THQ has announced that “Macho Man” Randy Savage will be featured in WWE ’12, which is set for release next Tuesday. Savage will be a playable character via downloadable content pack in January.
Dolph Ziggler’s Opponent This Sunday At Survivor Series
It was announced at Tuesday’s SmackDown taping in Bridgeport, Connecticut that Dolph Ziggler would be defending the United States Championship this Sunday at the Survivor Series. It was originally reported that John Morrison would challenge Ziggler for the strap on Sunday. However, other reports stated Ryder would be the challenger.
WWE.com announced Wednesday that Ziggler will defend the United States Championship against Morrison at the pay-per-view event.
Upon the news breaking, a distraught Ryder tweeted, “This Sunday Night…NEW YORK CITY…MSG…SURVIVOR SERIES…@HEELZiggler defends the US title against……..@TheRealMorrison? #makesnosense.”
Serena On Working With CM Punk, Her Time In WWE, Health
Former WWE talent Serena Deeb spoke with Newsday to promote this Saturday’s Women Superstars Uncensored event in Deer Park, New York. She was originally scheduled to face Melina at the show, but is currently unable to compete after suffering a serious concussion.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about it right now, especially because everything just happened,” she says of her ongoing concussion issues. “I’m 25-years-old and what I always imagined was that my career would go for as long as I wanted it to, and that I’d have that in my control. Now I’m suddenly being put in the position where it’s not in my control, and where my body is maybe not going to last as long as I wanted it to and as long as I idealized it lasting. So there’s definitely a large element of worry right now.”
Despite being a tenured wrestler, Deeb was largely kept out of the ring during her stint on the WWE main roster last year. She says of her experience, “I don’t really know what was going on in their minds, in my bosses’ minds, during my time in WWE. I think that the plans were there to eventually have me break out and be in the ring. But the role that I played on television, that wasn’t part of it…
“So it was just wrong place, wrong time as far as a wrestling role goes,” she said. “It was definitely a lesson in patience and I had to know and trust that it was just not the right time, and that it was for a reason. Of course, I was very anxious to wrestle. I always wanted to. And the few opportunities I was given on the road to wrestle, I was ecstatic.”
On working with CM Punk, who led the Straight Edge Society, she says, “I could see that this guy believed in himself. I think that’s the number one thing that leads to success in this business, is that belief in yourself. If you don’t your just going to get eaten alive and you’re going to sink…Punk obviously has done the opposite of that, because he’s always known how good he is and how talented he is and he’s never doubted that.
“He’s always believed that he should be on top, and that’s exactly where he deserves to be. And he’s worked very hard to get to that point.”
The full interview is available here.
*SPOILERS* TNA Impact Results For Thanksgiving (11/24)
Credit to SEScoops.com reader Eric for sending in these TNA Impact Wrestling tapings results from Tuesday night.
Impact Wrestling: Airing On Thanksgiving (11/24)
* They re-taped the James Storm and AJ Styles segment to air on November 17th first.
* Matt Morgan and Crimson retained the Tag Titles against Mexican America.
* Karen Jarrett comes out with Traci Brooks, Gail Kim and Madison Rayne. Karen calls out the Knockouts roster and announces a Lingerie Match.
* Kurt Angle comes out for a promo on James Storm, who eventually came out. Storm wants to fight but Daniels, Bully Ray and Jeff Jarrett come down to surround him. Storm hit Angle but he gets beat down. AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam and Mr. Anderson make the save. Bobby Roode came out towards the end and Storm laid him out.
* Velvet Sky, Tara and Miss Tessmacher beat Winter, Angelina Love and Madison Rayne in a Lingerie Match. Mickie James came out, stopped Madison from interfering and Velvet pinned her for the win. Mickie may have been injured.
* Backstage segment with former referee Rudy Charles, Eric Young, Rob Terry and Robbie E. Robbie vs. Young is booked tonight where the loser has to wear a turkey suit.
* Jeff Hardy comes out in his mask but when he takes it off, it’s Jeff Jarrett. Hardy came out and they fought. Daniels and Bully Ray made the save for Jarrett, which brought back out Styles, Anderson and RVD.
* Eric Young beat Robbie E. Young made Rob Terry put the turkey suit on after the match because Robbie was laid out.
* Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, AJ Styles and Rob Van Dam beat Robby Roode, Jeff Jarrett, Bully Ray and Daniels in the main event elimination match. Angle and Storm were at ringside. It came down to Styles and Hardy winning for their team. Roode and Hardy actually didn’t start the match as Roode was doing commentary and Hardy was recovering from earlier. Angle and Storm ended up brawling to the back. After the match, Roode came out and took Styles and Hardy down to end the show.
Update On Jericho Never “Wrestling” Again, Batista-Blue Belt
– CM Punk will be on the Opie & Anthony Show this Friday morning to promote Survivor Series. O&A airs on Sirius channel 206 and XM channel 105.
Speaking of Punk, he was backstage at Tuesday’s Guns ‘N Roses concert in Chicago.
– Diana Hart Smith, widow of the late British Bulldog and mother of former WWE Superstar David Hart Smith, revealed on Twitter that Dave Batista recently earned his blue belt in Jiu Jitsu.
– Chris Jericho recently got some attention by announcing on Twitter that he’ll never wrestle for WWE again. While this might alarm some WWE fans expecting to see Jericho return at some point – it appears to be a joke about WWE’s policy of their talent being “entertainers” and not “wrestlers.”
Most people within WWE expect Jericho to return soon and get back to “sports entertaining” the WWE Universe.
(Partial source: pwinsider.com)
NBA Stars To Work WM28? Cody Getting Buff, Maryse-TNA, More
-With the NBA basketball season all but cancelled at this point due to the lockout situation between the players association and the team owners, there has been talk in WWE about getting a big name NBA star to work an angle at WrestleMania 28. Both Lebron James and Shaquille O’Neal have worked with WWE before in the past and there’s a good chance WWE will go after one of them if the NBA season does get cancelled.
Also related to the NBA lockout – there has been strong interest from big city arenas to host more WWE events over the next year to make up for the lost revenue due to the lack of NBA games. Madison Square Garden in particular is pushing for more live events in the coming months.
– There was a lot of talk backstage at Monday’s RAW about Cody Rhodes’ physique and how he’s looking in great shape lately.
– Former WWE diva Maryse is said to be done with wrestling for the time being, with no plans to work for TNA.
– Stan sent word that this week’s 3-hour RAW had only 35 minutes and 12 seconds of in-ring action. This is actually down from the previous week’s two-hour show.
(Source: f4wonline.com)
Video Highlights Of Mick Foley’s Career, Foley Coments On RAW
– On Monday’s RAW, Mick Foley paid homage to a classic moment from the Attitude Era and hosted a “This Is Your Life” segment for John Cena.
A fan wrote to Foley on Twitter suggesting that WWE intentionally made the “This Is Your Life” bad. Foley replied to the tweet with the following:
“Exactly – the segment with @JohnCena was so bad it was good, and @TheRock put it out of its misery. Mr Cena was CLASSIC though!”
View Here: The “John Cena, This Is Your Life” Segment From RAW
– WWE has released a video package highlighting the illustrious career of hardcore legend Mick Foley:
TONIGHT: SEScoops Will Be At SURVIVOR SERIES
- BE HERE TONIGHT For LIVE COVERAGE of WWE SURVIVOR SERIES!
The staff of SESCOOPS – Mike, Noah Mark & The Solomonster – will be at SURVIVOR SERIES tonight! Keep it locked to the SEScoops & the SEScoops Facebook Page for our first-hand LIVE coverage!
Here’s the final card for Sunday’s pay-per-view:
The Rock’s First Match In 7 1/2 Years
John Cena and The Rock vs. The Miz and R-Truth
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show
WWE Championship Match
Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk
5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Tag Team Match
Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sheamus, Mason Ryan, Kofi Kingston and Sin Cara) vs. Team Barrett (Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Hunico and Dolph Ziggler)
Divas Championship Lumberjill Match
Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Eve
United States Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. John Morrison
*SPOILERS* WWE SMACKDOWN Tapings Results
WWE taped Friday night’s episode of SmackDown on Tuesday from Hershey, PA. Credit to prowrestlingnet for this report:
Dark Match:
* Justin Gabriel defeated a local wrestler.
* Former WWE star Kenny (“KENNY!”) Dykstra returned to action and lost to Justin Gabriel.
WWE SmackDown (Airing Friday)
* The show started with Mark Henry assaulting Daniel Bryan backstage. He dragged Bryan to ringside and continued the attack. The refs rolled Bryan out of the ring, and then Henry cut a promo on delivering more pain to Big Show and retaining at Survivor Series.
* Dolph Ziggler defeated Sin Cara. Vickie Guerrero announced before the match that Dolph will be doing double duty at Survivor Series, as he will defend the U.S. Title against Zack Ryder. Dolph won a good five-minute match with a roll up after Jack Swagger came out.
After the match, Mason Ryan came out to even the sides. Mason Ryan beat the crap out of the heels, with Dolph Ziggler showing once again that he’s one of the best “bump men” in WWE.
* Mason Ryan defeated Jack Swagger. Ryan won with a Full Nelson Slam. Expect to see a lot of replays of Ryan throwing Ziggler. Backstage, Zack Ryder got Big Show and Justin Gabriel to sign his petition. He informed Big Show of what Henry said in the opening promo.
* Backstage Ted DiBiase was playing WWE12 with Hornswoggle. Teddy Long came in with Aksana. Long was falling all over her.
* Christian came to the stage with a neck brace, boot, and crutch. He complained a lot and said even though he can’t wrestle at Survivor Series, he’ll be there to “inspire” Team Barrett. Due to his injuries and the uncertainty that his career holds, his dream is to wrestle at leaset “one more match.” He got a lot of heat and then said good riddance and walked off stage.
* There was a backstage segment with Big Show and AJ checking on Daniel Bryan in the trainers room.
* Ted DiBiase defeated Derek Bateman with Dream Street.
* Big Show was shown backstage looking for Mark Henry. Jinder Mahal and Tyson Kidd said he wasn’t around. Mahal said something in Punjabi. Show asked Kidd if he understood what Mahal said. Kidd didn’t, and Big Show knocked out Jinder Mahal for speaking a language other than what he speaks. Kidd gingerly walked away hoping not to upset the giatn.
* Big Show came to the ring in a sweatsuit. He cut a promo on Henry and said that after Henry forced Bryan to be carried out tonight, Show is gonna force Henry to be carried out at Survivor Series.
* Kofi Kingston pinned Hunico with the SOS. Hunico cut a promo in Spanish before the match.
* A promo aired for Ezekiel Jackson.
* Beth Phoenix and Natalya defeated A.J. and Kaitlyn. Natalya made A.J. tap to the Pinup Strong hold.
* Mark Henry vs. Big Show with Booker T as special referee was announced as the dark match.
* They showed the full Survivor Series lineup and only the two world title, the traditional tag, and the Rock and John Cena vs. The Miz and R-Truth matches were shown. No sign of a U.S. Title match there.
* Randy Orton came out followed by Sheamus. Then Wade Barrett and finally Cody Rhodes.
* Sheamus and Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes by DQ. Christian came out on crutches during the match and hit Sheamus with a crutch for the DQ. Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Cody, and Orton delivered the RKO to Barrett. Sheamus hit Cody with the Celtic Cross.
JR’s Status For Survivor Series, Rock On The Set, Kelly Kelly
– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that he’s not scheduled to be at Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view:
“I’m not booked at Survivor Series @this time. I am booked in Waco to see OU-Baylor Sat. IF I set up sauce stand @ MSG Sunday, wud u come by?”
– After rocking Boston’s TD Garden on Monday night, The Rock was back on the movie set on Tuesday filming the new GI Joe movie. Rock tweeted a picture today (view here) of himself holding a gun with the caption, “On set. Handlin’ business. #WhatAreYouHandlin?”
– WWE diva Kelly Kelly, who is on the cover of the new Maxim Magazine, is doing a Twitter promotion for the magazine:
“If you tweet a pic of you with a Maxim magazine with me on the cover i’ll post it on my new website. Add hashtag #kellymaxim so I can see it”
RAW Ratings: Strong Overall Rating, Final Hour Drops Again
The ratings are in for Monday’s 3-Hour “RAW Gets Rocked” edition of WWE RAW.
The 3-hour broadcast drew a 3.25 rating with an average of 4.74 million viewers. The final two hours (RAW’s usual timeslot) did a strong 3.37 rating (4.95 million viewers), up from recent weeks. Here are the hourly numbers:
Hour 1: 4.31 million viewers
Hour 2: 5.00 million viewers
Hour 3: 4.91 million viewers
Once again, for the 9th time in the past 12 weeks, RAW lost viewership in the final hour.
USA Network executive Ted Linhart tweeted the following about Monday’s RAW ratings:
“Key 18-49 demo 8:00 p.m.=2.1M (best 8:00 p.m. Raw hour since June 09) 9:00 p.m.=2.55M (best since May) 10:00 p.m.=2.6M (best since April)… Full Raw show=2.44M P18-49 & 4.7M total viewers making USA #1 cable ent. net by large margins, attracting more men than some bdcasters.”
(Sources: TVByTheNumbers.com, pwtorch.com)
Foley Responds To Rock Bottom, WWE-Twitter, Post-WM SD
– Mick Foley has addressed the Rock Bottom he took from The Rock on Monday’s RAW.
Foley tweeted on Tuesday afternoon:
“Why did (The Rock) layeth the smacketh down on my candy ass? I just wanted a hug. I bet he’s feeling quite a bit of remorse right now,” Foley tweeted.
VIDEO: THE ROCK Gives Mick Foley a Rock Bottom On RAW
– The post-WrestleMania edition of WWE SmackDown will tape on Tuesday, April 3rd from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
– As we saw on RAW, WWE is pushing their Twitter promotion into overdrive. WWE tweeted on Tuesday:
“DID YOU KNOW?: @WWE #Raw had more social media mentions Monday night than the Top 5 broadcast TV shows COMBINED! trendrr.tv”
“WWE #Raw was the No. 1 program on broadcast and cable TV on Monday’s @trendrrtv #socialtv chart http://trendrr.tv/ #BootsToAsses!”
Maria Announces Return To The Ring, Cena Appearing On ESPN
— Maria Kanellis announced during last night’s AfterBuzzTV broadcast for Monday Night Raw that she will be returning to the squared circle on February 25, 2012 for New York City based promotion Family Wrestling Entertainment.
It will be her first match in two years and outside of WWE—she last competed at the February 23, 2010 WWE Superstars taping. She was released from her contract with WWE three days after the event and recently resurfaced on the wrestling scene to support her boyfriend, Ring of Honor talent Mike Bennett, at independent shows. She stated last Tuesday on Facebook that she had resumed wrestling training.
— The official Twitter feed of ESPN’s College Gameday announced Tuesday that John Cena, a Division III All-American center at Springfield College, will be the celebrity guest picker for this Saturday’s show at University of Houston.
— John Cena is featured on the cover of the latest issue of The Wrestler.
Sunny Auctions Off WWE HOF Dress, Randy Savage Art Gallery
— Tammy “Sunny” Sytch auctioned off the red gown she wore for her induction into the WWE Hall of Fame last April. It sold for $570.00 on eBay.
- Related: Tammy Sytch Falls Down Escalator
The following was also posted on her Facebook page:
“Ever wanted to sit and have lunch or dinner with Tammy and ask her anything you wanted to know and get autographed photos and photos with her at the same time? Now you can! Contact Bambi Weavil, [email protected] for more info on how you can purchase this unique and once in a lifetime fan experience! Thanks!”
— The official website of Toronto’s A.V. Club has published a review of the White House Studio Project’s art tribute to “Macho Man” Randy Savage following his death on May 20, 2011. The exhibit is open through today, which would have marked as his 59th birthday.
— WWE will hold a Raw live event at the Yakima Valley Sun Dome in Yakima, Washington on Friday, January 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale November 26, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
Video: Mick Foley Announced For WWE ’12 (Downloadable)
Following Mick Foley’s return to WWE RAW on Monday, THQ announced that Mrs. Foley’s baby boy will be a downloadable character in the upcoming WWE ’12 video game.
Related News:
Check out this video trailer of MICK FOLEY in WWE ’12 – in stores next week:
Angle On Whether He Will Return To WWE, Nash Leaving TNA
“Sports Axxess” on PW 24/7 Radio with Kurt Angle
Hosts: Jerry Sorrentino, James Jefferson, and Joey Image
Full episode available at PW247radio.com
Kurt Angle on the hamstring injury he had to work through during his title defenses against Bobby Roode and James Storm: “I did have to be careful of the injury when I wrestled James Storm at the TV tapings. I gave it all I could, which was only one minute of wrestling. I’ve only missed nine days but now I’m back to Olympic form. It was just a slight tear in my hamstring but there was a lot of bleeding. The bleeding went all the way down my hamstring, down my calf, down my shin, all the way down to my foot. It was black and blue, but the injury wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. But now I’m back to training. I’ve done a lot of interviews and gotten a lot of attention for training for an Olympic comeback. My only obstacle is Jake Barter. He’s almost guaranteed to win a medal because he is that good. So if I beat him, USA wrestling wants to make sure I’m capable of winning a medal. So they want me to come out and train at Colorado Springs, and I’m going to do that. I think I have a great shot at making the team.”
On getting into MMA: “I’ve had a lot of talks with Dana White. While he’s denied the offers, Dana and I respect each other enough for us not to say exactly what was offered. The thing was, he wanted me to be ready in a short time and I couldn’t do that. I wanted months, he wanted weeks. We’re good friends and I hope he has great success. But you know what, he’s said some negative things about me in the press. I still love him to death. I did pass his physical, meaning I was ready for competition, but he wanted me to be ready in four to six weeks and I couldn’t do that. It’s impossible. There’s also the fact that I’m signed with TNA and Dana didn’t want anyone fighting for him and wrestling at the same time. So Dana White, God bless you. Whatever you say, I’ll respect that because I know you wanted me to fight for you and wanted me to be your guy.”
On Kevin Nash: “I love him to death. I know why he went to WWE. He wanted the carrot. He wanted that carrot they dangled in front of his face. But has the WWE used him the right way since he came back? No. Kevin should come back to TNA where they can use him the way he should be. WWE thinks he’s old and washed up but TNA doesn’t think that. TNA wants Kevin Nash. He is so gifted, talented, and popular. I want him back in TNA because he’s one of my best friends.”
On working in wrestling after retirement and potentially joining the WWE Hall of Fame: “If I end up in the Hall of Fame in the WWE, I don’t know if I’ll accept it. I love Vince McMahon. He made me a lot of money and was like a father figure to me. But Dixie Carter is my boss and I love her to death. So I don’t know what I’m going to do. I would like to say that I am not going back to the WWE. But Vince McMahon may offer me something when I retire and I’m done with TNA. But I’d also like to be part of creative or be an agent in TNA. Out of everyone in the world, I am the best at coming up with finishes. I would like to stay with TNA and do that. A lot of people ask if I’d go back if Vince wanted me for WrestleMania, and I don’t know the answer to that. But I know I am happy in TNA and I’d like to stay there.”
All this and much more can be heard in the full hour long interview with Kurt Angle. This interview, along with countless hours of other original pro-wrestling content, can be found exclusively and for free only on PW 24/7 Radio.
Hogan Comments On Rock-RAW, Win Survivor Series Tickets
– The New York Post is giving away free tickets to Sunday’s Survivor Series PPV. Click here for more information.
– Devin Cutting sent in word that WWE returns to the Sun Dome in Yakima, Washington on Friday, January 13th, 2012 at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale November 26th, 2011 at 10 AM.
– Hulk Hogan was impressed by The Rock’s appearance on Monday’s WWE RAW. Hogan tweeted on Tuesday morning:
“The ROCK looked jacked,in perfect shape,dieted down and in the zone! He looks better than any wrestler/actor I’ve ever seen! total respect HH”
VIDEOS From The Rock’s Return On Monday’s RAW
RAW got Rocked on Monday night – and we’ve got video footage of The Great One’s return to WWE television.
Check out these videos of segments featuring The Rock from Monday’s RAW Supershow from Boston:
Mick Foley Hosts “John Cena, This Is Your Life” (The Rock Appears)
The Rock Addresses The WWE Universe:
Live SmackDown Spoilers Tonight, Tommy Dreamer’s Latest Show
– WWE will tape this week’s NXT and SmackDown shows tonight from Bridgeport, Connecticut.
- SEScoops.com will have LIVE SPOILERS of tonight’s SmackDown tapings
The main event of SmackDown will see Randy Orton and Sheamus team up against Intercontinental champion Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett.
The dark match main event is advertised as Big Show, Orton and Sheamus vs. Henry, Rhodes and Christian with Booker T as the guest referee. Due to Christian’s ankle injury, he almost certainly won’t be participating.
– WWE returns to Fort Lauderdale, FL on Saturday, December 3rd. The top matches for that show will be WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk and John Cena vs. The Miz.
– Episode 6 of Tommy Dreamer’s new Youtube show is now online, you can check that out here:
Brodus Clay’s Return, WWE Stars At FCW, Next Boston RAW
– It was announced to the live crowd at Monday’s RAW that RAW returns to Boston, MA on Monday, March 5th, 2012.
– Several WWE superstars and divas will be appearing at Florida Championship Wrestling’s Turkey Bash event on Wednesday, November 23rd at the Orlando Armory in Orlando, Florida.
Among the stars set to appear: Natalya, Mason Ryan, Tyson Kidd, Jinder Mahal, Ricardo Rodriguez, Epico, Hunico, Derrick Bateman, Percy Watson, Kaitlyn and Brodus Clay.
– Speaking of Brodus Clay, his RAW return was rescheduled once again – and it currently set to take place next week from Hershey, Pennsylvania.
During a backstage segment on RAW, John Laurinaitis was shown talking to Clay on the phone and said he did not want Clay’s debut to be overshadowed by The Rock.
Savage’s Birthday, Hornswoggle’s WWE Return, New Merch
– Today would have been the 59th birthday of wrestling legend Randy Savage. Savage passed away on May 20th of this year after suffering a fatal heart attack while driving.
– On Monday’s RAW, we saw the debut of a new Mark Henry t-shirt. That t-shirt, along with a new “retro” items, are now on sale at the WWE Shop website.
– WWE’s SmackDown brand will be at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th for a 1pm show. Tickets for that show go on sale this Friday, November 18th.
– After making his WWE television return on RAW several weeks ago when the Muppets were guest hosts, WWE is advertising Hornswoggle for several upcoming SmackDown live events.
Prior to her release from WWE last month, WWE was planning to start a “love interest” storyline with former Diva Maryse and Hornswoggle.
(Source: f4wonline.com)
Drew McIntyre Talks About Vince McMahon Endorsing Him
During a recent interview with the UK’s Daily Record newspaper, WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre spoke about Vince McMahon endorsing him on television shortly after his WWE debut.
“It was obviously a positive thing to hear for me because he had never done that before. But it was a negative in that it caused a lot of resentment and jealousy. Imagine if somebody walked into your workplace and the boss stood up rubbing your head and said, ‘Hey everybody, this is the man here’.
But for me, it has motivated me to live up to that and be the best – to get up to that level. Everybody is like a big family here and we are on the road so much that we see each other more than our families. For me, the big target is to get into the Hall of Fame but I’d like to win the heavyweight title first. I’m putting in all the work and the effort to get there. Wrestling is my life and, if I’m not training or in the gym, then I’m watching videos to learn more about it.”
McIntyre says it still blows his mind that he’s made it to the “big leagues” of WWE and hopes to continue proving himself to the world.
Del Rio Talks About Life After Wrestling, His Family Legacy
As we saw on Monday’s RAW, WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio is featured on the cover of the new issue of Hombre Magazine. Here are some highlights from Del Rio’s interview:
Pressure Living Up To His Family’s Legacy In Wrestling:
“Well yes, because my dad and my uncle aren’t so popular in the United States because they wrestled here 35, 40 years ago. But in Mexico, they’re a big dynasty. They’re the most popular wrestlers in Mexican history. So in Mexico there was a lot of pressure for me. But I’m sure I’m doing a great job now; I’m the first Mexican in history to become the WWE champion, and actually this year I won it all: the Money in the Bank, the Royal Rumble, the WWE title. I can just say that this year’s been perfect for me.”
Having His Own Action Figure:
“I was just waiting for it to happen, it was great. I was excited when they told me…and when I saw the action figure for the first time it was amazing, because it looks like me: the face, the hair, the smile… they captured me all the way in that action figure.”
What He’d Be Doing If He Wasn’t A Wrestler:
“I’m also an architect. I finished my career in Mexico, but that was really for my father. I’m really glad that I finished my school, but when I was younger I dropped school in my second year because I was so crazy to become a wrestler and my dad forced me to go back. He talked to all the promoters in Mexico after I did that and told them, “Don’t give this guy a job because I want him to finish school.” Of course when I was younger I was mad that my father did that, but I’m just grateful that he did because now I have something else. Probably if I wasn’t a wrestler right now I’d be designing buildings or building houses in Mexico.”
His Expectations For The Future:
“Like I said, this year’s been great for me, I won it all, starting with the Royal Rumble then the Money in the Bank. Then I conquered the WWE title. At the beginning of the year we had WrestleMania, which is like the Superbowl of wrestling. In WrestleMania I competed for the World Heavyweight title; unfortunately, I lost against Edge, and actually that was Edge’s last match, So that’s something that’s stuck in my mind, I can’t sleep because I’m thinking about it all the time. It was my biggest night and my biggest failure because we were in front of 80 something thousand people and we sold 2 million pay-per views. My plans are to keep the WWE title as long as I can and if someday I lose this title I will try to go back to the other brand, which is Smackdown, and compete for the World Heavyweight title because that’s something I need to do. I must be the first Mexican wrestler in history to win everything in one year.”
Crossing Over To Movies Like The Rock:
“Definitely. Now I’m totally focused on the WWE and my wrestling career, but that’s something I want do. I’m planning to do the WWE for another five or six years, no more than that, and of course if they invite me to do movies, soap operas, whatever, I’m down for it!”
Billy Gunn On Why He Continues To Wrestle, Ziggler Comparisons
Arda Ocal (@arda_ocal) and Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) of #AftermathRadio on thescore.com and iTunes chat with former WWE Superstar and 10 time Tag Team Champion Billy Gunn (@RealBillyGunn). Highlights:
His wrestling career, what keeps his career going at the independent level (including this weekend where he will appear for www.CWIwrestling.com): “I still enjoy what I do. I love what I do because its probably the one thing that I am really good at. It’s hard to really give up. I still love seeing the people, I still love getting out in front of people, I still love seeing the fans, I still love what this business has to offer ”
How he was never a fan of pro wrestling growing up and the business found him – taking about the Harris Brothers beating him up for 4 hours straight in the beginning of his training: “I never watched wrestling kid, never wanted to be a wrestler, never wanted to get in this business. I just fell into this business, and then again the tag team stuff that just fell in my lap. It was something that was so exciting to me.”
How far was he willing to go in that scenario as a performer with Billy and Chuck: “As far as I needed to, cause it was my job. People look at whole scenario different than I do. I look at it as it was my job, they came to me and Chuck and said were gonna go this direction.. I would have gone as far as needed.”
Comparisons of him to current WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler – does he agree? Also on Dolph’s in ring skills as a performer for WWE now: “I think hes got great potential, and I think he’s one of there best talents WWE has. A little bit longer and he will be a big star, I think he is extremely talented.”
Gunn also comments on the possibility of a New Age Outlaws reunion in WWE, being a singles competitor, his opinion on tag team wrestling today, and more. The 30-minute+ interview is available here.