Home Blog Page 3027

Video Of HBK & His Son Hunting, Hugh Jackman Talks RAW

Staff
-
3

– USA Today has published an interview with Hollywood star Hugh Jackman, whose new movie “Reel Steel” opens Friday.

In preparation for his movie, Jackman has been working with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard to make his fight scenes look as realistic as possible. Both Jackman and Leonard talked about Jackman’s experience hosting RAW and how his recent boxing training helped him out when he got into a confrontation with Dolph Ziggler. Sugar Ray Leonard said he’s proud of Jackman for landing a punch on Dolph Ziggler, even if Ziggler’s injuries were just “part of the show”.

“He delivered a punch that found its target. That’s all I care about,” Leonard said. “It put a stamp on my job. I’m proud.”

– Carl Dantes sent in this video footage of Shawn Michaels and his son Cameron hunting after a recent taping of Shawn Michaels’ MacMillan River Adventures.

Mysterio Goes Against WWE’s Wishes, Superstars Returning

Staff
-
20

– After a 2 week hiatus, WWE has decided to bring back their weekly Superstars online show in the United States. This week’s “return” episode will be posted to Youtube this afternoon at 4pm (EST).

The following matches have been taped for today’s WWE.com Superstars broadcast:

  • AJ vs. Tamina.
  • Ted DiBiase vs. Tyson Kidd.
  • Alex Riley vs. JTG.
  • Michael McGuillicuty vs. Percy Watson.

– There is some concern among WWE officials regarding Rey Mysterio using his own doctors in San Diego for his operations and not Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama, who is considered the best in the business.

– There was only one house show over the weekend – a RAW and SmackDown supershow that took place from Mobile, Alabama on 10/1. That event only drew 3,200 paying fans and a gate of $92,000, which is a disappointing turnout considering superstars from both brands (including John Cena) were in attendance.

(Partial source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Former Diva & FCW Champion To TNA, Gut Checks & More

Staff
-
14

– Former WWE NXT rookie and FCW Champion Lucky Cannon, who was released from his developmental deal back in August, tweeted the following on Wednesday, an indication that he could be TNA bound:

“@JeffJarrettTNA .. Looking forward to speaking with u”

– Following Gail Kim’s recent release from WWE, there’s talk that she could wind up back in TNA once her 90-day no-compete clause expires.

– TNA has announced another round of ‘Gut Check’ workshops, where people can try out to become TNA superstars. The following dates and locations have been announced:

* October 28th in Sacramento, CA
* November 5th in Toledo, OH
* December 10th in Orlando, FL

– TNA President Dixie Carter turns 47 years old today. Happy birthday Dixie!

– TNA is looking to produce a new TV show aimed at the Indian market. Sonjay Dutt and BG James recently flew to India to scout potential talents for the show.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

JR Regrets Walking Out, Says Superstars Will Be At RAW

Staff
-
8

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has posted more comments to twitter regarding Monday’s RAW walkout. Ross, the final person to walk out on Triple H, now says he regrets his actions.

“I’m having 2nd thoughts on my decision to support many of the talents by walking off Raw Monday nite. I want 2 be in OKC if HHH will have me.”

“So I made a mistake Mon & I’m admonished. I admit I made a mistake & same occurs. Lots of tuf ppl on Twitter. I WILL be in OKC. I’m not explaining why I made the decision I made Monday night. Those that know, know. All I want 2 do is call wrestling matches if allowed.”

Ross also gives an update on whether WWE’s superstars will be at RAW and Triple H’s future as WWE COO:

“I hope WWE fans pack OKC Mon night. Cena, Punk, Orton, Sheamus, SHOW, will be there & HHH will NOT resign. Let’s see where the cards fall.”

WWE Superstars Agree To Work Weekend Live Events

Staff
-
6

The following statement was posted on the WWE website on Wednesday announcing that the WWE superstars will be working this weekend’s scheduled live events – on one condition ..

Superstars agree to participate in weekend live events

Attention, WWE Universe: WWE Superstars have agreed to participate in WWE live events this weekend, so long as the Chief Operating Officer, Triple H, is not in the building. Triple H has agreed to these terms, and all shows will continue as scheduled.

Video: Jerry Lawler Talks About Monday’s RAW Walkout

Staff
-
9

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler is the latest performer to discuss the walkout stryline from Monday’s RAW. Lalwer posted the following video and description to YouTube on Wednesday:

“Just wanted to take a minute to explain why I did what I did on Raw, and to tell you that I had no idea my actions would lead to a walkout.”

Sting Talks About Jeff Hardy’s Issues, Their Victory Road Match

Staff
-
25

TNA star Sting was recently interviewed by Fighting Spirit Magazine and spoke about Jeff Hardy’s recent issues and their infamous match at TNA Victory Road back in March.

Sting defeated Jeff Hardy in an impromptu squash match after it was deemed Jeff Hardy was too stoned to safely wrestle – and says the “ripple effect” of Hardy’s actions were “gigantic.”

Sting knew hours before their match that Jeff Hardy was going to be a handful that day. “I knew there was trouble a couple of hours before the match and it seemed to get worse as the night progressed.

“I had high hopes that by some miracle it would pan out — and we would be able to actually have a match — because we had something pretty good worked out.

“It didn’t happen that way. It just deteriorated, it got to the point that what happened, had to happen.”

Sting has faith that Jeff Hardy can turn his life around once he gets out of jail.

“My heart goes out to Jeff and I’m glad that he’s on the trail back. He seems to be great. I’ve talked to him a couple of times, he seems really, really good and he is remorseful. But he understands that his words mean nothing at this point — time is going to be the only thing.”

“He’s going to have to build the bridge of trust back one brick at a time — and he knows it. He’s an incredible, unbelievably talented wrestler. He’s creative, innovative and he’s got so much going for him. If he can keep his head on straight, I know there’s a lot of good years in front of him and he’ll be a benefit to this company.”

Plans For Vengeance, WWE In China, Tribute To The Troops

Staff
-
40
WWE Vengeance

– WWE’s next pay-per-view event Vengeance is just weeks away on Sunday 10/23 – and WWE is planning to use next week’s RAW and SmackDown to do the major set up for the event.

WWE will be in Mexico for the RAW and SmackDown tapings the week before Vengeance and those shows are being looked at as “special” international TV tapings and not the usual “go-home” shows before a PPV.

Both RAW and SmackDown talent are expected to appear on both shows heading into Vengeance.

– WWE will be doing their annual Tribute To The Troops special once again and this year’s taping has been scheduled for Sunday, December 11th, 2011 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

– As WWE heads to Asia in the coming months for a live tour, the company is looking to run live events in China, but the government approval process is very strict.

UFC has had similar difficulties dealing with Chinese authorities and expecting to finally hold an event from China in 2012.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

RAW Format Change, Fitness Model Getting WWE Tryout

Staff
-
22

– Monday’s RAW featured a chance in format from the typical weekly broadcasts. Instead of opening with the long interview segment that would set up the main angle for the rest of the show, WWE opened with Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre – and held off on the long interview until the end of the second quarter hour.

The reasoning behind this change is that WWE is looking compete with their stiff competition from NFL’s Monday Night Football and the MLB baseball playoffs. WWE tried to keep viewers tuned in longer at the start of the show because they were coming off Hell in a Cell the night before and they knew fans would be tuning in for the first big in-ring segment. By putting the first storyline segment in the second quarter hour, their hope was that viewers would stay tuned in through the Orton-McIntyre match and beyond.

– Carly Thornton, a well-known fitness model form the UK, will be getting a WWE tryout when WWE is overseas in November.

Thornton does not have any experience in the wrestling industry, but she has been working in the UK as a presenter on the Active Channel and endorses several bodybuilding supplements. She is said to be quite attractive and resembles former WWE ring announcer Jamie Keyes.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

Early HIAC PPV Buyrate Data, WWE Stars’ Online Popularity

Staff
-
20

— WWE’s Hell in a Cell event took place this past weekend and we’ve already got some early data on how the show did on pay-per-view. Expectations within WWE were that the show would do worse than last year – and early trending numbers indicate a 20% drop from Night of Champions.

Live attendance at the show saw only 7,500 paid fans (9,400 in total) with a live gate of $475,000, which is lower than most WWE pay-per-view events.

— The Top 20 most popular WWE personalities on Facebook in twitter, in Order, are John Cena, The Rock, Mysterio, Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Kelly Kelly, Kane, John Morrison, big Show, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, CM Punk, Great Khali, Chris Jericho, Maryse and Bret Hart.

It’s worth noting that CM Punk doesn’t have a Facebook page, which strongly affects his ranking on the list.

(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

WWE Signs Canadian Diva Kira Forster (Pictures)

Staff
-
19

Diva Dirt reports that WWE has signed 27 year old Canadian women’s wrestler Kira Forster to a developmental deal. She has wrestled in Canada under the name Taya Valkyrie and is expected to report to FCW to begin training in the next few months.

Taya, who has also done fitness work and some modeling, has trained under former WWE Superstar Lance Storm and appeared on his World of Hurt reality show in Canada. She is the third women’s wrestler from the Storm Wrestling Academy to be signed this year. It’s believed she was the women’s wrestler that Lance recommended WWE agents take a look at, at the recent WWE tapings in Canada.

WWE also signed Storm students Irena Janjic, who is wrestling in FCW as Leah West and Tenille Taylor, who is expected to report to FCW in a few months after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Check out these pictures of newly signed WWE diva Kira Forster:

RAW Preview For Next Week, HBK’s TV Return, WWE Stock

Staff
-
31

– WWE.com has an article up that questions whether Triple H was “set up to fail” as WWE’s Chief Operating Officer, considering his close ties to the anti-authority DX stable. The article hints at how Shawn Michaels could be involved in the walk-out storyline, since Michaels is scheduled to appear at next week’s SmackDown taping as part of an advertised “DX reunion.’

– TheStreet.com has an article up looking at the current state of WWE’s stock, which has taken a beating this year ever since WWE cut its dividend in the Spring. Mark Travis, portfolio manager for the Intrepid Small Cap Fund, sounds optimistic about the stock’s outlook:

“You have a clean balance sheet and $170 million in cash. The perception is that WWE wrestling events are suffering due to a weakened consumer, and while there may be some truth to that, you also have the TV contracts which mitigate the ticket sale volatility.”

– The official website of Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena, the venue hosting Monday’s RAW Supershow, has posted the following preview for next week:

“The Game is not fit to lead the company and must, essentially, either appoint a new COO or resign from his post.

“After one of the most historic RAWs in recent history, will the fallout continue from disgruntled WWE Superstars John Cena, CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Oklahoma’s own Jim Ross and more on Monday night at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena?”

The Miz Get Verbally Buries One Of His Haters (Video)

Daniel Pena
-
34

WWE star The Miz will be appearing on the CW show H8R tonight, where celebrities confront their haters.

The new reality show, which is hosted by Mario Lopez, airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 CT.

Check out this preview of The Miz confronting one of his haters ..

Robert Roode Talks Bound For Glory, Hogan-Sting, James Storm

Staff
-
26

Main Event Radio interview with Robert Roode
Host: Ryan Rider
Full interview available at MainEventRadio.com

How does it feel to be the No. 1 contender for the TNA Heavyweight Championship of the World? “It feels great. It’s been a long time coming. For the past 13 years I’ve been in this business sacrificing a lot. Paying my dues, honing my crafts. 9 years with Impact Wrestling has been a long time. I’ve seen a lot of guys come and go. There’s nobody better to get in the ring with than Kurt Angle. My first opportunity for a world title shot in the ring with that guy, it’s going to be something special.”

What can we expect from the match itself? “It’s going to be an amazing match. Kurt [Angle]’s record speaks for himself. A lot of people recognize me as a tag team guy from Beer Money and my early Team Canada days. The past few months I’ve made a name for myself. These past few weeks on Impact having solo matches against some of the best wrestlers in the company – Kazarian and this past week AJ Styles. My confidence level is at a high right now. I’ve been studying a lot of Kurt’s matches. I’m prepared for the best wrestling match of my career. It’s going to be a very special night for me and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Roode on coming a long way from your Team Canada days to where you are today: “It’s been a long road. It’s been fun at the same time. Nine years in TNA; through the ups and the downs. Coming in as Team Canada was a lot of fun. From representing my country to where I am today it’s been incredible. I’m living my dream. And you never know if I’ll bring back one of my old hockey sticks for Bound for Glory. I’m a big hockey fan. Hockey was always my first love. There’s always a hockey stick around.”

Where do Beer Money and Fortune stand at this point with Roode becoming a singles wrestler? “There’s always going to be Beer Money. Beer Money will never die. James and I have invested too much time and we’ve invested our heart and soul into the team. We literally were thrown together four years ago in a situation where creatively there wasn’t a lot for us. He and I made the team work. We got it over; we made it what it is. I don’t think there will ever be a time where Beer Money will ever go away. Beer Money will always be remembered – we’ve done a lot together. As far a Fortune, we’ve had our problems but Fortune is family. Sometimes family fights but Fortune will stick around.”

Memories of teaming with James Storm: “The Best of Five Series with the Motor City Machine Guns will probably go down in history as one of the best tag team matches of all time. What can you say about the Team 3D matches? What made Beer Money what it was was our ability to adapt to different styles and have great matches with the X division guys like MCMG or heavyweight guys like Team 3D. Our ability to adapt to different styles and to entertain the fans at the same time. Beer Money will never go away. No matter how successful Bobby Roode becomes on his own or James Storm becomes on his own, Beer Money will always live forever. Some day we will always get back together whether it be a month from now, a year from now, or 10 years from now – bring back Beer Money the way it should be.”

What happened with Chris Harris? “Honest to God, I’m not sure how it was supposed to pan out. There were some ideas thrown around. They brought Chris in for one match. Whether it was a decision made before or after the match they decided to go a different route. They tried it and obviously didn’t like it for whatever reason and they decided to go a different way. That’s all I can say about that situation.”

What was it like working for the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair? “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been a Nature Boy fan my whole life. To be managed by Ric, to be mentored by Ric both on and off the screen was a blessing. It was an incredible feeling to see him at ringside, in my corner, to do the backstage interviews and to get to know the guy backstage. It was a great learning experience and something I will never forget. Ric Flair is one of a kind and he can take a beating and he is still ticking. 60-something years old and he lives and breathes the business.”

Thoughts on his co-headliner, Hogan vs Sting: “It’s going to be a big match, no doubt about it. It’s been built up quite heavily. It’s been quite documented how many back surgeries Hulk has had in the past year. Sting is still Sting; the guy has still got it. So it’s going to be an interesting match. Whether you’re a wrestling fan of the 80’s, 90’s, or this era you will be interested in it. Two of the biggest names in wrestling’s history for one more time, probably the final time. This may be the last time Hulk Hogan ever steps foot inside the ring.”

Video: Ric Flair & Mick Foley Hype Tonight’s Helms Benefit Show

Staff
-
6

Ric Flair and Mick Foley appeared on television this morning in Charlotte, North Carolina to promote tonight’s Shane Helms benefit comedy show. Check out this video of the two legends from this morning and below that is a press release with details regarding the show:

The following press release was issued regarding a fundraiser being held on behalf of former WWE talent Shane Helms this Wednesday at the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, North Carolina

Don’t miss out on Mick Foley’s Hurricane Assist Comedy show. The show is a Fundraiser for a great cause. And with the purchase of a ticket you get to see Mick Foley’s stand-up comedy performance along with comedian J Derrell, and get to participate in a FREE meet and greet with the legendary “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, The Rated R Superstar Edge, TNA star Gunner, LLUSA stars Reby Sky and Jayme Jameson, WCW star Lodi, Female Indy Sensation Amber O’Neal, the list keeps growing!!

Former WWE and TNA star Mick Foley asked for fan help with ticket sales for the Shane Helms fundraising event that will be held at the Charlotte Comedy Zone in Charlotte, N.C. on October 5.

“I originally saw this as a way for the wrestling community to help out one of our own during a time of need,” Foley said. “But a few weeks ago, Shane told me that he would like to take whatever money is raised and use it to produce an effective Public Service Announcement, which will likely help others avoid the pain and suffering, and loss of income that Shane had had to endure.

“He admitted that having his livelihood taken away from him has been, and will continue to be a financial strain, but really felt strongly about using whatever funds were raised to help others.”

WWE Shuts Down Website After Users Upload Nude Diva Pics

Daniel Pena
-
28

WWE took their live events website (www.wwelivetour.com) offline Wednesday afternoon after numerous nude images were published in the photo gallery.

The website features an unmoderated section where fans are allowed to upload photos taken at live events. A nude photo of former WWE Diva Tiffany from her Playboy modeling days was uploaded to the website this morning, garnering attention online. Users then started to bombard the section with several tawdry images (including a graphic still of Chyna’s s genitalia from her 2004 adult film 1 Night in China), causing WWE to hastily take the website offline.

The website remains down as of this post; it instead redirects to WWE.com.

WWE Catering To Internet Fans, SmackDown Attendence & More

Staff
-
32

– There has been talk within WWE of doing more angles that cater to issues internet fans talk about on sites like SEScoops.com.

– Recent WWE SmackDown television tapings have been drawing alarmingly small crowds – and several readers who were at Tuesday’s taping from Biloxi, MS said this show was no different – with about half the arena tarped off.

With SmackDown television tapings and live events failing to draw large audiences, there has been talk of extending the Triple H – COO storyline to SmackDown and having more RAW stars appear on the show each week, putting yet another nail in the coffin of the brand split.

– WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who recently underwent emergency neck surgery, was forced to pull out of a live appearance in Orlando this weekend. He wrote on Twitter:

“Standing up to the plate. My neck needs 1 more week to heal, it’ll be stronger than before. I feel terrible, Can’t do Orlando this weeked.”

– The WWE NXT timeslot move was made to provide additional time to edit and work on the broadcast.

– Maryse is featured on the cover of the new Sessions Magazine. The issue also includes a 10-page feature on the WWE Diva.

(Source: pwinsider.com)

Kurt Angle’s Recent DUI Charge Lowered To Reckless Driving

Daniel Pena
-
8

The Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office has reduced a driving under the influence charge against TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle to reckless driving.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Fleming disclosed the amended charge during a hearing in Warren General District Court on Tuesday. Angle, however, is still facing the same penalties, a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Fleming refused to comment on the reasons for amending the charge. Judge W. Dale Houff scheduled a trial date for November 8, 2011.

Angle was arrested on September 4, 2011 by Virginia State Troopers for allegedly driving under the influence. He was placed in Warren County Jail before posting $2,000 bail and being released in the early morning. State police revealed that Angle’s initial breath test at the scene where he was stopped by police showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.091 percent, which was above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

In a written statement issued two days after the arrest, Angle denied he was driving while intoxicated.

“I was returning from an Impact Wrestling show in an unfamiliar place, late at night and trying to find the exit for my hotel,” he said. “I did not believe my driving behavior was reckless or otherwise improper. Apparently law enforcement may have believed otherwise and pulled me over.”

The full story can be accessed here.

Sheamus In Line For A Major Push This Fall

Staff
-
74

WWE officials are very high on Sheamus right now, with the former WWE champion scheduled to get a monster push this fall leading into 2012. Longterm booking on the SmackDown brand have Sheamus, Randy Orton and Mark Henry as the centerpiece talents of SmackDown.

Vice McMahon has been a strong backer of Sheamus over the years and has renewed faith in the Celtic Warrior since his recent babyface turn. Sheamus’ work doing public appearances (especially with the Be A Star campaign) has helped his perception with management.

Although WrestleMania 28 is stil several months away and plans can change several times before the, WWE is looking for Sheamus to challenge SmackDown’s dominant monster Mark Henry for World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania.

Original Plans For Hogan vs. Sting, Bischoff’s TNA Status & More

Staff
-
20

– After announcing that Hulk Hogan would be returning to the ring at Bound For Glory and wrestling his longtime rival Sting, there were plans for Ric Flair to be added to the match, making it a 3-way match. Considering Hulk Hogan’s lack of mobility and the history between all three men, TNA officials were hoping that adding Flair to the match would take pressure off Hogan and Sting and allow for more low-impact gimmick spots to be used in the match.

When Flair got injured during his match with Sting on Impact several weeks ago, plans to include Flair in the Hogan-Sting match were dropped and the no-DQ stipulation was added to Hogan-Sting.

– As reported here on the site yesterday, Hulk Hogan has signed a new deal with TNA just days before his previous deal was set to expire. A TNA source has confirmed to us that it’s virtually guaranteed Eric Bischoff will be renewing his deal as well.

– Hogan is in Los Angeles this week filming new commercials for Rent-A-Center with NFL Legend Troy Aikman.

Sound Off 182: Exclusive Interview with George Napolitano!

Jason Solomon
-
6
solomonster
Solomonster Sounds Off

DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST HERE:
Solomonster Sounds Off (Episode 182)
*right-click, “Save As”, or stream it!

Est. Runtime: 62 minutes

Sound Off 182 is here and features Solomonster’s exclusive hour-long interview with photographer and author GEORGE NAPOLITANO, a man with over 40 years in the wrestling business. We discuss the glory days of the magazines, his iconic photo of Andre the Giant, Ric Flair’s NWA title defense in the Dominican Republic and why both he and Ric were scared for their lives, his relationship with Flair today, Paul Heyman and why the other photographers tried to have him barred from ringside when he first started, an interesting take on the Montreal Screwjob (which he was ringside for), taking photos of Randy Savage while he was still playing baseball, meeting a young Triple H at a high school gym and so much more. If you’re a fan of wrestling history, you’ll love this!

His new book is called “Hot Shots and High Spots: George Napolitano’s Amazing Pictorial History of Wrestling’s Greatest Stars” and is available right now on Amazon.com and other fine retailers. Leave feedback in the comments section below or e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Thanks to George for the fun chat!

Want your question on the air? Send feedback to [email protected].

Wanna subscribe to the Sound Off via iTunes? CLICK HERE!

Visit The Solomonster on Twitter @ twitter.com/solomonster

Friend The Solomonster on Facebook @ facebook.com/thesolomonster

Creative Commons License
Solomonster Sounds Off by The Solomonster is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Eric Young Talks About How TNA Has Changed Over The Years

Staff
-
6

Main Event Radio interview with Eric Young
Host: Ryan Rider
Full interview available at MainEventRadio.com

Is the company changing its name to Impact Wrestling? “The name of the company is still TNA. It’s Impact Wrestling presented by TNA. Kurt is still TNA World Heavyweight champion, I’m TV Champion, but the TV show is Impact Wrestling.”

What is the status of the TV Title? “I am the longest reigning champion in recent memory (last year or so). I’ve held the TV title longer than any other champion right now. I’ve only had one actual match for it not counting house shows. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve got to do stuff with Scott Baio and go to L.A. I’ve got to meet high level celebrities and hang out with and “wrestle” with them. It’s quite amazing the turnover and how popular the Eric Young gimmick is. There are so many people who love Eric Young and what I’m doing on Television.”

Young on Danny Bonaduce: “A few years ago, he was the fine line between and insanity. He was a cool guy to meet and basically I beat up a senior citizen.”

Young on his beard: “I started it a week before hockey playoffs of this year. I live in Nashville. I’m a diehard Predators fan. The Nashville Predators did really well this year, making it to the second round for the first time, and the stadium was packed. It’s a passionate group and it’s cool to be part of that. There’s a lot of questions from people I work with and people that employ me, asking what’s with the beard. The hockey playoffs ended a while ago but every day is the playoffs when you’re the champion.”

Young on his memories from his early days with TNA: “It’s crazy how fast time goes. I feel like I was signing my first contract on Bobby Roode’s back just a few months ago. We both signed our deals the same day on each other’s backs. We’ve been there ever since. It’s cool to see that he’s getting his just due facing Kurt Angle in the main event of Bound for Glory. It should be fantastic.

“One of the best days of my life was signing my first contract, to be able to do this for my living. Everybody who has been a wrestling fan since the late ’90s or early 2000’s has probably seen me wrestle. They’ve seen me on a poster or seen me at your local legion cutting my teeth doing the independents and learning my craft and then making it in TNA. Something I set to do when I was 17 years old and now I make my living doing it. I will never take it for granted for as long as I live.”

Young on his favorite role: “The thing I do right now is probably my favorite thing. I still get a chance to wrestle and be aggressive.

“Also World Elite. If you’ve followed my career, I got my job here because I’m a good wrestler. I was known as a guy who had good, competitive hard nosed physical matches. I was never funny, I was never the funny guy; I never played a character in my independent days. I was the local champion who they brought guys from TV in to face. Tagging with Kevin Nash was fantastic, we’re still really good friends. I pride myself on being the most versatile wrestler, maybe ever. I’ve played a collage of characters, maybe 6-10 different versions of Eric Young from being afraid of everything to being afraid of nothing to being a leader of World Elite to being a top heel alongside Kurt Angle.

“I’m a victim of circumstances. World Elite could have gone further but they wanted to put me with Kevin. That was a huge step forward for me. We won the world tag titles. Then Sean Waltman and Scott Hall came in. There was going to be an angle where they turned on me and I would have to fight through them to get to Nash and I would beat him to establish me as a higher-up guy but that never happened because of circumstances. Wrestling fans just like a good product, and whatever I have to do to stay relevant I will. People really like what I’m doing right now. It’s probably the most response I’ve ever got from wrestling. It’s really cool.”

What has changed the most over the years? Just the growth. You were doing weekly PPV’s where there was 20,000-25,000 people were watching to being nationally televised on Spike TV seen in over 100 countries and over 2 million viewers. We’re the top rated show on Spike, we’re the top rated wrestling show in Europe, huge ratings in Germany, big ratings in many parts of the United States as well. We do shows every weekend to different size crowds – sometimes they’re big, sometimes not so big. But just the growth, in general, taking small steps but constantly moving forward. They’re made pretty much the right decisions to get us to this point.

Young on a TNA wrestler he’d like to face in the future: “I’ve never done a lot of stuff with Jeff Jarrett. We did a few things on screen but then he got written off and things petered out. Once again my career has been a victim of circumstance. It’s never really been anything I’ve done right or wrong. It’s wrong place, wrong time or right place, right time. Wrestling is constantly changing every single day but you have to roll with the punches to keep it going forward.”

Young on the Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode match at Bound for Glory: “I must say it’s going to be a top level match. Five stars. Kurt’s on Twitter already guaranteeing that. Bobby Roode is getting his just dues. He’s tied for the best person I’ve ever been in the ring with. I’ve been in the ring with Kurt, with RVD, with Kevin Nash, with Jeff Hardy, all those guys. I’m telling you right now Bobby Roode is going to be a big star and the match will not disappoint.”

Young on Sting vs. Hogan after all these years: Pro wrestling is interesting that way. This is something that people have wanted to see. They did it in WCW but it was never done properly. They were closer to their prime back then and now they’re getting late in their careers but just the nostalgia for me. Seeing two pros going back and forth on their in-ring’s and just how they handle themselves. It’s amazing to watch and the nostalgia alone will make it worth it for me. I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was five years old.

Young on whether he holds any animosity towards Jeff Hardy for the Victory Road Incident: “Personally it doesn’t affect me but it does affect the business I love. I get along with Jeff. I’ve travelled with Jeff, I’ve been in the ring with Jeff, I’ve tagged with Jeff. I’ve been out for a couple of nights on the town with Jeff. He’s a good guy, he’s genuinely a good man, but he’s got demons. There are people who have them inside and outside of wrestling. He had problems but I think he’s rectified it. You’re going to see a better Jeff Hardy. He’s got a daughter at home. He stood up and came to a lot of us backstage at the tapings and apologized. He said he was foolish and let us down. I believe him. I believe in second chances and I hope the best for him.”

Young on whether he has received any word on his own role for Bound for Glory: “I have no idea. I usually don’t know until last minute which is better because I don’t over think it. I would imagine I’m there.”

The future for Eric Young: “Just going forward and contributing to the company. Anybody who says their satisfied with where they’re at shouldn’t be in this business or is lying to you. I want to be a guy that the company can rely on. I’ve proven it before, I’ve shown it before; and I’m ready to show it again. Whether it’s being the comedy relief for 35 seconds a week or whether it’s doing a match that’s 30 minutes long that people will be talking about for years. I can do both. I feel like maybe I’ll still have a career when I’m 75. Who knows. I would like to be a guy that the company relies on. I want that responsibility and I want to be challenged creatively that way.”

“Wrestling can change in a blink of an eye. I can go from wrestling Scott Baio at a golf course one month to taking on Bobby Roode at the next Pay-Per-View. And that’s just the way wrestling is. Which is really cool.”

Chris Jericho’s WWE Return, Divas Of Doom, Punk-Australia

Staff
-
38

– According to sources close to Chris Jericho, the former WWE superstar has been talking to friends lately about returning to the company. There’s no word yet on exactly when he’ll be back, but many people in WWE expect Jericho will be back in early 2012 in time for the build to WrestleMania 28. When Jericho does return, he will most likely be working a reduced schedule.

– CM Punk noted on Twitter that he’s headed down under to Australia this week for the Nickelodeon’s Australian Kid’s Choice Awards,  which tapes this Friday. Punk is nominated for the “Baddest Baddie” award.

– Natalya wrote on Twitter that she and Beth Phoenix are working on a a new double-team move called “The Drop of Doom.” She teased, “Coming soon to an arena near you” and posted an image of her and Beth’s action figures performing the move, which you can see here.

Video: Rey Mysterio Updates Fans On His Condition

Staff
-
11

WWE star Rey Mysterio, who recently underwent two knee surgeries to repair his MCL, posted a video to YouTube on Tuesday updating fans on his condition.

Mysterio is is already walking on crutches, has begun physical therapy and is expected to be out of action until 2012.

In the video, Rey talks about his recent surgeries, shows off his new scars and reveals that he’ll be getting some new tattoo work next week.

William Regal Comments On The RAW Walkout

Staff
-
10

William Regal is the latest WWE superstar to comment on the walkout that took place at the end of Monday’s RAW Supershow.

Regal wrote the following on Twitter on Tuesday night:

“Some people have asked about the walkout on Raw.My personal reasons for my action was that I think HHH has enough on his plate being the COO.I know exactly what it takes to be in charge of Raw and it comes at a dear price(or it did with me).HHH is in charge of the WWE.He needs to concentrate on the company as a whole and put a suitable candidate in charge of the Raw brand.

Although we haven’t had much to do with each other(apart from the odd scuffle)18 years ago myself and HHH where very close. We choose separate paths but my heart went out to him last night as for whatever has happened in our respective lives,we where once friends.

I don’t agree with the superstars on any of there reasons for walking out on HHH.I just want him to share some of his burden. And I hope this message gets to him and he respects my view.”

1...3,0263,0273,028...3,317Page 3,027 of 3,317