– After Thursday’s IMPACT, TNA cameras caught up with Sting about the return of Abyss.
– James Storm tweeted the following over the weekend about having torn stomach muscles:
https://twitter.com/Cowboy_J_Storm/statuses/333246959865438208
Because Wrestling – Episode 98
This week on Because Wrestling, we bring you the latest from this week in wrestling
Sound Off 273: Comparing Raw In 1999 To Raw Today, What Are The Biggest Differences Then and Now?
Download Solomonster Sounds Off Episode 273 Here
Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 17 minutes
Solomonster talks Dolph Ziggler’s concussion and how it may affect Extreme Rules, Jerry Lawler’s return to the ring, reviewing the highest rated Raw ever from 1999, how it compares to Raw today and why the numbers are down so much, Brock Lesnar the Interior Decorator, Impact moving back to 9pm on Thursdays, Christy Hemme upset with Austin Aries, the latest on James Storm’s injury, what TNA has to do (and not do) to build its audience, would an A-list celebrity tie-in help, and who is the REAL Mr. WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels or The Undertaker? To view the Owen Hart column referenced on this week’s show, click here!
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Want your question on the air? Send feedback to [email protected].
Solomonster Sounds Off by The Solomonster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
John Cena Injury Update, New Triple H DVD
– John Cena tweeted the following injury update over the weekend:
Beaumont TX! @WWE is here! @twitter #heel feels better everyday. Looking forward to a great night 2nite! #thechampishere #RTimeIsNow
— John Cena (@JohnCena) May 11, 2013
– WWE COO tweeted the following about a new WWE DVD:
Interviewing for my new DVD. This will be unlike any of my previous ones. pic.twitter.com/dOBzfQ8nrS
— Triple H (@TripleH) May 11, 2013
More On WWE & TNA’s Deals With Yahoo & Google, Strong Man To WWE?
– Strong Man competitor Adam “Big Country” Scherr recently told RXMuscle.com that he’s been in negotiating with WWE about getting into pro wrestling. Scherr noted that he could make a lot more money with WWE than he makes doing Strong Man competitions.
– It was announced that TNA signed a deal with YouTube to offer a new paid subscription channel for $4.99 a month, which will include access to all of TNA’s PPV events from 2004-2012 as well as the company’s past DVD offerings. WWE turned down a similar offer, which the Wrestling Observer reports was one of the catalysts that led them to sign a new content partnership with Yahoo!
Dixie Carter Talks About Recently Meeting Stephanie McMahon
TNA President Dixie Carter recently spoke with the UK’s Sky News Radio about meeting Stephanie McMahon and Triple H at the funeral of Reid Flair’s:
“It was actually a very sad meeting. We met at the church at Ric Flair’s son’s funeral. She and Hunter were there, and the three of us had never met before. I was there with Sting and we were just kind of put in this back room waiting for each other.
It was a very interesting meeting. They’re lovely people; I just wished them luck personally. They had a big weekend with WrestleMania coming up, and I did so publicly. Look, I have a different philosophy than maybe other people do. I think competition is healthy; I think to not want to have competition is absolutely ludicrous.
I think it’s better for the fans, it’s better for the product and it makes us all work harder. And if we want to grow wrestling to be as big as it can be globally, I think that’s important. So, she did respond. I think there were a lot of tweets between the fans, but she did respond in a very kind manner.”
Ambrose Injured On SmackDown, Rumble & Elimination Chamber Buyrates
– The Shield member Dean Ambrose suffered an eye injury at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings. According to WWE.com, he was checked out by WWE’s medical staff after his match against Daniel Bryan.
– Here are updated breakdowns of Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber pay-per-view buyrates, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
Royal Rumble:
- 2013: 512,000 buys worldwide with 322,000 domestic
- 2012: 483,000 worldwide and 299,000 domestic
- 2011: 476,000 worldwide and 281,000 domestic
Elimination Chamber:
- 2013: 213,000 buys worldwide and 160,000 domestic
- 2012: 194,000 worldwide and 138,000 domestic
- 2011: 212,000 worldwide and 145,000 domestic
Sin Cara Returns To WWE Ring On Friday, “Backstage Fallout” For SmackDown, Daizee Haze
– Sin Cara resurfaced at Friday night’s Raw live event in Shreveport, Louisiana, as he partnered with Bo Dallas and Adrian Neville in a tag team match against Michael McGillicutty and Prime Time Players. The masked grappler had been sidelined since March due to a leg injury.
– This week’s SmackDown edition of “Backstage Fallout” is now online. The synopsis reads, “See why Alberto Del Rio is so sure he’ll walk away with the World Heavyweight Title at Extreme Rules. Plus, Mark Henry sends a strong message to Sheamus.”
– Former independent women’s wrestling standout Daizee Haze turns 30-years-old on Saturday.
James Storm Suffers Injury On Thursday’s Impact, Suicide Returning To Impact (Video)
– James Storm announced on Twitter that he suffered an injury to his groin while officiating the Bad Influence vs. Austin Aries and Bobby Roode tag team match at Thursday’s Impact in Tupelo, Mississippi. The injury occurred when he slid to count a pinfall.
Following Friday’s live event in Birmingham, Alabama, Storm admitted himself to a nearby hospital due to pain.
– Suicide will be returning “soon” to Impact Wrestling. The following video aired on Thursday’s show promoting the reemergence of the character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FM2zBOOEIk
The Honky Tonk Man On His Recent WWE Appearance, Rhythm and Blues & More
The Honky Tonk Man was on Inside The Ropes radio show last night and here are some of the highlights:
Being paired with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and why it didn’t reach it’s potential: “Rhythm and Blues thing was something that was going to rejuvinate both myself and Greg Valentine. But Greg was always very much “I’m Greg, I’ve got blond hair, my father’s Johnny Valentine, I’m a wrestler” I said “Listen, if you don’t do this, dye your hair black and at least give us a shot, he’s gonna fire both of us” And that’s eventually what happened because Greg just did not try to make it work. But now after all these years, he tells me he wished he’d went with it. We were supposed to get the Tag titles from The Harts. We were going to win the tag team titles, but he just did not want to do it and it showed.”
Why did he go back to WWE now: “I really think it was the fact that they did call me and ask me to come back and do the old school Raw. It was a tipping point. And then the spot that I was given on that show, I could not have asked for any better. If they had asked me, I don’t think I could’ve dreamt of anything better, I was extremely proud of how they did it. It’s hard to describe. And for them to announce me as “The Greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time” I was really taken away with that moment of having them announce me like that on TV in front of a worldwide audience.”
Will he return to WWE TV: “I would love to do something there on a full time basis, whatever they would have for me to do, because I think I can contribute something, somewhere, somehow. Do they need me there full time? Absolutely not. They don’t need anybody. But sure I’ll do some more stuff with them.”
To hear the full interview where HTM talks about the origins of his character, joining the WWF as a babyface, winning the IC title, feud with The Warrior and much more, click here.
Jim Ross Blog: Next NXT Star To Join The Main Roster, Best NCAA Champion To Become A Pro Wrestler
[jrshop]WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com As always, you can buy JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com. Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
The Next NXT Star To Get Called Up To WWE:
Who’s the NXT big star to matriculate from developmental to a main, WWE roster? No one knows for sure. No one. Too many variables involved in the situation to adequately answer to the satisfaction of any one with an average IQ. However, @WWENXT has several young talents currently training that have a legit shot to make it to the next level. Many don’t want to hear this as it’s not as exotic a story as the” mysterious, powers that be holding someone down” theory but success is largely dependent on who one sees in their mirror. Irresponsible, young wannabe stars who keep shooting themselves in the feet aren’t gonna win any races. It’s really simple…essentially “Do Right” and devote ample time outside the facility to better prepare for what hopefully will come in time. I wonder how many DVD’s the majority of the NXT talents studied this week. Hmmm.
Best NCAA Champion To Become A Pro Wrestler:
Best former NCAA Champion turned pro wrestler? Easy for me but I’m biased…the late, Jack Brisco who lost one match in college was a two time all American at Oklahoma State, National Champion and then had the mountainous task of being the NWA World Champion when the title was arguably the most prestigious in all the biz. No former NCAA Champion Wrestler traveled more miles and had more great matches than did “Handsome” Jack who is considered by any aficionado of the genre to be Rembrandt-like and the wrestling ring was his canvas. That means that I respectfully go with ‘BRISCO’ over Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar who I both worked closely with at WWE from their star in WWE.
*Spoiler* New Matches Added To TNA Slammiversary PPV
Following Thursday’s Impact Wrestling tapings, here’s the updated card for TNA Slammiversary XI:
TNA World Championship Match
Bully Ray (c) vs. Sting
(If Sting loses, he is banned from competing for the TNA World Title for life)
TNA Tag Team Championship Match
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) vs. Bad Influence vs. Roode and Aries vs. James Storm and a partner of his choosing
AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle
TNA Slammiversary XI takes place on Sunday, June 2nd from the Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University.
Main Events Announced For WWE’s Summer Tour Of Japan
WWE has announced the following matches for WWE’s upcoming live events tour of Japan, taking place on July 4th and 5th.
Ryogoku Sumo Hall – July 4th
* John Cena vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship
* Team Hell No vs. The Shield for the WWE Tag Team Championships
* Sheamus vs. Mark Henry
Ryogoku Sumo Hall – July 5th
* John Cena & Sheamus vs. Ryback & Mark Henry
Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Wade Barrett, Antonio Cesaro, Natalya, Zack Ryder and Yoshi Tatsu are also scheduled to appear.
Abyss Breaks His Silence, Gail Kim Celebrating Anniversary With Celebrity Chef
– “The Monster” Abyss (aka Joseph Park) broke a nearly three week Twitter silence following his return to Impact Wrestling this Thursday night:
#revenge #retribution #rage #destruction
— Abyss (@TherealAbyss) May 10, 2013
– Today is the one year wedding anniversary of TNA Knockout Gail Kim and celebrity chef Robert Irvine.
* Pictures of GAIL KIM & Celebrity Chef ROBERT IRVINE Together
Steve Austin’s Latest Podcast With Kevin Nash Now Online, HBK Meet & Greet
– The latest installment of The Steve Austin Show podcast featuring a guest appearance by Kevin Nash is now online and can be heard at PodcastOne.com.
– The following was sent to us about an upcoming meet and greet in Waynesboro, VA with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels:
Meet and greet Shawn Michaels upclose and personal on Saturday August 31st, 2013 from 4pm pm in Waynesboro, VA and he will be signing autographs and taking pictures plus exclusive Q&A session after the vip meet and greet. Packages range from $25 to $175 that consists of a Q & A and Meet and Greet where fans can also get an 8×10 signed photo and a photo with Michaels.
When: Saturday, August 31st, 2013
Where: Louis Spilman Auditorium, Waynesboro High School, 1200 W. Main Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980
For more info and tickets go to topropeprowrestling.com
* JAW-DROPPING Photos Of AJ LEE Doing A Standing Split
WWE Network Update, New Jack Appears On The Daily Show (Video)
– WWE COO Triple H was asked by a fan on Twitter, “What ever happened to the WWE Network?” He replied with a non-specific:
“@rickdavey4: @TripleH what ever happened to the @WWE network?”
It's coming— Triple H (@TripleH) May 10, 2013
– Former ECW star New Jack and independent wrestler Jay Lover appeared on Thursday’s “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. They were featured in a segment with correspondent Aasif Mandvi to help “steer wayward youth away from dead-end college degrees.”
You can view their appearance below:
Update On The Future Of Saturday Morning Slam, Latest WWE Hangout
– As previously reported, WWE has not taped any new matches for Saturday Morning Slam in the past two weeks and there is talk that the show could be coming to an end.
The reason Saturday Morning Slam is in limbo is because the current season of the Vortexx block of children’s programming (featuring SMS) is ending later this month. WWE will be meeting with CW Network executives soon to discuss whether to renew Saturday Morning Slam for a second season this fall.
– The following video is the latest edition of “WWE Hangout” with special guest Brodus Clay:
The Breakdown – Episode 6: TNA vs. WWE
This week on The Breakdown, Steve answers your suggestions for who should be a megastar
TNA Partnering With YouTube For Paid Subscription Channel
On Thursday afternoon, YouTube announced the debut of a new Subscription Channel Service, featuring content from a select number of YouTube partners.
It was rumored earlier this week that WWE’s “WWE Fan Nation” channel would be one of the launch partners for the new subscription service, however WWE declined Google’s offer and TNA stepped in.
Other channels include the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Comedy TV, Jim Henson TV, National Geographic, The PGA, Pets.TV and more! The full list of partner subscription channels can be found at: Youtube.com/channels/paid_channels.
Fans can visit our new subscription channel at: YouTube.com/TNAwrestlingPLUS.
The new channel includes the majority of TNA Pay-Per-View and DVD archives. Additional titles from 2012 and more premium content will be added on a weekly basis. Fans can still visit the main TNA YouTube channel at YouTube.com/TNAwrestling for regular weekly content.
Discussion: Would you pay for a subscription to TNA’s Youtube channel?
WWE SmackDown Preview: Jericho vs. Ryback, Ambrose vs. Bryan & More
The following matches are scheduled for Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown:
– Chris Jericho vs. Ryback.
– WWE Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Dean Ambrose.
– WWE United States Champion Kofi Kingston vs. Cody Rhodes.
– Big E. Langston vs. Jack Swagger.
– Big Show vs. Tensai.
Also appearing on the show are World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler, Teddy Long, Alberto Del Rio, Kane, Randy Orton and Mark Henry.
*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Tonight
Jim Ross Blog: Ziggler’s Concussion Serious, Roberts & Hall, NXT Stars On The Road
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com.
- As always, you can buy JR’s delicious line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com.
Here are some highlights of what JR said about:
Dolph Ziggler’s Concussion:
WWE World Champion Dolph Ziggler has a serious concussion which may be a redundant statement because what concussion isn’t serious? There’s no timeline as to Ziggler’s return as WWE will be particularly cautious in dealing with any injury but especially a head injury.
WWE’s New Performance Center:
The new, WWE Performance Center will always have a full time trainer on hand, ready access to medical personnel and a full time Strength and Conditioning coach who will help the athletes get stronger and more fit as that will help prevent some injuries. New talents coming to WWE go through a through, extensive process including through medical evaluation before they are allowed to report to work.
Bray Wyatt & Corey Graves:
@WWEBrayWyatt and @WWEGraves will be on the next WWE, live event tout this weekend as the NXT representatives get the opportunity to gain more experience with the main roster. Both men are keepers and Wyatt especially has some special traits that one cannot teach. He’s a near 300 pounder who has the valued and rare, second gear and has a natural gift of gab much like his grandfather, the legendary Blackjack Mulligan, WWE HOFer.
Jake Roberts & Scott Hall:
@JakeSnakeDDT is earning remarkable success in his battle to gain sobriety and change his life. It will be a daily battle until the day that he dies that I pray he will endure and succeed and the same for @ScottHallNWO. Even though I truly believe that both men can add value to ANY creative process and have the skills to help many young talents, the focus of them regaining their health has to remain their top priority which it seems to be.
ROH Responds To Jay Briscoe’s Tweet Against Gay Marriage
On Wednesday, Ring of Honor wrestler Jay Briscoe made some very controversial comments about gay marriage being legalized in the state of Delaware. He wrote:
“The Delaware Senate passed a bill yesterday that allows same sex couples to get married. If that makes you happy, then congratulations!!!!!!”
“… try and teach my kids that there’s nothing wrong with that and I’ll f**ing shoot you”
After a barrage of responses from fans calling him homophobic, Briscoe admitted he chose his words poorly and then deleted his Twitter account.
Ring of Honor has issued the following statement, distancing themselves from the personal views of Jay Briscoe:
“Ring of Honor Wrestling respects and appreciates every fan regardless of age, gender, race, religion or sexual preference. The recent post by Jay Briscoe does not represent the views or opinions of Ring of Honor Wrestling, its owners, management or employees.”
Update On Dolph Ziggler’s Concussion, Former WWE Executive Lands At CBS
– WWE announced on Wednesday that World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler suffered a concussion at Tuesday night’s WWE Smackdown tapings from Raleigh, North Carolina. F4wonline.com confirms that the concussion is legitimate and he won’t be wrestling until he’s passed an impact test and is medically cleared to return.
– According to the Hollywood Reporter, former WWE Senior Vice President, Creative and Development, Eric Pankowski was recently hired by CBS TV Distribution to be the new Senior Vice President of Programming and Development. Pankowski will create and develop first-run programs and oversee current shows. Prior to his time with WWE, Pankowski worked with Warner Brothers as well as TMZ.
David Otunga Talks About His Workout Routine & Life Before WWE
WWE Superstar David Otunga was recently interviewed by BodyBuilding.com and spoke about what he was doing before he joined WWE.
“I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from University of Illinois, and following that I managed a cognitive neuroscience lab at Columbia University. After that I went to Harvard for law school … and then reality TV came calling, so I starred in VH1’s “I Love NY 2.”
Otunga also spoke on growing up very different than the way he is now.
“I didn’t always look like I do today. Growing up as a kid in Elgin, IL I was short, chubby, I had thick glasses and – to make things worse – I did pretty well in school … Kids used to make fun of my all the time … Everyone just seemed so athletic and so buff, and I just wasn’t … Around my Freshman year I decided to start taking the gym seriously.”
While on the road with WWE, Otunga still finds time to work out at least five times every week.
“Luckily, I’m able to find a gym everywhere we go – that’s my first priority. As soon as I land and get off the plane, the first thing I do is go to the gym … Wednesday’s I’m super tired because I always take the first flight home, but this is my toughest work out. The next day is Thursday, which is usually a chest day. The next day is Friday, which I usually fly back out on the road to do live events. The first thing I’ll do is I find a gym … then I have the show that night, and then we drive to the next city. Which takes us to Saturday; sleep for a few hours, wake up, and then find the gym. Hammer that out, have the show that night, and then drive to the next city.”