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Sound Off 258: Bret Hart Goes On Delusional Rant About Triple H, Calls Him A “Decent” Wrestler

Jason Solomon
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DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 258)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

It’s a Superbowl-sized Sound Off this week with thoughts on the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar’s return and new contract, the greatness of Paul Heyman, Cena’s burial of the World title, breaking up the Rhodes Scholars, Undertaker’s status for WrestleMania and TWO alternate scenarios for CM Punk, Bret Hart’s absurd comments about Triple H, TNA taking Impact on the road full-time, Seth Rollins as the weak link in The Shield, and what would have happened in Montreal had Bret faced Taker instead of HBK in 1997?

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Creative Commons License
Solomonster Sounds Off by The Solomonster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

When Chris Jericho Knew He Was Returning, CM Punk Comments On His Knee

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– Chris Jericho did a Q&A session on Twitter on SAturday night and said he knew he’d be returning to WWE back in November. He also named Dolhp Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston and the Big Show as the top underrated wrestlers in WWE.

* VIDEO of THE ROCK’s “Got Milk?” SUPERBOWL Commercial

– WWE Hall of Famer Edge tweeted that he predicts the San Francisco 49ers will win tonight’s NFL Super Bowl.

– In response to a fan on Twitter telling him that his knee sucks, CM Punk responded:

The Rock Thanks The WWE Locker Room & Does Photoshoot With The WWE Title

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– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Marty Jannetty (53) and WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr. (72). Today would have been the 53rd birthday for the late WWE Hall of Famer Kerry Von Erich.

– WWE held their annual “Pre-Game Pandemonium” live events this afternoon prior to this evening’s NFL Super Bowl. RAW held a show from Birmingham, Alabama while SmackDown was in Augusta, Georgia.

– The Rock tweeted the following picture of himself with the WWE Championship over the weekend during a photo shoot for his new reality competition show on TNT, The Hero:

The Rock also thanked the WWE locker room for welcoming him back and making feel at home:

* VIDEO of THE ROCK’s “Got Milk?” SUPERBOWL Commercial

Picture: Eve Torres Sporting A New Look

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Former WWE Diva Eve Torres is sporting a new look and posted the following picture on Instagram:

6a8756006d7011e28cc022000a1fb854 7

Update On Money In The Bank At WrestleMania 29

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As of this weekend, there will be no Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 29. There had been some talk of bringing the gimmick match back to WWE’s biggest show of the year, but the feeling is that Money in the Bank can stand exist on its own pay-per-view and WWE will already have enough big matches to fill the WrestleMania card.

The upside of Money in the Bank is that WWE can get multiple underutilized mid-card wrestlers on the show in a single match. It’s possible WWE will do a pre-show battle royal in order to give out as many WrestleMania paydays as possible, as we’ve seen in recent years.

Additionally, Dolph Ziggler still has his Money in the Bank briefcase and it wouldn’t make sense to have a new Money in the Bank briefcase won before he cashes in.

Jim Ross Blogs About This Weekend’s WWE Tryout Camp & NXT

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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 said about:

Thursday’s NXT Tapings: “The NXT TV taping was another great learning experience for all involved. Tag Title tournament culminated along w/ several Divas getting significant TV exposure. As w/ any TV taping, some facets were better than others but in developmental that’s the nature of the beast. Working in WWE Talent Development is a wonderful assignment for me and allows me to contribute to WWE’s future & give back to our business. Helping the young broadcasters is extremely rewarding for me. Being able to offer positive motivation to all those who are just beginning they’ve career journey is rewarding & allows me to come away from each assignment feeling better about my day.”

WWE’s Weekend Tryout CampIn Tampa, FL: “The NXT tryouts started somewhat slowly on an extremely long Friday but Saturday was a superb day. The retention from Friday to Saturday w/ the drills was exceptional. Focus was improved, everyone seemed to be more comfortable. Fun day.”

“Sunday will wrap up the process for the 30+ young men who were invited. Promos & more matches on tap before we wrap things up. If we can replicate the productivity we experienced Saturday, I’d expect a nice handful of offers to be extended over the next few weeks. Getting a WWE contract is daunting but well worth the effort and sacrifices it takes to get a shot at the Promised Land.”

“I choose to mention no names as that wouldn’t be professional in my opiomion but I’ve compiled my short list of those seriously in the hunt.”

* VIDEO of THE ROCK’s “Got Milk?” SUPERBOWL Commercial

Steve Austin Talks About Today’s WWE Stars & The Importance Of Experience

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During his regular guest column for the UK’s Fighting Spirit Magazine, WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin spoke about today’s current WWE superstars – and the importance of having a solid wrestling foundation before getting pushed into the spotlight.

“Today’s guys are very impressionable, and don’t really call it in the ring anymore,” Austin said. “Some of the guys don’t know whether to shit or wind their watch; when they get in the ring, they have some basics, but they’ve always been told exactly what to do before they go out there. Back in the day, we were calling it all in the ring; we didn’t have anything to be nervous about, because we didn’t have to remember anything. All I had to do was listen to a hellacious worker like Billy Joe Travis or Jimmy Jack Funk, trusting them to help lead me through it.”

He continued, “The guys today are on a big stage, and none bigger than WWE. It’s up to the promotion to bring these cats in light, establish them, and help them get over. You can’t just bring in someone new and expect them to work a Wrestlemania calibre match right away. If you give someone a monster push right off the bat, but don’t give them the base knowledge, it makes no sense to wonder why they shit the bed. These kids are exposed after a few weeks of TV, because they don’t have the experience of what to do in that situation. The more knowledge you have, the better chance you have of being successful”.

Read the full article in Issue 89 of FSM, on sale now from WH Smiths in the UK and Easons in Ireland.

* WWE Negotiating With Former Main Eventer For WrestleMania 29 Appearance

Roddy Piper Gives CM Punk High Praise & Talks About Getting Revenge On Bret Hart For WrestleMania 8

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Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) of The Score Television Network Baltimore Sun and Layfield Report spoke with former WWE Superstar “Rowdy Roddy Piper (@R_Roddy_Piper) on the set of a new TV pilot that he is co-starring in. Highlights:

– Talks about his relationship with Bret Hart and how he finally got vindication for his Wrestlemania 8 loss to Bret on the set of this new show.

– Comments on his son Colt’s recent attempts to break into the wrestling business. “Whatever you want to call ‘it’. He’s got that.”

– Discusses his role in this new show co-starring Bret. “I’m playing an outlandish colour commentator… Type-catsing again.”

– Gives his opinion on CM Punk’s recent “Heel” championship run being compared to Piper’s own heyday and having high praise for CM Punk.

– Shoots on Pat Patterson

Bret Hart Continues To Rant About Triple H (Video)

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Arda Ocal spoke with former WWE Superstar Bret “Hitman” Hart after his recent comments about Triple H being an overrated, mediocre wrestler.

“There’s nothing to read between the lines. Take what I said and that’s my opinion. It’s not really fair to take it and make too much of an issue,” Hart said. “I only worked with Triple H from about 1992/3 to ’97. I haven’t worked with him since then. It’s not really fair for me to assess his abilities over the last ten years. But, my knowledge of him is – I still say he’s a decent wrestler. I wouldn’t put him in the top 1,000 great wrestlers.”

“To me, he was a very mediocre wrestler and I never saw him contribute an idea in my life. Whereas, I can look at different wrestlers and say, ‘They contributed ideas and made suggestions that were valid and helpful to constructing a decent match.’ But, I never saw any genius coming out of Triple H, nor in his matches.”

Regarding Triple H’s Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at last year’s WrestleMania, he said, “I look at the match he had last year with Undertaker, like I said in that interview I was quoted as saying, ‘I give it a four out of ten.’ I think that was generous. It was a four out of ten. But, you have to understand Undertaker was hurt and there were circumstances that maybe I’m not privy to. So, I wouldn’t make too much of it; it’s just an opinion.

“But, the question was sort of, ‘Do I think that Triple H can carry the torch for the company and be the genius that Vince was?’ And, maybe he can, maybe he can’t. Let’s hope he can. But, if he can’t, it won’t be that big of a surprise to me because I never saw any great genius come out of him all the years I knew him.”

Asked if he knows if Triple H is aware of his comments and if their relationship will suffer because of what he’s said, Hart replied, “We don’t have that much of a relationship.”

He continued, “It doesn’t matter to me – he can speak his mind about me and I can speak my mind about him. I can speak my mind about Shawn Michaels or Triple H. I think what people expect from me and they always get from me is the truth. At least my honest opinion. Too bad for someone who takes exception to that.”

Also in the interview:

– Bret comments on his appearance at the Montreal Screwjob panel at the Royal Rumble and if he’s sick of telling that story. “Sometimes in talking about it you get a new perspective on it.”

– He says it doesn’t bother him that Shawn doesn’t really remember the incident. “It doesn’t surprise me. Shawn had his problems back then.”

– Having high praise for Alberto Del Rio and accepting his new nickname the “Canadian Del Rio”

Here’s the interview:

Universal Studios Issues Statement About Impact Going On The Road, Kid Kash Gone From TNA & More

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– Following TNA’s announcement that they are taking Impact Wrestling on the road and will no longer be holding their weekly show from the Impact Zone starting in March, Universal Studios Orlando spokesperson Tom Schroder says the theme park would like to still continue working with the company. He told the Orlando Sentinel:

“We are grateful for the partnership we’ve had with TNA. We look forward to the opportunity to work with them again in the future.”

– Kid Kash tweeted the following on Saturday, confirming that he is gone from TNA:

– TNA will be holding a live event on March 23rd from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina at the Royal Palace Theatre. Bell time is 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased starting February 8th, 2013. (Thanks to Devin Cutting)

Jim Ross Comments On Whether He’s Retired & WWE’s Weekend Tryout Camp

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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has addressed rumors that he is retiring from announcing. He tweeted on Saturday afternoon:

As noted earlier, Jim Ross will still be calling the occasional high profile match, possibly as soon as WrestleMania 29.

JR also commented on this weekend’s 3-day WWE tryout camp at Tampa, Florida, where he is helping evaluate talent:

Team Rhodes Scholars Break Up, Elimination Chamber Correction & More

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– It was announced on Friday’s SmackDown that the winner of the SmackDown brand’s upcoming Elimination Chamber match will get a shot at the World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania. We passed along a report by a fan from Australia listing 5 of the 6 wrestlers who will compete in the match, however, no participants were announced on SmackDown.

– On today’s Saturday Morning Slam, Dolph Ziggler (with AJ Lee and Big E Langston) defeated Zack Ryder and Wade Barrett defeated Yoshi Tatsu.

– Team Rhodes Scholars are no more. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow informed Booker T on SmackDown that despite their close friendship, they have decided to dissolve their tag team and pursue their singles careers.

Beth Phoenix On Whether She Has Really Retired, Why So Many Divas Have Departed WWE, What Makes Trish An Icon

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Arda Ocal of The Score Television Network, Baltimore Sun and Layfield Report spoke with former WWE Diva Beth Phoenix. Highlights:

Has she had the itch to return to professional wrestling yet? “I never wanted to be that person who said, I’ll never come back, I’m retired, I’m done and then in a couple of years get the itch. I haven’t said I’ll never ever be back because I don’t know what opportunity will come up that I’ll find to be really awesome.”

The number of divas that have left the WWE in the past year. Is it a coincidence? “I think it just timed out that way because lots of times with the girls there is a window of opportunity and a lot of the girls that left kind of came in at the same time. The women’s division there are so few of us, you can only see me wrestle Kelly so many times.”

In her opinion, what made Trish Stratus an icon?
“Sometimes people like to remember the controversy, that’s what stands out, but I think I would rather look at the content of someone’s career. She always welcomed whatever kind of physicality that needed to take place in the ring. She was tough as nails, she never complained and worked for what she had and you have to respect that.”

Phoenix discusses the state of the Divas division, highlights of her career, favorite matches, returning to her high school in Elmira, New York for a charity basketball event, life post-professional wrestling, boyfriend Adam “Edge” Copeland’s transition to retirement, Trish Stratus being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTOPr2KiW_o

CM Punk Speaks To 77-Year-Old Fan Who Was Shot During Robbery

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Former WWE champion CM Punk appeared on Abe Kanan Show’s Sirius XM satellite radio show this week and spoke with 77-year-old Thomas Dotterer, the liquor store robbery victim who was shot in the eye, but said the worst thing that happened all week was Punk losing to The Rock at the Royal Rumble.

Dotterer was talking about the robbery returning to work right after being released from the hospital – when he was surprised by a guest caller, CM Punk.

Dotterer said he’s a wrestling fan going back to the 1940s when he watched Gorgeous George with his father. He said he follows Ring of Honor and TNA Wrestling and appreciates Punk’s success. He said Punk’s hard work and dedication is why he was so upset that The Rock beat him.

Punk then offered Dotterer to be his special guest when WWE is in Syracuse for a live event on March 3. Here’s audio from the appearance:

Cody Rhodes’ Rumble Surprise, WWE Tryout Camp Begins Today, Mysterio Booked For RAW

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– Cody Rhodes tweeted the following about his brother Goldust’s surprise return at the Royal Rumble, saying he had no idea Gldust was going to be in the match:

– Rey Mysterio is scheduled to appear at Monday’s WWE RAW.

– WWE will be kicking of a 3-day tryout camp in Tampa, Florida today. Jim Ross, who will be there to evaluate talent, tweeted the following:

*Spoiler* More Details On The SmackDown Brand’s Elimination Chamber Match

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On tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, General Manager Booker T will announce that the SmackDown brand’s upcoming Elimination Chamber match will feature 6 wrestlers that will compete to determine who challenges for the World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania 29.

According to a fan in Australia who has already seen tonight’s WWE SmackDown broadcast, the following 5 participants will be announced:

* Randy Orton
* Kane
* Daniel Bryan
* Jack Swagger
* The Great Khali

A sixth participant, rumored to be Sheamus, will be revealed later.

John Cena Missing Live Events, Greatest Rivalries DVD Synopsis & More

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– WWE has added The Shield’s theme song, “Special Op,” is now available for sale on iTunes.

– John Cena will be missing the WWE RAW live events in Missouri February 8th, 9th and 10th. Chris Jericho has been added to the February 9th (Springfield) and February 10th (Cape Girardeau) shows. The New Age Outlaws will be appaering on all three shows.

– WWEDVDNews.com has released the official synopsis for WWE’s upcoming “Top 25 Rivalries” DVD and Blu-Ray set, due out May 28th in the United States and due out in June in Europe and Australia:

“WWE Superstars clash year-round with championships, glory, and personal pride on the line. But only 25 rivalries can be considered the greatest in sports entertainment history. Now for the first time ever, WWE counts down the most intense rivalries of all time. With each segment narrated by a different WWE or mainstream personality, each rivalry takes on a life of its own as WWE fans get an inside, never-before-seen perspective on their favorite showdowns. From the grudges born from equal pursuit of a common goal to those where the animosity crosses personal boundaries, all the timeless conflicts in the history of WWE, WCW, NWA, ECW and more are presented. Featuring Cena vs Edge, Stone Cold vs Mr McMahon, Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat and many more, this controversial countdown is sure to be dissected and debated by fans of all eras. Plus, special features include over 5 hours of bonus matches highlighting the rivalries presented in the countdown.”

WWE Divas Comment on Trish Stratus’ Hall Of Fame Induction

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WWE.com has an article up looking at Trish Stratus’ Hall of Fame induction, including comments from today’s Divas. Here are some highlights of what the following Divas said about Trish’s legendary career:

Lilian Garcia: “She totally deserves this. She worked incredibly hard and made such an impact.”

Natalya: “Trish was a pioneer for the Divas. There were women that came before, but she broke all the barriers and all the stereotypes. Certainly, I’ve been extremely inspired by my family, but when I decided I wanted to be a lady wrestler, it wasn’t because of my family. It was because of Trish. … She is one of the reasons I’m doing what I’m doing today and I couldn’t be happier for her.”

Kaitlyn: “It’s so cool to see. She made such a huge impact and she is so iconic. Everyone aspires to have just a little bit of what Trish had.”

Aksana: “I’m really excited for her. I want to say congratulations to her. She’s my idol.”

AJ Lee: “To anyone in WWE, she’s an inspiration. She has helped us break a lot of glass ceilings. It’s really cool to have someone from our generation — that’s actually classified as a ‘Diva’ — to be in the Hall of Fame.”

* Pictures of TRISH STRATUS On The Set of MICKIE JAMES’ New Music Video

WWE SmackDown Preview: Del Rio vs. Ziggler, Barrett vs. Orton

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The following matches were taped for Friday’s SmackDown:

* Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler.

* Daniel Bryan & Kane vs. Sin Cara & Rey Mysterio.

* Kofi Kingston vs. A Returning Superstar

* Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton.

* Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow.

* Great Khali vs. Jinder Mahal.

*SPOILER* Find Out Which Former World Heavyweight Champion Returns on SmackDown

Bret Hart Says Triple H Is Overrated & Never Had A Great Match

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WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart recently spoke with Wrestle Talk TV Extra and had some harsh words about Triple H:

“I have a certain amount of respect for Triple H. I remember when he first came in, I remember commenting on stuff that he did. Because I’d usually give wrestlers my thoughts and try to help them on stuff… Triple H has always been a good wrestler. But great? What is he now, a 1,000 time world champion? How great really is he?

“I look at [CM] Punk… I can look at certain wrestlers and I go, this guy is an innovator. Like a Rey Mysterio, who’s done stuff that no one has ever thought of before. Punk has done stuff — really unique moves and you go, ‘gee I’ve never seen anything like that before.’ They innovate all the time, and they create new sequences and moves and things.

“Then you look at someone like Triple H. When I look at him — he’s always had a good look as far as his body went — he always had a pretty muscular physique. But you look at someone like Hunter and you wonder, what has he really done. One move that he ever created that nobody ever saw before or some highspots or an idea for a match… He’s mostly a guy that just showed up and they made him. He’s always been a decent wrestler — I would consider him a good wrestler and pretty talented. But great? I don’t know, I don’t think so.

“What has he ever done that’s great? He’s never had a great match, I don’t think ever. Whenever I look at Triple H’s matches, including the last one he had with Undertaker — and I don’t really mean it as a knock — but I told myself before I watched it because I’m trying to like Paul now these days, that I want to see him do something to make me think he’s got greatness in him.

“Before Triple H wrestled Undertaker last year, I remember watching it and going, ‘I can picture the whole match in my head, I can tell you exactly what this match is going to be like and how it’s going to go. And I remember watching it and it went exactly how I predicted it… I thought it was mediocre at best, maybe a 4 out of 10, or 3 out of 10.

“I think Paul is a little overrated… overrated for being great. I can sit here and tell you that there was one match that he ever had with anybody that I thought was great. It’s kind of a shame, he should have a great match somewhere with somebody. And you’d think that he would have had it by now, but I don’t think he’s a great wrestler.”

There’s much more to the interview, including Bret’s thoughts on the Undertaker and CM Punk.

Jeff Hardy Interview: Critics Saying TNA Is Full Of Washed Up WWE Wrestlers, How Hulk Hogan Has Helped TNA

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MLive.com has an interview with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy, who was promoting the upcoming TNA live event in Detroit on Friday, February 22nd. Here are just a few highlights from the interview:

Critics who say that TNA is filled with washed up former WWE wrestlers trying to collect a paycheck: “You know, I’m not sure. We’re way different than WWE. We may never be as big as WWE, but the cool thing about TNA is that we are the alternative. So people who get tired and bored with the WWE – I’ve been there, I understand – there’s an alternative and something else to watch. For special wrestlers, there’s somewhere else to go – as long as you’re not brainwashed by that WWE mentality. There’s other worlds out there; it’s OK to switch around.”

How Hulk Hogan has Helped TNA: “Just being Hulk Hogan and here in TNA is huge; Sting is here, too. They’re big-time involved with the younger guys whether its advice their style, compliments on a good job or giving some kind of direction. They are big-time involved and I think it definitely helps to have them and their knowledge here to help these guys that (previously) didn’t get it that much. It helps slow them down and work smarter. Even just character-wise, they help all talent here.”

TNA’s Future: “The sky is the limit. There’s so many talent guys here. I’ve worked with Austin Aries several times, Bobby Roode; those guys are phenomenal. There’s guys like A.J. Styles; he’s unbelievable. These kinds of guys are just getting it done, man. And when they do get the chances, they take full advantage. It just takes time, the product is going to get better and better. I don’t know what the next five or 10 years will bring, but I definitely think TNA will continue to grow. I’m not sure where exactly it’s going or how it’s going to be but it’s definitely going to be changing the game.”

Much more is contained in the interview, including Hardy discussing Sting and The Ultimate Warrior influencing his career, doing yoga, the rise of the UFC, the ups and downs in his career and more. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.

*Spoiler* WWE NXT Crowns First Tag Team Champions

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WWE held another round of NXT tapings on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

During the tapings, Adrianne Neville (formerly PAC) and Oliver Gray won the tournament to crown the first ever NXT tag team champions. They defeated the Wyatt Family in what was said to be a great match, according to our live correspondent.

After the match, NXT authority figure Dusty Rhodes congratulated the new champions.

*Spoilers* 3 Weeks Of WWE NXT Tapings Results

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WWE taped 3 more weeks of NXT television on Thursday night from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. Here are the results:

Dark Match

* Natalya defeated Charlotte.

Episode 1: Airing February 13th

* Axl Keegan vs. Mike Dalton – Paige entered the ring and went after Summer Rae, who ran away to the back. Paige called out Summer, but Dusty Rhodes came out instead and demanded Paige leave the ring. Summer came back out and cut a promo on Paige, which resulted in the two women fighting. Dusty said the two will settle their issues later.

* Corey Graves defeated Alex Riley.

* Summer Rae defeated Paige.

* NXT Commissioner Dusty Rhodes did in-ring segment talking about the NXT Championship.

* Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey defeated The Wyatt Family in the finals of the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament to be crowned the first-ever champions. Dusty Rhodes congratulated the new champions to close the show.

Episode 2: Airing February 20th

* Bray Wyatt w/Erick Rowan and Luke Harper defeated Yoshi Tatsu.

* Xavier Woods defeated El Local.

* Audrey Marie defeated Sasha Banks.

* Tony Dawson introduced Tyson Kidd. Tyson talked about his knee surgery and promised to return stronger than ever. Leo Kruger interrupted the interview and went after Kidd, which brought out Justin Gabriel for the save.

* NXT Champion Big E Langston defeated “The Ascension” Conor O’Brian. After the match, Corey Graves attacked Langston from behind.

Episode 3: Airing February 27th

* Justin Gabriel w/Tyson Kidd defeated Leo Kruger.

* Aksana defeated Emma.

* Backstage, Bo Dallas has been attacked. Renee Young said that Dallas was scheduled to compete in a #1 contenders match for the NXT championship prior to the assault.

* Corey Graves vs “The Ascension” Conor O’Brian in a #1 contender’s match ended in no contest when The Shield came out and attacked both men.

* The Shield cut a promo saying they aren’t done with NXT yet.

After the taping, Bryon Saxton called out Ricardo Rodriguez, who introduced WWE World Hevyweight champion Alberto Del Rio. While Del Rio was addressing the crowd, WWE United States champion Antonio Cesaro interrupted him. As the two men were talking trash to each other, Dusty Rhodes comes out and booked a match between Cesaro and NXT Champion Big E Langston.

Dark Match Main event

* NXT Champion Big E Langston defeated WWE United States Champion Antonio Cesaro.

TNA Officially Announces Impact Wrestling Is Hitting The Road

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TNA issued the following press release on Thursday announcing that Impact Wrestling will be hitting the road with their first-ever live taping from Chicago on March 14th:

TNA TAKES THURSDAY NIGHT “IMPACT WRESTLING” ON THE ROAD

Chicago tapped for televised live show to air on Spike TV

Nashville, Tenn. (Jan. 31, 2012) – TNA’s IMPACT WRESTLING today announced that it will begin filming all “IMPACT WRESTLING” programming on the road as part of their 2013 television programming strategy. “IMPACT WRESTLING” airs every Thursday on Spike TV (8/7 CT), and is regularly one of the network’s top-rated shows. The first live televised show will be March 14 from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago.

For the past 8 years, “IMPACT WRESTLING” has been filmed on the largest soundstage at Universal Studios Orlando. The final two shows to be filmed from the “Impact Zone” at Universal will be February 28 and March 7.

“This is a tremendous step forward for TNA,” stated TNA President Dixie Carter. “Fans from around the world have been coming to us at Universal for more than 8 years to be a part of the ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ audience. It’s now time for us to take the ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ television cameras to them. This is a very important next evolution for the company, and I’m excited that the backdrop to the show will feature our great fans in larger arenas around the country and world.

“We are so grateful to Universal for being such fantastic partners and look forward to finding other ways to work together in the future,” Carter added.

“Taking ‘IMPACT WRESTLING’ on the road to the fans is yet another example of Dixie and her incredible team expanding their horizons to deliver the most exciting and action-packed wrestling product on the market,” said Spike TV President Kevin Kay.

Kicking off the start to “IMPACT WRESTLING” on the road will be the triumphant return to Chicago and the Sears Centre Arena on March 14. Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena was home to “Bound For Glory 2008” setting, at the time, the highest TNA attendance record.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 8 at the Sears Centre Arena box office and at www.SearsCentre.com. (Doors will open on Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. and bell time at 7 p.m.).

WWE Hires High Profile Lawyer Monty Sarhan To Senior Management Team

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WWE announced the following on Thursday:

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. : WWE Names Monty Sarhan General Counsel

STAMFORD, Conn., January 31, 2013 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced the appointment of Monty Sarhan as General Counsel and Senior Vice President. Sarhan replaces former General Counsel Michael Luisi, who was promoted to President of WWE Studios. Sarhan will report directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.

As General Counsel, Sarhan will be a key member of WWE’s senior management team, responsible for overseeing the legal and business affairs of the company and serving as the principal legal advisor to the Chairman, CFO, and management team. He will also serve as Corporate Secretary to WWE’s Board of Directors.

Sarhan brings 14 years of experience as a seasoned media executive and lawyer, having held senior leadership positions, including lead lawyer in several business units and companies. Prior to joining WWE, Sarhan was Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for Viacom Media Networks, where he oversaw all business affairs for the premium movie network EPIX. As one of the early members of the EPIX team, Sarhan was part of the network’s national launch in October 2009. Reporting directly to the CEO, he worked on distribution, digital strategy, business development, programming acquisitions, and production deals. He also negotiated key agreements that allowed EPIX to become the first premium network to offer subscribers access on Android devices, Roku and Xbox 360.

Prior to his tenure with EPIX, Sarhan handled all business and legal affairs for Viacom’s MTV Games group. He negotiated agreements with Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft that established MTV Games as a leading publisher. He was part of the team that launched the hugely successful Rock Band video game franchise as well as The Beatles: Rock Band, which marked the first time the iconic band’s music was available digitally.

Previously, Sarhan was the sole founder and CEO of Cracked Entertainment. He acquired CRACKED, the 54-year old competitor to MAD Magazine, and re-launched it as a digital property-CRACKED.com-targeting a new demo with an entirely new editorial formula. It is now one of the country’s leading comedy sites.

Sarhan began his career as an associate in the New York office of the international law firm White & Case. He earned his Juris Doctor from Duke University, his Masters in International Relations from Boston University and his undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from Tufts University.

* Update On WM29 Plans For Ziggler, Jericho, Ryback & More

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