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RAW Preview: RVD, Brock Lesnar, Wyatt Family, MITB Fallout & More

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Tonight’s post-Money In The Bank edition of WWE RAW emanates from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Rob Van Dam, who returned to WWE at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view on Sunday night, as well as Brock Lesnar, are both scheduled to appear on tonight’s show.

Additionally, Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family are likely to appear to address their RAW debut last week.

The dark match main event being advertised in the local market is yet another Tables Match between John Cena and Mark Henry.

Wyatt Family Possible *SPOILER* For Tonight, RAW Backstage News + MORE!

Video: Ultimate Warrior Confirmed For WWE 2K14, Statement From Warrior

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WWE officially announced this morning that The Ultimate Warrior will be featured in the new WWE 2K14 video game. Warrior will be available for free to fans who pre-order the video game.

Warrior commented on being featured in the video game, stating:

“Immortality is inspiration, pure and simple. An example to others that they, too, can do things larger than the life they are actually living, and Ultimate Warrior was the pure embodiment of this belief, in what has proven to be a very attention-getting and inspiring way,” said Warrior. “It was my good fortune to be his creator and performer, and I am humbled by all those fans who’ve not only kept his legacy alive, but deepened it over time. In ‘WWE 2K14,’ Ultimate Warrior’s creed, ‘Always Believe,’ lives on.”

WWE Games also tweeted the following full-body photo of the Ultimate Warrior’s promotional art for the game:

warrior-wwe2k141

Ultimate Warrior/WWE Update, MITB Backstage News, + Huge RAW *SPOILERS* …

What Happened After MITB, Arena Lighting During Cena vs. Henry & More

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– WWE returns to Philadelphia for a live event on Sunday, October 13th. The pre-sale code is WWELIVE.

– After Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view went off the air, Rob Van Dam returned to the ring and got a huge ovation from the crowd. A referee raised his hand, which led to a lout “RVD!” chant.

– Fans who watched Money in the Bank probably noticed that WWE used a different lighting for the John Cena vs. Mark Henry match. Jim Ross commented on the production technique via Twitter:

* News Headed Into Tonight’s WWE RAW & What’s Next For CM Punk

Money In The Bank Briefcase Winners, Heyman Turns On CM Punk & More

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– The attendance at Sunday night’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA was 18,147, which made it a legit sellout.

– Damien Sandow won the Money in the Bank briefcase for a future World Heavyweight Title shot. He won after turning on partner Cody Rhodes, who was close to winning. Cody was very over with the Philadelphia crowd and there’s talk that he’ll be turning babyface soon.

– Randy Orton won the Money in the Bank briefcase for a future WWE Championship shot. Orton won after Paul Heyman officially turned on CM Punk, hitting him with a ladder when he was about to claim the briefcase.

* News Headed Into Tonight’s WWE RAW & What’s Next For CM Punk

Possible Spoiler For John Cena vs. Mark Henry, RVD Added To WWE South Africa Tour

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– With just hours to go until tonight’s WWE Championship match between John Cena and Mark Henry, the plan (as recently as two weeks ago) was for Cena to retain.

* More SPOILERS For Tonight’s MONEY IN THE BANK 2013 PPV

– WWE Champion John Cena and and Total Divas stars The Bella Twins have been added to November’s Wizard World Comic Con in Austin, Texas.

– Rob Van Dam has been added to WWE’s upcoming tour of South Africa, which begins later this month and runs through August. Also on the tour, South Africa native Justin Gabriel will be facing Randy Orton, Big Show and Wade Barrett in Fatal 4 Way matches to determine Curtis Axel’s opponent later in the evening.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

CM Punk & Jericho Team Up, Edge Honored With Lou Thesz Award

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– Chris Jericho and CM Punk teamed up for the first time ever at Saturday night’s WWE Live Event from Trenton, NJ, defeating Team Rhodes Scholars. Jericho tweeted the following about the match, which featured several cartwheels from them:

– WWE Hall of Famer Edge received the Lou Thesz Award at the 2013 Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa this weekend. Also in attendance were Jim Ross, Gerald Brisco, Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Jim Brunzell, UFC veteran Matt Hughes and more. Jim Ross tweeted this picture of himself with Edge, Brisco and wrestling legend Danny Hodge:

Usos Hype Title Match, WWE Ranks Hottest Bodies & More

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– Today’s wrestling birthdays include TNA World Champion Bully Ray (42), Joey Styles (42) and Jeff Jarrett (47).

– The Usos tweeted the following last night, hyping their WWE Tag Team title shot against The Shield on tonight’s Money in the Bank online pre-show:

WWE.com recently published a list of the 25 Hottest Bodies In WWE History. Here are the Top 5:

5. The Bella Twins
4. Dolph Ziggler
3. Stacy Keibler
2. John Cena
1. Trish Stratus

* BIG News Headed Into Tonight’s MONEY IN THE BANK PPV

Sound Off 283: Money in the Bank Roundtable Edition Live From Philadelphia!

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Download Solomonster Sounds Off Episode 283 Here

Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Solomonster is on the road in Philadelphia and joined by Noah Mark and Bryan Blade offering Money in the Bank predictions, including a few scenarios for how the All Stars match may play out, plus thoughts on the Wyatt Family debut from Raw and the “Husky Harris” chants, WWE’s new Performance Center, Randy Orton’s divorce, possible WrestleMania host cities, Steve Austin’s latest tease for a match with CM Punk and the unlikely TNA star he put over, Matt Morgan’s TNA release, the awesome Knockouts ladder match on Impact, how you can “spoon” Tammy Sytch and more. Stick around for an important announcement at the end of the show concerning our future.

Follow The Solomonster on Twitter and on Facebook and subscribe to the Sound Off in iTunes!

Are you an Android user? Get the free Sound Off app on your device by visiting the Google Play Store today!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to [email protected].

Creative Commons License
Solomonster Sounds Off by The Solomonster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

WWE To Make Big Video Game Announcement On Monday

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WWE is expected to make a big announcement on Monday regarding the upcoming WWE 2K14 video game, according to a report at f4wonline.com.

The WWE Games Twitter account has been teasing that a special character in the new 2K14 game wore facepaint, is a former bodybuilder, is a 2-time Intercontinental champion and is not currently in the WWE Hall of Fame.

There have been reports that Warrior was at the WWE Games offices last week to film promo material for the game, which is scheduled for a late October release.

Arrest Warrant Issued For Ric Flair’s Ex-Wife For Threatening His New Girlfriend

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An arrest warrant has been issued for Ric Flair’s ex-wife Jacqueline Beems, who has been allegedly threatening Flair’s new girlfriend, Wendy Barlow Kidder.

According to TMZ.com, a rep for the Mecklenberg County Courthouse confirms that North Carolina police issued the warrant late last month.  Harassing phone calls were allegedly made by Beems last October, when she was still married to the wrestling legend.

Ric Flair and Wendy Barlow Kidder recently appeared together on the TV show “Celebrity Wife Swap.”

Photo: WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee & NXT Divas Champion Paige

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This might just be the greatest tweet in the history of Twitter ..

WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee tweeted this photo of herself and WWE NXT Women’s champion Paige:

“And while we’re talking about #DivasRedefined , Who would’ve thought these two weirdos would make it?”

ajlee-paige1

WM29 NBC Special, WWE’s Mega Money Moments, Piper Recalls Ghost Visit

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– WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper appeared on the Biography channel’s “The Haunting Of” show on Saturday night, talking about a strange visit from the “ghost” of the late Adrian Adonis.

– NBC will air “WrestleMania: The World Television Premiere” on Saturday night, August 3rd. The show will give a behind-the-scenes look at April’s WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view, which culminated in the John Cena vs. The Rock main event match.

– Here’s the latest WWE Top 10 video feature, looking at “Mega Money Moments” in WWE history:

“WWE Top 10 looks at Mega Money Moments. Where does The Million Dollar Man, Money in the Bank and Donald Trump show up on the list?”

Tamina Joining The Cast Of The Rock’s “Hercules” Movie

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WWE Diva Tamina Snuka will be joining the cast of the Hollywood blockbuster movie, “Hercules: The Thracian War” – starring her cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Tamina tweeted on Saturday that she had received her copy of the movie’s script. Rumors that she was involved in the movie started last week, when she tweeted that he was in Budapest, where filming is currently underway. Here’s here tweet, including a picture of her with the script:

https://twitter.com/TaminaSnuka/statuses/355863716497063938

TNA BaseBrawl Live Event Results: Washington, PA

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The following is a live report from Saturday night’s TNA BaseBrawl live event from Washington, PA. There were approximately 1,200 ticket sold for the show.

– Chris Sabin def. Austin Aries

– Gail Kim def. ODB

– Joseph Park def. DOC

– TNA Tag Team Champions Gunner & James Storm def. Wes Briscoe & Garrett Bischoff

-The Hebner brothers did an autograph signing during the show’s intermission.

– Jeff Hardy def. Devon

– Kurt Angle def. AJ Styles

* MAIN EVENT MAFIA Storyline Spoilers, Bound For Glory Matches

WWE SmackDown Backstage Fallout & Social Media Score

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– Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown on Syfy scored a Trendrr.tv social media score of 83,917, up 13% from the previous week and the best showing since the week before WrestleMania 29. SmackDown ranked #1 on cable for the evening.

– Here’s the latest installment of WWE Backstage Fallout from SmackDown:

“What’s the secret to winning a Ladder Match? Find out in the SmackDown edition of “Backstage Fallout”

Bret Hart Speaks On Money In The Bank, Hart Dungeon Flooded?, Wrestling In Canada

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The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart:

Bret Hart on the concept of the MITB ladder match and whether he would of liked to have participated in one: I think I’m the guy that brought the ladder match concept to the company in the first place. I brought it from Calgary and Shawn stole the idea from me. I wouldn’t really say it’s a touchy subject but we all know what happened, Shawn too. I think if they hadn’t stole the idea from me and used it at Wrestlemania, I think I would’ve had a ladder match with Owen instead of a cage match. The concept was great, and Shawn got all the credit for having a great match with Razor Ramon, but it’s easy to take someone’s idea and do all the spots. There’s nothing but suspense in a ladder match. But you have guys like Edge and the Hardy Boys who have taken the concept much further than it was. I think it would have been interesting to see Bret Hart and the Dynamite kid in a ladder match say circa 1987-88. But a lot of wrestlers have come down the road who have improved on the match INCLUDING Shawn and Razor, I mean give them credit they deserve, they had a great ladder match. It stills stands out to people as being one of the greatest of all time. And I have no problem saying that, it was a greatmatch. The [MITB] is a different idea…its at least different and interesting and its not so easy to be different and interesting all the time.

On the recent flooding in his hometown of Calgary, AB: Calgary’s always been a real giving town. Everybody’s gotten out and pitched in where they can, but there’s still a lot left to be done here. It’s brought the community together and everyone’s working together and people are working hard to help with the burden of something we all went through. It’s been a tough time for Calgary because it’s for sure one of the safest cities in the world, but I think they’ve really shown their backbone in the last two weeks in the way they got through the thing with the river, and the flooding. It was quite a crisis.

On whether the famous Hart dungeon was affected by the flooding: Nah, it’s safe. It’s probably in the safest part of the city. It’s nice and high. It was a serious fortress that house, and it would take a pretty serious flood to wash THAT place away.

On the future of pro wrestling in Canada: I think there have been a lot of great Canadian wrestlers and wrestling’s still really popular in Canada. I think you’re going to see a lot guys in the future who’ll aspire to be the next Bret Hart or Owen Hart or Chris Jericho. I think if anything, in Canada they’re held to a higher standard, and in the dressing rooms and stuff like that you’re actually respected and required to be a little more respectful than the American guys are down south and that always pays off. Guys who are in the WWE who are Canadian are always humble and are really hard workers and guys that don’t really complain a lot. It has a lot to do with why they do as well as they do it’s because they have a good attitude. Wrestlers from Canada always have good attitudes. They always have their feet on the ground, they’re not troublemakers or complainers when things don’t go right. They’re just a little more rational. American wrestlers are a little more hot under the collar, alittle more opinionated, and sometimes, just sometimes, they’re a little bit harder to deal with. The egos sometimes get out of check and other things hold them back. I find Canadian guys never forget where they came from, and remember being that kid staring up for an autograph.

Check out the complete interview online at SmackTalkRadioLive.com.

Shocking *SPOILERS* Revealed For This Sunday’s Money In The Bank PPV …

Jim Cornette On The State Of Wrestling, His Weight Loss, Managers, New Book

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Rajah.com reader RockNSock5230 sent along the following …

Check out the archive: WildTalkRadio.com

Iconic wrestling manager and former WWE, NWA, WCW and Ring of Honor personality Jim Cornette joined “2012 Award Winning Best New Show” the Rack Thursday Night. In a nearly 40 minute interview, he discussed his upcoming induction into ‘The Hall of Heroes’ at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest, his memorabilia collection and what his favorite piece from the collection is, his recent weight loss and what brought it on, what inspired him to write his book “Rags, Paper and Pins–the Merchandising of Memphis Wrestling” and where the title came from, his thoughts on the role wrestling managers today and of the climate in wrestling as a whole, could wrestling ever be taken seriously again, if he knew Kane/Glenn Jacobs would be a star back in the day, working with Owen and Davey Boy Smith, his opinions of the Bashams and who the worst trained performer he’d ever seen was, if he ever caught the WWE bus from his infamous video and more.

On his upcoming induction into ‘The Hall of Heroes’ at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest: “I’ve been to almost all of them since the start; haven’t been there in a couple of years because I had commitments with Ring of Honor but this year, he () told me that he wanted to induct not only the Midnight Express and I but the Rock N’ Roll Express, and we kind of go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. So, he told us that and really it’s a great honor because I’ve been to so many of the banquets and so many of my personal heroes and guys that I looked up to and I was a fan of when I was young or in there; it’s almost like ‘Me? Up there, together, with the likes of the Fabulous Fargos and all these people?” But it’s going to be great, it’s going to be fun and we are looking forward to it.

Plus, I’ll always enjoy the chance to see the boys again; I guess we’re going to call each other ‘The Boys’ until we’re all 80. Bobby (Eaton) and Dennis (Condrey) will be here; Stan (Lane) could not be there due to a prior commitment with his annual boat race, but he’s already sent a video in. And, I’m looking forward to seeing the Rock N’ Roll Express too, because I still have got a tennis racket with Ricky Morton’s name on it.”

His recent weight loss: “I’m living vicariously now through our (www.jimcornette.com) food reviews because I’ve also, over the last 6 months; with so many guys my age and even younger having health issues and heart attacks. Jerry Lawler, who I’ve known since 1976, actually died on live television on RAW last year, as everybody knows of course; he was right next to an EMT crew and down the street from a hospital; if it had been me, I’d have been at Wartburg, TN at the county fair and the guy running the Ferris Wheel would have been standing over me going, ‘He ain’t gonna make it’. So, I’ve revamped my diet and my personal habits and have lost 50 pounds; I‘ve gone to the doctor and gotten all my blood tests done: my cholesterol is down, my blood sugar is down; everything that should be down is down and everything that should be up is up, so I’m happy with myself and I’m debuting my new girlish figure at the NWA Charlotte Fanfest as well.

And see, I’m the only guy in the wrestling industry that can go to rehab without leaving the house. Basically, I just got off the road and stopped eating triple cheeseburgers three times a day; you’d be amazed what that will do for your cholesterol level.”

His inspiration to write his new book ‘Rags, Paper and Pins–the Merchandising of Memphis Wrestling’: “As most collaborations do, it came from a mutual interest and admiration. Mark James, is the gentlemen who does the Memphiswrestlinghistory.com website and he has done some fantastic books on the history of Memphis Wrestling; the old cards, programs, newspaper ads, etc. and really kept the old Memphis Wrestling alive, for the dedicated fans it still has. And, of course, I’ve got the huge wrestling collection so we got together this past winter and he came up to the house and saw what was here and said ‘I see about ten books’ without flipping through anything.

The state of wrestling as a whole today: “Well, to be honest, wrestling is becoming a lost art, to be quite honest. You know, the business has constricted, there’s fewer places not only for top wrestlers to make big money but also for aspiring wrestlers to get in and involved with the sport and learn the right way. There’s a show on every corner, but the question is is anybody running it or if anybody featured on it know what they’re doing and have been properly trained in the particular job their performing. And with managers, it comes down to, and people ask me the same thing with tag-team wrestling, the WWE is the industry leader now, though they don’t call themselves ‘wrestling’ and actually they have achieved their goal; they pretty much aren’t wrestling anymore. I draw a delineation between wrestling and sports entertainment; they aren’t the same thing. I believe Matt Striker, who was recently released by the WWE, made the statement that ‘he understood that the WWE is not a wrestling program, it’s an entertainment program that uses wrestling as a backdrop’ and unfortunately, that’s the case.

So, when they (WWE) decide that they’re not going to feature tag teams, or they’re not going to feature managers, or hell, if they decided one day ‘We’re not going to set the ring up; we’re going to do the whole show without a ring’ pretty soon, everyone in the whole world would be following their example and nobody would have a ring because instead of trying to do something different, everyone tries to copy the industry leader and to me, if I was going to open a restaurant, and everyone was selling steak, I’d sell chicken. But you know, that’s what we were trying to do with Ring of Honor and I would have loved to stay and seen that through but unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it was better for my health and other people’s health that I was about to choke, that I step back from that for a while.

But that’s the thing, a manager, just like a great tag team match, just like great variety; I want to say characters in wrestling are gone and the problem now is that there are no characters in wrestling because everyone is given a character. ‘Hi Lindsey, I think you look lovely and you’d look even better if you wore a Catwoman suit and purred during your interviews.’ Well, that’s your character; No. Characters in wrestling were organic in the old days because you found a guy; Dick Murdoch was a character, I don’t care if he was in wrestling. They used to say ‘Aww Dick, what a character he is’ when he was walking down the street because he was a character. Abdullah the Butcher was a character. These guys were characters; you had to pay to see people like this because you didn’t see them walking down the street and you didn’t come across them in daily conversation. And now that people are given characters, simply made up and imagined by somebody who has a degree in creative writing that’s worked on a soap opera, as I roll my eyes and try to put as much sarcasm into my tone as possible, it’s almost impossible for the guy’s real personality to come through and the only problem with that is that having their real personality shine through is what makes a mega-star. Steve Austin’s real personality came through, The Rock’s real personality came through, Ric Flair’s real personality came through, Jerry Lawler’s real personality came through and that’s what made all these guys and so many more be as big as they were and that’s why they sold so many tickets and that’s why so well remembered. I mean, the Charlotte Fanfest guys; if you went up to Tully Blanchard and said ‘This will be your character”, he would have looked at you like you had steaming turds hanging out of your mouth.”

The state of managers in wrestling today: “That’s lost too because let’s face it, a lot of guys are great athletes and are not very good public speakers and so the manager filled that role because the manager, obviously, and there were exceptions to the rule; Bobby Heenan was not only a great talker but also was probably a better wrestler than most of the guys he managed except (Nick) Bockwinkel and (Ray) Stevens. The manager was not a great athlete but a great public speaker; you put the two together and you had the package. And, unfortunately, now even though Vince himself grew up watching guys like The Grand Wizard and Lou Albano and all the way back to ‘Gentleman’ Bobby Davis in the 50’s, great managers drawing great crowds; he’s chosen to go in a different direction because of whatever his vision of wrestling is, which changes sometimes, but generally is that it isn’t supposed to be taken seriously and it’s a shame.

I think you could see a resurgence; like I said Vince could decide tomorrow ‘We’re taking the ring out’ and then, in three years, no wrestling promotion would be using a ring. If he decided tomorrow ‘Hey, we’re going to have a bunch of managers and we’re going to make them mean something’ then everyone else would be following suit. Now, the question about whether they would be any good or not, that may still be open to debate because you can’t just say ‘Ok, you’re a manager; go out there and be great’. You have to find people who understand wrestling, who follow wrestling, who understand what the role is. It came naturally to be because I had been around so many great managers in my teenage years; not only as a fan from the time I was 9, but then being around the guys 3 to 4 days a week, doing photography or ring announcing, whatever. I watched great people do their thing and paid attention and as a result, was able to say ‘ok’ and when you get into the business itself, it’s an entirely different learning process. But I wasn’t just thrown out there like a lost ball in high weed screaming ‘Find me’.

So, then the question is will them become any good or not and it would have to be an effort, just like tag teams. A tag team is not usually instantly great; they have to get together, they have to get experience, they have to learn reach other inside and out and how to work with each other and that takes time. So, it would have to be not only a change in what’s being used today, but also it would have to last for a while so that people would be able to get experience with it. You could see anything again, it’s just that unfortunately, the one thing that can’t be changed about wrestling anymore is I don’t think we’ll ever see a day, and I wouldn’t have even said this last summer but unfortunately I have come to grips with it, much like a bad relationship that you don’t want to end but it just has to; I don’t think we’ll get to a point where people on a wide-mainstream basis will take wrestling seriously again, like they did for over 80 years because it’s now been a generation that wrestling has parodied itself, that’s been presented as entertainment and show instead of sport. You can take something serious and parody it to great effect, but you can’t take something that’s been parodied and suddenly make people take it seriously again. And unfortunately, I think we’ve gotten to that point; there’s a generation of people out there who have not yet seen, or have never seen, wrestling treated seriously as a sport and as a result, I don’t know if we can go back from that one.”

You can follow Jim through his Twitter (@TheJimCornette) or his website (http://www.jimcornette.com) for all the latest on his news and notes. You can pick up Jim’s new book “Rags, Paper and Pins–the Merchandising of Memphis Wrestling” through his website starting August 5th. Jim will also be a part of the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fan Fest in Charlotte, NC on August 1st-4th, go to www.NWALegends.com for all the information of attendants, events and ticketing information.

WWE Adding 4th Wyatt Family Member? + Huge MITB *SPOILERS* For Sunday …

WWE Money In The Bank 2013 Results

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WWE Tag Team Championship
The Usos vs The Shield (c)

Jey goes for a quick rollup before attempting a backslide, then Rollins retreats to his corner and tags Reigns, who shoves Jey into the corner. Reigns punches him but Jey comes back with some strikes, then he goes for a suplex but Reigns reverses it. Jey floats over and kicks Reigns, then Jimmy comes in and assists with a double team suplex before making a pin attempt. Jimmy kicks Reigns in the corner takes him down with a snapmare, then Jey helps him hit a tandem side slam for another near fall. Jey sends Reigns into the ropes and goes for a side kick, but Rollins pulls him out of the ring and they regroup on the floor. Jimmy sends Rollins into the ropes and kicks him, then Reigns tags in and elbows Jimmy before backdropping him on the apron. Reigns clotheslines him off the apron and tags out, then Rollins rolls Jimmy in and goes for a pin attempt before choking him with his boot. Rollins holds him in a fireman’s carry while Reigns kicks him, then Reigns stomps him in the corner and they use quick tags to keep Jey isolated.

Jey makes a comeback with some right hands to Rollins, then Reigns blind tags in as Jey throws Rollins outside. Jimmy waits for a tag but Rollins pulls him off the apron, then Reigns throws Jimmy outside and Rollins takes him down with a clothesline. Jimmy finally gets a hot tag and takes Reigns out with a dive on the floor, then he rolls Rollins inside and hits a top rope crossbody for two. Jimmy whips him into the corner and hits a running back splash, then he hits a Samoan drop for a close near fall. Jimmy heads up top but Rollins crotches him on the ropes, then he sets up a superplex but Jey and Reigns get involved and the four come crashing down after a Tower of Doom spot. Rollins gets a near fall before reaching for a tag, but Jey pulls Reigns off the apron and Jimmy kicks him in the face. Jimmy hits a Superfly splash for a close near fall, then he goes for a super Samoan drop but Rollins counters and tries to powerbomb him. Reigns blindtags in as Jimmy grabs the ropes, but Rollins pulls him away and powerbombs him into the turnbuckles, with Reigns running in and spearing him to take the win.

Winners – The Shield

Money In The Bank Ladder Match (World Heavyweight Championship)
Dean Ambrose vs Fandango vs Wade Barrett vs Damien Sandow
vs Cody Rhodes vs Jack Swagger vs Antonio Cesaro

Fandango mocks Wade with a dance before attacking him, then Swagger and Cesaro go for a ladder while the Rhodes Scholars get another. Swagger and Cesaro throw theirs into the Scholars, then Swagger wedges it in the corner and Cesaro gutwrench slams Cody into it. Swagger hiptosses Sandow into it, then they pick up both ladders and try to hit Cody, but he ducks and they smash into each other. Cody bails as Swagger sets up a ladder, but Ambrose runs in and knocks Swagger into the corner before splashing him on the ladder and throwing him outside. Wade runs in and knees him a few times, then he wedges him under the ladder and kicks him in the face before throwing him outside. Wade hits Swagger and Cesaro with the ladder, then Fandango hits him from behind and hits a springboard legdrop with Wade under the ladder.

Sandow comes in and throws Fandango face first into the ladder, then Wade comes in with a broken ladder leg and beats the hell out of Sandow before climbing. Ambrose cuts him off and they fight on the ladder, then Swagger and Cesaro cut them off and pull them both off the ladder. Swagger tries to tackle Ambrose but Ambrose counters with a tornado DDT, then he fights with Cesaro on the ladder but Cesaro puts him in a hanging choke. Cesaro reaches up but Cody cuts him off, then Cesaro knocks him down but Cody bounces off the ropes and punches him before hitting a corner Muscle Buster on a ladder. Wade kicks Cody and bodyslams him on the ladder, then Swagger slingshots Sandow into the edge of the ladder as Wade sets one up in the ring.

Swagger cuts him off and knocks him off the ladder, then Wade goes right back up and knocks Swagger out with the Bullhammer. Fandango meets Wade on the ladder and takes him out with a somersault powerbomb, then Fandango climbs the ladder but Ambrose cuts him off. Ambrose hangs Fandango’s legs on the ladder and connects with a headlock driver, then Cesaro and Swagger try to take him out but Ambrose puts the ladder on his shoulders and spins around. He takes them down but they lift the ladder back up, then Ambrose skins the cat on the horizontal ladder but they dump him over the ropes. Cesaro stands on Swagger’s shoulders and they try to help each other, but Cody dropkicks Swagger’s knees and takes them both out.

Fandango runs in but Cody hits Cross Rhodes, then he counters Wasteland by Wade and hits a second Cross Rhodes before grabbing the big ladder. Cody slides it in the ring but Ambrose climbs the other side, then they slug it out at the top until Cody chokes him and slams Ambrose’s head into the ladder. The Shield runs out but Cody fights them off, then he reaches for the briefcase again but they drag him off the ladder and beat him up. Rollins kicks Wade in the head and Reigns spears Cody, then The Usos run out and take them out while Ambrose tries to climb the ladder. Cody tips the ladder and Ambrose falls on everyone else on the floor, then Cody repositions the ladder and climbs again, only to have Sandow throw him off the ladder and take the briefcase.

Winner – Damien Sandow 

New RAW General Manager Brad Maddox comes down to the ring and hands Justin Roberts his coat, then he says he is honored to be their GM. Maddox thanks Vince McMahon before his belief in him, then he says he can’t fill Vickie Guerrero’s shoes because he doesn’t look good in heels. He says he still wanted to do something for Vickie so he put her on the pre and post show panel, then Vickie awkwardly waves as Maddox asks for the fans to chant thank you. Maddox says they love her around the world, and Vince said it best when he said Vickie was entertaining so he has a clip to show them. After a montage of some of Vickie’s more embarrassing moments, Maddox continues to play it up and Vickie looks pissed as we move to the next match.

Intercontinental Championship
The Miz vs Curtis Axel (c) (w/ Paul Heyman) 

Axel hits Miz a few times while Heyman laughs, then Axel screams at Miz and whips him, only to have Miz come back with a flapjack. Axel rolls outside but Miz dropkicks him through the ropes, then he takes him down with a double axe handle smash from the apron. Heyman distracts Miz while Axel keeps the ref busy, but Miz acts like Heyman hit him and the ref kicks Heyman out. Miz slides in and goes for a Skull Crushing Finale, but Axel counters with a side suplex for a near fall before stomping him in the corner. Axel dropkicks him and puts him in a chinlock, but Miz makes it to his feet so Axel punches him and tries to suplex him. Miz floats over and sidesteps a corner kick, then Miz kicks him in the stomach and hits a forearm shot off the ropes.

After he takes Axel down with a corner clothesline, Miz heads up top and hits a double axe handle smash for two before calling for the Skull Crushing Finale. Axel counters and goes for a Perfect Plex, then Miz counters with a Figure Four attempt, only to have Axel kick him into the corner and hit a Perfect Plex for a close near fall. Axel lifts him but Miz shoves him into the ropes, then Axel tries to kick him but Miz catches his foot and snaps it over his shouder. Miz puts him in a Figure Four but Axel rolls and reverses it, then Miz rolls back over but Axel makes it to the ropes. Axel rolls outside and runs from Miz, then he slides in the ring and kicks Miz in the face before dropping him with a neckbreaker for the win.

Winner – Curtis Axel

Divas Championship
Kaitlyn (w/ Layla) vs AJ Lee (w/ Big E Langston)

Kaitlyn kicks AJ a few times and throws her outside, but AJ throws Kaitlyn into the ringpost and works on her arm in a brace (injured on Smackdown). AJ rolls her in and puts her in a keylock, then she bridges up on it and mocks Kaitlyn by rubbing her face on Kaitlyn’s cheek and smiling. Kaitlyn looks to be fading but she makes it to her feet and slams AJ in the corner, and AJ holds on but Kaitlyn spins her and hits a backbreaker. Kaitlyn hits AJ and drops her with a shoulder tackle, then she connects with an inverted DDT for two before clotheslining her for another near fall. She picks AJ up but AJ spins and jumps down on her arm, then she heads up top and sets up a moonsault but Kaitlyn shoves her outside. Langston catches her and rolls her back in, then AJ tries to steal a rollup but Kaitlyn kicks out and spears her. Kaitlyn goes towards AJ but AJ kicks her in the face, then she spins around and puts Kaitlyn in the Black Widow, finally getting her to tap out.

Winner – AJ Lee

Chris Jericho vs Ryback

Ryback shoves Jericho in the corner and punches him in the head, then Jericho comes back with some chops in the corner so Ryback rolls outside. He takes his time getting in the ring and Jericho dropkicks him through the ropes, then he rolls him in and hits a top rope forearm and a dropkick. Jericho punches him a few times and whips him across the ring, but Ryback fires right back out of the corner and drops him with a clothesline. Ryback stomps him and tries to scoop slam him but Jericho floats over, then he kicks Ryback’s injured leg so Ryback goes to the apron. Jericho follows him and goes for a springboard kick, but Ryback sees it coming and knocks him down before he puts Jericho in a side headlock.

Jericho makes it to his feet so Ryback scoop slams him and splashes him from the middle rope, then Jericho fights back with some chops but Ryback knees him in the ribs. Jericho rolls to the apron so Ryback clotheslines him to the floor, and Jericho lands in between the commentary tables so Ryback rolls him in and steps on his head. Ryback takes him down with a biel throw, then Jericho comes back with some forearm strikes and a Northern Lights suplex for two. Jericho goes for Walls of Jericho but Ryback kicks him away, then Jericho kicks him in the head and hits a shoulder block before Ryback throws him on the apron. Jericho lands on his feet and goes up top, but Ryback catches him and throws him across the ring before taking him down with a Meathook.

Ryback calls for the end and lifts him for Shell Shocked, but Jericho blocks it and goes for a Codebreaker, only to have Ryback counter with a powerbomb. Ryback hits a second and clotheslines him, then he whips Jericho into the ropes but Jericho comes back with a low dropkick and an enziguiri. Jericho hits a Codebreaker that knocks Ryback out of the ring, but he beats the count back in so Jericho hits a top rope crossbody for two. Jericho punches him a few times and hits the ropes, but Ryback presses him over his head and tries to set up Shell Shocked. Jericho counters with a swinging DDT for two, then he punches Ryback several times before taking him down with a shoulder block. He goes for a Lionsault but Ryback rolls away, and Jericho lands on his feet but Ryback hooks his legs and rolls him up for the win.

Winner – Ryback

World Heavyweight Championship
Dolph Ziggler vs Alberto Del Rio (c)

Dolph goes for a quick rollup before playing to the fans, then Alberto kicks him and sends him into the ropes, knocking him down with an elbow for a near fall. Alberto puts him in a side headlock but Dolph sends him into the ropes, then he hits a shoulder block but Dolph comes right back with a dropkick. Dolph unloads on Alberto with ten consecutive elbow drops, then he throws Alberto out of the ring and slams his head into the apron. Dolph rolls him in but Alberto catches him offguard with a quick enziguiri, then he rolls him back outside and throws him headfirst into the barricade. Alberto rolls him in and puts him in a headlock, but Dolph comes back with some right hands and a dropkick that sends Alberto into the corner. Dolph goes for a corner splash but misses, then Alberto taunts the fans and chokes Dolph on the ropes before punching him on the floor.

Alberto mocks Dolph before he hits the ropes, then he goes for a dropkick but Dolph avoids it and Alberto crashes out to the floor. Alberto gets up and heads up top but Dolph leaps up and hits a super facebuster, then they slug it out in the middle of the ring before Dolph sends him across the ring. Alberto reverses it and tries to tackle him, but Dolph ducks out of the way and Alberto hits the ringpost, then Dolph reaches and makes a two count pin attempt. Dolph goes for a legdrop bulldog but Alberto counters with a German suplex for two, then he tackles Dolph in the corner and rams him with his shoulder. Alberto goes for a step up enziguiri but Dolph ducks and comes back with a legdrop bulldog, then he goes for a sleeperhold but Alberto shoves him into the ropes and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two.

Alberto heads up top but Dolph dropkicks him in midair, then he makes a cover and gets a two count as AJ Lee’s music hits and she skips down to the ring. Dolph looks confused while she skips around the ring, and he says he has this and tells her to leave while he tries to attack Alberto. He sends Alberto into the ropes and hits a tornado DDT for two, then he heads up top but looks at AJ and Alberto uses the distraction to crotch Dolph on the turnbuckles. Alberto jumps up and hits a super inverted suplex for two, then Alberto calls for the Cross Armbreaker but Dolph shoves him into the ropes and goes for a clothesline. Alberto ducks and flapjacks him, then he superkicks him for a near fall before he argues with the ref and pulls down his kneepad. He runs at Dolph but Dolph blocks the kick, then AJ runs in and hits Alberto with her Divas title and causes a disqualification.

Winner (by disqualification) – Alberto Del Rio

WWE Championship
Mark Henry vs John Cena (c)

Henry chokes Cena in the corner and taunts him, then he whips him across the ring and splashes him in the corner before he takes him down with a headbutt. Cena rolls outside so Henry suplexes him on the steps, then he rolls him inside and gets a two count before he hits a leg lariat on the ropes. Henry picks him up and Cena hits a dropkick, then he runs at Henry and Henry knocks him right back down with a clothesline. Henry grabs his legs and swings Cena around the ring, then Cena rolls outside but Henry follows him and throws him into the barricade. Henry taunts the fans as he rolls Cena back in the ring, then he charges him in the corner but Cena avoids the splash and tries to lift him.

Cena goes for an Attitude Adjustment but Henry’s weight is too much, and Henry falls on him and splashes him before putting him in a headlock. Cena comes back with a few punches and two shoulder tackles, then he hits a side suplex and a Five Knuckle Shuffle before going for another AA. Henry once again uses his weight to fall on Cena, and he gets a near fall before going for a powerslam, only to have Cena counter with a DDT. Cena lifts Henry and successfully hits an Attitude Adjustment, but Henry narrowly kicks out so Cena heads up top and goes for a crossbody.

Henry catches him and hits a World’s Strongest Slam, but Cena kicks out and Henry can’t believe it so he tears one of the turnbuckle pads off. Henry goes outside and gets two chairs, and the ref warns him and gets rid of them while Henry takes another turnbuckle pad off. He tries to attack Cena but Cena shoves him into the exposed turnbuckle, then he puts Henry in the STF but Henry reaches the ropes to break the hold. Henry hits Cena and knocks him into the ref, then Henry low blows Cena and makes the cover, but Cena kicks out. Henry goes for another World’s Strongest Slam but Cena floats over and puts him in the STF, then Henry tries to escape but Cena pulls him towards the middle of the mat and makes him tap.

Winner – John Cena

Money In The Bank (WWE Championship)
Sheamus vs Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan
vs Christian vs Rob Van Dam vs CM Punk

We go back to the ring and fans are still chanting for Rob Van Dam. His music hits and here he comes to a big pop. Christian is out next followed by Daniel Bryan to a big pop. Randy Orton comes out next to another big pop. Sheamus is out next followed by CM Punk to another big ovation from the Philly crowd.

The bell rings and everyone looks at each other. Fans chant for RVD. RVD poses and everyone attacks him. They beat RVD down and the crowd boos. RVD gets dumped out to the floor. The 5 other Superstars go at it now. Punk and Bryan face off alone in the ring as the fans pop. RVD tries to get back in the ring but gets kicked out. Bryan and Punk go at it now. Punk goes for a GTS but Bryan slides out and goes for the Yes Lock. Sheamus brings a ladder in and runs them both over. Christian comes off the top but Sheamus hits him. Orton drops Sheamus with a dropkick. RVD finally comes off the top and nails Sheamus with a big kick. RVD and Punk go at it. RVD drops Punk and drops Bryan with kicks. RVD sends Christian flying. Another kick to Orton. RVD poses and the fans chant his name.

RVD blocks Killswitch and sends Christian into the ladder. RVD continues to dominate and drops Orton with a kick. RVD goes up top for a Five Star frogsplash but Christian knocks him off with a ladder. Christian brings a small ladder and regular ladder into the ring. Christian cleans house and climbs up for the briefcase. Sheamus stops him and hits a big shoulder thrust into the corner. Sheamus climbs the ladder but Christian cuts him off. Christian goes back for the briefcase but Sheamus stops him. Sheamus goes for a Celtic Cross but Christian slides out. Sheamus blocks a ladder shot and decks Christian with a right hand. Christian goes down and out of the ring. Sheamus sets up a ladder but RVD stops him from getting the briefcase. Sheamus grabs RVD and hits the rolling senton on top of the ladder. Sheamus kicks RVD out and stops Bryan from coming in. Sheamus works over Bryan on the announce table and into the barrier.

Bryan ends up running the apron and hitting knees to the face of Sheamus. Punk sets up the ladder and works over Orton. Punk climbs up but Orton stops him. Punk fights him off but Orton pulls him down. Orton climbs up but Christian stops him. Punk climbs up. Bryan brings a ladder beside his. All 6 Superstars are on 2 ladders now. Everyone reaches for the briefcase. It starts swinging and everyone goes down with the ladders. Sheamus gets up and unloads on everyone. Sheamus rams Christian into the ladder and hits White Noise. Sheamus sets up a ladder but stops to hit RVD in the head with it. Sheamus nails a Brogue Kick on RVD. The fans boo Sheamus as he climbs up. Bryan meets him and they trade shots on top of the ladder. Sheamus turns him around and hits the series of forearms to the chest. Sheamus sends Bryan to the mat and grabs the briefcase. Punk stops him. Sheamus hangs from the briefcase and falls to the mat without taking it down. Punk with chops in the corner now. Sheamus turns it around and fires back.

Punk takes out Sheamus with a ladder and bows for the crowd. Orton attacks Punk from behind. They trade shots. Orton hits a t-bone suplex into the ladder with Punk. Orton drops Punk again and he rolls out to the floor. Orton gets speared by Christian. Christian knocks Bryan off the apron. Christian sets up the ladder and climbs but RVD cuts him off. RVD props up a ladder in the corner. RVD with the spinning leg drop on Christian before climbing up. Christian stops him and the fans chant for tables. Christian moves the standing ladder into the opposite. Christian grabs another ladder and sets it up. RVD meets him on the top and they trade shots. RVD reaches for the briefcase but Christian goes for it also. The ladder falls over but RVD jumps onto another. RVD nails a barely Five Star Frogsplash from the top of the ladder onto Christian. RVD hurts himself but climbs up as the fans chant his name. Sheamus comes in and climbs up, trading shots with RVD. RVD sends Sheamus to the mat and grabs the briefcase but Sheamus pushes the ladder over. RVD catches his chin on the top rope and lands hard.

Bryan comes over with kicks for both men. Orton comes in but Bryan dropkicks a ladder into him. Bryan leaps out and hits Punk on the floor. Bryan back in with a missile dropkick for Sheamus and RVD at the same time. Bryan decks Orton, RVD and Sheamus with a ladder. Sheamus falls from the top out to the floor and lands hard on a ladder, breaking it. Bryan sets up the ladder and climbs. Curtis Axel runs down and whacks Bryan with a steel chair. Axel hits Bryan again and sends him to the floor. Axel nails his finisher on the floor and leaves Bryan laying. Punk grabs Axel and nails GTS on the floor. Paul Heyman comes down and asks Axel what the hell he was doing. Heyman chews Axel out for messing with Punk. Punk rolls in and starts climbing but he’s slow. Heyman cheers him on. Heyman crawls in the ring and hits Punk with a ladder. Heyman with another ladder shot to Punk, sending him to the mat. Heyman slams ladder into Punk’s head and walks off to the back. RVD climbs up now but Orton pulls him off and nails a RKO in mid-air. Orton climbs up and looks around, everyone is down. Orton grabs the briefcase for the win.

Winner: Randy Orton

– After the match, Orton celebrates. We go to replays. Money in the Bank goes off the air with Orton celebrating with his briefcase.

Donald Trump Returning To WWE?, Details On Shane McMahon’s New Job, More

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-The following is a new tweet from the official Twitter page of billionaire businessman Donald Trump:

“@phoneman98: @realDonaldTrump It’s time for your @WWE return!!! When will you make it happen?” Ask Vince, we have the all time record!

-The following press release was issued today:

YOU On Demand Announces Appointment of Weicheng Liu as CEO; Shane McMahon Remains Chairman

NEW YORK, July 12, 2013 — /PRNewswire/ — YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: YOD) (“YOU On Demand” or the “Company”), the first national Video On Demand (VOD) platform in China, is pleased to announce that Mr. Weicheng Liu, in conjunction with the recently announced closing of the strategic investment from Chinese mobile video service provider C Media (“C Media”), was appointed as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Shane McMahon, who voluntarily stepped down as CEO of the Company, will continue to serve as YOD’s principal executive officer of and Chairman of the Board.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. McMahon said, “Weicheng has been instrumental in YOU On Demand’s initial success and has done a wonderful job as the Company’s China-based CEO. As our operations and footprint continue to expand throughout China, it is essential that the role of the CEO be located within the PRC for both strategic and operational reasons. Weicheng is both a remarkable person and leader and I look forward to continuing to build the YOU On Demand brand with him. With Weicheng’s new role, along with C Media’s strategic investment in the company and their expertise in the market, I am very excited about the future for YOU On Demand.”

Mr. Liu stated, “I am very excited and appreciative to have been named as CEO of YOU On Demand. Along with many others in the Company, Shane and I have worked very hard over the past three years in creating YOU On Demand and I am very optimistic about our future success. We have tremendous potential to continue our creation of a unique, multi-tiered distribution platform that will deliver a wide array of entertainment content. The Chinese media market is changing quickly and we are focused on continuing to adapt in order to best serve its consumers.”

About YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. (www.yod.com)

YOU On Demand (NASDAQ: YOD) is the first national Video On Demand platform in China. The Company offers premium content, including leading Hollywood and China-produced movie titles, to customers across China through its Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD), Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) and Near Video On Demand (NVOD) services. YOU On Demand has secured alliances with leading global media operators and content developers. The Company has a comprehensive end-to-end secure delivery system, governmental partnerships and approvals and offers additional value-added services. YOU On Demand has strategic partnerships with the largest media entities in China, a highly experienced management team with international background and expertise in Cable, Television, Film, Digital Media, Internet and Telecom. YOU On Demand is headquartered in New York, NY with its China headquarters in Beijing.

About C Media Limited (www.cmmobi.com)

Founded in 2004, C Media is a mobile internet company offering a variety of mobile video solutions and related value-added services through the networks of the PRC telecommunications operators including China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. The company produces online community applications for video, music, movie and targeted marketing, and is dedicated to building an open mobile internet video platform. In 2007, it established a joint venture with China National Radio (CNR) offering mobile video services. In the last few years, the company has developed into a market leader with rich media contents and established distribution channels. In 2012 and 2011, the company ranked 3rd and 23rd in the winner lists of Deloitte Technology Fast50TM China, respectively; it was also ranked 6th and 133rd in the winner lists of Deloitte Technology Fast500TM Asia Pacific in the past two years.

C Media is headquartered in Beijing with more than 400 employees. It has wholly owned subsidiaries and branches in Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi’An, Harbin, Jinan, and Shenzhen. The company has received certifications for High and New Technology Enterprises, Software Enterprises, and ISO9001. It also holds the licenses and permits of Audio/Video Programs Dissemination via Information Networks, Value-added Service Business, Radio and Television Program Production, Internet Culture Operation, together with more than 40 software copyrights and patents.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain statements that may include “forward looking statements.” All statements other than statements of historical fact included herein are “forward-looking statements.” These forward looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Shane McMahon To Return At WMXXX?, Vince/HHH Storyline *SPOILERS* …

Chris Jericho Gives Props To Specific WWE Stars, MITB Moments, Sean Waltman

15

-The following is the latest “30 Second Fury” video which highlights the top Money In The Bank ladder match moments:

-WWE Superstar Chris Jericho recently tweeted the following about his match against Curtis Axel on SmackDown, as well as share his opinion on who the future of WWE is:

“Another great match w @RealCurtisAxel on #Smackdown! Add in @WWEBrayWyatt, @ryback22, @TheShieldWWE, @AntonioCesaro etc, future looks BRIGHT”

-Former WWE Superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman celebrates his 41st birthday today.

Chris Jericho To Retire Soon, MITB *SPOILERS* For Sunday …

Updated Destination X Themed Impact Wrestling Lineup, Big Tag-Team Returns To ROH

3

-Ring Of Honor issued the following:

ROH Match Maker NIGEL MCGUINNESS just made a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT at ROH’s Live Event in Milwaukee …. NICK & MATT JACKSON, THE YOUNG BUCKS return to ROH Sat, August 3rd in Toronto, Ontario

The Young Bucks will be part of ROH’s ALL STAR EXTRAVAGANZA V, Saturday, August 3rd, 2013 from the Historic former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. To purchase tickets visit: ROHWrestling.com.

-The following is an updated lineup for next Thursday’s Destination X themed edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:

–Bully Ray vs. Chris Sabin (World Heavyweight Title)

–Main Event Mafia vs. Aces & 8’s (Non-Sanctioned Fight)

–Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries (Bound For Glory Series Match)

–Qualifying matches will begin to determine a new TNA X-Division Champion

RVD’s SummerSlam Opponent, New Wyatt Family Member?, + MITB *SPOILERS*

Final 7/11 Impact Wrestling Rating: Number Rises Following Holiday Show

1

The Thursday, July 11th edition of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV drew a final cable rating of 0.99, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 0.99 final draw marks an increase from the 0.78 final number the 4th Of July edition of the show drew last week.

Impact Wrestling on 7/11 averaged 1.190 million viewers, up from the 1.053 million average for last Thursday’s episode.

Late-Breaking Backstage Update On Sting Leaving TNA For WWE …

Mark Henry Speaks On Taking A Pay Cut In WWE, His Retirement Swerve, More

54

The following are highlights from a recent interview with WWE Superstar Mark Henry:

On his five-year plan for his fake retirement speech on RAW: “Well, I mean, I’m a constant entertainer. It’s something that I thought of four years ago, five years ago when I signed my contract. ‘At the end of this contract, I’m going to retire and I’m going to have everybody ready for me to retire, and then I’ll get ‘em just the way I want to.’ It’s funny, [this] five-year plan. The only thing that can come to mind is Hannibal in The A-Team: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

On taking a pay cut when he re-signed with WWE: “I took a 50 percent pay cut when I signed that last deal five years ago because I was looked at as being a middle-of-the-road performer. During that time, John Cena made millions, and that’s what I want. I mean, Money in the Bank is not just the name of the pay-per-view, it’s a chance for me to get my will to where I want it so when the time does come for me to officially retire, I won’t have to worry about nothing.”

On his WWE career: “Everybody that’s had the road be smooth and perfect with a steady incline, I’d like to meet ‘em. I don’t think it’s ever been done. There’s highs and lows in life, and there’s highs and lows in sports entertainment. It’s a credit to me that I’ve been around 17 years, so I’ve had a long time to have highs and lows. Obviously, I’ve done something right.”

Check out the complete interview online at WithLeather.com.

Mark Henry’s Real WWE Retirement, John Cena Heel Turn?, Major MITB *SPOILERS* …

Who Will Replace Kane At MITB?, Cena vs. Michael Strahan, McMahon Has Fun On Twitter

51

-WWE.com posted an article regarding John Cena’s appearance on Monday’s edition of “LIVE with Kelly and Michael.” The article notes that Cena will be competing on the show in a No Holds Barred match with co-host Michael Strahan. Check out the article online at WWE.com.

-Also on WWE.com is an official article confirming the fact that Kane has been pulled from the “All-Star” ladder match scheduled for Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view event. The article goes on to speculate who will replace Kane, if anyone, in the match this Sunday. Check out that article online at WWE.com.

-Vince McMahon had some fun on Twitter today as he sent out a tweet recently which contained a link to an article regarding cameras being added to the locker rooms in the NFL. McMahon jokingly mocked the fact that the XFL introduced the concept. McMahon’s tweet read:

Cameras in @NFL locker rooms? What’s next, the XFL? http://on.wsj.com/172Yu2c

Huge MITB *SPOILERS*, Confirmed Matches For SSlam, Wyatt Family’s PPV Debut

Tammy Sytch Says She’s Not Doing Prostitution, Watch The Wyatt Family Entrance Video, More

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– WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch generated another stir this past week by announcing she will be posing with fans in a bed for photo-ops at a wrestling convention in October. She stated on Facebook, “Your choice: for $50 you get to have your photo taken laying next to me in bed, and for $75 you can have your photo taken ‘spooning’ or with me lying my head on your chest! Was I your TEENAGE CRUSH?? Now is your chance to make that dream a REALITY!!!”

News of her idea garnered a lot of negative feedback from online commentators, with some comparing it to prostitution. She responded to the naysayers in a subsequent post on Facebook.

– WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch generated another stir this past week by announcing she will be posing with fans in a bed for photo-ops at a wrestling convention in October. She stated on Facebook, “Your choice: for $50 you get to have your photo taken laying next to me in bed, and for $75 you can have your photo taken ‘spooning’ or with me lying my head on your chest! Was I your TEENAGE CRUSH?? Now is your chance to make that dream a REALITY!!!”

News of her idea garnered a lot of negative feedback from online commentators, with some comparing it to prostitution. She responded to the naysayers in a subsequent post on Facebook.

“I just love how some people are comparing the Photo Op at LOTR to prostitution… Im NOT HAVING SEX WITH YOU, YOU IDIOTS!!” she wrote. “We are simply smiling for a photo. When every TNA Knockout and former Diva offers the same Photo Op at conventions over the next year, will you say the same thing? NO. But because I am the Original, once again, I get scrutinized. Just face it…its brilliant. Just like I was the first one to do a Bikini Photo Op in Charlotte a couple years ago….then EVERYONE jumped into their bikinis. If you dont like it, dont buy it. Its that simple…but GET OVER IT!”

She continued, “Seriously, what would be the difference if it was on a couch? at a dinner table? Poolside? You know when you go to an amusement park, and you can get your picture taken dressed up in Wild West wear, youre not really zoomed back to the year 1785!! ITS THE ILLUSION OF A PHOTO!!!!

“I got into this business when every girl out there thought it was “corny” or “gay”…now there are thousands of girls BEGGING for a chance to do what I have done…. Same thing goes with my photo op ideas…. everyone will bash it, but then 30 other girls will do it on a convention after me…. sheesh. Get original! oh wait, thats what I do.”

In a follow-up post today, Sytch dubbed herself “the Queen of Controversy,” and added, “I wonder what I can conjour up next.”

– As seen Monday night on Raw, the Wyatt Family made their much-anticipated debut by brutally attacking Kane. The official YouTube account of WWE has already released their entrance video, which you can watch below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfNFNy-qSds

Meanwhile, the official WWE website has a poll asking whether Daniel Bryan should have saved Kane from The Wyatt Family’s attack. According to the poll, 58% say “Yes. Daniel Bryan and Kane may not always get along, but they should always have each other’s back.”