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The Reason Jeff & Karen Jarrett Are Off TNA TV

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Regarding the departures of Jeff and Karen Jarrett’s departures from TNA shorelines, Jeff is taking time off because he is very busy with projects outside of TNA.

Jeff Jarrett been working hands on with TNA’s new Indian promotion as well as the All Wheels Wrestling show he is trying to get picked up on the Speed Channel.

Karen Jarrett needs surgery on her foot, which will keep her on the sidelines for several months.

In Karen’s absence, Sting will be naming a new head of the Knockouts division.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Rumble Matches, Updates On Hero, Clay & Sheffield

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– Aside from WWE announcing that January’s Royal Rumble match will be returning to the traditional 30-man format, John Cena vs. Kane is also confirmed for the event.

– Regarding Chris Hero and WWE, the company is said to still be interested in bringing him in, despite reports that he did not pass a WWE physical due to elevated testosterone levels.

Hero will be undergoing more medical tests in January and if things go as expected, he will be signed. Hero’s most recent round of physicals took place in September.

– WWE appears to have abandoned plans to re-introduce Brodus Clay. Last we heard from Brodus Clay, he tweeted that he was going to destroy John Morrison on his final night with the company. Clay would not have tweeted that if he wasn’t told he’d be on RAW that night, but Morrison wound up getting laid out by his former tag team partner The Miz – with no mention of Clay on WWE television since then.

– Skip Sheffield has been told that he’s returning with a push in early 2012.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

MAILBAG: Why Does WWE Allow Michael Cole To Belittle Talent?

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SEScoops Mailbag for December 22nd

(please submit YOUR questions to [email protected])

Q: I was wondering who’s idea it was and who authorized Mick Foley being thrown off the Hell in a Cell and going through that table? And apart from getting good ratings, were they not worried about what damage it would have done to the company on a live PPV and with all those kids in attendance if that stunt had gone horribly wrong, especially as they were competing with WCW at that time? – Kev

A: Competing with WCW is precisely the reason they began pushing the envelope in the first place back in those days. They did dangerous things all the time. It was Foley’s idea to do the jump off the cell. Vince McMahon had to have known it was going to happen because his production people knew. You could tell by the way the camera pans out just as Undertaker tosses Foley off the structure. Foley maintained in his book that his second bump through the roof of the cell was not planned, but I’ve never bought that. Based on the way Undertaker delivers that chokeslam (without much in the way of force), they knew it was breaking.

Q: I realize [Shawn Michaels] came back and fought HHH at Summerslam 2002 in an epic match, but HBK returned in the NWO earlier in the year. Did he ever go away [first and then] come back for that matchup? I can’t remember because I was 11 at the time and I am having no luck on YouTube. – Ozzie

A: Michaels returned to WWE television in June 2002 when he joined the nWo. Booker T had also joined the group around the same time, though he ended up being kicked out. Then Kevin Nash tore his quad muscle in a match on Raw and at that point, Vince McMahon decided to kill off the nWo for good. There was no explanation for Michaels essentially going from heel back to face and he transitioned right into a program with Triple H. If Nash doesn’t get injured, the group lives on, though probably not for much longer anyway.

Q: Could you provide some insight as to how matches are actually taped for television? Specifically, since “most” matches are called on the fly, does the producer/director simply direct cuts and shots based on in-ring action as it happens, or is there some element of pre-production (apart from obvious things like run-ins, turns, etc) and planning before the match begins? – Shawn

A: There are definitely certain spots that Kevin Dunn is aware of in advance so they can be prepared for those shots. That would usually be reserved for major stunts or anything done outside the ring (e.g. in the crowd). That said, it’s not a situation where the wrestlers need to alert them of all of their key spots before they go out. In the context of a basic match, cuts and shots are directed as it happens. They have many more cameras than they used to placed strategically in various areas, so it’s rare they would miss anything significant.

Q: Why does WWE continue to put Michael Cole in storylines and let him belittle the talent? The Cole/Lawler feud was enough, and now every week on Smackdown, he is talking down Daniel Bryan and others. If it weren’t for DVR, I wouldn’t be able to watch. Do you believe Cole as a heel announcer is actually helping faces get over or just hurting the product? – Josh M.

A: Absolutely not. The Cole character is killing the product. The more he talks about how someone doesn’t belong or how boring they are, the audience starts to believe it, not rebel against him for it. Cole as a heel color announcer might have worked if the play-by-play guy was strong enough to fight back against him, like a Gorilla Monsoon/Bobby Heenan dynamic, but having your primary announcer do these things, especially when he’s supposed to convince you to buy PPV’s on the go-home shows and have at least some credibility, is completely preposterous. But Vince McMahon gets his rocks off on it, so it’s not going to stop.

Q: The Nation of Domination should make a return to WWE. The members would be Mark Henry, Ezekiel Jackson, R-Truth, Percy, Titus. Faarooq or Teddy Long should manage them. Do you agree? – Chris T.

A: No, I do not agree.

Q: As I recall, cutting yourself in order to bleed (or “blading”) during a match was banned in WWE around 2008/2009. I was watching John Cena vs. Randy Orton from Hell In A Cell 2009, in a Hell In A Cell match. Orton hit that unique backbreaker he does from time to time, and when Cena fell to the mat, it was very clear that a small shiny object came out of his wristband. The referee picked it up and nothing was ever mentioned. Were there plans to blade in that match? – Connor from Las Vegas

A: If blading was banned, then there were no plans for John Cena to blade in that match. It’s just that simple.

Q: Would you rather watch John Cena and Mason Ryan headline WrestleMania in an Iron Man Match or do Big Show and Mark Henry’s laundry by hand for a month? – Brandon

A: This sounds a great premise for the next Saw film.

Q: I was playing WWE ‘12 and the Stone Cold character had “101 proof” on his vest. What is 101 proof? – Elvir Bajric

A: 101 proof is what I have to drink when browsing the comments section on SEScoops.com.

Keep those questions coming to [email protected] and remember to include your name!

What Vince Wants From Del Rio, New WWE Network Details

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– Vince McMahon has been pushing Alberto Del Rio to show more “ruthless aggression” in the ring and work a more physical style.  This is the reason Del Rio has been working stiffer in recent weeks.

RAW is lacking strong heels, with The Miz not being seen as a legitimate tough guy at this point. Vince thinks Del Rio has the size, toughness and gimmick to be a permanent main event heel, but he needs to come across as more dangerous in the ring.

Del Rio recently injured his groin on a recent episode of RAW. He was able to finish his match, but had to be helped out of the ring and was checked out backstage. Despite his pain, the injury is not believed to be serious.

– WWE is in talks with Shed Media, the company behind Tough Enough, to help produce new reality programming for the WWE Network.

With WWE looking to run new reality-based programming, the company is to film television episodes the week that they are set to air on television. This is unlike what most reality shows do (ie. UFC’s Ultimate Fighter), which is to film the entire season before the first episode airs. Filming the whole season at once allows producers to see where storylines are going and produce the show accordingly.

Booking the show on a week-to-week basis will hurt their ability to tell long-term shorelines, which some have joked is similar to how WWE television is written.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Cena Sucks Update, Linda Distancing From McMahon & WWE

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– In response to WWE selling “Cena Sucks” t-shirts, John Cena noted on Twitter that WWE has wanted to make the shirts since 2008 and he is not bothered by them. Sources close to Cena say that he legitimately does not mind that the shirts are being sold and gets royalties from every single one sold.

– With Linda McMahon second run for United States Senate underway, the former WWE CEO is making an effort to distance herself not only from the WWE product this time around, but the McMahon name as well. Her campaign material pushes the name LINDA with no mention of her business experience running WWE or her last name. Instead of using all her own money this time, Linda is raising funds from her supporters.

Last weekend’s 12/16 live event from Fort Myers, FL drew 5,500 paying fans for a live gate of $155,000. The next night’s Nassau Coliseum show drew 7,000 and a $285,000 live give, which isn’t good for the New York market. The New York market, however, did get three shows in a month, so that could be one of the reasons.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Picture: Chris Jericho With Samoa Joe, Bully Ray, Christian

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Chris Jericho hung out with Christian and TNA stars Samoa Joe and Bully Ray this week.

He tweeted the following on Thursday night:

Awesome time w @Christian4Peeps @SamoaJoe and Brother Ray tonight!! Merry Christmas f**kers!!

Samoa Joe, Chris Jericho, Bully Ray & Christian

(Fixed) WWE Network Pilot Taped With WWE & FCW Talent

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Earlier this month, WWE held a television taping at Full Sail University in Florida featuring FCW and WWE Superstars. The one-hour show is reportedly a pilot show for the WWE network that would profile WWE’s developmental territory and WWE’s up and coming superstars. The footage that was taped this month is not expected to air.

Triple H and John Laurinaitis were there, with Triple H coming to the ring during one of the tapings and cutting a promo in front of the live crowd. WWE set up the venue to look like the FCW arena in Tampa- and the production values were said to be very good.

Jim Ross, Byron Saxton and Chris Russo did commentary – with Saxton & Russo doing the first hour and Ross & Russo calling the scond.  Here are results from the taping:

Hour One:

* Xavier Woods defeated Big E. Langston
* Richie Steamboat beat Brad Maddox
* Kaitlyn & Alicia Fox defeated Tamina & Aksana
* Antonio Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins

Hour Two:

* Kenneth Cameron defeated Mike Dalton
* Leakee beat Ricardo Rodriguez
* Briley Pierce defeated Derrick Bateman
* Husky Harris beat Damien Sandow
* Leo Kruger beat Dean Ambrose
* Triple H cut a promo for the crowd

Half-Hour Taping

* Sheamus & Daniel Bryan beat Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre

(Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE CFO Talks Business Performance & UFC As Competition

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WWE CFO George Barrios was at the UBS 39th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference this month and spoke in depth about WWE’s business performance as well as why WWE does not view UFC as competition. You can read the full transcript at * SeepingAlpha.com.

Barrios spoke about how WWE monitors every aspect of their business:

“Some of those metrics that we look at pretty intently is our live event attendance both in North America and overseas, our television ratings for the four to six hours that we will have on the air domestically at given time, which we also report,” he said. “We also look at our rating globally…We always look at how we are trending in social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter. Google Trends and Google Analytics also gives us a sense of how the brand is trending from a search perspective. We look at our own unique and page views on our own site as well as the streams that we do – we do about 75 million video streams on YouTube every month. So, we track that.”

WWE’s CFO also spoke about the UFC and explains why WWE does not consider them direct compeition:

I think we get a lot of questions about MMA, as I often say, it’s because I think people see that the both are performers are wearing some form of spandex, so they think there must be some natural competition there. We don’t view it that way,” he said. “We tend to — we take the broader view, which is we are a pop culture entertainment brand, and anything that takes attention away from us is something that gets our attention. We don’t really view UFC or MMA more broadly as a specific competitor, but you know they are part of entertainment landscape and they take eyeballs away from — or they soak up eyeballs, so we obviously have to be aware of them. But we don’t view them as specific competitor. Barrios concluded, “I don’t want to diminish them as a competitor but I also don’t — we don’t anyway elevate them as a specific competitor.”

* TONS of Backstage WWE News Heading Into 2012

Detailed Report From Today’s Ring Ka King Show (Pictures)

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SEScoops.com reader Himanshu Doi sent in the following report and images from Wednesday’s Ring Ka King show from Pune, India.

I attended the fourth and what might be the final day of taping of the month for the upcoming wrestling show on Colors “Ring Ka King” at Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune. Here are the spoilers:

– The taping began with a segment involving Jazzy Lahoria who was the “Commissioner of Ring Ka King”, Matt Morgan, Magnus, Abyss, Steiner, Sonjay Dutt, Doctor Nicholas Dinsmore, some Indian wrestlers and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. I missed most of this part since I arrived late into the arena and wasn’t able to catch it.

– The team of “The Snakes” (Shawn and Arya Daivari) and Raisha Saeed defeated Bollywood Boyz (Bollywood Lions) and Mickie James.

– Matt Morgan, the Ring Ka King champion, came out for a promo. Apparently he’s a babyface and he started off the promo with a couple of lines in Hindi to get over with the crowd. He says that there was going to be a battle royal later on for the #1 contendership to his Ring Ka King championship. He says he wants to know who was the one who attacked him from behind, so whoever he is must come out now. Abyss’ music hits and he comes to the ring. Morgan gets the upper hand at first but Abyss comes back and dominates him. Morgan is helped up to the back by a couple of referees.

– Battle Royal for the #1 contendership to the Ring Ka King championship:

1. Sir Brutus Magnus

2. B Maxx (Indian wrestler)

3. Barood (Indian wrestler)

4. Roscoe Jackson (Trevor Murdoch)

5. Doctor Nicholas Dinsmore

6. Romeo Rapta (Indian wrestler)

7. Isaiah Outlaw (?)

8. American Adonis (Chris Mordetzky/Masters)

9. Chhotu aur Zoravar

10. Mahabali Veera

11. Scott Steiner

12. Aaghori Saaya

Chhotu aur Zoravar is a team that consists of one short and one really tall Indian guy, Chhotu being the short one and Zoravar the tall one. Zoravar is a 7-foot plus guy and was jumped on by everyone in the battle royal. Looks like they found their own version of The Great Khali.

Aaghori Saaya had an almost Samoa Joe like character and was in control of the match fighting with Steiner. Magnus attacked Adonis as soon as he entered, but they both teamed up against Aaghori when he eliminated Steiner. In the end, Aaghori managed to eliminate Adonis, but was beaten to the punch by Magnus who became the #1 contender to Morgan’s title.

– Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh came out to promote the #1 contendership match. He needed at least 15 retakes.

– Mickie James (w/Bollywood Boyz) defeated Raisha Saeed (w/The Snakes) with the Mickie DDT. The Snakes tried to interfere in the match but were fended off by Bollywood Boyz.

– Jeremy comes out with a female Indian presenter. He says that there is an American businessman Jeff Jarrett who wants to buy Ring Ka King. He will be here tonight to try and buy the company. The female presenter translates what he said to the audience.

– Pagal Parinda (in the guise of an Indian wrestler but who seemed to be Alex Shelley, I might be wrong) defeated Zema Ion. Pagal Parinda had a bird gimmick and came out with wings. Sonjay Dutt enters the ring after the match and cuts a promo in Hindi, asking him who he thinks he is. The crowd cheers for him at first, so Sonjay Dutt said in Hindi that you’re all the crazy ones, not this guy. Parinda doesn’t reply to the Hindi promo which further leads me to believe that it was Shelley. He pulls some punches on Dutt till he falls out of the ring, then hits a diving crossbody over the ropes and re-enters the ring to end the segment.

– Jeremy Borash and the female presenter remind us of the arrival of Jeff Jarrett and say he is the same man who brought Steiner and Abyss into Ring Ka King.

– Scott Steiner and Abyss defeated Barood and Romeo Rapta (both Indian wrestlers). The match was really a squash match but what followed was one of the most amazing sights on a wrestling show you could ever wish to see. Following the win, Steiner motioned to punch one of the people in the crowd. He then climbed over the barrier and into the crowd. The crowd scattered in opposite directions away from him as if he were a raging bull! He then proceeded to climb to the second tier like f***ing King Kong and those people tried to run away from him too! Great stuff by Steiner! I hope they got it on camera because it is to be seen to be believed!

– We then had the contract signing segment where Jeff Jarrett would try to buy Ring Ka King from the Commissioner, Jazzy Lahoria. A red carpet and a table was set up in the ring. An Indian presenter introduced Jarrett as the founder of TNA Wrestling and he made his entrance through AJ Styles’ style pyro, followed by Steiner, Magnus, Abyss and Dutt. The Commissioner Jazzy Lahoria was then introduced. Jarrett said that he was impressed that they were able to do what they have done. He said he was the founder of TNA Wrestling, his family was in the business for 70-plus years and that he would be able to take Ring

ka King to another level. After some deliberation, Jazzy said that for th sake of the fans, he would not sell Ring Ka King to Jarrett. Sonjay Dutt then tried to convince him in Hindi to sign the contract. Steiner catches him by the collar and is threatened by Dutt. Just as it seems that he was going to sign the contract, he tore it up. Jeff Jarrett is livid and takes off his suit and throws it to the ground and was almost about to hit Jazzy. He then slowly cools down, wears his suit back on and offers Jazzy a handshake. Jazzy thinks about it and shakes his hand. Jarrett hugs Jazzy, then turns around and punches him down. The entire bunch gang up on him. Steiner hit him with his own walking stick and Abyss takes it and chokes him with it. Harbhajan Singh then enters the ring with an Indian police officer character guy who must’ve been about 6’5″-6’6″. This causes Jarrett and co. to quietly leave the ring. Harbhajan and the police officer check on Jazzy who he is helped up by the two and gets a standing ovation from the crowd.

– Bollywood Boyz defeated Broadway (Little Guido/Nunzio) and Hollywood (Joey Ryan) with a double superkick on Broadway.

– Roscoe Jackson (Trevor Murdoch) defeated Romeo Rapta (Indian wrestler) after a splash off the top rope. Roscoe shook Romeo’s hand and raised it after the match.

– Sir Brutus Magnus vs Matt Morgan for the Ring Ka King championship. During the intoductions by JB (which was interestingly enough done in kilos instead of pounds), Jarrett appeared in the crowd claiming to have a ticket. Soon after the match began, he appeared in front of the announce table and clapped, distracting Morgan enough for Magnus to capitalize. The action went to the outside with Magnus hitting Morgan’s head against the barrier. The action returned to the ring as Magnus stayed in control through the majority of the match. It then came to a sleeper hold by Magnus, only for Morgan gets his hand up before 3 and come back into the match. Morgan went for the chokeslam, but it was avoided by Magnus only to get clotheslined. Morgan gets the chokeslam this time. Some Indian guy I didn’t recognise distracted Morgan. The Indian police character then returned and hit Morgan with a baton while the ref was distracted. Magnus then hit the Mag Driver on Morgan and gets the 3 count. Magnus becomes the new Ring Ka King Champion. Jarrett then enters the ring and puts the championship on Magnus’ shoulders. The police character guy celebrates with them to suggest that he was bought off by Jarrett, and Dutt, Steiner and Abyss join in the celebration. Some Indian wrestlers try to enter the ring but are attacked by the bunch and thrown out. Harbhajan Singh’s music hits and he comes out with a cricket bat in hand leading to Jarrett and co. leaving the ring. Harbhajan says in Hindi that it was a mistake to give him a second chance, and that soon he would take his wicket. Magnus celebrates with the championship on the ramp as they leave.

Additional notes:

– The show is being promoted as “Ring Ka King: Wrestling Ka Mahayuddh”, which translates to “King Of The Ring:Wrestling’s Megabattle” in Hindi. The show name in all likelihood was chosen by Endemol and Colors and not TNA.

– This was the first set of tapings for the show and was shot over four days. The next set of tapings will be in January.

– The show was held at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, which is a city near Mumbai.

– The arena probably had about 1,500 people in, and they might have turned off about a 1,000 more. And that was with zero promotion or advertising.

– In terms of the size of the arena, it was similar to the Impact Zone, but the floor area was filled to capacity till they hardly had any space to move around.

– While in conversation with a lady who had come to watch the show, I found out that like most TV shows in India with an on-screen audience, there were a lot of people who were sent by the organizers to watch the show and fill the seats. I’m convinced that with the turnout that they got even without any promoting or advertising in the city, they wouln’t have needed to do that had they done some promoting in the city they were taping it in at least.

– Joe Baath is one of the two announcers of the show. Joe Baath has been the presenter for a bunch of TNA Wrestling recap shows in India for the past 5 years. The announcing will be in Hindi.

– A lot of the Indian wrestlers were also used on the previous wrestling show on Colors, “100% De Dhana Dhan”, which involved the South African wrestling promotion WWP.

– The show will air every Saturday and Sunday night on Colors in India, which is available in the US and UK as “Aapka Colors”. Colors is one of the top three networks in India in terms of ratings.

– It may be possible that Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother involving Indian celebrities, will be the lead-in to Ring Ka King.

– The celebrity involvement in the show is by Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. Cricket is the most popular sport in India and Harbhajan Singh is among one of the well-known faces of the national team.

– The production values of the show were excellent and may match or even exceed the quality of production in the Impact Zone. There was a truckload of lighting on the ceiling of the arena and was definitely much better lit than the Impact Zone. Though the Impact Zone may win in the pyrotechnics department.

– I managed to catch a glimpse of what the arena might look like on TV by the direct feed on one of the TVs in the “Creative TNA” room. It looks spectacular and will look good on TV too.

– I was not allowed to take photos, but I managed to sneak out my camera and take a few snaps from the horrible view that I got behind the announcer’s table.

– Overall this was a great experience, it being my first time at a wrestling event. All the wrestlers and celebrities involved got a great reaction from the crowds, unlike the usually dead Impact Zone. I’m sure TNA would be pleased with the way the tapings turned out. I was lucky to find a few wrestlers on the hallway outside and I quickly searched through my bag for a piece of paper, though all I could find was a bank receipt. Oh well. I managed to get a couple of autographs – one from Matt Morgan, who was nice enough to give me an autograph after frantically trying to get to the bathroom before asking one of the crew members “Can you tell me where is the shower?” The other was from Luke Gallows, though he did not seem very pleased by my asking him for an autograph. I was dumbfounded and speechless when I saw these guys in front of me, because I’ve only ever watched these guys on TV. Also it made me realise how big these guys are. Matt Morgan was f***ing huge!

Brock Lesnar Signs Big Multi-Year Endorsement Deal

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Everlast and Mixed Martial Arts Superstar Brock Lesnar Agree to Exclusive Contract

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Everlast Worldwide Inc., the global leader in fight sports and fitness, today announced the signing of an exclusive, multi-year equipment contract with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. One of the most dominant heavyweights in the world, Lesnar has electrified MMA fans across the globe with wins over Shane Carwin, Frank Mir and the great Randy Couture.

Under the agreement, Lesnar will exclusively train with Everlast equipment, as well as play a feature role in direct to consumer and retail marketing initiatives. Lesnar took the MMA world by storm when he won the heavyweight belt in only his 4th professional fight. He has also served as a coach on the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“Brock Lesnar’s combination of size, athleticism and elite wrestling ability is truly unmatched,” said Matt Cowan, VP of Marketing and Products for Everlast. “His strength, determination and individuality makes him resonate with our brand ethos, and we are excited to welcome Brock to our storied family of champions.”

“I’m truly excited to be a part of the Everlast family,” said Lesnar. “Everlast’s MMA training equipment is the best in the industry. I’ve been able to take my training to a new level since installing their 30 foot competition cage at my DeathClutch Gym. I look forward to a long and rewarding partnership with Everlast.”

In addition to the personal endorsement contract, Everlast will become the official equipment sponsor of Lesnar’s private training facility, DeathClutch Gym, in Minnesota.

Everlast MMA equipment and apparel is available at www.Everlast.com and sporting goods retailers.

Layla Close To Returning From Injury, Health Update On Sunny

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— Layla indicated Wednesday her return to the ring is drawing near. She tweeted,

“Who’s ready for wwe to become FLAWLESS again???”

The final WWE Women’s Champion has been sidelined since May due to tears of both her Anterior cruciate and Medial collateral ligaments, which required surgery. She has undergone rehabilitation in the meantime.

Meanwhile, retired Diva Michelle McCool said she’s ready for Layla’s return, adding, “Going thru photos…..good times!!! WWE needs some flawless back-FAST!”

— Tammy “Sunny” Sytch is healing slowly after falling down an escalator last month at Newark Liberty Airport, which resulted in a broken nose and cuts to her forehead, wrist and foot. The WWE Hall of Famer stated last week on Facebook that she has been suffering from dizziness not to mention that she acquired a viral infection due to not being given antibiotics while hospitalized. She was sedated Monday to have her teeth fixed and said Tuesday she broke her nose again, albeit due to clumsiness.

Kamala Has Leg Amputated, Cena Names Favorite Superstar

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— After having his foot amputated last month due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes, former WWE talent James Harris (a/k/a Kamala) was hospitalized Wednesday to remove the upper part of his leg.

Kamala Jr wrote on Facebook, “Please pray for Kamala Sr as he is back in the hospital, they are having to remove the upper part of the same leg. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM!!!!”

— This month on WWE Classics On Demand, various WWE Superstars and Legends are giving the gift of their favorite past or present Superstar in a match. John Cena is included and reveals his favorite Superstar as Dick Murdoch. A match from 1989 pitting Murdoch against Lex Luger is then shown.

— Sean Conway, nephew of former WWE star Rob Conway, made his professional wrestling debut last week at OVW Homecoming 6. The family duo defeated Flash Flanagan and Lennox Norris in a tag team match.

Early Survivor Series Buyrate, Chris Hero Speaks Out

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Survivor Series 2011

– Based on preliminary data released by WWE, November’s Survivor Series pay-per-view featuring The Rock’s first match since WrestleMania 20 drew approximately 280,000 buys. The final figure is expected to be higher than 280,000, as this figure is only through the end of November, but its a reliable early indicator of the event’s performance.

Last year’s Survivor Series did 244,00 buys and 2009’s show did 235,000 buys. Company officials were so disappointed with 2009’s buyrate that the show was temporarily scrapped from WWE’s pay-per-view lineup.

– Earlier this week, we covered the story of Chris Hero’s WWE contract reportedly being pulled due to elevated levels of testosterone found during his physical exams. In what could be a reference to this possible career setback, Hero tweeted this week:

“I don’t think I will ever be ‘done’ with wrestling. Thank you for your continued support!”

Christian Advertised, Controversial Goldust Tweet, ECW

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— Christian, who has been sidelined since November 9, 2011 due to an ankle injury, is advertised to appear at the February 7, 2012 WWE SmackDown taping in Tulsa, Oklahoma as well house shows beginning that month.

— Goldust, who WWE officials have had issues with in the past due to the Superstar publicly blocking people on Twitter, stated the following Wednesday morning.

“I believe in christ and if u dont i block you so go walk with the devil.”

He then wrote “blocked” in response to the following remark:

“Why do you block people just because they don’t believe the same things as you do?”

— Joey Styles tweeted the following regarding an interview he shot Tuesday for WWE Network:

“Yesterday, I was interviewed for about three hours about Original ECW for WWE Network. I got choked up revisiting my life from 1993-2000.”

Full Details On TNA’s New Indian Promotion: Ring Ka King

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TNA has officially launched their new Indian promotion, called Ring Ka King (which means King of the Ring). The first set of tapings are taking place this week.

Ring Ka King will debut on India’s The Colors Network on January 14th and will air 26 episodes over 13 weeks.

The promotion will feature 20 American wrestlers and 10 Indian wrestlers, trained by Savio Vega, Sonjay Dutt, and Nick Dinsmore (“Eugene”).

According to TNA sources and several wrestlers who are on the tour, the production values and the set are said to be amazing. TNA India is drawing huge crowds, which are red hot and very into the product.

Matt Morgan was crowned the first ever Ring Ka King heavyweight champion after defeating Scott Steiner in the finals of an 8-man tournament. Steiner is a top heel in the new promotion.

According to a source, Scott Steiner caused a near-riot with fans during a six-man match that was taped this week. The match saw Smith, Guerrero and Morgan take on Steiner, Magnus and Sonjay Dutt.

Chavo Guerrero and David Hart Smith were also crowned the first-ever Tag Team Champions of the promotion.

Jeremy Borash tweeted the following regarding the new India project

“Great 2nd day of TV in India just wrapped. Tonight’s crowd was insane, most seeing wrestling for the first time. Enthusiasm off the charts. The most heel heat I’ve seen in 15 years tonight in India. This will be amazing TV. Congrats to the team. Forgot how fun this can be.”

WWE’s Longterm Plans For The WWE Network

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WWE Network

Here’s the latest on the upcoming WWE Network, launching in just over 4 months:

* WWE wants the network to be more than just wrestling-themed programming.

* With WWE’s recent obsession with Twitter, they’ve built an army of fans they can use to push cable carriers to carry their network.

* Most pay-per-view events, NXT and Superstars will be moving to the network.

* The Network has the potential to be WWE’s most valuable asset and it will give them a 24/7 outlet to constantly promote their brand.

* WWE hopes to find outside of the box original programming that won’t be wrestling-related once they get established. This would be similar to a show like the History Channel eventually finding hit shows like Pawn Stars that isn’t “history” related.

* The plan for the network is to eventually brand WWE as more of a lifestyle brand instead of just a “sports-entertainment/pro wrestling” company.

(Partial Source: Pwinsider.com)

Stiles Leaving WWE Due To Rhodes?, Punk Not On Facebook

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— Ring announcer Eden Stiles announced late Tuesday night on Twitter that she has parted ways with WWE after requesting to be released from her contract three weeks ago. She also stated that she is dating Cody Rhodes and indicated she left the promotion due to their relationship.

Stiles tweeted this morning, “Most people in relationships prefer not to work together. There’s work and then your personal life. Healthy balance.”

She added, “I left WWE because- as the most important person in my life put it -“the world is my oyster”. It certainly is! Keep following me!!”

— CM Punk confirmed Tuesday on Twitter that he does not have a Facebook account.

— Sheamus is advertised to appear at the World of Wheels at the Shreveport Convention Center 400 Caddo St. Shreveport, Louisiana on January 13, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Cage At RAW Next Week, Lesnar Comment On Guilty Plea

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— WWE will be bringing the steel cage to Chicago next Monday night for RAW. The advertised dark match main event is CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship. Since WWE is going through the effort of transporting the cage on the road, but there’s a chance we’ll see a cage match on RAW next week.

— As reported earlier this week, Brock Lesnar has plead guilty to “improper tagging of an animal” on a November 2010 hunting trip. The other two charges, leaving meat to rot and illegal possession of wildlife, were then dropped. Lesnar has issued the following statement explaining the situation:

“In November 2010 I went on a filmed hunt in Alberta, Canada. It was sponsored by Fusion Ammunition and guided by Trophy Hunters Alberta. In Alberta, Americans can’t hunt without a licensed outfitter. The outfitter is there to make sure you follow the rules. I had two deer tags for the trip which meant I could legally shoot two deer. On the first day of the trip, I shot a mule deer. On the second day, I shot a white tail. Videos from the hunt have been on the Internet for over and year. After I shot the mule deer, I failed to immediately tag it. As far as I was involved, that’s all there is to it. Now it’s resolved. I paid my fine today. It’s the kind of thing that happens to hunters all the time. I want to thank the Canadian authorities for their cooperation in resolving this misunderstanding. I love Canada and I can’t wait to go back to Alberta for a hunt.

(Source: f4wonline.com)

Update On WWE Building A Physical Hall Of Fame Building

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WWE Hall Of Fame

As we’ve been reporting in recent months, there are plans for WWE to build a physical Hall of Fame building some time in 2012, similar to baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

WWE is currently looking at sites in both the North East as well as Florida and hopes to jumpstart the project in 2012. Aside from highlighting the careers of past superstars, divas and company officials who have been inducted in previous years, the building would also showcase historic company memorabilia.

WWE has warehouses full of of company memorabilia (various props, ring aprons, event banners, etc.) and the company is currently on the hunt to purchase other historic items which they do not currently own.

The WWE website ran an article this week speculating which items from past WrestleMania events should be on display at the Hall of Fame building, including Rowdy Roddy Piper’s boxing gloves from WrestleMania 2, [what’s left of] the battle royal trophy Bret Hart destroyed at WrestleMania 4, the zipline Shawn Michaels used at WrestleMania 12 and more.

We want to know – would you visit a WWE Hall of Fame? If you did not live near it – would you be willing to travel to the Hall of Fame? Hit up the Comments below and let us know.

Royal Rumble Update, Seth Rollins On The Road Next Week

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— WWE has confirmed that January’s Royal Rumble event will be returning to the traditional 30-man format, down from 40 men last year.

The 25th annual Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

— As he alluded to on his Twitter account last week, developmental wrestler Seth Rollins (formerly Tyler Black in ROH) will be touring with the RAW brand all next week. There’s been some talk that he’ll be wrestling against the returning R-Truth, but that’s not confirmed at this time.

Black is seen as one of the top stars at Florida Championship Wrestling along with Dean Ambrose (formerly John Moxley), who started touring with WWE last week

R-Truth’s Return, Mark Henry Still Advertised, New Trademark

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— WWE has filed a new trademark for the phrase “Fear My Name.”

— Despite Mark Henry’s injury (and the fact that WWE took the World Heavyweight title off him because he can’t wrestle), he’s still being advertised for Friday’s SmackDown and next Friday’s SmackDown live event at the Izod Center in New Jersey.

The main event for that show is scheduled to be Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry in a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. For the full card, visit Meadowlands.com.

— R-Truth, who is currently serving a 30-day suspension due to his first violation of WWE’s Wellnness policy, is back on the active roster as of tomorrow, 12/22.

(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)

Eden Stiles Parts Ways With WWE, Says She Dating WWE Star

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Ring announcer Eden Stiles announced late Tuesday night on Twitter that she has parted ways with WWE after asking to be released from her contract three weeks ago.

She wrote, “This was it! 3 weeks ago I asked to be released from my WWE contract. Today was my last day. Sure enjoyed it!! More on the horizon for me.”

Stiles also revealed she is dating Cody Rhodes.

“And…now that I no longer work here I’m glad to finally not “hint” and say that I am 100% Cody’s girl :-).”

After being a successful model for a few years, Stiles wanted to get back to athletics and found herself at WWE’s development facility, Florida Championship Wrestling in March, where she began training to become a WWE Diva. Stiles, however, was made the ring announcer for WWE Superstars.

*Spoilers* WWE SmackDown Taping Results For Friday

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WWE SmackDown on Syfy

Booker T had the biggest pop so far at the TV taping and Michaeal Cole got the most boos yet.

Big Show came out to cut a promo about working hard to get the World Title back. When he mentioned Daniel Bryan, it was met with a mixed reaction. They cut to a clip from Raw of Josh Mathews asking him if he was mad about losing the title, to which Show said he was proud. Mark Henry came out to boos and cut a promo on how Show should be mad and quit wrestling. Henry demanded his re-match right before Daniel Bryan came out. He said he wasn’t big or strong, but he is the champion. Show and Henry argued over who got a re-match and Teddy Long came out to announce they would fight tonight to determine the number one contender.

(1) U.S. champion Zack Ryder beat IC champion Cody Rhodes via the Rough Ryder after Booker T distracted Cody by singing Cody the Red Nosed Reindeer. The crowd was behind Zack, and also firmly behind Booker. The match started somewhat cold and ended really hot.

After the match, Santino was in Teddy Long’s office applying to be Assistant to the GM. Aksana interrupted, then Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler came in. Dolph asked for a match with Daniel Bryan, and, of course, Teddy obliged.

Big Show vs Henry was next, but David Otunga came out and said the match couldn’t happen because Henry wasn’t cleared to wrestle. Big Show then hit Otunga with the WMD to end the segment. Coffee spilled all over the canvas from Otunga’s coffee mug.

Teddy Long was shown walking when The Miz showed up to ask what he was doing tonight. He also bragged about how many PPV main events he’d been in. He told Teddy he would interrupt the show and wait in the ring until Teddy found someone for him to wrestle.

The Miz then came to the ring and stood there. He threw to clips of him beating up R-Truth and John Morrison. After taunting the locker room, Sheamus came out to wrestle him to a big pop. The best sign I saw was “I’m dreaming of a (Great) White Shea-mas.”

(2) Sheamus beat The Miz. Sheamus won with a Brogue Kick after Miz broke out of a High Cross.

Wade Barrett then came out to to heavy boos and cut a promo about the Barrett Barrage and his victories over Randy Orton, not mentioning the loss at TLC. After he wished the crowd a “happy Christmas,” he left the ring and Orton came out to attack him. They didn’t fight in the ring, but opted for a backstage brawl. Orton eventually beat Barrett down enough to end the segment.

Primo and Epico then came to the ring and, after an extended dance from Rosa, so did Air Boom.

(3) WWE tag champion Kofi Kingston (w/Evan Bourne) beat Primo (w/Epico and Rosa Mendes). The crowd was really into this match and even started a “Primo Sucks” chant. It was a fun match between the two high-flyers. Kofi won with Trouble in Paradise and celebrated in the ring with Bourne.

(4) World Hvt. champion Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) went to a No Contest. D-Bry and the Zig-Zag Man put on a great show with some great spots. They really are the future of the business. Jack Swagger came out during the match and leveled Bryan while Vickie distracted the ref. After that, Big Show came out to cheer on Bryan and make sure Swagger was under control. Bryan and Ziggler were stellar in the match, and the crowd went along for the ride. After a few minutes, Show and Swagger ended up in the ring, with Show almost chokeslamming Swagger. Teddy Long then came out and turned it into a tag match.

(5) World Hvt. champion Daniel Bryan & Big Show beat Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger (w/Vickie Guerrero). Swagger and Show started off the tag match and the crowd was pretty excited to see Show wrestle. All four guys put on a pretty exciting match, with some great spots and a good rhythm. At one point, Ziggler flew out of the ring and started selling his knee. Swagger put Bryan in the anklelock, which he reversed into the LeBell Lock for the win.

source: Pro Wrestling Torch

JR Blog: Bryan’s Title Win, Punk The Face Of WWE, 1/2 Promos

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

The Cryptic 1/2 Promo Videos: “I have no firm idea on who these well produced/written vignettes are for but I have my suspicions. Again, if I truly knew, why would I spoil the surprise? Doing these types of vignettes always builds anticipation in a big way with many fans which is why I think that they should be used more frequently. ”

Daniel Bryan’s Title Win: “Proud to see Daniel Bryan make it to the top of the card as the new, World Heavyweight Champion. Those that knock Bryan for his lack of size generally don’t understand athletics especially MMA. I like that Daniel Bryan breaks the old mold, by and large, and he provides something/someone new for which the fans to emotionally invest. Bryan will be an effective fan favorite and someday, down the road, will be an outstanding wrestling villain.”

CM Punk As The Face Of WWE: “Based on WWE TLC PPV and Monday’s Raw from Philly, it certainly seems as if CM Punk has become the newest ‘face’ of WWE. No, John Cena hasn’t disappeared and Cena will still face The Rock at WM28 in the longest promoted and, arguably, the biggest Wrestlemania main event ever but Punk has been positioned to be the leader of a transitioning roster of young, WWE Superstars, many of who are ‘this close’ to taking the much needed step to the next level.”

(Source: JRsBarBQ.com)

Alicia Fox Taunts Phoenix, Lesnar Pleads Guilty, Punk-Rock

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— Alicia Fox has commented on the damage she did to Beth Phoenix’s face during their match on RAW last night. Phoenix tweeted pictures of a nasty looking bump on her left temple. Fox tweeted on Tuesday afternoon:

“@TheBethPhoenix wow!!!! I think your face looks better than ever!!!! Next one I’ll put more STANk on it!!!! Kiss kiss”

— CM Punk and The Rock were both listed on Guyism.com‘s list of the “Top 75 Guys We Wish We Were in 2011.” The Rock ranked #17 and CM Punk ranked at #5. Actor Ryan Gossling got the #1 spot. The description for CM Punk reads:

“C.M. Punk, the straight-edge champion of the WWE, kept things interesting in 2011 with his outspoken critique of the company, his feuds with John Cena and Alberto Del Rio, and his short-lived retirement from the company. With the year that he’s had, it’s clear the WWE needs him. We just hope debuting a new theme song, ‘Cult of Personality,’ is a sign the sober wrestler is back for good.”

— WinnipegFreePress.com is reporting that UFC heavyweight fighter Brock Lesnar has plead guilty to “improper tagging of an animal” on a November 2010 hunting trip. The other two charges were dropped. Lesnar will pay a $1,725 fine and his hunting license will be suspended for six months.

 

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