Home Blog Page 2872

Updated Standings For TNA’s Bound For Glory Series

0

Following Thursday’s live Impact Wrestling show, here are the updated TNA Bound For Glory Series standings headed into Sunday’s TNA Hardcore Justice PPV:

1. James Storm: 66 points
2. Samoa Joe: 54 points
3. Kurt Angle: 48 points
4. Mr. Anderson: 40 points
5. Jeff Hardy: 35 points
5. Rob Van Dam: 35 points
6. Daniels: 33 points
7. Bully Ray: 28 points
8. Magnus: 21 points
9. AJ Styles: 16 points
10. The Pope: 7 points
11. Robbie E.: 5 points

WWE Announces New Saturday Morning Show, Vince Comments

15

WWE sent out the following press release on Thursday announcing the new 30-minute Saturday morning show, debuting on 8/25 on The CW.

WWE Electrifies Saturday Mornings

STAMFORD, Conn., August 9, 2012 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and Saban Brands today announced a new, weekly half-hour show, WWE Saturday Morning Slam, that will debut on Saturday, August 25 at 10 a.m. WWE Saturday Morning Slam will be part of the television premiere of Vortexx on The CW, a Saturday morning kids’ television block, reaching 114 million U.S. television households. This marks the first time, since 2001, WWE will have a program in a kids’ time slot and reinforces WWE’s commitment to kid-friendly entertainment.

WWE Saturday Morning Slam packs the riveting in-ring action, the larger-than-life WWE Superstars, and the WWE’s entertaining brand extensions into the fastest, most energy-filled half-hour on television. WWE Superstar profiles, behind-the-scenes footage and an exclusive WWE match every week will all combine to make WWE Saturday Morning Slam the perfect destination for the youngest viewers in the WWE Universe. The show will also include highlights from WWE’s Be a STAR anti-bullying campaign and other community initiatives.

“We are extremely excited to partner with the WWE to bring their world-class brand of entertainment to Vortexx,” said Joel Andryc, Co-President, Vortexx. “With a focus on action, adventure and comedy, Vortexx is the perfect home for WWE Saturday Morning Slam and will definitely excite our fans.”

“WWE has a long history on Saturday mornings, and we’re thrilled to make our action-packed return on Vortexx with WWE Saturday Morning Slam,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. “The new program enables us to further engage kids and families, a vital component of WWE’s passionate and multi-generational fan base.”

Nash Responds To Backlash For His Benoit & Guerrero Comments

87

Kevin Nash was on Busted Open with Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman and responded to the backlash against his recent comments about the wrestling business dying when Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero held WWE’s top titles. You can hear Busted Open from 2-4 ET on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sportszone 860 on the internet.

Here’s what Nash said about:

On his recent comments about the size of today’s top guys: “I’m talking about them as wrestlers, I’m talking about them as their wrestling persona as far as visual. I’m not talking about anything [else]. I’ve stated before, these guys are incredibly great technical wrestlers. All of them. But there’s a reason why Chrisitan Bale in Batman has armor on and is bigger than life. There’s a reason why in all these Marvel movies if [the guys] don’t have gigantic muscles and aren’t oversized, they’re CGIs. I don’t remember Stan Lee when he started Marvel Comics making a 5-foot-7 guy.”

On Shawn Michaels succeeding despite not being a ‘big guy’: “Shawn Michaels was 6-foot-1 and a half and weighed 225 pounds in his prime. That’s a big difference between 5-foot-7. That’s a difference between a 6-foot-8 power forward and a 7-foot-1 center. CM Punk doesn’t have Shawn Michaels’ physical ability. I mean, Vince Carter and [Michael] Jordan are the same size.”

On the PG Era and CM Punk: “I think the number one thing that hurts still is the fact that they’re PG. I’m a huge fan of Punk’s [but] I’m sorry, it’s hard for me to watch two grown men say they’re going to beat the crap out of each other. That’s my personal opinion. I’m also saying that it doesn’t look to me like he spends a lot of time in the weight room. I just think it would enhance his look and everything. We were all drug free and drug tested for years at the WWE, and there were a lot of guys that had great physiques. I think that comes with it.”

On the widespread reaction his comments received: “You guys aren’t backstage, you guys aren’t around when the brass makes decisions. You guys aren’t around when they all say, ‘God, I wish he was bigger,’ [or] ‘God yeah, but the guy just doesn’t have enough size.’ It’s their opinion. I’m just stating my opinion. I’m not saying I’m right. But am I not allowed my opinion? I pay taxes, I’m allowed my opinion. In my opinion, that’s how I feel. That doesn’t mean anybody else has to jump aboard and say I have to agree with him because he says so. Number one, I’ve always been an Internet darling and always will be and if I were to say something and was just somebody that didn’t have an opinion, you wouldn’t be calling me. It’s just because Kevin Nash said it. Oh my God, Kevin Nash said it. Oh my God, Jericho rebutted. For Eddie [Guerrero] and Chris [Benoit], Eddie was a friend [and] Chris was a friend. When the tragedy went down with Benoit I think I was one of the few guys that went on TV and tried to make some sense of it. These people that think I’m desecrating deceased wrestlers; I’m talking about them as [wrestlers] and not the person. Sometimes I look at it and I just go you know what, don’t even have an opinion, be a sheep like everybody else.”

On Chris Jericho’s tweet that the worst year of WWE business was when he was champion: “[I] Absolutley disagree. When I walked in the door in 1993, we did a $100,000 gate at Madison Square Garden. My last show at the Garden we did $309,000 before I jumped to WCW and I was in the main event with Shawn Michaels. I absolutely disagree. The business was better when I left than when I got there.”

On if the company’s future is in good hands with Triple H: “Absolutely. I think he’ll change the product in the way that he feels is good to change the product. I don’t think the product will stay the same. I think that he has a different vision than other people do. I’m just saying other people; I mean, Vince isn’t the only one that is in the meetings and has a voice. There’s other people. Kevin Dunn . . . There’s a lot of people that have a voice in that company.”

On John Cena: “I think he’s fantastic. I think he’s stayed true, I think he’s playing the hardest part in wrestling which is the white-meat babyface. He never looks anything but fantasitc. Even though he’s not a giant, tall man, he has a bigger than life personality.”

On a problem WWE has that many people don’t realize: “The biggest problem that the WWE probably has right now, and which people don’t think about, is they’ve got guys down there that have been on handheld cameras for 25 years. It’s not easy to shoot pro wrestling. Somebody sooner or later has to take Kerwin [Silfies’] spot, has to take Dunn’s spot in those trucks [and] has to make those incredible last-second calls that makes a near-miss look like the person gets their head taken off. Their prodcution alone is impeccable. When you look at the company and the scope of its international ability and everything that it does, it’s beyond first-rate.”

On if the WWE went in a different direction because of MMA: “No. I think what happened is MMA got hot, and just like anything else, you buy a $60 fight, it goes a minute and 12 seconds, [and] you’re not that apt to buy another $60 fight the next month. This is where I’ll always say pro wrestling will always have a great advantage. If it’s The Rock vs. Cena at WrestleMania, you know it’s not going a minute and a half. You know it’s going to go 20-25 minutes. You go to a movie and you know the action on the movie is not real [and] yet you’re enthralled, you have complete escapism. I think that’s what pro wrestling gives you, it gives you that escapism. It gives you that ability to watch a main event for 30 minutes and feel like you’ve got your money’s worth.”

On the essence of his comments: “Number one, one of the classic stories of all-time is always going to be David and Goliath. Now I doubt it would be a biblical story if it was David vs. David. I think that you always need that bigger than life [wrestler], especially in a heel role. I always want the heel to be bigger than the babyface . . . That’s my preference. I hated playing the babyface. I never liked the role because it just doesn’t make sense; they end up working your leg for 20 minutes because they’re not gong to be able to pick you up and throw you around. It just doesn’t work.”

On if he has an issue with CM Punk: “Yeah, I have such an issue with him that we fell asleep next to each other in the locker room in London and I knew he had a bad back and I made sure that he got up so he wouldn’t have to be in too much pain. I hung around with him most of the time that I was on the Europeran trip. I talked to him on a daily basis. We were handed edits to our live intereviews 30 seconds before we went on live to Raw and basically had the ability to look at each other like we’re going out into a fox hole together. I have nothing but respect for Phil, I’ve said that a million times.”

On his feud with CM Punk last year: “I think I was so rusty; I basically spent five years doing taped interviews. I was so out of my element and plus, it’s very controlled. It’s not like it used to be where you just kind of went out there and were able to wing it. I never felt comfortable in my element one time. I was told by Vince not to yell. ‘Don’t yell,’ ‘Don’t do this,’ ‘Your cadence is too slow.’ I was like, ‘Dude, I’ve been doing this for 25 years I talk like this.’ So it was difficult for me, I’m not going to say it wasn’t. It never felt comfortable, and you walk in the door and you don’t know anybody. I’m not saying that it was a bad experience, I wish I could have done the favor for Phil. I wish we could have had the match and I wish I could have put him over.”

On why he was pulled from the feud: “What happened was I was on Plavix. And the WWE wellness doctor said that there was a chance that if I was to get an internal injury or something like that during the match that I could bleed out and die. So they had to pull me and get me off Plavix whatever the amount of time was and by that time, Triple H had to fight Punk.”

On the ‘What’ chants: “The ‘What’ chants go away if you can combat them, but if you can’t say anything that’s beyond PG then you can’t . . . it’s horrible. It’s just one of those things where it takes away so much from the show, it just makes you feel like you’re watching a circus sometime. It’s horrible. It sold T-shirts but you know what? It’s the only thing Steve did wrong.”

Former WWE Star Excited To Get Work Again, AJ Lee Speaks Out

6

– Former WWE Superstar Justin Credible jubilantly stated on Twitter Thursday that he was contacted by his former employer for work concerning the WWE Network.

– Raw General Manager AJ Lee appeared on multiple radio programs Thursday to discuss SummerSlam as well as her quirky behavior. She noted on Twitter, “Just finished 2 hours of radio interviews. Thanks everyone. The question of “who was the better kisser” will follow me forever, won’t it?”

Audio of an interview Lee did with ESPN Radio 1100 and 98.9 FM is available here.

– WWE’s return to Tokyo, Japan on Thursday at Ryogoku Kokugikan drew a mediocre crowd as the official attendance was 6,873. In the past, WWE would often sellout the 13,000 seat venue. The SmackDown brand event was headlined by Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus vs. Big Show and John Laurinaitis in a Handicap Match.

(source: PWInsider.com)

Will Lesnar See HBK Before SummerSlam?, Best Of Kelly, Kamala

11

– Monday on Raw, Shawn Michaels revealed he will be in Triple H’s corner when “The Game” faces Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Lesnar then issued a warning to HBK, telling him that he’d see him before SummerSlam. Michaels, however, is not advertised to appear on Raw—the final Raw before SummerSlam—by either WWE or host venue American Airlines Center.

Michaels was asked on Twitter what he would say if Lesnar challenged him to a match following his bout with Triple H and responded, “What I tell everybody, No thanks, I’m retired.” HBK is also not worried about getting beat up by the large framed wrestler: “Added to the list of 10,437 guys who have done the same over 25 yrs:-).”

– In honor of Kelly Kelly’s return to Raw on Monday, WWE.com has published photos and videos highlighting the blonde Diva’s greatest moments.

– Kamala will address his accusations towards Wrestlers Rescue and MWF and why he hasn’t accepted checks from both organisations today on Inside The Ropes radio at 5:00 p.m. EST. Visit www.facebook.com/theinsidenetwork for show information.

The Miz Pulled From Will Ferrell Movie, Rock Mentioned On HBO

13

– Earlier this year The Miz filmed a cameo for comedy movie ‘The Campaign’ starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. During his scene, the Miz introduced Will Ferrell’s character at a campaign rally. Unfortunately, the scene was cut during post-production.

Miz can still be seen in another scene standing in the background as an extra, but he no longer has a speaking part.

Stunning New Pictures of Maryse

– Sunday’s episode of the HBO series ‘The Newsroom’ featured a mention of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The episode looked back on the night Osama Bin Laden was killed. Before the news was announced by President Barack Obama, The Rock tweeted that “great news” was about to break. One of the characters knew that The Rock has a cousin that is a Navy SEAL and guessed that his tweet was related to Bin Laden.

 

Punk Ripped Over Jones Comments, Sabu Added To WWE.com

65

– Colin Cowherd slammed professional wrestling and CM Punk Thursday on ESPN Radio over Twitter remarks the WWE Champion made concerning Nike’s endorsement deal with mixed martial artist Jon “Bones” Jones.

The outspoken radio personality labeled wrestlers as “roided freaks” and said they have no right to talk about morals due to the industry’s staggering number of premature deaths. Cowherd also alluded to Owen Hart falling to his death at a WWE event in 1999, stating, “A wrestler died in the ring and they just rolled him out and kept going.” Cowherd then ran down Punk and his penchant for tattoos. The diatribe lasted approximately ten minutes.

Punk stated last night immediately following the endorsement announcement, “Let’s reward more drunk drivers with endorsement deals! #responsibility.” He was referring to Jon’s DUI conviction, stemming from a May 19 incident in which Jones drunkenly crashed his Bentley into a utility pole.

– WWE.com has added Sabu to its Alumni section. Though he is best known for his “trailblazing hardcore style” in Extreme Championship Wrestling, the death-defying wrestler appeared for WWE in 2006 and 2007.

(source: ProWrestling.net)

TNA To Release New Jeff Hardy DVD This Fall, BFG Series Result

6

– TNA Wrestling has begun production on a new Jeff Hardy DVD that will be released in October. It is the company’s third title on the charismatic wrestler.

– In a “Bound For Glory Series” match on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion, Samoa Joe defeated Christopher Daniels to earn seven points. Updated tournament standings are as follows: James Storm (66), Samoa Joe (54), Kurt Angle (41), Mr. Anderson (40), Jeff Hardy (35), Christopher Daniels (33), Rob Van Dam (28), Bully Ray (21), Magnus (21), AJ Styles (16), “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero (7), Robbie E (5).

Tonight’s Impact Wrestling will feature three “Bound For Glory Series” bouts as “Cowboy” James Storm faces Bully Ray, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles takes on Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam will be in action against “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero.

– Crimson and Rosita appear for Warriors of Wrestling on Saturday, August 18 at 1475 South Ave. Staten Island, New York.

(source: PWInsider.com)

Bully Ray To Make A Big Decision, Angelina Love Speaking Out

19

With Bully Ray & Devon’s contracts with TNA Wrestling set to expire later this month, negotiations for a new deal have been tense. Ray appeared to address his immediate future with the organization via Twitter with a survey:

He then followed up with:

– Angelina Love, who has remained mum on the details behind her departure from TNA Wrestling last month, will “break her silence” on August 20 in an interview with MondayNightMayhem.com.

– Dark Angel (a/k/a Sarita) will compete at Arena México in Mexico City, Mexico on Friday as she teams with Goya Kong and Luna Magica to take on Lady Apache, Princesa Blanca and Princesa Sugheit. It will be her final match in Mexico before she heads to Japan next week for a two-month tour of joshi promotion STARDOM.

New Modeling Pictures Of Former WWE Diva Maryse

34

Former WWE Diva Maryse has launched her new jewelry store at HouseofMaryse.com, where she sells her original necklaces, rings and earrings. Check out this photo shoot of Maryse showing off the new wares & try to keep your eyes on the jewelry!

[nggallery id=49]

News On Wade Barrett’s Return To WWE TV & Upcoming Push

24

On Monday’s RAW, WWE aired a promo hyping the return of former Nexus leader Wade Barrett, who has been out of action since February due to injury. The promo, which showed a bearded Barrett unleashing havoc at a fight club, will air on WWE television through SummerSlam.

Pictures of Wade Barrett’s New Look – Now Sporting A Beard

Barrett returned to action in a dark match prior to Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings from Houston, Texas and is currently overseas with the SmackDown brand for its weekend tour of Asia. He is expected to return to action after SummerSlam.

Originally, there was talk of Barrett returning at WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view and winning a title contract, to be cashed in at SummerSlam. Those plans were decided against, however sources indicate Barrett is still in line for a run with one of WWE’s top titles later this year.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

CM Punk Criticizes UFC Champ Jon Jones’ Nike Endorsement Deal

36

WWE Champion CM Punk is getting some media attention for comments he made on criticizing Nike for signing UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones to an international endorsement deal, likely worth millions of dollars.

Punk sarcastically tweeted:

Update: ESPN Radio host Rips CM Punk for Jon Jones Tweet

Jones was arrested for DUI on May 19 and had his license suspended for six months.

HBK-Lesnar Angle Scrapped, UFC Fighter In Talks With Bryan

12

– It was rumored for weeks that Brock Lesnar would attack WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels on this past week’s “HBK Appreciation Night” edition of WWE RAW from San Antonio, Texas. The angle was reportedly scrapped due to the big celebration WWE had planned for after RAW went off the air, which featured appearances from the Undertaker, Vince McMahon and more.

Pictures from After RAW: HBK Appreciation Night Continues

Lesnar told Michaels on RAW that he’ll be seeing him before SummerSlam on August 19th. With the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stating that a big angle is planned for Monday’s “go home” episode of RAW, it’s possible we will see Lesnar destroy Michaels on Monday night.

– UFC fighter Diego Sanchez, the man credited with creating the extremely popular “YES!” chant now used by Daniel Bryan in WWE, recently told OpposingViews.com that he’s close with Daniel Bryan and his team has reached out to Bryan’s people working together:

“My team has reached out to them and we’ll see what happens. We both are the ‘Yes’ men and if we could help each other that’s what it’s about. It’s about that positivity and motivating yourself to do things you could never do when unmotivated.”

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

WWE Responds To Anti-Linda “Moms Opposing McMahon” Group

8

According to Connecticut’s CTNewsJunie.com, a group of women calling themselves “Moms Opposing McMahon” gathered Wednesday morning in a park to protest Republican Linda McMahon’s bid for United States Senate. The group’s leader, Leslie Simoes, said this about McMahon:

“We oppose McMahon’s candidacy and attempts to reinvent herself as a proven jobs creator when in reality she has profited by marketing violence against women and mistreatment of her employees.”

WWE has since responded to the claims made by “Moms Opposing McMahon”:

“All WWE broadcast programming is TV-PG, rated not by us, but by the standards and practices departments of our TV network distributors, while the majority of today’s prime time programming is rated TV-14. Five million women watch WWE’s weekly TV programming, representing nearly 40 percent of our TV audience. Women would not be watching if they found our programming objectionable.”

* Recent Pictures Of The MCMAHON FAMILY Together At Political Function

Brodus Clay Turning Heel? WWE’s Top Fantasy Matches (Video)

41

– There has been talk of giving Brodus Clay’s character more of an edge and dropping his dancing Funkasaurus gimmick. Clay will be appearing in the upcoming WWE Studios horror movie “No One Lives,” which could be factor.

– WWE posted the following video counting down the Top 10 Fantasy Matches that never took place:

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

Miz & Maryse Attend Charity Event, Maryse Launches Jewelry Line

1

– Former WWE Diva Maryse has launched her new jewelry store at HouseofMaryse.com, where she’ll sell her original necklaces, rings and earrings. Several former and WWE divas have given Maryse great feedback on Twitter, including Eve Torres and The Bella Twins.

– Speaking of Maryse, she and her boyfriend, WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz, attended the “MDA Show of Strength” event last night in Los Angeles, California to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The couple Touted this video while on their way to the event

JR Reunites With Sting, Booker T Also At Comic Con, Superstars

2

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross noted that an old friend was on his fight to Orlando on Wednesday night – TNA star Sting. Ross was flying in for tonight’s NXT tapings from Winter Park, FL while Sting is in town for tonight’s live Impact Wrestling. JR tweeted:

– Aside from WWE Champion CM Punk & John Cena, SmackDown General Manager Booker T will also be appearing at the Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con this weekend. He will be signing copies of his new book, “From Prison To Promise,” on Saturday afternoon.

– The following matches have been taped for today’s WWE Superstars show:

* Santino Marella vs. Michael McGillicutty
* Heath Slater vs. Kofi Kingston
* Tensai vs. Zack Ryder
* Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel vs. Tyler Reks & Curt Hawkins.

Possible *Spoiler* For Sunday’s Hardcore Justice Main Event

8

TNA World Champion Austin Aries is scheduled to defend against Bobby Roode at Sunday’s Hardcore Justice pay-per-view. If TNA’s recent ad for an upcoming live event is any indication, Aries might not be leaving the PPV as champion.

TNA is holding a live event in Bowie, Maryland on September 1st and sent out advertising for the show listing Austin Aries as the “Former TNA Champion.”

It’s unknown whether this was an error of if TNA accidentally leaked plans to take the title of Aries, but when TNA found out about the situation, the advertising was revised and the billing for Austin Aries was changed to “TNA World Heavyweight Champion.”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Shelton Benjamin Says He’s Not TNA Bound, King Mo’s TNA Debut

11

– Shelton Benjamin tweeted the following message this morning about whether he headed to TNA:

“Since so many keep asking, I have no plans to go to TNA. Not saying never. but no time soon. Don’t take that as a knock against TNA. Just though I’d throw that in cause people like to create bs out of a simple answer to a question.”

– Recent TNA live event attendance figures:

August 3rd (Enid, Oklahoma): 500 fans
August 4th (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma): 600 fans

– Bellator MMA fighter & contracted TMA wrestler “King” Mo Lowal will report to Ohio Valley Wrestling around September 1st to begin training for his TNA debut.

Lawal is expected to debut for TNA in October and work through January, when Bellator MMA debuts on Spike TV.

(Partial Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Impact Preview: BFG Series Matches, Aries-Roode Confrontation

0

The following is TNA’s official preview for tonight’s live Impact Wrestling on Spike TV, Preview tonight’s live Impact Wrestling show as the road to Hardcore Justice (8/12) continues:

– IMPACT will feature three big “Bound For Glory Series” matches as a preview to the specialty bouts that will take place at the Pay-Per-View! This Thursday, “Cowboy” James Storm will face Bully Ray, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles takes on Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam will be in action against “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero!

– This past week, The Aces & 8s gang once again unleashed chaos on IMPACT WRESTLING, and the accusations flew as Sting, Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode questioned whether James Storm is behind the gang! Will we get any answers this Thursday on SpikeTV – or just more questions? Is Brooke Hogan next on their hit list? Will Sting find a way to stop them?

– Also, Thursday’s broadcast will feature the final confrontation between World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries and Bobby Roode before their main event match at the “Hardcore Justice” event.

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

Randy Orton Says He’s Not Working At SummerSlam

28

Following the completion of a 60-day suspension for his second violation of WWE’s Wellness Policy, Randy Orton is currently overseas with the SmackDown brand for this weekend’s tour of Asia.

However, with less than two weeks until SummerSlam, the main event superstar says he won’t be wrestling on the show.

3 More Rumored Matches For WWE SummerSlam

Orton responded to fans Twitter on Thursday afternoon (Japan time), talking about the 12 1/2 hour flight, keeping in touch with his wife Samantha while away and more.

Pictures Of Randy Orton & His Wife Samantha

When asked why he’s not featured on WWE’s promotional material hyping SummerSlam, he responded:

Video: Eve On “Stars Earn Stripes” & JBL Blogs Seven Summits

4

– Former WWE superstar JBL has updated his blog, which you can read at TheBermudian.com. In this entry, JBL talks about the ongoing training for his Seven Summits mountain climbing adventure. After his most recent climb was cut short due to bad weather, JBL says he’s working on getting into the best physical shape as he possibly can:

“I can’t control the weather, I can only control me being ready to climb. I weighed 245 pounds this morning and my goal is to get below 220 pounds for Aconcagua to help which would put me the lowest I have been since being a teenager.”

“As an example I regularly wrestled at over 300 pounds during my career at WWE with my peak around 330 pounds. My end goal for Mt Everest in spring of 2014 is to get down to around 200 pounds.”

– NBC has released the following behind-the-scenes video hyping the upcoming reality show, “Stars Earn Stripes,” where celebrities go through military training to raise money for charities. The show debuts on Monday night, 8/13.

WWE diva Eve is one of the contestants. This video previews the intense training Eve and the other contestants will endure:

* Behind-The-Scenes Pictures From CM PUNK’s New DVD

CM Punk Talks About He & Cena Appearing At Chicago Comic Con

2

WWE champion CM Punk spoke to Chicago’s SouthTown Star newspaper this week to promote his appearance at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con event this weekend.

Punk was asked about having to share the spotlight with John Cena in his home town (Cena is appearing at the convention today) and whether fans can expect a confrontation between the two. He said:

“You shouldn’t be worried; you should be hoping for one! Actually, we’re at the con on different days. You can probably expect some trash talking, though.”

Despite the storyline rivalry between Punk and Cena, Punk named John Cena as the WWE superstar he most admires:

“I admire just about anybody for various reasons. Everyone has traits that I admire. You’ve got to admire John [Cena] for all the work he does with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, though. The WWE likes to broadcast his involvement with Make-A-Wish, and they should.”

““I know how many of their events I do and how many John does, and there is no comparison.”

John Cena Appearing At Wizard World Chicago Comic Con Today

0

John Cena will be appearing at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con today from 4-8pm (CT) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Below is more information from Wizard World, followed by a Tout by John Cena hyping the appearance:

WWE® Superstar John Cena® To Appear Thursday, August 9 At 2012 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con

Cena Appears on Opening Day from 4-8 p.m. at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois

WWE® Superstar John Cena® will appear as a special guest on Thursday, August 9, Opening Day at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, it was announced today by Wizard World. Cena will be on hand at the event from 4-8 p.m., and will meet fans, sign autographs and pose for professional photo ops.

Cena’s appearance kicks off an expanded, full four-day Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, August 9-12, in what is shaping up as the biggest Wizard World show ever and the Midwest’s No. 1 Pop Culture Convention.

One of the most popular WWE Superstars since his debut in 2002, Cena combines his athleticism, charisma, strong work ethic and genuine personality to make him one of the brightest stars in WWE and its hit cable program, Monday Night RAW on the USA Network.

“I am looking forward to meeting the enthusiastic fans at my first Wizard World event,” said Cena. “I have heard a lot about the charged-up atmosphere, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself.”

WWE Taping NXT Tonight, WWE 13 Creative Director Q&A (Video)

1

– WWE returns to Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida tonight with the latest round of NXT TV tapings. Main roster talent advertised to appear includes Ryback, Sin Cara and several WWE Divas. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross will also be on hand doing commentary for the top matches.

The tapings will feature fall-out from the recent NXT Gold Rush Tournament to crown the first ever NXT Champion.

*SPOILER* Spicture Of The First-Ever NXT Champion w/the New NXT Title Belt

– Cory Ledesma, the THQ’s Creative Director of the WWE ’13, recorded a 20-minute Q&A session this week and answered questions about the video game. In the video below, Ledesma goes in-depth about the new gameplay features in this game, as well as this year’s Attitude Era feature. One of the more newsworthy items from the video is that Jim Ross will only be calling action in the Attitude Era mode of the game.