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Jim Ross Royal Rumble Blog: CM Punk vs. The Rock Jericho’s Return, Cena vs. Rock 2

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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 he said about:

CM Punk Losing The WWE Championship: @CMPunk reign as WWE Champion added more stature and credibility to the WWE Title than any other reign that I can recall in recent memory because of the amount of days Punk spent on top. My hat’s off to him. Punk was another Royal Rumble MVP in my eyes.

The Rock’s Performance: @TheRock wrestling the amount of time that he did in a show closing performance considering his lack of in ring time over the past several months was pretty amazing. Ring rust only is removed inside the ring and Rock showed his natural athletic skills and his desire to be the best in the long, physical match with Punk.

Rock vs. Cena at WrestleMania: Rock vs Cena 2 is potentially HUGE money and that is and always has been the bottom line in this genre…money.

Chris Jericho’s Return: Really enjoyed the Rumble match. Chris Jericho was arguably one of the MVP’s of the PPV and Y2J coming out 2nd in the Rumble order of entry gave the crowd life and the match an early hit that seemed to be sustained throughout. Brilliant placement for the future WWE HOFer. @IAmJericho ruled Sunday night.

SmackDown Rating, Bret Hart & Tensai Tweet About The Rumble

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– Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 2.08 cable rating with 3 million viewers. This is slightly up from the previous week.

– WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart tweeted the following about his cameo at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view:

– Tensai tweeted the following about Kofi Kingston’s “office chair” spot during the Royal Rumble match:

Trish Stratus To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

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With Mick Foley and Bob Backlund the first two confirmed names for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013 – another name that appears to be locked in is former Divas champion Trish Stratus.

WWE reached out to Trish Stratus late last week about the induction and word is that she accepted.

Other members rumored for this year’s Hall of Fame Ceremony from Madison Square Garden include DX, Kamala and Bruno Sammartino.

Jerry Lawler Talks About His Heart Attack, Bret & Owen Hart, Jim Carey & More

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WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler was interviewed by Peter Rosenberg of RosenbergRadio.com New York’s Hot 97 hip hop radio station. Among the topics discussed were:

– His recent heart attack.

– The tragic death of Owen Hart in 1998.

– His memorable feud with Bret Hart.

– Being disappointed with his only WrestleMania match.

– The real story behind his beef with Jim Carey.

Here’s the 32-minute interview:

Backstage Picture Of The Rock With The WWE Title After The Royal Rumble

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The Rock tweeted the following picture on Monday of himself with the WWE Championship after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view:

“100 years of Heavyweight Champions. 3 generations in my blood. New @WWE Champion. #MyHonor #TeamBringIt”

BBtwUzLCAAAjQJ8.jpg_large

Sunny Files Assault Claim Against Her Fiance After Friday’s Arrest

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Following her latest arrest on Friday (#6, for those keeping score), former WWE Diva Tammy “Sunny” Sytch file an assault complain alleging that her fiance, Damien Darling, has been physically abusing her. Sytch was found with two broken ribs and bruises all over her body.

Her attorney Rob Serafinowicz issued the following statement, according to WTHN.com:

“I believe that this situation was blown out of proportion. Tammie is doing her best to deal with her issues. She has made great progress and was putting forth her best efforts to try to identify issues in her relationship.”

Sytch completed WWE-sponosored rehab January 5th and is due back in court today.

Update On Chris Jericho’s WWE Return & Upcoming Feuds

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After Chris Jericho’s surprise return at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, we can confirm that he has signed a short-term deal with WWE and will be working full-time through WrestleMania 29.

As noted earlier, WWEShop.com is already selling a new Chris Jericho t-shirt. Jericho will resume his feud with Dolph Ziggler and is then expected to turn heel in the coming months.

Video: Chris Jericho Talks Trash To Dolph Ziggler After The Royal Rumble

WWE has signed Chris Jericho to a short-term deal. Jericho will be working full-time through WrestleMania 29, according to multiple sources. There is talk of of Jericho possibly wrestling Ryback at WrestleMania 29.

Jericho’s metal band Fozzy is scheduled to tour Australia from February 23 – March 4. After that, Fozzy does not have another tour booked until April 11th int he UK, the week after WrestleMania.

It’s also worth noting that Jericho’s Robot Combat League show on SyFy will begin airing Friday nights soon, so it’s possible we’ll see Jericho working on SmackDown as a way to cross-promote his new show.

WrestleMania 29 Main Event, Update On Bruno Sammartino In The WWE Hall Of Fame & More

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– Following Sunday’s Royal Rumble, the stage is set for The Rock to defend the WWE Championship against John Cena at WrestleMania in a rematch of their “Once in a Lifetime” match from last year. This has been the scheduled main event for several months. It’s likely that we’ll see more “twists and turns” in the months leading up to WrestleMania, but Rock vs. Cena II is one of the matches that is virtually guaranteed to happen.

– The Divas Championship match at the Royal Rumble between Kaitlyn and Tamina was bumped due to time constraints. To give you an idea of the WWE’s booking, the match was announced late last week but was not included in the final script of the show, which was finalized over the weekend.

– This hasn’t been confirmed but a number of people within WWE on the production side believe that Bruno Sammartino has finally agreed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Bruno has stated in the past that he would not be inducted as long as Vince around, but that has not stopped Triple H from aggressively perusing over the past few months.

(Partial Source: PWInsider.com)

The Rock’s Opponent(s) At Elimination Chamber, Elimination Chamber Promo Video

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With the 2013 Royal Rumble now in the history books, WWE’s next pay-per-view offering will be Elimination Chamber on Sunday, February 17, 2013 from New Orleans, Louisiana.

New WWE Champion The Rock is scheduled to wrestle on the show and WWE’s original plans called for The Rock competing in his first Elimination Chamber match. F4wonline.com is now reporting that there’s talk of The Rock defending against CM Punk on the show in a singles match, but we should find out more tonight on RAW.

WWE released the following promo video for the Elimination Chamber over the weekend:

Proof That The Shield Attacked The Rock At The Royal Rumble

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During the WWE Championship match at Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, the lights went out and The Rock was brutally attacked and led to him being pinned by CM Punk, before Vince McMahon came out and restarted the match.

There are some conspiracy theories going around that it might have been somebody else that put The Rock through the announcer’s table when the lights went out, but we’ve got proof that it was in fact The Shield.

When the lights went out, The Shield came from under the ring, delivered their signature triple powerbomb and then went back under the ring. Luckily for us a few flashbulbs went off, revealing the identity of The Rock’s attackers –

rock-shield

Video: John Cena Talks About His Royal Rumble Win

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John Cena sends a direct message to his critics – Whoop Ass Season has begun:

WWE RAW Roulette Preview for Tonight

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Tonight’s episode of WWE RAW takes place from Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center and will feature a RAW Roulette theme. A “roulette” wheel will be used to RAW to determine various stipulations for tonight’s matches. RAW will feature fallout from lat night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, including The Rock defeating CM Punk for the WWE Championship.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will also conduct a performance review on Paul Heyman, with Heyman’s job on the line.

WWE.com’s 5-point preview is focusing on the following:

– Spin The Wheel: What will Lady Luck have in store for the WWE Superstars?

– All Tied Up: Big Show reacts to Ricardo Rodriguez duct taping his feet at the Royal Rumble.

– All’s Fair in Love and War: After Kane & Daniel Bryan eliminated each other at the Royal Rumble, will they suffer an anger replapse?

– He’s Back, Babaaaayyyy: Will Chris Jericho continue his feud with Dolph Ziggler?

– Severe Punishment: How will Vince McMahon punish Paul Heyman for The Shield interfering in the WWE Championship match at the Rumble? Plus, how will CM Punk react to his historic title reign ending?

The advertised dark match main event will see John Cena teaming up with Randy Orton against Dolph Ziggler and the Big Show.

Possible Injury At The Royal Rumble, Rumble Tweets From Nash, MVP & Helms

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– It appears that Darren Young may have been injured during the Royal Rumble match. After he was eliminated, referees threw up the “X” sign and he was helped to the back by WWE officials. We’ll have an update on this as soon as it becomes available.

– Kevin Nash, who was backstage at the Royal Rumble and took part in the WCW panel during the Royal Rumble fan fest, tweeted the following about the PPV:

“Really enjoyed the Rumble, guessed the outcomes.As I’m sure we all did.Great to be a part of the axcess.So great to visit with the Levesques”

– MVP and Hurricane Helms tweeted the following about the rumors that they would be surprise entrants in the Royal Rumble:

MVP: “It’s humbling & flattering that so many people have expressed a desire to see me back in a WWE ring. Not yet. But thank you. Sincerely!”

Helms: “Loved all the support from my “Twitizens” today. I’ll step in a @WWE ring again one day. Timing is everything.”

Jim Ross Says CM Punk Restored The Importance Of The WWE Title, More From Goldust

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– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross tweeted the following about last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, and CM Pun restoring the importance of the WWE Championship:

“I enjoyed @WWE Royal Rumble on PPV. Road to WM will be revealing. Several talents stood out. I pd retail & have the flu & I’m happy. You?”

“@steveaustinBSR used 2 preach about the importance of #WWE Title & what it meant to the champion & the @WWE. @CMPunk restored that feeling.”

– Goldust tweeted the following after making his surprise return in last night’s 30-man WWE Royal Rumble match:

“I think that was legit the loudest goldust pop i ever heard. Ty to all the fans for keeping me close to your hearts. Means so much! Ty”

“I got a hold of @CodyRhodesWWE a little tonight and it was bitter sweet! #RoyalRumble @WWEUniverse ty”

“Thanks guys for the 24 k goldust pop of the ages! Wow that felt good! #RoyalRumble #slapthe stache #GoldieVSCodyWM29″

Sin Cara Comments On WWE Return, New Jericho T-Shirt, Rumbe Fan Fest Highlights

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– Sheamus turns 35 years old today.

– Sin Cara tweeted the following about his WWE return at the Royal Rumble:

“For the ones that were talking, guess what!! just a month and a half after my knee surgery, I’m back!!! PPV Royal Rumble!!”

– WWE has already released a new t-shirt for Chris Jericho:

77086

– Here are video highlights from WWE’s Royal Rumble Fan Fest from Phoenix, Arizona:

* WrestleMania Plans For CHRIS JERICHO, Ryback’s Next Feud & More

Major Update On Brock Lesnar’s WWE Future

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According to a reliable source, Brock Lesnar has reportedly come to terms with WWE on a deal that will keep him with the company for 2 more years, through WrestleMania 31.

Lesnar has been working on a 1-year limited-appearance deal that called for approximately two appearances per month. With Lesnar off WWE television since the summer, WWE has been saving up the remaining dates on his current deal and plans to feature Lesnar prominently on television in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 29.

Lesnar’s new contract would presumably include similar terms and opens up a slew of new storyline possibilities in the months ahead.

Video: The Rock’s Promo From After The Royal Rumble Went Off The Air

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c6MLfTIceaM

Paul Heyman To Undergo “Performance Review” On RAW By Vince McMahon

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– Paul Heyman will undergo a “performance review” on tonight’s WWE RAW, conducted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. WWE.com has published a video of Vince talking about what’s in store for Heyman on RAW from Las Vegas.

WWE.com also has a video up featuring Paul Heyman’s reaction to CM Punk’s WWE title loss and the news that Vince McMahon will be evaluating (and possibly firing) him on RAW.

Chris Jericho Says He’s Been Rehired By WWE & Plans To Make Dolph Ziggler’s Life Hell

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– Chris Jericho tweeted the following about his surprise return at the Royal Rumble:

Fooled ya!!!!
One of the best nights of my career…Thank you guys!!
#47min53seconds

WWE.com conducted an exclusive backstage interview with Chris Jericho after the Royal Rumble match.

Jericho spoke about the significance of keeping his return a surprise and was interrupted by Dolph Ziggler. Jericho said Dolph Ziggler got him fired last year, but he’s now been rehired – and he’s gonna be on Ziggler’s case day in and day out every day, month and year ahead.

The Rock “Teddy Bear” Movie Update, Shelton Benjamin Rumble Joke, Foley-Nerdist

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– We reported last week that The Rock has signed on for a new movie titled, “Teddy Bear,” which is based off an illustration by software engineer Alex Panagopoulos. The picture, which depicts a teddy bear protecting a sleeping child and fighting off an evil monster, is titled “Sweet Halloween Dreams” and can be viewed here.

– Mick Foley announced that he’ll be appearing on an upcoming episode of the Nerdist podcast.

– In response to rumors that he would be appearing as a surprise entrant at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Shelton Benjamin tweeted on Sunday night, “Hey is the rumble over? How’d I do?” Benjamin was in Phoenix over the weekend and stayed at the same hotel as the WWE Crew, but was only in town to work an indy show.

Del Rio Celebrates With His Father After Rumble Win, Ricardo-Bret

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WWE.com has published an exclusive video of World Heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio celebrating with his father, Dos Caras, backstage at the Royal Rumble after his successful title defense against The Big Show.

– Ricardo Rodriguez tweeted the following about the Royal Rumble, including Bret Hart giving him a pair of his classic shades and using duct tape to prevent Big Show from getting to his feet in Alberto Del Rio’s Last Man Standing match:

“Getting Those awesome glasses from Mr. Hart, Alberto Del Rio retaining the WHC, and good ol’ Duct Tape. Tonight was a great night! #SiSiSi”

– Speaking of Bret Hart, the Hit Man noted on Twitter that he was “very proud” the phrase Sharpshooter was trending worldwide during the Royal Rumble.

Goldust Talks WWE Return & Says He’s Not Done With Cody, Barrett-Dallas Feud

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WWE.com has published an exclusive video interview with Goldust, who talks about his surprise return in Sunday’s Royal Rumble match. Goldust says his beef with Cody is far from over.

– NXT trainer Bill DeMott tweeted the following about Bo Dallas’ performance in the Royal Rumble match:

“We are very proud of @TheBoDallas for representing #nxt but you might have pissed off @WadeBarrett.”

Wade Barrett replied:

“If you don’t teach these guys respect at NXT, i’ll do it for you.”

“If @TheBoDallas has any sense left, he’ll stay well clear of Raw tomorrow night and bugger off back to NXT where he belongs. #DumbKid”

As noted earlier, Bo Dallas is expected to be brought up to the main roster and it looks like he’s got his first feud established.

What Happened After The Royal Rumble, Rumble Live Attendance

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– The announced attendance for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view was 15,103. The show was a legitimate sellout from the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

– After Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view went off the air, new WWE Champion The Rock got on the mic and spoke to the live crowd. He said referee Mike Chioda was telling him to position himself in front of the Wrestlemania 29 sign for a photo, but told Chioda, “Excuse me but I’m talking to Phoenix.” The crowd went nuts as The Rocked thanked everybody for helping him make his dream come true. The Rock ended the show by saying saying it feels damn good to be WWE Champion again – If you smell what The Rock is cooking.

Backstage Royal Rumble News: Chris Jericho’s Return, Big Names Backstage, Update On Benjamin & Carlito

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– Chris Jericho was hidden in a bus outside until his entrance. Word backstage was that a deal was quietly made for him to work the show when WWE reached out to him for RAW. No word yet on his future with the company.

– Surprise entrants besides Chris Jericho in the 2013 Royal Rumble match were Goldust and The Godfather. Santino Marella also returned from injury in the match.

– Shelton Benjamin and Carlito did not return in the Rumble match, despite previous reports. PWInsider reports that the two ended up being booked at the same hotel WWE used because they were in town for an indy show.

– Mark Henry was also backstage. WWE had plans in place for him to return but that didn’t happen.

– Regarding The Godfather, he quietly drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix to hide from fans staked out at the airports. Godfather arrived Sunday afternoon and checked into the WWE hotel before going to the arena.

– Ted DiBiase was backstage at the Rumble and should be returning from a hand injury soon.

Royal Rumble 2013 List Of Entrants & Eliminations

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Below are the order of Entrants and Eliminations from the 2013 Royal Rumble match:

Order of Entrants:

1) Dolph Ziggler
2) Chris Jericho
3) Cody Rhodes
4) Kofi Kingston
5) Santino Marella
6) Drew McIntyre
7) Titus O’Neil
8) Goldust
9) David Otunga
10) Heath Slater
11) Sheamus
12) Tensai
13) Brodus Clay
14) Rey Mysterio
15) Darren Young
16) Bo Dallas
17) The Godfather
18) Wade Barrett
19) John Cena
20) Damien Sandow
21) Daniel Bryan
22) Antonio Cesaro
23) The Great Khali
24) Kane
25) Zack Ryder
26) Randy Orton
27) Jinder Mahal
28) The Miz
29) Sin Cara
30) Ryback

Order of Eliminations:
1) Santino Marella (by Cody Rhodes)
2) Drew McIntytre (by Chris Jericho)
3) Titus O’Niel (by Sheamus)
4) David Otunga (by Sheamus)
5) Goldust (by Cody Rhodes)
6) Brodus Clay (by multiple people)
7) Tensai (Kofi was involved)
8) Darren Young (by Kofi Kingston)
9) Kofi Kingston (by Cody Rhodes)
10) The Godfather (by Dolph Ziggler)
11) Heath Slater (by John Cena)
12) Cody Rhodes (by John Cena)
13) Rey Mysterio (by Wade Barrett)
14) The Great Khali (by Kane)
15) Kane (by Daniel Bryan)
16) Daniel Bryan (Kane caught him on the outside and dropped him)
17) Zack Ryder (by Randy Orton)
18) Antonio Cesaro (by John Cena)
19) Jinder Mahal (by Sheamus)
20) Wade Barrett (by Bo Dallas)
21) Bo Dallas (by Wade Barrett, who was already eliminated)
22) Damien Sandow (by Ryback)
23) Sin Cara (by Ryback)
24) The Miz (by Ryback)
25) Chris Jericho (by Dolph Ziggler)
26) Randy Orton (by Ryback)
27) Dolph Ziggler (by Sheamus)
28) Sheamus (by Ryback)
29) Ryback (by John Cena)

Winner – John Cena