Home Blog Page 2965

Chris Hero Receives His FCW Name, Bourne Merch Marked Down

Daniel Pena
-
58

— According to the official website of WWE developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling, the wrestler known as Chris Hero has been officially named Kassius Ohno.

His newly added profile page can be viewed here.

The independent wrestling circuit standout recently reached a developmental contract agreement with WWE after passing a field of medical tests. Hero and tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli were offered contracts last summer after participating in a private workout with company officials. Castagnoli signed but Hero did not due to naturally elevated testosterone/epitestosterone levels, according to the Wrestling Observer. WWE won’t sign individuals who test positive for steroids in their drug testing.

“It took forever and a ton of testing to prove the reading was actually natural and it was quite the process,” the Observer wrote of WWE signing Hero.

— The lone Evan Bourne T-Shirt on WWEShop.com, which is an Authentic T-Shirt, has been marked down 68%. The premium T-Shirt is now available for $7.99.

WWE premiered an updated intro on Monday’s Raw SuperShow and the over two-year-old shot of Bourne performing Air Bourne was noticeably removed. He is currently serving a sixty-day suspension for his second violation of WWE’s Talent Wellness Program.

Mark Henry Injury Update, WWE To Tour Brazil, Abu Dhabi

Staff
-
18

– As you’ve likely read by now, WWE has announced that Randy Orton suffered a concussion on RAW and as a result, will not be able to wrestle at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pa-per-view. A battle royal was held at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings to fill Orton’s vacated chamber pod, which was won by none other than Santino Marella.

According to sources who were backstage at SmackDown, Mark Henry was brought to the show with the original plans calling for Henry to replace Orton. It was decided late Tuesday afternoon that Henry could still use more time off to rest his body, so the decision was made to have Santino replace Orton.

– United States Champion Jack Swagger noted on Twitter that WWE will be coming to Brazil this coming May with shows in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

– The Rock announced on Twitter that Journey 2 is officially Warner Bros.’ 2nd biggest opening of all-time in China.

– WWE’s live tour of Abu Dhabi last week was considered a huge success, grossing over $2 million and drawing between 5,000-6,000 fans foe each show. Because Abu Dhabi is considered a wealthy city, WWE was able to charge an average ticket price of over $100. Abu Dhabi also has a very conservative culture, so the WWE crew was told to stay out of trouble and the Divas were not brought on tour.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Angle Says His Chances Of Making Olympics Are “Slim To None”

Daniel Pena
-
12

Kurt Angle, who has not competed in an amateur wrestling contest since winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, admits it’s highly unlikely that he will make the United States team for the 2012 event.

“I had to give it a lot of thought, it didn’t just come out of my head and say I’m going to try for Olympics,” Angle told BBC Sport of his upcoming trial in April. “What are my chances of making the team? Slim to none, I’m not going to lie but, if I can look you in the eye and say I have a chance that’s more than enough. That’s worth training five hours a day to get ready for the trials and for the biggest event of all, the Olympics.”

He added that family members are concerned for his health.

“I’ve had my ex-wife Karen tell me you’re not fit for it. I’ve had family members say they’re concerned about my neck, my mother’s always worried and even some of my brothers aren’t taking me seriously.

“Last time they were with me everywhere I went, now they’re like ‘nah he’s not really doing it’. I’ve been doing it by the grace of God as I don’t have near the support I had back then.”

The full interview is available here.

The Rock Appearing At WM29, Legends House Upate, FCW

Staff
-
60

– The Rock announced at Thursday’s WrestleMania press conference from the MetLife Stadium that he will be appearing at next year’s WrestleMania 29 – making it his third consecutive WrestleMania appearance.

The Rock is scheduled for the April 2nd RAW Supershow, the night after WrestleMania 28. There has been talk of The Rock participating in a match at SummerSlam as well, schedule permitting. Even if SummerSlam does not work out, The Rock is expected to work at least one more pay-per-view in 2012.

– “The Sports Guy” Bill Simmons takes aim at Triple H in his latest mailbag column for ESPN affiliated website Grantland.com. When asked if the recent surge of New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin is the NBA’s equivalent of CM Punk this past summer, he instead sounded off self-proclaimed “King of Kings.”

“Does this mean Carmelo is going to be Triple H — the egotistical, overrated star who couldn’t handle that something good was happening without him, so he interjected himself into the storyline and ended up throwing a wet blanket on all the momentum? I sure hope not.”

– Despite rumors to the contrary, there are currently no solid plans for WWE’s Legends House to air on SyFy.

– WWE Hall of Famer was Harley Race was in Tampa at WWE developmental on Wednesday, according to pwinsider.com.

Kelly Nominated For Kids’ Choice Award, Guerrero On Facebook

Daniel Pena
-
22

— Nickelodeon has announced The Kids’ Choice Awards 2012 nominees and Kelly Kelly is up for “Favorite Butt Kicker.”

Nickelodeon says of the “sexy, smart and powerful” WWE Diva, “Beauty and buffness, that’s a tough combo, to say the least. This WWF star Kelly Kelly is so hardcore that she has double the power of other ladies, and double her first name! But can she go up against Hollywood’s elite?”

Her competition is Jessica Alba, Tom Cruise and Taylor Lautner. Voting begins February 24.

— Vickie Guerrero announced on Twitter that she is on Facebook at Vickie Guerrero Fan Mail. The page is located at www.facebook.com/MyVickieGuerrero. She noted getting ready for a photo shoot with WWE Magazine next month.

— Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stated on Twitter that Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is Warner Bros.’ second biggest opening of all-time in China.

Eve Torres Talks About Kissing John Cena, Backlash On Twitter

Daniel Pena
-
43

WWE.com has published a pseudo-shoot interview with Eve regarding her abrupt kissing session with John Cena in front of Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow as well as the backlash on Twitter.

“I never intended for anything bad to happen to Zack,” Torres said. “How this turned out is not how I intended. I acted in the moment – we all make mistakes. I can’t really say I’m sorry, but isn’t it better to be honest than to lead Zack on?”

Torres received an avalanche of angry messages on Twitter, many of which are “not suitable for publishing on WWE.com.”

“It’s been a hard adjustment for me, reading my Twitter timeline,” she said. “But, people need to realize that there’s more than one side to people. I always try to put my best foot forward both inside and outside the ring. But I have emotions, and that goes for anyone – sometimes emotions just take over.”

Torres also stresses that she’s “only human.”

The full article is available here.

Official WrestleMania 29 Press Release

Staff
-
9

metlife

WWE issued the following on Thursday:

WrestleMania(R) to Hit New York/New Jersey Region and MetLife Stadium

Week-long Festivities to Feature WWE(R) Superstars and WWE’s Biggest Event of the Year at Home of New York Jets and New York Football Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Feb 16, 2012 — New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and WWE WWE announced today that its annual pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania XXIX, will come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, April 7, 2013 with events throughout the New York/New Jersey region.

Governor Christie was joined by WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, New York Football Giants President and CEO John Mara, New York Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson, NYC & Company CEO, George Fertitta and WWE’s Senior Vice President of Special Events John Saboor to make the announcement at a press conference held earlier today. WWE Superstars John Cena(R), Triple H(R), Sheamus(R), Mark Henry(R), Brie and Nikki Bella(TM) and special guest Dwayne “The Rock(R)” Johnson were also on hand at MetLife Stadium for the historic announcement.

“We are excited to be hosting WrestleMania XXIX in the great state of New Jersey,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Having WWE’s preeminent international event here will strengthen both the regional and local economies and continue to showcase MetLife Stadium as a world-class venue for sports and entertainment. Fans will travel from around the world to enjoy and participate in the WWE’s biggest event of the year.”

A week-long celebration, WrestleMania has generated more than $200 million in cumulative economic impact for its past four host regions. The 2013 event will mark WrestleMania’s fifth trip to the metropolitan area with past visits in 1985, 1986, 1994, and 2004.

“WWE would like to thank Governor Christie, the New York Jets, the New York Giants and NYC & Company for rolling out the red carpet to host WWE’s biggest event of the year,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to making history and adding MetLife Stadium to the list of iconic venues that have hosted WrestleMania.”

“When WrestleMania comes to town, related activities will occur throughout the New York and New Jersey area, but we are looking forward to hosting the main event,” said New York Jets Chairman and CEO, Woody Johnson. “We are confident that both the Superstars and fans of WWE will feel at home in MetLife Stadium.”

“WrestleMania has long been considered one of the most successful sports entertainment events in the world,” said John Mara, President and CEO of the New York Giants. “We are thrilled to welcome the highly-anticipated 29th installment to MetLife Stadium.”

WrestleMania Week activities will occur throughout the New York/New Jersey region including: the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; WrestleMania Axxess, WWE’s interactive fan festival; Make-A-Wish Pizza Party hosted by John Cena; Monday Night Raw; the finals of the WrestleMania Reading Challenge and other community-based events.

“NYC & Company looks forward to partnering with New Jersey on another world-class event in the tri-state area,” said NYC & Company CEO, George Fertitta. “We invite all WWE fans to visit New York City for its unparalleled shopping, dining, cultural and entertainment options across the five boroughs that will surely make WrestleMania Week an unforgettable experience.”

The pay-per-view event will be televised in more than 100 countries and 30 languages. In 2011, a sold-out crowd of 71,617 fans from all 50 states and 30 countries converged on the Georgia Dome for WrestleMania XXVII. This year WrestleMania XXVIII takes place Sunday, April 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. The main event will feature the highly-anticipated match between John Cena and The Rock.

WWE Champs Absent At Conference, Update On Legends’ House

Daniel Pena
-
4

— WWE Champion CM Punk nor World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan were on hand for Thursday’s press conference at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to announce that the venue will host WrestleMania XXIX on Sunday, April 7, 2013.

— Regarding rumors that WWE Legends’ House will premiere on Syfy rather than the WWE Network, nothing has been stated internally about that nor is it listed on Syfy’s programming schedule for April.

— The commercial Sheamus shot last month in Los Angeles, California was for Kmart. Independent women’s wrestlers Bugga Nova and Lizzy Valentine were on hand for the shoot.

— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler was spotted at Fashion Week and received a mention about being there in the AM New York newspaper.

source: PWInsider.com

Changes At WWE HQ & More On WWE Big Corporate Releases

Staff
-
1

– WWE headquarters is still in the process of undergoing major changes, with the office space being reorganized to reflect designated space for each department.

Joey Styles, who runs the WWE’s website, recently confirmed those reports when a fan asked him on Twitter if he works from home. Styles replied:

“I work in the newly renovated office space for TV Creative, Magazine and .com at WWE HQ.”

– As we reported earlier in the week, WWE corporate made several recent cuts last Friday that are being described as “shocking.”

The most notable cut was Jim Connelly, who served as the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products. He was with the company since 1999.

Dean Miller, who worked under Connelly as the Senior Manager of Home Entertainment, and Florence DiGiorgio, who was with WWE since the 1990s and most recently served as the Senior Director of Global Licensing, are also gone from the company.

The timing of WWE’s decision to gut the Consumer Products division is especially surprising, coming right before the last week’s big New York Toy Fair.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

(Video) Randy Orton Concussion Update, How It Happened

Staff
-
30

One of this week’s top stories is that Randy Orton is injured once again, suffering what is believed to be another concussion at Monday’s RAW. During Orton’s match with the Big Show, Orton delivered an RKO Big Show and was seen getting up very slowly and grabbing his head. Orton was visibly on “spaghetti legs” and appeared disoriented.

WWE ran a storyline on the company website and at Tuesday’s SmackDown tapings where Orton’s concussion actually occurred after his match with Big Show, when Daniel Bryan hit him in the head with the World Heavyweight title belt.

According to backstage sources who were at RAW, there was not any talk about Orton being injured. Orton will not wrestle at Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view as a precautionary measure, but is not expected to miss much ring time beyond that.

Here is footage from Randy Orton’s match with the Big Show from RAW:

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Not Enough Star Power In WWE, Linda McMahon Trailing

Staff
-
41

– The final episode of ECW on SyFy aired on this date back in 2010. The main event saw Ezekiel Jackson defeat Christian in an Extreme Rules match to become the final ECW Champion.

– According to the latest polling for the upcoming Connecticut Senate race, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is currently trailing Democratic candidate Chris Murphy by 9 points.

– There is a strong feeling among WWE officials that today’s roster is lacking the main event star power of previous generations. While there are a handful of who carry themselves like stars and have major drawing power, overall – the locker room atmosphere is very different than what it was a decade ago.

During the tail end of the Attudie Era, WWE had guys like Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar as big draws. The next tier of talent included names like The Hardy Boyz, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and more who were hungry to climb the ranks and had the to make skills it happen. Today’s locker room and WWE’s developmental system are chock full of promising talent, but WWE has gone many years without effectively building mid-card talent and they are now paying the price.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

JR Blog: Orton’s Replacement, Undertaker’s Haircut, Divas

Staff
-
26

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in it entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:

Orton’s Elimination Chamber Replacement: “Saw on WWE.com where Santino was replacing Orton in the Smackdown elimination chamber bout. That’s a jaw dropper.”

Divas Division Picking Up Steam: “It seems as if the Diva division in WWE is slow beginning to be more significant. Beth Phoenix is evolving into an intriguing character while Tamina has been evolving steadily. Of course, folks are clamoring for a Kharma vs Phoenix match which will likely happen some day. Kharma only gave birth to her son on New Year’s Eve so her coming back full time is likely still a ways away.”

Undertaker Cuting His Hair: “Why did Taker cut his hair? Beats the hell of of me but I’m sure that matter will be addressed when the time comes. Until then, I, like many of you, will stay tuned. I’ve never gotten so many questions on one topic on Twitter as I have regarding Undertaker’s hair. Wow.”

American Badass Returning: “Is Taker coming back as the American BadAss character? I honestly do not know. I enjoy knowing less, enjoyng the TV shows more, and seeing how things organically play out. I don’t have the desire to know every detail of what’s going on in advance of it happening as do some.”

Cena & The Rock Have Legit Heat, Twitter Beef Restarts

Staff
-
105

John Cena and The Rock are at it again. In a blog posted on JRsBarBQ.com on Wednesday, Jim Ross stated once again that there are legitimate bad feelings between the WrestleMania 28 main eventers. In response to fans who question him whether Rock and Cena’s heat is real, Ross wrote:

“For those who seriously think that Rock and Cena are pals, think again. Go back to 2008 and listen to Rock’s comments at the WWE HOF regarding John Cena. That was almost four years ago. These two stars are NOT on the same page and both have strong personalities and are game day players. Their one on one match at WM28 will be physical and competitive I can assure you.”

The Rock posted the following Valentines Day message for John Cena on Tuesday:

wZ3acAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC TheRock
@WWE @JohnCena Happy Valentines Day John. You may not be my girl, but I do consider you my bitch. #BootsToCenasPinkParts

John Cena responded to The Rock with a god awful attempt at comedy that involves Cena branded tampons and .. feminine wash:

379NyIBnp3Bw2SjAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC JohnCena
Looks like my buddy Dwayne is headed to Metlife Stadium tomorrow for WrestleMania 29…I got nothing to do..see u there amigo. Saw Dwayne wished me happy valentines ……..For those that didn’t get the “pink part” thing he once again is re referencing my mangina. So I propose this… Cena tampons. “That time of the month got u feeling bad, just put a lil Cena inside ya :) he’ll make ya feel fine” #champaxOr Cena feminine wash. “Tough day south of the equator? Lather some Cena on there and they can’t smell you!” #massCENAgil :)that’s the late nite act kiddos. Be back for the morning show at Metlife Stadium tomorrow. See u then movie star.

After a Twitter user brought it to The Rock’s attention that Cena called himself a tampon, Rock responded:

wZ3acAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC TheRock
Mission accomplished. (Easy mission btw)


WrestleMania 29 Logo Revealed

Staff
-
45

WWE has released the official logo for next year’s WrestleMania 29 pay-per-view, which will take place on Sunday April 7, 2013 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and WWE will be holding a press conference on Thursday morning at the Metlife Stadium thatwill feature appearances from The Rock, John Cena, Triple H and Sheamus, as will several Divas.

Also in attendance will be New York Giants President and CEO John Mara and New York Jets Owner and CEO Woody Johnson, whose teams play at the Metlife Stadium.

Del Rio Disliked By Colleagues – Details On His Heat Backstage

Daniel Pena
-
56

The Wrestling Observer reports that Alberto Del Rio is disliked by some of his WWE colleagues due to how he carries himself and the belief that his position in the company is unwarranted.

The two-time WWE Champion is seen as off-putting behind the scenes as he portrays himself as a master backstage politician and struts around as a superstar. There is also a perception that he is not over to the level of his sizable push as his matches and promos garner tepid reactions from the audience. Company officials, however, are receptive to the Mexican grappler as they feel he has superstar potential because he’s bilingual, tall and has a “great movie star look.” His push is also fueled by the company’s need for Hispanic stars given the lack of clarity regarding the long-term futures of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.

Meanwhile, Del Rio admitted during an interview last week with Bay area sports radio station 95.7 FM The Game that he doesn’t like many of his WWE peers. When asked who he liked the least, the second-generation wrestler said that he hates The Miz.

“This is not part of the show. I really dislike that guy. I’ve tried to punch him in the face several times, not in the ring I mean outside the ring, but he’s just like a little girl, he’s always running away from me,” Del Rio said.

“There’s a big difference between The Miz and I, I’m a real athlete, he’s just a loud stupid little kid. He’s probably one of those guys that was bullied when he was in school, that’s the reason he’s now oh so loud and he wants to get attention from everybody, but in my case he’s the real deal.”

Del Rio capped off his Miz rant by saying that he doesn’t have many female fans because “he’s fat and ugly.”

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Ratings Breakdown For Raw – CM Punk vs. The Miz Scores Low

Daniel Pena
-
73

The February 13, 2012 episode of the Raw SuperShow averaged 4.14 million viewers for a 3.01 cable rating. The prior week’s show garnered a 3.25 cable rating and averaged 4.62 million viewers.

In the segment-by-segment breakdown, the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Debate that kicked off Raw drew a 2.93 rating. From there, Chris Jericho’s match against Kofi Kingston lost 49,000 viewers. Backstage segments with John Cena, Zack Ryder, John Laurinaitis and David Otunga lost 24,000 viewers. Randy Orton taking on Big Show gained 93,000 viewers.

The advertised return of Shawn Michaels, with an appearance by Triple H, gained 822,000 viewers for a 3.56 quarter hour rating. The subsequent Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth match lost 621,000 viewers. Tamina Snuka’s victory over Brie Bella and the angle where John Cena kissed Eve in front of Zack Ryder lost 320,000 additional viewers.

The low point of the show was the advertised main event as WWE Champion CM Punk’s match against The Miz lost 139,000 additional viewers to draw a 2.77 quarter hour rating. The overrun with Cena, Ryder and Kane gained 505,000 viewers for a 3.14.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Confirms WrestleMania 29 For New Jersey – Date Announced

Daniel Pena
-
27

WWE has announced that MetLife Stadium will play host to WrestleMania next year.

“For the first time, The Show of Shows is headed to New Jersey, as MetLife Stadium, home to the Super Bowl XLVI Champion New York Giants, as well as the New York Jets, will host WrestleMania XXIX on Sunday, April 7, 2013,” WWE.com states.

WrestleMania Week activities, including WrestleMania Axxess, the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Raw will take place across the New York/New Jersey area in the days leading up to the pay-per-view extravaganza.

An official press conference is scheduled for Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at MetLife Stadium, where Vince McMahon will be joined by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Giants President & CEO John Mara, New York Jets Owner & CEO Woody Johnson, and a slew of WWE Superstars, including John Cena, Triple H and Sheamus. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is scheduled for a “special appearance.”

HHH Wants More Hispanic Wrestlers, Latest WWE Inbox Episode

Daniel Pena
-
22

— Triple H reportedly wants more Spanish-speaking wrestlers signed since he believes the Hispanic market is a major key to the prosperity of WWE. More specifically, he wants wrestlers who can conduct interviews in both English and Spanish. Rosa Mendes in particular has been directed to yell at ringside in Spanish as much as possible since she’s bilingual.

— In episode three of WWE Inbox, WWE Superstars and Divas answer questions on their favorite superhero, favorite television show and funniest wrestler. Alex Riley, Beth Phoenix, Derrick Bateman, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Kaitlyn, Maxine and Rosa Mendes appear.

The episode is available here.

— The official Twitter feed of RESISTANCE Pro has announced that Teddy Hart will not appear on Friday’s show in Chicago, Illinois due to visa problems. He will be replaced by Ricochet. Also advertised for the show is Rhino challenging Harry Smith for the R-Pro Heavyweight Championship.

(source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Update On “WWE Legends’ House”, Top Merchandise Sellers

Daniel Pena
-
11

— Dusty Rhodes, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter and The Honky Tonk Man will not be appearing on WWE Legends’ House. “Hacksaw” Jim Jim Duggan, “Mean” Gene Okerlund and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper have been confirmed to appear on the program. The show began filming last week at the former house of Harpo Marx in Rancho Mirage, California.

WWE officials contemplated having Sheik appear on the reality program due to the perception that he is funny but a doctrine is in place for the show to not appear “sad.”

— CM Punk and John Cena “are neck-and-neck” as the top merchandise sellers in WWE. Punk, however, is ahead in the adult male demographic. Zack Ryder is also among the company’s top merchandise sellers.

— Ring of Honor World Champion Davey Richards will challenge Prince Devitt for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on March 10 in Japan.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Details On The Miz’s Backstage Heat, Warrior Appearing In NY

Daniel Pena
-
58

— The Miz has as much heat as anyone in WWE, but it has little to do with him not catching R-Truth during the Six-Pack Challenge on last week’s Raw SuperShow. Rather, the animosity is being attributed to his obnoxious behavior as many of his co-workers are turned off by it.

“The feeling is he’s like a little frat boy who is loud and has to be the center of attention,” the Wrestling Observer says.

As reported last week, it is widely believed within WWE that his work has regressed, both in the squared circle and verbally. When he was low on the totem pole, he appeared motivated and forced management to make him a headliner. He is now back to mid-card status and isn’t giving WWE much reason to elevate him again.

— Ultimate Warrior has been announced to appear for Northeast Wrestling on March 23, 2012 at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. He will sign autographs, cut a promo and it’s being teased that he will do something physical.

The show will also feature John Hennigan vs. Dave Finlay and the first-ever match between Melina and Velvet Sky. Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer and Jerry Lawler are scheduled to appear as well.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

News On R-Truth’s Character, Lilian Garcia Releasing Music Video

Daniel Pena
-
25

— R-Truth appearing more animated in recent weeks has to do with Triple H. The WWE executive wants him performing “silly comedy” as opposed to dancing and rapping.

— Lilian Garcia stated on Twitter that she will be releasing a music video for her latest single, Ur Girl (Til the End of the World), on March 1.

— Saturday’s SmackDown live event at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California drew 4,000 paying $135,000. Sunday’s show in Bakersfield, California drew 5,000 paying $130,000.

— WrestlingFigs.com reports Kevin Nash will appear at Wrestling Universe 34-29 Francis Lewis Blvd. Flushing, New York on April 21 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WrestleMania 29 Coming To New Jersey: Announcement Thursday

Daniel Pena
-
36

metlife
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will hold a press conference Thursday at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to announce that WrestleMania XXIX will take place at the sporting complex in April 2013.

MetLife officials, who spent “more than a year” working with WWE to bring WrestleMania to the stadium, expect the event to draw 70,000 fans.

WrestleMania festivities will also take place in New Jersey as the IZOD Center will host Axxess and the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. WWE had initially planned to hold events in New York City but New Jersey state officials convinced them to hold everything in The Garden State.

The official announcement was originally scheduled for Wednesday but pushed back a day.

(Source: NJBiz.com)

WWE Studios Signs New 3-Movie Deal (Updated)

Staff
-
23
John Cena In The Marine

Deadline.com is reporting that WWE Studios and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment have come to terms on a new deal that will yield 3 straight-to-DVD titles – including another Marine film.

The Marine: Homefront will be the third installment of WWE’s Marine franchise. The original Marine movie from 2006 generated over $18 million in revenue and was the most successful WWE Studios project by far. Ted DiBiase starred in the straight-to-DVD sequel. Deadline.com originally reported that John Cena would be starring in the new Marine movie, but has since updated their article and removed the part about Cena starring.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution for the 3 movies via Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download and WWE will use their juggernaut promotional machine to maximize exposure.

“WWE Studios will continue to expand its film offerings to appeal to a wide range of movie fans in 2012 and 2013,” said WWE Studios President, Michael Luisi. “We look forward to building upon our relationship with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to present movies that bring action, adventure and humor to audiences all over the globe.”

No word yet on the other two movies, but one of them is expected to star CM Punk.

Bischoff Welcomes Lagana To TNA, Sorensen’s Recovery Time

Staff
-
17

– Eric Bischoff officially welcomed Dave Lagana to TNA with the following message posted on Facebook & Twitter:

“Welcome David Lagana! Had the opportunity to work with David in WWE and learned to respect his knowledge of story structure and detail.”

As we reported on Tuesday, Vince Russo and TNA have officially parted ways. Early reports indicated that Lagana was replacing Russo, however this is not entirely true. Lagana exact role in TNA is unknown at this time. While he will be contributing to the creative process, he is not assuming Russo’s job. It’s believed that Eric Bischoff will assume more power behind the scenes now that Russo is finally out.

– Spike TV president Kevin Kay was at the Impact Wrestling taping in Orlando on Monday and threw a party for the TNA wrestlers and crew after the show.

– Kurt Angle wrote the following on Twitter about Jesse Sorensen, stating that doctors gave him a 1-year recovery time:

“I Visited Jesse Sorenson.He Is Moving His Arms and Legs.Drs’ say 1 Year recovery. I Say 4 Months.Jesse Is a Hero and Fighter. “I’ll Be Back””

Angle clearly means well here, but he should probably stay away from setting unrealistic goals for Sorensen, who is going to have a very long, difficult road to recovery.

*Spoilers* Complete Results For Next Week’s Impact

Staff
-
16
TNA Impact Wrestling

TNA taped the February 23rd episode of Impact Wrestling on Monday and Tuesday night in Orlando at the Impact Zone. Thanks to reader Eric for the following spoilers that will air in two weeks on Spike:

Taped Monday:

* New York Giant Brandon Jacobs comes to the ring and talks about his friend James Storm. Jacobs calls out Bully Ray for spitting in his face last week. Ray does good mic work here but says he’s not going to waste his time on someone who barely got any yardage in the Super Bowl. Jacobs exits the ring and chases Ray off to the back.

* The main event of the show is taped – James Storm and Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray and Kurt Angle in a No DQ Match. Brandon Jacobs was in the corner of Hardy and Storm for the match. Jacobs chokeslammed Ray through a table towards the end of the show. Jacobs and Storm celebrated to end it.

Taped Tuesday:

* Bobby Roode opened the tapings and runs down Sting. Roode says he has forced Sting into retirement and everyone can say theirgoodbyes later tonight. Roode calls ending Sting’s career the best moment of his own career.

* Samoa Joe and Magnus defended the TNA Tag Team Titles successfully against Crimson and Matt Morgan when Crimson accidentally hit his partner. After the match, they argued and Crimson walked out.

* Zema Ion beat Alex Shelley while Austin Aries watched from ringside.

* Gail Kim beat ODB in a non-title match. During the match, Madison Rayne came down to watch. She celebrated with Gail after the win but Gail was hesitant.

* AJ Styles bat Robbie E. with the TV Title on the line but by DQ. The DQ came when Kazarian and Daniels interfered.

* Sting comes out and says the job is too much for him and he’s finished. Roode comes out and plays the heel. Sting starts putting face paint on and says Roode has caused him to feel alive now. Sting says he is going to whoop Roode’s butt at Victory Road. Roode tries to get a cheap shot in but Sting blocks it. Sting drops Roode and tells him to get ready for Victory Road before tossing the microphone at him.

1...2,9642,9652,966...3,318Page 2,965 of 3,318