This week on The Breakdown, in honor of Mark Henry’s retirement swerve, Steve takes a look back at some of the most notorious swerves in pro wrestling.
Fandango Concussion Update, The Rock Sells Mansion For $500k Less Than He Wanted
– There is said to be a lot of concern in WWE over Fandango’s recent concussion, since he already has suffered concussions in WWE prior to making his debut on the main roster.
– According to ContactMusic.com, The Rock has sold his Miami, CA mansion for $3 million, which is $500,000 less than the asking price.
Rock purchased the 13,154 square foot home from soccer player Vernon Carey last year for around $3.4 million.
The mansion has five bedrooms, seven baths, a large swimming pool, a home theater and more.
* PHOTOS of the MANSION The ROCK Just Sold – See Where THE ROCK Lived!
(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
CM Punk Gets Colt Cabana WWE Tryout, Natalya & Kidd’s Wedding On Total Divas
– Former WWE Superstar Colt Cabana (known as Scotty Goldman during his brief run from 2007-2009) recently received a tryout with WWE to be a color commentator. At this time, there’s no word on whether he’ll be hired, but we do know the tryout was set up by his longtime friend, CM Punk.
– As reported earlier this month, WWE Diva Natalya is engaged to Tyson Kidd. WWE cameras were in Vegas last week for Natalya’s bachelorette party, recording footage for the Total Divas reality show. According to reports, the actual wedding will be taking place on the show as well. Since filming is currently underway and the show premieres this summer, it’s possible their wedding could be taking place very soon.
* PHOTO: WWE Divas Party In VEGAS For Natalya’s Bachelorette Party
TNA Impact Wrestling Preview: Bound For Glory Series Begins
The following is TNA’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling – LIVE from Peoria, Illinois at the Peoria Civic Center.
– Thursday’s IMPACT will feature the official start of the annual Bound For Glory Series – and ALL 12 participants will be in action on the huge broadcast! Based on fan votes at our website, either Jeff Hardy or Bobby Roode will get the first call-out to kick off the BFG Series! On Thursday, the annual competition begins, with one lucky superstar eventually winning a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship!
– “The Icon” Sting shocked the wrestling world by announcing he was forming a new MAIN EVENT MAFIA in TNA! Will Sting reveal more about his plans this Thursday to reform one of the most dominant groups in TNA history? Who will be the members of Sting’s Main Event Mafia? Don’t miss more from Sting on IMPACT!
– TNA Knockouts executive Brooke Hogan will give a “State Of The Knockouts Division” address on Thursday night! What does Brooke have planned for the ladies of TNA?
– Plus, Thursday’s OPEN FIGHT NIGHT edition of IMPACT will feature more of your favorite superstars, including Hulk Hogan, World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray and the Aces and Eights, Kurt Angle, World Tag Team Champions “Cowboy” James Storm and Gunner, X Division Champion Chris Sabin, AJ Styles and many more.
* Rumored Bound For Glory Series WINNNER & News On Hulk Hogan Wrestling Again
Brock Lesnar’s RAW Appearance Kept Secret, Main Event & NXT Previews
– Here’s a preview for this week’s episode of WWE NXT on Hulu Plus:
* Bray Wyatt vs. Adrian Neville
* Divas Championship Tournament Match: Sasha Banks vs. Summer Rae.
* Sami Zayn vs. Angelo Dawkins
* Xavier Woods vs. Jake Carter
– The following matches will be taking place on tonight’s WWE Main Event broadcast:
* The Shield vs. The Usos & Justin Gabriel
* Sin Cara vs. Antonio Cesaro
* Aksana vs. Kaitlyn
– Brock Lesnar made a surprisre return to WWE on Monday’s RAW, attacking CM Punk in the final segment of the show. According to reliable sources in WWE, Lesnar’s return was kept secret from most people in the company – with Lesnar not arriving at the arena until mid-way through the second hour of the show. Lesnar’s segment where he F5’d CM Punk was not even in the final script for RAW.
* BACKSTAGE FIGHT at RAW Between TRIPLE H & DANIEL BRYAN – Full Details
Superstars Tweet #RIPHayleigh after loss of a WWE Fan
Hayleigh Kaur and her mother in London who died overnight in a house fire in South East London with her Twitter handle @TrueLoveAlwaysX. She was a huge WWE fan and known by many of the WWE Talent for waiting at airports, arenas, and hotels sometimes for hours with her friends to get a chance to meet her favorite superstars. WWE personalities have started to post their messages of condolence via Twitter
Full details on the house fire are here
Some fans u consistently see in the crowds/airports over the years & u know their passion 4 @WWE @TrueLoveAlwaysx :DEVOTED fan #RIPHayleigh
— Justin Roberts (@JustinRoberts) June 18, 2013
— Diamond Dallas Page (@RealDDP) June 18, 2013
I am so saddened by Haleigh's Death @truelovealwaysx
Such a beautiful soul & Sweet soul #RIP
My… http://t.co/4UA2cxWorz— Layla El (@mslayel) June 18, 2013
Very sorry to hear of the passing of a huge WWE fan today. #RIPHayleigh pic.twitter.com/1OKp0xOTHu
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) June 19, 2013
The following tweet was Retweeted by Dolph Ziggler
Wow @HEELZiggler lost a beautiful fan @TrueLoveAlwaysx. I hope her family & friends stay strong. #RipHayleigh pic.twitter.com/JakYLPPWrf
— . (@elizabeth4everr) June 18, 2013
Backstage Argument Between Daniel Bryan & Triple H, Final RAW Rating
– Monday’s WWE RAW, the night after Payback, drew a 3.0 rating cable rating and averaged 4.15 million viewers. The rating was even from last week, while viewership was up from last week’s audience of 3.99 million viewers. Here’s the hourly breakdown for this week:
- Hour 1: 4.03 million
- Hour 2: 4.26 million
- Hour 3: 4.17 million
– Daniel Bryan’s injury on RAW (a stinger) caused the finish of his match against Randy Orton to be changed. the original plan was for Daniel Bryan to go over clean, however, the injury resulted in the match finish being changed on the fly.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, there was a heated argument backstage, with Daniel Bryan and Triple H yelling at each other in the gorilla position. Bryan was said to be irate with the match being called off – which surprised many observers, since Bryan is usually very soft spoken. The two later apologized to each other.
Antonio Cesaro & Zeb Colter Comment On Their New Alliance
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Big Vito (49) and Larry “The Axe” Hennig (77).
– Tickets for WWE’s Night of Champions pay-per-view on September 15th from the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan go on sale this Saturday at 10am EST at Ticketmaster.com and the arena box office.
– Antonio Cesaro tweeted and touted about his new alliance with Zeb Colter last night:
I'm gonna say this better than most of you can. We The People. http://t.co/6xHJWXpbkl
— Swiss (@ClaudioCSRO) June 18, 2013
Better than any other immigrant, and more American than you! #WeThePeople
— Swiss (@ClaudioCSRO) June 18, 2013
Zeb Colter wrote:
@AntonioCesaro & @RealJackSwagger will be a force to be dealt with. #wethepeople
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
@AntonioCesaro is not an IMMIGRANT. He's a REAL AMERICAN as soon as we inducted him into #wethepeople.
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
@AntonioCesaro is now and forever a REAL AMERICAN. HE did it properly, legally and didn't sneak into our country. If you can't see that,
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
Tried to tell you all that del Rio was "using our country" for his own benefit. SEEN IT BEFORE. WELCOME @AntonioCesaro to #wethepeople
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
If tonight intrigued you, believe this. #wethepeople w/ @RealJackSwagger & @AntonioCesaro, WE DON'T FORGET AND WE DON'T FORGIVE. #wwe
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
#coltersmilitia was born last night #raw. WE DON'T FORGET. WE DON'T FORGIVE. @RealJackSwagger @AntonioCesaro #wethepeople
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 18, 2013
* When CM PUNK vs. BROCK LESNAR Will Happen & Details On RVD’s WWE Contract
Photos: Kaitlyn Wardrobe Malfunction From RAW (18+)
WWE Diva Kaitlyn sufferd a wardrobe malfunction on WWE RAW (6/17). Warning: The following gallery contains some nudity and should only be viewed by people 18+.
Randy Orton Talks Cena, Punk, His Suspensions & More, SmackDown Viewership
– Last Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown, which featured the first televised loss of The Shield, averaged 2.32 million viewers, down from the previous week’s 2.68. (Source: Zap2It.com)
– WWE superstar Randy Orton was recently interviewed by Sam Roberts and spoke about his current role in WWE, his past suspensions, injuries, his thoughts on John Cena & CM Punk and more. Here’s video of the appearance:
Breaking News: Mark Henry Retiring Tonight On RAW
Mark Henry Retiring – The End Of An Era
WWE Superstar Mark Henry, whom has been rumored to be retiring from the wrestling industry for quite some time now, revealed on Twitter this afternoon that he does in fact plan to retire tonight on RAW.
Henry tweeted The Rock, Snoop Dogg, Magic Johnson, Mike Epps, Jay Mohr and others on Monday afternoon, urging them to tune in to his retirement announcement tonight on RAW.
He also explained his decision, nothing that “father time” has caught up with him:
“Whether you loved or hated me in my career.I was all ways there for you.i appreciate u all. Good or bad I will live forever with u the fans. I found a place. “
“#raw #wwe I have spoke to my family and hope to talk to all of you fans tomorrow live from Grand Rapids. Guys Father Time is undefeated.”
“I know everyone wants answers,to emotional give me a few days.”
Henry has been a WWE superstar since 1996. Take a look at the following list of Mark Henry’s career accomplishments, courtesy of Wikipedia.com:
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE. He was two times an Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a Silver, Gold and Bronze Medalist at the Pan American Games in 1995.
As a powerlifter, he was drug-free World Champion (1995) and a two-time U.S. National Champion (1995 and 1997) as well as an all-time raw world record holder in the squat and deadlift. Currently, he still holds the WDFPF world records in the squat, deadlift and total and the USAPL American record in the deadlift since 1995. He is credited for the biggest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug tested athlete, regardless of weight class, as well as the greatest raw deadlift by an American citizen.
In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U.S. National Weightlifting Champion (1993, 1994, 1996), an American Open winner (1992), a two-time U.S. Olympic Festival Champion (1993 and 1994) and a NACAC champion (1996). He holds all three Senior US American weightlifting records of 1993-1997. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic.
Since joining the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1996, he has become a one-time WWF European Champion and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008, and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.
Comment Below and tell us what you think about Mark Henry retiring.
Dolph Ziggler Not Cleared To Wrestle, Heyman/Punk T-Shirt Combo Deal
– WWE.com is running a sale, with $5 off a CM Punk & Paul Heyman t-shirt combo.
– WWE has released an update on Dolph Ziggler’s medical condition – noting that the former (ugh) World Heavyweight champion is not currently cleared to compete after his match with Albero Del Rio at last night’s Payback pay-per-view:
“After suffering a brutal assault at the hands of Alberto Del Rio during their World Heavyweight Championship Match at WWE Payback, it has been determined that Dolph Ziggler is not medically cleared to compete at this time.”
* Backstage News For Tonight’s WWE RAW & New Details On RVD’s New WWE Contract
Update On The Rock’s Movie Hercules, Sunny Joining Another HOF, Roberts Congratulates Axel
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tweeted the following on Monday about his new movie Hercules:
THANK U to the armies of Greek soldiers & warriors in our massive action scenes. We're making something epic. Keep bringing it. #HERCULES
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 17, 2013
– WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts tweeted a congratulatory message to WWE’s new Intercontinental Champion, Curtis Axel:
Congratulations to @RealCurtisAxel He's been a champ in that ring 4 a long time & now has the title his father made famous, to show for it.
— Justin Roberts (@JustinRoberts) June 17, 2013
– WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch will be inducted into the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame this weekend in Fairhaven, Massachussetts, the third Hall of Fame she’ll be a part of.
Speculation On Whether Mark Henry Is Retiring, The Shield Added To Chicago Comic Con
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has commented on speculation that Mark Henry will be retiring soon. In response to a fan asking about Henry’s possible retirement, JR tweeted:
“@jeannebrown1998: @JRsBBQ How do feel about Mark Henry Retirement?” I know nothing of any retirement plans. Stay tuned for facts.
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) June 17, 2013
WWE.com also has an article up sepculating whether Mark Henry’s recent cryptic tweets mean he’s retiring soon.
– WWE Superstars The Shield have been added to the upcoming “Wizard World Comic Con” convention in Chicago in August. Also appearing are CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Ricky Steamboat. For full details on their apperance schedules, visit WizardWorld.com.
* Find Out If MARK HENRY Is Really Retiring & Details On RVD’s New WWE Contract
Ric Flair Comments On Reid’s Autopsy Report, TNA Executive Released
– TNA let go Mike Weber, their Vice President of Marketing, last week. He had been with the company since 2008 and previously worked for WWE and WCW.
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair spoke to the Charlotte Observer over the weekend about the news that his son’s autopsy report confirmed that he died from a heroin overdose. Flair said:
“I loved him… He should have been on top of the world, but he was fighting a battle he couldn’t win. I hope people remember his laugh, his spirit and his love of life.”
Reid’s mother, Beth, said “I knew his fears and I knew how to help him,” Beth said. “All he wanted to do was stay busy, train and keep his mind off the old triggers, then go back to Japan. He was doing really well there. He was happy.”
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Possibly Turning Babyface, RVD’s Return
John Cena Comments On Hot Payback Crowd, News On WWE Concussions
– WWE Champion John Cena tweeted the following in reaction to the hot crowd at Payback:
I will say this as absolute truth. Every time @WWE has an event in #Chicago @WWEUniverse in #Chicago makes it feel like #WrestleMania
— John Cena (@JohnCena) June 17, 2013
– Yahoo.com has a guest editorial up looking the recent changes to WWE’s policy on concussions & post-concussion symptoms:
Since early May, Dolph Ziggler, Fandango, and Tamina Snuka have each suffered concussions in WWE matches. These are real concussions, not kayfabe injuries invented by the WWE creative team to further storylines. Dolph Ziggler missed a pay-per-view and was out of action for over a month with his concussion. Fandango and Snuka have not wrestled since their head injuries.
If the WWE’s treatment of concussions sounds familiar, that’s because it parallels similar trends in other sports, particularly the NFL. Former players who suffered concussions and are now dealing with their after-effects are suing the NFL. At the same time, the NFL is levying severe punishments against players whose actions could lead to concussions.
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Possibly Turning Babyface, RVD’s Return
RAW Preview: Payback Fallout, Vince & Triple H, Mark Henry, Punk & Axel
Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Here’s a preview of what to expect tonight:
- Fallout from WWE Payback, including John Cena’s win over Ryback, The Shield holding on to their titles, AJ Lee defeating Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship and Alberto Del Rio regaining the World Heavyweight title from Dolph Ziggler.
- The return of Mark HJenry, who was teasing on Twitter that he might be retiring.
- Appearances from Vince McMahon and Triple H.
The advertised dark match main event is John Cena vs. Ryback.
WWE.com’s 5-Point Preview focuses on the following items for tonight:
- The return of Mark Henry and his Hall of Pain
- Reactions from Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Zigger
- What’s next from Daniel Bryan?
- What awaits John Cena after defeating Ryback?
- Will CM Punk be able to co-exist with Paul Heyman’s new client, Curtis Axel?
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Possibly Turning Babyface, RVD’s Return & More
Rollins Commets On The Shield’s Payback Wins, Kevin Nash’s In-Ring Future, MITB Promo Video
– Kevin Nash tweeted the following on Sunday next, explaining why he probably won’t be getting back in the ring at any time soon:
Sat down with my financial guy on Friday said I'm good till 2049.I'm quite sure no one will be forced in to seeing me and my 5 moves?
— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) June 16, 2013
– Seth Rollins of The Shield tweeted the following about he and Roman Reigns retaining the WWE Tag Team titles at Payback:
Was there ever even a question? Always bet on black. We are the emergent leaders and this generation is ours. #payback #believeintheshield
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) June 17, 2013
– Here is WWE’s official promo video for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 14th:
Jack Swagger’s DUI Arrest Trial Beginning On June 25th, Possible Jail Time
WWE Superstar Jack Swagger is scheduled to go to trial on June 25th in Mississippi, stemming from his February 19th DUI arrest in Gulfport, MS.
Swagger was arrested just 90 minutes after attending a WWE SmackDown taping. Swagger’s charges carry fines of $437 for possession of marijuana, $188 for driving 10 mph over the speed limit and $1,300 for driving impaired on a first DUI offense.
City prosecutor Kirk Clark previously told the Associated Press that he is pushing for the maximum sentence against Swagger, which would land him in jail for two days and require him to take several classes.
Edge Tells Crazy Stories From His Days As A Bouncer
WWE Hall of Famer Edge spoke to Paul Mazeby of the When We Were Bouncers Facebook page about his crazy experiences as a bouncer, prior to becoming a pro wrestler.
Here’s a few crazy stories from the Rated R Superstar .. Warning: the stories contain some “adult” language..
“I started bouncing at 17 years old at a franchise place called O’Toole’s in my hometown of Orangeville. Of course it was highly illegal for me to be doing that, but even at that age I was about 6’4” and 220, so because they were short on bouncers, I got the job.
The thing with Orangeville was that, even though it was just a small town of about 15000 people, it was surrounded by a bunch of farming communities whose farm boys would come into town with their shit-kickers on when they wanted to drink. And when the drinking started, all the different rivalries from all the different towns would flare up.
The bouncing crew included friends of mine named Doug Childs and Kelly McGoogan, as well as the legendary Burt the Hurt. Burt was a guy I knew from the wrestling business, since we were both training to be wrestlers at Sully’s Gym in Toronto. In his day job he was a schoolteacher, but he was also legally blind so how he got a license, I have no idea. That dude was INSANE — he would only answer if you called him by his full name of “Burt the Hurt”, and he spoke about himself in the third person way before The Rock ever did. I liked to call him “The Innovator of Eccentricity” because he always talked as if he was cutting a wrestling promo, even when there were no cameras around and he didn’t think anybody was listening. Burt was also strong as a bull — squat, deadlift, pick up cars, whatever. Total freak — and batshit crazy.
Our crew was actually well-hired, because with me being from town and every other guy being from one of the neighbouring towns, any time things got out of hand, the odds were good that at least one of us would know at least one of the guys in the fight and have a chance at talking them down.
So one night we were all at work, and it was one of those times where the place was filled with these big, athletic farm guys who play hockey, and the air was thick with testosterone and you could just tell that something was gonna happen. Adding to the potential for disaster was that Jay The Dick [Jay Reso aka “Christian”, Copeland’s tag team partner and best friend] was also in the club, because there was really nowhere else to hang out in Orangeville.
I can’t even remember what started it all. I just remember looking at the back corner and seeing fists start flying back there, and then suddenly it was like a tsunami of fists rolling toward us as more and more people got involved. By the time the wave crashed into us, there were at least thirty people fighting, which meant we could absolutely forget about stopping it. We just had to pick off guys one at a time, try to control it.
The first guy I grabbed started swinging at me, so I rammed him up against a support pillar to get a good hold of him, and then began dragging him out. But a buddy of his came up from behind me and grabbed me in a chokehold! So now I’m not only fending off the choke, but the guy I had against the pillar is now loose and he’s getting ready to dial me in.
We were all standing beside this kind of wooden barrier that ran around the dance floor, maybe four feet high and eighteen inches thick, and just as I’m thinking I’m finished, out of nowhere I see The Dick running along the top of it. So I pushed backward and slammed the guy behind me into a wall, which got me loose just as The Dick launched himself into the air. A moment later — BOOM! — he hit the guy in front of me with a picture-perfect cross body block to the back! I swear, you’ve never seen a better one in any wrestling ring than the one that The Dick pulled off that night — slammed the guy face-first right into the ground!
To the best of my knowledge, that was the first-ever successful cross body block to be pulled off in a street fight — and don’t even talk to me about that weak shit that [Chris] Jericho tried in Calgary, because it totally doesn’t count if you don’t connect!
Thankfully, the fight didn’t last much longer and we all came out of it more or less unscathed. If you don’t count having to listen to The Dick brag about himself for weeks afterward, that is.”
*********
“If I fail to remember O’Toole’s for any other reason, I will always remember it for the night that they featured a male strip show. I was freaking out that I had to work that night, because I’d barely been to a female strip club at that point, so I had no idea what the deal was gonna be.
The strippers arrived shortly after my shift started, and because it was the nineties, they were all mulletted out like crazy — not that I can say anything about it since I was rockin’ the same thing, plus my uniform was cowboy boots, jeans, and a white denim shirt, so I wasn’t setting a very high fashion precedent.
After the show began, I stayed on the front door and tried to look into the club as little as possible. But it was still my job to scan the room from time to time, and every time I did, it was like, “Whoa, shit, there’s a dick”. I hadn’t realized that these guys were actually gonna get their shit right in the girls’ faces and just shake it! I don’t know if that was legal or not, but I can tell you it was sure goin’ on.
Eventually I had to use the staff washroom, which was a tiny, single-user deal at the back. As I made my way back there I tried to keep my eyes to the floor, but it was like walking through dick land-mines the whole way! When I finally got to the back I let out a huge sigh of relief, but that only lasted a couple of seconds before I opened the unlocked bathroom door and found one of the peelers standing there wearing nothing but a cock ring! Porn magazine in one hand, junk in the other, and going to TOWN on himself trying to get his shit hard!
At a young and impressionable 17 years old, I didn’t want to know about cock-rings — what they were, what they were for, the whole process of getting ‘em on, I didn’t wanna know any of that. And I especially didn’t want to be enlightened by a guy who was only too eager to explain it all while whacking his meat!
So yeah… I witnessed that. And even with all the years that passed and all the concussions I’ve suffered since then, I’ve still never found a way to un-know it.”
The Shield, Paul Heyman & Dr. Sampson Comment On WWE Payback
Here are some highlights from WWE.com’s backstage interviews from Sunday night after WWE Payback:
– WWE doctor Michael Sampson commented on Dolph Ziggler’s condition, noting that Ziggler was checked out after his match and will continue to be monitored for post-concussion symptoms. According to WWE storylines, Ziggler’s in-ring status is up int he air until they get more results from Ziggler’s latest round of testing.
– Kane commented on his count-out loss to Dean Ambrose, promising that Dean Ambrose won’t escape him again.
– Paul Heyman said new Intercontinental champion Curtis Axel had the “perfect” victory at Payback and now has a bunch of “offers” coming in.
The Shield also gave WWE a hand-held video they shot backstage, mocking their opponents and declaring that The Shield dominated yet another pay-per-view event. Ambrose called WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns “the best tag team walking today” and said that The Shield are the leaders of a”new generation” in WWE.
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Next Feud, RVD’s Return & More
Paul Heyman, The Miz & More Comment On Rob Van Dam’s WWE Return
With the announcement that Rob Van Dam will be returning to WWE at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, WWE.com caught up with several WWE Superstars / TV personalities to get their thoughts on the situation:
Paul Heyman: “The entire WWE Universe is buzzing about the return of a true one-of-a-kind, Rob Van Dam. And no one, I assure you, no one is more exhilarated about the return of RVD than Paul Heyman himself. Because after all, Rob Van Dam is a “Paul Heyman Guy.””
The Miz: “One of the greatest highfliers, a Legend in my mind. I remember from ECW to WWE, this guy is action-packed, he is a showstopper, he is must-see. He’s not going to take The Miz’s spot. I welcome all comers. I’ve always welcomed anyone that’s come back, because the fact is, if people are going to watch them, they’re going to stay to watch me. Who knows how much he has left in the tank? I’m curious to see how he does. I’m a huge fan and I look forward to getting in the ring with him.”
Vickie Guerrero: “My responsibility is making the best opportunities for Monday Night Raw. To have RVD return back to WWE, I am honored to be part of the board that looked at his profile and welcomed him with open arms. RVD and I go back many years to when he was with Eddie. I cannot wait to see him here.”
Brad Maddox: “Of course I’m not surprised, because I signed him. Or I should say, re-signed the legendary RVD. I specifically told him to wait for Money in the Bank, because I wanted to maximize profitability.”
Titus O’Neil: “Anything that gets the WWE Universe excited in any way, shape or form, I’m excited about. Because that means more fans in the WWE Universe that will be spending more money to buy Prime Time Players T-shirts. So yeah, I’m excited about RVD coming back.”
Damien Sandow: “I am not threatened by any man whose name is three letters.”
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Next Feud, RVD’s Return & More
Zeb Colter Comments On Del Rio’s Title Win, RVD’s Return, Payback-Social Media
– Vince McMahon tweeted the following on Father’s Day:
I hope my father's as proud of me as I am of my children, Shane and Stephanie. Happy Father's Day.
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) June 16, 2013
His Daughter Stephanie wrote,
“What makes you proud of the man you call "Dad"? http://t.co/u0SuA8Ceim” #unconditionallove #pride #courage #respect #honor @VinceMcMahon
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) June 16, 2013
She also tweeted this picture of the social media command center backstage at WWE Payback:
Panoramic view of Social Media Command Center for #payback pic.twitter.com/YcdU7UokSJ
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) June 17, 2013
– WWE has already moved Rob Van Dam’s WWE.com Superstar profile from the “Alumni” section to the main roster section. Van Dam returns to WWE at next month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
– Zeb Colter tweeted the following in response to Alberto Del Rio recapturing the World Heavyweight championship from Dolph Zigler at Payback:
Congrats to @VivaDelRio for using @HEELZiggler s concussion against him. del Rio should thank @RealJackSwagger for the help. Interesting.
— ??. ????? (@DirtyDMantell) June 17, 2013
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Next Feud, RVD’s Return & More
Ryback Refuses Medical Attention After Payback, PPV Attendance & More
– The new limited-edition CM Punk t-shirt that was on sale at Sunday’s WWE Payback pay-per-view is now on sale at WWEShop.com.
– WWE Payback was a legitimate sellout at the Allstate Arena, with 14,623 fans in attendance.
– WWE.com has an article up stating that Ryback refused medical attention after losing the Three Stages of Hell match to John Cena at Payback. Cena won the match by giving Ryback an AA through the roof of the ambulance at ringside. The WWE Universe Twitter account added:
Just learned that @Ryback22 has refused to go to the hospital and is currently being evaluated by @WWE doctors. #Payback
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) June 17, 2013
There will be an update on Ryback’s condition tonight on RAW.
* News On MARK HENRY RETIRING, CM Punk’s Next Feud, RVD’s Return & More
Curtis Axel Comments On His IC Title Win, AJ & Kaitlyn React To Their Match
– New WWE Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel tweeted the following on Sunday, wishing his father Curt Hennig a Happy Fathers Day:
I never had the privilege to stand in the ring with my Dad but now Im honored to stand in the history books with him! Happy Fathers Day Dad!
— Joe Hennig (@JoeHennig) June 17, 2013
– New WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee and former champion Kaitlyn tweeted the following messages about their match at Payback last night:
Tonight was a dream that took 14 years of will power & hard work to realize. I did it my way. This is the proudest moment of my life.
— AJ Mendez (@TheAJMendez) June 17, 2013
It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything#Fight Club#Payback
— Celeste Bonin (@CelesteBonin) June 17, 2013