, Scotland taking place this Thursday. The event will feature a Q&A session and meet and greet. Event details are available here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCNRQax5PzE
– WWE Superstar JTG reunited with his former partner in crime, Shad Gaspard, this weekend in Venice Beach, California.
What yall know about crystals.lol pic.twitter.com/JVfegon2Vm
— JTG (@Jtg1284) November 10, 2013
Watch Jeff Hardy’s New Music Video, Austin Aries Talks Vegan Lifestyle
– TNA wrestler Austin Aries (@AustinAries) was recently interviewed by “Go Vegan Radio,” where he discussed, among other topics, his vegan lifestyle. You can listen to the audio from that interview online at GoVeganRadio.com. (Thanks to Mark Kruskol for sending along the link.)
– The official TNA YouTube channel has added a music video for the new Jeff Hardy single, “Every Other Day” off of his new album, “Plurality Of World’s.” You can watch the new music video directly below: