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Preview Upcoming “Total Divas” Episodes, Maria Kanellis’ Boyfriend Defends Her Vocal Opinion

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The official YouTube account of WWE has released a video previewing additional episodes of E!s Total Divas.

Highlights include the crew partying in Las Vegas, John Cena, Daniel Bryan and The Bella Twins jet-setting together, Brie referencing various Twitter users labeling Nikki as “fat,” John asking Nikki to meet his family, Cameron acknowledging her small bust, Nikki feeling threatened by Eva Marie, Natalya appeared sexually frustrated with Tyson Kidd, Eva Marie taking off her engagement ring for a business meeting with Fandango, JoJo having a rough start in WWE, Stephanie McMahon threatening to terminate Eva Marie’s contract, Naomi getting physical with Jey Uso and Nikki being hauled in an ambulance.

During last night’s premiere episode, former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis posted numerous messages on Twitter slamming the twin duo’s real-life characters—she has claimed multiple times in recent weeks that Nikki and Brie prevented her from returning to the sports-entertainment organization earlier this year through political means. This drew a great negative reaction from fans on the social media outlet. Her boyfriend, Ring of Honor wrestler Mike Bennett, posted a statement on Twitter on Monday defending her right to speak out.

“Funny that the same people who complain about what’s wrong w wrestling, are the same ones who blast someone when they speak out against it,” Bennett wrote. “Nobody gets anywhere by going w the crowd. stand up for what u believe in, or just keep ur mouth shut and follow blindly.

He continued, “I respect someone who has the balls to speak up,and if that makes them bitter and jealous. What does it make the ones who r afraid to speak.”

Kanellis added, “Family, fancy, friends, dogs, morals, and career are all things I will ALWAYS protect. No one has the right to do damage to my future.”

E! Issues Press Release Touting Ratings Success Of “Total Divas” Series Premiere

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E! issued the following press release on Monday afternoon:

E!’S “TOTAL DIVAS” SERIES PREMIERE DELIVERS 1.3 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT 10PM

New E! Series Taking Viewers Inside the World of WWE Divas Both Inside and Outside the Ring Delivers E!’s Most Watched Series Debut Since “Married to Jonas” in August 2012

In last night’s series debut at 10pm, “Total Divas” delivered 1.3 MM Total Viewers / 855K A18-49 / 1.1 HH rtg making it E!’s most-watched new series debut since Married to Jonas in August 2012.

“Total Divas” was the 2ndmost social program in all ad-supported cable for the day (65K), behind only E!’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

Across both airings at 10pm and midnight, “Total Divas” delivered 2 MM Total Viewers and 1.3 MM in its core demo, A18-49.

“Total Divas” launched off the back of the continued strength of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which delivered its 2ndmost-watched telecast of Season 8 with 2.8 MM Total Viewers.

*SPOILERS* For This Season Of Total Divas ->

WWE RAW Tonight (Non-Spoiler Preview): Confirmed Matches, More

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Tonight’s edition of WWE RAW was taped last Tuesday night in Laredo, Texas. Below is a non-spoiler look at what fans can expect from tonight’s event.

-The Shield vs. Mark Henry & The Usos

-Rob Van Dam vs. Fandango

-AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn (Non-Title Match)

-Big E. Langston vs. Dolph Ziggler

-Natalya vs. Brie Bella

-Kane vs. Daniel Bryan

-Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth

-John Cena vs. Ryback (Tables Match)

Fans interested in reading full results for tonight’s show before it airs can check out our RAW spoiler report at the following link: (Spoilers) Complete WWE RAW Taping Results For July 29, 2013.

TONS Of Backstage News From Last Week’s Quadruple WWE TV Tapings! **CLICK HERE**

Watch SummerSlam 1991 In 60 Seconds, How Many Performers On The Show Have Since Died?

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Continuing its promotion of SummerSlam on August 18 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, the official YouTube account of WWE has posted highlights of the 1991 version in a 60-second video. The event was highlighted by the on-screen wedding of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, dubbed “A Match Made in Heaven” by the organization—Savage and Elizabeth had been legitimately married since December of 1984

The 1991 edition of SummerSlam is also notable for the lengthy list of performers who appeared on the show to have since died, many of which were as a result of drug-related causes. Altogether, fifteen talents who participated on the pay-per-view have passed away. The list is follows:

* Andre the Giant (André René Roussimoff)

* Big Boss Man (Raymond Washington Traylor, Jr.)

* British Bulldog (David Boy Smith)

* Earthquake (John Anthony Tenta, Jr.)

* Gorilla Monsoon (Robert James Marella)

* Hawk (Michael James Hegstrand)

* Hercules (Raymond Fernandez)

* Joey Marella (Joseph Adriano Marella)

* “Lord” Alfred Hayes (Alfred George James Hayes)

* “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Randy Mario Poffo)

* Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Ann Hulette)

* Mr. Perfect (Curtis Michael Hennig)

* Sensational Sherri (Sherri Schrull)

* Texas Tornado (Kerry Gene Adkisson)

* The Coach (John Tolos)

Details On ECW Unreleased Vol. 2, 2013 Mid-Atlantic Fanfest Available On iPPV, More

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-WWE will be releasing “ECW Unreleased Volume 2” worldwide (and in the official SESCOOPS.COM Store) this Tuesday. The DVD and Blu-ray set will be hosted by ECW originals Joey Styles and Tommy Dreamer. Below is a full rundown of what fans can expect from the release:

Disc 1:

We Are Back!

Tommy Dreamer vs. Tazmaniac
Hardcore TV * October 19, 1993

Terry Funk & Arn Anderson vs. Sabu & Bobby Eaton
When Worlds Collide * May 14, 1994

Hardcore Legends

Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk
Hardcore Heaven * August 13, 1994

“I Quit” Match
Tommy Dreamer vs. The Sandman
Hardcore TV * October 4, 1994

Wrestling Machines

Eddie Guerrero & The Steiner Brothers vs. 2 Cold Scorpio, Dean Malenko & Cactus Jack
Wrestlepalooza * August 5, 1995

Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer
Holiday Hell * December 29, 1995

The Public Enemy vs. The Gangstas
House Party * January 5, 1996

Disc 2:

A Good Idea At The Time

Extreme Hardcore Shoot Fight
Chris Jericho vs. Taz
Lost Battalion Hall * April 13, 1996

ECW World Television Championship Match
2 Cold Scropio vs. Shane Douglas
A Matter of Respect * May 11, 1996

The Flagstaff

Sabu vs. Chris Jericho
Plymouth Meeting, PA * August 29, 1996

Dick Togo, Terry Boy & Taka Michinoku vs. Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa & Great Sasuke
Hardcore TV * March 27, 1997

Tag Team Wrestling Done Right

Three Way Dance for ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Eliminators vs. The Gangstas vs. The Dudleys
The Buffalo Invasion * May 17, 1997

Disc 3:

Real Heat

The Sandman, Taz, Tommy Dreamer & Al Snow vs. Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Doug Furnas & Philip LaFon
Hardcore TV * January 5, 1998

ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Shane Douglas vs. Al Snow
Wrestlepalooza * May 3, 1998

ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Candido & Lance Storm vs. Sabu & Rob Van Dam
Hardcore TV * June 29, 1998

A Real Clash of Styles

Three Way Dance for the FTW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sabu vs. Taz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
ECW Arena * August 8, 1998

ECW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Dudleys vs. Spike Dudley & Balls Mahoney
Hardcore TV * August 23, 1999

Stepping Up

ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Mike Awesome vs. Rhino
ECW on TNN * October 1, 1999

Extreme Three Way Dance
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Super Crazy
November to Remember * November 7, 1999

The Ultimate Underdog

ECW World Television Championship Match
Rob Van Dam vs. Mikey Whipwreck
ECW on TNN * January 28, 2000

Three Way Dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Justin Credible vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Steve Corino
ECW on TNN * September 29, 2000

End of an Era

Blu-ray Exclusives:

911 vs. Doink the Clown
Hardcore TV * August 27, 1994

Steel Cage Match
The Sandman, 2 Cold Scorpio & New Jack vs. The Public Enemy & Mikey Whipwreck
Gangsta’s Paradise * September 16, 1995

Four Way Dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Terry Funk vs. Raven vs. Stevie Richards vs. The Sandman
The Buffalo Invasion * May 17, 1997

The Dudleys vs. The Public Enemy
Detroit, Michigan * January 23, 1999

Tommy Dreamer vs. Lance Storm
Hardcore Heaven * May 16, 1999

Japanese Death Match
Super Crazy vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri
Hardcore TV * February 11, 2000

DVD Runtime: 7 hours and 14 minutes
Blu-ray Runtime: 8 hours and 52 minutes

-The annual Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Fanfest returns this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Fanfest will begin this Thursday, and will run through Sunday evening.

Among those scheduled to appear as featured guests throughout the four days the Fanfest is in town are: Ole Anderson, Lars Anderson, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, Les Thatcher, The Rock N’ Roll Express, Jim Cornette, The Midnight Express, Johnny Powers, Danny Miller, Leilani Kai, Susan Green, “Dr.” Tom Prichard, Rich Landrum, Bob Caudle, Mr. Wrestling II, Tully Blanchard, Ivan Koloff, Tiger Conway Jr., Denny Brown, Gerald Brisco, Ken Patera, Manny Fernandez, Baron Von Raschke, The Kernodles, The Mulkeys, Jerry Jarrett, Tommy Angel, Tommy Young, Moondog Rex and Scrappy McGowan.

All of the events scheduled for the Fanfest this weekend will be available for the first time ever on iPPV. For more information, visit MidAtlanticLegends.com.

Details On Major Last-Minute Change In Plans For WWE SummerSlam!

WWE Battleground PPV Details, Fast 6 Approaching $750 Million Worldwide

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– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s latest film “Fast & Furious 6” opened in China over the weekend and took in $24 million at the box office. This Universal Pictures’ biggest opening weekend ever in China.

As of Sunday evening, Fast & Furious 6 has grossed a staggering $741,099,000 worldwide since opening on May 24th.

– Following up on our earlier reports of a new WWE pay-per-view called Battleground, WWE.com has now officially announced the show.

“On Sunday, Oct. 6, WWE pay-per-view returns to Buffalo, N.Y., for the first time in two years with an all-new, landmark event: WWE Battleground!”

“Featuring all of the top WWE Superstars and Divas — including WWE Champion John Cena, CM Punk, Rob Van Dam, “Mr. Money in the Bank” Randy Orton and more — the inaugural WWE Battleground is sure to be a spectacular that no WWE fan will want to miss.”

The show takes place from Buffalo’s First Niagara Center, with tickets going on sale this Saturday (8/3) at the arena box office and Tickets.com.

* Candid Photos of NXT Women’s Champion PAGE Before She Was In WWE

ROH TV Gets Clearance In Several New Markets, Ric Flair For President, More

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-Mandatory.com recently published a humorous article detailing why WWE Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair should be the next President of the United States of America. You can check out the feature online at Mandatory.com.

-WWE will be making their return to Hidalgo, Texas on September 27th. Tickets go on sale online for the WWE live event in Hidalgo starting this Saturday, August 3rd.

-Sinclair Broadcasting, the television home for Ring Of Honor, issued the following press release on Monday afternoon:

BALTIMORE, JULY 29, 2013 — – Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) (the “Company” or “Sinclair”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the stock of Perpetual Corporation and the equity interest of Charleston Television, LLC, both owned and controlled by the Allbritton family (“Allbritton”), for an aggregate purchase price of $985.0 million. The Allbritton stations consist of seven ABC Network affiliates, covering 4.9% of the U.S. TV households, and NewsChannel 8, a 24-hour cable/satellite news network covering the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) and antitrust clearance, as applicable. The Company anticipates that the transaction will close and fund in the fourth quarter of 2013, subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions. The Company expects to fund the purchase price at closing through a bank loan and/or by accessing the capital markets.

To comply with FCC local television ownership rules, Sinclair expects to sell the license and certain related assets of its existing stations in Birmingham, AL – WABM (MNT) and WTTO (CW), Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York, PA – WHP (CBS), and Charleston, SC – WMMP (MNT) and to provide sales and other non-programming support services to each of these stations pursuant to customary shared services and joint sales agreements.

The Allbritton stations to be owned and operated are:

Station Affil. Market DMA(1)
WJLA ABC Washington, DC 8
WBMA ABC Birmingham/Tuscaloosa/Anniston, AL (2) 42
WCFT ABC Birmingham/Tuscaloosa/Anniston, AL(2) 42
WJSU ABC Birmingham/Tuscaloosa/Anniston, AL(2) 42
WHTM ABC Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York, PA 43
KATV ABC Little Rock/Pine Bluff, AR 56
KTUL ABC Tulsa, OK 59
WSET ABC Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA 68
WCIV ABC Charleston, SC 98

(1) Represents television designated market areas according to the Nielsen Company. The numbers in the column represent the ranking in terms of size of the DMA out of the 210 generally recognized DMAs in the United States.

(2) WJSU and WCFT, along with associated low-power station WBMA, simulcast all local and network programming to the combined market.

In addition, the Company will acquire Allbritton’s NewsChannel 8, the region’s only 24-hour local cable/satellite news network dedicated to covering news, weather, sports and local information to over 2 million households in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

“We are thrilled to add the Allbritton properties to our growing portfolio and national footprint,” commented David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair. “To buy a full-blown news operation in our nation’s capital and an infrastructure that allows us to be connected to our branches of government and be at the pulse of national issues is a once-in-a lifetime event. We are especially excited to acquire the NewsChannel 8 local news channel, not only for the content it can provide our existing news stations, but moreover because their regional cable presence provides the perfect platform should we decide to expand it into other markets, especially given the amount of local news we produce across our entire portfolio.”

Including the Allbritton station acquisitions, all previously announced acquisitions, and pro forma for expected synergies, the Company’s 2011 and 2012 net broadcast revenues would have been $1.609 billion and $1.865 billion, respectively. The $985.0 million purchase price represents an 8.7x multiple of the average 2011-2012 cash flow including $21.5 million of operating synergies, which excludes any synergies associated with rolling out a national news cable channel. At an 8.5x enterprise to cash flow multiple, the additional synergies create approximately $1.83 of added equity value.

Update On Ric Flair’s WWE TV Return + News On Huge Changes To SummerSlam […]

Taeler Hendrix Says Dixie Carter Told Her She Was Too “Heavy” To Appear On TNA Television

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Taeler Hendrix alleged in an interview over the weekend that TNA Wrestling President Dixie Carter felt she was too “heavy” to be on television.

Carter’s reaction was in response to Hendrix’s match against Mickie James on the June 6 episode of Impact Wrestling—her final bout for the organization.

“I do have my qualms. Don’t tell me on my birthday that I’m “heavy” to be on TV,” Hendrix said about Carter on The Greg DeMarco Show. “I’m a size three, that’s not fat at all! I’m a role model for young girls, there’s nothing plastic about me.”

Compared to her figure the year prior, Hendrix felt she was “too skinny,” noting that she “got really skinny just to get on television.” She continued, “Someone said I looked like a skeleton, and then I started looking at my pictures and I was like “Oh my God, I really do!” I’m taller than [most female wrestlers] but I’m not bigger than them.”

Hendrix also revealed that she put on weight following a recent cancer scare.

“On top of that, my cancer stuff came back. I had no choice to gain weight, and I’m really happy that I did,” said Hendrix. “What I’m battling right now is cervical cancer—and when I say battling I mean I’m trying to not get it. I wasn”t setting a good example. I felt like I was a hypocrite. I would rather be healthy and stay cancer free.”

Hendrix also addressed her departure from TNA Wrestling, the mood in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Velvet Sky and other topics. Additional highlights from the interview are as follows:

Her departure from TNA Wrestling: “It was kind of a whirlwind … a long time in the making … I was super-duper unhappy … the All-American Dream … BAM! Hit in the face! It’s not happening girl, wake up! I got papers in the mail to re-sign for another year in developmental at OVW for TNA … Before I could tell them that I wouldn’t re-sign, I got the call the day before my contract expired to tell me I was released. … Maybe they can use that spot for someone they actually know what they want to do with. … I’m not offended—I’m a lot happier.”

Whether the mood in Ohio Valley Wrestling has changed since the recent TNA releases: “Yes, actually. Now that I’m not signed anymore, I think I’m enjoying it more—from an OVW standpoint. … It’s home… There’s wrestling every single week, you can’t get more work than that. … I am loving my character right now, she’s awesome. … She’s like that girl we all hated in high school. … A lot of people who were released, they’re gone.”

Velvet Sky: “She has found a way to stick it out … and she was released at one point. … Velvet Sky is money. … And if I have someone who makes me money, I’m going to keep them around. … She’s not the best wrestler in the world, but neither am I. … She makes money. … Velvet Sky has some of the most loyal fans in the world. … She has a great personality, in ring and out. … And you know what? She’s gotten much better. … I’m a fan—she can keep letting the pigeons loose. … That girl’s a hot commodity.”

Hendrix also discusses the online reaction to her release, her upcoming appearances for Shine Wrestling, how she keeps finding family in wrestling, her goals outside of the professional wrestling industry and more. To listen to the interview, click here.

Photos Of Shawn Michaels’ Crazy Beard

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WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels did an autograph signing at George’s Oxford Valley Mall in Levittown, PA over the weekend and is sporting an epic beard:

Update On The Rock’s Movie Schedule, Note On Kevin Nash, WWE Live Event Pre-Sale

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-Kevin Nash will be making an appearance at the Reading Fightin Phils baseball game in Reading, Pennsylvania on August 1st. The team will be doing a wrestling-theme that night, including a card from CHIKARA-affiliate Wrestling Is Fun following the conclusion of the game. For more information, visit MILB.com.

-Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s “Fast & Furious 6” opened this past weekend in China, pulling in $24 million, which is the biggest opening weekend ever for Universal Studios in China.

-Speaking of The Rock, the part-time WWE attraction is still filming “Hercules” in Hungary and is already slated to film a sequel to G.I. Joe.

-There is currently an online pre-sale for the upcoming WWE live event in Dallas, Texas on September 28th. The pre-sale code is: DALLAS.

Latest On When The Rock Will Return To WWE Again, Rock vs. Lesnar Plans …

Total Divas Premiere Replaying After RAW, Clips From The First Episode

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In case you missed the series premiere of the new Total Divas reality show on the E! Network last night, the first episode will replay on the USA Network tonight immediately following WWE RAW.

WWE has published several videos from the premiere, including clips of John Cena and Nikki Bella going fishing, the WWE debut of Eva Marie and JoJo and Natalya finding out she won’t be working a match at WrestleMania 29.

Here are the videos:

Matt Morgan’s Next Move, WWE Counts Down Devastating Tag Team Moves

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– Former TNA star Matt Morgan tweeted on Sunday night that he’s getting back into acting. In response to one of his Twitter followers asking “What’s next?” for the 7 footer from Fairfield, CT, Morgan replied:

There are still a lot of people in the industry who believe Morgan will be returning to WWE by the end of the year.

– In the latest “WWE Top 10” Youtube video, WWE counts down the most devastating tag team maneuvers in history:

“Which Tag Team has the most devastating double team combo in this edition of WWE Top 10?”

CM Punk Talks Brock Lesnar & His Relationship With Vince McMahon

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WWE superstar CM Punk was recently interviewed by Laurence Holmes of CBS Chicago over the weekend to promote his upcoming appearances at Wizard World’s Chicago Comic Con event. Punk will be doing autograph signings and Q&A panels next weekend, August 8th & 9th. (More Details). Here are some highlights of what he said about:

Brock Lesnar: “There are a lot of people back there who say me and Brock are very very similar. Unapproachable, bad attitude. A kind of cloud hanging over our heads. But to me, he’s a sweetheart. I have no bad stories about Brock, yet.”

His Relationship with Vince McMahon: “The relationship is certainly different and that’s something that’s always evolving. My relationship with Vince today is different than it was in April. It’s something that constantly changes.”

You can stream an MP3 of the CM Punk interview with CBS Chicago by clicking here.

Lanny Poffo Holding RAW Viewing Party Tonight, Newsday Covers Total Divas

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SESCOOPS.COM reader Josh Stewart from Newsday.com sent along the following: We reviewed episode 1 of Total Divas:

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/pop-cult-1.811972/wwe-total-divas-begins-with-wrestlemania-rhubarb-plus-john-cena-romancing-nikki-bella-1.5786346

And we have new photos of the show’s stars in our Women of professional wrestling gallery:

http://www.newsday.com/sports/pro-wrestling/women-of-professional-wrestling-1.5018715

SESCOOPS.COM reader Evan Ginzburg sent along the following: Today July 29th at DoughBoys Pizza in Deer Park, NY. It’s a RAW Viewing party…eat with Lanny Poffo! Hang out for 3 solid hours with him. Ask questions, get your picture taken, and get an autograph. Lanny will be sitting with everyone who attends. This is also in Deer Park $30 (photo and autograph included). Three hours of “Genius” fun! You can arrive as early as 7:15 PM….Bring your best Randy Savage impression and win a bonus prize.

You can find out more info by calling the above number, and the above email address. For the most up to date information on this and all of our events, please visit us at Facebook.com/IntegrityBookings and IntegrityBookings.com

If you have any questions, email : [email protected]

Spoilers For This Season Of Total Divas + News On Future Plans For The Wyatt’s!

Bully Ray & Rampage Engage In Twitter War, Video Of Sorensen’s In-Ring Return

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-TNA Impact Wrestling stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Bully Ray have begun to engage in the always-popular “Twitter war.”

Things kicked off on Sunday afternoon, when former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray sent a tweet to Rampage that read:

@Rampage4real. Next time you get close enough, Im gonna take my New York fist and punch ya in yo Memphis mouth. #Bully4Real

Never one to back down, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion replied with a tweet of his own.

@REALBully5150 the Difference Between u and me is that I don’t mind getting punched.. How r u gonna feel when I punch u back n yo mouth?

Bully Ray replied to that with the following tweet:

@Rampage4real. I’ll take the shot…laugh at you…spit in yo face and knock you out. Why?…CAUSE I CAN.

And finally, the “Twitter war” left off late Sunday night with one more response from Rampage:

@REALBully5150 I don’t talk much over twitter and I don’t like bullys.After I hurt u don’t run 2 your attorney,bring your boys! See u soon.

Following the final response from Rampage, TNA has re-tweeted the back-and-forth exchange between the two.

You can follow the fun between Rampage and Bully Ray at the following Twitter pages: @impactwrestling, @Rampage4real and @REALBully5150.

-Recently released TNA Impact Wrestling star Jesse Sorensen controversially returned to the ring to wrestle this weekend for the first time since suffering a broken neck during a TNA match with Zema Ion in 2012.

The following is a YouTube video of Sorensen’s return to the ring for NWA Underground Florida. Sorensen tags with Nick Fame to take on the duo of MDK and Angel in tag-team action.

More SHOCKING TNA Roster Cuts REVEALED + VERY Big Update On STING To WWE!

WWE Total Divas Results (7/28): Nikki/Cena Marriage Talk, Backstage At WM29

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The following is a report from the series premiere of the new weekly WWE reality series on E!, “Total Divas.”

Total Divas kicks off with introductions and back-stories on some of the key characters on the show, such as the Bella Twins, the Funkadactyls (who are going by their real names, Ariane and Trinity) and Natalya (going by the name Nattie).

The show begins in Tampa, Florida. “10 Days Until WrestleMania.”

Trinity is dating John, known to WWE fans as Jimmy Uso, one half of the tag-team known as The Usos. The two are shown training to prepare for their first WrestleMania as wrestlers.

Nattie is shown training for WrestleMania with her father, WWE legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart in Tampa.

Now we meet Nkki Bella’s boyfriend, John. As the show notes, you may recognize him, he’s the current WWE Champion — John Cena. Cena and Nikki are shown at Cena’s home. They show a video package on Cena.

Next up we meet Brie Bella’s boyfriend, Daniel. Again, WWE fans may reocgnize him as Daniel Bryan. Brie notes that while he’s known in WWE as Daniel Bryan, his real name is Bryan Danielson.

We get to roam around backstage at a WWE event to see how the organization is run behind-the-scenes, as well as what goes into putting on a live event and television show. At the same time, we see Nattie in her hotel room preparing to go to WrestleMania. As we head to commercial break, we find out that Nattie is not going to be on WrestleMania.

–Commercial–

We return and we get to meet the newest addition to the WWE Diva roster, Eva Marie and Jo Jo. Nattie runs into the Bella Twins at their hotel. They show the new Divas meeting with Jane. Jane is a WWE Talent Relations official. The show how Nattie is treated backstage, which doesn’t come off well on this show.

Ariane is shown talking to her boyfriend in the hotel room. It is explained that Nattie basically has to babysit the new girls, the Funkadactyls and their boyfriends at WrestleMania, instead of getting to perform on the show.

We are backstage at a WWE event again, and ths time we see some heavy-duty drama. It is explained that Brodus Clay blew up at the Funkadactyls and other talent off-camera. Ariane ends up explaining to her boyfriend, Vincent, why she appeared to be noticably upset. Vincent, who is a pretty big guy, but not big enough, became irate. He repeatedly asks Ariane to go get Clay so he can confront him. Eventually, Nattie and Jimmy Uso have to tell Ariane that she needs to calm him down immediately. Someone also notes that Vincent would get his ass kicked.

–Commercial–

We return to some more drama, only a very different version. We are back in the hotel room with the new girls and the Bella Twins. The Bella Twins are upset that the new girls, specifically Eva Marie, look similar to them. They inform her that she needs to dye her hair blond.

We’re two days from WrestleMania now. We see Eva Marie headed to get her hair dyed. As we head to commercial break, she talks about how she doesn’t like the blond hair look.

–Commercial–

We’re back to find out that instead of blond hair, Eva Marie decided to dye her hair extremely red. We see her headed to see Jane, and she’s nervous about what she just did. Jane ends up liking the red hair.

We see John Cena walking the red carpet. Next the Divas are shown walking the red carpet. Nattie is on the red carpet doing interviews and pre-taped intros as it’s WrestleMania weekend kickoff time.

Back to Diva drama. We see the Bella Twins taking charge against the new Divas as it becomes more and more apparent that they don’t like the new girls.

As we head to another commercial break, we see the Bella Twins eating at a Cuban restaurant and talking. Nikki mentions how she is nervous about dating John Cena because she wants to get married and she’s afraid Cena won’t because he recently got out of a bad marriage.

–Commercial–

We return from commercial and we see the Funkadactyls backstage talking about an accident with Brodus Clay.

We shoot to Nikki and Cena out together at dinner. Nikki asks Cena about marriage and asks if the two getting married is something he sees in their future. Cena explains how he tried the marriage thing once and she knows how that worked out. Cena tells Nikki she makes him enjoy life. She tells Cena that she wanted to know if it was an option and tells him she loves him.

We return to the live WrestleMania show and see a countdown to WrestleMania on the titantron inside the arena. They show 30 minutes until the Divas match.

We see the Bella Twins watching Daniel Bryan and Kane wrestling in the ring later on. Then we find out that the Funkadactyls are having trouble getting ready for their WrestleMania match as we head to another break.

–Commercial–

We return and see the Funkadactyls have nothing to wear yet, as their ring outfits are still being made backstage. We see reviews of the Undertaker and CM Punk match as the girls scramble to get dressed.

As they head to the front to get ready to make their entrance, we hear John Cena’s music playing in the arena. Nattie says how they know something is wrong. We find out that their match has been cut from WrestleMania as we head to our final commercial break of the evening.

–Commercial–

As we return for the last segment of the show, they show the Bella Twins talking about getting cut from WrestleMania.

Trinity is shown and says there is absolutely nothing worse that can happen than getting cut from a WrestleMania match.

We return backstage at WrestleMania where we see WWE Diva Layla trying to console the Funkadactyls, who were distraught at being cut from the show.

A video package airs showing highlights of what fans can expect from this season of Total Divas on E! every Sunday night, and that concludes the premiere edition of Total Divas.

Spoilers For This Season Of Total Divas + Cena/Nikki Bella Marriage Update!

Total Divas Trends Number One Worldwide, Jim Ross Recalls Dealing With Divas, Maria

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WWE had several keywords trend worldwide during the series premiere of their new weekly E! reality show, “Total Divas” on Sunday. In fact, for a long period of time, “#TotalDivas” was trending number one overall worldwide. Other top keywords included Nattie, Eva Marie, John Cena, WWE and Nikki.

Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis, who recently tweeted that The Bella Twins prevented her and others from returning to WWE in the past, took a shot at the identical duo in a tweet following “Total Divas” on Sunday. “Awwwww poor Bellas,” she started off. “Kharma is a bitch,” she noted, referencing the scene where the Bella Twins were informed that their match at WrestleMania was cut. Maria concluded, “but I feel bad for the Funkadactyls.”

Follow Maria on Twitter @MariaLKanellis.

WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recalled his past dealings with WWE Divas during his time as Senior Vice President of Talent Relations, prior to the expansion of the Divas division, in a new tweet on Sunday night following the premiere of “Total Divas.” JR wrote, “#TotalDivas reminds me of my days in #wwe talent relations when we went from just few divas 2 locker room full. Challenging times. @eonline.”

Follow Jim Ross on Twitter @JRsBBQ.

Spoilers For This Season Of Total Divas + Cena/Nikki Bella Marriage Update!

R&B Singer Attends WWE Event, A Poem From “The Genius” Lanny Poffo, Eugene Holding A Seminar

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– Famous R&B singer Monica, attended Friday’s WWE live event in Atlanta, Georgia, with her children. Darren Young tweeted this image of himself and Titus O’Neil with the singer and her family.

Monica acknowledged the post with the following, “u guys were beyond kind to us!!! Made the boys experience better than great !! U guys did an awesome job!! Funny too.”

– Former WWE Superstar “The Genius” Lanny Poffo delivers one of his trademark poems in this video interview with 1495 Sports.

– U-Gene Nick Dinsmore, formerly known as Eugene in WWE, announced on Twitter that he will be conducting a professional wrestling seminar in Harrison, Arkansas, on Saturday, August 24. Click here for additional details.

TMZ Picks Up Jake Roberts/DDP Story, Notes Roberts Wants In One More Royal Rumble

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Celebrity-gossip website TMZ has picked up the story of Jake “The Snake” Roberts turning his life around through the help of fellow pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, and his “DDPYoga” workout regimen. The story notes that Roberts has lost 70 pounds in nine months, and is looking to get back into the ring at the ripe-old-age of 58.

They published this before and after picture of his incredible weight loss:

0728-jake-the-snake-before-afer-1

DDP mentions that Roberts started the program doing one or two sessions a day and eating a more clean, healthy diet. He talks about how Roberts not only lost the impressive amount of weight, but the program has also helped him with his infamous drug and alcohol issues.

Another interesting note stemming from the TMZ article is that Roberts apparently has one unfulfilled goal, which is to compete in one more Royal Rumble match in WWE. Roberts made a surprise return at the Royal Rumble match in 1997, his final official “run” with the company outside of a few one-time-only returns here and there.

Roberts spoke about his Royal Rumble goal to TMZ. “I will never give up … I want a life again and I am pursuing that. The Rumble will define it.”

WWE To Add A FOURTH Member To The Wyatt Family? [READ THE LATEST RUMORS >>]

Ryback Confronts Fan At Show Over Steroids Sign, Maria Kanellis On WWE’s Former Divas Poll, More

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– Prior to a Tables Match against John Cena at today’s WWE live event in Brisbane, Australia, Ryback angrily confronted a fan holding a sign reading “Feed Me More ‘Roids.” The WWE Superstar went on verbal outburst toward the fan and reportedly said he would “f*****g see him outside.” Additionally, he ordered security to confiscate the sign. The ordeal occurred as Cena was making his entrance to the ring.

Ryback acknowledged another taboo subject the day before at a WWE live event in Sydney as he goaded ringside fans chanting “Goldberg!”

– The official WWE website currently has a poll asking fans which former Diva they would most like to see return to the company. Not listed among the choices is Maria Kanellis, who has claimed in recent weeks through Twitter that the Bella Twins blocked her from returning to the organization earlier this year. Despite not being listed in the poll, she acknowledged it on Twitter with the following message, “Awesome!! Haha… @WWE I’m with @ringofhonor now!! #ROH.” She then stated that she voted for Victoria in the poll.

Meanwhile, Kanellis will be live-tweeting during the series premiere of Total Divas tonight at 10:00 p.m. on E!. In reference to a video that surfaced online of Nikki Bella asking John Cena about marriage on the reality show, Kanellis stated on Friday, “I love watching women beg for a ring. Haha…”

– Brooklyn Brawler surveyed fans on Twitter this morning about their favorite SummerSlam moment of all-time.

(source: Pro Wrestling Torch)

WWE House Show Results (7/27): Macon, Georgia – Ziggler Gets Birthday Surprise

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The following are results from the WWE live event in Macon, Georgia. The event took place on Saturday, July 27, 2013.

-The Wyatt Family def. R-Truth & The Usos

Decent back-and-forth match. Crowd didn’t seem to know whether to cheer or boo The Wyatt’s. Eventually, the crowd seemed to favor cheering them. Finish came when Bray Wyatt scored a pin on Truth.

-Kaitlyn def. AJ Lee in a Non-Title match

AJ Lee decided this match would be a non-title match, as she didn’t feel the need to defend her title after defending it the previous night. Kaitlyn ended up picking up the victory via pinfall.

-Cody Rhodes def. Damien Sandow

Was said to be a fun, entertaining-type match. In the end, Rhodes picked up the clean pinfall victory after hitting Sandow with his Cross-Rhodes finisher.

-Wade Barrett In-Ring Promo

Barrett came out and cut a promo in the ring on Randy Orton. Barrett cut a heel promo, talking trash about Orton, who he would be facing later on in the show in singles competition.

-The Funkadactyls def. Summer Rae in a Dance Competition

Not a whole lot to say here. A noticable amount of people got up for bathroom breaks, visits to the concession stand, etc. Cameron and Naomi ended up winning the dance competition via crowd applause.

-CM Punk, Rob Van Dam & Sheamus def. The Prime Time Players & Big E. Langston

Really good six-man tag match here. Everyone got some offense in. The star babyfaces even let Titus O’Neil and Darren Young get in a considerable amount of offense. In the end, all of the babyfaces hit their finishers to pick up the victory. Crowd was really into this one.

-Jack Swagger def. Alex Riley

Not the greatest match on the card, but not awful either. In the end, Swagger picked up the submission victory when he forced Riley to tap out to the Patriot Lock.

-Randy Orton def. Wade Barrett

Another decent match. Nothing spectacular, but above average. The finish in this one came when Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere to pick up the clean pinfall victory over Barrett.

-Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler in a Street Fight to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

Very solid main event. Ziggler was super-over with the fans in Macon. Finish came when Del Rio put Ziggler through a table. After the match, Ziggler hit the Zig-Zag on Del Rio. Also after the match, AJ Lee came out and announced that it was Ziggler’s birthday. She had a cake with her, but it ended up getting smashed in her face. Lilian Garcia then led the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to Ziggler to close out the show.

Total Divas Spoilers, Cena Heel Turn Rumors + Major SummerSlam Plans Change!

WWE/TNA Stars Work Together On Comic Book, Jericho Predicts Bryan Title Win

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-Former WWE Diva Beth Phoenix, current TNA Impact Wrestling star Mr. Anderson, as well as WWE Hall Of Famer and current weekly RAW color-commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler are all involved in a Kickstarter campaign to fund a new comic book project titled, “Headlocked: The Last Territory.”

The official Kickstarter page for the project lists the following synopsis:

What is Headlocked?

In one sentence, it’s a wrestling cable drama in a comic book!

Headlocked is a coming-of-age story chronicling a college theater major’s quest to become a professional wrestler. It begins from the moment he unexpectedly falls in love with wrestling and follows his journey through the insanity of the wrestling business as he chases his dream of making it to the bright lights and the big stage of the WFW.

On a deeper level, Headlocked is an examination of wrestling as an art form. Our main character, Mike Hartmann, is a college theater major that drops out of school to try and break into the wrestling business. So the reader will learn more about the craft of wrestling through the eyes of a performance artist.

To further our theme of wrestling as art, we use wrestlers to contribute to the book artistically. Our interior artist, Michel Mulipola, is a wrestler from New Zealand. And our cover artist, you might have heard of him….

WWE Hall of Famer, Jerry “The King” Lawler!

If you read further, you’ll see we have a metric ton of awesome guest contributors from the world of comics and wrestling lined up to help make this even better!

Check out the official Kickstarter page for more information on the comic book and to donate to the project.

-A fan recently asked former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho for his thoughts on the current number one contender to the WWE Championship, Daniel Bryan, on his official Twitter page (@IAmJericho). Jericho’s response was simple, but encouraging. “Amazing,” exclaimed Jericho. “Next WWE champ.”

Daniel Bryan challenges John Cena for the WWE Championship at the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view on Sunday, August 18th.

*SPOILER* – SummerSlam Main Event Outcome Between Cena & Bryan REVEALED!

Four More Matches Announced For Raw, Vince McMahon Promotes Total Divas, Lilian Garcia

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– WWE has announced four additional matches for tomorrow night’s Raw broadcast through the Raw Five-Point Preview on the company website.

It was announced on last week’s show that WWE Champion John Cena will take on Ryback in a Tables Match, with former WWE Tag Team Champion partners Daniel Bryan and Kane meeting in a singles match. Also announced for the program are Rob Van Dam vs. Fandango, Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn in a non-title match, World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian in a non-title match, and Mark Henry and The Usos vs. The Shield.

Tomorrow night’s episode was filmed last Tuesday in Laredo, Texas, at the Laredo Energy Arena.

– The series premiere of Total Divas takes place tonight on E! at 10:00 p.m. Previewing the episode, the official website of WWE states, “Watch The Bellas, The Funkadactyls and Natalya prepare for WrestleMania, as two new Diva hopefuls, Eva Marie and JoJo, arrive, ready to make a name for themselves in WWE.”

Vince McMahon promoted the show on his Twitter account. He wrote, “Total Divas get personal this Sunday night #TotalDivas.”

Meanwhile, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus asked her Twitter followers today whether they are looking forward to the show. She added, “Wishing all the girls good luck + my gal @NatbyNature – represent girls!” Natalya responded, “Thanks!!! Super excited…I’m so grateful to be a part of something that taught me SO much about myself.”

– Lilian Garcia, who rarely appears at house shows in the United States, appeared as the ring announcer at Friday’s and Saturday’s events in Georgia.

WWE Asks Fans Which Diva They Want Back, The Rock & Triple H Have A Twitter Exchange, CM Punk

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– The official WWE website has released a poll asking fans which former Diva they would most like to see return to the organization.

With over 9,000 votes cast, Kelly Kelly is coming out on top with a figure of 23%. She is trailed by Lita (17%), Trish Stratus (13%), Eve (11%), Melina (8%), Beth Phoenix (6%), Victoria (6%), Michelle McCool (5%), Stacy Keibler (4%), Torrie Wilson (4%) and Maxine (2%).

– Former rivals Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Triple H exchanged messages on Twitter on Saturday.

After “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment” wrote, “From shootin FAST 5 to WRESTLEMANIA, to me being a brown neck livin’ in a redneck trailer park. Great to be back Atlanta!” WWE’s Chief Operating Officer responded, “Congrats Rock! No one works harder! #inspiration #passion #7Bucks.” Enclosed was a Forbes graphic of Johnson acknowledging the story of only having had seven dollars to his name following the unceremonious conclusion of his football career in 1995.

Wishing “The Game” well on his 44th birthday, Johnson wrote back, “Thank U Trip! Happy Birthday bud!”

– CM Punk is featured on the cover of the latest issue of the United Kingdom-based magazine PowerSlam (see here). Also featured is an interview with WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross where he responds to a question about all of those “embarrassing scenarios and on-air digs and ridicule from Vince McMahon and others” in WWE over the years.

WWE House Show Results (7/28): Brisbane, Australia

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The following are results from the WWE live event in Brisbane, Australia. The event took place on Sunday, July 28, 2013.

-Zack Ryder def. Heath Slater

Decent opener. Finish came when Ryder hit Slater with the Broski Boot, followed by the Rough-Ryder for the pinfall victory.

-Natalya def. Aksana

Typical Divas match. Lots of holds and rest spots. Aksana worked over Natalya’s knee for most of the match. After several failed attempts, Natalya finally locked in the Sharpshooter for the submission victory.

-The Great Khali def. Jinder Mahal

Mahal got in a little bit of offense early on. Finish came when Khali hit his Karate Chop on Mahal for the pinfall victory.

-Dean Ambrose def. The Miz to retain the United States Title in a Brisbane Street Fight

Another “fans choice” match, another “‘city-name here’ Street-Fight.” We’re in Brisbane, so it was a Brisbane Street Fight. Kendo sticks, chairs, a water bottle and a microphone were some of the “foreign objects” used in this match. Finish came when Ambrose hit his Face-Plant move on Miz for the pin. After the match, Miz hit Ambrose with the Skull Crushing Finale to send us to intermission.

-Curtis Axel def. Antonio Cesaro to retain the Intercontinental Title

Crowd was surprisingly into the “We The People” schtick. Was said to be a very good live match, as you would expect with these two. Finish came when Axel hit the Superplex for the pinfall victory to retain his Intercontinental Championship.

-Kane & Daniel Bryan def. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns via Disqualification

This was one of the highlights of the show in terms of entertainment. Very good match, as well. Bryan and Kane were super-over with the fans in Brisbane. Ambrose interfered with a steel chair, causing the DQ. After the match, Bryan and Kane both chokeslammed Rollins and Ambrose. Bryan got on the mic and asked the fans if they think he can beat John Cena at SummerSlam. The crowd all chanted “YES!” He then asked if he has a better chokeslam then Kane. Everyone chanted “NO!” Kane then grabbed the mic and asked if “for one final time” should he and Bryan “hug it out.” Everyone chanted “YES!” so the two obliged.

-John Cena def. Ryback in a Tables Match to retain the WWE Championship

Ryback came out first, and seemed visibly angry at a fan holding a “Feed me more STEROIDS” sign. Out next was Cena to his usual mixed-bag reaction. A loud “Goldberg” chant broke out, which prompted Ryback to grab the house mic and attempt to start his own “Ryback” chant, aiming it with passion at the aforementioned sign-holder. A few tables were broken during attempts to finish the match from both guys. The actual finish came when Cena finally put Ryback through a table with the Attitude Adjustment.

Total Divas *SPOILERS* For Tonight + WWE PPV Leaker Caught? **CLICK HERE**