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WWE Examines The State Of The Divas Division, Ryder Giving Away Copies Of “WWE ’13” On “Z! True Long Island Story”

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– The official WWE website has published an article examining the state of the Divas division following multiple talent departures over the past year.

“Some of the WWE Universe might say the Divas division has been diminished, having lost a whole half-dozen of its best and brightest over the past twelve months. And it’s true: at least in terms of depth, fate carved quite the swath through WWE’s women’s division in 2012, but the depletion has also initiated a new era of opportunity for the remaining Divas. In one turn around the sun, Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Maxine, Kharma and The Bella Twins have all left WWE, with no small amount of shock,” author Anthony Benigno writes.

“At first glance, that’s a sudden, dark cloud hanging over one of WWE’s most time-honored divisions. But the whole process has turned out to be something along the lines of an evolution for the Divas. True, the abrupt change in the Divas’ landscape has been jarring for the WWE Universe. But the transformation seems to us a breath of fresh air, a chance at a fresh start, and an opportunity to redefine the very definition of a WWE Diva.”

– Zack Ryder is giving away four copies of WWE ’13 this week. Check out this webisode of Z! True Long Island Story for your chance to get your hands on one. Plus, find out which pop star is his “Broski of the Week.”

– Former World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.

TNA Possibly Cutting Back On Pay-Per-Views, Bob Ryder Health Update

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http://youtu.be/ImTJEMosx2k

– As announced on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, TNA Lockdown 2013 will be taking place from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. TNA President Carter commented on Lockdown being hosted from San Antonio next March:

Lockdown taking place in March is a change from previous years, when it was held in April. TNA will certainly benefit from moving one of their biggest shows of the year away from the shadow of WWE’s WrestleMania, there appears to be more to the story. According to PWInsider.com, the move could be a sign that TNA is will be back on their pay-per-view schedule. TNA staffers have been wanting to reduce the number of pay-per-views, but it’s believed that TNA had agreements in place with television carriers that contractually obligated them to hold monthly PPVs.

– Dixie Carter revealed that TNA staffer Bob Ryder has been cleared to return to work after dealing with health issues. She tweeted:

Jim Ross Blog: Comparing Sheamus To Stone Cold, The Shield & NXT, TLC

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Sheamus: “@wwesheamus has many qualities as did Stone Cold…physically and mentally tough and loves to perform at a physical level that some opponents don’t embrace. Both were great examples of not accepting being denied stardom and continued to work through career challenge no matter what hand was dealt them.”

Steve Austin Says Sheamus Is “Not Ready To Be Champion Yet”

TLC: “TLC in Brooklyn is going to be cool. First WWE event in that awesome, new facility. These are the moments that I miss most as a broadcaster. I will be content to watch the PPV from home but it would be cool to be a part of the first ever event for WWE in that much ballyhooed arena. Plus, I’ve never been to Brooklyn.”

NXT: “Our next NXT taping will be interesting now that @WWERollins, the NXT Champion, is a member of The Shield. About a week out from traveling to Orlando I start looking forward to the trip as I truly enjoy working with the next wave of WWE Superstars.

“Don’t kid yourself, the future of WWE depends on the productivity in WWE’s Developmental Program. WWE has no more important department in the entire company then Talent Development.

“Our next taping @FullSail will be Thursday night December 6 starting at 6:30. Should be an eye opening, three hour affair. (Sounds like one of King’s past romances.)”

* NXT Star FIRED After Being ARRESTED For Assaulting A Cop & Disorderly Intoxication (MUGGSHOT PICTURE)

WWE SmackDown & Superstars Previews For Tonight

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– Today’s WWE Superstars Youtube show will feature the following matches, taped Monday night before RAW:

* Brodus Clay vs. JTG

* Santino Marella vs. David Otunga

– The matches are set to take place on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown on SyFy:

* Johh Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio

* Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler

* Kofi Kingston, Kane and Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett, Titus O’Neil and Darren Young

* The Great Khali vs. David Otunga

* Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd

* The Usos vs. Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal

*SPOILERS* For Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on SyFy

Two New Matches Announced For TNA’s Final Resolution Pay-Per-View Including Title Bout – Updated Card

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Two new matches were announced for TNA Wrestling’s Final Resolution pay-per-view event during Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez will defend the TNA World Tag Team Championship against Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan. Plus, Bully Ray will do battle with Austin Aries.

Here is the updated card for Final Resolution, which takes place December 9 in Orlando, Florida.

* TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match – Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Bobby Roode

* Bully Ray vs. Austin Aries

* AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

* TNA World Tag Team Championship Match – Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) vs. Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan

* TNA Women’s Knockout Championship Match – Tara (c) vs. Mickie James

Three Matches Announced For Next Week’s Impact, Wes Brisco Earns TNA Contract Through “Gut Check”

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– Three matches have been announced for next Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast, which is the final show before Final Resolution.

* TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and James Storm face Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a tag team match.

* Samoa Joe defends the TNA Television Championship against Devon.

* Kurt Angle takes on a member of Aces & Eights, D.O.C. (f/k/a Luke Gallows).

– Wes Brisco is the newest member of the TNA roster. After defeating Garett Bischoff in his “Gut Check” challenge match on Impact Wrestling last Thursday, becoming the first contestant to defeat his opponent, he received a “yes” from two of the three judges to earn a contract—Bruce Prichard and D’Lo Brown both said yes, while Taz said no.

Brisco, who is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, remarked on the accomplishment immediately afterwards via Twitter, “Greatest day of my life just made on the TNA Roster!!!!!” He was also congratulated by company president Dixie Carter (see photo).

Details On Next Year’s Lockdown Pay-Per-View – Location, New Month Scheduled, Two Matches Announced

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ImTJEMosx2k

It was announced during Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast that San Antonio, Texas will host Lockdown on March 10, 2013 at the Alamodome. The following press release was issued.

Lockdown 2013 is coming to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 10

TNA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES SAN ANTONIO FOR “LOCKDOWN” LIVE PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT MARCH 10 – PRESENTED BY DIRECT AUTO INSURANCE! TNA IMPACT WRESTLING SUPERSTARS HULK HOGAN, AUSTIN ARIES, BOBBY ROODE, JEFF HARDY, JAMES STORM AND MANY MORE WILL IGNITE THE ALAMODOME!

TNA Wrestling has announced San Antonio, Texas will be home for “Lockdown” presented by Direct Auto Insurance. The annual live Pay-Per-View extravaganza is scheduled for Sunday night, March 10 at the Alamodome. This will be TNA’s first televised event from San Antonio. Tickets for “Lockdown” start at $15 and go on sale Friday, Dec. 7 at all Ticketmaster outlets or ticketmaster.com.

“Lockdown” is promised to be the most dangerous Pay-Per-View event of the year featuring a 15-foot reinforced steel cage. The TNA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line and two teams will compete in a “Lethal Lockdown” match for an unforgettable night of action. Fans can watch the “Road to Lockdown” on TNA’s weekly flagship show, IMPACT WRESTLING, airing every Thursday night on Spike TV.

The reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy, leads the invasion of IMPACT WRESTLING stars including Hulk Hogan, “Cowboy” James Storm, Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, the lovely and lethal Knockouts and more.

“We have been waiting to play San Antonio until we could bring this great city a big televised event,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “I’m so excited our first show there will be Lockdown — TNA’s most intense pay-per-view of the year.”

Tickets for “Lockdown” go on sale Friday, Dec. 7 at 10am, at all Ticketmaster locations, www.Ticketmaster.com, the Alamodome box office or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“TNA Lockdown Fan InterAction” will be taking place on Saturday, March 9. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 7 at ShopTNA.com. “Fan InterAction” is a popular fan friendly event giving fans a chance to meet many of the stars of TNA IMPACT WRESTING.

TNA will also be offering a limited number of travel packages that will include lodging and first or second row tickets to “Lockdown.”

Sarita Wins Bodybuilding Contest For Seventh Straight Time, Jeff Hardy On Ink Master, Eric The Actor Quits TNA Gig

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– Jeff Hardy appears on Spike’s tattoo competition reality series Ink Master next Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. The TNA World Heavyweight Champion will appear as a “guest canvas” on the show, which means one of the contestants will give him a tattoo. Hardy’s wife Beth hyped his appearance on Twitter Thursday, writing, “Make sure to watch @JEFFHARDYBRAND on Ink Master next week on @SpikeTV. BTW…his tattoo is AMAZING!!!”

– Sarita, who is known as Dark Angel in Mexico, won CMLL’s annual female bodybuilding competition for the seventh consecutive year Thursday in Mexico City. She beat Dalys and Isis to be crowned “Miss CMLL.”

Sarita thanked fans for their support on Facebook: “THANK YOU for so much support today at the contest. I was elated to see so many friends cheering me on. 7 time champ!”

Dark Angel

– Eric the Actor of The Howard Stern Show fame, who appeared on a handful of TNA Today segments alongside Mike Tenay and Jeremy Borash, recently quit the gig. He stated on Thursday’s radio show that he ceased his affiliation with TNA Wrestling because he was tired of the “abuse” he received via e-mail and on Twitter from wrestling fans.

NXT Star Released After Being Arrested For Battery Of A Law Enforcement Officer & Disorderly Intoxication

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Thomas Latimer, who appears as Kenneth Cameron for WWE’s developmental promotion, NXT, was arrested late Thanksgiving Eve in St. Petersburg, Florida, on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly intoxication. He was taken into custody to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and released on $5,100 bail, with the battery charge costing $5,000 and the disorderly intoxication charge costing $100.

VIEW HERE: Thomas Latimer’s MUGSHOT Picture

This is not Latimer’s first run-in with the law. He was arrested on January 29, 2011 in Hillsbourgh, Florida, on charges of driving under the influence.

It would appear that WWE cut ties with Latimer following his arrest. His profile has been removed from the roster page of the developmental promotion’s official website, fcwwrestling.info.

Latimer, who is 26-years-old and hails from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, joined WWE two years ago. He has been tag teaming with Conor O’Brian as of late, with the duo known as The Ascension.

Kharma Interview – Addresses Departure From WWE, Is She Interested In Returning To TNA?, Almost Retiring

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Kharma aka Amazing Kong — real name Kia Stevens — breaks her silence on her WWE release for the very first time speaking exclusively to Diva Dirt about her release, her time in WWE, her brief but boundary breaking run there, and much more.

Kharma talks about joining the company which she describes as her dream job, what it was like breaking the mold for Divas, being given a huge platform for her debut, leaving after just one month, competing in the Royal Rumble match, and her departure.

The former Knockouts Champion also discusses her journey to lose weight, pitching a reality series, her return to wrestling at SHINE 5, the current women’s wrestling scene and whether she’s had talks with TNA about returning.

The full interview is available here.

Highlights:

On being offered a job by WWE in December 2010: “I did not see it coming. I was actually about 14 days away from announcing my retirement in wrestling. I got a call. I’ll never forget, I was sick with a cold and I got a call from Tommy Dreamer and he asked if he could give my number to John Laurinaitis. And I said, ‘Um, yeah!’ Five minutes later I got a call from John Laurinaitis who spoke with me and offered me a position at WWE. I don’t think I closed my mouth for a good 20 days.”

On her WWE release: “Sometimes things aren’t moving along as quickly as they need to be, and some things weren’t progressing as quickly as they should have been. I think the release was actually a good idea and very appropriate. WWE, the world knows they don’t just hire anyone. If they hire you, they’re going to invest in you. They’re going to apply any and every resource they have for anything that you’re going through, so having said that, again, the timing just was there. My release was, in my opinion, appropriate.”

On whether she would return to TNA: “I do appreciate the opportunities I was given by TNA, Dixie Carter and Terry Taylor. I appreciate my time there, it was good… until it wasn’t. [Laughs] No [communication] whatsoever with them. I’m very grateful, they’re the ones that introduced me to the US market, but that time is gone.”

Ric Flair Removed From TNA Roster Page, Watch Knockouts Holiday Video With Gail Kim, Christy Hemme and Others

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– Ric Flair has finally been removed from the roster page of TNA Wrestling’s official website after not being affiliated with the organization since the spring. His profile was deleted today.

In May, the legendary wrestler tried to have his TNA contract terminated, which led to TNA filing a lawsuit against WWE for contract tampering. According to court documents, Flair was officially terminated on May 11.

– TNA Wrestling has released the first of its series of ShopTNA.com Knockouts Holiday videos. This ad features Gail Kim, Christy Hemme, Madison Rayne, SoCal Val, Tara, Miss Tessmacher, Taryn Terrell and Brooke Hogan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a4rTzrHlHA

Update On John Laurinaitis’ Future In WWE, Fear Over RAW’s Rating, More On RAWActive Voting

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– There is talk in WWE that John Laurinaitis will be leaving the company soon and will not be returning to television as an on-air character.

– The RAWActive Twitter poll on Monday’s RAW with Kane and Daniel Bryan was given the green light by Triple H. Vince McMahon is reportedly not a fan of the social media service, but with Triple H running the show due to Vince being out of the country on Monday, WWE “allowed the fans” to pick CM Punk’s opponent.

As noted noted earlier this week, Daniel Bryan revealed on Twitter that contrary to what was reported on RAW, he actually received more votes than Kane.

– After the third hour of Monday’s WWE RAW lost a staggering 638,000 viewers from the second hour, there is a lot of concern about how Vince McMahon will react. Especially because McMahon was out of the country and not running the show, it will be easier to assign blame to others.

(Source: PWInsider)

Chris Jericho Addresses Potential Return To WWE, NXT Holding First Events Outside Florida, 3MB Appearance

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– Promoting his ongoing Fozzy tour of the United Kingdom, Chris Jericho spoke to Staffordshire University broadcast journalism student Will Piper of the Staffordshire Newsletter. When asked about a potential return to WWE, the six-time world champion replied, “I’m not quite done with wrestling yet. Never say never.”

On performing before a sold-out crowd Tuesday night at “The Underground,” Jericho said, “Stoke was great last night, it was awesome to start the tour with a sold out show. I always get nervous, but it’s good to have that nervous energy. Stoke’s a great city and I’m glad to be back, it was a good show and thanks to everyone for coming out.” The full interview is available here.

– NXT will be holding its first live events outside of Florida next March. The shows take place on March 8 at the Rainwater Center in Valdosta, Georgia and March 9 at the Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia.

– 3MB members Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater are scheduled for an autograph signing at tomorrow’s NXT live event at Largo Minregg Hall 6340 126th Ave N, Largo, Florida. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

(source: PWInsider.com)

Hulk Hogan Addresses Bully Ray and Brooke, Earl Hebner Speaks To Christy Hemme, AJ Styles Gloves

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– At the conclusion of last Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast, Austin Aries dropping a bombshell on Hulk Hogan by accusing his daughter Brooke of conducting funny business with Bully Ray. The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the storyline via Twitter today, writing, “TNA IMPACT WRESTLING TONIGHT 8pm/7central only on SPIKE ,gonna get to the bottom of Brooke’s bs with Bully,I’d love to go off on himHH4Life.”

– On the latest edition of TNA Today, Christy Hemme speaks with Earl Hebner about his career in professional wrestling and working with TNA. She also picks his brain to see who he believes are the promotion’s rising stars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6_l_aLZaFQ

– ShopTNA.com has released AJ Styles gloves.

Sheamus Deletes Several Non-PG Tweets About Wade Barrett (View Here)

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Check out these non-PG Tweets made by Sheamus directed at Wade Barrett.

The tweets were quickly deleted after he posted them:

Lilian Update, Cesaro Picks His Five-Star Match, Max Moon On WWE.com

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– This week’s WWE Classics Five-Star Match of the Week was chosen by United States Champion Antonio Cesaro, and he chose Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar from No Way Out 2004. Here’s what Cesaro saidd about the match:

“I picked this match because I just saw it recently before I debuted here in WWE. It’s just an awesome match. I think it might get overlooked sometimes, but that match just shows how awesome Eddie Guerrero was and how good Brock Lesnar was as well. It’s so good and the story is so well told, you just get into it every single time. You can see how the crowd is quiet watching it at first and by the end, everybody’s on their feet. The victory celebration of Eddie makes it at the end. That just puts the dot on the ‘i,’ as we say in Switzerland.”

– Lilian Garcia is still home recovering after being hit by a car in Los Angeles several weeks ago. There’s no word yet on when she’ll be returning.

– WWE has added Max Moon to the Alumni section of WWE.com.

 

WWE Not Mentioning Lafayette On RAW, Main Event Ratings, Pac-Neville

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– WWE developmental wrestler PAC’s new ring name, Adrian Neville, was apparently inspired by former Manchester United soccer star Gary Neville, who now works as an analyst coaches the British national team.

– The 11/21 episode of WWE Main event featuring Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz drew a 0.7 rating with 1.2 million viewers, which is in line with what the show usually does.

– You may have noticed that at Monday’s WWE RAW, there was almost no mention of the show’s host city, Lafayette, Louisiana. This was not an oversight, in fact, WWE told it’s announcers not to mention Lafayette and there was no on-screen graphic announcing the city at the start of the show. WWE has done this in the past when they run a city they feel is not in a large, prestigious market. However, that did not stop john Cena from mentioning Lafayette during his in-ring promo.

* WM29 Plans For RYBACK, BIG Angle Planned For THE SHIELD & Top Babyface Turning Heel

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Stephanie McMahon Named Among The Most Powerful Women In Cable, Lex Luger Book Cover, Birthdays

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– WWE executive Stephanie McMahon has been recognized as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Cable” by CableFAX magazine for a third time. A breakfast for the 2012 honorees will be held Dec. 5, 2012 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. The complete list of honorees is available here.

Stephanie is responsible for all the creative development of WWE as it pertains to television and pay-per-view programming, print, digital and social media content.

– As reported this week, Lex Luger will be releasing his autobiography on April 2, 2013, Wrestling with the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler – His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption. The cover of the 272-page book has been revealed.

Lex Luger book cover

– Celebrating birthdays Thursday are Dutch Mantell (63), Hayabusa (44), Minoru Tanaka (40) and HENTAI (35).

Tough Enough Winner’s Trophy Auctioned Off, WWE’s Work With The Troops

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– Former WWE superstar and Tough Enough winner Maven Huffman’s Tough Enough trophy is now up for auction on eBay for $600 after a fan won the trophy in a storage unit auction, paying just $100 for it. Maven told TMZ that he’s bummed about losing the trophy but hopes the new owner “cherishes [it] as much as I did.”

– WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon recently commented to Dvidshub.net about why he, The Miz, R-Truth, Eve Torres and Layla decided to visit the United States troops in the Middle East on an aircraft carrier this year, the USS John C. Stennis:

“We’ve been to Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan so many times. We wanted to do something different this year and this is awesome.”

– Dolph Ziggler visited visited United States Air Force troops this week at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. Footage of Ziggler’s visit will likely air on WWE’s Tribute to the Troops special later this month. Ziggler tweeted a picture of himself with one of the troops, which you can view below:

TNA Impact Wrestling Preview For Tonight: Championship Thursday

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Here is TNA’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV:

– The countdown continues to December’s “Final Resolution” event, featuring Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode for the World Heavyweight Championship! Both Hardy and Roode will be on the huge broadcast – what will happen when champion and challenger go face-to-face?

– Thursday’s IMPACT also showcases the return of CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY! X Division Champion Rob Van Dam will defend his title on the broadcast – who will IMPACT General Manager Hulk Hogan select to face RVD? Tune in and find out!

– Last week, Austin Aries dropped a bombshell on Hulk Hogan with his accusation about his daughter, Brooke Hogan. How will Hulk, Brooke and Bully Ray react this Thursday night on SpikeTV? Is Aries ready for the potential war he just started with Hulk and Bully Ray?

– In Knockouts action, it will be Mickie James vs. Gail Kim on the LIVE broadcast on SpikeTV

– Did second-generation star Wes Brisco pass his TNA GUT CHECK? After his tryout match, Brisco will face the judges on Thursday’s IMPACT! Will Brisco realize his dream of earning a spot on the roster – or is it back to the proving grounds for the young star?

– Plus, it’s a huge tag team war on IMPACT as “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles teams up with “Cowboy” James Storm to take on Christopher Daniels and Kazarian!

* Major Swerve Coming With TNA’s ACES & EIGHTS Storyline

Velvet Sky Reportedly Returning To TNA Wrestling, Kenny King Returning To Impact Tonight?, Impact Preview

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– According to PWInsider.com, TNA Wrestling has quietly re-signed Velvet Sky. Company president Dixie Carter had been trying in recent months to finalize her return after leaving the promotion in the summer. The former TNA Women’s Knockout Champion is expected to return early next year.

– Kenny King mentioned on Twitter late Wednesday night that he was heading to Orlando, Florida—site of tonight’s live Impact Wrestling event. It remains to be seen whether he competes on the show, or like two weeks ago, wrestle in a match for international show TNA Xplosion.

King has not appeared on United States television since losing an X Division Championship Match to Zema Ion at Hardcore Justice in August.

– Tonight’s “Championship Thursday” edition of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV will feature Rob Van Dam defending the X Division Champion against an unannounced opponent, Mickie James facing Gail Kim, and AJ Styles teaming up with “Cowboy” James Storm to take on Christopher Daniels and Kazarian. Plus, TNA will reveal the location for Lockdown and it will be determined whether Wes Brisco earns a TNA contract after participating in “Gut Check” last week.

(source: PWInsider.com)

WWE Hall of Fame News: Still Hope For Warrior & Sammartino, Owen Hart, MSG

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With the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony taking place from Madison Square Garden in New York City, there has been talk of featuring inductees who have had special moments at the Garden – including Bob Backlund, Mick Foley and the Brooklyn Brawler. It’s also no secret that WWE has been pushing hard for strike a deal with the Ultimate Warrior and Bruno Sammartino.

Despite both men still considered “long shots” – WWE remains optimistic that they can reach a deal with either the Ultimate Warrior or Bruno Sammartino to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s class of 2013.

While Sammartino has been very against the idea for years, he’s softened his position in recent months, has spoken with Triple H about it and has told friends that he’d be willing to finally give in if the price was right.

Warrior’s situation is also tricky as a result of his various legal battles with WWE and Vince McMahon over the years. Relations between WWE and Warrior are the best they’ve been in a very long time, but there are trust issues and WWE does not want Warrior to back out or hold them up for more money once he’s been advertised to appear.

Owen Hart is another contender, but his widow Martha Hart wanting nothing to do with WWE could hold that up.

Raw To Remain A Three-Hour Show, Former WWE Diva Gets Engaged, Jerry Lawler/JBL/Mean Gene Celebrate Birthdays

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– Despite Comcast listing a rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles for this Monday night on the USA Network at 8:00 p.m., Raw will remain three hours in its regular time slot.

WWE officials confirmed to F4WOnline.com Wednesday night that Raw will remain a three-hour show airing from 8:00 to 11:05 p.m. The cause of this miscommunication is currently unknown.

– Former WWE Diva Maria Kanellis announced on Twitter Wednesday night that she is engaged to be married to Ring of Honor wrestler Mike Bennett. She tweeted a photo of her engagement ring.

After parting ways with WWE in 2010, Kanellis largely kept away from the professional wrestling industry until meeting Bennett through Twitter last year. She regularly accompanies him to independent events as his valet and now holds the position of creative director of Crossfire Wrestling in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Today marks as the 63rd birthday of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler. Also sharing birthdays with “The King” are fellow WWE broadcaster John “Bradshaw” Layfield, who turns 46-years-old, and WWE Hall of Famer “Mean” Gene Okerlund, who turns 70.

Cody Rhodes Injury Update, Lesnar’s DVD Selling Well, Prichard

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– Brock Lesnar’s latest DVD set was the top selling sports DVD of last week.

– Tom Prichard is opening up a wrestling school in Knoxville, where he recently moved.

– Earlier this week, Cody Rhodes told WWE.com that he currently does not have a time table for his return. He probably will not need surgery, which is obviously a good thing. He’ll be checked out by doctors again in January, so he won’t be back before then.

* Backstage News On MORE NXT Stars Joining THE SHIELD

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Possible Finish For CM Punk vs. Ryback At TLC, Rumored TLC Tag Title Match

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– It hasn’t been announced yet, but the current plan for the tag team titles at next month’s TLC pay-per-view is for either a 3-way match featuring Team Hell No vs. Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players.

– As for the Tables, Ladders and Chairs match with CM Punk vs. Ryback WWE Championship match, it’s very unlikely that Ryback walks out with the belt.

As for how WWE can get away with Ryback losing to Punk for the third time in a row, one scenario would be for The Shield to interfere in the match, have Ryback get his revenge by powerbombing each of them through a table while Punk climbs a ladder and grabs the belt to win the match.

* WM29 Plans For RYBACK, BIG Angle Planned For THE SHIELD & Top Babyface Turning Heel

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

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