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Batista Films Interview For WWE, Senior WWE Referee Released, Kaitlyn Hypes WrestleMania

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– Former WWE Superstar Dave Batista filmed an interview this week for WWE’s upcoming DVD on the career of Triple H. WWE tweeted the following image of Batista:

1JML0

– Senior WWE referee Jack Doan has been released, according to sources in WWE. Doan has been with the company since 1991.

– WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn recently spoke with GO! Magazine to hype WrestleMania 29 and said this about the big event:

“When it comes to Wrestlemania, I’m such a fan. Even though I’m part of it, I’m literally surprised and every single week — even when I’m watching from backstage — I can’t tear my eyes away from the show. Wrestlemania is our Super Bowl. So every show, as it gets closer and closer, something insane happens.

At these live events, it’s such a cool experience for us and for the fans because it’s not a TV thing. We’re not worried about camera angles or commercial breaks; we’re actually just there to interact with the fans. So, it’s a really cool experience and tensions are really high. You never really know what’s going to happen.”

El Generico’s New Name In NXT, Jim Ross Talks About NXT Stars Getting Called Up & More

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–  The former El Generico is now using the name ring name Sammy Sane at NXT.

– WWE taped 5 episodes of NXT on Thursday night from Full Sail University, including a “Clash of the Champions” episode featuring all title matches.

– Thursday night’s tapings featured many more WWE talents than usual, including Chris Jericho, The Shield, Wade Barrett, AJ Lee, Kaitlyn and Naomi. WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race was also in attendance.

Here are some Tweets from various WWE talents who were there:

Jim Ross: “We taped five, one #NXT broadcasts tonight in just under four hours. Hard work, some outstanding matches, full house. Thanks to all. #WWE Really fun night at #NXT. Young talents stepping up. Post WM29 call ups intriguing.”

Chris Jericho: “Had a great time at @WWENXT last night-what a facility! Killer fans too! Very good match w @WWEBrayWyatt…I predict he’ll be a champion soon”

Wade Barrett: “Thanks to the guys and girls @WWENXT. Overflowing with talent right now. Crowd @FullSail is one of the best I’ve ever known. Loud.”

Michael Cole: “Historic night @WWENXT. The stars of tomorrow are truly here! There are guys ready for major stardom on main roster right now. The best part about @WWENXT is the arena @FullSail and the nxt fans! It’s truly your show. Thanks for the support each month!”

William Regal: “A night to remember(Shalamar!)at @WWENXT.Thanks to @IAmJericho @WadeBarrett @AntonioCesaro and all the NXT competitors,staff and announcers

Kane Interview: Paul Bearer’s Influence On His Career, Daniel Bryan, Rock vs. Cena

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WWE tag team champion Kane recently spoke with NorfolkNavyFlagship.com to promote WrestleMania 29. Here are some highlights of what Kane said about:

How Paul Bearer Shaped His Career

He was an integral part of my early years as Kane. Without Paul Bearer, there wouldn’t have been a Kane, because he was such an important part of that story. Also, we traveled together for a few years, so it was a loss on a personal level for me as well. He came back and managed me in 2010 when I was World Champion, which was really cool – again against The Undertaker. Just like everyone else, I was a big fan of Paul Bearer and Percy Pringle, and all of the other names that he went by. It was a tough loss for everybody. We went to the viewing and what was really amazing was there were flowers there from all over the country – really, all over the world. It was nice to see an outpouring of affection from fans all over the place.

How He’s Lasted 18 Years In WWE:

Well, I work hard and I show up. I’ve been very fortunate that I haven’t gotten injured a bunch. I try to take care of myself. I think, too, my size gives me an advantage in some ways. I’m not always the guy getting knocked down a whole lot. My body probably hasn’t been punished as much as the other guys have been. I think it’s because I show up everyday and I try to do my best – give everything I have.

Comparing Daniel Bryan To His Previous Partners:

Well, he’s different – that’s for sure. What’s cool about Daniel Bryan is that I have now been able to do something that I’ve never been able to do before. Kane has always been sort of a dark character. With Daniel Bryan, we’ve been able to add a lot more lightheartedness, some humor and a lot of comedy. It works even better because it’s such a contrast from what I’ve normally done in the past. He’s completely different than any tag-team partner I’ve ever had. He’s a pain – a monumental pain to get along with. It’s like the odd couple, and somehow, I’ve become the voice of sanity. I don’t know how that’s happened – he’ll do that to you.

His Prediction for The Rock vs. John Cena:

I don’t, and who knows – John Cena made the mistake last year at the last stage of their match when he went to do Rock’s People’s Elbow and it cost him the match. I’m not saying that John Cena would take The Rock lightly, but I think this year he’ll be even more serious about it. I think The Rock is going to be in for more than he may have bargained for.

The Rock Appears On The Tonight Show (Video), No Mention Of WWE

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WWE Champion The Rock appeared on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday night to promote his new movie, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”

Despite the fact that The Rock has been making media appearances with the WWE Championship belt in recent weeks, The Rock did not have the title with him – nor did he make any mention of WWE.

Paul Bearer’s Family Signs Off On CM Punk Urn Storyline

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In recent weeks, we’ve seen deceased WWE manager Paul Bearer’s urn incorporated into storylines and used in CM Punk’s WrestleMania 29 feud with The Undertaker.

CM Punk has been pushing the envelope with the the memory of Paul Bearer, interrupting The Undertaker’s tribute to him, implying that the urn contains Paul Bearer’s ashes, impersonating Paul Bearer’s voice and even dropping the urn on the floor while tossing it around.

According to TMZ.com, everything we’ve seen in recent weeks since Paul Bearer’s passing has been approved by his family. WWE’s creative team approached Paul’s family immediately after his passing and asked for permission to incorporate Bearer into the Punk-Taker storyline.

Paul Bearer’s son Michael told TMZ.com that the family had no problem signing off on the idea, because they know he’d appreciate being part of a storyline from the afterlife:

“We felt that dad would have wanted us at RAW last week and agreed to the angle … We knew Dad wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

Tickets For Hogan Uncensored In NYC Not Selling Well, Slammiversary Video & More

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– Tickets for Hulk Hogan’s upcoming “uncensored” show at New York City’s Beacon Theater over WrestleMania weekend are not selling well. According to Ticketmaster.com, only 25% of the tickets have been sold – with a “High Availability” of seats in the upper and lower levels of the theater.

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– Miss Tessmacher was featured Thursday on Maxim.com.

– TNA Wrestling has released the following video promoting its annual Slammiversary pay-per-view event, which takes place this year on Sunday, June 2 in Boston, Massachusetts. Tickets go on-sale next Friday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z0kmBoRdLfk

Bully Ray Issues Another Apology For Anti-Gay Insults Towards TNA Fan

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During last week’s Impact Wrestling taping in Chicago, Illinois, TNA World Heavyweight champion Bully Ray unleashed a slew of anti-gay remarks towards a fan in the audience.

After he and TNA President Dixie Carter apologized earlier this week for his outburst, Bully Ray issued another apology on Thursday, saying that he has since apologized to the fan personally:

Hulk Hogan Says He Changed WrestleMania X-8 Match With The Rock On The Fly

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During a recent interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine, Hulk Hogan spoke about his legendary match against The Rock at WrestleMania X-8 back in 2002:

“Out of respect, I go down there (to Miami), and there’s me and The Rock and his dad Rocky Johnson, and Pat Patterson,” said Hogan. “The Rock starts telling me that we’re gonna lock up, and do this and do that, then start getting some heat on me, and so on. So he talked through the whole match, and I was listening. I respect him, and it kinda made sense, but I’d never done that before. Then they go, ‘Okay, let’s have the match here.’ I said, ‘Whoa! You’re talking about me taking bumps in this ring, with no people? I’ll get hurt, and if I fall wrong one time, then my career is over.’ I’ve got to have the energy of the crowd, so that when I go down, I go down to the mat hard. So instead, we just walked through the match.”

Hogan was depicted as the heel going into the match due to his affiliation with the New World Order, and because of his acrimonious departure from WWE years prior. The audience, however, didn’t care that Hogan was portrayed as a villain by WWE, instead cheering the wrestling icon and reigning a chorus of boos toward The Rock. Hogan says he had the match changed on the fly due to the crowd reaction.

“The whole issue I had was what if we got to Toronto, and this doesn’t work? So sure enough, when we go to Toronto, I give The Rock one big push, and the place explodes. Then I pushed him again, as we planned, and the place explodes again. [WWE] thought I was gonna get booed. Then I start chopping meat on him, and with every hit the place is going crazy. Then I did what was planned, blocking a punch, and as soon as he started hitting me came the boos.”

“I went down, and looked up and said, ‘You want me to fix this?’ And The Rock says, ‘Yeah, let’s fix it.’ I went, ‘OK, then listen to me.’ But it took him no time to get it right, because he is just so good in the ring. It took us three minutes to get it right, but if we’d done what we had practised, they’d have booed us out of the [expletive] building. I’m not saying I could do it in every instance, but The Rock is so good, we could do that. The Rock doesn’t usually talk about planning his matches, so somebody must have made him worry that I was too old and too slow, and that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the work-rate. But once he got in the ring with me, he knew I had a feel for it, and we got it right. That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Stone Cold’, and Bret Hart, too.”

Eric Bischoff Calls Bret Hart Bitter & Talks About His Future With TNA

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TNA Wrestling producer Eric Bischoff appeared on Inside The Ropes Thursday night where he addressed critical remarks from WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

On Bret Hart’s run in WCW:

“I had spoken to and met Bret several times before he made the jump. I was obviously excited to have him but clearly Bret Hart was a very broken….and in my opinion still is, from the interviews I hear him do, a very sad, broken and bitter person. That was pretty evident when he first came over. He was a shadow or a shell of his former self. Wherever Bret was, the high point of his character, what I got was a kind of broken, sad shell of that and quite honestly I don’t think he’s ever come out of it.”

On Bret’s recent comments saying he “knows nothing about wrestling” and calling him “an idiot”:

“It’s not unusual for guys like Bret Hart, from that era….the only way they know how to get over is to get over at the expense of someone else. Bret Hart’s trying very hard to stay relevant. Unfortunately, he’s no longer relevant. He was a big star, he had a big name at one point, he was an important character in the history of the business but he’s not any longer and I’m sure that’s hard on him. I know myself how it feels to realise that that your biggest and best days as a performer are behind you. I’m very comfortable with that, I’ve embraced it but it’s hard for a lot of guys who’ve never been anything other than performers. They have a hard time with that. It’s not easy getting older in the wrestling business, believe me, when you’re surrounded by younger and younger people who in many ways aren’t as over or as skilled or as popular as you may have been or still are now. But this business is a business that’s served by youth and change. And for someone like Bret, that manifests itself in his personality, lashing out at others. It’s funny, when he came to me he hated Vince McMahon, he hated everyone in the WWE from the office to half the roster. He didn’t have a good thing to say about any of the McMahons. Then when he got the opportunity to go back and work for them, he had to shift that. Then his hatred was for someone else like Bill Goldberg for giving him a concussion and now it’s for me and for Hulk, there’s no rhyme or reason for it and as far as his opinion of my value and what I’ve achieved in the wrestling business, I’ll let my body of work and success speak for itself.”

His future in TNA:

“I really don’t plan on being in the wrestling business too much longer and I say that in a very grateful and positive way. This business has been great for me and my family. It’s been almost 30 years. I’m still shocked to this day. My goal now isn’t to acCallscomplish anything professionally, because I’ve kind of been there, done that. My goal now and this is gonna sound kinda corny, I really like teaching. I like watching guys like Matt Connaway and Dave Lagana, watching them grow into new areas that they haven’t been able to get into before. Someday, hopefully, in the near future, I’m going to be able to walk away from this business and when I do, I want to be able to know that I was able to shape, in one way shape or form, guys who will carry on and be the future of the business.

Bischoff also talked about signing Randy Savage to a WCW contract, comparisons between Aces and Eights and the nWo, and much more. The full interview is available at www.facebook.com/theinsidenetwork.

*Spoilers* WWE NXT Tapings Results: Clash Of The Champions Returns, Jericho, The Shield

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WWE NXT Taping
Full Sail, Orlando Florida
March 21, 2013

Credit to reader Andres Santiago for this live report:

Dark Match:

– Briley Pierce vs Rami Sebei. Sebei won with a running boot Pierce in the corner.

TV Taping

Tony Dawson, Kassius Ohno and Brad Maddox were the announce team when the tapings began.

– Bo Dallas & Adrian Neville vs The Wyatt Family w/ Bray Wyatt. Dallas & Neville won with a Belly to Belly Slam by Dallas on Harper. Wyatt cut one of his rambling promos as they came to the ring.

– William Regal attacked Kassius Ohno at the announce booth.

– Summer Rae & Audrey Marie vs Sasha Banks & Paige. Banks & Paige won with a Paige Turner on Marie. Rae ran to the back to avoid wrestling Paige and that led to the finish.

– NXT Championship Match: Big E Langston vs Conor O’Brian. Langston won with The Big Ending. Typical post match antics by Langston.

– They showed a Harlem Shake spoof with multiple Emmas. All of them were wearing bad cosplay outfits.

– Percy Watson, Axl Keegan & Scott Dawson vs The Shield. The Shield won with a Skywalker by Rollins on Keegan. After the match, The Shield beatdown Dawson and cut a promo about how they are the most destructive force in WWE history. Graves appeared on screen and challenged them to a match next week, due to them costing him the title two times. Rollins accepted and told the others to take the night off next week.

– Naomi & Cameron vs The Bella Twins. The Bella Twins won with a double team on Cameron. The move had each Bella holding one of Cameron’s legs and rolling forward like a jacknife pin, which caused Cameron to slam down as if she was powerbombed.

– Kassius Ohno vs William Regal. Regal won with a Knee Trembler.

The next portion of the taping was called “NXT Clash of the Champions” due to all of the matches being title bouts.

– United States Championship match: Antonio Cesaro vs Adrian Neville. Cesaro won with a Neutralizer. Neville was going for the Corkscrew SSP but got crotched, uppercutted and hit with the Neutralizer.

– WWE Divas Championship: Kaitlyn vs AJ Lee. Kaitlyn won with a spear. AJ looked like she was drilled pretty hard with it.

– NXT Championship match: Big E Langston vs Brad Maddox. Langston won with The Big Ending. Typical post match antics by Langston again.

– WWE Intercontinental Championship match: Wade Barrett vs Bo Dallas. Barrett won when he caught Dallas with the Bull Hammer in mid-air; Dallas was attempting a diving move from the top rope.

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Next set of tapings …

– Justin Gabriel vs Leo Kruger. Kruger won with Nigel McGuiness’s old London Dungeon submission.

– Bailey vs Emma. Emma won with a slightshot floated over into a Muta Lock. While bridging back on the Muta Lock she did her dance.

– Bray Wyatt w/ The Wyatt Family vs Yoshi Tatsu. Wyatt won with a Swinging Flatliner. After the match, Wyatt beat down Tatsu and then cut a promo about how the Wyatt Family rule NXT and how no one in the back is better than him.

– Lumberjack Match: Corey Graves vs Seth Rollins. Rollins won with the Skywalker. At the end of the match, The Shield ran out from the crowd and destroyed all of the lumberjacks. Rollins was able to hit his finisher after Ambrose clotheslined Graves behind the ref’s back.

– Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination Tag Match: Primo & Epico vs The Wyatt Family vs Bo Dallas & Adrian Neville. Neville eliminated Primo & Epico with a Corkscrew Shooting Star Press on Primo. Harper eliminated Dallas & Neville immediately after when he nailed Neville with a Tornado Clothesline.

– Paige vs Summer Rae. Rae attacked Paige on the way to the ring. Paige won with the Paige Turner.

– Chris Jericho vs Bray Wyatt. Jericho won with the Walls of Jericho.

Notes

– John Cena will be wrestling on May 2 at the next taping.

– I have no idea how many episodes were taped tonight. There are 6 weeks before the next taping and it felt like there were 4 or 5 shows worth of matches filmed. I believe the first episode ended with the Langston-O’Brian match and the second with the Ohno-Regal match. The “NXT Clash of the Champions” is likely going to be a special episode too. After that, I have no idea if we had 1 or 2 more episodes worth of matches taped.

– Ohno and Regal had a fantastic match that is well worth going out of your way to see. Neville and Cesaro’s match was great as well.

– After Regal’s match with Ohno he joined the commentary team.

– Bailey has Kristal Marshal’s old theme song.

– Rami Sebei is El Generico unmasked.

 

WWE SmackDown Preview For Tonight

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The following is scheduled for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown on Syfy:

– Miz TV with Randy Orton and Sheamus.

– Mark Henry vs. Zack Ryder.

– Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston.

– Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho.

– Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow vs. Brodus Clay & Tensai.

– WWE United States champion Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz.

– Randy Orton & Sheamus & Big Show vs. 3MB.

Also appearing are The Shield, Booker T, The Bella Twins and more.

*SPOILERS* For Tonight’s Episode of WWE SmackDown

TNA Announces New Rules For X Divsion Matches

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For years, TNA has billed the X Division as a “no limits” division, but that never really meant anything.

On Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, TNA announced the rule changes to X Division matches that Dixie Carter hinted at last week on Twitter. Moving forward:

  1. The X Division now has a weight limit of 230 lbs.
  2. All X Division matches will now be 3-man matches

Hit up the comments below and tell us what you think about the new rules.

Video: Stephanie McMahon Boxing With Her Trainer

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Stephanie McMahon tweeted the following video on Thursday showing off her boxing skills –

More On The Changes To WWE’s Creative Team & Paul Heyman’s Role

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As noted earlier, former WWE creative team member Court Bauer revealed on Twitter that David Kreizman, who started with WWE several months ago, is now a WWE head writer.

Kreizman is a former soap opera writer (“All My Children”) and has won several Daytime Emmy Awards. Kreizman fills the void left by Eric Pankowski, who left the company earlier this month.

WWE is looking to hire more former soap opera writers, according to PWInsider.com.

Former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz, who writes most of The Rock’s material, has also been stepping up on the creative side. There is still no real push for Paul Heyman to join the creative team, although he does work with various wrestlers who seek his advice.

New WWE Head Writer, Angle Added To WWE.com, Payback PPV Ticket Presale, Foley DVD Preview

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– Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer revealed on Twitter that David Kreizman, who started with WWE months ago, is now a WWE head writer. He is a Daytime Emmy award winning soap opera writer.

– TNA star Kurt Angle has been added to the Alumni section of WWE.com. It’s true.

– WWE is holding a ticket pre-sale this week for the new Payback pay-per-view. The event takes place on Sunday, June 16th from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The online pre-sale begins Thursday morning with the password PUNKPPV. Tickets will be on sale for $500, $300, $90, $70, $50 and $25 and go on sale to the general public this Saturday.

– WWEDVDNews.com has released the following video preview for the new “Life and Times Of Mick Foley” DVD release, in stores April 16th:

SummerSlam Travel Package Details

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WWE has announced the following details for Summerslam travel packages, which go on sale this Saturday:

The hottest event of the summer, SummerSlam, returns to Los Angeles on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013, at STAPLES Center! You can be part of the action by purchasing a SummerSlam Travel Package, beginning Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, available exclusively on WWE.com. You won’t want to miss your chance to be part of the biggest event of the summer!

SummerSlam Travel Packages include tickets to:

  • SummerSlam at STAPLES Center on Sunday, Aug. 18
  • SummerSlam Axxess at Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live where you can get autographs from your favorite WWE Superstars
  • An all-new “Breakfast Slam Session” where you can meet a WWE Superstar
  • Hotel accommodations at the Omni Los Angeles

Platinum Package – Prices starting at $1,056

WWE delivers the ultimate fan experience just in time for summer! See the action up close with ringside seating within the first five rows at STAPLES Center, get autographs from your favorite WWE Superstars with a choice of one general admission session to SummerSlam Axxess, and be the first to take part in a brand-new offering, the “Breakfast Slam Session,” where you can meet a WWE Superstar. Platinum packages give you the VIP treatment with an invitation to an exclusive private reception with WWE Superstars and Divas, hotel accommodations at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel and a limited edition collectible ringside chair.

(FULL DETAILS)

Gold Package – Prices starting at $564

Don’t miss your chance to enjoy all that SummerSlam has to offer with the Gold Package. Experience all the action from lower level seats within the 100 Level sections at STAPLES Center, get autographs from your favorite WWE Superstars with a choice of one general admission session to SummerSlam Axxess, be the first to take part in a brand-new offering, the “Breakfast Slam Session,” where you can meet a WWE Superstar, and receive hotel accommodations at the Omni Los Angeles.

(FULL DETAILS)

For more information, please visit wwe.com/travelpackages, email  [email protected] or call 203-359-5182. You can also refer to this list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

Steve Austin’s Status For WM29 Weekend, More On HHH-Lesnar Stiuplation, Deeb

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– On Monday’s RAW, Paul Heyman revealed that Triple H’s match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 29 will be a No Holds Barred match, with Triple H’s career on the line. Dave Meltzer reports that the stipulation was finalized just days before RAW, and other ideas for the match included Hell In A Cell, or Shawn Michaels and Paul Heyman in Triple H and Brock Lesnar’s corners.

– Former WWE Diva Serena Deeb will be making her return to the ring in May after an 18-month hiatus due to injury. She’ll be wrestling former WWE Diva Shelly Martinez at Pro Wrestling Syndicate’s Bombshell Ladies of Wrestling event on May 11th from Metuchen, New Jersey.

– “Stone Cold Steve” Austin tweeted on Thursday that he will not be taking part in WrestleMania 29 weekend:

WrestleMania 29 Price Increase & Details On Why It Certain To Be A Very Profitable Show For WWE

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Earlier this week, DirecTV announced that WrestleMania will be seeing a price increase this year, with the HD feed selling for $69.99 and the SD version going for $59.99. Both are $5 increases from last year. The cost of ordering the show is certainly high, but it’s on par with the price of a Floyd Meathweather PPV boxing fight, so WWE is not overly concerned that it will hurt the number of buys.

Based on annual trends of repeat viewership numbers and the continued trend of viewers shifting to the HD broadcasts, it’s projected that WWE will see an additional $900,000 profit for WrestleMania 29 from the price increase alone. Even if WrestleMania does not draw as many buys as last year, it could still shatter the company’s all-time pay-per-view revenue records.

With a sellout crowd at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, WrestleMania 29 is poised to be the second-largest WrestleMania crowd in WWE history (behind WrestleMania 3 at the Pontiac Silverdome) and has already grossed over $11 million for the company.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Triple H Making More Big Changes To WWE Developmental

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Triple H is making more big changes to WWE’s developmental system that could have a profound impact on WWE’s next generation of Superstars. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Triple H has pushed for the elimination of lengthy scripts for promos – and for the wrestlers to given general bullet points instead.

Some of the best talkers in wrestling history have gone on record stating that many of today’s Superstars never properly learn the art of cutting promos because they are so heavily scripted by WWE’s writing team. Working off bullet points will allow the wrestlers to show more of their personalities and require them to improvise a lot more. The idea is that the change will lead to characters being more authentic and not all sounding the same.

This is a much more “old school” approach – something Triple H is known for, compared to his father-in-law Vince.

Sin Cara Injured Again, Bruno Sammartino Note, Tyson Kidd’s Recovery

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– Sin Cara recently suffered a concussion, which likely took place during his match against Jack Swagger on RAW (3/11). He was evaluated on 3/18 and underwent Impact concussion testing. He missed last weekend’s WWE live events and didn’t work Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings.

– With Monday’s RAW having taken place from Pittsburgh, PA, many people expected Bruno Sammartino to appear on the show, since Pittsburgh is his where he lives. WWE decided against Sammartino even appearing backstage because they want his big return to take place at WrestleMania weekend.

– Tyson Kidd continues to train for his in-ring return and noted on Twitter that he’s been doing jumping exercises at physical therapy. He wrote:

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Triple H’s WM29 Training, Mark Henry Responds To Ryback, WWE Live Events

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– Here are some recent WWE attendance figures, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • 3/15 (RAW) from Bridgeport, CT drew a sellout of 7,700 fans for $280,000
  • 3/16 (RAW) from Providence, RI drew a sellout of 10,500 fans for $360,000
    3/16 (SmackDown) from Hammond, IN drew a sellout of 4,500 fans for $150,000
  • 3/17 (RAW) from Binghamton drew a sellout of 5,200 fans for $200,000
    3/17 (SmackDown) from Toledo, OH drew 4,800 fans for $140,000

– Mark Henry tweeted the following about his WrestleMania 29 opponent, Ryback:

– Triple H hyped his WrestleMania 29 match with Brock Lesnar by posting the following late last night on Twitter:

Preview For Tonight’s WWE NXT Tapings From Full Sail In Winter Park, FL

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WWE will tape the next batch of NXT television shows tonight from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

Chris Jericho is scheduled to appear tonight. Also in attendance will be WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett and William Regal. Barrett will be wrestling Bo Dallas, while Regal has been playing up his feud with Kassius Ohno while Barrett. Ricardo Rodriguez is also teasing an appearance as his masked alter-ego, Chimaera.

Here are some tweets from the talents appearing tonight:

Jim Ross: “Thursday nite NXT most ambitious, star studded TV taping we’ve ever done. Can’t miss event. Hope you have tickets. Not hyperbole..fact. #WWE”

Wade Barrett: Heading to @NXT tomorrow to pay @TheBoDallas a visit. ‘If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.’

NXT Diva Paige: “Tonight is the night!!! @WWENXT is back at @FullSail in Orlando!!!!! W/ special guest @IAmJericho !!! Not one to be missed!! #WWE #NXT”

NXT Diva Charlotte: “The harder I work, the luckier I get!” #Ambition NXT @ Full Sail Today!”

Corey Graves: “Huge set of @WWENXT TV tapings TONIGHT @FullSail feat. @IAmJericho ~ Well, featuring me. He’ll be there though. #FutureIsNow #StayDown”

Conor O’Brian: “Endless thoughts about #NXT and the moments of opportunity. #TheAscension #WEWILLRISE”

As usual, we’ll have spoiler results posted here later tonight, so make sure to check back for those.

New Ways To Watch WrestleMania 29, HOF Banner Outside MSG (Picture) & More

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– In recent months, WWE rolled out a new feature where fans could purchase and stream pay-per-view events on mobile devices through the WWE App. For WrestleMania 29, fans will also be able to purchase & stream the event on Samsung Internet-enabled TV’s as well as Xbox Live.

– WWE is currently mapping out the onslaught of Superstar appearances in New York City that will be taking place in the two weeks leading up to WrestleMania 29.

– Reader PJ sent in the following photo of the WWE Hall of Fame banner currently hanging outside of Madison Square Garden:

hof-msg

TNA Impact Wrestling Preview For Tonight

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[  * SPOILERS For Tonight’s TNA Impact  ]

Here’s the TNA website’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike, taped last week from Chicago:

A statement from the Aces and Eights about Thursday’s IMPACT: “Our President Bully Ray will be on IMPACT and tell the whole 9 months story on how he pulled of the greatest con in history! We’re talking about a step by step video look at Bully’s genius for those who questioned the Aces and 8s plan!”

– After the violent attack by the Aces and Eights this past week, how will Hulk Hogan, Sting, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle and the rest of the IMPACT roster fight back? The Aces now have the advantage in their war against TNA – the question is, can Hulk Hogan do anything to stop them?

– The World Tag Team Championship will be on the line on Thursday on SpikeTV as Bobby Roode and Austin Aries defend against former champions Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez!

– Plus, the X Division Championship will be at stake as Kenny King defends against Zema Ion and the returning Sonjay Dutt!

– After what happened at Lockdown involving Gail Kim, Knockouts referee Taryn Terrell has been put on probation! Knockouts executive Brooke Hogan will be on IMPACT to make a ruling on Taryn’s future in TNA! Did Terrell step over the line at Lockdown?

– In addition, Joseph Park will battle Matt Morgan on Thursday’s IMPACT! Has Park gotten himself into more than he can handle against the genetic giant?

All this and much more on Thursday IMPACT broadcast on SpikeTV at 8/7c!

The Miz Reaches 1 Million Twitter Followers, Maria Denies HOF Rumor, WWE Inbox

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– The Miz spoke to WWE.com this week about reaching 1 million followers on Twitter:

“When WWE needs someone to do any kind of job whatsoever, they call upon me. Whether it’s doing talk shows, radio shows, being a commentator on WWE Main Event, being a WWE Superstar main-eventer or being a talk show host, they call upon The Miz because they know I’m the most must-see. I will make whatever I do awesome. I just made Twitter absolutely awesome and the 1 million Mizfits proved that!”

– Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis is denying reports that she was inducting Bob Backlund in the WWE Hall of Fame. She tweeted this week:

https://twitter.com/MariaLKanellis/status/314414460301348865

We checked around and it appears that it’s actually TV Maria Menounos that’s been contacted about inducting Bob Backlund. We apologize for the error.

– Here’s the latest installment of WWE Inbox:

This week on “WWE Inbox,” see which championships Sheamus and his fellow Superstars would like to be reinstated in WWE. Plus, who has the best entrance video? Check out these Superstar picks.

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