Home Blog Page 3026

Video: The Rock Swears On Live TV, Lawler Meets Dick Tracy

22

— While promoting Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and his upcoming match against John Cena at WrestleMania, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson swore during a live SportsCenter telecast on Thursday. While telling a joke, he said, “That’s bullshit.” He then said, “And this is live, by the way.” John Buccigross, who was conducting the interview, added, “Yeah, it’s real live.”

— Friday’s Dick Tracy comic strip features Jerry Lawler appearing as himself under the alias “Jerry King.” The comic strip is available here.

— Former WWE star Chuck Palumbo, who now performs for the band 3 Spoke Wheel, tweeted the following regarding an upcoming appearance: “Rhode Island wrestling fans Chuck Palumbo and 3 Spoke Wheel will be at The Rock Junction March 3rd 9pm.”

R-Truth Returns To Action In Abu Dhabi, Ryan Enters MLB Contest

5

— R-Truth, who avoided serious injury after suffering a brutal fall on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, competed at Thursday’s Raw live event in Abu Dhabi.

Jack Swagger defeated R-Truth and The Miz in a Triple Threat Match to retain the United States Championship.

— Friday would have marked as Louie Spicolli’s 41st birthday. The veteran of ECW, WWE and WCW died on February 15, 1998 at the age of 27 after overdosing on somas and wine.

— California based independent wrestler Joey Ryan is competing in a contest put on by Major League Baseball in which the winner moves to New York City for the upcoming season. The contest, which is determined by votes, has been narrowed down to 50 finalists and concludes on February 22. To view his video entry, which was filmed at the Ring Ka King tapings in India, click here.

(source: PWInsider.com)

James Questions Hogan Calling Garrett Bischoff The Future

37

– TNA knockout Mickie James took offense to Hulk Hogan deeming Garett Bischoff the future of the wrestling industry on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling. She tweeted on Thursday night:

“Ummm…. Did my ears just deceive me… Or did the Immortal Hulk Hogan just call Baby Bischoff the future of this business? WTH?! FML!”

Sounds like a really awesome way to wind up in the TNA doghouse..

– Tara turns 41 years old Friday. She thanked her fans for their support.

She tweeted, “Thank you to all my loyal, Respectful, awesome and loving WPF’s!!!! I love all of you and appreciate your support. Yay it’s my Bday!!”

Tara is the oldest active female wrestler in TNA or WWE.

– WrestlingFigs.com reports Rosita will be appearing at Legends of the Ring 14, which takes place June 2, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Monroe, New Jersey.

Final Card For Sunday’s Against All Odds PPV

16
Against All Odds 2012 Poster (Click to Enlarge)

Below is the final card for Sunday’s TNA Against All Odds pay-per-view:

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match
Bobby Roode vs. James Storm vs. Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy

TNA Tag Team Title Match
Matt Morgan & Crimson Samoa Joe & Magnus

TNA X Division Title Match
Austin Aries vs. Alex Sheley

TNA Knockouts Title Match
Gail Kim vs. Tara

#1 Contender’s Match
Zema Ion vs. Jesse Sorensen

Garret Bischoff (with Hulk Hogan) vs. Gunner (with Eric Bischoff)

AJ Styles vs. Kazarian

Samoa Joe Says Impact Wrestling Needs To Go On The Road

22

TNA star Samoa Joe participated in a conference call this week to promote Sunday’s Against All Odds pay-per-view. Here are some highlights, courtesy of Wrestling Voice Radio:

The Importance of Restoring Prestige to the Tag Team Championships: “I think it’s absolutely key. Some of the greatest matches that have been ever been wrestled have been Tag Team matches, some of the greatest wrestlers have been Tag Team wrestlers, I think Tag Team wrestling, I don’t know where it fell out of favor, if I’m part of the resurgence and part of making it relevant again then I’m all for that.”

If his Partnership with Magnus Go Further than their Tag Team Title Shot This Sunday: “I think that remains to be seen, I’d like that to continue, I think there’s a nice symbiosis between myself and Magnus, I think the Championship Committee put us together because they thought we’d self destruct and kill two birds with one stone because I’m a problem. I’ve always been a problem and I think TNA are trying to figure out how to contain this problem and their best bet was put oil with vinegar and watch it not mix, and watch it not work out and watch them work themselves into oblivion but obviously we’ve totally ruined that planned and we plan to continue on and rampage on.”

TNA Needing To Move Out of the IMPACT Zone: “I feel it is of dire importance if you want to see the product as well as the fan base continue to grow, people want to see wrestling in their hometown, they wanna go to live events and they want to be part of the experience and forgive me for using the same adjective again but its a very symbiotic experience where the crowd very much powers the performance in the ring and its almost subconscious, when you are out there in front of thousands of screaming fans it amps up your game a little bit, whether you like it or not, it puts you on point, it puts you on focus and makes you want to go out there and put something on fantastically. I think what you saw last week (TV taping from England) was very much evident of that.”

His Proudest Moment in the Company thus far: “Winning the Heavyweight Champions, for a bevy of reasons, first and foremost because it was from an athlete like Kurt Angle, is world renowned and world class and one of the top players in the game and I look forward to replicating that experience here in the near future.”

Mick Foley Talks WWE Future, Attitude Era vs. Today & More

19

Hardcore wrestling legend Mick Foley recently spoke with the UK’s Daily Star to promote his upcoming comedy tour. Here are some highlights of what Foley said about:

Competing At The Royal Rumble: “I had to sit back afterwards and think about all the things that had transpired in the five or six minutes I was out there. I realised just how much fun it was at that point. I had some great reactions from the other wrestlers and my children.”

His Status with WWE: “I’m on a need to know basis going forward, I’d like to get involved in some way. I can’t wrestle very often any more. Apart from the run-in, the Rumble was the perfect way to play to my remaining strengths and not expose my many weaknesses!”

The Attitude Era vs. Today: “Are you saying thumbtacks aren’t fun?! Look, as a dad the thing I enjoy the most about the current product is not having to tell my kids to change the channel when sexual chocolate comes on.”

“The Attitude era was fun for different reasons, it was risque, but a lot was not appropriate for kids. The new style forces wrestlers to be creative and not rely on chair shots to get a pop.”

Nick Diaz Tests Positive For Marijuana After Controversial Loss

0

According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his controversial loss to Carlos Condit at this past weekend’s UFC 143 event.

This is Diaz’s second offense with the NSAC and he will ultimately have to appear before them to address the issue. Last time he tested positive for marijuana it was following his win over Takanori Gomi in 2007 at PRIDE 33. He was suspended for six months and the result of the bout was changed to a no-contest.

* DANA WHITE Comments On NICK DIAZ Failing Another Drug Test

McGillicutty Honors His Father Curt Hennig’s Death 9 Years Ago

31
RIP Curt Hennig

WWE wrestler Michael McGillicutty (Joe Hennig), son of legendary wrestler “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, Tweeted the following message on Friday, the 9 year anniversary of his father’s death:

“February 10th. A day I just can’t forget… My dad, my best friend… He past away 9 years ago… I miss u dad. I miss u so much! I love you,”

“Dear Dad. Hey man. I’m doin the bst I can. I doin everything you told me to do. I’m not supposed to cry but I can’t help it. I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines. My name is Joe Hennig. And I’m the past, present and future.”

“Today, I dont give a damn what u call me. Michael McGillicutty. I am Joe Hennig and I am apart of the greatest wrestling legacy of all time. I miss u Dad. And from here on out, I’m taking over! I love u daddy. RIP Curt Hennig. Let’s get this Goin. #Hennig.”

The third generation wrestler has long been considered a potential breakout star, despite his awful, goofy ring name. Just this week, Jim Ross blogged about being impressed with McGillicutty’s rccent match on Superstars. Ross wrote, “Keep Curt Hennig’s son in mind as I feel that he can be a viable asset to WWE but the last name has got to go, IMO.”

JR Blog: The Rock Taking WM28 Seriously, Hungry Young Talent

36

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is back with another blog update, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are highlights of what JR said regarding the following questions from fans on Twitter:

“Is the Rock taking Cena and WM28 seriously?”

“Be assured of one thing about @TheRock…he wants…he needs to steal the show in Miami. There’s no way that Dwayne comes back to the bright lights and big stage to perform against @JohnCena, who is WWE’s biggest star, just for the hell of it. Wrestling is in Rock’s DNA and he has the motor and mind set to electrify…if you will. I’m intrigued by this match and it seems to be boiling down to a simple matter of respect and appears to be getting more personal by the Tweet.”

“Ironically, Rock and Cena were both products of organized athletic programs at the collegiate level plus they were both life long fans of sports entertainment which, in my opinion, are great places to start when one’s recruiting potential stars.”

“What is one thing that is missing w/ some of today’s young wrestlers?”

“They aren’t hungry enough or willing to challenge a top star for their spot on the roster. Too many talents are content to not make ‘waves’ and to live quietly and somewhat financially comfortable within their comfort zones. I can assure you that the comfort zone complex is the kiss of death in most organizations and businesses and is not exclusive to sports entertainment. “

Videos From WWE’s Abu Dhabi Press Conference

22

The National Newspaper posted these video of John Cena, R-Truth and CM Punk at Thursday’s WWE press conference from Abu Dhabi, UAE, including footage of Cena giving Kane an Attitude Adjustment:.

John Cena, CM Punk & R-Truth talk about wrestling’s global appeal:

Cena nails Kane with an Attitude Adjustment:

*SPOILERS* WWE SmackDown Tapings Results For Friday

109
WWE SmackDown on Syfy

WWE taped this week’s Smackdown on Tuesday night from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are the results from Brooks Oglesby of WrestlingNewsWorld.com:

* Sheamus opens the show with a promo to remind the crowd that he is waiting until after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view to decide which title he will challenge for at WrestleMania XXVIII. He is then interrupted by Wade Barrett, who boasts about his future victory in the Elimination Chamber. Cody Rhodes interrupts Barrett shortly after and says the same thing, and Big Show comes out to do the same. This ended up turning into a four-man brawl with Sheamus and Big Show clearing the ring of the heels. A tag match between the teams of Big Show & Sheamus and Wade Barrett & Cody Rhodes is announced for tonight.

* The Great Khali b. Jinder Mahal with the Punjabi Plunge.

* Teddy Long is backstage discussing the ongoing suspension of Mark Henry before being interrupted by Daniel Bryan, who implores Long and the audience to become vegans.

* Beth Phoenix b. Alicia Fox with the Glam Slam. Phoenix continued to assault Fox after the match, but Tamina ran down to make the save for Fox. Tamina then stared Phoenix down.

* Natalya is backstage with Tyson Kidd. Kidd ends up farting and Hornswoggle blames it on Natalya.

* Big Show & Sheamus b. Wade Barrett & Cody Rhodes. Sheamus got the pin after hitting a Brogue Kick.

* Michael Cole interviews AJ in the ring about her condition following her injury caused by The Big Show. Cole says that everyone thinks that Daniel Bryan set her up to get injured, which causes Bryan to interrupt. Bryan yells at Cole, saying he’s had enough of those accusations and threatens to break Cole’s arms. He then goes on a tirade about being vegan, saying he’s better because he didn’t partake in the meat-eating while watching the Super Bowl last weekend. He says that he’s taking AJ home right now. Teddy Long interrupts and tells Bryan that if he leaves the arena now, he’ll automatically forfeit his World Heavyweight Championship.

* Ted DiBiase b. Hunico

* Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton is the main event, and The Big Show is on commentary. During the match, Bryan grabs his title and attempts to leave, but Big Show grabs him and throws him back into the ring. Orton then hits an RKO and pins Bryan, but the referee calls for the bell before the pin is counted. Since Big Show interfered, Daniel Bryan wins by disqualification. Orton gets mad at Show and they start arguing, which ends in Show knocking Orton out. Orton is helped to the back by officials as the show ends.

Video: Hulk Hogan Talks Gay Rumors, Divorce, Finances

21

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan appeared on Wendy Williams’ daytime television show on Thursday. Hogan was asked about his ex-wife Linda’s allegations that he and longtime friend Brutus Beefcake had a homosexual relationship. Hogan handled the question well, stating that he is not gay, but would be proud of it if he was. Hogan said Linda’s accusation hurt others, including Brutus Beefcake and his daughter.

He was also denied Linda’s claims that he was physically abusive towards her and spoke about his kids, his financial situation and more.

Check out this video of Hulk Hogan on Wendy:

Updated List Of Hall Of Fame Inductees & Inductors

43

As reported earlier this week, WWE is expected to hold off until after Elimination Chamber before announcing the final members of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

WrestleZone.com broke the news last month that former WWE champion Yokozuna will be inducted this year.

Ron “DAMN!” Simmons, recognized as the first African American World champion (WCW), is also scheduled to join the Hall this year.

With those names set, here is the updated roster for this year’s class, including the inductors:

– The Four Horsemen (To be inducted by Triple H & Shawn Michaels)

– Edge (To be inducted by Christian)

– Mike Tyson (To be inducted by Steve Austin)

– Mil Mascaras (To be inducted by his nephew, Alberto Del Rio)

– Ron Simmons (To be inducted by JBL)

– Yokozuna (To be inducted by The Rock)

The 2012 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place the night before WrestleMania on Saturday, March 31st from Miami, FL.

(Partial credit: PWinsider.com)

WWE Covers Up The Undertaker’s Head For New WWE Magazine

52
Dead Man On Fire

The March 2012 issue of WWE Magazine is now on sale, featuring four different “WrestleMania” covers – featuring The Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena and The Rock.

As if Triple H and Undertaker on the covers was not a strong enough sign that this match is all but official, the headline for the Triple H cover reads “Can The Game End The Deadman’s Reign?” while the headline for the issue bearing The Undertaker reads “Will “The Streak” Survive?”

The Undertaker cover was apparently designed to conceal his lack of hair, as his head is surrounded by photoshopped fire, with no hair visible.

Many people have speculated that the iconic wrestler donned a wig in his return to television last week after a photograph surfaced online last summer in which he appeared bald.

We have independently confirmed that that The Undertaker had indeed shaved his head.

Melina To Wrestle Velvet Sky Next Month, Opening For Impact

20

— Northeast Wrestling has announced that Velvet Sky will face former WWE Diva Melina on March 23 in Poughkeepsie, New York and March 24 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Event details are available here.

— TNA Wrestling has posted a video of first 93 seconds of tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike. The event is billed as a special “Star Wars” themed episode from London’s Wembley Arena.

— WrestlingFigs.com says Velvet Sky and AJ Styles will appear at Direct Auto Insurance 3629 Broadway St. Kansas City, Missouri on March 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

— Sarita announced on Facebook that she will be competing at next week’s Impact Wrestling live events in West Virginia—February 17 in Huntington, 18 in Beckley, and 19 in Glenville.

WWE Live Event Results From Abu Dhabi, UAE

9

SEScoops.com reader Mahmood Ebrahim sent in the following live report from WWE’s live event from Abu Dhabi, UAE:

1- Alex Riley def. Drew Mcintyre

2- Tag Team Match : Primo & Epico def. Mason Ryan & Santino

3- Michael Mcgillicutty def. David Otunga

4- Kofi Kingstone def. Chris Jericho , after the match Y2J attacked Kofi

5- Triple Threat Match for US Title :  Jack Swagger def. The Miz and R-Truth

6- John Cena def. Kane by DQ after Kane used a chair, then AA on Kane.

7- WWE Title Match : CM Punk def. Dolph Ziggler. The match end with double count out , but John John Laurinaitis
came out and help Ziggler to enter the ring and restart the match while Punk is out. The refree count up to 9 before Punk
enter the ring and beat Ziggler with GTS.

* They Announce that tomorrow’s match between Cena anf Kane will be No DQ.

* Best pops : CM Punk , John Cena

MAILBAG: Cena vs. Rock, Who Should Go Over At WrestleMania?

22

SEScoops Mailbag for February 9th

(please submit YOUR questions to [email protected])

Q: Can you name one event that marked the end of actual women’s wrestling on WWE programming. In my opinion, the beginning of the end was the introduction of the Diva search competition. This caused an influx of women with very little, if any, wrestling ability. – Dustin C.

A: The Diva search may have sped up its demise, but I think the departures of Trish Stratus and Lita had more to do with it than anything else. They were two of WWE’s most over female performers for years and once they were gone, it seemed like the women became less of a priority. Now you have women like Beth Phoenix and Natalya who can work, but they barely get 30 seconds of TV time and they have Natalya passing gas every week for comedy. I hope the next time she does, someone lights a match and blows up the entire writing staff.

Q: I have been puzzled as to why TNA signed Hulk Hogan to a fat salary for seemingly little return, but being based in the UK and seeing Hulk in the UK and the impact it has made on the British media, Hogan on mainstream TV and Radio at peak time, on the front page of the national papers and on the homepage of the BBC website, no other tour from any company including WWE has ever received so much publicity in my living memory. He was continually pushing and promoting the TNA product, and suddenly it all makes sense, the rise in the profile of the company could never have been achieved without him. Does this justify Hulk’s contract? – Rob S.

A: I don’t know how much Hulk’s contract is worth or how much of it is being paid by Spike TV, but that is precisely the reason Hogan was signed in the first place. Does some media attention overseas justify spending a boatload of money when PPV buyrates continue to embarrass and television ratings have barely moved an inch? Considering how much emphasis TNA puts on those weekly ratings, you can argue it has not been worth the investment. I would argue that replacing Vince Russo as head writer (even though he still writes the shows) and pushing fresh faces like Bobby Roode and James Storm has been more of a positive for the product than signing Hogan or Bischoff has been.

Q: Is it true that Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels were supposed to have a rematch after their Summerslam match with HBK winning, but Hogan said he couldn’t do it cause he had a ‘knee injury’? – Steve D.

A: If Hogan is to be believed, he was down for a rematch until Michaels went on Raw the night after Summerslam and cut an unprofessional promo about him. Of course, I’d sooner believe a politician running for office than I would anything out of Hogan’s mouth. Michaels wanted to win their match at the PPV and was told by Vince McMahon that Hogan was going over. He had 100% creative control in his contract and that was that. It was then proposed they have a rematch in a cage the next month where Michaels would go over, giving each man one victory over the other, which Hogan also refused unless he won that match as well. Basically, Michaels, who was notorious for playing political games back in the day, got out-politicked by the master himself and pouted about it on TV the next night. What goes around comes around.

Q: I don’t see a “Hogan vs. Andre”, “Razor vs. Shawn Ladder Match” or even a “Hogan vs. Rock” caliber matchup in the near future for WrestleMania. There is, however, one glaring moment that has not been seen yet and maybe it never will be. I know why the situation is what it is, but consider this. Who was the WWWF Champion from 1963-1971 and again from 1973-1977? Of course, the great Bruno Sammartino. Has the WWE gotten far enough from the worst of the DX-type stuff that Bruno hated? Can Vince and Bruno ever bury the hatchet??? If they could, imagine that ultimate HOF induction at a WrestleMania held in Sammartino’s adopted hometown of Pittsburgh. What do you think? – Bill from Ohio

A: I don’t know that enough of those older fans are still around to warrant Bruno’s induction being viewed as any sort of “ultimate” Mania moment. He is certainly worthy of being acknowledged by WWE for its Hall of Fame for the records he set and his overall impact on the promotion. At the end of the day, he has turned down their offers at every opportunity. If he doesn’t want to go in, then there’s nothing the company can do. When the day comes that Bruno is no longer on this earth, Vince will be free to induct him posthumously if he wants to, and he should because Sammartino was a big part of that company’s history.

Q: I feel WWE really dropped the ball when it comes to Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. After the whole Legacy thing, I believe their careers should have really taken off, but they are still in mid-card matches for some reason. Did something happen or is it just bad storylines? – Tyler

A: The goal was always to elevate DiBiase to main event status and he seemed to be on his way, but they killed him dead because they felt he lacked charisma. To me, their mistake was going with DiBiase over Rhodes. What could have been his defining moment came on that Raw show where his father, Dusty Rhodes, was the guest host and was attacked by Randy Orton at the end of the show. That shot of Cody steaming mad in the corner, refusing to lash out at Orton while the fans chanted his name reminded me of WWE pushing Orton after the breakup of Evolution, only for the fans to end up getting behind Batista instead. Sometimes, when the fans call for it, you need to pull the trigger. They had something with Cody back then and squandered it. Thankfully, he’s finally getting a proper push now.

Q: How do you think Rock vs. Cena will play out? I’m thinking if Rock wins and does not come back, how will Cena get his revenge? If Cena wins, Rock can’t show his face again in WWE. I just hope it’s not a [disputed] finish. Also what would Cena have to do to turn heel at Mania, besides give Rock a beat down, and convince the audience of his turn? – Dennis M.

A: Realistically, Cena should win. Like him or not, he’s WWE’s guy and will be around far more than Rock will after the show. Plus, it’s been a rather lopsided feud so far with Cena taking a Rockbottom at last year’s Mania, leading to his loss to The Miz, and again at Survivor Series after Rock scored the winning fall for their team. As for a Cena heel turn, he’s already going to be booed out of Sun Life Stadium. There’s no need to go full-blown heel with him unless Rock has agreed to stick around for a rematch after Mania.

Q: I [recently] took my daughter to a Raw house show in Jackson, MS. There was a fan that was just way to into all of [the action], had signs for everything, the wrestlers all had banter with him, his facial expressions were just way to over the top. We sat ringside and even my 9 year old thought he had to be an actor. Well because I have nothing else better to do with my time I did some research online and couldn’t find anything. Two weeks later, I was watching Raw on my DVR and BOOM, there he is in the same damn outfit. I was wondering if you guys know who he is and what’s the point in planting actors at house shows? – Clay

A: The “actor” you are referring to (based on the photo you attached) is no actor at all. He is a WWE superfan named Rick Achberger, or “The Sign Guy” as others know him. He appears at roughly 30-40 live events each year, always wearing his backwards red hat and blue shirt. He actually won over $100,000 on “Deal or No Deal” a few years ago with John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley all sent by WWE to make appearances.

Q: A friend of mine went with his homies to the Raw Supershow on January 16 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. When the guards went up to them, they flashed their tickets and were booted out of the building. The same incident happened at Summerslam at the Staples Center and at Survivor Series in my hometown of New York City (I’m originally from the Bronx). Has there been controversy during a Monday Night RAW or a taping of Friday Night SmackDown where some security guards come up to a member, or in this case, members of the WWE Universe, tell them to flash their tickets to see if they are legitimate enough for them to be in the audience? Or are there specific rules when you buy the tickets online? – Luis A.

A: I’ve never heard of security kicking out fans with legitimate tickets. Tell your friends to quit buying their tickets outside the arena from the same guy who first tried to sell them a gold watch and some weed.

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

Matt Hardy To Undergo Back Surgery, His Future In Wrestling

7

Matt Hardy appeared on Busted Open, which airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Sirius 92 and XM 208 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Highlights from the interview are as follows:

His future in wrestling: “I think there is a future for me in wrestling in some capacity. I have such a new outlook on life after going through such a crazy period, I’ve kind of had a reprieve for a while. At some point I had to face everything and change my life, and I have, and I feel good about where I’m at right now. Wrestling is in me, its in my blood and I think I’ll always be in wrestling in some shape or form. Basically I chalk it up to this, I kind of let God lead me where I’m going to go. After I have back surgery, we’ll see where I stand physically and from that point on I’ll kind of see where the wave takes me.”

If he has used social media in the right way: “There are times when I have, and there are times I’ve used it in the wrong way as well. I feel like I was one of the original guys to take social networking and promoted themselves. Under WWE and I know from being around there a long time, stemming from Vince McMahon and going all the way down, they’ve always wanted control of everything they have, and it’s hard to do that with Twitter or YouTube cause it’s something that you have to go hand in hand with and work with the company. But now they realize its huge deals now and there is money to be made and there is promotion that comes from it, so it’s great that they have embraced it now. But as far as I go there has been a lot of people who tie me in as “The Internet Guy” or “the social media guy” and that’s cool because I do dig that stuff.

Whether he should take a break from social media: “I did for a while but now that I’m here and I’m me, I like getting messages out. There is a lot of people just from Twitter that say “because of this, you’ve been through this and overcame it and you’re doing better and you’re really inspiring me.” There is people out there that I know I can help and touch. That’s one of my main reasons for ever wanting to get into wrestling because I can inspire and help other people. Just being able to do that is important to me. I dig communicating with people and I try to respond to as many fans as I can when I can. It’s just a part of my lifestyle and it’s something I enjoy and I’m really into doing things I enjoy and that is healthy for me.”

The Undertaker’s streak: “To me I don’t think the streak should ever end. I don’t think anyone is going to become a bigger star because they beat the Undertaker. I mean they would become a bigger star but I don’t think its worth sacrificing the streak. I think the streak is as big of an attraction at Wrestlemania as the world title match is. To me when you think of someone as 20-0, that’s almost more important than the world title.

“It almost overshadows everything else. People buy Wrestlemania to see if the streak is going to end. People also buy Wrestlemania to see the Undertaker continue the streak. So to me I don’t think it should end, especially because he is getting towards the end of his career. I have never had more respect for someone in the wrestling business than him. If they were going to try to do it, it would have to be someone that is already over almost on the main event level, almost a new guy that has five, seven, or ten years left in him and I don’t see anyone like that right now.”

The rigors of a full time schedule: “The schedule is very brutal and very tough and you’re obviously beating up and destroying your body. As far as what other people do, it’s not my business to put anyone else’s business out there. But it is a tough gig. The one thing I would say is what I would love to see change in the wrestling business is to just have an off season, because I think guys need time off to heal. I think that would really help slow down the injury process, because once your hurt if you’re on a WWE schedule the only time you get off is if you have surgery.

“Not only do they want you to work, but the mentality is if you can work, you do work

Taker vs. HHH Confirmed For ‘Mania, Batista’s Movie Role Details

31

— Updated advertising for the March 12 Raw SuperShow at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio confirms a bout pitting The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania. The description on the official website of the Quicken Loans Arena says, “What will HBK have to say about the confrontation between his long-time friend (Triple H) and WrestleMania foe (The Undertaker)?”

— Former WWE performer Dave Bautista (a/k/a Batista) will be playing the role of Diaz in the upcoming Chronicles of Riddick 2 movie starring Vin Diesel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He will appear in “9/10ths of the film” once filming and editing is complete.

— Christian wrote the following on Twitter about an individual claiming to be Edge for a scheduled appearance in New York later this year:

“If ur planning on going 2 meet Edge @ autograph session @ Omega Sports, Queensbury, NY Apr 21 he WON’T be there..Unfortunately owner of store was fooled by someone claiming to represent Edge.. Hopefully something like this doesn’t happen again.”

Cena & Kane Brawl At Press Conference, Where Koslov May Land

10

— A press conference Thursday to kick off WWE’s first-ever live event tour in Abu Dhabi “turned chaotic” when Kane attacked John Cena, according to WWE.com. Cena, however, put The Big Red Monster through a table in front of members of the media.

Video and photos of the incident are available here.

— Through Twitter, Marco Corleone has been lobbying Alex Koslov (a/k/a Peter Orlov) to return to EMLL following his release from WWE last week.

— Matches airing on today’s episode of WWE Superstars on WWE.com are Johnny Curtis vs. Yoshi Tatsu, Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel, Jack Swagger vs. Santino Marella and tag team action pitting Epico and Primo against JTG and Michael McGillicutty.

— In today’s birthdays, Shelly Martinez turns 32 years old while Madusa turns 49.

source: PWInsider.com

Piper Says He’ll Be At WM28: Pipers Pit With Cena-Rock?

15

WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper told MiamiHerald.com this week that he’ll be at WrestleMania 28 on April 1st.

“I’ll be at WrestleMania.” he said. “Let’s just put it that way.”

Piper has been campaigning for months to host a special edition of Piper’s Pit with John Cena and The Rock as his guests. Piper tells the Herald that “Piper’s Pit with Cena and The Rock would get huge ratings” and “It would help WrestleMania 28 itself, but more than that, with the exception of me who started 14 years before the WWE, everyone in that ring has been made by wrestling.”

Piper says he wants to feature The Rock and John Cena on Piper’s Pit because it’s a chance to showcase to the world what WWE is all about:

“Why Cena and The Rock? Well, you can bring things they’ve done outside our industry back into our industry during the Pit. It’s a statement I’m looking for. The statement is WWE is right up there with every other entertainment group in the world or better. That is the statement I would like to come out of that Piper’s Pit. It’s not for me. I have had a lot of Piper’s Pits. I look at the roster, and I can really make that roll.”
“I thought that alone would show the strength and prestige that WWE has come up to from where we started,” Piper said. “The entertainment value alone with all of us in there, there is no downside to it. It would make a huge statement to the entertainment business all around the world of how strong we really are.”

Preview For This Week’s Impact – Four Matches Announced

5

*Spoilers* UK TNA Impact Tapings Results (2/2 & 2/9)

Here is a preview for Thursday’s broadcast, courtesy of ImpactWrestling.com:

– The main event is set for “Against All Odds” as World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode will defend the gold in a four-way match against Jeff Hardy, “Cowboy” James Storm and Bully Ray! Just days before the Pay-Per-View, it’s a huge IMPACT main event as “The Icon” Sting teams up with James Storm to take on Bobby Roode and Bully Ray.

– How will Eric Bischoff react to the return of Hulk Hogan and his alliance with his son, Garett Bischoff as his trainer? Eric is livid that Hogan is backing Garett. What will Eric have to say to his son on Thursday night? Hulk Hogan will be there as the war between father and son continues!

– Longtime rivals collide again in London as “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles battles Christopher Daniels! No doubt, Kazarian (AJ’s opponent at “Against All Odds”) will be watching closely!

– In Knockouts action, fan favorites face off as Mickie James will battle Velvet Sky

– In X Division action Austin Aries will battle Alex Shelley and Douglas Williams.

Batista Shows Off New Look In Video, Reason For Ross At Raw

61

— Dave Bautista revealed an altered appearance in a brief video published Wednesday evening on Viddy.com. The former WWE Superstar is currently in Montreal filming the movie Chronicles of Riddick 2, which also stars Vin Diesel.

— Jim Ross stated on Twitter that he was backstage at Monday’s Raw SuperShow in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma working on an undisclosed project with Jerry Lawler. The Wrestling Globe Newsletter reports Ross spent the afternoon working with THQ on their next WWE video game, WWE ’13. Ross and Lawler will be providing commentary for the game.

— PWF Northeast Pro Wrestling will present their tenth anniversary show on February 18 at the West End Rec Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The Nasty Boys—Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags—and Steve Corino are scheduled to appear.

Shaq-WM28 Update, HOF Announcements, Live SmackDown

14

– WWE will present another live SmackDown show on SyFy on Tuesday, February 21st from Rockford, IL. WWE will kick off the full-force build to WrestleMania that week with 7 hours of live programming between Elimination Chamber, RAW and SmackDown.

– If it is announced that basketball legend Shaquille O’NealI will be appearing at WrestleMania, the big man would appear on the March 5th RAW Supershow from Boston. The Rock is already confirmed for that show..

– The 2012 WWE Hall of Fame announcements for Ron Simmons and the late Yokozuna will likely be held off WWE TV until after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Royal Rumble Buyrate, Legends House, Beth-Tamina

14

– Early estimates for the 2012 Royal Rumble pay-per-view are around 250,000-285,000 buys in North America. Hard numbers will be out in early March.

– With the WWE Network launch delayed, there has been talk of the Legends House reality series airing on Syfy starting Tuesday, April 17th. Many people have found it surprising the company could not get USA Network to carry Legends House.

– Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defending against Tamina has been confirmed for Elimination Chamber.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)