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WWE Wrestler Asks For His Contract Release?; Who Is “Cranky Vince” On Twitter?

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An account on Twitter spoofing Vince McMahon that also leaks confidential WWE information on occasion (located @CrankyVince) cryptically suggested in a message Thursday that a male wrestler has asked for his release from the sports-entertainment organization.

“GODDAMN. ANOTHER PUSSY BOY WANTS HIS RELEASE. THESE UNGRATEFUL FUCKS. I’LL RUIN THEM. ALL OF THEM. FUCK YOU,” the message states.

Back in June, the “Cranky Vince” account cryptically remarked that Alberto Del Rio had threatened to quit the sports-entertainment organization, with the story being confirmed as legitimate days later by F4WOnline.com. More recently, on October 15, the account tweeted on an idea broached by WWE’s creative team days earlier for Vince McMahon to face CM Punk at Hell in a Cell.

“A GUY LIKE ME COULD BE IN A HELL IN A CELL. WHY NOT ME?” the account stated. “SURE! WHY NOT DO HELL IN A CELL? ENOUGH GAGA IN A CAGE WITH PUNK TO GET A MATCH OUT OF ME. ALL THE OTHER OPTIONS CAN CRAWL UP MY ASS & DIE.”

A WWE source confirmed the idea as legitimate to F4WOnline.com two days later, but noted that “it was killed within 30 minutes.”

The account has drawn alarming concern from WWE officials since last year, who believe it is being administered by an employee within proximity of McMahon or a former employee with close ties to organization due to the amount of sensitive information being released. It was coincidentally shut down on the day it was revealed that Del Rio had threatened to quit WWE, but reinstated after it was labeled as a parody account and having no affiliation to the sports-entertainment organization.

It would appear that the account is being administered by Andrew Goldstein, a former creative writer who extensively worked alongside McMahon in 2006 and 2007 (he has recounted the WWE chief’s numerous quirks and unwritten rules in interviews over the past two years, such as don’t sneeze or yawn in front of him, and to pour peanuts from the peanut jar rather that place your hands inside of it). After news broke on the night of October 8 that Brian Gewirtz had been removed as the head writer of Raw, a barrage of messages touting the decision were posted on the “Cranky Vince” account. While this was going on, Goldstein posted a “Cranky Vince” style message on his Twitter account (located @AngeGold) while commenting on Raw events reading, “I HAVEN’T HAD THIS MUCH FUN FIRING A JEWISH WRITER SINCE THE FIRST 6 TIMES I FIRED @HEYMANHUSTLE. KOSHER WOOD.” The message was immediately deleted, and was not posted on the “Cranky Vince” account.

Cranky Vince

Here is a link to Twitter user catching the mishap and questioning whether the identity of “Cranky Vince” had been revealed. Furthermore, Goldstein plugged the account two times that night.

WWE Announces Passing Of Brad Armstrong

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The official WWE website reports that Brad Armstrong, who most notably competed for the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and briefly for WWE in 2006, was found dead in his home this morning. He was 51-years-old.

Their message states, “WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Brad Armstrong, 51, one of four sons of “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. Brad Armstrong last participated in the ring for the ECW brand in 2006. WWE understands that Brad saw his physician last week for a medical issue and was found unresponsive this morning. WWE extends its sincerest condolences to the entire Armstrong family.”

Brad is the brother of WWE referee Scott Armstrong and producer Brian “Road Dogg” James. The brothers, as well as Steve, who wrestled for WWE in 1992 as Lance Cassidy, inducted “Bullet” Bob Armstrong into the WWE Hall of Fame last year.

Here are some tweets of the wrestling world reacting to the passing of Brad Armstrong:

https://twitter.com/joeystyles/status/264072031073619968

https://twitter.com/joeystyles/status/264072031073619968

https://twitter.com/bookitgabe/status/264068139145375746

WWE Celebrates The Best and Worst Gimmicks, CM Punk Wrestles In Halloween Costume, Shelly Martinez

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– All November on Classics On Demand, WWE celebrates the best, worst and most popular gimmicks of all-time.

The official WWE website has released a video teaser previewing the month’s slate of programming, and clips are shown of The Gobbledy Gooker, The Dynamic Dudes, The Demon, Repo Man, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Mantaur, Oz, Glacier, Isaac Yankem, D.D.S, The Mountie, The Warlord, Sgt. Slaughter, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Doink the Clown, Hillbilly Jim, Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Shockmaster, among others.

– Celebrating Halloween, CM Punk donned a Cobra Kai costume in his WWE Championship defense against Ryback at Wednesday’s Raw live event in Strasbourg, France.

goodbye

– Shelly Martinez donned a Princess Jasmine costume for a commercial shoot this week. Here is a video teaser from the shoot.

Pictures Of WWE Superstars’ Halloween Costumes

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Check out these pictures of The Rock, Chris Jericho, JTG, Heath Slater, Kelly Kelly, The Bella Twins and more dressed up for Halloween:

[nggallery id=68]

Syfy Preempting This Friday’s SmackDown Episode, Behind The Scenes Of WWE ’13 Commercial With CM Punk

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– Tomorrow night’s episode of SmackDown on Syfy will be preempted since networks under the NBC Universal umbrella will be simulcasting an all-star concert to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. The new time slot has not been revealed.

– In this week’s edition of “Outside the Ring,” WWE Champion CM Punk takes fans behind the scenes of the WWE ’13 television commercial.

– WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.

WWE Reports Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results

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The following press release was sent out to the Business Wire on Thursday morning. It includes quotes from WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.

To read the full press release including many more details on WWE’s third quarter financial results, visit Finance.Yahoo.com.

WWE today announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

* Revenues totaled $104.2 million as compared to $108.5 million in the prior year quarter. Operating income was $5.0 million as compared to $15.9 million in the prior year quarter.

* Net income was $3.5 million, or $0.05 per share, as compared to $10.6 million, or $0.14 per share, in the prior year quarter. Excluding items that impacted comparability on a year-over-year basis.

* Adjusted Operating income was $7.1 million as compared to $21.0 million in the prior year quarter, and Adjusted Net income was $5.0 million, or $0.07 per share, as compared to $14.1 million, or $0.19 per share, in the prior year quarter.

The decline in earnings, on both an “As Reported” and “Adjusted” basis, was driven by $6.6 million in incremental expenses from the return to a more normalized level of management incentive compensation in the current year quarter compared to a reduced level of management incentive compensation in the prior year quarter, a reduction in net home video revenue, and lower video game sales primarily from one fewer video game release in the current year quarter.

“In the third quarter, we continued to make important progress on our key strategic initiatives, expanding our content and distribution and enhancing our brand strength,” stated Vince McMahon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The production and licensing of new programs, including a third hour of Raw, the WWE Main Event™ and WWE Saturday Morning Slam™, as well as the development of online distribution on Hulu Plus exemplify our achievement of these goals. The performance of our new programs, which have attracted an average audience 14% to 50% higher than the viewership of the programs they replaced, demonstrate our ability to build consumer interest, which forms the foundation of our proposed WWE Network.”

“Our fundamental operating metrics showed continued strength. Average attendance increased 6% at our live events in North America and Pay-Per-View buys increased 13% for the three comparable events in the quarter,” added George Barrios, Chief Financial Officer. “While the quarter had an anticipated decline in earnings, based on our results to-date, we are raising our financial forecast for the full year. We expect that our 2012 earnings will be 15% to 25% above our 2011 net income and 10% to 15% above our 2011 EBITDA results, both on an ‘as reported’ basis.”

Comparability of Results

Our current year quarter results included $2.1 million in network-related operating expenses. The prior year quarter results included a film impairment charge of $5.1 million. In order to facilitate an analysis of our financial results on a more comparable basis, where noted, we have adjusted our results to exclude these items from our results. (See Schedules of Adjustments in Supplemental Information).

Three Months Ended September 30, 2012 – Results by Region and Business Segment

Revenues declined 4% reflecting a $4.7 million reduction from outside North America. Revenues from North America were essentially flat to the prior year quarter as increases from our Live and Televised Entertainment segment were offset by declines in our Consumer Products and WWE Studios businesses. Revenues from outside North America declined 16% primarily due to a reduction in the EMEA region from changes in the number of live events and weekly telecasts, which impacted our Live and Televised Entertainment segment (as described in the business segment discussion below).

* JOHN CENA’s Next Feud, 2 Former WWE Champions Returning Soon & More

WWE Annouces The WWE Network Will Be A “Premium Subscription Channel”

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During Thursday morning’s WWE investor conference call as part of WWE reporting it’s financial results for Q3 2012, Vince McMahon officially announced that the WWE Network will be a “premium subscription model” – similar to HBO and Showtime.

This is a change from WWE’s original model, which was a standard cable channel, where cable networks would have given WWE a nominal monthly fee based on the number of cable subscribers. WWE’s difficulties getting picked up by cable providers has been widely reported this year.

No launch date was given for the network an WWE did not provide specific information about how much the network will cost WWE.

Vince McMahon emphasized that the WWE Network will be “the most interactive network out there.”

PPV Buyrates For SummerSlam, Money In The Bank & Night of Champions

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During Thursday’s WWE investor meeting where they reported Q3 2012 financial results, WWE announced that PPV revenues were $16.3 million for the three events held in the quarter. This is up from $15.8 million earned in Q3 2011. Here’s a breakdown:

– WWE Money In The Bank (July): 188,000 buys, down from the 195,000 buys in 2011.

– WWE SummerSlam (August): 358,000 buys, way up from 296,000 buys in 2011. The show drew 296,000 buys in 2011, 350,000 buys in 2010, and 369,000 buys in 2009.

– WWE Night Of Champions (September): 189,000 buys, up from 161,000 buys in 2011.

We’ll have more of WWE’s Q3 2012 financial results up this afternoon, so stay tuned.

John Cena Teaming Up With The Kids Wish Network (Press Release)

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The Kids Wish Network issued the following press release on Thursday:

WWE® SUPERSTAR JOHN CENA, KIDS WISH NETWORK GRANT WISH FOR BOY WITH HYDROCEPHALUS

JONESBORO, Ga. – International children’s charity Kids Wish Network announced today that through the generosity of the WWE and other sponsors, Maurice Wilson’s dream of meeting his favorite WWE Superstar, John Cena, has come true. Kids Wish Network is a Tampa-based charitable organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children having experienced life-altering situations.

“Generous Guardian Angel organizations such as the WWE help us make a wonderful difference in the lives of many children every year,” said Anna Lanzatella, Executive Director of Kids Wish Network. “Kids Wish Network relies on stars like John Cena to help us make dreams become realities for children facing life threatening illnesses every day.”

Eight-year-old Maurice suffers from a condition called hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull. He underwent a surgery to implant a shunt at four months old. At the age of three, he suffered a seizure after hitting his head and was rushed into surgery. Maurice was then diagnosed with epilepsy and put on a regimen of daily anti-seizure medications.

When given the opportunity to have a wish granted through Kids Wish Network, Maurice asked to meet his hero, WWE Superstar John Cena. Kids Wish Network arranged for an all expenses paid trip to Atlanta for Maurice and his parents that included accommodations, attractions and meals, as well as the meet-and-greet with John Cena before a WWE event at the Phillips Arena.

“It was fabulous,” said Maurice’s mother, Yakymia Wilson. “It was a dream-come-true for Maurice. This is definitely something we never could have given him and we didn’t expect anything as wonderful as this. Everyone everywhere knew who Maurice was and he was really surprised. Everyone gave us the VIP treatment.”

On the day of his wish, Maurice and his family were picked up by an H2 Hummer limousine and driven in style to the Phillips Arena. They were escorted backstage and Maurice’s eyes lit up when John Cena walked in the room. Cena headed right over to Maurice, shook his hand and the two started talking about wrestling and their shared interest in classic cars. Maurice presented Cena with a t-shirt and a pin for hydrocephalus awareness, while Cena gave Maurice signed posters and pictures along with t-shirts, hats and armbands to match his own. Afterwards, Maurice and his family were seated in the second row for the WWE event and they had a great time watching the action up close.

“I was holding back tears the whole wish,” said Yakymia. “I really appreciate all that you did for my son. Maurice hasn’t stopped talking about it and he’s still wearing one of the hats John Cena gave him. Thank you so much.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for making Maurice’s all expenses paid trip and wish so spectacular: the WWE, John Cena, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Avalon Limousine Service, Georgia Aquarium, Center for Puppetry Arts, Legoland Discovery Center – Atlanta, Brio Tuscan Restaurant, and Johnny Rockets Diner.

For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit www.kidswishnetwork.org.

* Picture of THE ROCK Dressed Up As The Incredible HULK For Halloween

Backstage News On Ryback’s Push & Original Plans For HIAC

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Despite Ryback’s loss at WWE Hell In a Cell, WWE is still committed to pushing him as the company’s new main event babyface monster.

Following his controversial loss to WWE Champion CM Punk at Hell in a Cell, new details have come out regarding what WWE had originally planned for the match finish.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the original plan was for Ryback to pin CM Punk in the middle of the ring clean and win the WWE Championship. Ryback would then hold the belt through Survivor Series and would eventually drop the belt in a multi-man gimmick match at TLC, where he wouldn’t have to be pinned or submitted. This was the scenario Vince McMahon had settled on until Thursday 10/25, just 3 days before Hell in a Cell.

The following day (Friday), Vince made the call to keep the belt on CM Punk because Punk’s long title reign was more important than Ryback’s undefeated streak, which isn’t really necessary to portray him as a monster. WWE has spent so much time focusing on CM Punk’s long title reign that it would be better to keep the belt on him past the 1-year mark so his eventual match with The Rock at the Royal Rumble would have higher stakes.

Once the decision was made to keep the belt on Punk, WWE spent the entire weekend figuring out how to cost Ryback the match while keeping him strong. WWE considered a wide range options before settling on crooked referee Brad Maddox, including run-ins from Brock Lesnar, Big Show, Mark Henry and even Vince McMahon himself.

* Picture of THE ROCK Dressed Up As The Incredible HULK For Halloween

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Mick Foley & CM Punk’s Feud, Rumored TLC Matches, Team Rhodes Scholars

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– Not only have RAW’s ratings been declining in recent weeks, delayed/DVR viewership is way down. The October 1st episode of RAW had 298,000 homes watching on delay, while October 8th had 305,000.

– As we reported earlier this week, WWE is solidly behind the Rhodes Scholars tag team. The heel duo is expected to get another title shot by the end of the year, possibly at December’s TLC PPV.

We know WWE is strongly behind Rhodes & Sandow, so it appears WWE is taking the slow build approach so their tag title win really means something when it eventually happens.

– On Monday’s WWE RAW, we saw Team Punk vs. Team Foley announced as the main event for Survivor Series. WWE has been looking for ways to feature Punk and Foley on television for quite some time.

At one point, there was talk of CM Punk vs. Mick Foley at TLC. No word on whether this is still the plan, but a hardcore stipulation match fits Foley’s gimmick perfectly and would allow him to take shortcuts, since he’s not able to work at the main event level anymore.

* Picture of THE ROCK Dressed Up As The Incredible HULK For Halloween

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Ryback Continuing To Work With CM Pun In Europe, The Rock’s Scary Halloween Costume

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– There is talk of Paul Heyman flying to Europe to take part in WWE’s current overseas tour from 11/5-10.

– Speaking of WWE’s European tour, there have been some changes to the top matches that were previously advertised. CM Punk will no longer be wrestling John Cena in the main events. WWE has been pleased with CM Punk’s work with Ryback in recent weeks, so the new main events are now CM Punk vs. Ryback and John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler.

– A 2-hour version of WWE’s Falls Count Anywhere DVD will begin airing on pay-per-view on 12/3.

– The Rock dressed up as the Incredible Hulk for Halloween.

* Picture of THE ROCK Dressed Up As The Incredible HULK For Halloween

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Early Bound For Glory Buyrate, TNA Belt Theif Sentenced, Jarrett-Hardy PPV

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– Early estimates are in for TNA Bound For Glory are around 20,000 buys, which would be TNA’s best buyrate of the year but slightly down from last year.

– The one-hour “Unfinished Business: Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy” TNA pay-per-view will begin airing on December December 1st.

– Omaha.com reports that Joel Luke, one of the man charged with stealing the TNA World Heavyweight title belt (valued at $6,000) and a replica belt (valued at $400) back in August has pleaded guilty to fifth-degree theft and has been sentenced to two years of probation. His accomplice, Forrest Jamison, has been charged as an accessory and is awaiting sentencing.

(Partial Source: F4wonline.com)

Impact Wrestling Preview: Championship Thursday & Open Fight Night

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

– Thursday’s broadcast features the return of OPEN FIGHT NIGHT! Who will get called out? Who has a score to settle? Who wants revenge? You never know who will get challenged every month during OPEN FIGHT NIGHT!

– One challenge that is already set for Thursday’s OPEN FIGHT NIGHT is Bully Ray vs. Devon from the Aces and 8s! The history between these two superstars is legendary – formerly one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history, now bitter enemies – and their war continues on IMPACT WRESTLING!

– What will be the fallout from the Aces and 8s brutal attack on Kurt Angle? The gang picked Angle as their main target and certainly delivered on their promise. The question is, are the Aces prepared for the possible payback that is coming from the angry Olympic Gold Medalist?

– TNA Knockouts executive Brooke Hogan has informed Knockouts Champion Tara and her Hollywood boyfriend Jesse that ODB plans to call out Tara’s main man for a fight! Will Jesse “man up” and answer ODB’s challenge?

– Also on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING on SpikeTV is the monthly “Gut Check” series, as Christian York will attempt to earn a spot on the TNA roster!

All this and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV LIVE at 8/7c.

John Cena Returns To Action Wednesday Night, WWE Looks Back At Beth Phoenix, Former WWE Stars In Rhode Island

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– John Cena competed in his first match since he underwent surgery on Sept. 18 to remove bone chips from his elbow at Wednesday’s Raw live event in Strasbourg, France. He beat Dolph Ziggler.

In other match results, Brodus Clay and Santino Marella beat Epico and Primo, Michael McGillicutty beat Tensai, Antonio Cesaro successfully defended the WWE United States Championship against Zack Ryder, Team Hell No beat Rhodes Scholars to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship, and Ryback beat WWE Champion CM Punk via disqualification. AJ Lee also beat Eve and Layla to win the WWE Divas Championship, but Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero appeared and reversed the decision.

– Howard Finkel, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Vader, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Katie Lea, Daffney and Jimmy Hart have been announced to appear at the Rhode Island Comic Con taking place this Saturday and Sunday at Rhode Island Convention Center 1 Sabin St. Providence, Rhode Island.

– The official WWE website has published a video playlist of “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix’s most memorable moments following her departure from the organization on Monday.

(source: PWInsider.com)

Strong Sales For “CM Punk – Best in the World” Video, “WWE ’13” Unboxing With Kofi, WWE Returns To Italy and Paris

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– Sales for WWE’s CM Punk – Best in the World DVD and Blu-ray were strong in its first week of release. The DVD sold 28,938 copies for $576,472 and the Blu-ray version sold 23,272 for $581,571. It was No. 19 in overall DVD sales and No. 9 in Blu-Ray. No other sports titles ranked nearly as well.

– WWE has published a video of Kofi Kingston unboxing THQ’s WWE ’13 video game. WWE teases, “Check out what awesome surprises lay in store for the WWE Universe with WWE’s latest and most innovative video game ever!”

– WWE will be holding SmackDown live events at the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy on April 25, 2013 and the PalaTrieste Arena in Trieste, Italy on April 26, 2013.

– WWE returns to the Bercy Sports Palace in Paris, France on April 20, 2013. Tickets go on sale November 19 at 10:00 a.m.

– In Thursday’s birthdays, WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan turns 68-years-old and former WWE star Tyler Reks turns 34.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Scott Steiner Backstage At WWE Event This Week, CM Punk Q&A Video From Austin Comic Con, More

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– Scott Steiner was backstage at WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday. Now 50-years-old, he continues compete on the independent wrestling scene.

Robert Gibson of Rock ‘N Roll Express fame was also backstage at the event.

– AintItCool.com has released footage of WWE Champion CM Punk’s Q&A session at last Saturday’s Austin Comic Con. Topics discussed include injuries, the two men he hasn’t wrestled that he would like to face, how WWE refers to wrestlers as “Superstars,” Ryback, and how to break into the wrestling industry.

– Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore and Paul Bearer have been announced to appear at the Boston Super Megafest taking place Nov. 17 and 18 at Sheraton Framingham Hotel 1657 Worcester Rd. Framingham, Massachusetts.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Furthers Brad Maddox Storyline From Hell In A Cell, Update On Lilian Garcia Following Car Incident

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– The official WWE website announced Wednesday evening that suspended official Brad Maddox will have to answer to a Board of Inquiry at WWE Headquarters Thursday morning in response to his actions at Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event.

As the storyline goes, Maddox assisted CM Punk in retaining the WWE Championship by delivering a low blow to Ryback, allowing Punk to pin him. Maddox’s actions prompted Ryback to assault him. The following night on Raw, Punk denied any affiliation with Maddox.

– SmackDown ring announcer Lilian Garcia will miss WWE’s European tour kicking off today and concluding on Nov. 10 after being struck by a car Friday in Los Angeles, California. When asked on Twitter Wednesday whether she will be on the tour, she responded, “No, and I’m really sad about it. Def there in spirit!”

Garcia did not offer a timetable regarding her return to WWE. She did, however, state, “Thk u all 4 the loving, supportive tweets that keep pouring in. I am doing my best 2 get better quickly so I can return. Love u so much!”

– A television show for independent promotion Canadian Wrestling’s Elite premieres Friday night at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saturday on UWF Manitoba Ch. 30, Westman Communications Cable 12, CBS-TV Ch. 30 and on Bell Express Vu in Manitoba beginning Nov. 29.

Iron Shiek Talks About Winning The WWF Title From Bob Backlund & Dropping It To Hulk Hogan

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Inside The Ropes Radio with Hugo Savinovich
Show airs Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m.
Available at InsideTheRopes.podbean.com

Winning the WWF Title from Bob Backlund: That was the biggest day in my life. Bob Backlund was WWF Champion for six years. Nobody beat him. I was the first Iranian, Middle-Eastern guy to come there and I beat Backlund in the most famous arena in the world, Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Dropping the belt to Hulk Hogan: “I had so much heat because of the hostage situation going on. McMahon was worried about me. I was the first Iranian to be the champion, he was afraid about somebody hurting me. So I lost the belt to Hogan. It was again Madison Square Garden. I was part of the company, whatever he wanted me to do, I’d do it. I felt bad about it because I was a real wrestler and would’ve liked to stay champ, but Hogan had good charisma and he stole the show every night everywhere he went, so they had every right to have me drop the belt to Hogan.”

To hear the full chat where Sheik also talks about being trained by Verne Gagne, working as Col Mustafa and his unreleased autobiography with WWE, head over to http://www.facebook.com/theinsidenetwork

WWE Looks Back At Past GM’s, Trish Does Interview In Bed, Not Scary Stars

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– WWE.com has released an info-graphic time line looking at which past General Managers were in power for the longest. (View Here)

– WWE.com has also published a list of the Top 10 No-So-Scary Superstars in history:

10. The Yeti
9. The ECW Zombie
8. Mordecai
7. Zodiac
6. Mantaur
5. Seven
4. The Executioner (1996)
3. Braun the Leprechaun
2. Giant Gonzales
1. Zeus

– Former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus appeared on The Morning Show in Canada to talk about her new “Stratusphere Yoga For Men” DVD. Oh yeah, the interview takes place in bed:

Updates On Two Upcoming WWE Studios Movies (No One Lives, Scooby Doo)

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Entertainment publication Variety.com has released some new information on two WWE Studios projects.

– Anchor Bay Films has acquired the theatrical distribution rights to “No One Lives,” which was co-produced by WWE Studios.

No One Lives, a horror movie featuring WWE superstar Brodus Clay in a supporting role, will be released in theaters in North America, the UK and Australia. No release date has been set.

Anchor Bay will also handle the home video (DVD/Blu-Ray) distribution.

– The animated, WWE-themed Scooby-Doo project now has the working title, “The Curse of the Ghost Bear!” and is slated for a 2014 release.

* Picture Of BATISTA Wearing A Yellow Spandex Jumpsuit At His IRON FISTS Movie Premiere

Jim Ross Blog: Survivor Series Main Event, Dead Crowd At HIAC, Tag Teams

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

Dead Crowd At Hell in a Cell: “Unique crowd in Atlanta on Sunday and not the typical Hotlanta grouping. Either we did not provide what they wanted to see or they, as a group, didn’t connect to the show. Nonetheless, for me it is always good to work in a city where I enjoyed living for so long and in a market that has created so many memories for yours truly.”

WWE’s Tag Team Division “I’m liking the evolution of the tag team scene in WWE and expect to see several teams continue to develop and get more involved in the TV product as time goes on especially over the next few weeks .. Team Rhodes Scholars, in particular, has the chance to become a really viable duo from where I sit.”

Survivor Series “Pleased that WWE is having a traditional, Survivor Series Elimination tag team bout, Team Foley vs. Team Punk, as a feature attraction/main event at the Survivor Series this year in Indianapolis. I’ve always enjoyed seeing multiple conclusions and how teams respond to being a “man down” or more as these bouts progress. Elimination tag bouts are not used that much during the year so seeing a well promoted, main event level one at Survivor Series is encouraging to this fan.”

* RYBACK vs. GOLDBERG At WrestleMania? Plus – Former WWE Superstar Returning Soon

AJ Interview: Her “Crazy” Character, Who Has The Worst Breath In WWE & More

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Sam Roberts caught up with WWE Diva AJ Lee at the recent Ringside Fest event in New York City. AJ spoke about the odd gifts fans have given her, her days in Indy Wrestling, being a fan, the ability to cry on command, and who has the worst breath in WWE. Here are some brief highlights and the interview:

Getting Into Her “Crazy” Character: “I don’t think I can cry on cue; I just feel what’s happening,” A.J. said about her on-air character. “It’s real when it’s happening and I’m there and I’m her and I just kind of react to it.”

The Worst Breath In WWE: “I don’t know about (bad) breath, but I will say it’s very difficult to kiss someone when – there was this one match where Bryan and I had just wrestled. I don’t know if you’ve wrestled before, but you get severe cottonmouth. (laughs) It is not prime-time for macking. So, that one was a little odd,” A.J. said.

Redneck Island Cast Revealed, Batista’s Next Movie Rated R, Keibler Spotted

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– The UK’s Daily Mail website has an article up looking at former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler, who recently showed off a new “rocker” look on her way to Las Vegas this week.

– Movie site ComingSoon.net reports that Batista’s next movie “Riddick” will be be rated R. No release date has been given yet.

Pictures Of Batista Wearing A Yellow Spandex Jumpsuit
At His IRON FISTS Movie Premiere

– Zap2It.com has a press release up announcing details for Season 2 of Steve Austin’s reality competition show Redneck Island, which premieres on November 10th. The contestants include:

* Justin Campbell (Ragland, Ala.) – A 26-year-old laborer from Alabama, he loves jug fishing and has dreams of becoming a chicken farmer.

* Joe Durdaller (Burke, Tex.) – This 23-year-old Texan, who finally realized “anything is more fun with whiskey and women,” played semi-pro football before his current gig as a casino bartender.

* Nick Honea (Albertville, Ala.) – A student who, at 26 years old, enjoys the finer things in life: chasing women, drinking beer, hunting and junkin’.

* Wade Jones (Our Town, Ala.) – Everyone’s favorite country store manager, this 40-year-old redneck loves singing his heart out at karaoke and is proud of his redneck car collection.

* Kyle Medina (White House, Tenn.) – This height-loving high school wrestling coach spends his spare time mudding, hunting and getting crazy after a few beers.

* Darren Sweet (Hiddenite, N.C.) – A tree trimmer from the Carolinas, he’s taught himself to fix just about anything and owns more than 20 guns.

* William Worley (Gloucester, Va.) – This 47-year-old software engineer has big plans for fun if he wins the money, including buying a tractor, a crab boat and pots for a huge redneck party.

* Angela Croke (Josephine, Tex.) – As a stay-at-home-mom, this 34-year-old Texan loves spending time with her two kids, and her third child: her lifted diesel truck.

* Heather Maier (Louisville, Ky.) – Proud owner of one of the loudest burps in Kentucky, this 24-year-old supportive living assistant could show everyone a thing or two about jello wrestling.

* Lisa McCreless (Pinson, Ala.) – A manager at a loan company, this 32-year-old redneck worked in a meat packing factory at age 14 and loves shooting pistols.

* Kelly Moss (Oakfield, Tenn.) – Sports a tattoo of her favorite gun on her back and has worked on a pig farm. This 29 year old is a member of the Army National Guard and works at a steakhouse restaurant.

* Donna Stickley (Lake Wales, Fla.) – This 25-year-old, hog-hunting hair stylist is not afraid to get down and dirty, she once won a “dirty girl” competition at a mud fest.

* Eliza Bentley Weber (Memphis, Tenn.) – A sports bar and outdoor gear shop employee, this 33-year-old deer-hunting enthusiast traces her redneck roots to growing up living a “country club” redneck lifestyle.

* Shawna Willson (Lakeland, Fla.) – Hailing from the Sunshine State, this 26-year-old stay-at-home-mom can proudly kill and clean a chicken in less than 10 minutes.

Linda McMahon Expected To Lose Senate Race & Criticised Over Sandy

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The New York Times is predicting that former WWE CEO Linda McMahon will lose her US Senate race in Connecticut to Democrat Chris Murphy.

Speaking of Linda McMahon, NBC anchor Brian Williams called her out for not suspending campaign advertising in the wake of Hurricane Sandy (video below).

Williams notes that several politicians have suspended their campaigns but Linda is still bombarding the airwaves with negative attack ads.

“In this part of the country, those who do have TV are seeing attack ads from a woman named Linda McMahon who is running for Senate up in Connecticut airing like nothing had changed juxtaposed against the damage,” Williams said. “It’s just a very strange time.”

It’s worth noting that Linda did cancel campaign events on Monday and Tuesday, and the Hartford Courant reports that both Linda and her opponent Chris Murphy are still running TV ads.

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