The NXT Divas also posted these videos on Tout:
The Rock & CM Punk Address The Shield On SmackDown (Video)
From Friday’s SmackDown, CM Punk confronts the Shield and tells them not to interfere in his match at the Royal Rumble. The Rock tells CM Punk he doesn’t believe he’s not behind the Shield’s attack on him at RAW.
CM Punk takes care of business with The Shield and then has one final faceoff with The Rock before their WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble 2013.
Ricardo Rodriguez Interview: First Time He Met Del Rio, If He’ll Be In The Royal Rumble & More
Ricardo Rodriguez spoke to SmackTalk Radio Live this week to hype the Royal Rumble. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
First time he met Alberto Del Rio:
“It was actually that day he debuted, that was the first time I met him. I knew who he was before because I’ve been a huge wrestling fan for most of my life. I didn’t recognize him at first because of the mask, but once I found out who he was I thought it was awesome because I had done so many shows back in California with his uncle Mil Mascaras….but I didn’t meet him until that day…and that was nerve wrecking for me because it was my first time in a WWE event and I had just kinda been picked up for it….it was also the first day I met Vince.”
Fans cheering him and Del Rio now:
“Since in the company, we’ve been bad guys so it’s pretty much all we knew…but this transition has been interesting because it’s not something we asked the fans to do, they started applauding, they started cheering…It started slowly by our crazy antics or Del Rio’s crazy wrestling ability, the crowd started turning and cheering for us, it’s been interesting because it isn’t something we’ve asked the crowd to do.”
Whether he will be in the Royal Rumble on Sunday:
“Well it’s up to the boss, I mean if he lets me I would love to. If Del Rio lets me partake in the Rumble I would love to be a part of it. I think I have to one-up myself and get two eliminations this time as opposed to one.”
Hulk Hogan Talks About Brooke Wrestling
Hulk Hogan talked to Ireland’s Xpose Entertainment this week about his daughter Brooke Hogan getting in the ring:
“It’s my worst nightmare! But she’s really good, she’s really good in front of the camera, she’s a really great actress, she has great timing, she’ll take a half a breath and respond instead of having that knee-jerk reaction to what’s going on which is what most wrestlers do. It’s a pleasure working with her on camera, but my greatest fear has always been the evils of this business, and her getting in too deep and becoming full-time and getting hurt. I’d just hate to see that after what I’ve been through. And her passion is still music, she’s a songwriter now and she loves doing that.”
“She’s been in the ring one time messing about and she loved it – which scared me to death! I can understand it, it’s very addictive. Part of it is because I’m her father and part of it is that if you do get in the ring and take a few bumps it’s like being addicted to chocolate or drugs, you either like it or you don’t, it’s very addictive and I think she got into the ring and she loved it.”
“She’s been asking me about it and I told her, ‘Look Brooke you’re not 18 anymore you’re 24 so do what you want to do.’ If she does do it then it will probably be fun to watch but the business is tough.”
Hulk Hogan Continues To Tease An In-Ring Return
TNA star Hulk Hogan continues to drop hints of a potential in-ring return while doing a media appearance overseas in the United Kingdom this week.
During an interview with Kerrang! Magazine, Hogan said that he’d rather be focusing on wrestling than doing interviews:
“I love being here, but I miss getting in the ring. I miss being part of the action. I miss that desperately,” Hogan said.
Here’s video of the interview:
*Spoilers* TNA Impact Tapings Results From London, England (2/21)
– TNA British Bootcamp winner Rockstar Spud defeated Robbie E.
– James Storm, Joseph Park, Chavo Guerrero, and Hernandez defeated Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Christopher Daniels, and Kazarian.
– X Division Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Kenny King to retain.
– Bully Ray was named the #1 Contender to Jeff Hardy’s TNA World title. The match will take place at Lockdown inside a steel cage.
– Samoa Joe defeated Garett Bischoff by DQ after Wes Brisco interfered.
– Kurt Angle came out and challenged Wes Brisco to a match at Lockdown.
– Mr. Anderson, DOC, and Devon defeated Sting and Bully Ray in a handicap match.
*Spoilers* TNA Impact Tapings Results From London, England (2/14)
Xplosion Taping:
* Kenny King defeated Zema Ion in a cage match to become No. 1 contender to the X Division Title.
TNA Impact Wrestling (Airing February 14):
Hulk Hogan announced that tonight’s show will feature a series of matches to determine TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy’s opponent at Lockdown: The matches are:
* Christopher Daniels vs. Magnus
* Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries
* Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe
* Rob Van Dam vs. James Storm
– Magnus defeated Daniels.
– Bobby Roode and Austin Aries wrestled to a double countout.
– Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe ended in no-contest when Wes Briscoe and Garett Bischoff interfered.
– Gail Kim, Tara, and Jessie defeated The Blossom Twins and Party Marty.
– James Storm defeated Rob Van Dam.
Hogan came out to name the No. 1 contender, but Aces & Eights came out to confront him. Sting and Bully then came out with weapons to even the odds, which led Aces & Eights to retreat.
WWE Royal Rumble 2013 Surprise Entrants Revealed
This Sunday’s Royal Rumble will see the returns of at least two former WWE superstars.
SEScoops.com can confirm that Shelton Benjamin and Carlito are scheduled for the 30-man Royal Rumble match.
Both men are in Phoenix this weekend to work independent shows on Saturday night and will in fact be at Sunday’s show.
We’re hearing word about a few other big surprises planned for the Rumble but are going to follow up and double-source these rumors before reporting them here.
SEScoops.com will have Live Results of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, so make sure to check us out Sunday night.
NXT Star Earns A Spot In The Royal Rumble
NXT superstar Bo Dallas is officially entered into the 2013 WWE Royal Rumble match after defeating Leo Kruger in the finals of the NXT Tournament on Saturday at the Royal Rumble fan fest.
Seth Rollins Hypes The Royal Rumble, “Are You Serious?” Ending & More
– Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown had a Trendrr.tv social media score of 77,259, up 10% from last week.
– WWE is considering adding a Twitter feed at the bottom of the screen during RAW broadcasts, according to PWInsider.com.
– WWE announced on Twitter that another Youtube show, “Are You Serious?” is ending this weekend. To this, we say: ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
– Seth Rollins tweeted the following on Saturday to hype tomorrow’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view:
November 18, 2012…we dismantled the machine known as Ryback and changed the course of our future, and yours…
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) January 26, 2013
December 16, 2012…we showed the world what kind of carnage we are truly capable of if given the proper motivation…
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) January 26, 2013
January 27, 2013…Justice reigns supreme. #RoyalRumble #believeintheshield
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) January 26, 2013
* Royal Rumble SPOILERS: 2 Former WWE IC Champions Confirmed As Surprise Entrants
Trailer For The Rock’s New Movie, Sin Cara In Phoenix, Worst Ring Names
– WWE.com has an article up looking at the 15 worst ring names in pro wrestling history, including the Red Rooster (Terry Taylor), the Ringmaster (Steve Austin), Dr. Isaac Yankem (Kane), G.I. Bro (Booker T) and others.
– Sin Cara tweeted that he’s currently in Phoenix, Arizona for the Royal Rumble:
https://twitter.com/TheSinCaraWWE/status/295238918020943873
– The Rock tweeted the following trailer for his upcoming movie Snitch, which hits theaters February 22nd:
Never lived his life a hero, but found he had the heart of a lion to save his son. True events. #SNITCH http://t.co/xQNCMBnn
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 26, 2013
Ric Flair’s In-Ring Return Cancelled Due To Health Concerns
Just hours before he was set to wrestle for All Japan Pro Wrestling, it was announced that Flair would be unable to compete due to medical concerns. During Flair’s pre-match physical, doctors found “suspicion of deep vein thrombosis of the left foot.” There was concern that the blockage could have spread to his heart or brain if he competed and All Japan made the decision to pull him from the show.
Flair was replaced by his son Reid, who was already scheduled to wrestle on the show. Reid and Keiji Mutoh (Great Muta) lost to Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada after Sanada hit his This Is It finisher on Flair. Ric Flair was ringside for the match and did get physical at one point, hitting Sanada with his signature chop to the chest.
A lot of fans at the arena were said to be upset over Flair not wrestling as advertised and were asking for refunds.
Here are pictures of Ric Flair watching his son Reid wrestling in his place for AJPW:
Divas Title Match Added To Royal Rumble, Pettingill Confirms Working With WWE
– WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn vs. Tamina has been added to Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
* TWO Surprise ROYAL RUMBLE Entrants Confirmed
– Former WWE developmental diva Shaul Guerrero is currently working on her music career.
– Former WWE announcer Todd Pettengill confirmed via Facebook that he will in fact be hosting WWE’s upcoming “The Best of In Your House” DVD and Blu-ray set, due out in April. Pettengill responded to a fan question:
“lol Yes it’s true… had a great time seeing the ‘old gang’”
*Spoiler* Two More Aces & Eights Members Revealed
Warning: The following contains a spoiler for the January 31st episode of Impact Wrestling:
At Friday night’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings from Manchester, England, it was revealed that Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco are members of Aces & Eights.
The reveal came after the Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson steel cage match. Angle won with the ankle lock in what was described as a very good match by our live correspondent.
After Angle won, an Aces & Eights member climbed the cage. Angle waved Wes Briscoe in to the ring to help him and locked the cage. The masked Aces & Eights member revealed himself to be Garett Bischoff. Wes Brisco then turned on Angle and helped Garrett Bischoff beat him up.
* Picture of the Title Change That Took Place At Friday’s IMPACT Tapings
Original Plans For Royal Rumble Pre-Show, Ryback Interview, Keibler’s New Show
– WWE’s original plans for the Royal Rumble pre-show called for a large team match that would have included superstars from WWE as well as NXT. The decision was made a week or two ago for Antonio Cesaro to wrestle The Miz on the pre-show and to hold an NXT tournament at the Royal Rumble fan fest this weekend, with the winner earning a spot in the Rumble match.
– Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler tweeted the following about her new Supermarket Superstars show on the Lifetime network:
First day on the set of my show #SupermarketSuperstars @lifetimetv and I'm loving it! So exciting to help make someone's dream come true.
— Stacy Keibler (@StacyKeibler) January 25, 2013
– Ryback spoke spoke to FOX 10 News in Phoenix to promote this weekend’s Royal Rumble Fan Fest:
Ziggler’s Babyface Turn Nixed, Santino’s Foreign Exchange, WWE Magazine
– WWE Hall of Famer Road Warrior Animal turns 53 years old today. Today would have also been the 84th birthday of legendary announcer Gordon Solie, who passed away in 2000.
– WWE will be launching a tablet version of WWE Magazine soon.
– It appears the rumored Dolph Ziggler babyface turn won’t be happening. There has been talk of Ziggler defeating Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania 29, but right now those plans are now uncertain.
– Below is the final episode of Santino Marella’s Foreign Exchange:
* WWE Royal Rumble 2013 Results
(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)
The Rock Hypes The Rumble, Booker T Talks Harlem Heat Reunion, Countdown
– The Rock tweeted the following on Friday to hype the Royal Rumble:
Rumble on my mind..
Conditioning & cardio training.
Next @WWE Champion. #JustBringIt pic.twitter.com/Zi9YwV4W
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 25, 2013
– During a media conference call this week to promote the Royal Rumble, SmackDown general manager spoke about a possible Harlem Heat reunion with his brother Stevie Ray:
“I think people would want to see it. I know it was talked about reuniting Harlem Heat. You know as far as it being possible for Hall of Fame it would have been a great honor. But I’m looking forward to my brother and I coming back together and giving the fans that one last look at a team that was so great. And I think it’s something that we need to do more than something that we have to do.”
– The latest WWE Countdown YouTube video looks at Feats of Strength:
The Miz Talks About Working With Ric Flair, Winning The Royal Rumble & More
WWE superstar The Miz recently spoke with Comcast to hype Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Here are highlights of what he said about:
His theme song:
“I will say I have one of the best entrance themes in all of WWE. I won’t say the best of all time because my favorite is The Brood. They didn’t even have words, and they didn’t need words. They had the best entrance as well coming up through the fire was just awesome.”
Winning The Royal Rumble:
“When I win the Royal Rumble I will have the choice between the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship. So, you look at it and you go, CM Punk vs. the Rock. CM Punk has held the title for 400-something days. He’s a proven champion and he’ll do whatever it takes to win that title at all costs. Then you have the Rock coming back, hasn’t been in the ring in almost a year now. CM Punk has been defending the championship for the past year. He’s crisp, he’s in his prime. The Rock might have a little ring rust. But, I want the Rock to win. The Rock is the reason I wanted to become a WWE Superstar. I would like to face the Rock in the main event of Wrestlemania, beat him, then solidify myself as the most must-see WWE Superstar of all time.”
Having a Woo-Off with Ric Flair:
“(Laughs) You know, you really can’t beat having a ‘Woo’ off with the legend Ric Flair. Not only that, but to have Ric Flair allow me to apply the figure four, it’s almost like… I hate to say a passing of a torch, but I felt so honored. To sit there and talk to Ric Flair on Miz TV and not only strut like Ric and ‘Woo’ like Ric, but to have the honor of putting on the figure four and now using the figure four is just an incredible feat.”
WWE Survery Asking Fans About Animated Programming
WWE sent out a survey on Friday morning to gauge fan interest in a new animated program for the company. Below are the questions asked:
Thank you for participating in the survey. Your complete and honest answers will help us better serve you and other members of the WWE Universe in the future.
What is your exact age?
Do you have any children under the age of 18 living in your household who are WWE fans?
How many times in an average month do you watch cartoons or animated programs?
Do you like any of the following cartoons or animated programs?
– The Smurfs
– The Rugrats
– Alvin and the Chipmunks
– The Flintstones
– Justice League
– He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
– Looney Tunes
– Scooby Doo
– Tom and Jerry
– None of the above
Does your household own any of the following cartoons or animated programs on DVD? Select all that apply.
– Looney Tunes
– Alvin and the Chipmunks
– The Rugrats
– Tom and Jerry
– The Smurfs
– Justice League
– Scooby Doo
– The Flintstones
– He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
– None of the above
WWE will co-produce an action packed Scooby-Doo animated movie that will feature WWE Superstars and Divas including Triple H, John Cena, Kane, The Miz, Santino Marella, AJ, Brodus Clay, Sin Cara and WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon. These WWE Superstars will appear in an animated form helping their friends Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred solve an exciting mysterious case at WrestleMania.
If WWE Superstars were to appear in another animated program, which of the following properties would you be most interested in seeing partnered with WWE?
– The Smurfs
– The Flintstones
– Looney Tunes (e.g., Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, etc.)
Which of these three properties would you be most interested in seeing partnered with WWE?
– The Rugrats
– Justice League (e.g., Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, etc.)
– Alvin and the Chipmunks
And which of these three properties would you be most interested in seeing partnered with WWE?
– Tom and Jerry
– Scooby Doo
– He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Of the three animated programs you selected, which would you be most interested in seeing partnered with WWE?
– He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
– The Rugrats
– The Flintstones
*Spoiler* TNA Title Change At UK Impact Tapings (Picture)
Warning: The following contains a spoiler for the February 7th episode of Impact Wrestling:
At Friday night’s TNA Impact Wrestling tapings from Manchester, England, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode defeated Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to capture the TNA Tag Team titles.
The match was the opening contest of the 2/7 taping and was described by our live correspondent as “a good match some with funny spots between Aries and Roode.”
This marks Aries’ first TNA tag title reign and Roode’s 5th TNA tag title reign.
Here’s a picture of the new champions celebrating after their title win:
*Spoilers* TNA Impact Tapings Results From The UK (Airing 2/7)
TNA Impact Wrestling taping
Manchester, England
Report by Benjamin Ridgeway
1. Austin Aries and Bobby Roode beat Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to win the TNA Tag Titles. A good match some with funny spots between Aries and Roode.
2. James Storm beat Jessie.
3. Miss Tessmacher beat Tara in a non-title match. I didn’t watch the wrestling. I was enjoying the lovely view of Christy Hemme.
4. Samoa Joe beat Christopher Daniels. Joe absolutely destroyed him.
5. Sting and Bully Ray beat Devon and DOC.
There was also a bit with Rockstar Spud and Robbie E. Robbie T turned on Robbie E.
* Meet ROCKSTAR SPUD: TNA British Bootcamp Winner & New TNA Star
*Spoilers* TNA Impact Tapings Results From The UK (Airing 1/31)
TNA Impact Wrestling taping
Manchester, England
Report by Benjamin Ridgeway
I was in attendance third row from the front which was nice cage was already up on the ring. They did the usual “if your the loudest you can go backstage” (I’ve never seen anyone go backstage). This was my fourth TNA live event.
1. Kurt Angle beat Mr. Anderson in a steel cage. Angle won with the ankle lock very good back and forth with some nice spots. After the match, and Aces & 8’s member climbed the cage. Angle waved Wes Briscoe in and he locked the cage. The masked Aces & 8’s member revealed himself to be Garett Bischoff, and Brisco helped him beat up angle.
2. Magnus beat Devon.
3. Joseph Park beat Robbie E. With a splash from top rope.
4. Austin Aries beat Chavo Guerrero. Aries and Roode get a tag title shot on next week show.
5. Velvet Sky and James Storm beat Tara and Jessie. Straight forward mixed tag match with Velvet pinning Tara.
6. X Division Champion Rob Van Dam beat Kenny King and Zema Ion. Some nice spots. I felt sorry for them as there were not a lot of mats outside as usual for their ringside dives. There was actually only one mat each on each side. At one point, RVD actually missed the mat and landed on concrete. It sounded awful but he seemed okay.
Overall, this was the best TNA show I have been to. The crowd was noisy and I cannot wait to see what it’s like on TV. I even got a piece of the table to go home with.
(Credit to prowrestling.net for this report)
Ric Flair Returns To The Ring Tonight In Japan For AJPW
2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair returns to the ring tonight in Japan for the All Japan Pro Wrestling Promotion.
Flair will team up with his former rival with Keiji Mutoh (Great Muta) against Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada in a tag match that’s billed as the show’s semi-main event.
Flair’s son Reid will also be wrestling on the show, making his Japan wrestling debut. He’ll also be in tag team action, partnering with Jimmy Yang against Kaz Hayashi and KENSO.
Both Flairs appeared at Friday afternoon’s press conference to promote tonight’s show. We’ll have full results of Ric Flair’s latest match as soon as it concludes.
DDP ESPN Radio Interview, Jake Roberts Raising Money For Shoulder Surgery
– Mitch Silver of ESPN’s 97.9 FM interviewed former WWE & WCW star Diamond Dallas Page this week. Topics covered include his DDP Yoga program, Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which current WWE superstars he likes watching, the recovery of Jake Roberts and Scott Hall and much more. Here’s the interview:
– Wrestling legend Jake Roberts is currently raising money for a shoulder surgery that’s preventing him from continuing his wellness program with Diamond Dallas Page at DDP’s Accountability Crib. He’s accepting donations and also selling, t-shirts, DVD’s, personal phone calls, wrestling training and much more.
An old shoulder injury from Jake’s many bumps in the ring has become increasingly more painful and now prevents him from continuing his exercise routine. Without the ability to exercise, Jake’s progress has been severely handicapped… Jake needs surgery on his left shoulder as he is in constant pain and can’t even lift his left arm. He’s discouraged that he has come so far only to run into this stumbling block.
It’s critical that Jake doesn’t lose his positive attitude and momentum, but he can’t afford the surgery on his own, and he lacks health insurance. He’s hoping his fans might reach out to him and help fund the $9,200 (surgery and rehab) he requires.
As of Friday afternoon, Jake has already raised over $11,500, surpassing the initial targeted amount requested. However, he’s still raising money and you can donate at Indiegogo.com.
Planned Royal Rumble Surprise Nixed, Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels Appear On “The JBL & Cole Show”, More
– WWE contacted Rikishi to participate in Sunday’s 30-Man Royal Rumble Match but the veteran wrestler is unable to appear due to a prior commitment, Jerry “The King” Lawler revealed in an interview with New York Post promoting WrestleMania Axxess.
“I do know that they had contacted Rikishi, but he had a prior commitment that he could not get out of. My son Brian told me that it was just a commitment he literally could not get out of even though he really wanted to [be in the Rumble],” Lawler said.
Lawler also hinted that former stars could resurface as surprise entrants.
“The Royal Rumble has become our next biggest and most fan-favorite pay-per-view. It’s so unpredictable. I know for a fact, I don’t know who it will be, but there’s always some surprise entrants. There will be some people that you didn’t have a clue they were going to be involved in the Rumble.”
To read the full interview, click here.
– This week’s edition of The JBL & Cole Show features appearances by Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels, who have some kind words for JBL. Plus, Hornswoggle faces off with Daniel Bryan and his “magician’s assistant” in the “SUPERStar Search.”
– Darren Young is featured in today’s “Superstar Spotlight” on WWE.com.