TNA has announced James Storm vs. Daniels will take place at Sunday’s Genesis pay-per-view. With that match set, here’s the updated card:
Triple Threat Elimination Match for the TNA World Title
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries
TNA Tag Team Title Match
Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez (c) vs. Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan
James Storm vs. Christopher Daniels
X Division Tournament Finals
Christian York vs. TBD
TNA X Division Title Match
Rob Van Dam vs. Tournament Winner
– Former WWE superstar Sean “X-Pac” Waltman is backstage at tonight’s WWE RAW from Tampa, FL.
– Former WWE Women’s Champion Alundra Blaze (Madusa in WCW) noted on Twitter that she will be in attendance for next Monday’s 20th Anniversary RAW show from Houston, TX. She tweeted:
Houston this saturday for monster jam and WWE Monday nite raw!
— Madusa/AlundraBlayze (@Madusa_rocks) January 6, 2013
I need to clear my last post.I will be in Houston thisSaturday for monster jam and thenthe following mon. I was thinking on attending raw
— Madusa/AlundraBlayze (@Madusa_rocks) January 7, 2013
– Tensai continues to work a comedy gimmick at WWE live events. He lost to Santino Marella in comedy matches over the weekend and was yelling at the crowd, “Don’t call me Albert.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with his latest blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Tonight’s RAW: “I see tonight’s RAW as a great opportunity for ALL talents to make their presence felt. My ‘maximizing one’s minutes’ theory was never more timely than it will be tonight for everyone who appears on RAW. Raw getting off to a fast, compelling start seems imperative. First talents out of the gate will occupy some prime real estate. The first 30 minutes of RAW are going to be vital.”
The Rock’s Return: “With @TheRock returning to the live, Monday night RAW tonight, it kicks off WWE’s 2013 TV year in a significant manner … Hard to believe that some on Twitter @JRsBBQ seemingly have such ill conceived opinions that the Rock returning to WWE to gear up for a WrestleMania run is a negative to ‘young talents.’ I find this flimsy theory laughable. Rock is a major attraction that will attract disconnected/former viewers and many new viewers who are fans of Rock’s movie work. The more eyes watching any WWE program the better. Rock also provides WWE an ‘outside the usual envelope’ media buzz which is invaluable.”
Next Week’s 20th Anniversary RAW: “Getting loads of questions regarding the 20th Anniversary of RAW show in Houston next week. I can’t make it any clearer but I don’t know any creative plans and if I did why would I spoil them? One can get plenty of speculation from the internet wrestling community who appear to have better sources than do I. I just know that every attempt will be made to make that milestone event special and that includes follow up to what occurs tonight.”
– WWE Hall of Famer & NXT authority figure Dusty Rhodes noted on Twitter that he’s doing work on a new DVD project for WWE today.
– NXT stars Kassius Ohno and Adrian Neville (formerly PAC) were among the developmental stars that were in attendance for the RAW live event from Tallahassee, Florida over the weekend.
Several NXT stars are expected to in attendance for tonight’s live RAW from Tampa, which is the home of WWE’s developmental system.
– Speaking of NXT, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Lee and Brodus Clay will be appearing at Wednesday’s live event from Kissimmee, Florida.
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels will be the guest star of Thursday night’s NXT TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
* News On NXT Stars Getting Called Up & When DOLPH ZIGGLER Will Cash In MITB
– Ryback sounds ready for The Rock’s appearance on RAW tonight:
https://twitter.com/Ryback22/status/288153837682978818
– Dragon Gate USA wrestler Samuray Del Sol is denying that he signed a WWE contract after a bogus talent contract that he “signed” was circulating online over the weekend:
Amigos I am not signed with WWE just ignore the photos and rumors, if you don't see it posted on my website, twitter or Facebook, not true!
— Samuray Del Sol® “Manny $” (@gloat) January 5, 2013
– WWE Hall of Famer & NXT authority figure Dusty Rhodes noted on Twitter that he’s doing work on a new DVD project for WWE today.
– Former WWE Diva Maryse announced that she’ll be returning to Family Wrestling Entertainment for their upcoming iPPV from Brooklyn, NY. Once again, she’ll be doing commentary for the promotion.
THQ is releasing Downloadable Content pack #3 today for the WWE ’13 video game. Courtesy of WWEGaming.com, here are the official details of what the new content includes:
* Available free of charge: Layla.
* Available individually for 80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or $0.99 USD via PlayStation Network:
Damien Sandow
Antonio Cesaro
Jimmy Uso
Jey Uso
Brian Pillman
Chainsaw Charlie
* Moves pack, available for 160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360 or $1.99 via PlayStation Network. Includes:
Brock Lesnar’s Kimura Lock
Chris Jericho’s Lionsault
Triangle Dropkick
The Hart Lock
Top Rope Super German Suplex
Superkick/Pedigree Combo
Delayed Vertical Suplex Powerslam
Omega Driver
Airplane Spin
Top Rope Brainbuster
Flapjack/Cutter Combo
Small Package Driver
Sleeper Suplex
Brock Lock
Spinning Double Leg Takedown
Fujiwara Armbar
Pin-Up Strong
Lift Single Underhook DDT
Corner Back Elbow Strikes
Half-Nelson Backbreaker
Check out these pictures from the WWE ’13 DLC Pack #3:
[nggallery id=80]
Tonight’s WWE RAW takes place from the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida and is the first live RAW of 2013. The following is confirmed for tonight’s show:
– WWE Champion CM Punk returns to action in his first match since undergoing knee surgery last month. Punk will defend the WWE Championship against Ryback.
– The Rock will be in the house. WWE is teasing what The Rock will have to say to the winner of the CM Punk vs. Ryback match.
WWE.com is also teasing the following items for the show:
* Will AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler use Big E Langston to get revenge on John Cena?
* Will Alberto Del Rio step up to face Big Show?
* Who else will announce their entry into the Royal Rumble?
Local advertisements state that Rey Mysterio will be on RAW, so there’s a good chance he’ll be returning tonight.
The scheduled dark match main event is John Cena and Sheamus vs. Big Show and Dolph Ziggler.
– WWEDVDNews.com reports that the following two matches are confirmed for Bret Hart’s upcoming WWE DVD series titled, “Bret “Hit Man” Hart: The Dungeon Collection” – due out March 5th:
* Bret Hart vs. Dynamite Kid in a 2 of 3 Falls Match for the British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight Title from Stampede Wrestling (1978).
* Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin from the Sun City Superbowl in South Africa (1996).
Pre-Order Here: Bret Hit Man Hart: Dungeon Collection
– SmackDown superstar Sheamus will be making several appearances at upcoming car shows. Here’s a schedule of the shows he’ll be attending:
* Friday January 11th at the Cincinnati Cavalcade of Customs in Cincinnati, Ohio from 6pm until 8pm
* Friday, February 22nd at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center in Louisville, KY from 7pm until 9pm
* Friday, March 1st at the Chicago World of Wheels from 6pm until 8pm
* Friday, March 8th at the Detroit Autorama from 6pm until 8pm
– Zack Ryder tweeted the following about his matches at this weekend’s WWE live events, where he teamed with Brodus Clay against Jack Swagger and NXT star Leo Kruger:
I won all 3 of my matches this weekend. Do you think that I’ll continue my winning streak tomorrow on #Raw?
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) January 7, 2013
– Chris Jericho tweeted the following on Sunday night, teasing that he could show up at tonight’s WWE RAW from Tampa, Florida. Considering Jericho’s history of messing with Internet fans, don’t expect him to show up on television:
So excited for #Raw in Tampa tomorrow!!@wwe
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) January 7, 2013
– Prime Time Players member Titus O’Neil tweeted the following this morning about The Rock’s quest to capture the WWE Championship:
@TheRock Ur Not the Only 1on the Hunt 4 @WWE Championship Gold. The #PrimeTimePlayers are on 1too&I'll Be Damned if we Dont get it!
WILL U?— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) January 7, 2013
– Devin Cutting sent in the following regarding WWE’s taping schedule for Saturday Morning Slam:
WWE continues to tape Saturday Morning Slam several weeks in advance. This week’s episode (January 5th, 2013) featured Kane vs. Jinder Mahal and Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater. Both matches were taped on November 27th, 2012 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Next week’s episode (January 12th, 2013) will feature Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow. That match was taped on December 4th, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina.
– Santino Marella will be appearing at the Fiesta Mart South location in Austin, Texas on Friday, January 11th from 3pm.
– Kevin Nash tweeted the following about Dr. James Andrews, the sports surgeon who has worked on countless WWE superstars and Nash himself nearly a dozen times:
In the future when you get advice from Dr. James Andrews, please take it. He's put me back together at least 10 times. #2ndonlytogod
— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) January 7, 2013
– Wrestling legend Scott Hall will be following in the foot steps of Jake Roberts and moving into Diamond Dallas Page’s Atlanta home, dubbed the “Accountability Crib.” Roberts has lost 50 pounds since moving in with DDP and practicing his DDP Yoga system and Hall will be the the next one to use DDP’s program to get his life together.
– Here’s the latest episode of WWE Download with Dolph Ziggler:
DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 254)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!
Est. Runtime: 1 hour, 19 minutes
Last week, Solomonster said that if Antonio Cesaro could get Great Khali up for the Neutralizer on Main Event that he would record the Sound Off in a Swiss accent. Well, that Cesaro is one strong SOB. I’m also a man of my word, so I apologize in advance to anyone with a Swiss accent for butchering their native tongue. This week, we’ll talk about one idea for the Rock/Punk match that hasn’t really been mentioned yet, WWE stealing ideas from TNA, the atrocious Mae Young skits from Raw, praise for the Knockouts match on Impact, Sting’s unbelievably LAME comeback on Thursday, the status of Shelton Benjamin and WWE, and will CM Punk ever be as big of a star as John Cena?
Want your question on the air? Send feedback to [email protected].
Wanna subscribe to the Sound Off via iTunes? CLICK HERE!
Visit The Solomonster on Twitter @ twitter.com/solomonster
Friend The Solomonster on Facebook @ facebook.com/thesolomonster
Subscribe to The Solomonster on YouTube @ TheSolomonster
Solomonster Sounds Off by The Solomonster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
– After their confrontation on last night’s WWE SmackDown, Sheamus tweeted the following about Randy Orton:
https://twitter.com/WWESheamus/status/287395130284064768
Sheamus vs. Randy Orton is rumored to be one of the top SmackDown feuds of the next few months, with Orton expected to finally get his wish of turning heel soon.
– The next Downloadable Content pack for WWE ’13 will be released on Monday at 5pm (EST) and will include the following playable characters:
* Damien Sandow
* Antonio Cesaro
* Jimmy Uso
* Jey Uso
* Brian Pillman
* Chainsaw Charlie
– WWE Diva Rosa Mendes posted a photo on Twitter of the license she had to get in order to wrestle on the SmackDown’s brand’s weekend tour of Puerto Rico:
– WWE NXT star Leo Kruger worked Friday night’sWWE RAW live event in Pensacola, Florida. He teamed with Jack Swagger, losing to the team of Brodus Clay and Zack Ryder.
– Speaking of NXT stars, Bray Wyatt tweeted that he’s finally recovered from the torn pectoral muscle he suffered over the summer:
https://twitter.com/WWEBrayWyatt/status/287395497637994496
Wyatt is seen as one of the top prospects currently in NXT and is expected to be one of the next developmental stars to get called up to the main roster.
– Zack Ryder’s “Z! True Long Island Story” YouTube show may be coming to an end. During this week’s Episode #99, Ryder teased at the end that he’s going to have to kill the show before WWE gets a chance to do it first. That video was quickly taken down by WWE – and an edited version was then re-posted, without the final segment of Ryder teasing his show’s demise.
– Tommy Dreamer was at WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT on Thursday.
– The NXT house show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 2nd, 2013 has been canceled.
– Here’s the latest installment of Santino’s Foreign Exchange:
“Santino’s Foreign Exchange” made it into the new year! Follow The Milan Miracle as he rings in 2013 as only Santino can. Which Superstar has the most outlandish New Year’s resolution of them all?”
Here is the full content listing for WWE’s upcoming “Best of RAW and SmackDown 2012” DVD/Blu-ray, set for a January 29th release:
DISC 1
Many Memorable Moments
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Kane vs. Zack Ryder
RAW • January 23, 2012
Chris Jericho “Speaks”
RAW • January 23, 2012
Champion vs. Champion Match
CM Punk vs.Daniel Bryan
RAW • January 30, 2012
No Disqualification Match
Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett
SmackDown • February 3, 2012
John Cenahas some choice words for The Rock
RAW • February 20, 2012
Secondto None
6-Man Tag Team Match
Randy Orton, Sheamus & Big Show vs.Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes & The Miz
SmackDown • March 9, 2012
The Rock Concert
RAW • March 12, 2012
Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship
Santino Marella vs.Dolph Zigglervs. Jack Swagger
RAW • April 2, 2012
Brock Lesnar Returns
RAW • April 2, 2012
WrestleMania Rematch
Randy Orton vs. Kane
SmackDown • April 6, 2012
Daniel Bryantells off AJ Lee
SmackDown • April 6, 2012
DISC 2
Shaking the Foundation
John Cena& Brock Lesnar Confrontation
RAW • April 9, 2012
No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship
CM Punk vs. Mark Henry
RAW • April 16, 2012
World Tag Team Championship Match
Primo & Epico vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
Raw • April 30, 2012
Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
SmackDown • May 18, 2012
Big Show Goes on a Rampage
RAW • May 28, 2012
Fatal 4-Way Match to Determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title
Dolph Zigglervs. Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. TheGreat Khali
RAW • June 11, 2012
Heath Slater vs. Vader
RAW • June 11, 2012
Santino Marella Hosts ‘Sign of the Night’
SmackDown • June 22, 2012
Sheamus vs.Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown • June 22, 2012
Unprecedented Milestone
D-Generation X Reunites
RAW • July 23, 2012
Fatal 4-Way Match to Determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title
Rey Mysterio vs. Kane vs.Daniel Bryanvs. Alberto Del Rio
SmackDown • July 27, 2012
2-on-1 Handicap Match
Ryback vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
RAW • August 6, 2012
DISC 3
Respect for the Champion
CM Punk &John CenaHave Words
RAW • August 20, 2012
Daniel Bryan& Kane Attend Anger Management
RAW • August 27, 2012
Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes
SmackDown • August 31, 2012
Falls Count Anywhere Match
John Cenavs. Alberto Del Rio
RAW • September 3, 2012
Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow
SmackDown • September 7, 2012
Dolph Zigglervs. Kofi Kingston
RAW • September 24, 2012
BethPhoenixvs. Natalya
SmackDown • September 28, 2012
Ryback vs. Tensai
SmackDown • September 28, 2012
Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow
RAW • October 1, 2012
Daniel Bryan& Kane vs. Alberto Del Rio & David Otunga
SmackDown • October 5, 2012
CM Punk vs.Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown • October 5, 2012
CM Punk vs. Mr. McMahon
RAW • October 8, 2012
Daniel Bryanvs.Dolph Ziggler
RAW • October 22, 2012
John Cena& Ryback vs. CM Punk &Dolph Ziggler
RAW • November 5, 2012
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio
SmackDown • November 6, 2012
An Unforgettable Year
BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVES
United States Championship Match
Santino Marella vs. Jack Swagger
RAW • March 5, 2012
CM Punk & Sheamus vs.Daniel Bryan& Kane
RAW • June 18, 2012
Intercontinental Championship Match
The Miz vs. Christian
SmackDown • July 27, 2012
Street Fight
Sheamus vs.Daniel Bryan
RAW • July 30, 2012
The SmackDown Debut of Miz TV
SmackDown • September 28, 2012
Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett
SmackDown • October 26, 2012
WWE.COM EXCLUSIVES FOR BLU-RAY
– Chris Jericho is interviewed after his return
– Santino Marella discusses beingAssistanttothe GeneralManager
– Santino Marella talks about winning the United States Championship
– R-Truth and Little Jimmy remix their entrance music
– Ricardo Rodriguez discusses his Sheamus impersonation
– Dude Love and Brodus Clay hang out at Raw 1000
-Daniel Bryanis “Mr. Hug It Out”
– Kane andDaniel Bryantry to settle an argument
(Source: WWEDVDNews.com)
– With WWE looking to bring back legends for the upcoming 20th Anniversary of WWE RAW on January 14th, Kevin Nash has stated he won’t be there. Nash tweeted on Saturday morning:
https://twitter.com/RealKevinNash/status/287483031227355136
Nash also said he’d never return to TNA, despite having love for Dixie Carter and the TNA crew:
https://twitter.com/RealKevinNash/status/287491273391214592
– Sean Waltman tweeted on Saturday morning that his longtime friend Scott Hall is interested in trying out Diamond Dallas Page’s DDP Yoga program:
https://twitter.com/TheRealXPac/status/287565152222580736
– Here’s the latest episode of WWE Backstage Fallout from Friday’s SmackDown:
What does Jinder Mahal say that shocks and confuses his fellow bandmates? Watch the SmackDown edition of “Backstage Fallout” to find out. Plus, Natalya shares a special moment with the WWE Universe.
– Thursday’s live episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV did a strong 1.14 rating with 1.62 million viewers. Maybe it was the return of Sting or the fact that it was the first live Impact in several weeks, but this was the best viewership for the show since August 23rd, when the show had 1.72 million viewers.
– It appears that TNA’s sponsorship deal with Direct Auto Insurance has ended, because all Direct Auto banners have been removed from the Impact Zone and there are no more references to Direct Auto on the TNA website. Especially with the timing of the situation (right after New Years), it’s possible the deal ended on December 31st.
– Embedded below is the TNA Genesis 30-minute “Before the Bell” preview.
– Thursday’s live episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV did a strong 1.14 rating with 1.62 million viewers. Maybe it was the return of Sting or the fact that it was the first live Impact in several weeks, but this was the best viewership for the show since August 23rd, when the show had 1.72 million viewers.
– It appears that TNA’s sponsorship deal with Direct Auto Insurance has ended, because all Direct Auto banners have been removed from the Impact Zone and there are no more references to Direct Auto on the TNA website. Especially with the timing of the situation (right after New Years), it’s possible the deal ended on December 31st.
– Embedded below is the TNA Genesis 30-minute “Before the Bell” preview.
– Thursday’s live episode of TNA Impact Wrestling on Spike TV did a strong 1.14 rating with 1.62 million viewers. Maybe it was the return of Sting or the fact that it was the first live Impact in several weeks, but this was the best viewership for the show since August 23rd, when the show had 1.72 million viewers.
– It appears that TNA’s sponsorship deal with Direct Auto Insurance has ended, because all Direct Auto banners have been removed from the Impact Zone and there are no more references to Direct Auto on the TNA website. Especially with the timing of the situation (right after New Years), it’s possible the deal ended on December 31st.
– Embedded below is the TNA Genesis 30-minute “Before the Bell” preview.
TNA sent out the following:
TNA IMPACT WRESTLING ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR JAN. 12 SPECIAL EVENTS
Nashville, Tenn. – (Jan. 4, 2012) – TNA IMPACT WRESTLING announces additional information for two (2) 3-hour special programming tapings to take place next Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. Fans will get the chance to experience “TNA Wrestling: X-Travaganza” featuring current and former stars of the X Division and “TNA Wrestling: Jokers Wild Tag Team Tournament” featuring tag team action.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy will make an appearance and will be available for in-ring photos following the evening event. All activities will be at the IMPACT Zone at Universal Studios Orlando.
“TNA Wrestling: X-Travaganza” will feature an Ultimate X Match, an X-Scape Cage Match, and the return of former X Division stars including Petey Williams, Amazing Red, Matt Bentley and Jimmy Rave. Jerry Lynn will also be making a return as part of his farewell tour before his retirement later this year and will be facing long time rival Rob Van Dam.
“TNA Wrestling: Jokers Wild Tag Team Tournament” will feature teams selected at random competing with winning teams advancing to a 12-man Gauntlet Match with the winner receiving $100,000. Among those scheduled to take part in the tournament are Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, Rob Van Dam, James Storm, Samoa Joe, Joey Ryan, Jessie Godderz, Matt Morgan, Robbie E, Mr. Anderson, Robbie T, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Hernandez, Zema Ion and Doug Williams.
Both events will feature TNA Superstars and additional surprise guests.
TNA IMPACT Weekend of events (All in IMPACT Zone at Universal Studios):
Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013
8:00pm ET – IMPACT WRESTLING Live
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013
1:00pm ET – 3-hour Special Programming taping presented by TNA Wrestling
7:00pm ET – 3-hour Special Programming taping presented by TNA Wrestling
Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013
8:00pm ET – “Genesis” Pay-Per-View Live
Fans can purchase a VIP Weekend package, which will include early admission to all shows, a VIP Reception and a complementary photograph in the ring with “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy. Tickets cost $99.99 per person and can be purchased at ShopTNA.com. Full list of events are below.
VIP Weekend holders will receive:
Thursday, Jan. 10 – Early admission to IMPACT WRESTLING LIVE
Friday, Jan. 11 – VIP Reception in the IMPACT Zone
Saturday, Jan. 12 – Early admission to two (2) 3-hour Special Programming and
photograph in the ring with Hardy after 7pm taping.
Sunday, Jan. 13 – Early admission to “Genesis” Pay-Per-View
For more information, visit www.IMPACTWRESTLING.com.
To purchase, visit: www.ShopTNA.com
TNA star, the current X Division Champion and “The Whole F’n Show” Rob Van Dam joined The Rack Thursday Night. In a nearly 20 minute interview, he discussed his recent matches and budding feud with Kenny King, what it was like winning the X Division Title, what some of his favorite title accomplishments were, how the Five Star Frogsplash became his finisher, using the Van Terminator as a special feature and its the evolution, the upcoming TNA Genesis PPV, how it feels to return to Philly, his 2013 wrestling resolution and more.
You can listen to the radio show appearance here (.MP3).
His feud with Kenny King: “That would be the one to talk about right now because on my latest appearances on television, you see Kenny King there. I gotta tell ya, everyone else knew a lot more about him than I did. I wrestled him at the last PPV and everyone was coming up to me, including Dixie Carter, checking on my feelings with the match, seeing how I felt because they were looking forward to seeing this match and I gotta tell you the truth, I didn’t even know who he (King) was. I hadn’t met him before; I hadn’t seen him wrestle before and I didn’t know until shortly before the show started, I was wrestling someone named Kenny King, but everyone was super excited about him. They said, ‘Yeah, you guys are going to have ‘Match of the Night’ He’s got the moves and sets; he’s got the size. So you two guys should be pretty competitive. So, that piqued my interest.
We had the match, and clearly RVD was better; I mean, I’m still the Champion, I won the match. So I was like ‘Oh, alright.’ I can’t blame everyone for getting behind him so much, but the guy never leaves. He comes back, I don’t know, comes as my friend; he seems like everyone else’s friend; he seems like a cool guy but I think he’s letting business get in the way, I don’t know. We had the match, had another match and then he found a way to bend the rulebook in his favor so that he could come out on to. And now, that puts me in a position: ‘Ok, the guy has beaten me in a non-title match. What are we going to do now?’ I kind of feel obligated to wrestle him again for the title, but not right away. You know what I mean? I think that’s a cheap way of going about doing it. So I wrestled some other guys; I teamed with them and he keeps picking at me, like pecking at me, like a woodpecker outside that’s keeping me up when I’m trying to sleep. It’s something I’ve got to settle. So, I’m not taking him lightly, but I am saying I am better than him. I know that he’s not finished, l I know that he wants some more. Coming up, we’ll see what he’s got and what he brings to the table this time.”
How the Five Star Frogsplash came to be his finisher: “I think that this makes, I thought it was my 23rd Championship title, but some fans have said it’s actually the 21st, so I can’t verify or confirm which it is; but, apparently I’ve had well over 20 Championship Titles that are documented and that doesn’t include a lot of small, regional, territorial titles I’ve picked up along the way because they just don’t make the record books. But it is true that in my lengthy career I’ve had gold around my waist a lot and there’s a reason for that: because I win a lot of my matches. Used to be with the split legged moonsault, and then around 1992-9, I was wrestling in WCW and a wrestling promoter, Ron Slinker, the same guy who gave me the name Rob Van Dam, said ‘you need to come up with a move that’s more impactful because the Split legged Moonsault is pretty, people like it but it’s not real impactful and not a really hard drop.’ So, I thought about that and I said ‘Alright, crew it, what I’m going to do is take my entire frame and shoot it up as high as it’ll go inside the arena and then drop down with all the impact, all the weight, all the momentum, BOOM on my opponent; crash into him. So, the Five Star Frogsplash was born and once I mastered that, I gotta tell you I’ve beaten a lot of really well-established wrestlers with that; a lot of champions. When I hit that Five-Star Frogsplash, I’m pretty confident that if I can crawl over in time, I’m going to get the three-count. So that’s kind of always in my back pocket; the fans always know it.
Where does the X Division Title he currently has rank amongst his multiple titles: “I’ve enjoyed other championships; you know I’ve been tag team champion lots of times. I’ve been Intercontinental Champion lots of times, Television Champion. One of my favorites has been the Hardcore Championship because it reflected my favorite style and I feel that the X Division belt does that too. People have expectations when the X Division Championship is up for grabs and I try to deliver that; make it more exciting and I try to get that out of my opponent too. So I’m enjoying the X Division title run and I would put it up there against all my other world title championships as well.”
On his return to Philadelphia with TNA January 5th: “That’s a big event for me because I spent so much time in Philadelphia, when I was putting it all together and learning to mold myself into the superstar that I did. I came into ECW in Philadelphia in 1996 and left in 2001; a much bigger, worldwide star than I arrived and I thank ECW for that. And the crowds, Philadelphia and the whole Northeast; high standards, high expectations; the crowd demanded satisfaction and they waited for you to slip so they could chant at you. The waited for someone to slip and they were merciless; they were awesome and that was a great crowd to learn in front of and perfect Rob Van Dam in front of. So, the return to Philadelphia is a pleasure for me.”
For more information on Rob, you can visit his Twitter (@TheRealRVD) or his personal website (www.robvandam.com). You can also see Rob every week on TNA IMPACT Wrestling, Thursday Nights at 8 pm Eastern on Spike TV. And, as always, you can follow Rob and all the stars of TNA IMPACT Wrestling though their Twitter (@IMPACTWRESTLING) and their website (www.impactwrestling.com) for information in their weekly television programming and up to the minute information and card of matches for the upcoming “Genesis” PPV.
WWE superstar The Rock recently spoke to Matt Fowler of Showrenirty.com about his involvement at WrestleMania 29.
The Rock teased that his opponent has already been decided – and it’s all going to kick off this Monday night on RAW. While he couldn’t reveal who his opponent will be, The Rock assured Fowler that the next four months will culminate in the biggest WrestleMania of all time:
“The storyline will be that starting this coming Monday [for RAW], I’m gonna go back, and it’s going to be a big return. That will lead to, hopefully, what will be the biggest WrestleMania of all time at Giants Stadium. I will headline that show, with someone who I can’t say right now. We’ve got an amazing four months lined up and planned out that will culminate in the biggest WrestleMania of all time. It’s going to be a hell of a thing.”
The interview took place at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour when The Rock was doing promotional work for his new reality competition show, The Hero.
* WWE Bringing Back Several Former Main Eventers For WrestleMania Season
During Friday’s WWE SmackDown broadcast, two more participants were revealed for the upcoming Royal Rumble battle royal match.
Former WWE & World Heavyweight champions Sheamus and Randy Orton are the first two SmackDown competitors to be confirmed as entrants. They join John Cena, who announced on RAW that he would be in the match as well.
Aside from the Rumble match, WWE Champion CM Punk vs. The Rock is the only other match announced for the pay-per-view as of this writing. The 2013 Royal Rumble PPV takes place on Sunday, January 27th from Phoenix, Arizona.
– WWE Champion CM Punk was in Tampa, Florida on Thursday working with WWE’s developmental students at the NXT training facility. Bill DeMott tweeted:
Thank you to @CMPunk for his time and spending His time with all the #nxtsuperstars ……. With (cont) http://t.co/cMSC53nE
— Bill DeMott (@BillDeMott) January 4, 2013
– IMDB.com has a listing up for a new pro wrestling movie titled, “Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies.” The horror movie, slated for a 2013 release, will feature appearances from Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, Matt Hardy & Reby Sky, Shane Douglas, Scott “Raven” Levy, Sylvester Terkay and others.
– Zack Ryder says he has a major announcement coming soon for the 100th episode of his YouTube show. He tweeted:
Working on Episode 99 of Z! True Long Island Story. A MAJOR announcement will be made. #OneeleVEnthiRteen
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) January 3, 2013
Speaking of Ryder, he filmed the music video for his song “Hoeski” this week and tweeted the following picture from the shoot:
– Today’s wrestling birthdays include former WCW star La Parka (47) and former WWE & WCW star Jim Powers (55). The late Chris Kanyon would have been 43.
– The documentary portion of WWE Champion CM Punks’s “Best In The World” recent DVD is now streaming on Netflix.
– The documentary portion of the Undertaker’s Streak DVD will begin airing on pay-per-view on February 4th.
– WWE.com has a video up featuring tag team champion Daniel Bryan talking about how he wants to be known as The Dazzler in 2013.
Pay-per-view provider iNDEMAND has released their official synopsis and promotional poster for February’s WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 PPV. We’ve known that The Rock has been confirmed for the show – and from the looks of the poster, it looks like the People’s Champ will be participating in his first Elimination Chamber match.
On the Road to WrestleMania, the path to greatness travels through many formidable roadblocks. Watch as The Rock, John Cena, CM Punk, Ryback, Sheamus, and all your favorite WWE Superstars lay it all on the line at WWE Elimination Chamber, Sunday, February 17, at 8PM ET/5PM PT, live on pay-per-view.
