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Big Show Speaks On Crying On TV, Cena’s Early Return, Daniel Bryan

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The following are highlights from a recent BetweenTheRopes.com interview with Big Show:

On if he’s always had the ability to cry on command: “No! (laughs) It’s funny because I didn’t come about being able to do that until I did the movie ‘Knucklehead’. It was funny I did my movie ‘Knucklehead’ there was a scene where I had to get upset in the bathroom. I just screwed a bunch of things up and look in the mirror and for my character it was a real stressful moment and I was trying to cry and I didn’t know how to. How the hell do you just cry? Hit my thumb with a hammer or what? One of the other actors gave me some advice, think about something emotional. Think about something that would take you take that feeling and then bleed off that feeling. Everybody was real supportive and I did the scene and the director said it was good and what he wanted. Then I went to my trailer and then for about 45 minutes in my trailer I could stop balling. And I called my buddy was like dude was is wrong with me? Did I break something? I’m blowing snot bubbles, crying, hyperventilating. What is wrong with me? He said that’s what actors do. When they create a channel to that emotion, then they can tap into it and use it at any time. The weird thing is I’m a seven foot, 430 pound killer monster giant but to show an emotional side is actually a different dynamic for my character.”

“Was I happy about doing it every week? No. I was like oh geez I have to cry again? I was getting sick of it but it worked out. Now we’ve flipped full circle and we’re rocking and rolling the other way so its good.”

On John Cena’s early return from surgery: “Surprised but not surprised. I knew John was going to come back early. I didn’t know he would come back this early. I’ve known him for a long time. Since day one when he walked in the door his work ethic and the bar that he sets is a lot higher than everyone else. We’ll fly 16, 18 hours to Australia to the Middle East, Abu Dhabi or something like that. After an 18 hour plane right, the only thing I was to do really is get something to eat, have a nice shower and go to bed. John hits, right away he goes to the gym. No matter how little sleep he’s had, he goes to the gym everyday. He has that work ethic. His drive and his commitment, the things he does for the community and outside things we do for this company like Susan G. Komen and Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics and all the things John does. The guy constantly goes. I think one time someone told him he was like 77 or 78 days in a row without a day off. Like he did something every single day. Most of us go bat nuts crazy after 15, 16 days in a row. We all need to be cooled off and sent home so we can keep our mental faculties. He’s just got that drive and work ethic so I knew he would be back.”

On Daniel Bryan’s rise in WWE: “I think it’s fantastic. I got to work with Daniel when he first came in. I did some stuff with him and he was just very talented in the ring, really good at being a guy you can depend on. That’s the thing about having a long-term career in this business is the dependability factor and relatively injury-free. A lot of guys are great talents but are prone to injuries. Daniel is not prone to injuries knock on wood. He’s one of those kind of guys that no matter what the situation you put him in, he’s going to deliver in it well. When you get that kind of reputation, the only place you can go is up the ladder. That’s why it’s funny now they’re telling him he’s not the face of the company and that whole storyline where a guy like Daniel Bryan is exactly what you want in a locker room leader and a so to speak face of the company because it’s a tremendous work load being that face of the company. There’s a lot of outside things that you have to do and you have to have the ability to step up to the plate and really execute on all levels. That’s something Daniel does very well. I’m happy for him because he’s very humble, great guy, great sense of humor.”

Check out the complete interview below:

HUGE *SPOILER* On The Upcoming Big Show vs. Triple H PPV Match [>>]

Non-Spoiler SmackDown Preview, Snake Radio Episode Two With DDP (Video)

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-The following is a non-spoiler preview of tonight’s WWE SmackDown:

-Michael Cole interviews Triple H
-Luke Harper & Erick Rowan vs. The Uso’s
-A.J. Lee vs. Nikki Bella [Non-Title Match]
-Los Matadores vs. 3MB
-Ryback & Paul Heyman vs. CM Skunk [No-DQ Handicap Match]
-Great Khali vs. Fandango
-Daniel Bryan, Big E. Langston, Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs. Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose

-Jake “The Snake” Roberts has added episode two of his new online “Snake Radio” YouTube show, with special guest Diamond Dallas Page. You can check that out below:

http://youtu.be/49RIzJC5fA4

Update On Jake Roberts In The 2014 WWE Royal Rumble Match [>>]

Triple H & Stephanie’s 10-Year Wedding Anniversary Today; Steph’s Negative First Impression Of Triple H

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Today marks as the ten-year wedding anniversary of WWE power couple Triple H and Stephanie McMahon—the two tied the knot on October 25, 2003 in Sleepy Hollow, New York at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in front of over 300 friends and co-workers.

Triple H’s recently released career retrospective Thy Kingdom Come touches base on their relationship, including its early beginnings. Before entering a fictional relationship in December 1999, the two had minimal contact at work. In the piece, McMahon admits that her initial impression of Hunter was not positive.

“We would have production meetings before the show and he would come in. And I used to think, “man, he’s so disrespectful,” recalls McMahon. “He would come in his jeans and leather jacket and he’d lay himself all out across the chairs and he’d be chewing gum and chomping gum and making jokes-very much who he is. But I kept thinking it was so disrespectful to my dad, this is a business environment. But the whole time I was thinking that, I would absolutely blush. The second he would walk into a room I would feel my face blush.”

*Spoilers* TNA Impact Wrestling Tapings Results (Airing 10/31)

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The following are spoiler results for the October 31st Halloween edition of TNA Impact Wrestling:

– It’s announced that a tournament will be held to crown a new TNA World Heavyweight champion, playing off the storyline that AJ Styles is not under contract with TNA and has left the promotion with the belt. The tournament will feature the following seven competitors:

* Samoa Joe
* Jeff Hardy
* Austin Aries
* Kurt Angle
* James Storm
* Chris Sabin
* Bobby Roode

An eighth will be determined in a gauntlet match later in the show.

– TNA Knockouts Championshion Gail Kim defeated ODB.

– Ethan Carter III defeated a local jobber.

– Magnus won the Gauntlet Match to earn the final spot in the TNA World Heavyweight title tournament. He won by eliminating Sting.

– TNA Tag Team Champions The Bro-Mans defeated James Storm & Gunner.

– Bobby Roode defeated Kurt Angle via count-out. They did the same angle from Bound for Glory, where Kurt went high risk off the top rope, and was knocked out by the move and needed medical attention.

*Spoilers* 4 Weeks Of WWE NXT Tapings Results

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WWE taped 4 episodes of NXT on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Here are spoiler results from the tapings, courtesy of Joseph McGuirk & Prowrestling.net:

Dark Match:

– Jason Jordan beat Tye Dillinger (f/k/a Shawn Spears).

Episode One:

General Manager JBL, NXT Champion Bo Dallas, and Sami Zayn promo starts the show. JBL announces a beat-the-clock challenge to determine the No.1 Contender to the NXT title.

– Alexander Rusev over Colin Cassady to set the time at 5:33.

– Kassius Ohno defeated Tyler Breeze to set the time at about 4:45.

– Hunico and Camacho defeated a jobber team. This one lasted all of about 10 seconds. One of the enhancement talents was Johnny Vandal of FIP. The other went by Chris/Cliff(?) Rockwell.

– Adrian Neville defeated Aiden English with about three seconds to spare.

– Sami Zayn beat Leo Kruger in the same exact time as Neville JBL announced that the main event of the next show will be Zayn vs. Neville to determine No.1 Contender.

Episode Two:

– Antonio Cesaro beat Yoshi Tatsu. Prior to the match, Cesaro roughed up ring announcer Byron Saxton. William Regal ran in to prevent the beating from getting too bad.

– Bo Dallas beat CJ Parker

– Tyler Breeze scored a quick win over Kassius Ohno. Prior to the match, Alexander Rusev attacked Ohno to set up the loss.

– Hunico and Camacho beat NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension in a non-title match.

5. Adrian Neville beat Sami Zayn to become No.1 Contender to the NXT Title. Neville won clean with the Red Arrow in a match desctibed as “awesome by NXT standards.” Bo Dallas was in on commentary for this one.

Hit up Page 2 for the next 2 weeks of spoilers:

Bruce Prichard Talks Brother Love, Says Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant Didn’t Want To Work With Him

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Former WWE and TNA Wrestling executive Bruce Prichard appears on this week’s edition of The Steve Austin Show podcast, where he discussed the Brother Love character, early days in Pasadena and Austin, Texas, working alongside Vince McMahon, and more.

In June 1988, Prichard debuted as Brother Love in the World Wrestling Federation, a disingenuous preacher who claimed to spread “the message of love.” The bizarre red-faced character was inspired by controversial televangelists of the time.

“I debuted, and three weeks after I debuted I had done my first set. I had done my introduction with Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase was my benefactor to carry on my “message of love,” and then my introduction with the Big Bossman. So I had done those three. And right before we went to TV for the next set, the Jim Bakker-Jessica Hahn scandal broke. He was big time man, had that whole thing in North Carolina, and he gets caught in a scandal having sex with his secretary. He’s everywhere all over the news. I was made right there, because of the timing. We couldn’t have written it better,” Prichard recalls.

Brother Love was best known for hosting a weekly interview segment on WWF Superstars of Wrestling, called The Brother Love Show. He used the segment to verbally attack popular WWF Superstars at the time, such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Dusty Rhodes. Prichard admits that Hogan and Andre The Giant did not want to appear on the controversial character’s show—both ultimately did.

“People thought I was doing a spoof on religion. There were guys that wouldn’t work with me. Andre didn’t want to work with me. Andre liked Bruce, but he hated Brother Love. He did not want to be on the show; nothing to do with Brother Love,” said Prichard. “So Vince had me do my hair, get in my Brother Love shit, but not do my [make-up]. And he brought us in, had a sit-down with the boss and said, ‘Andre, it’s good business.’ And Andre agreed, but he hated Brother Love. Hulk Hogan was off at the time, and when came back he was like, “Dude, I don’t want to be out there with you man. Somebody’s gonna pull a gun on you.”

To listen to the 75-minute interview, visit PodcastOne.com.

Damien Sandow Takes On R-Truth On “Superstars”, How Old Is Rosa Mendes?, Daniel Bryan

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– This week on WWE Superstars, Justin Gabriel squares off against Fandango while “Mr. Money in the Bank” Damien Sandow goes one-on-one with R-Truth. Highlights are available here, with complete episodes available on Hulu Plus.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YToVsF3EWTo[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUtBHnpSf_4[/youtube]

– Rosa Mendes was born on this day in 1979 as she turns 34-years-old.

– Daniel Bryan is featured on the cover of the bi-monthly newsstand magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Goldberg Calls Scott Hall “A Waste Of Space”, Summer Rae Talks Life In WWE (Video), Today’s Birthdays

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– There is no love lost between Bill Goldberg and Scott Hall after the two last worked together in World Championship Wrestling over a decade ago. Thursday morning on Twitter, Hall slighted the former World Heavyweight Champion after a fan asked him what “Goldberg!” chants remind him of: “#Goldmark.”

Goldberg was made aware of Hall’s diss on Twitter and responded to a fan, “He’s a waste of space.”

– In this interview with Brian Fritz of Between The Ropes, Summer Rae talked about bringing the ‘Be a STAR’ anti-bullying message to middle school students in Orlando, Florida, being on the road with WWE, partnering with Fandango, training to get in the ring, cheesy pick up lines and more.

– Celebrating birthdays Friday are former WWE, WCW and ECW competitors Perry Saturn and 2 Cold Scorpio. Saturn turns 47 while the former Flash Funk turns 48. On Thursday, Bill Dundee turned 70-years-old while Dale Torborg, who appeared as The Demon in WCW, turned 42.

Unhappiness In WWE Over Triple H’s Promo On Raw, Jericho, Edge & RVD Not Contacted Ahead Of Time

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Monday on Raw during the contact signing for the WWE Championship Match between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell, Triple H offended WWE Superstars and fans alike with his verbal burial of the talents of Bryan, as well as Chris Jericho, Edge and Rob Van Dam. WWE’s Chief Operating Officer grouped Bryan with his three predecessors and declared that like them, he is not capable of being “The Face of WWE.”

“Here’s the thing, Daniel. I’ve seen guys like you come and go a million times. Guys like Jericho, Edge, Rob Van Dam. All guys that are very talented, don’t get me wrong. Top guys! Very popular! But not “the one.” Never were they “the one.” And maybe nobody wants to say this, but it needs to be said: It’s a fact. If any of those guys had been the face of the WWE back in the day, we’d all be working for Ted Turner right now,” said Hunter.

“You think you’re playing in the big leagues, kid? You have no idea. You step inside that Hell in a Cell and I have a feeling you’re gonna prove to the world that you’re a B+ player.”

Bryan subsequently challenged Triple H to a match. “The Game” responded by saying he’s a “A+ player” and “a star” who only faces the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock and Brock Lesnar.

As reported the following day, the Chief Operating Officer’s controversial remarks had a lot of people shaking their heads backstage since they feel he was burying Bryan as a performer rather than knocking him in a villainous manner that would lead to Bryan gaining retribution. Meanwhile, Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio (audio available here) on Wednesday that Jericho, Edge and Van Dam were not given notice to the angle ahead of time.

Following Raw, Jericho went on Twitter to respond to Triple H.

Later that day, Jericho downplayed his reaction to Triple H. Responding to a tweet that labeled what Hunter said as “completely untrue and unfair,” Jericho wrote, “No big deal. Always nice to be mentioned on Raw.”

Meltzer speculated that Jericho was legitimately upset with Hunter’s remarks. He added, “I can tell you with 100% certainty with the Jericho situation, that it was not an angle.”

Meltzer garnered reaction from some WWE talent on the controversial promo, many of whom felt it was counter-productive. They also felt that Hunter’s dismissive remarks are legitimate gripes.

“As far as the talent in the dressing room—the reaction that I got from a couple of people, was basically that they all thought that the interview was counter-productive,” said Meltzer. “They all felt that Triple H, while he will say “well, I was only working,” those were his true thoughts on those guys, and it didn’t make people very happy overall.”

Bischoff Not Backstage At Tonight’s Impact Taping, Kim On Tapa/Kong Comparisons, Preview Impact

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– Eric Bischoff, who serves as Executive Producer of Impact Wrestling, is not backstage at tonight’s show in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to two sources with the organization, he is not expected to resurface anytime soon, which has a number of employees happy. The exact reason for his absence has yet to be disclosed.

– Sunday at Bound For Glory, Gail Kim captured the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship for a third time by defeating ODB and Brooke, with assistance from Lei’D Tapa. The new champ, however, would prefer that fans not compare Tapa to former TNA Women’s Knockout Champion Awesome Kong.

“People need to stop comparing @LeiD_Tapa to awesome kong,” Kim wrote on Twitter. “Tapa Is at least smart enough who to align herself with #teamgail.”

– The official YouTube account of TNA Wrestling released the following video previewing tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjJG2fDS2Rs

(source: PWInsider.com)

Joey Styles On Dolph Ziggler Being Underutilized, Promoting Hulk Hogan On WWE.com, Online Fans

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Joey Styles, Vice President of Digital Media Content for WWE, appeared on VOC Wrestling Nation to help celebrate the one-year anniversary of the program’s move from AM Radio to the Cloud. In the interview, Styles discussed Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan’s rise to success, promoting Hulk Hogan on WWE.com the day it was reported on various websites that his contract with TNA Wrestling had expired, and more. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

Dolph Ziggler being underutilized: “My very good friend Dolph Ziggler isn’t being used to the best of his potential. You want to be very careful who you hand the ball to, but I think Dolph is someone that you can absolutely hand the ball to because his work is very exciting. He is unbelievably crisp and great on the mic; he is a big fan of standup comedy and he can ad lib as well (if he is given permission to do it). He’s also never going to embarrass the company, he’s never going to get in trouble with the law, he’s a model guy.”

Daniel Bryan’s rise to success: “The storyline got him over the top to be someone that you would by a ticket for. I was such a fan of his before he even came to WWE. The whole idea of making him lose in 18 seconds to Sheamus did more for him than winning by cheating. That was good for Daniel Bryan (it led to the YES chant the next night on Raw). The fact that the entire company (on the storyline) is ganging up against him, (is a result of the fact that) you wouldn’t do that for someone that you weren’t ready to hand the ball to.”

Internet fans being relevant: “People say Internet fans like they’re a small group. More people have the Internet than have cable tv now. They’re not a vocal minority, they are the only vocal fans. Nobody in our company wanted to acknowledge that (Twitter and Social Media) was as big as it was; but thankfully we got ahead of that and we as a company are huge on Social Media.”

Hulk Hogan being on the front page of WWE.com the day that the Internet reported that his TNA contract expired: “Absolutely (that was intentional). Nobody at WWE.com knows if the (front office) is talking to Hulk Hogan. But it’s out there on every other site; we know that fans are thinking it, so why wouldn’t we use all of the videos and content that we own and use it on the site to build traffic and entertain the fans?”

To listen to the audio interview, visit VOCNation.com.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Kicks Off Filming “Fast & Furious 7”, Hell in a Cell Matches Simulated In WWE ’13

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– After concluding six months of filming for Hercules: The Thracian Wars last week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is crossing over to filming for Fast & Furious 7, where “The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment” reprises his role as the hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs.

Fast & Furious 7 will hit theaters in July 2014, while Hercules: The Thracian Wars comes out the following month.

– Promoting Hell in a Cell, the official YouTube account has released a WWE ’13 simulation of CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman, as AJ Lee vs. Brie Bella.

Jim Ross Blog: WM30 Weekend Offers, HIAC Thoughts, WWE Hall Of Fame & More

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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 JR said about:

Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view: It will be interesting to see how different the two Hell in a Cell matches are this Sunday on the next , WWE PPV. Because the handicap match featuring CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman and Ryback is more of an ‘attraction,’ so making the two, HIAC matches unique should be less challenging.”

“The money in that HIAC match is obviously Punk closing the current chapter on his issue with Heyman. In the old days, we cranky, old veterans like to use that term when possible, Heyman’s fate would come to a graphic and definitive end. As I said, in the old days. Heyman means more to the match that does any of his villains. I expect Heyman to lose consciousness and to be stretchered out.”

“Hopefully, Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton will establish a helluva wrestling match before they start to utilize all the gimmicks that the giant, steel structure provides. That gives the fans the best of both worlds or so it would seem to me. Logic says that the underdog wins but who knows now days…?”

“The returning John Cena World Title Bout vs. the champion Alberto Del Rio feels a touch lost in the shuffle. Perhaps because it was made essentially out of no where or perhaps, Del Rio has little momentum, or because Cena is returning early from his surgery and he doesn’t feel as if he’s been gone that long to make his return even more special.”

The job the announcers did on Monday’s RAW: “Happy to hear the announce team Monday night point out that ADR would likely target Cena’s arm Sunday on PPV. Any time announcers can make believable, common sense points, no matter if they are a play by play guy or a color analysts, it helps the storytelling. However, telling back stories and constantly trying to fill in gaps in creative while story telling at the expense of not getting talent ‘over’ is a kiss of death. Conversational story telling doesn’t always facilitate the imperative, emotional investment needed to establish and build stars of which the business revolves around.”

Offers he’s been receiving lately: “Getting lots of offers to do a variety of things in New Orleans during WM30 week but so far I’ve declined as we’ve got other thoughts in mind at this time. Stay tuned.”

“I talked to Cowboy Bill Watts this week, who’s doing well by the way, and brainstormed with him about a potential gig that he might want to do during WM30 week but it has nothing to do with what I’m pursuing.”

His thoughts on the WWE Hall Of Fame: “Still getting tons of WWE Hall of Fame questions that I have no answers for but I will say that it is a head scratcher why men like Lou Thesz and Dan Hodge have not ben inducted. These two men, among others obviously, are no brainers. How can a viable argument be made as to why not?”

Press Release: Storylines For The Return Of “Total Divas” Revealed

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E! issued the following press release on Thursday:

E! Sets Premiere Dates for TOTAL DIVAS & New Series THE DRAMA QUEEN

E! continues to build on its powerhouse Sunday night reality block with the return of fan favorite “Total Divas ” on November 10 at 10:00pm, following the season finale of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.” Then, on Sunday, November 17 the network will debut its newest series “The Drama Queen” at 11:00pm. A lineup of powerful women, the fierce Divas of WWE and the star of “The Drama Queen” Marki Costello, prove that no matter whether your battles are in or out of the ring, winning is everything.

Six new episodes of “Total Divas” debut on Sunday, November 10, when season one of E!’s breakout hit series continues to take viewers inside the lives of the biggest female names in WWE: Nikki and Brie Bella (WWE Divas “The Bella Twins”), Nattie (WWE Diva “Natalya”), Trinity (WWE Diva “Naomi”), Ariane (WWE Diva “Cameron”) and WWE Divas-in-training Eva Marie and JoJo. The series picks up with Eva Marie causing more drama amongst the Divas, when she lands a spot in WWE’s SummerSlam event. She pushes Nikki Bella too far when she fuels the rumor that she will become John Cena’s (Nikki’s boyfriend) personal valet. Meanwhile, Ariane’s anger issues begin to affect her relationships with her family, boyfriend and co-workers and Trinity accidentally humiliates Nattie in front of millions of fans days before the biggest match of her career. Later in the season, E! cameras Capture WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan’s surprise proposal to Brie Bella.

In a world where all you need is a video to go viral for instant notoriety, those that seek sustainability past 15 minutes call on one person: Marki Costello. Costello, the granddaughter of Hollywood royalty, famed comedian Lou Costello, has been a talent manager and hosting coach for over 20 years working with the likes of CeeLo Green, Kelly Osbourne and countless others. Whether it’s coaching the famous or discovering untapped talent, Costello is a pro at spotting and turning an unknown into a household name. Costello’s day consist of not only Being the boss at her Creative Management Entertainment Group, one of the busiest and most successful management firms in Los Angeles, to co-parenting two sons with longtime partner Tommy. In the end, what Marki wants, Marki gets.

Tune-in Sunday, November 10 at 10:00pm for the return of “Total Divas” and the series premiere of “The Drama Queen” on November 17 at 11:00pm

About E! Entertainment

E! is television’s top global destination for all things pop culture. The network is currently available to 98 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S. and E! content is available on all platforms anytime and anywhere from E! Online to social media to mobile to VOD to the latest emerging platforms. Popular programming includes E! core franchises, “E! News,” “The Soup,” “Chelsea Lately,” “Fashion Police” and “True Hollywood Story,” as well as the network’s popular series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami,” “Married to Jonas” and “Total Divas.” Additionally, E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet” signature events keep fans connected to their favorite stars on pop culture’s biggest nights. E! is a network of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.

Huge *SPOILERS* For The Upcoming Season Of WWE Total Divas — CLICK HERE!

TNA Returning To Orlando For Impact Tapings, December Taping Canceled

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TNA Impact Wrestling officials held a talent meeting this afternoon in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Maverik Center—site of tonight’s Impact Wrestling tapings—announcing that the company will cease touring Impact Wrestling on a continuous basis in the United States on Nov. 7 in Cincinnati, Ohio in Cincinnati Gardens.

Press Release: TNA Launches 24/7 Social Media Initiative, Announces Return To Orlando

The company will return to its former base, Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, for television tapings on Nov. 21, 22 and 23. Dates at the venue in December, which will carry the Spike program through January, are currently being finalized.

While the television tapings will be held at Universal Studios Florida, it is said that the events will not emanate from the same sound stage that housed the Impact Zone. The sound stage is smaller length-wise, but features wider space.

The Dec. 27 taping scheduled for the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been canceled, according to F4WOnline.com. At the moment, an event listing currently remains on ImpactWrestling.com.

After taking Impact Wrestling on the road in March, TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter stated in an interview that the organization had no intention on returning to Orlando, Florida. However, financial concerns and lackluster attendance has forced TNA to return to its longtime home.

(Source: f4wonline.com)

VIDEO: Clean-Shaved Sheamus Speaks On His Injury, Timetable For WWE Return

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As noted previously, WWE Superstar Sheamus has somewhat of a new look, as he has officially shaved off his trademark beard.

In a new interview with Between The Ropes, the WWE Superstar talks about his shoulder injury, the timetable for his WWE return and how he’s been spending his free time.

Check out the Sheamus interview below:

NEW Matches & Huge *SPOILERS* For Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell Pay-Per-View!

Major Chagnes To TNA: Impact Returning To Orlando, Creative Changes & More

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TNA issued the following press release on Thursday, announcing several major changes to how the company operates. To summarize:

  • TNA’s weekly Impact Wrestling will be returning to Universal Studios Orlando, Florida. However, they won’t be taping in the former Impact Zone. Impact will take place from a different sound stage that is smaller in length but wider on the inside. The first set of Impact tapings from Universal Studios will take place on November 21st. Impact will also occasionally take place on the road.
  • TNA has launched a new “24/7” cross-platform initiative, where “cameras everywhere” programming will be incorporated into the Impact Wrestling show.
  • TNA will be undergoing a “refreshed creative approach.”
  • Several new characters will be coming to TNA soon.
  • TNA’s developmental system will be moving to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, which appears to be the end of their working relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling.

UPDATE: TNA Holds Talent Meeting Backstage At The Site Of Tonight’s Impact Tapings

Hit up Page 2 for the full press release – we’ve added bolded-emphasis to several key parts of the announcement:

Ratings Breakdown For The “Countdown To Bound For Glory” Special On Spike TV

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The “Countdown to Bound For Glory” special that aired on Spike TV last Sunday night drew a final a 0.11 cable rating among adults 18-49, and a 0.15 cable rating among males 18-49.

By comparison, the “Bar Rescue” program on Spike TV, which aired both before and after the Countdown special, drew a 0.23 rating among adults 18-49 and a 0.25 rating among males 18-49 for the lead-in. The episode of “Bar Rescue” (which was a repeat) that followed the Countdown special drew a 0.18 among adults 18-49 and a 0.20 among males 18-49. The key is the viewership increased for the repeat of an old episode after the Countdown special concluded.

UPDATE: Is AJ Styles Staying With TNA Or Leaving?

The Rock To Star In A New TNT Reality Series

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Deadline.com reports that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be starring in (and Executive Producing) a new reality series called “Wake Up Call.”

The premise of the show is “Johnson lending a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges in their lives.”

The show will air on TNT, which has ordered eight 1-hour episodes, slated for a 2014 premiere.

David Eilenberg, SVP, unscripted development for TNT and TBS, says:

“We had a wonderful time working with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on The Hero, in which he challenged and mentored a group of everyday heroes. Wake Up Call evolved from our experience on The Hero and is its natural successor, bringing the human spirit of that show home to take on everyday challenges.”

The report notes that there will not be a second series of The Rock’s first TNT series, The Hero.

Big Show Scheduled For WWE NXT Taping, Update On Former WWE COO

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-Former WWE COO Donna Goldsmith and ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor Steve Levy will be headlining a Sports Media and Business Professionals panel at the Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit. The event will take place on November 6th at Oswego State University of New York at the Waterman Theater. For more information, visit Oswego.edu.

-WWE returns to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida on Thursday to tape another set of television episodes for WWE NXT. Scheduled as the special guest for this month is currently “fired” main-roster WWE Superstar Big Show. Additionally, other main-roster WWE Superstars and WWE Divas are scheduled to take part in the taping. We should have a full report from the tapings up on the website on Friday.

Update On Plans For Big Show vs. Triple H Match — CLICK HERE!

TNA Returning To Orlando, Florida For Impact Wrestling Tapings, December Taping In Philadelphia Canceled

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TNA Wrestling officials held a talent meeting this afternoon in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Maverik Center—site of tonight’s Impact Wrestling tapings—announcing that the company will cease touring Impact Wrestling on a continuous basis in the United States on Nov. 7 in Cincinnati, Ohio in Cincinnati Gardens.

The company will return to its former base, Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, for television tapings on Nov. 21, 22 and 23. Dates at the venue in December, which will carry the Spike program through January, are currently being finalized.

While the television tapings will be held at Universal Studios Florida, it is said that the events will not emanate from the same sound stage that housed the Impact Zone. The sound stage is smaller length-wise, but features wider space.

The Dec. 27 taping scheduled for the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been canceled, according to F4WOnline.com. At the moment, an event listing currently remains on ImpactWrestling.com.

After taking Impact Wrestling on the road in March, TNA Wrestling president Dixie Carter stated in an interview that the organization had no intention on returning to Orlando, Florida. However, financial concerns and lackluster attendance has forced TNA to return to its longtime home.

(sources: F4WOnline.com, PWInsider.com)

Ken Shamrock Talks Issues He Had With WWE, Working With The Rock & More

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights from a new WWE.com “Where Are They Now?” interview with UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock:

On how he initially entered WWE: “Vince McMahon reached out and showed a big interest in me and in changing pro wrestling as we knew it. He came to me and said I could come to WWE and they’d build me into something special. I appreciated his confidence in me.

On his work in WWE with The Rock: “It was great. Working with him is what almost got me to that next level. I thought that, with the matches I had with The Rock, I was going to move up and go after him for the WWE Title. For some reason, that never happened.”

On issues he had with WWE in the past: “I wasn’t being serious and doing what I needed to do to improve. I got bitter, but it was stupid on my part. There were so many guys that deserved an opportunity at the WWE Championship that didn’t get it, that probably deserved it. I look back on it and think I was truly blessed to have gotten those opportunities.”

Check out the complete interview online at WWE.com.

DIRECT LINK TO ARTICLE: A Different UFC Legend In Talks With WWE [READ >>]

Undertaker vs. Lesnar Planned For WrestleMania, Shawne Merriman To WWE?

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– The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar is being planned for WrestleMania XXX. WWE officials remain optimistic that Undertaker will be healthy to compete at next year’s show – and they have a storyline built in, based off their confrontation at a UFC pay-per-view several years ago when Lesnar was UFC Heavyweight champion.

– Former NFL player Shawne Merriman, who had a Twitter beef with CM Punk last year, is training to become a WWE Superstar. Bill DeMott noted on Twitter that Merriman was at the WWE Performance Center training this week – and Merriman himself posted the following on Facebook after his first day at the Performance Center:

A hard days work 1 down 364 to go #PainWhatPain #LightsOut”

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Former WWE Superstar Recalls Conversation He Had With Vince McMahon

Matt Boone
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The following are highlights from a recent Newsday interview with former WWE Superstar and member of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), Christopher Nowinski:

On a conversation he remembers having with Vince McMahon: “He let me know how proud he was [of SLI], how far the research had come, the influence we had in changing the culture in sports. And he really opened up the door to saying how could we work together, both to protect the talent in WWE, but it’s also ingrained that they’re supporting CTE research that will benefit athletes, military veterans and the world at large.”

On how WWE compares to other sports in terms of what he does: “The NFL has also been supportive financially of our research. I think what’s most special to me — I do a lot of speaking on this and a lot of training. Very few professional leagues have invited me in front of their talent, in front of the athletes. because I think they’re sometimes concerned about what message they’ll get, and their ability to maybe put them back into a big game when they need them. I think some leagues like that the players don’t necessarily know the risks they’re being exposed to.”

Check out the complete interview online at Newsday.com.

NEW Matches & Huge *SPOILERS* For Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell PPV!

Cena vs. Del Rio On SmackDown, Howard Stern Co-Host To Date Top Wrestler?

Matt Boone
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-In addition to being planned as the top two matches at Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view, both Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan and John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio are being advertised locally for next Tuesday night’s WWE SmackDown television taping, likely as post-show dark matches.

-On Wednesday’s edition of the Howard Stern Radio Show, frequent caller and member of the “Wack Pack,” Eric The Midget, informed Stern that TNA Impact Wrestling star Magnus was interested in dating Stern’s co-host, Robin Quivers. They showed Quivers a photo of Magnus and she apparently seemed interested.

*SPOILER* On Post-Hell In A Cell Plans For John Cena — CLICK HERE!

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