On Monday’s WWE RAW Supershow, we saw the first vignette for Lord Tensai, a new character who is coming soon.
WrestleZone.com is reporting exclusively that former WWE superstar Matt “A-Train” Bloom is currently backstage at tonight’s WWE Smackdown tapings from Newark, NJ.
No word on whether or not WWE plans to use Bloom at tonight’s tapings, but he is backstage, which virtually confirms that he will be playing the character of Lord Tensai.
WWE.com has addressed the online rumors that Florida Championship Wrestling is shutting down, vehemently denying the “erroneous” report by an “unreliable online news source.”
The WWE website reached out to WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Paul Levesque (Triple H) to address this issue:
“It is absolutely not true. FCW is not closing. I don’t know how the rumor started but I believe it’s a situation where the ‘dirt sheets’ want to believe they have the scoop on everything. If anything, we are in the process of ramping up our entire developmental system. It’s the lifeblood of our company. It’s what feeds our future and in no way are we going to close it down.”
Triple H acknowledged that there are plans to overhaul the developmental system and revealed that there is a “major announcement” coming shortly after WrestleMania regarding the future of WWE developmental:
“WWE’s developmental system is being revamped, not shut down. If anything, it’s going to get bigger and better than ever. WWE Developmental cultivates the future talent of WWE. By no means is it going to get smaller or shut down.”
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about what went down at Monday’s RAW:
CM Punk & Chris Jericho: “The Punk/Jericho interaction was compelling and furthered the two, talented performer’s personal issue. Let’s not lose track that this is for the WWE Title which is the Promised Land for any WWE Superstar. The personal issue aspect of this pairing makes this match even more anticipated in my view. A potential show stealer without question.”
Cody Rhodes: “The evolution of IC Champion Cody Rhodes continues at a rapid and productive pace. Rhodes has the skills to be a top star for years to come and his WM28 bout with the Big Show increased my interest thanks to what they did Monday night.”
Sheamus & Daniel Bryan: “While Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan may be overlooked by a handful of fans, I have always looked forward to their WM28 bout knowing how both athletes are wired and what WM28 means to each of them personally and professionally. I’m very proud of both men and hope that they tear the house down April 1.”
The Rock: “Only one man’s opinion, but I thought that Rock’s promo in front of the Rocky statue was the Great One’s best verbal presentation yet in regard to the Rock vs. Cena bout at WM28. Loved the old school references along with Rock’s entertaining and compelling delivery. Really memorable.”
Taker, Triple H & HBK: “Have to be honest, I got goose bumps on all three entrances of HBK, Undertaker and HHH. The HIAC match with Taker’s ‘Streak’ in jeopardy is something that has many talking. The emotional investment of 19 years of greatness by Undertaker at WrestleMania events has built an amazing foundation. The match provokes many more questions than answers. Obviously, where Shawn Michaels stands as the referee of record is one question of prominence.”
– Mark Henry tweeted the following message after his loss to John Cena on Monday’s RAW:
“To the twitter world I fell short tonight but I will get another chance to induct John Cena in the hall of pain. The rock should look out!”
– WrestleMania 28 celebrity performer Maria Menounos made her debut on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars last night. She scored a 21 with her partner Derek Hough. The first elimination of this season will not take place until next week (3/27), so this essentially guarantees she won’t be appearing on the final RAW before her Divas tag match at WrestleMania.
– Lilian Garcia will hold a launch party for her new single at the Gibson Miami Showroom on March 28th. Lilian will be performing the song “Ur Girl” for the VIP-only crowd.
– During a recent appearance on Philadelphia’s Preston & Steve Show John Cena revealed that his favorite wrestler of all-time is Hulk Hogan.
– Speaking of Cena, WWE is promoting several post-WrestleMania live events with the teaser:
“What will John Cena’s mindset be after the biggest match of his career?”
– There are several TNA contracts expiring in the near future, including X-Division Champion Austin Aries.
– Rob Van Dam is not backstage at TV today, but does return to the weekend house show line up starting this week.
– Bruce Prichard is not at television this week and is reportedly taking time off to deal with a personal issue.
– The social media push we saw at Victory Road was said to be the idea of Dave Lagana.
(Source: Pwinsider.com)
– According to sources at Florida Championship Wrestling, things are said to be “business as usual” today. That said, there is still a feeling that a major shakeup is in store for WWE’s developmental territory.
– We spoke with Jesse Kage, a Tampa-based radio DJ that hosts the Kage Kult Show on 98Rock in Tampa. Kage, who has worked directly with FCW head trainer Steve Keirn, says he texted Keirn regarding the rumor and was told:
“Rasslin’ rumor, not true.”
– WWE creative team member Kevin Eck has responded to the “FCW shutting down” rumors on Twitter. He wrote:
“WWE is severing ties with FCW?”
“Good lord. Dirt sheets are wrong…AGAIN.”
Ted DiBiase posted the following blog early Tuesday morning discussing his recent injuries and shoulder surgery:
It’s 4:55 am and I can’t sleep. My back is killing me from having my leg propped up all day and night. This cast is really starting to get on my nerves because they have my foot angled in and down, to take pressure off the ligament that was torn. On top of that, now I am about to head to the hospital for a much needed shoulder surgery. I’m probably looking at 2 months of pain, rehab and boredom. Not really looking forward to this experience, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
I try to remain positive during tough times and trials. I think we all know that life is not always a bed of roses, doesn’t matter who you are. However, I think you find out who you are in the trials of life. It’s easy to remain positive and upbeat when things are going your way. When you’re able to pay the bills, health is in check and your closest friends and family are well and happy, it’s easy to remain grateful and upbeat. It is also easier to give, and live with integrity and character. When things are going your way, you might even find some time to focus on someone else, someone who’s in need or less fortunate.
But, who are you when things are bad or just not going your way? When everything seems to be falling apart and your world is crashing in and around you, do you lay there and just give up? Do you just mail it in and say I can’t do it anymore?
I hope you realize that each trial in your life creates opportunity! It’s an opportunity to show your friends, your family and the world that what looks bad on the outside is NOT what defines you on the inside!
Here is my challenge to those of you who have suffered or are suffering, who are down or just struggling right now: Take your focus off yourself. Find and help someone who is worse off than you. It may be a complete stranger. Share your story with someone who is going through the same thing! It’s always easier when you’re not alone. Smile, even though it may hurt; you will bring joy to others in ways you’ll never know. Don’t give up… With each new day comes hope!
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” 2 Cor. 4:17
– Ted DiBiase
– Evan Bourne was not backstage at Monday’s RAW and is not scheduled to appear he was not at TV last night and is not scheduled for tonight’s Smackdown taping. His 60-day suspension for violating WWE’s Wellness Policy for a second time is completed and he’s now free to return to action.
– WWE issued a press release on Tuesday officially announcing that hip hop stars Flo Rida and Machine Gun Kelly will perform at WrestleMania 28.. The press release states that Flo Rida will perform two songs and MGK will perform “Invincible” for John Cena’s entrance. To read the press release, head over to Corporate.WWE.com.
– WWE is holding a pre-sale event for SummerSlam tickets that started today and runs through Friday night. The password for the pre-sale is “SLAM”. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday. WWE SummerSlam takes place on August 25 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
It was reported by f4wonline.com on Monday night that WWE is shutting down it’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. The news came after the Brighthouse Network, which airs FCW television, confirmed that the show would be ending its run very soon. Now, there are conflicting reports regarding the future of the promotion.
All talents and staff are at FCW’s training school today and as of Tuesday morning and it’s been “business as usual.”
All FCW events currently scheduled for this coming weekend will go on as planned and FCW President Steve Keirn is vehemently denying the rumors of FCW shutting down.
Sources within WWE are saying there are no plans to shutdown FCW, despite the promotion’s television show ending its run on the Brighthouse Network. There have been recent discussions about moving the FCW TV show to another market, possibly in the Orlando area. It has also been speculated that WWE could be moving its developmental talent to Stanford, Connecticut, near company headquarters.
Vince McMahon has reportedly been upset recently over the lack of depth on the WWE roster and the lack of superstars who are over.
WWE executive Ty Bailey, who was released earlier this month, had a major role in WWE’s developmental system.
(Partial Source: pwinsider.com)
– After Monday’s RAW from Philadelphia went off the air, there was no dark match main event. The Miz came back out and started ranting about how he’s not on WrestleMania and wants a match. He ran down all the Philly sports teams and got a lot of heat from the crowd. The Rock eventually came out and pointed out members of the Philadelphia Eagles who were sitting in the front row. The Miz told The Rock that he wanted to be in his corner for WrestleMania. The crowd broke out in loud “Rocky” and “People’s Elbow” chants. The Miz offered his hand for a handshake to which The Rock accepted. Rock then hit a Rock Bottom and the People’s Elbow to send the crowd home happy.
– The show-closing segment between The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels was originally scheduled to kick off the second hour of RAW, but that was changed on Monday during the day. WWE booked Cena vs. Mark Henry to open the second hour of RAW, with The Rock coming down to confront Cena after the match.
– Despite being advertised for Monday’s RAW, Brodus Clay did not appear on television this week after returning last week from a long absence.
– Following the cat fight that took place on RAW between Vickie Guerrero and Aksana, Vickie tweeted that she’d like to face Aksana next week on RAW. Aksana responded and said she will see Vickie on Friday’s SmackDown.
– WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes wrote the following on Twitter after RAW last night regarding his brutal attack on Big Show this week:
“Cookiecutter WWE thing, gloat or make some vow after the show. Naa, rather say thanks Dad…even the bantamweights, we always loved boxing.”
– World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan recently spoke with TheDailyWorld.com to promote WrestleMania 28. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Winning the World Heavyweight Title:
“It was crazy. I’ve been doing this for 12 years and a lot of people thought I couldn’t succeed at this. It was vindication, that I reached the top. When people are doubting you that much, sometimes you doubt yourself. It was more retrospective — I can’t believe I went through all of that and I’m at this moment.”
Being A Heel Vegan:
“I never thought (being a vegan) would turn me into a bad guy. The way we’ve (incorporated it) it has been kind of fun. It is the personality that makes people hate me — winning my matches by disqualification, cheap ways to win, claiming I’m a role model because I don’t eat meat. It all gets under people’s skins.”
“I’ve always loved being a bad guy; there’s something more fun about it. It always makes me smile. Now, I’ll hear my music and (the crowd) instantly starts booing. I have to keep myself from laughing, because it makes me happy.”
WrestleMania 28:
“I’m not nervous about the match, but I’m excited about the experience. We’re not afraid to hit each other. Some guys like to fight. I like to fight. Sheamus was a bouncer for years. There’s something about being in front of a large crowd and getting hit. It fires you up. We want to steal the show, even with Rock vs. Cena (on the card).”
WWE aired a vignette on Monday’s RAW promoting a new character by the name Lord Tensai.
The identity of this new character has been revealed to be Matthew Bloom, who previously competed for the organization as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train.
Bloom parted ways with WWE back in 2004 and has been wrestling in Japan ever since, winning the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Karl Anderson on two occasions as well as the GHC Tag Team Championship in Pro Wrestling NOAH.
News broke this weekend that Bloom had re-signed with WWE, although he denied this on Twitter.
A report by the Wrestling Observer indicates that Lord Tensai will be getting “pushed to the top” upon his debut and might be used as a henchman for John Laurinaitis.
WWE Superstar Yoshi Tatsu tweeted on Mondaay night that the letters seen on Lord Tensai’s body in the teaser video were Japanese. Tatsu added that Tensai means “a natural disaster or an act of God.”
A fan wrote on Twitter last night that the back tattoo on Lord Tensai was common and could be anyone. Matt Bloom replied to the tweet and agreed the back tattoo was too common to make a positive identification.
However, a closer look at the vignette that aired on RAW shows that Albert is indeed returning to WWE.
Credit to SEScoops Facebook page follower Jordan Zelisko for sending in this screen cap – which shows Tensai and Albert have a very similar taste in body art:
Credit to SEScoops.com reader Eric for sending in the following TNA Impact Wrestling spoilers from Monday night’s tapings in Orlando. These will air this Thursday on Spike:
– Dixie Carter opens the show and wants to fire Bobby Roode for his actions after Victory Road. Sting comes out and talks her out of it so James Storm can take care of Roode at Lockdown. Sting steps down as head of the show and suggests that Hulk Hogan run the company.
– James Storm comes out and talks about Roode. A man comes out and says Roode won’t be appearing until Lockdown and isn’t obligated to. Storm vs. Daniels and Kazarian is announced for tonight.
– Eric Young and ODB beat Rosita and Sarita.
– Austin Aries, Tony Nese, Kid Kash and Zema Ion wrestle to a No Contest when Bully Ray clears the ring.
– Samoa Joe and Magnus beat Mexican America. Rosita and Sarita interfered until Repo Games Josh Lewis ran out and stopped them.
– Gunner attacked Garett Bischoff in his 3 Minute Challenge with Kurt Angle. Jeff Hardy made the save.
– James Storm beat Kaz and Daniels in a Handicap Match
– Hulk Hogan returns to end the show. Sting comes out and begs Dixie Carter to let Hogan run the show. Sting says Hogan has changed and should be in charge of TNA.
WWE officials notified Bright House Network Monday that they have opted to cease their affiliation with the Florida based sports network as they are shutting down Florida Championship Wrestling effective immediately. Florida Championship Wrestling programming, which was taped last Thursday in Tampa, Florida, will cease to air on the network in three weeks.
Everyone involved with Florida Championship Wrestling will relocate to WWE’s homebase in Stamford, Connecticut until a further decision regarding the developmental program is made.
WWE employees were given the impression that a developmental promotion will ultimately open in Connecticut with the possibility of a second at an undetermined location.
The promotion was started by former wrestler Steve Keirn in 2007 to be WWE’s second developmental promotion when they ended their relationship with the Georgia-based Deep South Wrestling in early 2007. It became their sole developmental promotion in early 2008 when they ceased affiliation with Ohio Valley Wrestling.
source: F4WOnline.com
WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has posted his first Q&A video to his site, BrokenSkullRanch.com. Among the topics discussed:
– “Taking His Ball & Going Home” – The Brock Lesnar situation where he refused to job to Lesnar on RAW with no build-up
– His favorite finishing move in wrestling besides the Stone Cold Stunner
– His favorite building or city to wrestle in.
– His favorite wrestler.
– Whether he really disliked the Ringmaster gimmick.
– His goals as an actor
– His neck
Here’s the video:
RAW starts off with the opening video and pyro. We are live from Philadelphia, PA. Tonight, Triple H, The Undertaker and Shawn Michael will be i the same ring. Plus, John Cena vs. Mark Henry. Justin Roberts introduces our WWE Champion, CM Punk.
Look in his eyes, what do you see? Out comes CM Punk. We see a clip from last week of Chris Jericho talking about CM Punk’s alcoholic father and how he’s going to drive Punk to drink and take his title. Punk starts off by saying Chris Jericho is not here tonight, which goes to show the type of man Jericho is. Punk started talking about his father and paused mid-sentence. The crowd chanted CM PUNK. Punk says his father’s condition is no secret, but it’s none of Chris Jericho’s business. Punk says everybody knows someone who has been touched by alcoholism and he would never let that stop of him from being great. Jericho is trying to play head games and Jericho does not know him. Nightmares will not cloud his dreams. Punk says his father has overcome his demons and he is proud of him.
Jericho cuts in via satellite. Jericho apologizes to CM Punk says he won’t talk about Punk’s father anymore. However, his sister is a whole other ball game. Jericho says he found out Punk’s sister’s drug problems and addicts will do whatever they can to get their fix. Jericho says Punk acts like he’s proud of his father and sister, but he knows he’s going to end up just like them. Jericho says being an alcoholic Punk’s destiny and he’s going to drink. Jericho says he’s going to take the WWE title at WrestleMania. The crowd is booing loudly as Punk says something that gets censored but he’s doing to “beat the [-censored-] out of him”.
Up next – Kane vs. the Big Show. Promo for the 1-hour documentary “Rock vs. Cena: Once In A Lifetime” – which airs next week before RAW. Commercial.
Kane vs. Big Show
Kane is out first followed by Big Show. Out comes Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes. They show a video package of the Rhodes-Show feud, including Show’s worst WrestleMania moments. Kane won the match in about 2 minutes when Cody Rhodes distracted Big Show. Cody came in and beat down Big Show, nailing him with his Disaster Kick 2nd rope kick to the face. Cody handcuffed Big Show to the ropes with his hands behind his back. Cody puts on boxing gloves and punches the crap out of the Big Show’s face. Vicious attack. 2 referees get Cody off, but he comes back with another huge punch to Big Show’s face. Show is hurt and very, very mad. He screams at Cody, who runs away with a smile. Bolt cutters used to free Big Show’s handcuffs. Show is hurt in the ring, wobbly on his feet as referees hold him back.
David Otunga vs. Santino (Non-title Match)
Replay of the Cody-Big Show beatdown. Out comes David Otunga. Otunga come out in a long coat that looks like a business suit and takes it off to pose at the top of the ramp. Otunga is out there with Laurinaitis. His opponent – United States champion Santino, accompanied by Teddy Long.Otunga and Santino do a pose down. Santino has painted on abs, as if he knew there was going to be a posedown. After a few minutes of action, Santino takes John Laurinaitis’ cell phone from him, which leaves him open to an attack by the laywer. Otunga hits a distracted Santino with a spinebuster and scores the pin on the US champion. After the match, Laurinaitis gets in Teddy Long’s face and Long bitch slaps him. Long takes off running with Laurinaitis looking pissed. Long dances on the stage with Santino.
UP NEXT – THE ROCK
Zoomed in shot of the Rocky Balboa Finally The Rock has come back to Philadelphia. Mixed reaction from the crowd. Philadelphia is the city of ass kickers. The statue represents the fighting spirit of Philadelphia. Rock stood in front of this statue when he was 12 years old and got inspired. The Rock showed a picture of himself as a 12 year old kid in front of the statue. Rock admits he looked like a chubby little girl at 12 years old with short shorts and his little pebbles hanging out. At that time, he dreamt about being the greatest of all time. 1 year later, the first WrestleMania took place and he watched it. They showed Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 1. WrestleMania 6 was the Ultimate Warrior’s year. Rock does a hilarious Warrior impression and says he had no idea what he was talking about, nobody did. Rock headlined his first WrestleMania as WWE chapion in Philadelphia against Stone Cold Steve Austin. They show footage of the electric final moments of that match. Rock said he swore at that time never to wrestle another man that wears jean shorts but that’s a promise he can’t keep now (Cena). WrestleMania is in 13 days, but he wants to talk about tonight. Rock says he’s going to jump in is car, drive to RAW and send John Cena a message in the middle of the ring. If Rock doesn’t get the message, he’s going to get in his car, drive to Pat’s for a cheesesteak, turn that sumbitch sideways and stick it straight up Cena’s candy ass. All the greats are gonna thank The Rock tonight. They’ll say Bang Bang. They’ll say Woooooooo. They’ll say Ohhhh Yeahh, Diggit. Tonight, it’s just the beginning. The Rock is going to lay the smack down and at WrestleMania, he will become the greatest of all time by beating Cena. If ya smell…. Electric promo from The Rock.
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan w/AJ vs. Zack Ryder
Daniel Bryan is out first with AJ. Out next is Mr. Long Island Iced Z. Clip from earlier today of Zack Ryder in the parking lot with a megaphone telling a huge crowd of fans that he wants to be on Team Long at WrestleMania. The crowd chants, “We want Ryder.” Bryan kisses AJ before the match. Ryder goes for his finisher but Bryan blocks it and throws Ryder in the Label lock. Ryder submits, Bryan celebrates as AJ applauds the champ.
A screen cap of TMZ.com is shown – with their coverage of John Cena’s car accident from earlier today. Up next, Cena in action against the World’s Strongest Man.
Music act Flo Rida will be performing live at WrestleMania.
John Cena vs. Mark Henry
Cena is out first. He gets a very loud, but mixed reaction. 18,088 fans make tonight’s show a sell out crowd. Henry starts off by throwing Cena around and showing his power. Cena gets the upper hand but it doesn’t last long, as Henry throws him to the outside. Mark Henry destroying Cena outside of the ring. Cena went for the Attitude Adjustment but can’t get Henry up. Henry in control, but Cena gets the upper hand. Cena goes for the AA again and nails it! Cena gets the 3-count and the place goes crazy. As Cena is laying in the ring, we hear – IF YOU SMELLL .. Out comes The Rock and the place erupts again.
Rock runs down the the ring and gives Mark Henry a Rock Bottom. Rock goes face to face with Cena, points at the “Boots To Asses” on the front of his shirt, says something to Cena (inaudible) and runs off.
Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are ringside and take us to a video package looking back at the last few weeks of Undertaker/Triple H/Michaels. Commercial.
Footage is shown from last week’s EXTRA television show with special guest Kelly Kelly. The party is crashed by Beth Phoenix and Eve, who says Maria should be interviewing people who matter. Beth Phoenix grabbed Munos’ face and asks if they’re challenging her. Maria says she’s in and the match is made.
The Miz is in the ring. Miz says King Kong Bundy, yes King Kong Bundy, was in the main event of WrestleMania 2. The next year, he was in a joke match with a bunch of little people. This is the biggest match dropoff in WrestleMania history. Miz main evented WrestleMania last year and won’t be like King Kong Bundy. Miz has petitioned to be on John Laurinaitis’ team at WresetleMania – but first, he has to defeat … Sheamus.
The Miz vs. Sheamus
Solid 5 (or so) minute match with Sheamus getting the win with a huge Brogue kick right to the mush. Sheamus was in control for most of the match and looked very solid heading into his World Heavyweight title match. No spot on Team Laurinaitis for Miz. John Laurinaitis and David Otunga were watching the match on a big TV backstage.
Chris Jericho will be appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s late night NBC show on Wednesday.
Footage is shown from earlier tonight with Chris Jericho talking about CM Punk’s sister’s drug problems.
Out comes Vickie Guerrero and it’s announced that her men, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger, will be joining Team Laurinaitis at WrestleMania.
Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston
It’s members of Team Laurinaitis vs. members of Team Long. Commercial. We’re back from commercial and Vickie and Aksana are getting in each others faces. Solid tag team action, with Ziggler nailing the Zig Zag on R-Truth for the win. Truth had his foot on the ropes, but Vickie threw the foot off. After the match, Aksana got in Vickie’s face and pushed her to the ground. In the ring, Aksana and Vickie got in each other’s faces again, with Aksana taking Vickie down with a spear.
Footage is shown from Sunday’s WWE live event from Madison Square Garden, with Triple H hitting the Undertaker’s signature moves on Dolph Ziggler to win his 6-man tag match.
Next week’s RAW will feature one final in-ring confrontation between The Rock and John Cena.
Sexy Boy plays and out comes good ‘ol HBK, Shawn Michaels, who does his full entrance along with pyro and in-ring celebration. Michaels talks about whether he can be an impartial referee. He says he’s been where Triple H has been, he tried to end the streak and couldn’t do it. As Michaels is talking, the gong sounds and the lights go off .. which can only mean one thing .. Out comes the phenom, the Undertaker.
Undertaker says Michaels did enough talking last week, now he should shut up and listen. Taker already told Michaels that this match has to remain “pure” – so before he and his buddy Triple H… Speak of the devil, Triple H’s music hits and out comes the cerebral assassin.
Triple H tells Undertaker that out of the 24 Hell in a Cell matches, the two of them have been in 19 of them. Triple H says Hell in a a Cell is where he thrives, where he excels. All of them have led him to April 1st, when the whole world will see the end of an era – the Undertaker’s. He knows what it takes to end the Undertaker. Taker cuts him off, takes the mic and says his mind, body, soul, career, children and even his life – is he willing to put them all on the line? Triple H says he is ready. Undertaker begins to walk out of the ring, but comes back for one more thing. He asks Triple H if he remembers when he said Shawn was better than him. Undertaker said, “He is” and left the ring. Michaels and Triple H stared at each other as the Undertaker’s music played.
— Before tonight’s Raw SuperShow at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis announced two new members of Team Johnny for WrestleMania XXVIII—Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. They join captain David Otunga, Christian and Mark Henry. Announced for Team Teddy is captain Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth. Both teams will feature six WWE Superstars.
To view Laurinaitis’ video announcement, click here.
— Renowned rapper Flo Rida, whose hits “Wild Ones” and “Good Feeling are the official themes for WrestleMania XXVIII, will perform at the event in Miami, Florida. He will not be the only musical artist appearing at WrestleMania as John Cena invited Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) to perform his entrance theme at the event. (Article link)
— The announced attendance for tonight’s Raw SuperShow at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a sellout crowd of 18,088.
— WWE aired a vignette on Monday’s Raw Supershow promoting a character by the name Lord Tensai. The person in question is Matthew Bloom, who previously competed for the organization as Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train. Bloom achieved great success in Japan after parting ways with WWE in 2004, having won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Karl Anderson on two occasions as well as the GHC Tag Team Championship in Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Through Twitter, Bloom denied online reports over the weekend that he had signed a contract to return to WWE.
— Matches taped Monday night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for this week’s episode of WWE Superstars are as follows:
* Alex Riley and Mason Ryan vs. Epico and Primo (accompanied by Rosa Mendes)
* Natalya and Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve
Brodus Clay beat Michael McGillicutty in a pre-show dark match. The bout lasted approximately two minutes.
Former WWE, WCW and ECW star Shane Douglas made a surprise appearance in the audience of Monday’s RAW Supershow from Philadelphia.
Douglas appeared during the Kane vs. Big Show match. He was ringside and wore a lucha libre mask and white t-shirt. He took the shirt off to reveal a black & yellow Franchise t-shirt and removed the mask to reveal his identity. He screamed a bunch of stuff and tried to get the audience to notice him. Not many people in the crowd appeared to know/care what was going on,
Not all of the stunt was shown on television. After Big Show speared Kane, a white t-shirt can be seen being thrown in the audience.
Shortly after the outburst, he fled the ringside area and left the arena.
— WWE.com reports John Cena has been cleared to compete on tonight’s Raw SuperShow after having been involved in a three-car accident in Philadelphia this morning. The SUV the WWE Superstar was traveling in was reportedly rear ended by a Honda Civic, which had been rear ended by a tractor trailer.
Cena is “a little shaken up,” WWE physician Dr. Michael Sampson told WWE.com.
“They were whiplash-type injuries that he sustained,” said Sampson. “He feels good today, but then a couple days later, that’s when you get the neck stiffness and the pain. He is cleared to compete tonight. We’re going to let him go, but we’re definitely going to keep an eye on him. We’re going to check him right before his match one more time, just to make sure he’s okay.”
— In conjunction with The Ryan Seacrest Foundation, R-Truth and Santino Marella made a special appearance today on a radio show hosted by children at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The story, photos and video are available here.
With just 13 days to until WWE’s biggest show of the year, the road to WrestleMania continues with a live broadcast of WWE RAW Supershow from Philadelphia, PA. Here’s a preview of what we’ll see tonight:
– The Rock arrived in Philadelphia over the and told his fans on Twitter she’s got a surprise in store for tonight and tweeted the hashtag, #Eyeofthetiger.
– John Cena has his work cut out for him tonight with a singles match against Mark Henry. Henry has been building up momentum over the past two weeks, so this should be a war between two of WWE’s strongest superstars.
– The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels will be in the same ring tonight for the first time since the Hell in a Cell match was signed.
– WWE champion C.M. Punk will respond to Chris Jericho’s accusation last week that Punk’s drunk father is the reason he lives a straight-edge lifestyle.
– Only six names have been announced for the Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis 12-man tag match at WrestleMania. Expect to see more names announced tonight.
– Brodus Clay is advertised for tonight.
– Smackdown stars advertised for RAW include World Heavyweight champion Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Big Show and Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes.
– The advertised dark match main event is John Cena & C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho & Kane.
Former WWE and TNA star Kevin Nash recently appeared on the One Sided Ring podcast hosted by Rob McNichol. Here are some highlights of what Nash said about:
Nash on a Possible TNA return:
“I have a fifteen year old son, and at this point my son needs a Dad more than the world needs a wrestler. The thing that makes TNA work for me is that first of all I have way more friends there than in WWE. I made some friends once I came there – Punk and I got along well, me and Ziggler got along well and I got a chance to hang out with John Cena – but my crew of guys that are still in the business are more the TNA guys.
“It’s fifty miles from my house. I can drive over there; I don’t have to get on a plane. I can put my gear in the trunk, drop the top on my convertible and be over there and do it. It was always a really easy travel day for me. I enjoyed being down there. I also part of a lot of the young guys – AJ, Eric Young, Bobby Roode – in their early stages of development. Now these guys are becoming stars. I’m not saying I wouldn’t go back. If they had something for me and they needed me, I would go back and do it. Right now I’m starting to get bored!”
What TNA needs to get to the next level:
“I think it would take a couple of major players. It would take a CM Punk. He would be a changer for them. He’s an edgy guy, and if he made that jump that would be a huge piece of the pie.
“Or it would need a Dwayne or a Cena. And those guys aren’t going anywhere. I would hate to say ‘never say never’ because if you had told me during our run with WCW that at one point we’d be out there in WWE, I’d have been like ‘What?’ Never say never – crazier things have happened.
“TNA have gone from TNA to Impact Wrestling, which is a brand change. I think they are going in the right direction, as long as TNA continues to make it different. I watch both shows. I like the breakaway feel TNA has, where it feels grittier.”
John Cena vs Rock:
“People love John Cena. There’s a reason John Cena sells the most merchandise. I love the fact that he has not once wavered his character, he’s kept his character completely. That’s so hard to do nowadays. To be that beacon of honesty, respect loyalty – to do that in our society is so hard to do and to have any sort of cool factor. He’s been able to pull it off and I think that’s because he hasn’t wavered. It’s a testament to him.
“The WWE needs The Rock a lot more than The Rock needs WWE. Dwayne opens up number one almost every time he opens up at the box office. He’s in such high demand in Hollywood. He is the guy right now. He’s done over a billion dollars in motion picture revenue.
“I saw him come out at Survivor Series and I hadn’t seen Dwayne in quite some time. I was at the monitor and I said to one of the guys, ‘He looks better than his character in the video game!'”
– Former WWE superstar Batista will be in Miami on April 1st, the day of WrestleMania. Batista noted on Twitter that he’ll be participating in the 2012 Nautica South Beach Triathlon, which is raising money for the St. Jude’s children’s charity.
– John Cena was involved in a car accident in Philadelphia on Monday (pictures). While initial reports were that Cena was fine, the @WWEInsider Twitter account says there are rumors surrounding Cena’s condition. The WWE Insider account tweeted on Monday afternoon:
“Rumors surround @JohnCena following his car accident today. He says he’s fine, others say he was holding his neck when he arrived at #Raw.
While the condition of John Cena’s neck is unknown at this time, the WWE website stated that Cena will be checked out by WWE doctors this afternoon at the arena where tonight’s RAW taking place.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another bog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. In this entry, JR responded to questions sent in by his followers on Twitter. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Has Rock spoken to you about calling his WM28 bout with John Cena?
“@TheRock doesn’t make those calls but the answer is no. I haven’t spoken directly to Rock in a good while as he has his hands full preparing for @JohnCena and managing a movie career.”
Did Undertaker request that you call the HIAC match at WM28?
“I have no idea if that’s remotely true as it came to my attention via the internet. I’ve spoken to no one about that matter. Likely just another rumor.”
Can you see Jericho winning the WWE Title at WM28?
“Of course, but it won’t be easy. Love the chances that this match steals the wrestling spotlight on the April 1 PPV. It’s too close to call for me.”
Is Jericho too personal with his attack on Punk re: alcoholism?
“It’s show biz folks. Personal issues draw money and interest in the genre. It always has and always will. Alcoholism is a serious illness. It’s affected many of us but don’t confuse real life issues with a sports entertainment storyline. Enjoy it or turn the channel.”
Who would you like to see in Taker’s last match?
“Depends on when it will be and who’s hot. I don’t see that happening for a while but a Cena vs. Undertaker bout down the road is likely.”
John Cena was involved in a car wreck this morning in Philadelphia, and we’ve got another update on the situation, courtesy of TMZ.com.
John Cena’s SUV was leaving a media appearance when he was hit from behind by a small Honda Civic – which was also hit from behind by a massive truck.
As previously reported, Cena did not appear to be seriously injured, although the effects of whiplash can take days to appear. Cena was not taken to the hospital, but plans to get checked out by doctors as soon as he arrives at the arena for tonight’s RAW Supershow.
Check out these pictures from the accident:
