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Backstage Update On The Undertaker’s Hair, WWE Signs Ref

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– The Undertaker appeared on Monday’s Raw SuperShow and did not remove the hood covering his head. WWE officials plan to have the iconic wrestler remove his hood and display his altered appearance for the first time when he faces Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII. Though he shaved his head bald last year, he has maintained the look since then and therefore will not appear similar to his “Big Evil” persona of 2002 and 2003 when he had short hair.

As far as why The Undertaker went through the radical change, it is said that he considered the hair too be too much trouble to deal with on a day to day basis.

– Dragon Gate USA referee Jason Harding has signed a developmental contract with WWE. He is regarded as one of the best referees on the independent wrestling circuit.

– The Ticketmaster.com pre-sale password for Raw SuperShow on April 23 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan is SUPERSHOW. Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

(source: Pro Wrestling Torch)

Michaels Talks Triple H vs. Undertaker, Reks Ends Losing Streak

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— During a phone interview with WWE.com Thursday, Shawn Michaels lost his composure when faced with pointed questions pertaining to Triple H and The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania XXVIII.

After being asked “If Triple H wins at WrestleMania, will he be better than you?” Michaels grew increasingly incensed in his response, saying he is the best in-ring performer ever and that he cannot help that the spotlight falls on him whenever he shows up. Before hanging up, he tells the WWE.com interviewer to leave him alone in his retired life.

— Thanks to interference from Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks drew a victory over Mason Ryan on this week’s episode of WWE Superstars. It is his first televised singles victory since the March 17, 2011 WWE Superstars, where he beat JTG.

Other matches featured include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Jinder Mahal vs. Justin Gabriel. The episode is available here.

— WWE developmental wrestler Corey Graves (a/k/a Sterling James Keenan) turns 28 years old Friday.

Steve Austin Calls HBK The Best Worker He’s Ever Seen

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WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at BrokenSkullRanch.com. In this entry, Austin talks about filming scenes for his latest movie this week, future acting projects and more. Austin also talks about hunting and wanting to get out there with fellow WWE legend and avid hunter, Shawn Michaels:

“Shawn Michaels and I have been trying to get together for a hunt for the last year and this could be the opportunity to get it done.  Shawn has really taken to the outdoor world like a duck on a Junebug. Shawn’s show, MacMillan River Adventures has been a hit and when I spoke with Shawn in Las Vegas at the SHOT SHOW he was up for several awards.  Shawn’s success is not a surprise to me.  He’s extremely dedicated and motivated to be the best he can be at any endeavor he takes on in life.”

Austin’s praise for Shawn Michaels didn’t stop there. Austin, who is considered one of the greatest of all time and has certainly wrestled other top superstars who could make a good case for that high honor, continued with this:

“He is the greatest in ring performer I have ever seen.  The fact that his talent and commitment transferred over from the squared circle to the world of hunting does not surprise me.  Shawn has segued from being the “Show Stopper” to the “Game Stopper”.  I’m proud of him and his success.

Video: First Interview With Jesse Sorensen In The Hospital

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For the first time since his serious neck injury at Against All Odds, Jesse Sorensen speaks from his hospital bed about about his injury and the events that took place afterwards. Sorensen’s mother is also featured:

Three Matches Announced For Victory Road – Sting To Face Roode

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On Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, Sting said he was going to put on his boots, tights and war paint and kick the “living crap” out of Bobby Roode at Victory Road. The match has been officially announced on ImpactWrestling.com. Roode’s title, however, will not be on the line.

Two title matches have been announced for the event; X Division Champion Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion and Women’s Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne.

Challenge Match
World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode vs. Sting

X Division Championship Match
X Division Champion Austin Aries vs. Zema Ion

Women’s Knockout Championship Match
Women’s Knockout Champion Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne

Victory Road takes place on March 18, 2012 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida.

WWE Releases Kayfabe T-Shirt Line , Beth Phoenix Praises Eve

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– WWEShop.com has released a line of T-Shirts featuring inside wrestling terms.

  • Heel
  • Jobber
  • I Got Heat
  • I’m So Over
  • What’s Your Finish

It’s interesting to see WWE embracing these “insider” terms, after so many years of resistance. Even Dolph Ziggler reportedly got some attention backstage with the use of the word #HEEL on his ring gear. Perhaps the most notable phrase on the list is, “What’s your finish” .. Heel, Jobber, Heat and being “over” have worked their way into the insider fan lexicon and are relatively harmless. The phrase “What’s your finish” is a question often asked of two wrestlers by agents/producers about how they plan to finish their match, and is perhaps WWE’s most open acknowledgement to date that wrestling is a work.

– During an interview with San Bernardino County Sun, WWE Divas Champion Beth Phoenix says participating in the 2010 Royal Rumble is a career highlight and that she is looking forward to the possibility of competing at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, Florida. She also commented on facing Eve at Saturday’s Raw live event at Citizens Business Bank Arena

“What’s really special about Eve is that she started with the Divas search and came into the company not knowing a lot about (it) or the wrestling background,” Phoenix said. “But what I really admire about her is that she is learning to be the best in the ring (and) she is awesome to compete against because she brings a lot of heart.

“I have had nothing but awesome competitive matches with her, and she always comes back for more when I knock her out with the Glam Slam.”

The full interview is available here.

Brian Kendrick Removed From TNA Roster, Sarita Wrestles Sick

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— Brian Kendrick has been removed from TNA Wrestling’s roster page on ImpactWrestling.com. This would indicate that he has parted ways with the company.

Kendrick’s second TNA run culminated with him capturing the X Division Championship from Abyss last July at Destination X. After dropping the title to Austin Aries at No Surrender, he failed in his attempt to regain the belt at Bound for Glory. He had only competed in one televised match since then.

— Sarita was sick during last week’s TNA live event tour of West Virginia; she did not miss any matches.

— Brooke Tessmacher has been announced to appear at Legends of the Ring 14, which takes place Saturday, June 2, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Monroe, New Jersey.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The Rock Responds To His Critics In The WWE Locker Room

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One of the top stories of the week has been that several WWE superstars are reportedly pissed off about The Rock’s involvement at WrestleMania 28 and how he’s getting top billing on the show, despite the fact that he’s not a full-time superstar.

A fan sent The Rock a message on Twitter, asking:

“@TheRock – haters claim ur keeping them from wrestling @ Mania & they cant get over. Y couldnt they get over when u were gone?”

The Rock responded with the following message, which is sure to rub a few people the wrong way:

“@TheRock: The ones who are complaining are the ones who will never get over anyway, Too busy complaining.”

Jesse Sorensen Makes First Public Comments Since His Injury

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TNA star Jesse Sorensen has issued his first public comments since suffering a serious neck injury at the recent TNA Against All Odds pay-per-view.

Serensen tweeted on Thursday:

Jesse Sorensen posted the following today, which are his first comments since suffering a serious neck injury at the TNA Against All Odds PPV…

“Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. I have a long road to recovery ahead, but your support means the world to me.”

Doctors have reportedly told Sorensen that he has a good chance of making a full recovery, which could take up to 12 months.

WWE Releases 2011 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

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WWE announced Thursday financial results for its fourth quarter ended December 31, 2011. Revenues totaled $112.9 million as compared to $122.5 million in the prior year quarter. Operating loss was $13.1 million as compared to operating income of $14.4 million in the prior year quarter.

WWE reports the revenue decrease was “driven by declines across all of our operating segments.” Revenues from North America decreased by 9%, led by declines in film, television, and WWE.com businesses. Revenues outside North America decreased 5%, primarily due to a decline in licensing business.

“In 2011, we evaluated several paths for creating new programs and distributing all of our content in a way that optimizes its value. Executing this strategy effectively, including the potential creation of a WWE Network, has the power to transform our business,” said Vince McMahon in a press release.

“While we made significant progress toward this objective, our fourth quarter and full year results were impacted primarily by three items: significant non-cash film impairment charges stemming from the weak performance of our movie releases, strategic decisions to withhold several hours of previously licensed television content for distribution on other platforms, and initial start-up operating expenses associated with our emerging content and distribution strategy.

“Regarding the first item, we have taken several measures to improve the profitability of our movie business. And, regarding the other items, we believe that our ongoing investment to expand and maximize the value of our content is the most potent approach for driving our future earnings.”

The full financial report is available here.

SuperSmackDown Draws Poor Rating, Eve Says She Misses Zack

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— Tuesday’s SuperSmackDown LIVE! show featuring a Champion vs. Champion match between WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan garnered a 1.7 rating with 2,326,000 viewers.

It is SmackDown‘s lowest rating since the September 16, 2011 show, which drew a 1.78.

— Following her actions involving John Cena and Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, Eve has turned over a new leaf. She wrote to Zack Ryder today on Twitter, “I miss you.”

— WWE.com is advertising a match between Justin Gabriel and Jinder Mahal for today’s episode of WWE Superstars. Other bouts taking place include Alex Riley vs. Michael McGillicutty and Mason Ryan vs. Tyler Reks.

— Mike Sydal, brother of WWE Superstar Evan Bourne, turns 28 years old today.

source: PWInsider.com

Video: Punk Talks “The Promo,” Smart Fans, Cena, Jericho, More

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New York City DJ Peter Rosenberg scored another exclusive interview with a top WWE superstar this week – none other than WWE Champion CM Punk.

In this candid 20-minute 1-on-1 interview, Rosenberg and Punk talk in-depth about “The Promo” from last summer that changed CM Punk’s career more than he could have ever imagined, their philosophies on the business, working with John Cena, smart fans, Chris Jericho, Mark Herny and much more.

WWE Officials Negative On Rey Mysterio, Chat With Vickie

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– Following Rey Mysterio’s visit backstage at last week’s Raw SuperShow in San Diego, California, any mention of his name to WWE brass reportedly resulted in a very negative speech. There has been underlying friction for years between WWE management and Rey Mystero due to several tough contract negotiations and not returning from injuries as early as they’d like. Also, some feel because of his small stature, he’s lucky to be employed to WWE.

– Vickie Guerrero will participate in a live chat with fans on MyVickieGuerrero.com Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MST.

– Monday’s Raw SuperShow at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota drew just over 9,000 fans.

– Jerry Lawler will face Tommy Dreamer on March 16 in Nashville, Tennessee at 1056 East Trinity Lane. The show also features a match between Doug Gilbert and Larry Zbyszko.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Shaq Says He’ll Wrestle At ‘Mania, USA To Air Rock/Cena Special

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— Although WWE.com stated Tuesday that Shaquille O’Neal would not be competing at WrestleMania XXVIII, the 15-time NBA All-Star appeared on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning Wednesday stating that he would.

— The USA Network will air a program profiling the rivalry between The Rock and John Cena on March 26 at 8:00 p.m. It will air again on March 31.

— Amazing Red and T.J. Perkins vs. Michael Elgin and Roderick Strong has been announced for the March 4 Ring of Honor event at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

— Alex Koslov, who was released by WWE earlier this month, is available for bookings and appearances through Bill Behrens at [email protected]. He is currently based in Tampa, Florida but expects to move to Los Angeles, California soon.

source: F4WOnline.com

World Title Match Advertised For OTL, Punk On Headline News

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— A commercial promoting WWE’s Over the Limit pay-per-view event on May 20, 2012 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina is advertising a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton and Sheamus.

— CM Punk is scheduled to appear on CNN Headline News’ Showbiz Tonight at 11:00 p.m. He will be interviewed about his war of words on Twitter with recording artist Chris Brown.

— Joey Styles wrote the following on Twitter regarding a video release highlighting ECW: “Coming this summer, a home video release unlike any other you have seen before. Please RT and spread the word of Extreme #ECWDVD.”

WWE Brass Against Divas Bout At ‘Mania, Eve ‘Explains’ Herself

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— A match involving the WWE Divas is expected to take place WrestleMania XXVIII although some company officials are against utilizing the women for the sake of it since the affair would take away time from the bouts people are most interested in seeing.

It’s also been suggested as the pre-show dark match.

— In light of her actions involving John Cena and Zack Ryder on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, Eve addressed fans during an unaired segment at last night’s SuperSmackDown LIVE! show. The two-time WWE Divas Champion described herself as a “woman of class” and that she does not deserve the angry reaction she has been receiving. Eve admitted to using Ryder but that she is no different than everybody else.

To see her speech as well as Zack Ryder’s video response, click here.

— The February 18, 2012 episode of A.M. Raw scored a 0.64 cable rating with 755,000 viewers.

sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, PWInsider.com

Where Laurinaitis/Long Feud Is Headed, Otunga Against Bullying

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— WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw John Laurinaitis’s campaign to not only become the permanent Raw General Manager, but take over Theodore Long’s job as General Manager of SmackDown is expected to culminate with a winner takes all match at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, Florida.

The Wrestling Observer reports that a Laurinaitis captained team of heel WWE stars will likely face a babyface team captained by Long at the pay-per-view extravaganza with the winning captain becoming General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown. There is also talk that the bout would replace the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

— On behalf of ‘be a STAR,’ the anti-bullying alliance co-founded by WWE and The Creative Coalition, David Otunga paid a visit to German Valley Elementary outside Rockford, Illinois today to speak with students about the dangers of bullying.

A photo of Otunga’s appearance is available here.

Brodus Clay Labeled “Unsafe and Reckless”, WWE Going Digital

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— It was reported last week that Brodus Clay was removed from television due to Vince McMahon’s unhappiness with the voluminous grappler’s ring work. To add further detail, the WWE head believes he’s unsafe and reckless in the ring; he doesn’t want him competing until his ring work is brought up to par.

Eyebrows were raised backstage about McMahon pushing forth talent safety since Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes competed on this week’s Raw SuperShow hurt.

Clay dismissed last week’s negative report via Twitter, writing, “Don’t believe the hater hype plant funk still in orbit ya dig!”

— Vince McMahon is looking to tap into digital publishing as he feels it could be a major revenue stream for WWE as early as this year. His belief is based on what colleagues have told him about the Amazon Kindle, an e-book reader.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

RAW Rating, WrestleMania 30 Location, Simmons-Rock, Eve

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– Monday’s post-Elimination Chamber RAW Supershow drew a a 3.2 rating and averaged 4,629,000 viewers. The show did hours of 3.3 and 3.19.

– WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012 inductee Ron Simmons appeared on the Busted Open radio show this week and said he’d love a role in one of The Rock’s movies. Simmons, who worked closely with The Rock when both men were members of the Nation of Domination stable, had this to say about The Rock’s success in Hollywood:

“As far as getting as big as he did, I don’t even think he knew he would get this big. I can say I am proud of him and the only thing I would like for him to do is offer Farooq a part in one of his movies. Let me be a stand in, I don’t even need a speech, just offer me something (laughing).”

– After an apparent heel turn on Monday’s RAW, WWE diva Eve is still scheduled to wrestle heel Divas champion Beth Phoenix at this weekend’s WWE live event from Ontario, Canada at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

– With the recent announcement that WrestleMania 29 will take place from New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, it’s worth noting that WWE has still not decided on a location for the historic WrestleMania 30 event, which will take place in 2014.

The bidding deadline for potential WrestleMania 30 host cities is approaching soon.

(Sources: bustedopen.net, pwtorch.com, pwinsider.com)

Why Kharma Has Yet To Return, Simmons’ WWE HOF Inductor

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— WWE has not followed up on Kharma’s appearance last month at the Royal Rumble because she hasn’t fully recovered from giving birth on December 31, 2011 and isn’t ready to work a full-time schedule. She competed in the Rumble Match because creative felt it would create a good story since it wasn’t expected.

— John “Bradshaw” Layfield inducting Ron Simmons into the WWE Hall of Fame is not official but it is the planned idea.

Layfield wrote Tuesday on Facebook in regards to inducting his longtime tag team partner, “As far as who is inducting Ron into the HOF-I would consider one of my greatest lifetime honors if I am chosen. However, it hasn’t been announced-SO, if I knew who was I couldn’t say. And, if I don’t know I couldn’t say either obviously. So, I wait on the announcement like everyone else.”

— The January 17, 2012 WWE SmackDown taping at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada drew 5,287 paying $214,735.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Discussing Talent Cuts, Ex-Divas Join Lucha Libre USA

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— WWE officials have talked lately of cutting and/or repackaging bottom level WWE Superstars and developmental talent. However, moves are not expected until after WrestleMania as it is their prime focus.

— Former WWE Divas Melina and Jillian Hall have been announced to appear on Lucha Libre USA’s “Masked Warriors Live” tour in late March. Events are scheduled for March 23 at Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada, March 25 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California and March 30 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

— Former WWE talent Shawn Daivari was the booker of the February 4 WWFX Champion Showcase Tour 2012 event in Manila, Philippines. No return date has been announced but he stated during an interview that the show was considered a success and a return would take place.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Maria Discusses Recent WWE Backstage Visit, Wrestling Again

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(Courtesy of Diva-Dirt.com)

Former WWE Diva turned First Lady of Ring of Honor, Maria Kanellis, joins us to talk about her first wrestling match in two years since her WWE release. This weekend, Kanellis faces fellow former Diva and current TNA star, Tara, in New York on her 30th birthday, no less. Maria talks to us about the match, why she’s returning to the ring and her training for her ring return.

The First Lady of ROH dishes on how her ROH appointment came about, the differences between working in ROH and WWE, the reactions from the notoriously tough ROH crowd, and her response to fans who questioned her passion for wrestling & assumed she’d quit the business after her WWE release.

Maria also tells us about her recent backstage visit to WWE and what happened when she spoke to Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, the very people who fired her two years ago this week.

Full interview here.

Highlights:

Working in ROH vs working in WWE: “I’m much more relaxed! I’m very relaxed at Ring of Honor. I don’t feel the pressure that I did at WWE. But I’m also, so I think that a lot of it comes with maturity and being comfortable in your own skin. I’m more confident in myself than I was when I was in WWE. That goes with being outside of WWE and starting to see the world through different eyes. Now coming back into wrestling and being like, ‘You know what? This is where you have fun’, and I just want to have fun with my wrestling career now. I don’t want to be stressed out or worrying about where’s my next storyline. I don’t want to be worrying about all that stuff.”

Why she’s returning to the ring: “There was a lot of things I wanted to accomplish that I didn’t get to accomplish before. I never really felt like I was that great in the ring, and then I also felt that I didn’t get a whole lot of time to be in the ring. My goal is to go out there and do the best that I can, and if I get out there and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is it for me and I’m not going to wrestle anymore’, that’s one thing. Or if I get out there and I’m like, ‘You know what? I really want to continue moving forward with this part of wrestling’ then that’s what I’m going to do. But there was so many things I wanted to accomplish in the ring and so many things I loved doing in the house shows that I never got to really show off on WWE TV.”?

“I never won a championship and that was a big thing for me. I didn’t want to win the greatest championship in the world and I didn’t need to hold it forever, but just winning it by a fluke would’ve been nice, just to say I was on that great list.”

“There’s just a lot of things I want to accomplish in the ring.”

Being backstage recently at a WWE Raw taping: “I stood there and talked to Vince for probably 10-15 minutes, just shooting the shit. I talked to him about the new network. I told him that I thought the show was great as of late, I really enjoyed last week’s episode. I talked to him about, ‘How’s the family?’ and ‘Give Linda my best’. At the same time that I’m not there, it’s still part of my family. Sometimes I don’t like the things that John Laurinaitis does but at the same time, for a long time I was on the road with him all the time. He’s the one that initially called me and sad, ‘Maria, we want you to go down to OVW’, so you still have to have an appreciation.”

?“At the end of the day, wrestling’s still a business and I try to remember that every day when I do anything with wrestling.”

Update On The Backstage Heat On The Rock

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Earlier this week, we published text messages from a WWE superstar who asked to remain anonymous that was complaining about The Rock coming back to WWE and getting a huge payday without elevating anybody but himself.

To follow up on the backstage heat on The Rock, there is said to be “more than a few people” in WWE that are very angry about The Rock being featured so prominently at WrestleMania.

The feeling amongst the disgruntled talent is that The Rock does not work for WWE full time and is taking a valuable spot at the top of the card, when that spot could be used to elevate an up and coming full-time wrestler. The other side of the argument is that The Rock is a special attraction, should not be featured as a full-time performer and brings so much interest and extra pay-per-view buys that he more than covers his price tag and everybody earns more with The Rock on the card.

(Partial Source: f4wonline.com)

Video: CM Punk Goes After Chris Brown Again On Hot 97

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WWE Champion CM Punk appeared on Hot 97’s morning show on Wednesday and continued his crusade against R&B singer / woman beater Chris Brown. Props to Peter Rosenberg of RosenbergRadio.com for the footage:

Wade Barrett Speaks, JR Calling NBA Game, Tyson-Sammartino

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– Wade Barrett made his first public comments on Tuesday night since injuring his left arm during the #1 contender’s battle royal on RAW. Barrett tweeted:

“Don’t shed any crocodile tears for me… I could still give every single one of you a good slapping even with only one arm.”

“The biggest downer is that I was scheduled to face Papa Shango this year at ‘Mania. That’s up in the air now. #Hexed.”

The WWE website reported on Tuesday that Barrett sustained a dislocated elbow and will be out for 6-8 weeks, which would keep him out past WrestleMania on April 1st.

– The Rock indicated on Twitter that he’ll be at the March 19th RAW Supershow from Philadelphia,PA.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross will be calling another NBA basketball game tonight. JR will serve as a guest color analyst on the Boston Celtics radio broadcast for the Celtics game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game starts at 7pm (ET) and will be broadcast on WEEI, the Celtics Radio Network, and NBA.com.

– Boxing legend Mike Tyson appeared the Dan Patrick Show this week to discuss his boxing career, MMA and pro wrestling. Tyson, who will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31st, named Bruno Sammartino as the greatest pro wrestler of all time. To listen to Tyson’s appearance on the show, visit DanPatrick.com.

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